Seraphina stormed out of the VVIP ward like a hurricane wrapped in silk and fury. Her heels struck the marble floor with sharp and angry echoes. Nurses turned to stare, a doctor paused mid-sentence, but she didn't slow down. Her chest rose and fell heavily, her head spinning partly from the blood she had donated, mostly from rage.
Back in the ward, Roman sat on the hospital bed, still holding pieces of the shredded check. His usually cold expression was… confused, almost amused. His dark eyes lingered on the door long after she disappeared.
Lina stared at him like he had suddenly grown three heads.
"…Did you just… enjoy that?" she asked slowly, disbelief thick in her voice.
Roman leaned back slightly against the pillows, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Interesting girl," he murmured.
Lina's stomach dropped. She knew that look. Her brother only looked that way when something caught his dangerous interest.
Her worry surged instantly. "Brother… she's my closest friend," Lina said carefully. "Please don't hurt her."
Roman's eyes shifted lazily toward her. "She's not the only friend you have."
Lina gasped softly. That wasn't a promise. That wasn't reassurance either.
Fear wrapped around her chest like cold chains.
Without another word, she turned and rushed out of the ward, her heels clattering loudly as she chased after Seraphina.
Seraphina was already outside the hospital, standing near the entrance as she waited for a ride. Her arms were crossed tightly, her face still flushed with anger. But underneath that anger… a small tremor of unease crept in.
She had just thrown cash at the most dangerous man in the country.
Smart move, Seraphina. Very smart.
"SERA!" Lina's voice rang out, breathless and panicked.
Seraphina turned just as Lina reached her and grabbed both her arms dramatically.
"You just got back into the country and you already offended the mafia king!" Lina cried.
Seraphina blinked slowly. "…You're being dramatic."
"I am NOT!" Lina insisted, eyes wide. "That is my brother, Roman Castelli. The Roman Castelli. People disappear for less than what you just did!"
Seraphina swallowed hard.
Okay… maybe that had been slightly reckless.
But she refused to show fear openly. She shrugged casually, forcing confidence into her posture. "Well… what's the worst he could do? Make me bankrupt?" she said lightly.
Lina looked like she might faint.
"I'm serious!" Lina grabbed her shoulders again. "You need to hide or apologize or leave the country again or…I don't know… fake your death!"
Seraphina burst into tired laughter despite herself. "Relax. I saved his life. I donated blood. That should count for something."
Lina hesitated. "…Maybe but Roman isn't… normal."
The words lingered between them.
Seraphina felt a small chill run down her spine, but she pushed it aside. She had survived worse things. She had faced her past and returned to the country she once ran from. One ruthless man wasn't going to scare her away now.
Her ride arrived then, a sleek black car pulling to a stop beside them.
She hugged Lina briefly. "I'm fine," she assured softly. "Go back to your brother before he thinks I kidnapped you."
Lina sighed dramatically but nodded. "Text me when you reach home and lock your doors and your windows and maybe sleep with one eye open."
Seraphina rolled her eyes. "You've watched too many crime movies."
Still… as she got into the car and watched the hospital fade behind her, Lina's words replayed quietly in her mind.
Roman Castelli. Ruthless Mafia king.
She leaned her head against the seat and closed her eyes.
What have you gotten yourself into?
The apartment waiting for her was quiet and elegant, prepared weeks ago by someone she trusted before her return. Soft beige walls, large windows overlooking the city lights, and furniture that smelled new and untouched.
It should have felt like comfort. Instead, it felt like waiting.
She dropped her bag on the couch and walked slowly around the space, checking doors and windows partly out of habit, partly because Lina's dramatic warnings had planted nervous seeds in her chest.
Her reflection caught her eyes in a mirror, they were pale, tired, slightly unsteady from blood loss. She looked smaller somehow… not the untouchable queen she used to be.
She sighed and went to shower, letting warm water calm her racing thoughts.
By the time she changed into comfortable clothes, night had fully settled. The city outside glowed with golden lights, distant horns, and quiet movement.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Lina.
"Alive?"
Seraphina smiled slightly and replied, "Yes, not assassinated yet."
But even as she joked… a strange tension coiled in her stomach.
She walked toward the door to double-check the locks again.
And then…
Knock.
Her entire body froze.
Her heart jumped violently against her ribs.
The knock came again. This time slow and deliberate.
Seraphina swallowed hard.
"Well… here comes the devil," she whispered to herself.
She moved cautiously toward the door and peeked through the peephole. There was no one there. Her frown deepened while she opened the door slowly.
The hallway was empty. There were no footsteps, no shadows. Just silence and a box.
A sleek black box sat directly in front of her door like it had been placed there moments ago.
Seraphina's pulse quickened as she stared down at it, dread and curiosity mixing dangerously inside her chest.
She bent slowly and picked it up. It was heavier than she expected. Her breath caught because suddenly… Lina's words echoed again.
Roman isn't normal.
Seraphina stepped back into her apartment, staring at the mysterious box in her hands… unsure whether she had just received a gift…
or a warning.