Cress's POV

Cress walked down the paved sidewalk along the busy streets of New York. It was a chilly May and Cress was heading for her favorite fresh fruit market, as she did every Tuesday.

Cress tried her hardest not to think about the fact that she would have to return to Sybil, her so called mother. Sybil adopted Cress at the age of nine from a run down orphanage. That day was suppose to be the best day of her life, but instead it was the worst.

Nine year old Cress had so much hope and joy when they told her that she was getting adopted, and life seemed to be perfect for about an hour after Sybil brought her to a house that she was suppose to call her home, but it was really her personal hell.

Fourteen months. Fourteen mouths until Cress would turn 18, then she would be free from Sybil. Life had been really hard for the past eight years. Sybil, adopted Cress for the extra labor and to get pity from the people she committed fraud to. Then when Cress turned twelve Sybil found her real talent.

Cress had always been good with numbers, specifically the numbers in the stock market. Sybil got into the roaring stock market of the roaring 20s. Sybil brought Cress along with her one day to see if she could get a generous man to tell her where she should put her money. Sybil had curled her hair that morning, and even bought Cress a dress just for the outing.

When they had got to the place Cress saw the numbers and something just clicked inside her head, maybe because she had been reading Sybil's books on the stock market, but the numbers just made sense to her.

Cress told Sybil her predictions and Sybil just laughed at her and then they went back home after Sybil took some advice from a real greasy looking man. Cress knew that the shares she bought was possibly the worst shares she could have bought.

A week later Sybil came storming into the old library in their mansion and demanded Cress to explain herself. It turned out that Cress was indeed correct and the company's she told Sybil buy the shares for, the stocks went shooting up. Because of Sybil's actual decision a week ago, she lost hundreds.

When Sybil asked about it Cress simply responded.

"It's what the numbers say ma'am."

After that day Cress continued to tell Sybil how to make the most money, and she became rich. At first Cress was overjoyed to be pleasing mistress, but after a few years Cress realized that Sybil would never be satisfied with Cress, and she would never love her.

Cress had attempted to run away several times, but the authorities would always drag Cress back to a very unhappy mistress. Cress had fourteen more months of torture and then she would finally, legally be free from this endless nightmare.

Thorne's POV

Thorne was in a high end club making out with this red headed waitress. She wasn't anything special, but how else was the famous Carswell Thorne going to spend his days? Thorne glanced at his spendy silver wrist watch, and he pulled away from the girl- Cindy, he thought her name was, looked more than disappointed.

"Well gorgeous I have some business I have to take care of so can you give me your address and we'll call it a day?"

The girl smirked and pulled out her ordering pad from her apron. Then while excessively biting her lip, she wrote down her home number.

She handed it to Thorne and he walked out, as he walked out the exit, he dropped the slip her address was on in the waste bin.

Thorne got in his car. Oh his car, the Rampion, it was definitely the one thing he cherished the most. The Rampion was a 1928 LaSalle Coupe Cadillac. She was in a nice fresh coat of red paint, only the best for his ride.

Some may wonder how Thorne got his hands on so much money. Well here's the answer, Thorne was in the alcohol trading business. Ever since the stupid government decided to prohibit alcohol in 1922 bootleggers have been sneaking all around, and it happened to be that Thorne took care of one of the biggest alcohol supply in New York City.

Ever since Thorne was able to walk he went against all the rules, it was second nature to him. When Thorne's father kicked him out 4 years ago he took advantage of the changing country and took what everyone wanted most, some blue magic.

For the first 4 years of his system, they seemed to get by fine. They started off with coffin varnish and now they have suppliers from South America, but now business wasn't going so well. Thorne and his men needed money and fast. They could sell some of there more rare drugs, but that would be a loss to the speakeasy, so they were going to have to steal money, blackmail someone, or maybe even take a damsel in distress as a hostage, mostly just Thorne's hobbies really.

Thorne had his mind on one of the richest individuals in the city, Sybil Mira. Miss Mira just happened to have a sweet innocent 16 year old daughter, Crescent Moon. It was handed it to him on a silver platter, it was amusing really, and the cherry on top was that he had bribed the kid at a market to tell him just when Crescent would be showing up.

Thorne looked down at his watch, a quarter to three, perfect. Crescent Moon would be there to pick up her weekly fruit unaccompanied.

When Thorne got to the run down market he stationed himself behind the small pottery vendor across from the fresh fruits. He studied everyone, looking for a small girl to approach Jimmy's fruit stand but all he saw so far were depressed people wondering around the cluttered street.

Soon a petite blond walked into the market and Thorne noticed everyone's faces lit up a touch. Crescent walked leisurely through the crowded path, greeting everyone she passed. She struck up 4 conversations before Thorne even got a decent look at her.

