Chapter 2 2

Seraphina's stomach clenched, the familiar knot of anxiety tightening within her chest. Her father. The man she had spent years trying to escape, trying to prove that she could carve out her own life, separate from the strings he always tried to pull. The last thing she wanted was to be drawn back into his web, especially not in front of Cassian Ashford, of all people.

Her lips parted, but the words caught in her throat. She hadn't expected Cassian to bring up her father so soon, not like this, not with the tension between them already thick enough to cut with a knife.

"That's... that's impossible," Seraphina finally said, her voice steady but her insides twisting. "My father is a businessman. He makes moves all the time."

Cassian's gaze didn't falter. His eyes were sharp, assessing. "Not like this. These moves are personal. He's not just competing in the market, Seraphina. He's positioning himself in a way that could jeopardize the company."

Seraphina froze, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She had to fight the instinct to flinch. If her father was targeting Ashford Enterprises, it meant trouble. Real trouble. She couldn't afford to let Cassian see how shaken she felt.

"What exactly are you saying?" she asked, her tone cool, though her mind was spinning.

Cassian stepped into her office, closing the door behind him with a soft click. The action felt deliberate, as though he wanted the two of them to be alone, to face whatever it was he had uncovered.

"I'm saying that your father has been meeting with key players in the industry, Seraphina," he said, his voice low and controlled, "and I've reason to believe he's making a play for control of Ashford Enterprises. He's not just a businessman trying to expand his empire. This is something more personal, and I need to know where you stand in all of this."

His words hung in the air like a heavy cloud, the implications suffocating. Seraphina swallowed hard, fighting to maintain her composure. Cassian Ashford, of all people, was now questioning her loyalty. He was looking at her as though she held the answers to something far bigger than herself. Something dangerous.

"You're wrong," she said, though the conviction behind her words was starting to waver. "My father may be a lot of things, but he wouldn't-" She paused, catching the glimmer of doubt in her own voice. Cassian's unwavering gaze was enough to make her question everything. She couldn't just dismiss what he was saying, not when it involved Ashford Enterprises. Not when it involved her.

"Are you telling me that your father isn't involved in this?" Cassian pressed, his voice like ice. "Because if you're lying to me, Seraphina, it won't end well for either of us."

The chill in his voice sent a shiver down her spine, but she held her ground. She didn't want to show weakness, not now. Not when everything was already unraveling.

"My father has no interest in Ashford Enterprises," she said firmly, though she knew deep down that her words lacked the force they should have. "Whatever he's doing, it's nothing to do with me. I'm here to do my job."

Cassian's expression softened for a fraction of a second, though it quickly hardened again. "I hope you're telling me the truth," he murmured, but there was a note of suspicion in his voice, a warning that made Seraphina's heart race.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was thick with unspoken tension, as though a fragile thread of trust hung in the balance. Seraphina wanted to break it, wanted to tell him that she wasn't involved in whatever her father was planning. But the truth was, she didn't know for sure. Her father had always kept her in the dark about his schemes, just as he had always kept her at arm's length emotionally. She couldn't imagine that he would involve her now. But then again, she didn't know him the way she used to.

"You should be careful," Cassian added, his voice softer now, but no less intense. "Your father plays games, Seraphina. And when he plays games, people get hurt. Don't let him drag you into this."

She wanted to say something-to argue that she was perfectly capable of handling herself, that she didn't need anyone's protection. But there was something in Cassian's voice, something that made her stop. He wasn't just warning her about her father. He was warning her about himself. About the game they were both caught in.

"Thank you for the warning," she said after a long pause, her voice barely above a whisper. She needed to get out of this conversation, needed to escape the intensity of the moment. "I'll be careful."

Cassian nodded once, his eyes never leaving her face. "I'll be watching, Seraphina. For your sake, I hope you're not involved in this."

With that, he turned and left the room, the door clicking shut behind him. Seraphina stood there for a long moment, her hands trembling as she gripped the edge of her desk. His words reverberated in her mind, his warning hanging over her like a dark cloud.

She wasn't involved in whatever her father was plotting. She couldn't be. But the nagging feeling in her gut told her that the truth might be far more complicated than she cared to admit.

As the day wore on, Seraphina couldn't shake the weight of Cassian's words. She tried to focus on the reports in front of her, but her mind kept drifting back to the conversation they'd had. She couldn't stop thinking about how closely Cassian had watched her, how much he had seemed to study her every word, every gesture.

And then there was that strange feeling, that strange connection, that pulsed between them in those brief moments when their eyes locked. It was electric, almost dangerous.

Seraphina shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought. This wasn't the time to get distracted. She had her own plans, her own life to live. And Cassian Ashford was nothing more than a means to an end. He was her boss. A brilliant, dangerous, and increasingly unpredictable boss, but still... her boss.

The sound of the door opening broke her from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Cassian standing in the doorway once more. This time, he didn't say anything. He just stood there, watching her, his gaze intense as ever.

Seraphina felt a flutter of unease in her stomach. What now?

"I need to speak with you," Cassian said after a beat, his voice low and serious.

"About what?" she asked, the unease in her chest spreading like a wave.

"About the report you submitted yesterday," he said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him with a soft click. "There's a detail I think we need to go over."

Seraphina nodded, trying to steady her breath. She needed to remain calm. She had to keep her distance. It wasn't just her job on the line now. It was her future.

Cassian crossed the room and stood next to her desk, leaning in just enough to make her heart race. She forced herself not to react, to pretend this was just another business conversation. But there was nothing "just business" about the way his proximity made her pulse quicken, or the heat that seemed to radiate off his body.

"You've been working with my personal assistant on the quarterly projections, right?" he asked, his voice smooth, yet with an undercurrent of something more-something darker.

"Yes," Seraphina replied, her throat dry. "I've been reviewing the numbers and adjusting the forecasts. It's a routine task."

Cassian's gaze flickered to the screen, his fingers brushing over the keyboard without looking. "There's a discrepancy here," he said, pointing to one of the figures. "You missed it."

Her stomach dropped as she leaned forward to study the screen. It was a detail she had overlooked-nothing major, but enough that Cassian had caught it. Her heart thudded in her chest as she quickly corrected the mistake.

"Sorry, I must have missed that in my review," she said quickly, though she couldn't ignore the rush of embarrassment that flooded her. Cassian's piercing gaze was unwavering, and she could feel the weight of his scrutiny, the challenge in his eyes.

"Don't let it happen again," he said quietly, his voice so close she could almost feel the words on her skin. Then, just as quickly as he had entered, he turned and left, leaving her with nothing but the silence that now felt heavier than before.

Seraphina exhaled shakily. She was growing increasingly aware that being around Cassian was more dangerous than she had ever realized.

The stakes were higher than she could have imagined. And it was only a matter of time before everything she had worked for began to unravel.