Chapter 183


    Everyone in the room turned their heads, looking upstairs to the second floor, their gazending


    squarely on Conway Reynolds, standing at the top of the


    stairs.


    Conway, leaning on his cane, stood quietly, his eyes on Seraphina, a look of anguish in his eyes.


    Suddenly, Seraphina turned around, rushed upstairs, and grabbed Conway’s arm “Grandpa”


    She opened her mouth to exin something, but Conway merely patted her hand gently.


    “Grandpa, Seraphina smiled, “please don’t be mad. I was just speaking out of turn”


    Conway nodded slowly and said, “I’m not mad Come, apany me back to my room.”


    Seraphina’s hand was cold as she assisted Conway back to his bedroom.


    Downstairs, Leandro stood quietly, his gaze fixated on Seraphina.


    Ferne snapped back to reality, nced at Leandro, then suddenly turned and dashed for the door,


    hurrying out of the ce.


    Walt remained in ce, looking at Leandro, awaiting his orders.


    Upon hearing Ferne’s hasty footsteps, Leandro’s face immediately darkened. Without turning his head,


    he said, “Have Keen book a flight for Ms. Reynolds to the Bahamas. She leaves tomorrow.”


    Part of the Reynolds Group’s business was in the Bahamas, but it had been struggling in recent years.


    For the vast Reynolds Group, this was a negligible portion, easily abandoned.


    Sending Ferne was a clear sign of banishment, and it was done with determination


    Walt knew Leandro was genuinely angry this time. He didn’t dare dy and immediately set about


    executing the order.


    Inside Conway’s bedroom, Seraphina was filled with worries. She had a nurse hook up some


    monitoring equipment for Conway, and seeing that all the readings were within normal ranges, she


    finally rxed a bit. Sitting by Conway’s bed, she whined, “You’ve already had your rest; why are you


    up and about again? You’re making me worry!”


    The two often teased each other. After she spoke, she waited for Conway’s rebuttal, but instead, she


    heard Conway sigh, “I was wrong”


    “Grandpa Seraphina squinted at him, “what are you talking about?”


    Conway looked at her and said, “I wanted you and Leandro to be together, hoping you would be happy.


    But I didn’t realize that you were thinking about


    me”


    Seraphina shook her head, opened her mouth to say something, but then stopped.


    At this point, she knew she couldn’t hide it anymore, and anything she said would be pointless.


    “What’s the big deal?” Seraphina finally said, “People have to get married, and Leandro was your


    choice for me. I know him well. How could I not trust you?”


    She startedughing as she spoke, but Conway suddenly raised his hand, gently touching her face,


    and whispered, “Sera, if you want to cry, just let it out.”


    Seraphina wasughing, but at Conway’s words, tears suddenly welled up..


    She didn’t cry out loud, she just held Conway’s hand, murmuring, “Grandpa, I’m sorry, don’t be mad”


    “Why would I be mad?” Conway looked at her downcastshes and said, “You’re trying so hard to


    please me, and I’m content.”


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Seraphina rested her forehead against Conway’s hand, silent.


    “Is it because of the child that you can’t forgive Leandro?”


    Seraphina only shook her head.


    “Or is it because of Vivian Smith?”


    Seraphina shook her head again


    Conway sighed, gently caressing Seraphina’s forehead.


    “You shouldn’t me him, Conway said. “He made mistakes, but there were many things he couldn’t


    help.”


    Seraphina didn’t reply, she just closed her eyes, clutching Conway’s hand tightly.


    1 thought he had driven you away because of Vivian, but when you came back, I realized that wasn’t


    the case.” Conway coughed slightly, then continued, “You might not know this, but after you came back,


    he seemed unchanged on the surface, but in reality, he changed a lot. Until you returned to Starhaven,


    his mind was elsewhere”


    “1 know,” Seraphina finally spoke, her tears under control, “I did it on purpose. I wanted him to feel


    what it’s like to be at someone’s beck and call”


    After hearing this, Conway suddenlyughed, but once theughter subsided, his aged face was filled


    with worry again. “I know you’ve suffered a lot after leaving the Reynolds family. I’m sorry, and the


    Reynolds family is sorry”


    “No, no, Seraphina quickly shook her head, “It’s not your fault”


    “I was wrong.” Conway said seriously. “I failed to protect you, I handed the Reynolds Group to Leandro


    and forced him to make such choices. I’m sorry to you and to him”


    “Grandpa”


    “You’ve changed so much in these seven years, and so has he.” Conway said, “You’ve been through


    so much hardship, and he doesn’t know. He’s also been


    through a lot in these seven years, and you don’t know.”


    Seraphina quietly looked at Conway, waiting for him to continue.


    “When the Reynolds Group was first dumped into his hands, it was an absolute mess. While most


    people inherit family businesses smoothly, he got handed a can of worms. The Reynolds Group had


    been stripped down to its bare bones, and he built it up step by step with his own two hands. Back in


    the day, in order to get business, he pissed off a lot of people, was sabotaged by rivals, and got


    stabbed in the back by people he trusted And there were quite a few times when he was hanging by a


    thread. The worst time was when he had a car crash on a mountain road, and the whole car got


    knocked off a cliff. I don’t even know how he survived that. He had multiple broken bones, internal


    injuries, and a brain hemorrhage, and he was at death’s door more than once. But he pulled through.


    He had a few close shaves with the Grim Reaper, but he made it.”


    Seraphina bit her lip, not saying a word.


    “At the most dangerous times, he sent the women in the family to safe ces overseas. Conway


    sighed deeply. “So I think he might have sent you away to protect you, too. As for what happenedter,


    no one could’ve predicted that. He wouldn’t have guessed that you’d face so many hardships and that


    you’d have a child, let alone that the child would.”


    Conway couldn’t go on; he just sat there, silently watching Seraphina.


    Seraphina sat quietly by his bed, not saying a single word.


    That night, Seraphina stayed by Conway’s bedside the whole time, while Leandro spent the night alone


    in his study.


    White smoke curled up into the air. The onlypany he had for the whole night was his cigarette and


    the frozen image of a three–year–old’s beaming smile on hisputer screen.