After minutes of teasing, Mira finally decided to cook dinner. It was already 5:00 p.m., and I told her to start cooking so we could eat early and binge-watch afterward. Mira planned to cook chicken adobo, one of my favorite Filipino dishes, and make a cucumber salad as a side dish.
I volunteered to help her, but she said she would do it alone. I shrugged my shoulders, went back to the sofa, and scrolled through my social media.
The smell of Mira's cooking soon started to fill the room. I was beginning to get hungry, even though I had just eaten my afternoon snack.
"Sera, can you buy some alcohol from the convenience store? I think we need to party tonight," she said while stirring the chicken in the pan.
I wanted to say that I didn't want to drink, but then I remembered that there were alcoholic drinks made for women with a low alcohol content. Maybe I'd buy one of those instead.
I didn't complain as Mira had expected. I simply said, "Okay," and left her condo. I went to the elevator, and while waiting, I scrolled through my phone. When the elevator doors opened, I stepped inside and pressed the ground floor button.
The convenience store was just across the street from the condo where Mira was staying. I crossed the street and went inside. Just as I had planned, I picked a ladies' drink with a low alcohol content. I grabbed ten cans, along with some snacks like chips and biscuits. I even bought some ice cream for dessert.
After picking up everything I needed, I immediately fell in line at the cashier. Since it was already evening, many people had come to the convenience store to buy dinner. Some were even eating inside.
When it was my turn, I placed the items on the counter and took out my wallet to pay in cash.
After paying, I left the convenience store carrying two plastic bags. I crossed the street again and entered the building. I waited for the elevator, and after about a minute, the doors finally opened. But the moment they did, I couldn't help but drop the two plastic bags I was carrying when I saw the one person I never expected to see.
Lucca's POV
I was still at the hospital with Damian and Dominic. Dominic had ordered food online, and we were going to have dinner there. The room was quite spacious since I had instructed my secretary to arrange a comfortable hospital room for our master. The three of us planned to stay the night to take care of him. I wanted him to see us the moment he opened his eyes.
I was staring out the window when my phone suddenly rang. It was already 7:00 p.m., and I still hadn't updated Seraphina.
My eyebrows furrowed when I saw Mira's name on the screen. Curious, I answered the call.
"Hello?" I said.
"Hello, Lucca," she replied, but her voice didn't sound right.
A sudden sense of dread settled in my chest. I had dropped Seraphina off at Mira's condo, and Seraphina had told me that Mira wouldn't allow the boys to stay there overnight.
"I... I asked Seraphina to buy some alcohol from the convenience store across the street. But it's been almost two hours, and she still hasn't come back. I decided to go downstairs and check on her. I found the plastic bags I assumed she had bought, but she was nowhere to be found," she said.
The moment I heard those words, I told Mira that I was on my way to her condo. I immediately ended the call and was about to leave when Dominic called out to me.
"What happened?"
Oh, shoot. I had forgotten that my friends were still here, and they had heard everything.
"Seraphina is missing," I said.
The moment I said it, Dominic stood up, his expression turning serious.
"How is that possible?" Dominic asked, clearly worried.
"I don't know. I need to go to Mira's condo."
"I'm coming with you," he said.
"What about our master?" I asked.
"I'll call my secretary and have them come here as soon as possible. I'll also inform the nurse," Damian said.
I nodded, and we rushed outside before getting into our respective cars. I sped off, my uneasiness growing with every passing second.
I knew it.
The moment I left her, Damon must have found out. I shouldn't have agreed in the first place. I should have insisted on staying at Mira's condo, whether they liked it or not.
As soon as we arrived at the building, I saw Mira standing outside, looking completely lost. The moment she saw Damian, she immediately ran over and hugged him.
"Mira, what happened to Seraphina?" Dominic asked, his voice filled with worry.
"I don't know. I just asked her to buy some drinks, and when she took so long, I started wondering what was taking her. She wasn't answering her phone either, so I got worried and went downstairs. Then I saw the two plastic bags, and I knew they were hers... but she was nowhere to be found," Mira said before breaking down in tears.
"Damian, stay here with Mira. If possible, Seraphina might come back. Dominic and I will check somewhere else," I said.
Even though Damian looked hesitant, he didn't argue. He simply nodded.
Dominic and I got into my car. I was heading straight for Damon's territory.
"Are you sure Damon took Seraphina?" Dominic asked.
