Chapter five: Warmth in a cold man's chest

8am

As Seraphina applied her lipstick, her phone buzzed, she placed her lipstick on the vanity table.

She picked up her phone,

“Mr. Cross, Good morning?” she said.

“Dr. St. Claire, You need to come over to the West Manor” Cassian said.

“I’ll be right there” Seraphina picked up her Stethoscope, a black file and lab coat before hurrying out.

When she arrived, she put on the lab coat and opened the door.

The untouched breakfast tray sat beside the bed while the medical staff remained unusually silent.

Seraphina glanced briefly toward Amelia, catching the stiffness in her expression before the woman quickly looked away.

Seraphina’s sharp gaze swept across the untouched medication.

“Are you being difficult again, Mr. Laurent?”

The expression on her face made clear she was not here for games.

Damien’s attention lingered on her longer than it should have.

For the first time since she arrived at the Laurent Ridge, she looked less like an untouchable surgeon and more like a woman capable of unsettling his composure completely.

A soft floral scent followed her into the room, subtle enough to be distracting and really comforting.

Realizing his thoughts were drifting somewhere dangerous, Damien cleared his throat lightly.

“Everyone, leave us!” Damien announced.

The medical team and Cassian filed out. Amelia was the last to leave. At the threshold, she paused just long enough to glance back — once — before the door closed behind her.

Five years. She had been at his side for five years — through the early episodes, the specialists, the months when even Cassian stopped believing. Not once had he called for her the way he called for Seraphina St. Claire.

After everyone left the room leaving just the two, Seraphina looked at the food untouched, his unused meds and then his face.

“What do you think you’re doing to yourself?” Seraphina asked unhappily.

Damien was silent.

“Why did you have Mr. Cross call me like that?” Seraphina asked.

Damien looked towards the door to see if the staff had left, but there was just Cassian standing outside,

Damien leaned back against the headboard.

“My attending physician disappeared for an entire week.”

His gaze settled on her steadily.

“Should I take that personally?” Damien said.

“Your meals were monitored. Your medication schedule remained unchanged.”

Seraphina folded her arms calmly.

“I never neglected your treatment.” Seraphina said.

Damien’s lips curled into a faint smile.

“And here I thought you abandoned me entirely.”

“It’s time for your breakfast” Seraphina was about to go bring the food.

“Stop, I still have more questions for you” Damien said.

Seraphina inhaled sharply,

“You can have your seat” Damien said but Seraphina ignored him.

“Where were you last night?” Damien said.

“I remembered telling Mr. Cross where I was last night, didn’t he inform you?” Seraphina replied.

Damien’s expression calmed slightly.

“Los Angeles isn’t a city I’d trust blindly, especially at night...”

His eyes remained on her as he spoke.

Seraphina’s eyes narrowed immediately.

“You investigated who I spent dinner with?”

Damien gazed at her steadily.

“Was I wrong for wanting to know you if you were safe?”

“I chose to become your doctor, Mr. Laurent but how I live my life is still my decision.”

Seraphina’s voice remained calm while warning was evident in her eyes.

Seeing her look, Damien felt the urge to never offend her, he exhaled softly,

“Then I overstepped.”

After a brief pause, he said,

“You have my apology.”

Genuine surprise flickered briefly across Seraphina’s face.

Damien was known to be a terrifying man and he never apologized if he felt right about his actions.

Seraphina got up to bring his food and meds.

He had his meal quietly while his brain overworked itself from several thoughts.

Even Damien found the apology unfamiliar.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had explained himself to anyone.

After the meal, Seraphina picked up the file, placing it before him,

“Here’s the report on the three possible toxins, Compound A47; Neurotoxic glycoside derivative, Synthetic hematotoxin-R and modified Cardiac suppressant X, all three compounds share one characteristic; They slowly destroy cardiac tissue while imitating natural degeneration whoever did this understood medicine well” Seraphina explained as he went through the file.

Damien’s expression darkened dangerously.

Damien’s phone rang, it was Cassian,

“Sir! Mr. Lockwood is here to see you!” Cassian said.

“Come on in together with him!” Damien said.

“You still have to stay, doctor; I would want an official investigation to begin” Damien added.

“Alright” Seraphina agreed calmly.

The door opened; Cassian walked in alongside another man. He carried the relaxed ease of someone who had never needed to intimidate a room — youthful where Damien was commanding, open where Damien was guarded,

“Damien! I heard you had another serious episode while I was in Germany for a trip, I returned last night so I had to show up this morning” Ethan said.

“I’m fine now, thanks to her!” Damien said.

Ethan looked in Seraphina’s direction. She sat with the effortless composure of someone accustomed to being watched, unhurried, precise — a stillness that made the room feel quieter around her.

Ethan grinned as he extended his hand.

“Ethan Lockwood, unfortunately, we’re related.”

His gaze fluttered briefly toward Damien as he spoke.

“Seraphina St. Claire!” Seraphina said.

“The New York St. Claire?” Ethan asked surprised.

“Yes” Seraphina replied.

His expression shifted with sudden knowing.

“Wait.”

“You’re the surgeon they call the Golden Hands?”

Seraphina simply smiled.

Damien shot him a warning glance.

“That’s enough, Ethan.”

“Calm down, okay?” Ethan said sitting on another couch.

Damien handed the file over to Cassian,

“Could you brief us all again about your research?” Damien said.

“Alright, during the course of my research, I found out three possible toxins that could destroy Cardiac tissues as quick as possible, and I came to the conclusion that it was administered in portions over the years by a medical expert” Seraphina explained.

Ethan’s face became stoic immediately,

“This wasn’t attempted murder; this was calculated execution.” He said looking toward Damien coldly.

Damien’s gaze turned icy.

“Cassian.”

“Activate Y immediately, I want background investigations on every employee connected to this estate within the last five years, also send the schedule for today’s meetings!” Damien said.

After Cassian left, Ethan looked in Seraphina’s direction genuinely impressed.

“No wonder Damien suddenly looks human again.” Ethan said.

“Thank you, I must leave now” Seraphina said.

Damien’s voice softened unexpectedly.

“Seraphina.”

She paused at the doorway.

“Thank you.”

Seraphina acknowledged and left.

Ethan waited until the door closed completely before speaking.

“You’re attached already, aren’t you?”

Damien’s eyes emitted chills.

“Just acknowledge it if you are. She’s the most striking woman I’ve ever seen — and I say that as Dorothy Laurent’s cousin.” Ethan said.

“You think so?” Damien said. “How’s the preparation for grandmother’s eightieth birthday party?”

“It’s going so well, thanks to your global connections” Ethan said. “They keep saying you have terminal disease since you last showed up at your office and events in the past six months”

Damien’s gaze drifted briefly toward the doorway she had just exited through.

“For the first time in almost two years, I don’t think I’m dying anymore.” He said smiling.

Ethan watched the rare softness in Damien’s expression thoughtfully.

It had been years since anyone managed to change the atmosphere around him.

Yet somehow, Seraphina St. Claire already had.