Roman sat at his desk, the towering windows of Ashborne Industries casting long slits of filtered sunlight across the polished marble floor. His hands, usually still and composed, drummed slowly on the oak surface as he stared at the security feed looping on his screen.
Serene was in the waiting lounge.
Dressed in soft ivory, her curls pinned perfectly, she looked like the angel he'd re-created from scratch. A fragile dream wrapped in silk. She was smiling—softly, politely—at the secretary. She hadn't asked for Idris. She hadn't glanced at the photos on the wall. And when she'd passed the portrait of her former classmate displayed in the hallway for excellence in design?
Nothing. Not even a flicker in her eyes.
Roman leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly. So far, the pills, hypnosis, and rewritten memories had done their job. But he needed certainty. He needed to know that Serene—the real one—was gone for good.
He buzzed the intercom. "Send her in."
The door opened a second later, and there she was. His obsession. His creation.
"Roman," she said with a shy smile, eyes gliding across the luxurious space. "Your office is beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you," he murmured, already on his feet, walking toward her. He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I promised to show you something special today. But first—there's someone I want you to meet."
Serene blinked, surprised. "Someone?"
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"In the basement."
---
The elevator dropped lower than she thought possible. She glanced at the mirrored walls, at Roman's hand firmly holding hers.
She didn't speak. She never did when he was like this—when the silence around him thickened and his eyes turned glassy with thought.
The doors opened to a sterile hallway bathed in dim white light. At the end of it, a steel door waited.
Her heartbeat thudded uneasily.
Roman entered a code and pushed it open. "Don't be scared," he whispered. "I just want you to see something… real."
The room beyond was clinical, bare except for the man tied to a chair in the center. Blood had dried on his collar. His head was bowed. And even from where she stood, Serene saw the broken fingers, the dark bruises, the tear in his lip.
Something twisted in her stomach.
Roman guided her forward.
"Do you know who this is?" he asked softly, almost kindly.
Serene stared. The man groaned, lifting his head weakly—and her breath caught.
Dark eyes.
A scar just above his brow.
Something… familiar.
Her chest clenched with a pain she couldn't place. Her fingers dug into Roman's wrist.
"I… I don't know," she whispered.
But her voice trembled.
Roman heard it. Felt it.
He watched her like a scientist observing a delicate experiment. His jaw clenched. "Are you sure, angel? Look at him. Really look."
She did.
A flash—blood, screams, a name echoing in the dark. Idris.
She blinked rapidly, backing away. "I don't remember," she said quickly, her voice rising. "I swear, I don't remember anything."
Roman's eyes flickered with something wild. His hand caught her chin, forcing her to look at him.
"Even if you did…" he whispered, "he doesn't matter anymore. You're mine. Always mine."
She nodded quickly. Desperate. Her heart thudding in confusion and fear.
He kissed her forehead tenderly—too tenderly for the cold room they were in.
"Good girl."
Then he turned to the man, nodding once to the guard standing in the shadows.
A gunshot rang out. Brief. Final.
Serene screamed—and fainted.
---
When she woke, it was to soft sheets, candlelight, and Lelo's arms wrapped around her waist.
"Mama, you fainted. You scared me…"
Roman sat at the edge of the bed, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "You're safe now. Everything's alright."
Serene blinked at him, confusion in her eyes. "What… what happened?"
"You fainted at my office. Too much excitement," he said, voice calm. "But you're home now. And there's something else…"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small white strip with two red lines.
"Congratulations, angel. You're pregnant."
Her world spun.
She didn't know why her eyes filled with tears. She didn't know why Roman's smile felt suffocating or why Lelo's hug felt like chains. She didn't understand the emptiness clawing in her chest.
But she nodded.
Because she was his.
And deep down, a voice she couldn't hear anymore whispered—
Run.
---