Chapter 6

Seraphina barely made it back to the estate before dawn, the wind biting at her cheeks as she rode through the darkened woods. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and determination. What would Camden do? And what about Alexander? The thought of him facing Lord Camden alone filled her with dread, but there had been no choice. She had to trust that Alexander could handle whatever confrontation was brewing.

As the estate came into view, Seraphina slowed her horse and dismounted near the stables, her legs shaking from both the ride and the emotions swirling inside her. She handed the reins to a sleepy stable hand, offering a hurried excuse about needing a morning ride to clear her head before rushing back inside.

The house was still silent, the servants just beginning to stir. Seraphina crept up to her room, slipping through the halls like a ghost. Once inside her chambers, she leaned against the door, her heart pounding. What had she done? The weight of her decisions was starting to press down on her, but still, she could not bring herself to regret it.

There was a knock on her door. She jumped, but quickly straightened herself, smoothing her disheveled gown and brushing back her hair. “Come in,” she called, her voice more steady than she felt.

Her maid, Lottie, entered, carrying a breakfast tray. “Good morning, my lady,” she said, placing the tray on the small table by the window. “I wasn’t expecting you to be up so early. You must have had a restless night.”

Seraphina forced a smile, trying to act as if nothing was wrong. “Yes, I… I couldn’t sleep,” she replied, moving toward the table. “Thank you, Lottie. That will be all for now.”

Lottie hesitated, her eyes lingering on Seraphina for a moment longer than usual. “Are you quite well, my lady? You seem… troubled.”

“I’m fine,” Seraphina insisted, her tone firmer. “Just tired.”

With a small curtsy, Lottie left the room, leaving Seraphina alone with her thoughts once more. She barely touched the breakfast that had been brought to her, her mind still at the hunting lodge, still with Alexander.

Her father’s voice interrupted her reverie. It boomed from downstairs, echoing through the walls with unusual urgency. Her stomach flipped. Was Camden here already? What if he had followed her back to the estate? What if he had discovered everything?

Seraphina rose from her seat, her heart racing as she moved to the door and peered out into the hallway. The murmur of voices floated up from the foyer. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she caught one familiar voice—Lord Camden’s deep, authoritative tone.

Panic seized her. She closed the door quietly and leaned against it, breathing hard. What would he say? What would he do?

Her father’s loud footsteps approached her room, and a few seconds later, there was a sharp knock. “Seraphina! Open the door!”

Steeling herself, Seraphina opened the door to find her father, Lord Harrington, his face red with anger and confusion. Behind him stood Lord Camden, his expression stony, though his eyes burned with intensity.

“Seraphina,” Lord Harrington began, his voice strained. “Lord Camden has brought to my attention… certain troubling matters.”

Her throat tightened. “What matters, Father?”

Lord Camden stepped forward, his gaze never leaving hers. “I think you know what I am referring to, Lady Seraphina,” he said, his voice calm but deadly serious. “I followed you last night. You left your home in the dead of night and rode to the old hunting lodge. Do you deny this?”

Seraphina’s blood ran cold. Camden had followed her. He had seen everything—perhaps even more than she had realized. She fought to keep her composure, her hands trembling slightly as she clasped them in front of her.

“I don’t deny it,” she said quietly, lifting her chin. “I went to the lodge.”

Her father’s face grew redder with fury. “Seraphina! You sneaked out of this house like some common trollop? Do you realize what you have done?”

Camden’s gaze darkened. “And whom did you meet there, Lady Seraphina? Or shall I spare you the trouble of answering? I saw him. I saw the Duke of Ravenhall.”

Seraphina’s heart dropped. She could see the fury in Camden’s eyes, feel the tension radiating from her father. There was no way to hide the truth now. Camden knew.

“Alexander and I… we—”

“Do not speak his name!” Camden’s voice was sharp, cutting through her words. He took a step closer, his anger barely restrained. “You met him in secret, under the cover of night. Do you have any idea what this means? What kind of scandal you have brought upon yourself?”

Lord Harrington stepped forward, his face contorted with disbelief. “Is this true, Seraphina? Have you been meeting with that man, that… scandal-ridden Duke?”

Seraphina’s chest tightened, her mind racing for a way out, but there was none. The truth was out. She could either lie and worsen the situation or face the consequences head-on.

“It is true,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But Alexander is not what you think. He—”

Lord Harrington’s hand came down hard on the table beside her, his face livid. “Enough! You have disgraced this family, Seraphina! How could you? After everything we have done for you, after everything we have built, you throw it all away for a man with a tainted name?”

Camden stepped forward again, his eyes cold. “You have put me in an impossible position, Lady Seraphina. You are betrothed to me—your honor is my honor. Yet you run off in the middle of the night to meet another man in secret. Do you realize the ruin you have brought upon yourself?”

Seraphina’s chest tightened at his words. She knew the weight of her actions, but hearing them laid out like this was suffocating.

“I cannot marry you, Camden,” she said, her voice breaking. “I never could.”

Camden’s face darkened with anger, but he remained silent, watching her intently.

“You will marry Camden,” her father said sharply, his voice full of finality. “There is no other choice now. The Duke will be dealt with, but you will not bring more disgrace to this family. Your engagement will be announced publicly as soon as possible.”

Seraphina’s heart sank. The walls felt as though they were closing in on her. She couldn’t marry Camden, not now, not ever. She had crossed a line with Alexander that she could never uncross, and the thought of spending her life with a man she didn’t love, a man who now looked at her with cold fury, was unbearable.

“I won’t marry him,” she said quietly, lifting her gaze to meet Camden’s. “I can’t.”

Her father’s face turned red with fury, but Camden raised a hand, stopping him. “No, Lord Harrington,” Camden said, his voice icy. “Let her speak. Let her decide her own fate.”

The room fell silent, her father fuming but silent, while Camden stared at her with an intensity that sent chills down her spine.

“Choose wisely, Lady Seraphina,” Camden said, his voice low and dangerous. “Because once you make your choice, there is no turning back.”