Chapter 50
Octavius's POV
I froze, thinking I'd heard wrong.
Seraphine's radiant face was inches from mine, her eyes heavy with desire, the corners flushed red from the drug's effects. Her lips parted slightly as she breathed rapidly.
Her expression, her gaze, her breathing—everything about her was an invitation.
The doctor cleared his throat and left with his medical bag.
I reached out and took Seraphine's hand, my voice unexpectedly rough. "Seraphine, do you even know what you're saying?"
"I know."
Seraphine swallowed hard. As if afraid I wouldn't believe her, she tilted her head and captured my Adam's apple between her lips.
My entire body went rigid, electricity shooting through my nerves.
I couldn't help it—I gripped her waist hard.
Her body went soft, collapsing into my arms as she began kissing my jaw, then my earlobe.
Was this a dream?
Seraphine had always kept me at arm's length. But now...
"Octavius."
Her whispered call interrupted my racing thoughts.
"If I'm going to give myself to anyone in this lifetime, I want that person to be you."
I sucked in a sharp breath. My body reacted beyond my control as I stared at Seraphine's flushed cheeks, desire surging through me.
"You said it yourself."
I swept Seraphine into my arms. "Don't you dare regret this."
Seraphine burrowed into my neck. "No regrets. Octavius, I'm happy."
Her teasing drove me wild. Unable to resist, I captured her lips in a fierce kiss.
Not just her body—Seraphine's lips were scorching hot too.
I carried her upstairs without breaking our kiss, our tongues tangling as I pushed into the bedroom and pressed her onto the bed.
Seraphine's long hair fanned out behind her, her eyes hazy with a pleading, almost coquettish quality—like a siren luring someone to drown in the depths.
Already burning from her provocation, seeing her liquid gaze completely shattered my restraint.
Even though I desperately wanted to claim her completely, roughly, I couldn't bear to hurt her. I helped her relax gently. "I'll be gentle."
Seraphine nodded, her body pliant as water, lifting to meet me.
In that moment, the skin beneath my palms burned impossibly hot. She was already slick with need, her soft petals parting slightly in the air like a silent invitation.
I felt surrounded by warm honey as I pushed in slowly, holding back.
The room filled with Seraphine's deliberately suppressed gasps, heavy with desire.
"Slower, it's too much," she begged through tears.
But the more she asked for gentleness, the less I could control myself. I wanted to possess her completely.
God knows how long I'd been craving Seraphine.
All this time, I'd held onto a thread of hope that she might turn around and see me standing behind her.
Now that it was actually happening, it felt surreal—like a dream.
If this really was a dream, I hoped I'd never wake up.
That night, I kept her pinned beneath me for hours.
Only when her entire body was marked with evidence of me did I finally feel satisfied enough to carry her to clean up. Eventually, we fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next day, I woke to someone knocking.
Flynn entered cautiously. "Mr. Capulet, it's eight o'clock. You have an international video conference in two hours."
I squinted my eyes uncomfortably and glanced at the curtains that were not fully drawn.
Sunlight streamed through the gap, flooding the room with brightness.
Instinctively, I reached to pull the blanket over Seraphine beside me—only to grasp empty air.
Her side of the bed was cold.
Seraphine was gone.
She'd disappeared!
I shot upright, scanning the room wildly.
The bedroom held only me. The air still seemed to carry a trace of her scent and the decadent intimacy of what we'd shared.
The drug in Seraphine's system had been potent last night. I'd used the most direct method to ease her discomfort, having sex time and time again.
Seraphine had trembled and wept in my arms, even scratching at my back, her legs wrapped around my waist as she called my name.
Those images replayed in my mind on loop, reminding me just how intimate we'd been.
Yet Seraphine was gone.
She'd slipped away while I slept, as if nothing had happened.
"Where is she?" My voice came out harsh.
Flynn startled, quickly lowering his head. "Mr. Capulet, I haven't seen Ms. Whitaker. When I arrived, you were alone. Ms. Whitaker didn't leave any message."
No message?
My heart felt like it had been struck, plummeting instantly.
So last night meant nothing to her—just seeking help while under the drug's influence.
Once the crisis passed, she could simply walk away?
All those things she'd said—about willingly giving herself to me, about pursuing me for once—everything was casually said while in a daze.
All lies.
An indescribable sense of loss washed over me.
I got up with a cold expression and returned to my place to shower and change.
But whether on the drive to the office or during the entire video conference, I couldn't concentrate.
The overseas manager's report was detailed, but I only caught fragments. For the first time in my professional life, my mind wandered. I couldn't control my harsh tone with an employee who'd made a minor mistake.
"Redo it! How dare you show me something this substandard? Get out!"
My voice practically echoed in the office.
"I want a perfect proposal in two hours!"
Flynn came in with coffee, his hand trembling slightly at my outburst. His movements were ten times more careful than usual.
I could hear whispers from the office area outside.
"What's with the boss today? He's so angry."
"No idea who pissed him off. Terrifying."
Who pissed me off?
Of course—the woman who used me and left without even a goodbye!
By noon, there was still no news of Seraphine.
I glanced at the time and finally gave in, pulling up her number—one I knew by heart—and calling.
The phone rang forever before she picked up.
Seraphine's voice came through, sounding extremely uncomfortable. "Octavius?"
"Where are you?" I asked directly.
"Home."
Seraphine answered quickly. Before I could respond, she added, "I've got something going on. Gotta go!"
She hung up without waiting for my reply, as if afraid I'd ask about last night.
Fury flared in my chest, suffocating me.
Was she that desperate to avoid any connection with me?
Had her response beneath me last night been fake? Or did she simply not remember?
I yanked at my tie irritably and threw my phone onto the desk.
Just then, someone knocked.
"Come in."
I glanced up carelessly.
It was Quinlan.
She walked in with a bright smile. "Octavius, I'm not interrupting, am I?"
"No. What brings you here?" I tried to adjust my mood.
Quinlan started to speak, then her eyes caught on my neck. Her expression shifted.
"Octavius, is that a hickey on your neck?"
I frowned, grabbing my phone and switching to the front camera.
A clear, obvious red mark sat near my Adam's apple.
Seraphine!
Annoyed, I propped my chin on my hand. "Mosquito bite."
Quinlan looked like she wanted to say more but held back. Instead, she placed an elegant invitation on my desk.
"Tonight is my grandmother's seventieth birthday. Both my grandparents have been asking about you. You'll come, won't you?"
I paused, looking at the invitation.
The celebration was at the most luxurious hotel downtown.
The Powell and Capulet families had a long history together. The Powells had practically watched me grow up. I should attend, both personally and professionally.
I pushed down all the chaos in my mind and nodded.
"I'll be there on time."