[04 - A Taste of Vengeance]

Even after the office hours were over and it had been past midnight, Elijah Grayson was still in the office in London. He sat on his desk trying to absorb the shock of his brother Ethan's accident. The eerily quiet office was a stark contrast to the volcano of emotions that had erupted inside him after getting to know that his brother had been severely injured in a car accident.

The frantic call that he had received from his mother had pierced through his usual composure. Known for his cold efficiency and calm composure, Elijah, at the moment, was struggling to keep his emotions in check. 

His secretary, Margaret, was working on getting his private jet ready and right now was dealing with customs, permits, clearances, and other legalities involved. Elijah had, meanwhile, called Aria Walker, the brilliant and reliable woman he had chosen and was training to take the position of the company's COO.

"I am leaving for the States, tonight. Margaret will be handing over the remaining tasks to you tomorrow and will provide you with the required assistance for the next week. I won't be available for the next few days." he had told, his voice taut with suppressed urgency.

Sighing, Elijah leaned back on his chair and covered his eyes with his arm. The urge to be back home and by his younger brother's side was causing him physical pain now making his eyes burn with unshed tears.

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While Elijah was struggling with his emotions, Seraphina, on the other hand, could not contain her excitement after seeing how badly Ethan was wounded. She wanted to see for herself the reactions and emotions of the Grayson family. Seraphina wanted to witness the devastation on their faces live and not through some 100-inch television screen.

"I should pay them a visit. After all, they were once a family friend." announced Seraphina to herself. She got up from the couch and went to change quite eager to see the distress on her enemies' faces.

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Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the hospital was thick with tension. Both the Grayson and Sullivan family members were gathered in the waiting area of the hospital while Ethan was being operated on. So far they had only got to know that Ethan had suffered multiple fractures, organ damage, and severe limb and soft tissue injuries.

When they arrived at the hospital, Ethan had already been wheeled inside the operating theatre. The best surgeons were working on his case while the Graysons and Sullivans waited anxiously. 

Katherine's tears flowed freely as Victoria and Caroline tried their best to console and comfort the grieving mother. Asher remained standing in a corner, seemingly dethatched from the situation, his expression unreadable.

William was standing next to his son, his phone glued to his ear as he barked orders to their security team to find out each and every detail regarding Ethan's accident.

Marcus Grayson, however, was a storm of fury. Absolutely upset, distressed, and agitated, he paced back and forth. He was constantly staring at the doors to the operation theatre, waiting for a doctor or nurse to come out so that he could ask them about his son's health.

The anxiety that Marcus Grayson was experiencing at the moment was palpable and visible on his face.

"I want to know what happened, how this happened, and I was to know now!" Marcus roared, his voice echoing through the sterile halls.

While their people were looking for clues, the police chief had also been summoned to investigate the case. Henry Becker, the chief of police, approached Marcus cautiously, "Mr. Grayson, we've reviewed the accident site. Unfortunately, there were no CCTV cameras in the immediate area, and the last footage that we have shows your son's car speeding through the streets."

Marcus stopped pacing and turned to glare at Henry, "So, what are you saying?"

He was aware of what the man was implying but Marcus did not believe it. The site where the accident happened was in the opposite direction of the Grayson mansion. Why would Ethan go there when he was told to come back home?

The chief of police hesitated, "It could be reckless driving considering the speed at which Mr. Ethan was driving at. But there's also the possibility that this was a planned attack."

Marcus's eyes glowed dangerously with anger radiating from his body. Henry, the chief, continued, "Mr. Ethan's car was hit by two different vehicles, but there were no other cars at the scene when we arrived. Also, the area where the accident happened is deserted so until Mr. Ethan clarifies otherwise, we are going with the theory that he was lured to the site and then was hit."

Marcus's jaw tightened. "Are you suggesting someone did this deliberately?"

"It's a possibility we can't ignore. Do you know if Ethan has any enemies? Or perhaps if you do, Mr. Grayson?" the police chief asked, his voice careful. Before Marcus could respond, Seraphina walked past them, her eyes sweeping over the scene.

Dressed as a nurse, she was almost unrecognizable with huge glasses framing her eyes and a mask covering half of her face.

