Seraphina POV
I felt intensely angry from the second our photo appeared in every major news source.
Ranon Vescari shares that he will marry a well-known psychologist.
The Cold-Hearted King Chooses a Wife.
Seraphina Quinn, Set to Marry the Vescari Successor.
My cell phone kept buzzing constantly.
My work email almost stopped working completely.
Even my neighbors looked strangely at me as if I was a strange animal living nearby.
By the time I went to confront him, I was about to get extremely angry.
Ranon was standing by the balcony of his expensive apartment, fixing his shirt cuffs as if he hadn't just made my life a public spectacle.
"You weren't allowed to do that," I said sharply, rushing into the room. "You weren't allowed to announce that I'm going to marry you!"
He didn't turn around. "You said yes."
"I only agreed because I felt forced, not so the whole world would know! You unfairly influenced the situation."
His head moved a bit, and he looked at me with eyes that seemed to see and understand too much, and not care enough about my anger.
"You're mad," he said quietly. "That makes sense."
"Don't talk down to me."
"I'm not." He walked towards me slowly, each step measured, controlled, and planned. "You're stressed. Afraid. Trapped. But you're also intelligent, Seraphina. And you know not to start a fight that you can't win."
I didn't like how close he got.
Didn't like how tall he was.
Didn't like that just him being there seemed to take up all the air.
"You didn't need to tell everyone!" I said quietly and angrily. "You could've given me some time."
He raised a hand, gently moving a loose piece of hair away from my face in a way that seemed too kind for the man who killed two men in my office.
"We don't have time," he mumbled. "And I don't want anyone questioning why you're with me."
"I never wanted to be with you."
His fingers touched my jaw, his touch light but scary because it made me feel a warm feeling in my stomach. "You will get used to it."
I swallowed with difficulty. "Stop trying to win me over."
"But it's working," he answered, his voice getting quieter and smoother.
"No," I whispered, but my heart beat faster, proving I was lying.
He leaned in close enough to whisper his warm breath touching my ear. "I'm not your enemy, Seraphina."
My legs almost gave out, and I hated that even more than everything else. I quickly moved away, putting some space between us.
"This isn't me being stressed," I stated firmly. "This is me saying I don't accept what you're doing."
He sighed, as if my resistance was a small problem for him. "I'll give you time to get used to it. But don't think that you can still leave."
His eyes held me still, deep, sharp, and unmoving.
"I don't lose what I said is mine," he finished.
I left before he could say anything else, my chest hurting from holding back everything I wanted to shout.
Going to work should have calmed me down.
It didn't.
As soon as I walked into the office, people started whispering about me.
"That's her."
"The person marrying Vescari."
"Did she cheat to get where she is?"
"Or did she sleep with someone to get ahead?"
I tightened my jaw and kept moving, not wanting them to see how I felt. But right when I got to my desk, Adam Jones showed up in my office doorway with a fake smile on his old face.
"Seraphina," he said sweetly, coming inside even though I didn't ask him to. "Or should I be saying… Soon-to-be Mrs. Vescari?"
I stood up straight. "Is anything the problem, Adam?"
"Oh, not much." He acted like he was being nice. "Just a friendly chat with my best worker, who seems to know very important and very dangerous people."
I made myself keep looking at him. "My personal life is not something you need to worry about."
"But it is," he replied, closing the door. "Very much so. You're connected to the Vescari family now. That causes… worries."
"About what?"
"Your fairness. Your morals." He looked serious, no longer pretending. "If I said one thing, the board would gladly stop you from working while they 'look into' your sudden link to organized crime."
My stomach hurt really bad.
"You're using your power the wrong way," I said quietly.
He leaned on my desk, acting too relaxed and happy. "You were always a problem, Seraphina. Too smart. Too honest. Too pure." He smiled. "Now? You're not trustworthy. Perfect reason to get rid of you."
I couldn't breathe.
Ranon's influence had reached where I worked, and Adam was happy to use it against me.
"Don't worry," Adam continued. "When you're not allowed to work, I'll take care of all your cases myself. Even the ones you wanted to keep doing the right way."
I felt like something broke inside me.
"i would love to continue my work, Sir," I told him, my voice shaking even though I wanted to sound strong.
He stood up from the desk like he didn't care. "Sure. I'll see you when they decide what to do."
A meeting.
Not being allowed to work.
A ruined career.
All because of Ranon.
As soon as Adam was gone, I fell into my chair, hiding my face in my hands.
I had spent years building my good name, proving myself, and trying to stay good in a place full of bad things. And now? One news story, one fake promise to get married, was enough to ruin everything.
I didn't cry.
I couldn't.
But my chest felt like something heavy was slowly crushing me.
Ranon was going to ruin everything I had worked for.
My job. My freedom. Who I am.
And yet
There was nothing I could do.
No
way out.
No trick to get around it.
I was already connected to him.
And the more I fought against it, the more trapped I became.