Gina led the three interns to Aaron's office. Aaron Smith was one of the styling consultants who worked At The Seraphina Atelier. He was famous for styling actors and actresses for different events. He was one of the senior employees in the company who had been there since the initial years.
A man in his early 40s, Aaron was not someone you could mess with and get away with it. He was quite passionate about his job and would not tolerate any mistakes. Having gone through the resumes of the new interns, Aaron was skeptical. All three of them were very basic and he could not, for the love of God, comprehend as to why would Seraphina take them as her interns.
But he still trusted his boss's decision for he had been with her since the start and he had seen that woman work wonders and make brilliant decisions. That's why he chose to give the interns a chance to prove themselves. Perhaps, Seraphina saw some potential in them.
Aaron adjusted his glasses, carefully observing the three new monkeys that he was given to play with for the day. His keen eyes scanned the faces of the three interns who stood in front of him in a line, anxious about their first task and eager to prove themselves.
He paid attention to how each of them introduced themselves, their little mannerisms, the tone of their voice. For now, he was pretty neutral about the three of them and decided to take time to decide who was going to make and who was not.
He chuckled mentally thinking about the assignment that Seraphina had curated for these three. It was for sure going to test their mettle in ways they couldn't yet imagine.
"Okay, listen up!" Aaron began, his voice commanding attention. "You have a special project today. Our client is Ivy Morgan, a well-known actress with very specific tastes. She's temperamental, so everything needs to be perfect. Your job is to create a complete outfit ensemble based on her preferences and the theme that she has provided."
He handed each of them a copy of the list of Ivy's choices and the details of the formal, underwater theme that she was going for.
The interns exchanged glances, their excitement tinged with nervousness. Ivy Morgan was notorious for her demanding nature, and satisfying her would be no small feat. Chloe, the most ambitious of the interns, flashed a confident smile. For her, this was a chance to prove herself to Seraphina, and was eager to show her prowess.
Unbeknownst to the interns, Seraphina had orchestrated this encounter with Ivy, her friend and trusted ally. The actress had been briefed to criticize Chloe's choices harshly, and if the opportunity arose, to give the spoiled intern a taste of her own medicine. This particular task was more than just a design challenge—it was a carefully orchestrated play.
Upstairs, in her office, Seraphina was watching the whole scene unfold through the CCTV cameras. She smirked seeing the confident smile on Chloe's face. She watched the interns go through the list and then be guided by Aaron to the warehouse from where they were free to grab items of their choice.
The live feed displayed on her screen showed the interns bustling around, selecting fabrics, picking up different pieces from the racks, and putting them on the mannequin that was provided to them. Her eyes glinted with anticipation as she focused solely on Chloe, the target of her subtle revenge.
She may seem like a bully to some but Chloe completely deserves all that Seraphina had planned for her. Seraphina recalled how cruel Chloe had been even at 7 years of age. At that time, she was being held captive in her step-uncle's house after her family was murdered.
They kept her alive till her replacement, her step-uncle's daughter was ready to take Seraphina's place as the heiress. In those three years that Seraphina had been held captive, she was mistreated, abused, and tortured. For three long years, she had been treated like a slave, subjected to cruelty and humiliation.
Chloe had her own share in Seraphina's abuse even when she was so young, practically a child. So it was fitting for Seraphina to have Chloe a taste of what Seraphina had gone through.
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Meanwhile, unaware of the fact that his biggest enemy has entered the battlefield, Marcus was in his office going through the reports and other important documents regarding the new venture that his company has taken on. He was in his cabin with his secretary helping him with the reviewing process when William Sullivan knocked at his cabin's door before entering.
"Hey, Marcus! I hope I am not interrupting something important." greeted William with a smile on his face as he sat on the chair opposite Marcus's.
Gesturing for his secretary to leave, Marcus turned and greeted William with a smile of his own. William was an old friend and business partner of his.
"Nothing much." said Marcus placing his hands on the desk, "What about you?"
"I came here to talk about something personal." began William and in response, Marcus just leaned back on his chair and waited for William to continue.
"Caroline's 28th birthday is coming up so I was thinking that we should hold her and Ethan's engagement party on the same day itself." suggested William.
Marcus's expressions turned serious but he nodded positively, "You know me, I have no problem with that. The decision solely depends on Ethan and Caroline, I will talk to Ethan about it and we will decide accordingly."
"That's fine." chuckled William while Marcus grinned.
"By the way, when is Elijah coming back? It's been over a year since he went to London for that joint venture with Optum Sphere." questioned William.
"Ah, he's coming back next month. The company is running fine, and he's found a candidate who can handle his responsibilities. So he's almost done with his work there and will be back next month unless something serious arises." informed Marcus while toying with the semi-sphere paperweight.
