The deal

Seraphina Vale sat cross-legged on the floor of her small apartment surrounded by pieces of material and sketches. The low lamp cast a warm glow over her creased yet unyielding face. Her tousled chestnut hair framed amber-hued eyes that overflowed with responsibilities and ambitions.

She set a pencil to a beautiful sketch of a ball gown - her potential masterpiece, her path to her dream career.

At 23 years old, Seraphina was no stranger to hardship. An orphan, a struggling fashion designer, and a mother to a beautiful little baby girl.

She had worked tirelessly for the past two years, dreaming of launching her own label, a dream now hanging by a thread as she competed for a life-changing contract with Celesté Fashion House.

But winning the prestigious Celesté Fashion House contract meant facing off against none other than Dorian Lancaster, her ambitious fiancé.

But as if conjured by her thoughts, the door creaked open.

"Busy as ever, my love," Dorian's smooth, honeyed voice filled the room.

Before she could react, his lips brushed against her cheek. Seraphina's stomach twisted. She swiftly snapped her laptop shut and turned towards him with a smile.

Dorian smirked, blue eyes flickering with amusement. He leaned casually against her desk, in his perfectly tailored suit.

"I swear, you act like I'm trying to steal your ideas," he said, chuckling but his eyes suggesting something else.

Seraphina forced a smile, casually pushing her laptop away, "I just don't want you getting any unintentional inspiration." she joked with a wink.

He laughed, but there was something cold behind it. She brushed it off.

Their story began two years ago. Seraphina was a driven intern at Celesté Fashion House, while Dorian, the confident star intern and heir to a business empire, pursued her relentlessly. He showered her with attention, ensured they worked together, and whisked her away to places she could never afford.

She hadn't truly loved him, but she had liked feeling seen, valued, which helped her moving on from her past. So, she said yes. Now, standing before him, she felt the weight of that mistake. He never said it outright, but something in his gaze made her feel more like an obstacle than a partner.

"You know," he started, adjusting the gold cufflinks on his wrist, "I still don't understand why you're insisting on competing against me. We could work together, Seraphina. You don't have to struggle so hard." He sounds more like a businessman than her fiance at this moment.

She exhaled, already tired of this conversation. "I want to build something for myself, Dorian."

"But baby," he sighed, tilting his head, "YOUR money is MY money, and my money is yours. What's the difference?"

Seraphina's jaw clenched.

That was the difference. Dorian had always talked about his success, his company, and how she could be a part of it, never about what she wanted. She was frustrated and she felt caged around him because of this.

"I—"

Her phone buzzed, cutting her off mid sentence. Her brows frowned and her heart nearly stopped when she saw the name on the screen.

"Daycare Center – Emergency Call"

A cold dread washed over her.

"Hello?" she answered urgently. She saw him clench his jaw by the corner of her eyes. He never liked getting interrupted. But she ignored it.

"Miss Vale, your daughter, Elara, she fainted. We called an ambulance. She's being taken to St. Mary's Hospital right now."

Her breath hitched. "Fainted? But she…she was fine this morning…-"

"She was unresponsive for a few minutes. You should come immediately."

Seraphina shot to her feet, knocking over a pile of sketches.

Dorian arched his brow. "Where are you going?"

"I have to go," she gasped, grabbing her coat. Her entire body was almost shaking in worry. She was on the verge of getting an anxiety attack which she was trying hard to control in front of him. That's something he is unaware of and she wants it to stay that way.

He sighed. "You're leaving again? We're in the middle of an important conversation." he sounded mad. She whirled around, staring at him in disbelief.

"My daughter is in the hospital, Dorian." She breathed out while breathing hard. She looked at him in the eyes, searching for something. Maybe a little bit of empathy or worry, or anything.

He shrugged. "And? Kids faint all the time. She's probably fine."

The air between them turned ice cold. She fisted her hands and clenched her jaw tightly to hold herself back. For the first time, she truly saw him. He wasn't going to come with her. He wasn't even going to pretend to care.

Something in her chest cracked.

Without another word, she turned and ran out the door.

___

ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL

Seraphina's Converse scuffed up hospital corridors as she raced down the corridor, panic clawing at her throat.

"Elara Vale…where is she?" she asked the front desk in a gasp.

The nurse took her to a small hospital room without wasting time. Her heart was broken at the sight of her baby, so pale, so small.

"Mommy…" Elara's weak whisper broke her heart.

Seraphina leapt to her bedside, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I'm here, sweetheart."

Elara's small hand grasped her wrist. "I got tired… I'm sorry."

Tears scalded her eyes. "No, baby. Just rest, okay?"

Elara didn't even have enough strength to nod before she slept again. The doctor came in, clipboard in hand.

Seraphina sprang to her feet. "Is she okay?"

The doctor sighed. "Elara has a congenital heart condition. She needs a transplant…soon."

The world rocked. "A… hole in her heart?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "Getting a donor is hard, and it's pricey. You better start preparing soon."

