Chapter 2
The hilt of the dagger was etched with a complex phoenix motif, dazzling yet exuding a razor-sharp menace.
He leaned in close, his warm breath tickling my ear.
His voice was full of bewitching allure.
He murmured, "Don't rush to die.
"Let me show you how to tear his heart out, bit by bit."
Lucian brought me back to his manor, not through the main gate, but through a secret passage.
Inside, the physician had already been waiting for some time.
He treated the wound on my neck for me.
The wound was deep and looked frightening, but with uncanny precision, it had avoided all the vital areas.
Lucian, or maybe his men, were true experts with a blade.
The physician said, "Seraphina has only been startled and suffered a few surface wounds. Rest for a few days, and she'll recover."
Then he bowed and left. Only Lucian and I were left in the room.
He'd changed into dark robes, trading the palace's regal splendor for a touch of casual menace.
He personally brought a bowl of ginseng soup and handed it to me.
Lucian said, "Seraphina, drink something warm."
I didn't take it, just stared at him, giving him a cold look.
"Why?" I asked.
Lucian seemed to know what I wanted to ask.
Unbothered, he sat down across from me and placed the ginseng soup on the table.
"No reason," Lucian replied.
He chuckled, his eyes narrowing with a sly glint.
He continued, "Honestly, I just can't stand Cassian and felt like causing him a little trouble."
"And you, Seraphina, you are the biggest thorn in his side," he added as he locked eyes with me.
I finally realized it.
This kidnapping was an elaborate act Lucian had orchestrated from beginning to end.
A show meant for Cassian alone.
The whole point was to test just how much I really mattered to him.
The answer was clear. I meant nothing to him.
I was just a pawn he could discard at any time.
Back then, I was just a pawn for the Cross family, used to fuel Cassian's rise to power.
Now, I was nothing but a weapon Lucian wielded against him.
Ten years, all my love, my family, nothing but a cruel joke.
A sharp pain pierced my heart, infinitely worse than the wound on my neck.
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.
"What exactly do you want from me?" I asked.
I raised my head, locking eyes with him.
I had already died once, so from now on, the only thing left in me was vengeance.
Lucian's satisfaction was written all over his face.
He stood up and walked over to me, and hooked a finger under my chin, tilting it up.
"I want you to go back to him," he commanded.
His voice was full of dangerous allure.
He continued, "Just like before, play the role of his devoted wife, whom he trusts above all others. But..."
He paused, his fingers gently brushing my lips, his eyes deepening.
He added, "Your heart is mine.
"And your body will be mine as well, sooner or later.
"I want you to be the dagger plunged deepest into his heart, so that with a single word from me, you'll destroy him beyond redemption."
I stared at him.
His dangerously alluring face was filled with unabashed ambition and possessiveness.
Unlike Cassian's hypocrisy, Lucian was an utter lunatic, a bold, ambitious man who flaunted his desires for all to see.
Teaming up with a lunatic was like drinking poison and hoping it would save me.
But I had no other choice.
I asked, "Why should I trust you?"
"Take a look at this," Lucian replied.
He took out a letter from inside his coat and tossed it onto the table.
There was no name on the envelope.
Then I opened it. Inside was a name list.
All the names written on it were very familiar.
Every single one was someone my father, Gideon Cross, had carefully planted in the most critical departments of the court, year after year.
This was the Cross family's ace in the hole.
And it was the one thing Cassian was most afraid of.
"You." I stared at him, stunned.
Lucian said, "Without me pulling strings in the shadows, you really think Gideon could've planted all those people?"
He grinned like a fox who'd just raided the henhouse.
He continued, "Seraphina, you and Cassian are nothing but pawns on the board.
"Neither of you has ever been the real mastermind."
Lucian bent down so we were eye to eye, his presence pressing in close.
He added, "Now, you're mine, a piece on my board.
"Helping me is helping yourself. Only by taking down Cassian can your family ever be safe.
"Otherwise, once he's secured the throne, the first people he'll get rid of are the powerful relatives whose achievements threaten his rule."
His words, like a heavy blow, knocked the wind out of me.
He was right. Once the hunt was over, the bow was tossed aside.