The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 482

Avery’s POV

Coming home should have felt like a relief after all this time.

I arrived a little before ten o’clock, exhausted and shaking from everything that had happened. The drive from the hotel had taken only fifteen minutes or so, so I hadn’t made a decision yet.

For a few moments, I stood in the doorway with my bag in my hand, staring at the polished marble floors and the tall ceilings and the sleek modern furniture that had cost me a small fortune.

Everything was exactly where I had left it. Nothing had changed. The city view through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows was the same as it always was, the potted plant on the hallway table was still wilting just slightly like it always had, the bowl where I usually put my keys after a long day hadn’t moved an inch.

It was strange. For so long, this house had been a sanctuary for me. I had worked so hard to afford it, to furnish it to the tastes I thought I had. It was quiet and situated just outside the city, overlooking the glittering lights below. It was quieter than my office at HQ, with a nice garden and a pool out back that I might have taken a dip in on a night like this just to soothe my frazzled nerves.

But now… It felt like I was stepping into someone else’s home. It felt like I was walking into a place that had never truly been mine, not really, not in the ways that mattered. It wasn’t anything like the quiet, humble Evergreen estate. The buildings in the distance were tall and brutal, not at all like the scattered cottages of Nightwolf. The pool out back reeked of chlorine, not the natural water of the hidden grotto in that cave.

It made me think about the shareholders’ ultimatum and whether I could truly see myself coming back here for the indefinite future.

My mother appeared at the top of the stairs before I could take another step. Her face lit up when she saw me.

“Avery!” she exclaimed. She hurried down the stairs and pulled me into a hug. I let myself sink into her embrace, breathing in the familiar scent of vanilla and tea that always seemed to cling to her clothes and hair. At least one good thing came out of returning. Getting to see her.

“Hey, Mom.” I hugged her back and buried my face in her shoulder for a moment.

“I missed you so much, sweetheart,,” she said, pulling back just enough to look at me with her hands gripping my upper arms. “How was the drive?”

“Long.” I set my bag down by the door and rubbed my eyes.

“Where’s Bjorn?” she asked. “I thought you’d bring him.”

“He’s too sick to travel right now. Sebastian’s looking after him.”

Her brows furrowed. “How bad is it?” she asked. She knew the general deal—I still called once a week—but not all of the details.

“Bad enough that I’m trying to figure out how to fix it without giving up everything I’ve built here,” I laughed bitterly.

She studied my face for a moment, then nodded toward the kitchen. “Come on. Let me make you some tea. Are you hungry?”

“Not really,” I said.

“Well, you should eat anyway. I’ll make you a sandwich.”

“Okay.” I smiled faintly. “Turkey and swiss?”

“As always.”

I followed her through the house. The kitchen, which had always been her space instead of mine, felt familiar and comforting. I took a seat at the table while my mother put the kettle on and pulled two mugs from the cabinet, then began bustling around to make my sandwich.

“So,” she said, dropping some loose leaves into the strainer of a little teapot. “Tell me what happened.”

I told her about the shareholders. About their ultimatum. All of it. She listened without interrupting, pouring the tea once it was ready and handing me a mug. I took that and the sandwich gratefully, taking a bite of the sandwich, and continued talking.

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