[09 - Strings of Deception]

Dressed in brands from head to toe, Caroline arrived at the hospital carrying the lunchbox that she had prepared for Ethan. She oversaw the whole cooking process and made sure that everything was fresh and nutritious. 

She walked through the sterile halls with an aura of superiority around her, her determination and confidence evident in her stride. She approached Ethan's room with a smile on her face, only to be stopped by two burly bodyguards stationed outside.

"What?" she looked at them questioning their reason for stopping her.

One of the guards responded to her question, "I'm sorry ma'am, but we have been instructed by Mr. Grayson to not let anybody go inside without his permission and exclusive clearance."

"Excuse me?" Caroline scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest, "Do you know who I am?"

On getting no response from the bodyguards, Caroline continued, "Listen, I am Ethan's fiancée. You can check with Uncle Marcus, I am definitely on that so -called exclusive list." she said haughtily, trying to push past them.

The bodyguards remained firm, "I am sorry, ma'am, but we cannot act against the given orders."

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Caroline spoke angrily, "I am Ethan Grayson's fiancée." she repeated emphasizing each word.

"I'll confirm." said one of the bodyguards and gave a call to Marcus. After getting the confirmation, the two bodyguards moved to the side to let Caroline go inside.

With a roll of her eyes, Caroline moved closer to the door only to stop when she heard noises coming from inside the room. Her hand paused at the knob of the door as she listened carefully, her heart sinking as the unmistakable sounds of sex reached her ears.

The sound of Ethan's groans and that of wet licks and pops caused Caroline's eyes to redden. Her jaw clenched tight, she pushed the door open and walked inside. Her nostrils flared in anger as she spotted Ethan on the bed with his hospital gown pushed up and bunched at his waist as a semi-naked woman moved her mouth up and down his dick.

The scene froze for a moment as the other two occupants of the room noticed Caroline's presence while Caroline simply stood there, stunned. Yet, neither Ethan nor the woman stopped until Ethan came with a guttural groan.

Caroline noticed the woman swallow before hopping off the hospital bed. She adjusted her blouse and wiped her mouth, smirking at Caroline as she walked past her, unfazed.

Ethan looked at Caroline with a challenging gaze, "Hey there, Caro Caro! What are you doing here?"

But Caroline chose not to respond. She stood there glaring at Ethan murderously.

"What? Do you have something to say? Are you angry?" asked Ethan, smirking. This was his way of letting her know that he would never be hers.

Caroline's face was a mask of controlled fury. She set the lunchbox down and picked up some tissues, tossing them at Ethan. "Clean yourself."

Ethan's smirk widened to a challenging smile. Lifting his bandaged arms, he pouted, "I'm injured, remember? You should do it."

Caroline's expression hardened. She turned to the door and called in a nurse. "Clean him up." she ordered, her voice cold.

As the nurse began to attend to Ethan, Caroline stepped closer to him, lowering her voice to a dangerous whisper. "If you want to play this game, Ethan, remember that I am a master player. No matter which woman you go to, you will always come back to me. Understand?"

After the nurse left, Caroline pushed away the sheet and grabbed his dick, squeezing it hard, causing him pain enough to let out a sharp wince, "You do whatever you want to, but in the end, it will be me who is going to be your official wife. You will come back to me, always. Remember, okay." she smirked and let him go.

Ethan's smirk faltered slightly as he met Caroline's steely gaze. For a moment, the room was filled with a tense silence, the air thick with unspoken threats.

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The next day, at The Seraphina Atelier, Seraphina was in her office waiting for her client to arrive. She had pushed all her other appointments for later because of this particular client. Today, Natasha Carter was coming in for a consultation.

Natasha was the daughter of the world's wealthiest man, Andrew James Carter, who was also known for his philanthropic work. Natasha was getting married to an Indian businessman the next year. She had decided to hold two weddings to honor both her and her husband's culture and heritage. She wanted Seraphina to design all of the outfits that she was going to wear at each of the ceremonies and other related functions.

This is why, Seraphina chose Anika Gupta, a senior designer at her company who was of Indian heritage to help her in designing the traditional Indian outfits. Seraphina also took permission from Natasha to let her three interns in on the consultation because she wanted them to learn how a client consultation is done.

Natasha, the sweetheart that she was, agreed to her request and that's why Trisha, Jacob, and Chloe were in Seraphina's cabin to watch and learn. This was an excellent opportunity for them.

The sound of heels clicking against the polished floor announced Natasha's arrival. Poised and elegant, Natasha exuded an aura of privilege and confidence that commanded attention. Her sharp eyes surveyed the room before settling on Seraphina, who greeted her with a professional yet warm smile.

"Welcome, Natasha. It's an honor to have you here." Seraphina said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"The honor is mine, Seraphina. I've heard only the best about you." Natasha replied, her tone polished and sincere.

"Hello, ma'am. I am Anika and I will be working with Miss Seraphina to create all of your traditional Indian outfits." said Anika introducing herself.

"Nice to meet you." replied Natasha with a smile.

