MasukSeven Months Later SeraphinaThe sun rests warm against my skin, soft and golden, while I sink deeper into the lounge chair with a fresh coconut drink in my hand, cold and sweet against my fingertips.My other hand stays protectively over my stomach, gently cradling the life growing inside me, our third child. Another piece of us. Another proof that after everything we survived, love still found a way to grow.I look out at the scene in front of me, and my chest feels so full it almost aches.We’re at the lake house.Our lake house.Years ago, this place belonged to Dominic and Elena, back when they still had a life together, back before betrayal destroyed everything. But that chapter is over now. Completely over.Dominic bought out Elena’s share fairly and legally, making sure every inch of this place belonged solely to him, to us. And Elena returned everything else too. Every single thing she took.The seven million dollars she stole from him while faking cancer and ruining his bus
SeraphinaI don’t have to say it twice. The second the words leave my mouth, Dominic loses every bit of control he was holding onto.He doesn’t waste a single second. His hands grip my waist so tight I know there will be marks there tomorrow, and he lifts me like I weigh absolutely nothing, just like he used to.I wrap my legs tight around his waist, my arms locked around his neck, my body pressing fully against his chest, and I can feel how hard he is, throbbing, heavy, aching for me, right against the place that has been empty for so long.He walks us away from the table, not caring where we go, just needing to be close, and before I know it, my back hits the wall and he’s grinding himself right into me, kissing me like he wants to eat me alive. His mouth is hot, demanding, devouring mine, and I kiss him back just as hard, tasting him, breathing him in, drunk on the fact that he is real, he is here, he is mine."God, Seraphina…" he growls against my lips, his voice rough and thick w
SeraphinaThe change in him is instant at the mention of Elena. His entire body goes rigid. His jaw tightens so hard I can see the muscle ticking beneath his skin, and the warmth in his eyes disappears completely.“What did she want?” he asks sharply.The protectiveness in his voice hits me immediately.“Is she bothering you?” he demands. “Did she say something to upset you?”He leans forward slightly now, his expression dark and controlled in the kind of way that tells me he’s seconds away from losing that control completely.“Because I swear to you, Seraphina…” His voice drops lower, colder. “If Elena came here to hurt you or cause problems for you again, I won’t let her get away with it this time.”There’s a deadly resolve in his eyes when he says the next words.“Not ever again.”“No, no… it’s not like that,” I say quickly, reaching for his arm before his anger can spiral any further. “She came to return everything, Dominic. Everything she took from me.”His expression
SeraphinaI step aside wordlessly to let him in.The second he walks past me, his scent surrounds me—warm, familiar, painfully comforting. The smell I’ve missed so much. The one that has always felt like home.We walk into the dining area together, and his gaze immediately lands on the table. On the remaining plates I haven’t packed, still neatly arranged. On all the food I spent hours cooking, now cold and untouched.A flicker of guilt crosses his face.He pulls out a chair and sits down slowly, and I sit beside him without leaving even an inch of space between us. My eyes stay fixed on his face, almost like I need to keep looking at him to believe he’s real.“I thought you wouldn’t come,” I whisper. My voice trembles, thick with all the emotions I’ve been trying to hold back. “I really thought… you weren’t going to show up.”Dominic reaches for me immediately, taking both my hands into his. He holds them tightly, almost desperately, like he’s afraid I might slip away from him
SeraphinaHe is coming. Dominic is really coming.I’ve spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen making every dish of his that I could remember. I move around the dining table, setting plates and arranging cutlery, my hands trembling slightly from excitement.DJ and Kiara race around the house, chasing each other between the chairs, their laughter echoing through every corner. The noise should be overwhelming, but instead it makes the house feel warm. Alive. Like a real family again.I pause what I’m doing and call them over.“Come here, you two. Listen to me,” I say, unable to stop smiling. My voice practically bursts with excitement. “I have the best news ever. I’m so happy right now because your daddy is coming to see us tonight.”Their eyes widen instantly, and both of them squeal with excitement. But then DJ suddenly goes quiet. He tilts his head, his little brows pulling together in confusion.“Wait, Mama…” he says softly. “Isn’t Daddy in heaven?”Kiara jumps in immediat
Seraphina “Mr. Lee?” the voice calls again, more urgent this time. “Mr. Hugh is waiting.”The warmth disappears from his face instantly.“Tell him I’ll be there in five minutes,” he says smoothly.“Yes, sir.”Footsteps retreat.Silence rushes back in.He looks at me again, and the mask slips for only a second.Enough for me to see everything underneath it.Love. Rage. Grief. Need.Seven years of all of it.“I need you to trust me a little longer,” he says.I laugh shakily through my tears. “You disappeared for seven years.”Pain flashes across his face so fast it nearly undoes me.“I know.” His voice breaks on the words. “I know what it did to you.”He steps closer again, like he can’t help himself. Like distance from me is physically painful now that he remembers.“Did you hate me?” he asks softly.The question destroys something inside me because he sounds like a man already prepared for the answer.I stare at him through blurred vision.“I tried to.”His eyes







