Scarred Seductress

A smile Before the Sirens

“Come… I’ll take you to Mama.” Selene said and took Quinn’s pouty little hand, ignoring the banging and frantic yelling of Marina’s assistant locked inside the restroom.

Marina had the audacity to speak on Leo. There truly was no limit to her heartlessness—but this time, Selene would make her understand she wasn’t the woman she had been years ago. Now, she knew how to bite back.

“Mama… where is Mama?” the child cooed, suddenly growing restless. She crouched to the floor, whimpering as tears gathered in her eyes.

Selene scoffed.

“I want Mama…” Quinn whimpered, glancing around the stuffy, empty hallway.

“You won’t be seeing Mama for a very long time, little one…” Selene murmured coldly, a slow, unsettling smile curving her lips as she lowered to the child’s level. Her fingers slid into Quinn’s hair, patting it gently—almost tenderly.

“I just want Mama…” Quinn cried, taking trembling steps backward, the icy gaze in Selene’s eyes terrifying her.

“I know it’s not your fault. You’re innocent, baby…” Selene said softly, faking a pout before letting out a low, scornful laugh. “But your Mama deserves what’s coming.”

Quinn broke down in confusion and bolted past Selene, scurrying toward the lonely staircase ahead.

Selene tilted her head slowly.

She was even going to make it easy.

The stairs were perfect—quiet, secluded—while Marina’s assistant would carry the blame for everything. Marina had left the child in her care, and knowing what Selene held over the girl’s head, she wouldn’t dare speak. Not even if it destroyed her.

“I said I’m taking you to Mama—wait up…” Selene joked lightly, hastening after her as Quinn reached the top of the stairs.

“Mama!” Quinn cried again.

“Well… say hello to Lesley,” Selene muttered under her breath, her smile vanishing, replaced with a sudden look of ruthless resolve.

She hissed sharply and was just about to reach for the child when a piercing scream echoed through the building, jolting her to an abrupt halt.

“Mama?”

Selene turned quickly as a toddler sprinted past, breaking into tears. For reasons she couldn’t explain, the sound of the child’s voice struck something deep inside her—familiar—sending a curl of unease twisting through her stomach.

She shook it off.

Her gaze snapped back to Quinn, who had already begun descending the stairs, panic driving her tiny steps.

Then—

“Quinn!”

Damien’s voice thundered through the stairwell.

Selene’s eyes widened.

She lunged forward, grabbing the child and swinging her into her arms instead.

“We’re here…” Selene called out in a shaky, breathless tone as she hurried down the stairs, Quinn sobbing violently against her chest.

“Oh my goodness… baby, thank goodness you’re okay…” Damien growled as he came scurrying forward with guards and school security, taking his daughter from Selene’s arms. He exhaled in relief as he wrapped her tightly against his chest.

“Thank goodness you’re okay…” Damien breathed again, tightening his hold around the crying child as he took in deep, heavy breaths.

“Are you okay, ma’am?” a guard asked Selene, his eyes searching her body for any signs of wounds or bruises.

“Yeah… of course, I’m totally fine…” Selene mouthed in a low, barely audible voice, her fingers clutching her chest as though she were struggling to catch her breath.

Damien looked up and met her eyes. He lowered his gaze instantly, panic rising within him as a thousand and one questions tugged at his mind for the first time since this woman had stepped into their lives.

“You don’t have to thank me—”

“Who are you?” Damien suddenly asked, handing Quinn over to a guard behind him. His restless, piercing gaze bore into Selene as though he were trying to see beyond a mask—one he was certain she was wearing. With a wave of his hand, he signaled the guards to leave with Quinn, and they did quietly, leaving just the two of them.

“Why are you—”

“Why are you suddenly everywhere?” he pressed. “What do you want?”

His hand shot out, gripping her arm and tearing a painful whimper from her lips. Surprise spread rapidly across her face.

“I won’t ask you again.”

“Get your hand off me,” Selene barked, yanking herself free. She exhaled slowly, forcing calm as irritation bubbled inside her. She wasn’t going to blow her cover now—she hadn’t come this far for that.

