CHAPTER 137: LIVE!!

Emma’s POV

I stood there with shock and full of curiosity, and was trying to figure out what was happening around me. I had expected Sera’s brothers to be cold and merciless after what happened to her, but they weren’t as ruthless as I thought, and that was a big relief for me.

But then there was that person... Lucien.

The name didn’t ring a bell in my mind, but his face did!

I was sure Sera had never introduced someone like him; If she did, I would have remembered. Still, there was this nagging feeling, like I’d seen him before but I couldn’t remember.

All the while, the people around me leaned in, trying to hear the conversation happening behind the closed door. But instead of eavesdropping, my mind was darting from one possibility to another, but...

Who exactly was Lucien?

I was still lost in my thoughts when Asher finally snapped. He kicked the door open and shouted at the people inside.

"Hey!" he barked, pointing straight at Lucien. "Don’t try to seduce my sister!"

"Who’s seducing me!" Seraphina shot back without missing a beat. "I’m seducing him!"

The room went silent. Even I froze for a second, then a sly smile crept onto my face.

Look at her... she’s really bold, I thought.

The word bold seemed to unlock something in my mind, and a memory came rushing back.

Three years ago, when Sera was still living in the orphanage and I had already been taken to live with my parents, I used to visit her whenever I could.

That day, I’d taken her to a restaurant. We were only fifteen, but I had more than enough money to spoil her.

"E... Emma..." Sera’s voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes fixed on the table instead of me. "I... I don’t... want to eat here..." The words tumbled out unevenly just like always.

"Why?" I frowned, leaning closer so I could catch her eyes. "This is the best place I could find for our date."

Her fingers twisted together in her lap, knuckles turning white. "I... I don’t... have mo... money," she stuttered. That was how she used to talk back then.

"What!!" I shot her a look. I was a bit annoyed and amused as I rolled my eyes at her words. "Darling, this is my money. I’m the one who asked you out, so of course I’m paying. That’s how it works, no?"

"B... but still..." Sera’s voice was small, hesitant, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.

I reached across the table and took her hand in mine, squeezing it gently. "Don’t be so polite with me. Just bleed my wallet dry and leave me broke," I teased, my tone light but my eyes soft.

Sera was the only person who had ever given me warmth back then, before I found my parents. To me, she wasn’t just a friend — she was my sister, my family, the one person I could always run to express myself.

"O... okay!" she finally said, a shy smile breaking through her nervousness. "I... I guess there’s... nothing I can do."

"Finally, you get it," I grinned, squeezing her hand again. That’s when my phone started buzzing on the table.

"Excuse me, if you don’t mind—" I began, but before I could finish, she waved her hand, telling me to take the call.

Author’s POV

Emma had stepped away to answer the call, leaving Seraphina alone at the table. She sat quietly, her chin resting in her hand, eyes drifting toward the window.

Outside, the world went on as if she didn’t exist. That’s when she spotted a couple on the sidewalk, who weren’t talking lovingly or holding hands—they were arguing.

She could never hear their loud voices through the glass window.

At first, Sera felt a flicker of amusement. The man was strikingly handsome, the kind of person who seemed pulled out of a magazine, and yet here he was, trying to hold onto a woman who clearly wanted nothing to do with him. She couldn’t figure out why she was pushing him away.

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than she wanted to. Then, almost abruptly, she tore her eyes away and looked down at her hands.

She knew her place in life. She didn’t deserve happiness in this life! How could she? When even her own parents hadn’t wanted her, what chance did she have that anyone else truly would?

Sera was still lost in her thoughts when her eyes were drawn back to the couple outside.

But now, the girl was gone and vanished into the crowd, leaving the man behind. He was on his knees, head bowed, his face buried in his hands. His shoulders shook, and even though the busy street bustled around him, no one spared him a glance.

Something twisted sharply in Sera’s chest. She didn’t know him, didn’t know what had happened, but somehow, she could feel his pain as if it were her own.

She felt as if he was lonely in this world just as she was!

Without thinking, she pushed back her chair and stood. Her hand dipped into her pocket, fingers brushing against the smooth wrapper of a lollipop she’d been saving. It wasn’t much, but it was her small way of saying, You’re not alone.

She stepped out of the restaurant, the noise of the street rushing over her. But when she looked toward where he had been... he wasn’t there.

"Wh... Where did... did he go?" she murmured under her breath, scanning the crowd.

Then she caught sight of a lone figure moving slowly toward a shadowed alleyway.

Without thinking, Seraphina trailed after him, her steps quick and light, like she might lose him if she hesitated for even a second. Emma, who had just ended her call, caught sight of Sera walking away.

"Where’s she going?" she murmured, brows knitting. She thought about calling out, but she stopped as she became curious. She wanted to see for herself where was she going herself.

Sera kept her eyes locked on the man’s back as he moved farther from the busy streets, the noise of the city fading behind them. He didn’t slow down or look back. He just kept walking until the glow of streetlights faded and darkness engulfed the area.

When he finally stopped, it was in front of an old, abandoned building on the edge of the city. The place looked like it had been forgotten for years, filled with dust and silenced.

Sera’s heartbeat quickened, a strange unease curling in her chest. She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t let him disappear again. Without thinking, she broke into a run.

Emma’s eyes widened, and she rushed after her, not knowing who the man was or why Sera was so desperate to reach him, only knowing that what was happening, but she couldn’t ignore it.

Sera ran toward the building, her breath catching as she spotted the man ahead, already halfway up the stairs.

"He... Hello... Pl... Please stop!!" Her voice cracked as she swallowed hard, trying to catch her breath.

No matter how much she pushed the words out, they didn’t come out. Her chest ached with the possibility that something bad was about to happen.

In the end, all she could do was keep climbing, her footsteps quick and uneven as she tried to close the distance between them.

"Where are you going!!" Emma’s voice came from behind in urgency.

She was afraid that Seraphina might get into deep trouble.

But Sera didn’t stop. She didn’t even slow down. Her eyes stayed locked on the man ahead like if she looked away for even a second, he’d vanish.

By the time they reached the top floor, he was already standing right at the edge of the roof. The wind tugged at his shirt and hair, trying to pull him forward.

"Wh... What are you doing!!" Sera yelled with all her might, trying her best not to stutter.

She ran at him without thinking, her hands gripping his arm and yanking him back.

"Do... Don’t die!!" Her voice wavered, but she forced the words out. Her words sounded desperate but firm, as her fingers still clenched onto the person, without letting him go.

"Who are you!?" the man asked coldly, trying to push her away.

"I... I want you... to live!" Sera said, those words full of unwavering resolve. "Live!!"

The man froze.

He hadn’t come here to jump or kill himself.

He was there just to run away, to shout it all out where no one could hear. But now this little girl was standing in front of him, holding on like she wouldn’t let go even if she was killed.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The wind howled around them, carrying away the sound of their breathing.

"Go home," he muttered, trying to look anywhere but at her eyes.

"No," she said quickly. "If you’re staying here, I’m staying too."

His jaw tightened. "You don’t know me."

"I don’t have to," Sera replied, her hands still gripping his sleeve. "I just... I don’t want to see you die."

"Who told you I was going to kill myself?" the man asked, running a hand through his hair.

"You... you may not," Sera said, her voice trembling, "but... your eyes... they’re just like mine..."

She was breathing hard. When she looked at him, her gaze was full of something unfamiliar that the person had never seen before.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his tone softer now, though he didn’t understand why.