THE GAME OF REVENGE

The Woman They Framed

The alarm continued to echo through the building.

Seraphina couldn't move.

Her employee credentials.

Her name.

Her access.

Someone had used all of it.

And somehow, they had entered a restricted database she hadn't even known existed.

"That's impossible."

Her voice sounded strangely distant.

Roman was already speaking into his phone.

"Lock down the forty-eighth floor. Nobody leaves the building."

Alexander didn't move.

He simply stared at Seraphina.

She knew that look.

Suspicion.

Calculation.

Judgment.

"You think I did it."

It wasn't a question.

Alexander's expression remained unreadable.

"I think someone wants me to think you did it."

Seraphina blinked.

That wasn't the answer she expected.

Roman lowered his phone.

"The security team is checking the access logs."

"How long?" Alexander asked.

"Ten minutes."

"Too long."

Alexander looked at Seraphina.

"Come with me."

She didn't move.

"Where?"

"My office."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's happening."

His eyes hardened.

"You already know what's happening."

"No, I don't."

"Someone accessed my private database using your credentials."

"I didn't do it."

"I know."

Seraphina stared at him.

"You believe me?"

"I didn't say that."

Her jaw tightened.

"Then what exactly are you saying?"

Alexander stepped closer.

"I'm saying that if you wanted to steal something from me, you wouldn't leave your fingerprints all over the crime."

She hated that he was right.

"What makes you think I didn't?"

"Because you're smarter than that."

For some reason, that answer bothered her more than an accusation would have.

Alexander turned toward the private elevator.

"Come."

Seraphina followed.

Roman entered behind them.

The elevator doors closed.

Nobody spoke.

The silence was suffocating.

Seraphina looked at the digital display.

Forty-eight.

Forty-seven.

Forty-six.

Then she noticed something.

Roman wasn't looking at her.

He was looking at Alexander.

As if waiting for an order.

"Who was the third person in that photograph?" she asked.

Neither man answered.

She looked at Alexander.

"You said he was my father's closest friend."

"That's what I was told."

"By whom?"

"My father."

"What's his name?"

Alexander's jaw tightened.

"Julian Laurent."

Seraphina's blood ran cold.

She knew that name.

She had heard it once.

Only once.

Her father had been speaking on the phone late at night.

She had been sixteen.

She remembered Gabriel saying:

"Julian, if you disappear, I swear I'll find you."

She had never understood what it meant.

Until now.

"Julian Laurent wasn't my father's friend."

Alexander looked at her.

"Then who was he?"

Seraphina swallowed.

"My uncle."

The elevator suddenly felt smaller.

Roman looked at her.

"Your father's brother?"

"Yes."

Alexander's eyes narrowed.

"Why didn't you know about him?"

"Because my father never talked about him."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

The elevator doors opened.

They stepped into the underground parking level.

A black sedan waited nearby.

Alexander walked toward it.

Seraphina stopped.

"I have my own car."

"You won't be driving."

She glared at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Someone just framed you using your credentials."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know."

He opened the passenger door.

"Get in."

She stared at him.

"You're unbelievably controlling."

"And you're unbelievably stubborn."

"I don't take orders from you."

Alexander leaned against the open door.

"Then consider it a suggestion."

"That sounded nothing like a suggestion."

"It wasn't."

She almost laughed.

Almost.

Instead, she got inside.

Alexander closed the door.

Roman entered the driver's seat.

Alexander sat beside Seraphina.

The vehicle pulled away.

For several minutes, nobody spoke.

Then Alexander said:

"Tell me everything you know about Julian Laurent."

Seraphina looked out the window.

"Not much."

"Try."

"My father never spoke about him."

"Did you ever meet him?"

"No."

"Did you know he existed?"

"Not until tonight."

Alexander studied her.

"You're lying."

Seraphina turned toward him.

"I'm not."

"Then why did you hesitate?"

"Because I'm trying to remember."

"Memory doesn't require hesitation."

"People do."

He said nothing.

She looked at him.

"Why do you care so much about Julian?"

Alexander's expression changed.

Something dark passed through his eyes.

"Because he was the last person my father spoke to before he disappeared."

Seraphina's breath caught.

"Your father disappeared?"

"Not exactly."

"What does that mean?"

Alexander looked out the window.

"It means the story I was given about my father's death has never made sense."

She stared at him.

"Your father is dead."

"Yes."

"Then what's there to question?"

"Everything."

The car fell silent again.

Seraphina watched the city pass outside.

For the first time, she realized something.

Alexander Devereaux wasn't simply protecting his family's secrets.

He was searching for answers too.

That shouldn't have made her feel less angry.

But it did.

And she hated herself for it.

The car stopped outside a private building owned by Devereaux Holdings.

Alexander led her inside.

They entered a secure room.

No windows.

No cameras.

A single table.

Two chairs.

A large monitor on the wall.

Roman remained outside.

Alexander closed the door.

Seraphina crossed her arms.

"What is this?"

"A place where we can speak without being overheard."

"Why would we need that?"

"Because your father wasn't the only person investigating Devereaux Holdings."

She frowned.

"Who else?"

"Julian."

Seraphina stared at him.

Alexander turned on the monitor.

A series of documents appeared.

Financial transactions.

Bank records.

Photographs.

Old newspaper articles.

Seraphina walked closer.

"This is from seven years ago."

"Yes."

She scanned the screen.

Then she saw something.

A company name.

Laurent International.

Her father's company.

But beside it was another name.

Moretti Capital.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Cassian Moretti."

Alexander nodded.

"Your father was working with him."

Seraphina turned sharply.

