Seraphina woke up before her alarm rang.
For a moment, she stayed still on her bed, staring at the ceiling while trying to understand the strange feeling inside her chest.
She had dreamed of the same thing again.
Darkness.
The sound of rushing water.
And a voice calling her name.
But just like every other time, she could never see who was calling her.
The moment she tried to move closer, the dream would disappear.
Seraphina slowly sat up and ran her fingers through her hair.
“It was only a dream,” she whispered.
She had always believed that dreams were nothing more than the mind remembering things people tried to forget.
But this dream always felt different.
After taking a shower, Seraphina stood in front of her wardrobe, choosing what to wear for the day.
She picked a simple black suit and a white shirt.
Her style had always been professional and elegant.
She never liked attracting unnecessary attention.
After fixing her hair and checking herself in the mirror, she grabbed her phone and walked out of her room.
The large house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Even though it was beautiful, Seraphina had never felt like it truly belonged to her.
Maybe because, deep down, she always felt like she was standing in a place that was borrowed.
A feeling she could never explain.
When Seraphina reached the dining room, breakfast was already prepared.
“Good morning, Miss Seraphina.”
The housekeeper, Elena, smiled as she placed a cup of coffee on the table.
“Good morning, Elena,” Seraphina replied.
She sat down and looked at the empty chair across from her.
Usually, Alexander would already be there.
Her grandfather.
The man who raised her.
The man who gave her a home when she had nowhere else to go.
Even though they shared no blood connection, Seraphina had always considered him family.
Because Alexander Vale was the only person who stayed.
A few minutes later, her phone vibrated.
She looked at the message.
Alexander: Come to my office when you arrive at Alexandria Corporation.
We need to talk.
Seraphina frowned slightly.
Her grandfather rarely sounded serious through messages.
Something was wrong.
She finished her breakfast quickly and left the house
Alexandria Corporation stood among the tallest buildings in the city.
The company was known worldwide, but not many people knew the true story behind it.
Alexander Vale had built it from nothing.
Through years of sacrifice, failures, and countless risks, he turned Alexandria Corporation into one of the most powerful companies in the world.
But Seraphina knew there was more to the company than success.
Her parents had once worked there.
At least, that was what Alexander told her.
They were brilliant researchers who dedicated their lives to the company.
Then one day, they died in a car accident.
That was the story she had always known.
The only story she had ever been told.
When Seraphina entered Alexander’s office, she immediately noticed something was different.
Her grandfather was sitting behind his desk, looking through old documents.
He looked tired.
Not the normal tiredness that came from work.
Something deeper.
“Are you alright?” Seraphina asked.
Alexander quickly closed the document.
“I am fine.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“You are a terrible liar.”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“You sound like your mother.”
The words made Seraphina pause.
“You remember her well?”
Alexander looked away for a moment.
“Very well.”
There was sadness in his voice.
Seraphina noticed it.
But before she could ask anything else, Alexander picked up a bottle of water beside him and took his medication.
She watched carefully.
“Are those vitamins?”
The room became quiet.
Alexander did not answer immediately.
“Grandfather?”
He sighed softly.
“No.”
Seraphina’s expression changed.
“Then what is it?”
Alexander placed the bottle down.
“I have been sick for some time.”
Her heart sank.
“How long?”
“Almost a year.”
She stood up immediately.
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
“How could I not worry?”
Her voice became louder than she intended.
Alexander looked at her calmly.
“Seraphina.”
She stopped.
Because she heard something in his voice.
Not fear.
Not sadness.
Acceptance.
“The doctors diagnosed me with Stage IV Glioblastoma Multiforme.”(that is brain cancer)
The words felt heavy in the room.
Seraphina stared at him.
She knew enough to understand what that meant.
A serious illness.
One that was not easy to defeat.
“Can it be treated?”
Alexander gave a small smile.
“The doctors are helping me manage it.”
“But?”
He looked down.
“But some battles cannot be won forever.”
Seraphina felt her hands tighten.
For years, she believed Alexander was the strongest person she knew.
Someone who could overcome anything.
But now, she saw something she had never noticed before.
He was tired.
“I wanted to tell you something else today,” Alexander said quietly.
Seraphina looked at him.
“What?”
His fingers touched the old file on his desk.
For a moment, he almost opened it.
Almost told her everything.
The truth about her parents.
The truth about her adoption.
The truth about the day her life changed forever.
But when he looked at Seraphina, he stopped.
She was not ready.
Not yet.
“There are things about your past that you deserve to know,” Alexander said.
Her eyes widened slightly.
“My past?”
Alexander nodded.
“But not today.”
Seraphina frowned.
“Why?”
“Because I need time to explain everything properly.”
She stared at him.
She wanted answers.
But she could see the exhaustion in his eyes.
So she stayed silent.
Far away from Alexandria Corporation, Lucien Silva stood alone.
The black cross rested in his hand.
For centuries, it had been the source of his power.
But recently, it had been changing.
And he knew the reason.
Seraphina Vale.
He did not understand why a human woman affected something that had existed with him for centuries.
But he knew one thing.
Something was coming.
Something connected to her fate.
And when the time arrived, even the Devil would not be able to ignore it
That night, Alexander sat alone in his office.
The old file remained on his desk.
Inside were the answers Seraphina had been searching for without knowing.
Her real name.
Her real parents.
And the truth about the accident that took them away.
Alexander touched the file and closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Seraphina.”
Because he knew the truth would hurt her.
And he was afraid he would not live long enough to protect her from it.