SERAPHINA POV
My phone made a noise early the following morning, shaking on the nightstand as if it were intentionally delivering unwelcome news. I made a noise of annoyance, turning over and straining to see the screen.
ADAM JONES ….. OFFICE LINE
My stomach sank.
Employees who were not working did not receive phone calls from the department, especially not from the person who had put them on leave to begin with.
I waited a moment before answering. "Hello?"
A formal voice answered, "Seraphina Quinn?"
"…Yes."
"The council wants you to be here right away. You can go back to your job while they consider your case."
Then the call ended.
There was no reason given. There was no apology. There was nothing at all.
I sat up straight, confused and suddenly worried. That was not how the council behaved. And Adam had made it very clear he wanted me fired.
Something did not feel right.
As I got out of bed, I felt someone watching me. Ranon was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed, his eyes steady and impossible to read, as if he had been waiting the entire time.
"You seem bothered," he said.
I became tense. "It's not important."
"Seraphina." His voice got deeper. "What's wrong?"
I struggled to speak. His tone was not forceful, but it still put pressure on me. "Work called. They want me to come back."
"That is good," he simply said.
"But it doesn't make sense," I mumbled, reaching for my coat. "Adam demanded the suspension. He wouldn't cancel it so fast."
Ranon watched me like he was waiting for something more. Waiting for me to ask the question that neither of us said out loud.
I didn't ask it.
I couldn't ask it.
"I'll see you later," I said quickly.
He moved aside, letting me walk past, but not without letting his fingers touch my wrist, barely touching, just enough to make me uneasy.
"Be careful," he whispered.
I left before I could ask why his words sounded like a warning instead of a goodbye.
The therapy area felt different.
It was quiet.
It was tense.
People glanced at me, then quickly looked away, whispering behind their papers like I was dangerous. My nerves tightened with every step I took.
When I got to Adam's office, I gasped.
The door was not closed.
And Adam, who was usually pleased with himself, bossy, and loud, was sitting hunched over behind his desk.
His face was puffy. A purple mark covered his jaw. His left eye was almost closed. His lip was cut. He looked like he had fought very hard against something strong and lost.
I opened my mouth in surprise. "Adam… what happened?"
He did not look at me, but kept putting ice on his jaw. "Accident."
That was a lie. It was obvious.
He cleared his throat, wincing as he moved. "You're not suspended anymore. The report… was a mistake."
That was another lie.
He would not look at me. Not even once.
"What about the council's review?" I asked slowly.
"It was dropped," he said quietly. "You can go back to your job. Start today."
I began to feel suspicious. I wasn't an idiot. Adam didn't give in. Adam didn't fall apart. And Adam definitely didn't look scared.
But he did now.
Scared and respectful.
My heart pounded.
Did Ranon…?
No.
No, he wouldn't do that.
Would he do that?
I tried hard to keep my expression blank. "Thank you," I said, my voice not shaking. "I will go to my office."
My tone made him wince a little.
Wince.
I moved backwards out of the room, uneasy, trying to calm down. Every idea that came to me focused on one person. A person with power. With anger. With a motive.
But I wouldn't let that idea become real.
Not yet.
Work was just a mix of seeing patients, doing paperwork, and coworkers trying not to stare. I kept thinking about Adam's injuries, his worry, his shaky voice.
By the end of my work day, I was very tired mentally.
So when someone I knew came into the lobby, I stopped feeling anything.
Ranon.
He was tall and calm. He looked right at me when he came through the glass doors.
"Seraphina," he said smoothly. "We should leave."
I blinked. "Leave? Go where?"
"Out." He moved his hand a little, not touching me, but close enough that it felt personal. "You need to get away from this place."
I stopped moving.
Because Adam, watching from his office window, saw him.
And immediately turned white.
I felt sick to my stomach.
Ranon saw how Adam reacted. He smiled a little, just enough to show he knew something I didn't want to believe.
"Is something wrong?" I asked quietly.
"With what?" he asked back.
"With… him."
Ranon didn't even bother to turn his head. "Adam isn't important."
That didn't explain anything, but I didn't say more, not with people watching us, not with news vans waiting outside.
I breathed out shakily and let him lead me outside.
He took me shopping.
Of all things to do.
We went to grocery stores, fancy clothing stores, and small random shops. It wasn't fancy or like a mafia boss or heir. It was just… normal things. Eating sweet bread on a street corner. Buying a new coat because he didn't like my old one. Hearing him say expensive shoes were a waste of money, which made me laugh more than I should have.
But really, I kept thinking about other things.
Like Adam.
Like his injuries.
Like Ranon's calm attitude.
Like how he opened the door for me as if he hadn't done something awful just a few hours ago.
At one point, when we were choosing fruit, I just stared at him.
Really stared.
At his knuckles.
At his sleeves.
At how calm he looked.
Things made sense in a way I didn't want them to.
He noticed right away. "You're quiet."
"I'm thinking," I said softly.
"About what?"
I waited a moment.
He moved closer, pushing some hair behind my ear gently, like someo
ne who couldn't hurt anyone.
"You can ask me anything," he said softly.
But that was the problem.
I was scared.
Because deep down, I already knew the answer.
I just didn't know what to do.