“Is that your little way of showing appreciation, Mr. Damien?” she fired, rolling her eyes.

He tore his gaze away, biting hard on his lower lip. He knew women like her—he saw them every day. Women who wanted power and would go to any extent to get it.

A low hiss escaped him as his fingers clawed roughly through his hair and he began to pace, shame and disappointment spreading through his veins—not for her, but for himself. Because even though he knew her kind too well, he couldn’t deny she was the only woman to stir something in him in a very long time.

“What do you want?” he asked again, this time calmly.

Selene said nothing. Her eyes lingered on his face for a brief second, a painful swallow sliding down her throat as soon as his eyes locked onto hers—the same eyes that had once promised her forever.

“I asked you a question!” he barked breathlessly.

She looked away, fists clenched at her sides as a hollow ache pressed down on her chest.

“Do you want money? s*x?” he growled, closing in on her again. His arm claimed her waist in one strong, possessive motion, his eyes trailing slowly over her body as their faces hovered inches apart.

Selene let out a hollow laugh, struggling as she tried to push him away.

“I can f*ck you if that’s what you want,” he sneered, “but you’ll disappear afterward—so you don’t start scheming and putting my daughter’s life at risk. Do you hear me?”

He leaned closer, just about to lower his face to her neck when she shoved him back and cracked a hard slap across his face.

“You think I want s*x from you?” Selene spat, biting hard on her lower lip, furious.

Damien chuckled. “Name your price.”

She slapped him again.

He scoffed, lifting a hand to his slightly split lip and wiping the blood away with slow precision.

“I’m just a mother trying to navigate her way into important circles for the sake of her son,” Selene threw bitterly.

Surprise etched quickly across Damien’s face, clearly shaken by the discovery.

“So stop dreaming, Mr. Damien,” she continued sharply. “I’m not here to f*ck you.”

It hit his ego exactly where she intended.

Damien scoffed again, shaking his head as he chuckled darkly.

“You? A mother?” he sneered. “If you were one, you wouldn’t go this far just to get my attention—putting innocent children at risk.”

He seized her arm again, yanking her close.

Cold sweat broke across Selene’s forehead as the certainty in his eyes struck her silent. Had he come across any of the men who worked for her?

“What are you talking about?” she stuttered.

His grip tightened.

“The fire in the house yesterday—that was you, wasn’t it?” he questioned seriously.

Selene swallowed hard. Of course he would suspect it—his father had already figured her out.

“What are you—”

“You did all that just so you could stay,” he went on, “just so you’d have the perfect opportunity to sneak your way into my room.”

Relief washed over her quietly. For a moment, she had feared he knew more—something closer to the real reason she was back.

“So tell me,” he pressed, “what is it this time? Saving my daughter so I’d owe you? Playing the hero so I’d be indebted to you out of gratitude?”

Selene yanked herself free and tucked her now-messy hair behind her ear.

“Until you have proof, Mr. Damien, do not lay baseless accusations against me,” she snapped. “I’m a mother, and I would never do anything that would put my child—or any child—at risk.”

Without sparing him another glance, she turned and walked out of the building, replacing the anger on her face with a shaken one, quickening her steps as paramedics swarmed around.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” they asked as she broke into coughing fits.

Her eyes caught sight of Marina bawling, clutching and kissing her baby. Selene tore her gaze away, disappointed. All this chaos—for nothing. And now she would have countless questions to answer for carrying out an emergency operation.

“Take a deep breath, ma’am…”

Selene nodded faintly, meeting Damien’s eyes again as he exited the building casually.

“Leo! Leo!”

Ava’s frantic voice rang through the crowd.

Selene’s heart sank. Before she could even look up, Ava came running toward her, crying, frantically pushing past people and scanning every child in sight.

“Leo, where are you?” she sobbed, rushing straight to Selene.

“What are you talking about? Where is Leo?” Selene stuttered, her voice losing all strength as her head echoed with the haunting familiarity of the voice she had heard earlier—the one that had called her Mama.

“Where is Leo?” Selene screamed, her body shaking violently as fear shot up her spine.

“I think… I think—”

Selene bolted.