《Tangled in His Obsession》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Back in 2009, at Reynolds Manor in Sunburst City. Late at night, the mansion was all quiet. Seraphina Bet carefully pushed open her bedroom door, tiptoeing down the stairs and into the kitchen. At dinner, Bruce Reynolds and his wife Gloria started arguing again. The rest of the Reynolds family didn¡¯t know how to deal with it, let alone Seraphina, a little girl fostered in this household. Seraphina hid in her room and didn¡¯t even eat her dinner. Now, it was midnight, and she couldn¡¯t stand the hunger anymore, after all, she was at the age where her body was growing. Opening the fridge, Seraphina found only two slices of bread. Not much, but enough to fill her rumbling belly a bit. Suddenly, a bright light shed outside the window. Someone was driving home. Seraphina skillfully hid behind the kitchen door, munching on the bread while listening carefully. The front door of the mansion creaked open, familiar footsteps echoed in the hallway. Seraphina counted the steps as she listened, and when she reached thirty, she peeked out from the kitchen. It was nighttime, the moon was bright, casting a frosty glow throughout the house. The man walking in was tall and handsome, his broad shoulders bathed in the moonlight, making him look rather dashing. After watching for a moment, Seraphina retreated back into the kitchen, contentedly finishing her bread. Having not seen him for about a week, she didn¡¯t expect to see him tonight, but there he was. Suppressing the excitement in her heart, she quietly finished thest bite of bread. Hearing no more noise outside, she opened the door and stepped out. Just as she walked out of the kitchen, she looked up, and then she froze. Halfway up the winding staircase, Leandro Reynolds was leaning against the railing, smoking a cigarette. He had taken off his jacket, looking rxed and casual, a far cry from his usually strict and meticulous demeanor. The moonlight poured over his crisp white shirt, creating a faint halo around him, making him seem like at mirage. Seraphina stood at the kitchen door, like a frightened fawn. Leandro turned his face towards her. The moonlight softly traced the contours of his face, his clear brows and eyes hidden in the shadows. He seemed to be looking at her, or perhaps¡­waiting for her. For a moment, Seraphina was confused. Her smooth, slender arms unconsciously moved behind her, nervously gripping her hand, before she finally walked up the stairs. When she reached Leandro, Seraphina looked up and finally saw his eyes clearly. He was indeed looking at her, his eyes seemed to hold a hint of curiosity, and there seemed to be a smile on his lips, though it was not obvious. ¡°Did you have enough for dinner?¡± he asked. ¡°Um.¡± Leandro looked at her thin shoulders. ¡°What about now?¡± ¡°I ate two slices of bread, I¡¯m full now.¡± Seraphina answered truthfully. Leandro continued to smoke, the glow of the cigarette illuminating the smile at the corner of his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re easy to feed.¡± he said. Seraphina wasn¡¯t sure if this was apliment or an insult, she looked up at him. Leandro just looked at her, his gaze deep, and stopped speaking. Seraphina began to feel uneasy. She diverted her gaze and turned to go upstairs, but she misstepped, her body. leaning forward! Leandro reacted quickly, immediately ditching the cigarette in his hand and reaching out to catch her. His palm felt her soft body, something he didn¡¯t expect. Seraphina froze, and Leandro didn¡¯t move either. Suddenly, Seraphina came back to her senses. In that moment, a flurry of thoughts ran through her mind. Although her brain and her heart were in a state of utter chaos, her body miraculously remained calm. She didn¡¯t avoid him, didn¡¯t dodge. She just turned her head to look at Leandro. Seraphina had sharp, clear eyes, bright and sparkling under the moonlight.. Leandro stared at her. That year, she was 17, and he was 25. For the first time, Leandro realized that the little girl who came to the Reynolds family at the age of 10 had grown up. A yearter, 18¨Cyear¨Cold Seraphina was about to start her studies at the university. A breeze blew through the woods, the light¨Ccolored curtains fluttering. Seraphina was lying on her desk, watching the ticking hands on her watch. On the fifteenth of each month, the Reynolds family had a tradition of hosting a family dinner, and all the family members woulde home. Seraphina was full of anticipation, but she dared not hope too much. Over the past year, Leandro seemed to be busier and busier, often noting home for two or three weeks at a time. Seraphina had gotten into the habit of having a second dinner after the main meal a year ago, but she rarely saw Leandrote at night anymore. Thest time they met was over a month ago. Then, a ck car drove into the Reynolds¡® family gate. Seraphina immediately stood up, watching the car stop in front of the courtyard. A minuteter, Leandro got out of the car. Seraphina left the room and walked to the top of the stairs. She paused, looking down at her clothes, took a deep breath, and then started walking down. As she appeared on the staircase, Leandro just walked through the door. The living room was crowded. Mrs. Reynolds Gloria and her two aunts were chatting on the sofa, her uncles were tasting red wine together, and several younger siblings were ying a new game in front of the TV¡­ In all this hustle and bustle, Leandro immediately spotted Seraphina on the staircase. On her eighteenth birthday, Seraphina tried wearing a red dress for the first time. The weather in May was still a bit chilly. Her sleeveless dress just barely covered her knees, and its neckline was a bit low, but it perfectly outlined the figure a grown woman should have. The rich and vibrant colors. made her skin appear even more sexy, and her eyes sparkled even more. Seraphina had always been beautiful, and after going through puberty, her beauty was even more radiant. Such a look and the intense color of her clothes matched well, so she looked good in red. Seraphina knew that dressing this way would upset many people in this room, but she decided to be capricious. once. On the first day of adulthood, she wanted to be her best self, but only to please one person. Leandro looked at her, his gaze deep and serene. Seraphina met his gaze, stepped in rhythm with her heartbeat, and slowly walked down the stairs. Leandro still stood at the door. When Seraphina walked down thest step, Leandro looked away and turned his head towards the outside, extending his hand. Then, he walked in, holding a girl¡¯s hand. ¡°This is my girlfriend, Vivian Smith.¡± Leandro introduced to the people in the living room. Everyone immediately turned their attention to the door, looking at the girl whose hand Leandro was holding. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. No one was paying attention to Seraphina anymore. She used to be the most eye¨Ccatching presence in the room, but at that moment, she seemed to have lost all her colors. Seven yearster. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 It¡¯s January in Velvetwood, and the ce is nketed with snow. Just as Seraphina was preparing to leave, she received a message from Peterson Miller, her boyfriend. He wanted to meet up and had attached the address of a nearby coffee shop. This was unlike Peterson, and after some thought and a nce at the time, Seraphina decided to meet him. She left her apartment, and it was just a five¨Cminute walk to the agreed coffee shop. However, when she pushed open the door, Peterson was nowhere to be seen. She sat down casually and was about to make a phone call when someone suddenly appeared in front of her. Seraphina looked up and saw Edith Whitman. Velvetwood¡¯s circle of celebrities was small, and she had met Edith a few times. She knew that Edith was a member of the Whitman family from Sunburst City, in charge of the family¡¯s overseas business in Velvetwood. Edith always came off as indifferent. Edith sat across from Seraphina, her expression deadpan. ¡°I¡¯m here in ce of Peterson.¡± Seraphina sensed something was off and checked the time, then said, ¡°Well then, spit it out, Ms. Whitman.¡± ¡°Peterson is returning to our home country with me.¡± Edith looked straight at Seraphina. ¡°We n to get married this year.¡± Seraphina¡¯s face didn¡¯t show the reaction Edith was hoping for. Instead, she burst intoughter. ¡°So, you¡¯re here to tell me he¡¯s been seeing you behind my back, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯re adults, there¡¯s no need to beat around the bush.¡± Edith took out a check from her bag and slid it across to Seraphina. ¡°This is Peterson¡¯spensation to you.¡± Seraphina picked up the check, counted the digits on it, then squinted her eyes. ¡°Two hundred thousand dors? Given your current financial status, isn¡¯t that a bit stingy?¡± Edith looked at her with disdain. ¡°For someone like you, Ms. Bet, this sum should be substantial. And with your capabilities, there are plenty of opportunities out there waiting for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Seraphina surprisingly agreed. ¡°Should I thank you for praising me and reminding me of this, Ms. Whitman?¡± Looking at Seraphina now, Edith¡¯s expression remained the same, but her breathing quickened involuntarily. Seraphina was naturally beautiful. Although her makeup was wless, what truly captivated people was her radiant face beneath it. She was very charming and not tacky at all. In short, she was a woman who could. look beautiful however she wanted. Edith was momentarily stunned and before she could speak, the coffee shop door was pushed open. In the gust of cold wind that followed, Peterson¡¯s tall figure appeared. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He immediately spotted Seraphina and Edith sitting together, and his expression turned icy. Seraphina leaned back in the sofa, looking at him and smiling leisurely. Peterson strode over and pulled Edith up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Edith¡¯s face was as calm as still water, ¡°You¡¯rete. I¡¯ve already told her everything.¡± Peterson turned pale with anger, his grip on Edith¡¯s wrist so tight that his knuckles turned white. Then he turned to look at Seraphina stiffly. Seraphina watched them like it was a show, and when she saw his expression, she nodded. ¡°Hmm, she¡¯s done talking. Is it your turn now?¡± Peterson just looked at her, his eyes deep andplex, his breath uneven, but he didn¡¯t utter a word./ Seraphina didn¡¯t have the patience to interpret his silent face. She checked on the time and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have much time. If you have something to say, spit it out. Can you tell me, did Ms. Whitman do this because she likes you and wanted to sabotage our rtionship?¡± At this, Edithughed coldly. But Peterson remained expressionless, looking at Seraphina¡¯s fiery eyes and still not saying a word. ¡°So you have nothing to say?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t want to waste more time. She got up. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Seraphina walked towards the coffee shop¡¯s entrance, but Peterson reached out and grabbed her arm. ¡°Sera!¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t stop, and Peterson pulled her back until her down jacket slipped off her shoulders. Underneath, Seraphina was wearing a sexy little ck dress that reached her thighs, highlighting her stunning figure and revealing her smooth, long neck and some of her skin. Her carefully applied smoky makeup added to her allure. Peterson froze, while Edith scoffed, looking at Seraphina. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a reporter like Ms. Bet before.¡± Seraphinaughed at this, her lips curling up slightly, and every part of her face was radiant, confident and enchanting. ¡°So what?¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°After all, it¡¯s not my fault that I¡¯m pretty.¡± With that, Seraphina shrugged off her down jacket, pushed open the door, and stepped into the snowy world outside. Peterson tried to follow her, but Edith held him back. Her voice was icy. ¡°Peterson, you don¡¯t think you can. continue your rtionship with her after being with me, do you? You think I¡¯m a sucker?¡± Peterson was taken aback, but he shrugged off Edith and walked out of the coffee shop. Watching him go, Edith¡¯s face changed dramatically. After leaving the coffee shop, Peterson just stood at the door, watching Seraphina¡¯s receding figure. He chased her for two years, dated her for two years, and when he betrayed her, she didn¡¯t show any anger or bitterness. Peterson¡¯s eyes were red¨Crimmed as he watched Seraphina walk away, before turning and heading in another direction. Seraphina, on the other hand, walked down the street with grace, drawing gasps and praises from passersby. She was like a flower in the winter, beautiful and mysterious. A monthter, Peterson and Edith left Velvetwood and returned home. In early February, in Starhaven, Agency A.D revealed a drug scandal involving a bunch of rich kids in Velvetwood. The story was investigated and reported by journalist Seraphina. End of the year, Sunburst City. The office buildings in the central business district were quiet, but on the 26th floor of the Reynolds Group, work was still going on as usual. Secretary Yasmina sorted out the documents handed over by various departments, then knocked on the door of the president¡¯s office and walked in. Leandro sat behind his desk reading files. Despite having spent a long time in the office, his suit was still crisply tailored, his hair styled perfectly. His eyes held a familiar coldness. Despite the hustle and bustle around him, he didn¡¯t look tired at all. Yasmina had worked with him for many years and knew he maintained this seriousness and steadiness, in ¡®public and private. She was used to it. Without his leadership, the Reynolds Group might have sunk during the crisis seven years ago. Back then, he was only in his twenties, but he managed to save the teetering Reynolds Group with his own power. Over seven years, he brought thepany back to a leading position in Sunburst City. His cunning and strategies weren¡¯t something ordinary people could see through. Yasmina put a few files on his desk and reported on each of them. Leandro listened quietly, his eyes never leaving the file in his hand. A notification sound came from theputer, indicating a new email. Leandro finally looked up at theputer screen. And then, he put down the file he was holding. Yasmina was taken aback, and couldn¡¯t help but look at theputer screen. On the screen was a photo of a woman. The background looked foreign, surrounded by a snowy environment. Everyone was bundled up in thick clothes, except for the woman, who was standing on the street in a low¨Ccut ck dress, oblivious to the stares around her. When she saw someone taking her picture, she even smiled at the camera. She looked like a little witch from a fairy tale, but she was so beautiful it was stunning, like a flower in the summer. Yasmina wanted to look more, but Leandro had already turned the photo off. She realized what she was doing was out of ce, and she turned and walked to the door. As she turned to close the door, she saw Leandro stand up and walk to the window to light a cigarette. Outside, the clouds were thick and the sky was getting dark, but then the sun broke through, illuminating the streets. Leandro held his cigarette, lost in thought. Winter had passed, and spring should being soon. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 April, In Sunburst City. Night had just fallen and the lights of BlueSky Hotel came on.- The engagement ceremony jointly held by the two major families of Sunburst City ¨C the Whitman family and the Miller family was of course grand, attracting the eyes of the entire city. At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, the golden banquet hall was filled withughter and apuse. Amidst the apuse and stares, the guests saw Peterson and Edith embrace and kiss. Lionel Martin, the third son of the Martin family who was officiating the ceremony, made jokes while blessing them, then continued the ceremony ording to the process, ¡°Next, let¡¯s have our future bridesmaid, Miss Amelia,e up and share the sweet love journey of our two newlyweds that she witnessed!¡± A spotlight shone on Amelia¡¯s position, but her seat was empty. Edith¡¯s face immediately changed. Lionel signaled to the lighting engineer and started to save the situation, ¡°Amelia, were you stunned by the sweetness of the new couple? Where are you?¡± The lighting engineer moved the spotlight around the venue, as if looking for someone. The originally closed doors of the restaurant suddenly slowly opened, and the lighting engineer immediately directed the light there, causing many people to turn their heads towards the door. A woman in a red long dress suddenly appeared in everyone¡¯s sight. Perhaps the sudden strong light was dazzling, she covered her face with her hand, and only slowly put her hand down after adapting for a while. Under the white light, everyone saw a stunning face. The hall suddenly fell silent for a moment. In this moment of silence, Seraphina slowly walked in. She was dressed in a vintage red dress, with bright eyes and a smile, had red lipstick on, curly hair, and matched with vintage makeup, like the heroine who walked out of a foreign movie poster from the old times, beautiful and charming. For most people present, this was a strange face, beautiful and exciting. But for Edith, this moment was a nightmare. At her engagement party, all eyes were on Seraphina, even Peterson was staring at Seraphina, dumbfounded. ¡°Lionel!¡± Edith suddenly called Lionel in a low voice, interrupting Peterson¡¯s trance. Lionel quickly cleared his throat and said, ¡°It seems that Miss Amelia was really stunned by the sweetness of the new couple. Are there any other friends who want toe up and share their sweet experiences with them?¡± As soon as Lionel spoke, the friends around him cooperated with him, and the atmosphere of the scene quickly became lively. In this warm atmosphere, Seraphina appeared in front of the stage, entering the camera. On the big screen, Seraphina¡¯s slender figure was magnified many times. Everyone watched her step by step onto the stage, her vintage red dress made her waist extremely slender, and she was graceful. When she turned around, her eyes were bright and moving, almost the most dazzling presence in the whole scene. I Looking at Peterson and Edith, Seraphina smiled and said, ¡°Can Ie on stage?¡± Lione! was taken aback for a moment, hesitating whether to hand her the microphone. Edith and Seraphina looked at each other. Edith sneered, turned around, and took the microphone from Lionel¡¯s hand. ¡°The love between Peterson and I doesn¡¯t need others to exin. We can express it ourselves.¡± With that, she hugged Peterson¡¯s waist, lifted her head, and kissed his mouth. The sudden apuse in the audience was like thunder. Peterson looked a bit stiff, his gaze passed over Edith, looking at Seraphina, who just stood there, smiling, pping with the atmosphere of the scene. Peterson¡¯s heart suddenly thumped. Then, Edith suddenly bit his lips, and only then slowly moved her lips away. ¡°Are you sober now?¡± Edith asked in a low voice. Peterson slowly retracted his gaze, then looked at Edith. Edith had already turned her head and looked at Seraphina. ¡°Thank you Ms. Seraphina foring all the way to attend the engagement ceremony of Peterson and I. We are very happy to have you.¡± Edith continued, ¡°Seraphina, will you bless us?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Seraphina answered with a smile, ¡°I feel very honored to be able to witness your happy moment. I wish you happiness forever and always remember this sweet engagement ceremony.¡± With these words, the atmosphere on the scene became subtly awkward, and everyone tacitly looked at the. situation on stage. Edith of course could hear the implied meaning in Seraphina¡¯s words, sheughed and said, ¡°I will of course always remember, at this moment, the person standing by his side is me, and for the rest of his life, the person standing by his side will be me, and only me. Peterson, right?¡± As she finished her words, there was another cheer from the audience, and Peterson, in response to Edith¡¯s question, awkwardly lowered his head and kissed her. ¡°Peterson, shall we give the bouquet to Seraphina?¡± Edith suddenly said. Peterson was still in a daze, but Edith had already looked at Seraphina and handed out the bouquet in her hand, ¡°Although today is not the official wedding, I want to pass our happiness and sweetness to you. This bouquet represents the blessings from Peterson and I, Seraphina, I hope you can find your happiness soon.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. The banquet hall was very quiet, everyone was watching Edith and Seraphina on stage. Although Seraphina was outstanding, she was the one feeling awkward at this moment. However, Seraphina still smiled and said thank you, then naturally took the bouquet and started to admire it. Lionel stepped forward in time, ¡°Ms. Seraphina, you have received the blessings of two newlyweds, do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°Since I got the bouquet, I can¡¯t let down your intentions. You don¡¯t mind me expressing my feelings at this asion, right?¡± Seraphina asked Edith. Edith gave her a cold look, seemingly waiting to see her next move. Seraphina turned her head towards the audience, raising the bouquet in her hand. Her voice sweet and charming. ¡°To all the gentlemen here, I¡¯m currently single and ready to mingle. Feel free to chase me, I¡¯m prettyid¨Cback.¡± The scene immediately burst into thunderous apuse and cheers, even more enthusiastic than any before. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 After the main part of the engagement ceremony, the dance party was up next. After Peterson and Edith finished their first dance, more youngsters joined in the fun on the dance floor, having a whale of a time. Upstairs in the lounge, the Whitmans and the Millers were sitting together, their faces grave after a heated. argument. Ike Whitman, the second son of the Whitman family, was nonchntly leaning against the window, intrigued by the scene on the dance floor.- Among the sea of soft, muted colors, ady in a red dress stood out, her skirt swirling with her dance moves, oozing artistic ir. The party had been going on for just twenty minutes, and Seraphina had already had five dance partners. Yet, there were still plenty of dudes lurking around, hoping for a chance to dance with her. The door was pushed open, and Peterson and Edith came in. Edith¡¯s dad immediately picked up a ss of water and threw it at Peterson¡¯s feet. Ike turned around when he heard the noise. The parents started arguing again, but Edith and Peterson remained silent, one with a stiff face, the other puffing away on his cigarette, frowning. The lounge door was pushed open again, and the bridesmaid Amelia appeared, panting. Edith looked at her with a poker face. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°I¡­ I was locked in the toilet. I just managed to get out.¡± Amelia was startled by the tense atmosphere in the room. ¡°What happened?¡± Edith sneered, then turned to look at Ike. Ike smiled and said, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s a day of celebration. Don¡¯t frown all the time. As for Seraphina¡­ I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Peterson looked up at him, his face dark. Ike had already turned his head, his gaze returning to the banquet hall. The dance floor was still buzzing. Apart from the boisterous atmosphere, the open garden at the end of the corridor seemed serene and tranquil. Seraphina was leaning at the entrance of the garden, holding a slimdies¡® cigarette in her hand, but it wasn¡¯t Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. lit. She was in no hurry, tiptoeing patiently. Soon, a tall, impably dressed man emerged from the nearby restroom. ¡°Sir,¡± Seraphina gently called him. When he turned around, she raised the cigarette in her hand. ¡°Could you lend me a light?¡± The night wind swept through the garden. Standing in the breeze in her red dress with the skirt fluttering, she was stunning. The man stood there for a while before approaching her. It was then that Seraphina got a good look at him. He was about thirty¨Cfive or six, tall and thin, dressed in a well¨Cfitted ck suit. He was wearing ck¨Crimmed sses, and he had long, gentle eyebrows and eyes, giving him a refined and schrly look. ¡°So it¡¯s Mr. Lawson,¡± she said with a smile, her voice soft. Balch Lawson didn¡¯t seem surprised that she recognized him. He just smiled slightly, his eyes unwavering. After all, as a tycoon like him, there was hardly anyone in Sunburst City who didn¡¯t know him. Balch elegantly flicked the switch on his lighter, the blue me flickering between his fingers. Seraphina tilted her head slightly, lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, watched the smoke slowly rise, then looked up at the man in front of her and smiled slightly. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lawson.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Balch said calmly, put away his lighter, and turned to leave. But Seraphina suddenly grabbed his sleeve, then draped her arm around his, looking at him with a sweet smile. Balch seemed somewhat surprised, looking at her without any hint of disgust. Seraphina¡¯s gaze, however, was fixed behind him. Balch turned to look, and at the end of the hallway, Ike wasing this way with two others. Seeing Balch standing next to Seraphina, Ike seemed somewhat surprised, but the smile on his face remained. ¡°Mr. Lawson, I couldn¡¯t find you in the banquet hall. You came out for some fresh air, I see.¡± Balch answered politely, ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Ike?¡± Ike nced at Seraphina standing behind him and said with a smile, ¡°I was hoping to have a few drinks with you!¡± Before Balch could answer, Seraphina was already clinging to him, cooing, ¡°Mr. Lawson promised to take me home. He can¡¯t drink anymore.¡± Balch looked at her, seemingly understanding something, and nodded in agreement. Then Balch said goodbye to Ike, arm in arm with Seraphina, they strolled away. ¡°Balch¡­ I heard that ever since his wife passed away, he¡¯s been avoiding women, hasn¡¯t he?¡± one of the men behind Ike said. Ike, puffing on his cigarette, stared at the retreating figures of the two, a smile still on his face, but his eyes deepened, ¡°That depends on the ability of the woman hees into contact with¡­¡± Seraphina, arm in arm with Balch, headed towards the hotel entrance, casually ncing back a few times. Balch walked steadily, looking calmly ahead, and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s still early, the dance isn¡¯t over yet, Ms. Bet, are you sure you want to leave?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina sighed softly and looked down at her feet. With just a slight movement, her heels would ache. ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t want to, I couldn¡¯t help it. I¡¯m wearing a pair of shoes that don¡¯t fit, and I can¡¯t dance all night.¡± Balch followed her gaze and said slowly, ¡°If the shoes don¡¯t fit, you should throw them away sooner. There¡¯s no need to torture yourself.¡± Seraphinaughed after a moment of silence, ¡°Oh no, I can¡¯t do that. After all, I paid for these shoes. The more ufortable they make me feel, the more I want to step on them, for as long as I can.¡± Balch didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. Seraphina tilted her head to look at him, ¡°A nice guy like Mr. Lawson may not understand this kind of stubbornness in us women.¡± At that, Balch smiled slightly. Once they got in the car, Balch whispered something to the driver. Soon, the driver took out a pair of cotton slippers from the trunk and handed them to Balch. Balch put the slippers near Seraphina¡¯s feet. ¡°Put these on.¡± Seraphina looked down at the slippers for a moment, then looked up at Balch, her eyes full of gratitude. ¡°Mr. Lawson, we¡¯ve just met and you¡¯re already this considerate. Aren¡¯t you afraid I might start to like you?¡± ¡°When we first met, Ms. Bet, you trusted me enough to get in my car. Weren¡¯t you worried I might have ulterior motives?¡± Balch countered. At this, Seraphinaughed. ¡°I¡¯m not scared. The media calls Mr. Lawson a ¡®gentleman businessman. How could someone who maintains such gentlemanly manners even in business possibly mean harm to a woman like me?¡± Balch simply responded with a smile. ¡°Ms. Bet, you tter me.¡± ¡°Just call me Seraphina.¡± She bent down to change her shoes. ¡°In any case, Mr. Lawson, you¡¯ve done me a big favor today. I must treat you to a meal to show my gratitude.¡± Balch quietly sat there, watching her bend over and appreciating her graceful body curves. ¡°So, when shall we set the date?¡± Balch suddenly asked. Seraphina, who had just changed her shoes,ughed when she heard Balch¡¯s words. Then she raised her eyes to Balch, ¡°Tomorrow. Are you avable, Mr. Lawson?¡± When Seraphina returned to her rental, as soon as she opened the door, her good friend Sandra Smith rushed up and grabbed her hand. Seraphina was startled. ¡°You scared me.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sandra looked her up and down, her eyes full of concern. ¡°The Whitman family is not easy to deal with. I was worried you wouldn¡¯t get away safely! Did everything go smoothly?¡± Seraphina patted Sandra¡¯s face, smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything went smoothly.¡± ¡°Who brought you back?¡± Seraphina nced at the cotton slippers she had just taken off. Her eyes were clear and she slowly said, ¡°Balch.¡± Hearing this, Sandra was shocked. ¡°Are you really nning on getting close to Balch?¡± ¡°I already do.¡± Seraphina looked up at Sandra, her charming smile returning. ¡°After all, that¡¯s why I came back, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter b Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter b Seraphina chose the most luxurious private club in Sunburst City, Enchanted Petals Club, to treat Balch to a meal. Seraphina wore a tight dark green skirt and a pair of beautiful ck heels, looking like an elf in flowers. As a waiter led her down the club restaurant¡¯s hallway, Seraphina¡¯s phone started buzzing. The hallway was a winding path with a ss floor, surrounded by lush vegetation and unusually quiet. Rarely could she see anyone. Underneath was a deep blueke, with the moon hanging in the sky and casting a reflection on the water, creating an incredibly romantic scene. A clear voice came through from the other end of the phone. It was Balch. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, ¡°some urgent work came up at the office, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t make it tonight.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Seraphina slowed her pace, let out a sigh, and looked ahead. By theke, a tall figure was leaning against the railing, lighting up a cigarette. Probably he was a guesting out of a nearby box for fresh air. He had no coat, only a simple white shirt on his back, his hands raised, silver cufflinks glistening at the cuffs. As he moved his hand, the silver cufflinks on his sleeves sparkled. A flick of the lighter lit up his clean, slender hands. The flickering me revealed his deep. gaze. Theke shimmered, and the spring wind carried the dampness of the night, bringing a chill with it. Though Seraphina was not usually bothered by the cold, and for a beauty junkie like her, the spring night breeze was nothing. But at that moment, Seraphina felt a cold shiver run down her spine, as if her blood had frozen. She couldn¡¯t help but shiver. It took her a while to recover, then she slowly said to Balch on the other end of the phone, ¡°Well, since I was treating you tonight, if you¡¯re noting, then you owe me a dinner.¡± Balch chuckled lightly on the other end, ¡°Alright.¡± Seraphina hung up, halted, and told the waiter next to her, ¡°My friend can¡¯t make it, please cancel the reservation.¡± She was about to leave when she bumped into someone. He saw her and startedughing. ¡°Ms. Bet?¡± Ike looked at her, grinning from ear to ear, ¡°I was just thinking about when I could see you again, didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon. We must be fated.¡± Ike stepped forward, ¡°Since we bumped into each other here, why not have dinner together?¡± Seraphina just looked at him, not saying a word. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Ike raised an eyebrow, put his hand on Seraphina¡¯s shoulder, and yfully twirled a strand of her hair, ¡°Are you scared I¡¯m going to eat you up?¡± Seraphina, with a challenging look in her eyes, straightened up, retrieved her hair, and said in a soft and ambiguous voice, ¡°That depends on whether Mr. Ike has the appetite.¡± Ike burst intoughter, threw an arm around Seraphina¡¯s waist, and led the way forward. After a few steps, Ike spotted the man smoking by the railings. His steps faltered for a moment, then he hurried forward, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, what brings you out here?¡± Seraphina, standing next to him, also looked at the man. Leandro held a cigarette between his fingers. Despite this, he still exuded an icy and serious demeanor. Dressed in a white shirt and ck pants, the moonlight shone on his back, making him seem timeless and devoid of warmth. When he noticed Ike, he cracked a contemptuous smile. His gaze was still cold, ¡°Too many people inside, I came out for some fresh air.¡± Then, Leandro¡¯s eyesnded on Seraphina¡¯s face with a calm expression. Seraphina met his gaze and smiled naturally. Ike looked at Seraphina, raised an eyebrow, and introduced, ¡°This is Ms. Seraphina, a new friend of mine.¡± Seraphina nodded slightly, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, hello.¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze lingered on Seraphina¡¯s face, casually sizing her up, but his gaze stayed on her for a long time. Seeing this, Ike thought to himself: Seraphina is a real piece of work. Balch, the new noble in Sunburst City, was known for his deep affection for histe wife. It was said that he had been single for four years since her passing. Yet,st night, Seraphina was seen getting into his car arm in arm. Leandro, born into the prominent Reynolds family, was known for his aloof personality and indifference towards women. There were even rumors about his sexual orientation. But now, the way he looked at Seraphina, he didn¡¯t seem like a gay man. Seeing this, Ike silently cursed under his breath. The Reynolds family was a rich and influential family, and the Reynolds Group was the leading company in Sunburst City. The Whitman family, although considered a nouveau riche, had always wanted to get in good with the Reynolds family. However, Leandro had always been cold and aloof, giving them no face. Today, for some reason, he agreed to attend this gathering, so naturally, Ike didn¡¯t dare to offend him. Even if he was unwilling, if Leandro really fell for Seraphina, what could he say? ¡°Mr. Reynolds?¡± Ike called out to him, ¡°Shall we go inside and talk?¡± Only then did Leandro withdraw his gaze, nodded, and turned to go back to his private room. As he walked past Seraphina, she looked up and noticed a small ck mole on his ear, hidden behind his neatlybed hair. She had grown taller. If it were in the past, all she would have seen was his broad shoulders. Snapping back to reality, Seraphina realized what she was thinking about and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to herself. Ike led her into the private room. This time, he did not reach out to hold Seraphina¡¯s waist. The private room was jam¨Cpacked with more than a dozen people making merry, with Leandro being the guest of honor smack dab in the middle. To his left sat Ira Whitman, the eldest son of the Whitman family, while the seat to his right was still up for grabs. Ike led Seraphina directly to Leandro and called out to her, ¡°Sera,e here.¡± Most of the folks in the room were from the Whitman n who had witnessed Edith and Peterson¡¯s engagement bash, hence had a vivid memory of Seraphina. Seeing Ike waltzing in with Seraphina was a bolt from the blue for all, even Ira furrowed his brow, shooting a stern look at Seraphina. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. But Seraphina couldn¡¯t care less. She shot Ike a nce, then picked an empty seat for herself, looking up at him, ¡°You invited me to grub, so it makes sense for me to sit next to you. Parking me next to someone else, what¡¯s that supposed to mean? I¡¯m no social butterfly!¡± She didn¡¯t bother to lower her voice, so everyone in the room heard it loud and clear, resulting in an awkward silence. Ike quickly scanned Leandro¡¯s face, but he seemed oblivious, didn¡¯t even bat an eye this way, only slightly turned his head, nonchntly listening to Ira. Only then did Ike park himself next to Seraphina, leaning closer to her ear, grumbling. ¡°You¡¯re such a pain in the 19.50 neck! ¡°Are you scared?¡± Seraphina leaned back in her chair, ¡°If you¡¯re scared, then let me go. I don¡¯t have to eat this meal. Ike was getting irked, so he sneaked another peek at Leandro, then murmured, ¡°Alright, fine, I¡¯ll stick with you!¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Seraphina smiled and didn¡¯t seem to care about the people around her, just looking intently at Ike. At first, Ike was somewhat cautious, but seeing Leandro engrossed in conversation with Ira, he gradually rxed and began to toast Seraphina continuously. Seraphina, however, was a champion drinker. She matched Ike drink for drink, until his vision began to blur. Yet, she remained unperturbed. Naturally, Ike was not about to let her drink hirn under the table without a fight. He signaled to those around them to toast Seraphina. Suddenly, members of the Whitman family wereing up to toast, making the atmosphere lively. Seraphina epted all the toasts. Feeling she had drunk enough, she took out her phone and texted Balch: Can you send a driver to pick me up? A few minutester, Bch replied with a single word: OK. Seraphina, smiling at the message and rubbing her forehead, looked up to find Leandro¡¯s deep, calm eyes on her. Throughout the night, Leandro had been chatting with Ira. Now that he seemed to be done, he lit a cigarette, silently watching her. Taking a deep breath, Seraphina rose, holding her ss aloft. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, I never thought I¡¯d have the chance to share a table with you. It¡¯s a real honor.¡± Her words slurred slightly, her gaze slightly blurry. The earring on her ear shone, catching attention just like her gaze. ¡°This one¡¯s for you.¡± Before Leandro could react, Seraphina had already downed her drink. A hint of awkwardness shed across her face as she turned to Ike, saying, ¡°Mr. Reynolds is still as cold as ever.¡± Hearing this, a slightly tipsy Ikeughed. Ira gave Seraphina a longer look. Leandro, however, just puffed on his cigarette, his usual calm undisturbed. ¡°Mr. Reynolds may be cold, but I¡¯m not!¡± Ike slurred, slinging his arm around Seraphina¡¯s shoulder, whispering in her ear with a smirk, ¡°Whatever you give me, I¡¯ll drink. Even if it¡¯s poison.¡± Seraphinaughed. As the dinner ended, Seraphina was the first to leave. She knew she had reached her limit and needed to leave immediately to get home safely. Nevertheless, Ike was hot on her heels, insisting on taking her home. As she was halfway out, Ike pulled her back into his arms. ¡°Why are you running?¡± Ike asked, his eyes ssy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to see how much I could drink?¡± He began tough at his own words. Seraphina joined him, ¡°I said I have a second round to attend. If you really can handle it,e with me!¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. With that, she broke free from Ike and continued to make her way out. Ike wanted to follow, but was stopped by Ira. Walking side by side with Leandro, Ira stopped Ike, whispering, ¡°Cut it out!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ike was visibly annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to sleep with that woman tonight!¡± Ira chuckled sarcastically, ¡°How dare you touch a woman connected to Leandro?¡± Ike stiffened, his eyes widening. As Seraphina hurried to the exit of the ¡°Enchanted Petals Club¡°, she saw a ck car ¨C Balch¡¯s car. Before Ike could catch up, Seraphina quickly headed towards the car. She was at her limit, having been holding It together to avoid Ike. Now that she could finally escape, she felt herself rx. By the time she reached the car door, her head was spinning. Using thest of her strength, she climbed into the car, managing to tell the driver ¡°Wake me when we get there¡± before copsing on the back seat. When Leandro appeared at the car, the ck car calmly pulled up. Kearney, the manager of the ¡°Enchanted Petals Club¡°, personally escorted Leandro to the car, ¡°Uh, Mr. Reynolds, I think you arrived in a different car.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Leandro replied calmly, ¡°I swapped it out.¡± As Kearney held the door open for him, he caught a glimpse of a dark green dress in the back seat but didn¡¯t give it a second thought. Soon after, Ike and Ira emerged, the ck car was already gone, swallowed by the night. The car drove smoothly on the wide streets of Sunburst City, heading south. In her sleep, Seraphina seemed to smell something. It was the smell of tobo mixed with minty, old and familiar, like someone¡¯s scent¡­ That man wasn¡¯t familiar to her. In a deep sleep, Seraphina suddenlyughed, then fell silent again¡­. Her dreams were long and repetitive. Seraphina slept heavily, and when she finally woke up, she felt as though a lot of time had passed. She was in a soft bed, the room around her dim. She had no idea where she was. Sitting up, she fumbled for the light switch. She found herself in a cold, grey bedroom. Even the bedding was dark grey. The room wasrge but without any extra decorations, giving no hint to the identity of its owner. Seraphina got out of bed, walked over to the closed curtain and pulled back the thick curtain.. At noon, the sun was shining, and outside was a private pool, its surface shimmering. It looked like a private vi. Seraphina came back to herself, her heart racing as the memory ofst night shed back to her. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 In the bathroom, Seraphina briefly straightened herself in the mirror, looked at her wrinkled dress and deliberately pulled the neckline down a bit before leaving the room. The room she stayed was on the second floor, a quiet haven, but she could hear some noise from downstairs. As she descended the stairs, she got a clearer view of theyout below. In the spacious living room, a boy of about six was sitting cross¨Clegged on the couch with a book on his lap that was bigger than his own body, flipping through it with deep concentration. The boy noticed Seraphina¡¯s footsteps, looked up at her with clear and calm eyes. Seraphina silently pulled her neckline back up. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ording to her intel, Balch and histe wife didn¡¯t have children. So, who was this boy? Why was he in Balch¡¯s house? ¡°Hello!¡± She walked over, sat next to the boy and smiled, ¡°Whos are you?¡± The boy nced at her again, his eyes quite beautiful, but expressionless, and didn¡¯t answer her question. It was such a cool child. Seraphina crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you scared of me because I¡¯m too pretty?¡± Not only did the boy not answer, he furrowed his brows. He seemed annoyed by Seraphina¡¯s interruption, closed his book, hugged it and got up to head towards the dining table. Seeing this, Seraphina didn¡¯t bother him anymore and started surveying the house. The decor was pretty standard, devoid of any personal touches or interests, and void of any photos. As Seraphina¡¯s gazended back on the boy, the kitchen door swung open and a voice came out, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Seraphina turned to see a familiar face. Karan, the longtime housekeeper for the Reynolds family, Leandro¡¯s nanny, had a deep rtionship with the Reynolds. ¡°Karan?¡± Seraphina was surprised. Karan¡¯s face was expressionless as she set a bowl of soup on the dining table before looking at Seraphina, ¡°I thought it might be you when I saw Leandro bring you homest night, but I didn¡¯t look closely. I didn¡¯t expect it to actually be you.¡± Seraphina felt slightly dizzy. She looked at Karan and then at the boy reading behind her, ¡°Whose house is this?¡± ¡°This is Leandro¡¯s.¡± Karan replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t you know this is his house when you came home with him last night?¡± With that, Karan turned back to the kitchen. Seraphina felt a sudden headache, pressing her forehead. This was Leandro¡¯s house, but she clearly went home with Balchst night, why was she at Leandro¡¯s? And why was there a little boy at Leandro¡¯s? Seraphina looked at the boy, her hungover brain unable to process all this. Karan came out of the kitchen again with two more tes, not looking at Seraphina, just saying, ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready, let¡¯s eat.¡± Seraphina paused a moment before unceremoniously getting up and sitting across from the boy at the table, resting her chin on her hand as she studied him. The boy seemed to notice her gaze, his page¨Cturning bing a bit awkward, but he didn¡¯t look back at Seraphina. Karan came out with a bowl of soup and saw this scene, shooting Seraphina an annoyed look, ¡°What are you looking at? Don¡¯t scare him!¡± Hearing this, Seraphina pouted, ¡°Karan, am I really that scary?¡± Karan stared at her for a moment, then shot her a re and turned back to the kitchen. Seraphina knew well that Karan didn¡¯t like her. The women of the Reynolds family disliked her and, in their words, her looks were a nuisance. Besides, after what happenedter¡­ Seraphina quickly put a stop to those thoughts as Karan was bringing out three bowls of soup, telling the boy, ¡°Valerio, stop reading, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Seraphina took the bowl Karan passed her, casually asking, ¡°Karan, whose kid is this?¡± ¡°Whose kid could it be?¡± Karan answered with a t expression, ¡°In Leandro¡¯s house, of course it¡¯s Leandro¡¯s kid.¡± Seraphina¡¯s hand slipped, and the bowl in her hand fell, flipping over on the dining table. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Karan and that boy named Valerio Reynolds both turned to her at the same time. Blowing on her fingers and giving her earlobe a pinch, Seraphina then turned to Karan and apologized in a distracted manner, ¡°Sorry, Karan, the soup was too hot and I just couldn¡¯t hold it.¡± Karan gave her a displeased side¨Ceye and took the bowl of soup to the kitchen. Rubbing her earlobe, Seraphina then turned to the boy opposite her. Valerio was already eating, his eyes lowered as he chewed elegantly and quietly. Seraphina hadn¡¯t noticed before, but now she found hirm somewhat familiar. The more she looked at him, the more he reminded her of Leandro. Karan brought out another bowl of soup and ced it before Seraphina. ¡°Thanks, Karan.¡± Seraphina kept her smile, her gaze drifting over to the boy across from her from time to time. Karan seemed to have had enough of her, ¡°Have you had your fill?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°It¡¯s interesting that Leandro has such a big son.¡± ¡°Interesting?¡± Karan asked her, ¡°You find it interesting, or does it make you ufortable?¡± Feigning surprise, Seraphina looked at Karan, ¡°Karan, why would you think that of me?¡± Karan scoffed, ¡°You know best.¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°Karan, if you keep talking about me like this, I won¡¯t be able to eat.¡± With that, she put down her cutlery and focused entirely on Valerio, then suddenly asked, ¡°Who¡¯s your mom?¡± Valerio lifted his head abruptly and gave her a look, his gaze was as calm as before and he didn¡¯t answer Seraphina¡¯s question. Karan was already angry and put down her cutlery, grabbed Seraphina and was about to push her out, ¡°Go, go, go! We don¡¯t need you here! You¡¯re still the same old Seraphina from seven years ago!¡± As she spoke, she dragged Seraphina to the front door, opened it and shoved her out. The shove sent Seraphina straight into the arms of the person outside. Seraphina caught a whiff of a familiar scent of mint mixed with tobo. She looked up slightly and saw Leandro. He was dressed in a light camel¨Ccolored cashmere sweater, lookingfortable but still emanating a strong aura. Seraphina was in his arms, he looked down at her, his deep gaze unflinching. Seraphina started laughing at the sight of him. Despite not wearing makeup, her eyes were still sparkling, filled with emotion. Leandro¡¯s hand suddenly rested on her waist. The next moment, Seraphina found herself standing straight. This man, was as cold and heartless as ever. Seraphina thought, but her smile was brighter than ever. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Leandro asked Karan. ¡°Ask her!¡± Karan red at Seraphina. Seraphina put on an aggrieved face, but her sparkling eyes made her look insincere. ¡°I just asked who the mother of your son was, and Karan got angry and kicked me out.¡± Seraphina exined. After listening, he nced at Seraphina, his gaze deep. Seraphina said helplessly, ¡°If I knew this question was off¨Climits, I wouldn¡¯t have asked. What do you think, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer her. He didn¡¯t even give her another nce as he walked past her and into the house. Just as Karan was about to close the door, Seraphina rushed over to block it, ¡°Karan, I haven¡¯t taken my things yet. You should at least let me get my things before I leave!¡± Hearing that, Karan red at her and reluctantly let her in. Once Seraphina re¨Centered the house, Karan and Valerio were still eating at the table, while Leandro was sitting on the couch alone, his long legs crossed as he looked through Valerio¡¯s homework. ¡°Mr. Reynolds.¡± Seraphina sat down on the couch next to him, ¡°I heard that you brought me backst night, can you tell me what happened?¡± ¡°You got on the wrong car.¡± Leandro¡¯s voice was deep and calm. He didn¡¯t even look at Seraphina. Seraphina recalled the events of yesterday, she did get into a ck car without even checking the license te. Such an unexpected thing had happened. Seraphina lightly touched her chin and startedughing, ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. Mr. Reynolds, you didn¡¯t even recognize me at the partyst night, and I didn¡¯t expect that when I got on your car by mistake, you didn¡¯t kick me out, but generously let me stay overnight at your house. What a surprise!¡± Leandro slowly lifted his eyes to look at her, his gaze cold. But Seraphina wasn¡¯t afraid, she even leaned in closer, ¡°Mr. Reynolds¡® house isn¡¯t something an ordinary woman can afford, right? How should I thank you?¡± As she spoke, her high heel lightly brushed against Leandro¡¯s pants. Leandro barely nced at her high heels out of the corner of his eye, then switched the position of his legs¨Cthe one that was on top was now out of Seraphina¡¯s reach.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It had been years since she¡¯d been turned down by a man. But, since this man was Leandro, she had seen thising. Leandro slowly said, ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything. Now that you¡¯re sober, Ms. Bet, you can leave.¡± His hint for her to leave was too obvious, but Seraphina didn¡¯t feel awkward. Instead, shefortably sat on the sofa, ¡°I can¡¯t find my purse, Mr. Reynolds, have you seen it?¡± Leandro looked at Karan, ¡°Karan, check the car for Ms. Bet¡¯s purse.¡± Karan shot Seraphina a nce, then got up and walked out. Seraphina gave Karan a smile, then nced at Valerio, who was happily eating at the dining table, then said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for years, Mr. Reynolds. Your son is so big now, should I congratte you!¡± Leandro finally put down what he was holding, looked up at her, his eyes deep, ¡°Thanks.¡± Seraphina looked at him, slowly wiped the smile off her face, and changed to afortable position on the sofa, ¡°Never mind, I know you don¡¯t like me, I¡¯ll just grab my purse and go, don¡¯t want to be a sore sight.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Karan had already brought back Seraphina¡¯s purse and tossed it onto the sofa where Seraphina was sitting. Seraphina sighed, picked up her purse, and took out her cell phone. There were over a dozen missed calls on the phone, most of them from Sandra, and three from Balch. Seraphina texted Sandra first to let her know she was safe, then called Balch back on the sofa. Leandro sat quietly, seemingly watching to see how long she could stay. Balch¡¯s voice came over the phone, and Seraphina quickly said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± Balch¡¯s voice sounded calm, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seraphina countered, ¡°Did youest night?¡± ¡°The driver didn¡¯t see you, and no one was picking up your phone, so I went myself and found out you got in. Leandro¡¯s car.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina looked at Leandro sitting next to her and let out a long sigh, ¡°That¡¯s embarrassing.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t look at her at all. Seraphina touched her ear and asked Balch on the phone, ¡°So, would it be too much to ask you to come pick me up again?¡± Balch chuckled, ¡°My pleasure.¡± Seraphina sent Balch her location, then put down her phone and looked at Leandro, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, a friend ising to pick me up, I¡¯ll be gone soon.¡± Leandro looked at her again. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were deep, as if trying to see through people, making them uneasy. But Seraphina wasn¡¯t flustered at all. She smiled calmly, looking even more beautiful under his gaze. The doorbell rang, and Karan hurriedly got up to open the door. ¡°Your friend is here to pick you up.¡± Leandro said slowly, without even looking. Seraphina was taken aback and instinctively looked at the door. Karan opened the door, and Balch, dressed in dark blue loungewear, was standing there. Seraphina looked at Leandro, then got up and walked up to him, her expression surprised, ¡°How did you get here so fast?¡± Balchughed and said to her, ¡°I forgot to tell you on the phone, I¡¯m Mr. Reynolds¡¯s neighbor.¡± After saying that, Balch turned his head to look at Leandro in the living room and said softly, ¡°Hello, Mr. Reynolds,¡± Leandro leaned back on the sofa, just slightly nodding his head. This coincidence was a bit hard to believe. Seraphina didn¡¯t have time to think deeply about it, she just said with a smile, ¡°So, I guess I was close to youst night.¡± Balchughed and nodded, then asked, ¡°Can we go now?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Seraphina answered, then turned her head to nod at Karan, then nced at Leandro still sitting on the sofa, before leaving with Balch. Karan watched them leave the front yard, then closed the door. ¡°Seraphina has really grown up after not seeing her for several years.¡± Karan said while walking towards the kitchen, ¡°She¡¯s getting more capable, with that smart mouth and beautiful face, she sure can attract a lot of men!¡± After saying this, she looked at Leandro, but Leandro was still sitting on the sofa, his eyes didn¡¯t change at all: Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Seraphina stepped out of Leandro¡¯s ce and spotted Balch¡¯s house. They lived in the same neighborhood, with every house having its own unique style despite the unified vi design. Balch¡¯s vi was just to the east of Leandro¡¯s, a mere fifty meters apart. Seraphina silently followed Balch, causing him to turn around, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seraphina let out a sigh, ¡°Nothing, just thinking it¡¯s too much of a coincidence. It makes me a little uneasy.¡± Upon hearing this, Balch chuckled, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s quite the coincidence.¡°. They were now at Balch¡¯s doorstep. He stopped and said, ¡°Hang on a sec. I need to get my car.¡± Seraphina looked up at his door andughed, ¡°We¡¯re right at your doorstep and you¡¯re not gonna invite me in for a cup of joe?¡± Balch adjusted his sses and grinned, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be too forward. You wannae in for a bit?¡± As he was about to unlock the door, Seraphina grabbed his arm, ¡°I was just joking. Look at me, all wrinkled up and not exactly presentable. Better just take me home.¡± So, Balch drove Seraphina home himself. As they passed Leandro¡¯s house, Seraphina turned to see Valerio, the young boy, leaning on the second¨Cfloor balcony railing, seemingly watching her car. The car quickly passed and Seraphina looked away. ¡°Do you know Leandro?¡± Balch suddenly asked. Seraphina chuckled lightly, ¡°Kind of. If not, I might have been left on the curb after mistakenly getting into his carst night.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to let you stay the night.¡± Balchmented. Upon hearing this, Seraphina blinked, ¡°Actually, I lived with the Reynolds family for a few years when I was young. But if you¡¯re asking if I have any connection to them, nope, I just lived there till I was eighteen¡­¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°And then¡­¡± Seraphina nced forward, ¡°My absent mother suddenly had a change of heart and took me abroad to live with her.¡± At a red light, Balch turned to Seraphina, ¡°Didn¡¯t have a good time at the Reynolds¡®?¡± ¡°Could I?¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°I was neither here nor there, neither fish nor fowl. How many people in that house do you think liked me?¡± Balch looked at her, his eyes soft as if they could soothe her soul. Seraphina immediatelyughed, ¡°But that¡¯s all in the past. Luckily, I have a knack for self¨Cregtion, or you wouldn¡¯t be seeing me as I am now.¡± The light turned green. Balch slowly moved the car, looking forward, he murmured, ¡°You¡¯re doing pretty good now.¡± Seraphina leaned back in her seat, looking at him with a natural smile and a twinkle in her eye. After saying goodbye to Balch, Seraphina got home and had just taken a shower when the doorbell rang. She opened the door to see Sandra standing there, visibly relieved to see she was home. ¡°What happened?¡± Sandra walked in, shutting the door behind her, ¡°Where were youst night? I called and called and you didn¡¯t pick up. I was worried sick!¡± Seraphina, drying her hair, sat down on the sofa, ¡°I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I? Rx, I¡¯m not that easy to get rid of.¡± ¡°So, you were with Balchst night?¡± Sandra asked again. ¡°Nope.¡± Seraphina slowly dried her hair, ¡°I spent the night at Leandro¡¯s.¡± At the mention of ¡°Leandro¡°, Sandra¡¯s face went pale, she looked at Seraphina as if she couldn¡¯t believe her own ears, ¡°Leandro?¡± Seeing Sandra¡¯s reaction, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You¡­you¡¯re pulling my leg, right?¡± Sandra looked at Seraphina anxiously. Seraphina calmly looked back at her, ¡°Nope. I had a few too manyst night, called Balch to pick me up but ended up in Leandro¡¯s car by mistake.¡± Sandra was left speechless with shock. After a while, she managed to ask, ¡°So¡­everything okay?¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°Yeah, just a bit surprised to meet his son.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Sandra looked at Seraphina in confusion, ¡°Whose son?¡± ¡°Leandro¡¯s.¡± Seraphina nced at her, ¡°You¡¯re also from a wealthy family, but how do you not know he has a son?¡± Sandra has been Seraphina¡¯s desk mate since primary school and they¡¯ve been besties since they were ten. Even though the Smith family isn¡¯t exactly high society, they¡¯re well off. Sandra, despite being low¨Ckey, is a trust¨Cfund baby. The two have been tight even after Seraphina left Sunburst City for Starhaven, with Sandra sticking by her side through thick and thin. ¡°I¡­¡± Sandra looked confused, ¡°I never heard¡­ How could Leandro have a son? I¡¯ve never heard any rumors!¡± ¡°Looks like the Reynolds have been good at keeping this kid under wraps.¡± Seraphina slowly said, ¡°Of course, it could also be because the kid¡¯s identity can¡¯t be revealed.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the mother?¡± Sandra frowned, ¡°Could it be Vivian?¡± Seraphina looked at her helplessly, ¡°Sandra, why are you being so slow today?¡± Vivian, the girlfriend Leandro brought home seven years ago, but on that very day, she fell off the balcony of the Reynolds family and was severely injured, leaving her in a vegetative state from which she has not woken up since. ¡°Yeah, no way it¡¯s her¡­¡± Sandra mumbled distantly, then snapped back to reality, ¡°Hold on, what does it matter to us who the mother of his kid is! Don¡¯t talk about it!¡± Seraphina let out a suddenugh, ¡°But I am curious.¡± ¡°Sera!¡± Sandra looked at her, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still hung up on Leandro?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Seraphina replied nonchntly while applying body lotion, ¡°I¡¯m just curious, what kind of woman can catch Leandro¡¯s eye?¡± Sandra clearly looked anxious upon hearing this, ¡°Why do you care about what kind of women he¡¯s into?¡± ¡°Even if I tried to be nice to him today, he was still as cold as ever.¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°He didn¡¯t fancy me seven years ago, and he still doesn¡¯t now¡­ I feel kind of like a failure!¡± Sandra jabbed her head hard, ¡°The whole city¡¯s men are attracted to you, why do you care about one Leandro!¡± ¡°Then why can I attract so many men, but not Leandro?¡± Sandra was about to get angry, ¡°Seraphina!¡± ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Seraphina nced at her and burst intoughter, ¡°I was just kidding. After seven years, do you think I would allow myself to be troubled by him again?¡± Sandra listened, but still just stared at Seraphina, who ignored her and started rummaging in her handbag. She couldn¡¯t find what she was looking for, and Sandra couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Seraphina looked up at her and slowly said, ¡°I can¡¯t find my voice recorder in my bag.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 About two hourster, Seraphina found herself back at Leandro¡¯s front door. From the entrance, she could see the garage, and Leandro¡¯s car seemed to be missing. Just as she was about to ring the doorbell, the door suddenly swung open from the inside. Karan was slinging a big bag over her shoulder, yelling back into the house as she stepped out, ¡°You stay put, no running around, got it? Your dad will be home tonight!¡± Mid¨Csentence, she turned her head and saw Seraphina standing at the doorway, looking taken aback and then annoyed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already take off? Why are you back here?¡± ¡°Karan, I think I left something here, so I came back,¡± Seraphina replied with a smile, then nced at Karan¡¯s bag. ¡°You heading out?¡± Karan grimaced, adjusting her bag and grunting in response. Seraphina hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Can I go in and look for my stuff?¡± Looking like she was pressed for time, Karan shot her an irritable nce, ¡°Just go in and find whatever you need, and leave as soon as possible! And don¡¯t go chattering with Valerio, gol it?¡± Seraphina nodded promptly, ¡°Alright, got it. Take care, Karan!¡± With that, Karan hurried off, looking like she was indeed in a rush. Upon entering the house, Seraphina spotted Valerio sitting at the table, working on a pile of art supplies. He looked at her, obviously having heard her exchange with Karan. Seraphina waved at him with a smile, but he quickly looked down and started to sketch more furiously. Seraphina didn¡¯t bother with him further, she took a symbolic stroll upstairs and was back down in no time. Despite having spent the night here, her recorder had always been in her bag, so if it had fallen out, it would have happened in Leandro¡¯s car. The present situation left her with no choice but to wait for Leandro. But how would he react when he saw her in his house again? As she pondered this, she approached Valerio. He didn¡¯t look at her but seemed to sense her approaching, his sketching grew even more frantic the closer she got. ¡°What are you drawing?¡± Seraphina asked as she picked up the assignment brief from the table. Apparently, the assignment was for the child to create a family album with the help of their parents, featuring a family portrait and individual pages for each family member. Valerio was obviously working on the family portrait four identical stick figures, big heads atop bodies made up of a few strokes resembling matchsticks. Seraphina guessed that the figures were supposed to represent Bruce, Gloria, Leandro, and Valerio himself. But it seemed like a crucial person was missing. However, the rough sketching didn¡¯t seem to match the standard. one would expect from a six¨Cyear¨Cold. Under Seraphina¡¯s gaze, Valerio¡¯s sketching became erratic. ¡°It seems like no one at home can help you with this assignment,¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°You¡¯re one lucky kid. I haven¡¯t drawn for seven years, and now I¡¯m picking up a pencil to help you with this.¡± With that, she pulled up a chair next to Valerio, picked up a pencil, and quickly sketched out Bruce and Gloria. When it came to drawing Leandro, she paused and handed the pencil to Valerio, ¡°Would you like to try drawing. your dad?¡± Valerio stared at her sketches of Bruce and Gloria for a moment before epting the pencil from her and copying her style to draw Leandro. Despite hisck of drawing skills, his sketch, although crude, somewhat 13-26 resembled Leandro. Seraphina quickly averted her gaze and pointed to thest empty spot on the paper, ¡°Now it¡¯s time to draw yourself.¡± Valerio held the pencil, his brows furrowed in deep thought, but he didn¡¯t make a move. Seeing this, Seraphina took the pencil from him, ¡°Let me help you.¡± She cupped Valerio¡¯s chin, studying the little boy in front of her. Valerio was truly beautiful, with wless skin, dark hair, and bright, clear eyes. He looked a lot like his handsome father, Leandro. Seraphina lowered her gaze, starting to sketch with her long eyshes casting a shadow on her cheeks. When she looked up at Valerio, she found him looking at her, his eyes full of curiosity. She patted his chin and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re such a looker, why are you so quiet? Girls your age aren¡¯t usually into the silent type. How do you expect them to approach you if you don¡¯t talk? Don¡¯t you feel sad when the girl you like is always ying with other boys?¡± Valerio just stared at her, his bright eyes quickly dimming. He didn¡¯t answer Seraphina and just went back to his drawing. Seraphina blinked in surprise, suddenly realizing was this child mute? Night fell, the vi bathed in warm light. Seraphina sat at the dining table, guiding Valerio through the last page of the assignment. When Leandro arrived home, he saw the scene of the two figures huddled together. It was a harmonious sight. Leandro took off his shoes and entered the living room. Hearing the noise, Seraphina looked up at him. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you¡¯re back?¡± Finally seeing him, Seraphina leaned back in her chair, smiling at him as if studying his reaction. But Leandro just gave her a nce and turned to Valerio, waving him over. Valerio slid off the dining table clutching the justpleted scrapbook and hurried over to Leandro. Leandro flopped into the couch, taking the scrapbook and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Karan at?¡± Seraphina sauntered over and said to Valerio, ¡°Karan had some urgent stuff to handle, so I stepped in to look after you and even helped finish up today¡¯s parent¨Cchild project.¡± Leandro was leafing through the scrapbook. It was clear from the book that Seraphina had put in a ton of work. The cartoon versions of Bruce, Gloria, and Valerio showcased her top¨Cnotch drawing skills, but his own cartoon was obviously different ¨C clearly Valerio¡¯s masterpiece. Seraphina moved in front of him, ¡°It¡¯s not bad, is it?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Leandro shut the book and handed it back to Valerio, ¡°You scoot upstairs first.¡± Valerio nced at Seraphina, who winked at him. He quickly looked away and then silently headed upstairs. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Seraphina sat on the sofa, patiently waiting for Leandro to ask his questions. However, Leandro was far from anxious. Only after Valerio¡¯s figure disappeared up the stairs did he take out a cigarette from his pack, lit it leisurely, took a puff, and then turned to Seraphina. He didn¡¯t say a word, just furrowed his brows, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Sat on the sofa, Seraphina quickly yed along and exined with a smile, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you¡¯ve got it all wrong. I actually lost something and came here looking for it. I think I left my stuff in your car. You don¡¯t mind if I look for it, do you?¡± She was about to get up when Leandro¡¯s voice followed, ¡°This?¡± Seraphina turned around to see a silver voice recorder in Leandro¡¯s hand- exactly what she had been missing! ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Seraphina walked towards him with augh, ¡°So it really was here! I¡¯ve been looking for it for so long!¡± She went over to take the voice recorder, but Leandro¡¯s hand suddenly closed, his slender fingers gripping the recorder tightly. Seraphina looked up at him, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, what¡¯s the deal?¡± ¡°You left a voice recorder in my car.¡± Leandro looked at her, ¡°I should be asking you, what¡¯s the deal?¡± Seraphina burst intoughter, ¡°You know I was drunkst night and don¡¯t remember anything. How could I intentionally leave a voice recorder in your car?¡± Leandro stared at her deeply, obviously not epting her exnation. ¡°Do you have anything I should be investigating? Is it¡­¡± Seraphina gestured upstairs, implying Valerio, but she quickly ruled out this answer, ¡°If I really wanted to investigate you, I could just go back to the Reynolds family and ask your Grandpa or your father, couldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not investigating me.¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes were deep, ¡°Then who are you investigating? Balch?¡± Seraphina kept smiling, but her eyes gradually became serious, quietly looking at Leandro. This man was too smart. He saw through her so easily and quickly. Maybe she was too on guard against other things, so she easily exposed herself on the matter of Balch. Seraphina felt a little annoyed. She rarely made such mistakes, but this time, things were unusually difficult. ¡°Yes, I am investigating Balch.¡± At this point, Seraphina no longer resisted futilely and openly admitted. Leandro took a puff of his cigarette, but his voice was still clear, ¡°What are you investigating him for?¡± ¡°Someone reported that hispany is involved in illegal transactions.¡± Seraphina stated bluntly. Leandro looked at her again when he heard this, ¡°What gives you the right to investigate this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a journalist.¡± Seraphina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at him squarely, ¡°I find these things interesting, so I looked into it.¡± ¡°A journalist?¡± Leandro slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, his eyes blurry, ¡°How did you, who once wanted to be a painter, be a journalist?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t expect him to bring up the past. Painting was a very important part of her adolescent years. Her father, who was already deceased, was a painter, so she started learning to paint from a very young age. After being adopted by the Reynolds family, Conway Reynolds and Bruce gave her the opportunity to continue studying painting. The Reynolds family¡¯s old house had a beautiful environment, an Ideal ce for painting. During her few years living with the Reynolds family, Seraphina painted many pictures, but didn¡¯t take any of them when she left. Not long after leaving the Reynolds family, she gave up painting. Time flew by and seven years had passed. To Seraphina, all the past events seemed to have happened a long, long time ago. She lifted her chin slightly, her eyes sparkling, and her smile bright, ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten about the past myself. I didn¡¯t expect you to still remember¡­ Have you been remembering me all these seven years?¡± After saying this, she stood up, walked to the couch where Leandro was sitting, sat down on the carpet, leaned against the armrest of the couch, and looked up at the man on the couch, ¡°How should I thank you for your attention?¡± She looked at him, her eyes innocent, yet enchanting. Seeing that Leandro had no reaction, Seraphina reached out her hand gently stroked his trousers and then slowly moved upward. Her fingers slowly glided up and down his trouser leg, from his calf, past his knee, and slowly to his thigh¡­ Her movements were getting slower and slower, yet they were increasingly irresistible. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Leandro¡¯s gaze fell on her fingers, his breath steady, eyes still deep and calm. ¡°All for a tape recorder.¡± He spoke slowly, his voice distant and cool, ¡°Was it really necessary?¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds,¡± Seraphina lifted her face, ¡°Are you underestimating your own charm? You know how I feel about you¡­ Maybe after seven years I still can¡¯t let you go?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t let go? Leandro looked at her, his gaze profound, ¡°You dare to?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡± Seraphina slowly stood up, bending over to him, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, since you were willing to let me go, you should¡¯ve expected that one day, I might reappear in your life¡­¡± They were very close, Leandro could even smell her hair, but he didn¡¯t move, nor did he stop her. Seraphina locked eyes with him for a moment, then suddenly mustered up the courage, ready to kiss him. In the next moment, Leandro¡¯s phone rang, almost at the same time, his handnded on Seraphina¡¯s shoulder. Seraphina was stopped, sitting somewhat weakly on the couch next to them, watching him take the call. He obviously had urgent matters to attend to, Leandro hung up after a few words, then stood up, not looking at Seraphina, ¡°You can go now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Seraphina leaned on the couch, firmly replied. Leandro looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m going to help Karan take care of Valerio.¡± Seraphina argued, ¡°With her not here, and you not here, how can you leave the kid alone at home? I can¡¯t do such a thing. Mr. Reynolds, you¡¯re a father, doesn¡¯t it hurt you? Besides, Valerio likes me, he¡¯d probably be happy if I stayed to take care of him.¡± When Leandro left her alone at home, Seraphina couldn¡¯t quite believe it. After all, she only said those few words, and even the always wary Leandro really let her stay? But after Leandro left, when she went to the ce where Leandro just sat to find her tape recorder, she realized that Leandro didn¡¯t really trust her. He took her tape recorder. All the recordings of her and Balch¡¯s two meetings were in the tape recorder. Seraphina sighed helplessly, slowly went upstairs. Valerio was sitting by his little desk in his bedroom, looking at the family photo album in a daze. Seraphina opened the door, leaning against the doorway watching him, ¡°You¡¯re one lucky little dude. I¡¯m staying. here to take care of you, happy?¡± Valerio didn¡¯t say anything, just silently picked up the crayon and started coloring the album. Seraphinaughed. Valerio had a regr routine, at nine o¡¯clock, Seraphina bathed him, then put him to bed, only saying, ¡°Sleep well, I¡¯ll take you to have something yummy tomorrow morning.¡± Valerio obediently closed his eyes. At ten o¡¯clock, Sandra called, Seraphina was wandering around the house with a cup of coffee. ¡°Are you nning on staying the night?¡± Sandra was full of worry and anxiety, after a moment of silence, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Seraphina, think this through!¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, after she finishedughing she said, ¡°You think I stayed for Leandro?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Sandra just snorted, didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Seraphina turned to look out the window, ¡°I have other ns.¡± That Leandro and Balch were neighbors, such a coincidence, might also be an opportunity for her. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 In the wee hours, Seraphina was sitting in the dark in Leandro¡¯s study, finishing up thest sip of her coffee. Leandro¡¯s study offered a perfect view of Balch¡¯s house, an excellent spot for some observing. Seraphina reckoned the time was about ripe. She yawned, ready to get up and leave, when a flicker of light caught her eye. Surprised, she moved to the window and clearly saw a room in Balch¡¯s house was lit. She nced at the clock, it was 3 a.in. Word was, there were no live¨Cin maids or hourly workers in the Balch¡¯s residence. So Balch might be the one turning on the light Seraphina stood quietly behind the window, watching the orange glow and the ticking clock. Ten minutes passed, the light was still on. Twenty minutes passed, the light didn¡¯t go out. Thirty minutester, Seraphina looked down to check on the time, and when she looked up again, the light went out. At 3 a.m., when most people were tucked in bed, Balch was in a room with the light on for a solid thirty minutes. Seraphina let out a long sigh. Last night, she didn¡¯t tell Leandro the truth. Her interest in Balch wasn¡¯t about some inside trading, but to uncover the truth behind the murder of Balch¡¯s wife, Jta Lawson. Two years ago, Balch¡¯s wife Jta Lawson was murdered at home in Sunburst City. The cops quickly nabbed the suspect, Wilbur. Despite his pleas of innocence, Wilbur was soon found guilty due to motive, physical evidence, and witnesses. A few monthster, his health deteriorated and he died in prison. But Seraphina believed Wilbur was innocent, so she chose to return to Sunburst City to investigate. She believed the closer she got to Balch, the closer she would be to the truth. Maybe this 3 a.m. light was part of the truth? Because of this thirty minutes, Seraphina stubbornly stayed in Leandro¡¯s study till dawn, keeping her eyes on the house across the street, but she didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. Not until 7 a.m., when she saw Balch¡¯s driver arrive, and then Balch came out and got in the car. Seraphina stayed hidden behind the window, watching the car leave. She remained still, pondering the secrets. of the house across the street. Not until she heard a slight noise behind her did she snap back to reality. Turning around, she saw Valerio standing neatly at the entrance, quietly watching her. That¡¯s when Seraphina realized Leandro hadn¡¯te home all night. Stepping out, Seraphina took Valerio to a street¨Cside hot dog stand. During the morning rush, the stand was packed. Seraphina bought two drinks and hot dogs. With no seats avable, she simply stood at the entrance to eat. Valerio was obviously not used to this kind of street food, holding it in his hand unsure of how to eat it. What¡¯s up?¡± Seraphina asked him while munching on her hot dog, ¡°Just chow down.¡± After a moment of silence, Valerio started eating, full mouthfuls. It waspletely different from his usual breakfast, but it tasted really good. Seraphina smiled contentedly, facing the bustling crowd, savoring her hot dog. Her makeup¨Cfree face still radiated charm, asionally looking at the delicate and pretty boy next to her. The pair, one big, one small, were eye¨Ccatchers on the street. In the car parked by the street, Valerio¡¯s driver watched the scene, sighing helplessly. After dropping Valerio off at school, Seraphina returned to her little home, packed some toiletries and daily necessities, and quickly returned to Leandro¡¯s vi. She set up a small camera in Leandro¡¯s study facing Balch¡¯s house, so she could monitor any movement there. After setting it up, Seraphina sat in the living room going through case¨Crted files. The amount of information was overwhelming. She analyzed and recorded each one, and after a few hours, she was exhausted and fell asleep on the table. The sound of doors opening and closing woke her up. She lifted her head and saw Valerio and the driver standing at the entrance. Valerio looked at her sitting on the carpet, his expressionplex. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina asked. The driverughed and answered, ¡°You didn¡¯t pick him up this afternoon, he probably thought you¡¯d left, so he¡¯s a bit upset.¡± Seraphina stood up and walked over to help Valerio with his backpack, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I identally fell asleep. I promise I¡¯ll pick you up from school tomorrow!¡± Valerio didn¡¯t respond, and silently walked over to sit on the couch. ¡°How about this!¡± Seraphina patted his head, ¡°Tonight, I¡¯ll treat you to something delicious. What do you want to eat? How about pizza? I know a great pizza ce. Do you like pizza?¡± Before Valerio could answer, the driver said, ¡°Ms. Bet, Mr. Reynolds doesn¡¯t really like the smell of pizza.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not buying it for him, whether he likes it or not isn¡¯t important!¡± Seraphina turned to Valerio, ¡°Shall we eat this?¡± Valerio was silent for a moment, then nodded. Forty minutester, the room was filled with the aroma of pizza. Seraphina sat on the carpet next to the low table, eating pizza and going through the files, while Valerio sat next to her, eating pizza and doing his homework. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. This quiet and harmonious scene was silently recorded by the surveince equipment in the room. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Seraphina had been hanging around this house for a whole three days. During that time, Leandro didn¡¯t show up even once. Seraphina had no clue about how busy he was, nor did she really give a hoot, as all her attention was on the house opposite. For three consecutive days, like clockwork, a window in the house across the street would light up at 3 a.m., then go out quietly half an hourter. It was like some sort of ritual, happening in the dead of night, when everything was quiet. Seraphina was sure, the house was hiding some juicy secrets. But getting into that house was not going to be a walk in the park. Since Balch dropped her offst time, he hadn¡¯t gotten in touch with her. Seraphina knew she couldn¡¯t rush things. For several days on end, she just chilled out in Leandro¡¯s house, only taking care of pick¨Cups and drop¨Coffs for Valerio and sorting out her own stuff, while also getting they of thend about Balch¡¯s daily routine next door, so she could dodge him perfectly whening and going. One afternoon, Seraphina woke up from her nap and got a surprise call inviting her to lunch. Ever since she got back to Sunburst City, she hardly knew anyone. The only people she had exchanged numbers with were at Edith and Peterson¡¯s engagement party. The guy who invited her for lunch, Nestor, was one of her dance partners that day. Seraphina figured expanding her social circle would do her some good, so she dly epted the invite. After handing off the task of picking up Valerio from school to the driver, Seraphina got herself dolled up and ready to go. Just as she was about to head down the stairs, she heard the sound of a door opening and closing downstairs. Seraphina was about to go down and see what was up when she suddenly heard a young woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, is this your house?¡± the woman¡¯s voice was very soft, ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± ¡°Ms. Harrison, please have a seat.¡± Leandro¡¯s cold voice followed. Seraphina stopped in her tracks at the top of the stairs, two things shing through her mind. First, Leandro was back; Second, he brought a woman home with him. Maybe it was her reporter¡¯s instinct, but for a moment, Seraphina actually felt a bit of excitement. She then just leaned against the stairway, quietly eavesdropping. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Pennie Harrison said, ¡°I hitched a ride on your ne back home, and now I¡¯m intruding on your house. My aunt said she¡¯ll pick me up soon, so I won¡¯t bother you for long.¡± So, the reason Leandro hadn¡¯t been home for three days was because he had gone abroad. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to herself. He knew she would be hanging around here for the next few days, yet he still left his child here? ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Leandro¡¯s voice was as cold as ever, devoid of any emotional ups and downs, evencking any excess words. Pennie Harrison gave a softugh, then said, ¡°I¡¯ve actually seen Mrs. Reynolds before, at my aunt¡¯s house. She said she wanted to introduce us to each other, but never got the chance. It¡¯s quite a coincidence that we meet like this, due to amon interest.¡± Hearing all this, Seraphina had a rough idea of the situation. This Ms. Harrison was likely someone arranged to have a date with Leandro, intentionally on the same flight back home. Did someone like Leandro really need to date? Just as Seraphina was about tough, her phone suddenly rang. The room fell silent, and the chit¨Cchat downstairs also quieted down. Seraphina was intentionally eavesdropping, but it didn¡¯t matter if she was caught. She hung up the call and descended the stairs with confidence. In the living room, Leandro was sitting on the couch with his back to her. When he heard footsteps, he didn¡¯t turn around. Pennie, however, seemed a bit surprised to see Seraphina. But being ady, Pennie quickly recovered, giving Seraphina a polite nod. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hello,¡± Seraphina greeted her, ¡°Sorry for interrupting your chat, I¡¯ll get out of your hair now.¡± Seraphina came down the stairs, and only when she entered his line of sight did Leandro finally nce at her. Even in the presence of a woman introduced to him for a date, the man remained aloof and distant, dressed in a crisp suit, spotlessly clean, looking very serious. As for Seraphina, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to give any reaction. Meanwhile, Pennie was fresh and gentle, wearing a decent trench coat dress, her smile very friendly and her demeanor somehow familiar. Seraphina quickly remembered ¨C Vivian, Leandro¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend. In that case, Ms. Harrison would be a good fit for Leandro. Realizing this, Seraphina¡¯s smile only broadened, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m just the nanny here. But I¡¯ve got things to do today, so I won¡¯t get in your way. Make yourselves at home!¡± Having said that, Seraphina gave Leandro a smile, then obediently headed for the door. Watching her figure disappear at the door, Leandro returned his gaze, still calm as ever. ¡°That girl is really pretty.¡± Pennie said with a smile, ¡°And quite interesting. Why did she say she¡¯s a nanny?¡± Leandro took out a cigarette, asked Pennie for advice before lighting it, took a puff, and then slowly said, ¡°Don¡¯t care about what she said.¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 On that evening, as the bustling city lights came to life, Seraphina crossed half of the city and arrived at the reserved restaurant. Nestor weed her at the entrance, and they chatted all the way until they reached their private dining room. Once inside the room, Seraphina finally understood why she had received that phone call earlier in the day. The private dining room was filled with many people. Ike was sitting at the head of the table, joking with a seductivedy. However, as soon as he saw Seraphina, he immediately stopped and sat down, smiling at her. ¡°Sera, you¡¯re here! I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± ¡°What were you waiting for me to do?¡± Seraphina casually found a ce to sit and looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you already have someone with you?¡± Upon hearing this, Ike unreservedly asked the woman next to him to leave, saying, ¡°Go away¡­ make some room!¡± The seductivedy naturally felt unwilling and red at Seraphina before leaving. ¡°Why are you ring at me?¡± Seraphina pretended to be innocent, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it that guy who told you to leave?¡± Hearing this, Ikeughed even more, ¡°Sera,e sit here.¡± ¡°No.¡± Seraphina tly refused, ¡°I don¡¯t want to sit beside you.¡± Hearing this, Ike immediately took off his coat and sat next to Seraphina, ¡°Is this better?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Seraphinazily ate her cherries without answering. ¡°Sera, stop pretending.¡± Ike smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve checked, you and Leandro have no rtions¡­ otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be here when he just returned from abroad today, right?¡± Seraphina turned to look at him andughed, ¡°When did I say I had anything to do with Leandro?¡± ¡°Leandro?¡± Someone nearby heard their conversation and suddenly asked, ¡°Leandro from the Reynolds Group?¡± Seraphina looked at the woman who spoke, she seemed familiar, like some not¨Cso¨C famous starlet. The starlet looked at Seraphina andughed, ¡°Ms. Bet, Mr. Ike treats you so well, he¡¯s so attentive¡­ you should follow Mr. Ike, don¡¯t hold any expectations for Leandro, he¡¯s not interested in women!¡± Seraphina nced at Ike and showed interest in the starlet, ¡°Really?¡± People in the private room were watching Ike¡¯s response, seeing how he was trying to please Seraphina. Seeing Seraphina taking the bait, the starlet immediately walked up to her. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡± The starlet quickly became friendly with Seraphina, taking her hand and saying, ¡°Ms. Bet, my name is Una, I¡¯m from Blissful Entertainment, do you know ourpany¡¯s Georgina?¡± Seraphina nodded. Georgina, an actress from International Edge, was stunningly sexy, a recognized beauty and a goddess in men¡¯s hearts. ¡°Once, there was a big event at Seashore Haven, our boss personally invited Leandro for dinner and invited Georgina to apany him. That night, Georgina was sent to Leandro¡¯s room, guess what happened?¡± Seraphina yed along, ¡°What happened?¡± Una couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Georgina was in a very seductive nightgown acting alluring in the room. Leandro opened the door, took one look at her, turned around, closed the door and left, and flew back to Sunburst City overnight.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina exaggeratedly yed along, ¡°He¡¯s not even interested in someone like Georgina?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Una looked at Seraphina, ¡°Even women would be jealous when they see Georgina but he was actually indifferent and just left.¡± Seraphina fiddled with her earrings, ¡°But that alone doesn¡¯t prove he¡¯s not interested in women.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more!¡± Una quickly said, ¡°Our boss was afraid Georgina didn¡¯t know how she offended him, so he tried another tactic and sent Fidelia to Leandro¡­¡± Seraphina also knew Fidelia, another goddess in men¡¯s hearts, but with apletely different style from Georgina, aloof and artistic. ¡°So Fidelia was also rejected?¡± Seraphina guessed. ¡°Yes!¡± Una got excited, ¡°Ourpany¡¯s two top beauties both failed¡­ it goes without saying, Leandro definitely doesn¡¯t like women.¡± Seraphina took a sip of her drink, thinking about Leandro on a blind date right now, and couldn¡¯t help butugh. His sexual orientation was unclear, Leandro was quite an interesting character. If he really wasn¡¯t interested in women, then where did his sone from? Could it be¡­ surrogacy? Seraphina had no time for deep contemtion, as Ike had already approached her, his breath wafting near her ear, ¡°You seem quite intrigued by Leandro¡­¡± ¡°After all, he is the most influential figure in Sunburst City. Isn¡¯t it natural for me to show some interest in his affairs?¡± Seraphina adjusted her hair, flicking its ends toward Ike¡¯s face,pelling him to step back a bit. She then stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll excuse myself to the restroom for a moment.¡± As she got up and walked out, Ike naturally couldn¡¯t follow, but he gave Una a look. Una immediately understood his meaning and stood up, ¡°Ms. Bet, I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 This was exactly what Seraphina wanted. They both left the private room, chatting as they walked. ¡°Working in showbiz is pretty rad. Lots of juicy gossip,¡± Seraphina said. Una chuckled, ¡°We can hang out more often, I¡¯ve got tons of tea to spill!¡± ¡°Cool.¡± Seraphina nodded, then added, ¡°I heard that apart from Leandro, Balch, another rich dude in Sunburst City, is also not too keen on thedies. Is he also¡­¡± ¡°Balch? Wasn¡¯t he just keeping away from women after losing his wife?¡± Una remembered something, ¡°Oh, and there were rumors about him and Fidelia a few years back!¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, ¡°When did that happen?¡± Una thought for a moment, ¡°A long time ago, not long after his wife passed. But that rumor came outta nowhere. The word on the street was that Fidelia was just into Balch and wanted to marry into money. But Balch seemed really devoted to his wife. He owns an advertising agency, does a lot of business with us, but I¡¯ve never heard of any other scandal about him except Fidelia¡­¡± As Una was walking and talking, she waspletely unaware of a man stealthily following them. Seraphina noticed immediately, turned her head and saw the man with a messy hair, scruffy chin, swollen half¨Cclosed eyes, obviously eavesdropping. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Seraphina stopped and asked him. Only then did Una realize the problem, she turned around, instantly showed a disgusted face, and hurried Seraphina into thedies¡® room. The man saw this, shrugged, and walked away without any reaction. ¡°Ms. Bet, just ignore him,¡± Una closed the door and told Seraphina, ¡°He¡¯s just a nosy reporter.¡± ¡°A nosy reporter?¡± Seraphina was curious, ¡°Why¡¯d you say that?¡± Una looked contemptuous, ¡°Just like what you saw. Lurking around these fancy restaurants, seizing any opportunity to gather information. His methods are totally low. He doesn¡¯t publish the information he gets, he sells it to the people involved. Such a sleazeball. His name¡¯s Terrell¡­¡± ¡°Terrell¡­¡± Seraphina felt the name was familiar. She repeated it and then startedughing. When they came out of the restroom, the reporter named Terrell was nowhere to be seen. Back in the private room, Ike had just opened two bottles of wine, waiting for Seraphina. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina sat down, took a sip of the wine Ike handed her, ¡°It tastes good.¡± ¡°Then have more.¡± Ike clinked his ss with hers, ¡°If you get drunk, I¡¯ll drive you home.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s eyes sparkled with a yful gleam. As Ike walked out of the restaurant with his arm around Seraphina, she had already imbibed enough to feel a bit tipsy. Her steps were airy, her cheeks flushed, and her entire presence radiated even more resplendence. Unable to resist the allure, Ike gazed at her with a tingling sensation in his heart and immediately cupped Seraphina¡¯s face, yearning to kiss her. The next moment, Seraphina unexpectedly moved towards Ike, making him over the moon. However, the very next moment, Seraphina threw up on Ike. The lively restaurant entrance suddenly fell silent for a moment. Ike stood frozen in ce, as if struck by a tremendous shock. After a brief moment of tranquility, chaos erupted among the people around. Some hurriedly sought cover, others rushed to offer assistance, and a few took charge, directing others to help¡­ In the midst of the chaos, Seraphina got into a taxi and left. The taxi driver had obviously witnessed the chaos and looked at Seraphina with lingering fear, ¡°Miss, where do you want to go?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t throw up in your car.¡± Seraphina sat in the back, thought for a moment, and then gave Leandro¡¯s address. She was very curious about how Leandro¡¯s blind date would turn out, so she decided to check it out herself. Since she had been free toe and go from Leandro¡¯s house these few days, Seraphina slipped in without any problem. The lights were off downstairs, it was very quiet. Seraphina headed straight upstairs. Leandro¡¯s study was empty, so she went to the door of the master bedroom and knocked. No response. Seraphina thought for a moment outside the door, then decisively pushed it open. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 The bedroom¡¯s dim light exuded a subtle sense of luxury, yet upon a quick nce, it appeared to be vacant. The bathroom door emitted a warm orange glow, apanied by faint sounds of water, indicating someone was taking a bath. However, the question remained: was there one person or two inside the bathroom? Seraphina surveyed the room and soon arrived at an answer. Leandro¡¯s discarded clothesy on the sofa, and a ck robe rested neatly on therge bed, seemingly solitary and devoid of any trace of a woman¡¯s presence. Recalling the poised and gentle Ms. Harrison from earlier that afternoon, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but sigh. This man was unexpectedly dispassionate. Ms. Harrison was a carefully chosen beauty by Mrs. Reynolds herself! She leaned against the door, listening to the sounds of water from the bathroom, and taking advantage of the lingering effects of alcohol in her system, she entered the room. Leandro¡¯s room was spacious and well¨Corganized. In just two or three minutes, Seraphina had thoroughly searched the bedside, under the bed, and even his wardrobe, but the whereabouts of the recording device remained elusive. Disappointed, she slumped onto the sofa, eyeing Leandro¡¯s clothes. Knowing there was little hope, she still picked them up and checked every pocket, but came up empty¨Chanded. Tossing aside the clothes, she suddenly realized the sound of water had stopped. Turning her head, sure enough, Leandro was done with his shower and was standing in the bathroom doorway watching her. With only a towel wrapped around his waist, his bare upper body glistening, his hair wet, there was a warm steamy vibe about him, but his eyes were still cold and deep, silently watching her, ¡°What are you up to?¡± Picking up the tossed clothes, Seraphina showed them to him with a smile, ¡°I promised Karan I¡¯d take care of Valerio and this home, so it¡¯s only right I look after your living needs too.¡± She tried to fold the shirt in her hands, but she couldn¡¯t make it neat. ¡°Forget it.¡± Seraphina gave up, ¡°I can¡¯t do it, better not to disturb you.¡± She got up and headed for the door. After a couple of steps, she stopped. The gossip Una had shared at dinner was still echoing in her mind, and so was the sight of Leandro in just a towel. Without warning, she turned and walked over to the bed, picked up the ck robe and walked back to Leandro. ¡°I can¡¯t fold clothes, but I can help someone get dressed.¡± Seraphina looked at Leandro with sparkling eyes, ¡°It¡¯s still chilly, Mr. Reynolds, you¡¯d better dry off and put on your robe.¡± As soon as she finished talking, her delicate fingers reached for the towel around Leandro¡¯s waist. Leandro suddenly reached out and stopped her. Surprised, Seraphina looked up at him, her eyes full of amusement, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you¡¯re not shy, are you? I¡¯m not scared, what¡¯s there for you to be scared of?¡± During their conversation, her gaze had already taken a tour of Leandro¡¯s body. After biting her lip lightly, she slowly said, ¡°You¡¯ve got a great body¡­¡± ¡°Move your hand away, please.¡± Leandro said. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Seraphina looked up, not avoiding his gaze, ¡°Nope.¡± Today, she was determined to find out whether he truly lived up to the rumors of having no interest in women. Or perhaps, no matter how alluringly she presented herself, Leandro would never harbor desire for her? Leandro was eyeing the woman in front of him. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 She was obviously tipsy, her cheeks flushed, yet her eyes were unusually alert, fixed on him. ¡®So, what do you want to do?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina, trembling a little, held her robe. ¡°I just wanted to help you change!¡± Before she could finish, Leandro caught her hand. Seraphina thought he was about to push her away, prepared to resist, but Leandro did theplete opposite. He took her hand, undid his towel around his waist, and tossed it aside. Suddenly, Leandro was naked in front of Seraphina. For a moment, she didn¡¯t grasp the situation, and she scrutinized Leandro from head to toe before finally realizing what had urred. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Yet, Seraphina remained motionless, her gaze gradually descending until it settled on a certain part of his body, lingering there for quite some time.. ¡°Have you seen enough?¡± Leandro abruptly pulled the robe from her hand, swiftly draping it over himself, concealing all distinctive features. Seraphina bit her lip, raising her eyes to meet his gaze, her expression tinged with bashfulness, yet her words were remarkably forthright, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you have a remarkable physique. Why are you afraid of being seen? You should disy your impressive form, allowing others to admire it, or engage in more interactions; only then would it not go to waste!¡± Leandro silently watched her, slowing down the action of tying his robe. Seraphina took the chance to grab his belt again and slowly said, ¡°I heard two rumors about you at the dinner¡­. About Georgina and Fidelia. Those people are questioning your interest in women. As a man, how can you tolerate such rumors?¡± As she spoke, she once again untied Leandro¡¯s belt. He looked down at her movements, but didn¡¯t resist. Finally, sheughed, looking at him, ¡°And besides, if you¡¯re not interested in women, where did your kid come from?¡± ¡°So, are you here to verify for others?¡± Leandro asked slowly. Before Seraphina could answer, her belt was pulled back. This time, Leandro didn¡¯t hesitate and tied it swiftly. Then he looked at Seraphina again, ¡°In any case, I¡¯m not interested in a woman who reeks of alcohol.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a easy thing. Seraphina almost immediatelyughed, ¡°There¡¯s a bathroom here, I¡¯ll wash up, and there will be no alcohol smell!¡± With that, she headed to Leandro¡¯s bathroom. Unexpectedly, Leandro didn¡¯t stop her. Seraphina entered the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. As a woman, she knew her every state. At this moment, her reflection shows her long hair cascading like a waterfall, her lips fiery, and her eyes moist, an irresistible sight to any man. But Leandro remained unmoved. Seraphina looked at herself, and suddenlyughed. After a moment of silence, she took out her phone and called Sandra. ¡°Sandra Seraphina was still looking at herself in the mirror. ¡°Do you think if I stand naked in front of Leandro, will he still be uninterested in me?¡± Sandra immediately tensed up on the other end of the phone, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Seraphina just chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m just asking you a hypothetical question, why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°Seraphina, stop overthinking!¡± Sandra couldn¡¯t help but worry, no longer minding her words. ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling uneasy just because you found out about Leandro¡¯s son? Do you have some sort of issue? Clearly, you no longer have feelings for him, so why waste your time on him?¡± After hearing this, Seraphina was silent for a long time. ¡°Sera?¡± Sandra called her. Seraphina finally let out a softugh, ¡°You¡¯re right. I was just waiting for you to say that!¡± With that, she hung up the phone, straightened up, and walked out of the bathroom. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 When Seraphina emerged from the bathroom, Leandro was nowhere to be found in the bedroom. Thinking back on what had just happened in the room, Seraphina pped her forehead, let out a long sigh, and made her way out the door. In the small hall on the second floor, Leandro leaned against the bar counter, holding a ss of wine. d in a ck robe that revealed a glimpse of his chest, with his slightly damp, wavy hair, he exuded an irresistibly alluring and handsome appearance. However, ironically¡­. Seraphina sighed to herself, walked over and sat down across from him at the bar, merely smiling at Leandro. Leandro looked at her with a calm expression, his gaze sweeping gently over her. Seraphina yed with her hair and said slowly, ¡°I checked your bathroom and there¡¯s nothing suitable for a woman to use, so I decided not to take a shower.¡± Leandro took a sip of his wine, ignoring her. ¡°I know I¡¯m being a nuisance. How about this, give me back my recorder and I¡¯ll leave immediately.¡± Seraphina, poured herself a ss of wine and continued casually, ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m not leaving.¡± As soon as she finished, something new appeared on the bar. Seraphina looked closer and it was her recorder! She snatched it up and examined it for a moment, almostughing out of frustration! Just how much did Leandro want her gone? Or had her actions today thoroughly pissed him off? Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. With that in mind, Seraphina slowed down, leisurely sipping her wine. It wasn¡¯t until her ss was nearly empty that she looked at Leandro, leaning on her hand, and said, ¡°You know what? I give up.¡± Leandro continued to watch her with a deep gaze. ¡°In the past, I always thought it was my own problem that you didn¡¯t have much interest in me. But after today, I feel relieved,¡± she looked meaningfully at Leandro. ¡°Life is so long, and there are plenty of joyful moments. I need not dwell on such a trivial matter.¡± Having said that, she lightly tapped her ss against Leandro¡¯s, offering a soft smile, before adding, ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± With those words spoken, Seraphina quickly finished the remaining contents of her ss, bid Leandro farewell, and rose to leave without dy. Leandro gripped his ss tightly, unable to stop himself from pressing his temple as it throbbed. She even had to have thest word before leaving. What a temper. When Sandra stormed in looking for a fight, Seraphina was in the bathroom of her small room taking a shower. Sandra flung open the bathroom door and red at Seraphina under the shower, ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I did a lot of things today. What are you referring to?¡± Seraphina turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me!¡± Sandra was furious, ¡°What¡¯s going on with you and Leandro?¡± At the mention of his name, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. ¡°Seraphinal¡± ¡°Rest assured!¡± Seraphina had resumed her usual enchanting demeanor. ¡°I won¡¯t entangle myself with someone who¡¯s emotionally distant!¡± Sandra was taken aback, ¡°Emotionally distant¡­who are you talking about?¡± Seraphina casually shrugged, applying a face mask as she vaguely replied, ¡°Whoever¡­ I¡¯m busy, and I won¡¯t waste unnecessary time on unrted individuals.¡± Sandra snapped back to reality, somewhat stunned, but seeing Seraphina in this manner, she discreetly breathed a sigh of relief. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Stepping out from the restroom, Seraphina dove right back into her pile of documents. Seeing her like this, Sandra finally rxed and got up to leave. ¡°Hey!¡± Seraphina suddenly called after her, ¡°I need to invite someone to dinner at the ¡®Enchanted Petals Club¡®, can you use your membership to reserve a spot for me?¡± Sandra blinked, ¡°Balch?¡± Seraphina shook her head, ¡°No, it¡¯s the infamous rogue reporter, Terrell¡® Unconvinced, Sandra frowned, ¡°What a piece of work this guy sounds like.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina chuckled lightly. ¡°He¡¯s not some random person. He¡¯s the only journalist who ever conducted an interview with Mrs. Lawson, or Jta, to be exact. Shortly after that interview was published, Mrs. Lawson was tragically killed. Terrell pursued the case relentlessly after her murder, being the only reporter who deeply investigated the matter. However, after concluding this investigation, he transformed from an idealistic journalist to a rogue reporter. Now, do you think this person is worthy of being treated to a meal?¡± Two dayster, Seraphina invited Terrell for dinner at the ¡°Enchanted Petals Club.¡± When Seraphina walked into the private room, Terrell was already there, smoking and looking like he had just rolled out of bed.. However, his puffy eyes widened when he saw Seraphina. ¡°Are you Seraphina?¡± Terrell asked. Seraphina sat down with a smile, ¡°Hello, Mr. Terrell.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen you before.¡± Terrell leaned back in his seat, eyeing her with a grin, ¡°You were with that Una last time¡­ Are you in showbiz? Or trying to break into it?¡± Seraphina shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m a reporter, just like you.¡± Terrell seemed taken aback, but soonughed again, ¡°A reporter? It¡¯s such a waste for a beauty like you.¡± ¡°To each their own, right?¡± Seraphina responded, pouring him a drink. Terrell became noticeably defensive. ¡°Why did you invite me to dinner?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve read many of your reports and wanted to meet my idol over a meal!¡± Seraphina answered with a yful smile. ¡°Idol?¡± Terrellughed, continuing to smoke, ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me using that word. Just spit it out if you have something to say!¡± ¡°You misunderstand.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I really just wanted to take you out for a meal.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Terrell was still doubtful. Seraphinaughed helplessly. ¡°If you feel ufortable at any point, just get up and leave, okay?¡± After hearing this, Terrell snorted. As expected, Seraphina engaged in casual conversation with him, approaching him as a humble apprentice seeking guidance. They discussed some of his previously published articles in a nonchnt manner, without delving into anything too personal or sensitive. After several drinks, Terrell got up to go to the restroom. Not long after, a waiter walked in and whispered to Seraphina, ¡°Ms. Bet, you asked me to inform you when Mr. Balch¡¯s meal is almost over. It¡¯s about that time now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Seraphina handed him a few bills as a tip. ¡°Could you do me one more favor?¡± The waiter epted the money with a grin, ¡°Sure, what is it?¡± ¡°When the gentleman I¡¯m dining withes back, could you ¡®identally¡® spill a bowl of soup on him?¡± The waiter, sharp as a tack, didn¡¯t ask why and just nodded in agreement. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you¡± Seraphina said. As soon as she finished speaking. Terrell returned to the private room. Seraphina stood up, ¡°Mr. Terrell, I¡¯m going to the restroom too. They just brought out the cream of mushroom soup, you should try it while it¡¯s still hot.¡± After leaving the private room, Seraphina headed straight for the restroom. Upon passing the men¡¯s restroom, she didn¡¯t hesitate to push the door open and walk in. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Balch was a real neat freak. He always hiit the bathroom before wrapping up any meal, even if it was just for a quick hand wash. This had be a long¨Cterm habit, and his friends were used to it. He pushed the door to the bathroom, finding it empty. Meanwhile, back in the private dining room where Seraphina was, Terrell was sittingfortably, reaching out for the cream of mushroom soup that the waiter was bringing over. But before he could get a grip, the waiter¡¯s hand loosened. The soup dish fell on the table, sshing most of the soup on Terrell. Terrell jumped up, ¡°What the hell, man?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir!¡± The waiter rushed to apologize, grabbing some napkins to clean Terrell up. But Terrell pushed him away, disgusted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you head to the bathroom and freshen up? I¡¯ll get you a clean set of clothes right away,¡± suggested the waiter. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Terrell said coldly. The waiter apologized as he walked out of the private dining room. Terrell tossed the tissue he had in his hand onto the table and once again headed towards the restroom. He hurriedly pushed open the door, lowered his head, and picked up a hand towel from the basin to wipe off the soup stains from his clothes. After almost finishing, he discarded the towel and looked up, only then realizing that there was someone else beside him. As soon as he saw who it was, Terrell¡¯s face changed color. But Balch was just washing his hands as usual, not missing a beat. ¡°Mr. Lawson..¡± Terrell finally managed to say after a moment of hesitation. But Balch seemed not to hear him, focusing on washing his hands without even looking his way. The bathroom was silent, with only the sound of water echoing off the walls. It was eerie how still the air was. The only other thing that¡¯s still was the breath of Seraphina in one of the stalls. She was holding her breath, not because of the two guys outside, but because of the man in front of her- Yes, right now she was hiding in a bathroom stall with a man, or more precisely, she was cornering him in there. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. But this man was¡­ Leandro. Seraphina tried to steady her breathing and heart rate, but most of her energy was spent on keeping Leandro in ce, covering his mouth with her hand. Yet underneath her palm, Leandro¡¯s eyes were growing colder, clearly running out of patience. Being cornered in a bathroom stall by someone, especially her, was not something Leandro would put up with. Seraphina considered it a miracle that he hadn¡¯t thrown her out yet. In this situation, Seraphina could hardly pay attention to what¡¯s going on outside, hoping she wouldn¡¯t be discovered. But Leandro clearly didn¡¯t care about her wishes. He grabbed her wrist and effortlessly pulled her hand away from his mouth. Seeing his eyes narrow, clearly about to speak, Seraphina panicked and leaned forward, sealing his mouth with her own. The sudden kiss seemed to stun Leandro for a moment. But Seraphina had no time to think about that. She took the opportunity to undo his tie, unbutton his shirt, unbuckle his belt¡­ Within seconds, she had thoroughly messed up Leandro¡¯s normally neat appearance. Leandro tried to push her away, but Seraphina wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tighter. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 For Seraphina, the best oue would be to stop Leandro from going out. If she couldn¡¯t ¨C well, at least she could leave her lipstick on his lips. So, even if Leandro pushed her away and walked out of here, those two outside would just think he had a little rendezvous with some chick here. Terrell might be curious about the woman who met Leandro, but a guy like Balch, with his status and manners, wouldn¡¯t give a hoot about such a thing. If Terrell saw her, Seraphina wouldn¡¯t care. But if Balch saw her, Seraphina thought it would be a real pain in the ass. She weighed her options in a few seconds, while the man she was kissing looked colder and colder. And Seraphina, oblivious, kept smooching away. Compared to Leandro¡¯s physique, she was way too petite to stop him with her body, and ended up practically sprawled across him. And yet, she managed to stop Leandro, even making him take a step back. Noticing this, Seraphina breathed a sigh of relief and pulled away from his lips. In an instant, they were almost nose¨Cto¨Cnose, and Seraphina finally looked up, straight into his deep eyes. Whether it was unconscious or just a habit, she pouted a little and gave him another peck. Leandro looked down at her with a dark gaze, showing no hint of his thoughts. Seraphina thought that the situation seemed temporarily stable, and her attention involuntarily drifted back to the public space outside the cubicle. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. But the next moment, Leandro suddenly kissed her back. Seraphina was taken aback. She held her breath and looked up at Leandro in a daze. Leandro, however, bent down and kissed her again. His face was a blur at such close proximity, but at some point, Seraphina saw his emotionless eyes. That bastard! Had he seen through her and was deliberately using the same method to tease her? Before Seraphina could react, Leandro had one arm around her waist and the other at the back of her head, pulling her close. Seraphina instinctively struggled, and with her struggle, Leandro took another step back but still didn¡¯t let her go. The next moment, a suffocating sound echoed in the already breathless space ¨C Their bodies hit the toilet flush, and the sound of water filled the air. At the sink, Balch nced at the cubicle through the mirror, while Terrell turned his head directly towards it. Even though she couldn¡¯t see, Seraphina could imagine the scene outside, and her body stiffened instantly. Should she let Leandro go, or keep him blocked in? But the next moment, Seraphina realized she was overthinking, because she wasn¡¯t the one in control! With that thought, Seraphina bit down hard on Leandro. Leandro¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he loosened his lips a bit, causing Seraphina to let out a sound, ¡°Ah¡­¡± Both Balch and Terrell outside turned their heads towards the toilet cubicle again. Balch quickly looked away, while Terrell kept staring at the noisy side. At the next moment, that voice rang out again¨Csweet, alluring, and dripping with a coquettish tenderness that could make any man¡¯s legs turn to jelly. ¡°Be gentler, please. You¡¯re hurting me¡­ Mmm¡­ There are people outside¡­¡± Balch wiped his hands with the towel, tossed it aside, and turned to leave. Terrell finally snapped back to reality, hastily calling out ¡®to him, ¡°Mr. Lawson! I didn¡¯t mean to appear before you. It just so happened that someone invited me to dine here today¡­¡± Behind his sses, Balch¡¯s gaze dimmed slightly, yet he still left the restroom without pausing. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Terrell averted his gaze, suddenly lifting his foot and giving the sink a hard kick. He then stared at his reflection in the mirror, panting heavily, making a concerted effort to calm his emotions. As his rationality gradually returned, he suddenly realized something and turned his head towards the restroom stall where themotion had urred just moments ago. However, at this moment, there wasplete silence. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Terrell couldn¡¯t help but walk to the door of that stall and knocked on it. Inside the restroom stall, Leandro¡¯s hand still embraced Seraphina¡¯s waist, and Seraphina still had her arms around his neck. However, after her earlier flirtatious words, both of therm had ceased their previous actions. Outside the door, Terrell continued to knock loudly, while inside, Seraphina bit her lip slightly, maintaining a direct gaze with Leandro. To be honest, she was quite interested in Leandro¡¯s initiative. But right now, she couldn¡¯t see any emotion in Leandro¡¯s eyes. Even though he was so close to a woman, he didn¡¯t get up? Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She leaned into Leandro again, whispered into his ear in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, there are people outside, do you think¡­ should we continue this act?¡± As she finished speaking, her lips lightly brushed against Leandro¡¯s earlobe before she met his lips again. This man was blessed. Even the shape and thickness of his lips were just right. It felt sofortable to kiss him. But ironically, these nearly perfect conditions had resulted in a body that had no interest in women. Seraphina didn¡¯t know whether to feel regret or still a bit unwilling. She gently and slowly pressed her lips onto his, over and over again. While kissing, she lightlyughed. Leandro was staring at her unmoved. His gaze gradually fell onto her smirking lips. Laughing? Terrell was still outside, unwillingly knocking on the door, ¡°Hey, you two in there, this is a public ce, can you be a bit more considerate?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sudden bang on the stall door! Terrell froze in shock. So did Seraphina inside. Leandro lifted her up, pressing her against the door. Now, Seraphina turned out to be half a head taller than Leandro. She lowered her eyes, looking at him. ¡°You like acting, huh?¡± Leandro said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go all the way.¡± As he finished speaking, this time, he sealed Seraphina¡¯s lips, but not just a kiss. He pressed against her, his hands freely touching her body, applying pressure mercilessly wherever they reached. Seraphina felt both pain and tickles, and finally, she couldn¡¯t hold back her sounds. She didn¡¯t deliberately suppress herself, but facing Leandro like this, she couldn¡¯t easily surrender, especially when she still couldn¡¯t figure out whether he was for real or fake! Thinking of this, Seraphina was no longer passive, actively responding to everything Leandro did. He kissed her, so she bit back. He grabbed her body and didn¡¯t let go, so she yanked his hair hard. He half¨Cundressed her, so she pulled his belt entirely out. This was originally a bnced standoff, until Seraphina discovered- Leandro didn¡¯t seem to be deliberately teasing her. He was for real. ¡®But how was that possible? He clearly had no interest in women, right? That night, she even removed his bath towel, but the man had no reaction at all. But today¡­ With their bodies pressed tightly against each other, Seraphina knew, he wasn¡¯t joking. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 The moment Seraphina realized what was happening, her thoughts froze for a second. Leandro¡¯s somewhat rushed breaths enveloped her tightly. Every breath she took was full of his scent. Could it be that Leandro felt something for her too? He was even entangling with her now, almost out of control¡­ Seraphina¡¯s hand wrapped around his neck, slowlybing through Leandro¡¯s neat and fresh hair ends, which were a bit prickly and ticklish¡­ That ticklish feeling prated the skin surface and directly conveyed into the depth. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft gasp, and then, she entangled tightly with Leandro. Since things had gone this far, why not see how far this man would lose control for her? She slowly closed her eyes and let herself sink. Separated by just one door, Terrell hadpletely forgotten the impact of meeting Balch. He could only listen to the sounds inside the stall, feeling an irresistible urge to know more. Being able to ess the ¡°Enchanted Petals Club¡± meant mingling with the upper echelons of society. If he could secure this piece of news, it would undoubtedly bring him a handsome ie. Unfortunately, the passionate engagement inside the stall prevented him from catching a glimpse of the two main characters¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. appearance. Determined, Terrell thought of something and quickly walked to the restroom door. He opened it and snapped off a long twig from the potted greenery outside. With swift movements, he attached his phone to the twig. Returning to the stall¡¯s door, he extended the phone, affixed to the twig, upward into the gap at the top of the stall. Seraphina was on Leandro¡¯s shoulder, being nibbled on her neck by him, and she slightly lifted her head. As she lifted her head, she saw a phone. Her confused mind suddenly cleared, not responding to Leandro anymore, just focusing on the phone¡¯s camera. Feeling the change in the woman in his arms, Leandro looked up at her, then followed Seraphina¡¯s gaze upwards. When his eyes fell on the phone, Leandro squinted slightly. Seraphina slowly lowered her eyes, met Leandro¡¯s gaze, and suddenlyughed. ¡°What should we do?¡± she touched Leandro¡¯s short hair at the back of his head, ¡°Someone is filming us¡­¡± Even though the two of them were half undressed, she still looked so calm and fearless. Leandro¡¯s eyes were still deep. ¡°Are you scared?¡± he asked slowly, his voice already a bit hoarse, revealing his emotions. Seraphina looked at him for a moment, thenughed lightly, ¡°If you¡¯re not scared, why should I be?¡± Hearing the conversation in the stall, Terrell felt a bit guilty, but he was still unwilling to pull his phone back. But gradually, ambiguous noises began to sound again inside the stall. The couple inside, knowing that someone was secretly filming them, were still so unreserved? Terrell was itching to see more, and finally couldn¡¯t resist, quickly pulled back his phone and clicked on the video he just shot. As soon as he looked, he was shocked still. Both of them had looked at the camera just now, so at a certain moment, both their faces were clearly recorded in the video. When he met Seraphina¡¯s gaze in the video, he swallowed. When he met Leandro¡¯s gaze in the video, he shivered. At the same time, there was another ¡°bang¡± on the stall door, louder than before, as if someone had punched the door hard. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 The restroom door opened and then closed, but the people inside the stall seemed oblivious or too engrossed to notice. Leandro remained quiet and aloof, his breath slightly disheveled, yet his kisses were overpowering and dominant,cking any hint of tenderness. Could such a profound and cold man really be capable of such passionate kisses? Seraphina clung to his shoulders, her eyes closed, savoring every sensation he bestowed upon her. Until the moment Leandro pushed past herst boundary ¡°Wait, wait¡­ she gasped, her voice alluringly hazy. Leandro actually paused, and in the next instant, he reached out to cup Seraphina¡¯s chin, his voice deep andmanding, ¡°Do you retreat?¡± Upon hearing this question, Seraphina hesitated for a moment, locking eyes with Leandro¡¯s profound gaze. She bit her lip and reached downward. Leandro¡¯s body tensed slightly. She appeared too eager. In such a moment and atmosphere, he had no reason to deny her the opportunity. Leandro gradually let her down, his gaze cold as he observed her performance. Seraphina put on a convincing and sincere act, inching closer to his ear and whispering softly. ¡°You really are cooperating with me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Leandro lowered his eyes to look at her, his expression bing colder. Seraphina became even bolder. In the confined space of the stall, something was building up. Seraphina sensed it, her gaze disying a mix of coquettishness and resentment as she said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, do you know¡­ what the biggest difference is between men and women?¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes were shadowed, intimidating. Yet Seraphina was unafraid,ughing softly as she locked eyes with him, simultaneously reaching out to quietly open the stall door. The moment the door opened, she stepped back, out of the stall. The bathroom was empty save for the disheveled man and woman, one inside the stall, one outside, looking at each other through the open door. Seraphina¡¯s eyes were clear and bright, untouched by the amorous atmosphere within the stall. Even though, just moments before, they had been moments away fromplete intimacy. As she backed away, Seraphina adjusted her skirt, and somehow, she was now also holding a belt. Looking at the belt in her hand, Seraphina feigned surprise, then slowly broke into a smile. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, the biggest difference between men and women is¡­ no matter how far things go, a woman can always easily back out, she nced at the disheveled Leandro, swinging his belt around, her smile bright and dazzling. ¡°But a man¡­.not necessarily.¡± With that, Seraphina fluffed her skirt, held the belt lightly, and turned to leave. It wasn¡¯t until her footsteps faded away that Leandro looked away, looking down at his current state. How many years had it been since he¡¯d been in such a mess? But this feeling¡­ Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. After seven years, the surprise she brought him was much more than he had imagined¡­ The sound of a lighter sparked, he lowered his head, lighting a cigarette leisurely for himself. When he looked up again, his eyes and eyebrows were blurred by the white smoke, only a faint smile could be seen on his lips. After leaving, Seraphina quickly went into thedies¡® room next door to freshen up before returning to the private room she had been in before. Sure enough, Terrell was still sitting in the room, and as soon as he saw her, his gaze locked onto her. Seraphina¡¯s messyhair, the wrinkles on her skirt, her swollen lips, and flushed cheeks¡­ all these were too obvious to ignore. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Despite the recent happenings, Seraphina kept her cool and even managed to sh a smile at Terrell after sitting down. Terrell, however, wasn¡¯t in the mood for smiles. He red at Seraphina, asking. ¡°Why did you really invite me to dinner?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Didn¡¯t we just talk about this? Why are you asking again?¡± Terrell stared at the suspicious mark on Seraphina¡¯s neck, saying slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. If you¡¯re involved with Leandro, how could I believe your oh¨Cso-innocent reason?¡± Seraphina gave her hair a flip,ughing again, ¡°I didn¡¯t get anything from you, so why are you so suspicious?¡± Terrell gave her a cold stare, ¡°Don¡¯t you tell me? Fine then.¡± He stood up, ready to leave. ¡°Hey!¡± Seraphina suddenly stopped him, ¡°Can you give me a copy of the video you just took? I want to admire Mr. Reynolds¡¯s charm when I have some free time¡± Terrell sneered, ¡°So you can use this video to ckmail Leandro, and then hees after me? Do you think I would do something so self¨Cdestructive?¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t give it, then forget it.¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°Why do you always think the worst of me?¡± Terrell shot her a re before storming off. Seraphina sat quietly, taking a sip of water as she tried to process what just happened. She first disregarded the distraction Leandro had caused, focusing on the brief encounter between Terrell and Balch in the restroom. First, the two clearly knew each other. Balch¡¯s silence was too deliberate and not in line with his gentlemanly demeanor. Second, regardless of why Balch didn¡¯t speak to Terrell, it was clear he harbored some resentment towards him. Lastly, Terrell feared Balch. His words, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to show up in front of you,¡± indicated he had concerns or had received some kind of threat. It was clear that Terrell was someone worth getting to know better. But now, the only connection between Terrell and her was the video of her and Leandro on his phone- Thinking of Leandro, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but press her hand to her forehead. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. When she was leaving the Enchanted Petals Club, she once again caught sight of Leandro. In the corridor near theke, amidst a group of people, he stood out as the most distinguished figure¨C tall, immactely dressed, with his suit perfectly tailored, even the cor of his shirt was clean and neat¨Cprobably because he had changed his entire outfit from inside out. Seeing Leandro, who was now dressed impably, and recalling what he had done to her in the restroom stall just an hour ago, Seraphina didn¡¯t know whether tough or not. She quickly dodged behind a pir, avoiding being seen by Leandro. Leaning against the column, she counted the time since Leandro left. As she reached fifty counts, someone called her from behind- ¡°Seraphina¡± Seraphina paused but didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°Seraphina?¡± Balch stood a few steps behind her, calling out to her again when she didn¡¯t respond. Seraphina bit her lip, finally turning to look at him. Balch was as always, adjusting his ck¨Crimmed sses, giving her a gentle smile. Seraphina quickly returned the smile, albeitzily and perfunctorily, before muttering, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you!¡± This seemed to catch Balch off guard, but he quickly recovered and asked, ¡°What are you doing here alone?¡± Seraphina lifted her chin slightly, responding dismissively, ¡°None of your business.¡± The people apanying Balch looked surprised, eyeing Seraphina. Balch, however, kept his smile, ¡°Need a ride home?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Seraphina answered, ncing at Balch before turning around and leaving without looking back. Balch watched her leave, shaking his head with a resigned smile. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 After leaving Enchanted Petals Club, Seraphina bolted straight home. The open¨Cn one¨Cbedroom cottage was neat and tidy, certainly not her usual style¨Cit was clear Sandra hade over to clean up the ce for her again. Thatdy from the ritzy family sure is quite the housewife. Seraphina sighed deep down, casually unfastened her bra, tossed it onto the coffee table, and sank into the couch. The first thing she did when she plonked down was to boot up herputer, then took out her voice recorder, and started to sort out the recording from that night. Having dinner with Terrell was just a smoke screen for the evening, the ultimate goal was to get Terrell and Balch in the same room, hence the recording in the restroom was the key. However, when she got to the part in the restroom, Seraphina started to get a bit of a headache. Terrell and Balch hardly said a word to each other after their encounter, and she had to painstakingly sift through the segments filled with her flirtatious exchanges with Leandro. After a few minutes of focused listening, she couldn¡¯t help but rip off her headphones and toss them aside. Her ears were filled with the close calls she had with Leandro, making her feel strangely hot and bothered. Seraphina got up and went to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water and took a few big gulps. But she couldn¡¯t stop her mind from reying the scenes¨Cwhat was Leandro¡¯s reaction to her? Was he usually good at hiding it, or was it just a one-off, surprise? Lost in thought, Seraphina was jolted back to reality by the sound of the doorbell. She absentmindedly opened the door without breaking away from her train of thought. Karan was standing at the door, looking at her with a cold gaze. Seraphina snapped back to reality and saw Valerio, being led by Karan. Valerio, with a big backpack on his back, quickly nced at Seraphina and then deliberately looked away ¡°Uh¡­¡± Seraphina hesitated for a moment, ¡°Karan, what¡¯s the deal here?¡± ¡°My daughter is sick and in the hospital, I need to go take care of her for a while.¡± Karan said tly, then pushed Valerio toward Seraphina, ¡°This kid is your problem for now.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, ¡°Karan, what¡¯s that got to do with me?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell someone you were a nanny?¡± Karan retorted. Seraphina suddenly remembered what she told Leandro¡¯s date, and was caught off guard. ¡°Besides, you lived here when you were a kid, and this family took care of you for so many years, but now you can¡¯t even look after this kid for a few days?¡± Karan said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for this kid making a fuss these past few days, do you think anyone would trust you to look after him?¡± Listening to Karan¡¯s incessantints, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but get a headache again. She quickly reached out to grab Valerio, ¡°Alright, alright, no problem, I¡¯ll take care of him, for as long as it takes, is that okay now?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Karan red at Seraphina again before dragging out a small suitcase from behind him, ¡°This is his stuff, take good care of him, don¡¯t cause any trouble! After seeing Karan off and closing the door, Seraphina was still a bit stunned. What a tough cookie! she had no way to deal with someone like Karan, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have ended up with a kid in her apartment after just a few sentences! Seraphina looked down at the child next to her, but the child¡¯s gaze was on the coffee table. Spotting her bra casually thrown on the coffee table, Seraphina quickly picked it up and stashed it in the closet. She then turned around and looked at Valerio helplessly Valerio had already taken off his backpack and sat down on the couch. He picked up the headphones Seraphina had thrown aside and curiously tried to put them on ¡°Wait!¡± Seraphina ffoze, rushed over and snatched the headphones, hastily shut down theputer, then squatted down in front of Valerio and looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Did your dad send you here to torment me?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Valerio looked at her with innocent, clear eyes. Seraphina knew she couldn¡¯t get any answers from him and had to ept this sudden arrangement. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte and you have school tomorrow, Seraphina said as she patted Valerio¡¯s head. ¡°Go take a bath and get ready for bed.¡± As soon as she finished speaking. Valerio¡¯s stomach growled. Seraphina squinted her eyes, You¡¯re following me just because you want to get some good grub, aren¡¯t you?¡± Valerio just looked at her quietly, his eyes filled with anticipation. Turns out she had attracted a little foodie. Seraphina sighed and picked up her phone to order takeout for him. By the time Valerio had eaten his fill and taken a bath, it was already midnight. Tll share half of this bed with you, but you can only sleep on your side. If you dare to cross over and touch me, I¡¯ll kick you off the bed, got it?¡± Seraphina half¨Cheartedly threatened Valerio, then proceeded to pat his head gently. ¡°Now close your eyes and go to sleep.¡± Valerio obediently closed his eyes. Seraphina went back to the couch and opened herptop, still dealing with the same headache¨C inducing recording. She put on her headphones, and Leandro¡¯s deep, sexy voice came through. ¡°Backing down?¡± Seraphina bit her lip and leaned back on the sofa. What on earth was Leandro up to? The next day, when Sandra came to Seraphina¡¯s room and saw Valerio, she was stunned. Valerio was sitting quietly at the table doing his homework. Sandra pulled Seraphina aside. ¡°What the heck is going on?¡± Sandra asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you done wasting time on Leandro? Why are you babysitting his kid now?¡± Seraphina decided to keep the events from the previous night to herself, fearing Sandra would lose her mind. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°To be precise, the reason this child is here has little to do with his father, Seraphina remarked, ¡°me it on myck of restraint, attracting a little foodie.¡± Sandra bit her lip. ¡°But he is Leandro¡¯s child!¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s just a child,¡± Seraphina nced at the quiet Valerio, ¡°A somewhat unfortunate child: ¡°Don¡¯t let your kindness cloud your judgment! Have you forgotten¡­¡± Sandra¡¯s words almost slipped out, but she suddenly paused and then continued slowly, ¡°What exactly did Leandro do to you¡­¡± Seraphina ran her fingers through her thick hair, then said casually and seductively, ¡°I remember it all. That¡¯s why I know exactly how to handle him.¡± Seeing Seraphina¡¯s attitude, Sandra had no choice but to leave with worry and anger. As Sandra¡¯s car left the neighborhood, a ck Bentley drove in from the night, slowly entering the complex. When the doorbell rang, Seraphina was in the shower, so she called out to Valerio, ¡°The takeaway¡¯s here, open the door! And be alert, don¡¯t get tricked by strangers!* Valerio, who was doing his homework at the table, rolled his eyes, got up and opened the door. After finishing her shower, Seraphina walked out of the bathroom in a nightgown that barely covered her thighs, her hair still damp. She immediately sensed the change in the atmosphere. Valerio was still working at his desk. And on her sofa sat a silent, aloof man¡­. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Seraphina halted her steps, leaning against the restroom door. Leandro, dressed in dark formal attire, sat with his legs crossed on her red sofa. Perhaps due to the color of the sofa, even with his cold demeanor, Seraphina could still sense the distinct aura he exuded. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t fathom his true intentions. Was he here to see his son or to settle scores with her? ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you came all of a sudden without even notifying me in advance, Seraphina adjusted her hair and yfully swung her legs, ¡°It¡¯s quite impolite to let you see me in my current state¡°¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Leandro nced at her. She spoke of being impolite, but her posture leaning against the door remained unchanged. In fact, as he looked her way, her legs swung even more noticeably. Before Leandro could say anything, the doorbell rang again, so Seraphina, maintaining her pose, went to answer it. The door swung open, revealing a delivery guy that Seraphina was quite familiar with. He greeted her warmly, ¡°Ms. Bet, your order is here. You ordered extra today?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Seraphina replied with a smile, ¡°I have a guest.¡± The delivery guy looked past Seraphina, catching a glimpse of the man sitting on the sofa. Seeming to feel his gaze, Leandro looked at him. That cold, intense stare sent shivers down his spine. The delivery guy quickly averted his eyes, didn¡¯t dare to linger on Seraphina, and bid her goodbye in a hurry. Closing the door, Seraphina put the food on the table and waved at Valerio, ¡°Come and eat.¡± Upon hearing her, Valerio immediately got up. As Seraphina was handing a cup of freshly squeezed juice to Valerio, Leandro reached out and blocked it Both Seraphina and Valerio turned to look at Leandro. ¡°Is this what you feed him every day?¡± Leandro asked slowly. Seraphina looked at the food she just ordered, a famous pasta. Considering Valerio, she didn¡¯t even dare to order soda, just two cups of fresh juice. ¡°Does Mr. Reynolds have a problem with this?¡± Seraphina crossed her arms and looked at Leandro, ¡°Children of the Reynolds family can¡¯t eat this¡­plebeian food, right?¡± Without answering her, Leandro took out his phone and made a call, ¡°Keen,e take Valerio to my usual restaurant.¡± Valerio instantly looked pained, giving Seraphina a pitiful look. Seraphina just shrugged, indicating she was helpless. Soon, Leandro¡¯s assistant Keen arrived and took Valerio away with a smile. Only Seraphina and Leandro were left in the room. Unfazed, Seraphina started eating her pasta, while Leandro sat on the sofa watching her, apparently not nning on leaving. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you don¡¯t need to look at me like that. Taking care of your son is my duty, I¡¯ve never taken care of kids before, and you¡¯ve never paid me, so you shouldn¡¯t treat me like a full¨Ctime nanny.¡± She ate her pasta slowly, but her eyes were full of innocence when she looked at him. As soon as she finished speaking, Leandro ced a bank card on the table. Seraphina was taken aback for a moment, then picked up the card. After a quick nce, she looked at Leandro and gave him a coy, shy smile, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, what¡¯s this about? Are you trying to be my sugar daddy?¡± 1 Leandro didn¡¯t respond to her. He just lit up a cigarette, took a drag, then turned to look at Seraphina again. ¡°Valerio likes you,¡± He said casually I¡¯m leaving him in your care when Karan isn¡¯t around.¡± Seraphina, holding the bank card, chuckled. ¡°You sure you want to trust me with him, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro blew out a smoke ring slowly ¡°Ms. Bet, you¡¯re a smart cookie¡± Meaning, she should know how not to shoot herself in the foot. Seraphinaughed. From kneeling on the carpet, she suddenly stood up, moved closer to Leandro, reached out and grabbed his tie. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯d use the kid to get close to you, Mr. Reynolds?¡± She asked. Leandro took his tie back, his gaze deep. ¡°With your tricks, you don¡¯t need Valerio to get close to me.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. Was he implying that all her encounters with him after returning to Sunburst City were her own machinations? That was a bit of a stretch. She never nned on running into him, let alone the trouble he brought every time! Likest night¡­ She tilted her head to look at Leandro as she rememberedst night. He, however, looked away, all serious. Seraphina sighed. A day ago, they were almost getting it on in the bathroom. Less than 24 hourster, he was back to his old self. Andst night, he was the one who lost control. ¡°Mr. Reynolds is a real mood swinger!¡± Seraphina sighed. ¡°Last night I was almost your bedmate, now I¡¯m a babysitter¡­¡± As she spoke, she touched Leandro¡¯s leg. Before she could finish, he grabbed her wrist. Seraphina looked up at him.. Leandro was calm, slowly saying, ¡°So you want to be my bedmate?¡± A lot of thoughts crossed Seraphina¡¯s mind. Then, sheughed, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m more curious ifst night was an ident for you, Mr. Reynolds, or¡­ you couldn¡¯t control yourself?¡± As she finished her sentence, her lips were almost against Leandro¡¯s ear. The next moment, she was in Leandro¡¯s arms. ¡°If you¡¯re so curious, find out for yourself.¡± He said. Surprised, Seraphina sat on Leandro¡¯sp, but then she reached for his crotch. ¡°Got your answer?¡± Leandro asked after a while. Seraphina came back to her senses, adjusting her stiff body. She withdrew her hand, the touch still lingering. Leandro had responded to her. The supposedly unresponsive¨Cto¨Cwomen Leandro had reacted to her twice in a row. This couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. And if it wasn¡¯t a coincidence, that was even more ironic. Seraphina gazed at Leandro, taking her time to meet his eyes. His breathing remained steady, and his expression was unchanged. After a moment, she spoke slowly, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, it¡¯s been quite a while since you returned. I haven¡¯t had the chance to ask you how Miss Vivian is doing after all these seven years Vivian was the girlfriend he brought home on her eighteenth birthday seven years ago. That day, Vivian fell off the balcony, became severely injured, and ended up in a vegetative state. And Seraphina, she was the only suspect in the incident. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 hapter 311 Leandro didn¡¯t respond to her He just bt up a cigarette, took a drag, then turned to look at Seraphina again. ¡°Valerio likes you,¡± He said casually. ¡°I¡¯m leaving him in your care when Karan isn¡¯t around¡± Seraphina, holding the bank card, chuckled. ¡°You sure you want to trust me with him. Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro blew out a smoke ring slowly ¡°Ms Bet, you¡¯re a smart cookie.¡± Meaning, she should know how not to shoot herself in the foot. Seraphinaughed. From kneeling on the carpet, she suddenly stood up, moved closer to Leandro, reached out and grabbed his tie ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯d use the kid to get close to you, Mr. Reynolds?¡± She asked. Leandro took his tie back, his gaze deep. ¡°With your tricks, you don¡¯t need Valerio to get close to me.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. Was he implying that all her encounters with him after returning to Sunburst City were her own machinations? That was a bit of a stretch. She never nned on running into him, let alone the trouble he brought every time! Likest night¡­ She tilted her head to look at Leandro as she rememberedst night. He, however, looked away, all serious. Seraphina sighed. A day ago, they were almost getting it on in the bathroom. Less than 24 hourster, he was back to his old self. Andst night, he was the one who lost control. ¡°Mr. Reynolds is a real mood swinger!¡± Seraphina sighed. ¡°Last night I was almost your bedmate, now I¡¯m a babysitter¡­¡± As she spoke, she touched Leandro¡¯s leg. Before she could finish, he grabbed her wrist. Seraphina looked up at him. Leandro was calm, slowly saying, ¡°So you want to be my bedmate?¡± A lot of thoughts crossed Seraphina¡¯s mind. Then, sheughed, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m more curious ifst night was an ident for you, Mr. Reynolds, or¡­ you couldn¡¯t control yourself?¡± As she finished her sentence, her lips were almost against Leandro¡¯s ear. The next moment, she was in Leandro¡¯s arms. ¡°If you¡¯re so curious, find out for yourself.¡± He said. Surprised, Seraphina sat on Leandro¡¯sp, but then she reached for his crotch. ¡°Got your answer? Leandro asked after a while. Seraphina came back to her senses, adjusting her stiff body. She withdrew her hand, the touch still lingering. Leandro had responded to her. The supposedly unresponsive¨Cto¨Cwomen Leandro had reacted to her twice in a row. This couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. And if it wasn¡¯t a coincidence, that was even more ironic. Seraphina gazed at Leandro, taking her time to meet his eyes. His breathing remained steady, and his expression was unchanged. After a moment, she spoke slowly, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, it¡¯s been quite a while since you returned. I haven¡¯t had the chance to ask you how Miss Vivian is doing after all these seven years Vivian was the girlfriend he brought home on her eighteenth birthday seven years ago. That day, Vivian fell off the balcony, became severely injured, and ended up in a vegetative state. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. And Seraphina, she was the only suspect in the incident. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 That day, Leandro was being all sweet with his girlfriend while the Martin family was being super weing to her. Meanwhile, Seraphina was hiding in a corner, watching it all like a spectator But in the end, she couldn¡¯t help but get involved. Vivian was on the balcony when she visited the Reynolds Vista Retreat, and Leandro happened to step out to take a call, leaving her alone on the balcony. That¡¯s when Seraphina couldn¡¯t resist stepping onto the balcony herself. She was dying to know what kind of woman Leandro¡¯s girl was. Then, Vivian fell off the balcony. The Reynolds family¡¯s workers saw Seraphina on the balcony, so she was pegged as the culprit. Every culprit has a motive, right? Because of this incident, everyone in the Reynolds family knew that Seraphina had the hots for Leandro. And because of this, Seraphina was kicked out by the Reynolds family. In their eyes, she was a troublemaker, a young girl with too many plots and a vicious heart. And Leandro felt the same. In his eyes, letting her leave was an act of kindness. So, it made sense that he despised her now. Seraphina still remembered how Leandro reacted when her feelings for him were exposed. That night, he tightly gripped her jaw. Even now, Seraphina could vividly recall the pain from then. ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ delusional,¡± he told her. ¡°Delusional,¡± a word that Seraphina remembered for many years. But does Leandro even have the right to call her delusional now? After all, he was the one reacting. Had he forgotten her ruthlessness, or his poor girlfriend? Seraphina¡¯s eyes turned yful. She watched him like a spectator waiting for his reaction. Leandro¡¯s expression remained unchanged when he heard Vivian Smith¡¯s name. ¡°Do you care about her wellbeing?¡± he asked. Seraphina blinked and chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t care about her, I only care about you. I wonder if Mr. Reynolds still holds the torch for Ms. Smith?¡± Leandro reached out and gripped her jaw once again under her watchful gaze. Seraphina frowned as she noticed the strength in his grip. He held a cigarette between his fingers, dangerously close to her face, and exhaled a puff of smoke in her direction. Seraphina closed her eyes, when she opened them again, her eyes were sparkling. Sincest night, Leandro¡¯s attitude towards her seemed to have changed, though subtly, but she could feel it. Like right now, the usually aloof Leandro, making such a bold move, was he teasing her? Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you purposely sent Valerio away, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Seraphina,¡± Leandro called her name in a low voice, ¡°If I wanted to sleep with you, whether Valerio is here or not, whether Vivian is good or not, hell, even if you¡¯re willing or not, it wouldn¡¯t change a thing¡± Seraphina paused. She didn¡¯t expect to hear Leandro say something like this, much less understand his true thoughts so easily. Clearly, Leandro desired her But this was merely physical, a male instinct that he could easily control. He desired her, but he didn¡¯t want her. For a woman, this was undoubtedly a big insult. But after a moment of eye contact with Leandro, Seraphina suddenly epted this. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She slowly sat up from Leandro¡¯s arms, tidied up her messy pajamas, and said with a smile, ¡°I get it now, Mr. Reynolds¡® feelings for Ms. Smith are deep He¡¯s been loyal to Ms. Smith all these years. Valerio is probably just an ident, right? In that case, I won¡¯t waste my effort. Rest assured, I won¡¯t bother you anymore¡± After saying this, she returned to her previous spot, sat down, and started eating her now cold food. Leandro was still sitting on the sofa, not moving until he finished hisst puff. He extinguished the cigarette, threw it into the trash can, and left. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 After scarfing down her food, Seraphina quickly tidied up, opened the door, and was about to dump the trash just outside when she saw Keening back with Valerio. The moment Valerio saw Seraphina opening the door, he dashed into the house as if worried he¡¯d be taken away. Watching this, Seraphina shot a helpless look at the man before her, ¡°Is your boss out of his mind or what?¡± Keen smiled at her, ¡°What do you mean?¡± He clearly doesn¡¯t like how I take care of his kid, yet he still leaves the kid with me, if that¡¯s not nuts then what is?¡± Seraphina, leaning against the door with her arms crossed, rolled her eyes. Keen still smiling, said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds is really busy.¡± He checked his watch and added, ¡°He¡¯s already back at the office, having a meeting with the folks from Starhaven.¡± Seraphina snorted. Keen continued, ¡°To Mr. Reynolds, apart from Valerio, work is the most important thing. Now that he can¡¯t juggle both, with Ms. Bet¡¯s help, Mr. Reynolds should be able to focus on his work.¡± Seraphina watched him for a while before bursting intoughter, ¡°Mr. Keen, you really have a way with words, no wonder you¡¯re Mr. Reynolds¡® assistant.¡± Just as Keen was about to say something more, Seraphina had already turned around, walked back into the house, and shut the door. Keen touched his nose and chuckled. By the time Keen got back to the office, thirty minutes had passed, and the meeting led by Leandro with the executives from foreign country Starhaven, had been going on for over an hour. So, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to join the meeting and instead sauntered into the pantry. Not two minutester, Leandro¡¯s secretary, Yasmina, hurried into the pantry. Seeing Keen, she heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°You¡¯re finally back.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Keen asked, holding his coffee. As she prepared her own coffee, Yasmina replied, ¡°Where did Mr. Reynolds go before the meeting? He seems a bit off since he came back.¡± Keen nonchntly replied, ¡°Nowhere special, just went to see his son.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be right!¡± Yasmina looked puzzled, ¡°You don¡¯t know how he¡¯s been acting in the meeting. Every time the execs from Starhaven raise a point, he shoots it down. I swear the people on the other end of the video are about to cry.¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds always has high standards, you know that.¡± ¡°Of course, I do.¡± Yasmina said as she finished making her coffee, ¡°But today he¡¯s different. Even though he seems the same, I have this gut feeling that something¡¯s off.¡± After saying this, she didn¡¯t wait for Keen to respond and hurried off with a few cups of coffee. Keen leaned against the table, listening to Yasmina¡¯s unusually flustered footsteps, touching the bottom of his cup in thought. What could be different? An image of Seraphina¡¯s mischievous face suddenly shed across Keen¡¯s mind, and he had a sudden realization. Could he be sexually frustrated? After getting Leandro¡¯s bank card, Seraphina got morefortable with Valerio. She gradually adapted to this lifestyle, even borrowed a car from Sandra to drop off and pick up Valerio from school every day. One afternoon, while she was driving with Valerio in a slow¨Cmoving traffic during peak hours, discussing with the shy boy in the back seat what they should have for dinner, a figure suddenly appeared in front of the car. Scared, Seraphina hit the brakes hard. The person quickly looked back. That nce made both of them freeze. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Then, the person walked to Seraphina¡¯s car, swiftly opened the passenger door, and got in. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Seeing the situation, Seraphina first looked back at Valerio, made aforting gesture, then turned to the passenger, ¡°Well, look who we have here, Mr. Terrell!¡± Terrell lowered his seat, hiding himselfpletely, making sure no one from the outside could see him. Seeing him like this, Seraphina looked out the window to find two men looking at the traffic, searching for something. Seraphina chuckled involuntarily, ¡°Mr. Terrell, who are you hiding from?¡± Terrell didn¡¯t answer, staring nervously out the window for a while, making sure no one was tailing him, then said, ¡°Please take me to this hotel. Here¡¯s the address, showing her his phone. ¡°Mr. Terrell, you think this is a taxi?¡± Seraphina asked lightly. Terrell looked at her and slowly said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you interested in that video of Leandro? Drive me there and it¡¯s yours.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s lips curved slightly. If he was willing to give her such an important video, it must be a big deal. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Forty minutester, Seraphina parked in front of a very run¨Cdown hotel. Terrell immediately got out and went into the hotel. Seraphina was not in a hurry, she just turned to Valerio and reassured him, ¡°No matter what you see or hear, don¡¯t be scared.¡± Valerio calmly looked at her and nodded. About ten minutester, Terrell reappeared at the hotel entrance, this time leading a woman with a mask on, and carrying a luggage bag. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Seeing Seraphina, Terrell frowned, then remembered his promise, You don¡¯t need to follow me anymore, I¡¯ll send you the video.¡± Seraphina, leaning on the car window, watching Terrell preparing to leave, slowly started to smile, ¡°Need a new ce to stay? Why not let me help? I can guarantee safety and privacy, and it¡¯s much morefortable than this dump.¡± Terrell was stunned, while the woman next to him clung to his arm and said nothing. ¡°Your wife doesn¡¯t look well.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Afortable environment should be important to her.¡± Terrell looked at Seraphina coldly, ¡°Why should I trust you?¡± ¡°If you had someone else you could trust, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten in my car, right?¡± Seraphina nced at the street, ¡°It¡¯s rush hour now, you might have to wait a long time for a cab. Can your wife¡­ still stand?¡± Terrell looked at the woman next to him and after a moment of hesitation, decided to let his wife get in Seraphina¡¯s car. ****** Seraphina called Sandra to borrow a house, and Sandra generously offered her to choose from several vacant properties. While marvelling at Sandra¡¯s generosity, Seraphina picked the one closest to downtown. Hearing Seraphina¡¯s choice, Terrell held his wife¡¯s hand a bit tighter. A bustling area meant they were more likely to be found, but also easier to protect themselves. Terrell looked at Seraphina from the back seat, realizing that he may have underestimated her from the beginning. Within an hour, Terrell and his wife moved into a luxury apartment in the city center. While Terrell was taking care of his wife in the bedroom, Seraphina ordered dinner for Valerio. As Seraphina was eating with Valerio, Terrell came out of the bedroom. He nced at Seraphina and she immediately put down her utensils and walked over. Terrell leaned against the wall, arms crossed, looking at Seraphina, ¡°Tell me, why are you helping me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to admit it, but¡­¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°I think I might have gotten you into this mess! Terrell chuckled, ¡°You meap Leandro?¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°A man like Mr. Reynolds, no matter how ruthless, wouldn¡¯t go after you like this just because of a video, right?¡± Hearing this, Terrell stared at Seraphina for a while, then suddenly his face changed. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Terrell is no dummy, he quickly picked up on the whole story. He eyed Seraphina, his voice chilling, ¡°So that¡¯s the way it is! I really underestimated you, I thought it was all about Leandro_* Seraphina responded without hesitation, Leandro that was just a fluke¡± ¡°And what¡¯s your excuse for putting me through all this?¡± Terrell asked angrily. Seraphina looked at him, surprised. ¡°Terrell, I just thought I might¡¯ve dragged you into this, but if you¡¯re going to put all the me on me, I¡¯m not having it.¡± Terrell red at Seraphina for a moment, then turned and walked out to the balcony, lighting up a cigarette. Seraphina returned to the dining table, checked on Valerio¡¯s meal, then joined Terrell on the balcony after eating something herself. Terrell¡¯s cigarette was almost burnt out, his stress clearly showing. Hearing Seraphina¡¯s footsteps, he didn¡¯t turn around, but after a while he asked, ¡°What¡¯s your interest in Balch?¡± Seraphina leaned against the balcony door, her voice measured. What other cases involve you and Balch?¡± A stiff and tired expression passed over Terrell¡¯s face. He was all too familiar with the case Seraphin¨¤ mentioned ¨C the murder of Balch¡¯s wife, Jta. ¡°What does this case have to do with you?¡± he inquired. 1 was hired,¡± Seraphina replied.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°By whom?¡± The girlfriend of Wilbur, the man who was convicted as the murderer.¡± Terrell finally turned to face Seraphina directly, ¡°That case was closed two years ago. Wilbur died in prison not long after, didn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Seraphina nodded, ¡°but that¡¯s why I agreed to help his girlfriend reopen the investigation.¡± ¡°Investigate? Terrell scoffed, ¡°Based on a few words from that woman, how do you investigate? Do you even know what concrete evidence is?¡± ¡°I do. But I trust in human nature more. Seraphina¡¯s expression was rxed, but her eyes were determined, ¡°Wilbur imed he was innocent until hisst breath, and his girlfriend Diana has been fighting for a dead man for six years, despite her serious illness, she never gave up.¡± ¡°Serious illness?¡± ¡°Stage three stomach cancer.¡± Terrell seemed to stiffen at this, then scoffed again, ¡°So you came to me, hoping to get something?¡± ¡°All the content of your interview with Mrs. Lawson, published or not, plus all the information on Mrs. Lawson¡¯s murder case.¡± Terrell¡¯s eyes were disdainful, ¡°You¡¯re so clever, you should know that stuff isn¡¯t with me anymore.¡± Seraphina smiled, ¡°Even if the data¡¯s gone, the memory¡¯s still there, right?¡± ¡°Memory?¡± Terrell sneered, ¡°Can memory be used as evidence?¡± Seraphina exhaled softly, speaking slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not a judge, evidence isn¡¯t important to me, all I¡¯m after is the truth.¡± ¡°And what do you think the truth is?¡± ¡°The truth I want to know is, why Balch targeted you¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Next, I¡¯ll find a way to validate this truth and make it public.¡± Two dayster, an unexpected video went viral on the inte, showing a man and woman getting intimate in a bathroom. Once it was posted, it spread like wildfire through shares and retweets. However, to the disappointment of many, the faces of the individuals in the video were pixted, making it impossible to identify them. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, less than a dayter, a clear, unedited version of the video was released, causing quite a stir. Shockingly, it turned out that the man in the video was none other than Leandro! Chapter 36 Chapter 36 When Leandro¡¯s face was clearly disyed in the video for all to see, social media practically had a meltdown. The whole city was buzzing with this topic with all eyes on Leandro¡¯s identity, the thrilling content of the video, and who the heck the female lead was On the day the video was released the Reynolds Group was swarmed by reporters, and the FR department¡¯s phone was ringing off the hook. The wholepany¡¯s staff were gossiping about it, both openly and behind closed doorS When Keen returned to the 26th floor from the PR department, he was surprised to see the usually poised and hardworking Yasmina also caught up in the drama. Yasmina didn¡¯t shy away when she saw him, instead she began to chat with him. This is so unexpected. ¡°Mr Reynolds is a normal man, what¡¯s so surprising about that? Keen responded Yasmina shook her head, ¡°No, I mean Mr. Reynolds usually seems so aloof. I¡¯ve never thought he¡¯d do something so ballsy¡± She finished, barely holding back herughter Keen nced at her, ¡°That¡¯s not an appropriate thing to say¡± After that, he walked over to Leandro¡¯s office, knocked on the door and went in Leandro sat behind his desk, sitting straight and focusing on the documents at hand. ¡°The PR manager has requested to see you, he just dumped a whole bunch ofints on me, Keen said, ¡°This issue is creating quite a stir, the phone over there hasn¡¯t stopped ringing Should we do something about it?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t even look up, his expression didn¡¯t change, he simply said, ¡°No need.¡± Keen wanted to say something but in the end, he didnt. He turned around and left. As for the female lead in the video, Seraphina, her identity didn¡¯t remain a secret for long. Probably because she once appeared at Peterson and Edith¡¯s engagement party, it took less than two hours for her basic information to be sshed all over the inte. She was Peterson¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend, who hade back from Starhaven to attend her ex¡¯s engagement party. She was beautiful, bold, and so dazzling that even the usually cold Leandro was bewitched by her. Meanwhile, Seraphina was lounging on the sofa in Leandro¡¯s vi, scrolling throughments. If she saw one thatplimented her looks, she¡¯d casually give it a like. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Valerio, who had taken the day off school, was sitting at the dining table, frowning at the dry bread in front of him. After a while. Seraphina set aside her phone and nced at Valerio. ¡°Just suck it up, it¡¯s not a good day to go out or order food,¡± she advised. Reluctantly, Valerio began to eat the bread. Valerio remained clueless about themotion happening outside, but Seraphina had anticipated it and had taken him to this highly privatemunity early on. She guessed that Leandro probably wouldn¡¯t have time toe home today. When it was eight o¡¯clock in the evening. Seraphina took Valerio back to the bedroom. After settling him in, she went into the bathroom to take a shower. The cold water hit her head directly, and Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but shiver. She quickly finished her shower, didn¡¯t bother to dry her hair, and changed into a dress before heading out At half¨Cpast eight, Seraphina was walking alone on themunity¡¯s road. A car was driving toward her, shing its lights to signal her to move aside, but she seemed to ignore it and kept walking straight ahead. The car quickly stopped, and someone got out of it and stood in front of her. Seraphina raised her hand to shield the blinding car lights, and then she could barely make out the person in front of her. ¡°Mr. Lawson, what a coincidence! She started tough. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Balch adjusted his sses, squinting slightly to look at the woman in front of him. The bright headlights illuminated her face. Her smile was still brilliant, but her eyes had lost their usual sparkle. Balch reached out, steadying her by the arrn, feeling her chill through her thin clothing Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Quickh he shed his formal jacket and draped it over Seraphina¡¯s shoulders, whispering, ¡°It¡¯s a bit chilly. You¡¯re not dressed warmly enough¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina tilted her head slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t feel it ¡± Balch looked at her, slowly saying ¡°Are you okay?¡± Tm fine¡± Semphina shrugged off his jacket and handed it back to him, ¡°I¡¯m good!¡± Balch eyed her but didn¡¯t take the jacket Seraphina stuffed it into his arms before turning to leave After a series of hurried movements, she suddenly stopped. The next moment, she swayed, almost falling into Balch¡¯s arms. Balch immediately steadied her, but Seraphina insisted on standing up straight ¡°I know you might¡¯ve had a rough day¡± Balch said, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard¡± Seraphina bowed her head, letting out a soft chuckle. Balch fell silent for a moment before saying. ¡°Your body temperature is really low. Why don¡¯t youe over to my ce and take a hot shower, rx a bit? After a moment of silence, Seraphina lifted her head to look at him, slowly beginning to smile. ¡°Sure.¡± Balch was surprised she agreed to his sudden suggestion. He saw her smile, worried she might have misunderstood something, but didn¡¯t know how to rify. All he could do was help her into his car and drive her to his home. Balch¡¯s vi wasn¡¯t extravagant, but it was very cozy and full of life. Neat and warm like there was a housewife taking care of it every day However, thinking of the housewife who had been dead for two years, Jta, gave Seraphina a chill. Balch turned his head, seeing her shiver, said, ¡°I¡¯ll show you to the quest room¡± Seraphina nodded, following behind him. As they passed the living room, she saw a huge portrait of Jta. After Balch briefly introduced the room, he left. Seraphina watched his retreating figure as he closed the door, slowly taking off her clothes. The shadow of a woman who had been dead for two years still filled the entire house. Seraphina took a deep breath and followed Balch into the guest room. She stayed in the bathroom for about an hour When she came out after the bath, she was only wrapped in a white towel, her long hair draped over her delicate skin. Seraphina opened the door and stepped out. Balch was sitting quietly in the living room waiting. Hearing her, he lifted his head, and was taken aback when he saw her. ¡°Ive finished bathing.¡± Seraphina walked straight to him and sat down, ¡°Mr. Lawson, would you like to get straight to it, or do we chit¨Cchat first?¡± Balch looked at her, slowly saying. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood, I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Seraphina nced down at herself, then turned to look at him,ughing. ¡°Really? Mr. Lawson, you brought me home to shower, just for a shower?¡± Balch heard her sarcastic tone, but didn¡¯t get angry, Instead, he got up and went upstairs. Not long after, he came back down with a grey bathrobe in his hand. Seraphina sat on the sofa without moving. He directly draped the robe over Seraphina and tied the belt, eliminating any possible ambiguity. ¡°Never give up on yourself, no matter what Balch said softly. Seraphina looked at the man in front of her, ¡°Mr. Lawson, do you think I¡¯m giving up on myself?¡± Balch lifted his eyes to look at her. Seraphina chuckled, slowly saying, ¡°I¡¯m actually just searching for a lifeline¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Seraphina sat there, staring straight at Balch, and sighed softly, ¡°Mr. Lawson, you didn¡¯t like me from the get¨Cgo, did you?¡± Batch, hearing this, took another look at her ¡°But turns out, you were right not to Seraphina said with a self¨Cmockingugh. ¡°Did you see that video online today?¡± Balch moved to the couch across from her, not responding ¡°Interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°I only watched the beginning before shutting it off. I wonder if it gets any good?¡± Balch didn¡¯t answer this either The video was only a couple of minutes long and, while it didn¡¯t show anything too explicit, the characters, location, and insinuated oue had everyone in a lizzy ¡°Is it about what happened at Enchanted Petals Club that night?¡± Balch suddenly asked At this, Seraphina¡¯s gaze filled with loathing before softeniny, ¡°You figured it out, didn¡¯t you? Yeah, that night.¡± She remembered running into him that night while trying to avoid Leandro. She¡¯d been quite spiteful. Balch paused for a moment before asking. ¡°Your childhood with the Reynolds family wasn¡¯t very happy, was it? Did it have anything to do with Leandro?¡± Seraphina curled up on the couch, chin resting on her knees, and looked at Balch with a chuckle, ¡°Mr. Lawson, you¡¯re really sharp.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re willing to talk about it, I¡¯m willing to listen,¡± Balch said. Seraphina stoppedughing. After a long silence, she finally said, ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t say anything, you would¡¯ve guessed¡­ I was naive back then, easily fooled by him. I thought he was the best man in the world and loved him with all my heart. When the Reynolds family found out, they saw me as a menace and couldn¡¯t tolerate me. So, he coldly drove me away. It¡¯s been seven years. I thought I¡¯d be over it, but turns out, I can¡¯t forget certain things and certain people.¡± These words were half true, half¨Cfalse, but they made Seraphina sad. She came back to reality andughed again. ¡°So, do you still love him? Balch asked in a low voice. Seraphina let out a smallugh, then her eyes calmed, and she slowly said, ¡°No, I hate him.¡± Balch slightly lowered his head and adjusted his sses, ¡°To hate out of love shows you still love him.¡± Seraphina slowly shook her head, and after a quiet moment, she said, ¡°I hate him, not because of love, but despair. Mr. Lawson, have you ever felt despair?¡± She looked at him, her eyes clear and fragile. ¡°No.¡± Balch quietly said ¡°So¡­ Seraphina said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand how much I hate him.¡± After saying this, she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she exhaled and returned to her usual bright demeanor. ¡°I feel much better after talking about it. Thank you, Mr. Lawson. Standing up, she added, ¡°I should get going. You don¡¯t mind if I leave in these clothes, do you?¡± Balch didn¡¯t try to keep her. He also stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home.¡± And so, Seraphina, wearing Balch¡¯s robe, got into his car, and he personally drove her home. As the car approached the entrance of theplex, a ck Bentley pulled up. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. In the back seat of the Bentley, Leandro¡¯s expression was stern as he locked eyes with Seraphina. Biting her lip slightly, Seraphina gave him a cocky, sly smile. However, when she turned to look at Balch, her expression suddenly changed. Even though he didn¡¯t see it, he could tell that she was clearly tense. Balch then looked at Leandro. Their eyes met, and Balch nodded at Leandro, gave Seraphina a smile, and drove off. Leandro pulled his gaze back, his eyes deep and thoughtful Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Leandro got home, went straight upstairs, and stopped outside Valerio¡¯s room He pushed open the door to find Valerio peacefully sleeping in his bed Leandro stepped in, sat by the bed, and quietly stared at Valeno s face for quite some time. When noises came from downstairs. Leandro turned his head, tuning in. Footsteps grew louder as they neared, and soon, Karan appeared at the door. Upon seeing him, a surprised Karan said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re home?¡± Leandro stood up, left the room, and closed the door behind him. ¡°Why are you back?¡± Leandro asked ¡®I got a call from Seraphina. She said she can¡¯t take care of Valerio tonight, so she asked me toe back and look after him,¡± Karan said, somewhat annoyed ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t count on her Leandro went downstairs, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Karan followed him ¡°I heard from my daughter about you and Seraphina: The whole thing is blowing up online. Everyone knows about it, right?¡± Karan asked. Leandro showed no reaction to this ¡°You know about it too,¡± he replied. ¡°So what if I know?¡± Karan said, adding ¡°Your mom even called me today to ask if I knew about your situation.¡± ¡°What did you tell her?¡± Karan shot him a look and said, ¡°What could I possibly tell her? How much of your business would I know? I really can¡¯t figure out what you¡¯re ying at with that girl! You know your mom doesn¡¯t like Seraphina, you should try to upset her less! Hasn¡¯t she suffered enough these past few years?¡± Leandro replied emotionlessly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡± Balch drove Seraphina home. After parking the car, he turned to Seraphina, ¡°I¡¯ll walk you up.¡± Seraphina smiled, ¡°No need¡± She opened the door to get out, but stopped as soon as she stepped out. A car was parked under her apartment building. As soon as Seraphina got out, the car door opened, and Peterson stepped out. Seraphina stood still, waiting for Peterson toe over Peterson nced at Balch in the car behind her, then took Seraphina¡¯s hand and led her towards his car. Seraphina allowed him to lead her a few steps, then calmly said, ¡°Peterson, let go of me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drive you back to Starhaven, Peterson directly said. Seraphina couldn¡¯t break free and was dragged to his car. She gripped the car door, refusing to get in, but Peterson, being stronger, almost forced her inside. That¡¯s when Balch grabbed hold of the car door. Peterson looked at Bch, ¡°Mr. Lawson, this is between my girlfriend and me, you don¡¯t need to interfere.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your rtionship is with her,¡± Balch said, ¡°She¡¯s my friend.¡± Seraphina leaned against the car door andughed when she heard these words Peterson turned to look at Seraphina, his eyes filled with anger, ¡°Have you had your fun?¡± Seraphina looked at him, blinked in surprise, and thenughed out loud, ¡°Peterson, you can¡¯t seriously think that I did all this just to piss you off, can you? ¡°I know I messed up!¡± Peterson gripped her hand tightly, ¡°Sera, give me a year. In a year, I¡¯lle to find you, and we can start over!¡± Seraphina forcefully pulled her hand away and looked at Peterson with almost pitying eyes, ¡°Why should I give you my time?¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Seraphina¡¯s gaze drilled deep into Peterson, causing him both stimtion and pain. He stared back at her asking. ¡°Can you repeat that?¡± Seraphina nced at him, not repeating her previous words. Since you know you screwed up, back off a bit, don¡¯t give me the creeps!¡± Peterson¡¯s face froze instantly, ¡°Seraphinal¡± Seraphina squinted her eyes, leisurely watching him, ¡°Anything else?¡± Peterson locked eyes with her. After a while, he obviously calmed down, his voice dropping, ¡°Could you stop torturing me, please?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then looked at him and smiled, ¡°You¡¯re the one who betrayed me. If you feel guilty then any pain, you should bear it! After saying this, she tried to push him away, but Peterson stood his ground, ¡°I feel guilty because I love you! What about you? After two years together did you ever care about me? Seraphina slightly turned her head to look at him. Peterson once again grabbed her hand, ¡°After we broke up, did you feel even a tiny bit sad?¡± ¡°Before you asked, you should know, the betrayer was you, Seraphina pointed at his chest with her slender finger, ¡°Given that, you have no right to question whether I was sad¡± Peterson looked down at her finger on his chest, his body stiffening As Seraphina finally managed to push him away, she turned to Balch, ¡°Mr. Lawson, this is the third time you¡¯ve walked me home. I should probably invite you in for a coffee¡± Saying this, she didn¡¯t wait for Balch¡¯s response and turned to walk upstairs. Balch nced at Peterson, then casually followed Peterson stood rigidly, watching Seraphina at the entrance of the apartment building,ughing with Balch. He suddenly reached out, punching the car next to him. Inside the apartment, Balch sat quietly on the sofa, not looking around. Seraphina came over with two cups of instant coffee, cing one in front of Balch ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a bit cramped here, and I don¡¯t have any fancy coffee. Don¡¯tugh at me,¡± Seraphina said. Balch took a sip from the coffee and said, ¡°Why would I?¡± Seraphina sat in the armchair, holding the coffee cup, just watching Balch, ¡°Would youugh at me?¡± ¡°Laugh at you for what?¡± Balch asked. ¡°Laugh at me for having bad taste, always getting stuck with jerks. You¡¯ve only known me a short while, and you¡¯ve already seen all my drama,¡± Seraphina shrugged. Balch chuckled, ¡°People change. Maybe it¡¯s not that the people you meet are bad, but that they changed over time.¡± Seraphina lowered her head, quietly listening to his words. Balch looked at her, continuing. ¡°And, when you¡¯re in trouble, choosing to ask me for help, that¡¯s a wise decision, isn¡¯t it?¡± After listening, Seraphinaughed, then lifted her head to look at Balch, slowly saying, ¡°I can¡¯t give up on finding true love just because of a few bad experiences. Life is long I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find the right person someday, right? Besides, who knows if that person is somewhere in the future or right in front of me?¡± She turned her head slightly, her eyes sparkling with humor, bright and captivating. This made Balch¡¯s heart skip a beat. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t the first time his heart had done that. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Balch touched his coffee cup, smiling slightly. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 The next day, as Balch¡¯s arm candy. Seraphina tumed hends at a business dinner party, arm in arm with Balch It had been two days since the video leak online, and considering Leandro hadn¡¯t made a peep about it, all eyes were on Semphina, the other party involved, the moment she showed up Seraphina rocked a ck and white body bugging long dress, which seemed low key, but her fiery red lips were a total showstopper However, when the reporters started firing questions, Seraphina just stood next to Balch with a smile, not saying a word As her date, Balch politely blocked the reporters¡® mics and didn¡¯t answer any questions either. He just led Seraphina into the venue. The venue was filled with big shots from the business world of Sunburst City. Everyone was curious about the gossip involving Leandro, so Seraphina stole the show as soon as she appeared. And the ones who were most interested in her were thedies present. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Within an hour, no less than three waves of women had approached Seraphina with various excuses to chat, But Seraphina just smiled at everyone, neither confirming nor denying her rtionships with Leandro or Balch. In less than two hours, Seraphina had be the center of attention for most of the women there because of her uncooperative altitude ¡°Who does Seraphina think she is, acting all high and mighty?¡± ¡°She managed to bag both Leandro and Balch Why wouldn¡¯t she be arrogant? If I were her. I¡¯d be arrogant too!¡± ¡°Not just that, don¡¯t forget about Peterson! I heard that he looked pretty Lummed when she crashed Edith¡¯s engagement party. Seems like he¡¯s not over her!¡± ¡°Wow, I wonder how she managed to hook up with so many men¡­ Seraphina overheard this conversation when she went to the restroom. She leaned in after thest sentence and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s actually simple. As long as a woman is shameless enough, what kind of man can¡¯t she hook up with?¡± With that, she shed a smile and left, leaving the women in shock. By the end of the party, people were more curious about Seraphina herself than the video.. As they left, the security personnel blocked the reporters, and Seraphina calmly got into Balch¡¯s car Since Balch had an international video conference early in the morning, he just dropped Seraphina off at her apartment. ¡°TII head up now,¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t linger, ¡°Good luck with your meeting¡± Balch smiled slightly but didn¡¯t let go of her hand ¡°Hmm?¡± Seraphina looked at his hand with a hint of confusion. Balch nced up at the apartment building. ¡°This ce is too small, let¡¯s find a bigger er.¡± Was he offering to get her a new ce? Seraphina blinked and startedughing, ¡°Whatever you say¡± Balch nodded, let go of her, ¡°Go rest¡± Seraphina stood at the apartment building, watching him drive away. As she was about to turn and go upstairs, a man stepped out of a car parked nearby, blocking her way. ¡°Ms. Bet, hello, Conway would like to see you,¡± Seraphina gave him a sideways nce, ¡®Conway? I don¡¯t want to see him.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, something hit her leg. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Seraphina turned around, first catching sight of a cane, then followed it upward to see the person wielding it. The old man in front of her had white hair but was still full of vigour Without waiting for Seraphina to react, the cane was already swinging towards her again. ¡°What did you just say?¡± the old man demanded, swinging his cane as he spoke ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me? Now I want to see you, do you still have the interest? Dodging a few swings, Seraphina finally managed to grab the cane, ¡°Grandpal¡± Conway retrieved his cane, leaning heavily on it, and asked, ¡°So you remember that I¡¯m your grandpa?¡± Feeling a bit wronged, Seraphina looked at the old man for a moment, then stepped forward with a smile and held onto Conway¡¯s arm, saying, ¡°Grandpas, you¡¯re my only grandpa¡® ¡°Then why didn¡¯t youe to see me when you came back?¡± Conway nced at Seraphina. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ve been busy, haven¡¯t I?¡± Seraphina pouted, ¡°And it¡¯s not easy for me to go to Reynolds Vista Retreat to see you¡­¡± Conway snorted coldly, ¡°But it was convenient to meet with Leandro?¡± Caught off guard by his question, Seraphina quickly changed the subject, ¡°Grandpa, let¡¯s not talk here. I rented an apartment here, would you like to go up and have a chat with me?¡± Conway grunted but allowed Seraphina to help him into the apartment. A video of Seraphina and Leandro had been posted online, attracting a lot of attention. Seraphina had expected someone from the Reynolds family to show up, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be so quick, and that it would be Conway For Seraphina, her past life in the Reynolds family was like a dream. It was filled with depression, but in that depression, there was warmth both Conway and Leandro¡¯s father Bruce liked her a lot. Conway treated her like his own granddaughter, and Bruce treated her like his own daughter. But back then, Conway and Bruce were both very busy and didn¡¯t spend much time at home, so their care for her was limited. Even so, after seven years, Seraphina could still feel their love and warmth. She invited Conway into her apartment, then busied herself pouring water for him. Conway took this opportunity to look around the room. The house is too small.¡± Conwaymented after looking around. Seraphina brought the water over, ¡°It¡¯s enough for me! Here, Grandpa, have some water.¡± Conway took the ss from her, ¡°Did youe back alone?¡± Seraphina nodded, then realized what Conway was getting at and exined, ¡°My mom lives in Starhaven, her life is very busy. She has lots of activities and appointments every day so she didn¡¯t have time toe back.¡± Conway listened, nodded, then asked, ¡°What are you nning to do now that you¡¯re back?¡± Adjusting her hair slightly, Seraphina replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have any special ns. I just came back to attend my ex¨Cboyfriend¡¯s engagement ceremony, catch up with some old friends, and revisit the city where I grew up¡­¡± Conway just watched Seraphina silently, clearly not buying her story. Seraphina gave a small smile, not borating further. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the video on the inte?¡± Conway asked again. It seems the important question hase sooner than expected, but Seraphina was clearly prepared, ¡°Actually, it was just an ident. Leandro had quite a bit to drink that night. I was just ying around with him. I didn¡¯t expect someone to secretly record it and post it online¡­ Don¡¯t worry, nothing happened between us!¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 After listening to Seraphina, Conway stared at her in silence for a while before slowly saying. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up, you¡¯re not the same little Seraphina anymore. You¡¯ve changed, both in looks and personality. I can¡¯t even tell if what you¡¯re saying is true or not.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Conway ended on a slightly mncholic note. ¡°Grandpa¡± Seraphina knew what he meant, but still sat down next to Conway, ¡®I might lie to anyone, but I¡¯d never lie to you!¡± After hearing this, Conway remained silent for a while before asking. ¡°Have you met Valerio?¡± Seraphina was surprised by his sudden mention of Valerio, hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s Leandro¡¯s son, quite handsome, but a man of few words.¡± ¡°Could you ept Valerio?¡± Seraphina was taken aback, ¡°What does this have to do with what we were talking about?¡± ¡°Grandpa!¡± She quickly rified, ¡°I have nothing going on with Leandro, why would I need to ept his con?¡± ¡°No rtionship? Conway narrowed his eyes, ¡°You used to have a crush on him¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t resist the urge to cover her face and put on a cute act. ¡°Oh my, that was ages ago! I was young and naive back then, but I¡¯ve matured since!¡± Conway asked directly. ¡°So you don¡¯t like him now that you¡¯ve grown up?¡± Seraphina replied with equal frankness, ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t like him anymore, and it¡¯s been that way for a long time.¡± Upon hearing this, Conway let out a sigh Seraphina took Conway¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Grandpa, why the sigh? Do you really want me to be your great¨Cgrandson¡¯s stepmom?¡± ¡°Hmm¡± Conway looked at her, ¡°Tve got my heart set on you¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t seen me for so many years, do you even know what I¡¯m like now?¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°Would you still want me if I were a bad woman?¡± ¡°Even if you were a bad woman, I¡¯d still want you¡± Conway said slowly, ¡°I¡¯d love to see you marry Leandro.¡± Seraphinaughed mockingly, ¡°So you care about me just so I could be your granddaughter¨Cinw! ¡°Would you be willing?¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°I already said, I don¡¯t like your grandson anymore, besides, I already have someone in my heart¡­¡± Conway didn¡¯t ask who she was in love with, he just sat there quietly, slightly lifting his chin in a somewhat haughty manner. Seraphina could only continue. ¡°There are so many wonderful girls in Sunburst City, anyone would be better than me, many would be willing to be Valerio¡¯s stepmom.¡± ¡°There indeed are many, just none that he approves of Conway said. It took Seraphina a while to understand that Conway was saying that Leandro didn¡¯t approve of those girls, ¡°Even those wonderful girls aren¡¯t good enough for your grandson, let alone me. Stop trying to y matchmaker!¡± In the middle of their conversation, Seraphina suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°Grandpa, why are you looking for a stepmother for Valerio? Who is his biological mother?¡± Conway nced at her, ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know either?¡± Seraphina was surprised, ¡°How could Leandro not tell you something like this?¡± ¡°He indeed wouldn¡¯t hide anything from me¡­¡± Conway said, then suddenly sighed. Seraphina was stunned, then it dawned on her. Could it be that Leandro himself didn¡¯t know who the child¡¯s mother was? How was that possible? ¡°So how did this childe into being?¡± Seraphina curiously asked, ¡°Was he trapped?¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Even though Seraphina asked, she had already ruled out that possibility in her heart What kind of woman could easily trap a man as cool and aloof as Leandro? As she was thinking this, she lifted her eyes and found Conway looking at her ¡°You seem pretty interested in this kid¡¯s background,¡± Conway asked. Seraphina reached out and massaged Conway¡¯s leg a bit, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m not interested in the kid. Im worried about you I dont ward you to stress over the Conway smacked her lightly on the head, ¡°This happened six years ago, I wouldn¡¯t still be stressing over it! ¡°So where does the kid reallye from? Seraphina quickly asked again ¡°One night six years ago. Leandro brought him home: Conway said, ¡°He said he found the kid on the street.¡± Seraphinaughed out loud, ¡°I can¡¯t believe he had the nerve to say that¡± But Conway just looked at her, his expression serious and helpless As Seraphina sensed that something was amiss, her expression shifted slightly. ¡°It can¡¯t be true, can it?¡± she questioned Conway confirmed with a nod, verifying that it was indeed the truth Later that night, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Leandro showed up with a baby in his arms and handed it over to Karan. The entire Reynolds family was taken aback by this unexpected arrival. Leandro¡¯s exnation was brief, ¡°I found him on the street¡± He brought the baby home because he was on his way to change clothes and didn¡¯t have time to take the baby to the police station, that was all He quickly left after changing his clothes, leaving the family not knowing what to do with the baby On the one hand, it was a human life, on the other hand, it didn¡¯t match Leandro¡¯s usual behavior, in the end, Leandro only left the words 1 found him on the street,¡± and no one could determine the truth. Before Leandro returned, the baby stayed with the Reynolds family for a full week. ¡°So, the kid was really picked up?¡± Seraphina found it hard to believe, ¡°And then Leandro adopted the kid?¡± ¡°Do you think the kid looks like Leandro? Conway countered. Seraphina nodded, ¡°Yeah, at first I didn¡¯t think so, but the more I look at them, the more they seem alike.¡± ¡°The family also thought the kid looked more and more like Leandro, and everyone basically epted that it was Leandro¡¯s kid, so everyone epted the kid. But when Leandro came back, he still insisted the kid was picked up¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed, ¡°So the kid was really just picked up, huh?¡± Conway cleared his throat, picked up his cup and took a sip of water, then looked at Seraphina, ¡°Does the fact that the kid was picked up disappoint you that much? ¡°I¡¯m very disappointed I thought there would be an interesting story¡­ Seraphina leaned back on the couch, suddenly thinking of something. ¡°Wait, if the kid was picked up. why does he look so much like Leandro?¡± ¡°Probably fate,¡± Conway sighed, speaking slowly. Once you ept the fact that ¡°Valerio was picked up.¡± ¡°fate¡± bes the only exnation. Seraphina frowned, suddenly asking ¡°So was Valerio born mute?¡± *Not exactly¡± Conway sighed deeply, ¡°When he was three, Gloria scared him so much during a fit of anger that he lost his ability to speak and hasn¡¯t spoken since Seraphina thought of Leandro¡¯s mother Gloria and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Gloria¡¯s temper, it¡¯s always been the same¡± But this made the boy Valerio seem even more pitiful Just as Seraphina was thinking this, the doorbell suddenly rang A sense of foreboding rose in her heart. When she opened the door, the pitiful mute boy was standing at the door, looking at her Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Although she had a hunch, Seraphina was still taken aback by Valeno¡¯s sudden appearance. The fact that he came alone, without anyone with him, was a real shocker ¡°How did you get here?¡± Seraphina squatted down to ask Valeno ¡°Where¡¯s your family?¡± Valero didn¡¯t answer, just kept staring at her So, left with no other option, Seraphina took Valerio into the house Upon entering the room, they found Conway seatedfortably on the sofa Valerio¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as they darted first to Conway and then to Seraphina. Conway mirrored his gaze, first looking at Valerio, then turning his attention to Seraphina After a moment, both Valerio and Conway found seals on separate sofas nking Seraphina, observing her while she was engrossed in a phone call On the other end of the line was Karan, reporting that Valerio had slipped away unnoticed and she was now desperately searching for him As she listened to the phone call, Seraphina rubbed her temples and cast a helpless look towards Valerio and Conway, who were seated right in front of her After hanging up. Seraphina looked at Conway seriously, ¡°Grandpa, your great¨Cgrandson dared to run away from home at such a young age Aren¡¯t you going to discipline him?¡± Conway casually took a sip of water from the cup in front of him and said, ¡°He came to find you. Besides, before he met you, he never did anything like this, so you should be the one to discipline him¡± Seraphina bit her lip andughed. ¡°That¡¯s not my job If you¡¯re not going to discipline him, then if he gets lost, that¡¯s a problem for the Reynolds family¡± ¡°The Reynolds family? Conway repeated. ¡°Grandpa, although I see you as my own grandpa, I¡¯m not a part of the Reynolds family after all!¡± Conway sneered and furrowed his brows Seraphina felt a headacheing on. She couldn¡¯t shake off the little guy and the old guy was bing more and more stubborn. Who had she pissed off to deserve this? As Seraphina was thinking about how to discipline Valerio, the doorbell rang again The moment she opened the door, Seraphina thought that she should move to a bigger house. How could such a small single room amodate three people from the Reynolds family? Leandro, dressed in a dark suit, looked at her coldly with furrowed brows ¡°Mr. Reynolds, what a coincidence Seraphina stepped aside. ¡°Your family¡¯s old man and little guy are waiting for you to pick them up.¡± Leandro entered the room, his face devoid of any emotion. He called out ¡°grandpa, and then his attention shifted to Valerio, Valerio recoiled and quickly stood up, rushing over to Seraphina and clutching her leg tightly. He bowed his head and remained silent. Leandro didn¡¯t say much, just a simplemand ¡°Valerio,e out Valeno clung tightly to Seraphina¡¯s leg refusing to budge even when she tried to move His grip only tightened. ¡°Ten seconds¡± Leandro¡¯s voice remained cold and hard, leaving no room for negotiation Though Seraphina wasn¡¯t intimidated by Leandro, she could still feel the intense chill emanating from him Valerio, who was clinging to her leg, seemed to feel it too. He trembled slightly but still held onto her tightly This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey!¡± Seraphina called out helplessly ¡°d your dad is calling you!¡± Only then did Valerio lift his head and look at Seraphina His eyes were full of hope and longing It was clear as day but she had never given him anything While Seraphina was still in a daze, Valeno suddenly lifted a piece of paper and handed it to her When she saw what was written on the paper, her heart clenched It read. Are you my mom? For a moment, Seraphina seemed to be in a trance It wasn¡¯t until she saw Leandro¡¯s deep eyes again that she snapped out of it Valerio was still hugging her leg tightly, waiting for her answer Seraphina wanted tough, but she never did Finally, she said slowly and coldly, ¡°I am not.¡± The anticipation in Valero¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t had time to fade as he stared nkly at Seraphina Taking a deep breath, Seraphina crossed her arms and looked at Valeno, then exined again, ¡°I am not your mom. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Valeno Leandro¡¯s cold voice echoed again This time, Voleno finally let go of Seraphina slowly, lowering his head and dragging his feet towards the door. Leandro silently watched Valeno until he came to his side. Only then did he look at Conway in the room and asked, ¡°Grandpa, are you leaving?¡± ¡°You guys go first¡± Conway said. Tlle downter¡± Without even looking at Seraphina, Leandro turned around and left with Valerio. Seraphina watched their retreating figures, then turned to Conway and said, ¡°Grandpa, with your grandson¡¯s temper, I¡¯m afraid your wish for getting him a wife won¡¯t be easy 10 fulfill Conway didn¡¯t respond, only slowly stood up and walked over to Seraphina. He bent down and picked up a piece of paper from the floor. Seraphina looked down and saw that it was the paper Valerio had just been holding Only then did she notice that the paper was crumpled, and it seemed like it had been on him for a while since the writing was somewhat faded. Conway looked at the paper, then quirked an eyebrow at Seraphina Seraphina raised her hands and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything¡°¡± Conway horsted his hand, pping the paper onto Seraphina¡¯s forehead, then left without uttering a word. Seraphina stood frozen until the sound of footsteps in the hallway faded Slowly, she took the paper off her forehead and gave it another nce Turns out, she managed to piss off three men from the Reynolds family in one night. Seraphina closed the door walked over to the trash can, and chucked the piece of paper in At night, a sleek ck Bentley cruised smoothly through Sunburst City In the backseat Valerio sat between Leandro and Conway, his small head almost slumped down to his chest. Leandro, engrossed in replying to emails on his tablet, seemed oblivious to Valerio. The father and son had their own special way ofmunicating that didn¡¯t involve anyone else, even Conway. But after several nces at Valerio, Conway couldn¡¯t help coughing Leandro, not even lifting his head, said, ¡°What¡¯s up, Grandpa?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Valerio and Seraphina to hit it off so well, Conway said ¡°Hmm Leandro didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°But their rtionship is over now¡± ¡°Rtionships between people aren¡¯t so easily ended.¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro put down the tablet, fetched a pair of headphones from a drawer, and ced them on Valerio¡¯s head Valerio didn¡¯t move or react Only then did Leandro look at Conway. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like Seraphina per se, it¡¯s just that she gives him a different vibe than other women. He¡¯s yearning for a mother¡¯s love. something he has never experienced, so he mistakenly thought that was what a mother felt like. You wouldn¡¯t take a six¨Cyear¨C old¡¯s views as facts, would you?¡± ¡°After all these years, Seraphina has changedpletely, and you still can¡¯t stand her?¡± Conway shot a nce at Valerio ¡°You¡¯re his father. You should consider him.¡± Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Leandro remained silent, directing his game at Valerio ¡°Look up at me,¡± he said calmly Valerio hesitated for a moment, then gradually lifted his head with difficulty His face appeared pale, and he wore a sad expression. Leandro paid no mind to Valerio¡¯s distressed state and began to speak slowly ¡°Now [need you to understand something¡± Valerio¡¯s eyes widened suddenly, fixed on Leandro ¡°Seraphina is not your mom¡® Leandro¡¯s tone was steady, ¡°And there won¡¯t be any woman bing your mom in the future. Don¡¯t keep your hopes up? The moment Leandro began to speak, Conway started to get anxious. As soon as Leandro finished his words, he immediately put the headphones back on Valerio¡¯s head. But it was already toote. Valerio just stared nkly at Leandro, his eyes filled with confusion and loss Seeing this Conway was so angry he picked up his crutch to hit Leandro. But the space in the carriage was limited, he couldn¡¯t swing his crutch, so he could only let out a roar, ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Can you say such things to a child? What do you mean by there won¡¯t be any woman bing his mom? What do you mean by not keeping any hopes up? What are you trying to say?¡± Leandro had already turned his attention back to his tablet! Upon hearing Conway¡¯s questioning, he simply replied calmly, ¡°Exactly what I said¡± Conway was trembling with anger. He felt sorry for Valerio, but he also knew Leandro¡¯s character. He couldn¡¯t vent his anger, so he just pulled Valerio closer, removed his headphones, and whispered, ¡°Valerio, don¡¯t listen to your dad. I will help you find your mom! Whoever you like can be your mom!¡± Upon hearing this, Valerio didn¡¯t react, he just stealthily nced at Leandro. Leandro also nced at him while reading his documents, then quickly turned his eyes back. In the following few days, because she had offended the three men of the Reynolds family, Seraphina¡¯s life became very peaceful on one hand, but full of ups and downs on the other Because of Leandro and Balchis rtionship, Seraphina became the focus of the media. But she didn¡¯t dodge, she continued her activities except for not answering questions rted to her personal love life So, during those days, the media recorded her having dinner with Balch, her waiting for him outside Balch¡¯spany, Balch driving her home, etc. Later, Seraphina even went house hunting with Balch¡¯s assistant, facing the media¡¯s cameras without flinching. However, Seraphina was very picky about houses. She visited more than a dozen houses in three days but didn¡¯t find one she liked. Balch didn¡¯t rush her He was busy during those days, so he just let Seraphina choose at her own pace. Therefore, Seraphina was the star of the news for several days. In the end, probably because she couldn¡¯t find a house she liked, Seraphina decided to start house hunting again. Balch¡¯s third assistant, Milton, was worn out by Seraphina. When Seraphina finally picked a luxury community, Milton was almost moved to tears. ¡°Last time we looked at thismunity, you didn¡¯t seem to like it here. I thought you wouldn¡¯t choose it.¡± Milton said. Seraphina chuckled, ¡°I just heard the real estate broker say that a lot of celebrities live here. I want to experience what it¡¯s like to be neighbors with stars!¡± 4 Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Hearing this, coupled with his observations these past few days, Milton was almost certain about Seraphina¡¯s goal ¨C she wanted to be famous! Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Even though Seraphina was a real head¨Cturner, Balch was still head over heels for her That evening Balch personally dropped by the new house Seraphina picked out. Seraphina was busy nning how to fill up the emply house Balch didn¡¯t interrupt her. Instead, he strolled around the house before asking ¡°Why¡¯d you pick this ce?¡± ¡°I heard the surroundings are top¨Cnotch Seraphina nced at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you like it here?¡± Balch simply smirked, ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy with it¡± Seraphina shot him a look and chuckled, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my house, so I don¡¯t need to consider your preferences.¡± Balch caught her double entendre and asked with a smile, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Seraphina, flipping through a furniture catalogue, didn¡¯t even look up when she replied, ¡°You¡¯re not nning on moving, so I get the final say on the house¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The house was meant for you.¡± Balch said, ¡°Of course you yet the final say¡± Suddenly, Seraphina mmed shut the catalogue, tossed it aside, and looked around the spacious house, ¡°I think the house is too big. How about you move in with me? Wanna?¡± Balch just stared at her, the smile never leaving his face. ¡°Say something¡± Seraphina demanded. Balch adjusted his sses and replied, ¡°What do you want me to say? You didn¡¯t really mean to invite me.¡± ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk Seraphina retorted, ¡°Does giving me a house makes you sincere?¡± Balch didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Forget it, this is pointless. Seraphina stood up, ¡°We haven¡¯t known each other for long. I shouldn¡¯t ask too much. Take me home.¡°.. With that, she grabbed her purse and walked out the door. Batch, being a gentleman, didn¡¯t argue and drove her home as she requested. When they arrived at Seraphina¡¯s apartment, she was about to step out of the car when she spotted a figure. Immediately, she plopped back into her seat, visibly irritated. Following her gaze, Balch saw Karan. Due to her ties with the Reynolds family. Balch didn¡¯t question Karan¡¯s presence, instead, he asked Seraphina, ¡°Don¡¯t wanna see her? ¡°You¡¯re her neighbor, you should know how she can be.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Take me to a hotel. Balch slowly suggested, ¡°How about my ce?¡± Seraphina cast another nce at him, remarking, ¡°While it¡¯s often said that the most dangerous ce is the safest, I don¡¯t wish to disrupt your tranquility.¡± By this point, Seraphina¡¯s concerns were pretty muchid out in the open, and Balch was certainly not the one to overlook such signals ¡°We both have histories,¡± Balch noted, ¡°You¡¯re aware of that. Why fret?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t carry a past?¡± retorted Seraphina, ¡°But I know to focus on what¡¯s ahead, something you might not.¡°. Balch simply responded with a smile, countering, ¡°How can you be so sure that I don¡¯t?¡± Seraphina fell silent for a moment, decided to drop the subject, and turned to Balch with a smile, ¡°Nevermind, invite me over when you¡¯re truly ready. I¡¯ll stay in a hotel tonight.¡± Balch didn¡¯t respond, but he reached out to smooth Seraphina¡¯s hair. Suddenly, Seraphina furrowed her brows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Balch asked. Seraphina shook her head, ¡°Nothing, just a sudden stomachache.¡± ¡°Forgot dinner again, didn¡¯t you?¡± Seraphina turned her face away, choosing not to respond. ¡°TIl take you to the hotel, Balch offered ¡°You can have some light food and take some stomach medicine.¡± Seraphinained, ¡°Stop treating me like I¡¯m sick, always making me take medicine.¡± ¡°Your lifestyle is a mess, and so is your diet.¡± Balch said, ¡°You¡¯re either having a stomachache or a headache, you¡¯re practically just like a sick person already¡± Hearing this, Seraphina leaned closer to Balch, looked up at him, and asked, ¡°Do you still want me, a sick person?¡± Balch just smiled in response. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 The next day, photos of Balch apanying Seraphina into the hotel popped up in the news again. At ten o¡¯clock in the morning. Seraphina had just gotten out of bed when she got a call from Sandra ¡°You¡¯re quite a piece of work, nearly on the news every day for ten days straight¡± Sandra said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you fed up? I¡¯m sick of it! At that time, Seraphina was sitting in the hotel room watching the news. I¡¯m not fed up I feel like it¡¯s not even enough¡± ¡°What more do you want?¡± Sandra asked. ¡°Are you nning on dragging yourself into this case?¡± ¡°If it really got to that point, I might consider it Seraphina said. ¡°You¡­ Sandra was left speechless out of frustration Only then did Seraphinaugh, ¡®Don¡¯t you know me? Don¡¯t worry!¡± Hearing this, Sandra just grunted. Since starting her career as a journalist, Seraphina has umted experience and skills, capable of handling anyone with ease. Even the toughest guys can¡¯t rattle her, let alone a gentleman like Balch. But this gentleman, seemed to be even more worrying ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯ll stop investigating Sandra said, ¡°Is it worth it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Seraphina reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s almost over.¡± In the afternoon, Seraphina went to the mall and picked out a tie to give to Balch as an apology gift for her unstable mood the night before. Leaving the mall, Seraphina walked to the intersection to hail a taxi. The road was bustling, with no vacant cabs in sight. As Seraphina was about to call a cab on her phone, someone suddenly bumped into her from behind. Seraphina swayed, barely keeping her bnce. Just as she was about to turn around to see who it was, a force appeared at her waist and shoved her into the traffic! The screeching sound of brakes suddenly rang out, followed by several loud crash noises! Five cars piled up, and at the front of the first car, Seraphinay on the road. By the time Balch rushed to the hospital, Seraphina had already woken up. Balch walked into the room to see Seraphina sitting up on the hospital bed, holding a box. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Balch walked over to Seraphina and asked quietly. Seraphina handed him the box, ¡°All this, and I nearly lost my life!¡± Balch opened the box to find a dark red tie. ¡°A gift for you.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I don¡¯t know who bumped into me, and this box fell, and I was almost killed on the road picking it up!¡± ¡°Lucky it¡¯s just scrapes.¡± Balch looked at her, ¡°You ran onto the road just to pick this up?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Seraphina frowned, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t remember much about what happened then. I was too scared. It seemed like someone pushed me¡­but who would push someone into the traffic for no reason? I must have gone to pick this up¡­¡± Balch raised his hand, gently touched her forehead, ¡°You can¡¯t even remember what happened. Did you get a concussion?¡± Seraphina made a face and said, ¡°The doctor said I have a slight concussion. So, you better cherish this tie and wear it every day. if you dare to throw it away, you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Balch looked at the tie in his hand and let out a helpless sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll wear it,¡± he reassured her. ¡°Put it on now?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Sure.¡± Balch immediately untied his own tie and put on the one Seraphina bought. Seraphina helped him tie it, then smiled satisfactorily. ¡°See, this tie suits you. I have good taste, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Absolutely¡± After saying this, Balch took Seraphina¡¯s hand and kissed it. Seraphina¡¯s smile was radiant, full of sweetness. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Seraphina just suffered from a couple of scratches and a mild co ssion, and she was back on her feet two dayster After being discharged, she went straight back to decorating her new pad hand picking everything from the couch to the light bulbs. She was always around the new neighbourhood and pretty noon, she knew the who¡¯s who around the block, who lived where, and whatnot One day, Seraphina stepped into the apartment building and was waiting for the elevator when she heard the click ck ofgh heels behind her Engrossed in some fresh off the press news on her phone, Seraphina was interrupted by a soft voice ¡®Ms. Bet, hello there¡± The voice was unfamiliar She turned around to see a long haired womanding behind a pair of sunsses. Georgina, the international star, known for her killer looks and sexy vibe, was also the chick who had supposedly caused Leandro to storm out. Putting her phone away. Seraphina responded with a grin, ¡°Ms. Georgina, you know me?¡± ¡°Ms Bet, you¡¯re the talk of the town in Sunburst City How could I not?¡± Georgina took off her sunsses and looked at Seraphina, ¡°Who knew we were neighbours? Let¡¯s look out for each other, yeali?¡± ¡°Those words should be mine I just moved in. I¡¯ll be needing your guidance, Ms. Georgina Seraphina said sincerely. Georgina instantly regretteding home without makeup. The woman in front of her was already a knockout, but with her makeup game on point, she was positively radiant, even outshining a big star like Georgina Georgina put her sunsses back on just as the elevator doors opened, and they both stepped in. After pressing their respective floor buttons, Georgina broke the silence, ¡°You¡¯re quite chummy with Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Lawson, huh?¡± Watching the floors light up one by one, Seraphina chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m pretty light with Mr. Lawson.¡± Georgina didn¡¯t probe further when Seraphina conveniently skipped over Leandro. ¡°So, Mr. Lawson might be one of us soon?¡± ¡°I sure hope so!¡± Seraphina responded candidly. Georginaughed as the elevator doors opened. She stepped out and turned to Seraphina, ¡°Hope to see you around¡± Seraphina nodded and waved In the evening, Seraphina had arranged to meet Balch, who showed up on time. Thanks to Seraphina¡¯s efforts, the ce was starting to feel like home,plete with all the necessary furnishings. This was Balch¡¯s first visit since the ce was done up. As Seraphina closed the door behind him, she asked, ¡°What do you think, Mr. Lawson?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The style waspletely different from his own vi and didn¡¯t match his personal vibe at all. But strangely, he found it pleasing. ¡°We¡¯re missing a floormp¡± Balch evaluated. Seraphina moved towards the kitchen, I already ordered it, but it won¡¯t be here for another three days.¡± Balch watched Seraphina¡¯s retreating figure and approached the kitchen counter, ¡°Are you cooking?¡± Seraphina brought out two tes and shot him a look, ¡°I just got out of the hospital. I don¡¯t fancy a second trip because of food poisoning.¡± The food was takeout, which Balch wasn¡¯t a big fan of. But the wine was good, and he had quite a bit. After dinner, Balch chilled on the couch while Seraphina cleaned up in the kitchen and then joined him in the living room. ¡°I got a DVD Wanna watch it with me?¡± Seraphina pulled out a movie disc from the TV cab. Balch nodded, and Seraphina popped the disc into the yer. Turning around, she saw Balchfortably seated on the couch, patting the spot next to him for her to sit. Seraphina walked over and sat down next to him. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 In Seraphina¡¯s eyes, Balch was a guy who liked to keep things simple. Throughout the time together, Balch had never crossed a line He was always swamped with work, and she frequently suffered from headaches and stomachaches. The only thing Balch ever gave her was understanding god patience. At this moment they were sitting side by side on the couch watching a movie Balch was just holding her hand on hisp, without any further moverherts. Seraphina was fully immersed in the movie. After half an hour had passed, she finally nced at Balch ¡®Dont you like this movie?¡± she asked It was a romance film, featuring a gentle plot and beautiful scenic locations. Tlike it Balch replied in a somewhat t tone Observing his expression for a moment, Seraphina teased. ¡°You didn¡¯t react at all, I thought you fell asleep!¡± Batch looked down at her with a smile, exining. ¡°That¡¯s just how I am when I¡¯m focused¡± ¡°Well, I hope you can be that focused on me in the future, Seraphina said with a yful smile. Her diamond earring was swinging, sparkling under the light Seeing this. Balch bent down and kissed her earlobe Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°What happened to being focused?¡± However, Balch didn¡¯t turn back to the movie. He was just looking at Seraphina, ¡°I was focused, but you diverted my attention¡± Seraphina hooked her arm around his neck and said slowly, ¡°This movie is highly rated. I¡¯m honored to have diverted your attention from it Sheughed lightly charming and seductive Her eyes sparkled, making her especially captivating under the dim light. Balch brushed a strand of hair off her shoulder and leaned in closer As his face neared, Seraphina closed her eyes. But at that moment, a shrill ringtone echoed in the room. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Startled, Seraphina opened her eyes and grabbed her phone, annoyed. It was an unfamiliar number. Without hesitation, she hung up and tossed her phone aside. ¡°Not answering?¡± Balch asked. ¡°Nope Seraphina was a bit irritated Balch chuckled and stroked her hair, and she snuggled back into his arm. But the phone had to ring again at the worst time. It was the same number. She was resolved not to answer, but the moment she hung up, it rang again. Seraphina nced at Balch and reluctantly answered the call, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Ms. Bet, hello, I¡¯m Lacy, Conway Reynolds¡® secretary. We met downstairs at your ce before,¡± a male voice came from the other end. Hearing this, Seraphina flicked her hair, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Conway wants to see you¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy¡± Seraphina cut him off, ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll invite him for a meal another day.¡± ¡°Conway fainted two hours ago, Ms. Bet. It would be best if you coulde.¡± Seraphina instantly stood up, ¡°What did you say? My grandpa fainted?¡± She walked to the side to ask for more details, but Lacy seemed to have called in a hurry and hung up after leaving an address. Seraphina walked back to the couch with her phone. Balch had already stood up. Without asking further, he simply said, ¡°Shall I take you there?¡± Seraphina looked at him for a moment before saying, ¡°No,e with me.¡± Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 At me in the evening the Reynolds Manor was es duct as a qind, bran Years had passed and the Reynolds had all packed up and leht, but suprisingly, Reynolds Manor nema ne preserved, just ethical any erhabdants, making a feel cenly ency I was moally like sexmprars ago. 1 was perfectly Bald¡¯s carded in though the main gate Seraphina stared at the garden the was all too familiar with, leeling somewhat dazed Two cars were parked in front of the main house. One was the same car Conway had driven when he last came to see her the other belonged to Leand The fact that Corway had fainted, a big deal that even the was notified about and here was only Leand¡¯s cat the whole thing seemed shy Raich parked the car and apanied Seraphins into the main house. The hall was illum mated by dim yellow light, costing ami ar silhouette of the house After even long year, Reynolds Manor hacht charted a hi Seraphina poured in the hall, and Batched Inck She pointed to the kitchen with a smile. ¡°When I was hungry it the middle of the right, Lused to strak ma the kitchen to find something test ardhidden eving Upon hearing this, Bulch reached out to hold her hand Her palm was a berols, but the stalled at him to pilful Back to that I think about it was kind of fun! Just as the words left her mouth a tall figure appeared on the stairs Leandro wasing down the chairs He was along slowly, dressed simply in ck trousers and a white chint contrasting against the grand and vintage stal case behind him, exuding a sense of elegance The moonlight just rac pened to shine through the window Seraphina suddenly remembered a night seven years a Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Leandie¡¯s gazewas zerg, he nced at her then turned to Balch standing next to her. ¡°My Lawson ¡°Leandro said Balch gave a slight smile. ¡°Thope you don¡¯t mind my intruron Seraphina dentock at Leandro, imbrad she tugged at Bachs hand ¡¯11 take youupstairs to see grandpa¡± With that, she bad da ch upstairs, brushing past Leandro at the starcase Balch nodded at Landis, who turned goture As the footsteps of the two disapproved upstairs, Leandro slowly walked into the kitchen After going upstars Seraphima easy found Cunway¡¯s room: Jpon opening the dot, she was unred To be honest, when the only saw Leandros car downstars. Seraphina had concluded that Conway¡¯s less was probably all a farce, so she had breathed a sign of reet. But what she sow now was Conway lying on the sed am hisayas chsed hispleaon pair, and various mon ning devices flickering beddin Stemmediately go of Balchs hand and rushed i mply the best As soon as the saw Seraphina the quickly stood up. ¡°Ms. Bet¡¯ ¡°How is grandpa¡± Sesphina anked oldering Conway¡¯s co ¡°He woke up once, but he¡¯s probably too weak and fell asleep again¡± Lacy said ¡°Then why did he suddenlyimi?¡± Seraphina sad. Did the doctoe and check?¡± ¡°Yes, hedd.¡± Lacy sad. The doctor said it¡¯s rted to cerebrovascr disease Elderly people am naturaly weak, and besides, high blood pressure and heart ¡°Why didnt he go to the hospital?¡± ¡°The lord doesnt want to go to the hospital just wants to stay here. But don¡¯t won the doctor wille anytimey said ¡°He kept calling your name when I woke up is tcalled you He would definitely be happy to see you when he wakecupagan¡± Aftertening to Djx Seraphina held Conway¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t say another word Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Conway was sound asleep. After Seraphina had stayed by his site for awhile, shamed to Baich, I¡¯m sorry, Inally wanted to indure you to my gandpa¡± Walchgently rated her shoulder, whispering is alright, then wit be plenty of chances in the future¡± Huring this Seraphina locked womedy at the sleepine Derwow. Seeing her expression Balch said. ¡°You stay here with you gundu go downstairs Call me if anything! Tonything happens¡± i ss of whisky on the table in front of him. Seraphina nendel without tuming around Balch then headed downstan. Downstairs Laird was lounging on the sofa paling away at a orgt Head his eyes closed but opened them dowly when he board footsteps. He saw Balch Alemda¡± Balon approacted. You dont need to worry too ch, Mr Heynolds Thank you M Lawson Bare for a dink?¡± Balchamli. ¡°Wo thanks deur ham Leando lock in his whisky and resumed his get smoking Sewing Leandros nous itation Balch dontlinge for further conversation Instead he headed outside. Once under the eyes, Batch it up a cigarete, quarty taking in the view of the manor This was where the grea And hard to let m Before he rested his cquirtle has phone suddenly rang It was a call from thepany Thehad been some mishaps with a project in Europe that sequined his personal attention In happen at home? Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Machabel ouths oprette and walked back into the being mom Lacy was asking Leand is a leats sote, Should we prepare a questi Leando didn¡¯t respond he just stared nkly at Baich and had just entered wedont know when Conways wake up. Watch ner. Sera & ally woned about Conway. I doubt the lease anytime soon. Eshe stays have,pkocke good care of her Mr. Reynolds¡± Lend¡¯s me spare and dowly said ¡°She¡¯s pan of the Reynolds fa Theroneed for Mr Lawson to mory about such trial mates¡± Heating this Hatch calmly rend, ¡°To do it for her even ? to one erewould¡± After saying this Balon went upstars. Lazy who was sth standing neaty shivered With Conway thi unconscious and Seraphina inablen leave him the decided to such eff Leandro was no longer billeliving room Seuphina Waleed Balch to the door ¡°Call me you need anything¡± Balch sart Saphan just smud, Im not that helpless¡± Balch chuckled, jave her a peck ?As Seraphite watched him leave, she turned and saw the balcony¨CThe ce where Vinian fell, Seraphina stood at the front door staring at that spot for a moment before she tumed and went back ride. Back upstart Seraphina waked slowly along the darly It condor and onto the balcony The old house longunitasized was welimaintained but still camed a sense of decay Why had Wean fallen from here years ago? Lost in her thoughts, Seraphina was startled by Leandros voka behind het ¡°Are you here to reminisce et spent?¡± 11 Beminisang eropanting? Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Although and feed two choices. Semptina knew he wen mening on the same thing, her past siis in this ce. Seraphina could not supra chuckle, asking. Which spy do you brine will pooty Mr. Reynolds? Her mie simhaneously coy and daring graced her lips as she prected sony 30 confront Landm Leandro, an imposing figure of towing right and moveable resolen, radiated an aura that seemed to petty the air tounding him. Hereforded, ¡°Your pose is the one is Forewaming him wch are of snow in her voice, Seraphine moved towards, condentlycking her game with his intense are hear your appartment, Mi Reprolds. These are aspects of my pastichon del upon, for they beat ni gri cance for will express monte, a meget tas never bem Mypanion¡± Leandro observed fun, expression and as a stone sculpture, clearly unfired by her weds She crudint help but arch an bros at him, ¡°You let me go out of the quotes of your host back then, Mr Feynolds Are you sending scones?¡± ¡°Not in a hurry¡± Leandro ugled, settle the core slowly now your game with Balch is cen A soft lough escaped from Seraphina, Game? Im not the type to y with feelings. Mr. Reynolds, dont nder me! randis cracked a senle at het wo ¡°No man is punong?¡± he asked. ¡°Just insider trading which bigpany involved in creo In of the Stina replied calm. Two people together is an exchange of surfing, is it?¡± Leances r in a little closes. ¡°Why dont we test how genuine falch¡¯s feelings for you really?! Scaphacode something was off with him He was probable aset may use grandfather¡¯s smoked at the self bus was stronger than usual But med with the scent of perfume, it was just night I was dangerous and alig ¡°What do you have itmund Mr. Reynolds? Seraphine asker, ookng up at him Without a word Leandro booked his arm around her waist spun her around, and pressed her against for wait, kovaning in for a k Sephinated 1: brak fine but Leandro held herfing All herusal ind for dealing with men were useless and her mind went nk, leaving only one thought what the wash up to Leandica and Mad already found the way under herskit. Seraphina snapped back to reality and grabs he hand He broke off the kits and slowly maand his other hand up her tender, abite neck. Seraphina looked at hen, ¡°hi has your way of listing Hakha feelings for me, Mr. Reynolds? That¡¯s quite the noble cause Leandro buses head in her neck his voice low, ¡°You¡¯re jumping to conclusions Withat he effortlessly parted her legs again with the hand she had gabbed Before Seraphina could sutt, Leandro was kissing her neck This was safe to kave marks. A dangerously enticing thought shed through Seraphina¡¯s mind maybe this could actually procefalThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 1450 M). Chapter 54 The thought shed through Saphina¡¯s mind before it was tempted by Leandro¡¯s lips on herneck, making her gasp out loud Hearing her seductive moon, brando licks off the kids and locked at her. Smaghen of feel embarrassed But the was a bit puzzled Want Leandro supposed to hate her quis? The guy who wouldnt touch her even Could be that even if he katted her However, Seraphina quekly dismissed the woman on earth, why was he acting From seeing her in Halch¡¯s amsted up his so-called male possesimess and pede sight. After all, Leande would never be taking so How can such a cold fish be twayed by emotions? So, the only one possible exnation left. He probably wonell about his grandpa¡¯s condition and just looking for a way to blow off steam, and she just happed to be there ght Seraphina couldnt help but chuckle. het ¡°Something funny?¡± ¡°Yeah, funnySeraphina lifted her gaze to meet his ¡°And here I thought Mr Reynolds had the patienceal buy When pushes to chove. I don¡¯t look so hat do this is your fur feelings for Haken? Leanda anoored Seraphina looked di mult, then reached up to touch her own clothes My feelings for him are sight here, but right now my 156, you will suddenly grow a heart and let me go control saint. Tums put you¡¯re not that different from any other har strength to push you aly Do you really thank if i say 1 y I don¡¯t As soon as Shina finished speaking, Leandra tightened his grid on her. She let out a cry her body curling up slightly as she leaned against Leandro for support The fold you before, whether you want to,& dont matter to me, Leandro sad emotionlessly His actors, homer, were anything but. Just as things were about to spol out of control med footsteps andcy¡¯s voice came from the hallway. ¡°My Reynolds, Conway¡¯nawake¡± By the time Seraphina go to Coney bedside, Conway was looking istess wannt und he saw her that a spark returned to his eyes ¡°Grandpa, you scared me. Are you feeling a Seraphina whispered, holding Conway¡¯s hand Conway med patting her a gently with a somewhat h oorte voice me As he was speaking Conway¡¯s gare suddenly stufted to a certain spot on Seraphina¡¯s i Following gaze Sephina noticed a vivid hic key on her neck. She quickly covered it with her hand pretending nothing happened. ¡°Godpar Conway dredho are looking at the ceiling andughing Seraphina thelooked a mess right now Conway lying in bed could see and debut juging by hisughter, he probably guessed it She couldn¡¯t help After Conway richedughing he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Lend Seraphina rolled her ¡°Of course you¡¯d ask about your gundion first. He¡¯s not as devoted as me came to see you the moment you woke up! No sooner had she finished speaking than Leandro walked in through the dor Seraphina turned around and saw that Leandro had changed his clothes. She nced down at his lower body, the belgeler was gone Turning back, Seraphina found Conway stating ther his awkward atmosphere Since you¡¯re awake, Im going to leave now Restup, Ie to see you another day¡± As soon as the finished speaking she stood up and turned to leave. Conway mediately became aneous attempting to up despite his weakness. Leandro stepped forward and grabbed Seana¡¯s back to Conways badida Seraphina tumed her head and sow that Conway had gone pale again. She got scared and hurriedly soothed him, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t moved Im not leaving. Immat One Conway had gond, he gave her a re, ¡°You¡¯re sally trying to give me a hard time, ti pou?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but apnd Conway¡¯ ability turn the tables on her Conway nced at ket Leandro stood to the pada india,s eyes fak of pride Conney was haly weak, bothering Seraphimady has midda Before they knew it, it was already 2 em Seraphina who had king a regr schedule, could help but yan? ¡°Tied alieady¡± Conway locked Sappropped up with her hand, undpa, arent you tired?¡± ¡°Why would I be trad?¡± Comm¨¢y said ¡°Trally get to chat with you and you¡¯re alwad out of Westhat youthful awgy Land had the room hours ago and was probably sound asleep by Wight, sight, I go wash my face and thene back to youpany, okay?¡± Swaphing left Conway¡¯s room and stood at the door for a moment before slowly heading towards the east end of the corridor When she got to the fifth doo she stopped This used to be he room, where she led for eight years Seraphina took a deep bath, gripped the doorknob, turned it, and the supe, the door opened easily. She actively reached out to touch the wall, flipping The switch. The famrlight immediately it up the mire mom For a moment Seraphina mas frost in thought. After seven years, the room she used to incked exactly the same as did back then. Everything in her room had been perfectly Seraphina walked into the room, locking around at all the familiar stuff, and for a moment, she was kind of spaced out, unl she caught sight of herself in the Twenty fiveyearold Seraphina standing in her mom from when thi She snapped back to reality, looking at him winkled diets in the minor and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle Then, Seraphina opened the closet in her room and found here the The old house had always been taken care of and surprisingly enough, men her room was neception. There was still a fant fragrance lingering on her old clothes as Seraphina picked them up. Seraphina casually picked out a dress that should still fir and headed to the bathroomContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Seraphina swept up the haw and took a quick showet. Stepping out of bathroom, towel-dhed, she caught a glimpse of hell in the mor Right then and there she could clearly see the lobites on her neck and the scratches on her thighs. She thought back to what just happened. Was Leandro venting or intentionally leaving these marks on her? Sephina didel on too long, because she had something else on her mind After a moment of 5. She reached out her hand Following the ces left by Leandro, she pressed harder creating more obslut marks on her neck After she was done, she put on the dress she had picked out earlier, only to find that its design couldn¡¯t hide the marks on her neck. Seraphina waked out of the bathmom and opened her wardrobe to look for anomer nutht. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Most of her clothes from the past name fon childish, and with her body¡¯s diedopiment, not many of them St an As she was doing deep into her wardrobe, Seraphina suddenly She saw and dress The she had warded to w She had womit, and he had seen il Seraphina stood still, until then was ¡°Who is c?¡± Seraphina asked quirky her eighteenth birday, especially for Leande Leverything had gone off track that day et Lacy¡¯s voice sounded from outside, ¡°Conway pagan. You can aest now? Hearing this Seraphina didn¡¯t respond her eyes were still fixed on that offlined ched in the early hours of the moming precisely at the Landio found documented before him, begging for his amon self unable to sleep. He sat in thefort of his well worn study a daunting mountain of The mossantocking of the clock echoed through the room, a metronome in his diligent work Loct in the world of paperwork, Leandro¡¯s focus was univinining mly disrupted whi The sound of approaching footsteps bicke the mythm Ye, Leandromitment remained undelemed. He didn¡¯t crane des nor did he allow his gaze to it from the document he was scrunning Only when the lant piece of information Isorbed did he set hapen down Seraphina was standing at the door looking at him inter red dress, with her long hair and clear eyes, she looked just like she did seven years ago. Leandro¡¯s a hardened slightly But the next moment, theughed. Herugh was charming and seductive, nothing like the girl from seven years ago. ¡°Mi Reynolds, could you do me a favor and gemeald Seraphina had predicted that L The roads were clear in the early she wouldnt nfuse, but shenne mpad that he would personally driver ing jet the atmosphere in the car was incendly letse. Seraphar sat quietly in the passenger seat, humming a tune,pping the rhythm with her fingers, appearing unerly indifferent to Leandro¡¯s presence. Half an hourter the car stopped at the entrance of the neighborhood where Seraphina now lived. Only than did Seraphina tam to look Irespond. He wound down sleraduan. ¡°Thank you Mr. Reynolds¡± da, hit a cigarette, took a dog, and finally looked ather For what?¡± on a hurry to get out of the car Hearing Leandr question, sheughed, leaning back in here, ¡®Of course, for all the help you¡¯ve given me ?? neghborhood was brightly, making and dessert. The antiguous marks on her neck and shoulders were mosq Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Leandro stared at Seraphina his hand holding a cigarette horen in mid air Seraphina met his gaze, a tonqul smile on her face ¡°So, you hate me,¡± Leandro finally spoke The smile on Seraphina¡¯s lips didn¡¯t , but the seemed a lot surprised Where the hell did thate from? she thought ¡°Why would you say that Mi Reynold? Sephina asked. ¡°I was raised by the Reynolds family after all. How could the hand that fed ma ¡°How much do you hate me?¡± Leandro iqhased her question Seraphina stayed silent for a moment, then leaned in close to Leandro¡¯s ear. ¡°Guess¡¯ shesaid. With that sheet out a soft chuckle, tumed around and exded the car Leandro sat quietly in the car watching her red dress recede into the distance As soon as Seraphina entered her aparment building she pulled out her phone. As she entered the elevator she received a call. ¡°Did you get the shot Seraphina atkert. The person on the other end confirmed Seraphina responded with a grunt and hung up She put down her phone and nced at her reflection in the elevator doors The dress she wore from seven years ago teh out of ce She stared at herself in silence Leandro¡¯s words echoing in her ears. So, you home She had hated him for so long yet he only noticed when she was about to let go Seraphina cutely rushed her hat a slow smile gradually taking the face The following day, social media was set aze with photos of Seraphina and Leandro 1ogher These images, all captured in the early hours of the moning disyed intimate scenes of the pair often with Smaphina in Leandros car. One particrly revealing shot e wed a fant hi ckey on Seraphina¡¯s neck However, recently, the public had seen Seraphina in thepany of Balch. Nearly eryone in Sunburst City hade to consuler Seraphina as Bachsgrifend Yet, with thesetest images, mors aboutContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Seraphina and Leandro were stiming once again The resurfacing of a video showing Seraphing and Leandro in apromisingestion in a restroom further fanned the mes of these rumors. The video quickly became viral, widely shared oss various tforms Balch was so with Seraphim after the video was exposed, seemingly not caring about her past but now that the¡¯s still unclear with Leandro, what would Balchs Fof them are once again at the center of public attention. Seraphina was sure about the others, but she was chilling watching a movie on her couch with her phone tuned off. The floormp she ordered in the even and early, and she rearranged her room. Atnine in the evening. Semphina¡¯s doorbell rang again. She opened the door to find Bach ¡°Why are you here at this hour?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Just finished work? Have Thave¡± Halch responded slowly examining Seraphina She wore we sh it, buttoned up to the second button even at home wing only a hint of her neck She showed him the newmp that had arrived that day, asking, ¡°What do you think? Not bad, night?! Each nced at it dismissively and took a seal on the couch Seraphina got him a ss of water As the I down, the winced and rubbed her wast Noticing this. Balch turned to her ¡°What happened to your maist?¡± 1/1 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Seraphina duit seem too bothered its nothing, just a bit som ¡°Let me see¡± Each¡¯s woice was salt and low Seraphina pause at that, then locked Halch in the eve His expression remained unchanged, but there was an unyielding firmness in his gr ¡°You Meally want to see?¡± she asked. 1 just want to see how bad it is, Halch led Hearing that Serachina lified her shirt to reveal her warst There were clear red mans on her otherwise delicate waist Only a man could cause such marks, and it was on who that man was Balchs gaze slowly moved up to her neck. He then reached out and gently pulledande Seraphinus cr ¡°everting the love on her neck Throughout all this he was nt, and so was Seraphina ¡°Are there any other impunes¡± Batch asked ¡°Na, he didn¡¯t get that tac Seraphina replied ¡°wouldni?rthm¡± Balch just oked at her Does hurt?¡± Seraphina shock her head. Then, the leaned into Balch¡¯s arms and hugged him. Balch¡¯s hand wrted on her should not moving Turtold you before im a handful¡± said Seaphina 1 you rant handle, kasenow But even as she said this her que on Hatched. After a moment, bachchuckled. Then, he put his arm around her shoulders and said query ¡°You rally are a handful but life would be borng without some A momentter, Seraphina looked up at him. Why are you feet from other men ¡°What are other men lie?¡± Balch asked ying with her hair. Seraphinaughed. ¡°They interrogate me, warn me nut to goo close to Leandro, and then send someone to beat him up¡± ¡°I do what needs to be done said mulch ¡®You know what you should do, don¡¯t you?¡¯ Smaphina didn¡¯t answer Aller a moment of silence, she just smiled. The next day, Hatch and Seraphing were seen hand in hand at a fancy restaurant, causing a new wave of gosp Apart from condeming Seraphina for two timing the rest was all ply-pity for Leandro, and pry for Bach But most of the pity was for Hatch who was the official boyfriend in this letharge s cheating with Leandre, bar, Hales acted as if nothing was wrong publicly disying their Yet, it seemed that Seraphina had bewitched him. Everyone knew she was c rtionship without any hesitation. Amid the escting possi. Batch became the object of public sympathy Everyone was specting what kind of spell he was under to let Sephira tra mple over his male pride In the meanance, Seraphina was behaving hell, staying home and only contacting Conway over the phone But two dayster, Conway threw a tantum. No matter how much Seraphina tried to soothe him over the prore, he wouldn¡¯t have it and even stopped answering her calls Seraphinated to coax him with voice messages, but Conway¡¯s phone ended up in LeandrofficeThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Leandros special assistant, Keen, felt somewhat of a headache after ending the phone call. The Reynolds Group¡¯s financial situation had always be rock solid, but due to the two controversies caused by Seraphina, thepany¡¯s stock price had fluctuated twice. Thistest incident even led to the evaporation of over a bition inpany market value. Thepany¡¯s employees were alluring around like headless chickens, and yet Conway Reynolds somed the a spectator menining that things werent messy enough to warrant a phone call Hanging up the phone, Keen nced at Leandro¡¯s office door and couldn¡¯t help but sign. Actually it wasn¡¯t just Conway who seemed like an outer, but in the man in that office Even though Leandro was the main character in this storm, he kept his cool He insisted on handing all thepany¡¯s decisions personally, and there was a ton of work to do every day. Despite the massive impact of this incident, no one dared to spill the beans to him, including both big and small shareholders Everyone knew that Leandro hold the feline of the Reynolds Group, and all the employers of the Reynolds Group had to rely on him to survive. As a result, de a lot of grumbling from the shareholders, they only and toin behind closed doors. No one dared to question Leandro. The PR department had a tough job, but they didn¡¯t done to datub kim lightly, only carefully releasing the most cautious statements. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. The Reynolds Group had deep pockets, and this incident was just a hup. Once things cooled down and everyone had forgot about it, the storm would pass How just at this moment, Conway was adding fuel to the fire Kem rubbed his temples, sighed, and got to his feet, heading towards Leandre¡¯s office Leandro was sitting behind his desk, focused on some documents Keen knew his habes, and started speaking immediately, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Conway just cafed. He wants to see Ms Seraphina I go on Ms. Senghina and take her to see Co Leandro didn¡¯t respond so een stood quietly waiting wasntul he finished reviewing the documents in his hand that Leandro¡¯s shoulders, wxed slightly, closed the documents and said in a deep voice, ¡°You do your thina. Il go get her¡± Upon hearing the, Keen immediately had a bad feeding. Mr. Reynolds in the curent station, any further contact with Ms. Bet might just make things worse? Leandro looked at him after heating this Reen stopped talking realizing he had said too much and could only stand there arenaly Leandro not up, put on his suit jacket, and left the office When Keen walked out disheartened, Yasmina immediately grabbed him. ¡°Where¡¯s the boss going? Hedont have any appointments today and leaving work this early isn¡¯t his style¡± Keen looked at her and could help but ask ¡°Who the hell is this Seraphina? How can she be such a pain in the as s? Understanding dawned on Yasmina. She looked at Keen, ¡°Tve only seem het pictures How does she compase in al Me Keen paused, then slowly said. ¡°She¡¯s much more beautiful th ¡°Well Yasmina said, ¡°Shes Eke a romel What man wouldn¡¯t be attracted Keen felt helpless- but this rose is poisonous! When Seraphina received the call from Leandro, she wasn¡¯t particrly suprised Inchead, she c oolly agreed to Leandro¡¯s invitation to visit Comay When Seraphina came downstairs after changing hereisthes, Leandros car was already waiting outside the apartment. However, this time it was the driver behind the wheel. The driver opened the door for her and Seraphina got in unsurprised to see Leandro engrossed in some documents To trouble Mr. Reynolds to personally pick me up at such a busy time I¡¯m really sorry¡± Seraphina said Leandro finally looked up at her. Ton¡¯t this what you wanted?¡± 1/1 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Hearing the words, Seraphina gave Leandro a puzzled lock What are you getting at Mr. Reynolds¡± Rather than road, Landin simply timed to the driver and air. ¡°Let¡¯s roll¡± In no time. They were swept up in the flow of trafic. While Leand remained engrossed in his documents, Seraphina sat rigid, mulling over his words¨CIsn¡¯t this what you warted? Sure, she had orchestrated the current situation, but he could have totally ignored it. Yet, it seemed to had seen night Brough her and was now indulging her in her own game Could this really be the case? But this was Leandro Why on earth would be bother to help her And how could bepussbly know her real inventions? Thinking of the Semprina chuckled softly, reminding herself 15 stay cool Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Leandro bairly paid her any attention throughout the jury apparently focused solely on running emards for Conway. With no infention of sling up anymore drama Semph n sept to her own thoughts Upon ameing at the Reynolds family home, Conway immediately began scolding Seraphina took a great deal of effort for Seraphina in calm him down, promising and pleading her way nut of trouble. Conway had recently bean in high spints, able to move about freely without his meniters Naturally, this meant he was more demanding at Seach ni She cautiously catered to his every need¨Cmeals bea.card games, chit chats, TV shows, alme way unol the tucked him in at midnight, ¡°You¡¯re kasing tonight¡± Conway stated. ¡°Your how ng biraklist with me tomorrow¡® ¡°You want me to seep ever? Seraphina pouted. I might not seep well, maybe even have nightmares Conway as her a light smack ¡°You¡¯ve led here since you were a kid why cant you stay now?! Quick to pacify him, Serachina suggested. ¡°What ife over fest ming in the morning? Is that okay?! Knowing that Seraphina hadeeservations about the house, Conway didn¡¯t insist Just as Leandro came in to check on him, Conway gave him a task 1 rando, take Sera home ¡®Get it¡± Leanom replied. ¡°You should get some rest With Conway Fnally at ease Semaphina tumed to Leandm with a smile Lockslike Tma bomeragan, sory about that¡± Leandro gave fragance before heading downstairs That night, Leandro personally drowe Seraphina home. As they rade in silence, with and focused on the road and Seraphina lost in her thoughts, he suddenly spoke up at a red light ¡°¡°Burkleup¡± Started Seraphina turned to look at him. After a moments hesitation she said nothing chediently fastering her seate They were the only car at a remote intersection, and from a distance they could see another car approaching As the shule came to a hat in the opposingne ¡ªSouphine wouldn¡¯t help but watch until it stopped As the traffic light turned green and the opposing car moved fest, Leandro slowly started the car. As they reached the middle of the intersection a binding light from the right side caught their attention. Turning her head, al Seraphina sam was a bright beam of Ight raidly moving towards her! Seraphina gripped the seat tightly, frozen in ce Crash! The loud nose shattered the silence of the night, fling the deserted street with echoes of Precollision Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 The sound of the car crash was deafening like it happened right rest to them. But when Seraphin stapped back to reality. Leandro¡¯s car was sill moving amoothly She quidley tumed her head and saw theesh se ck SUV had collided head on with a silver caring thaight at them Based on the pannoning it appeared that the ck BUY ad aproached from behindtrands.coffet vely blocking the silver one. But where had this ck SUV suddenly appeared from? Saphina was taken aback, string a nce at Leard. The cat had poured directly before item, yet Leandro remained untered demeanor was calm, and he disyed no sign of concem. Just like before his attention was solely on the road atrod Iwas as the cash had never happened Or, perhaps he had heen expecting it. Reflecting on how he had abruptly instructed her in barile up at the pieces seemed to fall into ce, sparking for thin Seraphina Eveil she could anticipate such asis how was it passable for Leandro to kam and prepare in advance? She front her quze on the side of Leandros face, forcing here to regain combos. Slowly, she becke the silence ¡°M: Reynolds there was a car crash just now¡± hmm Leandro only responded with one word. Seraphina has a choice but to continue. As witnesses, shouldn¡¯t me call the poker? ¡°Do you really want to call the police? Leandro¡¯s cold voice wasced with obvious sarcasm. Seraphina paused, then locked at Leandmagan Leandro finally turned his head and nced at her in that moment. real purpose! as sure of one thing-Leandro knew her Not only did he know her real purpose, but he also saw through all her moves. But he didn¡¯t exposehet instead he followed her steps and he pad her create all the conditions she needed! Hut how was that particle? She clenched her fists, unable to respond First, why did I sandin know her purpose? Second, why did he cooperate with her? She was lost in this realizan on, watching the night outside the window whiting by until the car stopped, she snapped back The car stopped outside the gatedmunity, buther of them moved After a moment of tense Seeping chuckled ¡°really underestimated M. Reynolds¡¯ ¡°I also underestimated your stup idity¡± Leandro didn¡¯t look at her, his voice devoid of any mate Seraphina ced towards him, challenging. Then do tell. Mr. Reynolds, just how foolish am 17* Leandro finally turned his gaze back toer Her face was owanrakingly beautiful,capnuating, but her ges held a cam defiance Unexpectedly. Leandro reached out, ing Seraphina chin in his hand sking your life for something as intang ble as the truth, it¡¯s beyond recklessness¡± His grip was fim, causing Seraphina to wince in pain However, this didn¡¯tst long as the quickly hartjintsughter (you deaminagat cant, to me, is of utmost importance. As formy life. She paused, leting out a casual chuckle, Thx really al that important¡± With that she broke free from Leandros mp, opened the car door, and got our Leandro sat in the car, watching her walk lightly into themun ty his eyes demained silent. Meanalle a ck sedan nasily passed through themunity¡¯s security system, receiving a friendly nod from the security guard and silently drove into the underground parking liThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 At the apament, Seraphina¡¯s steps gradually slowed down What she had just experienced made her heart pound and while her heart rate had calmed down now her body was insealy bred She trudged towards the apartment door, only to bump into Balch who wasing out from nude. She stared nkly at Balch, seeming a bit out of it. Balch, as always, was calm Seeing her ke this, he can¡¯t help but frown. Whatsup?¡± Seraphina was silent for a moment, then suddenly look a step forward and 1! sudden movement and took a step back then gently patted her back and as i herself into Balch¡¯s arms, hugging him tightly. Halch was taken aback by her ¡°What¡¯s going ont After a while, Seraphina finally spoke, her voice chok with emotion, Talmost had an ident on my way back¡± Balch stopped eating her back, ¡°What happened?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina looked up at him. ¡°I went to see my grandpa, and Leandio was the one who demar me back. Balch nodded ¡°On the way, two cars and almost hit ¡°Seghina said that car had hit Leandros cat could har been a goner. Balch listened, then slowly said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re alright now, which means | i still got some life in you.¡± Seraphina and more into Balch¡¯s arms, whispering. For the first time I realized how scared I am of dying Balch stood there quietly for a moment, then in a low voice said ¡°Next time you visd Conway Reynolds, I¡¯ll go with you! Seraphina nodded hugging him tighter and not willing to in go. Balch didnt say anything else, and the two of them just stood there in the doorway hugging each other not knowing how many pairs of eyes in theples had seen them Two days at the Reynolds Group In the soffice, Leandro was looking at a documen! The man standing in front of him was Ab bot, a hodyguard and also the Leandro and Sephina Diwani nights ago. iental, and wants to settle it privately¡¯ A bbot said. ¡®Tven though I think it was clearly an The other party insists that it was then dreing mistake purely intentional crash, since Mi Reparolds doesn¡¯t intend to pursue itgreed to me request for private sement Leandro closed the document and wrote a check for Ab bot Ab bot took the check and didn¡¯t Inger leaving the office buckly Leandro sat in his leather chair lighting a cigare for him. Not long after his phone on the table suddenly recerve gush notification: Leando didn¡¯t move, but he had the message dewly-Halch had bought a super expensive jmel, and ghed it to hisdy hand. Seraphins Leandro lowered his head to look at the phone, his hand holding the cigarettenmoxing After a while, Keen came in to report the afternoon¡¯s itinerary and immediately sensed the tense atmosphere in the office in fact this low pressure situation hadsted for two days, causing Keen great dives. He reported the alberon¡¯s schedule reluctantly with Leandro sitting quietly throughout he mentioned the evening bandun Leandro puddenly said. ¡°Cancel it Kem was taken aback, looking at Leandro with confusion, wondering if he had heard wrong After all, the banquet that night was to entertain the city nning department, a very important event, For Leandro, work was always the most important thing and this situation was totally out of the undnary. Leandru didn¡¯t look at him, just quietly smoked. The pale sm ose, and the man¡¯s deep eyes fondless (a moment, nodded quickly crossed out that dem from the schedule, and left the office Chapter 62 Chapter 62 14:59 1 Chapter 62 On this day, Seraphina was feeling particrly chil Balch had the moming off and they had bakfast together, then he took her to an auction His orginal goal was to toga paiming but when he tow how much Seraphina admired a sapphim jewelry set heced a bid ferit Theewer aber bidsen, but in the end Batch went for a cretly penny Once the auron was over Seraphina chuckled and said, ¡°Mr Lawson, so you¡¯re not afraid to drop some serious dough, hunt To which Each responded, ¡°Value is in the eye of the beholder if someone appreciates et prats wheers woles Would you do me the honor Ms. Bet?¡± Seraphinaughed out loud, then nodded, ¡°Wel since you¡¯ve already bought it can hold onto it for a who After the wacher, a swarm of reporters were waiting outside Balch wasnt.one for intergewe and Seraphina was used to dodging tough questions, always managing to keep her cool and stay quiet. Still, the news that Balch had splurged ona sapphire every ses and fed into Seraphina spread like fire, al quertown within an hour In the afternoon Each ited to hire and Semphing warthome and posteli photos of the entire jewelry set on her social media She¡¯d had the amount for a whre but has tally posted anything, and had just a handful of follows. Thanks to the po of social media, though, her past got shared over a thousand times half an hour. Ten minutester it had been shared¡± 5ldmbng She made hell a cup of coffee sipping and enjoying the frenzy on socialmedia. Just as interupting her. She frowned, but answered bwas enjoying reading her direct messages, herp¡¯onerang Take you to Heynolds Manas Ms. Bet, el ¡®ken Mi Reynolds asked me to pick you up Hearing this Seraphina¡¯s mind came to hah. Was Leandrs having en pick her up to help her with her publicity, or did he actually want to see her? Either way, she couldn¡¯t refuse. She hade this far Thad no son to abandon her entire n just becausec! Grunds Tim at home¡¯ she answered calmly ¡°Come on over At half-part four Keen picked up Seraphina and drove fer through the busy city to Reynolds Manot an hourter, Andul the otherwise quiet mansion took on an even may deste buta. in the mansion, she came to a sudden hat. The dimly ithal was fled with Seraphina rated the car and promptly headed inside. The moment the stepped int anbousted fumtus tharthapes sagi te dimness, al pocket for a conspicuous whitechurt Leandro was there seated alone on a rouch. The moment Sraphina entered, he sparked up a z garense. The me hnefly illum rated his lowered face His expression seemed dimached apathec, and had an undercument of danger Seraphina hadn¡¯t opted to find Leandro here at this hour Shouldn¡¯t this workaholic typically being away ¡°Is something unmod with grandpa Senphins asked e office past midnight? Leandro sinaly Legal ha head, grany her a seemingly casual nce. Yes. Seraphina found it impossible to decipher his emotions. Mut warding is inger, she humied upstairs Upstairs, there was no one Seraphina stood at Conway¡¯s door standing qually for a wide then slowly understood Leandro did-lining her here to boost her publicity, not for grandpa. He just. wanted to see het that was al. But what could be so important that he would take time out to meet a me in this house? Seaphina walked is the sarcase and slowly descented The light in the room seemed even dance, and Leandro was still quietly uefly sitting on the sofa tha only. movement was the flickering fame between his fingers For a moment, Seraphinata childown her neck. But what was there to fear for someone who hasThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org. already skelet Descending Six 201, Seraphina took a seat next is leandro, She nonchntly switched on a atrali table lamp positioned next to the s. The warm, orange light softly illuminated the aes around the sofa, where a ss of whiskey within stood on the emable in front of them. A ring of condensation on the ss indicated that had been left untouched for some m The room was filed with anelusive and enchanting ambiance. After a momentel sience, Seraphina turned to the man besitetet ¡°What¡¯s yourned mowe Me Beyroids?¡± Slowly Crancio Mied his gaze and blew a cloud of umske mo Seraphina¡¯s face. ¡°Make love to you¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Hearing all this a yful smile seed on Seraphina¡¯s lips, Mr. Reynolds you really don¡¯t beat around the bush, do you?¡± As a journal, she had dealt with tons of mastigatur cases out the years, and that had honed her ack assessment skills to a She had a sharp sense for danger of all sorts and was usually ready to roll with the punches or save her own hide before things went south However ever since the sumed to Sunburst City, especially when dealing with Leandro, her spidey semes seemed to go on the fuz Like now She had not seen thising when she decided to drop by Leandro¡¯s gaze was fixed on Seraphina The warm orange light from themp cast a gentle hun on gracefully together. Her stunning smile held steady, but there was a befpate in her gaze. Seung Leandro¡¯s intense stare, Seraphina negained herposite and nonchntly perched on the couch Leandredi eyn, as unfathomable as ever, camed a different face now His gaze had always been frosty in the past revealing no emotion. But at this moment, under the scmp light, he observed her like a predatory on tantly assessing his prey. Seraphina was fully aware that Leandro was am who shaped turbo him word She nced at the door seemingly casually it was half¨Copen, just as it was when she came in it hadn¡¯t been docet For a moment. Seraphina had a mental image of herself bolting out of the door but immediately dismissed the idea. The door was open because Leandro couldn¡¯t be bothered to close it. Whether it was open or closed wouldn¡¯t affect his ns or mood for the night. In a ch doses of possible responses went through Seraphina¡¯s mind, but none of them stuck. Finally y she took a deep breath, looked at Leandie and asked was up with his current behavior? While Leandro did have a physical action to her, he had made it clear he had no interest in sleeping with her So, what was ¡°Make the best of what you have Leandro sad Heaning this, Seraphina almostughed, ¡°What?¡± Leandro casually flicked the ash off his rigante, his voice low and slow ¡°Since you don¡¯t give a damn about life and death, why waste this.body?¡± Heaning this, Seraphina finally burst outughing, ¡°Sa Mi Reynolds, you fancy my body, huh? Should I express my feelings?¡± ¡°Don & muller¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina shrugged. ¡°I know you don¡¯t give a hoot about my consent, Mr. Reynolds, but I would like to say I¡¯m not down for Period Leandro stubbed out his game, slowly leaned in, his lips almost touching Seraphina¡¯s ¡°Show me how much you dont want to¡± Unexpectedly Seraphinaughed. She hooked her arm around Leandro¡¯s neck and leaned into him, clearly noteisting Leandro settled back onto the couch, and she sat on hisp Tim not a fool I know you¡¯re gonna make a might, Mr. Reynolds Resisting would just be asking for trouble¡± Seraphina began unbuckling his belt. ¡°So, why not loosen up and enjoy the de She unbuckled Leandra¡¯s belt and unnpped his pants Just as her hand was about to reach in Leandro suddenly held her wait tightly. The next moment, he came her upstai The second floor was Leandro¡¯s bedroom. This room wa filled with remnants of his pa Seraphina waspletely naked, making skin look even smoother on the ck sheets. Shey on the bed,ughing, screaming pasting fully going along with When Leandro was about to ann, she mised her hand to stop him. ¡°Condom¡± she said Leandra¡¯s yelk tion, he responded to her resistance with action. Seraphina moaned, furtongerbrows Leandro paused, watching her quietly his gazem The next momen Leandropletely lost contral Seraphin¡¯s thoughts wete drowned in her own voice elet out a yful giggle, ¡°Mr Reynolds, you When it and it was one Seraphina ng light Intimacy couldn¡¯t be more intimate the between a man and a woman But she and Leando The bodies remained closely entwined, Leandra pressed faa nless noipuling amay at a Catching her breath, Seraphinas gaze frated on thei propped himself up, locking eyes with her uspectedughter in syspotino, | and Mowly Mr Reynolds you¡¯re quite itemated, a yfulnecing har murda. Ready for another round?¡® Without missing a beat Leandro swiftly timed her over and pressed himmell onto her from berind The long right was fed with the intimate moments. Leard book ¡°make the best of what you have the storm from start to finish, he didn¡¯t say a sedly left his mark all cvet Semphina¡¯s body A15 am the mom ng light was just starting to peek through Seraphina wecke up from her sleep, alone in the bed. The dom was very quiet, Leandro wasnt in the tachicon either Ignoring the pain, Seraphina sat up wrapped the quilt around herself and walked out of the room benfoci. The mansion was rely quiet, except for the light from Leandro¡¯s study. Seraphina walked and loand the door to the study was open, she could hear Leandro¡¯s voice from inside She took a quick perk nude Leandro had already changed into a shift and dress pants and was sitting behind his desk, chatting away at herputer somen. He looked so full of energy, you¡¯d never guess hed just spent the ente night getting bony between the sheets Comparing hell him Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butment the unfames of states desig I between men and women. She tumed back into Leandrds bedroom Inund her chin on the flour at the font of the bed, and then stodeine the bathroom Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. By the time Leandrapped up his meeting and named in his boom, Serophing was already gone. All she left behind we crumpled bits of paper shown across the floor, a umpled bed, and a lone eaming on the plow By then, Seraphina was already on her way home Keen, the driver, has been waiting downstairs the whole night and had only been woken up act long ago he was still be gropy. As they passed a phamac Seraphina suddenly sand ¡®Pullov Keen hit the buses immediately and tuned to lock at her Seraphins fathed him a smile, ¡°Your boss was a too muchst night, I can barely walk. Could you do me a favor and got me some emergency contraception Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Keen, a guy in his thirties was luching schoolboy He was a man of the world, but now he was da mn, Muy what ¡°Moming afterol¡¯ Schina repeated clearly then stoned rummaging in her hag Dced to se you money?