Pricey.

Seraphina's legs trembled. Rent and other necessities was already a struggle…how was she going to be able to pay for this?

____

The doctor's words seemed to echo over and over again in her head as Seraphina wandered around the city in a daze, lights blurring around her. She felt more lost than she even felt when Celeste, her sister, passed three years ago.

No one knew the truth. Not her best friend, Laura. Not Dorian. Not even Elara herself.

Elara wasn't her daughter, after all. She was her niece.

Celeste brought her up after their parents passed away, sacrificing everything for her. Then she fell in love, got pregnant, and refused to tell the father. Every time Seraphina asked, she would tense up…terrified, guarded. She was hiding something from her.

That's why Seraphina feels like the sudden death of her sister wasn't a normal accident. It has to do something with the past that Celeste was trying to hide. Seraphina didn't stop till today to find out the truth about her sister's death even though she ends up with nothing every time.

The last words of her sister haunted her.

"I trust you to take care of her… Promise me, Sera."

And she promised. She assumed guardianship of Elara in every way that mattered.

But now she was helpless.

Elara needed a procedure she couldn't afford.

Furrows of frustration etched Seraphina's face when she came to a halt in front of a skyscraper that appeared to graze the clouds.

Lancaster Enterprises

____

DORIAN'S OFFICE

"Come in," Seraphina heard Dorian's voice as she knocked on his door.

Seraphina swallowed hard, her throat dry as she pushed the glass doors open with shaking hands without thinking much. She didn't have much hope but she didn't have anywhere else to go as well.

Dorian's office was sleek, polished, and impersonal, just like him.

He sat behind his desk, tapping away at his laptop, barely sparing her a glance.

"Ah, my lovely fiancée finally graces me with her presence," he drawled, smirking as he leaned back in his chair. "How's the little one?"

There was no warmth in his voice. No genuine concern. She looked at him with a confused frown, unable to recognize him suddenly. Seraphina's heart twisted painfully. She has never loved him, that's true but she used to admire and respect him a lot but he is losing all of that suddenly.

She clenched her fists and stepped forward, looking down. "She's dying, Dorian." She whispered as a few drops of tears rolled down her eyes.

His smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before returning, a glint of amusement in his cold blue eyes. "That's sad." He said in a nonchalant tone, making her look at him in disbelief. She couldn't believe how indifferent he sounded as if he didn't care at all.

Tears spilled down her cheeks in anger, frustration, sadness and helplessness. "I need help," she whispered, voice trembling. "I don't know what to do. The surgery… It's expensive. I…I can't afford it." She blubbered out while looking lost. She wasn't thinking straight. She didn't know what to do.

He studied her for a long moment, then stood, walking around the desk until he was inches away. He reached out, brushing away a tear from her cheek with his thumb.

"You should've come to me sooner, love," he murmured. "You don't have to struggle alone."

She looked up at him with widened eyes. Hope flickered in her chest. Maybe …just maybe, he would help. She was looking at him with her breath stuck in her throat. She gripped his hand which was on her cheek just now.

Then his next words shattered everything.

"Marry me," he said smoothly. "Give me your designs. In exchange, I'll fund the surgery." He said, his eyes blank, void of any emotions other than his motive which was sparkling in his eyes.

Seraphina recoiled as if slapped. "What?" She breathed out in pure disbelief. She was almost sure that she heard him wrong. No way in hell he was trying to use her situation to benefit him.

Who was this man in front of her?!

Dorian sighed, as if her reaction was an inconvenience. "You're a talented designer, Seraphina. Your work is… impressive. But you lack the connections, the influence. I, on the other hand, have it all."

She kept on looking at him, without blinking. She wanted to know what else he had to say. And she was waiting for him to say something about her daughter, anything to show that he cares. But it never came, instead, his gaze darkened.

"Sign over your designs, Seraphina, and in return, you and Elara will have everything you need. Money, security, a future."

She couldn't breathe.

"Why?" she croaked. Her brain is clouded. No way in hell this is happening right now.

Dorian chuckled. "Because, darling, your designs are good. Too good. And I can't have you as my competition. I have big dreams, I can't have my poor fiance as my competitor." His hand cupped her chin, tilting her face up to meet his icy gaze. "It's a simple choice, love. Your pride… or her life."

Her stomach churned with disgust. That's all she was to him? A competitor? And now a pawn to get what he wanted?

But what choice did she have?

Her brain was running around, thinking of all the other non-existent ways. The Celesté contract could take months, maybe longer. Elara didn't have that kind of time.

Seraphina felt sick to her core. But she had made a promise. Nothing or no one comes before Elara.

"I'll do it," she said with gritted teeth while looking directly into his eyes. Her eyes are blank, void of any emotions. She didn't blink when she said that. Dorian was a little taken aback with her sudden determination but didn't say anything.

He grinned, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Good girl. My lovely future wife."