"What?" Mira exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah. I was shocked too. How could she meddle in my life again after abandoning me? Now I only have until tomorrow to pack my things and leave because the new owner will be staying in this house," I said.
"How could she do that? And she acts like a noble mother to everyone when, in fact, she's a devil who's making you suffer." I could sense Mira's anger. Just like me, she was furious too. But I couldn't do anything for now since I didn't have the money to fight back.
"Would you let me stay with you for a while until I find a new place?" I asked Mira.
"You could stay in my condo forever. I wouldn't mind," she offered.
I smiled bitterly. I knew she would say that. But I didn't want to be a burden to her forever.
"Just give me a week, and I'll move into a new place," I said.
"I didn't say you could only stay for a week. It's not easy to find a place," she said. "I have another room in my condo. You can use it for as long as you need. And if you're thinking that you're a burden to me, don't. I'm telling you, I'm willing to help you."
I smiled again. I was thankful that Mira was here. If she wasn't, I would probably have broken down and felt all the pain over again. I was grateful that she was always there whenever I had problems.
"I'll help you pack your things and bring them to my condo," she said.
"Would that be okay with your parents? That I will be staying there for a while?" I asked.
"Why wouldn't it be? They'll probably be happy because they won't have to worry about me living alone in my condo," she answered.
"Thank you for helping me, Mira. I owe you a lot," I said.
"Thank you too for telling me about your problem right away. I thought you'd try to solve it on your own and not tell me."
I hugged her tightly and let my tears fall once again. I couldn't stop myself from sobbing and releasing the pain that had been trapped in my chest. Mira patted my back, assuring me that she would never leave or hurt me, that she would always be there for me no matter what.
Mira's POV
I stared at Seraphina, who was now sleeping peacefully on the bed. A bitter smile formed on my lips as I looked at her. She had endured so much pain in her life, and I was afraid that it might worsen her depression. How could a mother do such a thing to her own child?
I couldn't sleep because Sera's pain lingered in my mind.
My thoughts were interrupted when my phone rang. I glanced at the screen and saw that Dominic was calling.
"Hello," I answered.
I got out of bed and walked to the living room so I wouldn't disturb Sera's sleep.
"Mira," Dominic responded.
"Why did you call me? It's already ten o'clock," I said, glancing at the wall clock.
"How's Sera? Is she okay? Should I give her another week to rest?" Dominic asked.
I sighed deeply.
"I think she needs an extension," I said.
"Why? What happened?"
"She's not okay," I answered.
"Is the rumor still affecting her? I already made sure that no one would talk about it."
"She has another problem," I said.
"What is it?"
I sighed once more. Should I tell him about her situation? What if Sera got mad at me for telling him? But Dominic needed to know so he could approve an extended leave for her.
Lucca's POV
I was at Dominic's place, drinking wine with Damian. Dominic had called Mira, and we were listening to their conversation.
Before making the call, he had been ranting about how much the rumor had affected Seraphina. I only knew that her department head had bullied her. If Dominic hadn't witnessed the incident himself, neither Mira nor Seraphina would have told him about it.
"What is it?" Dominic asked, sounding concerned about Seraphina.
He was genuinely worried about her well-being. He had even fired people from his company because of what happened. Looking back, Dominic had never been particularly involved in running his company, just like me. He usually left everything to the vice president. But ever since he met Seraphina, he had become serious about the business.
He no longer flirted with women or spent his nights at bars like he used to. Actually, Dominic wasn't much of a flirt before. But after the last woman he fell in love with—a gold digger—broke his heart, he became one.
"Her mother sold her house?" Dominic exclaimed.
His reaction made me stop sipping my wine, curious about what I would hear next.
So Seraphina was carrying not one but two burdens at the same time. It wasn't only the rumors that had brought her to that state. It was also her mother.
Then I remembered my own encounter with her mother. I had met the woman and even offered her money in exchange for the ring, but she had failed to deliver it. I hadn't heard from her since then, but hearing about her again now only irritated me.
"How much is the house? I'll buy it for her," Dominic said.
He truly cared about her.
"I need details about her mother. I'll meet her personally."
After ending the call with Mira, he immediately dialed another number.
"Stephen, I'll send you the address. Find out who bought the house and send me their details. I'll personally speak with them," Dominic ordered before ending the call.
