Page 80 of Doc's Decision

Zoe's little home is cozy but tidy, the shelves lined with knicknacks and framed photos of the club.

A fluffy gray cat snoozes on the back of the couch.

My eyes land on Seraphina curled up in the armchair, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket.

Fading bruises cloud her alabaster skin and a red scar slashes across her forehead.

But her gray eyes are as sharp and fierce as ever as she accepts the latte I hold out.

"How you holding up, Sera?" I ask gently, taking a seat on the couch.

She shrugs. "Could be worse. At least I'm not locked in that bloody hellhole anymore. And the little nugget is doing okay." She rests a hand on her stomach, the smallest of smiles touching her red lips.

Zoe plops down beside me, reaching for a cheese danish. "We're all damn relieved to have you back. Those assholes are gonna pay for what they did to you."

Sera's eyes flash. "Oh, they will. Every last one of them, including my mum."

Her voice is laced with venomous promise.

A chill runs down my spine at the dark look on her face.

I have no doubt Sera is out for blood, and heaven help anyone who gets in her way.

Part of me admires her ruthless strength.

The other part is a little terrified of it.

Zoe casts me a loaded glance, clearly sharing my thoughts.

She leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "So what's the plan, Sera? How do we take these bastards down?"

Sera takes a long sip of her latte before answering. "My grandfather and I have already set the wheels in motion. We're going to dismantle their entire operation piece by piece, starting with the businesses."

"The casino, the brothels, all of it?" I ask.

She nods, a smug smile curving her lips. "We own the majority shares. They won't know what hit them until it’s too fucking late."

The scope of her vision is staggering.

"Fucking brilliant," Zoe declares with a low whistle. "You're one cold, calculating bitch and I love it. They messed with the wrong woman."

Sera's answering grin is sharp enough to cut glass. "Damn right they did. By the time I'm done, my mum will be wishing she never laid a finger on me. Her little empire will be nothing but ashes."

As I listen to Sera detail her ruthless plot for vengeance, a thrill shoots through me, electric and addicting.

This is the kind of high stakes drama I normally watch on my TV screen, and here it is, happening right in front of me.

Watching Sera's transformation from battered victim to avenging angel is like watching a phoenix rise from the flames—terrifying and mesmerizing all at once.

I glance over at Zoe and see the same hungry gleam in her eyes.

We're two of a kind, me and her, drawn to chaos like moths to a flame.

And Sera is the brightest inferno I've ever seen.

The more she talks, the more I can picture it—the Bernard empire crumbling to dust, Sera rising victorious from the rubble to take her rightful place as queen.

It's like something out of a dark fairy tale and I'm utterly spellbound.

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