Chapter 408


    Bowen gave a low chuckle, deeply inhaling from his cigar, before slowly exhaling the smoke and


    turning to look at Leandro. “Seraphina must be swamped today, isn’t she? I suppose that would make


    Mt. Reynolds even busier, hmm?”


    Someone nearby offered Leandro a cigar, which he promptly refused with a raise of his hand. o busy.


    After all, not everything requires a hands-on approach”


    then did he turn to look at Bowen. “I wouldn’t say I’m particrly


    At this, Bowen slowly nodded, maintaining his lighthearted demeanor. He appeared rxed, and yet


    there was a certain caution in his eyes that never quite


    matched his smile.


    Leandro, on the other hand, seemed to barely acknowledge Bowen, his attention mostly centered on


    Seraphina, asionally ncing over to watch her sip her wine or nibble at her food.


    As the host of the dinner, Hanley couldn’t let this tension persist, so he quickly lifted his wine ss and


    walked over to Bowen, getting him a ss of wine. “Bowen, why don’t you and Leandro have a drink


    together? You’re both men of action, there’s ho need to cling to those old grudges.”


    Upon hearing this, Bowen indeed lifted his ss in Leandro’s direction. “Mr. Reynolds, let’s leave the


    past in the past. The future is uncertain, so let’s just take care of each other, shall we?”


    Seraphina gave Bowen a look, noting hiszy posture. His words seemed harmless at first, but she


    knew better. This wasn’t him backing down; it was a challenge.


    “Leandro, time to pick up your ss, have a drink.” Hanley quickly moved to Leandro’s side,


    determined to y the peacemaker.


    Leandro, ever respectful of his elders, epted the ss from Hanley. “I have no hard feelings on my


    side,” Leandro slowly said, ncing at Seraphina. “After all, I’ve gotten everything I wanted. But I


    wonder if you truly believe you can move past our history, Mr. Smith?”


    Bowenughed lightly, responding, “Let’s leave the past in the past, and focus on the future.”


    Leandro raised an eyebrow, saying, “Fair enough.”


    Seraphina let out a small snort ofughter. “All this talk about the past and the future, it’s all so


    ethereal. I don’t know what you two are nning, but thankfully, I’m just a simple woman, and it’s not


    my ce to interfere.”


    “A simple woman?” The woman sitting next to Hanley chimed in. “How many women in the world are


    as fortunate as Mrs. Reynolds? Mr. Reynolds is so aplished and adoring, it’s almost too much to


    envy!”


    Seraphina sighed. “A woman’s happiness isn’t determined by the man at her side, but rather whether


    she has her own life ns and joys.”


    With that, Seraphina pretended to be drunk and reached into her purse for a tissue, identally pulling


    out a brightly colored ticket that fluttered down to Bowen’s


    feet.


    Bowen picked it up and read it, his gaze hardening at the words printed there. “A cruise ticket? So you


    were at the airport this morning to go here, Sera?”


    “Oh, dear, you’ve found me out,” Seraphinaughed, covering her mouth. “I’ve never been good at


    lying. Just a few minutes and I’m already exposed. But for some people, they can keep a lie for over a


    decade and nobody would know!”


    Leandro said, “Usually, those who can keep a lie for that long have deceived themselves as well.”


    “But if a man lies to a woman about loving her, and keeps up that lie for over a decade, does he truly


    love her, or does he just think he loves her?”


    Leandro looked at Seraphina, replying, “It’s a hypothetical question, I can’t answer that.”


    “Boring.” Seraphina huffed, turning to Bowen. “What about you, Bowen?”


    Bowen, his eyes dark, responded with a wry smile. “Considering the nature of the question, Sera, I


    imagine you already have your answer in mind. Does mine really matter?”


    “I’m just posing a hypothetical question about the dynamics of a rtionship, Seraphina said. “But you


    men, always so guilty. That’s why I say we women should never rely on men. When given the chance,


    we should break free from all confines, even if it means crossing oceans and living abroad. It’s a whole


    new world out there!”


    With that, Seraphina raised her ss to Bowen, then downed the remaining wine in a single gulp.


    Bowen took a sip of his own wine, his eyes darkening further.


    Leandro seemed nonchnt, brushing hair off of the dainty shoulders of Seraphina, casually asking,


    “So, you really think that way?”


    “I sure do.” Seraphina replied, “Go ahead and see. If you ever cross me, I’ll be gone in a heartbeat,


    vanishing to the ends of the earth. You’ll never see me again in this lifetime!”


    As her statement hung in the air, Bowen, seated nearby, had already pushed back his chair and risen


    to his feet. His eyes dashed over Leandro and Seraphina, his deep voice echoing, “Apologies, but I


    have a phone call to make. Please, continue without me.”


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Bowen, cell phone in hand, turned around and promptly exited the private dining room.


    Shrugging, Seraphina then shifted her attention back to Leandro, a yful smile painted on her lips.


    Leandro reached out, gently cleaning an almost imperceptible wine stain from the corner of her mouth.


    This small, intimate gesture elicited a wave of envious nces from around the room.


    As Bowen stepped out of the private room, he made several calls, his expression growing increasingly


    “What do you mean you can’t check?” he snapped into the phone. “I don’t care how many thousands of


    people leave the country every day. I want you to check them all! Find her, no matter what it takes!”


    Such a task was impossible, but the person on the other end of the call didn’t dare argue and quickly


    agreed.


    Hanging up the phone, Bowen found himself standing at the end of the hallway by the window, lighting


    up another cigarette to calm his nerves.


    The me from the lighter flickered, casting a shadow across his troubled face.


    Seraphina stepped out from the private dining room, catching sight of Bowen’s lone figure by the


    window. Despite his stoic demeanor, she could sense an undercurrent of mncholy.


    Step 408


    Regrettably, he was one man she could never forgive in this lifetime.


    “Bowen, you sure have a temper,” Seraphina approached him slowly, herughter filled with sarcasm.


    “I could hear your rage all the way from the dining room.”


    Only then did Bowen turn to look at her. He decided to cut to the chase. “Where’s Sandra?”


    11


    “At this very moment, she’s out at sea,” Seraphina replied truthfully. “As to where she’ll be in the future,


    I’m not certain.”


    Bowen scoffed at her answer, clearly not buying it. After a moment of silence, he finally asked, “Do you


    really think this is what’s best for her?”


    “Anything would be better than being with you,” Seraphina retorted. “Without you, she will have better


    days ahead.”


    Bowen took a couple of drags from his cigarette before looking at her again. “Do you all really believe


    that this is revenge against me?”


    ,”Revenge or not, I wouldn’t know,” Seraphina shrugged. “All I know is that the person who’s alcoholic


    and chain-smoking, losing his temper and suffering from


    sleepless nights won’t be me.”