"Doesn't this seem unusual for Seraphina? Do you remember when they attacked her inside her own house even though we were there? How much easier would it be now that we left her alone with Mira?" I said as I accelerated.
"Do you think Damon found out about the ring? Is that why he's being so aggressive now? Or is it just his ego because Seraphina chose you over him?" Dominic asked.
"I don't know," I replied, my eyes fixed on the road. "But I hope not."
I continued driving at full speed. I was going so fast that I could easily get a ticket for reckless driving.
After fifteen minutes of driving, we arrived at a secluded black mansion far from any residential area. There were no neighboring houses, making the place eerily isolated.
I immediately retrieved the gun I had hidden inside the car's compartment and tucked it into the waistband of my pants. I rarely needed a gun since my super strength was more than enough to take down my enemies. But I knew Damon would play dirty. He knew I didn't rely on weapons, which meant he would use every advantage he could.
If I had known this would happen, I never would have let Seraphina stay at Mira's condo. I should have insisted that she stay with me twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Before we could even reach the gate, a group of armed men was already waiting for us. If I had to estimate, there were around thirty of them.
"Dominic... you know what to do," I said.
Without another word, we positioned ourselves and prepared for the fight.
The men charged at us all at once.
The first one swung a metal pipe at my head, but I caught it with one hand and snapped it in half before driving my fist into his stomach. He flew backward and crashed into three others.
To my left, Dominic spun around and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that knocked one man unconscious. Another rushed him from behind with a knife, but Dominic grabbed the attacker's wrist, twisted it until the blade fell, then slammed his elbow into the man's jaw.
I ducked as another punch came flying toward me. Before the attacker could react, I grabbed him by the collar and threw him into the iron gate. The impact echoed through the entire property.
Gunshots suddenly rang out.
I quickly pulled Dominic behind a concrete post before the bullets could hit us.
"They're armed!" Dominic shouted.
"I know."
The moment the gunfire stopped, I dashed forward at full speed. Before they could reload, I disarmed one after another, crushing their weapons beneath my feet before knocking them unconscious with a single blow.
Within five minutes, every man was lying motionless on the ground.
As expected, they were nothing more than Damon's weakest subordinates. He was simply wasting our time by sending his men after us.
We pushed open the massive black gate and entered the property.
Another group of armed men was already waiting.
Was this some kind of video game where we had to clear one level before moving on to the next?
What exactly was Damon planning?
The second wave attacked without hesitation.
This time, they were faster and far more skilled.
One man lunged toward me with twin daggers, but I caught both of his wrists and slammed him into the ground. Another tried to tackle me from behind, but I grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him straight into two approaching attackers.
Dominic was surrounded by six men at once.
He dodged a barrage of punches before sweeping one man's legs out from under him. Another tried to strike him with a baseball bat, but Dominic caught it mid-swing, ripped it from the man's hands, and used it to block another attack before breaking it over his opponent's back.
I punched another attacker so hard that he crashed into the mansion's stone wall.
One after another, the men fell.
The courtyard soon became silent except for our heavy breathing.
After taking down the last man, I took a deep breath. I was beginning to feel exhausted. I bent over slightly, breathing heavily, and Dominic immediately noticed.
"Are you okay, Lucca?" Dominic asked, his face filled with concern.
"I'm fine."
"You don't look fine. Is it because you're away from Seraphina? Are you losing your powers?" Dominic reached out to touch my shoulder, but I stopped him.
"Don't let Damon know I'm weak," I said in a low voice. "I'm sure there are cameras everywhere watching us. Let's finish this and bring Seraphina back."
"I'll handle the rest," Dominic said firmly. "Don't use your powers anymore. You might lose yourself before we even reach Damon."
I nodded and followed his lead.
Seraphina's POV
The moment the elevator doors opened, I froze.
Standing before me were Damon and Hillary.
The shock made my body go numb, and I lost my grip on the two plastic bags I was carrying. They fell to the floor with a loud thud.
Both of them were smiling as if they had been expecting me all along.
I instinctively took a step back, but they didn't give me the chance to escape. I turned to run, but Hillary suddenly grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me backward.
I bit my lip to stop myself from screaming. I didn't want to cause a scene.
That was my biggest mistake.
"What are you up to, Damon? Let me go!" I demanded as two men grabbed my arms and forcefully dragged me toward a black van.
"Damon!" I shouted.
"Did you miss me, babe? Because I missed you," Damon said with a grin.
