Damon's POV

After hearing about her downfall, I wasn't expecting her to show up here. Seraphina. The one person I hate the most in the entire world. The last time I saw her was after my parents’ funeral seven years ago.

I never expected to see her again.

News about how she was humiliated and thrown out of her father's syndicate spread everywhere like wildfire, and I had to say, it was satisfying. I still felt like she wasn't embarrassed enough and needed something to push her off the edge.

I wanted to see her broken and crumbling. I wanted her in a state where no one, not even herself, would be able to save her.

I had bumped into her on purpose, and for a moment, the feeling of deja vu filled my chest as I held her in my arms with my hand grabbing her waist to stop her from falling. She still smelled as good as always, and her beauty was something that could knock you off your feet. It felt like Aphrodite had cursed her with a beauty that the world couldn't ignore.

She almost didn't change much, but her usual smile was missing. Sera was always smiling when we were younger. She had a weird way of making me smile as well, and I had learned to smile because of her. However, as I stared at her face up close, her smile lines were gone, as if she hadn't smiled in a long time.

Good. She didn't deserve to be happy after what she did to me.

However, her mouth was still as blunt as ever. Seraphina had always been unhinged, saying whatever the fuck it was that came to her head out loud. And oh, how badly I wanted to use that to my advantage.

I had seen the look of betrayal on her face when I mentioned Matteo. The way her jaw clenched and her eyes watered. Even when I walked away from her, the image was burned to my memory. I had to give it to Matteo; he hurt her so badly and even sent her into my arms so easily. He did a lovely fucking job in breaking her.

But why did I feel resentment toward him for hurting her? Only I should have the right to do that. I should be the only one capable of breaking her and making her hate her life.

When I watched her challenge Cristian so defiantly, I couldn't help but smirk in amusement. She still had that fiery spirit, the one that I longed to crush. I didn't care if I looked like a stalker since I had technically followed her around in the shadows since she showed up, she stepped into the wrong territory, and she would pay for trespassing.

As I watched her run from Cristian like a coward, I followed through the other route and only stopped when she stopped. Naive little thing. She didn't even notice she was being followed.

Emily walked by, and I watched with utmost interest as Sera stopped her, I don't care for what reason. Emily, being the overprivileged brat that she was, pushed her to the ground so hard that I almost stepped in. I wonder how her wrist is doing. I had seen it was injured earlier.

I was distracted for a moment, but when I turned back to them, Emily was already walking, and Sera looked like she couldn't breathe. It wasn't hard to guess who had won the banter.

I watched as she coughed, patting her chest in the process, and suddenly turned to me like she noticed I was there. I didn't flinch or move; I just stared straight at her, letting her know that I was indeed watching her.

She turned away instantly, and I sneered inwardly as I pushed myself off the wall before approaching her.

“The broken princess is lost, isn't she?” I jested, and her nose flared in annoyance as she stepped away from me like I had a disease.

“I'm not broken, stop fucking calling me that!” She snapped, and I grinned, seeing how easily riled up she was by me.

“Why didn't you counter Emily this way earlier? Oh, wait, don't tell me she knows about Matteo, too?” I mocked again, and her eyes glared daggers at me, even though her bottom lip quivered like she was close to tears.

“You made a big mistake showing up here, princess. And trust me to help in making your days as uncomfortable as hell.” I growled slowly, and she scoffed, her shoulders dropping in defeat as she started walking down the hallway, away from me.

“Well, Cristian and Carlo are after my life. Now you're added to the list. Who else? The whole school next? Just take my life already!!!” She yelled out the last sentence as she walked dejectedly down the hallway, and I watched with an amused smirk.

She definitely changed a lot. The Sera I knew never gave up, no matter what. Did love make her that weak?

“You're going the wrong way.” I blurted out before I could stop myself, and she paused before turning to me in confusion.

“I'll take you to your dorm. Follow me.”

“Why are you helping me?” She asked with brows raised as she approached me again, and I grinned before leaning close to her ear.

“So I can watch you while you sleep and make you uncomfortable.”

She looked at me with a bored expression, and my grin faltered a little when she scoffed.

“You're going to abandon your sleep to watch over me while I sleep? How sweet.” She replied, and I was taken aback, realizing that instead of getting scared, she called it a sweet gesture.

I suddenly turned away from her, feeling awkward as I walked towards the dorm, and she followed behind me silently. Everyone watched in confusion, wondering why she was walking with me, but she kept her head, probably ashamed of what people thought of her.

“Your dorm,” I muttered, drawing her out of her thoughts as she looked up to see the room number in front of her.

“Thank you.”

“I didn't help you. I just- fuck!”

My words were cut short when she suddenly raised her leg and kicked me hard in the balls, causing me to groan and collapse to my knees in pain.

“Fuck you!” She yelled and rushed into the dorm before I could regain myself. That cunning little thing!

I would make her regret this.