~ Seraphina ~
The elevator doors of the penthouse slid open with a hushed chime that usually made me flinch. Tonight, I stepped out with a steady stride. The heavy, suffocating air of the Vale residence was still there—smelling of expensive wax and Adrian’s preferred sandalwood—but it didn't feel like it was crushing my lungs anymore.
I walked through the foyer, my heels silent on the Persian rug. The apartment was dark, save for the low-level security lights that cast long, skeletal shadows across the white marble. I caught my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror by the coat closet. My hair was a disaster, my lips were slightly swollen, and my skin had a flush that no amount of designer foundation could replicate.
I looked like a woman who had been thoroughly used. And for once, i