¡± ¡°Nano need¡± en quickly waved his hands, turned around and pushed the door to get out, stepping into the promacy nearby Keen emerged from the pharmacy, holding the prescrpoon pills ready to exhale a breath of were enrcling heat mapping photos and hombasding him with questions! But as he lifted his gaze has heated A swam al paparaz Tamod Keen hissed under his bath, shaped his mind that this distict was moaned for its nichtclubs and hotels ¨C a hotspot for gossip-mon gers powling for scoops Heachamcipated running into them! es the ricumstances, his presence was the adding fuel to the fire, but if he abandoned Seraphina here and fed, knowing her character the fallout could be evin qaver the thoughts radien in his head, Keen humadly stor?et away the bestly purchasefipills and bot Mouse step aside¡± he pleaded, ¡°This is a personal matter Feirann from taking photos!! The moment Keen stopped forward a sharp eyed sporter recognized him. All lenses ang inadection and inehamage of questions tuned even more antonal Ms Bet, why are you with Mr Feynold¡¯ ensstart eary attemonng?¡± Ms. Be, can youment on your worch path Mr. ReynoldT Dom Mr Lawson know about your rtionship with Mr. Reynolds? Whats his takeon mig? Saphirasat in the caring to these questions and sighed ¨C were these the only questions reporters visked? Shemed set, just smiling while the The reporters lng to get anything our of her tumed to Gen ¡°Mr Ken, why are you with Ms Hennen?¡± ¡± Keen, are you helping Mr. Reynolds escort Ms Bone!! Was Mr. Reynolds with Ms Etst night?¡± ¡°What were you buying in the phamary, Mr. Keen? Despre being used to scandals under Leandros wing Keen was taken aback by the ferocity of the papa r a zzi He just wanted to push through them and get in the car Big the more he third to get away the more they dung to him in the hustle. The moming aller pill in Keen¡¯s pocket ident, Seraphina satn the car watching the whole scenario and almoel burst intoughter Leando really picked a great assistant The reponers, seen; ziepil, qualified up. They frantically took pictures of the pill on the ground, then sumed to Seraphina again with a fury of questions. Keen sized the opportunity to pick up the p om the ground quickly got in the ran ignoting the reporters hanging on the car and drove off. The world suddenly became qurt Sephena sneakily nced at Keen, who had brads of west on his forchrad We you okay? Seuchera asked Keenlucked, he dearly anoisted the consequences of the encounter with the pap ar azzi Ul now he has always been polite in Seraphina But now, he tossed the man ng after pat Seraphinia.paused for a moment, then suddenly turned to Seraphina Cid youral these porters?¡± ¡°What good would mate¡± Seraphina opened the box of pls and startedughing. And besides, I wasnt the one who dropped this bo Ken was speechless at her words. Megilled his teeth his hand prosing the steering wheel so hard that the eens wee popping. Swashina took the pill nced at him, and held back herugier Aber dropping Seraphina off at her apartment, Kom went to the office. The moment he walked into his office is phone started ringing een red at his phone, sute enough. The news had already hit the with another chactic day was upon him! After tuming to her eponment, Seraphina started prong her suitcase. Luckily he hadn¡¯t bom living there for long and didn¡¯t have much stuff A4-inch sutase was enough to hold all her belongings. After patung her stuff, Seraphina left te kry in the shoe cab at the entrance and left. After leaving, the returned to her previous tested apartment Once hack inter il apartmen, Seraphina immediately crawled back into bed, surned off he phone covered herself with the nket, and went to sleep She slept until 2 in the afternoon, the world squirt Seraphina stuping aches all other body She food herself to the bathroom, delub with water, and soaked in the w in the water, all the brises and other antipnis marks seemed magnded After lying in the tub for a while, the tumedon her phone braingetexts and missed calls, Schinad oed Landsnumber She thought that chandio would be busy today hal migroing, fie picked up quickly Seems like he¡¯s having a lecturely day? Seraphins slightly and slowly said Tarheenthin ng we need in talk about what happenedst night male feeling her body r in the midst of a meeting with the fams up butives, Leanda found himself attentively listening to a voce, somewhat tapy, through his phone ¡°Seven years ago, youbeled me an allusional care Seraphina¡¯s soce from theater and ¡®Animw, after those same seven years, I¡¯s you when pursuing intimacy will ¡°A soit chuckle from her followed these wals. Leandro, respective of themisionors you¡¯ve lost Win that the call ended. Seraphina hadhung up Leandro gently not down phone, fumed to his colleagues wong allenton, and gave a bril resolutement. Bortmun After har Ludi Seraphins dred her hair, didn¡¯t put on makeup, charged her clothon and was about to go out, but when she opened the door, she saw Sandra The Mom Sandra saw bet it was as if fi mas atoul to burnt out of her eyes, ¡°Smaphia! What the bell is going on?¡± Seraphiajul poked at for her makeup free eyes relson, as if they were about to wel up will leves 1/2 felt a gang in her heart, quickly grabbing her hand, in Leandro bring a jerk to you?¡± Seraphina remained silent for a while belom antwenty. ¡°Nevermind. not worth taking about¡± ¡°So where are you nning to go?¡± asked Sandra. Seraphins gafant smile, ¡°Youe just in timee with me to the police on Sandra instantly Imre, ¡°Did Leandro seally- Seraphinstocked at her without saying a word ¡°You just wall! Im going to call the bestwyer to apany to file the report. This is a criminal case¡±Sandra: he can just do whatever he wants? This me we¡¯ve got to show him that thew is no jaket ¡°Get awye you know well, Seraphina said. ¡°The kind you have a good rtionship with¡± Sandra modded in agreement ? reached for her phone, ¡°Does he thinkThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 An hourter. Seraphina, apanied by Sanda and awyer walked into the police station They prove ¨¤ hours them, and by the time they came out a wom of reports who ught windofthenews had alwady gathered at the entrance of the Whether it was matarmant reporters sociales porters, franchingtories, or social media reportere, they all hoped to get the scoop on this incident- After all, it med Leandro, an influential figure in Sungurt Cry. Seselia was found to have speak a right with him in the morning and then she walked into the police staten in the moon uld such a tamal events not spark peoples unosity? When they left the matin front of the police station was a mosked by porters wasnturid the polis intervened that that Sandra¡¯s car was able ip ka Seraphina cuped the passenger seat, heaving a sigh as the poor in the scene of umpiriding reporters outs de me vehicle Sando, at thewheel ganced towards hehe es silly suff. Catching Sandra, Seraphina tuned her head and fathet a cr¨¦e, asking. What¡¯s on your d Weddelsm just get Leandro anested! Sandn¡¯t question came out, cool and cup Leaning backfortably into her soul, Simphina esconded urhumedly. What else was I supposed to do? When ites down it, I chose to coborate with Kimst night¡± Upon hearing the Sandra grmed her teeth. ¡°That¡¯s why won jatt let him get away wi Sandra hulled ¡°You maly pink these repones : valy want for ¡°Of course not¡± Seraphina slowly curved her lips mo a smile. But do want him to know, mind a pushover¡± Sandra drove Seraphina around the city for a Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Laskudsepping hereff at her small apartment-11 i got crk A recognizable Lincoln car was stationed at the base of the apartment building Seeing it Sandia¡¯s face tightm 111 apany your upstairs! Laughing all her concem, Seraphina responded, ¡°? pratoga og won¡¯t be able to have a genuine discussion with hem? ¡°Dont worry¡±Seraphina tumed her gaze towards the Lincols, ¡°The dates to amme over this, he¡¯s not the acknow With those words, the exted ther velude As Seph na made her way towards the apartment, the soot of the ck Lincoln wung open, and cut spoed Bach, dad in a sleek ck suf Sandra watched him from the car, and Hulch nced back at Sandra before slowly walking towards the apartment When Halhared at me door Seraphina wan tumbing wrh the inek Frustated wch herled anemals to open the door, she gave it a more kick. Balch stepped forward to help, but Seraphina moved her hand away and tumedherhead. Watch took the xays from bet and after a few funt, managed to unlock the door Seraphina causes for a moment then turned around and walked into the apartment. She was about close the door hesitated She wem inside and Bakh followed, closing the door behind tim ten she saw Balch standing there and ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you moved back? Balch tuned on the lights and asked gently. Seraphina sat on the sofa, silent for a moment before finally saying. ¡°Heft the bays at the entrance won¡¯t being back.¡± Hearing this arch pulled us a chair from the dreng tab and sat down, and slowly started to talk, ¡°Th you should at least what led ¡°Your mke was grting involved with a woman like me¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You¡¯ve experienced feathard that there¡¯s no bent to being with manly brings you negative press and endless trouble¡± Hoting this deption, Halch heutated for a moment, then got up and sat next una was simi for a long time before she finally waspeed, ¡®Im sory¡± Seraphina What? ¡°Why don¡¯t youe me It took a wnds for Seraphing totum and look at him, Lastnight I wantedly forced ini¡± Balchu hand fielding the cigarete, poused lightly this eyes tightonal balore he finally asked, ¡°And then?¡± Spilledttery 1 didit expect that at biyna Manor, i would be reminded of many harga tommy past find out inover really forgal Balch tales a pull of crore, his voiceloe, ¡°Martenstating like you!¡± The festimethey met, she had openly told him that she was a woman who holds quidper Tideslike this sale of mullion¡± Seana admitted, ¡°T wdy I went in thepole Maton in roi critain about the and mult, but by my best you seeding hep? Balch asked Sean shocked the led down to you this anymore. You¡¯re done tough forescewe¡± Baldi cane tumed down to the and inwupped the butt in a napkin and how it into the bush 1/2 14.50) Chapter 65 John watched, she suddenly hugged him. ¡°Thank you for ything you¡¯ve given me Sapin said, ¡®I well. You shoul After saying tha. Seraphina paused for a moment, then slowly let him go. Then she got up and opened the dost ¡°Goodbye¡± Balch got up and moved ned folket fuming his head to look at her Senghina lockedback athim Balch wached out to touch her face, but Seraphina grabbed his at tightly and shook her head, ¡®Don¡¯t do this. Don¡¯t look back for me, and I hope we never m apain¡± With that she pushed Balch out the door and closed it without locking back Bachstood outside for a while before finally suming and leasing That night was a sleepless one for many in Sunburst City, especially for the shareholders of the Reynolds Group The night the Starhaven stock market opmed the Reynolds Group¡¯s stock priceplummeted due to the allegations of sexual anagan Leandro. The next day. when the domestic stock market opened, it was a shapery slope for the Reynolds Group¡¯s stocks. As skepticism from the media and buzz on social media tforms intensified the Reynolds Groups share prices kept sinking showing no signs of recovery. When Sandra approached Senghina to discuss this, the could barely contain her amusmel Good mough for him, that Leandro Sandra dered. He was always acting so high and mighty, assuming he has everything under control E¡¯s about me he Tasted failure! You know, the Reynolds Group has issued several statemis ?but nobody¡¯s buying it. They¡¯repletely ineffectiv However, Seraphinas traction to this was not as enthus antic as ch could be brought down by a mere baseless scandal? stume. After all Leonpro Bad been at the helm of the Reynolds Group for years, how This thought was still echoing in her mind when she received a phone call. Her expression immediately transformed upon the cal ¡°What¡¯s up? Seraphina casually asked quabbing a biscurt and sensing it into her mouth Sandra looked at Seraphina, her voice stiff, ¡°Leandro just held a press conference, publicly announcing that you are his fanc¨¦e¡± The biscutin her mouth was suddenly crunched into pieces, and Sephina yelped in pain from bating her tongue Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Sandra shut down herputer, did a quick search online, and immediately found the press conference video of the Reynolds Group. from half an hour ago. In the video, Leandro was dressed in a ck suit, his face serious and aloof. The reporters below were orderly and quiet, taking turns to speak, nothing like the verbal assault they had onceunched against Seraphina. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, can you give a straightforward answer about your rtionship with Ms. Seraphina?¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds did not want to disclose much to the public about his personal feelings,¡± the PR manager of the Reynolds Group, Cam, spoke on Leandro¡¯s behalf. ¡°However, considering the misunderstandings that have arisen, we feel it necessary to rify. There is absolutely no inappropriate rtionship between Mr. Reynolds and Ms. Seraphina. All the rumors on the inte are false, and the Reynolds Group will take legal action against these rumors¡­ Before she could finish, Leandro suddenly rose from his seat and walked to the podium, taking the microphone directly from Cam. He looked at the reporters below with a cold tone, ¡°The Ms. Seraphina you¡¯re talking about is my future wife.¡± Everyone on and off the stage froze. The reporters immediately began murmuring among themselves, and Cam on the stage looked at Leandro in shock, unable to speak. ¡°Does Mr. Reynolds mean you are engaged to Ms. Seraphina? When was this agreed upon?¡± ¡°Seven years ago, Leandro replied. At his words, the room became a mess and the reporters began firing questions. *Mr. Reynolds has been engaged to Seraphina for seven years, but why was Seraphina dating Balch?¡± ¡°Ms. Seraphina has never openly responded to your rtionship, is there a problem between you two?¡± ¡°Two days ago, Seraphina went to the police station with awyer. What is your exnation for this, Mr. Reynolds?¡± The security staff struggled to maintain order, while Leandro watched the excited reporters coldly. Only when the room quieted down did he speak again, ¡°You should ask her these questions.¡± With that, he stood up and left the press conference. Sandra was furious, ¡°Could he be any more shameless? Even such a lie can be made up!¡± Seraphina watched the video quietly, paused for a moment, and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Are youughing?¡± Sandra red at her, ¡°What are you going to do about this?¡± Seraphina sighed and said, ¡°Haha, if I knew this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have broken up with Balch. Let them fight it out, who knows. what the oue would be?¡± ¡°Seraphina! Can you be serious?¡± Seraphina patted her shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this doesn¡¯t affect me as much as you think. In a way, it might even be a good thing.¡± ¡°A good thing?¡± Seraphina smiled and said, ¡°Anything that helps to reveal the truth is a good thing.¡± In the afternoon, Seraphina was picked up by Conway¡¯s secretary Lacy and taken to the nursing home where Conway was staying. Conway was in good spirits and was exercising in the small garden. Hearing the sound, he turned and saw Seraphina. He immediately. walked into the house with a happy face, ¡°Seraphina, are you here to see me?¡± But Seraphina showed her displeasure, ¡°You¡¯re such a bad person!¡± Conway raised an eyebrow, ¡°How can you talk to me like that?¡± Seraphina crossed her arms and sat down on the couch, ¡°Since you and your grandson teamed up to trick me, you should¡¯ve expected me to talk to you like this!¡± Conway immediately defended himself, ¡°When did I collude with him to trick you? He said the air in the old house wasn¡¯t good and wanted to move me here. I didn¡¯t really want to¡­ Seraphina coldly said, ¡°You¡¯re too cunning. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll believe you.¡± Conwayughed at her tone, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re now part of our Reynolds family!¡± Seraphina coldly replied, ¡°Did you ask for my consent?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Just as she finished, there was a knock on the door. A momentter, a tall figure opened the door and walked in. Seraphina looked up, paused for a moment, then said warmly, ¡°Bruce Reynolds.¡± Bruce Reynolds, nearly sixty, still looked dashing and about fifty, full of mature male charm. Seeing Seraphina, Bruce wasn¡¯t surprised, he just smiled, ¡°Seraphina, I thought you might¡¯ve forgotten me.¡± ¡°How could I?¡± Seraphina stood up to greet him, ¡°I might forget others, but never you and Grandpa!¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t youe to see me when you came back?¡± Bruce asked. Seraphina sat on a chair next to him and replied, ¡°If I knew I was going to meet you under such awkward circumstances, I would¡¯vee to see you earlier. Maybe you could¡¯ve helped me solve this problem.¡± Bruce smiled slightly, then said, ¡°You¡¯re all grown up now, after all, this is between you and Leandro. I can¡¯t really intervene.¡± ¡°Bruce, that¡¯s a nice thing to say!¡± Seraphina said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to be involved, why are you here today? Just to see Conway?¡± Bruceughed helplessly. Conway said, ¡°You see, she¡¯s not the old Seraphina anymore. I always feel she¡¯ll drive me crazy.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t pin this on me. If anything did go wrong, it¡¯s because of your grandson¡¯s tomfoolery. What¡¯s that got to do with me?¡± Seraphina retorted without hesitation. Conway was pissed off by her wittyeback, crossing his arms and sulking in silence. Bruce didn¡¯t continue the discussion either. Instead, he asked, ¡°How¡¯s your mom?¡± These two, seeing her for the first time since their reunion, always had to bring up her mother. Seraphina sighed and answered, ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Bruce nodded, ¡°Have you been doing okay in Starhaven all these years?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t answer immediately, just locked eyes with Bruce. After a pause, she finally said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll y along with Leandro¡¯s arrangement and pretend to be his fiancee, out of respect for Bruce.¡± Hearing this, Conway red at her unhappily, ¡°Pretend to be his fiancee? You¡¯ve epted his proposal, so it¡¯s all real!¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes, ¡°Oh, please, Grandpa, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s advising him behind his back. Don¡¯t say any more!¡± Conway clutched his chest melodramatically, pretending to have a heart attack, but Seraphina just ignored him. Bruce said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go home and have dinner with Bruce tonight.¡± Seraphina knew that after Leandro announced her as his fiancee, there would inevitably be a series of actions to mitigate the impact of this incident. Bruce was obviously here to deal with the aftermath, so she cooperated and said, ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Since Conway still needed to do some checks at the nursing home, Seraphina hopped in Bruce¡¯s ride and headed back to the Reynolds family with him. Conway clearly remembered Seraphina¡¯s role in the Reynolds family, so before parting, he repeatedly urged Bruce to take good care of Seraphina. Seraphina looked at him and asked, ¡°Grandpa, are you still worried that I¡¯ll be bullied?¡± Conway was startled at first, then snapped his fingers, ¡°With your stubborn nature now, nobody dares to bully you!¡± Seraphina gave a coldugh, ¡°I¡¯ve been bullied to this extent by you guys the Reynolds family, and yet you still dare to say no one dares to bully me.¡± Conway couldn¡¯t refute her, so he waved his hand for the driver to start the car. As the car left the nursing home, Bruce chuckled quietly, ¡°You really are different from before.¡± Seraphinained, ¡°If I was still like before, I¡¯d be bullied even more!¡± Hearing this, Bruce reached over and patted her head, ¡°If you ever have any problems in the future, come find me. I¡¯ll help you out.¡± Seraphina just smiled. Leandro was a loner. He respected his elders, but no one in the Reynolds family could control him. The car drove towards the Reynolds family¡¯s new mansion, as they reached the private road, the car slowed down. The driver whispered, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, there are reporters.¡± Bruce wasn¡¯t surprised. He turned to Seraphina, ¡°Do you want to have a chat with the reporters?¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°Do I have the right to refuse?¡± Bruce smiled, and the driver pulled over. As soon as the car stopped, two reporters came up to the window. They were originally nning to interview the Reynolds family members, but they were thrilled to see Seraphina sitting with Bruce. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Ms. Bet, could we take a few minutes of your time for an interview?¡± Seraphina nced at themzily, while Bruce calmly said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Ms. Bet, was your engagement with Mr. Leandro already decided?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina and Bruce exchanged a nce andughed. Bruce said, ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, ask something useful, don¡¯t waste our time.¡± The reporter immediately asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re engaged to Mr. Leandro, what¡¯s your rtionship with Mr. Balch?¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Mr. Lawson is a good friend of mine. We get along very well, and he has helped me a lot.¡± ¡°But Mr. Lawson gave you a set of jewelry worth millions, is this the behavior of ordinary friends?¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes, ¡°That set of jewelry was only purchased in Mr. Lawson¡¯s name, how can you be sure who actually paid for it?¡± Bruce casually nced at his watch. Seeing this, the reporter quickly asked, ¡°Two days ago, you went to the police station with awyer. May I ask why you went to the police station?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Who said going to the police station must be for reporting a crime? I have an old ssmate who works there, I went to chat with him and two friends, but you guys misunderstood and blew it out of proportion, really scared me.¡± The two reporters were a bit surprised by this answer, then quickly turned to Bruce, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, are you satisfied with Ms. Bet, your future daughter-inw?¡± ¡°Seraphina grew up in our Reynolds family, I¡¯ve watched her grow up since she was little, what do you think?¡± Bruce asked with a smile. The reporters wanted to ask more, but Bruce waved his hand, ¡°That¡¯s enough for today, we have things to do.¡± The window slowly rolled up, the two reporters were still asking something, but they were shut out. The car continued towards the Reynolds family. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Bruce, how did I do?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Bruce pointed at her, ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out, you did this all on purpose from the beginning!¡± ¡°No way?¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°I did it all for your sake, Bruce. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t bother making trouble for myself.¡± Heanng this, Bruce paused for a moment before asking, ¡°You and Balch¡­¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°We broke up.¡± Seraphina answered directly, ¡°After all this, how could I have the nerve to stay with him?¡± Bruce coughed awkwardly at her answer. They soon arrived at Reynolds Vista Retreat. Compared to the old-fashioned elegant Reynolds Manor, the new mansion was a modern vi, about three times the size of the old house, incredibly luxurious. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Seraphina said Bruce led her into the mansion, said, ¡°It was designed by Leandro himself.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina scoffed. ¡°That is not so bad.¡± Bruce chuckled. As the two of them walked in, everyone in the hall who was chatting instantly turned their attention towards them. Seraphina noticed that all the Reynolds siblings hade. Gloria was sitting in the middle, other aunts and uncles also came in pairs. Seeing this, Seraphina felt respected. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Seraphina, she followed Bruce and greeted everyone with a smile, ¡°Hello Gloria, hello everyone.¡± She grew up in the Reynolds family, treated like a daughter by Bruce. So, she was referred to by everyone else in the same way as Leandro referred to her. It felt like she was really part of the Reynolds n. Gloria and a few aunts looked at her as usual, but her younger uncle chuckled, ¡°Is this Seraphina? You¡¯re really grown up. I can hardly recognize you.¡± Just then, his wife pinched him so hard that he let out a cry of pain. Seraphina was used to this kind of scene. In the past, she might have been embarrassed, but now she just smiled and responded, ¡°Thank you for thepliment. You still look so young. You haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± Her uncle just chuckled at this, but her aunt red at Seraphina. However, the usually talkative and sharp-tongued woman surprisingly didn¡¯t criticize Seraphina this time. Gloria¡¯s gaze towards Seraphina was still cold and wary. Since childhood, Seraphina always thought Gloria to be tense, often arguing with Bruce and frequently sarcastic towards her. However, this time she seemed to have held back and simply said, ¡°Since everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s start eating.¡± Seraphina knew exactly why. The stock price of the Reynolds Group had fluctuated dramatically because of her, and everyone here had a stake in it. Facing her, the key yer, of course they must be cautious. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Seraphina was dining alone with ten elders of the Reynolds family. Seven years ago, she might have been too scared to even sit at the table in such a situation, but today, she was eating quitefortably. Apart from Bruce, everyone else also talked to her, albeit a bit stiffly, and the topics were all trivial. But Gloria was the only one who didn¡¯t say a word throughout the meal, just quietly eating her food, not even bothering to nce more than once at Seraphina. But Seraphina didn¡¯t mind, she was happily eating and chatting on her own. After dinner, Bruce directly invited Seraphina to stay over. ¡°We¡¯ve always had a room prepared for you at home. Now that you¡¯re back, you should stay,¡± Bruce said. ¡°The house is spa c ious andfortable. Why would you want to stay out?¡± Bruce always treated her like family, and Seraphina felt his words were sincere, even though she wasn¡¯t entirely sure if they were all true. ¡°No, I¡¯m good living outside. This ce is too big. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll get lost, Seraphina said. ¡°Getting lost in your own house?¡± Bruce said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to move back sooner orter.¡± Was he seriously treating her as Leandro¡¯s fianc¨¦e? Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but want tough, ¡°Who says I have to move in? I don¡¯t want to.¡± As soon as she said this, everyone in the room had their own interpretations, and some started to worry. ¡°Given your rtionship with Leandro, isn¡¯t it normal for you to move back?¡± Leonard Reynolds, the third son of the Reynolds family, said. ¡°What rtionship do I have with him?¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to aim that high.¡± Upon hearing this, Billy Reynolds, the fourth son of the Reynolds family, said: ¡°You grew up in the Reynolds family. It would be good for you to move back and spend more time with grandpa. He¡¯sThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org. missed you all these years you¡¯ve been away.¡± His implication was that she should listen to the elders of the Reynolds family, and stop causing trouble for them. Seraphina justughed and didn¡¯t respond. Gloria had been watching with cold eyes, and just as she was about to speak, there was a sudden commotion at the entrance of the hall. Everyone turned to see Leandro walking in from outside. Upon seeing him, everyone rxed a bit. ¡°Oh, this is quite a surprise!¡± A younger aunt immediately went up to him with a smile, ¡°Leandro, I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time. What a coincidence today. Look at you, why are you so thin? Don¡¯t work too hard, rest more.¡± Leandro nodded in acknowledgment and went up to greet the elders. Gloria, who had been expressionless all night, now looked slightly warmer, ¡°What brings you home today? Have you eaten yet?¡± ¡°I ate nearby¡± Leandro was still cold as ever, ¡°Just thought I¡¯d stop by.¡± ¡°You came back at the perfect time.¡± Bruce said, ¡°Seraphina was about to leave. You should take her home and spend some time with her.¡± The moment he finished speaking, Seraphina saw Gloria¡¯s face darken and she couldn¡¯t help but want tough. But if she let Leandro take her home, wouldn¡¯t that be like walking into a trap? ¡°I¡¯m not going back.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°If Bruce wants me to stay, then I¡¯ll stay! Where¡¯s my room?¡± Bruce thenughed, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone show you.¡± *Alright.¡± Seraphina stood up and followed a ser vant to the second floor. As Seraphina¡¯s figure disappeared up the stairs, Leonard finally turned to Leandro, ¡°Leandro, I don¡¯t mean to criticize you, but you really let your guard down this time. It¡¯s clear that she¡¯s using you. I never thought she¡¯d be this tricky. What is she trying to do?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± an aunt chimed in, ¡°Isn¡¯t she just hoping against hope that she can still have a rtionship with Leandro and use it as a way to enter our Reynolds family? Now that she thinks she has some power, she¡¯s acting all high and mighty in front of us! Once this period passes, we¡¯ll see if she can still be so smug!¡± Bruce frowned at this, ¡°Enough! I was the one who asked her loe back and stay!¡± The Reynolds siblings looked at Bruce, and in the end, they were overpowered by his authority and did not say anything more. Only the aunt kept muttering. ¡°Everyone knows why you¡¯re partial towards her¡­¡± Bruce red at her, and she finally shut up for good. Gloria¡¯s face turned ashen due to these words. Just when she was about to blow up, Leandro stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going back first.¡± Seeing this, Gloria quickly stood up to stop him, ¡°It¡¯s rare for you toe back, stay at home tonight. Don¡¯t go back and forth, won¡¯t you be tired?¡± ¡°Valerio has been a bit feverish these past few days.¡± Leandro said. Hearing this, Gloria frowned slightly. ¡°Then let Karan bring him over. There are so many of us at home, we can take care of one child.¡± She then took out her phone, ¡°I¡¯ll call her to bring the child over, you go up and take a shower first.¡± Leandro only replied when he heard this, and then went upstairs. On the second floor of Reynolds Vista Retreat, there was a storage room filled with clothes and jewelry sent regrly by various famous stores for guests¡¯ needs. Seraphina was looking at the room, picking out clothes. She looked up and saw Leandro standing at the door. Seraphina held up a dress and tried it on in front of the mirror. As soon as she saw him enter, she immediately startedughing and asked, ¡®Do I look good?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer, but walked in and gestured for the serv ants apanying Seraphina to leave. Seraphina watched the ser vant exit and close the door behind him, then innocently asked, ¡°My darling fianc¨¦, is there something we can¡¯t let others know about?¡± Leandro strolled to the center of the room, took a seat on the couch, lit a cigarette, and finally turned to Seraphina. With a deep voice, he said, ¡°How would you know if the skirt looks good on you if you don¡¯t try it on?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Seraphina yed along, quickly starting to remove her own skirt. Leandro sat still, unfazed. In front of Leandro, Seraphina didn¡¯t hesitate to take off her skirt, revealing arge patch of skin. Then she slowly put on the skirt in her hand, walked barefoot to Leandro, and sat directly on hisp. ¡°Do you think it looks good?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°I don¡¯t get to wear designer clothes often.¡± While speaking, she ced Leandro¡¯s hand on her back. ¡°I can¡¯t reach the zipper on the back, could you help me with it?¡± She batted her eyshes at him, pleadingly. ¡°Can you, my darling fianc¨¦?¡± Leandro¡¯s hand was right at the zipper, but he didn¡¯t move. Seraphina didn¡¯t rush him. She nuzzled against him, and when he still showed no reaction, she lowered her head and gently kissed the corner of his lips. Then, slowly, she covered his lips with hers. In this intimate moment, Leandro unzipped the dress. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Seraphina felt a tickle, her body shrank a bit, but then she burst intoughter. Leandro pulled her towards him, gently wrapping his lips around hers. Seraphina¡¯s lips were soft and rosy, and she asionally chuckled during their kiss. Leandro peeled off her dress, held her half-dressed upper body in his arms, and his big hand slowly moved downwards. Seraphina obediently snuggled up against him, until his hand slid somewhere and suddenly stopped. The romantic atmosphere suddenly disappeared, Leandro¡¯s lips left hers and then he looked up at her. Only then did Seraphina show an expression of sudden realization, ¡°Oh cr ap, I forgot it¡¯s that time of the month!¡± After she finished speaking, she got up from Leandro, put on the skirt that had slipped to her waist, and then looked at Leandro, ¡°But, this is actually your fault. I told you to use a condom that day, but you didn¡¯t, which means I had to take the morning-after pill, and now I have irregr periods¡­¡± Leandro quietly watched her, patiently waiting for her to continue speaking. Seraphina nced at him, it was only a brief kiss, but Leandro was already aroused. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, bent over and lightly jabbed his bulging pants, then looked up at him, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you seem pretty excited, you want to keep going?¡± Leandro reached out to grab her arm, but Seraphina quickly pulled her hand back to avoid him, just laughing. ¡°Too bad, I¡¯m not in the mood to apany you today¡­after all,st time, it was¡­ mediocre.¡± After saying this, Seraphina turned around and bolted out of the room. Leandro sat quietly for a while, took out a cigarette and lit one, smoking it silently. When the cigarette was almost done, Gloria passed by the room, saw him, and immediately came in. ¡°Why are you here smoking?¡± Gloria asked as she sat next to him. Leandro didn¡¯t answer, Gloria was quiet for a while, and then asked: ¡°Tell me the truth, your thing with Seraphina is just a fling, right?¡± Leandro gently tapped the ash from his cigarette, ¡°What are you worried about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that you¡¯re bewitched by her!¡± Gloria said through gritted teeth, ¡°After all, she is, at heart, a vixen!¡± Leandro heard this, a hint of a smile shed across his lips and then he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m clear- headed.) After speaking, he extinguished the cigarette, stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Gloria watched him leave the room, and when she looked back, she suddenly saw the dress that Seraphina had been wearing tossed in the corner, and her eyes narrowed. At midnight, Seraphina¡¯s eyes sprung open. After switching to a new environment, she had some insomnia, had tried for two hours but still couldn¡¯t sleep. Shey there for a while longer, then Seraphina decided to get up, pulled back the curtains, the garden lights outside were quiet and serene. Seraphina stood by the window for a while, then opened the door and walked out. She nned to take a walk in the garden, but as she reached the top of the stairs, she nearly kicked a child. Seraphina looked closely and recognized a familiar face. The child seemed to feel something, turned around, his innocent eyes looking at her. The moment their eyes met, he showed a hint of joy, but soon it turned into loss. Valerio Reynolds turned his head away, refusing to look at her anymore. Seraphina watched, a small sigh escaping her lips. In the past, this child was always clinging to her, but now he didn¡¯t even want to look at her anymore. Apparently, thest time they met, when she honestly told him she wasn¡¯t his mother, itpletely broke his heart. After all, this child¡¯s longing for a mother¡¯s love was too obvious After standing quietly behind him for a moment, Seraphina moved down a couple of steps and sat next to him. ¡°Can¡¯t you sleep either?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Valerio sat there, hugging his legs, not answering. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but sigh, looking at him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Just because I¡¯m not your mother, we can¡¯t be friends?¡± Valerio kept his head down, still silent. ¡°Hey, kiddo, you used to have a st when you were ying with me!¡± Seraphina reached out, gently patting his head. With that pat, Seraphina suddenly noticed something, bent down to look at his face, only to find that he was actually crying. Because he was not crying out loud and was trying to hold it in, his crying was very quiet. He tried not to tremble, and his tears just kept falling. Seraphina paused, stayed quiet for a moment, then pulled his head into herp. Only then did Valerio, who had been avoiding her, reach out to hug her, lean on her, and no longer held back his tears. Holding him, Seraphina barely recovered from her own low mood, only to find that Valerio¡¯s body was a bit hot. ¡°Do you have a fever?¡± Seraphina asked, but also knew she wouldn¡¯t get an answer, so she held Valerio and went back to his room. Valerio held on tightly to her neck, she had no choice but to sit on the edge of the bed holding him, softlyforting him. Thinking about this child¡¯s past, Seraphina felt a sense of regret. He was separated from his biological parents, then adopted by Leandro, was that lucky or not? This child was so longing for motherly love, so had Leandro ever investigated his background? Thinking about this, Seraphina said: ¡°I¡¯ll ask your father for you, let him tell me who your mother really is, okay?¡± Hearing this, Valerio immediately stopped crying and looked up at Seraphina. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina squinted her eyes, thinking: this little guy, he didn¡¯t do that on purpose, did he? But seeing him cry so sadly, and it didn¡¯t look like he did it on purpose, Seraphina said again: ¡°But let¡¯s make it clear, no matter whether I can get the answer or not, you can¡¯t cry in front of me anymore.¡± The moment Valerio heard those words, he quickly dried his tears with his sleeve and looked at Seraphina expectantly. ¡°What are you gawking at!¡± Seraphina lightly tapped his forehead, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯ste, we should get some sleep now. I¡¯ll help you find the answers tomorrow morning.¡± Upon hearing this, Valerio reluctantly went to bed after a while. He was still a kid, after all. Tired from crying and still recovering, he fell asleep pretty soon. Seraphina stayed with him for a while, waiting until he was sound asleep before she got up to leave. She carefully tiptoed out of the room and gently closed the door. But as she turned around, she walked right into a familiar chest. Rubbing her nose, Seraphina looked up at him. Leandro was dressed in a deep blue robe, looking like he just got out of the shower, his body still smelling of body wash. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Leandro walked right past her, opened the door to Valerio¡¯s room, took a look, presumably to see Valerio peacefully asleep, and then closed the door again. He paced back and forth, approaching her then distancing himself again. Seraphina looked up at him, took a deep breath, and said with a smile, ¡°Your shower gel smells amazing, what¡¯s the brand?¡± As she spoke, she got a grip on the belt of Leandro¡¯s robe and started to fiddle with it. Leandro looked down at her actions, then looked back up with a slightly gloomy expression. Seraphina was amused and even more reluctant to let go. ¡°Do you really think that with Aunt Florence here, I wouldn¡¯t dare to touch you?¡± Leandro finally spoke, his voice low and slightly h o ar se. Seraphina still had a smile at the corner of her mouth, ¡°Do you, Mr. Reynolds, really want toste the thrill of a bloo dy battle?¡± ¡°There¡¯s more than one way to share a bed,¡± Leandro said slowly. Seraphina¡¯s hand movement paused for a moment as she gazed at him. ¡°Besides,¡± Leandro¡¯s hand slowly gripped her chin, ¡°it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t tried before.¡± That sentence brought back a rush of memories.. Those embarrassing and awkward past moments, buried deep in her memory, suddenly surfaced, leaving Seraphina a little breathless. Leandro nced at her, released her hand, and turned to leave. Seraphina snapped back to reality and chuckled. ¡°How could it be the same?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°After all, back then, I wasn¡¯t as annoying to Mr. Reynolds as I am now, right?¡± Leandro paused and looked back at her. Seraphina didn¡¯t back down, meeting his gaze provocatively. By the time Seraphina realized how reckless she was being, she was already back in Leandro¡¯s bed. There was more than one way for a man and a woman to be intimate on a bed. Just like that year, her innocence had stirred his desires. For Seraphina back then, Leandro was the best man in the world, and even though she was willing to give herself to himpletely, he chose the most protective way to satisfy his desires, without truly possessing her. What was she feeling then? Shy but joyful, dazed but excited. That was an intimacy just between them, a precious memory she would never forget. She had carefully protected that secret, until all her dreams and memories shattered, and the secret was buried. For the present Seraphina, that memory brought shame, and the current reality brought rity. There were moments in the past she thought she had let go of, but now she realized she hadn¡¯t. She had simply hidden some things. When the memories resurfaced, those seemingly disappeared memories came back to her, making her realize that she still hated him. Before she was even aware of it, this hatred had clouded her judgment, making her willing to sacrifice herself to beat him. She just wanted to see this usually arrogant, self-important man sumb to desire, sumb to her body. Even she found it a bit absurd. Reason told her it wasn¡¯t worth it, but reality didn¡¯t allow her to back down. For Leandro, this was an insatiable release of desire. Once the long-hidden desire was exposed, it was like a flood breaking out, with nowhere to hide. From then on, he was never tired of it, never satisfied. Even though they had been intimate countless times the previous night, at this moment, all the memories of that night seemed unreachable. Only their panting breaths and intertwined bodies were real. That night, Leandro was as cold and silent as ever. Seraphina couldn¡¯t even hear his breathing. But this night, he lost control. Both were tormented by desire, but Seraphina could hear his heavy breathing, feel his chaotic heartbeat, all of which made her realize that who hadn¡¯t Inst Leandro sumbed to desire, but she did not. But in the end, Leandro still didn¡¯t let her go. He bit her lip, pressed down on her body, and finally forced out a scream from Seraphina. After the scream, Seraphina was a bit dazed. Leandro¡¯s breath was in her ear, bringing her back to reality. Oh well, Seraphina thought with some annoyance, she only sumbed to her body¡¯s response, she didn¡¯t lose. With that thought, she turned to look at Leandro. Leandro was already sitting up, ready to go to the bathroom to clean himself up. Seraphina chuckled and kicked him lightly with her somewhat numb legs. Leandro looked back at her, and Seraphina¡¯s smile was even brighter, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, how does it feel to sleep with a woman you hate? Do you feel sick afterwards?¡± Leandro gave her a nce and headed into the bathroom. Seraphina nned on spending the night in his bed just to annoy him, but the sticky feeling on her body was too ufortable, so she had to go back to her own room to shower. When Leandro came out of the bathroom, all that was left for him was an empty bed. Facing the mess on the bed, he remembered the question Seraphina had asked him. What was it like to sleep with a woman you hate? Too bad, he couldn¡¯t answer her question. It wasn¡¯t until dawn that Seraphina finally fell asleep. She managed a few hours of sleep but kept waking up. Seeing the sun had already risen, she got up. The Reynolds Vista Retreat was very quiet, seemingly devoid of people. Seraphina, rubbing her shoulders, descended the stairs, just as a maid wasing out of the kitchen. Seeing her, the maid greeted, ¡°Good morning, Ms. Bet. What would you like to eat?¡± Seraphina thought for a moment, ¡°Do you have milk?¡± ¡°Yes, we have soy milk, skimmed milk, and regr milk. Which one would you like?¡± ¡°Just the usual, Seraphina said, taking a seat at the dining table. Just as the maid had set down a ss of milk, there was a rustling from the stairway. As Seraphina turned to look, she saw Gloria, the person in the house who disliked her the most. Sure enough, the sight of her turned Gloria¡¯s face sour. Seraphina greeted her politely, ¡°Good morning, Gloria.¡± Gloria gave her the cold shoulder. As thedy of the Reynolds family, everyone aside from the main male members were expected to obey her. The Reynolds family had once shared her dislike for Seraphina. But now, they were all warming up to her, something Glorial found hard to swallow and downright refused to do. Gloria grabbed her handbag, ready to head out, but then noticed a possible kiss mark on Seraphina¡¯s neck. She stopped in her tracks, then after a moment, marched over to Seraphina, ¡°What were you up tost night?¡± Seraphina, spoon in hand, looked up at her, then followed her gaze down to her own body. It didn¡¯t take her long to catch on, and she replied with a grin, ¡°Gloria, you should be asking your son what he was up tost night, not me.¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Gloria¡¯s face changed in an instant upon hearing Seraphina¡¯s words. ¡°Seraphina, you¡¯re always trying to seduce Leandro! I¡¯ve known you¡¯re no good since you were a child, and now you¡¯re even worse! What do you think you¡¯re going to get out of this? What are you thinking?¡± The previous Gloria was just sarcastic about Seraphina. But the old Seraphina was sensitive and fragile. Gloria¡¯s words could easily get her down for a long time.. Sipping her milk, Seraphina just shrugged nonchntly, ¡°Even if I did try to seduce him, if your son had any self-control, he wouldn¡¯t fall for it. Did I force him into bed with me? It was his own choice to be with me.¡± No sooner had she finished her sentence than the ss in front of her was empty, with just a little bit left on the spoon in her hand. To Seraphina¡¯s shock, Gloria flung her ss to the floor in a fit of rage. She pointed at Seraphina and screamed, ¡°Get out! Leave the Reynolds family!¡± ¡°Gloria, I don¡¯t want to be here either, I wouldn¡¯t be here if it weren¡¯t for your son and Bruce.¡± Seraphina took a sip of her milk and looked innocent Gloria was shaking with rage, and just as she was about to hit Seraphina, Karan suddenly ran in from outside, grabbing Gloria, ¡°Mydy, calm down, calm down, please!¡± ¡°Karan, get her out, get her out of here! I don¡¯t want to see her!¡± Gloria clung to Karan¡¯s sleeve, pointing at Seraphina and roaring. ¡°Got it.¡± Karan rarely sounded so calm, ¡°You go upstairs and rest, I¡¯ll get rid of her right away.¡± As Karan was leading Gloria upstairs, she said, ¡°Why bother fighting with her? She¡¯s not worth it. Leandro could never seriously be into her, he¡¯s just cheating her¡­¡± As Seraphina listened to Karan¡¯s voice fading away upstairs, she turned to the maid who was hiding in the kitchen, ¡°Sorry for the trouble, can you get me another ss of milk? I¡¯m still hungry¡­¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. After a while, the maid came out of the kitchen with another ss of milk. As she put it down in front of Seraphina, she couldn¡¯t help but take a closer look at her. Seraphina took the ss and gave her a smile. It was almost when she had finished her milk that Karan finally came down from upstairs. Seeing Seraphina still sitting at the dining table, she stormed over, ¡°You still have the nerve to eat here? Seraphina, you were raised by the Reynolds family, can¡¯t you show some respect to Gloria, thedy of the Reynolds family?¡± ¡°I was raised by the Reynolds family¡­¡± Seraphina looked at her, ¡°Why can¡¯t Gloria respect me?¡± ¡°How else do you want her to respect you?¡± Karan said, ¡°She¡¯s let you live in this house all these years, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Seraphina shrugged andughed, ¡°Karan, you got it wrong, I did live in the Reynolds family for many years, but Gloria never epted me. You neither, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use me as an excuse!¡± Karan said, ¡°What am I in this house? How I treat you is my business! But she¡¯s put up with you for so many years, she¡¯s had enough, and you dare to talk to her like that? Have you no conscience?¡± Seraphina got the hint. In fact, the reason she was taken in by the Reynolds family and epted by Conway and Bruce was because of her mom, Magdalen. Unlike Seraphina who came to the Reynolds family when she was 10, Magdalen had lived in the Reynolds family since she was a child and was raised by them. And because of this, there seemed to be some emotional entanglement between Bruce and Magdalen, which was why Gloria never epted Seraphina. ¡°I do have a conscience.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But I¡¯m not the one who made her suffer, so I don¡¯t feel sorry for her¡± Karan seemed to be upset by her words. It was quite a while before she spoke again, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about the past, let¡¯s talk about the present. She¡¯s been having a lough time these past few years, can you stop rubbing salt into her wounds?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina immediately got interested, ¡°What happened?¡± Karan red at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what kind of person Bruce is?¡± Seraphina justughed when she heard this. Although she had never met him, Bruce had a reputation. Over the years, he had frequently made headlines due to various scandals and was well-known as a pl ayboy in town. ¡°She should be used to it after all these years, shouldn¡¯t she?¡± Seraphina asked. Karan snorted, ¡°It¡¯s one thing for him to be a yboy, but can you ept him bringing home one illegitimate child after another?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but cover her lips, ¡°Where are these illegitimate children? Where are they?¡± ¡°Seraphina!¡± Koran suddenly shouted at her, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m here to chitchat with you?¡± Seraphina rubbed her ears andughed, ¡°Alright, you just want me to stop upsetting her, right? If I promise, will that do?¡± ¡°Stay away from Reynolds Vista Retreat as much as possible, don¡¯t show up in front of her! She only has Leandro to rely on now. If she sees any connection between Leandro and you, she will definitely be upset again!¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°I¡¯d rather stay away from here. Do you think I enjoy watching all these people and things?¡± Upon hearing this, Karan couldn¡¯t help but re at her again. Seraphina had breakfast and left Reynolds Vista Retreat around noon. As soon as the driver steered the car off the private road, they were swarmed by a bunch of reporters. Seraphina didn¡¯t roll down her window, she just sat in the car and let them take their shots. She and Bruce had returned to the Reynolds Vista Retreat together and had spent the night there. That was plenty of story fodder for them. Just yesterday, Bruce had spilled the beans about her growing up with the Reynolds family, which should give people something to chew on for a while. Seraphina didn¡¯t sleep well at the Reynolds¡¯ ce, so as soon as she got back to her own pad, she crashed. She was woken up by the doorbell at 4 in the afternoon. She thought it was Sandra, but when she opened the door, she was greeted by Keen. As soon as she saw him, Seraphina knew something was up. Keen was holding arge box, which he handed over to Seraphina. ¡°Ms. Bet, there¡¯s a charity dinner tonight. Mr. Reynolds has prepared a dress and shoes for you. We hope you could give them a try.¡± Seraphinazily opened the box to find a red evening dress and a pair of high heels. ¡°The show must go on, these hypocritical businessmen clearly knew the drill. Seraphina silently took the box, then mmed the door shut, tossed the box onto the couch, and crawled back into bed to catch more z¡¯s. At exactly six o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Leandro showed up at Seraphina¡¯s doorstep. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 When Leandro arrived, Keen was anxiously waiting at the door. Upon seeing Leandro, Keen¡¯s anxious expression immediately turned into guilt. ¡°What happened?¡± Leandro asked Keen helplessly replied, ¡°Ms. Bet hasn¡¯t made a peep since she took her clothes and shoes. No matter how much I knock, she doesn¡¯t respond¡­¡± Keen felt like his luck was in the pitstely. His work used to be smooth sailing, but ever since Seraphina appeared, everything seemed to go south whenever he had to deal with her. He began to worry whether his boss would start doubting his abilities. As these thoughts raced through his mind, Keen sneaked nces at Leandro, but Leandro didn¡¯t meet his gaze. He simply looked at the security door and said, ¡°Call a locksmith.¡± Upon hearing this, Keen immediately stepped aside to make the call. Ten minutester, the locksmith arrived with his tools and had the hefty door open in a minute. Leandro pushed open the door and walked in, while Keen, too scared to look inside, hurriedly closed the door and turned around to pay the locksmith. Inside the dark room, Leandro flicked on the light and unsurprisingly found Seraphina sleeping soundly on the bed. With the weather getting warmer, she had the AC on, was covered with a nket, and even had noise-cancelling headphones on. Leandro approached her and removed the headphones. Startled awake, Seraphina stared at him for a moment before slowly sitting up, ¡°How did you get in?¡± ¡°Get up, change your clothes,¡± Leandro calmly instructed. Seraphina flopped back onto the bed, ¡°I don¡¯t have the energy¡­ you know how I am right now. After what you did to mest night¡­ my back hurts, my legs are sore, and I still bear your marks¡­ How am I supposed to put on an evening gown and attend a banquet¡­¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Leandro patiently listened to herints before saying, ¡°Balch will be there too.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina immediately opened her eyes and the next moment, she was up and headed for the bathroom, ¡°Give me twenty minutes.¡± Twenty minutester, Seraphina emerged from the bathroom, freshly bathed and dressed, with damp hair and no makeup, and followed Leandro out the door. Once in the car, Seraphina started applying her makeup. As she busied herself with her makeup mirror, Keen sat in the front seat and reported to Leandro about the banquet¡¯s guests. Hearing the names of Sunburst City¡¯s business elite, Seraphina turned to him, ¡°For such a big banquet, there should be celebrities too, right?¡± Keen shuffled through his documents before answering her, ¡°Yes, there will be over a dozen popr stars attending.¡± ¡°Are there any pretty actresses?¡± Seraphina asked again. ¡°Georgina, Cassie, Fidelia¡­ are they counted?¡± Keen answered. Hearing two of those names, Seraphina turned to nce at Leandro and suddenly burst intoughter. Leandro was still engrossed in his documents and paid her no mind. Excitedly, Seraphina started chitchatting with Keen, ¡°Of course they count, thosedies are all very beautiful. I need to prepare my makeup ordingly. By the way, I heard a rumor, have you heard about it?¡± Caught off guard, Keen took the bait, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I heard that Georgina once waited in her pajamas in a hotel room for your boss, but he left as soon as he saw her¡­¡± Keen¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious, he tightly pressed his lips together and remained silent. He started regretting taking Seraphina¡¯s bait¡­. ¡°Andter, the samepany arranged for Fidelia for your boss, but he still refused.¡± Seraphina mumbled to herself and startedughing. ¡°Is that true? Can you give me some details?¡± Keen suddenly coughed twice and in his fluster, he saw his phone, quickly picked it up, and started to pretend to make a call. Seraphina nced at him while applying her eyeliner and reminded him, ¡°Your phone is upside down.¡± Keen awkwardlyughed and recoiled in the passenger seat, not making a sound anymore. Throughout this entire exchange, Leandro was like invisible sitting by the side handling his documents. It wasn¡¯t until now that he let out a slight smile. At twenty past seven, the car stopped at the banquet hall entrance, Seraphina closed her lipstick and said, ¡°Just in time.¡± Keen turned around and was met with a smiling Seraphina who even winked at him, scaring Keen so much that he immediately looked away. Seraphina didn¡¯t tease him any further and was about to get out of the car when she suddenly remembered something. ¡°Oh, I missed a step.¡± Leandro turned to look at her as she took out a concealer from her makeup box, pointed at her neck and said, ¡°Even though I don¡¯t mind, Mr. Reynolds probably wants me to cover these marks, right?¡± Leandro, who had just put down his documents, picked them up again upon hearing her words. Only after Seraphina had covered the love bites on her neck did the two of them get out of the car and head towards the venue. Seraphina took the initiative to loop her arm through Leandro¡¯s, looked at him and asked, ¡°How do I compare to Georgina or Fidelia? Will I embarrass you, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Under the lights, her eyes shone brightly, her gaze was captivating, and her crimson lips were an eye ma. Leandro only needed one look to know she was here to steal the show tonight. ¡°You¡¯ll get your answer soon,¡± he said. ¡°You can¡¯t even spare apliment for your fianc¨¦e,¡± Seraphina threw him a nce, ¡°Mr. Reynolds is really stingy.¡± Keen sat in the car, watching as the two hand-in-hand walked into the banquet hall, he couldn¡¯t help but wipe the sweat off his forehead. ¡°Ms. Bet is really beautiful, just like those stars,¡± the driver suddenly whispered. Upon hearing this, Keen let out a cynicalugh. A woman as beautiful as her isn¡¯t easy for just anyone to handle. The dinner party was set to kick off at 7 sharp. By the time Leandro and Seraphina showed up, they were already fashionablyte. An attractive, tall receptionist graciously showed them the way. Luckily, the event was for a good cause, so the organizers made sure to keep the pap a raz zi away to avoid being overshadowed by other news. Even though Leandro and Seraphina couldn¡¯t dodge the onlookers as they made their way to the venue, they managed to get through without a hitch. When they entered the venue, the host was up on stage giving the opening remarks. There were a total of thirty tables at the party, each seating 6 to 8 people. Given Leandro¡¯s status, his seat was expected to be up front. Sure enough, the hostess led them straight to a table at the front. Seraphina, arm in arm with Leandro, headed towards the front, quickly bing the center of attention. Her red dress was impossible to ignore, making her look even more stunning, especially with Leandro by her side. As they reached their table, Seraphina released Leandro¡¯s arm. He pulled out a chair for her, and with a sweet smile, she gracefully took. her seat. Seraphina smiled as soon as she sat down. She happened to be sitting at the same table as the person she wanted to meet. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 At the spacious dining table, there were not only Seraphina and Leandro, but also three big shots from Sunburst City¡¯s business circle, and two stunningdies, Georgina and Fidelia. Seraphina first threw a smile at Leandro, then turned to greet Georgina. She had bumped into Georgina before in the neighborhood Georgina was looking dashing today, showcasing her feminine charm. Fidelia, on the other hand, was as usual, exuding elegance and grace. ¡°Miss Fidelia, hello.¡± Seraphina started the conversation, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to share a table with you two, what a coincidence! After that, she nced at Leandro again. But Leandro had already turned his attention to the three businessmen. She nudged him, ¡°You know thesedies too, right? Say hello!¡± Expectation filled Seraphina¡¯s eyes. Leandro nced at her before turning to the women. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Georgina and Fidelia were big names in the entertainment industry. They greeted Leandro with ease. Leandro just nodded and looked away. Neither Georgina nor Fidelia took offense. They remainedposed despite Seraphina¡¯s obvious attempt to stir things up. Soon, Seraphina and Georgina hit it off. Fidelia sat quietly for the most part, even though Seraphina didn¡¯t ignore her. Her graceful and. dignified demeanor was starting to get Seraphina¡¯s attention. Thinking of this, Seraphina looked at Leandro again. The two were indeed heart¨Cstopping beauties. Why had he rejected such temptation? If he was truly aloof and proud, then what about the times with her? Leandro, who was talking to someone else, felt Seraphina¡¯s gaze. He nced at her, indifferent as ever. Seraphina casually looked to the side and saw Balch. Balch was at another table, chatting with others, looking gentle and approachable. As Seraphina turned her head, their eyes met. Balch nodded and smiled at her. Seraphina quickly turned back to Georgina and Fidelia, ¡°Excuse me, I need to say hi to a friend.¡± With that, she stood up, picked up her wine ss, and headed to where Balch w Fidelia. Leandro noticed her movement, nced at her, and quickly looked away. sitting, under the watchful eyes of Georgina and Seraphina approached Balch, who stood up with a smile to make room for her. She took a seat naturally, and Balch moved to the side. For a moment, many eyes in the banquet hall discreetly turned to them. ¡°I knew I¡¯d bump into you here.¡± Seraphina clinked her ss with his,ughing. ¡°And yet you still came?¡± Balch smiled back. Seraphina nodded, ¡°I thought about it, and I think it¡¯s better toe. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Before she could down her drink, Balch stopped her, ¡°You¡¯ve had enough. You should stop.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can hold my liquor.¡± Seraphina winked at him and emptied her ss. Balch sighed and took a sip from his ss. Soon, a waiter came to refill Seraphina¡¯s ss. Balch waved him away, but Seraphina insisted that the bottle be left on the table. Balch watched her, helpless, and asked, ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been good¡± Seraphina said, ¡°With the protection of the Reynolds family, despite the negative comments from the press, they don¡¯t dare to write recklessly, right?¡± Balch didn¡¯t respond. Seraphina seemed to think her words were too pessimistic, so she quickly changed the subject, smiling, ¡°What about you? Have you met anyone else recently, nning on getting a new girlfriend?¡± Balchughed, Seraphina looked at the table where Leandro was, making eye contact with Georgina. She smiled at Georgina, then turned to Balch, ¡°Look, there¡¯s a beauty, and she even looks a bit like me. Why don¡¯t you consider her?¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± Balch said. ¡°You don¡¯t like her? What about Fidelia?¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°I just chatted with her, I think you two might hit it off.¡± ¡°Are you here to y matchmaker for me today?¡± Balch asked. ¡°Yep.¡± Seraphina smiled at him, ¡°I hope you find someone you like soon. That way, I won¡¯t feel guilty.¡± ¡°You have no reason to feel guilty¡± Balch said, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Seraphina was silent for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s have a toast.¡± Balch looked at her raised ss andughed helplessly, ¡°Where did you learn all these drinking etiquettes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit bored recently, watched a lot of TV dramas.¡± Seraphinaughed, then added, ¡°I won¡¯t keep you, I should get back.¡± Balch nodded, Seraphina stood up and returned to Leandro¡¯s side. ¡°This red wine is really good.¡± Seraphina leaned closer to Leandro as soon as she sat down and pushed her wine ss towards him, ¡°Want to try it?¡± Leandro was originally sipping on some white wine when he heard this. He nced at the wine ss Seraphina passed to him. Her lipstick stain on the rim was hard to miss. He shot her a look, picked up the ss, and finished off the remaining red wine. ¡°What do you think?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Meh, Leandro responded. ¡°You really don¡¯t know how to enjoy!¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes at him, ¡°Balch and I have much more in common.¡± Her voice was just loud enough for Georgina and Fidelia to hear, but they only smiled and didn¡¯t react. The night was perfect for Seraphina because she achieved what she aimed for. In her eyes, the night was equally perfect for Leandro. As his fianc¨¦e, she apanied him to the banquet and even openly chatted with Balch. This was undoubtedly to shake off the ambiguous rtionship with Balch and indirectly help Leandro clear the suspicion of sexual assault. In the past, Seraphina never thought that she and Leandro would establish such a nearly perfect mutual benefit. But for some reason, after such a nearly perfect night, Leandro didn¡¯t seem too happy on the way home. The atmosphere in the car was gloomy, a stark contrast to the vibe on the way there. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Leandro has always been a puzzle to Seraphina, but she¡¯s gotten used to his frequent mood change. So, she didn¡¯t mind, instead she started looking on her phone. Keen, sitting on the passenger¡¯s seat, wasn¡¯t as chill about it. To Keen, Leandro was pretty straightforward. He poured most of his energy into his work, smart and diligent, with high expectations. When it came to family, Leandro¡¯s care was just right¨Cnot overly interfering, nor indifferent. So, as Leandro¡¯s assistant, Keen only has two things to deal with¨Cone is work, the other is asionally stuff rted to the Reynolds family. But ever since Seraphina showed up, Keen got a third thing to handle. This third thing was a real pain in the neck, even Leandro, usually as cool as a cucumber, showed foul moods frequently because of it. The driver was focused on driving. Keen felt jumpy, the silence inside the car was suffocating. Just then, his phone rang. Keen took out his phone, answered it in a low voice, ¡°Hello¡­¡± Seraphina, sitting in the back, hearing his voice as low as it can possibly be, frowned, kicked the back of his seat, ¡°Do you have to be so quiet? Are you afraid someone is going to eat you?¡± Keen had no choice but to hang up. Seraphina seemed to lost her patience. She looked up at the driver, ¡°Pull over.¡± The driver was confused. Seeing Leandro didn¡¯t react, he slowed down and stopped. Seraphina looked at Keen, grinned, ¡®since sitting here is too oppressive for you, get out, I¡¯ll call you a cab.¡± Keen could only force a smile, ¡°Ms. Bet, it¡¯ste, let¡¯s not make a fuss, we¡¯re almost home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good, and you aren¡¯t even grateful. Seraphina sighed. Leandro¡¯s gaze was deep, he only ordered, ¡°Drive.¡± The driver nodded, about to start the car. Seraphina said again, ¡°Stop, I¡¯m getting out.¡± Leandro turned and looked at her Seraphina smiled at him, grabbed her purse and got out of the car, and shut the door behind her. The driver hesitated, stayed put. Keen was also stunned for a moment, then said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, it¡¯ste, and Ms. Bet is alone¡­¡± ¡°Drive.¡± Leandro ordered, expressionless. The car quickly started, leaving Seraphina standing alone by the road. Although Seraphina and Leandro always seem to be at odds, Keen knows the recent work difficulties are all due to Seraphina, he quickly added, ¡°Should I get out and apany Ms. Bet?¡± ¡°Let her do whatever she wants. Leandro said. The car went quiet again, but the atmosphere felt even more tense than before. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina got out of the car alone, casually standing by the bustling road, stretching her stiff neck, when suddenly a van stopped beside her. The window rolled down, and Seraphina saw Georgina sitting inside. Georgina was smiling at her, ¡°I remember you left with Mr. Reynolds earlier, howe I see you alone on the street now?¡± Seraphina tilted her head, smiling back, ¡°Our destinations aren¡¯t the same, so I got off halfway.¡± ¡°Where are you heading?¡± Georgina asked, her smile friendly, ¡°I can give you a lift¡± ¡°No need, thanks.¡± Seraphina answered, ¡°I n to hit a bar for some booze, might not be the best ce for a star like you¡± Hearing this, Georgina looked Seraphina up and down, ¡°You, alone, dressed in such eye¨Ccatching clothes, going to a bar?¡± ¡®Is there a problem?¡± Georgina pondered, ¡°A bar is full of all sorts of people, and you¡¯re dressed to be noticed, be careful.¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve seen it all when I was abroad.¡± Hearing this, Georgina nodded, ¡°Alright, if you have any problems, you can call me.¡± Seraphina gave her an ¡°OK¡± sign, smiling as she watched Georgina¡¯s car drive away. Half an hourter, Seraphina arrived of the busiest bar street in the city. Just as Georgina said, her outfit was too eye catching. As soon as she got off the car, men approached her, inviting her for a drink. Seraphina politely declined, walked into a bar alone, with a few men following her. As the night goes on, the bar gets livelier. Seraphina sat by the bar, wave after wave of mene to chat her up. She dealt with all of them, focusing on drinking and chatting with the bartender. Late into the night, Seraphina had had quite a few drinks and started to find the men trying to chat her up more and more annoying, so she paid the bill and left the bar. The night was hazy, the streets were less crowded. After leaving the bar, Seraphina leaned against a lamppost, letting the night breeze blow away her drunkenness. A man saw her and came over to chat her up, but Seraphina just smiled and waved him off. Seeing the clear look in Seraphina¡¯s eyes, the man knew he doesn¡¯t stand a chance, so he walked away. Seraphina watched him leave, and in the moment she turned around, she saw a pair of bright headlights. People around her started to scream. The car was charging straight at her. Seraphina stared at the headlights, slowly stepped back. Suddenly, someone from the side lunged at her, pushing her to the ground.. Bam! A loud noise, the car hit themppost, then charged onto the sidewalk, hitting the wall by the street. People around were terrified, watching all this happen. A young man with messy hair pushed the car door open and ran out. Seraphina got up from the ground, only saw a silhouette. ¡°Why did he run after the crash?¡± someone nearby discussed, ¡°Could be drunk driving, or drugged driving.¡± ¡°Looking at him, doesn¡¯t seem like someone who can afford this kind of car, maybe it¡¯s stolen¡­¡± Just then, a ck Lincoln pulled up curbside, and Seraphina spotted Balch. Balch spotted her too and darted toward her as soon as he got out of the car. ¡°You alright?¡± Balch clutched Seraphina¡¯s arm, inspecting the visible skin where he spotted a scrape. Seraphina still seemed a bit shook up, she shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m okay. The car just came out of nowhere¡­¡± At that moment, something seemed to click in her mind. She turned to the tall man standing beside her, ¡°Thank you so much. What¡¯s your name?¡± The tall man gave a small smile, ¡°no problem, and my name¡¯s Abbot.¡± ¡°Abbot, I¡¯m really grateful.¡± Seraphina let out a long sigh, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I could¡¯ve been hit by that car.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡± Abbot said, ncing at the car, ¡°The jerk who owns this car just took off. We should call the cops.¡± Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Seraphina gave a nod, then turned to look at Balch. Balch furrowed his brow at her, his eyes filled with worry. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Seraphina said in a forced casual tone, then asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I was talking business with some friends at a bar nearby Balch replied, ¡°I was about to leave when I spotted you standing here.¡± Hearing this, Seraphinaughed, ¡°it must be fate then!¡± Balch looked at her, ¡°How much have you had to drink?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± Seraphina squinted her eyes, gesturing a tiny bit with her fingers, ¡®See, I¡¯m not even tipsy!¡± Balch just looked at her. Seraphina met his gaze for a moment, then leaned forward onto his shoulder. After the car ident, many people took out their phones to take pictures. There was no way for them to avoid being photographed, but no one seemed to care. The police arrived quickly after the call. They surveyed the scene and took eyewitnesses back to the station for their statements. Thanks to Balch¡¯s status, everything was handled swiftly. It was only half an hour before Seraphina finished giving her statement. As Seraphina was walking out, Abbot wasing out of the room next door. Seraphina thanked him again. Abbot was polite with her before quickly leaving the police station. Balch then came forward, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Seraphina gave a nod.. As the car pulled out of the police station, Balch continued, ¡°I had someone look into it. The preliminary findings are out. The driver was a punk, the car was indeed stolen, he had been drinking, got into trouble, and that¡¯s why he ditched the car and ran.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Seraphina replied absent¨Cmindedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Balch asked softly, ¡°Are you scared?¡± Seraphina was silent for a long time before looking at him, ¡°It wasn¡¯t an ident.¡± Balch paused, ¡°What?¡± *The car ident tonight wasn¡¯t an ident. Seraphina said, ¡°I thought about it while giving my statement, this isn¡¯t the first time¡­¡± Balch frowned at her, carefully listening to her recount. ¡°The first time, when I ended up in the hospital, it was because someone pushed me onto the road, and I almost got hit by a car; the second time was when I was with Leandro, but luckily another car took the blow for me, the third time was tonight¡­ It¡¯s too coincidental that I almost got hit by a car three times¡­¡± Seraphina looked at him, speaking calmly. ¡°Someone is trying to kill me.¡± There was a sh of realization in Balch¡¯s eyes, but worry overpowered it, ¡°Did you tell the police about this?¡± Seraphina shook her head slowly, ¡°I just put these incidents together, but I don¡¯t have any evidence to prove they¡¯re connected. What¡¯s the point in telling them?¡± ¡°Are you sure these incidents are connected?¡± Balch asked again. Seraphina became paler, but her eyes remained firm, ¡°The more I think about it, the more I¡¯m convinced they are.¡± Balch was silent for a moment, then he took her hand, ¡°Let me handle this. Also, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to protect you.¡± Seraphina looked at him nkly for a moment before pulling her hand back and giving a small smile, ¡°No thanks.¡± Balch nced at his own hand, then at her, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I take care of my own problems. Seraphina smiled again, ¡°After all, I know who I¡¯ve pissed off.¡± ¡°What are you thinking then?¡± Balch pursued. Seraphina shook her head, ¡°Not sure yet. You know me, I¡¯m stubborn and tricky, I might¡¯ve pissed someone off without even noticing¡­ I need to go home and think this through, see who could possibly have such a deep grudge against me.¡± Balch was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Like I said, let me handle this. I can¡¯t just sit back and watch you get hurt.¡± ¡°Forget it, forget it¡­¡± Seraphina started tough, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do all this for me. It¡¯s unnecessary. After all this blows over, I think I¡¯ll go back to Starhaven¡­ Seraphina turned to look out the window. The car was quiet for a while until her hand was suddenly taken. Balch gently put her hand in his own and whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave.¡± Forget it, I can¡¯tpete with Leandro anyway Seraphina tried to pull her hand back, ¡°It¡¯s better to go back to my old life.¡± Balch held her hand tight, not letting her go. ¡°Like I said, you don¡¯t have to leave Balch said. ¡°Ill sort out the issue with Leandie for you¡± Seraphina was quiet for a moment, then looked at him with a gentle smile, ¡°Mr. Lawson, from the start, I approached you as a lifeline. You don¡¯t have to do all this for me I don¡¯t like you that much¡± Balch lowered his head, stroking the base of her fingers, then spoke softly, ¡°But I like you that much.¡± Seraphina was taken aback for a moment, Balch looked up at her again, ¡°Can you let me handle this?¡± After a long time, Seraphina¡¯s eyes began to well up with tears, but she finally nodded. Balch reached out to pull her into his arms. ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± Seraphina leaned into his embrace,ughing softly at his words. Balchs car pulled up to Seraphina¡¯s home, and they sat in the car talking for a long time. Seraphina didn¡¯t want to get out of the car. ¡°It¡¯ste, you should go get some rest¡± Seeing that it was already 2 a.m., Balch finally spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a meeting with Leandro about your situation as soon as I can.¡± ¡°Are you sure¡­ he¡¯ll be that easy to approach? Seraphina asked. Balch slowly said. ¡°Leandro has always been clear about his priorities it¡¯s all about profits. Since he¡¯s a businessman, there must be something that can sway him.¡± Seraphina suddenly tilted her head and looked at him with a smile, ¡°Am I really that important to you? After all, we¡¯ve only known each other for a short time. What if you regret it in the future.. ¡°For some people, time doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Balch said. Seraphina stared at him silently for a long while, before finally getting out of the car with satisfaction. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Watching as Seraphina climbed the stairs to her own room, and even waved to him from the balcony, Balch then told the driver, ¡°To Rosewood Estates.¡± Rosewood Estates was themunity where the house he had previously given to Seraphina was located. It was alreadyte at night, so most of the residents in themunity were sound asleep, with only a few lights scattered between the buildings. As Balch opened a door and walked into the room, a woman with warm and soft body suddenly threw herself into his arms, filled with uncontroble joy. ¡°You haven¡¯te to see me for so long¡­¡± Balch stood rigidly, his eyes cold, even his voice was icy. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not toy a finger on Seraphina again?¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Upon hearing this, the woman froze momentarily, slowly raising her eyes to meet his gaze. Their eyes met, and Balch¡¯s no longer held the warmth and rity it once did. Behind his thin sses, an icy coldness was hard to conceal. She slowly let go of him, staring at him for a long while before finally sneering, ¡°So, you¡¯re here for her¡± She turned around, took a few stiff steps away, but couldn¡¯t help turning back. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other alone in almost two years before she showed up. After she did, you¡¯ve seen me three times, all because of her! Now, she¡¯s Leandrd¡¯s fianc¨¦e, yet she shamelessly keeps approaching your What do you even see in a woman like that?¡± Balch listened to her quietly, his expression remaining cold, ¡°So, you¡¯re not backing down?¡± ¡°No!¡± The woman trembled slightly, ¡°I want her dead¡°¡± Upon hearing this, Balch gave her another look, and prepared to leave. Seeing his actions, the woman panicked, rushing forward to embrace him from behind, ¡°Don¡¯t go! I know I was wrong, I won¡¯t mess with her again, please don¡¯t leave, okay?¡± Balch stood still, the woman quickly moved in front of him, blocking his way and hugged him again, pleading in a low voice, ¡°I know I was wrong, I really do. I¡¯m just angry at how she¡¯s treating you, I feel like it¡¯s unfair to you, everything I did was for you¡­¡± As she spoke, she gently kissed Balch, continuing to murmur, ¡°As long as you have nothing to do with her, I won¡¯t cause any trouble¡­¡± However, Balch suddenly grabbed her wrist, gently pushing her away. ¡°Whatever my rtionship with her is, it¡¯s none of your business¡± ¡°Okay, okay¡­ The woman quickly responded, ¡°I promise you, I won¡¯t cause you trouble¡­¡± ¡°Remember what you¡¯ve said Balch replied coldly, letting go of her wrist. The woman was overjoyed. She reached out to hug him, but Balch sidestepped her and walked straight out the door. The woman stood there, facing the closed door, her body shaking uncontrobly with jealousy and resentment. When Seraphina woke up, she learned from Sandra that she was in the news again. There were many witnesses at the scene of the car identst night taking photos and videos, and the police were called, Seraphina thought, it would be hard to not make the news. ¡°What happened with the car ident?¡± Sandra demanded over the phone, ¡°Why do you keep getting into trouble? Is it because of Balch?¡± ¡°It¡¯s near a bar, there are lots of drunk people, so car idents aremon, I just happened to be there. Seraphina responded casually ¡°And what¡¯s going on with you and Balch?¡± I¡¯m openly hanging out with him as friends, and I don¡¯t care who¡¯s watching, what can the public say about it?¡± Sandra snorted, ¡°Everyone is practically worshipping you as a goddess now! You¡¯re handling these two handsome and prestigious billionaires with ease. even I want to apud you.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re willing to learn, I can teach you how.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°After all, you¡¯re my best friend.¡± Sandra simply hung up the phone. Seraphina put down her phone and checked her email, which she hadn¡¯t opened in a few days. She randomly flipped through and noticed an interesting email She dialed the number in the email, and the person on the other end was extremely excited to arrange a meeting. By noon, Seraphina was getting ready when there was a knock at the door. Balch¡¯s secretary stood at the door, greeting her with a warm smile, ¡°Ms. Bet, Mr. Lawson asked me to bring you a gift.¡± Taking the box from his hands, Seraphina opened it with some confusion, but her eyes lit up in surprise. ¡°Also, Mr. Lawson would like to invite you to dinner tonight, is that okay?¡± Seraphina showed the secretary the expensive sapphire jewelry set in the box, replying confidently. With Mr. Lawson being so generous, how could I say no?¡± This was the jewelry set she left at Rosewood Estates when she left, and now Balch had it delivered to her. How nice, it woulde in handy today. Seraphina redid her makeup, donned a pair of stunning sapphire earrings, chose a cocktail dress, and left to meet her appointment. The person she was meeting was a top executive at Sunburst City¡¯s leading entertainmentpany, Robinson. Given that thepany represented both Georgina and Fidelia, Seraphina certainly wouldn¡¯t refuse. The meeting was at thepany¡¯s office. Upon meeting, Robinson praised Seraphina, ¡°Ms. Bet, you¡¯re truly a natural beauty. I was amazed when I first saw your photos, and meeting you in person, I can¡¯t take my eyes off you!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Robinson, you are ttering me¡± Seraphina said. Robinson smiled, ¡°The email I sent you was to seek a partnership. With your potential, you could definitely be a top actress¡­ Of course, Iter found out you¡¯re Mr. Reynolds¡® fianc¨¦e. With your status, you obviously don¡¯t need to get involved in the entertainment industry. But, just in case you¡¯re interested, we could still coborate, right?¡± In just a few sentences, Robinson had nearly swept Seraphina off her feet. She spent over an hour talking with him, and if she wasn¡¯t so determined, she might have been swayed by the grand n he laid out for her career in the entertainment industry. ¡°Mr. Robinson, with your sincerity, I¡¯m willing to give it a shot. Seraphina said, ¡°But as you know, the Reynolds family is a big deal, and this isn¡¯t something I can decide on my own.¡± ¡°Absolutely, absolutely,¡± Robinson said, ¡°Ms. Bet, feel free to have a chat with Mr. Reynolds whenever you fancy, just give me a call anytime¡± After their chat, Robinson walked Seraphina out. Just as they were about to leave, they bumped into a few young actresses. One of them spotted Seraphina and immediately rushed over to grab her arm, ¡°Seraphina!¡± Seraphina turned to see who it was and quickly recognized her. It was Una, the young starlet she had met at Ike Whitman¡¯s party. Seeing this, Robinson asked, ¡°Una, you know Ms. Bet?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Una said, ¡°Seraphina, we had such a stst time we chatted, didn¡¯t we?¡± Seraphina quickly broke into a smile, holding Una¡¯s hand she said to Robinson, ¡°Mr. Robinson, this is a close friend I¡¯m very fond of, smart and stunning. If there¡¯s a chance, please do take good care of her,¡± ¡°No doubt!¡± Robinson said, ¡°She¡¯s already one of the actresses we n to nurture. She¡¯s hard¨Cworking and talented, her career is bound to be full of potential!¡± Hearing this, Una¡¯s eyes turned red with excitement, her gratitude for Seraphina was evident. Seraphina gave her hand a reassuring pat, ¡°Did you hear that? You better pull your socks up, don¡¯t let thepany and Mr. Robinson¡¯s expectations down.¡± Una nodded vigorously, ¡°I got it, thanks a lot, Seraphina.¡± Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Una was so grateful to Seraphina for fighting for her in front of thepany¡¯s top brass, she insisted on treating Seraphina to afternoon tea. As it happened, Seraphina was free and agreed on a whim Once they sat down, aside from thanking Seraphina profusely. Una also apologized for her previous loose lips. ¡°Sorry about that, Seraphina, I had no idea you were Mr. Reynolds¡¯s fianc¨¦e I was talking nonsense right in front of you. You¡¯re not mad at me, are you?¡± ¡°Why would I be?¡± Seraphinaughed and sipped her tea, ¡°You didn¡¯t mean any harm when you said those things, did you?¡± Hearing this. Una couldn¡¯t help butugh excitedly, ¡°Exactly! Mr. Reynolds didn¡¯t flinch even in front of Georgina and Fidelia, because he¡¯s so faithful to you! It¡¯s rare to find such a devoted man these days, especially one with his status. You¡¯re so lucky, Seraphina. I¡¯m so jealous!¡± Seraphina heard her praising Leandro and raised an eyebrow. She neither confirmed nor denied it. In the middle of their conversation, Una¡¯s phone wouldn¡¯t stop ringing. She silenced it, but the screen kept shing. Seraphina nced at her phone screen, ¡°Nothing urgent, I hope?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Una said, ¡°It¡¯s just those people from thepany. They saw us being so friendly and keep pestering me for info about you¡­ Oh, by the way. Seraphina, can I ask you why you came to our company today? Are you nning to invest in us, or is there some other coboration?¡± ¡°Do I look like I have the capital to invest in apany?!¡± Seraphinaughed, then slowly said, ¡°No, it was your top executive, Robinson, who said he wanted to groom me for a career in the entertainment industry and offered me a contract.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Una¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Did you ept it?¡± Seraphina tilted her head and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m considering it.¡± Hearing this, Una nodded, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Seraphina knew from Una¡¯s reaction that the news would soon bemon knowledge within the company After tea with Una, Seraphina was off to dinner. She arrived early and waited for more than twenty minutes before Balch walked in. Seeing Seraphina all dolled up, Balch smiled, ¡°Did you dress up just for dinner with me?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Seraphina countered, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re worth it?¡± Ignoring her jest, Balch asked, ¡°Who did you meet with this afternoon?¡± ¡°Robinson, the vice president of Blissful Entertainment,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°He invited me to sign a contract and debut.¡± Hearing this, Balch looked at Seraphina. ¡°What do you think?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Would you approve if I joined the entertainment industry?¡± Balch took the warm towel offered by the waiter and wiped his hands, ¡°If it were up to me, I wouldn¡¯t approve. But if it¡¯s what you want, then it¡¯s not a problem¡± Seraphina looked at Balch and chuckled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit too indulgent?¡± Balch didn¡¯t answer, just looked at her, ¡°The jewelry suits you.¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°Thanks to you.¡± Just as they were talking, there was a slight noise from outside the private room, like a dish falling to the ground. It was an ordinary sound, but Seraphina shivered slightly Balch noticed her reaction, looked at her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Seraphina took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯ve been tense sincest night. I felt like I was being followed when I left Blissful Entertainment. Do you think I¡¯m paranoid?¡± Balch¡¯s expression darkened, he thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Do you have any idea who might be behind this?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But I¡¯ll be more careful from now on.¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s enough?¡± Balch asked. Seraphina shrugged, ¡°What else can I do? I¡¯m out in the open, and my enemy is hidden. All I can do is stay alert.¡± Balch was silent for a moment before he said, ¡°Then you should move in with me.¡± *Move in with you?¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°Even if you think my ce is unsafe, I can just move to Rosewood Estates. Why should I move in with you?¡± ¡°Rosewood Estates isn¡¯t that safe. There are quite a few celebrities living there, so paparazzi often sneak in¡± Balch said, ¡°But my ce is definitely safe.¡± Seraphina was silent for a moment, then tly refused: ¡°No.¡± Balch looked at her quietly for a moment, but said nothing more After dinner, Balch had to go back to the office, so he dropped Seraphina off at home first. I¡¯m avable the day after tomorrow, can you keep it open for me?¡± Balch asked. Seraphina nced at him, ¡°Why should 17¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Seraphina hummed nomittally. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± When the car pulled up at Seraphina¡¯s apartment, Seraphina was about to get out when Balch held her hand, ¡°Sleep peacefully tonight. I¡¯ll have someone watching outside.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina turned to look at him, ¡°Being with me is pretty tough, isn¡¯t it?¡± Balch slowly said, ¡°as long as you¡¯re with me.¡± The next day was a day off, Balch came to pick up Seraphina early and drove towards the south of the city. Seraphina quickly guessed his intention and turned to look at him, ¡°Hey, I told you I don¡¯t want to go to your ce. ¡°You¡¯ve only been there once in all this time.¡± Balch said, ¡°Just go and have another look.¡± Seraphina sat quietly in the passenger seat after hearing that, not saying a word. The car drove into themunity, passed by Leandro¡¯s vi, and stopped in front of Balch¡¯s Seraphina was guided out of the car by Balch. Unfortunately, Karan, who was on the balcony next door, saw everything. Seraphina waved at Karan with a smile, then followed Balch into the vi. As soon as she stepped in, Seraphina paused. The interior of the vi hadpletely changed from thest time she saw it. The furniture in the living room had been reced with her favorite bold, colorful style. The photos that used to be there were all packed away. Most importantly, the huge portrait of Mrs. Lawson that used to be in the center of the living room was gone. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina walked around the living room, touching each new piece of furniture, then walked over to Balch, looked up at him, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± ¡°I know why you didn¡¯t want to move in here, Balch answered. ¡°This is my sincerity.¡± Seraphina was silent for a while before she said, ¡°But there¡¯s nothing wrong with you loving your wife. I feel like I¡¯m forcing you to forget her. ¡°You¡¯re the one who said we should always look forward,¡± Balch responded. ¡°Now, I¡¯m ready.¡± Seraphina looked down, silent for a long time, before she gradually couldn¡¯t help butugh. She threw herself into Balch¡¯s arms and hugged him tightly. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 After deciding to move into Balch¡¯s vi, Seraphina took a very serious tour of the house. The whole house has eight bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, and Seraphina can enter most areas, but there are still two rooms that she can¡¯t open. She knew very well what was in those two rooms, and she didn¡¯t seem to care much about it. After visiting the remaining rooms, she turned around and bumped into Balch who wasing down the stairs Seraphina leaned against the hallway wall and watched him, I¡¯ve seen about everything, so which room will be mine?¡± ¡°Any room you fancy?¡± Balch asked Seraphina shrugged, ¡°they are all the same to me really.¡± Balch took a couple of steps forward, gradually getting closer to her. Seraphina¡¯s breathing subtly tightened. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you could bunk in my room.¡± Balch dropped his eyes, looking at Seraphina, he slowly said. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, ¡°If I take your room, where are you gonna sleep?¡± Balch didn¡¯t answer but reached out and put his hand on Seraphina¡¯s waist. In this romantic and ambiguous atmosphere, Seraphina¡¯s body stiffened slightly. Balch easily noticed her reaction, but Seraphina seemed to want to hide it, she took the initiative to move forward and hug his waist. Balch was quiet for a moment before he smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re ready.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina spoke in a somewhat low voice: ¡°I m not- But Balch just gently patted her on the back, saying: ¡°You¡¯ve been too tensetely. Take some time to rest.¡± Seraphina leaned into his arms without moving. After a while, she finally said. ¡°You¡¯re being so nice to me. I might just fall for you¡­¡± Balch couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Before he could say anything, they suddenly heard the doorbell ring. The two exchanged nces, and Balch took Seraphina¡¯s hand and led her downstairs to open the door. Unsurprisingly, the person standing at the door was Karan, who had just seen their every move. She saw Balch and Seraphina holding hands, her face suddenly changed, she pped Seraphina¡¯s hand hard, making Seraphina pull her hand back in pain, she sternly asked, ¡°Seraphina, what on earth are you doing?¡± Although Balch didn¡¯t make a big move, he still stepped forward to protect Seraphina. Seraphina rubbed her hand, looking at her somewhat wronged, ¡°Karan, what are you doing?¡± ¡°What am I doing? Don¡¯t you know your ce?¡± Karan looked at Seraphina and Balch, ¡°As Leandro¡¯s fianc¨¦e, you came here, holding hands with another man, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina nced at Balch and then slowly said, ¡°Karan, everyone knows that¡¯s just a strategy to salvage the reputation of the Reynolds Group. I¡¯ve been ying along in front of the reporters, isn¡¯t that enough? Or do you want me to totally sell myself out?¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re ying a role, you should y it all the way through¡± Karan nced at Balch, What you are doing now? It¡¯s simply shameless!¡± ¡°Karan.¡± Balch finally spoke up to defend Seraphina, ¡°Seraphina is my friend. As for her rtionship with Mr. Reynolds, I will talk to him personally. You don¡¯t need to worry¡± Hearing this, Karan red at them for a while, then stormed off. Seraphina turned to look at Balch and shrugged helplessly. Balch squeezed her hand, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t really care if you can¡¯t.¡± Seraphina huffed, saying, ¡°I¡¯m a free woman, not Leandro¡¯s item. It¡¯s not his ce to tell me how to live.¡± Late at night, Leandro¡¯s car slowly drove into the garage. When Karan heard the noise in her room, she immediately put on her clothes and went downstairs, just in time to see Leandroe in. ¡°Why are you only justing back? Karan rushed up to Leandro, ¡°Do you know, that shameless woman Seraphina, she went home with Balch today!¡± Leandro took off his suit and changed his shoes, but only asked, ¡°Oh really?¡± ¡°What kind of response is that?¡± Karan looked at him. ¡°Are you just going to let her run wild?¡± As Leandro walked in, he replied, ¡°What else can I do?¡± Knowing that his indifference was a sign of his bad mood, Karan lost her temper, ¡°How should I know? If you¡¯re in a good mood, go get her back. If you¡¯re not, find a way to get rid of her!¡± Leandro paused, turned to look at her, ¡°You don¡¯t like her, do you? She¡¯s not around me, you should be happy¡± Karan rolled her eyes. ¡°Does my opinion matter? Who¡¯s gonna listen to me? Would you? If you did, you wouldn¡¯t have brought her into this house in the first ce! As she spoke, she walked past Leandro and went upstairs, mutteringints as she went, ¡°She¡¯s always causing trouble!* Leandro didn¡¯t respond to herints, but walked over to the liquor cab and got himself a drink. After finishing his drink, he sat quietly on the couch staring at the rim of the ss for a long time. Then he put down the ss and went upstairs. From the study on the second floor, the mansion across the street could be seen, lurking in the night, like a beast ready to devour Leandro lit a cigarette and sat in the chair, silently watching the house across the street. At three o¡¯clock in the morning, a room across the street lit up on time. Leandro, hidden in the night, stared at the house across the street, just as Seraphina had done from this room before. ****** The next morning, Leandro was out early, ying golf with the chairman of the Sunburst City Business Association before heading back to thepany. For the Reynolds Group, looks like they¡¯ve weathered the current storm, with thepany¡¯s stock steadily rising. But Leandro has got a ton on his te, so even weekends are crazy busy for him. First thing at the office, his secretary Yasmina reported some changes in his schedule at him, then cautiously asked, ¡°Mr. Balch¡¯s secretary kept ringing. She said Mr. Lawson wants to meet up, but she didn¡¯t mention if it¡¯s business or personal¡­¡± Leandro was reading his emails, didn¡¯t bat an eyelid at the news Yasmina had been with him for years, so she knew the drill. She left his office after the report. That evening, Leandro had a dinner at the winery. Just when he was about to leave, he bumped into a few familiar faces at the door. Edgar Lamont burst intoughter the moment he saw him, ¡°What a coincidence! You¡¯re always too busy for a drink, but looks like you can¡¯t dodge us today¡± Victor Farris also cracked a smile, ¡°Quite a rare asion indeed.¡± Herman Garcia was thest to walk in, and greeted Leandro with a simple, ¡°Leandro.¡± Seeing Herman, Leandro finally stopped, turning to Edgar, the happiest of the bunch, ¡°Guess I won¡¯t dodge today then,¡± They had all grown up together, and despite Leandro bing increasingly aloof over the years, he asionally showed a glimpse of his old self in their presence Among them, only Leandro had taken the reins of the family business early on, keeping busiest and making the fewest appearances, not to mention his frequent headlines, so naturally, he was the center of the attention. ¡°Man, you¡¯ve been in some hot watertely, almost became a suspect, what¡¯s it like?¡± Edgar, never one to mince words, asked straight out. Victor¡¯s long fingers drummed on the armrest of the couch, as if recalling something, ¡°Seraphina. the girl who used to live at your ce? She¡¯s not really how I remember her. I thought she was timid, who knew she could stir up such a fuss?* Herman scratched the back of his head awkwardly, ¡°Leandro, sorry about that. My division was handling the investigation, but I happened to be away for training at the time. If I had been there, things wouldn¡¯t have gotten so out of hand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Leandro finally said, ¡°Even if you were there to suppress it, she could still stir up trouble.¡± ¡°In the end, it all died down, didn¡¯t it?¡± Edgar looked at Leandro, ¡°Tell me, did you use some kind of tricks or threats?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Victor looked at Leandro, ¡°That girl has always had a thing for him. She probably used this to set him up, forcing him to acknowledge her as his fianc¨¦e, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t add up, what role does Balch y in all of this?¡± Edgar was even more puzzled. The two men were discussing the past hot topic on their own, while Leandro was just chatting with Herman, ¡°You¡¯re going on a training trip, is there another promotion for you?¡± Herman was born into a military family, but instead of relying on family support, he had set his heart on police academy and became a detective. ¡°Promotion or not, it¡¯s all the same,¡± Herman said, ¡°I¡¯m still investigating. What about you? What¡¯s the deal with all this news?¡± Leandro was always a cold and steady man, suddenly being swept up in a love triangle and causing such a stir, it was unlike him, which was hard to understand. Hearing the question, Edgar and Victor pricked up their ears. But Leandro still didn¡¯t answer the burning question everyone was curious about, he just said to Herman, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Come by my ce when you have time, we need to talk. Herman just nodded. ¡°Boring!¡± Edgar guessed he wouldn¡¯t get any useful information out of Leandro, but then added, ¡®Wait, I¡¯ming too, I¡¯d love to meet your troublemaker fianc¨¦e, to see what kind of woman dares to scheme against Leandro.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to meet her too, Victor said. Herman slowly nodded and chuckled, ¡°I¡¯d like to meet her too¡± Leandro acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard their teasing, just picked up a cigar and held it in his hand, his movements slow andposed On her third day moving into Balch¡¯s vi, Seraphina tried to cook him a meal But before Balch even came back, she had thrown all the burned or raw ingredients into the garbage. When Balch got home, he only saw two cups of water on the table, and the air was filled with a strong burnt smell. ¡°Is this the dinner you prepared? Balch looked at the two cups of water and asked. Seraphina shamelessly nodded, ¡°Yes, light and pure, good for your health¡± Balch couldn¡¯t help butugh. Seraphina picked up a cup and drank, ¡°It¡¯s perfect. I¡¯m meeting my idol tomorrow, so I might as well diet tonight.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Balch asked. Seraphina waved her finger, ¡°Guess it.¡± Chapter 79 Chapter 79 The next day, Seraphina dolled herself up and attended a dinner party organized by Robinson. Ever since theirst meet¨Cup, Robinson and Seraphina had been tight, and he had dropped a little secret the internationally renowned director, Tanner, was about to cast for his new movie Opportunities like this got entertainmentpanies scrambling to get their foot in the door. Blissful Entertainment was no exception. They had meticulously orchestrated this dinner party, hoping their artists could catch the director¡¯s eye Robinson was the driving force behind this dinner party. When he mentioned it to Seraphina, she confessed that Tanner was her favorite director, and Robinson immediately extended an invite to her. When Seraphina arrived at the restaurant, Tanner was yet to show. Everyone in the private room was laid back, but the atmosphere shifted subtly when Seraphina showed up. Among the attendees were two leading actresses from Blissful Entertainment ¨C Georgina and Fidelia, as well as the leading actor, Tomi. It was a grand affair. Upon seeing Seraphina, Georgina was a bit taken aback, ¡°Ms. Bet?¡± Seraphina greeted everyone with a smile, then exined, ¡°I heard that Director Tanner would be here tonight. He¡¯s a director I truly admire, so I thought I¡¯d drop by. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll try to keep a low profile and just observe from a corner. Everyoneughed at herment, but it was tinged with a bit of awkwardness. Tanner tended to favor naturalism, so his actresses were usually very in, with most of them appearing on screen makeup¨Cfree. As such, Georgina and Fide had arrived with bare faces, while Seraphina was all done up, making the two leading actresses a bit ufortable. Where there were women, there waspetition. The emotions around the table were mixed, but on the surface, everything was cordial. Georgina looked at Seraphina,ughed, and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around the neighborhoodtely, but I¡¯ve seen you twice at dinner parties. ¡°Oh, I moved, Seraphina responded, ¡°I no longer live at Rosewood Estates¡± ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you like living there?¡± Georgina asked. Seraphina thought for a moment, then replied with a smile, ¡°Someone thought that the neighborhood had too many celebrities and that reporters might sneak in and it wouldn¡¯t be safe. I didn¡¯t agree, but I had to give in.¡± *Mr. Reynolds is clearly trying to get you to move in with him using the neighborhood as an excuse,¡± Georginaughed, ¡°If the security wasn¡¯t good, Fidelia and I wouldn¡¯t have lived there for so many years.¡± Hearing that, Seraphina turned to Fidelia, ¡°So Miss Fidelia also lives there? What a coincidence, but we¡¯ve never crossed paths.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Fidelia responded, ¡°I don¡¯t really like going out, and I usually leave early ande back late from work, so we rarely have a chance to bump into each other¡± ¡°What a pity,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I was once neighbors with two big stars.¡± Georgina slowly said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where you live, it¡¯s who you live with that matters. Mr. Reynolds is really good to you.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s rough and domineering Seraphina sighed, then her face lit up as if she remembered something, ¡°I prefer a man who is gentle and considerate, who thinks from my perspective, who cares about my safety, pays attention to my daily life, and tolerates all about me.¡± ¡°Is there really such a man?¡± Georginaughed. ¡°Howe I¡¯ve never met one?¡± Seraphina alsoughed, ¡°I have.¡± Everyone at the table pretty much knew who Seraphina was talking about, but nobody dared to say it out loud. After all, she was now Leandro¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and even though her rtionship with Balch was still ambiguous, nobody dared to point it out. They chatted for nearly an hour before Tanner finally arrived. As a big shot director, he had a distinct personality and was a man of few words. After a brief chat with the actors, he left twenty minutester. Once Tanner left, the crowd seemed a bit deted. Seeing this, Seraphina excused herself to the restroom, leaving them some space for private discussion. In the restroom, she took out a bunch of makeups and leisurely touched up her makeup. Just as she was finishing up, Fidelia walked in, nodded at her, and entered a stall Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. After a while, Fidelia reappeared, washed her hands, and applied some lipstick next to Seraphina. Seraphina watched her in the mirror, ¡°Miss Fidelia, your skin is so good, so smooth and delicate without makeup.¡± ¡°Nowhere near as natural as yours, Ms. Bet, Fidelia responded calmly. After a moment of silence, she asked, ¡°do you mind if I can ask where you¡¯re living now, Ms. Bet?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Seraphina seemed to hesitate for a moment, then replied, ¡°Urban Oasis.¡± Fidelia nodded, ¡°I know that ce. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s very nice, but how are you adjusting to the sudden change in environment?¡± That¡¯s not a problem, Seraphina responded with a smile, ¡°Someone redecorated the house to my taste, and I¡¯m pretty adaptable, so I¡¯ve been livingfortably. Are you interested in the houses over there?¡± Fidelia smiled but didn¡¯t answer Seraphina¡¯s question Seraphina didn¡¯t mind, she finished applying her lipstick, packed up her stuff, and said to Fidelia, ¡°I¡¯ll head out first!¡± Fidelia nodded. Seraphina grabbed her bag and turned to leave. Fidelia, after touching up her lipstick and gazing at her reflection in the mirror for a while, was about to head out when she noticed something left behind where Seraphina had ced her bag. It was a small round sensor card. That night, Seraphina was chauffeured back to Urban Oasis by Balch¡¯s driver. As they passed Leandro¡¯s vi, she noticed several unfamiliar cars parked at the entrance and the lights brightly lit inside. Seraphina nced a few times, then asked the driver, ¡°Does Mr. Reynolds host parties at his ce?¡± The driver, possibly finding the question a bit awkward, was silent for a moment before answering honestly, ¡°Not that I know of¡± Seraphina nodded, gave a lightugh, and didn¡¯t press further. Upon entering the house, Balch was not yet home. Seraphina knew he had an important dinner tonight and would probablye backte, so she went upstairs to take a bath But just as she was halfway through, the bathroom lights suddenly went out. Seraphina felt her heart racing. She quickly dried herself off, found her phone, and called Balch. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Balch¡¯s voice came from the other end of the call, sounding like he was still in the middle of dinner. He tried to keep his voice low to shield her from the background noise, ¡°And don¡¯t leave the bathroom in case you bump into something in the dark. I¡¯ll send the security over right away¡± Seraphina said okay, and after hanging up, she stayed put in the bathroom, rinsing off the suds on her body, then slowly getting dressed. And just as she finished putting on her clothes, the light overhead came back on, illuminating the entire bathroom. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Seraphina cautiously opened the bathroom door, took a peek outside, and then tiptoed out. Just as she reached the stairs, there was a knock at the front door Seraphina went downstairs to answer it and found two security guards at the door. ¡°Ms. Bet, we got a call from Mr. Lawson He asked us to check you out. The power tripped a while ago, but it should be back by now¡± Seraphina nodded, ¡°Alright, thanks guys.¡± After the guards left, Seraphina made a call to Balch. The background was eerily quiet as Balch picked up. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Have you finished eating?¡± I¡¯ve finished, Balch replied, ¡°I¡¯m on my way home.¡± Seraphina chuckled. ¡°In such a hurry? The power¡¯s back on, I¡¯m not scared of the ckout¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the house plunged into darkness again. Seraphina took a deep breath. ¡°What happened?¡± Balch asked immediately. ¡°Another ckout,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°I¡¯ll check it out¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± Balch¡¯s voice took on an urgent tone, ¡®Go to your room, lock the door, don¡¯te out.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Seraphina asked as she stood up and turned on her phone¡¯s shlight. For a big house like this, the faint light from her phone was hardly enough. Seraphina waved her phone around, only able to make out the vague outline of the house. ¡°Just do as I say, go to your room!¡± Balch¡¯s voice was getting anxious. Seraphina heard him but didn¡¯t respond. She simply used the dim light from her phone to look at the quiet house. As the light swept across the kitchen, Seraphina abruptly stopped and refocused the light towards the kitchen. There was a silhouetted in the kitchen doorway standing still. ¡°Ahh!¡± Seraphina let out a scream as her phone slipped from her hand. Her phone fell to the floor, the shlight went out, and the room was enveloped in darkness. Seraphina stood behind the couch, silent. The figure too was silent, with only Balch¡¯s anxious voice coming through the speakerphone, ¡°Sera? Sera?¡± Although the voice was not loud, it pierced through the eerily quiet air. The next moment, Seraphina heard the figure move. The figure was moving towards her. Seraphina held her breath, quietly shifting her position. The fuse box was in the kitchen, the figure must have turned off the lights after entering the house. This meant that if she could reach the kitchen, she could turn the lights back on. But now was not the time. Seraphina slowly moved, all the while keeping her ear out for any sound. The call had ended. At this moment, Balch should be rushing home. She heard the figure move behind the couch. The next thing she knew, a beam of light lit up around the couch. Seraphina had cautiously moved to a window by then. The person did not see her behind the couch and the next moment, a beam of light swept across Seraphina¡¯s face. A shadow lunged at her, a gleaming knife in hand. Inside Leandro¡¯s mansion, Edgar and two other friends were having a merry chat. After a while, Victor asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Leandro? He disappeared all of a sudden. Did he go to put the kid to bed?¡± Upon hearing this, Herman immediately stood up, I¡¯ll go check on him.¡± He quickly went upstairs and soon found Leandro in his study. Oddly enough, Leandro was neither working nor doing anything else. He was just sitting in his chair, quietly staring at the dark house across the street. Herman stood behind his chair, also staring at the house for a long time before asking. ¡°Leandro, what are you looking at?¡± Leandro replied slowly. ¡°Would you believe me if I said something is happening in that house right now?¡± Herman¡¯s face shifted slightly as he looked again at the house across the street, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± In the darkness, the house was silent with no unusual movement. But Herman suddenly had a strange feeling, ¡°Should I go check it out?¡± *No need,¡± Leandro said, ¡°There¡¯s no rush. They might call in a while.¡± In the chaotic light of the shlight, Seraphina kicked the knife out of the person¡¯s hand with precision. The shlight also flew out of her grip and Seraphina quickly turned off the light, once again concealing herself in the darkness. The figure seemed enraged, let out a strange grow!, picked up the knife and started shing wildly. Seraphina didn¡¯t move, she just stayed hidden Until a beam of light shed outside the window, followed by the sound of screeching brakes- Seraphina knew Balch was back. The figure noticed it too and let out a frantic yell. Seizing the opportunity. Seraphina slipped into the kitchen and flipped the master switch. The house was instantly lit up and at the same time, Balch burst through the door. But the figure was already charging towards the kitchen. Seraphina seemed cornered, directly blocked in the kitchen by the figure. She tried to dodge the knife in the figure¡¯s hand and in the scuffle, managed to pull off the cap on the figure¡¯s head, revealing long ck hair. Even with a mask still covering the face, just by the long hair and the eyes, Seraphina recognized her. When Balch reached the kitchen doorway, he only heard Seraphina exim in shock, ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± The next moment, Seraphina screamed and fell to the ground. Balch quickly rushed over, grabbing the assant¡¯s arm and throwing her to the ground. The assant grunted as she hit the floor. Seraphina¡¯s arm had a cut from the knife. She grabbed Balch¡¯s arm tightly, ¡°Did you call the cops? Did you? She wants to kill me! She wants to kill me!¡± Balch just pulled her into his arms, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here, you¡¯re going to be fine.¡± The woman on the ground slowly got up, removed her mask, revealing a stern yet beautiful face. ¡°He ain¡¯t gonna call the cops,¡± Fidelia said slowly, eyeing Balch, ¡°You ain¡¯t gonna call them, are you?¡± Balch was holding Seraphina with one arm, his other hand cradling her injured arm, he stared at Fidelia, ¡°Fidelia, have you lost your mind?¡± ¡°I have lost my mind!¡± Fidelia¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, ¡°You drove me to this! What¡¯s so special about her? What does she have that makes you treat her so well? I¡¯ve given you so much, how could you do this to me?¡± Balch had calmed down, ¡°If you leave now, I can pretend this never happened.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina immediately clung to Balch¡¯s hand, ¡°What are you saying? She tried to hurt me, how could you just let her walk away-¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Before she could finish, Fidelia, livid, picked up the knife again and charged. ¡°Ah-¡°Seraphina screamed. Balch didn¡¯t expect Fidelia to go off the rails again. He had no time to dodge. He only saw the knife swinging towards Seraphina and without hesitation, he threw himself in front of her to block the knife! Chapter 81 Chapter 81 The knife was plunged into Balch. Balch grunted, clutching Seraphina¡¯s arm. The de was meant for Seraphina, but it hadnded in his back and freaked out both women. ¡°Balch!¡± Fidelia screamed in shock, loosening her grip. Seraphina quickly supported Balch, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Balch nced at her and squeezed her hand. Seraphina quickly caught his drift. Balch turned his head, grabbed Fidelia¡¯s flustered hand and gasped, ¡°Are you only satisfied when I¡¯m dead?¡± ¡°No! No Fidelia¡¯s eyes welled up, and she hugged him, ¡°How could I ever want you dead? I love you so much, I just want you to be okay¡­¡± Fidelia slowly leaned on Balch¡¯s shoulder. Balch held her with one hand and gestured to Seraphina to leave quickly with his other hand. Seraphina slowly stood up, but as she tried to sneak away, she bumped into Fidelia. Fidelia regained her senses, looked up, and grabbed Seraphina¡¯s trouser leg, ¡°Trying to run?¡± Seraphina was pulled and fell to the ground again. Fidelia slowly approached Seraphina, who looked at Balch in fear. ¡°Fidelia Balch yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t do it!¡± Fidelia clung to Seraphina¡¯s trouser leg and burst into tears at Balch¡¯s words. ¡°Did I do something wrong? I did all this for you!¡± Fidelia turned to Balch, ¡°These women are hurting you! Why are you so forgiving to them but so cruel to me?¡± Balch, propped up on the ground, struggled to stay upright and said, ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong¡­ ¡°No, I haven¡¯t!¡± Fidelia suddenly pointed at Seraphina, ¡°Look at her, you got hurt for her, and she just leaves you here and runs away. Why do you protect her? She¡¯s still Leandro¡¯s woman! She doesn¡¯t even love you!¡± Seraphina, her arm scratched and frightened, fell to the ground, seemingly unable to get up. ¡°Fidelia, I know, I know it all.¡± Balch tried to keep his voice steady, ¡°I can tell she¡¯s not sincere¡­¡± Before he could finish, Balch suddenly cried out in pain, clutching his wound. Fidelia, scared, immediately let go of Seraphina and rushed to his side, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, I never thought of hurting you¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Balch held her hand. ¡°I remember all the good things you¡¯ve done for me, but I also don¡¯t want to see you keep screwing up¡­ You¡¯ve gone through so much to get here, do you really want to ruin yourself?¡± ¡°No¡°¡± Fidelia cried, ¡°I just want to be with you. I just want it to be the two of us, peaceful and quiet¡­¡± ¡°Okay¡± Balch replied, ¡°I promise you.¡± *Really?¡± Fidelia immediately looked up at him. Balch slowly nodded. As they spoke, Seraphina finally managed to stand up again, looking at Balch. Balch gestured to her, and Seraphina nodded. Fidelia burst into tears with excitement, but in an instant, her face changed again, ¡°Not yet, not yet¡­¡± She slowly turned her head to look at Seraphina who had stood up, ¡°Only when she¡¯s gone will you be at ease with me¡­¡± Balch¡¯s face immediately changed, anxiously looking at Seraphina, hoping she would leave quickly. But Seraphina didit move She stood there, looking at Fidelia, then suddenlyughed, ¡°Okay then, kill me. But if you kill me, you¡¯ll go to jail. How will you be with him then?¡± Fidelia suddenlyughed ¡°Who says killing someone will definitelynd you in jail?¡± she said, ¡°You¡¯ll die just like Jta Lawson did!¡± Jta was Balchste wife. At these words, Seraphina¡¯s face suddenly changed, she looked at Balch. Balch also looked at her, his eyes unreadable, but he just shook his head. Seraphina stood there, dumbfounded, ¡°Did she kill your wife? Did you know this?¡± ¡°Seraphina¡± Balch called her name urgently ¡°Whether he knows or not is none of your business!¡± Fidelia suddenlyughed coldly, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll be joining Jta soon!¡± Right after her words, Fidelia pulled out a small silver gun from behind her and aimed at Seraphina. Seraphina went pale, but she couldn¡¯t help but look at Balch. Balch, lying behind Fidelia on the ground, was still trying to signal Seraphina, while yelling at Fidelia, ¡°Fidelia! No! Once you pull the trigger, there¡¯s no turning back!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Fidelia¡¯s voice hardened, 1 just want her dead!¡± Bang! After a loud noise, the kitchen light fixture swung wildly. Balch somehow managed to stand up, grabbed Fidelia¡¯s arm, and sent the bullet into the ceiling! ¡°Seraphina¡® Run!¡± Balch suddenly yelled. Seraphina turned and pushed open the window behind her. ¡°You¡¯re still protecting her! You¡¯re risking your life to protect her! Do you love her that much? Fidelia screamed uncontrobly, pushing the injured Balch away and aiming the gun at Seraphina again. Bang! Seraphina had climbed onto the window, and the bullet grazed past her, hitting the window frame. Seraphina dodged and jumped out of the window. But with her jump, shended straight into a pair of solid arms, along with a familiar smell. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. This moment felt like a dream. Seraphina looked up, and there he was, Leandro. Leandro just shot her a deep nce, ensuring she was safe, then shifted his gaze towards the window. Fidelia had reached the window. Even after seeing Leandro, she didn¡¯t hesitate to raise her gun. In that instant, Seraphina was certain this woman hadpletely lost her marbles. With another gunshot, Leandro suddenly fell onto Seraphina. As they hit the floor, Seraphina tried to get up but found Leandro¡¯s body weighing heavily on her. ¡°Leandro Seraphina gritted her teeth and called out his name. ¡°Stay put!¡± Leandro¡¯s voice was low and filled with anger. Then, another gunshot rang out, but this time from a different direction. Seraphina couldn¡¯t tell which direction it came from. She stiffened slightly, mustered all her strength to roll over and shielded Leandro with her body. At this moment, Herman was behind Leandro with his gun pointed at Fidelia. Fidelia¡¯s shoulder was already injured from his first shot. But seeing Seraphina¡¯s body appear in front of the gun, she gritted her teeth and fired again! Bang! The bullet hit Seraphina¡¯s back. Unable to control herself, she lurched forward and fell into Leandro¡¯s arms. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Herman reacted swiftly, firing off another round. This time, the bullet found its mark,nding straight in Fidelia¡¯s heart. After Fidelia fell to the ground, Herman quickly moved to the window to get a glimpse of what¡¯s going on inside the house. Fidelia¡¯s bodyy strewn on the ground, with Balch right next to her, silently taking in the scene. Underneath him was a chaotic mess of blood. Seeing this, Herman quickly returned to Leandro and Seraphina, ¡°How are you holding up, Leandro?¡± Leandro held Seraphina tightly, his gaze fixed on her face. His body was stiff and his expression cold. ¡°She took a bullet for you?¡± Herman asked, while quickly dialing for an ambnce on his phone. Suddenly, Seraphina in Leandro¡¯s arms made a sound, ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Leandro looked down. Seraphina slowly opened her eyes, but the pain was clearly etched on her face, ¡°It hurts so much¡­¡± Herman leaned over to her, concern filling his voice. ¡°Where are you hurt? Can you feel anything?¡± ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Seraphina managed to wheeze out before continuing, ¡°Why does it hurt so much even with a bulletproof vest on¡­¡± Upon hearing the words ¡°bulletproof vest¡°, Leandro quickly unbuttoned her shirt to reveal the vest. His hand reached around to her back, feeling for something, and pulled out a bullet. There was no blood, which meant the bullet didn¡¯t prate the vest. Herman watched in surprise, throwing Seraphina a perplexed look. Thisdy was full of surprises. Who would¡¯ve thought she was wearing a bulletproof vest? Leandro silently looked at the bullet in his hand for a moment before finally shifting his gaze to Seraphina. Seraphina was still gasping for breath, looking at Leandro with a forced smile. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, were you actually nning to take a bullet for me just now? Am I really worth it to you?¡± Hearing this, Leandro abruptly pushed Seraphina away, got up, dusted off his clothes with a cold expression, and walked towards his vi. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Seraphina cried out in pain, still lying on the ground. Edgar and Victor hesitated before stepping out of the house. As they headed towards the scene, Leandro simply walked past them and into his vi. ¡°Stay back¡± Herman warned while on the phone, ¡°Don¡¯t mess up the crime scene.¡± Looking at Seraphina still on the ground, Edgar couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow, ¡°This is a bit too dramatic¡­¡± Meanwhile, Leandro went inside, removed his dark suit jacket, revealing his white shirt underneath. The red mark on his arm was particrly noticeable. Seeing him, Karan, who hade downstairs, was startled and immediately asked, ¡°What happened? What was that sound just now? Gunshots? Were you hit?¡® ¡°It¡¯s just a graze Leandro replied, ¡°There was a bit of trouble next door. Stay home and take care of Valerio, don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡± Ten minutester, police cars and ambnces arrived at the scene. Balch, who was critically injured, was rushed into the first ambnce. Shortly after, Seraphina was lifted i into the second one. In that moment, Seraphina spotted Leandro. He was looking clean and well¨Cdressed in a fresh outfit, but his face was cold. He seemed to be looking at her too, but he was too far away for her to see his eyes clearly. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but remember the pair of eyes she saw when she woke up. She had taken a bullet for him, but his eyes were so cold¡­. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. The incident that night was severe and quickly caused a stir in Sunburst City The most shocking part was that Fidelia, armed and dangerous, was killed by an off¨Cduty cop who happened to be at the scene. The news was unbelievable but it was an irrefutable fact. Soon, the inte was buzzing with discussions and variousments, with no signs of dying down. Seraphina had anticipated the aftermath of the incident, but she didn¡¯t expect Fidelia to die. As a victim and a participant in the incident, Seraphina, who wasn¡¯t seriously injured, provided a statement to the police as soon as possible. On the other hand, Balch, who was also hospitalized, was in aa due to severe blood loss and didn¡¯t wake up until the third day Given the severity of the case, Balch was immediately interrogated by the police when he woke up. It took nearly half a day to finish questioning him. Finally, after the police left, Seraphina was allowed to enter the ward Balch looked pale and weak, but he smiled faintly at her and reached out his hand Seraphina¡¯s hand was cold, and her face was stiff. Seeing her, Balch¡¯s low voice filled the room, ¡°I¡¯m relieved to see you¡¯re okay. Were you scared?¡± Seraphina sat quietly by the bed, looking at him for a while before speaking, ¡°I¡¯ve told the police everything.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Everything Fidelia said that day. I¡¯ve told the police.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Including the things about your wife.¡± Hearing this, Balch just smiled faintly. It¡¯s the truth anyway.¡± Seraphina looked at him, remained silent for a while, and then said, ¡°You already knew After a while, Balch slowly nodded. Seraphina looked at him in shock, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything? Why did you help her hide it? Could it be¡­¡± As she was speaking, she seemed to think of something terrifying. She suddenly pulled her hand from Balch¡¯s, taking two steps back. Balch¡¯s hand was still outstretched towards her, hanging in the air. Seraphina looked at him, her eyes slowly welling up with tears. After a while, she returned to sit by the bed, but didn¡¯t hold his hand nor look at him, she just said, ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯m listening to your exnation¡± Balch gazed at her profile for a moment before slowly beginning, ¡°I met Fidelia four years ago. I had been married to Jane for three years by then. I thought we were tight, until her birthday that year. That¡¯s when I found out she had someone else in her heart all along¡­ ¡°So, you cheated on Jane with Fidelia?¡± Seraphina asked. Balch slowly closed his eyes, as if he didn¡¯t want to revisit those painful memories. Seraphina watched him, slowly speaking for him, ¡°You love your wife deeply, but you got involved with Fidelia on a whim. And she, well, she fell head over heels.¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t want to go on like this. I wanted to have a heart¨Cto¨Cheart with Jane, keep our marriage on track. So, I broke up with Fidelia¡­ But before! could talk to Jane, tragedy struck¡­ ¡°Do you know if Fidelia was the murderer?¡± Balch remained silent for a long time before he finally said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know at the time. When Jane suddenly passed, it took me a long time toe to terms with it. It wasn¡¯t until a yearter when Fidelia lost control after a few drinks that I realized what she had done¡­¡± ¡°So why didn¡¯t you spill the beans?¡± Seraphina looked at him. ¡°Why did you cover for her?¡± ¡°Because¡­ nothing could change what happened,¡± Balch said. ¡°Even if I ratted her out, none of it could ever go back to the way it was.¡± Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Seraphina took in his words, didn¡¯t ask any more questions, and just sat quietly for a long time. Back in the day, Wilbur had been the main suspect in the case and he was the one who ended up serving time However, Wilbur passed away due to illness just six months into his prison sentence. Balch said he only found out the truth a yearter. By that time, Wilbur was already six feet under. Even if the truth came out now, it wouldn¡¯t change a thing Besides, Fidelia was his lover. In a situation where he couldn¡¯t change the past, protecting someone he once cared for might be the best option, right? Seraphina just sat there, her face looking quite glum. Balch reached out and gently held her hand, ¡°Sera, all of this is water under the bridge for me. It¡¯s all in the past that I want to let go¡± Seraphina slowly pulled her hand back, ¡°I need some time¡± With that she got up to leave Balch made as if to stop her, but then he sucked in a breath in pain. When he let go of her hand, he was sweating bullets. Seeing this, Seraphina quickly checked his wound, ¡°Are you okay? Your wound is deep, you can¡¯t move around so much!¡± Balch took the chance to grab her hand again, and didn¡¯t let go. His palm was sweaty and cold. Seraphina was so taken aback that she pressed the bell for the doctor. The doctor arrived quickly and started to check the wound on Balch¡¯s back. Seraphina finally got a good look at Balch¡¯s wound. It was the oue of Balch stepping in without a second thought when Fidelia swung a knife at her. Fidelia had intended to hurt her, so the stab was deep. Balch let the doctor treat his wound and turned to look at Seraphina. She was staring at his wound, seemingly in shock. Balch gently squeezed her hand, whispering, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I will be okay¡± Seraphina just looked at him, her expressionplicated, and didn¡¯t say anything. After the doctor finished rebandaging the wound and gave a few instructions, he left. It was then that Seraphina spoke, ¡°Let me go. I can¡¯t think straight when I¡¯m with you.¡± Balch stared at her for a long time, then sighed and slowly let go of her hand. Seraphina turned to leave. As she reached the door, she couldn¡¯t help but nce back at him. Balch was watching her, his gaze steady. Seraphina hesitated for a moment, then confessed, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell the police everything¡­ Balch¡¯s gaze flickered. ¡°About your wife¡­ I didn¡¯t say anything: Seraphina said. Balch gave a small smile, ¡°I know If you had, the police¡¯s questions just now would have been different.¡± ¡°Why did you still tell me then?¡® Seraphina asked, ¡°You know I was testing you!¡± ¡°I wanted to tell you¡± Balch said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to keep anything from you anymore. Whatever decision you make, I won¡¯t regret it.¡± Seraphina took one more look at him, then turned and left. Balch watched Seraphina¡¯s retreating figure until she disappeared from sight. Then he returned to the bed and sat quietly for a while, closing his eyes. Seraphina left the room and headed straight for the hospital entrance. As she reached the roadside, she took a deep breath. Just as she was catching her breath, a car pulled up in front of her. Seeing Herman, she swallowed her breath ¡°Mr. Herman, what a coincidence,¡± she tidied her hair and greeted him with a smile This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Herman came oyer and leaned against the car door, arms crossed over his chest He looked at her, ¡°Mr. Lawson is awake?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Seraphina nodded, her tone casual, ¡°Your colleague probably finished taking his statement already. Are you here to question him again?¡± Herman looked at her and smiled, Ms. Bet, you¡¯re quite the optimist¡± Seraphina gave him a look, then grinned, ¡®Mr Herman, what are you getting at?¡± ¡°Even though you¡¯re officially Leandro¡¯s fianc¨¦e, in reality, you¡¯re Balch¡¯s girlfriend. Now, because of your boyfriend¡¯s past, you were almost killed, and your boyfriend is seriously injured and in the hospital But you seem to be taking it all in stride, Ms. Bet That¡¯s quite something Seraphina touched her ear and slowly replied, ¡°I m just like that. What can I do?¡± Herman straightened up and looked at her, ¡°About the incident that night, are you sure there¡¯s nothing else you want to add, Ms. Bet?¡± Seraphina just smiled, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Herman didn¡¯t say anything else, just nodded and turned to walk towards the hospital Seraphina waved cheekily at him, watching him go inside. A ck sedan drove out of the hospital, brushing past Herman. Herman stopped and looked into the car. The car window rolled down, and Seraphina saw Leandro in the back seat. He was wearing a ck shirt, his features sharp and cold, giving off a strong aura Seraphina raised an eyebrow, and while he wasn¡¯t looking, she turned and walked away But she had only walked about a few steps when the ck car pulled up beside her. Seraphina stopped and rolled her eyes in annoyance, then got into the car.. The car continued to drive slowly, the atmosphere inside incredibly quiet. Leandro didn¡¯t say anything. Bored, Seraphina began to check out the car, then turned to him, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there,¡± Leandro responded without looking at her. Seraphina made a face The car drove all the way to the nursing home where Conway was staying. When Seraphina walked into Conway¡¯s room, he was checking his blood pressure. As soon as he saw her, his blood pressure shot up. Before the nurse could even open her mouth to read off the blood pressure, Conway had already ripped the cuff off and grabbed his cane to swing at Seraphina Seraphina yelped and quickly backed away, only to bump straight into Leandro behind her. Leandro nced down at her before unceremoniously shoving her towards Conway. Sure enough, Conway¡¯s cane came swinging down, smacking Seraphina¡¯s arm with a heavy thud. ¡°Ouch!¡± Pain shot through Seraphina, causing her to wince. When she turned to look, Leandro was casually lounging on a nearby couch, silently watching her get whacked. ¡°Grandpa Grandpa¡°¡± After being hit a couple times, Seraphina finally managed to grab hold of Conway¡¯s cane, whining, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ve just gone through hell, how could you still hit me?¡± ¡°Gone through hell?¡± Conway¡¯s eyes bulged in anger, ¡°You brought this on yourself! Why did you have to mess with Balch? You almost got yourself killed! Is he really that great?¡± ¡°He¡¯s more than great!¡± Seraphina insisted, ¡°When I was at death¡¯s door, he blocked a knife for me!¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, Leandro lowered his head to light up a cigarette. ¡°Blocking a knife for you?¡± Conway suddenly burst out in anger, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember who got you in danger in the first ce? You¡¯re touched just because he look a knife for you? Where¡¯s your sense? Where¡¯s your principle?¡± Leandro was lighting his cigarette with his left hand. Hearing Conway¡¯s words seemed to hurt him a bit. He frowned, switching the lighter to his right hand Seeing Conway¡¯s fiery temper, Seraphina quickly tried to calm him down: ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t get too worked up. I know I messed up¡­ I really do¡­¡± Conway was panting heavily With Seraphina¡¯s help, he sat down before continuing, ¡°I don¡¯t care about anything else, but if you¡¯re going to be with Balch, I can¡¯t support that! He¡¯s a yboy, not a good man!¡± At this point, Seraphina didn¡¯t dare to talk back, so she yed along. She sat on the floor leaning against her grandpa¡¯s leg, her chin resting on his knee, a mix of appeasement and coquettishness ¡°I get it, Grandpa. I know what kind of person Balch is. You don¡¯t need to worry, okay?¡± Conway was still angry and huffed, ¡°Cut him off, got it?¡± Just then, Seraphina¡¯s phone rang. She nced at the screen and saw Balch¡¯s name, picking up the call and reassuring her grandpa at the same time: ¡°Got it, got it, I¡¯ll cut him off right away!¡± Hearing her words, Balch on the other end of the phone asked quietly, ¡°Cut off what?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t dare to talk on the phone in front of Conway, so she turned and walked out. Leandro, sitting on the couch by the door, watched her leave, flicking his cigarette ash off with no expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯mforting someone else.¡± Seraphina nced at Leandro as she walked out of the room, answering Balch¡¯s question. Hearing that, Balch was silent for a while before finally saying. I¡¯ve put a lot of pressure on you, haven¡¯t I?¡± Seraphina leaned against the wall, not saying a word. ¡°I know you¡¯re feeling lost right now,¡± Balch said after a long pause. ¡°But there¡¯s something¡­ I need your help with¡­¡± Seraphina took a deep breath as if sighing before finally saying, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°A cop named Herman came to see me. He said the case has drawn a lot of attention and the police don¡¯t want to close it just yet. They need to search my ce again,¡± Balch said. ¡°But there are some things¡­ I don¡¯t want them to find¡­¡± Hearing this, Seraphina just remained silent. Whatever needed to be hidden from the police couldn¡¯t be good. They both knew that. ¡°Sera, I won¡¯t force you, Balch said. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, just forget it.¡± After a long silence, Seraphina finally said, 111 take care of it.¡± When Seraphina returned to the room after hanging up, Leandro and Conway had moved on to another topic¨Chealth. Conway¡¯s mood had improved a lot. Catching a glimpse of Seraphina, he patted the space next to him, ¡°Come sit down.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Grandpa, I have some stuff to do, I have to go¡­ Seraphina said in a soft voice. Hearing this, Conway¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re leaving? You just got here a few minutes ago and you¡¯re leaving? When was thest time your visited me for more than half an hour?¡± Seeing Conway worked up again, Leandro called out in a calm voice, ¡°Grandpa¡± Conway looked at Leandro, struggling to keep his anger in check. He waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Go, just go! Don¡¯t bother about me!¡± ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t be like that¡± Seraphina said, ¡°When I have some time, I¡¯lle and stay here with you for a month, will that make you happy?¡± ¡°Are you serious or fooling me again?¡± Conway said, ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, I will punish you!¡± Seraphina raised her hand solemnly, I swear I will.¡± Conway huffed, then reminded her, ¡°You can¡¯t have anything to do with Balch anymore, got it?¡± Seraphina raised her hand again, ¡°I swear I won¡¯t.¡± Leandro nced at her. Seraphina was also looking at him, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you brought me here, you should also drive me home, right?¡± Hearing that they came together, Conway immediately smiled, ¡°Go, go have a date. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± After saying goodbye to Conway, as soon as they got in the car, Seraphina told the driver, ¡°To Urban Oasis¡± Hearing this, Leandro turned to look at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just swear to grandpa?¡± ¡°What I said was just to make him happy¡± Seraphina said, ¡°The won¡¯t actually punish me.¡± Leandro ignored her and started reading a file. After a while, Seraphina, bored and sleepy, took off her shoes, put her feet on the backseat, andid down, resting her head on Leandro¡¯sp. Leandro put down the file and looked at her. Seraphina smiled slightly, ¡°I¡¯m justying down for a bit. We¡¯ve already slept together, you wouldn¡¯t mind such minor details, right?¡± Leandro nced at the driver in the front, then pulled up the partition between the front and back seats. Seeing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. 4 Leandro seemed very busy, going through seven or eight files in just twenty minutes, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter. Seraphina, resting on hisp, looked up at him and stretched out her hand to smooth out his furrowed brow Leandro¡¯s gaze moved from the files to her. ¡°Why are you always frowning?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°You¡¯ll age faster that way¡± With one hand holding the files. Leandro used the other to push her hand away. Seraphina took the chance to notice his slightly stiff left hand. ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± Before Leandro could react, Seraphina reached out and grabbed the sore spot. He had a bandage under his suit. Seraphina gently pressed on that part, looking up at him, ¡°Did you get hurt? Was it from that night? What happened?¡± Leandro, witnessing the scene, simply dropped his file and watched her coldly. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°A gunshot wound?¡± Seraphina eximed in surprise. ¡°So¡­ why did you show up? Why help me?¡± Leandro brushed her arm away, his face expressionless. ¡°Ask what you want to ask.¡± At this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. I¡¯m just trying to flirt with you, especially since you blocked a bullet for me with your body¡­¡± Having said that, she stared at Leandro, boldly observing the expression on his face. Unfortunately, Leandro¡¯s attitude was as aloof as ever, his face showing no emotion. This man, clearly interested in her body, yet exhibited extreme indifference towards her. However, despite the indifference, he had chosen to save her at a critical moment. Seraphina found this extremely amusing However, this wasn¡¯t what she was after at the moment. Seeing that Leandro made no move, Seraphina had no choice but to submit. She straight out asked, ¡°I want to know, how much do you know about Balch?¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Leandro wasn¡¯t stingy with his words, he told her, ¡°I know more than you do.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina bit her lip lightly, sat up to look at him, and asked in a hushed tone, ¡°So, what is it that you know more than me?¡± Leandro turned his head to look at her, his gaze deep and indifferent Was he implying he had no reason to tell her? ¡°We¡¯ve slept together, you know!¡± Seraphina reached out her hand, lightly pulling at his tie, What¡¯s the harm in telling me?¡± Leandro pulled his tie back, looking at Seraphina, ¡°Spending a night with you, wasn¡¯t that my loss?¡± On hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. These were the words she had intentionally said to him when she called him afterward, who knew he¡¯d use it against her now? 7 was just teasing you then, after all, I never thought you¡¯d take a bullet for me!¡± Seraphina moved closer to Leandro, looking up at him, ¡°So, what were you thinking when you risked your life to save me?¡± Her eyes were bright and lively, as if she was truly expecting him to say something touching. Leandro looked at her calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t think much when taking the bullet, saving you was just to protect myself¡± Seraphina held his gaze silently for a moment, confirming that Leandro was telling the truth. Regardless of what he had in mind when he stood in front of Balch¡¯s room that night, he hadn¡¯t expected Fidelia to have a gun, and she just happened to jump out of the window and run into him. When Fidelia started shooting, he shielded her and also protected himself. If it were any other situation, she¡¯d probably be crying tears of gratitude if he didn¡¯t push her away when she was in danger. Seraphina sighed, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you saved my life and you don¡¯t want anything in return, this makes me feel very guilty¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your repayment¡± Leandro said. ¡°I was thinking of offering myself to you, Mr. Reynolds, are you really dismissing the idea?¡± After hearing her, Leandro gave her a look, ¡°Balch also took a knife for you, but all you can think of is how to prove that he is rted to his wife¡¯s death¡± Finally, he brought up this topic! Seraphina let out a sigh of relief, and started tough. Even though she guessed his understanding of her intention from his words and actions, Leandro never directly admitted it. Now they could finally discuss the matter directly. ¡°If you think what I¡¯m doing is wrong, feel free to expose me.¡± Sitting cross¨Clegged in the spacious back seat, Seraphina looked fearless. Leandro averted his gaze, ¡°Whether you¡¯re right or wrong is none of my business.¡± ¡°But you ruined my n.¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your cop friend that night, things wouldn¡¯t have escted to this point, and I might have found the truth by now.¡± ¡°True.¡± Leandro nced at her sarcastically. The death of a woman with a bad reputation in social circles is popr star¡± Deed much simpler than the death of a Seraphina chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve always said that I¡¯m not afraid of death. I was fully prepared, and even if I die, the truth wille out.¡± ¡°So, you want an apology from me?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± Seeing Leandro¡¯s face getting colder, Seraphina quicklyughed, ¡°I just want to know, how did you find out about Balch and his wife¡¯s death?¡± After hearing this, Leandro calmly closed his eyes and looked out the window. The car had already entered the gate of Urban Oasis. Seraphina knew she would be kicked out of the car soon and wouldn¡¯t be able to continue the conversation, so she said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you said you¡¯ll settle the score with me after I finish with Balch. Don¡¯t you want to resolve this issue quickly instead of lingering with me?¡± The car stopped in front of Leandro¡¯s vi, but neither of them moved. Seraphina propped her chin on her hands, looking at Leandro with a yful yet sincere gaze. ¡°Is this your condition?¡± Leandro looked at her, ¡°Not enough¡± With that, he opened the car door and walked into his house. Seraphina stayed in the back seat, watching his retreating figure, grinding her teeth in frustration. He said her condition was not enough? What he was interested in her was her body, wasn¡¯t it? No matter how cool and rational a man is, he can¡¯t avoid being driven by carnal desires. Unfortunately, she had no intention of paying such a price for this case With these angry thoughts, Seraphina slowly put on her shoes, got out of the car, and walked towards Balch¡¯s house. She opened the door and walked in, went upstairs, and directly walked to a door that had been closed for a long time. Following the password Balch had given her, Seraphina unlocked the door and walked in. To her surprise, it was a study, filled with office supplies and arge number of books, but dust had umted on them, indicating that no one had 10:16 been here for a long time. Seraphina went to the desk and saw a picture of Jta taken before her death. The office supplies on the desk were mostly feminine, so this must have been Jta¡¯s study before her death. Seraphina looked around carefully, went behind the desk, opened the first drawer, found a key, and opened the lock of the second drawer. Locked in the drawer were a bunch of documents Seraphina casually dusted off the chair and sat down to read the documents. After quickly flipping through about a dozen pages, Seraphina discovered the secret ¨C these were internal documents rted to the Lawson Group. involving insider trading Some of these documents were signed by Jta, and some by Balch. For apany, these documents are very important. If made public, thepany¡¯s responsible person might face imprisonment. These were the things Balch didn¡¯t want the police to see, but would he really trust her with such important things? Seraphina was holding the document, looking a bit spacey as she sunk into thought. In the afternoon, Herman showed up at Balch¡¯s doorstep with a young cop. When Seraphina came downstairs to answer the door, she was dressed pretty casually Herman gave Seraphina a quick once¨Cover before looking away. ¡°Someone just died bucket in this house and it was only just unsealed, you¡¯ve got some guts moving back in.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything shady, what¡¯s there to be scared of?¡± Seraphina shot back. ¡°Officer Herman, this house has been unsealed already, you guys should have searched all the ces that needed searching What are you here to search for?¡± Herman put on his gloves in front of Seraphina, I¡¯m a stickler for details when I¡¯m working, even if it seems like a pointless task, I don¡¯t mind doing it twice¡± Hearing this, Seraphinaughed, I admire cops like you the most, pleasee in.¡± And so, Herman and the young cop entered the house and started a thorough search, starting from the kitchen where the incident took ce. Wherever they searched, Seraphina was there, watching them closely from the sideline. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Herman had given the whole house a once¨Cover, but couldn¡¯t find any useful leads He paused hesitantly in front of thest closed door on the second floor. It was a room that even Seraphina hadn¡¯t been in She looked rxed, leaning against the hallway wall, smiling at Herman, Mr Herman, the incident happened downstairs Fidelia never came upstairs, so this room is definitely unrted¡± Hearing this, Herman turned to look at Seraphina, Ms Bet, would you mind if we took a peek? Seraphina shrugged. Td like to as well, but I can¡¯t open the door.¡± ¡°Ms Bet, since you live here, aren¡¯t you curious about this locked room?¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m curious, there¡¯s nothing I can do. After all, it¡¯s not my house¡± Seraphinaughed and added, ¡°But it¡¯s not hard to guess what¡¯s in there, considering the previousdy of the house is deceased¡® Hearing this, Herman lingered his gaze on her face, ¡°Ms. Bet, what do you know about thete Mrs. Lawson?¡± ¡°I returned home only in April, what do you think I could know?¡± Seraphina retorted ¡°In such a short time, Ms. Bet, your rtionship with Mr. Lawson has be quite intimate, how impressive¡± ¡°Not really¡± Seraphina said I know I am irresistible Hearing this, Herman gave her a deep look. Seraphina considered for a moment, then asked. ¡°Mr. Herman, the case seems pretty clear cut. What are you still doubtful about? Herman stood tall, his gaze fixed on Seraphina. Im just a bit puzzled, why did Fidelia choose to fight you with a knife for so long when she had a gun?¡± At this, Seraphina furrowed her brows in thought, ¡°That is indeed a question¡­ Unfortunately, you shot Fidelia dead, so we may never know some answers we should have known.¡± Hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, Herman¡¯s gaze darkened, lingering on her for a long time. ¡°Did I say something wrong? Seraphina smiled and asked This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After a while. Herman finally spoke. ¡°No, you¡¯re absolutely right.¡± Afterwards, he called over a young officer, and upon learning nothing was found, he quickly left the house. Seraphina escorted them out, and after closing the door, she went upstairs again. She opened Jta¡¯s study, which she had tidied up. It looked clean and tidy. Herman hadn¡¯t found anything here earlier. Seraphina walked in, sat in the chair behind the desk, leaned back and thought. Jta used to work in this room often. Now, her picture was still on the desk, looking at Seraphina. Seraphina looked at her picture for a moment, and when she looked away, her gaze fell on a painting hanging on the opposite wall. Seraphina stared at the painting for a long time, and then suddenly startedughing. In the evening. Seraphina visited the hospital again. Balch¡¯s room was quiet. He was lying on his side on the bed, reading something on his tablet When Seraphina entered, his gaze immediately fell on her Maybe because he was lying down, he wasn¡¯t weaning sses Without his lenses, his eyes seemed even colder, watching her quietly Seraphina walked over to the bed, and after a moment, took out a stack of documents from her bag and dropped them on Balch¡¯s bed. The papers scattered everywhere But Balch didn¡¯t care about the documents, he reached out and grabbed her arm, Seraphina was cold. The police haven¡¯t seen these, are you relieved?¡± Batch didn¡¯t answer ¡°Sera Seraphina continued, ¡°But I¡¯ve seen them, I¡¯ve read everything, what do you n to do with me?¡± Balch just held her hand, ¡°Will you me me?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°You¡¯re so cruel, so sneaky¡­ Hearing this, Balch slowly let go of her hand ¡°You¡¯ve made me just like you, so that you can control me! You did it so I wouldn¡¯t expose you!¡± Hearing this, Balch¡¯s hand tightened around hers again. Seraphina was so angry her eyes were red, staring at him But Balch started to smile slowly pulled her towards him. Seraphina was stiff but she sat down on the edge of the bed. ¡°Batch, you¡¯re a devil¡± Seraphina said. ¡°The mistakes you¡¯ve made are even worse than Peterson Miller¡¯s, but you¡¯re forcing me to forgive your Balch brought her hand to his mouth, ¡°That¡¯s because love you more than he does¡± Seraphina just stared at him, ¡°Do you think I would believe that?¡± Balch didn¡¯t answer, instead he suddenly gasped, making a pained expression Seraphina was startled, quickly checking his back, ¡°Is your wound hurting again?¡± But Balch took the opportunity to hold her,ughing softly ¡°Tim fine, seeing you, all my pain has disappeared¡­¡± Seraphina twisted him hard, ¡°Balch, I¡¯m giving you a chance this time, if you make the same mistake again, even if you die in front of me, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± ¡°Mhm Balch replied heavily ¡°Get your act together, heal your wounds and sort out the mess,¡± Seraphina said ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear of recall this incident ever again! I¡¯ve packed my bags already and I¡¯m moving back to my own ce. I¡¯m done with Urban Oasis and Rosewood Estates. I¡¯m not living there anymore! With that, she gave Balch a hard pinch. *Alright, no more living there,¡± Balch just held her ¡®We¡¯ll move. Wherever you want to go, how you want to decorate it, it¡¯s all up to you¡± After a while, Seraphina finally calmed down a bit. She looked up at him ¡°You¡¯re probably going to sweet talk me now. But I want to ask you, if I don¡¯t forgive you, even hand these documents over to the police, what¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t forgive me, then so be it. I¡¯ll take the hit, go to jail, whatever,¡± Balch said. ¡°Anyway nothing much to lose now¡± Seraphina snorted, ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy your sweet nothings.¡± ¡°You know I never sugar¨Ccoat things,¡± Balch responded. Seraphina stayed silent for a moment, then leaned into him again, whispering. ¡°Balch, I¡¯m giving you this one chance, the only one. If you fail me again, then don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.¡± Holding her, Balch simply replied, ¡°Okay¡± Chapter 87 Chapter 87 During Balch¡¯s hospital days, the media had been buzzing non¨Cstop. It was only when he was discharged that things started to cool down a bit. However, on the day Balch was discharged, there was still a circus at the hospital entrance between the security guards and the journalists In the end, Balch managed to sneak out of the hospital through a secret passage, unnoticed by the horde of reporters. Back at Urban Oasis, as he pulled up to his house, he saw Seraphina sitting on the doorstep. It turned out she didn¡¯te to pick him up from the hospital, she was waiting for him at home Balch couldn¡¯t help but smirk as he got out of the car and helped Seraphina up ¡°Why aren¡¯t you inside?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already moved my stuff out Seraphina replied ¡°I don¡¯t live here anymore, it didn¡¯t feel right to go in* Hearing this, Balch let out a chuckle ¡°Since when did you be so sensitive? Seraphina shot him a nce and said. ¡°When ites to certain men, it¡¯s better to be sensitive.¡± ¡°Everything you asked for, it¡¯s all been arranged¡± Balch said No sooner had he finished speaking than a fewrge moving trucks pulled up. ¡°What¡¯s this for? Seraphina asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to move?¡± Balch replied. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh at his response, she was obviously ying dumb. ¡°I didn¡¯t say we had to move today. You just got discharged, I¡¯m supposed to be taking care of you¡± Balch nodded ¡°So, you¡¯re in charge of the move today. You decide what stays and what goes ¡± Balch had a mountain of work piled up during his hospital stay, so he left the moving to Seraphina. She took charge and only left the essentials and Balch¡¯s personal items. the rest was handled by the movingpany In just half a day. Seraphina had pretty much sorted everything out Only then did she knock on the door of Balch¡¯s study ¡°How¡¯s it going? Balch asked, looking up from his files. ¡°I¡¯ve sorted out most of it,¡± Seraphina replied, crossing her arms. ¡°Only two rooms left.¡± Without a doubt, these two rooms were the ones he always kept locked. One was Jta¡¯s study, the other was something Seraphina had never seen before Balch was silent for a moment before nodding and standing up. Tve thought about it.¡± He walked to the door and led Seraphina to the two rooms. The door to Jta¡¯s study was open, the furniture still in its original ce, untouched. ¡°Whatever you did with the furniture downstairs, do the same here,¡± Balch said. Then he led Seraphina to the door of thest room, entered the code, and opened the door. Seraphina stood behind him, peering over his shoulder into the room. The room was filled with stuff boxes, chairs, clothes, daily items, and Jta¡¯s portrait that she had seen in the living room. Balch turned to look at Seraphina and asked, ¡°Want toe in?¡± Seraphina slowly entered the room, nced around at the items, and then turned to Balch and asked, ¡°Are these all your wife¡¯s belongings?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Batch replied, leaning against the door frame, ¡°I had someone pack and store them. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take them to the cemetery, leave some for her.¡± Seraphina looked at him, a little surprised. ¡°You¡¯re going to burn them?¡± Balch nodded, then asked, ¡°Are you okay with this?¡± Seraphina stood there silently. She had let him handle everything, and he had chosen to cut ties with the past so drastically. It showed that he was really ready to start a new life. Balch walked over to her and looked down at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina immediately hugged him. Balch wrapped his arm around her waist and softly chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so thorough.¡± Seraphina said ¡°What if you miss her one day? Keep something¡± ¡°No need,¡± Balch said after a moment of silence. ¡°Keeping them won¡¯t mean anything She¡¯ll understand¡± After a while, Seraphina finally nodded, ¡°Okay. So, should Ie with you tomorrow?¡± ¡°Okay¡± That night, Balch moved into a hotel Considering his situation, Seraphina decided to avoid any misunderstandings and went back to her own ce. The next morning, Balch came to pick her up, and they went to Jta¡¯s grave together By the time they arrived, the movingpany staff were already moving Jta¡¯s belongings to the incinerator, box by box Balch first took Seraphina to pay their respects to Jane Seraphina had bought a bunch of lilies on the way, which sheid in front of Jta¡¯s tombstone. The woman on the tombstone looked gentle and elegant, her smile peaceful. ¡°Mrs. Lawson, from today on, I¡¯ll take good care of Batch for you I won¡¯t say much more, I hope you can rest in peace,¡± Seraphina said Balch squeezed her hand, looking at the woman on the tombstone, silent When the two returned to the incinerator, the items waiting to be incinerated were already sel aside. A worker fit the fire, and Balch stood by, watching for a while before finally picking up the nearest box and throwing a pile of photos into the incinerator one by one. Seraphina understood his intentions, standing by his side and quietly asking the workers to leave When most of the stuff had been burned. Seraphina, feeling a bit tired, said to Balch. ¡°I need to use the restroom¡± ? ? ? ? Balch nodded, watched her go, then threw thest box Into the fire. The names grew higher, and Balch remained silent, his expression serious After a while, he looked down at the boxes around him. All the boxes were empty Everything Jta had left in the world had disappeared with the mes. Balch closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled out a small box from his suit pocket. Inside the box were a few memory chips Balch stared at the chips for a while before finally deciding to chuck the whole box into the fire. ¡°Ah¡± A panicked shriek suddenly came from around the corner. It was Seraphina¡¯s voice Balch¡¯s expression changed instantly, and he spun around, sprinting in the direction of the noise. Turning a corner, he saw Seraphina sprawled on the ground, having fallen down the stairs. A few employees were rushing towards her, but Balch was the first to reach her, quickly lifting her off the ground. ¡°Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself? Balch anxiously checked Seraphina¡¯s condition, discovering that both her elbow and knee were grazed ¡°Can you feel your hand and leg?¡± Seraphina struggled to move and then murmured, ¡°I¡¯m fine ¡± ¡°Fine?¡± Balch looked somewhat upset. ¡°You¡¯ve scraped your hands and knees! How did you fall?¡± ¡°I just misstepped Seraphina frowned, her eyes widening in shock when she saw her wounds. ¡°Oh no, will it leave scars? That would be so ugly!¡± Balch almostughed at her remark, but seeing her injuries made his heart ache All he could say was, ¡°It¡¯s okay, scars are fine.¡± Seraphina red at him. Balch simply picked her up and headed for the exit. ¡°Lets get you to a hospital¡± Passing by the incinerator, the fire was still zing Balch nced at the fire, and Seraphina asked, ¡°Did you finish burning your stuff? ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Balch responded. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of your injuries first.¡± Seraphina nodded, resting quietly against him When they left the hospital, Seraphina¡¯s hands and legs were bandaged. Seraphina was unhappy: ¡°Now I can¡¯t wear skirts or short sleeves!¡± Balch chuckled, saying ¡°If you don¡¯t want scars, bear with it for a few days¡± She grumbled all the way home. Balch tried tofort her and then dropped her off at her ce. ¡°Can Ie over for dinner tonight?¡± Balch asked. Seraphina, lying on the couch, responded sarcastically. ¡°Forget it. You have so much work, and you¡¯ve wasted half the day. Go do your stuff.¡± ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡± Balch said, patting her head. ¡°If I can, I¡¯lle over. If not, III have someone else bring it.¡± Seraphina pouted, and Balch gave her a kiss on the forehead before leaving Not long after Balch left, Seraphina sat up on the couch, stretched her stiff limbs, changed her clothes, and left the house Half an hourter, Seraphina arrived at Sandra¡¯s house in the city center As she opened the door, she saw Terrell busy working on twoputers with his wife fussing over him with ice packs. Seeing Seraphina, Terrell¡¯s wife almost burst into tears ¡®Ms. Bet, just look at him. He¡¯s burnt but refuses to go to the hospital.¡°. Only then did Seraphina notice that Terrell¡¯s hands and face were burnt, and a section of his hair had been singed off. He seemed to be in a sorry state. These were injuries from his retrieval of the chips from the fire. ¡°Are your injuries severe? Seraphina asked. ¡°I¡¯m okay Terrell responded with a hoarse voice. ¡°That¡¯s good¡± said Seraphina, before sitting down in front of theputer. ¡®So, can we retrieve the data?¡± ¡®One chip is severely damaged, but the contents of the remaining three can be read,¡± Terrell said while showing Seraphina the contents Seraphina took a look and saw it was a surveince video. The video was set in Jta¡¯s study room, and naturally, the person in the video was Jta herself This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. From the date in the video, it could be inferred that it was taken in June two years ago, the same month Jta was murdered In the video, Jane was working diligently Her desk was piled high with documents, and she asionally nced at herputer or took calls From the camera¡¯s angle, it was clear that the camera was installed on the wall of Jta¡¯s study. It was the same camera that Seraphina had found traces of behind a painting in the study ¡°Are there videos from any other ces? Seraphina asked ¡°The bedroom and the living room downstairs, replied Terrell *Show me the footage from the living room!¡± Seraphina¡¯s heart started to pound. ¡°Did you see anything?¡± Chapter 88 Chapter 88 The living room was right downstairs, which was also where Jta was killed years ago. ¡°If Balch had installed surveince cameras around, we would definitely have caught Jta¡¯s murder on tapel Seraphina asked, looking expectantly at Terrell ¡°No clues so far, Terrell replied ¡°The surveince footage only shows ordinary daily life¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina continued to scrutinize the surveince video Indeed, the footage showed nothing but Jta¡¯s day to day activities at home. No suspicious activities were captured ¡°The footage has been edited¡± Terrell said. ¡°Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be only footage of Jta Balch also lived in this house, we would have seen him on camera¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes drifted toward a seriously damaged chip Terrell noticed her gaze and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. This chip is so badly burnt, it¡¯s beyond repair¡± Seraphina picked up the chip and examined it. ¡°What are the odds it¡¯s this chip?¡± Terrell sighed stood up, and went into the bathroom to freshen up, leaving Seraphina alone in front of theputer, silently watching the footage y out. The surveince tapes were indeed edited. In every clip, Jta was on the phone. Sometimes she was all smiles, while other times she looked indifferent. Seraphina quickly skimmed through all of the footage but failed to find what she was looking for. She slowly closed her eyes, pressing her forehead. Could it be that after all this, she was still going to fail? ¡°Forget it, maybe it¡¯s just fate,¡± Terrell said ¡°There¡¯s no way to prove his involvement in Jta¡¯s murder. Balch is cunning You¡¯ve done well so far, but maybe it¡¯s time to let it go.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Seraphina¡¯s eyes snapped open. She quickly grabbed theptop and began reanalyzing the chips Terrell, watching from the sidelines, quickly realized what she was doing and rushed to help They had only focused on the surveince videos on the chips, but what if there was hidden content? ¡°Got it¡± Terrell suddenly shouted Seraphina immediately turned to hisputer On the screen was a new surveince video. In the footage, Jta was flipping through a booklet in the living room while preparing to make a call. Behind her, a fully armed figure in ck was slowly approaching! The surveince footage was silent, which only made the scene more horrifying. The figure in ck repeatedly stabbed Jta, who initially struggled but gradually lost strength. She copsed onto the sofa, her eyes wide open and blood pooling around her After confirming her death, the killer dropped the knife and stood quietly The footage ended there. ¡°That¡¯s not Balch Terrell said. ¡°It¡¯s Fidelia Seraphina replied. ¡°So, Balch may not have been involved in the murder. He only helped Fidelia cover it up afterwards,¡± Terrell said. Hearing this, Seraphina burst outughing. ¡°What?¡± Terrell looked at her ¡°You must not have not investigated a case seriously for a long time. That¡¯s why you¡¯re so naive,¡± Seraphina said Just then, her phone rang. She expected it to be Balch, but it turned out to be the property management of her apartment ¡°Ms. Bet, there¡¯s a child here, about five or six years old. He wouldn¡¯t say a word, he just wrote down your phone number. Do you know him?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina covered her head. Of all times, why did Valerio have to show up now? She thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Could you look after him for a bit? I¡¯ll send someone to pick him up¡± Before she could finish, a thought shed through her mind. She immediately stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be right there to pick him up, thank you¡± ¡°Where are you going? Terrell asked ¡°I have something to do, you continue your investigation and let me know if you find anything.¡± Seraphina said, heading for the door She went straight to her apartmentplex and saw Valerio sitting in the property management office. ¡°What are you doing here by yourself again? Seraphina asked, not sure whether to be angry or worried ¡°Did you forget how your dad scolded youst time?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Valeno didn¡¯t respond, he just stared at her. Then Seraphina remembered that she had promised to help him find his mother. ¡°I forgot about that, what do I do?¡± She covered her mouth dramatically, then said, ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll go ask your dad right now!¡± She took Valero¡¯s hand, and they headed straight for the Reynolds Group By the time they arrived, it was nearly closing time, but the atmosphere was still bustling She announced her name at the reception and asked for Keen The receptionist called the CEO¡¯s office, and before long. Keen hurried down Keen was already overwhelmed, and seeing Seraphina only added to his stress, but he managed a strained smile. ¡°Ms. Bet, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°I need to see Leandro about this little guy¡± Seraphina said, pointing to Valeno ¡®Mr Reynolds has a big meetinging up, he really can¡¯t spare a moment, Keen said. ¡°Is Valerio bothering you again? Just hand him off to me, I¡¯ll take him upstairs.¡± Seraphyna brushed his hand away and said, ¡°No way. I have to see Leandro Otherwise, I¡¯ll start screaming and attract the press, don¡¯t me me then.¡± Hearing this Keen could only grit his teeth and lead her and Valerio upstairs. Upon reaching the 26th floor, Keen picked up Valerio, whispering, ¡°Your dad is busy now, don¡¯t bother him, let her stir the pot.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh at his words. Leandro was seemingly up to his ears in work! She ignored Valerio and walked straight to Leandro¡¯s office door, knocked lightly twice, didn¡¯t wait for a response, and barged in Keen stood not far away, holding Valerio, shuddering. This woman¨Ceither she¡¯s oblivious to danger or she¡¯s just incredibly lucky? It was Seraphina¡¯s first time in Leandro¡¯s office. What she saw was an extremely luxurious office that unapologetically disyed the owner¡¯s status yet was filled with a cold and serious atmosphere And Leandro was nowhere to be seen. As she was thinking the door to the side room opened, and Leandro, d in a dark blue suit, walked out. He paused upon seeing her. The smooth floor mirrored his tall and upright figure, and the dark blue suit perfectly matched Leandro¡¯s aloof charm. At that moment, Seraphina thought this man, dressed to the nines, was such a feast for the eyes, enough to cover up some of his true nature. A Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Locking eyes with Leandro, Seraphina waved at him, then skipped over to the chair opposite his desk, plopping down with a smile. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, long time no see!¡± Leandro merely shot her a nce, then walked over to his desk, hit the inte bulton, and hollered, ¡°Keen¡± Three secondster, the office door was gently knocked twice, and in walked cautious Keen ¡°Mr. Reynolds ¡± Leandro nced at Seraphina, then at Keen. The message was clear A bit flustered, Keen exined, ¡°Ms Bet barged in, I couldn¡¯t stop her¡± Leandro just stared at him, clearly not satisfied with the response With a helpless shrug Keen addressed Serapluna. ¡°Ms Bet, please leave. Mr. Reynolds has a meeting soon and really doesn¡¯t have time to entertain you¡± ¡°He¡¯s not in a meeting now, is he? Seraphina shot back, loungingfortably in her chair. ¡°Are you now stopping me from meeting my fiance? Since when do you have that authority?¡± Keen looked to Leandro for guidance, but he was now engrossed in his meeting files, leaving Keen to solve the problem Gathering his courage, Keen warned, ¡°Ms Bet, please don¡¯t make this difficult. If you continue, I¡¯ll have to call security¡± ¡°Go ahead and call security Seraphina retorted, nonchntly swinging her legs onto Leandro¡¯s desk. ¡°If you call security, I¡¯ll call the press. Let¡¯s see who ends up more embarrassed¡± Keen thought for a moment, then decided to deal with the immediate problem, leaving the rest forter. Just as Keen was about to call for security, Leandro finally looked up at Seraphina This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Seeing this, Keen breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left the office Outside, Yasmina was waiting with herptop. Seeing Keen exit, she looked surprised. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is the meeting still on?¡± Wiping sweat from his brow, Keen replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, we¡¯ll have to see Yasmina raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°If today¡¯s meeting is cancelled, my respect for Mr. Reynolds is going to take a serious hit. Even if Ms. Bet is as stunning as the rumors say¡± All Keen could do was sigh Back in the office. Leandro finally broke his silence by asking. ¡°What do you want?¡± With a gentle smile. Seraphina responded, ¡°Just to see you it¡¯s been days. Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯ve seen me Leandro¡¯s eyes flicked to her legs on his desk, his face impassive Seraphina knew the uing meeting must be important. She slowly retracted her legs, stood up, and moved to Leandro¡¯s chair ¡°Is that enough?¡± As she spoke, she sank into Leandro¡¯sp. ¡°I n to give you my entire evening She slowly leaned into Leandro, her lips almost touching his, but he abruptly turned his face away Seeing his jawline harden, Seraphina suppressed a smile and said, ¡°The other day you said my offer wasn¡¯t enough. Now I¡¯m all in, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± As she spoke, she reached out to loosen his tie. When he snatched his tie back, she moved her hand to his shirt, slowly pulling it out from his trousers, then slid her hand to his toned abdomen. Leandro immediately grabbed her hand, and at the same time, theputer behind Serana chimed with an iing video call Turning around, Seraphina feigned surprise ¡®Oh, there¡¯s a video call? What should I do? Hide?¡± Leandro just stared at her. She quickly ducked under his desk, nced up at him from his knees, and giggled innocently, ¡°How about here?¡± Leandro pulled back slightly, but she plopped onto his knees and said, ¡°I must be the first woman to hide here, right? So thrilling, my heart¡¯s racing. You go ahead with the video call! I¡¯ll hide here and promise not to cause any trouble.¡± Ignoring her Leandro stood up and hit the inte button again. ¡°Yasmina, tell them the meeting will be dyed by five minutes.¡± After saying this, he headed for the lounge. Crawling out from under the desk, Seraphina followed him. ¡°Five minutes? Don¡¯t you trust yourself?¡± He responded with silence to her provocation Following him into the lounge, she found that Leandro had partitioned a presidential suite inside his office¨Cbedroom, living room, bathroom, even a walk¨Cin closet filled with neatly hung shirts and suits¨C more than he had at his vi. It was clear how important work was to him, which gave her the upper hand. As she scanned the lounge, Leandro was undressing, getting rid of the wrinkled shirt and changing into a fresh white and ck suit She walked over and reached for his waist, saying ¡°Let me help¡± She said she would help, but unzipped his trousers instead Once again, Leandro grabbed her hand Looking up at him with innocent eyes, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t this how negotiations work? Give and take. If you keep shutting me out, how can we strike a deal?¡± ¡°No need for negotiations Leandro said, ¡°I ept your conditions¡± Seraphine was stunned, still trying to process what was happening Leandro had already leaned in, whispering in her ear, ¡°I can tell you, the night Jta was killed, Balch was at home¡± Seraphina suddenly locked her gaze with him and said, ¡°You got proof?¡± ording to records, when Jta was murdered, Balch was supposedly on the highway between Sunburst City and a neighboring town. But here Leandro was insisting Balch was home that night This possibility excited and surprised Seraphina, but she needed evidence. Leandro didn¡¯t bother answering her question again, he just said. ¡°Get your terms ready. I¡¯ll be around to collect themter¡± Clearly Seraphina¡¯s mind had drifted away from the so¨Ccalled ¡°Terms¡°. As Leandro turned to change his tie, she moved closer to him and asked, ¡°Could you testify that he was home that night?¡± Leandro nced at her and said, ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t waste any more time here.¡± Seraphina held his gaze for a moment, then, after a brief silence, she indeed turned and left. As she stepped out of the office, she found Yasmina checking her watch and counting time. When the door swung open and Seraphina walked out, Yasmina looked up, surprised at fast, then let out a long sigh of relief. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Seraphina shol Yasmina a small grin ready to jet, but then she remembered something ¡°Where¡¯s Valerio?¡± ¡®asmina pointed towards the lounge, and Seraphina headed that way leen was just stumbling out as they crossed paths, and Seraphina strode straight in ¡®asmina caught sight of Keen and couldn¡¯t msist showing off her wristwatch Mr Reynolds always on the dat, never an exception¡± Just get in there, Keen grumbled not even ncing at the lounge asmina knocked and went in to find Leandro just settling down behind his desk. She was about to take her usual spot behind him to take meeting notes when Leandro waved her off ¡°Sit opposite me¡± ¡®asmina hesitated, then sat down with herptop, sneaking nces at Leandro but unable to spot any difference from his usual self. The video call bell chimed again, and Leandro picked up, quickly exchanging hellos with the person on the other end lut Yasmina was lost in thoughts Seraphina had left, so what was she missing across the desk? Meanwhile, Seraphina met an expectant Valerio in the lounge and gave him an apologetic shrug. ¡°Your dad¡¯s just too busy, I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask him. But I promise ou, even if he doesn¡¯t spill the beans, I¡¯ll help you find out who your mom really is.¡± ¡®alerio looked at her, clearly disappointed but full of hope. Seraphina extended her pinkie. ¡°Let¡¯s pinkie swear.¡± falerio stared at her pinkie for a while, then finally reciprocated Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ifter leaving the Reynolds Group, Seraphina headed straight home. Terrell had sent her the decoded chip data, and she dove right into it as soon as she was home. She turned the screen brightness all the way up, analyzing the surveince footage frame by frame. She must¡¯ve watched the three¨Cminute video dozens of times. The information Leandro provided provided a new lead. If she could spot Balch in the surveince, even a hint would do Staring at the screen for so long made her eyes water, and she finally leaned back. Through the tears, she thought she saw Balch¡¯s face. Just then, the doorbell rang Seraphina snapped out of it, quickly shutting herptop, wiping her tears, and answering the door. Balch was there, takeaway bags in hand. He had been smiling, but his face fell when he saw Seraphina. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seraphina rubbed her red eyes andughed it off ¡°Nothing. I just got something in my eye.¡± Balch came in, put the bags on the table, and turned to her ¡°That¡¯s ame excuse, don¡¯t you think? Seraphinaughed, then sighed. ¡°I¡¯m actually pretty tough inside¡± Balch leaned against the table, nodded, and waited for her to continue. ¡°But,¡± Seraphina paused, then added, ¡°there are some topics we cant discuss.¡± Balch nced at herptop, then pulled her closer ¡°Tell me,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Seraphina answered tly Balch was silent for a while, then said, ¡°Alright. We can talk when you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ve got your favorite snacks, let¡¯s eat¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to pry Seraphina looked at him ¡°What¡¯s the harm in asking a few more times?¡± Balch gently touched her hair and smiled ¡°I told you. I¡¯m willing to give you time. We have plenty of time¡± Seraphina looked at him for a while, then suddenly hugged him. Balch took a sharp intake of breath. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina quickly let go. ¡°Are you in pain again? I thought you were healed?¡± Balch didn¡¯t answer. Seraphina yanked open his jacket and shirt to check on his wound and found it freshly bandaged. ¡°What happened? Seraphina asked ¡°Did the wound split open again?¡± Balch just held her hand tightly and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re very light, there¡¯s no need to lose weight¡± ¡°Did it split open why you carried me this morning?¡± Seraphina looked at him. ¡°No wonder you walked away when the doctor was treating me. Were you checking your wound?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing just a minor tear, Balch said. ¡°Compared to your injuries, it¡¯s nothing Let¡¯s eat before it gets cold¡± Seraphina doni move After a while, she said. ¡°Mr Lawson, are you spailing me too much?¡± Balchughed. ¡°That way you¡¯ll remember how good I am to you, right?¡± Seeing his smile, Seraphina finallyughed After they ate. Balch had to leave to take care of business. Before he left, he asked Seraphina, ¡°I have a TV interview tomorrow morning. Want toe with me?¡± ¡°In the morning?¡± Seraphina thought for a while. ¡°Call me if I pick up, I¡¯ll go ¡± Balch didn¡¯t push her ¡°Okay get some rest Seraphina nodded and watched him get into the elevator before closing the door and locking it Back at the couch, Seraphina reopened herptop, pulled up the surveince footage, zoomed in, then zoomed in more When the saw what was in the image, Seraphina¡¯s expression turned solemn. The next morning. Balch left the hotel for his TV interview This whole ordeal had made a huge ssh, and the Lawson Group took a pretty big hit Their PR department had been pulling out all the stops, hoping to salvage the Lawson Group¡¯s reputation and losses, and this interview was just step one Balch had tried to call Seraphina from the hotel, but nobody picked up. Once in the car, Balch dialed Seraphina¡¯s number for the second time, but still no answer ¡°Head straight for the TV station,¡± Balch told the driver The show¡¯s crew had already touched base with him. Although it was a financial talk show, the Fidelia incident was going to be a hot topic. So, when Balch arrived at the TV station, they started rolling without a hitch. First, the female host and Balch chewed the fat over the current economic situation and then moved on to the future ns of the Lawson Group. Just as they were about to pivot to the Fidelia incident, the vibe in the studio took a weird turn. People started checking their phones, stealing nces at Balch under the lights with puzzled looks. Balch furrowed his brows, just about to say something, when his two assistants burst in, ¡°Cut the cameras, power down now! Mr. Lawson, we¡¯ve got to bouncel¡± Before they could even finish their sentences, all hell broke loose in the studio. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Two assistants rushed to Balch¡¯s side, as the show producer also immediately led a team carrying cameras to approach him, pointing at Balch to film The studio was suddenly in chaos Balch stood un sandwiched between two assistants, but was still bumped a couple of times In the midst of the chaos, he heard one of the assistants say ¡°M: Lawson, we¡¯ve got a problem¡± Then he heard the almost shrieking voice of the show producer Mr Lawson, there are online rumors that your ex wife¡¯s death is linked to Fidelia and that you¡¯re in the know is this true?¡± Hearing this question, Batch¡¯s head felt like it was blown up, buzzing with confusion that stopped him from thinking ¡°Back off¡± the two assistants tried to push away the crowd ¡°Stop filming!¡± The station¡¯s reporters continued to ask, ¡®Did you collude with Fidelia to kill your ex wife?¡± Was Fidelia¡¯s death also your n?¡± ¡°Why would you have Fidelia kill your wife? In this extremely noisy and chaotic environment, Balch abruptly took off his sses, ring at the crowd, his voice cold and stern: ¡°This is utter nonsenser Then a phone was handed to Balch. ¡°How do you exin the content of this online expose?¡± Balch looked down to see the content on the phone screen: ¡°The mystery of Jta¡¯s death has been revealed, the murderer is the closest person!¡± Balch reached out to take the phone, but the person suddenly pulled back, continuing to ask more sharp and aggressive questions ¡°Mr. Lawson, you should leave now! The assistant managed to block the crowd and turned to Balch. Balch turned around and headed for the studio ext But as soon as he got to the door, someone came in from the outside, bumping right into him. ¡°Mr Lawson Herman, leading a small team, blocked his way, saying, ¡°About the deaths of your ex¨Cwife Jta and Fidelia, we would like you toe back to the police station to assist with the investigation¡± Balch, not wearing his sses, revealed a deep gaze, calmly looking at the police in front of him After a while, he put his sses back on, returning to his usual gentle demeanor, and replied lightly, ¡°Okay¡± He left the TV station with Herman, with many people holding up cameras to follow and film. Balch knew that the online report was now public knowledge. Not until he got in the car did he finally get to see the full content of the online expose The expose analyzed his rtionship with Jta and Fidelia in detail. More importantly, it included a video that he had watched countless times and was supposed to have been destroyed The murderer in the video was dressed in ck, hiding her identity, and stabbed Jta Jta was powerless to resist, gradually losing her life. ¡°What is this?¡± Balch¡¯s face turned serious, and he slowly asked ¡°This is the surveince footage from when your wife was killed¡± Herman said slowly. ¡°In the previous investigation, you didn¡¯t mention that you had surveince installed in your house¡± Balch suddenlyughed, ¡°So what? Is this proof that I¡¯m the murderer? I didn¡¯t know about the surveince, and I don¡¯t know where this footage came from.¡± ¡°No problem Herman paused, took out his own phone, pulled up a video, and handed it to him. ¡°Take a look at this.¡± Balch nced at him, took the phone, and saw the same video Though it had the same content, this video was obviously processed. Balch¡¯s hand suddenly froze In the video, he saw himself, his face appeared in the surveince footage Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. There was a not¨Cso¨Cobvious mirror in a liquor cab He saw his face in that mirror, calm andposed, quietly watching as the murderer stabbed Jta over and over again. Until the moment Jta¡¯s life ended, the face in the mirror smiled While the outside world was dramatically changing, Seraphina slept until the evening at home. After she got up she quickly freshened up and went out to find something to eat. Walking into a small restaurant, everyone was discussing the same thing Seraphina didn¡¯t care ordered a bowl of spaghetti Bolognese for herself, and quietly sat there eating As she was just taking a few bites, a car key was suddenly thrown onto her table, then the chair across was pulled out, and someone sat down. Seraphina looked up to see Herman in in clothes. ¡°Mr Herman, what a coincidence Seraphina smiled slightly What are you having? It¡¯s on me.¡± I¡¯m not used to women picking up the tab Herman looked at her with his arms crossed and said, ¡°Ms Bet, you have quite an appetite.¡± Seraphina smiled at him again. Tim in a good mood, so naturally. I have a good appetite¡± ¡°How about going to the police station with me after you finish eating?¡± Seraphina agreed readily. ¡°Sure¡± Herman looked at her as if he were looking at a monster ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask why? ¡°Is there a need?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You¡¯ve found me. I think we both know the reason, don¡¯t we?¡± Herman didn¡¯t say anything; he just looked at her with his eyes. Seraphina ate her spaghetti Bolognese leisurely, then left with Herman. They arrived at the police station, where Herman found a room for Seraphina to give her statement Seraphina seemed very familiar with all this. Herman looked at her and said, ¡°It seems Ms. Bet is quite familiar with going to the police station¡± ¡°This is the second time.¡± Seraphina smiled In Starhaven, I¡¯ve been to the police station many times.¡± ¡°In what capacity did you go to the police station?¡± ¡°As a journalist¡± Herman stared at her again. ¡°So, from the beginning of your acquaintance with Balch, you were investigating him?¡± Seraphina slightly tilted her head, smiling very rxedly. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± For a moment, Herman was at a loss for words At night, Herman wrapped up a full day¡¯s work and left the police station when he suddenly got a call from Edgar. When he got to the winery, he saw Edgar and Victor deep in heated discussion. ¡°What time do you think it is?¡± Herman grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m beat. If you¡¯ve got something to say, spit it out.¡± ¡°What else could it be?¡± Edgar retorted, ¡°How¡¯s the Balch case going? Can you give us some intel?¡± At this, Herman made an ¡°X with his hands and got up to leave. Edgar quickly grabbed him and said, ¡°Wait, just give us some info, a little bit¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°The case is under investigation; I can¡¯t reveal anything¡± Herman was ruthless. As he turned to leave, he saw Leandroe in frong outside. The sight of Leandro reminded him of the Seraphina he¡¯d seen that night, making him pause. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Herman was like, ¡°Well, look who¡¯s here You too?¡± Leandro loosened his tie and sat down ¡°You off already? Herman mused a bit, then decided to stick around Victor couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Leandro ¡°Man, you¡¯ve got some pull Edgar begged Herman to stay, but he wouldn¡¯t budge Now you¡¯re here, and he¡¯s all ears¡± Leandro took a sip of his wine You¡¯ll know when it¡¯s time to know No use asking¡± Edgar shot him a look ¡°You seem preity pleased with yourself. Balch¡¯s in hot water, and there¡¯s no rival. Enjoying the show?¡± Victor gave a lightugh. ¡°That¡¯d be my guess ¡°Enough¡± Herman interjected. ¡°Balch¡¯s nopetition for Leandro¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Edgar demanded. ¡°We saw with our own eyes that Seraphina moved into Balch¡¯s ce, right next door to Leandro¡¯s. Bald move for a woman, dont you think? ¡°Not just bold¡± Herman added He trailed off, and Edgar gave him a nudge. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just leave us hanging¡® ¡°Do you guys know who leaked that story online?¡± Herman asked Leandro just sipped his wine, not reacting ¡°No way!¡± The others were visibly shocked and couldn¡¯t believe it. Herman nodded Edgar shivered at the thought, and Victor looked at Leandro. Leandro lit a cigarette and turned to Herman ¡°So, she spilled the beans. You¡¯ve got a problem with that?¡± ¡°From a legal standpoint, no¡± Herman replied. ¡°But she seems cold¡± ¡°Agreed¡± Edgar chimed in ¡°Balch even took a knife for her that night. He must really care for her. And she just turns around and rats him out? I¡¯d be scared shitless if I had a woman like that.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not just cold, she¡¯s cool as a cucumber Herman added ¡°She knew what she was doing from the start.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Edgar took a sharp breath, then nudged Leandro ¡°You heard him, right? Cut ties with her ASAP She¡¯s still your fiancee, and if she turns on you, you won¡¯t even know what hit you!¡± Victor, lounging on the couch, nced at Leandro and slowly started to smile. ¡°I remember Seraphina being nothing like this who barely dared to speak to anyone. Who knew she¡¯d turn out so decisive?¡± Leandro sat quietly, Victor¡¯s words stirring up old memories. we were kids. She was a gentle, shy girl To him, Seraphina, before she turned seventeen, was just a pretty shy, and endearing little girl who lived with the Reynolds family. She was fun to tease and get to talk to Things changed when he realized she had feelings for him. She was still a shy and beautiful girl, but in front of him, she showed courage like he¡¯d never seen before. She would wait for himte into the night, just to catch a glimpse of him She would approach him when he was home, just to catch his attention. She would sneak into his room when he came home drunk, looking after him all night. Their rtionship becameplicated, even tangled, and she gave him all her love Thest time he saw her, when he sent her away, her gaze was cold for the first time. Seven yearster, the girl he remembered was no more. She was different, inside and out. On the surface, she was stunning and alluring, but when it came down to it, she was so cool¨Cheaded that it scared r Leandro finished his cigarette, stood up, and announced ¡°I¡¯m going to take off¡°, then left d men Edgar started, looking puzzled. ¡°He barely sat down, and he¡¯s gone. He¡¯s really blowing us off these days¡± Victor just started tough ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Edgar asked Victor watched Leandros feceding figure and chuckled. ¡°I just find it funny how Leandro has changed.¡± Seven years had passed, Leandro had changed, and so had Seraphina A cold man meeting a cool headed woman could be interesting Leandro left the winery, got in his car, but didn¡¯t say where he was going The driver started the car, thought for a moment, then said, ¡®I heard Ms. Bet moved in with Conway tonight¡± Leandro just replied, ¡°Hmm¡± The driver then drove off to Urban Oasis Conway was thrilled when Seraphina promised to move into the rehab center with lum For Seraphina, the rehab center was a peaceful ce with Conway as her shield, it was great for rxation But the peace was shattered the next afternoon Seraphina was ying with a selfie app on her phone with Conway when she saw two formally dressed men approaching. ¡°Ms. Bet, hello¡± One of them said, ¡°We are Mr. Balch¡¯swyers¡® Serapluna expected someone toe for her, just not this soon. At the mention of ¡°Balch¡°, Conway¡¯s face scrunched up, and his good mood was ruined It took Seraphina quite a while to convince Conway to sit down with thewyers, even after exining everything to him. ¡°Ms. Bet, we represent Mr. Lawson¡± As she was making coffee, Seraphina replied, ¡°I know You guys can just spit it out and tell me what he wants to ask.¡± After saying this, she pushed two cups of coffee toward them and smiled at them. ¡°Why?¡± This was the first question Balch asked Seraphina gently turned her head and thought about her answer: ¡°For the pursuit of the truth, for upholding justice, or maybe just because I¡¯ve got a bee in my bo, all are valid¡± ¡°Why?¡± This was the second question Balch asked. Seraphina could almost picture Balch as he asked this question. He must¡¯ve been quiet, cool as a cucumber, always a perfect gentleman, fully focused ¡°Because he screwed up. Seraphina slowly said, ¡°His wife bbed him in the back; he had her killed through Fidelia, then, he helped Fidelia cover up the whole shebang and pinned the me on an innocent guy who ended up kicking the bucket in jail for nothing. That was a life too. Some mistakes are just unforgivable¡± Chapter 93 Chapter 93 ¡®So, you were ying him from the start?¡°. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did Ms. Bet ever have a shred of sincerity?¡± ¡°I was sincere.¡± Seraphina paused with a slight smile on her face. ¡°But not about love¡± The youngerwyer, who had been silent all the while, finally couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer ¡°Mr. Lawson nearly died for you!¡± Seraphina took a sip of her coffee and slowly said, ¡°That¡¯s not a very professional question, but I¡¯ll answer it anyway. Please tell him that I¡¯m grateful for him risking his life for me. He also tried to harm me, but I managed to dodge the bullet. I guess we¡¯re even now¡± The youngwyer¡¯s face changed at her words. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible.¡± Seraphina looked at him, resting her chin on her hand. ¡°Maybe he forgot about it. Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡± The youngwyer wanted to argue, but a stern look from his senior colleague stopped him ¡°Ms Bet has answered all of Mr. Lawson¡¯s questions The olderwyer said, ¡°We won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± He started to pack his things, and the youngerwyer followed suit. As they were leaving, the young lawyer turned back to Seraphina ¡°Ms. Bet, can I ask how you knew Mr. Lawson was involved in the murder of Mrs. Lawson?¡± ¡°Intuition, evidence,¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°and the past he could never let go of If he could let go, the past two years would have been enough for him to move on. But he hadn¡¯t 1 So he kept all the traces of Jta in his house, cut off all contact with Fidelia, and woke up every day at 3 a m. to watch Jta¡¯s surveince videos, And it wasn¡¯t because of love. In those videos, there was not only Jta but also him and another man. Jta would be smiling and gentle when talking to the other man, but indifferent and calm when talking to him. These were the pieces of evidence of her betrayal and the reason why she died. He woke up at 3 a m. every day just to watch these videos and to tell himself that she deserved to die Why did he keep these videos after two years? Because they gave him peace of mind. He couldn¡¯t let go of Jta, and he couldn¡¯t let go of himself. Seraphina looked at the youngwyer andughed lightly ¡°You seem to admire him a lot. Before that, why don¡¯t you ask him if he feels wronged? Then you can defend him.¡± The youngwyer stared at Seraphina for a while before finally leaving. In the detention center, Balch, still in his ck suit but without a tie, sat quietly listening to hiswyer. Despite the circumstances, he still looked gentle. But the fatigue was evident in his eyes. After hearing what hiswyer had to say, Balch, who hadn¡¯t shown any emotion for two days, slowly started to smile. He had fallen for a smart girl. She seemed to know everything, even the madness he had hidden deep within himself that he could barely recognize. When did that happen? It was after Fidelia had made her first move on her. She was pushed into traffic and was only slightly injured. He easily found out why it happened, and so, for the first time in two years, he approached Fidelia. He intended to warn Fidelia, but Fidelia mentioned Jta. She told him that Seraphina and Jta were the same and would eventually betray him. At the same time, Seraphina and Leandro¡¯s entanglement grew deeper. So he let it be, allowing Fidelia to make a second move on Seraphina Just like with Jta before. He knew Fidelia hated Jta She hated how she hurt him and how she imed to be Mrs. Lawson even though she didn¡¯t love him. But he allowed this hatred, even encouraging it in subtle ways He allowed and led Fidelia, and he watched as Jta died in front of him Jta before, Seraphina now Who did he really love? After a long while, Balch finally spoke. ¡°Tell Herman, I¡¯ll confess everything¡± Thewyer was shocked Mr Lawson! You haven¡¯t said anything since yesterday. The situation isn¡¯t beyond repair yet, we still have a big chance.¡± ¡°No need, she was right¡± He deserved it, he might as well let go. The day after Balch confessed, a full investigation report on the incident was published, causing another sensation. Because the reporter was none other than Seraphinal Public opinion was split, hall for Batch and half for Seraphina As for Seraphina, half praised her for her courage and intelligence, while the other half called her a snake Conway, who had learned how to use a tablet with Seraphina¡¯s help, was reading thements and was quite angry. ¡°Why are you reading those? Seraphina asked. ¡°Look at this one, it says I¡¯m beautiful! That¡¯s a hugepliment ¡°Nonsense! Conway retorted. ¡°Can a girl raised by the Reynolds family be anything but beautiful?¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes. ¡°You really know how to take credit! She then got up, picked up some fruit, and went to wash them in the kitchenText content ? N?velDrama.Org. As Seraphina was washing the fruit, a hand suddenly reached under the faucet Seraphina froze, recognizing the watch and the familiar scent She turned around with the fruit te in her hands, only to be cornered by Leandro by the kitchen cab Leandro washed his hands in a leisurely manner, then dried them off with a paper towel nearby. Seraphina didn¡¯t leave Instead she brought a te of fruit over to him and said, ¡°Fancy some fruit? Leandro nced at the fruit on the te, then looked up at her. ¡°You don¡¯t like them? Seraphina raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°In appreciation for all the help and cooperation from Mr. Reynolds recently, just tell me what you like Once I¡¯m back in Starhaven, I¡¯ll send you the best of it.¡± Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Hearing herst few words, Leandro seemed to perk up a tad, even throwing back a question ¡®Starhaven?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°I came back to investigate this case, and now that it¡¯s over, I guess I¡¯ll be heading back soon. Starhaven has plenty of tasty fruits, I reckon I can afford to treat you to some, Mr. Reynolds¡® She smiled naturally, but there was no trace of the past in her eyes Leandro remained unmoved ¡°Not a fan of fruits¡± At that, Seraphina tiptoed closer to him and asked. ¡°Then what does Mr. Reynolds¡® interest?¡± Leandro reached out to hold her face, quietly observing her This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina didn¡¯t resist, she just let him be, her smile unchanging Her skin was smooth under his fingers, just as before Despite the years, her beauty was still distinctive nstead of answering her question, Leandro asked, ¡°Are you okay with this?¡± With what? Seraphina was puzzled Leaning in, Leandro said slowly, ¡°You used to hate me, are you really okay with just leaving like this?¡± Seraphina stared at him for a moment and gave a sigh after a moment of silence: ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong, Mr. Reynolds¡± Leandro looked at her, waiting for her to continue Hate was a sentiment I harbored when I was young and naive. Then I grew up and let it go Seraphina looked at him, her gaze sincere. Mr. Reynolds, you just didn¡¯t like me, what¡¯s wrong with that? If there¡¯s anyone to me, it¡¯s me for wishful thinking and for being shameless Sometimes, love is the mistake, not theck of it.¡± With that. Seraphina held up the fruits in her hand and said ¡°I was cleaning these fruits for Grandpa, he¡¯s waiting, can you move?¡± Perhaps it was the mention of Conway Leandro watched her for a moment before finally releasing her to leave Leandro turned to watch her leave, lighting a cigarette by the kitchen counter So, love was the mistake, not theck of it? Then who was really at fault? Seraphina stepped out with the fruits, and Conway was in the yard enjoying an opera. Seeing her, he frowned. ¡°Why did you leave so soon?¡± Seraphina gave him a nce and asked, ¡°What else did you expect?¡± Conway just smiled and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what your Grandpa wished for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡± Seraphina put down the fruit te and said. Tve got a meeting save these fruits for a good feast with your real grandson!¡± With that. Seraphina went back to her room to grab her bag, leaving without a backward nce despite Conway¡¯s pleas When Leandro finished his cigarette and exted the kitchen, Seraphina was long gone Seeing him, Conway rapped his cane and asked, ¡°What were you doing scaring her off like that?¡± Leandro replied, ¡°She¡¯s going back to Starhaven soon anyway, you might as well get used to it¡± ¡°What? Conway¡¯s face fell. ¡°She said she¡¯s going back to Starhaven?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t reply, he only said. ¡°I have a client to meet you rest well. Il visit when I can.¡± Seemingly not hearing him, Conway kept muttering even after Leandro left, it wasn¡¯t until his secretary Lacy came that he stopped, ¡°How could she just leave like that? She¡¯s only been back for a few days; she doesn¡¯t care me at all¡± ¡°Who are you talking about, Conway?¡± Lacy asked. ¡°Who else? Conway grumbled, ¡°Isn¡¯t it Seraphina? She barely spent two days with me, already plotting her return to Starhaven!¡± Hearing that, Lacy couldn¡¯t help butugh ¡°Ms Bet cares so much about you, if you don¡¯t want her to leave, shouldn¡¯t it be a piece of cake?¡± Hearing that, Conway perked up, and after pondering for a moment, he patted Lacy¡¯s shoulder, laughing. Two hourster, Seraphina met Diana at a restaurant¨Cthe girlfriend of Wilbur, who was wrongfully sentenced to death because of the Jta case Months ago, when Diana first appeared before her, she looked pale and haggard. But this time, Seraphina found her much improved, she even wore makeup. Although she still looked ill, her spirits seemed much lifted. Seeing Seraphina, she smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Bet¡± Seeing her condition, Seraphina felt relieved ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been following my family¡¯s advice and getting active treatment. It¡¯s still painful, but at least it puts my parents at ease.¡± Diana answered with a smile, then said, ¡°Ms Bet. I¡¯ve read your report, thank you¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me Seraphina replied, ¡°I was just doing my job¡± ¡°But in reality you helped me fulfill my wish¨Cto clear Wilbur¡¯s name Diana smiled, tears falling, but she was still smiling ¡°For the past two years, everyone¡¯s been saying I¡¯m mad, that I¡¯ve been fooled. No one would believe me. Ms. Bet, why did you believe me?¡± Seraphina paused, then slowly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t believe in you, I believed in Wilbur. I saw two of his photos, one with you and the other from the court ruling. He truly loved you, so he wouldn¡¯t lie to you, he was truly innocent, which is why he looked so desperate when sentenced. A persons eyes are the most truthful¡± Tears streamed down Diana¡¯s face Wilbur and her go way back, as childhood buddies. After high school, she moved away with her parents and lost touch with him. When they bumped into each other again, she was a high school teacher, respected by all, and him, well, he was a drifter, loafing around. She knew he wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this¨Cjust a poor guy who gave up on himself because of the hard knocks of life. So she doggedly pursued him, hoping to get him back on the straight and narrow When he finally plucked up the courage to face his true self, wanting to make a change, disaster struck He should¡¯ve been living a normal life, as simple as that. Tears streaming down her face, Diana suddenlyughed, wiping away her tears. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t cry, he can finally rest easy now. All this time, it was just you, Ms. Bet. Oh no, wait, there was another person. Only you two believed in me. He pointed me in the right direction, and you helped me uncover the truth, Ms. Bet. I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina suddenly got curious: ¡°Who¡¯s the other person?¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 As evening fell, Seraphina once again set foot in the Reynolds Group Upon seeing her, the front desk staff promptly dialed up to the 26th floor Unfortunately, both Leandro and Keen were out. Yasmina, after a moment of consideration, decided to bring Seraphina up if there were to be any uncontroble situations, it would be better to handle them on the 26th floor than in the lobby, under the public eye When the elevator carrying Seraphina opened, Yasmina was already waiting by the door. A smile appeared on her face as she saw Seraphina. ¡°Ms Bet, you¡¯re here to see Mr. Reynolds, aren¡¯t you? He¡¯s not in the office right now. Would you like to wait in the lounge?¡± Seraphina, as always, was radiant and cheerful. She nced at Leandro¡¯s office. ¡°Can¡¯t I wait in his office?¡± ¡°Mr Reynolds is not here, I¡¯m afraid that wouldn¡¯t be appropriate. Our lounge is veryfortable, though.¡± Yasmina guided Seraphina towards the lounge as she spoke However, as they passed Leandro¡¯s office, Seraphina abruptly changed directions and headed for the closed double doors ¡°Ms Bennell Before Yasmina could stop her, Seraphina had pushed open the door and looked back at her. ¡°Tll wait for him here. If he has any problems with it, I¡¯ll take the me.¡± With that, Seraphina strode into the office Yasmina, both anxious and imitated yet unable to physically stop Seraphina, watched her go inside and could only turn to make coffee. Once the coffee was ready, Yasmina hurried into Leandro¡¯s office, only to find Seraphina sitting in his office chair, looking out at the view The opulent officeplemented the radiant beauty well, making for a very pleasing sight. Yet Yasmina, on guard, gingerly ced the coffee on the desk. ¡°Ms. Bet, please enjoy your coffee¡± Seraphina gave a small smile. ¡°Thank you¡± ¡°TII stay here with you If you need anything just let me know Yasmina added. Seraphina turned to look at her ¡°You don¡¯t have to apany me. Go do your work; I¡¯ll just wait here¡± ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Reynolds¡® fiancee We can¡¯t have you waiting here alone, Yasmina said. Seraphina shrugged and didn¡¯t say anything further Two minutester, the phone outside started ringing Yasmina had no choice but to leave to answer it No sooner had she hung up than someone came looking for her to discuss some documents Yasmina, feeling like an ant on a hot pan, couldn¡¯t help but push open the door to Leandro¡¯s office to check on Seraphina. Seeing her still sitting quietly, she turned to discuss the matter at hand Once the office door was closed again, Seraphina finally straightened her chair and turned on the computer in front of her After theputer booted up, a password input box popped up. Seraphina skillfully entered several numbers, sessfully unlocking it. Leandro, so proud and arrogant, hadn¡¯t changed his password for years¡­ Once theputer was up and running, everything became a lot easier. Seraphina leisurely browsed through various files on hisputer, eventually finding her own photo and information in one of the folders The earliest information and photos were from a year ago, detailing her work and life, even her romantic life with Peterson¨Cthough given her busy schedule, such incidents were few and far between The most recent photo was of her on the day she and Peterson broke up, taken on a snowy street. Seraphina propped her chin on her hand as she looked at all these familiar yet strange details. A year ago was a normal time for her, but for Leandro, it was probably when he began his frequent dating. Seraphina had heard quite a bit about Leandro¡¯s dating history from Conway. Initially, she only listened to it as gossip, but now it seemed relevant. In other words, after starting his frequent dating Leandro sent someone to Starhaven to investigate her, all the way until she broke up with Peterson, when Diana showed up and asked her toe back and investigate Jta¡¯s case. And the person who directed Diana to her was none other than Leandro. This was something Seraphina had never expected. However, now everything made sense. ording to Diana, she had identally bumped into Leandro at an event after being refused a meeting with Balch. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. It was just a chance encounter. Diana had dropped a few documents, and Leandro happened to have a magazine with Seraphina on the cover. In just a few minutes, the map had used Diana to lure her back to the country! She had been away from Sunburst City for six years, and on the seventh, Leandro finally remembered her¨Cprobably because of her as a young girl. Looking back now, the Seraphina of her youth wasughably naive. However, from a third person¡¯s perspective, the seventeen¨Cyear¨Cold girl¨Cpretty, obedient, and sincere was clearly the ideal partner in a man¡¯s mind If she were still like that, Leandro would probably be very pleased As Seraphina looked at the documents, she couldn¡¯t help butugh. What a pity, she had let him down. Yasmina came in once again and saw Seraphina staring at Leandro¡¯sputer. She rushed over, her voice strained. ¡°Ms. Bet, you can¡¯t touch Mr. Reynoldsputer¡± Seraphina abruptly raised her hands. ¡°Then you touch it?¡± Naturally, Yasmina didn¡¯t dare mess with her boss¡¯sputer either, and she froze, just biting her lip and looking at Seraphina With no hurry, Seraphina closed the document but remained sitting in the chair, seemingly not nning to leave Yasmina was at a loss when, suddenly, the sound of the office door opening echoed behind her. She turned around to see Keen pushing the door open, looking a bit surprised at the scene inside the office Leandro walked in from behind Keen, his gaze cool and calm at the sight of Seraphina sitting in his office chair ¡°Mr. Reynolds.¡± Yasmina was about to exin when Seraphina cut her off I came in on my own. She couldn¡¯t stop me Don¡¯t me her¡± As she said this, she rested her chin on her hand, and her smile was clean and soft. For a moment, she seemed a bit like her old self. Leandro waved Yasmina and Keen out of the room. He then walked straight to the guest area, loosened his suit, sat down on the sofa, and leisurely lit a cigarette. Only then did he nce al Seraphina again and ask, ¡°What brings you here?¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Seraphina was still sitting in his office chair, tilting her head at him and saying, ¡®Of course I¡¯m here for some business with Mr. Reynolds¡® Leandro was sitting in the visitor¡¯s area, she was behind the desk, a few meters away Leandro was sitting quietly watching her, cigarette in hand And Seraphina just smiled her eyes clear I wonder if Mr. Reynolds has some time?¡± Just as her words fell, the inte in the office suddenly rang Seraphina stayed seated, and Leandro got up and walked over, pressing the answer button. Yasmina¡¯s voice came through the speaker ¡°Mr. Reynolds, we just got a call from Mr. Hoffman¡¯s company Mrs. Hoffman has had an ident abroad, and Mr. Hoffman has to leave for Europe immediately, so tonight¡¯s meeting is cancelled Mr. Hoffman will call you personally to exinter¡± ¡°Got it¡± Leandro responded and hung up the phone. Seraphina was staring at the phone and couldn¡¯t help butugh. It seems like I came at the right time! Leandro tossed the cigarette in his hand into the ashtray The next second, he grabbed Seraphina¡¯s hand and pulled her up from the chair Seraphina bumped into him, looked startled, and looked up at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes were dark as ink, his tone as cold as ever, there was no room for refusal ¡°Making time for you,¡± he said The second time Seraphina entered Leandro¡¯s lounge, she was thrown directly onto the bed ¡°Ahh!¡± She pulled at her skirt in a slight panic, trying to cover her thighs. When she looked at him, she was particrly shy ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was about that.¡± Leandro nced at her, took off his suit, untied his tie, and kissed her while holding her chin. She dodged slightly, but the next moment she took the initiative to meet him. Leandro suddenly kissed her more forcefully, reaching behind her and unzipping her dress. Seraphina hesitated for a moment, then shyly tried to avoid him But Leandro¡¯s presence was overwhelming Her struggle only made it easier for tam to remove her dress. Seeing her dress thrown on the floor, she suddenly plucked up the courage and pushed him hard on the shoulder The next second, she rolled over and sat on top of Leandro, biting her lip as she looked at him. ¡°Are you for real?¡± she asked. Her lips were already swollen, her cheeks flushed revealing an innocence she couldn¡¯t hide. It was all too familiar Back then, he was young and ambitious, and she was sincere and passionate¨Ca temptation he couldn¡¯t resist. Leandro looked up at her Apart from the slightly heavier makeup, she didn¡¯t seem out of ce with her teenage demeanor, a testimony to her years as a journalist But how many men had she shown this side to? Seraphina was staring at him quietly, and after a long time, she took the initiative to remove thest bit of barrier from her body Leandro¡¯s eyes were suddenly deeper She looked up at him, her smile captivating She took his hand and slowly ced it on her body. Tll do anything to make you happy¡± The same words she had said before That night, she experienced intimacy for the first time. She was shy enough to want to bury herself in his body, yet she whispered those words in his ear This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. In a blink of an eye, seven years had passed Leandro suddenly raised his hand to cover the back of her head, forcefully pulling her down for another kiss. Seraphinaughed and let herself melt into his arms, her body soft andpliant. Outside the window the night was dark. On the 26th floor of the Reynolds Group, only the lights in the CEO¡¯s office were still on, but the room was empty In the lounge next door the dim light revealed a scene of chaos and intertwined shadows. On the floor at the foot of the bed, a phone fell out of a man¡¯s ck pants. The screen was shing the monotonous ringtone had been repeated many times before it was finally picked up Leandro sat up on the edge of the bed and picked up the phone to answer. ¡°Mr Reynolds, this is Hoffman A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone: ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about today. My wife had some issues in Europe, and I had to cancel I hope you understand¡± Leandro listened quietly, and Seraphina suddenly hugged him from behind. Seraphina was leaning against his back, lightly kissing his shoulder. Leandro¡¯s shoulders stiffened abruptly but Seraphina seemed oblivious, continuing to leave kisses on his shoulder ¡°Compared to your wife¡¯s situation, a business deal is nothing¡± Leandro said into the phone, ¡°I didn¡¯t take it to heart, and you shouldn¡¯t either¡± ¡°Yes, I know Mr. Reynolds is busy I hope we can arrange a meeting as soon as I get back Hoffman said something else on the other end, and Leandro, unusually, was distracted When he looked down, Seraphina was already resting on hisp ¡°Let¡¯s arrange it when you get back.¡± Leandro quickly hung up the phone and grabbed Seraphina¡¯s chin. Only then did Seraphina look up at him, her eyes twinkling like stars, her smile innocent. ¡°Am I being good?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer, and Seraphina continued to kiss his body, eventually Innding softly on his lips. She then giggled, ¡°You like good girls, don¡¯t you? She coiled around him like a seductive snake, her body soft and smooth. From now on, I¡¯ll be good, okay?¡± Leandro finally looked at her. And she was smiling, her schemes almost spilling out of her eyes, but she didn¡¯t bother to hide them. Leandro raised his hand, slowly brushing past her eyes. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going back to Starhaven?¡® After the intimate moment, the man¡¯s voice seemed even deeper, but still cold and emotionless. Seraphina bit his chin yfully, her smile light and teasing ¡°If someone asked me to stay, I wouldn¡¯t go. Are you going to ask, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Their eyes locked his gaze was intense while her smile remained bold. Leandro hooked his arm around her slender waist, then rolled over on top of her. Giggling Seraphina hung onto his shoulders and said, ¡°Easy there, tiger. After all these years, you must¡¯ve been with plenty of women. Howe you¡¯re still so eager, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro stroked her waist, his grip suddenly faltering. The following day, Seraphina was rudely awakened by a shrill scream. I was already past 10 in the morning and sunlight was streaming through the floor to ceiling windows, bathing the room in a warm glow. She was deeply buried in a soft, messy duvet, and it took her a while to force her eyes open A middle¨Caged woman in a cleaning uniform stood by the entrance to the lounge, looking at her in shock The woman usually came around this time to clean Leandro¡¯s room. Leandro was a creature of habet, so the cleaner was used to seeing an empty room every day. Needless to say, finding a naked woman sound asleep in bed was quite a shock. Yasmina, who was organizing files in the outer office, heard the scream Noticing the cleaner frozen in ce, she hurried over, asking ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± As she spoke, she saw Seraphina slowly sitting up in bed The morning sunlight was bright, illuminating the disorder in the room¨Cwomen¡¯s clothes scattered about, the disced sofa, a ss of water knocked over on the coffee table, crumpled curtains, and most notably, the woman on the bed, her skin glowing with conspicuous red marks all over her body. Yasmina¡¯s first thought was. This was way too intense! However, when she came to her senses, she found herself frozen in ce, feeling awkward in front of Seraphina sitting on the bed. After all, she had guarded Seraphina like a hawk just the previous evening, only for Seraphina to brazenly spend the night in her boss¡¯s bed Seraphina had just woken up, still not fully awake, but she managed to sh Yasmina a smile, her eyes half¨Cclosed, and say. ¡°Hey, good morning¡± She was utterly charming Snapping back to reality, Yasmina quickly dismissed the cleaner before turning to Seraphina and saying, ¡°Ms. Bet, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know you were resting here. I wouldn¡¯t have disturbed you otherwise ¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Seraphina said, rubbing her sore body. Her demeanor was friendly as she asked, ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Mr Reynolds has gone to meet a client. He¡¯s not in the office right now¡± Yasmina breathed a sigh of relief before asking ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± Only then did Seraphina fully wake up. Looking down at herself, she requested, ¡°Aplete set of clothes, a full set of makeup, and breakfast¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get on it right away Yasmina replied. ¡°Wait¡± Seraphina suddenly stopped her and said, ¡°Prepare two more sets of lingerie. Thanks.¡± Yasmina was taken aback but quickly agreed and left the room Seraphina then got up and took a shower, allowing the cleaner to tidy up the room. By the time the cleaner had finished tidying up, Seraphina had already finished breakfast, changed into the clothes Yasmina had prepared, and was ready to leave. ¡°Ms Bet. The cleaner called her hesitantly, pointing to the two extra sets of lingerie, ¡°Are you taking these with you?¡± ¡°No, you can leave them in the wardrobe. Seraphina replied. The cleaner looked a bit ufortable but did as she was told As they passed each other, Seraphina suddenly picked up one of the sets and told the cleaner, I¡¯ll take this one; you can put the other one away.¡± The cleaner looked puzzled but did as she was told. Seraphina took the set she¡¯d picked up to the bed, hifted the nket, and tucked it under the pillow. Only then did she leave, satisfied. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 When she saw Leandro again, it was three dayster. He was indeed busy, but no matter how busy he was, he always found time to visit Conway. Even if it was just for a couple of minutes, his intentions were clear. Today, however, Conway had just been taken for a check¨Cup when Leandro showed up. Seraphina was sitting in the courtyard, setting up a radio for Conway. Seeing him walk in, her legs went weak. She hadn¡¯t fully recovered from their night together. Damn him and his strength How did he not break his back? She cursed inwardly, but on the outside, she smiled brightly, standing up to greet him. ¡°You¡¯re here? Missed me?¡± She was dressed especially sweetly today, her long hair was pulled up with a hair band, making her look cute and innocent. But her words were shockingly bold ¡°Did you get the gift left in your room?¡± Leandro¡¯s gazended on her red lips as he replied slowly, ¡°Make sure you can handle the consequences before you provoke me. Seraphinaughed, reaching up to loop her arms around his neck. ¡°I¡¯m fine. After all, I didn¡¯t exert much effort. It¡¯s you who did who might be exhausted¡± Leandro remained unfazed by her words, simply reaching out to give her waist a squeeze. ¡°Ah Seraphina cried out in pain, falling into his arms and leaving a bright lipstick mark on his shirt ¡°Oh, boy¡± Conway¡¯s voice suddenly came from nearby. ¡°I¡¯vee back at the wrong time Come on, let¡¯s go back for another check¨Cup¡± Seraphina lifted her head from Leandro¡¯s chest, spotting Conway and his nurse not far off She pouted and returned to her seat. Leandro turned to take Conway¡¯s wheelchair from the nurse, pushing it back into the courtyard. Conway looked at the lipstick mark on Leandro¡¯s shirt, then at Seraphina, and chuckled, ¡°Seeing you two like this, I can rest easy¡± Seraphina continued to fiddle with the radio, not bothering to look up as she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Grandpa Mr Reynolds and I have nothing going on. I¡¯m going back to Starhaven¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Only then did she nce at Leandro, but she quickly averted her eyes. Conway tapped hus cane and said, ¡°This is your home, why would you go back to Starhaven?¡± ¡°Because no one wants me to stay except you, Grandpa¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow ¡°Why should I stay if no one wants me here?¡± Upon hearing this, Conway immediately turned to Leandro and said, ¡°You need to find a way to make her stay, got it?¡± Leandro, however, seemed to not have heard. He simply took Conway¡¯s test results from him, asking. ¡°How was the check up today? Anything unusual?¡± I¡¯m talking to you!¡± The old man red at him. Leandro, holding the report in his hand, remained as indifferent as ever. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, don¡¯t y around with your health.¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± Seraphina heaved a deep sigh out of nowhere. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ve got to go after staying with you for this month. I¡¯ve already bought my ne ticket, so don¡¯t waste your breath.¡± Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Having just delivered a momentous revtion, Seraphina raised her gaze to meet that of Leandra Leandro offered her a sidelong nce, hisportment preserving its typical icy tranqiality It seemed that Seraphina had an epiphany, her words havingcked the expected impact. Rising to her feet, she initiated her departure towards her chambers, uttering. ¡°I ought to cross¨Cverify the airway tickets¡± Mid¨Cstride, a recollection seemed to hit her Wheeling around, she made her way back to the diminutive table, retaking her seat ¡°Prior to my departure, I¡¯m entrusted with a query to Mr. Reynolds from a friend¡± ¡°Which friend?¡± Conway¡¯s forehead crinkled ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Valerio Reynolds!¡± Seraphina fixed her gaze on Leandro ¡°Mr. Reynolds, after you ushered Valeno into the fold, did you not investigate his lineage?¡± Conway¡¯s countenance subtly shifted at her inquiry Leandro, absorbed in perusing Conway¡¯s medical dossier, didn¡¯t so much as flutter an eysh ¡°And in what manner does this pertain to your acquaintance?¡± ¡°Valerio is my friend¡± Seraphina said, ¡°He really wants to know about his mother I promised to help him out.¡± Having finished reading the document in his hand, Leandro ced it on the table and looked at Seraphina ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°Everything about his past of course¡± Seraphina replied ¡°As his foster father, no one would know this better than Mr. Reynolds, right?¡± No sooner had the words left her mouth, Conway started coughing violently, iling and grabbed Seraphina¡¯s hand ¡°What¡¯s wrong, grandpa?¡± Seeing his panicked state, Seraphina was taken aback. Conway seemed to be gasping for air, breathing heavily. Leandro, on hearing Seraphina¡¯s question, twitched his brow, nced at Conway and did nothing. Conway nced at him and seemed to realize something He calmed down slowly, patting his chest, ¡°I choked on my spit Almost suffocated.¡± Seraphing, sensing something was up, turned her attention to Leandro again. ¡°Taking in Valerio must ve been fate. He¡¯s so desperate for a mother¡¯s love, why not give him a chance¡°¡± As her words trailed off, Conway suddenly choked and coughed violently, shooting Leandro meaningful nces. Leandro just stared silently at Seraphina, waiting a while before speaking up, ¡°Who told you Valerio was adopted?¡± Hearing this, Conway¡¯s face changed drastically, and he started iling again. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Calm down, grandpa¡± Seraphina nced at Conway and thenughed at Leandro. ¡°If he¡¯s not adopted, then he¡¯s your biological son?¡± Leandro met her gaze head¨Con, tacitly confirming it Conway instantly looked devastated Seraphina looked at Conway with a warm smile ¡°Grandpa, Valerio was brought home by Leandro, right?¡± Conway, clutching his chest, coughed, ¡°Cough¡­cough* ¡°Leandro took in Valerio because he couldn¡¯t find the boy¡¯s parents, right?¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± ¡°Valerio just happens to resemble Leandro, right?¡± ¡°Uh¨Chuh¡­¡± ¡°Speak up!¡± Seraphina mmed the radio she¡¯d been fixing on the table. ¡°Stop ying dumb!¡± Conway suddenly twitched and passed out, clutching his chest. ¡°You¡¯re ying dead now! Seraphina pinched Conway¡¯s waist Conway didn¡¯t move Seraphina paused, then poked Conway a couple more times ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± Conway still didn¡¯t respond. Leandro, seeing all this, quickly dialed a number on his phone The Reynolds family had their own private hospital near the nursing home. In less than twenty minutes, Conway was rushed into the emergency room. While Seraphina suspected the old man was shamming, she couldn¡¯t help worrying She stood outside the emergency room, brow furrowed. Leandro had been by Conway¡¯s side, but disappeared as soon as they reached the hospital. Engrossed in her thoughts, Seraphina¡¯s attention was captured by the approach of a young man donned in a physician¡¯s attire. He appeared to be in histe twenties, of an impressive height and strikingly handsome, with prating eyes and a set of lean lips that lent him an undeniable Reynolds resemnce. A nursing aide was escorting him, announcing ¡°Dr Reynolds, your grandfather awaits in ER 2 Acknowledging with a nod, the man promptly maneuvered past, sharing a fleeting look with Seraphina before disappearing into the emergency room. A touch of perplexity graced her fingers against her chun Dr. Reynolds? Grandfather? When exactly did Leandro acquire a sibling? Upon stepping into the ER, Lorenzo Reynolds was greeted with the sight of Conway perched on the hospital bed, with Leandro stationed at his side. Leandro, arms folded, observed Conway in silence as Conway animatedly narrated his tale ¡°I ventured this for Valerio¡¯s beneft if Sera unearths the truth about Valeno being your offspring, shell deem you neglectful and will be even more reluctant to associate with you! Valeno harbors such affection for her, and fimm fond of her as well. Where will you procure another damsel of her kind should she depart? She intends to return to Starluwen, but my falling ill should surely detain her, shouldn¡¯t it? She mustn¡¯t leave! Yet you have the audacity to chastise me. Ingrate! Dont delude yourself into thinking I don¡¯t see your underlying hope that I might persuade Sera to remain. Leandro didn¡¯t respond, he simply lifted his head to look at Lorenzo who had just walked in, his expression as frosty as ever. Lorenzo met his gaze, didn¡¯t bother with the pleasantries, just turned to the old man on the bed, ¡°Gramps, you¡¯re ying sick again.¡± ¡°Lory, perfect timing¡± Conway beckoned him over, ¡°Whip up a report for me, make it sound as serious as possible, say I might kick the buckel in two months, let¡¯s see if she¡¯ll leave then¡­. ¡°Cut the crap,¡± Lorenzo said, ¡°Tm swamped right now If you¡¯re fine, I¡¯m out of here¡± ¡°Get back here!¡± Conway hurriedly grabbed him, ¡°Seraphina must be waiting at the door. If you leave as soon as you enter, wouldn¡¯t she know I¡¯m faking it? Sit here!¡± ¡°You think she won¡¯t figure out you¡¯re ying sick like this? Leandro nced at his watch, then turned to Lorenzo, ¡°Since you¡¯re here at the hospital, you should take good care of gramps, get him a thorough check¨Cup¡± Lorenzo nodded, ¡°Got it¡± Having given his instructions, Leandro headed for the door. Conway wanted to stop him again, but couldn¡¯t. When Leandro walked out of the emergency room, Seraphina was still standing at the door. Seeing hime out, Seraphina was neither surprised nor curious. Instead, she breathed a sigh of relief, assured that Conway was okay If that¡¯s the case, she should be able tofortably continue their previous conversation. Where did Valerioe from? Chapter 99 Chapter 99 No sooner had Leandro exited the emergency room than he was waid by Seraphina A nce at her coincided with the ring of his phone, leading him to step aside for the call Seraphina, following his lead apanied him to the lounge, perching next to him as he engaged in conversation. The hospital¡¯s private quarters were hushed and chilly Now and then, medical staff would fit by, casting inquisitive looks at the duo the inscrutable Leandro and the currently in focus Seraphina Leandro¡¯s call was conducted in German, anguage foreign to Seraphina Impatience began to creep in, her fingers toying with his cor, tapping his sleeve Initially unfazed by her, Leandro finally reacted when her hand strayed towards his trousers, capturing it and casting her a quick nce. Seraphina justughed and pointed at a crease on his leg In fact, Leandro always maintained a dignified and serious image outside, his clothes perfectly neat, nothing that needed her adjustment. But Seraphina couldn¡¯t stand his serious demeanor and always wanted to tease him. So when Leandro grabbed her hand, Seraphina started ying with his hand, making them look even more intimate. Leandro kept his calm pace, talking to the person on the phone while trying to pull his hand out of hers. But before he could even move, Seraphina suddenly let go of his hand and stood up He looked up to see Lorenzoing out of the emergency room. Seraphina immediately greeted him with a smile, ¡°Hey there.¡± Lorenzo looked at her, then at Leandro, and gave a slight nod, ¡°Hey¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°How¡¯s my grandpa?¡± Seraphina pointed at the door of the emergency room, ¡°Is it serious?¡± ¡°His condition is stable for now, but we¡¯ll have to wait for the test results to be sure, Lorenzo replied. ¡°Oh.¡± Seraphina looked relieved, then reached out her hand to him, ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m Seraphina, and you are?¡± ¡°Lorenzo Reynolds.¡± At the mention of his name, Seraphina raised an eyebrow and nced back at Leandro Leandro was holding his phone, seemingly listening to the person on the other end, silently watching them, his gaze cold. ¡°You¡¯re a Reynolds?¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with the Reynolds family¡­ I lived at Reynolds Manor until I was eighteen, but I¡¯ve never seen you¡± At this, Lorenzo shot Leandro another nce. Seraphina¡¯s eyes were darting between Lorenzo¡¯s face He didn¡¯t resemble Leandro, aside from their simr thin lips that were reminiscent of Bruce Reynolds. However, they both carried a certain aura that demanded respect. The difference was that Leandro exuded a lofty indifference, while Lorenzo carried an academic aloofness. ¡°I only returned to the Reynolds family a few years ago, Lorenzo replied coolly, apparently unwilling to discuss the matter further. ¡°I need to arrange some health checks for grandpa, I¡¯ll be leaving now¡± Seraphina watched him turn and leave, his figure disappearing from her sight. Leandro was positioned behind her, having ended his call unnoticed and silently observing her with the phone still clutched in his hand. Jolted back into reality, Seraphina quickly scooted next to him, an excited query tumbling from her lips. ¡°Is that your sibling? He¡¯s exceedingly attractive. You two appear to have a good rapport, does he have a partner?¡± ¡°To the best of my knowledge, he doesn¡¯t, responded Leandro. Seraphina¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°How could such a striking man, moreover a doctor, not have a partner?¡± Leandro clearly had no inclination to entertain her query. Catching sight of his unresponsive gaze, Seraphina swiftly adjusted her approach. Fiddling with his tie, she chuckled, ¡°I was merely jesting. His rtionstup status is of no concern to me. Let¡¯s return to Valerio- who is his mother?¡± ¡°Are you that interested? Leandro asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you put your skills to good use and find out?¡± Seraphina moved closer to him, ¡°Why bother if I can get the answer from you? Just tell me, I won¡¯t be jealous just because you¡¯ve had a good rtionship with another woman¡­¡± Just as she was pestering Leandro, Keen suddenly ran in from the doorway. Seeing the two of them, he let out a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, is Mr. Conway alright?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Leandro simply replied ¡°That¡¯s good¡± said Keen, Then the meeting with the Martin Group¡­¡± Leandro immediately stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go ¡°Hey Seraphing was pulling at his arm while following him to the door, ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me about Valerio¡¯s background. It¡¯s not aplicated matter, just tell me¡­¡± Hearing het question, Keen couldn¡¯t help but shiver and quickly lowered his head, heading towards the car Leandro looked down at her and spoke again, but he only said one sentence, ¡®I¡¯m not interested in such pointless matters.¡± Before Seraphina could pursue her line of questioning a vehicle abruptly halted before them. The door swung open to reveal a stormy¨Cfaced Gloria emerging She had spotted Leandro and Seraphina in each other¡¯spany from within the car On exting, she bore down upon them, delivering a stinging p to Seraphina, ¡°Why are you hounding my son?¡± The forceful impact immediately reddened Seraphina¡¯s delicate skin, causing her to withdraw her hand Swiftly intervening Leandro intercepted Glona¡¯s hand mid au, halting a second stuke with a simple reminder, ¡°We¡¯re in a public ce.¡± Bruce then exited the vehicle, paying no heed to Gloria, and approached Seraphina ¡®Sera, are you alright?¡± Seraphina, cradling her hand, maintained an innocent demeanor At Bruce¡¯s query, she merely bowed her head in silence Leandro gave her a nce, then led Gloria away Bruce spoke again: ¡°Don¡¯t let Gloria get to you. You know she has a temper. How¡¯s grandpa?¡± Seraphina watched Leandro leave, then cracked a smile ¡°Grandpa¡¯s fine, Bruce, no need to worry¡± Bruce nodded, turning to see that Leandro had already helped Gloria into the car. Then Leandro got into his own car, and the two vehicles departed one after the other. Seraphina watched as Leandro¡¯s car left the hospital, then turned to Bruce ¡°Mr. Reynolds, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Shool¡± ¡°How was Valerio born? She asked bluntly. Bruce hesitated for a moment. ¡°Your grandpa didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°No¡± Seraphina replied ¡°Grandpa lied to me, said he was picked up by Leandro from the streets!¡± Bruce couldn¡¯t help butugh at this, then rified, ¡°In truth, your grandpa wasn¡¯tpletely lying. Valerio was indeed found by Leandro¡­ but, he¡¯s also a child of the Reynolds family¡± Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Being a journalist, Seraphina had a knack for capturing nuances in conversations. As soon as Bruce¡¯s words reached her ears, she was reminded of a remark Karan had once made She scrutinized Bruce carefully before venturing. ¡°Is he the offspring of the Reynolds family? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s your Bruce raised his hand, gently Inpping her forehead, ¡°What notions am you entertaining? Thed is Leandro¡¯s Seraphina sped her forehead. He brought a child home, only to discover the child was his?¡± Bruce guided her into a room, settled himself, and proceeded, ¡°Your grandfather must have shared the story Leandro brought the child home simply dering I found this kid on the street, belom leaving The household was left in a state of bewilderment. Onlyter, when his cousins had the chilif¡¯s DNA analyzed did it be apparent that the child was linked to the Reynolds lineage Leandro was oblivious to this and ordered the child to be handed over to the police En mute, they intercapted the child with the DNA test report Seraphina listened intently. This sounds like a TV drama¡± Bruce nodded. ¡°After further testing, it was confirmed that he was indeed Leandro¡¯s child But where the child came from, who sent the child over, these are still mysteries¡± Seraphina snorted, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know who he¡¯s slept with? Or has he had so many partners that he can¡¯t keep track?¡± Bruce didn¡¯t me her for being blunt, just gave her a helpless look. Seraphina asked again, ¡°What happened next? Were there any clues found?¡± ¡°Nothing¡± Bruce replied, ¡°Leandro was very angry about it a few years ago. Thepany and family issues were already giving him a headache, plus a sudden child, he suspected it was a trap set by his enemies We spent a lot of energy investigating, but there was never any result. Onlyter did Leandro gradually ept the child, but there has been no news of the child¡¯s mother over the years¡± The child was given to Leandro, but his mother never showed up. It was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment So when Leandro said it was a ¡®pointless matter it was because he couldn¡¯t find any clues. This could be one of the few things that made Leandro artxious. Seraphina thought about this and couldn¡¯t help butugh ¡°Is it really that funny Bruce looked at her fondly ¡°He might have been set up.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯d really like to know who could make Leandro suffer. Bruce, if I help you find out who this person is, what will you give me as a reward?¡± Bruceughed, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Half the world of the Reynolds family¡± Seraphina responded without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s easy, Bruce said, ¡°Marry Leandro,then you will have it, right?¡± Seraphina raised her hand that was red from Gloria¡¯s p, ¡°Stop kidding!¡± Seeing her like this, Bruce sighed and changed the subject, ¡°Speaking of your previous investigation on Balch Lawson, I have a media friend who wants to interview you. Sre you interested?¡± ¡°I¡¯m part of the media Industry myself,¡± Seraphina countered. ¡°Why would I need someone else to conduct my interview?¡± ¡°Even though the incident is evident, you never formally rified your association with Balch Bruce responded, ¡°Public curiosity is inevitable. An interview to dispel the prevailing ambiguities would be beneficial for your career trajectory, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Seraphina huffed, ¡°In essence, Bruce, you¡¯re concerned about me potentially besmirching the Reynolds family reputation. Since you¡¯ve requested it, I¡¯llply¡± A satisfied smile crept onto Bruce¡¯s face before he sighed, ¡°I hadn¡¯t anticipated you being a journalist, bold enough to engage with someone like Balch. You¡¯re nothing like your mother At the mention of Magdalen, Seraphina reflexively arched an eyebrow, feeling that this conversation had reached its conclusion. At this moment, Lorenzo came over with a pile of medical reports. Seeing Bruce, he came over and said, ¡°Dad¡± Bruce responded and then naturally introduced, ¡°This is Lorenzo, have you met?¡± ¡°We have Seraphina smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Reynolds family had a doctor It¡¯ll be much easier to see a doctor in the future¡± *Silly girl, who wants to get sick? Bruce then looked at Lorenzo, ¡°How¡¯s grandpa doing?¡± As always, Lorenzo was indifferent, I¡¯m about to apany grandpa for a check¨Cup We can only be sure when the resultse out. But grandpa is old and all his body functions are deteriorating His health has always been poor, so we should be prepared Hearing this. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help frowning ¡°Im going to apany grandpa for the check up now! Lorenzo said ¡°I go too¡± Seraphing got up, watched Lorenzo walk into the emergency room, suddenly remembered something turned to Bruce, and asked quietly, ¡°Bruce, I know the eldest son of the Reynolds family died early Leandro is the second son, followed by Lorenzo, what about Lemuel Reynolds?¡± She asked this question casually, but Bruce coughed lightly and replied, ¡°He¡¯s working at thepany in Germany Serand was Juken aback, wanting to ask him if he had other kids, but Lorenzo had already wheeled out Conway. She had to bite her tongue Conway sitting in tas wheelchair clutched his chest and wailed at the sight of Seraphina, reallyying it on thick Seraphina knew he was putting on a show, but with his health being not so hot, she let him have his way She walked over, saying, ¡°Grandpa, for the sake of you being my gramps, I ll let your little con slide Enough with the theatrics, arent you tired?¡± Hearing this. Conway immediately perked up. ¡°Really? On seeing Conway in this state, a smirk crept onto Lorenzo¡¯s face Seraphina took note of this and concurred, ¡®Absolutely given you¡¯ve acquainted me with some true heartthrobs, Ell excuse you this time! Presumably due to being relentlessly pursued by ardent adurers. Lorenzos smile swiftly evaporated at her words, returning him to his characteristic frosty countenance Conway, shifting his gaze between Lorenzo and Seraphina, interjected sternly. That won¡¯t work. Even though Lory is indeed a desirable catch, your infatuation with Leandro has been longstanding You can¡¯t just vacite! Seraphina rolled her eyes at Conway, then bestowed a radiant smile upon Lorenzo, ¡°Lory, let¡¯s maintain contact alright?¡± Lorenzo, with hands tucked away in hisb coat pockets, simply observed her without retort However, Conway didn¡¯t exercise such restraint, swiping away Seraphina¡¯s band as it extended towards Lorenzo ¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Because Conway had a lot of tests to ruh, he stayed overnight at the hospital that night, and it was only natural for Seraphina to stay with him, hoping to get to know Lorenzo better However, Conway seemed genuinely worried that she might stir up trouble, so he kept a close eye on her Plus, Lorenzo was too busy to show up all day, so Seraphina ended up being a full¨Ctimepany for Conway. The next morning when Leandro came to check the report, Seraphina, the full timepanion, was still lying in the small bed in the partition Conway had already risen for his morning regimen. As Leandro swung open the door, he was greeted by her slumbering figure, prompting him to cast a nce at Keen. Understanding the situation, Keen promptly vacated the room Only then did Leandro approach and peel back the nket cocooning Seraphina The room wasfortably cool, courtesy of the air conditioning As the nket was lifted, she was jolted awake by the sudden change in temperature. Her eyes futtered open to find Leandro, and she grumbled slightly before wrapping her arms around his legs, then his waist, clinging to him like a ko ¡°Refrain from clinging¡± Leandro¡¯s frosty voice echoed. But Seraphina, a naturally affectionate girl, held onto him, adamant about not letting go, ¡°I¡¯m not fully awake yet¡­ Why are you here so early? Can¡¯t we snooze a bit longer?¡± Suddenly, Leandro tilted her chin upward, his gaze prating her half awake expression, ¡°Should you need me, I¡¯ll be there for you¡± Hearing this, Seraphina opened one eye to look at him, showing an expectant look, ¡°Really?¡± Leandro stared at her deeply without saying a word. The door to the roorn was suddenly pushed open again, and Lorenzo walked in. Catching a glimpse of Lorenzo¡¯s figure, Seraphina instantly woke up, immediately letting go of Leandro, even quickly fixing her hair, and regained her elegant demeanor in an instant, extending her hand to greet Lorenzo, ¡®Morning Lary!¡± Seeing the situation between the two, Lorenzo knew he came at the wrong time. Even if there was no emotion on Leandro¡¯s face, he still sensed something and turned to leave, ¡°I¡¯lle backter.¡± ¡°No¡± Seraphina quickly got up from the bed and went over to stop him, ¡°Did grandpa¡¯s test resultse out? Let¡¯s look at it together!¡± Lorenzo was forcibly brought back, nced at Leandro, and then handed over the report directly. ¡°Although his old ailments are still there, his overall condition is much better than it has been in the past two months Judging from grandpa¡¯s mood these past two days, he¡¯s been in good spirits¡± As soon as he finished speaking. Lorenzo looked at Seraphina, and Leandro lifted his eyes to nce at Seraphina as well Seraphina was not modest. She patted her chest and said to Lorenzo with a smile, ¡°This is my doing, compliment me!¡± ¡°I must say Ms. Bet deserves a lot of credit¡± Lorenzo said, ¡°If possible, I hope you can spend more time with grandpa Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Actually, if you want to see more of me, you don¡¯t have to beat around the bush!¡± After hearing this, there was no expression on Lorenzo¡¯s face, but he nced at Leandro Because of his background, he was not close to Leandro. Most of the time their rtionship was more like that of a doctor and a patient¡¯s family, and their conversations revolved around their grandfather¡¯s condition. So he didn¡¯t know Leandro very well. But even without knowing him well, he could still understand a person¡¯s character through daily interactions So he was a bit puzzled at this moment. How could Leandro tolerate a woman like Seraphina? Seraphina noticed his gaze and also looked at Leandro, she smirked and said. ¡°Of course I¡¯m willing to spend more time with grandpa, but whether I can actually do it or not. That¡¯s not for me to decide¡­¡± Seeing this, Lorenzo didn¡¯t stay any longer, ¡°I have to make my rounds in the ward, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Seraphina waved goodbye to him reluctantly, then sat next to Leandro, ¡°Your brother seems to like me quite a bit, huh? We haven¡¯t known each other for long and he¡¯s already suggesting that stay¡± Leandro focused on the report in his hand and ignored her. Seraphina looked up at him, ¡°Even if it¡¯s to take care of grandpa, Mr. Reynolds, you have no intention of letting me stay, right?¡± Leandro closed the report in his hand and looked at her, ¡°Don¡¯t say such contrived things, and don¡¯t always do weird things. It¡¯s no use to me! ¡°Alright then Seraphina shrugged, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t insist, I won¡¯t bother you anymore, okay?¡± After saying this, she gathered her expression, pushed him away, and then walked into the bathroom. Leandro put down the report in his hand, got up and left. At noon, Seraphina took an hour to do an interview arranged by Bruce Though the interview was brief, the issues addressed were of significance, marking Seraphina¡¯s first responses. Consequently, the media promptly edited and aired the interview footage at eight o¡¯clock that evening Simultaneously, within the Reynolds Group, employees still engaged in overtime were justmencing their dinner. Yasmina, stationed at her desk, sighed at her monotonous bento box. Upon stumbling upon Seraphina¡¯s interview video, she instantly brightened, beckoning Keen to join her in watching it In the footage, the reporter posed a question to Seraphina, ¡°So, all the headline¨Cgrabbing news surrounding you and Balch was simply a part of your investigative process, correct?¡® Seraphina offered the camera aposed smile, ¡°Truthfully, you don¡¯t require my affirmation for this. All I can express is my respect for and dedication to my profession.¡± The reporter then inquired, ¡°So, has your investigation into this case influenced your rtionship with Mr. Reynolds in any way? After all, your investigation involved substantial risks, resulting in a considerable societal uproar In the video, Seraphina¡¯s face suddenly livened up ¡°About that, I need to clear the air. First off, I gotta apologize to Mr Reynolds, cause this whole thing has been casting a pretty dark cloud over him and his company, secondly, I gotta give a big thanks to Mr. Reynolds for his understanding and support. During my investigation, the guy really had my back,stly, for the record, I¡¯m still flying solo The sender inroadiatalu sobad in sunnca ¡°Aren¡¯t unub. Caunaldo fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just one of the ways Mr. Reynolds supported me. Seraphina replied with a smile, ¡°Fact is, I¡¯ve grown up with the Reynolds family. To me, Mr. Reynolds is like a big brother. Knowing about myContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. investigation, Mr. Reynolds backed me up without any reservations, and protected me in this way. He¡¯s really been a stand¨Cup bro So here, I gotta express my gratitude, thank you, my dear brother!¡± Seraphina winked and smiled at the camera, leaving Yasminapletely stunned in front of the screen. ¡°Brother?¡± Yasmina turned to Keen, ¡°You buyin¡® what she¡¯s selling?¡± Seeing Seraphina gave Keen a headache, ¡°None of my business, noment.¡± Yasmina remembered what she saw in Leandro¡¯s office that day and sneered, ¡°As if I¡¯d ever believe her!¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 On that day, Yasmina was burning the midnight oil al The Reynolds Group She was sitting at her desk, looking beat. ¡°I really admire Mr. Reynolds,¡± she said, ¡°He¡¯s workingte every day and every night. It¡¯s like he never gets tired¡­ If this keeps up, I might have to put marriage and kids on the back burner.. Keen, sitting next to Yasmina, had a worried look on his face He had been feeling ansious ever since he watched Seraphina¡¯s interview video why did he feel like something was about to hit the fan? He was racking his brains, trying to figure it out, when suddenly the door to the CEO¡¯s office opened and Leandro walked out They both perked up instantly, but Leandro only said, ¡°Off work,¡± and then headed for the elevator Both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Yasmina turned to Keen and asked, ¡°Do you think Mr. Reynolds saw that interview video?¡± Keen replied half¨Cheartedly, ¡°What do you think?¡± Yasmina said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds is always so mysterious. I can¡¯t read his mind.¡± Keen just sighed The interview was clearly a mess Seraphina had cooked up on purpose. If Leandro hadn¡¯t seen it, wouldn¡¯t her effort have been for nothing? That woman wouldn¡¯t do something that didn¡¯t yield results! Indeed, Leandro had viewed the interview video, and not just once The video had amassed a significant number of views. He hade across it several times from various sources. Thement section was buzzing with fervor and diverse perspectives But, in reality, it was simply Seraphina ying her games. He had no desire to descend to her antics. Leandro slid into the car, lightly pressed his forehead, and refrained from specifying his destination. Observing his state, the driver voluntarily shared some news. ¡°Mr. Conway was discharged from the hospital today. He didn¡¯t relocate to the nursing home but returned to his own residence. Ms Seraphina apanied him.¡± Leandro responded with nonchnce, ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Are we heading home? inquired the driver as he began to steer away from The Reynolds Group Leandro remained silent for a moment before responding. ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing this, the driver knew he meant Urban Oasis, so he didn¡¯t ask any more questions. When they arrived at Urban Oasis, it was already 1 a m. Leandro took a short rest in the car. When it stopped, he immediately opened his eyes, clearly looking ahead, and got out of the car Back in his room, everything was as usual. Leandro went upstairs and first checked on Valerio. Valerio was already asleep, with the nket only covering half of his body. Leandro checked his temperature, then tucked him in. He sat by the bed for a while before leaving Back in his own room, as soon as he entered the living room, Leandro immediately noticed something off. Even though he hadn¡¯t been home for two days, he quickly picked up on the changes Nevertheless, Leandro didn¡¯t show any reaction. He simply undressed and went straight into the bathroom to wash up. When he got into bed and turned off the lights, there was a rustling in the darkness After a slight trembling by the side of the bed, someone joined him under the covers She didn¡¯t avoid him. From the beginning, there was direct physical contact until he lifted her out of the bed. Then sheughed, lying on his chest, asking, ¡°Surprised?¡± In the pitch¨Cck bedroom, all sounds became especially clear. However, Leandro¡¯s breathing was exceptionally low, making it hard to discern his emotions Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, Seraphina reached out to hug him, softly kissing his chin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you ignoring me?¡± ¡°Are you mad at me? Seraphina mumbled while kissing him, ¡°I was just blowing off steam this morning. Why won¡¯t you say anything?¡± As she was talking, she suddenlyughed. ¡°Your beard smells so good with this perfume, what brand is it?¡± In the dark, Leandro still seemed to have no reaction Seraphina was quiet for a moment, then suddenly sighed, ¡°Alright then, seems like you¡¯re not too fond of me today. I¡¯ll leave first, darling-¡± She deliberately leaned close to his ear, and the next second, Leandro suddenly held her waist tightly Seraphinaughed, and was promptly pinned down under him. ¡°All the sweet nothings I said to you, you ignored But when I call you ¡®darling, you¡­¡± she cooed, ¡°Do you want to keep your distance from me or not?¡± ¡°Seraphina¡± Leandro suddenly called her name in a low voice, his emotions indistinguishable ¡°Hmm?¡± She responded, waiting for his next words But Leandro didn¡¯t speak, he simply kissed her In the pitch ck room, they began to get intimate and make love Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Seraphina wasn¡¯t certain when she sumbed to sleep. When she was roused by Leandro¡¯s movement, she checked the time and found it to be only 6 am. He had likely slept for a mere three hours. Seraphina couldn¡¯t fathom why he was rising so early. She yearned to stay with him a while longer, but exhaustionovypowerad. her She closed her eyes and slipped back into slumber. Leandro, now dressed, approached the bedside to retrieve the watch he had removed the previous night. Seraphina was unconsciously curled up in the nket, encasing herself snugly. Leandro observed her for a moment, then adjusted the air conditioning a few degrees warmer before exiting the room. Upon descending the stairs, he found Karan had alreadyid out his breakfast and tablet. As he perused the news on his tablet during breakfast, Karan presented him with a cup of ck coffee, cing it next to him before stating. ¡°Your room¡¯s window was njarst night¡± In other words, the sounds from his room had reached her. Leandro didn¡¯t evade the matter, responding simply. ¡°Did I cause a disturbance? ¡°No one can stop you from doing what you want, Karan said with a frown, ¡°But you should consider your mother¡¯s feelings.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got this. Leandro replied Just as Karan was about to leave, he turned back, seemingly unable to resist asking. ¡°No matter how I look at Seraphina, she seems pretty cunning. Do you know what the hell she¡¯s up to?¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze deepened at the question. Because it was indeed true But what was she really up to? Shed just had a bit of a tiff with him, trying to see who¡¯de out on top. That was all. Why wouldn¡¯t he give her a chance? Several hourster, when Seraphina roused, she was greeted with Karan¡¯s customary frosty re. Fortuitously, she had be ustomed to such treatment and proceeded to the kitchen in search of sustenance. As she was nibbling on a slice of bread, a young boy appeared at the kitchen threshold, quietly observing her. On noticing him, Seraphina nearly choked on her bread. Checking the date, she realized it was the weekend. Valerio gazed at her expectantly. Seraphina motioned him closer, then squatted to his level, ¡°I¡¯ve inquired about your mom, but there¡¯s no news as of yet.¡± Valerio silently regarded her, his eyes mirroring palpable disappointment. ¡°However, I¡¯ll continue the search for your mom, Seraphina lightly brushed his head, bestowed a tender smile upon him and reassured, ¡°Even if your dad and I part ways in the future, I¡¯ll still assist you in finding her.¡± Valerio seemed slightly perplexed as he looked at her, but his eyes remained as lucid as ever. Suddenly, Seraphina averted her gaze, no longer meeting his. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 On the same morning it was all calm and peaceful inside Reynolds Manor When the youngest daughter of the Reynolds family, Nte Reynolds, walked into the hall, she saw Gloria sitting alone on the living room couch, holding a tablet, engrossed in something Approaching Glona. Nte asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to have breakfast with dad today? Why are you home alone?¡± Setting down her tablet, Glona calmly responded, ¡°Everyone¡¯s got their own stuff to do, they¡¯ve all gone out Didn¡¯t you alsoe back alone?¡± Seeing Gloria¡¯s downcast expression, Nte nced at the tablet she had just put down. ¡°What are you looking at all by yourself?¡± ¡°What else could it be? Glona replied with a glum face, ¡°The dignity of the Reynolds family has been thrown away!¡± Upon hearing this Nte immediately understood, ¡°Is it because of Seraphina? I also watched the interview. She¡¯s already rified that she has nothing to do with Leandro, isn¡¯t that good? This way Leandro won¡¯t be unfairly linked to her, and nobody in our family has to bother with her anymore¡± Glona gave her a nce, ¡°Do you really think Seraphina can be easily dismissed¡°¡± ¡°Are you worried she¡¯ll keep clinging to Leandro?¡± asked Nte, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t she want the title of future granddaughter¨Cinw of the Reynolds family?¡± Glona scoffed, ¡°How would I know her crafty tricks?¡± Upon hearing this, Nte nodded pensively. ¡°You¡¯re right. Her return this time demonstrates that she¡¯s no ordinary individual, otherwise, none of this would have transpired. It¡¯s ood that both dad and Bruce are shielding her, and we¡¯re rendered helpless.¡± As the conversation unfolded, Glona appeared increasingly agitated. She furrowed her brow, pressing lier hand against her forehead. After a moment of silence, an idea struck Nte, ¡°Why not arrange a good marriage for her? It would be more beneficial for her to meddle in another family than the Reynolds family¡± Gloria scoffed, ¡®Do you think dad and Bruce would allow her to marry just anybody?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t suggest she marry just anybody Nte retorted with a slight smirk, ¡°There are numerous high¨Cprofile families in Sunburst City. Can¡¯t we identify one that dad and Bruce would endorse?¡± When Seraphina returned to Reynolds Manor for lunch, she was just in time to dine with Conway Conway didn¡¯t mind her staying out all night, but he had a lot to say about the interview she did ¡°Did you deny your rtionship with him because you¡¯re upset that Valerio is Leandro¡¯s biological son? Conway asked. After peeling a shrimp for Conway, Seraphina sighed helplessly, ¡°Grandpa, do I look like a petty person to you? ¡°Then tell me, why did you say that?¡± Conway pushed away the shrimp she had given him, showing her no respect. I¡¯m doing all this for the Reynolds family Seraphina said, ¡°I have a bad reputation, who knows what I might do in the future. If I get involved with your grandson, it will only harm the Reynolds family¡± Conway picked up a fork and tapped it on Seraphina¡¯s head, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± ¡°Neither your grandson nor I like each other. Only you are hoping for it.¡± Seraphina answered. ¡°Please stop ying matchmaker for us Just as she finished speaking,ughter came from outside the room, ¡°What are you guys chatting about? It looks so heated¡°¡± Seraphina turned to see Nte walking in with a big smile on her face. She greeted Conway, then called out to Seraphina, ¡°Sera¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes Nte, her aunt, usually had a stern face. Today, she was suddenly so friendly, which was strange Seraphina quickly responded with a smile. ¡°Good morning, why did youe alone?¡± Nte sat down at the dining table, ¡°We had nned to have lunch with you and Conway, but everyone else was busy, so I came alone. Dad, why did you move back to Reynolds Manor? It¡¯s so cold and quiet here, it¡¯s not easy for us to have a meal with you.