Chapter 4 - SERAPHINA’S VERSION
Seraphina was waiting in the conservatory when Dominic entered.
She wore a pale silk dress and held a cup of tea. She looked composed,
almost bored.
“I assume you’ve finished interrogating the staff.”
“I’m reviewing the accounts.”
“You’re letting a nanny turn you against your wife.”
“I’m letting records speak.”
She set down the cup.
“Do you know what it is like to raise a child in this house? Every room
has a schedule. Every meal is planned. Every visitor has to be approved.
You think I wanted to become the only parent Ella ever saw?”
Dominic studied her.
“You weren’t the only parent. I was here.”
“Were you?”
The question landed hard.
Seraphina continued. “You were at meetings. You were in New York. You
were in Europe. When Ella cried, I was the one who comforted her. When
she asked why you weren’t home, I was the one who invented excuses.”
“You could have told me.”
“I did. You said you were busy.”
Dominic could not deny it.
For a moment, the room held two truths: Seraphina had been left with too
much responsibility, and she had used that position to hurt a child.
“You were lonely,” he said. “I should have been more present. But that
doesn’t explain the money.”
Seraphina’s eyes hardened.
“Adrian needed help.”
“So you took money from Ella’s household budget?”
“I moved funds. I intended to replace them.”
“And told my daughter she had to pay for a hug.”
“I was frustrated. I never thought she’d take it literally.”
“She is seven.”
“She is spoiled.”
Dominic’s voice dropped.
“Don’t call her that.”
Seraphina stood.
“You’re making me the villain because you can’t bear to admit that you
failed her first.”
He did not answer immediately.
Then he said, “I failed her by not seeing what was happening. You failed
her by making her believe she had to earn affection. Those are not the
same thing.”
Seraphina’s face flushed.
“Are you threatening me?”
“No. I’m telling you the truth.”
He placed a document on the table.
It was a temporary separation agreement prepared by his attorney.
Seraphina would remain in a separate suite while the financial review
and family arrangements were handled. She would have no unsupervised
access to Ella until an independent family professional assessed the
situation.
Seraphina stared at the papers.
“You cannot keep me from my own daughter.”
“I won’t make that decision alone. A court and qualified professionals
can determine what is safe and appropriate. But I will not allow
pressure or threats.”
She laughed bitterly.
“You think you can replace me with that nanny?”
“No one is replacing anyone. Ella needs adults who don’t make her
afraid.”
Seraphina picked up the agreement, then dropped it.
“You’ll regret this.”
Dominic turned toward the door.
“I regret that I didn’t notice sooner.”
Behind him, Seraphina’s voice followed.
“You should ask your daughter what she heard last month. She knows more
than you think.”
Dominic stopped.
May you like
“What does that mean?”
But Seraphina had already walked away.
