Seraphina’s POV

The voice that answered the door made my blood turn to ice. It was a voice that had tormented me through countless sleepless nights, a voice that belonged to the woman who had stolen me from my birth parents and made my childhood a living nightmare.

Sybil stood in the doorway like a spider in her web, her lips curled into that familiar cruel smile. Her cold eyes swept over my wrinkled clothes and exhausted face with obvious satisfaction.

"Well, well, well. Look what crawled back," she said, each word dripping with malice. She stepped aside with exaggerated politeness, gesturing for me to enter. "Or should I say, look what finally decided to run away from responsibility."

Her harsh laugh echoed through the hallway, a sound that instantly transported me back to my darkest memories.

This was definitely not what I had expected. This was the last thing I needed right now.

"What happened to your beautiful wedding gown, future Luna?" Her eyes gleamed with sick pleasure. "Did you finally realize you’re not good enough for such an important role?"

Of course she knew everything. I should have realized that Roxanne would keep her informed about every detail of my life. After all, Sybil had orchestrated this entire situation to benefit her precious daughter.

I stood there frozen, unable to find my voice. The safe haven I had imagined this place to be was crumbling before my eyes.

Sybil’s smile widened as she watched my composure crack. She began circling me like a predator, examining every inch of my disheveled appearance.

"I was right, wasn’t I?" Her voice was filled with triumphant venom. "You ran away from your own wedding ceremony. Though I can’t say I’m surprised. You were always weak, always worthless. Just like when you were a pathetic little girl."

The familiar sting of her words hit me like physical blows. Years of therapy couldn’t completely erase the damage she had inflicted on my self-esteem.

She paused, and I could practically see the wheels turning in her devious mind. A calculating gleam entered her eyes. "This is actually perfect. If you’re gone, there’s no Luna ceremony. And if there’s no Luna ceremony, then Roxanne can step into her rightful place."

My stomach churned with the realization of how perfectly this played into her hands. She had kidnapped me as a child, subjected me to years of abuse, all to ensure that Roxanne would live like royalty while I suffered.

Standing before this woman who had destroyed my childhood, I felt the familiar wave of conflicting emotions. She was the reason I had grown up without knowing my real parents, the reason I had never felt like I belonged anywhere.

"Where is my father?" I forced the words out, determined not to let her see how much she was affecting me. I needed answers, not another round of her psychological warfare.

"What I’m curious about is whether your mate and your birth parents know you’re hiding here," she said with that same triumphant expression. "Because the last time I spoke with your parents, they made it very clear that I should stay away from you. But here you are, coming to me willingly. I’m sure they’d be very interested to know where their precious daughter has run off to."

I recognized that tone immediately. It wasn’t a casual observation but a direct threat. She was already planning how to use my presence here against me.

But I wasn’t the same terrified child she used to torment. The scars she had left on my soul would probably remain forever, but I refused to let her control me again.

"Go ahead and tell them," I said, meeting her gaze steadily. "I’m not going to beg you not to."

The truth was, my escape served her purposes perfectly. If Roxanne became Luna to Julian, Sybil would gain power and influence through her daughter. She wouldn’t risk that by revealing my location.

"Well, since you’re here and clearly not planning to go back," Sybil said, her voice taking on that familiar commanding tone, "you might as well earn your keep. This house is filthy. The floors haven’t been mopped in days, and those windows are disgraceful."

She reached out to grab my arm, trying to drag me inside like she used to when I was helpless.

"Get moving, Seraphina. At least you were always good at cleaning up messes."

Before she could touch me, a strong hand shoved her away from me with surprising force.

"Keep your hands off her, Sybil!"

My heart leaped with relief. It was Arthur, my adoptive father. He stood protectively behind me, his usually gentle eyes blazing with fury as he confronted his ex-wife.

"Seraphina, sweetheart, are you okay?" His voice immediately softened as he turned his attention to me, the anger replaced by genuine concern. He gently pulled me behind him, creating a barrier between Sybil and me.

"She’s fine, Arthur," Sybil sneered dismissively. "Just a runaway bride who needs to remember her place. I was simply giving her some useful work to do." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Useful work?" My adoptive father’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "You have absolutely no right to give her orders. You have no right to even be on this property."

He pointed firmly toward the door, his protective instincts fully engaged.

"You’re divorced, Sybil. This is my home. You chose to leave. Now get out and stay out."

Sybil’s face contorted with rage, but she could see that Arthur wasn’t backing down this time.

"You’ll regret defending her, Arthur," she spat venomously. "Especially for someone as worthless as this girl."

But my father stood his ground, completely unmoved by her threats. This was a side of him I had never seen when I was growing up here, when Sybil’s presence had intimidated everyone in the household.

With one final hateful glare at both of us, she spun around and stormed out, slamming the front door so hard the windows rattled.

Arthur let out a long sigh, running his fingers through his graying hair. When he turned to face me, his expression was filled with worry and confusion.

"Seraphina, my dear girl, what’s going on? Why are you here? Today was supposed to be your succession ceremony."

All the emotions I had been suppressing suddenly overwhelmed me. I threw my arms around him, finally allowing myself to feel safe enough to break down completely.

"Daddy," I sobbed, clinging to him like the frightened child I had once been.

For several minutes, I couldn’t stop crying. All the pain, fear, and exhaustion I had been carrying poured out of me while he held me securely.

Eventually, he guided me to the living room where we sat together on the familiar old couch.

He was the one person in this world who had always been completely on my side, who had always encouraged me to pursue happiness. But he was also someone who saw the best in everyone, who believed in second chances and forgiveness.

I couldn’t bear the thought of destroying his faith in people by telling him the whole terrible truth.

"We had a huge fight," I finally managed to explain, choosing my words carefully. "A really devastating fight. I just couldn’t stay there anymore. I needed to get away, to go somewhere far from all of it."

He studied my face for a long moment, then slowly nodded. The worry didn’t completely disappear from his eyes, but I could see him making the decision to trust me.

He pulled me into another warm embrace, the kind of hug that made me feel completely loved and accepted.

For the first time since leaving my wedding, I felt genuinely safe. Genuinely free.

"You’ll always be safe here, Seraphina. Always."