When he did see a clear view of her, Thorne was taken back. She was gorgeous. She had gold wavy strands of hair run down to her lower back. She had freckles sprinkled across her face, and the most genuine, brightest smile he had ever seen. Then there was her eyes, they were a ski blue color, that was so pure and so innocent.

Thorne shook out of his daze and laughed to himself, what in spades name was he thinking?

Never mind that he had a girl to fetch and it was going to be easy to swoon her with his natural charm.

Just like he said, on a silver platter.

Cress's POV

Cress reached the small little apple stand a little later than usual, but never mind that. Cress greeted Jimmy with a smile, but he gave her a sad one in return. What was the matter with him?

"Jimmie," Cress asked "are you feeling alright?"

Jimmy's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a male voice that came from behind her.

Cress turned to the voice and she was shocked.

Standing in front of her was a very dashing man. He stood about a foot taller than her. He had brown hair that was slightly messy, it seemed that his hair was styled to perfection, but it had a natural look to it. He had bright blue eyes that she could be lost in for hours.

Then he cleared his throat and Cress realized that she had been staring, she immediately felt her pale cheeks flush pink.

"Crescent Moon Mira?" The stranger asked.

Cress nodded, not being able to trust her voice while his blue orbs looked at her.

"I am Carswell Thorne, but I do prefer just Thorne," he said with a dazzling smile.

Carswell Thorne, she had definitely heard that name before, but where? The name didn't give her a good feeling. Though Cress didn't waste another thought on it for a very charming man was there, talking to her, her!

Just then a very curvy woman with a dress that went to her mid thighs and was tight all around her, brushed herself against Thorne. Cress looked away, did this women have any self preservation? Goodness!

The woman ran her long fingers against Thorne's chest and she said in a seductive voice,

"Captain! I have been looking everywhere for you, it has been so long, what do you say we meet at a frolic pad and we leave off where we started?"

Cress rolled her eyes, ignoring the rest of the conversation, she gave Jimmy a quarter for a dozen apples and she walked away from the stand.

Cress was about 10 paces away from the stand when someone grabbed her shoulder. Cress whipped around to see who dare touch her and sure enough it was Thorne.

"Wait up blondie, you didn't give me the chance to finish talking to you."

Cress raised her eyebrows and said "Well Captain, it seemed that you were slightly preoccupied with God knows what, and besides it would be best if I made my way back to my residents, thank you."

"Let me walk you home!" Thorne said quite desperately.

"Oh dear me, thank you, but I will have to pass you up on that, and frankly Mr. Thorne, you are making me feel uncomfortable."

Thorne's smirk turned into a scowl, "Listen up blondie you are going to come with me."

Cress's eyes widened with fear as Thorne pulled her into an abandoned lot, it became darker, the sun from the early afternoon seemed to have disappeared instantly. Cress was truly terrified.

Thorne took out a gun from his jacket.

"Now Crescent, I would assume you don't want this to be shot at you?"

Cress stayed silent in horror.

"That's what I thought."

Thorne took Cress to a red fancy car and he told her to get into the trunk. Then before he closed the door he looked at her and she saw guilt in his eyes.

"Listen Cress, can I call you that? Never mind, anyway I promise not to hurt you if you just cooperate with me here."

"You're an awful human being" is all she said in response, with a trembling voice, far from the one she had used to greet Jimmy and the vendors, not half an hour ago.

As she felt the engine running she remembered where she had heard the name Carswell Thorne.

It was about a year and a half ago, Cress had been in her crime solving and mystery novel faze, so she thought it would be fun to solve a case of her own. Cress went digging into old police files to find a case (the police department absolutely loved her) she had found an unsolved one. It was a multi-crime investigation. All the cons were similar and the police tried to find the person they were tied to.

Cress found it, there was a man in a fancy red car, a LaSalle that gave a statement as a witness in every case, but the witness had never gave his name. That over confident bastard, she had thought. Cress thought she had found her guy. She had dug around to try to find the owner of the red Lasalle. After months of digging through countless aliases she found the guy, Carswell Thorne.

When she told the police about her suspicions the officers laughed at her saying that mayor, Kingsley Thorne had control over his own son. Cress let it go but she never doubted her findings.

Carswell Thorne's crimes ran through her head; stealing, bank robbery, kidnapping,

Murder.

Hello everyone:) I hope you will enjoy this new story! I plan on updating once a week, probably on Tuesdays. I am sorry for my lack of knowledge on the stock market for those who know I'm wrong.

Marissa Meyers owns the Lunar Chronicles!