¡± Conway was probably still mad at Seraphina, so he didn¡¯t have a good face for Nte, his usually doted daughter, ¡°I dont need yourpany, go do whatever you want Nte, who always knew how to please Conway, quickly smoothed things over. They hadn¡¯t even eaten much when the topic turned to Seraphina. ¡°Sera, I originally thought your rtionship with Leandro was real I was happy for you. Unexpectedly, you suddenly announced it was fake. I was so let down¡± Seraphina bit her fork, struggling to hold back herughter as she listened to Nte ¡°But it¡¯s better this way¡± Nte continued. ¡°I know quite a few eligible bachelors How about introduce you to one?! Upon hearing this, Seraphina immediately agreed, ¡°Sure, thank you so much!¡® ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Nte replied, ¡°You¡¯re a girl raised in our family and you¡¯re so beautiful. The single men in Sunburst City are all yours for the taking¡± Conway slowly closed his eyes, pretending not to see anything. Reynolds Group On a Saturday afternoon at two, the atmosphere inside the high level meeting room on the top floor was tense. The meeting had been ongoing for a strenuous five hours. The participants, all exhibiting pallid complexions and nerves on edge, were fixated on theputer screens before them Proposals that were rejected weremanded to be revised immediately, and if turned down again, to be reworked anew. The only individual capable of enforcing such a relentless regimen was likely the upromising president of the Reynolds Group, currently presiding over the meeting Leandro upied the chairperson¡¯s seat, maintaining a poker face as he listened to the fresh round of pitches. An elder executive, visibly tired, was subtly signaling Yasmina from the side Yasmina understood that the team was undoubtedly fatigued after a five hour meeting Thus, after this round of pitches was mercilessly dismissed by Leandro once more, she cautiously proposed, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, it¡¯s already past two Everyone hasn¡¯t had lunch yet and might be running low on energy Perhaps we could resume post lunch?¡± No sooner had shepleted her statement than the phone resting on Leandro¡¯s table sprung to life. Leandro picked up the phone to find a message from Seraphina ¡°Your Aunt Nte is nning to introduce me lo a boyfriend. What do you think about this? If you object, I won¡¯t agree.¡± Leandro read the message twice, then put down the phone and said in a heavy voice, ¡°Continue.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Yasmina couldn¡¯t help but shrink her neck and didn¡¯t say anything more The meeting, originally scheduled tost three hours, ended up going until five in the afternoon. Only then were the exhausted people allowed to leave After the meeting, Leandro had another meeting with the Europe branch, spending the whole day in the office At eight in the evening, his phone rang again This time it was a call from Herman Garcia. Knowing that Leandro was busy with work, Herman rarely initiated contact. Leandro answered the call and heard Herman say, ¡°Leandro, what¡¯s Seraphina up to? Why is she going on a blind date with my brother now?¡± Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Determined to swiftly rid the Reynolds family of Seraphina¡¯s influence, Nte orchestrated a blind date for Seraphina that very evening What Leandro hadn¡¯t anticipated was that the man Nte had paired Seraphina with was none other than Herman¡¯s elder brother, John Garcia John, the eldest scion of the Garcia family¡¯s second generation, had forsaken a promising political career to venture into entrepreneurship Having sessfully established a thriving business while maintaining his family¡¯s prestige he had be quite a prominent figure in Sunburst City His only ¡®blemish¡± might be his divorce over a year ago However, for a man of his stature this aspect might have enhanced his allure ¡°My parents have been incessantly harping about my brother¡¯s matrimonial prospects ofte, insisting on finding him a suitable partner I could never have predicted they¡¯d choose Seraphina, Herman stated ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to intervene?¡± Leandro, reclining in his office chair and contemting the neon lights outside the window, responded casually ¡°Didn¡¯t you receive the memo? We¡¯ve rified the nature of our rtionship¡± Herman chuckled at that. ¡°Cut the crap. If it was that simple, why did you take a bullet for her the night. Fidelia got in trouble? And let me remind you, my bro¡¯s charm post¨Cdivorce is a real babe ma. If you¡¯re not careful, Seraphina might fall for him. At that time, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you¡± Just as Herman finished, he was called away on his end. After a few words, he hurriedly hung up Leandro put down his phone, lit a cigarette and sat in silence, lost in thought. That night, Seraphina and John had a great time over dinner and a movie. They got along so well that they even agreed to meet again the next day When Seraphina got home, Conway was still up, lounging in his chair watching TV When he saw Seraphina, Conway didn¡¯t give her a warm wee, ¡°Your date¡¯s over?¡± ¡°Yep Seraphina carelessly tossed her purse aside and then flopped down on the sofa. ¡°God, I haven¡¯t been on a proper date in forever¡­¡± Conway shot her a cold lock. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°Amazing! Seraphina replied, legs kicked up in a rxed pose and a triumphant smile on her face. ¡°I thought Nte was pulling my leg, but she actually set me up with a great catch!¡± ¡°A divorced catch,¡± Conway corrected her coldly ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Seraphina shrugged ¡°He¡¯s a great guy and we had a st!¡± Conway snorted dismissively, turned off the TV, and stormed upstairs. Seraphinaid on the couch for a while, then got up to tidy her purse. She checked her phone, but the screen was nk. Not a single text. With a smirk, she got up and headed upstairs too. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Over the next few days, whenever John had time, he would invite Seraphina out. They listened to music, went to exhibitions, rode horses, swam, yed sports. Seraphina was thrilled with all the activities. It wasn¡¯t until a weekter, when she apanied John to y golf, that she ran into Leandro John¡¯s golf time was scheduled for the moming which meant Seraphina had to get up early. Since she didn¡¯t y golf, she was a little beat Just as John was teaching her how to swing someone called out ¡°Mr Reynolds. Seraphina instantly perked up and hit a beautiful shot ¡°Well done, you¡¯re a natural,¡± John praised her swing then turned to see Leandro and greeted him with a smile, ¡°Leandro, long time no see.¡± Leandro in his white shirt and ck pants, a rare casual look for him, stopped in his tracks when he saw them. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been MIA.¡± Seraphina popped her head out from behind John and greeted Leandro with a smile, ¡°Leandro, it¡¯s been a while¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes fell on her, but he didn¡¯t respond. ¡°I almost forgot you two know each other¡± John put his arm around Seraphina¡¯s waist and pushed her forward, ¡°Leandro, Sera¡¯s a smart, beautiful girl that the Reynolds family has cultivated I¡¯m honored to be dating her¡± Seraphinaughed at that and turned to him, ¡°Leandro contributed a lot to my ¡®cultivation.¡± John looked at Leandro andughed, ¡°Really?¡± Ignoring the question Leandro suggested. ¡°Since we¡¯ve bumped into each other, why don¡¯t we y a round together?¡± John readily agreed, ¡°Sure¡± Halfway through the game, John was already a good five or six strokes behind. It was pretty much a done deal for Leandro Taking advantage of John¡¯s swing Seraphina pped for Leandro, ¡°You¡¯re really good¡± Leandro nced at her and rien got on his golf cart Seraphina didn¡¯t wait for John and hopped on the cart with Leandro. Sitting behind him, she leaned on the back of the seat and watched him, I haven¡¯t seen you since I started seeing Joly! Have you been busy?¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes fell on John in the distance, ¡°You seem to be the one who¡¯s busier¡± Following his gaze to John, Seraphinaughed, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just say we were not meant to cross paths¡± She paused and turned to Leandro, ¡®By the way John invited me to Crystal Waters Ind next week. He¡¯s attending a wedding there and wants me toe along Do you think I should go? I¡¯m torn if I don¡¯t go, wall he thank I¡¯m rejecting him? if I do, it would be our first trip together since we met Considering the whole boy girl thing, shouldn¡¯t I be more cautious about this?! With that, Seraphina gave Leandro¡¯s shoulder a little nudge with her head, earnestly asking him, ¡°You¡¯re a guy, can you give me some advice? If you say I can go, I¡¯ll go. If you say I can¡¯t, then I wont is that okay?¡± Jofin turned around after ying ball and saw them, a faint smile appearing on his face, ¡°What are you guys chatting about?¡± He took a seal next to Seraphina and only then did she speak up. ¡°We¡¯re discussing going to Crystal Waters Ind¡± John replied casually, then turned to Leandro, ¡°That¡¯s Mr Malloy¡¯s daughters big wedding You know the drill, it could be awkward going alone, so I invited Seraphina as my plus one, but she¡¯s still thinking it over You must have gotten an invite too, right? What do you think, wanna go?¡± 1 I¡¯m not avable Leandro answered, curt and to the point. Johnughed, ¡°I knew it, a busy bee like you wouldn¡¯t have the time for these sorts of things Seraphina asked with a hint of disappointment. ¡°You¡¯re not going? I heard the scenery there is really pretty You¡¯re always so busy, and you should take some time off to chill, even if it¡¯s just for a day¡® Hearing this, John turned to look at her, smiling. ¡°So, what¡¯s your decision?¡± Seraphina looked at Leandro¡¯s clear profile from behind, a slow smile spreading on her face, ¡°Since Leandro istit going. I guess I¡¯ll go in his ce and enjoy that beautiful view!¡± Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Upon conclusion of the game, Leandro emerged victorious by a significant margin leading by twelve strokes. Following the game, Seraphina apuded Leandro and yfully ribbed John, ¡°You boast about being a master of all trades, yet you werepletely outyed by Leandro How do you exin that?¡± ¡°Leandro is a regr patron of this golf course. He¡¯s up at dawn every day, honing his skills throughout the year Losing to him isn¡¯t surprising,¡± John retorted, turning to Seraphina ¡®However, you agreed to apany me to the wedding at Crystal Waters Ind, so I don¡¯t see this as a loss¡± At this, Seraphina cast a nce at Leandro and retorted with a smuk, ¡°So, did Leandro truly triumph then?¡± Leandro shot her a look, then retrieved his phone from the caddy and attended to a call Seraphina sidesteppedmencing a discussion about the uing trip to Crystal Waters Ind with John Once the call ended, Leandro dismissed her with a curt, ¡°I need to leave,¡± directed at John John responded with a nod, ¡°Till next time.¡± Seraphina waved a cheerful goodbye to Leandro. He didn¡¯t reciprocate, simply walking away. John chuckled looking at Seraphina, ¡°Seems your rtionship with Leandro is rather lukewarm¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Seraphina countered, her gaze following Leandro¡¯s departure. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m just not his preferredpany at the moment¡± John too nced in the same direction, emitting a light chuckle ¡°Seems like it¡± At this. Seraphina shifted her gaze to meet his Their eyes locked and she couldn¡¯t help butugh A weekter, Seraphina and John boarded a flight to the renowned Crystal Waters Ind Their nended at local noon, while it was the middle of the night in Sunburst City, the Reynolds Group¡¯s meeting room was still brightly lit This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. All the senior managers were seated in the meeting room, looking tense Leandro was expressionless, his gaze putting everyone under pressure. The Starhaven branch had messed up due to negligence. The person in charge shirked responsibility and offended their partners. Now, not only were their partners withdrawing investment but also threatening to sue the Reynolds Group. If this blew up, the branch would suffer massive losses. The employees at Starhaven felt the crisis, and the headquarters staff were also feeling the heat from Leandro. Round after round of discussion, yet no solution was found. Leandro¡¯s face was increasingly grim. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, we do have another solution, the newly appointed person in charge at the Starhaven branch cautiously said over the video call, ¡°Actually, they¡¯ve always felt we aren¡¯t giving them enough attention. All of us have been refused by their leader Irvin. But I know that Irvin has a good rtionship with the rk Group in Sunburst City if Mr. Reynolds could contact Irvin through the rk Group, perhaps he would give us a chance.¡± The moment he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the meeting room turned even tenser Everyone knew that Leandro¡¯s requirements for his employees were to solve problems effectively Now they not only failed to solve the problem but also asked Leandro to solve it personally, which was a serious dereliction of duty Plus, the rk Group and the Reynolds Group had always been at odds, full of contradictions. They actually suggested Leandro solve the problem through the rk Group, which was another serious dereliction. Everyone in the office lowered their heads, no one daring to speak. Leandro didn¡¯t say anything just quietly watching the person who suggested on the video until he couldn¡¯t help but lower his head, muttering a soft, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Reynolds ¡°Check Henry rk¡¯s recent schedule.¡± Leandro suddenly said, his expression unchanged Everyone in the meeting room was taken aback. The next moment, those who came to their senses began to check the movements of Henry, the president of the rk Group, ording to Leandro¡¯s instructions ¡°No need to check,¡± one of the senior managers suddenly said, ¡°I know that Henry flew to Crystal Waters Ind to attend Mr. Malloy¡¯s daughter¡¯s wedding He left yesterday during the day¡± Everyone instantly turned to look at Leandro ¡®Prepare the ne¡± Leandro dropped this phrase and walked straight out of the meeting room. The next day, at the magnificent wedding scene, Seraphina, dressed in a nude pink evening dress, walked arm in arm with John into the hall. The venue was teeming with celebrities, both local to Sunburst City and from afar. The scale of the event surpassed any wedding Seraphina had ever attended. Thankfully, she was in John¡¯s Company, so she had nothing to fret over. John introduced her to attendees, she responded with pleasantries. John conversed with guests, she stood by his side John also demonstrated considerable consideration, frequently checking if she was fatigued or required a break. Seraphina didn¡¯t feel weary, merely slightly uninterested Just as this thought crossed her mind, a minor stir arose from the entrance Scanning over the crowd, Seraphina abruptly spotted Leandro. For such an asion, Leandro was also very formal, wearing a suitable tuxedo. His expression wasn¡¯t as stern as usual, but he was always aloof, exuding a don¡¯t get close vibe The moment she saw him, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh in this instant, all her boredom seemed to vanish. Upon hearing her voice, John followed her gaze and his eyesnded straight on the woman in front of Leandro The tall woman in a beige maxi dress was smiling and chatting with the man before her John silently watched the woman who seemed oblivious to his presence, her eyes solely focused on Leandro in front of her John¡¯s eyes darkened a bit, retracted his gaze, and continued his conversation with the people around him. Meanwhile, Seraphina kept her eyes on Leandro until he finally noticed her. Only then did she raise her ss, smirking at Leandro However, Leandro only spared her a nce before his attention was drawn by the person in front of him Seraphina saw a beautiful woman in a backless dress standing before Leandro, and she immediately recognized her ¨C Georgina Georgina was standing in front of Leandro, chatting happily with him. One was the CEO of the top corporation in Sunburst City and the other was a popr, enchanting actress Both were quite attractive, quickly drawing a crowd of people engrossed in their conversation. So, Seraphina shifted her gaze away and no longer looked in that direction Soon after, John finished his conversation with hispany, turned around and invited Seraphina to sit down, to which she dly agreed Just as they settled down, guests started to take their seats. Leandro¡¯s seat was across a table from Seraphina, conveniently at the same table as Georgina. So Seraphina sat there, watching the two of them chatting away, pursing her lips slightly It was only then that John noticed Leandro, and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He turned to Seraphina, ¡®I thought he said he was too busy toe, howe he¡¯s here? Should we go say hi?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Seraphina turned her head to look at him and startedughing. ¡°He¡¯s got a beauty by his side, do you think he even has eyes for me?¡± Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Hearing this, John just gave a slight smile, his gaze shifting towards a table a few meters away He casually nced over and then retracted his gaze Being quite the observant one, Seraphina followed his gaze and quickly identified who he was looking at It¡¯s not that she could pick out who John was looking at from dozens of people, but she had seen one of them in Johr¡¯s profile before ¨C Olive Reed, John¡¯s ex¨Cwife. They were college ssmates, but they divorced after only a year of marriage. The real reason for the divorce was unknown, and they publicly imed it was due to ipatible personalities Seraphina didn¡¯t expect to run into her here, but thinking about it, it didn¡¯t seem that strange Only John kept ncing at Olive, while Olive was chatting with the person next to her, never once ncing this way. Seeing this, Seraphina found it quite amusing and for a while, she even forgot about Leandro and focused her attention on John As they chatted about trivial matters, theyughed and appeared very close Soon, the wedding officially started, and everyone¡¯s attention was on the bride and groom ¡°I haven¡¯t been to a wedding in quite some time,¡± Seraphina murmured to John ¡°When did youst attend one?¡± Upon hearing this, John offered a slight smile, ¡°On the day of my own wedding¡± Hearing his response, Seraphina regarded him with surprise, ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t touch upon a sensitive topic.¡± John nced at her, shing a reassuring smile, ¡°Nothing of the sort¡± Having said that, his gaze meandered back in the previous direction. Observing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She lifted her ss for a sip, then turned her head only to find that Leandro and Georgina had vacated their table. Seraphina withdrew her gaze and ceased her survey of the room The wedding proceeded as scheduled, with all the segmentssting about an hour. As the banquet commenced, the hall instantly buzzed with life. The guests were engaged in conversation, fostering a lively atmosphere As Seraphina was chatting with twodies she just met, talking about entertainment, John came over and said to her, ¡°I need to step out for a while.¡± ¡°Okay, Seraphina replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be here chatting, you go do your thing¡± John gave a slight smile, then stood up and left It was only then that Seraphina nced in Olive¡¯s direction and realized she was no longer there There¡¯s too much going on tonight. Seraphina thought, who should I keep tabs on? Olive walked into the elevator alone, pressed the floor button, watched the elevator doors close in front of her, then watched them reopen. John was standing outside the elevator, his gazending on her face. Olive slightly furrowed her brows, then said, ¡°What a coincidence¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± John replied, stepping into the elevator He nced at the floor Olive had pressed and didn¡¯t press any other buttons. As the elevator doors slowly closed, Olive nced at him, ¡°You¡¯re staying on this floor too?¡± ¡°No,¡± John answered. After a few seconds of silence, Olive spoke again, I saw your date. She¡¯s very pretty, really stole the show¡± ¡°Your date doesn¡¯t seem to be all that,¡± John retorted. Luckily, the elevator stopped. As soon as the doors opened, Olive quickly walked out, with John leisurely trailing behind her.. Noticing John, Olive stopped and turned around, ¡°You go on ahead¡± ¡°Why?¡± John also stopped and looked at her. Unbelievable! Taking a deep breath, Olive turned and quickly walked to her room door. She took out her room card to unlock the door, intending to rush in and close it. But just as she was about to close the door, John blocked it from outside ¡°John, what are you trying to do?¡± Olive asked, somewhat irritated. It was exactly at this moment that Leandro came out of a room across the hallway and overheard this. He looked up and saw John blocking a room door. The next moment, John entered the room and disappeared behind the door The door closed with a ¡°bang¡± Leandro only nced briefly, then turned and headed towards the elevator Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Seraphina walked out. Seeing Leandro at the elevator entrance, she briefly paused, then with a poker face was about to walk past him ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t chase after them,¡± Leandro said without turning his head. Seraphina nced at him and chuckled lightly. ¡°Lucky for me, I¡¯m not you¡± She turned and walked away while Leandro stepped into the elevator Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Seraphina quickly returned, but the elevator button, and after getting in, stood in the corner in a daze. Leandro paid her no mind, patiently waiting for the elevator to reach the top floor, then stepped out Seraphina followed him, right up until he stopped at the door of his room, where she bumped into him. Leandip swung the door open, pivoted, and cast a nce at her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to check on your boyfriend and his ex¨Cwife?¡± Seraphina retorted, her gaze meeting his, ¡°I¡¯m more intrigued by exploring the presidential suite¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Having said this, she nudged Leandro aside and proceeded into the room first Upon entering. Seraphina made a beeline for the suite¡¯s inner chamber Leandro seemed to have no intention of engaging with her antics and headed directly towards the cloakroom. After ensuring there were no other individuals in every nook and cranny of the room, Seraphina headed to the cloakroom She found Leandro was already unfastening his tie and jacket, preparing to remove his shirt She swiftly closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him from behind and inhaling deeply. There was no scent of cologne, nor the fresh aroma of a recent shower. Although his clothes were immactely arranged, indicating no untoward activity, Seraphina meticulously inspected him before feeling a modicum of relief. However, she still grumbled slightly, an undercurrent of dissatisfaction in her lone. Leandro, whose shirt was half off when she hugged him and sniffed him, didn¡¯t react, just said, ¡°Let me go.¡± ¡°Nope¡± Seraphina nestled into his back. ¡°Unless you answer my question¡­ Did youe here for me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Leandro replied. Upon hearing his response, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She moved to his front, quickly pecked his lips and said, ¡°You¡¯re not fooling anyone. But anyway, I¡¯m d you¡¯re here.¡± She then leaned back into his embrace, freely voicing her thoughts, ¡°I really don¡¯t care about John and his ex¨Cwife. As long as nothing happened between you and Georgina Which room did you juste from?¡± After posing the question, she tilted her head up to look at him, waiting for his answer Leandro silently observed her for a while, then, seemingly out of patience, he grabbed the back of her head and leaned down to kiss her lips. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Seraphina waspletely lost in their kiss, intoxicated by the sweet taste of his desire A desire he only had for her. Leandro never hid this, nor did he feel the need to But she, she craved more Reaching out, Seraphina wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed herself against him, and gave him all of her passion But in the face of her heat, Leandro seemed to hesitate for a moment Seraphina didn¡¯t know why he hesitated, nor did she want to give him the chance to. She pushed him gently onto the couch behind them and climbed onto hisp, kissing him again. His shirt was half unbuttoned. His skin was against hers. Sitting on top of him, Seraphina seemed to take control of the night But then, the room¡¯sndline rang Leandro paused, reaching out to push her away But Seraphina held on tight, her arms and legs wrapped firmly around him, refusing to let go. The phone rang a few times, then stopped. But then, Leandro¡¯s mobile rang This time, Leandro gave Seraphina no chance, gripping her chin to force her away from him and answered the call. Seraphina couldn¡¯t get to his lips, but her hands weren¡¯t stopping. They reached for his waistband, unbuckling his belt. The hand that was holding her chin moved to stop her wandering hands. And so, Seraphina kissed his chin, her red lips wandering over his face, maintaining close contact Someone on the other end of the line said something, and Leandro quickly responded Tll be right there¡°. Hearing this, Seraphina was taken aback. She looked up at him, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer, hung up the call, and began to push her away to get up. But Seraphina clung to him, her eyes pleading. ¡°You¡¯re leaving now?¡± ¡°Seraphina¡± Leandro seemed helpless against her persistence, his voice deep, ¡°I told you I didn¡¯te for you.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina froze, letting go of Leandro Leandro pushed her away got up, and got dressed. Seraphina sat on the couch, quietly watching him change. Seeing him put on his pants, button his shirt, tie his tie, and finally put on his jacket and adjust his cuffs, Seraphina finally spoke up: ¡°So you really didn¡¯te for me¡­¡± She tilted her head to look at him, her eyes filled with sadness, silently watching him. Her eyes were too clear, her sadness too evident, as if it would shatter at a touch. She had never shown this expression before. Leandro knew this was another one of her tactics, so he just watched her silently. ¡°I¡¯ve overstepped again¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I thought after sharing a bed a few times, Mr. Reynolds, even if you didn¡¯t care about me, you¡¯d at least have some possessiveness over my body but apparently not. So it doesn¡¯t matter if I go on a trip with John, and even if I sleep in the same bed with him, it still doesn¡¯t matter, right?¡± Saying this, she suddenlyughed, augh so casual, so out of character with her usual sultry demeanor. Beautiful, but fragile. ¡°But now, we both know John¡¯s heart isnt with me, so look. Tve lost so thoroughly, I don¡¯t even have a chance to save my dignity¡± She slowly got up and walked over to him, still wearing a light smile, ¡°You¡¯re really heartless, you don¡¯t caring about me at all.¡± She finished her speech, turned around, zipped up her dress, and left the suite without looking back. Leandro watched her leave, and for a moment, he seemed felt painful She said he was heartless That phrase echoed in his mind, refusing to leave. Could he be falling for her act? At half past ten that night, when John found Seraphina on the beach, she was wearing a fiery red dress, dancing and singing with a group of tourists, eating and drinking. having a great time Seeing him, Seraphina waved cheerfully, and it took her a while to extricate herself from the enthusiastic crowd ¡°I was looking for you for a while John said, ¡°I almost thought you¡¯d left in a huff ¡° ¡°So you know you did me wrong?¡± Seraphina moved closer to him, sniffed him, andughed, ¡°Smells like Hearing that, John paused, looked at her for a moment, then began tough your rex¨Cwife¡± Seraphina nced at him, then headed towards the hotel, ¡°d you¡¯re having fun, leaving me out here in the cold¡± John hadn¡¯t expected Seraphina to be partying with a bunch of foreigners on the beach. He had tried calling her after leaving Olive¡¯s room, but her phone was off. He knocked on her room door, then Leandro¡¯s, but both were unanswered ¡°Ser. I¡¯m sorry John said, sounding serious. Seraphina looked at him, ¡°Buy me a drink¡± She was so carefree that John couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Alright.¡± Sitting at the bar with a drink, Seraphina was immediately curious, ¡°Will you tell me the story of you and her?¡± John hesitated for a long moment, then let out a bitterugh, ¡°I don¡¯t know where to begin. ?? ? ?? ? ? ??This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Seraphina shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve got all the time in the world¡± John looked at her, his words loaded, ¡°I thought you¡¯d be busy tonight¡± ¡°I thought so too Seraphina clinked her ss against his andughed The two hung out at the bar until 2 a m, when Seraphina finally stood up to leave with a heavy heart. Just as Seraphina walked into the hotel lobby, a figure approached. It was Keen. ¡°Ms. Bet Keen said looking at her ¡°Mr. Reynolds is waiting for you in his room¡± Seraphina rubbed her ears as if she hadn¡¯t heard clearly ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds is waiting for you in his room, Keen repeated word for word. Seraphina turned to John, ¡°Isn¡¯t he being disrespectful to you by saying this in front of you?¡± John just coughed lightly, not responding Then, Seraphina turned back to Keen, ¡°Did he send you to pass on this message? Well, you can pass on a message from me to him.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Keen frowned, seeming to catch on Sure enough, next, Seraphina gave him the middle finger. 4 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 John dropped Seraphina off at her doorstep ¡®Give me a ring if you need anything¡± John said, ¡°Leandro may seem aloof, but we¡¯ve known each other since we were kids. He¡¯ll listen¡± Al this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, then responded slyly, ¡°And if I can¡¯t reach your cell, should I call your room or your er wife¡¯s?¡± John gave her a look, opened the door for her, nudged her inside and look off Seraphina gleefully entered the room, but after a few steps, she froze in her tracks. Leandro was sitting by her window watching her Seraphina hesitated, then walked towards the door, muttering, ¡°Gotta teach your assistant a lesson. Can¡¯t he speak clearly and tell me which room you¡¯re in?¡± She rambled towards the door, had it half¨Copen, but then paused, closed it and turned back. This time, she undressed as she walked towards Leandro, tussing her red dress aside when she reached him and plopped herself down on hisp N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°We¡¯re still doing this, right?¡± Seraphina sat up straight, smiling at him. Leandro¡¯s expression grew even colder ¡°Cant you ever speak properly?¡± Seraphina pretended to think hard before responding. ¡°Why should I? I¡¯m just a tool for you to y with, aren¡¯t 17¡± As she spoke, she reached for his shirt buttons. But Leandro grabbed her hand, ¡°You¡¯re overacting it¡¯s not fun anymore¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like it when I act like this?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You seem to enjoy it quite a bit.¡± With that, her hand slid towards his waist This time, Leandro pulled her hand away, got up, and left the room without a backward nce. Seraphina slumped onto the bed, listening to the sound of the closing door, then rolled onto her back, giggling to herself. He got mad? That¡¯s fantastic The next day, Seraphina slept until almost noon, waking up to a text from John inviting her to breakfast She texted him back and they arranged to meet for lunch. When they met at the restaurant, John seemed less energetic than the previous day, frowning now and then ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seraphina was in high spints, ¡°Howe you have time for lunch with me today? Where¡¯s Ms. Reed?¡± John nced at her. ¡°She left¡± Exactly the answer Seraphina expected so she burst outughing. John looked at her, then asked, ¡°Did you see Leandrost night?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Seraphina answered truthfully. John continued, ¡°Did he ask you to leave with him?¡± *Leave Seraphina was puzzled, ¡°Where to?¡± John exined, ¡°As far as I know, he closed a deal and took a private jet out of Crystal Waters Ind back to Sunburst City¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina quickly reviewed the events of the previous night Leandro¡¯s departure time must have been set beforehand since he took a private jet. This meant he had no intention of doing anything with her in the roomst night. Could it be that he was waiting for her because he wanted her to go back with him? Thinking of this, Seraphina broke into an even wider grin. John stared at her for a while, then leaned in closer, ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s going on in your head?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple Seraphina raised an eyebrow, chuckling. Tm waiting for him to fall in love with me¡± ¡°Who?¡± John was surprised, ¡°Leandro?¡± ¡°Why are you so surprised? Seraphina looked at him, ¡°You think it¡¯s impossible?¡± John raised an eyebrow, paused for a moment, then said, ¡°A few years ago, I thought he was pretty normal, he had desires, couldugh and talk. Butter on, I thought he could be sent to a center for abnormal human research, he¡¯s totally emotionless¡± Two dayster, Serafina returned to Sunburst City Conway was very unhappy with her prolonged absence, but a few sweet words from Seraphina and he was pacified. In the following days. Seraphina had a leisurely time, though meetings with John ceased Upon learning trus, Nte immediately sprang into action, introducing Seraphina to a hospital director Knowing the title. Seraphina figured he must be older Nte knew this too, so she quickly tried to dispel Seraphina¡¯s concerns, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being older? Maturity and sesse with age. If you¡¯re worried, you can sneak into the hospital while he¡¯s working and take a look. Who knows? Maybe it I be love at first sight¡± Seraphina was initially uninterested, but after seeing the hospital¡¯s name on the business card Nte gave her, she changed her mind, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. Il meet him.¡± The next day, Seraphina arrived at the hospital by noon, but by three in the afternoon, she still hadn¡¯t met the director Knowing the state of healthcare in her country, she wasn¡¯t surprised or concerned, and whiled away the time by wandering around the hospital. There was a long corridor in the central garden of the hospital, a rare shady spot in the summer. Many patients and their families were sitting there to escape therheat When Seraphina walked by, she found a vacant spot and sat down The moment she sat down, a man appeared in front of her, craning his neck and shouting. ¡°Seraphina?¡± She looked up and saw a tall, thin middle aged man After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. The next moment, the man raised his hand and pped her across the face. ¡°So It really is you!¡± he raged. ¡°You have the nerve toe back!¡± He raised his hand again as he spoke. A crowd suddenly gathered to enjoy the spectacle, but out of nowhere, a tall figure burst through. He grabbed the middle¨Caged man¡¯s hand. ¡°Sir, let¡¯s talk it out, there¡¯s no need to get physical¡± With her face in her hand, Seraphina looked up and saw a familiar face. It was Abbot, the guy who had saved her from the car ident Fidelia had caused Talk about a coincidence. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Abbot held the middle¨Caged man¡¯s hand tightly, the man tried to pull away several times but failed, finally losing his temper, he grabbed Abbot¡¯s cor with his other hand, ¡°You¡¯re standing up for her? Do you know what she¡¯s done?¡± Seraphina sat quietly on the side, watching the whole thing waiting for Abbot¡¯s answer. Yeah, why does he keep showing up? Why did he save her twice? Abbot nced at Seraphina, seemingly at a loss for words, he paused before saying ¡°Anyone would stop you from hitting a woman¡± However, nobody around was helping Instead, several people took out their phones and started filming ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me hitting her?¡± The middle¨Caged man¡¯s face was red with rage. ¡°She pushed my daughter down the stairs, turned her into a vegetable, and escaped the punishment of thew! I should have done more than just hit her! I wish I could kill her As soon as these words came out, more people took out their phones and started filming Abbot didn¡¯t expect this man to say such a thing. He was taken aback, and turned to look at Seraphina. Seraphina remained calm, looking at the man in front of her without saying a word. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. This man was the father of Leandro¡¯s girlfriend Vivian Smith ¨C Edwin Smith. Seven years ago, Seraphina had met him. It was the day after Vivian¡¯s ident. She was hiding in her room, watching from the balcony a group of people trying to stop this man froming in to find her, the murderer, and take her to face punishment. But in the end, the power of the Reynolds family protected her and blocked him. Now, seven yearster, Seraphina returned to Sunburst City and quickly became the talk of the town, appearing on magazine covers several times. How could Vivian¡¯s family not know? Their daughter was still lying in the hospital bed, while Seraphina, the murderer, was free and easy. How could this not make people angry At this moment, Edwin was in such a state No matter what Abbot said, he didn¡¯t let go. Edwin watched the murderer who hurt his daughter standing in front of him, but he was powerless to take revenge. The deep¨Cseated hate and resentment welled up in his heart, finally turning into hot tears, ¡°Seven years! My daughter has been a vegetable for seven years! But look at her! Look at this murderer, she¡¯s healthy and morous, and even has a man to help her! This is totally unfair.¡± More and more people gathered around Seeing this, Abbot could only look at Seraphina, ¡®Ms. Bet, you better leave!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her gol¡± Edwin struggled desperately, ¡°You murderer! You guys have to help me catch her! Please help me catch her!¡± A middle¨Caged man walked up to Seraphina, seemingly trying to stop her. However, Seraphina nced at him, probably because the woman in front of him was too beautiful, the man hesitated and unconsciously moved aside Another person came up with a phone, almost sticking it to Seraphina¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say? Why did you hurt someone else¡¯s daughter?¡± Facing the phone camera, Seraphina¡¯s face clearly showing the p mark, sheughed, scornful and ruthless, ¡°If you have evidence, call the police and arrest me¡± With that, she pushed through the crowd and left. For a moment, the crowd was in an uproar, while Edwin struggled with rage, making a desperate roar like a wild animal. Seraphina walked away without looking back. As soon as Seraphina left, Abbot suddenly became the target of attack and was besieged by the crowd. It took him a lot of effort to escape the crowd and hurriedly left. Edwin was sitting on the ground crying weakly, people gradually surrounded him, trying their best to comfort him. Abbot dared not look back. He hurriedly left the hospital, but caught sight of Seraphina¡¯s car. Her car was parked across from the hospital entrance, and she was leaning on the car window, smiling at him. Abbot had no choice but to go up and say hello, ¡®Ms. Bet, hello¡± ¡°You just saved me for the second time¡± said Seraphina, ¡°How about I give you a ride?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay¡± said Abbot, ¡°I drove here myself¡± Seraphina pointed to a ck Volkswagen not far away, ¡°That one?¡± Abbotughed somewhat unnaturally, ¡°Ms. Bet, you have a good memory¡± Seraphina still looked at him with a smile, ¡°I do have a good memory. Thest time you went to the police station to give a statement, you were driving a Lexus. This Volkswagen has been following me around for the past two days. So it was you?¡± Abbot was a bit surprised, after a while, he could only say. ¡®Ms. Bet, don¡¯t you have to go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not busy at all, I have plenty of time¡± said Seraphina, I just want to chat with you right now, is that okay?¡± ¡°Chat about what?¡± ¡°About why we¡¯re so destined! Seraphina blinked, ¡°I can¡¯t figure it out, so why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡®Ms. Bet, I mean no harm¡± said Abbot Seraphina nodded, ¡°I know, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have saved me twice. But I don¡¯t know who sent you.¡± Abbot took a deep breath and finally said, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Reynolds¡± Hearing this, Seraphina burst intoughter, ¡°Okay, thank you for protecting me so diligently. You¡¯ve done a great job, and you can report back to your boss now.¡± With that, Seraphina stepped on the gas and left the hospital Abbot watched her car drive away, after pondering for a long time, he finally drove after her Not bntil Seraphina¡¯s car drove into Reynolds Manor did he stop at the gate, after hesitating for a moment, he made a phone call to the Reynolds Group Fortunately, Seraphina, who had rified her rtionship with Leandro, was basically ¡°out of date¡± now, and the incident did not generate much heat. But then, out of nowhere, the news just blew up in the evening, even lopped the trending charts on several tforms. But just a few minutester, it vanished off the charts. At night, Seraphina was chilling on her balcony, listening to music when she saw a sh of light in the distance. Not long after, Leandro¡¯s car pulled up in front of the main bullding ? ? ?? ?? Seraphina didn¡¯t budge, just checked the time. Hall¨Cpast ten. Looks like Mr. Reynolds was really swamped Good thing Conway was a night owl. They¡¯d still have time for a chat at this hour. ¨C Seraphina closed her eyes, listening to the music and timing from when Leandro arrived, went upstairs to Conway¡¯s room, had a little chat, to when he left would only stay for a few minutes. But today, he lingered for twenty minutes And all the while, Seraphina just stayed put in her room until Leandro left. ¡ª usually, he Chapter 110 Chapter 110 The next day, Seraphina was still asleep when Sandra hollered at her, suggesting they meet They met at a coffee shop Seraphina sipped her coffee while Sandra fixed her with a stare ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still sleeping¡°¡± Sandra gritted her teeth. ¡°The Inte is overflowing with people roasting you, don¡¯t you know that?¡± Seraphina propped her chin up and looked at her. ¡°It¡¯s not my first rodeo, what¡¯s there to fear?¡± ¡°How can youpare this to before? Sandra questioned, ¡°Back then, you endured all the humiliation because you were investigating Balch¡¯s case What¡¯s your excuse now?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her words. ¡°You¡¯re stillughing!¡± Sandra angrily reached out to pinch her face, ¡°I¡¯ve been saying you should¡¯ve left. You¡¯re done with Balch¡¯s case, what¡¯s tying you here? nning on settling down or something?¡± I¡¯m here for grandpa,¡± Seraphina answered, ¡°He¡¯s getting old I want to spend as much time with him as I can.¡± Hearing this, Sandra muttered under her breath, ¡®I wish it was really because of Conway¡± ¡°Then why else would I be here?¡± Seraphina shot back. Sandra paused before speaking. ¡°Is it because of Leandro? How long are you going to cling onto him?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow. ¡°And where¡¯s thising from?¡± ¡°You bumped into Vivian¡¯s dad out of the blue, got hit by him, and even made the trending listst night, you think I wouldn¡¯t notice?¡± Sandra asked, ¡°Are you trying to rile Leandro up with all this?¡± Seraphina thought for a moment before saying ¡°The trending topic thing wasn¡¯t my doing. I don¡¯t know who made it happen.¡± ¡°Look at you! How many people have you pissed off without even realizing?¡± Sandra pinched her in frustration, ¡°And who took care of removing the trending topic?¡± Seraphina chuckled lightly. ¡°Some party with vested interest, I guess. I certainly don¡¯t have the financial means.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re admitting you¡¯re riling Leandro up? What¡¯s your endgame? I¡¯m seriously considering stuffing you into a suitcase and shipping you back to Starhaven!¡± Sandra¡¯s eyes were full of concern, ¡°Stop stirring the pot, Leandro isn¡¯t someone to be trifled with ¡± Seraphina was quiet for a moment before speaking again, ¡°Sandra, I¡¯ve been carrying this stigma for seven years, I want to clear my name too. Since I¡¯m back, why not give it a shot? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s costing me anything¡± Looking at Seraphina¡¯s nonchnt demeanor and reflecting on her words, Sandra could only sigh, ¡°If it¡¯s to clear your name then fine, but don¡¯t get mixed up with Leandro again, it wont end well!¡± Seraphina nodded in agreement, ¡°Yeah, yeah, got it.¡± In the afternoon, when Seraphina returned to Reynolds Manor, she found the chauffeur prepping the car. Upon seeing her, the chauffeur immediately said, ¡°Ms. Bet, you¡¯re back. Conway has been waiting for you.¡± ¡°Is grandpa going out?¡± Seraphina asked ¡°Yes, the chauffeur answered. ¡°He¡¯s heading back to the new ce.¡± Feeling puzzled, Seraphina entered the house and found out it was actually Bruce¡¯s birthday. Conway said, ¡°If you want to go,e with me for dinner, if not, that¡¯s fine too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go Seraphina immediately looped her arm through Conway¡¯s, ¡°Bruce has been so good to me, how could I miss his birthday!¡± Conway shot her a look, ¡°Nonsense¡°¡± Perhaps because of the mention of Vivian¡¯s issue, the Reynolds family seemed to recall Seraphina¡¯s misconduct seven years ago, their gazes toward her had changed significantly The woman who had been eager to introduce a boyfriend to her now evaded her as much as possible, even a nce seemed bothersome.¡± Thankfully, Conway and Bruce kept Seraphinapany, so she didn¡¯t feel out of ce. Halfway through dinner, Leandro came home with Valerio. The sight of the father and son pair brought about a change in everyone¡¯s expressions, Gloria, despite herck of affection for Valerio, was delighted to see Leandro. ¡°You weren¡¯t sure whether you could make it when you called in the afternoon.¡± Gloria chided Leandro. ¡°You should¡¯ve said something once you were sure, I would¡¯ve asked the kitchen to prepare more of your favorite dishes.¡± Leandro took a seat across from Seraphina and simply replied, ¡°I had to cancel ast¨Cminute n, so I came back.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t look at Leandro, she just greeted Valerio Suddenly, Valerio ran over to sit next to Seraphina ¡°Look at that, Valrho is really close to Sera Conway grinned, saying to Valerio, ¡°Sit next to Ms. Seraphina¡± Seraphina immediately corrected him with a solemn face, ¡°Don¡¯t ask him to call me that way!¡± Conway gave her a look of disdain. Someone suddenly spoke, ¡°Of all the people he could get close to, he had to choose her. Valerio is young and doesn¡¯t know better, but you should consider who he¡¯s associating with.¡± ¡°Valero is young and doesn¡¯t know better, and I¡¯m old and my sight is failing, I can¡¯t tell good from bad either, is that it?¡± Conway mmed the table, his face stern. ¡°Grandpa¡°¡± Seraphina quickly held him back, ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s Bruce¡¯s birthday today, if you lose your temper because of me, Bruce might end up disliking me.¡± Hearing this, Bruceughed, ¡°You¡¯ll always be the little girl who¡¯ll never grow up in my eyes, how could I ever dislike you?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina beamed. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± After that, she happily helped Valerio with his meal. Conway¡¯s outburst and Bruce¡¯s words put an end to the snidements, and soon someone changed the topic, no longer focusing their attention on Seraphina Leandro was sitting across from her, shooting her a nce before quickly looking away And all this time, Seraphina didn¡¯t even bother to give him a nce. After dinner, Conway decided to stay the night and Seraphina, naturally, decided to stay as well. However, the moment she decided to stay, baby¨Csitting Valerio became her responsibility. She had been with him after dinner, all the way till nine when she finally managed to get him to bed and enjoy some freedom The hustle and bustle in the mansion had died down, and the massive house seemed eerily quiet. Seraphina sat on the couch, enjoying the silence for a while before she suddenly got up and pulled out a bottle of red wine from the liquor cab. She was holding the bottle, examining it when she heard footsteps on the stairs Recognizing who it was, she quickly hid behind the liquor cab However, what she didn¡¯t expect was for Leandro¡¯s footsteps to stop right next to the cab. Then she heard his voice, ¡°The house is huge. If you¡¯re gonna hide, at least do it properly¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Upon hearing that, Seraphina finally began to move slowly, sidling up to the drinks cab and casting a sideways nce at him. Leandro didn¡¯t look at her, instead getting himself a shot of tequ. Seraphina let out a soft chuckle ¡°Im not trying to avoid you I just don¡¯t want you to be bothered by my presence¡± But since they¡¯d already bumped into each other, it didn¡¯t matter anyway. Seraphina put down the bottle of red wine she was holding, eyeing Leandro¡¯s tequ Seeing him pour half a shot, she reached out to grab the ss. 1s it good?¡± Without a word, she brought the ss to her lips. Leandro lifted his hand, pinching the base of the ss and effortlessly wrenching it out of her grasp ¡°What, I can¡¯t even have a sip Seraphina asked, staring at him. ¡°So stingy¡± Leandro turned and headed upstairs Seraphina paused for a moment before following him. This was their first encounter since returning from Crystal Waters Ind, and the atmosphere was somewhat strange Seraphina followed him up the stairs, all the way to the door of his study. When Leandro stopped abruptly, she bumped straight into him. Only then did Leandro turn to look at her. Seraphina rubbed her nose, looking up at him. ¡°Ouch¡± ¡°What do you want? Leandro asked, his expression unreadable ¡°I want to talk to you, Seraphina replied. Leandro swung open the door to his study, responding without turning back I don¡¯t have time¡± Seraphina peered into the study. Theputer screen was flickering, and a pile of documents was stacked nearby It was clear that in order toe home for dinner, he had to push all his work back. Seraphina finally withdrew her gaze, looking at him for a moment before breaking into a smile Seeing her smile, Leandro slowly closed his eyes. ¡°Doesn¡¯t tonight feel a bit like d¨¦j¨¤ vu?¡± Seraphina asked. As soon as she spoke, Leandro understood her implication. Seven years ago, after Vivian¡¯s incident, she hid in her room out of fear until he came home the next day. Only then did she muster the courage to stand before him. She only wanted to proim her innocence and confess her love for him. But he didn¡¯t want to hear it. Her confession of love was met with nothing but mockery What they once thought was a distant past suddenly reappeared before their eyes. There was a moment of distraction for Seraphina, but she quickly collected herself. ¡°You didn¡¯t want to hear what I had to say back then, and you still don¡¯t, do you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you why Leandro replied ¡°And besides, I¡¯m really not interested in what you have to say Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh again Was he still ming her for not speaking properly? ¡°How would you know what I¡¯m going to say if you don¡¯t listen? Seraphina looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re busy now, right? I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re free, no matter howte it is.¡± After saying this, Seraphina gave him another nce before turning to head to her room. Leandro watched her retreating figure, then turned and walked into his study. He sat down at his desk, facing the half¨Cread documents, and didn¡¯t move for a long time. He couldn¡¯t help but reach out to press his temples, downing the rest of his drink to help him concentrate Late into the night, his phone suddenly rang Leandro snapped back to reality and picked up the call. Keen¡¯s voice came through from the other end. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, we just got a message from Seashore Haven. Mr. Quincy is critically ill Leandro¡¯s expression hardened Danus Quincy, the head of the Quincy family, was his mentor. When he first took over the Reynolds Group, things were shaky it was Darius who helped him get to where he is today Leandro respected Darius immensely. Just a few days ago, when he passed by Seashore Haven, he had made a special visit. Mr. Quincy¡¯s health wasn¡¯t good then, but Leandro didn¡¯t expect this day to come so soon ¡°Mr Quincy¡¯swyer said that Mr. Quincy hopes you can hurry over. He fears he won¡¯t rest in peace otherwise¡± Leandro slowly closed his eyes Half of Danus¡¯s life was dedicated to building the family business, but his children were all ipetent, often fighting over the family assets. Mr. Quincy trusted him the most and had asked him to look after the Quincy Group when he died. ¡°Arrange a rfe and prepare everything¡± Leandro said ¡°Ill probably have to stay in Seashore Haven for a few days.¡± Half an hour after hanging up, Leandro was ready to leave home Knowing the urgency. Keen was quick When Leandro came downstairs, he was already waiting in front of the house, with the car ready Leandro handed his luggage to him. After putting it away, Keen noticed that Leandro hadn¡¯t gotten into the car instead, he was looking at a particr spot of the main building ¡°Mi Reynolds? Keen called out softly Leandro snapped back to reality and got into the car The car slowly pulled away from the Reynolds Vista Retreat, leaving behind the brightly lit window of Seraphina¡¯s room. She had said she would wait for him, no matter howte Early the next morning. Danus passed away Upon his death, the Quincy family fell into chaos. Leandro had been at Seashore Haven for three days,pleting the tasks Mr. Quincy had left him, busying himself with Mr Quincy¡¯s funeral arrangements, temporarily smoothing out the squabbles between the Quincy siblings, and electing a new chairman for the Quincy Group Each task was a real headache, even for Keen, who was helping out, felt utterly drained, let alone Leandro On the flight back, Keen couldn¡¯t help but dore off. He was jolted awake as they were about tond, only to see that Leandro was still sitting there calmly, seemingly having been reading documents the entire flight ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you didn¡¯t sleep at allst night. You should take a rest, Keen couldn¡¯t help but suggest Leandro turned his head, looking at the gradually clearer city skyline outside the window. He¡¯s never been one to sleep on nes, and this time was no exception. Even though he was exhausted to the extreme, the closer they got to Sunburst City, the more awake he became Afternding Leandro went straight back to Urban Oasis. Karan was cleaning the room. Seeing him, she immediately rushed over with concern, ¡°You¡¯re back? You must be exhausted. I¡¯ll run a bath for you. Take a good rest after.¡± Leandro went upstairs but didn¡¯t see Valerio. ¡°Where¡¯s Valerio?¡± ¡°He¡¯s with Conway,¡± Karan said. ¡°Conway¡¯s been in a bad mood these past few days and moved back to the sanatorium. He had Valerio fetched over, probably to cheer him up¡± Leandro suddenly sensed something was off. His hand paused as he was loosening his tie, and he looked at her, ¡°What happened?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you know that?¡± Karan began to help Leandro tidy up his clothes, speaking as she did, ¡°Seraphina finally took off back to Starhaven. She took a morning flight, should bending any minute now¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 At 10 pm local time. Seraphina¡¯s nended on Velvetwood After getting her luggage Seraphina jumped in a tax and headed straight for the hospital. When she arrived at the hospital, it was the dead of night, but a slew of reporters were still camped out at the entrance Seraphina breezed past the reporters, not giving them a second nce as she marched in At this hour, most patients were already asleep, and the hospital was eerily quiet The only sound was Seraphina¡¯s footsteps echoing down the hallway. Finally, she reached a hospital room at the end of the hall, where the lights were still on Seraphina pushed the door open to find Magdalen sitting on the hospital bed Magdalen was anxiously flipping through TV channels, but when Seraphina suddenly burst in, she was taken aback. She tossed the remote aside and leaned against her pillows, asking coldly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I heard you were in the hospital, so I came to visit, Seraphina said, pulling up a chair next to the bed. Im not dead yet,¡± Magdalen retorted, ¡°So you can save your breath.¡± But Seraphina simply stared at her As a woman, Magdalen had been a headstrong beauty her whole lifeThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Her beauty was her pride and her greatest asset, but now, with bruises on the corners of her eyes and lips, it was a huge insult. Sure enough, after being stared at by Seraphina for a while, Magdalen¡¯s annoyance erupted, ¡°You¡¯ve seen me, now get out!¡± ¡°Who did this to you?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°The people outside don¡¯t know, but as the victim, you must know who you¡¯ve pissed off and why you¡¯ve been kidnapped, right?¡± Magdalen sneered at her. ¡°Trying to get some info, are you?¡± ¡°My department doesn¡¯t care about your affairs, Seraphina said, ¡°But those reporters outside would be interested. After all, news of Samuel Wilson¡¯s widow being kidnapped and threatened due to love disputes is quite juicy to them¡± ¡°Get out¡± Magdalen didn¡¯t want to hear another word and shut her eyes in dismissal But Seraphina didn¡¯t stop, ¡°Why is no one apanying you in the hospital? Where are all the men who usually fawn over you?¡± Just as she finished her sentence, the door behind her was pushed open, followed by a male voice, ¡°Magdalen, I¡¯ve brought you the greenhouse melon you wanted.¡± Seraphina turned and saw a man around 35 years old. He was tall, about 672, and very handsome. Seeing Seraphina, he paused, then smiled, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect someone to visit you thiste. Hi, I¡¯m Adler, and you are?¡± Without answering. Seraphina got up and looked at Magdalen, ¡®So you do havepany I won¡¯t be a bother then.¡± With that, she walked past Adler, giving him a small smile, ¡®Nice meeting you, but knowing who I am won¡¯t do you any good. So, I won¡¯t introduce myself. Goodbye.¡± With that, Seraphina left Ader watched her leave in surprise, then sat down next to Magdalen, ¡°Who was that?¡± Magdalen took a deep breath, but couldn¡¯t calm the emotional waves Seraphina had brought. As Adler handed her the melon he bought, she grabbed it and threw it against the wall Despite this, Ader didn¡¯t get angry As Seraphina left the hospital, the reporters outside were having ate¨Cnight snack, discussing their target. ¡°After Samuel¡¯s death, Mrs Wilson inherited a fortune and led a scandalous life¡± ¡°No no no, even before Samuel¡¯s death, she was already entangled with many men. Still, Samuel left her most of his fortune.¡± ¡®She dates men from 60 to 25 years old. Is it the woman or her money that¡¯s so attractive?¡± As Seraphina walked past them and got into a cab, she wanted to answer thatst question. If she could, she would have told that reporter that even if Magdalen didn¡¯t have a dime, men would still fall over themselves for her That¡¯s just how Magdalen rolled Seraphina didn¡¯t know much about the past, only that her father, Carney Bet, loved Magdalen, and so did Bruce. After Carney died, Magdalen dumped Seraphina on the Reynolds family and moved to Starhaven, quickly marrying the famous tycoon Samuel. When Seraphina moved to Starhaven to live with her for a while, they both felt ufortable, so Seraphina moved out During that time, Magdalen made local headlines with her countless affairs. After Samuel died of cancer two yearster, Magdalen inhented most of his fortune and became even more scandalous. Seraphina didn¡¯t know when her rtionship with Magdalen became so strained, perhaps because Magdalen never liked her, or perhaps because women repel each other, and Magdalen could never get along with any female Lost in thought, she arrived at her apartment before she knew it. The apartment was dusty from months of disuse, but Seraphina couldn¡¯t be bothered to clean. She flopped onto the bed and soon fell asleep. She slept soundly managing to reset her internal clock, until she was awakened by a knock on the door the next day. Groggy. Seraphina hina got up and opened the door to find a girl in her early twenties with dreadlocks and heavy metal makeup ¨C Samuel¡¯s niece, Farrah Wilson. Farrah rolled her eyes at the sight of her, ¡°So you¡¯re really back huh? Granny wants to see you,e with me Seraphina squinted, leaning against the door for a while. ¡°You¡¯ve switched up your style pretty quick, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Is it any of your business? Farrah shot her a disdainful look, ¡°Hurry up, change your clothes and fresh up. Granny is waiting!¡± The granny Farrah was referring to was Samuel¡¯s mother, Nadine Wilson, a big shot in the Wilson family Nadine Wilson was always stern. She disliked Magdalen and felt the same about Seraphina Hence, she was thest person Seraphina wanted to see. But to her surprise, she was summoned by Nadine as soon as she got back. After all, the Wilson family had funded her college education for four years When Nadine called, she naturally had to respect the request After a shower and a change of clothes, Seraphina put on her makeup and went out to meet Farrah Farrah, who was waiting in the car, frowned when she saw the rejuvenated Seraphina, ¡°What were you doing back in Sunburst City? You seem¡­ different.¡± Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Seraphina opened herpact mirror, casually checking her makeup and asking, ¡°Really? What¡¯s different?¡± Farrah looked her up and down, puzzled She still dressed the same, her face hadn¡¯t chan Seraphina opened herpact mirror, casually checking her makeup and asking, ¡°Really? What¡¯s different?¡± Farrah looked her up and down, puzzled She still dressed the same, her face hadn¡¯t changed, but something felt off. ¡°You done staring? Seraphina asked ¡°Nadine doesn¡¯t like to wait Don¡¯t pin it on me if she does Farrah gave her a re and drove off The trip to the Wilson family mansion would take about fifty minutes. Along the way, Seraphina casually asked around about the specifics of Magdalens predicament News spread fast in the journalist circle, and Seraphina soon got the scoop. The story was simple enough. Magdalen had a new boyfriend, but this time, the boyfriend had a powerful wife who, upon finding out about the affair, had Magdalen kidnapped Although the cause was simple, the people involved were not Seraphina wanted to dig deeper, but it didn¡¯t feel right, so she dropped it Upon arriving at the Wilson family mansion, Seraphina got out of the car and followed Farrah inside to meet Nadine Inside the quiet and cold living room, Nadine was sitting by the firece, reading a book with her reading sses on ¡°Granny. I brought Seraphina.¡± Farrah swaggered in and plopped down on the sofa. Seraphina followed behind her, appearing more well behaved She smiled and greeted, ¡°Granny.¡± Nadine then lifted her head leisurely, took off her sses, and looked at her Despite being close to seventy, Nadine looked great due to good maintenance. Even though her hair had turned white, her well¨Cgroomed hairstyle and makeup exuded elegance and sophistication However, this elegance and sophistication came with a sense of superiority, because the olddy¡¯s gaze was arrogant and indifferent. She didnt like Magdalen, so naturally, she wouldn¡¯t like Seraphina Seraphina understood this and didn¡¯t care. She sat down next to Farrah and said. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy with work that I haven¡¯t had time to visit you, Granny. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Nadine¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all Indeed, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for over two years before this meeting. Thest time they met was at Samuel¡¯s funeral. Even if Seraphina had been busy, if she had wanted to visit, she wouldn¡¯t have waited this long ¡°Are you still a reporter?¡± Nadine asked coldly Seraphina smiled brightly, ¡°Yes¡± ¡°So, you know about your mother¡¯s situation then?¡± Seraphina still smiled and nodded In fact, she had rushed back to Starhawen after hearing about Magdalen¡¯s troubles. However, she didn¡¯t exin the specifics to the people in Sunburst City, for fear of stirring up more trouble I visited her in the hospital as soon as I got off the nest night,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°She¡¯s fine, Granny, you don¡¯t have to worry¡± Upon hearing this, Nadine said, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about her¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina expected this reply, so she smiled and asked, ¡°Then why did you call me here, Granny?¡± ¡°I dont want to see her ever again. But I want her to know that even though Samuel is dead, she still represents the Wilson family,¡± Nadine said. ¡°Tell her to stop embarrassing herself and shaming the Wilson family!¡± Seraphina looked at Nadine sincerely and said, ¡°Why would you say that, Granny? She¡¯s always been like this. If you¡¯re talking about her embarrassing the Wilson family. she¡¯s already done it when Samuel was still alive. There¡¯s no need for you to care about the family image now¡± Before Nadine could respond, Farrah angrily said, ¡°Seraphina, what are you saying? How can you talk to Granny like that?¡± Nadine was used to the drama and wasn¡¯t imitated by Seraphina. She simply said, ¡°So it seems that you¡¯re quite protective of her?¡± ¡°Not really¡± Seraphinaughed. I¡¯m just stating the facts¡± Nadine looked at Farrah and said, ¡°Farrah, leave us. Farrah originally wanted to stay and watch the drama. But when Nadine asked her to leave, she reluctantly red at Seraphina and stormed out of the room. After Farrah left. Nadine took the remote control and turned on the TV in the living room. An explicit video started ying as soon as the TV was turned on. The faces and bodies of a man and a woman were clearly seen in the video. Seraphina¡¯s eyes immediately became serious Nadine put her sses back on and returned to her book ¡°The video is over two hours long, full of juicy scenes. Take your time.¡± Seraphina stood up and turned off the TV Nadine looked up at her, ¡°You can¡¯t stand to watch it? There¡¯s more exciting stuffter, and with more people too.¡± Seraphina leaned against the TV cab and asked, ¡°What are you trying to say, Granny? ¡°Just as you said, the Wilson family¡¯s reputation has already been ruined by your mother. If these videos were toe out, the Wilson family might be able to handle the shame, but your mother might not, Nadine said Seraphina chuckled lightly. ¡°You think she would care¡°¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whether she cares or not, Nadine said, looking at Seraphina. ¡°But I know you do¡± Seraphina stood still, waiting for her to continue ¡°All these years, you and your mother have been at odds on the surface, but I can see that you care about her, Nadine said ¡°Even though she¡¯s never cared about you, you still care about her¡± Seraphina paused for a moment before saying ¡°I thought you called me over for her sake, but it turns out it¡¯s for me. If you need me to do something just spit it out. If it¡¯s up my alley, I might just agree.¡± Nadine continued skimming through her book, speaking leisurely. ¡°Your mother was rescued so swiftly all thanks to the Adams family. I¡¯ve already prepared a gift for you to give them. It¡¯s a big deal, you gotta show up at their door to thank them personally¡± Seraphina nodded, chuckling. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Do you know the young master of the Adams family? Nadine asked, ¡°I heard he doesn¡¯t have many friends, but you¡¯re one he values quite a lot.¡± At this, Seraphina stayed quiet for a moment before bursting intoughter again. Sunburst City Just past two in the wee hours of the morning, Leandro awoke suddenly in his bed without any warning. ged, but something felt off. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°You done staring? Seraphina asked ¡°Nadine doesn¡¯t like to wait Don¡¯t pin it on me if she does Farrah gave her a re and drove off The trip to the Wilson family mansion would take about fifty minutes. Along the way, Seraphina casually asked around about the specifics of Magdalens predicament News spread fast in the journalist circle, and Seraphina soon got the scoop. The story was simple enough. Magdalen had a new boyfriend, but this time, the boyfriend had a powerful wife who, upon finding out about the affair, had Magdalen kidnapped Although the cause was simple, the people involved were not Seraphina wanted to dig deeper, but it didn¡¯t feel right, so she dropped it Upon arriving at the Wilson family mansion, Seraphina got out of the car and followed Farrah inside to meet Nadine Inside the quiet and cold living room, Nadine was sitting by the firece, reading a book with her reading sses on ¡°Granny. I brought Seraphina.¡± Farrah swaggered in and plopped down on the sofa. Seraphina followed behind her, appearing more well behaved She smiled and greeted, ¡°Granny.¡± Nadine then lifted her head leisurely, took off her sses, and looked at her Despite being close to seventy, Nadine looked great due to good maintenance. Even though her hair had turned white, her well¨Cgroomed hairstyle and makeup exuded elegance and sophistication However, this elegance and sophistication came with a sense of superiority, because the olddy¡¯s gaze was arrogant and indifferent. She didnt like Magdalen, so naturally, she wouldn¡¯t like Seraphina Seraphina understood this and didn¡¯t care. She sat down next to Farrah and said. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy with work that I haven¡¯t had time to visit you, Granny. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Nadine¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all Indeed, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for over two years before this meeting. Thest time they met was at Samuel¡¯s funeral. Even if Seraphina had been busy, if she had wanted to visit, she wouldn¡¯t have waited this long ¡°Are you still a reporter?¡± Nadine asked coldly Seraphina smiled brightly, ¡°Yes¡± ¡°So, you know about your mother¡¯s situation then?¡± Seraphina still smiled and nodded In fact, she had rushed back to Starhawen after hearing about Magdalen¡¯s troubles. However, she didn¡¯t exin the specifics to the people in Sunburst City, for fear of stirring up more trouble I visited her in the hospital as soon as I got off the nest night,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°She¡¯s fine, Granny, you don¡¯t have to worry¡± Upon hearing this, Nadine said, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about her¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina expected this reply, so she smiled and asked, ¡°Then why did you call me here, Granny?¡± ¡°I dont want to see her ever again. But I want her to know that even though Samuel is dead, she still represents the Wilson family,¡± Nadine said. ¡°Tell her to stop embarrassing herself and shaming the Wilson family!¡± Seraphina looked at Nadine sincerely and said, ¡°Why would you say that, Granny? She¡¯s always been like this. If you¡¯re talking about her embarrassing the Wilson family. she¡¯s already done it when Samuel was still alive. There¡¯s no need for you to care about the family image now¡± Before Nadine could respond, Farrah angrily said, ¡°Seraphina, what are you saying? How can you talk to Granny like that?¡± Nadine was used to the drama and wasn¡¯t imitated by Seraphina. She simply said, ¡°So it seems that you¡¯re quite protective of her?¡± ¡°Not really¡± Seraphinaughed. I¡¯m just stating the facts¡± Nadine looked at Farrah and said, ¡°Farrah, leave us. Farrah originally wanted to stay and watch the drama. But when Nadine asked her to leave, she reluctantly red at Seraphina and stormed out of the room. After Farrah left. Nadine took the remote control and turned on the TV in the living room. An explicit video started ying as soon as the TV was turned on. The faces and bodies of a man and a woman were clearly seen in the video. Seraphina¡¯s eyes immediately became serious Nadine put her sses back on and returned to her book ¡°The video is over two hours long, full of juicy scenes. Take your time.¡± Seraphina stood up and turned off the TV Nadine looked up at her, ¡°You can¡¯t stand to watch it? There¡¯s more exciting stuffter, and with more people too.¡± Seraphina leaned against the TV cab and asked, ¡°What are you trying to say, Granny? ¡°Just as you said, the Wilson family¡¯s reputation has already been ruined by your mother. If these videos were toe out, the Wilson family might be able to handle the shame, but your mother might not, Nadine said Seraphina chuckled lightly. ¡°You think she would care¡°¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whether she cares or not, Nadine said, looking at Seraphina. ¡°But I know you do¡± Seraphina stood still, waiting for her to continue ¡°All these years, you and your mother have been at odds on the surface, but I can see that you care about her, Nadine said ¡°Even though she¡¯s never cared about you, you still care about her¡± Seraphina paused for a moment before saying ¡°I thought you called me over for her sake, but it turns out it¡¯s for me. If you need me to do something just spit it out. If it¡¯s up my alley, I might just agree.¡± Nadine continued skimming through her book, speaking leisurely. ¡°Your mother was rescued so swiftly all thanks to the Adams family. I¡¯ve already prepared a gift for you to give them. It¡¯s a big deal, you gotta show up at their door to thank them personally¡± Seraphina nodded, chuckling. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Do you know the young master of the Adams family? Nadine asked, ¡°I heard he doesn¡¯t have many friends, but you¡¯re one he values quite a lot.¡± At this, Seraphina stayed quiet for a moment before bursting intoughter again. Sunburst City Just past two in the wee hours of the morning, Leandro awoke suddenly in his bed without any warning. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 In the early morning, he returned from Seashore Haven and quickly went back to his office after freshening up. After grinding all day, he realized he hasn¡¯t slept for two days straight Yet under such circumstances, he found himself wide awake half an hour after he dozed off. He didn¡¯t have any dreams, and nothing was physically wrong. He just woke up, out of the blue After a moment of silence, Leandro got up, got dressed and went downstairs Unexpectedly, the living room was still lit, with Karan watching TV on the sofa Hearing his footsteps, Karan turned to look at him, frowned and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just go to bed? Why are you up again?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t sleep, thought I¡¯d have a drink Leandro walked over to the liquor cab, got himself a drink, and then asked her, ¡°Why are you still up?¡± Karan exhaled ¡°Tm getting old, don¡¯t need as much sleep. I can¡¯t sleep either, so I¡¯m watching TV Leandro settled down on the couch with his drink, taking sips while watching the lively family drama on TV Karan looked at him and asked, ¡°Does the drink help?¡± ¡°A bit,¡± Leandro replied. After a while, Karan said again, ¡°You¡¯re putting too much pressure on yourself. You don¡¯t have to handle everything personally. Don¡¯t your employees do anything?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer, just swirled his drink ¡°Didn¡¯t thepany run just fine when you were away at Seashore Haven for a few days? You don¡¯t have to take everything on yourself. The Reynolds Group of today isn¡¯t the Reynolds Group before. Although I don¡¯t know the specifics of thepany, its foundations are solid. It¡¯s not going to crumble easily. Why are you working yourself to the bone?¡± Karan paused, then said, ¡°You need to move on from the past¡± Leandro finished his drink and put down the ss ¡°Take some time to rx, live a normal life. Spend more time with Valerio, or¡­ try dating¡± Karan suggested. She hesitated a bit at the end. Leandro looked at her, ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± ¡°I know if you were to date, you¡¯d choose someone I wouldn¡¯t like,¡± Karan said, ¡°But if you really like her, who can stop you?¡± After a moment, Leandro softly said, ¡°That¡¯s not happening¡± ¡®Don¡¯t bullshit me! Karan looked at him, ¡°I watched you grow up. You¡¯ve be more reserved these years, so I might not understand you as well as before, but I can still tell some things In all these years, which woman has had the freedom toe and go from your house like she does?¡± Leandro didnt speak, just listened quietly. Karan turned back to the TV, slowly saying, ¡°Actually, I sometimes think it¡¯s nice when she¡¯s here. At least since she returned¡­ you¡¯ve been more like a normal person.¡± After she finished, they both fell silent. Leandro sat on the sofa, finishing an episode of the drama with her, before he got up and returned to his bedroom. Hey back down on his bed The room was as quiet as usual. But there was no one to sneak out from under his covers anymore, no warm presence or sweet scent to apany him to sleep. Before Seraphina visited the Adams family Nadine not only prepared a gift for her but also arranged for her own driver to take her there. At the Adams family home, Seraphina only met Melisa Adams. When Melisa saw her, she frowned, ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡®Melisa, it¡¯s me, Seraphina My mom is Magdalen, Seraphina greeted with a smile N?velDrama.Org content. Melisa seemed taken aback, then realization dawned, and sheughed, ¡°Ah, you¡¯re Seraphina! You don¡¯t look quite like the pictures I¡¯ve seen-¡± ¡°What pictures?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Never mind. Come sit down,¡± Melisa ushered her in while ordering the servants, ¡°Go call Cooper Adams! Seraphina knew why Melisa was so friendly, but she just smiled. Once they were inside, Seraphina said. ¡°I know my mom¡¯s situation has been difficult to you, so I came to express my gratitude¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Melisa said, We¡¯re from the same hometown. We should help each other It¡¯s no big deal to me.¡± ¡°It might be a small thing for you, but it¡¯s a huge favor to my mom,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°So I really appreciate it.¡± Melisa looked at hef smiling satisfactorily, ¡°You¡¯re a well mannered child.¡± At that moment, there was a sound from the entrance Seraphina turned to see Cooper in his wheelchair It had been years, but Cooper looked the same. His features were calm and he was thin. Even in a wheelchair, one could tell he used to be tall. Seeing Seraphina, he was taken aback, ¡°Sera?¡± ¡°Cooper, it¡¯s been so long¡± Cooper was her senior in college back in Starhaven. They often met at gatherings for people from their hometown. Not long after graduation, Cooper was in a car ident and couldn¡¯t walk anymore. He started living a reclusive life and they lost contact ¡°Why are you here?¡± Cooper looked surprised. He nced at Melisa Melisaughed, ¡°Don¡¯t you two know each other? Since you¡¯re friends, what¡¯s the harm in inviting her over? Cooper, have a chat with Seraphina. Till go make some afternoon tea Meksa got up to leave, leaving Seraphina and Cooper alone But when she left, their conversation halted until Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°why are you not saying anything? Not happy to see me?¡± Not that Cooper looked up at Seraphina, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for three years. You¡¯ve changed.¡± Seraphina smiled, ¡°That¡¯s because you nevere out. If you saw me more, you wouldn¡¯t think I¡¯ve changed¡± Cooper Just gave a quiet chuckle, then asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Something about my mom. You know about it, don¡¯t you?¡® Seraphina asked Upon hearing this, Cooper just casually nodded, ¡°Yeah¡± Suddenly, Seraphina leaned in closer. ¡°Do you know what happened when she was rescued? What exactly did those people do to her?¡± Cooper quickly caught on to her question, replying. As far as I know, she just got roughed up for a bit, nothing more than that. You don¡¯t have to worry¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina nodded, feeling slightly more at ease. ¡°Why are you asking my family about such a thing?¡± Cooper said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be asking your mom?¡± Seraphina broke into augh, saying. There are things you just can¡¯t blurt out to the person involved. Like¡­ I had no idea you had a thing for me.¡± Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Hearing that, Cooper was stunned for a moment. Then, surprisingly, he looked shy Seeing him like this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°To be precise, you have a thing for me from three years ago, right?¡± For a moment, Cooper didn¡¯t know what to say He awkwardly stayed silent for a while before finally speaking ¡°I I need to leave for a moment Seraphina nodded with a smile, ¡°Sure¡± Cooper turned around and left, wheeling himself into the kitchen. Melisa was in the kitchen, directing the servants to make some snacks Hearing the noise, she turned her head and saw Cooper at the kitchen door ¡°What brings you here? Melisa asked immediately. ¡®Seraphina is our guest. How could you leave her alone?¡± Cooper just stared at her, ¡°Mom, what did you do?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m just making snacks Melisa looked innocent. Cooper didn¡¯t say anything, he just quietly waited for her to spill the beans After an awkward silence, Melisa finally squatted down in front of Cooper¡¯s wheelchair and said. ¡°These years, you¡¯ve been holed up at home, not meeting friends. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, so I just let you be. But honestly I just wish you could live like a normal person. If you like that girl, her background doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll help you¡± Cooper stayed silent for a while, then slowly asked, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I found her picture in one of your books when I was cleaning your room¡± Melisa looked at him usingly, ¡°You¡¯ve fondled the picture so much that it¡¯s faded I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve been keeping this to yourself for so long¡± ¡°Mom ¡°Cooper lowered his head, ¡°You should have talked to me first¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Melisa asked. ¡°Are you telling me you no longer like her?¡± Cooper slowly said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her for three years. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s like now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done my homework. She¡¯s a journalist now, and still single. Though her mother¡¯s reputation isn¡¯t the best, she does have a legit job, so I think she¡¯s eptable Melisa said, ¡°Since you like her, what¡¯s the difference between three years ago and now? You can try dating her first, and if you still like her, then continue. If you don¡¯t think she¡¯s up to your taste anymore, then don¡¯t force it.¡± ¡°Mom¡­ Cooper called her out helplessly again, then said, ¡°She¡¯s a good girl. I don¡¯t want to drag her down.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Melisa immediately stood up, ¡°What are you talking about? What makes you think you¡¯re not good enough for her? Marrying into the Adams family would be her honor. How could you think like that?¡± Cooper lifted the thin nket covering his legs, ¡°How do you think I should think?¡± The atmosphere between mother and son became tense. The servants standing by didn¡¯t know how to react. At this moment, Seraphina showed up at the kitchen door, lightly knocking ¡°Cooper, could you give me a tour of your house?¡± Melisa instantly put on a smile upon hearing this. She gave Cooper a nudge, ¡°Go on How could you keep a guest waiting?¡± Cooper sighed lightly, then turned to Seraphina at the door, ¡®Sure.¡± The two of them left the main building of the Adams¡® house and headed into the garden at the back. There was a swing in the shady part of the garden, Seraphina immediately chose this spot. She sat on the swing with Cooper watching her. ¡°How have you been these years?¡± Seraphina began a serious conversation with him, ¡°Have you been living like this all along?¡± Cooper chuckled lightly. ¡°What else could I do? Stay at home, read some books, write a little now and then. Time flies. What about you? Have you been doing well these years?¡± ¡°Same old¡± Seraphina answered, ¡®You said I¡¯m different, but to me, I haven¡¯t changed much¡± Cooper paused for a moment before saying, ¡°What I meant was you¡¯ve be more beautiful.¡± Hearing this. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°So, you won¡¯t regret ever having a crush on me.¡± Hearing this, Cooper also smiled, then said. ¡°Sera, I don¡¯t know if anyone has ever said anything harsh to you. If they have, I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart. We along like we used to.¡± ¡°Nope¡± Seraphina rebutted. ¡°I took the initiative to visit your house, but you¡¯re keeping me at arm¡¯s length. What should I do?¡± Cooper was taken aback. But Seraphina¡¯s smile grew brighter can just get That night, Nading received a call from Melisa Over the phone, Melisa praised Seraphina, ¡°Nadine, Seraphina is really sensible and polite. I quite like her.¡± ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind that she¡¯s uncultured¡± Nadine said, ¡°She¡¯s a coarse girl. After all, she wasn¡¯t brought up by the Wilsons What does Cooper think?¡± ¡°I found her based on his preferences, Melisa said, ¡°So he definitely likes her. As long as he likes her, I have no other requirements.¡± Nadine said, ¡°Yeah Parents always want the best for their children¡± ¡°Right. Let¡¯s see how they¡¯ll develop¡± Melisa said, ¡°Til invite you for coffee when you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°Sure¡± Nadine said, ¡®I¡¯m an olddy I¡¯ve got plenty of free time¡± After hanging up the phone, Nadine looked up and saw Seraphina sitting on the couch opposite her Seraphina looked at her with a smile, ¡°Are you satisfied with my performance?¡± Nadine looked cold, ¡°You and your mother are both good at pretending¡± ¡°Regardless, I did as you asked¡® Seraphina said, ¡°I want the video you yed today¡± Nadine looked at her coldly. ¡°You should know that¡¯s just a copy. Taking it back won¡¯t do you any good. Moreover, you¡¯ve onlypleted the first step of what I asked you to do.¡± ¡°Copying is fine No matter how many copies you have, I¡¯ll eventually reim them all,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Otherwise, why would I bother helping you?¡± Nadine snorted a coldugh and said. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s just a copy anyway I¡¯ll give it to you¡± As she handed over the copy to Seraphina, Nadine added, ¡°Why are you going through all this trouble for her? What are you hoping to get?¡± ¡°That¡¯s between me and her, none of your business, Seraphina answered with a slight smile, ¡°You should be more concerned about what will happen if I actually marry Cooper and use the Adams family to go against the Wilson family ¡°Your n to cling to the Adams family will be blown to smithereens, wouldn¡¯t it? Nadine furrowed her brow, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± ¡°What¡¯s stopping me?¡± Seraphina lifted the copy high in her hand slowly saying. ¡°So, if you¡¯re nning to use me, you¡¯d better not piss me off. Otherwise, who knows what¡¯s gonna happen?¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 A few dayster, in Sunburst City That day, the Reynolds family was back at it again, bickering after enjoying a few days of peace. When Leandro got homete at night, the servants were still cleaning up the mess in the living room Karan was justing downstairs. She sighed seeing him. ¡°What happened this time?¡± Leandro asked All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Karan replied, ¡°Your father went to Starhaven a couple of days ago Your mother found out today that he went to see Magdalen, so Upon hearing the name ¡°Magdalen, Leandro slightly furrowed his brows, then asked, ¡°Where are they now?¡± ¡°After the fight, your father left. Your mother is upstairs crying Karan said. Tm going to get her a ss of water You should go check on her¡± Leandro turned and headed upstairs. As soon as he reached the second floor, he could hear Gloria¡¯s crying mixed with curses Over the years, whenever there was a situation like this, it was always because of the women around Bruce. For Gloria, these women were all taboos, and Magdalen was the most annoying one. Every time her name was mentioned, it caused Glona immense pain. Their marriage had be more than just a sham There wasn¡¯t even basic respect between them. Bruce¡¯s nature was hard to change, and Gloria couldn¡¯t change him but also refused to let go, leading to the situation today Leandro arrived at Gloria¡¯s bedroom door Gloria¡¯s voice suddenly became clear. Her sharp voice mixed with offensive curses sounded like a deranged madwoman. Leandro was not indifferent to her pain. However, the more he sympathized with her, the more his heart grew numb. After all, she didn¡¯t have to endure this pain, but she refused to make a change. It was not only them torturing each other, but also Gloria torturing herself. When Karan came up with a ss of water, she saw Leandro still standing at the door ¡°Why don¡¯t you go in?¡± She whispered, approaching him. Leandro suddenly turned around. ¡°You can stay with her. I¡¯m going back to Valerio.¡± After saying this, he headed towards the stairs ¡°Leandro! Leandro Karan called out in a low voice. Seeing that he didn¡¯t turn back, she felt a bit irritated. She turned her head towards the room. Gloria was still cursing Karan hesitated for a moment, sighed, and then pushed the door open. Leandro sat in the ck Bentley, leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed The driver was concentrating on driving to Urban Oasis when Leandro asked. ¡°Where is my grandfather staying recently?¡± The driver was taken aback and looked at Leandro in the rear¨Cview mirror. Leandro¡¯s eyes were still closed, and his question seemed more like talking to himself. However, the driver quickly replied. ¡°After Ms Bet left, Conway thought the Reynolds Manor was too lonely, so he moved to the nursing home¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go see him¡± Leandro said. The driver nced at the time on the dashboard. It was already half past eleven, but since Leandro had said so, he naturally didn¡¯t object. He quickly turned the car around. When they arrived at the nursing home, only a few rooms were still lit. One of them was Conway¡¯s When Leandro entered the room, Conway was sitting under the light fussing with his antique radio. Seeing him, Conway immediately put on a stern face. ¡°you still remember you have a grandfather?¡± Leandro didnt answer, instead, he took the radio from his hand, ¡°Can¡¯t receive the signal again?¡± Conway settled into his rocking chair, ¡°It¡¯s broken.¡± Leandro quickly tested the radio, then took off his coat and found a set of tools to start repairing the radio. ¡°It must have been identally broken by Seraphina.¡± Conway said, ¡°But, I still prefer her being here. At least someone was with me then, and you would visit me more often. Since she left, you haven¡¯t seen me for half a month. That¡¯s the sorrow of being old¡­ Leandro didn¡¯t respond to him, just focused on repairing his antique radio About ten minutester, the radio finally made a sound. Conway immediately cheered up, holding the radio like a treasure. Leandro quietly wiped his hands, then heard Conway ask, ¡°When was thest time you had a good rest?¡± Leandro continued his movements, ¡®Is it that obvious?¡± Conway sand, ¡°Although I¡¯m old, my eyes are still good. Your eyes are red You rarely look like this.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well Leandro replied Upon hearing this, Conway frowned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep well? Anything going on with the company?¡± ¡°Nothing¡± Leandro replied, ¡°Everything is normal¡± After hearing thus, Conway slowly said, ¡°Seven years ago, I handed thepany over to you. I¡¯ve seen all the effort you¡¯ve put into thepany over the years. The facts have proven that my decision was right You¡¯ve been busy these years, you should take a break, take Valerio out. For example you could take her to Starhaven for a break She hasn¡¯t been to faraway ces. She would definitely love it there.¡± After Conway finished speaking, he picked up the radio and went back to his bedroom Leandro sat quietly for a while, then got up and left Since meeting Seraphina again, Cooper¡¯s life, which had been stagnant for three years, underwent a huge change Although he still felt repulsed by the idea of going out, Seraphina seemed to havepletely forgotten that he was disabled Every time they went out, she always took him. to crowded ces- lectures, operas, museums, different restaurants for meals. After a while, Cooper realized that Seraphina was helping him reintegrate into normal life. Although he didn¡¯t have the intention, he always found it hard to refuse her. One day, they were having dinner at a restaurant downtown and ran into Magdalen in the elevator, quite unexpectedly. Seraphina and Cooper stepped into the elevator Just as they hit the button for the floor the restaurant was on, Magdalen and her boyfriend walked in Seraphina greeted her with a grin, ¡°Ms Magdalen, it¡¯s nice seeing you here¡± She nced at the man beside her. Not the one from the hospitalst time Seraphina wasn¡¯t surprised Magdalen nced at her, then at the floor number she had pressed. Then, arm in arm with the man, she walked out of the elevator ¡°Let¡¯s change to another restaurant¡± Cooper was taken aback, ¡°Sera, was that. ¡°My mom¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Ms. Magdalen¡°, ¡°And you two.. ¡°That¡¯s just how it is between us¡± Seraphina said, ¡®Don¡¯t be surprised.¡± Cooper pondered for a moment, then said, ¡®You don¡¯t seem to be as cold to her as she is to you.¡± Leaning against the elevator wall, Seraphina smiled softly, ¡°Before my dad passed away, he told me to keep herpany I¡¯ve always respected his wishes, but she doesn¡¯t need me.¡± Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Seraphina seemed chill, speaking with an air of nonchnce, leaving Cooper speechless They entered a restaurant Halfway through the meal, Cooper, who seemed to be deep in thought, asked, ¡°Have you ever tried to have a serious talk with your mom?¡± Seraphina, cutting her steak with an indifferent shrug, replied, ¡°No chance We¡¯re used to this way of being around each other, so I don¡¯t mind¡± Cooper stared at her in silence before slowly saying. ¡°You¡¯re lying ¡°Oh?¡± Seraphina looked up at him ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything wrong, yet you¡¯re treated like this¡± Cooper put down his cutlery and added after a pause. ¡°How can you not feel upset?¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes, a spark in them, but still managed to keep a smile ¡°Maybe my existence is a mistake in itself.¡± She finished, gave him a smile, and went back to her meal. Cooper felt a pang in his heart After a while, he quietly said, ¡°That is even less your fault¡± Seraphina looked up at him, raised her ss and clinked it lightly against his, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t often share these things. Thanks for understanding¡± ¡°I don¡¯t often hang out with people either,¡± Cooper raised his ss, ¡°Thank you for thepany¡± They looked at each other andughed At night, they went to an out¨Cof the¨Cway cinema to watch a movie Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. It was a foreign indie film, spoken in their nativenguage. This was the only cinema in town showing it, but maybe for that reason, the turnout was good. About 30% of the audience were from their country Cooper chose the film It was directed by a director who had been quiet for quite some time in their country Cooper was a fan of his first film and chose this one mainly to introduce Seraphina to this director However, he was disappointed after the two hour screening Creativity needed soul, but in this film, the director seemed to have lost his initial spark. And what¡¯s even worse was, he had added many clich¨¦d tearjerker scenes While Cooper couldn¡¯t appreciate such a film, many girls in the theater left with red eyes, still clutching their tissues. But when Cooper looked at Seraphina, her face was expressionless When the saw the other girls crying she even winked at him and giggled ¡°What did you think? Cooper asked her. ¡®Meh. It¡¯s a bit over the top with the sentimentality, but overall it¡¯s okay¡± Seraphina shrugged and said, Cooper chuckled, ¡°But it didn¡¯t move you¡± Seraphina suddenly pulled her eyelids wide open at him, ¡°I can¡¯t cry because I don¡¯t have tear ducts.¡± Cooper fell silent for a moment and moved a little closer as if to verify her im Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh and gently pushed him away When they left the cinema, it was alreadyte. Despite his disability, Cooper insisted that the driver take Seraphina home first, They arrived under Seraphina¡¯s apartment building As Seraphina was about to go upstairs, Cooper suddenly called her back. Seraphina turned around and walked back to the car asking him, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really d to have met you again,¡± Cooper said. Seraphina smiled and said, ¡®Me too.¡± After a moment of silence. Cooper spoke again, I hope that one day we can be best friends¡± Seraphina looked at him for a moment and then smiled and said, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s work on that!¡± Cooper was still watching her with a tender and serious look in his eyes ¡°It¡¯ste. You should go home and rest,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°We¡¯ll hang out some other time Cooper nodded. He turned and told the driver to drive off Seraphina stood at the bottom of the apartment building. She watched the car disappear into the distance before turning to go upstairs. The light on her floor had been broken for two days. Today, it was still not fixed Seraphina reached out in the dark, about to open the door, when she suddenly felt an unusual atmosphere. Her hair stood on end In the darkness, someone seented to be hiding not far from her. Seraphina paused for a moment, concentrated, and then suddenly kicked towards the darkest part of thedor However, the next moment, her foot was easily caught by the person Before she could react, she was pushed against the wall. Seraphina was about to fight back when she suddenly smelled a familiar scent. Then she heard a deep, cold voice, ¡°Trying to use the moves I taught you against me, huh?¡± Seraphina leaned against the cold wall, her leg held high by him, but she justughed and said, ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± She reached out and gently touched the face of the man in front of her In the darkness, the sensation of her palm was panicrly clear Seraphina slowly touched his chin, lips, nose, and eyes. The familiar features and contours formed a face she knew all too well. Seraphina sighed, slowly saying. ¡°If I knew it was you, I would have brought a gun- She said this with a bit of fierceness, but the next second, sheughed again. Shaking off his hold, she turned and unlocked the door The lights in the room turned on as soon as the door opened. Only then did Seraphina get a clear look at Leandro outside After almost a month, Leandro finally appeared in front of her He was still impably dressed in a ck suit and shirt, his eyes deep, his aura powerful Seraphina leaned against the door and looked at him. Suddenly she reached out her hand, making a gun gesture. Leandro stepped forward, grabbing hold of her hand Seraphina tried to yank her hand back, but Leandro had a tight grip on it, not budging an inch After a bit of a tug¨Cof¨Cwar, Seraphina finally gave up She looked up at Leandro and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to tell me?¡± Leandro shot back. ¡°About what? Seraphina blinked, calmly meeting his gaze. Then, as if a light bulb went off, she eximed, ¡°Oh, you mean the stuff I was supposed to tell you a month ago? Let me think.¡± And with that, she really did start to think. Recalling the memory, she said, ¡°That day, I waited for you in my room till dawn, but you never showed up. I eventually fell asleep. When I woke up again, I had forgotten what I wanted to tell you Whatever it was, it doesn¡¯t really matter now right?¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 She was clearly still acting Leandro noticed, but didn¡¯t seem keen on calling her out N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Don¡¯t remember, huh? I¡¯ll give you time to think about it. He let go of her hand after saying this, and walked straight into her apartment Seraphina was left by him at the door, watching him work easily into her home. After a moment of silence, she shrugged, epting this result The moment Leandro stepped into her apartment, his eyes started to wander around the room- not because he didn¡¯t know where to look, but because the room was such a mess it was unbearable! Clothes piled up on the sofa, newspapers and magazines scattered all over the coffee table and floor, a bunch of knick knacks cluttering the dining table, and even her bra was hanging off a chair nearby When Seraphina closed the door and walked in, she saw Leandro standing in the living room Following his gaze, she immediately understood his dilemma. She walked up behind him, and with a light chuckle said, ¡°Sorry I¡¯m pretty messy when I live alone If Mr. Reynolds can¡¯t find a ce to sit, feel free to leave¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond. He walked over to the dining table, picked up the bra hanging on the chair and handed it to her before pulling out a chair to sit Seraphina took her bra and casually threw it onto the sofa Turning back, she saw Leandro sitting there, quietly watching her, as if still waiting for her to answer Seraphina went to the kitchen and got herself a ss of water. After taking a few sips, she handed the ss to Leandro.. Leandro nced at the lipstick mark on the rim and didn¡¯t take it. Seraphina put the ss on the dining table, pulled out the chair across and sat down, leaning on the table and looking at Leandro, ¡°So, Mr. Reynolds, you crossed the ocean to Starhaven just to hear what I wanted to say to you that day? Is it worth wasting your precious time just to hear a few words from me?¡± ¡°I know my goal clearly¡± Leandro responded. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, a hint of sadness in her eyes. She stood up and looked at him, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m always left till thest, right? Hmph. I¡¯m just a partner in bed, and of course, I¡¯m not worth Mr. Reynolds attention.¡± She walked towards the bedroom after saying this. As she passed Leandro, he reached out and grabbed her. And then, Seraphina was drawn into his arms. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, what are you doing?¡± Seraphina sat on hisp, looking at him face to face. Her smile was gone, reced by sadness and grievance. Leandro quietly looked at her, then caressed her face. I told you, if you overact, it¡¯s not interesting.¡± Seraphina gave a small smile and whispered, ¡°No matter how much I act, as long as you don¡¯t y along, there¡¯s no problem, right?¡± ¡°I only live in the real world¡± he said After saying this, Leandro gripped her chin, leaned forward, and kissed her. This kiss was almost devouring her. Seraphina didn¡¯t have a chance to react, she could only go along with him. Leandro¡¯s kisses began to move downwards. Seraphina finally got a chance to breathe. She held Leandro¡¯s head, enjoying the hot kiss while panting. ¡°You clearly don¡¯t like me, but you followed me to Starhaven, is this your so¨Ccalled real world?¡± Leandro slowly lifted his head and looked at her In an instant, the mncholy in Seraphina¡¯s eyes turned into a smug and sly look. She looked at Leandro and softly said, ¡°Did you sleep well after I left? Do you think of me no matter which bed you sleep in?¡± Hearing this, Leandro¡¯s eyes darkened She was doing this on purpose Sunburst City, four intimate encounters, four different ces, four different beds Reynolds Manor, Reynolds Vista Retreat, the office, the vi Her mark was on every one of his beds During those lonely nights, whenever he had the slightest desire, he always thought of her. She was like a real siren, adept at seducing people. Leandro suddenly picked her up and walked towards the bedroom, throwing her onto the bed. His towering figure pressed down on her, but Seraphina justughed at his suit, ¡®Did Mr. Reynolds bring luggage? If not, this suit won¡¯t be wearable tomorrow morning-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Leandro kissed her again. The next morning Seraphina was awakened by the doorbell She turned over irritably to find Leandro was no longer in bed. Soon, she heard the door opening and hushed voices outside the bedroom. Afterzing around in bed for a while, she finally got up, put on a robe and walked barefoot out of the bedroom In the living room, Leandro was standing with his back to her, already dressed in a crisply pressed suit Seraphina silently padded up behind him and ran her hand over the fine fabric of his suit. ¡®Do you have people waiting on you here too?¡± Just as she finished speaking, she saw the open door and Keen standing outside Seeing her in a robe, Keen probably felt awkward He quickly looked away and greeted her, ¡°Good morning, Ms. Bet ¡°Hey!¡± Seraphina walked straight to the door, leaning against the frame, showing off her smooth legs. ¡°You¡¯re here too? Any business?¡± Leandro looked up at them, then turned and went back to the bedroom to get his watch ¡°Yes¡± Keen answered, ¡°I¡¯m apanying Mr. Reynolds on a business imp to Starhaven¡± Seraphina giggled, ¡®Does the Reynolds Group have business here?¡± There¡¯s no business here, but there is in Moonhaven, Keen replied mechanically, not even bothering to look at Seraphina 10-56 P Seraphina paused slightly. Moonhaven was just over a hundred kilometers from here, so a round trip was indeed convenient *Is there really business?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡®Is it that important?¡± Keen gave a slight smile, it is This is about the reorganization of the Moonhaven branch, so Mr. Reynolds will be sticking around for a while Seraphina suddenly let out a stiff and strangeughter Then, she turned and walked towards the bedroom, running into Leandro, who was justing out with his watch on Seraphina blocked his way, looking up at him, ¡°When you showed up, I thought I had won. But I¡¯m still thest one you consider¡± ¡°Tve told you before, your tricks don¡¯t work on me, Leandro nced at her and replied. Seraphina looked up at him, slowly saying, ¡°If tricks don¡¯t work, does sincerity do? You¡­ you will never care about me As soon as she finished speaking, her eyes became slightly red. She pushed him out of the bedroom and mmed the door shut. Leandro stood at the door, turned to look at the closed door, unable to move for a while. Keen waited at the door for a long time, finally couldn¡¯t help but pop his head in, ¡°Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro finally took his gaze away his face gloomy. He turned and left the room. Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Seraphina was lying on the bed with her legs crossed. Hearing the sound of him leaving, she couldn¡¯t help but snicker Her tricks worked, right? Chapter 119 Chapter 119 In the early morning, Melisa walked into Cooper¡¯s room, only to find him already up, reading by the window Upon hearing the noise, Cooper turned his head and said, ¡°Mom¡± Seeing him in casual clothes, Melisa asked, ¡®Not nning on going out today?¡± ¡°Yup Cooper answered Melisa sat down beside him, smiling, ¡°I noticed you came hometest night. What were you guys up to? Why aren¡¯t you continuing your day out with her today?¡± ¡°Mom, even best friends don¡¯t hang out every day¡± Cooper replied, ¡®Besides, we¡¯re just friends¡± With a slight sigh, Melisa said. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be just friends with her, you need to put in more effort. Keep going out with her I see you¡¯ve been having a lot of fun recently¡± Feeling helpless. Cooper put down his book, ¡®Mom, I¡¯m not thinking that far. Seraphina and I are just friends.¡± Upon hearing this, Melisa just hummed, rising to leave Cooper hesitated for a moment, then suddenly called out to her, ¡®Mom, do you know Seraphina¡¯s mom?¡± Upon hearing this, Melisa stopped in her tracks, sat back down, and frowned, ¡°Why bring this up all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I ran into her when Seraphina and I were out to dinner yesterday. I feel like they don¡¯t have the best mother¨Cdaughter rtionship, Cooper exined. After listening Melisa said with a tone of disdain, ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I let Seraphina hang out with you. Her mom¡­ I¡¯ve only met her a few times at public events. To put it bluntly, she¡¯s not a well¨Cbehaved woman.¡± Cooper stayed silent for a moment after hearing this ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In my eyes, Seraphina is a good girl if you really like her, just go for it, Melisa said, ¡°After all, she and her mom are two different people¡± Feeling helpless, Cooper sighed, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve told you, I don¡¯t have such intentions¡­ With a look of regret in her eyes, Melisa looked at him. Cooper, however, avoided her gaze and buried his head back into his book. Melisa sighed inwardly and left the room Cooper quietly stared at the book in his hand lost in thought. Three dayster, Cooper saw Seraphina again Dressed in a blue evening gown, with immacte makeup and a bright smile, she appeared in his living room. Cooper was taken aback when he saw her, but Seraphina frowned at him, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you changed yet?¡± Before Cooper could respond, Melisa walked in from outside, smiling at Seraphina, ¡°Sera, you¡¯re here! Oh dear, Cooper, why aren¡¯t you hurrying up? Come, I¡¯ll help you get ready.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. As she spoke, she pushed Cooper into the bedroom ¡°Mom. ¡°Cooper could immediately tell this was another one of her setups. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you up to?¡± While picking out a suit for him, Melisa said, ¡°Tonight is the Adams family¡¯s anniversary party. Both your father and I hope you could attend¡± Unable to hide his displeasure, Cooper frowned. ¡°You know I don¡¯t like these types: of events. ¡°But Seraphina is already here. You saw how dressed up she is, all for apanying you to the party,¡± Melisa said, ¡°Are you going to let her efforts go to waste? Cooper remained silent, looking at the suit Melisa picked out Seeing this, Melisa said ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll go tell Seraphina to leave then.¡± ¡°Mom Cooper helplessly called out. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go. Is that okay?¡± Only then did Melisa smile satisfactorily Ever since Cooper became disabled, he barely made any public appearances. His daily life consisted of staying at home, quietly reading and studying. However, for his parents, he was once the most cherished, most outstanding son. How could they let his life go to waste just because of his disability? Seraphina¡¯s arrival brought some change to Cooper¡¯s monotonous life He was even willing to go out with her and attend some semi public events. This was undoubtedly good news for his parents Hence, on thepany¡¯s anniversary, Melisa decided to use Seraphina to coax Cooper into attending As expected, her strategy worked Melisa was overjoyed. Even the way she looked at Seraphina was filled with affection On the way to the venue, Cooper thought for a while and finally apologized to Seraphina ¡°Why would you think I¡¯m forced? Seraphinaughed, ¡°On the contrary, I wish I could attend more of these events. The more people I meet, the better it is for my work¡± Hearing this. Cooper finally rxed and gave a small smile, ¡°That¡¯s good¡± Upon arriving at the venue, a staff member immediately led them in They deliberately avoided reporters and took another elevator Just as the elevator doors were about to close, another staff member rushed over, ¡°Please wait¡± The staff member held the door open, then turned to look outside the elevator, smiling, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, please¡± Then, Leandro, Keen, and two other men in suits appeared in Seraphina¡¯s line of sight The moment their eyes met. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh What a coincidence Leandro nced at her, then at Cooper, who was sitting in a wheelchair Cooper didn¡¯t recognize him, but since he was a guest of the Adams Group, as the host, Cooper should be polite. So, he said to Leandro. ¡°Hello¡± Leandro nodded and looked away. The elevator was spacious Even with so many people in it it didn¡¯t feel crowded. However, the atmosphere fell fense Keen didn¡¯t expect to bump into Seraphina here of all ces ¡°What a pain in the neck,¡± he thought to himself. It wasn¡¯t until the elevator doors closed that Cooper turned to look at Seraphina, who had just burst into laughter. Just as he was about to ank why she wasughing. someone else spoke first ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Leandro asked Cooper blinked in surprise, looking up at Leandro, only to realize that Leandro¡¯s question was aimed at Seraphina. Seraphina met his gaze without flinching ¡°And what are you doing here? Are you stalking me? Are you so infatuated with me?¡± Leandro shot her a sidelong nce Seraphina ced her hand on Cooper¡¯s wheelchair and said, ¡°I¡¯m Mr Adams¡® date tonight. I don¡¯t have time for you, Mr. Peynolds¡± As she stood there all decked out, Leandro¡¯s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he looked away. Just then, the elevator arrived at the banquet hall on the 29th floor Reception staff were already waiting at the elevator doors. Upon seeing the people inside, one of the staff immediately smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, pleasee in.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t give Seraphina and Cooper another nce. He walked straight out of the elevator. As they walked, Keen whispered in Leandro¡¯s ear, ¡°That guy there, that¡¯s Cooper Adams from the Adams family. He got into a car ident three years ago and ended up disabled. It¡¯s been years since he showed up in public¡± H Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Leandro walked straight into the venue while listening to Keen¡¯s exnation about Copper¡¯s identity Then Seraphina gently wheeled Cooper out of the elevator Watching Leandro¡¯s back Cooper finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sera, who¡¯s that guy?¡± ¡°Leandro Reynolds, Seraphina replied, ¡°the head honcho of the Reynolds family in Sunburst City¡± ¡°And how do you two know each other?¡± Seraphina gave a small smile. ¡°That¡¯s a long story¡± Hearing this. Cooper wanted to ask more, but the crowd amund them was getting more, so he had to hold his tongue. Since Cooper hadn¡¯t shown his face in a long while, almost no one recognized him outside the venue. Only after a staff member confirmed his identity did they usher them into the venue Inside, the venue was brightly lit and already packed with quests. Seraphina noticed that from the moment they entered the venue, Cooper had be a bit tense He hadn¡¯t attended such an event in many years, and especially not in this condition. His emotions were inevitably fluctuating Seraphina bent slightly towards him and said with a smile, ¡°I came here hoping to meet some big shots. You¡¯ve got to introduce me around, okay?¡± Cooper gave a smallugh and said, ¡°Sure¡± Today was a big day for the Adams Group Many of the guests were ok friends of the Adams family. Even though Cooper hadn¡¯t seen them in a long time, he still remembered them. Seraphina pushed him around the venue for a bit, attracting quite a few looks. Without Cooper initiating, many people came up to greet him. At first, Cooper was a bit ufortable, but he¡¯d grown up in this environment, so he quickly adapted. Seeing him so at ease, Seraphina felt reassured. From a distance, Melisa saw this and excitedly walked over to her husband Nathan Adams. Ignoring that Nathan was talking to a guest, she tugged at his sleeve, eximing. ¡°Nathan, look, that¡¯s Seraphina Look how happy Cooper seems with her around!¡± Nathan nced in the direction she pointed, then quickly averted his eyes. He muttered ¡°Melisa I¡¯m talking to a guest. It¡¯s rude to disturb us like this¡± Melisa just then realized her rudeness. She looked at the person in front of Nathan andughed awkwardly ¡°This is Mr. Leandro of the Reynolds Group in Sunburst City Nathan introduced, ¡°This is my wife, Melisa I apologize for her rudeness just now¡± Leandro nodded slightly, saying calmly. ¡°Melisa is quite straightforward¡± Melisa burst intoughter, telling her husband, ¡°See, Mr. Reynolds doesn¡¯t mind at all. The more I see of Seraphina, the more I like her. Let¡¯s observe a while longer, and if we think it¡¯s right, let¡¯s allow her and Cooper to make their rtionship official, okay? Cooper¡¯s been sweet on her for years. My boy has good taste¡± Nathan was somewhat helpless in the face of his wife¡¯s enthusiasm, but hearing her words, he couldn¡¯t help but take another look at Cooper and Seraphina Though Cooper was in a wheelchair, just by appearances, they seemed well¨Cmatched Keen, who was standing behind Leandro, heard Melisa¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but wipe the sweat off his forehead, then looked at Leandro¡¯s back. He thought to himself that the Adams family probably didn¡¯t know about Leandro and Seraphina¡¯s rtionship Judging by their current behavior, they clearly wanted to snatch Seraphina away! As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Leandro ask, ¡°Melisa, have you set your sights on Seraphina?¡± The Adams couple were both somewhat surprised at this. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, do you know Ms. Bet?¡± Nathan asked Leandro nced at Seraphina in the crowd, then said calmly. It¡¯s quite a coincidence that someone from the Reynolds family has caught your fancy Hearing this, Nathan¡¯s expression changed slightly as he looked towards Leandro. Melisa, however, hadn¡¯t caught on yet. She continued asking, ¡°Isn¡¯t Seraphina the adopted daughter of the Wilson family? What does she have to do with the Reynolds family? ¡°Melisa!¡± Nathan interrupted her, ¡°Go chat with thedies. Don¡¯t interrupt my conversation with Mr. Reynolds ¡± Reluctantly, Melisa walked off. Then, Nathan turned to Leandro, ¡°I apologize for my wife¡¯s ignorance I hope you weren¡¯t offended.¡± Leandro just gave a slight smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± After finishing his conversation with Leandro, Nathan had many other guests to entertain. Despite being swamped, he still took the time to exin to Melisa what Leandro had meant Melisa was shocked and quite angry ¡°How could he regard Seraphina as the part of his family directly? Look at how well Seraphina and Cooper are getting along! What right. does he have to interfere?¡± ¡°Regardless, you should talk to Cooper about this Nathan advised, ¡°Don¡¯t keep him in the dark.¡± Realizing the necessity of this, Melisa nodded and walked over to Cooper Seraphina had just gone to the restroom. Melisa pulled Cooper aside and briefly exined the situation Unexpectedly, there was no surprise on Cooper¡¯s face In the elevator, the conversation between Seraphina and Leandro had already been a bit flirty. In the venue, he also noticed Leandro ncing at Seraphina multiple times. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry too much Melisa sard They aren¡¯t married, nor are they in an official rtionship Who is he to im Seraphina as his own? If you really like her, we might even stand a chance against the Reynolds family¡± Cooper slowly responded, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry I know what to do When Seraphina returned to the venue, she saw Cooper sitting quietly in a corner by himself ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seraphina asked as she walked over ¡°Tired?¡± ¡°Not really¡± Cooper replied. Seraphina nced at Leandro, who was conversing with someone in the distance, then turned back and suggested, ¡°Shall we go outside for some fresh air?¡± Cooper thought for a moment and said, ¡°Sure¡± They waded through the crowd to reach the terrace. It was the height of summer, and everyone else was indoors, enjoying the air conditioning, leaving the terrace peaceful and quiet Seraphina brought some fruit and red wine. She made a toast with Cooper while gazing at the city¡¯s night view After a moment of silence, Cooper finally spoke up, Sera, as a friend, would you be willing to talk to me about that guy?¡± Seraphina was just about to eat some berries. At his words, she looked back inside and saw Leandro¡¯s silhouette. He was only seen in profile, but he still very visible She swallowed the grape andughed, ¡°I don¡¯t really want to talk about the past¡± Cooper just nodded. ¡°Okay¡± Seraphina nced at him. ¡°Why are you like this? If you asked a bit more, I might have told you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll say it if you want to,¡± Cooper replied Seraphina sat on the terrace sofa, looking up at the sky, ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a secret. There¡¯s no harm in telling you To put it simply, I loved him when I was young and foolish Cooper¡¯s face looked nervous involuntarily, ¡°And now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re jumping too fast on the timeline, but I¡¯ll still answer¡± Seraphina looked at him, her eyes clear and straightforward, ¡°Now, I hate him.¡± Cooper was taken aback by such a strai) N?velDrama.Org content. ward response. He took a m This a very chicle story An innocent girl deceived by a bad boy happe girthood years, such a cringe fest Chapter 121 Chapter 121 he managed to say From low to hate what happened?¡± raphina shrugged. She even managed augh as she recalled the past, ¡°Ah, my Ohwerwing Seraphina Cooper didn¡¯t think she was troubled by her past and asked. And thent ¡°Then I moved on with my life almost forgetting about him and the past raphona said. ¡°But he suddenly remembered me. He reached the manageable age, needed a wil who¡¯d obey him. He had a son who needed a and stepmother. His grandfather¡¯s health deteriorated hoping to see him mamed off under these circumstances, be remembered the gentle wasily manipted ma rom the past. So, he uncte!| ded me a case, tricked me back to Sunburst City so he could control me Resting her chin on fair hand she looked at Cooper Cooper listened but remained silent im and plea ONZE se should i huata a Among the crowd Leandro stood out looking trajestic and dazzling Cooper suddenly thought of Peterson Miliar When he first met Seraphina she already had a bunch of Kutors. Peterson was one of them a handsome heir from a prestigious family Even though Cooper had been living cedent fed beard that Peterson estr won Seraphina over and became her boyfrand In his eyes beth Leandro and Peterson wem luckier than him by a thousand miles But do the luckiest people take things for granted? Seraphina seemed to mad tur mund the looked wn at her hands and feet, krghed and said ¡°Maybe I¡¯m that kind of girl, only attracting bad boys.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Hearing this Cooper felt like something heavy hit him hard, leaving him speechiess for a long time By the time they returned indoors. Leandro had already left After the party as utual Cooper drove Seraphina home fext Because the epent the whole evering standing beside him, the hand to chut with ¡°You had too much to drina tonight¡± Cooper said ¡°T101 have komwone prepare si Seraphona tumed to look at him, her over clear. Do Book drunk to you? rong tea to to great him and ended up drinking quite a lot. ber you up), and it will be sent overter¡± ¡°It¡¯s always good to be careful anyway. Said Cooper Seraphinaughed. ¡°Kinght, 10 take your advice She then got out of the cat turned around and said. Tim heading up. You¡¯ve had a long night too home and get Cooper nodded and watched her go upstairs, not instructing his driver to leave Twenty minutester another driver from the Adama family brought the tea hed ordered Cooper had the driver prepare his whweichain then got out of the car nning to: Just then, a ck car suddenly drove up stripping next to Cooper¡¯s car its headlights were binding Cooper raised his hand to shield his eyes. Against the light, he Coopers breath hitched tall figure get out from the back seat. the car Once the cars lights went out Cooper could see who it was. It was the man he expected Their eyes met Leandro gaw him a caim nce a nod as a greeting and was about to walk past Cooper ¡°Mi Reynolds¡® Cooper suddenly called out to tum Leandro stopped turned to look at him You¡¯re here to see Sera aren¡¯t you?¡± Cooper asked Leandro didnt answer, he just responded. Is there something you need? Cooper paused for a moment, then smiled slightly Tve prepared some hangover tea for her Could you help me deliver it to Sera, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t take d ¡°If it¡¯s you who prepared this, it¡¯s better you deliver it yourself After saving this Leandro nced at the wheelchair beneath Cooper then went into the apartment Cooper sat there motionless for a long time Seraphina only opened the door after the doorbell had rung for quite a while. Under the influence of alcohol, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes slightly unfocused She narrowed her eyes looking at Leandro for a moment, then stuck her head out looking behind him, muttering. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say they were sending tea over?¡± Just as she finished speaking the elevator dinged and the Adams family¡¯s driver came out with a thermos, ¡°Ms. Bet, this is the tea Mr. Adams specially prepared for you ¡°Ah, thank you Seraphina took the thermos, smiling at him Leandro had already entered her apartment Seraphina took the thermos back into the room. Leandro was sitting quietly on the sofa, watching her She seemed oblivious to his presence She wandered around the room in a daze, then sat down on another sofa with the thermos As she opened the thermos the strong aroma of tea filled the room The vent Seraphina, causing her to pause She sat quietly for a while, then chuckled lightly. ¡°He¡¯s really nice such a shame, he clearly likes me but won¡¯t admit it¡± After saying this she suddenly looked up at Leandro sitting across from her -Leandro lit a cigarette, expressionless, watching her ¡°He asked me today what my rtionship with you is Seraphina bit her lip, looked a little drunk, ¡°I said. I¡¯m the one who pushed your fiancee down the staus Hearing this, Leandro didn¡¯t react at all. Seraphina locked eyes with him for a moment, then put down her tea, got up, and plopped right down on hisp. She cradled his face with her hands, studying him carefully ¡°I¡¯m the one who pushed your fiancee down the stairs!¡± she suddenly blurted out with a heavier tone. Tveryone who has nothing to do with your fianc¨¦e is ming me, but why on earth are you the victim, not reacting at all? Don¡¯t you hate me?¡± Leandro slowly spoke up. ¡°So that¡¯s what you wanted to tell me that night?¡± Suddenly, Seraphina started to chuckle, shaking her head and swaying her body She was casually sitting on him to begin with Now, as she swayed, she suddenly tilted and fell right off him towards the floor- Leandre immediately reached out to catch her, but she fell too abruptly for him to grab her. It wasn¡¯t until her head hit the floor that he yanked her back up ¡°Ouch. Seraphinaid into his arms and whispered, ¡°that hurts Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Leandro looked at her and slowly reached out his hand, patting her head gently Seraphina seemed soothed by the warmth of his palm, she quieted down but still remained in his arms Just when Leandro thought she¡¯d fallen asleep, she suddenly lifted her head, her gaze burning into him. ¡°Why are you so indifferent about Vivian? Or perhaps, you¡¯ve always hated me, and everything you¡¯ve done was just to get back at me? Leandro looked at her His eyes were deep and calm showing no signs of disturbance Seraphina started mumbling to herself again. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. You don¡¯t hate me at all. You don¡¯t hate me. She leaned on his shoulder again, looking at his clear profile, whispering. ¡°Then what is it that you want to do She gently rubbed her head against his neck while reaching out to grab the cuff of his sleeve It was a gesture she often made in the past When she needed his help but didn¡¯t want too much physical contact, she would lightly hold onto his sleeve And he always indulged her That¡¯s why she used to believe he loved her.. But sheter realized that this was just a man¡¯s way of treating a woman he didn¡¯t dislike. He merely stood by enjoying her various attempts to please and act cute towards him Thinking about this, Seraphina suddenly let out augh, herughter filled with intense self¨Cmockery. Leandro reached out, gently pinching her face, making her sit up straight and look at him ¡°Do you really not know what I want?¡± he said. Seraphina silently watched him. Although her eyes were still unfocused, she tried her best to see what was in his eyes. What did he really want? She couldn¡¯t make out his expression. After a long while, she suddenly seemed to have an epiphany ¡°Oh¡­¡± What he wanted was the old Seraphina, wasn¡¯t it? The one who was good and obedient, who could be manipted by him, who regarded him as a god. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°But that¡¯s impossible now¡­ Seraphina squinted her eyes at him, ¡°You know this is impossible, so why can¡¯t you let me go?¡± Leandro silently watched her drunken face¨Che knew better than anyone how sober or drunk she was. He knew she was doing this on purpose, but he still took her words to heart Indeed, what he wanted was the old Seraphina. The current her didn¡¯t meet his expectations. He clearly knew that she could never revert back to her old self He saw all her defenses and unwillingness, her pretense. Yet, he still couldn¡¯t let her go ¡°Forget it. Seraphina suddenly leaned against him again. ¡°Let¡¯s not force each other anymore. Let¡¯s leave it like this, okay?¡± Her voice gradually faded, her eyes slowly closing as if she was about to fall asleep Leandro watched her. She seemed to really be asleep, her breathing steady, her long eyshes gently fluttering, disying a genuine sleeping face She was using her drunken state to get him to let go How much of it was real and how much was pretense? Leandro reached out, gently brushing her fallen hair. Should this be the end? Hadn¡¯t he also told himself the same thing? But now, it couldn¡¯t end As Leandro¡¯s fingers gently stroked her wless face, the doorbell rang again. Unlike before, the sound of the doorbell was urgent, as if the person outside would never give up if the door wasn¡¯t opened. And Seraphina, leaning on his shoulder, didn¡¯t even furrow her brows, seemingly unaffected by the sound of the doorbell Leandro watched her quietly for a moment, then stood up, carrying her to the bedroom and cing her on the bed, before turning around, walking to the door, and opening it Seraphina, are you dead or something? Why did it take you so long to-¡± Farrah stood outside the door, looking at Leandro behind it, her mouth forming an ¡°O¡± shape, the rest of her words seemingly stuck in her throat After regaining her senses, she asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who are you? Leandro countered Ignoring his question, Farrah said. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Seraphina Where is she?¡± She barged in as she spoke, looking around before heading straight into the bedroom Seraphina was now hidden under the covers Farrah approached her pulling back the covers and shaking her, ¡°Seraphinal Seraphina!¡± Seraphinay there, unmoving Visibly annoyed, Farrah muttered. ¡°Are you dead or something?¡± Seraphina rolled over, burying her face into the pillow. Expsperated, Farrah gave her another shove before getting up and leaving the bedroom Leandro was standing in the open kitchen He had just found a ss and was getting himself some water when Farrah stormed out of the bedroom, snatching the ss from his hand and gulping down the water Leandro watched her in silence, neither speaking nor asking questions Farrah put down the ss and stared at him for a while before saying, ¡°You¡¯re the man rted to Seraphina, aren¡¯t you?¡± Seeing Leandro stay silent, Farrah added, ¡°Seraphina is currently dating Cooper Melisa and my grandma have already discussed it. Don¡¯t let Seraphina fool you!¡± ¡°Are you from the Wilson family was Leandro¡¯s first question Farrah instantly nodded and began tough, ¡°Yes Do you know me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Leandro answered Farrah pouted unhappily, shooting him a re. ¡°My name is Farrah Wilson. My dad¡¯s name is Parker Wilson¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro immediately understood her identity. Magdalen had marned Samuel Parker was Samuel¡¯s younger brother and the current head of the Wilson family. However, after Samuel¡¯s death, most of his inheritance was left to Magdalen, causing the Wilson family to gradually decline under Parker¡¯s leadership. So, Nadine started seeking help from Seraphina, hoping to win over the Adams family through her. The girl standing in front of him was Seraphina¡¯s nominal cousin Farrah looked at Leandro and asked, ¡°Who are you? What¡¯s your rtionship with Seraphina?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer her question, but instead asked, ¡°Is she your cousin?¡± Farrah responded with disdain, ¡°She¡¯s not my uncle¡¯s biological daughter, and she only stayed with the Wilson farmily for a month or two¡­ How on earth would she be my cousin?¡± Hearing her words, Leandro slowly repeated, ¡°A month or two?¡± Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Farrah nodded, then casually exined, ¡°She just rocked up at our ce without notice Nobody knew who she was. Even her own mom didn¡¯t like her, so of course the couldn¡¯t stick around at our ce¡± Leandros gaze lingered on Farrah¡¯s face for a moment, quickly making up his mind about whether she was lying or not ¡°Why doesn¡¯t her mom like her Leandro asked Farrah barely had to think Clearly the answer had been tucked away in her mind for years. She said. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it obvious? Her mom¡¯s so flighty, and she doesn¡¯t even care about her own husband Suddenly she¡¯s got an extra burden, of course she¡¯s not happy about it. Besides, if she really loved her daughter, she wouldn¡¯t havee to Velvetwood to get married all by herself Rumor has it, before she left the country, she just dumped Seraphina on some random family She never nned on keeping the kid If I were her, I¡¯d be pissed too when Seraphina suddenly showed up.¡± As he listened to her, Leandro casually sipped water from a wine ss Then, he slowly asked, ¡°So how has she been living on her own?¡± ¡°How should I know? Farrah said, ¡°All I know is that she didn¡¯t stay at our ce long before she moved out on her own. I¡¯m not sure if she rents or owns this apartment, but either way she¡¯s been living here for years and never came back to our ce¡± Listening quietly, Leandro calmly sipped his water. As Farrah spoke, she suddenly realized that she might have said too much. She leaned slightly towards him, ¡°Who exactly are you? Why are you asking so many questions about her? Are you into her, trying to score?¡± ¡°Has she been living alone since then? Leandro asked again ¡°She lives by herself, but the Wilson family paid for her school fees It was her own mother who couldn¡¯t make room for her, not us trying to kick her out. We never mistreated her,¡± Farrah said, then suddenly became wary, ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve been asking me all these questions, but you still haven¡¯t answered mine!¡± Just as she finished speaking her phone rang Farrah picked it up, took a look, and answered, ¡°Granny, I¡¯m at Seraphina¡¯s ce, but she seems to be drunk¡­ She listened and responded to whatever was being said on the other end After hanging up, Farrah suddenly ignored Leandro and rushed into the bedroom, shouting at the figure on the bed, ¡°Seraphinal Granny says if she doesnt see you today, she¡¯s going public with what she¡¯s go!!¡± At her words, the figure on the bed stirred and eventually opened her eyes. The next moment, she sat up, straightened her messy hair, half squinted her eyes andughed, ¡°Oh god, seriously, can¡¯t a girl get a little shut¨Ceye after a few drinks?¡± Farrah scoffed, ¡°If you have the guts, keep sleeping Seraphina sighed and stood up. ¡°I respect my elders!¡± With that, she slipped off her evening dress revealing her stunning figure before rummaging through her closet for clothes Watching her sexy figure, Farrah felt a twinge of anger. She nced down at her own chest before picking up her jacket and covering herself In no time, Seraphina had changed her clothes, tied up her long hair, and turned to look at Farrah, ¡°Let¡¯s go This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s you Granny wants to see, not me, Farrah paused before replying. At her words, something seemed to cross Seraphina¡¯s mind. She didn¡¯t say anything more and left the room. In the living room, Leandro who had been listening to the sounds from the bedroom was sitting on the sofa. Seeing Seraphina emerge, he just looked at her calmly. Seraphina¡¯s lie about being drunk had been exposed, but she didn¡¯t seem embarrassed. She casually walked over to Leandro, shed him a flirty smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not only you who gets emergency calls. I also get urgently summoned, so I can¡¯t entertain you. But my cousin here should be more than happy to keep youpany. After all, Mr. Reynolds charm is irresistible, right?¡± Farrah had juste out. Hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t deny or nty, but just shot Seraphina a look. Leandro¡¯s gaze fell on Seraphina¡¯s face. She was still smiling brightly. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t intrude on your chat Take your time!¡± With that, she winked at him and turned to leave Watching Seraphina go, Farrah shrugged at Leandro and said, ¡°That¡¯s just how she is Then she walked over and sat down next to him, ¡°Actually, she¡¯s a lot like her mom, especially when it comes to men, so you really shouldn¡¯t take her too seriously Besides. why would a hot guy like you be hung up on one girl?¡± She looked up at him and startedughing, one hand resting on his knee Leandro nced at her hand, then gently moved it off his leg without a word. By the time Seraphina arrived at the Wilson family¡¯s ce, it was alreadyte Nadine was still sitting elegantly in the living room, showing no signs ¡°What¡¯s up Granny? Whats so urgent?¡± Seraphina asked with a smile. Nadine looked at her and asked bluntly, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Leandro?¡± of fatigue Seraphina sat down on the sofa across from Nadine and answered without hesitation, ¡°We¡¯ve had a sexual rtionship¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°What else would there be? Nadine¡¯s stern gaze fell on Seraphina, ¡°Leandro told Melisa that you¡¯re part of the Reynolds family¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell Melisa that I¡¯m part of the Wilson family? Does a single sentence really decide everything?¡± *Seraphina, don¡¯t try to pull a fast one on me. Nadine suddenly tossed a cell phone onto the coffee table in front of her, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m joking with you¡± Seraphina eyed the phone for a moment before reaching out to grab it. She flipped it open and found herself on a popr video sharing site The video ying on it was all too familiar as it was the exact clip she had seen on the TV in this very room! The only difference was the faces in the video were blurred out. But even so, the explicit contend of the video had sparked a fiery debate online Suddenly Seraphina looked up at Nadine Don¡¯t think I¡¯m bluffing and don¡¯t try to intimidate me with your childish games,¡± Nadine said ¡°The Adams and the Wilsons have been tight for years. What makes you think you can change anything? You should be cozying up to Cooper and tying the knot when the time is right. Marrying him is your best bet. As I see it, you¡¯ve got no reason to turn him down Stop messing around with your love life and causing unnecessary drama¡± Seraphina held the phone tightly, let out augh after a moment, and said, ¡°Fine 11 y by your rules¡± Chapter 124 Chapter 124 After Seraphina left the Wilson family¡¯s house, she drove a couple of blocks and then pulled over At this point, it was the wee hours, and the whole city was gradually falling into the most peaceful time of the day. Despite this, cars were still constantly passing by her Where were these busy people rushing off to? Seraphina sat in her car for a while, then suddenly pulled out her phone and dialed Magdalen¡¯s number The first time, the phone rang a few times before it was hung up Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. The second time, the phone was hung up after only one fing The third time The fourth time Not until the tenth plus time did Magdalen finally pick up. Her cool voice was filled with impatience: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Seraphina heard faint noises from her end Clearly, she was still at a party She was quiet for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°Dad¡¯s birthday is the day after tomorrow. Should we have a meal together?¡± On the other end of the phone. Magdalen seemed to be quiet for a while, then suddenly hung up Seraphina stared at her phone for a while, chuckled, and then dialed another number As soon as the call was connected, Sandra¡¯sining voice came through: ¡°You heartless girl! You¡¯ve been gone for so long and you finally remember me?¡± Seraphina cut to the chase, ¡°Can I borrow a million from you?¡± Sandra was startled by this sudden request, ¡°A million? What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°I have something to deal with Seraphina answered, ¡°But, you know my financial situation I can only pay you back slowly¡± ¡°Hold on What are you doing that needs a million? Sandra lowered her voice and asked, ¡®Is it dangerous?¡± ¡°Not for me¡± Seraphina said. ¡°But it might be dangerous for those who have crossed met When Seraphina returned to her apartment, Leandro¡¯s car was no longer in sight downstairs. That¡¯s to be expected. How could a busybody like Leandro, who even schedules his sex life, wait at one ce for a woman? Seraphina opened the car door, went upstairs, but unexpectedly found Farrah napping on her couch Hearing the sound of the door closing, Farrah immediately woke up. Seeing Seraphina, she rubbed her eyes sleepily ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Seraphina looked at her, ¡°is my couch thatfy?¡± As Farrah gradually woke up, she snorted. ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± Seraphina poured herself a ss of water andughed, ¡°Waiting for me for what? What about that hunk you were eyeing?¡± ¡°He left after receiving a call.¡± Farrah crossed her arms and looked at her, ¡°Seraphina, I waited for you toe back just to tell you that I¡¯ve got my eye on him, and I¡¯m nning topete with you for him.¡± Seraphina almost spit out a mouthful of water. Her gaze swept over Farrah¡¯s chest, ¡°With your heavy metal style and those small breasts?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with small breasts?¡± Farrah got angry, ¡°How do you know he won¡¯t like it?¡± Seraphina leaned against the wall and looked at her,ughing You met him for the first time today right? What do you like about him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s handsome, has a good body, mature and stable,pletely my type¡± Farrah answered. Seraphina nodded in agreement, then added, ¡°His skills in bed are also very good. If you can win him over, you¡¯re really lucky¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Farrah¡¯s face suddenly turned beet red, ¡°When did I tell you that?¡± Seraphina looked at her, ¡°You¡¯ve already dered that you¡¯re going topete with me for this man, so what¡¯s there to be shy about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not shy Farrah sneered, ¡®I just wanted to tell you that I¡¯m not the kind of person who does things behind people¡¯s backs. I¡¯llpete with you openly!¡± Seraphina took a sip of water, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry you¡¯re not mypetitor¡± ¡°Seraphina¡± Farrah said angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me! Men all like young girls. I¡¯m younger than you, and that¡¯s my advantage!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant Seraphina looked at her and said, ¡°Tm saying, I don¡¯t want this man.¡± Farrah looked at her skeptically. ¡°Are you for real or just bluffing? Are you really willing to let go such a good man?¡± ¡°You dont believe Seraphina said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll prove it to you in a few days.¡± Two dayster the famous contemporary painter Ma held an exhibition in Moonhaven. Seraphina was invited to attend. Just arriving at the entrance of the exhibition hall, Seraphina bumped into Magdalen and her male companion ¡°Ms Magdalen, what a coincidence Seraphina smiled at her The moment Magdalen saw Seraphina, she frowned. She walked into the exhibition hall with her companion¡¯s armi Seraphina only smiled as she watched their retreating figures Ma was a good friend of Carney¡¯s before he died and he was also very close to Magdalen. He was holding an exhibition in Moonhaven, and as a friend, Magdalen would definitelye to congratte him And as Carney¡¯s daughter, she shoulde too Ma was standing at the door greeting guests Seeing the mother and daughtere in, he immediatelyughed, ¡°You two beauties showing up at the same time are you nning to steal my thunder?¡± Magdalen didn¡¯t look at Seraphina, she just said, ¡°I¡¯m just here to look around and leave Your exhibition will have many important peopleing, so it doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m hat here¡± ¡°Okay, okay¡± Ma understood her personality. Tm satisfied with youing¡± Magdalen didn¡¯t say anything else to him, she entered the exhibition hall with herpanion At this time, Seraphina stepped forward. ¡°Mi Ma, congrattions¡± Ma looked at her and sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a few years, and you¡¯ve grown up so much¡± ¡°But you still look so young, and your creativity is as strong as ever!¡± Seraphina said. Ma brushed off herpliment, asking. ¡°You still painting?¡± ¡°Nope, not anymore.¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t get my dad¡¯s talent¡± Mentioning Carney, they both went quiet for a while, then Ma said, ¡°If your dad was still around, he¡¯d probably be a better artist than me Seraphina paused for a moment, smiled and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m still grateful to you, Mr. Ma.¡± In the gallery, Magdalen, arm in arm with her date, quickly nced over the thirty¨Csomething paintings on disy, never lingering too long on any one of them. Then, turning a corner, a painting suddenly caught her eye. Magdalen stopped at once In the painting, the roses were mboyant and attractive. The colours were stunningly beautiful. Magdalen stared at the painting for a long time. 4 Her boyfriend, who didn¡¯t know much about art, saw her reaction and asked, ¡°Is this painting any good?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s more than good¡± Seraphina¡¯s voice rang out from behind them, filled with pride and nostalgia, ¡°My dad painted it. It¡¯s the most beautiful roses in the world¡± Hearing this, Magdalen¡¯s boyfriend looked at Seraphina with surprise However, Magdalen suddenly turned around, raised her hand and gave Seraphina a loud p Chapter 125 Chapter 125 With a bang, Seraphina was hit so hard that her neck was twisted The guy next to Magdalen looked even more shocked than Seraphina herself. He gawked at Magdalen. The crowd had drawn the attention of the people at the exhibition. They all turned to look at their direction. But Seraphina remained calm andposed She touched her face and then lifted her gaze to meet Magdalens. Magdalen red at Seraphina. ¡°You¡¯re making me ufortable on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Why would I want to make you ufortable? Seraphina nced at her and then at the painting in front of them, ¡°Today is dad¡¯s birthday and Mr. Ma just happened to have his exhibition today To commemorate my dad. Mr. Ma wanted to disy one of dad¡¯s paintings, so I picked this one What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Upon hearing that, Magdalen suddenly raised her hand again, ready to smack Seraphina once more. Her malepanion quickly grabbed her, ¡°Magdalen, what are you doing? You can¡¯t go around smacking people in public!¡± ¡°She deserves it Magdalen was seething. ¡°She deserves it Seeing her like this, Seraphina gave a smallugh ¡°This painting of those roses was painted by dad for you You used to love this painting, why do you hate it now?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Magdalen became even more agitated Ignoring the man next to her, she almost lunged at Seraphina. This finally rmed Ma and the security guards in the gallery. In no time, a crowd had gathered around them. Ma rushed over to stop Magdalen, ¡®Magdalen, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Why did you hang this painting here?¡± Magdalen shouted at him, ¡°She wants to upset me, do you want to upset me too?¡± ¡°Magdalen!¡± Ma gripped her shoulders tightly, ¡°Calm down!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t calm down!¡± Magdalen pointed at Seraphina, ¡°Get her out! And take down this painting Burn it!¡± As she spoke, she had already shaken off Ma and walked to the painting Despite the ss covering the painting, she swung her handbag at it Seraphina suddenly stepped forward, using her body to shield the painting The hard corner of Magdalen¡¯s handbag hit Seraphina¡¯s forehead Blood immediately started to trickle down Seeing the situation escting into a bloody mess, the security guards quickly stepped in to restrain Magdalen. Reporters who were present immediately rushed over to get photos. ¡°Magdalen, if you continue like this, I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave Ma said sternly, before nodding at the security guards. Magdalen was still fuming Even as she was dragged away by the security guards, her re remained on Seraphina. She was so angry, it was as if they were mortal enemies rather than mother and daughter. Seraphina stood in front of the painting, watching as her mother was escorted away, her expression calm as ever. ¡°Sera, you¡¯re hurt Ma finally came over to examine Seraphina¡¯s wound, ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to take you to the hospital.¡± ¡°No need, Mr. Ma Seraphina said, ¡°it¡¯s just a small wound. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m sorry for disrupting your exhibition¡± As she spoke, she began to head out Ma apanied her to the entrance. She quickly disappeared into the crowd. Half an hourter, Seraphina got into a car ident at an intersection with little traffic. She had crashed into a traffic ind. The police arrived quickly, but Seraphina sat in her car, silent. The police had no choice but to take her back to the station. Seraphina didn¡¯t contact anyone, but not long after, Keen showed up at the station. Seraphina sat in a ss room Seeing Keen negotiating with the police outside, she started tough. After paying the bail and giving a brief statement, Seraphina was free to leave Keen was waiting for her at the door. Seeing the wound on her forehead, he was taken aback, ¡°Ms Bet, you¡¯re hurt. Let me take you to the hospital.¡± ¡°No need¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t ask him why he was there, but got into his car, ¡°I made a reservation at a restaurant Can you give me a ride?¡± Keen was stunned. ¡®You¡¯re going to have dinner?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve made a reservation at a hard¨Cto¨Cbook restaurant Seraphina said ¡°I booked it a month ago.¡± Keen thought to himself, this woman is really something else. But he didn¡¯t ask any more questions and just drove Keen dropped Seraphina off at the restaurant. When he got back to the office, a three hour meeting had just taken a short break. Leandro was still in the conference room, reading some documents Hearing Keen¡¯s footstep, he didn¡¯t look up but asked, ¡°What happened?¡±. ¡°She had a quarrel with her mother, she was distracted while driving and hit a traffic ind Keen reported truthfully, ¡°She got a bit hurt, but it¡¯s nothing serious. She¡¯s at a restaurant having dinner now.¡± Hearing this, Leandro looked up at him. Keen felt a bit nervous, so he added, using Seraphina¡¯s words, ¡°She said it was a reservation she made a month ago, so she couldn¡¯t just give it up¡± Hearing this, Leandro checked his watch August 16th That should be the day Carney died? Keen stood by, waiting quietly for Leandro¡¯s instruction. But Leandro didn¡¯t say anything he just went back to reading his documents. Keen waited around for a bet, thinking this whole ordeal was wrapped up and was about to split when Leandro suddenly closed the file in his hands and stood up, saying. ¡®Let Enc run the next meeting¡± Eric¡¯s the newly appointed head honcho of Starhaven¡¯s branch, getting his feet wet with thepany business That¡¯s why Leandro was sticking around Starhaven, keeping an eye on things Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Leandro dropped the file, spat out a single sentence, and walked out of the meeting room. Keen was left standing there like a lemon. By the time he left the office, Leandro was nowhere to be seen The restaurant Seraphina booked was best at cooking dishes from her hometown. The head chef had left his homnd toe to Moonhaven decades ago. Despite this. he still kept the authentic vors of his home cooking His culinary skills were a hit with locals and immigrants alike. Seraphina was sitting alone in a private dining room. A full spread of food wasid out in front of her, but she just sat there, not moving a muscle When Leandro pushed the door open, she didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid. After about ten seconds, she seemed to snap out of it and looked up at the man sitting across from her. ¡°When Keen left, I was wondering if you¡¯d show up¡± she said, her calm eyes suddenly shing with mischief. ¡°And here you are¡± ¡° Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Her left cheek was a bit swollen, and though her forehead had stopped bleeding, the wound was still clearly visible. She looked a bit of a mess, but with a sly smile, she still managed to exude a captivating beauty. This scene seemed oddly familiar. N?velDrama.Org content. Eight years ago to the day, he hade homete at night. Just as he entered the living room, he caught a glimpse of her hastily retreating upstairs. She clearly heard hime in but hurriedly avoided him that was unusual. Leandro went upstairs and walked to her bedroom door. With a gentle push, the door swung open. But her room was empty. Leandro slowly made his way to the bathroom, spotting her curled up in the bathtub. Her eyes were red and swollen ¨C a clear sign she¡¯d been crying. She seemed to be holding back tears at that moment. When she saw him, she startled, quickly wiped her eyes and put on a smile, ¡°You¡¯re back, huh?¡± Back then, she wasn¡¯t as adept at controlling her expression as she was now. She clearly wanted to cry but forced herself to smile at him. But as soon as her expression changed, the tears fell. He walked over to the bathtub, used his finger to wipe away her tears, and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± People who are heartbroken aren¡¯t afraid of others¡® concern. Her lips started to tremble, and tears began to pour uncontrobly. ¡°I miss my dad¡­¡± she said. During all these years in the Reynolds family, she was always quiet and well¨Cbehaved, never mentioning her own parents. Perhaps because everyone treated her as if she was an orphan, so the Reynolds family thought it was only natural. No one cared about what she might be missing outside of the Reynolds family. But perhaps every child under someone else¡¯s roof long for a real home. The Reynolds family was not her home, never was. When Leandro snapped back to reality, Seraphina had already picked up her utensils and was ready to eat. She didn¡¯t look at him, just said, ¡°Normally, I¡¯d be happy to have you here, but today, I¡¯d rather you not stay. I just want to eat this meal in peace, okay?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t stop you from eating.¡± Leandro replied. Upon hearing this, Seraphina let out a sigh, then ignored him and began to eat alone. The food on the table had been sitting out for a while, most of it was cold, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. She tasted every dish and ate a lot. Leandro watched as she single¨Chandedly polished off half the food on the table, his eyebrows furrowing. But the next moment, Seraphina had a reaction. She was happily eating but suddenly put down her fork. Then, a wave of nausea hit her, and she ran into the bathroom. Next, Leandro heard the sound of her violently throwing up. He sat there, his eyes full of concern. It wasn¡¯t until he heard a thud that he quickly stood up and opened the bathroom door. Seraphina was curled up on the floor, unconscious. When Keen received the diagnosis of Seraphina¡¯s high fever of 104¡ãF and acute gastroenteritis, he fell extremely guilty. He hurried into the hospital room and handed the report to Leandro, who was sitting by the bed. ¡°I really didn¡¯t notice she was feeling unwell, Keen said. ¡°Otherwise, I would have taken her to the hospital right away.¡± Leandro was looking at the report and didn¡¯t respond. Not only had Keen not noticed that she was unwell, but even Leandro, who had seen her copse with his own eyes, doubted that this was another one of her acts. But now, she was genuinely lying in the hospital bed, breathing rapidly, her cheeks flushed. This was not something she could fake. What¡¯s more, he already had the hospital report in his hands. Looking at the motionless Seraphina, Keen couldn¡¯t help but sigh: He was used to seeing Seraphina¡¯s mboyant personality. Now seeing her lying there quietly, with her swollen cheeks, a wound on her forehead, and suffering from both fever and gastroenteritis, he felt particrly heartbroken. Coming back to his senses, Keen added, ¡°The doctor said she needs to be hospitalized for two days. I¡¯ll go prepare some necessities for Ms. Bet.¡± Leandro heard this and didn¡¯t respond. As Keen was about to leave the hospital room, Leandro suddenly called him back, ¡°Find out which hotel Magdalen is staying at.¡± In the restaurant on the 25th floor of the hotel, Magdalen sat by the window alone. The bottle of red wine in front of her was almost empty, and the apanying appetizers had barely been touched. When Leandro approached her, Magdalen was staring at the night view outside, her face expressionless. Leandro sat down across from her. Magdalen turned her head, looked at him, seemed surprised, then offered a charming smile, ¡°Are you buying me a drink?¡± ¡°Ms. Magdalen,¡± he began, ¡°I¡¯m Leandro.¡± Magdalen looked at him for a while, as if just remembering who he was. After a moment of silence, she laughed, ¡°So it¡¯s you!¡± In fact, Magdalen was only 12 years older than Leandro. When Leandro was a kid, Magdalen was still in the Reynolds family. Their rtionship wasn¡¯t close, but they were originally family. Later, Magdalen grew up, became a beautiful woman, attracted many admirers, and also provoked many years of contention between Bruce and Gloria. Then Magdalen left home. Young Leandro heard adults say she had eloped with a man, but he didn¡¯t understand what eloping meant. All he knew was that Magdalen had disappeared. Yearster, Seraphina was sent to their home, and Magdalen boarded a ne to Starhaven. It was said that as soon as she arrived in Starhaven, she married Samuel, and she has lived in Starhaven ever since, never returning home. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Magdalen looked at him. ¡°Did youe to find me on purpose?¡± ¡°Seraphina had a car ident today,¡± Leandro said. Magdalen¡¯s gaze faltered slightly, but her face didn¡¯t show much change. ¡°She¡¯s in the hospital now,¡± Leandro said, ¡°I think, as her mother, you should know that.¡± Magdalen stayed silent for a moment, thenughed, looking at him, ¡°She¡¯s not gonna kick the bucket, is she?¡± Leandro just looked at her, not answering. ¡°As long as she doesn¡¯t croak, it¡¯s all good, right?¡± Magdalen shrugged helplessly, ¡°Did you really need toe here personally to tell me this?¡± ¡°Seems like even if she did kick the bucket, you wouldn¡¯t give a damn, would you?¡± Magdalen took a sip from her wine ss, then said, ¡°I really don¡¯t give a hoot, but why do you seem to care so much? What¡¯s your deal with her? Could it be¡­ you have the hots for her?¡± Without waiting for Leandro¡¯s response, sheughed as if she already knew the answer, saying. ¡°Do all the men in the Reynolds family have a thing for the little girls they raise at home? Though, I reckon you¡¯re not really that into her. When she got booted out of the Reynolds family, I don¡¯t recall anyone stepping up to bat for her.¡± Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Hearing Magdalen¡¯s words, Leandro leaned back in his chair, silently watching this woman. In some ways, Seraphina and Magdalen were very much alike, both sharp¨Ctongued and smooth talkers. Arge part of Magdalen¡¯s willfulness was due to her appearance¨Cshe was beautiful, so men naturally indulged her. The more men tolerated her, the more willful she became. The harder a beauty is to conquer, the more alluring she bes. Over the years, Bruce had countless women around him, but he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Magdalen Leandro could probably understand why now. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Magdalen saw Leandro not speaking and asked again, ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± Leandro replied. ¡°I was the one who made her leave the Reynolds family.¡± Upon hearing that, Magdalen raised an eyebrow slightly, ¡°You liked her, but let her go?¡± Leandro said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that, despite having a mother, she¡¯d still have to live alone after leaving¡± Hearing this, Magdalenughed and looked at him, ¡°Are you ming me? On what grounds? I don¡¯t need you to interfere with how I interact with her. And you¡¯re the one who sent her away, yet you¡¯re ming me for not taking her in. Don¡¯t you find that a bit. ridiculous?¡± Leandro slowly lifted his eyes and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I have no right to me you, so I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I just thought you should know that your daughter is hurt.¡± ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve told me now.¡± Magdalen smiled at him, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± In recent years, few people had treated Leandro like this. Fortunately, he had experienced such treatment in his early years, so he could still calmly look at Magdalen, ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± With that, he stood up, put on his coat, and turned to leave. Keen was waiting outside the hotel. Seeing Leandroe out, he was a bit surprised. He had thought that Leandro had specificallye to see Magdalen, and they should have a lot to talk about. He didn¡¯t expect Leandro toe out so quickly. The car left the hotel. Leandro sat in the back seat, quietly watching the bustling city. In fact, he had originally nned to have a good talk with Magdalen, but after a few simple words, he realized there was no need for the conversation. Magdalen answered all the questions he wanted to ask in just three or five sentences. Why couldn¡¯t Seraphina win her mother¡¯s love? What was her life like in Starhaven? What were her days like drifting alone in a foreignnd?. Seeing Magdalen sitting there, he felt there was no longer a need to pursue these questions. But he couldn¡¯t help but think of the past again. The old Seraphina and the Seraphina of now seemed to be separated by a deep canyon in his eyes. He didn¡¯t understand why the girl he knew from the past had be the strong and ruthless woman she is now? And at this moment, the bridge between past and present seemed to be gradually built- Those nights, when shey next to him, he looked at her face and asionally wanted to ask, where had the old Seraphina gone? And now he understood, the old Seraphina was long gone. He had killed her with his own hands. Even though he didn¡¯t regret his decision, some facts were hard to swallow. Just as Leandro left, another person appeared in front of Magdalen. She was a bit impatient: ¡°Can I eat in peace?¡± When she looked up, she saw it was Ma. Magdalen paused for a moment, then waved for the waiter and had her pour Ma a drink. ¡°I know, I caused you trouble today.¡± Magdalen picked up the wine ss and drank the wine in one gulp. Ma didn¡¯t move. He looked at her for a long time before saying, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for many years. I didn¡¯t expect you and Seraphina have- ended up like this¡­ Do you two have some deep¨Cseated grudge?¡± Magdalen shrugged lightly, ¡°Another person just came by who wanted to discuss this. Do you want to discuss it too?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ma quickly skipped the topic, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask something else. Why do you hate Carney?¡± Hearing that name, Magdalen¡¯s eyes faltered slightly. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes today, I would hardly believe that you even hate Carney¡¯s paintings¡­ You were so close before, why is it like this now?¡± Magdalen was silent for a while, grabbed the wine ss in front of him, drank it all in one gulp, and then said, ¡°Because he left me alone, so I hate him. Are you satisfied now?¡± After hearing this, Ma gazed at her face and fell into deep thought. When Leandro returned to the hospital, Seraphina was no longer in the ward. Seeing that the boss¡¯s face was a bit off, Keen quickly turned and ran out. He was about to go find a nurse, but unexpectedly saw Seraphina standing to the side. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Ms. Bet, why are you out here?¡± Keen rushed up to ask. ¡°You came just in time.¡± Seraphina was pale, but still looked formidable, ¡°I want to be discharged, but they won¡¯t let me. Why not?¡± Keen looked at her in surprise, ¡°You have a fever and acute gastroenteritis, why are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± Seraphina red at him, ¡°What right do you have to control me? Don¡¯t you know the human body has a self¨Chealing function? These are just minor ailments. I just need to bear with it a bit and I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Keen was left speechless by her words. He turned to find Leandro, but saw that Leandro was already approaching. Seraphina turned her head and saw Leandro, quickly turned her gaze back, and continued to demand to the nurse for her discharge. ¡°Mr. Reynolds¡­¡± Keen whispered to Leandro for instructions. ¡°Let her be,¡± Leandro said, ¡°You go and get her discharge procedures done.¡± Keen looked at Leandro with a hint of surprise. After a moment, although feeling a tad disappointed, he had no choice but to ept the reality even the all¨Ccapable Leandro was at his wits¡® end when faced with theplex woman, Seraphina. ¨C Seraphina was sprawled on the nurse station¡¯s desk. After a moment of silence, she turned to look at him, a small smirk on her face, ¡°When did Mr. Reynolds be a doctor? Since when do you get to decide if a patient can be discharged?¡± Leandro walked up to her, staring down at her, ¡°Once you¡¯ve set your mind on doing something, is there anyone who can stop you?¡± Meeting his gaze, Seraphina¡¯s eyes twinkled as she slowly started to smile, ¡°The problem is, there are always some annoying people who just can¡¯t help but meddle in others¡® business!¡± Looking at her, Leandro surprisingly didn¡¯t rise to her bait, instead he turned to chat with the nurses about her condition. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow. Why the sudden change in his attitude? Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Seraphina didn¡¯t seem to care much whether Leandro had truly changed his attitude or not. All she had in mind was getting out of the hospital. As soon as she was back in the ward, she changed into her own clothes and prepared to leave. Her car had been towed away by the police after the ident, so she had no choice but to return the same way she came by hopping into Leandro¡¯s car. ¡°Could you drop me off at the train station?¡± She asked Keen once they were in the car. ¡°It¡¯s not toote to go back to Velvetwood.¡± Upon hearing this, Keen nced at Leandro in the rearview mirror but said nothing. The traffic in Moonhaven was a mess. About half an hourter, they finally pulled up in front of an apartmentplex. Seraphina gazed at the tall building from the car window, taking in the view. She couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the expensive cost of living in such a ce in Manhattan. She turned her gaze back to Keen, ¡°Would it kill you to drop me off at the train station first?¡± Keen gave her a helpless look before getting out of the car and opening the door for her, ¡°Ms. Bet, please.¡± ¡°Is this the train station?¡± Seraphina retorted. Keen looked at her helplessly. Seraphina, however, was set on giving him a hard time, ¡°Pineview Station. If you don¡¯t know the way, I can pull it up on the GPS for you!¡± By this time, Leandro had gotten out of the car and was making his way over to Seraphina¡¯s side, ¡°Get out.¡± Keen¡¯s face turned serious. Seraphina looked at him and saw the sweat on his forehead, which made her burst outughing. Finally, she decided to stop tormenting him and obediently got out of the car. Keen let out a sigh of relief. As Seraphina walked past him, she whispered, ¡°Is your boss really that scary? Aren¡¯t you a bit too uptight?¡± Keen looked at her, not knowing what to say. He was usuallypetent and therefore rarely reprimanded by Leandro. However, he had seen how Leandro treated those who made mistakes and he knew the consequences of messing up in front of him. But dealing with Seraphina always seemed to leave him at a loss. Luckily, Leandro himself seemed to have no idea how to handle Seraphina, so he was rtively lenient with Keen. But if Seraphina ever truly pissed Leandro off and made him lose his patience, Keen would be the one to bear the brunt of it. Of course, Seraphina had never considered any of this. How could she possibly worry about a jittery little clerk like him? In fact, she didn¡¯t even bother to wait for his response. She followed Leandro into the building and obediently went upstairs. Leandro¡¯s apartment was both high¨Cend and luxurious. It was equipped with smart home technology, a living room, bedroom, study, and two bathrooms. The only downsides were probably the high cost and the fact that there was only one bedroom. It was clear that even in Starhaven, Leandro was still very busy. After returning to the apartment, he called for the housekeeper and gave a few instructions before finally turning to Seraphina, ¡°If you need anything, you can tell the housekeeper.¡± Seraphina was standing by therge floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, admiring the night view. When she heard Leandro¡¯s words, she casually agreed. N?velDrama.Org content. Leandro nced at her before heading into his study. After enjoying the view for a while, the housekeeper brought her toiletries, a bathrobe, pajamas, and a set of high¨Cend skincare products. It was a rare experience to be able to stay in a ce like this. Seraphina epted the items and went into the bathroom. When she came out after her shower, a te of warm scrambled eggs, a slice of toast, and a ss of milk had been ced on the table in the living room. Next to the food was a small transparent bag containing the medicine she needed to take. There was a note on the bag that read, ¡°Eat first, then take your medicine¡°. It was obvious that this was what Leandro had ordered the housekeeper to prepare. Not being one to stand on ceremony. Seraphina sat down and polished off the food. She then went to brush her teeth and headed straight for the lone bedroom and settled into bed. At midnight, Leandro came out of his study and saw that Seraphina was no longer in the living room. He went over to the small table in the living room and saw the empty te. Then he noticed the untouched medicine. His expression darkened as he picked up the bag of medicine and made his way to the bedroom. In the bedroom, Seraphina was hogging the entire bed, sleeping soundly. Leandro first felt her forehead before shaking her awake. Seraphina groaned and refused to open her eyes until she heard Leandro¡¯s voice, ¡°Wake up and take your medicine.¡± Seraphina immediately pulled the covers over her head, mumbling. I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡± Leandro pulled back the covers and repeated, ¡°Take your medicine.¡± Reluctantly, Seraphina opened her eyes. As soon as she saw the medicine in his hand, she immediately burrowed back under the covers, ¡°It¡¯s too bitter, I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to grind the medicine into powder and force it down your throat, then get up and take your medicine.¡± His voice was so cold it could freeze someone. Seraphina shivered under the covers before slowly crawling out. She took the bag of medicine he handed her, but hesitated to open it. Leandro stood by the bed, silently watching her. After a while, Seraphina finally looked up at him, ¡°You go do your thing, I can take it myself!¡± Leandro just looked at the nightstand, ¡°Take it now.¡± Following his gaze, she saw that the housekeeper had prepared a ss of water, presumably for her to take the medicine with. Summoning her courage, she closed her eyes and put all the pills in her mouth at once before grabbing the ss and pouring the water into her mouth. Unexpectedly, the pills got stuck in her throat. She choked a couple of times before spitting out everything, water and pills alike. Leandro¡¯s face turned stern. Seraphina choked until she was on the verge of tears. She threw the ss onto the floor. The ss cup hit the thick carpet without making a sound. She slumped back onto her bed, ¡°I said I¡¯m not eating, and I meant it. Are you trying to choke me to death or what?¡± Leandro pulled a long face, staring at her as she burrowed back under the covers. Then he turned and walked out. Two minutester, he was back in the bedroom, cing another ss of water and a bag of pills on the bedside table. ¡°Get up,¡± Leandromanded. ¡°This time, swallow them one by one.¡± Seraphinay still for a moment, realizing resistance was futile, she begrudgingly sat up. She nced at the water and pills by her bed, then slowly swallowed them one by one. Leandro stood nearby and watched as she took all the pills, but his brow was still furrowed. Once she¡¯d swallowed thest pill, Seraphina stuck out her tongue at him, ¡°There, it¡¯s done. Are you satisfied?¡± With that, she mmed down the ss of water andy back on the bed. Leandro, seeing this, turned to leave but paused after a single step. Seraphina stayed under the covers, not looking at him and he didn¡¯t look back. After a pause, he finally spoke, ¡°Being alive is a gift. You should cherish your life.¡± Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Hearing that, Seraphina suddenly threw her nket off and looked at him. ¡°Gift?¡± She was still lying on her back, staring at him with confusion. ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you mean it¡¯s a gift for me to meet you?¡± After saying this, she couldn¡¯t help butugh mockingly, ¡°It¡¯s such a precious gift I get. To spend the night in such a prime location, in such a nice room, this might be the best gift of my life!¡± After saying this, she pulled the nket over her head again, rolled over, and sprawled out over the entire bed. Leandro was probably pissed off by her. Seraphina didn¡¯t hear him say anything for a while, and then she heard footsteps leaving the bedroom. Seraphina rxed a bit, lifting the nket to let in some air. Even though she had taken medicine, she didn¡¯t start to feel sleepy until two hourster. As she drifted off to sleep, she nced at the time it was 3 am, and Leandro was still up, he must be really busy. When Seraphina woke up the next morning, Leandro was already gone from the apartment. She put on her robe, tidied up her hair, and the doorbell rang. She went and opened the door to find a woman in a uniform standing outside. Judging by her uniform, she was also a stewardess of the apartment. But the steward fromst night was a man, and today it was her. ¡°Good morning, Miss. I¡¯m Laura, your stewardess. The woman smiled at her, ¡°What would you like to eat this morning, Ms. Bet?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯m about to leave, I don¡¯t need to eat.¡± Hearing this, Laura seemed a bit surprised and said: ¡°How could that be? Mr. Reynolds said you were sick and needed to rest and eat light food.¡± Seraphinaughed and answered her: ¡°My being sick is none of Mr. Reynolds¡® business. You can go now, you don¡¯t need to take care of me anymore.¡± Hearing this, Laura seemed a bit embarrassed, but left the room anyway. Humming a tune, Seraphina returned to the bedroom and went into the bathroom to freshen up. While she was freshening up, her phone rang. She didn¡¯t pay attention and continued to freshen up. After washing her face and putting on a face mask, she went to check her phone. It was a missed call from Keen. Seraphina didn¡¯t care and was about to put down the phone when it rang again. This time it was Leandro calling. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. Did Leandro think she was deliberately not answering Keen¡¯s call, so he called himself? When did he be so proactive? As she was applying her face mask, Seraphina answered the phone, ¡°Hello?¡± There was a pause on the other end of the line before Leandro finally spoke: ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Packing my things, getting ready to go home.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Or am I supposed to stay here at Mr. Reynolds¡® ce?¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick, you should rest more.¡± Leandro said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about those trivial things anymore, just tell Laura if you need anything* After Leandro hung up, Seraphina held the phone, still a bit stunned. Suddenly she touched the mask on her face and realized ¨C Leandro had heard from her muffled voice that she was applying a face mask, and a woman who had the leisure to apply a face mask wouldn¡¯t really be getting ready to leave, right? Chiding herself for her carelessness, Seraphina threw her phone aside andy on the bed. When Laura came into the room again, she unceremoniously ordered what she wanted to eat. After eating her fill and taking her medicine under Laura¡¯s watchful smile, she finally felt rxed. Seraphina asked Laura for aptop and spent the whole afternoon focusing on her own work. In the evening, Leandro didn¡¯t return home until almost midnight. After taking her medicine and sleeping for a while, Seraphina woke up and saw Leandro, fresh from the shower and in his pajamas, standing by the bed. She covered half of her face with the nket and watched Leandro warily. Seeing her eyes, Leandro slowly said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in sick people.¡± Seraphina snorted and turned her back on him. Leandro quicklyy down on the other side of the bed. Seraphina had already slept and was very awake now. She just kept her eyes closed, listening to his movements. Leandro got into bed and quickly turned off the lights, seemingly ready to sleep. However, after a long time, Seraphina didn¡¯t hear his steady breathing, which meant Leandro was still awake. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help recalling that she hadn¡¯t shared a bed with him many times, and every time he left after she fell asleep. first. She seemed to have never seen him truly asleep. Maybe this was what he was like when he was asleep? Thinking this, Seraphina suddenly rolled over and quietly moved closer to him. The room was pitch ck, not even a night light was left on. Seraphina¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t adjust to the darkness, and she tried hard to see Leandro¡¯s face but couldn¡¯t. ¡°Have you seen enough?¡± Leandro suddenly asked coldly. Seraphina was startled andy back on the bed, clutching her chest,ining, ¡°You scared me!¡± Leandro was speechless. She had been staring at him in the middle of the night, her face close to his without making a sound, and he ended up scaring her. She was so good at twisting the truth! After a while, Seraphina heard his breathing still steady, so she asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± ¡°I really want to sleep.¡± Leandro replied. Hearing this, Seraphina moved closer to him, until she was almost lying on his arm, and then she put his arm under her head and said, ¡°I really want to sleep too.¡± In fact, sleeping on each other¡¯s arms is not veryfortable for both of them. Seraphina knew this, and Leandro would too. Leandro was originally lying t, letting Seraphina sleep next to him. But with her moving around on his arm, he seemed to reach the end of his patience. But instead of pushing her away, he rolled over, facing the same direction as her, and gently encircled her waist. That got Seraphina to chill the heck out for a bit. But after a long time, Seraphina still couldn¡¯t hear any sign of Leandro¡¯s breathing that would indicate he was asleep. ¡°Leandro,¡± she suddenly called out to him in the darkness. It took a while before Leandro responded to her in a low voice. ¡°Why?¡± she asked. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. The question was out of the blue, but Leandro knew exactly what she was asking. She probably always thought that he was only interested in her body. If he didn¡¯t want to sleep with her, why would he go through all this trouble? As if to prove her point, Seraphina suddenly reached into his robe. Leandro immediately grabbed her hand, but Seraphina justughed, ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to pass out on your bed in the middle of our sex.¡± Leandro said. ¡°So you¡¯d better be quiet.¡± Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Late at night, Seraphina was getting quieter and quieter. She really wanted to hear Leandro¡¯s breathing, but it didn¡¯te. Instead, she fell asleep first, regardless of whether Leandro was asleep or not. In the morning, she was awakened by the sound of Leandro getting up. Looked at the bedside clock, sure enough, on time six o ¡®clock. She began to question if Leandro was even human¡­. As she was thinking, she suddenly felt a hand on her forehead, warm. Seraphina opened her eyes and nced at him. Leandro looked at her, didn¡¯t say a word, just felt her ternperature was normal and then turned and went into the bathroom. With that, Seraphina didn¡¯t feel like sleeping anymore, just lying in bed listening to the sound of water in the bathroom. The moment the water stopped, another sound suddenly came from the room, Seraphina was stunned for a moment, before she realized it was her phone ringing. She picked up the phone and saw a strange number, hesitated for a moment, but answered the call. ¡°Hello, Ms. Bet?¡± A middle¨Caged man¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°I¡¯m a police officer, do you know a woman named Magdalen?¡± Seraphina immediately sat up. Leandro came out of the bathroom and saw her listening to the phone attentively. Forty minutester, Leandro apanied Seraphina to the police station that had just called her. Magdalen was sitting in the police station office, her arms crossed, smoking a cigarette, her hair was a bit messy, and her clothes. were wrinkled. When Seraphina and Leandro came in, she just nced at them and continued to smoke. Sitting next to her was a man in his forties, very strong, but he looked fierce. Especially the three nail scratches on his face made him look even more terrifying. The policeman who called her described that the two had been drinking togetherst night, then had a one¨Cnight stand, and when they woke up in the morning, Magdalen tly denied their rtionship, leading to a heated argument. The man tried to avoid conflict, but Magdalen scratched his face with her nails. Seraphina showed no expression and turned her head to ask the police about the relevant procedures. Leandro took a call, and when he hung up, Magdalen had just finished a cigarette. She looked at Leandro and said, ¡°You came with her, which means you live together, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Leandro countered. Magdalen smirked, ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. I just think thatpared to Seraphina, you are more capable of getting me out of here sooner.¡± Just as she finished speaking, Leandro¡¯s phone rang again. He nced at her and walked away to answer the call. On the side, after Seraphina finished understanding the process, she turned around and returned to the room, stood in front of Magdalen, ¡°Are you sure you want to use that man of sexually assaulting you?¡± Upon hearing this, Magdalen nced at the man next to her. The man was a foreigner, and though he couldn¡¯t understand their conversation, he was clearly angered by Magdalen¡¯s look, stood up suddenly, and shouted, ¡°You disgusting woman! I never forced you! You were the one who initiated itst night!¡± His emotions were so intense that it was almost like a roar, but Magdalen maintained a cool and proud attitude, and Seraphina was equally calm, looking at the angry man without any expression on her face. ¡°Forget it.¡± After a while, Magdalen said, ¡°I want to puke just looking at him. I just want to get out of here as soon as possible.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina showed no emotion on her face. She went to the man and directly began to discuss a solution with him. The man was clearly convinced that he was innocent. Now that Magdalen said she wouldn¡¯t pursue it, he was still upset about the scars on his face and wasn¡¯t willing to let it go so easily. Leandro hung up the phone and saw Seraphina¡¯s thin figure standing in front of the man, her face pale, but still resolutely negotiating with the man. His face darkened. Leandro stepped forward, pulled Seraphina behind him, ¡°You go out first, I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina turned around and left the office. She walked straight to the entrance of the police station, took a breath of the outside air, then stopped and quietly leaned there. After a while, Magdalen came out, apparently having reached a settlement and was free to leave. She walked out of the office building and saw Seraphina, she hesitated slightly. Seraphina leaned against the wall, calmly looking at her, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you thought of asking me to handle sormething like this.¡± Magdalen looked at her coldly. ¡°If you think it¡¯s a hassle, consider it thest thing you¡¯ll do for me. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other, are you satisfied?¡± Seraphina¡¯s gaze fell on her face, she didn¡¯t answer. Magdalen apparently didn¡¯t n to wait for her answer, turned around and left. Seraphina quietly watched her receding figure, turned her head, and met Leandro who had just walked out. Facing him, she quickly showed a smile, ¡°Did you get it sorted out? Thanks.¡± Leandro looked at her, reached out and touched her at the corner of her eye. Despite the situation, her expression was still as usual, her eyes didn¡¯t even turn red, and she even smiled at him. This was not how the old Seraphina would react. But her calm demeanor made her seem too weak, unable to hide her frailty. She was still somewhat simr to before, even if only a little. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Leandro quietly looked at her, couldn¡¯t help but lower his head. Seraphina smiled again.. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, we haven¡¯t even left the police station yet.¡± she said, ¡°You¡¯re not nning to make another scandal, are you?¡± After hearing her words, Leandro paused for a moment, and then kissed her anyway. This kiss had no lustful undertones, it seemed like he just wanted to taste, to see just how deep her bitterness ran. But he didn¡¯t get a taste. She opened her mouth and gently bit him, as sweet and tender as ever. After leaving the police station, the driver first dropped Leandro off at the office, then took Seraphina back to her apartment to rest. As soon as Leandro got to the office, he went straight into a meeting room. The meeting had been dyed waiting for him, so it went on until two in the afternoon. When Keen brought the ordered lunch to Leandro¡¯s office, Leandro was already on a video call with a colleague from Europe. Keen was about to leave after setting down the lunch, but Leandro suddenly hit the mute button, nced up at him, and said, ¡°Give Laura a call. Ask her to arrange a doctor to give Seraphina a health checkup.¡± Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Keen left the office and quickly dialed Laura on Leandro¡¯s instructions About ten minutester, Keen rushed back into Leandros office Leandro nced at him and hit the mute button on his phone, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Laura says Ms Bet is not at the apartment she went out¡± Leandro responded calmly and gestured for Keen to leave Although Leandros face was expressionless. Keen noticed a slight furrow in his brow when he mentioned that Seraphina was not in the apartment. So, Keen immediately left the office and called Seraphina But the call went unanswered, making Keen anxious Considering Seraphina¡¯s usual behavior, she might be up to something that would upset Leandro, and ultimately, he, as an assistant, would suffer With this in mind, Keen immediately stopped what he was doing and started looking for Seraphina But this wasnt Sunburst City at all, no matter how hard he tried it was very difficult to find a woman who had gone missing in the bustling city. Keen searched for Seraphina all aftemoon, but her phone remained unreachable, and there was no sign of her He was so worried that he wanted to call the police, but Leandro was as cool as a cucumber. He left work a bit earlier than usual, at 9 PM, and headed back to his apartment. Seraphina still hadn¡¯t shown up, and Keen didn¡¯t want to annoy Leandro, so he wasted in the lobby of the apartment building Close to 11 PM, Keens expectations were fulfilled ¨C Seraphina returned to the apartment on her own! Upon seeing her Keen rushed over and asked ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± Seraphina looked a bit tired, she looked at him, I had a date, so I went out, any problem with that?¡± ¡°Who were you with? What meeting?¡± Keen asked worriedly. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I reach your phone?¡± Seraphinaughed at his question, ¡°Why the hell do you care who I¡¯m out with? Are you into me or something?¡± Taken aback by her words, Keen took a step back, collected himself, and continued, ¡°Ms. Bet, you know how much Mr. Reynolds cares about you. Can you please not disappear like that next time? It, makes him worry¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°Oh really? Can you borate on how much Mr. Reynolds cares about me?¡± ¡°Do I really need to spell it out for you?¡± Keen said impatiently, ¡°You¡¯re his main squeeze, can¡¯t you feel tha17¡± Seraphina contemted for a while, then chuckled, ¡°So, what do you think your boss would do if I just disappeared and never came back?¡± Keen was taken aback by her words and without another word, he escorted her upstairs. Leandro was sitting in the living room when Seraphina entered, with herptop borrowed from Laura in front of him. ¡°You finished work early today.¡± Seraphina said, smiling ¡°You seem busier than me.¡± Leandro said calmly Seraphina took off her shoes, walked over to Leandro, and looked down at theptop. Theptop was still on, and the files inside were clearly visible Not wanting to be in denial Seraphina book theptop, began deleting the files, and while doing so, said, I¡¯m done with theptop, it should be returned to Laura¡± Watching her operation silently, Leandro slowly asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you need these important files anymore?¡± Tve submitted them to the government,¡± Seraphina answered, ¡°so they¡¯re of no use to me here Upon hearing her answer Leandro had a clearer idea of where she had been all day. Theptop was filled with internal files from SAMs, some of which were extremely confidential. SAMs was apany founded by Samuel Wilson and now run by Parker Wilson The documents Seraphina had were rted to many of SAM¡¯s trade secrets, including thepany¡¯s cover¨Cups of factory pollution, alteration of product information, and illegal sales Obviously, her disappearance was due to her submitting these files to the relevant authorities and Cooperating with the investigation. ¡°Why investigate SAMs Leandro asked. ¡°Because they broke thew.¡± Seraphina answered casually Leandro did not respond He knew this was not the real answer. He had a hunch about the real reason¨CFarrah had once mentioned that if Seraphina did not behave, Nadine would release her video. Although Farrah did not know what was in the video, it was something that could threaten Seraphina, and it was not hard to guess what it was Unwilling to be controlled by others, Seraphina chose to fight back by investigating SAM¡¯s Once these documents were made public, not to mention the penalties Parker, as the group¡¯s leader, would face, the fines imposed by the Starhaven govemment, along with the subsequent crises they would have to deal with, would be enough to bankrupt SAMs ¡°How did you get these documents? Leandro asked again Seraphina made a ¡°money¡± gesture with her hand and said, ¡°Money makes the world go round, Mr. Reynolds, you should know that better than me if not for money, how could you live in such avish apartment, and have so many people at your beck and call?¡± As she spoke, she deleted thest record, closed theptop, stood up and said, ¡°Im so beat I¡¯m going to take a bath and go to sleep¡­¡± As she got up, she suddenly felt a ckout and her body swayed, falling towards the floor. Leandro quickly stood up and caught her limp body He touched her forehead and found that she had started to fever Seraphina was feeling a bit woary, but she quickly snapped out of it, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. Seeing that she still wanted to take a shower Leandro immediately scooped her up and camed her back to the bedroom,ying her on the bed As soon as she hit the soft bed, Seraphina let out a deep sigh of relief, and then promptly closed her eyes Leandro made a phone call, and then sat quietly by the bed watching her for a while before he finally said, ¡°All for a woman who doesnt love you anymore?¡± Hearing this, Seraphinas heavy eyelids suddenly trembled After a while, she managed to open her eyes and looked at him with difficulty whispered. ¡°Once this is over I¡¯ll treat her like a stranger, and we won¡¯t have anything to do with each other.¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 ¡°Bing strangers and cutting all (les may sound simple, but after Seraphina said it, she came down with a fever thatsted all night. Leandro immediately called for a doctor to stay overnight at the apartment, and he himself was up all night. In the early morning, Keen came to pick up Leandro for work and bumped into Laura who was delivering breakfast. After asking about the situation, Keen felt sorry for him ¨C even though Seraphina was taken care of by the doctor and Laura all night, Leandro was up all night. There¡¯s no way it wasn¡¯t her, is there? When Keen entered the apartment, he saw Leandro and Dr. David sitting at the dining table, having breakfast and discussing Seraphina¡¯s condition. After listening for a while, Keen couldn¡¯t help but frown ¨C Seraphina really had a hard life, even getting sick was moreplicated than others. Despite saying that she would get better after bearing with it, she fell into aa. Thinking this, he nced at Leandro¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Do you want to cancel today¡¯s schedule? Anyway, the people at Alvis Ltd, are very familiar with Eric, and he should be able to handle it alone¡± ¡°No need ¡°Leandro said. With this brief answer, Keen Immediately felt relieved although that woman could distract the boss, at the crucial moment, the boss knows that work is still the most important. After breakfast, Leandro gave some instructions to David and Laura, and then left. Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Seraphina was still unconscious That morning, the negotiation with Alvis Ltd. went very smoothly, so much so that the executives of Alvis Ltd. personally hosted a banquet. Although Leandro was preupied, he politely epted. The research report Keen had done yed an important role in the negotiation, and seeing the negotiation go so smoothly, he was very happy and had a lively conversation with an executive from Alvis Ltd. at the dining table.. When the meal wasing to an end, an executive suddenly asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the wine suit Mr. Reynolds¡® taste? Do you want to change the bottle?¡± Following everyone¡¯s gaze, Keen looked at the wine ss in front of Leandro and found that he had hardly touched it ¡°No need¡± Leandro said. ¡°It¡¯s a good wine. I¡¯m just not used to drinking at lunch.¡± That was true. Since taking over the Reynolds Group, Leandro had been strictly disciplined, holding himself to higher standards than his subordinates, and never allowed himself to drink at lunch. Keen, who had been with him for many years, naturally knew his habits, but when he saw Leandro¡¯s fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, he suddenly remembered something This was one of the rare gestures that Leandro would show when he was emotional, and it was a sign that he was about to lose his patience. But today¡¯s negotiation was going very smoothly, so what could make him lose his patience? Keen immediately understood, stood up, and said to the people at the table, ¡°Excuse me, I have a call to take.¡± He left the VIP area of the restaurant, took out his phone, and called Laura. After the call connected, Laura gave him some good news, ¡°Ms. Bet has regained consciousness and her temperature has dropped a bit, she¡¯s in the bath now.¡± Hearing this, Keen felt a wave of relief, and after a pause, he said, ¡°Find a chance to subtly remind her to give Mr. Reynolds a call and update him on her condition. Ask her to call him herself.¡± After Laura agreed and hung up, she heard Seraphinaing out of the bathroom, so she knocked on the door and entered the bedroom to find Seraphina had finished her bath. ¡°Ms. Bet.¡± Laura, not knowing how to put it subtly, said straightforwardly, ¡°Mr. Keen asked you to call Mr. Reynolds and update him on your condition.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina raised an eyebrow,id back down, andzily replied, ¡°Tell him I¡¯m sick and don¡¯t have the strength to call.¡± Hearing this, Laura turned around and left the room. Dr. David was still in the apartment, and when he saw Laura calling Keen again, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Miss Laura, what exactly is the rtionship between Ms. Bet and Mr. Reynolds, do you know?¡± Laura frowned and said. ¡°I think they might be boyfriend and girlfriend? But their rtionship is a bit strange, so I¡¯m not sure.¡± David nodded in agreement, I also feel that their rtionship is a bit strange, not like normal friends, but it seems to becking the feeling of a boyfriend and girlfriend rtionship¡­¡± After hearing Lauras ry of Seraphina¡¯s words, Keen felt both angry and helpless, and when he found an opportunity, he whispered to Leandro, ¡°1 just spoke to Laura, she said Ms. Bet is awake, so you don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡± Hearing this, Leandro just replied, ¡°okay¡± Meanwhile, after her bath, Seraphinaid in the freshly changed bed feeling much lighter and was about to continue sleeping when her phone rang. Thinking it was Keen, she rolled her eyes and picked up the phone, only to see Cooper Adams¡® name. ¡°S?¡± Hearing her voice, Cooper sounded confused, ¡°Why does your voice sound like this? Are you sick?¡± Yeah, I have a bit of a fever.¡± Seraphina replied. Cooper¡¯s voice immediately became tense, ¡°Did you go to the hospital? Where are you? Are you in the apartment?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seraphina replied weakly, ¡°Tm in Moonhaven¡± Cooper seemed taken aback, then said, ¡°I thought you were in Velvetwood, there¡¯s a musical I wanted to see with you. I didn¡¯t expect you to be not only out of town but also sick¡­ How¡¯s your condition? Is it serious?¡± ¡°When is the musical?¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°If it¡¯s in a few days, I might be able to make it.¡± ¡°In a week Cooper said. ¡°Really. Seraphina pondered, ¡°I need to check my schedule before I can give you an answer¡± Cooper chuckled softly. ¡°No worries, just focus on your health.¡± Seraphina murmured a response, and Cooper paused before speaking again, ¡°So we¡¯re agreed, I¡¯ll-¡± His words suddenly hung in the air, prompting a confused Seraphina to call out. ¡°Cooper?¡± After a moment, Cooper summoned the courage to ask, ¡°Sera, are you with Leandro now?¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you say¡­ you disliked him?¡± Cooper inquired. Turning in her bed to face the ceiling, Seraphina replied leisurely. ¡°I¡¯m living in his apartment now, but that doesn¡¯t mean¡­ I don¡¯t dislike him.¡± That night, when Leandro returned to the apartment, Seraphina had already slept through the afternoon and was changing clothes in the dressing room, while Laura watched her with a troubled expression. ¡°What happened?¡± Leandro stood at the bedroom door, asking in a low voice. Seeing him, Laura breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, it¡¯s perfect timing Ms. Bet really wants to go out.¡± Leandro nced at Seraphina, signaled Laura to leave, then stepped in, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± He knew her fever had finally subsided after three days, but she should still be weak. However, she looked energetic, her eyes particrly bright. ¡°I want corn soup.¡± Seraphina pouted at his silent gaze, ¡°I want it freshly cooked.¡± Leandro paused, surprised that she was insisting on such a minor detail, ¡°You can have Laura buy it from the store,¡± he suggested. ¡°Nope.¡± Seraphina rejected. ¡°The one bought from the store won¡¯t be fresh out of the pot, it just doesn¡¯t taste the same¡± Leandro looked at her, slowly suggesting. Then we can have the chef cook it for you.¡± ¡°I want corn soup cooked over a stove!¡± Seraphina eximed, slightly irritated, ¡°Your apartment doesn¡¯t even have gas, how can you make stove¨Ccooked soup?¡± Having finished dressing, she walked up to Leandro and stopped, then broke into a smile, reaching out to tug on his coat, ¡°You just got back in time, why don¡¯t youe with me?¡± She looked up at him, her eyes bright and face full of smiles, her coquettish and pleading demeanor was¡­ N?velDrama.Org content. irresistible. Leandro remained expressionless, shrugged off her hand, ¡°There¡¯s a restaurant run by one of our countrymen just twenty minutes away by car. If you think the oatmeal Laura buyscks taste, then let Keen fetch you some authentic ones.¡± He walked out of the bedroom, sat on the living room couch, and reached for his phone. Seraphina followed him, snatched his phone, then sat in hisp, looking up at him, ¡°Don¡¯t call Keen! He doesn¡¯t like me. If he has to go out and buy food thiste, he¡¯ll dislike me even more.¡± Leandro looked at her without replying. Seraphina tossed his phone aside, wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggled into his chest, ¡°Just go with me¡­ I¡¯ve barely eaten anything for two days, all I want now is a bowl of warm corn soup¡­ Her temperature was still slightly high, the warmth from her forehead rubbing against his neck and chin, generating a heat that stirred a certain passion within him. Her body pressed closely against his, writhing. It was hard to believe that she was doing this unintentionally. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go..¡± Seraphina pleaded relentlessly. ¡°It¡¯s not far I really want to eat¡­¡± Leandro grabbed her slender waist, halting her movements, his voice slightly hoarse, ¡°If you want to go out, then get off me so I can change.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina burst intoughter, promptly hopped off him and pulled him up, ¡°Alright, go change.¡± Ten minutester, Leandro emerged from the bedroom in a new bespoke suit. Half an hourter, Leandro, d in his bespoke suit, sat with Seraphina in a homely diner in the next block. It was now past nine in the evening, the restaurant was still bustling, the air filled with the hustle and bustle of city life and the aroma of food. Waitstaff and patrons moved about, creating a lively atmosphere. In this lively scene, Leandro seemed out of ce. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Leandro¡¯s shy attire, coupled with Seraphina¡¯s stunning beauty, drew quite a bit of attention despite them sitting in a corner. The server who came to take their order couldn¡¯t help but steal a few extra nces at them. Unfazed, Leandro didn¡¯t really give a hoot, and Seraphina, ustomed to being scrutinized, focused on ordering the dishes she wanted to eat. Most of what she ordered was seafood. After jotting down her order, the server turned to Leandro, ¡°Sir, would you like to order anything?¡± With a slight furrow of his brow. Leandro tapped the table, indicating for the server to hand him the menu. Without hesitation, the server handed him the menu. Leandro took the pen, crossed out seven of the eight dishes, leaving only an corn soup, and then handed it back to the server ¡°Hold on!¡± Seraphina immediately reached for the order. ¡°Why did you cross out my dishes?¡± Looking at the order in his hand, the server was also taken aback, ¡°So¡­ just one pot of corn soup then?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°Yes¡± Two voices rang out simultaneously. The server nced at Leandro, then at Seraphina Seraphina said, ¡°Just go with what I ordered earlier, pick the biggest seafood!¡± Leandro didn¡¯t say anything, just looked at the server. Intimidated by his icy gaze, the server took the order and left. Twenty minutester, only a pot of corn soup appeared on their table Staring at the corn soup in front of her, Seraphina fell silent for a good dozen seconds before looking up at him, ¡°Leandro, you¡¯re already odd enough sitting here dressed like this! Isn¡¯t it weirder that we only ordered corn soup?¡± ¡°You said you wanted corn soup.¡± Leandro sat quietly in his chair, responding with a poker face. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with having some seafood?¡± Seraphina pointed to the table next to them, deliberately raising her voice, ¡°Look how fresh the seafood is, it smells so good too! You¡¯re dressed so formally, but you¡¯re so stingy, not even willing to buy a single seafood dish!¡± Their exchange drew a lot of attention from surrounding tables, but Leandro just sat quietly, watching Seraphina Just at that moment, a buttered lobster dish was served at the table next to them. A man in his forties laughed and offered it to Seraphina, ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, miss. Let me treat you¡± ¡°Sure, thank you¡± Seraphina happily epted the te. Leandro looked up and gave the man a cold look, ¡°Sir, thedy here has a fever and acute gastroenteritis. If she ends up in the hospital after eating this seafood, will you take responsibility?¡± Upon hearing this, the man¡¯s face changed instantly, and he quickly took back the lobster, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡± The man returned awkwardly to his seat while Seraphina silently exchanged nces with Leandro, eventually relenting and picking up the spoon to eat the corn soup. After taking a bite, she paused to savor the taste, then said, ¡°It¡¯s just okay, not as good as the corn soup my dad used to make¡± Leandro didn¡¯t expect her to mention Carney Bet out of the blue but he just sat quietly, watching her. ¡°My dad always made corn soup, it was especially good, thick and smooth¡± A smile appeared on Seraphina¡¯s face, ¡°His friends always teased him, saying his hands could only paint or make soup. Can you guess why he learned to make soup?¡± The answer was too obvious, so Leandro didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Because my mom loved corn soup.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°She was young and beautiful at the time, and had such a light palette, like a fairy. My dad really loved her, so he learned how to make it¡­ I¡¯ve tried corn soup at many restaurants, but none of them couldpare to my dad¡¯s. But I can¡¯t taste it anymore.. After saying this, she had corn soup again. Halfway through her meal, she suddenly looked at Leandro, her eyes squinting slightly as she smiled, ¡°Isn¡¯t this kind of love something to yearn for? If a man was willing to learn how to make a dish just for me, I would really like him!¡± Leandro listened quietly, then reached out to take the spoon from her, ¡°That¡¯s enough¡± ¡°Why?¡± Seraphinained, ¡°Not only do we only get to have corn soup, but we only get to have half of it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you throwing up in my bed tonight¡± Leandro replied expressionlessly, then called the server, ¡°Check, please¡± After paying, the server watched in surprise as they left. Leandro¡¯s stinginess was the subject of the restaurant staff¡¯s gossip even after they closed. Seraphina, exiting the restaurant, said, ¡°You should¡¯ve tipped more, considering your status. You should care about your image¡± Leandro stopped by the car, turned around and said, ¡°What others think is their business, I don¡¯t care.¡± Resigned, Seraphina got into the car Back at the apartment, Seraphina headed straight for the bathroom in the bedroom to take a shower. Leandro didn¡¯t bother her and went to another bathroom When he finished his shower, Seraphina was still not out. Women usually take longer showers, so Leandro didn¡¯t think much of it and started checking his emails. By the time he had finished reading and replying to all the emails from the past two days, Seraphina was still not out. Leandro quickly got up and went to the bedroom, knocking on the bathroom door. No response. Leandro immediately pushed the door open. In the bathroom, Seraphina was lying motionless with her eyes closed, headphones on her head Leandro swiftly moved forward, removing the headphones from her head, ¡°Seraphina?¡± Seraphina suddenly opened her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked, looking at him, ¡°You want to use the tub?¡± Leandro gave her a long look, then turned to leave. ¡°Wait ¨C Seraphina suddenly called out. Leandro turned to look at her. She was lying on the edge of the bathtub looking at him, ¡°I¡¯ve been soaking for too long, I can¡¯t move. Can you help me up?¡± Leandro¡¯s brows were knitted together, and after a while, he turned around and came back, standing over her at the edge of the bathtub, finally extending his hand to lift her out of the bubble¨Cfilled water. Then, he carried her over to the shower area, turned on the showerhead, and washed away the foam on her body. Seraphina was unsteady on her feet, so he held her with one arm while using the other to hold the showerhead and rinse her body. Seraphina leaned into him, clearly feeling his breath and body tense up. ¡°Your robe is all wet,¡± Seraphina suddenly said, ¡°Wanna strip it off and take a shower?¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Leandro had hit his limit of endurance. When she teased him, his face and eyes darkened. He held the showerhead, continuing to wash her body. Maybe he held the showerhead too close to her skin, Seraphina suddenly yelped. She moved even closer to him, ¡°Too hot As she got closer, her hands around his waist, she untied the ck robe he was wearing, pressing herself against his chest. Leandro¡¯s chest heaved Seraphina leaned into him, ¡°Hold the showerhead further away¡­ No sooner had she spoken, Leandro suddenly dropped the showerhead, pinned her against the wall and fiercely kissed her The showerhead danced about on the floor, water sshing everywhere. Leandro¡¯s gradually drying hair and body were soaked again In the midst of the mist, her body was incredibly smooth and delicate, with a humanly scent. He held her tightly in his arms, not letting her escape. The shower steam filled the air, the temperature gradually rising. Seraphina fondled Leandro¡¯s tense muscles. When Seraphina was nearly out of breath, Leandro suddenly turned her around and pressed against her from behind. At that moment, Seraphina moaned in a bit of pain. Leandro¡¯s fierce, unstoppable movements suddenly stopped. Holding her waist, he looked down at her, gently asking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina turned her head around. Her once healthyplexion looking a bit off, she cautiously said to Leandro, ¡°My stomach hurts a bit¡­ Leandro¡¯s gaze darkened even more. He looked at her, finally took a white robe hanging from the wall, wrapped Seraphina in it, then lifted her out of the shower room, back to the bedroom, and flung her onto the bed Perhaps due to frustration, his actions were quite rough, without the slightest bit of gentleness. Seraphina was thrown heavily onto the bed. Despite the soft mattress, she yelled out, then red at the man standing by the bed, ¡°Could you be gentler? My stomach was already hurting, and you throwing me like that almost made me throw up!¡± Sheined while lying on the bed, but Leandro just coldly looked at her. After a while, Seraphina turned to him, pitifully asked him, ¡°Your hands are warm. Could you rub my stomach? I might feel better if you do.¡± Without a word, Leandro walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Seraphina almostughed. Frustrated men sure do have bad tempers! The hot shower did make her feel a bit weak. Since Leandro had stormed off, she didn¡¯t bother with him and dozed off on the bed. When she opened her eyes again, it was midnight. The bed was empty. It seemed like Leandro hadn¡¯te back since he left. Seraphina sat up, casually tied her robe and walked out of the room. The living room was also empty, but the study door was slightly ajar. The light from the study caught her attention. Seraphina approached the study door, gently pushed it open, a strong smell of smoke hit her. Seraphina immediately covered her mouth and coughed. Leandro was in the study. behind his desk looking at hisputer. Hearing the noise, he looked up to see Seraphina coughing at the door. He frowned, extinguishing the cigarette in his ashtray. Seraphina waited a while before she walked in, covering her nose, first opened the window for him. After getting used to the smell of smoke in the room, she dropped her hand, ¡°The smoke is really strong, how many cigarettes have you smoked?¡± She walked over to his desk, nced at the ashtray on the desk ¨C he had smoked quite a few cigarettes, it seemed he was under a lot of pressure. Leandro didn¡¯t look at her, just calmly said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± His voice was always cold, this time was no different. Seraphina heard this and walked over to him. ¡°I did go to sleep, but then I woke up.¡± She said, then suddenly crawled into hisp, reaching out to hook his neck, ¡°I want you to sleep with me.¡± Leandro nced at her, then looked away, ¡°I have files to read.¡± Then I¡¯ll keep youpany while you read the files.¡± Seraphina quickly replied, insisting on staying in hisp. Leandro was silent for a moment, finally put down the files in his hand, leaned back in his chair and coldly looked at her, ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s eyes flickered, after a while, she softly answered, ¡°I just want you to be with me, is that not allowed?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Leandro looked at her, saying nothing ¡°Fine then.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Since you¡¯re busy, I won¡¯t bother you.¡± She was about to get up from hisp, but Leandro suddenly grabbed her waist tightly. The next moment, he closed the files, shut down theputer, carried her out of the study back to the bedroom Seraphina was againid on the bed, only this time his movements were much gentler. She couldn¡¯t help butugh, quickly got into bed, leaving space for Leandro. Once Leandro was in bed, she immediately snuggled into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Leandro watched her, eventually reached out to turn off the lights in the room. Theyy quietly for a while, then Seraphina suddenly said, ¡°Leandro¡­¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, but Seraphina knew he wasn¡¯t asleep. So she turned over,ying on his chest, softly asked him, ¡°Leandro, why are you so amodating and caring towards me?¡± Leandro quietly watched her lying on his chest. In the dark, he couldn¡¯t see her face clearly, only her eyes shone with a captivating light. ¡°You always do as you please. But why did you care about me just now?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± Leandro still didnt speak, but the hand on her waist slowly tightened. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but softly call out, then asked again, ¡°Can you tell who I am yet?¡± This time, Leandro reached out and flicked on the room light. The sudden brightness from pitch darkness caused Seraphina¡¯s eyes to wince. She had to shut her eyes for a while, slowly opening them again only to meet Leandro¡¯s intense gaze straight on. ¡°Who else would you be?¡± Leandro retorted. Seraphina slowly sat up straight, letting out a soft chuckle, ¡°I am Seraphina, but not the Seraphina you have in mind. Are you sure you still want to take care of me?¡± Leandro quietly watched her for a good while before he finally said, ¡°I know what I want.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s eyes welled up as if she was about to cry. But in the next moment, she quickly reached out and switched off the light, leaning back into his chest and simply whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s get some shut¨Ceye.¡± Chapter 135 Chapter 135 In the dark, Leandro¡¯s hand slowly reached out to touch her face, his fingertips gently sliding over her eyes. Seraphina, with her eyes tightly shut, suddenly grabbed his hand when she felt his touch. Then, she moved his hand to her mouth and bit down hard. She bit him real hard. Leandro¡¯s arm tensed, but he just let her bite him without making a sound. Seraphina let go slowly, only after her teeth started to hurt. Even after letting go, she still held onto his hand tightly. Leandro wrapped his other arm around her and leaned down to kiss the corner of her mouth. They stayed like this without moving Until Seraphina¡¯s breathing slowly steadied, Leandro remained awake. It was a sleepless night for him. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. In the early morning, as the sky was slowly lighting up, Leandro lifted his hand and saw the bite mark from the previous night She bit him really hard. The teeth marks on the back of his hand were clearly visible, the wound was bleeding, turned a deep purple shade, and he reckoned it would take five to seven days to heal. But, if these five to seven days could make up for the past seven years, it was all worth it, right? Leandroy still for a while, nced at Seraphina, gently withdrew his arm from around her, and prepared to get up. But just as he moved, Seraphina stirred. Her hand reached for his waist and she moved closer to him. Leandro froze, while she slowly moved into his arms. She seemed to be half¨Casleep yet chose to stir in the most sensitive area. Leandro¡¯s voice suddenly became hoarse, ¡°Seraphina¡± Seraphina suddenlyughed, opened her eyes and looked at him, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Perhapsst night¡¯s experience had left a mark on him, so Leandro coldly looked at her, removed her hand from his waist, pulled back the covers and prepared to get out of bed. Seraphina quickly wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing herself against his back, ¡°Leandro, I have something to tell you.¡± Leandro sat on the edge of the bed, not looking back, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m not feverish anymore, my stomach doesn¡¯t hurt, and my bowels feel fine¡­¡± she said, leaning in close to his ear, her hand slowly reaching inside his robe Leandro grabbed her hand, his grip strong. But Seraphinaughed again, this time, she only said a few words. ¡°I want you¡± Before she even finished speaking, within the span of three seconds, she found herself tossed onto the bed again. She couldn¡¯t help butugh and reached out to embrace the man on top of her. That day, Keen arrived at the apartment as usual to pick up Leandro for work. Usually at this time, Leandro was having breakfast. However, when Keen came out of the elevator, he only saw Laura standing at the door with a breakfast tray ¡°Laura¡± Keen called out to her, ¡°Why are you standing here and not bringing in the breakfast?¡± Laura shrugged, ¡°I rang the doorbell, but Mr. Reynolds didn¡¯t respond.¡± Normally, Leandro would respond quickly when she rang the bell. She would only enter after receiving a response to avoid disturbing anyone inside. So today, since Leandro didn¡¯t respond, she didn¡¯t dare to enter the apartment. Upon hearing this, Keen nced at his watch, puzzled. Regardless of the ce or time, Leandro always woke up at six o¡¯clock sharp. Now it was already half past seven, he should have been up a long time ago. Thinking of this, Keen also reached out and pressed the doorbell. However, the moment his finger touched the bell, a vague idea shed through his mind. Although he hadn¡¯t fully understood it, he began to feel regret. However, the momentum of his finger prevented him from stopping, so he regretfully watched as his own finger pressed the bell. Unexpectedly, Laura responded quickly this time Keen let out a sigh of relief, exchanged a nce with Laura, and then pushed open the door to enter the apartment. Leandro was not in the living room. Keen checked the study and didn¡¯t find Leandro there either. So, the answer was obvious ¨C Leandro was still in the bedroom Since Leandro was in the bedroom, he should be out soon. So Laura started to prepare breakfast as usual, while Keen sat on the sofa, reading the news and waiting Inside the bathroom of the bedroom, Leandro had just turned on the shower when he felt someone holding him from behind. Stop fooling around.¡± He nced at her sideways. 1 want to fool around.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°It¡¯s still early, what¡¯s the rush?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t say anything, just felt her arms tightly wrapped around his waist. The woman who was just pleading with him in bed, was now back to her energetic self, tangling with him, her health seemed to have improved. Seeing that he remained silent, Seraphina moved to his front and started her attack. The bathroom was filled with steam, the sound of the shower masking the sounds of their heavy breathing. Ten minutes after entering the door, Keen looked in the direction of the bedroom three times. Twenty minutes after entering, Keen looked in the direction of the bedroom thirty times; Thirty minutester, Keen felt he was about to see through the bedroom door, yet he still couldn¡¯t see anything. Various possibilities shed through his mind, and the most likely one was not in line with Leandro¡¯s personality. So, he thought of more possibilities- could an ident have happened? Coma? Poisoned? Murdered? Someone broke in? The secret room case? His mind was filled with various thoughts. Just as he was about to knock on the door, the bedroom door finally opened, and Leandro in his ck suit walked out. Keen let out another sigh of relief, checked the time, it was already twenty past eight. Considering the traffic situation in Manhattan, they would definitely bete if they left now, let alone that Leandro hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast yet. Leandro seemed to have prepared for beingte, so he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He sat at the dining table, browsing the news while sipping his coffee. Keen didn¡¯t dare to express any opinion or ask any question. He just silently did the math in his head ¨C he had been with Leandro for nearly eight years, and this was the first time Leandro waste for work.. The first time! Keen kept repeating in his heart. When he couldn¡¯t help but look towards the bedroom again, Seraphina walked out of the bedroom wrapped in a short robe that exposed her thighs. Keen instinctively wanted to look away when he saw her outfit. When he saw the flush on her face, he immediately stood up from the sofa ¡°Mr. Reynolds, I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs.¡± Keen hurriedly said this and didn¡¯t dare to look at Seraphina anymore. He hurried to the door. In the nce before he closed the door, he saw Seraphina walk to Leandro¡¯s side and take a bite of the sandwich in Leandro¡¯s hand. Leandro, however, didn¡¯t care at all and continued eating from where she had bitten. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Seraphina settled next to Leandro as soon as Keen closed the door, saying. ¡°Keen seems a bit scared of me. He is a real chicken¡± Leandro cast a nce at her outfit and calmly replied, ¡°Keen¡¯s a steadfast guy, you don¡¯t need to always mess with him¡± ¡°A steadfast guy?¡± Seraphina chuckled at the description, then added, ¡°He¡¯s always by your side, dealing with all kinds of stuff for you, shouldn¡¯t he be more of a smooth talker?¡± Leandro looked up at her, ¡°I don¡¯t like smooth talkers.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t like me?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Leandro nced at her without responding, then returned his gaze to the news on his tablet. Taking advantage of his distraction, Seraphina pushed away her fruit juice, eyed his coffee, and reached for it, only to have her hand swatted away by Leandro 1 haven¡¯t had coffee for days, let me have a sip!¡± Seraphina whined, rubbing her hand. Leandro replied without looking up. ¡°Fix your health first.¡± Seraphina pouted, then suddenly asked, ¡°Do you know the best way for a woman to take care of herself?¡± Leandro clearly had no interest in the topic, didn¡¯t even bat an eye, totally ignoring her. However, Seraphina took it as a ¡°No¡°, and went on, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s making love! Plus, you¡¯re such a hunk.¡± Finally unable to bear her nonsense, Leandro nced at her and finished hisst sip of coffee. He put down his tablet, stood up and left. ¡°Bye!¡± Seraphina waved at him with a cheeky smile, ¡°Remember toe home early tonight!¡± Leandro walked out without looking back and went downstairs, where Keen was quietly waiting for him. It was only when Leandro got into the car that Keen noticed the bite mark on his hand. Startled, he asked, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, are you hurt?¡± Leandro nced at the wound and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Keen frowned, thinking the wound didn¡¯t look like nothing. ¡°Do we need to go to the hospital?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Leandro said. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the office.¡± Keen took another worried nce at the wound, sighing internally. The shape of the wound looked like Seraphina had done it. Women are really troublesome! After Leandro left, Seraphina continued her breakfast. In the midst of her leisurely meal, her phone suddenly rang. Seraphina nced at the caller ID, pressed the mute button, and continued her breakfast. After finishing breakfast and taking a nap, she woke up around noon. By then, her phone was flooded with dozens of missed calls and a series of heated, mixednguage texts. Seraphina squinted and counted, most of the messages were from Farrah Obviously, the Wilson family was in trouble. She was carefully reading the messages from Farrah when her phone received another call, this time, from Nadine herself. Seraphina silently looked at the caller ID, and only answered when the call was about to end automatically. ¡°Good morning, grandma.¡± ¡°Seraphina¡± Nadine¡¯s voice was still calm, but a bit chilly, ¡°You¡¯re so arrogant that I have to call you personally to get you to pick up.¡± ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ve got the wrong idea.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°I always wake upte. I was still sleeping¡± Nadine clearly had no patience for further excuses, ¡°You need toe back to the Wilson family immediately. Or you know the consequences.¡± Seraphina was straightforward and quick to respond, ¡°Okay¡± At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Seraphina showed up at the Wilson family. Surprisingly, only Nadine was waiting for her at the chaotic Wilson family. At such a tumultuous time, all four families of Parker were nowhere to be seen, either cooperating with the investigation or seeking refuge. The servants looked panic¨Cstricken, but Nadine was very somber, watching Seraphinae in from the door. ¡°Grandma¡± Before Nadine could speak, Seraphina sat down on the sofa, ¡°I was in Moonhaven, so I came backte. I hope you don¡¯t mind. Did you call me back in a hurry for something?¡± Nadine stared at her silently for a moment, then suddenlyughed coldly, ¡°You¡¯re so smart, don¡¯t you know why I called you back?¡± ¡°I¡¯m always a troublemaker. I really don¡¯t know which incident you¡¯re referring to!¡± Seraphina just laughed. This morning, someone from the investigation team came to thepany and took Parker away.¡± Nadine looked at her coldly. ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± This morning?¡± Seraphina looked surprised, ¡°I really didn¡¯t know¡­ They acted so quickly!¡± She said this with a smile Her eyes were full of provocation, staring straight at Nadine. Nadine remained calm, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll upload those videos of your shameless mother to the inte and let the whole world see what your mother is really like?¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°Grandma, I came back this time to tell you that Ms. Magdalen has chosen to cut off all rtions with me. From now on we go out separate ways. Whatever you have can no longer threaten her or me.¡± Is that so?¡± Nadine said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve made your choice, I¡¯ll have someone upload those things to the inte right now. It¡¯s also a good opportunity for your father, who passed away over a decade ago, to see what kind of person his wife really was!¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes flickered slightly but she still had a smile on her face ¡°Do as you wish, Granny. But I still have some important info that I haven¡¯t given to the Investigators I didn¡¯t dare to hand it over lightly. If I did, Parker would be prosecuted Maybe he¡¯d get a sentence of ten years, even twenty. You¡¯re getting on in years and wouldn¡¯t it be sad to have no one by your side when you pass away?¡± Nadine was finally provoked by Seraphina, losing herposure and hurling a cup at her. Seraphina casually dodged to the side, easily evading the attack. 1 knew it all along, you and your mother are no good!¡± Nadine stared at her, so angry that she was shaking slightly. ¡°Seraphina, aren¡¯t you and your mother afraid of karma?¡± I¡¯m willing to ept what I deserve, so there¡¯s no need for you to get so worked up, Granny.¡± Seraphina stood up, turning to leave but then turned back again. ¡°You¡¯re old, Granny. Your eyesight isn¡¯t good and your reactions are slow. You really shouldn¡¯t try to go online. Or else you¡¯ll really get a taste of karma.¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Seraphina had just left the Wilsons. As soon as she got into her car, she saw Farrah approaching her from a short distance away Farrah stopped in her tracks upon seeing her, and then quickly ran over. ¡°Seraphina!¡± Sitting in her car, Seraphina just nced at Farrah and then drove off quickly Farrah was left hanging. fuming, she chucked her purse at the car Seraphina was driving away in Regaining herposure, Farrah quickly headed home. As soon as she walked in the living room, she saw Nadine sitting on the couch, clutching her chest, looking in pain. ¡°Grandma¡®¡± Farrah rushed over, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Chest difort? Did Seraphina piss you off?¡± After a moment, Nadine reached out her hand to hold her and said slowly: We have to find a way to save your dad-¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­ Farrah nodded repeatedly, thinking of the recent events, she bit her lip. After leaving the Wilson family, Seraphina went to the Adams family. She used to meet Cooper frequently, so the Adams family was familiar with her and let her in directly, leading her to Cooper¡¯s room. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Cooper was reading by the window. Hearing the noise, he looked up and saw Seraphina. Outside the window were a few maple trees. Against the fiery red Sandra, Seraphina stood in the corridor smiling at him. She was always charming, as was her smile. But at this moment, Cooper thought he saw a hint of fatigue in her eyes. He was suddenly reminded of the first time he met her. It was probably four years ago when he had just graduated and was heading back to school to handle some things. He was walking while looking at his phone and bumped into her. The main road of the university was lush with trees, casting dappled lights and shadows. She looked up and smiled at him, the sadness in her eyes quickly disappearing in her smile. He always remembered that smile. He wanted to ask her what was bothering her, but never got the chance. Coming back to his senses, Cooper smiled back at Seraphina outside the window. Seraphina came in and sat on his couch, 1 came uninvited, hope I¡¯m not disturbing you.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± said Cooper, ¡°I¡¯m always happy to have you here. When did you get back?¡± ¡°Just now¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I went to see the olddy of the Wilson family, then I came to see you¡± Cooper seemed to sense something. ¡°Something happened?¡± ¡°I exposed some of SAMs underhanded dealings, and now Parker has been taken away for questioning¡± Cooper was a bit surprised, thenughed. That sounds like something you¡¯d do.¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°I chose to be with you again of my own free will. But I don¡¯t like being threatened, nor do I like being victimized. Although Seraphina never mentioned the real reason why she appeared at the Adams family, Cooper had guessed more or less. Now that Seraphina said this, it confirmed his guess. He wasn¡¯t surprised, just a bit heartbroken. Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Cooper asked. ¡°Nothing ¡°Seraphina replied with a smile, ¡°I can handle this myself, no need to bother you¡± After hearing this, Cooper pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Sera, I really hope I could do something for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if I need help. I¡¯ll definitelye to you.¡± Seraphina said and continued, ¡°Actually, I came today to tell you about the musical. I might not be able to go with you¡± Cooper showed no emotion, no disappointment in his eyes, just quietly looked at her. ¡®Something important came up?¡± ¡°I got a bombshell of a news story that I¡¯m really interested in. So, I¡¯m nning on staying in Evendia for a while¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You might not be able to reach me for a while¡± This was something Cooper didn¡¯t expect. He originally thought the reason Seraphina mentioned would have something to do with Leandro. However, the Reynolds Group¡¯s main business in Starhaven was in Moonhaven. And Evendia and Moonhaven were on the opposite ends of Starhaven, very far apart, so it didn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with Leandro So, it must be work¨Crted. ¡°What is it?¡± Cooper asked, ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, saying ¡°What quest for truth isn¡¯t dangerous? But I¡¯m a pro¡± Cooper knew her personality well, he couldn¡¯t stop her doing this. However, he still wanted to ask about Leandro, but he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. After the servant had taken Seraphina to Cooper, he returned to the main building where both Nathan Adams and Melisa Adams were present. The servant reported that Seraphina hade As soon as he finished speaking, Melisa¡¯s face changed, ¡°I need to check on this.¡± Nathan held her back, ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you?¡± Melisa said. ¡°The trouble with the Wilson family was all her doing I used to think she was a sweet, sensible girl. But I didn¡¯t realize she¡¯s so maniptive. I can¡¯t let Cooper hang out with someone like her. Better to get rid of her sooner rather thanter!¡± With that, Melisa rushed out the door and headed for the small building where Cooper lived. In the living room, Seraphina and Cooper were chatting about other topics. When Melisa walked in, Seraphina stood up to greet her. ¡°Sera, when did you get here? I had no idea.¡± Melisa said with a smile, ¡°If I had known you were here, I wouldn¡¯t have bothereding ¡± Seraphina smiled, ¡°Did you need to see Cooper, Melisa?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Melisa said, turning to Cooper, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you a while back, my friend has a niece. The girl ys the cello. I want you to meet her! I¡¯ve already set it up with my friend!¡± Cooper didn¡¯t expect Melisa to throw that curveball, he quickly looked at Seraphina, who seemed to catch the drift instantly, yet still maintaining her smile. ¡°Mom!¡± Cooper frowned, calling out to her. Tve already made ns with someone else. You can¡¯t expect me to cancel, can you? That would be rude.¡± Melisa said. Finally, Seraphina spoke up: ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve said what I needed to say to Cooper. Melisa, since you guys have ns, I won¡¯t bother you. Cooper, we¡¯ll catch up when I get back.¡± As she spoke, Seraphina started packing up her things. Melisa asked, ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I have to travel for a while for work¡± Upon hearing this, Melisa nodded in agreement, ¡°Work is the most important thing.¡± After gathering her things. Seraphina turned to Cooper and said, ¡°Take care of yourself. Get out more, show the world we¡¯re doing just fine. I gotta go, don¡¯t see me out.¡± ¡°Sera!¡± In his wheelchair, Cooper chased her to the door, but all Seraphina did was wave back at him before she turned around and strode away Chapter 138 Chapter 138 The night Leandro returned to the apartment, Seraphina wasn¡¯t around Keen had brought some files over Upon seeing the situation, he immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna call Ms. Bet.¡± After putting down the files, Keen dialed Seraphina¡¯s number, hoping she wouldn¡¯t be fooling around this time. But his worst fear came true. No one picked up the call. Keen tried three times, but still no answer. Finally, he sighed in disappointment and told Leandro, ¡°No one¡¯s picking up. I¡¯ll check with Laura¡® Laura entered quickly, upon hearing them inquiring about Seraphina, she chimed in, I saw Ms. Bet leaving today. She said she was heading back to Velvetwood¡± At this, Keen immediately nced at Leandro, tentatively asking. ¡°No answer on her phone. Want me to head to Velvetwood and check?¡± Leandro, sitting on the couch with a half¨Csmoked cigarette in hand, simply responded, ¡°No need.¡± If she could stay put in the apartment, she wouldn¡¯t be the Seraphina they knew how Plus, there should be plenty waiting for her in Velvetwood. Leandro extinguished his cigarette and moved to his bedroom. Seeing this, Keen breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly left with Laura. The following day, at the Reynolds Group¡¯s Starhaven branch.. Work was especially heavy that day. Keen had already dealt with three or four emergencies in the morning when the receptionist called, saying a woman iming to be Seraphina was here to see Leandro without an appointment. ¨C Hearing this, Keen immediately felt a headacheing on why was this woman always causing trouble when he was busiest? But this woman was Seraphina after all, so Keen had no choice but to say, ¡°Let her up!¡± After hanging up, he quickly instructed his colleagues before heading to the elevator to wait for Seraphina. The elevator quickly reached their floor, and as the elevator doors opened, Keen was about to greet her, when a punk¨Cstyle girl with outrageous makeup dashed out. Keen didn¡¯t react in time, and the girl had already stormed past him towards the office. By the time Keen caught up, it was toote. The officeyout here was simpler than at the Reynolds Group in Sunburst City. The girl dashed around the office for a bit before spotting Leandro¡¯s office and headed straight for it. By the time she had pushed open the door and half her body was in Leandro¡¯s office, Keen finally managed to grab her. ¡°Who are you?¡± Keen asked sternly. Inside the office, Leandro was engrossed in his paperwork. Upon hearing themotion, he looked up and immediately spotted Farrah, half inside and half outside his office door. ¡°He knows me! Farrah snapped, kicking at Keen in irritation. ¡°Let go of me!¡± To Keens surprise, Leandro signaled for him to let her go. Keen reluctantly let go and quickly moved to Leandro¡¯s side, whispering, ¡°She told the receptionist she was Seraphina. I thought she was Ms. Bet, so I let her in¡± Farrah was now sitting across from Leandro¡¯s desk, provocatively eyeing Keen as he exined the situation to Leandro. Leandro signaled for Keen to step outside, then turned to Farrah, ¡°What do you want?¡± Chin lifted high, Farrah retorted, ¡°I need your help!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve investigated you I know you¡¯re the head of the Reynolds family in Sunburst City. I know the influence the Reynolds family has in Sunburst City and Moonhaven. I believe you can help me.¡± Farrah stated. Leandro put down his paperwork, quietly sitting and watching her, ¡°That¡¯s not a reason.¡± At this, Farrah furrowed her brows, then decisively said, ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want if you help me, for as long as you want.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, instead, he pressed the button for Keen¡¯s line, ¡®Please escort thisdy out.¡± Before Farrah could react and hang up the phone, Keen was already in the office, ¡°Ma¡¯am, could you please leave?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving¡± Farrah looked at Leandro, ¡°I¡¯ll agree to any condition if you help me!¡± Leandro had already returned to his paperwork, ignoring her Seeing that this woman was not easy to deal with and that Leandro had no intention of amodating her, Keen called in security to escort Farrah out of Leandro¡¯s office. However, that evening. Keen got a call from reception saying someone wanted to see him. Keen wasn¡¯t busy at the time, so he went downstairs to see who it was At the reception desk, a youthful girl around 18 or 19, wearing jeans and a white t¨Cshirt, hair in a ponytail, beautifully radiant was waiting for him. Keen was a bit confused, when had he met such a girl? You were looking for me?¡± Keen asked hesitantly The girl nodded, ¡°Yeah, we met this morning, remember?¡± Keen was taken aback, her voice sounded familiar. After a moment, he made the connection, ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± ¡°Yes¡± Farrah said, ¡°I want to see Leandro, take me to see him!¡± Keen turned to leave, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Reynolds is too busy to meet you¡± I¡¯ve got something to tell him, about Seraphina!¡± Farrah rushed to the elevator lobby, grabbing Keen¡¯s arm tightly. The mention of the name Seraphina gave Keen a headache. He turned to look at her and had to admit, she looked a lot better now than she did in the morning. If she had shown up looking like this in the morning, he might not have let security chase her away. He really didn¡¯t feel like getting up at the moment, sighed, and asked, ¡°Do you know about the rtionship between Mr. Reynolds and Seraphina?¡± ¡°I know they¡¯ve got some kind of thing going on!¡± Farrah responded. ¡°Seems like, Mr. Reynolds is quite smitten with Seraphina!¡± ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Keen frowned, pushed her hand away, and said, ¡°You can leave now. Mr. Reynolds won¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°And what gives you the right to decide that?¡± Farrah grabbed him again, ¡°Tell him, I¡¯ve got crucial info about Seraphina, he¡¯ll be interested!¡± Keen couldn¡¯t stand it, sighed deeply again, and pushed her hand away once more, ¡°Fine, wait here. If you barge in again, I¡¯ll call security to kick you out.¡± He stepped into the elevator, and Farrah just stood outside, watching him intently, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. If you don¡¯t pass it on, you¡¯ll regret it. If your boss doesn¡¯t listen, he¡¯ll regret it too!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Keen quickly came back down after heading up for ten minutes, taking Farrah up with him. In the elevator, Farrah couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Seraphina really has some pull in yourpany. Just mentioning her name can get me up the building. and talking about her gets me received¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds is in a meeting and doesn¡¯t have time to see you right now,¡± Keen said, ¡°If you¡¯re interested, you can talk to me first about what you want to say¡± Farrah shot him a re, ¡°Talk to you? Do you have the power to make decisions?¡± Keen replied, ¡°If you insist on speaking with Mr. Reynolds, then be my guest. But let me warn you, Mr. Reynolds¡® meeting might run until midnight. And there¡¯s no guarantee he¡¯ll see you.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait!¡± Farrah shot him another re, ¡°Unless you can make decisions on behalf of your boss¡± Keen nced at her and chose to remain silent. Afterwards, Farrah sat in the office on the 46th floor of the Starhaven branch of the Reynolds Group, waiting until 1am. When Leandro stepped out of the meeting room, Farrah was dozing off on a chair in the lounge. Leandro nced at her when passing the lounge, and that¡¯s when Keen found the opportunity to say, ¡°It¡¯s the girl who came this morning. She said she has something about Ms. Bet to talk to you about.¡± Leandro heard him but didn¡¯t respond. Seeing this reaction, Keen didn¡¯t know what to do and just escorted him into his office Back in his office, Leandro finally checked his phone. For the past 40 hours, from yesterday morning till now, there had been no messages from Seraphina While Keen was outside hesitating whether or not to send Farrah away, Leandro¡¯s phone suddenly rang. ¡°Let her in.¡± Farrah was woken up by Keen and seemed a bit irritated this guy actually made her wait for six hours! After she walked into Leandro¡¯s office, she sat directly across from him, loungingfortably. She looked at Leandro and said provocatively, ¡°Do you finally have time to see me? I thought Seraphina was important to you, but I guess not!¡± Leandro seemed toozy to even nce at her. He checked his emails while casually asking, ¡°What do you want to say?¡± You like Seraphina, don¡¯t you?¡± Farrah said, ¡°That day at her apartment, you asked a lot of questions about her. You like her, right?¡± Leandro heard this, looked up at her, and nodded, ¡°Yes¡± Hearing this, Farrah asked again, ¡°So this time Seraphina harmed our Wilson family, did you help her?¡± ¡°No¡± This answer seemed to surprise Farrah. She looked at Leandro in silence for a moment, seeming to barely believe him, ¡°So you¡¯re not as dumb as I thought.¡± ¡°Is that what you wanted to say?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°Of course not!¡± Farrah said, ¡°But before I tell you, I wanted to know how important Seraphina is to you. Do you love her?¡± This time, Leandro didn¡¯t answer Farrah¡¯s question. He just said, ¡°Say what you want to say.¡± Farrah was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I want to make one thing clear, what I¡¯m about to tell you is for your own good. What do I get in return?¡± ¡°The importance of the information you provide will determine your reward, Leandro replied. ¡°That¡¯s just empty talk!¡± ¡°What I promise, I do Leandro looked at her, without saying anything extra. His meaning was clear. Whether she wanted to believe him or not, and whether she wanted to speak, was up to her. Farrah didn¡¯t hesitate for long. Because she knew the head of the Reynolds family wouldn¡¯t cheat her. ¡°Alright,¡± Farrah said, ¡®I can tell you, you¡¯ve been fooled by Seraphina¡± Leandro looked at her calmly, warting for her to continue. ¡°Everything she¡¯s done, has been to fool you. Getting close to you, pleasing you, it¡¯s all her strategy. All of this, is to trap you in her scheme. Then, she¡¯ll ditch you mercilessly! Although I don¡¯t understand why she¡¯d do this to you. It¡¯s clear, you¡¯ve fallen into her trap. Mr. Reynolds, I¡¯m telling you this so you can guard against her, Farrah said. ¡°Seraphina and her mother are both sly. Any man who ys emotional games with them ends up screwed¡± When Leandro got back to his apartment, it was already 3am, and as always, Seraphina was nowhere to be seen. Like usual, Leandro showered and went to bed, waking up at 6am sharp. While having breakfast, Leandro finally picked up his phone to call Seraphina. But the call couldn¡¯t connect. Leandro quickly ended the call det da andking all He also didn¡¯t know what Farrah had said to Leandro yesterday Keen didn¡¯t dare to overthink it and was about to report on several domestic issues to Leandro when Leandro, who was sitting at the dining table, suddenly said, ¡°You go to Velvetwood* Keen was taken aback, ¡°Today?¡± ¡°Now¡± ¨C Keen immediately nodded, he didn¡¯t ask why because there was only one reason he needed to go to Velvetwood, and that was Seraphina! Keen raced to Velvetwood and made a beeline for Seraphina¡¯s apartment, but no one answered the doorbell. Seraphina¡¯s phone was also unreachable. As for her friends, Seraphina was mostly a loner. That young master of the Adams family was also quite under the radar, nowhere to be found. As for her family, well, Keen didn¡¯t need to ask her family about her trace Keen was in a real pickle. He exhausted all means and finally found out in the evening ¨C Seraphina had hopped on a ne and jetted off to Las Vegas the previous afternoon! But why had she disappeared off the face of the earth just by going to another city? Without wasting any time, Keen filled Leandro in and dashed back to Moonhaven. As for Seraphina¡¯s whereabouts in Las Vegas, they could only send someone to dig deeper. Upon hearing that Seraphina had gone to Las Vegas, Leandro didn¡¯t bat an eyelid and continued to prioritize his work. N?velDrama.Org content. Keen waited nervously waiting for news from Vegas Leandro, on the other hand, just checked his phone every day. Two days, three days, five days went by, and there was still no word from Seraphina. One morning a weekter, Leandro woke up, picked up his phone out of habit to check for messages, but there was still no word from Seraphina. He sat on his bed for a moment, then slowly started to chuckle. Farrah had said that Seraphina would lure him into a tender trap and then mercilessly ditch him. But she was wrong Seraphina didn¡¯t ditch him mercilessly, instead, she just casually and nonchntly left, didn¡¯t leave any word and ditched him just like that. The intel Farrah spilled to Leandro didn¡¯t mean jack to him. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 His rtionship with Seraphina might be confusing to those around them, but it was crystal clear between them. She might have tried to erase all their past, but when she found out he was behind her return to Sunburst City, the memories flooded back. She probably still hated him. She hated him for treating her like a booty call. With her character now, she¡¯d definitely want to get back at him. He knew what to expect, so he just watched before.. Her flirtatiousness, here-ons, her deliberate indulgence, her feigned hurt¡­ he saw it all, and even if he yed along sometimes, he wouldn¡¯t get too hooked Now, she started ying hide and seek. Alright then, he¡¯ll y along. Las Vegas was miles away from Moonhaven. Keen had the means but felt stretched thin, let alone Leandro who didn¡¯t have the means at all, so he hired a few private detective agencies to look for Seraphina However, they came up empty after half a month. Keen was at his wit¡¯s end every day with no news from Seraphina, while Leandro was business as usual, working when he should, resting when he should, seemingly unbothered. But Keen still noticed something was off. Like how the dark circles under thepany executives¡® eyes were getting worse by the day. Their eye bags were heavier too, obviously overworked. Keen didn¡¯t know why until one day a senior came to talk to him ¡°Mr. Keen, have you noticed Mr. Reynolds has been working very hardtely?¡± Keen was taken aback, ¡°Not really¡± In fact, he had been with Leandro for years and was used to Leandro¡¯s do¨Cit¨Cyourself style, devoting most of his time outside of his breaks to work. So he didn¡¯t feel anything special. The other person was almost angry at his answer, pointing at his eye bags inint: ¡°We¡¯ve been working overtime for a week! This is just too harsh!¡± Keen thought back and realized that the entirepany had worked overtime with Leandro for a week. It¡¯s really rare except in special times. But what special time was it now? Even Laura couldn¡¯t help but vent to him privately. She said Mr. Reynolds had been a pain in the neck lately. Despite her best efforts as a professional housekeeper, she got nitpicked over trivial thingstely ¨C like uneven cuffs, coffee not at the right temperature, wine not to his taste, etc. ¡°Has Mr. Reynolds started drinking again?¡± Keen couldn¡¯t help asking Laura nodded, ¡°Yes, a ss of whiskey every night. He¡¯s upped it to two these past couple of days! He didn¡¯t do this when Ms. Bet was around.¡± Hearing this, Keen sighed. Seraphina, it was all because of Seraphina! But that woman didn¡¯t leave a trace, no one knew if she was dead or alive! This went on for a few days, and there was still no progress in finding Seraphina. Late at night, after a round of talks with the detective agencies, Keen went to wash his face in disappointment. When he came back, he found Leandro, who was about to clock out, checking out the info from the agencies at his desk. Keen quickly dried his face and ran over to exin, ¡°These are all from the PIs, but there¡¯s nothing useful.¡± Leandro skimmed through it and asked, ¡°Why are we only looking in Las Vegas?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Keen was taken aback, ¡°Ms. Bet went to Las Vegas.¡± ¡°If she wanted to go off the grid, she wouldn¡¯t have revealed she was in Las Vegas.¡± With that, Leandro tossed the pile of useless papers, turned around and left. undere It dawned on Keen he had underestimated Seraphina¡¯s craftiness. But wouldn¡¯t this broaden the search? ¨C But now that Leandro was personally involved, she had to be found, no matter how wide the search. Keen sighed It seemed Leandro was losing his patience with this He did a quick calction, sure enough, they were due to return home in two weeks. That night, Leandro downed two sses of whiskey and went to bed. He hadn¡¯t used alcohol to help him sleep in a long time. And two sses of whiskey were nothing to him now, just a bit to make sleepe easier. Just when he was about to drift off, he felt a hand gently grabbing his ankle. Then, his nket was slowly lifted, clearly someone was joining him. Leandro reached out and yanked the person out from under the nket. Seraphina was lying on the pillow, looking at him. Her hair was silky smooth. In the dark, her eyes were like a painting. She couldn¡¯t helpughing at his reaction. Leandro just stared deeply at her, his chest rising and falling with his breath. Seraphina reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing against his chest, looking him in the eye, ¡°Heard you¡¯ve sent people searching high and low for me?¡± Leandro looked at her, something seemed off. Seraphina leaned in close to his ear and whispered, ¡°Did you miss me?¡± She didn¡¯t wait for his answer, kissing his earlobe, then slowly moving down his jawline to his lips. The moment he tasted her lips, Leandro was almost lost, instinctively wanting to hold her close, to show her the answer. But it was just a fleeting moment. He forced himself to snap out of it. There was no way she woulde back so easily and sneak into his bed. The next moment, Leandro, lying in bed, slowly opened his eyes. The room was pitch ck, only his breathing echoed in the bedroom, her shadow was nowhere to be seen. Turned out, it was all a dream. Leandro sat up, switched on the bedsidemp, took out the cigarette box and lighter from the bedside table. Next to the cigarette box was his phone. Leandro lit a cigarette, picked up his phone, and found Seraphina¡¯s number. The call went through, but it was still unreachable. Leandro put down his phone, just silently puffing on his cig. His eyes were deep and indifferent.. Having finished his smoke, he stubbed it out, then picked up his phone again, dialing Keen. ¡°Mr. Reynolds?¡± Keen picked up right away. *Track down Magdalen.¡± Leandro said. He was fed up with this game of hide and seek. No more patience to y along with her. Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Two weekster, Leandro and Keen, along with other members of the work crew, hopped on a flight back to Sunburst City Meanwhile, Seraphina was still MIA Leandro sat by the window, seemingly casual but deeply engrossed in a document. Keen took a peek at the document, then his gaze drifted to the clouds outside the window. He sighed heavily Things could really go south if they kept going like this Upon returning in the country, Leandro fullymitted into his work, sparing only a little time for Valerio and Conway. As for looking for Seraphina, he never brought it up again. Despite this, Keen stayed on alert, keeping in close touch with detective agencies all over Starhaven. After two anxiety-filled weeks, Keen got a suddente-night call It was on his work phone. Keen picked up, only to hear Seraphina¡¯s voice on the other end: ¡°Keen!¡± For a moment, he nearly lost it. Trying to calm himself, he suddenly stood up ¡°Ms. Bet, where are you now?¡± ¡°What does it matter where I am?¡± Seraphina¡¯s voice soundedzy. ¡°I¡¯m calling to tell you to stop looking for me. I¡¯m working, get it?¡± Keen was livid at her attitude, all his anxiety and anger came bubbling up. ¡°You disappeared out of the blue. Mr. Reynolds is worried sick about you, you know?¡± Seraphina chuckled after hearing this, ¡°Is that so? How is he worried?¡± Realizing he walked into a trap, Keen mmed up. He then asked, ¡°Ms. Bet, can you tell me where you are now? I¡¯ll call off all the detectives once I confirm your location¡± *No can do.¡± Seraphina replied Keen paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Ms. Bet, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this. But Mr. Reynolds genuinely cares about you. I can tell he really likes you ¡°So what?¡± Seraphina retorted, ¡°Should I be grateful?¡± Taking a deep breath, Keen resumed, ¡°You didn¡¯t act like this when we were in Moonhaven. Ms. Bet, are you cheating Mr. Reynolds¡¯ feelings?¡± At this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. After a while, she said, ¡°Keen, isn¡¯t it all about whether both parties are willing when ites to rtionships? I was interested in your boss in Moonhaven, so I was willing to date him. Then it got boring, so I ended it. It¡¯s pretty straightforward, why make a fuss?¡± ¡°How could you act like this?¡± Keen said angrily. ¡°You could¡¯ve at least told us if you wanted to leave, right? What¡¯s up with the sudden disappearance?¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll tell you now, Seraphina said, ¡°Could you please tell your boss to chill about love? Just be happy. He was important when I needed him. But now that I don¡¯t, I hope he would stay away. Your boss should know the drill, it shouldn¡¯t be too much for him to handle. Tell him to stop bugging me!¡± Keen wanted to say something after hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, but she had already hung up. Holding the phone, Keen stood there, somewhat at a loss. He didn¡¯t expect Seraphina to show up, let alone say such things. How was he supposed to break this to Leandro? However, while Keen was still dazed, Leandro came out of his office, looking ready to call it a day Keen hastily put down the phone, forcing a smile at Leandro, ¡°Mr. Reynolds¡± Leandro gave him a nce, asking only one question, ¡°Who called?¡± ¡°It was¡­ Ms. Seraphina,¡± Keen managed to respond Hearing this name, Leandro¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He went to his desk and pressed the yback button Then, Leandro leaned against the desk, quietly listening to the conversation between him and Seraphina. The office was extremely quiet. Seraphinas words were clear despite the changes in her voice over the phone. ¡°When I need him, he¡¯s obviously important. Now that I don¡¯t, I hope he would stay away from me¡± Keen hung his head, not daring to look at Leandro¡¯s face, just standing quietly on the side. After the recording ended, Keen hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, I will find Ms. Bet¡¯s whereabouts as soon as possible. She knows we¡¯re looking for her and even called us. We should be able to find her soon.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Leandro suddenly said Only then did Keen look at Leandro. He was still calm, but his eyes revealed a carelessziness. Keen was all too familiar with this look Leandro was usuallyposed, hisughter might not be genuine and his anger might not be real. But when he wore this expression, he was truly pis sed And his anger meant major actions were about to take ce. ¡°Call the staff in Moonhaven, Leandro said. Hearing this, Keen couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists. A monthter, in Evendia. On a Wednesday evening, an old-fashioned bar was empty. Seraphina, dressed in a waitress uniform, was chatting with another waitress. Just as they wereughing, the bell at the door rang and a man in his thirties walked in. For the past two months, this man had been visiting about once a week, each time staying for several hours. Toozy to get up, Seraphina gestured for the other waitress to attend to him. The two got along well, so the waitress didn¡¯t mind her cking off. She took the lead and greeted the customers. Seraphina was lounging on the couch, engrossed in her phone, when she suddenly heard that waitress call her name. She looked up to see him standing next to a man, who was looking straight at her. Seraphina put down her phone and got up, smiling, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± The man just handed her a ss of liquor and leaned back in his chair, ¡°Have a drink.¡± Seraphina eyed the drink for a moment before happily agreeing, ¡°Sure thing!¡± ÊíAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. She had been hanging out at this bar for two whole months, and finally, the day came when the man initiated conversation with her. She picked up the ss and downed the drink without hesitation. A smile appeared on the typically stoic face of the man across from her. Seraphina put down her ss and was about to speak when the phone in her pocket vibrated a few times. She shrugged at the man, pulled out her phone, and suddenly the smile on her lips froze. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Sandra was blowing up Seraphina¡¯s phone with a ton of messages, most of them about a news story. The person in the spotlight was none other than Magdalen. Seraphina quickly skimmed through the news,pletely absorbed Seeing her engrossed in her phone. the guy asked. ¡°Everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all good¡± Seraphina snapped back to reality, pocketing her phone and looking at him, ¡°We¡¯re out of booze, anything else you want?¡± The guy¡¯s gazended on her face, slowly saying, ¡°We¡¯re in a bar, darling Liquor doesn¡¯t run out that easily¡± Looks like he¡¯s up for more than a few drinks. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She¡¯d been in this bar for two months. His eyes had been hovering over her for two whole months, but it was only today that he made a move. The man sure knows how to y it cool. And her waiting till today was no small feat either. ¡°Wait up¡±With that, Seraphina turned around and picked out several different bottles of liquor from the bar, setting them in front of the guy These are some of my favorites, Seraphina said, ¡°You seem to only drink tequ, how about trying something new today?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Seraphina then popped open the bottles, filled the sses on the small table, and motioned for the guy to help himself. She lifted ss after ss, and the guy across didn¡¯t hesitate, matching her drink for drink. After the first round, Seraphina poured a second. Suddenly, the guy called her out. Snapping back to reality. Seraphina noticed she¡¯d overfilled a ss, spilling liquor all over the table. She quickly put down the bottle and let out a sigh. After a moment, she gave the guy a small smile, ¡®Sorry, something came up, I gotta go.¡± With that, she immediately stood up and yelled to the bar owner, ¡°Jason, I¡¯m clocking out!¡± As she spoke, she removed her essories, grabbed her bag from the locker, ignored the questions from the people around her, and dashed out of the bar. On the way to the airport, Seraphina reopened Sandra¡¯s messages and read the news about Magdalen in detail. The old Seraphina would never have imagined seeing Magdalen¡¯s name in legal news. But now, the reality was right in front of her-Magdalen was embroiled in a contract scam, facing prosecution. Sandra was utterly confused, ¡°What¡¯s the deal? Isn¡¯t your mom loaded? How¡¯d she get involved in a scam?¡± Seraphina quickly texted back, ¡°I¡¯ll find out what¡¯s happening and let you know! That night, Seraphina took a flight to Moonhaven. Without much effort, Seraphina found Magdalen. Party animals like her always choose the top-tier hotels. But this time, when Seraphina knocked on her door, it was opened by a well-dressed, gentlemanly man in his forties. ¡°Can I help you?¡± The man asked. I¡¯m looking for Magdalen, Seraphina responded without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯m her daughter¡± The man seemed taken aback, seemingly because he¡¯d never heard Magdalen mention having a daughter. He told Seraphina to ¡°wait a moment¡± and went back inside to find Magdalen In less than a minute, the man was back at the door, ¡°Sorry, she doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡± Seraphina brushed him off, pushed the door open, and walked in, ignoring his attempts to stop her. She made her way to the bedroom door, where she saw Magdalen lying on the bed. Despite the huge press she was in, Magdalen looked as morous as ever, just a bit more exhausted, which only added to her charm. Upon seeing Seraphina, her face froze, ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t want to see you!¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re about to be thrown in jail, I figured I shoulde see you¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Right, I¡¯m about to go to jail¡± Magdalen said, ¡°I won¡¯t have to see you anymore, and you won¡¯t have to see me. We can live our own lives. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Seraphina held her gaze for a moment, nodded, and turned around to leave But, she didn¡¯t leave. Instead, she sat down on the living room couch, looking at the man in the room, ¡°Can you tell me what happened?¡± The man carefully closed the bedroom door for Magdalen, then walked over to Seraphina and handed her a business card, Im a friend of your mother¡¯s, and also awyer Seraphina took the card and saw that his name was Latham ¡°Your mom was conned Latham said, ¡°Most of her assets have been swindled away¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina let out a smallugh, then slowly nodded, ¡°That does sound like something she¡¯d do. She was conned by a man, right?¡± Latham nodded, ¡°It was your mother¡¯s ex-boyfriend. He not only swindled most of your mother¡¯s assets but also had her set up apany tomit contract fraud. Every contract has your mother¡¯s signature, and the guy¡¯s now on the run. So, things are pretty bad.