“This is over,” she said firmly. “You made your choice, and now I’m making mine.”
Luther’s expression hardened, desperation giving way to something darker. “You think you can just walk away from me?” he growled, his voice low and menacing. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” she replied, unflinching. “For the first time, I’m choosing myself.”
Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing by the firepit, the ashes of their shared history smoldering at his feet.
Seraphine climbed the stairs to her apartment, she felt a weight lifting from her shoulders. But deep in her gut, a sense of unease lingered.
The evening air was crisp, but the suffocating weight inside the apartment was what truly chilled Seraphine Mancini. She stood at the door, hand clutching the handle of her suitcase, her decision finally made. Every corner of this place reminded her of a love that had withered, promises broken one by one. She was ready to leave it all behind.
The phone buzzed insistently in the kitchen, its sound cutting through the heavy silence. Seraphine didn’t budge. No more distractions.
Just as her foot crossed the threshold, the front door burst open with a jarring slam. Luther Harword walked in, Cornelia trailing behind him like a second shadow. Cornelia’s laughter rang out, bright and deliberate, her smile radiant as though she carried the sun itself. Seraphine’s gaze flickered to Luther’s hand on Cornelia’s back, guiding her inside with a possessiveness that stung.
“Seraphine,” Luther said casually, as if everything were normal, as though the threads of their relationship hadn’t unraveled. “How about you cook something for us tonight? We could use a good homemade meal.”
The words sliced through her, a reminder of the countless times she’d tried to make things work, to bridge the growing chasm between them. Without turning, she replied flatly, “I’m not cooking tonight. Let’s just eat out.”
Luther stopped mid-step, visibly surprised. His lips twisted into a smirk, the kind that used to charm her but now only grated. “Not even for me?” he teased, inching closer.
Cornelia chimed in with an exaggerated pout, her tone syrupy sweet. “Oh, let’s go out, Luther! It’ll be so much more fun, don’t you think?” Her eyes darted to Seraphine, challenge glinting in their depths.