Seraphina then introduced the interns but Natasha barely acknowledged them, her focus remaining on Seraphina.

"We'll start with your wedding gown first." Seraphina began while Anika picked up her tablet to make a note of Natasha's preferences, "What elements are you envisioning?"

Natasha described a gown that blended classic elegance with modern sophistication. She wanted a timeless piece that would be the centerpiece of the wedding.As the discussion continued, Natasha's demeanor shifted slightly. She looked at Chloe and said, "Could you get me a coffee? An iced coffee with milk and sugar, please."

Chloe looked reluctant, she wasn't there to serve coffee. But a quick glare from Seraphina made her nod positively and quickly leave the room to grab a cup of coffee for Natasha.

Pouting like a child, Chloe went to the cafeteria to make the order. When she returned with the coffee, Natasha took a sip and immediately spat it out. "What the hell!"

Natasha angrily placed the cup on the table and turned to glare at Chloe, "Did you use normal milk to make this?" she asked while furiously wiping her mouth with a tissue.

"I -" Chloe did not know what to say.

"You idiot! I am allergic to normal milk." Natasha took out a tablet from her handbag and popped it in her mouth while Anika handed her a glass of water.

"Were you trying to kill me or what?" Natasha screeched in Chloe's face, poking her shoulder with her index finger.

Chloe's face turned red in anger, "How am I supposed to know about your allergies? You should have had the decency to tell me first." Chloe spat back.

"You, you -" Natasha picked up the cup of coffee and dumped it over Chloe's head.

"You should have asked first!" exclaimed Natasha furiously, "Oh my God! This is so basic and you don't even know that.

"Her fists clenched tight, Chloe almost charged to hit Natasha but was held back by Trisha who whispered in her ear, "Let's not make a scene, Chloe. We cannot afford to offend her.

"Chloe glared at Trisha and struggled against her hold but did nothing else. Still fuming, she left the room to cool down. Seraphina told Trisha to go after Chloe and requested Anika and Jacob to leave her and Natasha alone for some time, telling them that she would call them back.

As the others walked out of her cabin, Seraphina and Natasha exchanged a subtle, knowing glance.

"Eeeehhhh!" making that weird sound Natasha grabbed Seraphina in a hug, "So, how did I do?" she asked like a child wanting to be praised making Seraphina chuckle.

She patted Natasha's shoulder lightly, "It was petty, it was fun, it was perfect!""I am glad that you enjoyed it, sweetie!" smiled Natasha breaking the hug.

Natasha Carter was actually Seraphina's old friend who knew the basic details of Seraphina's revenge and chose to help her achieve her goal. So when Natasha announced that she was getting married and that she wanted Seraphina to design her outfits, Seraphina took this opportunity to humiliate Chloe once again and Natasha did not refuse.

"Where is Karan? I thought he was coming today as well." asked Seraphina. Karan was Natasha's fiancé.

"I did not want to scare him away, so I told him not to come." said Natasha making Seraphina chuckle.

The two friends talked for a while until Chloe came back taking a shower and changing her dress. Her eyes were bloody red, and her composure regained. After talking to Trisha, Chloe knew that she had no choice but to apologize.She actually could not afford to risk offending Natasha and the Carter family. They were way above and beyond her father's reach so Chloe reluctantly decided to apologize.

She approached Natasha and lowered her head. "I'm sorry for my behavior. It won't happen again." she parroted.

Unsatisfied, and enjoying the moment, Natasha looked down at Chloe and said, "Kneel."

"What?" Chloe spoke through gritted teeth.

"Did I stutter? Or is there a problem with your ears?" Natasha said condescendingly, "I said, kneel!"

Chloe's heart pounded, her nostrils flaring in anger but she knelt in front of Natasha, her head bowed in submission as she apologized again, "I am sorry for my behavior. It won't happen again."

Seraphina stood beside Natasha, making it appear as if Chloe was apologizing to her as well. The scene was a stark reminder of her own past humiliations. Seraphina recalled a painful memory where she had faced such humiliation. There was a time during her captivity when she was forced to do the same. While playing, Chloe accidentally broke an expensive vase that Katherine, Chloe's mother, had purchased from an auction.

When enquired, Chloe had put the blame on Seraphina causing Katherine to hit her brutally and make her apologize like Chloe was doing now. Seraphina felt a bittersweet pang of satisfaction as she looked down at Chloe who was kneeling at her feet.

"Okay, fine! Just get up already and leave." exclaimed Natasha in a dismissive tone, "You have spoiled the whole day for me. Oh my God!" she dramatically placed a hand on her forehead, "Seraphina, I am not feeling good. Can we schedule the consultation for another day?"

Seraphina bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from chuckling, "Yeah, sure. Take care of yourself."

Natasha nodded with a small smile gracing her lips. She gave Chloe a side eye before walking past her. After Natasha left, Seraphina let out a loud sigh and dismissed everybody for the day.

After she was left alone in her cabin, Seraphina sent a thank you message to Natasha who within a few seconds sent back a reply, "You're welcome, sweetie."