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina remained silent for a long while. Even though Magdalen was a hedonist, living a wildly pleasurable life every day, she couldn¡¯t possibly be this foolish. She might not care about those assets. It¡¯s possible she¡¯d willingly give them away. But being duped into signing her name and getting pped with a contract fraud charge, that doesn¡¯t sound like her. But she did do it. ¡°1 really want to know what that guy looks like.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°What kind of man is he? To make her fall head over heels?¡± Latham coughed lightly, not responding Seraphina sat silently for a while, then said, ¡°Since you¡¯re awyer, you should have the case files, right? Give me a copy¡± ¡°I can let you look at some rted documents After saying this, Latham got up and went into the bedroom. Seraphina sat on the couch, watching his retreating back, and couldn¡¯t help butugh again. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Magdalen is so amazing. No matter how low she falls, there¡¯s always a man willing to run around for her, to do her bidding. Latham quickly came back out with a stack of documents and handed them to Seraphina. Seraphina took them and barely opened the first page when she saw a familiar name the Reynolds Group. She repeated the name, then looked at him. ¡°the Reynolds Group? The Reynolds Group from Sunburst City?¡± E Latham nodded. ¡°Yes, your mom mainly signed contracts with the Starhaven branch of the Reynolds Group. They were the biggest victims and the ones who filed theint.¡± After a brief silence, Seraphinaughed and handed the documents back to Latham, ¡°So what if the Reynolds Group decided to drop the charges?¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Latham said, ¡°Unless your mom¡¯s contracts can all be enforced. But we can¡¯t do that, and the Reynolds Group wouldn¡¯t admit the contracts are valid.¡± Seraphina kept her smile. Is it really impossible? Leandro has already clearlyid out the problem for her. Everything is waiting for her to solve. If she solves the problem, that¡¯s it, right? Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 After leaving Magdalen¡¯s hotel, Seraphina returned to Velvetwood. By the time she got back to her apartment, it was already the middle of the night. She quickly dug out an old SIM card to get her phone back in action. The next morning, Seraphina was woken up by a call from Cooper. ¡°Seraphina¡± Cooper sounded relieved, ¡°Finally, your phone is back on!¡± Seraphina knew why he was looking for her, so she set up a lunch date with him. Before meeting Cooper, she swung by the news agency. Leandro had left Starhaven, and she had to go find him in Sunburst City. This meant putting her current case on hold and passing it off to a colleague. She handed over all the case documents to the colleague who had helped her when she first started working, officially transferring the case She also filed for an unpaid leave. Next, she rang up the bar in Evendia to quit her job. Then, she went to meet Cooper. By the time she got to the restaurant, Cooper was already waiting for her. ¡°You¡¯re here early.¡± Seraphina said as she sat down. ¡°Had nothing better to do, so I thought I¡¯de over and wait for you,¡± Cooper said, studying her face for a moment before he spoke again, ¡°Seraphina, about your mum¡­¡± Seraphina cut him off with a smile, ¡°This must be satisfying news for a lot of people, huh?¡± After all, Magdalen¡¯s actions had long since pis sed off a lot of people. Ignoring herment, Cooper asked, ¡°There¡¯s something going on with the Reynolds Group, isn¡¯t there?¡± While munching on some fruit, Seraphina replied, ¡°Yes. The whole thing was initially meant for me, not her.¡± ¡°Leandro?¡± She nodded N?velDrama.Org content. Cooper fell silent, a furrow appearing on his brow ¡°What¡¯s with the long face?¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°Let me help you, Cooper suddenly said. Seraphina was taken aback, ¡°What?¡± Cooper looked at her, his gaze resolute, ¡°Seraphina, you shouldn¡¯t have to deal with this. I can¡¯t stand watching you go through this. I can protect you¡­ He reached out and gently took her hand. Looking at their intertwined hands, Seraphina fell silent for a moment before smiling. ¡°Cooper, I appreciate your kindness. But the issues between Leandro and me aren¡¯t that simple,¡± she said, ¡°I have to face it myself.¡± Cooper fell silent again After all these years, he finally had the chance to express his feelings, only to be rejected. Luckily, he had men tally prepared for this scenario countless times. He quickly managed a small smile, withdrew his hand, and said, ¡°Alright, just let me know if you ever need my help.¡± Seraphina looked at him, smiling, ¡°Of course.¡± Two dayster, Seraphina returned to Sunburst City. Her nended at five in the afternoon, and she was stuck in traffic all the way to the city. It was past eight when she finally arrived at the Reynolds Group building She called Keen as soon as she got out of the taxi, When Keen picked up, sounding both surprised and resigned, his tone screamed-I knew this was going to happen, why did you still do it? ¡°Mr. Reynolds is tied up with some matters and will probably be busy tillte,¡± Keen said, ¡°He probably won¡¯t be returning to the office today, so there¡¯s no need for you to wait there.¡± ¡°Alright ¡°Seraphina responded, ¡°So, can I wait for him at his ce?¡± With that, she hung up, hopped back into a cab, and headed for Urban Oasis. But when she reached the entrance of the residential area, she was politely stopped by the security guard. Previously, Seraphina had always been greeted with a friendly smile from the guards. This was the first time such a thing had happened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Bet.¡± The guard said, ¡°Without the Mr. Reynolds¡¯ permission, we can¡¯t let you in¡± Seraphina was cooperative, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just wait outside then¡± If Leandro wanted to make her suffer, she¡¯d let him So, Seraphina leaned against the exterior wall of thepound, sitting on her suitcase, quietly waiting for Leandro to return. She waited the entire night. But Leandro never showed up The next morning, when Karan was driving Valerio to school. Valerio suddenly bolted to the window and started knocking on it furiously. The driver was shocked and hit the brakes immediately Karan followed Valerio¡¯s gaze and saw Seraphina Hearing themotion, Seraphina looked up to meet Valerio¡¯s eyes, filled with surprise and confusion. Karan sat next to Valerio, her gaze on Seraphina was full of helplessness. Seraphina stretched her stiff body, then walked over to the car window to pat Valerio¡¯s head, ¡°You¡¯re off to school so early?¡± Valerio looked at her, his brows furrowing as if he was scolding her ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy to see me back?¡± Valerio nced at her, then lowered his head. ¡°Fine then, I¡¯m leaving Seraphina sighed, turning to walk away. As expected, Valerio lifted his head and grabbed her hand. Seraphina immediately broke into a smile, reaching out to pinch Valerio¡¯s cheek, ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t bare to be cold to me.¡± Watching the two of them, Karan finally asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for someone Seraphina replied, ¡°But he didn¡¯t show up. So I¡¯m about to head to the Reynolds Group now. Can you give me a lift?¡± Karan shot her a nce and didn¡¯t refuse. In no time, the driver was out of the car, loading Seraphina¡¯s luggage in the trunk. And, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Seraphina settled herself in the car. All the way, she was chatting with Valerio, until they reached the front gate of Valerio¡¯s school. Only then did she manage to cheer up this obviously upset little guy After Valerio was sent into school, the driver then restarted the car and headed towards the Reynolds Group. Only then did Karan start to ask, ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Seraphina replied with augh. Karan gave her a cold nce. ¡°Ever since Leandro came back from Starhaven, he has been acting differently. Even though he didn¡¯t show it, I¡¯ve been taking care of him since he was little, so I know his mood swings like the back of my hand. You must have done something to pi ss him off.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina heaved a sigh, ¡°Once Leandro is angry, the whole world mes me. I must be a big sinner!¡± ¡°Seraphina!¡± Karan clearly didn¡¯t have the patience to argue with her, ¡°I¡¯ve always noticed Leandro¡¯s attitude towards you, why can¡¯t you be more grateful?¡± Seraphina pouted, ¡°I am grateful. I came back this time with the full intention of wholeheartedly committing to marrying him!¡± Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Karan might think Seraphina¡¯s behavior was a confusing. She didn¡¯t hesitate to leave after she dumped Seraphina at the Reynolds Group. Once at the Reynolds Group, Seraphina tried to ring up Keen, but no one answered So, she hit up the front desk. Clearly, even if the receptionists knew her, they couldn¡¯t let her go up to the offices for whatever reason. Seraphina didn¡¯t put them in a spot. She nodded, freshened up in the restroom with her luggage in tow, then sat in the lobby waiting area, quietly ying the waiting game. Up on the 26th floor, Keen was glued to hisputer screen, a look of pure confusion on his face. Yasmina emerged from Leandro¡¯s office, spotted Keen¡¯s expression, and walked over. ¡°What on earth are you watching? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± Upon spotting Seraphina on the screen, Yasmina was taken aback ¡°She¡¯s back?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been back sincest night, Keen replied ¡°Why haven¡¯t you let her up?¡± Yasmina questioned. ¡°Get her to the boss ASAP The atmosphere in his office has been heavier than a ton of bricks. It¡¯s like walking into a pressure cooker every time I go in.¡± Yasmina was in the dark about the drama between Leandro and Seraphina, prompting Keen to let out a helpless sigh. Keen could empathize with Leandro. He thought Leandro¡¯s tolerance towards Seraphina was out of left field ¨C letting her stay at his apartment in Starhaven, tending to her illness, even tagging along for midnight snack runs. Keen spected that Leandro¡¯s decision to personally handle thepany¡¯s reorganization in Starhaven could be attributed to Seraphina. But Seraphina¡¯s sudden disappearance and ruthless treatment of Leandro even had Keen feeling angry and betrayed, not to mention Leandro. However, Leandro¡¯s rage was because he did give a da mn about Seraphina. Keen felt like he was between a rock and a hard ce, he had no idea how far Leandro¡¯s rage went or how much pain Seraphina could endure. He was afraid he¡¯d be the one end up responsible. Spotting Keen in a daze, Yasmina gave him a nudge. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it, Keen replied. Yasmina scoffed, dropped some files on her desk, and walked to the elevator. Before Keen could gather his thoughts, Yasmina had vanished. Two minutester, when Yasmina returned to the office with Seraphina, Keen was still zoning out. Seraphina gave him a once-over, then headed straight for Leandro¡¯s office Keen snapped at Yasmina, ¡°Are you out of your mind? Are you not scared of getting canned by Mr. Reynolds? I¡¯m not bailing you out if things go south!¡± Yasmina shot him a disdainful look ¡°You¡¯re such an airhead.¡± When Seraphina pushed open the door to Leandro¡¯s office, he was behind his desk, engrossed in some documents. He didn¡¯t look up when he heard her enter. Seraphina strode over to his desk andid a document on it. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, this requires your review¡± Leandro paused mid-flip, then reached for the inte. ¡°Keen.¡± On the other end, Keen was pretending to be MIA, under Yasmina¡¯s orders. Getting no response. Leandro got up, nning to find him Seraphina quickly blocked his path Only then did Leandro look at her, for the first time. She¡¯d been gone for three months, but she looked unchanged. She was still beautiful, still radiant, just a hint of weariness in her eyes. Still the same vibrant Seraphina She seemed to be doing afright.. She used her body to block him, retrieved the document from the table, held it up, and said with a hint of grievance, ¡°I brought this back. Would you take a look? She used the document to shield her face, so all Leandro saw were the first few words ¨C prenuptial agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± Seraphina said Hearing this, Leandro took the document and skimmed through it. Standing in front of him, her hands behind her back, Seraphina looked at him earnestly I promise, I don¡¯t want any of your wealth. I don¡¯t want anything from the Reynolds family or the Reynolds Group I¡¯m willing to be your wife, manage your house, respect your grandfather, take care of your child¡­ I¡¯ll do everything you need. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Seraphina¡± After finishing the document, Leandro looked at her again. ¡°Do you really think I can¡¯t live without you?¡± Maybe his gaze was too cold. Seraphina shivered, thenughed. ¡°No, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t live without you¡± Leandro looked at her quietly, as though waiting for her to continue I¡¯ve been tested for many years, and now I know who my true partner is ¡°Seraphina stepped closer, put his hand on her waist, and looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯ve put an end to my grudge against you. Now, I think you should be mine. Is that okay?¡± Leandro looked at her coldly, then suddenly pulled his hand back and bellowed, ¡°Keen!¡± Outside, the on-edge Keen finally appeared. ¡°Mr. Reynolds¡­¡± Leandro had already turned back to his desk, and Seraphina¡¯s prenuptial agreement was gently floating to the floor. Seeing this, Keen quickly stepped forward and pulled Seraphina, signaling her to beat it. ¡°Since you¡¯re busy, I won¡¯t disturb you¡± Seraphina said, picking up the prenuptial agreement from the floor, signing her name, and cing it back on Leandro¡¯s desk Tve signed my part, you can sign whenever you¡¯re ready¡± Keen didn¡¯t dare to dy any further and quickly whisked Seraphina away As soon as they were out of the office, Keen let out a long sigh. ¡°Ms. Bet, you should get going¡± ¡°Sure¡± Seraphina replied. Just as she was about to head out with her luggage, she stopped and turned to Keen. ¡°Where¡¯s your boss living these days?¡± Keen looked puzzled ¡°What are you up to?¡± Seraphina smirked slightly ¡°Hand me the keys, I¡¯m going to keep himpany¡± Keen nced towards Leandro¡¯s office, then back at Seraphina ¡°Mr. Reynolds didn¡¯t instruct me to do so, I cant give them to you¡± N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°So, you¡¯re not giving them to me, right?¡± Yasmina, unable to help herself, rubbed her forehead and kicked Keen. ¡°Are you an idiot? Can¡¯t you see what¡¯s happening? Just give it to her!¡± Keen, a bit flustered, eventually surrendered the keys to Leandro¡¯s new apartment under the pressure of the two women. Seraphina took the keys, gave Yasmina a slight smile, and then turned to leave. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 It wasn¡¯t until Seraphina left that the penny dropped for Keen. He immediately became restless, regretting his hasty decision to hand the key to Seraphina. Yasmina was really put off by his behavior, and impatiently asked him, ¡°What did Mr. Reynolds say to you when you went in?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything. Keen sighed in response. ¡°Well then, there¡¯s no issue, right?¡± Yasmina said, ¡°If Mr. Reynolds really didn¡¯t want to see Ms. Bet, he would¡¯ve kicked her out a long time ago, knowing his personality. Why can¡¯t you just be a bit smarter?¡± Keen mulled over her words for a moment, finding some truth in them. As he was deep in thought, Yasmina¡¯s phone on the desk suddenly rang. She quickly answered, ¡°Mr. Reynolds¡± ¡°Have HR send out two warning letters, Leandro¡¯s cold voice came through the phone, ¡°one for you and one for Keen.¡± Yasmina was speechless. Keen clenched his fists, wishing he could strangle her! Leandro¡¯s new apartment was situated in the most bustling part of the city, boasting a view of the city¡¯s hustle and bustle and tranquility. It was a two-story building with high ceilings and arge area The massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the iconic building of Sunburst City. It was luxurious no matter how you looked at it. Seraphina didn¡¯t have time to take it all in, she quickly took a shower, changed her clothes, and was out the door again. By the time she arrived at the nursing home, it was almost eleven o¡¯clock. Conway¡¯s secretary Lacy was overjoyed to see her, ¡°Ms. Bet, you¡¯re finally back! Conway has been thinking about you!¡± ¡°How¡¯s Grandpa beentely?¡± Seraphina asked as they walked. Lacy¡¯s expression instantly turned serious, ¡°Not so good. He¡¯s been having trouble sleeping at night and napping sporadically during the day. He¡¯s not in good spirits Seraphina felt a pang of sadness at this news. As she walked into Conway¡¯s room, sure enough, he was asleep. Seraphina suddenly felt a wave of guilt. When she was with Conway he was in good spirits. But now, after she left, Conway had visibly aged and hisplexion was poor. Feeling guilty. Seraphina stopped in her tracks, turned to leave and not disturb him. However, Conway seemed to hear her footsteps and suddenly woke up. Hearing the noise, Seraphina quickly turned around, walked to the bedside and smiled at Conway, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m back!¡± Just waking up, Conway took a fewbored breaths before recognizing her, then gently scolded, ¡°You little rascal, you finally decided toe back!¡± Seraphina sat down on the bed, leaning on Conway¡¯s quilt, ¡°How could I note back to a Sunburst City that has you in it!¡± Conway just gently scolded her. Seraphina stayed with Conway all day, not leaving until five in the afternoon to fulfill her promise to Valerio to pick him up from school When Conway heard that Seraphina was leaving, he was initially upset. But when he heard she was going to pick up Valerio, he happily let her go. After picking up Valerio, Seraphina headed straight back to Leandro¡¯s new apartment. ¡°Have you been here before?¡± Seraphina asked Valerio as they entered the apartment. Valerio nodded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you live here?¡± Valerio wrote down his answer in his notebook, ¡°Karan doesn¡¯t like it here.¡± Seraphina thought about it and found it understandable. Older people are ustomed to their living environment and don¡¯t like to change easily. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Do you like it here?¡± Seraphina asked again. Valerio nodded again. ¡°Can we live here from now on?¡± Seraphina got down on his level and asked him. Valerio looked at her, his eyes full of excitement but also uncertainty. Seraphina patted his head, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with you¡± Valerio blushed a bit when he heard that. He stared at Seraphina for a long time, then quickly nodded and ran off to the bathroom. Watching his back, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but smile, then she saw his notebook and sighed. Perhaps because hemunicates through writing, Valerio¡¯s handwriting is very good. And he knows more words than other kids his age. He was such a smart child. Will he really never be able to speak in his life? That night, when Leandro returned to the apartment, he was greeted by the warm light as he opened the door. No one was downstairs, so Leandro slowly went upstairs. Valerio¡¯s bedroom door was open, and Seraphina¡¯s voice could be heard from inside, she seemed to be reading him a story. Leandro stood in the hallway for a moment before entering the room. Upon seeing him, Valerio looked nervously at Seraphina But she just smiled at him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping? Leandro leaned against the door, looking deeply at Valerio. ¡°We¡¯re about to ¡°Seraphina answered, We¡¯ll sleep after this chapter.¡± Valerio obediently nodded. Leandro didn¡¯t look at Seraphina, he just turned and left. Seraphina continued to read to Valerio until he fell asleep, then she left his room. In the small living room upstairs, Leandro was sitting on the sofa, smoking. Seraphina went over and casually asked him, ¡°Tired? Do you want a hot bath? I can run the water for you.¡± As she said this, she reached out to gently touch Leandro¡¯s shoulder, only to be grabbed by the wrist and pulled closer to him. ¡°What¡¯s your game?¡± Leandro asked icily. Seraphina chuckled, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you this morning? I¡¯m gonna marry you, be your wife. It¡¯s my job to look after you.¡± As she spoke, she ced her hand on Leandro¡¯s tie and slowly loosened it. Leandro then asked, ¡°So how do you n to get back at me this time?¡± ¡°Get back at you for what?¡± Seraphina responded, ¡°I¡¯ve let go of the past. Why are you always hung up on it?¡± Suddenly, Leandro pulled her into his arms, his other hand making its way under her skirt. Seraphina, who was ticklish, squirmed a bit before breaking into a docile smile. You sure go all out for someone who doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Leandro remarked. Seraphina, resting on his shoulder, replied between breaths, ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for anyone else. I¡¯m doing it for you.¡± Suddenly, Leandro withdrew his hand, gripping Seraphina¡¯s face. Seraphina looked at him, her voice soft and sweet, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d be so mad. But your anger shows you care about me. So, I should be happy¡­¡± ¡°Seraphina¡± Leandro suddenly called her name, his grip on her chin tightening slightly, ¡°You know what? That day on the phone when you told me to stay away, that was the attitude that made you likable.¡± Seraphina blinked, ¡°When was that? When did I ever say such a thing?¡± Leandro gave a coldugh, pushed her away, got up and returned to his room, mming the door behind him with a loud ¡°bang¡±. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Seraphina hung out there for a while before finally getting up and trying the doorknob to Leandro¡¯s room. The doorknob was locked. Seraphina shrugged. Well, since he locked the door, she had no other choice but to find a room for herself The next morning, Leandro got up and dressed as usual. When he came downstairs, Valerio was already sitting in the dining room, quietly waiting There were noisesing from the kitchen. Leandro didn¡¯t pay attention and walked over to Valerio, ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± Valerio just stared at the kitchen. In the kitchen, hearing the noise, Seraphina poked her head out and looked at Leandro with a slight smile, ¡°You¡¯re up, just a sec, breakfast will be ready soon.¡± Only then did Leandro look at her she was wearing casual home clothes, her hair was tied up, she was wearing an apron, and her delicate face made her look like a virtuous wife ¡°Valerio woke up early and came knocking on my door,¡± Seraphina said with a smile, ¡°So, I got up to make breakfast for you.¡± Just as she finished speaking, a loud bang came from the kitchen behind her! Valerio was startled, and Seraphina also shrank back in fright. Leandro saw sparks flying with the explosion, and quickly pulled Seraphina away and walked into the kitchen. The microwave that had exploded was still sparking, and egg liquid was sttered all over the ce, it was aplete mess. Leandro quickly cut off the power, but the smoke rm in the kitchen had already started to sound Three minutester, the building¡¯s butlers and security guards were all gathered in Leandro¡¯s apartment. Seraphina sat on the sofa covering her face, listening to the butlers and Leandro talking in the kitchen. The security guard stood at the door, looking like he wanted tough but didn¡¯t dare to. Finally, he said, ¡°Ms. Bet, you can¡¯t use a microwave to heat eggs or put dishes with gold edges in it. Since you put both in there, how could it not explode?¡± ¡°I know now.¡± Seraphina nodded repeatedly When she looked over, she saw Valerio sitting next to her, not sure whether tough or be speechless. Seraphina red at him, ¡°don¡¯t you dare tough¡± Valerio immediately sat up straight. Seraphina stood up, ¡°Breakfast is ruined. Let¡¯s go out to eat.¡± Valerio pointed at his clothes, and Seraphina remembered that his uniform from yesterday was dirty, and she had put it in the washing machine. Seraphina got up, walked past Leandro with her head down, went through the kitchen to the balcony, opened the washing machine and took out the clothes. The clothes were washed and dried, a bit wrinkled, but still wearable. Seraphina walked back through the kitchen with the clothes. Leandro nced at the clothes in her hand, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. ¡°Change into this.¡± Seraphina handed the clothes to Valerio. Valerio looked at the clothes Seraphina handed over, seeming a bit confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t understand his reaction. Leandro came out and said coldly. ¡°Their school uniforms are khaki.¡± Khaki? Seraphina looked at the clothes in Valerio¡¯s hand, it was clearly blue, and a rather ugly shade of blue. Valerio put the school zer aside, and took out a thin blue woolen sweater from the washing machine ¨C the size of the sweater seemed more suitable for a two¨Cyear¨Cold child. Seraphina sat quietly for a while, then said, ¡°Go change your jacket, I¡¯ll take you back to Urban Oasis to get another set of uniform.¡± Valerio nodded and got up to go upstairs. Seraphina got up and walked over to Leandro, reached out to straighten his already neat cor, and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t expect this to happen¡­¡± Leandro looked down at her, ¡°Do you find this amusing?* ¡°I just started learning these things, how could I know these details¡­¡± Seraphina mumbled, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I believe I¡¯m smart enough to master these life skills soon¡± Leandro ignored her, pushed her hand away and left the apartment. Seraphina kept her word, after dropping Valerio off at school, she spent the morning with Conway in the hospital, and the afternoon at Sandra¡¯s house She went to Sandra¡¯s house to learn how to cook and make soup from her housemaid. Sandra understood why Seraphina was doing this, but she couldn¡¯t help her, she could only worry on the side, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go to Bruce Reynolds and ask him to tell Leandro to stop going after your mom.¡± ¡°Right now in the Reynolds family, Leandro is the decision maker, who do you think he would listen to?¡± Seraphina replied while looking at the ingredients, in the kitchen, ¡°And even if this matter is really suppressed, he will still find other ways to torture me. Since that¡¯s the case, why not just solve the problem once and for all?¡± How will you solve it?¡± Sandra looked at the tomato in Seraphina¡¯s hand, ¡°By using these ingredients? Will it really work?¡± Seraphina bit into the tomato and smiled slightly. Doesn¡¯t he like it when I¡¯m obedient? Then I¡¯ll y the part of his little woman¡­¡± ¡°After all this time, you¡¯re still entangled with him!¡± Sandra bit her lip. ¡°Sera, it¡¯s not worth it for your morn!¡± Seraphina paused for a moment, then said slowly, Worth it or not, I have to do it. Sandra wanted to say something else, but then there was the sound of a car outside. She was taken aback, then went to the window to look out. Seraphina followed her gaze and saw a ck car parked in front of the house. A tall man got out of the car and walked into the house. ¡°Bowen Smith?¡± Seraphina asked Sandra. Sandra looked a little off, she nodded and then left the kitchen. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Seraphina, filled with curiosity, trotted up to the kitchen doorway. She hadn¡¯tid eyes on Bowen yet. Sandra was in the living room, blocking Bowen¡¯s path. She muttered something to him, and Bowen¡¯s gaze shot towards the kitchen. In that brief moment their eyes met, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but let out a little gasp. Putting it bluntly, Sandra¡¯s brother was a total hunk. In many eyes, Sandra had always been an average kid, but her brother¡¯s face was a total showstopper. You could tell from a mile off he was Mr. Popr. When he looked over, Seraphina gave him a wave and said, ¡°Hey there, Bowen¡± ¡°So you¡¯re Seraphina?¡± Bowen strode over, his eyesnding on Seraphina¡¯s face, his smile suave and enchanting. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. Nice to finally. meet you¡± Seraphina shot him a coy smile, ¡°Likewise.¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Bowen came home just to change his clothes. He quickly gave Seraphina a brief hello before heading upstairs. Sandra watched his retreating back with a stern expression. ¡°What happened?¡± Seraphina picked up on her mood. ¡°Did you guys have a fight?¡± Sandra scoffed. ¡°He hasn¡¯t been home for ages, how could I fight with him?¡± ¡°You sound like you¡¯re feeling hard done by?¡± Seraphina asked. Sandra shot her a look. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him. Go do your cooking thing.¡± After a while, Bowen came down, all dressed. He stopped by the kitchen to greet Seraphina: ¡°Seraphina, I¡¯ve got things to do today. I won¡¯t be able to hang out with you guys. Have fun with Sandra We¡¯ll properly host you some other time¡± Seraphina offered him a smile, ¡°Alright, go do your thing.¡± Bowen ruffled Sandra¡¯s hair. ¡°Take care of your friend. Gotta run.¡± Sandra swatted his hand away and moved to stand next to Seraphina. Bowen shrugged at Seraphina, gave a quick wave and left. As Seraphina was learning how to wash vegetables from the Smith family¡¯s maid, she nced at the gloomy Sandra, ¡°All because he¡¯s not home?¡± Sandra listened to the sound of the car driving away outside and murmured, ¡°Actually I have a brother, but he didn¡¯t care about me at all.¡± Back when they were in high school, the Smiths parents passed away, leaving only Sandra and Bowen Sandra was actually quite lonely, which is probably why she and Seraphina were so close. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Seraphina thought about Bowen¡¯s actions earlier and chuckled, ¡°Even if he¡¯s not around, he still cares about you. You two seem to get along well¡± Sandra heard this and her mood plunged. Sandra had a brother who didn¡¯t care about her, and Seraphina had a mother who didn¡¯t love her at all, but as Seraphina said, at least she and Bowen got along well. As for Seraphina¡¯s mother¡­. Sandra didn¡¯t dare to broach the topic. She just stood there watching Seraphina learn how to cook. You really couldn¡¯t learn much in one afternoon and Seraphina wasn¡¯t really concentrating on the cooking lesson, After the lesson, she took the food prepared by the Smith family¡¯s maid and left. After leaving the Smiths, she picked up Valerio and headed straight to the Reynolds Group. Keen had been driven to distraction by Seraphina and was on high alert. But since she brought Valerio, he couldn¡¯t leave the boy downstairs, so he quickly went down to bring them up. While reporting to Leandro, he only mentioned Valerio¡¯s arrival, not Seraphina, Leandro didn¡¯t comment. So. Seraphina, strutting as if she owned the ce, walked into Leandro¡¯s office with Valerio. Leandro was working. When they entered, he just nced up at them. Seraphina greeted him with a smile, then took Valerio to the guest area, unpacking the food she brought and arranging it on the table. Leandro was engrossed in the documents in his hand when suddenly, someone was tugging at his arm, ¡°It¡¯s time to eat!¡± Leandro pulled his hand back and returned to his documents. Seraphina leaned over his desk to watch him, ¡°When was thest time you had a meal with Valerio? He¡¯s here today and I¡¯ve prepared the food. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to have lunch with him?¡± Only then did Leandro slowly look up at her. Her eyes were clear, full of concern and expectation, seemingly sincere. But how long could she maintain this sweet and gentle persona? Leandro put away his documents and walked over to the guest area. Valerio had already set three pairs of cutlery. Seeing Leandro and Seraphina approaching, he mped his mouth shut, a barely detectable smile on his face Leandro noticed and went over to pat his head, ¡°Let¡¯s eat¡± Valerio nodded, keeping his eyes on Seraphina until she sat down next to him, then he started eating with relief. ¡°I learned to cook these dishes this afternoon, Seraphina said. ¡°Although they¡¯re not top¨Cnotch¡± While she happily introduced the dishes, Leandro barely had his food. The asional times he did, he passed it to Valerio. Valerio was well behaved and not picky at all. Whatever Seraphina served him, he ate all of it Leandro watched silently, his gaze finally resting on Seraphina¡¯s face, his expression as impassive as ever. This scene was originally what he wanted, but looking at Seraphina now, he really had no interest. She was a woman who always wore a mask, and he was curious when she would take it off. Seraphina caught him looking at her and immediately smiled Leandro pulled his gaze back instantly, still as frosty as ever After the meal, Seraphina casually tidied up the table, pretentiously reminding Leandro not to work too hard and to go home early, then she left with Valerio. As they left Leandro¡¯s office, Yasmina was on the phone: ¡°What the hell is going on with you guys? The banquet is tomorrow night and I still haven¡¯t received theplete guest list. If you keep up with this, Mr. Reynolds might not attend!¡± Seraphina paused, waited for her to hang up, then curiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°A business dinner, they want to invite Mr. Reynolds to attend and give a speech, Mr. Reynolds agreed, but they didn¡¯t give me the full guest list, how ami supposed to arrange it?¡± Yasminained, ¡°So annoying¡± ¡°Dinner?¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°does he need a partner?¡± Yasmina heard this, nced at her, and began to chuckle. The next evening, Leandro left the office at the scheduled time, only to find Seraphina sitting in Yasmina¡¯s spot. She was wearing a ck strapless dress, form¨Cfitting and slimming, her figure was stunning. When she smiled, her bright eyes and perfect teeth shone and her red lips were fiery. She was truly a sight to behold. When she saw Leandroe out, she stood up and walked towards him, ¡°Yasmina called in sick, so I¡¯m filling in for her tonight. I¡¯ll go along with whatever you need¡± Leandro didn¡¯t look at her, he just nced at Keen.¡± Keen was sweating bullets, ¡°Yasmina is really not feeling well¡­ Leandro ignored him and went straight for the elevator. Seraphina waved at Keen, then turned and chased after Leandro. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 The banquet held by the Chamber of Commerce in Sunburst City was a grand affair, taking ce in a private vi in the southern part of the city. The attendees were all big shots in the business world of Sunburst City, with luxury cars and beautifuldies arriving in droves for the grand gathering When Seraphina made her entrance with Leandro, it stirred up a lot of attention. First off, Leandro himself was a sight to behold. Secondly, the tabloids had been having a field day with her and Balch Lawson, Leandro¡¯s recent scandal, so many people recognized her. Seraphina took all the attention in stride, following behind Leandro. While she was conspicuous, she didn¡¯t talk much, her quiet intelligence drawing many people to strike up conversation with her. She kept her personality on a tight leash, interacting with the guests with grace and charm, her smiles and conversation calcted, with no extraneous expressions or movements. Keen, watching from the sidelines, was taken aback ¨C how does she transfer from a wild child to ladylike just like that? Leandro, however, didn¡¯t show Seraphina any extra attention, even though she was standing right beside him, he didn¡¯t nce her way. Seraphina didn¡¯t mind, still trying her best to y the perfect partner. When Leandro took the stage to speak, all the guests gathered before the stage to listen attentively, while Seraphina and Keen stood to the side waiting, affording her a moment of leisure Looking at theposed and confident Leandro on stage, Seraphina suddenly said, ¡°Your boss sure is cool as a cucumber, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds has always been like that, Keen replied. Always like that, huh? Seraphina cracked a smile. At least seven years ago, Leandro wasn¡¯t like this. She didn¡¯t know if the Leandro she knew seven years ago was the real Leandro, but even if that Leandro was a masquerading rich kid, he was definitely different from the Leandro now. So, the Leandro now needed a wife who was obedient and followed him without question? With that thought, Seraphina spoke again: ¡°How am I doing so far tonight? Do you think your boss will be pleased?¡± Keen hesitated, gave her a nce, and carefully refrained from answering. But in his heart, he had an answer if Seraphina could keep this up, it wouldn¡¯t be too shabby. Just as he was thinking this, Seraphina suddenly pulled out her phone from her bag Keen followed her gaze and saw that it was a call from Moonhaven. Seeing that call, Seraphina immediately turned and walked away, looking for a quiet ce to answer the call. When Seraphina finished her call, Leandro¡¯s speech had ended, but Leandro didn¡¯t ask her where she had gone, continuing to talk with the other business magnates with ease Keen, worried about Seraphina¡¯s sudden leave, was searching for her when his own phone suddenly rang. Keen nced at the phone, also a call from Moonhaven, and immediately stepped aside to answer ¡°Mr. Keen, there¡¯s been a new development in Magdalen¡¯s case, the person on the phone reported, ¡°Magdalen has voluntarily turned herself in to the police, admitting to her fraudulent actions against the Reynolds Group. She reportedly doesn¡¯t n to hire awyer for her defense, in which case, will definitely be sentenced.¡± she After hearing the report, Keen became anxious. After hanging up the call, he quickly went to Leandro, quietly informing him of the situation and adding. ¡°Just now, Ms. Bet also received a call from Moonhaven. I think she must already know this news¡± After hearing this, Leandro scanned the room. But he didn¡¯t see Seraphina. It wasn¡¯t until the end of the banquet that Leandro saw Seraphina as he was leaving the banquet hall She was sitting on a bench in a corner of the garden, arms wrapped around herself. The dim streetlight in the deep autumn night didn¡¯t bring any warmth, only casting her thin figure, looking quiet and lonely Seraphina didn¡¯t notice him or anything else around her. She was just thinking about the call she had just received and what Latham had said to her. ¡°Your mother turned herself in. She no longer needs me as her attorney and doesn¡¯t n on hiring anotherwyer for her defense.¡± ¡°Why?¡± she asked him Latham was silent for a long time before he said, ¡°She knows you went back to find Leandro to help her sort this out. She said, she doesn¡¯t need you to do these things for her. She doesn¡¯t want to owe you anything¡± Seraphina sat in the garden for a long time, not sure if she shouldugh or cry. Because Magdalen disliked her so much, she even refused her help, preferring to go to jail than ept any kindness from her Ever since she was ten years old, she knew that Magdalen didn¡¯t like her, but she never thought that Magdalen¡¯s dislike of her had reached this extent. Back then, she didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong. She only felt that it should be temporary Her mother couldn¡¯t possibly not want her, especially since her mother had always loved her dearly before that. She thought that her mother just needed some time to ept her father¡¯s death. Since she loved her father so much, she needed some time to recover She was very sensible. She stayed quietly with the Reynolds family, waiting for her mother toe out of the shadow of her father¡¯s death and take her back. However, one year passed, then two years, then three years¡­ Magdalen never came back. And she gradually faced the reality that her mother really didn¡¯t want her anymore. She fell into despair time and time again, but eventually calmed down. However, it wasn¡¯t until today that she realized that she had always had a glimmer of hope in her heart. That hope, though faint and vague, had always been there. She did so much for her mother, endured and tried so hard time and time again, not because of her father¡¯sst wish, but because of that glimmer of hope in her heartText content ? N?velDrama.Org. But now, that glimmer of hope is finally totally toast. Seraphina didn¡¯t shed a tear. She looked at the sky, at the ground, and then, she saw Leandro standing under the eaves. The second she saw Leandro, she realized how dumb she had been She had despised him, resented him, her emotions were a mess. However, when he used Magdalen to threat her, she didn¡¯t hesitate to drop everything and return to Sunburst City, back to his side. Standing in front of Leandro, she was still at a loss for a n. Dealing with someone is actually quite easy, you just need to find their sore spots, just like she did with the Wilson family and just like Leandro did with her He knew her weakness, and he was spot on. Leandro had his own vulnerabilities, like his grandpa, like Valerio ¨C but these were also her weaknesses. She couldn¡¯t possibly hurt them. So, she willingly bowed to him, pleased him, hoping to win a chance for Magdalen¡¯s freedom. But she got shot down. In Magdalen¡¯s eyes, everything she had sacrificed for Magdalen was a burden. A burden that made her sick to her stomach, Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Leandro was standing in the hallway, staring at Seraphina from a distance, not making any moves. Keen came over from another direction, first noticing Seraphina. He was about to approach her when he realized Leandro was also there Seeing this, he immediately stopped in his tracks. Just then, someone emerged from a room and seemed to be heading over to strike up a conversation with Leandro. Keen bolted over to intercept. The person was introducing himself to Leandro, but Leandro¡¯s gaze was fixed on Seraphina Keen quickly stepped in, blocking the person, and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Reynolds is tied up at the moment. Can youe backter?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The person clearly didn¡¯t want to give up, but Leandro ignored him and slowly started moving towards Seraphina. Keen quickly ushered the person back into the room. Seraphina remained seated, undisturbed, as Leandro approached. She didn¡¯t even look at him. Leandro reached out, gently lifting her face. Her makeup was still exquisite, bright and eye¨Ccatching, but her eyes were vacant. In that moment, Leandro realized he was finally seeing the real Seraphina She wasn¡¯t crying, smiling, or putting on a show. She just looked at him expressionlessly, then brushed his hand away, ¡°I need some alone time.¡± With that, she got up and walked past him. Leandro just stood there, silently watching her leave. Seraphina left the vi, walked out onto the street, and slowly made her way to the busiest part of town. Cars were whizzing by, people were bustling about, she sat on a bench by the roadside, ignoring several people trying to hit on her, quietly watching the busy city before her. By the time Sandra got the message and rushed over, it was alreadyte at night. The noise of the street had died down, the night was gradually regaining its tranquility, and Seraphina was still sitting there, like a statue. Sandra brought a coat with her. When she saw Seraphina, she immediately draped it over her, ¡°What happened?¡± It took Seraphina a while to snap back to reality. Recognizing Sandra, she gave a small smile, pulled Sandra down to sit next to her, then rested her head on Sandra¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You scared me!¡± Sandra gripped her cold hand, ¡°What happened?* After a long pause. Seraphina said softly, ¡°She¡¯d rather go to jail than ept my help.¡± Sandra immediately understood what had happened. She blurted out in anger and frustration, ¡°Is she out of her mind?! What does she want?!¡± Seraphina was silent for a long time, then suddenlyughed ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the best,¡± she said. ¡°From now on, I really have nothing left to lose. No worries. It¡¯s good¡± Sandra was taken aback by her words, and tears welled up in her eyes instantly, ¡°Sera-¡± ¡°Perhaps this is my fate Seraphina said. ¡°I¡¯ve epted it.¡± Sandra turned away, tears streaming uncontrobly down her face By the roadside, a ck car sat quietly for a long time Inside, Leandro was staring at Seraphina¡¯s figure like he was admiring a statue. That night, Seraphina and Sandra went home and stayed at the Smith family¡¯s for the night. The next morning, Sandra hoped Seraphina would sleep in, but Seraphina was up early. She casually picked one of Sandra¡¯s outfits to wear and then went downstairs for breakfast Sandra was watching the news downstairs. When she saw Seraphinaing down, she couldn¡¯t help but be surprised, ¡°Why are you up so early? Don¡¯t you want to sleep in?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Seraphina brushed her hair back, I¡¯m going to eat something and then go spend time with Grandpa.¡± Breakfast was quickly served, and Seraphina quietly ate her toast as if nothing had happened. Sandra hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°What¡¯s your n now? Are you going to stay in Sunburst City?¡± Seraphina nodded, ¡°Grandpa is old and his health isn¡¯t good How much longer can i stay with him? Once he¡¯s dead, I can go wherever I want Hearing Seraphina talk so casually about Conway¡¯s death, Sandra paused. ¡°What?¡± Seeing Sandra¡¯s expression, Seraphinaughed, ¡°Birth, aging, illness, and death are inevitable. Since we know it¡¯s going to happen, we just have to ept it.¡± Sandra paused, then said, ¡°What do you mean by going wherever you want? What about me? Are you nning on leaving me?¡± Seraphina propped her chin on her hand, looking at Sandra, ¡°Once you fall in love, get married, have kids, you probably won¡¯t have time for me either.¡± Hearing this, Sandra suddenly went quiet and took a sip of her milk. Seraphina¡¯s gaze fell on her neck. She reached out and brushed Sandra¡¯s hair off her shoulder, On Sandra¡¯s neck was a clear hickey. ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± Sandra finally realized what she was referring to and btedly covered her neck, ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± Seraphina looked at her. Then what¡¯s this? Do you have something to hide from me? Is there something you can¡¯t tell me?¡± Sandra sighed, then said, I¡¯m not sure yet¡­ I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m ready¡± Seeing Sandra like this, Seraphina didn¡¯t press any further. T The 26th floor of the Reynolds Group was bustling early in the morning, but Keen arrivedter than usual. Upon arriving, Keen went straight into Leandro¡¯s office. *So, Ms. Bet stayed at the Smith¡¯sst night and first thing this morning she was off to the nursing home to see Conway,¡± Keen filled Leandro in. ¡°She¡¯s as cool as a cucumber, like nothing happened.¡± Leandro was chilling in his chair, a cigarette between his fingers, zoning out at the view outside. He just gave a nonchnt grunt when he heard Keen¡¯s update Seeing this, Keen turned to leave the room. But as he swung the office door open, he bumped into Bruce. Bruce looked like he¡¯d lost a fight with life, so Keen quickly turned back to Leandro. ¡°Boss, Mr. Bruce¡¯s here.¡± E Leandro didn¡¯t even turn around. Bruce gestured for Keen to beat it, and then closed the door behind him. ¡°What did you do to Ms. Magdalen?¡± Bruce cut to the chase as soon as the door clicked shut. Leandro killed his cigarette in the ashtray before turning to face Bruce What could I have done? She¡¯s the one who registered thepany, she¡¯s the one who signed the contracts, and as for the Reynolds Group, we¡¯re the victims here.¡± ¡°You set her up!¡± Bruce mmed his hand on the table. ¡°What¡¯s your game? She¡¯s one of the Reynolds, and you want to send her to jail?¡± ¡°Whether she¡¯s a member of the Reynolds family or not, I couldn¡¯t give a damn,¡± Leandro said. ¡°As for the mmer, that¡¯s a consequence she was willing to ept. I¡¯m just helping her fulfil her wish¡° Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Bruce¡¯s conversation with Leandro didn¡¯t end on a high note After spending a full day with Conway Seraphina was now picking up Valerio from school. Valerio had been feeling down all day because he didn¡¯t see herst night. As soon as school ended and he saw Seraphina, he rushed over to her. She smiled, patted his head, and ushered him into the car They drove off to Leandro¡¯s new apartment. Everything was normal, but Valerio kept ncing at Seraphina, looking a bit unsettled. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Valerio lowered his head. After a while, he looked up at her again, his eyes still filled with unease and confusion Valerio could sense something different about Seraphina, but he didn¡¯t know how to express it. After a moment of silence, he suddenly opened his backpack and rummaged inside. To Seraphina¡¯s surprise, he pulled out a small box of choctes and handed it to her Seeing the choctes, Seraphina burst outughing ¡°Where did you get these? Did a little girl give them to you?¡± There was a sh of difort in Valerio¡¯s eyes, an obvious yes. ¡°You¡¯re giving me someone else¡¯s gift, huh? You¡¯re quite the little schemer for your age. That¡¯s not good,¡± Seraphina said, taking the choctes She opened the box, popped one into her mouth, and handed another one to Valerio. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Valerio took the chocte and ate it, all the while watching Seraphina with careful eyes as if trying to gauge her mood. After seeing his look, Seraphina fell silent for a moment. Then she reached out, touched his face, and asked softly, ¡°Would you be upset if we can¡¯t find your mom?¡± Valerio¡¯s eyes widened in shock and fear. Seraphina quickly hugged him and reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will find her. Your mom must be so upset without you.. she¡¯ll definitelye looking for you* Valerio clung to her, his hand gripping her sleeve tightly Seraphina noticed but didn¡¯t stop him. She stared out the window, her eyes filled with confusion. As the evening fell, Leandro¡¯s car pulled up to the nursing home. Conway was having dinner under Lacy¡¯s care. When he saw Leandro, Lacy immediately set another ce for him and left. ¡°Why are you here at this hour?¡± Conway asked, ¡°Seraphina left two hours ago.¡± ¡°I came to have dinner with you.¡± Leandro responded nonchntly. Conway looked at him and sighed, ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°Nothing happened Everything¡¯s normal,¡± Leandro replied. ¡°You¡¯re all keeping secrets from me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Conway asked, ¡°Seraphina¡¯s been acting differently today, but she wouldn¡¯t tell me anything. Do you think I can¡¯t handle it because I¡¯m old, or do you think I can¡¯t offer help anymore?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about it. You should focus on getting better.¡± ¡°Worry? I¡¯m not that worried,¡± Conway said. ¡°I¡¯m most worried about you and Seraphina. Why would I worry about anyone else?¡± Just then, a crisp female voice rang from outside the door, ¡°Why are you so biased? You have so many grandchildren, but you only care about Leandro and a stranger?¡± Leandro turned his head and saw Ferne Reynolds. Ferne was Billy Reynolds¡¯s daughter, about the same age as Seraphina. She worked at the Hong Kong branch of the Reynolds Group. She was tall and efficient, radiating a strong independent woman vibe. Even though she was using Conway of favoritism, she still hugged Conway, ¡°Grandpa, I came to see you as soon as Inded¡± ¡°Good, good¡± Conway patted her arm, ¡°How long are you nning to stay?¡± | ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay in Hong Kong anymore,¡± Ferne said, ¡°I came back to spend the Christmas vacation with you!¡± Conway immediatelyughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Seeing this, Leandro got up to leave. ¡°Now that you¡¯re back, you can keep grandpapany I¡¯ll go ¡°Hey! What¡¯s the deal? You¡¯re leaving as soon as I arrive?¡± Ferneined. Leandro ignored her and left. ¡°Grandpa, he is too much- ¡°Let him go,¡± Conway said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he have enough things to worry about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so biased!¡± Ferne said, ¡°You favor Leandro, fine, but you also favor Seraphina. What¡¯s up with that? I¡¯m mad!¡± ¡°Is that favoritism?¡± Conway squinted at her, ¡°Do you know what Leandro¡¯s been through these years? Do you know how many times he¡¯s struggled on the edge of life and death? Seraphina grew up alone in the Reynolds family, and then so many things happened. She¡¯s the same age as you, but do you know. how much hardship has she faced? All of you had an easy path, it¡¯s only her and Leandro that I need to worry about, that I can¡¯t be at ease with¡­ They¡¯ve both suffered so much, and who knows what the future holds¡­¡± Seeing Conway growing more and more emotional, Ferne quickly interrupted, ¡°Okay, grandpa, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore, let¡¯s eat¡­ Conway sighed helplessly. When Leandro returned to his apartment, there was a suitcase in the living room. It was the one Seraphina had brought Leandro walked into the room, eyeing the suitcase, only to find Seraphina and Valerio sitting on the stairs. ¡°Cheer up, kiddo.¡± Seraphina stroked Valerio¡¯s head, ¡°Even though I¡¯m not living here anymore, I can still drop you off and pick you up from school. We can see each other every day, right?¡± Valerio didn¡¯t answer As he looked up and saw Leandro, he immediately stood up, ran over and grabbed Leandro¡¯s hand. He might not be able to speak, but his action was clear as day. Leandro looked down at him. It was rare for Valerio¡¯s face to show such raw emotion. His eyes were filled with anxiety and pleading as he looked at Leandro ¡°What do you want?¡± asked Leandro. Valerio looked at him, then at Seraphina, and then shook Leandro¡¯s hand. ¡°I need to know what you want, Leandro squatted down in front of him, ¡°I don¡¯t get it, I need you to spell it out for me.¡± Valerio stared nkly at him, then lowered his head, as if brewing something inside, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t utter a single word ¡°If you can¡¯t say it, I can¡¯t help you,¡± Leandro stood up, breaking free from his grip. Suddenly, Valerio began to cry silently. Seeing this from the stairs, Seraphina quickly rushed down, pulling Valerio into her arms. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Seraphina didn¡¯t give a hoot about Leandro, she just took Valerio upstairs and back to his room. Ever since meeting Valerio, he rarely showed any emotions, let alone crying like this, with no regard for anything. Seraphina figured he¡¯d do what other kids do, stop or fall asleep when he¡¯s all cried out. But Valerio just kept crying silently on her shoulder, showing no signs of stopping ¡°You¡¯re a boy, you know. If you keep crying like this, no girls are gonna like you,¡± Seraphina said softly But Valerio didn¡¯t react at all. 1 don¡¯t like boys who cry all the time either, Seraphina said. Hearing this, Valerio suddenly gripped the fabric of Seraphina¡¯s clothes on her shoulder, his little hand forming a trembling fist. Seraphina nced at the small fist on her shoulder, suddenly taken aback. He¡¯s really afraid of her leaving. Seraphina was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t leave, okay? So, will you stop crying?¡± Hearing that, Valerio suddenly sat up straight, looking at Seraphina Although he was still sobbing uncontrobly, he started wiping his tears fiercely. Seeing him like this, Seraphina¡¯s heart hurt and she hugged him again. By the time Seraphina finally managed to soothe Valerio and put him to sleep, she was about to leave the room when Leandro appeared at the door. Seraphina looked back at the sleeping Valerio, closed the door, then turned to Leandro, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Reynolds, looks like I¡¯ll be bothering you a bit longer.. But it¡¯s all for your son, so you¡¯re not going to kick me out, right?¡± Her tone was calm, her gaze indifferent, no longer filled with hypocrisy and ttery. In front of Leandro, Seraphina finally took off her maskpletely. Leandro suddenly stepped forward, almost backing her into the wall, but Seraphina just looked at him calmly, not avoiding his gaze at all. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me?¡± Leandro¡¯s voice was low, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Seraphina suddenlyughed. She looked at Leandro, slowly saying, ¡°When I was young, I had bad taste. You¡¯re hateable, but I can only me myself for being blind. I¡¯ve had my revenge on you. As for what you think, I don¡¯t care. Whether you love me or hate me, I don¡¯t mind. It would be best if we could get along, but if you can¡¯t stand me, go ahead and keep attacking and avenging me with your tricks, I don¡¯t care.¡± Leandros gaze stayed on her face, waiting for her to continue. ¡°But what could you use to threaten me now? I¡¯m a risk¨Ctaker, and I won¡¯t be threatened by you, Seraphina said calmly. ¡°The one sleeping inside is your son, and the one living in the nursing home is your grandpa. You wouldn¡¯t use them to threaten me, would you? I think all your rare sincerity has been used on them. So, I¡¯d advise you to put our past aside for their sake, and pretend nothing happened¡± After Seraphina finished, she smiled slightly at him, ¡°After all, once you care whether it¡¯s love or hate, you¡¯ll lose!¡± With that, she pushed past Leandro and went downstairs to get her luggage. Leandro watched her retreating figure in silence. She said that he should pretend nothing happened. It seemed like she hadpletely let go.. And the one who truly cares is the loser? Well, he agreed. Seraphina felt her honest words to Leandro had some effect. For the next few days, Leandro really ignored her existence, letting here and go as she pleased. Every day she picked up and dropped off Valerio, and spent time with Conway when she was free Ferne went back to Sunburst City, not wanting to be outdone by her, an outsider, also often came to the nursing home to apany Conway. Ferne and Seraphina had a bad rtionship since childhood, to be precise, Ferne didn¡¯t like her from childhood- Before Seraphina came to the Reynolds family, Ferne was the most favored child in the Reynolds family, smart, beautiful, and active. After Seraphina came to the Reynolds family, although she was like an invisible person in the Reynolds family, she took away a lot of love in front of Conway More importantly, she and Ferne went to the same school and the same ss, and their academic performances were simr. Ferne could dance, and Seraphina could draw. Therefore, to Ferne, Seraphina was always apetitor, and after the Vivian incident, Ferne disliked her even more. Luckily, Seraphina was in a low mood recently and didn¡¯t want to fight with her, and Ferne also considered Conway¡¯s health, so the two got along rtively peacefully One day, Sandra invited Seraphina to her house for dinner in advance. Seraphina originally thought Ferne woulde to the nursing home to apany Conway, but Lacy said Ferne called and said she had an appointment and wouldn¡¯te today. ¡°I won¡¯t go to dinner¡± Seraphina said to Conway after hearing this, ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a walk.¡± Conway rolled his eyes, ¡°Aren¡¯t you bored being with an old man all day? You have a date, go! Young people should live a little freely, don¡¯t always revolve around me.¡± Seraphina also rolled her eyes, ¡°Now you¡¯re talking sense? Who was the one who insisted I apany him before?¡± 10.17 The two bantered for a while, and in the end, Seraphina still decided to take up Sandra¡¯s invitation Unexpectedly, when she got to Sandra¡¯s family. Bowen was there too. He smiled and greeted her when he saw Seraphina. ¡°You are home too?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°That¡¯s unexpected, Sandra said you rarelye back.¡± Hearing this, Bowen smiled and patted Sandra¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯m here because she alwaysins. Plus I did mention before about treating you to a meal, of course I needed toe back¡± ¡°Stop patting my head Sandra brushed his hand off a bit annoyed, turned around to grab Seraphina¡¯s hand, ¡°It¡¯s still early, let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± Seraphina waved to Bowen and followed Sandra upstairs. Bowen stood downstairs, watching them with a smile. In Sandra¡¯s room, Seraphina was trying out her newly purchased makeup while asking. You comined that your brother seldomes home, and now that he¡¯s home, you¡¯re acting so indifferent, why is that?¡± Sandra frowned but didn¡¯t answer. Seraphina didn¡¯t press, instead she started trying out perfumes after the makeup). After trying all of Sandra¡¯s perfumes, she still seemed unsatisfied, ¡°Is that all?¡± Sandra nced at her, ¡°You smell stronger than a perfume counter in a mall now, are you still not satisfied?¡± Seraphina shrugged and turned to look at her, ¡°By the way, how¡¯s your boyfriend doing?¡± On hearing this, Sandra frowned, ¡°Not so good, I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± ¡°Did you break up?¡± Sandra bit her lip, ¡°Almost¡± Seraphina looked at her, ¡°You seemed to like him a lot? I¡¯m curious what kind of person he is.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him at all.¡± Sandra turned her face away, answering briefly ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°A woman only gets bothered by the man she likes. If you didn¡¯t like him, you would¡¯ve forgotten him long ago. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to tell me?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me, do you have such feelings for Leandro¡­ Sandra couldn¡¯t help but change the subject. Seraphina smiled at her, ¡°What do you think?¡± Sandra quietly locked eyes with her for a moment, then exhaled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m d you don¡¯t. But you¡¯ve been living under the same roof with him, I¡¯m a bit worried¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re just simply living together.¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°Whatever he¡¯s thinking, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not the one being tormented anyway.¡± Sandra heard this, but still couldn¡¯t help sighing. When it was time for dinner, Bowen came to call them. As Seraphina passed by Bowen to leave, he suddenlyughed, ¡°How many different kinds of perfume have you mixed? It smells quite nice.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina alsoughed, The cologne on you smells good too, I prefer such unisex scents.¡± Bowen heard this and raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°Then our tastes are quite simr.¡± Sandra nced at Bowen and went downstairs frowning. At the dinner table, Sandra seemed to be troubled by her rtionship issues, and didn¡¯t seem very interested. However, Bowen was clearly good at breaking the ice. Despite Sandra¡¯s low spirits, he and Seraphina, whom he just met, were able to chat very happily without any awkward silences. Sandra didn¡¯t participate much, just focused on serving Seraphina food. Halfway through dinner, Seraphina was about to bring up Sandra¡¯s rtionship issue again when her phone rang. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Looking at the caller ID, Seraphina immediately picked up the call, ¡°Lacy¡± ¡°Ms. Bet Lacy sounded extremely panicked, ¡°Mr. Conway just fell and passed out!¡± Seraphina immediately stood up, ¡°What¡¯s the situation now?¡± We¡¯re on our way to the hospital¡± Lacy answered, ¡°Ms. Bet, it¡¯d be great if you could get here as soon as possible.¡± Tll be there right away¡± Seraphina hung up the phone and headed for the door, ¡°My grandfather had an ident. I need to rush to the hospital.¡± Seeing her like this, the two of them also stood up immediately. Sandra asked anxiously, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°There no time to talk¡± Bowen said, ¡°Let¡¯s drive Sera to the hospital together.¡± Half an hourter, the three of them hurried to the hospital. Just as they reached the emergency room, Seraphina suddenly stopped. This time waspletely different from thest time Conway pretended to be sick to trick her. At this moment, almost all of the Reynolds family were gathered in the hospital, anxiously waiting in the corridor. When Seraphina walked in, everyone looked at her and then quickly looked away Everyone had no mood to pay attention to her. Seraphina¡¯s palms started to feel cold, her body stiff. She slowly retreated to a corner, quietly watching the people in front of her. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Sandra walked in at that moment, spotting Seraphina standing in a corner. She quickly headed over and took her hand Seraphina slowly lifted her gaze and offered a faint smile There was no news at the moment, and that in itself was somewhat good news Sandra didn¡¯t know what to say, so she just stood there in silence beside her. A few minutester, Leandro finally appeared at the entrance of the emergency room. The sight of him felt like a pir of strength to the Reynolds family who immediately surrounded him, updating him on the situation Leandro listened in silence, his expression grave. He turned his head and finally noticed Seraphina in the corner. Seraphina was leaning against the wall, standing quietly, her gaze calm as she watched the group of people in front of her, her emotions unreadable As her eyes met Leandro¡¯s, she merely nced at him before looking away. Sandra was also watching Leandro this man whom she had learned so much about from Seraphina¡¯s description and various news reports. But it was only today that she was seeing him up close for the first time. She was convinced in her heart that this man was no good, yet she found herself taken aback by his aura at their first meeting. Even without careful observation, it was clear that this man was indifferent yet dominant. Sandra had met many rich heirs; some were arrogant, some were gentle, and some were overbearing, but few were like Leandro. He was like a long¨Creigning monarch, always self¨Ccentered and power¨Cfocused, unable to understand or care about the troubles of ordinary people. If he liked something, he could possess it all. If he didn¡¯t, he could destroy it all. This kind of man was heartless. Almost as if to prove her thoughts right, Leandro nced at the corner and then asked in a deep voice, ¡°Where¡¯s Lacy?¡± Lacy, who was standing around the corner, came out trembling at the sound of Leandro¡¯s voice, ¡°Mr. Reynolds¡­ Leandro looked at him, his gaze cold, ¡°What happened?¡± Lacy, with a dry mouth, managed to say. ¡°Conway was taking a walk in the nursing home today. The nurse went to get him some water, and I saw it was windy, so I went to fetch his jacket. I didn¡¯t think that he would fall down as soon as I left¡­ Leandro turned to the person next to him after hearing this, ¡°Did you get that?¡± Apanying him was not only Keen but also awyer from the Reynolds Group. Seeing the situation, thewyer immediately nodded, ¡°Yes, Mr. Reynolds.¡± Leandro gave Lacy another look and fell silent. Lacy felt weak under his gaze, and Keen together with thewyer took Lacy away However, Keen returned soon after, nced at the lit light in the emergency room, hesitated for a moment but still went over to Leandro, whispering, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, there is a call from Starhaven.¡± Bruce, standing nearby, heard this and frowned, ¡°Why are you taking calls at a time like this?¡± Leandro nced at him, ¡°It¡¯s not like I can be of any help here if I don¡¯t take the call After saying this, he took the phone from Keen and walked out. Sandra, arm in arm with Seraphina, watched Leandro¡¯s every action calmly until he left. Only then did she turn to look at Seraphina again. Seraphina had been looking at the door of the emergency room all this time, without sparing Leandro an extra nce. Two minutester, the door of the emergency room suddenly opened, everyone immediately crowded around. Sandra instinctively wanted to pull Seraphina forward, but Seraphina remained standing still. ¡°Seraphina?¡± Sandra turned to look at her. Seraphina merely looked at the backs of the crowd. She heard Bruce asking the doctor about the situation, then she heard the doctor say, ¡°We¡¯re still doing our best, but Conway¡¯s heart has stopped several times I hope you¡¯re prepared.¡± Upon hearing this, the men of the Reynolds family managed to keep theirposure, but the women had already started to cry uncontrobly. Sandra looked at Seraphina worriedly, but Seraphina¡¯s face remained calm. After a moment, she let out a soft sigh. ¡°Seraphina.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t move, her gaze somewhat vacant as she looked ahead, slowly saying, ¡°Life and death are fate, I understand that Sandra didn¡¯t dare to say anything more After what felt like an eternity, the door to the emergency room opened again. ¡°Conway is awake!¡± The doctor sounded ted, ¡°His condition is temporarily stable!¡± Upon hearing this, the Reynolds family immediately rushed towards the emergency room, only to be stopped by the doctor. Then, Conway¡¯s bed was wheeled out from the emergency room and, apanied by a crowd, was pushed towards the ward. Seraphina still stood in the corner, unmoving, until Sandra gently squeezed her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the ward¡± Only then did Seraphina seem toe back to her senses, nodding and slowly making her way to the ward. The ward was crowded, and Seraphina stood at the door, trying to catch a glimpse of Conway through the sea of people in front of her. Not long after, the crowd around the bed parted to allow Seraphina a clear view of the bed On the bed, Conwayy there, his face pale, but reaching out a trembling hand towards her. ¡°Seraphina, Conway is calling you¡± Bruce said. Seraphina then walked into the room, making her way to Conway¡¯s bed, and took his frail hand in hers. Conway¡¯s hand was cold, but hers was even colder, so much so that she felt warmth. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. But as she held Conway¡¯s hand, she didn¡¯t say a word. Conway just looked at her, giving a slight smile, ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t respond, but the next moment, hot tears uncontrobly slid down her face. She kept her lips tightly shut staying silent, with tears continuously falling, just falling ¡°What are you crying for?¡± Nte said impatiently. ¡°He¡¯s fine, don¡¯t make a scene here!¡± But Seraphina seemed not to hear, she just looked at Conway, slowly beginning to sob out loud. Everyone else in the room remained silent, with only the various sounds from Conway¡¯s bedside monitors echoing with her sobs in the air. Conway¡¯s condition had already stabilized, yet she was gradually losing control, crying like a little child, leaning on the side of Conway¡¯s bed, tears and snot running down her face ¡°Seraphina, it¡¯s okay now, stop crying¡± Bruce stepped forward, lightly patting Seraphina¡¯s back. Everyone else looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what to do. Only Conway didn¡¯t stop her, letting her cry her heart out. Outside the crowd, Sandra, hearing Seraphina¡¯s sobs, struggled to bear it and ran out of the room. She covered her mouth and hurriedly walked out, passing many ces, until finally, she ran into Bowen¡¯s arms in the garden. ¡°What happened?¡± Bowen saw her red eyes and the way she was biting her lip to hold back, and quickly asked, ¡°Is Seraphina¡¯s grandpa not doing well?¡± Seeing him, Sandra finally broke down and cried, struggling to say, ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Then why are you crying?¡± Bowen reached out to wipe the tears off her face. Sandra looked up at him, her face streaked with tears, ¡°Seraphina said, life and death are destined. After her grandpa passes, she can be free, go wherever she wants. But when her grandpa really is dying, she¡¯s scared and can¡¯t stop crying¡­ I¡¯ve never seen Seraphina cry like this. She¡¯s lost so much, but she¡¯s never cried like this ¡± Bowen, hearing this, silently held Sandra in his arms, gently stroking her head. ¡°She didn¡¯t cry like this when she was kicked out by the Reynolds family. She wasn¡¯t this upset when she had no ce in the Wilson family, even when she lost Betty, she didn¡¯t cry like this¡­¡± Sandra was also crying uncontrobly, ¡°She really can¡¯t lose anyone else. She can¡¯t lose anymore¡­ Bowen silently held her tighter, softlyforting, ¡°It¡¯s okay, everything will get better..¡± ¡°Bowen Sandra called his name in a hoarse voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay, stop crying¡± Bowen said, ¡°You need tofort her¡­ If you cry like this, she¡¯ll be even more upset¡­¡± In the dim garden lights of the night, Leandro walked past them from the back corridor, heading straight towards the hospital building. Bowen looked at Leandro¡¯s retreating figure, signaling Sandra to look. Sandra followed his gesture, turning to look at Leandro, her tears suddenly stopping. ¡°It¡¯s all his fault, all his faultSandra said through gritted teeth, crying. Bowen held her closer again, lightly patting her back, ¡°it¡¯s okay, stop crying¡­¡± When Leandro walked into Conway¡¯s room, Seraphina was still crying. Everyone else seemed to want to step forward tofort her, but Conway gestured for them to leave first. No one wanted to leave. Until Leandro came in, saw the situation, and slowly said, ¡°you guys should go back, it¡¯s quitete, don¡¯t disturb his rest.¡± ¡°All right then¡± Ferne nced at Seraphina who was still sobbing by the bed, her eyes also bing moist as she spoke, ¡°Why are you crying so loud, as if you¡¯ve been greatly wronged¡­¡± As she spoke, she seemed unable to bear being affected by Seraphina¡¯s emotions and turned to leave the room. After Ferne left, everyone else also gradually left, leaving only Seraphina by the bedside. One of Conway¡¯s hands was held by Seraphina, his other hand struggling to stroke her head, but Seraphina¡¯s sobbing never stopped Leandro sat on the sofa opposite the bed, quietly watching all this. After a while, Seraphina¡¯s sobs gradually lessened, but she still rested her head on Conway¡¯s hand, not lifting it. ¡°My hand¡¯s been soaking in your tears for a while now.¡± Conway slowly began to speak, Tm fine, why are you crying?¡± Finally, Seraphina slowly lifted her head, her eyes and nose both red from crying, and after seeing Conway clearly, she finally spoke her first words, ¡°I just want to cry.¡± ** Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Conway lifted his hand and gently touched Seraphina¡¯s nose and eyes, then said, ¡°Stop your crying, you silly girl Just for a moment, Seraphina¡¯s tears seemed about to fall, but she held them back. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her tears had stopped I¡¯m fine now¡± Seraphina looked at Conway ¡°As long as you¡¯re healthy, I wouldn¡¯t cry¡± Conway gave a small smile ¡°Alright, Ill stay healthy¡± Hearing this, Seraphina buried her head in Conway¡¯s arm again, staying silent. Conway watched her, then lifted his head to look at Leandro, who was sitting at the foot of the bed. Leandro¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Seraphina, cold as ice. Seeing this, Conway said. ¡°Go wash your face You¡¯ve been crying so much, your makeup is all over the ce¡± Seraphina lifted her head to look at Conway, touched her face, then got up and left the room. Conway turned to Leandro, But found that Leandro¡¯s gaze was still fixed on Seraphina. Conway sighed inwardly, then said, ¡°Come here¡± Leandro tore his gaze away from Seraphina, looked at Conway, then walked over and sat down by the bed. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°I want to know what you¡¯re thinking¡± ¡°Grandpa, what are you referring to? Leandro countered. Conway sighed slowly, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left, you can¡¯t make me spend the rest of it worrying about you¡± Leandro looked at Conway quietly, not saying a word. *Just now¡­ you saw how Sera was acting. Conway sighed again. ¡°Do you still have doubts? She might have changed, but she¡¯s still Seraphina. A person¡¯s nature doesn¡¯t change.¡± ¡°How do you know I have doubts?¡± Leandro spoke slowly. ¡°If you didn¡¯t have doubts, why are you guys still stuck in the same ce with your personality?¡± Conway asked. ¡°Even if she has truly changed, no matter what she bes, you have to ept her, understand her. Because if it weren¡¯t for you insisting on her leaving, she wouldn¡¯t be like this now. She has lost everything. I don¡¯t want to be her only reliance¡­ knowing that you will take good care of her even after I am gone, will put me at ease.¡± Leandro looked at Conway calmly ¡°You just want me to make my stance clear, so why use such words to pressure me? You know I won¡¯t be influenced by such words¡± Hearing this, Conway gave him a helpless look Not long after, Seraphina returned to the room, obviously having freshened up, looking like her usual self. Conway looked at Leandro again. ¡°go tell the driver to get the car ready. I want to have a few words alone with Sera, then you guys can go home and rest.¡± Leandro got up to leave, but stopped at the door. He said to Conway, ¡°I¡¯ve let Lacy go. I¡¯ve already found a new secretary and caregiver to take care of you. If there are any issues, they¡¯ll call me directly¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing this, Conway furrowed his brow. ¡°Why did you let Lacy go? My fall was my own fault, not his.¡± ¡°Because he didn¡¯t fulfill his duties,¡± Leandro said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about these things: I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± Conway couldn¡¯t counter his decision, nor did he have the energy to say much else. He just closed his eyes and said, ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡± Leandro got up again, his gaze falling on Seraphina. But she didn¡¯t look at him, instead she walked over to the bed and looked at Conway ¡°Grandpa, do you have something to tell me?¡± Leandro turned and left the room. Conway watched Leandro¡¯s retreating figure, then sighed and reached out to grasp Seraphina¡¯s hand. ¡°Can you promise me something?¡± Seraphina had calmed her emotions and her thoughts were clear. Upon hearing this, she immediately became alert and asked, ¡°promise you what?¡± good ¡°Can you take good care of Leandro and Valerio?¡± Seraphina gave a lightugh and said, ¡°That¡¯s something I can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°But I only trust you to do this¡± Seraphina sighed with a smile, then said, ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll help Valerio find his mother, and let his biological mother do this. That should be most appropriate, right?¡± Conway stared at her, ¡°Can¡¯t you just consider yourself as Valerio¡¯s mother?¡± Seraphina, with a smile on her face, answered: ¡°No.¡± Conway suddenly started coughing Seraphina was startled and tightly held his hand, soothing his chest tofort him, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t get agitated, take it easy After a while, Conway calmed down, then said: ¡°Leandro has been under the pressure of the Reynolds family for years, he¡¯s be cold. Ever since! handed the Reynolds family business to him, I¡¯ve never seen him smile¡­ Sometimes, I wonder, was it the right decision to give him the Reynolds family business?¡± 7 think he quite enjoys this life, Seraphina replied. ¡°So, you don¡¯t need to me yourself Conway looked at her and slowly shook his head Seraphina obviously didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation and said, ¡°Grandpa, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. When you¡¯re better, Ill take you out for a walk.¡± If we don¡¯t talk about it now, when will we?¡± Conway asked if I were to die tomorrow, what will happen to your futures-¡± Seraphina quickly covered Conway¡¯s mouth, not letting him continue. Conway pushed her hand away, then slowly said, ¡°I hope you can take care of Leandro, and I hope he can take care of you¡­ You two are the people i worry about the most, and the ones I trust the most¡­ I¡¯m old, I just want to see you two live well¡­¡± ¡°Enough, grandpa, if you keep on yapping, I won¡¯t bother visiting you anymore,¡± Seraphina threatened, pinching his hand, clearly fed up with his ramblings Seeing this, Conway couldn¡¯t help but heave another sigh. Seraphina, oblivious to his sigh, leaned against his hand once more, nestling quietly by his side, not uttering a word. ¡°Alright, it¡¯ste now. Since you don¡¯t want to listen to my words, better head home soon¡­ Conway suggested, patting Seraphina¡¯s head gently ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving, Seraphina insisted, ¡°I want to stay here with you¡± ¡°Nighttime is for sleeping. Conway reasoned, ¡°What¡¯s the point in staying with me? You¡¯re all sweaty, go home, take a shower, get a good night¡¯s sleep. ande see me tomorrow¡± Seraphina just sat there in silence ¡°Listen to me¡± Conway said, ¡°Tim exhausted today. I need a good sleep. You should go.¡± Seraphina remained silent for a while longer before finally standing up, ¡°Alright then, you rest well. I¡¯ll come back tomorrow¡± At the door, she saw Leandro¡¯s secretary and nurseing in to look after Conway Only then did she feel relieved enough to leave. As she descended the stairs, Leandro¡¯s car was already waiting outside. The driver standing by, ready to open the door for her. Since they were all heading to the same building, Seraphina didn¡¯t hesitate and hopped right in. Leandro was in the back seat, eyes closed, resting Seraphina didn¡¯t disturb him, she pulled out her phone instead, replying to Sandra¡¯s messages. Not long after they left the hospital, Leandro suddenly opened his eyes, instructed the driver to head to the Reynolds Group. The driverplied, Seraphina looked up, wanting to say something, but stopped herself, choosing to just watch him silently. The entire ride was silent When they arrived at the Reynolds Group building, the driver opened the door for Leandro. Leandro, however, turned to Seraphina before getting out, ¡°Get out.¡± Seraphina turned to him, ¡°Is there something I need to take care of?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer her, simply got out of the car. Seraphina thought for a moment, then decided to follow him out and up to the 26th floor. The 26th floor was eerily quiet, with no one working overtime. Seraphina followed Leandro directly into his office. Leandro sat behind his desk, opened the drawer on the left, and pulled out two documents Seraphina recognized the documents at a nce She sat across from him, arms crossed, watching him silently.. Leandro flipped to thest page of each document, signed his name next to hers, which she had signed a few days earlier. Then, he slid one of them across the desk to her. Seraphina looked down and saw the words ¡°prenuptial agreement.¡± She couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°What¡¯s all this about?¡± she asked. ¡°Our marriage,¡± Leandro replied. Seraphina looked at him as if she was watching aedy, her face filled with amusement. ¡°Us two? Really?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many things or people I care about, Leandro said, ¡°I believe it¡¯s the same for you.¡± ¡°All that just for that reason, you¡¯re willing topromise?¡± Seraphina tilted her head, ¡°Or, do you still have feelings for me, so you¡¯re just going with the §±low?¡± Her slightly raised eyebrow and smile made it seem like she was acting, but Leandro knew she wasn¡¯t. That was one of the reasons why she could act so convincingly because she was good at reading people. When she acted, it was hard to tell what was real and what wasn¡¯t. Sometimes her genuine emotions took center stage, concealing the key part, the act. ¡°Regardless of the reason, what do you have to worry about?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°You don¡¯t even care about your own life, and you are even willing to use your own body when you have to.¡± At this. Seraphina burst outughing ¡°It¡¯s my body. I have the right to decide how to use it. And as for who I sleep with, isn¡¯t that something everyone does? I enjoyed it too, I didn¡¯t lose out. But that was when I was willing to y your games. I don¡¯t want to y anymore, I won¡¯t grant your wish¡­ It¡¯s as simple as that¡± Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Seraphina originally thought that her words would send Leandro into a rage, but when she looked at him, his expression was still calm. He just stared at her quietly, hiding all his emotions behind those deep eyes, impossible to read. She didn¡¯t have the interest to probe his thoughts, quickly averted her gaze and said, ¡°I¡¯ve given you my answer, can I go home now? Valerio might still be waiting for me at home.¡± As she stood up to leave, Leandro suddenly called out her name, ¡°Seraphina.¡± She turned her head to look at him, ¡°Anything else you want to say, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro just looked at her calmly and asked one question, ¡°Who is Betty?¡± Seraphina, who was originally all smiles, suddenly froze when she heard Leandro¡¯s question. She then asked, ¡°Who?¡± Her voice obviously became hoarser at the question. Leandro still looked at her calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I¡¯m asking about?¡± Seraphina¡¯s face returned to its calm state, but it looked somewhat pale. She replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± After saying that, she didn¡¯t wait for Leandro and turned to leave the office. Leandro just sat in his chair, quietly watching her leave, not doing anything When Seraphina got downstairs, the driver was waiting for her at the entrance. Seeing here out alone, he seemed a bit surprised, ¡°Ms. Bet, why are you alone? Where¡¯s Mr. Reynolds?¡± The driver opened the car door for Seraphina. She was about to get in when she realized, ¡°You¡¯re waiting for Mr. Reynolds, aren¡¯t you? Then I¡¯ll just call a cab.¡± She took out her phone to call a cab. The driver noticed that her hands were trembling as she entered the address. He also noticed her pale face and immediately asked with concern, ¡°Ms. Bet, are you okay?¡± Tm fine.¡± Before she could call a cab, Seraphina suddenly put away her phone, ¡°It¡¯s hard to catch a cab here, I¡¯ll go wait by the roadside.¡± She walked straight towards the road. The driver, a bit worried, followed her for a bit, trying to persuade her to get in the car, but Seraphina seemed not to hear him and kept walking The driver couldn¡¯t leave the car for too long. Seeing that Seraphina really wasn¡¯t going to get in his car, he could only stop and watch her leave, then quickly returned to the car. Seraphina waited by the roadside for an hour before she finally saw an empty cab. The temperature dropped sharply at night, and she felt cold all over. After getting in the car, she seemed to snap back to reality. The driver asked her where she wanted to go three times. It was only on the third time that Seraphina heard him. When she was about to answer, she found that her mind was nk and she couldn¡¯t think of where to go. She sat quietly in the car for a while, then took out her phone and dialed Sandra¡¯s number. No one answered the first time, nor the second time. The third time, Sandra picked up the phone, her voice rushed, ¡°Sera, what¡¯s up? I was just in the shower¡­¡± Seraphina¡¯s mind was filled with messy thoughts. It took her a while to sort them out. Then she said, ¡°Sandra, he just asked me, who is Betty¡­ On the other end of the phone, Sandra suddenly sat up on the bed, ¡°Who? Leandro?¡± Then, Seraphina chuckled on the phone, ¡°What do you think, should I tell him who Betty is?¡± But before Sandra could answer, she said softly, ¡°No, I won¡¯t tell him.¡± After saying that, Seraphina just hung up. Sandra listened to the disconnected phone, feeling anxious. She immediately called back, but Seraphina didn¡¯t pick up again. She was about to call again when a man¡¯s hand suddenly reached out and took her phone. He asked calmly. ¡°What happened?¡± Sandra turned her head and saw Bowen lying next to her. He was lying there, bare¨Cchested, looking at her with a satisfied expression. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. But Sandra hadpletely detached herself from their previous sex. All she could think about was Seraphina¡¯s call. ¡°Leandro he overheard our conversation today.¡± Sandra said, ¡°He asked Sera, who is Betty¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Bowen pulled her into his arms and said casually, ¡°Then let him know¡± Sandray on his chest, her eyes nk. After a while, she slowly shook her head. When Seraphina got back to the apartment, it was already past midnight. As soon as she opened the door, someone rushed up to hug her leg. Seraphina looked down to see it was Valerio. She quickly pushed his hand away and squatted down to look at him, ¡°Why are you still up? What time is it?¡± Valerio looked at her with puppy dog eyes, his bright eyes filled with grievance. Seraphina knew he must have been waiting for her. She sighed, took his hand, and apanied him upstairs, Tm not going to disappear, why were you waiting here for me?¡± When they reached the second floor and passed by Leandro¡¯s bedroom, Seraphina asked again, ¡°Your dad hasn¡¯te back yet?¡± Valerio nodded. Seraphina then took him back to his room and urged him to get into bed. His feet were bare and now they were icy cold. Seeing this, Seraphina went into the bathroom and got a hot towel, lifted his little feet, and wiped them a few times before wrapping them up in the towel to warm them up Only after his feet were warm did she put them back under the nket, ¡°Sleep now.¡± Valerioy in bed, still staring at her with wide eyes. Seraphina stared back at him for a while, then leaned down to kiss his forehead lightly, whispering, ¡°get some sleep.¡± Valerio seemed to be soothed by her kiss, even showing a shy smile. After a while, he finally closed his eyes. Seraphina kept watch over him until he fell asleep. She still sat by the bed, quietly watching him. The next morning, at the hotel. When Sandra woke up, she had a bit of a headache. She spent the night at the hotelst night, not quitefortable with the unfamiliar environment. Plus, with Seraphina¡¯s call, she had a rough night and didn¡¯t sleep well. So, she ordered a cup of ck coffee to perk up as soon as she walked into the restaurant. What surprised her was, just after she had ordered her meal, before her coffee even arrived, someone suddenly appeared in front of her, ¡°Ms. Sandra, hello¡± Sandra looked up and saw a strange man¡¯s face. He handed her a business card, Tm Keen, Leandro Reynold¡¯s personal assistant. Mr. Reynolds would like to have a word with you As Keen spoke, he pointed to a spot by the window In the early morning, the hotel¡¯s restaurant was almost empty, and the row of seats by the window seemed extraordinarily quiet and vacant. Sandra saw Leandro sitting in the middle and couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip. She just met this man yesterday, and she didn¡¯t expect to bump into him so quickly for the second time. Sandra thought for a moment, then got up and walked over, sitting down in front of Leandro. Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Leandro was engrossed in his phone until Sandra took a seat, then he slowly looked up at her, ¡°Hello, Ms. Sandra¡± Sandra sat across from him, her gaze steady. You actually know me, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Tve heard of you for a long time. Leandro replied Tve also heard of Mr. Reynolds for quite a while, just didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d officially meet today¡± Sandra said, ¡°Anything in particr you wanted to talk about, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro simply said, ¡°Seraphina¡± Augh escaped Sandra, ¡°What¡¯s the deal between you and Seraphina? Why would you want to talk about her with me?¡± ¡°Ms. Sandra, you¡¯re a smart person. Why y with words with me?¡± Leandro replied nonchntly Upon hearing this, Sandra said, ¡°Well, I might disappoint you then, Mr. Reynolds. Most of the time, Seraphina and I share the same view. And I don¡¯t think Seraphina is exactly a rocket scientist either. If she were, she wouldn¡¯t have been duped into thinking a bad guy was a good guy.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t seem to care about herments. He calmly said, ¡°Seems like Ms. Sandra knows everything about her.¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Sandra confirmed, ¡°What¡¯s your point? What do you want to know from me, Mr. Reynolds?¡± ¡°Everything¡± Sandra shook her head slowly, ¡°I won¡¯t betray Seraphina¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro lowered his gaze slightly and casually said, ¡°I just want to know her life in recent years, would that be considered ¡®betrayal, Ms. Sandra?¡± A hint of change appeared on Sandra¡¯s face, then she said, ¡°If she hadn¡¯t been deceived, framed, and driven to Starhaven¡­ Mr. Reynolds, wouldn¡¯t you already know about her life? I¡¯m well aware of what you¡¯ve done to her. And now you want me to tell you about her recent years so you can use it against her? Dream on!¡± With that, she stood up and turned to leave. But she identally bumped into a waiter bringing her coffee, sshing it on her. Annoyed, she began wiping it off with a napkin. Leandro watched her retreating figure, remaining seated, and said quietly, ¡°I hope you have enough guts and resources to keep refusing then.¡± Although he said it calmly, Sandra sensed something. She looked back at him before leaving. Leandro didn¡¯t watch her leave. He sat for a while, then took out a cigarette. Just as he was about to light it, he remembered he was in a public ce and threw the unlit cigarette into a trash can. He silently turned to look out the window, his gaze somber and silent. Keen, sitting at a nearby table, felt a bit uneasy seeing Leandro like this. It was a weekend, and Seraphina brought Valerio to the hospital to visit Conway. They bumped into Lorenzo Reynolds on their way out ¡°Hi, Lory.¡± Seraphina greeted him familiarly as soon as she saw him. Valerio just stood quietly by her side, watching him. Lorenzo nced at Seraphina holding Valerio¡¯s hand, nodded slightly in greeting. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see you yesterday?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°I was out of town, Lorenzo replied, ¡°Got back early this morning.¡± Seraphina nodded, then moved a bit closer to him, ¡°Can you tell me how grandpa¡¯s doing?¡± Lorenzo paused slightly at her serious expression, then said, ¡°Not so good.¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes dimmed upon hearing this. ¡°Grandpa¡¯s condition is deteriorating, especially after a few heart failures yesterday. He was barely saved,¡± Lorenzo said, ¡°He might have to stay in the hospital for a while.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina fell silent, then asked, ¡°How long will that be?¡± ¡°Could be a few months, or maybe a year, Lorenzo answered. Seraphina nodded slowly, maintaining herposure. ¡°I have other patients, I should go, Lorenzo said. ¡°Okay,¡± Seraphina replied, then took Valerio and left. When they entered Conway¡¯s room, he seemed to be dozing off. Seeing them, he instantly perked up, smiling at them, ¡°Valerio, you came to see me?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Valerio, being obedient but mute, could only stand quietly, watching Conway. Conway smiled, ruffled his hair, and held his hand, saying with a sigh, ¡°I guess I may never have the chance to hear him call me in my lifetime..¡± ¡°Grandpa Seraphina called out. She didn¡¯t like this kind of talks. Just as Conway was about to reply, the door of the room opened, and Lacy came in. ¡°Mr. Conway, Ms. Bet, Lacy greeted. Seraphina looked at him and asked with a smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t Leandro say he was going to fire you?¡± Atouch of embarrassment appeared on Lacy¡¯s face. Conway said, ¡°He thinks he can fire someone I¡¯m used to? I still have a lot of things that need his help. Hearing this, Lacy walked over and whispered something to Conway Seraphina frowned, ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re in the hospital, why are you still worrying about things?¡± After listening to Lacy¡¯s report, Conway nodded in satisfaction before turning to Seraphina, ¡°Look at me, still trying to sort things out while I can. Do you expect me toe back from the dead to haunt you guys after I die?¡± ¡°Grandpa Seraphina immediately put on an angry face. Conway waved her off and she reluctantly walked over to him. Only then did he reach out to hold her hand, Tve sorted out your mother¡¯s issue. You don¡¯t have to worry about it anymore¡± Seraphina was taken aback that Conway was still concerned about Magdalen, her face changed instantly. ¡°Who told you about her?¡± ¡°You think I can¡¯t do my own digging Conway said, ¡°I¡¯ve lived for over eighty years, I have plenty of friends and contacts. How hard is it for me to get some intel? I gave your mother a call, scolded her, tried to persuade her¡­ She¡¯s headstrong, but she will listen to me eventually. She¡¯s your mother, but all these years, you¡¯ve been the one tolerating her, and I know it. No matter how cold¨Chearted she is, she must still care about you deep down. As for Leandro, don¡¯t be too hard on him. He¡¯s used to doing things his own way. If you could keep him in line, that¡¯d be great¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina simply shook her head and tightened her grip on Conway¡¯s hand, ¡°I don¡¯t care about their issues, I only have you, and you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ll worry about.¡± Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Upon hearing this, Conway said, ¡°I can ignore other stuff, but your matters, I gotta care Over the years, I¡¯ve let many things slide, but only you and Leandro¡¯s matters, they won¡¯t let me be.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina, although she knew Conway was intentionally leading the conversation, couldn¡¯t help but hold him tightly, ¡°Grandpa¡­ Forget it, forget it¡± Conway said, ¡°If you don¡¯t wanna hear it, then I won¡¯t say it¡± As Conway spoke, he closed his eyes. Seraphina could tell something was off with his color. Remembering he needed rest, she quickly suggested, ¡°Grandpa, if you¡¯re tired, please take a nap. Valerio and I will be right here.¡± ¡°He rarely gets a break,¡± Conway responded, ¡°He probably wants to spend time with you. Don¡¯t stay on my ount. Take him out for a walk ande backter in the afternoon.¡± Seraphina nced at Valerio. Although he was always obedient, his eyes lit up with excitement upon hearing Conway¡¯s suggestion. Feeling a bit cornered, Seraphina waited. Once Conway was asleep, she quietly left the ward with Valerio. They got to the hospital entrance, the driver just happened to drive the car over, Seraphina opened the car door to let Valerio in, but as soon as she got in, she smelled smoke. Something seemed off with the driver. As she peered closer, her expression shifted sharply. The man in the driver¡¯s seat wasn¡¯t their previous driver! Before Seraphina could process this shock, another man appeared from the passenger side, putting her in a car with two unfamiliar faces. She instinctively reached for the car door, but it was locked tight. Neither doors nor windows would budge. Taking a deep breath, she pulled Valerio close and studied the men up front. Both had their faces concealed with hats and masks, making identification impossible. ¡°What do you guys want?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Just wanted to invite Ms. Bet and Valerio over to our ce.¡± The passenger turned his head to look at Seraphina, his voice was low, ¡°No need to panic, Ms. Bet.¡± Seraphina coldly looked at them while ncing at the car window¨Cwondering how likely it would be for her to kick the window open and throw Valerio out? As she was thinking this, the car suddenly came to a screeching halt, Seraphina looked up, there were suddenly two more cars in front, blocking their path! Seraphina saw that one of the cars contained a person that looked like Abbot whom she had met before! Just now, she was facing two against one in the car, but now, more than one person was on her side. Thinking of this, while the two men in front were distracted, Seraphina quickly lunged forward, swiftly hit the central lock, and shouted, ¡°Valerio, open the door and get out! Quick!¡± Valerio had already reacted when they were talking with the two men, when Seraphina called him, he decisively opened the car door and turned to pull Seraphina out. However, half of Seraphina¡¯s body was still in the front seat and couldn¡¯t get back in time, Valerio was obviously hesitating, Seraphina gave him a strong kick and kicked him out of the car! Just as Valerio hit the ground, the people from Abbot¡¯s car quickly got out and rushed over here. Seeing this, the passenger immediately grabbed Seraphina, jumped to the back seat, held her down, and closed the car door at the same time. The car quickly reversed, after a few adjustments, sessfully shook off the two cars behind, and quickly drove in the opposite direction. Seraphina didn¡¯t know if Abbot¡¯s two cars could catch up and save her, but now that Valerio was not in the car, she feltpletely relieved. ¡°Let go of me!¡± She red at the man next to her. Seeing her look, the man involuntarily let go of his hand, but he quickly reacted, his hands still around Seraphina, ready to prevent her from resisting again. at any time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t resist if I¡¯m not sure I can.¡± Seraphina tidied her hair and clothes, and calmly asked, ¡°Who are you guys after? What do you want?¡± The man looked at her, was stunned for a moment, then suddenly startedughing. When Keen received Abbot¡¯s call, he was so scared that he almost dropped his phone, he immediately rushed to Leandro¡¯s office. Leandro, engrossed in a phone call by the window, turned sharply at a sound to find Keen, whose face drained of color. Without waiting for Keen to speak, Leandro asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Bet, Keen stammered, pale. ¡°Abbot called. They took her. We tried¡­ but we couldn¡¯t stop them.¡± The weight of the news hung heavy Leandro immediately ended his call, his face hardening with concern Thirty minutester, he arrived at the hospital to find Valerio The boy had been tossed out of the car by Seraphina Cuts and bruises marked his limbs, now cleaned and bandaged by the medical staff Remarkably, Valerio had been brave, showing no sign of pain or distress. But the moment he saw Leandro, his small face crumpled with worry and fear Without a word, he rushed into Leandro¡¯s protective embrace. Leandro held him with one arm and turned to look at the doctor. ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± The doctor answered, ¡°No head injury, no concussion, just some scrapes on his hands and feet, he may be a bit shocked.¡± Leandro looked down and checked Valerio¡¯s hands and feet, when he looked up, he saw Valerio staring at him, Valerio even opened his mouth, but made no sound. Leandro understood what he meant. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Although he was young, he knew clearly what had happened, he was telling him about Seraphina, hoping he could find Seraphina as soon as possible. Holding him, Leandro¡¯s eyes became gloomy When Seraphina went missing, he didn¡¯t immediately call the cops. Instead, he sent people out to sniff around there were all sorts of folks in Sunburst City, and he knew a good number of them. Anything involving ckmail or kidnapping was always tied to some shady characters, and most of the time he could track down some leads. But that day, deep into the night, Leandro hadn¡¯t received a single piece of news. Valerio woke up to the gravity of the situation, and he rushed out of his room. In the living room, Keen was sat on the sofa, eyes glued to his phone waiting for any updates, while Leandro was on the other side, cigarette in hand, on a call with someone overseas. Hearing footsteps, Keen abruptly looked up, seeing Valerio rushing down barefoot, he quickly went and pulled him into a hug. ¡°Why are you up?¡± Valerio just looked desperately at Leandro, his eyes pleading for help. Leandro gave him a brief look before returning to his business call. Suddenly, Keen¡¯s phone on the table buzzed. As Keen answered, his expression shifted drastically. Noticing the change, Leandro met Keen¡¯s gaze and promptly told the person on his line, Tll call you back.¡± Once he¡¯d ended his call, Leandro took Keen¡¯s phone to hear for himself. ¡°Mr. Reynolds?¡± A man¡¯s voice came from the phone. ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Leandro replied. The next moment, the call ended. Leandro looked at the phone, disying a hidden number. ¡°They hung up?¡± Keen asked, surprised. Leandro tossed the phone aside and looked at him, ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He just said he wanted to speak with you, Keen replied. Leandro didn¡¯t respond, just pulled Valerio into his arms, ncing at him, ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Unable to express his panic, Valerio could only bite his lip and rest his head on Leandro¡¯s shoulder, his eyebrows furrowed. At some point, Valerio fell asleep again. Leandro handed him over to Keen, who gently carried him back upstairs. When he returned, Leandro was still on the sofa, silently staring at the two phones in front of him, not saying a word. Keen walked over and began to analyze the situation, ¡°This may not be targeted at you. After all, Ms. Bet has always had a rather unconventional approach¡­ If she¡¯s pissed off someone, this could be hard to investigate. Should we call the police?¡± Not targeted at him? Leandro looked at the phone he¡¯d just been on, scoffing internally. If it wasn¡¯t targeted at him, they wouldn¡¯t have targeted his driver, stolen his car, and taken Seraphina and Valerio right in front of him everything was clearly premeditated. Seeing that Leandro wasn¡¯t responding, Keen knew his stance and suggested, ¡°We still don¡¯t know what they want. You should get some sleep, I¡¯ll stay here and let you know as soon as there¡¯s any news.¡± Leandro lit a cigarette and simply said, ¡°No need.¡± They waited until daybreak. Keen was on the verge of a breakdown too many things had happened recently, one thing after another, and none of them good. It was a terrible feeling, a slight mood swing could send him spiraling. He was about to Head to the washroom, wiping his face, when the phone¡¯s ring startled him. Keen reacted swiftly, answering the phone and then passing it to Leandro after a quick look. Leandro¡¯s eyes darkened as he noticed the ¡°Hidden Number¡± on the disy Without emotion, he took the call. Their request was straightforward money. But there was a catch- they insisted that Leandro deliver it in person. Keen reacted with urgency, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, it¡¯s too risky! We don¡¯t know who they are or their real intentions. Why not let me handle it?¡± Leandro rose decisively. ¡°They asked for me. You handle the bank arrangements. We¡¯ll rendezvous later¡± Chapter 157 Chapter 157 When Herman arrived at Leandro¡¯s apartment, he was dead set against Leandro¡¯s decision to personally deliver the ransom. But nobody, including Herman, could change Leandro¡¯s decision As he helped Leandro put on his bulletproof vest and tracker, he muttered under his breath, ¡°Who the hell is this Seraphina? She¡¯s a real trouble ma. It wasn¡¯t long ago that we had that Balch incident, and now you¡¯re risking your neck for her again¡­¡± Leandro gave him a side¨Ceye, ¡°Do you think that¡¯s appropriate talk for a cop?* Herman looked back at him, then at his own actions, saying. ¡°Do you think this is appropriate? You¡¯d bettere back in one piece this time. If anything happens to you, I¡¯ll pay for it with my future.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. With all the preparationsplete, Leandro didn¡¯t respond, but turned to leave. ¡°Leandro Herman was still worried, ¡°we¡¯re not sure if the kidnapper has any other motives. Be careful. I¡¯ll be right behind you. If anything goes wrong, you have to let me know asap¡± Leandro nodded, turned to leave, but suddenly looked back Up on the second floor, Valerio was sitting on the floor, hands gripping the railing, watching him with hopeful eyes. After a brief eye contact between the father and son, Leandro finally left. Valerio¡¯s grip on the railing tightened, but he remained sitting quietly Leaving the apartment, Leandro met up with Keen at a nearby bank, collected the prepared money, said a few words to Keen, and then drove off. Keen watched the car leave nervously. A minuteter, Herman¡¯s car stopped in front of him and Keen immediately got in.¡± The exchange was to take ce at a construction site in the outskirts. It was deste, making it easy to hide and observe the surroundings, and also easy for a quick getaway. From the moment he received the call to driving alone here, Leandro had almost no hesitation. He had his attachments, but this situation just came at him, and he felt he had no other choice. Leandro parked in front of the building, then got out. The surrounding was eerily quiet, with no sound other than the wind. He stood by the car for a few seconds, saw no sign of anyone, and then walked into the unfinished building. The unfinished building made of steel and concrete was equally deserted, with no safety measures at doors, windows, or stairs. Leandro ascended the 16 floors, step by step. The room was semi¨Copen, devoid of doors and windows. In the midst of this space was a lone chair, and on that chair sat Seraphina She was bound to it, yet her face remained uncovered¨Cno blindfold or gag in sight. Her demeanor was eerily calm, almost as if she thought it was a mere jest. As footsteps echoed, Seraphina lifted her gaze. Spotting Leandro, she chuckled, ¡°You really showed up?¡± Leandro locked eyes with her briefly. Without a word, he dropped a bag of money and started advancing. ¡°Hold on!¡± Seraphina¡¯s voice held a warning, her face steady, ¡°There¡¯s a bomb strapped to my hand. I have no idea when it¡¯ll detonate. I¡¯d hate for you to get caught in the st.¡± Leandro paused for a moment after hearing her words, but continued moving towards her. ¡°Leandro!¡± She called out again, ¡°This is not a joke. Leandro walked straight up to her, checked her safety, and then looked at the bomb on her hand. It was a simple homemade bomb, remotely controlled, meaning it could explode at any time. Leandro squatted down next to the chair. Seraphina struggled to turn her neck and saw him taking out a small set of tools from his clothes¨C originally intended for emergencies, but now, was he going to defuse the bomb? She became instantly nervous, ¡°Leandro, don¡¯t mess around! These people are obviously targeting you. As long as you leave, I¡¯ll be fine! What are you trying to defuse? It goes off, we¡¯re both toast!¡± ¡°I¡¯m wearing a bulletproof vest. A bomb this small won¡¯t kill me,¡± Leandro said calmly Seraphina was speechless After a while, she said, ¡°Can you at least remove the bomb from my hand before you defuse it?¡± She was, after all, not wearing a bulletproof vest! ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re not afraid to die?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°If I want to die, of course I¡¯m not afraid, Seraphina replied, ¡°But dying for your sake, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth it, and I don¡¯t want to.¡± Leandro¡¯s hand paused for a moment in the midst of defusing the bomb, then said, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to, suck it up¡± Seraphina was left speechless. For Leandro, a graduate of engineering, the bomb¡¯s structure was too simple. He understood all the mechanisms at a nce, and defusing it was a breeze. In less than two minutes, he had disarmed the remote control on the bomb. Once he confirmed that the bomb on Seraphina¡¯s hand would no longer explode, Leandro began to untie the ropes on her. However, just as he had untied half of the ropes, another sound echoed in the quiet space tick, tock, tick, tock¡­. It was the sound of a bomb being activated remotely! There were other bombs here! Leandro¡¯s face turned serious instantly Without thinking, he pushed Seraphina off the chair and shielded her with his body. Boom! A loud explosionter, the room was filled with flying dust! Herman and Keen¡¯s car was parked a few hundred meters away from the building. Hearing the loud noise, the two looked at each other and immediately drove to the base of the building. After getting out of the car, Herman told Keen to wait in the car and hurried up the stairs. When he finally arrived at the 16th floor, Leandro was leading Seraphina down the stairs. They were both covered in dust and looked dirty, but no one seemed to be hurt. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Herman asked anxiously. Leandro only responded with a, ¡°Hmm¡± Herman nced again at Seraphina. She was pressing her hand to her chest, clearly rattled, and gave him a little wave. Herman shifted his gaze and saw the money bag that Leandro had tossed on the ground earlier. He opened it to find the money neatly stacked, untouched. This was a bit odd. Herman looked at Leandro, then back at Seraphina, ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t some sort of prank?¡± The kidnapper didn¡¯t show up, didn¡¯t take the money, and just let Leandro rescue Seraphina so easily. Seraphina was dusting off her clothes. When she heard this, she looked up at Herman, ¡°What are you implying? That I kidnapped myself and threatened myself with a bomb? I¡¯m not that bored!¡± Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Herman paid no mind to Seraphina¡¯s words, as he was busy snooping around the bomb site. The scene was pretty bare bones. Other than Seraphina and the bomb, the kidnappers didn¡¯t leave much behind. ¡°Even though no one got hurt, a bomb did go off. This is no small potatoes, Herman said to Leandro, I¡¯m gonna report to the station so they can start an investigation Leandro took a moment to think, then nodded in agreement. Seraphina, covered in dust, stood aside in silence, ¡°Can I go home and take a shower and change clothes now?¡± ¡°Hold your horses, Herman said, ¡°Before you go, can you tell me what happened?¡± Seraphina crossed her arms. ¡°They kidnapped me right outside the hospital yesterday. They drove me here and I was stuck in the car all night. In the morning, they brought me up here and tied me up. After that, they just vanished. Two guys, both wearing hats and masks¡± ¡°Did they hurt you?¡± asked Herman, ¡°Or did they say anything?¡± ¡°No,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Honestly, they were kind of polite. They didn¡¯ty a finger on me and even gave me water and food¡± Hearing this, Herman and Leandro exchanged a nce. Leandro looked grim, his brow furrowed. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the events of the day, or the dust covering him. Seeing this, Herman said, ¡°In that case, Leandro, you take her home. I¡¯lle byter with some colleagues to collect evidence.¡± Leandro nodded, then turned to walk downstairs Seraphina gave Herman a goodbye wave and followed Leandro down the stairs. Keen was waiting downstairs Seeing them safe and sound, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Ms. Bet, are you both okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Seraphina replied, brushing her hair back and getting into the car, ¡°How¡¯s Valerio?¡± Keen nced at her in the rearview mirror. She didn¡¯t ask about Leandro, who was sitting next to her, but him instead. However, Leandro just sat there, as cool as a cucumber, not seeming to want to answer the question. ¡°Valerio¡¯s alright, Keen said, ¡°Just a few scrapes here and there.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Seraphina replied with relief, ¡°He is a boy, so a few scrapes aren¡¯t a big deal.¡± With that, she didn¡¯t say anything more She just found afortable position and closed her eyes to rest. Leandro seemed distant, his gaze fixed outside the window, lost in thought Upon their return to the apartment, as soon as Seraphina stepped inside, a familiar little figure clung to her leg. It was Valerio, his face streaked with tears Tenderly cupping his face, Seraphina advised, ¡°Don¡¯t cry Boys shouldn¡¯t be in tears all the time. It gets tiring.¡± Valerio inhaled deeply, trying to stifle his sobs. Seeing his effort, Seraphina¡¯s face lit up in a smile, ¡°There you go! Now let go, I need to freshen up.¡± With a nod, Valerio released his grip. Seraphina headed upstairs, with Valerio trailing behind her. Leandro, who came in after them, didn¡¯t even get a second nce. Leandro looked up at their retreating figures, but said nothing. An hourter, Herman showed up at the apartment. Leandro had already showered and was changing clothes. Herman left the unmanageable Seraphina to his colleagues and went into Leandro¡¯s room. ¡°All clear at the bomb site, no useful leads,¡± Herman said, watching Leandro change, ¡°The stolen car was found in the east side of town, but no leads there either. They were extremely careful. Any guess on who they might be?¡± ¡°No,¡± Leandro replied simply, while buttoning his cuff. Herman frowned slightly. ¡°It¡¯s clear they were targeting you, but did nothing. What¡¯s their motive for causing such amotion?¡± ¡°It makes their motive clear, Leandro said, ¡°They were just testing me.¡± Herman was surprised, Testing you for what?¡± ¡°To see how much I care about the woman they kidnapped, Leandro replied slowly, looking at himself in the mirror. Herman thought for a moment, then said slowly. ¡°And then they n to use her against you? The people who know about your rtionship with her¡­ hold on, what is your rtionship with her?¡± Leandro nced at him, ¡°Are you here to investigate or to gossip?¡± ¡°It¡¯s part of the probe, Herman voiced with a hint of frustration ¡°Both of you share a home, it¡¯s easy for anyone to notice. But the real question is¡­ how deeply do you care for her?¡± Leandro silently slipped on his suit jacket, avoiding a response. Herman pressed on, ¡°Isn¡¯t it crucial for you to consider if she might be vulnerable to those out there, given her importance to you?¡± Leandro remained silent, choosing to exit the room instead. As Herman watched him depart, he massaged his temples, weary Though Leandro hadn¡¯t vocalized anything, hadn¡¯t the day¡¯s events made his feelings abundantly clear? Downstairs, Seraphina, now freshened up, sat next to Valerio, narrating the events to one of Herman¡¯s associates. Valerio clung close to her. He briefly met Leandro¡¯s gaze as he entered but then quickly diverted his eyes. Leandro saw it and felt a twinge of unease. As for Seraphina.. she didn¡¯t look at him once, focused on her conversation with the officer. Leandro nced at her, then walked out the door Herman then went downstairs and sat next to his colleague, ncing now and then at Seraphina, and then at Valerio who was sitting next to her. Seraphina noticed his gaze and gave a slight smile with a raised eyebrow. Herman immediately averted his eyes, no longer looking at her. After finishing recording the statement, Seraphina prepared to take Valerio to the hospital. Herman had initially nned to ask her if she was under any mental pressure, but when he remembered some of her bold actions in the Balch case, he immediately felt the question was redundant and so he chose to remain silent. When Seraphina arrived at the hospital, Conway¡¯s ward was in total chaos. She stood at the door and looked in. Surprisingly, Conway was trying to get out of bed while Lacy and the nurse were trying to stop him. However, their persuasion waspletely ineffective against the old man¡¯s stubborn demeanor. ¡°Grandpa Seraphina eximed in surprise and immediately walked into the ward, ¡°What are you doing?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. When they saw her, the previously chaotic ward suddenly quieted down. Conway also stopped his movements. He just sat on the bed, panting slightly. his face pale and his brows furrowed as he looked at her. Chapter 159 Chapter 159 When Seraphina spotted themotion, she instantly realized this was about her. She hurried over and grabbed Conway¡¯s hand ¡°Conway, what¡¯s the hell is going on?¡± Conway, gripping her hand and clutching his chest, was immediately attended to by a nurse who pressed the call button. The doctor was there in no time, and a series of organized checks followed. Seizing the moment, Seraphina turned to Lacy ¡°What the heck is happening?¡± Lacy looked at Seraphina for a while before finally letting out a sigh of relief. ¡®Ms. Bet, thank God you¡¯re okay¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Getting the hint, Seraphina asked, ¡®Does Conway know?¡± She didn¡¯t have time for more questions and rushed tofort Conway, who looked devastated. ¡°Conway, why are you freaking out? Look at me, I¡¯m perfectly fine, not a scratch! Look! Look at me!¡± As she spoke, she brushed her hair back and took off her coat to show Conway she was unhurt. Conway just stared at her, his expression eased a bit, but he still looked pale. After the doctor finished his check¨Cup, he turned to Seraphina ¡°Conway¡¯s okay for now, but his health is fragile. He can¡¯t take any more shocks. So, watch it¡± Seraphina nodded in agreement. Once Conway calmed down, he asked, ¡°Are you really okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Seraphina reassured him I¡¯m standing right here, aren¡¯t I? Don¡¯t you trust your own eyes?¡± ¡°Did they find out who did it?¡± Conway asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Conway,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Someone¡¯s on it.¡± But Conway seemed unsatisfied, he turned to Lacy ¡°Give me my phone. I need to make some calls.¡± Seeing Lacy¡¯s hesitation, Seraphina quickly intervened. ¡°Conway, what are you up to? The doctor said you need to rest. Stop fussing about this!¡± ¡°No can do!¡± Conway protested. ¡°How can I rest knowing something like this happened? I won¡¯t rest in peace until this is cleared up.¡± He started coughing violently as he spoke. Seraphinaforted him by gently touching his chest. ¡°Leandro¡¯s handling it. You trust him, don¡¯t you? So, stop worrying!¡± ¡°Leandro?¡± Conway looked up at Seraphina. You two¡­¡± Seraphina paused before revealing. ¡°He saved me this time.¡± Hearing that, Conway lit up. ¡°So, you two¡­eh?¡± Looking at Conway¡¯s childlike smile, Seraphina was at a loss for words. Conway seemed to have his own conclusions and didn¡¯t press further. He perked up and held Seraphina¡¯s hand. ¡°Leandro¡¯s trustworthy. As long as you believe in him, I¡¯ll be at ease.¡± Seraphina held his hand back, saying nothing. Exhausted, Conway soon fell asleep again. Even in sleep, his grip on Seraphina¡¯s hand remained firm. In a quiet voice, Seraphina asked Lacy, ¡°What exactly happened? How did Conway find out?¡± Lacy exined, ¡°The incident had a big impact and involved the police. The Reynolds Group, being a publicpany, had to address it. Conway has many connections, and he somehow got wind of it. He insisted on seeing you safe with his own eyes¡± Seraphina turned to look at Conway, falling silent for a while. Valerio stood by her side quietly, patting her gently when she didn¡¯t say anything. Seraphina turned to him, then back at Conway, and silently hugged Valerio. Around noon, Valerio was getting hungry. But with Conway still holding Seraphina¡¯s hand. She didn¡¯t want to disturb him and asked Lacy to take Valerio out for food Just as Lacy and Valerio left, the door was pushed open. Seraphina turned around, expecting Lacy had come back for something, but was stunned to see Magdalen. Magdalen had lost some weight after the turmoil but still looked splendid and striking. She didn¡¯t expect to see Seraphina either. After pausing for a moment, she walked over to Conway¡¯s bedside, ignoring Seraphina. Seraphina watched her quietly, then said, ¡°It¡¯s been over a decade since youst saw Conway, hasn¡¯t it?¡± From the time she was ten, Magdalen sent her back to the Reynolds family and moved to Starhaven. For all these years, she never returned to Sunburst City Bruce managed to see her asionally when flying to Starhaven, but Conway, due to his health, rarely left the city, so they seldom met. Seraphina thought to herself, if it weren¡¯t for Conway stepping in to handle this mess, she might not have returned. Magdalen looked up at her upon hearing this. Seraphina gave a slight smile, ¡°Conway would be pleased Magdalen, sitting on the chair at the other side of the bed, didn¡¯t reply but rather asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Seraphina seemed a bit puzzled Looking at Conway on the hospital bed, Magdalen slowly said, ¡°He said he hoped I¡¯de back to mend our rtionship because I¡¯d hurt you, didn¡¯t 17¡± After hearing this, Seraphina remained silent for a while before softly chuckling. ¡°That was then, not anymore¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then,¡± Magdalen said, ¡°No expectations, no disappointments. Now that we¡¯ve cleared the air, let¡¯s coexist peacefully so he can live out his remaining days at ease¡± Seraphina gently stroked Conway¡¯s wrinkled hand, after a while, she murmured, ¡°Alright¡± About half an hourter, Conway slowly woke up. Upon seeing Magdalen, he seemed a bit surprised but then recognized her and smiled, ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Well, you called for me, how could I note back? Magdalen softly responded. Conway quietly examined her for a moment and then gave a gratified smile, ¡°Good, good Sera?¡± ¡°Conway, I¡¯m here, Seraphina quickly replied. ¡°Your mom¡¯s back,¡± Conway said, ¡°You two should have a good talk¡­ Seraphina nced at Magdalen and smiled, ¡°We¡¯ll talk another day, Conway. I have other things to attend to today. You and my mom haven¡¯t seen each other in over a decade. Have a good chat.¡± Conway just quietly watched her. Seraphina stood up, walked to Magdalen, and whispered, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll leave Conway to you for now. Keep himpany¡± Magdalen didn¡¯t look at her but just nodded. Seraphina gave Conway another smile before turning to leave the ward. Watching Seraphina¡¯s figure disappear, Conway then turned to Magdalen with a sigh, ¡°Are you still going to be this stubborn?¡± Holding his hand, Magdalen softly responded, ¡°I came back as you asked, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Conway looked at her and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. That afternoon, at the Reynolds Group press conference. It wasn¡¯t a major press conference, just a rification about the explosion involving Leandro. Nevertheless, due to its connection to Leandro, dozens of media outlets attended. At three o¡¯clock sharp, Leandro appeared before the press. He has never been fond of dealing with the press, and everyone in the PR department knew this, so there was no Q&A session. He was just to read a few lines of script. The script merely mentioned Seraphina¡¯s identity, emphasizing that Leandro¡¯s adventure was just a false rm triggered by friendship, and the following incident was handed to the police. While Leandro was reading the script as nned, the door of the conference room was slightly opened and a head peeked out. Though it was a minor movement, it drew the attention of a few reporters at the scene. Having noticed this, Cam, the PR manager, tensed up and nced over. At the same time, Leandro finished his brief speech. Although there was no Q&A session nned, the reporters eagerly asked questions anyway. ¡°May we ask, Mr. Reynolds, who is this friend of yours? Are you close?¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you risked your safety for a friend, didn¡¯t you consider your own safety?¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds, is this Ms. Bet?¡± Leandro was about to stand up and leave when he heard Seraphina¡¯s name, causing him to pause slightly. Those reporters who noticed the movement at the side door of the conference room then asked, ¡°Is Ms. Bet here? Can we interview Ms. Bet?¡± The previously slightly opened conference room door was suddenly fully opened, and Seraphina, all dressed up in a long dress, walked out. The reporters immediately started buzzing, and the cameras all turned to Seraphina. ¡°So I¡¯ve been spotted Seraphina waved to the cameras in the crowd while walking up to the stage to stand next to Leandro Leandro¡¯s deep gaze fell on her, but Seraphina just looked up at him, and in a coquettish tone said, ¡°These reporters have such sharp eyes. I just took a sneak peek and got caught.¡± ¡°So, is Ms. Bet involved in this incident?¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds, did you risk this for Ms. Bet?¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds, what is your rtionship with Ms. Bet?¡± Chapter 160 Chapter 160 A swarm of reporters buzzed eagerly, thrusting their microphones forward aggressively. Caught in the middle of the frenzy, Seraphina looked to Leandro, whispering, ¡°Should I handle this?¡± Leandro, assessing the situation, grabbed a microphone and announced, ¡°Regarding this morning¡¯s event, all your questions have been addressed. We¡¯ll withhold furtherments until the police conclude their investigation¡± This only stoked the reporters¡® curiosity further. ¡°So, Mr. Reynolds, can you shed light on your rtionship with Ms. Bet?¡± ¡°Rumors suggested an engagement between you two, yet Ms. Bet previously mentioned you¡¯re merely rted. Has that status changed?¡± Amid the barrage of questions, Seraphina maintained a bright,posed smile. Leandro shot her a nce, giving no indication he¡¯d entertain the inquiries. ¡°Hey, you guys sure have a lot of questions.¡± Seraphina picked up the conversation,ining, ¡°We¡¯ve got things to do-¡± She tried to leave, pulling Leandro by the hand, but the reporters wouldn¡¯t let them go that easily, hurrying to shoot their questions- ¡®Ms. Bet, give us an answer!¡± Obviously annoyed by the disturbance, Seraphina turned to look at the excited reporters. She first made a helpless gesture, then turned to Leandro, stepping forward, practically pressing herself against him. Then, Seraphina gently left a kiss on the corner of Leandro¡¯s lips. Instantly, the scene erupted with cheers and screams! Seraphina gave Leandro a soft smile and nestled into his embrace. Through her delicate dress, he could feel the warmth of her body and its gentle curves, mirroring the tenderness of her smile Yet, what trulyy beneath her graceful exterior remained a mystery. Though the press conference left their rtionship undefined, the kiss they shared in front of the cameras spoke volumes The topic quickly heated up online, causing arge¨Cscale discussion and resharing. At the same time, the topic also caused a big stir in the Reynolds family When Gloria saw the news, Bruce was about to leave the house. The two had a heated argument. During the argument, Gloria saw Bruce calling Magdalen and had a meltdown. She started throwing things at Bruce. Bruce was hit on the head by a vase, he pped Gloria hard and then left. After he left, Gloria drove after him but lost him on the way. So, she started looking for Seraphina everywhere. Gloria first went to the vi, but only Karan was there. Seeing Gloria in such a state, she couldn¡¯t stop her and had to apany her to Leandro¡¯s new apartment When they arrived at Leandro¡¯s new apartment, Seraphina had juste back fro the hospital. Conway was very happy to see the news,ughing heartily, repeatedly saying that he was relieved. Seeing his reaction, Seraphina also felt a little relieved, so she took Valerio home first. While Seraphina was helping Valerio pack his school bag, Gloria and Karan entered the house. Seeing Gloria raging and out of control, Valerio was startled and ran into Seraphina¡¯s arms Just as Seraphina was holding him, Gloria rushed up to her and threw Valerio¡¯s school bag at Seraphina, ¡°What the hell are you trying to do? What are you and your mother up to? Are you hell¨Cbent on ruining the Reynolds family, you won¡¯t be happy until we¡¯re torn apart?¡± Seraphina saw the situation, exchanged a look with Karan, then carried Valerio upstairs. ¡°Stop! You have to exin to me today! What are you and your mother scheming?¡± Seeing that Gloria was about to chase upstairs, Karan immediately stopped her, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Now that you¡¯re here, you think she won¡¯t give you an exnation? Don¡¯t scare Valerio! I¡¯ll go up and ask her to come down! I¡¯ll make her speak clearly!¡± Gloria was shaking with anger. Karan finally managed to calm her down and hurried upstairs. In the upstairs room, Seraphina was trying to soothe Valerio¡¯s emotions. When Karan came in, Valerio was startled and hid in Seraphina¡¯s arms. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Valerio Karan immediately came over, ¡°Grandma is downstairs, she didn¡¯te up¡­¡± Seraphina alsoforted Valerio in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m here, what are you afraid of?¡± Karan couldn¡¯t help but look at Seraphina, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Valerio, you go downstairs and exin to her. Whatever you do, make sure she calms down.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina asked her, ¡°Have you informed Leandro?¡± ¡°I have¡± Karan answered, ¡°But this thing was caused by you and your mother- Seraphina sighed slightly,forted Valerio a few more times, then said, Tll go downstairs and get your grandma to leave, don¡¯t be scared, okay?¡± Hearing her say this, Karan couldn¡¯t help but re at her. Seraphina went downstairs to see Gloria sitting on the sofa, pale as a ghost, with a mess all around her. Seraphina stepped forward, picking up the cushions Gloria had thrown onto the floor and putting them back on the sofa, then cheerfully asked, ¡°Gloria, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡± *Seraphina!¡± Gloria looked at her, gnashing her teeth in anger. ¡°You¡¯re living in a fantasy!¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle ¨C Gloria was definitely Leandro¡¯s mom, they both spoke the same language. She sat down on the farthest couch from Gloria and slowly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have no interest in your son¡± ¡°You¡¯re not interested? If you¡¯re not interested, then why are you always hanging around him, tempting him? You and your mother are both shameless women!¡± Gloria¡¯s eyes were red hot. I won¡¯t let you get away with this! I¡¯ll never let you get away with this!¡± Seraphina nced at her and said, ¡°Gloria, if you¡¯re going to stay in this state, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t have a real conversation.¡± ¡°It was you who deceived him! You must¡¯ve deceived him!¡± Gloria almost screamed, ¡°He promised me. He said he wouldn¡¯t be seduced by you! It was you who yed tricks! You and your mother are both so cunning! You just want to take them away! My husband, my son, you want to take them all¡­. Impossible! Impossible! He promised me, he wouldn¡¯t deceive me¨C¡± As Gloria spoke, tears began to fall. Seeing Gloria like this, Seraphina sighed softly and then said, ¡°If you calm down, you should understand what I mean. Your son and I, we¡¯re just putting on a show¡­¡± Gloria looked up at her, her eyes full of despair, but also some suspicion, ¡°What did you say?¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°You know about Conway¡¯s condition, we¡¯re doing this just to keep Conway happy and reassured. Gloria, you know Conway¡¯s physical condition, how long do you think he can hold on? Your son is just ying along with me. I have no intention of taking him away from you!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, there was the sound of the front door opening Gloria turned around and saw Leandroing in. She immediately stood up and rushed over to grab Leandro¡¯s arm, ¡°She said you two are just acting, is it true? You weren¡¯t seduced by her, you won¡¯t really be with her, right?¡± Leandro looked at Seraphina without answering. Seraphina shrugged and said, ¡°I told her the truth, so you better convince her not to spill the beans to Conway.¡± ¡°Is it true? Is it true?¡± Gloria kept asking, clutching Leandro¡¯s arm. Leandro didn¡¯t answer her, he just said. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home first.¡± ¡°Tell me first! Gloria¡¯s voice was hoarse, ¡°I just want to hear it from you!¡± Seeing this, Seraphina stood up and walked to the door. She said slowly, ¡°I asked the doctor, and he said that Conway¡¯s condition, even with long¨Cterm hospitalization, could onlyst a year at most. Mrs. Reynolds, you¡¯re still young, you have a long life ahead of you, Conway only has this year left, can you let him have some happiness in this year?¡± Gloria clutched Leandro¡¯s arm tightly without turning her head. Leandro silently looked at Seraphina. Seeing his gaze, Seraphina slightly tilted her head and smiled, ¡°To ease Mrs. Reynolds¡® mind, let¡¯s make a deal. Even if Conway wants us to get married, it¡¯s only a contract marriage. After a year, we live our own lives andpletely cut ties, okay?¡± Gloria looked at Leandro with eyes full of expectation. After a moment, Leandro finally nodded. Gloria seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief and suddenly copsed in Leandro¡¯s arms. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Leandro personally escorted Gloria home and stayed there untilte at night before returning to the apartment.. The apartment was very quiet. It seemed that Seraphina and Valerio had already gone to bed. When Leandro climbed the stairs and opened Valerio¡¯s room, he was surprised to see Seraphina lying on Valerio¡¯s bed, holding the sleeping Valerio. Hearing the door open, Seraphina immediately opened her eyes. Seeing Leandro, Seraphina just nced at him before closing her eyes again. Leandro stood at the door for a while before finally closing the door and leaving. Instead of going back to his room, he went into the study. In the quiet of the night, Leandro lit a cigarette and opened hisputer. In his inbox, there was an email from Starhaven waiting for him. Opening it, it was a progress report, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, the matter you inquired about has made significant progress. Once we confirm, we will send all the information to you¡± Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Ever since she went public with her rtionship with Leandro, Seraphina found herself constantly pursued by eager paparazzi While her day to day life remainedrgely unchanged. the one significantly affected was Valerio. In an effort to shield him from the relentless media re, Seraphina had to relinquish her role as his chauffeur Naturally, Valerio was displeased. However, such was Seraphina¡¯s influence over him that a fewforting words from her would melt away any of his reservations. And so, after a heartfelt conversation, he begrudgingly epted the change Despite the adjustments, Seraphina¡¯s priorities remained. She found herself continually shuttling between the hospital and her apartment, ensuring that she was present as much as possible for Conway One day, as Seraphina was at the hospital entrance, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. But when she tried to get a better look, the figure had vanished. Seraphina paused and then walked into the security room. Not two minutes after she entered the security room, the familiar figure appeared again at the hospital entrance, constantly peeping into the hospital. Caught in the act, he suddenly saw Seraphina in the security room. She was standing with her arms folded, watching him with amusement through the ss Terrell couldn¡¯t help but frown. Finally, Seraphina came out of the security room and stood in front of Terrell. What are you looking for? Need my help?¡± Terrell nced at her. ¡°You should be busy these days, I don¡¯t want to disturb you¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m not busy, I have time.¡± Seraphina quickly said. ¡°Just tell me what you¡¯re looking for Maybe I can help. Unless it¡¯s about me, what can¡¯t you tell me?¡± Terrell red at her and finally said, ¡°I¡¯m investigating a case where a doctor has been abusing his patients for a long time. How can you help?¡± Seraphina perked up. The best way to investigate such cases is to have someone lure the suspect out. How could you not ask for my help? Don¡¯t I have the capability?¡± Terrell looked at her and rolled his eyes. You would have been perfect, but now the whole world knows you¡¯re Leandro¡¯s woman. Who would dare to touch you?¡± Seraphina¡¯s spirits dampened by half. She sighed, then looked at him again. ¡°You¡¯re not working in the entertainment industry anymore, right?¡± ¡°Yeah Terrell grudgingly replied. ¡°Why?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t good working in the entertainment industry?¡± ¡°Why do you care?¡± Terrell replied irritably, then turned to leave. ¡°Hold on.¡± Seraphina hurriedly grabbed him. ¡°I just want you to introduce me to some good jobs.¡± Terrell scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re about to marry into the Reynolds family, and you still want to work as a reporter?¡± Seraphina flicked her hair back and replied, ¡°It¡¯s best to rely on oneself, especially for a beautiful woman¡­ Ignoring her, Terrell turned and left. Seraphina didn¡¯t bother him anymore and headed for the ward. To her surprise, she saw another familiar figure just as she reached the entrance to the ward. This time, Seraphina nned to pretend she hadn¡¯t seen him and walk past, but he unexpectedly reached out to stop her. ¡°Sera¡± Seraphina sighed a little helplessly when he grabbed her arm and looked at him. ¡°Peterson Miller, what¡¯s the fun in this?¡± Peterson, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for several months, seemed to have lost a lot of weight. Compared to his past morous image in Starhaven, he looked quite haggard now. ¡°I want to talk to you¡± Peterson said, and without waiting for her reply, he pulled Seraphina towards the cafeteria. The cafeteria in the private hospital was much morefortable and secluded than the one in the public hospital. Seraphina sat across from Peterson and said impatiently, ¡°Just spit it out.¡± ¡°Is your rtionship with Leandro real?¡± Peterson asked. Seraphina looked at him andughed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? We¡¯ve been broken up for so long. What¡¯s it to you whether my rtionship with someone is real or fake?¡± Peterson¡¯s eyes faltered, but he didn¡¯t reply. Seraphina tilted her head slightly to look at him. ¡°Or are your fianc¨¦e and her family giving you a hard time and making you unhappy, so you thought of me?¡± ¡°You and Balch were together for a case.¡± Peterson finally spoke again. ¡°What about now? What¡¯s your reason for being with Leandro? Is it for a case 1007¡± ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Do you need a reason to be with a man like Leandro? Isn¡¯t just being Leandro reason enough?¡± Peterson seemed stung by her words. He just looked at her and asked, ¡°Does he love you?¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°At least he doesn¡¯t say he loves me while flirting with other women.¡± ¡°You know I had my reasons!¡± Peterson said. ¡°Yes, your reasons were money¡± Seraphinaughed. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for being poor. If I had money, you wouldn¡¯t have gone after that woman, right?¡± After being mocked repeatedly, Peterson finally lost control of his emotions. But he kept a calm facade andughed self¨Cdeprecatingly ¡°So my love for you doesn¡¯t count for anything?¡± ¡°You shouldpare it to the Whitman family¡¯s fortune and see how much your love is worth¡± Seraphina said expressionlessly. Peterson suddenly stood up, mmed his hands on the table, leaned in close to Seraphina, and said angrily, ¡°I didn¡¯t even care that you had a child. Do you think there are many men who would do that? Could Leandro do that?¡± Seraphina hadn¡¯t really looked at him from the start until now. This time, she slowly raised her eyes and fixed them steadily on his face. Meanwhile, at the Reynolds Group. In the CEO¡¯s office, Keen and Yasmina were having a meeting with Leandro when suddenly, Leandro¡¯s computer pinged with an email notification. It was a typical email sound, nothing out of the ordinary, but the fact that Leandro stopped mid¨C sentence to check it was a bit weird. Yasmina and Keen shared a brief look. A sense of unease grew in Keen as he discreetly observed Leandro. Leandro, however, remained focused on hisputer, his face revealing nothing, his eyes calm and unfazed. Keen couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Mr. Reynolds¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be all, Leandro suddenly said He didn¡¯t wait for Keen and Yasmina to leave before he grabbed a cigarette and a lighter from his desk and lit up. Keen saw this and felt a bit uneasy, but didn¡¯t dare ask further. He tightly held Yasmina¡¯s hand and they hastily left. Leandro sat there, quietly savoring the taste of the smoke as it filled his lungs. After a while, he turned back to hisputer screen. On the screen was a photo of a little girl, only two or three years old. She had chubby cheeks, bright eyes, and a pure smile. Absolutely adorable. But she was dead. She had died at the age of three from tuberculous meningitis. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 The moment the topic of children came up, Peterson instantly regretted it. But the words were out of his mouth and he was clueless how to deal with it, so he just looked at Seraphina silently. Seraphina¡¯s face was calm. After a while, she let out a gentleugh. ¡°Before you said those words, I thought you didn¡¯t give a damn¡± Back then, Peterson was head over heels for her, pursuing her like a man possessed Seraphina, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t care less about him, going out of her way to avoid him. Just when Peterson was on the verge of giving up, he stumbled upon Betty After finding out about Betty, Peterson went MIA for a couple of days. When he showed up again, he pursued Seraphina even harder than before. She was in her early twenties then, juggling her studies while taking care of Betty. Life was tough but Peterson came along. He truly cherished Betty, being very patient and attentive, always finding ways to make her happy. Betty was fond of him, but Peterson was only present in her short life for six months. Half a yearter, Betty passed away. Peterson then shifted all his attention to Seraphina, spoiling her as he did Betty. So Seraphina thought, he really didn¡¯t care. But his nonchnt fa?ade couldn¡¯t hide his genuine concern for her. ¡°Sera, I¡­ Peterson wanted to exin, but he was at a loss for words. ¡°So in your eyes, while courting me, children are tools for you to use, and when you¡¯re angry, children are your weapons against me, Seraphina said, looking at him ¡°Such a straightforward love.¡± Peterson suddenly reached out to grab her, his voice hoarse, ¡°You know I genuinely loved Betty!¡± Seraphina forcefully shook off his hand, her eyes growing cold, ¡°Are you done?¡± Peterson looked at her, took a long pause before finally saying. ¡°Sera, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t respond, she got up and was about to leave Peterson quickly got up and moved in front of her, wrapping her tightly in his arms from behind. ¡°Sera, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I know you¡¯re mad at me, ming me¡­ but you know how much I care about you¡­¡± Peterson¡¯s head buried in the crook of her neck, his voice low and husky, ¡°Can you give me some time? Once I sort my family issues, we can go back to how we were¡­ Seraphina was looking at the sky outside the window, let out a soft sigh, ¡°Peterson, if you had told me all this before you started with Ms. Whitman, I might have said yes. But now, do you really think it¡¯s possible?¡± That night, when Leandro got back to the apartment, Seraphina was on the living room floor helping Valerio with his arts and crafts homework. Hearing the door, Seraphina looked up at him and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you¡¯re back early today¡± She then went back to her task while Leandro walked to the couch, his gaze resting on Seraphina¡¯s calm profile for a long time. Until Seraphina looked up at him again, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, this is your son¡¯s homework. Aren¡¯t you going to help?¡± Leandro finally looked from Seraphina to the scattered cardboard on the floor. The project was a DIY storage cab with drawers, a task seemingly beyond both Seraphina¡¯s and Valerio¡¯s abilities. Slipping off his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves, Leandro stepped in. With his assistance, the assembly progressed with ease, and the cab nearedpletion. Seraphina simply watched, not contributing, while Valerio eagerly assisted, handing tools to Leandro as needed. Leandro worked on the cab in silence, only looking up at Valerio when it was finished, ¡°Done.¡± Valerio was ecstatic, showing a rare genuine smile, circling the cab time and again, showing the flexible drawer to Seraphina. ¡°Alright, alright, I know you¡¯re brilliant¡± Seraphina reached out to pinch his face, ¡°You¡¯re so smart.¡± Leandro looked at Seraphina again This time, Seraphina noticed and met his gaze, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, do you have something to say?¡± His eyes were deep, whether filled with too many emotions or devoid of any, Seraphina couldn¡¯t tell. She just had a feeling that Leandro wasn¡¯t in a good mood today Leandro didn¡¯t answer her, and Seraphina wasn¡¯t interested in pressing further, she patted Valerio¡¯s butt, ¡°Alright, time for bath and bed now that your homework¡¯s done. I¡¯m too tired to y with you anymore.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. With that, she got up and led Valerio upstairs Leandro sat on the couch, lit a cigarette, watching silently as Seraphina led Valerio upstairs. After putting Valerio to bed, Seraphina didn¡¯te back downstairs, she went straight to her room and fell fast asleep. She had been worried about Conway¡¯s health recently and hadn¡¯t been sleeping well, but tonight, she fell asleep quickly. In her dreams, it was as if she was back in Starhaven, in her first apartment in Velvetwood. The apartment was found by Sandra, so it was quite spacious. Therge living room was divided into several areas ¨C a seldom used entertainment area, her study and office area, and arge children¡¯s y area. She saw herself sitting in front of theputer busy writing her thesis, while behind her, in the cordoned off children¡¯s y area, Betty seemed to have grown tired of her toys. She crawled up from the ground, walked to the fence, stood on her tiptoes and called out, ¡°Mama¡°¡± She turned around to see the little girl pouting and acting all cute, ¡°Hold me-¡± With a helpless smile, she stood up and walked to the fence. She bent down to pick her up, but all she got was air. Seraphina suddenly woke up. When she opened her eyes, she realized she had slept without even turning off the lights. The digital clock by the bed showed it was midnight, but she didn¡¯t feel sleepy anymore. Slowly, she sat up When Leandro heard the sound of doors opening and closing in the corridor, the cigarette in his hand was half smoked. He sat by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window in his study, not moving an inch. The sky was clear, and the night outside the window was unusually full of stars. But each star seemed dull and lifeless. Not until his cigarette had burned to the end did he throw the butt into the ashtray and stood up to leave the room. Downstairs, only the floor lights were on. In the dim light, Seraphina sat alone at the bar. In front of her was a ss, and next to it were three or four opened bottles of booze. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 When Leandro came downstairs, Seraphina was in the process of cracking open a new bottle of wine. She took a sip, and then put the ss down and heaved a deep sigh Before she could finish sighing, she saw Leandre descending from the stairs. The dim light barely touched his features, leaving only the silhouette of a tall, silent figure. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. For an instant, Seraphina questioned if this was all a figment of her imagination In past hazy dreams, he always seemed to duft away, much like this. But this time, he was approaching, step by step. It was only when he reached the bar that reality hit Seraphina. This wasn¡¯t a dream. She let out a soft chuckle Leandro nced at her, his gazending on the opened bottles of wine in front of her. Three or four bottles, each only slightly consumed, then left aside. Seeing this, Seraphina exined, ¡°These wines are too strong. They don¡¯t seem to sit well with me.¡± As she finished talking, she stood up from her chair, ¡°Ah, forget it, I think I¡¯ll go to a bar instead.¡± Despite having just woken up, she hadn¡¯t removed her makeup or changed her clothes, so heading out was no biggie Seraphina grabbed her phone, ready to head out. ¡°What do you fancy drinking? I can find it for you¡± Leandro¡¯s voice came from behind. Seraphina turned back to see him sitting on the couch, quietly watching her. ¡°Really?¡± she asked, slightly incredulous. Leandro gave a nod. Seraphina returned to the bar, sitting down and looking at him, ¡°So, any wine will do?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond this time, but his silence was an affirmation. Seraphina then began to ponder. After a while, she realized she knew very little about fine wines. The only one she could name was the mostmon one: ¡°A Lafite?¡± Leandro pulled out his phone, swiftly sent a message, then without hesitation asked, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Sure¡± Seraphina, seeing the situation turning in her favor, quickly pulled out her phone. Googling and reading out a string of wine names she had just found, ¡°Romanee Conti, Petrus, Margaux Oh, it says here that the 1869 Lafite tastes better. Can you even find a hundred¨Cyear¨Cold wine? I¡¯m really curious what it tastes like ¡± As she read out the names, Leandro just watched her quietly, asionally sending a message or two. Half an hourter, the doorbell of the apartment started to ring in session The wine deliveries came in several batches, some from vineyard owners, and even Leandro¡¯s old friend, Edgar Lamont Unlike the respectful and cautious others, Edgar was naturally different. As soon as he entered, he began to grumble, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Can¡¯t sleep without a few sips of wine? Romanee Conti, that¡¯s easy, I just happen to have some. But 1869 Lafite? What the hell were you thinking? Where am I supposed to find that?¡± As soon as he finished his rant, he spotted Seraphina sitting at the bar and froze. In front of Seraphina were rows of red wine. Seeing him, she smiled and shook her head. Edgar understood immediately. He nced at Leandro, ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why it was soplicated¡­¡± Then he came over and shook hands with Seraphina, ¡°I¡¯m Edgar, we met at the Urban Oasisst time, remember?! ¡°Of course I do,¡± she replied with a smile. Just as their handshake ended, the doorbell rang again. This time, it was Herman who walked in with the wines Seraphina had requested. Seraphina lined up the wines she had acquired within the hour neatly in front of her, pulling out her phone to take photos, and muttered, ¡°This is amazing. I¡¯ve got such expensive wines¡­ Edgar standing by sighed, ¡°These wines are so beautiful, like they¡¯re from heaven¡­ Leandro just shot him a nce, pping a check against him. Edgar looked at him in shock, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? You can¡¯t be doing this to me. Calling me up in the middle of the night, then showing me all these fine wines, and now you¡¯re kicking me out? Can¡¯t I stay and have a few sses with Seraphina?¡± As he headed towards the bar, Herman grabbed him, ¡°What are you drinking for, thiste? Don¡¯t you have work tomorrow?¡± Herman practically dragged Edgar out of the apartment. Standing in front of the elevator, Edgar couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°It¡¯s over, Leandro¡¯s in trouble¡­¡± ¡°What trouble?¡± Herman asked. Edgar nced at him, ¡°Big trouble! After trying five different wines, Seraphina burst outughing, leaning on the bar, and peering at Leandro through the gaps between the bottles, ¡°I¡¯m so ordinary, I can¡¯t tell the difference with these expensive, fine wines. I¡¯m sorry for wasting all your effort¡± There was also a wine ss in front of Leandro, but he just quietly watched as Seraphina downed one ss after another, not touching his own. As Seraphina apologized, she reached for another bottle. Leandro finally reached out and grabbed her hand Seraphina frowned at him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You were so generous just now, but now you¡¯re stopping me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already had a lot to drink, don¡¯t drink anymore,¡± Leandro replied. Upon hearing that, Seraphina burst intoughter again, pulled her hand back, and looked at him, ¡°Even if I get wasted, no one¡¯s going to me you. No one¡¯s that irrational, you don¡¯t have to worry about taking responsibility¡­¡± With that, she reached for the bottle again, only to be grabbed by the wrist by Leandro once more. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Seraphina seemed to suddenly realize. ¡°Could it be¡­ Mr. Reynolds, are you are you worried about me? Come to think of it, you¡¯ve been really nice to me today. I only mentioned it casually, and you went all out to find all these wines. It feels like you¡¯ve changed.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know myself, what¡¯s gotten into me,¡± Leandro looked at her and said slowly. Seraphina looked at him intently. ¡°Considering you seem to always be in control, have you ever reflected on how you¡¯ve changed? Can we discuss it?¡± Leandro met her gaze, silently pondering her words. Yet, he remained silent. He had previously observed a shift in her eyes. At that time, he concluded it was a result of her animosity towards him. Her gaze held only traces of indifference and puzzlement, suggesting the absence of former emotions. But what could possibly remain in somebody¡¯s eyes if they have lost everything? Leandro wanted to ask, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to Chapter 164 Chapter 164 In recent times, life had turned in Leandro¡¯s favor. The same people who once belittled him now sought his approval. His journey to the top had been tumultuous, but now he was in charge, answering to no one. He took what he desired and dismissed the rest without a second thought. This included his pursuit of Seraphina. She was what he wanted, and he was determined to win her heart However, right now, he had numerous questions he wanted to pose to her, yet held back, fearing the emotional impact they¡¯d have on her. Having taken control of the Reynolds Group, Leandro was known for his assertiveness andck of mercy. He believed one should shape their own destiny, without seeking or giving pity But what if he was the cause of all her past sorrows? He rarely questioned his past choices, but he now wondered about a pivotal decision from seven years prior. His thoughts raced, while Seraphina, oblivious to his internal conflict, leaned on the bar. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, she began. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be conversing? Why the silence?¡± Leandro paused before responding. ¡°There¡¯s no value in discussing what¨Cifs¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Seraphina nodded in agreement, ¡°What about the others, Mr. Reynolds? Don¡¯t you have any questions? Look, with all this good booze you¡¯ve given me, maybe I¡¯ll be grateful and answer some of your questions?¡± Leandro looked at her. She was smiling, calmly staring at him, as if waiting for him to voice his doubts. But Leandro didn¡¯t ask. After a while, Seraphina sighed, straightened up. ¡°If you don¡¯t have any questions, I¡¯ll go to bed.¡± With that, she got up, a bit wobbly, and headed upstairs. Leandro sat at the bar, lighting a cigarette. As Seraphina slowly moved away, he didn¡¯t look back or call out to stop her. Without interruption, she made her way upstairs to her room, copsing onto the bed. Though somewhat inebriated, rity still prevailed in Seraphina¡¯s mind. Tonight¡¯s events confirmed her suspicion: Leandro knew. Given his meticulous nature, how could he not have uncovered the truth? He surely must be aware of Betty. Yet, he remained silent, not inquiring about her pregnancy or about Betty¡¯s parentage. Could it be that even the resolute Leandro asionally feltpassion? With this thought, a sardonicugh escaped Seraphina¡¯s lips before she wrapped herself in the bedding. When she finally awoke, the afternoon of the next day had already set in. She struggled to get up, went to the bathroom to take a shower to wake herself up, and when she came out, she heard the doorbell. She went downstairs to open the door, saw Keen standing outside, rolled her eyes, ¡°You could¡¯ve just come in, why did you have to ring the bell?¡± Keen cleared his throat with a light cough, murmured, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± Seraphina felt his attitude today was a bit different from usual, a bit too respectful, so she gave him a second look, ¡°What are you here for?¡± Keen approached Seraphina, box in hand. ¡°Mr. Reynold¡¯s had the 1869 Lafite you wanted shipped overnight. He instructed me to deliver it immediately upon arrival.¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. After a pause, she eximed, ¡°Has he gone mad?¡± Without sparing a second nce at thevish gift, she retreated upstairs to dress and apply makeup. By the time she returned downstairs, Keen was gone. The wine sat elegantly on the bar. As Seraphina cast it a brief look, she mused to herself indeed. money had its power. She hastened to the hospital, only to encounter an unexpected scene. A queue of suited men, clutching briefcases, stood outside Conway¡¯s room. On seeing her, they greeted in unison, ¡°Good afternoon, Ms. Bet.¡± Inside the room, two more men in suits were showcasing the contents of their briefcases to Conway Spotting Seraphina, Conway¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Why are youte? Come here, they¡¯re presenting selections for you!¡± From a distance, Seraphina could discern that the briefcases overflowed with gleaming gold jewelry, their sparkle undeniable. ¡°Conway, you should be resting, why are you fussing over these things?¡± Seraphinained. Conway gave her a nce, and said, ¡°You and Leandro are settled now, you should get married soon. Come over and see what styles you like, I¡¯ll give you whatever you like.¡± Casting a cursory look over the items, Seraphina remarked, ¡°None of these appeal to me. I prefer tinum and diamonds, not gold.¡± ¡°Let Leandro buy you those¡± Conway said, ¡°I¡¯ll give gold ¡± Seeing Conway so passionate and enthusiastic about this, Seraphina didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse, so she let the men outsidee in one by one, and randomly picked out a few items. Once the men with the gold jewelry samples had left, Lacy entered the room, informing Conway. ¡°The master you¡¯ve been waiting for has arrived¡± ¡°Quickly, let him in,¡± Conway responded without hesitation. Curious, Seraphina inquired, ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a renowned master, Conway replied. ¡°I¡¯ve summoned him to select an auspicious wedding date for you and Leandro.¡± At this revtion, a wave of headache washed over Seraphina. After the master strolled into the room and did a bit of number crunching, he shed a smile at Conway and said, ¡°Looks like the Reynold¡¯s family is all set to tie the knot. Next month, January, and February all look good. The bride and groom are both in for a blessing. It¡¯s up to them to pick their favorite date.¡± While Seraphina kept her cool and observed, Conway was all hyped up and called her over to pick a date. ¡°I¡¯m good with any,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Let Leandro decide.¡± No sooner had she spoken than the door to the ward swung open Leandro walked in from outside, nced at her and asked, ¡°Decide what?¡± Seraphina shot him a look, a smirk creeping into her heart. Talk about perfect timing, huh? Conway¡¯s eyes sparkled with mischief as he spoke. ¡°Pick a date for your wedding with Sera. Since she¡¯s ready to follow your lead, I think it¡¯s only fair you choose¡® Leandro approached the bedside, epting the three suggested dates from the master. After a brief nce, he made his choice. We¡¯ll settle on this date.¡± Seraphina nced at it. Wasn¡¯t that¡­ next month?N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Conway saw the date that Leandro had picked and nodded approvingly, ¡°Great, the sooner you two get married, the better¡± No sooner had he finished speaking, he realized something. ¡°But doesn¡¯t this feel a bit rushed? There¡¯s only a month left, do we have enough time to prepare?¡± Conway looked at Leandro, who was looking at Seraphina Seraphina had been sitting quietly, feeling the eyes on her, she shrugged and gave a small smile, ¡°I don¡¯t mind, we weren¡¯t nning on having a big wedding anyway, right? Just a simple registration, then a family dinner will do, it won¡¯t feel rushed at all¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do that¡± Conway frowned, ¡°The Reynolds family hasn¡¯t had an asion like this in years, we have to make a big deal out of it, we can¡¯t keep it low¨Ckey¡± ¡°Conway¡­¡± Just as Seraphina was about to speak, Conway suddenly clutched his chest, panting, ¡°Ah, my health is getting worse, can you guys throw a lively wedding to cheer me up, please?¡± Seraphina looked at his exaggerated act and couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. Breaking the silence, Leandro assured Conway, ¡°Don¡¯t stress, Conway. I¡¯ll ensure everything¡¯s in order. A month is ample time.¡± Conway¡¯s gaze shifted to Seraphina, seeking her opinion. ¡°Sera, do you think it¡¯s too rushed?¡± Meeting Leandro¡¯s eyes, Seraphina offered a reassuring smile. ¡°I have faith in him. If he says a month is enough, then it is. Don¡¯t you trust him as well, Conway?¡± The fact that Leandro managed to secure the rare 1869 Lafite overnight fortified her belief that he could efficiently n a wedding in a month. Conway¡¯s face lit up at Seraphina¡¯s words. Leandro¡¯s eyes lingered on Seraphina. Her smile radiated tranquility, resembling a bride anticipating her big day. Chuckling, Conway directed his advice at Leandro, ¡°You should prioritize this. Don¡¯t get buried in work, delegate when needed.¡± Leandro nodded in agreement, ¡°Understood, Conway.¡± After sharing a meal with Conway at the hospital, the pair headed back to their apartment. En route, Seraphina was engrossed in her phone, browsing the news, when Leandro chimed in, ¡°If there¡¯s anything specific you want for the wedding, just inform me¡± She looked up and gave Leandro a smile, ¡°What could I possibly want, Mr. Reynolds? Did you forget our wedding is just for show, to make Conway happy? It¡¯s not real.¡± Leandro quietly looked at her for a while before speaking slowly. ¡°You were never this unprofessional before.¡± Seraphina leaned in closer and said, ¡°So what, are you going to sue me for breach of contract or beat me up?¡± Leandro looked at her fearless attitude and finally looked away. After making her stance clear, Seraphina thought she wouldn¡¯t be bothered with the wedding anymore, but the next day, over a dozen wedding ns were delivered to her, asking for her selection. Looking at the thick pile of materials, Seraphina gave a speechless look at Tiffany, one of Leandro¡¯s secretaries who was in charge of the wedding arrangements, supposedly taking orders from her. Oblivious to Seraphina¡¯s resignation, Tiffany was diligently exining the styles and features of each n for Seraphina¡¯s selection. Seraphina got a bit annoyed and randomly picked one, ¡°This one.¡± Tiffany picked it up and reluctantly said, ¡°Ms. Bet, you picked a cruise wedding, it¡¯ll probably be cold¡­¡± ¡°Who came up with this n?¡± Seraphina was speechless and randomly picked another one, ¡°Then this one.¡± Tiffany picked it up and smiled satisfactorily, ¡°Good, Mr. Reynolds also prefers this church wedding n.¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s seen these ns already?¡± Seraphina asked. Tiffany nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Reynolds has briefly looked over all of them.* ¡°Then I don¡¯t want this oneSeraphina said, ¡°Pick another one.¡± But Tiffany didn¡¯t give fier the chance, she gathered up all the ns and said to Seraphina, ¡°Ms. Bet, marriage is a big deal. You should think it through¡± Looking at Tiffany, Seraphina thought she was quite young, but acted very professionally, saying she¡¯d follow her orders but actually prioritizing Leandro¡¯s preferences, no wonder she got assigned to her. Whether it was a church wedding or a garden wedding, Seraphina didn¡¯t want to bother with it and stopped resisting After settling on a wedding n in the morning, the afternoon brought a new spectacle. Jewelers streamed in, presenting Seraphina with a brilliant disy of diamonds and gemstones that was so extensive, it felt as if an entire store had been transported into the apartment. Assisted by Tiffany, Seraphina tried on one jewelry set after another. She didn¡¯t disy a strong preference for any particr piece, yet everything she tried on was set aside to be kept. Rubbing her temple, Seraphinaughed, looking at Tiffany in exasperation, ¡°If everything¡¯s being kept, why am I even trying these on?¡± Tiffany responded with sereneposure, ¡®Ms. Bet, you possess an innate beauty. Each of these pieces merely seeks to enhance that.¡± Ignoring whether Tiffany¡¯spliment was sincere or not, Seraphina asked, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Tiffany responded, ¡°Tomorrow morning, a batch of gowns will be delivered, along with a set of design sketches and a few designers in person. Whatever style of gown you want, we can get it sorted out.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina chuckled, ¡°Is your boss nning to move the entire world in front of me?¡± Tiffany replied, ¡°Ms. Bet, you were handpicked by Mr. Reynolds as his bride, and you¡¯re the one he deeply loves Naturally, he wants to give you the best of everything. You¡¯re really one luckydy.¡± As Seraphina loungedfortably on the sofa, she grinned at her and said, ¡°Trust me, you wouldn¡¯t envy this kind of luck.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Tiffany asked, ¡°Every woman in the world would envy you.¡± Seraphina justughed and said no more. That night, when Leandro returned to the apartment, the jewelry from the afternoon was still spread out in the living room, covering the table, the couch, the floor, with all sorts of trinkets. Leandro barely nced at them. When he looked up, Seraphina was standing on the staircase looking at him, and she quirked an eyebrow, ¡°Do you like these things?¡± Looking at her, Leandro asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°What woman doesn¡¯t like jewels?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Seraphina came down the stairs and walked into the pile of jewelry. She randomly picked up one of the diamond nes and put it on her neck, then looked at Leandro, ¡°Like it?¡± Leandro removed some of the jewelry boxes she had put on the sofa and sat down Seraphina thought Leandro might ignore her, but Leandro looked at her and slowly said, ¡°Nice.¡± Though he looked indifferent, his eyes were firm and serious. Seraphinaughed. Leandro was a man who didn¡¯t need to lie. If he said it looked nice, then it definitely was. ¡°Cool Since you said it¡¯s nice. I¡¯ll help you put them away,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You can give it to your future wife¡± Leandro nced at her, his eyes had already be deep. ¡°My wife doesn¡¯t need someone else¡¯s stuff¡± ¡°How can it be someone else¡¯s? I don¡¯t want these things¡± Seraphina continued while tidying up, ¡°We¡¯re getting married for our own reasons. We should live in peace. I don¡¯t need gifts like these, and I don¡¯t use them. So when your real wife receives them, they¡¯ll still be new.¡± As she said this, she suddenly thought of something and turned to Leandro, ¡°Your wife doesn¡¯t need someone else¡¯s stuff, she wouldn¡¯t refuse you too, would she?¡± As soon as the words fell, Leandro suddenly went upset. Seraphinaughed again, ¡°Nah, nah, we¡¯re just a couple in name, not actually, so you¡¯re not someone else¡¯s.¡± After saying this, she threw the jewelry box in her hand and rolled her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m tired, I¡¯ll clean up tomorrow. Going to bed, night!¡± She got up and hurried upstairs, leaving Leandro with only her figure. It was as if she had been waiting for him toe back just to say these words to him. Leandro lit a cigarette for himself, raised his head, and his view was still filled with these fine pieces of jewelry. She had said it for him to hear, and he had heard it all. So what? Leandro slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, his face expressionless. Seraphina hoped that after their recent encounter, Tiffany would ease off. However, the very next day, a plethora of wedding dresses, gowns, designers. and their sketches were promptly delivered. Sitting on the sofa, arms crossed, Seraphina observed as the staff and designers showcased each dress. Yet, she showed no interest in trying any on Just as Tiffany was contemting a solution, the apartment doorbell unexpectedly rang Tiffany hurriedly went to open the door. She was surprised to see the man outside and quickly greeted him respectfully. ¡°Conway¡± At home, thezy Seraphina jumped up from the sofa as soon as she heard this name and ran to the door just in time to see Magdalen walking in with Conway. ¡°Conway, howe you¡¯re out of the hospital?¡± Seraphina asked with a frown, ¡°Did the doctor discharge you?¡± Conway nced at her, ¡°I didn¡¯t leave the hospital, I just came out for a walk.¡± Seraphina turned to Magdalen. Magdalen looked at her, apparently not willing to exin anything to her. Seraphina had no choice but to help Conway in first. Seeing the room full of dresses, Conway couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°It seems we came at a good time. We can see what Sera looks like in wedding dresses and gowns Magdalen, do you want to see?¡± Magdalen nced at Seraphina again, then smiled, ¡°Of course I do.¡± Seraphina, who was not interested at first, suddenly brightened her eyes,pletely different from just now, and said to Conway, ¡°Since you want to see, I¡¯ll try on each one for you¡± Conway justughed. ¡°Good, go change!¡± So Seraphina changed one dress after another, and kept asking Conway, ¡°Whichever one you think looks good, I¡¯ll wear that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really beautiful, Conway said, ¡°To me, you look good in anything. Ask your mom instead!¡± Hearing this, Seraphina then looked at Magdalen andughed. ¡°True, mom has the best taste. Mom can pick the wedding dress and gowns for me¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Magdalen replied indifferently. ¡°Okay¡± ¡°Great¡± Seraphina answered, then got up to change into another dress. Tiffany had been assisting Seraphina with her outfit transitions. Since Conway¡¯s entrance on the scene, Seraphina had disyed a vivacious energy. However, upon her return to the makeshift dressing room downstairs after theirtest interaction, a stark contrast was evident. It was as if her vitality had been drained away. She no longer engaged actively with the wardrobe changes. Instead, she stood in front of the mirror, her gaze distant, seemingly lost in thought. ¡°Ms. Bet?¡± Tiffany couldn¡¯t help but call her, ¡°Are you tired? Need a break?¡± Seraphina quickly came back to her senses, looked at the mirror again, and smiled, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Seeing Seraphina in the reflection, dressed in her wedding attire, she felt an unexpected wave of mncholy wash over her. The source of this emotion eluded her, and she was left puzzled by its presence. Tiffany, noticing Seraphina¡¯s contemtive state, handed her another dress to try. As Seraphina changed, Tiffany automatically snapped a picture for reference. As Seraphina made her way out of the dressing room, Tiffany¡¯s phone buzzed with a message. Yasmina was requesting pictures of Seraphina¡¯s fitting session. Without hesitation, Tiffany sent the recent snapshots her way. At the Reynolds Group office, Yasmina eagerly showed Keen the newly received images. Take a look,¡± she eximed, ¡°These are the most recent pictures of Ms. Bet in her wedding gowns!¡± Keen was up to his eyeballs prepping for a meeting with Leandro at anotherpany, he literally didn¡¯t have a second to deal with Yasmina. So, Yasmina amused herself for a bit, then said, ¡°If I print these photos out and p ¡®em on Mr. Reynolds¡® desk, do you reckon he¡¯d give me a raise?¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the door to Leandro¡¯s office swung open and Leandro himself walked out, overhearing Yasmina¡¯s words. ¡°What photos?¡± Leandro asked. Yasmina quickly got up and handed her phone to Leandro, ¡°They¡¯re snaps of Ms. Bet trying on wedding dresses. Ms. Bet looks drop¨Cdead gorgeous, she rocks every dress she tries on.¡± Leandro looked down at the photos on the phone. On the screen, her eyes, red lips, casually pulled up hair, and the white wedding dress made her even more stunning. Suddenly, a rush of old memories swarmed Leandro¡¯s mind. Chapter 167 Chapter 167 At 24, Leandro was a year away from taking the reins of the family business. Back then, he was the quintessential heir involved in thepany yet with ample leisure time. His days were filled with socializing and indulgences, with little concern for family matters. One day, while leaving the office for a gathering, he unexpectedly spotted Seraphina on the street. She was 16, navigating the challenges of adolescence and high school. Engrossed in a heated argument with a boy, both in school uniforms, they were a conspicuous sight. Without hesitation, Leandro pulled over. His rtionship with Seraphina was distant at the time. She was the young girl taken in by the Reynolds family, doted on like a granddaughter by Conway. Though she was expected to address Leandro as ¡°brother¡± like other family children, she never did. Like all kids who depend on others for their livelihood, Seraphina had a sensitive and fragile ego which she carefully guarded. Most of the time, she went about her life practically invisible. Even though they weren¡¯t close, they were still family. Leandro pulled over, looked at the arguing pair and called out, ¡°Hey, need a hand?¡± Seraphina looked up and saw him, ran towards his car like he was her knight in shining armor, opened the door and got in. The boy, however, didn¡¯t give up so easily. He ran a few steps towards the car but stopped when he saw Leandro. He looked at Seraphina and asked, ¡°Seraphina, who is he? Why are you getting in his car?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Seraphina clutched her backpack, not looking at the boy, and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Stop following me!¡± Leandro didn¡¯t want to get involved with the boy any further. He hit the gas and drove away. Seraphina remained silent, clutching her backpack and staring at herp for a long time before she finally whispered, ¡°Thank you¡± Leandro nced over at her as he drove and gave a small smile. ¡°Was that your boyfriend?¡± ¡°No Seraphina denied without hesitation. ¡°No?¡± Leandro chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re in high school, it¡¯s normal to date. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tattle on you.¡± ¡°It really wasn¡¯t Seraphina finally looked up, her eyebrows furrowed and a serious, wronged expression in her eyes. Leandro was surprised by the fire in Seraphina¡¯s eyes. She, who was usually so reserved, seemed to be apletely different person when angered. He paused, taken aback, then chuckled ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that from you¡± As he contemted where to take her to rx, she interjected, ¡°The teacher ims I¡¯m involved with that guy, saying we¡¯re a couple. He even spread rumors about it¡­¡± She hesitated, her voiceden with resentment. While this seemed trivial to Leandro, he reassured her, ¡°Just give me your teacher¡¯s contactter. I¡¯ll sort it out.¡± She took a deep breath and added, ¡°A call won¡¯t suffice. The teacher wants a parent¨Cteacher meeting¡± He caught the subtle undertone of her words and responded with a lightugh, ¡°So?¡± She hesitated, clearly conflicted about sharing more. Observing her flushed cheeks and determined gaze, Leandro teased, ¡°If you address me as ¡®brother¡® just this once, I¡¯ll attend that meeting for you next week.¡± Seraphina turned to look at him. Leandro raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to call him ¡°brother¡°. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. But she didn¡¯t Lucky for her, she was a pretty girl. If she were ugly or a boy, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been so patient. Seeing her still sulking, Leandro didn¡¯t stop the car, he drove straight to the party. The party was thrown by his good friend Nics because he was courting a part¨Ctime model named Rachel. He opened a bridal shop for her which was set to open the next day, so he threw a small party the day before and invited some familiar friends. Leandro only learned the details when he arrived, to his surprise, all the women at the party were wearing wedding dresses. The sea of white was a bit overwhelming Feeling stifled by the atmosphere, Leandro turned to leave but was stopped. Nics wouldn¡¯t let him leave so easily. He even asked Seraphina to get out of the car and gave her a once¨Cover. ¡°Leandro, this is too much!¡± Nics said, looking at Seraphina. ¡°She¡¯s in a high school uniform, isn¡¯t this illegal?¡± Seraphina¡¯s cheeks flushed as she took a step behind Leandro, her gaze lowered. ¡°Get lost,¡± Leandro snapped. ¡°She¡¯s my sister, raised in our family Mind what you say.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± Nics raised an eyebrow in doubt. Which sister of yours am I unaware of? Did you adopt her?¡± At those words, Seraphina¡¯splexion paled, and she began to walk away. Seeing her reaction, Leandro impulsively shoved Nics aside. Rachel, ever the gracious hostess, quickly intervened to console Seraphina ¡°Don¡¯t let him bother you, he¡¯s always been this way, spouting nonsense. Let¡¯s take a walk, and I¡¯ll show you around!¡± Leandro saw Seraphina being led into a shop by a group of her girlfriends, so he just kicked back in the small garden outside the store, shooting the breeze and sipping on a cold one with some pals. Not long after, all of Seraphina¡¯s friends trickled out of the shop, but there was no sign of Seraphina. Being the one who brought her, Leandro kept an eye out. When he spotted Rachel, he asked her, ¡°Where¡¯d you stash her?* Rachel managed to keep herposure as she said, ¡°She¡¯s just a little shy about being in a wedding dress and wants some time alone. Let¡¯s give her a moment!¡± Leandro looked skeptical. After waiting for some time and with no sign of Seraphina, he decided to venture into the shop to find her. There, in the dressing room, he found her. Dressed in a white, strapless wedding gown, she was nothing like those gaudy show¨Cofly women. She just sat quietly in the corner, lost in her own world. Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Leandro paused at the entrance, observing her silently. She remained still, not acknowledging his presence. Taking a step forward, he stopped right in front of her, lifting his head slightly as he inquired, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± When Seraphina finally raised her eyes to meet his, the raw emotion in them was evident. She appeared taken aback, a mix of sadness and confusion evident in her gaze. Without a word, her hands instinctively rose to cover the plunging neckline of her dress. Suppressing a smirk, Leandro merely watched her, biting back a chuckle. After a moment, Seraphina finally answered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear this dress. They said every woman has to wear it, and they took my clothes T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Leandro looked at her carefully and then asked. ¡°You look great in it, why don¡¯t you want to wear it?¡± Even though she had just started high school, she was tall and could pull off the dress perfectly¨Cits beauty was even more striking because of her youthful innocence. Hearing Leandro¡¯s question, Seraphina looked down again. Seeing her reaction, Leandro was even more curious, ¡°Isn¡¯t it every girl¡¯s dream to wear a wedding dress? Why are you the exception?¡± It was a long time before Seraphina finally answered him,¡°I¡¯m not looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Tears filled her eyes as she gazed at him, ¡°I¡¯ll never get to walk down the aisle with my dad, so I don¡¯t look forward to it.¡± As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. She quickly brushed them away, sitting in silence. Leandro was taken aback, trying to grasp her words. While most girls dream of fairy¨Ctale weddings in these dresses, her thoughts lingered on herte father, absent from her future moments. Although the Reynolds had taken her in, with Conway cherishing her like a granddaughter and Bruce as a daughter, it couldn¡¯t fill the void left by her lost parents After a moment of silence, Leandro left the room to find Rachel, ¡°Where are Seraphina¡¯s clothes? Bring them to me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Rachel asked, ¡°She¡¯s having fun, why does she need to change?¡± Leandro¡¯s impatience was evident. ¡°Just bring them,¡± he ordered. Not wanting to provoke him further, Rachel quickly collected the clothes Seraphina had taken off and handed them over. Among them were a T¨Cshirt, a school jacket, trousers, and a delicate pink piece of underwear. Suppressing a giggle, Rachel hurriedly left after handing over the items. Leandro sighed as he held the clothes, especially noting the underwear. He approached the dressing area and handed them back to Seraphina Her eyes widened momentarily when she saw the pink underwear. Swiftly, she grabbed the clothes and hurriedly disappeared behind the curtain. Momentster, she emerged in her school uniform, meticulously zipped up to the very top, her face slightly flushed Without wasting time, Leandro escorted her to his car and drove her home. Seraphina sat silently in the passenger seat. As they approached the entrance to the Reynolds family home, Leandro finally turned to her, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, okay? I¡¯lle to your school on Monday and have a talk with your homeroom teacher¡± At this, Seraphina finally responded, uttering a quiet acknowledgment after a moment. Back at the apartment, Seraphina, who had spent the day trying on wedding dresses and gowns, felt too exhausted to move. Meanwhile, Conway, who had been out of the hospital for half a day, was still full of energy, enthusiastically discussing with Magdalen what color dress would look best on Seraphina. In front of Conway, Magdalen showed an unusual kindness, carefully selecting a dozen designs for Seraphina to consider. ¡°Thank you, Mom¡± Seraphina took the designs and perked up, quickly making her final choice. By the time they finished, it was almost evening. Looking at the time, Seraphina gasped, ¡°Conway, you should be back at the hospital¡± Conway quickly changed the subject, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? It¡¯s still early I finally get to breathe some fresh air, can¡¯t you let me stay a bit longer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about letting you stay, it¡¯s about your health!¡± Seraphina responded, ¡°You¡¯ve been on your feet all day, don¡¯t you feel exhausted? Is it safe for your heart?¡± Conway looked at her, surprised, and retorted, ¡°Do I appear weary to you?¡± It was at that moment Seraphina understood: Conway had no intention of returning to the hospital. Suddenly, the apartment door swung open, revealing Leandro. Without hesitation, Seraphina rushed to him, gripping his arm ¡°Leandro,¡± she urgently whispered, ¡°Conway refuses to go back to the hospital What can we do?¡± Leandro met her gaze, taking a moment to process the situation. Then, he shifted his eyes to Conway and Magdalen, who were settledfortably in the living room Catching his nce, Seraphina felt something was different about him today. But she didn¡¯t think much of it, attributing the subtle change to his- fluctuating mood. Conway. Leandro walked over, looking at Conway seriously, ¡°I know you sneaked out of the hospital this morning. The doctor called you. Why didn¡¯t you Enswer?¡± Conway sighed, ¡°I¡¯m going stir¨Ccrazy being in the hospital all the time. I just came out for some fresh air, it¡¯s not a big deal. We¡¯re nning a wedding at home, isn¡¯t it normal for me to help out?¡± Seraphina walked over and squatted down in front of Conway, ¡°Conway. I know you¡¯re bored out of your mind in the hospital. How about I move there to keep youpany? I do all my prep work there and you can be involved in every step of the way, okay?¡± ¡°No, no, not¡± Conway protested, smacking her forehead lightly. You¡¯re about to be a bride, you cart just rot away in a hospital. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do, once l check outta this joint, I¡¯ll move back home and you guys cane back and keep mepany¡± ¡°Conway¡­¡± Seraphina was about to say something when Leandro suddenly cut in. ¡°That¡¯s not a half¨Cbad idea.¡± A bit surprised, Seraphina turned to Leandro, her eyes asking what he¡¯s up to. Leandro¡¯s voice held a tone of firm decision. ¡°If grandpa doesn¡¯t want to stay in the hospital, we should bring him home. I can ensure there¡¯s a dedicated doctor and caregiver present at all times.¡± He paused, looking directly at his grandfather ¡°Endless days in a hospital can take a toll on anyone¡¯s spirit. Grandpa, your ce is at home, rxed and in familiar surroundings. Remember, you have an important dutying up. In just a month, you¡¯ll be walking Seraphina down the aisle.¡± Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Leandro¡¯s words made Seraphina pause for a bit. As she lifted her eyes to look at him, he was also looking at her, his eyes as deep and unreadable as ever. Seraphina shrugged it off and gave a nonchntugh. She didn¡¯t know why Leandro suddenly said something like that, but for her, this wedding was just a formality She didn¡¯t give a hoot whether anyone walked her down the aisle However, Leandro¡¯s words got Conway all revved up ¡°Am I going to walk Sera down the aisle?¡± ¡°Who else could it be? Leandro replied. Conway turned to look at Magdalen, who smiled faintly and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve seen her grow up, of course, you should take her into the church.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina finally looked up and held Conway¡¯s hand, ¡°Yeah, this important and tough task has got to be your gig¡± Conway was clearly jazzed about this topic, nodding in agreement, ¡°All right, then I must take good care of myself this month. You all shoulde home and stay with me, got it?¡± Seraphina nodded, only to hear Magdalen say, ¡°I won¡¯t be going.¡± Upon hearing this, Conway frowned slightly and sighed under his breath. Seraphina smiled and said, ¡°It might be tricky having Mom around, especially if friends and rtives come over, it could get awkward. No worries, Valerio and I will be with you¡± Knowing the inconvenience, Conway didn¡¯t want any trouble, and since Magdalen was always low¨Ckey, he wasn¡¯t too worried, so he nodded, ¡°All right.¡± After that, Conway turned to Leandro, ¡°Leandro, you want to move in?¡± Leandro nced at Seraphina and slowly said, ¡°If she and Valerio are going. I¡¯ll naturally follow Upon hearing this, Seraphina gave him a quick look, then turned her gaze away, telling Conway, ¡°He¡¯s so busy, it doesn¡¯t matter if he moves or not. Well hardly see him anyway¡± ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Conway looked at Leandro, ¡°Sera isining about you. You need to chill out a bit. There¡¯s a lot to prepare for the wedding!¡± Leandro¡¯s gazended on Seraphina, only slowly saying, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t worry, I got it.¡± The move began the next day. Thankfully, Reynolds Manor was well¨Cmaintained, and Leandro always had a ¡°backup n¡°, so it didn¡¯t require much effort. As for Valerio, as long as Seraphina was there, he was willing to follow, no matter the size or condition of the house. So that same night, everyone returned to Reynolds Manor. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Conway left the hospital, his spirits were much improved, and he was full of energy and glowing all night. Leandro also finished work early, and the family of four happily had dinner together. Seraphina was helping Valerio with his homework on the side while Leandro was discussing wedding ns with Conway When Seraphina finished helping Valerio with his homework and sent him upstairs to shower and sleep, Conway was still enthusiastically discussing details with Leandro, looking not the least bit tired. ¡°Conway, it¡¯s time to hit the sack Seraphina came over and said, ¡°Valerio¡¯s already asleep, and you¡¯re still here chatting.¡± Conway looked at her, ¡°Being an old man, I don¡¯t need much sleep. I¡¯m not tired.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re not tired, you should take a break¡± Leandro¡¯s doctor happened to walk in at that moment, smiling and saying, ¡°Conway, you have a wedding in a month. You need to keep yourself healthy!¡± Hearing this, Conway immediately said. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll hit the hay now.¡± So, they all escorted Conway upstairs, watched the doctor examine him, and saw him take his medicines and lie down before they were reassured. ¡°All right, you all should turn in as well.¡± Conway said, ¡°You¡¯ve all been busy all day. You must be bushed.¡± Seraphina yawned and cheerfully escorted the doctor out of the room. She had just sent the doctor away and was about to go upstairs when Leandro came out of Conway¡¯s room. They bumped into each other at the staircase. Seraphina was nning to go straight to her room, but Leandro reached out and grabbed her hand. Somewhat surprised. Seraphina looked at him, then at thest servant leaving Conway¡¯s room. She smiled at them and then went downstairs It was then that it hit her- before moving in, she didn¡¯t think much about it, assuming that Conway wouldn¡¯t always be watching her and Leandro and that they could keep to themselves like in the apartment. But now she realized that there were far more people in this house than just Conway ¡°What a bummer Seraphina approached Leandro, giving a small smile, ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to share a bed!¡± With that, she turned around and headed toward Leandro¡¯s room. Leandro watched her go, lit a cigarette at the top of the stairs, and slowly finished it before returning to his bedroom. Compared to the residence he boughtter, the bedroom in the old house was rather small. It didn¡¯t even have a dressing room. Seraphina¡¯s suitcase was ced at the foot of the bed, and her dress was on the bed. The sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom where she was taking a shower. Leandro took hisptop to the balcony, dealing with work while waiting for her to finish her shower. The clear autumn right sky was full of stars, slightly chilly Leandro sat there, taking forever to reply to a single email. Seraphina came out of the bathroom She was still wearing her super short nightgown, her thick, damp hair scattered over her shoulders. She nced at Leandro on the balcony and went straight to the bed. When Leandro shut down hisputer and went inside, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, scrolling through her phone. One leg was tucked under her, the other casually hanging off the edge of the bed, extended onto the floor. Leandro shot her a nce before heading into the bathroom. He was quick with his showers. By the time he emerged, Seraphina was still in the same position, unmoved. Leandro, while drying his slightly damp hair, kept stealing nces at her leg hanging off the bed It was only when she noticed his gaze that Seraphina slowly looked up, meeting his eyes. In this small room, with a man and a woman fresh out of the shower, the atmosphere was undeniably charged with an ambiguous tension. Suddenly, Seraphina let out a smallugh, ¡°You¡¯re doing it on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro tossed aside his towel and slowly walked over to the bed, slightly bending over to look at Seraphina, who was sitting on the bed ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m doing it on purpose,¡± Leandro replied. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Seraphina blurted out something she wasn¡¯t even sure of herself, and to her surprise, Leandro just admitted it straight up. With that, her curiosity was sated Conway wanted to leave the hospital, and Leandro agreed. Conway wanted to move back to the old house, and Leandro agreed. He knew that Conway¡¯s return would be a handful and that the old house would need more caregivers, but he moved back anyway At night, they naturally ended up in the same room just to put up a happy front for Conway In reality, since Seraphina had agreed to marry him, she had braced herself for what was toe. But hearing Leandro¡¯s response, she was still taken aback. But she quickly recovered, put down her phone, propped herself up, and looked at the man in front of her without any defenses, asking. ¡°How do we do this? What position? What movements? How long does it take?¡± Hearing her mission¨Clike tone, Leandro¡¯s gaze remained deep, watching her face Seraphina was trying to piss him off, knowing that it could go two ways. Either he got mad and left, not touching her again; Or he was ruthless and tough on her Thetter was more likely for Leandro. Sure enough, the next moment, Leandro grabbed her arm, flipped her over, made her kneel on the bed, and pressed against her. He was strong, his movements rough, clearly pissed off by her. Seraphina was prepared for the pain, but surprisingly, all of Leandro¡¯s movements stopped. She was already in a submissive position, but he just lowered his head and kissed her neck. Her skin was slightly cold, and his warm lips made her body react. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so gentle,¡± Seraphina suddenly said. ¡°Last time, Conway wasn¡¯t here, and I didn¡¯t resist you. Now that Conway is in the next room, I dare not disturb him, right?¡± Leandro was evidently pissed off again. The weight on her increased. But he kept kissing her incessantly. Seraphina was flipped over, breathless from his kisses. Compared to before, Leandro was surprisingly patient that night. Seraphina had no intention of responding, but her body was pushed to the limit, and she reacted instinctively. Sometimes she was lucid, sometimes she was hazy, always suppressing herself from making a sound. At one point, Leandro leaned into her ear and said in a deep voice, ¡°I told you, the room is soundproof. You don¡¯t have to suffer like this.¡± Suddenly, Seraphina opened her eyes and saw the man still on top of her. It felt like a shback, back to the summer when she was seventeen, in the same room, with the same man and the same words. The same scenario, only that she was young, and he was careful not to take it too far. But did it make a difference to her? The only difference was that Leandro used to smile, and she was head over heels for that man who always had a smile on his face. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, provocatively saying, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, if you want me to make a sound, you need to try harder. Are you getting old?¡± She was cut off mid¨Csentence and was left speechless¡­ By the time it was over, Seraphina was worn out and fell asleep. Leandro, who had remained lucid throughout, sat by the bed and watched her sleeping face for a long while before he lowered his head and gently kissed her closed eyes Then he got dressed, left the bedroom, and went into the study. When Seraphina woke up, the sun was high in the sky. She got dressed, went downstairs, and found that Conway had already had breakfast and was entertaining an old friend in the living room. Seeing Seraphina, Conway happily introduced her as his daughter¨Cinw to his old friend. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Alex¡± Seraphina greeted with a smile, only to find her voice a bit hoarse. Upon hearing her voice, Conway almostughed out loud, even deliberately asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Got a cold?¡± Seraphina red at him, turned around, and went to have breakfast. Conway said, ¡°I have a few friendsing over today. You don¡¯t have to stay home. You can go out with your friends, see if there¡¯s anything you want to buy I¡¯ll pay! Seraphina, who had already reached the dining table, turned around, walked back, and stretched her hand out to Conway, ¡°Credit card¡± Both Conway and Mr. Alexughed. Once Seraphina got the card, she immediately called Sandra for a shopping trip and a meal. Thest time she saw Sandra was when Conway was suddenly hospitalized. Since then, Seraphina had been with Conway, and with some things weighing on her mind, she nned to clear them all out today But as soon as they met, Sandra asked, ¡°Are you really going to marry Leandro?¡± As Seraphina was choosing from a variety of new clothes, she replied, ¡°The date is set. What do you think?¡± Seeing the impact Conway had on her, Sandra didn¡¯t know what to say and just replied, ¡°So, will you let me be your bridesmaid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a formality,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Do you want to be a bridesmaid? You can be one when I really get married. But that¡¯s if you¡¯re not married by then Hearing this, Sandra mumbled, ¡°Whom would I marry¡­¡± Seraphina turned to look at her and smiled, ¡°From your tone, it doesn¡¯t sound like you don¡¯t want to get married, am I right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to get married,¡± Sandra turned away. ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to, or you just can¡¯t?¡± Seraphina pushed. Suddenly, Sandra realized something and turned a wary eye on Seraphina. Seeing her reaction, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I knew it. Anything that you¡¯d keep from me must be something you find hard to spit out ¡°You¡­¡± Sandra nervously grabbed Seraphina¡¯s wrist, ¡°Don¡¯t just blurt out stuff like that!¡± ¡°What did I blurt out?¡± Seraphina tilted her head and looked at her, ¡°You might not have realized, but that night at the guild dinner, when you came looking for me, you were reeking of Eau de Cologne. I tried all the perfumes in your room but couldn¡¯t find that scent. Turns out, I smelled it on Bowen!¡± Sandra went jelly¨Clegged with shock. She immediately reached out and frantically covered Seraphina¡¯s mouth. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Seraphina blinked, looking at her calmly. Sandra locked eyes with her for a moment, finally withdrew her hand, but immediately turned and headed out of the store. Seraphina put down the clothes in her hand, smiled at the cashier, then turned and chased after Sandra. In the busiestmercial area of the city, Sandra was wandering aimlessly until Seraphina reached out and led her into a restaurant. It wasn¡¯t mealtime, so there weren¡¯t many customers in the restaurant. Seraphina picked a seat by the window, which was pretty vacant, and then sat down with Sandra After ordering two drinks, Seraphina looked at her again, ¡°So, aren¡¯t you going to spill the beans?¡± Sandra lowered her head in silence for a while, then slowly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tell you¡­ ¡°When did this start?¡± Seraphina asked. Sandra slowly exhaled, finally deciding to say, ¡°After Mom and Dad passed away, he told me he¡¯s not my real brother_¡± Hearing this, Seraphina let out a sigh of relief, calmly watching her, waiting for her to continue. Though Sandra had never thought of telling others many things, once she started, it didn¡¯t seem so hard. When Bowen told her that he was not her real brother, she was dumbstruck. Her first thought was her parents had just died, and now her brother was also going to leave her. Despite her reluctance to believe it, Bowen was able to convince her of the truth when he presented a DNA test report. ¡°Mom and Dad had been married for over ten years without children, so they adopted me.¡± Bowen said to her, ¡°I came to this family when I was seven, and to my surprise, you were born the next year.¡± Looking at the report, Sandra finally had to ept the fact, but she still found it unbelievable, ¡°But all this time, Mom and Dad treated us the same.¡± ¡°Exactly, in their eyes, I was their own son.¡± Bowen patted her head, ¡°I¡¯m grateful to them, so I¡¯ll take good care of you as long as you still consider me your brother.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Sandra hugged him tightly, looking up at him, ¡°You are my brother, forever!¡± Bowen looked at her, smiling, his eyes sparkling. But once you knew some things, it was hard to keep things as they werepared to when you didn¡¯t know. Later, whenever Sandra was close to him, she would unconsciously remember that they didn¡¯t share a bloodline. As she grew up, she knew there should be some boundaries between men and women, so she became more and more unnatural when facing Bowen. But no one expected that this unnaturalness would gradually turn into another feeling¡­. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Did you fall for him first?¡± Seraphina asked. Sandra slowly nodded. Seraphina then asked, ¡°When did he respond to your feelings?¡± ¡°He.¡± Sandra seemed at a loss for words, biting her lip lightly. After a while, she finally spoke again, ¡°I always feel that he doesn¡¯t really like me.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°I was the first one to realize my feelings, so I started avoiding him.¡± Sandra said, ¡°Only after I started avoiding him did he start getting close to me¡­. Sera, I always feel that he epted me because he didn¡¯t want to let down our parents¡® expectations, but in reality, his heart might not be with me¡­¡± ¡°So, are you still unsure about this rtionship up till now?¡± Seraphina asked. Sandra nodded. ¡°Then end it.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Tell him you want to break up, cut ties.¡± Sandra looked at her in surprise. Seraphina just smiled. In the evening. Seraphina and Sandra parted ways. On the way home, she saw another familiar face. Yasmina was walking down the street with a man, both of themughing sweetly. Seraphina took a nce and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Even though winter was approaching, it didn¡¯t affect the prosperity of this city. For her, seeing a friend¡¯s happiness was also a kind of satisfaction. As for the rest, forget it. When Seraphina got home, she found that Leandro had already finished work and was sitting on the couch in the living room Thinking of Yasmina she had just seen on the street, she understood. If Leandro, the boss, didn¡¯t knock off, she, the secretary, wouldn¡¯t be able to finish work so early either. Buttely, Leandro had been finishing work so early every day. Compared to before, wasn¡¯t he a bit idle? Chapter 12.1 Seeing Seraphina walk in, Leandro, on the couch, extended his arms. Seraphina looked at him, walked over, and sat beside him, asking. ¡°What¡¯s the gossip? Conway answered, ¡°Leandro said he¡¯d chosen Herman to be the best man. How about you? Found your maid of honor yet?¡± Seraphina smiled faintly. ¡°Anyone would do. How about Ferne!¡± Hearing this, Conway frowned, ¡°Ferne¡¯s temper was not a good fit¡­ Leandro looked at Seraphina¡¯s profile and said slowly, ¡°How about Sandra? Isn¡¯t she your best friend?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but give Leandro a wary look, then said, ¡°She¡¯s not in a good moodtely. It¡¯s not suitable¡± ¡°Being in a bad mood, she should participate in such a happy event even more.¡± Conway said, ¡°Since she¡¯s your best friend, of course, she should be your maid of honor. It¡¯s a once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime thing!¡± Seraphina justughed, ¡°All right, you call the shots.¡± In the evening, after Conway went to bed, Seraphina returned to her room. Leandro had just finished his shower and walked out of the bathroom. Seeing him, Seraphina straightforwardly said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re not good at acting, so I want to remind you that our act doesn¡¯t need to be so realistic. This wedding is just a means to an end, so I don¡¯t want to drag my good friend into it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not good at acting¡± Leandro nonchntly tossed aside the towel he was using to wipe himself, turning to look at her. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve got no ns to put on a show with you! At this, Seraphina chuckled. She wasn¡¯t surprised at all by Leandro¡¯s words. In fact, ever since she deceived him with her strategies at Moonhaven, he had tried all sorts of ways to draw her out. He had not hesitated to rescue her when she was kidnapped, his reaction after finding out about Betty, his going along with the flow and moving back to Reynolds Manor to live with her¡­ Leandro¡¯s thoughts were as clear as day. She was well aware of all this, but she didn¡¯t care. All she hoped for was that in this rtionship, no more unrted people would be dragged in, like Sandra. But now, it seemed like that was inevitable. ¡°All right then.¡± Seraphina smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, as long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Leandro reached out, gently cupping her face, and slowly said, ¡°Good, then try to do more things that make me happy.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Leandro bent down and kissed her lips. Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Their romp in the sheets tonight wasn¡¯t too wild. By the end. Seraphina felt tired but still somewhat alert Leandro was still on top of her. Panting slightly, Seraphina said, ¡°If you¡¯re not up for another round, could you get off? Leandro gave her a silent look, then finally moved off her body Seraphina sat up, grabbed a robe to throw on, and headed for the bathroom When she emerged from the bathroom, Leandro had also donned a robe Seeing here out, he told her, Tm heading to the study¡± ¡°Sure thing. Seraphina replied nonchntly, not giving it rnuch thought as she got back in bed Without another word, Leandro opened the door and left Before long Seraphina fell asleep. But her sleep was restless, and she woke up in a daze, the room still pitch¨Cdark In the bed she was alone Seraphina picked up her phone to check the time It was four in the morning Was Leandro still working? Seraphina was a bit puzzled but didn¡¯t think too much of it. She was thirsty, so she got up, opened the door, and went to find some water As she passed the study, she noticed there was no light seeping under the door. In other words, the study waspletely dark Was Leandro not there, or had he fallen asleep in the study? Seraphina thought back carefully and realized that he hadn¡¯t shared the bed with herst night She went downstairs to get some water. As she passed the study again on her way back up, she was a bit curious and thought about checking the study. but decided against it and went straight back to her bedroom. Her sleep wasn¡¯t very peaceful. Around six in the morning, she was startled awake by the sound of the door opening Opening her eyes, she saw Leandro walk in wearing his robe. He was still wearingst night¡¯s robe, which meant he hadn¡¯t been out. But he hadn¡¯te back to the room all night, and the study was dark, so he must have been sleeping in the study or some other room This realization piqued Seraphinas curiosity, so she stayed in bed watching him As usual, Leandro was calm and collected He nced at her, ¡°Awake so early?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well, Seraphina replied. ¡°I was mentally prepared to sleep with someone else, but the bed was empty I didn¡¯t know if something was in there, and the more I thought about it, the more scared I got..¡± Leandro gave her a look and replied with only one sentence, ¡°After I finished work, I slept in the study¡± Seraphina sat up suddenly, staring at him, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we should sleep in separate rooms. It doesn¡¯t really affect anything ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Leandro countered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°Anyway you slept in the study, and it doesn¡¯t seem like Grandpa or the staff noticed¡± Without another word, Leandro turned around and went into the bathroom. Seraphina nced outside. It was still dark, and the weather was cold. She didn¡¯t want to talk anymore and just went back to sleep When she woke up again, Leandro was already gone. Just as she was getting up, a maid came to clean the room. Seraphina went into the bathroom to clean up, not paying it any mind As she came downstairs after her shower, she overheard Conway talking to the maid, ¡°Why did I see Leandroing out of the study this morning? Doesn¡¯t he share a room with Sera?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina felt a bit annoyed with Leandro. She was about to go down and exin to Conway when she heard the maid reply. ¡°How could that be? I¡¯ve been cleaning their room these past few days. and I even change the sheets myself. They get along very well, and you don¡¯t need to worry¡± The maid¡¯s response wasced with suggestiveughter, the implication was clear Relieved by the answer, Conway simply nodded. Upstairs, Seraphina, who was about to go down for breakfast, felt a bit awkward upon hearing this. She decided to go back upstairs for a bit and wait for the topic to pass beforeing down again Roughly an hourter Seraphina came back downstairs Conway still looked at her with satisfaction and relief. He had already had his breakfast and was waiting at the dining table to apany Seraphina, constantly urging her to eat and take care of her health. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Grandpa, how can I eat all this? Seraptana looked at the mountain of food in front of her ¡°Are you treating me like a breeding sow? ¡°Whats wrong with being a sow? Conway said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that sows have many piglets? It¡¯s a good thing! I like it! His words were clearly suggestive, and Seraphina rolled her eyes. I don¡¯t like it ¡°All right¡± Conway said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to have as many as a sow I¡¯ll be happy with two or three children.¡± Belpre Seraphina could respond, a coldugh came from outside, ¡°Grandpa Reynolds, how do you know she won¡¯t have as many as a sow? Maybe she¡¯ll turn around and give you four or five kids!¡± Seraphina slowly looked up to see Ferne walking in from the door Ferne was tall and slim, the pampered youngdy of the Reynolds family. She was naturally aloof, and when her face darkened, her aura became even more intimidating. Ferne walked in, her gazending directly on Seraphina, and gave a coldugh. ¡°Ferne¡± Conway called her, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ferne nced at Conway, thenughed, ¡°Nothing, just joking with Seraphina.¡± Seeing this, Seraphina gave a faint srnile, stood up, and said, ¡°I need to use the bathroom.¡± Seeing her get up and leave, Ferne gave Conway a slight smile, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Seraphina strolled into the bathroom to wash her hands, and the door wasn¡¯tpletely shut. Ferne barged right in, yanked out some papers from her bag, and chucked them onto the sink right in front of Seraphina Seraphina, you sure do have a colorful past, don¡¯t you?¡± Seraphina had long sensed the mockery in Ferne¡¯s voice. Now, as she picked up those papers, she was more certain about it. The papers appeared to be ayout from some media outlet, but the subject matter was all about her. The headline was pretty shocking. ¡°Unwed mother! Leandro¡¯s future wife Seraphina¡¯s messy life exposed!¡± Seraphina clutched the manuscript, starting to read it carefully from beginning to end. But Ferne just stood there with her arms crossed, smirking coldly at her. ¡°Seraphina, you¡¯re something else, aren¡¯t you? Knocked up and had a kid after leaving the Reynolds family, huh? Don¡¯t you know what kind of person you are? Are you still trying to y innocent in front of Grandpa Reynolds? nning on giving him a heart attack or what?¡± Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Ferne finished speaking, noticing Seraphina still quietly looking at the manuscript, her blood boiled in anger. She snatched the papers, crumbled them into a ball, and tossed them aside ¡°What¡¯s there left to see? Ferne coldly asked Seraphina, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what you¡¯ve done yourself? Do you need this manuscript to enlighten you? If it wasnt for my ties with this mediapany¡¯s boss, who gave me a heads up, this would¡¯ve been out in public by now! Seraphina, what the hell are you ying at? Since you¡¯vee back, how many things have happened to the Reynolds family? What more do you want to happen?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t respond. She just turned on the faucet and quietly washed her hands. Looking at Seraphina like this, Ferne was even more furious. Just as she was about tosh out again, her phone suddenly rang. Ferne answered the phone, and her face changed instantly. ¡°What?¡± After hanging up, she swiftly checked her phone, her face bing extremely grave. Seraphina looked at her through the mirror, and she looked back at Seraphina. After a moment of silence, she coldly said, ¡°The cat¡¯s out of the bag.¡± Seraphina dried her hands, took the phone from her, and after a few swipes, she had a pretty good idea. Multiple entertainment media had simultaneously broken the news that she had had a child out of wedlock. It had be the hottest gossip online. ¡ª At the Reynolds Group. Yasmina, who had been working since she clocked in, finally had time to rx. As she sat down to drink some water, she opened the social media to browse the news. As soon as she opened it, she was startled by the news. Keen turned his head and saw her spit water all over herputer screen, and he couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Yasmina ignored him, quickly read the news, and then abruptly turned theputer screen towards him. Keen leaned in, and after seeing the content, he immediately clutched his chest He even felt a heartache! Seeing him stunned, Yasmina hurriedly kicked him and pointed to Leandro¡¯s office, ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Such a big event happened Naturally, Mr. Reynolds needed to be informed right away But is telling him that his future wife had a child out of wedlock really okay? Keen, helpless, quickly grabbed a tablet, found the rted news, and then walked into Leandro¡¯s office. Leandro should have been looking at some documents, but when Keen entered, Leandro was sitting in his chair looking at his tablet, his face cold. In that instant, Keen was sure Leandro already knew the situation. He stood there, unsure of what to do. After a while, he finally said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, do you want to give Ms. Bet a call?¡± He was still a bit confused. Even though manyplex things happened with Seraphina, the magnitude of this event seemed too big. To any average guy, having a child from a previous rtionship might be hard to swallow, let alone for a proud man like Leandro. He was also uncertain how this would y out. ¡°Notify all the reporters.¡± While Keen was still in a daze, he heard Leandro start to speak. He immediately focused, carefully watching Leandro. ¡°If anyone dares to harass at Reynolds Manor, that person will forever be out of this industry and Sunburst City.¡± After hearing this, Keen quietly watched Leandro, waiting for the next instructions regarding Seraphina. But Leandro didn¡¯t say anything further, and he just looked at him. Keen snapped back and nodded repeatedly, then left the office. As soon as he stepped out, Yasmina rushed over to ask him, ¡°What happened? What did he say?¡± ¡°He said to prohibi reporters from harassing at Reynolds Manor¡­¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± Yasmina asked curiously, ¡°Did he say anything about Ms. Bet?¡± Keen was taken aback, shaking his head. He felt that in Leandro¡¯s eyes,pared to reporters harassing at Reynolds Manor, Seraphina having a child seemed to be a trivial matter.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Seraphina was taking care of Conway after lunch, and then she honestly told him, ¡°Grandpa, I have something to tell you, but you must stay calm, don¡¯t get angry¡± Conway looked at her, sighed, and asked, ¡°Is this about Ferne¡¯s visit today?¡± Seraphina slowly nodded, ¡°Are you mentally prepared?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as fragile as you think Conway said a bit helplessly, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Seraphina smiled slightly and slowly said, ¡°I had a child before.¡± Even though he was prepared, Conway was still taken aback, gripping her hand tightly, ¡°What?¡± That was when I was in Starhaven.¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°I had a daughter, but she died of meningitis when she was three¡± Her expression was very calm as if talking about something unrted to her, always with a faint smile on her lips. Then¡­¡± Conway had many questions, but looking at her expression, he couldn¡¯t ask. The news is now public¡± Seraphina said softly, ¡°It¡¯s all over the inte¡­so I thought I¡¯d better tell you myself¡± Conway quietly looked at her for a long time before finally speaking. ¡°Do you have anything else you want to tell me?¡± Seraphina shook her head, ¡°The child is gone. There¡¯s no point in talking about it anymore¡­ as long as you know, I¡¯m afraid that the reporters will upset you.¡± After hearing this, Conway was silent for a while, then sighed, gently holding Seraphina¡¯s hand, ¡°What kind of life did you live in Starhaven ¡°It¡¯s all water under the bridge,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Ancient history, right?¡± Conway was quiet for a beat before asking, ¡°Does Leandro know about it?¡± Seraphina nodded with a smile, ¡°He does.¡± Hearing this, Conway let out a sigh of relief saying, ¡°Good. It¡¯s really none of anyone else¡¯s beeswax Seraphina just responded with a slight smile. However, that night, Reynolds Manor was buzzing with people. Everyone was there except for Bruce. As soon as they arrived, they headed straight for Conway¡¯s room. Seraphina didn¡¯t join them, but she knew what they were discussing, so she just sat in the living room watching TV Just as she waspletely engrossed in the TV, everyone suddenly came rushing down from upstairs. Nte, who was usually cold to her, abruptly confronted her and asked, ¡°Is the child you had in Starhaven Leandro¡¯s?¡± Seraphina nced at the expressions of the crowd, guessing that something must have happened. Nte was holding a mobile phone in her hand. Seraphina took a peek at the screen and saw a handwritten letter. The letter started with ¡°Dear Seraphina¡± Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Eight o¡¯clock in the evening at Reynolds Group. Keen and Yasmina, who hadn¡¯t knocked off yet, sat quietly at their desks. Keen was engrossed in writing a work report, and Yasmina was looking a bit bored. Leandro had been leaving early these past few days, so Yasmina was a bit thrown off by the need to work overtime now. ¡°When the hell does Mr. Reynolds finish work¡­ There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything that requires us to work overtime today!¡± Yasmina muttered quietly. Keen shot her a nce, ¡°You think there¡¯s nothing to do? You don¡¯t think that big issue counts as something?¡± ¡°We cant solve that problem from inside the office, can we?¡± Yasmina retorted, ¡°If Mr. Reynolds really wants to solve that issue, he should¡¯ve left work early to find Ms. Bet. Whether it¡¯s to confront her or tofort her, that¡¯s the right way to handle it!¡± As she spoke, Yasmina opened her phone to browse the web, but suddenly she jumped up. Seeing her reaction, Keen knew something must¡¯ve happened. Sure enough. Two minutes ago, Leandro had posted a handwritten letter on his private social media ount. This private ount had been around for several years. Although it had many followers, he never followed anyone. The only thing he had ever posted was a news article he shared when Reynolds Group went public. In other words, this handwritten letter was his second post. Leandro¡¯s handwriting was clear and firm. The letter began with ¡°Dear Seraphina¡°. Dear Seraphina, I¡¯ve led a lonely life, often keepingpany with alcohol and using it to help me sleep. In my dreams, I often see shadows of the past. In 2002, you first joined the Reynolds family, and you were only ten then, lonely and confused, In 2003, you had your first birthday in the Reynolds family. Staring at the birthday cake, you cried your eyes out, In 2005, you entered middle school and had a conflict with someone right after, making your family worried. From then on, you became quiet and obedient, In 2008, we bumped into each other several times, and I realized my only regret was not meeting you sooner, In 2009, I had countless sleepless nights, only you stood by my side, apanying me, In 2010, something forced you to leave, you went far away, and I was left feeling empty, thinking we¡¯d never meet again, In the following years, I didn¡¯t dare to recall you. Now that you¡¯re back, I hope to spend the rest of my life with you. This life was my aspiration. Leandro. After reading the letter, Yasmina covered her mouth in surprise, and Keen had finished reading as well. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Yasmina¡¯s heart was racing. ¡°Mr. Reynolds wrote this. He really wrote this!¡± Keen didn¡¯t answer. He just looked in the direction of the office Leandro had been in his office all afternoon. Concerning Seraphina¡¯s situation, he only ordered the reporters to stop harassing her and didn¡¯t give any other instructions. Keen had imagined countless ways this incident would be resolved, but he never expected that Leandro would publicly post a love letter to Seraphina on social media. ¡°I can¡¯t help but want to cry, and I really can¡¯t imagine how he wrote these words¡­ Yasmina was in a state of emotion, and then she noticed something. ¡°Wait a minute! Mr. Reynolds said in the letter that Ms. Bet left the Reynolds family in 2010, but ording to the news this morning, Ms. Bet had a child in February 2011. Does this mean that the child might be Mr. Reynolds¡¯s?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that?¡± Keen replied, ¡°It¡¯s not just likely. The intention of Mr. Reynolds¡¯s letter is to tell everyone that the child is his.¡± As for Nte¡¯s question, Seraphina didn¡¯t n to answer. However, Nte didn¡¯t n to let her off the hook, and she continued to press, ¡°If you were pregnant at that time, why didn¡¯t you tell us? We all didn¡¯t know about this, suddenly you said you had a child, and then suddenly said the child is Leandro¡¯s How do you expect us to believe everything you say?¡± ¡®Nte!¡± As soon as Nte finished speaking, Conway¡¯s angry voice came from upstairs Seraphina immediately looked up, saw Conway, and quickly went upstairs to support him at the staircase. Downstairs, Celeste Reynolds also held onto Nte, whispering, ¡°Dad said this isn¡¯t our business, so stop asking¡± ¡°Who am I speaking for?¡± Nte defended herself, I¡¯m speaking for the Reynolds family! The Reynolds family has had a lot of issues over the years. Finally it was peaceful for two years, and as soon as shees back, problems start popping up one after another! Who knows if she¡¯s doing this on purpose!¡± ¡°Stop talking!¡± Celeste quickly said. ¡°Do you want to upset Dad to death?¡± Hearing this, Nte looked up at Conway again and saw Conway looking down at Seraphina by his side; she immediately got angry, didn¡¯t want to see anymore, and ran out. The others didn¡¯t know what to say. They all tried tofort Conway. Conway didn¡¯t want to hear anymore and waved his hand to dismiss everyone. Seraphina helped Conway back to his room, and only then did Conway say happily. ¡°Did you see the letter Leandro wrote you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seraphina answered, ¡°What did he write?¡± Conway immediately took the tablet from the bedside, opened it, and handed it to Seraphinal Seraphina sat on the edge of the bed, slowly reading through the letter. ¡°How is it?¡± Conway looked at her, ¡°Are you moved?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Seraphina cracked a smile,menting. ¡°Only he can write a love letter so cool and collected.¡± ¡°You say that, but you¡¯re kinda tickled pink on the inside, aren¡¯t you?¡± Conway studied her face as if trying to read something of it. Seraphina scoffed, putting down her tablet, I¡¯m done talking. Gonna hit the showers.¡± Conway figured she was just shy and needed some time alone to mull over the letter, so he didn¡¯t stop her. He just watched her leave with a smile. Not long after Seraphina left, Leandro, who just got off work, barged into Conway¡¯s room. Upon seeing him, Conway burst intoughter, ¡°Did you manage to dodge the paparazzi?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Leandro answered nonchntly, then moved to check out Conway¡¯s daily health data. .. ¡°You handled this round pretty well. Not only did you dismiss public doubts, but you also managed to express your feelings to Sera, Conway looked pleased. He paused, then said, ¡°I can¡¯t ask Sera directly, so I¡¯m asking you. Is the kid really yours?¡± On hearing this, Leandro dropped his gaze a bit, took a moment, then slowly said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Conway frowned at his response, ¡°Not sure? How could you be so clueless?¡± ¡°You know what was going on back then,¡± Leandro said, ¡°I was at parties every night getting hammered, so I really can¡¯t remember if anything happened¡­¡± Unable to contain himself, Conway let out a sigh, ¡°There must be no mistake. Sera was so smitten with you back then, and there¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve been with anyone else. It¡¯s just such a damn shame¡­ such a lovely girl, why did she have to die¡­ Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Conway was getting old, and it was about time he enjoyed the pleasures of family. But when it came to Leandro¡¯s generation, they were all still single, with only Valerio as a child, and he was a quiet one. Now he suddenly found out that Seraphina had a child who died at three. Conway couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken, repeating it over and over. Leandro sat quietly, listening, not saying a word. After sighing for a while, Conway finally spoke again, ¡°All right, let¡¯s not bring this up again, it¡¯ll only hurt Sera.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Leandro answered softly ¡°Off you go, Conway said, ¡°Spend some time with Sera, don¡¯t let her dwell on this.¡± Leandro left Conway¡¯s room. On his way back to his room, he unexpectedly heard Seraphina¡¯s voice from Valerio¡¯s bedroom. The door was ajar Seraphina was reading a story to Valerio, and it sounded like Grimm¡¯s Fairy Tales. But in the middle of reading, Seraphina¡¯s voice stopped. Then she said to Valerio, ¡°What¡¯s with the attitude? Don¡¯t you like my storytelling? You ungrateful little squirt! Leandro pushed the door open and saw Seraphina sitting on the bed with Valerio. Valerio was sitting next to Seraphina, head down, looking upset. Seraphina¡¯s storytelling today was indeed a bit off, and Valerio¡¯s mood seemed to have been affected. This kid was always sensitive. He seemed to easily pick up on the emotions of the adults around him, even the slightest fluctuation¡­ Hearing the door open, Seraphina turned her head. When she saw Leandro, sheughed and said to Valerio, ¡°All right, your dad¡¯s back. He can read to you since you¡¯re so picky¡°¡± She was about to leave when Valerio firmly grabbed her arm as if begging her not to go. Leandro saw this, walked over slowly, took the book from Seraphina¡¯s hand, then held Valerio¡¯s hand and told Seraphina, ¡°Go back to your room.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Seraphina answered cheerfully, patted Valerios head and left. Valerio, although reluctant, could only watch as Seraphina left, then turned to look at Leandro. Looking at his innocent little face, Leandro said slowly, ¡°She¡¯s not in a good mood today. You read for a while, then go to bed early.¡± Valerio nodded slowly after a moment of silence When Leandro returned to his room, Seraphina was lying on the bed, surfing the inte on her phone. Seeing Leandroe in, she lifted her head and waved her phone at him, ¡°I was nning on catching up on the news, but all I see is my name. everywhere. It¡¯s so ironic.¡± Leandro¡¯s handwritten letter had caused a huge stir online. Netizens pieced together their meeting, falling in love, separating due to misunderstandings and idents, facing setbacks, and finally reconciling, which was like a fairy tale. Apart from a few, most no longer questioned Seraphina¡¯s unwed motherhood. The fleeting life of the child was mostly met with regret. Looking at Leandro, Seraphina sincerelyplimented, ¡°You¡¯re amazing. A handwritten letter turned the tide against this morning¡¯s media frenzy. It¡¯s the best PR move I¡¯ve ever seen.¡¯ Leandro stood by the bed, took off his suit jacket, and threw it aside, only looking at her, ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not ying games with you.¡± Seraphina smiled faintly at his words, didn¡¯t respond but said. ¡°The letter was beautifully written. If I had seen it seven years ago, I might have cried.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, just quietly watching her, waiting for her to continue ¡°I don¡¯t remember much from seven years ago, but seeing that letter today, it brought back some memories.¡± She chuckled lightly, her gaze bing somewhat blurred, ¡°The Seraphina back then really loved the Leandro back then. If time could have stopped, she might have loved him forever¡­¡± ¡°Sadly¡­¡± She continued, her gaze settling back to calm, The Seraphina of the past no longer exists, and the Leandro of the past no longer exists¡­ The past is the past, and we can¡¯t go back.¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes were dull, void of any light. Something in his chest tightened, causing a faint pain with each breath. She said the past is the past, they can¡¯t go back. He epted it. But for the future, he didn¡¯t. *Since we can¡¯t go back, let¡¯s start over, Leandro said slowly. ¡°We have plenty of time in this life.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina looked at him in slight surprise, thenughed. ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± she said ¡°With me, nothing is impossible,¡± he replied. Seraphina was taken aback and wanted to say something but held back just as she was about to speak. She kept smiling but shook her head slightly. Leandro suddenly stepped forward, cradling her head, and kissed her. Seraphina didn¡¯t resist, just calmly watched him, his face now blurry because of the closeness. Some people are hard to see clearly if they¡¯re too far or too close. Only by putting them at the right distance and treating them as strangers can you truly see them. But by the time she saw him clearly, it was toote That night, Leandro slept in the bedroom but stayed awake all night Seraphina, on the other hand, fell asleep. Despite everything that happened that day, she was still able to sleep. This ability was one she honed as a journalist ¨C regardless of what happens, she needs to ensure she gets rest so she has the energy to fight again the next day She could rein in all her emotions but not her dreams. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. In her dreams, she was back to when she was 18, back to that room that year, and saw Leandro from that year. He was helped back to the room by Karan. She heard noises behind her bedroom door. Even though his steps were messy, she recognized them instantly They were his footprints. Vivian had been hospitalized for almost ten days, but there wasn¡¯t any improvement. She had tried to exin to him the night after the incident happened, but he didn¡¯t want to hear it. He even said some really harsh words to her and didn¡¯t return home since then Until today, the night before, she was about to leave the Reynolds family for Starhaven. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 After everything that happened, she was left feeling panicked and lost. In the gigantic Reynolds family, no one was there tofort her A month ago, Grandpa Reynolds was rushed to the hospital for heart surgery and was yet to be discharged, Bruce was out all day, only toe home and fight with Gloria, and the rest treated her like she was some sort of venomous snake. The only person she was waiting for was him, but he didn¡¯t return until today. She had sunk into despair after waiting for so long. She sat behind her room door, listening to Karan nag about why he drank so much before helping him back to his room. After what felt like an eternity, she didn¡¯t hear any noise. Karan must have been taking care of him. About ten minutester, she heard Karan leave his room and the closing of the door The night was deep and peaceful, with Reynolds Vista Retreat so quiet it felt like no one was there. She quietly stood behind the door. After a long while she finally opened the door walked down the long hallway, and stood in front of Leandro¡¯s room. She opened the door, seeing him lying on the bed after such a long time apart. It felt like he was a stranger The person on the bed was him, but it didnt feel like him. He was sleeping, his brows furrowed. Although he looked the same as she remembered, she felt like she didn¡¯t know him anymore. From the moment he brought Vivian home and scolded her, he was no longer the Leandro she knew. She slowly walked to the side of the bed as if she wanted to see him clearly, but his brow furrowed, and he suddenly sat up, vomiting on her dress. It was all booze. He was always like this, not eating anything at parties and only drinking. Every time he got drunk, his stomach seemed to contain nothing but alcohol. She had seen him drunk many times, so even though he vomited all over her, she didn¡¯t care. After he finished throwing up, hey back down and fell asleep again. But she still didn¡¯t want to leave Tonight was all she had left. Tomorrow, she would be on a ne to Starhaven alone. They only had tonight left. Seraphina lifted her hand, pulled down the zipper behind her, took off the dress he had dirtied, and then sat on the bed, quietly hugging her knees and watching him. But she couldn¡¯t understand. His appearance and body hadn¡¯t changed, so why did he seem like a different person, as if he had forgotten their past? She looked at him for a long time and finally couldn¡¯t resist reaching out to touch his brow. His body temperature was the same as before, but he no longer gave her any warmth. In the quiet of the night, she was stiff all over, her hard touching his warmth, but she still couldn¡¯t resist curling up in his arms. The intimate moments from the past were joyful, but she always felt shy But now, us she voluntarilyid in his arms, she didn¡¯t feel shy or timid Because she knew there wouldn¡¯t be another chance because she knew tonight was thest time. She was not willing to let go, she had so many grievances and pain to pour out to him, but he no longer wanted to hear her speak. ¡°Leandro.¡± shey on his body, couldn¡¯t help but whisper his name. She was on the verge of crying uncontrobly, but she held it back. She just leaned tightly on his shoulder, calling his name over and over again, ¡°Leandro¡± She hoped he would wake up, hoped he would look at her onest time, but she was also afraid he would wake up, afraid to hear those harsh words from him again. But Leandro did wake up. When she looked up again, she saw his eyes slowly open. He was not clear headed. His eyes were hazy and empty. After a while, his gaze finallynded on her face. And she justy there quietly, looking into his eyes as if waiting for the final verdict But he suddenly reached out to touch her face, gently stroking it, just like before. She was confused by his sudden tenderness. Her lost and helpless heart seemed to finally find a ce to rest. She couldn¡¯t help but reach out and hug him tightly. Then Leandro suddenly rolled over and pinned her beneath him. Until the pain brought her back to reality. This wasn¡¯t right, and it shouldn¡¯t be like this. Leandro had never been like this with her. At that moment, she felt a chill run through her body, as if her blood had frozen Who was she in his eyes? Seraphina suddenly woke up from her dream. When she opened her eyes, it was already dawn. She was the only one in the bed; she suddenly woke up, her body covered in a cold sweat. Seraphina slowly sat up, feeling cold all over. The sound of water came from the bathroom. Leandro was taking a shower. She sat on the bed for a moment, then suddenly put on her clothes, got out of bed, and walked out the door. In the bathroom, Leandro turned off the shower just in time to hear the bedroom door close. He wrapped a towel around his body and walked out of the bathroom. The bedroom was already empty; Seraphina was gone. Leandro dried himself off, changed his clothes, and then left the room. In the end, he found Seraphina in the outside bathroom. She was lying in the bathtub, a towel covering her face. Leandro walked over and removed the towel from her face. Seraphina, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened her eyes and gave him a slow smile when she saw him. ¡°I woke up feeling a bit cold, Seraphina said, ¡°So I decided to take a hot bath. Are you getting ready for work?¡± She was now acting as if she hadpletely forgotten their conversation from the night before, back to ying the part of a content wife. In her words, she was indifferent-whatever his attitude or stance, she didn¡¯t care. She was still herself. Leandro couldn¡¯t ept this indifference. He reached out and lightly pinched her face. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina nced at the electronic clock on the vanity and said casually, ¡°It¡¯s already past seven in the morning. You should go downstairs for breakfast and get ready for work.¡± The pressure from Leandro¡¯s hand increased slightly, and he said slowly. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Seraphina, lying bare in the clear water under his gaze, simply said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind indulging, but I want to remind you that excessive indulgence can harm your body.¡± ¡°I can handle that,¡± Leandro replied. At half past seven in the morning, Conway sat at the dining table, looking at an untouched breakfast. He was a bit puzzled, ¡°Did Leandro leave without eating breakfast?¡± ¡°Nah.¡± The maid answered, ¡°He¡¯s still upstairs! He¡¯s usually as punctual as a clock. Not sure what¡¯s up with him today¡± As she said this, she took the breakfast back to the kitchen. Conway sipped his soup with a smile, not saying much. At twenty past eight, Leandro finally came down from upstairs, an hourte. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Conway had finished his breakfast but was still sitting at the table, reading the newspaper. When he saw Leandro descending the stairs, a smile automatically crept onto his face ¡°What¡¯s up with you today?¡± Conway asked, ¡°Did you oversleep?¡± Leandro sat down, sipped his coffee, and replied, ¡°Nope.¡± Conway seemed satisfied and nodded. That¡¯s more like it. Spend more time with Sera, help her to forget the past unpleasantness¡± And then Conway was about to say. This incident..¡± Im on it, Leandro interrupted him before he could finish. ¡°Too many things have happened recently. It¡¯s unlikely to be a coincidence¡± Seeing his serious face, Conway couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be overly suspicious until the results are out.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t say anything. He thought of Seraphina upstairs, paused with the cutlery in his hands, and then continued to eat quietly. N?velDrama.Org content. When Seraphina woke up, it was already noon. She picked up her phone to see several missed calls and unread messages. Seeing who had sent the messages, Seraphina understood why. She was more than happy to go So, over an hourter, Seraphina met Bowen, who had been waiting for her at a restaurant downtown. Bowen was sitting at a table by the window, learing back in his chair, his brow slightly furrowed as he looked out of the window as if he had been waiting for a long time It wasn¡¯t until Seraphina sat down opposite him that he turned his gaze back to her and smiled faintly, ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I overslept today and kept you waiting¡± ¡°No worries¡± Bowen was still smiling, Take a look at the menu. See what you want to eat Seraphina chose a dish at random, then turned to Bowen, ¡°You were in such a rush to meet me. What¡¯s up?¡± Bowen looked at her for a moment, then said directly, ¡°Where¡¯s Sandra?¡± ¡°What?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Why would you ask me where Sandra is? Isn¡¯t she at home?¡± Hearing this, Bowen slowly said, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s not at home. She¡¯s missing¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you looking for her?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Has she been kidnapped?¡± Bowen looked at Seraphina quietly for a moment, then suddenlyughed, ¡°Is this your idea?¡± Seraphina seemed intent on ying dumb, ¡°What?¡± Bowen sighed helplessly, Tve known Sandra since we were kids, and you two have been best friends since childhood. We both know what she¡¯s like. And she only has you as a close friend, Sera, don¡¯t mess around¡± As Seraphina slowly ate, she said, ¡®Since you know Sandra so well, you should understand that what¡¯s between you two isn¡¯t really my business, right?¡± After hearing this. Bowen paused, seemingly acknowledging her point in silence, then said, ¡°Sera, I just want to know where she is. Is she sale?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Whatever the reason for her disappearance, she ll be found for the same reason, right?¡± Bowen couldn¡¯t help but nce out the window again, then asked when he turned back. You already know, don¡¯t you?¡± Seraphina kept her head down, eating, and replied without looking up, it¡¯s better for me not to know about these things, right?¡± Bowen felt somewhat helpless and smiled, ¡°Since you already know, as an observer, you should see more clearly that the path Sandra and I are on isn¡¯t easy to walk¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no path in this world that¡¯s easy to walk.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Everything is a choice we make, so we cant me others.¡± Bowen looked up at her, and after a while he nodded slowly. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°So, have you decided which way to go?¡± Seraphina put down her cutlery, wiping her mouth with a napkin as she asked. Bowen didn¡¯t answer, just looked at the te of pasta in front of her that she¡¯d barely touched, ¡°You¡¯re full?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Seraphina replied, Im full.¡± ¡°Your appetite is really small Bowen said, The desserts here are good. Shall I order one for you?¡± Seraphina Tilted her head to look at him, ¡°Are you this attentive to all women?¡± Bowenughed. ¡°You¡¯re her best friend.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to pay special attention to her best friend Seraphina said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make you look any better.¡± Bowen kept his smile and finally chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re really more level-headed than Sandra,¡± Resting her chin in her hand, Seraphina raised her eyebrows at hisment, ¡°I used to be crazier than her.¡± Hearing this, Bowen looked at her for a moment, possibly thinking of the past he¡¯d heard from Sandra. His expression became slightly solemn, and he asked softly, ¡°And now?¡± 1 dont have much expectation for love¡± Seraphina answered, ¡°But I still believe in love. I hope my friends can find happiness,¡± Bowen looked at her quietly withou ¡°So, can I have dessert now?¡± Seraphina asked. Bowen chuckled, ¡°Of course.¡± Seraphina turned to call the waiter over to ce her order. But as she turned her head, she saw a man a few tables away who had been watching them. As she turned, the man immediately looked away Seraphina¡¯s gaze lingered on him for a moment. Bowen seemed to notice as well and asked quietly. That guy has been watching us. Do you know him?¡± Seraphina shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know him¡± ¡°He might be a reporter.¡± Bowen said, ¡°After all, you and Leandro are the talk of the town.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina chuckled, ¡°He¡¯s definitely not a reporter.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Bowen asked. ¡°Ever seen a journalist dressed head to toe in designer tabels? Seraphina replied, idly flipping through the menu. ¡°A guy his age, around forty, decked out in high-end brands, he¡¯s no ordinary reporter. He¡¯s likely someone investigating the rich and famous¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Bowen couldn¡¯t help but sneak another nce at the man, then asked, ¡°And what¡¯s he after you for? Want me to go ask him?¡± ¡®No need,¡¯ Seraphina responded without looking up. ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone just trying to make a living?¡± She picked out a dessert and then looked up at Bowen. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Just focus on your own stuff. And if possible, stay away from me a bit. I don¡¯t want to drag you and Sandra into this.¡± Chapter 178 Chapter 178 For Leandro, sniffing out the source of all the media leaks was a piece of cake Despite the leakers best efforts to stay hidden all signs eventually pointed to one person Edith Whitman, the fiancee of Seraphina¡¯s er boyfriend. Peterson Edith had once stolen Peterson from Seraphina, and now Seraphina had be the center of attention at their engagement party Peterson still had deep feelings for Seraphina, which made Edith see her as an enemy The revt But i I didn¡¯te as a shock, and it might not even be rted to the previous kidnapping incident wasnt about to let it slide Over the next few days, the Whitman family found themselves in hot water. They were under pressure from banks, shareholders, partners, clients-you name it in no time Ira Whitman was gasping for breath. Once he figured out the reason, ira naturally wanted to meet with Leandro but was repeatedly turned down. Leandro clearly didn¡¯t want to see him. tra was overwhelmed with problems and didn¡¯t know what to do. A weekter, Seraphina had a bridal fitting arranged by Tiffany. Not wanting to waste time on it, she decided on a style one morning and spent the afternoon resting and having tea As she was flipping through a magazine, Ira appeared by her table and quietly greeted her, ¡®Ms. Bet, how do you do?¡± Seraphina looked up from her magazine and immediately recognized him ¡°Mr. Whitman, long time no saa ¡°Somy to bother you¡± fra was always formal and courteous. ¡°May I sit and chat with you?¡± Seraphina shrugged, indicating she didn¡¯t mind, and put down her magazine Ira sat down and said, I¡¯m here mainly to apologize on behalf of my sister At this. Seraphina burst intoughter and asked, ¡°Why?¡± Ira got right to the point. ¡°It¡¯s about the media reporting on your life story¡± Seraphina was somewhat surprised. After a moment of silence, she chuckled, ¡°So it was her Ms. Bet has been spoiled since childhood and recently had a fight with Peterson, so she acted impulsively. We hope you can understand.¡± Ira said, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to meet her, she¡¯d like to apologize to you in person.¡± Seraphina listened to him calmly, then said lightly, if she really wanted to apologize in person, she would be sitting in front of me right now. I¡¯ve only met her twice but I know her. She would rever apologize to me unless shes gone off the rails.¡± iras expression changed slightly ¡°Ms. Bet, we genuinely want to apologize and hope for your forgiveness. Seraphinas expression remained cold until she heard this. She lowered her eyes slightly and said, ¡°Your sister is immature. You should teach her properly instead ofing to me and expecting me to tolerate her mistakes. Why should I indulge her?¡± Having said this Seraphina looked toward the entrance of the hall. Abbot had been standing there all along, watching this side even more intently since tra showed up. As soon as he saw Seraphina looking at him, he immediately came over and said, ¡°Ms Bet Without lifting her head, Seraphina said, Please show Mr. Whitman out; I dont want to be disturbed¡± tra being a man of manners, knew Seraphina was truly upset when she said this. He only said, ¡°I hope there will be another opportunity to meet you. I wish you a happy marriage in advance¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina didn¡¯t look up after hearing this. Tra sighed quietly and reluctantly left Not long after he left, another person appeared in front of Seraphina. She sighed in exasperation and looked up to see Peterson. Without a trace of surprise, she simply said, ¡°You¡¯ve been showing up a lottely, haven¡¯t you?¡± Peterson just looked at 1 her and said, 7 just want to confirm something. Is Betty Leandro¡¯s child?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of asking that?¡± Seraphina retorted Petersons face stiffened as he looked at her with a hint of irony. ¡°If Leandro was the one who hurt you back then, why would you forgive him and give him another chance but be so cold to me?¡± Do you really think you have the right to ask me these questions?¡± Peterson was taken aback. He watched her quietly for a moment, thenughed bitterly before saying. I know, I can¡¯tpare to Leandro With just a few words, he¡¯s made the Whitman family¡¯s life a living hell. If I were in your shoes, I would also choose a man like that¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation She put down what she was holding, got up, and was about to leave. Sera¡± Peterson, unwilling and unable to bear it, grabbed her and said with difficulty. ¡°The thing about Betty, I didn¡¯t tell Edith¡±, At his words, Seraphina, who had been frozen, moved slightly and slowly turned to look at him 1 don¡¯t know how she found out and told the media, but I never told her Peterson said, looking at her Seraphina stared at him for a moment, then slowly began tough, saying, ¡°Alright, I forgive you¡± Peterson was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up with disbelief. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You¡¯re on the same level as Leandro now, so you don¡¯t have to suffer over this anymore.¡± Peterson was stunned again. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You both hurt me, and I¡¯ve gotten back at both of you. Now I¡¯ve forgiven both of you equally¡± Seraphina said, ¡°There¡¯s no difference between you and Leandro; don¡¯t be sad for me anymore¡± After she said her piece, Seraphina shrugged off his hand and bolted. Peterson stood there like a statue until, after what seemed like ages, a tall, gorgeous woman strolled in from outside, plopped down in Seraphina¡¯s former seat, and started grinning at him Peterson snapped out of it, asking, Who are you?¡± Tim Ferne.¡± She introduced herself candidly, then continued, ¡°You¡¯re Peterson, right? If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t waste my energy on a woman who¡¯s clearly out of your league Instead of clinging onto her, why not look out for your own interests and sort out some of the issues facing the Miller family or the Whitman family?¡± ¡°You¡¯re with the Reynolds family? Peterson asked, puzzled. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Ferne shot him a sly smile, replying. 1 want to know everything you know about Seraphina and about the kid she had.¡± Chapter 179 Chapter 179 vas about to head out when she suddenly got a from Sandra Sandra asked Hearing her voice. Seraphina couldnt help but chuckle ¡°Shouldnt i be asking you that? You went abroad without a word, alone in a foreignnd, eating flord? andra didn¡¯t pick up on her banter, instead saying. Tran into our oldndlord today hina remembered the apartment in Velvetwood that Sandra found for her ¡°You went to ¡°Yes.¡± Sandra replied. ¡°Thendlord told me that someone¡¯s been asking about our past there twood? caring this. Seraphina didn¡¯t show much of a reaction, only responding casually. Really? 1 also went to our old neighbor¡¯s ce ¡°Sandra continued. ¡°That person was asking around there too. You could try contacting they know something¡± Hearing This. Seraphina said nonchntly. If someone wants to dig into me they would definitely find these es. No big deal ¡± Is it Leandro Sandra asked, ¡°In his letter, he admitted that Betty is his child. Why would he investigate you? Doesn¡¯t he trust you ¡°Anything else¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t answer her question, instead asking Sandra paused for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°I keep feeling like I¡¯m being followed i dont looking into you, trying to find you through me¡± Hearing this Seraphina frowned slightly, then said, ¡°If I see your brother, I¡¯ll imates, maybe f it¡¯s my brother¡¯s doing But it could also be someone Sandra seemed to sigh, and as Seraphina got into her car she said. ¡°Dont sigh. bother with him anymore¡± did well this time snt show sincerity, there¡¯s no need to Sandra didn¡¯t respond, only asking after hearing the sound of the car door closing. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°A fashion magazine is having a charity dinner. Seraphina answered, 1 happen to have an invitation, i thought i¡¯d go check it out and meet some new people.¡± Sandra, knowing her, didn¡¯t say much more, just reminding her, ¡°In short, be careful Dont let Leandro hurt you again Seraphina just chuckled at that These charity dinners hosted by fashion magazines usually feature celebrities and social figures. With so many famous faces in the room, every sweep of the camera could spark a discussion Evento Seraphina¡¯s arrival still attracted a lot of attention As Leandros future wife, the recent hot topic, and the object of Leandro¡¯s public deration of love, how could the reporters let her slip away? Surprisingly all the questions from the reporters were about her wedding with Leandro, no one brought up the previous hot topic of her having a child out of wedlock Seraphina answered all the questions perfectly, then quickly entered the main body of the banquet Socializing was Seraphinas forte Plus, she had Leandro, Although she didn¡¯t know many people in the room, it was always lively around her. She never womed about ack ofpanions or topics All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. However, Seraphina didn¡¯t expect to run into Bowen at this event. Bowen wasn¡¯t alone, he was apanied by a proud and radiant beauty. She wasn¡¯t a star, but Seraphina recognized her at a nce¡ªit was Tania, a was often active on social media Upon seeing Seraphina, Bowen quickly exchanged a few words with Tania, then walked over to Seraphina Taras gaze toward Seraphina held a touch of severity As Seraphina looked away Bowen had already approached her, smiling at her and saying 1 didn¡¯t expect to see you here¡± ¡± didn¡¯t expect to see you fere either Seraphina shrugged ¡°After all, you haven¡¯t found Sandra yet, and you¡¯re in the mood to attend such a social event. But your date is quite pretty¡± Hear Like wh B?den sighed slightly and said, ¡°Sera, I¡¯m just a regr guy. There are some things I can¡¯t do anything about¡± aphina asked Bowen took a step closer to her, his voice dropping slightly ¡°Someone¡¯s been investigating me recently I guess they re trying to find something about you through Sandra and me. You know our rtionship, while not hical, would definitely stir up a fuss if outsiders found out¡± Hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s gaze faltered slightly. Just as she was about to say something, there was a suddenmotion in the banquet hall Seraphina immediately looked around and was surprised to see Leandro walking in from the entrance After a rtively rxed penod, the Reynolds Group recently had severalrge projects, and Leandro became busy again. Seraphina didn¡¯t care when he came home, but she often woke up in the middle of the night just to see him asionally, when Leandro was in a good mood, they would make love, but most of the time he spent in his study And now, Leandro had actually appeared here in a suit? Seraphina tooked at his ck handmade suit, which was definitely not what he wore when he left in the morning. This showed that he attached great importance to this asion and came here on purpose. As Leandro entered the room, there were peopleing up to greet him, while Seraphinas position was a bit more inside; she was not sure if Leandro had seen her Bowen also noticed Leandro, then looked at Seraphina and asked, ¡°Could it be him?¡± ¡°What?¡± Seraphina was momentarily distracted and asked back. Bowen shot her a nce and said slowly, ¡°Could it be him, digging into the past?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina gave a soft chuckle, replying, ¡°Whether its him or not, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t drag you and Sandra into this¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Bowen questioned. You and Sandra have been tight since you were kids. Even though I haven¡¯t known you for long. Sandras been talking about you since forever, so I see you as a sister too. Your problems are mine as well.¡± Seraphina just smiled and said, ¡°No, my problems are mine alone. You and Sandra shouldn¡¯t get tangled up in it.¡± Just as she finished speaking, she spotted Leandro in the crowd, politely brushing off the people trying to strike up a conversation with him. He then looked straight at where she was and headed towards her with steady steps. So he knew she was here? That was what Seraphina was thinking, while Leandro had already reached her. After giving Bowen a quick nce, he extended his hand to her Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Seraphina Bet didnt really have a hankering for a chinwag with Leandro, but his arrival had gotten quite a few heads turning, and given that they were in a public setting she had no choice but to y nice So Seraphina extended her hand, which Leandro took. Bowen, who was watching the scene, let out a chuckle Seraphina then introduced Bowen to Leandro, saying. ¡°This is Mr. Smith¡± Leandro first nced at Seraphina, then turned to Bowen slow and steady ¡°Hello, Bowen Smith.¡± Clearly, Bowen and Leandro didn¡¯t run in the same circles. When he heard Leandro call him by his full name, he looked rather taken aback but quickly brushed it off, extending his hand with a grin and saying, ¡°Hello, Mr. Reynolds,¡± Leandro shook hands with him, then asked, ¡°Did youe alone, Mr. Smith ¡°Nope.¡± Bowen chuckled right away. ¡°My dates over there Sera, Il leave you be with Mr. Reynolds.¡± Seraphina responded with a smile Bowen headed off, and Seraphina turned to Leandro and said, ¡°Fancy these kinds of events much, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro looked at her and answered, ¡°Not really¡± Seraphina found this quite amusing. The party was soon in full swing, and Seraphina and Leandro took their ces The atmosphere was lively, with many celebrities in attendance and numerous charity-rted activities nned Then came the charity auction, with a variety of items donated by the quests. Seraphina was quite intrigued by the offerings. At the peak of the event, a staff member brought a painting orto the stage, apanied by thete arriving superstar Georgina, who had clearly donated the artwork Georgina picked up the microphone, apologized for her tardiness, and then began introducing the painting: ¡°This is andscape painted by the renowned artist Ma and a friend of his. Such coborations aren¡¯tmon in the art world, but Mr. Ma highly admires his friend¡¯s talent, hence this rare piece. I hope everyone bids generously. The winner will have the pleasure of dancing with me The room burst into apuse as soon as she finished speaking Seraphina who had been quite active earlier, was now sitting still. Leandro nced at her noticing that she was staring intently at the painting seemingly deep in thought. The bids quickly surpassed two million dors and kept rising Leandro once again took Seraphina¡¯s hand His palm was warm, but her fingertips were quite cold. The sounds of bids kepting 2.6 million dors!¡±. ¡°2.7 million dors¡± ¡°2.8 million dors!¡± Seraphina wasnt as fidgety as before and sat quietly without moving Out of nowhere, Leandro¡¯s voice rang out beside Seraphina: ¡°5 million dors.¡± The room instantly fell silent. Georgina looked at Seraphina from the stage and nodded at Leandro with a smile. But Leandro had already turned to Seraphina, who was now back to her senses, and looked at him. ¡°Happy with that price?¡± Leandro asked her The way he asked made it seem as if Seraphina was the one who had donated the painting. Seraphina thought for a moment, then slowly said. ¡°I think it could go a bit higher¡± Without missing a beat, Leandro raised his paddle again and said, ¡°10 million dors¡± This bid immediately set a record for the highest donation of the night, leading to a round of enthusiastic apuse. Seraphina pped along, her face filled with joy, clearly satisfied with the price. Since Georgina had donated the painting, which came with a dance, the host was nning toment on Georgina¡¯s charm, but the painting had been bought by Leandro, whose fiancee was sitting right next to him. The host didn¡¯t dare to imply anything else, so instead he just walked up to Leandro and asked. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Reynolds. What about this painting made you so determined to have it?¡± ¡°The other painter of this artwork is my fiancee¡¯s father, Carney Bet, Leandro answered sinctly Gasps of surprise echoed throughout the room. Seraphina wasn¡¯t too shocked, because she had suspected as much when Leandro asked her about the price. So, she just smiled and snuggled up to Leandro. Georgina, who was watching from the stage, simply smiled and pped silently. ¡°So, Mr. Reynolds, along with winning this painting, you¡¯ve also won a dance with Ms. Georgina,¡± the host said. ¡°Are you going to dance yourself, Mr. Reynolds, or will you be transferring this honor to someone else?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer the question but instead extended his hand to Seraphina. Seraphina looked at his outstretched hand, unsure whether to take it. Upon seeing this, Georgina quickly reacted, saying with a smile, ¡°Mr. Reynolds¡¯s fiancee is here, so he should dance with her. So, let¡¯s have Mr. Reynolds and the future Mrs. Reynolds dance together, so everyone here can witness their happiness and wish them a happy marriage.¡± The room erupted with apuse once again, and all eyes were on Seraphina, who looked up at Leandro and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I remember how to dance¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro slowly said, ¡°You¡¯ll do just fine, I taught you, remember?¡± After he spoke, he rose to his feet and extended his hand to Seraphina again, a real gentleman-like move. Seraphina locked eyes with him for a moment, then finally ced her hand in his, ready to take the stage. The room was all lit up, she normally wouldn¡¯t be the center of attention, but because she was with Leandro, she became the one performing in front of all these big shots Seraphina saw tons of people whipping out their phones to snap photos or record videos. Leandro gently wrapped his arm around her waist. As soon as the music started, the familiar dance steps just flowed out. Seraphina¡¯s dance skills were indeed taught by Leandro. During that autumn student art festival, she was dragged into participating in the ss¡¯s ballroom dance team. However, since she knew nothing about dancing, she had to secretly practice in her room after school, but the progress was as good as zilch. Until one day, Leandro identally stumbled upon her. So, during thosete nights, with every piece of music and every dance, the distance between her and him gradually shrank.. N?velDrama.Org content. In this moment, amidst the room full of lights and shadows, when Seraphina looked into Leandro¡¯s eyes, she suddenly remembered past events. At the same time, all those questions that were previously up in the air seemed to suddenly have answers. The person who wanted to understand her past, who wanted to clearly understand Betty¡¯s background, wasn¡¯t him. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Seraphina kept her cool, meeting Leandro¡¯s deep and calm gaze. She just smirked at his unexpected response. Indeed, for Leandro, who was the father of a dead child, it didn¡¯t matter much. Leandro caught the slight smirk at the corner of Seraphina¡¯s mouth, murmuring, ¡°After all these years, you still aren¡¯t focused enough when you dance. He said it casually and lightly, just like the words he said to her seven years ago. But the gap between them was no longer just time Seraphina chuckled and retorted, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, just a minute ago you were praising your students, and now you are criticizing me. Isn¡¯t that a bit contradictory?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t react visibly, but the pressure of his hand on her waist and his hand holding hers was definitely increasing. Not wanting to embarrass herself in public, Seraphina had no choice but to give the dance her all. After the dance, the whole room burst into apuse once again. Hand in hand with Leandro, Seraphina bowed to the audience. As she raised her head, her eyes were sparkling, and her face blushed, looking like a happy woman, which made everyone envious. Georgina stood by the stage, watching Leandro and Seraphina with a constant smile and pping. Bowen sat in the audience, watching the people on stage, just smiling lightly without making any other moves. Tania, who was sitting next to him, didn¡¯t apud either; instead, she just watched coldly, turned her head to Bowen, and slowly said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Jealous?