Chapter 2 A morning of Regret

Daybreak should have felt different.

Maybe the sunlight should have spilled in gently through the curtains with cool warmth, easing the heaviness inside her. Maybe she should have awaken with a contended smile, the echoes of last night still warming her skin.The memory of last night overwhelming her.

Instead, Seraphina stirred up to cool sheets and an abandoned bed.

The faint trace of his scent clung to the air. The room sat in quiet stillness,save for the distant murmur of the traffic outside. The extravagancel-the velvety bedding, polished stone floor, and towering glass windows-was not in existence withher reality, it felt like she was in another world.

A regret.

She pushed herself upright, the smooth fabric slipping from her body. Last night had been impulsive. She wasn't the type of person to surrender into temptation with a stranger, yet here she was-alone in a tycoon penthouse, her gown discarded in a forgotten heap.

Her pulse quickened as her gaze swept the place. Where had he gone?

Then she spotted it, a folded slip of paper on the nightstand.

Her stomach knocked as she stretched out her hand for it.

> Seraphina Had to step out for urgent matters. Stay as long as necessary. L.D.

That was all. No lingering words, no courtesy.

Just a few clip words from a man who clearly didn't do emotions, and keep his distance,who don't give a dime about her.

A dry chuckle escape her, as she balled up the note in her fist. What were you waiting for? A romantic morning?."what was she really thinking?".She kept asking herself.

Still, an unwelcome pang settled deep in her chest.One she wish she can just ignore.

Seraphina got out of bed, gathering her dress and wearing it back. And glance at the mirror -mrssy hair, swollen lips, a flush still on her skin.

She looked like a woman who had been used and left behind, completely ruined by a man who wouldn't even stay for breakfast.

A knock at the door made her jump

Her heart raced as she hesitated, then open the door slightly.

A hotel staff member stood there, neat and professional.

"Miss Vale?"

Her gripped the door handle. "Yes?"

"The car is ready outside to take you home."

A car. As if she nothing rather than a woman to be secretly escorted away once the night came to an end,after a one night stand,just the thought of it irritate her.

Her stomach tightened. Of course. Lysander Duvall didn't do morning after.

Lifting her chin ,she forced a smile"I will find my way."

The man nodded politely"understood, Have a good day, miss."

The door clicked shut.

Seraphina took a shaky breath.

She had to leave. Now. Before she started feeling things she shouldn't.

Grabbing her purse, she slipped on her heels, and walked out,head high,heart guarded-pretending that last night meant nothing to her as it did to him.

---

Across the City – Duvall Enterprises Headquarters

Lysander Duvall sat behind his sleek glass desk, Eyes on the contract before him. His assistant, Rafael Sinclair, stood nearby, awaiting.

"You left early," Rafael said.

Lysander didn't look up. "Something came up."

Rafael chuckled. "Okay. More important than the woman in your hotel suite?"

Lysander's gripped his pen tighter, a hint of something close to guilt crossing his mind.

Seraphina Vale.

Last night was a mistake. A distraction. One he couldn't make again.

But damn,he had wanted to stay.

"It was for just one night."Lysander said flatly.

Rafael raised his eyebrow but stay silent.

Lysander forced his focus back to the deal in front of him, ignoring him -the Sinclair-Duvall Merger, a billion-dollar partnership that would blow his territory.

But there was a problem.

A major investor had backed out after discovering that Lysander was still single.

In Velmoria's elite circles, a man in his position needed stability, and for a man in his position, being unmarried was a weakness.It shows he doesn't have a responsibility.

Rafeal cleared his throat. "About the investor-"

"Find another."Lysander cut in curtly."

"It's not that easy. You know how these people operate. They want proof that your married."I don't think there is anything more than this.Rafeal explain.

Lysander jaw clenched.Marriage was the last thing he wanted, least of all for business purposes. He had vowed never to give a woman that kind of power over him.

To him marriage was a trap, a weakness.He don't want to fall for it.He has been betrayed and don't want anything that will become a source of worries for him.

Then Rafael hesitated, shifting his expression.

"There's something else," he added.

"What now?"Lysander frown impatiently.

Rafael slid a document across the desk. Lysander barely glanced at it until Rafeal spoke again.

"The Sovereign Matrimony Clause just passed."

Lysander's head snapped up, his sharp gaze fixing onto Rafael's.

"What?"

Parliament finalized it last night. Any marriage must last atleast one year before cancellation or divorce-unless there's proven infidelity or abuse."

Lysander's blood ran cold.

This wasn't just a problem. It was a crises.

Breaking a contract marriage now meant serious financial losses. The Duvall company take a hit. His investors would walk away.

His gripped tightened on the document. A forced one year.The law had cornered him.

Rafeal watched him closely,"You have two choices-find a wife fast or lose the merger."

Lysander exhaled,mind racing.He never let anyone control him.Now the law had trapped him. But he wasn't one to back off. His frustration faded, replaced by cold determination.A plan formed.

Rafael smirked. Then, with a knowing look, he murmured, " I know that look you have an idea."

Lysander leaned back."Find seraphina Vale."

Rafael smirked vanished."The woman from last night."

"Yes,"Lysander said smoothly,"she is going to be my wife.

Seraphina Vale.

A woman who doesn't belong to his world. A woman desperately in need of help.

A woman who, despite everything, had already left an unshakeable impression on him.

For the first time that morning, a dangerous smile curled at the edge of his lips.

Maybe last night was not a regret after all.

---