CHAPTER 8: CHAPTER 8: REVEALING HER SLENDER WAIST AND BACK

The azure phantom sped into Orilon Police Station.

Ethan Sterling jumped out of the car and rushed through the door.

"Where is Seraphina?!"

A staff member pointed backwards, and Ethan dashed into the interrogation room, immediately spotting Seraphina Thorne, hugging her knees and crouching in a corner.

On this chilly autumn night, she was wearing nothing but a thin white cocktail dress.

Her dress and arms were stained with large patches of blood and grime.

An alarming sight.

"Seraphina!"

Ethan rushed over, pulled off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her, gently sweeping aside her disheveled hair.

"Where are you hurt?"

"She’s fine, she was the one who injured someone else." The staff member questioning Seraphina shook his head, "You can’t judge a book by its cover. Such a young and quiet girl, yet she hit quite fiercely."

Seraphina reached out her small hand, grabbing Ethan’s arm and looking up.

"It was them... they bullied me, that’s why I fought back... really... I’m... I’m not lying..."

"I know."

Tightening the suit jacket around her, Ethan bent down and lifted Seraphina off the ground, turning to leave.

"The matter isn’t settled yet, you can’t take her..."

The staff member tried to stop him, but Sean Hale had already arrived with a lawyer in time.

"This is Miss Thorne’s lawyer. All the necessary procedures have been completed, and we will handle all subsequent matters."

Ignoring everyone else, Ethan carried Seraphina straight out the door.

The night breeze made her shiver, instinctively drawing closer to Ethan’s embrace.

Tightening his hold, Ethan quickened his pace down the steps.

Settling her into the passenger seat, fastening the seatbelt with care, he adjusted it to the right tension.

Under the influence of alcohol, Seraphina didn’t even recognize who he was.

She merely clung to his arm, repeating.

"I really... didn’t... didn’t lie, it was that... Ronald... Ronald Grayson... he tried to kiss me, that’s why I... I fought back!"

Upon hearing the words "tried to kiss," Ethan’s fingers tightened sharply on the seat.

Taking a few deep breaths, he raised his hand, resting it on her shoulder.

"I believe you, it’s all right now, we’re going home."

"Going home?"

"Yes, home!"

Upon hearing the words "going home," Seraphina’s tense nerves finally relaxed.

Releasing his arm, she leaned back against the seat.

Tightening the suit jacket around her, Ethan circled to the driver’s seat, sitting down and with a frown, started the car.

Noticing the girl’s exposed calves beneath the hem of her dress, he reached over with his right hand to turn on the warm air from the heater.

As the azure phantom exited through the gate, another black Mercedes happened to drive in.

The two cars passed each other.

The black Mercedes stopped at the bottom of the steps, and Adrian Chamberlain got out with a lawyer.

After some negotiation, the lawyer soon brought Julia Chamberlain out.

Once Julia was escorted to the car, the lawyer briefly explained the situation to Adrian Chamberlain.

"Seraphina bust open Ronald Grayson’s head during his birthday party, Miss Chamberlain was just a witness, nothing serious."

Adrian Chamberlain frowned, looking at his sister beside him.

"Was this your doing?"

Adrian Chamberlain was well aware of the situation between Seraphina and Ronald Grayson.

Under no circumstances would Seraphina attend Ronald Grayson’s birthday party.

Unless...

Someone set her up.

"That’s right!" Julia Chamberlain smirked indifferently, "Who asked her to call off the engagement in front of so many people, embarrassing our Chamberlain Family? I was just giving her a little lesson."

Slap—

A resounding slap landed on Julia Chamberlain’s face, startling even the lawyer.

"You..." Julia Chamberlain covered her stinging face, looking at her brother with tearful eyes, "Why are you hitting me?"

"I’m hitting you because you’re a fool! Do you not know that Zenith Group still has 10% of its shares in Seraphina’s hands?"

Raising his right hand, Adrian Chamberlain gave her a hard shove.

"What are you standing around for? Get in the car!"

The lawyer kept his head down, opening the car door.

"Shares? Seems like you’re just pretending to love her for real!"

Julia Chamberlain snorted coldly, sitting in the back seat.

Adrian Chamberlain was about to erupt, but the lawyer intervened just in time.

"President Chamberlain, Miss Chamberlain is still a child, there’s no need to argue with her."

Suppressing his anger, Adrian Chamberlain turned and walked up the steps.

"Come inside with me and get Seraphina out."

"Miss Thorne isn’t inside." The lawyer caught up, "I just heard she was already taken away by family."

Family?

Adrian Chamberlain was stunned, "What family?"

Mrs. Thorne passed away early, Mr. Thorne is hospitalized, and Caleb Thorne is in prison.

The Thorne Family only has Seraphina now. What other family does she have that he doesn’t know about?

"This..." The lawyer shook his head, "Not too sure."

"Then find out for me," Adrian Chamberlain frowned, "I’m not paying you to tell me what you don’t know!"

Getting into the back seat, Adrian Chamberlain slammed the car door and glanced sideways at his sister.

"From now on, you’re not allowed to target Seraphina again, understood?"

The man’s face was clouded like the sky before a storm.

Julia Chamberlain shrunk into herself, rubbing her swollen face, not daring to talk back.

"Understood."

...

...

By the time the azure phantom pulled up in front of The Thorne Estate, Seraphina had already fallen asleep, leaning back in her seat.

Ethan got out of the car and knocked on the door.

The villa inside was dark, without any servants as he’d expected.

With no other choice, he returned to the car, rummaged through Seraphina’s bag for the car keys to unlock the door, and carried her to a bedroom on the second floor.

After making her drink most of a cup of warm water, Ethan retrieved a hot towel from the bathroom, gently taking her bloodstained hand.

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

Ethan took out the phone and held it to his ear with one hand.

"Speak."

"President Sterling, the details are clear. It was that Grayson who was drunk and out of line; Miss Thorne acted in self-defense." Sean Hale’s voice was full of indignation. "That bastard dared to wrong Miss Thorne and still wants to settle with us? What a joke! I’ve already told the lawyer, no settlement, let that bastard sit it out inside for a few days."

Ethan hung his head, staring at Seraphina in front of him.

Now, the girl had calmed down.

Her long eyelashes drooped like a startled little animal, curling into a small ball.

Ethan squinted, a cold hue filling his eyes.

"Let him out."

Sean Hale was taken aback.

"No, letting him off this easily is too much of a favor, isn’t it?"

Even if Ethan only married Seraphina for Zenith Group.

No matter what, Seraphina was still his nominal wife, and Sean Hale couldn’t swallow this.

Holding the wet towel, he gently wiped away the blood and dirt from the girl’s hand.

Staring at the shallow scratch on her hand, Ethan slowly spoke.

"I want him... in the hospital!"

For something like this, Ronald Grayson would be detained for only a few days at most.

That would be letting him off easy.

Sean Hale was silent for two seconds.

"Understood."

Tossing the phone aside, Ethan carefully cleaned Seraphina’s hand and face.

Gently tidying the hair on her face, Ethan gazed at her sleeping face for a moment.

His large hand reached over to adjust Seraphina to a half-sitting position, unzipping her cocktail dress with one decisive pull.

The flimsy dress parted naturally, revealing the girl’s slender waist and back.