Chapter 3The Female CEO Visits the Set

Seraphina was trying the handle.

But the door was locked from the inside.

Lucas and his crony shoved me into an adjoining closet.

Aiden’s voice floated in from the hallway, smooth and placating. “It’s a dressing room, someone’s probably in there. Weren’t you in a hurry to see your family, Sera? Let me walk you out.”

A cold dread filled me. Don’t let her leave.

Thankfully, Seraphina insisted. “Open this door! Whoever is in there, open up right now.”

Lucas and his friends started to panic, pushing the responsibility onto each other. He shoved the girl forward. “You go out there and stop them if you don’t want to go down with us.”

She was trembling. “This has nothing to do with me! I didn’t even do anything yet!”

“He’s barely conscious and his pants are ripped. You think anyone’s gonna believe you’re innocent?”

Defeated, the girl went to unlock the door.

Seraphina’s voice, colder than a winter storm, filled the room. “Who are you? Why was this door locked? What were you just doing?”

The girl’s voice shook. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Frye. I’m from maintenance… I was here to fix a light, and my husband and I… we got a little carried away.”

I could practically hear Seraphina grinding her teeth.

“Who gave you permission to do… that… in here?”

“And your husband,” she added with venomous disgust, “has some nerve, screaming my name while he’s at it. How revolting.”

The girl stammered, “That’s because… my husband… he admires you a great deal.”

The tension outside was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Aiden tried to smooth things over.

“Come on, Sera, let it go. Just a couple who couldn’t control themselves. It’s not worth getting upset over. We can have her fired.”

I was still being held down, unable to make a sound.

I could hear her footsteps turning to leave.

With a final, desperate surge of adrenaline, I tore free from the man holding me.

“Seraphina! Help—!”

I never finished the word.

A searing pain erupted in my back, and my body pitched forward.

I never imagined Lucas would actually use the knife.

My body slammed against the closet door with a heavy thud.

Lucas and his friend’s faces went ghostly white. He stared at the blood on his hands, let out a terrified shriek, and flung the knife across the room.

“He’s gonna die! We’re all screwed!”

“I didn’t mean to! I was just trying to stop him!”

Their whispered panic was drowned out by the roaring in my ears.

But even if I was dying, I wouldn’t die hidden away in some dark, filthy closet.

While they were still frozen in shock, I fought through the agony, my hand closing around the doorknob.

By the time they reacted, it was too late.

I stumbled out of the closet and fell directly into someone’s arms.

Tragically… they were Aiden’s.

He was half a head taller than me. One arm wrapped around me to hold me up, while the other clamped firmly over my mouth, silencing me completely.

“Whoa, buddy, running out without your pants on? I know you admire Ms. Frye, but this is a bit much.”

As the blood drained from my body, so did my strength.

My consciousness began to fade.

Seraphina sounded irritated, disgusted.

She hadn’t even looked at me. I just heard her voice, dripping with contempt.

“Get him out of here. Or I’m calling the police.”

So this was it. Twenty years under the same roof, and she couldn’t even recognize my voice.

How much did she have to hate me?

No, it wasn't hate. It was worse.

Indifference.

All my despair and fury focused into one single point. I bit down, hard, on the hand covering my mouth.

A piercing scream.

Aiden yanked his hand away.

And finally, Seraphina turned to look at me.

It was too late for Lucas, who rushed out to try and restrain me again.

I stood before her, my clothes torn, barely covering me, blood soaking through the fabric and dripping onto the floor.

I saw Seraphina’s eyes widen in horror, the color draining from her face.

Lucas’s voice trembled. “Ms. Frye, this guy was spreading rumors that he’s your brother. We were just teaching him a little lesson for you.”

But I only had eyes for her. My voice was a broken whisper.

“Seraphina, I hate you.”

“Leo!”

In the final second before darkness took me, I saw her running toward me.