Chapter 5

Seraphina's POV

When I arrived at the precinct, I immediately saw the two of them sitting on a bench.

Vivian was holding an antiseptic swab, gently dabbing at the cuts on Julian's face.

Her movements were tender, her eyes filled with worry. Julian sat with his eyes closed, letting her tend to him.

Without saying a word, I walked past them to speak with the officers and the lawyer of the man Julian had beaten.

By the time the paperwork was finalized and we stepped out of the police station, the sky had gone completely dark.

Julian walked ahead with a dark face, and Vivian followed a few steps behind.

She suddenly stopped and looked at me, biting her lip. "Mrs. Sinclair, about today..."

Before she could finish her sentence, I turned around and slapped her hard across the face.

The force of the blow caught Vivian completely off guard. She stumbled back, clutching her cheek, her eyes instantly filling with tears.

"Seraphina!"

Julian reacted instantly. He lunged forward, grabbing my arm and pulling me away so hard I almost lost my footing.

He shielded Vivian behind him, his face livid, his eyes blazing with fury. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you hit her?!"

I stabilized myself and glared back at him coldly. "Why? Because she knowingly slept with a married man. What's wrong with giving her a slap?"

"I didn't!" Vivian sobbed, lowering her hand to reveal the bright red finger marks on her pale cheek. Her voice cracked with tears. "Mrs. Sinclair, I've explained this to you. I never wanted to ruin your marriage! It's Julian who won't let me go! What more do you want from me?"

"He won't let you go?" I let out a mocking laugh, my gaze sharp. "Vivian, stop playing the victim. Three years ago, didn't you try everything to drug Julian and get into his bed? Did you not know he was married then?"

Vivian's face drained of color. "Yes! I admit I was wrong back then, but I was desperate to save my family's company! Only Julian could help me! I had no choice! And I was punished for it!"

"Oh really?"

I sneered, about to tear her apart verbally, when Julian barked, "That's enough, Seraphina!"

He stared at me, his face grim. "Vivian and Oliver were publicly humiliated at the mall today by some random thugs. They called her a mistress and called my son a bastard. You hired them, didn't you? If you're mad at me, take it out on me! Using such disgusting tactics against a woman and a child... don't you think you've gone too far?"

I froze.

Looking at the pure accusation in Julian's eyes, a freezing coldness swept from the soles of my feet to my chest.

What was he saying?

He thought I hired people to humiliate Vivian and his son?

How absurd!

I was the one who had been lied to, drugged into infertility, betrayed, and humiliated. Yet, in his eyes, I had somehow become the vicious villain, bearing the weight of his baseless accusations.

Julian frowned deeply. "Sera, I know it's hard for you to accept Vivian and Oliver. But everything is my fault. I'm the one who hid her away. I'm the one who made the contract for the baby. Vivian never wanted to steal my heart. If you have anger, throw it at me. What is the point of targeting her and a two-year-old child?"

His words pierced my eardrums and stabbed into my heart.

Looking at the man I had loved for six years, the man I thought I would grow old with, I felt only a profound sense of disgust and exhaustion.

I curled my lips into a bitter smile.

"Julian, you tampered with my daily supplements, making me infertile for six years. I thought my own body was broken, living in constant guilt and pain. You cheated on me, had a child with another woman, hid them in another city, and enjoyed a secret family. Now, you've dragged your mistress and bastard into the spotlight, making me the laughingstock of the entire city. And you have the audacity to call me cruel?"

Julian's brow furrowed, his face incredibly cold. "Sera, I will explain all of this to you later. But do not call Vivian a mistress. She isn't one."

"She's not a mistress?"

I was about to spit back a retort when a sudden commotion erupted around us.

"Look, Julian Sinclair and Vivian Sterling are over there!"

"The wife is here too!"

"Quick! Get the cameras!"