She observed Katherine's tears and Marcus's seething anger with a deep seated sense of satisfaction. "Just a taste," she whispered under her breath, watching each of them from a distance. "This is only a taste of the elaborate buffet I have planned for you, Marcus. Enjoy it, get habitual of it because this is what your life is going to be from now on."

Marcus, unaware of Seraphina's gaze on him, muttered to himself, "Who dares to harm my son? Who has the audacity to attack a Grayson and think they can get away with it?"

Seraphina, her face partially hidden by her mask, smirked. She could feel the power of her vengeance coursing through her veins, the fire of her rage feeding excitedly on the sight before her eyes.

She started to walk away, her job here was done for now. Soon, they would meet again. Their fates were entwined after all, and their destinies were the same. The only difference would be that, unlike last time, Seraphina would be the one laughing while her enemies would be begging for mercy.

But unfortunately for them, she wasn't going to show them even a fraction of mercy.

Satisfied, she moved towards the exit humming the song Living Hell under her breath when she collided with Caroline, who was on her way to fetch a glass of water for Katherine. The impact caused Caroline to drop the glass, shattering it on the floor.

"Watch where you're going!" Caroline snapped, her irritation clear.

Seraphina froze, a flood of memories hitting her like a tidal wave. She remembered kneeling on the cold, hard floor of a grand room, facing a girl her age who looked exactly like her. The girl approached and kicked her, a cruel smile on her face.

"I will be replacing you as the little miss of the Sullivan family." the girl had said. "From now on, I am going to be Caroline Mae Sullivan, I am going to be the heiress to this massive fortune and you, you dear cousin have to go for that to happen. You have to die for me to take your place without making anybody suspicious."

Shaking off the memory, Seraphina stared into the eyes of the woman who had replaced her all those years ago. The woman who had taken her place as the rightful heiress, the woman who stole not only her identity but her face as well.

Seraphina stared at the face that would have been hers if she hadn't suffered the extreme facial trauma after she was released from her captivity and thrown away to die.

Seraphina met Caroline's gaze, her eyes hardening. "I'm sorry." she said, her voice steady despite the chaos inside her. She quickly picked up the pieces of the broken glass and threw them in a nearby dustbin.

Caroline, still annoyed, brushed her off. "Just leave." she said dismissively, going back to fetch another glass of water.

Seraphina watched her go, her heart pounding in her chest. The encounter had shaken her, but it also reinforced her resolve. The game was in motion, and she couldn't afford to falter now.

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Back in London, Elijah boarded his private jet. The dark night was fading away but the darkness in Elijah's heart could not be contained. His mind was a storm of thoughts, trying to piece together how the accident happened. He had seen the news and the situations leading up to the accident were certainly suspicious.

If this was a pre-planned attack, and someone was deliberately trying to harm his family then Elijah was going to find that person and finish them off by his own hands. 

No one messed with his family.

No one.

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At the hospital, after hours of operating on Ethan, his attending doctor and the team of surgeons finally emerged from the operation theatre. Each and every member of the Grayson and Sullivan families except for Asher rushed towards them, their faces etched with concern.

"How is he, doctor?" Marcus demanded.

The doctor sighed, "Ethan is stable for now. He has several broken bones and organ damage, but he's going to make it. We'll need to monitor him closely for the next few days to make sure that there is no internal bleeding and that there is no other factor hindering his recovery."

Relief washed over them, but the tension remained. As they began discussing the next steps that were crucial for Ethan's recovery, Seraphina slipped away unnoticed, her heart pounding with triumph and anticipation.

'This was just the beginning.', she smiled while staring at her reflection in the washroom at the hospital. Changing out of the nurse's outfit, Seraphina got dressed in her clothes and made her way out.

She had infiltrated their lives, and soon, she would tear them apart from within. As she left the hospital, Seraphina couldn't help but smile. Not a smug smirk but a genuine, happy smile.

Marcus had no idea what was coming, but he would soon learn that messing with a Grayson was nothing compared to crossing her. She was the storm, and they were about to be swept away. 

They had made her go through hell thinking that it would destroy her, that it would kill her but she rose from her ashes like a phoenix forged by and bathed in the flames of hell that would burn her enemies alive.