Chapter 5 with a promise to return after speaking to her father

The sun had not yet risen, but Seraphina stood at the edge of the Avarelle Estate's courtyard, staring out at the sprawling garden. The morning mist clung to the ground like a secret, covering the truth beneath it. Celestine had left her there alone, with a promise to return after speaking to her father.

The silence of the estate felt suffocating, almost as though the walls themselves were watching her, listening for any sign of rebellion. This was their home. Their world. But it wasn't hers. It never had been. And with each passing second, Seraphina could feel the weight of everything she had been deprived of pressing down on her chest.

She gripped the railing in front of her, knuckles turning white as she drew in a deep breath. The world was about to change.

A shadow moved beside her, and Celestine appeared, her face ashen, eyes dark with uncertainty. She had spoken to her father, but the conversation had not gone as she had hoped.

"Did you tell him?" Seraphina asked, her voice low but filled with anticipation.

Celestine shook her head. "I couldn't. He doesn't remember you. Not truly. It's like they erased you from every part of their lives."

"But you said you had proof." Seraphina's frustration was evident, her voice rising despite her attempts to keep it controlled. "We have the letters, the documents-everything. Why won't he face it?"

"Because it's easier for him to forget." Celestine's words were like daggers. "He's already lost his grip on everything else. His empire is crumbling. He won't acknowledge the one thing that could destroy him completely."

Seraphina turned, her face pale and her fists clenched at her sides. "Then we force him to remember."

"You don't understand." Celestine's voice cracked, betraying the fear she had buried deep within herself. "You don't know what you're asking. If you expose the truth, if you reveal who you are, you won't just be throwing everything away-you'll be destroying me, too."

Seraphina's gaze softened for a brief moment, but only for a brief moment. She wasn't here to save Celestine. She wasn't here to fix the life that had been stolen from her. She was here to reclaim what was hers.

"I didn't choose this," Seraphina whispered. "They did. They took my name, my place, my family. They didn't just ruin my life-they destroyed it. I want it back, Celestine. And if you stand in my way, you'll be a part of that destruction."

The weight of Seraphina's words hung in the air like a heavy fog. Celestine swallowed hard, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, but she didn't argue. There was no room for negotiation anymore. The line had been drawn.

"I'll help you," Celestine said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "But know this-if we do this, there will be no going back."

Seraphina didn't hesitate. "I'm not afraid."

But fear, deep down, gnawed at her insides, making her heart beat faster with every passing second. The truth, once revealed, could tear the entire world apart. But she couldn't stop. She couldn't let them win.

Celestine's eyes flicked to the door behind them, and Seraphina followed her gaze. Her father's study, the place where all of this had started, stood ominously in the distance.

They weren't alone.

Seraphina had known from the moment she'd stepped foot in this house that the walls were listening. The air felt thick with tension, as if someone was watching their every move. But who?

Suddenly, a figure stepped from the shadows-a man dressed in a tailored suit, his face hidden in the gloom of the early morning light. Seraphina's pulse quickened.

"Did you think you could hide forever, Celestine?" The man's voice was smooth, his words laced with venom. "Did you think the past wouldn't come back to haunt you?"

Celestine froze, her face draining of color. "Father."

The man stepped forward, and for the first time, Seraphina saw the true face of Howard Avarelle. He was older than she had imagined, his features sharp and cruel, like the cold marble statues that adorned the estate. His eyes-dark, calculating-narrowed as they focused on Seraphina.

"So, this is the one who was supposed to be forgotten," he murmured, his gaze lingering on her with a mixture of disdain and curiosity. "I should've known. A bastard's blood doesn't lie."

Seraphina's breath caught in her throat. "Bastard? I'm not some illegitimate child."

Howard laughed softly, but there was no warmth in it. Only cold amusement. "Oh, but you are. In more ways than one. You were a mistake, a burden that my family tried to erase. But now you've come crawling back, haven't you?"

Celestine's face turned pale as she stepped forward, her voice trembling. "No, Father. She's not-"

Howard raised a hand, silencing her. "Don't make this worse than it already is, Celestine. I have enough problems to deal with without you dragging this-this child-into my life again."

Seraphina's anger flared, but she held it in check. This was it. The confrontation she had been waiting for. She couldn't let him break her now.

"You can't hide behind your wealth and power forever," she said, her voice steady, but cold. "You may have thought you could bury me, but the truth always comes out in the end."

Howard's eyes flashed with something darker. "You think you're so important, don't you? You think the truth will save you? It won't. You're nothing. Just a ghost from the past. And I'll make sure you stay there."

"I'm not a ghost," Seraphina replied, stepping forward, her voice gaining strength. "I'm your daughter. And I will make sure you never forget that."

Celestine took a step back, watching the tension between them grow with a mixture of fear and disbelief. She had known what was coming, but seeing it unfold was something entirely different.

Howard's lips curled into a cruel smile. "We'll see about that."