He sighed deeply and sank onto the sofa, looking exhausted.
"Seraphina?" Damian asked nonchalantly while taking a sip of his wine.
"I need to help her," Dominic replied.
"Tell me, Dominic, are you falling in love with her? You're willing to do everything for her. This isn't just simple concern anymore. I can feel that it's something more than that," Damian said.
Dominic glanced at me, and I remembered the conversation we'd had when he allowed me to make Seraphina fall for me so she would willingly give me the ring.
"She's my friend. I don't want anything bad to happen to her," he answered indirectly.
We both knew Dominic liked her.
I could see how much he had changed. A lot had changed ever since Seraphina entered his life.
I silently sipped my wine before standing up.
"I know where her mother lives," I said.
Both men looked shocked.
"You do?" Dominic asked.
"I can talk to her personally," I replied.
Damian looked at me in confusion.
"How do you know Seraphina's mother?"
I met his gaze.
"Because I once offered her money to help me get the ring from Seraphina. But she couldn't give me what I wanted," I answered.
"And now she's taking the house just to satisfy her greed," Dominic muttered.
"She needs to taste her own medicine," I said.
"Whoa, Lucca. She's still a woman. You can't use force to hurt her. Money can solve this. Leave it to me," Dominic said.
I wasn't satisfied with his answer.
Yes, money could solve this problem.
But for how long?
Seraphina's POV
I woke up early in the morning with puffy eyes. They were still red, making it obvious that I had cried a lot last night.
When I looked at the other side of the bed, Mira was no longer there. I got out of bed and walked straight to the kitchen.
"Good morning," Mira greeted me with a smile.
I smiled back.
"Just sit down and wait for me. I'll serve it right away," she said while busily doing something.
"I didn't know you could cook," I said.
I had never seen or heard of her cooking before. She always bought food either from a convenience store or a restaurant.
"I know how to fry an egg," she said with a giggle.
I smiled and sat down at the table. I let her do whatever she wanted in my kitchen.
After five minutes, she served the food she had prepared for me. It was a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich paired with a glass of milk.
"Thank you," I said.
"You're welcome. Eat now," she replied.
I nodded and started eating.
While chewing my food, I noticed that she didn't have anything to eat.
"Aren't you going to eat?" I asked.
"I had coffee a while ago."
"Coffee?"
Since I didn't drink coffee, I never bought any, so I knew there wasn't any in the house.
"I ordered some online since I knew you didn't have coffee here," she explained.
I nodded and offered her half of my sandwich anyway.
"I'm not really hungry. I made it for you."
I nodded again and didn't insist.
After eating, I walked over to the sink only to be shocked by the mess she had made. I glanced at her. She was already sitting on the sofa watching television.
Just a sandwich and a glass of milk, yet the kitchen looked like a disaster zone.
I would probably never let her cook for me again.
I went to the sink and started washing the dishes. My chest tightened when I remembered that this would be my last day in this house.
I would probably never see it again.
Tears rolled down my cheeks once more.
I had been emotional since yesterday because, aside from the ring, this house meant so much to me. I had countless memories here with my grandmother.
But there was nothing I could do except watch as it was handed over to someone else.
I finished washing the dishes with tears in my eyes.
Mira noticed me crying again.
"Sera..." she whispered, looking like she was about to cry too.
Before she could, I cracked a joke.
"I wouldn't let you cook again. You're way too messy," I said.
She laughed.
"I know, and I'm sorry. I told you I'd clean it up, but you refused."
"I didn't want you washing dishes since you already cooked. I was just shocked that you were this messy," I replied, forcing a laugh.
I excused myself and headed to the bathroom.
Mira didn't ask any questions and simply let me go.
The moment I locked the door, I broke down again.
I tried not to make a sound. I just let the tears flow.
My gaze fell on the ring my grandmother had given me.
For now, this was the only thing I had left.
I had lost everything in the blink of an eye.
There was no way to turn back time.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
I looked messy, heartbroken, and lost.
How could I find myself again when I was this broken?
How could I pick up the pieces and make myself whole again?
I stayed there for several minutes until a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.
"Sera? I need to pee," Mira called out.
"Wait, I'm almost done. My stomach hurts," I shouted back.
"Did my food upset your stomach?" she asked in a concerned voice.
"Probably," I joked, forcing a laugh while staring at my reflection.
