Chapter 2 NEW RULES
Seraphina's POV
The handle didn’t turn.
It just… moved.
A slight shift, a quiet test, like whoever was on the other side wasn’t sure if the door was locked—or if I was.
I stopped breathing.
The room suddenly felt too big, too open, with nowhere to hide and nowhere to go without being seen.
The handle stopped.
Then footsteps moved away, slow and measured, without any hurry.
I stayed where I was, my eyes fixed on the door, waiting for it to open or for a voice to come from the other side.
Nothing happened.
It took a long time before I finally moved. I slid off the bed and crossed the room carefully, then reached for the handle.
The door looked normal. Closed. I twisted it open.
The hallway was empty.
The lights were dim, the air still, and there was no sound of footsteps or anyone moving away.
Nothing.
Still, something about the silence felt wrong.
I closed the door and locked it before returning to bed.
Even then, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had been standing outside.
I woke up disoriented, confused for a moment about where I was.
The ceiling was too high, the sheets smelled like detergent I didn’t own, and the room was too perfect to feel familiar.
Then I remembered.
The house. My mother’s new husband.
The footsteps from the night before. My eyes went straight to the door.
It was closed and locked, exactly how I had left it.
I got out of bed and checked the lock anyway.
Still secure.
I let out a breath and stepped back.
The windows were tall, framed by curtains that looked untouched. Outside, the grounds were perfectly manicured, every tree and flower placed exactly where it was supposed to be.
Everything was in order.
Except me.
I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.
The house was already awake when I reached the dining room.
Catherine looked up and smiled brightly when she saw me.
“Seraphina,” she said, getting up to kiss my cheek. “You slept well?”
“Sure,” I lied.
Damon was already at the table. His coffee sat untouched beside his tablet, and the moment I entered, his eyes lifted to mine.
“Good morning.”
“Morning.”
I chose the chair farthest from him and sat down.
A staff member placed breakfast in front of me without asking what I wanted. Eggs, toast, and fruit were arranged neatly on the plate.
I stared at it without touching anything.
Catherine started talking about her plans for the day, telling me about meetings and travel as if we were having an ordinary family breakfast.
Then Damon interrupted.
“We need to establish a few things.”
Catherine smiled. “Of course, darling.”
“For security reasons, Seraphina will have a driver whenever she leaves the house.”
I looked at him. “Excuse me?”
“It’s non-negotiable.”
“Mom?”
Catherine waved her hand. “It’s just a precaution. Damon worries too much.”
“I’m nineteen, not twelve.”
Damon didn’t react. “Age doesn’t eliminate risk.”
“And risk doesn’t eliminate autonomy.”
Catherine sighed. “Seraphina, please.”
Damon continued, “There will also be a curfew. Ten on weekdays, midnight on weekends.”
I stared at him.
“You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
A short laugh escaped me. “You don’t get to decide my life because you married my mother.”
Catherine looked uncomfortable.
“You live under my roof,” Damon said calmly. “That comes with expectations.”
“My roof,” Catherine corrected weakly.
“Our roof,” Damon said without looking at her.
I pushed my chair back and stood.
“Then maybe I shouldn’t be here.”
Damon leaned back in his chair, completely calm.
“Sit down.”
I hated how quickly my body reacted to his voice.
I sat.
Catherine exhaled in relief, then picked up her phone when it started ringing.
“I have to take this,” she said, already standing. “You two finish breakfast.”
She left. Of course, she did.
I looked at Damon. “You don’t know me.”
“I know enough.”
“That’s the problem.”
His expression didn’t change.
“You watch me like I’m a problem.”
“I watch you because you don’t see what’s around you.”
“And you do?”
“Yes.”
The answer came without hesitation.
I looked away for a moment before meeting his eyes again.
“I don’t need a guard or a driver.”
“You need protection.”
“From what?”
He was silent for a moment.
“Attention.”
I almost laughed. “I’m not important enough for that.”
His eyes held mine. “You are.”
Something about the certainty in his voice made the smile disappear from my face.
My mother’s phone call suddenly seemed like the least strange thing about the morning.
I picked up my bag.
“You’re acting like my warden.”
“I’m trying to keep you safe.”
“From who?”
He didn’t answer. That bothered me more than if he had.
I turned and headed for the door.
“Classes start at nine,” he said behind me. “Your driver will be ready at eight-thirty.”
“I’ll walk.”
“You won’t.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Watch me.”
I moved past him, close enough to feel the warmth coming from his body.
For a second, my mind went back to the night before. The door and the footsteps.
Then Damon spoke.
“This house isn’t as safe as it looks.”
I stopped. Slowly, I turned around. “Is that supposed to scare me?”
“It’s supposed to warn you.”
I studied his face, looking for some sign that he was exaggerating.
There wasn’t one.
“Why?” I asked. “Why are you doing this?”
For the first time, he took a moment before answering.
“Because some doors shouldn’t be left open.”
My chest tightened. The words pulled me straight back to the memory of the handle moving in the dark.
I stared at him.
“You were outside my door last night.”
Silence filled the room. Damon didn’t look shocked. He didn’t deny it either. He simply watched me.
My heart began to pound.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than before.
“Lock your door tonight, Seraphina.”
I waited.
Then he added,
“As if that will be enough.”
