Author’s POV
Seraphina sat frozen, stunned by the sudden shift in Lucien’s deanor. The coldness in his eyes made her chest tighten. She hadn’t expected him to insist on leaving even before hearing her.
She knew she might’ve crossed a line. Her words were harsh and direct. But she hadn’t ant to make him angry. She only wanted to talk and make things clear before we go deep into the so-called relationship.
"Do you want to apologize?" she asked softly, her voice lacking its usual fire. "I can... if that’s what you want. Just listen to before you leave."
She didn’t want to justify herself or pretend that she wasn’t wrong. The truth was, she’d lashed out because she was tired.
She hadn’t ant to hurt him, but she did.
"It’s alright," Lucien finally said in a quiet but steady voice. He closed his eyes for a second, as if trying to gather himself. "You don’t need to apologize. I was the one out of line... dragging you out here at this hour."
He let out a slow breath as the tension in his shoulders eased a little.
The truth was he had been angry at the way Sera had spoken to him. But then... she’d softened, asking him if he wanted an apology... taking all his anger away.
Lucien glanced sideways at her, and the way she looked at him, like she wasn’t just trying to explain herself, but trying to hold together as sothing was bothering her.
"I shouldn’t have pushed you," he added, more to himself than to her.
"No! I was at fault," Sera pronounced. "It’s just that..." She opened her mouth, but nothing ca out until she finally spoke up.
"I’m afraid..." Seraphina mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper as she rubbed her palms together nervously, "that I might lose you to lissa."
Lucien’s head snapped toward her, brows furrowing. "Excuse ?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief. He didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh at her words. "Do you think I’m so kind of doll for her to just... take like that?"
"You don’t understand," Sera said in a low tone, eyes cast down. "Be... before you... I an... a long ti ago, I liked soone a lot. We were supposed to get married, but..."
Her voice cracked, and she sucked in a shaky breath.
"But not only did she snatch him from , she ruined everything between us. Or maybe... maybe it was their ga from the start to betray , and make a fool of ."
Lucien’s jaw clenched as he watched her crumble. It was one of her revelations that she did when she was afraid of panicked.
Sera’s breath hitched suddenly. Her body stiffened as sothing shifted behind her eyes, and so unfamiliar mories started to pop up in her mind.
She clutched her head, leaning back in the car’s seat, almost shrinking into it. "The... the car didn’t even stop," she whispered. "I begged it to help . But it just drove past... and they ca. They ca after . They wanted my child—"
She choked on the last word like she was there at the scene that she was describing.
Lucien froze.
His fingers curled tighter around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. It was a similar scene that he had seen in his dreams.
"Sera..." he reached out, grabbing her trembling hand and pulling it into his lap. "What are you talking about?" His voice was low and careful. "What happened? Can you tell more?"
Her fingers clung to his as if begging him to save her and pull her out of the abyss.
Seraphina’s breathing turned shallow, her fingers trembling as she clutched her head once again. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, filled with tears.
"I don’t know..." she whispered. "He said... he wasn’t the father... That soone else was... soone who’d never want soone like ..."
Her shoulders shook. "But I loved him... I loved him!" she gasped, clutching her heart now.
Lucien froze. He had no idea what to say or what to do!
Just the idea of Seraphina loving soone this deeply made sothing twist in his heart.
"What about the car?" he asked carefully, ignoring the unsettling feelings in his heart, unsure if she could even hear him.
Seraphina’s eyes darted around the car.
"There... there was a car... black... like this one..." she muttered, hands still pressed to her chest as if trying to lessen her pain. "I was bleeding... soaked... I couldn’t even stand... and... and I waved—" Her hand lifted weakly, mimicking the gesture. "I begged the car to stop..."
Tears spilled down her cheeks. "But it just drove past ... They were chasing ... they wanted my child... I—I couldn’t run... I was dying and... the car just..."
Her words dissolved into hiccupping sobs.
Lucien grabbed Sera by the shoulders and yanked her gently but firmly, forcing her to look at him.
"Sera..." his voice was low but calm. "Look at ."
Her eyes were still glazed, and her lashes were wet. She wasn’t fully aware of her surroundings, still caught in that mory that had gripped her so violently.
"Was that man... the one who left you—" Lucien swallowed hard bitterly, "—did he look like ?"
"I..." Her lips parted, and for a mont, she didn’t breathe. Her gaze flicked over his face. "I don’t know," she whispered, shaking her head helplessly. "I don’t know..."
Her whole body trembled violently.
"Okay. It’s alright," Lucien breathed out and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tightly against his chest. He held her there, as if by doing so he could stop whatever hell she was falling back into.
"I’m here," he whispered against her hair. "No one will take anything from you as long as I’m with you."
He didn’t understand what was going on. But by coming here today, he was sure of one thing that... His dreams and whatever they were... were all connected to Seraphina and were real.
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