Chapter 5
The Prey
So, I read about him.
As soon as I reached the dorm, I searched his name and kicked myself mentally for not realising how much of a big shot he was. I asked Alina about him, and she looked at me as if I’d lost my mind.
And now, she was staring at his picture, zooming on his face and legs, sighing dreamily.
“Alina?”
“Not now, Sera. Lemme look at my future husband...he is sent from heavens.” Or hell. Two hours, and she was still obsessing over the Russian. The sad part? So was I.
Judas Romanovski. Son of Ralph Romano, Killian Schmidt, and Alexei Volkov.
He had three fathers. I wouldn’t shy away from admitting that I was stalking him.
He had not socials, only few public appearances which oddly were two years ago, no recent ones.
One article stood out, mentioning that he had met with an accident and lost his sight.
No matter how much I stared at his pictures, he looked like someone I should stay away from. That gaze unsettled me in the most provocative way. I felt my heart racing at the thought of him.
The way he carried himself was anything but vulnerable.
Yeah... definitely not caretaker material.
Maybe it was all in my head. But I’d never been around someone who made my instincts scream this loudly before.
He was terrifying. He was beautiful. Somehow, the two only seemed to make each other worse.
Pity that God took his sight.
A sensible part of me told me to walk away. The selfish part reminded me that twenty thousand dollars could change my mother’s life. It wasn’t even a choice. If I turned this job down, there was no guarantee another one like it would ever come along.
And what if you’re wrong?
Too late for regrets now.
And he was just a man, not a serial killer.
I had the job. The contract was signed.
With that comforting lie, I forced myself to focus on my assignment instead of the dangerously attractive blind billionaire.
?
I’d never blushed this much in my life.
Ivan had abandoned his friends to sit across from me, happily eating his lunch while I struggled to remember how breathing worked.
“Are you okay, Seraphina? Your face is really red.”
I ducked behind my hair, praying it hid both my blush and my embarrassment. Then I noticed the girls behind him staring.
Apparently, I’d become interesting overnight.
Or maybe you were too busy being an introverted nerd to notice anything at all? Right.
“So, do you stay alone or—” I shook my head munching on the sandwich.
“I share my room.”
“With another girl?” He raised a brow.
“Alina. She’s a third-year business student.”
He nodded, wiping his mouth with a napkin. A tiny crumb was still clinging to the corner of his lips. It bothered me far more than it should have.
“So...” He smiled. “Are you free this Friday? We could grab brunch.”
I was still staring at the crumb. “Hm?”
I pointed awkwardly. “You have... um...” He frowned and wiped the wrong side. “The other one.”
He tried again. “A little lower.”
This time it was a success. His grin widened, a dimple appearing in his cheek. Well, that certainly didn’t help my blood pressure.
“I’d love to,” I blurted. “About that offer.”
“...Actually—”
My phone buzzed.
Kyle: Be here at five.
Five? I checked the time. 4:20. The mansion was forty-five minutes away.
“Oh, crap.” I shoved everything into my bag.
Ivan frowned. “Everything okay?”
“I have to go.” I slung my bag over my shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”
Before he could respond, I hurried toward the exit.
“Seraphina!”
A hand caught my wrist. I turned too fast, stumbling straight into him. My bag slipped off my shoulder, books scattering across the floor.
“Oh my God—”
“Sorry.” He laughed, already crouching to help. “I just...”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t have your number.”
I blinked. “Oh.”
Smooth, Seraphina, real smooth.
Trying very hard not to combust, I took his phone and typed in my number. He slipped it back into his pocket with a grin. “Don’t ignore my texts.”
I smiled despite myself. “Don’t give me a reason to.”
His grin only grew. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“See you.” He disappeared into the crowd, leaving me standing there like an idiot with a stupid smile on my face.
Well, it went well.