"No."

"You knew him?"

"No."

"Your father did."

"That's impossible."

Alexander pulled another document onto the screen.

A photograph.

Gabriel Laurent shaking hands with Cassian Moretti.

Seraphina stared at it.

Her father looked younger.

Healthy.

Alive.

And standing beside a man Seraphina had never seen in her father's life.

She whispered:

"Why didn't I know about this?"

Alexander didn't answer.

She turned toward him.

"How long have you had these?"

"Years."

"Why didn't you give them to me?"

"Because I didn't know if I could trust you."

She laughed bitterly.

"You still don't."

"No."

At least he was honest.

She looked back at the photograph.

Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

"What's the date?"

Alexander zoomed in.

Seraphina's eyes widened.

"This was taken three days before my father died."

"Yes."

"Then why was he meeting Cassian Moretti?"

"I don't know."

Seraphina stared at the image.

A terrible thought entered her mind.

"Maybe Cassian killed him."

Alexander's expression didn't change.

"Maybe."

She turned toward him.

"You don't sound surprised."

"I've suspected him for years."

"Then why is he still alive?"

"Because suspicion isn't evidence."

Seraphina looked at the documents again.

Then she noticed something else.

A small handwritten note appeared on one of the scanned pages.

Her father's handwriting.

She recognized it immediately.

She moved closer.

Alexander watched her.

"What does it say?"

Seraphina read the words.

Her face slowly drained of color.

"What?"

She pointed at the screen.

"That's my father's handwriting."

Alexander stepped closer.

The note contained only one sentence.

The Devereaux family isn't the enemy.

Seraphina stopped breathing.

Alexander looked at her.

"Keep reading."

Below it was another sentence.

If Seraphina ever comes looking for the truth, don't let her trust the Morettis.

Silence.

Seraphina stepped backward.

"No."

Alexander watched her carefully.

"What?"

"My father knew."

"Knew what?"

"That I would come looking."

She stared at the words.

Her hands began to tremble.

"He knew."

Alexander didn't speak.

She looked at him.

"Why would he write that?"

"I don't know."

"You said you had this for years."

"Yes."

"Then you knew my father didn't blame your family."

"I suspected it."

"You suspected?"

Alexander's voice remained calm.

"I didn't have enough evidence."

Seraphina's eyes filled with anger.

"Seven years."

He didn't respond.

"You had this for seven years."

"Yes."

"And you let me believe your family destroyed mine."

"I didn't know what was true."

"You could have told me."

"I didn't know if you were part of the problem."

She stared at him.

"What does that mean?"

Alexander stepped closer.

"It means I didn't know if Gabriel had trusted the wrong person."

Seraphina's heart sank.

"My father?"

"Yes."

"You think my father betrayed your family?"

"I think everyone in this story has lied."

She looked away.

Her entire world suddenly felt unstable.

Everything she had believed for seven years had been built on one assumption.

The Devereaux family was responsible.

But her father had written the opposite.

And if that was true—

then who had she been taking revenge against?

Alexander walked toward the door.

"We're done."

Seraphina looked at him.

"No."

He stopped.

"We're not."

She picked up the photograph.

"You're helping me find the truth."

Alexander turned.

"Why?"

"Because if my father didn't blame your family…"

She held his gaze.

"Then I want to know who he did blame."

Alexander stared at her.

Then slowly nodded.

"Fine."

Seraphina exhaled.

"But there's one condition."

"What?"

"You don't lie to me."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"That's an impossible condition."

"Why?"

"Because you haven't asked me the right questions yet."

Before she could respond, the door opened.

Roman stepped inside.

His face was pale.

Alexander immediately noticed.

"What happened?"

Roman looked at Seraphina.

Then at Alexander.

"We found the person who accessed the database."

Alexander's expression hardened.

"Who?"

Roman swallowed.

"An employee."

"Name."

"Daniel Reeves."

Seraphina frowned.

"Who is he?"

"Senior financial analyst," Roman said.

Alexander nodded.

"Bring him here."

Roman hesitated.

"He's dead."

The room went silent.

Seraphina's stomach dropped.

"What?"

Roman continued.

"They found him in the parking garage ten minutes ago."

Alexander's face became unreadable.

"Cause of death?"

"Not determined yet."

"Police?"

"On their way."

Alexander looked at Seraphina.

She could see the calculation happening behind his eyes.

Someone had used her credentials.

Someone had entered the restricted database.

And now the only person who could explain it—

was dead.

Then Roman said something that made the room go completely still.

"There was a message on his phone."

Alexander looked at him.

"What message?"

Roman hesitated.

Then handed him the phone.

Alexander read it.

His expression changed.

Seraphina stepped closer.

"What does it say?"

Alexander looked at her.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he handed her the phone.

There was only one message.

Four words.

SHE KNOWS TOO MUCH.

Seraphina's blood turned cold.

She looked at Alexander.

"Who is 'she'?"

Alexander didn't answer.

Because at that exact moment—

Seraphina's phone vibrated.

One unknown number.

One message.

She opened it.

A photograph appeared.

It was a picture of her.

Taken that morning.

Walking into Devereaux Holdings.

Below it were five words.

You should have stayed away.

Seraphina stared at the screen.

Then another message appeared.

Your father didn't die because of the Devereaux family.

Her breath caught.

A third message arrived.

He died because of you.

Seraphina's hands went numb.

Alexander saw her expression.

"What did they send you?"

She slowly looked up.

And for the first time since entering Devereaux Holdings—

she was genuinely afraid.

"I think..."

Her voice broke.

"Someone knows why my father really died."