Chapter 25

Seraphina

Seri wasn’t a fool. She had spent years carefully constructing her walls, each one forged in the fire of past betrayals, held together by sheer willpower and the desperate need to survive. She had built them high and thick, ensuring no one—no man—could ever break through again.

Yet here they were. Marius. Damon. Tyrone. Three dangerous, possessive, arrogant bastards who weren’t just chipping away at her defenses—they were demolishing them, brick by brick, with terrifying ease.

It wasn’t just about their power, their dominance, or the way they claimed space like they owned the very air around them. It was deeper than that. More insidious.

Because when they touched her, when they whispered against her skin, it drew out something dark but it wasn’t fear—it felt like safety. They weren’t going to destroy her, except maybe in the best possible way. That maybe, just maybe she could trust them.

Seri hated that. She hated that more than anything.

Her ex had been controlling. Obsessive. Cruel. The kind of man who wanted a trophy to display, a beautiful possession to parade around like she was nothing more than an extension of his own status. He took and took and took—until she had nothing left to give.

But these men…

They took, yes. But they also gave.

They demanded submission, but they didn’t steal it. They didn’t have to. She was giving it to them piece by piece, whether she wanted to or not.

And that was what terrified her.

She felt herself slipping, her mind and body betraying her with every moment spent in their presence. They were relentless—a storm, a wildfire, a force that couldn’t be reasoned with.

The way Marius devoured her like a primal beast, branding her with his bruises. The way Damon tangled her in silk and shadows, weaving a web around her until she forgot where she ended and he began. And Tyrone—he played with her, twisted her up, edged her into oblivion until she was nothing but raw, desperate need.

Seri clenched her fists as she walked across campus, her body still aching from what they had done to her in that lecture hall. She wasn’t falling for them. She refused to fall for them. But if she didn’t figure out who they really were, she might not have a choice. Maybe getting through the weekend was going to suck.

Seri spent the rest of the day hunting for answers.

She started with Angie.

The two of them were grabbing coffee between classes, and Seri casually slipped into question. “What do you know about Marius, Damon, and Tyrone?”

Angie almost choked on her drink. “Why the hell are you asking about them?”

Seri shrugged, taking a slow sip of her coffee. “I just keep running into them.”

Angie leaned in, lowering her voice. “Seri, they aren’t just some guys. You have no idea who you’re messing with.”

That’s what everyone kept saying. But no one would tell her why.

Seri tapped her nails against her cup. “So tell me. Who are they?”

Angie glanced around as if someone might be listening. “Their families run Everything, not just Sigma Phi. Not just the frat, but everything. They have connections, Seri. Real ones. Mafia-level shit. And Marius? His family is one of the Big Five.”

Seri’s heart skipped a beat. She had already suspected they were involved in something bigger than a normal fraternity rivalry. But the Big Five? That was different. That was dangerous.

Angie sighed. “Look, you’re not the first girl to get caught up with them. But you need to be careful. They don’t do relationships. They do ownership.”

Seri swallowed hard. Ownership. She knew that word too well.

But before she could say anything else, Angie’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it, then cursed. “Shit, I gotta go. Just… be careful, okay?”

Seri nodded, but her mind was already spinning. By the time night fell, Seri was no closer to the truth. But one thing was certain. She wasn’t just playing with fire. She was already burning.

The air was crisp as Seri made her way across campus, the weight of the day on her shoulders. Each step toward the Sigma Phi house felt like a test of her own resolve. She shouldn’t be here.

And yet, here she was.

Maybe it was just curiosity. Maybe she wanted answers. Maybe she needed to know if what they said—what they did—meant anything at all.

Or maybe she was just a fool, setting herself up for another kind of fall.

Sigma Phi loomed ahead, dark windows catching the dim glow of the campus lights. Her pulse thrummed in her ears as she climbed the steps, hesitating for the briefest moment before raising her hand to knock.

The door swung open before she could.

She inhaled sharply, expecting to see one of them—Marius, Damon, or Tyrone—standing there, waiting for her.

It wasn’t any of them.

It was TJ.

His brows lifted in surprise before his lips curled into an easy smirk, one that sent a ripple of unease down her spine.

“Well, well,” he drawled, leaning against the doorway. "Didn’t think I’d see you here.”

Seri fought to keep her expression neutral. Not disappointed. Not thrown off. Not…hurting.

“They told me to come,” she said, voice steady even as her stomach twisted.

TJ crossed his arms over his broad chest, his smirk deepening like he found something about this funny.

“Yeah? Well, they’re not here.”

The words hit her like a slap.

Not here.

They had told her to come. All three of them. She had agonized over the decision, spent the entire day trying to make sense of what they were doing to her, breaking down her walls faster than she could rebuild them.

And now they were just…gone?

She shouldn’t care.

She shouldn’t.

But fuck, it stung.

TJ watched her closely, reading her reaction like an open book. His smirk didn’t fade.

“But,” he continued, tilting his head, “no point in wasting the trip, right? You could come in. Hang out for a bit.”

Seri felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. There was something about the way he said it, the way he looked at her, that made her want to turn and run.

“No,” she said, stepping back.

TJ chuckled, low and amused. “Suit yourself.”

She turned sharply, walking away before he could say anything else.

Each step away from that house felt heavier, like lead sinking in her gut.

By the time she reached Alpha Phi, her hands were curled into fists.

Maybe they never meant it. Maybe this was part of the game. Maybe they just wanted to prove they could make her show up, just to leave her standing there like an idiot.

Just to remind her that she wasn’t the one in control. The realization hit harder than she wanted it to. She pushed open the door to her room, stepping inside and shutting it behind her. Leaning back against the wood, she exhaled shakily, eyes closing as she forced herself to breathe. It shouldn’t hurt. But it did.

Because no matter how much she fought it, no matter how much she told herself that she didn’t belong to them—She still wanted them.