Chapter 19 A Whole New World
Seraphina woke up with a sudden gasp, her heart pounding loud in her chest. The room around her was white and quiet. A soft beeping sound echoed from beside her, and it was then she noticed the clear tube running into her arm. A drip.
Her body felt weak, her throat dry. For a moment, she couldn’t tell where she was. Then everything slowly came back—the gala, the flashing cameras, the proposal, breath that refused to come, the way the world had gone dark after…Did Julian catch her or she had dreamt it?
Her mind was a mess. She had been dreaming before she woke up. A very bad dream that scared her.
In it, her son- Phoenix, was sitting at a table with someone she couldn’t see clearly, decoding something from a system. Then, blood started to run from his nose again, just like she had witnessed before. It had scared her. She was still scared.
“She’s awake,” a female voice sounded beside her.
Seraphina turned her head slightly. A woman stood beside her bed, holding a tablet. She looked elegant, clad in black skirt, white silk shirt, hair tied in a neat bun. Her makeup was subtle but clean. Everything about her looked precise, controlled.
Seraphina’s voice came out low and rough. “Who are you?”
The woman met her gaze evenly. “I am Joanne. Mr Thorne’s secretary. He asked me to stay and make sure you were properly attended to.”
Julian’s secretary.
Seraphina blinked, trying to gather her thoughts. “Where is he?”
Joanne’s lips barely moved. “Out,” she replied shortly.
The bluntness of that single word almost made Seraphina frown. She wasn’t sure if the woman was being rude or if that was just how she spoke.
Before she could say anything, Joanne tilted her head slightly. “You’re bold, Miss Moreau. Many women would harm to engage a man like Julian Thorne. Especially one who doesn’t believe he’s capable of loving anyone. I was surprised. It was fast.”
The comment hit Seraphina unexpectedly. For a second, she didn’t know what to say. Her gaze dropped to her hand, to the diamond ring glinting on her finger. It looked beautiful, but also heavy.
She looked back up at Joanne, who seemed to be waiting for a reaction. Seraphina gave her one, but not the kind she thought she expected.
“Well,” Seraphina said, her tone composed, “that emotionally unavailable man is mine now. So whatever he can or can’t feel isn’t something you need to worry about.”
Joanne’s expression didn’t change. Her face stayed straight and unshakable, as if she didn’t feel attacked at all.
“I see,” she said simply, placing the tablet down. “Since you’re awake now, I’ll go inform the nurse. I have somewhere else to be.”
She stood, adjusted her blazer, and walked out without another word.
Seraphina frowned as the door shut. There was something about Joanne she couldn’t explain. She seemed cold, distant, but stunning in a way that made her uncomfortable. The kind of woman who seemed to belong in Julian’s world.
And that was what scared her most. Because this world she had stepped into—it didn’t feel like hers. But she had no choice now. She would have to trust him, just like he told her to. Even if she detested him, and even if she couldn’t wait for the one year marriage contract to be over.
Her mind drifted back to Damien’s last words at the gala. ‘When you come back to your senses, Sera, I have something to tell you.’
What did he mean by that? What did he know?
Her chest tightened again, but this time from curiosity.
Hours later, she was discharged. The hospital staff helped her out, and Julian’s driver, Matheo, was already waiting outside. She stepped into the car quietly, leaning back as the city lights passed by.
Halfway through the drive, her phone began to ring. The caller ID showed ‘Sheila’ Her best friend.
She answered. “Sheila?”
“Oh my God, Sera!” Sheila’s voice was loud and full of shock. “I just saw the updates! You got engaged? To someone that isn’t Damien? And you didn’t tell me anything? Did you travel to get married secretly? Is that why you’ve been hiding?”
Seraphina rubbed her forehead. “Oh my God…” she muttered under her breath. She hadn’t even thought about the media covering the gala. She wasn’t ready for this kind of exposure.
“Sheila, it’s… it’s a long story,” she said softly. “I’ll explain everything to you later, I promise.”
Sheila didn’t sound convinced. “A long story? Sera, I watched everything. The proposal, Damien interrupting, all of it! I’m so confused right now. Who exactly is this man?”
Seraphina exhaled sharply. “I’ll call you back later, Shey. Please.”
Before Sheila could say more, she ended the call and dropped her phone onto her lap. She sat still for a few seconds, breathing hard.
“Are you alright, ma’am?” Matheo asked from the front seat.
“Yes,” she replied quickly, forcing calm into her voice. “I’m fine.”
When they arrived at Julian’s penthouse, the doors opened automatically, and Joye, the young maid, appeared to greet her.
“Welcome back, ma’am,” Joye said with a small bow.
“Thank you, Joye,” Seraphina murmured. She seemed quite fond of the maid. She was warm towards her. “Is your boss around?”
“No, ma’am. He’s not home yet. But I made you something to eat if you’d like. Chicken Alfredo Pasta.”
Seraphina gave a faint smile. “That sounds yummy. I’ll be there soon.” Joye blushed, did a small bow and left.
Sera walked past the hallway and headed straight to the garden. The night air felt better and clearer outside. She pulled out her phone and dialed Sheila again.
“Are you ready to tell me everything now?” Sheila asked immediately when she answered.
“Later,” Seraphina said. “Right now, I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything.”
“I need you to go check on Phoenix. At his nanny’s. I want to be sure Maris is taking him out of that school like I instructed.”
“What? Why would you pull him out?”
“Please, Shey. Just trust me on this, okay? I’ll explain later. Just make sure she does what I said.”
There was a pause, then Sheila sighed. “Fine. I’ll go there myself. But just know you are moving funny and I need you to clear the air soon.”
“Thank you,” Seraphina said softly, feeling a small wave of relief.
She ended the call and lowered the phone slowly, letting out a long breath. Her shoulders were finally starting to relax—until she turned around. She almost ran into a hard chest.
She gasped and looked up sharply, coming face to face with Julian. She froze.