Author's note: this is from Aldus's point of view

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Serina returned from her outing and told me about her encounter with Mona. I had difficulty believing my ears.

I knew that Serina trusts people easily, but what happened to not disclosing her presence? That was the only thing I asked of her, to be careful so that no one knows Sanya is back, and she was unable to stay under the radar.

When that girl approached her, she was supposed to deny she is Sanya. In French or Italian.

There was no point in scolding Serina. She will learn this lesson the hard way. People are treacherous, and they never do things out of the goodness of their hearts. Sure, maybe sometimes they are inspired to contribute to the greater good, but the next day their mood might be off or someone will give them a bigger incentive, and they will betray you.

I saw people swear loyalty sincerely, but time is a misleading mistress that can sway people's resolve and make them change priorities. The only way to make someone completely loyal is to control their life because people are driven by greed and fear.

That is one of the reasons I'm experimenting with Serina's blood. If it works the way I intended, Serina can use it to create her own familiars. She doesn't see the value in having servants because (unknowingly) she is relying on mine, but I will explain it to her in time. I am one step away from testing it on humans.

As much as Serina's lack of caution with Mona is frustrating, what's done is done. At least she didn't give too much information, and if that girl turns out to be useful, that's a bonus.

If Mona gets her hands on those DNA samples, I will prove that the girl is resourceful. And if she finds out something about Duke, that will prevent Serina from delaying to find out what happened with that boy.

Serina keeps on telling me how it's not a big deal, but if it's not, why is she not looking into her memories? Does she think I'm born yesterday? It's obvious that she is smitten by that boy and she fears that he abandoned her. If he abandoned her, the only one who needs to be afraid will be Duke. And he will need to be afraid of me. No one abandons my daughter.

I told Marius to keep an eye on Monique Belmondo. If she dares to do anything funny, not only will I ruin her, but her business will be wiped out as well. Of course, I requested her full file on my desk first thing in the morning and until then I can only hope that she is not a spy from one of my enemies.

For Serina's benefit, if Mona is a bad apple, I should probably allow things to escalate in order for Serina to understand the gravity of the situation.

'Calm down, Aldus…', I told myself. This was the same tempering I went through centuries ago and I should let Serina handle it. I will step in only if it really turns bad.

The only problem is that centuries ago there was no internet and social media, so killing people in one town was enough to stop the rumors from spreading.

What worries me more than Mona betraying Serina is the possibility of Mona not betraying her. This scenario will make Serina trust others more, and she will fall for someone's scheme when I'm not watching over her.

Ah, I thought that one spiked drink that led to her death will make Serina cautious, but now I see she believes people are good until proven otherwise, and I can't stop worrying. Parenting is hard.

"I messed up, didn't I?", Serina's dejected voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

Yes, you did.

"No, you didn't.", I lied with a straight face, unable to scold her when facing her pitiful expression. "You did what you thought was right. Now let's see how things develop from here."

This is the first time Serina did something on her own, and I don't want to make her feel bad. Her confidence only started showing itself and I need to help her grow. Even if this was a mistake and needs cleanup, I will help her, and she will learn from it. I hope.

She looked at me apprehensively, and I had to offer a few more words of comfort.

"Don't worry about things that didn't happen, Serina. Now go and get ready or we will be late. I picked a dress for you, it's on your bed…"

Serina was distracted by the preparations for the event, and she was visibly excited to see what dress I picked. Such a simple girl. Unspoiled. I will do my best to keep it that way and protect her innocence.

Serina joined me in a royal blue floor-length gown that fit her like a glove. The lace details were just right, and the garment emphasized her alluring figure while covering her up perfectly. To say that Serina was gorgeous was an understatement.

"How do I look?", she asked with insecurity dripping from her words.

The fact that Serina is not aware of her splendor is adding a dose of naivety that is making her more enchanting.

"Beautiful. I hope your shoes are comfortable because everyone will want to dance with you."

She rolled her eyes. "No matter how uncomfortable they are, any ache will be healed within seconds. All those dance lessons will finally come in handy."

"Don't forget that if you don't feel like it, you have the right to refuse. Feel free to offend anyone since they are working for us." I offered her my hand. "Come, my dear. It's time to show you to the world."

Mitch was waiting for us outside, by the car.

I was looking forward to seeing how Serina will fare will numerous suitors that will definitely swarm her tonight. And she will also need to face all those young misses who believe that they are the best there is. Ah, they will need to swallow a sour pill when Serina shows up in all her glory.

Serina is beautiful, smart, and she is my daughter, the heiress of Notte Pharmaceuticals which means influential and rich. Well, Serina is much more than that, but these insignificant mortals don't see beyond these attributes. It's their loss.

Tonight will be another test for Serina. If she can't handle humans, other creatures will eat her alive. Not that I would allow for such a thing to happen, but I wish for Serina to learn fending for herself so that people know her as Seraphina, and not as my daughter.

I could imagine London buzzing tomorrow morning about Seraphina Mezzanotte, my princess. The fact that there will be no media coverage will only increase the mystery. It will be fun.

I looked at Serina and observed that she was glowing. I couldn't believe that her parents kept her locked up. Even if they are not her real parents, they should be able to see how amazing she is. Their shortsightedness is their loss and my win. Definitely a win.

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