Night had fallen over the Carter estate.
The mansion stood quiet beneath the silver moonlight, its tall windows glowing softly against the darkness. Most of the household had retired to their rooms, and the long corridors had fallen into a deep silence.
But Luna Carter was still awake.
She stood by the large window in her room, arms crossed, silver eyes fixed on the distant city skyline.
"Victor."
She whispered the name softly.
That single word had been echoing in her mind ever since she heard Bruce say it outside the library.
The dangerous man from Manhattan.
The one Bruce had secretly met.
Now he had a name.
And Luna's instincts told her that Bruce was involved in something much bigger than anyone in the family realised.
Her fingers tightened slightly against her arms.
"I need answers."
Luna turned toward the door.
Tonight, she had decided on something.
She was going to investigate.
The mansion hallways were silent.
Only the soft sound of Luna's footsteps moved through the darkness.
She walked carefully, making sure none of the guards or servants noticed her.
A few moments later, she stopped outside Bruce's room.
The door was closed.
A faint light glowed from beneath it.
Luna frowned.
"He's still awake."
For a moment, she considered knocking.
But then she shook her head.
No.
If Bruce were hiding something, he would never tell her directly.
She moved quietly past his room and headed toward the library instead.
That was where he spent most of his time.
That was where everything seemed to begin.
Inside the library, moonlight poured through the tall windows, casting long silver shadows across the shelves.
Luna stepped inside and quietly closed the door behind her.
The room smelt faintly of old books and polished wood.
At first glance, everything looked normal.
Books.
A desk.
Pens.
A reading lamp.
But Luna wasn't here for first glances.
She began searching.
The desk drawers.
The bookshelves.
The reading table.
Inside one drawer, she found several sheets of paper.
At first, they looked like normal notes.
But as Luna read them, her expression slowly changed.
Numbers.
Routes.
Warehouse addresses.
Shipping costs.
Stock movement charts.
Her silver eyes narrowed.
"This isn't normal."
No ten-year-old should be writing this.
No ordinary child should even understand this.
Luna spread the papers across the desk.
Several company names appeared repeatedly.
Hudson Freight.
Eastline Storage.
Metro Energy Supply.
Her heartbeat quickened slightly.
These were real companies.
Major companies.
Luna whispered,
"What are you doing, Bruce?"
At that same moment.
Inside his room.
Bruce Carter slowly opened his eyes.
He had been inside the space system, monitoring Hudson Freight's recovery.
But suddenly, his instincts flared.
Someone was inside the library.
Bruce sat up slowly.
His expression remained calm.
He already knew who it was.
"Luna."
He stood from the bed and quietly walked toward the door.
Inside the library.
Luna found another notebook.
This one was even stranger.
Several pages were filled with city maps.
Routes marked in red lines.
Financial flow arrows.
Energy grids.
Supply chain structures.
Luna stared at the pages.
This wasn't random.
This was planning.
Large-scale planning.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"You're moving something."
The library door opened softly behind her.
Luna froze.
Bruce stood in the doorway.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The moonlight fell across Bruce's small figure, making his calm face seem even more unreadable.
Bruce's eyes moved from Luna to the papers spread across the desk.
Then back to her.
His voice was quiet.
"You should be asleep."
Luna slowly turned to face him.
"So should you."
Bruce walked into the room calmly.
He didn't look angry.
He didn't even look surprised.
That somehow made Luna even more uneasy.
Bruce glanced at the papers again.
"You searched the library."
Luna crossed her arms.
"Yes."
Bruce nodded once.
"Why?"
Luna stared directly into his eyes.
"Because you're hiding something."
The room fell silent.
Bruce walked closer to the desk.
He picked up one of the papers.
Then placed it back down calmly.
Luna's voice grew sharper.
"Who is Victor?"
Bruce looked at her.
For the first time, something colder appeared in his eyes.
"A businessman."
Luna shook her head immediately.
"No."
"That man was dangerous."
Bruce smiled faintly.
"You noticed."
Luna took a step closer.
"Bruce."
Her voice softened slightly.
"What are you involved in?"
Bruce looked toward the moonlit window.
Then back at her.
"A system."
Luna frowned.
"A system?"
Bruce nodded calmly.
"A structure that solves problems."
Luna stared at him.
None of this sounded like something a ten-year-old should be saying.
Her silver eyes narrowed.
"You talk like an adult."
Bruce's smile deepened slightly.
"Maybe I think faster than most people."
Luna remained silent for a moment.
Then she asked the question that truly mattered.
"Are you in danger?"
The room became very quiet.
Bruce looked at her for several seconds.
Then his expression softened slightly.
"Yes."
Luna's heart tightened.
Bruce continued quietly.
"But I'm also the danger."
For the first time since beginning her investigation, Luna felt a chill run down her spine.
She had always known Bruce was unusual.
But hearing him say those words so calmly…
It was different.
Luna whispered,
"Who are you?"
Bruce looked at her calmly.
Still unreadable.
Still far too mature for his age.
Then he gave the only answer he was willing to offer.
"I'm your brother."
Luna stared at him.
Frustrated.
Confused.
But also strangely reassured.
Because beneath everything…
He still looked at her the same way.
Like family.
Bruce gently gathered the papers back into a neat stack.
His voice was quiet.
"Don't investigate too deeply."
Luna frowned.
"Why?"
Bruce looked toward the dark window.
"Because the deeper you go…"
His eyes turned colder again.
"…the more dangerous it becomes."
The warning in his voice was real.
And Luna knew it.