POV: Seraphina
Tonight was supposed to be the night Elias officially announced our engagement to the world.
The limousine slowed down as it approached the grand entrance of the hotel, the engine's soft hum fading as it finally came to a stop. Through the tinted window, I could already see the flashing lights Paparazzi, dozens of them.
The camera rose with their voices overlapping. Securities tried to maintain order as reporters pushed forward for a better angle.
Everything is just like before, only this time I knew exactly how the night was going to end. The chauffeur stepped out first and quickly opened the door for me. The moment the door swung open, a wave of noise exploded around me.
"Miss Carter!"
"Seraphina, over here!"
"Look this way!"
With bright camera flashes from different angles, the brightness of the flashes was bright enough that they could almost turn the night into daylight. Every second a camera clicks, make sure to capture every juicy detail.
I stepped out of the limousine slowly, one silver heel touching the pavement first, then the other.
The cool evening breeze brushed against my bare shoulders as I straightened, my black strapless dress catching the light of the cameras. The sleek fabrics hugged my figure perfectly, the dark color making me stand out among the glittering lights around me.
The silver straps of my heels shimmered with every step. My hair was swept into a flawless high bun, revealing the delicate silver earrings glittering softly beneath the lights.
The small details of my appearance were modest, but they created an image that will be difficult to ignore. A murmur ripped through the crowd; even the paparazzi seemed stunned.
I have always been beautiful, but tonight I looked dangerous. I lifted my chin, and my expression was calm and untouchable as the camera continued to flash.
"Miss Carter! How do you feel about tonight? Is the Carter group announcing anything new?"
I offered them a small, practiced smile and walked off elegantly.
Inside the hotel, the tall glass doors opened and ushered me into the hall as music played softly into the night.
Crystal chandeliers glowed above the grand lobby. Through the entrance, I could already see guests gathering inside: wealthy elites, CEOs, politicians, and socialites.
All waiting for the grand announcement, all expecting a fairytale ending. If only they knew.
I walked forward, my heels clicking softly on the marble floor, and as I approached the grand staircase leading into the ballroom, the whispers grew louder around me.
"She looks stunning."
"But why is she wearing a black dress?"
"Isn't this supposed to be an engagement party?"
But I didn't spare a second glance, and then I saw Elias at the top of the stairs, standing and waiting for me, and immediately he saw me, a charming smile spreading easily across his face.
The smile that had once made my heart beat fast. The same smile he wore when he watched me die.
And for a brief moment, our eyes met, and his expression changed into confusion when he saw my appearance, because this wasn't the woman he was expecting tonight. I wasn't the woman who blindly followed him. Because this time, I came prepared.
The ballroom glittered underneath a massive crystal chandelier. Gold-trimmed pillars framed the hall while long tables draped in ivory silk displayed arrangements of white roses and orchids.
The room was filled with wealth and power: CEOs dressed in tailored tuxedos, politicians exchanging quiet smiles, and socialites wrapped in diamonds and couture gowns.
The atmosphere was filled with soft laughter and polite conversations.
Then everything changed the moment I stepped into the ballroom; the entire room slowly went quiet, and all the eyes followed my every movement.
Then the whispers again.
"That's Seraphina Carter."
"She looks… different."
Elias quickly walked towards me, his warm smile still on his face.
"Babe," he said affectionately, reaching for my hand.
"You look stunning tonight."
I didn't pull away. But I didn't smile either; my face remained calm, detached, and cold.
"Babe… are you alright?" he frowned slightly.
"I'm fine," I said lightly.
My tone was almost bored, then his eyes drifted down to my dress, and the confusion returned instantly.
"What are you wearing?" he asked.
His voice dropped, but irritation crept in.
"This isn't the dress you were supposed to wear." His gaze was lingering on my black dress.
"And black?" he scoffed quietly.
"You rarely even wear black." His smile tightened.
"Babe… this is a party, not a funeral."
I tilted my head slightly as I replied. "It might as well be."
He blinked. "What?"
I smoothed my dress casually. "You don't own me," I said calmly. "And you don't get to decide what I wear," I concluded.
Elias stared at me like he didn't recognize the woman in front of him, and before he could respond, a sudden commotion rippled through the crowd.
Guests near the entrance began whispering as the entire room shifted. A tall figure stepped inside surrounded by bodyguards.
Lucien Rhys.
Even the paparazzi rushed in behind him.
"Mr. Rhys!"
"Lucien! Over here!"
"Can we get a statement?"
Lucien stopped walking, and slowly he turned his head.
He didn't even say a word; he simply looked at them. One cold glance.
The reporters instantly fell silent.
His presence alone commanded the room. Lucien Rhys didn't need to raise his voice; his silence was enough.
Guests shifted nervously as he continued walking through the ballroom.
