Moments after Aurya climbed the stairs to her room, the living room fell silent again. Only Seraphina and Sylas, Aurya's mother and father remained, staring at each other in a silence filled with meaning.
Seraphina still stood at the doorway, her eyes locked sharply on her husband, full of suspicion and unspoken pain. Her gaze seemed to demand one thing truth.
Sylas returned her look with a heavy sigh. He knew there was no room left to hide anything now.
"Seraphina," he called softly, then stood and took her hand.
He guided her to the sofa, asking her to sit with him. His movements were slow, as if afraid to touch wounds that hadn't healed. Once they were seated side by side, Sylas gripped his wife's fingers tightly and looked into her eyes.
"All right, love," he whispered, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, trying to calm the pounding in his chest.
"I'll explain everything."
"The truth is..."
The sentence stuck in his throat. As if a great weight pressed on his chest, locking away all the words he wanted to say. His lips parted, but no sound came out.
He looked down at their intertwined fingers. Seraphina's felt cold, like a wall slowly rising between them.
He was afraid.
Afraid that once the truth came out, there would be no more "us."
"The truth is what?".
Seraphina's voice was cold. Sharp. Like icy mist slapping his cheek.
Her eyes stared straight at him, unblinking. Demanding an answer. Refusing to be comforted by delay or lies.
Sylas swallowed. He knew this moment would change everything.
"Have you ever heard of a company called LUXCORP?" Sylas asked in a quiet but clear voice, like someone preparing to drop a bomb of truth.
Seraphina frowned.
"Yes, I know… LUXCORP is the second-largest company in Velmoria. Everyone knows it. Even in small towns, people recognize the name instantly," she answered quickly, almost without thinking.
LUXCORP was a leading tech company that fused ancient science with modern innovation. It controlled nearly every aspect of society: transportation, weapons, information systems, even medical and security networks.
Its owner's name was also widely known yet shrouded in mystery: Lord Caelum Virelith the man dubbed the Young Lord of Luxcorpia.
Seraphina looked at Sylas, her face beginning to fill with questions.
"Why are you asking that out of nowhere? What does it have to do with you?"
Sylas let out a long sigh.
"The truth is... I'm the owner of that company."
The words were heavy but firm. His eyes didn't leave her face, searching for a reaction for a sign whether he would be understood or hated.
Seraphina froze. It was as if the world around her had suddenly gone silent. Only the ticking of the wall clock echoed loudly in her ears.
"W-What!!" Seraphina gasped, disbelieving her husband's confession.
"You're joking, right?" she added, trying to laugh off something that wasn't funny.
But Sylas's face remained serious. His expression showed deep pain, as though he had been holding this in for a long time.
"No, Sera, I'm not joking. I am Lord Caelum Virelith. I built LUXCORP under that identity before I met you."
Seraphina stood up, her heartbeat erratic. Her hands trembled slightly.
"So you're not just an ordinary researcher?" she asked, disappointment in her voice from being lied to all these years.
"You've been lying to me all this time? Throughout our entire marriage?"
Her voice began to rise, filled with a mix of anger, confusion, and heartbreak.
"Why, Sylas? Why didn't you ever tell me? Has our life together been a lie too?"
Sylas stood, trying to approach her, but Seraphina took a step back.
"Sera, I'm sorry… I never meant to hide who I am from you," Sylas said quietly, stepping slowly toward her. His face was full of guilt, his eyes pleading for understanding.
"I... I only wanted to protect you," he continued, his voice nearly trembling.
Seraphina glared at him, her eyes icy.
"Protect me?" she said with calm but intense pressure.
"From what, Sylas?... From the reality that I married a man who's been lying to me all our married life?" Her voice rose as she stared at him in anger.
"To protect you and Aurya from my enemies," Sylas answered quickly, as if he could no longer bear the weight on his chest.
"LUXCORP has many competitors. That means I have many enemies—people who wouldn't hesitate to take me down by any means." His voice shook, his eyes still begging for her understanding.
"I wanted to tell you everything after we got married. But I was afraid, Sera," he added, almost whispering.
Seraphina stared at him. Her sharp gaze began to soften, replaced by an unexplainable unease.
"I was afraid that if I brought you into my world, a world full of intrigue and danger especially after Aurya came into our lives you and she would get hurt. I can't lose you and our little star, Sera. I love you. I love Aurya more than I love my own life."
His words were sincere, his voice pleading, his face crumbling under fear and regret.
Seraphina was silent. Seeing the man she once saw as strong now standing broken and vulnerable before her crumbled her walls of anger. Tears fell without her realizing it.
"But why did you have to…" Her words were cut off when Sylas pulled her into an embrace.
"Forgive me, Sera… Please, give me a chance to make things right."
Seraphina couldn't say a word. Her sobs burst in Sylas's arms pain, disappointment, and love all mixed together, spilling out uncontrollably.
Sylas could only hold her tightly, letting himself be her pillar as she released the burdens she had long carried. And as her sobs finally began to subside, Seraphina looked up at her husband with tear-filled eyes.
"I'll forgive you, just this once, for Aurya's sake," she said softly, but firmly.
A relieved smile appeared on Sylas's face. He couldn't hide his joy that Seraphina was still willing to open her heart.
"Thank you, Sera. I promise, I'll never hide anything from you again," he said, leaning in to gently kiss her forehead.
He pulled her into his arms once more. Relief filled his heart, yet behind the warmth of that embrace, guilt began to creep in.
Because deep down, Sylas knew there was still one big secret he hadn't revealed a secret far bigger than his identity as the owner of LUXCORP.
Some time passed in a warm silence until finally, Sylas gently released his embrace.
"I want to check on Aurya for a moment," he said softly, looking at Seraphina with love.
Seraphina gave a small nod. "I'll take care of our things," she said, stepping toward their suitcase. But before she could touch the handle, Sylas gently stopped her.
"No need, love. Just get some rest. Let the house staff take care of it," he said, smiling gently, trying to replace the hurt with tenderness.
He then called the head butler and gave a short instruction to escort Seraphina to their room. With calm steps, Sylas then went upstairs to check on Aurya the little girl who was the heart of his life.
Upstairs, Sylas's steps halted when he saw his daughter standing in front of a door that was clearly not the room prepared for her. The little girl was tiptoeing, trying to open the doorknob that was tightly locked.
"Did you find it?" Sylas asked gently from behind, his voice calm as he smiled warmly at his daughter...