Chapter 4

Seraphina’s POV

At 2 AM, I dragged my exhausted body to Phoenix's apartment door.

"Seraphina?" Phoenix opened the door, immediately frowning at my disheveled state. "It's so late—what happened?"

I rushed inside and collapsed on the sofa, tears streaming down again. "I'm homeless now!"

"Ha," Phoenix snorted, pouring me a glass of water. "Finally saw your boyfriend's true colors?"

I pulled out my phone, showing him the photos I'd secretly taken of Ivy tonight. "Look at this woman. How am I inferior to her? Why did Dex betray me?"

Phoenix took my phone, studying the screen carefully. Suddenly, his expression turned deadly serious.

"Sera, this necklace..." He pointed at Ivy's necklace in the photo, his voice trembling. "Isn't this the birthday gift I gave you three years ago? How is she wearing it?"

I froze. "What? This style must be popular—lots of people probably buy it..."

"Impossible!" Phoenix shot up. "I had this custom-made for you! Angel-shaped, surrounded by 18 diamonds for your 18th birthday! More importantly, the angel wings are engraved with your birth date—September 15th!"

My blood turned to ice.

"What did you say? Engraved with my birthday?"

"Yes! I specifically requested the craftsman engrave the date. There's only one in the world!" Phoenix's face darkened. "How could she possibly have your exclusive necklace?"

My mind raced as pieces began connecting.

Ivy said she lived in Palo Alto Hills with Marcus, and my villa was there with a housekeeper also named Marcus...

"Phoenix," I grabbed his arm. "Tell me, after I left home, what happened to all my personal belongings?"

"Father was furious and wanted to throw everything away," Phoenix recalled, "but I secretly collected it all and stored everything in your villa..."

We stared at each other as the same terrible thought formed.

"You mean..." Phoenix's voice shook. "If she has your necklace, someone entered the villa and took your things!"

"Not just took!" I stood up furiously. "She's probably living in my villa, using my things, stealing my identity!"

My entire world crumbled in that moment. Not only had my boyfriend betrayed me, but someone had stolen my identity and life!

"Let's go! We're going to the villa now!" Phoenix grabbed his car keys. "I need to see what's really happening!"

The Palo Alto Hills neighborhood was silent as death in the deep night.

Sitting in Phoenix's car, my heart pounded like thunder. The white villa looked especially beautiful in the moonlight, but to me now it seemed like a giant tomb.

"That's the one," I pointed ahead. "Three years, and I've never lived there..."

Phoenix hit the brakes as we quietly observed the villa.

Lights were on downstairs, and the master bedroom upstairs was also lit. Someone was clearly home.

"Someone's living inside," Phoenix said through gritted teeth. "Damn it, someone really is living in your villa!"

We got out and crept toward the front door.

I rang the doorbell and soon heard footsteps.

The door opened to reveal Marcus the housekeeper. Seeing me, his face instantly turned paper white.

"Miss Vale?" Marcus's voice trembled. "You... why are you here? Now isn't convenient..."

"Not convenient?" I laughed coldly. "This is my house. Since when do I need to report to you when I visit?"

"No, Miss Vale, let me explain..." Marcus frantically blocked the doorway. "The house... the house is being cleaned. It's messy—not suitable for you to enter now..."

Phoenix shoved Marcus aside and charged into the villa. "Move!"

I followed, shocked the moment I entered.

The living room was filled with women's belongings: designer bags, cosmetics, high heels... A women's coat I'd never seen lay on the sofa.

"Whose things are these?" My voice shook with rage.

Marcus stammered: "These... these..."

I rushed upstairs and burst into the master bedroom.

The room shocked me even more: the vanity was covered with luxury cosmetics, the closet hung with designer clothes, and Ivy's photos sat on the dresser!

What enraged me most was finding my own personal items: that custom Chanel gown, my favorite jewelry pieces... they'd all been worn and used!

"Marcus!" I roared. "Get up here and explain!"

Marcus trembled as he came upstairs, Phoenix following with a murderous expression.

"Explain," Phoenix said coldly. "What the hell is going on?"

Marcus fell to his knees, voice choking: "Miss Vale, I... I'm so sorry..."

"Talk!" I commanded.

"Ivy... Ivy is my girlfriend," Marcus finally broke down. "I... I fell in love with her, but I'm just a housekeeper... I was afraid she'd look down on me..."

"So you lied and claimed this villa was yours?" Phoenix was furious.

"I had no choice!" Marcus began crying. "She's too perfect—I didn't want to lose her! So I... I told her this was my house, let her think I was wealthy too..."

I couldn't believe my ears. "You let someone else live in my house, use my things, steal my identity?"

"Miss Vale, please don't expose me!" Marcus crawled to my feet. "Ivy's birthday is in a few days. She's throwing a party at the villa, inviting Silicon Valley elite! If you tell her the truth now, she'll definitely break up with me!"

"A birthday party?" I laughed bitterly. "Using my house, my identity, to throw someone else a birthday party?"

"Please, Miss Vale! I truly love her!" Marcus sobbed heart-wrenchingly. "I'll do anything to compensate you, but please don't destroy my relationship with her!"

Looking at this pathetic man, complex emotions surged through me.

But mostly, I felt rage.

I pulled out my phone, showing Marcus tonight's photos.

"Look what your girlfriend is doing."

Marcus took the phone. The moment he saw the photos, he froze completely.

The images showed Ivy and Dex embracing, disheveled, rolling around on a bed.

"No... impossible..." Marcus's voice sounded like breaking glass. "She said she loved me... said I was her only man..."

"Only?" I laughed coldly. "She took your money, lived in the house you claimed was yours, then slept with another man. Marcus, we've both been played by the same woman."

Marcus dropped the phone, collapsing on the floor with dead, empty eyes.

"Three years," I looked down at him. "For three years I never came home, and this is how you betrayed my trust?"

"Miss Vale... I... I..."

"Enough," I cut him off. "Pack her things immediately and get out of my house!"

"Wait," Phoenix suddenly smiled sinisterly. "Since she loves parties so much, let's give her one she'll never forget."

I looked at Phoenix, instantly understanding his meaning.

"Marcus," my voice turned cold as steel. "If you dare tell Ivy anything about tonight, I guarantee you'll never find work in Silicon Valley again."

This birthday party would become Ivy's final performance.

And I would become the nightmare she could never escape.