¡± Bowen nced at her andughed. ¡°Why should I be jealous?¡± ¡°You seem quite close to Seraphina.¡± Tania said, ¡°I thought you liked her!¡± Bowenughed again, put his hand on the back of her chair, and whispered, ¡®Whether I like her or not isn¡¯t important, what¡¯s important is that you don¡¯t like her, right?¡± Tania snorted lightly and didn¡¯t respond. Bowen shook his head and sighed, ¡°Women are so narcissistic.¡± Tania suddenly red at him and said, ¡°What did you say?¡± Bowen looked at the pride on her face, chuckled, and repeated his words: ¡°I said you¡¯re narcissistic; any problems?¡± Tania was about to walk away, but Bowen grabbed her. ¡°Stop making a scene; we have journalists here, it won¡¯t look good if they caught this.¡± ¡°Then tell me, am I prettier than Seraphina?¡± Tania asked with her face upturned. Bowen gently brushed a strand of hair from her shoulder and replied. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re prettier than her.¡± ¡°Humph, all men are liars.¡± Tania gritted her teeth at him, then continued, ¡°But I¡¯m confident, I¡¯m not worse than her.¡± After saying that, she leaned toward Bowen and lightly kissed the corner of his lips. On the stage, Seraphina was being led down by Leandro; she inadvertently caught this scene, and her eyes darkened slightly. Before the dinner ended, Leandro left early with Seraphina. On the way home, Seraphina put the painting Leandro gave her on herp, looking at it over and over again, unable to put it down. Leandro noticed and asked, ¡°If you love painting so much, why did you stop?¡± Seraphina had loved painting since she was a child, a hobby instilled in her by her father. After Carney passed away, she didn¡¯t give up painting during her years with the Reynolds family However, she stopped painting after she left the Reynolds family. He shouldn¡¯t have dug into her past, but he couldn¡¯t help but ask. Hearing this question, Seraphina calmly replied, ¡°Because I don¡¯t have the time or the mood to paint anymore.¡± Leandro turned to her and asked, ¡°So where does all your time go?¡± ¡°I have to earn a Irving Seraphina looked up at him and smiled. ¡°Not everyone can be born into a wealthy family like you. I¡¯m lucky to have a good friend who has always helped me, but I can¡¯t always rely on her. Art is a luxury. For those who struggle to survive, art is a luxury they can¡¯t afford¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Hearing her answer, Leandro said nothing more. Seraphina happily epted this silence and continued to admire the painting in her hand. When they returned to the Reynolds family, as soon as they walked in, they saw Ferne Reynolds coming down the stairs Ferne nced at Seraphina, then turned to Leandro, calling out, ¡°Leandro.¡± ¡°Are you here to see Grandpa? Leandro asked indifferently ¡°Yeah¡± Ferne replied, ¡°Grandpa isn¡¯t feeling well today and has gone to rest. I should leave too.¡± She picked up her bag from next to the couch and walked past Seraphina, but Seraphina abruptly stopped her and said, ¡°Ferne.¡± Ferne paused and looked back at her. Seraphina put down the painting in her hand and then looked at her and said, ¡°Could you please stop bothering my friend?¡± Leandro, sitting on the couch, hearing this, slowly raised his eyes and stared at the two women. Ferne was clearly surprised, then she sneered, ¡°When have I ever bothered your friend?¡± ¡°Maybe you think you haven¡¯t¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But your constant stalking and investigating are harassment for my friend.¡± Ferne scoffed at Seraphina, saying. ¡°If you haven¡¯t done anything wrong, why are you scared of being investigated?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡± Seraphina stared back at her and said, ¡°Whatever you want to know, I can tell you. I just hope you won¡¯t bother my friend anymore.¡± ¡°Should I believe you?¡± Ferne sat down next to Leandro and looked at Seraphina again. ¡°I know what you¡¯re capable of, don¡¯t forget we were schoolmates for six years ¡°So what?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°So? You¡¯ve been around a lot of guys, haven¡¯t you? All your rtionships are as clear as mud. You think I don¡¯t know? Ferne said, ¡°You were already knocked up when you left the Reynolds family. You¡¯ll have the kid next year. Now the kid¡¯s gone, and there¡¯s no proof. You can spin any yarn you like. But why should the Reynolds family pick up the tab for this kid?¡± ¡°Ferne, Leandro cut in, suddenly serious. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Leandro, maybe you¡¯re willing to buy her story, but I sure as hell don¡¯t!¡± Ferne wasn¡¯t ready to back down. ¡°Forget everything else, back in senior year, she had a dozen guys chasing after her. How can you be so sure she didn¡¯t fool around with one or two of them? And then there¡¯s Sandra¡¯s brother, a realdykiller. She and Sandra are thick as thieves; what¡¯s to stop him from sweet¨Ctalking her into bed? And those siblings rtionship is all kinds of shady. Who knows what could happen between you all?¡± Chapter 182 Chapter 182 ¡®Ferne¡± Before Seraphina could respond to Ferne¡¯s words, Leandro had already spoken again. He merely called out her name, but there was such an icy chill in his voice that it seemed toe from the bottomless depths of a dark abyss, making it impossible for anyone to look directly into his eyes. Although Leandro was generally mild in his interactions with his family, his aura was intimidating to others, especially to employees of the Reynolds Group like Ferne Having experienced his temper firsthand, she knew he was genuinely furious this time. What am I doing all this for?¡± Ferne abruptly stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for you, and you¡¯re protecting her? Leandro, how could you let her blind you like this?¡± Leandro looked at her, his face calm despite his anger. He gave a slow nod and said, ¡°Alright, suppose I¡¯m blinded. What are you going to do about it?¡± Ferne was taken aback by Leandro¡¯s words. She struggled to find a response, then suddenly stood up and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll expose her true colors to wake you up!¡± As soon as she finished speaking. Ferne walked over to Seraphina and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the child was Leandro¡¯s? Where¡¯s the proof? Show me the proof, and I¡¯ll believe you! I¡¯ll stop investigating your friends!¡± ¡°Walt!¡± Leandro suddenly shouted. Walt, who had been in charge of Leandro¡¯s security, immediately entered from the main entrance, ¡°Mr. Reynolds.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. *Please escort Ms. Reynolds out,¡± Leandro said with a stern face. ¡°From now on, she is not permitted to step foot in Reynolds Manor!¡± Walt hesitated for a moment before swiftly moving to carry out Leandro¡¯smand Ferne was taken aback. ¡°Leandro, you¡¯re kicking me out for her?¡± Ignoring Ferne, Leandro walked over to Seraphina and reached out to pull her up, ready to go upstairs. But Seraphina didn¡¯t move. She slowly pulled away from his grasp, then turned to block Walt and said, ¡°Let go of Ms. Reynolds first. I owe her an exnation¡± Ferne was stunned and turned to look at Seraphina. With a slight smile, Seraphina said, ¡°Knowing you, even if you¡¯re kicked out of the Reynolds family, you¡¯ll still continue to investigate this matter. In that case, I¡¯ll give you the proof¡± ¡°Seraphina¡± Leandro interrupted. ¡°You don¡¯t owe anyone an exnation.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know?¡± Seraphina looked at him and said, ¡°You publicly acknowledged Betty as your child to maintain the image of the Reynolds family. But don¡¯t you want to know the truth? Don¡¯t you want to know if Betty is really rted to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Leandro answered. 1 do.¡± Seraphina responded, ¡°Betty¡¯s gone. Instead of enjoying her youth, she lost her life. I just want her to rest in her world, undisturbed. But she¡¯s constantly being dug up, disyed to the world, and criticized over and over again. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Even though she spoke calmly with a faint smile on her lips, Leandro noticed the pallor on her face that no amount of makeup could hide. Just as he was about to speak, Seraphina looked at him and said, ¡°Yes, Betty is your child¡± His heart felt like it had been punched, a silent pain spreading through him. Even though he had anticipated this possibility, he had never really thought about it in detail. What did he give her, and what did he really give her? ¡°I know you don¡¯t remember Seraphina said with a smile, ¡°You were drunk that night. It was me who went to your room, to your bed. I caused the trouble¡± After a moment, Leandro asked in a deep voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me then?¡± Seraphinaughed, a tear glistening in her eye. ¡°What do you think?¡± Back then, he had a new girlfriend. He believed that Seraphina had pushed her down the stairs. He had told her to leave the Reynolds family. What else could she tell him? Leandros eyes were cold as he watched her, at a loss for words. Ferne, who had been listening, suddenly scoffed, ¡°This is your proof? Leandro, you¡¯re not really going to believe her, are you?¡± Seraphina looked at Ferne andughed again. ¡°When Betty was born, I saved her umbilical cord blood. I wonder if that could serve as proof?¡± Ferne was taken aback. ¡°If that¡¯s not enough, we could dig up her grave. She¡¯s right there. You can take the Reynolds family¡¯s DNA and test it however you like. Is that okay?¡± Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, but she kept herposure, finishing her sentence and calmly looking at Ferne. ¡°Seraphina¡°¡± Ferne stammered, ¡®Don¡¯t use your child¡¯s death to threaten me. Her death is your own fault!¡± Leandro¡¯s face turned icy cold. The way he looked at Ferne was as if he were looking at his worst enemy Ferne backed off a couple of steps, suddenly feeling a desire to flee. However, Seraphina stepped in front of Leandro and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s my fault. It was my decision to have her. I didn¡¯t take care of her properly. I caused her death. I was wrong, so I alone will bear the consequences of her death. I never intended to affect anyone else, nor did I n to gain anything from the Reynolds family¡± Ferne looked at Seraphina, then at Leandro, at a loss for words. ¡°I¡¯m back, just for Grandpa Seraphina went on. ¡°My marriage to Leandro is just to give Grandpa some peace of mind. I don¡¯t want anything from Leandro or from the Reynolds family. All I want is for Grandpa to live out his days happily. Once Grandpa passes away. I can leave the Reynolds family right away. You get me? You satisfied? Can you leave my friends alone now?¡± Ferne, stunned by what she heard, stared at her for a moment, seemingly forgetting what this conversation was originally about. She didn¡¯t expect Seraphina to spill so much tea, and the more Seraphina talked, the harder it was to refute her. Leandro¡¯s gaze also grew colder and colder The room fell silent for a moment, with no one speaking and only the sound of their breathing, making the atmosphere tense. Just then, a heavy sigh came from the top of the stairs. Seraphina, who had kept quiet all along, finally showed a change in her expression when she heard that sigh. Chapter 183 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¨Cyear¨Cold¡¯s beaming smile on hisputer screen. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 In the wee hours of the second day, before the break of dawn, a car sped into Reynolds Manor. Suddenly, there was a racket upstairs and downstairs. ¡°Leandro Leandro Get your ass out here!¡± Billy Reynolds was banging on Leandro¡¯s bedroom door, but there was no response. In Conway¡¯s room, Seraphina, who had been up all night, perked up at the noise and realized that Conway had also been startled awake. ¡°Grandpa, stay put. Let me check what¡¯s going on. Seraphina soothed Conway, then got up. She had barely reached the door when it was pushed open from outside, and Billy strode in Billy didn¡¯t look too pleased to see Seraphina behind the door. He walked over to Conway¡¯s bed and said, ¡°Dad, you need to do something about Leandro! Ferne is your granddaughter too, what¡¯s wrong with her being a little stubborn? She doesn¡¯t belong to such ces, does she?¡± Conway, just waking up and feeling a slight headache, didn¡¯t speak until Seraphina had adjusted his pillow. Then she turned to Billy and said. ¡°Calm down, spill it out slowly.¡± Billy nced at her before continuing, ¡°Dad, Ferne is your blood granddaughter. You can¡¯t neglect her for an outsider, can you?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Conway asked, frowning. ¡°Leandro wants to ship Ferne off to the Bahamas Billy was frantic and furious. ¡°Does he call the shots in the Reynolds family? Does he do as he pleases?¡± Leandro¡¯s voice came from the doorway before he even finished his sentence. ¡°Who do you think should call the shots, then?¡± Leandro, fresh out of the shower with wet hair and a ck bathrobe, looked more imposing than ever. ¡®Ferne is your cousin!¡± Billy was enraged. ¡°Even if she made a mistake, she did it for your sake! How can you be so autocratic?¡± Leandro sneered at Billy¡¯s usation ¡°Right, I am autocratic. If you think it¡¯s not right for Ferne to go to the Bahamas alone, you can go with her.¡± Billy was left speechless by Leandro¡¯s retort. He turned to Conway, saying, ¡°Dad, look at him! Look at the nonsense he¡¯s spouting!¡± Conway, with his eyes closed and his brow furrowed, slowly opened his eyes after hearing this. He nced at Billy, then at Seraphina. Seraphina, sitting on the couch and twiddling her thumbs, acted as if the Reynolds family¡¯s problems were not her business. Seeing this, Conway slowly said, ¡°Leandro, Ferne did wrong, but she meant no harm. Sending her to the Bahamas is too harsh.¡± ¡°No.¡± Leandro cut him off before he could finish. ¡°You¡¯re not even listening to your Grandpa?¡± Billy turned to Leandro. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re some kind of King?¡± ¡°Whether I¡¯m a King or not is not important.¡± Leandro spoke in a cold, low voice. ¡°Instead of bothering Grandpa here, you might as well rush to the airport. Maybe you can still see Ferne off Billy¡¯s face changed at his words, but before he could say anything, he forcefully pushed past Leandro and bolted out of the room. Leandro then walked up to Conway¡¯s bed, adjusting his pillow and nket. ¡°It¡¯s still early, get some more sleep¡± Conway had been hands¨Coff with thepany¡¯s affairs in recent years, and usually, Leandro would listen to whatever he said. But today, for the first time. Leandro disagreed with him. Conway sighed softly but didn¡¯t say anything more. Leandro sat there for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to Moonhaven today. If you don¡¯t want to be disturbed, I¡¯ll instruct the bodyguards not to let anyone in.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly going to Moonhaven?¡± Conway asked. ¡°I need to sign some documents for a project, Leandro replied. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in two days at most.¡± Conway nodded Leandro nced at Seraphina, but she was still engrossed in twiddling her thumbs, not even raising her head. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the airport now.¡± Leandro said. ¡°Rest well.¡± Without giving Seraphina another look, Leandro left the room. Soon after, Keen¡¯s voice could be heard in the room, followed by the sound of luggage being dragged. All the noises gradually faded away. Leandro was gone. Conway, who had been lying quietly, turned to Seraphina and said, ¡°Sera.¡± Seraphina immediately looked up, smiling at him. ¡°Yes?¡± Conway reached out his hand to her. Seraphina walked up and held his hand ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Everything I told youst night was true, Conway slowly said. ¡°I understand that the hardships you¡¯ve endured in the past can¡¯t be erased with simple words. You don¡¯t have to force yourself on me. If you really can¡¯t forgive Leandro, then let it be. If you don¡¯t truly want to marry Leandro, then call off the wedding. I just want you to be happy. As long as you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m at ease.¡± Seraphina held Conway¡¯s hand tightly and listened quietly. ¡°Grandpa, do you know¡± She said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re the best Grandpa in the world¡± Twenty hourster, Starhaven, Moonhaven Leandro didn¡¯t stick around longer than necessary. After getting off the ne, he went directly to the signing, and an hourter, he hopped back in the car To go to the airport. This kind of whirlwind trip was exhausting. If the traffic was smooth, it would be okay, but unfortunately, they got stuck in a jam on the way to the airport. The car had been at a standstill for a while now, and Keen, sitting in the passenger seat, started to get antsy. He was worried that Leandro would get impatient, so he couldn¡¯t help but sneak a nce at him. To his surprise, Leandro wasn¡¯t looking at documents or checking the traffic situation. He was just quietly staring out of the window, seemingly lost in thought. Keen followed his gaze. There was a square nearby, there were not many people around; a flock of pigeons were pecking at the ground, and a little girl about three or four years old was carefully scattering bird feed around. She was so innocent and kind. Keen watched for a while, then suddenly something clicked in his mind. Leandro must be thinking about Seraphina¡¯s child, he thought. He always thought that his boss was cold and logical to the point of being robotic, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t entirely the case. Just as he was thinking about this, he heard Leandro¡¯s voice from the back seat: ¡°To Velvetwood.¡± Keen was taken aback, but before he could react, he quickly responded. In the northeastern part of Velvetwood, near the suburbs, there was a small cemetery. When the car pulled into the parking lot, Keen got out and carefully nced at Leandro. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, should I go with you?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Leandro replied. Keen didn¡¯t dare to say more, he just silently nodded and stepped back. Leandro, holding a bouquet of daisies, walked into the cemetery alone. It wasn¡¯t a big cemetery, and he walked past one tombstone after another, seeing name after name, until he stopped at a tombstone in the northwest corner. There was a photo that he knew very well: a round face with a bright smile. Next to the photo was her name, Elizabeth Bet. Her full name was Elizabeth. Leandro stood in front of the tombstone for a while, then bent down andid the daisies. Then he squatted in front of the grave and gently touched the little face in the photo. He had always believed that there was nothing he couldn¡¯t do if he set his mind to it. But facing this cold tombstone, he felt powerless for the first time. There was a lot of regret and a lot of guilt, but nowhere to express it or make up for it. These regrets and guilt stayed in the past, silently running through his life, bing an unfible void. ¡°Betty,¡± he whispered her name, and after a long while, he spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m your dad. I¡¯m sorry, Daddy iste.¡± When Sandra walked into the cemetery with a bouquet of flowers, she saw two bodyguards standing at the entrance. The bodyguards eyed her warily, but Sandra ignored them and walked in. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. The cemetery was small, and she could see the end at a nce. As soon as she entered, she saw the only person in the cemetery. The person was squatting in front of Betty¡¯s grave. She could only see his back, but given the sudden appearance and the bigmotion, she could only think of one person. Sandra came up to the grave with her flowers. Hearing the footsteps, Leandro finally reacted and turned to see her slowly standing up. Sandra nced at the daisies Leandro had put down, then ced her flowers next to them. Seeing Leandro, she felt like she had a lot to say, as if the words were on the tip of her tongue. But after she put down the flowers, she suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. They stood quietly in front of the tombstone for a long time until Leandro spoke softly: ¡°She was a good girl, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Sandra¡¯s throat tightened, and after a while, she said. ¡°Yes, she was very good and obedient. The nanny who helped take care of her said that Betty was the best child she had ever looked after She rarely cried and never threw tantrums. Sera was busy with her studies at the time and didn¡¯t have much time to spend with her, but she was very attached to her. Even if Sera was busy, she would still quietly y by her side¡± Leandro listened quietly, imagining through her words the scene of Betty sitting next to Seraphina, quietly waiting for her mother to give her a hug. However, her expectations should not have been limited to her mother. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Back in the day, Sandra would have never dreamed of a time when she would be sitting with Leandro, reminiscing about Seraphina Thest time Leandro tried to dig into Seraphina¡¯s past, Sandra turned her back and walked away. But today, when she saw Leandro at Betty¡¯s grave. there was a small flicker of doubt in her heart. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. And that flicker of doubt made her sit down. Before this, Leandro was just a cocky, maniptive jerk from a supposed ¡°high society¡± background in her eyes. But today, she saw something genuine in Leandro Sandra wasn¡¯t sure how much that sincerity was worth, but what if Seraphina was destined to be tangled up with this man? The turmoil and hesitation in her heart eventually led to the release of all the grievances and injustices she had witnessed for Seraphina. ¡°After you kicked her out of the Reynolds family, she went to Velvetwood. I thought that by leaving the Reynolds family, she could go to her mother, which would be some sort of constion. But when I went to see her after my exams, I barely recognized her, she was so thin. Her mother didn¡¯t care about her, and she was still hung up on the Reynolds family and on you. She was so miserable that she couldn¡¯t eat or sleep; she couldn¡¯t live normally¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t until she found out she was pregnant that she began to regain rity. She wanted the baby, and because the baby was the only family she had in this world, she couldn¡¯t give her up. So she moved out of the Wilson family and lived on her own. Nobody cared about her, neither her mother nor the Wilson family. From the moment she moved out, no one came to see her, so they had no idea she was pregnant or had a child¡± ¡°After Betty was born, she had hope, something to hold on to, and also a responsibility. So she worked hard in school, hoping to graduate as soon as possible, find a good job, and take care of herself and Betty. She was always smart, with excellent academic performance, and finished a four¨Cyear course in two and a half years, but not long after that, Betty passed away. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she got through it, she hardly cried when Betty died, and her mood was calm afterward. But how could such pain be easily let go of and healed? I know she kept it all in her heart, she didn¡¯t say it, but I know she felt she had let the child down. But I didn¡¯t dare to say it; I was afraid that if I did, she would break down.¡± ¡°Later, she lived as a normal person, but she chose to be an investigative journalist, investigating some marginal, risky cases. She didn¡¯t cherish life at all, and I couldn¡¯t dissuade her. Only the hopeless would be so careless with their lives, and I was powerless.¡± ¡°I wanted her to stay away from you, but when she returned to Sunburst City, she at least had someone she cared about, her grandfather. I¡¯m not sure if this is a good thing, because he will eventually leave her, and she will be left with nothing! To gain and then lose, such pain! And all this, it¡¯s your fault!¡± Leandro didn¡¯t say a word. He quietly listened to Sandra¡¯s words and usations without refuting them. ¡°Do you know why she doesn¡¯t paint anymore?¡± Sandra finally asked, ¡°Because after Velvetwood, every time she picked up a brush, she always ended up painting you! But all you gave her was endless pain! So, she doesn¡¯t paint anymore.¡± While Leandro and Sandra were talking in the cafe, Keen was waiting outside. He understood that their conversation must be about Seraphina, which made him a bit anxious. Not long after, Leandro walked out of the cafe. Upon seeing this, Keen immediately went forward to open the car door for him. Leandro got into the car, lowering his head and closing his eyes. Keen couldn¡¯t help but take a second look at him. Leandro¡¯s usually calm face showed an undeniable hint of fatigue. Keen was stunned for a moment until the driver reminded him. He quickly got into the car, his mind heavy with thoughts. In Sunburst City, Seraphina woke up in the afternoon. She had slept very deeply and realized that she had slept for over ten hours. After sitting up in bed for a moment to wake up, she picked up her phone from the bedside table. Seeing a missed call from Sandra a few hours ago, she quickly called back. ¡°Sera, Sandra said, ¡°Leandro¡¯s in Velvetwood.¡± Seraphina just chuckled lightly. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Guess where I saw him?¡± Sandra said. Where?¡± Seraphina asked casually as she got out of bed. ¡°At the cemetery.¡± Sandra replied, ¡°Betty¡¯s cemetery.¡± Seraphina kept the phone to her ear, it took her a long time to reply with a soft, ¡°Oh¡± ÖÐ When Seraphina came downstairs, Valerio Reynolds had already finished school. He was ying with a tablet, apanied by Conway. Upon seeing her, Conway immediately sighed in relief, saying, ¡°You¡¯re finally awake¡± Valeno looked at her with a natural smile on his face Seraphina reached out and pinched his face. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°His homework,¡± Conway said, ¡°All questions that I can¡¯t understand, I can¡¯t tutor him. Valerio immediately handed his tablet to Seraphina. Seeing this, Conwayughed and told Valerio, ¡°You¡¯re lucky; Seraphina was a top student, you¡¯ll definitely be smart in the future; you won¡¯t be any worse than your dad or Seraphina¡± Hearing those words, Seraphina shot a nce at Conway, whose gaze rested on Valerio. After the words of praise, a hint of regret surfaced in his eyes. But when he turned his gaze back to Seraphina, he quickly masked that look of regret, putting on his usual calm smile again. Nighttime fell, and Sunburst City was graced with the first snowfall of the winter. Seraphina only noticed it had started to snow when she was about to draw the curtains and leave, alter Valerio had already fallen asleep. This was the first snowfall of the year, and it wasing down so heavily that it was easy to predict that tomorrow the world would be engulfed in a nket of white Seraphina stood by the window, watching the snowfall for a while before finally drawing the curtains and turning off the light. She softly closed the door behind her, and just as she was about to head back to her own room, she suddenly heard the familiar sound of footsteps behind her. Before Seraphina could even turn around, she was pulled into a tight embrace from behind. Chapter 186 Chapter 186 He must¡¯ve juste back from outside. Usually, he wouldn¡¯t have to go outside to get from the garage to the house, but he was radiating freezing cold air that invaded Seraphina¡¯s body through his thin clothing. Yet, when she touched his palm, she felt a burning heal. His sudden appearance took Seraphina by surprise. Held tightly in his arms, she was caught between the two extreme temperatures, momentarily stunned. She thought Leandro would say something, but he just held her without moving for a long time. After seven years, he had be a man of few words, not because he didn¡¯t want to speak but because many things were pointless to discuss. All these things were useless and unnecessary to him. Like apologies after regrets. No words could make up for the irrevocable past and missed chances. So Leandro didn¡¯t say anything He didn¡¯t even make a sound, he just held her, his head buried in the crook of her neck, feeling her warmth and her breath. Things had changed. She was no longer the same as she was seven years ago.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After a while, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but move. Surprisingly, the moment she moved slightly, Leandro, who had been holding her tightly, let her go. Seraphina turned around and finally got a good look at Leandro. Under the bright light overhead, his face was a bit pale, and his usually deep eyes were clearly filled with destion and fatigue. Seraphina had never seen Leandro like this, neither seven years ago nor seven yearster. Especially the Leandro of the past seven years, who seemed fearless of storms and challenges. Seraphina never imagined she¡¯d see such an expression on his face. But she quickly regained herposure and offered a small smile. ¡°You look tired,¡± she said. ¡°Get some rest; have a good sleep. You¡¯ll feel better when you wake up.¡± After saying this, Seraphina turned her gaze away and quickly walked towards her room. Leandro stood silently in ce, watching her receding figure without trying to stop her. By the next morning, the entire city was covered in heavy snow, as if trying to hide all traces of the city¡¯s past. When Seraphina was looking at the snowyndscape from her bed, Leandro left the house as usual Despite the all¨Cnight snowfall, the Reynolds Group started its day early, especially after Leandro¡¯s short business trip. All the staff on the 26th floor arrived early, waiting for the start of a new workday. When Leandro entered his office, Yasmina had already prepared a cup of coffee for him. While Keen was reporting some important matters to Leandro, Yasmina heard Leandro cough lightly. She thought Leandro was giving some instructions, but when she looked up, she saw Leandro was still listening to Keen¡¯s report and hadn¡¯t looked at her. Yasmina nced at Keen, who gave her a quick look before continuing his report. Yasmina quickly left the office, but instead of returning to her desk, she waited outside the door. When Keen finally came out, Yasmina quickly grabbed him and asked, ¡°Did you hear that? Mr. Reynolds coughed, right?¡± Keen nodded. ¡°He has a cold¡± Yasmina opened her mouth in surprise and said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds is sick?¡± Keen gave her a look, sighing in resignation It wasn¡¯t surprising for Yasmina to react this way. Over the years, aside from a few early idents and emergencies, Leandro had never been sick. People outside thought Leandro was cold¨Chearted, but those close to him knew that Leandro was harsh on others and even stricter on himself, to the point where he didn¡¯t allow himself to get sick, he was almost pathologically disciplined So when the news of Leandro¡¯s sickness was confirmed, it quickly spread throughout the entire building, like a major news story Keen didn¡¯t think it was a big deal; after all, Leandro was just a normal person. It would be abnormal if he didn¡¯t get sick Besides, it was just a cold, nothing serious However, by evening, Keen realized he had underestimated the impact of this illness on Leandro. That day, Leandro onlypleted half of his usual workload, a two¨Chour meeting took a full four hours, and paperwork piled up. Leandro never postponed work, so it looked like he would have to work overtime that day. It would have been fine if it was just regr overtime, but Leandro was sick, this could turn into a vicious cycle. Keen tried to persuade him, but his words fell on deaf ears. With no other options, Keen decided to call Seraphina However, the call was hung up after only a few rings. Keen was taken aback, called again, and was hung up on again. It then dawned on Keen why Leandro was sick¨Chad they had a fight? Keen thought for a moment, then sent a text to Seraphina, informing her of Leandro¡¯s situation. But it wasn¡¯t until midnight that he received a reply from Seraphina, a casual remark: ¡°It¡¯s just a cold, not life¨Cthreatening¡± Seeing this reply, Keen was almost furious, but there was nothing he could do. That woman was nothing but trouble. Conway didn¡¯t notice until the third day. He didn¡¯t mention it in front of Seraphina, but he asked the maid at breakfast, ¡°Has Leandro note home to sleep for the past two nights?¡± The maid replied, ¡°Yes, he hasn¡¯te back since he left the day after he arrived. Is thepany really that busy?¡± Conway just sighed lightly, not answering Seraphina wasing downstairs with Valerio, pretending not to hear. But as soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, her phone beeped. Seraphina took out her phone and saw a text from Keen. ¡°Ms. Bet, I¡¯m really sorry, but Mr. Reynolds is in a hell of a state right now, he just won¡¯t listen to a word we say. If you¡¯re not up for it, I¡¯ll have to bother Conway¡± After reading the text, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to herself. If even good Keen was pushed to this point, how bad was Leandro¡¯s condition? She didn¡¯t give it much thought, but she didn¡¯t want Conway to worry too much, so she gave a few brief instructions before stepping out of the house. The snow outside hadn¡¯t fully melted yet, and the temperature was so low that it made her shiver. Sure enough, Keen was out there, standing in the snow, stamping his feet, looking ready to burst through the door any second. Upon seeing Seraphina, he was taken aback for a moment, then he rushed up, grabbed her, and hurried her to the car, stuffing her straight in. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Keen¡¯s nervous antics. ¡°Do you really need to be this wired?¡± Keen was busy driving, and since Leandro wasn¡¯t resting, he had no choice but to stay on his toes. He could hear Seraphina talking, but he didn¡¯t bother to nce at her. Traffic was a nightmare, and they didn¡¯t manage to reach the Reynolds Group until after nine. Leandro and Yasmina were already in the conference room. Keen opened Leandro¡¯s office door for Seraphina and said, ¡°You go in and wait for Mr. Reynolds. He¡¯s been down with a fever for three days straight, and he¡¯s refusing to take a break. If this keeps up, he¡¯s going to run himself ragged¡± ¡°Your boss doesn¡¯t strike me as someone who crumbles easily,¡± Seraphina replied nonchntly Keen was about to turn away but stopped at her words. He held the door that was slowly closing, looking at Seraphina. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been with Mr. Reynolds for a long time, and I¡¯ve never seen him sick. He usually seems invincible, but after returning from Velvetwood, he fell ill. He used to insist on never showing weakness, but now he seems to have let his guard down. This might just be the beginning¡± Seraphina blinked, quietly taking in his words. ¡°You should know Mr. Reynolds better than I do,¡± said Keen, ¡°and you know, he¡¯s really hurting.¡± Seraphina simply gave a small smile in response. Keen left, and Seraphina walked over to Leandro¡¯s desk There were a few documents sprawled out for him to review: a half¨Ceaten sandwich, an empty cup of ck coffee, a ss of untouched water, and some untouched medicine. Keen had said that he was hurting. So what did Keen think she could do about it? She had already told him what to do the night he returned: get a good night¡¯s sleep, and he¡¯d feel better when he woke up. But he hadn¡¯t gotten better. What could she do? As Seraphina sat in Leandro¡¯s chair, her hand identally touched the touchpad, and theputer screen lit up. When she looked up, she froze. Betty¡¯s face was on the screen, smiling at her. She was stunned. It had been a while since she had seen a picture of Betty. But there she was, smiling at her as if she were still alive. But she was gone. Seraphina quickly stood up and headed for the door Just as she reached the door, it was pushed open from the outside, and Leandro walked 1. in. She walked straight into his arms. Leandro had been sick for a few days, but he still looked like theposed Mr. Reynolds, albeit with a hint of exhaustion. He seemed particrly weary as he stepped into the office. When Seraphina suddenly walked into his arms, he seemed to snap back to reality. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked softly. ¡°I was just passing by Seraphina replied. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now¡± She tried to walk around him, but Leandro didn¡¯t let her go. He held her hand tightly, his palm burning hot. Seraphina looked at him. ¡°I have things to do, I don¡¯t have time to chat.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Fine¡± Leandro looked into her empty eyes and said slowly. ¡°If you don¡¯t have time to chat, then let¡¯s talk about Betty.¡± Seraphina stiffened at his words. The next moment, she started to struggle, trying to pull her hand away. But Leandro didn¡¯t let her go. Im her father,¡± he said. ¡°I should know everything about her from the moment she was born until she turned three.¡± ¡°Do you deserve to know?¡± Seraphina¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°Have you ever taken on the responsibilities of a father? Do you have any right to know everything about her?¡± Leandro looked at her quietly, without a reply ¡°Leandro, you don¡¯t deserve ¡°Her eyes began to turn red ¡°We don¡¯t deserve. You don¡¯t deserve to be her father. I don¡¯t deserve to be her mother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me who doesn¡¯t deserve it Leandro said. ¡°You¡¯re doing great.¡± Seraphina bit her lip hard, her body shaking After a long while, she finally spoke: ¡°I¡¯m not great. I didn¡¯t do what I was supposed to. I didn¡¯t take care of her, I didn¡¯t spend enough time with her. I thought we had all the time in the world, but she left, she didn¡¯t give me a chance; she didn¡¯t forgive me.¡± Tears welled up in her eyes and fell like broken pearls, blurring her vision Leandro touched her face and wiped away her tears, only for them to be reced by new ones. He finally gave up, pulled his hand back, and held her tightly. Leaning against his chest, Seraphina finally let out a sob. His suit and shirt were soaked with icy tears, piercing straight to his heart In this world, real empathy was hard to find, but in this moment, he truly felt how much pain she was in From unexpectedly getting pregnant to giving birth, she strived to study hard to create the best future for her child, but everything she had nned hadn¡¯t had the chance toe to fruition. She hadn¡¯t even had the chance to spend more time with her children before they were taken from her. She felt guilty, she med herself, she couldn¡¯t voice her feelings to anyone No one was in more pain than her, but she gritted her teeth and bore it. She told him, to take a good sleep, when she woke up, everything will be better But why was it that she¡¯s slept so many nights, yet things haven¡¯t gotten any better? Chapter 188 Chapter 188 In this world, time had the ability to water down everything. No matter how deep or heavy the pain was, given enough time, it¡¯ll eventually heal But what if she hid this pain? Never talked about it, never shew it to anyone, and even pretended to forget it herself. This kind of wound will never heal. One day, when it opened up again, it¡¯ll still be bloody and getting deeper. Just like right now. Sandra once said that when Betty passed away, she barely cried, as if she weren¡¯t that sad. But how could she possibly not be sad? She was just too afraid to be sad. ¡°Betty wouldn¡¯t me you¡± Leandro whispered, ¡°If she were to me anyone, it would be me¡± Seraphina was crying uncontrobly, as if she couldn¡¯t hear his words. ¡°Give me Betty¡¯s old photos. Leandro said. Those pains and sorrows she dared not face, he¡¯s willing to bear for her. Even though he knew some pain cannot be shared, it¡¯s still better for two people to suffer than one. Seraphina¡¯s emotions didn¡¯t calm down for a long time. It¡¯s been a long time since she had such a breakdown, and this time, it was in front of Leandro. She could bear it, but ever since she returned to Sunburst City, Betty¡¯s matter kepting up again and again, making her unable to find peace in another world. The guilt in her heart finally had nowhere to hide. This was originally none of his business, but he said he was the child¡¯s father. Betty was only three years old when she passed away, and if not specifically mentioned, she couldn¡¯t really understand the meaning of parents. But Betty had ymates living in the same apartment; her ymates had dads and moms, so the little guy would asionally ask her, ¡°Mom, where is my dad? Why do my friends have both a mom and a dad, but I only have a mom?¡± Her curious dad, was him Seraphina gave Leandro a cloud disk ount, where all traces of Betty¡¯s past were stored¨Ctraces she dared not look back on. Leandro went to the video room alone, while Seraphina sat alone in his office, lost in thought for a long time. She didn¡¯t know how long Leandro was gone until Yasmina cautiously came in, changed her cup of ice water, and then whispered to her: ¡°Ms. Bet, it¡¯s almost two o¡¯clock, you haven¡¯t eaten anything, would you like me to order something for you?¡± Seraphina shook her head. Yasmina hesitated for a moment, then said again: ¡°Mr. Reynolds instructed me not to be disturbed when he went to the video room. He¡¯s sick and has been working for several days in a row, we¡¯re all worried Mr. Reynolds won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t answer her. Seeing her expression, Yasmina didn¡¯t know what else to say, so she quietly left. After sitting for a while, Seraphina slowly stood up and left the office. The Reynolds Group specially allocated a floor as an employee recreation area with six video rooms, all like cinemas. Seraphina pushed open the doors of the first five video rooms, all were empty. She stood at the door of the sixth room for a long time, then finally gently pushed it open. As soon as the door was slightly opened, she heard familiarughter. Seraphina instinctively wanted to leave, but she couldn¡¯t take a step, even the hand that opened the door couldn¡¯t be withdrawn. Betty¡¯sughter kepting from the door crack, she wasughing, she was ying, she was screaming, and she was calling her, ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± Seraphina finally couldn¡¯t help it, she peeked in through the crack of the door. On the big screen, Betty was happily running on the grass in the park, as if she were ying hide and seek with the servant recording the video. Just as the servant was about to catch her, she suddenly changed direction and ran towards Seraphina, who was sitting under the tree reading a book. Seraphina was concentrating on her book when she was suddenly pounced on by Betty. She could only drop the book in her hand and hold her tightly. saying, ¡°Gotcha¡°¡± Betty immediately started screaming andughing. The mother and daughter were ying under the tree. Leandro was sitting quietly in the middle seat, asionally he couldn¡¯t help but cough, but looking at the mother and daughterughing on the screen, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. The scenes on the screen had been ying for over four hours; most of them were simr, but he seemed to never get enough, always watching attentively Until suddenly, there was someone beside him. Leandro turned his head and saw Seraphina. She was quietly watching the big screen, always expressionless N?velDrama.Org content. Until Betty¡¯s round little face appeared on the screen again, and the voice next to her was the servant saying to her, ¡°Come on, mom¡¯s going to study. Betty, send a birthday message to mom!¡± So Betly immediately started singing the birthday song to the camera, pping her hands to the beat as she sang. After she finished singing, she leaned in front of the camera, her eyes wide open, and said, ¡°Mom, happy birthday! Be happy every day! I love you!¡± After she finished, she pouted her mouth and kissed the camera, her little face distorted by the close¨C up. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, but immediately after, tears uncontrobly flowed down her face. Leandro reached out and held her hand tightly ¡°She loves you a lot ¡°Leandro said, ¡°Because she knows how much you love her.¡± Seraphina raised her hand to cover her eyes and then started crying again. Leandro lifted the armrests between them and once again held her in his arms. Her body was cold, and his body was warm, thebined temperature was surreal. In her short twenty¨Csomething years, she seemed to always be searching for someone to lean on. Before she was ten, her support was her dad. After her dad passed away, her support came from her mom. After her mom left her, her support was the Reynolds family and her Grandpa. After she turned sixteen, her support was Leandro Before she lost him, she had already lost too much; she once considered him her only, and for a long time, she couldn¡¯t get rid of the pain of losing him. When she first arrived at Starhaven, she was all jittery and scared. Her hopes of reconciling with her mom were dashed. Add to that the worry and fear of being pregnant, plus all the intense bodily changes that came with it. She was just 18, and all these issues were bearing down on her. Even though she put on a brave face during the day, she couldn¡¯t help but sneak away to have a good cry in the dead of night. Even though she felt like all hope was lost, she¡¯d still see him in her dreams on those nights. In her dreams, he was her rock. But when she woke up, all she had was herself and the baby in her belly. She woke up from these dreams over and over again, until she finally came to terms with reality. From that point on, the baby became her rock. But in the end, she still lost that rock. It seemed like she was always losing until losing became a habit and all that was left was her. When she finally learned to stop looking for new rocks and face everything on her own, his arms were there for her once again. Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Seraphina didn¡¯t linger in Leandro¡¯s arms for long The pain from the past suddenly resurfaced, and she could no longer run from it. She had to face it. She had always been good at controlling her emotions. She quickly pulled herself away from Leandro¡¯s embrace, took a seat, and just stared at the big screen, letting the tears silently roll down her cheeks. When Leandro reached out to her again, Seraphina calmly dodged him. Leandro¡¯s suit and shirt were still damp. It had only been a few hours, and because of Betty, she had lost control and cried twice. But he knew it wasn¡¯t enough. The pain of loss couldn¡¯t be released by crying twice. After many photos and a few videos of Betty yed on the big screen, Leandro hit the pause button. Initially engrossed in the screen, Seraphina suddenly stopped and turned to look at Leandro. Her eyes were full of undropped tears, filled with confusion and anticipation. There was still hope, and that was good. Leandro knew he couldn¡¯t let the slideshow y to the end. If it did, it would mean Betty¡¯s short life had ended. As long as it didn¡¯t finish, it meant they were still reminiscing, giving the illusion of hope, as if Betty was still alive. Even if it was self¨Cdeception, sometimes an illusion of hope was important. ¡°Let¡¯s watch it next time,¡± Leandro said slowly. The image on the screen paused on a photo of Betty eating, her face smeared with food because she hadn¡¯t quite mastered using utensils. Seraphina curled up in her chair, staring at the big screen. It took her a while to murmur, ¡°I want to sit alone for a bit.¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze was cloudy yet distant. ¡°Alright¡± He stood up but stayed put, only turning to leave once Seraphina looked at him. Looking at his retreating figure, Seraphina chuckled. Was this Leandro? She had never seen this side of him before¨Cnot seven years ago, not now A man who always did things his own way just said ¡°alright to her? Her gaze returned to the screen when suddenly she heard Keen¡¯s exmation from outside, ¡°Mr. Reynolds!¡± The door to the multimedia room closed, muffling any further sound. Seraphina stayed put She stared at Betty¡¯s face on the screen as if she were back in the past, back when she and Betty lived together. She sat in the dark room, silently recalling those buried memories as if time had stopped. After an unknown amount of time, the door to the multimedia room opened again, and someone slowly walked over and sat where Leandro had been. Turning her head, Seraphina saw Conway. Without looking at Seraphina, he just stared at the face on the screen. After a while, he sighed lightly and said, ¡°So this is Betty, such a beautiful little girl.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t respond, but the tears fell uncontrobly once more. Conway finally turned to look at her, reaching out to gently wipe away her tears. Quickly, Seraphina covered her eyes with her arm, trying to hold back the tears. Seeing her like this, Conway didn¡¯t push any further. He looked back at the screen for a while before saying, ¡°Modern technology is really great, able to preserve so many photos and videos, capturing those fun moments.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so great about it?¡± Seraphina¡¯s voice was a little hoarse as she responded quietly ¡°Why not?¡± Conway nced at her and said, ¡°Back in our day, all we had were a few ck and white photos, low quality and hard to preserve. Like your grandmother, she only left a dozen photos, and two of them were damaged. Sometimes when I look at those photos, I don¡¯t quite remember how she used to be, always smiling and yful. But now, it¡¯s so much better Videos capture expressions and voices. When you look at them, it¡¯s as if they¡¯re right in front of you* ¡°But she¡¯s still gone, Seraphina said, looking away ¡°But you had her once, Conway said softly. ¡°Why focus on the pain of loss? Think about the joy you had when you were with her. Those are the things you should remember!¡± Seraphina hugged her legs, not responding ¡°Everyone loses something in life. Like me, I¡¯ve lived for so long and lost lovers, rtives, and friends one by one. There are regrets, but once you ept them, the memories are always beautiful. Life is long, you¡¯ll meet many people, experience many things, and probably lose them one by one. But before you lose them, you truly had them. Those beautiful moments belong to you and to her. They shouldn¡¯t be regrets, but beautiful memories.¡± Seraphina listened silently, burying her face in her knees. ¡°Betty must be watching you from somewhere, Conway said ¡°She would want to see her mom smiling, right? Only when you smile will she smile!¡± With her head lowered, Seraphina eventually broke into sohs. After a while, she calmed down and left the multimedia room with Conway Stepping out, she realized it was already dark. She had spent the entire afternoon in there Seraphina¡¯s bag was still in Leandro¡¯s office, so she headed to the 26th floor first. When she entered Leandro¡¯s office, she realized why Conway was at the Reynolds Group: The office was filled with doctors and nurses, and Keen and Yasmina were both looking worried. The door to the restroom was ajar, indicating that Leandro was inside. Seraphina didn¡¯t ask, and Conway didn¡¯t seem to want to share either. He just said, ¡°You must be tired from the day. Go home and rest early. I¡¯ll have someone take you¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Seraphina asked Conway nced towards the lounge, let out a sigh, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll stick around here for a bit.¡± Seraphina stayed quiet for a moment, then finally asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with him?¡± Conway gave her a nce and simply said, ¡°He¡¯s got a fever, and he¡¯s on a drip. He should be fine once he¡¯s done with it.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Keen, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but interject when he heard Conway¡¯s nonchnt reply, ¡°Mr. Reynolds has been sick for three or four days now, without proper care or rest. He just copsed after leaving the recording studio with a fever of 40 degrees, showing signs of developing pneumonia, and he¡¯s still not awake yet.¡± Seraphina cast a nce at him but didn¡¯t say a word Conway didn¡¯t look too pleased either; he shot him a look as if he was talking too much, then said to Seraphina, ¡°He¡¯s alright, pretty robust. Shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. You should head home and rest.¡± Keen looked a bit aggrieved, then Yasmina gently tugged at his sleeve and quietly asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? They¡¯re about to get married; why the discord? Why doesn¡¯t Conway want them to make up?¡± Feeling uneasy and as if he¡¯d done something wrong under the scrutiny of the two, Keen responded with some annoyance, ¡°How should I know?¡± Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Seeing that Conway was only trying to get her to leave but had no intention of leaving himself, Seraphina said, ¡°If sticking around here doesn¡¯t solve anything, why note back with me?¡± ¡°No worries, I¡¯ve got plenty of energy. I want to stay here with him for a while, Conway replied. Seraphina paused, then sat next to Conway, draping her arm over his shoulder. ¡°If you¡¯re not leaving, I¡¯ll stay with you too.¡± Conway just gave a small smile at that, letting her do as she pleased. When he nced at the lounge, however, his brow furrowed involuntarily. Seraphina didn¡¯t seem to notice, just leaning quietly against Conway without saying a word. Leandro didn¡¯t stay unconscious for long. Even in his unconscious state, his mental tension didn¡¯t rx. He knew he couldn¡¯t let himself copse. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. When he woke up, he found himself alone in the lounge with an IV bag hanging near his bed and the needle in the back of his hand. Leandro slowly sat up, holding his forehead. He felt groggy, but his heart felt empty He knew he was upset, but what good would that do? Shaking off his stupor, Leandro yanked the needle from his hand and called out, ¡°Keen!¡± Upon hearing Leandro, Keen immediately ran over and opened the door. ¡°Mr. Reynolds.¡± Before he could finish, he saw the needle that Leandro had pulled out and was taken aback. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, how could you remove the IV needle yourself?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, instead covering the puncture wound with one hand as he put on his shoes. ¡°I have a meeting with Europe tonight; are you ready?¡± Instead of answering, Keen turned to look behind him. Leandro looked up to see Conway¡¯s serious face at the door, with Seraphina supporting Conway, her head lowered, not looking at him. Conway looked at him. I¡¯ve already cancelled your meetings for today, tomorrow, and the day after¡± Leandro only furrowed his brows at that ¡°Grandpa, you haven¡¯t been involved in thepany¡¯s affairs for a while now.¡± ¡°What I care about now isn¡¯t thepany, it¡¯s you!¡± Conway said sternly: ¡°I can¡¯t interfere in your affairs, can 17¡± Leandro¡¯s expression remained calm. ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°In that case, you should rest!¡± Conway looked at the needle on the floor and said seriously. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to rest here, then go home. There¡¯s always a doctor and nurses at home, and it saves you from leaving the staff guessing.¡± Just as he finished speaking, a knock sounded from outside the office. Leandro got up and walked to the door to find Yasmina cautiously entering with a document in her hands. She nervously said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, the finance department sent an urgent document that needs your signature¡± ¡°How urgent?¡± Conway asked sternly. ¡°If it¡¯s not signed in two days, will the Reynolds Group copse?¡± Seeing the situation and hearing these words, Yasmina naturally understood that she¡¯de at a bad time. But she was forced toe, so she felt wronged and left. Seeing Conway upset, Seraphina immediately reached out to soothe his back. ¡°Grandpa, why are you so angry? You really scared people!¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be angry today!¡± Conway said, looking at Leandro. ¡°If you refuse to rest, then I¡¯ll personally manage the Reynolds Group¡¯s affairs! It¡¯s your call¡± After hearing this, Leandro slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s just a rest, such a small matter, and you¡¯re getting so worked up about it. I¡¯ll go back right away¡± Conway still looked serious after hearing this, looking at Keen. ¡°Postpone what can be postponed; delegate what can be delegated. I won¡¯t let him get involved in anypany affairs until he¡¯s recovered!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Keen replied softly. After agreeing to Conway, when Keen looked at Leandro again, he saw Leandro¡¯s serious expression. After they left the Reynolds Group and returned to the Reynolds Manor, Leandro underwent treatment again and was told to rest. When he finallyid down, the day finally calmed down. As Seraphina was helping Conway to bed, Conway couldn¡¯t help but sigh ¡°He¡¯s already in bed, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Seraphina said. Conway sighed deeply. ¡°I have a responsibility. If I hadn¡¯t handed him the task of reviving the family business, he wouldn¡¯t be like this.¡± Seraphina chuckled softly. ¡°He¡¯s a workaholic, which is better than someone who only knows how to squander money¡± ¡°The problem is he takes everything upon himself and refuses to let go,¡± Conway said. ¡°Why?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Afraid of internal strife?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s been betrayed too many times,¡± Conway answered. ¡°So he¡¯s reluctant to easily trust others. Because if he trusts the wrong person, it can lead to family breakdown and casualties. I¡¯ve told you there were a few times when he was on the brink of death and if it weren¡¯t for a little luck, he might not be here now. So, you can¡¯t me him it¡¯s all my fault.¡± After saying this, Conway sighed deeply again. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but think of Keen. Leandro had told her before that Keen was an honest man and asked her not to constantly provoke him. She was confused at the time as to why he would want an honest person by his side instead of someone smarter, but now she understood why. ¡°Speaking of which, he¡¯s been without a woman by his side all these years, probably because of this Conway said. ¡°People¡¯s hearts are unpredictable; who can he easily trust?¡± After saying this, Conway suddenly looked at Seraphina. Seraphina looked up at him, shed a smile, and said, ¡°Yeah, women can be puzzling sometimes. Don¡¯t be too trusting, you know.¡± Conway heard this and let out a helpless sigh. In the middle of the night, Seraphina woke up from her dream and went downstairs for a drink. Unexpectedly, she ran into someone at the staircase¨Cthe honest guy, Keen. She pretended to be frightened, almost screaming, but the honest guy quickly covered her mouth, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t shout; I¡¯m here to see Mr. Reynolds!¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t he resting?¡± ¡°If he was really resting, he wouldn¡¯t be himself Keen said, ncing towards the study. Following his gaze, Seraphina indeed saw the light leaking from the study door. ¡°He really is a daredevil, Seraphina said. Keen sighed, ¡°I¡¯m helpless too. I wish Mr. Reynolds could take a good rest, but how could he ever listen to me?¡± After saying this, he suddenly nced at Seraphina again. Seraphina gave him a quick look, took her cup, and headed downstairs. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Seraphina gol herself a ss of water, didn¡¯t go upstairs right away, but just sat downstairs sipping it slowly. After a while, Keen came downstairs again, darted out the door, looked like he was fetching some papers from the car, and then bolted upstairs with a few documents By the time Seraphina finished her water, Keen came down again, with worry all over his face Seraphina didn¡¯t n to pay him any mind and was about to head upstairs when Keen called out to her, ¡°Ms. Bet ¡± Seraphina paused, turning to look at him. ¡°Ms. Bet, could you please talk to Mr. Reynolds?¡® Keen said, ¡°You heard what the doctor said today too, he really can¡¯t overwork himself anymore¡­ ¡°Why are you telling me this? Seraphina found it slightly amusing, ¡°If you stop delivering documents to his home, I¡¯d like to see how he¡¯s gonna work.¡± Keen¡¯s face reddened slightly. ¡°1¡­ I have no choice, and there¡¯s so much happening in thepany, those papers won¡¯t pass without Mr. Reynolds, and work can¡¯t go on¡­¡± Is your bigpany really that dependent on him?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t there anyone else who can share some of the workload?¡± ¡°Everyone carries their own load at work, Keen replied, ¡°But Mr. Reynolds always takes the reins on important projects¡± Seraphina scoffed, ¡°Just say you don¡¯t trust anyone else, don¡¯t sugarcoat it.¡± ¡°Can you please talk to him?¡± Keen said, ¡°At this rate, his health will copse.¡± ¡°Why do you think I can persuade him?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what kind of person your boss is?¡± Keen quietly looked at Seraphina for a moment, then replied, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ a feeling. If there¡¯s anyone in this world who can talk sense into Mr. Reynolds, it¡¯s you, Ms. Bet.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°it¡¯s easy for you to say, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re usually so confident.¡± Keen said, ¡°Why are you doubting yourself all of a sudden?¡± Seraphina nced at him, ¡°Even an honest person like you uses sneaky tactics to convince others? Too bad they don¡¯t work on me.¡± She didn¡¯t waste any more words on him, turned around, went upstairs, and straight into her room, mming the door shut behind her. That night, it was almost dawn when Leandro finally left his study He was about to go back to his room when he suddenly turned his head, looking towards Seraphina¡¯s room at the other end of the corridor. The door was tightly closed, no light seeping through the gap, she should still be asleep at this time ording to her habits. Leandro turned back and went into his room. The next morning, when Seraphina came downstairs, she heard Conway asking a servant about Leandro¡¯s condition. The servant seemed to have instructions from Leandro, and replied, ¡°He¡¯s doing great, came home earlier than before, he¡¯s definitely resting well.¡± Conway didn¡¯t seem convinced, ¡°When I got up this morning and passed the study, there were quite a few cigarette butts in the ashtray!¡± The servant hurriedly said, ¡°That must have been from before. I¡¯ll go clean it up right away.¡± After the servant left to go upstairs, Seraphina passed by her, admiring the servant¡¯s quick thinking. When she had finished breakfast with Conway and was going back upstairs, she suddenly heard a noise from the study, like something had fallen on the floor Seraphina went to check and saw that it was only the servant in the study, who seemed to be tidying up the desk and had identally knocked something over. Seraphina didn¡¯t think much of it and was about to leave when she suddenly saw a metal box in the servant¡¯s hand.. She stopped, then walked in. The servant heard her footsteps, turned back to see her, and sighed in relief, ¡°I was tidying the desk and identally knocked this box off Seraphina went over and heard the servant say, ¡°I didn¡¯t originally put it here¡± Only then did Seraphina get a good look at the box. It was an old¨Cfashioned metal box, with two flowers on the lid. The paint had peeled off due to its age, and it looked very old. ¡°Where was it originally? Seraphina asked. The servant pointed to a cab under the desk, ¡°It was there. Mr. Reynolds probably took it out to look at it.¡± Seraphina reached out, and the servant handed her the box. She held the box, weighed it lightly, and felt a familiar weight. Leandro stayed at home as instructed by Conway, staying in his room all day, and only went downstairs for dinner with everyone in the evening. Everyone was at the dinner table. Valerio looked very happy, but the three adults all had heavy hearts, making the whole dinner very quiet. After dinner, Seraphina went upstairs, leaving the task of tutoring Valerio to Leandro Luckily, tutoring Valerio was not strenuous, Leandro took it as a rest. What¡¯s up with Sera today?¡± Conway was puzzled, ¡°She barely said anything during dinner, she seemed much better ye! again. Leandro was silent for a moment, and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on her.¡± Conway looked at him and sighed When Valerio fell asleep, Leandro entered the study and realized why Seraphina had been so quiet. The metal box that was originally in his study was gone. Seraphina locked her room door, got up from her bed when she heard a knock, opened the door, and saw Leandro standing there Whether it was because he was sick or in a bad mood, the oppressive aura he usually had around her had lessened recently, but now, it seemed to be back ¡°Give me my stuff back¡± Leandro said. Seraphina asked casually. What stuff?¡± Leandro nced at her, then his gaze fell on her dressing table in the room ¨C the metal box sat there quietly. Leandro was about to walk in, but Seraphina body blocked him. She nced back in the direction he was looking, then turned back to him, her eyes brimming with challenge, ¡°If I remember correctly, that¡¯s my stuff. I should decide what to do with it.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Leandro said. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°Seven years ago, I had the guts to bury it. Seven yearster, I¡¯ve got even more determination to burn everything inside! At her words, Leandro¡¯s eyes instantly darkened, and he grabbed her wrist. Despite being sick, his strength was still formidable enough to control her. Pulling her along, he strode into the room, walked up to the dressing table, and yanked open the lid of the metal box. Inside the box, various sized portraits remained intact. Each and every one of them was his portrait. Leandro quietly gazed at them for a while, then let go of Seraphina and closed the box again. Standing behind him, Seraphina gently rubbed her wrist, then let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Do you care?¡± she asked. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 A lot of past events, Seraphina had purposely stashed away in the back of her mind. And those forgotten memories, without exception, were all linked to this man. Just like this tin box right in front of her. In the tin box were dozens of drawings, each one of them she had drawn herself Some were on nk paper, some on notebooks, and others on textbooks When she saw these drawings again, she suddenly remembered her once passionate love for this man. Every time she saw him, she wouldpletely lose herself, and when she didn¡¯t see him, she would draw him as she remembered him in her heart. So these drawings, some were made at home, some at school, somete at night, and some during ss. When her longing reached its peak, she would pick up her pencil, each drawing was of him. What flowed from the tip of her pencil, the uncontroble and undeniable emotions, was all her past love for him. So, when she was forced to leave the Reynolds family and prepare to go to Starhaven, while packing her luggage, what she had the most of were not clothes or shoes, not books or toys, but these drawings. However, with just a quick rummage, she found so many, and there must he even more that she didn¡¯t find. But, what could she do with these drawings? In her most desperate moments, she would cry on her bed, then she found this tin box and put all these drawings in it Even though her heart still held hope, her sense told her that she should give up these drawings, just like the person who didn¡¯t belong to her. She carried the tin box to the garden and buried it under a Jacaranda tree. After she finished burying it, she sat under the tree for a long time and unknowingly fell asleep. When she woke up, she was covered with flower petals. Beautiful dreams always wake up easily, and beautiful flowers always wither easily. Her dreams about him, were ultimately going to wake up. After she buried this box, she never thought of digging it up again, so when she came back to this house, she had forgotten that she had once buried something in the garden. This box should still be under the Jacaranda tree, but now it was in Leandro¡¯s study. He had once abandoned her, but her past was in his study. Did he care about that past? Leandro stood still for a while, finally turned his head to look at her, and slowly said, ¡°The past doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± Seraphina looked into his eyes for a while, then slowly began to smile, ¡°I thought you would say that you cared, that you drove me away to protect me, that you actually liked me a lot, missed me a lot. Why didn¡¯t you lie to me?¡± Leandro just quietly looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°You are right.¡± Seraphina softly responded, then turned her gaze back to the box, ¡°then, what¡¯s the point of the stuff in the box?¡± Although the box had rusted and peeled, the things inside were preserved very well, not at all like they had been buried underground for a long time. In other words, they must have been dug up soon after she had buried them, or right after she had buried them. She wasn¡¯t sure how he found out, but she knew that he had kept this box for a long time. How could he be so heartless? Thinking of this, Seraphina suddenly smiled, ¡°Maybe we should just throw it away for good.¡± After saying that, she tried to go around Leandro to get the box. Leandro reached out to stop her, and Seraphina ran into his arm, then she was pulled into his arms and held tightly. The pose was a bit awkward, but Leandro didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of letting her go. His gaze deeply f¨¦ll on her face, his breathing slightly slowed, but he didn¡¯t say a word. Seraphina stood stiffly for a while, then looked up at him, ¡°The past seven years have been hard for you too, haven¡¯t they?¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes were incredibly deep. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been betrayed a lot, so you don¡¯t really trust people now. And because you hold excessive suspicion against people, you don¡¯t even dare to have a girlfriend Seraphina tilted her head up slightly. ¡°What about me? Do you trust me?¡± Leandro looked down at her, and after a long while, he slowly said, ¡°I trust you¡± ¡°What do you trust?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°What about me do you trust?¡± ¡°Everything¡± Seraphina suddenlyughed, was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke again, ¡°What about Vivian? Do you trust me about her?¡± Mentioning Vivian, Leandro¡¯s arm suddenly tightened, and after a while, Seraphina heard his voice again, ¡°I do¡± ¡°You do?¡± Seraphina scoffed, ¡°do you remember how did you show your trust? You brought her in front of me, you said she was your girlfriend, you said I Was delusional, you made me leave the Reynolds family- Leandro suddenly pushed Seraphina against the wall and kissed her passionately. She struggled hard, the kiss almost became a bite, but Leandro never let go. Seraphina resisted for a long time, but gradually gave up. Leandro kept pressing against her until his hands were numb. He didn¡¯t want to justify himself for the past. The reason he made her leave was because he knew what he was going to face and what he should do. So, without hesitation, he discarded everyone and everything that could be his burden, turned himself into a person without weaknesses, isted to the extreme, resolute to the extreme. Whether it was life or death, he could not care less, let alone those insignificant people and things. But this path was not easy to walk. This kind of life could really be so bitter that no hope could be seen. His friends all said he should receive psychological therapy, but only he knew, in those lonely nights, he would miss the sunny days of the past. And among those memorable people and things, there was only one person, her loyalty and passion for him, could warm the entire cold night. She thought she wasn¡¯t that important, he also thought she wasn¡¯t that important. Until seven yearster, he finally realized what he had lost. ¡°Anything else you want to me me for?¡± Leandro slowly released her lips and said in a low voice, ¡°Say it all.¡± Seraphina lowered her head, but didn¡¯t speak for a long time. What else could she say? All those old wounds, the lost people and things, the vanished years¡­ What¡¯s the point of moaning about them now? She hides her scars in the daily grind, while he reminisced about the sole warmth of the past during the dark years.. Her and him, they are just two unfortunate souls in the end. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± After a long silence, Seraphina finally spoke, ¡°Leandro, knowing you¡¯ve had it tough too, I can rest easy. I¡¯m at peace now, nothing left to fret about.¡± ¡°But I still do,¡± he said. Seraphina lifted her head to look at him again. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Leandro gripped her hands, slowly drawing them behind his waist. Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Seraphina instinctively tried to pull het hand away, but Leandro held it tight, not allowing her to retreat. They held each other close, his arms wrapped around her tightly After a while, Seraphina suddenly let out a softugh. ¡°Leandro, you trust me because of my past innocence. But I¡¯m not that Seraphina anymore¡± Their bodies pressed together, and Seraphina felt Leandro shift slightly. Even though he didn¡¯t say anything. Seraphina continued, ¡°You know what I¡¯m like now. I can¡¯t go back to my past. I¡¯m not for you¡± Leandro still didn¡¯t say anything. He just turned his head, looked deeply into her eyes for a moment, and then kissed her again.. He was always so dominant, but now he seemed gentler, whether due to illness or some other reason. After several tentative moments, he finally kissed her passionately His kiss left her a bit dazed, as if she had been transported back to the past. Those intimate moments in the past that made her heart race and flushed her cheeks, he was always like that. He liked to tease her, kissing her lightly again and again, until she was blushing and flustered, then he would kiss her passionately. Back then, he controlled her breath, and she waspletely led by him, at his mercy But now¡­ Seraphina suddenly opened her mouth and bit his tongue. Leandro let her go in pain, looking down at her deeply, their breaths intertwined.¡± Seraphina just nced at him. ¡°See, I told you I¡¯m not who I used to be.¡± Leandro watched her quietly for a while, then leaned in again. This time, Seraphina resisted strongly from the start, but he seemed not to mind. The more she resisted, the tighter he held her. Just as they were in a stalemate, they heard a servant outside the door. ¡°Mr. Reynolds? It¡¯s time for your medication¡­ Mr. Reynolds?¡± Clearly the servant was looking for him at the study or his bedroom door, but couldn¡¯t find him. Then they heard Conway¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Leandro hasn¡¯t left the house.¡± The servant¡¯s puzzled voice came. ¡°But there¡¯s no one in the bedroom or the study¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Conway said, ¡°Check Valerio¡¯s room. Then, Conway himself headed toward Seraphina¡¯s room. Hearing Conway¡¯s footsteps and the sound of his cane, Seraphina hastily pushed Leandro away Leandro¡¯s gaze was deep, just staring at her until the footsteps came to the door. Only then did he let go of Seraphina. Conway knocked on the half¨Copen door, then saw the two of them standing face to face, both breathing heavily. Seraphina quickly wiped the corner of her mouth and turned to look at Conway standing in the doorway. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Conway nced at her, then turned to Leandro. Leandro was standing with his back to Conway. Conway walked in, hitting Leandro¡¯s leg with his cane. The servant called you for your medication, didn¡¯t you hear?¡± Leandro nced at Seraphina, then turned and left her room. Conway frowned slightly, and not until Leandro left did he turn to Seraphina again, his expression serious. ¡°Did he bully you? Tell me, I¡¯ll go give him a lesson¡± Seraphina looked at Conway¡¯s face. The seriousness on his face was very obvious, and Seraphina clearly saw a hint of excitement in his slightly widened eyes. ¡°He¡¯s your favorite grandson, can you really do that?¡± Seraphina asked nkly. *Just tell me, and I¡¯ll break his legs myself!¡± Conway said. Seraphina sat down on the bed, answering irritably, ¡°Grandpa, tone down that exaggerated act. You can¡¯t outdo me in that department.¡± Hearing this, Conway couldn¡¯t help butugh. He sat down beside the bed, looked at Seraphina for a while, then slowly asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t look at him, and after a while, she answered thoughtfully, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Conway asked again, ¡°What did you two talk about? Did you mention the past?¡± Seraphina still didn¡¯t answer, only lying down on the bed saying, ¡°I need to rest.¡± Hearing this, Conway sighed helplessly. ¡°Alright.¡± He got up slowly and left without closing the door for Seraphina. She clearly heard him leave and got up immediately to close the door. As she was about to do so, she suddenly remembered something and left her room. She didn¡¯t expect to hear Conway and the servant chatting when she got to Conway¡¯s room. The servant asked Conway, ¡°Was Leandro in Sera¡¯s room? Aren¡¯t they still angry at each other? What¡¯s going on? Is the wedding still happening?¡± Conway couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°As long as Sera gradually epts Leandro, it means things are moving in the right direction¡± The servant asked, ¡°But has she epted him? She always acts like nothing¡¯s wrong¡­ It¡¯s hard to read that girl. Hearing this, Conway simply sald, ¡°She will ept him, she definitely will¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Seraphina stood silently for a while, then turned and went downstairs. She went to the storeroom, found the spare keys, took her room¡¯s key, then returned upstairs and firmly closed the door. In Conway¡¯s room, both he and the servant heard the sound. The servant couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Is she still angry?¡± It¡¯s good if she¡¯s angry¡± Conway said with a smile. ¡°The worst thing is that she shows no emotions. It¡¯s good to see her getting mad.¡± By the time Leandro had finished his meds and done a few routine checks, the door to Seraphina¡¯s room was already locked up light. He hung around for a bit before finally heading back to his own room. The very next morning, Seraphina left home and didn¡¯t return until dinner time. The family was sitting around the dinner table, Leandro included, but Seraphina yed it like she didn¡¯t notice him, iming she already ate, then headed upstairs and locked her door tight. The same thing happened for the next two days. By the fourth day, Leandro was feeling a lot better and went back to work. Seraphina spent the whole day gallivanting around town like usual, not getting back until dusk. But, when she got home, the ce was eerily quiet. No Conway, no Valerio, not even the servants. Seraphina was a bit puzzled and nned to head back to her room to give Conway a call. She got to her door and fished out her keys to unlock it, but no matter how much she twisted and turned, the door wouldn¡¯t budge. Right then and there, Seraphina realized what was going on someone had changed her door lock! As soon as she realized this, she whipped around and sure enough, there was Leandro standing not too far away. Chapter 194 Chapter 194 After resting at home for three days, Leandro just returned to the office today. Given his work habits, he usually workedte into the night. Seraphina was caught totally off guard. She didn¡¯t expect he¡¯de home so early, or that Conway and Valerio were not at home, let alone that the lock. of her room would be changed by him But after giving it a moment, it didn¡¯t seem all that surprising Leandro was leaning on the other end of the corridor, quietly looking at her Seraphina quickly gave up trying to unlock her own door and turned her gaze. to him. ¡°Where¡¯s grandpa?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°He¡¯s at the hospital for a check¨Cup.¡± ¡°And Valerio?¡± ¡°He¡¯s at an after¨Cschool activity¡± ncing at the clock, it was almost seven. It was surprising that Conway would have a check¨Cup at the hospital thiste, and that Valerio, a kid who hasn¡¯t even started school, would have an after¨Cschool activity that ran sote. ¡°So..¡± Seraphina touched her door, ¡°where¡¯s my key?¡± A key appeared in Leandro¡¯s hand, spinning skillfully between his fingers, as if to lure her over. Seraphina walked over to him and reached out to take the key. Leandro didn¡¯t give her a hard time and let her take it easily. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Holding the little key in her hand, Seraphina smiled and said, ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like your style.¡± ¡°Using such childish tactics to avoid me doesn¡¯t seem like your style either,¡± Leandro retorted. Seraphina tilted her head slightly to look at him, ¡°Have you finally epted that I¡¯m not the old Seraphina?¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes suddenly deepened. He took a step forward while Seraphina stepped back, until she hit the wall. Reaching out, Leandro gently cradled her face. ¡°From the first day you came back, I knew you weren¡¯t the old Seraphina, Leandro said, ¡°Do you still think I¡¯m expecting the old you?¡± Seraphina looked at him andughed, ¡°So you¡¯re not?¡± Leandro suddenly leaned down to kiss her, as his answer. Seraphina didnt resist, quietly epting his kiss. As the atmosphere heated up, Seraphina suddenly spoke. This time, Leandro noticed immediately, pulling away from her lips almost as soon as she opened her mouth. His reaction was surprisingly quick The sudden separation leaving them both a bit dazed. However, Seraphina quickly recovered,ughing again. ¡°You see,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°even though you trust me a lot, I can¡¯t give you a sense of security¡± ¡®Security should be something I give you¡± Leandro said slowly Seraphina paused for a moment, then lowered her head and smiled faintly, ¡°I don¡¯t need that¡± ¡°Really?¡± Leandro reached out to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her closer, ¡°Do you want it?¡± Seraphina lifted her head again, looking at the man in front of her He actually asked if she wanted it, instead of forcing it on her? In the past, she always thought he was so persistent because he missed the old her. His unwillingness to ept her changes often angered her. But now, he had changed? This change began when he appeared in Starhaven, and now, he seemed to have fully epted the current her. And because of the seven years he had lost, he was now deeply immersed in his emotions A sigh involuntarily escaped from Seraphina¡¯s heart. Based on this progression, she knew clearly how things would unfold. Although there might be some uncertainties, they didn¡¯t seem important at the moment. Perhaps one day Leandro might also lose himself because of her. The Seraphina from seven years ago, if she knew this, would probably be moved to tears, wouldn¡¯t she? -Caught off guard for a moment, Leandro had already pulled her into his arms again. ¡°Will you let me say no?¡± Seraphina countered. ¡°I will let you say no, Leandro replied Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. No matter what she said, he would still do what he needed to do. All of this was within her expectations. So why bother struggling? Seraphina reached out and began to unbutton his shirt, and then she said only one thing- I want to be on top.¡± Leandro looked deep into her eyes, silently meeting her gaze for a moment, then he scooped her up and walked into his bedroom, shutting the door behind them. After they were done. Leandro held Seraphina in his arms, hisrge hand gently stroking her back, bending down slightly to lose himself in another passionate kiss This time, Seraphina seized the opportunity and bit him. Leandro was still on guard. Although he moved quickly to avoid her, he was still bitten. Seraphinaughed, sitting up from his embrace, grabbing his robe from the bedside and wrapping it around herself, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Leandro grabbed her hand. ¡°Shower here¡± Seraphina pulled her hand back, tying the belt of the robe as she replied, ¡°Shower here, and then what? Sleep here?¡± She turned to look at the shirtless man sitting on the bed, and gave a slight smile, ¡°If I sleep here, where will you sleep? Can you sleep well in the study?¡± A flicker crossed Leandro¡¯s brow She actually knew. ¡°Of course I know, Seraphina seemed to hear his thoughts, ¡°Every time we share a bed, you¡¯re always awake. You say you trust me, but in reality, you don¡¯t even have the courage to share a bed with me. Are you afraid I¡¯ll smother you with a pillow in the middle of the night?¡± Leandro watched her quietly, not replying. In truth, his inability to fall asleep in the same bed had nothing to do with her. It was a result of the alertness he¡¯d developed over the past seven years, which made it hard for him to sleep soundly with someone else nearby, whether it was her or anyone else. She obviously understood this, and was only saying these things to provoke him. But he was in a good mood today, and wouldn¡¯t let her get a rise out of him. Seraphina wasn¡¯t about to let it go. When Leandro didn¡¯t respond, she took the initiative and said, ¡°You¡¯re right to be on guard against me because maybe one night, I¡¯ll really make my move. You best be on guard¡± With that, she suddenly stood up and bolted out the door before Leandro could reach out and grab her. Just as she reached the stairwell, she bumped into Conway, who was escorting Valerio upstairs. An old man, a child, and Seraphina, d in Leandro¡¯s bathrobe, meeting at the stairwell, seemed to freeze the air for a few seconds. Seraphina quickly regained herposure and red at them coldly, ¡°Neither of you two look like good people,ing home thiste. You don¡¯t act like good people at all!¡± Having said that, she turned around and headed for her room. It was only when she reached her door that she remembered the lock had been changed. and she didn¡¯t have the key to open it. Seraphina stood at her door for a moment, then silently turned around and gracefully walked past the old man and the child once again, heading back to Leandro¡¯s room with determination. Valerio looked utterly lost, while Conway, who had regained his senses, couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 When Seraphina finally went back to her room for a bath, Conway popped into Leandro¡¯s study. Leandro was back at work, and didn¡¯t even look up from his papers when Conway came in Conway sat across from him and asked slowly, ¡°Has Sera forgiven you?¡± Leandro paused a bit with his writing when he heard the question, and then replied, ¡°Perhaps.¡± What do you mean perhaps? You haven¡¯t asked her what she thinks?¡± asked Conway. Leandro finally put down his pen and looked at Conway, ¡°Grandpa, you should know that sometimes too much talk can make things moreplicated¡± Leandro knew perfectly well that the past with Seraphina wouldn¡¯t just disappear easily. Even if she really hadpletely forgotten about it, she was still at the very beginning of starting over. The fact that she was willing to move forward was a surprise in itself. He didn¡¯t want to dig deeper into the reasons behind it. They had plenty of time, and he couldn¡¯t be asking too much of her now. Conway was taken aback by his words and sighed, ¡°Well, what¡¯s the n then? The wedding preparations are still going on, and the wedding is just a few days away Should we tell everyone to cancel? That¡¯s a big decision.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Leandro went back to his papers. ¡°Just a word is enough.¡°¡± He always did things his own way and didn¡¯t care about social etiquette. Conway knew his personality and knew there was no point in arguing, so he just sighed. The next morning, Seraphina had just woken up when her maid knocked on her door, ¡°Sera, are you up?¡± She sat up groggily and mumbled an answer. ¡°Your mom is here,¡± the maid said, ¡°You should get up ande down for breakfast.¡± At the sound of that, Seraphina was instantly awake. Magdalen, who had always lived a carefree life, returned to Sunburst City with nothing after being swindled out of all her assets at Velvetwood. However, she still lived a carefree life and had gone on a trip a few dayster. She had been gone for a few days and was just back now. She got up slowly, freshened up a bit, and then went downstairs. Magdalen was sitting with Conway at the breakfast table. Surprisingly, Leandro, who usually left before seven¨Cthirty, was still there, watching Valerio eat. breakfast When she saw Seraphinaing over, Leandro pulled out the chair next to him for her. It was a natural gesture, but Magdalen couldn¡¯t help but take a second look. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Seraphina sat next to Leandro and then looked at Magdalen, giving her a small smile, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Magdalen replied nonchntly, not saying much. A lot had happened in the less than two weeks she had been gone. For instance, it had been revealed that Seraphina had a child out of wedlock and Leandro had dered his love for her in a handwritten letter. Magdalen hadn¡¯t known about Seraphina having a child and raising that child until the child was three, and now that she knew, she didn¡¯t seem to react much or ask any questions. Conway clearly didn¡¯t want to bring up these issues in front of Seraphina, so he didn¡¯t say anything and just chatted with Magdalen about her trip. Seraphina didn¡¯t have much of an appetite and only asked for a couple of slices of toast Hearing this, Leandro said, ¡°Give her a cup of warm milk.¡± Seraphina was not pleased with her breakfast being arranged for her and red at Leandro. She then looked at Valerio and saw him trying to hide a smile Clearly, his breakfast had been arranged too, and he was happy to see Seraphina receiving the same treatment. She red at Valerio as well, ¡°You¡¯re going to help me drink half of itter¡± Valerio immediately turned serious and quietly ate his breakfast. Seraphina turned her gaze back to the coffee next to Leandro and reached out to grab it, but Leandro swatted her hand away and said, ¡°Don¡¯t drink coffee on an empty stomach¡± Seraphina had just woken up and her mood hadn¡¯tpletely recovered yet. She snorted and said, ¡°Old people are always so concerned about their health.¡± Leandro nced at her but didn¡¯t reply. Magdalen watched quietly for a while and then said slowly. ¡°How are the wedding preparations going?¡± There was a sudden silence at the table Magdalen seemed to sense something and turned to look at Conway. After the silence, Seraphina looked up and asked Conway. ¡°The preparations should still be going smoothly, right, grandpa?¡± Conway immediately put down his utensils and looked at Seraphina seriously, ¡°However you want it, that¡¯s how I¡¯ll arrange it.¡± Then I guess I won¡¯t marry him after all, Seraphina said. Disappointment flickered in Conway¡¯s eyes, but he quickly smiled and said, ¡°True, the preparations were a bit rushed, and some things were not well thought out. A wedding is a once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime event, it has to be perfect. Waiting a bit longer is fine too¡± ¡°Marriage is inevitable sooner orter, wasting resources is not a good thing, I don¡¯t approve,¡± Seraphina propped up her chin and grinned, ¡°The problem is, no one¡¯s ever proposed to me. Just vaguely marrying myself off to him like that, I¡¯m not willing to.¡± With that, she turned to look at Leandro. The meaning of her words was clear The wedding was already half prepared, and when she said she didn¡¯t want to waste resources, it meant she had no objections to the wedding proceeding as nned But she was bothered about not getting proposed. Conway almost burst outughing when he heard this, quickly turning his gaze to Leandro, ¡°Leandro!¡± Leandro looked at Seraphina¡¯s mischievous eyes, but only said slowly, ¡°Do you care about these things?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Seraphina responded, ¡°If I didn¡¯t care, we could just go get married today. We wouldn¡¯t need a church ceremony or a big banquet, just something simple, right?¡± ¡°Leandro¡± Conway interjected immediately, ¡°Seraphina has made her wishes clear. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Leandro of course understood this was Seraphina making her stance known, but such a deration wasn¡¯t exactly a cause for celebration. ¡°All I have to do is propose?¡± Leandro finally spoke. Seraphina had already averted her gaze, her expression cooling slightly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, forget it. I¡¯m not forcing you!¡± As sheid down her napkin, preparing to leave, Leandro suddenly grabbed her hand and headed for the door. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 It wasn¡¯t until Seraphina and Leandro had left that Magdalen turned to Conway and calmly asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Conway had been happily watching the pair leave, but at this question, his smile faded. He turned to Magdalen After a moment of silence, he asked the nanny to take the grumpy Valerio away, then turned to Magdalen and said, ¡°I¡¯m not ming you, but these past few years, Seraphina has been by your side. You didn¡¯t even know she had a daughter, let alone that her daughter passed away. Do you still remember you are her mother?¡± ¡°She¡¯s old enough to have kids. I can¡¯t control her, Magdalen replied calmly, ¡°Everyone¡¯s their own person. There¡¯s no set rule on how parents and kids should interact.¡± Upon hearing this, Conway suddenly clutched his chest. Seeing this, Magdalen rushed to support him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Just a few words and you¡¯re all worked up?¡± ¡°You know what ticks me off, don¡¯t push my buttons, Conway said, ¡°Seraphina has gone through so much, endured so much pain. If you don¡¯t care, well, I do!¡± Magdalen nodded along, replying, ¡°I¡¯m trying to change. You¡¯re bringing up past stuff to me me¡­ besides, she has your adored grandchild now. I don¡¯t matter to her as much anymore.¡± After hearing this, Conway couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I just hope Seraphina is truly happy¡± Magdalen didn¡¯t say anything further. Leandro took Seraphina by the hand and they left. Once in the car, they headed downtown. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think you can just pop into any jewelry store, buy a ring and call in a proposal¡± Seraphina turned to Leandro, ¡°There¡¯s no effort in that, I won¡¯t ept it Leandro turned to her, Then what would you consider genuine?¡± Seraphina thought for a moment, then stretched out two fingers, a sparkle in her eyes. Two properties in the Ivory Orchid Estate, how¡¯s that?¡± The Ivory Orchid Estate was practically the highest¨Cend residential area in Sunburst City. Even though it couldn¡¯tpare to the Reynolds Vista Retreat designed by Leandro himself, a recent transaction of nearly ten million dors had been enough to astonish people Leandro gave her a cold look His confident expression suggested that this wasn¡¯t an issue, so Seraphina excitedly asked, ¡°So, are we going to see the properties now?¡± Leandro didnt respond. The car didnt head to the Ivory Orchid Estate, but instead to the most artistic part of downtown, the Aesthetic Avenue This was the oldest part of Sunburst City An entire old style building was preserved here, making it the most artistic street in Sunburst City. The Sunburst Museum, Sunburst Concert Hall, several auction houses, and many art galleries were all located here The car pulled up in front of an old¨Cfashioned grey building. Seraphina leaned out to look around, then turned to Leandro, ¡°Are these ces expensive?¡± Leandro nced at her, they are for rent only.¡± Seraphina was somewhat dissatisfied, ¡°Then why are we here?¡± Leandro got out of the car, then went around to open her door and extended his hand It was rare for him to show such gentlemanly manners. Seraphina stared at his hand for a few seconds, but ultimately gave him a smile and took his hand Leandro led Seraphina forward. The person in charge had already greeted them, and after exchanging pleasantries, he opened the door for them, Unlike the old¨Cfashioned exterior, the interior was spacious with a winding staircase. The unique decor of arrowroot leaves created a space with a ssical beauty. The most eye¨Ccatching spot upon entering was a painting frame. Following the staircase upwards, there were more frames of varying sizes arranged in order. Even though the frames were still covered, Seraphina guessed that this was a gallery, and from the looks of it, one that specialized in ssical art She paused at the door for a moment, her heart starting to pound uncontrobly. Seraphina walked up the stairs and removed the cloth from the first painting, revealing a plece with a strikingly familiar brushwork. She quickly looked at the signature and indeed saw a very familiar name ¨C Carney Bet She paused for a moment, then continued up and uncovered the next painting. The signature was the same ¨C Carney. Further on, Seraphina uncovered more and more paintings, all of which were created by Carney, some she had seen before, some she hadn¡¯t She walked around the unfamiliar space,pletely immersed in the familiar style and mood of the paintings, unable to pull herself away Leandro stood at the entrance, silently watching Seraphina move around the room. After carefully observing all the paintings from start to finish and then back again, Seraphina finally came back to her senses. She slowly walked over to Leandro and looked up at him, ¡°How did you do this?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer, but instead looked towards thest uncovered painting at the entrance. 1 Seraphina followed his gaze, then turned and carefully uncovered the final painting. The cloth fell slowly, revealing hair, then a forehead, then eyes¡­ and finally, herself. It was thest painting created by Carney. The style was freehand, the technique simple, the painting almost entirely blended, creating a radiant, smiling girl in just a few strokes. It was her at ten years old, as depicted by her father¡¯s brush. She had seen this painting before, she had even owned it Most of the paintings here, she had seen before, but now they were scattered all over the ce. Not long after Carney passed away, Magdalen sold off all his artwork, including the portrait of her when she was ten, all vanished into thin air. But now, these paintings had magically popped up in front of her again. ¡°How did you pull this off?¡± She asked again, her voice hoarse, but she kept repeating the same question, ¡°How did you pull this off?¡± She knew the answer deep down, but it all felt like a dream, too surreal to believe that such a fantastical ending could happen in reality. Leandro didn¡¯t answer her question, he simply said, ¡®Starting the beginning of the year, there will be a three¨Cmonth¨Clong exhibition here. After three months, this ce will be renamed Carney Artful Reverie. You ll be running the ce.¡± Seraphina stood dumbstruck in front of her own portrait. After hearing what Leandro said, she gave a dazed smile. When she looked back at Leandro, she suddenly reached out and gave him a tight hug. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 In Seraphina¡¯s heart, Carney was an affectionate father, a mentor, an idol, and an unrecognized painter in the art world. He was exceptionally talented, with a painting style that was elegant and lively, even more distinctive than the renowned Ma. If he were still alive, he would have been a master in the contemporary art world. But he left too soon, before he could properly manage his painting career, and his remaining artworks were casually sold off by Magdalen, causing his painting career to disappear. Seraphina still remembered the day she found out that all of her father¡¯s paintings had been sold by Magdalen. She sobbed in front of Magdalen, questioning her actions, but Magdalen didn¡¯t answer her, instead sending her off to the Reynolds family and leaving Sunburst City without hesitation. Seraphina thought the loss of her father¡¯s paintings would haunt her for life, but she didn¡¯t expect to see them reappearing one by one before her eyes. Her heart, on the verge of losing hope, began to beat uncontrobly. There are indeed such moments in life when you can genuinely feel the beauty of being alive. ¡°Thank you.¡± She reached out and hugged Leandro tightly. This is the best gift I ve ever received in my life.¡± Seraphina held back her tears, her eyes slightly red, but she didn¡¯t let the tears fall. She just smiled and snuggled into Leandro¡¯s arms. Perhaps her action was too sudden, Leandro¡¯s body stiffened a bit. It took him a while to reach out and gently support her waist, whispering. ¡°I didn¡¯t n on telling you so soon.¡± You should have told me sooner. Seraphina looked up at him. That way, Grandpa wouldn¡¯t be worried about the wedding.¡± Hearing this, Leandro just quietly looked at her. ¡°You win.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You proposed in a way I can¡¯t resist. I have no choice but to ept.¡± She looked at him with a sparkling gaze and a joyful face. ¡°Leandro, you have to marry me on time.¡± Her voice was sweet and melodious, as if filled with anticipation and longing. Leandro¡¯s gaze, however, was slightly dim. That day, Seraphina spent most of her time at the gallery. In addition to admiring Carney¡¯s paintings, she also met with the PRpany responsible for the exhibition, learned about the detailed arrangements and progress of the exhibition, received the preliminary printed brochures, and gave her own suggestions She was so engrossed in it that it wasn¡¯t until the staff politely reminded her to eat something at around eight in the evening that she realized how fast time had passed. When Seraphina got home, Valerio was already asleep, and Conway was about to go upstairs to rest. Seeing her home, he stopped. ¡°Grandpa Seraphina walked over happily and sweetly called out to him. Conway Reynolds was somewhat surprised to see her bright eyes and radiant face. ¡°Where have you been today?¡± Seraphina walked over, helped Conway sit down, took out the brochure for Carney¡¯s exhibition from her bag, and handed it to Conway. ¡°This is¡­¡± Conway took it, looked it over carefully, then suddenly realized and turned to Seraphina with a smile. ¡®Did Leandro give this to you?¡± Seraphina nodded her head rapidly, her face full of smiles. Seeing her like this, Conway¡¯s mood brightened as well. Then he said, ¡°this is such a good news, and he didn¡¯t even mention it when I asked him earlier. ¡®Is he back?¡± Seraphina asked. Conway nodded, ¡°He¡¯s in the study.¡± ¡°He must be busy withpany stuff again.¡± Seraphina pouted, then looked towards the kitchen, ¡°Is there anything left to eat?¡± ¡°Huh? You haven¡¯t eaten yet?¡± The maid eximed in surprise. You should have called to let us know¡­ I have some creamy mushroom soup simmering now. If you¡¯re hungry, shall I make you some pasta?¡± Seraphina thought for a moment, then replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay, the will do. I¡¯ll have a bowl. And fill one for Leandro too, I¡¯ll take it up to him.¡± Conway listened with a smile on his face. When Seraphina pushed open the door to Leandro¡¯s study, holding two be of cigarette, his expression stern, indicating the coll wasn¡¯t a pleasant one. mushroom soup, Leandro was on the phone. He was holding Most people would steer clear when they saw him like this, but Seraphina seemed oblivious to his seriousness. She walked straight in, sat down opposite him, ced a bowl of soup next to him, and started eating from her own. Leandro quickly ended the call and put down his phone, but he kept the cigarette in his hand. Seraphina nced at him, stood up, took the cigarette from his hand, put it out in the ashtray, and then looked at him. ¡°Have some soup. I brought it up especially for you¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. But Leandro didn¡¯t even nce at the soup, he just said, ¡°I don¡¯t eat creamy stuff.¡± Seraphina was taken aback, then put down her spoon. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Leandro it another cigarette and looked at her. ¡°Is it hard to understand?¡± ¡°I knew you were workingte and brought you some soup. What did I do wrong?¡± Seraphina asked. Leandro looked at her quietly and then slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s only good if you do it willingly.¡± Seraphina immediately understood what he meant. The willingness he mentioned clearly referred to more than just the soup. After a moment of quiet eye contact, Seraphina suddenlyughed. Then she leaned on his desk, looking straight into Leandro¡¯s eyes. ¡°And what if I¡¯m not willing? Are you going to kick me out? Call off the wedding? Take back everything you¡¯ve given me?¡± Leandro stared at her with a serious face, trying to see through the real emotions behind her smile Seraphina¡¯s smile faded away as she said in a frosty tone, ¡°When I didn¡¯t wanna be with you, you wouldn¡¯t stop chasing me. Now that I wanna marry you, you start questioning if I¡¯m serious. Well, not only am I unwilling, but I deeply regret it now! Consider it my mistake, Leandro, let¡¯s just call it quits!¡± With that, she stood up, turned around, and without a moment¡¯s hesitation, marched out of his study Leandro sat in silence, taking a deep drag on his cigarette. It was only when he¡¯d smoked it down to the filter that he extinguished it, stood up, and left his study. Seraphina¡¯s bedroom door wasn¡¯t locked. With a gentle push, Leandro walked right in. Seraphina was flipping through a booklet shed brought back from the gallery that day. Hearing the sound of the door opening, she nced up at him, then got off her bed, ¡®I¡¯m gonna sleep with Valerio.¡± With that, she made her way towards the door. Leandro reached out and pulled her straight into his arms. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Outside the door, the nanny helping Conway up the stairs stopped at the staircase, looking at Conway with worry. ¡°What happened? Weren¡¯t they finest night? Howe they¡¯re having problems again?¡± Conway just chuckled, replying. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see them go inside? There¡¯s nothing wrong. Inside the room, Seraphina was held tightly by Leandro, but she was still ring at him angrily. ¡°What the hell are you trying to do?¡± 1 just want someone real, Leandro answered seriously, looking down at her. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina was silent for a moment, then suddenly startedughing. Then you¡¯d better wake up. If you think I¡¯m not genuine, then dont have me!¡± While saying this, she reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, her body moving closer to him. Her feet stepped on his, fully leaning into him, clearly provoking him. Leandro¡¯s face darkened. At first he could control himself, but when her hands started teasing him on purpose, he finally lost control, pushing her down on the bed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Seraphina feigned shock, ¡®Leandro, didn¡¯t you want someone real? I¡¯m not real, I¡¯m just ying a role with you!¡± Despite her provocations, Leandro didn¡¯t react quickly taking control of the situation. Seraphina didn¡¯tpletely give in, still ring at him. Leandro kissed her deeply for a long time before slowly letting go, gently stroking her flushed lips, and hoarsely asked, ¡°Did you willingly do this?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes, raising her foot to kick him. ¡°Leandro, aren¡¯t you tired of living like this?¡± she said. ¡°I just want a peaceful life, but I¡¯m constantly questioned by you¡­ No wonder you have no one around you. It¡¯s not that others are untrustworthy, it¡¯s that you can¡¯t keep them!¡± Hearing this, Leandro lowered his head again, his nose against hers, ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ if I can keep you.¡± As his words fell, he once again kissed Seraphina Seraphina resisted but also seemed to wee him. Their lovemaking was surprisingly harmonious. Afterwards, Leandro got dressed and got out of bed. Seraphina rested in bed for a while before turning to him, ¡°Hey, did you notice? Valerio is a lot like you.¡± Leandro sensed that she might say something, so he just kept his head down, buttoning his shirt, giving no response. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like the ones who are nice to him, Seraphina said. ¡°But someone like me, who gives him a hard time now and then, he seems to rely on more. Is this what they call a masochistic personality?¡± Leandro had already finished buttoning his shirt but stopped at Seraphina¡¯s words. She wasughing at her own conclusion when suddenly she heard Leandro making a call behind her. ¡°Tell Moonhaven to cancel the meeting, reschedule it for tomorrow.¡± Turning to look at him, she saw that he had put down his phone, and the buttons he had just done up were being undone one by one. Distracted by work, he had been rushing before and couldn¡¯t fully enjoy himself. Now, provoked by her, his emotions were finally stirred. Seeing him like this, Seraphina wasn¡¯t scared. Instead, she held onto her pillow, putting on a worried face. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. I¡¯ll apologize, but don¡¯t force yourself. You¡¯re over thirty, you smoke, drink and stay upte. Its not good for your health¡­¡± This time, Leandro didn¡¯t go back to the bed. He lifted her from the bed and pinned her against the wall, showing her through his actions whether he needed to rest. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 After getting the keys to Carney Artful Reverie, Seraphina had a ce to spend her free time. Even though the exhibition opening was scheduled after her wedding with Leandro, most of her time was consumed by preparations for the exhibition, apart from dealing with Leandro N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. That day, Seraphina stayedte at Carney Artful Reverie again. When Leandro left thepany and found out she hadn¡¯t left yet, he instructed his driver toe here. The lights in the gallery were still on. Leandro got out of the car and saw Seraphina standing with her back to the entrance. In front of Seraphina was a spot originally meant for her childhood portrait, but now a painting of a rose had taken its ce. Seraphina stood in front of the rose painting, silently observing it Leandro approached her slowly and stood beside her, ¡°What happened to the previous painting?¡± Seraphina turned her head to look at him and gave a slight smile, ¡°What do you think of this one here?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t quite match your father¡¯s usual style.¡± Leandro responded. Seraphina suddenly burst intoughter. Leandro was not wrong, Carney¡¯s painting style was usually cold, simple in color yet strong in style, like the portrait of Seraphina at the age of ten, which only used two tones of ck and red. But when he painted roses, he used the most vibrant and full colors, making the roses extraordinarily vivid and eye¨C catching. ¡°Because he painted it for the woman he loved most.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Such intense use of color represents his fullve. When painting these roses, he was not a painter, but a man in love.¡± This painting was the one exhibited at Mas Moonhaven exhibition. When Magdalen casually sold Carney¡¯s paintings, Ma rushed over, only managing to save this one. He had kept it in good condition over the years, and as soon as Seraphina asked about it, he immediately sent someone to deliver it To Seraphina, this painting was the best representation of her father¡¯s inner emotions. It wasn¡¯t her childhood portrait that deserved this spot, but this beautiful rose ¡®He loved my mom the most, but unfortunately, she never wanted to see these paintings again.¡± She fell silent for a moment, then continued, ¡°But this is my father¡¯s exhibition, so it should be arranged ording to his wishes¡± Leandro listened quietly but didn¡¯t offer anyment. After a long time, he finally said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Seraphina came back to her senses, and with a somewhat exaggerated gasp, she covered her mouth, ¡°Did youe here specially to pick me up? I¡¯m so sorry for keeping you waiting, let¡¯s go now!¡± She quickly grabbed her purse, and turning around, she took Leandro¡¯s arm. As they walked out, she asked, ¡°Hey, I heard the owners of the two auction houses on this street are acquainted with you too, is it true?¡± Sheughed in a flirtatious and fawning way, clearly having a favor to ask Leandro, however, was not very willing to answer. As they walked out the door, Seraphina was still tightly holding onto Leandro. Even though he didn¡¯t respond, to outsiders, they looked like a very loving couple Seraphina would y with his tie one minute, and pull at his shirt the next. In the midst of this yful fuss, a couple across the street suddenly caught her eye. Seraphina stopped in her tracks and looked up The moment she saw the two figures, she felt a sense of familiarity. She looked directly at them, and sure enough, they were people she knew ¨C Bowen Smith and Ta. Leandro followed her gaze and squinted slightly. Seeming to feel their gazes, Bowen looked and saw them. Quickly, he brought Tania over and said, ¡°Sera, Mr. Reynolds, what a coincidence!¡± Seraphina nced at the hand Tania had ced on Bowen¡¯s arm, and Tania also looked at her hand on Leandro¡¯s arm. ¡°Bowen, what are you doing here?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°We just went to a concert here¡± Bowen replied. ¡°Our car happened to be parked nearby and didn¡¯t expect to run into you two. Did youe for the concert?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seraphina pointed to Carney Artful Reverie behind her, ¡°I¡¯m preparing an exhibition here. Bowen, if you have time, you¡¯re wee to visit.¡± After she finished speaking, she noticed Tania, standing next to Bowen, moving her mouth as if she wanted to say something. But after she looked at Leandro, she didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, are you interested in famous paintings? My family also has quite a collection. I should have invited you over more often, maybe our families would be closer now, what a shame¡­¡± After finishing her sentence, Tania nced at Seraphina, appearing as if she wanted to say more but held back, her scornful look was not concealed. Seraphina turned to look at Leandro, ¡°Do you know Tania? Does her family have many famous paintings? Why didn¡¯t you go take a look?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know whether the Martin family has any famous paintings, Leandro responded bluntly. They do have many celebrities, but I¡¯m not interested in them.¡± ¡°You..¡± Tania¡¯s face changed, wanting to retort but hesitated. After a pause, she sarcastically said, ¡°True, the kind of woman men are interested in would belike Ms. Bet. At her words, Leandro¡¯s face remained unchanged, but his eyes turned cold. He nced at Tania, who immediately moved behind Bowen But Seraphina justughed, ¡°Thank you for thepliment. After all, I¡¯m both talented and beautiful, it¡¯s not my fault.¡± As she spoke, she gazed at the car window ss, appearing narcissistic and naive Seeing that scene, Tania was both scared of Leandro and looked down on Seraphina. She could only grab Bowen and quickly leave, with him reluctantly saying goodbye and leading her away. The moment they left, Seraphina¡¯s smile faded and she hopped into the car with a frosty expression. Only when Leandro had climbed in did she ask, ¡°So, what¡¯s the deal between you and that Tania girl?¡± ¡°Nothing¡± Leandro responded. Seraphina scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re at the point of being invited to her house and you¡¯re iming there¡¯s nothing going on? Who are you trying to fool?¡± Leandro calmly replied, ¡°Thave no reason to lie to you? Seraphina pondered for a moment, then deliberately moved closer to him. Looking up, she asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you just answer me straight? How do you know her? And the Martins, they¡¯ve got some big shots in their family, right? What kind of big shots are we talking about? Howe I¡¯ve never heard of them?¡± Leandro nced at her, seeing through her feigned jealousy to her curiosity about the Martins, After all, she was a journalist, always sniffing around for thetest gossip The Martins made their fortune through some shady business back in the day. They¡¯ve been trying to clean up their act recently, but there¡¯s still a lot of dirtyundry hidden away. Some of the family members have be infamous because of the scandals.¡± Leandro replied, ¡°Happy now?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina blinked and continued to press him, ¡®So, how did you be connected to them?¡± Chapter 200 Chapter 200 This issue seemed to be inevitable. After a moment of silence, Leandro finally answered, ¡°Blind date.¡± Seraphina immediately stood up from his arms like she was afraid of being infected, quickly leaving his side. ¡°You went on a blind date with Tania? Don¡¯t you have other options? Who set you up? Holy¡­¡± As she spoke, she lightly pped her own palm. Leandro nced at the disgusted look on her face and coldly said, ¡°Not her, her sister, Andrea.¡± ¡°Andrea? The name sounds like a boy¡± Seraphina immediately became more interested, ¡°Is she beautiful? Does she have the same personality as Tania?¡± Leandro nced at her and suddenly said. ¡®She¡¯s not as beautiful as you¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t expect him to say this. Surprised for a moment, she leaned closer to him again, raised her face, and smiled triumphantly. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m the most beautiful woman in the world, no objections¡± Leandro suddenly reached out and gently pinched her chin. ¡°Well, I have no intention of objecting.¡± He said. In an instant, an rm bell started ringing in Seraphina¡¯s mind. As expected, as soon as she returned to the Reynolds family, she paid a hefty price for her pride¡­ The next day, Seraphina who usually arrived at the gallery early, didn¡¯t show up until midday. Just as she approached the entrance, she heard someone calling her from the street. ¡°Sera.¡± Seraphina turned around and saw Bowen. She gave a faint smile, ¡®Bowen,e in and have a cup of coffee.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Bowen was initially smoking on the street. Seeing her reaction, he smiled, put out his cigarette, and followed her in. Once inside, Seraphina ignored him. She went straight to discuss some matters with the staff, while Bowen began to look around the gallery. By the time he finished his visit, Seraphina came over, handing him a paper cup filled with slightly cold instant coffee. Bowen nced at the coffee in his hand and smiled. ¡°So this is the treatment I deserve, right?¡± ¡°ording to the current situation, yes Seraphina replied directly. Bowen paused, chuckled, and took a sip of the coffee. -Seraphina looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re just epting it? Why don¡¯t you arque a bit?¡± ¡°Sera, I¡¯ve told you- 1 know.¡± Seraphina cut him off, ¡°Because of me, someone was investigating you. You had concerns, you wanted to protect Sandra so you got close to Tania. But now no one is investigating you anymore, have you really developed feelings for Tania?¡± ¡°How do you know no one is investigating us?¡± Bowen counter¨Cquestioned. ¡°I promised I wouldn¡¯t get you involved¡± ¡°That¡¯s not your decision to make.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°But Leandro can.¡± Bowen paused, then slowly said, ¡°Do you trust him?¡± 1 do.¡± Seraphina said affirmatively. After hearing this, Bowen fell silent for a moment, then said: ¡°You may have your reasons for trusting him, but to me, Leandro is a ruthless businessman. He¡¯s best at makingpromises ording to the situation. To me, such a person is not trustworthy.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphinaughed lightly, ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re not nning to get Sandra back, but ready to continue your rtionship with Tania?¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the best choice?¡± Seraphina suddenly reached out, took the coffee from his hand, and showed a cold smile, ¡®Now you don¡¯t even deserve this treatment. Please leave.¡± She clearly expressed her intention for him to leave and didn¡¯t pay him any more attention, simply walking away. Bowen slood in ce for a while, only ending up with a helpless smile. When Sandra received a call from Seraphina, she was standing in front of the fountain at the za of the Velvetwood Art Museum. In winter, there were few pedestrians around. She stood next to the fountain in a cashmere coat, Indifferent to the cold all over her body Seraphina¡¯s call came at this time. She picked it up and heard Seraphina¡¯s cheerful voice, ¡®Sandra, when are youing back?¡± Sandra was taken aback Seraphina had always been real in front of her. Her character was like this, although she had experienced a lot in recent years, most of the time Seraphine was smiling. But Sandra had almost never heard herugh so happily. She asked uncertainly in a low voice, ¡°Sere, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m inviting you to my wedding. Seraphina replied, ¡°Would you like to be my bridesmaid?¡°. Sandra was stunned again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before¡­ this wedding is just a formality, and I don¡¯t need to be a bridesmaid?¡± ¡°I did ¡°Seraphina said, ¡®But now, I¡¯m really getting married!¡± The wind was strong in the square. Sandra quickly ran a few steps to a wind sheltered corner, then asked, ¡°Have you and Leandro made up?¡± ¡°Yup¡± Seraphina casually replied, ¡°From now on, I want to live a good life with him¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Come back soon.¡± Seraphina didnt answer, but said, ¡®All of Leandro¡¯s groomsmen are handsome. I saved the best one for you.¡± Sandra was silent for a while, thenughed, ¡®Seraphina, when did you be so cheesy?¡± ¡°Life needs a bit of cheesiness to find happiness and satisfaction Seraphina said, ¡°Forget about those irrelevant people and things.¡± Sandra was silent for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle back. Sandra returned to Sunburst City in the afternoon of the next day. Seraphina personally picked her up at the airport. ¡°You look in good spirits. Seeing Sandra, Seraphina made a briefment Sandra also looked at her and smiled faintly, ¡°You look radiant¡± Seraphina touched her face, grinning as she helped Sandra into the car She didn¡¯t ask about the thing between Sandra and Bowen, but Sandra knew, the clever Seraphina must have figured out the current situation. Otherwise, she wouldnt have offered to introduce Leandro¡¯s best man to her After getting in the car, Seraphina didnt drive her straight home but said, I¡¯m taking you somewhere.¡± The car headed straight for Carney Artful Reverie Sandra quickly finished touring the entire gallery, turned to Seraphina and asked, ¡°Did Leandro arrange all of this?¡± ¡°Who else could it be? Seraphina replied. ¡°So that¡¯s why you fell for him?¡® Sandra asked. ¡°You¡¯ve met him twice alone, do you think he¡¯s worth it? Seraphina shot back. Sandra paused, then answered. To be honest, after these two meetings, hes¡­ much better than i thought¡± Hearing this, Seraphina chuckled, ¡°Yes, at least it shows he genuinely cares about me and wants to make up for my loss, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°But the real question is¡­ what do you think?¡± Leaning against the wall, Seraphina answered with a smile, ¡°No matter what, I know being with him is the best choice, so I¡¯m all in.¡± Chapter 201 Chapter 201 For Seraphina, life seemed to have a fresh burst of excitement ever since she got her art studio. Compared to the drab days of waiting for the night to fall, having things to do every day made her feel fulfilled and satisfied, especially when these things were what she loved to do Amidst all the hustle and bustle, time slipped away unnoticed until one day, Conway sent someone to fetch her home. It was then that Seraphina suddenly realized there were only three days left till her wedding with Leandro. Meanwhile, Leandro was still in Europe, continuing his business trip that started two days ago. With their wedding around the corner, everyone at Reynolds Manor was busy preparing when Seraphina returned. On their wedding day, Leandro would being from Reynolds Vista Retreat to pick her up and head to the church. As the ce she¡¯d be leaving from, Reynolds Manor naturally had to be spruced up and not taken lightly. The reason why Seraphina was fetched back was that her wedding dress had finally arrived From setting the wedding date to the actual day, there was just over a month. The wedding dress was entirely hand-made, more than ten craftsmen working round the clock, taking over seven hundred hours to create this stunning dress using nearly two thousand silver threads. It was delivered just two days before the wedding. Concurrently delivered were the equallybor-intensive evening gown and Leandro¡¯s tuxedo. Unfortunately, the leading man was not present Seraphina quickly tried on her wedding dress and evening gown, earning praises from everyorie present. Conway looked pleased as punch, remarking. ¡°If Leandro were here in his tuxedo, you two would be a perfect match. It¡¯s all his fault, the wedding ising up but he¡¯s still on a business trip¡± Seraphina gave Conway a quick shoulder rub, ¡°Don¡¯t start ming him yet, grandpa. There¡¯s still time to me him if he doesn¡¯t make it.¡± Conway gave a yful tap on Seraphina¡¯s forehead, ¡°Nonsensel Isn¡¯t heing back tomorrow?¡± ¡°What if?¡± Seraphina countered. ¡°He¡¯s so busy, who knows what could happen?¡± No one expected Seraphina¡¯s words toe true. Leandro, who was originally nned to return two days before the wedding, had not shown up even during the rehearsal a day before the wedding. Indeed, he was held up by work and had to stay an extra day in Europe. On his way back, he encountered bad weather, with many airports imposing flight restrictions. It was uncertain when he would be able to fly In other words, he might miss his own wedding N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. In the church, the wedding nner, Dominic, was anxiously checking for updates. Despite being the bride-to-be, Seraphina seemed unusually rxed, sitting amongst her three groomsmen and bridesmaids, happily chatting away Leandro¡¯s three groomsmen were Herman Garcia, Edgar Lamont, and Hal Jacques, all old friends of his. Seraphina initially thought thest one would be Victor Farms Only upon asking did she find out that Victor was already married to a young wife of mismatched status in a secret wedding As for Seraphina, aside from Sandra, she had also invited the budding startet Una, whom she had met at a dinner party, to be her bridesmaid. Una had her first opportunity to participate in a drama series all thanks to Seraphina¡¯s rmendation Currently, in the rising phase of her career, being in the limelight was crucial. Una was always grateful to Seraphina, so when Seraphina invited her, Una epted without hesitation. As for the other bridesmaid, Seraphina couldn¡¯t find a suitable candidate, so Leandro helped her invite his innocent little cousin Lilian. Though Lin was not familiar with Seraphina, she got along well with Herman and the others, so she quickly fit right in. Everyone started discussing about Leandro, who had yet to return. Some were worried,e joked about it, but Seraphina was not worried at all. Instead, she was busy introducing Herman to Sandra. Her description of Herman to Sandra was, ¡°Even though this guy named Herman has some issues with me, I¡¯ve observed that among all of Leandro¡¯s friends, he¡¯s the most reliable!¡± Sandra wasn¡¯t too interested, but considering it was Seraphina¡¯s big day, she went along with it. Herman, who usually seemed serious and mature, showed his gentlemanly today and got along well with Sandra. Watching the lively scene, Dominic beside her couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°Dear, it¡¯s good that you, as the bride, are so carefree and happy. But your groom is still unsure if he can make it f back in time. Aren¡¯t you worried about the grand wedding tomorrow?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of worrying?¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°If I¡¯m too anxious, how am I supposed to face people tomorrow?¡± ¡°But what if the groom doesn¡¯t show up tomorrow.¡± Dominic started, then suddenly slightly pped his mouth, 1 shouldn¡¯t jinx it¡­¡± Seeing him, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, lightly patting his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He wont miss the wedding¡± Hearing that, Dominic immediately perked up, ¡°Conway said your words tend toe true, so I believe you.¡± Seraphina just gave him a small wink. That night, Sunburst City had a heavy snowfall In the middle of the snowstorm, a familiar Maybach slowly drove into Reynolds Manor ¡°Oh my God!¡± Karan in the living room cried out excitedly upon seeing the car, ¡°Is Leandro back!?¡± Conway, who was sitting on the sofa with a worried look, got up and walked to the window. Sure enough, he saw the car stop and Leandro getting out. ¡°With all that snow, how on earth did he make it back?¡± Karan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Isn¡¯t it snowing in Europe too?¡± Upon hearing this, Conway felt both joy and worry, letting out a sigh, ¡°Don¡¯t even mention snow, I don¡¯t think even had can stop him!¡± 10-3 Leandro walked in with an umbre, stowing it away in the umbre stand before looking around the room, ¡°Why is Grandpa still up?¡± ¡®How could I sleep when I didn¡¯t hear a peep from you?¡± Conway replied, ¡°You should¡¯ve at least called me on your way back, instead of keeping me on pins and needles¡± Leandro stepped into the room and took off his coat, saying. ¡°If I¡¯d called you, you would ve been even more worried.¡± The weather outside was atrocious. Conway could only guess the kind of effort it took Leandro to make it home at this hour, though he didn¡¯t ask. He simply gave him a look. ¡®Where¡¯s Seraphina?¡± Leandro asked ¡®She¡¯s upstairs resting, Karan replied with a smile, it¡¯s the big day tomorrow, she needs all the sleep she can get! Leandro didn¡¯tment, turning around to head upstairs. The moment he turned, Karan blocked his way, ¡®Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Leandro looked up at her Understanding his intention, Karan hurriedly said, ¡°Hold your horses, you can¡¯t see Sera tonight and you can¡¯t stay her up tomorrow morning! Anything else would be bad form!¡± ere either. You can onlye to pick Chapter 202 Chapter 202 After hearing this andro slightly furrowed his brows and turned to look at Conway Conway immediately let out a sigh and said in a should be more t too. going on a to return and pu would¡¯ve been able to Conway piopped down on Leandro understood that Comway was act He checked Te time nine o¡¯cloc T¨¹ head Conway hummed in response, not saying Leandro didn¡¯t say mu ch either, just the driver had By the time he stepped promptly ope Mr Reynolds! Tm This mai right before wedding se past few days¡± You may not care, but our generation respects tradition. You you hadn¡¯t gone to Europe you wouldn¡¯t have been dyed on your annoyed at him for the risk he took ining back, even though he had safely returned. The anger of upsetting Conway further tonight a few hours before morning sandro said, then turned to Conway, ¡°Grandpa get some rest early You need to wake up early tomorrow¡± Tver to prepare the car ready started the car and was waiting for him at the door. As Leandro emerged from the house, the driver for him, but Leandro did not immediately get in. ter frating his cigarette. The driver immediately nodded and stepped at and m The more than was th Half a minute A minuteter there was out panded the garden stepped standing quiet 1. His gaze fell on a window on the second cheary sti The co Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. emitted a bright orange light soft and warm. bunt to the end, but he didn¡¯t notice etter dat La She was wearing very thin adro. They just stared at each other and had a atisfed smile on her face for a long while then Seraphina suddenly reached out her hand A man abu The moment she saw him. Serap Karan were guarding the living room and he couldnt p had climbed in through the window. couldn¡¯t help but onto the bed,ughing 1 thought you had left.¡± Serap Leandro was adjusting his shirt and trousers, not responding The driver did indeed drive off but the car only carried his coat sad. Didn¡¯t the driver just drive off?¡± Seraphina once again ran to the window to curiously look ou anything to climb on here¡± then turned around and looked at him, ¡°How did you climb up? I didn¡¯t see Leandro had already removed his dusty shirt, not answering Seraphina¡¯s question, but only said. ¡°Go get me a cle set of clothes¡± Tm not going Seraphinazily sat on the bed titing her head to look at him. ¡°You go it¡¯s just a few steps away Can¡¯t you do this yourself?¡± She was obeusly doing it on purpose Leandro walked to the side of the bed, leaned over and said. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not going?¡± Seraphinay on the bed, unable to suppress herughter. You the heir of the Reynolds family the man in charge of the Reynolds Group, dared to climb in through the window but you¡¯re afraid to fetch clothes¡± If you don¡¯t want to fetch them, then dont Leandro said. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have to wear them anyway¡± As soon as he finished speaking. Seraphina was grabbed by him, her lips sealed At first, she justughed and dodged, but when he let go of her arms, she unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck. Ha had been standing in the snow for so long, then climbed through the window without his coat, his body was cold Heroom was too warm, and facing this natural cooler, Seraphina was happy to hug him even tighter But the ¡°cooler gradually became warm, what should she do? Seraphina started to sweat, slightly panting as she and he separated. Her lips were left wet and shiny from their kisses, but Leandro didn¡¯t seem to be satisfied She couldn¡¯t help butugh again, looking at him, ¡°What are you trying to do? You¡¯re not thinking about having our wedding night ahead of time, are you? That¡¯s not a good omnen¡­¡± Leandro lowered his head, their noses touching, his voice low and slow, Tve done a lot of things in my life that aren¡¯t good omens. One more doesn¡¯t make a difference¡± Just over ten hours ago, at the stormy Frankfurt airport, his ne had taken off forcibly. On the return journey, they encountered a strong air current, the ne was turbulent and the apanying staff were all pale; Whennding, they encountered heavy wind and snow in Sunburst City, the ne circled in the sky for nearly an hour before finally finding the opportunity tond smoothly. Each of these things was a bad omen He hade through these bad omers, what else could make him hesitate? Seraphinaughed out, slightly lifting her head to rub lightly against his lips, whispering, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid either¡± Hearing this, Leandro paused for a moment, then once again kissed her lips. ¡°My wedding dress, the back is exposed. In the midst of their passionate kiss, Seraphina spoke intermittently, ¡°Be careful¡­ if you don¡¯t want others to see any marks on me.¡± And Leandro didnt say much, he just let his actions do the talki king Late at night, the snow had finally stopped Leandro¡¯s driver sat in the continuously running car, having checked the time countless times, finally couldn¡¯t help but nad off.. With a ¡°click¡±, Leandro opened the car door and got in The driver immediately snapped back to reality, rubbing his eyes and quickly perking up, Mr. Reynolds.¡± Leandro had changed his clothes and seemed to be in a good mood. He didn¡¯t chastise the driver for dozing off The driver let out a sigh of relief, starting the car while checking the time. His eyes widened it was already 4 in the morning! And his passenger, Mr. Reynolds, had a full days wedding itinerary starting at 6 am! Sure enough, when the car returned to Reynolds Vista Retreat, all lights were on and the cars on the road were all ready to go. Drivers, bodyguards, wedding nners, and staff all got busy Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Leandro went into the house and upstairs, took a shower and changed into his formal attire, then came back downstairs There was hardly any spare time. At the crack of dawn, 6 am, the convoy set off on time. Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Seraphina¡¯s day started off in a mad rush and a hot mess After Leandro left, she fell into a deep sleep, god knows how long she actually slept before she was roused by a knock on the door ¡°Sera, its already four o¡¯clock. Time to get your butt out of bed and start getting ready¡± Karan¡¯s voice could be heard from the other side of the door Knowing her love for sleep, she paused before adding, ¡°This day onlyes once in a lifetime, girl. You gotta seize the day. Fight the sleepiness!¡± Blinking sleepily, Seraphina found Leandro still in her bed. Quite the funny situation-Leandro, who was supposed to pick her up in two hours, was still lounging in her bed. He probably couldn¡¯t sleep either and she had no idea why he was still hanging around ¡°Are you nning on leaving anytime soon? Seraphina asked ¡°Are you nning to just walk down the stairs from here to pick me up for the wedding?¡± Despite just waking up, Leandro seemed alert as ever Someone over at Reynolds Vista Retreat must have been pulling an all-nighter, constantly blowing up his phone, urging him to show up. But he justy there, unmoving It wasn¡¯t until Seraphina woke up and chased him out that he finally realized it was time to go. Both of them got up simultaneously Seraphina wandered into the bathroom while Leandro started getting dressed. By the time Seraphina had filled the bathtub ande out, Leandro was all dressed and ready to leave Seeing him getting ready to head downstairs, Seraphina quickly stopped him. ¡°Hey, you might not be scared of Karan¡¯s nagging, but I sure as hell am!¡± Is there actually something you¡¯re afraid of? Leandro asked Seraphina turned to him with a smirk, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You had the energy to climb up here but now you¡¯re too tired to climb down? If thats the case. I¡¯ll have a chat with the wedding nner to simplify the ceremony. After all, we can¡¯t have the groom embarrassing himself in front of the guests, right?¡± Her mocking smirk was like she was watching aedy show Leandro didn¡¯t respond to her taunts instead, he just pinched her chin and said, Tm not afraid of being ragged, or embarrassing myself. As for my stamina, you should know better¡± With that, he opened the door and stepped out ¡°Hey!¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t have the chance to stop him, Leandro had already bumped into Karan in the hallway. Karan was dumbfounded to see him, her voice even faltered, ¡°Leandro, what are you doing here?¡± Leandro didnt answer her, he just turned back to Seraphina, ¡°See youter? Seraphina responded by flipping him off. Leandro didn¡¯t seem fazed, he simply added. ¡°See you tonight¡± With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Seraphina fuming For the rest of the morning, whether Seraphina was brushing her teeth, bathing, or doing her makeup, she had to put up with Karan¡¯s incessant chattering about her and Leandros behavior it was like a non- stop monologue that gave her a headache The atmosphere in the mansion only got livelier as her bridesmaids started to trickle in. Conway had also invited a few young guests to join the party and finally, Magdalen arrived. By the time Seraphina was all dolled up and in her wedding dress, Leandro made his return. Things got really lively in the mansion once he arrived. The fatigue from not getting enough sleep the night before started to kick in for Seraphina, yet amidst the buzz and the chaos, Leandro finally stood before her In ordance with her traditional and borate wedding dress, Leandro was dressed in a traditional suit withce embroidery This usually calm and serious man was handsome and fall Dressed in such formal attire, he looked like an aristocrat from a bygone era-elegant and grand But his aloof and indifferent demeanor made him seem unreachable N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°Oh wow, you look dashing Seraphina eximed as soon as she saw him. A burst ofughter and squeals filled the room at herment. Edgar chimed in ¡°What s with all this ¡®you¡¯ stuff? Shouldn¡¯t you be calling him ¡®hubby by now?¡± ¡°Dear hubby.¡± Seraphina obliged, ¡°You look dashing¡± The room erupted in apuse and cheers once more. Seraphina was beaming with joy and pride. Amidst theughter, Seraphina ft right in her smile radiant and genuine throughout. Leandro¡¯s gaze rested on her smiling face, his expression remained calm andposed. As he knelt to help her put on her wedding shoes, Seraphinas smile grew even sweeler, matching his every mavi. Cheers erupted as Leandro leaned in to kiss her. Seraphina kissed him back, triggering another round of screams. When no one was looking, Leandro bit her lips quickly. Seraphina shot him a ve, but didn¡¯t resist. Everything else went smoothly from there. Leandro fed Seraphina downstairs, surrounded by a sea of faces. 10:31 Conway was also in a formal suit, and Magdalen was in a vintage long dress, waiting on the living room sofa Seeing the couplee down, Conway couldn¡¯t stop smiling Magdalens expression was serene, but while she gave them her blessings, she told Leandro, ¡°From now on, Seraphina is your responsibility¡± Leandro simply nodded in response, while Seraphina gave her a sweet smile and said, ¡°Thank you, mom,¡± The rest of theplicated rituals and procedures once again had Seraphina feeling a tad bit overwhelmed. But she kept her cheerful smile on the whole time, making the day truly hers It wasn¡¯t until Conway, dressed in formal attire, appeared before her at the church and was ready to escort her in, that Seraphina¡¯s gun faltered for a moment. Then she stood up, cucled Conway, and reached out to hold his arm, sincerely eximing, ¡°Grandpa, youre really dashing!¡± At this, Conway immediately adjusted his bow tie again, I didn¡¯t embarrass you, did 17¡å ¡°No way!¡± Seraphina leaned on Conway¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re my pride and joy I¡¯m not.¡± Conway said. The guyter will be.¡± At these words, Seraphinaughed. As the wedding began, Seraphina, in her wedding dress, took Conway¡¯s arm and slowly walked into the church. She immediately spotted Leandro, who was waiting in the middle of the church. In the oldest and grandest church in Sunburst City, with a hundred-year history, the band yed a solemn and sacred piece. Leandro, in his custom-tailored ck suit, stood before the immacte white arch, as if a still picture Seraphina, who had been cheerfully ying all morning, suddenly froze. That scene was like a dream. A dream from her girlhood. A beautiful, dreamy expectation. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 For Seraphina, the most beautiful dream she ever had as a young girl was about a boy named Leandro In that dream, it was just the two of them, over and over again. At one point, it felt so real, like she could reach out and touch it. All she had to do was stretch out her arms and she could pull him into her embrace. But just when she was about to stretch out her arms, the dream shattered The pain of waking up made her stop daydreaming But now, that dream from her youth suddenly appeared so real in front of her eyes It had crossed time, changes, and new beginnings. This dream, stubbornly existing in her life, was ultimately unavoidable. Even though she was no longer the girl she was seven years ago, she still whispered to herself ¨C Look, there¡¯s your dream The man in your dream, he¡¯s finally here. Even though heste by so many years, he¡¯s still here Conway, arm in arm with Seraphina, walked step by step towards Leandro, then handed Seraphina¡¯s hand to Leandro and smiled, ¡°Leandro, I¡¯m handing Sera over to you.¡± Seraphina turned her head to look at Conway and gently smiled. Once upon a time, she couldn¡¯t imagine her wedding day because no one could rece her father¡¯s ce leading her by the hand into the church. But now, Conway apanied her on this journey as a grandfather, his arm providing her with a feeling of reliability andfort. Those shattered dreams were gradually pieced together again, constructing a perfect fairy tale for her Leandro took Seraphina¡¯s hand, holding it tightly in his palm. Her hand was very cold, as if there was no warmth at all. He gripped her icy hand lightly, always keeping his calm gaze on Seraphina¡¯s face. Someone gently reminded him, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, its time to enter¡± But Leandro didn¡¯t move He just quietly looked at Seraphina, even though she was also looking at him, he was still waiting for a response. The staff around them were a bit puzzled, and Conway felt a bit strange, whispering. ¡°Leandro? Sera?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Hearing this, Seraphina looked at Leandro and whispered, ¡°Are you having regrets now? it¡¯s toote Her face was veiled, her smile a bit blurry and Leandro couldn¡¯t help but grip her hand tighter, raising it to his lips and gently breathing on it. The weather was very cold. He held her hand for a long time, and then blew on it bringing her a bit of warmth. Only then did Seraphina realize his intention, she slowly smiled, and actively put her hand into his arm, To the holy bridal march, they walked hand in hand into the most sacred chapel. The priest waited on the altar and all the guests quietly watched them. The bridesmaids and groomsmen stood on both sides, weing their arrival Following Seraphina¡¯s long wedding dress, Valerio and a little girl about his age served as flower children, looking like miniature versions of the bride and groom. The entire wedding was solemn and serious, just as a marriage should be Seraphina¡¯s heart gradually calmed down in this holy atmosphere. She heard Leandro say I do She lowered her head and smiled, also saying the same 1 do? Leandro put the ring on her ring finger. She did the same Leandro gently lifted her veil and leaned down to kiss her. The questo etapped enthusiastically, and she opened her eyes, her eyes shining like sparkling water Leandro suddenly hugged her tightly and kissed her even deeper The guests watched them, some sincerely blessing, some coldly observing, some being cautious Everything in the past was covered by the sweetness of the room Alter the wedding. Seraphina felt like she was about to faint Her long carefree life made her unused to such formal and tense moments. Coupled with theck of sleepst night, she felt extremely ted after the wedding was over, and there was still a grand wedding banquet and ball toe Seraphina felt that this wedding was designed to make people copue She didn¡¯t know how she managed to hold on, only knowing that she fell onto the bed as soon as she returned to the room and immediately lost consciousness. She didn¡¯t know how long she had slept When she woke up, she felt very hot. She thought she was covered with too much quilt and subconsciously stretched out her foot to kick it off, only then did she feel another heat source. Seraphina instantly woke up, opened her eyes, and saw Leandro. He must have juste back from the banquet, and she assumed he was drunk. His eyes were a bit red, but they shone brightly He was kissing her, waking her up, and then began to take off his tie and shirt ¡°Leandro Seraphina was too tired to push him away, but if she didn¡¯t, she might be endlessly tormented, so she could only softly plead with him, ¡°We¡¯ve been busy all day Arent you tired? I¡¯ll run a hot bath for you, you can take a bath and have a good night¡¯s sleep, okay?¡± ¡°Are you begging for mercy? Even after drinking so much. Leandro was still sober. He stared at Seraphina for a moment, then suddenlyughed, ¡°Thats not your style.¡± Seraphina hadnt seen him smile in a long time, she was a bit dazed, and it took her a while to say. Tim really tired If you could have anticipated this, you shouldn¡¯t have provoked me this morning Leandro said this and took her hand into his mouth. Seraphina suddenly remembered the gesture she made to him when he left the room this morning ¨C At that time, Leandro just replied to her sinctly. See you tonight Tonight Isn¡¯t that now? Seraphina was held lightly by him and could only hold back her tears- She was always good at setting traps for others, but when facing Leandro, she always ended up in a lose lose situation, Perhaps this is fate, an inescapable fate¡­ Chapter 205 Chapter 205 After a whole lot of messing around, Seraphina was totally wide awake. Leandro did not let her rest easily They never had wedding photos taken, and he wasn¡¯t there when she picked her wedding gown. Today was the first time he formally saw her in a wedding dress Even though she was all chill and upbeat the whole morning, letting loose and having fun, she finally put on a serious face when they stepped into the church Whether it was real or faked, Leandro epted it Her figure in a white dress, slowly walking towards him lingered in his mind, giving him asting impression. So, he¡¯s not gonna let her off the hook and sleep tonight Seraphina lost her sleepiness, and was surprised by Leandro¡¯s seemingly endless energy, so she eagerly stuck with him. By the end she was dead beat, barely able to move. She sprawled on the bed, not even wanting to move her fingers But Leandro was still full of beans, he picked her up from the bed, took her to the bathroom to freshen up, then put her back in bed. However, Seraphina was still not sleepy. She was extremely exhausted, but just couldn¡¯t fall asleep Leandroid next to her, nced at her wide-open eyes, and simply said. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep.¡± Seraphina red at him unhappily She was sleeping soundly but he woke her up. Now that he¡¯s satisfied, he wants to go to sleep? Even though he might not be able to sleep with her in the same bed. Seraphina had no intentions of letting him off the hook When Leandro reached out to turn off the light, Seraphina suddenly nudged him lightly, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m hungry¡± It was true. She was busy and fired all day. She couldn¡¯t eat when it was time to eat. Now that she had a bit of rest, she finally felt hungry ¡°We have a chel at home, Leandro replied if you¡¯re hungry, ask him to cook After saying that, he sat up. But Seraphina suddenly hugged him from behind and coord, ¡°No¡± Leandro turned to look at her. She pouted and said, ¡°This is not Reynolds Manor¡­ Today, Leandro took her away from Reynolds Manor After the wedding, they were supposed to go back to their own home for a night, so now they were at Reynolds Vista Retreat -¡°So what?¡¯ Leandro asked. ¡°You know I¡¯m not weed here,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°It 5 annoying to make people busy in the middle of the night. If it disturbs others, it¡¯s even more T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. annoying¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Leandro replied, ¡°So you¡¯re not eating?¡± ¡°Gosh!¡± Seraphina eximed, ¡°I have to go to bed hungry on my first day of being married to you. Leandro. Being your wife is too hard!¡± Leandro already knew that she was determined to give him a hard time. He wasn¡¯t going to indulge her, but herst sentence really made him happy. ¡°Tell me¡± he said, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Biting her lip, Seraphina smiled and said, ¡°I want potato soup.¡± Before Leandro could respond, she added ¡°I want the potato soup from the small restaurant in front of my high school¡± Hearing this, Leandro paused for a moment. Then, he stood up and turned to Seraphina, ¡°Go change At first, Seraphina just wanted to tease Leandro. But as soon as they stepped downstairs, she started to regret it. Let¡¯s not go, let¡¯s not go she said, backing away. ¡°Where are we going for potato soup at this hour? Just ask the chef to make me a wrap.¡± But Leandro had already walked out the door. He didn¡¯t let her back out, held her hand, and led her to the car So, al 2 am on December 21, on their first day after the wedding, Leandro took Seraphina through the snow-covered Sunburst City to her high school to have a bof potato soup. At this hour, the hustle and bustle of the city had died down, let alone a small restaurant in front of a high school. But when the driver pulled up to the restaurant, warm light wasing out from inside. The entire street was silent, only this restaurant was still open As soon as the car stopped, Keen ran out of the restaurant and opened the car door for Seraphina Seraphina got out of the car, looked at him, and clearly felt that Keen was a bit embarrassed. Doing something like this in this kind of weather at this time of the day, i was indeed speechless. If she were an emperor¡¯s minister, she would probably want to get rid of a ¡®demon queen¡¯ like hersell Nevertheless, Keen still dutifullypleted vs task, respectfully calling her ¡°Mrs. Raynolds¡± This title gave Seraphina goosebumps. She turned to look at Leandro, but Leandro was as if nothing had happened, holding her hand and walking into the restaurant. Before the two arrived, Keen had people clean the restaurant thoroughly. But no matter how much they cleaned, it was still a shabby little ce in front of a high school, mainly serving students, selling a cheap and simple version of potato soup. Keen couldn¡¯t imagine Leandro sitting in a ce like this. But Leandro did sit down, in a familiar way The restaurant owner, who was woken up by a strange phone call, was initially full ofints, but was overjoyed when he received the payment. Upon seeing Leandro, he came up with a smile on his face. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Mrs Reynolds, hello. Yesterday was your big day, congrattions!¡± Leandro just slightly nodded. The owner rubbed his hands, his excited face glowing red, ¡°I never thought after all these years, Mr. Reynolds would still remember this small ce, it¡¯s such an honor, such an honor! Hearing this, Keen was taken aback, looking at the man and woman sitting at the small table, he was puzzled ¨C so Leandro had been to this restaurant before? Upon hearing this, Seraphina chuckled at the boss. ¡°Si, do you actually remember himing here before?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± the boss replied, ¡°A guy like Mr. Reynolds? One visit and remember him for life And Mrs Reynolds, I¡¯ve remembered you all these years. Back when you were studying here, there were loads of guys chasing after you. Anytime you¡¯d pop into my restaurant for a bite, those boys would be hot on your heels¡± Hearing this, Leandro gave Seraphina a calm nce Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh at the boss¡¯s exaggerated words, at the same time feeling assured that he truly did remember her and Leandro. Though Leandro wasn¡¯t the big shot head of the Reynolds Group back then, he still stood out in a ce like this. Even after all these years, the memory of those times is still as fresh as ever Chapter 206 Chapter 206 In 2009, during the sweltering summer. Sunburst City experienced some crazy weather that year. After September, the city was hit by a heatwave with record breaking temperatures for days on end. Evente into the night, the heat was still suffocating That evening, while Conway was at the hospital for a check-up and Glora was traveling in Europe, Bruce Reynolds was notably absent. This left Seraphina as the only awake inhabitant of the grandl Reynolds Manor: the servants had long since retired for the night. Lost in thought, Seraphina wandered between her room and the kitchen. During one of her trips, she unexpectedly ran into someone at the kitchen entrance. Leandro, slightly inebriated from a recent party had just returned to the manor. He was in the kitchen for a cold drink when he turned and collided with Seraphina. She stood there, wearing a sleeveless nightgown, her bare shoulders glowing, cheeks rosy and hair slightly moist. It seemed like they always ran into each other in the kitchente at night The moment he saw her, Leandro couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Are you hungry again?¡± Seraphina bit her lip and just replied, ¡°No,¡± before throwing him a nce and bolting off Back in her room, her heart was pounding She still remembered thest time they ran into each otherte at night, she had tripped and fallen right into his arms. Leaning against her door and taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart, she was startled by a knock at her door She held her breath, her mind racing. At this hour, no one in the house would knock on her door¡­ Seraphina hesitated momentarily, biting her lip, then resolutely opened the door. There stood Leandro, a croissant from the fridge in one hand and a bottle of cold water in the other Want some?¡± Leandro offered, a teasing smile on his face, nodding towards the croissant. Seraphina¡¯s gaze shifted from the croissant to Leandro, remaining silent. Noticing her damp hair and flushed cheeks, Leandro realized she was feeling the heat. Her light attire contrasted with his own difort, making him adjust his shirt for relief Then, he looked into her room, ¡°What¡¯s up with your room? Why is it so hot?¡± The aircon¡¯s broke.¡± Seraphina replied softly Leandro nced at the croissant and the water in his hands, then handed her the water. Is this what you want then?¡± Seraphina took the water and murmured a small ¡°Yes,¡± before pressing the cold bottle against her neck, and stealing another nce at him. ¡°Does that actually help with the heat? Leandro asked. Seruphina lowered her head and replied, ¡°Better than nothing.¡± The moment the cold bottle touched her skin droplets formed and slid down her smooth neck Leandro caught another glimpse of her and suddenly found it hard to breathe in the stifling room. ¡°Get some, Seraphina paused, then said, ¡°gel some sleep soon.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. With that, she reached out to close the door But Leandro quickly reached out to stop the door from closing. 1 can fix your aircon for you! Seraphina Inoked up at him, her eyes lighting up in recognition ¡°Alright¡± She finally let a small smile crept onto her face. Leandro found himself smiling in response to her smile. As the eldest Reynolds son, he had grown up in luxury, groomed to helm the family business Yel, In this moment, he was ying the role of a handyman, trying to fix her air conditioner. This unexpected gesture delighted her. As he worked on the aircon in the sweltering heat, she stayed close, observing him intently despite not understanding the repair process. The oppressive heat soon had Leandro soaked in sweat, his shirt sticking to him. Upon seeing this. Seraphina quackly ran over to her bed, grabbed the handheld fan she left there, and returned to fan him. Leandro nced at her. ¡°Do you think that helps?¡± Seraphina lestated before replying, ¡°Better than nothing¡± With a small smile, he reconnected a wire in the aircon and pressed the power button. The aircon hummed to life, and cool air filled the room Relieved from the heat after a long night, Seraphina took a deep breath, pulling at the cor of her nightgown to let the cool air in Leandro watched her and suddenly found his mouth dry, the room still unbearably hot. He took the bottle of water Seraphina had been using to cool down, opened the cap and took a sip. The water was warm, having taken on her body temperature. Leandro frowned slightly Seeing his reaction, Seraphma quickly said, get you a new one.¡± She turned to leave, and Leandro watched her go without stopping her Chapter 207 Chapter 207 The cold water in the fridge was all gone, and Seraphina, after a moment¡¯s thought, decided to drop some ice cubes into a ss, fill it with water, and give it to Leandro. She went upstairs with the ss, her heart full of anticipation. Sure, it was just a ss of water, but to her, it was a sign of her growing connection with him. The day had the feel of a teenage fantasy-fleeting but enchanting, even if it might have been an illusion Yet, as Seraphina re-entered her room with a ss of water, that gentle reverie dissolved There, at her desk, sat Leandro, thumbing through her textbooks. Panic surged within her. She rushed over, setting the ss down precariously while trying to reim her book Caught off guard, Leandro released the textbook. But in that hurried motion, the ss teetered, then tipped, spilling cold water directly onto him. ¡°Oops!¡± Seraphina immediately started scrambling, dropping the textbook onto the floor and bending down to dry Leandro off, picking out ice cubes from his clothes. Most of the water had spilled on Leandro¡¯s pants, but in her panic, she didn¡¯t notice and went straight to clean up his pants. By the time she realized what she was doing, Leandro had grabbed her wrist. This was, without a doubt, pretty awkward Seraphina blushed so hard that het ears turned red. She lowered her gaze, took a moment topose herself, then looking at the toppled ss, she bit her lip and said, I¡¯ll go get you another ss of water Even though the air conditioning was on, the room somehow felt heated. Leandro cleared his throat, trying to keep hisposure. Seraphina quickly picked up the ss and went to refill it, while Leandro turned his attention back to the textbook she had just snatched from him. What could possibly be in it that had her so on edge? Curiosity getting the better of him, Leandro reached out and picked up the textbook again. Seraphina, standing at the door, nced back to see Leandro holding the textbook again Before her mind had a chance to react, her body was already racing back towards him, Seeing her like this, Leandro leaned back in his chair, clutching the textbook. But Seraphina, throwing caution to the wind, lunged at the textbook ¨C ¡°Thud!¡± Leandro toppled over with his chair, and Seraphina, who had thrown herself at him, fell with him. As they hit the floor, the cover of the textbook in Leandro¡¯s hand flipped open- The first page revealed a portrait: short hair, a white shirt, deep-set eyes, and a familiar, smiling face Both Seraphina and Leandro simultaneously looked at the drawing. While he was taken aback, she felt as if her world had paused. The secret was now unmistakable Frozen, Seraphina couldn¡¯t react. Leandro took a moment topare the portrait to her before locking eyes with her. Her flushed face p¨¦vealed her vulnerability and surprise. He had always sensed her affection but brushed it off as a fleeting crush. Yet now, that same girl was close to him, radiating a tender shyness. His hand was casually resting on her body, the heat from her body slowly seeping into his. Leandro thought he must be drunk. He felt the heat from her body seep into his, and the dryness in his throat returned. Looking at the blushing girl in front of him, his mind suddenly shed with inappropriate images. By the time he realised what he was thinking, his brain was telling him to push her away, but he found himself gripping her wrist tighter, ¡°Are you always this hot?¡± he asked in a low voice Seraphina looked lost and confused, her breath quickening as she met his gaze, unable to form a response. She was eye¡¯shaking a little Leandro¡¯s hand settled on her waist, drawing her closer. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± he whispered. Seraphina¡¯s eyelids fluttered shut Fear wasnt the right word, she felt a mix of exhration, anticipation, and nerves. She had never imagined this moment ¨C Iser feelings exposed to him, especially when she felt so caught off guard. The uncertainty of his reaction weighed on her, and her heart raced in response The warmth of Leandro¡¯s hand was aforting contrast to her nervous coolness. An overwhelming rush of emotions made her feel as if she was burning up. When she opened her eyes, she hesitated briefly before leaning in pressing her bps to his It was an impulsive move, unnned and without forethought. It began gently, just the tender touch of lips. But the soft press quickly deepened into a Tervent embrace. Though inexperienced, she let herself be guided by Leandro¡¯s assertiveness. She trambled, caught in the whirlwind of emotions and sensations. Lost In the moment, she struggled to grasp the reality of their closeness. By morning. there was no denying that their rtionship had shifted profoundly¡­.. The next day, Leandro personally drove her to school. Last night, he seemed to have been influenced by alcohol, losing control, while she, dazed and confused, hadnte to her senses till now. Both of them overslept in the morning She didn¡¯t have breakfast and rushed out of the house. By the time she got to school, she waste. So he parked the car by the side of the road and suggested that she grab something to eat before heading to school. She picked a fast food joint that she often went to. Leandro sat with her in the restaurant. ss time had long passed, and the whole street was pretty much deserted. The restaurant was about as empty as a ghost town, except for the two of them. The owner had known Seraphina for quite some time now, but his eyes couldn¡¯t help but linger on Leandro, who didn¡¯t quite fit the mold of a student nor a parent. After all, a guy as dashing as Leandro was a sight unseen in this little joint. When the waitress brought the breakfast over, Seraphina dove into her meal while Leandro didn¡¯t touch his. He just lit up a cigarette and watched her in silence By the time Leandro finished his smoke, Seraphina had barely made a dent in her meal At this point, Leandro finally broke the silence and asked. ¡°Did you get scared yesterday?¡± Seraphina took a sip of her Coke in silence before finally looking up at him and saying, ¡°Nope.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The intensity and resolve in her gaze caught him off guard After staring at her for a moment, Leandro suddenly burst intoughter Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Seraphina didn¡¯t remember much about that day, but she did remember Leandro¡¯s smile. Later, he dropped her off at the school gate. She walked in, turned around after a while, and he was still there In Sunburst City, the day¡¯s heat was almost unbearable. Yet, in Seraphina¡¯s memories, the day felt mild. Gentle sun rays, a soft breeze, and his tender demeanor. The ambiance carried a sweet fragrance Jolted back to the present, Seraphina sneezed loudly, not from the cold, but because she¡¯d inhaled some pepper. Leandro, without hesitation, draped his coat over her ¡°I¡¯m not cold,¡± she remarked, ncing at the coat. She didn¡¯t remove it, however, Instead, she teased, ¡°If you get sick, it¡¯s not on me! Keen, observing from the doorway, couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Over the years, Seraphina remained the only one bold enough to act freely around Leandro. And regardless of her antics, Leandro always showed her affection. It was a choice he made, leaving others with little toment on Seraphina told the owner, ¡°Boss, your potato soup tastes just as good as it did years ago!¡± The ownerughed heartily. ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, it¡¯s my honor that you like it! You¡¯re wee anytime, I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Oh no, if Ie at this time again, people outside will hate me¡± Given Leandro¡¯s status, going out is never a simple matter, drivers, and bodyguards are always on standby. To make them hate me a little less today, make one for each of them!¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Surel¡± the owner said, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, you¡¯re both beautiful and kind!¡± Seraphinaughed uncontrobly and turned to Keen, Keen, am I beautiful and kind?¡± Keen¡¯s facial muscles twitched involuntarily, seeing Leandro¡¯s cold eyes, he immediately turned and left the doorway. Without a target for her jokes, Seraphina¡¯s attention finally turned to Leandro. Leandro¡¯s food was untouched. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°It¡¯s delicious, try it!¡± Leandro sat in his chair, slowly saying, ¡°I¡¯m not used to eating food toote.¡± Seraphina gave a yful grimace. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat back then, and you¡¯re still not eating now, after seven years. Aren¡¯t you missing out on good food?¡± From outside the door, Keen kept a watchful eye on the shop. To his surprise, he soon noticed Leandro reaching for a fork! Is it good?¡± Seraphina asked. -Leandro took a bite and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± Seraphina finally showed a satisfied smile Outside, Keen, who heard Leandro¡¯s answer, suddenly feltplicated-if Leandros ¡°okay¡± was a compliment, how good must this food bel A few minutester, Keen picked up his potato soup, after eating half of it, a look of bewilderment appeared on Keens face. The driver was next to him, also eating big bites ¡°Is it good? Keen suddenly asked. ¡°Average,¡± the driver replied without looking up, ¡°not as good as the ce I usually go.¡± Right! Keen almost wanted to throw his bowl in frustration, this was just a very ordinary potato soup, how could it be ¡°okay¡± in Leandro¡¯s eyes? He had high expectations, and now he was disappointed! Seraphina really knows how to fool people, even her sense of taste! How could Leandro have such bad taste? Is it because he¡¯s lost his sense of taste? After finishing the potato soup, Seraphina suggested going to the beach to watch the sunrise. Keen knew about Seraphina¡¯s difficulty, but when he heard ¡°watch the sunrise¡±, he was still uncontrobly shocked. And Leandro surprisingly agreed without hesitation! So they drove towards the beach, but before they could see the sea, Seraphina, who had eaten and drank her fill, had already fallen asleep in thefortable car. By the time they reached the beach, Seraphina was sound asleep. Keen guessed that Leandro must not have rested, so he said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Ms. Bet¡­ no, Mrs, Reynolds is asleep, can we go back directly?¡± Leandro nced at Seraphina, who was asleep on his shoulder, and just replied. ¡®No need.¡± So that meant warding for the sunrise, Keen looked despairingly at the driver, and they quickly got out of the car, leaving the space in the car for the newlyweds. Seraphine was still sleeping, and Leandro was always there with her. Even though he was exhausted, he couldn¡¯t find rest in a car. Yet, he indulged her whims, because if it mattered to her, it was enough for him/ No matter how wild or unlikely her request, if it brought her comfort, it was worth it. They parked at the beach for several hours. As dawn approached, the car was bathed in the light of a rising red sun, turning the misty sea to a shade of gold. Leandro took in the view and then looked over to Seraphina Her steady breathing indicated she was deep in sleep. ¡°The sun is up,¡± he whispered, not expecting a response. He leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. To his surprise, she opened her eyes not because of his words, his kiss, or the sunlight, but with a grimace of pain. ¡®Leandro,¡± she groaned, ¡°my stomach hurts so much!TM Caught off guard, Leandro realized that sometimes too much of a good thing can backfire. Seraphina felt like she¡¯s hit a streak of bad luck. A bunch of folks had potato soup from that joint, but why was she the only one getting the runs? The day after her wedding, she was confined to a running ry between the bed and the bathroom, pooping herself to exhaustion. Conway was looking pretty sour ¡°Look at you, in this freezing weather, why on earth would you go out for a midnight snack? You must have caught a chill! You just got hitched yesterday. today should be your honeymoon! But instead, you¡¯re ill and can¡¯t get off the toilet!¡± Seraphina burst outughing from under the covers, ¡°Well, this is quite special, leaves asting impression!¡± Leandro¡¯s face turned even grimmer. Those who are usually swamped with work managed to take a three-day break for the wedding. But for the next three days, Seraphina might just be stuck in bed, nursing her health.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 209 Chapter 209 On thest day of his wedding leave, Leandro finally found time to throw a party for his friends who supported him at his wedding. Upon hearing the news of the party, Seraphina, who had been bedridden for two days due to gastroenteritis, immediately sprang to life. She grabbed Leandros arm and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of you guys sitting around chatting and drinking? I¡¯ll find some hot chicks to spice things up! Leandro didn¡¯t react much to her suggestion. Though unfamiliar with many in Sunburst City, she had a select few acquaintances. While Leandro wasn¡¯t particrly fond of mingling with unfamiliar faces, he didn¡¯t protest her ns However, as they entered ¡°Enchanted Petals Club, Leandro quickly realized he had misjudged the extent of Seraphina¡¯s connections. Among the invitees were Una and her entertainment industry colleagues, as well as gallery directors, fashion stylists, wedding coordinators, and even Conway¡¯s former nurse. The only expected face missing was Sandra¡¯s What Leandro had envisioned as an intimate meetup had been transformed by Seraphina into a grand celebration. In truth, his intention for this gathering was to express gratitude to those who had supported their wedding, turning it into a post-wedding festivity. So, in essence, therger, vibrant affair was fitting However, facing a room full of people, Leandro wasn¡¯t in the best of moods, just chatting and drinking with Victor in a corner. Seraphina, who hadn¡¯t attended such a gathering in a long time, was in high spirits and skillfully got everyone in the party mood. Herman arrivedte, walked in to see Edgar and Hal having a st among a group of women, went pale, then quickly made his way over to Leandro and Victor upon spotting them in the corner. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Herman asked, ¡°I thought it was just going to be us guys!¡± Leandro took a drag of his cigarette but didn¡¯t answer Victor nced at Seraphina in the crowd and chuckled, ¡°What can you do? Seraphina loves a good party, and Leandro lets her have her way.¡± At this, Herman Inoked at Seraphina in the crowd and frowned slightly In the middle of the conversation, Hal managed to escape the crowd and came back, took a big gulp of wine from the table, then finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Leandro, your wife sure knows how to party. Even Edgar can¡¯t keep up with her.¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro also looked at Seraphina in the crowd She was the center of attention, ying drinking games with Edgar, all smiles, Edgar was no match for her. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d end up marrying someone like her Victorughed. The guy who loves peace and quiet the most, marrying the woman who loves to party the most.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. That¡¯s a pretty good match, a bnce.¡± Hal said, ¡°I like your wife¡¯s spirit, you should bring her out more often!¡± After saying that, he went back to the lively crowd to join in the fun. Victor then looked back at Leandro, ¡°You probably didn¡¯t expect her to turn out this way, did you?¡± ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s still her.¡± Leandro gently knocked off the ash from his cigarette and answered nonchntly. Upon hearing this, Victor chuckled, ¡°As long as you¡¯re not bound by the past. Let bygones be bygones.¡± Leandro, on hearing this, turned to look at him but didn¡¯t say anything. Herman, who had rushed over straight from work, was starving. He quickly ate something, then looked up at the two and asked, ¡°What past are you guys talking about?¡¯ Victor looked at him with a fond expression, like looking at a child who never grows up, and only said: ¡°Just eat your food¡±¡± Herman gave him a re, then remembered something and asked Leandro, ¡°About her kidnapping, do you have any new leads? Upon hearing this, Leandro¡¯s expression became slightly heavier, ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really weird,¡±Herman said, ¡°Who would want to test your rtionship?¡± ¡°In all these years, he¡¯s been working hard in the business world, he¡¯s upset a lot of people. Victor said, ¡°Knowing such people exist, it¡¯s best to be on guard. Even if you investigate one by one, you won¡¯t find anything, after all, you¡¯re in the open and they¡¯re hiding in the dark.¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro said slowly, ¡°1 certainly won¡¯t bother with people I can¡¯t see¡± Herman nodded slightly at this, then looked up and suddenly met eyes with Seraphina in the crowd. He immediately fell nervous, and sure enough, Seraphina walked over from the lively crowd. ¡°Herman, why are you sote?¡± Sitting next to Leandro, Seraphina asked straight away. ¡°Where¡¯s my good friend?¡± Herman chuckled awkwardly. ¡°She¡¯s your friend, why are you asking me?¡± ¡°You two were on a date.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°I can¡¯t find her, so of course I have to ask you.¡± At this, both Leandro and Victor turned to look at Herman. Heiman spread his hands in resignation, ¡°Does having a meal together count as a date?¡± Since Seraphina had made a big effort to have him and Sandra get to know each other before the wedding, out of politeness, he had driven Sandra home on the wedding day The next day, Sandra invited him to dinner to thank him, and he epted. ¡°Now she¡¯s disappeared after having dinner with you. Seraphina said, ¡°Who else am I supposed to ask?¡± Recalling the events of that day, Herman paused, then smiled. As her best friend, you should know who to ask, right?¡± Seraphina instantly picked up on something from Herman¡¯s words, What happened on the day you two had dinner?¡± ¡°Nothing much.¡± Herman leaned back on the couch and said, ¡°Just as we finished eating, a man showed up and took her away¡± After hearing this, Seraphina had a hunch but still asked, Didn¡¯t you try to stop him?¡± ¡°She imed that was her brother, who am I to stop her? Herman retorted. Seraphina and Herman locked eyes silently for a moment. Herman didn¡¯t look away, even cracked a small smile at her, a hint offort hidden within. Indeed, as a cop. Herman couldn¡¯t possibly be oblivious to his surroundings. But that wasn¡¯t the situation Seraphina hoped for She felt a pang of difort and reached for a ss of wine subconsciously. Just as she was about to take a sip, she heard Leandro¡¯s icy voice, Dare to take another sip!¡± Seraphina looked at him with wide-eyed innocence I just wanted a sip.¡± Without changing his demeanor, Leandro replied, ¡°Go ahead. The cold undertone in his words made the room tense Victor and Herman quickly averted their gaze With a hint of resignation, Seraphina offered the wine ss to him. Then you drink it To everyone¡¯s surprise, Leandro epted the ss, emptying its contents in a single swallow. Before he could set the ss down, Seraphina impulsively pressed her lips to his. The room fell silent, all eyes transfixed on the unexpected disy Pulling away, she yfully chastised him, ¡°Leandro, you¡¯re well aware I have gastritis, yet you¡¯d let me drink? What¡¯s your angle?¡± The room remained stunned into silence. After a brief silence. Leandro stood up pulling Seraphina with him Surprised, she asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± I¡¯m giving you a chance to punish me Leandro calmly replied, then took Seraphina and walked out. Everyone in the room clearly heard his words, and cries of surprise broke out But amidst the screams, Seraphina was already being pulled away by Leandro Herman was somewhat stunned, and after a couple of chuckles, Victor sighed, ¡°Well, this isnt bad¡± ¡°What¡¯s not bad?¡± Herman asked ¡°Seraphina¡¯s personality changed, as did Leandro¡¯s,¡± Victor said, ¡°having her around can at least make Leandro a bit more normal.¡± Seraphina wasughing all the way as Leandro pulled her towards the ext Leandro, we¡¯re the hosts of the party today we can¡¯t just leave, can we?¡± ¡°Leandro, it¡¯s rude to leave like this!¡± ¡°Leandro, everyone will know what we¡¯re up to if we leave like this, dont you feel embarrassed?¡± She grumbled along the way. Upon hearing thest sentence, Leandro finally stopped, turned around and looked at her Before Seraphina could say anything, he bent down and kissed her. This was a public corridor, with various private rooms on the side. Although there were no other guests in the corridor, each room¡¯s entrance was manned by a server, with a manager trailing behind them ¨C The situation seemed a bit over the top. But Seraphina didnt mind the exaggeration Instead, she wrapped her arms around Leandros neck and passionately kissed him back. After a while, Leandro finally let her go, looked at her and asked. ¡°Still feel embarrassed?¡± Seraphina savoured the wine tasting kiss and smiled beautifully. ¡°Let¡¯s go home?¡± Leandro then took her hand and continued walking Just as they turned a corner, they ran into a few people. The man walking in front was clearly a VIP with everyone else standing slightly behind him, and a manager attending to hmm. Seraphina gave him a brief look. He appeared to be in has mid thirties, poised with a perpetual smile and a hint of mischief on his eyes. She quickly realized side recognize tim Yet upon spotting Leandro, the man approached and greeted with a reserved smile. Leandro, it¡¯s been a while ¡± Leandro responded a subtle nod, his face unreadable it¡¯s been a while he echoed just got back today the mu said. ¡°Heard you got married a few days ago. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t attend the wedding in person. Thedy here i ¡°My wife. Seraphina¡± | ndro put his arm around Seraphina¡¯s wi then introduced to her ¡°Patrick Gray¡¯ Patrick? The name didn¡¯t sound famr, but the name did As Berapa greeted the man, she thinking Where had she heard before! Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Seraphina tried several times to recall, but could not remember where she¡¯d heard of this guy before. She reckoned it¡¯s probably because she¡¯d been not in a good lifetely. Not working for a long time, her alertness and memory were declined The brief chit-chat between Leandro and Patrick didn¡¯t provide much information. All Seraphina could gather was that Patrick was also from Sunburst. City, but she had no clue why he¡¯d been abroad for a few years and only just returned. As they conversed, Seraphina stood quietly on the sidelines, all ears. Leandro had always been aloof with people, and with this Patrick it was probably a meet-and-greet, so he ended the conversation without saying a word. Patrick looked at Seraphina and smiled. ¡°Goodbye, Mrs. Reynolds.¡± Seraphina responded with ¡°Goodbye¡± As Patrick moved on with his entourage, Seraphina, arm in arm with Leandro, took a few steps before stealing a nce back. The guy looked solid, but those eyes were sharp as a tack, revealing a crafty and calcting mind. Two seemingly contradictory traits, yet they gelled together just fine on him. Curiosity piqued, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but ask Leandro, ¡°Whos this Patrick dude? I¡¯ve never heard of him before¡± ¡°He¡¯s a nobody,¡± Leandro shrugged. Seraphina rolled her eyes. In Leandro¡¯s world, hardly anyone mattered. With that thought, she stopped asking Leandro. The next day, Leandro was back in the grind at work, while Seraphina got back in the swing of things with her art exhibition. At noon, Sandra, who had stood her up the day before, came by Seraphina was in the thick of cataloging all the artworks, looking focused, feeling busy but fulfilled. The gallery was still closed to the public, with only staffing and going, so there were no restrictions. Sandra watched Seraphina from the open doorway for a while before Seraphina noticed her. After a quick nce, she rolled her eyes again. Only then did Sandra walk in and take a seat across the desk. Ignoring her, Seraphina finally broke the silence after a while. ¡°You look good, Sera.¡± ¡°Is that what you came to see? Seraphina answered while she was busy. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m fine. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Sandra paused before saying, ¡°He¡¯s going to break up with Tania¡± Seraphina looked up at her, ¡°What, did he get jealous seeing you with another man? Fall for you for real?¡± Sandra bit her lip. Sometimes, people just need a little push¡± ¡°Do you trust him?¡± ¡°Leandro deserves a second chance from you too, Sandra sald, ¡°Why cant trust him?¡± After a moment of silence, Seraphina chuckled, then said, ¡°Sandra, we¡¯re not the same.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Sandra asked ¡°Leandro can¡¯t hurt me anymore,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°But you, he might hurt you, hurt you real bad.¡± ¡°You¡­ Are you saying, you and Leandro¡­ Sandra seemed to struggle with her words. ¡°It¡¯s not about me and him.¡± Seraphina interrupted and said slowly, ¡°I just want to know, do you still trust this Bowen guy?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Sandra nodded slowly but firmly. ¡°Alright then,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Even though I¡¯m not brave enough for love, I still enjoy seeing others chase it and get good results.¡± Hearing this, Sandra looked visibly relieved and finally smiled, ¡°So you¡¯re supporting me?¡± ¡°Does my support really matter to you?¡± Seraphina propped her chin on her hand and looked at her, ¡°We¡¯re all individuals. As long as you¡¯re not breaking anyws or ethics, you¡¯re free to make any choices¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m independent, your support means a lot to me, Sandra said Seraphina looked into her eyes for a while, and finally, they both burst intoughter. In the following days, Seraphina threw herself into the preparations for the exhibition. On Christmas Eve, the exhibition opened as nned. Leandro did what he promised Seraphina, and all the famous artists Seraphina wanted to invite, the owners of the auction, and many other big names were there to cut the ribbon for the opening ceremony Leandro, who has always been busy, also attended in person, and for a moment, the exhibition became very famous Throughout the holiday, there was a constant stream of visitors to the Carney Gallery, and all the reception staff were busy Among all the visitors, only Magdalen was noticeably absent Seraphina thought about it, but didn¡¯t pay much attention Whether she came or not made no difference to her. Whatever. On the third day of the exhibition, near closing time, a few stragglers were still hanging around the Carney Gallery being reminded by the staff up 10-31 After a few hectic days, Seraphina promised Conway she¡¯d be home for dinner, so when it was time to leave, she started packing up. As she was about to leave, she noticed a man admiring a painting in the gallery upstairs. Seraphina stopped in her tracks, turned around, and realized the man was gazing at a portrait of her from her childhood ¡°Hello, sir,¡± Seraphina greeted him with a smile. The man turned around, and Seraphina was momentarily stunned. Patrick? ¡°Mr. Gray?¡± Recognizing him, Seraphina quickly broke into a smile, ¡°Wee to the exhibition of my father¡¯s artwork.¡± ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t initiallye for this gallery Patrick said with a smile. ¡°But it¡¯s been a nice surprise. Your dad¡¯s paintings are pretty rad, especially that rose piece at the entrance. I heard they¡¯re up for sale after the exhibition ends. Can I reserve the painting in advance?¡± Seraphinaughed heartily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that piece is the crown jewel of our collection, not for sale¡± Patrick raised an eyebrow slightly. That¡¯s a shame. How about this one then?¡± Patrick was referring to the portrait he was currently admiring. Seraphina sighed a bit helplessly. I¡¯m sorry, this one¡­ is not for sale either¡± Patrick seemed to have a hunch about something and turned to Seraphina, ¡°Is that you in the painting?¡± Seraphina nodded, ¡°Haven¡¯t changed much, have 1?¡± Patrick chuckled lightly, shaking his head. ¡°No, you¡¯ve changed a lot. I can¡¯t imagine the girl in this painting growing up to be a fearless investigative journalist, who puts her life on the line to chase the truth.¡± Seraphina felt a hint of something at his words Among the cases she had investigated, there was someone with the same surname as Patrick¡­ Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Seraphina¡¯s head. She turned to Patrick with a look of realization, ¡°You¡¯re Patrick looked at her with a hint of curiosity, the smile still lingering on his lips. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know you¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But I¡¯ve heard of a beloved Mr. Gray¡± She spoke cryptically. When she initially heard his surname, Patrick hadn¡¯t revealed his full name. The person who gave her the information was Terrell. At the time, she was investigating Balch Lawson and managed to convince Terrell to get all information regarding Balch¡¯s wife, Jta Lawson Terrell once interviewed Jta and knew things both published and unpublished, including Jta¡¯s first love Patrick But he didn¡¯t know who that was. The surveince footage Seraphinater obtained showed aspects of Jta¡¯s life someone with the same surname as She frequently made calls. Sometimes she was sweet and tender, full of smiles, other times she was dismissive and hastily hung up. Thetter were calls to Balch, but she didn¡¯t know who the former were to. But now, the person on the other end of those calls stood clearly before her. Right in front of Seraphina. After hearing her words, the smile on Patrick¡¯s face seemed a little weary. He said slowly, should have come to see you earlier, to thank you on Jane¡¯s behalf.¡± It really was him! Chapter 211 Chapter 211 An old case, dormant for months, suddenly got stirred up by the appearance of a key yer. The situation felt kinda delicate Seraphina Bet held her breath for a moment before finally managing to say, ¡°You did show up a littlete Patrick Gray chuckled softly, ¡°Actually, I saw your report the moment it was published, it¡¯s just that¡­ I was just too busy toe.¡± Seraphina paused for a moment before probing, ¡°Were you two¡­ close?¡± At this, Patrick nced at her, seeming to see curiosity in her eyes. He didn¡¯t seem to mind, just smiled slightly and said, ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for a long time. She relied on me quite a bit.¡± ¡°Were you ever officially a couple?¡± ¡°No,¡± Patrick replied, ¡°I know what she wants, but my own situation isplicated, and I don¡¯t want to involve her in my life. She eventually married Balch Lawson¡­ I knew she wasnt happy, but I never thought her dependence on me would be her downfall.¡± There was a deep sense of regret and loss in Patrick 5 eyes as he said this. ¡°Rtionships are always aplex beast, not so easily summed up! Seraphina tried tofort him, quickly changing the subject, ¡°You mentioned your life beingplicated. How so?¡± Patrick looked at her, a grin slowly spreading across his face, A journalist¡¯s instinct, is it? I thought you were done with journalism,¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°Just making small talk. You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Patrick didnt respond, instead he pulled out a business card holder from his pocket and handed a card to Seraphina. She looked at the card, it read the Chairman of SpectrumMedia Innovations. ¡°You¡¯re in media?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Yep.¡± Patrick gave her a small smile, ¡°If you¡¯re considering getting back into journalism, ever thought about working for me?¡± Seraphina was surprised by the sudden turn in conversation. She hesitated, then replied with augh, if the conditions are right, I might consider it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve recently invested in thergest news site in Sunburst City nning to start a whole new news line. If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯d like you to be the editor-in-chief of our new section, Patrick suggested. ¡°You¡¯ll have full editorial control.¡± ¡°Editor-in-chief?¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°Do I even qualify for that?¡± Patrick gave a lightugh, ¡°With me, the possibilities are endless! ¡°Well then, why not the editor-in-chief?¡± Seraphina asked. Patrick seemed to anticipate this question, he just smiled and said, ¡°The editor-in-chief has to take on some administrative duties. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not too keen on that, right?¡± Seraphina smiled and slowly nodded, ¡°Your assessment of me, your potential partner, is spot on. I can feel your sincerity.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®So, do you ept my offer?¡± Patrick asked. Seraphina frowned slightly, tilted her head and looked at him, ¡°Are we really diving into this discussion so quickly, Mr. Gray? We haven¡¯t even talked about the sry!¡± Patrick looked around the gallery before replying. ¡°While I¡¯m confident you won¡¯t be shortchanged. I thought sry would be the least of your concerns¡± ¡°No, quite the opposite,¡± Seraphina looked at him seriously, ¡°Sry is my top concern. If we can agree on that, everything else should fall into ce.¡± Patrick couldn¡¯t help butugh at her response. This was a crucial moment, so Seraphina kept a close eye on him, waiting for his offer. But before Patrick could speak, a crashing sound came from downstairs, followed by a staff members exmation, ¡°Miss, what are you doing?!¡± Seraphina¡¯s face changed slightly, she quickly smiled at Patrick and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go check out what¡¯s happening, Mr. Gray, please wait a moment¡± She quickly went downstairs, and as soon as she reached the door, she spotted a familiar face Tania Martin, dressed in a white jumpsuit, her checks flushed and eyes zed, holding a purse and a bottle of water, was smugly studying a painting with a pile of broken ss at her feet. The painting in front of her was Seraphina¡¯s prized Rose Picture. Seraphina quickly stepped forward and saw that the ss cover of the Rose Picture had been shattered ¡°Thedy brashed the ss with her purse, the staff member told Seraphina, ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to stop her in time¡± ¡°That¡¯s ok,¡± Seraphina replied, looking at Tania. After all, no sane person would vandalize a painting during a gallery visit.¡± Upon seeing Seraphina, Tania¡¯s eyes shed with rage, ¡°You¡¯re here? Where¡¯s Bowen Smith? Is Bowen here?¡± She was clearly drunk, and Seraphina had no intention of arguing with her. But from what Tania said, it seemed they had broken up? Seraphinaughed lightly. ¡°Ms. Martin, if you¡¯re looking for your boyfriend, you should go where there are people, not a gallery that¡¯s filled with paintings¡± ¡°Seraphina, what makes you so special? Hosting art exhibitions, pretending to be artsy, seducing men?¡± Tania spat, Tve seen plenty of women like you. You think you¡¯re untouchable?¡± ¡°Oht¡± Seraphina smiled, ¡®And how does Ms. Martin n to handle me?¡± Till make you regret this, I will¡± Tania slurred, ¡°You and Bowen, you¡¯ll both regret!¡± After mumbling these words, she shot Seraphina a venomous look before turning to leave. ¡°Hold on,¡± Seraphina called after her, ¡°You broke the ss, aren¡¯t you going to pay for it?¡± ¡°Heh¡± Tania scoffed, turning around to say. I¡¯m loaded, who cares if I smash a piece of ss? Even if I burned down this art gallery, I could afford it toor As she spoke, her gaze fell on the rose painting in front of her. Suddenly, she grabbed her water bottle, unscrewing the cap with the intention of sshing water on the painting Seraphina was quick to catch her in the act. She snatched the bottle from Tania and sshed the water in her face instead. ¡°Ah!¡± Tania shrieked, ¡°Why would you do that?¡± To snap you back to reality. Seraphina retorted, ¡°If you ruined this painting, you actually couldn¡¯t afford it. I¡¯m just trying to save you some bucks¡± Tania¡¯s face was drenched, a pathetic sight. Just as she was furing and about to charge at Seraphina, Patrick¡¯s voice echoed from behind, Tania, what in the world are you doing?¡± Tania stopped dead in her tracks, both she and Seraphina turned to look at Patrick. Tania then asked in surprise, ¡°Uncle Patrick? Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Seraphina found the current situation kind of hrious. She nced at Tania, then turned to Patrick, ¡°Is this your niece?¡± Patrick cleared his throat slightly, saying. ¡°Sorry, I was a bit rude. Then he walked up to Tania, gently cing his hand on her back, and looked down at her. Patrick was tall, and Tania in front of him was like a child, especially when he looked at her like that. She involuntarily hunched her shoulders, looking more like a confused child who had made a mistake. ¡°Tell me, what are you doing?¡± Patrick asked. Tania was obviously a bit scared of him. His in question made her tense up. But she had been spoilt since childhood, and even if she was scared, she still had a bad temper. Plus she had some drinks, her mind was a bit fuzzy, so after biting her lip, she pointed at Seraphina and said, ¡°I came for her! She stole my boyfriend!¡± Patrick followed her finger to look at Seraphina. Seraphina justughed and looked at Patrick Patrick spoke to Tania in a parental tone, ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re here to pick a fight with Ms. Bet?¡± ¡®She¡¯s shameless! Tania said angrily. ¡°You can only me others when you lose?¡± Patrick asked, ¡®Is this what you¡¯ve been taught since childhood?¡± 1.Tania bit her lip and was speechless for a moment. ¡°If you can¡¯t even keep a man, you should seriously consider your charm and judgment, instead of comining about others being bad to you.¡± Patrick¡¯s voice was calm, like a kind elder teaching a child, but his words were full of harsh truth, ¡°Right?¡± ¡°No matter how good I am, I can¡¯t beat her tricks! Tania couldn¡¯t help but retort. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have better tricks?¡± Patrick asked, ¡°Does the offspring of the Martin family have no ability at all? Just ming others when you encounter problems and can¡¯t think of a more rational and elegant solution? Tania, you¡¯re a socialite¡± Thest sentence seemed to sober Tania up. She was stunned for a moment, then looked at Seraphina and said, ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away with it!¡± After saying that, she turned around and prepared to leave, but Patrick stopped her, ¡°Just leaving like this? Shouldn¡¯t youpensate for the damage you caused?* Tania stopped, turned around, took out her phone from her bag, and looked at Seraphina, ¡°How much, say it.¡± ¡°One thousand dors ¡°Seraphina casually said. -¡°One thousand? Tania looked at her with a smirk, ¡°Just a piece of broken ss, Seraphina, haven¡¯t you already married Leandro Reynolds and be T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Mrs. Reynolds? Are you still so strapped for cash?¡± ¡°Are you questioning me?¡± Seraphina retorted, ¡°This ss is just that expensive, if you think it¡¯s not worth it, we can sort it out in court¡± As Seraphina spoke, she took out her phone and showed the payment ount Tania gritted her teeth, nced at Patrick, and finally paid Seraphina a thousand dors, then turned around and left. Seraphina nced at the received money, put away her phone, and instructed the staff to clean up the broken ss and water stains on the table. Patrick stood quietly by the side, waiting for her to finish everything before he said. ¡°So, can we continue our previous topic now?¡± Seraphinaughed and looked at him, ¡°Honestly, I really appreciate your life philosophy¡­ But just now, you seemed to be teaching your niece how to deal with me in front of me, how should I respond?¡± Upon hearing this, Patrickughed and replied, ¡°I¡¯m focusing on the matter, not the person, I reminded Tania because I¡¯m her elder. If you were my friend, I would give you the same advice. But I believe in your ability to handle this situation without any problem, no matter who you¡¯re dealing with, right?¡± Seraphina squinted her eyes and looked at Patrick carefully for a while, saying, ¡°Mr. Gray, you¡¯re really¡­ quiteforting¡± That¡¯s because I¡¯m sincere.¡± Patrick said, ¡°What do you think?¡± Seraphina locked eyes with him for a moment, couldn¡¯t help butugh, then said, ¡°Well, I totally felt it ¡°So, about the thing we were talking about earlier-¡± TI think about it Seraphina said, ¡°After all, it¡¯s a big deal, right?¡± Patrick still smiled and replied. ¡°Sure¡± Seraphina paused, then spoke again, ¡°Mr. Gray, can I ask you one more question?¡± ¡°Of course¡± ¡°The reason you¡¯re offering me such a high price is solely because you recognize and appreciate my abilities, and has nothing to do with anything else. right?¡± Seraphina asked Patrick smiled and answered, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Til consider it more seriously As the two of them left the exhibition hall together, it was alreadypletely dark outside. The whole Aesthetic Avenue was quietly merging into the night under the lights, and in the darkness, the luxury car parked by the roadside was especially conspicuous, as was the familiar drivernding-next to it Seeing Seraphinaing out, the driver immediately shouted, ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Reynolds is here to pick you up.¡± ¡°Is he?¡± Seraphina nced at the closed car window. It seemed that Leandro had no intention of getting out of the car Seeing this, Patrickughed and said, ¡°Since Leandro is here to pick you up, I won¡¯t disturb you. I¡¯ll wait for your good news.¡± He extended his hand to Seraphina. Seraphina happily shook his hand, watched him leave, and then got into the car. Inside the car, Leandro was focused on reading documents. When Seraphina got in, he didn¡¯t look up at her. As soon as Seraphina hopped into the car, she nced towards the gallery and noticed that from this spot, she could see right through the window to the entrance of the gallery ¨C meaning, Leandro must have been able to see her and Patrick all along. ¡°How long have you been chilling here?¡± Seraphina turned to him and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe into the gallery to find me?¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes were still glued to the documents, he replied without looking up, ¡°Looked like you were having a chit-chat with someone, was I supposed to barge in?¡± ¡°He left and you didn¡¯t even get out of the car to say hi?¡± Seraphina countered. At that, Leandro finally put down his documents and turned to look at her, ¡°You think I¡¯ve got all the time in the world?¡± Hearing his words, Seraphina just shrugged, ¡°After all, he might be my future boss. He¡¯s not just some random Joe to me.¡± At that, Leandro suddenly put down the documents in his hands. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 ¡°Are you looking for a job?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± Seraphina responded candidly ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, you work either for your passion or for the money. The best-case scenario would be a job that satisfies both, Seraphina exined, ¡°And right now, that ideal job is right in front of me.¡± 1 thought you¡¯d see running an art gallery as the ideal situation.¡± ¡°Running an art gallery is indeedfortable.¡± Seraphina shrugged nonchntly. ¡°But if I¡¯m stuck in there all the time, it¡¯s not sofortable anymore.¡± ¡°You could start painting again,¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°I gave up painting a long time ago. All I can do now is write.¡± Leandro fell silent, and the mood in the car quickly turned dull. Seraphina didn¡¯t mind and continued to search for news on her phone. The car was heading towards Reynolds Manor. By the time they got home, she had received responses to most of her messages. After sorting through the information, Seraphina quickly got a handle on Patrick¡¯s basic information- Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Patrick, from Sunburst City, 36 years old. Patrick¡¯s family used to be a prominent one in Sunburst City, but after marrying into the Martin family, their status took a nosedive until all their assets were taken over by the Martins. Patrick left his hometown alone when he was young, struggled for many years, and eventually became a media mogul. His return to Sunburst City made him the center of attention in the business world As she was sorting through the information, Leandro¡¯s phone suddenly rang Leandro nced at his phone and saw a message from Edgar Lamont- ¡°Why is your wife asking about Patrick? This guy¡¯s been abroad for over a decade, he¡¯s ruthless and often crosses the line. Keep your wife away from him.¡± Leandro only took a nce and put his phone back in his pocket. He knew very well what kind of person Patrick was. Since Patrick announced his return to Sunburst City, Leandro had been keeping track of his every significant move in recent years and was familiar with his way of doing things. But, no matter how sessful Patrick was, Leandro had enough power to look down on him, so he had no intention of getting too involved with Patrick. What he hadn¡¯t anticipated, though, was that Patrick would actively seek out Seraphina, This forced Leandro to pay even closer attention to Patrick. Seraphina, clearly intrigued by Patrick, kept checking her phone even during dinner. After dinner, Leandro went upstairs. Seraphina was watching TV with Conway Reynolds while still typing on her phone. Finally, Conway couldn¡¯t take it anymore and asked, ¡®Are you addicted to your phone?¡± ¡°No, grandpa.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°I just met someone today, heard some things about him, and got curious, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Is this person a man?¡± Conway asked. Seraphina looked at him, ¡°How did you know?¡± Conway scoffed and said, ¡°Your husband¡¯s face was so livid. Even a blind man could see that.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. She reached out and patted Conway, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go pacify him in his room tonight¡± Hearing this, Conway felt even more exasperated-this perfectly matched couple, newlyweds, why on earth were they sleeping in separate rooms? But Seraphina had her reasons. First, it was Leandro¡¯s idea to sleep separately, not hers; Second, even though they slept in separate rooms, it didn¡¯t affect their rtionship; Third, the asional visit to each other¡¯s rooms added a little spice to their marriage. Every time she gave these reasons, Conway had nothing to say. But tonight, these reasons seemed a bit off. Seraphinay on Leandro¡¯s bed until she started yawning, but Leandro hadn¡¯t shown up yet. After dozing off for a bit, Seraphina decisively got up and opened the door to Leandro¡¯s study Leandro was on the phone, a cigarette in his hand. He nced at her and looked away Seraphina walked over, and regardless of the fact that he was still on the phone, sat down on hisp and leaned into his chest. A minuteter, Leandro ended the call. Seraphina was still leaning against him, eyes closed, seemingly asleep. Leandro didn¡¯t mind her state and asked directly. ¡°Have you finished your investigation?¡± Seraphina chuckled with her eyes still closed, ¡®Finished.¡± ¡°And the result?¡± ¡°His life¡¯s quite a story, only one word to describe it, fierce¡± Seraphina stood up and said, ¡°No wonder Balch even had murderous intentions towards his own wife but took no action against him it¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t care about Patrick, it¡¯s just that he couldn¡¯t do anything about him.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± Leandro asked casually putting out his cigarette. ¡°Also¡­¡± Seraphina snuggled into him and giggled, ¡°Even though his life is both sessful and unique, it still falls short whenpared to you¡­¡± As she spoke, she lightly kissed his lips. She had already taken a bath, her skin was soft and sweet, and she smelled fresh She¡¯d been busy with the exhibition for thest few days, and Leandro hadn¡¯t been able to get close to her. He was already out of patience. They ended up right where they were, and except for Seraphina lyingzily on his chest, nothing else seemed to have changed. After a few intimate moments, Leandro¡¯s mood seemed to have improved a bit, and he was noticeably more calm Seraphina leaned against his chest, looking up at him with a grin, ¡°Hey, are you jealous? You just looked like you drank a whole bottle of apple cider vinegar. If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯re in for an endless feast of jealousy¡­ Well, they do say jealousy is good for your health, so you should live long and prosper.¡± Leandro ignored her babbling, looking at her quietly for a moment before speaking. ¡°Are you that keen on being a journalist?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job,¡± Seraphina answered. ¡°What¡¯s so appealing about the offer Patrick made? Leandro asked. ¡°Money¡± Seraphina responded instantly. ¡°Im happy with the pay he¡¯s offering. It would at least give me a chance to pay off my debts.¡± At her reply, Leandros brow slightly furrowed. ¡°I can offer you double,¡± Leandro said. Seraphina looked at him quizzically, ¡°What did you say?¡± Leandro reached for a document on the table and spread it out in front of Seraphina. This lists all the news media in Sunburst City. You can choose any. the sry is twice what Patrick offered you. How about it?¡± Seraphina took the document and flipped through it. Indeed, it was a list of all the well-known news media in Sunburst City, except for the one Patrick was investing in Which one do you want to choose? Leandro asked. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°I¡¯m no fool, of course I¡¯ll pick¡­ the one that makes my hubby happy¡± Chapter 214 Chapter 214 She kept stressing that she put him first, but it didn¡¯t seem to make Leandro a happy camper. Leandro just sat there for a while, watching her Suddenly, he put down what he was doing, scooped Seraphina up in his arms and stood up. ¡°Hey!¡± Seraphina squeaked, clinging onto him. ¡°What are you doing? Isn¡¯t this what you wanted me to choose?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond. He carried her back to the bedroom andid her on the bed. Sure, he had wanted her to choose this, but when she actually did, he didn¡¯t feel content. He felt uneasy i y instead. This sense of unease, although slight, got his bones and he couldn¡¯t shake it off. The only thing he could do was to keep reaffirming that she was his. So Leandro kept reaffirming for a long time, until Seraphina was worn out and didn¡¯t want to indulge him any longer. She turned her head away and fell into a deep sleep, as if she were dead to the world¡­ When she woke up, it was already the next morning Leandro was already gone by the time Seraphina opened her eyes. But when she went downstairs, she found Valerio Reynolds still at home. She had been too caught up in her worktely to pay him any attention Seeing him at home, she was taken aback, ¡°Why are you still home? Don¡¯t you have school today?¡± Valerio was holding a cup of milk, looking at Seraphina expectantly. Conway Reynolds, sitting next to him, exined, ¡°His school has an end-of term event today, so he can go in a bitter.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Seraphina remembered. She reached out and pinched Valerio¡¯s face, Time flies, huh? You¡¯ll be on Christmas break soon. Are you excited?¡± At her words, Valerio suddenly jumped down from his high chair, ran to the couch and picked something up. He put it in front of Seraphina. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked, bending down to take a look. Valerio eagerly opened the document for her. Upor closer inspection, it was winter study tour information. It detailed the benefits and importance of study tours and rmended several routes. Seraphina lightly patted Valerios head, ¡°You little rascal, already thinking about ying before the holidays even start!¡± Valerio looked serious and kept his gaze on Seraphina Then, he pointed emphatically at the word ¡®study tour¡± on the document, as if to stress that he wasn¡¯t going to y, he was going to study. ¡°Oh,e on,¡± Seraphina gave him a look, ¡°You¡¯re too young to learn anything from a trip. Besides, if you want to go abroad, your dad could take you anytime. Do you really need a study tour?¡± Valerio looked at Seraphina with disappointment in his eyes. Seraphina took another look at him, then asked, ¡°Do you really want to go?¡± At this question, hope flickered in Valerio¡¯s eyes again. He reached out to hold onto Seraphina¡¯s sleeve He made it clear that he wanted to go with her Seraphina hesitated for a moment. Seeing this, Conway interjected, ¡°Since Christmas and Thanksgiving Day are just around the corner, and the art exhibition here has already had its sessful opening, there¡¯s nothing important keeping you busy. Why don¡¯t you take him out?¡± ¡°The itinerary for this nsts more than half a month,¡± said Seraphina, ¡°I have other things to do.¡± ¡°What things?¡± Conway asked. Seraphina paused a little, and before she could answer, someone walked in through the door. She looked up to see Keen. Keen greeted Conway first, then walked over to Seraphina and put a folder in front of her ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s an analysis of the main styles and contents of the major news media in Sunburst City, Keen exined, ¡°It also includes some of their internal rtions. With this information, you should be able to make a decision easier.¡± Seraphina took the folder and found that it was indeed detailed information on the major news media. Some even included secret internal information, all in the folder in front of her. ¡°You¡¯re quite the efficient assistant,¡± sheplimented, ¡°You managed to put together such a comprehensive document in just a few hours. Leandro should promate you¡± Keen coughed lightly and stepped back. Conway seemed to understand something and asked, ¡°You¡¯re nning to work?¡± Seraphina nodded, Tve rested long enough. It¡¯s time to get back to work, or my skills might get rusty¡± ¡°I agree that you should have your own career, Conway frowned slightly. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t do dangerous frontline work like before. You have a family now You can¡¯t be as reckless as you used to be Seraphina didn¡¯t respond to that, she just raised her eyebrows slightly. Keen heard this and duly stepped forward and said, ¡°There are also some general weekly magazine resources in there. They are highly rated and considered socially responsible media. The work would be rtively stable and rxed.¡± Seraphina turned to look at him, ¡°Did your boss tell you to say that?¡± Keen cleared his throat again, ¡°Of course not.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. But having been with Leandro for so many years, he could tell what he was thinking even if he didn¡¯t say it out loud- When Leandro asked him to prepare a list at thest minute yesterday, he didn¡¯t sound too happy. When he found out that the list was for Seraphina, Keen immediately realized that it was about choosing a workce for her. Considering Seraphina¡¯s personality, resuming her journalist duties might cause some issues. How could Leandro stand by and let that happen? To dodge any future bullets, Keen took the liberty to slip in a few weekly magazines at the back. If Seraphina were to choose these weekly papers, that would be a rtively satisfying oue for Leandro. If Seraphina¡¯s settled and Leandro¡¯s happy. he could be less stressed in the future. ¡°Working for a weekly is a solid move, chimed in Conway ¡°It¡¯s more of a steady gigpared to other media outlets. I¡¯ve got an old buddy working there. I¡¯d be less antsy if you took a job there¡± Seraphina, propping up her chin, was flipping through the materials. No response yet. She was in the middle of her perusal when Valerio caught her eye again. Valerio was right by her side the whole time, clutching some study tour materials, eyes filled with puppy dog eyes. ¡°Since Leandro pulled some strings with these mediapanies, pushing back your start date shouldn¡¯t be a biggie,¡± said Conway. ¡°You¡¯re not living paycheck to paycheck, so why not hold off on the decision and take Valerio out for some fun first?¡± Seraphina had to let out a heavy sigh, then reached out to take Valerio¡¯s materials, ¡°Spill it, where do you want to go?¡± Valerio instantly broke into a grin, flipping to a certain page and handing it to Seraphina. It was the study tour route of Starhaven¡¯s East Coast, including Moonhaven and Velvetwood. She looked at Valerio quizzically, ¡°Is this your jam or is it your dad¡¯s idea?¡± Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Upon hearing Seraphina¡¯s question, Valerio bit his lip subtly and then pointed at himself. Seraphina raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at him. Even though the odds were slim, he had chosen this option. She didn¡¯t believe it was a coincidence. But regardless of whether she believed or not, it seemed like there was no other choice at the moment. Seraphina picked up two sets of documents at the same time, set aside the list of media outlets and said, ¡°I¡¯ll check this one outter.¡± She then handed the study tour documents to Valerio, ¡°Can we go over this one firs1?¡± Upon hearing this, Valerio immediately broke into a smile again, seeming quite pleased. Conway also gave a rxed grin. Keen quietly sighed in relief and stepped forward to pick up the document. With things settled, Seraphina¡¯s schedule was fully booked up until after the Thanksgiving Day. Even though it felt somewhat rushed, it was her decision. When Leandro got home that evening. Seraphina was in the study using hisputer to n a trip. She didn¡¯t show any signs of leaving when she saw hime in. Leandro didn¡¯t ask her what she was doing, nor did he intend to interrupt her. He just dropped his things and was about to go take a shower. It was then that Seraphina cleared her throat and looked up. When Leandro turned around, she had already casually propped her legs up on the desk and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna ask me what I¡¯m up to?¡± ¡°What are you up to?¡± Leandro asked, while untying his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. Seraphina red at him before saying, ¡°Your son wants to study abroad, did you know that?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t react much, just saying ¡°It¡¯s good for him to get out and about during the holiday.¡± ¡°Do you have time?¡± Seraphina tilted her head to look at him, ¡°You¡¯re always so busy, you won¡¯t be off for Christmas, right? You¡¯re going to let me take him alone? You know I¡¯m not good with kids.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing this, Leandro responded nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯ll be at the Moonhaven branch for a while over Christmas, it won¡¯t be too busy there, I should have plenty of downtime.¡± As expected! Seraphina propped her head up andughed, ¡°What a coincidence, your son chose the East Coast route of Starhaven, and you¡¯re going to Moonhaven. It¡¯s just¡­too perfect, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned that route to him before.¡± Leandro said, ¡°So it¡¯s not really a coincidence.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s premeditated, then?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Leandro, you¡¯re really thoughtful!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been to Velvetwood often.¡± Leandro remained calm, ¡°This time I want to stay there for a while.¡± Going mainly to Velvetwood? That seemed to carry some profound implications. Seraphina retracted her legs from the desk and stood up, walking over to Leandro, ¡°I stayed in Velvetwood for a few years, I didn¡¯t find much there worth studying.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be in charge of arranging the itinerary¡± Leandro said, ¡°You just need to make sure you¡¯re avable.¡± Seraphina suddenly rolled her eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t you be a bit more gentle when you speak? Always so serious¡­I don¡¯t like that!¡± Leandro was about to leave when he heard this, he turned back around to look at Seraphina and slowly said, ¡°You don¡¯t like it? That¡¯s not what you said in bed.¡± Seraphina choked up a bit, after a moment of silence, she reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt, giggling, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, with all your worldly wisdom, surely you know¡­what¡¯s said in bed is the least trustworthy, right?¡± Leandro leaned down and slowly said, ¡°Alright. Then tonight we¡¯ll try somewhere else.¡± Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Leandro is always a man of his word. When Seraphina saw him fresh from a shower and answering a call, she thought he had ns for the night. But before she knew it, he was already changing his clothes, ready to head out. Seraphina bumped into him on her way out of the study Seeing him all dressed up, she thought he was about to take her out for a wild night out and couldn¡¯t help but take a step back, asking. ¡°Where are you off to?¡± Leandro nced at her and replied, ¡°I need to swing by Reynolds Vista Retreat.¡± Wait, he¡¯s going to Reynolds Vista Retreat at this time? T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seraphina asked, puzzled. Leandro was nonchnt, simply responding. ¡°What else could it be?¡± From his response, the situation became clear There wasn¡¯t much going on at Reynolds Vista Retreat except for Bruce Reynolds and Gloria¡¯s constant fights. But what exactly was this fight about? It must be something big if even Leandro was disturbed thiste Seraphina followed Leandro downstairs, hoping to get some information. But Leandro didn¡¯t seem to want to share anything, just telling her to go to bed early before heading out Not being familiar with the people at Reynolds Vista Retreat, Seraphina turned to Karan, who worked at Reynolds Manor, hoping she could get some info on what was happening. However, the news she got kept her up for most of the night. It involved Magdalen When Leandro and Seraphina got married, Magdalen knew she wasn¡¯t exactly the Reynolds family¡¯s favorite, so she only embraced the newlyweds before Seraphina left for the church. That was her version of a send-off. She was nowhere to be seen during the rest of the wedding. So, Gloria, not thrilled but kept her cool during the wedding However, that night, Gloria spotted Bruce having dinner with Magdalen. Details about what happened at the restaurant remained a mystery. All the servants knew was that Bruce came home injured. From their post-dinner argument, it seemed Gloria had thrown down at the restaurant, and Bruce got hurt while trying to protect Magdalen. After their spat, Bruce stormed out, and Gloria popped a handful of sleeping pills, Luckily, there were plenty of people at Reynolds Vista Retreat, so the consequences of Gloria¡¯s overdose shouldn¡¯t be too bad. But the whole ordeal was a real nail biter Seraphina spent half the night convincing herself that this mess had nothing to do with her and that there was no need to lose sleep over it. Eventually. she drifted off to dreand. Leandro didn¡¯te back to Reynolds Manor that night The next morning, Seraphina woke up early. She checked her phone-no messages. At this point, no news could be good news. Seraphina didn¡¯t show much concern or ask Leandro anything. After breakfast, she went about her day as usual, heading back to Carney Artful Reverie. She didn¡¯t sleep well the previous night and was not in good state of mind. So, when she saw Patrick again in the gallery, it took her a second to react Patrick shed a friendly smile, ¡°Ever since I visited your father¡¯s exhibition, I¡¯ve been missing those paintings. My favorite two are sold out. I guess I¡¯ll just pick another one as a constion¡± ¡°I thought you were here to hustle me into making a decision,¡± Seraphina replied with a chuckle. Patrick quirked an eyebrow, ¡°Kill two birds with one stone, not a bad idea¡± Seraphina didnt respond. Patrick seemed to realize something, ¡°Wait. Are you about to give me some bad news?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to let you down,¡± she said, ¡°Although the offer you made is very tempting, I have other options¡± Patrick paused for a moment before letting out a resignedugh, ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect this. I came here full of anticipation, ready to set a date¡­ even brought you a gift¡± Hisst sentence was loaded with intrigue. Seraphina could tell, but her curiosity got the better of her, ¡°What¡¯s the gift?¡± ¡°A case.¡± Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Seraphina invited Patrick to sit down in the lounge area, and personally got him a cup of coffee. ¡°Would it be pretty cheeky if I didn¡¯t ept your invitation but still wanted to know about the case? Seraphina asked Patrick, looking him in the eye. Patrick stared at her and slowly began to chuckle, ¡°Usually, I can¡¯t say no to a pretty face. Plus, you might change your mind after hearing about this case ¡°Well, spit it out then, Seraphina said eagerly 1 need your help to look into this case because I¡¯m somewhat involved, Patrick confessed, ¡°I believe in your abilities.¡± Seraphina stared intently at Patrick as he continued. The case started with his friend Abel Jones. Abel came from a big family. Although their business wasnt top-notch, they had a wealth of assets, complicated interests, and the family was rife with power struggles. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Six months ago, people started dying mysteriously within his family. To date, three stakeholders had lost their lives, including Abel¡¯s father The three people died in different idents within half a year, leaving no traceable clues. The only suspicious part was The biggest beneficiary of these deaths was the same person ¨C Abel¡¯s cousin, Mack Jones. ¡°That sounds a bit suspicious,¡± Seraphinamented. Patrick nodded, ¡°So, Abel has always suspected these idents had something to do with Mack, but there¡¯s no evidence. All three idents left no signs of foul y.¡± ¡°So, the police can¡¯t open a case or investigate, Seraphina mused, ¡°You want me to help your friend investigate this case?¡± Patrick fell silent for a moment, then chuckled bitterly, ¡°No, you¡¯re not the first person I¡¯ve asked. I have another friend named Woody, he¡¯s a journalist, and I asked him to look into these cases.¡± ¡°And then?¡± Patrick looked at Seraphina and said slowly, ¡°He met with an ident too, died in a house fire a month ago.¡± Seraphing listened attentively. ¡°Was it because he found something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Patrick confessed. ¡°He didn¡¯t leave behind any documents. All the information rted to the cases was destroyed in the fire.¡± ¡°No way. The fire could destroy physical evidence, but not digital information, right?¡± Seraphina folded her arms as she sat on the chair ¡°Right,¡± Patrick agreed, ¡°But there¡¯s no information rted to the case on any of his digital tforms.¡± Listening to this, Seraphina slowly said. ¡°Someone is covering up the truth.¡± ¡°But still, there¡¯s no evidence¡± Patrick reiterated, ¡°There was nothing suspicious about the fire.¡± ¡°That just means these cases were meticulously nned and executed. The person behind all this is no joke, Seraphina observed. Patrick nodded in agreement. I got Woody involved in this case. I can say I brought trouble to him. So, I must learn the truth about this case.¡± Seraphina fell silent for a while, then smiled. Tm honored you invited me to investigate this case ¡°So¡­¡± Patrick chuckled softly and slowly asked, ¡°Are you still nning on turning me down?¡± Instead of answering his question, Seraphina just asked, ¡°Can you show me the information you have about this case?¡± Patrick locked eyes with her for a moment, thenughed again. That day. Seraphina put aside her work and spent the whole day in the office, reading through the case files untilte at night. When she realized the time, she checked her phone. It was almost midnight Leandro hadn¡¯te looking for her, nor had he sent her any messages, Clearly, he hadn¡¯t returned home yet. Seraphina had been sitting for hours, and now she was sore all over. Luckily, she had almost finished reading the files. She stretched her body and decided to go home to rest When she returned to Reynolds Manor, everyone who should be asleep was already asleep. She checked-Leandro¡¯s study and bedroom, confirming that nobody was in Seraphina went back to her room, washed up, andy down. She initially wanted to send Leandro a text to check on him, but thought better of it considering he might still be at Reynolds Vista Retreat. After all, Gloria was in a fragile state right now. If she happened to see Seraphina¡¯s message to Leandro, it could stir up more trouble, and Seraphina would be the one to me. Seraphina put down her phone and closed her eyes in peace. She had received a lot of information that day and felt utterly drained. She fell into a deep sleep and didn¡¯t wake up until the next morning. When Seraphina came downstairs, there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone at home, not even Conway She walked into the kitchen and saw Karan cleaning. ¡°Karan, where¡¯s grandpa?¡± she asked. vipler 217 Karan looked at her with a somewhat troubled face and sighed before saying, ¡®Conway found out about the situation at Reynolds Vista Retreat¡± ¡°What?¡± Seraphina¡¯s voice changed, ¡°Who told him?¡± Everyone knew that Conway disliked the disputes at Reynolds Vista Retreat, which was why he preferred living in the nursing home and didn¡¯t want to go back. Now that his health was deteriorating, everyone agreed to keep him in the dark about the happenings at the Retreat. She didn¡¯t expect him to find out. ¡°It seems like someone identally let it slip while on a phone call, the maid said, ¡°Something this major happened. Conway couldn¡¯t just ignore it. He rushed over as soon as he hung up.¡± Seraphina stomped her foot in frustration, ¡°What was grandpa thinking? He doesn¡¯t even know his own health status, why does he have to meddle in those affairs?¡± Karan hesitated before saying, ¡°Conway knows damn well he hasn¡¯t been doing anything all these years. If he doesn¡¯t step up now, who knows if he¡¯ll get another chance¡­¡± Before she could finish, Seraphina shot her a look. Karan lowered her head. ¡°That¡¯s what Conway said himself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get him back!¡± Once Seraphina dered this, she turned on her heel and headed out. Getting to the door, she grabbed her coat hanging in the hallway, shrugged it on, and flung the door open. She didn¡¯t expect to walk straight into a man¡¯s Seraphinas face hit his chest, and she couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath- His body was really cold. She looked up at him, Leandro¡¯s eyes were dark. Seeing her made him slightly soften, but he still looked tired as hell, Togzy to even lift his eyelids. His voice was a tad hoarse when he spoke. ¡°Where ya heading?¡± ¡°Where the heck have you been?¡± Seraphina countered, ¡°Where¡¯s grandpa?¡± Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Leandro dropped his ck coat as he walked in, answering at the same time, ¡°Just got back from Reynolds Vista Retreat.¡± From Reynolds Vista Retreat?¡± Seraphina spun around to follow him, ¡°You know grandpa doesn¡¯t like hearing or seeing certain things about that ce, why didn¡¯t youe back with him?¡± Karan, who was in the kitchen, heard their conversation and came out to ask Leandro if he needed anything to eat. Leandro waved him off and as he was about to head upstairs, responded to Seraphina, ¡°Grandpa¡¯s going to stay at Reynolds Vista Retreat for a while.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?¡± Seraphina quickly grabbed Leandro¡¯s arm, ¡°Grandpa¡¯s old, he can¡¯t handle all that stress. Do you really think he can be happy there? What if he gets upset again and ends up in the hospital?¡± Leandro paused, turning around to look at her, ¡°Grandpa¡¯s been through a lot, he¡¯s not as frail as you think.¡± Just as Seraphina was about to say something, Karan interrupted, ¡°Sera, let Leandro go rest, look at him, he¡¯s beat.¡± Seraphina then looked closely at Leandro¡¯s face. He was always full of energy, like a never-tiring superman, but now, his eyes were a bit red, clearly he was really tired. Seraphina was silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°Have you been up for two days straight?¡± Considering Gloria¡¯s erratic mood these past two days, he¡¯d been busy with work during the day and taking care of Gloria at Reynolds Vista Retreat at night, it was no wonder he was exhausted. ¡°Yep.¡± Leandro responded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you alone. Seraphina said, ¡°Go take a shower, then get some rest¡± She walked Leandro upstairs, saw him to the second floor, then dashed downstairs to call Conway on her cell phone. Conway picked up quickly Hearing his calm and steady voice, Seraphina felt slightly relieved, but she stillined about his sudden return to Reynolds Vista Retreat ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± Conway said, ¡°I may be old, but in this family, besides you, who dares to neglect me? Even Gloria wouldn¡¯t dare. If I¡¯m here, she¡¯ll consider my feelings a bit more, and her own mood will be more stable.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to see you¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Your presence there will just annoy her more.¡± ¡°So, what should we do? Have Leandro keep vigil there every night?¡± Conway sighed, ¡°He¡¯s got enough on his te, I don¡¯t want to see him burning himself out Has hee home?¡± ¡°He¡¯s back.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°But you¡¯re not nning oning back, are you?¡± Conway said, ¡°Well, Christmas ising. Might as well spend it here, saves them the trouble of running back and forth. As for you, go wherever you want with Leandro, dont worry about me.¡± Seraphina frowned at this, and after a moment said quietly, ¡°We¡¯ll see After taking a shower, Leandro was checking his messages when Keen called. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, the missus just asked me to cancel your schedule for today, she wants you to rest. Keen said, I¡¯ve started making the arrangements. Leandro hadn¡¯t nned on taking the day off, and he paused before responding. ¡®Did she reach out to you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Keen seemed uncertain about Leandro¡¯s reaction, he continued, ¡°You haven¡¯t rested for two days, today¡¯s schedule isn¡¯t urgent, it could easily be postponed¡­¡± ¡°Alright ¡°Leandro responded, then hung up. On the other end of the line, Keen was taken aback, holding the phone. The Leandro he knew, who never seemed to tire, was persuaded to put off his work so easily? This wasn¡¯t the Leandro he knew this wasn¡¯t the Leandro he knew at all¡­ While Keen was deep in thought on the other end of the line, Leandro casually took off his robe, pulled back the covers and climbed into bed, falling into a deep sleep. He didn¡¯t sleep forlong, waking up at four in the afternoon. The winter sun sets early, and it was now sunset, the sky a golden hue. The half-drawn curtains in the bedroom created a hazy y of light and shadow that was somewhat disorienting. As Leandro opened his eyes, Seraphina was carefully pushing the door open and tiptoeing in She didn¡¯t expect to make eye contact with him as soon as she entered the room. Seraphina paused, looking somewhat disappointed, ¡°Did I wake you?¡± She had a book here that she hadn¡¯t finished, and she nned to kill time with it, but ended up waking him up instead- The man was just too tense, he couldn¡¯t get a decent sleep. Though it wasn¡¯t her concern, Leandro didn¡¯t deny it. He hadn¡¯t expected her to be still at home when he woke up. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°Come here.¡± Seraphina obedientlye over. Leandro looked refreshed, but he stilly there, exuding anguid aura, showing no emotion, so Seraphina felt at ease. After sitting down by the bed, she took off her jacket, Leandro pulled back the covers and invited her in. Seraphinay quietly in his arms, feeling his warmth, a normal temperature. Leandro didn¡¯t move or speak, just holding her like that, and before long, his eyes were closed again. This kind of time, this kind of position, was unprecedented for them. Cozy and peaceful But Seraphina could tell, Leandro wasn¡¯t asleep Of course, if he could fall asleep, that would be a miracle. ¡°How¡¯s your mom doing?¡± After a pause, Seraphina asked. Leandro, still with his eyes closed, took a moment before answering, ¡®Nothing serious¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡±Seraphinay on his chest, fiddling with the sash of his bathrobe. After a pause, she said, ¡°Even though her mood¡¯s all over the ce, shed still rein it in around your grandpa, right?¡± All Leandro replied was, ¡°Yeah¡± Seraphina nodded, fell silent for a while, then said, ¡°By the way, there might be some changes to the n of Valerio going on the study trip to Starhaven with you It was only after hearing this that Leandro slowly opened his eyes and gave her a deep look. 1 got a job from Patrick, nning to help him with an investigation.¡± Seraphina said, drawing circles on his chest with the tie in her hand, ¡°But I¡¯m worried that Valerio would be disappointed, so, I¡¯m thinking of taking him on a short trip, you think that¡¯s okay?¡± Leandro quietly watched her for a while, then let her go and slowly sat up. So, she made all these arrangements today just to tell him this? Leandro sat on the edge of the bed, stood up after slipping into his slippers, then turned to look at her again, ¡®Do you think my opinion on this matters to you?¡± Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Seraphina sensed Leandro¡¯s mood shift. Still leaning against the bed head, she blinked at him, ¡°I value your opinion, ain¡¯t I asking for it right now?¡± ¡°Ask for my opinion?¡± Leandro¡¯s lips curled up in a smirk, but there was a trace of a sneer. ¡°If I disagree, would you reconsider?¡± Seraphina got up and walked towards him, ¡°Sure I would!¡± She didnt say that with any sincerity, even she didn¡¯t believe it. Leandro nced at her, turned around and walked into the bathroom Seraphinay on the bed for a while. After Leandro emerged from the bathroom, he opened the wardrobe to change clothes. ¡°Are you heading out again?¡± Seraphina asked. Leandro stood with his back to her in front of the wardrobe, not answering His shirts and suits filled the closet. Comparatively the space felt cramped than his other residences. As Seraphina watched Leandro pull out a shirt to wear, she selected a tie for him and held it up Leandro didn¡¯t even look at the tie, instead, he picked up another one and tied it himself. Seraphina sighed, put the tie back, and said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t tell you, you¡¯d definitely be pissed. But even when i do tell you, you still get pissed, what am I supposed to do?¡± After tying his tie, Leandro finally turned to look at her again. ¡°You¡¯re worried about grandpa¡¯s health, considering if Valerio would be disappointed, and helping Patrick with the investigation.¡± He said with a cold tone. ¡°You¡¯ve got so much on your te, why bother about my feelings?¡± Having said that, Leandro picked up his suit jacket and headed out the door. Seraphinay on his bed, watching him leave, his words echoing in her mind- Was he angry, or was he jealous? It turned out Leandro really was angry this time. Maybe it was because of the year-end work rush, coupled with Gloria¡¯s situation keeping him on his toes, Seraphina hadn¡¯t seen him for several days in a row She would asionally hear hime home, but it was alwayste at night. She was already asleep and he didn¡¯te to find her, so they didn¡¯t cross paths. Valerio had his holiday break soon. He was disappointed that Seraphina couldn¡¯t apany him on his study trip, but Seraphina promised to take him on a short trip. After a visit to the amusement park, she sessfully cheered up Valerio. After a day at the amusement park, they were both exhausted. Seraphina had arranged to have dinner with Sandra Smith. Seeing that they were running out of time, she took Valerio along When they arrived at the private dining room, Sandra had already ordered. Seeing Seraphinae in with a little boy. Sandra was taken aback, her gazending on Valerio and didn¡¯t shift. ¡°Let me introduce, this is Valerio. Seraphinazily pointed, making the introduction, ¡°This is Sandra.¡± Valerio nodded slightly at Sandra as a greeting. Sandra smiled helplessly. Seraphina sent Valerio to wash his hands. Valerio obediently got up and went into the bathroom. Sandra finally spoke, ¡°This kid listens to you well¡± ¡°Because we get along great.¡± Seraphina replied. Hearing this, Sandra furrowed her brows, fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°His mother¡­¡± T have no clue who that woman is Seraphina answered. ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± Sandra looked in the direction of the bathroom, then at Seraphina, ¡°What if his mother shows up one day?¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get there What do I have to fear?¡± Seraphina took the menu to order for Valerio, who had juste out of the bathroom. Sandra nced at him, then at Seraphina, but said nothing more. ¡°How are things with that guy?¡± After ordering, Seraphina asked Sandra. ¡°Just.. the same as before.¡± Sandra seemed a bit ufortable, probably because of Valerios presence You should keep him in check. I think Tania won¡¯t give up easily. She might keep stirring the pot.¡± Seraphina said, 1ll be super busy soon and might not be able to look after you¡± Sandra frowned, asked, ¡°Busy with what?¡± T¡¯ve got a new job, an investigation to carry out Seraphina replied. Sandra looked surprised, ¡°You¡¯re going back to being a reporter? Does Leandro agree?¡± ¡°He¡¯s definitely not thrilled.¡± Seraphina said, ¡®He¡¯s been avoiding metely. I haven¡¯t seen him in days.¡± ¡°Really hasn¡¯t been long and you guys are already having issues, what will you do?¡± Sandra looked worned and nced at Valerio. Seraphina chuckled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s alright, he¡¯s just throwing a tantrum.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Sandra was surprised, ¡°Leandro?¡± A tantrum? That seemedpletely out of character for Leandro. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina nodded, ¡°He feels I don¡¯t care enough about him.¡± ¡°What about the reality?¡± Sandra asked. Seraphina spread her hands helplessly. ¡°There¡¯s only so much one can juggle. With so many people and things around me, it¡¯s inevitable that some get more attention than others, it¡¯s not evenly distributed.¡± ¡°But he is your husband, you said you would live a good life with him.¡± Seraphina popped a piece of fruit into her mouth, smiling. Til find the time to pamper him.¡± Hearing this, Sandra didn¡¯t know what to say. After a moment of silence, she asked, ¡°What case are you investigating? Is it dangerous?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t found anything yet, who knows?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But danger lurks everywhere, even when you go out shopping, you might run into a lunatic killer, right?¡± Sandra looked at her helplessly, speechless. After dinner with Sandra, Seraphina brought Valerio back to Reynolds Manor and hit the sack straight away She didn¡¯t rise until around 2 AM when her thirst woke her up, and she begrudgingly got out of bed for some water. The lights in the living room were off, but the newly installed floor lights on the stairs lit up one by one as she stepped on them. Seraphina tiptoed downstairs, only to find someone sitting on the couch. She was taken aback, and couldn¡¯t help but grumble. Why didn¡¯t you turn on the lights?¡± Leandro was just sitting there, the cigarette in his hand burning slowly as he watched here down the stairs. She was wearing a slip nightgown, different from the style she often wore when she was young, but it was still white. Paired with her bare face, in the dim light, for a moment, he thought he saw the young Seraphina. However, when he came to his senses, Victor¡¯s words kept echoing in his mind- ¡°Don¡¯t let the past tie you down. The past is always in the past.¡± pter Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Oddly enough, when Victor said that thing that day. Leandro didn¡¯t pay much attention But right now, he was suddenly reminded of the old Seraphina, and that sentence appeared crystal clear in his mind. Was he really shackled by the past? Leandro¡¯s thoughts were all over the ce He was silent. Seraphina went into the kitchen to get water and came out with a ss of water before turning on the light in the living room. The usually dim living room lit up instantly. Having been in the dark for quite a while, Leandro was taken aback by the sudden brightness and shut his eyes instinctively. When he opened his eyes again. Seraphina was already sitting across from him, staring straight at him. Leandro just sat still, his expression calm as a millpond, letting her gaze upon him After a good while. Seraphina concluded. You look like you¡¯ve lost some weight, Busytely?¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro took a drag on his cigarette, then turned his head slightly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Tm just worried about you, she said. Quick as a sh, she moved closer to him, frowned at the sight of the cigarette in his hand, took it from him and stubbed it out, then leaned against his chest. 1 havent seen you in days. Can¡¯t worry about you?¡± Leandro must have just got back not long ago. His suit was still neat and tidy, except for his slightly loose tie He looked wide awake if she hadn¡¯te down with a thirst, she might not have bumped into him. Seraphina leaned quietly against his chest, waiting for his response Leandro nced at her, then slowly asked, ¡°Do you think we¡¯re like a married couple?¡± ¡°What do you mean like a married couple? We are married, Seraphina looked up at him and replied. Is there a rulebook that says what a married couple should be like?¡± At her response, Leandro actually cracked a smile. Indeed¡­ there¡¯s no set rule for what a married couple should be like, but a couple like them was probably a rare sight. Sitting up straight, Seraphina looked at him and said, ¡®So, are you still mad because I agreed to help Patrick with his investigation?¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s the case?¡± Leandro responded nonchntly and then reached for his cigarette case Seraphina put her hand on the case and looked at him seriously. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not, this stuff is kind of the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back, right?¡± She shrugged, took a sip of water, then continued, Leandro, I¡¯m not an ambitious person I don¡¯t have big dreams or goals. I became a journalist because I find investigating these events interesting. That¡¯s all want to do. If you¡¯re looking for a docile and obedient wife, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not your girl. You once said that you¡¯re not expecting the Seraphina from seven years ago, and I believe you. But I might not be able to meet your expectations in the present either. If you regret it or feel disappointed, it¡¯s not toote. She didn¡¯t look at him again, just quietly sipped her water. Leandro¡¯s gaze fell on Seraphina¡¯s rarely serious face, and then he slowly asked, ¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s not toote?¡± A familiar smile returned to Seraphina¡¯s face as she retorted, ¡°What do you think?¡± Their eyes met for a moment, then Leandro suddenly reached out and gently cradled her face. ¡°You¡¯re dreaming,¡± he said. Seraphina burst intoughter, still looking as confident and beautiful as ever, I¡¯ve never thought about it that way, because I know you wont have the heart to let me go Before she could finish her sentence, Leandro leaned in and kissed her. Still holding the ss of water, she was caught off guard by his sudden move, and the water sshed everywhere. ¡°Ah-¡± she couldn¡¯t help but exim, pushing Leandro away, ¡°My dress is all wet! Leandros gaze fell on her soaked dress. He reached out and ripped it open in one swift motion Seraphina screamed again, but she couldn¡¯t stop him She was pinned to the couch by him, unable to move Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Leandro, Seraphina suddenly called out, ¡°I told you, I¡¯m going to continue investigating this case.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer He just leaned in and kissed her again Laughing and fussing, she wrapped her arms around him, remembering how he once said he was going to change the venue. Well, he really did this time He really was a man of his word After their wild night, Leandro seemed to have cooled down a bit and silently epted that Seraphina would do what she wanted to do. So, in the following days, Seraphina was busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest. Firstly, she had to sift through all the seemingly irrelevant data Woody had left behind for any clues rted to the case. Secondly, she had to attend all sorts of parties. Chapter 22U T With the year-end approaching, all the big families andpanies in Sunburst City were holding their annual parties. As Leandro¡¯s wife, she received a boatload of invites. Leandro was hardly ever seen at such parties, but Seraphina picked out a few of medium scale to attend. As Leandro¡¯s wife, she naturally became the center of attention at these parties. Many people took the initiative to greet her, including Mack from the rk Group. Mack was not old, around thirty, medium build, and average-looking. Several core members of the rk Group had died in idents one after another, and Mack had effectively be the group¡¯s leader. Seraphina initially thought he was a thoughtful person, but after getting to know him, she found him to be a slick and exaggerated yboy. In public, he was always babbling on about something, and hisughter was always the loudest. Such a person was hard to associate with those idents. After running into him twice at other people¡¯s parties, an invitation to the rk Group¡¯s annual party alsonded in front of Seraphina. These invitations are mostly for show, a matter of politeness. Mack knew that for a family like the Reynolds, the Joneses were out of their league. But he had warmed up to Seraphina a bit, so he decided to invite her anyway, who knows, something unexpected might happen? And something unexpected did happen. On the day of the rk Group¡¯s annual gathering. Seraphina showed up, all dolled up Most of the rk Group¡¯s partners were small and medium enterprises, so Seraphina¡¯s presence was a total scene-stealer. She was dressed to the nines in a sleek ck evening gown, a set of bling-bling diamond jewelry sparkling brightly. With a twinkle in her eye, a dazzling smile, and irresistible charm, she was the center of attention. Mack was taken by surprise and over the moon at her arrival, while Seraphina was as cool as a cucumber, ¡°I didn¡¯t have much going on at home, so when I got your invite, I thought, why not?¡± Mack kept showering Seraphina withpliments, he was all over her, making a fuss over her entrance. Once inside, Seraphina instantly became the cynosure of all eyes. The spotlight was originally supposed to be on Mack, but he was always hovering around her. With othersing up to chitchat and hand out business cards, Seraphina seemed to be in the middle of a bustling market. Thankfully, she had brought her bodyguard, who subtly controlled the crowd when too many people gathered around her. ¡°Talk about a big fuss, someone muttered in private, ¡°Why is she making such a ssh at someone else¡¯s party?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a stunner, and her husband is Leandro, so she¡¯s entitled to attention This kind of woman is clearly a troublemaker, I don¡¯t fancy that.¡± Just then, a man¡¯s voice suddenly chimed in their conversation, ¡°Well, I quite like that in a woman.¡± Chapter 221 Chapter 221 A few heads turned, to see a good looking man, probably in histe twenties. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. He had fine features, his eyes twinkling with a yful light. A total heartthrob Unlike most men around him who were suited up, he was dressed pretty casually, like he was just here to join the fun. But with his good looks and tall stature, he could pull off any outfit withouting off as rude. Seraphina had met a lot of people, heard a lot of names, but none seemed to interest her Feeling a bit worn out, she just had her bodyguard clear a quiet spot for her to rest when someone approached her. The bodyguard stopped the person momentarily. Seraphina looked up to see a handsome young man waving at her with a smile, blocked by the bodyguard She exchanged a nce with him and signaled her bodyguard to let him through. The guy came over and took a seat next to Seraphina, opening with a smile, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Keeley¡± His introduction had Seraphina raising an eyebrow, but she responded with a chuckle, ¡°Hello. Got a business card?¡± Keeley shrugged, ¡°Nope. We can¡¯t chat without a business card, huh?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Seraphina toyed with her hair, grinning at him, ¡°it¡¯s just that everyone who¡¯s approached me today has given me one. You¡¯re the first one who hasnt Kinda threw me off.¡± Keeley turned to look at her, ¡°How could I be like them? I¡¯m not here for your title¡± ¡°Then what are you here for? Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°If it¡¯s not for my title, it must be for me, right?¡± Keeley held her gaze, and instead of denying it, heughed and slowly said, ¡°You look stunning tonight¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Seraphina responded. Keeley shrugged, ¡°Just telling it like it is Seraphina shook her head, ¡°I m not thanking you for thepliment.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Keeley raised an eyebrow, Then what¡¯s it for?¡± Seraphina called for a waiter, took two sses of champagne, handed one to him, and clinked sses with him, smiling. Thanks for feeding me, getting me drinks, and not pressuring me.¡± At her words, Keeley seemed a bit taken aback. Seraphina finished her drink and shook her ss at him. Through the crystal clear ss, he saw her face ¨C delicate yet sly. His heart, which seemed to have paused, started beating again, faster and faster Keeleyughed, ¡°Although I¡¯m not quite sure what you¡¯re thanking me for, I¡¯ll take it.¡± After saying that, he also drained his ss as a toast to Seraphina. He said he didnt understand what she was saying, but Seraphina knew that he understood better than anyone else. About three months ago, she was kidnapped for no reason. The kidnappers didn¡¯t ask for a ransom, and didn¡¯t bother her during the kidnapping ¨C her cooperation was a key factor- except for tying a bomb to her hand in the end. The kidnapping left no clues. It¡¯s still unclear who was behind it. Recalling that day, she sessfully pushed Valerio out of the car and faced two kidnappers alone, saying right off the bat that she wouldn¡¯t resist, which made one of themugh. The one she madeugh took good care of her throughout the ordeal, never short of food or water. She had no suspicions or defenses, eating without a care in the world, which made himugh out loud repeatedly. Yet, despite all this, he never showed his face or spoke in front of her Not until she was taken to that abandoned building to wait for Leandro, did he tie her up with just the right amount of strength and whispered in her ear, ¡°Goodbye.¡± After that, he disappeared. Until today Seraphina never thought that she would recognize that voice from just a sentence in this ce. The man in front of her, Keeley Seraphina initially thought that revealing his identity would make him flee immediately, but Keeley didn¡¯t leave. After sitting quietly for a while, he seemed to find it more and more amusing and couldn¡¯t help butugh again. ¡°Why are youughing? Seraphina asked him, tilting her head Keeley still had a smile on his face, looking at her, ¡°I¡¯m happy¡± ¡°Happy?¡± Seraphina nced at him, ¡°You sure know how to enjoy life.¡± ¡°Getting to know a fun and beautiful woman like you, of course I¡¯m happy¡± Keeley said. ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s so fun about it.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°It was an unpleasant experience. Nothing got resolved, and I don¡¯t know when it might happen again.¡± Hearing this, Keeley leaned closer to Seraphina, smiling, ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Seraphina retorted, ¡°I just want to know who¡¯s behind you. That¡¯s not too much to ask, right?¡± Keeleyughed again, ¡®Not at all.¡± After saying that, he fell silent for a while, seemingly considering whether he could say certain things. Seraphina watched him quietly, waiting patiently. After a while, Keeley finally looked at her and slowly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Seraphina asked, puzzled, ¡°You don¡¯t know who you work for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Keeley shrugged, ¡°All I need to know is what I have to do, get paid ordingly. I¡¯m not interested in the rest.¡± Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Keeley was young and handsome, a real looker. Granted, he¡¯s done some shady stuff in the past, but he¡¯s brimming with sunshine and confidence, not a shred of insecurity or cowardice in sight. He¡¯s always going on about how he¡¯s all about the money, but he didn¡¯t look like he¡¯s hurting for cash. At least, not with all those high-end casual outfits he¡¯s always rocking. When Seraphina brought it up, he grinned and asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s my price tag in your book?* Leaning in close, Keeley whispered back, ¡®Past worth doesn¡¯t matter. Right now, you¡¯re priceless.¡± He first noticed her during that kidnapping incident. He thought his n was thorough, but she managed to slip the kid out of the car. Then, she defended herself with a cool-headed determination that was downright impressive. In the ensuing dilemma, she was very calm, not even batting an eyelid when he brought her food. It wasn¡¯t because she was gullible, but because she was seriously smart. She knew she was at their mercy and if they wanted to hurt her, they had a million ways to do it. There was no need for them to spike her food, so she was totally chill about it. Even at the end, when he tied her to a chair and put a bomb in her hands, she kept her cool. A woman like that, cool, smart, and drop-dead gorgeous. He prided himself on his wless operations, but that moment, he couldn¡¯t help but lean in and murmur a goodbye. Today, they finally meet again. He had thought he could only say hello and have a casual conversation with her, but to his surprise, she recognized him. At first, he was dumbfounded, a whirlwind of thoughts in his head, the most desperate of which was to protect himself by eliminating loose ends. But now, looking at her bright smile, he couldn¡¯t care less about the past. Seraphina looked at him for a moment, then asked, ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve, aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Keeley just smiled and replied confidently. ¡°If you¡¯re not scared, why should I be?¡± Seraphinaughed, and it was a beautiful sound. That¡¯s how it is when smart people talk. They can get each other¡¯s drift with just a few words. Of course, not all thoughts can be seen through. ¡°So why are you here?¡± Seraphina asked. Leaning back on the couch, Keeley scanned the room, then looked back at Seraphina, ¡°I was bored. If I knew I¡¯d run into you, I would¡¯ve been here ages ago.¡± Seraphina considered this for a moment. ¡°You know who I am, right?¡± Keeley just smiled, not denying it.. ¡°And you know who my husband is, right?¡± Seraphina continued. Keeley chuckled dismissively. ¡°What¡¯s so great about marriage? If it really mattered to you, you wouldn¡¯t be here alone, right?¡± At this, Seraphina¡¯s eyes clouded over with a hint of sadness, but she quickly recovered, ¡°Maybe I have other motives?¡± As she said this, she was looking straight at him, her gaze clear and sincere. Keeleyughed again, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known who I was before we met. From now on, I don¡¯t mind if you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not just interested in you. Seraphina said. Leaning in close again, Keeley offered, ¡°If you want to know who¡¯s really pulling the strings, I can help you out. How about it?¡± Looking straight into his eyes, Seraphina smiled. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 At the dinner party, even though Seraphina didn¡¯t show much of a reaction, Keeley naturally spent the whole night by her side, and they were having a st In the middle of the party, Seraphina took a call and decided to leave early. Seeing her trying to leave, people came to say goodbye immediately surrounded her Keeley was blocked outside the crowd, watching Seraphina¡¯s polite smile with interest, his arms folded Behind him, Mack quietly patted his shoulder ¡°You two looked pretty cozy tonight, Mack said. ¡°What were you guys chatting about?¡± Keeley gave him a side eye. We hit it off, so of course we had stuff to talk about¡± Mack also looked at Seraphina in the crowd and said, ¡°She¡¯s quite a looker, but she¡¯s already someone else¡¯s wife¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And what¡¯s that got to do with anything? Keeley scoffed. Tm just giving you a heads up. Her husband is Leandro Mack pointed out with his index finger. ¡°He could squash you like a bug¡± Keeleyughed it off, his eyes filled with contempt and indifference ¡°Let him try then.¡± With that, he brushed off Mack¡¯s hand and turned to leave. Mack watched his back, dusted off his hand, and squeezed into the crowd to bid Seraphina goodbye. Once in the car, Seraphina took out her phone and got in touch with Terrell. As soon as the call connected, Terrell asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seraphina got straight to the point. ¡°Are you interested in coborating on another case?¡± Is there a fee? Terrell asked. Seraphinaughed. This time it¡¯s different, I can get you a fat paycheck.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Terrell replied. ¡°First, I need you to look into someone, Seraphina said ¡°Including his personal information and social connections, the more detailed the better.¡± After hanging up, Seraphina sent Keeley¡¯s name and photo to Terrell, She didn¡¯t give much thought to the kidnapping incident. Given the circumstances, it was clearly an attack on Leandro, and it was no secret that Leandro had made a lot of enemies over the years, she didn¡¯t care who was against him. But today, she ran into Keeley, the guy who carried out the kidnapping, at the Jones family¡¯s dinner party. Now that was interesting What was curious was that the kidnapping didn¡¯t leave any traceable clues, and the ¡°idents¡± that Patrick asked her to investigate didn¡¯t leave any evidence either. The evidence was all cleaned up nice and neat How many people could pull that off? Moreover, Keeley had connections with the Jones family. This guy instantly caught her attention. While Seraphina was deep in thought, she heard the driver say, ¡°Ma am, a motorcycle has been following us Seraphina snapped back to reality and looked behind them. A sleek ck motorcycle had been trailing behind them. The rider was dressed in ck motorcycle gear, helmet and all, giving off a cool and mysterious vibe Seraphina had a hunch, and asked the driver, ¡®Do you recognize that motorcycle?¡± The driver nced in the rearview mirror. ¡°I can tell it¡¯s a Ducati, but I don¡¯t know the model. However, it looks like a high-end one, probably worth over a hundred grand¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow. A motorcycle worth over a hundred grand? Its owner must be loaded! ¡°Never mind him, Seraphina said. ¡°Just drive normally. Stop at the entrance when we get home.¡± The driver acknowledged and continued to drive smoothly until they reached the Reynolds Manor, where he pulled over. Sure enough, the motorcycle followed and stopped steadily behind them. Seraphina got out of the car, and the rider took off his helmet, ced it in front of him, and smiled at her. It was Keeley, Indeed. Seraphina approached him and took a closer look at his motorcycle. ¡°You disappeared without a word earlier.¡± Keeley just smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. ¡°Yeah, so I came to say goodbye now¡­ I also gave you a lift home, right?¡± Seraphina chuckled, nced at the quiet Reynolds Manor, and asked, ¡°Are you really afraid of nothing?¡± When ites to things I¡¯m interested in, I¡¯m fearless, Keeley replied. ¡°Well, I¡¯m home now, and you¡¯ve said goodbye. You can leave now, right?¡± Seraphina said. Keeley looked at her and said, ¡°This is a public ce, I can stay as long as I want. Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me? Is there something, or someone, you¡¯re afraid of?¡± Just as he finished speaking, a sleek ck Maybach suddenly appeared on the quiet street. The bright headlights made it impossible to miss. Seraphinaughed. ¡°I¡¯m not scared. Let¡¯s see if you are.¡± Keeley followed her gaze and squinted at the approaching lights until the car pulled up alongside them. The window slowly rolled down, and Leandro was sitting in the back seat, he nced at Keeley indifferently, then turned to Seraphina He hadn¡¯t seen her dressed up like this in a long time. Was a medium-sizedpany¡¯s annual meeting worth the effort? After these thoughts, he looked at Keeley again, his gaze deep and icy. Seraphina walked past Keeley and came to his car, extending her hand with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± The driver opened the door for Leandro, and he got out of the car, taking Seraphina¡¯s hand in his, ¡°Let me introduce you. This is Keeley, a¡­ friend, Seraphina said. ¡°Keeley, this is my husband, Leandro Hearing her introduce his identity, Keeley couldn¡¯t help but chuckle under his breath before hopping off his motorcycle to shake hands with Leandro. ¡°Hello, Mr. Reynolds. I¡¯ve been hearing about you¡± Leandro extended his hand, giving Keeley a frosty handshake before releasing it. His gaze was fixed on Seraphina. ¡°What friend?¡± As he posed the question, Keeley just looked at Seraphina, awaiting her response. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Seraphina shot Keeley a nce and chuckled softly. ¡°He said I used to know him, and we just happened to run into each other today.¡± Hearing this, Keeley couldn¡¯t help butugh again, raising an eyebrow at Seraphina. Seraphina kept her cool, just looking at Leandro. Leandro¡¯s expression was indifferent, seemingly oblivious to the exchange of nces between the two. He said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s head home¡± Seraphina nodded, then waved at Keeley Tm off then, see you.¡± Keeley waved back at her, then turned to Leandro, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, see you¡± Leandro just nodded slightly, taking Seraphina¡¯s hand and headed straight for the entrance. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Keeley hopped back onto his motorcycle, eyes glued to Leandro and Seraphina as they disappeared behind the big gate. Just as they were about to enter, Seraphina turned back and gave him a wave, to which he responded with a small smile. He watched them vanish into the gate before climbing back onto his bike, donned his helmet, and drove off Inside the gate. Seraphina histened to the fading sounds of his motorcycle, squinting her eyes slightly Leandro also heard it, but he just held Seraphina¡¯s hand and walked into the house. The room instantly warmed up. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, I¡¯m gonna hit the shower first, Seraphina sighed, before quickly heading upstairs Leandro plopped down on the living room couch, lit a cigarette, and called over the bodyguard who had been with Seraphina throughout the day The bodyguard gave Leandro a detailed rundown of the events at the dinner party. Leandro listened quietly, stubbed out his cigarette, and then also headed upstairs. After her shower, Seraphinapleted her skincare routine, and found a message from Terrell waiting for her. Only two hours after she had told him about Keeley. Terrell already sent over Keeley¡¯s basic information So, Keeley was born into a middle-ss family, is Mack¡¯s cousin, was once a good student, but dropped out of high school after his parents died early. and then started to mix in society, his social rtionships weren¡¯t clear though That¡¯s all I¡¯ve got for now, I still need to dig deeper into his social rtionships, Terrell added Seraphina skimmed through Keeley¡¯s basic information a few times on her phone, just as she was about to put the phone away, a hand reached over and took it from her. Looking up, she saw Leandro, fresh from his shower, scanning through her phone. Seraphina wasn¡¯t in a rush, she let him have a look. After going through the information on the phone, Leandro nced at the message from Terrell, then turned to Seraphina. ¡°Who is this guy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s someone Im investigating. Seraphina reached over and retrieved her phone, deleting some irrelevant messages. ¡°Investigating?¡± Leandro watched her movements. ¡°And how exactly are you doing that?¡± Upon hearing his question, Seraphina looked up at him, a small smile ying on her lips. ¡°What are you getting at?