Chapter 3 A Smile Sharp Enough to Cut

Chapter 3

A Smile Sharp Enough to Cut

News traveled quickly inside the Vale mansion.

By noon, everyone already knew something was wrong with Seraphina.

The servants whispered quietly in corners.

The maids avoided eye contact.

Even the butler looked unsettled during lunch preparations.

Because Lady Seraphina Vale—

the gentle jewel of high society—

had changed overnight.

And no one understood why.

Seraphina, however, understood perfectly.

People only liked her when she was easy to control.

She sat gracefully inside the family dining hall, silver utensils untouched before her. Sunlight poured through towering windows, illuminating the luxurious room.

Everything looked beautiful.

Fake.

Every memory tied to this mansion now felt rotten beneath the surface.

“You seem quiet today, Sister.”

Seraphina slowly lifted her gaze.

Evelyn Vale smiled sweetly from across the table.

Beautiful.

Delicate.

Innocent.

A snake hidden beneath silk.

For one dangerous moment, Seraphina saw it again—

flames reflecting in Evelyn’s eyes while she burned alive.

Her fingers tightened around the fork.

Evelyn tilted her head softly. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Such a perfect performance.

In her previous life, Seraphina would’ve felt touched by the concern.

Now she only wanted to laugh.

“I’m perfectly fine,” Seraphina replied calmly.

Evelyn’s smile stiffened slightly.

Something about her older sister felt unsettling today.

Even the way Seraphina looked at her—

calm,

cold,

knowing—

made discomfort crawl beneath Evelyn’s skin.

Their father lowered his newspaper with a sigh.

“Seraphina,” he said sternly, “I heard you kept Adrian waiting this morning.”

Ah.

There it was.

Disappointment.

In this family, Seraphina was expected to be perfect at all times.

Obedient.

Elegant.

Pleasant.

Meanwhile Evelyn could do no wrong.

Seraphina dabbed her lips lightly with a napkin before speaking.

“Then perhaps Adrian should learn patience.”

Silence.

The entire table froze.

Even the servants stopped moving.

Evelyn blinked in shock.

Their father frowned deeply. “What kind of response is that?”

Seraphina met his gaze without fear.

“The honest kind.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.

Because Seraphina never spoke like this.

Ever.

Her father’s expression darkened. “You’ve become rude.”

And suddenly—

she remembered.

The same man had watched her funeral without shedding a single tear.

A bitter feeling rose in her chest.

“Have I?” she asked softly.

Something about her tone made even her father hesitate.

It wasn’t disrespectful.

It was worse.

Indifference.

As though she no longer cared about his approval.

Evelyn quickly forced a gentle laugh to ease the tension.

“Sister is probably stressed because of the charity gala tomorrow night.”

The charity gala.

Seraphina’s eyes darkened slightly.

Of course.

That was where everything began in her previous life.

The night Evelyn secretly leaked falsified financial documents.

The first stain on Seraphina’s reputation.

How nostalgic.

Slowly, Seraphina smiled.

Beautiful.

Terrifying.

“Yes,” she murmured softly. “I’m actually looking forward to tomorrow.”

Evelyn’s stomach tightened instinctively.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

—

That evening, rain poured heavily across the city.

Black luxury cars lined the streets outside Ardent Tower, headquarters of the powerful Ardent family.

Inside the highest office floor, silence dominated the room.

Lucien Ardent stood before the massive glass windows overlooking the storm.

Tall.

Composed.

Untouchable.

The city lights reflected against his sharp features while rain traced slow paths down the glass.

Behind him, his assistant spoke carefully.

“There are rumors regarding Lady Seraphina Vale, sir.”

Lucien continued sipping his wine quietly.

“Rumors?”

“They say her personality changed overnight.”

At that—

Lucien finally looked amused.

A small smile touched his lips.

“Is that so?”

The assistant nodded nervously.

“They say she embarrassed Adrian Cross this morning.”

Lucien swirled the wine inside his glass slowly.

Red liquid.

Like blood.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Because Lucien attended enough social events to know exactly what kind of woman Seraphina Vale used to be.

Gentle.

Predictable.

Painfully polite.

But people did not transform overnight without reason.

Unless something broke them first.

Lucien’s gaze drifted toward the storm outside.

For reasons he couldn’t explain—

he suddenly wanted to meet her again.

And far across the city—

Seraphina stood alone on her balcony beneath the cold night wind.

Eyes empty.

Mind burning with memories.

Tomorrow night—

the game would finally begin.

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