Chapter 3 No one Believes Me

Ren did not reply. He simply stared at me, and somehow that silence was worse than any answer he could have given.

I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed my phone and called the only person who could make sense of this mess. My best friend, Dani.

She picked up on the second ring.

“Luna,” she said, already suspicious, “if this is about your landlord again, I swear—”

“It is not the landlord,” I cut in.

There was a short pause. “Okay… that is already worse than landlord problems.”

I closed my eyes and exhaled. “Can you come over?”

Her tone shifted instantly. “Are you okay?”

“No,” I admitted. “But I am not dying. I just… I need you here.”

I dropped my phone on the desk. I could feel Ren watching me from the corner of the room, his gaze heavy like cold fingers on the back of my neck. I refused to turn around. If I did, I might actually pass out before Dani arrived.

“You want to bring someone else into this?” he asked quietly.

I ignored him. My hands wouldn't stop shaking as I poured myself a cup of tea, hoping the warmth and familiar smell would keep me sane for the next twenty minutes. Thank goodness Dani arrived exactly on time.

The moment I opened the door, the overhead light flickered wildly, buzzing like it was fighting for life.

Dani stopped at the entrance, one eyebrow raised. “Did your electricity just react to me?”

“It does that sometimes,” I said, forcing a casual shrug. “Old building. Sensitive wiring.”

She gave me a long, doubtful look but stepped inside. The door clicked shut and the flickering stopped as if nothing had happened.

Dani dropped her bag on the couch and turned to face me, her voice softening. “Okay. Talk to me. What is going on?”

I hesitated. How could I explain that a ghost was standing ten feet away and my grandmother had apparently married me to him? The words felt insane even in my head.

“I think I am dealing with something supernatural,” I said quietly.

Dani stared at me. Her confused expression slowly melted into deep concern, the kind people wear when they think their friend is having a breakdown. “Luna… have you been sleeping?”

“I am really serious.” My voice cracked. “I know this sounds insane, but can you just believe me for a second?”

“Look, Luna, I am very sure you did not call me here to play a prank on me, right?”

“I am serious, Dani.” I took a deep breath and pointed toward the window. “There is actually a man here in my room.”

I nodded to reinforce my own words and looked straight at Ren. He stood exactly where I expected, calm and motionless, watching us both.

Dani followed my finger. Then she looked back at me.

She stared at me like I had finally lost my mind. Which, honestly, felt fair.

“There is no one there, Luna,” she said gently, as if speaking to a scared child. “Just the window and that half-dead plant you keep forgetting to water.”

My stomach twisted. Ren tilted his head slightly, almost curious. The air around us grew noticeably colder.

The overhead light started flickering again, faster this time, like something invisible was playing with the switch. Shadows danced across the walls in strange, unnatural patterns. My half-dead plant lost another leaf right in front of Dani’s eyes.

“See?” I said quickly, pointing at the ceiling. “That is not normal wiring. That is him. Ren. He is standing right there. Do you believe me now?”

Dani stared at the flickering light for two long seconds. Then she sighed, picked up her bag, and stood up.

“I need to get back to work,” she said gently, like she was talking to a child. “When you are feeling better, call me, okay? We can talk more then.”

She turned toward the door.

“Wait—” I started.

But she was already walking straight toward Ren.

My heart slammed against my ribs. “Dani, stop! Do not pass there!”

I lunged forward and grabbed her arm, yanking her sideways so hard we both nearly tripped.

Dani blinked at me, completely lost. “Luna… what are you doing?”

“You were about to walk straight through him!” I hissed, still holding her arm. “He is right there. Tall guy. Right in front of you.”

For a moment, pure silence filled the room.

Then Dani slowly shook her head, pity written all over her face. “Okay. When I come back from work, we are booking a doctor’s appointment. A real one.”

She gently pulled her arm free, pressed a quick kiss to my cheek, and whispered, “Get some proper sleep, babe. Please.”

Before I could say anything else, she opened the door and stepped out. The slam echoed through the apartment like a final judgment.

The second the door shut, Ren stepped forward.

He looked taller in the daylight. The faint sunlight cut straight through his broad shoulders, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw and the dark, intense eyes that now seemed far too handsome for a man who had been dead for eighty years. Infuriatingly handsome. The kind of face that made my traitorous brain whisper dangerous and unfair at the same time.

“I told you others would not believe you,” he said calmly. “We are bound now, Luna. Truly together. Nothing can separate us.”

My blood boiled. “It will not be like that. None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for you.”

Ren’s expression did not change, but something dark and ancient flickered in his eyes. “Your grandmother chose this path for both of us. Blame her if you must, but the contract is already written.”

I opened my mouth to shout at him when a new voice suddenly cut through the room.

“Luna.”

It was soft. Male. Coming from right behind me.

I spun around so fast I nearly lost balance. The voice was not Ren’s. It was deeper, rougher, like gravel under boots. But no one was there. Just empty space near the kitchen.

I whipped back to Ren. “Did you hear that?”