Revenge of the Billionaire's Dead Fiance

Chapter 7

Lysander's Point of View

I sat behind my desk, flipping through the stack of contracts that had piled up overnight. Numbers, figures, proposals—everything demanded my attention, but I barely registered them. My focus was mechanical, the way it always was when I tried to bury myself in work.

The door clicked open. I didn’t bother to look up.

“Did you forget something?” I asked, still scanning the figures in front of me, assuming it was Seraphina who had just stepped out of my office a while ago.

But then I caught a subtle fragrance in the air—floral, crisp, and light. Not Seraphina’s musky, intoxicating scent. This was different. Softer.

“Hello, Mr. Thorne.”

My head snapped up.

She stood there. Scarlet Wilde. My new PA.

For a moment, my breath caught. Her green eyes locked with mine, and something inside me faltered. Those eyes—bright, steady—pulled me back into a memory I had long buried. Katherina. The resemblance was uncanny, enough to make my chest tighten as if someone had reached in and gripped my heart.

I must have stared too long, because she tilted her head slightly, lips parting as if to speak again. My thoughts spun, tangled between past and present, until her voice cut sharply through the haze.

“Mr. Thorne?”

The name jolted me, dragging me out of the trance. I coughed into my fist, shifting uncomfortably in my chair, and forced my features back into the mask of composure I wore so well.

“Ms. Wilde,” I said smoothly, though my voice carried the faintest edge. “Have a seat.”

She did, her movements calm, graceful. Too graceful. I reached for the phone on my desk, pressing a button.

“I’ll have someone walk you through your duties,” I said. My tone was clipped, professional, though I couldn’t shake the way her eyes lingered in my mind. “It’s important you understand how things run here.”

I was about to request for one of my senior staff to come up when the door burst open without warning.

“Lysander.”

Her voice was sharp, commanding.

I looked up to see Seraphina striding in, her heels clicking against the polished floor, her presence filling the room like a storm. She didn’t even glance at me first—her gaze went straight to Scarlet, narrowing with something between hostility and recognition.

“You.” Seraphina’s finger jabbed through the air, her tone venomous. “Leave us. Now.”

I blinked, momentarily caught between the two women—the calm presence of Scarlet seated before me and Seraphina, standing bold and unyielding in front of my desk. My brow furrowed as confusion tangled with the faint remnants of that unsettling memory Scarlet had awakened in me.

I leaned back in my chair, watching Scarlet cross one leg over the other with deliberate grace. She didn’t flinch under Seraphina’s glare. Instead, her green eyes narrowed, a hint of mischief in them.

“I beg your pardon?” Scarlet’s voice was calm, almost teasing, as if Seraphina’s outburst amused her.

I shot up from my seat, my pulse spiking. “Excuse me, Ms. Wilde,” I said quickly, stepping around my desk. I grabbed Seraphina’s wrist, tugging her away to the corner. “What the hell are you doing barging in here like this?” I hissed under my breath.

Seraphina jerked her hand free with a sharp hiss. “Protecting you,” she snapped, her eyes blazing. Then, without hesitation, she marched back to Scarlet and pointed at her again. “Get up this minute. You’re not working here. Not as his PA. Not ever.”

Scarlet leaned back, a slow, mocking smile tugging at her lips. “Funny,” she said smoothly, “I don’t recall needing your permission.”

That did it. Seraphina’s whole face twisted with fury. I could almost hear her nails digging into her palms.

“Enough,” I cut in, my voice firm. I turned to Scarlet, trying to keep my composure. “Ms. Wilde, please step out for now. I’ll call you back in shortly.”

Scarlet rose with a graceful calm that only seemed to pour salt into Seraphina’s wounds. She didn’t even look at me—her gaze locked firmly on Seraphina as if silently daring her to move. Then, without another word, she walked out, ignoring the daggers Seraphina’s eyes threw at her.

The door clicked shut behind her.

I turned to Seraphina, narrowing my eyes at her. “Why the hell are you harassing my new PA? Have you two met before?”

She walked back to the table with all the elegance she could muster, sat down, and crossed her legs like she owned the room. “Come sit down, Lysander,” she said, ignoring my question entirely.

I just stood there for a moment, confused, staring at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads. Finally, I walked over to my chair and sat down across from her, folding my arms. “Start talking, Seraphina.”

She leaned back, her gaze sharp but strangely unsettled. “I don’t know that woman from anywhere,” she said slowly, “but I don’t like her aura. She smells like trouble.”

For a moment, I just stared at her in silence, trying to make sense of what she had just said. Trouble? Aura? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Then, unexpectedly, laughter burst out of me. I pushed away from the chair, stood up, and straightened my tie. Walking over to where she sat, I bent down until my eyes were level with hers.

“Are you jealous?” I asked with a smirk.

Her composure cracked instantly. She shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable, and started to stutter. “Hell no! She’s not even up to my class.”

I smiled wider, letting the smirk tug at my lips. “At least we can agree she’s very pretty. Like a goddess. Did you see the way she walks? Her stature—”

Seraphina shot to her feet, glaring daggers at me. “What the hell are you doing? Hitting on your new PA?”

I chuckled, reaching for her waist to pull her close. “Relax, I’m teasing. You’re my queen. Nobody could ever take your place.”

Her anger softened just a little, and I pressed my lips against hers. The kiss lingered, familiar, grounding. But then, as soon as we pulled apart, she looked me dead in the eye and asked the question I’d been avoiding for years.

“So, babe… when are you putting a ring on my finger? It’s been five years. What are you waiting for?”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. My smile faltered. The room suddenly felt heavier, and I straightened up, loosening my grip on her. My mood shifted instantly, the teasing gone.

I cleared my throat and forced a casual tone, steering away from the subject. “We should probably get back to work.”