Lahat ng Kabanata ng Tie Me Up Daddy: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

Seraphina's POVThe video started playing.I recognized the office instantly. The glass walls of the intern workspace. The glow of computer screens. The timestamp in the corner read 11:47 PM—long after everyone should have gone home.And there, clear as day, was Madison.She was hunched over my workstation. Her fingers flew across my keyboard. She pulled out a USB drive and plugged it in, copying something, replacing something.She was tampering with my data.I watched her check over her shoulder once, twice, then delete something from the screen. When she finished, she unplugged the drive, tucked it into her bag, and walked out like nothing had happened.The video ended.I sat there, frozen, my phone still glowing in my hand.Who sent this to me?I checked the number again. Unknown. No caller ID. No name.My mind raced through possibilities. Someone at the company? An IT worker who'd found the footage? A security guard?Lorenzo.His name surfaced before I could stop it.Was it him?H

Seraphina's POVMadison's father arrived within fifteen minutes.I watched him push through the precinct doors like he owned the place. The kind of man who played golf with city commissioners and called judges by their first names.The officer behind the desk straightened immediately."Mr. Harrison." The cop's tone shifted from bored to almost deferential. "We weren't expecting—""Where's my daughter?""She's right here, sir. Just a minor altercation. Nothing to worry about."Madison practically flew into his arms. "Daddy!" Her voice cracked, pitched perfectly between relieved and traumatized. "It was so scary. That girl attacked me for no reason!"I stared.For no reason?"Sweetheart, are you hurt?" Mr. Harrison cupped her face, examining her like she was made of glass. "Did anyone lay a hand on you?""She did." Madison pointed at me, mascara-streaked tears rolling down her cheeks. "

Lorenzo's POVThe docks were quiet tonight.I stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office, watching the boats rock gently in the harbor. Behind me, Nico was giving his report. Something about warehouse security. A shipment delay. The usual problems that came with running half of New York's underground.My mind was elsewhere."Boss." Nico's voice cut through my thoughts. "Are you listening?""The Colombo shipment is delayed. Marco is handling it. Continue."He paused. I heard paper shuffling."The surveillance footage was delivered to Miss Ashford."I turned around."And?""She used it. HR called Madison Harrison in for questioning. The girl's been suspended pending investigation." Nico's expression remained neutral, but I caught the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Apparently, Miss Ashford walked into that meeting like she owned the place. Didn't even blink."Little trouble

Seraphina's POV"Stay out of trouble."He was still holding the ice pack to my cheek. His fingers, so careful against my jaw. And yet his voice was cold. Distant. Like he was already calculating how much of a headache I'd caused him.He's right, a voice whispered in my head. You're always getting into trouble. Always making a mess of things.Especially in front of him.Why was it always like this? Every time I crossed paths with Lorenzo Vitale, I was at my absolute worst. Drugged at a club. Crying in his office. Being interrogated at a police station with a handprint on my face.Never once had he seen me strong."I'm sorry," I said quietly.He didn't respond at first. Just adjusted the ice pack slightly, his thumb brushing against the corner of my jaw."For what?" His voice was flat."For causing you trouble," I managed. "Again."His jaw tightened. I watched the muscle flex beneath his skin

Seraphina's POVThe moment I walked through the door, I headed straight for my room.Four days. That's all the time I had to prepare for the biggest opportunity of my career. I needed to pack, to study, to memorize every single number in those files Lorenzo promised to send.I pulled my suitcase out from under the bed and started throwing clothes into it. Professional blazers. Pencil skirts. The few nice blouses I owned that weren't hand-me-downs from Mrs. Ashford's charity drives."Sera."I froze.Sterling stood in the doorway, his face arranged in that concerned expression I used to find so comforting. Now it just made my skin crawl."What are you doing here?" I kept my voice flat. Didn't look at him."I got a call from the police station." He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "They said you were brought in for questioning. Something about an assault? Why didn't you call me?"I shoved another blouse into the suitcase. "Why would I?""Because you're living under my