Tangled in His Obsession (Seraphina)

On a night like any other, Simon returned to the quiet serenity of the Martin family estate. His villa, nestled among the others, stood dark against the starry sky.

With a squad of loyal aides trailing behind him, Simon entered the residence that he called home. But instead of heading upstairs, he loosened his tie and sank into the plush couch in the living room.

Seeing their boss settle down, one of the servant scurried off to fetch him a drink, while another ascended the staircase.

As a glass of tequila was handed to Simon, a woman's wail echoed from the upper floor. Without so much as a blink, Simon merely sipped his drink, his expression unreadable.

Moments later, Helena was dragged down the stairs, her captor's grip tight on her hair. Her cries had shifted from desperate sobs to venomous curses that grated on the ears.

"You bastards! Who the hell do you think you are to treat me like this? Sons of bitches! Scum— It wasn't until she was thrown at Simon's feet that her escort stopped. Helena propped herself up, her pale face marked by bloodshot eyes that glared at Simon's stoic face. "Simon, what the hell do you want?" Finally acknowledging her, Simon set down his glass and leaned forward slightly. "I just want to know what you've done." At his words, Helena shuddered slightly, then let out a bitter laugh. "What have | done? Got under your skin, did 1? You, who have pulled so much crap over the years, have the nerve to ask me what | have done?" Despite her provocations, Simon remained still, his gaze cool and detached. "I'm giving you a chance to come clean. If you don't spill it now, you might never speak again." Fear flickered across Helena's face, mingling with her anger and despair in the span of a minute—a minute that felt like half a lifetime as she sifted through the reasons that could have enraged Simon to this point.

Twenty years married to the man, and it took less than six months for her dreams to crumble into disillusionment.

She knew Simon's dual nature, his deep schemes, and his ruthless tactics all too well. Even in his cruelty, he had never laid a hand on her, partly out of respect for their marriage, and partly because her family had once bolstered the Martin Group's fortunes.

But now, she saw a murderous intent in his calm demeanor that she had never seen before.

What else could have provoked him so? A manic laugh escaped Helena. "I hear you despise Leandro Reynold’s wife so much that you had someone take care of her. Did it work? Is she dead?" Simon's eyes narrowed at her words.

"You'd go to war with the Reynolds family just to see her dead. You must really hate her," Helena sneered. "But here you are, taking it out on me. So, is she dead or not?" Leaning in, Simon gripped Helena's chin between his thumb and forefinger. "That's all | needed to hear." Her accusation meant she had been keeping tabs on Seraphina, and therefore, she knew of her true identity. The mix-up from the past was now clear; there was no question about who had tampered with the papers.

"It was me!" Helena sprang up, hand over her heart, her voice a blend of fury and madness. "lI was the one who switched the paternity test results! | made you believe Seraphina was another man's child! But what does it matter if she's yours? You think Adelina loved you? If she did, she wouldn't have abandoned Andrea, that bastard child, and run off to another city! If she loved you, she wouldn't have given birth to your child and left her for another man to raise! She loves you? She despised you to her core, wanted nothing to do with you! You've pined for her for years, and she? She couldn't bear the sight of you even in death! Her early demise was divine retribution! Retribution!" As Helena's accusations pierced the air, Simon closed his eyes briefly. After cleaning his fingers with a handkerchief, he gave a dismissive wave of his hand.

His aides promptly began to drag Helena toward the front door.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Helena's struggling turned frantic. "You can't do this to me! Simon! You can't treat me like this! How dare you! You'll get what's coming to you! You'll pay for this!" The door swung open and then shut, silencing Helena's cries. Simon remained alone in the quiet room for a while before finally standing and ascending the stairs.

At the top, he paused in front of a bedroom door that was always locked, just as it had been for years. He placed his finger on the biometric lock, and with a beep, the door opened.

The flood of light revealed a tastefully decorated bedroom, untouched by time. On the wall by the bed was a photograph of a young woman, her smile gentle and her eyes brimming with a soft, penetrating warmth.

This was the bedroom Simon had prepared for Adelina, a space she never got to see, let alone inhabit.

But did it really matter? Simon walked to the photograph and tenderly touched the image of her face. She was his, utterly and completely, from beginning to end.

Three days later, Seraphina was discharged from the hospital.

Andrea had taken the day off to accompany Seraphina, but to her surprise, she found Seraphina alone in the room. Leandro, who had been a constant presence, was now conspicuously absent.

"Where's your husband?" Andrea couldn't help but ask.

"He's been having stomach issues," Seraphina explained. "So he's got a specialist from Summitville looking at it right now." Andrea found it odd but didn't press further, starting to pack up Seraphina's things.

"Leave it, you don't have to tidy up," Seraphina insisted.

"No worries, it's not like I've got much else going on." Andrea replied, her gaze fixed downwards as she continued sorting through her things.

Seraphina watched her for a moment before speaking up,What's the matter? Have you been busy lately? You look kind of off." Andrea's hands paused briefly before she looked up at Seraphina and murmured, "Helena’s gone missing. | hadn't been home in days. When | got back yesterday, her folks were there, all worked up, demanding to see her. Everything in her room was untouched, but she was just... gone." Seraphina's eyes sharpened with concern. "What do you think of it?Andrea pressed her lips together before finally saying,I'm afraid, this doesn’t bode well for her." Before Seraphina could respond, there was a soft knock on the door. She lifted her eyes to see Simon standing in the doorway. Spotting her, he stepped inside.

Heard you're getting discharged today," Simon said. "Got time for a meal together?"