¡± Leandro held her gaze, ¡°Do you have any other methods of investigation besides the one you used on Balch?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°If it¡¯s the most effective and convenient, why not use it? After all, beauty is a resource too, isn¡¯t it a waste not to use 11?¡± Leandro¡¯s expression suddenly turned grim at her response. But then Seraphina reached out and draped her arm around his neck. The only downside to this method is it can be tiring. I don¡¯t mind the work, but if there¡¯s an easier way, I wouldn¡¯t mind using it.¡± ¡°Is there?¡± Leandro asked, his face still stern. ¡°1 just had an idea Seraphina said, ¡°If I tell you who that guy is, it would save me a lot of effort¡± Leandro looked at her silently, waiting for her to continue. ¡°Do you remember when I was kidnapped?¡± Seraphina blinked innocently at him. Leandro¡¯s gaze deepened. He then reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace, ¡°You were thinking of not telling me who this guy is?¡± The force of his grip caused Seraphina to wince in pain, ¡°I¡¯m telling you now, aren¡¯t 1?¡± With her being so forthright, of course Leandro wouldn¡¯t let Keeley off the hook easily Keeley might put up a fight for a while, but if things get too heated. he might not be able to handle it. It¡¯s simple. Keeley had once mentioned that he didn¡¯t know who was behind Seraphina¡¯s kidnapping ¨C meaning there was a middleman between him and his employer, maybe even other aplices. And this group, undoubtedly operated from the shadows. Once Keeley¡¯s identity was at risk of exposure, it would be a crisis for this group. And when Keeley is backed into a corner, this group would inevitably show their true colors to resolve the crisis. And that would give them some leads. Even if they couldn¡¯t find evidence from previous cases, this group would inevitably let slip some new information. By then, there¡¯d be no such thing as a perfect crime anymore. Sure enough, as soon as Seraphina finished speaking, Leandro immediately whipped out his phone and called Herman. Seraphina nestled into his arms, quietly watching him make the call The call didn¡¯t go through immediately, Leandro looked down to see her face, a mix of anticipation and mischief. The sight stirred something within him, and he leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina was still waiting to hear his conversation, she didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly kiss her. Just as she was about to react, Leandro bit down on her lip, hard ¡®Ouch!¡± Seraphina winced in pain, her fingers digging into Leandro¡¯s side. This mart wasn¡¯t trying to kiss her, he was clearly taking out his anger on her! But her feeble attempts at resistance were like tickles to Leandro. As he continued to kiss and bite her, Seraphina tried her best to resist, but Leandro didn¡¯t let up. Even though the call had already connected, and Herman¡¯s voice could be heard from the other end, ¡°Leandro? Hello? Leandro? Hello?¡±, Leandro seemed to have turned a deaf ear, his hold on her only tightening. Only when Herman hung up and redialed, and the phone was about to disconnect automatically after ringing several times, did Leandro finally release her and pick up the call, ¡°Hello?¡± Seraphina was hurting all over her back, her waist, even her mouth. The moment he let her go, she couldn¡¯t help but copse onto the bed, and in the process, she gave him a hefty kick. Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Leandro was standing at the foot of the bed, getting stepped on by her, but he remained steady, grabbing her ankle in an instant Seraphina wasn¡¯t scared at all, stretching her foot right to his waist. While answering a phone call, Leandro nced at her pretty foot. She was trying her hardest to undo his belt with her toes. Just when she was about to seed, Leandro suddenly let go of her foot and turned to answer the phone seriously. Seraphina fell back onto the bed,ughing out loud. She thought she could rx for a bit, but to her surprise, Leandro ended the call in two minutes, walked into the room, and closed the door. Seraphina, leaning against the head of the bed, looked at him, somewhat surprised, ¡°You finished your call already?¡± Leandro put down his phone, looked at her and said, ¡°You can¡¯t wait, can you?¡± Saying that, Leandro stretched out his hand and ced hers on his belt Seraphinaughed and then slowly stood up, unfastening his belt while saying, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? There¡¯s plenty of time, just not sure how long you canst?¡± She teased him over and over, and Leandro once again held her waist tightly, pushing her back onto the bed. As it turned out, even though she had already told Leandro about Keeley¡¯s true identity, and he had kissed her, he still felt uneasy, making the night seem incredibly long, as if it never ended. And that man seemed to have endless energy, all spent on her! By the end, Seraphina was too exhausted to speak and simply fell asleep. Leandro let her rest her head on his arm. Only when Seraphina¡¯s breathing became steady did he turn to look at her, not taking his eyes off her. When would she recover her lost heart? T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. That night, Leandro did not return to his room or fall asleep. Just as dawn broke, Seraphina suddenly found herself immersed in water. She woke up with a start to find Leandro had put her in a tub full of hot water. ¡°You scared the hell out of me! Seraphina clutched her chest, ¡°I just had a nightmare about drowning! Leandro, are you trying to kill me?¡± Leandro sat by the tub, looking at her, ¡°If that was my intention, I wouldnt have waited until now.¡± What he meant was, if he wanted to, he could have done it in bedst night Seraphina found afortable position in the tub, then looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been too busy lately, too tired, that¡¯s why you seem so energetic. Give it a few more years, and see who¡¯s the one lacking the energy!¡± Leandro didn¡¯t have the energy to argue with her, he stood up and said, ¡°Herman is almost here, you rx a bit longer,e out when you¡¯refortable.¡± ¡°What¡¯s heing here for? Seraphina pouted, ¡°Other than knowing Keeley is connected to the kidnapping, I have no other information for him.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t turn around, just said, ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll remember something else.¡± Seraphina felt like his words held some deeper meaning, but Leandro couldn¡¯t possibly know about the specific case she was investigating, could he? By the time she finished bathing, got dressed and went downstairs, Herman had arrived and was chatting with Leandro on the couch. Seraphina walked up, sat next to Leandro, leaned into him without any hesitation, then smiled at Herman, ¡°Hey*- Leandro¡¯s arm was resting on the back of the couch, Seraphina naturally leaned in, he just nced at her, leaving her be. Faced with such openly affectionate behavior, Herman felt a bit awkward, hesitated for a moment before asking directly, ¡°How did you determine that Keeley is the kidnapper?¡± ¡°He told me himself Seraphina smiled faintly, appearing casual. Herman¡¯s face changed slightly, ¡°He told you directly? Could that really happen?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Seraphina looked at him with sincere eyes, ¡°Trust is needed between people. I was sincere to him, so naturally, he wouldn¡¯t want to lie to me.¡± Herman was about to say something, but then he remembered Balch Lawson from before- He had witnessed this woman¡¯s allure to men. Moreover-Herman nced at the still cold Leandro-there was a living example right in front of him. ¡°He dares to reveal his identity because he¡¯s confident he left no evidence, and your word alone won¡¯t convict him.¡± Herman said. ¡°Whether there¡¯s evidence or not, you¡¯ll have to investigate.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve already told you everything | know -After saying that, she nced at Leandro, giving him a flirtatious smile. Leandro met her gaze, still looking indifferent. Sol Seraphina leaned into him again, looking as if they were glued together. Herman averted his gaze, cleared his throat, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve told everything?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Seraphina countered. ¡°Then can you tell me, when investigating what case did you encounter him?¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°I just happened to run into him, recognized his voice, does it matter what case I was investigating?¡± Herman frowned slightly after hearing this, ¡°If you ran into him elsewhere, I¡¯ve got nothing to say, but you met him at the Jones family¡¯s party¡­ ¡°He¡¯s Mack Jones¡¯ cousin. It¡¯s perfectly normal for him to be at the party, right?¡± Seraphina said. Herman just looked at her, ¡°What about you? Why were you at that party?¡± Seraphina paused for a moment after hearing this, then looked at Leandro andughed, ¡°I was bored, just wanted to have some fun!¡± Herman didn¡¯t give her a second nce, instead he turned to Leandro, ¡°Leandro, you remember the three idents that happened one after the other within the Jones Group, right?¡± At the mention of this, a sense of unease began to creep up on Seraphina. Why would a small fry like the Jones Group pique Leandro¡¯s interest? She looked over at Leandro as if seeking confirmation, just to find him already looking back at her. Under her gaze, Leandro nodded slowly. He really did know! Seraphina bit her lip involuntarily. Clearly, Leandro had guessed what case she was working on since last night. Was this why he was angryst night? ¡°We have previously analyzed that these three cases are likely to be man-made, but without concrete evidence, we weren¡¯t able to officially investigate,¡± Herman looked at Seraphina. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be on the case too.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Seraphina suddenly sat up straight from Leandro¡¯s embrace. ¡°Why would you guys pay attention to a small potato like the Jones Group?¡± Herman and Leandro shared a knowing look before Herman finally said, ¡°Because the Martin family is behind the Jones Group.¡± Chapter 226 Chapter 226 The Martin Family¡± Seraphina asked, turning her head to Leandro ¡°Which the Martin family are you talking about?¡± Leandro just looked at her calmly, implying confirmation. The Martin family where Tamia Martin, who once dated Bowen Smith, and Andrea, who was once engaged to Leandro, belonged to. It was also the family of Patrick Gray¡¯s brother inw. The Martin family that was rumored to have made their fortune by illegal means and hid all kinds of ugly things. For a medium-sizedpany like the Jones Group, it was quite normal to seek the protection of a big power. If Mack chose to rely on the Martin family, then those cases might also have the support of the Martin family behind them? If this matter is rted to the Martin family, then-¡± Before Seraphina could finish her sentence, Herman took over. Then, you cant continue the investigation.¡± Seraphina blinked in confusion, ¡°Why?¡± Herman exined, ¡°Since you¡¯re investigating, you should be clear about the actual situation of these cases and how dangerous they are. If the Martin family knew you were investigating them, the consequences would be unthinkable¡± Seraphina leaned back into the couch,ughing lightly, ¡°You could even chake on bread, but would you stop eating bread because of that?¡± Having said that, she turned to look at Leandro, Leandro was ying with an unlit cigarette in his hand, not looking at her. .. Herman knew he couldn¡¯t easily persuade Seraphina to give up, so he continued, ¡°I can continue the investigation. Anyway, it would definitely go smoother if I were to do it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it that you can¡¯t open a case without evidence?¡± Seraphina asked. Herman calmly replied, ¡°I can investigate privately¡± ¡°Then we can totally cooperate and investigate together. Seraphina immediately said excitedly. ¡°Plus the everywhere-at-once Terrell, I believe we can definitely find out the truth¡± Hearing this, Herman stopped talking abruptly. His eyes quickly swept over Leandro, then he firmly said, ¡°No, it¡¯s too risky, you absolutely cannot get involved¡± Seraphina noticed where his gaze had fallen, andughed, ¡°On what ground are you saying this? What can you do to me if I don¡¯t agree with you?¡± Im just worried about you, Herman said, ¡°There are so many cases in the world, why can¡¯t you investigate others and have to stick to this one?¡± I just like to finish what I start Seraphina answered with a smile Herman was speechless for a moment and could only look at Leandro. He came here and said so much, all for Leandro. He knew how much Leandro cared about Seraphina. What man would want to see the woman he loves take risks? But Seraphina just liked to take risks, which was inexplicable. Leandro sat aside, silent all the time, like a bystander Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. It was only when Seraphina reached out and grabbed his arm, half-leaning into his arms, that he looked at her ¡°Why does he keep looking at you? Seraphina asked. ¡°Is it you who doesn¡¯t want me to continue the investigation? But you clearly promised me before.¡± ¡°Do you really want to go on with the investigation? Leandro asked. Seraphina nodded, saying, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m now super interested in this case¡± After hearing this, Leandro put down the cigarette in his hand, turned his head to look at her, his expression calm, and slowly said, ¡°Then start the investigation¡± ¡°Leandro¡±¡± Before Seraphina could say anything, Herman couldn¡¯t help but call out. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Leandro stood up, did not say anything else, just told the driver to prepare to leave. Seraphina stood up with him, walked him to the door, and then gave him a passionate kiss with a smile. ¡°I knew you would support me,¡± she said. Leandro looked at her again, didn¡¯t say anything, loosened her hand, and got into the car Seraphina waved him off, then returned to the living room to see a worried looking Herman. ¡°Why are you so worried?¡± Seraphina sat down again, folding her arms as she looked at him, ¡°Honestly, you definitely can¡¯t figure out this case on your own.¡± Herman furrowed his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°is simple¡± Seraphina answered, ¡°You¡¯ve always had doubts about those cases, but have you found anything after so long? Now, Keeley is a breakthrough And I, I¡¯m probably the only one you can choose who can get close to him.¡± Herman paused, did not continue discussing the case with her, only said, ¡°Do you know that Leandro is very worned about you?¡± ¡°But he supports me.¡± Seraphina shrugged,ughing. Herman turned to look out the window, saying quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking¡­¡± Seraphina stared at him for a while, then suddenlyughed, ¡°Have you never been in a rtionship?¡± As soon as she said this, Herman¡¯s face changed slightly, even his ears seemed a bit red. ¡°Why do you suddenly bring this up?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re really naive.¡± Seraphina looked him up and down, then sighed, ¡°For someone as naive as you, I think unless the girl who falls in love with you is a carefree fool, it would be really hard to ept.¡± Herman didn¡¯t want to say any more to her and stood up to leave. At the door, he turned back and said, ¡°If you make any progress here, let me know immediately. If there¡¯s evidence to open a case, I¡¯ll still be the one in charge of it.¡± Seraphina turned her back to him, didn¡¯t look back, just waved a ¡°goodbye¡± with her hand. Herman took off. After that day. Herman started digging into Keeley with everything he got, while Seraphina was chilling, asionally swapping some intel with Terrell, kicking back most of the time, living the life of ady of leisure, just like a rich housewife should. Leandro, on the other hand, was up to his eyeballs in work till the end of the year, even on Christmas Eve he was out and about bright and early. Everyone was soaking up the festive vibes, the housekeeper and most of the staff at Reynolds Manor also took off, leaving just Seraphina and Valerio Reynolds hanging out in the living room. There was an animated movie ying on the TV, Valerio watched for a bit, probably thought it was a bit of a snooze, couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to look at Seraphina. ¡°Stop eyeballing me! Seraphina said without looking up from her magazine, ¡°It¡¯s Christmas Eve, everyone¡¯s scuttling off home for the holidays, all the ces that should be closed, are closed. There¡¯s nothing to do out there, so don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± Hearing that, Valerio was a bit bummed out, he looked over at the front door again. So, Seraphina went on, ¡°Don¡¯t bother looking, your dad¡¯s probably gonna spend the holiday at Reynolds Vista Retreat, and we¡¯re not exactly the guests of honor there, so how about we just hang out? It¡¯s way better than dealing with those people.¡± Valerio was a bit downcast, just about to look away, when the front door suddenly swung open. Valerio excitedly nudged Seraphina, Seraphina looked up, and there was Leandro, just got back. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Leandro and Keen arrived home together, Leandro still dressed in the ck coat he¡¯d left in that morning, clearly just back from work He¡¯d been workingte hours for a while now, and Seraphina rarely asked about his schedule. Seeing him now, she couldn¡¯t help but be a bit surprised, ¡°It¡¯s Christmas Eve today, hasn¡¯t yourpany given you the day off yet? Keen, doesn¡¯t your family celebrate Christmas?¡± ¡°Work¡¯s more important.¡± Keen replied, then nced at Leandro and headed upstairs. Leandro stood by the sofa, looking at the casual clothes on Seraphina and Valerio, and said, ¡°Go change.¡± ¡°Change for what?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°It¡¯s Christmas tomorrow, where else are you nning to go?¡± Leandro tilted his head slightly, looking at her, ¡°What do you think?¡± Christmas was a day for family gatherings, his implication was clear. Seraphina, holding Valerio tightly, sat on the sofa, ¡°Don¡¯t joke around, Reynolds Vista Retreat is not for me and Valerio. The two of us would be morefortable having a sandwich back than eating at Reynolds Vista Retreat. Isnt that right?¡± Leandro didnt say much, just asked, ¡°Would you go if grandpa asked you to?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina froze in ce, exchanging nces with Valerio, then finally sighed in resignation, ¡°Well, if the elders say so, I guess I have to.¡± With that, she pushed Valerio ahead of her and they bath headed upstairs Leandro stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching their retreating figures, his expression a touch heavy as he looked away Just as Seraphina and Valerio got upstairs, they ran into Keen leaving Leandro¡¯s study, a few files in his hand. ¡°Is there really that much work to do?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but ask Keen paused before replying. While we get to enjoy the holidays here, there¡¯s always someone on duty in our overseas branches. Business cant stop.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not overseas, he can¡¯t be that busy¡± Seraphina retorted casually ¡°Mr. Reynolds has already nned his holiday at Starhaven, he¡¯s leaving early tomorrow¡± Keen added, ¡°You should know about this¡± Seraphina was taken aback. She did know about this. Leandro had mentioned taking Valerio to Starhaven for a study trip, and they¡¯d stay at Velverwood for a while. But then she took on Patrick¡¯s case and canceled Valerio¡¯s trip, assuming Leandro would cancel his ns too. ¡°He didn¡¯t change his ns? Seraphina asked. Keen gave a resigned chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s a big deal, not something you can just change on a whim¡± He added before leaving, ¡°I need to get home for dinner with the family I¡¯ll be going row¡± As Keen walked away, Seraphina shrugged and turned to Valerio¡¯s room to help him pick out clothes. But Valerio had his own ideas. By the time Seraphina walked into his room, he¡¯d already picked out a small suit to wear. ¡°Looking sharp.¡± Seraphina walked over, straightening Valeria¡¯s cor andbing his hair, ¡°You could go back to Reynolds Vista Retreat today, at feast youd get a lot of presents¡± Valerio pursed his lips slightly, clearly not too excited about this. After helping him get ready, Seraphina looked at him for a moment before asking. ¡°You look so much like your father¡­¡± Wouldn¡¯t Gloria love this grandson of hers? Was he really overlooked just because his mother¡¯s identity was unclear? She didn¡¯t voice her thoughts, and Valerio, confused, turned to look at her Seraphina shrugged, ruffled his hair, andughed lightly. ¡°You¡¯re pretty handsome too¡± Valerio alsoughed, a bit shy, then looked at Leandro standing behind Seraphina As Seraphina followed his gaze, she saw Leandro leaning against the door, obviously having heard her. Leandro was indeed handsome in his twenties, but now, after more than a decade of ups and downs and the passage of time, he was more than just ¡°handsome¡±. So, Seraphina turned to Valerio and said, ¡°Actually, you¡¯re even more handsome than your dad. After all, you¡¯re still young!¡± Leandro was speechless. It wasn¡¯t until the three of them were heading out that Leandro told Seraphina, 1l be flying to Moonhaven after dinner¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Keen already told me.¡± Leandro didnt add anything else. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Dont worry, I¡¯ll take good care of Valerio Seraphina said, reaching over to tweak Valerio¡¯s cheek, laughing a bit mischievously, Didn¡¯t I promise to take you on a short trip? Get a bunch of gifts today, and we can have a st unwrapping them before we leave!¡± Vrio was clearly unhappy with Seraphina pinching his cheek, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited by her words, his expression a mix of emotions that caused Seraphina to pinch his cheek a few more times. Leandro turned to look out the window, ignoring them. When they arrived at Reynolds Vista Retreat, the hall was bustling Over twenty members of the Reynolds family, with the exception of Ferne Reynolds and a few others of unclear status, had already gathered. You could tell that the Reynolds Group was gonna have a good year. When Leandro strolled in with Seraphina and Valerio, everyone was all smiles and handshakes, including Billy Reynolds, who was cheesed off with Leandro for sending his daughter Ferne to the Bahamas. But even he was all grins. Seeing all of this, Seraphina could only think to herself, ¡°Man, money sure is sweet¡± Thanks to Leandro, everyone was being super nice to her too. When they were handing out gifts to Valerio, they didn¡¯t forget to hook up the new girl in the family. Seraphina scored a load of presents, and even managed to coax a big one out of Conway Reynolds before she started asking about other stuff. She asked Conway, ¡°Where¡¯s Leandro¡¯s mom?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been haled up in her room, sick. Not seeing anyone, Conway said, ¡°Might be for the best, less hassle, everyone¡¯s more chill¡± Sure enough, when it was time for dinner, Gloria was a no-show. No one seemed to care, they were all too busy getting pumped for Christmas. It¡¯d been years since Seraphinast felt this kind of holiday spirit. No need to talk about her time in Velvetwood, and going further back, her years with the Reynolds family were always pretty nd when it came to Christmas dinner. Other than Conway and Bruce Reynolds, no one really paid her any mind. After the big meal, she¡¯d hide in a corner or retreat to her room, just some wallflower doing wallflower things But there was an exception when she was seventeen. That Christmas Eve, she had Leandro. In the midst of that familiar buzz, she felt a thrill, a sense of anticipation. So, she didn¡¯t head back to her room early, but chose to kick back downstairs watching TV But she couldn¡¯t remember a single thing about the TV show that night. Instead, her mind was filled with images of Leandro and his cousins ying poker. Mid-game, Leandro suddenly called it quits, ¡°I¡¯m getting a bit hot, you guys carry on, I¡¯m gonna go shower¡± Ignoring the groans of his mates, he got up and marched upstairs. Seraphina sat downstairs for a moment before also getting up and heading up. Her n was to go to her room, but when she got to the second floor, she found herself outside his door, hand raised to knock, then hesitating. As she turned to leave, the door suddenly swung open, and a hand quickly pulled her inside. Before she knew what was happening, she was pushed back against the door Leandro¡¯s low, amused voice echoed in her ear, ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at me all night What¡¯s that about?¡± Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Hearing Leandro¡¯s words, a rush of heat swept over Seraphina, her cheeks turning a bright red. Had she been staring at him all night? How had she not noticed? Struggling to find the right words, she muttered, 1 didn¡¯t¡­ Truth be told, he¡¯d been very busy recently, often noting home for extended periods. Up until today, she hadn¡¯t seen him for thirteen days. So what was so strange about her watching him all night? But how was she supposed to exin this kind of bashful behavior? She lowered her head, her hands tightly clutching his waistband. Leandro looked down at her rosy cheeks and simply said. ¡°You really cant lie¡± Seraphina quickly lifted her head to refute him, but before she could say a word, he kissed her All night, Leandro had been flustered by her wandering gaze. Now, he no longer had to restrain himself. He didn¡¯t move an inch, simply pulling her close right there in the door Leaning against the door, Seraphina was flushed and weak. She could only cling to his arm to keep herself upright. But she felt too hot, way too hot. Feeling both embarrassed and scared, her frail body couldn¡¯t handle this kind of pressure, especially with him pressing against her¡­ Her body went limp, her grip loosening as she helplessly fell against the door. Leandro quickly caught her by the waist, pulling her into his arms and pressing her against the door Seraphina¡¯s body was scorching hot, biting her lip, she felt like she was about to lose control ¡°Leandro?¡± Just then, there was a sudden knack on the door, followed by Gloria¡¯s puzzled voice, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Seraphina immediately tensed up. Theirmotion must¡¯ve been loud enough for Gloria to hear! Overwhelmed with anxiety, Seraphina almost fainted She looked at Leandro, but he only responded by kissing her again, ignoring whoever was outside the door. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Leandro?¡± Gloria called again, and the doorknob jiggled. Seeing this out of the corner of her eye, Seraphina was on high alert Leandro abruptly stopped, letting out a soft grunt.. The world seemed to fall silent, their heavy breathing the only sound in the air. But the doorknob was still jiggling¡­ Someone had unintentionally locked the door, leaving whoever was outside unable to get in. Realizing this, Seraphina felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her strength left her and she once again copsed into his arms. Leandro looked at her frightened face, a smile tugging at his lips as he kissed her neck. Gloria¡¯s voice continued from outside, clearly growing anxious. ¡°Leandro, whats going on? Are you okay? Answer me¡± Finally, Leandro lifted his head and slowly responded, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just had a bit too much to drink and nearly slipped after my shower-¡± Clutching him tightly and remaining silent, Seraphina was blushing like a boiled shrimp. After dinner, Seraphina lind Valerio were watching TV on the couch The others didn¡¯t seem too interested in the program. They gathered around Leandro in the dining room, discussing current events. Leandro was always busy Even when they met at the office, they mostly discussed work. So they didn¡¯t have much time to chat and bond like this. Everyone was huddled around Leandro,ughing and joking. Leandro would asionally respond, seeming to fit right in However, he wasn¡¯t really paying attention to their conversation His focus was on Seraphina and Valerio, who were on the couch. The TV program was pretty much the same every year, nothing new or exciting, but Seraphina was engrossed, asionally bursting intoughter. After about half an hour, Leandro finally got up and joined them on the couch Seraphina was watching TV, Valerio was sitting on the carpet at her feet, peeling various nuts while watching. He peeled, she ate. It seemed a bit pitiful, but Valerio seemed to be enjoying himself Leandro was used to their dynamic, so he didn¡¯t say anything. He just sat down next to Seraphina. Seraphina nced at him. ¡°What are you doing here? Go chat with them¡± ¡°I wanted to take a break. Leandro said, watching the TV with a nk expression. Seraphina frowned, ¡°If you wanted to rest, you could ve gone to your room. Now that you¡¯re here, they Ile too and I won¡¯t be able to watch TV in peace.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the others indeed came over, making the previously quiet seating area lively Seraphina looked at Leandro with some annoyance. Leandro didn¡¯t look too pleased either and didn¡¯t engage in conversation with the others Both of them sat among the lively group, engrossed in the TV, sticking out like sore thumbs. It wasn¡¯t until Keen came to pick up Leandro that the awkward scene was broken. Since his schedule was already arranged, he had to leave. Leandro went upstairs to check on Gloria. When he came back down, Seraphing was still on the couch, laughing uncontrobly at aedy show, ¡°Sera¡± Nte was the first to call her, ¡°Leandro¡¯s leaving, and you¡¯re still over there watching TV?¡± Seraphina turned to look and sure enough, everyone was gathered at the door, waiting to see Leandro off She sprang up immediately, sprinted over there, and threw herself into Leandro¡¯s arms, giving him a peck on the cheek in front of everyone. ¡°Have a smooth journey, don¡¯t work too hard, remember to miss me, and don¡¯t forget to bring back gifts Leandro cast her a deep look, didn¡¯t say anything, and turned around to leave. For the first three days after arriving in Moonhaven, Leandro¡¯s schedule was jam packed. He was out and about from the crack of dawn, only returningte into the night. By the fourth day, his schedule finally eased up a bit, and he got off work early, which was a rare urrence. Leandro didnt have any leisure activities. All these years in Moonhaven, his life had always been well ordered, and this time was no exception. The driver headed straight for the apartment. Leandro watched the streetscape recede through the car window, his face impassive as ever. The sidewalks were bustling with pedestrians, among whom there were no shortage ofpatriots who hore a resemnce to him, making these foreign streets feel a little less alien. However¡­ Among the crowd, a woman in a white coat was briskly walking with a child,ughing as they went Leandro¡¯s gaze instantly sharpened. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 ¡°Pull over, Leandro suddenly spoke The driver was taken aback. He thought he¡¯d misheard. Looking at Leandro through the rearview mirror, he said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, this isn¡¯t a great ce to park.¡± Leandros gaze was locked onto two figures fading in the distance, and he didn¡¯t repeat his instruction. Noticing this, Keen, who was in the passenger seat, quickly told the driver, Pull over¡± The driver had no choice but to park the car illegally by the roadside. Leandro immediately got out of the car As soon as he stepped out, his bodyguards naturally followed him out Seraphina had just led Valerio out of the national natural museum here, nning to go to a famous dessert shop in the neighboring block for cake. However, before they could reach their parked car, they were stopped after turning a corner. Ahead were Leandro¡¯s usual bodyguards and two other foreign bodyguards, all of whom Seraphina had met in Moonhaven before Seeing these three suddenly appear, Seraphina immediately realized what was happening. ¡°Ma am,¡± one of the bodyguards called out to her. Seraphina turned to Valerio, making a desperate face, Weve been found!¡± Hearing this, Valerio wasn¡¯t afraid, Instead, he started looking aroundProperty belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Turning his head, he saw Leandroing from around the corner behind them. Valerio¡¯s eyes lit up. He quickly ran up to Leandro, reaching out to grab him. Leandro patted Valeria¡¯s head, then looked towards Seraphina standing not too far away Seraphina gave Valerio a re then looked at Leandro with a smile, ¡®Hey, what a coincidence? * The other bodyguards who had been following Seraphina and Valerio finally showed up reluctantly, standing behund Leandro. They all had grim faces. ¡°Mr. Reynolds Leandro didn¡¯t look at them. He extended his hand to Seraphina. Upon seeing this, Seraphina quickly ran over to him and threw hersell into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist,ughing, brought Valerio to Moonhaven to give you a surprise. How do you like it, quite a surprise, right?¡± Leandro looked down at her A surprise? She always knew how surprised he would be Since they could run into each other on the street by chance, Seraphina and Valerio surely had to go with Leandro. Arriving at Leandro¡¯s ce, Seraphina realized that Leandro had moved. This time they were at a top-level luxury building in the CBD of Moonhaven Leandro¡¯s duplex was on the top floor, quite different from the hotel style apartment with only one bedroom they stayed inst time. As soon as Seraphina entered, she kept eximing in surprise, then led Valerio around to explore The whole apartment had 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, a movie room, a gym, etc., with a great view and extreme luxury. They spent quite a while exploring Leandro watched their retreating figures and sat down on the sofa. Before long. Keen came in and reported the information he¡¯d received ¡°Madam and Valerio arrived in Moonhaven the day before yesterday morning, staying at a hotel in the eastern district. Abbot didn¡¯t inform you in advance because it was Madam¡¯s decision. These two days she¡¯s been taking Valerio to visit museums in Moorhaven. It seems their next stop is Boston.¡± Leandro listened and responded indifferently In fact, from the moment he saw Seraphina, he had guessed her intention secretly bringing Valerio over, following the previous study trip itinerary. As for him being in Moonhaven, she naturally wanted to keep it as secret as possible, and act as independently as possible. What a big surprise. When Seraphina came downstairs again, she immediately spotted Leandro sitting on the sofa Despite his usual coldness and unapproachable demeanor, the aura he exuded at the moment was far beyond that So Seraphina walked over and threw herself into his arms again Leandro just let her do so, his face expressionless, not reaching out to hug her back. ¡®Is this apartment new?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Yep.¡± Leandro replied ¡°Did you prepare it for Valerio and me?¡± Seraphina asked again. Becquse thest hotel style apartment only had one bedroom, they would definitely need to find a new ce if bringing Valerio over Leandro nced at her, What do you think?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it perfect then?¡± Seraphina leaned on his chest, Valerio and I just arrived. You didn¡¯t waste your effort.¡± Leandro simply smiled, didn¡¯t answer, but asked back, ¡°Short trip?¡± Seraphinaughed. ¡°We nned a short trip at first,¡± she said, ¡°butter found out we had plenty of time, so we decided to fulfill his wish. That little guy, he has his own ideas, makes clear ns about where to go, I can¡¯t interfere at all, so all the itinerary is arranged by him!¡± Just as she was pushing the me onto ¡®little guy¡¯ Valerio, Valerio himself happened toe downstairs. Hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, he was instantly stunned ¡°You,e here, Seraphina pointed at him. ¡°Apologize to your dad. If he¡¯s willing to forgive you, then it¡¯s fine, if not, you have to -ahl¡± She didn¡¯t finish her sentence as Leandro suddenly reached out and gave her a firm pinch. ¡°Is this how you teach a child?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯t know how to teach, Seraphina admitted, ¡®So now I brought him back to you, what do you think? Don¡¯t be mad¡­¡± As she spoke, she nestled back into his arms, rubbing her forehead against him. Leandro gave her another nce, then decided to keep his mouth shut. Seraphina snuggled up to Leandro, sneakily winking at Valerio, Valerio had his own way ofmunicating with her Seeing this, he smirked and turned away Seraphina assumed that Leandro would have gotten over his anger by now, but it wasn¡¯t untilte into the night that it hit her this guy wouldn¡¯t let go of his anger that easily! After Valerio had hit the sack, Seraphina found her time and body no longer under her control. In a strange ce, sleeping in a strange apartment and bed, she was initially intrigued. Butpared to the man¡¯s stamina and energy, her curiosity didn¡¯t stand a chance. ¡°You¡­ Seraphina finally broke the silence, her voice slightly hoarse. ¡°Do you really miss me that much?¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze met hers intensely. Seraphina was waiting for his response, but in the next moment, Leandro lowered his head, passionately kissing her lips, answering her question with his actions alone How could she know that the passion inside him had been bottled up since Christmas Eve? Once unleashed, it was as if it would burn everything to the ground The days of losing her felt like a distant memory, but¡­ The longing and pain were something he could never forget. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Once Seraphina moved into Leandros new apartment, her previous ns fell through Leandro seemed to have more time on his hands now. He wasn¡¯t working from dawn till dusk anymore, instead, he was mostly hanging out. When Seraphina continued to tour unvisited museums and attractions with Valeno, Leandro would surprisingly show up and join them With Leandro around, Seraphina enjoyed more freedom. She didn¡¯t have to keep an eye on Valerio all the time, and could spare some time for the exhibits she was interested in. Every now and then, she would catch a glimpse of Leandro in the distance, seriously exining the artistry and historical significance of some exhibits to Valerio. She rarely saw this side of Leandro, After all, he was the big cheese of the Reynolds Group, and he was usually tight-lipped with Valerio even at home. Now he was showing such patience and attentiveness, and Valerio seemed all excited his eyes sparkling. Seraphina watched them for a while, then quickly shifted her gaze and continued to visit the exhibits ording to her own interests. After listening to Leandro¡¯s exnation, Valerio seemed to realize something. He looked around, quickly found Seraphina, reached out and grabbed her hand, refusing to let her go alone ¡°Hey, don¡¯t push your luck,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°I¡¯ve been with you every day. Now that I¡¯ve finally handed you over to your dad. Can¡¯t you give me a break?¡± Knowing Seraphina¡¯s personality well, Valerio still held onto her hand tightly. Just as Seraphina was ring at him, her other hand was grabbed by Leandro, ¡°If you want to take a break, don¡¯t walk too fast¡± Leandro said He held her hand and didn¡¯t let go Seraphina felt like she was being held hostage with both hands held by them. Leandro casually held her hand walked to the next exhibit, and continued to exin to Valerio. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. The three of them were quite noticeable Seraphina was not afraid of being watched, but she felt a bit ufortable at this moment. Her phone in her bag started to vibrate. ¡®Phone call¡± Seraphina quickly pulled her hand out, picked up the phone, and turned to walk to the open space outside the exhibition hall. The call was from Terrell Seraphina answered the call and asked bluntly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Keeley had a car ident, Terrell said. ¡®He almost didn¡¯t make it Hearing this news, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°What do you mean by almost?¡± ¡°He¡¯s alive, in the hospital, and he won¡¯t die, Terrell said. Recalling Keeley¡¯s pricey motorcycle. Seraphina sighed and asked. ¡°Do you know the cause of the ident?¡± 1 Tm still investigating the cause of the ident, Terrell said. ¡°But I guess it might have something to do with your hubby¡± ¡°What?¡± Seraphina asked in confusion, ncing into the exhibition hall Leandro was still standing in front of the previous exhibit, exining patiently to Valerio. Suddenly, he seemed to feel something, turned his head, and looked in Seraphina¡¯s direction. As their eyes met, Seraphina quickly shifted her gaze, then continued, ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me that Leandro has hired a hitman to hurt him, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Terrell replied. ¡°At most, your husband deliberately pushed Keeley into a corner After hearing this, Seraphina was silent for a while, then suddenlyughed lightly Leandro was really ying into her hand Chapter 231 Chapter 231 ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°This gives us a chance to see who he¡¯s really connected to. You¡¯ve got to keep an eye on who¡¯sing and going from his hospital room Terrell huffed, 1 don¡¯t need you to remind me After all, when it came to experience and ability. Terrell was better than her. Hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Oh, old timer, I¡¯m just trying to help since I can¡¯t be there. But do me a favor, okay?¡± Terrell didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation and hung up. Seraphina shrugged, just put down the phone, when she felt a presence approaching. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She turned around and saw Leandro standing behind her. Leandro nced at the phone in her hand and asked slowly. ¡°You done wheeling and dealing?¡± Seraphinaughed. Since Leandro had already taken the initiative to deal with Keeley, he must have a better understanding of what was happening back home. Whatever she knew, he knew better. The trip to Starhaven had been canceled, but he still took Valerio with him, partly due to Keeley¡¯s case. Just to keep her options open- If Keeley ever came looking for her, she, as a woman under the control of a powerful and influential husband, had no choice but to betray Keeley. Men loved this kind of lie. Whether Keeley was an exception, orly time would tell. I¡¯ve finished my negotiations Seraphina shook her phone, ¡°Now we can focus on the exhibition.¡± With that, she put her phone in her bag, turned around and walked into the exhibition hall, heading towards where Valerio was. Leandro quietly watched her back, then also walked into the exhibition hall. On the fifth day at Leandro¡¯s apartment, Seraphina woke up to a room filled with sunlight. Shey in bed for a while looking out the window, just as she was about to drift off again, the door She turned to see Leandro. ¡°What are you He had bing here?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but ask pushed open pretty freetely, but he always had meetings at thepany every morning. He shouldn¡¯t be in the apartment at this time.. ¡°Get up¡± Leandro looked at herzy demeanor and simply said, ¡®Start packing¡± ¡°Are we going back?¡± Seraphina, still groggy, asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t mention if yesterday. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to Velvetwood.¡± Leandro said Hearing this, Seraphina paused, recalling his previous words- 1 haven¡¯t been to Velvetwood many times, but this time I want to stay there for a while.¡± When she originally canceled her trip to Starhaven, her ns to go to Velvetwood were also canceled. Now that she was here, Leandro obviously nned to proceed as originally nned. ¡®Is there anything good about Velvetwood?¡± Seraphinay back down, looking out the window, ¡°Moonhaven is so great, it¡¯s a big international city, has everything, and this luxurious apartment is here. Valerio likes it here too, I really don¡¯t want to go¡± ¡°If you like it, we¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities toe back in the future.¡± Leandro said, ¡°But now, we¡¯re going to Velvetwood.¡± Seraphinay weakly on the bed Two hourster. Seraphina was on the car to Velvetwood. Everything abroad was new to Valerio, so he was very excited, looking out the window the whole way. However, Seraphina looked like she hadn¡¯t slept enough, she was very lined, sitting next to Leandro, she identally leaned on him and fell asleep. Leandro turned his head, deeply looking at her sleeping face, but in the end, he didn¡¯t move and let her lean on him. The ce they were staying in Velvetwood was naturally arranged by Leandro, but when Seraphina opened her eyes, she saw a famir street. The year she first came to Velvetwood, the apartment Sandra helped her arrange was in this neighborhood. ¡°Is the ce you arranged here?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°This neighborhood looks a bit old¡­ is it really suitable for living?¡± Leandro, who had already gotten out of the car, didn¡¯t answer, but just stretched out his hand to her in the car Seraphina could only reluctantly give him her hand and followed him out of the car. In front of them was a standalone apartment building, about three stories high. Although it wasn¡¯trge, it had a ssic feel. When Seraphina used to live in this neighborhood, she often passed by this building, but she never thought she would live here. Leandro and her bedroom was on the second floor, facing the street. Each building made her feel familiar, Seraphina was packing clothes in the room, and she kept looking out the window absentmindedly. After running around a bit, Valerio came to Seraphina¡¯s room. Seraphina came back to her senses and nced at him. Ever since they went abroad, Valerio¡¯s eyes were always filled with excitement that he couldn¡¯t hide, even happier than when they were in Sunburst City. Of course, Seraphina knew why. In Sunburst City, Leandro didn¡¯t have as much time to spend with him, but here, he had both Leandro and Seraphina with him, which was the greatest satisfaction. ¡°Do you like it here? Seraphina asked Valerio nodded immediately. ¡°I used to live here.¡± Seraphina suddenly said. Valerio immediately looked at Seraphina with wide eyes ¡°Not here, but at the end of the street Seraphina paused, then said slowly. ¡°So I¡¯m very familiar with this ce.¡± Valerio¡¯s face immediately showed strong anticipation Seraphina nced down at him, reached out to gently pinch his cheek and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take the reins from here and show you guys around this city¡± As she said this, Leandro happened to be at the door, leaning quietly against it, giving her a deep look. Now that they were in Velvetwood, their vacation really started. Leaving behind the hustle and bustle of Moonhaven, once they arrived in Velvetwood, their lifestyle became much more faid-back and peaceful. Leandro finally didn¡¯t have to go to the office anymore. On the odd asion that there was work to be done, he¡¯d just gort it out via his phone orputer Most of his time was spent hanging out with Seraphina and Valerio. This time, he didn¡¯t take the initiative to n any activities. So, Seraphina fully utilized her familiarity with this ce, taking them to tourist spots, going for drives, shopping, hanging out in parks¡­ She took them to all the ces she had been to with Betty and even to those she hadn¡¯t had the chance to take Betty to yet. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Seraphina was nning some ces to visit, ces that Leandro knew very well. Not because he¡¯d been there, but because he¡¯d seen them in countless photos and videos. These were all photos and videos of Betty, which he¡¯d watched repeatedly. ces Seraphina and Betty had once visited, he¡¯d seen in the videos over and over. Despite these ces being associated with Betty, Seraphina didnt shy away from them. However, she didn¡¯t mention Betty either. She was still grieving Betty¡¯s passing. Leandro knew, she hadn¡¯t bounced back as easily as she¡¯d hoped. Seraphina understood why Leandro insisted on sticking around Velvetwood with her for a while Just before bed, Seraphina nced at the calendar and realized how fast time flew. She turned to Leandro, who was reading by the bed, ¡°We¡¯ve been away for nearly half a month. When are we heading back to Sunburst City?¡± Tve got time Leandro answered ¡°But even if yourpany isn¡¯t swamped, Valerio is starting school soon. Seraphina pointed out. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he need to get ready?¡± ¡°He likes it here.¡± Leandro responded, ¡°A few more days wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Hearing that, Seraphina paused, then suddenly called out. ¡°Leandro¡± Leandro responded without lifting his eyes from his book. Seraphina gave him a faint smile. ¡°In a few days, lets go visit Betty¡± Leandros hands paused mid-page flip. After a moment, he turned to her, his gaze intense. ¡°You¡¯re waiting for March 4th, aren¡¯t you? To pay her a visit?¡± Seraphina asked. March 4th, the day Betty left this world. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Leandro didn¡¯t deny it, ¡°I want to visit her, with you!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Seraphina replied calmly, a faint smile on her face, ¡°I haven¡¯t been to see her in a while. Who knows when we ll be back after we leave¡± Leandro reached out, as if to hold her But Seraphina had already snuggled into bed, half her face hidden under the covers, her back to him. ¡°It¡¯s a date, then. Don¡¯t make any other ns.¡± Leandro remained silent for a while, put down his book, andy down. Seraphinnd quietly, then felt him snuggle up behind her, holding her close. The room was warmed by the heater, but she felt a chill. Leandro ced her hand in his, rubbing it gently. But her hand didn¡¯t warm up. Leandro paused, then slowly turned her around. ¡°I¡¯m not cold. Seraphina sighed softly. The next moment, Leandro ced her hand inside his pajama top. Caught off guard, by the time Seraphina came to, her hand was on his chest She could feel his warmth, even his heartbeat. She involuntarily pulled her hand back, but Leandro held on, keeping her hand in ce. She was all too familiar with his heartbeat. During their intimate moments in the past, whenever he held her close, she would press against his chest, listening to his heartbeat Back when he was in his twenties, his heart would race when they made love. It brought her joy, as if his rapid heartbeat was his way of expressing his happiness. * Now, after weathering the ups and downs of life, having been on the brink of life and death, his heartbeat was steady, unaffected by joy or sorrow. Who was he losing control over, on those rare, barely noticeable asions? Seraphina snuggled up to him, gradually falling asleep. Leandro held her close, keeping her hand on his chest until morning. The next morning, Seraphina was awoken by the sound of Valerio running in the hallway. When she opened her eyes, she was still snuggled up in Leandro¡¯s arms, just as they were the night before. Leandro was looking down at her, as if he¡¯d been watching her all night. Seraphina shifted slightly, only then realizing her hand was still on his chest. Her once slightly cold hand had been warmed by his body heat. I¡¯m not cold anymore.¡± She said. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not cold?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina gave him a nce, pulled her hand away and waved it in front of him. Leandro, however, took her hand again. This time, he brought it to his lips and gave it a light kiss. His lips had no warmthpared to his chest, but Seraphina felt as if she¡¯d been burned. She quickly pulled her hand back and got out of bed. Seraphina never forgot the day Betty left this world, but she hardly ever visited Betty on that day. In fact, she barely visited her at all in her everyday life. Her excuse was that she was busy, but the real reason was her guilt. Feeling she hadn¡¯t been there enough for her daughter, she couldn¡¯t face her, using work to numb herself. But now, Leandro was willing to put his work, which he always prioritized, aside to visit Betty with her, Seraphina didn¡¯t want to reject Leandro¡¯s goodwill Moreover, she really missed her daughter. Early that day, Leandro left Valerio with Keen and apanied Seraphina to the cemetery. The closer they got to the cemetery, the more unsettled Seraphina seemed to get. Her unease wasn¡¯t particrly visible, she just kept looking out the window. But Leandro noticed and reached out to hold her hand. But Seraphina didnt rx. Leandro held her hand as they walked into the cemetery Leandro hadn¡¯t let Seraphina in on the secret that he¡¯d already visited this ce on the night they flew into Moonhaven. In just a few months, this was his third time here, making him way more familiar with the ce than Seraphina. Seraphina trailed behind him, her gaze fixed in one direction ¨C she knew Betty wasid to rest there, but for a moment, she couldn¡¯t even distinguish which one was Betty¡¯s tombstone It really had been an age since shest visited. Leandro, hand in hers, led her to Betty¡¯s grave. On the tombstone, Betty¡¯s smile was as radiant as ever. Seraphina stood there, lips pursed and slightly stiff, silent. Leandroid down the small daisies he was holding, and looking at the cheerful face on the tombstone, he smiled gently. ¡°Betty, your mom and dad are here to see you,¡± he said. Seraphina, standing behind him, heard his words and her tears suddenly fell. Leandro stood up, reached out his hand to her again, pulling her into a tight embrace. ¡°I¡¯m toote. Seraphina whispered. Leandro tenderly wiped the tear stains from her face and softly said, ¡°Betty wouldn¡¯t me you Seraphina was silent for a moment, then nodded. She looked up at Leandro, and with full confidence, she said, ¡°Yeah, Betty is a good girl. I believe she won¡¯t me me.¡± Chapter 233 Chapter 233 After losing Betty, Seraphina¡¯s personality changed a lot When you¡¯ve got nothing to lose, life gets a whole lot simpler. She had nothing, so she had nothing to fear. It was like she had a clean te, and there wasn¡¯t a person she wouldn¡¯t approach, or a case she wouldn¡¯t dig into. All her fears were history. The only thing she couldn¡¯t face was Betty herself, who was long gone. That fear was buried deep inside her, and it didn¡¯te to light until Leandro brought it up again. He was forcing her to face it, but also helping her to heal. In a way, healing her was also a kind of self-healing for him, So, Seraphina bravely took it on. Even though she was filled with guilt and unease, she still made the trip. But the moment she saw the smiling face of her daughter on the tombstone, she realized how badly she had messed up. She was way off base- Betty had always been so well-behaved and understanding, how could she ever me her mom? Even if she hadn¡¯t taken good care of her, even if she hadn¡¯t visited her in a long time, Betty would never hold it against her. After crying in front of Betty¡¯s tombstone, Seraphina soon started to smile. With red eyes, she gently touched Betty¡¯s photo, and smiled softly. Leandro was standing a couple of steps behind her, silently watching her, not disturbing her. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Not until he heard someone approaching did he turn his head. To his surprise, it was Sandra, followed by Bowen Sandra was holding a bunch of sunflowers and looked surprised to see Seraphina at the tombstone Bowen was standing behind Sandra, watching from a distance, he nodded at Leandro Hearing the footsteps too. Seraphina didn¡¯t turn around until they were close. Seeing Sandra, she quickly smiled. ¡°I knew you¡¯de.¡± Every year on this day, whether she came or not, Sandra always showed up, never absent. Sandra and Seraphina locked eyes for a moment, but nothing was said. Sandra just walked up, ced the sunflowers down, and then hugged Seraphina. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, Sandra said, ¡°But I¡¯m d you came¡± With a softugh, Seraphina patted Sandra¡¯s back. Sandra was silent for a moment, her eyes reddening. That evening, Leandro and Seraphina, along with Valerio, had dinner with Sandra and Bowen. When she saw Valerio, Sandra greeted him with a calm smile, to which Valerio responded simrly. Because it was a special day, even among friends, the atmosphere at the dinner table wasn¡¯t exactly lively Everyone spoke in low voices, only when Seraphina told Valerio not to be picky with his food, did things lighten up a bit. Bowen found the whole situation amusing, but to Leandro, it was business as usual, Sandra was used to this kind of scene, only it was her first time having dinner with both Seraphina and Leandro. She couldn¡¯t help but let her gaze wander between the two. Leandro noticed her gaze, nced at her, but didn¡¯t say much. It wasn¡¯t until they went to the bathroom together that Sandra asked, ¡°Are you two here for a vacation together?¡± ¡°You could say that,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°But it was his idea toe here.¡± Hearing this Sandra paused for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°He¡¯s really putting his heart into it.¡± Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Seraphina washed her hands, looked at herself in the mirror and chuckled, ¡°You didn¡¯t use to say that Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Sandra replied, ¡°I only knew him through your words, and he was pretty awful to you back then¡­ But now, I¡¯ve seen him with my own eyes¡± ¡°So, you reckon he¡¯s not too bad?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°He¡¯s way better than I imagined,¡± Sandra paused before continuing, ¡°Sera, did you know? When he was asking me about Betty, he tried to ckmail me using my brother¡¯s situation.¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Although he didn¡¯t say it outright, I could tell. That¡¯s the kind of person he is,¡± Sandra said, ¡°But in the end, he didn¡¯t do it. I think it was because of you.¡± Seraphina was quiet for a moment, then slowly nodded, ¡°Ever since he found out about Betty, he¡¯s¡­ changed¡± After finding out about Betty, the old Leandro, who was dominant and had his way, disappeared. He started to amodate her, be considerate of her. Sometimes he couldn¡¯t control his true nature, but when he was with her, he was really restrained. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s with him Sandra said, ¡°You should know better than anyone how he treats you.¡± Seraphina smiled and replied, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°So, how are things between you now?¡± 1 ¡°He¡¯s been spoiling me ratten, treating me like a queen. Anything I say goes. Seraphina said, ¡°What more can I say about a guy like that?¡± Sandra let out a small sigh, ¡°He¡¯s trying to make up for his past mistakes ¡°Yeah.¡± Upon hearing this, Sandra looked seriously at Seraphina, ¡®So, have you¡­ fallen back in love with him?¡± Seraphina dried her hands, applied hand cream, and then casually said, ¡°Im enjoying the good treatment.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°And then, Seraphina winked at her, ¡°we¡¯ll both be happy stop asking me whether I love him or not, love is a tricky word to define. Let¡¯s leave it at that, I feel pretty good.¡± Sandra, somewhat confused, listened. But ultimately, someone was genuinely good to Seraphina, and she was willing to ept it. That was a step in the right direction, right? Regardless, she now had a home, someone to rely on, and someone to care about. -Wasn¡¯t this the Seraphina shed always hoped to see? She used to hope fervently that Seraphina would sever ties with Leandro, but now, she genuinely warted Seraphina to find happiness with him. After all, he was genuinely good to her. When they returned to the dining table, Leandro was chatting with Bowen They were both businessmen, so naturally, their conversation was filled with dull economic topics. Leandro was not usually sociable with strangers, but his attitude towards Bowen, though still distant, was unusually patient and courteous Bowen, on the other hand, was much more rxed, talking about Betty and asionally teasing Valerio. When Seraphina and Sandra returned, the atmosphere at the table eased significantly. Even if Leandro didn¡¯t speak, it wouldn¡¯t be awkward. In fact, after Seraphina sat down, Leandro didn¡¯t speak much. Most of the time, Seraphina and Bowen were chatting, while Leandro was just casually listening, asionally looking at Valerio, not seeming to put much thought into it. But Sandra could tell that, despite Leandro¡¯s distant demeanor, his attention was mostly on Seraphina. For example, when Seraphina identally knocked over her wine ss, he was apparently looking at his phone, but within a second, he handed her a napkin from the table to wipe it off. Sandra noticed these details very carefully. Perhaps because she was so focused on Leandro, she didn¡¯t talk much that night. It wasn¡¯t until everyone was about to leave that Bowen turned to her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You didn¡¯t eat much tonight and you didnt talk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit tired¡± Sandra answered, then turned to Seraphina, ¡°You guys go ahead and leave with the kid. I¡¯d like to stay for a bit longer¡± After Seraphina nodded, she quickly led Valerio and followed Leandro out. Bowen sent the three of them to the elevator and shook hands with Leandro to say goodbye. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, I enjoyed our conversation today¡± Bowen said, ¡°I hope we have more opportunities to meet in the future.¡± ¡°No need for formalities ¡°Leandro replied Seraphina smiled at Bowen and made a goodbye gesture before entering the elevator Watching the elevator doors close, Bowen turned and returned to the restaurant Sandra was still sitting at the table, staring at the spot where Valerio had sat. Just as Bowen was about to approach, he saw her reach out, grab a spoon Valerio had used, and quickly hide it in her puree. When Leandro returned to his apartment with Seraphina and Valerio, Keen was waiting for him with some documents in the living room. Seeing that he had work to do, Seraphina took Valerio upstairs to prepare for bed. After a hot bath and changing into her nightgown, Seraphina came out to find Leandro in his study conducting a video conference. She pecked in, smiled at him, and said. Im just grabbing a book to read, I¡¯ll go to bed in a bit.¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze fell on her for a moment before returning to his screen. Seraphina found the book she wanted, took it, and went straight back to her room, But after sitting on the bed and reading for a few pages. Leandro walked into her room. Seraphina seemed to have anticipated this, lifting her eyes to look at him, and asked deliberately. Your meeting ended so fast?¡± ¡°Yep Leandro responded, loosening his cor and heading straight into the bathroom. After he emerged from the bathroom, he hopped onto the bed and went at it like rabbits with Seraphina, all tangled up. But in the final moments, Seraphina faintly perceived that Leandro seemed to have something on his mind. Their eyes met, both of them trembling slightly and Seraphina could even guess what he was about to say. They had just visited Betty today, he helped her let go of her issues with Betty, and now, they were in intimate unison, But in the end, Leandro didn¡¯t say anything, only lowering his head to nt a deep kiss on her Afterwards, the bedroom fell into silence. It was a while before Seraphina spoke, ¡°You barely sleptst night, better hit the sack early¡± Leandro heard this, but didn¡¯t move for a while. ¡®I¡¯ll sleep here tonight he said. Seraphina nced at and said, ¡®Don¡¯t me me if you can¡¯t sleep¡± The previous two nights, he had spent in her bed, and Seraphina knew he hadn¡¯t been sleeping. After a quick tidy up. Seraphina nestled into the covers, and not long after closing her eyes, sleepiness gradually crept in Leandroy on his side with one hand on her waist, simply watching her. Just when he almost thought she had fallen asleep, Seraphina suddenly murmured. ¡°Leandro, go ahead and sleep¡­ I won¡¯t smother you with a pillow¡­¡± Leandro looked at her with focused eyes, but she just kept her eyes closed,pletely rxing and drifting off to sleep after she finished speaking Leandro remained silent for a moment, a hint of a smile suddenly ying at the corner of his lips. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Two dayster, Leandro¡¯s private jet finally took off from Velvetwood Airport, heading to Sunburst City. Theynded in Sunburst City right around noon, Leandro returned home, hastily showered and changed clothes before rushing to hispany. After taking care of a jetgged and sleepy Valerio, Seraphina also left home and headed to Carney Artful Reverie. During her absence, everything in the gallery had been arranged in an orderly manner. However, once Seraphina started working, she found that there were still a lot of things to deal with. She made minor adjustments to the exhibited paintings and categorized some new ones. She reviewed some works of new artists and set prices for some pieces. After a busy day, it was already getting dark. The gallery staff invited her for dinner. Seraphina was about to ept when she suddenly spotted a shy motorcycle zooming by on the street outside. ¡°I just flew back from Starhaven today, I¡¯m kinda beat and wanna head home early¡± Seraphina said. ¡°You guys have been working hard, go grab dinner at a nice restaurant, it¡¯s on me.¡± The group burst intoughter, Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds.¡± Seraphina let them leave first and stayed behind to close up. After everyone had left, she prepared to leave. As Seraphina was carefully locking the door a flurry of footsteps sounded behind her. She turned around to see Abbot and another bodyguard blocking her, and Keeley barred outside by them. In this situation, Keeley obviously tried to approach her from behind but was blocked by her bodyguards. Dressed in ck motorcycle gear, Keeley looked quite thin and a bit pale. He stood three meters away from Seraphina, cocked his head to look at her, and chuckled, ¡°So¡­you¡¯re on guard against me?¡± Seraphina stared at him for a moment, then smiled slightly and said to Abbot, ¡°No need to be so tense, this man, is a friend of mine.¡± The word ¡®friend¡¯ raised Keeley¡¯s eyebrows slightly Abbot frowned, turned his head and looked at her, ¡®Ma¡¯am?* ¡°You guys are here, you think he¡¯s gonna gobble me up?¡± Seraphina waved her hand. ¡°Ill chat with him, you guys chill¡± Upon hearing this, Keeley walked to the side of the street, leaned against amppost, and lit up a cigarette. After locking the door, Seraphina walked over to him, looked at him for a while, and slowly said, ¡°You look thinner, what happened?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Keeley nced at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what happened to me?¡± Seraphina paused for a moment before saying, ¡°I really don¡¯t¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Keeley suddenly turned to her his gaze fixed on her, cold and gloomy Seraphina stood calmly, her expression unchanged, and the smile on her lips remained. ¡°How could you not know?¡± Keeley¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse, ¡°I know how smart you are, why pretend in front of me?¡± Seraphina nonchntly kicked the ground with the tip of her shoe, ¡®Depends on what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Keeley stared at her for a while, thenughed again, but the coldness in his eyes did not disappear, ¡°I really believed in you¡­¡± he said, ¡°but you betrayed me.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina didn¡¯t panic, but let out a somewhat helplessugh, ¡°Why would you believe in me? Do you really know who I am? Why trust a stranger so easily?¡± ¡°So, I misunderstood you, right?¡± Keeley counter asked. Seraphina sighed softly and said, ¡°I¡¯m already another man¡¯s woman¡± Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Hearing Seraphina¡¯s response, Keeley let out a sarcastic chuckle, and said, ¡°I can¡¯t see how you¡¯d want to be someone else¡¯s woman? Would a woman like you be willing to live for a man?¡± At this, Seraphina also smiled, ¡°Who isn¡¯t living for themselves? I¡¯m someone who knows how to adapt. When I need to bow down, I do so, and when need to protect myself, that¡¯s what I do. You can call me selfish, but it¡¯s not my fault.¡± Keeley smirked, ¡°So you betrayed me to protect yourself?¡± ¡°You made things so ambiguous and let him see. Seraphina shrugged. ¡°I had no choice¡± ¡°You ¡°Keeley suddenly took two steps closer to Seraphina. Abbot, standing nearby, was on alert, ready to protect Seraphina at any moment. Keeley caught this from the corner of his eye and sneered again. Seraphina looked at him and said softly, ¡°So, you should never be too overconfident. Don¡¯t blindly trust people, and don¡¯t think you can beat anyone¡­. Remember my words, they might be your life motto someday¡± ¡°Hal¡± Keeley suddenlyughed out loud, then after a moment, he nodded slowly looking at Seraphina and said. T¡¯ll remember you.¡± With that, Keeley turned around and walked into the darkness. Soon after, the sound of a motorcycle roared from around the corner, and then quickly disappeared into the night. Seraphina was still watching the direction Keeley had gone when a vorce came from behind her, ¡°You actually let him go. Aren¡¯t you afraid of all your efforts being wasted?¡± Seraphina chuckled and turned to see Terrell. Terrell walked up to her, also looking in the direction Keeley had gone, saying. ¡°He hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. He snuck out of the hospital today, I thought he was going to see someone important, but it turned out it was you Seraphina nced at him, ¡°What? I¡¯m not important?¡± ¡°Of course you are¡± Terrell said with his arms crossed. He probably hates you right now¡± Seraphina justughed, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard, love is the opposite of hate?¡± Terrell gave her a look, then after a moment said, ¡°You really are good at getting to people¡¯s hearts.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Seraphina asked pretending to be confused. ¡°Keeley, he¡¯s from a well-off family lived a carefree life since he was young and was a good student, but after his parents passed away, he changed. He started to mingle with the wrong crowd, became a self- proimed expert criminal. Obviously, he has this in his DNA restrained by his parents, but when they left, he had no more worries¡± Seraphina nodded in agreement. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Terrell continued, ¡°He likes the thrill of danger, the more dangerous, the better. To him, you probably are the most thrilling and dangerous.¡± Seraphina patted his hand lightly. ¡°You¡¯ve done a good job watching him, even though you haven¡¯t interacted directly, you¡¯ve got a good read on his character¡± ¡°What I¡¯m willing to do depends on the payoff Terrell said, ¡°When¡¯s payday?¡± Seraphina nced at his outstretched hand, shook it, and thenughed, ¡°Don¡¯t always talk about money, it spoils the mood! Let¡¯s talk about¡­ who Keeley interacted with while he was in the hospital With that, Seraphina led Terrell to the door of the drawing room, unlocked it and walked in. They talked in Seraphina¡¯s office untilte at night. Keeley was a man with no family ties, his rtionships seemed simple, but because he was a good student when he was young and had many friends, there were a lot of people who came to visit him in the hospital. Terrell had done a good job. He put all the basic information of the visitors in front of Seraphina. Seraphina looked it over carefully, furrowing her brow. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone suspicious, but investigating these people one by one would be a big project¡± Terrell listened and didn¡¯tment. Seraphina continued, ¡°Besides these people who came to visit him, did he interact with others in the hospital. even a passing encounter could be a message¡± Keeley was slick, his aplices were no ordinary people, they either disguised themselves as ordinary or hid in the shadows, not revealing themselves easily. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± Keeley said, ¡°Do you think I have superpowers?¡± At this, Seraphina just smiled, ¡°I do believe¡­ you can do anything¡± Hearing this, Terrell paused, gave her a look, and then took out another file, This man met Keeley at the vending machine, although there was no explicit interaction, I feel like there was something between them.¡± Seraphina took the file, looking at Terrell, ¡°Can you change your habit of hiding your abilities all the time? Shouldn¡¯t you be honest with me your partner?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just my style.¡± Terrell said, ¡°If you have a problem with it, we don¡¯t have to work together.¡± ¡°Fine, fine, no problem: Seraphina quickly said, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? There¡¯s plenty of time, I can get used to it!¡± With that, she rolled her eyes at Terrell, who didnt argue with her anymore. Just as Seraphina was about to look at the file in her hand, there was a knock at the door. Then, Keen pushed the door open, stuck his head in, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, Mr. Reynolds is waiting for you downstairs.¡± Tve got stuff to do Seraphina answered without even looking up, ¡°Just tell him to head back first.¡± Keen paused for a moment before slowly saying. ¡°Mr. Reynolds has been waiting downstairs for two hours.¡± Only then did Seraphina look up, and her eyes met Terrell¡¯s. Leonard waited silently for two hours downstairs? That didn¡¯t sound like his style. But considering his recent actions, it wasn¡¯t entirely surprising. To keep the peace at home, Seraphina decisively closed the file in her hands and told Terrell, I¡¯ll check these documents at home, we¡¯ll touch baseter.¡± Hearing her response, Keen seemed relieved and left with the door closed behind him. Watching Seraphina pack up her files, Terrell slowly said, ¡°You¡¯re Leandro¡¯s wife, thedy of the Reynolds family. Do you really need to work this hard for all this stuff?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina nced at him and slowly said, ¡°Because I remember who I am. What about you, do you remember who you are?¡± Chapter 237 Chapter 237 After hearing what Seraphina had to say, Terrell looked at her earnestly, ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± Seraphina shrugged and smirked. ¡°If you get what I¡¯m saying, you ll understand. If you don¡¯t, I can¡¯t exin it any better.¡± As they walked out together, Leandro¡¯s car was indeed parked at the curb. Seeing theme out, Keen leaned into the car to say something. The window in the back rolled down swiftly, revealing Leandro. Upon seeing this. Terrell stepped forward and greeted, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, sorry to keep you waiting. I¡¯ll get going now.¡± Leandro gave a slight nod. Only then did Terrell turn to leave. Seraphina, however, remained by the car, watching Terrell¡¯s retreating figure for a long while before she finally looked away ¡°Seen enough?¡± Leandro nced at her before asking Seraphina looked away from him, her eyesnding on the stoic man inside the car. She shrugged slightly Just as she was about to get into the car, she noticed a group of people emerging from the concert hall across the street. This street, being Sunburst City¡¯s artistic hotspot, was a familiar scene to Seraphina who had seen many artists over time. However, as she bent down to get into the car, she noticed Keen looking at the group, seemingly lost in thought. This piqued Seraphina¡¯s curiosity. She paused her action of getting into the car and looked over at the group again. Among the group, a woman in a dark green coat who stood tall and slender with long, smooth hair and honey-colored skin that glowed, was particrly eye-catching. Her beauty and charisma were undeniable. Amercial vehicle was parked at the entrance of the concert hall and someone was holding the door open, inviting the woman to board. Before she got into the car, the woman nced over in their direction. It seemed as if her eyes met Keen¡¯s and she paused for a moment before getting into the car. Seraphinas action of getting into the car had been halted for a while. She straightened up and poked Keen, ¡°Do you know her? Who is she?¡± Keen snapped back to reality, a fleeting unnatural expression crossing his face, ¡°No¡­. I don¡¯t know her.¡± Seraphina looked at him and just smiled. Oh, what an honest guy. By the time she got into the car, themercial vehicle had passed by her and gradually disappeared into the night. Seraphina¡¯s gaze fell back onto Keen who quickly avoided her eyes again She turned to look at Leandro. The man beside her always carried a cold expression as if nothing ever concerned him. He only said one thing, ¡°Drive¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t say much either. Once her momentary curiosity passed, all she cared about was the document in her bag. Back at Reynolds Manor, Seraphina immediately imed Leandro¡¯s study to start working. ording to the documents she had, the man who had briefly interacted with Keeley by the vending machine at the hospital was named Maddox, a 45-year-old professor in the physics department at Sunburst University. He was an intellectual and an elite in society, with outstanding achievements in teaching and research Such a person didn¡¯t seem like someone who would have any connection with a high school dropout like Keeley. But life is full of surprises. Sometimes, the impossible happens. Sometimes, two seemingly unrted people have a chance to establish some sort of connection. Seraphina only went through the documents once when the study door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. She looked up to see Leandro, fresh out of the shower, wearing only a ck bathrobe. ¡°Do you need the study?¡± Seraphina asked, raising her eyebrows. ¡°No.¡± Leandro responded. No? Seraphina looked at him again. Leandro was usually dressed neatly when he was working in the study. This wasn¡¯t his usual look when he was about to work. If he wasn¡¯t here to work.. his intentions were clear. Seraphina got up and walked over to him, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of documents to go through. If it¡¯s not urgent, could I have some quiet time to work Tonight?¡± She reached out and stroked his bathrobe cor, ¡°I¡¯ve been at Starhaven for half a month and I¡¯ve fallen behind on a lot of stuff. As a paid employee, I need to do my job well, right?¡± She made a good point and even brought up their good times at Starhaven Seraphina thought Leandro wouldn¡¯t reject her proposal. You ¡°You didn¡¯t rest on the ne and went straight to the office when we got back. You must be tired¡­ As she spoke, she subtly pushed Leandro towards the door, ¡°You should go to bed early I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Leandro was actually pushed out of the study by her Seraphina thought she had sessfully secured some time for herself tonight, but then she heard T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡± Leandrbs b say, ¡°You have ten minutes.¡± Seraphina was startled and looked up at him. Leandro calmly looked back at her, his eyes revealing anticipation, Seraphina scoffed, ¡°You think you can just give me time? I don¡¯t need it now!¡± She reached up and hooked his neck, ¡°Now I¡¯m giving you time. One hour. You better satisfy me within that time!¡± Seeing her provocative demeanor, Leandro scooped her up in his arms and headed into the bedroom. Leandro seemed a bit off tonight. Seraphina noticed it clearly. She was always cooperative in bed, and they had established a kind of understanding over time. But tonight, that understanding seemed to falter- Usually they were evenly matched, but tonight, Seraphina was constantly overpowered. So¡­ was he somehow triggered? Seraphina began to recall the events of the day- On the ne? Their fight back to Sunburst City was smooth sailing. At work? Leandro never brought work stress home, let alone vented it out in bed Because he knew she met Keeley? He knew she was working on the case, and he even approved it. He shouldn¡¯t be pissed about that. Terrell? She started working with Terrell since the Balch Lawson case. He wouldn¡¯t be jealous about that, right? Seraphina was clueless. Suddenly, a woman she saw when leaving the gallery today popped into her mind. Keen was slightly taken aback when he saw the woman, and the woman looked surprised too Clearly, they knew each other. But when she asked Keen, he instantly denied it. He was obviously lying But why would he lie? Suddenly, Seraphina turned her gaze to the man next to her Did that woman have anything to do with him? But even a stunner like Georgina couldn¡¯t catch his eye. How could a man whocked security so much that he couldn¡¯t even sleep peacefully next to her, possibly have anything going on with another woman? That was a question worth pondering. As Seraphina was deep in thought, Leandro suddenly pinched her chin, ¡°Daydreaming?¡± Busted. She didn¡¯t bother to cover it up and just hummed lightly. ¡°You¡¯re just not good enough- Before she could finish her sentence, Leandro lowered his head and kissed her passionately. Chapter 238 Chapter 238 After taking a shower, Seraphina got lost in her thoughts. She thought about that physics professor named Maddox, wondering what role he might y in these strange happenings if he really was involved with Keeley. Why would a guy with such high status have anything to do with these incidents? She also thought about the woman who walked out of the concert hall. Who was she? And why did she manage to shake the usually cool and calm Leandro? While pondering these questions, she quickly finished her shower, wrapped herself in a robe, and got ready to head back to her study and continue her research. As she stepped out of the bathroom, she found Leandro waiting for her on the bed. ¡°Come here, Leandro said. Seraphina looked at him and asked, ¡°Why?¡± But considering she had already finished all her work, she wasnt scared of him. So she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, smiling at Leandro. ¡°What¡¯s up. Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t say anything but reached out, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her onto the bed with him. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hold on a sec.Seraphina tried to pull away. ¡°I still have stuff to do!¡± But Leandro just turned off the lights The room plunged into darkness, and Seraphina was still in his arms. ¡®Stay still, Leandro said. ¡°Sleep¡± Seraphina was speechless After a while, she said. 1l probably keep you awake if I stay here. I think I should go back to my room. As she tried to get up, Leandro pulled her back onto the bed ¡®Sleep,¡± he said again. This time, he held her even tighter, their breaths mingling. This wasn¡¯t like Leandro. ¡­ Even when they shared a bed, they kept to themselves. He knew he might not be able to sleep, but he wouldn¡¯t disturb her rest. But today¡­. ¡°How am I supposed to sleep with you holding me like this?¡± Seraphina asked. Leandro didn¡¯t respond, he just gently kissed her. It was a very tender kiss, light but full of affection and emotion They¡¯d already done the deed, so why all this intimacy now? Seraphina was puzzled, but Leandro didn¡¯t do anything else. He just held her quietly gently kissing her Seraphina didnt have any particrly important work to do at the moment. She¡¯d already gone through her files once and there was no rush to go through them again So she let Leandro hold her close, so close she could barely breathe. Even as she drifted off to sleep, she couldnt help wondering What the hell got into this man? After a long flight the day before, coupled with jetg and work stress, Seraphina slept until noon the next day. When she woke up, Leandro was already gone After getting up and freshen up a bit, she took her files and went back to her study. For now, she was still working under the radar as a journalist for Patrick Grayspany, so this gallery was her secret base. It was very convenient toe and go, and anyone who needed to find her knew where to look The gallery¡¯s exhibition period was over, and it was now open for regr business. There were a certain number of visitors and customersing in every day, but they were spread out over the entire day, so most of the time it was quiet. When Seraphina walked in, there was only one customer in the spacious gallery, who was admiring a watercolor painting by a budding artist on the spiral staircase Seraphina didn¡¯t pay much attention, but when her gaze swept over the woman¡¯s high heels, she suddenly paused She had seen these shoesst night. Seraphina looked up, following the shoes to a tall and slender figure with long hair flowing down to her waist. ¡°Mrs. Reynolds¡± A staff member passed by saw her, and gave her a gentle hello. Seraphuna nodded, her eyes still on the woman¡¯s figure. As expected, when the woman heard the name ¡°Mrs. Reynolds¡±, she turned around and looked in Seraphina¡¯s direction Their eyes met, and Seraphina gave her a small smile before slowly walking over to her. Up close, she could see the womans face clearly. Her skin was delicate, her features beautiful. This beauty was truly noble, gentle yet crisp, her makeup light, yet her features were still stunning. For a moment. Seraphina even doubted whether the woman was wearing makeup at all. After studying her for a while, she confirmed that she was just wearing light makeup. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Seraphina, I¡¯m in charge here,¡± Seraphina said with a small smile. ¡°Wee to Carney Artful Reverie.¡± Compared to the woman, Seraphina¡¯s makeup was more borate, her red lips eye catching. When she smiled, her eyes were full of light. Twopletely different styles. The woman also looked Seraphina up and down before handing over a business card. ¡®Mrs. Reynolds, hello, my name is Magnolia Seraphina took the card and read the woman¡¯s name and title-Magnolia, cellist for the Alice Symphony Orchestra. Seraphina didn¡¯t know much about the music industry, but she did know that the Alice Symphony Orchestra was a well known orchestra based in Austria. ¡°Ms. Magnolia, you¡¯re a cellist, Seraphina said. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind¡± Magnolia replied. ¡°I¡¯m just lucky that I get to do what I love for a living.¡± 1 saw you at the concert hall yesterday, Ms. Magnolia Seraphina said ¡®is the Alice Symphony Orchestra performing in Sunburst City?¡± ¡°No,¡± Magnolia said. ¡°It¡¯s my solo concert.¡± Seraphina appropriately looked surprised. ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡± Magnolia gave a small smile and took out two tickets from her bag. If you¡¯re interested, Mrs. Reynolds, I hope you and Mr. Reynolds cane and watch.¡± Seraphina took the ticket handed to her and nced at it. It was for the first row, smack dab in the middle. The best seat in the house And what¡¯s more, she even mentioned inviting Leandro. Without any hesitation, Seraphina epted the ticket and shed a smile, ¡°Ms. Magnolia, do you know my husband?¡± Hearing this, Magnolia paused slightly before replying, ¡°Mr. Reynolds is a big shot in the business world. Who in Sunburst City wouldn¡¯t know him?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re from Surburst City too?¡± Seraphina asked again. Did you grow up there? When did you move to Austria? Magnolia nodded, ¡°I was born and raised in Sunburst City. I moved abroad six years ago. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been back.¡± Six years ago That timeline was quite interesting to Seraphina. She was about to ask more questions when Magnolia¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Magnolia apologized to Seraphina and turned to answer it. Left alone, Seraphina stood there, waiting for her and taking the chance to admire her slim figure. Her slim waist, sexy figure. Even as a woman, she couldn¡¯t help but admire and aspire Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Magnolia¡¯s phone call was short and she quickly hung up and returned to Seraphina. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve got some stuff to handle,¡± Magnolia said, casting a nce at the concert ticket in Seraphina¡¯s hand. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m really looking forward to having you and Mr. Reynolds there.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina cracked a smile. ¡°No worries, we¡¯ll definitely show up.¡± Magnolia gave her another nce, nodded and then turned to leave As Seraphina watched her walk away, Sandy, the gallery¡¯s secretary, quickly came over and asked who that was. Seraphina handed her the concert ticket, and when Sandy took a look, she gasped, ¡°Wow, a cellist! No wonder she¡¯s so ssy Seraphina gave her a sidelongck, ¡°Really ssy?¡± Taken aback, Sandy quicklyughed and said, ¡°Well, not as ssy as you, of course¡± Seraphina put out her hand and gently poked her head, ¡°Stop buttering me up with ttery! I¡¯m just an average person. If I had as much fame as a famous artist, that would be werd¡± Sandy chuckled a bit. Fortunately, she knew Seraphina wasn¡¯t a petty person and justughed it off. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Meanwhile, as Magnolia left the gallery, she felt a bit disappointed about meeting Seraphina. The feeling was clear- Indeed, Seraphina was stunning, breathtakingly beautiful, indescribably so. But there are many beautiful women in the world and beauty is subjective. Is appearance really that important? Plus, Seraphina¡¯s beauty was a bit too shy. Yet, Leandro ended up marrying this kind of woman. Did this mean that his judgment of women was solely based on physical appearance? As Magnolia sat in the slowly moving car, she closed her eyes and sank into deep thought. Back in her office, Seraphina stared at the two concert tickets in her hand for a while then decisively made a phone call to Keen. ¡°What¡¯s Leandro up to Seraphina asked directly, ¡°Why isn¡¯t he picking up his phone?¡± Upon hearing this, Keen quickly replied. ¡°Mr. Reynolds is busy at the moment, Mrs. Reynolds. Is there an emergency?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s urgent,¡± said Seraphina. ¡°Come over right now, pronto! After she hung up. Keen was left a bit confused but quickly gathered his things. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Yasmina asked him. ¡°Mrs. Reynolds says there¡¯s an emergency and needs me to go over right away.¡± Keen replied. Tell Mr. Reynolds when he¡¯s done.¡± Yasmina chuckled, ¡°Go ahead. You¡¯re dealing with Mrs. Reynolds¡¯ errands. Even if you didn¡¯t tell Mr. Reynolds, he wouldn¡¯t be mad or me you¡± Keen gave her a nce, then hurned off When he arrived at the gallery everything was calm and there seemed to be no signs of an emergency Keen had a bad feeling but mustered up the courage to walk into Seraphina¡¯s office, Mrs. Reynolds, what can I do for you?¡± Seraphina had been looking at some documents, but when she saw him, she just smiled slightly. Her smile made Keen even more uneasy and he stood there stiffly. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, Seraphina opened a drawer, took out the two tickets and put them in front of Keen ¡°But it can¡¯t be dyed. People are eager to get these tickets to me and I can¡¯t hold onto them forever. What if it dys your Mr. Reynolds¡¯ reunion with others?¡± Keen took a look at the two concert tickets on the table and was taken aback Seeing his awkward expression, Seraphina continued. ¡°You imed you didn¡¯t know her yesterday, what about now?¡± ¨C ¡°Mrs. Reynolds ¡°Keen paused for a while before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea. Mr. Reynolds doesn¡¯t really have anything to do with her ¨C ¡°Keep spinning your yarn, Seraphina looked at him sideways. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she told you, Keen hurriedly said. ¡°But Mr. Reynold¡¯s definitely didn¡¯t sleep with her Seraphina slowly raised her eyes. ¡°Oh, so they didn¡¯t sleep together? Does that mean he had feelings for her?¡± Hearing this, Keen froze and didn¡¯t know how to respond In reality. Leandro¡¯s thoughts were so profound, whether or not he had real feelings for her, how could he, a mere assistant, know? Spring his reaction, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but let out a coldugh, ¡°Alright, enough. Take these tickets from his ex-girlfriend and get lost. And by the way, tell them both to stay away from me!¡± Keen hadn¡¯t expected to encounter such a situation and was feeling troubled when he heard Seraphina¡¯s words. He blurted out, ¡°No, Mr. Reynolds merely sponsored her to study abroad. She¡¯s definitely not his ex-girlfriend¡­¡± Sponsored her to study abroad? oter A lot of things suddenly made sense to Seraphina but she was still surprised and threw the pen in her hand at Keen. ¡°Sponsorship? That¡¯s really nice! Seraphina stood up immediately. ¡®He¡¯s a businessman, why would he do something without a return? Is it a sponsorship or is he her sugar daddy? Or did he buy her off with a lump sum?¡¯ Seraphina was all fierce and serious, making Keen feel like a deer in the headlights. All he could manage to say was, ¡®Mrs Reynolds, there really was nothing going on between Mr. Reynolds and her. It was Edgar Lamont and his pals who arranged for Magnolia to be sent to Mr. Reynolds¡¯ private room. Mr. Reynolds really didn¡¯t do anything, they just chatted all night. Then I gave her some money and told her to go abroad¡­¡± Seraphina quickly absorbed this new information. After a moment of digestion, the whole situation seemed to be clear Six years ago, when Leandro was probably going through the hardest time, Edgar and his gang arranged for a pretty, cultured girl to be sent to him. And Leandro seemed to have taken a liking to her, even having the mood to sponsor her overseas music studies in that situation¡­ It seems like he really cared Seraphina paused and bit her lip lightly. She then scoffed, ¡°They chatted all night and you were there the whole time?¡± Keen paused, deciding to tell the truth, ¡°No¡± Then how can you be so sure Leandro didn¡¯t touch her?¡± Seraphina shot back, ¡°Maybe they¡¯ve already had a thing, how much do you really know? You¡¯re here making guarantees to me?! Keen was speechless But thinking back to that night, when Leandro came out of the private room, he was still fully dressed. And apart from a slight redness around Magnolia¡¯s eyes, there was nothing different about her. She didn¡¯t look like something had happened. Moreover, after that night, Leandro didnt have any contact with Magnolia except for giving her money, and Magnolia hadn¡¯t returned to Sunburst City for many years. That¡¯s why he was so sure nothing had happened between them. But this was indeed a scandal, and it was evident that Seraphina was jealous. Why did he have to take the heat for this? Poor Keen. He felt he was being treated unfairly and had the worst luck. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, I¡¯ve told you everything I know about Mr. Reynolds and Ms. Magnolia¡± Keen realized he had no more cards up his sleeve and decided toe clean, ¡°Actually, after Mr. Reynolds sponsored Ms. Magnolia¡¯s overseas trip, they haven¡¯t been in touch. I mean, you know better than anyone how Mr. Reynolds treats you, so you really shouldn¡¯t doubt him.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina gave a snort ofughter and settled back into her chair without uttering a word. Keen stood there awkward, not knowing what to say next Seraphina sat quietly for a moment, her face gradually softered after some pondering. Just as Keen was wrestling with what to do, Seraphina suddenly said. ¡°Hand me the tickets.¡± He immediately looked at Seraphina, hesitated for a moment, then put the two tickets back on the table, looking at her uncertainly, unsure of what she was thinking Seraphina took the tickets, stared at them for a while before saying, ¡°You¡¯re right, nobody knows better than me how Leandro treats me. I really shouldn¡¯t get mad at him because of a stranger¡­ Keen was taken aback by her words. Did she change her attitude too quickly? ¡°Alright.¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°You can go now, no need to tell him about this.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Keen frowned, thinking. This was a big deal Could I really not tell Leandro?¡± While he was still wavering, Seraphina said again, I will talk to him about itter. Dont worry, I trust you now I won¡¯t be mad at your boss again. He won! be wronged.¡± After saying that, Seraphina gave him a small smile. Keen who was recently in charge of a merger case, was already overwhelmed by workmitments and this situation had only added to his headaches. Seraphinu said she would talk to Leandro herself. It was their business after all, and as an outsider, he really had no ce speaking out Besides, Seraphina was the kind of woman who gave him a headache just being around her. Now that everything was out in the open, there was no need for him to stick around. Leaving as quickly as possible was a huge relief for Keen. After Keen left, Seraphina looked at the two prime concert tickets in her hand, a pleased expression on her face. When Leandro got home that night, Seraphina was taking a bath in her room As Leandro entered the room and heard the sound of running water, he decided to change his clothes in his own room first. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he noticed two things on Seraphina¡¯s vanity He walked over, picked them up and found they were tickets ¨C the title ¡°Sunburst Magical Melodies Concert¡¯ stood out in bold. Leandro was about to put them down when Seraphina came out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair. ¡°You¡¯re back¡±¡± Seeing him, Seraphina asked calmly, then noting the tickets in his hand, she said, ¡°I ran into Ms. Magnolia in the studio today, she gave me these tickets and invited us to her concert¡± Leandro just responded nonchntly and casually put the tickets back where they were. ¡°I looked her up online, she¡¯s really talented. Seraphina said, ¡°She went to Austria six years ago to study under a famous teacher, and in just a few years, she¡¯s been able toe back and hold her own concert, that¡¯s really something¡± As she spoke, she approached Leandro, ¡°Are you free Saturday night?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t seem to care, he just said, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Seraphina, who was drying her hair, suddenly stopped. ¡°Leandro, is this how you treat me when I invite you to a concert for the first time?¡± Leandro looked down at her her eyes were pleading, and the way she was biting her lower lip, she looked truly aggrieved. ¡°Are you serious? Leandro suddenly asked. Seraphina backed up a couple of steps, ¡°What else? It¡¯s just a concert, what kind of game could I be ying? Or¡­ are you feeling guilty about something? Leandro met her gaze. Seraphina squinted at him, ¡°What? Is this Ms. Magnolia someone special to you? An old me? A blind date? Or something else?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer her question, he just said, ¡°If you really want to listen, then we¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t you answer my question? Seraphina asked, ¡°Ms. Magnolia is beautiful and talented, and has a great aura as a musician. If you have something going on with her, I¡¯d say you have good taste¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±Leandro said, ¡®Seems like I don¡¯t have good taste after all.¡± As he spoke, he began to undo the buttons on his shirt Seraphina stood behind him, suddenly realizing something. She darted to the door, leaped onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Leandro, who are you talking about?¡± Her small arms couldnt threaten Leandro at all. He could easily throw her off with a slight exertion of strength. But as soon as Seraphina detected his movement, she immediately clung onto him with her arms and legs to prevent being thrown off. It was a move that would never appear in a formal fight, but she was a woman and didn¡¯t y by the rules, and she was dealing with Leandro, she didn¡¯t need to be reasonable. Once she clung onto him, Leandro stopped moving. Unless he decided to fall backward andnd on top of her but how could he do that to her? Valerio heard some noise in his room. When he opened the door to check, he caught sight of Seraphina hanging off Leandro in a weird tangled mess. It looked like they were fighting, but not quite The three of them locked eyes for a moment, before Leandro, with Seraphina in tow, turned around and headed back into her bedroom, mming the door shut behind them. Valerio pondered for a bit before silently retreating back into his room and closing the door. That night, Seraphina was kept up by Leandro¡¯s antics because she wasn¡¯t being as cooperative as the night before, resulting in both of them burning more energy. Leandro seemed to have sensed something and it wasn¡¯t until the very end that he leaned against Seraphina¡¯s forehead and slowly said, ¡°I¡¯ve only met her once. I have nothing to do with her.¡± What? Seraphina was already exhausted, but upon hearing this, she suddenly opened her eyes and shot him a look. So, while he was in bed with her, he¡¯d been thinking about another woman this whole time? Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but scoff inwardly, but she just closed her eyes and tiredly replied, ¡°I got it.¡± Leandro gently lowered his head to look at her as she turned her back to him, and the moment her eyes closed, she was out like a light. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 It was only until Saturday when Keen got the evening itinerary from Leandro, which caught him off guard a bit. Magnolia¡¯s concert was at a music hall close to Carney Artful Reverie, so right after work, Leandro drove straight there. Keen, sitting in the passenger seat, hesitated for a while before finally saying, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, about Ms. Magnolia¡­¡± He thought that once Seraphina had spoken to him and expressed her trust, this issue would be closed. But why was Leandro going to the concert with Seraphina today? He wasn¡¯t sure whether this was a good or bad thing. Leandro, who was sitting in the back seat reading documents, looked up at him when he heard Magnolia¡¯s name. Since he¡¯d already brought it up, Keen decided to go all out and say, ¡°The missus already knows¡± Leandro¡¯s reaction was not significant. He just responded calmly and then went back to reading his documents. Seeing this, Keen finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the two of them had reached an agreement on this issue. So, was Seraphina nning to assert her position in front of Magnolia tonight? Thinking about this, Keen couldn¡¯t help but want tough. But thinking about Seraphina¡¯s character, he couldn¡¯t help but pray in his heart: hope Seraphina just shows some affection, don¡¯t stir up any more chaos. The car arrived at Carney Artful Reverie. Across the street, the music hall was already seeing a steady flow of cars and people entering. Leandro got out of the car and walked into the art gallery. Sandy was in charge of setting up a new round of artwork in the gallery. She turned her head and saw Leandro walking in and quickly greeted him, ¡®Good evening. Mr. Reynolds.¡± Leandro nodded and went directly to his office ¡°Mr. Reynolds.¡± Sandy quickly called after him, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds is not here.¡± Leandro stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. Sandy could only ry what Seraphina had left her to say, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds has an appointment with a painter today. She said the painter is quirky and hard to get a hold of so she might bete. She said if you arrive and she¡¯s not back yet, you should go to the concert first. She¡¯lle as soon as she gets back,¡± After saying this, Sandy handed Leandro a ticket that Seraphina had left. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for her here, Leandro said, ¡°You go do your thing.¡± Hearing this, Sandy nodded repeatedly. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. The gallery was almost empty at this time, so Leandro sat in the lounge and continued reading his documents. Not long after, Keen rushed in from outside, ¡®Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Houston is outside.¡± Houston was a high-ranking official of the cultural department of Sunburst City¡¯s city government. He and Bruce had been friends since childhood, their families were close, and their rtionship was very friendly. When Carney Artful Reverie opened, Houston personally came to congratte. Now that he was here, Leandro naturally had to go out and greet him. ¡°Mr. Houston.¡±Leandro walked out and sure enough, he saw Houston along with a bunch of rted personnel from Sunburst City¡¯s cultural industry. Seeing him, Houston was a bit surprised, ¡°Leandro, you¡¯re personally holding down the fort here? That¡¯s really rare.¡± Leandro Just nodded ndly, ¡°Mr. Houston, what brings you here at this time?¡± ¡°Oh, we have a cellist in Sunburst City, named Magnolia. She¡¯s holding a concert at the music hall today, and we¡¯re all here to support her. It¡¯s not time for the concert yet, so we came over here to look around. Looks like you¡¯re doing well here!¡± Houston said with augh. Leandro¡¯s expression remained calm as he showed Houston around. After the visit, it was almost time for the concert to start. Sandy had been standing at the back of the crowd for a long time. When she saw Houston and his party preparing to leave, 11.04 she finally plucked up the courage to approach Leandro and say, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Reynolds might bete. You should go to the concert first, or it will affect others.¡± Hearing this, Leandro just nced at her out of the corner of his eye. Sandy immediately felt a chill and quietly retreated. Houston, who was preparing to leave, heard this and looked at Leandro, ¡°Leandro, are you going to the concert too? If so, let¡¯s go together. It¡¯s indeed not very polite to bete on such asions.¡± Leandro responded without refusal. They all entered the concert through the VIP entrance. By this time, almost all the seats were filled, and there were only three minutes left until the start of the concert. Leandro had a good seat, but there was no one next to him. Backstage, someone peeked out from the darkness, looked at the audience, then immediately ran back and said to Magnolia, who was getting ready to go on stage, ¡°Mr. Reynolds is here!¡± Upon hearing the news, Magnolia¡¯s normally calm eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°But the seat next to him is empty. It seems Mrs. Reynolds didn¡¯te.¡± Hearing this, Magnolia was stunned for a moment, then her lips curled up into a smile. This was perfect. At eight o¡¯clock sharp, the concert officially began. On stage, the curtain slowly rose, a beam of white light shone on the center of the stage, and Magnolia, dressed in a white dress and holding a brown cello, was in the spotlight. As deep, rich music slowly flowed from the strings under the gaze of the audience, Magnolia slowly raised her eyes, and in her gaze was only one person. He was sitting directly opposite her, and she could see him as soon as she looked up. Whoever showed up for the concert, it didn¡¯t really matter. Without him, it just didn¡¯t feel right. And now, she felt content. Leandro sat alone in the best spot under the stage, eyes fixated on the stage, his expression always icy. The spot to his right remained empty. After the concert, apuse echoed throughout the hall. Magnolia stood on stage, elegantly bowing in thanks, but her gaze never left Leandro. His expression was always aloof, but he was pping for her. As the concert ended, Magnolia could no longer control herself. She looked at Leandro, tears welling up in her eyes. As the curtain slowly fell, the man¡¯s figure gradually disappeared from her sight, until she could no longer see him. Only then did Magnolia turn around and tell her assistant, ¡°Keep Mr. Reynolds here, I¡¯ll be back after changing clothes.¡± The assistant immediately responded, and Magnolia, not even bothering to take her cello, hurriedly ran backstage. When she reappeared in another elegant purple gown, she saw only her assistant standing dumbfounded by the stage. Magnolia stopped in her tracks, walked up, and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Reynolds?¡± The assistant immediately replied, ¡°I went out right after the concert ended, but Mr. Reynolds was already gone¡­ How did he leave so quickly?¡± Magnolia lowered her eyes, didn¡¯t say much, and turned back to the backstage. Meanwhile, Seraphina, in a dark green cocktail dress, sat alone in a restaurant in the south of the city, idly gazing at the starry sky outside the window. When she saw that it was about time, shezily turned her head and waved at the waiter, ¡°Check, please.¡± Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Seraphina stayed in the restaurant until it closed, not even bothering to eat much. She then went to a nearby shop to grab some cold dishes before driving herself home. By the time she got home, it waste into the night. The house was dimly lit, with everyone seemingly already in bed. Seraphina took off her coat at the door and stepped into the living room, only to be startled by the sight of a figure sitting on the sofa. She nearly dropped her handbag in shock. Leandro was sitting on the sofa, his long legs crossed, looking every bit the gentleman. Even though his posture was normal, under the light, his facial expression was somewhat blurred. Even though Seraphina couldn¡¯t make out his expression clearly, she could sense the heavy atmosphere in the room. It was clear that Leandro was waiting for her, sitting there at such ate hour. Tossing her handbag aside, Seraphina walked over and sat down on Leandro¡¯sp, snuggling into his chest. ¡°Leandro, I¡¯ve had a rough day¡­¡± She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder weakly. ¡°I got stood up! I thought he was just a bit quirky, maybe testing how serious I was, so I just sat there like a fool until the ce closed! I didn¡¯t even eat anything waiting for him! I waited for him like an idiot for four hours! I¡¯m so pissed off¡­¡± Leandro just sat there quietly. Despite the intimate interaction, he didn¡¯t even lift a hand to help Seraphina, instead responding nonchntly. ¡°Is that so?¡± After crying a bit, Seraphina seemed to remember something. She looked at him and asked, ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± Leandro¡¯s face was stern, his eyes devoid of any warmth. ¡°I know I stood you up too, I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Seraphina continued to whine. ¡°God knows how much I wanted to go to that concert with you. It¡¯s all that painter¡¯s fault! He¡¯s so disrespectful!¡± Leandro still didn¡¯t respond, and after staring at him for a while, Seraphina leaned back into his chest, starting to unbutton his shirt. ¡°Was the concert good?¡± Leandro looked down at her hands. As Seraphina asked, she continued to unbutton his shirt. She lightly pulled at his shirt cor, leaning in closer to take a sniff. Only his usual cologne scent was present, a light and refreshing aroma. Seraphina paused, then pulled his hand over to her nose to sniff. Yep, it was the same clean scent. Suddenly, she startedughing, looking up at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say¡­ you know Ms. Magnolia? You went to her concert, but didn¡¯t go talk to her?¡± ¡°Is just talking enough? Leandro finally spoke again, staring at her intently. ¡°Weren¡¯t you expecting more?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, looking at him seriously. Leandro¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Ever since she came back, she had been acting cutesy and working hard to win him over. Despite her many attempts, his attitude didn¡¯t show any signs of softening. Clearly, he was really mad about her leaving him to attend the concert alone. ¡°What else can I expect?¡± Seraphina said. ¡°After all, the person Ms. Magnolia really wanted to invite wasn¡¯t me. She didn¡¯t want to see me. The one who spent long nights having deep conversations with her wasn¡¯t me, the one who spent money to send her abroad wasn¡¯t me-¡± After she finished speaking, Leandro finally reacted. Just as Seraphina was about to get off hisp, Leandro tightly held onto her waist, preventing her from moving. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Seraphina struggled for a moment, but couldn¡¯t break free. ¡°What you said is true, I won¡¯t deny it Leandro said. ¡°Where did you hear about these deep conversations?¡± Seraphina scoffed, ¡°Oh? So these deep conversations aren¡¯t true? Then what is the truth? What did you guys do that night?¡± Her words were clearly provocative. Even the one being criticized was exposed in her words. How could Leandro not notice? He didn¡¯t want to dwell on this issue, so he turned his face away, not saying a word Seraphina bit her lip, ncing at Leandro, then continued, ¡°You actually enjoyed tonight¡¯s arrangement deep down, yet you¡¯re pretending to be mad here. Who are you putting on a show for?¡± She was always good at putting on a performance, even if they both knew the truth, she would still face it in her usual way. Usually, Leandro would just watch coldly, not ying along. This time, however, he finally spoke up: ¡°Enough.¡± Seraphina looked at him, her eyes full of hurt. ¡°I gave you the freedom to do what you want, if you want to use me to achieve some goal, just say it, I might even cooperate, Leandro said. ¡°Don¡¯t use these tactics on me again.¡± The hurt in Seraphina¡¯s eyes instantly disappeared, reced by her usualposure ¡°You¡¯re right, I am using you,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°But it¡¯s because you¡¯re so easy to use.¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes darkened, his face expressionless, a clear sign that he was truly angry. Seraphina continued, ¡°After all, that night, you just nced at someone on the street and it caused you to lose control in bed¡­¡± She paused, then scoffed, ¡°With such a useful person and situation, why wouldn¡¯t I take advantage?¡± After saying that, Seraphina suddenly pushed him away, got up, and headed upstairs. This time, Leandro didn¡¯t stop her. He sat there quietly, thinking about what Seraphina had just said. She said, he just nced at Magnolia on the street, and it caused him to lose control in bed. This sentence was clearly emotional, but it was hard to tell whether it was genuine or not. Leandro reached up, pressing his hand to his forehead. That night, they each slept in their own rooms, notmunicating before or after falling asleep. The next morning, Seraphina got up early. When she came downstairs, Leandro and Valerio were already having breakfast at the dining table. Leandro just nced at her, then went straight back to the tablet in his hands. Seraphina straight-up ignored him, walked over and sat down next to Valerio, just reaching out to pat Valerio¡¯s head, ¡°Morning.¡± Valerio smiled at Seraphina, picked up his mug to drink some milk, but halfway through, he seemed to sense something, looked at Seraphina, then at Leandro. Between the two of them, from eye contact to movement to words, there was nomunication whatsoever. Seraphina said nothing, chopping up the fried eggs that the nanny brought over like she was butchering meat. Valerio totally forgot about his milk, watching Seraphina¡¯s movements with a kind of scared-out-of-his- wits fascination. She was cutting so hard that the te was giving off a squeaky noise. Leandro heard themotion, finally looking up at her again. Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Seraphina ate her breakfast without distraction Leandro quickly averted his gaze, gave Valerio a nce, and tapped gently on the table in front of him. Valerio snapped back to reality, hastily finished off the remaining milk in his cup The three sat at the dining table, not uttering a word, like strangers sharing a r The silence was broken when Seraphina¡¯s phone suddenly rang times. Seraphina put down her cutlery, checked her phone, then turned to Valerio, asking, ¡°Done eating?¡± Valeno nodded ¡°Go upstairs and read then, Seraphina said Despite some dissatisfaction, Valerio left the dining table as she suggested and headed upstairs Then, Seraphina slowly opened the message she had received earlier The message was from Terrell, a few pictures and a voice message Seraphina opened the voice message without any hesitation. From her phone, Terrell¡¯s voice came out, clear enough for Leandro to hear ¡°Pictures of your husband and Magnolia are out, have a look and pick one¡± Leandro nced at her again, while Seraphina had already opened the pictures, studying them meticulously Different angles, but all taken atst night s concert Magnolia on stage. Leandro in the audience, perfectly stitched together, looking like an intimate exchange of gazes Seraphina looked through the pictures and then sent a voice message ¡°Only these? Send more, I¡¯ll pick ¡° Terrell quickly replied, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you examining pictures of your husband with another woman closely? You just need to stir up some controversy, just pick any As soon as he finished, a string of pictures came through again. Seraphina didn¡¯t immediately look at the pictures, instead, she replied, ¡°What do you mean stir up controversy? We¡¯re reporting facts, aren¡¯t we? Which part is fake?¡± Tve never met a woman like you, getting all worked up over topics about your husband and other women,¡± Terrell said. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Seraphina continued to voice message. ¡°This Ms. Magnolia is no ordinary woman, she¡¯s important to Mr. Reynolds Me, Mrs Reynolds, might have to step aside for her one day¡± Afterwards, she reopened the pictures sent by Terrell, examining each one carefully ¡°This Ms Magnolia, truly abination of talent and beauty Seraphina said as she looked at the pictures, ¡°Each photo is so stunning it¡¯s breathtaking She casually nced Leandro after she said that From the moment she started the conversation with Terrell, Leandro had put down whatever he had in his hand, leaned back in his chair, silently observing her Seraphina continued to peruse the pictures on her phone, and upon seeing a picture of Magnolia with teary eyes looking at the stage, the chuckled and turned the phone towards Leandro Leandro nced at the picture on her phone, his expression unchanged Seraphina smirked, ¡°This is when she was looking at you, right? it really looks like she likes you a lot. Even I¡¯m getting butterflies After she finished, she flipped to the next picture, a shot of Leandro gazing at the stage. Then she showed the picture to Leandro, ¡°This is a good picture of you. Can I interview you? Were you particrly moved, particrly proud, when you were watching her on stage?¡± Leandro finally spoke up, but not to answer her question. Instead, he responded to something she said earlier, ¡°You want to step aside?¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°That¡¯ll depend on Mr. Reynolds¡¯ attitude. If you want me to give up the title of Mrs. Reynolds, how could I refuse? After all, Ms Magnolia is such a special wornan, I wouldn¡¯t dare to compete with her!¡± Leandro took a silent look at her, said nothing more, got up, left the dining table, and walked out of the house. Seraphina was left alone at the dining table, still flipping through the pictures on her phone, finally reaching a conclusion. ¡°She¡¯s really good-looking,¡¯ she said. The next day, a Monday edition gossip magazine featured Leandro, Seraphina, and Magnolia on the cover. On the cover, Leandro and Magnolia shared the same frame, a shot of their mutual gaze at the concert, and Seraphina was in the corner, sitting alone by the window in a restaurant, gazing lonely out the window. Magnolia had mentioned in previous interviews that her sess was all thanks to a benefactor, who is also an important. person in her life. The magazine article pointed out that the benefactor Magnolia had mentioned was Leandro. This vivid report left a deep impression and the whole city was buzzing with excitement Holed up at home, the first call of concern Seraphina received was from Sandra Smith. ¡°What happened?¡± Sandra asked right off the bat, ¡®Is what the magazine said true?¡± At that moment, Seraphina was lounging on the couch, the magazine Sandra mentioned lying on her lap. Hearing Sandra¡¯s question, she chuckled, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°You¡¯reughing when it¡¯s true?¡± Sandra said, ¡°If Leandro really has something going on with that woman, what are you going to do?¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°You should ask him.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Sandra said, ¡°You¡¯re not the one who cooked up this report right?¡± Seraphina furrowed her brows slightly. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± ¡°Cause this is so up your alley¡± Sandra said, ¡°You¡¯re the best at this kind of stuff.¡± On hearing this, Seraphina burst intoughter again. ¡°Although I did set up that report, like I said before, the whole content is true.¡± Sandra paused involuntarily, ¡°How could Leandro¡­¡± Seraphina looked at the pictures of Leandro and Magnolia in the magazine, and said nothing. ¡°So what¡¯s your n? Sandra asked. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What can I do?¡± Seraphina responded with a question. ¡°Do you really not care?¡± Sandra asked, ¡°I thought Leandro only treated you special, howe another woman suddenly popped up¡­¡± ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the silliest thing most women do?¡± Seraphina responded, ¡°It¡¯s thinking that they are the special one.¡± Sandra was speechless. Luckily, Seraphina continued, ¡°I never thought I was that special one.¡± ¡°Seraphina, Sandra suddenly called her, ¡°you¡¯re clearly not happy.¡± ¡°Which woman would be happy about this? I¡¯m not Insane. This is a huge challenge to my personal charm, of course I¡¯m not happy!¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But, I¡¯m good at epting reality. Since it has happened, I can only ept it, right?¡± Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Seraphina¡¯s actions have left Sandra puzzled. Previously, Seraphina had said that marrying Leandro was the best decision for everyone involved. But now, it seemed like ¡°everyone¡± didn¡¯t really include herself in the equation. Who were these ¡°everyone¡±? Conway, Valerio¡­ and Leandro. But now, there was a new woman by Leandro¡¯s side. How the hell were they supposed to ept that? She was rooting for Seraphina and Leandro because she saw the genuine love Leandro had for Seraphina. But now, she was starting to waver. Sure, Leandro was head over heels for Seraphina, but he was aplicated man. Regardless, he and Seraphina had some serious history together. That meant he could have had simr entanglements with other women¡­ Was this kind of man really suitable for Seraphina? After hanging up the phone, Sandra sat alone on the couch until the doorbell brought her back to reality. When Sandra opened the door, she saw a familiar delivery man. ¡°Ms. Smith,¡± the delivery man said, ¡°You¡¯ve got a package from Starhaven.¡± Upon hearing this, Sandra¡¯s expression turned serious. She quickly took the package and muttered a quick ¡°thanks¡±. Back in her room, she immediately opened the package and took out a document. Her hands were shaking as she flipped to thest page of the document, but upon seeing its content, she froze. ¡°What are you reading? Suddenly, Bowen Smith¡¯s voice came from upstairs. Before Sandra could react, she instinctively hid the document behind her back. By the time she came back to her senses, she realized how silly her action was. Bowen came up to her, took a nce at her, then reached for the document behind her back and started to read. Sandra bit her lip tightly. ¡°What a fool, Bowen said with a helpless smile after finishing reading the document. Sandra turned her face away, whispering, ¡°I was too optimistic¡­ I thought there might be a miracle¡­¡± After hearing this, Bowen put down the document, lifted her chin gently and ced a kiss on her lips. ¡°Stop thinking about it,¡± he said, ¡°Let the past be the past.¡± Late at night, the Reynolds Group. It was already two in the morning when Leandro finished a long video conference and stepped out of the meeting room Keen checked his phone and reported to Leandro, ¡°Ms. Magnolia¡¯s assistant has called many times today, wanting to arrange a meeting with you.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, just walked straight back to his office. Keen silently deleted this item from his phone¡¯s to-do list. After a long time, Leandro was spending the night at thepany again. The next morning, there were several brief meetings. Though all were short, it was nearly noon by the time he was done. Just as Keen was about to call for lunch to be arranged, he saw someone helping Conway to walk in. He was so startled that he immediately hung up the phone and went to greet him. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, what brings you here?¡± Keen asked. Since thepany had been handed over to Leandro and Conway¡¯s health had been deteriorating, he rarely came to thepany unless something major happened. Like thest time when Leandro was sick. This time, Conway didn¡¯t look too well either. It seemed like something big was indeed happening. ¡°Where¡¯s Leandro?¡± Conway asked. Keen answered honestly. ¡°In his office.¡± Conway went straight into the office. Leandro was working. He didn¡¯t even look up when someone entered. He only asked when the person got closer, ¡°Grandpa, what brings you here?¡± Conway sat down opposite him, ¡®I heard you didn¡¯t go homest night. I was passing by, so I thought I¡¯d visit you.¡± ¡°I was just working overtime,¡± Leandro¡¯s attention was still on the document in front of him, ¡°It¡¯s not worth your special trip.¡± ¡°Why do you choose to work overtime when you¡¯re rumored to be involved with another woman?¡± Conway stared at him, ¡°Who are you trying to show?¡± Leandro finished the document in his hand and finally looked at Conway, ¡°Grandpa, what do you think?¡± Conway stared at him for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°The article was written by Sera, so you¡¯re upset?¡± Leandro slightly turned his face away, ¡°I was just ying along with her.¡± Hearing this, Conway was so angry that he stared at him, ¡®You know her personality, and you know what made her the way she is now. And you¡¯re still angry with her? Can¡¯t you do something meaningful?¡± ¡°Grandpa, what do you want me to do?¡± Leandro asked back. Conway immediately stood up, shaking his cane, ¡°What do I want you to do? This wife was chosen by you. If you still want this wife, you should know what to do!¡± After saying this, Conway turned around and left. He stopped at the door and turned around to look at him, ¡°Whether your affair with that woman is true or not, you should think about what Sera was going through when you sent her abroad. -You¡¯re usually cool-headed, but you¡¯re making a mess of this. If Sera really leaves this time, don¡¯t regret it!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Leandro sat quietly in his chair, watching Conway walk away without looking back. It took him a while to light a cigarette for himself. The cigarette slowly burned to ash between his fingers, the tobo vor gradually sinking into his lungs, but he didn¡¯t move for a long time. In the afternoon, after nearly forty hours at home, Seraphina finally went out. The whole city was now focusing on her love triangle with Leandro and Magnolia, so naturally, there were a lot of paparazzi following her once she showed up. Seraphina dodged the paparazzi and returned to her art studio, where she was reviewing a batch of new paintings in her office. Just then, Sandy knocked on her door excitedly, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, Ms. Magnolia is here to see you.¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, immediately perking up, ¡°Let her in.¡± About half a minuteter, Magnolia sauntered into Seraphina¡¯s office, still oozing that ethereal charm that was a real feast for the eyes/ Seraphina chin in hand, looked at her and cheerfully greeted, ¡°Hey.¡± Caught off guard by Seraphina¡¯s reaction, Magnolia paused for a beat before slowly saying, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, I came to apologize.¡± ¡°Why apologize?¡± Seraphina asked, sounding particrly concerned and a bit on edge. ¡°I failed to rify my rtionship with Mr. Reynolds.¡± Magnolia said, ¡°I just wanted him toe to my concert, to show him that I didn¡¯t let his past help go in vain. But I didn¡¯t anticipate it would affect your rtionship, and for that, I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± Chapter 245 Chapter 245 ¡°Ah, I gotcha¡± Seraphina instantly showed understanding, but her expression was still rxed and cheerful, ¡°You mean this? No biggie, don¡¯t sweat it.¡± Upon seeing this, Magnolia said seriously, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, I¡¯m being totally sincere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fibbing either.¡± Seraphina raised her hands, got up, and went to the water dispenser to pour Magnolia a ss of ice water, then continued, ¡°I totally get your feelings, after all, this involves someone super important in your life. You definitely want to present your best self to him. Can¡¯t speak for dudes, but us girls can sometimes be a little dumb like that.¡± As Seraphina spoke, she put the water in front of Magnolia and gave her a slight smile. Magnolia¡¯s face didn¡¯t rx a bit. She looked at Seraphina and slowly said, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, I know you and Mr. Reynolds went through a lot to end up together. I really don¡¯t want to cause any trouble for you.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡®No matter what we¡¯ve been through, it¡¯s all water under the bridge. High society marriages may seem morous but the reality¡­ only he and I know.¡± ¡°How is that possible? Magnolia said, ¡°Even though I just returned to the country, I¡¯ve been following the news while abroad. I know Mr. Reynolds treats you very well.¡± ¡°With his status, keeping up appearances is super important.¡± Seraphina answered smilingly, then added, ¡°You¡¯ve been abroad for so many years, you probably haven¡¯t seen him much, right?¡± Magnolia lowered her head slightly and smiled, ¡°Mr. Reynolds and I¡­ we only met once, six years ago.¡± ¡°Just one meeting and he was willing to sponsor your cello studies abroad, you must be pretty special Seraphina said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s proven that you¡¯re worth it.¡± ¡®That¡¯s just Mr. Reynolds being super generous.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh again, ¡®Generous? Depends on who you¡¯re talking about. He might not be so generous to others.¡± ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, please don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡± Magnolia said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing special between Mr. Reynolds and me.¡± ¡°In fact, you don¡¯t need to exin this to me. If he¡¯s good to you, that¡¯s your good fortune¡± Seraphina was still smiling. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen each other in six years, you must have a lot to say to him, right? Want me to arrange a meeting?¡± I Upon hearing this, Magnolia¡¯s face changed slightly, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, I think you might have misunderstood. Mr. Reynolds and I-¡± ¡°You know what?¡± Seraphina suddenly interrupted her, ¡°That night when he saw you at the concert hall, he was a bit off-kilter when he got home. Such a thing rarely happens to Leandro. It¡¯s quite clear that you¡¯re different to him.¡± Magnolia paused, just looking at Seraphina. ¡°So, you don¡¯t need to rush to clear your name.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°If you¡¯re wrong, does that make your existence a mistake¡­ why should we apologize for being ourselves?¡± Magnolia was silent for a while, then regained herposure, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, you¡¯re not quite what I imagined.¡± ¡°I really admire you, Ms. Magnolia.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You¡¯ve achieved so much starting from scratch, it¡¯s really impressive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all thanks to Mr. Reynolds¡¯ help.¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°It¡¯s also because you¡¯ve worked your tail off.¡± Magnolia fell silent. Seeing that her eyes seemed to be reminiscing, Seraphina didn¡¯t interrupt her. Just then, there was a knock at the office door. Sandy poked her head in, her voice a bit hoarse with excitement, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, Mr. Reynolds is here.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing this, Magnolia looked at Seraphina with surprise, the rest of her emotions hidden in her calm gaze. Seraphina met her gaze andughed, ¡°What a coincidence! Wait here a sec.¡± After saying this, Seraphina got up, patted Magnolia on the shoulder, and left the office. Magnolia listened to the sound of the door opening and closing, sat quietly for a while, then took out a compact from her bag and checked her face. Years of striving had brought her to where she was today, she was used to always being in tip-top shape, especially since she had dressed up for this meeting with Seraphina. The woman in the mirror was her most familiar self, and a version she was pleased with. Magnolia took a deep breath and waited in silence. As soon as Seraphina walked around the corner, she ran into Leandro. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for two days. She was as charming as ever, and he was wearing a dark tie. Usually, a tie of this color indicates he¡¯s in a bad mood. Seraphina acted nonchnt, smiling at him, ¡°I thought you were going to pull an all-nighter at the office today, are you here to pick me up?¡± Leandro quietly looked at her, before he could even answer, Seraphina suddenly said, ¡°I need to use the restroom, you can go to my office first.¡± After saying this, she hurried to the restroom. Leandro stood still for a moment, then headed to her office. As soon as he pushed the door open, the unfamiliar presence in the office hit him. Leandro paused, his gaze cold. Magnolia heard the sound, sat quietly for a few seconds, then stood up, turned around to look at him, and softly called out, ¡°Mr. Reynolds.¡± She looked at him, her eyes full of anticipation. Leandro¡¯s gaze was cold and distant, ¡°Ms. Magnolia.¡± Magnolia suddenly stiffened up. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, I came here to apologize to Mrs. Reynolds. I didn¡¯t anticipate that the news of your funding would get out, let alone affect you and your wife. I wanted to apologize to you in person, but your secretary said you were too busy, so I decided to exin things to Mrs. Reynolds first. I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here¡­ Mr. Reynolds, I¡¯m d, and I want to say thank you to you in person.¡± ¡°This is my wife¡¯s office.¡± Leandro¡¯s expression remained cold, contrasting sharply with her excitement. There was no trace of emotion in his eyes. ¡°Running into me here, it¡¯s pretty standard, Ms. Magnolia. How could you not see iting?¡± Magnolia was taken aback by Leandro¡¯s response. She was at a loss for words for a moment before managing to say, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it, I¡­ I just¡­ really hoped I could see you again.¡± Leandro walked over and sat down at Seraphina¡¯s desk, casually picking up a document to read. Then he said, ¡°Ms. Magnolia, you seem to have forgotten what I said before.¡± Magnolia paused again, the words he had said six years ago slowly resurfacing in her mind.. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some money to go abroad.¡± His gaze dropped, as if he were thinking about something else. ¡°You don¡¯t need to remember, nor do you need to repay. Let¡¯s just pretend we never met today.¡± Chapter 246 Chapter 246 What happened that night had been haunting Magnolia in her dreams, refusing to leave her alone. In her eyes, it was the most humiliating night of her life, but also the most lucky one. The humiliation came from the fact that she had always been proud of her talent, but due to her family¡¯s sudden financial downfall, she was forced to use her body for trade. The good fortune, however, was because of the man she met ¨C Leandro Reynolds. She had mentally prepared herself to endure even if the man turned door open, she saw Leandro. I to be a fat, balding middle-aged slob. But when she pushed the The tall man was sitting alone in the private room, young, handsome, with a face full of depth and solitude. At that moment, all her self-abandonment and despair evaporated. She was still nervous and uneasy, but perhaps at that moment, a hint of joy that she didn¡¯t even notice herself shed in her heart. Meeting such an outstanding man far exceeded her expectations, let alone his attitudeter. He seemed to be waiting for someone, sitting on the couch alone, smoking calmly. Hearing the sound, he looked up at her and there was a sh of annoyance in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re in the wrong ce,¡± he said. She stood at the door of the private room, one hand tightly holding the door handle, but her body didn¡¯t move. She knew she wasn¡¯t in the wrong ce. She heard the conversation of his friends who asked her toe. They said his behavior had been increasingly abnormal, his mood drastically changed, he even stopped attending gatherings and social activities They all knew about the changes in his family, but they didn¡¯t want to see their friend, who they had grown up with, turn into this. So, they arranged for her to be there. Both suffering from family changes, both bearing everything alone, at that moment, she let go of the door handle and quietly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. sir He looked at her, his eyes devoid of any emotion, and asked, ¡°Who sent you?¡± ¡°Mr. Lamont,¡± she said. He seemed to understand something when he heard this, and a cold smile hooked up at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Then suit yourself, he said. After that, he ignored her, smoking, drinking, checking his phone, making calls,pletely disregarding her. She sat rigidly on the couch next to him for a long time, always keeping a distance of at least two people between them. Late at night, he put down his phone and leaned back on the couch to rest for a while. She couldn¡¯t resist sneaking a few nces at him. He had drunk a lot that night, and under the effect of alcohol, was he already a bit dazed? What should she do? Just as she was lost in thought, her phone suddenly rang. In the quiet space, this sound was abrupt, and she took out her phone in a bit of panic, only to see a message from Mr. Lamont: [Did you finish your job?] The brief message was likely probing the situation. As for ¡®finish your job¡±, as long as she didn¡¯t reply, they probably thought it was ¡°done¡±, right? But should she reply now? This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. As she held the phone tightly in her hand, unsure of what to do next, his cold voice came from the side, ¡°You can leave now, and I still pay you¡± She suddenly paused, turning to look at him. He didn¡¯t turn to look at her, just staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. ¡°I won¡¯t leave,¡± the words jumped out of her mouth before she even realized what she was saying. Her heart was beating so fast at this moment that it was almost unbearable. He finally looked at her again, his gaze indifferent and blurry. After a bout of frantic heartbeat, she miraculously began to calm down, looking at him. She wasn¡¯t a timid person, but this was the first time she had the courage to face a strange man. After this short eye contact, he suddenly squinted his eyes.. ¡°How much money can you make tonight?¡± he seemed suddenly interested, ¡°One hundred thousand dors,¡± she answered. ¡°What do you need the money for?¡± When it came to this question, her courage grew stronger. She didn¡¯t hesitate for long and quickly answered, ¡°I want to learn the cello. I¡¯ve been learning the cello since I was a kid, my lifelong dream is to hold my own concert on a world-ss stage. I was nning to study music abroad this year, but something happened at home. My family can¡¯t support me to go abroad anymore, but I don¡¯t want to give up my dream, so I have to rely on myself.¡± For some reason, after she said this, he was silent for a while. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, but she felt, maybe he was moved by her dream? But then, he said that sentence to her- ¡°I¡¯ll give you some money so you can go abroad,¡± he said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to remember me, and you don¡¯t need to pay me back, just pretend we¡¯ve never met today¡± Perhaps he was genuinely moved by her determination and seriousness about her dream, and at the same time, he didn¡¯t want the process of achieving her dreams to be tarnished by ack of funds. In her twenty years of life, there was never a moment more touching and joyful than this one. This precious moment, she remembered it for six years, until now. He only needed to mention it slightly, and she could recall the scene of that night in great detail. ¡°I remember,¡± Magnolia said, ¡®Every word you said, I remember.¡± Leandro suddenly looked at her again, his gaze cold as he said, ¡°So what if you remember it?¡± Magnolia finally heard some deeper implications in his cold words. But¡­ how could this be? Every day of living and studying music abroad, she was looking forward to seeing him again, she imagined what it would be like the day she saw him again. She had been imagining for six full years. The day had finallye, but why¡­ why was it like this? Magnolia didn¡¯t understand why. Before all this, Seraphina even told her that he had been in aplex mood since the night he saw her return, so why now that they were face to face, did he adopt such a cold attitude? Could it be¡­ that he was ming her, ming her for seeing Seraphina? ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Magnolia was silent for a while, then started speaking again, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have bothered you, but I really didn¡¯t mean anything by it. You know, my thoughts have always been simple, you should understand what I mean¡­¡± ¡°My idea is pretty straightforward, Leandro cut her off before she could finish. ¡°I don¡¯t want any unrted people or matters to affect me and my wife Magnolia¡¯s face suddenly changed, her disappointment was as clear as day. ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡± She whispered, clearly thrown off. Leandro couldn¡¯t even be bothered to lift an eyelid, ¡°How much clearer do I need to be, Ms. Magnolia?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­¡± Magnolia looked at him, utterly lost. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ why would you say something like this to me?¡± This wasn¡¯t Leandro, not the one she¡¯d been missing and waiting for over the past six years. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 After meeting up with Leandro, Seraphina headed to the restroom and then straight to the ext It was already evening, and the gallery was about to close. A few young employees were just hanging out by the door when they saw Seraphina walking out and they were all gobsmacked it¡¯s rare to see these three main characters of the scandal showing up at the same ce, but Seraphina chose to leave by herself Leandro and a woman named Magnolia were left alone inside What¡¯s going on here? Although it¡¯s a private matter between Seraphina and her husband Leandro, ever since Seraphina took over the gallery, shed won everyone over with her cheerful and witty personality and her superb work skills, so everyone¡¯s rooting for her and they feel upset on her behalf. ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, why are you leaving? Sandy stepped up and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Reynolds?¡± Seraphina shrugged and pointed behind her ¡°He¡¯s inside¡± ¡°That woman doesn¡¯t look like good news, how could you leave her alorie with Mr. Reynolds Everyone was freaking out ¡°Aren¡¯t you just giving them a chance?¡± ¡°You guys need to get this straight, if a man can be stolen by someone else, he was never your man to begin with Seraphina arched her eyebrows, ¡°I¡¯m kinda hungry, I¡¯m gonna grab some food. You guys should clock out if it¡¯s time, don¡¯t wait around for me¡± With that, she turned around and left. The remaining employees exchanged nces and couldn¡¯t help but sigh with worry. Seraphina walked to a fast food joint a few hundred meters away and got herself some fried chicken and fries. She was just munching away at the door when a familiar figure showed up. That unique aura, she didn¡¯t need to look to know who it was ¡°What are you doing? Keeley casually picked up her untouched iced Americano and took a sip, leaning against the wall next to her ¡°so pathetic.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t say anything, just kept eating her fried chicken. ¡°Do I look miserable to you?¡± ¡°Your husband is in your gallery alone with another woman, and you¡¯re here eating fred chicken.¡± Keeley looked at her sideways ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit pitiful?¡± Seraphina finally turned to look at him, ¡°And you? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see how miserable you are.¡± Keeley said, ¡°After all, you¡¯re the woman who betrayed me. The more miserable you are, the happier I am.¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°This is your idea of misery? When I was in my worst days, you weren¡¯t even around! So, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re a little Keeley stared at her for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°So you¡¯ve been through so much, what can¡¯t you let go of?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t care.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t that love between men and women? Whether a woman you can have canpare to one you can¡¯t, if the one you can¡¯t be with is actually more precious, all these answers depend on a man¡¯s thoughts. I¡¯vee to terms with it long ago.¡± ¡°So¡­ Keeley sneered, ¡°Are you giving up on yourself?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just choosing a different lifestyle.¡± Keeley snorted. This lifestyle doesn¡¯t seem to suit you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Seraphina looked at him with amusement, ¡°And what lifestyle would suit me?¡± Keeley looked back at her, his gaze slowly drifting off into the distance, a small smile on his lips. ¡°No ce to call home, full of passion, doing the most thrilling things, living the freest life.¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°Sounds like your life.¡± ¡°So..¡± Keeley moved closer, ¡°I¡¯m a better match for you¡± Seraphinaughed again, ¡°Is this your idea of revenge?¡± Keeley lifted his chin, looking confidently at the sky. ¡°If you¡¯re with me, I¡¯ll forgive you¡± ¡°Is that your attempt at sincerity? Seraphina asked. ¡°I have plenty of sincerity Keeley replied, ¡°You want some, I¡¯ve got some.¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, looking at him amusedly Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Before she could reply, a Maybach, a car she knew all too well, pulled up at the curb. The street was narrow, the car parked quietly at the side, emanating an imposing aura. Keeley aw it, and let out a snort Seraphina nced at him. ¡°Are you going to take back everything you just said? ¡°He can¡¯t beat me Keeley replied. ¡°11| it out to the end¡± Seraphina smiled cheerfully. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll enjoy the show then¡± With that, she picked up her bag of half eaten fries and walked towards the car The driver opened the door for her and she got in Keeley was still leaning against the door of the snack bar sipping the iced Americano that Seraphina never touched, watching the car slowly disappear into the night. Heading towards Reynolds Manor no one in the car spoke, the atmosphere was heavy Leandro looked gloomy, radiating a cold aura, while Seraphina continued to munch on her fries, seemingly indifferent Halfway there, the driver suddenly needed to use the restroom and asked Leandro for permission. He parked the car at the side of the road and ran into a nearby coffee shop to use their restroom Left alone in the car, Seraphina didn¡¯t look at him and continued to stare out the window at the shops outside The sidewalk was bustling with pedestrians. Seraphina watched them for a while, then suddenly called out to a boy who was passing by. ¡°Hey, handsome!¡± The boy turned around and blushed slightly when he saw her, ¡°Can i help you?¡± Seraphina pointed at the drink in his hand, ¡°Where¡¯d you get that coffee?¡± The boy pointed in the direction of the corner. Seraphina thanked him with a big smile and was about to step out of the car As she was opening the door and reaching for her purse, someone grabbed her hand tight Turning her head, Seraphina said, ¡®What¡¯s up? I¡¯m just going to grab a coffee!¡± Leandro shot her a heavy look, then told the bodyguard waiting by the car, ¡°Go get thedy a coffee So Seraphina remained leaning against the car window, watching the back of the swiftly departing bodyguard. Leandro stared at her back, finally breaking the silence, ¡°Did you get what you wanted?¡± Hearing this. Seraphina slowly turned her head to look at him and gave a softugh, ¡°Yep, someone even confessed their love to mel How about you, did you get what you want?¡± Leandro stared at her, slowly repeating thest few words she said. ¡°Got what you wanted?¡± ¡°You wrapped up your chat so quickly, I¡¯m genuinely surprised, Seraphina said, ¡°After all these years of anticipation, shouldn¡¯t you take more time to enjoy yourself?¡± As she said this, her eyes were sparkling with a look of eager anticipation. ¡°Is that what you were hoping for? Leandro asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you were hoping for? Seraphina retorted. Leandro looked at her for a moment longer, then suddenly leaned in and kissed her lips. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 At first, Seraphina was slightly taken aback, but then she came to her senses and didn¡¯t avoid his affection, even ying along with him asionally. The more she did this, the more forceful Leandro became, leaning his entire body towards her, nearly pinning her to the back seat, unable to move. Until the driver who went to the restroom and the bodyguard who went to buy coffee both returned to the car Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. The driver hurriedly pulled open the driver¡¯s seat door, intending to get back on the road immediately. But after just a nce inside, he quickly closed the door and made a gesture to the approaching bodyguard, signaling him to stay back. The air outside the car seemed to freeze for a moment, and the affection inside the car abruptly stopped. Leandro released Seraphina, but his gaze was still locked on her. Their breathing was slightly rushed, Seraphina sat up, tidied her hair and clothes, and then shot Leandro a nce, ¡°Who do you prefer, me or Ms. Magnolia?¡± Leandro suddenly reached out, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. Seraphina calmly looked at him, waiting for his answer ¡°Seraphina.¡± Leandro murmured her name. ¡°If I was interested in other women, I wouldn¡¯t be wasting my time on you¡± Seraphina blinked, ¡®Really? But that night, weren¡¯t you-¡± She was going to make a joke, but halfway through, she realized something. Leandro never lied or put on an act in front of her. If he said no, then it definitely wasnt. But that night, he clearly lost control in bed after seeing Magnolia. Leandro knew what she was thinking. She had brought it up the night they had a fight, that he lost control in bed because of Magnolia, and she brought it up again today. In her view, his loss of control was due to special feelings for Magnolia. But she had never realized, nor had he himself, until the night he saw Magnolia again, what was the reason for his special treatment of Magnolia, the woman that he only met once, spoke a few words, and generously sent her abroad. In the years that followed, he seldom thought of this woman. Heter thought his generosity was just a result of being drunk and impulsive. Until that night, when he saw her again outside the gallery, he clearly remembered that night six years ago. She was timid, lonely, and cautious that night, but at some point, her eyes sparkled. That was a troubling, dark time for him.. He saw the sparkle in her eyes and treated her especially well. But why would someone as cold as him do such a thing? That night, he found the answer He had seen the same sparkle in another person¡¯s eyes, so he was momentarily moved, momentarily confused, momentarily dazed. He knew that some pasts should not be revisited and some people should not be remembered. Maybe at some point that night, with a little effort, he could have obsessively recalled everything rted to that other person. But he suppressed his impulse and didn¡¯t give himself the chance to continue indulging. It wasn¡¯t until six yearster, when that person was already by his side, that he finally dared to recall everything about her without any reservations. It was also six yearster when he realized that in those lonely, dark years, he hadn¡¯tpletely forgotten some things from the past, he had even missed them. How could all of this have anything to do with anyone other than her? Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Time flies, and things have changed. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. He and she are no longer the same as before, but some things never change. He knew she would understand, but she just refused to look back or move forward. She ced herself in a hollow world isted from the past and future, with no destination, wandering alone. And him, though seemingly by her side, was never able to enter her world. He was at the edge of that world, he could see everything about her, but every time he wanted to go in, he would always hit a wall. He felt annoyed and angry, but he could do nothing about it. Just as the world showed him, everything she was going through was caused by him. She used to consider him as her world, he used to be the center of her world, but he pulled himself out of that world, and now, it¡¯s so hard for him to get back He should have given more, but often lost patience. However, after getting angry, he still couldn¡¯t let go. He was unwilling and refused to ept it. In the end, he could only keep hitting the wall ¡°I sponsored her to go abroad, bot because she¡¯s special for me¡± Leandro slowly said. Seraphina was still controlled by him, looking into his eyes, hearing Leandro¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but frown. She wanted to mock his illogical statement, but Leandro spoke again, ¡°The loss of control you use me of, it has nothing to do with her.¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes usually deep and indifferent, but at this moment, he was looking at her, the coldness in his eyes faded, it showed gentleness and deep affection. Seraphina paused, suddenly realizing something The reason why Leandro said these words to her, who it rtes to, was self evident. This answer, was something Seraphina never expected. It¡¯s been seven years since she left the Reynalds family, she¡¯s grown up and calm now. In the past, in her eyes, Leandro was a capable and perfect man. People in love often see each other as perfect, lost in their own feelings. It¡¯s only when they regain their rity that they can see everything clearly. Now, Seraphina can perceive all of Leandro¡¯s kindness towards her. Now, she can feel all the good Leandro does for her. What about the younger her, who was innocent and naive? How much of Leandro¡¯s feelings for her was genuine, and how much was maniption? Even though she had learned to face it calmly, Seraphina still didn¡¯t want to recall those painful past too much. But now, Leandro said, after she left, he once sponsored a girl, because of her. How could anyone believe that? After a moment of silence, Seraphina suddenly took out her phone from her bag, tumed on the front camera. Seraphina purposely got close to the camera, her exquisite and bright face immediately took up the whole screen. Seraphine carefully observed her all-too-familiar features in the screen, ¡°What simrities does Ms. Magnolia have with me? Eyes? Nose? Mouth? Oh, is it our hair? They¡¯re both soft, right!¡± Leandro suddenly reached out, mping her hand that was holding the phone. His big hand came up and immediately blocked the camera, the screen turned pitch ck. Seraphina gave him a sidelong nce, Leandro¡¯s short answer, ¡°you are not alike.¡± ¡°Then you-¡± Seraphina put down her phone, was about to ask in detail, but suddenly stopped. What¡¯s the point of questioning a man who doesn¡¯t lie? It would be better to find other ways to make him keep his emotions bottled up! Thinking of this, Seraphing sighed, and said, ¡°just say it, I¡¯m listening. As for whether we can trust your words or not, we know it in our hearts¡± After saying that, she quickly rolled down the car window, shouted to the driver outside, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The driver got in the car, and the bodyguard also handed her the coffee he bought Seraphina took it, opened the lid, and started drinking in big gulps. After a few sips, she seemed to think of something, turned to look at Leandro, ¡°Do you think, Ms. Magnolia drinks coffee like me?¡± Leandro quietly watched her, his eyes slowly turning cold. Seraphina continued to drink, then asked him again, ¡°Would Ms. Magnolia like to drink coffee in big gulps like me with the lid off?¡± The car started to move slowly, Seraphina said again, ¡°Would Ms. Magnolia talk as much as me?¡± Leandro¡¯s forehead vein suddenly twitched twice, holding back his emotions, he still ignored her provocation So Seraphina became more unscrupulous, she found a lot of topics topare herself and Magnolia¡¯s simrities along the way, each sentence revealing her pride about this topic. Leandro ignored her all the way until they returned to Reynolds Manor. The servant had already prepared the meal. Valerio was reading in the living room, seeing Leandro and Seraphinae back together, his eyes lit up. Because the two of them were not seen at home for a while, the atmosphere at home was a bit tense, now the servants at home also breathed a sigh of relief Seraphina had just eaten fried chicken, and she had no appetite for dinner, so she went upstairs to take a shower first. When she finished her shower and came out of the bathroom, Leandro was already sitting in her room. Seeing him, Seraphina got excited again, walked over, and continued the previous topic- ¡°Does Ms. Magnolia have the same fragrance as me?¡± ¡®Does Ms. Magnolia use the same shampoo as me?¡± ¡®Does Ms. Magnolia also have a mole on her chest?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer a word, but Seraphina¡¯s questions stopped. The reason was simple, once in bed, if she mentioned ¡°Ms. Magnolia¡± once more, Leandro would make her suffer. The two hadn¡¯t talk to each other for two days, before their silent treatment he had lost control, and now it was even worse. Seraphina suffered a lot because of her questions, after they were done she was exhausted but couldn¡¯t sleep. Although she was too tired to move, she wasn¡¯t sleepy at all this night. She couldn¡¯t sleep, naturally, Leandro couldn¡¯t either. At first, the two were lying separately, until Leandro quietly moved closer from behind, held her tightly in his arms, letting the two touch again intimately. Seraphina was feeling empty, just lying there and didn¡¯t move at all. Leandro was spooning her from behind, his arm tangled with hers, kissing her earlobe gently. Her eyes fell on their intertwined hands, and suddenly a light bulb went off in her head, and she bluntly asked, ¡®Are Ms. Magnolia¡¯s hands simr to mine?¡± The hand that was holding hers suddenly tightened, until the man¡¯s weight waspletely on top of her. Seraphina felt as tired as a dog. bearing this pressure, and couldn¡¯t help but let out a scream. After the scream, Leandro¡¯s voice, low and husky, brushed past her ear like a breeze. ¡°She¡¯s not like you. I just¡­ missed you.¡± Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Seraphina was lying in bed when she heard it, and for a moment, she looked lost, as if she was in a dream. Leandro said he missed her. In dreams of a long time ago, she had imagined this scenario countless times. In her dreams, she started offughing, then crying. When she woke up, her pillow was always soaked. At this moment, if it wasn¡¯t for the soreness all over her body reminding her to stay awake, she might have truly doubted whether she was dreaming again. Seraphinay still for a long while before attempting to turn over. But the man on top of her didn¡¯t budge, as if he had no intention of letting her turn. Seraphina could only turn her neck, observing the man behind her from the corner of her eye. ¡°What do you miss about me?¡± she asked Leandro looked at her silently for a moment, then lowered his head to kiss her ear and neck. He didn¡¯t let her see him, nor did he allow himself to make eye contact with her. A long timeter, he whispered in reply, ¡°Everything¡± After a moment of silence, Seraphina chuckled lightly. She thought, Leandro must be telling the truth. Because no one understands this feeling better than she does. What does it feel like to miss someone to the extreme? It¡¯s when this person is not by your side, but it feels like they¡¯re everywhere. She would see him when she walked, when she drove, even when she ate. Those who looked like him, or didn¡¯t look like him, could all morph into his image in her eyes. He wasn¡¯t in this city, but she could see him in every corner of the city Every moment all the time. This state of near obsession and madness lingered during the darkest time of her life. Seraphina once thought that no one could be as foolish as her Looking back at that time, she found it ridiculous andughable. But it turns out she wasn¡¯t the only one tormented by this ridiculous state? The person she missed so desperately would also be somewhere in the world, feeling the same longing? For a moment, both she and Leandro fell silent. The long-lost feelings, once voiced, seemed light but weighed heavily. Regrets only bring sadness, the past cannot be relived. What else could he do other than seizing the present? Thinking of this, Leandro finally turned Seraphina around, pulling her close again. Looking into each other¡¯s eyes, her gazecked its usual mischief and yfulness, and instead, seemed unusually calm. Leandro was momentarily stunned Seraphina suddenly reached out, gently caressing his eyebrows and eyes. ¡°Leandro, if you had said this back then, things would have turned out differently, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Leandro froze at her words Seraphina also paused after asking. In truth, she knew her question was pointless. How could the Leandro back then have acted so irrationally? If he hadn¡¯t let her go so decisively, if he hadn¡¯t shut himself offpletely for seven years, the Reynolds Group wouldn¡¯t have been revived, and he wouldn¡¯t have achieved his current social status. But that¡¯s life, there are no what-ifs. ¡°Forget it.¡± Seraphina came back to reality, smiling slightly, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past anymore.¡± As she spoke, Leandro suddenly grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips. Seraphina watched him silently as Leandro lowered his head, softly kissed her palm, and slowly said, ¡°We still have a future.¡± Seraphina hesitated for a moment before responding. ¡°Then forgive yourself first.¡± Hearing this, Leandro looked deeply into her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the future when you can get a good night¡¯s sleep,¡± Seraphina said, turning over to sleep. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Leandro pulled her back into his arms, positioning Seraphina near his chest. ¡°Are you sure you can sleep like this?¡± Seraphina asked. Leandro didn¡¯t respond, just tightened his grip on her hand. So. Seraphina stopped talking and closed her eyes. Leandro reached out to switch off the light, and in the darkness, he held Seraphina tightly. That night, Seraphina had a good sleep, but she wasn¡¯t sure if Leandro did too.. After all, he¡¯s the type of person who always keeps a straight face, revealing no signs of fatigue even after two days of no sleep. But Seraphina could feel that Leandro seemed a bit different. For example, he¡­ kissed her before leaving the house. It happened at breakfast, Valerio was still eating, the nanny was cleaning up the dishes, and she had juste downstairs when he was about to leave. This was normal, but he suddenly reached out to hold her, bending down to give her a quick kiss. At that moment, it was as if time had stopped, with Valerio and the servants all watching them. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Seraphina doesn¡¯t usually get shy, but maybe because the kid was around, she felt a bit embarrassed unexpectedly. Leandro, on the other hand, kept his usualposure. He kissed her as easily as breathing. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t help but admire Leandro. This man, who was used to doing things as he pleased, cared so little about what others thought, even less than her, who wasn¡¯t afraid to be embarrassed. As she was thinking, Leandro suddenly nibbled on her lips lightly. Seraphina instantly pushed him away and red at him. ¡°See you at the gallery this afternoon Leandro said. Seraphina gave him a look but didn¡¯t answer. She turned around to see the nanny smiling, and Valerio sneaking a shy nce at her before quickly lowering his head, seemingly suppressing augh. Seraphina walked over and pinched Valerio¡¯s cheek. ¡°Kid, what are you being shy about?¡± Seraphina red at Valerio again, ¡°Where was this shyness when the little girls in your ss were chasing you?¡± Valerio, ustomed to her sudden mood swings, shrugged nonchntly. Leandro nced at them, didn¡¯t say much, and walked away. ** Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but nce at his retreating figure. When she looked back, she saw the nanny looking at her with a smile. Seraphina immediately put on a serious face, but the nanny wasn¡¯t going to let her off the hook that easily. She said, ¡°This is good, there¡¯s no couple that doesn¡¯t fight it¡¯s all good after a fight.¡± Seraphina gave her a look, decided not to care so much, andughed with a bit ofint. ¡®Were you eavesdropping on our fight?¡± ¡°Nonsensel¡± The nanny red at her, ¡°Do I need to listen to you guys arguing?! I have eyes! Leandro was in a particrly good mood this morning, he looked different. I think you guys got along better after the fight. That¡¯s good, I¡¯ll tell Conway Reynoldster, so he can be happy too!¡± Seraphina immediately turned to Valerio and whispered, ¡°See? We have a spy in our house. If you don¡¯t behave, you¡¯ll be tattled on. You better be careful.¡± Upon understanding what she meant, Valerio rolled his eyes. The nanny, of course, understood as well and yfully hit Seraphina. ¡°All you guys in this house know how to bully me!¡± Seraphinained. ¡°I¡¯m so pitiful!¡± ¡°Who would dare to bully you? The nanny said, ¡°You¡¯re the one Leandro cares about the most. In the Reynolds family, Leandro is the head of the house, and you are his queen. Even he has to yield to you, who else would dare to bully you?¡± Seraphina was speechless. After breakfast, Seraphina went back to the drawing room as usual. Recently, Terrell sent her a bunch of documents. She needed to analyze and sort them out, and look for clues. Around noon, Sandra came to the drawing room to ask her to have lunch. Seraphina was busy reading the documents and didn¡¯t want to leave, so she ordered takeout and ate in the office. Sandra watched Seraphina working with full concentration. After holding back for a while, she finally asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been busy with all this. How are things between you and Leandro?¡± Seraphina paused for a moment, then continued working and answered, ¡°Things are good between us.¡± ¡°Good?¡± Sandra was a bit confused, ¡°What about him and that Magnolia girl? You can¡¯t just let him be. That¡¯s not your style.¡± On hearing this, Seraphina finally looked up at Sandra. But before she could respond, Sandy knocked on the door and came in, waving an envelope in her hand with a concerned and curious voice, ¡®Mrs. Reynolds, this is from Magnolia. She said it¡¯s for you to pass to Mr. Reynolds.¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow slightly and took the envelope. this a love letter?¡¯ Sandy asked cautiously, ¡°She¡¯s gone too far, time and time again. She¡¯s deliberately provoking you!¡± Sandra frowned and said coldly, ¡°This is the consequence of Mr. Reynolds indulging her!¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds?¡± Sandy asked, ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ After they met yesterday, Magnolia left with red eyes..¡± ¡°They met here?¡± Sandra looked at Seraphina in surprise. Sandy quickly exined, ¡°They only met for a moment, just a few minutes. Magnolia is so outrageous, Mr. Reynolds must have made. things clear with and reproached her!¡± Sandra snorted, ¡°Reproach her for what? To behave herself and not make a scene in front of us? If he really did reproach her, what does this letter mean?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t join their discussion. She held the envelope for a while, then took out her phone and called Leandro. Sandra and Sandy immediately quieted down and watched Seraphina¡¯s phone attentively. When the call was connected. Leandro¡¯s voice was still calm, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nothing much.¡± Seraphina looked at the envelope in her hand, ¡°I¡¯ve got a letter from Magnolia for you. It might be a love letter. I thought you might want to read it quickly, so I asked Keen toe and get it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The sound of Leandro putting down a file came from the other end of the phone, and he seemed to be listening attentively, his tone very rxed. ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina gritted her teeth slightly, ¡°Or should I bring it to you myself?¡± ¡°Now that it¡¯s already been delivered to you, why don¡¯t you open it and have a look first.¡± Leandro said casually Seraphina held back augh, and said seriously, ¡®But this is your personal letter. What if there¡¯s some private content¡­¡± As she spoke, she tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder, quickly opened the envelope. A few secondster, Seraphina pulled out a check from the envelope. She looked a bit disappointed, ¡°Just one check?¡± Sandra and Sandy also leaned in to take a look.. ¡°How much?¡± Leandro asked from the other end of the phone. ¡°Two hundred thousand.¡± Seraphina answered and then suddenly remembered something, ¡°How much did you give her before?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°A hundred thousand.¡± ¡°So she¡¯s¡­ giving back the money you gave her before? And even doubling it. Seraphina sighed with a sense of helplessness, looking at the two women in front of her, ¡°She sure has the artist¡¯s spirit, maintaining her dignity in this way even at this point.¡± Sandra and Sandy both sneered in disdain. On the other end of the phone, Leandro calmly said, ¡°I asked her to send it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seraphina was so surprised she almost dropped her phone, ¡°You really asked her to pay you back?¡± ¡®Is there a problem?¡± Seraphina took a deep breath and then said, ¡°Leandro, you really are¡­ such a savage!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. On the other end of the phone, Leandro sat in his chair, hearing herughtering from his phone, he finally failed to hold back and the corners of his mouth turned upwards slightly. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Sandra was sitting across from Seraphina, watching her chat with Leandro. Seraphina¡¯s tone was both calm and cute, which got Sandra thinking. Sandy saw this and realized that Magnolia¡¯s issue was probably sorted. She was also itching to share some fresh gossip with her colleagues. So after giving Sandra a nod, she excitedly went out first. Sandra kept her eyes on Seraphina until she ended her call, then slowly asked, ¡°Leandro¡¯s asking Magnolia for the money back, is it his way of showing you his feelings?¡± Seraphina looked at the check in her hand, and smiled faintly, ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Do you ept this gesture of his?¡± Sandra asked, her brows furrowed, her eyes fixed on Seraphina. She remembered thest time they talked, Seraphina wasn¡¯t too pleased. But now, she seemed to have forgotten all about it Seraphina was acting even more natural than before. It was as if Magnolia wasn¡¯t a hurdle in her rtionship with Leandro, but rather made them closer? ¡°A man like Leandro, he knows asking for money back isn¡¯t the most gentlemanly thing to do, yet he still did it. This act alone should tell you how he feels, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± Seraphina said. ¡°But Leandro and Magnolia, although it was in the past, but it did happen.¡± Sandra said, ¡°Seraphina, did he¡­did he sweet-talk you again, is that why you can¡¯t think straight?¡± Hearing that, Seraphina looked at her in surprise, thenughed. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you? You weren¡¯t acting like this when you were dealing with him.¡± Sandra, who once was hostile towards Leandro along with her, was actually the first to warm up towards him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Magnolia¡¯s only the beginning Sandra said, ¡®His past is soplicated, with you and possibly others. If more women like Magnolia show up¡­can you handle that?¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°We¡¯ll see, If I can handle it, I¡¯ll stay. If not, Ill leave him.¡± Sandra stopped in her tracks and slowly said, ¡°Are you sure you can take another hit like that?¡± Seraphina looked at her, ¡®Am I that fragile in your eyes?¡± Sandra lowered her head and let out a sigh. Just as Seraphina was about to say something, her phone rang. She picked up her phone and saw a video sent by Valerio¡¯s teacher. In the video, a bunch of kids were performing in a small y. Some were animals, some were insects, and some were nts. And Valerio was ying a tree. Although he was just a part of the backdrop, he was standing behind the kids, his eyes sparkling, and he was even smiling from time to time. After watching the video, Seraphina opened a voice message from the teacher. ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, we had a little show today, Valerio was very enthusiastic. I think his mood has improved a lot recently, I believe he will make more progress and start talking one day¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but smile, and showed the video to Sandra. After watching the video, Sandra¡¯s thoughts were even more confused, ¡°If his mother shows up in the future, how are you going to handle it?¡± ¡°What can I do?¡± Seraphina answered, ¡°I¡¯m not the one making decisions, am 1?¡± ¡°Do you really have no clue who his mother is?¡± Sandra asked again, ¡®Does Leandro really not know, or is he just not telling you?¡± Seraphina just smiled faintly. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t keep me in the dark about something like this, after all, the kid¡¯s right here, what¡¯s the point of lying?¡± She paused for a bit, then said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing, he was probably set up, but the appearance of this child is indeed very strange-he just found this kid on the street, and it turns out this kid is his own son¡­¡± ¡°Found him on the street?¡± Sandra asked in surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Seraphina opened the video again, ¡°He found this kid on the street by chance, and after bringing him home, his family had a paternity test done, and it turns out that the kid is he¡¯s his own son.¡± ¡°This¡­ Sandra took a deep breath, ¡°This is unbelievable¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a coincidence, then maybe the person who set him up again, so he happened to run into this kid.¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°When you think about it, it¡¯s like it was meant to be, isn¡¯t it?¡± 10 ¡°When did he find this kid?¡± Sandra asked. ¡°At the end of this month.¡± Seraphina answered. ¡°This month?¡± Sandra asked in surprise. ¡°On March 28th, he brought the kid home, so we decided to make that his birthday.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°It¡¯sing up,e to think of it, I haven¡¯t gotten a gift yet. The little guy¡¯s been getting more and more temperamental. He¡¯ll throw a fit at me. If I don¡¯t get him a good gift, he might stay mad for a while.¡± As she talked, Seraphina opened her shopping website bookmarks to look for some gift suggestions she¡¯d saved before. ¡°Seriously, kids this age don¡¯tck anything, I really don¡¯t know what to get him.¡± As she browsed and talked, she looked up to see Sandra looking a bit dazed, and a bit pale. ¡°Sandra?¡± She called Sandra, who suddenly looked up at her, looking even worse. Seraphina frowned slightly, pointing at her face, ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Sandra reached a hand to her face, looking a bit zapped, merely muttered, ¡°¡­ must¡¯ve eaten something bad. I¡¯m having stomach-ache, I need to use the washroom¡­¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seraphina looked at her, ¡°Do you need me to take you to the hospital?¡± ¡°it¡¯s okay,¡± Sandra replied, ¡°I just need to use the washroom, I might feel better after.¡± Seraphina just nodded, not saying anything more. Sandra left her office and headed straight for the bathroom. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. As soon as she entered, she bolted to the sink, turned on the faucet, letting the cold water ssh onto her face. The chilly water seeped into her cor, but she didn¡¯t notice, just staring at herself in the mirror. Her mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts, as if many things were clear, yet many things were also iprehensible. She tried to keep her cool, taking deep breaths, washing her face with cold water, and atst, she finally started to calm down. After a while, with her now freezing hands, she took out her phone from her bag, and dialed Bowen¡¯s number. There was a dy before he answered, unclear what he was doing, he sounded a bit winded, ¡°Sandra?¡± ¡°Bowen¡­ She suddenly felt a chill running through her veins, only managed to call him once, then fell silent. After a moment, Bowen finally spoke again, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Come pick me up. I need to see you,¡± Sandra said. ¡°Now?¡± Bowen asked, ¡°I can¡¯t really make it over right now.¡± Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Sandra took a beat before speaking again, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m with a client right now.¡± Bowen replied, ¡°Is anything up? Are you okay?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± Sandra murmured, then added, ¡°I want to see you right now¡­ ¡°Sandra, I really can¡¯t leave right now.¡± Bowen said, ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ll send the driver to pick you up.¡± But Sandra fell silent again. ¡°Sandra?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Sandra gritted her teeth before asking again, ¡®Ille to you.¡± ¡°Stop messing around.¡± Bowen said, ¡°I¡¯m busy. I¡¯ll spend time with you when I get home.¡± Sandra lifted her hand and bit down hard on the back of it, falling silent again. Some sort of noise came through the phone, and Bowen quickly said. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go, send me your location and I¡¯ll have the driver pick you up. Be a good girl, okay?¡± Sandra didn¡¯t reply, and Bowen didn¡¯t wait for her response, quickly hanging up the call. Sandra clutched the phone, frozen in ce, she didn¡¯t move for a long time. Seraphina had noticed something was off with Sandra earlier in the office. She had waited for a moment before finally getting up and heading into the bathroom. To her surprise, she found Sandra crouched by the sinks, biting her hand, face pale, unmoving ¡°Sandra?¡± Seraphina quickly went over, pulling her closer Sandra seemed dazed, looking at her before quickly averting her gaze. ¡°What happened? Seraphina moved in front of her again, ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± Sandra¡¯s whole body felt icy cold, and she was trembling uncontrobly. Seraphina reached out her hand and tightly held onto her, finally managing to bring back a bit of her awareness. ¡°What¡¯s going on?* Seraphina asked, ¡®Are you not going to tell me?¡± Sandra finally looked up at her, their eyes meeting for a long moment, her gaze filled with despair and sorrow, ¡®Sera¡­¡± *Spill it Seraphina said. ¡°What¡¯s there to hide between the two of us?¡± Sandra opened her mouth, then paused, only managing to speak after a long time, ¡°He¡¯s with Tania Martin¡­¡± Seraphina¡¯s face visibly changed. Tears were already streaming down Sandra¡¯s face, she doubled over in pain, managing to say through gritted teeth, ¡°I know he¡¯s with Tania, he must be with her¡­ Seraphina was feeling a sense of uncase. As much as she was good at sarcasm,forting others was not her forte. ¡°Why the tears?¡± Seraphina gritted her teeth and said. ¡°Let¡¯s go find them. You need to catch them in the act before we decide what to do next.¡± But as she tried to pull Sandra towards the door, Sandra yanked her hand back, sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°I can¡¯t go, I can¡¯t¡­ Sandra murmured between sobs. Seraphina grabbed her again. ¡°He¡¯s already treating you like this, are you going to put up with it?¡± Sandra shook her head vigorously, after a long while, she managed to say. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that if I go, I¡¯ll be the one he ends up leaving¡­¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t hide her frustration, ¡°Do you have to wait till he leaves you? Can¡¯t you leave him first? What do you see in him?¡± Sandra covered her face, crying quietly, unable to speak. Seraphina watched her for a moment before moving towards her, holding her in a gentle embrace. ¡°What¡¯s so bad about leaving him?¡± she said, ¡°Sure, it might take years for you to get over it, but in time, three years, four years, you¡¯ll forget about him, you¡¯ll start living a better life¡­ Sandra, I¡¯ll be with you every step of the way, just like you were there for me¡­ We¡¯re still young, we still have plenty of time, you¡¯ll find someone who¡¯s right for you. Sandra, he¡¯s no good, let him go. If you keep going down this path, you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s going to get hurt.¡± Sandra clung tightly to Seraphina, sobbing uncontrobly. In the end, they didn¡¯t go find him Sandra cried for a long time and refused to talk about Bowen anymore. Seraphina just stayed by her side, not saying anything else. When ites to matters of the heart, no amount of advice from others can truly help The only solution is to let her figure it out herself or continue to sink in the darkness. Seraphina didn¡¯t want to see thetter, but given Sandra¡¯s current state, breaking free wasn¡¯t going to be easy Once Sandra had finally calmed down, Seraphina took her home. Sandra was quiet the entire way, looking lost and hopeless. ¡°Have you figured out what you¡¯re going to do? Seraphina asked. After a moment, Sandra looked at her again, her eyes filled with sadness. Seraphina quickly reached out to wipe her eyes, ¡°You¡¯ve cried enough today, no more tears.¡± Sandra managed a small smile, tears swirling in her eyes but not falling. ¡°¡­ have a serious talk with him.¡± Sandra said, ¡°I won¡¯t blindly believe his words anymore.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Sandra suddenly looked at her, ¡°Sera, did I disappoint you?¡± Seraphina looked at her quietly for a moment, then smiled faintly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the way with women in love? I¡¯ve been there, and you know it¡­ So as long as you stop deceiving yourself for him, I won¡¯t be disappointed in you¡± *But¡­ what if¡­ I can¡¯t break free?¡± Sandma asked. Seraphina suddenly reached out, giving Sandra¡¯s face a hard twist, saying slowly. ¡°Wake up, girl!¡± Sandra¡¯s face was all contorted from the twist, her eyes still wet with tears, but a smile was slowly emerging from the corners of her mouth ¡°Sera, don¡¯t worry,¡± she whispered, ¡°This time, I won¡¯t be fooled by his lies.¡± As they pulled up to the Smith family¡¯s mansion, Seraphina asked one of their servants and found out Bowen wasn¡¯t home. Sandra seemed to have regained herposure, ¡°Seraphina, you should go back to your work, don¡¯t stick around. I¡¯ll think things through before he gets back, and when he does, I¡¯ll make him exin everything.¡± ¡°Alright¡± Seraphina knew that at times like these, a person needed to be alone, so she didn¡¯t say much, only added, ¡°Call me if you need anything, I¡¯ll always be there.¡± Sandra nodded, standing at the front door, watching Seraphina leave. And Seraphina, sitting in the receding car, couldn¡¯t help but keep looking back, seeing Sandra looking so lost and worn, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Seraphina told the driver. Halfway through the drive, Seraphina¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She thought it was Sandra, but when she looked, it was Leandro. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to wait for me in the studio?¡± Leandro asked, ¡°Where are you? Chapter 254 Chapter 254 When Seraphina thought back, she remembered that Leandro vaguely reminded her to wait for him in the drawing room before he went out in the moming But she didn¡¯t pay much attention at the time, and with the matter of Sandra, she totally forgot about it From the sound of Leandros voice, was he in the drawing room now? Seraphina nced at the road ahead, thought for a moment, and simply said, ¡°I¡¯m on my way¡± Leandro didn¡¯t say much and hung up the phone When Seraphina returned to the drawing room, Leandro was sitting in her office flipping through some picture albums. He looked up to see her and asked casually. ¡°Where¡¯d you go? Seraphina answered offhandedly. ¡°I was busting a cheater.¡± Leandro gave her another look, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Why ask that?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow at him, ¡°Feeling guilty?¡± Leandro was used to her provocative tone and had learned to keep his cool. ¡°Well, the guy got lucky¡± Seraphina intentionally sighed again, saying, ¡°we didn¡¯t catch him¡­¡° Leandro put down the picture album in his hand and walked straight towards Seraphina. Seraphina immediately jumped to the side, ¡°What for? You still want to pick on me even though I didn¡¯t get any evidence?¡± Leandro reached out to hold her wrist and just said, ¡°You still gotta eat even if you didn¡¯t catch anything¡± So it was about asking her to dinner. Seraphina sighed lightly and said, ¡°Im so pissed I could eat a person!¡± In the end, Leandro took her to a vegetarian restaurant. This vegetarian restaurant, from the entrance, seemed familiar to Seraphina. The restaurant was a very authentic countryside-style, quiet and delicate, with a small stream in the big courtyard, the sound of running water, and some private rooms by the stream. Upon entering the private room, there was arge floor-to-ceiling window with ake and forest outside, a beautiful view right in front of your eyes Seraphina looked at the green water outside the window and suddenly remembered something. There was no naturalndscape in the suburbs of Sunburst City, so thisndscape waspletely man-made. It became a popr ce for sightseeing when it first opened because of its beautiful scenery. This restaurant opened in the year she left Sunburst City When it first opened, it was heavily featured by several magazines and was very popr. You had to book at least three months in advance to get a chance to enjoy it One evening that year, she found a magazine in the Reynolds family¡¯s restaurant. She was attracted by the beautiful scenery in the photos and stood by the dining table to read it. When Leandro came back, she was engrossed in reading. She was very sensitive to his footsteps, but this time, she didn¡¯t notice until he walked up behind her and turned to look at him. Leandro nced at her and took the magazine from her hand, ¡°What¡¯s so interesting that got all your attention?¡± ¡°Nothing¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Just browsing¡± Leandro had seen the contents of the magazine before she reacted, looked at her, ¡°Do you want to go?¡± Seraphina bjt her lip lightly, her initial reaction was to deny it, but she suddenly realized that the next step of Leandro¡¯s sentence might be to take her to this ce? If so, wouldn¡¯t that be a date? This realization excited Seraphina, she forced back what she was about to say, just nodded and said, ¡°yes¡± Leandro quietly watched her for a moment, then suddenlyughed, ¡°Well, I think of a way¡± you take me to dinner¡­ her heart was beating very fast, almost breathless, ¡°Then I take you to a movie.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Leandro raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°What movie?¡± She didn¡¯t think and just said, ¡°Hachiko, I heard it¡¯s very good, very touching¡± 11:07 But as soon as she said it, she regretted it a bit- Would he like this kind of movie? However, Leandro seemed to give her enough eptance and affection, he didn¡¯t question anything, just said. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± She was so happy she couldn¡¯t control herself, tiptoed up and quickly kissed his cheek. However, she soon found out that the movie Hachiko was not sessfully released. She thought it was okay, she could just pick a movie at that time, he would probably like it too. So she was still waiting wholeheartedly for this promised date, until May, until she left Sunburst City. Like the movie that was not released, this date eventually did not happen. Now, nearly eight years have passed, and this date that she thought had disappeared in the past has come true. Eight years, this restaurant is still there, still popr and hard to book. Could she and him go back to the way they were? Seraphina stood in front of the floor-to-celling window, quietly watching the scenery for a long time before turning back to Leandro, ¡°How did you remember this ce?¡± Leandro had just received the hot towel handed by the waiter and was wiping his hands. Hearing her question, he didn¡¯t answer but said, ¡°Just don¡¯t forget to invite me to the movie.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But, although the restaurant is still the same as before, that movie, we can¡¯t watch the one we agreed on.¡± Leandro listened and didn¡¯t object. The meal was quite pleasant, although all vegetarian, it was very delicate and delicious. But the serving time was too long and the portion size of each dish was too small- a vegetarian meal that felt like a French-style meal. Seraphina thought that the reason the meal was so slow was probably because the people who would come here to eat were leisurely. The waiting time for the dishes could be used to chat about life, which was in line with the ambience. But she was preupied and when she calmed down, she couldn¡¯t help but think of Sandra. She was worried about Sandra¡¯s situation, so she was a bit distracted ¡°Do you not like the food? Leandro suddenly asked, noticing her obvious distraction. Seraphina snapped back to reality, showing a disgruntled face ¡°Such pricey food, even if it tastes bad, I¡¯d still say it¡¯s good. I was just wondering what movie we¡¯re gonna watchter.¡± Leandro shot her a nce, but kept his thoughts to himself. After leaving the restaurant, before getting into the car, Seraphina finally couldn¡¯t help but dial Sandra. It appeared Sandra was waiting for this call, she picked up immediately. Seraphina caught on to something quickly. ¡°He still hasn¡¯te home, has he?¡± Sandra¡¯s voice was low, ¡°He probably won¡¯t be home today.¡± Seraphina nced at Leandro who was already in the car, ¡®Do you need me toe over and keep youpany? ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Sandra said, ¡°I think things through calmly Tomorrow¡­ I¡¯ll clear everything up with him. This is thest time, absolutely thest time.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina finally breathed a sigh of relief. After hanging up the phone, she got into the car and looked at Leandro, ¡°Have you decided what movie you want to watch?¡± Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Leandro didn¡¯t respond to this, only saying. ¡°You can pick when we get there.¡± So, Seraphina pulled out her phone to check the recently released movies, only to find that none of them were what she wanted to see. Feeling a bit bored, she thought for a moment, then suddenly looked at Leandro, ¡°But¡­ are you cool with going to crowded ces like movie theaters?¡± If it was the old Leandro, she had no doubt he¡¯d be down to go to a movie theater and sit with a bunch of strangers watching a movie. But the current Leandro¡­ Seraphina couldn¡¯t picture that. She pondered a bit, then suddenly got a new idea and decided to choose the hottest movie to see his reaction. They went to the nearest cinema from Reynolds Manor. This cinema had been in business for quite a while and had just been renovated recently. Years ago, Seraphina was a regr here, but after the renovation, she got a bit lost and had to follow Leandro¡¯s lead. The renovated cinema didn¡¯t seem to have many customers, probably because it was a weekday. When they arrived, there were only a few people in the public areas, making it rather quiet. Seraphina thought that her choice of a popr movie seemed useless. While she was looking for the ticket machine, a man in a suit suddenly approached, smiling at her and Leandro, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, wee. We¡¯ve prepared the movie for you. You can pick whatever movie you want to watch.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. After saying this, he handed over a very formal brochure. Leandro signaled for him to give it to Seraphina, and the brochure ended up in her hands. What¡¯s going on here? Seraphina took the brochure with some confusion. Inside, all the recently released movies were listed, but without specific showtimes. That is to say, they could watch whatever movie they wanted they were basically here to ce an order. Thinking of this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but nce at Leandro. Sure enough, don¡¯t expect the now high-brow Mr. Reynolds to go watch a movie in a crowd. With this, Seraphina fost interest in watching a hot movie, preferring to choose a quieter one so she could think things over. Only then did she look carefully at the movies listed. After going through them, her fingernded on the last movie. ¡°Hachiko: A Dog¡¯s Story.¡± Seraphina paused, checked again to make sure she wasn¡¯t mistaken, then looked up at Leandro. Leandro¡¯s face showed no extra expression, only asking, ¡°Have you picked one yet?¡± Seraphina closed the brochure, sighed softly, then said, ¡°I just said I¡¯d take you to a movie, for two tickets, it¡¯s will probably be twenty bucks. But this way, I can¡¯t afford it!¡± Hearing this, Leandro reached out his hand, ¡°Give me your twenty bucks.¡± Seraphina nced at him, indeed took out her wallet and handed him twenty dors. Leandro took it, handed it to the cinema manager, ¡°Give me two tickets for ¡®Hachiko: A Dog¡¯s Story¡±.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the manager said with a smile, ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Five minutester, Seraphina and Leandro sat in a cinema that only sold two tickets, and ten minutes later, the movie started. Throughout the movie, Seraphina was very quiet and focused. A long time ago, she really wanted to see this movie, but after all these years, she never got the chance. Today, she finally fulfilled a dream she had years ago. Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Even though that dream has lost all its colors after being washed by time, it still holds a unique feeling when looked at today. Eight years ago, she heard from a friend who had seen this movie that it was very touching and would make people cry. Seraphina watched the movie very seriously, but she didn¡¯t cry. Although there were moments when her eyes were moist, no tears fell. If it was her eight years ago, she might have burst into tears in the cinema, but now, it¡¯s hard for her to shed tears. Even if the story is touching, it¡¯s still someone else¡¯s story after all. She has already shed too many tears in her own story, and it¡¯s hard to have the energy to cry for others. But anyway, this is a really good movie that touches people. As the movie ended, Seraphina took a deep breath. Leandro didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. After Seraphina was quiet for a while, she turned her head and asked him, ¡°What did you think? Were you moved?¡¯ Leandro turned his head and looked at her, and slowly said, ¡°You picked a good movie.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t expect such an answer, she was a bit surprised. After blinking, she asked again, ¡°Did the story increase your sympathy and trust in people?¡± ¡°If people¡¯s hearts could be as simple and innocent as puppies, then this world¡­¡± He paused, nced at her, ¡°Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be like it is now.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina asked, ¡°Are you hoping for human hearts to be innocent, or not?* ¡°People have ambitions and desires, which keep the world moving forward.¡± Leandro said, ¡®Even though everyone hopes to meet simple and innocent people, in reality, the world is full of conflicts and struggles, with many people you can¡¯t see clearly or understand. Trusting others too much can only bring danger to yourself.¡± Leandro asked, ¡°Who is the person you trustpletely?¡± After hearing this, Seraphina suddenlyughed. She didn¡¯t answer, but instead asked him back, ¡°Who is the person you trustpletely?¡± Leandro d nced at her, didn¡¯t say anything more, took her hand, and left the cinema. As they walked out of the cinema, Seraphina immediately noticed a camera lens stretching out from a car parked on the side of the road. Seeing her looking, the lens continued to boldly shoot, this time even more vigorously. Not far from Reynolds Manor, Seraphina gripped Leandro¡¯s hand tighter, ¡°Let¡¯s walk back.¡± Leandro nced in the direction of the camera and simply said, ¡°As you wish¡± Walking hand in hand, they let the driver and bodyguard follow slowly behind,pletely ignoring those sneaky paparazzi. Perhaps because the previous movie and conversation had touched their hearts, the two were silent for a while, just walking quietly. Even though the previous topic ended quickly, Seraphina, who knows Leandro well, knew that he wouldn¡¯t let it end so easily. As expected, this quiet man took her straight back to her room as soon as they returned to Reynolds Manor. Having experienced Leandro¡¯s passion for two consecutive days, Seraphina felt both excited and overwhelmed. Eight years ago, when they hadn¡¯t really started a rtionship, Seraphina already knew about Leandro¡¯s methods in bed. Eight yearster, when they started a real rtionship, Leandro didn¡¯t use any techniques, every time was straightforward. Not until recently, when Seraphina gradually experienced the feeling from the past did she clearly remember what Leandro was like in the past This man really has the ability to make women submit. Even If the current Seraphina is not so easily conquered. After a few rounds of entanglement, Leandro suddenly stopped and looked down at her. Seraphina suddenly sensed something Sure enough, Leandro started talking, his voice a bit hoarse, ¡°What do I have to do to make you trust mepletely?¡± Seraphina knew that the topic would not end so easily. ¡°Do you have to talk about this now?¡± she was a bit annoyed. ¡°Why not?¡± He really has no shame! Seraphina cursed in her heart, but she cooperated, looked into his eyes for a while, and slowly said, ¡°Maybe if you arrange more activities like today, fulfill more of our past unfulfilled promises, that would be enough.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Leandro listened, his eyes deep, no expression on his face. Their past¡­was actually very short and scarce. The so-called unfulfilled promises basically didn¡¯t exist, except for today¡¯s date. Back then, they only saw each other every few days. When he was there, she would stay by his side. When she couldn¡¯t see him, she would wait for him quietly. She was too obedient back then, never asked him for anything. Whatever he wanted to do, she would justply. He didn¡¯t care about it in the past, but now when he looks back, he feels like he has missed so much. Leandro didn¡¯t say anything, but he just intensified his actions. Seraphinaughed and screamed, finally begging him to stop. ¡°You can¡¯t do this¡­¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m not the person you trustpletely either. When you can trust me completely, I¡¯ll trust youpletely. It¡¯s only fair, right?¡± In Leandro¡¯s life, from a yboy to the CEO of the Reynolds Group, from lows to highs, no one had ever talked about fairness with him. But this woman, who used to give him love unconditionally, is now talking about fairness with him. He couldn¡¯t refuse, nor could he refute. The debts owed in the past have to be slowly paid off. The next morning, Seraphina was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly awakened by a chill. She opened her eyes and saw that it was Leandro who had ced a tablet in her arms. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She sat up immediately, ¡°Are you out of your mind? It¡¯s bad enough that you didn¡¯t let me sleepst night, now you have to disturb me in the early morning?¡± Leandro, all dressed up and fixing his tie, shot her a look when he heard that. ¡°I¡¯m letting you see what you want to see. You should be thrilled.¡± What she wanted to see? Seraphina unlocked her tablet, logged into her social media, and sure enough, her name had popped up in the trending topics again. Leandro was also on the trending list. The hot topic was: Leandro and Seraphina forced to make a public appearance. Forced to make a public appearance, a term typically used for celebrities in the entertainment industry, was now being used on her and Leandro. Following the trending topic, Seraphina found rted information and started reading in detail. Media had reported about her and Leandro¡¯s situation fromst night. In the photos and videos, even though she and Leandro were holding hands, their faces were serious, leading toments about them pretending to look happy but actually being forced to show intimacy. A bunch of people were leaving sympatheticments under her posts, saying that being a wife in a wealthy family wasn¡¯t easy. Lying in bed, massaging her sore back, Seraphina almost teared up when she saw thesements, It is tough indeed! She felt like her back was about to break! Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Seraphina was buzzing with excitement as she scrolled through thements. Right when she was engrossed in them, a new message popped up. She casually clicked on it and it turned out to be a statement from Magnolia¡¯s team. ¡°Magnolia went overseas for further education six years ago, and indeed, she received financial aid from Leandro. But this funding was provided in the form of a student loan. Over the past six years, Magnolia has been working hard, constantly improving, and finally achieving what she has today. Upon returning to her home country, she immediately repaid Mr. Reynolds¡¯ funds as per their agreement. Throughout these six years, Magnolia has always been grateful and respectful towards Leandro, without any personal emotional involvement or interference with his marriage. We are making this statement to dere that if anyone spreads rumors about her, we will take legal action to protect Magnolia¡¯s reputation. We ask allizens to please take note.¡± After reading this statement, Seraphina turned to Leandro who was about to leave, ¡°You¡¯ve truly broken Ms. Magnolia¡¯s heart. Look at the statement, it¡¯s frosty.¡± Leandro nced at her, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me me!¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes at him, ¡°How could I not feel for the girl? You¡¯re the cold- hearted one.¡± Leandro gave her a look and didn¡¯t say anything. He just put on his coat and left. After reading the statement, Seraphina was wide awake. She put down the tablet and called Sandra. The phone rang for a while, but nobody answered. After calling twice, Seraphina didn¡¯t try again. She quickly got up to tidy herself up and went to find Sandra Just as she was about to leave, Sandra called. ¡°Sera.¡± Her voice was low Seraphina immediately sensed something. ¡°Did you guys finish talking?¡± ¡°We finished.¡± Sandra said. ¡°What did he say?¡± After a while, Sandra finally said, ¡°I¡¯ming over to you now? Seraphina breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Alright, III be at Carney Artful Reverie waiting for you.¡± Sandra¡¯s brief words made Seraphina feel that things weren¡¯t looking good. But how deeply hurt Sandra was and whether she made up her mind, she would only know when she saw Sandra. Without any hesitation, Seraphina left and headed straight for Carney Artful Reverie. Just as she reached the entrance of Carney Artful Reverie, arge box appeared in front of her. She nced at it and saw Keeley behind the box She sighed helplessly and said to him, ¡®You¡¯re up early¡± ¡°You¡¯re here two or three hours earlier than usual today¡± said Keeley. ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep wellst night?¡± Seraphina gave a lightugh, saying, ¡°None of your business.¡± As she was about to enter Carney Artful Reverie, Keeley stubbornly handed her the box, ¡°This is for you.¡± ¡°A bomb?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°You¡¯re heartless.¡± Keeley said, ¡°I came so early tofort you, and this is how you treat me.¡± Seraphina opened the box and found a video game console. Next to the console were some peculiar game cartridges. The games were clearly not kids friendly, their bloody and violent visuals were hard to stomach. ¡®Why are you giving me this? Seraphina asked, ¡°I don¡¯t like ying games.¡± Keeley answered, ¡°These games are thrilling, full of blood and gore, they can vent out your dissatisfaction. I believe they will suit you.¡± Seraphina looked up at him, ¡°So I won¡¯t turn psychotic after ying them, right?¡± Hearing this, Keeley burst intoughter, ¡°Maybe this is your true self? Maybe you¡¯ll find your real self in these games, and stop being so amodating.¡± Just as Seraphina was about to reply, Keeley¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Keeley nced at the phone, his face slightly changing, and he answered the call. Seraphina watched him quietly from the side. The call was short, Keeley only said a few words like ¡°Okay¡±, ¡°Got it¡±, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But Seraphina still keenly sensed something off. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Sure enough, Keeley quickly hung up, turned to Seraphina and she beat him to the punch. ¡°Since you rmended these games, let¡¯s y together¡± After saying this, Seraphina headed into Carney Artful Reverie. But Keeley suddenly reached out to stop her, ¡°I can¡¯t today, I have something to do, I need to leave.¡± Seraphina turned to look at him, ¡°Are you sure? If you leave this time, I may not want to y games with you next time.¡± ¡°Being with you is important.¡± Keeley leaned in and whispered, ¡°But I believe we¡¯ll have plenty more chances in the future.¡± Before Seraphina could say anything. Keeley had already blown her a kiss, turned around and walked to the sidewalk, getting on his motorcycle. Seeing this, Seraphina knew what he was going to do, but she knew she couldn¡¯t stop him no matter what. Watching Keeley ride off, Seraphina headed into Carney Artful Reverie while dialing Herman Garcia¡¯s number. ¡®Herman, Keeley is on the move!¡± Seraphina said bluntly, ¡°I don¡¯t know who he¡¯s targeting or where he¡¯s nning to take action, but I¡¯m certain he¡¯s on his way to carry out his mission right now. You better find out his whereabouts quickly and stop his actions¡­ otherwise, there will be more victims.¡± After listening to the phone call, Herman immediately took action. Seraphina ended the call, went back to her office, thought for a while, and then dialed Keeley¡¯s number again. The phone rang a few times before it was cut off, and when Seraphina tried to call again, it was already unreachable. She wasn¡¯t sure whether Keeley had turned off his phone or just straight-up ghosted her, but either way, she couldn¡¯t do anything about him at the moment. Seraphina heaved a sigh and sank into her chair,st in thought. About an hourter, her phone that was sitting on the office desk suddenly lit up. Seraphina swiftly grabbed it, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Keeley¡¯s name. ¡°Been looking for me?¡± Keeley¡¯s voice sounded chill as ever, radiating an air of joy. Seraphina¡¯s heart sank like a stone. Did this mean he hadpleted his mission? She couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitter chuckle, ¡°Thought you didn¡¯t want to pick up my calls? Well, if that¡¯s the case, we don¡¯t have much to talk about.¡± Seraphina promptly hung up, and the next second, she was dialing Herman¡¯s number. ¡°He¡¯s done,¡± Seraphina said, with a knot in her stomach, ¡°Did you notice anything unusual?¡± Herman stayed silent for a beat before responding, ¡°His phone signal vanished for a while. I couldn¡¯t track hisst location.¡± ¡°What about within the possible radius?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Any idents or anything?¡± No sooner had she finished her words than she heard voices from Herman¡¯s end, ¡°Just got a report of the third car crash within our surveince area. The victim¡¯s name is Sandra. She crashed her car into the guardrail of the bridge over the river, and she and her car plunged into the water¡­¡± Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Seraphina practically amved at the hospital at the same time as Sandra, who was just rescued from the water, thanks to a message from Herman At the hospital, after a quick check up, Sandra was immediately rushed into surgery. Seraphina didn¡¯t get a chance to get a good look at her. She had to watch as she was wheeled into the operating room. Turning her head, she was as pale as a ghost The next moment, Bowen came staggering from the direction of the elevator. Seraphina leaned against the wall, watching him sprint towards her with cold eyes The man that Sandra deeply loved looked terrified, his eyes red rimmed. He hurried to the door of the operating room, nced at the red light on the wall, mmed his fist into the wall, then turned to look at Seraphina, ¡°How is Sandra?¡± Seraphina was just coldly watching him. At his question, she suddenlyughed mockingly, ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± Bowen¡¯s expression subtly shifted, he turned away. But Seraphina had no intention of letting him off that easily She walked up to him, ¡°Sandra is in danger, aren¡¯t you going to pursue it? Why aren¡¯t you asking why it happened to Sandra? Shouldn¡¯t we be analyzing the current situation?¡± Bowen suddenly looked up at her, his eyes full of shock and worry, he wasn¡¯t faking it. ¡°Seraphina¡­¡± he croaked out her name. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to discuss this with you¡­¡± ¡°So, what are you in the mood for?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want to talk to me, who do you want to talk to, Tania?¡± At Seraphina¡¯s words, Bowen suddenly clutched his forehead, then turned and walked in the opposite direction of the surgery room. Seraphina wanted to follow him, but she stopped when she saw the light outside the operating room. She just watched as he walked away, her gaze heavy After a while, footsteps echoed down the corridor again. Seraphina turned her head and saw Herman, Her head had been throbbing, her thoughts a mess, but the moment she saw Herman, she immediately calmed down. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, ¡°How did the investigation at the scene go?¡± Herman looked at her and slowly said, ¡°The evidence at the scene suggests that it was an ident. Sandra crashed into the guardrail to avoid a car that suddenly swerved, and that car swerved to avoid cargo falling off arge truck ahead.¡± Seraphina listened, looking at him quietly for a moment, ¡°Why did the cargo fall off the truck?¡± ¡°ident,¡± Herman said. Seraphina gave a sarcasticugh, looked at the ring red warning light outside the operating room, and gritted her teeth, ¡°Damn ident!¡± Herman was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t an ident, why would Keeley and his gang hurt Sandra? ¡°Those people helped Mack Jones sessfully fight against three stakeholders of the Jones Group. The support behind Mack is the Martin family! This means that these people are likely serving the Martin family! The Martin family¡­¡± Seraphina could not control her anger at the mention of the family. She took a deep breath and continued, ¡°Tania from the Martin family and Sandra, fell for the same man.¡± Hearing this, Herman frowned, ¡°Sandra Bowen?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t deny it. After a moment of silence, a terrifying thought suddenly surfaced in her mind and she slowly said, ¡°Maybe this man was also involved. To get rid of Sandra and get close to the Martin family, he arranged for someone to kill Sandra. It¡¯s possible. right?¡± Upon hearing this, Herman slowly said, ¡°I saw him making a call in the garden when I arrived.¡± Seraphina immediately turned to him, ¡°Did you hear what he said?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Herman, ¡°I only saw that he was very emotional, and he seemed very angry.¡± Seraphina listened andughed coldly again, ¡°It can¡¯t prove anything.¡± Herman didn¡¯t jump to conclusions, he looked towards the operating room, was silent for a while, then said, ¡°I need to go back to the stalion to continue the investigation, you should be prepared.¡± Seraphina gave him a hostile look. Without saying anything else, Herman left. Seraphina didn¡¯t watch him leave, she just clenched her fists. Herman was at the scene when Sandra was pulled out of the river, he should have a clear understanding of Sandra¡¯s situation¡­so, he told her to be prepared. But why should she prepare? She didn¡¯t need to, and she wouldn¡¯t. Sandra¡¯s surgerysted from morning till evening, over ten hours in total. Seraphina waited outside the operating room for as long as the surgerysted By the time Leandro finally had time toe to the hospital, it was already evening. Getting out of the car, Leandro saw Bowen sitting in the hospital garden, with Tania standing next to him. Bowen sat in the chair, looking very depressed. Tania was constantly talking to him, but Bowen didn¡¯t respond. Until Tania couldn¡¯t help it and pushed Bowen a bit. Bowen suddenly stood up, pushed her aside, and pointed to the door, saying mercilessly, ¡°Get out-¡± Tania seemed to be scared by his attitude, she stepped back, red at him for a moment, then turned and left. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Bowen sat back down, lit a cigarette. Leandro looked away, turned around and entered the hospital building. On the fifteenth floor outside the operating room, Leandro saw Seraphina standing in the corridor. She was leaning against the window, looking down. Leandro walked over, followed her gaze, and saw Bowen sitting below. Seraphina just stood there, staring coldly at Bowen, her eyes deep and unreadable. Back when Tania was still around, there were things to observe. But now, with only Bowen left, she couldn¡¯t make out much. Leandro extended his hand, guiding Seraphina to sit on the chair, and then he opened up a lunch box he brought along. He knew she had been waiting here for quite a while already, but she hadn¡¯t touched any of the food the bodyguards and driver brought. ¡°Grab a bite,¡± Leandro suggested, ¡°If you¡¯re nning on staying here, you gotta keep your strength up.¡± After hearing his words, Seraphina fell silent for a bit, then suddenly took the lunch box from Leandro¡¯s hand, grabbed a spoon, and started sipping the soup. Leandro didn¡¯t say much else, just quietly watched her. This silence and reserve was so unlike her, yet it told him that this incident had shaken her to the core. Just like when her grandpa was suddenly hospitalizedst time. After struggling to sip a few mouthfuls of soup, Seraphina put down the spoon. After a moment of silence, she leaned into Leandro, gently closed her eyes, and said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a small nap, wake me up when the surgery is over.¡± Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Leandro was sitting quietly, letting her lean on him. However, less than two minutester, Seraphina suddenly opened her eyes, staring nkly ahead. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Leandro gently held her hand. Feeling the warmth from his palm, Seraphina seemed to remember something and slowly said, ¡°Leandro, I heard¡­ you were in a severe car ident before, weren¡¯t you?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t expect her to bring this up. He paused for a moment and replied softly, ¡°Yeah.¡± Seraphina asked again, ¡°Were you conscious then?¡± Leandro understood why she asked this all of a sudden. He learned from Herman that the ident was very serious. The car crashed through the railing and into the river. Added to the long surgery, Sandra¡¯s condition was extremely critical. His condition during his car ident was also very severe. She probably asked the question hoping to find somefort from him who had experienced a car ident. ¡°Yeah,¡± Leandro answered. Seraphina looked up at him, ¡°What was it like? Did you feel bad? Did you have the determination to pull through?¡± Leandro was silent for a moment after hearing this. During the years she was away, he had several close calls with death, the most serious one being that car ident At that time, he waspeting for a highly potential and controversial piece ofnd in Sunburst City. He teamed up with Victor and Edgar, and after several bouts, defeated thepetitor supported by multiple forces. As a result, thepetitor saw him as an enemy and set up an ambush on the mountain road, trying to kill him. He never fully recalled the scene at that time, but now as he thought about it, everything was clear What was he thinking then? Actually, he wasn¡¯t thinking about anything The violent shock hit him and his mind went nk. On the winding mountain road, the ck car rolled several times, heading straight for the cliff. The airbags deployed instantly, trapping him within the confined driver¡¯s cabin, unable to move. During the several rolls, he caught a glimpse of the scene below the cliff from theer of his eye. Maybe if he fell, that would be the end of his life. And that moment might be thest moment of his life. But he couldn¡¯t remember anything, as if his more than 20 years of life did not exist. The car stopped at the edge of the cliff, hey in the car, blood from somewhere seeping into his eyes All he saw was a warm red color. He saw the car that hit him earlier stopped not far away, charging towards him again- When he regained consciousness, he felt like he was in a sea of noise. Was it heaven or hell? He thought vaguely. Then, he heard the voices clearly and felt a sharp pain. ¡°Brain hemorrhage, vicle fracture¡­ scapr fracture¡­ multiple rib fractures, visceral damage¡­ left tibia fracture¡­ has already experienced one shock¡­ immediate surgery.. He looked at the ring light above his head, everything was in chaos. This time, he remembered a lot of people and events. His constantly quarreling parents, his brother who died early, his grandfather who handed the Reynolds Group to him, and a crying child¡­.. Repeated scenarios, endless memories. Lastly, he suddenly saw a young girl¡¯s face. She was looking at him, smiling shyly and brightly. She asked, why did you drink so much again? He wanted to answer, but he couldn¡¯t say a word Until her face gradually disappeared from his sight. He suddenly felt desperate, feeling like he was really dead. Those people and things that were alive had nothing to do with him anymore. Just let it be A weekter, after several critical condition notices, he woke up in the ICU. He felt like he was reborn. Onginally, he felt that he could no longer live, but now he had survived Those things he once thought to just let go, he couldn¡¯t let go anymore. He couldn¡¯t express his feelings at that time to her. But now, he would never give up easily. ¡°As long as you¡¯re alive, there¡¯s hope, so of course, you have to push yourself to pull through,¡± Leandro said. Hearing this. Seraphina seemed a bit shaken. ¡°What¡­ if you feel there¡¯s no hope in living?¡± she asked. Before Leandro could answer, Seraphina suddenly stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to find Bowen and get this clear!¡± Just as she walked out, the operating room light suddenly went out Leandro reached out and pulled her back. She turned around to see the doorway of the operating room, grabbing the hand of the doctor who just came out. ¡°We¡¯ve done everything we can to save her, the doctor said, ¡°But the patient¡¯s head injury is severe and we need time to observe whether she can wake up. We¡¯ll transfer her to the ICU and keep an eye on her condition. But you need to be prepared, because her nerves might be damaged, she might¡­ have some seque.¡± Seraphina stiffened, gripping the doctor¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°What seque?¡± ¡°We need her to wake up to know,¡± the doctor said. Seraphina¡¯s head was buzzing, unable to think. The doctor said ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±, gently pried her hand that was gripping his cloth, and walked towards the elevator. Bowen suddenly appeared and stopped the doctor. Seraphina turned her head to see him gripping the doctor¡¯s arm tightly, his eyes full of fear and¡­ regret. Seraphina walked towards him. Leandro didn¡¯t stop her ¡°Bowen,¡± Seraphina said coldly. ¡°Whether Sandra wakes up or not, I won¡¯t let you off* Bowen didn¡¯t look at her or say anything. He just turned around to face the wall, punching it with his fists, his veins bulging, not moving for a long time. Seraphina contigued, ¡°No matter if this ident was an ident or not, I will me you. Because it was you who caused her to have an ident, you¡¯re the culprit.¡± When Seraphina said these words, she was always very calm, so calm that it was unusual. Bowen just listened to her quietly This silence was oppressive Seraphina sneered, ¡°Are you still unwilling to make your stance clear? She may never wake up again. Do you feel happy about it, or do you feel guilty? Can you just tell me directly?¡± Bpwen didn¡¯t respond. Seraphina paused, then muttered to herself, ¡°Even if you said something, it wouldn¡¯t matter ¡¯cause she can¡¯t hear you now.. And even if she could, she probably wouldn¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying! Do you know what ¡®seque¡¯ mean? Your lively, beautiful little sister might just end up a vegetable!¡¯ Bowen mmed his fists into the wall again, harder this time. Then, suddenly, he turned and walked out Seraphina watched him coldly, preparing to quickly follow when Leandro suddenly walked over and pulled her into his arms. Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Seraphina had been staring in the direction where Bowen disappeared, her body as tense as a rock. Leandro was holding her, not trying to stop her, and Seraphina didn¡¯t try to break away either. Leandro knew she was out of strength. Even though she stayedposed, the worry for Sandra and the fear of losing her had already filled her heart. ¡°Do you want to stay here or go home and rest?¡± Leandro asked gently. Seraphina stayed silent, it took her a while to snap back to reality, her eyes gradually regaining their calmness. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I need to meet Herman!¡± They left the hospital, driving to the police station where Herman was. Leandro was holding Seraphina¡¯s hand the whole time, while she kept staring out the window. Both of them were silent throughout the journey. Upon reaching the police station, Seraphina suddenly let go of Leandro¡¯s hand and rushed into the office. Even though it was alreadyte at night, the office was still bustling with activity some were going through documents, some on the phone, and some were carefully watching the surveince footage on theirputers. Herman had juste out of his office when he saw Seraphina, he was taken aback for a moment, then he saw Leandro following behind her. Seraphina quickly walked up to him, ¡°What¡¯s the update? Any leads?¡± Herman looked serious, ¡®Nothing so far¡± ¡°What about the CCTV footage?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°There are surveince cameras all over the ce, you should be able to track a single car, right?¡± ¡°Despite the number of cameras, there are still many blind spots. Herman exined, ¡°From the footage we have, there¡¯s nothing suspicious about Keeley, nor can we link him to the incident with Sandra.¡± Seraphina thought for a while, then asked, ¡°What about private security cameras? Like the ones at storefronts or dash cams of passing -cars. If he did it, there has to be some evidence! Even if he¡¯s not involved with this case, he must be linked to others!¡± ¡®I know¡¯ Herman said, ¡°But the scope of the search isrge, it will take time. It¡¯s not something we can solve quickly.¡± ¡°I can help!¡± Seraphina said. As soon as she finished her sentence, everyone in the busy office looked up at her. Herman frowned, nced at Leandro, and said, ¡°That¡¯s against the rules.¡± Seraphina paused, then said, ¡®As a person who knows about the case, as someone who already knew about Keeley¡¯s actions and reported them, helping with the investigation shouldn¡¯t break any rules, right?¡± Herman fell silent for a moment, nced at Leandro. Leandro nodded. Herman sighed. ¡°Alright then,e with me.¡± Seraphina was directed to a conference room and given a pile of surveince footage. Her next task was to find potential clues that might not even exist from this massive amount of footage. It was a difficult and tedious task, but Seraphina was mined. at once, watching with full concentration. I soon as she got the footage, she immediately opened four videos Seeing her like this, Herman turned to Leandro, ¡°I know she¡¯s having a tough time. I¡¯ll look after her, you should go home and rest¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Leandro said, ¡°You go do your thing, Ill stay here with her.¡± Herman wanted to say something else, but knowing Leandro¡¯s personality, he gave up and left the room. Leandro then moved to sit next to Seraphina. Seraphina was focused on theputer screen, not even looking at him. Leandro kept quiet, just sitting next to her, silently watching the busy surveince footage on the screen with her. She kept watching till dawn. After a long and painful night, Seraphina was still in the same position, staring at theputer screen. Leandro looked at her several times, but didn¡¯t say anything. There was a knock at the door, and Keen poked his head in, whispering. ¡°Mr. Reynolds?¡± He had an important shareholders¡¯ meeting today and couldn¡¯t waste time here. Leandro leaned towards Seraphina, ¡°I have to go to the office. You stay here and go through the footage, remember to eat.¡± Seraphina kept staring at theputer screen, seemingly not hearing him. Leandro paused, then said, ¡°I¡¯ve asked the hospital, they¡¯ll let you know right away if there¡¯s any news.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina finally seemed to snap out of it, turning to look at him, and slowly nodded. Leandro watched her quietly for a moment, kissed her lightly on the corner of her lips, then got up and left. Because of some internal and overseas issues, Leandro spent the entire day in meetings. As soon as the long day¡¯s meetings were over, he rushed to the police station. Upon arriving at the station, he opened the conference room door only to find Seraphina wasn¡¯t there. Turning around, he saw Herman rushing back. ¡°Leandro?¡± Herman saw him, came over and looked into the conference room, ¡°Where¡¯s Seraphina?¡± Before Leandro could answer, Herman quickly turned to a colleague, ¡°Where¡¯s Seraphina?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Seraphina left.¡± Leandro¡¯s face darkened. ¡°She left?¡± Herman asked, ¡°Where did she go? Did she say anything?¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t say anything specifically,¡± the officer replied, ¡°but before she left, she kept saying¡­ its too slow¡­¡± Herman looked at Leandro, ¡°Leandro, should Ie with you to look for her?¡± ¡°No,¡± Leandro replied, ¡°Let her be.¡± ¡°What?¡± Leandro gave him a nce and said, ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. She¡¯s not a fan of your way of doing things. If something like this happens, shell -definitely stir up some action. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be who she is now¡± Leandro¡¯s hunch was spot on. To Seraphina, Herman¡¯s approach was just too slow and inefficient. She didn¡¯t have time to waste; she needed to find out immediately whether Sandra¡¯s situation was rted to Keeley and if there was a mastermind behind it. She sat alone in the fanciest and busiest bar, after downing her seventh drink and shooing away a dozen guys trying to hit on her, she finally saw Keeley She didn¡¯t invite him, but this guy seemed to have a sixth sense for her. When he appeared, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Keeley immediately picked up on her abnormal behavior, unusually he dropped his flippant attitude, pushed away the ss in front of Seraphina, and looked at her with a slightly furrowed brow, ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± ¡°Take a guess,¡± Seraphina replied. Keeley stared at her for a while, thenughed, ¡°Not because of your Usband again, is it?¡± Seraphina alsoughed. Afterughing, she took the ss from Keeley¡¯s hand, downed it in one gulp, then slowly said, ¡°There are many people in this world who disappoint and despair me. But those who give me hope, there¡¯s only one or two¡­¡± ¡°One or two?¡± Keeley tilted his head to look at her, asking, ¡°Am I one 25. Seraphina squinted slightly at him for a moment, then slowly nodded, ¡°For now, you are one of them.¡± Keeley, full of curiosity, asked further, ¡°Who¡¯s the other one?¡± ¡°My best friend,¡± Seraphina slowly said, ¡®Yesterday morning, she crashed her car into the guardrail of the cross-river bridge, she and the car plunged into the river.¡± The smile on Keeley¡¯s face suddenly paused slightly. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Seraphina seemed oblivious to the subtle change on his face, turned around to order another drink, and then asked him, ¡°Do you want a drink?¡± Keeley signaled the bartender and then turned to Seraphina, ¡°How many have you had?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, smiled and said, ¡°How much do I need to drink before she¡¯s okay?¡± Keeley stared at her quietly for a moment, ¡°Is she important to you?¡± ¡°Very important.¡± ¡°How important?¡± Seraphina turned to look at him, speaking slowly, ¡°If I knew who hurt her, I¡¯d do anything to get revenge.¡± Upon hearing this, Keeley calmly asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it an ident?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°An ident?¡± Seraphina tilted her head slightly, ¡°Every ident has its cause. She was always careful when driving, so if she had an ident, she was either distracted or met with an unexpected event. Either way, there must be a reason.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Seraphina reached over and took the drink the bartender had handed to another customer. The original owner of the drink turned to look at her, and Seraphina smiled at him. The man quickly made a generous ¡®go ahead¡¯ gesture. Keeley once again tried to stop Seraphina, ¡°You¡¯re just too heartbroken to ept the truth, so you¡¯re overthinking it.¡±. ¡°Am I?¡± Seraphina chuckled, returning the question. ¡°Or what?¡± Seraphina suddenly nced at him, ¡°Did you forget what I do for a living?¡± Keeley simply stared at her, waiting for her to continue. ¡°I¡¯m a journalist. I¡¯ve investigated countless cases, big and small. I know whether the ident was an ident or not.¡± Seraphinaughed lightly, her smile faint, ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone involved in her ident off the hook.¡± ¡°What will you do?¡± Keeley asked. Seraphina took the opportunity to drink the cocktail she had swiped, then resolutely said, ¡°I¡¯ll get revenge.¡± After saying this, she suddenly turned to look at him, ¡°That day, you left in a hurry and I couldn¡¯t reach you. Where did you go?¡± Hearing this, Keeley slowly smiled, ¡°You think I had something to do with your friend¡¯s ident?¡± ¡°If you were not involved, I would not wrongfully use you. If you were, I would not let you off.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I will find out.¡± With that, Seraphina stood up, swaying slightly as she walked away. In the crowded and noisy crowd, there were always people reaching out to help her. Seraphina always had a smile on her face, but it gradually disappeared. She no longer needed to check the surveince videos for evidence. At this moment, she was sure that Keeley was involved in Sandra¡¯s ident! As she walked out of the bar, a cold wind hit her in the face. Seraphina closed her eyes and stood still for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, Keeley had followed her.. ¡°You¡¯re drunk.¡± Keeley grabbed her hand, ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Seraphina forcefully pulled her hand away and coldly said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Keeley looked down at his hand andughed, ¡°So, you think I¡¯m guilty?¡± Seraphina slowly looked at him, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve said that if you¡¯re innocent, I won¡¯t wrong you. But now, I don¡¯t have any leads, so I n to start with you, okay?¡± Keeley crossed his arms, looking at her with an air of nonchnce, ¡°How do you n to investigate?¡± ¡°Everything about you.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Your social rtionships, your call records, all your whereabouts, everyone who has been around you.¡± Keeley listened, still looking at her calmly, ¡°What can these prove?¡± ¡°Oh, they can prove a lot,¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°You once said you didn¡¯t know who the mastermind behind my kidnapping was, you just did the job for the money. This means you didn¡¯t directly contact your employer, there was a middleman, your aplice, right? And you were the executor of the case, maybe there¡¯s a nner among you, or an organizer, or even more people. Some people, some things, always leave traces. If I thoroughly look into all your information, do you think I¡¯ll find nothing? Whether it¡¯s a month, a year, or ten years, I¡¯ll keep looking and eventually I¡¯ll find out. Then, I¡¯ll know who hurt her.¡± During Seraphina¡¯s speech, Keeley¡¯s eyes gradually deepened. When she finished, he slowly regained hisposure, reached out again, ¡°You¡¯re really drunk.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Drunk or not, I¡¯ll still investigate! Didn¡¯t you say that people should do what they want to do and live the life they want to live? Right now, this is what I want to do, this is what I¡¯m going to do!¡± Keeley suddenly took a step closer to her, his voice slightly lower, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you want to do, but don¡¯t investigate the people and things behind me.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina squinted at him, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it will get you killed.¡± Keeley¡¯s face hadpletely calmed down as he seriously looked at Seraphina. Seraphina suddenlyughed. ¡°What will you do?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Like the previous kidnapping case, n another murder and kill me quietly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Keeley said, ¡°You should take my words seriously.¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°Will it be you who kills me? I wonder if you¡¯ll show mercy and let me die quickly.¡± Perhaps feeling pressured by her, Keeley reached out and grabbed her wrist hard, causing Seraphina to cry out in pain. At her cry, the bodyguards who had been hiding nearby immediately appeared and quickly separated the two. ¡°I know you¡¯re drunk today.¡± Keeley said, ¡°But you must remember what I¡¯ve said!¡± Seraphina gave a scrutinizing look at the bodyguards in front of her, cast a slightly mocking nce at Keeley, and then said, ¡°Do you understand now? I am Mrs. Reynolds. With my status and position, do you really have the authority to question what I want to do?¡± Having said that, Seraphina turned on her heel and climbed into her car. ¡°Seraphina!¡± Keeley¡¯s hoarse voice called her name, but Seraphina simply shut the car door, blocking out all noise. As the car smoothly pulled away, Seraphina sat with her eyes tightly closed, her expression cold. She reached up to press a hand against her forehead. ¡°Are we heading home?¡± the driver asked after they had driven for a while. Slowly, Seraphina opened her eyes. ¡°to the hospital.¡± The hospital was eerily quiet in the dead of night. Seraphina made her way upstairs. The elevator and the corridors were deserted. It wasn¡¯t until she reached the door of the ICU where Sandra was that she saw another soul. Bowen was standing quietly by the room¡¯s window, silently watching Sandra, whoy inside. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Seraphina watched Bowen, gradually approaching him. It was only when she was behind him that Bowen suddenly became aware of her presence, he turned his head quickly to nce at her. Seraphina¡¯s face was expressionless, her cold gaze fell on him, showing no signs of wavering. After giving her a nce, Bowen quickly turned his head back, continuing to look at Sandra in the hospital room. Seraphina scoffed, ¡°What¡¯s the point? Who are you putting on this broken-hearted act for now?¡± After a while, Bowen finally responded, ¡°Sera, I told you I don¡¯t want to talk about this stuff right now.¡± ¡°So when do you want to talk?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Are you gonna wait till she¡¯s dead to talk?¡± Hearing this, Bowen suddenly turned back, his eyes bloodshot, breathing heavily as he looked at her. ¡°What?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you think she might die when you did all this? You can do it, but you don¡¯t want me to talk about it?¡± ¡°I never thought things would turn out this way!¡± Bowen got emotional, his handsome face distorted, he looked at Seraphina, almost shouting, ¡°If I knew she would turn out this way, if I knew¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish, because when he got here, he suddenly choked up, gritting his teeth and turning his head. Seraphina watched him, her expression unyielding. He looked pathetic at this moment, but all she felt for him was hatred. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this was just an ident.¡± Seraphina said coldly. Bowen was silent for a while before turning back to her, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What do you think I mean?¡± Seraphina retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what you¡¯ve done to Sandra?¡± Bowen stared at her for a long time, seemingly finally understanding what she meant. ¡°No way¡­¡± he said. Seraphina kept her gaze on him, ¡°No way for whom? You or Tania? Or do you think, the Martin family people wouldn¡¯t do it?¡± Bowen suddenly stepped forward, looking at Seraphina, ¡°What have you found out? What do you know that I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Seraphina scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t you forget that you¡¯re one of the suspects to me, Getting rid of a woman you¡¯re tired of this way, and gaining all the Smith family¡¯s property, what a good deal, two birds with one stone, right?¡± Bowen listened to her without getting angry, he just clenched his fists tightly, trying to control his breathing. Clearly, Seraphina had angered him, but he knew such anger was pointless-he still had more important things to think about. ¡°As for Tania, her motive is even simpler.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Don¡¯t think all women are fools that you can manipte at will, she might have found out about your rtionship with Sandra a long time ago, killing her rival would be easy for her.¡± ¡°Or it could be her family who couldn¡¯t stand her being wronged and helped her.¡± Seraphina said calmly, suddenly ncing at Bowen, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s also very likely that you guys already had an agreement and acted together.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She kept pushing the me on him, but Bowen didn¡¯t defend himself. After Seraphina finished speaking, Bowen was silent for a long time before saying, ¡°We¡¯ll find the answer.¡± Having said this, he turned and walked out. We? Seraphina listened to his words, and after a long time, she just scoffed. Did he meant that he was on her side? That he had nothing to do with it? She stood still, until Bowen¡¯s figure disappeared around the corner, then she slowly turned her head, looking at the person lying in the ICU. It had been two days since she had taken a close look at Sandra like she did now. She was lying there, tubes inserted all over her body, pale as a ghost, lifeless. In her memory, Sandra had never been so quiet. She was always outspoken, speaking her mind, so to Seraphina, she always had a lot to say. But when did she be quieter, no longer chattering, she was always holding back, and became taciturn? Seraphina reached out, lightly touching the ss window. She really wanted to touch her face, hold her hand, talk to her. But she couldn¡¯t. In the face of life and death, she knew how powerless she was. But she was still not willing to ept it. She had already lost so much, and all she had was just a little¡­ Was she going to keep losing? ¡°Sandra¡­¡± she said softly, her voice hoarse, the rest of the words, she couldn¡¯t say anymore. Seraphina leaned slightly forward, her forehead against the ss, staring intently at the person inside. She knew that even if she didn¡¯t say it, Sandra would understand. Sandra had always been sympathetic to her, understanding her, she would never refuse any of her requests. This time, she wouldn¡¯t refuse her either. Seraphina stood there, not knowing how long it had been, when she heard footsteps behind her again, then a warm coat was draped over her shoulders. The coat had a familiar scent, she didn¡¯t need to turn around to know who it was. After a while, she finally pulled herself together, turned to look at the person behind her, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Leandro stood quietly behind her, watching her finally turn around, his eyes didn¡¯t miss the sadness and fatigue in her eyes. He raised his hand, gently stroking her eyebrows, slowly saying, ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Seraphina slowly looked up, met his gaze for a moment, then slowly nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± She knew that staying here wouldn¡¯t help, she also knew she had to hold herself together. After answering, Seraphina turned back to look at Sandra in the hospital room onest time, then turned and left. She quickened her pace, ready to leave quickly. At that moment, Leandro reached out and held her hand, slowing her down. Seraphina didn¡¯t refuse, she just remained silent all the way. Once they got in the car, Seraphina just sat quietly in the back seat, slowly closing her eyes. Leandro still held her hand and after a moment, he asked again, ¡°What¡¯s your next move? Tell me so I can back you up.¡± At his words, Seraphina suddenly opened her eyes, confusion filling them. Leandro didn¡¯t say anything else, just waited quietly for her response. After a while, it seemed like Seraphina finally got what he was saying. She paused for a moment and then started to chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve already given me lots of support, from manpower to resources, and even Mrs. Reynolds¡¯ identity. All these are the backup you¡¯ve given me.¡± Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Obviously, this wasn¡¯t the response Leandro was expecting. ¡°Is that enough?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Maybe you didn¡¯t do the math and don¡¯t realize how valuable these things are?¡± ¡°Did you do the math?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Seraphina nodded earnestly, ¡°They¡¯re worth a lot.¡± Leandro stared at her for a moment before slowly saying, ¡°You could ask for more.¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes twinkled as she looked up at him andughed, ¡°Do you think I¡¯d keep my mouth shut when I need something from you? I¡¯m not that stupid¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t lying. But by her definition of getting things from him, she meant using him for publicity, generating some public attention, and there was hardly anything she actively asked him to do. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. As Seraphina spoke, she moved closer to him and continued, ¡°But, whenever I needed your help, I¡¯ve never been polite to you, have I? I just hope you won¡¯t be stingy when the timees.¡± Leandro quietly listened to her, then bent down to kiss her. Seraphina paused for a moment, epted his kiss, but she no longer had the yful mood she used to have with him. Leandro knew, but still gently stroked her face, kissing her slowly and tenderly again and again, as if he wanted to savor every vor of her lips and her heart. Seraphina seemed to sense something, slowly opened her eyes to look at him, then gently kissed him back. Back at home, after two days of hard work, Seraphina went straight into the bathroom. Seeing her go in without taking anything, Leandro personally found a set of underwear and pajamas and ced them at the bathroom door. ¨C Then he left the room and went downstairs to call Abbot. Abbot came in and reported Seraphina¡¯s itinerary and condition in detail to Leandro. After listening, Leandro¡¯s expression became serious.. He wasn¡¯t sure what Seraphina would do next, but he had a good understanding of her personality and way of doing things. Next, she might choose what she does best ¨C taking risks. Leandro sat quietly, not saying a word for a while. Abbot waited for a long time without clear instructions, and couldn¡¯t help but call out, ¡°Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro looked up and said slowly, ¡°From now on, I need you to arrange more people to protect her, always stay alert, and not let her be in any danger.¡± Abbot responded, then said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, if Mrs. Reynolds is doing something dangerous, can we try to stop her¡­¡± After a moment of silence, Leandro simply said, ¡°Just do what she says.¡± Abbot didn¡¯t expect Leandro to say that, but nodded immediately. The next morning, when Leandro woke up, Seraphina was also awake. He thought he had woken her up, so he turned to her and said, ¡°It¡¯s still early, sleep a little longer.¡± But Seraphina was already sitting up, fixing her hair, and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough sleep. I have things to do today.¡± Leandro looked at her, ¡°What things?¡± Seraphina nced at him, gave a small smile, and slowly said, ¡°I¡¯m going to university, improving myself.¡± She said she was going to university, but she spent a lot of time getting ready, putting on lipstick and a flowing dress, looking quite eye-catching. Valerio, who was early, was taken aback when he saw her. ¡°Do I look good?¡± Seraphina asked. Valerio hesitated, then nodded. Seraphina happily pinched his face. Leandro knew her intentions weren¡¯t so simple, but he didn¡¯t say anything, just gave Abbot a longer look when they were leaving. Abbot understood his meaning and nodded at him. They both left, with Seraphina in her car reviewing some documents. After looking up a few times, she suddenly noticed something ¨C the car in front of them seemed to have been there all along? ¡°What¡¯s with the car in front?¡± Seraphina asked. Abbot, sitting in the passenger seat, reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s one of ours.¡± Seraphina looked again and saw her bodyguard¡¯s car following behind. So, instead of the usual one car, now there were two cars, one in front and one behind, protecting her. ¡°What happened?¡± Seraphinaughed lightly, ¡°It¡¯s as if we¡¯re at war.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Reynolds¡¯ instructions,¡± Abbot said, ¡°We¡¯re just following orders.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina paused, then softly said, ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± The three cars drove into Sunburst University¡¯s Physics Department one after the other. The conspicuous convoy, coupled with Seraphina¡¯s grandeur and her bodyguards paving the way, drew everyone¡¯s attention. Even after she entered a lecture hall, many eyes were still on her. The students already sitting in the hall, those walking in, and those following her in all had their eyes on her. Seraphina found a seat by the side, nced up at all the eyes on her, and just gave a small smile. With two minutes left before the lecture started, the teacher, Maddox, walked in. He was a tall, thin man with a gentlemanly demeanor. Despite it being a regr lecture, he was still neatly dressed in a suit, radiating an elite aura. Upon entering the lecture hall, Maddox immediately sensed a different atmosphere. He saw that most of the students were whispering, their eyes all focused in one direction. Following their gaze, Maddox immediately spotted Seraphina. She was quietly sitting in the corner and waiting for the lecture to begin. When Maddox¡¯s gazended on her, she cracked a small smile. Maddox, on the other hand, only gave Seraphina a quick nce before he¡¯ swiftly moved his gaze elsewhere. He walked straight to the podium and started to prepare for the ss, just as he always did. When the bell rang, Maddox lifted his head again. Most of the eyes in the ssroom were still glued to Seraphina. Adjusting the speaker, Maddox started to speak in his deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ve said it from day one my only rule in this ss is to stay focused. If you can¡¯t manage that, then you¡¯re wee to leave.¡± After finishing his words, Maddox checked his watch and said without lifting his head, ¡°One minute.¡± As soon as he finished, the once noisy ssroom fell into silence. The eyes that had been fixed on Seraphina gradually shifted away. A minuteter, Maddox ended the countdown, lifted his head, and the ssroom was back to its usual order. Without any pause, Maddox began his lecture. Although some students were still sneaking nces at Seraphina from time to time, most of them were paying attention to the lecture, and Maddox didn¡¯t nce at Seraphina again. Seraphina sat there, quiet and a bit lost, listening to the entire lecture. After the 90-minute ss ended, Maddox said ¡°ss dismissed¡± on the dot and started packing his stuff. Most of the students breathed a sigh of relief, but not many were in a hurry to leave. Instead, most of them stayed in their seats, curiously watching Seraphina. It seemed like the whole ss was interested in her, but the one person she was interested in showed no interest in her. Seraphina sighed softly to herself, then got up and walked towards the podium. Maddox finished packing his stuff, and when he looked up, he saw Seraphina standing in front of him. Unlike his indifferent attitude during the ss, this time, Maddox finally gave her a good look and then nodded, ¡°Hello, how can I help you?¡± ¡°Hi, Seraphina tilted her head and smiled slightly, ¡°I¡¯m Seraphina, a journalist. I came to listen to your lecture because I wanted to interview you.¡± Maddox, expressionless, replied, ¡°Oh really? What kind of interview are we talking about?¡± ¡°A personal one,¡± Seraphina answered. ¡°A personal interview?¡± Maddox asked, ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m worth interviewing?¡± ¡°Based on my personal observations and understanding, you are totally worth interviewing,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯m interested in your life story, teaching style, personal interests, and so on.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the value of an interview depend on what the audience and readers want to know?¡± Maddox slowly said, ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary university professor. Regr people probably won¡¯t be interested in my life, right?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°As an elite like you, there must be many interesting stories and highlights in your professional life. As long as I find the right angle, the audience and readers will definitely be interested.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Maddox picked up his briefcase and told Seraphina without any hesitation, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in this. Goodbye.¡± After saying this, Maddox walked right past Seraphina, didn¡¯t look back, and left the ssroom. It wasn¡¯t until he was out of sight that the students all gathered around Seraphina, asking her curiously. ¡°Why do you want to interview him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s got quite the character, and I¡¯m intrigued,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t keen on my interview.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just how he is super cool and strict.¡± ¨C ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina said with a smile, ¡°You guys are his students, you must know him well, right? Could you provide me with some information so I can get to know him better? Maybe then, I¡¯ll stand a better chance of convincing him to ept my interview.¡± Upon hearing this, the students began to discuss amongst themselves. ¡°You guys don¡¯t have ss next, right? I see this ssroom isn¡¯t being used either, why don¡¯t we sit down and chat?¡± Seraphina said while calling over Abbot, ¡°Get someone to buy some drinks and snacks, I want to have a chat with these guys.¡± A bunch of boys excitedlyughed and soon started chatting with Seraphina. As Seraphina was engrossed in her conversation with the students, Maddox had already left the teaching building and gotten into his car. He took off his coat, put down his briefcase, but didn¡¯t start the car for a while. He just sat quietly in the driver¡¯s seat, slowly closing his eyes. About five minutester, Maddox opened his eyes and looked at the teaching building in front of him. That woman named Seraphina was probably still inside, maybe getting information about him from the students. Maddox watched for a while before turning his gaze away. When he started the car, his calm eyes were filled with gloom. After chatting with a group of students, it was already noon when Seraphina left the university. As soon as she got into the car, Seraphina immediately called Terrell, ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s at a restaurant, having lunch with his wife,¡± Terrell repliedzily. Seraphina chuckled, ¡°Tell me the address.¡± Half an hourter, Seraphina arrived at the restaurant Terrell had mentioned. They met at the entrance. Terrell left without looking back, while Seraphina walked into the restaurant. As soon as she walked in, she saw Maddox and his wife sitting by the window. Seraphina slowly walked up to them and greeted with a smile, ¡°Mr. Maddox, what a coincidence.¡± Maddox, who had seen her as soon as she entered, still maintained basic courtesy, ¡°Ms. Bet, indeed it is.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯ve had such a coincidence, would you reconsider my interview request?¡± Seraphina asked with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Maddox¡¯s expression turned cold, ¡°My wife and I are dining, this is our private time, and we¡¯d rather not be disturbed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my bad,¡± Seraphina said, promptly turning to Maddox¡¯s wife, adylike woman, ¡°My apologies. Mr. Maddox, hope we cross paths again sometime.¡± After dropping that line, Seraphina shot a quick smile, then spun on her heel towards the seat the waiter had arranged for her, picking up the menu to start ordering. Maddox¡¯s wife watched her leave, then turned to Maddox and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡± ¡°Just a journalist, Maddox responded without lifting his head. ¡°She wanted to interview me.¡± ¡°How did we bump into her? Maddox¡¯s wife asked. ¡°She didn¡¯t trail you here, did she?¡± Maddox remained poker-faced, and muttered, ¡°Maybe.¡± After greeting them, Seraphina started quietly enjoying her lunch, not until Maddox and his wife left did she wave them off with a grin. Not long after Maddox and his wife left, someone suddenly appeared opposite Seraphina. Seraphina lifted her eyes slightly, upon seeing Keeley, she smiled and said, ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Keeley¡¯s face was devoid of the frivolous expression from the past, he stared at Seraphina with a serious gaze, ¡°Did you just ignore what I said?¡± Seraphina took a sip of her wine, and then calmly responded, ¡°You showing up so soon, does that mean I¡¯m on the right track?¡± Keeley regarded her coldly. ¡°Do you think heading down a dead-end is the right direction?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Seraphina turned slightly to look at him, ¡®Am I next on the hit list? Well, give it your best shot.¡± Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Keeley froze, gritting his teeth before he responded, ¡°You think I¡¯m just bluffing, don¡¯t you? Let me tell you something, someone tried to investigate us before, but he didn¡¯t get very far before he bit the dust. Keep going like this, and you¡¯ll end up just like him.¡± At his words, Seraphina leaned back slowly, maintaining a calm gaze at him. ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯ll end up dead like him, or I¡¯lle up empty-handed like he did?¡± Keeley looked at her, not answering. Instead, he said, ¡°I do like you, but not enough to spill all my secrets. I¡¯ll tell you what I can, but what I can¡¯t, I won¡¯t utter a word.¡± ¡°Not enough, huh..¡± Seraphina echoed his words slowly, then asked, ¡°So, when pushes to shove, you won¡¯t hold back, will you?¡± Keeley¡¯s face darkened, and he turned away without responding. ¡°Men,¡± Seraphina sighed gently, ¡°they say they like me, but their actions tell a different story. But it¡¯s okay, I see things clearly, we owe each other nothing, you don¡¯t have to go easy on me. When it¡¯s time to make certain moves, we both know it, so why force it? I do my thing, you do yours. That¡¯s where we¡¯re alike, right?¡± Keeley suddenly stood up, ¡°If you¡¯re so keen on throwing your life away, be my guest.¡± Without another nce at Seraphina, he turned to leave, but she called him back. Keeley turned around to see Seraphina pouring wine into another ss on the table. ¡°If this is ourst meeting, let¡¯s have a toast,¡± she said. ¡°Setting aside the unresolved matters, I¡¯m d to have known you. Your honesty, your carefree spirit, your fearless attitude¡­ they¡¯ve really movedThis content is ? N?velDrama.Org. me.¡± Keeley nted his hands on the table. ¡°If you like living this way, why get yourself tangled up in meaningless fights?¡± ¡°Cause I have people I care about,¡± she said, ¡°and that¡¯s the only reason I can live like a normal person.¡± Hearing her words, Keeley red at her for a while before he left without taking a sip of her wine. Watching his figure disappear, Seraphina finished her own ss of wine, then picked up the one she poured for him and chugged it. After leaving the restaurant, Seraphina quickly met with Terrell at Carney Artful Reverie, sorting out the information. Terrell looked down on the intel she had. ¡°This is all basic info, what good is it?¡± ¡°True, it¡¯s of no use, Seraphina said, ¡°but the more we know about them, the more they¡¯ll fear. Once people start to fear, they¡¯re capable of anything.¡± Terrell stared at her, ¡°Are you really willing to put yourself in danger like this?¡± ¡°What do I have to fear?¡± Seraphina responded, ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by bodyguards, and my husband is Leandro. Do you think they would dare to attack me easily?¡± Terrell seemed to sense something from her words, paused, then said, ¡°You weren¡¯t going all out before.¡± ¡°How can youpare?¡± Seraphina retorted, ¡°Only when the knife cuts into one¡¯s own hand does one feel the pain, I won¡¯t let any of them off the hook.¡± Hearing this, Terrell finally asked, ¡°How¡¯s Sandra?¡± At his words, Seraphina¡¯s heart sank. Leandro had told her that as soon as there was any news about Sandra, the hospital would notify her. But she hadn¡¯t heard anything yet. The longer Sandra stayed unconscious, the worse things could be. In this situation, perhaps no news is the best news. Seraphina didn¡¯t dare to ponder, quickly putting those thoughts away and asked, ¡°How¡¯s Bowen?¡± ¡°He went to the Martin family yesterday,¡± Terrell answered. That was within Seraphina¡¯s expectations. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯te out yet,¡± Terrell said. ¡°It¡¯s been over a dozen hours. Could it be that he lost his cool and said something he shouldn¡¯t have, then get¡­ you know¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish, just made a throat-slitting gesture. ¡°No way,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°He¡¯s smart, he wouldn¡¯t do something so stupid.¡± Terrell shrugged, ¡°Maybe he was too in love with Sandra¡­ who knows?¡± ¡°Too in love with her?¡± At this, Seraphina clenched her teeth, ¡°If he really loved her, Sandra wouldn¡¯t be lying in bed now.¡± Just as she finished speaking, Terrell¡¯s phone rang. He checked it and looked at Seraphina, ¡°Talk about timing. Bowen just left the Martin family.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± Various possibilities shed through Seraphina¡¯s mind, but she only voiced one, ¡°Does he look happy?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± Terrell turned the screen to her. On it was a photo of Bowen leaving the Martin family. The man in the photo was sitting in the car, looking very gloomy and cold. ¡°Looks like he got some information from the Martin family,¡± Terrell said. ¡°Otherwise, why would he look so upset?¡± Seraphina handed the phone back to him, her tone cold, ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon.¡± She had told Bowen that Sandra¡¯s ident was no ident, but a set-up. Bowen had gone to the Martin family because of this. If he really got some information from there, he shoulde find her. Not long after, Terrell¡¯s contact reported again, ¡°Bowen went to the hospital.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina didn¡¯t say a thing. If he knew Sandra got into this mess because of him, rushing to the hospital to apologize to her was only natural. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but press her hand against her forehead. Things have hit rock bottom, and the only silver lining was probably that Bowen might actually be innocent in all this. But even if he had nothing to do with it, what difference would it make? Seraphina closed her eyes involuntarily, the image of Sandra lying in the hospital bed kept reying in her mind. Hope she¡¯s okay¡­ Hope she¡¯s okay¡­. She kept repeating it to herself, and without realizing, she dozed off. Although asleep, her mind was clear, because she knew she was dreaming. In her dream, she saw Sandra. In her dream, Sandra was right in front of her, calling her over and over again, ¡°Sera, Sera, I¡¯ming to Carney Artful Reverie to meet you.¡± Seraphina wanted to tell her not toe, because she knew very well Sandra would have a car ident on her way here! But in her dream, she couldn¡¯t make a sound, and Sandra¡¯s figure was gradually fading away. Seraphina panicked all of a sudden and woke up. When she opened her eyes, her forehead was covered in cold sweat. At the same time, her phone suddenly started ringing. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Seraphina sat stiffly in her chair. After a moment, she realized that it was her phone that was ringing. She snapped back to reality, snatching up her phone quickly. After a nce at the screen, she immediately answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, this is Sunburst City Hospital,¡± a calm female voice came from the other end. ¡°Mr. Reynolds instructed us to inform you immediately if there¡¯s any news about Ms. Sandra. Just now, Ms. Sandra woke up-¡± Before Seraphina could respond, she had already jumped to her feet. She moved so abruptly she knocked into her desk, but she managed to bolt out of the room. The security guards at Carney Artful Reverie saw Seraphina rush out and immediately got on their toes. Seeing Seraphina about to head out, Abbot and others quickly followed her. Once in the car, Seraphina ordered the driver, ¡°To the hospital.¡± Upon hearing the destination, the driver and Abbot exchanged a nce. Abbot looked at Seraphina¡¯s expression, then cautiously asked, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, has Ms. Sandra¡¯s condition improved?¡± Seraphina had been quiet these past few days, but this time she answered him, ¡°She¡¯s awake.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± the driver echoed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Sandra is a fighter. She¡¯ll pull through.¡± Sitting in the backseat, Seraphina pressed her hand to her chest at the driver¡¯s words. Her heart was beating fast and irregr,pletely unstable.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. By evening, city traffic was congested, and the car slowly made its way through the traffic. Seraphina stared at the slowly receding scenery outside the window. Although her face remained calm, her restless hands betrayed her inner anxiety. The driver was also anxious, but no matter how urgent, the car can¡¯t just sprout wings and fly. Suddenly, the ringtone of a cell phone in the car went off again. Seraphina was about to reach for her phone when she saw Abbot had already answered the call. After a brief conversation, Abbot turned to look at her, ¡°Mr. Reynolds is nearby. He ns to go to the hospital with you.¡± Upon hearing this news, Seraphina only managed a simple acknowledgment. The car moved another few hundred meters before stopping at the side of the road. Leandro emerged from a nearby building and got into the car. Feeling restless, Seraphina initiated conversation to divert her attention, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I had a meeting nearby.¡± Leandro responded, ¡°I got the news of Sandra waking up right after it ended.¡± The topic immediately brought back Seraphina¡¯s uneasiness. She simply responded with a hum and turned her face away. Leandro seemed to sense something. He reached out and held her hand, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t know. Sandra waking up should be a good thing, but her heart was filled with unease. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Seraphina exhaled softly, then looked up at him. ¡°I was just thinking about what I¡¯m going to say to scold her when I see her.¡± Leandro looked at Seraphina, gently pulling her hand to his lips for a kiss, then said, ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of time to scold herter. Let¡¯s not do it today.¡± Hearing Leandro¡¯s words, Seraphina¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. After ncing at him, she nestled into his arms. ¡°Okay.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯ll take your advice. I¡¯ll let it slide for today. But I¡¯ll scold her three times a day until she¡¯s fully recovered.¡± Leandro wrapped his arms around her and simply said, ¡°Alright.¡± Seraphina snuggled closer to him, tightly holding his hand. By the time the car finally arrived at the hospital, it felt like a long time had passed for Seraphina. As soon as the car entered the hospital, she rose from Leandro¡¯s arms. The car hadn¡¯t even stopped before she pushed open the door, ready to get out, but she suddenly felt the strength in Leandro¡¯s hand. ¡°Take it easy,¡± Leandro said. So Seraphina was restrained by him, preventing her from getting out of the car too hastily. Even in the elevator, Leandro still held her tight. Seraphina nced at him, ¡°As long as the elevator doesn¡¯t open, I can¡¯t leave. Why are you holding my hand so tight?¡± Leandro heard this, and he suddenly showed her his other hand. This hand had been tightly held by her in the car. She used so much force that the imprint of her ring was clearly visible on the back of his hand. Seraphina looked away as the elevator arrived at Sandra¡¯s floor. Seraphina stopped joking with him and quickly stepped out of the elevator. However, as soon as she stepped out, she stopped dead in her tracks. In the corridor, medical staff hurried by, all ¡®running towards the same direction. Seraphina looked up and her heart sunk. The doctors and nurses were rushing towards ¡®Sandra¡¯s room! Leandro also saw clearly. Before Seraphina could react, he pulled her forward. As she reached the doorway of the ward, she saw Bowen, who had been asked to leave the room by the doctors. Bowen looked gloomy, his face pale. He only nced at Leandro and Seraphina before quickly walking to the window to observe the situation inside the room. Through the crack in the door, Seraphina saw a swarm of medical staff around Sandra¡¯s bed, then the door was shut. She finally came to her senses and walked to the window where Bowen was standing. Looking in, she saw the doctors busily trying to save Sandra-some monitoring equipment, some preparing tools, some giving injections. Everyone was busy, but the person lying on the bed was motionless. