Seraphina woke up with a pounding headache. Her body felt strangely heavy, like every bone weighed twice as much.The air smelled faintly of dust and something unfamiliar. She pushed herself up slowly, her head spinning.Around her, the room was quiet. Clothes were scattered on the floor—hers, she realized with a jolt.No… no… no…A chill ran through her. She grabbed the blanket, pulling it tighter around herself before daring to look underneath.And just as she feared—she was completely naked.Her gaze swept over her skin. Faint traces she couldn’t explain covered her…. signs that made her stomach twist. A dull ache pulsed through her, and a cold dread settled in.She didn’t need anyone to tell her what had happened.Seraphina, the proud eldest daughter of the Belmond family, had been violated.The door creaked open.Her head snapped up. The sight of a stranger standing there made her blood boil.Without thinking, she seized the nearest object—a glass of water from the nightstand—and

The girl from earlier stood behind Alastor, her face pale with worry. She tugged lightly at his sleeve, voice trembling.“L-let it go… They’re too many. You’ll get hurt.”Alastor didn’t even turn to look at her. His gaze remained fixed on the secretary.Miss Lane scoffed. “What, are you scared now? Backing out?”Alastor’s voice cut through her words like a knife.“Who gave you the authority to treat people like trash in Arthur Tempest’s building?”The entire lobby froze.Miss Lane’s composure cracked instantly. Color rushed to her cheeks — humiliation and fury.“You bastard—!” She spun toward the guards. “Take him down. If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility!”Gasps erupted around the room.“Is she insane?”“Someone’s gonna get hurt!”“Has Tempest Enterprise started abusing civilians now?”Miss Lane turned on the crowd, eyes blazing.“Anyone filming… delete it or I’ll personally sue you! If you don’t want broken bones, scatter!”People backed away quickly. Phones lowered. The

Arthur stilled for a moment, trying to recall the name. "Chloe Everstone… why does that sound familiar?""She should be around eighteen or nineteen now," Alastor said. "Ten years ago, she lived with her mother in a small apartment near Eastbrook."Arthur's eyes widened. "Eastbrook? That area burned down years ago."Alastor's jaw tightened. "I know. That's where everything started."Arthur didn't speak, waiting quietly. Alastor's gaze drifted toward the window, but he wasn't seeing the city — he was seeing the past."She and her mother saved my life," Alastor said. His voice was steady, but the words carried weight. "After the fire, I had nothing. Nowhere to go. I was… done. Ready to let fate finish me."He'd been twelve years old and ready to die. That was what losing everything did to you.Turned you into something hollow.Arthur swallowed hard, his face darkening."They found me," Alastor continued. "Dragged me in. Treated me and fed me. They acted like I wasn't just some stranger wh

Seraphina's gaze stayed at the door. Someone was watching her. She was sure of it.A hand tapped her. She flinched. “Earth to Seraphina…” Fedora said, waving a hand over her face. Seraphina blinked and turned away from the door."What?"Fedora exchanged a look with Gina, both of them grinning."Oh, nothing," Fedora said, drawing out the word. "Just wondering if you're daydreaming about your mysterious fiancé."Gina laughed. "I bet she's imagining what he looks like. Tall? Dark? Handsome?""Probably some old man with more money than personality," Fedora added.Seraphina's jaw tightened. "I'm not thinking about him.""Sure you're not," Gina said, leaning in. "That's why you've been staring into space for the past five minutes.""I said I'm not."Fedora raised her hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. We believe you."They didn't.Seraphina turned back to her notes, pretending to focus on the assignment in front of her."Honestly," she said flatly, "I don't care who he is."Fedor

Two weeks had passed since Leo started at Blackwood.In that time, he and Chloe had fallen into a routine. Study sessions in the library. Coffee between classes. Walking across campus while she talked about whatever book she was currently reading.It was... nice.Leo hadn't expected that.He'd expected to watch from a distance, to protect her without getting involved. But Chloe had a way of pulling people in. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Her rambling about fantasy novels and fairy tales reminded him of when they were kids.Before everything burned.They were sitting in the library again, textbooks spread between them, when Chloe looked up suddenly."Do you ever think about what happens after we die?"Leo blinked. "That's... random.""I know. Sorry." She laughed, slightly embarrassed. "I was reading this essay about mortality and legacy, and it just made me think.""What about it?"She was quiet for a moment, choosing her words carefully."I guess I wonder if we leave something behin