"Miss her? Ew. She's trash. How could you and Lucca even like her? Your standards are so low," Hillary said, looking at me with obvious disgust.
"So this is your way of saying you missed me? Damon, let me go! This is kidnapping!" I yelled instead of responding to Hillary's insult.
"I'm sorry, babe. This was the only chance I had while Lucca and his friends were away. Didn't you know I've been wanting to get close to you? Those idiots have been guarding you twenty-four hours a day."
"They're not idiots," I snapped.
The smile on Damon's face slowly disappeared.
"Why?" he asked, his voice low. "Are you afraid of me now?"
He gently tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear, just like he had done back in Baguio.
A shiver ran down my spine.
My entire body trembled.
Knowing what Damon was capable of made it impossible not to be afraid.
Should I regret telling Lucca that Mira and I wanted to spend time alone without them?
Would he be angry that I let my guard down?
The ring that had once protected me didn't react.
Or had I been mistaken all along when I thought it had protected me from Damon?
Damon and I sat beside each other while Hillary occupied the seat behind us.
"Did you miss me, Seraphina?" Damon whispered near my ear.
"Are you planning to keep me away from Lucca?" I asked instead of answering his question.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Of course not," he replied. "Because I'm sure you'd rather stay by my side."
"Why are you so full of yourself? You weren't like this when I first met you," I said, unable to hide the regret in my voice.
"I'm not full of myself, babe. I'm just stating the truth." He chuckled softly. "Even now, I still can't believe Lucca is your boyfriend. If he had never become your boyfriend, none of this would've happened to you."
"So you're saying I should regret meeting Lucca?"
"Why not? I'm obviously better than him."
"Why are you doing this? Just to see Lucca suffer? And why is Hillary with you?"
"She's my bedmate," Damon answered without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
I stared at him in disbelief.
I knew Hillary was carefree when it came to relationships, but I never imagined she'd choose Damon, especially when she knew he and Lucca were sworn enemies.
Damon leaned closer until I could feel his breath against my ear.
"But soon..." he whispered with a grin. "You'll become my bedmate too."
Disgust rose inside me.
I wanted to slap him. I wanted to curse at him until I lost my voice.
But I forced myself to remain calm.
Panicking wouldn't save me.
If anything, it would only make me weaker.
By now, Mira must have noticed I was gone.
She had to be looking for me already.
I wasn't sure how long we had been driving. It felt like forever.
The van finally came to a stop.
Damon got out first before pulling me out himself. My hands were tightly bound, leaving me no choice but to follow wherever he dragged me.
Fighting back now would only waste my energy.
I lifted my head and looked around.
Before us stood a towering black iron gate decorated with sharp spear-like spikes. Beyond it rose a massive mansion painted entirely in shades of black and charcoal gray.
The mansion looked less like a home and more like an abandoned castle swallowed by darkness.
Its towering walls were built from black stone, while the roof was covered with dark slate tiles. Every window was tinted so heavily that nothing inside could be seen. Black marble pillars supported the entrance, and dim yellow lights illuminated the pathway, casting eerie shadows across the perfectly trimmed hedges.
Even the fountain at the center of the courtyard was made of black marble, its dark water reflecting the moonlight like liquid ink.
Everything about the place felt cold...
Lifeless...
As if no happiness had ever existed within its walls.
The moment we stepped inside, dozens of men bowed their heads in respect.
"Boss."
"Boss."
"Boss."
Their voices echoed throughout the mansion.
Damon continued walking while firmly gripping my arm.
Some of the men shamelessly stared at me with predatory grins, their eyes roaming over me like starving wolves.
Damon suddenly stopped.
His expression turned ice-cold.
"Look at her like that again..." he said quietly, "...and you're dead."
The room instantly fell silent.
The man who had been staring at me immediately lowered his head.
"I'm sorry, Boss."
"Where are we going?" I asked calmly. I was slowly forcing myself to compose my thoughts. I was certain that Lucca and his friends would find me sooner or later. And if they didn't, then I would find a way to escape this place myself.
"To my room," Damon replied.
The moment he said my room, a wave of nervousness washed over me.
Was he planning to touch me?
As soon as he opened the door, I noticed a single chair placed in the middle of the room. Damon pulled me toward it, forced me to sit down, and tightly tied my hands to the chair.
Hillary stood behind him, watching everything unfold. She wore a grin as if seeing me like this brought her satisfaction.