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she suddenly turned to Bowen. ¡°Didn¡¯t Sandra wake up? What¡¯s happening? Why is this happening?¡± Bowen didn¡¯t answer her. He just stood by the window, his eyes red, staring at the situation in the room, his hands clenched so tightly they were shaking. Seraphina.couldn¡¯t bear to look any longer. This situation was all too familiar. She¡¯d been through this more than once. And usually¡­ She didn¡¯t dwell on it any further, just turned around with a fearful expression, her gaze wandering aimlessly. Until her vision was filled by a familiar chest, and then, she was pulled into an embrace. Seraphina pressed her face into Leandro¡¯s shirt, it took her a good while to gather her thoughts again. She couldn¡¯t panic. She needed to stay calm. She had to believe that Sandra would be okay. Fate had already taken her dad away, taken Betty away, it couldn¡¯t be so cruel as to take Sandra too. Seraphina took deep breaths, after a while, she finally mustered the courage, and lifted her head. But just then, Leandro suddenly hugged her tightly. Seraphina first nced at Leandro, then slowly, somewhat stiffly, turned her head. During this process, she just so happened to see the nurse by the bed shift slightly, revealing the heart rate monitor that had been blocked before. And on the screen, it showed¡­ A straight line. Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Seraphina thought she was seeing things. shing through her mind were past images that mirrored the straight line she was looking at right now. The first time, she was ten, standing at her father¡¯s deathbed. She didn¡¯t understand what the line meant then, only that her mom fainted the moment sheid eyes on it. In front of her, her dad lost consciousness and so did her mom. From then on, she was without a dad and essentially, without a mom. The second time was when Betty drew herst breath. Betty was seriously ill by then and Seraphina, who was in denial, slowly couldn¡¯t deny reality anymore. When the tline showed, she held Betty¡¯s cold hand calmly, nting a gentle kiss on it. Only when Sandra behind her broke into tears did her own tears finally fall. Now, it was Sandraying on the hospital bed, the straight line appearing before her eyes once again. She thought she had nothing else to lose, but it seemed she still did¡­. Seraphina bit her lip, struggling to calm her breath and heartbeat. When she looked at the monitor again, it was still a straight line. She couldn¡¯t believe it, turning to look at Leandro, hoping for a different answer from him. Leandro was expressionless, a hint of pity in his deep eyes. He reached out and held her. Seraphina turned her head again, this time to Bowen. Bowen stood like a statue, his face pale, his expression bleak, as if his soul had left him. Suddenly, Seraphina reached out and grabbed his cor. ¡°What are you doing here? Why are you standing here?¡± she said, ¡°Get in there! You¡¯re the one she loves most, the one she can¡¯t bear to leave! You need to get in there, wake her up! You go wake her up!¡± But no matter how much force she used, how loudly she screamed, Bowen remained motionless, his eyes unfocused. Until the door to the sickroom opened, and the medical staff performing the emergency treatment walked out one by one. ¡°Mr. Smith.¡± Someone said softly, ¡°We did our best, but Ms. Sandra has passed away¡­¡± Hearing this, Bowen seemed to snap back from his numb state. He gave the doctor a stiff look, then said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­¡± He had nothing else to say, he just kept repeating, ¡°Impossible, impossible¡­¡± As he said this, he pushed away the people in front of him and rushed into the room. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. When Seraphina heard the doctor¡¯s words, she felt as if she had lost all sense of consciousness. She couldn¡¯t see anything, couldn¡¯t hear anything, her world became a chaotic mess, she couldn¡¯t even feel herself. After a long time, she vaguely felt as if someone was pulling her, dragging her. When she regained her senses, she opened her eyes and saw Leandro in front of her. Leandro was holding her tight, kissing her hair. His voice was low, as if it wasing from another world, ¡°At least she¡¯s not in pain anymore¡­¡± She turned her head dazedly, and saw Bowen holding Sandra in the sickroom. Bowen must have been holding on very tightly, because Seraphina could clearly see the veins in his arms, neck, and forehead throbbing. But Sandra in his arms had no reaction at all. She¡¯s not in pain anymore, right? The heartache before the ident, the physical pain after the ident, and the suffering in bed¡­ she can¡¯t feel any of it now, right? No pain¡­ Is this a kind of relief? As Seraphina was lost in thought, her phone suddenly rang. She took out her phone a little stiffly and saw that it was Herman calling. But at that moment, she couldn¡¯t quite remember what the name Herman meant. Leandro also saw Herman¡¯s name, took the phone from her, and answered the call for her. ¡°Why are you answering the phone?¡± Herman asked. Without taking his eyes off Seraphina, Leandro simply asked, ¡°Any news?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina finally came to her senses. She looked into the sickroom again. Maybe she¡¯s not in pain now, but why? Why did she have to go through so much pain before getting this relief? She shouldn¡¯t have had to endure all this pain! Shouldn¡¯t those who made her suffer pay the price? After a moment of silence, she suddenly reached out and took the phone from Leandro¡¯s ear. While she was taking the phone, she identally switched the phone to speaker mode, and Herman¡¯s voice came out clearly from the phone- ¡°We¡¯ve found surveince footage rted to the truck in the ident. There¡¯s a brief stop by Keeley behind the loaded truck in one of the clips, captured by another driver¡¯s dash cam. But due to the angle, we can¡¯t clearly see his actions, He could easily argue that he was just passing by, so this can¡¯t be used as evidence¡­¡± Seraphina let out a shortugh, then bit her lip hard, ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Herman was slightly taken aback, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t answer, she just asked Herman to send her the surveince footage. After receiving it, she looked at Leandro again. ¡°I have something to do.¡± she said to Leandro, ¡°You can go home, you don¡¯t need to stay with me.¡± After saying that, she broke away from Leandro¡¯s embrace, didn¡¯t look at the sickroom again, and walked towards the elevator. But she had only taken two steps when Leandro rushed up and grabbed her. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you here.¡± Leandro said, ¡°We¡¯ll go home together whenever youe back.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t expect Leandro to say that. He didn¡¯t ask what she was going to do, didn¡¯t try to stop her from doing anything, he just said he would wait for her here. After saying that, Leandro let go of her. Without any hesitation, Seraphina turned and walked away. Abbot, who was standing in the corner, saw this and stuck his head out to nce at Leandro. When he saw Leandro nod at him, Abbot quickly followed Seraphina. When they got in the car, Seraphina sent a message to Keeley, then told the driver to go to the riverside/ Even though it was spring, the wind by the riverside was strong and chilly. However, Seraphina had been drinking for hours in this gusty wind, waiting for Keeley untilte at night. The once carefree and frivolous Keeley was now cautious, his calm face had an edge of wariness. ¡°I thought we might never see each other again,¡± Keeley said.. Seraphina turned to look at him. The icy wind coupled with the alcohol gave her a haunting and disheveled beauty. ¡°You probably hoped you wouldn¡¯t see me,¡± she suddenly smirked at him, ¡°But you killed my best friend. How could I possibly let you off the hook so easily?¡± Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, Keeley was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°So this morning I was a just suspect, and now I¡¯m suddenly the confirmed murderer, right?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina, leaning against the railing by the river,zily raised her eyebrows and waved her phone at him. After a while, his phone pinged. Keeley looked down to see that she¡¯d sent him a video. He opened the video, and it was a surveince recording, showing a truck and a brief glimpse of him. This scene should be very familiar to him, but seeing it from this third-person perspective felt a bit weird. ¡°So it was something that fell off this truck that caused her to lose control and drive into the river, and you just happened to be there,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Keeley, do you still want to argue?¡± Keeley put down his phone and shrugged, ¡°If this is considered evidence, the cops should havee for me by now.¡± 1 ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°The police don¡¯t have evidence to arrest you, but I¡¯m not the police. I don¡¯t need evidence. As long as I believe you¡¯re the killer, I won¡¯t stop until I avenge her.¡± Keeley suddenly looked around and spread his hands, ¡°What are you going to do? Did you call me here to kill me?¡± Seraphina stared at him for a while, then suddenly turned away and squatted down in pain. Keeley stood quietly, watching her for a while, then approached her, ¡°Are you okay?¡± He could probably imagine how much pain she was in. In one day, she lost her best friend and got drunk in the strong wind, naturally she would not feel well./ Seraphina chuckled, ¡°A person who killed my friend¡­ actually cares about me¡­ How weird is this¡­ Keeley was about to reach out to help her, but when he heard her words, he immediately withdrew his hand and just stood by the railing. After a while, he said, ¡°I know you hate me, but but I don¡¯t have any conflicts with your friend, I was just¡­¡± He seemed to realize something and stopped speaking. Seraphina suddenly looked up at him, ¡°Then tell me, who gave you the job? Who was it?¡± She was unusually angry, her eyes full of bloodshot veins, her eyes brimming with tears, but no tears fell. ¡°You know the answer,¡± Keeley said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Seraphinaughed coldly again, ¡°You just followed orders, you know nothing¡­ You¡¯re like this, casually taking someone¡¯s life! For you, it¡¯s a small matter, an amusing thing. But have you ever thought about what the person whose life you took meant to others?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something I need to consider,¡± Keeley said. Seraphina was quiet for a while, suddenly reached out to wipe her eyes andughed, ¡°Yeah, no one cares but me. But what does it mean to others that I care?¡± After she finished speaking, she suddenly got up, walked straight to Keeley, and reached out to grab him, ¡°Let¡¯s do this, you usually just take money and do things for people, I¡¯ll give you money, do one more thing for me, kill me.¡± Keeley¡¯s face changed immediately, he quickly retracted his hand and looked at Seraphina coldly, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°No¡­ right, I¡¯m crazy.¡± Seraphina suddenly took two steps back, ¡°I still have to avenge her, how could I die like this?¡± As she spoke, she backed away until she was tripped by the bench behind her and fell to the ground. This knocked out all the tears in her eyes, Seraphina could no longer control herself, covering her face, tears streaming down. ¡°But she¡¯s already dead, what¡¯s the point of revenge¡­¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ve finally lost everything¡­¡± After saying this, she finally choked up, lowered her head, and started crying. In the howling wind, her sharp and desperate cries traveled exceptionally far. Keeley stood by, listening to her heartbroken cries, stood quietly for a while, finally took off his coat and draped it over her frail body. Except for her hair flying wildly in the wind, her whole body was slightly shaking. His hand touched her shoulder, Keeley paused for a moment, then softly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Seraphina kept her head down, crying for a long time, finally lifted her head, tears blurred her eyes as she looked at him, ¡°Tell me¡­ who exactly¡­ wanted her dead¡­¡± Kealey looked at her red eyes and nose, but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯ve lost everything¡­¡± she said, ¡°I lost my father, and my mother didn¡¯t want me, left me alone in Sunburst City¡­ I fell in love with a man when I was seventeen, but hepletely deceived me¡­ I was driven abroad, I gave birth to his child alone, but that child¡­ also died¡­ I¡¯ve lost everything, I only had her¡­ but she¡¯s gone too, she¡¯s left me¡­ why treat me like this? Why do this to me?¡± Seraphina cried, reaching out to grab his arm, ¡°Tell me, who exactly wanted her dead¡­¡± Keeley paused for a moment, finally saying only one sentence, ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± Tears in her eyes, Seraphina stared at him for a while, suddenly reached out to wipe away her tears, pushed him away and stood up, ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t know, forget it¡­ Forget it¡­¡± As she spoke, she walked towards the direction where her car was parked. After a few steps, she suddenly looked back at him, ¡°Keeley, I will try to survive¡­ Before I find out who the real killer is, you should stay alive too.¡± Hearing her words, Keeley¡¯s face suddenly changed. Her words carried a deep meaning. She should have hoped for his death, but she feared that he would die before she found out who the real killer was. But how could he die out of the blue? Unless¡­ Before Keeley had time to think about it, Seraphina had already turned around and left without hesitation. The car drove all the way to the hospital, Seraphina sat in the quiet and warm car, thinking, not saying a word. The driver didn¡¯t ask her any questions, just quietly drove the car. It wasn¡¯t until the car slowly stopped that she slowly came back to her senses, looked up and found that she had returned to the hospital. The entrance of the hospital in the dead of night was quiet and deserted, with only a few streetmps standing alone, casting a dim light. Under the dim light, a tall figure stood out particrly. He looked like he¡¯d been waiting there for ages, a chill vibe radiating off him. But he just stood there, quietly eyeballing where she was. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Seraphina sat in the car, leaning against the window, gazing at Leandro standing under the streemp. She was in a daze, her mind aplete mess. It felt like a lifetime ago that his figure was the one she yearned for day and night. Back then, Sandra was the only one who shared this longing with her. But now, she no longer had this longing, nor did she have Sandra in this world. Slowly, Seraphina began toe back to her senses. Through the car window, she watched as Leandro stood still, looking at her for a long time. He watched her expression change from empty to clear before he slowly approached her. Seraphina watched hime closer but made no move to greet him. Not until Leandro opened the car door, bent down slightly, and reached out to touch her face. Her face was warm and soft, but it bore traces of tears. Leandro gently traced her eyes with his finger, then asked softly, ¡°Shall we go home?¡± Seraphina slowly lowered her head and asked only one question, ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Bowen took her away,¡± Leandro replied. ¡°She¡¯s not here.¡± Seraphina took a deep breath. That was okay. She was away from this cold hospital.. She would not have liked it here. No one would. Seraphina slowly closed her eyes, but tears started to fall uncontrobly. Leandro suddenly leaned in and gently kissed her eyes. He didn¡¯t say much. He didn¡¯t show excessive concern, didn¡¯t offer empty constions, and didn¡¯t try to stop her. He just let her be herself, quietly apanying her, letting her immerse herself in her own world. A world that at this moment, no one else could enter. His only hope was that one day, he could. After leaving the river, Keeley didn¡¯t return to the city. Instead, he rode his motorcycle to the suburbs. After passing several intersections, he drove onto a secluded highway. After a few turns, he stopped at the gate of an abandoned. factory. In the weed-infested yard, three inconspicuous cars were already parked. Keeley got off his bike and hung up his helmet. He walked over to one of the cars and put his hand on the hood. It was cold, devoid of any warmth, indicating that it had been parked here for a while. Keeley turned around and briskly walked into the factory. The factory covered hundreds of square meters. The vast space was illuminated by a single candle, its dim light barely illuminating the immediate surroundings. Beyond that, the weak light was swallowed by the darkness. In that faint light, he saw two men sitting there. Hearing his footsteps, they both turned their heads. Maddox looked at him with a grim expression, then turned his gaze away. The other, a muscr man, stood up and walked over to Keeley. Before he could get to the light, the man pushed him in the chest, ¡°You¡¯rete.¡± ¡°I got held up,¡± Keeley responded, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Is beingte a crime?¡± ¡°If it was any other time, I wouldn¡¯t be this pissed,¡± Maddox slowly straightened up and shot him a nce, ¡°But you beingte at such a critical moment, it makes me think you don¡¯t take us seriously.¡± Keeley sneered, shrugging, ¡°I don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s just a regr meeting. Did something big happen? Are you guys really that on edge?¡± The muscr man suddenly reached out and grabbed Keeley¡¯s cor, ¡°What happened? Don¡¯t you know that? Your identities along with Mr. Maddox¡¯s have been exposed. And you are asking what happened?¡± ¡°There are no secrets in this world,¡± Keeley broke free from his grasp, ¡°And it¡¯s all her spection! Didn¡¯t Mr. Maddox im his ns were wless? With no evidence left behind, what¡¯s there to be scared of?¡± Maddox stood up, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your involvement with that woman, how could our identities have been exposed?¡± ¡°I never revealed your existence to her,¡± Keeley retorted, ¡°Maybe you should think about where you messed up and gave her a clue.¡± ¡°You dare to say that?¡± The muscr man was furious, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, he¡¯s reckless and unreliable. But you just wouldn¡¯t believe it. Now we¡¯re all going to pay for his mistakes!¡± ¡°Enough.¡± A deep and authoritative voice echoed in the darkness, ¡°Stop.¡± Upon hearing this voice, Maddox sat back down and the muscr man reluctantly released Keeley. Keeley straightened his cor and looked into the darkness, ¡°I¡¯ve never betrayed anyone and I never will.¡± After a pause, the man in the darkness asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your jacket?¡± Keeley looked down at himself, paused, then said, ¡°I lent it to a friend.¡± ¡°A friend?¡± The muscr man spoke again, ¡°You mean that woman, right? You¡¯re still caught up with her. I think you won¡¯t be satisfied until yound us all in jail!¡± ¡°Even if I were to be screwed over by her and end up in jail, I wouldn¡¯t drag you guys down with me!¡± Keeley.shot back, ¡°It¡¯s my problem; not yours.¡± ¡°Why should I believe you? The muscr man was still angry, ¡°You¡¯re clearly bewitched by her. You can¡¯t even think straight!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe me or not,¡± Keeley turned to the darkness, ¡°Do you trust me?¡± All eyes turned to the same direction, and after a while, the man spoke. ¡°If I didn¡¯t trust you, I wouldn¡¯t have brought you in,¡± the man in the darkness said slowly. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve caught people¡¯s attention, let¡¯s suspend all operations. Live normally and don¡¯t meet for a while. Keeley, stay away from that woman.¡± Both Maddox and the muscr man turned to look at Keeley. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Keeley chuckled sarcastically and said, I¡¯ve already caused the death of her best friend. How can I get close to her now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Keeley paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Anyway, thanks for trusting me.¡± After saying this, Keeley nced at Maddox and the muscr man, who were still staring at him, and then turned to leave. As his footsteps gradually faded, the muscr man stood up again, ¡°You really trust him? Just letting him do as he pleases?¡± No one replied. After a while, a faint sound came from the darkness. It was the sound of footsteps, gradually receding. Maddox nced at him and then said, ¡°He¡¯s already said it, he trusts him.¡± The muscr guy snorted and said, ¡°He¡¯ll sober up when we¡¯re all screwed over by him.¡± With that, the muscr guy turned and left, leaving Maddox alone, sitting on the edge of the candlelight, deep in thought. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 When Leandro and Seraphina returned to Reynolds Manor, the living room lights were still on. Seraphina had been quiet all along, letting Leandro lead her out of the car and into the living room. In the living room, Valerio and Conway were sitting by the dining table, their heads close together, discussing something. When they saw Leandro and Seraphina enter, Valerio¡¯s eyes lit up. He quickly jumped off his chair, ran to Seraphina, and reached out to grab her hand. Seraphina came back to her senses, looked at him, then at Conway, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Conway answered, ¡°I¡¯m old, I like to stay in this house.¡± Seraphina then pinched Valerio¡¯s face, ¡°What about you? Why are you still up sote?¡± Valerio led Seraphina towards the kitchen. The kitchen counter was covered in flour, and Valerio opened the fridge door, taking out a small te. On the te were a dozen or so raw egg tarts. Seraphina paused, bent over to look at him, ¡°Did you make these?¡± Valerio nodded proudly. Conway also came to the kitchen door, saying, ¡°He learned how to make egg tarts from school today. He wanted to make some for you when he got home, but you came back sote, he almost fell asleep waiting.¡± Valerio pouted, looking at Seraphina expectantly. Seraphina reached out and touched his head, ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of alcohol today and the wind was cold. could use some dessert. You¡¯re so thoughtful.¡± Valerio smiled shyly and happily, then handed the egg tarts to the maid. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Seraphina stopped him, taking the egg tarts. ¡°You?¡± The maid looked at her doubtfully, ¡°Can you cook?¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t doplicated stuff, but just baking some egg tarts should be no problem, right?¡± ¡°Let her do it.¡± Conway said, ¡°If she makes them well, I want to try one.¡± ¡°You wish!¡± Seraphina said, ¡°With your health, you can only have a bite. I can make you a sugar-free, fat-free version some other day.¡± They chatted andughed. When Leandro came downstairs after changing his clothes, Seraphina was ready to bake the egg tarts under the maid¡¯s guidance.. Valerio watched from the side, while Conway returned to the living room with Leandro. ¡°How¡¯s Seraphina¡¯s mood?¡± Conway asked. ¡°She seems okay on the surface.¡± Leandro answered. Conway sighed softly, saying, ¡°They¡¯re all poor kids.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Leandro said, ¡°I know she¡¯s hurting inside and might do something impulsive. I¡¯ll take care of her and won¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡± Conway nodded. Soon, Seraphina brought the egg tarts out of the kitchen. Seraphina distributed the egg tarts to everyone, then hugged Valerio saying, ¡°This is our first coboration. You all must eat them all!¡± Conway looked down at his te, which only had half an egg tart core. ¡°I really want to eat them all, but someone won¡¯t let me.¡± Conway said, suddenly seeing Leandro¡¯s te and suggesting, ¡°Leandro doesn¡¯t like dessert, I can help him with his.¡± Seraphina red at him, ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Conway had already reached out for the egg tart, but was stopped by Leandro. Leandro looked at him and said leisurely, ¡°I can finish it.¡± So under everyone¡¯s gaze, Leandro, who usually didn¡¯t eat much dessert, slowly finished his egg tart. Conway huffed unhappily and could only reach for skimmed milk to drink. The room hadn¡¯t been this lively in a long time. Everyone gathered around the dining table, eating and chatting. The topics were mostly about Conway and Valerio, and the atmosphere was warm and pleasant. It wasn¡¯t until 2 a.m. that Seraphina finally sent Conway and Valerio to bed. After settling Valerio, she suddenly remembered she had something to say to Conway. But when she got to Conway¡¯s room, Seraphina suddenly stopped, thought for a while, then turned towards Leandro¡¯s room. Just as she reached his door, it opened. Leandro stood behind the door in his pajamas, apparently preparing to go to her room. But seeing Seraphina at his door, he wasn¡¯t too surprised. He paused for a moment and then asked, ¡°Are you sleeping here tonight?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I don¡¯t care.¡± Seraphina answered. So Leandro reached out, pulled Seraphina into the room, and closed the door. Just as Seraphina entered the room and before she had a chance to speak, Leandro asked, ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡± Seraphina turned to look at him, ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Leandro retorted. So Seraphina didn¡¯t hesitate anymore and reached out to him, ¡°I need to borrow some money.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t ask her how much, just asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I need to hire someone.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Something that¡¯s not dangerous.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Leandro answered. Seraphina suddenlyughed, came up to him and said, ¡°See, I told you I wouldn¡¯t be polite when I needed something.¡± With that, she tiptoed and kissed him, then went into the bathroom. Leandro watched her back, said nothing, just picked up his phone and sent a message to Keen, When Seraphina came out of the bathroom, Leandro was leaning against the headboard reading. She didn¡¯t feel like doing anything else and just grabbed her phone to reach out to someone as soon as she got to the side of her bed. But when her phone screen lit up, what popped up was a notification about a change in her bank ount bnce. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but squint her eyes and started counting the zeros on the screen. After counting thrice, she finally got the total and couldn¡¯t help but look up at Leandro, waving her phone,¡± Aren¡¯t you¡­ being too generous?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s a problem that money can solve, it¡¯s not a problem,¡± Leandro said. ¡°Only rich people would say that,¡± Seraphinamented, taking another nce at her bank ount bnce, ¡°But I guess I can pr¨¦tend to be rich now. Leandro, you can¡¯t use money to blind me and make me lose myself.¡± Leandro fell silent for a moment after hearing this, then suddenly said, ¡°If money can solve all your unhappiness, I¡¯m willing to spend all of mine.¡± Seraphina paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Most of the time, I¡¯m quite happy. It¡¯s not that hard, so I don¡¯t need¡­ I don¡¯t need you to spend all your money. Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Hearing Seraphina talk like this, Leandro dropped the book in his hands. Seraphina sat on the side of the bed, engrossed in her phone. Leandro stared at her silhouette silently for a moment before saying, ¡°No matter the cost, this is my choice.¡± Seraphina was focused on her phone. Hearing Leandro¡¯s words, her fingers paused. She knew what he was saying. No kidding, Leandro had really changed. When she first returned home, he realized she had changed radically, not aligning with his expectations for her at all. This made him angry, and he took a tough stance, considering only his own desires. But ever since he found out about Betty, he changed. He understood that all her changes stemmed from him. He med himself for everything, determined to make amends with her. Despite the asional tantrums, he remained a considerate and kind husband. He would even say things like he did today, words that touched her. This wasn¡¯t his style nowadays. Sometimes, she wondered if she had returned to the past and encountered the old Leandro again. How beautiful would the world be if she could return to the past? Seraphina sighed lightly, slowly lifting her head to look at him. Regardless, she was happy about Leandro¡¯s change. In other¡¯s words, his past self didn¡¯t act like a normal person. If he could gradually regain some of his old character and nature, it would indicate that he was moving in the right direction. So she looked at Leandro, smiling slightly, ¡°Alright, I get the gesture.¡± Leandro watched her silently for a moment before reaching out to pull her closer. But Seraphina suddenly stood up, waving her phone at him, ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste time, I¡¯m going to contact the people I need to find right now.¡± Leandro¡¯s actions froze slightly. In the end, he just leaned back against the headboard, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t expect him to agree so easily. After a moment of surprise, she took the initiative to approach him, gently kissing him on the lips, only saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Leandro lightly caressed the back of her head, then let her go. After getting that money, Seraphina¡¯s first task was to contact some inte hackers. In the past, when investigating her own case, she was reluctant to spend too much money to solve the problem. Therefore, she was willing to spend more time and effort. But sometimes, the role of money is to save time to the maximum extent. Now, she needed that. She didn¡¯t want to, and couldn¡¯t, wait. She wanted the people who killed Sandra to receive their due punishment immediately. Keeley¡¯s group was indeed very careful, with meticulous ns, leaving almost no clues behind. However, this is the 21st century, where there is advanced technology and fastwork. As long as there was contact between them, there would always be some traces left. Even if only the most inconspicuous trace in the countless traces could form a clue, she had to find it! Without any hesitation, Seraphina found the people she needed within two hours. She had only one goal- to find all the traces Keeley and Maddox left on the inte, including theirmunications, social interactions, and bank records. She wanted all the information. In this information, she could definitely find theirmon points. As long as she found this ovep, she could find the person hiding behind the scenes. She didn¡¯t sleep the whole night. After the transaction was agreed upon, the hacker immediately started working. Almost at the same time, arge amount of information was sent to her. She didn¡¯t stop, immediately starting to analyze the information. The next morning when Leandro woke up, Seraphina was still busy in the study. All the information was printed out by her. Within a few hours, the study was filled with papers. Leandro opened the door of the study, but Seraphina didn¡¯t notice him, focusing on her work. Leandro nced at the situation in the room, then quietly closed the door of the study. When he turned around and walked to the stairs, he bumped into Conway. Conway looked at him, then at the direction of the study, asking curiously. ¡°I thought you were the person in the study.¡± ¡°No, it was Sera.¡± Leandro answered. Conway sighed helplessly, then asked, ¡°Is Sera doing all this for that girl named Sandra?¡± Leandro nodded, then said, ¡°Since you¡¯re back, take care of her more. Make sure she has her meals.¡± Hearing this, Conway smiled, ¡°You finally know what to do.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t say anything. After breakfast, he left on time. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Because of Sandra, Keen knew that Leandro had been down these past few days. Especially after Sandra suddenly died yesterday, Keen could guess Leandro¡¯s mood today. So he was extra careful, trying not to say anything unnecessary, afraid of saying something wrong. Unexpectedly, after he finished reporting his work, Leandro brought up the matter himself. ¡°Investigate the incident with Sandra.¡± Leandro said. Keen was stunned, ¡°Isn¡¯t Mrs. Reynolds investigating this matter?¡± Leandro said, ¡°Her concern for Sandra might prevent her from seeing the truth.¡± After hearing this, Keen thought for a moment but still couldn¡¯t understand the reason. He could only agree, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arrange it immediately.¡± After saying this, he was about to leave, but Leandro suddenly called him back, ¡°Start the investigation from Bowen.¡± Keen didn¡¯t understand the background of the incident and didn¡¯t want to think about it for the time being. He just followed Leandro¡¯s instructions and quickly arranged for the relevant personnel. Meanwhile, Seraphina¡¯s investigation of the Reynolds family was still ongoing. Close to noon, she called Terrell to Reynolds Manor and immediately handed him a pile of printed material. So, the whole day, the two of them stayed in the study, analyzing the information most of the time, aside from eating and going to the bathroom. As the day rolled by, Terrell felt like his eyes were about to pop out of his head and his brain was a hot mess. Meanwhile, Seraphina remained full of energy. Given Seraphina¡¯s condition, there was nothing Terrell could say. All he could do was keep on the hunt for those elusive, maybe-not-even-there clues. Just as he was psyching himself up to dive back into the data swamp, he suddenly heard Seraphina¡¯s voice- ¡°I¡¯ve found it!¡± Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Terrell quickly perked up and went over, ¡°What did you find?¡± Seraphina immediately handed him the two files she was holding. These were the hotel stay records of Keeley and Maddox for the past six months. Maddox had many stays, while Keeley had only five. One of Keeley¡¯s stays ovepped with Maddox¡¯s. About a month ago, two days apart, they both stayed at a hotel in neighboring cities. Terrell carefully examined these two records, ¡°Does this prove anything?¡± Seraphina immediately stood up from a pile of files, ¡°We won¡¯t know until we check.¡± Quickly she moved to the desk, turned on theputer, entered the date and location, and started to sift through a ton of search results for the information she needed. This type of information search was a piece of cake for both her and Terrell. Soon, Seraphina found what she was looking for A month ago, a small business owner in the neighboring city was killed on the spot by a copsing shed on his daily route home. Terrell immediately searched the distance from the scene to the hotel, only to find out it was just two blocks away. ¡°If this group is really responsible for creating idents, then this case might be their work,¡± Terrell said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the hotel and investigate right now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of going there?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°How much information can they give us? We can do our own investigation.¡± Having said that, she picked up her phone and sent a message to a hacker, asking for all the guest information for Keeley and Maddox at the hotel for a week before and after. Seeing this, Terrell couldn¡¯t help but be surprised, muttering to himself, ¡°Money really can buy you anything, huh?¡± Seraphina shot him a re and handed him another pile of files, ¡°Keep looking, we might find more clues.¡± While waiting for the hacker to get the information, the two continued to find clues. Not long after, the information the hacker found was sent to Seraphina¡¯s email. When the information was printed out, it was another pile of papers and some surveince video files still waiting to be sent by the hacker. That was going to be another big project. Seraphina gave the guest information to Terrell while she checked the previous files and waited for the surveince video toe through. Before the surveince video was sent, Terrell tossed a file onto her desk, ¡°Found something.¡± Seraphina was taken aback, ¡°What is it?¡± She quickly picked up the file and saw a name circled by Terrell: Mervin. ording to his ID, Mervin was a citizen of Sunburst City, born in 1975, and stayed at the hotel for a week, but there was no more information beyond that. ¡°How are you sure it¡¯s him?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but ask. Terrell ced another file in front of her, a record of calls between rooms. Both Keeley and Maddox had called the room that Mervin was staying in during their stay. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but hold her face, rubbed it for a while, and sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Terrell looked at her and slowly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you wash up, rest a bit, and grab a bite to eat? It takes time to dig up all the information on a person. By the time you¡¯ve rested and recovered, we should have all his info.¡± Seraphina thought for a moment, suddenly grabbed Terrell, ¡°If digging up information takes time, then we can use this time to do something else.¡± Before Terrell could react, she pulled him out of the study. Downstairs, Conway was about to go upstairs to call for dinner when he saw the two of them running down one after another, somewhat surprised, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Grandpa, we have something to do,¡± Seraphina said as she ran out the door, her voice trailing off as she disappeared from sight. Karan brought out the food and saw this scene, somewhat surprised, paused before saying, ¡°Sera seems pretty fired up¡­¡± Conway sighed softly, ¡°Maybe having something to do keeps her focused, so that she about the unhappy things.¡± Seraphina pulled Terrell out the door, heading straight for Mervin¡¯s ce. 11:27 ¡°Just like that, we¡¯re going to see him?¡± Terrell was somewhat surprised, ¡°What do you think we can get out of him?¡± Seraphina answered, ¡°I don¡¯t need to get anything from him, I just want him to know that I know he exists.¡± Terrell had already figured out her style and purpose, hearing her answer, he slowly said, ¡°I have my wife to take care of, don¡¯t put me in danger.¡± Seraphina nced at him, calmly saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you get involved. Just focus on digging up Mervin¡¯s personal information.¡± The two had no clue about Mervin¡¯s exact location, going there was purely a shot in the dark. But Seraphina was waiting for Mervin¡¯s detailed information anyway, so she didn¡¯t care. When they arrived at their destination, Terrell continued to learn about Mervin in the car, while Seraphina went to buy some food and drinks at a convenience store. As she turned to leave after paying for her purchases, she locked eyes with a man who was about to enter. He was a man in his forties, tall and slightly overweight, looking very strong. His expression changed immediately when he saw Seraphina. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. This face was the one on the ID card, this man was Mervin. At that moment, Seraphina felt like Sandra Smith must be watching over her from heaven. ? ? ? She tightened her grip on her shopping bag, gave Mervin a slight smile, then pushed open the door and walked past him. At that moment, Mervin felt like his blood was boiling. Why was this woman here? She even smiled at him¡­ Mervin couldn¡¯t help but look back at Seraphina¡¯s retreating figure, watching as she walked straight to a car, opened the door and got in. But the car stayed where it was, not moving at all. Mervin clenched his fists and pushed open the door of the convenience store. He grabbed a few items and when he came out, the car was still parked in the same spot. He quickly returned to his apartment. Looking out from the living room window, he could see the street. On the street, the car Seraphina had been in earlier hadn¡¯t left. Mervin watched quietly for a while, but finally, unable to control his anger, he smashed the beer bottle in his hand on the floor. After a surprising but smooth encounter with Mervin, Seraphina told Terrell to leave first. She nned to stay here for the night and give the guy upstairs a piece of her mind. Byte night, Mervin¡¯s detailed information had been sent to her phone. As Seraphina was checking out the info, she suddenly heard the sound of someone tapping on the car window.¡± Instinctively on alert, she looked towards the window, only to see Leandro standing by the car. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 When Seraphina saw Leandro, she breathed a sigh of relief and unlocked the car door. Leandro opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. Seraphina was driving by herself today. Even though she knew guards were tailing her, she wanted to keep a low profile, so she took a small car. Leandro¡¯s body seemed somewhat cramped and uneasy inside the car, indicating that he wasn¡¯t very comfortable. ¡°What brought you here?¡± Seraphina asked. Leandro nced at the snacks on the dashboard and then asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going home tonight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m working. All-nighters are part of the gig.¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°Did you just get off work?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer her question. He rolled down the window and his driver handed him a brown paper bag. Leandro took the bag, ced it on the dash, and opened it. A warm, inviting aroma filled the car. ¡°Mmm, is that chicken wrap?¡± Seraphina sniffed. ¡°Smells yummy. Did you swing by here after going home?¡± Leandro took a chicken wrap from the bag and handed it to Seraphina. When Seraphina took the wrap, she realized it was hot to the touch, but it was perfect for warming her hands on a cold night.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. She gently blew on it to cool it down before taking a bite. Then she said, ¡°I know you care about me, but you¡¯ve had a long day. You should go home and rest.¡± ¡°Eat first,¡± Leandro said. Even though Seraphina wasn¡¯t hungry, she took a bite of the chicken wrap at his insistence. After she had finished one, Leandro asked, ¡°One more?¡± Seraphina shook her head quickly. ¡°No, I¡¯m already stuffed.¡± She handed the remaining bag to Leandro. ¡°You should head home. I still have some work to do, and I¡¯ve got my bodyguards. I¡¯ll be safe.¡± Leandro looked at the bag in his hand, still half full, nced at her, and got out of the car. Once he left, the atmosphere in the car seemed to lighten up. Seraphina gave a softugh and waved goodbye. As Leandro walked away, Seraphina focused back on Mervin¡¯s personal files. Mervin, 44, from Sunburst City, was a troublemaker in his youth with a criminal record for assault. Despite his fiery temper, he was a social butterfly who could adapt to any situation. After reviewing all the information, Seraphina quickly messaged Terrell, ¡°What role do you think Mervin ys in the crime gang?¡± ¡°He handles the orders,¡± Terrell replied promptly. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°So, Mervin handles orders, Maddox ns the killing, Keeley executes. There might be others behind them.¡± After sending the message, it was a while before she got a reply. ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, you¡¯re still up? My wife and I need go to bed soon. Can we discuss this tomorrow?¡± Feeling a bit awkward, Seraphina put down her phone, ready to review some more files when she noticed a familiar figure in the rear-view mirror- It was Leandro¡¯s bodyguard. Seraphina was taken aback. Leandro had left a while ago, why was his bodyguard still here? She shifted her gaze and noticed-Leandro¡¯s car was still parked on the side of the road. He hadn¡¯t left! After staring at the rear-view mirror for a while, Seraphina turned her attention back to the stack of files, packed up her things, and got out of the car with her files. When she got into Leandro¡¯s car, he was in the middle of an international call. Seraphina sat quietly next to him, reviewing her files. Leandro¡¯s call was at a critical point, obviously not over yet. But not long after Seraphina sat down, an arm slipped around her waist. She turned to look at him. 11:27 This man, calmly handling such an important call, while casually pulling her into his embrace-no wonder this was a luxury car, there was plenty of space for him to move. Seraphina didn¡¯t resist. If he wanted to hold her, she¡¯d let him. Besides, she could still read the files in his arms. She was engrossed in the files again until she came back to her senses and realized Leandro had hung up. But he was still holding her, the two of them leaning together. She was reading, and he was either reading with her or¡­ watching her. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go home and rest?¡± Seraphina asked. Instead of answering, Leandro leaned down and kissed her ear. Then he said, ¡°Just do your own thing, don¡¯t mind me.¡± True to his word, Seraphina ignored him, and Leandro didn¡¯t bother her anymore. He simply held her quietly from behind, all night long. At dawn, Seraphina stretched and then turned to look at him. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen his face all night, she could tell from his breathing that he hadn¡¯t slept. Nevertheless, he still appeared vibrant. With his current state, he could attend any significant event without raising suspicions. However, considering his already demanding workload and theck of rest, fatigue is bound to set in. ¡°I¡¯ve finished my work,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°I¡¯m going to go home, take a shower, and get some rest. Do you¡­ want to join?¡± Leandro looked at her quietly for a moment, then slowly broke into a smile. ¡°I¡¯d love to take you up on that offer, but not today,¡± he said. ¡°I have an early meeting, I¡¯m heading straight to the office.¡± Seraphina frowned. ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t haveest night.¡± ¡°I find it morefortable here than at home.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t respond. Leandro continued, ¡°Let them take you home. You¡¯ve been up all night, don¡¯t drive yourself.¡± Seraphina nodded in agreement, and quickly hopped out of the car. Watching her get into her own car, Leandro shared a few words with his bodyguard before being driven away. Seraphina stood there for a while, watching the car fade into the distance. Loads of thoughts must be swirling in her mind right now, a ton of things she¡¯d like to share with someone. But, the woman she would normally spill the tea with was now dead. With this in mind, Seraphina suddenly looked up at a nearby building, then told her driver, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The car leisurely headed towards Reynolds Manor. Just as they were about to enter, a figure suddenly emerged from a car parked at the gate, blocking their way. Seraphina, who was chilling in the backseat with her eyes closed, only opened her eyes when she heard her driver call her name. Upon opening her eyes, she saw a worn out Bowen outside the car window. Chapter 273 Chapter 273 For the past few days, Seraphina was still keeping her cool, but the moment sheid eyes on Bowen, a wave of intense sadness and anger surged over her again. If she was the one driving right now, she might¡¯ve just run him over. But what would killing him achieve? Sandra wouldn¡¯te back, and she might even shed tears for this man. Seraphina clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. It took her quite a while to calm down and step out of the car. Bowen looked like a hot mess. His once handsome face looked like it hadn¡¯t been cared for in days, his eyes red and filled with bloodshot veins, and his hair tousled. He was far from his usual suave self. ¡°Sera,¡± he called out when he saw Seraphina. Seraphina¡¯s expression was cold as she responded, ¡°What do you want?¡± Bowen¡¯s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he spoke with a sense of determination. ¡°Sandra¡­is being buried, will youe?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina gritted her teeth so hard they made a sound. Ever since Sandra was dered dead, she had avoided seeing her and rarely mentioned her. She knew this was just self-deception, but she couldn¡¯t help wanting to escape. But now, there was no way to avoid it. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t n on holding any ceremony, and I don¡¯t want to invite anyone else,¡± Bowen said. ¡°I want Sandra to leave peacefully. Everyone else can stay away, but you¡­ Sandra would want you to be there.¡± Seraphinaughed coldly, staring at him, and slowly said, ¡°And what about you? Sandra wouldn¡¯t want to see you, right? Can you not show up?¡± Bowen lowered his head, his voice filled with sorrow. ¡°I know she wouldn¡¯t want to see me, but¡­ I can¡¯t not see her.¡± Seraphina suddenly threw the files in her hand at him. The papers sca ttered all over Bow and fluttered down to the ground. ¡°Where were you when you couldn¡¯t stand not seeing her?¡± Seraphina snapped. ¡°How many women can¡¯t you stand not seeing? Tania Martin is one, how many others are there? What was Sandra to you? Just another fool you yed with! Now she¡¯s dead, who are you putting on this act for? If you really loved her, go join her!¡± ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t want to?¡± Bowen¡¯s eyes, which had been dull and lifeless, suddenly lit up. He looked at Seraphina and slowly said, ¡°I know, I¡¯m also one of the culprits who caused Sandra¡¯s death. I never thought about letting myself off¡­ But before that, I must¡­make those who hurt her pay the price.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± Seraphina asked. Bowen clenched his fists, turned his face away, and didn¡¯t answer. However, even if he didn¡¯t say it, Seraphina already had an answer in her heart. She recalled when Sandra was hospitalized, she told Bowen about the ident not being an ident at all. Bowen then went to the Martin family and stayed there all night, reappearing at noon the next day, his whole person filled with a gloomy and angry aura. He must know something. Talking about people rted to the ident, he and Tania couldn¡¯t be avoided, whether it was true or not, Seraphina really wanted to hear his answer, ¡°Is it Tania?¡± Seraphina slowly asked. ¡°Miss Tania seems to have deep feelings for you. She mistook me for having something to do with you and came looking for trouble. But how did someone like you make Tania notice Sandra¡¯s existence?¡± She waited quietly for Bowen¡¯s answer after asking her questions, but after a long while, she heard Bowen¡¯s h oa rse voice. ¡°It¡¯s not her.¡± Hearing this answer, Seraphina raised her eyebrows involuntarily. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a bit stubborn and willful, but she¡¯s actually very innocent. She wouldn¡¯t do this.¡± Bowen said. Seraphina let out a coldugh, ¡°Then she¡¯s really a good girl, huh, Bowen, don¡¯t you n to take responsibility for her?¡± Hearing this question, Bowen slowly turned his head to look at her, ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯vepletely cut ties with her.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina heard his words and obviously didn¡¯t n to ept it. ¡°I admit, I didn¡¯t handle that rtionship well. I caused Sandra to misunderstand, and I caused trouble with Tania¡­¡± Bowen gritted his teeth. ¡°So, when Sandra had her ident, I¡¯m mainly to me.¡± 11-27 ¡°So if it¡¯s not Tania, it¡¯s someone from the Martin family?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Who?¡± Bowen was silent for a while, then slowly shook his head. ¡°Sera, I know your character. Once you find out who it is, you will definitely seek revenge for Sandra without regard for anything. But this is my responsibility, I can¡¯t get you involved.¡± ¡°You know my character, so you should also know that even if you don¡¯t tell me, I will still find out about it myself, right?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve already done enough for Sandra,¡± Bowen said. ¡°Don¡¯t get involved in this.¡± ¡°You should know that you can¡¯t stop me.¡± Seraphina replied. Bowen met her gaze for a moment, involuntarily looked away, lowered his head, and saw some white paper at his feet. He bent slightly to pick up a few sheets, nced at them, then looked up at Seraphina. ¡°What are these?¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll find out the truth myself.¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Whether you¡¯re willing to tell me or not, I will find out.¡± With that, Seraphina reached out and sna tched the papers from him. ¡°Sera!¡± Bowen¡¯s voice lowered slightly, sounding a bit urgent. ¡°Don¡¯t get involved in this! The Martin family is not as simple as you think. If you continue to investigate, you will only put yourself in danger!¡± ¡°What am I scared of?¡± Seraphina stared at him, ¡°If I die early, I¡¯ll just join Sandra sooner. Who do you think will get to see her first?¡± Bowen¡¯s gaze lingered on her face for a while before he spoke again, ¡°I already regret not being able to protect Sandra¡­ I can¡¯t let anything happen to you¡­ I won¡¯t let you get involved in this.¡± After he finished speaking, he didn¡¯t seem to give Seraphina a chance to argue, just saying, ¡°I¡¯ve said what I needed to say. Tomorrow morning at eight, Sandra¡­ her cremation ceremony¡­¡± His voice seemed to catch in his throat before he continued, ¡°I hope you cane.¡± With that, Bowen turned and got into his car, quickly leaving the scene. Seraphina lowered her head and began picking up the scattered papers on the ground, it took her a long time to gather them all. When she got home, she went straight to bed. She didn¡¯t sleep well, filled with vivid dreams of all sorts, but she couldn¡¯t make out anything clearly. When she woke up, she found her bedroom was dark. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Shey in her familiar bed, feeling the familiar warmth and breath next to her, a familiar arm wrapped around her waist, and heard a familiar voice asking, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Seraphina was somewhat dazed due to a series of long dreams she had. It was only when she heard his voice that she seemed to wake up a bit. She had been overly tired in the past few days, and her sleep had been very restless. When she sensed the familiar surroundings and smell, she felt a bit relieved, but increasingly she just wanted to lay down and not move at all. Leandro was lying next to her, and she felt a warmth from where he was, so she couldn¡¯t help but snuggle up to him. Leandro opened his arms to wee her. There were no lights on in the room. Seraphinay quietly for a while before asking, ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°Half past ten,¡± Leandro replied. Seraphina was a bit puzzled, ¡°p.m.?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina did a quick calction. Had she slept¡­ thirteen hours in total? Even so, at this moment, she still didn¡¯t want to move, let alone get up. But once awake, there¡¯s always something pressing on the mind. After a while, she whispered again, ¡°Leandro, Sandra¡­ Sandra¡¯s cremation is tomorrow.¡± There was no emotion in her voice as she said this. But after saying it, she voluntarily leaned into Leandro. Leandro held her, silent for a while, then slowly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to say goodbye to her tomorrow.¡± Seraphinay in his arms with her eyes closed, silent for a long time. Feeling her stillness, Leandro pulled the nket over her and said, back Seraphina didn¡¯t respond, but there was no further movement. sleep.¡± It was quite a while before Leandro realized that she had fallen asleep again. H She was clinging to him as if he was her pir, quietly lying in his arms. Her breathing gradually steadied. Leandro lowered his head and gave her a soft kiss on on the forehead. In the pitch-ck room, listening to her gentle and even breathing, Leandroy quietly for a long time, eventually falling asleep. The next morning, Seraphina woke up before Leandro. She had slept for too long, and she had ns for the day, so she was awake before the sky was fully lit. There was a faint morning light in the room. With this light, Seraphina could see the person in front of her clearly. Leandro¡­ the sleeping Leandro? She was a bit puzzled and began to wonder if she was still dreaming. would In her memory, she had never seen Leandro asleep. It was only now that she realized that his often furrowed brow would rx when he was asleep. Real guarded and tense state was gone, his face was not the him his twenties that she knew. Perhaps only when he was sleeping could he truly rx. So at this time, his as serious as usual, and he even looked a few years younger, a bit like¡­ Seraphina quietly looked at him and couldn¡¯t help but reach out her hand, slowly moving it towards his face. his to under her gaze. In an instant, his eyes were clear again. retract it in the moment. But before her fingers touched his skin, Leandro slowly opened Seraphina¡¯s hand was hanging in the air between them, and she forgot Okay, she had to give up the idea of ¡°he rxes when he sleeps¡± ¨C he was still on guard. ¡°You¡¯re up this early?¡± Leandro¡¯s voice was slightly h oa rse when he spoke again. Seraphina knew he had really sleptst night, otherwise his voice wouldn¡¯t be like this. But Leandro had actually fallen asleep in her bed¡­ ?? ? ?? ? ? ? ¡°You can sleep a bit more.¡± Without thinking too much, Seraphina said this and prepared to get up. But Leandro reached out and pulled her back. ¡°Stay with me,¡± he said. Seraphina was stunned, and before she could react, she was pulled back into his arms and couldn¡¯t move. 1/2 11:27 Chapter 274 She nced at the electronic clock on the bedside table. It was still early, so she decided to stay quietly like this. However, even though she was still, Leandro, who was holding her tightly, didn¡¯t fall asleep again. His face was buried in her shoulder, and his mind was filled with thoughts of his previous sleep. How many years has it been since he had a carefree sleep? Since those few near-death experiences a few years ago, he had never fully rxed. Over the years, as long as there were people around, he couldn¡¯t sleep peacefully. For the same reason, he wouldn¡¯t sleep in the car or on a ne. Even on a trip thatsted more than ten hours, he never closed his eyes as long as there were people around. This problem didn¡¯t get any better even after he reunited with her. Butst night, he fell asleep holding her. For many years, he had been trying to convince himself to let go of the past, and finallyst night, he saw the results. There¡¯s still a chance for them, isn¡¯t there? The two of themy there with their own thoughts for over an hour. At half-past six, when Seraphina saw that it was about time, she was about to wake him up, but Leandro let her go and kissed her forehead, ¡°It¡¯s about time, let¡¯s get up.¡± The uing event didn¡¯t leave Seraphina with the mind to think about anything else. She just responded lowly and got up. Usually, it took her a lot of time to get ready and dress up before going out, but today, Seraphina¡¯s outfit was very simple. She had everything ready in just twenty minutes and left the house with Leandro. She didn¡¯t say a word the entire time, and Leandro didn¡¯t say anything either, just silently held her hand tightly. It was still early, and the traffic in the city was smooth. But once they left the city center and headed towards the funeral home, the road was surprisingly jammed with cars. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but stick her head out to look, ¡°Why is it like this? Why is there traffic so early?¡± Leandro pulled her head back in and justforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve sent someone to check it out.¡±, A bodyguard quickly went up to investigate and disappeared into the crowd after a short while. Seraphina sat in the car, watching the flow of cars in front of her, and couldn¡¯t help but clench her hands. Seeing her like this, Leandro once again took her hand and ced it in his palm to prevent her from getting too nervous. About ten minutester, the two bodyguards came back to the car, reporting back to Leandro about the situation ahead: ¡°City¡¯s water pipe up ahead has busted, the road¡¯s flooded out, we can¡¯t go through for now.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina quickly turned to the driver, ¡°Are there any other routes?¡± ¡°Well¡­yeah,¡± the driver said a bit awkwardly, ¡°But we¡¯d have to take a massive detour, might not make it in time¡­¡± Leandro was mulling it over, when suddenly Seraphina leaned back in her seat, dropped her gaze and seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then, she cracked a small smile and said, ¡°Forget it.¡± Leandro turned to look at her. Seraphina slowly said, ¡°She¡¯s always been there for me, looking out for me, but I haven¡¯t really done anything for her¡­ Still, she¡¯s never med me. Even if we¡¯rete today, she won¡¯t me me¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Due to an unexpected ident, traffic was jammed for nearly two hours. By the time Seraphina and Leandro arrived at the funeral home, they were already way past the scheduled time. Seraphina hade to terms with this fact and remained calm, but this tranquility was shattered when she got out of the car and saw Bowen. Bowen was standing at the entrance of the funeral home, and with him was Tania. At such a moment, Seraphina did not expect to see the two of them together and found it hard to control her emotions. She badly wanted to walk up and separate the two, to make them leave¡­ but this was Sandra¡¯sst journey in this world, and she didn¡¯t want to disturb her peace. So, after taking two steps forward, Seraphina abruptly stopped, took a couple of deep breaths, and stood with her back to the two, pretending not to see them. Leandro stood in front of her, extending his arm to hold hers, and then looked up at the two people at the entrance of the funeral home. The two didn¡¯t seem to be engaged in any intimate actions, but rather, looked like they were arguing. After silently observing for a moment, Leandro led Seraphina forward. As they drew closer, they could hear the two arguing. Bowen¡¯s voice was filled with a coldness that Seraphina had never heard before, ¡°I told you to leave, didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Tania seemed aggrieved and unwilling, ¡°What do you mean? I know you¡¯re grieving over your sister¡¯s death. I came to pay myst respects for her, but why are you treating me like this?¡± Seraphina stopped at a suitable distance and quietly observed the two not far away. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you, is that reason enough?¡± Bowen¡¯s eyes were cold and ruthless. Tania looked at him nkly, then suddenly raised her hand and pped him hard! ¡°Bowen! I have limits to my patience too! I knew you were upset when your sister was in the ICU, so I didn¡¯t bother you! Now that your sister is gone, I just wanted to be there for you, and this is how you treat me! What gives you the right? Why are you treating me like this?¡± Tania was getting out of control and started to swing her fists at Bowen. Bowen suddenly grabbed her arms and brutally pushed her to the ground. ¡°Ah-¡± Tania fell to the ground, letting out a cry of pain. Bowen towered over her, his eyes devoid of sympathy, ¡°Get lost.¡± Tania, a spoiled young mistress, had never been humiliated like this. She got up, ready to charge at Bowen again, but someone suddenly stopped her. Tania turned around to see two men who looked like bodyguards restraining her. ¡°Where did you scu mbagse from! Let me go!¡± Tania struggled fiercely, then suddenly froze. Because she saw Seraphina slowly approaching, along with Leandro. ¡°Ms. Martin.¡± Seraphina¡¯s expression and voice were very cold, ¡°Today is my friend¡¯s funeral. You can make a scene any other time, but today, I hope you can be quiet.¡± Seeing Seraphina made Tania feel very embarrassed. She couldn¡¯t help but nce back at Bowen, but found that Bowen was still coldly watching her/his eyes devoid of emotion. She then looked at Leandro, sneering, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, your wife is flirting with another man right in front of you, openly seducing him. How can you tolerate such tant betrayal?¡± Leandro quietly watched her for a moment, gestured to the bodyguards, then took Seraphina¡¯s hand and walked towards the funeral home. Tania was led away by the two bodyguards. Her insults and struggles continued, but Bowen didn¡¯t look at her again and tumed to enter the funeral home. The funeral home was empty, with only a bunch of white roses and a white porcin um in front of them. Seraphina looked at the white urn. It took a long time before she slowly walked over. Her movements were light, her pace slow. When she reached out and touched the white um, tears uncontrobly streamed down her 11:27 This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sera.¡± Bowen¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°The time was already scheduled. I couldn¡¯t wait for you to¡­¡± Seraphina seemed not to hear him, just stood there, then lowered her head, leaning her forehead against the urn, whispering, ¡°Sandra, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Her best friend had finally left this world on that day, and she hadn¡¯t seen her for thest time. She had to witness the woman she least wanted to see, making a scene at her funeral. Seraphina felt like she had let Sandra down, but she knew Sandra would forgive her. So, any more apologies seemed pointless. Sandra¡¯s ashes were buried at 11 a.m. that day. There were no unnecessary ceremonial items, just two bouquets of flowers. Sandra had always dislikedplicated things. Two bouquets of flowers should be enough. Leandro, Seraphina, and Bowen each stood on one side. ¡°I can stay here with you for a while.¡± Leandro said. Seraphina came back to herself, took a deep breath, and shook her head, ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. We¡¯ve done what needs to be done. There are more important things to do. Let her rest peacefully.¡± After saying this, Seraphina nced at Bowen again, then turned and walked away with Leandro. Bowen didn¡¯t look at them, just focused on the picture of Sandra on the tombstone. After a long time, he walked to the tombstone and crouched down gently. After stroking the radiant smiling photo, Bowen leaned forward and gently kissed the photo. ¡°Do you want me to take you home to rest?¡± Leandro asked Seraphina as they left the cemetery. But Seraphina shook her head, ¡°No, just drop me off at the gallery.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t ask any more, just said, ¡°Okay.¡± After dropping Seraphina off at Carney Artful Reverie, Leandro went straight back to the office. When Seraphina strolled into her office, Terrell had been waiting there for quite a while. Noticing Seraphina¡¯s all-ck attire, Terrell guessed where she might have been. He hesitated a bit before asking, ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Perfectly fine,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Just said goodbye to my best friend and drew a couple of conclusions.¡± ¡°What conclusions?¡± Terrell spected that both of her deductions might be rted to the case at hand. ¡°First off, Tania has nothing to do with the Sandra situation. She doesn¡¯t even know the real deal between Sandra and Bowen.¡± Hearing this, Terrell slowly said, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying the mastermind could be someone else from the Martin family. They must have discovered the rtionship between Bowen and Sandra. Maybe they acted against Sandra to protect Tania, or to send Bowen a warning.¡± ¡°Given the current situation, that seems like the biggest possibility,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°What we need to do now is to locate the crime syndicate Keeley is involved with, and expose the real puppeteer behind the scenes.¡± Terrell nodded and after a brief pause, he asked, ¡°You mentioned two conclusions earlier, what¡¯s the second one?¡± Seraphina kept quiet for a while, then with a mocking smile, she said, ¡°The second one is that Tania is really in love with Bowen.¡± After saying that, she whispered, ¡°Even though that man is so despicable, so debauched, all the women seem to be enchanted by him¡­ Such fools.¡± Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Once again, Seraphina poured most of her energy into tracking and surveince. Since keeping tabs on Keeley didn¡¯t take much of her energy, she decided to split her time equally between Maddox and Mervin. One day she¡¯d tail Maddox, the next she¡¯d be hot on Mervin¡¯s trail. If she spent the morning trailing Mervin, she¡¯d switch to Maddox in the afternoon, not wasting a single moment. After three days of this, Maddox was still calm, but Mervin was pretty much pushed to his limits by Seraphina¡¯s relentless pursuit. Even though the team had agreed toy low and avoid seeing each other, Mervin set up a three-man meet-up three dayster. The reason for the get-together didn¡¯t really matter. After all, Seraphina had already figured out their real identities. Any attempt to avoid each other now was just pointless. Mervin first met up with Maddox at the university cafeteria. Their behavior in such a public ce was totally natural, just like any regr friend meeting, without drawing any attention. ¡°Did you buzz Keeley?¡± Maddox asked casually. ¡°Yes,¡± Mervin replied, ¡°I need to know where he stands.¡± As soon as the words were spoken, Keeley, dressed all in ck, made his appearance in the cafeteria. Given his youthful appearance and casual stroll around the campus, most people would probably mistake him for a student, so he didn¡¯t draw much attention. In the not-so-crowded cafeteria, Keeley quickly spotted Maddox and Mervin. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Didn¡¯t the boss say we should avoid meeting recently?¡± Keeley queried casually as he sat down, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Maddox remained indifferent, while Mervin gave Keeley a cold stare. ¡°The point of avoiding each other was toy low so that no one will find out about us. But now that woman is on my tail, she¡¯s been following me and Mr. Maddox around for the past few days! Is there really any point in pretending we don¡¯t know each other?¡± At this, Keeley¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°She knows about you too?¡± ¡°Not just knows!¡± Mervin said, ¡°She¡¯s been following me for three days!¡± ¡°And you still called us here?¡± Keeley asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of dragging the boss into this?¡± Mervin sneered, ¡°The boss¡¯s identity isn¡¯t that easy to figure out. Only the three of us are meeting today.¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Keeley asked. Mervin nced at him, then at Maddox. ¡°I suggest we deal with this woman.¡± Upon hearing this, Maddox raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t respond. Keeley, however,ughed, ¡°Are you nuts, thinking of making a move at such a sensitive time?¡± Mervin stared at him. ¡°Are you worried that this isn¡¯t the right time to act, or do you just care about that woman?¡± Keeley didn¡¯t look at him, instead turning to Maddox. ¡°Professor, you¡¯re the most careful among us. Do you think it¡¯s the right time to act?¡± Maddox took a sip of his coffee, responding nonchntly, ¡°I always have faith in my ns.¡± Keeley looked at him incredulously, then said, ¡°And you think Seraphina is someone you can just easily deal with?¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Mervin asked, ¡°Remember when we dealt with a journalist once?¡± Keeley gave him a scornful look. ¡°Are the two situations the same? That journalist was a loner, easy to handle. But don¡¯t forget, Seraphina is Leandro Reynolds¡¯ wife. She¡¯s always surrounded by bodyguards. Even if you manage to bypass them, are you sure you can handle Leandro¡¯s retaliation?¡± Mervin mmed the table, ¡°I¡¯m almost driven crazy by that woman! If necessary, I¡¯d rather die than let her get away with it!¡± Keeley nced at him again, said nothing, and pulled out two phones from his pocket, dialing a strange number with one. Maddox and Mervin just watched him coldly. Once he got through, Keeley said, ¡°I¡¯m here with Mr. Mervin and Mr. Maddox. We have a situation and would like to hear your opinion.¡± After conveying their discussion to the person on the other end, Keeley handed the phone to Maddox. Maddox took the phone, listened for a moment, hung up, and coldly returned the phone to Keeley, then said to Mervin, ¡°The boss doesn¡¯t like our n.¡± Mervin¡¯s face changed. He was about to argue, but remembering the boss¡¯s decisive nature, he could only re at Keeley. Keeley chuckled, put his phone back in the pocket, and got up to leave. It wasn¡¯t until his figure disappeared from the doorway that Maddox lifted his head, giving him a casual nce. Mervin slowly said, ¡°He¡¯s not considering our safety at all, he just can¡¯t bear to see that woman die!¡± Maddox sat quietly, and after a while, he made ament, ¡°He¡¯s trapped by emotion.¡± ¡°The boss even listens to him. He¡¯s so timid, we¡¯ll bepletely destroyed by that woman sooner or later!¡± Mervin said, ¡°If it reallyes to that, I¡¯d rather kill him and that woman now!¡± After hearing this, Maddox had no reaction, he just calmly lowered his gaze and continued sipping his coffee. After leaving the cafeteria, Keeley went to the campus parking lot and got into his car. His expression unconsciously turned gloomy. The reason they called him here was simple. Maddox and Mervin were backed into a corner by Seraphina, but she wasn¡¯t backing down. That afternoon, Seraphina was at Carney Artful Reverie. After three days of relentless pursuit, she decided to take a breather, and at the same time, make the two she was tracking even more anxious. She spent the entire afternoon tidying up paintings in the studio, and it wasn¡¯t until dark that she prepared to leave. A bunch of bodyguards were clearing the way for her at the entrance, but the moment Seraphina stepped out, something flew by, nearly brushing her hair. Abbot was quick to react, he immediately used his body to shield Seraphina. The object hit the wall, made a tinkling sound, then fell to the ground. Seraphina turned around to see a dart. Not far from there, Keeley was standing at the corner of the street. Under the wary and angry gaze of the bodyguards, he was staring firmly at Seraphina. Seraphina gently pushed Abbot aside, picked up the dart from the ground, and walked slowly towards Keeley, handing him the dart, ¡°Did you drop this?¡± Keeley took the dart and casually waved it in front of her, ¡°If I had intended to kill you, that throw would have done it.¡± On hearing this, Seraphina carefully checked her body, sighed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Should I feel lucky then, that I¡¯m still breathing?¡± Keeley quietly looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you really not afraid to die?¡± Seraphina tilted her head to look at him, ¡°What do you think?¡± Keeley took a deep breath and then said, ¡°Do you really think you can find anything? Even if you discover all of evidence! You¡¯re just wasting your time!¡± us, you won¡¯t find any Hearing this, Seraphina snorted, ¡°What do I need evidence for? To take you to court? You think that would ease the hatred in my heart?¡± ¡°So you want us to pay for Sandra Smith¡¯s life?¡± Seraphina turned her face away, was silent for a while, then said, ¡°If that were the case, I could have hired someone to kill you quietly from the start, to avenge her!¡± She looked back at Keeley, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time, nor the inclination to worry about what exactly you all have done! What I want to know is who¡¯s behind all this! Until I find that person, I won¡¯t give up!¡± Keeley shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve temporarily put aside the matter of you killing my friend Sandra.¡± Seraphina nced at him, ¡°So please don¡¯t pretend to care about my safety anymore.¡± With that, Seraphina didn¡¯t linger any longer. She turned around, got into the car that had been waiting for her for a while and quickly left. Keeley stood on the street for a long time before he pulled himself together, got into his car, and left. About twenty minutester, Keeley returned to his ce. It was a somewhat worn out neighborhood, a slightly shabby two-story apartment, his new ce. He parked the car on the first floor, went upstairs, and flopped onto the bed in frustration. Outside the window were the dim street lights and the tangled wires. The light shone in through the window. Keeley stared at the light, Seraphina¡¯s face constantly reying in his mind. This woman, who both amused and troubled him, was the best friend of the woman he had killed. Keeleyy silently for a while, then sat up. He had always acted ording to Maddox¡¯s n, never curious about who their employer was and who their targets were. But now, he began to have other thoughts. Who exactly was this puppeteer Seraphina was so keen to find? Sandra seemed like an ordinary woman, why would anyone threaten her life in this way? He didn¡¯t use to ponder these questions, but when he started thinking, his curiosity began to expand uncontrobly. After sitting quietly for a while, Keeley suddenly got up, walked to the corner, and turned on his long- unused, dustyputer. In the wee hours of the morning, just as Keeley who had just turned off hisputer was about to go to bed, he suddenly heard urgent knocking from downstairs. He was instantly alert, before he could react, the door downstairs had been kicked open from the outside. Keeley went to the stairwell and saw Mervin rushing up from downstairs, face red with anger. Mervin rushed up the stairs, grabbed Keeley by the cor, almost lifting him off the ground, before he spat out angrily, ¡°You hacked into myputer, what the hell are you trying to do? What were you looking for in myputer?¡± Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Before Keeley could even respond, Mervin¡¯s fist suddenlynded on his face. The next moment Mervin pinned Keeley to the ground, punching him relentlessly. After a few solid punches, Keeley was seeing stars and even cked out for a bit. When he finally came to his senses, Mervin was still beating him up. ¡°I knew you were a snake!¡± Mervin yelled, ¡°Betraying us for a woman? How dare you investigate me? Go to hell!¡± Keeley finally came to his senses and tried to block the punches, but he was already battered and bruised. Mervin¡¯s hands were bloody, but he was relentless. Mervin was bigger, stronger. Keeley was no match for him even on a good day, let alone now, he was all dizzy and disoriented. He weakly protested, ¡°I didn¡¯t betray anyone!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Mervin grabbed him off the floor, ¡°Then who was snooping on myputer earlier, huh? Wasn¡¯t it you trying to dig up order details from me?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Keeley winced in pain, took a while to gather himself and then said, ¡°I was just¡­ curious¡­ I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t!¡± Mervinnded another punch on his face, gasping for breath he said, ¡°You think you can ess to myputer easily? You didn¡¯t seed this time, but what about next time? You might just sell us all out!¡± Keeley, his head at an odd angle, persisted, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I would never betray anyone¡­¡± Just as Mervin was about tond another punch, there was a knock from downstairs, ¡°Anyone home?¡± Mervin paused and walked to the stairwell, only to be taken aback. Standing at the door were two cops! The cops saw him too and said seriously, ¡°We¡¯re from the local police station, we received a report of an assault here¡­¡± As the cops made their way upstairs, Mervin shot Keeley a furious look. Meanwhile, the cops reached the second floor, saw Keeley on the floor and immediately arrested Mervin. ¡°Do you need to go to the hospital?¡± one of the cops quickly checked Keeley¡¯s injuries. Keeley nced at a red-eyed Mervin, slowly nodded, and then passed out. When Keeley woke up, he was in a hospital. Not long after he woke up, the police came to take his statement. Keeley¡¯s statement was simple, ¡°It was a misunderstanding. He thought I had an affair with his girlfriend, busted into my house in the middle of the night and started beating me up¡­¡± After Keeley made it clear he wouldn¡¯t press charges against Mervin, the police left. As Keeley was spacing out in bed, the door to his room suddenly opened. He squinted his swollen eyes and saw Seraphina. Seraphina didn¡¯te in, just leaned against the door, quietly watching him. Then she slowly said, ¡°it hurts to see you like this.¡± Keeley looked away, but then couldn¡¯t help but look back at her, ¡°Did you call the cops?¡± Seraphina paused for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking, calling the cops for you¡­ I should¡¯ve been d to see him beat you up.¡± Keeley chuckled at that then fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Regardless of why you called the cops, I¡¯m grateful. But¡­ I won¡¯t betray anyone for you.¡± Seraphina chuckled too, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me asking you for anything, you should worry about your own safety first. This was just the beginning. Do you think Mervin will stop after he gets out of jail? Will there be a second time, a third time?¡± Keeley¡¯s face turned serious. Seraphina didn¡¯t linger and left his room. But then, on Keeley¡¯s third day in the hospital, Mervin died. He was hit by a speeding vehicle on a remote road on the outskirts of the city and died on the spot. When the news arrived, Seraphina was shocked. ¡°I was trying to use his temper to cause conflict within their group.¡± Seraphina scoffed, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect him to be the first one to go.¡± Upon hearing this, Terrell said, ¡°He was in charge of receiving orders in their group, which means he knew who their client was, In their group, Maddox and Keeley should know nothing about this, but the person in charge of the whole operation definitely knows. Now that Mervin, the only one who knew the truth, is dead, it means that person is protecting the client¡¯s information and himself. We¡¯ve met our match.¡± Leaning back in her chair, after a moment of thought, Seraphina suddenlyughed, ¡°He thinks he can protect himself, can he really?¡± Terrell slowly said, ¡°Unless he can keep the other twopletely silent.¡± ¡°So, on the surface, he¡¯s hiding the client¡¯s information, but in reality, he¡¯s putting himself in danger.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°What do you think Maddox and Keeley are feeling right now?¡± Terrell paused and then said, ¡°But based on this person¡¯s style, Maddox and Keeley might not have the chance to do anything before they meet the same fate as Mervin.¡± Hearing that, Seraphina slowly said, ¡°So, we need to hurry. You go find Maddox, I¡¯ll go This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Terrell nodded and they both took off. find Keeley.¡± When Seraphina arrived at the hospital, Keeley was standing by the bed, packing his things. ¡°Checking out already?¡± Seraphina walked up, looked at his hands, then his face, ¡°You still have bruises, are you sure you can move around freely?¡± Keeley seemed pretty on edge. When he heard Seraphina¡¯s joking ton?, he abruptly tossed down his luggage bag, turned around to face her. ¡°do you even care if I can move around freely?¡± ¡°I care about you,¡± Seraphina chuckled. Keeley locked eyes with her for a moment before he too started tough. ¡°You sure you¡¯re concerned about me? Or are you just using me to achieve some of your own goals?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, not denying it. Keeley stared at her again for a moment before saying, ¡°You¡¯re really something, aren¡¯t you? In such a short time, you¡¯ve managed to divide and conquer us. Can¡¯t believe it took me this long to realize.¡± ¡°Are you ming me?¡± Seraphina looked at him, her smile gentler but her words sharp as a tack. ¡°What do you guys think you are? The Justice League?¡± Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Seraphina has always kept her cool when dealing with Keeley, even knowing that he was the one who put Sandra in danger. She was furious, but she didn¡¯tsh out at him directly. Even more, she admired his lifestyle. Keeley knew she was a clever and cunning woman. Although he didn¡¯t fully trust her words, he couldn¡¯t resist her carefullyid traps. Even if these traps weren¡¯t exactly gentle. But it was only now that Keeley really saw the real Seraphina. This woman, she¡¯s probably hated him for a long time, right? Surprisingly, Keeley didn¡¯t lose his temper. He just looked at her quietly and after a while, he said, ¡°So what are you? A vengeful goddessing after us murderers?¡± Seraphina stopped smiling, stared at him, and slowly said, ¡°Everyone has to pay for their actions, right?¡± 1 Keeleyughed lightly, nodded, and then asked, ¡°Would we be like this if Sandra hadn¡¯t had that ident?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s smile faded slightly, her eyebrows slightly raised. She didn¡¯t evade Keeley¡¯s question, ¡°You guys should know better than anyone about what you¡¯ve done?¡± Keeley looked at her for a while, then nodded. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. He understood what Seraphina meant. The thing with Sandra was just the fuse, she had always wanted to investigate them! ¡°So, from the moment we met, you¡¯ve been ying a game?¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you were the one who approached me first. You just happened to be there at the right time.¡± Keeleyughed too. Yeah, he¡¯d almost forgotten, he was the one who was attracted to her and approached her first. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have had such an easy time finding out about the people and things around him, and things wouldn¡¯t have gotten to this point. ¡°So now you¡¯ve achieved your goal.¡± Keeley said, ¡°We won¡¯t have to see each other again, right?¡± After he finished, Keeley didn¡¯t look at her again and picked up his luggage to leave. But Seraphina stopped him again, ¡°Mervin is dead, haven¡¯t you heard?¡± ¡°So what?¡± Keeley answered. Seraphina startedughing, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know who did it, leaving the hospital without any worries, aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll be the next one to die?¡± ¡°If I die, isn¡¯t that exactly what you want?¡± Keeley said, ¡°That way, you can avenge your Seraphina shook her head, ¡°You know you¡¯re not my target.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d still believe that?¡± After saying this, Keeley pushed Seraphina away and walked out the door. friend.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t expect to get any information from me.¡± Keeley said to Seraphina, ¡°I won¡¯t betray anyone, even if the consequence is death.¡± After saying this, Keeley turned and left the ward. Seraphina casually walked out of the ward, watching his retreating figure with a calm gaze. In the evening, Seraphina prepared a dinner at home and invited Herman Garcia and Terrell. Terrell was a family-oriented man, and Herman happened to have a new case to handle, so neither of them showed up at the appointed time. When Leandro returned home, he saw Seraphina learning how to make beef pie with Valerio, their expressions lively. However, this so-called learning was actually just learning the simplest step ¨C how to wrap the pie crust, instead of learning how to knead the dough, mince the filling, mix the filling, and roll out the pie crust. Conway sat by, feeling a bit helpless. He said to Seraphina, ¡°Can¡¯t you take this more seriously? A home with someone who can cook feels a lot happier.¡± ¡°I¡¯m too busy!¡± Seraphina said helplessly, then saw Leandro who had just entered, ¡°And, there¡¯s not only me in this house, why don¡¯t you make your grandson learn? It¡¯s modern times now, you can¡¯t still hold onto the idea of men making money and women doing the chores, can you?¡± Conway couldn¡¯t refute her and could only sigh in frustration. Seraphina cheerfully waved to Leandro, ¡°Grandpa says there should be someone in the house who can cook, so he wants you to learn!¡± Leandro walked over, nced at the messy table that Seraphina and Valerio had messed up, and didn¡¯t respond to Seraphina, but asked, ¡°Why do you have so much time today?¡± ¡°Because I have guestsing. As a host, I need to do the preparation myself, otherwise Karan will be too tired.¡± Seraphina said. Hearing this, Leandro ignored her words and after giving her a nce, he turned and went upstairs. He naturally knew who Seraphina¡¯s guests were today, but he didn¡¯t have any particr emotion. Compared to their previous busy days, it was already good that they could stay at home together at such an early time. When Leandro came down in his home clothes, Seraphina had already asked Conway and Valerio to start eating, while she continued to wait for herte guests. Seeing Leandroing downstairs, she asked him, ¡°Do you want to eat first, or wait with me?¡± Leandro looked at her and simply said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Herman.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but snort, ¡°He actually has time to inform you that he¡¯sing for dinner, he should rather hurry up and finish his work first, he¡¯s so unreliable! Yet I¡¯m here preparing beef pies for them!¡± After that, she went into the kitchen to wash her hands. Seeing her going into the kitchen, Conway immediately put down his fork and said to Valerio, ¡°Valerio, let¡¯s go upstairs to eat.¡± Valerio looked at him, seeming a bit confused. Conway gave a nod towards Leandro, ¡°Give your folks some space, will ya?¡± Valerio pouted a bit, he was dissatisfied. Seraphina hade home early today, and he wanted to hang out with her a bit longer! But how could a shy kid like him possibly stand up to Conway? Conway quickly dragged him upstairs, while he was still holding the te with the beef pie, looking rather reluctant. Leandro sat on the couch, leisurely watching the news, as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything. After getting flour all over her hands, the stickiness proved difficult to wash off. It took Seraphina several minutes to wash them clean. When she dried her hands and came out of the kitchen, the grandfather-grandson duo was already gone from the dining table. ¡°Whoa, they finished eating already?¡± Seraphina asked while walking towards Leandro. Leandro was scrolling on his tablet, and when he heard her, he just hummed in response. As Seraphina walked over, his tablet happened to be on the page reporting Mervin¡¯s death. As soon as Seraphina saw it, she immediately went over, ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t make any moves. His tablet was taken away by Seraphina, and a warmth settled into his arms, as Seraphina snuggled into his embrace with the tablet. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Leandro didn¡¯t say anything and was enjoying the moment. Seraphina, tucked in his embrace, was flipping through a report she knew like the back of her hand, acting like she was hooked on it. She even searched for more articles once she finished one, even though every report was about the same and there wasn¡¯t any useful info, she was still totally into it. ¡°Is it that interesting?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina looked back at him, ¡°Of course.¡± As she said that, the corners of her mouth curled up in a joyful expression. It had been a while since she had genuinely smiled since the incident with Sandra. ¡°Are you that happy?¡± Leandro asked slowly. ¡°Not really.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I will only be happy when they all get what they deserved.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t say anything after hearing that. Seraphina finished reading another piece of article and suddenly looked back at him, ¡°Why, do you think I¡¯m cold-blooded and cruel?¡± Leandro silently locked eyes with her for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Hearing that, Seraphina looked away, after a moment of silence, sheid morefortably into his embrace, continuing to read the news on her tablet. Leandro fully opened his arms to let her lean against him, her head resting on his chest, allowing him to smell the scent of her hair every time he lowered his head. Just as Herman walked in, he caught them in this intimate position in the living room, with Leandro kissing Seraphina¡¯s hair. Herman immediately felt awkward and didn¡¯t know what to do, luckily, Leandro heard the noise and looked up to see him. ¡°Leandro.¡± Herman said awkwardly as he walked up, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± Seraphina put down her tablet and looked behind him, ¡°There¡¯s someone who¡¯s even morete than you, we can have a midnight snack together.¡± Herman turned around and saw Terrell following him in. ¡°I don¡¯t know howte our meeting will go.¡± Terrell said calmly to Seraphina, not overly polite, ¡°I had to wait until my wife took her medication and went to sleep before I coulde.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Seraphina stood up, ¡°There are not many men who cherish their wives these days, for the sake of your wife, I forgive you.¡± Hearing her words, Leandro¡¯s eyes deepened. When everyone finally arrived, dinner began. Seraphina hadn¡¯t been hungry these past few days, but was particrly hungry today, she started to eat as soon as she sat down, then looked at Herman, ¡°So, any leads on Mervin¡¯s case?¡± ¡°There are many suspicions.¡± Herman said, ¡°But without finding the car that hit him, nothing can be confirmed.¡± ¡°Is there a chance of finding it?¡± Herman shrugged, ¡°We can only confirm that it was a ck car because of the paint on Mervin¡¯s body. That road is a secluded suburban road, no cameras, and plenty of blind spots and intersections, it¡¯s virtually impossible to investigate.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina was silent for a while, then slowly said, ¡°How ruthless. They used to at least create idents to make the case seem wless, but now they¡¯re opting for this crude and direct method¡­ seems like they¡¯re really eager to silence someone.¡± Herman then asked, ¡°Any news on your end?¡± Seraphina nced at Terrell. Terrell took a sip of his drink, then said, ¡°I haven¡¯t appeared directly in front of Maddox, just been tailing him. He¡¯s usually very cautious and doesn¡¯t make any moves, but today he was acting differently, he identally bumped into one of his students after ss, he almost couldn¡¯t control his emotions.¡± Seems like he¡¯s starting to get nervous.¡± Herman said, ¡°In that case, he¡¯s our breakthrough. What about that guy named Keeley?¡± ¡°As for him¡­¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem scared, on the contrary, he¡¯s more angry at me. He told me clearly that he¡¯s not afraid of death, and even if he dies, he won¡¯t reveal any information to me.¡± Hearing this, Terrell scoffed and said, ¡°Why did you show him your true colors so early? That kid was so smitten with you, if you keep pretending that you don¡¯t know much and continue seeing him, he might¡¯ve confessed everything.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina didn¡¯t react, but Leandro who had been sitting quietly at the dinner table suddenly looked at him. That look was chilling. Terrell paused, quickly coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment, and turned back to his drink. Herman felt the awkwardness and pulled out a cigarette to offer Leandro, ¡°Want a smoke?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t take it, simply stating, ¡°I quit.¡± He quit smoking? Herman and Seraphina both looked at him. Herman paused, quietly withdrew his hand. Seraphina looked at him in surprise, ¡°When did you quit?¡± After asking, she thought about it and realized¡­ she hadn¡¯t seen Leandro smoking recently. Even though she didn¡¯t see him often,pared to before where he always had a cigarette in his hand, he waspletely different now. ¡°Quitting is a good thing.¡± Herman said, ¡°My mom always tells me to quit, but it¡¯s really hard.¡± As he spoke, he lit a cigarette for himself, then continued discussing the current situation with Seraphina. After dinner, by the time Herman and Terrell left, it was alreadyte night. Seraphina went back to her room to take a bath, when she came out, Leandro who had also taken a bath was sitting on her bed. Seraphina stood at the bathroom door waiting for her skincare to absorb, while staring at Leandro. Leandro, who had been focused on the stock market news, looked up at her when he felt her gaze. Seraphina suddenly stepped forward, jumped on the bed, and pounced on him. Then, she started sniffing him all over. She sniffed his nose, his mouth, even picked up his fingers and held them to her nose for a sniff. Not a trace of smoke. -Leandro-let her be, and after Seraphina finished her inspection, she squinted at him for a while before sighing, ¡°Quitting smoking is really tough, right?¡± Leandro simply hummed in response. Seraphina suddenly leaned in closer to Leandro, ¡°Then why not just keep smoking?¡± Leandro looked at her, his gaze deep. Seraphina sat up straight, ¡°Why are you torturing yourself? Herman seems to have left a pack of cigarettes, I can go get it for you, smoke one and you¡¯ll feel better!¡± As she was getting ready to get off the bed, Leandro immediately grabbed her wrist, pulling her back and pinning her underneath him. ¡°It is indeed tough.¡± Leandro said, ¡°But I have other ways to get through it.¡± Just as he finished speaking, Seraphina¡¯s ability to argue back was stolen by his kiss. The next day, it was almost noon by the time Seraphina got out of bed. Today was Saturday, both Conway and Valerio were at home. The moment they saw here downstairs, Valerio immediately broke into a happy grin. Seraphina walked over, gently pinching his cheek, ¡°I know you missed me, I¡¯ll spend the day at home with you today.¡± Hearing this, Conway curiously asked, ¡°you are not busy today?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Most of the prep work is done, it¡¯s mostly waiting for the results now.¡± Despite that, Seraphina still re-examined the previous information at home, continuing to search for clues about the other members of the criminal gang. Valerio sat beside her doing his homework and reading, extremely happy. Conway couldn¡¯t help bute over to chat with her, ¡°I heard from Karan, Leandro seems to be quitting smoking?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina feigned ignorance. ¡°Karan said, each time she goes to clean his study, the ashtray is always empty.¡± Conway said, ¡°You live together, how can you not know?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Everyone has their own stuff going on, I don¡¯t have time to pay attention to that.¡± Conway pretended to be angry, ¡°I don¡¯t care, once you guys are done being busy, you better give me an exnation!¡± Seraphina finally looked at him, ¡°What exnation?¡± ¡°Look at poor Valerio all alone! If you guys had another kid, he¡¯d have a ymate. Then you guys can be as busy as you want, I won¡¯t bother you anymore! And since Leandro¡¯s even trying to quit smoking, you should get your body in shape and be ready, stop running around all over the ce, got it?¡± Conway¡¯s rant was quite impressive, Seraphina blinked, obediently smiling, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Conway didn¡¯t expect her to be sopliant and was momentarily stunned, just as he was about to say something, Seraphina¡¯s phone rang. Seraphina nced at the screen, saw Terrell¡¯s name, and immediately answered. ¡°There¡¯s a problem with Maddox.¡± Terrell said. Upon hearing this, Seraphina almost burst outughing. ¡°He bought a ne ticket to go abroad in the middle of the night, went straight to the airport, he didn¡¯t dare to drive so he called a taxi.¡± Terrell continued, ¡°But who would¡¯ve thought that there¡¯d be a car ident on the highway, seven to eight cars piled up, his car got rear-ended by a truck and became severely deformed¡­¡± After hearing this, Seraphina thought that the nner was too ruthless, then asked, ¡°Did he die on the spot?¡± ¡°His wife died, but he¡¯s still alive, he was taken to the hospital.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina immediately said, ¡°I see, I¡¯m going to ask Herman about the situation.¡± After hanging up, she immediately called Herman. It was chaotic on Herman¡¯s end, judging from the background noise, he should be at the hospital. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Seraphina directly asked, ¡°Can Maddox survive?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet.¡± Herman said, ¡°The doctors said, even if he survives, his legs can¡¯t be saved. Judging from their tone, he has a good chance of surviving.¡± After heari this, Seraphina felt a bit excited, then said, ¡°That¡¯s great. His aplice is dead, he was scared into fleeing with his wife in the middle of the night, now his wife¡¯s dead, his legs are gone, I doubt he¡¯ll continue to protect the nner.¡± ¡°This ident was a pile-up of eight cars, Maddox was in a taxi he called at thest minute.¡± Herman said, ¡°If this really was arranged by the nner, then he¡¯s really powerful.¡± Seraphina was quiet for a while, then said, ¡°Then I guess¡­ you can announce that¡­ Maddox is dead.¡± At the same time, in an outdoor caf¨¦, Keeley was also watching the news about the serious car ident on the big screen in the square. The big screen only briefly reported the news, showing a few pictures of the scene.¡± Keeley sat there quietly, after watching the news, he took out his phone and searched for the news. The webpage quickly showed more pictures of scene and some news reports. After confirming that Maddox was in the pictures, Keeley read the news report. The article said that a university professor¡¯s wife died on the spot, while the professor himself was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Keeley read the news with a nk expression, as he was about to exit, two more news popped up- ¡°ording to reports, the university professor who was rushed to the hospital has died due to severe injuries. So far, this serious car ident has caused the death of a married couple and injured seven people.¡± After reading the new reports, Keeley was silent for a moment,ughed coldly, put his phone on the table, then took out another phone and made a call. ¡°Boss.¡± As soon as the call was connected, Keeley said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The voice on the other end was still calm, without any emotional fluctuations, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I chose to provoke that woman, leading to the current situation¡­ Both Mervin and Mr. Maddox¡¯s identities were exposed because of me.¡± Keeley said, ¡°I¡¯ve caused trouble for everyone.¡± The person on the other end of the line was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°If the two of them got in trouble, it¡¯s probably because they messed up. You don¡¯t need to beat yourself up.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m the one who messed up!¡± ¡°Keeley.¡± The other end called out his name, ¡°Some things are just meant to be, don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Keeley was silent for a while before he spoke again, ¡°Boss, I called you to admit that I messed up. No matter how you decide to punish me, I won¡¯tin. Just give me the word, and I¡¯ll shut up forever.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, don¡¯t overthink it.¡± His boss said, ¡°How could I not trust you? I¡¯ll handle Mervin and the professor¡¯s situation. You don¡¯t have to worry, just live your life.¡± The call was ended abruptly. But Keeley still held his phone, it took him a long time to finally put it down. He watched the hustle and bustle of the crowd near and far, his gaze remained calm. Just then, someone bumped into him, and the next moment, something warm spilled over his shoulder. Keeley¡¯s heart started pounding uncontrobly, he stood up abruptly and turned around to see a waiter had identally spilled a cup of coffee on him. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± The waiter kept apologizing, but Keeley wasn¡¯t even listening. His head was filled with a buzzing noise, and all of a sudden, all the other sounds around him seemed to disappear. He thought he could bear it, but it turned out that waiting for death was so unbearable¡­ Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Seraphina spent all day at home with Valerio, sessfully cheering up the grumpy Valerio, who had been mad because of her recent busyness. At five in the afternoon, Leandro came home, just as Seraphina was getting ready to take Valerio out. The two of them had just changed and wereing down the stairs when they ran into Leandro who had just walked in. Upon seeing Leandro, Valerio stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Seraphina. Seraphina just shrugged, not giving a clear indication. ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°Dinner, then a movie,¡± Seraphina replied, before asking, ¡°You¡¯re home so early today?¡± Leandro grunted in response, then came over to straighten Valerio¡¯s already neat little suit, casually asking, ¡°What movie are you guys seeing?¡± Valerio turned to Seraphina again, and so did, Leandro. Suddenly, Seraphina felt cornered. Were this father and son duo both waiting for her to invite Leandro along? But the more she felt this way, the less she wanted to speak. She walked forward, took Valerio¡¯s hand, and smiled at Leandro, saying, ¡°Well, see youter then.¡± With that, she started to walk out with Valerio, but Leandro¡¯s face fell and he reached out to grab her. Seraphina turned to look at him, and Leandro simply said, ¡°Wait for me.¡± Then he went upstairs. Seraphina and Valerio shared a look, and Valerio grinned. In a short while, Leandro came down the stairs in different clothes, joini Since it was still early, the three of them went to see a movie first. for their date. Since it was Saturday, they watched a cartoon movie. The cinema was filled with kids, most of whom were giggling and ying around. And in their theater, more than half of the audience were children. Most kids love to find resonance when watching a drama, especially when surrounded by peers, so the whole theater was noisy with kids loudly discussing the plot, especially the two behind them, who were the loudest. In the darkness, Seraphina sneakily nced at Leandro and saw him slightly o watching the big screen intently. Looking at Valerio sitting in between them, he was in the same pose, with the same expression, watching the big screen. They were exactly the same. Just as Seraphina was about to look away, Leandro suddenly turned to look at her. Seraphina thought for a moment, then leaned in closer to him, whispering in his ear over Valerio, ¡°Kids can be a real headache, right?¡± Leandro just nced at her and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±. At his response, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but pout, and Leandro turned his gaze back to the big screen. After the movie, to soothe the headache caused by the kids, Seraphina deliberately chose the most expensive restaurant in town for dinner. Her reasoning was that Valerio wanted fries and burgers, which a fast-food joint certainly wouldn¡¯t satisfy Mr. Reynolds¡¯ pte. Leandro had no objections to this decision. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. By the time they arrived at the restaurant, it was dinner time. Usually, at this time, it¡¯s hard to find a seat in this restaurant without a reservation. But when the manager saw Leandro, he immediately greeted them and swiftly arranged a rtively private table for them. Seraphina enjoyed this convenience and didn¡¯t say much. Just as she was happily browsing the menu, she suddenly heard a somewhat unfamiliar voice calling them, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Reynolds.¡± Leandro nced at the person, his face expressionless. Seraphina looked up and saw Tania. Tania¡¯s¡¯ voice sounded unfamiliar because it was somewhat different from the usual Tania, as was the person standing before them. The always arrogant rich girl, now suddenly gentle and docile. Wasn¡¯t that strange? ¡°Ms. Martin?¡± Seraphina called out in confusion. Tania blushed andughed awkwardly, then said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here. I came to apologize.¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow and waited for her to continue. ¡°I said some unpleasant things to you because of some misunderstandings. I hope you can forgive me,¡± Tania said. Considering her previous words, mostly directed at Seraphina, this apology was mainly for her. After hearing this, Seraphina smiled slightly, ¡°Ms. Martin, you seem different today.¡± Tania still maintained her docile demeanor, ¡°I was immature before. Your deep love for each other wouldn¡¯t be affected by my unreasonable words. But regardless, I still hope to have your forgiveness.¡± Seraphina and Leandro exchanged a look, then she said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not a petty person. Since you¡¯ve apologized, we won¡¯t hold a grudge.¡± Upon hearing this, Tania immediatelyughed, ¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t disturb your dinner then.¡± With that, she waved at Seraphina and briskly walked in another direction. Suddenly, Seraphina stood up, ¡°I need to go to the restroom.¡± With that, she turned and walked in the direction Tania had left. After a few steps, around a corner, Seraphina saw by the floor-to-ceiling window of the restaurant, the table where Tania had returned, there was another person, Bowen Smith. After sitting down, Tania seemed to be filling Bowen in on what had just happened, putting on her best good-girl act and seemingly waiting for his praise. Bowen just quietly listened to her and then gave a small smile and a squeeze of her hand. The next moment, Bowen spotted Seraphina. But he didn¡¯t look surprised nor panicked. Instead, he raised his drink in a toast to Seraphina. Following his gaze, Tania also saw Seraphina and waved at her with a smile. Seraphina responded with a grin and then made a beeline for the restroom. She should¡¯ve known. Who else but Bowen could have brought about such a change in Tania? Bowen used to treat Tania poorly, but he just had to wave his hand and Tania woulde running back, even groveling with an apology to please him. Seraphina, who was skilled in handling rtionships, couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by such tactics. When she stepped out of the restroom again, Seraphina didn¡¯t even nce their way and just went back to her own table. ¡°Why do you think Tania came to apologize?¡± Seraphina asked Leandro. Leandro was busy scanning the menu. Without even lifting his head, he replied, ¡°Because of Bowen.¡± Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Seraphina was genuinely surprised when she heard him. She paused, then asked, ¡°How¡¯d you find out?¡± Leandro gave her a look but didn¡¯t answer. Of course, he knew because of the information he got from the guys he sent to investigate Bowen. Not only did he know Tania¡¯s apology was because of Bowen, he also knew that Bowen had spent the previous night with Tania. Seraphina didn¡¯t question how he figured it out, the reason was pretty obvious. Tania, a snooty rich girl who looked down on everyone and everything, would only admit she was wrong because of love, and it was a kind of love that cost her dignity. ¡°All guys are like that, huh? Just because they¡¯ve got a girl, they think they can do whatever they want?¡± Seraphina took a sip of water, then blurted out. Leandro gave her a slow nce, Seraphina seemed to realize something, she quickly looked at him and smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you.¡± She paused briefly, then continued, ¡°Bowen once told me not to investigate the Martin family, saying they¡¯re dangerous. I didn¡¯t listen. He said he¡¯d protect me in his own way. Do you think this is his way?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Leandro replied, quickly changing the subject, ¡°take a look at what you want to eat.¡± Seraphina looked at him, then at Valerio, and for the moment, she set aside her issues with Bowen and focused on her meal.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. This was the first time the three of them had officially gone out to eat together. Valerio seemed thrilled. He, who usually didn¡¯t have much of an appetite, ate more than half of what he usually did. Seraphina stopped him, worried he might overeat. ¡°Are you happy?¡± Seraphina asked him. Valerio nodded. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Do you want to do this again?¡± Valerio immediately nodded. Seraphina raised an eyebrow, ¡°Alright then.¡± Valerio¡¯s eyes sparkled as he watched Seraphina. ¡°When you want to do this again, let us know,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Your dad and I will take you out again.¡± As soon as she finished, Leandro looked at Valerio to find his eyes a little dim, but not overly disappointed. Instead, he seemed to be contemting something. Seeing him like this, Seraphina locked eyes with Leandro, then excused herself to the restroom. Leandro quietly watched Valerio for a moment, suddenly realizing the enormous changes that Seraphina had brought about in him. Before, if someone suggested that he speak, he was always terrified and avoided the topic as if it was forbidden, As for seeing a psychologist, he was extremely resistant, and things got worse after appointments. But today, when Seraphina brought it up casually, he didn¡¯t show much resistance. Instead, he seemed to be seriously considering the issue. Leandro leaned forward slightly, looked at Valerio, and asked softly, ¡°You don¡¯t know what to call her, do you?¡± Valerio looked up at him, his eyes widening. After a while, a helpless expression appeared on his face. Leandro suddenly reached out and gently touched his chest. ¡°Whatever your heart tells you to call her, that¡¯s what you should call her.¡± Seraphina came out of the restroom and ran into Bowen who was on his way to the restroom. They locked eyes, and although Seraphina didn¡¯t want to talk to him, she couldn¡¯t help herself.. She stopped and looked at Bowen, ¡°Bowen, you really know how to pull the strings. Tania was so pissed the other day, and now she¡¯s beside you again.¡± Bowen listened, but didn¡¯t react much, just smiled faintly, ¡°I have to keep myself busy somehow.¡± ¡°Does it have to be this?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Sandra died still misunderstanding your rtionship with Tania. She hasn¡¯t been gone that long, and you¡¯re already back with Tania. Do you think you¡¯re being fair to Sandra?¡± ¡°Seraphina, I¡¯ll take whatever you say,¡± Bowen said, ¡®But I know I should do this.¡± Seraphina understood what he meant. She paused before saying, ¡°You want to avenge Sandra? Do you think dealing with the Martin family is easy?¡± Bowen looked down,ughed, and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ve already lost the most important person, what else do I have to fear? Time, energy. even life, I can give it all. If I can avenge her and before I see her again, that would be great. If not, I still want to see her.¡± Listening to him, Seraphina just said, ¡°You really loved her.¡± ¡°Seraphina,¡± Bowen called her again, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll handle this. You and Mr. Reynolds have been through a lot to get to where you are today, you should cherish your great rtionship. Don¡¯t take risks Seraphina didn¡¯t respond, just gave a faint smile and walked away. On the way home, Seraphina noticed Valerio seemed distracted. Usually, his full attention would be on her, but today, he was unusually quiet. Seraphina sneaked a look at him and noticed that he was clenching his little hands tightly. Clearly, he was focusing on himself, trying to muster up the courage. Seraphina exchanged nces with Leandro, but didn¡¯t intervene. That night, as Leandro held Seraphina in his arms, she brought up the events of the day again. ¡°When do you think he¡¯ll start talking?¡± Seraphina asked. Leandro just said, ¡°Someday.¡± Seraphina sighed, resting her head on his chest. ¡°He¡¯s too well-behaved, and too pitiful,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Leandro, you have to give him the best of everything. Because he deserves it.¡± Leandro heard her, gave her a nce, and slowly said, ¡°I¡¯ll give the best to not just him.¡± Seraphina lifted her eyes and looked at him, ¡± Do you understand the meaning of ¡®the best¡¯?¡± Suddenly, Leandro rolled over and pinned her underneath him. Startled, Seraphina wanted to escape, but found no ce to run. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s say there¡¯s only one ¡®best¡¯.¡± Leandro said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll give it all to you.¡± Before Seraphina could reply, he bent down and kissed her. It wasn¡¯t until the heat of passion rose, that Leandro whispered again, ¡°How to divide it, who to give it to, when to give it, it¡¯s all up to you.¡± Seraphina¡¯s forehead was pressed against his, their breath mingling. Upon hearing his words, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft sigh. Then, her breath was stolen away once again by Leandro. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Seraphina reckoned, she and Leandro probably had a pretty clear idea of what each other was thinking. He decided to quit smoking because he wanted a kid, but she didn¡¯t. He respected her choice, but he might still be a bit pissed off, which made her feel tired that night. The next day, Seraphina was supposed to apany Conway Reynolds to the hospital for a check- up, but she didn¡¯t get up when it was time. In the end, it was the housemaid who woke her up with a knock on the door. She dragged herself out of the bed and into the bathroom. The maid tidied up her room a bit. When she finally came downstairs, Conway was all set to go and was waiting for her on the couch. ¡°She just got up,¡± the maid told Conway, ¡°She must have been exhaustedst night.¡± Conway just chuckled, ¡°Looks like I might get a chance to see Leandro¡¯s kid after all, huh?¡± The maid hesitated before shaking her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She then shook the trash bag she had just cleaned out from Seraphina¡¯s room. Conway understood right away and sighed heavily. When Seraphina finally got ready and came downstairs, it was already half an hourter. The moment she reached the bottom of the stairs and affectionately took Conway¡¯s hand, she got a whack on the leg with a walking stick. ¡°Ouch.¡± She immediately covered her leg and looked at Conway, ¡°Grandpa, what the heck? I was just a littlete.¡± Conway grunted and left the house without asking her anything. Seraphina¡¯s n wasn¡¯t just to apany Conway to the hospital. Since Maddox happened to be in the same hospital, she nned to check on him too. Once at the hospital, all of Conway¡¯s affairs were arranged by Lorenzo Reynolds. Seraphina took the opportunity to sneak into the ICU. The good thing about a private hospital is the privacy, but for a reporter, it¡¯s not so great. As soon as Seraphina got upstairs and was about to enter the ward, she was stopped. A cop was standing guard at the entrance of Maddox¡¯s room. Seraphina wanted to get close but couldn¡¯t. Just when she was thinking what to do, Herman Garcia happened to walk towards the room from another direction. ¡°Herman!¡± She called out to him immediately. Upon seeing her, Herman frowned slightly and then allowed her toe over. She finally got close and looked into the room through the small window on the door. Maddox was covered in medical tubes and seemed to be still unconscious. ¡°How¡¯s he doing?¡± She asked Herman. Herman crossed his arms and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ve just spoken to the doctor. His condition is stable for now. If there are noplications, he should wake up soon.¡± Listening to Herman, she couldn¡¯t help but grit her teeth, ¡°Can you let me know when he wakes up? I want toe see him.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Herman Jooked at her again, ¡°He¡¯s under close surveince. It¡¯s already against the rules to let you see him now.¡± Seraphina was pissed at his habit of using and then discarding others, ¡°Don¡¯t forget who helped you find out his information!¡± Herman gave her a nce and said, ¡°And don¡¯t you forget, if I were to strictly follow the rules, I would have taken you to the police station for questioning a long time ago.¡± ¡°Question me about what?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You know their identities, you had conflicts with them, and they¡¯re getting into idents one after another. What do you think I¡¯ll ask you?¡± Herman said. Hearing this, she couldn¡¯t help but snort, ¡°You finally figured it out. Yes, I¡¯m the culprit.¡± Herman rolled his eyes and decided to ignore her. ¡°The culprit could also be Leandro.¡± She said, ¡°After all, he spoils me and does whatever I say!¡± Herman couldn¡¯t help but facepalm, ¡°Can you please stop making things worse?¡± ¡°Why do you look down on me so much?¡± She said, ¡°The most unlikely scenario often turns out to be the truth.¡± ¡°Alright, detective, I get your point.¡± Herman said, ¡°You should leave now. It¡¯s not good if people see you around here.¡± She huffed, took another look into the room, and then turned to leave. She went downstairs. Conway¡¯s check-ups were being carried out smoothly. Since she had nothing to do, she sat in Lorenzo¡¯s office and waited patiently. Again, the advantage of a private hospital shone through. Despite Lorenzo being a young doctor, his office was spacious andfortable, with windows overlooking the central garden. Only two or three people were resting on the benches in the garden. As she was about to look away, something caught her eye. She looked back at the garden and saw a white skirt swaying behind a big tree, as if someone was hiding there. She watched the tree for a while. After some time, a head finally emerged from behind it. It was a teenage girl with long hair in a white dress. She was looking at the window where Seraphina was. When their eyes met, the girl seemed to get scared and quickly hid behind the tree again. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but look in that direction a few more times. But the girl never showed her face again. Soon, Conway finished all his check-ups and returned to the office with Lorenzo. Seraphina was still standing by the window looking out. ¡°Sera.¡± Conway noticed she was still standing there, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Only then did she turn around and look at Lorenzo, ¡°Lory, is there something off about your hospital?¡± Lorenzo nced at her and looked out the window as well. Just then, the girl in white popped her head out again, exchanged a nce with Lorenzo, then quickly retreated, even pulling her skirt back out of sight. Lorenzo averted his eyes, closed the blinds, and finally sat down to discuss his current health condition with Conway. He said Conway¡¯s health had improved significantly since before. ¡°I knew it.¡± Seraphina eagerly reached out to hold Conway¡¯s hand, ¡°You¡¯ll live a long and healthy life.¡± Conway sighed, ¡°I¡¯m worried that even though I¡¯ll live long and healthy, I still won¡¯t live long enough to see you and Leandro¡¯s child.¡± ¡°You will!¡± Seraphina immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it when I get home!¡± Lorenzo, listening to her unabashed words, slightly frowned, while Conway reached out and pinched her face. When Lorenzo walk the two out of the hospital, Seraphina saw the girl in white again ¨C this time she was by a pir of the hospital building, cautiously peering this way. Seraphina and Lorenzo both saw her at the same time, and Seraphina finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Do you know her?¡± Lorenzo shook his head nkly. So Seraphina simplymented, ¡°Either she¡¯s up to something fishy, or she¡¯s got a problem.¡± Lorenzo slightly frowned and then abruptly closed the car door for her. The news today was generally good, Seraphina was in a good mood and didn¡¯t want to fuss with him. In the afternoon, Seraphina was happily learning to make apple pie with the maid when she suddenly received a call from Herman. She initially thought Herman was going to tell her Maddox had woken up and was even preparing to go upstairs to change clothes, but when she clearly heard Herman¡¯s voice on the phone, she froze on the spot. Herman said, ¡°Maddox didn¡¯t wake up. He passed away.¡± Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Seraphina doubted her own ears for a moment. ¡°Come again,¡± she said to Herman. Herman, too, seemed reluctant to ept the fact. After a while, he repeated, ¡°Maddox is dead.¡± Seraphina blurted out an expletive, unable to control herself. ¡°He¡¯s dead?¡± She was nearly out of control, ¡°You told me this morning that he would wake up soon, now you¡¯re telling me he¡¯s dead. How did he die? How could he just drop dead like that?¡± Herman lit a cigarette on the other end of the phone, and after a while, he said. ¡°His injuries were severe what¡¯s so surprising about him dying?¡± Seraphina hung up the phone in anger. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. She hadn¡¯t lost her cool in a long time, but the news of Maddox¡¯s death had indeed struck a nerve. She waspletely dazed for a moment. On the other end of the phone, Herman stood at the end of the hospital hallway, a cigarette in his hand, silently staring into the distance. Knowing she was not in a stable state of mind and not wanting to affect the people at home, Seraphina quickly returned to her room and paced back and forth in her bedroom. Maddox¡¯s injuries were indeed severe, and sudden death was possible under such circumstances. But when she was about to find out the identity of the fourth member of their criminal team, he suddenly died. Wasn¡¯t that strange? Thinking about this, Seraphina suddenly stopped pacing, and after a while, she changed her clothes and went straight to the hospital. When she arrived at the hospital, Herman hadn¡¯t left. Even though Maddox had been dered dead and his body had been taken away, Herman was still standing at the door of his room, quietly looking at the empty bed. Seraphina walked up and nudged him. It seemed to bring Herman back to his senses. He turned to look at her, and after a while, he found his voice and said, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t exin everything over the phone,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I just want to know, why did Maddox suddenly die? Did he have anyplications? Or did a part of his body suddenly mutate?¡± Herman was silent for a while before answering. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait for the autopsy results to know the exact cause.¡± ¡°What if he didn¡¯t die suddenly because of his severe injuries? Seraphina asked. Herman suddenly nced at her, ¡°What are you getting at?¡± Seraphina was firm, ¡°He was murdered again.¡± Herman immediately looked away, ¡°How is that possible? How many people do you think knew he was still alive?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°You would know best how many people knew. So, who among them came here? Who entered this room?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve had people guarding the door of the room at all times.¡± Herman¡¯s voice was hoarse and his eyebrows were furrowed, ¡°Do you think someone could have done it under our watch?¡± Looking at Herman¡¯s tired and angry face, Seraphina suddenly seemed to realize something. ¡°You already have a suspect in mind, don¡¯t you?¡± Herman¡¯s eyes suddenly became tense. He looked away and replied somewhat rudely, ¡°No!¡± His denial only made Seraphina more convinced of her suspicion. She reached out and grabbed him, ¡°You do!¡± Herman forcefully broke free from Seraphina and turned to walk towards the elevator. Seraphina quickly caught up with him, ¡°You have a suspect in mind, why don¡¯t you investigate? Who is making you hesitate so much? How can you let the murderer get away?¡± Herman suddenly stopped, turned to look at her, and there was a hint of terror on his handsome face, ¡°I will investigate! I will definitely investigate! But right now there¡¯s no evidence, I won¡¯t just suspect someone who might be innocent!¡± ¡°Stop making excuses!¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Isn¡¯t investigating a case about making bold assumptions and verifying them carefully? You don¡¯t dare to suspect someone? If you don¡¯t even dare to suspect someone, what are you investigating?¡± Herman once again walked towards the elevator. Seraphina followed him closely, ¡°Who exactly is making you so unwilling to ept the truth? Can you eliminate his suspicion by not epting it? Stop fooling yourself! You are a policeman, this is what you should do!¡± She kept saying these things, but Herman seemed to not hear, he walked out of the elevator, quickly walked to his car, got in, and didn¡¯t give Seraphina a chance to get in, and then quickly left the hospital. Seraphina was left behind, she stomped her foot in anger, and then called Leandro. ¡°Leandro,¡± she rarely spoke to him so serious, ¡°Take me to find Herman! Now!¡± On the other end of the phone, Leandro, who was preparing for a meeting, paused for a moment and only replied, ¡°Okay.¡± He hung up the phone, and when he informed Keen to cancel the meeting, Keen was taken aback, but did not dare to ask more, he could only say, ¡°Alright.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Leandro left thepany that Yasmina pushed the door into his office. Looking at Keen who was still tidying up, she asked curiously, ¡°What happened? The executives from several departments have been preparing for this meeting for two weeks, why did he cancel the meeting?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Keen replied impatiently, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds called, and that was it.¡± Hearing this, Yasmina couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows and sigh, ¡°He¡¯s really spoiling his wife.¡± Everyone has their own psychological defenses, which can be divided into severalyers. Regardless of how manyyers Herman¡¯s psychological defense had, Seraphina was clearly excluded. To get him to talk, Leandro was obviously a better candidate. Leandro brought Seraphina to the door of Herman¡¯s apartment, pressed the doorbell, and the door opened shortly after. Herman, with a cigarette in his hand, appeared behind the door, looking much calmer than before. He nced at Leandro and Seraphina at the door, then simply called out, ¡°Leandro.¡± Seraphina hovered behind Leandro, not making a move. Leandro, on the other hand, didn¡¯t hesitate. He grabbed her hand and led her through the door. The room was thick with smoke and even though Seraphina wasn¡¯t particrly sensitive to it, she couldn¡¯t help but cough. It was clear that Herman was seriously pissed off. On the living room table, aptop was open, its screen showing a surveince video. Seraphina took a nce and realized it was footage from a hospital elevator. This time, Herman wasn¡¯t resisting like before. He just stood there, staring at theputer screen! ¡°What the heck did you find that¡¯s got you so bummed?¡± Leandro asked. It took a while for Herman to respond. His voice was hoarse and even shaky as he finally said, ¡°My mentor.¡± Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Hearing this, Seraphina was instantly taken aback, and Leandro also furrowed his brows slightly. Seraphina nced at the frantic and desperate Herman, then at Leandro, realizing that Leandro might know who Herman¡¯s mentor was, and gently pulled on his sleeve, ¡°Who is it?¡± Leandro turned his head and looked at her. Although his expression was calm, it was not an indifferent attitude. Herman¡¯s mentor, of course, was someone from the police department. Back when Herman had just graduated from the police academy and was still a rookie, he started to work on cases with his mentor Naylor. Naylor had a wealth of experience in handling cases and had a very cheerful personality. He had a good rtionship with everyone in the police station and was willing to teach newbies, so Herman directly acknowledged him as his mentor after working with him for a short period of time. From the time Herman was a junior officer to now as a team leader, their rtionship was like father and son, never changed. Now, Naylor had been promoted but still worked in the same police station as Herman, and they saw each other every day, without anything unusual ever happening. Naylor always respected thew, despised evil, and had never even made a small mistake, let alone committing such a heinous crime that openly challenges thew and human rights. Even if Herman suspected everyone in the world to be a criminal, he would never doubt him. But today¡­ He had stayed up all nightst night and rushed to the hospital this morning, waiting wholeheartedly for Maddox to wake up and give his statement in person, so he didn¡¯t leave at noon either, he just went back to his car and took a nap. Because he was troubled, his sleep was not sound. He unintentionally opened his eyes and seemed to see a familiar figure. When he woke up to take a closer look, the figure had disappeared into the hospital building. Herman thought he was seeing things and quickly withdrew his gaze. But not long after, his phone suddenly rang. He answered the call, it was a colleague telling him that Maddox¡¯s condition had suddenly ¨C deteriorated and was undergoing emergency treatment. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Herman immediately woke up, jumped out of the car, and rushed into the hospital building. He was anxious and didn¡¯t wait for the elevator, so he rushed up the stairs. Maddox¡¯s ward was on the 12th floor, but in his haste, he was running with his head down and identally ran up to the 13th floor. In the stairwell of the 13th floor, he saw Naylor smoking at the corner of the stairs. ¡°Sir?¡± Herman was stunned for a moment, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Naylor saw him, just slightly raised his eyebrows, the cigarette in his hand swaying slightly, and slowly said, ¡°I¡¯m here to visit a patient, just taking a smoke break. What are you doing here?¡± After saying that, he seemed to suddenly remember something, and answered his own question, ¡°Is it about Maddox¡¯s case? What¡¯s the situation now?¡± ward ¡°He was supposed to wake up, but his condition has suddenly worsened.¡± Herman quickly answered, ready to rush to the ward, and saw the number on the wall, only then did he realize he had run to the wrong floor, and turned around and went back down the stairs. Naylor quickly put out the cigarette in his hand and also followed him down. Both of them arrived at Maddox¡¯s ward at the same time, only to meet the doctor who had just finished the CPR, announcing the news of Maddox¡¯s death. ¡°It seems that your mentor didn¡¯t do anything suspicious.¡± Seraphina said. Herman lowered his eyes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Maddox¡¯s condition would suddenly worsen, so I asked the duty officer if anyone other than the doctor had entered the ward. He said no, but I wasn¡¯t satisfied, so I went to check the surveince video.¡± However, when he went to check the surveince video on the 12th floor, he was told that the surveince on the 12th floor had just malfunctioned yesterday and had not been repaired yet. Herman was highly alert, so he quickly checked the elevator surveince video. In a surveince video full of strangers, people¡¯s eyes would inadvertently focus on the people they are familiar with. When Naylor¡¯s figure appeared in the elevator, Herman¡¯s gaze naturally fell on him. There were only three people in the elevator, and the first two each pressed the floor they wanted to go to, and Naylor also pressed the floor he wanted to go to. It was a very natural move, he pressed the 12th floor. Seeing this, Herman slightly furrowed his brows. The next moment, Naylor seemed to realize something and pressed the 13th floor. It was as if he had pressed the 12th floor by mistake, or it was a slip of the hand. When the elevator stopped on the 12th floor, Naylor did not leave until the elevator reached the 13th floor, then he walked out of the elevator. He went up to the 13th floor, out of Herman¡¯s surveince range, so Herman immediately continued to check the other people who went up to the 12th floor. However, after watching the relevant time period of the video, he did not find any suspicious persons. He was unwilling to ept the result of Maddox dying by ident. But if Maddox did not die identally but was murdered for the second time, it must be the work of that criminal group. But he had already announced Maddox¡¯s death, and only a few people knew that Maddox was actually still alive. How did that person get the news, and even rushed to the hospital to kill Maddox? Numerous possibilities shed through Herman¡¯s mind, and in the end, he decided to recheck the elevator surveince video. This time, when he saw Naylor, he suddenly paused. Besides him, among those who knew that Maddox was still alive, Naylor was also among them. After watching the surveince of Naylor going up to the 13th floor, Herman checked the surveince on the 13th floor again. He saw Naylor walk out of the elevator and head directly towards the stairwell. Why would someone who just got out of the elevator go to the stairwell? At that moment, Herman¡¯s mind went nk. There were no cameras in the stairwell, he couldn¡¯t see anything. He couldn¡¯t confirm whether Naylor went up or down, or whether he just smoked quietly in the stairwell. About ten minutester, Naylor appeared again in the hallway of the 13th floor. He went to the restroom once, and when he reappeared, he walked into the stairwell. Herman checked the time and found that it was only two minutes before he was told that Maddox¡¯s condition had worsened. Then he hurriedly ran upstairs, only to run into Naylor smoking in the stairwell. His mind was a total mess, and then he went to question the cop on duty at the time. He found out that the officer had gone to the washroom just before Maddox¡¯s condition worsened, but the whole ordeal shouldn¡¯t have taken more than five minutes. But just a short while after those five minutes, Maddox was dead! Herman was so pissed he wanted to punch someone, but he held back. Maybe it was all just a coincidence? Maybe Maddox was just down on his luck and died because his condition suddenly got worse? ¡°That makes sense.¡± After hearing Herman¡¯s story and watching the surveince footage, Seraphina suddenly chimed in. Herman stared at her wide-eyed, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how much of a mastermind Maddox could really be, to orchestrate such a perfect ident without leaving a trace.¡± Seraphina scoffed, ¡°But it¡¯s clear now. It¡¯s not that his n was so wless, but¡­there¡¯s someone behind him cleaning up his mess. I think we both know who that is, don¡¯t we?¡± Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, Herman¡¯s gaze went nk for a moment. Actually, while going through these surveince videos again and again, he had already thought about this possibility. Yet, even though this idea had crossed his mind, hearing it from someone else made it feelpletely different. Especially when it was as firmly stated as Seraphina did. No matter how long he had thought about it or how many conjectures he had made, he found it hard to ept at this moment. ¡°All we have are theories,¡± Herman said in a low voice. ¡°We don¡¯t have any proof¡± Seraphina looked at him and said, ¡°They¡¯re theories, but they¡¯re reasonable theories. You thought of it yourself, why can¡¯t you ept it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t ept it,¡± Herman said. ¡°But investigations need evidence, we can¡¯t just use someone based on a guess!¡± ¡°You need evidence, I don¡¯t.¡± After saying this, Seraphina turned to leave Leandro, who had been silent all this while, reached out to stop her. Seraphina looked back at him. Leandro gave her a look and said softly, ¡°Calm down.¡± Seraphina wanted to shake him off. Now that the crime syndicate responsible for harming Sandra Smith was fully exposed to her, how could she stay calm? But this thought onlysted a moment. Looking into Leandro¡¯s eyes, Seraphina paused a bit and then slowly calmed down. ¡°Alright,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ll calm down.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t let go of her hand, holding it all the while, asionally squeezing it as if to remind her of his presence. Seraphina did feel it and her mind gradually settled down. She looked at Herman again and said slowly, ¡°Since he¡¯s a suspect and you don¡¯t have any evidence, you should be looking for evidence instead of denying the possibility.¡± After hearing this, Herman lit up a cigarette and walked over to a nearby balcony. Seraphina watched as Herman left. Suddenly, she thought of something and nudged Leandro. Leandro looked back at her. Seraphina made a gesture at him and then looked back at Herman, signaling him to go over. Herman might not want to listen to her, but he should be willing to listen to Leandro, right? N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Getting Seraphina¡¯s hint, Leandro let go of her hand and walked towards the balcony. The night was dim and neon lights one after another lit up. From the balcony, the city lights were flickering, beautiful and peaceful. But who knew how much evil was hidden behind this beauty? Hearing Leandro¡¯s footsteps, Herman didn¡¯t move from the balcony. After a while, he said, ¡°I know everything she said is right, but I just¡­don¡¯t want to face this truth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not you don¡¯t want to face the truth,¡± Leandro said. ¡°You just don¡¯t want to face this person.¡± ¡°My mentor¡­¡± Herman paused for a moment, then said, ¡°He¡¯s a great cop¡­ When I first joined the force, he took us rookies under his wing, handling cases all day and drinking with us at night. He never showed any arrogance as a leader and generously shared all his detective skills with us¡­ Everything I can do today¡­ including my drinking abilities, were all trained by him¡­ How can I believe he¡¯d be capable of such a crime?¡± After hearing this, Leandro was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°You put too much emphasis on emotions, but the most unpredictable thing in this world is the human heart. Maybe when you¡¯ve experienced enough, you¡¯ll gradually understand that besides yourself, no one can be fully trusted¡± Hearing this, Herman looked at him and slowly repeated, ¡°Besides myself, no one can be fully trusted? Isn¡¯t such a life too sad?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing sad about it, Leandro said lightly. Just get used to it.¡± ¡°Is that how you are? Herman got his meaning, ¡°Can¡¯t you find anyone in this world who you fully trust? What about me? Can¡¯t you trust me?¡± Leandro looked him in the eye, then slowly started to smile, ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t be trusted, it¡¯s just that I have my reservations and can¡¯t fully open myself up to you.¡± Hearing this, Herman suddenly looked back at the living room. There, Seraphina was sitting on the couch, talking on the phone with someone. Herman might have been a bit disappointed and angry, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What about her?¡± Leandro followed Herman¡¯s gaze, his eyesnded on Seraphina, he paused for a moment, then said, ¡°She¡¯s an exception.¡± The only exception. Herman was still recovering from the previous shock when he received another one. Just as he was about to retort, Seraphina suddenly got up and walked briskly towards them. Leandro and Herman both turned to look at her. Seraphina¡¯s expression was serious as she held up her phone to Herman, ¡°You wanted evidence, right? I found some for you.¡± Herman¡¯s eyes changed a bit. Seraphina quickly pulled up a video she had just received on her phone. The person in the video was Keeley, and the location was an outdoor coffee shop. In the video, Keeley sat quietly for a while, then suddenly pulled out a phone. ¡°Here, this is after he saw the news about Maddox on the big screen in the square,¡± Seraphina exined. ¡°Who do you guys think he¡¯d call after watching that news?¡± Neither Leandro nor Herman said anything, they just continued to watch the video. In the video, Keeley tossed one phone on the table, then pulled out another phone before he started to make the call. Seraphina continued, ¡°When we were investigating him before, we only found one phone number, but now, he clearly has another phone number that he uses to contact people in his gang.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to investigate,¡± Herman said. ¡°He could use anyone¡¯s phone and use it himself.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But now that you know his call time, why don¡¯t you go check if there¡¯s a matching call record on your mentor¡¯s mobile orndline at the same time?¡± At this, Herman paused again. Leandro nced at him, slowly saying, ¡°If you think he¡¯s innocent, go find out the truth, prove his innocence. If you find him suspicious, don¡¯t consider his status, remember who you are.¡± At this, Herman¡¯s face shifted slightly. Then, bypassing Seraphina, he walked straight into the room. After some rummaging, he finally found his mobile and started dialing. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Seraphina and Leandro were still standing on the balcony, watching Herman in the room looking all flustered. Seeing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but smirk. She shot Leandro a nce, saying, ¡°I really thought he was reliable before, but who knew he¡¯d just run away when troublees. He¡¯s even worse than me, I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s a cop.¡± Leandro looked at her and slowly asked, ¡°So, you wanna be a cop now?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Seraphina responded tly. Leandro leaned against the balcony railing, silently looking at her, waiting for her to exin. Seraphina flopped down on the balcony, right next to him, looking out at the night, and slowly exined, ¡°I¡¯m reckless, I have no boundaries, their line of work isn¡¯t for me.¡± Hearing her words, Leandro paused a bit, then pulled her into his arms. Realizing what she had just said, Seraphina raised her eyebrows nervously. Leandro quietly looked at her, finally just calmly saying, ¡°Could you maybe think about the consequences a little bit more in the future?¡± Seraphina blinked, and after a moment of silence, she obediently responded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be more cautious.¡± Leandro clearly wasn¡¯t satisfied with this answer, but didn¡¯t say anything else. After a pause, he asked, ¡°If one day, you were up against me, what would you do?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina slowly repeated, ¡°I[?¡± ¡°If.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re just asking hypothetically, not that you¡¯ve actually done anything illegal, right?¡± Seraphin¨¢ asked back. Leandro thought for a moment, then responded, ¡°I suppose so.¡± Seraphina, hearing his uncertain tone, wasn¡¯t sure if he was serious or pretending. She tiptoed up to look at him, then after a moment, she scoffed and said, ¡°Either way, the answer¡¯s the same. Leandro, if there everes a day when you¡¯re in such a situation, I won¡¯t hesitate to expose everything.¡± Hearing this, Leandro didn¡¯t seem surprised, but he asked, ¡°No hesitation at all?¡± ¡°None.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t even have a moment of doubt?¡±. ¡°Nope.¡± Leandro quietly nodded, not saying anything else. Seeing his reaction, Seraphina didn¡¯t want the conversation to just end like this. ¡°Got any other questions?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± ¡°Your decision is the right one, I have nothing to add,¡± Leandro replied. Satisfied, Seraphina nodded and said, ¡°So, better be wise and don¡¯t mess up. If I find out, I won¡¯t show any mercy.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t reply for a moment. Seraphina suddenly pulled on him, ¡°Say something.¡± After looking at her for a moment, Leandro finally responded, ¡°Okay.¡± While they were talking, Herman had finished his phone call and came back out. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to look into it,¡± he said. ¡°Should have a response soon.¡± Seraphina simply acknowledged him with a hum, saying nothing else. Leandro didn¡¯t say anything either, instead turning to look out at the balcony. The house was handpicked by Herman¡¯s mother, who thought that he needed aforting ce to live due to his stressful work. Thus, Herman¡¯s balcony was quite spacious andfortable. But at that moment, the usually spacious andfortable balcony suddenly felt awkward and tense. Already anxious, Herman was a bit slow to notice the awkwardness. It was only when he was lighting his cigarette that he realized. something was off. He looked up at the two people standing next to him, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t turn around, but Seraphina answered, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. This is my first time at your ce and I can¡¯t even get a meal, how terrible.¡± After saying that, she leaned into Leandro and looked up at him, ¡°Don¡¯t invite him over for dinner anymore. The give and take isn¡¯t bnced in this friendship, it won¡¯tst!¡± Herman knew she was joking, but still felt awkward. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and looked at Seraphina, ¡°Your highness, Ms. Bet, I¡¯ll order takeout for you guys right now, are you happy now?¡± He turned back into the house, leaving Seraphina and Leandro on the balcony. Ever since their conversation about the ¡°ifs¡±, Leandro¡¯s demeanor had noticeably cooled. This kind of moodiness could be a big mistake for a woman, but for a man, especially a man like Leandro, it became an interesting trait. ¡°Leandro, are you mad?¡± Seraphina asked bluntly. Leandro looked at her and said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Seraphina said. Leandro continued to look at her, and she continued, ¡°Because I¡¯ve been in a bad mood too. If I¡¯m in a bad mood and you¡¯re mad at me, our rtionship will hit rock bottom, which isn¡¯t healthy.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you had such a clear and rational understanding of our rtionship,¡± Leandro slowly said. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Seraphina furrowed her brows, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want? Or do you actually like irrational women? I can do that too! Just give me a moment¡­¡± With that, she closed her eyes, adjusted her breathing, as if she was getting ready to transform. Seeing her like this, Leandro was momentarily speechless. He watched her for a moment, then reached out and pulled her into his arms. When Herman came back out to the balcony with the takeout, he saw the two of them passionately kissing. He suddenly froze, stood there for a moment, then turned around and left. It wasn¡¯t until the delivery food arrived that the two people on the balcony returned to the living room, but Herman had been sitting alone on the sofa for almost twenty minutes, his mind a battlefield of conflicting thoughts. Seeing Leandro and Seraphinaing in, he didn¡¯t have the mood to joke around with them, only saying tly, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Seraphina was hungry so she sat down and started eating right away. Herman didn¡¯t have an appetite, so he spent most of the meal just watching Seraphina enjoy her food. During their meal, Herman¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Herman answered immediately, and after a short conversation, his face gradually darkened. Seeing this, Seraphina immediately stopped eating and quietly watched him. Unable to meet Seraphina¡¯s gaze while on the phone, Herman could only look at Leandro, his eyes full of sadness and despair. Leandro reached out and gently patted him on the shoulder. After the call ended, Herman didn¡¯t say anything, he just quickly hung up. By then, Seraphina had already sat up straight on the sofa, ¡°What happened?¡± After a while, Herman said softly, ¡°There¡¯s a call record on his officendline, right at that time.¡± ¡°The officendline?¡± Seraphina was surprised at Naylor¡¯s audacity, then asked, ¡°And who owns the mobile number that made the call?¡± At this question, Herman let out a coldugh, turning his face away. After a while he finally said, ¡°My mentor¡¯s wife.¡± So Naylor used his wife¡¯s ID to get a mobile number, and then gave it to Keeley? Seraphina thought quietly for a while, then startedughing softly, ¡°That¡¯s pretty clever.¡± Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Herman was Naylor¡¯s student, so he knew Naylor¡¯s home situation like the back of his hand. The Naylors was a family of three. The son was off at college and the wife, a sweet housewife. ording to Herman, they lived in a in, old two-bedroom t. No signs of anything fishy there. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not that we couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°but rather his wife and son don¡¯t know anything about it. Or else, why would he use his wife¡¯s ID to register a SIM card for Keeley? This way, when Keeley calls him, it wouldn¡¯t raise any eyebrows ¨C I mean, who¡¯s going to suspect a call from home, right?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. If it hadn¡¯t been for Terrell catching Keeley on the phone, they probably wouldn¡¯t have found a thing. Perhaps it was fate, but their crime ring was nearing its end. The closer they got, the more cracks started to show. Herman lit one cigarette after another, and after a while, he spoke in a low voice, ¡°It seems that his rtionship with Keeley is indeed unusual. If he¡¯s responsible for both Mervin and Maddox¡¯s deaths, why hasn¡¯t he taken any action against Keeley?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, there¡¯s something fishy between them,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Keeley even said he¡¯d rather die than rat anyone out. This shows Naylor trusts him absolutely. He knew Keeley wouldn¡¯t squeal, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t touch him.¡± ¡°Trust like that doesn¡¯t juste outta nowhere,¡± Herman snorted, muttering a curse under his breath. Seraphina didn¡¯t have an answer for that. Leandro looked up at them and slowly said, ¡°Cause Keeley¡¯s the youngest, easiest to manipte. The others had their own life experiences, it¡¯s harder for them to stay loyal.¡± Hearing this, something clicked for Seraphina. ¡°I remember when Keeley was still in high school, his parents died and he dropped out and started working. He was only seventeen or eighteen. If he¡¯d met Naylor around that time, Naylor could¡¯ve been like a father to him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯d never betray Naylor,¡± Herman slowly said, ¡°Among that group, the one Naylor trusts the most is him.¡± ¡°No doubt about it.¡± Seraphina rxed back into Leandro¡¯s arms, gave him a nce before continuing, ¡°Teens are the easiest to control. A youngster only needs a little push to be manipted.¡± Leandro seemed to catch on to something and gave her a heavy look. But Seraphina justughed, looked up at him and said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you must know a thing or two about that, huh? No wonder you -figured-out-everything so quickly. But I¡¯ve got my fair share of experience too, right?¡± Without giving Leandro a chance to rebut, she leaned in to kiss him, then said, ¡°I¡¯mplimenting you, thanking you for your contribution to the case. Don¡¯t get mad. Leandro was speechless. When did he show that he was mad? Herman watched the lovebirds, his head starting to throb. He rubbed his temples and stood up, ¡°I need to step out for a bit. ¡°You¡¯d best not go looking for him,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°He¡¯s already killed two people to cover his tracks. He¡¯s ruthless. You won¡¯t get anywhere with him, he¡¯ll never admit to anything.¡± Herman stopped in his tracks, turned to look at her, ¡°You got a better idea?¡± ¡°The only way in is through Keeley,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°He¡¯s the only one who can pin this on Naylor.¡± ¡°But you said he wouldn¡¯t betray him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s still trust between them. But what if we break that trust?¡± Seraphina said. ¡°How do we break it?¡± Herman asked, ¡°He¡¯s even willing to die for him, what can we do?¡± Seraphina gave him a look then turned to Leandro,ughing, ¡°He thinks Naylor¡¯s done him a good turn, treated him like a son, that¡¯s why he¡¯s so loyal/But what if we tell him that Naylor had something to do with his parents¡¯ death?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a crafty one,¡± Herman said, ¡°You think he¡¯ll just take our word for it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we need to provide convincing evidence,¡± Seraphina nced at Herman, ¡°With your position, we can do a lot.¡± She then turned to Leandro, hugging his neck and said, ¡°And with your resources, it¡¯ll be a piece of cake.¡± Leandro just looked at her silently for a moment without saying a word. But Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, she leaned in to peck him on the lips. Leandro originally just had a loose hold on her waist, but now pulled her into his arms. Clearly, her actions had moved him. Chapter 288 Chapter 288 The night was already deep and doing anything was a bit of a hassle. On top of that, Herman needed some time to calm down and get over the shock while Seraphina had some things to figure out. So, it was destined to be a sleepless night. By the time Seraphina and Leandro got back to Reynolds Vista Retreat, Conway and Valerio were already asleep. Sleeping was thest thing on Seraphina¡¯s mind. She headed straight to the study after getting home. Leandro had a lot on his te today and only now could he snatch some time to get things done. With the study already upied by Seraphina, he had no choice but to work in his bedroom. But not even an hour in, Seraphina barged in. She first pushed the door open, peeked inside, and seeing Leandro on the phone, she hesitated. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t here to sleep. Leandro put down his phone and looked at her, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seraphina then walked over and plopped down in hisp, ¡°You still working?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Leandro answered. Seraphina nced at his muted phone, the screen showing Keen¡¯s name. She frowned a bit, then asked, ¡°Is this work super important? Does it have to be done tonight?¡± Leandro could tell something was up and looked at her with a teasing smile, ¡°What do you want?¡± Seraphina immediately pointed at his phone, ¡°I want this guy on your phone.¡± Leandro had said before that she could always turn to Keen for anything. Indeed, Keen was quite reliable, handling whatever Seraphina gave him quickly and efficiently. Apart from being a bit too honest, Keen was a great assistant. But tonight, she¡¯d been trying to call Keen, but his line was busy all the time. After more than half an hour, she still couldn¡¯t get through. Naturally, she thought of Leandro. Sure enough, he was on the phone with Keen. Her request was a bit unreasonable, but she had a feeling that Leandro would agree. ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte.¡± Before Leandro could say anything, Seraphina added, ¡°Get some rest and deal with this stuff at the office tomorrow. Don¡¯t always pull all-nighters. They age you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Leandro raised an eyebrow but just watched her quietly. That look clearly asked, what about you? ¡°I¡¯m different. I¡¯m a woman. I can just freshen up and recover,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Men can¡¯t pull all- nighters. Once your health is overdrawn, you can¡¯t get it back no matter what.¡± She said it so earnestly as if it were an absolute truth. Leandro knew she was talking nonsense, but he didn¡¯t argue. In that short span, Leandro handed his phone to her. Seraphina happily took it, ¡°Keen, I need your help with something. Can you drop what you¡¯re doing for a bit?¡± As she spoke, she turned to leave. After a few steps, she remembered something, turned back to Leandro, and paused her conversation with Keen, handing the phone back to him, ¡°I¡¯ll call him with my phone in a bit.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Leandro said. ¡°You can use this one.¡± Seraphina blinked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re letting me use your phone?¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina arched an eyebrow, ¡°Nowadays, a phone is a very personal thing. If I have your phone, it¡¯s like having all your secrets. Are you sure you want me to use it?¡± Leandro just watched her quietly, ¡°Do you think I have secrets I don¡¯t want you to know?¡± ¡°If there are other women¡¯s contact info or photos, or men¡¯s contact info and photos in your phone and I find out, I won¡¯t let you off the hook,¡± Seraphina said. Leandro just sat there, saying slowly, ¡°I¡¯d really like to see how you won¡¯t let me off the hook.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve given me your phone, I¡¯ll trust you for now,¡± Seraphina said, then suddenly leaned in and kissed him with a smile. ¡°Alright, get some rest. I have things to do.¡± With that, she turned and left. Leandro sat quietly for a while, then got up, changed clothes, and went to the bathroom. After returning to the study, Seraphina quickly started discussing how to fabricate some evidence with Keen. They were deep in discussion of how to go about it and what the content should be,pletely losing track of time. Seraphina was thoroughly engrossed when she heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was Leandro, she looked up to see a maid carrying a tea cup. ¡°How can your body handle all thesete nights?¡± the maid set the tea in front of Seraphina, ¡°Drink up and get some rest.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Seraphina said gratefully. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± the maid said. ¡°Leandro had me make this for you. He said you didn¡¯t eat enough tonight. You must drink it.¡± Hearing that, Seraphina was taken aback. Indeed, dinner at Herman¡¯s was a bit hurried, but she didn¡¯t think much of it. She didn¡¯t expect Leandro to have noticed. ¡°Is he asleep?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°He said he was going to sleep just now,¡± the maid said. ¡°You should also go to bed soon. Don¡¯t stay up toote, got it?¡± Seraphina nodded repeatedly. After the maid left, Seraphina took a couple of sips of the tea, then got back to discussing with Keen. She was full of energy, and Keen didn¡¯t dare to be sleepy. After all, he was used to it from working with Leandro. Pulling an all-nighter was a piece of cake. She was surprised when, an hourter, the maid came back to the study. Seraphina jumped, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± ¡°I came to collect the dishes,¡± the maid said, walked over to check on Seraphina¡¯s tea drinking progress, then shot her a re. Seraphina stuck out her tongue, but the maid didn¡¯t say anything else. After cleaning up, she muttered, ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping, Leandro¡¯s not sleeping, you two are having a staying-uptepetition¡­¡± Seraphina nced up and asked, ¡°Leandro¡¯s not asleep yet?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The servant replied, ¡°His light is still on.¡± And indeed, Leandro had not gone to bed. In fact, he had tried to sleep, but couldn¡¯t, so he¡¯d decided to get up, turn on hisputer and check his emails. This was a rare urrence. Despite his constant struggles with steep, when he was alone, he hardly ever had trouble falling asleep. This should have been his most peaceful time, but he always felt like something was missing. As for what was missing? The answer was pretty obvious. After checking a few important emails, Leandro shut down hisputer and headed for the bathroom. When he came out, he sharply noticed a slight change in the room. Even though, on the surface, everything looked the same as before, he was sure there was a subtle difference.. Leandro went back to the bed, swiftly reaching under the covers. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. It felt familiar. 3 Leandro lifted the nkets and just plonked himself down. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 In a tender moment, Leandro couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. All night, he had been a jumble of emotions. Feeling empty yet anxious, he realized he had been waiting for this moment. Just when he thought the night was a lost cause, there she was, appearing on his bed like a guardian angel. From provocation and soothing to now surprise, when did this woman gain total control over his emotions? In his arms, she still looked so innocent as if he had intruded into her world uninvited. ¡°Leandro,¡± she saidzily, looking at him with gentle curiosity. ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯ste, shouldn¡¯t we be sleeping?¡± Should they? Leandro reached out and gently pinched her chin. ¡°Should we?¡± Seraphina held his gaze for a moment before breaking intoughter, pushing him away, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take a shower first.¡± As she tried to get up, Leandro pulled her back into his arms before she could even reach the edge of the bed. Ever since Sandra¡¯s incident, Seraphina seemed calm on the outside, but her emotions were far from settled. Even though they tried their best to return to normal life, there was always this heavy stone weighing on their hearts, making it unbearable. Not untilst night, when a key figure in the crime group finally showed up, did they feel a bit relieved and had a chance to breathe. They had waited for this moment for a long time. So, their midnight intimacy was particrly intense and unrestrained. It wasn¡¯t until dawn was about to break that Seraphina fell asleep in Leandro¡¯s arms. Despite knowing that he didn¡¯t have much time to rest, Leandro too fell asleep to the rhythm of her steady, long breaths. The joy of release after prolonged suppression left them overwhelmingly tired. Even someone as disciplined as Leandro couldn¡¯t escape this exhaustion.. Or perhaps, he had already let himself go. In the morning, Conway and Valerio were surprised to find Leandro absent from the breakfast table. Usually, Leandro was the first to leave the house, but it was past his usual time and he was still upstairs. Soon, his driver was seen looking around at the front door. Seeing this, Conway called him in. ¡°What happened?¡± Conway asked. ¡°Mr. Keen called me to say he couldn¡¯t reach Mr. Reynolds¡¯s phone. He asked me to remind Mr. Reynolds that there¡¯s an important meeting this morning,¡± the driver nced at his watch, ¡°There¡¯s not much time left.¡± Conway turned to Valerio, ¡°Valerio, go wake your dad.¡± Valerio nodded and dashed upstairs. In this house, Leandro was not ustomed to locking his bedroom door, so Valerio pushed it open easily. The room was visible in its entirety. Inside, Leandro was holding Seraphina, and she was half-lying in his arms, sound asleep. Valerio stood at the door for a moment before walking quietly towards them. He stood by the bed, gazing at Seraphina¡¯s face for a long time. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. When Leandro suddenly opened his eyes without warning, Valerio immediately straightened up, locking eyes with Leandro. Leandro woke up instantly, his first reaction was to pull the nket over Seraphina. She was actually quite warm and didn¡¯t appreciate this. She was furious and red at Leandro, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Leandro just nced at the spot next to the bed, and Seraphina turned to see Valerio¡¯s innocent eyes and quickly retreated further into the nket. Even though she wasn¡¯t shy, she still needed to keep a good image in front of Valerio. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Seraphina asked in exasperation from inside the nket. Valerio pointed at his watch and then looked at Leandro. Leandro had overslept and knew what he meant. He quickly got out of bed, then turned to Seraphina, ¡°You can sleep a little longer.¡± ¡°No.¡± Seraphina sat up, wrapped in the nket, and red at Leandro. ¡°How can I sleep in your bed? Besides, I¡¯ve got things to do today.¡± After saying this, she pinched Valerio¡¯s cheek, ¡°Alright, we¡¯re getting up now, you go to school.¡± Valerio nodded, and as he reached the door, he turned back and looked thoughtfully at Seraphina and Leandro before leaving. That day, everyone was busy. Herman sorted through all the cases Naylor had handled over the years, identifying several key ones, including: Mervin¡¯s armed assault case fifteen years ago, the arson at Sunburst University¡¯s physics laboratory thirteen years ago, the car ident that killed Keeley¡¯s parents ten years ago, and some other cases that werebeled as idents. When Seraphina had found the connection between Mervin, Maddox, and Keeley, he had wondered whatmon point could possibly link these three seemingly unrted people. But he had never imagined that the person who connected them would be Naylor. Because of these documents, Herman spent the whole day in the archives, and Seraphina, after receivin the entire day outside. the relevant documents, spent She met with people rted to the car ident that killed Keeley¡¯s parents, including Keeley¡¯s long- departed rtives, friends and colleagues of Keeley¡¯s parents when they were alive, and eyewitnesses to the ident. After running around all day, Seraphina met with more than twenty people. Although she didn¡¯t get any results, it was enough for Seraphina. She hadn¡¯t worked this hard in a long time, and by the time she got home that night, her feet were swollen. Once she got home, Seraphina didn¡¯t feel like eating. She kicked off her shoes and sat on the massage chair. Valerio was in the middle of a meal, but he immediately dropped his utensils and rushed over to help Seraphina turn on the massage. chair, hoping to butter her up. Seraphina, sitting on the couch and watching him, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Valerio, did you learn to take care of your family from school?¡± Valerio didn¡¯t quite understand why he had to learn these things from school, so he kept silent. Later, he heard that she wanted to rest, he immediately took her upstairs to his bedroom, pointed to his bed, and asked her toy down and rest. Seraphina was puzzled for a moment, then suddenly remembered what had happened in the morning. So, the kid wanted to sleep with her, huh? Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, happily epting Valerio¡¯s invitation. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Deep into the night, Reynolds Manor had fallen silent, and Leandro¡¯s car finally pulled up at the entrance. In the past, he often workedte into the night, which was normal for him. You could even say he got off work early today. But he didn¡¯t know when he started to feel out of sync with this lifestyle. Every time he didn¡¯t return homete at night, he felt a bit uneasy. He knew Seraphina hade home early today. The house was quiet, she must¡¯ve been asleep. Leandro returned to his bedroom, didn¡¯t see Seraphina, but he didn¡¯t mind. After showering, he headed straight to Seraphina¡¯s bedroom. However, when he opened the door to Seraphina¡¯s room, with the moonlight streaming in from the window, he found the room empty. Leandro felt a bit puzzled and nced back at the empty corridor. No one was downstairs, no one in the corridor, no one in his room, no one in her room either. Where the hell was Seraphina? He walked a few more steps to Conway¡¯s door, ready to open it, but found no light seeping from under the door. Which meant Conway had gone to bed, Seraphina couldn¡¯t be in his room. Leandro retracted his hand, went to Valerio¡¯s room. He hadn¡¯t thought much about it, but the image of Valerio appearing in his room in the morning shed across his mind. After standing still for two seconds, Leandro reached out, trying to open the door. However, when his hand gripped the doorknob, trying to turn it, he found the doorknob wouldn¡¯t budge. He¡¯d never encountered such resistance on Valerio¡¯s door before. He was a bit puzzled, tried again, and then realized the door was locked. Valerio usually didn¡¯t lock his door when he slept. Leandro retracted his hand, nced at the closed door, then returned to his own bedroom. The next morning, Leandro got up at his usual time. After breakfast, neither Seraphina nor Valerio had shown up. When it was time for him to leave, Leandro went upstairs again. This time, Valerio¡¯s door finally opened. In the room, Seraphina was tying a tie for Valerio, and Valerio, with his hands behind his back, was letting her fuss over him, looking very pleased. His pleased expression disappeared as soon as he spotted Leandro standing at the door. He blinked and tried to regain hisposed. demeanor. Following his gaze, Seraphina turned around, nearly bursting intoughter. Although Leandro¡¯s face didn¡¯t show anything, seeing him standing there made Seraphina find it funny. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± Seraphina asked. Leandro didn¡¯t answer her question, but asked instead, ¡°Why were you sleeping herest night?¡±. ¡°He invited me.¡± Seraphina immediately pointed at Valerio. ¡°He said his bed wasfortable and I would definitely sleep well, at least¡­ better than in your bed. I thought, why not give it a try, didn¡¯t expect it to be sofy.¡± Valerio, hearing this, couldn¡¯t help but smile, looking rather smug. Leandro nced at his smug face, and directly signaled him toe over, ¡°Come here.¡± Valerio, clueless about what was about to happen, walked over to Leandro, looking at him obediently and innocently. Leandro stared at him for a moment, and finally said, ¡°Go downstairs for breakfast, I¡¯ll take you to school today.¡± Valerio hadn¡¯t had this kind of treatment in a long time. He looked at Leandro in surprise, then quickly nodded and obediently went downstairs. Leandro, however, was still standing at the doorway, watching Seraphina. Seraphina walked up to him, nced at Valerio¡¯s retreating figure, then turned to Leandro, saying, ¡°That¡¯s your own son, don¡¯t be too harsh.¡± ¡°If you had this concern, why didn¡¯t you think about it yesterday?¡± Leandro asked calmly. Seraphina looked down, her face innocent, while she reached out to adjust his tie, saying, ¡°I was helpless, I had to meet the kid¡¯s request, you know. Valerio has beencking love since he was a child, if I refused him, he¡¯d be hurt¡­¡± As she fumbled with Leandro¡¯s neat tie, he caught her hand and said slowly, ¡°So would I.¡± Seraphina was taken aback, ¡°What?¡± Leandro looked at her, and said slowly, ¡°If you refuse me, I¡¯d be hurt too.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. For a moment, Seraphina was speechless. She was a bit unustomed to Leandro saying such things, but then remembered that Leandro was a yboy eight years ago, so it wasn¡¯t strange for him to say such things. It was just that his serious demeanor now was a bit disconcerting. Seraphina snorted, didn¡¯t say anything, pulled back her hand, pushed Leandro away, and walked back to her own room That day, Seraphina visited around as usual. At noon, she visited one of Keeley¡¯s distant rtives, chatted for just over ten minutes and then left. As soon as she stepped out of the building, a familiar motorcycle drove up from afar and stopped right in front of her. Seraphina nced at it, didn¡¯t stop, and walked straight to her own car. She got in the car, and as the bodyguard was about to close the door, Keeley quickly approached, pulling the car door open. Just as a conflict was about to erupt, Seraphina signaled the bodyguard to back off a bit, while she remained in the car,zily nced at Keeley and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking you that?¡± Keeley stared at her coldly, ¡°What are you up to? What more do you want to dig up about me?¡± Seraphina almost burst outughing at his question, ¡°You? You think too highly of yourself. You¡¯re just a minion who¡¯s kept and obeys his master¡¯smands. What¡¯s there about you that¡¯s worth digging?¡± Hearing this, Keeley let out a sarcastic chuckle, ¡°Really? Do you think I don¡¯t know about all the rtives and friends of mine you¡¯ve been snooping around with yesterday and today? If you want to know something, juste and ask me. Why bother wasting so much time and effort?¡± ¡°Ask you?¡± Seraphina looked at him with utter contempt, even a hint of pity, ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re that important? Honestly, knowing there are others behind you, even if I wanted to personally avenge my friend, I wouldn¡¯t want to spare you another nce. Keeley, you¡¯re not only stupid and ridiculous, but also pathetic¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anyone more pathetic than you in my entire life!¡± With that, Seraphina signaled the driver to start the car. The bodyguard immediately stepped up, pulled Keeley away, and shut the car door for her. Keeley stood rigidly on the spot, watching as Seraphina¡¯s car drove away. He stood quietly for a moment, then turned around and walked into the building that Seraphina had previously been in and out of. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 The tenant in this building is a distant rtive of Keeley¡¯s. Ever since his parents passed away, Keeley lost touch with most of his rtives, except for a few he still asionally connects with. He would¡¯ve practically forgotten these people even existed if it weren¡¯t for Seraphina tracking them down. After tagging along with Seraphina visiting several rtives, he finally got the gist of what she was trying to find out. It wasn¡¯t about him she wanted to know, but his parents. This answer caught Keeley off guard, but with Seraphina meeting so many people and asking essentially the same questions within two days, her objective was crystal clear. She inquired everyone about his parents¡¯ life, including their living conditions, workces, rtionships, as well as an arson case. Regarding the arson case, Seraphina didn¡¯t dig in too deep, merely asking if they¡¯d heard his parents mention it. However, all the rtives Keeley visited gave the same answer: they hadn¡¯t heard of it. As for what the case was about, when and where it happened, and who was involved, they knew nothing. But ording to Seraphina, her looking into these matters had nothing to do with Keeley. She¡¯d lost interest in him and was more intrigued by the people behind him. But how could the people bhim possibly have any connection with his parents and an arson case? Leaving his rtive¡¯s house, Keeley pondered for a while before heading to a friend¡¯s house who was once close with his parents. Seraphina hadn¡¯t been here yet, but when Keeley asked the friend about the arson case using Seraphina¡¯s line of questioning, he seemed to have some recollection. ¡°Now that you mention it, I kinda remember. It was not long before your parents¡¯ ident.¡± He said, ¡°Your parents seemed to have seen the fire and mentioned it when they came to work the next day. But no one knew how serious the fire was at the time. It was only reported in the news after your parents¡¯ ident, three or four people died in that ident. It was a big deal.¡± Upon receiving this information, Keeley immediately left for the Sunburst Serenity Library. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. He first looked up the case online and got a rough idea of the arson case from some early web pages. Then he went to the library¡¯s newspaper archive room to find various reports about the case at the time. The case was initially ssified as malicious arson or even murder, but in the end, it had no resolution, and no one was prosecuted or sentenced for it. After going through these materials, Keeley left the library and went straight to Carney Artful Reverie. But when he arrived, he was told Seraphina was not there. Keeley didn¡¯t leave. He waited at the door. When Seraphina received a call from a Carney Artful Reverie employee, she just chuckled and replied, ¡°Let him wait, I¡¯m not nning to go back to Carney Artful Reverie today or tomorrow.¡± After hanging up, Seraphina instructed her driver to head home. She wasn¡¯t in a rush. However, Seraphina didn¡¯t expect to see Keeley waiting for her when her driver pulled up to Reynolds Vista Retreat. ¡°It seems someone¡¯s waiting for you.¡± The driver remarked. Seraphina, who was reading some documents in the back seat, looked up to see Keeley. His initiative was truly impressive. No wonder Naylor picked him for the job. Seraphina initially nned to let him wait for a few more days, but his eagerness was a good thing. When Keeley saw Seraphina¡¯s car, he blocked its path forcing the driver to stop. Seraphina had no choice but to get out. She and Keeley had known each other for a long time, and Keeley looked really pissed off. His face, which was already dark, now appeared even paler, and he had a serious demeanor that emitted a strong sense of confrontation. ¡°What exactly did you find?¡± Keeley asked as soon as Seraphina got out of the car. She just smirked, ¡°What are you asking about?¡± Keeley grabbed her arm and asked sternly, ¡°What did you find about that arson case?¡± The grip on her wrist was painful. She grimaced, pulled away from him with a force, and sneered, ¡°Why so agitated? Seems like you¡¯ve found out something too. Since you already know, why don¡¯t you investigate yourself? Isn¡¯t it a bit ridiculous running to me?¡± Keeley red at Seraphina, his eyes full of rage. He had already investigated. He had looked into everything he should have. He shouldn¡¯t havee looking for her, but he still had doubts. He felt that Seraphina had led him to discover things he didn¡¯t want to believe, so he wanted to find ws in her information. The arson case happened two days before his parents¡¯ ident, and they were witnesses to the fire that night. Two dayster, his parents died in a road ident. There was a suspect for the arson case, but due to insufficient evidence, the suspect was acquitted and released. The suspect¡¯s name was Lionel Martin, a member of the Martin family. Over the years, although he didn¡¯t know who his employers were, he had noticed that most of the people they dealt with were somehow rted to the Martin family, either directly or indirectly. But he never cared. Until today, when he saw the arson case and Lionel¡¯s name. If his parents were indeed witnesses to that case¡­ ¡°What makes you think my parents¡¯ ident is rted to that arson case?¡± Hearing this question, Seraphina suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°You seem to know a lot already. But why should I share what I¡¯ve found with you? You¡¯re one hell of a good son. Even though your parents were killed, you¡¯ve been serving the man who murdered them all these years, obeying his every command, killing everyone he wanted you to kill. I¡¯ve never seen such a devoted son before!¡± Provoked by Seraphina¡¯s words, Keeley once again grabbed her tightly. ¡°Tell me, how did you find this information?¡± ¡°So you can get mad too, and you can feel anger too?¡± Seraphina seemed to be provoked as well. She looked up at him. ¡°Now you know what it feels like for the people who lost their loved ones because of you, Keeley. This is your karma!¡± Suddenly, Keeley pushed her away, took a few heavy breaths, then turned and walked to Seraphina¡¯s car. He opened the back door and picked up the documents Seraphina had in the back seat. Seraphina called out to him, but didn¡¯t go forward to snatch back the documents. Instead, she turned to her bodyguard and said, ¡°Retrieve my documents!¡± The bodyguard quickly approached, but Keeley dodged him and hopped into Seraphina¡¯s car, swiftly scanning the documents. The documents contained information about the Martin family, various cases rted to the Martin family, the arson case, and several other idents that happened around the same time as his parents¡¯ ident. In other words, Seraphina was investigating not only his parents, but also other people. Keeley picked out a few pages of documents, got out of the car, and walked straight up to Seraphina. ¡°Are ¨¢ll these people witnesses to the arson?¡± Seraphina snatched the documents back in one swoop and said coldly, ¡°You really think I¡¯d tell you? Keeley, let me repeat, you deserve this!¡± Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Seraphina didn¡¯t utter another word. She just took a bunch of files and headed back to Reynolds Manor. Keeley didn¡¯t chase after her. He already knew what he needed to know. Stopping Seraphina now would be pointless. What he didn¡¯t know was that upon entering the house, Seraphina walked all the way to her room before taking a deep breath and cing a hand over her chest. ¡°Are you okay?¡± A maid hearing themotion came out from the kitchen, ¡°Something happened?¡± Pressing on her chest, Seraphina took a moment before saying, ¡°That was close.¡± L Thank God the files she had were all about the thoroughly prepared arson case. If there was a single slip, and Keeley found something suspicious about the case, all her efforts these past few days would have been for nothing. She was always lucky, thankfully. After a sigh of relief, Seraphina quickly headed upstairs to her study. Now that Keeley was hooked, he was bound to do some digging. She can¡¯t afford any ck. She had to get all the documents in front of Keeley. Seraphina stayed in her study until evening. She thought she heard Valerioing back from school, but Valerio was always well-behaved and wouldn¡¯t disturb her when she was in her study, so she ignored him. At dinner time, Seraphina came downstairs to find Valerio was not at the table. ¡°Where¡¯s Valerio?¡± She asked. ¡°He went straight upstairs when he got home,¡± the maid answered. ¡°I just checked on him, he seems to be in the bathroom.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina frowned. She recalled that Leandro personally took Valerio to school this morning. Could he have done something to his own son? Although it was unlikely for Leandro to do such a thing, Seraphina still felt uneasy. So, she went upstairs again. She opened the door to Valerio¡¯s room, but there was no one inside. The bathroom door, however, was closed. Knocking on the door, Seraphina called, ¡°Valerio,e out.¡± A few secondster, the door opened. Valerio stood behind it, looking at her with an innocent and kind face. Seraphina nced into the bathroom behind him but there was nothing unusual. But, ording to the maid, Valerio had been in there for quite a while. ¡°What were you doing in there?¡± She asked./ Valerio blinked and shook his head, indicating that he hadn¡¯t been doing anything. Looking at him, she then asked, ¡°Did your dad say anything to you when he took you to school this morning?¡± After thinking for a moment, Valerio shook his head again. Seraphina folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at him, clearly not believing him. Before she could question him further, Valerio took her hand and led her downstairs for dinner. After dinner, Seraphina went back to her study to review various documents, which took about three hours. It wasn¡¯t until she heard the sound of a car downstairs that she snapped out of it. Looking at the time, it should be Leandro returning home. Thinking of Leandro¡¯s expression this morning, Seraphina found it amusing. She quickly tidied up her documents and stood up. She -went back to her room to get her pajamas and headed for Valerio¡¯s room. But when she reached out to open the door, she found it was locked. She paused he locked the door? He had invited her to sleep with him enthusiasticallyst night, and he was so smug this morning. Now he locked the door and left her out? This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina could hardly ept this fact and wanted to bang on the door. However, considering Valerio was still a student and had school tomorrow, she held back. As she turned to go back to her room, Leandro was justing upstairs and saw her standing at Valerio¡¯s door. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Leandro walked up and nced at her, ¡°Are you sleeping with Valerio again tonight?¡± His tone was casual, but Seraphina could tell what he was implying. He knew she was locked out, yet he deliberately asked her such a question! Damn it! Seeing Seraphina¡¯s annoyed expression, a faint smile appeared on Leandro¡¯s lips. He then put his arm around Seraphina¡¯s waist and led her into his bedroom, closing the door behind them. After a passionate sex, Seraphinay contentedly on the bed, allowing Leandro to take care of her. But the fact that Valerio had shut her out still rankled with her. She couldn¡¯t help but kick Leandro. Catching her ankle, he pushed her back down. Seraphina quickly pushed against his chest to change the subject, ¡°What exactly did you do to threaten Valerio?¡± ¡°Threaten?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Otherwise, how could he bear to shut me out?¡± ¡°It was a temptation.¡± Leandro replied. Seraphina was not convinced, ¡°To him, what¡¯s more important than me?¡± Hearing this question, Leandro chuckled. ¡°Indeed nothing.¡± He said. ¡°Then you¡­¡± Seraphina suddenly realized, ¡°You used me to tempt him? Howe? Only that silly kid would be fooled by you! What did you make him do?¡± ¡°I wanted him to talk.¡± Leandro answered. Hearing this, Seraphina was surprised. She paused for a moment, then said, ¡°I hope for that too, but do you think¡­ I have that much influence over him?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do anything meaningless.¡± Leandro slowly said, ¡°He really likes you a lot.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina sighed, ¡°Even though he does like me a lot, and I¡¯ve tried to encourage him to speak, but¡­ we can only hope¡­¡± She was hopeful, but didn¡¯t seem optimistic. As for this matter, Leandro thought they just needed to wait for the oue. So he didn¡¯t continue discussing it with her, instead, he asked about her case, ¡°Did you see Keeley again today?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Seraphina said, then seemingly remembered something and grinned at him, ¡°Everything went smooth, all thanks to your big push.¡± Leandro heard this, turned his face slightly away and didn¡¯t respond. ¡°How¡¯s Herman doing?¡± Seraphina suddenly asked, ¡°Has his mood improved? Have you talked to him?¡± Late in the night, they were both in bed, whispering to each other on a rare asion, chatting about all sorts of things. Meanwhile, in the adjacent bedroom, Valerio was in the bathroom, standing on a stool and practicing pronunciation in front of the mirror. He was putting in a tremendous effort and focus, showing no signs of fatigue. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Herman had been having a pretty lousy couple of days. He had been secretly investigating Naylor due tock of solid proof¡­ Throughout this undercover investigation, he had been a whirlwind of emotions, almost bursting into Naylor¡¯s office a few times to confront him, to find out if his suspicions are true and why they would be. But he had to suppress his urges, keep his cool, endure to the brink, all in the name of gathering solid evidence. Whether Naylor is guilty or not, he needs an answer backed by proof. However, reality hasn¡¯t been ying out as he¡¯d hoped. He¡¯s sifted through all the cases Naylor¡¯s handled in the past, and the deeper he digs, the more tangled up it gets with the Martin family. Even though there¡¯s no direct evidence in those cases linking Naylor and the Martin family, the Martins keep popping up, and the hidden connections are bound to surface sooner orter. For the first time, the case is making progress, but Herman felt far from rxed or excited. One afternoon, after going through a batch of files, Herman headed to the rooftop for a smoke. Just as he was halfway through, Naylor, in his uniform, suddenly showed up too. Herman had been avoiding him for days and seeing him now has a surprisingly calming effect. He watched Naylor approach, lets his gaze linger on Naylor¡¯sposed face for a moment, then softly greeted, ¡°Sir.¡± Naylor ambled over and cracked a small smile, ¡°Saw your team in the canteen, they said you¡¯ve barely been eating these days, just smoking a lot. Figured I¡¯d find you here.¡± Herman managed a weak smile and stayed silent. ¡°Is it the case that¡¯s bothering you?¡± Naylor asked, ¡°Your team doesn¡¯t seem to have any new cases, does it?¡± Hearing this, Herman let out a sigh, slowly replied, ¡°True, but going through those old cases can be a real headache, don¡¯t you think?¡± Naylor reached out and lightly patted his shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s good to be hardworking when you¡¯re young, but you¡¯ve got to take care of yourself too, cut down on the smoking.¡± ¡°You used to smoke a lot when you were leading us through cases,¡± Herman replied. ¡°Do you see me smoking like that now?¡± Naylor countered, ¡°I¡¯ve been forced to quit by my wife, or she probably would¡¯ve divorced me by now!¡± Talking about these familiar people and things left Herman feeling somewhat lost, as if Naylor was still his revered mentor and not a suspect in his mind. ¡°Drop by my ce when you have time,¡± Naylor suggested, ¡°My wife was asking about you the other day, wants to know if you have a girlfriend and even offered to set you up. I¡¯ll have her cook a nice meal, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had a drink together Hearing this, Herman softly nodded. Before he could say anything else, his phone suddenly rang. Herman swiftly took out his phone, saw Seraphina¡¯s name sh on the screen and hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°I have some good news for you,¡± Seraphina said on the other end of the line, ¡°I¡¯ve lost track of Keeley. ¡°What?¡± Herman couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow, just as he was about to inquire further, Naylor¡¯s phone suddenly rang as well. Herman instinctively looked at Naylor, who calmly answered the call after a quick nce at his phone. ¡°I guess, he¡¯s probably on the move,¡± Seraphina said. Herman watched Naylor¡¯s retreating figure and slowly replied, ¡°I think so too.¡± ¡°But Keeley¡¯s current situation might not be safe,¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°We can¡¯t control what might happen next, but I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Herman stayed silent for a while before responding. Herman hung up and shortly after Naylor ended his call, he turned to Herman, ¡°I have to go, let me know when you¡¯re free so I can tell my wife.¡± Herman nodded and watched Naylor leave. About thirty secondster, he slowly followed Naylor¡¯s footsteps. Instead of heading back to his office, Naylor went to the parking lot. heading back to his own office, Herman called Seraphina, ¡°Have the person tailing my mentor update me on his whereabouts.¡± After saying that, he hurriedly returned to his office, grabbed a colleague¡¯s car keys, and headed to the parking lot as well. Sure enough, someone from Seraphina¡¯s end was tailing Naylor and not long after, Naylor¡¯s location was sent to Herman¡¯s phone. Herman followed the address received on his phone. However, after a short while, the location update suddenly stopped. Before Herman could contact Seraphina, Naylor¡¯s call came through on his phone. He hesitated for a moment and then quickly picked up, ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Herman.¡± Naylor¡¯s calm voice called out, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it over, I can¡¯t handle this alone.¡± Herman felt a knot in his stomach and quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°My wife has been kidnapped.¡± Naylor revealed. Herman was taken aback, then asked, ¡°Who did it? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s someone from a case I handled a while back.¡± Naylor exined, ¡°We¡¯ve kept in touch over the years, had a pretty good rtionship, but I have no idea why he would do something like this. He asked me to meet him alone, I¡¯m on my way to the location he specified now. My wife¡¯s safety is at stake and I might be losing my cool, so I need you as backup. If anything happens, can you provide support?¡± Herman¡¯s blood pressure was racing. The person Naylor mentioned was obviously Keeley. Keeley had kidnapped his wife, and this could very well be true. This was supposed to be a showdown between the two of them, but why would his teacher call him f?r backup? Wasn¡¯t he afraid he¡¯d see or hear something that would confirm his identity and guilt? As Herman was deep in thought, he asked, ¡°Do you need me to bring the team¡­?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Naylor responded, ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause a big stir. If we scare him, my wife¡¯s safety could bepromised! He¡¯s actually just a naive young man, maybe just acting on impulse. I notified you just to be fully prepared. Take your time.¡± Meanwhile, Herman¡¯s phone lit up with a call from Seraphina. He answered, hearing Seraphina¡¯s voice, ¡°They¡¯ve lost track of Naylor, what do we do now?¡± In an instant, Herman became calm. ¡°They might have lost him, but I haven¡¯t,¡± Herman responded, ¡°I¡¯m going to find him now.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. No matter what Naylor was nning to do, no matter what he was about to face, this time, he had to go. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 On a quiet suburban street, Naylor was driving his car alone. He wasn¡¯t speeding. Every so often, a car would catch up to him from behind, eagerly overtaking him to continue ahead. The vehicles that might have been tailing him before had been left in the dust. And Herman¡­ Naylor nced at his phone screen, sent Herman a location, then kept on driving. About half an hourter, Naylor¡¯s car pulled to a slow halt outside a familiar abandoned factory. In the past, this was where their group would asionally meet. And once again, Keeley had decided to set their rendezvous here. Naylor got out of the car and slowly made his way towards the overgrown yard. When he got to the factory entrance, he gave the interior a quick once-over. Inside the vacant factory, Keeley sat quietly behind a pile of messy, discarded equipment, not even lifting an eyelid. Beside Keeley, Naylor¡¯s wife was lying silently on the ground, unconscious. Naylor stood at the entrance for a moment, sending another message to Herman on his phone before slowly stepping inside. Upon hearing footsteps, Keeley slowly lifted his eyes. Seeing Naylor walking towards him alone, Keeley gave a small smile and greeted him as usual, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Naylor approached him, his eyes dark, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Keeley looked at Naylor¡¯s grim face and replied in a tone he¡¯d always used, like an elder reprimanding a wayward youngster, stern yet filled with sorrow. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Keeley nced at the woman lying at his feet, then slowly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s just drugged and asleep. She¡¯ll wake up in a few hours, no harm done.¡± Naylor took a look at his wife, then turned to Keeley, his voice stern, ¡°I¡¯m asking you!¡± At his words, Keeley just sat there, chuckled and replied, ¡°I told you, if you want me dead, I won¡¯t comin. God knows what I would¡¯ve be without your care all these years.¡± Naylor sneered, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not doing a better job, leading you to do something as insane as this.¡± Keeley slowly stood up, sighed, and said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of death, but I don¡¯t want to die in confusion. So, there are some things I need to clear up.¡± They¡¯d first met because of an ident involving Keeley¡¯s parents. At the time, Keeley was a seventeen-year-old high school student who¡¯d suddenly lost both parents and was plunged into confusion and despair. Naylor started showing up in his life, acting like a father figure, offering care and guidance. From initial resistance to eptance, Keeley finally emerged from that confusing time and entered a new world. This new realm was one Naylor created for him, a world filled with thrills and excitement he¡¯d never experienced before, and absolute freedom. He¡¯d lost himself in this world for a long time, only starting to wake up today. ¡°If you want to know something, why didn¡¯t you just ask me directly? Why choose this way?¡± Naylor said, ¡°Do you realize how foolish this is?¡± Keeley caught on to the wlessness in Naylor¡¯s words, chuckled, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, like I said, I never intended to betray you. I still believe that our issues should be settled between us. I have no other intentions, I just want the truth from you.¡± ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Ten years ago, there was an arson case at Tranquil Waters Suites. A family of four, three dead, one seriously injured. The injured person survived but ended up in a mental hospital due to mental illness, Keeley said, ¡°Do you remember this case?¡± Naylor seemed to think for a while before replying, ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°The suspect in this case was not convicted due to ack of witnesses, do you remember?¡± Naylor didn¡¯t answer him, only asking, ¡°Why are you bringing up this case?¡± Keeley suddenlyughed, slowly saying, ¡°Because my parents were witnesses to this case. But two dayster, they died in a car ident.¡± Naylor seemed to sense something. ¡°My parents¡¯pany was near Tranquil Waters Suites. They had to pass by there every day on their way home, so they might have seen the incident. Also, a colleague from theirpany who also witnessed the fire had an ident a few dayster,¡± Keeley slowly said, ¡°Do you think these were all coincidences?¡± After a moment of silence, Naylor slowly said, ¡°Are you suggesting your parents¡¯ deaths weren¡¯t idental?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Keeley turned to look at him, saying seriously, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you now, hoping you can give me an answer.¡± Naylor and Keeley locked eyes for a moment before Naylor slowly startedughing, augh filled with disappointment and anger. He suddenly turned around, seemingly unwilling to look at Keeley anymore, but couldn¡¯t help but yell, ¡°Foolish! Utterly foolish!¡± Keeley wanted to say something, but Naylor suddenly turned back around, raising his hand. Pointing at him was the dark, silent barrel of a gun.. Keeley¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted. When Herman received thest location Naylor had sent, he rushed over only to find an empty field, nothing else. Herman was sure this wasn¡¯t the final location, but since Naylor didn¡¯t send another message, he had no choice but to search the area. Ten minutester, he spotted Naylor¡¯s car parked outside an abandoned factory. Herman quickly drove over. Just as he parked, he heard two gunshots from inside the factory- Herman¡¯s face changed abruptly. He quickly got out of the car and rushed towards the factory. When he reached the entrance with his gun drawn, he saw Naylor checking on his unconscious wife while clutching his bleeding arm. Lying quietly on the ground next to them was Keeley, looking just like¡­ a dead man. Herman immediately barged in, ¡°Sir!¡± Naylor was pale, sweat dripping down his face. After taking a nce at Herman, he managed to say, ¡°You¡¯re here¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Herman eyed Keeley on the floor, then moved to check on Naylor¡¯s injuries. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Naylor said. ¡°He tried to attack me, and I drew my gun to stop him. But then he wrestled with me¡­ I got hit by a bullet, but I managed to regain control of the gun and subdue him in the end¡­ Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Hearing the news, Herman quickly turned his head to check on Keeley. Naylor was a crack shot, every time he fired, the target was almost always hit. Those he knocked down had little chance of survival. And Keeley¡­ had been shot in the chest. ¡°How is he?¡± Naylor asked, struggling to get the words out. ¡°Is there any hope?¡± Herman hesitated before replying, ¡°No pulse. He¡¯s gone.¡± When Naylor heard that, he took a couple of deep breaths then said, ¡°Call the police. Get an ambnce.¡± Herman, still kneeling beside Keeley, didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Herman?¡± Naylor suddenly called his name. Herman turned around, then something suddenly appeared in his hand. Upon seeing it, Naylor¡¯s face changed slightly. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It is a mini-camera,¡± Herman slowly replied. ¡°I found it on him.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Naylor blurted out. ¡°Why would you say no way?¡± Herman shot back, his eyes sharp and filled with pain. Naylor was at a loss for words. Probably because Herman had this mini camera in his hand that was too obtrusive that he lost his mind and blurted out the words. His denial was two-fold: firstly, he firmly believed Keeley would never betray him, and secondly, he had checked Keeley¡¯s body when he fell and found nothing out of the ordinary. But now, where did this mini-camerae from? ¡°I just think it¡¯s strange¡­¡± he panted, ¡°Let me see it.¡± But Herman stood up suddenly and looked at him, ¡°You deal with your wounds first. I left my phone in the car. I¡¯ll call the police and ambnce.¡± After saying that, Herman was about to leave, but Naylor stopped him immediately, ¡°Herman!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Herman reassured as he walked away, ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of this camera. If I find anything, I¡¯ll let you know right away.¡± Then Naylor was silent for a while, and then his voice became low and hoarse, ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Herman slowly stopped and turned around, only to see the barrel of Naylor¡¯s gun pointed at him. ¡°Give me the camera,¡± Naylor said wearily. Clearly, he had had enough of this game and he didn¡¯t want to continue. Herman¡¯s face was calm, but his eyes were filled with despair. ¡°You called me here to be your witness, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve overstepped,¡± Naylor replied. Herman sneered, ¡°Or was this all part of your n?¡± Naylor just watched him, not denying it. From the moment he received the call from Keeley, he had a n in mind. No matter what Keeley intended to do, he wouldn¡¯t give him. another opportunity. And conveniently, Keeley had kidnapped his wife, offering him the perfect opportunity. But that wasn¡¯t enough, he needed a perfect witness, and Herman, who had grown suspicious, was the perfect choice. If he could sessfully kill Keeley and have Herman testify, then everything would be perfect. But if things went wrong, like now¡­ ¡°If you kill me, you can pin the me on Keeley,¡± Herman said slowly, ¡°Keeley bes the kidnapper and murderer. I be the unfortunate police officer who lost his life in the line of duty, and you¡­ the victim and the self-defender, solving two major problems at once. Perfect, isn¡¯t it?¡± Naylor didn¡¯t answer, but his eyes darkened. Just then, Herman moved quickly. Almost simultaneously, Naylor¡¯s gun fired again! Herman managed to dodge in time, but Naylor was no amateur. Even though Herman dodged, the bullet still hit his shoulder! Herman fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Naylor slowly approached him, Herman looked at him and said with difficulty, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Everyone has their own path. There¡¯s no why,¡± Naylor responded slowly. Hermanughed, ¡°When I found out it was you, I was heartbroken. I hoped it was all a misunderstanding, or some sort of mistake¡­¡± Naylor shook his head slowly, seemingly unwilling to say more. ¡°You were my mentor, and yet you can kill me without hesitation¡­ I really¡­ should admire you¡­¡± Hermanughed again. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°You chose this,¡± Naylor said. Just as he finished speaking, a distant sound approached, from faint to clear. It was a siren. The cops were here! Naylor¡¯s face paled slightly as he looked at Herman.. ¡°I called the police a while ago,¡± Herman said. ¡°Can you really exin yourself if you kill me now?¡± Naylor listened and said slowly, ¡°You¡¯re two dead people. Why can¡¯t I exin it clearly myself?¡± With that, he aimed the gun at Herman¡¯s chest again. But just then, a sigh came from behind him. Naylor¡¯s face changed again. Keeley, who was supposedly dead, had somehow managed to get back on his feet. Rubbing his chest, he looked at Naylor, ¡°But I¡¯m still alive. How are you going to exin that?¡± Naylor, infuriated, immediately fired. Herman, using all his strength, tackled Naylor to the ground. Both men were covered in blood, wrestling on the floor. When the police burst in, Keeley looked at the two men on the ground, took a couple of steps back, put his hands over his head, and crouched down. Seraphina rushed to the hospital as soon as she heard the news, but she didn¡¯t see Herman until the evening. Leandro also came to the hospital, apanying her to see Herman. The other police officers from Herman¡¯s team were also in the room, their faces grim. After all¡­ the one being arrested was Naylor. Herman had rernoved the bullet and given his statement. He looked wiped out and a bit spaced out. ¡°You okay?¡± Seraphina immediately rushed over and asked, ¡°You alright?¡± Herman lifted his head to look at her, then turned to Leandro, and finally said to Seraphina, ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, Keeley¡¯s fine, my mentor¡­ Naylor, he¡¯s been nabbed on the spot.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina heaved a big sigh of relief. She had initially thought this would happenter. Even though they had confirmed Naylor was the head honcho of the criminal gang, they never had any concrete evidence to pin him down. This time, Herman took the risk and finally bagged solid evidence. No matter what, Naylor was guilty as sin, no wiggle room. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Seraphina said. Herman nced at her and slowly said, ¡°You were right to rope in Keeley. This time, he helped me.¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296 When Herman saw Keeley lying at the door, he already felt a sense of despair. For so long, they hadn¡¯t found any solid evidence pointing to Naylor, and if Keeley was also dead, everything would be out of proof. It meant that if Naylor could give a reasonable exnation for Keeley¡¯s death, the actions of this criminal gang would bepletely traceless because of Keeley¡¯s death. Obviously, this was not the oue Herman wanted to see. However, when he stepped forward to check Keeley¡¯s body, Keeley moved slightly. Herman clearly sensed Keeley¡¯s pulse, and Keeley slowly opened his eyes and nced at him. Before he could react, Keeley quietly slipped him something. At that moment, Herman wasn¡¯t sure whether Keeley was injured orpletely okay, but he knew he could use this opportunity to expose Naylor¡¯s true colors. And indeed, it turned out to be the case. After hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but pause. To be honest, she chose to start with Keeley because there was no other choice. She had thought that Keeley might fall out with Naylor or even attack Naylor because of this, but she didn¡¯t expect that Keeley would cooperate with Herman and expose Naylor¡¯s true face in front of the police. After all, Keeley once said that he would rather die than betray Naylor. For a man like Keeley, who always acted outside the rules of society and ignored thew, Seraphina thought that the only way he would respond was to fight fire with fire. ¡°Can I see Keeley?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but ask Herman. Hearing this question, Herman couldn¡¯t help but nce at Leandro. Seraphina noticed his gaze, ¡°I¡¯m asking you, why do you look at his reaction? Why do you always have to look at his facial expressions to make decisions?¡± Leandro stood aside, nced at Seraphina but remained silent. -Herman sighed helplessly, ¡°Your matters concern him the most, how can I not look at his face? If you do something and he can¡¯t bear to punish you, he will vent his anger on me.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina turned to look at Leandro, then said to Herman, ¡°Then you do as I say, if you don¡¯t listen to me, I¡¯ll let him give you trouble. In the end, you¡¯ll suffer! If you can make me happy, I can plead for you at crucial moments. You think about it!¡± Just at this moment, the door of the ward was pushed open, and John Garcia walked in and said as soon as he entered the door, ¡°He¡¯s already lying in bed, stop threatening him.¡± John came over, greeted Leandro, then went to the bedside to check Herman¡¯s condition, ¡°How are you? Are you seriously injured?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡± Herman said, ¡°I thought you went abroad?¡± ¡°I justnded and heard you had an ident, how could I note back?¡± John replied impatiently. Herman frowned, then said, ¡°Our parents don¡¯t know, right?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯d dare to tell them?¡± John asked, ¡°I¡¯m not even sure about your condition yet, if they hear about it and dad gets too excited, his heart disease may re up again, and it would be you who pissed him off!¡± Watching the two brothers quickly move on to family matters, Seraphina didn¡¯t want to disturb them further, so she reached out and tugged at Herman, ¡°Can you argue with your brother after we leave?¡± Herman red at her slightly, then looked at a colleague nearby to apany Seraphina to the police station. Seraphina was eager and immediately followed the police officer out. Leandrogged behind a bit and said to Herman, ¡°I¡¯ll apany her there, you take a good rest.¡± Herman nodded, but John suddenly called out to him, ¡°Leandro!¡± Leandro stopped and turned to look at him. ¡°We have a project cooperation between our twopanies in a while, I want to talk to you about it in advance when I have time.¡± Leandro listened then only replied, ¡°We¡¯ll talk then.¡± He didn¡¯t look back and walked out of the ward. John was a bit stunned, ¡°Why¡­ is he getting colder and colder towards people?¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to coborate with him?¡± Herman suddenly asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Herman looked at him, ¡°You once dated his wife, what kind of happy expression do you think he will show you?¡± John was speechless. Such a petty man! Seraphina waspletely focused on Keeley and Naylor. It wasn¡¯t until she got to the police station that she remembered something and said to Leandro, ¡°You left thepany so early today, have you dealt with all the matters? If you¡¯re still busy, you can go. You don¡¯t have to apany me.¡± haw wait Leandro looked at her and slowly said, ¡°I have no other matters, I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t say much and quickly got out of the car. Watching her walk into the office building, Leandro rolled down the window, took a short breath, then took out his phone and made a call. ¡°What¡¯s the situation with Bowen?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°Everything is normal.¡± Keen replied from the other end of the phone, ¡°He¡¯s at thepany during the day, leaves at around four in the afternoon, goes to the Martin Group.¡± ¡°The Martin Group?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Keen said, ¡°Tania Martin recently started working at the Martin Group. Bowen probably went to pick her up. They left the Martin Group together around five and went to eat at a restaurant.¡± After hearing this, Leandro quickly hung up the phone, just staring at the distant sky with deep eyes, deep in thought. After a few recent encounters, Seraphina and Herman¡¯s folks had pretty much be familiar with each other. The moment she saw them, she couldn¡¯t help but ask about Naylor. But she found out that there was still no news because Naylor hadn¡¯t said a peep. After hearing this, Seraphina just gave a small cold chuckle, ¡°Let¡¯s see how long he can keep his trap shut.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just him keeping mum.¡± One of them said to Seraphina, ¡°The one inside hasn¡¯t spoken either.¡± At that moment, the inner door opened and an officer wheeled Keeley out. ¡°He was going to the bathroom.¡± As soon as Keeley stepped out, he saw Seraphina standing in the middle of the office. This woman, so stunningly beautiful, impossible to ignore. But she was there when he was at his most humiliated¡­ With a hint of self-mocking smile, Keeley turned and sauntered towards the bathroom. When he emerged from the bathroom, Seraphina was waiting by the door. The cop who had apanied him stepped away discretely, leaving him and Seraphina some private space. As Seraphina silently observed him, Keeley abruptly raised his hand, showing her the handcuffs, ¡°Is this what you wanted to see?¡± Seraphina¡¯s gaze swept over the chain of the handcuffs. Instead of answering his question, she asked, ¡°Why did you help Herman?¡± ¡°Why do you say that helped him?¡± Keeley said slowly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it more like I used him to help myself?¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 When he said this, Keeley¡¯s face was expressionless, with a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. He seemed like the old carefree and confident him, full of vitality. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Seraphina looked at him and chuckled lightly, ¡°Why are you lying to yourself like this?¡± Keeley¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You did use Herman,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°but you won¡¯t be grateful to him. Likewise, you won¡¯t be grateful to me. Maybe in your heart, you¡¯ll even resent us. Because if I hadn¡¯t told you the truth about the death of your parents, and if Herman hadn¡¯t been so cooperative, you wouldn¡¯t have betrayed the person you respected the most. Even though this person killed your parents, he is still the most important person in your heart.¡± Upon hearing this, Keeley scoffed, ¡°What gives you the right to say that?¡± ¡°Because you are still protecting him,¡± Seraphina said, staring directly at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Even though Naylor¡¯s crimes could no longer be concealed, but until now, Naylor had not spoken, and Keeley had not said anything, indicating he still had reservations. Upon hearing this, Keeley scoffed again, but slightly turned his face away, not responding. Seraphina gave him another nce, and suddenly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, who is more important to you, your parents or Naylor?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Keeley turned his head and looked at her. Seraphina smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, you tell me all of Naylor¡¯s crimes, and I¡¯ll tell you thest secret your parents left in the world.¡± Keeley stared at her face, not moving for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You would really want to know. Think about it.¡± Three hourster, Keeley finally let it all out. During these three hours, Seraphina had been sitting in the open office area outside, full of energy. When the cops walked out of the interrogation room, Seraphina immediately went up to them, ¡°How did it go?¡±. Both cops looked grim. One of them, hearing Seraphina¡¯s question, said angrily, ¡°They¡¯re so vicious, they have no regard for thew.¡± Seraphina bit her lower lip gently. If they were eximing like this, it meant that Keeley must have confessed everything. These people thought their invincible crimes would never be exposed, and now they were finally unveiled.¡± Seraphina had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and for a moment, she leaned weakly against the wall. One cop reached out to help her, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seraphina shook her head slightly, and the other cop said, He wants to see you, can you go now?¡± Seraphina straightened up and slowly said, ¡°No problem.¡± So one of the cops went to report to the higher-ups, and the other apanied Seraphina into the interrogation room. Keeley was sitting behind a table in the room. After three hours of talking and confessing, his once vibrant face finally showed a hint of fatigue. But when he looked up at Seraphina, his eyes were still bright. Seraphina sat down across from him and slowly said, ¡°Congrattions, you finally got all the demons out of your closet.¡± Keeley watched her quietly, not saying a word. Seraphina suddenly leaned in a bit and almost provocatively said, ¡°But you don¡¯t seem relieved, do you?¡± Keeley locked eyes with her for a moment, then said, ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I want to hear.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Seraphina chuckled, slowly saying, ¡°Of course, I know.¡± ¡°Are you not going to say it, or is there nothing to say?¡± Keeley asked, seeing herposed demeanor. Seraphina looked at him and slowly smiled, ¡°No, I¡¯m just thinking about where to start.¡± Keeley silently watched her, Seraphina deep in thought. After a while, she finally smirked, ¡°Well, let me start by praising you. Although your actions are despicable andwless, at least you have a bit of conscience to avenge your parents. In the end, the position of your parents in your heart still trumps Naylor.¡± Hearing this, Keeley¡¯s mouth tugged up slightly, then he looked at her and said, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Your parents would beforted in heaven,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°because you still have a bit of conscience.¡± Keeley listened, silent for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°Just for this?¡± ¡°What else could it be?¡± Seraphina slowlyughed, ¡°To avenge them? I don¡¯t think they would, because they don¡¯t need it. Because their death has nothing to do with Naylor.¡± Keeley¡¯s gaze fell on Seraphina¡¯s face, surprise and anger shed by, but in the end, it became unusually calm. He smirked in self-mockery. ¡°It¡¯s all lies,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°The arson case is real, but the case being rted to the Martin family is fake, your parents witnessing the case is also fake, their death being rted to Naylor is even more fake.¡± She calmly stated, and finallymented, ¡°But it worked perfectly.¡± Keeley gradually began tough. After a while, he said, ¡°You know what? I actually thought that it might not be true.¡± Seraphina looked at him coldly, ¡°Really?¡± Keeley looked at her and didn¡¯t answer. Obviously, she wouldn¡¯t believe it, but in fact, he had doubted it, and doubted it a lot. But in the end, he chose this path. If it was true, then he had avenged his parents; If it was false, then let it be him paying his dues. Let it be him paying back to those innocent people who died at his hands, to those families that were torn apart, to those parents who lost their children, or the children who lost their parents, and to her. He used to think he was free and happy, but he never experienced what it was like to lose a loved one in such circumstances. And now, he had. Even though it was a sham, he still felt it. Those people and things he hadn¡¯t thought about for a long time, about family, dreams, and a lot of stuff he had forgotten¡­ he recalled all of it and reflected deeply But still, he preferred to believe that his main drive was to avenge his parents. However, Seraphina didn¡¯t give him that chance./ She revealed the truth without any hesitation, forcing him to face the cruel reality. ¡°You really hate me, don¡¯t you?¡± Keeley asked. Seraphina responded with a smile, ¡°What do you think?¡± Keeley gazed at her for a moment, then nodded lightly, ¡°Yes, you should hate me. Even though you¡¯re acting most of the time, but¡­ that time you cried in front of me, that was genuine, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Seraphina let out a scoff, ¡°What¡¯s the point of asking this?¡± ¡°You hate me, so you wish me nothing but bad luck.¡± Keeley continued, ¡°Clear love and hate, ruthless determination, that¡¯s your style.¡± Seraphina looked at him calmly, waiting for him to carry on. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of life you should live.¡± Keeley looked at her, speaking slowly, ¡°You should keep on like this, neverpromise for anyone¡­ especially when dealing with Leandro.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t expect him to say that in the end. She just chuckled, didn¡¯t respond, stood up, and walked out of the room. Keeley watched her figure disappear outside the door, his gaze fixed on the door, unmoving. Outside, Seraphina stood at the door, also not moving. At some point, Leandro had entered the building. he stood by the door, looking at her calmly. Seraphina looked at his expression, guessing that thest thing Keeley said must have been heard by him. Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Seraphina and Leandro locked eyes for a moment before she reached out with a smile and grabbed his hand, ¡°Been waiting long, huh?¡± Leandro just looked at her silently for a bit, took her hand, and turned to walk away. It waste at night and the moment Seraphina got in the car, she nestled against Leandro¡¯s shoulder, closing her eyes to rest. Leandro held her hand and asionally nced at her, but remained quiet. When they got home, to their surprise the lights were still on. As Seraphina followed Leandro inside, she saw Karan escorting the regr house visitor, Dr. Felton, down the stairs. Leandro knitted his brows, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Karan sighed, ¡°Valerio caught a cold and seems to have a bit of a fever, so I just called Dr. Felton over for a checkup.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina anxiously asked, ¡°How did he suddenly get a cold? Is it serious?¡± ¡°Nothing serious,¡± Dr. Felton chuckled. ¡°Just amon cold, the fever isn¡¯t too high, it should subside by tomorrow.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina thanked Dr. Felton and quickly went upstairs. Leandro watched her disappear up the stairs, then turned his attention back to Dr. Felton and exchanged a few words. Dr. Felton was Valerio¡¯ regr doctor, so he was well-aware of Valerio¡¯s condition. Seeing Seraphina rushing upstairs to check on Valerio, he couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds sure cares about Valerio. When I was treating him earlier, Valerio was eagerly waiting for you guys to return.¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro simply responded with a nonchnt nod. Upstairs, when Seraphina pushed open Valerio¡¯s bedroom door, the little guy was lying in bed with a fever patch on. He looked really upset. Hearing the door open, Valerio turned his head and saw Seraphina, his frown deepened. ¡°No crying allowed,¡± Seraphina pointed at him. ¡°As a boy, you can¡¯t cry over a little sickness, it makes you look bad.¡± Hearing this, Valerio grudgingly swallowed his sobs and held back his sense of injustice. Only then did Seraphina move to sit by his bed. She checked his temperature whilementing, ¡°Why do you catch a cold so easily? Your constitution is too weak, we¡¯ll have to get your dad to help you toughen up¡­ Valerio didn¡¯t respond, he just clutched Seraphina¡¯s sleeve tightly. By the time Leandro came upstairs after seeing Dr. Felton off, Seraphina was already lying in Valerio¡¯s bed, cradling him in her arms, putting him to sleep. Leandro approached and also reached out to feel his temperature. Valerio, in his drowsy state, opened his eyes to nce at Leandro, before closing them again and snuggling deeper into Seraphina¡¯s embrace. Seeing Valerio close his eyes, his little hand quietly clutched Seraphina¡¯s sleeve again. Seraphina and Leandro exchanged nces, she shrugged, ¡°I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s the sick who matter most. I have to be with him.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, he just straightened the corners of Valerio¡¯s nket, gave Seraphina a look, and left. Seraphina didn¡¯t sleep well that night. On one hand, Valerio kept holding onto her, and on the other, her mind was upied with other things. When she woke up in the morning, Valerio¡¯s fever had subsided and he was sleeping peacefully. Seraphina carefully got out of bed, nning to return to her own room for a shower. It was still early, plus she didn¡¯t sleep well, so she was a bit groggy. She walked straight to the bathroom after entering her room. However, when she opened the bathroom door, a man suddenly appeared in front of her- Leandro was standing in the shower area. It seemed like he¡¯d just finished showering and was towelling off, and she¡¯d just walked right 1. Seraphina was at a loss for a moment, ¡°Why are you here?¡± After saying that, she suddenly sensed danger. A man, fresh out of the shower, in her bathroom¡­ Seraphina turned to run, but it was toote. Leandro grabbed her with one hand, turned the shower back on with the other, and pulled her under the water¡­ Seraphina wasn¡¯t quite sure what was going on. She¡¯d slept in Valerio¡¯s room for the night, ande morning Leandro was in her bathroom. And this was how they met. It wasn¡¯t until Leandro carried her back to bed and she fell onto the mattress that it dawned on her Leandro had spent the entire night in her room. Her bed had been slept in, her bookshelf had been rifled through, the books that had been flipped through were still on the table. At a nce, Seraphina recognized them as her high school textbooks and some other reading material. Why on earth was this guy not sleeping and instead snooping around her room in the middle of the night? Seraphina looked up at Leandro, who was also looking at her, his gaze intense. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. She thought, he must have something to say. Sure enough, the next moment, Leandro reached out and gently covered her lips. After a few strokes, he slowly asked, ¡°Do you wronged?¡± Wronged? Seraphina was taken aback for a moment and then realized. He must have heard what Keeley said to her yesterday. Keeley had told her not topromise herself for anyone, especially when dealing with Leandro., So, he was feeling upset. Seraphina stayed quiet for a moment before slightly lifting herself and snuggling into him. feel ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m wronged.¡± She said, poking at his muscr body. ¡°All I know is, Mr. Reynolds has given me a lot. I¡¯m not losing out¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help butugh as she finished her sentence, then she wrapped her arms around him and said, ¡°Of course, if you could give a little more, that¡¯d be even better¡­¡± Leandro stared at her thoughtfully for a moment, before pulling her back into the bed covers. After who knows how long, there¡¯s a knock at Seraphina¡¯s door, and she could tell right away who it was. Seraphina¡¯s eyes snapped open, ¡°It¡¯s your son!¡± She said to Leandro. Leandro seemed not to hear her. Then, Seraphina thought she heard the sound of the door outside being opened. She started to panic, ¡°Leandro!¡± But Leandro still held her tightly. The doorknob turned a few times, finally being opened from the outside. At the same time, Leandro finally let go of Seraphina. Valerio peeked in from the doorway, hearing the sound of hasty breathing, so he stepped inside. Seraphina had quickly thrown on a robe and was sitting on the edge of the bed, while Leandro was still lying there. Valerio stood at the foot of the bed, looking at Seraphina who should have been in his bed, but for some reason was in the same room as his father. He might have been a little angry, furrowing his brows as he walked out. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 At first, Seraphina just wanted to retreat to her room for a rxing shower, but she didn¡¯t expect to be caught up in this drama of people fighting for her attention. She could only me her own impulsive actions for hurting the little guy¡¯s feelings. With Valerio still sick, she had no choice but tofort him. So, Valerio got a free pass from school that day, sticking to Seraphina like a shadow. When Seraphina decided to visit Herman in the hospital, Valerio naturally tagged along. Herman, after all, was a man from a well known family, and when something happened to him, he was able to hide it at first, but by the second day, there was no way hiding it. So when Seraphina arrived at the hospital, Herman¡¯s room was buzzing with activity. She was familiar with most of the Garcia family elders, so when she entered Herman¡¯s room with Valerio, they immediately drew everyone¡¯s attention. With all the elders fussing over Herman, Seraphina had no chance for a casual chat with him, and could onlymunicate with him through nces. Herman shrugged helplessly in response. Seraphina shot him a re, then resigned herself to making small talk with the elders who hade to visit. Valerio obediently stayed by Seraphina¡¯s side, doing whatever she told him to do. His good behavior attracted the admiration of the Garcia elders, who even started nudging Herman to tie the knot. This prompted Herman to re at Seraphina. Just as the two were locked in a staring contest, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open again. A man in his fifties, dressed in a crisp suit and gold-rimmed sses, with a gentle gaze and kind smile, walked in. The atmosphere in the room seemed to cool down instantly at his arrival. Seraphina looked up to see a somewhat familiar face. If she remembered correctly, this man was Simon Martin from the Martin family. In Riverside Haven, everyone was aware of the Martin family¡¯s notorious past, but over the years they had gradually cleaned up their act, thanks in no small part to the seemingly kind but crafty Simon. But a family like the Garcias would never associate with the Martins. Yet, here was Simon, suddenly appearing in Herman¡¯s hospital room. The Garcias were perplexed, but Herman and Seraphina knew what was going on. Though Herman was injured because of Naylor, they knew exactly who was behind Naylor, Naylor¡¯s crime syndicate seemed to take on any job, but most of their cases were rted to the Martin Group. So, Naylor was definitely connected to the Martin Group, and it was very likely that he was taking direct orders from them, with other business ventures merely a front to benefit others in the group. And now, with Simon personally visiting Herman, it confirmed their suspicions even more. Baillie Garcia, who was of the same generation as Simon, quickly stood up to wee him, ¡°Mr. Martin, hello.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Garcia,¡± Simon smiled, shaking hands with him. ¡°I heard Herman was injured and hospitalized while I was in the hospital for other matters, so I thought I¡¯d drop by.¡± After finishing his sentence, Simon walked over to Herman¡¯s bed to inquire about his condition. Herman, always careful in his words and actions, and this time was no exception. He was meticulous in his answers. ¡°To be honest, I have some connections with Naylor,¡± Simon sighed slightly. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect him to do something like this. It¡¯s shocking Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but smirk. Yes, he was here to dere his innocence. But, nobody had linked Herman¡¯s injury with the Martin family. They were naturally innocent in this matter. As for other matters, that was a different story. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Seraphina clenched her teeth and her palms clenched involuntarily into fists. Valerio was right beside Seraphina and noticed her action. He nced at Seraphina¡¯s hand, paused, then reached out his own small hand to gently hold hers. Feeling his soft hand on hers, Seraphina was slightly taken aback. She looked down at him and felt a warmth in her heart. She quickly rxed her clenched hand, held Valerio¡¯s hand back, then quietly asked about his condition. Only after getting a positive response did she feel relieved. At this point, Simon had finished what he came to say and was preparing to leave. But somehow, his gaze fell on Seraphina. He hade to dere his innocence to the Garcias. In this matter, Seraphina was just an observer, so she was quietly sitting in the corner with Valerio. She didn¡¯t expect Simon to notice her. ¡°Who might this be?¡± Simon looked at Seraphina and asked softly. Seraphina didn¡¯t intend to hide in his presence. Now that Simon was asking about her, she stood up and said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Martin, I¡¯m Seraphina, Leandro¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Simon raised an eyebrow and smiled, ¡°So you¡¯re Leandro¡¯s wife. He¡¯s got good taste.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°I¡¯ve heard plenty about Mr. Martin and have always wanted to befriend you. Didn¡¯t expect to get a chance like this today.¡± Simon gave a slight nod and a smile, ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve met, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll run into each other a lot more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± Seraphina said. Simon raised an eyebrow, giving Seraphina another look over before formally bidding goodbye.. Once Simon left, Herman immediately turned to Seraphina, ¡°Why on earth did you talk to him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the one who wanted to meet me,¡± Seraphina responded, ¡°Plus, he¡¯s a legend in his own right, of course I¡¯d want to know him.¡± Herman gave her a helpless stare, ¡°Did you know Andrea is his daughter?¡± Andrea? The same Andrea who once went on a blind date with Leandro? ¡°Oh my,¡± Seraphina covered her mouth, giggling softly, ¡°Did I just make things awkward for him by introducing myself as Leandro¡¯s wife?¡± Seeing her reaction, Herman could only sigh helplessly, ¡°Back then, the whole Martin family was very invested in this matter, and Andrea was really into Leandro. That¡¯s why her father took the initiative to reach out to Leandro a few times.¡± ¡°And Leandro just cold-heartedly rejected them?¡± ¡°Leandro is a businessman, he wouldn¡¯t openly sh with them,¡± Herman said, ¡°But you do know what kind of people the Martins are, right?¡± Seraphina chuckled, replying, ¡°Of course I do. So the bad blood was already there from the get-go¡­ Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Herman eyed Seraphina, sensing some plot brewing in her head. ¡°Don¡¯t stir the ho¡¯s nest with the Martin family,¡± he warned, frowning. ¡°No worries, Seraphina reassured him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m a very simple and direct person. I won¡¯t mess with anyone unless they mess with me first.¡± Herman wanted to continue, but was interrupted by Mrs. Garcia standing nearby, ¡°Watch your tone, Herman. Can¡¯t you be more polite when you¡¯re talking to Sera?¡± Seraphina smirked at Herman, clearly relishing the moment. Herman, abruptly silenced, didn¡¯t know how to respond. He knew arguing with Seraphina would lead nowhere, so he let the matter rest. It wasn¡¯t until the elder members of the Garcia family gradually dispersed and the room cleared out a bit that Seraphina had the chance to discuss Naylor with Herman. Since Naylor had shot himself in the arm that day, he too was in the hospital. The police hadn¡¯t been able to interrogate him properly during his hospital stay, so until now, Naylor hadn¡¯t said anything yet. ¡°Has he been informed that Keeley has spilled everything?¡± Seraphina asked anxiously. ¡°What do you think?¡± Herman retorted. Seraphina knew she had asked a redundant question, but she couldn¡¯t help but worry. And asking had only made her more anxious. His crimes were already public knowledge. What else could Naylor possibly be hiding? Unless he was still protecting someone behind the scenes! Seraphina suddenly thought of Simon, who had just arrived here. If Naylor had truly been manipted by him, then Simon would naturally be implicated once Naylor said everything. Simon¡¯s visit to see Herman to prove his innocence would be pointless. But would a man like him do such a useless thing? A sense of foreboding crept over Seraphina. That day, she stayed in Herman¡¯s room the entire day, waiting to hear about Naylor. But till the night, the news was still that Naylor hadn¡¯t talked. By the time Leandro arrived at the hospital, it was already 9 PM. There was likely no progress to be made today, but Seraphina was reluctant to leave. Valerio had already imed Herman¡¯s bed for a nap and Herman was stuck on the couch. Herman¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t serious, so sitting on the couch was fine. But when he saw Leandro, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Leandro, you¡¯re finally here.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Leandro nced at the sleeping Valerio but didn¡¯t see Seraphina, so he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s she?¡± Herman nodded towards the bathroom, ¡°She¡¯s been here all day, said she was waiting for you¡­¡± Leandro immediately got the gist, ¡°Naylor hasn¡¯t confessed yet?¡± Herman sighed softly. Just as Seraphina emerged from the bathroom, she saw Leandro sitting by the bed, watching Valerio./ ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± she said, somewhat unhappily, ¡°Let¡¯s go hom Hearing her words, Herman visibly rxed. then.¡± Leandro scooped the stirring Valerio into his arms. Seeing Seraphina, Valerio rxed again, and nestled against Leandro¡¯s shoulder, falling back to sleep. As they were about to leave, Seraphina reminded Herman, ¡°me immediately if anything happens.¡± Herman made a gesture of assurance. Only then did Seraphina reluctantly leave. On the ride home, Valerio slept soundly in Leandro¡¯s arms, while Seraphina seemed lost in thought, continually staring out the window. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go to Herman¡¯s tomorrow, Leandro said. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged with his people. They¡¯ll notify you immediately if there¡¯s any news.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina turned to look at him.. Leandro nced at her, and she blinked a few times before leaning against his shoulder. With one arm around Valerio, Leandro reached out with the other to hold her hand. After a moment of silence, Seraphina spoke again, ¡°To them, capturing Naylor and Keeley means they¡¯ve dismantled a notorious /criminal gang. They might not care much about who¡¯s pulling the strings behind the scenes, or even if they¡¯ll get results from investigating further. But to me, it¡¯s important.¡± Leandro knew why Seraphina was so keen on exposing the criminal gang and its mastermind ¨C it was all for Sandra Smith. He knew just how crucial the information from Naylor was for her. Even though all signs now pointed to the Martin family, such a vague answer wasn¡¯t enough for Seraphina. That night, because Valerio was sick and also learning from the morning¡¯s experience, Seraphina let him sleep in her bed. When she came out of the bathroom after her shower, there was an extra person on the bed. Valerio was on the left side of the bed, Leandro was sitting on the right, and the middle space was probably for her. Seraphina hesitated for a few seconds at the foot of the bed. Leandro, who had been looking at his tablet, looked up at her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes, climbed onto the bed from the foot, and let out a small sigh when she felt squeezed on both sides, ¡°I never realized how small my bed was¡­¡± No sooner had he finished speaking than Leandro put down his tablet andy down, pulling her into his arms. The two of them snuggled up close, freeing up some more space. It was small, but at least Valerio could turn around freely now. ¡°Do you still think it¡¯s small?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina nced up at him, grinning mischievously, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, are you flirting with me?¡± Leandro, hearing this, pulled her closer into his arms and leaned in, sealing her lips with his. Around five in the morning, Seraphina, who was sleeping in Leandro¡¯s arms, suddenly jerked awake., Before she could open her eyes, Leandro had already wrapped her in his arms, turning on the bedside lamp to look at her. Seraphina had a dream about falling, and it was so real that she woke up in a cold sweat. It took her a while to recover. Leandro was stroking her back, and when he saw her calm down, he asked, ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± Seraphina nodded, not wanting to say much, just feeling a bit hollow, and instinctively snuggled into Leandro. Both of them were speaking and moving quietly, but Valerio was woken up by the noise. He stretched and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Leandro¡¯s gaze and Seraphina¡¯s back. Seraphina was quietly nestled in Leandro¡¯s arms, while Valerio quietly watched Leandro for a while before suddenly sitting up. As soon as he sat up, Seraphina noticed and looked over at him. Seeing this, Valerio seemed encouraged. He immediately got up and walked over to Leandro and Seraphina. Seraphinaughed and moved over to make room for him. Valerio immediatelyid down happily between them, and Seraphina indulged him naturally. Although Leandro¡¯s arms werefortable, having this adorable little guy to hug was also very comfortable. So, Seraphina reached out to hug Valerio. After sighing contentedly, she closed her eyes again. Valerio wasfortably leaning on Seraphina when he saw Leandro¡¯s gaze again. Leandro didn¡¯t say anything, just looked at him indifferently, then reached out and ruffled his hair. Valerio suddenly remembered what Leandro had said before- They had agreed that Valerio could be with Seraphina anytime he called her mom. But he took advantage of his illness these two days, and spent both days with Seraphina¡­. Thinking about this, Valerio felt a little guilty. He lowered his eyes and started practicing in his heart. Leandro watched him silently, then turned off the light so he and Seraphina could go back to sleep. However, although Seraphina closed her eyes, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep again. Her previous dream left her uneasy, tossing and turning, always feeling restless. But where did this uneasinesse from? Half asleep, Seraphina suddenly saw Simon¡¯s gentle and smiling face. She woke up instantly, her uneasiness magnified to the extreme. Some things, especially those that make people uneasy, are like premonitions. Getting up in the early morning, Seraphina went into the bathroom to freshen up. When she came out, she saw Leandro on the phone by the window. Hearing her, Leandro looked back at her. Seraphina instinctively knew the call was about her, and she immediately went up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Leandro and Seraphina locked eyes. Just as Seraphina was about to take the phone, Leandro slowly said, ¡°Naylor is dead.¡± Seraphina froze, her mind went nk. After a while, she asked coldly, ¡°How did he die?¡± ¡°Cyanide poisoning, he suicided.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphinaughed coldly. ¡°I knew it, I knew it.¡± She took a deep breath, her face pale, ¡°Suicide? Could hemit suicide in the ICU? He worked so hard to protect himself, how could he think of suicide! It was obviously the people from the Martin family¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t finish, her emotions out of control. She stepped back and sat on the bed, trying to calm herself down. But her thoughts were shattered, and it was hard to get back to normal. Leandro knew what she was thinking, and he reached out to hold her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much about this.¡± He said, ¡°Naylor is not the only clue. You¡¯re already very close to the truth, aren¡¯t you?¡± Seraphina listened to him, understanding his meaning. She was very close to the truth, just one step away. The person who ordered Sandra to be attacked must be rted to Bowen and the Martin family, but she wanted to know who the real culprit was, who could be so cold-blooded. Naylor was the closest clue, but now this clue was cut off. This kind of obstacle was insignificant in her previous investigations, just a minor issue. But this time, because it involved Sandra, she couldn¡¯t calm down. She felt guilty for Sandra, very guilty¡­. Leandro was stroking her head, and Seraphina leaned on him, feeling a bit sad and silent. When Valerio got dressed and returned to the room, he found this situation. He had never seen Seraphina like this before, depressed, sad, and powerless. Valerio was a bit at a loss. He looked at Seraphina, then at Leandro. Leandro looked at him and gestured for him toe over. Valerio slowly walked over and gently tugged at Seraphina¡¯s sleeve. But Seraphina didn¡¯t react, she didn¡¯t even look at him. Valerio was a bit flustered, and he started tugging harder at Seraphina¡¯s sleeve. Seraphina¡¯s mind was already somewhere else, but Leandro¡¯s grip brought her back to reality. Slowly, she lifted her gaze and caught Leandro¡¯s eyes. He was motioning for her to look aside. Following his cue, she turned her head and saw Valerio¡¯s concerned look. But this time, it was different. Valerio was not just looking at her. His mouth was open. He opened his mouth and did not utter a sound, but the lip movement was too pronounced. Seraphina instantly figured out the word he was mouthing over and over ¨C Mom. He was calling her mom. For a moment, Seraphina thought of Betty. Betty had been gone for a while, but now, there was another child calling her mom. As Seraphina watched this child, who couldn¡¯t make a sound but was still trying to call out to her, to comfort her, her tears began to flow like a fountain. She reached out and held Valerio tightly, feeling his warmth and breath. Her heart, which felt so lost and alone, was suddenly filled with warmth andfort. Leandro watched quietly. After a while, he bent down and embraced both Valerio and Seraphina, then nted a gentle kiss on Seraphina¡¯s face. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 While Naylor¡¯s death did hit Seraphin¨¤ pretty hard, Valerio¡¯s care and warmthforted her to a greater extent. So, in less than half a day, Seraphina picked herself up from the shock, calmly epting and confronting the reality. Before, she was hired by Patrick Gray to investigate the Jones family¡¯s three consecutive idents and uncover the truth behind the death of the previous reporter, Woody, in a fire. Now, the truth was all out in the open. With Naylor¡¯s death, the only person left to hold responsible in this crime gang was Keeley. However, Keeley, who only carried out tasks, was mostly in the dark about who his boss was. But for the three idents involving the Jones family, since they were rted to his kin, Mack Jones, a little inquiry revealed the truth. Mack was arrested after he confessed honestly, so Seraphina had sessfullypleted the task Patrick had entrusted her with. As for Sandra, who was innocently dragged into this, that was Seraphina¡¯s own job. Even though Naylor was gone, she was not about to stop digging. Even if the real culprit could hide for a while, they would eventually be exposed with time and get the punishment they deserved. In the days that followed, Seraphina began to focus on writing reports about the Jones family, Woody, and this crime gang. After finishing the draft, Seraphina sent it to Terrell for review. Having read the draft, Terrell made some modifications and sent it back to Seraphina. Seraphina, who had been abroad most of the time and had only published one report about Balch Lawson¡¯s murder case in the country, found that Terrell¡¯s grasp of the domestic news environment was much better than.hers. His revisions indeed made her draft more polished. After several rounds of edits, Seraphina sent the draft along with the relevant materials to Patrick. Patrick, who was overseas, replied the next day. For Seraphina¡¯s work capability and thepletion level of this task, Patrick gave high praise. Seraphina, not one for formalities, directly asked for a bonus, which Patrick agreed to without hesitation. ¡°By the way, your office is ready. When are you thinking of officially joining us?¡± Upon reading this message from Patrick, Seraphina nced at her side. At the moment, she was sitting in Leandro¡¯s study, with Valerio diligently doing his homework beside her. Ever since Valerio began to try to speak, although he couldn¡¯t make a sound for now, he seemed to realize that even if he couldn¡¯t, Seraphina would still be happy. So he went from being shy and hesitant at first to trying to talk when he saw Seraphina, the bond between this mother and son in name only had grown stronger, and Valerio was more willing to be with her every day. But if she officially joined Patrick¡¯spany, she would inevitably start official work. Especially for investigative reporters, they often have to rush around different ces, and having an irregr schedule is the norm. Although Seraphina was already used to such a work routine, it seemed less suitable for her now. Putting Leandro¡¯s thoughts aside for now, the kid beside her might be the first to object. Not to mention that in the past few days, Seraphina seemed to have be reliant on him. Furthermore, she still had to keep an eye on the Martin family and Bowen. In her current condition, she felt a little guilty about working. ¡°I¡¯ve considered it, and with my current situation, I can¡¯t fully handle the job you¡¯re offering,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°But if you trust me, I can rmend someone to you!¡± Patrick was not too surprised by her response, but he expressed regret and asked who Seraphina would rmend. ¡°Terrell,¡± Seraphina answered. ¡°An experienced reporter.¡± Unexpectedly, Patrick said, ¡°Him? I¡¯ve heard of him.¡± Seraphina was well aware of Terrell¡¯s reputation over the past few years, and she had an idea of what Patrick might have heard. ¡°I know his reputation isn¡¯t the best,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°But if you¡¯re willing to give him this chance, he¡¯ll definitely give you a satisfactory answer. Of course, I¡¯m also willing to ept his invitation and be a frence reporter for yourpany.¡± Patrick was silent for a while after hearing this, thenughed. ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, I can¡¯t find a reason to refuse. So I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡± After ending the call with Patrick, Seraphina put down her phone and turned to check on Valerio¡¯s progress on his homework. But she found that his progress was still at the same point where it was when she started her phone call. Seraphina reached out and poked him. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? I¡¯ve been on the phone for so long, and you¡¯ve been cking off all this time?¡± Valerio had been by her side these past few days, and although Seraphina was reprimanding him, he just smiled at her. ¡°Did you eavesdrop on my call?¡± Seraphina asked. Valerio nodded. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Seraphina leaned in a bit closer. ¡°Are you happy to hear that I won¡¯t be going to work?¡± Valero nodded again. Seraphin¨¤ wanted to give him a little jab, but she couldn¡¯t help herself and just pinched his face lightly. ¡°You little rogue!¡± In the past few days, Seraphina managed to find time to meet with Terrell. As soon as they met, Seraphina handed him a check. ¡°This is yours.¡± Terrell looked at the check, his eyebrows furrowing. ¡°So much?¡± Seraphina grinned, ¡°That just shows I got you a pretty generous boss. You should be thanking me.¡± Terrell nced at her, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°A few years ago, you started selling news because you needed money for medical treatment. But once you¡¯re on that path, it¡¯s hard to turn back,¡± Seraphina exined, ¡°Now you have a chance to turn back.¡± Terrell snorted in response, ¡°How do you know I want to turn back?¡± Seraphina slightly raised her chin, ¡°Yeah, I do know. You don¡¯t like it? Then try to convince me otherwise!¡± Terrell locked eyes with her for a while before averting his gaze, a rare slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. After a brief pause, Terrell spoke again, ¡°The Martin family¡­ are you still nning on investigating?¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°We¡¯re out of leads, I can¡¯t keep digging. We¡¯ll just have to let it be.¡± Terrell hesitated again before saying, ¡°Yesterday, I received a message¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Seraphina looked up, waiting for him to continue. ¡°I heard Bowen is nning to propose to Tania, there¡¯s already apany working on it.¡± Seraphina was silent for a few seconds after hearing this, then suddenly burst intoughter. Engagement? Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Seraphina didn¡¯t really know Bowen that well, she just paid extra attention to him because he was the man that Sandra loved deeply. When Sandra had her misfortune, Bowen¡¯s anger and despair seemed legit, but Seraphina still couldn¡¯t fully trust him. Anyways, whenever she looked at Bowen, it felt like she couldn¡¯t really get a read on him. Bottom line, she didn¡¯t know him well enough to judge him. Maybe it was because she couldn¡¯t fully trust him, so when she heard the news that Bowen was getting engaged to Tania, she was pissed off big time. His one true love just left not long ago, and he could just forget about her and get engaged to another woman so soon? But what if he was truly heartbroken? Being heartbroken, having no strings attached, his only goal was revenge, and his life would end after that. Seraphina couldn¡¯t figure out Bowen¡¯s real intentions for a while, so she couldn¡¯t say anything about it after she cooled down. That night, when Leandro got home, he ran into Seraphinaing out of Valerio¡¯s room. For the past few days, Valerio had been all over Seraphina, staying with her every night. At first, Leandro could squeeze into a small part of the bed.. But then Valerio got morefortable sleeping in Seraphina¡¯s bed, and Leandro couldn¡¯t even get a small part of the bed, leaving him sleepless for several nights. Today it seemed that Seraphina had put Valerio to sleep and had no ns to sleep with him. Leandro had been holding back for days, and as soon as he saw her, he asked, ¡°Valerio didn¡¯t bother you today?¡± ¡°He did.¡± Seraphina slightly raised her eyebrows and replied, ¡°Butpared to how much he needs me, I need someone else more today.¡± She said while grabbing his tie. Leandro¡¯s gaze moved from her face to her hand, deepening. It was early summer, and the air began to have a damp and hot smell. Sweating like rain in such air, it was exhausting yet refreshing. Especially when you stand in front of the air conditioner with sweat all over your body, it¡¯s just pure bliss. Seraphina was standing in front of the AC, and Leandro came out of the bathroom and turned off the AC. ¡°Hey!¡± Seraphina immediately opened her eyes and looked at him discontentedly. Leandro, satisfied, came over and embraced Seraphina, taking her back to the bathroom. The bathtub was filled with water, and it felt even morefortable than the wind from the air conditioner. Seraphina was held in Leandro¡¯s arms, soaking in the water, and she moanedfortably. Who says only men can use sex to vent? It turns out that this method works for women as well, and it works splendidly. Leandro rested his hands on the edge of the tub, looking at the woman in his arms. Although she was already moaningfortably, her brows were still furrowed. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Finally, Leandro asked in a low voice. Seraphina quietly nestled in his arms, opened her eyes after a while, and slowly said, ¡°Leandro, if I am killed, will you avenge me with all your might?¡± ¡°No.¡± Leandro answered. Seraphinay quietly, her eyes showing no change, she just asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because that will never happen.¡± Seraphina turned to look at him, ¡°Can¡¯t I even hypothetically think about it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Leandro said. He had experienced life and death, so he didn¡¯t want to joke about it. Seraphina looked into his eyes, seemed to sense something, paused for a moment, then changed to a comfortable position and continued to lie down, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not talk about this topic.¡± Leandro watched her profile for a while, then slowly said, ¡°Did you know that Bowen is preparing to get engaged to Tania?¡± Seraphina suddenly opened her eyes, ¡°Even you heard about this? So, it¡¯s true?¡± Leandro said, ¡°Almost certain.¡± Seraphina seemed suddenly interested in this topic, she changed her position to face him and said, ¡°As a man, you should have more insights on this ¨C can a man really go crazy for love?¡± Leandro quietly looked at her, then asked, ¡°How do you define crazy?¡± Looking at him for a moment, Seraphina suddenly realized, she and Leandro probably shouldn¡¯t discuss this topic. But since the words were already out, she had to continue. ¡°To live for her, to die for her, to disregard everything, even give up everything.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Of course, you, a rational person, would never do such a thing. What about other men? Could other men possibly do that?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer her question, but asked, ¡°In a woman¡¯s eyes, is that considered true love?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Seraphina smiled at him, ¡°We are just discussing the matter rationally.¡± Leandro listened, then slowly said, ¡°Since you know I¡¯m not that kind of person, you shouldn¡¯t ask me such a question.¡± He seemed a bit unhappy, Seraphina blinked, obediently responded, and prepared to get up to leave. But as soon as she was about to get up, she just slightly twisted her body and was pulled back into his arms by Leandro. Seraphina silently felt his strength, it seemed he was really upset. Leandro pressed her against the wall of the bathtub, in between his arms and chest, looking down at her, ¡°Is it better to be crazy?¡± Seraphina sighed softly, she put her arms around his neck, ¡°If everyone is crazy, do you think it could be any good? Look, we are normal people, it¡¯s best if we live in a normal way. You don¡¯t think we should envy those who are mentally ill, or develop in that direction, right? So, I think men like you are the best! You¡¯re cool and rational, weigh the pros and cons, loved by many women¡­¡± Even though she was going on and on singing praises, Leandro clearly wasn¡¯t buying it. He reached out and gave her waist a big squeeze. Seraphina let out a yelp, tumbling into his arms. When she tried to break free, she found she couldn¡¯t shake off the hands on her. Helplessly, she lifted her eyes to look at Leandro. After a moment of locking gazes, she finally said again, ¡°Alright, alright, you¡¯re my favorite, okay? Happy now?¡± Leandro was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, ¡°Say it again.¡± Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Seraphina initially spewed out sweet nothings just to cheer him up. She didn¡¯t expect Leandro would ask her to repeat it. Say it again? Seraphina hesitantly said, ¡°You¡¯re my favourite¡­¡± Compared to the casual remark just now, this one clearlycked some confidence. But maybe, that¡¯s her genuine feeling. Leandro fell silent for a while. In the end, he said nothing, just pulled her hand over and kissed it lightly. Leandro was not a patient man, but in front of her, he had to keep reminding himself- There¡¯s plenty of time. After all, he himself ruined the memories of the past, and he deserved the future pain and punishment. A weekter, a report co-authored by Seraphina and Terrell was released online and offline. The report started from the unremarkable Jones family, gradually revealing shocking events and the truth behind. It quickly sparked massive shares and discussions. Behind this event, Seraphina¡¯s name was widely mentioned again. The buzz about her even surpassed the case itself at one point. Seraphina was so used to this kind of situation that she didn¡¯t care anymore. The day after the report was released, Seraphina bumped into Bowen at a restaurant. When she saw him, Bowen was with a friend, holding a baby blue paper in his hand. From afar, Seraphina already had a hunch about what that paper was. She hadn¡¯t seen Bowen for a while, so she went over and greeted him, ¡°Bowen.¡± Bowen seemed surprised to see her there. He paused for a moment, then smiled, ¡°Sera, what a coincidence.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Seraphina replied and sat down, then looked at the baby blue paper on the table, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Bowen and Ms. Martin¡¯s engagement invitation.¡± Bowen¡¯s friend answered with a smile. ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina immediately reached out her hand to Bowen, ¡°Where¡¯s mine?¡± Bowen nced at her hand, then told his friend, ¡°You can go first.¡± The friend knew better than to stay. He left without saying much. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°It¡¯s not cool to not invite me to your engagement. You must have one more. Give it to me!¡± Saying that, Seraphina reached into his pocket and pulled out a invitation. Seraphina carefully examined the invitation in her hand. From the colour scheme to the design, it was meticulously crafted. It was clear how important the engagement ceremony was to some people. ¡°This invitation is really pretty¡± Seraphina sincerelyplimented. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Bowen nced at the invitation and lowered his head without making a sound. ¡°What do you think Sandra would say if she knew you were getting engaged to another woman?¡± ¡°Sera.¡± Bowen called her, then slowly said, ¡°She can¡¯t know anymore.¡± ¡°Maybe she can see us from heaven?¡± Seraphina suggested. Bowen smiled faintly at her words, then slowly said, ¡°If she can see us from heaven, she would know you¡¯ve done a lot for her. Let me take care of the rest.¡± Seraphina was still flipping through the invitation, ¡°Sandra knew I loved a good party. How could I miss this?¡± ¡°Sera!¡± Bowen called her again, then lowered his voice, ¡°You¡¯ve been investigating the people who killed Sandra, and you just published that report yesterday. The Martins are starting to notice you! Once you be a target of the Martins, do you think you can live peacefully?¡± Seraphina slowly put on a smile, ¡°Bowen, don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m born to love thrill?¡± ¡°Seraphina!¡± Bowen must have been pissed. He was lost for words. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Seraphina returned the invitation to him, ¡°It¡¯s just an invitation, Bowen. You¡¯re being stingy. If you don¡¯t give me one, Leandro will get one. I¡¯ll use his, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± After saying this, Seraphina walked away. If Bowen was sending out invitations these two days, then the Martins¡¯ invitations should also be sent around this time. After lunch, Seraphina went straight to Leandro¡¯s office to find the invitation. When she reached the 26th floor, the whole office was quiet. Most people were probably in a meeting. Seraphina walked confidently to Leandro¡¯s office. When she passed Yasmina¡¯s desk, she saw a familiar baby blue. Seraphina found the baby blue among a pile of documents. She only nced at the colour and confirmed it was the invitation from the Martins. Just as she was opening the invitation, a series of footsteps came from the corridor. Turning around, Seraphina saw Leandro, who had just finished a meeting, leading a group of people from the direction of the meeting room/The meeting must have gone poorly, as Leandro looked upset and stern, while the people behind him seemed frightened. Upon seeing her, Leandro slowed down his pace. His face softened a bit, but his eyes were still cold. Yasmina, trailing behind Leandro, let out a quiet sigh when she saw Seraphina. ¡°Why are you here all of a sudden?¡± Leandro stopped in front of Seraphina. The people behind him greeted Seraphina and quickly returned to their workstations. Seeing the situation, Seraphina raised the invitation she was holding, ¡°I¡¯m just here for this, I¡¯ll take it and go.¡± With that, she turned to leave, but Leandro grabbed her wrist and dragged her straight into his office. Once in the office, Leandro took the invitation from Seraphina¡¯s hands. After ncing at it, he asked nonchntly, ¡°You came all this way for this?¡± ¡°This is really important.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯ve spent a lot of time and effort trying to get it, but I still couldn¡¯t.¡± With that, she tried to take the invitation back from Leandro, but he quickly lifted it out of her reach. ¡°So you spent all that time and effort elsewhere, but you think you can just waltz in here and take this with a single word?¡± At his words, Seraphina bit her lip, shooting him a regretful look before quickly regaining her smile and plopping herself onto hisp. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nted a kiss on him, ¡°Darling, you¡¯re my favorite¡­¡± As she was speaking, she tried to snatch the invitation back. Just as she was about to grab it, Leandro lifted it even higher. ¡°Seraphina, are you mistaking me for Valerio?¡± Leandro asked. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Seraphina¡¯s recent behavior was pleasing and natural, totally in line with his usual preferences. She thought Leandro would be pleased, but he asked an unexpected question. Seraphina pondered for a moment and came to a conclusion-The meeting just now might have really made him upset. Seraphina didn¡¯t ask anything, just slightly turned her head to look at him and said, ¡°So you don¡¯t like me like this, should I change?¡± She stood up and straightened her dress, then stood in front of him in a very polite manner. She smiled and bowed, saying, ¡°Darling, you¡¯ve had a tough day, let me give you a shoulder massage.¡± As she reached out for Leandro¡¯s shoulder, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back into his arms before she could touch him. Seraphina said, ¡°What do you want? You got frustrated elsewhere and you want to vent it on me?