Zaire's POV
The room hummed with an electric tension that only seemed to intensify the longer Seraphine stood there, poised like a storm about to break. She had a way of making everything around her feel... weighty, like even the air bent to her will. I couldn't help but watch, intrigued.
The rest of the guys had settled in, but Seraphine's presence kept the room tight, every one of us hanging on the next move, the next word from her. And it wasn't because she was loud or commanding—no. It was because she had this quiet, unnerving control. The kind of control that made you listen without her needing to ask for it.
Kaiden shifted next to me, clearly impressed but trying to hide it. I couldn't fault him for that—I'd been trying to play it cool too, but she was relentless. As if sensing the stillness of the room, Seraphine continued.
"We need a comprehensive profile of the clients. I can pull their public information, but I'll need you to fill in the gaps. For security purposes."
She didn't ask, she directed. The way she phrased it made it clear—she already knew what we could do, and she was trusting us to make it happen. And if we didn't, there would be consequences.
The screen in front of us flickered to life, showing the perfect, polished public profiles of Jack and Jill. First came Jack Smallcock: "Visionary entrepreneur. Philanthropist. The mind behind the next great thing in tech." The words shone brightly, selling the man as some kind of savior of the business world.
I almost laughed. "Smallcock?" I muttered to Kaiden, who had clearly picked up on it too, but was biting back his smile. "Seems like a 'visionary' name, for sure."
Seraphine didn't even flinch. She was too focused, too intent on her task. "Visionary entrepreneur?" she said, her voice cold as ice. "Try ruthless slumlord."
I blinked. Now that was unexpected. But there it was—the edge in her voice. The real Seraphine, hidden under the smooth exterior. Her words carried weight, and it was obvious that she wasn't saying them lightly.
Kaiden chuckled, almost unable to control it. "Oh yeah. Definitely a 'visionary.'"
Seraphine's attention shifted slightly as the next profile came up: Jill Warren. "Benevolent socialite. High society's darling. Philanthropist." The words practically glowed on the screen.
Kaiden groaned audibly, rolling his eyes. "Benevolent socialite? Yeah, right."
But Seraphine's reply was sharp. "Her only benevolence is to herself."
There was a moment of silence as we all processed her words. I could see it then—the rawness behind her exterior. She wasn't just giving us intel on the clients; she was revealing something about herself in the process. Something personal.
It hit me—this wasn't just another job for her. There was history here. Pain. And she wasn't hiding it, not even for a second.
I leaned back in my chair, a mix of respect and curiosity washing over me. There was more to her than met the eye, that much was clear. And I was starting to understand that under all that control, under the polished professionalism, Seraphine Valak had depth. Depth that I was willing to bet not many people had ever gotten close enough to see.
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Kaiden's POV
I had to give it to Seraphine—she was damn good. I'd been in this business long enough to know when someone had real skill, and she had it in spades. Not many people could walk into a room like that and automatically assume command without raising their voice or even really trying.
I watched as she moved through the room, her focus unwavering, eyes scanning the data with a precision that made my mind race. She didn't just absorb the information—she processed it, like she was already formulating the next step, calculating angles, and planning the best course of action. It wasn't just intelligence; it was instinct.
She was a leader in the truest sense of the word, and damn if I wasn't a little impressed.
Her voice broke the silence again, cutting through the chatter of our thoughts. "Let's be frank," she began, and I could hear the no-nonsense tone in her voice. "That meeting wasn't just professional. Our ability to do our job hinges on us knowing the full scope of the threat. And our client's behavior suggests he's more of a threat to you than anyone else."
I nodded along, my eyes narrowing as I tried to keep up with her. She wasn't wrong, of course. The situation was more complicated than any of us had expected, and if we didn't stay on top of it, it could get ugly real fast. But what struck me most wasn't just her ability to read the room—it was her understanding of how to use us.
And the way she said it? Like she already knew what we were capable of.
There was a sharpness to her words, and it wasn't just about the clients anymore—it was about her. There was history in her tone, some deep-seated knowledge of the world these people inhabited. A world that Seraphine clearly wasn't impressed by.
I was beginning to realize that Seraphine Valak wasn't just a figurehead. She was a powerhouse, and she knew how to move the pieces of the game. And she did it without ever breaking a sweat.
I leaned back in my chair, more intrigued than I'd been all day. There was so much more to her than I'd ever given her credit for. And for once, I wasn't just watching someone work—I was watching someone who knew the game and how to play it.
