A hollow victory

(Seraphine’s POV)

The moment Elias leaves, the tension in the room lingers like a bad aftertaste.

I stay still, staring at the closed door, waiting for something—maybe irritation, maybe relief. But there’s nothing. Just the same dull weight pressing against my ribs, the same quiet exhaustion that never quite fades.

With a slow breath, I push the file away and rub my temples.

This isn’t good.

Not just the sabotage, not just the fact that I have to work with him—but the fact that I didn’t see it coming. Someone has been attacking my company from the inside, and I was too preoccupied to notice. That alone should terrify me.

But it doesn’t.

Fear takes energy, and these days, I barely have enough left to function.

I glance at my phone. 12:26 AM.

Too late to be here. Too early to sleep. Not that it matters—I’ll end up staring at the ceiling either way.

With a sigh, I gather my things and leave the office, ignoring the way my body protests. The air outside is crisp, the city humming with late-night traffic and distant sirens. I walk toward my car, heels clicking against the pavement, the only sound accompanying me in the vast emptiness of the underground parking lot.

Then I hear it—footsteps.

I don’t stop, don’t turn my head, but my grip on my keys tightens. The footsteps are steady, unhurried, just far enough behind me to make my pulse spike.

Not tonight.

I reach my car, unlock it smoothly, and slide into the driver’s seat, locking the doors in one motion. My breath is even, controlled. I check the mirrors.

No one.

Still, I don’t move right away.

My fingers hover over my phone, debating whether to call someone—but who? My assistant? My head of security? My father?

No.

I inhale, exhale, and finally turn the key. The engine hums to life, filling the silence, pushing away the unease.

Maybe I imagined it. Maybe I didn’t.

Either way, I’m too tired to care.

---

The penthouse is as empty as I left it.

I toss my bag onto the couch and head straight for the liquor cabinet, pouring a glass of whiskey without bothering with ice. The burn is sharp, but it doesn’t do what I need it to.

I stare at my own reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows.

From the outside, everything looks perfect. The luxury, the power, the untouchable image. Seraphine Ashford, CEO, public figure, the woman who never falters.

But the truth is simpler.

I don’t feel anything.

I don’t even know when that started—when the anger stopped burning, when the victories stopped feeling like victories, when everything just… became hollow.

Maybe it’s always been like this. Maybe I just got too good at pretending.

I drain the glass and set it down, pressing my fingers against my temples.

Tomorrow, I’ll meet with Elias again. We’ll act like this is just another battle in our endless war. And I’ll play my part, like I always do.

Because at the end of the day, that’s all I am—a role to be played.

And I don’t know if there’s anything left of me underneath it.

---

End of Chapter 3

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***