Chapter 54

Seraphina's POV The restaurant was still buzzing from the slap I’d given Darius, but the tension had begun to dissolve like mist in the morning sun. Waiters whispered nervously behind counters. A couple of diners peeked over their wine glasses, curious but too polite to stare for too long. I could still feel the sting in my palm, and even more than that, the heat in my chest—a mixture of anger, humiliation, and long-overdue closure. But then came something I didn’t expect. “Hello, cousin,” Kaelos said coolly, his voice as composed as ever, though I could feel his energy shift beside me. He stepped slightly forward, brushing his fingers lightly against mine. “Long time no see, Lilith.” Lilith stiffened. Her manicured fingers froze mid-reach toward her wine glass. She slowly turned her head toward Kaelos, eyes wide and unsure, as if she had just now realized who was standing behind me. “K–Kaelos?” she whispered, her voice thin. “You’re—you're here?” He gave her a calm, almost amused nod.