Episode 10 — Bruises You Cannot See
627 Words
Rain continued through the night.
By morning, Blackthorn Estate looked untouched again.
No blood.
No broken glass.
No evidence.
The Vespera family had always been excellent at erasing sins.
Seraphina sat alone in the breakfast hall, absently stirring untouched coffee while exhaustion lingered beneath her eyes. She barely slept after the attack.
Every time she closed her eyes—
She saw Kael holding that gun.
Saw blood on his hands.
Saw how calm he remained afterward.
A strange feeling settled heavily inside her chest.
Fear.
Curiosity.
Something worse.
The sound of footsteps interrupted her thoughts.
Kael entered the room already dressed for work, black gloves covering his bruised knuckles now. Several politicians followed behind him discussing numbers and campaign strategies nervously.
Everyone stopped talking when he sat down.
Power moved around him naturally.
Like breathing.
One minister spoke carefully. “The press is asking about last night’s incident.”
Kael poured coffee calmly. “Then lie better.”
Nobody argued.
Seraphina watched silently from across the table.
How did someone become this cold?
This untouchable?
As the meeting ended, the ministers quickly escaped the room one by one.
Only Kael remained.
Silence settled between them again.
Finally—
“You’re staring,” he said without looking up.
Seraphina leaned back slightly. “You killed someone and went back to work the next morning.”
“It wasn’t the first time.”
The casual answer sent chills down her spine.
Kael noticed.
Of course he noticed.
“You’re disturbed.”
“I think I should be.”
His gaze lifted slowly toward her.
“No,” he murmured. “You should be smarter.”
Seraphina frowned.
Kael removed one glove carefully, revealing bruised knuckles split open from violence.
“You grew up surrounded by monsters,” he continued quietly. “Stop acting surprised when they bleed.”
The words hit harder than she expected.
Because deep down—
She knew he included himself among those monsters.
Before she could respond, one servant entered nervously.
“Sir… Miss Seraphina’s university files.”
Kael took the documents immediately.
Seraphina groaned. “Don’t tell me you’re checking my grades now.”
“I’m checking your security.”
“You’re obsessed with control.”
“And you confuse recklessness with independence.”
She stood abruptly from the chair.
“I survived perfectly fine abroad without you controlling my life.”
Kael’s expression changed instantly at those words.
Darkened.
Dangerously.
“You survived because your grandfather buried bodies for you overseas too.”
The room fell silent.
Seraphina stared at him.
Then anger exploded through her chest.
“You think I’m weak?”
Kael stood slowly.
“No,” he said quietly. “I think you’ve spent your entire life protected from reality.”
He walked closer.
One step.
Then another.
Until her back nearly touched the table behind her.
“You wear expensive dresses,” he murmured softly. “You party. You fight. You act fearless.”
His gaze lowered briefly toward her trembling fingers.
“But you still jump at gunshots.”
The observation felt too personal.
Too accurate.
Seraphina hated it.
Hated him for seeing through her.
Kael’s hand suddenly lifted toward her face.
She froze instantly.
But instead of touching her—
His fingers brushed lightly beneath her eye.
Gentle.
Unexpectedly gentle.
“You didn’t sleep,” he said quietly.
The softness in his voice nearly destroyed her composure.
For one dangerous second—
Neither moved.
Then Kael stepped away first.
Control returning immediately.
Always control.
“Stay home today,” he said coldly before leaving the room.
But long after he disappeared—
Seraphina could still feel the phantom warmth of his fingers against her skin.
And somewhere deep inside her chest—
Something dangerous had already begun.
- Writer
