Chapter Four
1155 Words
“Yes, Lady A is going on a date with him,” Seraphina bursts her bubble.
“What? Addie, tell me more,” Ivy sits Addie down, wanting to hear the complete story.
“Don’t tell her. She should learn to mind her business, especially when it comes to this Haynes Van Doren guy or whatever.”
“You were the one that mentioned this in the first place. It won’t be nice to leave the girl in this curious state of hers, you know?”
“That's why I love you, Addie,” Ivy looks at Addie with her affectionate eyes and stares at Seraphina badly. “Don’t mind this one. Very wicked human being,” she hisses.
Seraphina laughs and eyes her back.
“Look, my parents are forcing me to go on a date with Haynes Van Doren and then marry him, but I don't want to.”
“You have the chance to marry Haynes Van Doren and you really don't want to?” Ivy says, absolutely surprised that there is someone aside from her sister who is not interested in Haynes Van Doren.
“Yes, I don’t want to marry him or have anything to do with him. I need to go see my boyfriend this evening, and the date with Haynes is this evening too. I asked Phina to go on the date in my place, but she refused. Now I don't know what to do.”
“I can go in your place, Addy. I will have the chance to see him and take pictures with him, then show the whole world even if I can’t marry him. Or maybe I should even marry him in your place. I can very much do that too.”
Seraphina laughs hard, and Ivy hisses at her.
“No, you can't, Ivy. You are a teenager, and it's obvious. It won't work.”
“No, I will just use makeup and dress up so well and extravagantly that he won't even realize that it's a teenager he is speaking to.”
Seraphina goes to pick her up from her seat and drags her. “Didn't you just hear that you can't do it? Go get ready for school.”
“No, I promise I can do it really well and even better than this grumpy. Give me a chance, Addie, please. I beg you,” Ivy cries out while Seraphina throws her out of the bedroom.
“Go get dressed. We are going out today. I am off work, and I know you don’t have work either, or do you?” Seraphina says to Adeline.
Adeline jumps up from the bed, “Yipeee, I'm so excited. It's been a long time since I had a lovely outing with anyone.”
They both go get ready for the day.
*****
Within four silent walls, a man stands by the tall window, the moonlight slicing across his sharp features. His presence alone was enough to freeze blood.
Two men slip into the room, tension clinging to them like sweat.
“Sir… they escaped,” one stammers. “But we’re already on the lookout—”
Before he finishes, the man by the window turns. Slowly. Deliberately. Haynes Van Doren.
His eyes are cold, dead, and unreadable. They are locked onto them as he draws out a gun with a calmness more terrifying than rage.
“You lost them?” His voice is smooth, almost bored and terrifying. He raises the gun to the man’s forehead. “Then you should lose your life too.”
The man drops to his knees instantly. “I… I deserve that, boss. I do. Just… just give me a chance to fix it. Please.”
“We’re sorry, boss,” the second one adds, voice trembling too, “Just one last chance.”
Haynes studies them in chilling silence, his finger resting lightly on the trigger, as if deciding whether their lives are worth the effort it would take to end them. After a long, suffocating moment, he slides the gun back into his coat and flicks his fingers in dismissal.
They scramble out.
Left alone once more, Haynes Van Doren returns to the window.
A man sculpted from fire, ice, and violence. He is an heir to a criminal empire who didn’t just kill but was erased.
Haynes Van Doren is emotionless and precise. A ghost in human skin is a figurative description that suits him perfectly well.
And now, some people had dared to run from him.
That was a mistake.
*****
Seraphina and Adeline are at a beach having fun when Seraphina tells Adeline that she will do it. She will go on the date with Haynes Van Doren in her place.
“Lady A, I will go… I will go on the date with Haynes in your place,” Seraphina lets out, her voice trembling.
“Oh, Goodness Gracious. What would I ever do without you, Phina? You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I am so glad to have you by my side. I would be a fool to ever let you go,” Adeline expresses, happily and overjoyed with words rushing out of her mouth without her realizing it.
She pulls Seraphina into a really tight hug.
“Oh, Phina. You don't know what this means to me. You really don’t.”
*****
After a day of fun, Seraphina and Adeline go to Adeline’s house.
They’d spent the entire day laughing through a whirlwind of fun: a quick luxury shopping spree, and an intense arcade battle where Seraphina shockingly won every game. They squeezed into a photo booth for silly pictures, wandered through Central Park with ice cream in hand, and ended with a relaxing mini-spa session. By the time they returned to Adeline’s house, they were exhausted, glowing, and still teasing each other about who had cheated at the arcade.
It was already evening and time for them to each go for their respective dates. They had shopped for the perfect outfits, and now they get dressed. They both help each other with the makeup and assessment of their looks. Their beauty is out of this world.
“Thank you so much, Phina. Make sure not to mess up, or else I won't spare you.”
“I won't spare you either if you don't spare me.”
****
Seraphina gets to the address Adeline sent to her to meet Haynes. It seemed like the whole place was rented out by him. Apparently, he had reserved the place completely. Seraphina thinks, “Is this his way of flaunting his wealth? How childish of him or does he just not like people being around him? He is definitely a brat.”
She is approached by someone who takes her to Haynes.
****
“I know you are not Adeline. Marry me, Seraphina,” Haynes says to Seraphina.
- Writer
