Chapter 37: She Called Me Her People

Chapter 37: She Called Me Her People Lucien’s POV I had been in meetings all day. They were long and boring as I was barely listening to anything. My mind kept going back to Seraphina. She had left without saying a word this morning, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. After everything that happened... why was she still keeping her distance? Asher had handled the people behind her kidnapping, but I still felt uneasy. I needed to know if she was safe. Then I received her message. "Mr. Lucien, can you please come and pick me up from the mall?" She even pinned her location. She was asking for me. Me!? I didn’t waste a second. I decided to leave everything and drive straight to the mall. "Where are you going, boss?" my assistant asked. He looked clearly confused. "This is a major meeting, and you can’t just walk out!" He was right. This wasn’t like me at all. I had always put work first. No family. No friends. Just money, deals, and results. That was my world just a few days ago. But now... it was different. Now, there was Seraphina. She had finally reached out to me on her own. And I needed to know why. Something must have happened, and I couldn’t sit still. No matter how important this meeting was, nothing was more important than her. "Either you handle it, or cancel the meeting," I said coldly before walking out. I didn’t waste a second. I got in the car and drove off. It didn’t matter whether something serious had happened or not. As long as she called me, I would go. Even if it meant walking straight into hell. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as I got closer. That was a simple message, yet I could feel the tremble behind her words. I had no idea what had exactly happened. But I knew one thing for sure— If anyone dared to lay a hand on her, I would make them regret ever being born. And just as I had thought, I saw her standing alone. A man was yelling at her. People were staring, and for Seraphina... she looked frozen, confused, and wronged. "And who gave you the right to say that?" I asked in a calm yet dangerous tone. My blood was already boiling at the scene unfolding in front of me. They had humiliated her like this, and yet had the audacity to yell at her!? The man turned around and looked at me with confusion in his eyes. "Who are you, Mister?" the man snapped. "There is no need for you to interfere in this matter!" I sighed inwardly. They really didn’t know their place, did they? "You said someone who looks like her is banned? Who gave you that authority?" I stepped forward, my eyes narrowing as I positioned myself beside her. Seraphina turned to me as her eyes were wide with disbelief. "Mr. Lucien..." she whispered. It seemed she hadn’t expected me to arrive this quickly. But I had come the moment she called. Before the man could answer, an annoying voice entered my ears. "What are you waiting for? Throw this girl out of the mall!" a girl shrieked. "If you don’t do that, I’ll cancel my VVIP card and make sure none of my friends ever set foot in this place again!" I glanced at her. She was loud and dramatic. I tried to recall if I had ever seen her before anywhere, but no. She was just an insignificant fly trying to get some attention from the people around her, She was just a nobody, and yet here she was, spewing venom at the woman I was doing everything in my power to protect. I turned back to the guards, my voice low and commanding. "Is this how you treat my people?" "And who are you to butt into this matter? Are you her new sugar daddy?" the girl snorted with a smug smile, her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. I clenched my jaw in anger, but before I could respond, Seraphina stepped forward. "Lia!" she remarked as her eyes were filled with fury. "Try not to enrage me anymore... or the consequences will be dire." Sera’s voice was sharp was loud enough to convey the warning. Lia scoffed. "Look who’s talking. You think just because some man’s standing up for you, you’re suddenly powerful? And I’d be afraid of you?" I could see Seraphina’s hands trembling slightly, but she didn’t back down. And that made my chest swell up with pride, Sera was standing up for herself. I could’ve stepped in... one word from me and this Lia girl would be blacklisted from every mall in the city. But I stayed silent and decided to wait a little longer. Because the girl beside me... she used to be scared easily and was fragile, but she was finally fighting for herself. And God help anyone who tried to silence her again. Because I was the person standing beside her. "I don’t need you to be afraid of me," Seraphina said as her voice was cold and steady. "And frankly, I don’t care what you do to me. But don’t you dare drag my people into your filth." She took a step forward, her gaze locked on Lia’s with her eyes full of fury. "Try anything funny against him... just one wrong move and I swear, I’ll burn this entire mall to the ground." The silence that followed was deafening. And suddenly, the realization hit me. Sera wasn’t defending herself. She was angry because I had been insulted. She stood there like a storm barely held in check, and in that moment, I knew: Seraphina wasn’t weak. She called me for help, and here she was... She had chosen me to protect, but more than that, she had called me her people! Lia was fuming mad at her words, but I wasn’t anymore. My heart beat fastened as it was getting hard for me to control myself.