Conversations died wherever he passed, people instinctively stepped aside, and the atmosphere changed. Everyone felt it, everyone except me, because the moment I saw him alive, healthy, and walking toward me, a breath escaped my lips. Relief, it was. Something warm stirred inside my chest, while everyone else felt intimidated by him… His presence calmed me.
Because I remembered the man who had knelt beside my coffin.
Lucien stopped beside me, his sharp eyes glanced at me briefly, then dismissed Elias completely.
"Wow!" he said lazily. "Miss Carter, you certainly know how to make an entrance."
I rolled my eyes. "Mr. Rhys," and I continued, "are you here to crash my engagement party?"
"I could." He smirked. Then his gaze sharpened slightly.
"But you didn't tell me you were getting married." He placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
"I had to hear it from the media." His lips curled. "I thought we were friends."
I raised an eyebrow. "Friends?"
He paused. "Fine," he corrected smoothly. "Frenemies."
I chuckled softly. "You're more than that."
Lucien froze for a brief moment; something in my voice made him study me carefully.
Normally I mocked him or kept my distance. But tonight I looked at him differently, and he noticed.
Across the ballroom, Marina stood beside Denice and Vera, her friends.
All three women glittered in expensive gowns. Denice wore champagne, Vera wore crimson, and Marina, well, she wore a white dress, obviously trying to steal the show as always.
Her eyes were fixed on me, and we both locked eyes and shared glances. Her eyes were cold, jealous, and full of hate.
"I swear she thinks she owns everything," Denice muttered.
"She always has," Vera scoffed.
Though Marina said nothing. But her grip on her champagne glass tightened.
I think something about me tonight made her uneasy, and she hated it. At another table, my stepmother watched quietly, sipping her wine, her eyes burning into me.
My father stood nearby with several businessmen, laughing politely. Everything looked perfect, exactly the way it had been before.
Then Elias suddenly stepped forward, and the music faded, making the room fall silent. He reached into his pocket.
Gasps escaped through the crowd, and then he dropped to one knee. The diamond ring sparkled under the chandeliers.
"Seraphina Carter," he said proudly, "will you marry me?"
Cameras flashed wildly, and guests leaned forward in anticipation. And then.
CRACK.
The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the ballroom.
Elias's head snapped to the side. The room froze complete silence. Elias slowly stood, touching his cheek in shock.
"What was that for?" he demanded.
Every guest stared at us, waiting and watching.
I gave him a cold smile.
"Oh?" I said it lightly so he would be the only one who heard it. "That?" I tilted my head. "That was for something you'll understand soon."
I stepped closer and batted my eyes innocently and said so that the crowd could hear me.
"Oh, I'm sorry, babe."
Relief crossed his face instantly; he thought he had regained control, then I leaned forward slightly.
"Elias," I said sweetly,
"I'll marry you…"
Excited murmurs filled the ballroom, but I wasn't finished, "…only in your dreams."
The room went silent again, and Elias froze as his smile disappeared.
I stepped back slowly.
"If you're looking for a bride," I said casually, glancing across the room, "why not propose to Marina instead?"
The ballroom erupted with whispers; every head turned toward her.
As Marina's face drained of color, I bet she didn't see that coming, while her friends Denice and Vera stared at each other in shock.
Elias's voice rose angrily. "What are you talking about?!"
"You two always did look perfect together." I smiled, looking calm and dangerous.
Her face went pale, the champagne glass in her hand trembling slightly.
"Wha… what nonsense are you talking about?" Elias snapped, walking up to me quickly.
I tilted my head slightly, watching him with quiet amusement.
"Oh?" I said softly, "Was I mistaken?" My gaze slowly shifted across the hall, landing directly on Marina. Her eyes widened. Denice and Vera stared at her confused.
I smiled faintly. "Strange," I continued calmly, "you two looked awfully comfortable together the last time I saw you."
Gasps rippled through the crowd, my father stopped me mid conversation, and my stepmother nearly choked on her drink. Elias looked between us, panic flashing across his face. "Seraphina, that's ridiculous!" He exclaimed.
"Oh, relax," I interrupted lazily. "I'm just saying…"
I stepped closer to him, my voice low but clear enough for the room to hear.
"If you're going to betray someone…" I smiled sweetly. "…at least choose the right woman."
The silence in the ballroom was suffocating, then a low chuckle broke through it, and across the ballroom, Lucien Rhys started laughing.
The ballroom had barely recovered from the shock when my father stormed across the marble floor toward me.
His polished shoes struck the ground with sharp, furious steps. The crowd parted instinctively, and everyone could feel the storm coming.
"Seraphina!" he barked, his voice cutting through the noise. "What do you think you're doing?"
He stopped directly in front of me, his face flushed with anger.
