---- 1 Seraphina's POV It said to be a quick, last-minute police raid. So my husband Elias wanted to flee the casino, dragging Mireille with him and leaving me to clean up the mess. "What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped, turning to him. The moment my eyes landed on Mireille, my stomach churned, a cold knot forming deep inside. Elias didn't even bat an eye. He was so nonchalant, so annoyingly calm. "Come on, Mireille's never seen anything like this. I have to get her out of here before the police show up." He said it as if running off with my manipulative stepsister was nothing more than a casual errand. "Seraphina!" Mireille's voice cut through the tension, high-pitched and trembling. "I'm scared." ---- The way she said my name... Every woman knows that tone. Friendly enough to fool the men. Poisonous enough to sting the wife. Still, I played along, though every word burned in my chest. "So, you're just going to run off and leave me to deal with the cops alone?" Elias sighed, like it was no big deal. "Come on, Sera. You've handled worse. You'll be fine. But Mireille and I » Elias and I both came from mafia blood. Our families had bankrolled our marriage and our casino business. As anyone with half a brain knew, a casino wasn't exactly a beacon of lawful business. There was always the darker side-money laundering, drug dealing, you name it. That's why the police were so fond of last-minute raids, swooping in when you least expected it. And yet, that made this whole situation even harder to swallow. Elias should've at least pretended to care, pretended to protect me. But no, the second he caught wind of the police, he bolted. And the worst part? He thought ---- of Mireille first -not me. "Elias, are you fucking serious right now?" And then I noticed it-Elias's car. Flashy, low to the ground, tight as a glove. It seated two. Barely. No way we'd all fit. He'd planned this. Mireille's voice was dripping with sweetness, as if she genuinely cared. "Elias, we can't just leave Sera here. What if the police take her to the station-or worse, prison?" Elias didn't even flinch. "Seraphina, come on. You've handled this before. Why can't you help Mireille out this time? And you know how it is with me. I've got a record. The cops won't go easy on me." Was he actually serious? Mireille reached out, her tone still sugary-sweet. " That's not fair to my little sister! I should-" But Elias cut her off. "The best option is for you to handle the police, Sera. Worst-case scenario, you can call your mom and have her bail you out." Just like that, he'd made up his mind. ---- "My mother? As if she wasn't angry enough with me already," I said, my voice unnervingly calm. Elias hesitated for the briefest second, before offering a half-hearted attempt at a solution. "Shit. I forgot. I'll get you the best lawyer. Just wait a bit, okay?" He didn't wait for my reply. Just slid into the front seat and Mireille climbed in beside him. And as they drove off, I was almost sure I saw Mireille turn and smile at me. Like she'd won. For the first time in all these years, I didn't feel like a wife abandoned by her husband to face a swarm of police. I felt like a stranger, quietly watching as my marriage slipped away without a single warning. I didn't call my mother. When the police arrived, luck was on my side-one of my high school friends was among them. He managed to clear all the charges and got me out of the station. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!