Ch: 1 THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

Seraphina's POV

“Someone, please help me! Can anyone hear me?” My voice came out weak. I tried screaming again, but a hard cough stopped me.

Smoke. There was smoke everywhere.

I opened my eyes and looked around, but I could barely see anything. The room was dark, and the little light coming from somewhere above was not enough to show me where I was. I tried to move, and that was when I felt it. My hands were tied, and my legs were tied to the chair as well.

Panic rushed through me.

“What is going on?”

I pulled against the ropes, but they only became tighter. My heart started beating faster. The last thing I remembered was being in the car going to the anniversary celebration of Julian's business associates.

Why was I here? Who had brought me here?

“Help!”

I screamed again, but no one answered. I coughed and lowered my head, trying to breathe through the smoke. Then I noticed something on the floor. A container. The strong smell reached my nose.

Gasoline.

My heart stopped for a second. This wasn't an accident. Someone had brought me here. Someone had tied me to this chair. Someone wanted me dead.

“No…”

I shook my head. That couldn't be true. There had to be another explanation. There had to be.

I heard the sound of a door opening, and my eyes quickly moved in that direction. Finally, someone had heard me.

“Please!”

The person stepped into the room. I couldn't see his face clearly at first, but then he moved closer.

My heart filled with relief.

“Julian…”

It was my husband, the man I trusted more than anyone and the man I had given my heart to.

“You came.”

I almost cried from relief. I thought he had finally found me. I thought he was here to save me.

“Julian, please untie me.”

He didn't answer. He simply stood there.

Something felt wrong.

His face was different. There was no fear in his eyes, no worry, no concern. Just a strange calmness.

“Julian?”

I forced a smile. “I don't know who brought me here. Please, untie me,” I said quickly.

He still didn't move.

Then another person walked into the room. A woman. She stepped beside Julian, and the moment I saw her face, my smile disappeared.

“Lillian?”

My stepsister looked at me without saying a word. Then I noticed something. She was holding Julian's hand. I stared at their joined hands, and my mind went blank.

“Why are you holding his hand?”

Neither of them answered. I looked at Julian, then at Lillian, and then back at Julian. A strange feeling settled in my chest.

“Julian, what is this?”

Lillian smiled. It wasn't a kind smile. It was the kind of smile I had seen on her face whenever she thought she had finally beaten me.

I shook my head.

“No.”

I didn't want to believe what my eyes were seeing.

“Tell her,” Lillian said softly.

Julian looked at her, then he kissed the back of her hand.

My heart cracked.

“Julian…”

He finally looked at me.

“Seraphina, you have always been too trusting.”

I stared at him. “What are you talking about?”

He pulled a chair closer and sat down. Lillian sat beside him. They looked like a couple who had come to watch a show, and I was the show.

“I don't understand.”

Julian smiled. “You don't have to understand everything.”

“Then explain it to me.” My voice shook. “Why am I here?”

He leaned back in his chair. “Because you are no longer useful to me.”

The words hit me harder than I expected.

“Not useful?” I gave a small laugh. “This isn't funny, Julian.”

He didn't laugh.

“I married you because of your father's company.”

My smile disappeared.

“What?”

“You gave me access to everything I needed. The company, the board members, the contracts, the people who trusted your family.” He spoke calmly. “You made everything easy for me.”

I stared at him. My husband. The man I believed loved me.

“You… married me for the company?”

He nodded.

My eyes filled with tears.

“And Lillian?”

Julian looked at her. His expression changed. For the first time, I saw something real in his eyes.

Love.

But it wasn't for me.

“Lillian is the woman I have always loved.”

My breathing became difficult. “No.” I shook my head. “No, Julian. You're lying.”

“Why would I lie to you now?” He smiled. “You will not be here long enough for it to matter.”

I felt my body go cold. “Julian…” I looked at Lillian. “You knew?”

She didn't look sorry.

“Yes.”

One word. That was all she gave me.

I stared at her in disbelief. “You knew about all of this?”

She smiled. “I knew everything.”

A tear rolled down my cheek. “But we're sisters.”

She laughed softly. “You were always Father's favorite.”

I swallowed hard. “You had everything, Seraphina. Father's love. His attention. His company. His money.” Her eyes became colder. “And even the man I loved.”

I looked at Julian again. “Is that why you married me?”

He nodded. “You were the easiest way to get everything I wanted.”

My heart felt like it had been crushed. I had given him everything: my love, my trust, my father's business, and my future. And all this time, he had only been using me.

“Please…” I hated that I was begging, but I couldn't stop. “Julian, whatever I did, I'll fix it.”

“There is nothing to fix.”

“I'll give you anything you want.”

He stood up. “You already did.”

My lips trembled. “Then let me go.”

He looked at me for a few seconds. “I can't.”

“Why?”

“Because you are still in the way.” He turned toward Lillian. “She wants your place.”

My eyes moved to my stepsister. “And you want to give it to her?”

Julian smiled. “I want to give her everything.”

I shook my head. “Please, Julian.” I had never begged him for anything before. “I'm your wife.”

He looked at me without emotion.

“Not for much longer.”

Lillian stood up. “Come on, Julian.”

He nodded, and they started walking toward the door.

“Julian!”

He stopped.

I looked at him one last time. “Didn't you ever love me?”

For a moment, he said nothing. Then he looked over his shoulder.

“No.”

That single word destroyed the last part of me that still hoped this was some terrible misunderstanding. He walked out with Lillian, and the door closed.

I was alone.

I pulled against the restraints again. “Julian!”

No answer.

Tears filled my eyes. How could I have been so blind? How could the man I loved so much have never loved me?

The smell of smoke grew stronger. I looked around the dark room, and for the first time, I understood. I wasn't being punished. I wasn't being threatened. They had brought me here to make sure I never walked out.

I closed my eyes. My life had been built on people I trusted: my husband and my stepsister. And now those same people had decided that my life was worth less than everything they wanted.

I wished I had known. I wished I had seen the truth earlier.

I watched as the fire roared from the distance, moving straight toward my legs. I let out a bloodcurdling scream as it spread across my skin, and before I could scream for help again, everything went black.