chapter seven

Seraphina’s POV

The air was suffocating.

Not because the room was small but because she understood exactly what was happening.

This wasn’t random.

This wasn’t a mistake.

This was planned.

Seraphina lifted her eyes slowly as the door opened, her heart steady despite the fear clawing at her chest.

Two figures walked in.

Familiar.

Too familiar.

Adrian’s siblings.

“So this is the woman he’s been losing his mind over,” the sister said, circling her like she was inspecting something disposable. “I expected… more.”

Seraphina said nothing.

Her silence irritated them that much was clear.

“Still proud, even now,” the brother chuckled. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”

The sister pulled out a phone.

Seraphina’s breathing turned shallow as the phone was shoved into her hands again, her fingers trembling despite how hard she tried to steady them.

“Send it,” the sister said lazily, leaning against the wall like this was nothing more than entertainment.

Seraphina didn’t move.

“I’m not saying anything you want,” she replied, her voice low but firm.

A pause.

Then the brother sighed.

“Stubborn,” he muttered. “Alright… maybe this will help.”

He pulled out his own phone and tapped the screen before turning it toward her.

Seraphina’s heart stopped.

The world around her blurred

Because on the screen…

Was her father.

Lying weakly in a hospital bed. Tubes. Machines. Pale skin that didn’t look like it belonged to the strong man she knew.

“No…” her voice broke instantly. “No, where did you get this?”

The sister smiled.

“Oh, we’ve been very busy while you’ve been… unavailable.”

Seraphina shook her head frantically, panic rising like fire in her chest. “Leave him out of this. He has nothing to do with you”

“Wrong,” the brother cut in coldly. “He has everything to do with you.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice.

“If you don’t send that message…” he said, his tone deadly calm, “the next time you see your father he won’t be breathing.”

Something inside Seraphina shattered.

Completely.

“No…” she whispered, tears finally spilling down her face. “Please… don’t do this…”

“Then do what you’re told.”

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

Her hands shook violently as she looked down at her phone again at Adrian’s name glowing on the screen.

He was looking for her.

Calling her.

Fighting for her.

And now

She had to be the one to push him away.

To hurt him.

To save someone else.

A broken sob escaped her lips as she began to type.

Message Sent:

Adrian,

Stop looking for me. You only want me back because you need me for your inheritance. That’s all I’ve ever been to youuseful. But I’m done being used. I felt trapped with you. Suffocated. And walking away from you was the best thing I’ve ever done. So don’t come after me. Because I don’t love you anymore.

A tear dropped onto the screen as she pressed send.

Her chest heaved, her entire body shaking as she lowered the phone slowly.

“I did it…” she whispered, broken. “Please… don’t hurt him…” The siblings exchanged a satisfied look. “See?” the sister said with a grin. “That wasn’t so hard.”

The brother chuckled. “You just saved your dad. Be grateful.”

Seraphina lifted her tear-filled eyes to them

And despite everything…

There was still fire in them.

“You think this ends here?” she said hoarsely.

They smirked.

“It already has.”

A slow, shaky breath left her lips.

“No,” she whispered. “You just made it worse.”

A pause.

“He’s going to find me.”

This time, they didn’t laugh immediately.

But when they did

It was colder and Crueler.

“Not after that message,” the sister said. “You practically destroyed him.”

“Men like Adrian don’t chase heartbreak,” the brother added. “They move on.”

Seraphina closed her eyes briefly. And her mind takes her back to memories of the last time they had separated. And how he didn't come after her. but convinced as she was, she said to herself

"Adrian can never leave me, we have being through worse in the hands of both my family and his and I can definitely assure you that he will come for me, no matter what."

So Vivienne majestically works to Seraphina tied to a chair and whispered to ear....

"who do you think is responsible for your father accident just right after he refused to sign the deal to our company"...

Disbelieving what she had just heard, curiosity got the best of her as she asked...

"who is it" seraphina said. she kept repeating it but all the answer she could get was just laughter from Adrian conniving sister, who left her to answer with question herself. Her mind trailed back to what the police investigation told her that her dad had being drunk driving. Her dad may have the worse type of father to me and my siblings but he was definitely not one to drink.

she tried to put the puzzle together, but something wasn't clicking, could it be Adrian or Adrian grandfather.