Chapter 3

3

On the day I was discharged, I received a rare phone call from Quinton.

"Seraphina, come to the office."

His voice was cold and professional, devoid of any emotion.

I swallowed hard and finally managed a quiet "Okay."

It was time to make things clear.

"Welcome back!"

Poppers went off, and colorful streamers rained down on me.

Quinton stood at the end of the hall holding a bouquet of flowers, walking toward me step by step.

"Sera, welcome back."

I licked my dry lips, but Quinton shoved the flowers into my arms and gripped my hand tightly.

"Sera, don't be afraid. I'll protect you from now on."

He whispered the words softly.

I looked at the man who had been by my side for years, unable to tell if he was being sincere.

"I was wrong about the situation with my aunt. I'll be more careful with my boundaries from now on. Can you forgive me?"

For the first time, Quinton held me close in front of all our colleagues.

He had always insisted on keeping his private life separate from work.

No matter how much I complained before, he never publicly acknowledged me.

But now, he was finally willing to admit I existed.

He even promised to keep his distance from Lydia.

My dying heart couldn't help but skip a beat again.

Maybe I could try to trust him one last time.

But reality always has a way of shattering dreams.