Chapter 440


    Patrick was also heading back to Sunburst City that day, not on the same flight as Andrea, but at a


    simr time. So, he sat down next to her and Seraphina and struck up a casual conversation.


    Andrea, who called Patrick “uncle” out of domestic rtion, wasn’t too familiar with him. They’d only


    exchanged brief hellos at some event they both attended by chance. So naturally, she didn’t have


    much to say to him. But Seraphina and Patrick were a different story. They gabbed about current


    events, buzzworthy news, and Patrick’s media empire, the conversation flowing like a river.


    Andrea mostly stayed quiet, just listening from the sidelines.


    It wasn’t until Patrick’s assistant came over to remind him it was time for security check that their


    engrossing chat came to a reluctant close. “Going through security with me, Andrea?” Patrick finally


    turned to her.


    “No, thanks,” she replied. “I just got a text that my flight’s dyed. I’ll hang back a bit longer.”


    “Alright then, Patrick said. “You two take it easy. I’m off.”


    Seraphina waved with a grin, and Patrick shed a brief smile before turning to leave. He paused,


    looking back at Seraphina, “Next time you’re in Sunburst City, let me take you out for dinner. Or if I’m in


    Summitville again and you’re still around, let’s grab a bite, yeah?”


    “Sure thing,” Seraphina responded with easy confidence. “We’ll n it out.”


    With a nod and a more formal farewell, Patrick finally left. Seraphina let out a small sigh as she


    watched him go.


    “What’s with the sigh?” Andrea asked, her tone light.


    “I just missed out on a golden opportunity,” Seraphina replied. “He wanted me to work for him once,


    and I was quite tempted.”


    “Why didn’t you?”


    “Because he’s a legend,” Seraphina exined. “He’s got the Midas touch, and working for him would


    mean getting my hands on the most intriguing cases. Plus, he really trusts me. Imagine how fulfilling


    that job would be!”


    Listening, Andrea slowly said, “He doesn’t just trust you, he quite likes you!”


    Seraphina shot her a nce. “So what?”


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    “Aren’t you afraid Leandro will get jealous?”


    Seraphina couldn’t help butugh. “He likes me because I’m likable. If Leandro gets jealous, that’s his


    own sour problem!”


    “You keep telling yourself that,” Andrea teased. “We’ll see who can’t sleep at night.”


    Seraphina red at her. “I won’t lose sleep over anyone.”


    “I’m not the one sleeping next to you, how would I know?” Andrea shot back.


    “Then zip it,” Seraphina huffed, making a zipping gesture across her lips. “Be responsible for what you


    say, got it?”


    Andrea mimed zipping her own lips and wisely chose to stay quiet.


    However, what Seraphina didn’t expect was that by silencing Andrea, she inadvertently stirred up a


    whole lot of chatter elsewhere.


    The next day, a gossip website suddenly posted photos of her and Patrick deep in conversation, with a


    headline that screamed for attention, “Trouble in Paradise? Seraphina spotted in Summitville, cozying


    up to media tycoon Patrick in an intimate chat!”


    The published photos indeed showed only Seraphina and Patrick, as if Andrea, who was sitting right


    beside them, had turned invisible, not even a thread of her clothing in sight.


    If Seraphina wasn’t the subject herself; even she would believe the gossip spun by those images.


    Once the news broke, her phone was bombarded with messages-texts, calls, DMs-one after another,


    nearly overwhelming her device.


    Among the flood were media contacts, nosy onlookers, and a throng of the Reynolds family elders, all


    reaching out to her for an exnation:


    Seraphina couldn’t be bothered. After skimming through the unread messages, she noticed none from


    Leandro.


    With all these inquiring calls from the Reynolds’ elders, Leandro must have seen the gossip. But his


    silence-was it indifference, or was he furious?


    As her phone continued to be swamped with messages, Seraphina spent the afternoon searching in


    vain for any word from Leandro.


    “Mom!” At dinner, her phone still in hand, Seraphina finally drew Valerio’s annoyance. “You need to eat


    properly!”


    “I know, I know,” Seraphina sighed and put her phone aside, picking up her fork.


    “It’s the weekend,” Valerio remarked. “Is Dading over today?”


    That caught Seraphina off guard-if there was no sign of him on her phone, maybe Leandro was


    nning to show up unannounced?


    “Why don’t you call him and find out?” Seraphina suggested. “How would I know his ns?”


    Valerio set down his fork and immediately dialed Leandro.


    Seraphina listened intently, only to hear Valerio call out, “Mr. Keen?”


    ?? ?


    She rolled her eyes at the title.


    “Dad?” Valerio asked,


    Whatever Keen said on the other end, Valerio hung up looking a bit deted.


    Mr. Keen said Dad’s in a meeting, he’s super busy, Valerio ryed. “He won’t have time toe over


    for the next few days.”


    Hearing that, Seraphina let out a cynicalugh. Too busy toe over?


    She knew all too well this kind of tactic-wouldn’t be surprised if she woke up in the middle of the night


    to find an unexpected visitor by her bed.


    That night, Seraphina tossed and turned in her bed, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts that refused to


    settle. It wasn’t until the 3 a.m. that she finally sumbed to a restless slumber.


    Outside, the world was shrouded in silence, not even the whisper of a leaf disturbed the quiet.


    Saturday, and there was no sign of Leandro.


    Sunday came and went, still no Leandro.


    Monday came, and he still never came.


    It wasn’t just his physical presence that was missing; her phone remained starkly silent, devoid of the


    briefest text or the slightest call from him.