Chapter 13: She Was Missing

Chapter 13: She Was Missing Asher’s POV I felt bad for Seraphina. No— I felt guilty. Somehow, deep down, I knew she was telling the truth. There was something in the way she stood her ground, even when everything and everyone seemed to gather against her. My body had reacted instinctively, siding with Melissa, but my heart... it wasn’t on the same page. And then my mother spoke. She was cold and dismissive. Her words cut sharply, not just into Seraphina, but into me also. I saw the way Seraphina flinched, barely. The way her eyes darkened when she called herself an orphan. That word cut deep through in the tense atmosphere, but it cut deeper into my heart! What the hell was happening to me? I wasn’t supposed to care. I didn’t even know her. And yet, here I was, wrestling with a guilt that shouldn’t have been mine to carry. Feeling too much for a girl, I barely understood or even hated her to the core. But I couldn’t sit still anymore. I had to see her. I didn’t know what I wanted from her. Or just... to look her in the eyes and figure out what the hell she’d done to me. Why was I so drawn to her all of a sudden? It didn’t make sense... none of this did. One minute I was trying to keep my distance, the next I couldn’t stop thinking about her. About her misty eyes, her shaky voice, and the way she stood alone like she had no one left. "Damn it," I muttered under my breath in frustration. I pushed myself up and paced toward the door to see her. But the second I stepped out into the hallway, I froze. Where the hell was I even going? I didn’t know which room was hers. Great! I didn’t even know something so basic about the person who lived under the same roof as me. I’d left my room impulsively, but now I stood in the corridor like an idiot, aimless, restless. I paced back and forth, chewing the inside of my cheek, debating whether to give up or keep looking. "Third Young Master," a soft voice interrupted. I turned to find a maid standing a few feet away, her posture respectful. "Do you need something?" I hesitated. "Uh... yeah. Do you know... where Seraphina’s room is?" Her expression shifted the moment I said her name. There was some disgust in her eyes. Her lips twitched, and her nose wrinkled like she’d caught a bad smell. "Ah, her room?" she echoed, almost as if she didn’t want to talk about her. I frowned. Then she smiled. But it wasn’t warm—it was sharp and calculated. "Why don’t I show you the way, Young Master?" Something about that smile sent a chill down my spine. What the hell was going on in this house? I followed behind the maid, my steps heavier with each turn down the corridor. I didn’t even know where she lived—what kind of brother doesn’t know that? Brother? Wait—did I just call Seraphina my sister? I stopped for a second, stunned by my own thought. When had that happened? When had she gone from some girl to... family? Before I could untangle that mess in my head, the maid came to a halt. "Here, Young Master. That person lives here," she said with a voice too sweet to trust. I looked at the door—and felt my stomach twist. This room. It was the worst one in the house. No windows. No light. I remembered it used to be a damn storage closet. Moldy. Barely livable. And they had put her here? My jaw clenched. My hands balled into fists. Who the hell thought this was okay? Who made her live like this? Rage crawled up my spine as I pushed the door open. A foul stench immediately hit me, it was so strong that it made me gag. The air inside was thick with dust, choking and dry. She slept here? My insides were curling with anger, boiling over with every second I stood there. How could they make her live like this? I turned to the maid, ready to unleash everything building up in my chest, but my phone rang. I ignored it and ended the call without looking. My eyes stayed on her as I was burning with rage. I opened my mouth to speak— The phone rang again. I nearly crushed the damn thing in my hand. I picked up the call, ready to give a piece of my mind before I turned back to deal with that damn maid. "Who the—" I started, but a girl’s voice came through the line and stopped me. Not because it was a girl— But because of what she said. "Are you... Seraphina’s brother? Brother Asher?" A call related to Seraphina? This had never happened to me before! "Yes... What is it?" I managed to say, waving the maid off without even looking at her. She bowed and left without a word. "Is Seraphina not coming back to the dorms?" the girl asked, her voice sounding unsure. I frowned. "Who are you?" "Oh! I’m sorry—this is Emma. I’m her roommate," she said quickly. "It’s just... she told me she’d be back by evening, and she asked me not to lock the door. But it’s already past ten, and she’s never stayed out this long. Not without telling me." Something in my chest twisted. She was missing? Don’t tell me it’s Jim. The thought alone made my blood boil. My hands were already shaking, and I couldn’t take it anymore. "Emma," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "keep me updated if she returns. Call me the second she shows up." "Okay... I will," she replied, sounding just as worried. I ended the call before she could say anything else. My grip on the phone tightened, jaw clenched so hard it hurt. If something had happened to Seraphina— If he had something to do with this— I wasn’t going to stay quiet anymore.