Chapter 6

Seraphina POV

I'd returned from the morgue with a raging fever.

Julian only gave me one fever reducer. His reason:

"You're having general anesthesia tomorrow. Too many meds will mess with your metabolism."

Julian came down from his study, dressed in a black suit, his tie knotted without a single wrinkle.

He surveyed the dishes on the table. "Sit. Eat with me."

"I'm not hungry."

"I said sit down." Julian pulled out a chair, his words brooking no argument.

I obeyed, sitting down.

Valerie picked up a shrimp and offered it to Julian, her voice sweet and soft.

"Julian, this dish Seraphina made, it used to be your favorite. Try it?"

Julian opened his mouth, chewed twice, then spat it into the bone plate.

"Too salty." He set his fork down with a sharp click. "Seraphina, are you doing this on purpose?"

I looked at the white rice in my bowl. "My hand was shaking. Couldn't control the salt."

"Shaking?" Julian grabbed my casted arm. "I saw you playing for your lover. You seemed steady enough then."

His fingers tightened. Excruciating pain ripped through me, making my body twitch involuntarily.

Cold sweat drenched the back of my shirt, but I didn't make a sound.

"After the surgery tomorrow, this hand will be useless anyway." Julian flung my hand away. "I'll arrange for you to be sent to a sanitarium. You won't leave without my permission."

It was a sentence of soft imprisonment.

I picked up my spoon and calmly took a sip of soup.

Fourteen more hours.

After dinner, a document was thrown onto the table in front of me.

A 'Divorce Settlement Agreement'.

"Sign it." Julian lit a cigarette. "Giving Valerie her rightful place is the last thing you can do."

I opened the agreement.

Zero assets. I'd be leaving with nothing.

Even the small house my mother left me was already legally Julian's.

"Okay."

I picked up the pen and signed my name.

Julian's fingers, clutching the cigarette, paused.

"Aren't you going to read the terms?"

"No need." I closed the document. "Whatever makes you happy, Julian."

My indifferent attitude was the final spark that ignited Julian's simmering rage.

He stubbed out his cigarette and pushed me onto the sofa.

"Seraphina, are you hoping Cyrus is going to ride in and save you? I'm telling you, the Sterling Corporation is in crisis. Cyrus is already on a flight to Europe tonight, trying to save his own ass."

My breath hitched.

Cyrus was gone?

Then what about tomorrow's pickup...?

"Desperate?" Julian's finger traced my cheek. "Just hand over the cornea, and I might consider making your life in the sanitarium more comfortable."

He finished speaking, picked up the agreement, and went upstairs.

I lay on the sofa, staring silently at the ceiling.

My phone was shattered; I couldn't contact anyone.

If Cyrus really was gone, this was a checkmate.

Two in the morning.

Rain lashed against the windows.

I fished a paperclip from deep within the couch cushions.

Barefoot, I avoided the blind spots of the hallway cameras and slipped into the first-floor study.

Julian's safe was in the study.

With my left hand, I manipulated the paperclip into the keyhole.

Click.

The old-fashioned mechanical lock clicked open with a soft snick.

I didn't take any money, nor did I touch any sensitive documents.

I placed the voice recorder, along with the 'real vision test report' Valerie had torn up and meticulously taped back together, deep inside the safe.

Julian always opened it first thing in the morning to retrieve his watch.

Mission accomplished, I closed the safe.

Back in the guest room, I carefully unwound the bandage over my cast.

Hidden inside, a single line of text was inked: Cyrus's contingency plan.

"If Plan A fails, initiate Plan B: The Funeral."

I re-bandaged the cast, even tying it tighter than before, using the pain to keep my nerves buzzing, to stay awake.

Outside, thunder growled.

I stood by the window, watching the distant lightning tear across the night sky.