Seraphine Vale's POV
"Tell anyone about my secret, and this goes public."
I stared at the photo on my phone—me at nineteen, pregnant, scared. Morgana had been watching me even back then.
"Sera, what's wrong?" Kade asked from his hospital bed.
I deleted the text and forced a smile. "Nothing. Just Maven checking on Echo."
Lying to him felt like swallowing glass. But what choice did I have?
The door burst open. Maven rushed in, purple hair wild, eyes wide with panic.
"We have a problem," she gasped. "Morgana Hax just held a press conference. She's claiming Cassius is innocent. She says we set him up."
My blood turned to ice. "What?"
Maven shoved her tablet in my face. The news headline screamed: FAMOUS PRODUCER CASSIUS VEX VICTIM OF ELABORATE FRAME JOB, SAYS INDUSTRY INSIDER
Below it, a photo of Morgana looking concerned and professional.
"She's saying Echo was paid to lie about the assault," Maven continued. "That we edited the live stream footage. That you and Kade planned the whole thing because Cassius rejected you at a previous audition."
"That's insane!" I shouted. "Fifty thousand people watched him hurt Echo!"
"And now Morgana's planted doubt in everyone's minds." Maven's voice cracked. "Social media is turning against us. They're calling you a crazy stalker. They're saying Kade is a violent criminal. The police just issued a warrant for both of you."
Kade tried to sit up and winced. "A warrant? For what?"
"Assault. Breaking and entering. Conspiracy." Maven looked like she might cry. "Morgana has three witnesses who claim they saw you threaten Cassius last week, Sera. They say you told him you'd destroy him if he didn't help your career."
"I never met him before tonight!" But even as I said it, I realized the truth. Morgana had spent ten years preparing for this moment. She'd created a perfect trap.
My phone buzzed again. Another text from Morgana: Still have twenty-four hours to sign my contract. Or the police find you first. Your choice.
"We need to run," Maven said urgently. "I have a safe house. We can hide you both until—"
"Until what?" Kade's voice was harsh. "Until Morgana wins? Until she controls everything?"
"We can't fight her if we're in jail!" Maven shot back.
They kept arguing but I barely heard them. My mind raced through possibilities.
If I signed Morgana's contract, she'd make the charges disappear. But I'd be trapped. Seven years of slavery. She'd own my voice, my songs, my life.
If I ran, I'd be a fugitive. So would Kade. Echo would be alone. And Morgana would still tell Lyric that I abandoned him.
Unless...
"I have an idea," I said quietly.
They both turned to look at me.
"What if we do exactly what Morgana doesn't expect?" My heart pounded. "What if I sign her contract?"
"Absolutely not," Kade growled. "I won't let you—"
"Listen to me!" I grabbed his hand. "Morgana thinks she's won because she time-traveled too. She thinks she knows every move we'll make. But she's forgotten something important."
"What?" Maven asked.
"In my first timeline, I signed with her when I was weak and desperate. This time, I'm signing while I'm strong. I know all her tricks. I know how she operates. And I'll have you both helping me from the outside." I looked at Kade. "She wants me trapped in a contract? Fine. But contracts work both ways. I can use her resources against her."
Kade's jaw tightened. "It's too dangerous."
"Everything's dangerous." I squeezed his fingers. "But this way, the criminal charges disappear. You keep Obsidian Records. Echo stays safe. And I get close enough to Morgana to destroy her from the inside."
Maven chewed her lip. "It could work. If we're smart about it."
"No," Kade said firmly. "I didn't come back in time just to watch you sacrifice yourself—"
"You came back to save people," I interrupted. "So did I. This is how we do it."
Before he could argue more, the hospital room door slammed open.
Two police officers walked in.
"Seraphine Vale?" the first one said. "You're under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon."
My stomach dropped. Twenty-four hours, Morgana had said. But she'd lied.
The officer pulled out handcuffs. "You have the right to remain silent—"
"Wait!" Maven stepped forward. "You can't arrest her. She has—"
"Move aside, ma'am." The second officer grabbed my arm roughly.
Kade tried to get out of bed but Maven held him back. "Don't! Your stitches!"
The cold metal closed around my wrists.
"This is a mistake," I said, trying to stay calm. "Cassius Vex is a predator. We have proof—"
"Tell it to the judge." The officer started pulling me toward the door.
I looked back at Kade. His amber eyes blazed with fury and helplessness.
"I'll fix this," he promised. "I swear, Sera, I'll—"
"I know," I whispered.
They dragged me out into the hallway. Nurses and doctors stared as I passed. A criminal. A villain. Everything I'd been trying to escape.
We reached the elevator. The doors opened.
And standing inside was Morgana Hax, smiling like the cat who caught the canary.
"Hello, darling," she purred. "Have you reconsidered my offer?"
The police officers looked confused. "Ma'am, do you know this suspect?"
"Oh yes. Miss Vale and I were just discussing a business arrangement." Morgana pulled out her phone. "Officers, I believe there's been a terrible misunderstanding. I have evidence that will clear Miss Vale of all charges."
The first officer frowned. "What evidence?"
"Security footage from my office. It shows Cassius Vex confessing to assaulting young women. He planned to frame Miss Vale because she rejected his advances." Morgana's smile was perfectly innocent. "I was bringing it to the station myself when I heard about the arrest. What lucky timing."
She was lying. There was no footage. But the officers didn't know that.
"We'll need to verify—" the second officer started.
"Of course. My lawyers are already at the station with copies." Morgana looked at me. "Miss Vale, perhaps we should discuss that contract now? Before any more unfortunate misunderstandings occur?"
The trap closed around me like iron jaws.
Sign with her now, and she'd make the arrest disappear. Refuse, and I'd go to jail while she destroyed everyone I loved.
"I need to make a phone call first," I said.
"I'm afraid that's not possible—" the officer began.
Morgana held up her hand. "Give her five minutes. Professional courtesy."
The officers stepped back, uncertain.
I pulled out my phone with shaking hands. Dialed the one number I'd sworn never to call.
It rang twice. Then a young man's voice answered: "Hello?"
Lyric. My son. Who didn't know I existed.
"Is this Lyric Ashcroft?" I asked.
"Yeah. Who's this?"
My throat closed. What could I possibly say?
Before I could answer, Morgana snatched the phone from my hands.
"Wrong number, dear," she said sweetly into the phone. Then she ended the call and smiled at me. "Trying to warn him? How maternal. But he can't save you, Seraphine. No one can. Except me."
She held out a pen and the contract.
"Sign now. Or lose everything."
I looked at the pen. At the contract. At my future disappearing.
Then I looked at Morgana's smug face and realized something.
She was too confident. Too sure of her victory.
Which meant she was missing something important.
"Okay," I said. "I'll sign."
Morgana's eyes gleamed with triumph. "Excellent choice, darling."
I took the pen. Pressed it to the paper.
And my phone buzzed one more time.
A text from the number I'd just called—Lyric: How did you get this number? And why does your voice sound like someone I should know?
My hand froze above the contract.
Morgana hadn't seen the text. Neither had the officers.
But I had.
And suddenly I understood: Lyric remembered something. Some buried memory of my voice. Of me.
Which meant I had one weapon Morgana hadn't counted on.
The truth.