I flushed the toilet for show and turned on the faucet to wash my face, hoping to hide the fact that I had been crying.
When I opened the door, Mira looked at me worriedly.
"You can pee now," I said, avoiding eye contact.
She didn't ask any questions and went inside.
I sighed.
I didn't want Mira worrying about me any more than she already was. She had helped me so much that I felt embarrassed to ask for anything else.
I started packing my clothes and placing them into my bags.
With a heavy heart, I did it, not because I wanted to, but because I was forced to.
Mira saw me packing and immediately helped.
"You know what? I'm actually happy because we'll finally be living under the same roof. That means we're basically sisters now," she said while folding my clothes.
"You'll finally get to eat home-cooked meals," I replied.
"Yeah," she laughed.
We continued packing for several minutes when suddenly someone knocked on the gate.
I looked out the window and saw the same two men who had come yesterday.
"Who is that?" Mira asked.
"The brokers," I answered.
I left my room and headed outside to confront them.
I looked at them expressionlessly. I wasn't going to let them see how much this affected me.
"You gave me one day to move out, yet you're already here? It's not even noon," I said sarcastically.
Mira followed me outside and stood beside me.
The two men exchanged glances before one of them handed me a brown envelope.
"What is this?" I asked.
"See for yourself," the other man replied.
I was annoyed by his response, but I opened the envelope anyway.
I pulled out the documents and began reading them.
My expression immediately changed.
"What is this?" I asked again.
"It's yours again," one of the men said. "This time, only you have the right to sell it. Your mother no longer has any authority over the property."
My eyebrows furrowed as confusion washed over me.
How had they changed their minds and given the house back to me?
I was sure it wasn't out of pity. Yesterday, they had shown me neither remorse nor sympathy. If anything, they had wanted to kick me out as soon as possible.
"Care to explain?" I asked, unable to understand what was happening.
"Someone bought the house from the buyer and transferred it back to you."
My frown deepened.
For a moment, I couldn't even process what he was saying.
"Who bought the house?" I asked.
"Mr. Vale," they both answered.
I stood there in silence.
Everything around me seemed to fade away. The only thing I could hear was Mr. Vale's name echoing in my mind.
Beside me, Mira gasped.
I turned to look at her and immediately noticed the guilty expression on her face.
"You don't have to pack your things anymore. The house is yours again. If you ever decide to sell it, just give us a call."
"I won't sell it to anyone," I replied as I finally regained my composure.
Both men smiled at me as though they hadn't harassed me yesterday.
"You're lucky, Ms. Blake."
That statement made me freeze again.
Even after they left, I remained standing there, unable to move.
"Sera."
Mira gently touched my arm, bringing me back to reality.
I looked at her, silently asking for answers.
"Let's go inside. I'll explain everything," she said softly.
I followed her inside.
She guided me to the sofa and sat across from me.
After taking a deep breath, she asked,
"Are you mad at me?"
Now I was certain she had something to do with this.
"What happened?" I asked.
"I don't fully know what happened either. Dominic called me last night, and I told him about your situation. I was hoping he'd give you another week of leave because you're still not okay."
Now everything made sense.
Mira had told Dominic everything.
And Dominic had bought the house and given it back to me.
He had spent millions just to help me keep my home.
The guilt immediately returned.
I wanted to confront Dominic right away, but I needed to calm myself first.
"Mira..." I called softly.
"I know you probably won't like what happened. Honestly, I was planning to buy the house for you too, but I knew you'd never accept it. I had no idea Dominic would actually buy it and give it back to you. The only reason I told him was that I wanted him to extend your leave of absence," she explained in one breath.
By the time she finished talking, she was practically panting.
"I'm sorry, Sera."
I understood her intentions.
She hadn't expected Dominic to do something this drastic either.
And if people found out what he had done for me, it would probably become another rumor.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to feel," I admitted.
"I'm happy because I don't have to leave the house anymore. But at the same time, I feel guilty because someone else had to spend so much money just to help me get it back."
"You didn't use anyone," Mira said firmly. "This was Dominic's choice. He wanted to help you. I never expected him to take it this seriously."
I lowered my gaze.
"I need to talk to him personally."
Without waiting any longer, I grabbed my phone and dialed his number.
He answered after a few rings.
"Hello."
"Where are you?" I asked. "I need to talk to you."