Back then, Melissa thought it was just his stubbornness, or maybe it was an important place to him.
He had just handed it over to Seraphina... without a second thought.
And not to her, the sister who had grown up beside him in the eyes of the world.
But to Seraphina, whom no one knew, and even Asher called her sister in front of everyone.
It was so humiliating.
Melissa’s fists clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she watched the servants quietly carry Sera’s things upstairs.
That room was supposed to be hers. She had waited for it and dreamed of how it would look once she decorated it.
And now it was gone. Just like that.
Because of that damn bitch!
Seraphina stood frozen for a moment.
She didn’t know how to respond. A part of her wanted to refuse Asher’s sudden kindness. She wasn’t ready to believe him yet after the past had taught her that expecting too much from people only brought disappointment.
But then her eyes landed on Melissa.
That look on her face... full of rage, jealousy, and pure hate... it was deliciously satisfying.
Seraphina didn’t say a word. She just took a step forward.
She knew very well how much Melissa had wanted that room. She had seen her throwing fits, even begging Mrs. Lancaster, but Asher had always declined her outright.
And now, here she was. The discarded sister was being handed that same room on a silver platter.
This was just the beginning.
Sooner or later, Melissa... I’ll take back every damn thing you stole from me.
The name, the status, the love, the peace, the dignity... everything.
Seraphina turned slightly, and when Melissa’s burning eyes met hers, she didn’t flinch. Instead, she gave a soft, mocking smile, to which Melissa nearly lost it.
But Seraphina had already walked away, with her head held high.
It had been almost a month since everything had flipped upside down.
Seraphina now lived in the most luxurious room in the entire Lancaster mansion. And no one dared to raise their voice against that.
Asher had made sure of it.
He fired every last servant who had ever mistreated her. The ones who had crossed a line... they didn’t get away so easily. He gave them something to remember him by.
They were beaten so badly that some of them were barely breathing when they were dragged out of the gates. And the rest? He reported them and handed them straight to the cops.
He didn’t care if they cried or begged. As far as Asher was concerned, they deserved worse.
And for once... the mansion finally had some peace.
Seraphina had thrown herself into her semester exams. She kept herself busy, buried in books and notes, trying not to think too much. The new staff at home treated her like royalty with respect and were always at her service.
As if they all knew she had been through hell and were now scared to even breathe too loudly around her.
Well, she was barely hanging on.
The staff she once bossed around was gone. Her loyal nanny was fired. Even the one who raised the Lancaster brothers had vanished like smoke... rumor was, she’d been locked up too.
Melissa was concerned that her grip on the Lancasters was slipping slowly.
And Seraphina... She didn’t give a damn.
That night... Seraphina had originally planned to go back to the dorm. But when she found out Bella had left for home so she too changed her mind.
She didn’t want to stay alone in that place. She had some terrifying stories of the dorms, too, that she hadn’t dared to think about yet.
But that was for another time.
Right now, she just wanted to go back to the Lancaster mansion, eat something warm, and sleep.
At least her new room was quiet and she could lock the door and not worry about anyone sneaking in.
But the moment she stepped inside, she knew something was wrong.
The whole place was unusually loud. The maids were running around, the butler looked tense, and the air felt suffocating.
"You’re finally here," a sharp voice sliced through the chaos.
Seraphina turned toward the staircase and saw her.
As perfect as always but her gaze was full of poison and so her tongue.
"I didn’t know you had the cheek to come back here after what you’ve done."
Seraphina’s heart clenched for a second. That woman had always been able to twist a knife in her heart with just a few words.
But she didn’t flinch this time.
She lifted her chin slowly and narrowed her eyes. "If I don’t come back here, what would you rather I do? Go back to the orphanage?" she said in a flat and unbothered tone.
Mrs. Lancaster’s face twisted with disgust, not even hiding the hatred she held in.
"Why not?" she spat without missing a beat. "It would’ve been better if that old woman had never found out about you in the first place."
Those words were like a slap right on her face. But Seraphina didn’t show any weakness. She knew just what kind of woman her mother was!
She just stood there... staring at her in silence because people like her, who were easily manipulated, didn’t even deserve a response from her.
And in that moment, Mrs. Lancaster’s fury only grew because the girl she once looked down on... was no longer afraid of her.
"I want you out of this house right this instant!" Mrs. Lancaster spat in fury.
Seraphina paused, slowly turning her head toward the woman. Her expression stayed calm.
"Sure," she said with a cold shrug. "It’s not like I wanted to come here in the first place."
Her heels clicked as she turned to leave, but just before stepping past the front pillars, she stopped.
"Oh, right," she muttered, glancing over her shoulder with a smirk. "Don’t come crying later... You know, when Grandma asks for me on her birthday next week."