Chapter 3

Seraphina's POV

The air in the living room turned instantly freezing.

We faced each other across the coffee table in dead silence.

I slid the envelope containing the photos and reports across the glass toward him. The photos captured him embracing Chloe in the lobby, unhooking his phone charm, and slipping it onto hers with undeniable clarity.

Julian’s face drained of color.

He reached out and grabbed my wrist, demanding to know why I had hired someone to spy on him, gripping me so hard his knuckles turned white.

A red ring immediately swelled around my skin. I winced from the pain, but I didn't pull away.

He seemed to snap out of it, loosening his grip, and instinctively rubbed his thumb over the red mark as if terrified of hurting me.

I pulled my arm back and placed my hands flat on my lap.

Guilt flickering across his features, Julian sat on the opposite end of the sofa. After a few seconds of heavy silence, the excuses started pouring out.

He claimed Chloe was just the brand ambassador for the mall, that he had merely offered her a bit of professional guidance, nothing more.

He insisted the modeling industry was ruthless, that rookies had it tough, and that as the CEO, helping her out was just business.

"Business?" I met his gaze. "Transferring your personal phone charm to her in public is business? Wrapping your arms around her in the lobby is business? Do you want me to pull your travel logs too, and see just how much 'business' you two conducted?"

Julian turned pale at my words, suddenly shooting up from the couch, his voice spiking an octave.

"Enough, Sera! They’re just a few harmless photos! Do you really have to make a scene over this?"

The moment he yelled, seeing the absolute void of emotion on my face, he slowly sank back down.

"Yes, I do," my voice was barely above a whisper, yet it pierced like a needle. "I sent you 312 emails while I was abroad. You never answered one. I told myself you were busy. Turns out you were just busy entertaining someone else."

Silence hung thick between us for a long time.

"It was just one time," he finally muttered, his voice dropping low. "I had too much to drink. I thought she was you. Just that one time, I swear to God it will never happen again." He looked up at me, desperation creeping into his eyes. "Stop digging, Sera. Please. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you. A penthouse, sports cars, company stock—just name it."

I stared at this man. The same lips that once swore eternal love were now begging me to stop asking questions, attempting to throw cash at me to make me disappear.

It was pathetic, and it was disgusting. My stomach churned with pure nausea, bile rising in my throat.

"You make me sick."

I stood up, walked into the study, and slammed the heavy door shut, turning the deadbolt.

Julian pounded against the wood from the outside, throwing out frantic explanations.

He swore he would only ever marry me. He swore he would terminate Chloe’s contract first thing tomorrow morning.

He babbled on until his voice grew raspy, muffled through the thick mahogany paneling, sounding distant and pathetic.

I leaned against the door, offering not a single word in response.

Listening to his pathetic pleas, the only thing echoing in my mind was what he had said in that corridor: If I had met Chloe first, she probably would have been the one I married.

Eventually, the hallway outside went quiet.

I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down.

Julian stepped out of the villa gates and quickly walked toward a sleek sedan parked at the curb.

The passenger door swung open. Chloe was sitting inside, leaning over the center console to push the driver's door open for him.

He bent down, slid into the car, and the vehicle peeled away into the night.

Watching the taillights vanish around the corner, my lips curved into a bitter smile, and tears finally spilled down my cheeks.

I stood by that window for hours until my legs went numb, before finally sinking into the leather armchair.

That very night, I booked a one-way train ticket out of the city for three days later.

This city, and this man—I was done with both of them.