When Sera Monroe finally came to, it was already dark outside.

She turned her head slightly and saw Chloe Lane slumped over the side of her hospital bed. No one else was around.

Sera let out a bitter little laugh.

She'd known this would happen. Deep down, she really had. But still… she couldn't help holding onto a sliver of hope.

Maybe… after spending time with her, he'd come see her too?

Maybe… that "Cece" she thought she heard wasn't just her imagination?

Only he ever called her that.

Back when she was just a kid, newly adopted by the Monroe family. Everyone made fun of her for being an orphan. Some even called her a stray, like she didn't belong anywhere.

Hell, she didn't even have a name back then.

"Sera" wasn't even a real name, not really. They called her that because she was adopted on the 17th—Seventeen turned into Sera.

She'd been hiding in the attic, crying her eyes out after the other kids at school bullied her again.

And then Elliot Monroe found her. He knelt beside her and said,

"Well, if you don't have a name, I'll give you one.

"My name's Elliot. It means 'the Lord is my God.' Yours should mean something too. How about… Cece?"

From then on, that's what he always called her—Cece. So gently, so sweet.

Back then, he was her warm, caring big brother.

But everything's different now.

"Mmm…?"

Chloe Lane stirred, blinking awake, then gasped when she saw Sera's eyes open.

"Sera, you're up!" she said, voice trembling with relief. "How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

That whole thing had scared the hell out of her.

One minute they were talking, and the next—Sera just coughed up blood and collapsed.

Thank God it wasn't anything life-threatening. The doctors said it was just emotional shock... still, it had shaken her to her core.

Chloe's gaze shifted, complicated emotions flickering behind her eyes.

She couldn't stop thinking about how the CEO had looked when he stormed into the ER—how he cradled Liora in his arms, blood on her lips, eyes wild with rage.

And the way he'd turned to Chloe, voice like ice, and snapped,

"What did you do to her?"

She'd been so stunned she couldn't even string a sentence together.

It wasn't until Mr. Cole showed up and brought the doctors in that she could finally breathe again.

What the hell was going on between Liora and the CEO?

Chloe opened her mouth to ask, but in the end, she stayed quiet.

Sera assumed she was curious about Sloane Carter. She didn't want to talk about it, so she just looked away and said calmly,

"I'm fine.

"By the way, what happened with that family member who caused all the trouble?"

Chloe gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Mr. Monroe and PR handled it. You've still got injuries to recover from, so don't even stress about work right now."

"Okay." Sera nodded. She didn't ask further—the PR team didn't rely on her alone anyway. "I'm good here. You should go home."

"But… are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?"

"I'll be fine. You've got work tomorrow. Go home, get some rest."

"Well… alright then. I'll head out."

Chloe hesitated, then remembered something as she reached the door.

"Oh, by the way, someone called you several times when you were out cold."

With that, she left.

The room was quiet again.

Sera lay back on the bed, her face—so composed moments ago—now shadowed with loneliness.

It was like the entire world was spinning on without her, and she didn't belong in it.

After a long pause, she reached for her phone.

Just like Chloe said, there were several missed calls.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the number.

Madam Monroe.

She quickly dialed back.

"Nana…"

Before she could say anything more, the old woman's voice snapped through the line with sharp irritation.

"What the hell were you doing? I called you over and over!"

"I… something came up."

Sera didn't mention she'd been hospitalized.

Not that Madam Monroe would've cared.

As expected, the woman launched into a tirade without missing a beat.

"Something came up? What could possibly be more important than this?

"There's a woman out there carrying Eli's baby, and you're sitting around doing what—napping?

"Fine. I'll clean this mess up for you one more time.

"But this is your final shot.

"Tomorrow night. Eight o'clock. Hotel Lumière, Room 1088. Eli will be there.

"If you still can't seal the deal this time, then you're on your own."

Click.

She hung up.

Sera sat frozen, phone still in her hand, face pale.

That was it.

The final warning.

And knowing what Madam Monroe was capable of… chills ran down her spine.

*****

Somewhere in a hidden basement...

A middle-aged man hung suspended in the air, his body beaten bloody and bruised.

He was the one who'd stabbed Sera outside Monroe Group's headquarters.

Now he trembled as he stared into the shadows, where a tall man sat cloaked in darkness.

"I—I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

A voice came from the dark, cold and calm.

"Go on."

"It—it was the second son of the Monroe family. He paid me to cause trouble at the company…"

"Heh."

So it was that bastard uncle of his.

The man in the shadows stood slowly, his voice almost careless.

"Clean it up."

The thug's eyes went wide with panic.

"No—no, you promised! You said if I cooperated, you'd let me go! You said—!"

But the man didn't even glance back.

He stepped out of the basement, and under the pale silver moonlight, his face was finally revealed—Elliot Monroe.

Elegant. Cold. Dangerous.

His eyes were filled with a deadly kind of calm.

You mess with him? Fine.

But mess with her?

You're dead.