The director had mentioned the advanced study program to her before.

It was only because she hadn't known back then that Christian and Caspian had swapped identities—believing herself to be in a blissful marriage—that she had politely declined.

But the reality was that the person who had shared her marriage bed all these years was the very Caspian she despised.

Thinking of this, Seraphina hesitated no longer and seized the opportunity.

"Thank you for keeping this opportunity open for me, Director. I've decided to go."

From the other end of the line, the director's voice filled with surprise and delight.

"Wonderful! I'll submit your materials right away. Though... you and your husband will have to manage a long-distance relationship across countries."

The line went dead, but Seraphina merely offered a faint, ironic smile.

No, she wouldn't be in a long-distance relationship, because she was about to be single and free.

Slipping her phone back into her pocket, Seraphina was about to hail a cab when a Rolls-Royce suddenly pulled up in front of her.

The door swung open, and Caspian rushed out, grabbing her hand while putting on Christian's characteristically gentle tone.

"Sera, I heard your hand was hurt. Have you applied medicine? It's my fault, I shouldn't have let Cas and Natalia stay at the villa."

Seraphina didn't know how Caspian knew she was here, nor did she care to guess.

They might not be tired of putting on this act, but she was exhausted from watching it.

She pulled her hand back and said flatly, "It's fine. It's already been taken care of."

Finding his palm suddenly empty, Caspian's eyes darkened, but in the next instant, he gazed at Seraphina with immense tenderness again.

"Tell you what, let me take you out to clear your head. A friend booked a private box at The Grand Opera House for an opera performance. Haven't you been stuck on your photography lately? Maybe going there will give you some inspiration."

Without waiting for her to refuse, he guided her into the car.

Seraphina simply closed her eyes, resting them in silence.

She didn't listen to a single word of the absurd lies he kept spinning throughout the ride.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the century-old Grand Opera House in the heart of the city.

Acting the part of a perfect husband, Caspian opened the car door for her, instructed the staff to prepare her favorite refreshments ahead of time, and draped his jacket over her shoulders.

When his friends in attendance saw this, they all began to tease them.

"This is too much, you two. You're flaunting your love too aggressively. Single guys have feelings too, you know!"

Seraphina didn't reply.

She simply watched the screens and backdrops on the stage in silence.

She had to admit that she actually found a bit of inspiration here, and she quickly lost herself in her thoughts.

By the time she snapped back to reality, she realized that Caspian and his friends were nowhere to be seen.

The entire seating area was completely empty, leaving her entirely alone.

Seraphina frowned and was about to get up when the martial actor on stage suddenly performed a fire-breathing act. A massive plume of roaring flames shot directly toward her section!

The incident happened so fast that even though she ducked quickly, the back of her hand was scorched by stray sparks once again.

With the new injury compounding the old one, she couldn't help but let out a low groan.

She rushed to the restroom immediately, using cold water to rapidly cool the burn.

Just then, a few thugs dressed in flashy, exaggerated clothing walked in, openly leering at her.

"Well, well, look at our luck today. We actually stumbled upon such a rare beauty."

"Don't be scared, sweetheart. The boys are going to take real good care of you in a minute, make sure you feel real comfortable!"

Seraphina's face turned deathly pale. Realizing she was in grave danger, she bolted toward the door.

But she was a step too late; her wrist was violently seized by one of the thugs.

"What do you think you're doing? Let go of me!"

Seraphina struggled frantically, but her hand was injured, leaving her with no strength to fight back, and her cries for help went entirely unanswered.

Despair washed over her like a tidal wave. Just as the thug's hand reached out to rip her clothes open—

With a loud crash, the door was violently kicked open!

Caspian stood there, his eyes bloodshot, violently kicking the thugs aside as he roared like a savage beast, "Get the hell out!"

Terrified by his frightening aura, the thugs lost their nerve and scrambled out the door on all fours.

As he scooped Seraphina into his arms, his hands were visibly shaking. "Sera, are you alright?"

Those dark eyes were filled with absolute terror, as if he had just come dangerously close to losing his entire world.

Seraphina's consciousness was slightly hazy. She opened her mouth to speak, but another voice drifted in from outside.

"Cas, why did you rush in like that? Didn't we agree to let the thugs ruin Seraphina to get revenge for Natalia?!"

Chapter 5

After that single sentence, Seraphina couldn't hear anything else.

When she woke up again, she found herself lying on a hospital bed.

As she moved her arm slightly, a sharp, burning sensation clearly rushed over.

Inside the ward, a nurse changing her dressing spoke with a smile.

"You're awake, miss. Your husband went to pay your fees. He was incredibly anxious earlier, holding you in his arms all the way as he rushed into the burn unit."

With that, she pushed her small cart out of the room.

Seraphina's lips curled into a faint, bitter smile as the words she had heard before losing consciousness flashed through her mind.

Just then, a phone on the nightstand suddenly lit up.

Thinking it was her own, she picked it up only to realize it belonged to Caspian.

On the screen, a group chat history caught her eye.

[Cas, when you suddenly rushed in to save Seraphina, we actually thought you had gone soft on her.]

[Christian already put the word out that he wanted Seraphina's hand burned to avenge Natalia's scalding. You can't let him outdo you.]

Caspian's reply was: [I know what I'm doing.]

[Seraphina didn't choose me back then, and I haven't finished getting my revenge for that yet. Saving her was only because I didn't want others touching her and making her dirty—it would make me sick when I play with her later. You guys know exactly who is in my heart.]

[Competing with Christian for Seraphina in the past was just for a bit of fun. It wasn't until I met Natalia that I understood what true love is.]

[But Natalia loves my brother. He can give her everything she wants. As long as she is happy, I accept it and let her go.]

[Anyway, having Seraphina around is enough to satisfy my desires. No matter how I sleep with her, she serves her purpose.]

The others chimed in unanimously with mocking emojis.

[When you're tired of playing with her, let the brothers have a taste of Seraphina too. With a body like hers, all those curves, she looks like a real treat.]

A few seconds later, Caspian replied: [Sure.]

Seraphina's heart felt as though it had been violently ripped open.

She put the phone back where it belonged and bit her lip tightly, yet her eyes still turned uncontrollably red.

It was only at this very moment that she truly realized what it meant to be in so much pain that no sound could leave her throat.

After a long time, her face gradually settled into complete calmness.

Like burning embers that had entirely spent their heat, the last trace of searing pain was burned away, leaving behind nothing but a cold, dead silence.

Following that, during the period of her hospitalization.

Caspian continued to stay by her side under Christian's identity.

Every day, he personally prepared stews and brewed medicine for her, bringing her the most fashionable designer bags and dresses of the season. He even brought his work laptop to the ward, handling his business while keeping her company as she flipped through photography collections.

Until a phone call urged him to leave, he leaned over before stepping out to carefully tuck her in, his gaze so soft it seemed as if it could melt.

"Sera, there's a sudden emergency at the company. I'll come back to stay with you as soon as I handle it. Rest well."

After adding meticulous instructions for the caregivers and maids regarding her dietary preferences, he finally departed with peace of mind.

When the nurse came to change her dressing, she couldn't help but sigh with admiration. "Miss Seraphina, Mr. Vanderbilt is truly wonderful to you. He is both attentive and patient—a model husband!"

Seraphina's lips twitched slightly, but she offered no response.