"This is your punishment for taking Lucca away from me," Hillary said, crossing her arms.
"I didn't take Lucca away from you. I never took anything from you," I replied firmly.
Hillary walked toward me and roughly grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at her.
"You should've let Damon court you instead of Lucca. None of this would've happened if you had."
Her grip hurt, but I refused to show it.
I couldn't let them see that I was weak.
Or afraid.
"I don't like your eyes," Hillary said before letting go of my chin. "They tell me you're not afraid of us."
I smirked.
"Why would I be afraid of you? You're just human, same as me."
Damon chuckled.
"I told you, Hillary. She's different. She's not someone who gets scared easily."
Hillary frowned.
"Maybe she'll be scared if I hurt her."
She raised her hand to slap me, but before she could, someone suddenly barged into the room.
All of us turned toward the man.
"Boss, Lucca and Dominic are already here," he reported.
Damon smiled.
Hillary, on the other hand, immediately looked frightened.
"Lucca shouldn't see me here," she muttered.
"Why hide?" Damon asked casually. "He already knows we used to be together."
He turned to his subordinate.
"Prepare our men. Make sure they don't find Seraphina. Do whatever it takes to stop them."
His eyes landed on me.
"Seraphina is mine."
"Don't hurt Lucca, Damon! I love him!" Hillary pleaded.
"Don't order me, Hillary." Damon smirked. "I do what I want, and no one's going to stop me."
His grin resembled that of a rabid dog.
"Guard Seraphina. I'll see what's happening outside."
Without another word, he walked out of the room.
Hillary and I were left alone.
She paced back and forth restlessly, obviously uneasy. She probably hadn't expected Lucca to find me this quickly.
"This is your fault if something happens to Lucca!" Hillary shouted. "I shouldn't have agreed to Damon's plan in the first place. I'm sure he'll hurt Lucca."
"Then why did you agree to kidnap me if you didn't want Damon to hurt him?"
"Because I wanted you to stay away from Lucca! I never wanted Lucca to come here and save you!" she yelled.
"He'll find me no matter what," I said confidently. "He'll protect me."
Hillary stopped pacing and glared at me.
"You're playing with fire, Seraphina. You're just like me, caught between Damon and Lucca."
I shook my head.
"I'm not playing with fire. Damon approached me first. And unlike you, I didn't sleep with him while I was in a relationship with Lucca."
A loud slap echoed through the room.
My head snapped to the side from the force.
Slowly, I turned back toward her...
...and smirked.
"Did that hurt?" I asked. "The truth usually does."
"I have needs!" Hillary shouted. "Only Damon could satisfy them! Lucca never treated me like his girlfriend. We only slept together twice, and after that, nothing happened again. You're a woman. You should understand that."
"I am a woman," I answered calmly, "but I'm not like you. I have dignity and self-respect."
I looked straight into her eyes.
"Now tell me... are you really going to stand here and let Damon kill Lucca? Are you going to watch Lucca die at Damon's hands?"
For the first time, doubt flashed across her face.
Looking at her now, I realized she'd only agreed to Damon's plan because jealousy had clouded her judgment.
"Damon won't hurt him," she whispered, though she didn't sound convinced.
"You heard him earlier, didn't you?" I replied. "He never promised you he wouldn't hurt Lucca. You know Damon better than I do."
She slowly clenched her fists.
Her face grew tense.
She was beginning to doubt herself.
I needed to keep pushing.
I needed an opportunity to escape.
"Help Lucca, Hillary," I said firmly. "Save him."
She stared at me, completely conflicted.
Should she obey Damon...
Or save the man she still loved?
For several long seconds, she remained frozen.
Finally, she made her decision.
Without saying another word, she hurried out of the room, most likely to stop Damon.
The moment the door closed behind her, I immediately started working on the ropes binding my hands. It wasn't easy, but after several attempts, I finally loosened the knots enough to slip free.
The instant my hands were free, I quietly stepped out of the room.
The mansion was enormous, at least twice the size of Lucca's.
The dimly lit hallways stretched endlessly, illuminated only by elegant black chandeliers that cast eerie shadows across the marble floor. Every corner looked the same, making it impossible to tell which direction led outside.
I carefully looked around, staying as quiet as possible.
I had to stay alert.
Damon's men were everywhere.
I heard the sounds of people fighting downstairs.
I immediately headed for the stairs, doing my best not to make a sound. Carefully, I followed the noise until I reached the grand hallway.