"Okay!" exclaimed William and stood up to leave, "Let's have a family dinner tonight, we can discuss the further details regarding Caroline and Ethan's engagement there."
"Done!" smiled Marcus.
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What is this?" Ivy sneered, pointing at the outfit that Chloe had assembled for her. "Did you even listen to my preferences? This is atrocious." she sneered.
Chloe's face turned red with embarrassment and anger. "I thought it suited your style. It is perfect for the underwater look that was mentioned in the list that we got." she defended weakly, almost sounding as if she was complaining.
Ivy's eyes narrowed, "Was it not mentioned that I am going to wear this outfit for a promotional event for my movie? With the underwater theme, you could have chosen a mermaid as an inspiration. There are several stunning sea creatures that you could have drawn inspiration from. But you chose to make me look like a blobfish!"
Seraphina could not hold in her laughter as she heard Ivy say that.
"And what's this?" She gestured to the handbag that Chloe had chosen to go with the outfit. "Are you deliberately trying to make me look ridiculous?"
Seraphina, who was watching the live footage on her laptop leaned closer to the screen, her grin widening as she saw Chloe's composure begin to crack. The other interns watched in silence, their relief visible on their faces that they weren't the ones under fire.
Chloe's temper flared. "Maybe you just don't appreciate good fashion." she snapped.
The room fell silent. Ivy's eyes flashed dangerously. Without warning, she stepped forward and slapped Chloe across the face. The sound echoed through the room, stunning everyone into silence.
The shock and pain from being struck caused Chloe to stumble and because she was not able to balance herself on time, she fell on the floor with her hand flying to her cheek.
"Gina! Everything is being recorded right?" seeing the childlike hope on her boss's face, Gina was stunned for a moment but as the brilliant secretary that she was, she masked up her expressions quickly and replied to Seraphina.
"Yes, and we also instructed a staff member to capture the video on their cell phone for a better angle." informed Gina to which Seraphina smiled touched by Gina's efforts. She knew she had chosen the best secretary for herself.
Angry tears welled up in Chloe's eyes, "You shouldn't have done that!" Chloe spat, her tone laced with rage, "You have no idea whom you have messed with. My father will hear about this!"
"Is your father Lucius Malfoy?" giggled Ivy while others suppressed their smiles.
"You!" Chloe stood up pointing her index finger at Ivy, "Yes, me." was Ivy's childish reply.
Without saying any other word, Chloe stormed out of the store, and watching the whole scene unfold, a deep satisfaction settled over Seraphina.
She recalled a particular incident during those three years that she was held captive. It was winter season and Seraphina had fallen sick because of the terrible conditions she was living in. Chloe had come over with her friends ordering Seraphina to play with her. She had kicked and slapped Seraphina over and over and dragged her out in the snow only to use Seraphina as their target for a snowball fight.
That was one of the least cruel things that Chloe and others had done to her but Seraphina was determined to pay back every atrocity against her tenfold.
"Think your daddy's influence can fix everything, do you?" Seraphina chuckled mirthlessly. Chloe was nothing but a sheltered, spoilt brat who believed that her father could protect her from everything and shield her from the consequences of her actions but she was ignorant of the true power at play. Seraphina had spent years building her strength, gathering allies, and preparing for this very moment.
Chloe had no idea that this time, she was up against someone with more power, someone who wouldn't be swayed by Marcus Grayson's threats, money, power, and influence.
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The rest of the day went uneventful but Chloe did not return for the rest of the day. After finishing her work for the day, Seraphina went back home. Dropping her bags and toeing off her heels, Seraphina took off her clothes and changed into a swimsuit before heading towards the indoor pool for a swim.
The day was quite satisfactory for her but there was still so much to do. After swimming for half an hour, Seraphina got out of the pool and went to the washroom to shower.
She came out wearing nothing but her bathrobe and went to the mini library in the mansion. There she went straight to the bookshelf at the corner and pulled out a specific book. The action caused the bookshelf to slide away revealing a secret door.
Inside was a room dedicated to her mission of vengeance. The walls were covered with photographs of her enemies, news articles, and detailed notes, each piece meticulously arranged. It was all a part of the intricate puzzle she had been assembling for years.
Seraphina stepped closer, her eyes scanning the images. Marcus Grayson's face stared back at her from multiple pictures, a constant reminder of her ultimate goal.
"Chloe is just a pawn," Seraphina murmured, tracing a line from Chloe's photograph to Marcus's. "One day she will lead me to Marcus. But first, there's Ethan."
Ethan Grayson was Marcus's second son, the middle child, and her next target.
Seraphina dragged her fingernail over Ethan's picture, her eyes sparkling and lips curved into a sinister smirk, "Oh, the things I will do to you."