Chapter 272: Underestimated?

Seraphina's POV

I jolted awake to my phone buzzing like a damn beehive. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I grabbed it, only to be bombarded by a flood of notifications. Breaking news alerts, texts, emails—all blaring the same headline: "Whitmore Group Throws Lifeline to Sinking Ravencroft Empire."

What the actual hell?

My fingers flew across the screen, scrolling through articles. There was Dorian—that slimy bastard—standing side by side with Charlotte Whitmore, both grinning like they’d just cured cancer. The caption screamed: "Ravencroft Group Saved by Strategic Alliance with Whitmore Industries."

I was still reeling from this gut punch when the front door creaked open. Leander. He’d slipped out early for coffee, and by the heavy thud of his boots, I knew he’d seen the shitstorm too.

He walked into the living room, his face a tight mask of barely contained fury. In one hand, a tablet gripped like a lifeline; in the other, a tray with two steaming cups of coffee.

“Morning,” he said, voice way too casual as he set the tray down. “Got your fave—vanilla latte, extra shot.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, eyeing him like a hawk as he sank into the armchair across from me, flipping open his tablet and scrolling fast.

His eyes flicked side to side, brows knitting tighter with every swipe. I cleared my throat, and he damn near jumped, trying to sneakily snap the cover shut.

“Anything juicy in the news today?” I asked, all innocent-like, sipping my latte.

Leander’s face flickered—guilt, worry, then defeat. “Sera…”

“I’ve seen it,” I cut in softly, holding up my phone with Charlotte and Dorian’s smug-ass faces plastered across the screen. “The whole ‘saving Ravencroft’ circus.”

His shoulders slumped. “I wanted to break it to you easy.”

I couldn’t help but smirk at his protective streak. “Appreciate it, but my phone blew up before I could even think about breakfast.”

Leander raked a hand through his hair, messing it up in that stupidly hot way. “This is Charlotte’s play. She’s pulling the savior card while cozying up to…” He stopped short.

“Cozying up to you,” I finished, setting my phone down. “And making damn sure I know it. Don’t stress, I’m not pissed at you. She’s gunning for me, not you.”

He crossed the room in two strides, pulling me into a warm, grounding hug. “I won’t let her fuck with you again,” he murmured into my hair.

I pulled back just enough to lock eyes with him. “We should’ve seen this coming. But this isn’t just personal—it’s about Ravencroft Group. My company, whether Dorian likes it or not.”

His gaze sharpened as I went on, “Actually, her move might be our ticket. With Charlotte this close to the company, we can dig up dirt we couldn’t touch before.”

Our eyes held, and Leander leaned in, his kiss starting soft but igniting fast, raw and urgent—until my phone screeched, shattering the moment. I glanced at the screen and felt my jaw clench.

“It’s Charlotte,” I said. Leander’s face turned to stone.

“You don’t have to pick up,” he growled low.

“Oh, I do.” I slapped on a fake smile and answered with a chirpy, “Charlotte, what a surprise.”

“Seraphina, darling!” Her voice dripped with fake-ass sweetness. “I hope you’re feeling better after your… little accident.”

I caught Leander’s eye and hit speaker. “Much better, thanks for caring.”

“I just had to personally share the thrilling news,” she purred. “The Whitmore family is stepping in to save Ravencroft Group from its… troubles. Isn’t that marvelous? If it weren’t for your connection to the Ravencrofts, we might not have bothered.”

“How incredibly generous,” I replied, voice saccharine enough to rot teeth.

“I know you’ve been too frail to handle business,” she went on, patronizing as hell. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep things running smoothly while you recover. Oh, and how’s Leander? I hear he’s been quite… attentive.”

My teeth ground, but I kept cool. “Charlotte, I’m touched by your interest in Ravencroft. You might want to dig into the debt structure and operational messes during your due diligence. There’s a lot of ugly shit under the surface that doesn’t show in quarterly reports.”

A beat of silence. I’d thrown her off.

“I… of course. I always do my homework,” she stammered, recovering fast.

“Great. How about tea soon? I’d love to thank you properly for your… intervention.”

“I’d be delighted,” she said, tone betraying her irritation.

“Perfect. I’ll reach out.” I hung up before she could get another word in.

Leander stared at me, impressed as hell. “That was brilliant.”

“She’s not just after you now,” I said. “This is war. She wants everyone to see her as my savior—the saint who stepped in while I was too weak to stand.”

“She’s underestimating you,” Leander said, voice hard. “That’s gonna bite her in the ass.”

I nodded. “But we gotta play smart. Dorian will use this partnership to screw me over.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Leander vowed, green eyes blazing. “Charlotte has no clue what she’s stepped into.”

A commotion outside broke the tension. Leander stormed to the window and cursed. “Reporters. A dozen of ‘em.”

I joined him, peering down at the swarm of journalists and flashing cameras. A news van sat across the street, a reporter doing a live shot with my building as the backdrop.

Leander snatched the remote and flipped on the TV. There was Dorian, surrounded by mics, playing the noble, struggling CEO. “Ravencroft Group faces challenges, like any company today,” he droned smoothly. “This partnership with Whitmore Industries marks a new chapter.”

The feed cut to a live shot outside my place: “We’re here at Seraphina Calloway’s residence, majority shareholder of Ravencroft Group. The question everyone’s asking: what does she think of this historic deal?”

Leander slammed the TV off. “This is Dorian’s doing. He and Charlotte cooked up this media shitshow to corner you.”

I stared down at the reporters, anxiety clawing at my chest, but beneath it burned something fiercer—rage, determination, a cold, sharp purpose.

“Charlotte went through all this trouble—investment, media blitz—because she wants a reaction,” I said quietly. “She wants me groveling, overwhelmed. She wants the Apex elite wondering what I’ve ever done for you compared to her grand gesture.”

Leander stepped close. “I can call security, get these vultures outta here.”

I shook my head. “No. They’ve come all this way to my doorstep. Might as well give ‘em a show. If I don’t, I look like I’m hiding—exactly what Charlotte and Dorian want everyone to think.”

“Sera, you don’t have to do this,” Leander argued.

I turned, a smirk curling my lips—foreign yet familiar. “They’re already here. I’ll give ‘em something worth their time. Otherwise, I look like I don’t know the damn rules of this game.” I headed for my closet, but first detoured to the bathroom, grabbing a bottle of eye drops. I tilted my head back, letting a few tears pool for effect—just enough to sell the story. Then, with a deep breath, I strode downstairs, ready to face the wolves.