Chapter 7: Stone-Cold

Seraphina’s POV

Fear surged through my veins as I struggled against the man’s grip. He was strong, his fingers digging painfully into my skin. My heart pounded in my chest, and I kicked and thrashed, trying to break free. My muffled cries for help went unheard in the deserted hallway. The man’s other hand fumbled with my clothes, tearing them apart in his frenzy. I felt the fabric give way, exposing my skin to the cold air.

Tears streamed down my face as I fought harder. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I felt a crushing wave of hopelessness. The man’s breath was hot and foul against my neck as he tried to kiss me. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying for some miracle, some way out of this nightmare.

Suddenly, the pressure on my mouth disappeared, replaced by the sound of a heavy thud. My eyes flew open, and I saw the man who had attacked me crumple to the ground. Standing over him, holding a shattered vase, was Alfred. His eyes were dark with rage, and his chest heaved with exertion.

"Are you okay?" Alfred’s voice was harsh, but there was an edge of concern.

I could only nod, my body trembling uncontrollably. I pulled the remnants of my clothes around me, trying to cover myself. Alfred’s gaze flicked over me, and for a moment, his expression softened.

The man on the floor groaned, trying to rise, but Alfred didn’t hesitate. He grabbed a piece of the broken vase and struck him again and again until the man lay still, his blood pooling on the floor. I watched in horrified silence. I had seen violence before, but never like this. Alfred’s cold efficiency was terrifying.

When it was over, Alfred turned to me, his face impassive. "We need to dispose of the body," he said flatly.

My mind raced. I was grateful to Alfred for saving me, but I couldn’t ignore the cold-bloodedness with which he had killed a man. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Alfred glanced around the room, his mind clearly working through the options. "We don't have a car to move the body out of the city," he said slowly. "But we need to get it out of here before someone finds it."

My eyes fell on the stack of empty wine boxes in the corner. "What about those?" I suggested, nodding towards them. "We could hide the body in one of them."

Alfred followed my gaze, his expression thoughtful. "That could work. We could put the box on the wine transport vehicle. It'll be leaving the city tomorrow evening."

A sense of relief washed over me. "Okay, so we hide the body in the wine box and wait for the transport vehicle. But what if someone notices?"

"We'll have to be careful," Alfred replied, his tone firm. "We need to make sure the box blends in with the others. And we'll need to clean up any bloodstains so there's no evidence left behind."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "Alright. Let's do it."

Together, we lifted the body into one of the empty wine boxes, our movements careful and deliberate. I could feel my hands shaking, but I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. Once the body was hidden, we sealed the box and pushed it into the stack with the others.

"We need to clean up the hallway," Alfred said, his voice low. "If anyone sees the blood, they'll know something happened."

I nodded, grabbing a mop and a bucket from the corner. As we worked, the silence between us was heavy with unspoken fears and questions. I couldn't shake the image of Alfred striking the man over and over, his face impassive.

"Alfred," I said softly, breaking the silence. "Why did you... I mean, how could you..."

He paused, looking at me with a hard expression. "I did what I had to do, Seraphina. He was going to hurt you."

I swallowed, my throat tight. "I know. It's just... it was so..."

"Ruthless?" Alfred finished for me, his voice softening slightly. "I know it seemed that way. But I've seen too much, done too much, to let someone like him get away with hurting you."

His words hung in the air between us, and I didn't know how to respond. Instead, I focused on scrubbing the floor, trying to erase the bloodstains that marked the violence of the night.

When we were done, Alfred straightened up and looked at me. "We need to lay low until the vehicle arrives. Stay in your room and act normal. I'll be nearby if you need me."

I nodded, feeling a mix of gratitude and fear. "Thank you, Alfred. For saving me."

He gave me a small, grim smile. "Goodnight, Seraphina."

The rest of the night passed in a haze of fear and tension. I stayed in my room, too scared to sleep. I could hear Alfred moving around in the next room, the sound of his footsteps a constant reminder of the danger we were in. I couldn’t stop thinking about the body hidden in the storeroom and the bloodstains we hadn’t been able to completely clean up.

Morning came, and with it, a new wave of anxiety. The bar was bustling with activity, and I had to pretend everything was normal. I avoided my colleagues’ eyes, terrified they would see through my facade. Alfred was nowhere to be seen, but I knew he was close, watching and waiting for the right moment.

