Seraphina

Five years later

Seraphina

I stepped off my private jet and adjusted my sunglasses.

New York.

The wind tugged at my silk scarf. I never thought I’d return to this city, yet here I was.

Behind me, Noah and Noelle dragged their small designer suitcases, bickering softly.

Cameras flashed at the gate. Fans screamed my name after my recent interview went viral. I pulled my mask higher and slipped into the VIP lounge.

“You’re breaking hearts, Serah,” a familiar voice laughed.

Jaxson stood there with a massive bouquet of red roses.

I sneezed instantly. “Jax! I’m allergic!”

He laughed and tossed the flowers into the trash. “Welcome home, Boss.”

Jaxson was my manager—and my bodyguard. Assigned by my godfather, Mr. Enzo. For four years, he had been my shadow. Hacker. Fighter. Strategist.

Perfectly reliable.

We got into a sleek black limousine.

Noah and Noelle pressed their faces against the glass, eyes shining.

“Is this your first time in New York?” Jax asked casually.

“Yes,” I lied with a thin smile.

The city looked different, but the scars it left on me hadn’t faded.

“Mommy!” Noelle gasped. “That building is huge!”

“Can we go to the top?” Noah asked.

“Yes,” I said softly. “There’s a glass walkway on the 68th floor. I’ll take you.”

The car went silent.

Jaxson stared at me through the rearview mirror. “Interesting,” he said slowly. “How do you know what’s on the 68th floor of a city you’ve never been to?”

My heart skipped.

I turned my face toward the window.

The past wasn’t behind me anymore.

It was waiting.

“How do you know about the glass floor on the 68th level?” Jaxson asked, his eyes narrowing. “That place isn’t even famous yet.”

I lifted the script in my hand and hid my face behind it.

“I saw it on the news once,” I said lightly. “There was a fire or something.”

It was a lie.

I used to stand outside that building. Night after night. Waiting for a husband who never came home to me.

Jaxson studied me for a second longer, then let it go.

This movie project was huge.

Mr. Enzo had personally recommended me for the lead role.

The production house, Little Orange, wanted a fresh face. Someone talented, but not another New York socialite with a famous last name.

I was a star in Italy.

Here, I was a mystery.

“Little Orange is in trouble,” Jaxson said as the car moved through the city. “Their stock crashed this morning. They’re being forced into a merger.”

“A merger?” I murmured, my stomach tightening.

“With a giant,” he added. “One of the biggest entertainment empires.”

Before I could ask which one, the car slowed at a red light.

Noelle tugged my sleeve.

“Mommy,” she whispered, pointing out the window. “Who is that man?”

My blood froze.

A massive digital billboard glowed above the street.

Obsidian Holdings.

And standing at the center of it—

Dominic Montgomery.

He looked sharper than he had five years ago. More dangerous. More powerful. The pain I buried clawed its way back to the surface.

After I fled to Italy, life had nearly broken me.

I gave birth to twins alone. Survived because of a kind neighbor.

I started as a nobody at Enzo Productions. Cleaning the actress's desk after they leave was my job.

Everything changed the night Mr. Enzo collapsed from a heart attack and I saved his life.

He offered me money. I refused.

So he gave me something better.

A chance.

I erased Seraphina Vance from existence. Took the name Serah. I hid my children from the world.

No one knew Noah and Noelle were mine.

Not even Jaxson or Mr. Enzo.

They believed I had adopted them.

“Mommy?” Noah asked softly. “Who is he?”

“I don’t know,” I lied, forcing a smile as I gently turned them away from the screen.

From their father.

We arrived at a beautiful Italian-style villa on the outskirts of the city.

“Aren’t we staying at a hotel?” I asked.

“Too many fans,” Jaxson replied. “Mr. Enzo bought this place for you. Private. Secure.”

The twins ran inside excitedly.

Noelle went straight to the windows, already imagining where she’d paint. Noah examined the structure like an engineer.

They were my entire world.

And my greatest fear.

They looked exactly like Dominic.

"Jax, can you find a good school for them?" I asked. "They’ve been homeschooled long enough. They need to be around other kids."

Jaxson handed me a brochure immediately. "Sunshine Elite Kindergarten. It’s the best in the city. I already handled the paperwork."

"You're a mind reader," I laughed.

"Just doing my job," he said with a dimpled smile. Then, his face turned serious. "Little Orange is holding an event tonight to introduce us to the parent company. We have to go."

"Tonight? We just landed!"

"You can't miss it, Sera. This is your big entrance." He handed me a shopping bag. Inside was a sleek, blood-red dress. "We leave in thirty minutes."

I sighed and went to get ready. I put on the red dress; it hugged my waist perfectly and had a dangerous slit up the side. Upto my thighs.

When I stepped out, Jaxson was waiting in a sharp black suit.

"You look incredible," he said softly. "I'll drop you off at the event and then come back to watch the kids."

"Thanks, Jax."

We pulled up to the venue, and the moment I stepped out of the limousine, the world exploded into flashing lights.

"Is that the actress Serah? She’s even more beautiful than the photos!" the reporters shouted.

I held my head high. I wasn't the broken girl who begged for scraps anymore.

I walked into the hall with pride, my red heels clicking against the floor.

Director Chapel rushed over to welcome me with a bouquet of flowers.

"Welcome to New York, Seraphina," he said, beaming. "Come, let me introduce you to the man who made this movie possible. The new owner of our production house."

My breath hitched. I followed the director toward a private VIP section.

A tall, powerful figure was standing with his back to us, sipping a drink. He turned around slowly, and my heart turned to ice.

Dominic Montgomery.

His dark eyes swept over me, and for a second, I saw a flash of pure shock in his gaze.

But it was gone in an instant, replaced by a cold, predatory smirk.

"So," Dominic rumbled, his voice vibrating in my chest. "This is the superstar I’ve spent so much money on."