The house felt different after Alexander’s funeral.
It was quieter than usual, but not peaceful.
Every room seemed to carry a piece of the man who had once filled the house with his presence.
Seraphina sat alone at the dining table, staring at the untouched cup of tea in front of her.
She had barely slept.
Nathaniel’s confession kept returning to her mind.
His voice.
The way he had looked at her when he offered to marry her.
And then there was Lucien’s reaction.
He had barely spoken since yesterday.
Seraphina finally pushed the cup away.
“Are you going to keep staring at me?”
Lucien looked up from the chair near the window.
“I wasn’t staring at you,” Lucien replied.
“You’ve been staring at me for five minutes.”
“Then perhaps you should stop doing interesting things.”
Seraphina frowned.
“You rejected my proposal in front of my entire family, remember?”
“I remember.”
“And now you’re acting like I’m the problem?”
“I never said you were the problem.”
“Your face did.”
Lucien almost smiled.
Almost.
Then his expression changed.
Seraphina noticed immediately.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re lying.”
Lucien looked away.
Seraphina stood from her chair.
“Lucien.”
He remained silent.
She walked around the table and stopped in front of him.
“Since yesterday, you’ve been acting strange. First Nathaniel comes here and tells me he wants to marry me. Then you start behaving like someone died.”
“Someone did.”
“You know what I mean.”
Lucien sighed.
He hated moments like this.
Not because Seraphina was difficult.
Because she was getting too close to the truth.
“My organization found something,” Lucien finally said.
Seraphina’s expression became serious.
“What?”
Lucien looked at her for several seconds before answering.
“Your grandfather’s medication wasn’t changed by accident.”
She froze.
“What do you mean?”
“Someone deliberately replaced it.”
Seraphina’s face went pale.
“But the doctors said—”
“They were looking at the result, not the cause.”
She stared at him.
“Who did it?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“But you said your organization found something.”
“We found a connection.”
“What connection?”
Lucien stood.
“One of your grandfather’s children.”
Seraphina’s eyes widened.
“No.”
“You don’t know what I’m going to say.”
“I know enough.”
“Seraphina—”
“Sebastian? Victoria? Nathaniel?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“You’re saying one of them helped kill Alexander?”
“I said there’s a connection. I didn’t say we have proof that one of them killed him.”
She shook her head.
“They wouldn’t do that.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
Lucien studied her. This chapter was taken from novelping.com without permission.
“Why?”
“Because they’re his children.”
“That doesn’t make them innocent.”
Seraphina looked away.
She wanted to argue.
But somewhere inside her, a small part of her knew he was right.
Money could change people.
Power could change people.
And Alexander had left behind eighty percent of Alexandria Corporation in her hands.
That alone was enough to create enemies.
“Who are you investigating?” she asked.
“I’m not telling you yet.”
Her head snapped toward him.
“Why?”
“Because you’re emotionally involved.”
“So are you.”
Lucien’s expression hardened.
“Exactly.”
The room became silent.
Then Seraphina noticed something.
“You’re angry.”
“No.”
“You are.”
“I’m annoyed.”
“That’s the same thing with you.”
Lucien looked toward the window.
“I don’t like people threatening what belongs under my protection.”
Seraphina blinked.
“Protection?”
Lucien immediately realized what he had said.
She smiled faintly.
“That’s almost sweet.”
“Don’t make it strange.”
“You already made it strange.”
Before Lucien could answer, his phone vibrated.
He looked at the screen.
Darius.
Lucien answered.
“What did you find?”
Darius’s voice came through quietly.
“We traced another payment.”
“To whom?”
“A private account.”
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
“Whose?”
“We’re still confirming the identity.”
“Then don’t call me until you know.”
“There is something else, sir.”
Lucien waited.
“The account received money two days before Alexander Vale’s medication was replaced.”
Lucien’s expression darkened.
“How much?”
“Enough to make the transaction worth hiding.”
“Send me everything.”
“I already did.”
The call ended.
Seraphina watched him.
“What did he say?”
“Nothing useful.”
“You’re terrible at lying.”
“So I’ve been told.”
She folded her arms.
“I’m coming with you.”
“No.”
“Lucien.”
“No.”
“It’s my grandfather.”
“And that’s exactly why you’re staying out of it.”
She opened her mouth to argue.
Lucien stepped closer.
“Seraphina, whoever did this may still be watching you.”
She became quiet.
Then her phone vibrated.
Both of them looked down.
Unknown number.
Seraphina slowly picked it up. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
There was a message.
STOP DIGGING INTO ALEXANDER VALE’S DEATH.
Her breathing stopped.
A second message appeared.
OR THE GIRL DIES NEXT.
Lucien’s face changed instantly.
“Give me the phone.”
Seraphina handed it over.
He stared at the screen.
“Can you trace it?” she asked.
“Darius can try.”
Lucien immediately called him.
But before Darius could answer, another message appeared.
This time, there was an image attached.
Seraphina recognized the place immediately.
It was the private medical facility where Alexander had spent his final months.
Lucien stared at the photograph.
Someone had taken it from outside the building.
Then another message arrived.
You should have left the dead alone.
The phone slipped slightly in Seraphina’s hand.
Lucien caught it.
His jaw tightened.
“They’re watching us.”
Seraphina looked at him.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
For the first time, Lucien looked genuinely worried.
Not afraid.
Worried.
That frightened her more than the message.
Later that night, Seraphina sat on the edge of her bed.
Lucien had ordered The Black Covenant to increase security around the house.
Two unfamiliar vehicles were now parked outside, and Darius had people monitoring the surrounding streets.
But Seraphina couldn’t sleep.
She kept thinking about Alexander.
About the pills.
About the photograph.
And about the question that had followed her since childhood.
Who were her real parents?
She reached for the drawer beside her bed.
Inside was the sealed letter Alexander had left for her.
She hadn’t opened it again since the funeral.
Her fingers touched the envelope.
Then she noticed something underneath it.
A photograph.
She pulled it out.
Her heart stopped.
It was Alexander.
Much younger.
Standing outside an old Alexandria facility.
And beside him were two people she had never seen before.
Seraphina turned the photograph over.
There was writing on the back.
Her grandfather’s handwriting.
But the message wasn’t addressed to her.
It was only one sentence.
If you’re reading this, then I failed to protect her.
Seraphina’s hands began to shake.
She looked toward the door.
“Lucien?”
No answer.
She stood and opened the door.
The hallway was empty.
Then her phone vibrated again.
Another unknown message.
This time, there was no threat.
Only a photograph.
Alexander, alive.
Standing beside a woman Seraphina had never seen before.
And beneath the photograph were seven words:
Your grandfather never told you who they were.