As the day dragged on, my nerves were stretched to the breaking point. Every time someone walked past the storeroom, my heart skipped a beat. I barely ate anything, my appetite gone. The minutes seemed to crawl by, each one bringing us closer to the evening and the chance to dispose of the body.

But as the sun began to set, my worst fears came true. I was in the kitchen, trying to distract myself with busy work, when I heard a shout from the storeroom. My blood turned to ice. Dropping the dish I was holding, I ran towards the noise.

A group of my colleagues had gathered outside the storeroom, their faces pale and eyes wide with shock. "I saw a dead body in there! There’s a body in the storage room!" one of them exclaimed, backing away.

My mind went blank. Panic seized me, and I knew I had to act fast. I pushed through the crowd, my eyes scanning for Alfred. He was by the back door, his expression grim. Without thinking, I ran to him.

"We need to get you out of here," I whispered urgently. "They can’t find you here."

Alfred nodded, his jaw set. Together, we slipped out the back door, the chaos inside the bar covering our escape. We ran down the alley, my heart pounding in my chest. I could hear the shouts growing louder behind us, the discovery of the body sending the bar into an uproar.

We reached the end of the alley and stopped, both of us breathing hard.

After a brief moment spent catching our breath, Alfred broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Seraphina. I should have been there sooner."

I looked at him, surprised by the vulnerability in his eyes. "It's not your fault, Alfred. You saved me. If you hadn't shown up when you did..." I trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

He shook his head, his expression dark. "I should have stopped him sooner. I shouldn't have let it get that far."

I reached out, placing a hand on his arm. "You did what you had to do. You saved my life, and I can't thank you enough for that."

He looked at me with hard eyes before nodding. I wonder what kind of man he was; what experience hardened a man to the point of effortlessly being capable of taking another man's life? The thought frightened me, but I was also grateful.

I turned to Alfred, "You need to lay low. I'll head back to the bar. Hopefully, they don't suspect a thing."

That's a good idea, but I'll try and stay close just in case," he says before turning and walking off.

I slipped back into the bar, the noise of my colleagues’ shouts still ringing in my ears. My boss was in the center of the chaos, his face red with anger and worry. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the act I had to put on.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to sound genuinely concerned as I approached the group.

My boss turned to me, his eyes narrowing. "There's been a murder, Seraphina. A body was found in the storeroom. Do you know anything about this?"

I shook my head, forcing my voice to remain steady. "No, I had no idea. I was just in the kitchen, cleaning up."

The others murmured among themselves, clearly shaken. I could see the fear and confusion in their eyes, and it took everything in me to keep my own panic at bay.

"We need to search the whole place," my boss said, his tone sharp.

"Someone here must know something. Check every room, every corner."

My colleagues dispersed, their faces pale as they began their search. I stayed close to the boss, hoping that by staying in his sight, I would appear less suspicious.

"Seraphina, you're close to the storeroom. Did you hear anything unusual?" he asked, his eyes boring into mine.

I swallowed hard, shaking my head again. "No, I was in the kitchen the whole time."

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "This is a mess. The police are on their way, but we must figure out what happened before they arrive."

I nodded, my mind racing. I had to stay calm, had to keep my story straight. As I turned to help with the search, I caught sight of the bloodstain on the carpet, right outside my door. My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to stay composed.

"Found something?" I asked one of my colleagues, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah, look at this," he said, pointing to the stain. "It's blood. Whoever did this must have tried to cover it up."

I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead. "That's crazy."

The response sounded weak, even to my own ears, but I hoped it would be enough to divert suspicion. My boss glanced at me, his expression hard to read.

As my colleagues continued searching, I could only pray that they wouldn't find anything else. I stood by the door, watching their every move, my heart pounding in my chest. The boss stayed beside me, his eyes never leaving my face.

"Seraphina, if you know anything, now's the time to tell us," he said quietly.

"I swear, I don't know anything about this," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "I'm just as shocked as you are."

How long could I keep this secret? How long until someone finds out the truth? I watched in silence as they searched, my heart in my throat. I prayed they wouldn’t find anything, but alas, they did.

"Over here! I found something," someone shouted. The rest of my colleagues rushed to the origin of the shout. I followed them.

They had discovered more bloodstains on the carpet, right outside my door, a small but damning piece of evidence. My heart sank.