Chapter 1

Seraphina's POV

For as long as I could remember, I had lived under the protection of Casper, Julian, and Rowan.

I took their affection for granted, never expecting that their deep devotion would suddenly curdle into something unrecognizable.

When Elara, a new intern, crashed into our lives, they defended and favored her at every turn. They handed over my hard work on a silver platter, painting me as nothing more than a spoiled, unreasonable princess.

On a night of torrential rain, stranded on the highway and enduring excruciating pain, I begged them for help time and time again. All I received were scoldings and dismissals.

It turned out that their so-called "doing what's best for me" was just a cold war, a calculated cruelty designed to force my head down.

I stopped crying and begging. I signed my resignation letter, returned everything they had ever given me, and agreed to an arranged marriage far away in Italy.

This absurd farce, started by them, would be ended by my own hands.

——

Early winter in New York carried a biting chill.

I stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Manhattan penthouse ballroom, staring at my reflection in the glass. I was wearing a custom burgundy evening gown, tailored specifically for me by Rowan during his business trip last week.

He had said the color perfectly complimented my skin.

I had naively thought that tonight, just like every other year, I would be the princess of the hour, protected in the center of their circle.

Only now did I realize there was no longer a place for me beside them.

Under the spotlight in the center of the ballroom, Casper, Julian, and Rowan were surrounding another woman.

Elara Quinn.

An intern who had joined the company barely three months ago.

She wore a simple, unadorned white dress, looking every bit the fragile, innocent wallflower. But resting against her collarbone was the "Tear of the Deep," a stunning blue sapphire necklace.

Casper had won it at an auction last month. I had been foolishly convinced it was my upcoming twenty-second birthday present.

Now, it hung around Elara's neck.

"Seraphina, what are you doing standing over here?"

A sharp, cold voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

It was Rowan. My direct boss and the man who had once held my hand to teach me how to draft design blueprints. He was holding a flute of champagne, his brows furrowed, a flicker of irritation in his eyes.

"Tonight is Elara's celebration banquet. You're the project lead. Who exactly is this cold attitude for?"

I froze.

"Her celebration banquet?" I stared at him in disbelief. "Rowan, I pulled three all-nighters to finish that project! Elara only printed the final documents!"

"Enough." Rowan cut me off coldly. "We've spoiled you rotten since you were a child. You're too delicate, and way too petty. Elara comes from a poor background; she needs this resume boost much more than you do. Why can't you just be a little generous for once?"

Generous?

I bit my lower lip, my eyes stinging.

I turned to look at Casper and Julian a short distance away.

Casper was my stepbrother, a man who used to tense up in panic if I so much as frowned. Right now, he was whispering something to Elara, wearing the fond, indulgent smile I used to know intimately.

Julian, my childhood sweetheart who had sworn to protect me for the rest of his life, was carefully shelling crab legs for Elara, not even sparing me a single glance.

Lifting my skirt, I walked over to them step by step.

"Casper," I heard my own voice trembling. "That necklace... didn't you say you were going to give it to me?"

The smile on Casper's face vanished instantly.

He turned around and looked down at me, his eyes brimming with heavy disappointment.

"Seraphina, when did you become so materialistic and jealous?" His tone was stern, like he was lecturing an unruly child. "Elara's dress was too plain, so I lent it to her for the night. Do you really not have an ounce of grace in you?"

"I don't..."

"Stop making a scene, Seraphina."

Julian put down the crab leg, pulled out a napkin to wipe his hands, and stepped in front of Elara to shield her. "Elara gets scared easily, don't frighten her. You never used to be like this. Why are you constantly throwing tantrums lately?"

Throwing tantrums. Materialistic. Jealous.

These were the labels they now slapped onto me.

I looked at the three men standing before me—the three most important, trusted figures in my life. Three months ago, they would have moved mountains if I got a papercut. Now, for a woman they had known for less than a hundred days, they ground my dignity into the dirt.

Elara peeked out from behind Julian's back, looking at me timidly. "Miss Seraphina, I'm so sorry. I didn't know this necklace was yours. I'll take it off right now..."

"Leave it on," Casper commanded, placing a hand over Elara's and staring at me with icy eyes. "She doesn't deserve to wear it."

My heart felt as though it had been violently crushed by an invisible hand.

I didn't scream or cry. I didn't throw myself into their arms and beg for comfort like I used to.

I just quietly looked at them, taking in those familiar features that used to look at me with such gentle warmth, now tainted with blatant disgust.

"Alright," I heard myself say softly. "I don't deserve it."

Without looking back, I turned and walked out of the brilliantly lit, gilded ballroom.

The wind outside was fierce, whipping my hair into a frenzy.

But it finally blew away the delusions of a heart that had been drowning in fake affection for far too long.