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Theo's POV
I couldn't help but lean in slightly as Seraphine spoke. She was as composed as ever, but I noticed the way her eyes narrowed when the profiles of Jack and Jill appeared on the screen. It wasn't the indifference of someone who didn't care—it was the focused intensity of someone who was already plotting their next move. It was hard to ignore the quiet, sharp brilliance that flowed from her.
She didn't just skim over the facts; she tore them apart and put them back together in a way that made them come to life in an entirely different context. It was impressive as hell.
When she looked up at us, her expression never faltering, I could feel the tension in the room heighten. She didn't just want us to understand the clients—she wanted us to feel the weight of the job. She was showing us that this was more than just a matter of security and business. It was about survival, control, and getting the upper hand.
Theo might've been the calm one in the room, but this? This was a new level. Even I was feeling it.
She turned toward the screen with that same, effortless authority. "We need everything. Backgrounds, habits, weaknesses. I can get the public information, but I'll need you all to dig deeper. Fill in the gaps. We can't afford to miss anything."
Her eyes flicked from Zaire to Kaiden and finally to me, a knowing look passing between us. It was like she already knew how to play us, how to use our individual strengths.
And she wasn't wrong.
I was more methodical than the rest of them, and while Zaire and Kaiden excelled in speed and execution, I thrived on planning. I liked taking the long view, plotting out every move before making it. But I had a sense that Seraphine already understood that, and somehow, she knew how to use it.
When the next profile popped up—Jill Warren—her disdain was almost palpable. "Benevolent socialite? More like self-serving heiress," she scoffed, a thin smile curling at the edges of her lips.
I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The woman was colder than I'd given her credit for, and I liked it. There was nothing subtle about her approach to this work, and there was no mistaking her disdain for people like Jill and Jack. She saw right through the veneer, the smoke and mirrors, and for someone like her, that made her the deadliest kind of person.
But despite the humor, despite her sharp sarcasm, I couldn't deny the admiration I had for her. She didn't hesitate for a second. She was a master at this game, and she wasn't afraid to show it.
The silence in the room stretched on, and I felt an uneasy mix of awe and something else creeping up my spine. This woman was dangerous in a way I hadn't expected. She didn't just outwit people; she anticipated their moves before they even made them. And somehow, she'd done it with us.
As the others sat back, clearly reflecting on what she'd just said, I finally broke the silence. "You've got a hell of a handle on things. I didn't expect you to come at it like this."
She didn't smile, but the edge in her voice softened just a fraction. "I don't believe in half-measures. If you want something done right, you don't do it halfway. You do it all the way."
Zaire spoke up, his voice breaking through the intensity in the room.
"I've got a question for you, Seraphine," he said, his tone light but curious. "How'd you know how we all tick?"
Kaiden shot him a look, his lips curling into a grin. "Yeah, you've been sizing us up like we're a bunch of chess pieces. How'd you figure us out so quickly?"
The question hung in the air for a moment, and Seraphine didn't flinch. She leaned against the edge of the table, her arms folding across her chest as if she were about to tell us something we weren't ready to hear.
"I've been watching," she said, her voice calm but laced with an intensity that made both of us sit up straighter. "I saw how you move from the first day we met. Zaire, you're always calculating—measured, thinking five steps ahead. Kaiden, you're fast—impulsive, maybe, but damn effective when it comes to execution. Theo," she glanced at me, her gaze meeting mine, "you like to play the long game. You're not about the short wins, but you're always thinking of the next move. You don't miss anything, not for a second."
Seraphine didn't stop there. "You all have your strengths. And I know how to use them. But I also know how to make sure you know your limits."
A pause. Then, a sly grin tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"And if you're wondering if I'm ever wrong…" She shrugged, unfazed. "Well, there's always room for improvement. But I haven't been wrong yet."
Her confidence was undeniable. And it wasn't the kind of confidence that came from being arrogant or brash. It was the kind that came from truly understanding your strengths—and your weaknesses—and knowing exactly how to use both.
Zaire cleared his throat, his eyes twinkling. "Well, you've certainly made an impression, Seraphine. Let's see if you're as good at picking dinner spots as you are at analyzing us."
I raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Kaiden. "You trying to get her to dinner?"
Zaire gave me a knowing look. "She deserves a proper thank-you. A meal wouldn't hurt, right?"
It was a rare moment, seeing her let down her guard just a little. For once, I wasn't the one in charge.
And that, in itself, was something to marvel at.
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