Chapter 451
Leandro was no stranger to brushes with death, but this time, it was different.
His own mother Gloria’s knife had plunged into his flesh by ident, an unexpected betrayal that left
him defenseless. His strength ebbed away as if sucked out by an invisible force, leaving him powerless
and seething with an all-too-familiar sense of injustice.
He knew this feeling well, having clung to it through countless past trials. Yet, never had this burning
indignation felt so acute as it did
now.
In the past, his resentment had been for his grandfather, for the Reynolds family, for the Reynolds
Group. But this time, it was personal. He had risked it all for the dreams he once chased, but now, he
knew he had to survive for himself.
Promises unkept, ns unexecuted, a life unenjoyed-he wasn’t ready to let go of any of it. There were
people waiting for him, hoping for him, and their anticipation made him desperate to respond.
So, he had to live.
As he fought to pry his eyes open within the haze of his consciousness, he never imagined that the first
thing he’d see would be Seraphina’s expressionless face by his hospital bed.
But seeing her solidified his wandering thoughts. Hearing her call him “an ugly guy” somehow
grounded his heart.
When Leandro finally awoke, the hospital room buzzed with relief. Doctors came to assess his
condition, nurses checked his vitals, and Seraphina listened intently to their instructions, jotting down
every detail.
Leandro had sustained serious injuries and endured a major surgery, so despite his struggle to wake
up, he soon drifted back into sleep.
Minutes after he fell asleep, Conway arrived. He met with Bruce outside Leandro’s room. Conway’s
face was dark with worry, and Bruce, feeling guilty, didn’t dare say much. Instead, he whispered
instructions to Celeste before hastily leaving the hospital.
Seraphina stepped out of the room and immediately mirrored Conway’s grim expression. “Leandro’s
fine, why such a long face? If I knew you’d react like this, I wouldn’t have let Keen tell you!” Seraphina
said in a calm tone.
Conway, at a loss for words, just sighed heavily and asked, “How is he?”
“Just woke up,” Seraphina replied. “His vitals are stable, but he’s still weak and has fallen asleep again.
You don’t need to worry.” Conway sighed again, despite the reassuring news.
Celeste stepped forward to support Conway, whispering, “If Gloriaes to her senses after this, it
might be a blessing in disguise. The troubles between her and Leandro have dragged on for years.
They both need a release, even if the price was steep. Thankfully, Leandro’s young and strong; he’ll
recover quickly…”
After seeing Leandro and consulting with the doctors, Conway finally felt some relief. He joined
Seraphina and Celeste in the waiting
area.
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“How’s Valerio?” Seraphina asked. “Was he awake when you left?”
Conway nodded. “He waited for you and Leandro all night and was up early again, eager… Thankfully,
Keen brought him something from Leandro, which cheered him up.”
Seraphina rxed a bit at the news.
“Should we bring him to see Leandro?” Conway suggested.
Seraphina nced back at Leandro’s room and slowly said, “Let’s wait until Leandro’s a bit stronger.
I’m afraid Valerio might get scared seeing him like this.”
“That’s wise.”
After chatting with Conway for a while, Seraphina grew restless. Seeing a nurse enter Leandro’s room,
she quickly followed.
Celeste watched her go and murmured, “When they got married, I never sensed that Seraphina had
deep feelings for Leandro. It always seemed like she had an ulterior motive…”
“Isn’t that right?” Conway replied, ” But the way things have turned out, it’s rather good.”
Throughout the morning, a stream of visitors came to see Leandro. He was still in the intensive care
unit, away from prying eyes, while Seraphina, within his room, naturally kept away unwanted visitors.
Around noon, an orderly came to help clean Leandro. Seraphina watched closely and soon couldn’t
bear it, telling the orderly, “Let me do
it.”
“Mrs. Reynolds,” the male orderly smiled, “I’m a professional. I won’t hurt Mr. Reynolds.”
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“I know,” Seraphina insisted. “Still, I’d like to.”
With Seraphina adamant, the orderly let her take over, staying nearby to assist.
It wasn’t that Seraphina feared the orderly would hurt Leandro; she just thought his touch was too firm
for someone in such a fragile
state.
She took the washcloth and began to gently clean Leandro’s body. Even though she was careful, when
she touched his arm, Leandro opened his eyes and looked at her.
Seraphina quickly pulled her hand back, feeling a bit guilty. “Did I wake you?”
Leandro closed his eyes briefly, then whispered, “No.”
After a moment, Seraphina handed the washcloth back to the orderly. “Please, continue.”
The male orderly had just grabbed the washcloth when Leandro fluttered his eyes open again. After
casting a nce at him, he turned to Seraphina and said, “I want you to do it.”
“In your dreams,” Seraphina retorted with a smirk. “I’m not your maid.”
Leandro looked back at the male orderly, a silent exchange passing between them, and without
another word, he quietly ced the washcloth near Seraphina and stepped aside.
“You-” Seraphina began, turning to the male orderly, but he had already averted his gaze, choosing
neither to look nor speak.
Facing Leandro once again, Seraphina met his unusually calm eyes. They held each other’s gaze for a
moment before she finally picked up the washcloth, wrung out some warm water, and began to clean
his face in silence.
“Where’s Valerio?” Leandro finally asked.
“He’s at home,” Seraphina answered, “Keen’s with him.”
“Tell Keen to bring him here,” Leandro said.
“No way,” Seraphina objected firmly. “That would scare him.”
Leandro took a deep breath before he slowly added, “He’s a boy. He needs to face things… learn to
confront them…”
Seraphina paused, her hands stilling as she looked up at him. After a moment of silence, she said,
“Whatever you’re intending to tell him, you can pass it onto me. I can handle everything that Keen
would do for you.”