Ch: 5 The First Move.

Seraphina's POV

Walking into Lucius Thorne’s house felt like stepping into another world.

The heavy front doors closed behind us, completely blocking out the noise of the city. Inside, it

was completely quiet. The walls were painted in dark, muted colors. There were no family

pictures on the walls. No soft rugs or warm touches. Everything was made of glass, dark wood,

and cold steel.

It looked exactly like the man standing next to me.

"My staff is off for the weekend," Lucius said. He took off his expensive suit jacket and threw it

over a leather chair. He loosened his tie and turned to look at me. "You have the place to

yourself."

I stood awkwardly in the center of the massive living room. I looked down at my ruined wedding

dress. The white fabric was covered in dirt, and I felt ridiculous standing in his perfect, clean

house looking like a runaway bride.

"I need some clothes," I said softly.

Lucius’s eyes slowly dropped to the torn edges of my skirt. He stared at the ruined dress for a

second, and something dark flashed in his eyes. Then he turned and walked toward the grand

staircase.

"Follow me," he said.

He led me to a large guest bedroom on the second floor. It was bigger than my bedroom at my

father's house. Lucius walked into the attached closet and pulled out a plain black t-shirt and a

pair of gray sweatpants.

He tossed them onto the edge of the large bed. "They will be too big, but they are clean. There

is a bathroom through that door."

"Thank you," I said.

He nodded and walked toward the bedroom door. He paused with his hand on the doorknob.

"Take a shower, Seraphina. Wash it all of. When you are ready, come downstairs to my ofice.

We have work to do."

He closed the door behind him.

I let out a shaky breath. My legs suddenly felt weak. I walked over to the bed and sat down. I

looked at my reflection in the large mirror on the opposite wall.I stood up, walked into the bathroom, and stripped off the ruined wedding dress. I left it in a

messy pile on the cold floor. I stepped into the shower and turned the water on as hot as I could

stand it. I scrubbed my skin until it was red. I washed away the heavy wedding makeup and the

expensive perfume.

I washed away the old Seraphina.

Ten minutes later, I walked downstairs. Lucius's shirt hung past my thighs, and I had to roll up

the waistband of his sweatpants three times just to walk. My damp hair fell over my shoulders.

I found Lucius in his ofice. He was sitting behind a massive oak desk, staring at a laptop

screen. He had rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, revealing strong forearms. When I

walked in, he looked up. His dark eyes locked onto mine, slowly taking in my appearance.

He didn't say a word about how ridiculous I looked in his clothes. Instead, he pointed to the

leather chair across from him.

"Sit."

I walked over and sat down. The moment I settled into the chair, all my nervous energy

disappeared. It was time to focus. It was time to strike back.

"Let's talk about the merger," Lucius said, resting his arms on the desk. "Julian needs the

board's approval to gain full control of your father's company. He doesn't have the votes yet."

"He does," I corrected him.

Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"Julian has already bought three of the most important board members," I said, leaning forward.

"He bribed them months ago."

"Names," Lucius demanded. His voice was completely serious now.

"Marcus Vance, David Cole, and Richard Helms," I said without hesitating. "He promised them

ofshore accounts and elevated positions once he pushes my father out."

Lucius typed the names into his laptop. His fingers moved fast over the keyboard.

He leaned back in his chair. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his handsome face.

"You really do know everything," he said quietly.

"I told you I wasn't lying."

"No, you weren't." Lucius tapped his finger against the desk. "I will start buying shares in your

father's conglomerate tomorrow morning. I will use proxies. Small acquisitions."I nodded, understanding his plan immediately. "Small enough that no single purchase raises

suspicion, but large enough that when the time comes, you will have a fixed position."

Lucius stared at me. The amusement in his eyes was replaced by genuine surprise. "Exactly."

He studied my face for a long moment. It felt like he was trying to read my mind. "You are very

diferent from the woman I saw at social events over the years, Seraphina. People always said

you were naive."

"People change," I said coldly.

Lucius held my gaze. "Good. Because the woman you were yesterday would not survive what

we are about to do."