The moment I looked down, my heart nearly stopped.
The hall was filled with men fighting.
There were far too many of them.
Only Lucca and Dominic were standing against the endless wave of attackers.
Damon stood several feet away, watching the battle with a wide grin as his men risked their lives to take the two of them down.
My eyes immediately searched for Lucca.
The moment I saw him, my heart sank.
Blood stained his face, and there were bruises all over his body. He looked exhausted.
He didn't look like the powerful Lucca I knew.
Had fighting hundreds of men finally drained his strength?
Dominic was also occupied, struggling to fight off another group of attackers. The two of them were completely surrounded.
For the first time...
I felt like they might actually die.
I spotted Hillary standing in one corner of the hall, silently watching everything. She looked hesitant to step forward, probably because she didn't want Lucca to see her.
"Kill them!" Damon shouted. "Make sure neither of them leaves this mansion alive!"
The men's battle cries grew louder.
Damon's grin widened even more.
"Damon!"
Hillary finally stepped into the middle of the hall.
The smile on Damon's face disappeared.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Where's Seraphina? Why did you leave her unattended?"
"I told you not to hurt Lucca!" Hillary cried hysterically.
Rage flashed across Damon's eyes.
He grabbed Hillary's wrist so tightly that she winced in pain.
"I don't take orders from anyone, Hillary. You should know that by now," he growled. "I don't care what you're feeling. All I want is to see Lucca die."
His grip tightened.
"You're hurting me!" Hillary cried.
"I can hurt you even more if you don't keep your mouth shut." He shoved her away. "Go back to the room and guard Seraphina."
Even though Hillary couldn't take her eyes off Lucca, she had no choice but to obey.
She slowly walked away.
Watching her, I couldn't help but pity her.
At first, I thought she was a strong, independent woman.
But now...
She looked like nothing more than a frightened little kitten desperately in love with Lucca.
She was just another one of Damon's puppets.
"Lucca!" Dominic shouted.
Several of Damon's men restrained Lucca's arms while others repeatedly punched him in the stomach.
Each blow made me flinch.
"Whoo!" Damon laughed loudly. "I really love watching this!"
He simply stood there with his arms crossed, enjoying every second of it.
Fear gripped my heart.
Lucca looked so weak.
So exhausted.
I had never seen him like this before.
Dominic continued fighting desperately, knocking men down one after another, but more of Damon's men kept pouring into the hall.
It felt like there was no end to them.
Eventually, the men restraining Lucca let him go.
He collapsed to one knee.
Blood dripped from his face onto the marble floor.
His head remained lowered.
Damon slowly walked toward him, his arms still crossed.
"I never thought I'd live to see you like this," Damon said with a satisfied grin. "This is the best day of my life."
Lucca slowly lifted his head.
Despite the blood covering his face, his eyes remained fearless.
"How did you lose your strength, Lucca?" Damon mocked. "Are you dying?"
He burst into laughter.
"I prepared myself for this battle, but I didn't even need all of my men. What a disappointment."
He slowly circled Lucca like a predator cornering its prey.
"Any last words for Seraphina?" Damon asked. "I know you came here to save her."
He chuckled.
"That's what love makes people do... isn't it?"
His laughter echoed throughout the hall while the fighting around them continued.
Lucca suddenly laughed.
"Last words?" he scoffed.
"As if I'm going to die tonight."
His confidence only made Damon smirk wider.
I didn't know what Lucca was planning.
But provoking Damon while he was already furious didn't seem like a good idea.
Instinctively, I wrapped my fingers around the ring on my hand.
It had protected me once before...
Hadn't it?
It couldn't have been a dream.
It had saved me once.
So...
I decided to gamble on it one more time.
"Please..." I whispered, gently holding the ring. "Help me just this once. I want to protect Lucca and Dominic."
I slowly moved closer to the hallway, close enough to see everything clearly while staying hidden.
Then...
Damon reached into the waistband of his pants.
My eyes widened.
He pulled out a gun.
Slowly...
He raised it and pointed it directly at Lucca's head.
A victorious grin spread across his face.
"Goodbye, Lucca, my friend," Damon said mockingly. "I never imagined today would be the day you die."
He chuckled.
"I'm sure Seraphina will be heartbroken when she finds out you're gone."
Damon tightened his finger around the trigger.
Just as he was about to pull it—
I stepped into the hallway.
"Lucca!" I screamed.