"Have you completely lost your mind?" he demanded. "Are you trying to sabotage your sister in front of everyone?"
Sister? The word almost made me laugh; my lips slowly curved upward.
"You need to apologize," he continued harshly, pointing toward Marina. "Right now, apologize to your sister immediately."
For a moment I just stared at him, then I laughed, not softly, not politely, but a real laugh. The sound echoed across the silent ballroom, making several guests shift uncomfortably.
"Apologize?" I repeated.
My eyes glittered with amusement.
"You want me to apologize to your precious daughter?"
I tilted my head, pretending to think about it.
"Oh dear," I said lightly. "Did I hurt her feelings?"
Across the room, Marina looked like she had been slapped again. I shrugged casually.
"She should learn to suck it up."
A collective gasp spread through the crowd. My father's face turned red so quickly it was almost impressive.
For a moment he seemed like smoke might actually start pouring out of his ears. And somehow that made it even funnier. So I laughed again.
"Have you gone completely mad?" he roared.
The next second, his arm shot upward; the movement was so sudden that several people flinched.
He was going to hit me in front of everyone; his hand cut through the air, but it never reached me.
A hand caught his wrist mid-swing, firm and unmoving. The entire ballroom froze, and my father slowly turned his head.
Standing beside me was Lucien Rhys. His grip around my father's wrist looked effortless, but there was no mistaking the strength behind it. Lucien's expression was calm, cold, and dangerous. The whispers started immediately.
"Lucien Rhys…"
"He stopped him…"
"Did he just defend her?"
My father's anger stuttered for the first time. Lucien slowly lowered my father's hand away from me.
Then he looked him straight in the eye; his voice was quiet, but every single person in the ballroom heard it.
"I dare you," Lucien said calmly, "to lay a finger on her."
The threat hung in the air like a blade; my father's face stiffened. For a moment it looked like he might actually argue, then reality settled in.
Lucien Rhys wasn't just another guest; he was a man powerful enough to destroy entire companies with a phone call. The tension broke.
My father forced a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Mr. Rhys," he said stiffly. "This is a family matter."
Lucien didn't move; his gaze remained steady.
"Then maybe," he replied coolly, "you should remember how to behave like a father."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. My father's jaw tightened, but he said nothing more. Instead, he slowly pulled his arm free and stepped back. Swallowing his anger in front of everyone.
The quiet words struck harder than a shout. Several guests exchanged looks, and others lowered their voices, whispering behind their glasses of champagne.
My father's jaw tightened, but he didn't try again. He simply turned away, swallowing his rage for the sake of his reputation.
Coward!
The moment he stepped back, the invisible pressure in the room shifted. For the first time tonight, no one was looking at him.
They were looking at me and the man standing beside me, Lucien Rhys. The most feared businessman in the room. I'm still standing between the man who had tried to strike me, my gaze lifted slowly toward him; he hadn't moved. His expression remained calm, almost bored, as if stopping a powerful man's hand in front of hundreds of witnesses was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Yet somehow… Seeing him there gave me strength; a strange, steady warmth spread through my chest. In my previous life, I had stood alone in rooms like this, alone against their schemes, alone against their lies.
But tonight was different.
The crowd's whispers grew louder.
"Did you see that?"
"Lucien Rhys protected her…"
"What is their relationship?"
Across the room, Marina's face had turned pale with fury. Elias looked equally shaken, the ring still clutched tightly in his hand.
They hadn't expected this, none of them had. Lucien finally glanced down at me; his dark eyes studied my face for a moment, sharp and curious.
"You seem very calm for someone who just caused a scandal," he said quietly.
I smiled, slow and cold. "This?" I glanced around the room at the stunned guests, the furious faces, and the whispers spreading like wildfire.
"This is barely the beginning," I said to him.
Lucien's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Oh?"
I stepped forward, turning my gaze toward Elias, Marina, and my stepmother standing together across the ballroom now. Their expressions were tense, suspicious, and afraid.
Perfect reaction as my smile deepened.
"Tonight," I murmured, "is just the opening act."
Lucien's eyes darkened with interest; around us, the tension in the ballroom thickened; something was about to happen.
Everyone could feel it. And this time… I wasn't the victim. I looked straight at Elias, then at Marina, and then at my stepmother.
"Let the real show begin." Marina suddenly stepped forward, her champagne glass shattered against the marble floor.
Her voice rang out, harsh and furious.
"Seraphina!"
The entire ballroom turned toward her. Her eyes burned with rage.
"You think you can humiliate me like this and walk away?!"
For a moment, the room held its breath. Lucien's gaze flicked between both of us, interested, curious, and watching slowly, very slowly. I smiled.
Because Marina had just made the biggest mistake she could make.
She had stepped onto the battlefield, right where I wanted her, and tonight… the story is about to be rewritten.