Abandoned Luna: Now Untouchable-Chapter 352 A Seat Too Close

Cecilia ’s pov

The misunderstanding had officially spun out of control.

Now I get it.They thought I was Cassian’s girlfriend. That’s why they were all so welcoming.

"Martha, I think there’s been a mix-up," I said quickly. "Cassian and I are just... friends. Normal friends."

She froze, her face basically saying, Sure, and I’m the Queen of England.

Tang, ever the helpful disaster, decided to jump in.

"Cassian doesn’t have time for dating," he said cheerfully. "He’s too busy dodging bombs, jumping out of moving cars, and watching his back for knives."

Martha looked one breath away from fainting. "I...what bombs ? What cars ? What in the world are you talking about ?"

Before he could dig the hole any deeper, I slapped my hand over his mouth.

"Please ignore him," I said through a tight smile. "Cassian is perfectly fine. Nothing’s happened to him. Really."

The room went cold.

The warm, slightly chaotic chatter from earlier vanished. Even the sound of forks tapping plates suddenly felt too loud.

I stared at my salad, mentally mapping out my exit strategy.

"Cece," Yulia said, breaking the silence, "does your boyfriend know you’re here ?" I nodded. "He knows."

Harper cut in, "He’s friends with Cassian."

Tang blurted out, "He’s my Alpha."

His voice was casual, almost too casual. But the second he said it, the whole room went quiet.

Yulia looked confused, though she probably didn’t get what was going on.

Martha didn’t say anything, but her face shifted. Not by much, but enough to notice.

I couldn’t tell if she was annoyed or just thinking, but the silence said it all.

It was time to leave.

I put down my fork and stood.

"Thanks for lunch," I said, aiming for polite. "I should get going."

Martha didn’t stop me. She just gave a tight smile. "Come by again sometime."

As we stepped outside, a white sports car pulled into the driveway.

Author ’s pov

Inside the car, Liora suddenly straightened, her gaze locked on Cecilia as she walked out of the yard.

Her breath hitched, eyes narrowing with a sharpness.

"Mom ? Do you know them ?" Jessica asked, catching the shift in her mother’s energy.

"What ?" Liora blinked, then forced a smile. "No. Just surprised your grandmother invited someone I’ve never seen before."

Jessica shrugged. "If Grandma likes them, they’re probably fine."

"You’re right," Liora murmured, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

Jessica pulled into the driveway, and they both got out.

Liora walked in first, already distracted.

Jessica stayed behind for a second and looked toward the group. Her eyes locked on Cecilia and didn’t move.

Tang caught it right away. He stepped in front of Cecilia, standing taller, blocking Jessica’s view without saying a word.

Harper walked behind Yulia and caught the last part of the moment. Jessica didn’t look openly aggressive, but the way she stood said everything. Calm. Confident. A little too proud.

It was the kind of attitude you only saw in people used to being in charge.

"Yulia. Who’s that ?" Harper asked under her breath.

"Martha’s granddaughter," Yulia replied. "She visits a lot. Knows exactly how to keep the old woman smiling."

Harper nodded slowly. "Got it."

The group moved on, making their way down the mountain path beneath the afternoon sun.

--

Back inside the Locke estate, the air shifted with the arrival of new blood.

"Mrs. Liora. Miss Jessica," Fiona said briskly as she signaled the younger maids to clear the table. Everything about her was sharp and efficient.

Martha’s face brightened the moment she saw Jessica. Her earlier tension melted as she reached out. "Jessica, darling! Come sit by Grandma."

Jessica obeyed with a soft smile. "Hi, Grandma."

Martha studied her granddaughter with affectionate scrutiny. "You look tanner than last time."

Jessica’s tone was sweet, practiced. "Nothing gets past you. I went to Italy. For you, actually."

Martha raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "For me ?"

"Your eightieth birthday’s coming up. I wanted to find something special. Something no one else could top. Maybe a little one-of-a-kind."

Martha chuckled. "So ? Where is it ?"

Jessica leaned in, eyes playful. "Still a secret."

"Keeping secrets from your grandmother now ?" Martha teased, tapping her on the nose.

The moment was warm and easy, at least on the surface. But across the room, Liora watched with sharp eyes, already calculating her next move.

Jessica had everyone’s attention. That was what mattered. Not like Maggie’s daughter, who always looked uncomfortable just trying to talk.

But Liora’s focus didn’t stay on Jessica. Her mind kept circling back to that girl. Cecilia. That face.

"Mother," she said, voice casual, "who were those people leaving just now ?"

Martha’s smile faded just a touch. "Relatives of Levi’s. Thought the younger ones looked charming, so I invited them up."

One word. Charming.

Something about it felt off to Liora. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

That girl Cecilia, if she remembered the name right, had been too calm, too pretty, and far too comfortable.

Did Martha even realize what she was doing ? She was letting strangers walk right in like they belonged.

For all she knew, Cecilia could be trying to get close to Alpha Sebastian.

She couldn’t be serious.

"Why that look ?" Martha asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know them ?"

Liora blinked. "No... Not really."

Her thoughts snapped to the upcoming birthday weekend.

The Black family would be here. The matriarchs had already planned the introductions. Everything was lined up. Years in the making.

This wasn’t the time to stir things up. Not yet.

Martha watched her for a beat longer, then turned back to Jessica.

Liora took her seat, calm on the outside. But her thoughts were pacing.