Seraphina woke to the sound of her alarm and immediately reached for her phone.
She stared at the screen for a few seconds before remembering that she had barely slept the night before.
Too many things had happened lately.
The accident.
The strange cross on her hand.
Lucien.
His impossible abilities.
The strange man whose soul he had taken in exchange for a wish.
And somehow, she was now expected to go to work as if her life had not completely changed.
She sat up and looked at her left hand.
The black cross was still there.
She rubbed her thumb over it.
Nothing happened.
“Great,” she muttered.
“Still stuck with me.”
After getting dressed, Seraphina left her room and walked downstairs.
She expected to find the house quiet, but Lucien was already sitting in the living room, dressed in a perfectly fitted black suit.
He looked completely relaxed.
Seraphina stopped on the last step.
“You’ve been here all night?”
Lucien glanced at her.
“Yes.”
“You don’t sleep?”
“Not much.”
She shook her head and walked toward the dining room.
“You’re honestly strange.”
“I’ve been told.”
Breakfast was already waiting for her.
Seraphina sat down and began eating while Lucien remained standing nearby.
She looked at him.
“You know, most bodyguards don’t stare at people while they eat.”
“Most bodyguards aren’t me.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Of course.”
For a moment, the house was quiet.
Then Seraphina glanced toward the empty seat at the head of the table.
Her grandfather’s seat.
Five months.
That was how long Alexander had been away.
He had told her it was an important business trip, one that required him to travel between several countries.
At first, she had called him almost every day.
Now, their conversations had become shorter.
She picked up her phone and looked at the last message from him.
Take care of yourself.
I’ll be back soon.
She sighed.
“I wonder when Grandpa is coming home.”
Lucien looked at her.
“You miss him.”
“Of course I do.”
She put the phone down.
“He’s been away for five months. Even if he’s busy, that’s a long time.”
Lucien said nothing.
Seraphina didn’t notice the slight change in his expression.
She stood.
“Let’s go.”
Lucien followed her outside.
Alexandria Corporation was already busy when they arrived.
Employees moved through the lobby carrying files and talking on their phones.
Executives hurried toward elevators while security personnel watched everyone entering the building.
Seraphina walked through the lobby with Lucien beside her.
People had already started getting used to seeing him.
Some whispered.
Others smiled.
One employee passed them and quietly said to another,
“That’s definitely her boyfriend.”
Seraphina heard it.
She stopped.
Lucien kept walking.
“Did you hear that?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re not going to say anything?”
“No.”
She hurried after him.
“You could at least deny it.”
“Why?”
Seraphina opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
She didn’t know why that question suddenly made her uncomfortable.
Before she could answer, the elevator doors opened.
A man in an expensive gray suit stepped out.
He immediately approached Lucien.
“Mr. Silva.”
Lucien stopped.
“Not here.”
The man nodded.
“Understood.”
He handed Lucien a black folder.
Seraphina watched curiously.
“What was that?”
“Business.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You have business here?”
“I have business everywhere.”
She laughed.
“You make it sound like you own half the city.”
Lucien looked at her.
“Not half.”
She stared at him.
“How much?”
He walked into the elevator.
“Enough.”
Seraphina followed him.
“You’re seriously annoying.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Later that afternoon, Seraphina was in her office when Lucien received a phone call.
He answered.
“Yes?”
A familiar voice came through the other end.
“Sir, we have a situation.”
Lucien’s expression changed.
“Where?”
“Three of our people were followed this morning.”
Lucien stood.
“By whom?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Lucien walked toward the window.
“Send the information to me.”
“Yes, sir.”
The call ended.
Seraphina looked up from her desk.
“Problem?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
She frowned.
“You always say that.”
“And you’re always curious.”
“Maybe because you’re always hiding things.”
Lucien looked at her for a moment.
Then his phone vibrated again.
A message appeared.
BLACK COVENANT — PRIORITY ALERT
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
He immediately locked the screen.
Seraphina noticed.
“What is the Black Covenant?”
Lucien looked at her.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he replied calmly,
“An organization.”
“Your organization?”
“Yes.”
She leaned back in her chair.
“How big?”
“Big enough.”
She sighed.
“That’s the second time you’ve said that today.”
Lucien turned toward the door.
“Forget you saw the message.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
He stopped.
She looked at him.
His voice was unusually serious.
“Some things are safer when you don’t know about them.”
She stared at him.
For the first time, she understood that The Black Covenant wasn’t simply another business organization.
There was something else behind it.
Something Lucien didn’t want her to see.
That evening, Lucien stood alone in the underground parking garage.
He looked around.
No one was there.
He raised his hand.
For a moment, his eyes darkened.
“Teleport.”
Nothing happened.
Lucien frowned.
He tried again.
Nothing.
His jaw tightened.
The power was gone.
Not completely gone.
He knew exactly where it was.
He looked toward the building above him.
Seraphina.
The cross was with her.
Lucien had known that since the accident, but until now, he hadn’t fully understood how much of his power depended on it.
He closed his eyes.
Then footsteps echoed through the parking garage.
Lucien immediately turned.
A man was walking toward him.
Dark hair.
Dark coat.
Calm expression.
He stopped several feet away.
“It’s been a long time.”
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
“Not long enough.”
The man’s name was Adrian Blackwood.
He looked at Lucien for a moment before glancing toward the building.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding.”
“I wasn’t hiding.”
Adrian smiled.
“You always say that.”
Lucien didn’t respond.
Adrian studied him.
“You look different.”
“So do you.”
“I heard you disappeared.”
“I’ve been busy.”
Adrian laughed quietly.
“Busy with humans?”
Lucien’s expression remained cold.
“Go home, Adrian.”
“Maybe I will.”
Adrian turned around.
Then he stopped.
“But I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again.”
Lucien watched him walk away.
He didn’t move until Adrian disappeared from sight.
Then he looked down at his hand.
His fingers slowly tightened.
For centuries, Lucien had faced enemies without hesitation.
But now things were different.
His power was no longer completely his own.
And he had no idea what that would mean when the real trouble finally arrived.
Above him, Seraphina stood alone in her office.
She looked out through the window.
Across the street, a dark car had been parked there for almost an hour.
She frowned.
The car hadn’t moved once.
Then its headlights suddenly turned on.
Seraphina stepped closer to the glass.
The car drove away.
She didn’t know who had been inside.
But somehow, she had the strange feeling that they had been watching her.
And she was right.