Chapter 7:Under the Same Roof
1162 Words
Seraphina stared at Caspian in disbelief.
"You can't stay here," she said.
"I can," he said.
"This is my apartment."
"And someone targeted your apartment tonight," he replied.
She folded her arms across her chest. "That still doesn't give you permission to move in."
"I'm not moving in," he said. "I'm staying until morning."
Seraphina opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. As much as she hated admitting it, she was still shaken by the anonymous messages and the power outage.
Caspian glanced toward the window before looking back at her.
"You're scared," he said.
"I'm not scared," she replied.
"You are."
"I said I'm not."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"You're stubborn."
"And you're arrogant," she said.
"I've heard that before."
She rolled her eyes.
Dorian stepped back into the apartment. "The building security footage has been deleted," he said.
Seraphina's stomach dropped.
"What do you mean deleted?" she asked.
"Whoever was here knew exactly what they were doing," Dorian replied.
Caspian's expression darkened.
"Find out who had access to the cameras," he said.
"I'm already working on it," Dorian replied.
After Dorian left again, silence settled over the apartment.
Seraphina walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.
Her hands were trembling slightly.
"You should sit down," Caspian said.
She took a sip of water.
"You sound like my father."
His eyes narrowed.
"Don't compare me to him."
The sharpness in his voice caught her attention.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because we're nothing alike," he replied.
She studied his face.
The mention of her father always changed him.
His jaw tightened.
His eyes grew colder.
His entire body seemed to harden.
"What really happened between our families?" she asked.
Caspian looked away.
"I told you before," he said. "You're not ready for that conversation."
"Maybe I am."
"No," he replied.
The certainty in his voice irritated her.
"You don't get to decide that."
"I do when your life is at risk."
She stared at him.
"You're keeping secrets."
"So are you."
The accusation surprised her.
"What secrets am I keeping?" she asked.
His eyes locked onto hers.
"Your mother knows more than she's telling you."
The words hit harder than she expected.
Deep down, she had suspected the same thing.
Ever since her mother's reaction to hearing Caspian's name, something had felt wrong.
"What do you know about my mother?" she asked.
"Enough."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting tonight."
Frustration burned inside her.
Every conversation with him felt like chasing shadows.
Before she could respond, her stomach growled.
The sound echoed through the apartment.
Caspian raised an eyebrow.
Heat rushed to her cheeks.
"Oh my God," she muttered.
"When was the last time you ate?" he asked.
"I'm fine."
"When was the last time you ate?" he repeated.
She looked away.
"Breakfast."
His expression became unreadable.
"That was twelve hours ago."
"I've been busy."
"You've been neglecting yourself."
She scoffed.
"Now you're judging my eating habits?"
"No," he said. "I'm fixing them."
Before she could stop him, he pulled out his phone.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Ordering food."
"Caspian—"
"You need dinner."
"I can order my own food."
He looked at her.
"You haven't."
Ten minutes later, several bags of food arrived.
Seraphina stared at the expensive restaurant logo.
"You ordered half the menu."
"I was hungry," he said.
"You said this food was for me."
"It is."
She laughed despite herself.
To her surprise, he smiled.
The sight caught her completely off guard.
She had seen him angry.
Cold.
Dangerous.
But smiling?
That was different.
For a moment, he looked younger.
Less burdened.
Less haunted.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said quickly.
"You were staring."
"I was not."
"You were."
She hated that he was right.
The two of them sat at the small dining table.
It felt strange seeing a billionaire in her modest apartment.
Stranger still was how natural it felt.
For a while, they ate in comfortable silence.
Then Caspian set down his fork.
"Why did you become a designer?" he asked.
The question surprised her.
"No one's ever asked me that."
"I'm asking."
She hesitated.
"My father used to take me to construction sites," she said. "I loved watching empty spaces become something beautiful."
A shadow crossed Caspian's face.
"He sounds like a good father."
The comment felt genuine.
"He was," she said softly.
"Was?"
She looked down.
"I haven't seen him in years."
Caspian remained silent.
"My father disappeared," she continued. "No explanation. No goodbye. One day he was there. The next day he was gone."
For the first time, genuine sympathy appeared in his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said.
The words were so unexpected that she almost didn't believe them.
"You are?"
"Yes."
She studied him carefully.
"You hated him."
His expression hardened.
"I never said that."
"You didn't have to."
The tension returned instantly.
Caspian stood and walked toward the window.
The city lights reflected in the glass.
"He made mistakes," Caspian said quietly.
"You don't know that."
"I do."
The certainty in his voice sent a chill down her spine.
"What aren't you telling me?" she asked.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he asked, "What if everything you believe about your family is wrong?"
She stared at him.
"Then I'd want to know the truth."
His shoulders tensed.
"Be careful what you wish for."
The room fell silent again.
Hours later, Seraphina prepared the couch.
"You can sleep here," she said.
Caspian looked at the couch.
Then at her.
"No."
"No?" she repeated.
"You sleep on the couch."
Her jaw dropped.
"This is my apartment."
"And your couch is more comfortable."
"You've never sat on it."
"I can tell."
She threw a pillow at him.
He caught it effortlessly.
For a moment, they both froze.
Then she laughed.
A real laugh.
The first one she'd had all day.
To her surprise, Caspian laughed too.
The sound was low and warm.
It transformed his entire face.
For a brief second, they weren't enemies.
They weren't connected by secrets or revenge.
They were simply two people sharing a ridiculous argument.
Eventually, Caspian took the couch.
Seraphina retreated to her bedroom.
She should have fallen asleep immediately.
Instead, she lay awake staring at the ceiling.
Her thoughts kept returning to him.
To his concern.
To his warnings.
To the sadness she had glimpsed behind his eyes.
None of it made sense.
Sometime after midnight, a noise woke her.
A creak.
Then another.
Her eyes snapped open.
She sat up slowly.
The apartment was dark.
Silent.
Then she heard it.
The sound of a drawer opening.
Someone was inside the apartment.
Her pulse exploded.
She slipped out of bed and reached for her phone.
Before she could move toward the door, it suddenly opened.
A figure stepped into her room.
Seraphina inhaled sharply.
"Caspian?" she whispered.
The figure didn't answer.
And in that terrifying moment, she realized it wasn't him.
- Writer
