Seraphina didn't sleep.
Not because she couldn't.
Because she didn't trust it.
Everything had changed too fast.
One minute she was in control—tracking accounts, building a case, doing what she always did.
The next—
She was standing in her apartment, agreeing to work for the very man she was trying to expose.
"Great decision," she muttered to herself.
She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at nothing.
"You really outdid yourself this time."
A soft sound outside her room made her go still.
Footsteps.
Not leaving.
Not pacing.
Waiting.
Her jaw tightened.
Right.
She wasn't alone anymore.
The realization settled in slowly.
Uncomfortably.
Dante hadn't just made an offer.
He had taken control.
Of her case.
Her work.
And now—
Her space.
She stood up, walking toward the door.
Hesitated.
Then opened it.
One of the men from earlier stood in the hallway.
Silent. Still. Watching.
"Do you plan on standing there all night?" she asked.
He didn't respond.
Didn't even blink.
She exhaled sharply.
"Yeah, that's not unsettling at all."
Still nothing.
"Do you talk?" she added.
Silence.
"Right. Of course you don't."
She shut the door again.
Harder than necessary.
By morning, she had made a decision.
If she was stuck in this—
She wasn't going to sit around and let him control everything.
She needed information.
Leverage.
Something.
Because right now?
He had all the power.
And she hated that.
The knock came at exactly 8 a.m.
Two short taps.
Controlled.
Of course.
"Come in," she called, already knowing who it would be.
The door opened.
Dante stepped inside.
Like he owned the room.
Like he owned everything.
Seraphina stayed where she was, arms crossed.
"If you're expecting me to say good morning," she said, "lower your expectations."
A faint hint of amusement touched his expression.
Brief.
Gone.
"I trust you slept well."
She stared at him.
"…Are you serious?"
His gaze didn't shift.
"Not particularly," she answered flatly.
A pause.
Then—
"That will change."
Something about the way he said it made her stomach tighten slightly.
Not the words.
The certainty.
He glanced around the room briefly, taking everything in.
Not judging.
Assessing.
Then his attention returned to her.
"You're leaving."
Seraphina blinked.
"I'm what?"
"You can't stay here."
Her expression hardened immediately.
"This is my apartment."
"It was," he corrected calmly.
Anger flared.
"Excuse me?"
"It's no longer secure," he continued, ignoring her tone. "And you're no longer… uninvolved."
Her pulse spiked.
"You don't get to decide where I live."
"I already did."
The words landed clean.
Effortless.
Infuriating.
She pushed off the bed, stepping closer to him.
"No," she said sharply. "You don't just walk in here, flip my life upside down, and start making decisions for me."
Dante didn't move.
Didn't react.
If anything—
He seemed calmer.
Which somehow made it worse.
"You agreed to work for me," he said.
"I agreed to help you," she snapped. "That doesn't mean I belong to you."
A pause.
Then—
His eyes darkened slightly.
Not anger.
Something quieter.
More dangerous.
"Everything connected to you is now a liability," he said. "Including this place."
She opened her mouth to argue—
Then stopped.
Because part of her…
Understood.
And she hated that even more.
"This isn't about safety," she said instead. "This is about control."
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No denial.
Just the truth.
That threw her off more than anything else.
She frowned slightly.
"You're not even going to pretend otherwise?"
"No."
A beat.
"I don't see the point."
Seraphina let out a short breath.
"Unbelievable."
Silence stretched between them.
Tense.
Uneven.
Then—
"Get dressed," Dante said. "We're leaving in ten minutes."
Her head snapped up.
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
His gaze held hers.
Steady.
Unshaken.
"You are."
Something in her chest tightened.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
But the awareness of how serious he was.
She held his gaze for a long moment.
Then—
"Fine."
The word came out sharp.
Controlled.
His expression didn't change.
But she caught it.
That slight shift in his eyes.
Like he expected resistance…
But not surrender.
Good.
Let him wonder.
"I'll go," she added.
Slowly.
"But this doesn't mean you're in charge."
A pause.
Then—
"We'll see."
He turned and walked out without another word.
Just like that.
Conversation over.
Decision made.
Seraphina stood there for a moment.
Then exhaled sharply.
"God, I hate him already."
But even as she said it—
Something else lingered beneath the anger.
Something she didn't want to name.
Didn't want to think about.
Because this wasn't just about control anymore.
And deep down—
She knew it.
Ten minutes later, she stepped outside.
A black car waited.
Engine running.
Door already open.
Of course.
Seraphina hesitated for just a second.
Just long enough to feel it.
That shift.
That invisible line she was about to cross.
Once she got in—
There was no going back.
She slid into the car anyway.
Because walking away?
Was never who she was.
The door shut behind her.
And just like that—
Seraphina Vale left her old life behind.