CHAPTER 119: I’LL TAKE YOU OUT!

Author’s POV

Seraphina sat down on the floor. She popped the kit open with trembling fingers, and there it was, her emergency kit... Alcohol, gauze, a few expired painkillers, but it was more than enough for her to wrap up her injuries.

"Why are you crying?" she muttered bitterly, dabbing her cut lip with the alcohol-soaked cotton. "Did they slap you too?"

"No..." the maid shook her head. "You didn’t let them slap me."

"Then don’t waste your tears on me," Seraphina said in a low tone as she muttered in pain.

The maid tried to hold her hand, but Seraphina jerked away. "Don’t touch me... I saved you, but you all saw that happen, but did nothing."

"I’m sorry," the maid whispered. "I wanted to stop her but—"

"But you didn’t," Seraphina cut her off and looked up finally. Her eyes were swollen, lip was bleeding, yet there was still that quiet rage burning inside. "And I don’t even care."

"But I called your friend; she... she is on her way," the maid said in between her sobs, her voice shaky and low like she was scared someone might hear her.

Seraphina’s hand froze. The grip on the gauze in her palm loosened.

She blinked a few times and looked at the maid properly for the first time. She hadn’t expected someone to come forward and help her.

They all used to look away and pretend that they didn’t hear the screams or see the evident bruises on her body. It was easier that way for them.

But this girl... she came back to help her!

The maid quickly took the gauze from her hand and dropped to her knees, tending to the wound with practiced hands, carefully.

"I tried calling your brothers, but... I heard Mrs. Lancaster sent them away somewhere. The call wouldn’t connect no matter how many times I tried," she explained, trying hard not to cry again. "And I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t just watch you... In this condition, getting locked up in the dirty storage room as if you are not part of this family."

She repeated herself and paused, her fingers still trembling against Seraphina’s bleeding skin.

"So I called Miss Emma," she continued. "She picked up at once, and when I told her everything, she said she’s coming right away."

Seraphina swallowed hard. Her throat burned with pain and emotions.

"She’s really coming?" she whispered.

"Yes, Miss. She didn’t even let me finish my sentence," the maid said, her hands gentle but fast, trying to mend my wounds with shaking hands.

Silence fell between us as no one said anything.

Seraphina stared at the cracked wall in front of her. Blood had stopped, but was still sticking to her skin; her bones ached; her heart was painful, not only because of what happened, but how her mother had acted.

She let out a slow breath.

It seemed... not everyone had turned their back on her, and there was still someone who would come when she called.

Even if she was never used to doing that.

"My... name is Lia," the maid said in a low tone, almost unsure if she should even speak. She then pulled out her phone from the pocket of her wrinkled apron and glanced at the screen. "It seems... Miss Emma is here."

"Oh," Seraphina gave a small nod, her voice barely a whisper as she shifted to stand. The moment she pushed herself up, pain shot through her legs. "Ah—" she gasped, stumbling as her body gave up on her.

Her legs wobbled and her muscles screamed to rest. Her knees almost buckled right there, but she held the edge of the broken cupboard to steady herself.

She wasn’t just dealing with the cuts or bruises, but her skin was burning. The pain was sharp in some places and dull in others. But no matter what, it was painful.

The burns weren’t deep enough to take her life, but they were enough to sting.

Blisters had already started forming on her shoulders and back where the fabric had stuck to her wounds, and she was hardly holding her consciousness.

She sucked in a shaky breath, forcing herself to move. "Can you... Just open the door for her?"

Lia quickly nodded and reached for Sera’s hand and gripping her gently with a trembling hand. "I... I’m planning to take you out of here myself."

"Excuse me?" Sera’s voice shook as her eyes widened. For a second, she didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t that she didn’t want help but it was just that she wasn’t used to anyone risking thier life for her.

"Third Young Master..." Lia hesitated, glancing at the door to make sure someone must not be listening. "He strictly told us to take care of you, no matter what. Even before leaving today... he made sure to remind us again."

Sera’s breath hitched.

That cold, careless bastard...? But his gestures were always warm even in her past life.

Lia leaned in a bit and said in a low tone. "And you don’t have to worry, I... I recorded everything that happened after you rescued me from them."

"You didn’t need to..." Sera mumbled, almost dazed, trying to keep up with the rush of unexpected kindness. "There are CCTVs everywhere... someone could check it if they wanted to."

"No," Lia said firmly, her eyes turning toward Sera. "They shut it all off the moment Young Master left so the cameras went dead and nothing was being recorded when it happened. So the second you asked me to leave... I started filming. I didn’t know what else to do."

Her voice cracked at the end.

"I couldn’t stop them, but at least now... there’s proof."

Sera didn’t speak as a drop of tear spilled out of her eyes, stinging her face.

There were a lot of things going on in her mind and heart, but... She just decided to escape this place and recover before coming with a bang.