The moment Seraphina stepped out of the hotel, the night air hit her skin like ice.
Cold.
Sharp.
Real.
For a second, she just stood there, the city lights blurring faintly in her vision. Not from tears—no, she refused to cry—but from the sheer weight of what had just happened.
Three years.
Wasted.
A slow breath left her lips.
Then another.
By the time her driver pulled the car door open, her expression had already smoothed back into something calm. Untouchable.
"Home, ma'am?" he asked carefully, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.
Seraphina slid into the backseat, crossing her legs elegantly.
"No," she said quietly.
A pause.
Then—
"Take me to my parents' estate."
The Vale estate stood like a fortress at the edge of the city—quiet, powerful, untouchable.
Tall gates.
Armed security.
A legacy built on wealth, influence, and control.
As the car rolled in, the guards straightened immediately.
"Miss Vale."
Not Mrs.
Never Mrs.
That title had never belonged here.
Seraphina stepped out, her heels clicking against the stone pathway, each step echoing in the silence of the night.
She didn't slow down.
Didn't hesitate.
By the time she entered the mansion, the staff were already alert.
"Good evening, Miss—"
"Where is my father?" she asked, her voice calm but leaving no room for delay.
"In his study, ma'am."
"Good."
She walked straight past them.
The door to the study opened without a knock.
Her father, Victor Vale, looked up from behind his desk.
For a moment, his expression didn't change.
Then he saw her eyes.
And everything sharpened.
"What happened?" he asked quietly.
Seraphina closed the door behind her.
The sound echoed.
Final.
"They cheated," she said simply.
No emotion.
No hesitation.
"Adrian. Lila."
A long silence followed.
Dangerous.
Heavy.
Victor leaned back slowly, his gaze darkening.
"I see."
That was all he said.
But the temperature in the room dropped instantly.
Seraphina walked further in, stopping in front of his desk.
"They weren't just cheating," she continued. "They've been planning."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Planning what?"
"To take everything from me," she said. "My inheritance. My shares. My position."
A pause.
"And his family knows."
That did it.
Victor's fingers tapped once against the desk.
A quiet, controlled motion.
But beneath it…
Rage.
Cold, calculated rage.
"I warned you about that family," he said.
"You did."
"And yet you still married him."
"I thought I could make it work."
Silence.
Then—
"I was wrong."
The words didn't sound like regret.
They sounded like a conclusion.
A realization.
A turning point.
Victor studied her carefully.
Waiting.
Watching.
"Say it," he said finally.
Seraphina tilted her head slightly.
"Say what?"
"What you came here for."
A small smile touched her lips.
Not soft.
Not kind.
Dangerous.
"I want revenge."
The words hung in the air.
Clear.
Sharp.
Unapologetic.
Victor didn't react immediately.
Didn't question her.
Didn't try to stop her.
Instead, he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk.
"Define revenge."
Her gaze didn't waver.
"I want them to lose everything," she said.
"Not just the marriage. Not just reputation."
A pause.
"I want their company destroyed."
Another pause.
"I want them to feel exactly what they planned for me."
Silence filled the room again.
Then—
Victor smiled.
And it was nothing like the smiles he gave in public.
This one was darker.
Prouder.
"That's my daughter."
An hour later, Seraphina sat in the same study, a glass of untouched wine in her hand as files were spread across the desk.
Financial reports.
Contracts.
Investments.
Everything connected to Adrian's family business.
Victor tapped one document.
"They rely on us more than they realize," he said.
Seraphina leaned forward slightly.
"How much?"
"Enough to cripple them."
Her lips curved faintly.
"Good."
He watched her closely.
"We don't move all at once," he continued. "We do it slowly. Quietly."
"Make them bleed before they realize they're wounded," she finished.
A flicker of approval crossed his eyes.
"Exactly."
She leaned back, crossing her legs.
"What about public image?"
"We keep it clean," he said. "For now."
"And Adrian?"
Victor's expression hardened.
"He won't see it coming."
Seraphina let out a soft breath.
Perfect.
But then…
Victor's gaze sharpened again.
"There's one more thing."
She looked at him.
"What?"
He slid another file across the desk.
Thicker.
Darker.
More dangerous.
"Adrian's family isn't the only one with power in this city."
Her brows lifted slightly.
"And?"
Victor's voice dropped.
"There's someone else involved in their expansion."
A pause.
Then—
"A man you should know about."
Seraphina's fingers rested lightly on the file.
She didn't open it yet.
"Who?"
Victor's eyes locked onto hers.
"Dante Russo."
The name settled in the air like a warning.
Like a storm waiting to happen.
Seraphina finally picked up the file.
Slowly.
Curiously.
Dangerously.
"What about him?" she asked.
Victor leaned back.
"He's not just a businessman," he said. "He's the reason people like Adrian's family survive in this city."
A pause.
Then—
"He's also the reason they can fall."
Silence.
Seraphina's lips curved slowly.
Interest flickering in her eyes.
"Then maybe…" she murmured,
"…he's exactly who I need."