Chapter 11: She was taken

**Seraphina**

The living room buzzed with faint conversation and the clinking of glasses. Liam was perched on the armrest of the couch, casually flipping a bottle cap between his fingers. Zayn sat cross-legged on the floor, his laptop balanced on his knees, fingers flying over the keys with practiced ease. Damon stood near the window, his sharp gaze fixed on the city below, a glass of whiskey untouched in his hand.

Sera sat curled in one corner of the couch, knees pulled up under an oversized hoodie, her bright green eyes flicking between the three men. She felt safe here—not entirely relaxed, but safe enough to let herself speak without fear of backlash.

“Zayn,” she said softly, drawing the attention of the group.

Zayn glanced up from his laptop, his eyebrow cocked. “What’s up, genius girl?”

“You… you work in cybersecurity, right? Like, information gathering and stuff?”

Zayn’s lips twitched into a crooked smile. “You could say that. I’m what you might call… resourceful.”

Liam snorted. “Resourceful is putting it lightly. Zayn can hack into the Pentagon while drinking a soda and humming pop songs.”

“Impressive,” Sera said, her voice quieter now.

Damon’s sharp gray eyes flicked to her, his body going still. He could sense something coming, something heavy.

“Can you… can you find out about someone for me?” she asked, her fingers knotting into the hem of her hoodie. “About me.”

The silence that followed was thick. Zayn’s playful grin faded slightly, replaced by something more serious.

“You mean your past?” he asked softly.

Sera nodded. “I don’t know anything. I was told I was adopted, but—” She hesitated, her breath hitching. “But my father… before everything… he said something. He said I wasn’t his. That my mother brought me into his life, and then she… she left.”

Zayn glanced at Damon, who gave the faintest nod.

“I can find out, Sera,” Zayn said carefully. “But are you sure you want to know? Sometimes the truth isn’t kind.”

Sera’s green eyes met his, steady and clear. “I need to know.”

**Damon**

Later that day, Zayn was a blur of motion in Damon’s private office, multiple monitors lighting up the dim room with glowing code, documents, and archived files. Liam leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, his brow furrowed. Damon sat in an armchair nearby, one hand rubbing his jawline as he watched Zayn work.

“She was never adopted,” Zayn said suddenly, his voice cutting through the silence.

Damon’s head snapped up. “What?”

Zayn’s eyes flicked across the screen, his expression grim. “Seraphina Lane isn’t her real name. There’s no adoption record, no official paperwork. What I did find is far worse.”

Liam stepped into the room. “What do you mean?”

“She was taken, Damon. Kidnapped when she was barely three years old,” Zayn said, his voice tight. “Her parents were Elizabeth and Nathaniel Cross. Both were high-ranking specialists in government intelligence agencies. Elizabeth—her mother—was one of the brightest cybersecurity analysts the agency had ever seen.”

Damon exhaled sharply, leaning forward. “And her father?”

“A field agent. Both of them worked deep within classified operations,” Zayn continued. “But… there’s something else. They died in a car accident shortly after she was taken. The official records say it was an accident, but there are inconsistencies in the reports. It smells like a cover-up.”

Liam let out a low whistle. “And Sera?”

Zayn’s fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up archived newspaper clippings and police reports. A grainy image appeared on the screen—an old photo of a young girl with bright green eyes, clutching a stuffed animal.

“She vanished. Just… disappeared. The investigation was buried under layers of bureaucracy, and her case went cold. Whoever took her didn’t just do it on impulse. This was planned.”

Damon’s jaw was tight, his knuckles white where they gripped the edge of the chair. “Does she have any living family left?”

Zayn shook his head. “No. Her parents were only children, and her grandparents passed away years before her disappearance.”

The room was silent except for the faint hum of the computers. Damon leaned back, rubbing his temple.

“She deserves to know,” Liam said quietly.

“Not yet,” Damon said sharply, his voice like steel. “Not until we have the full picture. I won’t shatter her world with half-truths.”

Zayn nodded slowly. “I’ll keep digging. There’s more here—I can feel it. Someone went to a lot of effort to erase her from existence.”

**Seraphina**

On the other room, Sera sat cross-legged on her bed, her new phone clutched in her hands. She was scrolling through her MIT exam portal, her passing grade highlighted in bright green. A small smile tugged at her lips—it felt good to achieve something, to have something solid to cling to amidst the chaos of her life.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Damon stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders taking up most of the space. He looked… tired. His sharp eyes softened when they met hers.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

Sera nodded, setting her phone aside as he stepped into the room. He sat on the edge of the chair near her desk, his presence commanding yet calm.

“Did Zayn… find anything?” she asked hesitantly.

Damon paused. “He’s still looking. These things take time.”

She nodded, her eyes dropping to her lap. “I’m scared of what he’ll find.”

“Whatever it is, Sera, you won’t face it alone,” Damon said softly.

There was something about the way he said her name—steady, certain—that made her chest ache. Like he was anchoring her to something real, something solid.

“Why are you like this with me, Damon?” she whispered. “Why do you care so much?”

His gaze didn’t waver. “Because I see you, Sera. I see your fire, your brilliance… and your pain. And I know what it’s like to carry that weight alone. You shouldn’t have to.”

Sera swallowed thickly, her fingers trembling slightly as they twisted the hem of her hoodie.

“You’re… kind,” she said softly.

Damon’s lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. “Don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my reputation.”

A small laugh bubbled from her lips, fragile but genuine. Damon’s chest tightened at the sound.

“Get some rest, Sera,” he said as he stood. “Tomorrow’s another day. And whatever comes next… we’ll face it together.”

As he walked out of her room, closing the door softly behind him, Damon felt the weight of the truth he carried pressing down on him.

Sera deserved to know who she was—who she really was. But not yet. Not until he could be sure that when the truth came out, it wouldn’t destroy her.