Chapter 468
In the Reynolds household, Leandro certainly had the knack for being shameless.
So, when Seraphina hurled a cushion at him in frustration, he merely set it aside with an unruffled air
and continued speaking to their son, Valerio, “If you really want to know where you came from, and
where your younger sister mighte from,e on, follow Dad upstairs. I’ll teach you.”
Valerio, eager for knowledge, instantly wriggled out of Seraphina’s protective grip and dashed over to
Leandro.
“Hey!” Seraphina snapped, clenching her teeth, “Don’t you fill his head with any of your nonsense!”
Leandro looked over at her, a hint of challenge in his voice, “And you think proper sex education is
nonsense?”
Caught off guard, Seraphina fell silent, her cheeks flushing at Valerio’s innocent gaze. She turned
away, looking elsewhere for refuge.
Seeing his chance, Leandro stood up and led Valerio upstairs.
Alone now, Seraphina eyed their retreating figures, silently cursing Leandro in her head-she’d forgotten
that when it came to sex education, he was somewhat of an expert.
While Leandro and Valerio ventured upstairs to discuss the facts of life, Seraphina sat on the couch,
grinding her teeth as she calmed her nerves and reflected on her recent lifestyle.
The conclusion was clear-she’d let herself go! She couldn’t continue this slide into decadence. But with
nothing else pressing to do, her gaze drifted over to the art studio across the way.
In a matter of minutes, Seraphina had crafted a n.
Starting tomorrow, she’d rise early every day, clock in at the studio on time, and take the reins of the
business once more, to prevent herself from bing theyabout Leandro seemed intent on
creating.
However, following Leandro’s “lesson,” Valerio was unusually cooperative that night. He didn’t ask for
Seraphina’spany and even shooed her off to Leandro’s bedroom at bedtime.
Suddenly having to deal with such a “considerate” son, Seraphina obediently returned to Leandro’s
bedroom-straight into the lion’s den, so to speak.
Thus, the n she’d made just the day before was abandoned by the next morning.
When she finally dragged herself to the studio, it was already past noon.
Although her visits had been infrequent, the studio had flourished. The new manager hadworked
with numerous art dealers, acquiring a collection of works and signing several promising young artists,
enhancing the studio’s reputation.
Once back in her element, Seraphina’s familiarity with the business made it easy to fall back into the
rhythm, and she busied herself until evening.
At seven o’clock, her secretary, Sandy, couldn’t help but knock on her door.
“Mrs. Reynolds, it’s seven already, it’s pitch-dark outside…” Sandy spoke softly.
Seraphina finally looked up from her paperwork, nced at the darkening sky behind her, and thought
of Valerio. She stood up quickly, tidying her desk as she spoke, “Oh no, my son’s going to be upset!”
Sandy couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
Seraphina gathered her things in a hurry and rushed out of the office, only to stop short at the sight of
two familiar figures in the open area of the studio.
The taller figure stood in the corridor, admiring the studio’s newest disyed works, while the smaller
one was flipping through an
art book on the couch.
Hearing Seraphina approach, both heads turned toward her.
“Mom!” Valerio leapt from the couch and ran over, “Dad and I came to pick you up!”
Seraphina, stiff from sitting all afternoon and worried about Valerio’s reaction, felt a rush of joy at seeing
them and hugged her son. “How long have you been here?”
Valerio checked his little watch, “Ten minutes. Dad said we shouldn’t disturb you.”
Hearing this, Seraphina nced at Leandro on the side.
Leandro, asposed as ever in his ck cashmere coat, still had the aura of a business mogul about
him, and in a weak
09:42
moment, Seraphina found herself staring a second too long.
Breaking the moment, Leandro stepped closer, “Ready to leave?”
Seraphina rolled her eyes, “I still have documents to go through. Wait a bit longer, will you?”
As she turned to walk back, Leandro reached out and pulled her back.
“Mom can’t be out thiste,” Valerio protested. “If you’re always gone, how will I ever get a younger
sister?”
Just as he spoke, a few suppressed giggles echoed from the office corridor behind them.
Seraphina stiffened and turned, “Show yourselves!”
Sandy and a few staffers timidly appeared. They all got along well with Seraphina and were less afraid
of her than of Leandro, so Sandy exined nervously, “Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Reynolds, we were just
about to leave. We didn’t mean to eavesdrop!”
Leandro merely nodded in acknowledgement.
Seraphina red at them, “Then why are you still here?”
They scattered instantly, hurrying past the family of three.
Sandy lingered, boldly bending down to Valerio, “I hope your wish cane true soon.”
Valerio beamed at the blessing and shook Sandy’s hand.
Seraphina swatted Sandy yfully, and the secretary bolted away,ughing.
“It’s all your fault,” Seraphina grumbled, pinching Leandro, “Now how am I supposed to work after
this?”
Leandro merely cast a fleeting nce at her, his toneced with dry amusement. “Since when did you
be so easily embarrassed?”Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.
Seraphina bit back a retort, a flicker of rm crossing her mind-indeed, when had her famously thick
skin started to wear thin? Why was she suddenly taking to heart ament as trivial as that?
What a loss! Truly, a loss!
Muttering to herself inwardly, Seraphina took Valerio by the hand and made her way to the exit. Yet, the
sting of discontent spurred her to throw onest jab at Leandro. “What a pity, Mr. Reynolds. Just as
you’ve grown fond of my thick-skinned charm, I start going soft… I must be such a burden.”
Before Leandro could respond, Valerio chimed in with childlike certainty, “It doesn’t matter if Mom has
thick skin or thin skin, Dad will love her anyway.”
Seraphina shot Valerio a look, but Leandro chuckled softly, hisughter serving as his silent
agreement.
As they stepped out of the grand hall and into the night, Seraphina halted in her tracks, caught off
guard.
The sky was a deep obsidian, and beneath the dim glow of streetlights, delicate kes of white danced
silently to the ground.
It was snowing.
“Ha!” It’s like Seraphina had uncovered a long-hidden surprise. Valerio’sughter rang out, pure and
joyful. “Dad brought me here to share the first snowfall of the season with Mom!”
A warmth surged within Seraphina’s chest, rendering her speechless in the face of the simple, yet
profound, moment.