"Well, you haven't still congratulated me for my engagement, Sera,"
Seraphina gripped the railing of the balcony tightly, hearing that voice and its words but made no attempts to turn her head around. She noticed those footsteps approaching her and then halted beside her.
His strong cologne filled her nostrils. His body's warmth engulfed her immediately.
"You know as your brother's boss, I at least deserve your well wishes for my engagement, ain't I?"
Seraphina clenched her jaw at his words. She knew what he was trying to do but she was in no mood to play his wicked games. So, without looking at him, she turned around and tried to leave but he grabbed her waist gently and stopped her.
Seraphina finally snapped her blazing azure eyes at his mocking vicious gaze. She gritted her teeth.
"Don't touch me, Mr Grayson," She uttered while trying to push him away.
Her words made an evil grin to form on his face.
"Or else what, Miss Miller?" He gently whispered, making her more angry.
"If not mine, value the trust of that girl whom you're going to marry," She spat at him while struggling more badly.
"Leave me," She raised her voice and used more strength to shove him away and finally he freed her but as soon as he loosened his grip, Seraphina tripped and lost her balance. She was on the edge of the railing and was about to fall but he again held her wrist tightly.
Seraphina, who had her eyes closed in fear, unlatched her lashes and looked down, only to witness the terrifying height of the mansion. She snapped her head around and saw those grey eyes were already gazing at her amused while his hand was tightly holding her wrist.
He pulled her on his chest, smashing her body against his and secured her in his arms.
"If I leave you alone then you will lose everything, Sera," He whispered, gazing into her eyes.
She felt a pang in her heart, especially enduring his warmth which was hurting yet curing her, at the same time.
"It's less painful for me to lose my everything than to hold onto you, Mr Grayson," She answered back, peering into his gaze.
He tugged her closer, despite having no distance between them, at her words.
"Then why don't you try to end this pain, Seraphina?" Their breaths fanned over each other's faces.
"Because the only way to end my pain is either your or mine end, Mr Grayson," Her eyes started filling with tears.
"But I know I am not capable of wanting your end and I am too coward to end my own self so, there's no end to my p..pain,"
His eyes watched a tear roll down from her eyes, which were shimmering with tears of extreme amount of pain. The pain he was giving her.
He leaned to kiss her tears but Seraphina tossed her head around, which made his lips brush over her ear.
"There's a way to end your pain, Sera that is to let both of us to live together,"
Seraphina heard him, cooing those words in her ear, which made her look at him.
"There is no us. There will and can never be an us. Let alone this us to live together," Her eyes blazed up in tears, as she uttered those words which darkened his entire facial features.
"There is, was and will be an us, till the last breath of my life, Seraphina,"
Her existence ached in pain. Now her pain had started turning her insane.
"Really? But how because you're going to marry someone else, you're going to get tied to someone else forever and if you still tried to make an us after that, you know more well than me what people are going to call our relation? What name will everyone give me, for being with a man, who is someone else's husband?" More tears fell from her eyes.
Arzal clenched his jaw, processing where she was taking all of this.
"And I know you're not going to have any problem when everyone is going to call me your... " Seraphina halted because she was even ashamed to complete her words.
"But I will remove my existence from your life, before anyone would even think about giving my being that identity,"
Arzal tightened his grip so much around her, that Seraphina felt like her skin started burning.
"Now free me, Mr Grayson, if you still keep on holding onto me then I don't know what you're going to do but I know what I will do to stop you from taking the last ounce of self respect away from me," Her words were clear and loud.
"You're here to take my blessings, right? Then I hope and pray that you and your love will remain together, forever," Seraphina stated and then witnessed him grab her nape.
He forced her face up and then finally pressed his lips on her nose pin, making Seraphina to fist her palms.
"Indeed, me and my love are going to remain together forever, Sera" He groaned and then brushed his lips on her wet cheek.
His flaming gaze bored deeper into her teary ones.
"And I promise, I'll make sure about that, Princess,"
A shiver ran down her spine, hearing that name from his mouth and enduring that deadly intensity with which he was gazing at her.
Arzal released her from his hold and dashed out from there, leaving her completely alone there. Seraphina teared up badly and then fell on the floor on her knees. She broke down into tears because she knew what she had started feeling but was too afraid to accept it.
"Come, Seraphina dear. Have a seat, we all were waiting for you for the dinner,"
Seraphina gave a weak nod to Rebecca, who was sitting on the dining table but Seraphina lost her strength to even move by watching him and that person, sitting beside him. Her heart started throbbing in pain by watching him and Lyra together.
Seraphina downcast her eyes because she didn't have the strength to witness them together. She didn't even want to be there but Rebecca had requested her to join them on the dinner table and Seraphina didn't have any lie to justify her denial, so she accepted her request.
She sat on her usual chair and didn't even think about taking her eyes up. Staff members started serving the dishes, which they were taking from the kitchen.
"Me and Lyra are going out for tonight,"
Seraphina was about to scoop her spoon with food but stopped, hearing his words.
"And maybe, we won't be able to return by tomorrow," He uttered to Rebecca but his target was someone else.
He took a glance at her and saw her head down and eyes fixed on her plate, which she hadn't even touched.
Seraphina swallowed that painful lump in her throat and slightly took her eyes upward and saw the oldest staff woman coming out from the kitchen, holding two trays of big bowls.
She was walking towards them and Seraphina could clearly sense that old woman's difficulty in holding those trays together. Leaving everything, Seraphina immediately got up from her chair and stormed towards her, gaining everyone's attention towards her.
"Let me help you, Mam," Seraphina uttered to that woman and tried to take one tray of bowl from her.
"No, it's okay. I can manage, Miss Miller," That woman hesitantly said because Seraphina was the owner's guest.
Seraphina took the tray from her and spoke with a light smile.
"I know you can, Mam but I want to help,"
Her alluring smile made that woman beam too.
"Thank you, Miss Miller,"
Seraphina's smile slightly widened and there sat he, who just witnessed the innocuousness of that blue eyes doll, completely fascinated.
Seraphina followed that woman towards the dining table but his eyes never left her which made Lyra to grit her teeth because even a blind could see the admiration and desire in his eyes for Seraphina with the way he was staring at her.
That woman placed the bowl on the table from the tray. Seraphina tried to follow her action but she didn't know what sickness Lyra had planned to do with her.
Seraphina was about to take the bowl from the tray but Lyra got up.
"Hey! Let me help you, Seraphina," She said, as Seraphina was standing beside her.
She tried to take the bowl from Seraphina's hand but intentionally dropped the bowl on Seraphina's palm, pouring its entire content all over her palm, wrist and hand.
A painful scream escaped from Seraphina's mouth.
"Mamma," Because the bowl was filled with extremely hot soup which burnt her skin badly.
"Sera," His eyes widened, as he stormed towards her and looked at her hand. Blisters had started forming all over her burned skin. Tears were vigorously falling from her eyes. Her legs started bobbling.
He immediately held her in his arms.
"Seraphina.. Oh my... " Rebecca panicked.
"Oh.. No.. I am sorry, Seraphina," Lyra faked her concern.
Arzal clutched his jaw and gave a deadly glare to Lyra because he knew how vicious she was but right at that moment, Seraphina's health was his priority. He hurriedly hoisted her almost unconscious and whimpering self in his arms.
"Call the f#cking doctor, right now," He shouted and took her to her room.