¡± Leandro slowly said, ¡°Did I vent on you?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s just an invitation, why are you giving me a hard time! What do you want from me, spit it out!¡± Leandro looked at her quietly, but before he could speak, the office door was knocked. After a while, Yasmina opened the door and carefully said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Luke and Mr. Norman still hope to talk to you again.¡± Hearing these two names, Leandro¡¯s eyes instantly became gloomier, he even seemed a bit impatient, all of which Seraphina saw. Mr. Luke and Mr. Norman were shareholders of the Reynolds Group. Although they didn¡¯t provide substantial help when the Reynolds Group encountered difficulties in the early years, they didn¡¯t abandon the Reynolds Group at the crucial moment. Therefore, after Leandro reorganized the Reynolds Group, they were still important shareholders. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Over the years, although Leandro held the power, the opinions of these two were still important at critical moments. Seeing Leandro¡¯s reaction, Seraphina guessed that the two might have just angered Leandro, but they still didn¡¯t give up. Even though Leandro seemed impatient, he didn¡¯t refuse them. Seraphina¡¯s evaluation of him was-this man is always rational and calm, prioritizing the overall situation, and would never make impulsive decisions due to personal emotions. ¡°Since you¡¯re still busy, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when I get home tonight.¡± Upon saying that, she stood up, nced regretfully at the invitation in Leandro¡¯s hand, and slowly walked towards the door. Leandro quietly watched her back until she disappeared out of the door. As soon as Seraphina walked out the door, she ran into Mr. Luke and Mr. Norman. She had met them twice before, and after politely greeting them, she watched them walk into Leandro¡¯s office/ Yasmina was busy making coffee and didn¡¯t notice Seraphina at first. When she came out after delivering the coffee to the office, Seraphina was still at her desk. Seeing that Seraphina was still there, Yasmina obviously breathed a sigh of relief. She made a gesture of request to Seraphina, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, could you stay a bit longer?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Seraphina was originally here to inquire about the situation, so she just asked directly, ¡°Is there a disagreement within?! Yasmina nodded, ¡°It involves a big project, it¡¯s been two days and they still haven¡¯t reached a consensus. Mr. Reynolds is probably about to lose patience, everyone¡¯s very nervous¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t provide any help if I stay.¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Yasmina grabbed her, ¡°Trust me, your staying here would be the biggest help!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fool me.¡± Seraphina smiled, ¡°If I stay, Mr. Reynolds will vent all his anger on me, and you guys will feel relieved, right?¡± Yasmina took a deep breath, ¡°Mr. Reynolds would never be angry with you! Having you around, his mood would definitely improve.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already taken his unreasonable anger.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I won¡¯t fall for your trick. Seraphina turned to leave, but Yasmina still held her hand tightly until they were near the elevator. Yasmina then said, ¡°Maybe he¡¯s not venting on you, but hoping for yourfort.¡± Hearing this, S¨¦raphina stopped. Seeing a chance, Yasmina quickly continued, ¡°Trust me, if youfort him a bit, Mr. Reynolds will definitely calm down soon!¡± Seraphina folded her arms and watched the rising elevator floor in front of her. The elevator eventually reached the 26th floor, the elevator doors opened in front of her, but she suddenly turned around and looked at Yasmina. ¡°Has he had lunch?¡± Ya?mina was so moved she was about to cry, ¡°He hasn¡¯t! I¡¯ll order food right away!¡± Inside the office, Leandro once again heard the viewpoints and reasons that the two shareholders had repeatedly stated. His patience was running out, coupled with his bad mood, he was about to lose it, when Seraphina, who had just left, suddenly walked in The original oppressive atmosphere was instantly broken. ¡°Sorry for interrupting.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I just feel a bit unwell and want to rest here, you guys carry on with your business, I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± After saying that, she went towards the lounge. Seeing this, Leandro also got up and followed. As soon as Seraphina walked into the lounge, she turned around and found that Leandro had also entered. ¡°Ain¡¯t you supposed to be gone?¡± Leandro asked her calmly, as he gently closed the door. Seraphina stepped forward, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like leaving now. Hurry up and finish your talk with them, I¡¯ll have lunch with you.¡± With that, she leaned in and nted a quick kiss on his lips. Leandro reached out to steady her by her waist, his gaze fixed on her face, looking straight into her eyes. But she was always all smiles, and no matter how sharp his look was, he couldn¡¯t decipher anything.. Before he could say anything, Seraphina was pushing him out the door, ¡°Hurry up and get on with it, or I¡¯ll starve to death!¡± Leandro nced back at her one more time before closing the lounge door and returning to the office area. The ensuing conversation went surprisingly smoothly. Leandro always did things his own way. He usually only half-listened to the dissenting views of other shareholders, rarely giving them serious consideration. But this time, for the first time, he listened quietly to the two shareholders¡¯ speeches. Not because he felt their opinions were truly important, but because he was reminded of someone waiting for him in the next room, and his usually restless heart finally quieted down. In the end, with both parties willing topromise, the two-day-long argument finally came to a temporary halt. Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Luke and Norman clearly hadn¡¯t expected their meeting to go so smooth today. Both of them were pretty chuffed afterwards. Noticing it was gettingte, Luke popped the question to Leandro, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we had a meal together. Would you like to join us for lunch? You seem to be getting busier and busiertely.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond straight away. Norman caught the look on Leandro¡¯s face, sniggered and said to Luke, ¡°How could you forget? Seraphina is in the lounge. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s gonna ditch his wife and grab lunch with you!¡± Luke suddenly got the hint. ¡°Duh, how could I forget that. They¡¯re newlyweds, they must be head over heels for each other!¡± Leandro clearly had had enough of their banter. His expression didn¡¯t change, but he quickly had Yasmina show Luke and Norman out. When Leandro stepped into the lounge, Seraphina was watching a video on her tablet. Seeing him walk in, she asked in surprise, ¡°What¡¯s up? Did the negotiations fall through?¡± ¡°The negotiations were sessful,¡± Leandro replied. ¡°That was quick?¡± Seraphina checked the time in surprise. It had only been 20 minutes since she came in. ording to Yasmina, they had been debating the issue for two days without reaching a consensus. How could they have made such progress in just 20 minutes? ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina was engrossed in the most interesting part of the video and quickly responded, ¡°Yasmina has ordered lunch! Let me finish this video! If you¡¯r¨¦ hungry, you can start eating.¡± Seeing this, Leandro took off his suit jacket, sat down next to her, and looked at the tablet in her hand. It was a documentary about a serial killer. Leandro wasn¡¯t interested in this kind of stuff, but he stayed put after he sat down. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± Seraphina looked at him. Leandro nced at her but didn¡¯t respond. Seraphina sensed something. She leaned against him, positioned the tablet so they both could see, and continued watching. Leandro adjusted his position slightly, put an arm around her, and let her continue watching. The videosted over an hour. Leandro let her finish it. Seraphina stretched outzily. Suddenly remembering the time, she reached out and patted his stomach, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Feeling his tight abs under her hand, she couldn¡¯t help but pat a few more times. Leandro nced at her, ¡°If you want to stay here, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina took in the situation, reluctantly pulled back her hand. When they came out of the lounge, Yasmina was justing in with their lunch. The previous two lunches had been snapped up by other colleagues on the 26th floor before they cooled down. Luckily, the timing was perfect this time. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, here¡¯s your lunch.¡± With Seraphina around, the atmosphere in the office was noticeably lighter. Yasmina also seemed more rxed. As she ced the lunch on the table in the reception area, she gave Seraphina a knowing look. i Seraphina pretended not to see. She sat next to Leandro, casually picked up a piece of fruit and put it in her mouth, ¡°You eat it. I¡¯ll have fruit. I¡¯ll leave when you¡¯re done.¡± Leandro saw her act and knew she must have had lunch already. But he didn¡¯t call her out, just put the fruit in front of her and started eating. The fruit was quickly finished. Seraphina, bored, picked up a magazine to flip through. When she looked up after she had finished flipping through the magazine, she saw that Leandro was still eating. Seraphina put down the magazine and got up to go to the bathroom. The moment she stepped out of the office, Yasmina immediately looked up at her with a mischievous smile on her face, ¡°Just having lunch, why is it taking so long?¡± ¡°What?¡± Seraphina walked over and lightly tapped her on the head, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Yasmina was clearly not convinced, ¡°Usually, Mr. Reynolds only needs about 20 minutes for lunch. Today, it¡¯s been 40 minutes, and he¡¯s still not done.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina frowned slightly.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Judging by his usual eating speed, he was indeed slower today. She suddenly recalled something she had said earlier. She said ¡°I¡¯ll leave when you¡¯re done.¡± Could Leandro be eating so slowly because of what she said? ¡°Honestly, I never thought Mr. Reynolds would have this side to him.¡± Yasmina said, chuckling to herself. Seraphina gave her a look, ¡°What kind of person do you think he is?¡± Yasmina immediately listed, ¡°Cold, aloof. To me, the old Mr. Reynolds was like a god. But since you came, he¡¯s be more human.¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°He¡¯s your boss, you dare to say that about him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth,¡± Yasmina said, ¡°You¡¯re the closest person to him, you know best what he¡¯s like. Right?¡± Seraphina chuckled, leaned in close and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not telling.¡± Yasmina rolled her eyes in resignation, ¡°You¡¯re so crafty!¡± When Seraphina returned to the office, Leandro had finally finished his meal. Just then, Seraphina brought in a cup of coffee for Yasmina and ced it in front of him, ¡°Here¡¯s your after-dinner coffee.¡± Leandro nced at the coffee, then at her, ¡°What are you doing this afternoon?¡± ¡°Resting,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°Going home?¡± Leandro asked casually. Seraphina shook her head, pointing to his lounge, ¡°I n to rest here.¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment of silence, he said, ¡°Is it because of that invitation?¡± Seraphina suddenly paused. Was it because of that invitation? She wasn¡¯t even sure herself. But since Leandro had already given her a perfect excuse, why not take it? ¡°Yeah.¡± Seraphina lifted her chin slightly in response, ¡°It¡¯s because of that invitation. If you¡¯re pissed, then kick me out!¡± With that, Seraphina stood up and strutted off to the lounge. Leandro sat there for a bit longer, then finally got up and followed her into the lounge. Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Seraphina said she needed a break and quickly dozed off on the couch in Leandro¡¯s lounge. When she woke up, Leandro was already gone. Checking the time, Seraphina realized she had identally slept for more than two hours. Leandro was so busy, there was no way he could hang around in the lounge for so long. Seraphina got up, freshened up in the bathroom, then left the lounge. Outside, she found Leandro in deep conversation with someone. Her arrival interrupted them. Luckily, the person Leandro was talking to was an internal staff member. Seeing her, they smiled and greeted her, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds.¡± ¡°Did I interrupt?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll get out of your hair.¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± The person replied before Leandro could, ¡°I was just giving Mr. Reynolds a work update. You didn¡¯t interrupt.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina just looked at Leandro, who gave her a slight nod, signaling her to do as she pleased. So Seraphina sat down nearby, ying with a tablet, flipping through a magazine. Soon, the reporting staff member left, but shortly after, a few more people came in. It wasn¡¯t long before executives came in to report to Leandro. Then Yasmina came in, nervously saying, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, managers from admin, finance, and HR have also scheduled: They have work to report to you.¡± Seraphina noticed the unusual situation and turned to Yasmina, ¡°Is today a reporting day?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Yasmina sneaked a nce at Seraphina, seemed to want to say something, but didn¡¯t have the courage in front of Leandro, so she just gave a small smile. Seraphina was curious about Leandro¡¯s afternoon schedule, so she just sat quietly watching the executivese and go. The routine got boring after a while, and since the reported work didn¡¯t interest Seraphina, she got up to ask Yasmina for a coffee. As she left, she saw the directors who had just reported still outside, discussing something fervently around Yasmina. Seeing Seraphinae out, they all turned to her, all smiles, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds.¡± They were so nice, it made Seraphina feel a bit overwhelmed, ¡°I thought you all left already¡­¡± ¡°Work is going smoothly, we¡¯re all happy, so we haven¡¯t left yet.¡± Yasmina replied. Then she turned to the others, ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you guys say you wanted to talk to Mrs. Reynolds?¡± ¡°Right.¡± One of them immediately said, ¡®Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds have been married for almost half a year now, but we rarely see Mrs. Reynolds. We hope Mrs. Reynolds can visit thepany more often, and when she has time, visit our other departments as well, to get familiar with everyone.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± As soon as this was said, there was immediate agreement, ¡°Ourpany actually has a lot of activities, it¡¯s just that Mr. Reynolds rarely participates. If Mrs. Reynolds could participate more, Mr. Reynolds would surely participate as well, which would be a significant boost topany morale.¡± As Seraphina listened to them speak with a smile, she had a rough idea of the day¡¯s situation. When everyone scattered, Yasmina immediately came over, wrapping her arm around Seraphina¡¯s, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, listen to everyone,e to thepany more often.¡± Seraphina gave her a look, ¡°You guys don¡¯t really think that having me around makes your work go smoothly, do you?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t think so, it¡¯s a fact.¡± Yasmina said, ¡°I¡¯ve been Mr. Reynolds¡¯ secretary for a long time, and today was the most harmonious and warm day in Mr. Reynolds¡¯ office! ¡°So, you guys usually have a hard time?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s hard.¡± Yasmina sighed softly, ¡°It¡¯s just that Mr. Reynolds is naturally cold and deep thinking, everyone doesn¡¯t understand his thoughts, everyone is very cautious. I think, the only person who can get close to Mr. Reynolds¡¯ heart, give him warmth, is you! So we all hope you can help us, please, dear Mrs, Reynolds!¡± Hearing this, S¨¦raphina¡¯s eyes became a bit more serious. She wasn¡¯t unaware of what Yasmina was saying, but at this moment, she suddenly realized one thing. All these years, Leandro was actually quite lonely, wasn¡¯t he? He had a family, children, but he spent 90% of his energy on his work. The business world wasplicated and unpredictable. He was always on guard, never trusting people easily, so he seemed particrly cold and lonely. Everyone has feelings, how can anyone survive inplete loneliness? So, when he had someone he could trust, a bit of warmth he could rely on, he didn¡¯t want to let go. But he was Leandro, proud, mature, and rational, maybe he subconsciously didn¡¯t allow himself to have such a weakness, but he couldn¡¯t control it, so he became irritable and easily angered. And this emotion, only one person could easily soothe¡­ Seraphina was lost in her thoughts for a moment. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Before Seraphina could respond, the person originally in Leandro¡¯s office walked out. He also greeted Seraphina in a friendly manner and then left cheerfully. ¡°Take a look!¡± Yasmina immediately said to Seraphina, ¡°Noticeable effect, right?¡± Seraphina remained silent. Yasmina sighed softly and said, ¡°I used to feel that Mr. Reynolds was a high and mighty person who was hard to approach. But today, I feel that he¡¯s just a kid. As long as he gets what he wants, he¡¯ll be happy. Are all men like this in love?¡± As soon as Yasmina finished speaking, the phone on her desk rang. It was Leandro¡¯s cold voice, ¡°Is there anyone else?¡± Under normal circumstances, whenever Yasmina heard this voice, she would feel a chill. But today, her response seemed rxed, ¡°No more, Mr. Reynolds. You have no other business today.¡± After saying this, she gave Seraphina a slight smile. Seraphina nced at her and then turned around and walked back into the office. She watched Leandro work for the entire afternoon. Even as a bystander, she felt exhausted, but Leandro seemed to take it in stride, even appearing quiteposed, without a hair out of ce. Seraphina admired his work ethic, watching Leandro, and then apuded him. ¡°You¡¯ve handled so much in just one afternoon, Mr. Reynolds is super efficient!¡± The man who had just been praised immediately closed the files in his hand and stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go pick up Valerio from school.¡± Seraphina was speechless. She had just praised his hard work, and he was already preparing to leave work. In fact,pared to when she first returned to the countryst year, Leandro¡¯s workload had significantly decreased. He used to work untilte at night, but now he sometimes leaves work early, and even sometimes comes home early, which is nothing short of a miracle. How did this miracle happen? Seraphina knew all too well. The two of them left thepany together, picked up Valerio from school, and went straight home. Seraphina initially thought they might eat out, which was what Valerio was hoping for, but Conway Reynolds was still at home. -The fact is, as long as he had time, Leandro¡¯smitment to his family was also substantial. As long as Leandro and Seraphina were together, no matter where they ate, Valerio would be very happy, especially today when the two of them picked him up from school together, his expression at the dinner table was like he had won a big prize. Seeing him, Conway couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°It seems Valerio is very happy today? You guys should pick him up from school together more often.¡± Seraphina was stirring her meal in her bowl. She nced at Valerio, then showed Conway azy smile without answering. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you today?¡± Conway suddenly looked at her. Seraphina was a bit puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re speaking less than usual.¡± Conway said, ¡°Are you not in a good mood?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina suddenly looked at Leandro.¡± Leandro also looked at her, his gaze deep and inscrutable. ¡°You may not know.¡± Seraphina sighed in response to Conway, ¡°I saw too many people at the Reynolds Group today, my face is numb from smiling, so I don¡¯t feel like making faces or talking anymore.¡± ¡°So many people at thepany came to see you?¡± Conway teased, ¡°You¡¯re acting like the president¡¯s wife, understanding the employees¡¯ lives?¡± Seraphina thought of what Yasmina had said, hummed lightly, and didn¡¯t answer Conway. Leandro looked at her again, but didn¡¯t say anything. There were some things he knew she understood, and that was enough, no need for more words. At night, Seraphina came out of the shower, and there was another person on the bed. ? ?? ? ? ? ??? ? ? ? ? Also appearing was a powder blue invitation on the dressing table. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Seraphina picked up the invitation and read it carefully, then looked at Leandro, ¡°You¡¯re giving this to me now? I haven¡¯t done anything yet!¡± Leandro sat on the bed looking at her, ¡°It¡¯s not toote to do it now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already got what I wanted, why should I listen to you?¡± Seraphina said as she walked past the bed. But before she could reach for the skincare products on the dressing table, she was already in Leandro¡¯s arms on the bed. Leandro held her in his arms, kissed her for a long time, then whispered, ¡°If you want to meet the people from the Martin family, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina slowly turned to look at him, her gaze deep and almost without any fluctuation. Ever since she found out the reason why he had sent her away back then, even though she had forgiven him on the surface, her eyes rarely showed such an expression. Leandro didn¡¯t say much, just kissed her head, and couldn¡¯t help but kiss her again. After a while, Seraphina finally spoke in a low voice, but it was a phrase unrted to the current situation, ¡°It¡¯s getting hotter and hotter¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Leandro replied. ¡°I¡¯m all sweaty, it feels sticky and ufortable.¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to Australia or New Zend.¡± Leandro answered, pressing her down on the bed. ¡°No.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I want to go to Antarctica.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Buy a cruise ship.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°And buy an ind?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In early July, the Smith family and the Martin family were united in marriage with a grand engagement ceremony. Seraphina didn¡¯t want to dress herself up, so she asked a familiar stylist to help her early in the morning. Seraphina looked at herself in the mirror and was somewhat dissatisfied, ¡°Isn¡¯t this makeup too low- key?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to someone else¡¯s engagement party.¡± The stylist replied, ¡°You want to steal the show?¡± ¡°Would you say that¡¯s me standing out?¡± Seraphina shot him a sideways look, ¡°That¡¯s me being naturally stunning, hard to keep it on the low.¡± Hearing this, the stylist immediately got her drift, and let out a helpless chuckle, ¡°Alright, alright, you¡¯re the fairest, your word isw.¡± After some discussion, Seraphina¡¯s makeup and style werepletely redone, and she, who was originally set to leave at five in the afternoon, was more than an hourte. Leandro left thepany at the agreed time, but he ended up waiting a solid two hours at the hotel entrance before the tardy Seraphina finally showed On seeing her, Leandro was momentarily at a loss for words. However, Seraphina seemedpletely at ease. She adjusted her skirt, hooked her arm through Leandro¡¯s, and asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You should be d your wife is so beautiful.¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Seraphina was d in a blue starry gown, the stars on the hemline sparkling like tiny diamonds, understated yet stunning. She had her long hair tied up, revealing her radiant and cheerful face, with twinkling eyes. ¡°Maybe you think I should tone it down a bit?¡± Seeing Leandro was silent, Seraphina continued, ¡°If you think so, I can go and change right now. After all, I bought this dress with your money.¡± Hearing this, Leandro slowly took her hand. His gaze was deep, his eyes fixated on her, then he lifted her hand to his lips, nting a gentle kiss. ¡°As my wife, you don¡¯t need to tone down anything,¡± he said With that, Leandro, hand in hand with Seraphina, turned and walked towards the hotel. Seraphina followed suit, slightly lowering her gaze to their intertwined hands, obediently trailing behind him. The hotel was booked entirely for the Martin family that day, and as the couple made their appearance, they were immediately greeted and guided by the hotel staff. Seraphina looped her arm through Leandro¡¯s as they slowly entered the banquet hall. Bowen Smith was on the stage, holding Tania Martin¡¯s hand, professing his love to her. The seating arrangement for Leandro and Seraphina was at the front, so Seraphina, arm in arm with Leandro, made her way through the numerous tables towards their seats. All the lights in the venue were focused on the stage, illuminating Bowen and Tania, who looked like a couple in love. Though the hall was slightly dim, and everyone¡¯s attention was on the stage, many still noticed Leandro and Seraphina., The reason being, Seraphina¡¯s starry gown was shimmering faintly in the dark night. The soft glow wasn¡¯t ring but added a mystical beauty due to its hazy radiance. Even after they took their seats, many eyes lingered on Seraphina, curious to catch a better glimpse of her. Once seated, however, Seraphina turned her attention to the stage. Bowen was still expressing his deep love for Tania. ¡°I¡¯m not a perfect man, I can¡¯t even say I¡¯m a good one. Sometimes, I even find myself loathsome. I often upset her, make her unhappy, but she has never given up on me. She gives me endless understanding and gentleness. She has given me everything, and in return, she has be the one person in this world that I can¡¯t give up¡­¡± -Bowen¡¯s words drew wave after wave of apuse. Seraphina listened quietly, and suddenly a thought crossed her mind. Did he express his true feelings or pretend to be true? If it was thetter, then his acting skills were too profound. A man who can express such deep affection towards a woman he doesn¡¯t love, even despises, and sessfully move the crowd, is quite terrifying. But if his words were sincere¡­ then who were they meant for? Seraphina sat quietly, listening, but her thoughts were elsewhere. The scene continued until Bowen finished his speech and slipped the engagement ring on Tania¡¯s finger. The audience erupted with apuse. Tania bashfully leaned into Bowen¡¯s arms, looking up at him with a face full, of happiness. The lights in the hall brightened all at once, and flower petals fluttered down from above. Some people were watching the stage, others were watching the couple below. On the stage, Bowen was holding Tania, smiling at the petals floating in mid-air, his eyes serene and distant. Below the stage, Seraphina looked up at the falling petals, her beautiful face and neck forming a graceful curve under the lights, looking like she was right out of a painting. A white petalnded on her shoulder, Leandro noticed and brushed it off gently. Seraphina slowly turned her gaze to him, sharing a smile. With that turn, the onlookers finally got a clear look at the girl in the shimmering dress. She didn¡¯t seem ostentatious, but when she smiled, her striking beauty was overwhelming, hitting right in the feels. Many curious eyesnded on Seraphina, even Bowen and Tania on the stage noticed her. But Seraphina seemed oblivious, she just leaned a bit closer to Leandro. Leandro disregarded the surrounding attention, naturally brushing off the petals on her. The two of them did not make any grand gestures, yet they effortlessly drew a lot of attention. Even though Tania had intentionally let go of her animosity towards Seraphina under Bowen¡¯s guidance, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of resentment. After giving her a nce, Bowen, hand in hand with Tania, walked down the stage to Leandro and Seraphina. Seraphina quickly stood up, arm in arm with Leandro. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Bowen greeted Leandro first, then turned to Seraphina, ¡°Sera, I thought you wouldn¡¯t come today.¡± ¡°How could I not?¡± Seraphina replied with a bright smile, ¡°It¡¯s you and Ms. Martin¡¯s big day; of course, I had toe to congratte you. As Sandra¡¯s best friend, since she can¡¯t witness this grand asion, I¡¯m here to do it for her.¡± Tania¡¯s face changed instantly at these words. She knew well that Sandra Smith¡¯s death was an unspeakable pain for Bowen, so she had always been careful. But Seraphina dared to bring up Sandra at her engagement party, Tania felt it was a deliberate provocation. Just when she was about to retort, Seraphina turned to her, smiling, ¡°Ms. Martin, you look really beautiful today, congrattions.¡± Tania was caught off guard, Bowen was holding her hand, cameras were rolling, and Seraphina was complimenting her. She couldn¡¯tsh out, she could only reply stiffly, ¡°Thank you.¡± With a crowd of guests present, Bowen, being the star of the night, obviously couldn¡¯t just stick around Seraphina and Leandro. Plus, T¨¤nia wasn¡¯t too keen on seeing Seraphina, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, Bowen took Tania to mingle with the other guests. Seraphina¡¯s gaze followed them until she noticed Leandro¡¯s hand subtly shifting on her waist, so she turned back around. Simon Martin, who had previously met Seraphina in the hospital, was approaching Leandro with a drink in hand. Seeing Seraphina, he shed a familiar N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. smile. ¡°Leandro, long time no see.¡± Leandro nodded, clinking his ss against Simon¡¯s, simply replying, ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± In contrast, Seraphina was more proactive and enthusiastic, ¡°Mr. Martin, we meet again.¡± Simon gave a slight smile, ¡°I told you before, we¡¯d have plenty of opportunities to cross paths again.¡± Seraphina sipped her drink with a smile. Just as she put her ss down, she heard a slightly cold female voice from behind Simon, ¡°Dad.¡± Simon turned around and quickly made room, introducing the neer to Seraphina, ¡°This is my daughter, Andrea. Chapter 309 Chapter 309 The moment Seraphinaid eyes on Andrea, she was a tad taken aback. Previously, she had gleaned some information about Andrea from Tania, and she subconsciously imagined Andrea to look like Tania. Plus, Herman had mentioned Andrea¡¯s deep feelings for Leandro, so she had pictured Andrea as another pampered rich girl, just like Tania. But the Andrea she was looking at now was nothing like that. She was ady of elegance. Andrea¡¯s voice was a bit chilly, but overall she seemed very gentle. After ncing at Leandro, Andrea quickly extended her hand to Seraphina, ¡°Hello Mrs. Reynolds.¡± ¡°Hello Ms. Martin.¡± Seraphina also threw a nce at Leandro, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you.¡± Upon hearing this, Andrea just shot her a faint smile, ¡°If you¡¯ve heard anything less than ttering about me, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Seraphina was surprised by Andrea¡¯s candor, and she appreciated it. So she quicklyughed, ¡°Even if I did before, I wouldn¡¯t now.¡± Leandro watched as Seraphina responded, but she just casually let go of his hand and walked towards Andrea, ¡°It¡¯s quite packed tonight. I haven¡¯t been back in Sunburst City for long, and there are a lot of people I don¡¯t recognize. Would you mind showing me around?¡± Andrea was a bit surprised. After looking at Leandro, she nodded, ¡°Sure.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t get another nce from Seraphina as she followed Andrea towards the main table of the banquet. The Smith family had tragically lost their parents early, and Sandra had recently passed away, so the so-called main table was filled with the Martin family. Seraphina stepped forward and greeted everyone in the Martin family. Meanwhile, Leandro was swamped with people striking up conversations, leaving him no chance to find Seraphina. It seemed like Seraphina didn¡¯t care whether he was around or not. Every time Leandro looked her way, she was always the brightest star in the crowd, striking up conversations with a beaming smile. Leandro had a hunch why she was acting like this, but he didn¡¯t know how to feel about it. After Seraphina had met everyone in the Martin family, she still stuck around with Andrea, chit-chatting about trivial matters. That was until Peterson Miller suddenly appeared in front of her. ¡°Sera.¡± He called her. She looked around and noticed that he was alone. Sheughed, ¡°What brings you here all by yourself?¡± Peterson gave a self-deprecatingugh, ¡°My engagement with Edith Whitman has been called off.¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow at the news but didn¡¯t seem too surprised. Ever since Edith leaked Betty¡¯s scandal to the press, which enraged Leandro, the Whitman family had been under the thumb of the Reynolds Group. Seraphina didn¡¯t follow the aftermath closely, but she was aware that the Whitman family was barely holding on. ¡°You¡¯re such an opportunist.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t mince her words. Peterson didn¡¯t respond to herment. He seemed to ept it as fact, then changed the subject, ¡°I heard about Sandra¡­¡± Seraphina immediately shook her head, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. It¡¯s not appropriate on someone else¡¯s engagement day.¡± So Peterson asked instead, ¡°Are you doing okay?¡± Seraphina just shrugged, ¡°As you can see.¡± Peterson recalled the scene he had witnessed earlier ¨C In truth, he was sitting far away from Leandro and Seraphina, so he couldn¡¯t see them clearly. But he did catch glimpses of their interactions. He saw Seraphina naturally leaning on Leandro, and Leandro calmly brushing petals off her dress. Their intimate gestures seemed natural and unforced, a real reaction. Peterson slowly nodded and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. His yoice was a bit low, ¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡± He didn¡¯t stick around chatting with Seraphina for long before he was called away by someone else. Andrea overheard their conversation and remarked, ¡°You and your ex seem to get along pretty well.¡± ¡°Just like regr friends.¡± Seraphina nced at her and smiled, ¡°Just like you and Leandro.¡± Hearing this, Andrea looked at Seraphina and said, ¡°I¡¯ve only met Mr. Reynolds a few times. Most of them were coincidences or introductions by others. We never officially dated or anything.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± Seraphinaughed and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous.¡± ?? ? ? ? ? Andrea paused before saying, ¡°I did want to pursue something with him at one point. But as it turns out, if it¡¯s not meant to be yours, it never will be.¡± After saying those words, she looked at Seraphina. Seraphina also looked at her. After a moment of silence, she reached out and gently squeezed Andrea¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ll find your true love.¡± Seraphina said. Hearing this, Andrea smiled faintly, ¡°I hope so.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Leandro and Seraphina didn¡¯t stay long at the engagement party. After having made her presence known to everyone, Seraphina quickly left the venue. But when she left, it was just her. The driver was originally waiting in the car for her and Leandro. He was instructed to drive the car to the hotel entrance, but only saw Seraphina climbing into the car by herself. It took him by surprise. ¡°Go home,¡± Seraphinamanded as soon as she got in the car. The driver immediately asked, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, where¡¯s Mr. Reynolds?¡± ¡°Who knows where he¡¯s off having a st,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°Let¡¯s not bother him, let¡¯s go.¡± The driver could feel something was off ¨C had they had a fight? He couldn¡¯t ignore Seraphina¡¯smand, but he also didn¡¯t have the guts to leave Leandro behind. Just as he was torn, he saw Leandroing over with two members of the Martin family. He breathed a sigh of relief. with Seraphina saw it too, but she just snorted lightly and turned her face away. As soon as Leandro got in the car, he raised the car¡¯s partition, creating a private space. Seraphina nced at him and sneered, ¡°Leaving so soon? Don¡¯t you n to stay a bit longer and have more interaction with Andrea?¡± She seemed to be angry, and Leandro knew very well that Andrea was not the reason for her anger. ¡°Even though Andrea hasn¡¯t disclosed much about you, I can feel that she still has feelings for you.¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°Are you really so cold-blooded? Oh no, you are not cold-blooded at all, in fact, you are very emotional¡­ Before there was a Magnolia, now there¡¯s an Andrea. It¡¯s funny, I¡¯m not even sure if I should be thanking them. If it weren¡¯t for Magnolia¡¯s predicament, if it weren¡¯t for Andrea¡¯s eyes, Mr. Reynolds might have forgotten about me!¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Leandro had already suspected why her attitude had changed at the party, and now he was even more certain. She had only heard of Andrea before, but never met her. Now that they¡¯ve suddenly met, it¡¯s natural that she would have some thoughts, Because Andrea¡¯s eyes were so simr to hers. When he first met Magnolia, he saw her in Magnolia, but he didn¡¯t realize it. He forced himself to suppress all the thoughts, as if nothing had happened and as if she never existed. However, when he met Andrea over a year ago, he clearly remembered her in that instant. Those eyes were bright and clear, calm and cold, just like someone deeply engraved in his memory. That person had almostpletely disappeared from his life, even the memory had started to blur. But those eyes, suddenly pulled him back to the past. Over the years, he had tasted pain in the darkest of days, which had devoured all his past. But those eyes were like a key that suddenly opened a door. When he looked back, he remembered that there had been light in the past. Those peaceful days, clean and pure, sincere and passionate. All because of the person with the same pair of eyes. In the past, he didn¡¯t allow himself to reminisce, but at that moment, once the floodgates of memory were open, he couldn¡¯t stop it. Then he lured her back to the country, only to find out she had changed. That¡¯s the story for another day. Just as she said, if it wasn¡¯t for Andrea¡¯s eyes, he might still be stuck in the dark, unable to look back. But in the end, it was because those eyes resembled hers. Andrea¡¯s eyes reminded him of her, that¡¯s why all this happened. He didn¡¯t deny the past, she had a right to be angry. But looking at her character now, her anger might be real, or it might be fake. She might just be messing with him on purpose. Leandro reached out, trying to hold her hand, but Seraphina quickly pulled back arid ced it on the other side. Leandro looked at her raised chin and pouting mouth, and after a moment, he said, ¡°Drama queen.¡±¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Ouch!¡± Seraphina suddenly looked at him, then reached out to pull at his tie, ¡°Leandro, you think you¡¯re right?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer, but he grabbed her hand. Seraphina realized she had been tricked, tried to pull back, but couldn¡¯t. Leandro held her hand firmly with one hand, and pulled her into his arms with the other, refusing to let go no matter how much she struggled. Not until Seraphina was exhausted and gave up struggling, did Leandro lean down slightly and kissed her lightly on the lips. Seraphina instinctively tried to dodge, but Leandro immediately followed up, pinning her between the car door and the seat. ¡°Leandro, what are you up to?¡± Seraphina, pinned by him, could only re at him. Leandro did nothing. He just quietly watched her for a while, then slowly said, ¡°I was wrong.¡± Seraphina was suddenly taken aback. ¡°Although it¡¯s been a long time¡­¡± he said, ¡°I was wrong.¡± Not long after Seraphina and Leandro left, Tania went to Andrea. ¡°Andrea.¡± Tania grabbed her and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been with Seraphina all this time, what did you talk about?¡± Andrea gave a faint smile, ¡°Nothing much, just introduced some of our rtives and friends to her.¡± ¡°Just that simple?¡± Tania was skeptical, ¡°Today is my engagement party, and she came dressed so beautifully, obviously she has some n!¡± Andrea recalled Seraphina¡¯s behavior that night, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what her purpose is. But based on her performance tonight, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s targeting you.¡± Tania couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Even if she¡¯s not targeting me, she deliberately embarrassed me at my engagement party! If she wasn¡¯t Leandro¡¯s wife, I would definitely teach her a lesson!¡± As soon as her words fell, an authoritative but cheerful voice came from behind, ¡°Who is our Martin family¡¯sdy nning to teach a lesson?¡± Tania turned around and saw Simon standing behind her. She immediately went up to him and cooed, ¡°Simon, you saw it too, right? How annoying was that Seraphina tonight! She stole Leandro from my sister, and now she¡¯s unting at my engagement party! In the future, if I get the chance, I will definitely make her suffer!¡± Simon listened, his face darkened a bit, then he said, ¡°She¡¯s still a Reynolds, and the Reynolds are strong now, just let it go, it¡¯s not worth it for you to have a beef with her over this.¡± Tania was stunned after hearing this. Just then, someone called Simon from behind. After saying this, he turned and walked away. Tania returned to Andrea, ¡°Andrea, did you hear what Simon said? He¡¯s scared of the Reynolds? That¡¯s not like him!¡± Andrea quietly watched Simon¡¯s retreating figure for a while, then said, ¡°Today is your engagement day, don¡¯t think about it too much. You¡¯re the star tonight, you don¡¯t have to let others affect your mood.¡± Chapter 311 Chapter 311 On the way home, Leandro held Seraphina close, apologizing and admitting his mistakes all the way. It reminded her of the time she first returned to Sunburst Cityst year. Back then, Leandro would never have said these things. But now, he was actually apologizing. It all happened so suddenly that Seraphina didn¡¯t know what to do. She just let him hold and kiss her, remaining silent. When the car stopped at Reynolds Manor, Seraphina suddenly broke free from his arms, pushed the car door open and ran out. By the time Leandro entered the house, Seraphina was sitting in front of Conway, showing her wrist to him and using, ¡°Grandpa, Leandro hit me!¡± Leandro was speechless. Seraphina¡¯s skin was delicate and prone to leaving marks. The grip he had on her hand in the car had left a mark that was now being mistaken for evidence of domestic violence. Conway looked at the barely visible bruise on her wrist, got up and headed upstairs, rolling his eyes at them. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Don¡¯t use me as a shield, both of you!¡± Conway said. Seraphina pretended to be furious, ¡°You cunning old man! When you convinced me to marry into this family, you didn¡¯t say it would be like this!¡± Conway stopped on the stairs and turned to look at her, ¡°You¡¯re a part of the Reynolds family now, what do I need to worry about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bad man!¡± Seraphina said, ¡°No wonder your grandson is so heartless, he learned it all from you!¡± Conway just shrugged and headed upstairs. Seraphina huffed in frustration. Leandro then came over and sat down next to her, taking her hand to examine it. Seraphina watched his actions coldly, not saying a word. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina huffed again, not replying. Leandro then had Karan bring some bruise ointment, and applied it to Seraphina¡¯s wrist himself. This was a rare sight for the usually aloof Leandro. But as Seraphina watched his actions, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t think this will make me forget about tonight.¡± ¡°I have no intention of running from the past,¡± Leandro said, still focused on her wrist. Seraphina suddenly ed her hand away. Leandro swiftly caught her hand in his and then finally looked up at her. ¡°I did think of you after seeing her, Leandro admitted, ¡®But even without her, you would eventuallye back to me.¡± Seraphinaughed coldly, ¡°And what makes you so sure?¡± ¡°Because no one knows me better than I do,¡± Leandro replied. For most people, life is about looking forward. The past will eventually pass, no matter how much pain and despair,they¡¯ve gone through, people always say that hope is ahead. For him, hope seemed to only exist in the past. He couldn¡¯t foresee the future, so he could only look back at the past to find a bright direction. Meeting Andrea made him look back sooner. Even without Andrea, there woulde a day when he would follow his heart and search for those unforgettable memories. Seraphina was silent for a moment, then suddenly yanked her hand away and turned her head, ¡°Forget it, I just have amon face, this person, that person, they all look like me¡­ ah, no, I should thank my common face for reminding Mr. Reynolds of me at the critical moment.¡± Leandro pulled her into his arms, ¡°Your face is far frommon.¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°If not, how could you see me in Magnolia and remember me because of Andrea¡¯s eyes?¡± Leandro was silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°Maybe there was a time when I also had amon face?¡± At this question, Seraphina¡¯s expression froze. Perhaps due to her change in personality, her memories of the past weren¡¯t very clear, but Leandro¡¯s question quickly pulled her back to the days when she first arrived in Starhaven eight years ago. Back then, Leandro indeed had a ¡°in face¡±. Not in terms of his looks, but because she could see his face in everyone else¡¯s, Regardless of resemnce, she could see him in others. Regardless of gender, even race. When you miss someone deeply, everything in the world bes them. Later, she gradually came back to her senses and found her memories of those times humorous. She just didn¡¯t expect that one day, Leandro would also go through the same feeling. Seraphina was speechless for a moment until Leandro suddenly lifted her off the couch. ¡°Hey!¡± Seraphina snapped out of it and red at him, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Leandro took her in his arms and went straight upstairs. Seraphina continued to speak, ¡°Leandro, I¡¯m not in the mood tonight, are you still going to force me?¡± Leandro was quiet for a moment, then leaned in and said, ¡°I won¡¯t force you. You tell me how you want it, and that¡¯s how I¡¯ll do it.¡± Seraphina looked at him quietly, then suddenlyughed, her eyes full of mischief, ¡°You said it.¡± Leandro felt a sudden sense of foreboding. In fact, Seraphina didn¡¯t really care about these things, she just didn¡¯t know whether to cry orugh. But now, since he¡¯s the one saying it¡­ Great interest sprang up in her. That night, Seraphina had nned to go through the Martin family¡¯s information, but when she encountered a proactive Leandro, she put that aside for the time being. All night, even though Leandro was strong and sturdy, his wrists and ankles were carefully tied by her, leaving bruises. This should¡¯ve been a happy thing, but she was too slow to react when she untied him in the morning. Before she could make it to the door, he yanked her back onto the bed. And just like that, she stepped in the mess she made herself, which was totally driving her up the wall. The direct oue? Leandro waste for work and she slept until noon. After grabbing a bite, Seraphina holed up in her study, sorting out the deets on the Martin family. Of the Martins she met yesterday, apart from the already familiar Simon and Tania, only Andrea left a lasting impression. So, she paid special attention when she was going through Andrea¡¯s info. But just when she stumbled upon Andrea¡¯s academic records, her phone red. Seraphina, while eyeing Andrea¡¯s college life on the screen, casually answered the call. ¡°Is this Mrs. Reynolds?¡± came a cool, female voice that she knew all too well from the other end, ¡°This is Andrea.¡± Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Hearing the voice over the phone and seeing the person¡¯s photo on herputer screen piqued Seraphina¡¯s interest. ¡°Ms. Martin?¡± Seraphina slowly settled into her chair. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Andrea¡¯s tone was very calm. ¡°Thing is, at my sister¡¯s engagement party yesterday, we had little gifts for the guests, but you left early, Mrs. Reynolds, and I forgot to give you yours. I hear you own an art gallery, mind if I drop it off there?¡± A gift from Tania¡¯s engagement party, and she wanted to deliver it personally? Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but specte for a moment, ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯m heading to the gallery soon. You¡¯re more than wee to drop by, Ms. Martin.¡± ¡°See you in a bit then.¡± Andrea seemed pleased with Seraphina¡¯s response and hung up. Seraphina put down her phone, looked at the information on theputer screen for a while, then got up and went back to her room to change before heading out. By the time Seraphina arrived at the gallery, Andrea was already standing at the entrance, carefully examining the rose painting Seraphina had hung in the center. ¡°Hey.¡± Seraphina walked in, calling out to her, ¡°Ms. Martin.¡± Only then did Andrea turn around. Seeing Seraphina, she gave a small smile, ¡°I heard this gallery was named after your father, Mrs. Reynolds, and mainly exhibits your father¡¯s work?¡± Seraphina nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had the pleasure of seeing your father¡¯s work before.¡± Andrea said, ¡°This rose painting, it¡¯s a bit different from his usual style.¡± Seraphina gave a small smile at her words, ¡°You¡¯re spot on. My dad¡¯s usual work is very subtle, but when he painted roses, he used such bold, vibrant colors.¡± After hearing this, Andrea seemed to understand, ¡°Because the rose represents his deepest feelings.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°My mom.¡± Andrea looked at the rose painting again in silence for a while, then slowly said, ¡°Your parents¡¯ deep love for each other is truly enviable.¡± Enviable? As Seraphina led Andrea further in, she said, ¡°My dad passed away when I was ten, and my mom went to Starhaven shortly after. The time they had together was really short.¡± ¡°Feelings can¡¯t be measured by time, can they?¡± Andrea said, ¡°Even though it was just over a decade, their true love is better than being in a marriage where you wear each other down and end up as strangers.¡± 1 At Andrea¡¯s words, Seraphina stopped in her tracks, turning to look at her, ¡°I heard your parents have been supporting and loving each other for many years. Is that true?¡± Andrea gave a lightugh, ¡°It¡¯s kind of funny you mention this. You¡¯re from a wealthy family too, Mrs. Reynolds. Which long-married couple doesn¡¯t appear to love each other deeply? But what¡¯s really going on, only they know.¡± Since only they would know, why would Andrea tell her? Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but take a second look at Andrea, only to find her gaze hadnded on a portrait of her as a child. ¡°Is this a picture of you when you were young?¡± Andrea asked. Seraphina slowly nodded and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s thest painting my father made.¡± Andrea said, ¡°It¡¯s clear to see, your father loved you very much.¡± Seraphina slightly lifted her head, slowly saying, ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡± Andrea didn¡¯t say much more, following Seraphina into her office and handing her the gift she brought. Seraphina said, ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s a hassle for you to have made this trip just for this.¡± Andrea gave a small smile, replying, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve always been curious about you, Mrs. Reynolds. So, I was willing to make the trip, it¡¯s more to satisfy my own curiosity, I don¡¯t find it bothersome.¡± Seraphina suddenly thought of Magnolia from the past. She nced at Andrea and asked with a smile, ¡°Did I disappoint you?¡± Andrea replied, ¡°How could you? You¡¯re smart, beautiful, and brave.¡± Andrea paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°I¡¯ve read the two articles you published after you returned to the country. They were very brilliant, especially the one about the Naylor crime gang.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t expect her to suddenly bring this up. She looked at Andrea for a moment, then said, ¡°But my biggest regret is that I didn¡¯t find out who was behind Naylor. That article really isn¡¯tplete.¡± Andrea asked, ¡°Do you n to continue the investigation?¡± Seraphina slightly tilted her head to look at her and countered, ¡°Why not?¡± Andrea calmly said, ¡°Don¡¯t you consider the potential dangers when you do these things? You have family, a husband, you can¡¯t be so reckless, can you?¡± Seraphina paused for a moment, then replied, ¡°Everyone dies eventually. If you¡¯re unlucky, you could even have an ident while out shopping.¡± She continued, ¡°Like my best friend, she just wanted to meet up with me. I was waiting for her, who would have known she¡¯d have a car ident and end up in the river.¡± It seemed Andrea immediately knew who she was talking about, she asked, ¡°You mean Bowen¡¯s sister?¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Yes, she was my best friend. It¡¯s a shame she didn¡¯t get to see her brother¡¯s engagement ceremony or wedding.¡± Andrea said softly, ¡°That ident was truly unfortunate.¡± Seraphina continued to look at her calmly and said, ¡°So, why should people fear death? Just do what you think is right, right?¡± Andrea didn¡¯t respond for a moment. Seraphina continued, ¡°But, I do appreciate your concern. After all, we just met by chance. To others, we might even bepetitors.¡± Hearing that, Andreaughed, ¡°Us, rivals? If I am qualified for that, I¡¯d be rather pleased.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°It¡¯s because Leandro wasn¡¯t lucky enough to miss someone as good as you. Honestly, I feel sorry for him. In contrast, Bowen is lucky to have Tania, such a beautiful girl, like him.¡± Andrea smiled a bit and then said, ¡°Actually, my sister is a bit silly. Once she likes someone, she goes all-in and it¡¯s hard for anyone to change her mind.¡± ¡°They just got engaged yesterday.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re a match made in heaven?¡± Andrea¡¯s smile was faint, ¡°Love is a matter of two people, it¡¯s not good for outsiders toment too much. I just keep my own opinion. In my view, their intimacy is far less than Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds.¡± Was she and Leandro naturally intimate? Seraphina had never thought about this question, but as Andrea mentioned Leandro again, she somehow remembered the situationst night and felt a bit shy. But now was not the time to reminisce. Seraphina snapped out of it to find Andrea still looking at her with a faint smile. Honestly, after chatting for a long time, Seraphina was still unsure of why Andrea hade to see her today. As she was considering the content of their conversation today, the door was suddenly knocked. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Upon Seraphina¡¯s response, Secretary Sandy came in, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, Mr. Herman is looking for you.¡± Herman? Seraphina frowned slightly, about to answer, but Andrea had already stood up, ¡°Since Mrs. Reynolds is busy, I won¡¯t bother. I had a great chat with you today, hope we can meet again next time.¡± Since she said so, Seraphina didn¡¯t hold her back and got up to see her out. When Seraphina sent Andrea to the door, Herman was justing up from downstairs. Seeing Andrea, he was somewhat surprised. Andrea just smiled and nodded to greet him, then swiftly walked past him. Herman arrived at the doorway of Seraphina¡¯s office and couldn¡¯t help but look back, just to see Andrea¡¯s figure disappearing at the stairway. He turned to Seraphina, ¡°What¡¯s she doing here?¡± Seraphina shrugged, answered honestly, ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°No idea?¡± Herman followed her into the office, ¡°She came to see you, and you don¡¯t know why?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina answered calmly, ¡°She came to see me, we chatted a lot, but I really don¡¯t know what her specific purpose was.¡± Herman sat down and nced at her, ¡°You¡¯re always alert. If you couldn¡¯t detect her motive, she must be hiding it well.¡± Seraphina pondered with her chin in hand. Did Andrea really hide it so well? It seemed so, because Seraphina really didn¡¯t detect any intent from her. But when they were discussing their parents, Leandro, Bowen, and Tania, every word she said seemed heartfelt and genuine. ¡°Did shee for Leandro?¡± Herman asked. Seraphina shook her head, ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± ¡°Then for Bowen and Tania¡¯s engagement party?¡± ¡°Not that either.¡± Herman leaned forward, furrowed his brows, ¡°Then was it for the rtionship between Naylor and the Martin family?¡± ¡°We did mention that. Seraphina said, ¡°About my investigation into Naylor¡¯s case, she seems to know something and gave me some hints.¡± ¡°Hints?¡± Herman asked slowly, ¡°Or threats?¡± Seraphina carefully recalled the situation and slowly shook her head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a threat. Considering her age and experience, it¡¯s unlikely to have anything to do with her.¡± Herman sneered suddenly, ¡°Did you forget she¡¯s from the Martin family? She must have a purpose in coming to you. If you can¡¯t detect it, how can you know what this thoughtful woman is really like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I just feel¡­ she doesn¡¯t seem to harbor any ill will towards me.¡± Herman scoffed at this. -He.came this time to bring two documents for Seraphina to sign. After she signed, he got up to leave and reminded her before leaving, ¡°The Martins are not easy to deal with. You¡¯d better not rely too much on your intuition and be wary of Andrea.¡± Seraphina responded vaguely and then escorted him downstairs to leave. As she turned to go back upstairs, Seraphina¡¯s gaze fell on her childhood portrait. Meanwhile, today¡¯s conversation with Andrea reyed in her mind. She suddenly realized ¨C Andrea came specifically to see her today. Her family, her parents, her investigations, her safety, her friendships, and love¡­ Just like Andrea said, she was only interested in her. But what about her would make Andrea so curious? Chapter 313 Chapter 313 That day, Seraphina ran into Andrea at noon, and unexpectedly, she bumped into Patrick in the afternoon. Patrick popped up in the gallery out of the blue and Seraphina was taken aback, ¡°Are you in the country? Why didn¡¯t I see you at Tania¡¯s engagement partyst night?¡± At this, Patrick just smirked, ¡°I just got back today.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, ¡°Tania¡¯s engagement was yesterday, but you chose toe back today. Was this intentional or just a coincidence?¡± Patrick just threw a casual smile, ¡°Nobody would care whether I attend a Martin family event or not, so I¡¯d rather spend my time doing my own thing. I¡¯ve got a gift for you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± Seraphina asked, puzzled, ¡°Why are you giving me a gift?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve thoroughly investigated the Jones family case and even took down a crime syndicate, avenging my friend and countless others who were wronged. Yet, you refused the job offer I made.¡± Patrick replied, ¡°So, I can only give you a small token of my gratitude.¡± With that, Patrick made a ¡°please¡± gesture. ¡°You¡¯ve already paid me a hefty reward and bonus. You don¡¯t owe me anything.¡± Seraphina followed him towards the gallery entrance as she spoke. At this moment, Patrick¡¯s assistant walked in carrying something. Seraphina could tell from its shape that it was a painting. ¡°I stumbled upon this painting overseas and thought you¡¯d like it.¡± Patrick said. Seraphina approached and unwrapped the packaging on the frame. She was stunned. It was a painting by Carney. The brushwork and style were unmistakably his. However, she had never seen this Jasmine painting before. ¡°This¡­.¡± Seraphina stared at the painting in silence for a long while before speaking, ¡°This must be one of my father¡¯s early works. I¡¯ve never seen it.¡± Hearing this, Patrick chuckled, ¡°Looks like I didn¡¯t pick the wrong gift.¡± Seraphina smiled slowly, stood up and said, ¡°Thank you. I love this gift.¡± With that, she carefully packed up the painting and invited Patrick upstairs. When they entered Seraphina¡¯s office, the papers on her desk were still scattered. The moment Patrick sat down, his eyes fell on a documentbeled ¡°the Martin family¡±. Seraphina noticed his gaze but didn¡¯t bother to hide it, she just gave him a slight smile. ¡°Are you still investigating the Martin family?¡± Patrick asked outright. Seraphina nodded, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? The Naylor syndicate may have been destroyed, but there could still be other bad guys behind the scenes.¡± At this, Patrick looked at her silently for a moment, then slowly nodded andughed, ¡°I knew I didn¡¯t misjudge you.¡± Seraphina suddenly thought of something, ¡°You must know quite a bit about the Martin family over the years, right?¡± Patrick pondered a moment andughed again, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d be on the same side again so soon. Even though you¡¯re not working for me, it seems there¡¯s no difference.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°In the future, I might need the help of some of your people.¡± ¡°Anything you need, all my resources are at your disposal.¡± Patrick responded.. Seraphina looked at him quietly for a moment, then pushed the documents on her desk towards him, ¡°So, can you tell me about the Martin family now?¡± The Martin family rose to prominence recently. Despite some shady dealings behind the scenes, they¡¯ve kept their business legitimate and grown rapidly through real estate, bing one of the top ten corporations in Sunburst City. And it¡¯s all thanks to Simon. Simon appeared refined and friendly, but he¡¯s actually tough and decisive, never going easy on rivals. Everyone in the Martin family respected Simon. The eldest son, Maurice Martin, lived a mundane life and stepped down from thepany management long ago; The third son, Lionel Martin, handled thepany¡¯s legal affairs. He¡¯s steady, deep-thinking, and quite cunning; The fourth son, Teagu¨¦ Martin, Tania¡¯s father, was always causing trouble. But with the Martin family backing him, he¡¯s be quite arrogant. Seraphina smirked at this, ¡°Like father, like son.¡± Patrick just gave a faint smile, notmenting. Suddenly, Seraphina remembered something and looked at him, ¡°Do you know Andrea?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Simon¡¯s daughter?¡± Patrick slowly replied, ¡°I¡¯ve only met her a few times. She doesn¡¯t seem to like socializing.¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± Patrick thought for a moment and then seemed to remember something, ¡°She¡¯s not Simon¡¯s wife¡¯s daughter.¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes shifted slightly, ¡°So, she¡¯s a love child?¡± Patrick gave a nod. ¡°After Simon¡¯s wife Helena walked through the door, she never had a kid. Five monthster, Andrea was brought home, she was already six months old then.¡± Seraphina pondered over the timeline, then couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°So Simon was busy nning a wedding with his wife on one side, and on the other, he was out there knocking up another woman, and then he even had the nerve to bring the kid home for his wife to raise¡­. No wonder Andrea said those words about her parents this morning. It seemed that Simon and his wife were not in a good ce. ¡°Why do you suddenly ask about her?¡± Patrick inquired. Seraphina casually shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s interested in me, so naturally, I¡¯m interested in her.¡± Patrick warned her after hearing this, ¡°Every member of the Martin family has their own agenda, stay on your toes.¡± Seraphina rubbed her ears andughed. ¡°Which family isn¡¯t like that? I¡¯m used to it.¡± She chatted with Patrick for a bit and before she knew it, time had slipped away. By the time Seraphina realized howte it was, it was already dark outside. Patrick nced at the time, then asked her, ¡°Fancy some dinner?¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°My treat. Thanks for the info and the painting.¡± Patrick dly epted. As the two of them left the building and got into the car, Leandro¡¯s car pulled up steadily at the entrance of the gallery. Ahead, the figures in the car that just left were still visible. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, it seems Mrs. Reynolds just left in someone else¡¯s car,¡± the driver remarked. ¡°Should I call Mrs. Reynolds?¡± Leandro sat in the dim light, his gaze fixed on the car that was slowly disappearing into the traffic. After a moment, he said simply, ¡°No need.¡± Seraphina and Patrick headed to a restaurant for dinner, spending most of their time in a private room discussing matters of the Martin family. With Patrick¡¯s help, Seraphina saved a lot of time on fact-checking, so she was thrilled. After dinner, Patrick offered to drive her home, but Seraphina politely declined. ¡°I have a driver, I¡¯ll be safe getting home,¡± said Seraphina. ¡°Paparazzi these days can spin quite a tale, I¡¯m a journalist, I don¡¯t like being the subject of news.¡± Patrick chuckled at this, ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve not done my job well if you¡¯re worrying about this.¡± Seraphina remembered that he was a media mogul and couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Oops, I forgot you¡¯ve a voice in this business, I¡¯ve worried over nothing¡­ But still, I won¡¯t trouble you today. You just got back from abroad, better get some rest. We can catch up some other time.¡± Patrick didn¡¯t insist, he watched Seraphina get into her car and leave, then he got into his own. As his car slowly drove towards his apartment in Sunburst City, Patrick rolled down the window and lit a cigarette. The assistant in the passenger seat turned to look at him, ¡°Seems like this Mrs. Reynolds shares quite a fewmon interests with you.¡± Patrick gazed at the city lights outside the window, stayed silent for a bit after hearing this, then a slight smile appeared on his face, ¡°Pity, she¡¯s Mrs. Reynolds.¡± What a shame. Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Seraphina got back to the Reynolds¡¯ mansionte at night.. When she got out of the car, she was surprised to see Leandro¡¯s car already parked in the garage, which meant he was home. Usually, if Leandro came home while she was still in the drawing room, he¡¯d definitelye find her. But today, not only did he note to find her, he didn¡¯t even send her a message, he just quietly came home himself? This was a bit strange. Given his strict control over her whereabouts, Seraphina had reason to believe that he definitely knew where she¡¯d gone and who she¡¯d seen today. So, was this situation something he was deliberately showing her? With that in mind, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh a little as she walked into the house. Conway and Valerio were probably in bed by now, but the light was still on in Leandro¡¯s study. Seraphina walked over and pushed open the door to the study, ¡°Hey?¡± Inside the study, Leandro sat quietly, looking at hisputer, only looking towards the door when he heard her voice. Everything seemed normal, except for the cigarette in his hand. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. An unlit cigarette. Seeing this, Seraphina¡¯s face changed slightly, ¡°I thought you quit smoking?¡± Leandro leaned back in his chair, casually tossed the cigarette aside, and simply asked, ¡°Where were you?¡± Seraphina hummed softly, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know where I¡¯ve been?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t reply, only looking at her, a certain difort showing in his eyes. Seraphina had wanted to share some things with him, but seeing his state, she bit her lip and turned to head to her bedroom. Back in her room, Seraphina didn¡¯t do anything else, she just sat on her bed, cing the painting of Jasmine in front of her, studying it carefully. Soon, the door to her room was opened, and Leandro entered. Seraphina looked up at him, hummed softly again, and turned the painting to face the other way. But Leandro had already seen the painting. ¡°Is this your father¡¯s painting?¡± he asked, walking over. Seraphina thought for a moment, then smiled, ¡°Yes, Mr. Gray saw it abroad and brought it back especially for me.¡± Having said that, she nced at Leandro, noting the deepening of his gaze. ¡°Do you like the painting?¡± she asked, holding it up to him. Leandro nced at it, slowly responding, ¡°Do you like it a lot?¡± ¡°Of course I do,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°It¡¯s my father¡¯s painting¡­e to think of it, my father painted many paintings, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him paint this theme. This painting must¡¯ve been from his younger days, too bad he didn¡¯t write down the date.¡± Leandro said nothing, simply picking up the painting and cing it by the window. Seraphina still propped up her chin, almost obsessively looking at the painting, ¡°Maybe I should ask Mr. Gray where he bought the painting, and where that person got it. Then I would know when my father painted this.¡± ¡°Is this painting really that important?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°This painting is unique, it¡¯s so rare, and it¡¯s definitely important- But before she could finish boasting, she was suddenly kissed. Leandro leaned forward, pushing her down on the bed, sealing her mouth shut, not giving her a chance to continue speaking. Seraphina was kissed passionately and forcefully by him, she wanted tough but couldn¡¯t, wanted to call him petty but couldn¡¯t. All she could do was wrap her arms around his neck and try her best to go along with him. From the night before until this morning, it had been a wild night. Seraphina thought the kiss now was just a joke, but after this whole ordeal, two hours had passed. Seraphina had been full of energy and excitement, ready to appreciate the painting. But his distraction and teasing drained her of all her energy. She went back to bed, closed her eyes, and fell asleep quickly. Leandroy next to her, looking at her content sleeping face, but he couldn¡¯t sleep for a long time. At five in the morning, Seraphina woke up suddenly, after only sleeping for three hours. As soon as she woke up, Leandro, who had only just fallen asleep, immediately opened his eyes, looking at the girl sleeping next to him. Seraphina opened her eyes, staring nkly and confusedly at the ceiling, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Leandro asked in a low voice, reaching over her forehead to feel her forehead temperature. Suddenly, Seraphina sat up, turned on the room light, and stared at the painting Leandro had ced on the windowsill without moving. Feeling the girl¡¯s increasingly unsettling aura, Leandro pulled her into his arms and forced her to look at him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± After a long time, Seraphina¡¯s gaze finally focused on his face. ¡°Leandro,¡± she started again, her voice trembling slightly, ¡°Why did my father paint many different themes, but never paint this one again? Why is this Jasmine unique? Who was this painting really for?¡± Leandro quickly understood what she meant. Carney had indeed painted many different paintings, and there were several rted to each theme. But this Jasmine, which even Seraphina had never seen before, was unique. If this painting was also something Carney painted for someone, then what kind of a ce would that person have in his heart? All this time, in Seraphina¡¯s heart, she believed that Carney deeply loved Magdalen, and that his love was unwavering, which was why she couldn¡¯t ept Magdalen¡¯s subsequent behavior¡­. But what if what she thought was the truth wasn¡¯t? What if there was a reason for Magdalen¡¯s sudden change in attitude after her husband¡¯s death? Seraphina didn¡¯t dare to think about it any further. Just a little bit of pondering, and she felt a chill run down her spine, as if her blood was running cold. Her father, who was like a god to her, she couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t allow any negative thoughts about him. But the painting in front of her made it impossible for her not to think. ¡°No way¡­ no way¡­¡± Seraphina mumbled to herself, ¡°My dad couldn¡¯t possibly be like this¡­¡±. Leandro pulled the nket over her and held her tight, whispering, ¡°We¡¯ll have answers soon.¡± And by ¡°soon,¡± Leandro meant really soon. At eight in the morning, Magdalen and her new boyfriend showed up at Reynolds Manor, the Reynolds family¡¯s home, to have breakfast with Conway. Magdalen was still stunningly beautiful, age-defying, while her new boyfriend was a mature and steady, well-known bachelor billionaire in the city, Terrence. ¡°Why did you suddenly think of inviting me for breakfast today?¡± Magdalen asked. Conway nced at her, then at her new boyfriend, and said dryly, ¡°You have the nerve to ask? How long has it been since youst visited me? How much time do you think I have left? Every time I see you is one less time I get to. Can¡¯t you spend a little more time with me?¡± Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Magdalen¡¯s face shifted, furrowing her brows at Conway, ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. Look at how happy your life is now, with your grandkids and great-grandkid¡­ If you want to see me, just give me a call and I¡¯ll swing by. Otherwise, I won¡¯t bother you, don¡¯t want to get on your nerves.¡± Conway chuckled and patted his chair, ¡°Are you trying to wind me up?¡± Before Magdalen could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs. She turned to see Leandro leading Seraphina down the steps. Seraphina, walking beside Leandro, nced at Magdalen and quicklyposed herself, striding forward with a calm demeanor. Leandro merely nodded at Magdalen and Terrence, offering no greetings. Given the rtionship between Seraphina and Magdalen, it was difficult for Leandro to treat Magdalen like his real mother after the marriage. Seraphina remained as obedient as ever, softly calling out, ¡°Mom.¡± Magdalen only gave a faint nod without any expression, not bothering to introduce Terrence. Seraphina looked at Terrence and introduced herself, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Seraphina.¡± ¡°Hi,¡± Terrence smiled and nodded, ¡°I¡¯m Terrence.¡± ¡°I know you,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You¡¯re doing great in business and you¡¯re a phnthropist.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡± Terrence replied, ¡°How can I match Leandro in terms of sess?¡± Seraphina shared a nce with Leandro and smiled without saying anything else. The breakfast was a bit awkward between Seraphina and Magdalen, but thankfully, the three men dominated most of the conversation, making the atmosphere lively rather than silent. Seraphina, however, was unusually quiet. Even Conway noticed her off mood, ¡°Sera, are you feeling all right today?¡± ¡°No,¡± Seraphina replied, pausing before standing up abruptly, ¡°Excuse me, I need to make a call. I¡¯m gonna go up first.¡± Leandro, sitting beside her, showed no reaction to her sudden move. This wasn¡¯t part of their original n. She was supposed to sit quietly at the table, waiting for the arranged nanny to bring down Jasmine¡¯s drawing from upstairs. But now¡­ she seemed to be wavering. Indeed, Seraphina was wavering. Facing Magdalen now, she found it impossible to bring out the painting and test her reaction. It didn¡¯t feel like-a-test, it felt more like a threat. Despite having no expectations of Magdalen, she didn¡¯t want to make such a threatening move. Seraphina turned to head upstairs, but it was toote. Before she could reach the stairs, the nanny had already brought down her drawing from upstairs. ¡°Seraphina, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to take this painting back to your gallery?¡± The nanny asked, ¡°You said not to forget it, but then you just left it lying around. I¡¯ll bring it to the door for you.¡± Seraphina quickly walked over, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I got it.¡± ¡°No need,¡± the nanny insisted, ¡°I can handle it. Should I get the driver to put it directly into the car?¡± Seraphina paused before replying, ¡°Sure.¡± To get to the courtyard from here, she wouldn¡¯t need to pass through the dining room. Magdalen shouldn¡¯t see the painting. Seraphina nced towards Magdalen, who was engrossed in her meal, not looking their way. The nanny strode towards the door with the painting, but then Terrence interjected, ¡°I heard you¡¯re running a gallery. Seems like you¡¯re really putting your heart into it?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Leandro responded, ¡°The gallery mainly collects works by Seraphina¡¯s father. That painting is one of them.¡± At these words, S¨¦raphina froze, looking up at Leandro. Leandro didn¡¯t look her way, as if he¡¯d just made a casualment. Magdalen¡¯s grip on her cup tightened and Terrence¡¯s interest was piqued, ¡°May I see the painting?¡± Leandro then turned to Seraphina, who was also looking at him. They stared at each other in silence for a couple of seconds before Seraphina reluctantly let the nanny bring the painting to the table. When the painting was presented, everyone but Magdalen looked up. It was only after Terrence praised, ¡°This painting is very elegant.¡± Hearing this, Magdalen raised her head to look at the painting, her eyes flickering with obvious shock and pain. Her shock and pain soon turned into anger. She suddenly stood up, ring furiously at Seraphina, ¡°Where did you get this painting?¡± Seraphina watched her quietly before calmly responding, ¡°A friend brought it back from abroad.¡± She expected Magdalen to say something more, but Magdalen just moved her lips a few times without making a sound. She stared at the painting, her face growing pale, her eyes filled with anger. It was a terrifying sight. After a moment of silence, Magdalen abruptly stood up and strode towards Seraphina, raising her hand to p her. Leandro grabbed her wrist and fended off the p. ¡°What did she do wrong?¡± Leandro asked coldly, ¡°You¡¯re just going to hit her like that?¡± Magdalen didn¡¯t respond, just stared at Seraphina, her eyes filled with what seemed like deep-seated hatred. Seraphina stood still, while Terrence and Conway stood up, trying to stop andfort Magdalen. Magdalen was being shielded in Terrence¡¯s arms, and he was murmuring something to her, but it seemed like she wasn¡¯t hearing any of it. All she could hear was a buzzing sound in her head, and all she could see was Seraphina and that painting ¨C it was like a needle, stabbing straight into her eyes. Finally, Magdalen couldn¡¯t control herself. She shut her eyes tightly, broke free from all the constraints, and made a beeline for the exit. This sudden situation left Terrence baffled, but he¡¯s a pro at handling crisis, so he quickly regained his composure, bid Conway farewell, and hotfooted it after the departing Magdalen. Seraphina was left standing in front of the painting, cold all over, and breathing heavily. Leandro took two steps forward, reached out his hand and pulled her into his arms tofort her. Conway frowned, looking at the two of them, ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Seraphina slowly looked up at Leandro, ¡°Leandro, we shouldn¡¯t have done this, I shouldn¡¯t have done this¡­ Have you seen how desperate she is?¡± ¡°If this has been her problem all along¡­ Leandro said, ¡°You¡¯re helping her solve it.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina fell silent for a moment. Unable to hold back, Conway leaned on his cane and demanded, ¡°Hey! You two, what the hell is going on? Can you exin?¡± Seraphina stayed silent for a moment, then reached out and took Conway¡¯s hand. ¡°Grandpa,¡± she said, ¡°Mom might only listen to you. If my dad really hurt her, can you persuade her not to dwell on the past?¡± That day, Seraphina didn¡¯t leave the house, while Conway left in the afternoon to find Magdalen. Seraphina didn¡¯t know whether he had seen Magdalen or what the oue was, she thought a lot but couldn¡¯te up with an answer. When Leandro came home in the evening, Seraphina was soaking in the bathtub. Not just soaking, her entire body and head were submerged in the water. Leandro opened the bathroom door, saw her like this, walked over and pulled her out of the water. Seraphina sat up from the water, wiped the water off her face with her hand, but remained sitting in the bathtub. ¡°Has grandpa note back yet?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina nodded. ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± Seraphina¡¯s hair was dripping wet, but she didn¡¯t mind. She remained silent for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about anything, I just can¡¯t figure some things out.¡± This feeling, Seraphina didn¡¯t know how to describe it. It was like there were countless threads tangled in her mind, crisscrossing each other, but she just couldn¡¯t untangle them. If these threads were balls of yarn, then before, there was only a small ball of yarn in her mind, but now it was getting bigger and moreplicated, she even couldn¡¯t figure out what threads made up this ball. Thinking about this, Seraphina suddenly looked at Leandro, ¡°Leandro, what should I do? After marrying you, I feel like I¡¯m just screwing up more and more¡­¡± Leandro heard this, looked at her deeply, then stood up and got a towel, wrapped her up in it, lifted her out of the bathtub, and gentlyid her on the bed. ¡°I¡¯m d that there are still things or people that can affect your mood, Leandro said. ¡°But for the current Seraphina, such a brief emotional outburst is nothing.¡± Hearing these words, Seraphina looked deeply into Leandro¡¯s eyes. Leandro didn¡¯t say much more, just picked up the towel and gently wiped the water off her hair. His movements were so gentle¡­ Seraphina thought, had she ever hoped for a gentle Leandro like this? The Leandro in front of her seemed unreal, not real, but his rationality and decisiveness were so stark and clear. It was him, and yet it wasn¡¯t him. But she was too tired, her brain couldn¡¯t handle suchplex issues anymore, so she chose to stop thinking. Like Leandro said, what¡¯s a little mood swing to her? When she woke up, she would still be the fearless, go-getter Seraphina. In Leandro¡¯s gentle movements, Seraphina slowly closed her eyes and drifted into dreand. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She slept very soundly that night, slept until dawn, and when she opened her eyes again, her mind was nk. The room was very quiet, the light dim and hazy, but she could clearly feel thatst night, she was the only one in the room. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Seraphina slowly woke up, sitting quietly on her bed for a while, gathering her thoughts. Events of thest couple of days yed out in her head, forming a clear narrative. After sitting for a while, she finally got up from the bed. Just as she opened the door, she bumped into Leandro who was just about to descend the stairs. ¡°Morning.¡± Seraphina said, leaning against the doorframe and giving him a small smile. Leandro, who was initially heading downstairs, walked up to her and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± ¡°Very much so.¡± Seraphina replied, looking up at him, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you join me?¡± Leandro just looked at her, meeting her challenging gaze, full of provocation and allure. Just as he had expected, his Seraphina had bounced back quicker than he had anticipated. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°If you¡¯re upset about it, there¡¯ll be plenty of other opportunities.¡± Leandro said nonchntly. Suddenly, Seraphina hugged him, chuckling, ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it!¡± Just as she finished her sentence, the door to Conway¡¯s room next door opened. Apanied by a couple of coughs, the old man appeared at the door, casting a nce at them. Unfazed, Seraphina slowly let go of Leandro and greeted, ¡°Morning, Conway.¡± Conway seemed pleased to see her state today. After some thought, he said, ¡°Should we discuss your mother now, orter?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina nced at Leandro before asking, ¡°Is itplicated?¡± Conway shook his head. It was actually pretty straightforward, as exined by Magdalen. Simply put, Carney had always had someone else in his heart, the woman whom Carney¡¯s Jasmine painting was meant to be dedicated to. While Carney was alive, Magdalen could pretend to be oblivious. But after his passing, the truth had be painfully evident. This truth was an eternal heartache for Magdalen. For years, she had been nursing a grudge over this, filled with resentment. Just a few sentences, a simple truth. To an outsider, it was merely someone else¡¯s story: But for those involved, it was a different kind of pain. ¡°Did she also resent me because I carry Carney¡¯s genes?¡± Seraphina asked lightly after hearing Conway¡¯s story. Conway didn¡¯t answer her question, simply stating, ¡°I think she¡¯s moved on after yesterday.¡± Seraphina was confused, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Terrence proposed to your mother yesterday, and she epted.¡± This waspletely unexpected for Seraphina, ¡°Proposed?¡± ¡°Terrence is a fine young man whom I¡¯ve watched grow up. He has been smitten with your mother since he was young. Now that Magdalen is back, they¡¯ve been seeing each other for a while. He truly loves Magdalen and will treat her well.¡± Conway sighed deeply, ¡°If she can find her true home, cherished by someone who truly loves her, that would be wonderful.¡± With that, Conway let out another sigh and went downstairs. Seraphina still stood by the stairs, a little lost in thought about the sudden engagement news. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Leandro quietly asked. Seraphina smiled faintly, ¡°Whether I¡¯m happy or not doesn¡¯t matter, as long as she¡¯s happy. But do you think she really is?¡± Leandro just quietly looked at her, without a reply. Seraphina didn¡¯t seem to want to hear his answer because she had her own. ¡°She¡¯s not truly happy, she hasn¡¯t moved on.¡± she muttered, ¡°She¡¯s heartbroken, desperate¡­ even her resentment is gone.¡± And all of this was due to yesterday¡¯s painting. After breakfast, Seraphina bid Leandro goodbye as he was off to work, and then she too left. Without an appointment, she went directly to Patrick¡¯spany to find him. Maybe she was lucky, or maybe Patrick had a soft spot for her because in two hours, she met Patrick who had just finished an important meeting. Patrick was surprised at her sudden visit, ¡°What brings you here all of a sudden?¡± Seraphina sat on the chair opposite him, smiling. ¡°This way, I get to see the real state of your company.¡± ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± Patrick asked. Seraphina shrugged. ¡°So far, it looks good.¡± ¡°But you still don¡¯t want to work here.¡± Patrick sinctly summarized, then smiled, ¡°Get to the point.¡± Seraphina looked at him for a moment, then nodded, ¡°I want to ask. Mr. Gray, did you intentionally give me that painting, or was it a coincidence?¡± Patrick paused for a moment, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what you¡¯re asking?¡± ¡°I mean the Jasmine.¡± Seraphina rified. Patrick seemed to understand, he paused then carefully replied, ¡°Yes, I intentionally gave you that painting. I had a detailed understanding of your father¡¯s work. He had many overseas pieces, but it wouldn¡¯t have been appropriate to buy all of them for you. So, I chose this one. It¡¯s the only subject he painted only once. I thought it would be a good gift to express my sincerity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Seraphina asked. Patrick seemed puzzled at her question but nodded slowly, ¡°I promise, that¡¯s all.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina nodded then said, ¡°Then could you tell me how you obtained this painting? I want to know who the collector was.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Patrick said. ¡°I bought this painting from a friend, who, as far as I know, also bought it from someone else. The painting¡¯s origins aren¡¯t untraceable. If you¡¯re curious about who originally owned it, I can probably dig that up for you.¡± After listening, Seraphina smiled and asked, ¡°When can you get that information?¡± Patrick paused for a moment beforeughing. ¡°Are you in a hurry?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Patrick said, ¡°Give me some time.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Seraphina sighed. Patrick immediately called his friend, while Seraphina used the waiting time to drop in on Terrell¡¯s office. After touring Terrell¡¯s office and having a brief chat, she got a call from Patrick. So, Seraphina immediately went back to Patrick¡¯s office, and Patrick, who had found the answer, looked at her with a strange andplicated look. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± asked Seraphina, ¡°Is the result shocking?¡± ¡°Not exactly,¡± Patrick slowly replied, ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of a coincidence.¡± Patiently, Seraphina sat and waited for his answer. ¡°The original owner of this painting was Adelina,¡± Patrick said, looking at her, ¡°Adelina, Andrea¡¯s biological mother.¡± Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Surprisingly, Seraphina didn¡¯t seem too shocked when she heard the news. Instead, her eyes were eerily calm. After a moment of silence, Seraphina asked, ¡°Is Andrea¡¯s mom still alive?¡± Patrick slowly replied, ¡°As far as I know, she should have passed away.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina just gave a faint smile and nodded. She had known this oue all along if Andrea¡¯s mother was still alive, why would Andrea say all those things about her parents¡¯ marriage when she came to see her? ¡°Thanks, Mr. Gray,¡± Seraphina quickly stood up, ¡°Sorry to bother you today.¡± Patrick seemed to sense something, but he didn¡¯t ask more, simply standing up, ¡°If you have any questions about Adelina, I can help you check.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯ll dig up what I want to know. Thanks though.¡± As Seraphina thanked him repeatedly, Patrick didn¡¯t ask any more questions. He gave a light smile and walked Seraphina out. As soon as Seraphina left Patrick¡¯spany, she immediately made a call to Herman. ¡°Can you help me dig up some info on someone?¡± Seraphina asked directly. ¡°Who?¡± Herman¡¯s voice sounded a bit tense. ¡°Andrea¡¯s biological mother, Adelina. She¡¯s dead,¡± Seraphina said. Hearing this, Herman felt puzzled and curious, ¡°Who is she? Why is this so important?¡± Seraphina suddenly picked up something from his words, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Herman paused, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys talk to each other? I just sent this info about Adelina to Leandro.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina was surprised. Leandro started looking into Adelina¡¯s identity even before she did, meaning Leandro also sensed something? As an outsider, his thinking should be clearer than hers. So, when she was confused, he had already made the decision for her, casually giving the Jasmine painting to Magdalen; and when she was still reeling from the shock, he had already started looking into this. Seraphina initially just wanted to know the truth, but when she found out that Leandro was also investigating Adelina, a corner of her heart suddenly felt empty and lost, as if from that corner, this hollow feeling was spreading infinitely. That day, Leandro was out for a meeting. When he returned to thepany, it was already two in the afternoon. As soon as he arrived at his office, Yasmina quickly approached, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Reynolds is here, waiting for you in the office.¡± Hearing this, Leandro asked, ¡°How long has she been here?¡± Yasmina pursed her lips, looked at the time, and answered, ¡°About two hours.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Leandro¡¯s eyes darkened a bit. Seeing the situation, Keen quickly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call to let me know?¡± Yasmina hurriedly said, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds told me not to disturb Mr. Reynolds¡¯ work, she said she had nothing else to do, she could wait¡­¡± Leandro didn¡¯t wait for Yasmina to finish, he directly walked into his office. Opening the door, he found Seraphina sitting in his office chair, looking bored to death, her head tilted back, blowing a bubble gum. Hearing the noise, Seraphina lowered her head to see him and immediately blew the bubble bigger. Leandro closed the door and walked over. Seraphina directly popped the bubble, her mouth a sticky mess from the gum. Despite this, she still sat there quietly, not moving. Walking over, Leandro pulled her up from the chair and sat down himself, cing her on hisp. Forced to move her body, Seraphina seemed to regain a bit of energy. She took a tissue and wiped the gum off her mouth. ¡°I just met a male colleague at thepany. He took a leave to take his son to the doctor. His son gave me a piece of bubble gum,¡± Seraphina said as she wiped her mouth, ¡°I haven¡¯t had it in a long time, it¡¯s fun.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t speak, just quietly watched her. When Seraphina had tidied herself up and thrown away the tissue, she turned her head to look at him and gave a faint smile, ¡°Alright, now let¡¯s talk about Adelina.¡± Leandro had guessed why she came to see him, so he didn¡¯t react much. He sat quietly and then reached out to hold Seraphina¡¯s hand. Her hand was a bit cold, so Leandro covered it with his own, gently rubbing it. It was only when Seraphina turned her hand to hold his, urgently saying, ¡°Speak!¡± that Leandro slowly began, ¡°Adelina, from Sunburst City, born in Silvercrest in 1970.¡± Seraphina had intended to listen quietly, but as soon as she heard ¡°Silvercrest,¡± she couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Silvercrest was also Carney¡¯s birthce. ¡°In 1990, she gave birth to Simon¡¯s daughter, Andrea. A monthter, Simon married Helena. Five monthster, Simon brought Andrea back to the Martin family, while Adelina disappeared without a trace.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina gave a bitter smile. This woman was really stupid. When she was still pregnant, the father of her child was nning his wedding with another woman. When she gave birth to her daughter, that man was marrying another woman. She probably didn¡¯t even know about the wedding until half a yearter, when it suddenly dawned on her. ¡°Then, in the winter of 1992, she passed away in Summitville due to liver disease.¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes suddenly turned serious. ¡°1992, Summitville?¡± She repeated the time and ce, then suddenly burst intoughter. 1992 was the year of her birth. Not a big deal. But Summitville, of all ces. Summitville, the city where Carney and Magdalen settled down after they eloped. They lived there for over a decade until she was ten when Carney died. Magdalen then took her back to Sunburst City and left her with the Reynolds family, while she herself moved to Starhaven alone. Seraphina shouldn¡¯t haveughed, but for some reason, she couldn¡¯t help it. The ce where Adelina disappeared and eventually died was precisely Summitville. And she herself and Adelina¡¯s daughter have eerily simr eyes. How was she supposed to guess the reasons behind this? Seeing her silence after her bout ofughter, Leandro didn¡¯t say anything and just quietly watched her. He noticed Andrea because of her eyes. He saw Seraphina in Andrea¡¯s eyes, but never thought of anything else. But today, with the information about Adelinaid out in front of him, he could not help but think more. After theughter, Seraphina let out a sigh, then turned to him, ¡°By the way, you probably don¡¯t know. The painting of Jasmine was done by my dad for Adelina. So, with all this info, from your outsider¡¯s perspective, with your cool-headedness and rationality, what do you think is going on?¡± Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Listening to her feigned casual tone, Leandro didn¡¯t respond, just lifted his hand to gently stroke her cheek. She tried her best to keep her expression light, even managed a slight smile when she noticed his gesture. They both knew. They had both separately looked up information on Adelina. It was a testament to their inner doubts. While it seemed absurd, it was the only conclusion they could draw at the moment. ¡°You¡¯re not going to say anything?¡± Seraphina Bet turned her head slightly to look at him, ¡°Then I¡¯ll start?¡± As she spoke, she tried to stand, but Leandro wrapped his arms around her waist, preventing her from standing up. For some reason, when she wanted to speak her suspicions, Seraphina preferred standing alone, viewing the issue from an independent perspective. But since Leandro wouldn¡¯t let her stand, she paused for a moment, and then gave up on insisting. After all sitting on him was prettyfortable. She leaned back slightly, resting on Leandro¡¯s desk, and creating a bit of distance between them before she spoke, ¡°Adelina and my dad, they probably knew each other from back in the day. They were born in the same ce, and probably knew each other since childhood. Maybe they were even childhood sweethearts?¡± ¡°But after they came to Sunburst City, they separated for various reasons. Ad¨¨lina met Simon Martin, while my dad met¡ª Magdalen.¡± ¡°My dad probably still had feelings for Adelina, but Magdalen aggressively pursued him, and he couldn¡¯t say no. Coupled with the interference from people like Bruce, he chose to elope with Magdalen. And Adelina, after giving birth to Andrea, gradually saw Simon for who he truly was, so she chose to leave. Maybe it was intentional, maybe it was idental, but anyway, she and my dad met again in Summitville. And then¡­¡± Seraphina paused here, suddenly looking up at him, then giving a slight smile, ¡°I was born.¡± Such a shocking and unsettling possibility, yet she stated it so casually. Leandro¡¯s gaze slightly tightened, and he held her hand even tighter, silently waiting for her to continue. ¡°My dad probably kept this a secret pretty well, but then, Adelina died. He had no choice but to bring me to Magdalen.¡± ¡°In Magdalen¡¯s eyes, I was probably just the daughter of my dad¡¯s ¡®old friend¡¯. My dad loved me, and because Magdalen loved my dad, she loved me too.¡± Upon saying this, Seraphina slightly lowered her head, the hint of a smile still ying on her lips. ¡°And so we lived like this for ten years, until my dad died. Magdalen probably found out the truth, and from then on, she deeply hated me.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Seraphina suddenly contradicted herself, ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. She didn¡¯t hate me that much. After all, she didn¡¯t just abandon me in some strange city. She brought me back to Sunburst City, and she ced me in the care of the Reynolds family. It¡¯s understandable. Any woman would struggle to face a situation like this. Later, she went to Starhaven and became a completely different person. She was taking revenge on my dad, and at the same time, venting her own anger and dissatisfaction. But she was so stupid. My dad was already dead. What was the point of this revenge?¡± Seraphina paused here and fell silent. Leandro quietly held her hand for a long time before he slowly spoke, ¡°This is all just your spection.¡± Seraphinaughed at this, ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you think too? Leandro, we should not only be calm and rational, but also honest!¡± Before Leandro had a chance to respond, she continued, ¡°Only this spection can perfectly exin all the known facts.¡± Why did Magdalenpletely change after Carney¡¯s death, and why did her attitude towards Seraphinapletely change; Why would Carney¡¯s paintings feature that one-of-a-kind Jasmine; Why did Seraphina have eyes that were so simr to Andrea¡¯s¡­ All these questions finally had a reasonable exnation. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Leandro didn¡¯t respond. Because the theory Seraphina proposed was exactly what he had been suspecting. Even though they stillcked concrete evidence to support it, all these ¡°known facts¡± could serve as a type of evidence. Leandro couldn¡¯t truly understand her feelings, but he just felt sorry for her. Was this ¡°new origin¡± any better than a life where one¡¯s own biological mother had abandoned and despised them? ¡°Life is really strange.¡± Seraphina suddenly sighed deeply. ¡°I just happened to meet Andrea, and it changed my life. Or maybe, all of this was destined?¡± She was clearlyughing as she said this, but after she finished, her eyes suddenly became hollow. Leandro¡¯s phone rang at this moment. Leandro nced at it and picked it up. ¡°Mr. Reynolds,¡± Yasmina¡¯s voice came from the phone. ¡°Your meeting with your business partners is about to start.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina came back to her senses and instinctively moved away from Leandro. But Leandro once again grabbed her, and then told Yasmina on the phone, ¡°Cancel all arrangements for this afternoon.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Yasmina responded without hesitation, and then hung up. Then, Leandro turned to Seraphina again, and slowly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to see Magdalen.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina paused for a moment, meeting Leandro¡¯s gaze for a while before slowly shaking her head. ¡°I can¡¯t see her now,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°My previous words and actions have stabbed her in the heart. She¡¯ll be mad if she sees me again.¡± With that, she suddenly turned and hit the phone on the desk. ¡°Yasmina, don¡¯t cancel Mr. Reynolds¡¯ schedule just yet,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Business as usual.¡± Yasmina, on the other end, was utterly baffled, but she could only agree for now. Only then did Seraphina stand up from Leandro¡¯s side and say, ¡°I¡¯m going to meet with Andrea. As for you, Andrea has had a crush on you after your blind date, so it wouldn¡¯t do for you to show up. So, stick around the office and mind your own business.¡± For Seraphina, arranging a meeting with Andrea was a no-brainer. She made a call and after a few words, Andrea epted her invitation. They agreed to meet at an outdoor booth in a coffee shop. When Seraphina arrived, Andrea was already sitting there. On seeing Seraphina, Andrea gave a small smile, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Seraphina nodded and sat down, but found herself at a loss for words. They just sat there, face to face, watching each other, in silence for a long time. After what felt like an eternity, Seraphina finally broke the silence, ¡°So, did you start having doubts about us the moment you saw me?¡± Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Andrea seemed ready for the confrontation. When Seraphina shot her question straight out, she just gave a light chuckle. ¡°Not quite,¡± she said. ¡°When I met you, I just thought, this is the type Leandro would like.¡± Hearing herself described as ¡°the type Leandro would like¡±, Seraphinaughed and asked, ¡°So how did you suspect?¡± ¡°Because of my dad,¡± Andrea said slowly. ¡°He treated you¡­ very differently.¡± This seemed to stun Seraphina for a moment. ¡°Your father¡¯s attitude towards me?¡± Andrea nodded. . ¡°I know my dad¡¯s personality inside out,¡± said Andrea. ¡°To those who could be called friends, he would be sincere, and to those on the opposite side, he would appear outwardly civil and courteous, but when ites down to it, he won¡¯t hesitate tond a blow.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m the one who¡¯s on the wrong side of you here?¡± Andrea responded coolly. ¡°You exposed the crimes of the Naylor Group, which also implicated Mack Jones of the Jones Group, who happens to be one of my dad¡¯s guys. In other words, you messed with his people.¡± Seraphina gave a faint smile. Andrea mentioned Mack as the reason for her feud with the Martin family. Did this mean that Andrea was unaware of the connection between Naylor and the Martin family? ¡°Logically, you should¡¯ve been my dad¡¯s enemy, but his attitude towards you is different.¡± Andrea said, ¡°He ims it¡¯s because you¡¯re a Reynolds, but as far as I know, he¡¯s not afraid to cross the Reynolds family. It couldn¡¯t be just that, making him so lenient with you.¡± Seraphina frowned slightly but said nothing. ¡°Add to this the fact that we have very simr eyes, I thought we might be rted,¡± Andrea said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly what happened that led us to this point. But I didn¡¯t expect you toe find me¡­ this makes things a lot easier.¡± Seraphina froze after hearing this. Because she suddenly realized that she and Andrea were not talking about the same thing. Her theory revolved around her biological mother Adelina, but Andrea seemed to suggest that Seraphina had a connection with Simon? ¡°So, if I¡¯m not misunderstanding, you think we might be half-sisters because of the way your father acts around me?¡± Seraphina asked. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Hearing her question, Andrea also froze for a moment, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you think?¡± Seraphina burst outughing. She paused for a moment before saying. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think so. But as you said, now that we¡¯re together, it¡¯s much easier to figure out. Shall we confirm it?¡± In this day and age, DNA testing is a verymon thing. For Seraphina and Andrea, there was nothing to worry about in the process, except maybe the results. The wait was short. They could¡¯ve used the time to chat, reminisce about their childhood, past experiences, and their parents. Instead, they both chose to remain silent. Maybe because their expectations for the results were different, and the uncertainty of the oue was a bit awkward and unsettling. Fortunately, they were bothposed. Even in the face of silence, they remained unfazed. Yet, this calmness was shattered the moment they received the results. Upon seeing the results, Andrea suddenly reached out and tightly held Seraphina¡¯s hand. Seraphina stiffened for a moment before slowly rxing. She looked up at Andrea and smiled, ¡°I think I want to see my mother.¡± Andrea looked emotional but didn¡¯t say anything, just slowly nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± After leaving the testing center, Seraphina hopped into a car and gave the driver Magdalen¡¯s address. Traffic was bad, but Seraphina didn¡¯t notice. She sat quietly in the backseat, lost in thought and silence. When the car stopped at Magdalen¡¯s hotel, she still hadn¡¯te around. ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯re here,¡± the driver reminded her. Seraphina came back to her senses, nced at the hotel outside the car window, sat silently in the car for a while, then finally got out. She arrived unannounced but didn¡¯t find Magdalen. Seraphina sat in the hotel lobby for a while, then looked out the window. The hotel was located in the bustlingmercial district of Sunburst City, surrounded by many brand stores, including a famous jewelry store. Seraphina suddenly got up, left the hotel, and walked into the jewelry store. As soon as she walked in, the sales clerk recognized her, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, wee, what kind of jewelry are you looking for?¡± Seraphina originally intended to buy a brooch, but ended up with a gemstone instead. It was an emerald, warm and moist, with gold branches embedded on it, and two roses blooming side by side on the top, very exquisite. Seraphina loved it at first sight. She bought it feeling ecstatic. As she left the jewelry store with her shopping bag, a car pulled up. Terrence got out, went to the other side, opened the door, and helped Magdalen out. Seraphina stood behind the car, looking sideways, only to see Terrence, all smiles and Magdalen, looking pale and vacant. Just as the two were about to step into the hotel, Seraphina slowly approached, calling out, ¡°Mom.¡± Magdalen abruptly halted, turning to see her. A sh of coldness and disgust towards Seraphina flickered in her eyes, then quickly returned to calm. Seeing that Magdalen didn¡¯t respond to Seraphina, Terrence slowly said, ¡°Seraphina, are you here for your mom?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina nodded, ¡°Sir, could I have a private moment with my mom?¡± No sooner than the words fell, Magdalen icily retorted, ¡°I have nothing to talk about with you.¡± With that, she prepared to head straight into the hotel. ¡°Mom.¡± Seraphina hurriedly stepped forward, reaching out to grasp her arm. Magdalen turned her head to look at her, about to shake off her hand in disgust, when Seraphina softly said, ¡°Please.¡± Magdalen was suddenly stunned, momentarily forgetting how to react. Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Terrence was a very gentleman. When Seraphina wanted to have a private chat with Magdalen, He still managed to convince Magdalen to drop her off at the restaurant with Seraphina and then he left first. As Seraphina watched Terrence left, she couldn¡¯t help thinking that Magdalen would be very happy if hisst partner was such a man. Magdalen, however, was clearly not interested in specting about what Seraphina was thinking. She just sat on the couch, looking at Seraphina with a cold gaze. ¡°Say it as soon as you can. I think you know I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina bowed her head slightly. After a moment, she just gave a softugh and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Magdalen didn¡¯t seem to have much patience. Seraphina picked up the gift bag beside her, took out the gemstone she had just picked from the jewelry store, opened the box, and handed it to Magdalen. ¡°I heard from grandpa that you n to marry Terrence,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°I saw this emerald at the jewelry store and thought it would suit you, so¡­ I¡¯d like to give it to you as a congrattory gift.¡± Magdalen nced at the gemstone. When her gaze fell on the two roses on it, her eyes paused for a moment, but she quickly looked away. She didn¡¯t refuse, but she didn¡¯t reach out to ept it either. She just said vaguely, ¡°Is that all? Okay, thanks for the gift. You can leave now.¡± Seraphina just sat there without moving, just quietly watching her for a while, then called out, ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I will,¡± Magdalen suddenly stood up, ready to leave. Seraphina gently closed her eyes, then said again, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Magdalen¡¯s footsteps paused slightly, but she just looked at her coldly. Seraphina looked up at her, then gave a softugh, saying, ¡°If I had known earlier that my existence caused you so much pain, I wouldn¡¯t have shown up in front of you after I turned ten.¡± Magdalen, who had been coldly watching her and waiting for her to finish her words, suddenly looked serious when Seraphina finished that sentence, her gaze falling on Seraphina¡¯s face. ¡°What did you say?¡± For the first time, Magdalen, who had maintained a cold attitude since sitting down, took the initiative to speak to her. ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry,¡± Seraphina was still smiling, but her eyes were slightly drooping. ¡°I didn¡¯t know before, so I did a lot of things that hurt you, but now I know¡­¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Magdalen suddenly interrupted her, her voice tinged with strictness. Seraphina closed her mouth, took a deep breath, then looked up at her. ¡°I know¡­ you¡¯re not actually my mom.¡± As soon as her words fell, Magdalen¡¯s pnded on her face. After the p, Seraphina was calm, but Magdalen was stunned. She couldn¡¯tprehend why she impulsively hit Seraphina. Even though she had abandoned Seraphina long ago, even though she wanted to end this mother- daughter rtionship¡­ But when she heard Seraphina say that sentence, she couldn¡¯t help but swing her hand. Because she remembered the expectations and requests the man had made on his deathbed. He told her to take good care of their daughter. At that time, she agreed. So now, even though she has long been desperate, given up, and showed disgust and hatred towards Seraphina, she still felt a hint of panic when she heard Seraphina say that sentence. Because by saying that sentence, Seraphina implied that she didn¡¯t fulfill her promise, she betrayed his dying wish, she broke their promise. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Even if what Seraphina said¡­ was the truth. It was dinner time, and themotion attracted the attention of the diners in the restaurant. A waiter quickly walked over and asked them in a low voice what they needed. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Seraphina stood up with a faint smile, brushed off the waiter, then reached out to help Magdalen sit down. ¡°Mom, sit down. Let¡¯s talk.¡± As soon as her hand touched Magdalen, Magdalen suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly. Magdalen, such a frail woman, somehow had the strength to grip Seraphina¡¯s wrist so tightly that it hurt. It took Seraphina a lot of effort to get her to sit down, but she still held on tightly. Seraphina took the opportunity to sit down next to her, looked down at the hand that was holding hers, smiled, and then said softly, ¡°Mom, why do you have to bear this painful thing alone?¡± ¡°Who told you?¡± When Magdalen spoke again, her voice was urgent and strict, with a hint of tremor. ¡°Who told you?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t answer, just bowed her head slightly. When she spoke again, her voice was still calm, ¡°You¡¯re not my mom, that¡¯s why you left me in Sunburst City, handed me over to the Reynolds family, you didn¡¯t want to see me, you rejected everything I did for you¡­ I didn¡¯t understand before, but now I finally understand why.¡± ¡°Who told you!¡± Magdalen just repeated that sentence stubbornly, her eyes bloodshot, teetering on the edge of breakdown. ¡°No one told me,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°You¡¯ve hidden this thing very well, even grandpa doesn¡¯t know. You bear all of it alone, even though you¡¯re disgusted with me to the extreme, you still didn¡¯t say it¡­¡± Magdalen¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, but they didn¡¯t fall. She just stared at Seraphina, motionless. To outsiders, her gaze was full of terror, extremely sharp, but Seraphina knew she was just holding on. The secret that had been buried deep in her heart for years was now out in the open, and she was on the verge of a meltdown. But she had her dignity, she couldn¡¯t just break down, especially¡­not in front of Seraphina. Seraphina knew all her thoughts, she could totally get how she was feeling right now, and that¡¯s precisely the reason why Seraphina had to keep her cool. She couldn¡¯t cry, because once she did, Magdalen wouldpletely fall apart. Truth be told, it had always been like this, Magdalen had always been loved by everyone, she was so pure and carefree, like a princess in an ivory tower, utterly oblivious to the pains of the world. But such a woman had buried such deep grievances and secrets in her heart, even when she was in severe pain, she had never let a word slip. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t love me.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But¡­you¡¯ve done so much for me, how could you not love me?¡± Magdalen suddenly pulled her hand back. This time, it was Seraphina who took her hand. ¡°You love me because you love my dad.¡± Seraphina said slowly, ¡°You hate me because you hate that my dad¡¯s real love is¨C¡± When she mentioned Carney, tears suddenly slid down Magdalen¡¯s face, and the next moment, she jerked her hand away from Seraphina, gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, ¡°Shut up!¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t listen to her. ¡°My dad really sucks, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°How could he be so selfish, bringing home a daughter from another woman for you to raise and love as your own¨C¡± Magdalen gritted her teeth tightly, making no sound, but tears kept rolling uncontrobly down her cheeks. ¡°When I figured this out, I thought he was horrible too¡­¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I thought you should hate him, hate him for the rest of your life¡­but mom, you got it wrong¡­you med the wrong person¡­¡± Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Magdalen couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore, but at the sound of Seraphina¡¯s following words, she spun around to look at her. What she saw was a shattered scene: Seraphina¡¯s face was blurred, only her eyes were clear, filled with regret, remorse, and pain beyond words. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Magdalen asked, her voice shaking. Seraphina held her hand tightly, ¡°I initially thought that maybe our father betrayed you, deceived you, and I might be his daughter with Adelina¡­¡± Hearing this, Magdalen immediately tightened her grip on Seraphina¡¯s hand. Seraphina gave a small smile, then covered her hand with her own, ¡°So, I went with Andrea to do a paternity test today. Do you know Andrea? She is Simon and Adelina¡¯s daughter¡­¡± Magdalen didn¡¯t reply, she was just staring at Seraphina, her tears still uncontrobly streaming down her face. ¡°Mom.¡± Seraphina called her again, then continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what made you think that Dad betrayed you, deceived you. But I want to tell you, the results of my test with Andrea show that we are full biological siblings.¡± Full siblings, meaning they share the same father and mother. She and Andrea weren¡¯t half-sisters, but full-blooded, same father and mother, sisters. The moment she received these results, Seraphina couldn¡¯t clear her jumbled emotions. But soon, she thought of Magdalen. And Magdalen, hearing these results, she frozepletely, even tears in her eyes stopped falling. She opened her mouth, repeating the words with a trembling voice, ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your biological daughter, and I¡¯m not Dad¡¯s either.¡± Seraphina said quietly, ¡°He never lied to you, he never betrayed you¡­¡± With a slight sway, Magdalen¡¯s tears rolled down once again. This time, her vision finally cleared. She stared at Seraphina for a long while, then slowly shook her head, murmuring like she was comforting herself, ¡°Impossible¡­impossible¡­¡± Seraphina remained calm throughout. ¡°I thought it was impossible too when I got the results.¡± Seraphina said softly, even with a hint of a smile, ¡°How could I believe that the people who raised me aren¡¯t my biological parents? But, Mom, Andrea and Simon have done the paternity test, she truly is Simon¡¯s daughter.¡± Meaning, Seraphina, must also be Simon¡¯s daughter. Neither Magdalen nor Carney had any blood tie with her. At that moment, Magdalen felt ice-cold. Seraphina could clearly feel how Magdalen¡¯s hand, the one she was holding, was gradually cooling down. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Seraphina called her again softly. It took a long while before Magdalen responded. But then sheughed. With a smile still on her face, her tears rolled down uncontrobly again. ¡°You¡¯re not his daughter¡­you¡¯re not his daughter¡­¡± she repeated, ¡°He didn¡¯t lie to me, he didn¡¯t lie to me¡­¡± Seraphina remained silent, just quietly holding her hand, letting her vent her emotions. Then, Magdalen started to cry whileughing. Her crying once again attracted the attention of those around them. The restaurant staff had been paying special attention to them ever since Magdalen pped Seraphina. Seeing the situation, the manager quickly came over to ask. However, before the manager could get close, Abbot, the bodyguard who had been following Seraphina around, stepped forward to stop him. Not long after, all the guests in the restaurant were politely asked to leave, and even the staff were asked to leave, leaving only Magdalen and Seraphina. Seraphina seemed calm andposed, but in reality, she hadn¡¯t noticed the people around her leaving one by one. And Magdalen had cried out of her mind. She was a woman who had always been loved by everyone, received unlimited tolerance and love, but at this moment, all of that was gone. In her world, there was only one person. This person had been dead for over a decade. Sheughed for him, cried for him, lived for him, and ruined herself for him. She seemed like the most carefree person, but in reality, she was the most tense. She tied herself tightly to a person who was already dead. Only he could truly affect her emotions. Seraphina sat beside her, quietly watching Magdalen cry for a long time, then reached out to gently hold her. ¡°Mom.¡± She said softly, ¡°How could Dad lie to you? He often said ¡®I only have one rose¡­ don¡¯t you know your ce in Dad¡¯s heart?¡± Late at night, in the hotel room, Magdalen who had been crying for a long time finally calmed down. Seraphina sat beside her the entire time, letting her cry without trying tofort her. Ten or more years of grievances and pain, she needed such a catharsis. And this was far from enough. The moment the doorbell rang, Seraphina came back to her senses, stood up, and walked to the door. Upon opening it, Abbot was standing there, handing her a painting. It was the most stunning picture of a rose that was ced right in the center of the entrance to Carney Artful Reverie. Seraphina took it and closed the door immediately. Abbot watched as the door slowly closed, opened his mouth to say something, but in the end didn¡¯t say anything. Seraphina returned to the bedroom, walked to the side of the bed, set up the painting, and ced it next to Magdalen. ¡°Mom, I had someone bring this rose painting.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°You haven¡¯t properly looked at this painting for many years, now, I¡¯m giving it back to you.¡± Magdalen was initially lying in bed with the nket almostpletely covering her head. Then Seraphina spoke, and Magdalen slowly lowered her nket to look at the painting in her hand. Just one look, and her eyes were blurred with tears again. She sat up slowly, reached out to take the painting, and began to study it closely. He never liked using bold colors when he painted, but when it came to roses, he would use a rich and vibrant red. Why did she misunderstand his intentions? ¡°He and Adelina have known each other since they were kids¡­ As Magdalen spoke, her voice was raspy from crying, ¡°Adelina loved jasmine as a child, and he would asionally sketch one for her. Then, we ran into Adelina in Summitville, and by then he was making a living off his paintings. Seeing Adelina alone and pregnant, he painted her a jasmine. I got jealous, didn¡¯t want him painting flowers for other women, so he stopped¡­ From then on, he painted a rose for me every year¡­ But I¡¯ve lost them all¡­¡± As she spoke, her tears fell on the ss frame of the painting. She tried to wipe them away, but they only kepting. ¡°You didn¡¯t lose them,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°The rose paintings, they¡¯ve all been found.¡± Upon hearing this, Magdalen looked up at Seraphina. Seraphina gave a small smile, ¡°After the gallery opened, Leandro collected many of Dad¡¯s paintings, among them were seven rose paintings. After I took over, I found the remaining three. Now all ten of Dad¡¯s rose paintings are in the gallery¡¯s collection room.¡± Magdalen startedughing through her tears, but that only made her cry more. ¡°Mom, Carney Artful Reverie is doing great, but you¡¯ve never visited, Seraphina said. ¡°When will you come? We can organize Dad¡¯s paintings together¡­ There are many paintings where Dad didn¡¯t write the date, and I was too young to remember. But you must remember, we canpile them into a collection¡­¡± Magdalen looked at her for a long while, then turned her face away.. After a while, she finally spoke, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go¡­ Leave me alone.¡± Seraphina was silent for a moment, then nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± As she was about to leave, she suddenly stopped. Lowering her head, she took out the emerald she had earlier. She wanted to give this gem to Magdalen at the restaurant, but Magdalen didn¡¯t really ept it, so she took it back. Seraphina turned back to the bed, and Magdalen looked at her, seeing the gem in her hand. ¡°Mom,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I chose this emerald because it has two roses on it. They can¡¯tpare to Dad¡¯s paintings, but it¡¯s¡­ a token of my love. Mom, I¡¯m giving you this gift because I want you to be happy, so you must ept it.¡± She took Magdalen¡¯s hand and gently ced the emerald in her palm. As she did this, Seraphina felt an inexplicable nervousness. Magdalen had always been more likely to refuse her kindness. This time, the gem sat quietly in Magdalen¡¯s hand for a few seconds, then Magdalen slowly closed her hand around it. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°I¡¯ll ept it,¡± she said. Seraphina was shocked for a moment, then she smiled, reached out, and gently touched Magdalen¡¯s tear-soaked hair. Magdalen didn¡¯t move, letting Seraphina tidy her hair. Once she was done, Seraphina handed her a tissue to wipe her tears, then said softly, ¡°Mom, get some rest, don¡¯t cry anymore.¡± After saying this, Seraphina got up and walked towards the door. Magdalen sat on the bed, watching Seraphina until she reached the door, then she lifted her head to look at her. Seraphina opened the door, looked back at her, gave a small smile, then left. Magdalen¡¯s gaze remained on the slowly closing door, not moving for a long time. But Seraphina didn¡¯t go any further after she left the room. She just leaned quietly against the closed door, standing still, her face expressionless. She¡¯d been smiling all night, and now her face was somewhat stiff. Finally, she couldn¡¯t smile anymore. Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Abbot was close by, watching as Seraphina came out of the room. He didn¡¯t approach immediately; instead, he stared at the room in front of him. The door was open, and soon a man came out. When the man came up to them, Seraphina still seemed a bit out of it. Leandro stood in front of her, silently watching her for a moment before taking off his coat and draping it over Seraphina¡¯s shoulders. Only when she was wrapped in his still-warm coat did Seraphina seem to snap back to reality. Her gaze refocused,nding on Leandro¡¯s face. ¡°Hey,¡± she softly greeted him when she finally came to. Leandro quietly held her gaze for a moment before reaching out to take her cold hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Seraphina¡¯s body was still a bit stiff, but she let him lead her towards the elevator. The hallway regained its peace. The room Leandro had just emerged from was littered with crushed cigarette butts, and a cup of coffee had gonepletely cold. Seraphina was quiet all the way home. She sat silently in the back seat, motionless, her hand in Leandro¡¯s, but still cold. Leandro didn¡¯t ask her anything throughout. After they went upstairs and into the room, he murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll heat some water for you. You should take a hot bath.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Seraphina finally spoke, looking up at him, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep separately tonight. I need some peace and quiet.¡± She was still smiling as she said this, but she didn¡¯t say anything else or make any other requests. Leandro respected her wishes. Seraphina quickly closed the door in front of him. Leandro, stood at her door for a moment before moving to his own room. As soon as he entered, his phone rang. ¡°Mr. Reynolds.¡± Keen¡¯s voice came from the phone, filled with anxiety and unease, ¡°I managed to get in touch with Miss Andrea, but she said if you want to know what happened today, you should ask your wife, not her¡­¡± Leandro hung up the phone and tossed it aside. That night, Seraphina¡¯s room went dark early, but the light in Leandro¡¯s room stayed on until dawn. Around five in the morning, as the sky started to lighten, Seraphina, leaning against the headboard, heard the sound of a car downstairs. At this hour, no one should be leaving, but not long after, the car slowly drove away. Seraphina sat in the dark all night, hearing every sound and movement, but she remained still. At six in the morning, Leandro¡¯s car arrived at the hotel where Magdalen was staying. The door opened, revealing apletely different Magdalen than the one he had seen the day before. She was already dressed and had put on exquisite makeup this early morning. Already a breathtaking beauty, the meticulously done makeup and wrinkle-free dress elevated her beauty to another level. Aside from the redness in her eyes that hadn¡¯t disappeared yet, this was the most beautiful Magdalen in Leandro¡¯s memory. Seeing him, Magdalen softly said, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°What do you need?¡± Leandro asked. Magdalen invited him in, and he quickly spotted the suitcase by the bed. ¡°Are you moving out of the hotel or leaving Sunburst City?¡± Leandro asked. Magdalen smiled faintly, ¡°What do you think?¡± If she were just changing hotels, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen this early hour. Leandro sat down, quietly waiting for her to continue. ¡°Did Sera say anything to you after you picked her up yesterday?¡± Magdalen asked softly, sitting across from Leandro. Leandro chuckled, ¡°Are you concerned about her? Why didn¡¯t you ask her when you saw her yesterday?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t know how to ask.¡± Magdalen calmly replied, ¡°What right do I have to ask her, to care about her? As a mother, I¡¯ve always been irresponsible. I abandoned her when she was so young and then repeatedly drove her away¡­ Even though she never gave up on me, she would definitely be scared if I suddenly changed my attitude, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± Leandro listened quietly, replying after a moment, ¡°And what do you n to do?¡± That¡¯s why I need your help,¡± said Magdalen, ¡°I know you truly care for Sera, so I¡¯m entrusting her to you. Her father entrusted her to me, but I proved to be untrustworthy. I believe, you are worthy.¡± ¡°I can only make up for the hurt I¡¯ve caused her,¡± Leandro said, ¡°As for the hurt you¡¯ve caused her, I can¡¯t make up for that.¡± Hearing this, Magdalen nodded slightly. I know I¡¯ve gone too far¡­¡± she murmured. Then she got up, walked over to the bedside table, and picked up a letter., Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. There are things I could never say to her face-to-face, so I wrote her a letter,¡± Magdalen sald, turning around and cing the letter in front of Leandro, ¡°Could you please give it to her?¡± Leandro silently stared at the white envelope, not saying a word. ¡°I didn¡¯t write any secrets in it. You don¡¯t need to worry about me hurting her again. I¡¯ve hurt her enough¡­¡± Magdalen said, ¡°If you don¡¯t trust me, you can open it and read it.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t move, just looking at her, ¡°Where are you nning to go?¡± At this question, Magdalen fell silent for a moment, then she startedughing softly, ¡°Summitville.¡± Leandro wasn¡¯t exactly sure what had transpired, but he didn¡¯t let on in front of Magdalen. But Magdalen¡¯s behavior waspletely unexpected. Yesterday, after Seraphina read the appraisal report, she went straight to Magdalen. Magdalen had cried in the restaurant, and then her attitude towards Seraphina changed. Something had shifted in Magdalen¡¯s attitude towards Seraphina, and she¡¯s nning a trip to Summitville, which also showed a change in how she saw Carney. The old Magdalen was as stubborn as a mule, but afterst night, it seemed like she had made peace with herself, bing more grounded and logical. What went down between them, Leandro wasn¡¯t sure, but at this moment, he seemed to have a hunch. Magdalen used to hate Carney, hate Seraphina, but after hearing the test results, shepletely changed her attitude. The only exnation was that she had misunderstood Carney. So, the reason for this turnaround could only be one thing¡­ After exining everything to Leandro, Magdalen started packing to leave. Just as she was about to step out the door, she suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at him. ¡°So Sera didn¡¯t tell you anything, did she?¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze dropped slightly. He didn¡¯t answer, but his silence was admission enough. Magdalen let out a bitterugh. ¡°I knew it¡­¡± she said, ¡°That kid, she¡¯s really good at hiding her true feelings. Likest night, she was obviously upset, but she didn¡¯t shed a tear, instead, she kept smiling andforting me¡­¡± Leandro listened silently, his face expressionless. ¡°She can¡¯t keep going like this. She¡¯s suppressing too much. It¡¯s going to backfire.¡± Magdalen murmured, then let out a self-mockingugh, ¡°Of course, if I hadn¡¯t abandoned her, left her with the Reynolds family, she wouldn¡¯t have gone through so much pain, and she wouldn¡¯t have met you¡­ But still, even though I¡¯m the culprit, I¡¯m passing this responsibility onto you. She fell for you once, she can fall for you again¡­ You must help her recover.¡± With that, Magdalen didn¡¯t stick around any longer, she turned and walked away. By the time Leandro left the hotel, Keen had arrived and was waiting for him in the lobby. As soon as he saw him, Keen reported what had just happened, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Magdalen has just left in the hotel¡¯s car for the airport.¡± Leandro merely nodded, not saying anything else. Keen didn¡¯t press either, only reminding him, ¡°We should head to the neighboring city now.¡± Only then did Leandro remember he had a signing ceremony in the neighboring city today. Seeing Leandro¡¯s gloomy expression, Keen couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, should we invite the family doctor toe with us?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Leandro replied coolly, briskly walking out of the hotel and getting into the car. As the car slowly moved away from the hotel, Leandro sat inside, staring at the scenery shing by the window, not saying a word. He still had schedules he couldn¡¯t cancel, appointments he couldn¡¯t break. This just goes to show, no matter how high one¡¯s status, there¡¯s always something that doesn¡¯t go ording to n. Just like how he wanted to be there for Seraphina, to listen to her vent, to hear her cry, but he couldn¡¯t pull away. This kind of helplessness was unavoidable. And it seems like she didn¡¯t need him as much¡­ that was probably the onlyfort in this whole situation. At 8:30 in the morning, the living room of Reynolds Manor was very quiet. Conway, Valerio, and Karan were all seated at the dining table, but no one was talking. They were all waiting for Seraphina toe downstairs, but there was no movement from upstairs. After another nce at the clock, Conway finally lost patience and said to Valerio, ¡°Valerio, go get your mother toe down for breakfast¡± Upon receiving the order, Valerio immediately stood up, ready to go upstairs. But just as he was about to take a step, the sound of a door opening and closing came from upstairs, and soon after, Seraphina appeared at the top of the stairs as usual, and slowly descended. ¡°Good moming, Grandpa. Good morning, Karan.¡± Seraphina walked over, patted Valerio¡¯s head, and nted a kiss on his forehead, ¡°Good morning.¡± Valerio was a bit confused about what was happening, but when Seraphina kissed him, he lightly touched his lips and the spot where she had kissed him.. The wrinkles on Conway¡¯s forehead deepened as he watched Seraphina quietly sit down before he finally said, ¡°Sera, is there something you want to tell me?¡± Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Seraphina took a sip of her milk, and seemingly choked on Conway¡¯s words. Then, as if remembering something, she wiped her mouth and chuckled, ¡°Yeah, grandpa, I got homete yesterday and didn¡¯t get a chance to tell you¡­ Um, I¡¯m actually not mom and dad¡¯s child.¡± Even though Conway was mentally prepared, hearing her casually drop this bombshell left him stunned. Valerio was young, but he seemed to grasp what Seraphina was saying. He didn¡¯t fully understand the emotionalplexities yet, but he looked at Seraphina with concern in his eyes. Seraphina nced at him, quickly ruffled his hair reassuringly, and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s all good.¡± Then she looked at Conway, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ve already discussed this with my mom. She had been torturing herself thinking I was dad¡¯s child with another woman. But now that she knows the truth, she should be able to forgive the past.¡± After hearing this, Conway fell silent for a long time, then sighed, ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the truth about this yet.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But the most important thing right now is to alleviate mom¡¯s distress. We can figure out the restter.¡± Conway stayed silent for a bit, then said, ¡°Sera, if anything¡¯s bothering you, you can talk to me.¡± ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m fine.¡± Seraphina slowly said, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m kinda happy¡­ I¡¯ve spent many years wondering why mom treated me the way she did, but now I¡¯ve found the reason, and I feel a lot better.¡± Hearing this, Conway let out another sigh. Seraphina turned to Valerio as if nothing had happened, ¡°You¡¯re still home thiste, you¡¯re gonna be late for school. I¡¯ll drop you off and exin to your teacher.¡± Upon hearing that, Valerio immediately nodded and smiled. Seraphina hurriedly finished her breakfast, then left with Valerio. Just as Seraphina left the house, Terrence¡¯s car hastily pulled up into the Reynolds family¡¯s driveway. After parking, Terrence quickly got out of the car and headed straight for the house. Conway was sitting in the living room. Seeing Terrence, he immediately had a hunch. ¡°Mister.¡± Terrence rushed in, asking straight away, ¡°Is Magdalen here?¡± Conway slowly shook his head. Terrence, usually calm andposed, looked flustered, ¡°Then do you know where she went?¡± ¡°Sit down first.¡± Conway told him, ¡°Take your time.¡± Terrence obediently sat down, took a deep breath, and pulled out a ring box from his pocket. Inside was a huge diamond ring. ¡°This morning, Magdalen had this ring sent back to me.¡± Terrence slowly said, ¡°She only had the messenger say ¡®thank you¡¯ and nothing else. I went to her hotel and they told me she had checked out, her phone is off, and she¡¯s not here either. Where on earth did she go?¡± Conway, after hearing this, let out a gentle sigh, ¡°You should understand what Magdalen means.¡± ¡°I understand, but I don¡¯t get why!¡± Terrence said, ¡°She was fine yesterday, and today she suddenly changed¡­ Sera went to see herst night, did she say something to her? Where is Sera?¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with Sera.¡± Conway calmly said, ¡°Magdalen just¡­ found herself again. She had been lost for too long.¡± After dropping Valerio off at school and having a brief chat with his teacher, Seraphina left. As soon as she stepped out of the school, her phone rang. Seraphina took out her phone and saw Andrea¡¯s name. They quickly met up at a nearby cafe. Andrea still looked like a properdy, but Seraphina could tell at a nce that she probably didn¡¯t get much sleepst night. Andrea could also tell that Seraphina was not in the best shape. The shock Seraphina received from this incident was obviously much greater than hers, especially since she was the older sister. So Andrea quickly asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seraphina nodded, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Andrea observed her seriously for a while before asking, ¡°Did you tell the family about this?¡± ¡°I told some of them.¡± Seraphina answered quietly, then looked at her, ¡°What about you?¡± Andrea slowly shook her head, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone about this until you give your consent. Not even dad or Leandro.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°Did Leandroe looking for you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Andrea said, ¡°It¡¯s clear he¡¯s really worried about you, but he doesn¡¯t want to push you, so he came to me for answers. Why didn¡¯t you tell him?¡± Seraphina chuckled softly upon hearing this, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to tell him, it¡¯s just that I wasn¡¯t readyst night¡­¡±. Andreaughed softly, ¡°He must be pretty anxious, huh.¡± ? ? ?? ? ?? ? ? After hearing this, Seraphina nced at her again, ¡°You once went on a date with him and paid special attention to him, did I make you feel awkward?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Upon hearing this, Andrea burst outughing, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t feel awkward about this, and besides, I don¡¯t like him.¡± Seraphina quietly stared at her, not responding Immediately. Seeing her like this, Andrea knew she was somewhat skeptical, so she straightened up and slowly said, ¡°The reason I dated him and paid attention to him wasn¡¯t because I liked him, but because I saw the potential in¡­ the Reynolds family.¡± Seraphina arched an eyebrow slightly. Andrea went on, ¡°That guy, he¡¯s as cold as ice, never cracks a smile. What¡¯s so charming about him that could possibly draw me in?¡± Andrea said, ¡°Maybe he¡¯s different in your eyes, but to me, he¡¯s just¡­ not my type.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina gave a slight smile and then asked, ¡°So what¡¯s the appeal of the Reynolds family for you?¡± Andrea paused for a moment, seemed to be deep in thought, then looked at Seraphina before deciding to tell the truth, ¡°They¡¯re rich,e from a good background, and have promising futures.¡± What she said was crystal clear, and Seraphina immediately associated it with the Martin family. Andrea quickly confirmed her guess, ¡°Over the years, the affairs of the Martin family have been controlled by my father, but I don¡¯t entirely agree with his way of handling things. I think if our family continues like this, it¡¯s gonna be risky. So, I just want to get out of the Martin family, in and simple.¡± After hearing this, they looked at each other for a while, and then Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯m the first person you¡¯ve shared this thought with, aren¡¯t I?¡± Andrea replied, ¡°Yes. How could I easily share such a negative thought? Just voicing it is scary enough.¡± Then she added, ¡°But luckily, you¡¯re my sister.¡± Chapter 324 Chapter 324 From the moment Seraphina and Andrea met, both curious about each other, to doubting their rtionship, and then to confirming it yesterday, they¡¯ve never really had a deep conversation. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Even yesterday, after getting the report, Seraphina hurried off without a moment¡¯s pause. But today, when they met again, Andrea said to her, ¡°You¡¯re my sister.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t describe how she felt. She was used to being alone, always surrounded by people who seemed to be there for her, but in reality, they had no blood ties with her, like Sandra, like her grandfather. But now, there was suddenly someone in the world who shared her blood and called her sister. In an instant, Seraphina felt the hairs on her body stand on end, not knowing how to react. Andrea seemed to notice her difort and just smiled lightly, ¡°Hope I didn¡¯t make you feel awkward.¡± Coming back to her senses, Seraphina took a deep breath and started tough, ¡°Actually, I adapt pretty fast. Just give me a little more time and I¡¯ll be fine.¡± After she said that, Andrea just nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. There was a moment of silence between them, and after a while, Andrea finally broke the silence, ¡°Do you want to meet our father?¡± Seraphinaughed lightly, ¡°At the moment, I¡¯m not really interested in meeting him.¡± Andrea lowered her head and said, ¡°I know that apart from being rted by blood, you have no emotional ties with him. Meeting him now might be a bit awkward.¡± ¡°Do you think he knows about my background?¡± Seraphina suddenly asked. After a pause, Andrea replied, ¡°At first, I thought the reason he treated you differently was because he knew you were his daughter. But then I realized that if he knew you were his daughter, he wouldn¡¯t have ignored you. That¡¯s not his style. So there¡¯s a good chance he knows you¡¯re mom¡¯s daughter, but he doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re his daughter. The reason he treats you differently is because of mom. You do look a lot like her.¡± After hearing Andrea¡¯s words, Seraphina fell into a deep thought. Magdalen thought she was Carney and Adelina¡¯s daughter, as did Simon. So where did things go wrong? After Andrea finished speaking, she suddenly pulled out her wallet and took out a photograph to give to Seraphina. It was an old photo of a young woman holding a baby in a photo studio, looking at the camera with a smile. The woman in the photo had gentle features and was beautiful. It was only after seeing the photo that Seraphina realized where she and Andrea got their simr eyes from. ¡°Is this a photo of you when you were a baby?¡± Seraphina asked. Andrea nodded, ¡°Compared to me, you look more like mom. No wonder dad treated you differently. I guess he must have really loved mom.¡± Seraphina held the photo in her hand, looking at it over and over again, before looking up at Andrea again, ¡°How¡¯s life in the Martin family?¡± Andrea shrugged slightly, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about jumping ship. What do you think?¡± Hearing her answer, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine. While Seraphina had Carney and Magdalen to dote on her in her childhood, Andrea was brought back to the Martin family as an illegitimate child, right in front of Simon¡¯s new wife. For many years, Simon and his wife Helena had no children, only Andrea. It was clear that their rtionship was not good. In such a family environment, it¡¯s probably not easy for Andrea to have grown up safely. When they started talking about their childhood, the conversation between them finally got going. Seraphina talked about her life with Carney and Magdalen, while Andrea talked about her life in the Martin family. It wasn¡¯t until Seraphina¡¯s phone rang that their conversation was interrupted. The call was from the person taking care of Conway Reynolds. When, Seraphina answered the phone, she sounded a bit frantic, ¡°Sera, Conway suddenly isn¡¯t feeling well, can youe back quickly¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina immediately stood up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Andrea saw her reaction and also stood up. ¡°My grandfather suddenly isn¡¯t feeling well I need to go check on him.¡± Suddenly receiving such a call, Seraphina felt a bit anxious and was a bit disorganized as she gathered her things. Seeing her like this, Andrea reached out and held her hand, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Seraphina looked up at her, calmed down a bit, and nodded slowly. They both returned to Reynolds Manor, where two cars were already parked in the yard. Seraphina rushed into the house, saw that no one was downstairs, and headed straight up to Conway¡¯s room. Inside the bedroom, Conway was lying on the bed, his eyes tightly closed, his brow furrowed, and his face turned green as if he was in extreme pain, Seraphina quickly walked to the bedside, but was stopped before she could get close. Lorenzo Reynolds looked at her and said softly, ¡°Grandpa¡¯s heart is uneasy because he was upset. The doctor just gave him an Injection to let him rest for a while, don¡¯t wake him.¡± Seraphina grabbed his sleeve, ¡°Is grandpa okay?¡± Lorenzo looked at the other doctor by the bedside and said, ¡°The doctor will stay to monitor grandpa¡¯s condition, which is currently stable.¡± When Seraphina heard this, her concern didn¡¯t drop a notch. She turned her head to ask the servant who was taking care of Conway why he fell sick, but unexpectedly, she noticed another person standing by the window ¨C Herman Garcia. From the moment she entered the room, Herman had been there, but she was so focused on Conway that she didn¡¯t notice him at all. It was only now that she noticed him, but it seemed like Herman¡¯s gaze had been lingering on her for a while.. ¡°Why are you here too?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but ask. Herman didn¡¯t answer her question right away, he just said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± With that, he walked out of Conway¡¯s bedroom first. In Seraphina¡¯s impression, Herman rarely had such solemn moments. Even when dealing with Naylor¡¯s case before, he didn¡¯t appear this serious. Suddenly, Seraphina turned her head and looked at the other people in the room. Lorenzo and the servant were avoiding her gaze. Seraphina paused for a moment, didn¡¯t linger any longer, and quickly walked out of the bedroom. However, when she left the bedroom, she only saw Herman¡¯s back as he hurried downstairs. In the living room downstairs, Andrea was flipping through some documents that were previously on the couch. Herman walked quickly downstairs, snatched the documents from her hand, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Andrea didn¡¯t answer his question, she just looked up at Seraphina. At that moment, Seraphina clearly saw a sh of surprise and pain in Andrea¡¯s usually calm eyes. Herman also turned to look at her, still with the same anxious and serious expression. Seraphina slowly walked down the stairs, went all the way to Herman, and then slowly said, ¡°Say it, what¡¯s up?¡± Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Seraphina had often imagined the reaction when Magdalen found out the truth. After yesterday¡¯s conversation with Magdalen, she spent the night in her room, most of the time thinking about Magdalen. She thought, Magdalen¡¯s years of doubts could finally be cleared up, she would no longer hold a grudge against Seraphina¡¯s father, and would not deliberately let herself go downhill. Maybe she¡¯d marry Terrence and they¡¯d live happily ever after; Or maybe she¡¯d break up peacefully with Terrence, live a calm and happy life with Carney¡¯s expectations for her. But she never foresaw such an ending-Magdalen passed away. She dressed herself up beautifully and returned to the ce where she spent over a decade with the man she loved most in Summitville. She sat in front of Carney¡¯s grave, leaning against his tombstone, drifting off to sleep. She sat there, as beautiful as a painting. Perhaps all the peopleing and going in the cemetery saw her, but no one knew that the woman who fell asleep with a smile on her face had swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills. She ended her life in front of the man she loved most. At two in the afternoon, Seraphina boarded the ne to Summitville with Herman. At the same time, Leandro Reynolds was also boarding a ne to Summitville in a neighboring city. However, due to dys, Leandro arrived in Summitville after Seraphina hadpleted the autopsy procedures with Herman¡¯spany and returned to the hotel. When Leandro arrived at the hotel, Herman was waiting for him in the lobby. Seeing Leandro enter, Herman immediately greeted him, ¡°Leandro.¡± Leandro¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed, his gaze deep, his body emanating a cold aura that was intimidating. Herman knew Seraphina¡¯s position in his heart and understood Leandro¡¯s current mood, but he still firmly reported the current situation. ¡°I went with her to identify the body, she stayed calm, didn¡¯t cry or shed tears.¡± Herman said, ¡°She even ate something with me when we got back to the hotel.¡± ¡°And now?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°She said she wanted to exercise.¡± Herman said, ¡°I didn¡¯t dare to always be by her side, she seemed to want to be alone.¡± Hearing this, Leandro walked straight to the elevator. The hotel gym was on the 25th floor. After going upstairs, Leandro looked around the gym but couldn¡¯t find Seraphina. When he came to the pool, he saw a familiar figure in the water. At this time, there were very few people in the pool, only several people in the water and on the shore combined, and only she was swimming seriously from one end to the other. Not until she felt exhausted did Seraphina finallye up for air, panting at the edge of the pool. A pair of ck leather shoes appeared in front of her eyes, familiar Italian craftsmanship, the leather dull, understated and expensive. Seraphina slowly raised her eyes and saw Leandro in a white shirt. He had taken off his coat and tie. He squatted by the pool with a towel in his hand looking at her, ¡°Are you done swimming?¡± They locked eyes for a while before Seraphina finally replied, ¡°Not yet.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. With that, she slowly sank back into the water, kicking off to swim to the other side. Leandro didn¡¯t stop her. When he saw that she didn¡¯t want to get out of the water, he stepped back and sat by the pool, quietly watching her swim. Not until Seraphina was truly too tired to move, staying still in the water did Leandro step forward again, extending his hand to her. Seraphina stayed in the water for a long time, staring at his hand. Finally, she reached out to take it, then got out of the water. As soon as she got out, Leandro wrapped her in a warm, thick towel. Seraphina had been soaking in the water for a long time and was cold. Being wrapped in a towel should have beenfortable, but she didn¡¯t notice, only looking at Leandro¡¯s wet clothes, ¡°I got you wet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t look at the wet part of his clothes, just tried to dry her hair as much as possible. Seraphina held onto a corner of the towel, gently wiping the water off his body. By the time Leandro finished drying the water from her hair and lowered his head, Seraphina was still wiping his wet shirt. She knew that no matter how much she wiped, it would never dry, but she stubbornly kept wiping. Leandro dropped his hand, grabbing hers. Only then did Seraphina seem to snap back to reality, pulling her hand back, ¡°I¡¯m done wiping.¡± She turned to leave, but Leandro wrapped the towel around her, preventing her from leaving. Seraphina knew what he was thinking. After a moment of silence, she looked up at him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve gotten used to people leaving one by one over the years. I know how to adjust my emotions, I won¡¯t stay sad for long, give me a day, or a night, I¡¯ll be fine. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Leandro quietly watched her for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°You don¡¯t need me, do you?¡± His gaze was deep, and this question was obviously very important to him. Seraphina touched her hair and said, ¡°I might have trouble sleeping tonight, I don¡¯t want to disturb you¡­¡± Leandro seemed to ignore her answer, simply saying, ¡°If I say, you will never lose me, would you ept me?¡± Seraphina¡¯s thoughts were a bit confused. When she heard this sentence, she suddenlyughed, ¡°I¡¯ve already lost you once, haven¡¯t I?¡± Leandro paused slightly. Seraphina suddenly realized what she had said, looked up at him again, then tiptoed up to hug him, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, I just want to be alone for a while, it¡¯s not about you, it¡¯s my own thing¡­¡±. She quickly hugged him once, pulled her hand back, then turned to leave again. This time, Leandro didn¡¯t stop her. Seraphina darted forward a few steps when Leandro¡¯s voice suddenly rang out- ¡°She left you a letter.¡± Seraphina froze, slowly turning around. With Magdalen¡¯s letter in hand, Seraphina returned to her room under Leandro¡¯s watchful gaze. At first, she managed to keep herposure, but as soon as the door closed behind her, she leaned against it, hands shaking as she tore open the envelope. She had barely read the first line when the tears started to fall. ¡°Dear Sera: I¡¯m truly sorry. After all these years, it¡¯se to this, me saying sorry in a letter. I know it won¡¯t make up for the pain I¡¯ve caused you. I¡¯ve messed up so much in my life, many things I can¡¯t ever fix, but you¡¯ve always forgiven me. I feel so lucky, and so ashamed. I wasn¡¯t a good wife, or a good mother, but you, you¡¯re the best daughter. I remember when your dad passed away, he told me to take good care of our girl, and he told you to stick with me. I forgot his words, but you always remembered. Over these past years, I haven¡¯t given you anything, but you never gave up on me. My dear Sera, your father would be so proud of you. And me, I just kept letting him down. Sera, I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to hug you, I wanted to say sorry to your face, but I can¡¯t anymore. I¡¯ve gone down the wrong path for too long and now, I just want to be back by your dad¡¯s side. Despite all my screw-ups, he might be mad, he might not want to see me, but I know, in the end, he¡¯ll forgive me. Sera, we¡¯ll be okay. You¡¯ll be okay. Your mom and dad love you forever.¡± Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Late at night, Herman stepped out of his room, nning to head downstairs to the convenience store for some stuff. Little did he expect, as soon as he stepped out of his room, Seraphina¡¯s room across the hall was wide open. Herman¡¯s room was next to Seraphina¡¯s for the convenience of looking out for each other. He couldn¡¯t help but wander over and peek into the open room. He saw Leandro sitting alone by the window, a bottle and a ss on the small table in front of him. The bottle was already more than half-empty. ¡°Leandro?¡± Herman was taken aback. Today¡¯s events had left Seraphina in a state that had everyone worried, and Herman was no exception. But with Leandro around, he could somewhat let his guard down. After all, Leandro was the closest person to Seraphina, if anything, they could console each other, and it was none of his business. He was waiting in his room until this hour, only to find Leandro in a room across from Seraphina¡¯s when he stepped out? Herman nced at Seraphina¡¯s room, the door was still firmly shut. He stepped into Leandro¡¯s room, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in Seraphina¡¯s room?¡± Leandro, gripping his ss, a stern look on his face, casually replied after hearing his question, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she wanted to be alone?¡± ¡°But you¡­¡± Herman was about to say he thought Leandro would be the exception, but seeing the look on Leandro¡¯s face, he swallowed his words. It seemed, if Leandro could be that exception, he wouldn¡¯t be in this state right now. Herman paused, then asked, ¡°I¡¯m heading to the convenience store, need me to grab you anything?¡± ¡°Cigarettes.¡± Leandro said. Herman was taken aback, ¡°Didn¡¯t you quit smoking?¡± ¡°Get some just in case.¡± Leandro replied. Herman hesitated for a while but eventually didn¡¯t say anything and headed out the door. When he came back to the room, the door across was still shut, and the bottle of liquor in front of Leandro was empty. Herman pulled out the cigarettes from the bag and handed them to Leandro. Leandro took them, swiftly ripped the pack open, and took one out. He was very proficient at this, but when it came to thest step, lighting the cigarette, he stopped- Leandro didn¡¯t have a lighter, he couldn¡¯t light the cigarette. Herman quietly watched, feeling the lighter in his pocket suddenly seemed to heat up. But to his surprise, Leandro didn¡¯t ask for a lighter, instead, he crushed the cigarette in his hand and continued to drink. ¡°Leandro.¡± Herman spoke again, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the hotel for an extra room card, go check on her? After all, something big happened, she¡¯s alone in there, what if¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Leandro slowly said, ¡°She¡¯lle around.¡± As he said, she had lost so much in the past, people around her leaving one by one, she made it through all that. Moreover, Magdalen¡¯s departure this time wasn¡¯t out of the blue, didn¡¯t cause any pain, even could be considered a relief. With Seraphina¡¯s intellect and personality, she could understand this. Hearing him say this, Herman was slightly taken aback, ¡°Then you¡­¡± If he was so sure Seraphina woulde around, then what was this situation about? Leandro¡¯s gaze fell on the doorway, he clearly didn¡¯t take what Herman might say seriously, only after a while, he slowly said, ¡°What do you think of¡­Bowen Smith?¡± ¡°Him?¡± Herman didn¡¯t expect the conversation to take such a turn, he thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I met him twice, he¡¯s a yboy, charming, eloquent, his sister Sandra too¡­¡± Herman paused here, then continued, ¡°Isn¡¯t he already the fiance of the Martin family? Why bring him up all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Recently, the Reynolds Group had a few run-ins with him.¡± Leandro slowly said, ¡°His way of doing things, is quite interesting.¡± Herman didn¡¯t know much about business matters, so he could only casually chat with Leandro. In the end, he remembered something. ¡°Today, I saw Andrea and Seraphina together.¡± Herman said, ¡°Since when have they been friends?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond for a while. Herman continued, ¡°Anyway, Andrea is part of the Martin family. It¡¯s best if you keep Seraphina away from her. What good cane from mingling with the Martins? Is she trying to use her old tricks and take a risk investigating the Martins?¡± Herman started to analyze the possible reasons, but Leandro didn¡¯t say anything, just quietly sipped his drink. At 7 am, Leandro just finished freshening up in the bathroom, was drying his face when he heard a faint sound of footsteps from behind. Leandro took the towel off his face, through the mirror, be saw Seraphina standing at the bathroom door. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She seemed to have been crying, her eyes slightly swollen, full of red bloodshot, but her overall state waspletely different from yesterday. Yesterday, she was calm, but it was a closed and introverted calm. Today, she was peaceful, a kind of peace that radiated a sense of release, because her slight smile didn¡¯t look forced. Seraphina looked at him, softly asked, ¡°Did you just wake up, or haven¡¯t slept?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer her question, just put down the towel in his hand, turned to look at her dressed to go out, ¡°It¡¯s so early, where are you going?¡± ¡°I want to go back and see my old home.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Are you free? Want toe with me?¡± Years zoomed by in a sh, and the Summitville of today was a far cry from the one Seraphina remembered. She went hunting for her old ce from memory, and after a few hups, she found the familiar alley in a street that had changed its name, and there it was, the house she knew so well. The city had changed at a breakneck speed, with many old buildings torn down and reced. Luckily, this street was preserved thanks to its unique urban culture. Stepping inside, Seraphina spotted a huge old tree in the yard and dashed towards it. ¡°Right here,¡± Seraphina turned to Leandro and said, ¡°My Dad built a swing on this tree for me¡­¡± At this point, she suddenly paused, once more carefully recalled, and then said, ¡°Wait, actually, the swing was for my Mom. She used to sit on it reading all the time. I only got to y on it when I came home from school¡­¡± After saying that, she ran into two rooms on the east side of the house and told Leandro, ¡°Look, this is where we used to live¡­¡± Leandro slowly walked over. The rooms were in pretty bad shape, showing signs of neglect over the years. Even back then, it wouldn¡¯t have been considered a nice ce to live. ¡°I can¡¯t believe your mother was willing to live in a ce like this,¡± Leandro said. ¡°She was actually really happy,¡± Seraphina responded, ¡°She grew up in a big family, a total rich girl, but for my Dad, she could endure anything.¡± Chapter 327 Chapter 327 The house still has people living in it. The house they were looking at used to be the small home of Seraphina and her family. Now, it has new residents. The door was tightly shut. Only a corner of the curtains allowed a peek inside. Seraphina pressed her face against the window for a long time before finally turning around and whispered, ¡°Everything¡¯s changed.¡± Seraphina turned around and sat down on the steps in front of the house. She looked past Leandro, quietly observing the courtyard. ¡°Mom used to wash her hair in that corner¡­ In the summer, we would have dinner in the yard¡­ Mom tried to learn how to cook from thedy next door once, but she got burnt from the get-go. Dad couldn¡¯t bear to see her work so he continued cooking¡­ But sometimes dad would forget to eat or sleep when he was painting, mom would take me out for meals, at that ce in the alley, it¡¯s still there after all these years¡­¡± Seraphina propped her chin up and slowly recounted the memories of the past, getting lost in them as she spoke. Leandro stood quietly in front of her, always maintaining his silence. Until suddenly a resident walked into the courtyard from the outside. Seeing the two of them, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who are you? This is not open for visits!¡± Seraphina snapped back to reality, looked up and her eyes instantly lit up, ¡°Mr. Manley?¡± Called out like this, Manley was taken aback. He looked at her carefully but still didn¡¯t r t recognize her, Seraphina immediately stood up and pointed at the house behind her, ¡°I¡¯m Seraphina.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Seraphina?¡± Manley recalled for a moment, then startedughing in realization, ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s you, the little missy. You¡¯ve grown so big, so beautiful, I didn¡¯t recognize you! It¡¯s been so many years, why are you justing back now?¡± Seraphina walked up smiling, turned to Leandro and introduced him, ¡°This is Mr. Manley, our neighbor. He took care of me a lot when I was a kid. When my parents weren¡¯t around, I would eat at their house.¡± Leandro extended his hand to Manley, ¡°Mr. Manley, hello, I¡¯m Leandro.¡± ¡°Is this¡­ your boyfriend?¡± Manley asked with a smile, looking at Leandro. Seraphina nced at Leandro and shrugged, ¡°He¡¯s my husband. ¡°You¡¯re married?¡± Manleyughed even harder, ¡°Great, a handsome and beautiful young couple, perfect for each other¡­ By the way, how are your parents? They haven¡¯t been back for so many years, no word at all.¡± Hearing this question, Leandro¡¯s eyes darkened, looking at Seraphina. Seraphina dropped her eyes, smiling faintly, ¡°My dad¡­ passed away over a decade ago¡­¡± Manley¡¯s smile froze on his face, ¡°How could this happen?¡± ¡°Not long after we moved, my dad was admitted to the hospital.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I was too young back then, I don¡¯t remember what illness he had¡­ All I knew was that his health was deteriorating day by day, and he passed away not long after¡­¡± Manley sighed with regret upon hearing this, ¡°How about your mom?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s eyes reddened, but she still smiled, ¡°My mom also passed away, just yesterday.¡± Manley¡¯s face turned serious immediately. Leandro reached out and held Seraphina close. Manley looked at Seraphina with pity, and after a while, he said, ¡°You have to be strong.¡± Seraphina was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m actually¡­ relieved about my mom¡¯s passing. She¡¯s been unhappy ever since my dad died, but now, she can finally reunite with him. I know she¡¯s actually very happy. Since she¡¯s happy, I have nothing to be sad about.¡± Leandro listened to her, looked down at her, and then held her closely in his arms. Around noon, they epted Manley¡¯s invitation to stay for lunch. Manley was now old, his son worked in another city and had bought a new house. Manley, and his wife lived in the courtyard house alone. Although the old house was inconvenient, they had lived there for decades and had developed an attachment and habit to the ce. In Seraphina¡¯s memory, Manley and his wife were always quarrelling, but now they¡¯re old, their way of communication is still the same, often bickering, but they get along very well, it¡¯s clear that they are very much in love. Seraphina used to eat at their house since she was a child. Although many years had passed, she still felt a bit ufortable with the ce, but seeing the way Manley and his wife get along, she quickly returned to her past memories. For Leandro, this kind of scene might be ufortable, because he rarely came into contact with ordinary families like Manley¡¯s, and eating in such a small house might be a first for him. But Manley and his wife were very warm, constantly telling him, ¡°Come on, Leandro, eat more. I can tell you¡¯re from a well-off family, don¡¯t mind our simple meal.¡± Seraphina was eating familiar food while observing Leandro¡¯s reaction. She originally thought Leandro would be ufortable with this scene, but surprisingly, he seenfed very calm. He drank the homemade wine that Manley poured him and ate the food prepared by Manley¡¯s wife. He seemed picky about food, but he ate the home-cooked dishes with great joy. When Manley¡¯s wife asked him how the taste was, he would smile and reply, ¡°It tastes good.¡± After the meal, Seraphina asked him, ¡°Was it good?¡± Leandro looked at her while eating and responded, ¡°It was good.¡± Throughout the meal, Seraphina couldn¡¯t find any faults with him. After lunch, Manley wanted them to stay a bit longer, but Seraphina had to deal with her mom¡¯s funeral in the afternoon, so she couldn¡¯t hang around. ¡°Manley, I just bought some berries this morning. Pack some for Sera, for them to munch on the road.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Hey, why is your bag so tiny? How much can it hold?¡± ¡°I have two bags!¡± ¡°Pack more, pack more! Sera hasn¡¯t been back for years, and you can¡¯t even spare a few berries?¡± ¡°Am I not packing right now? You nagging olddy, you just never stop!¡± The two were in the room packing berries for Seraphina and Leandro. Seraphina and Leandro stood at the door, listening to the bustling sound inside. Seraphina nced at Leandro, saying, ¡°Just bear with it a little longer, we¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± Leandro looked at her, calmly said, ¡°I don¡¯t find it unbearable.¡± After saying that, he turned his head to look into the room, then looked back at Seraphina, ¡°Do you like living like this?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 When Seraphina heard his question, she turned her head and took a look at the room. Inside, the Manley couple was preparing some berries for them. Despite their constant chatter, their hands moved in perfect synchronization. This was the familiar andforting scent of home that Seraphina remembered from her childhood. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Such scenes filled her childhood and were a part of her past life. And her past was mostly filled with pleasant memories. ¡°I miss living like this, Seraphina replied. ¡°Miss?¡± Leandro reached out a hand to smooth her hair on her shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t you want it back?¡± At this, Seraphina gave him a smile, ¡°Because I can never go back to that time. Every moment of the past, I miss ¨C the time when I lived in this courtyard with my parents, the years I spent with the Reynolds family, when I gave birth to Betty, and the days when Sandra was with me¡­ I miss all of it. But it¡¯s all in the past. I don¡¯t have a time machine to go back.¡± Leandro fell silent for a moment. Most people miss the past because their present life is not satisfactory. But she said she missed every moment of the past. It was because she had been losing, continuously losing, that she kept missing the past. Even¡­ she said she missed the time with the Reynolds family. ¡°If what you¡¯ve lost can¡¯t be recovered¡­¡± Leandro slowly said, ¡°then don¡¯t let the future leave any regrets.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina looked at him quietly and then gave a softugh. Just as Leandro was about to pull her into his arms, the Manleys came out of the house with two bags full of berries. At this sight, Seraphina burst intoughter, ¡°That¡¯s way too much!¡± ¡°You can snack on them on the road,¡± Mrs. Manley said. ¡°These berries are sweet, eat more!¡± Just after they left the Manleys, Seraphina got a call from Herman, telling her that she could collect Magdalen¡¯s body now. The next thing was to deal with Magdalen¡¯s funeral. That day, Terrence flew in, and so did Bruce Reynolds. Two men who once loved her deeply, silently took care of Magdalen¡¯s funeral. Because there were no ceremonies or condolences, the whole funeral was very low-key and simple. On the third day, Magdalen¡¯s ashes were ced in Carney¡¯s tomb. She had been waiting for this day for many years, and she didn¡¯t want to wait another day. On the new tombstone, there were the names of Carney and Magdalen, and in the lower right corner, at Seraphina¡¯s request, a rose drawing Carney drew for Magdalen was engraved. The whole funeral had no extra people. Terrence was full of sorrow, but his face was calm, only staring nkly at the tombstone. Bruce¡¯s grief was written all over his face, and after the funeral, he didn¡¯t want to look at that tombstone again. Compared to these two, Seraphina was the mostposed and calm, even, her mood carried a touch of relief. Neither Bruce nor Terrence noticed this mood, only Leandro did. When he learned of Magdalen¡¯s death, he wasn¡¯t by her side and couldn¡¯t see Seraphina¡¯s pain in person. But when he saw her at the hotel pool, he felt clearly that she had closed herself off. hinge Magdalen¡¯s death undoubtedly hurt her, and what hurt her more should be her self-me. She believed it was her who caused Magdalen¡¯s death, it was the truth she told Magdalen that triggered this tragedy. This realization made her unable to face and bear such a fact, self-me and guilt made her completely close herself off. It wasn¡¯t until she read the letter left by Magdalen that she came out of this mood, even genuinely happy for Magdalen¡¯s release. This joy even covered her inner sadness, but Leandro knew she was still very sad. At noon that day, Terrence flew directly back to Sunburst City, and Bruce had lunch with Leandro and Seraphina. ¡°I have a three o¡¯clock flight,¡± Bruce said during lunch. ¡°Are you guys going back to Sunburst City with me?¡± ¡°You go ahead, we¡¯ll decideter, Leandro said before Seraphina could answer. Bruce didn¡¯t say anything more. Seraphina looked at Leandro, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Leandro turned to look at her, Seraphina nced at his phone on the table, said, ¡°If you don¡¯t go back, your phone is going to explode from all the calls.¡± The Reynolds Group had been very busy recently. These two days, Leandro¡¯s phone had been ringing non-stop. Seraphina hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to him these two days, but even she noticed his busyness, he must be really busy. I have arrangements,¡± Leandro answered. Seraphina didn¡¯t say anything more. After lunch, Bruce went straight to the airport, and Leandro took Seraphina back to the hotel. As soon as they got back to the hotel, his phone started ringing, Leandro answered the call in the living room, Seraphina went into the bedroom and packed her bags briefly. When Leandro finished the call, Seraphina was standing in the doorway of the bedroom looking at him. ¡°We might as well go back to Sunburst City,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Anyway, I have nothing else to deal with here.¡± Before Leandro could say anything, the doorbell rang. Seraphina was closer to the door, so she went to open it. As soon as the door opened, a sticky child was thrust into her arms. Somewhat surprised, Seraphina lifted his face, ¡°How did you get here?¡± Valerio Reynolds snuggled into her arms before turning to look at Keen standing behind him. Keen shed a small smile and said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds asked me to bring Valerio over.¡± Seraphina turned to look at Leandro. He nced at Valerio in her arms and slowly said, ¡°Valerio¡¯s on vacation. He can stay with you here for a while.¡± Seraphina paused, asking, ¡°What about you?¡± After listening to her, Leandro gave her a deep look, ¡°You sure you want me to stay too?¡± Seraphina pinched Valerio¡¯s cheek and then began to speak, ¡°Valerio might not get used to it here, and there¡¯s nothing much to do. I think we should head back together.¡± Leandro responded, ¡°I¡¯ve signed him up for a few summer courses. He¡¯ll adjust.¡± Seraphina asked with surprise, ¡°So many courses? Here?¡± Leandro nodded. Seraphina looked down at Valerio again, asking, ¡°Do you want to take summer courses?¡± Valerio nodded his head in agreement immediately. Holding his face, Seraphina asked, ¡°Are you sure about this? What kid wants to go to summer school? Are you a little bit silly?¡± Valerio pouted slightly, but he still held onto Seraphina¡¯s hand tightly. Seraphina then turned her head to look at Leandro and said, ¡°Your son is a bit silly.¡± Leandro slowly walked over to her, not responding to herment, but gently stroked her face. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things. Just rest well, ande back when you¡¯re ready.¡± Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Due to time constraints, Valerio barely got a chance to settle in before Leandro had to rush off to the airport to get back to Sunburst City. He left Keen in charge of sorting out everything for Seraphina and Valerio. But to Seraphina¡¯s surprise, the amodation Leandro had arranged for them was the old house from their past. As soon as they walked in, they noticed a new wooden swing had been added under the old tree. When Valerio saw the swing, his eyes lit up. He ran over, sat down, and started swinging slowly. Watching him, Seraphina felt as if she was looking at a younger version of herself. She stood quietly in front of Valerio, just watching him for a while before Keen¡¯s voice broke her reverie, ¡°The rooms Mr. Reynolds arranged for you are over here.¡± At this, Seraphina just smiled slightly. Without turning around or asking, she already knew which rooms Leandro had arranged for them. Sure enough, it was the two rooms on the east side, which had beenpletely transformed since theirst visit. The doors and windows had been reced, yet the vintage vibe was preserved, harmonizing perfectly with the yard. The floors and walls inside the rooms had also been redone, and the furniture was all brand-new. ¡°We only did a simple refurbishment because we were worried about the formaldehyde and wanted you to move in quickly,¡± Keen exined. ¡°You¡¯ll have to make do with it for now.¡± After exploring both rooms, Seraphina turned to Keen and said, ¡°You¡¯re too modest, Mr. Keen. If this is what you call ¡®making do¡¯, then I don¡¯t know where else we could possibly live.¡± Keen didn¡¯t take credit for the work, simply saying, ¡°I just followed Mr. Reynolds¡¯ instructions.¡± At this, Seraphinaughed lightly. ¡°Then you can tell Mr. Reynolds that I¡¯m very satisfied with the arrangements and thank him for me.¡± Keen blinked in surprise, thenughed. ¡°He¡¯d be much happier to hear that from you.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Seraphina gave a knowing smile, then left the room to check on Valerio. As she stepped outside, she bumped into Manley, who was just returning from the market. ¡°Seraphina, have you moved in?¡± Manley asked, walking over. ¡°Perfect timing. Tonight, we¡¯re making Bolognesesagna. You used to love it when Mrs. Manley made it. Remember?¡± ¡°Of course, I remember,¡± Seraphina replied with a smile. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve moved in, we might have to trouble you and Mrs. Manley with our meals.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no trouble at all! Cooking for four is no different than cooking for two, and it¡¯s always more fun to eat together,¡± Manley assured her. ¡°Besides, Leandro already mentioned it to me. If you ever get hungry, juste on over! By the way, where¡¯s Leandro?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°But there¡¯s someone else.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. As she spoke, she called Valerio over from the swing. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Manley asked, looking a bit surprised. Seraphina wrapped her arm around Valerio and replied with a smile, ¡°My son. Does he look like me?¡± ¡°Your son is already this big?¡± Manley eximed. ¡°He looks a lot like Leandro, but on closer inspection, he does have a bit of your look too!¡± Hearing this, Seraphinaughed. That evening, after dinner at the Manley¡¯s, Seraphina supervised Valerio¡¯s bath. Just as she was about to take hers, Leandro called on video chat. ¡°Did you have a good dinner?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°I ate well,¡± Seraphina replied, pointing the camera at Valerio. ¡°Look at your son¡¯s tummy. He¡¯s stuffed!¡± Valerio immediately blushed and covered his round tummy y with a nket. ¡°What about you?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°I also ate well,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°I¡¯ve always loved Mrs. Manley¡¯ssagna.¡± Leandro seemed satisfied with her answer and gave a small hum before asking, ¡°After being away for so many years, are you getting used to life here?¡± ¡°I adapt quickly,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°After all, I grew up here. I won¡¯t feel out of ce.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Seraphina paused for a moment, then asked, ¡°Leandro, how long can I stay here?¡± ¡°As long as you want,¡± Leandro replied softly. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°So, can I just not go back?¡± ¡°You can,¡± Leandro confirmed. Seraphina gave him a silent re before asking, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to.¡± ¡°Then hurry up.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up, Seraphina put down her phone and looked at Valerio, ¡°When did your dad be so easy-going?¡± Valerio just shrugged, looking clueless. The next day, Seraphina started a busy summer life with Valerio. Leandro had mentioned he¡¯d signed Valerio up for several summer sses, and he wasn¡¯t kidding. Valerio had swimming two days a week, tennis two days a week, and art sses for the remaining three days. He was booked solid. Whether it was because he was energetic or because he was happy to have Seraphina around, Valerio was excited about his busy schedule every day. Seraphina didn¡¯t have much to do in Summitville, so she spent her days taking him to sses and visiting local attractions after sses. Since leaving the Reynolds family, Seraphina hadn¡¯t experienced such aid-back lifestyle in eight years. At first, she felt a bit out of sorts, like she was just twiddling her thumbs, feeling empty inside every night as shey in bed. But as she gradually got used to it, she really began to chill out. After all, the familiar environment, the friendly faces, theid-back lifestyle, everything was just too comfortable. No one wants to be on edge all the time unless they absolutely have to. A few dayster, Seraphina finally managed to convince herself to take a break from everything else and just live in the moment. Inparison, Valerio adapted to this ce much better. Every summer break, there would be more kids his age in the small alley¡¯s courtyards. At first, he was a bit shy, but after a few days, he was running around with those mischievous kids, disappearing from Seraphina¡¯s sight before she knew it. Though his bodyguard was always secretly keeping an eye on him, Seraphina got a real taste of what it¡¯s like to have a rambunctious kid ¨C even though Valerio wasn¡¯t really that much of a handful.. One day, when she came back from the corner store with groceries, sure enough, Valerio had vanished again. ¡°That little rascal.¡± Seraphinained as she put down her groceries, ¡°One of these days, I¡¯m going to give him a piece of my mind!¡± No sooner had the words left her mouth when the room suddenly dimmed a bit, clearly someone was standing in the doorway. Seraphina picked up a ruler that wasying around, turned to the door and said, ¡°You dare toe back-huh?¡± In the doorway, Leandro¡¯s tall figure was leaning against the frame, his gaze fell on the ruler in her hand, then he slowly said, ¡°Do you really not want to see me?¡± Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Seraphina wasn¡¯t expecting him to show up. She was caught off guard, tossed the ruler in her hand aside, and huffed, ¡°Really? Leandro, do you know how hard it is to look after your son?¡± Only then did Leandro slowly enter the room. The traditional house was quite spacious, with the room serving as both a bedroom and a living room. The fine furniture didn¡¯t make it seem cramped. Leandro walked up to Seraphina, his gazended on a sketchbook on the table, casually picking it up and flipping through a few pages. It was Valerio¡¯s sketchbook. The drawings were quite youthful, but they were colorful and interesting, much livelier than his previous works. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been doing a good job raising Valerio,¡± Leandro said. Seraphina shot him a nce, ¡°Compared to you, I¡¯m definitely doing a good job.¡± After saying that, she was about to turn around and leave, but Leandro quickly pulled her into his arms. Seraphina, used to her carefree life before returning, was taken aback by his familiar yet unfamiliar scent. But the fresh smell was particrly pleasant, and she couldn¡¯t help but take a few deep breaths. Leandro didn¡¯t notice her reaction, he held her tightly then loosened his grip, concluding after another tight embrace, ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯ve been eating a lot every day.¡± When Leandro heard this, he lifted her face again and looked at it carefully. Maybe his gaze was too intense, Seraphina started to feel uneasy. Just as she was about to turn her head away, Leandro leaned down and kissed her. Her lips, originally soft and warm, instantly heated up upon contact. Seraphina felt breathless as he pinned her against the wall. It wasn¡¯t until they heard familiar footsteps outside that Seraphina snapped back to reality and pushed him away. Leandro gradually moved away from her, but didn¡¯t leave her lips until the veryst moment. It was just a brief kiss, but it was enough to disrupt their breathing. Seraphina looked at him, slightly out of breath, and asked teasingly, ¡°Miss me much?¡± Leandro wiped off the lipstick on his lips and replied calmly, ¡°Yeah.¡± Seraphina was surprised by his straightforward admission. Just as she was about to say something, Valerio appeared at the door holding a te of pies. When he suddenly saw Leandro, he was stunned then quickly ran over, presenting the te to Seraphina and Leandro as if it were a treasure. Leandro took the te from him with a resigned look. Seraphina pinched his cheek, ¡°Whose are these? Did another little girl give them to you?¡± Valerio nodded. ¡°Leandro, do you know your son is quite something?¡± Seraphina said, taking the te from Leandro. ¡°Three local girls are into him. They¡¯re basically supporting me, I don¡¯t have to worry about meals. Leandro gave her a nce, ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± But Seraphina wasn¡¯t joking. Just in time for dinner, Valerio was called away twice by two girls. When he came back, there were an extra beef pie and a serving of meat sauce noodles on the table. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°See? Dinner¡¯s sorted. And it¡¯s quite a feast since you¡¯re here!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Leandro had nned to take them out for dinner, but now there was no need. So, Seraphina quickly set up in the small living room and dinner started. Seraphina imed to eat a lot every day, but she only had a pie and a few bites of noodles before putting down her fork. Valerio seemed to really enjoy the pasta, he was eating happily. ¡°Why does your son love the pasta here so much?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°If he keeps eating like this, he will get fat quickly and his grandpa won¡¯t recognize him when we get back to Sunburst City.¡± Valerio wasn¡¯t happy to hear Seraphina making fun of him for gaining weight. Just then, his friends called for him from outside, so he ran out with a piece of unfinished pie. ¡°Not only has he gained weight, he¡¯s also got a bigger temper!¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Did you see? He¡¯s even starting to get mad at me!¡± Leandro nced at the yard and said quietly, ¡°He¡¯s be more outgoing here.¡± ¡®He¡¯s just a kid, of course he¡¯s happier with friends around,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Being alone all the time, even the happiest kid has limits.¡± Hearing this, Leandro looked at her but didn¡¯t speak. Seraphina quickly changed the subject, ¡°You¡¯re not used to eating this, are you? There¡¯s a decent fast food ce nearby. I can go get you something if you want?¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. It¡¯s my treat. I can afford it!¡± As she was about to get up, Leandro pulled her back, ¡°Sit down. I¡¯m not picky.¡± Seraphina stared at him for a moment, ¡°That¡¯s the funniest joke I¡¯ve heard all year.¡± But Leandro didn¡¯t make herugh. He finished all the food on the table. Seraphina was surprised, ¡°How can you eat more than your son?¡± As she was speaking, she began to clear the table. But before she could pick anything up, Leandro pulled her back. 10:43) ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I still have to return the tes to the neighbors!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do thatter.¡± Leandro said, ¡°Let me hold you for a while.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina first thought he was being impatient, then realized what he meant, ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Leandro replied. Seraphina didn¡¯t know whether to be angry or tough, ¡°What are you here for then?¡± Had he no qualms about causing such a fuss in just a few hours? Did having an airne give him the right to act so capriciously? Leandro didn¡¯t respond, he simply extended an arm in invitation. Seraphina hesitated for a moment, but eventually sat down beside him, allowing him to pull her into his embrace. They both fell silent for a while. Seraphina breathed in the scent of his white shirt, and after a while, she spoke again, ¡°Have you been busytely?¡± ¡°Not too bad.¡± ¡°Has Yasmina been reminding you to eat on time?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Has grandpa been overseeing you and making sure you¡¯re not pulling all-nighters?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Do you feel lonely at night?¡± The nature of the questions suddenly changed, leaving Leandro momentarily speechless. ¡°If you feel lonely, you can call me.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I have all kinds of adult videos here, whatever you want, I can find it-¡± Leandro suddenly pinched her face. Sensing danger, Seraphina hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t kiss me, I just ate garlic-¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± After saying these words, Leandro once again locked lips with her. Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Leandro arrived and left in a hurry. He suddenly showed up, ate a meal, sat down for a while, and stayed only several hours in total, before leaving in a hurry to return to Sunburst City. Valerio probably thought Leandro would stick around with him and Seraphina. So when he found out Leandro was leaving, he was unhappy, his face dull and reluctant. Seeing this, Seraphina gave him a nudge, hinting, ¡°do you miss your dad? Then go back with him!¡± Valerio was pushed out by her for two steps, then suddenly returned, clutching Seraphina¡¯s thigh. Leandro was used to this sort of scene, he nced at Seraphina, gave Valerio¡¯s head a pat and said in a low voice, ¡°Behave yourself, okay? Stay with your mom.¡± Valerio immediately nodded obediently. Seraphina was slightly surprised by his words, it reminded her of something Carney had told her before he left¡­ She zoned out for a moment until Leandro leaned in and gave her a light kiss. That snapped Seraphina back to her senses. After a small smile, she waved goodbye to Leandro. Only then did Leandro get in his car, heading for the airport. No sooner had Leandro left than a few little girls who had a thing for Valerio came over to y with him. Seeing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t resist taking out her phone and snapping a picture, then she sent it to Leandro with a caption, ¡°Your boy¡¯s all grown up, got swept off his feet by little girls.¡± Leandro, in the car, couldn¡¯t help butugh when he saw the message. Keen, sitting in the front, was about to remind Leandro about their hectic flight schedule. But as he turned around and saw the look on Leandro¡¯s face as he stared at his phone screen, he changed his mind. They¡¯ve been swamped with work at the Reynolds Grouptely, Leandro hadn¡¯t had a good rest for days. He specially flew to Summitville just to catch a glimpse of Seraphina in his spare hours. To Keen, this seemed like a total waste. But now, Keen changed his mind. After all, Seraphina, who he just saw, was in a much better state than when she was in Sunburst City. She seemed to be glowing from the inside out. And right now, after taking a glimpse at Seraphina, Leandro, to everyone¡¯s surprise, even cracked a smile. In that case, it was worth it. Not long after Leandro left, Seraphina and Valerio had new guests. That day, when Seraphina and Valerio returned from their tennis lesson, Valerio was all sweaty and kept trying to hug Seraphina. She kept ducking away from him. The two of them walked into their yard laughing, only to find someone sitting on the swing under the tree. Andrea looked at Seraphina and Valerio walking in, and smiled faintly, ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Seraphina wasn¡¯t expecting to see her here. She asked with a smile, ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been nning to visit you.¡± Andrea stood up, went over to Seraphina, patted Valerio¡¯s head gently, and said, ¡°But your husband had someone tell me not to show my face around you for now, so I didn¡¯t come until today.¡± Seraphina paused a little after hearing this. Ever since Magdalen died, Leandro had put her in this yard where she wouldn¡¯t be disturbed by outsiders, which indirectly kept the troublesome people and things in Sunburst City from bothering her. Leandro seemed to think that Andrea¡¯s existence was also a part of Seraphina¡¯s worries, so he specifically told Andrea not to bother Seraphina when she was feeling down. Although Seraphina felt he might be over-worrying, she epted his intentions. ¡°You could call me.¡± Seraphina said to Andrea, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him.¡± Andrea sighed, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯d lock me up in a dark room and cut off all my contacts.¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare do that.¡± Seraphina replied. Then she turned to Valerio, ¡°This is Miss Andrea. You should greet her.¡± Valerio looked at Andrea seriously after hearing that, then nodded his head. Seeing this, Andrea couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°This kid really listens to you.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m a strict mother, right?¡± Seraphina replied. Hearing this, Valerio immediately furrowed his brows and shook his head, clearly disagreeing. Seeing this, Andrea couldn¡¯t help butugh. Valerio was drenched in sweat. Seraphina told him to take a bath first, then she went back to the room to find Andrea. Andrea was sitting on a small sofa in the room. When she saw Seraphinaing back, she asked, ¡°Is this where you lived when you were young?¡± Seraphina nodded, ¡°I lived here until I was ten.¡± Hearing this, Andrea paused for a moment, then asked, ¡°Sera, are you still sad?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina smiled faintly, ¡°I might have regrets, but I¡¯m not sad. What I¡¯ve been unable to let go of all these years, what my mother couldn¡¯t let go of, We¡¯ve finally let go today. So, this oue¡­is actually pretty good.¡± Andrea had been worried about Seraphina. But seeing her current state and hearing her answer, Andrea finally felt relieved. ¡®Actually, people around me have been leaving me one after another.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Only my mother¡¯s departure this time, I feel it¡¯s apletion.¡± Life¡¯s like that, you lose some, you gain some. Andrea said, ¡°You still have me, and Leandro.¡± Seraphina listened, went silent for a bit, then looked at Andrea, giving a small smile. ¡°I lost my best friend once, and at that time, I always felt that there was no one in the world that I could talk to. But now I¡¯ve got you, and I¡¯m actually very happy.¡± Hearing this, Andrea also cracked a smile, responding, ¡°Me too.¡± The two held each other¡¯s gaze for a while, then Andrea suddenly asked, ¡°What about Leandro?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina smiled slightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a hot minute since someone talked to me about my rtionship with him.¡± Ever since Sandra Smith left, no one would incessantly pry into her rtionship and progress with Leandro, and she had not been able to share. ¡°We can talk about it, right?¡± Andrea suggested, ¡°I can see, and I can feel, that Leandro really gives a damn about you. But you¡­ in your rtionship with him, you don¡¯t seem to be as invested as he is.¡± Seraphina listened quietly, thought for a moment, then replied, ¡°I used to be all in.¡± The past between her and Leandro had been the talk of the town online before, so naturally Andrea knew about it, hence she only asked, ¡°What about now?¡± ¡°Now, I¡¯m trying hard too.¡± Seraphina answered. ¡°Trying hard to do what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying hard to ept his kindness, and also trying hard to treat him right.¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°Of course, my kindness to him may not be as much as his to me.¡± ¡°Have you ever been moved by him?¡± After a moment of silence, Seraphina slowly nodded her head, turned to look at Andrea, and candidly admitted, ¡°Yes, plenty of times.¡± Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Sure, when she first got back to Sunburst City, she really loathed Leandro. But ever since the whole Betty incident came to light, her hatred just didn¡¯t seem to have a ce anymore. She saw firsthand that Leandro could also feel pain, regret, and guilt for inadvertently hurting her, and hurting her deeply. Then, he seemed to want to make it up to her with the whole world. He helped her recover her father¡¯s lost paintings, and set up Carney Artful Reverie; He took her back to the streets in Velvetwood where she used to live, to heal her old wounds; He let her use him to investigate cases, even though he would obviously get mad, he chose to bottle it up; He took her to the restaurant they agreed on eight years ago and watched the movie they didn¡¯t get to see back then; He fully supported her investigation into the truth about Sandra, saying that if money could solve all her pain, he would use all his wealth; He went from not being able to share a bed with anyone to not being able to sleep without her, He quit smoking for her, after having smoked for over ten years, without her even knowing; He was a hot-tempered strict boss, but because of her, he became so gentle that it surprised all the executives in thepany; He always wanted to be by her side, but would leave if she wanted some alone time; He arranged her old home for her, let Valerio stay by her side, and told her to go back when she was rested. She thought she was indifferent, like a calmke, but it turns out she could still be moved by him, time and time again. After all, this was Leandro, the Leandro she dreamt of when she was young. How could she have ever thought, past or present, that Leandro would be this? ¡°He¡¯s given me so much,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Pretty much whatever I want, he gives me. Even things I didn¡¯t think of, he gives. I¡¯m not cold-hearted. How could I not be moved?¡± ¡°If a man is willing to do this for a woman, basically, you could say he¡¯s worth entrusting yourself to, right?¡± Andrea said. Seraphina couldn¡¯t helpughing, ¡°So I married him.¡± ¡°So, have you thought about forever?¡± Andrea asked. Seraphina was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Every couple says ¡®forever¡¯ when they get married, but how many really make it to the end? So, let¡¯s not think too far ahead, just go with the flow.¡± Andrea listened, quietly watching her for a while, then finally said, ¡°Since you put it that way, we¡¯ll just have to take it slow.¡± Their conversation ended there. Andrea wanted to know more about Seraphina, but didn¡¯t dare say too much. After all, Seraphina was recovering now, and Leandro wanted her to rx, which is why she was staying in Summitville. Any topic that would make Seraphina feel stressed or unhappy, Andrea didn¡¯t n to bring it up at this time. Andrea stayed in Summitville for two days. When she met Seraphina, they spent most of their time reminiscing about their childhood or discussing food and drink, not mentioning anything else. Andrea originally nned to stay with Seraphina longer, but upon hearing that Leandro wasing to visit, she left immediately. She knew Leandro was a tough man to deal with. If she stayed, she might be an unnecessary obstacle between them, which could cause her a lot of trouble. Seraphina tried to keep her, but she was determined to leave. Seraphina found it funny. She originally nned to discuss this with Leandro when he arrived, but in the end only Keen showed up. Although Keen came empty-handed, he brought many gifts for Seraphina¡¯s neighbors, everyday items for Seraphina and Valerio, and even brought some hot soup. As she sipped her soup, Seraphina casually asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t Leandro say he wasing?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Keen replied, ¡°But he had somethinge upst minute, so he couldn¡¯t make it. He asked me to bring some things over.¡± Recalling how Leandro had hurriedly leftst time, Seraphina asked, ¡°Is the Reynolds Group really busy these days?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Yes,¡± Keen replied, ¡°We¡¯ve been busy for the past two months, and recently it¡¯s been even more hectic.¡± ¡°What are you guys busy with?¡± Seraphina asked. Keen paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Nothing much, just some routine work.¡± Seraphina felt he was acting a bit weird, ¡°Is there something that I shouldn¡¯t know about? Tell me, what happened?¡± *No, no, Keen hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s really nothing special¡­¡± As he was saying this, he was about to leave, but Seraphina stopped him. ¡°Twant to know now, Seraphina said, ¡°No matter how boring or ordinary, you have to tell me about Leandro¡¯s recent schedule.¡± Keen hesitated for a moment, then finally said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds doesn¡¯t want these things to bother you.¡± If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll worry even more, won¡¯t be able to eat or sleep,¡± Seraphina red at him, ¡°Can you take responsibility for my anxiety?¡± Keen looked at her helplessly, and finally said, ¡°Recently manypany projects and development directions have been sabotaged, so the wholepany is busy. Mr. Reynolds didn¡¯t have time toe over. Seraphina was taken aback, ¡°Who dared to mess with the Reynolds Group?¡± The Martin Group, Keen answered. Seraphina asked in surprise, ¡°The Martin Group?¡± ¡°On the surface, it¡¯s the Martin Group.¡± Keen said, ¡°However, ording to the information we have received, behind these incidents, the Smith Group is mainly operating, and the Martin Group is only used by the Smith Group. Bowen Smith is the fiance of the Martin Group, so it¡¯s not surprising.¡± Seraphina was taken aback, ¡°Bowen?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Keen continued, ¡°It¡¯s kind of weird. The Smith Group never really had any beef with the Reynolds Group, but ever since they hooked up with the Martin Group, they¡¯ve been butting heads with the Reynolds Group nonstop. Maybe he¡¯s trying to flex his muscles in front of the Martin Group?¡± Suddenly, Seraphina felt that perhaps she had rested too easily, and her brain was not processing the information quickly enough. Bowen used the Martin Group to attack the Reynolds Group. What did he really want? If he¡¯s just trying to show his ability, he¡¯s got much better options. Why pick on the Reynolds Group? Regardless of the strength of the Reynolds Group, even out of respect for Sandra, he should try to avoid conflicts with the Reynolds Group, but instead, he kept targeting the Reynolds Group. Was it his decision, or was someone behind it? If it¡¯s him, what¡¯s his real agenda? Seeing Seraphina lost in thought, Keen hurriedly added, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, you don¡¯t need to sweat it. Judging by their current moves, they¡¯re not really a threat to the Reynolds Group. Mr. Reynolds still has everything under control,¡± On hearing this, Seraphina immediately turned to him, ¡°After you head back, if Bowen makes any move, you have to let me know.¡± ¡°Mrs. Reynolds¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Seraphina cut him off, ¡°I¡¯m not nning to meddle. I just want to figure out Bowen¡¯s real game n.¡± Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Even though Seraphina said so, Keen still looked hesitant. After a good while, he cautiously suggested, ¡°Maybe I should ask Mr. Reynolds¡¯ opinion first?¡± At this, Seraphina got annoyed and gave him a little shove. ¡°If I wanted his opinion, I could ask him myself. Why would I ask you?¡± Keen sighed softly and said, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, Mr. Reynolds only wants you to rest and stop worrying about the people and things in Sunburst City. That¡¯s why he asked you to stay in Summitville. It¡¯s his goodwill, so why are you treating it like this?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina pulled back her hand and fell silent, thinking for a while. Then she said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Over the years, she had been to many ces, but never had she felt as at peace as she did now in Summitville. It was Leandro¡¯s kindness and a rare moment of tranquility for her. She really shouldn¡¯t have treated it like this. And looking at Bowen¡¯s current strength and behavior, he wasn¡¯t nearly powerful enough to influence the Reynolds Group. She didn¡¯t have to be in such a hurry. It was okay to wait until his intentions were clearer before asking about it. But even though Seraphina thought so, once curiosity was stirred, it wasn¡¯t easy to calm down. So she got angrier at Keen and eventually drove him away. Being driven away, Keen actually felt relieved. After letting out a sigh of relief, he left quickly, afraid that Seraphina might change her mind and call him back. In fact, not long after he left, Seraphina did regret it. But there was nothing she could do but try to rx. Valerio was still happily attending several summer training courses, and his rtionship with the teachers was gradually building up. Seraphina didn¡¯t want him to give up halfway, so she took him to ss every day. But she was still a little worried about the things in Sunburst City, not as carefree as before. One day, Valerio was attending a painting ss where the content was about figures. So, Seraphina unusually went into the studio to be his model. This little thing led to Seraphina having a dream about Sandra that night. The dream was about their childhood, probably when they first started junior high. Back then, Seraphina joined a painting club, and Sandra signed up for a handicraft ss on her own. But she often didn¡¯t want to learn thoseplicated decoration courses and would sneak away to the painting ss to chat with Seraphina. In her dream, Seraphina saw the two of them sitting in the painting room chatting from morning till night, about all sorts of trivial things. In the dream, Seraphina felt like she had something to tell Sandra, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t remember what it was. Even if she did remember, she would suddenly be stopped and couldn¡¯t say it out. This feeling made Seraphina very anxious, so anxious that she didn¡¯t want to stay in the dream anymore. Thinking this, she suddenly opened her eyes and woke up. The room was quiet, with nly Valerio¡¯s breathing sound echoing in her ears. Seraphinay quietly for a while, the clear dream gradually fading away. At the same time, the anxiety also gradually faded, and she picked up her phone to check the time. It was 1:30 in the morning, still a long way till dawn. Seraphinay in bed with her eyes wide open for a while, but couldn¡¯t fall asleep again. She simply turned on the bedsidemp and got up. Valerio was still sleeping quietly on the bed, not awakened by her movement. Seraphina put on her clothes and walked over to get herself a ss of water, then sat down on the small sofa. Valerio¡¯s painting homework was on the small table. When Seraphina was bored, she opened it and took a look. Valerio hadn¡¯t been learning painting for long, but his talent was surprising. Each painting in the album showed progress, especially the one he did of Seraphina today. Although it was simple, it was detailed and vivid. Looking at it, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but smile. Unintentionally, she turned to the next page and found another painting. The painting was of a man in a well-tailored suit with neat short hair, but his face was blurred. If it weren¡¯t for Valerio having drawn Leandro¡¯s favorite tie clip, Seraphina wouldn¡¯t have been able to identify who the person in the painting was. Seeing Leandro like this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. This was probably the result of a father not spending much time with his child. Even if the child had a talent for painting, he couldn¡¯t draw a clear image of his father. Seraphina slowly put down the album, but her gaze suddenly fell on the paintbrush next to it. Perhaps out of boredom, she picked up a paintbrush and started adding details to the Leandro that Valerio had painted. He was her favorite person, so she quickly sketched his face. Seraphina didn¡¯t think much of it, just wanted to help Valerio improve his painting, and soon painted the blurred, amorphous man into a vivid Leandro. It wasn¡¯t until she had finished redrawing his hair and shoes that Seraphina put down the brush and looked at her work closely. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She hadn¡¯t seriously painted for eight years, and although the feeling of holding a paintbrush was still familiar, she felt her painting wasn¡¯t good enough, not urate enough. But this man was indeed very different from eight years ago, wasn¡¯t he? Just as she was vaguely thinking, suddenly there was a soft knock at the door of her room. Seraphina came back to her senses, thinking that she might have disturbed her bodyguard by having the light on for too long in the middle of the night. So she went to open the door. As soon as the door opened, she saw the man she had just been painting on paper standing in reality at her door. For a moment, Seraphina didn¡¯t know how to react. She looked at the man in front of her, then back at the painting on the table. The moonlight was dim in the middle of the night, and Leandro didn¡¯t look like he had just arrived. If he had just arrived, he would have rmed the bodyguards. At this point, Seraphina should have been able to see a bodyguard or two. But she didn¡¯t see them, which means Leandro had already dismissed the bodyguards. How long had he been standing here? The curtains in the room couldn¡¯tpletely cover the window. Even when closed, you could still peek into the room from a certain angle. Seraphina never paid too much attention to this because she always had her bodyguard around. But now¡­ She realized it a tad toote, tried to tidy up the drawings on the table, but time wasn¡¯t on her side. Leandro reached out and grabbed her. He didn¡¯t seem rushed or nervous. He just calmly asked, ¡°Why are you still up sote, sitting there for so long?¡± Seraphina clenched her teeth, shooting him a re, ¡°Why are you still up sote, standing at someone else¡¯s door?¡± After she said that, she swiftly reached out to grab the drawing on the table. Once she had it in her hands, she hid it behind her like it was some prized possession she was afraid he¡¯d snatch. Leandro didn¡¯t try to grab it. He just wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered, ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Chapter 334 Chapter 334 In a sh, Seraphina was tempted to crumple the painting in her hand. But just as the thought crossed her mind, she found she just couldn¡¯t do it. After all, it was Valerio¡¯s work, all she did was just to help him make some changes. What¡¯s the big deal showing him a simple painting? With that thought, Seraphina toughed it out and handed him the painting. However, as she handed it over, she felt uneasy and couldn¡¯t help but smudge the face she had drawn herself. The watercolor on the paper hadn¡¯tpletely dried yet, and her smudge smeared the picture. Leandro took the paper and saw a blurred figure. Despite the blurriness, the overall style was still there, not purely Valerio¡¯s style. But the face was blurred, unrecognizable. While he was looking at the painting, Seraphina slipped away from him, only to see Leandro¡¯s dark gaze. She couldn¡¯t conceal her surprise, but put on a calm face, ¡°You scared me!¡± ¡°Did I?¡± Leandro still held the painting, nced at it, and casually said, ¡°When did you be so timid?¡± Seraphina snorted, took the painting from his hand, and stuffed it into Valerio¡¯s portfolio. ¡°This is Valerio¡¯s homework, don¡¯t mess it up,¡± she said, ¡°or he¡¯ll be pissed tomorrow.¡± Just as she said this, something urred to her, she turned to him, ¡°Ah, you won¡¯t see him tomorrow, right? It¡¯s already 2 a.m., when are you leaving?¡± ¡°Twelve noon.¡± As Leandro answered, he went to the side of the bed to check on Valerio. Seraphina raised her eyebrows in surprise, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s like ten hours, aren¡¯t you super busy? Do you have that much free time?¡± Leandro sat by the bed, hearing this, he turned to look at her and slowly said, ¡°I rarely have free time, and you happen to be suffering from insomnia, isn¡¯t this perfect?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina quickly moved towards the bed, ready to hug Valerio, but Leandro caught her. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°I¡¯m not suffering from insomnia.¡± Seraphina quickly denied, ¡°I¡¯m really sleepy, I can fall asleep in a minute.¡± But Leandro seemed to ignore her. The way she was positioned in his arms was too intimate, he listened to her feeble excuses, and leaned down to kiss her. Seraphina found the position ufortable and struggled a bit. Then, she was carried by Leandro into the bathroom. The old-fashioned bathroom had been remodeled, itsyout unchanged, aside from the new fixtures, everything else remained. Somewhat dim, somewhat damp, turning on the shower, the room filled with steam. In the blurry steam, Seraphina was held tightly by Leandro, giving her a thorough bath. It had been a long time since they were together, Leandro was deeply missing her, and was unwilling to let her go easily. Seraphina had originally a lot of questions she wanted to ask him, but they were all washed away under the shower, disappearing to who knows where. The next morning, the first to wake up was Valerio. As a soon-to-be primary school student, he had good habits, full of energy, ready to greet the new day every morning at 6:30. But today¡¯s new day left him a little confused. Last night when he went to bed, there were only him and Seraphina in the bed, howe there was an extra person sharing the nket with Seraphina when he woke up? The serious and meticulous Valerio then sat on his own nket, staring at the two sleeping figures, trying to recall if he had forgotten something yesterday. Although Leandro was asleep, being in a strange ce and his alertness, he was a light sleeper, any changes in the room would wake him up. Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened his eyes, he met Valerio¡¯s scrutinizing gaze. Father and son stared at each other quietly for a while, Valerio suddenly leaned forward, pointing at some marks on Seraphina¡¯s shoulder. Leandro looked down, silently pulling the nket up a bit higher. Seraphina¡¯s skin was really delicate, a little bit of force from him could easily leave red marks. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Leandro whispered to Valerio, ¡°Just a little scrape, doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Valerio quickly pointed at his shoulder, where there was a deep bite mark. Knowing Seraphina¡¯s character, how could she not fight back? This bite mark was her response to him. ¡°I¡¯m not hurting either.¡± Leandro said. Valerio looked doubtful for a while, for some reason he suddenly felt like he was being neglected, so he pouted, got off the bed and walked towards the bathroom feeling wronged, The sound of water came from the bathroom, and Seraphina slowly opened her eyes. Leandro looked down at her, and Seraphina sighed softly, ¡°Your son seems a bit upset.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve woken up at just the right time.¡± Leandro said. At least she had just avoided Valerio¡¯s scrutiny. Seraphina snorted, but just stared at him, and after a while spoke in a slightly husky voice, ¡°Leandro, you¡¯re not as busy as the rumors say, right?¡± She had been too physically exhausted before, and now, after resting, she finally had the chance to ask. If he was really that busy, rushing over in the middle of the night and still being able to¡­ he was¡­ quite efficient. Seraphina didn¡¯t spell out her question in detail, but Leandro had clearly understood her meaning. But such an usation, he epted with pleasure. Leandro reached out to pull her into his arms, Seraphina immediately pushed him away, fearing Valerio woulde out and see something he shouldn¡¯t. Leandro had no real intentions, and soon let go of her. Only then did Seraphina seize the opportunity to continue asking, ¡°What have you been busy with lately?¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro slowly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already find out from Keen?¡± Seraphina suddenly gritted her teeth. Keen, the incredibly honest man, probably would never betray Leandro even a little bit in this lifetime! But since the discussion had started, she decided to just cut to the chase. ¡°Did Bowen really target the Reynolds Group?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious enough?¡± ¡°I have a question though,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°If he¡¯s causing trouble under the name of the Martin Group, how did you guys figure out so quickly that he¡¯s the actual puppet master behind the scenes?¡± Hearing this question, Leandro put one hand behind his head, giving her a silent look. Got to say, her ability to catch the key info was indeed very impressive. ¡°Because I¡¯ve had my eyes on him all along,¡± Leandro answered. Chapter 335 Chapter 335 When Seraphina heard this answer, she instantly sat up from Leandro¡¯s embrace. Although she had some doubts when asking the question, the moment Leandro voiced out the truth, her heart started to race uncontrobly, and her emotions were all over the ce. ¡°Why?¡± Seraphina asked. Leandro also sat up, leaned against the headboard, nced at the time on his watch, and then replied, ¡°I just think this guy¡­ is a bit shady.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± Seraphina asked again. ¡°From the very beginning.¡± ¡°And when Sandra passed away?¡± Without hiding anything, Leandro said, ¡°From that moment, I had people keeping an eye on him.¡± Seraphina¡¯s thoughts were suddenly thrown into chaos. ¡°Do you think Sandra¡¯s ident has anything to do with him?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°He was indeed devastated when Sandra met with the ident,¡± Leandro answered. Hearing this, Seraphina silently looked at him, ¡°But you still suspect him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just my gut feeling,¡± Leandro said. ¡°You, Leandro, are a man of great experience, your intuition¡­should be quite urate, right?¡± Seraphina said slowly. Leandro gave her a deep look and then continued, ¡°He was indeed devastated when Sandra had the ident. But not long after, he quickly got over it. ording to the information I gathered, he was living too normally. Considering his emotional state when Sandra met with the ident, unless he was putting on a show and even forgot he was acting, he couldn¡¯t possibly recover so quickly.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina fell silent for a while, then suddenlyughed. The state Leandro described was all too familiar to her. When unable to ept and face a certain fact, all one can do is to force oneself to forget, pretending everything never happened and face life as a normal In extreme pain, one could even forget some fundamental things ¨C Like her, who oncepletely forgot about Leandro, forgot about Betty. If Bowen also chose to forget because of the same reason, then it is indeed possible for him to quickly get over the painful emotions. But- ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± Seraphina said. Leandro looked at her. person. ¡°If he really forgot about Sandra because of pain, and chose to devote himself entirely to the Martin family to avenge Sandra¡­¡± Seraphina said slowly, ¡°Then he wouldn¡¯t keep showing up in front of me, expressing his feelings. He never forgot about Sandra, he could even bring up Sandra time and time again, he definitely didn¡¯t choose to forget Sandra because of extreme pain.¡± In this light, all of Bowen¡¯s actions became highly suspicious. Seraphina continued, ¡°When Sandra died, I also thought he was really heartbroken¡­ But they lived together for more than twenty years, Sandra gave him everything, wouldn¡¯t even a person with a little bit of humanity feel heartbroken?¡± After hearing this, Leandro fell silent for a moment without an immediate response. ¡°He was only briefly heartbroken, indicating he didn¡¯t truly feel the pain,¡± Seraphina said with a hint of sarcasm in herughter, ¡°Yet he pretended to be deeply in love, iming his engagement with Tania Martin was to avenge Sandra, but he targeted the Reynolds family?¡± If Bowen wanted to win the trust of the Martin family, he had many options, there was no need at all to oppose the Reynolds Group. Unless his target, from the beginning, was the Reynolds Group. If he wanted to go against the Reynolds Group, the Smith family¡¯s power was like a flea trying to shake a tree, so he would definitely need to find support that was on par with the Reynolds family. But in that case, Sandra would be his biggest obstacle. Seraphina initially hated him for harming Sandra, butter believed that he had nothing to do with Sandra¡¯s ident, only because she believed Bowen wouldn¡¯t put Sandra in danger for a woman like Tania ¨C he could easily control these two women, why would he cruelly let Sandra die? But what if he wanted more than just Tania, but the Martin family behind Tania, and to use the Martin family to go against the Reynolds Group? Then everything fell into ce. ¡°He is the one who killed Sandra. Seraphina said stiffly, word by word. Leandro heard her conclusion, but he didn¡¯t express any opinion. Obviously, he had thought of this as well. Suddenly, Seraphina sat up, ready to get off the bed. Leandro immediately reached out and held her wrist. ¡°Fll handle this, Leandro said. Seraphina turned to look at him and said after a little pause, ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t you not want me to go back to Sunburst City?¡± Leandro looked at her and said slowly, ¡°I want you to return to Sunburst City happily.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯ll be happy, Seraphina replied. The reason why Leandro wanted her to stay in Summitville was to give her some time to heal her emotional wounds, to give her a good rest, and to keep her away from the hustle and bustle of Sunburst City. Everything he did was to make her happy. Quietly looking at her, Leandro finally said softly, ¡°Alright.¡± Leandro was initially worried that Seraphina would act impulsively because of Sandra¡¯s matter, but in reality, Seraphina¡¯s calmness exceeded his expectations. They hastily decided to return to Sunburst City. They could¡¯ve just left directly, but Seraphina still had other things on her mind, so she specifically asked Keen for a favour. The key task for Keen was to invite Valerio¡¯s art teacher to teach in Sunburst City. Keen had been in charge of contacting this teacher from the start, so he knew a bit about him. Hearing the task, he couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°This art teacher is a homebody, Sunburst City is far away, he might not want to go¡­¡± Hearing this, Seraphina turned around and shouted, ¡°Leandro!¡± Keen thought he would be scolded for notpleting the task, and was preparing to express his loyalty, but Seraphina suddenly turned to Leandro, who wasing out of the bathroom, and spread her hands, ¡°Give me your wallet.¡± Leandro nced at the interaction between her and Keen, and handed over his wallet. Seraphina took the wallet and put it in Keen¡¯s arms, ¡°You know what to do, right?¡± Keen would never dare to touch Leandro¡¯s wallet, he immediately put it down and hastily said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t worry, I will arrange everything. Also, should we prepare some gifts for our neighbors? I can arrange that too.¡± ¡°You take care of getting the art teacher to Sunburst City.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I will handle these matters.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Keen agreed and immediately turned to leave. L Seraphina turned her head back to continue packing Valerio¡¯s things when she heard the parents of Valerio¡¯s friend calling out to her from outside, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, are you home?¡± Leandro had just finished brushing his teeth and came out of the bathroom. He was close to the door, so he went ahead and opened it. Standing outside was the mother of a little girl from next door, holding some pancakes in her hand. It was originally a gift from her daughter to Seraphina and Valerio, but when she saw Leandro opening the door, she was taken aback. Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Leandro gave a casual nod to the surprised woman before him, ¡°Hey there.¡± The young girl¡¯s mother finally snapped out of her daze, smiling as she rushed to say, ¡°Oh, you must be Mr. Reynolds, right? I live next door. I made some pancakes this morning and brought some over for Valerio and his mom.¡± As she was speaking, Seraphina emerged from behind Leandro, taking the pancakes with a smile, ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mention it,¡± thedy replied, ncing at Leandro. ¡°You guys moved in a while ago, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen Mr. Reynolds!¡± Seraphina tumed around to look, giving a lightugh, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s always super busy.¡± ¡°Being busy is good,¡± thedy said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds looks like a big shot, of course he¡¯s busy!¡± As Seraphina still had a ton of stuff to take care of, she didn¡¯t have time to chat for too long. ¡°Thanks for the pancakes, I¡¯ll bring Valerio over for a visit when I get the chance.¡± ¡°Sure, sure, take your time to enjoy,¡± the neighbor said as she turned to leave. But after just a few steps, she couldn¡¯t help but nce back. Seraphina had already brought the pancakes inside, and as Leandro casually looked out, their eyes met once again. The neighbor gave an embarrassedugh, quickly leaving. Leandro shifted his gaze, turning to look at Seraphina. Seraphina tore off a piece of pancake and popped it into her mouth,ughing when she saw Leandro¡¯s look, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Leandro gestured in the direction the neighbor had left. ¡°Hey, you leave me and Valerio here and never show up, so of course the neighbors assume we¡¯re special, Seraphina shrugged nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard all sorts of rumors. The most popr one is that I¡¯m your kept woman, and as for Valerio, some say he¡¯s mine, some say he¡¯s ours. All in all, the story is fantastic!!¡± Leandro just quietly looked at her, ¡°And you¡¯re still okay with being here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you don¡¯t get,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Gossip is a part of life here. Without it, life wouldn¡¯t have any taste.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t ask anything else, instead instructing his staff to go and buy gifts from the local store. When the gifts were ready and Seraphina¡¯s packing was almost done, Leandro changed into a fresh suit, adjusting his cor as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Seraphina gave him a look, but didn¡¯t refuse. In this small neighborhood, only the Manleys had seen Leandro, so for everyone else, he was like a mythical figure. As a result, wherever Leandro went, people were naturally curious. Leandro, as always, was cool and reserved. He was polite, but also distant. However, this distance disappearedpletely when he was around Seraphina- When Seraphina introduced him to the neighbors, he would put on a warm smile; When Seraphina asked him to give out gifts, he obediently did so; Even when a neighbor needed help changing a light bulb or fixing a pipe, if Seraphina asked him to lend a hand, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to roll up his sleeves. And so, everyone got to know Leandro, and they came to understand his rtionship with Seraphina. But Leandro wasn¡¯t satisfied with just that. When they got home, the house was unexpectedly filled with candies and candy boxes, each box bearing the beautifully printed names and greetings of Leandro and Seraphina! These candies were quickly packed into boxes and distributed to every household in the neighborhood, even to the people passing by, one box per person. As his staff handed out the boxes, they exined, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds got married a while ago. We didn¡¯t have a chance to get to know everyone at that time, but we hope you can share in our joy.¡± With this formal announcement, Seraphina¡¯s status as Mrs. Reynolds was firmly established. When it was time for the family to leave, every household in the neighborhood came to see them off. Seraphina knew that most of them were there because of Leandro, so she willingly stepped aside to let Leandro take center stage. However, the spotlight was unexpectedly stolen by Valerio- When he was saying goodbye to his little friends, the children were all chatting excitedly, especially the three little girls. They held onto Valerio, tears streaming down their faces as they reluctantly said goodbye,pletely stealing the show. Seraphina nced at Leandro, ¡°Thank God he can¡¯t talk yet, otherwise he might attract even more attention. Your son sure is popr!¡± Leandro just replied indifferently, ¡°He won¡¯t be like this when he¡¯s with me.¡± Seraphina was speechless. The flight back to Sunburst City took off at noon, right when Valerio usually took his nap. Seraphina had only slept for a short while the night before, so she and Valerio took a nap in the suite. When they woke up, the ne was already beginning its descent. Seraphina nced at the still sleeping Valerio, then got up and walked out. In the cabin, Keen and a few others were quietly sitting in the back, while Leandro was alone in the front, engrossed in some documents. When Seraphina passed by, Leandro immediately noticed. He nced at her, then pulled her into his lap. The others in the back all lowered their heads, pretending they hadn¡¯t seen anything. ¡°Awake?¡± Leandro looked at her slightly dazed eyes, asking. ¡°Of course,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°I can sleep whenever I want to.¡± Leandro dropped the files he was holding and reached out to adjust her hair. She was in a much better state than he had imagined, super clear-headed, ice-cold, andpletely rational. Seraphina leaned on him, quietly watching the clouds outside the window, when Keen picked up a satellite call. After hanging up, Keen walked over to Leandro, whispering, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, just got word, the Martin Group have been having hush-hush chats with the government. They¡¯re willing to cut 30% from their profits to take over this infrastructure project. Looks like they¡¯re pretty much on the same page.¡± Before Leandro could respond, Seraphina asked, ¡°They¡¯re shing that much from their profits? Is there even a profit left?¡± Keen just shrugged. Seraphina suddenly turned to Leandro, ¡°Has he been ying these little games behind your back?¡± ¡°No biggie,¡± Leandro said, ¡°If he wants it, he can have it.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Keen frowned slightly, as if wanting to say something, but eventually held his tongue and went back to his seat. After a moment of silence, Seraphina said, ¡°Leandro, no wonder you¡¯re so distrustful of people now, people are so hard to read.¡± Chapter 337 Chapter 337 When Seraphina said this, she was curled up in Leandro¡¯sp, her gaze fixed on something far and blurry outside the window. Leandro watched her quietly for a few seconds before suddenly reaching out and grabbing her hand. ¡°Even though people are hard to read, we can still find those we trustpletely,¡± Leandro said. ¡°And that¡¯s enough.¡± At these words, Seraphina turned and looked at him in silence for a few moments before bursting out laughing. ¡°You¡¯re a lucky one, Mr. Reynolds.¡± ¡°And what about you?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina tilted her head in thought and after a moment, she simply squinted her eyes and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a wild guess?¡± With that she got up from Leandro¡¯sp and walked towards the room. Leandro reached out to catch her, but Seraphina swiftly dodged him with a smile, gracefully retreating to her room. Afternding, Leandro rushed off to apany meeting, while Seraphina headed straight home with Valerio. Fate has a funny way of throwing people together who you¡¯d rather avoid. Being a soon-to-be schoolboy, Valerio was full of questions, peppering Seraphina with them all the way home. Seraphina managed to turn her head to get a brief rest, and her gaze fell on a sports car in the next lane. The car she was in moved slowly forward, while the sports car roared past, but Seraphina still caught a glimpse of the driver. It was Bowen. She couldn¡¯t help but stare after the car, forgetting for a moment to look away. However, even the fastest cars have to stop at red lights, and at the next intersection, Seraphina¡¯s car caught up with the sports car, stopping almost parallel to it. It was then that she noticed another person in the sports car with Bowen Tania. ¨C Seeing the car had stopped, Tania held up a piece of food to Bowen¡¯s mouth. Bowen opened his mouth to bite it, but Tania kept pulling it away. Eventually, Bowen had her pinned to the passenger seat, and the feeding turned into a kiss. It was quite the passionate disy. Seraphina turned Valerio¡¯s head away and leaned against the car window, watching them. It wasn¡¯t until Bowen looked satisfied and turned his head that Seraphina raised her voice slightly to greet them, ¡°Hey!¡± Hearing her, Bowen looked surprised and saw the smiling Seraphina leaning against the car window. ¡°Sera?¡± Bowen quickly startedughing, his handsome face showing no signs of awkwardness, ¡°When did you get back?¡± Everyone in Sunburst City knew about Magdalen¡¯s situation, and even if Bowen hadn¡¯t heard, he must have known she¡¯d been away. ¡°Just now,¡± Seraphina replied, waving at Tania next to Bowen. ¡°Just got out of the airport, I didn¡¯t expect to catch you two in a lovey-dovey moment.¡± Seeing Seraphina, Tania may not have been too pleased. But after hearing what Seraphina said, she managed a small smile and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t Leandro pick you up?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Oh, you know how it is,¡± Seraphina sighed. ¡°Once a man¡¯s married, do you really think he¡¯s got time for you? You¡¯re in the sweet spot right now. Better cherish these moments and keep your man on a tight leash.¡± Hearing her say this, Bowen just gave a small smile, while Tania immediately moved closer to him. Half proudly, half teasingly, she said, ¡°Do men really change after they get married? Then I really have to keep a close eye on you, to see if you¡¯ll change!¡± Bowen just nced at her and quickly turned back to Seraphina, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bother you when you were away. But now that I see you¡¯re okay, I¡¯m relieved.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Seraphina said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine,pletely clear-headed, and know where I¡¯m headed.¡± Bowen just gave a slight smile, as if genuinely happy for her. ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± Seraphina was all smiles too. The red light turned green and the cars started moving. With horns honking behind him, Bowen quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s catch up over dinner sometime.¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Bowen looked at her again, nodded with a smile, and then slowly drove off. Seraphina rolled up the window, her smile slowly fading. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she instructed the driver. When they arrived back at the Reynolds¡¯ estate, Conway Reynolds was sitting under a tree in the courtyard, eyes closed. He didn¡¯t open them even when he heard the car. Seraphina got out of the car, walked straight up to Conway, and squatted down, leaning on his legs. It was then that Conway slowly opened his eyes to look at her. F They hadn¡¯t seen each other for about twenty days, and Conway seemed to have lost some weight. He watched her quietly for a few seconds before finally saying, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Grandpa, Seraphina said softly. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Even though mom¡¯s gone, I¡¯m still here with you.¡± Conway took a deep sigh and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sad. I read the letter you sent back. I know your mom was happy. I¡¯m d for her. She struggled for so many years, life was so hard for her¡­ now, she¡¯s free. It¡¯s good.¡± Seraphina simply nodded in agreement, saying, ¡°Yes, mom was happy. She didn¡¯t misjudge dad, she chose the right person.¡± At that, Conway reached out and touched Seraphina¡¯s head, saying softly, ¡°And you didn¡¯t choose wrong either.¡± Seraphina looked surprised. ¡°I have no other expectations,¡± Conway said. ¡°As long as you and Leandro are good, I¡¯m happy.¡± Seraphina leaned on Conway¡¯s legs, not moving for a long time. After a while, Conway spoke up again, ¡°What¡¯s your n for the Martin family?¡± It took Seraphina two seconds to realize that Conway was referring to her rtionship with the Martins. She chuckled, saying, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m all grown up now. I don¡¯t need my parents to look after me anymore. My folks are back together in Summitville, I¡¯m content just having a big sister.¡± After hearing this, Conway Reynolds affectionately patted her head, sighing softly, ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear.¡± As evening fell, Andrea arrived at the Reynolds¡¯ with a few sketchbooks. This was something she had promised Valerio back in Summitville. So, as soon as Seraphina and Valerio returned home, she came over to keep her word. Valerio was thrilled with his gift and immediately started flipping through the pages. Only then did Andrea say, ¡°I thought you¡¯d stay over there for a while longer.¡± Seraphina looked at her and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about Bowen and the Martin Group teaming up?¡± Just as Andrea was about to respond, the door swung open. It was Leandroing home. Andrea pointed in his direction, ¡°How dare I say anything with him around?¡± Leandro walked in and gave her a small nod upon seeing her. Following him in was Herman, who instinctively furrowed his brow when he saw Andrea. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Perhaps Herman¡¯s defensiveness was too obvious, Seraphina and Andrea were drawn to it. Seraphina greeted him with a smile, while Andrea, who wasn¡¯t too familiar with him, simply shed a subtle smile, not showing too much emotion. Herman¡¯s mood didn¡¯t improve any. At the dinner prep stage, Seraphina went into the kitchen, handing over some local products from Summitville to the servants. To her surprise, as soon as she went into the kitchen, Herman followed. Seraphina had a hunch he had something to say, so she wasn¡¯t surprised to see hime in. Sure enough, Herman walked into the kitchen and went straight to the point, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with you and Andrea?¡± Seraphina found his question amusing, looking up at him, ¡°Seems like you have a beef with her. Did she cross you?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, she had a thing for Leandro back in the day. Howe you¡¯re not on guard?¡± Herman said seriously, ¡°Plus, she¡¯s from the Martin family.¡± Seraphina wiped her hands with a paper towel, speaking slowly, ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s from the Martin family, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°She¡¯s from the Martin family, and you don¡¯t think that¡¯s a problem?¡± Herman seemed incredulous. ¡°The Martin family is problematic.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean everyone from the Martin family is, right?¡± Herman couldn¡¯t argue with that, continuing, ¡°What about her past with Leandro? Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡± ¡°Nothing really happened between them, why should I care?¡± Seraphina countered. Herman suddenly folded his arms, scrutinizing Seraphina, ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, are you nning to be friends with her?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, then nodded, ¡°Yep, that¡¯s the n.¡± Hearing this, Herman smirked, a look of disbelief and helplessness on his face. Seraphina figured she must look like a fool to him right now. ¡°Time will tell.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Who¡¯s right, you or me, we¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°You better think it through.¡± Herman seemed helpless, and with that, he turned around and walked out of the kitchen. The house rarely had guests, but today they had two, plus Seraphina and Valerio were home, making it quite lively. Unfortunately, throughout all the bustle, Herman never really looked at Andrea. Andrea, however, didn¡¯t seem to mind. She maintained a calm expression throughout, politely responding to Conway, calmly chatting with Seraphina, and asionally attending to Valerio beside her. During the after-dinner chitchat, Herman and Andrea each talked about their own stuff, not responding to each other¡¯s topics. Leandro didn¡¯t care about all this, and Seraphina didn¡¯t seem to mind either. It wasn¡¯t until they were about to leave when Seraphina said to Herman, ¡°Mr. Herman, could you give Andrea a ride home?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Hearing this, Herman froze, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a man, and she¡¯s a single woman.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Why not be a gentleman?¡± Andrea smiled a little, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can get home by myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯ste, I¡¯d rather have someone take you home.¡± Seraphina said, then turned to Herman. Even though Herman didn¡¯t like Andrea, as a rich boy, he was able to show some ss when it mattered. So, he quickly opened his car door, saying, ¡°Get in.¡± Andrea didn¡¯t refuse again. After saying goodbye to Seraphina and Leandro, she got into Herman¡¯s car. Herman turned around, gave Seraphina a look, then got in the car and drove off. Seraphina waved with a smile, watching the car leave the courtyard. Only then did she turn around. When she turned around, Leandro was looking at her with a serious face, asking, ¡°Are you trying to y matchmaker?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t deny it, ¡°Although Herman can be a bit blunt, I still think he¡¯s a trustworthy guy andes from a good family. I want to introduce him to my sister.¡± Leandro made noment. ¡°What?¡± Seraphina walked up to him, asking, ¡°You think it¡¯s impossible?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Seraphina smiled, then said, ¡°Herman doesn¡¯t like her because she¡¯s from the Martin family, and he always tells me to stay away from her. If they end up together, I¡¯ll have something to tease him about for the rest of his life.¡± Leandro didn¡¯tment on her wicked sense of humor, just took her hand and went back into the house. ¡°What do you think about her being from the Martin family?¡± Seraphina asked Leandro. From his current attitude, Seraphina could tell he trusted Andrea, but she wanted a more definitive answer. ¡°I had her investigated.¡± Leandro replied. Sure enough. Seraphina asked again, ¡°And what did you find?¡± ¡°She¡¯s cold, a bit aloof.¡± Leandro said, ¡°But there¡¯s nothing suspicious about her.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina fell silent for a moment. ¡°What?¡± Seraphina sighed, then said slowly, ¡°She must be pretty lonely too: She¡¯s thedy of the Martin family on the surface, but in reality, she¡¯s an illegitimate child; Simon Martin was knee-deep in running the Martin Group, spending most of her time with a mom who had no blood ties with her. Being born into the Martin Group family, she saw all the drawbacks of the Martin Group quite clearly and logically wanted out¡­ So, when she figured out her rtionship with Seraphina, she didn¡¯t hesitate to ept Seraphina. Maybe it¡¯s because¡­ she had been alone for way too long. In Herman¡¯s car, driving Andrea home, there was a long stretch of silence even after they¡¯d been on the road for a while. Andrea didn¡¯t seem to mind, just quietly looking at the road ahead. Herman, on the other hand, seemed a bit uneasy. Finally, he couldn¡¯t keep it to himself anymore, ¡°Do you mind if I put on some music?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Andrea replied. Soon music filled the car. Hearing the intro, Andrea looked towards the central control screen. ¡°In the dead of night, gazing at the stars alone, the stars remain constant every night, shining brightly¡­¡± Andre¨¤ chuckled lightly, ¡°This is an old song.¡± Herman nced at her, ¡°As long as it sounds good, right?¡± Andrea just smiled faintly, not saying anything else. Herman didn¡¯t want to say more either. He just listened to the music and focused on driving. When he got Andrea to her front door, he paused a bit, got out of the car, and opened the door for her. ¡°Thanks,¡± Andrea didn¡¯t say much, ¡°I¡¯ll get out of your hair now, bye.¡± With that, she turned and walked towards the vi. Herman got back in the car, watched her go inside, then started the car again and drove away. Just as Andrea got inside, her phone rang- ¡°In the dead of night, gazing at the stars alone, the stars remain constant every night, shining brightly¡­¡± Hearing this familiar, tune, Andrea paused a bit before picking up the call. ¡°Dad, yeah, I¡¯m home now¡­¡± Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Andrea had just hung up the phone when she bumped into Simon who was justing downstairs as she was entering the Martin family¡¯s mansion. Seeing Simon at home at this hour was a rare sight due to his busy schedule, so Andrea was slightly surprised. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re home so early today?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Simon replied, then asked, ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°I had dinner at a friend¡¯s ce.¡± Andrea answered with a smile. Simon plonked down on the couch and beckoned Andrea to sit next to him. Following hismand obediently, Andrea quickly took a seat. ¡°You¡¯ve never been one for many friends.¡± Simonmented, ¡°But I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve been going out quite a bit recently.¡± Andrea paused for a moment, shrugged, and said with a grin, ¡°Yeah, I met Leandro¡¯s wife at Tania¡¯s engagement party and we hit it off, so we¡¯ve been hanging out a lottely.¡± Simon didn¡¯t seem surprised by this, which meant he already knew. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. After a brief pause, he then looked at Andrea, ¡°You already know, don¡¯t you?¡± Andrea looked at Simon quietly for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°Dad, are you talking about¡­ the fact that Seraphina is mom¡¯s biological daughter?¡± Simon¡¯s eyes dimmed noticeably at her words. After a few seconds, he responded quietly, ¡°Yep.¡± Seeing his reaction, Andrea knew that her suspicion had been correct. Simon had always thought Seraphina was Adelina and another man¡¯s child, and his interest in Seraphina was purely based on that. Andrea took a deep breath, and casually responded, ¡°Ah, I had my suspicions after that meeting. She did too, so¡­ now we both know.¡± Simon silently lit a cigarette, listened to Andrea¡¯s words, then looked at her for a moment before saying, ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. You¡¯ve always been a loner, now you have a sister, that must make you happy, right?¡± Andrea slowly nodded. Simon gave a faint smile and didn¡¯t say anything more. After a moment of silence, Andrea spoke again, ¡°Dad, mom betrayed you, so do you me her?¡± Simon lightly tapped the ash off his cigarette, and said calmly, ¡°Your mother passed away when I found out, there¡¯s no point in bringing it up now.¡± ¡°Dad, when did you find out about Seraphina¡¯s existence?¡± Andrea asked. ¡°Long time ago.¡± Simon said faintly, ¡°More than a decade ago, I ran into her when I went to Summitville to visit your mom¡¯s grave.¡± ¡°Did you suspect it then?¡± Simon gave a faint smile, ¡°She was the spitting image of your mother, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder.¡± ¡°So you found out she was actually mom¡¯s child with another man?¡± Andrea asked tentatively. ¡°Yep.¡± Simon took a puff on his cigarette, his expression shrouded by the white smoke, making it hard to read. Andrea fell silent, deep in thought about the implications of the whole situation. Just as Simon had said, he had noticed Seraphina¡¯s existence more than a decade ago. Due to her striking resemnce to Adelina, he had his suspicions and ordered an investigation into her background. The results were unexpected, Seraphina turned out to be the child of Adelina and another man. Clearly, somebody had manipted the situation to skew the results. Only two people cared about revealing Seraphina¡¯s true parentage- Carney Bet, a brilliant painter who raised Seraphina as his own daughter as per his mother¡¯s wishes. Other than painting, his heart was devoted to his wife and the daughter he considered his. He didn¡¯t seem like the kind to pull something like this. The other person- There was a sound of footsteps on the staircase again. Andrea turned her head and saw Helena coming down the stairs. Unlike her usual morous appearance, Helena at home was pale, emaciated, with a cold look in her eyes, worn out by a loveless and hopeless marriage over the years. 5 33 F F 5 % 5 2 F 3 F Seeing Simon and Andrea sitting together, Helena let out a coldugh, turned around, and walked into the kitchen. After a while, she came out of the kitchen and quietly went upstairs. Throughout this, Simon didn¡¯t look at her once, and she didn¡¯t spare them a nce either. Andrea watched her retreating figure until she disappeared upstairs. The answer was right in front of her. The next day, back in Sunburst City, Seraphina paid a visit to the Smith family. She hadn¡¯t been there since Sandra left, and the only one left in the big mansion was the former Smith family¡¯s maid. The maid was evidently surprised to see Seraphina, ¡°Ms. Bet, what brings you here?¡± I came to pick up some of Sandra¡¯s things. Seraphina said, ¡°I want to keep them as mementos.¡± The mention of Sandra¡¯s name brought tears to the maid¡¯s eyes. She simply said, ¡°Alright, Sandra¡¯s room has been left just as it was, I haven¡¯t touched anything You can take whatever you want.¡± The maid had watched Sandra grow up, she didn¡¯t put up any resistance to Seraphina, who was familiar with Sandra. When Seraphina entered, she immediately felt the cold and deste atmosphere in the room. She held back her emotions, turned to the maid and asked, ¡°Sandra¡¯s brother doesn¡¯te home often, does he?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The maid sighed, ¡°He used toe back every now and then when Sandra was still here, but ever since she left, he hardly everes back¡­ The once happy home is now broken¡­¡± Hearing this, Seraphina was at a loss for words. The maid seemed to realize she was talking too much. She quickly wiped her eyes and said, ¡°You go on to Sandra¡¯s room, I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± Seraphina nodded, then headed upstairs and opened Sandra¡¯s room. Just as the maid had said, the room was just as it was, as if someone was still living there every day, unchanged. Seraphina stood silently at the door for a moment, then, taking a deep breath, she entered the room. The maid brought a ss of water upstairs for Seraphina, who was at that moment sitting by Sandra¡¯s bed, flipping through a photo album. The maid, seeing this, couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°That¡¯s a collection of Sandra¡¯s photos from when she was about seventeen or eighteen. She loved the photos in there the most¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina gently touched one picture of Sandra smiling, ¡°At this time, her smile was the brightest.¡± Then, Seraphina took a photo from the album, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯d like to take this photo with me.¡± The maid nodded. Seraphina stood up, put the album back in its ce, and picked up a bag from the dressing table. She then asked the maid, ¡°I¡¯ve gathered some small items, would you like to see them?¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯s fine,¡± the maid quickly replied, ¡°You and Sandra have been close since you were little. What could she have that she wouldn¡¯t want you to have? Whatever you want, just take it.¡± Seraphina nodded, put down the bag, and went forward to hug the maid. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am,¡± she said softly, ¡°Sandra will be at peace. Chapter 340 Chapter 340 In theing time, Seraphina formed a professional team and started nning for a charity auction g. The news had just been released and before the invitation letters were even sent out, many people already volunteered to participate in the charity event and donate auction items. Seraphina had to carefully sift through everything, from the guest list to the donations, she did everything personally. Because she was Leandro¡¯s wife and she had a wide social circle, there were so many people who wanted to participate, which invisibly increased her workload. Seraphina didn¡¯t have other works to deal with, so preparing for these things wasn¡¯t difficult for her. People like John Garcia, Victor Farris, and Edgar Lamont all sent valuable donations, and Seraphina didn¡¯t hesitate to ept them. As for the others, she sifted through them, keeping the suitable ones and returning the unsuitable ones. After carefulparison and consideration, Seraphina selected a dozen or so of the most suitable items for the auction. ¨C Everything was going smoothly, but the most important thing ¨C the venue, was still not confirmed. e night, when Leandro came home, Seraphina was taking a bath in the bathroom and the bed was covered with various materials for the charity g. Leandro took off his coat and sat down by the bed, casually picking up two pieces of information and found that they were about the banquet venue. When Seraphina came out of the bathroom after her bath, drying her hair, Leandro finally asked, ¡°Have you decided on the venue for the charity g?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°all the banquet halls of those hotels are pretty much the same¡­¡± ¡°So what¡¯s there to choose from?¡± Seraphina put down the towel in her hand, picked up a page from the pile of materials, and showed it to Leandro, ¡°Because my favorite location is actually this ce.¡± Leandro took a look, ¡°Cedarcrest Chateau?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a private estate. Sandra really likes this ce,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°She once said that if she were to have a wedding in the future, she would hold it there.¡± Leandro listened, looked at the information in his hand again, and then asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you rent this ce?¡± ¡°The owner of Cedarcrest Chateau is a quirky old man,¡± Seraphina sighed slightly, ¡°It seems there¡¯s no chance.¡± Leandro put down the information in his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have Keen talk to him.¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes, ¡°I couldn¡¯t negotiate it myself, how could Keen seed? Don¡¯t get my hopes up.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond. Seraphina didn¡¯t hold any hope, but two dayster, when she decided to choose another venue and had informed the team to prepare to print the invitation letters, Leandro came homete at night and suddenly put a lease contract in front of her. Seraphina was sitting on the bed reading the papers. When she suddenly saw the contract, she immediately sat up straight. After reading it carefully, she was so happy that she almost shouted, ¡°Keen did it!¡± Seeing her instantly cheerful expression, Leandro replied indifferently, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Wow, Keen is really capable,¡± Seraphina said happily, ¡°I owe him an apology, I take back what I said a couple of days ago!¡± As she spoke, she got off the bed in excitement and quickly picked up the phone tomunicate with the team. Leandro didn¡¯t disturb her making the call, he turned around and walked into the bathroom. When Leandro came out of the bathroom after his shower, Seraphina was nowhere to be seen in the bedroom. Leandro frowned slightly, walked out of the bedroom, and nced at the study. Seraphina was sitting behind the desk, sketching something. ¡°What are you drawing?¡± Leandro walked in and asked. ¡°Since we¡¯ve rented Cedarcrest Chateau, I¡¯m nning to redesign the invitation ording to the style of Cedarcrest Chateau. You don¡¯t have to wait for me, go to bed first,¡± Seraphina answered without looking up. Leandro sat quietly across from her for a while, then finally got up and went back to the room. Two or three hourster, Seraphina finally returned to the room. She climbed into bed quietly, but as soon as shey down, a hand reached out from under the nket and pulled her into an embrace. ¡°Have you finished your drawing?¡± Leandro asked in a low voice. ¡°Not yet, Seraphina yawned, ¡°I¡¯m tired, and I¡¯ll finish it tomorrow¡­¡± Leandro heard this, just tightened his arms around her, and soon heard her steady breathing as she gradually fell asleep. The next day, as soon as Seraphina¡¯got up, she continued drawing the invitation. After a busy morning, she finally sorted out all the details. Just after lunch, she received a call from Leandro¡¯s friend Hal Jacques, saying that he had just returned from abroad and heard that she was holding a charity g He prepared a painting and had already sent it to the Reynolds Group. Seraphina had nothing to do in the afternoon, so she changed her clothes and went out to the Reynolds Group to pick up the painting.. When she arrived at the 26th floor, both Keen and Yasmina were there. Seraphina greeted them and was about to go in and find Leandro. ¡°Mr. Reynolds has gone to a government department for a meeting,¡± Keen told her, ¡°He hasn¡¯te back yet.¡± Seraphina heard this and couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled, ¡°Both of you are here, but he¡¯s not?¡± I have other things to do and can¡¯t leave, so someone apanied Mr. Reynolds out, Keen exined. ¡°You¡¯re really great,¡± Seraphina looked at him and sincerely praised, ¡°You¡¯re truly a busy man! By the way, thanks for the Cedarcrest Chateau thing!¡± Keen heard this and was slightly stunned, ¡°Why do you thank me?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow slightly, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who helped me negotiate it?¡± Keen coughed awkwardly, then began, ¡°I indeed went there, but I didn¡¯t even get to see the owner of Cedarcrest Chateau, Mr. Spencer¡­¡± Seraphina thought of the lease contract she had seen the night before, ¡°So who help me?¡± ¡°Mr. Spencer is a special case, not someone I can meet just because I want to,¡± Keen exined, ¡°Mr. Reynolds himself went there several times. He even waited outside the Cedarcrest Chateau for five to six hours yesterday before Spencer agreed to see him. Eventually, Spencer agreed to lend us the Cedarcrest Chateau for our event.¡± Seraphina paused, taken aback. During her previous visits, she hadn¡¯t faced such difficulties. Perhaps Spencer had grown tired of her persistence, which was why Leandro faced these obstacles. However¡­ ¡°Did he really need to go in person for such a small matter?¡± Seraphina turned and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t he extremely busytely? Does he actually have time to handle these things?¡± At this, Yasmina suddenly chuckled, ¡°Inparison to your matters, Mrs. Reynolds, everything else is trivial, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seraphina red at her, to which Yasmina replied somewhat innocently, ¡°I¡¯m just stating the fact. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Keen.¡± Keen cleared his throat slightly, then said, ¡°Madam, haven¡¯t you noticed? No matter how unreasonable or exaggerated your requests are, Mr. Reynolds will always fulfill them.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 341 Chapter 341 When Seraphina heard this, she looked at Keen in silence and asked, ¡°What do you mean? Have I been making unreasonable, over-the-top dermands?¡± Keen immediately dropped his gaze, coughed lightly, and replied, ¡°That¡¯s not the point. What I¡¯m saying is that Mr. Reynolds would literally do anything for you.¡± Seraphina gave him a nce and hummed lightly before walking into Leandro¡¯s office. The oil painting that Hal had sent was on the table in the reception area. Seraphina walked over, picked it up and examined it closely. 1 It was a portrait of a cat, looking as lifelike as could be. Naturally, anything Hal would donate would be the work of a master. Seraphina loved the painting and decided to ept it as an auction item. After making her decision, she put the painting back into its box, ready to take it back to Carney Artful Reverie. Just when she was about to leave, she stopped and looked back at the empty office. Two hourster, Leandro returned to the Reynolds Group. The atmosphere on the 26th floor immediately became tense. Seeing Leandro walk into his office without any expression, Keen gave a look to the secretary who had been working with him, indicating him to stay. Leandro might have been expressionless but the aura he gave off couldn¡¯t fool anyone. Clearly, the meeting today hadn¡¯t gone well. Once the door to Leandro¡¯s office closed, Keen asked in a low voice, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Today¡¯s meeting¡­ It was as if someone deliberately targeted us, picking apart all the projects the Reynolds Group has done over the years. Even the smallest issues were blown out of proportion.¡± Hearing this, Keen frowned, ¡°Someone¡¯s stirring the pot behind us!¡± After saying this, he sighed, nced at the pile of work on his desk, and walked into Leandro¡¯s office to report. When he knocked and entered, Leandro was reading a document. Keen took a look and realized it was a hand-drawn invitation. He immediately remembered, ¡°Ms. Bet was here earlier, she picked up the painting that Mr. Hal N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. sent ¡°Mm.¡± Leandro responded indifferently. He was looking at the hand-drawn invitation and knew Seraphina had been there. This was the result of her working overnight and all morning. The front and back covers were landscapes she had drawn by hand, with the architectural style of Cedarcrest Chateau subtly embedded. When opened, the inside was decorated in the same style and color scheme, with ¡°Leandro¡± written on it, signed ¡°Seraphina¡±. And at the center, where the invitation, text should have been, it simply read ¡°You bettere.¡± ¨C Seeing these words, he could almost imagine her expression when she said them. She must have been smiling, with a mischievous look in her eyes, appearing to be acting coy but with a subtle hint of provocation. He really enjoyed this provocation. Keen wasn¡¯t sure if it was his imagination, but it seemed that when Leandro closed the invitation, there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. As he came back to his senses, he shuddered slightly, then quickly reported on the work he was doing. As expected, everything was going surprisingly smoothly. Chapter 342 Chapter 342 That night, when Leandro got back to Reynolds Manor, Seraphina was in the study checking the guest list. The invitations had been printed and sent out that very day. Almost everyone who had received one had responded, and most confirmed their attendance. So, things should go smoothly from here on. While Seraphina was looking at the list, she suddenly heard Leandro upstairs. She paused for a moment, picked up the list and went to the door, quietly waiting. As soon as Leandro came upstairs, he saw the study door, was opened and walked straight in. Just as he reached the door, Seraphina appeared in front of him, paper and pen in hand, looking at him expectantly, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, could I get a response from you?¡± Leandro wasn¡¯t taken aback by her behaviour. He just nced at the paper and pen in her hand, ¡°What response?¡± Seraphina tilted her head and looked at him, ¡°You got the invitation, didn¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t it polite to respond right away?¡± ¡°What invitation?¡± Leandro asked, expressionless. ¡°You didn¡¯t get it?¡± Seraphina was a bit surprised. But the next moment, she realized he was teasing her. Only Keen and Yasmina have free ess to his office. The stuff she personally left on his desk, they wouldn¡¯t just toss it. So how could he not have gotten it? Seraphina suddenly took a step forward, getting closer to Leandro, gritted her teeth softly, ¡°That was a one-of-a-kind hand-drawn invitation, unlike any other. Whether you got it or not, I¡¯ve sent it, you have to come.¡± Having said that, she put a checkmark next to his name on the guest list right in front of him. Leandro saw her action, the corner of his mouth twitched upwards, ¡°Do I also need an invitation to get in?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a sticker that says ¡®Seraphina¡¯s Husband¡¯ on the day. The staff will recognize you and let you in, don¡¯t worry!¡± Hearing her words, Leandro felt a bit pleased. He took a step forward and pulled her into his arms, leaning down to kiss her. Seraphina let him kiss her for a bit, but soon wriggled out of his arms. Leandro suddenly found his arms empty, his gaze dimmed a bit, but then he saw that Seraphina had simply returned to the desk and pulled out a small booklet. The invitation had been redesigned due to the change in venue, and the auction catalogue had been reprinted, all in the style of Cedarcrest Chateau. And the booklet in Seraphina¡¯s hand, was the freshly printed auction catalogue. ¡°Since you¡¯ve agreed toe, you have toe and support me then.¡± Seraphina waved the booklet in her hand and then flipped it open to hand it to him. Leandro took it, quickly scanned through it, and saw a few auction items that she¡¯d circled. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the rest, but these are what I donated.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°There¡¯ll be all sorts of treasures that night. While mine may be ordinary, I don¡¯t want them to look too shabby.¡± Leandro looked over the three auction items, already having a n in mind. He looked up at her, ¡°You just don¡¯t want them to look shabby?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Then she pointed at one of the items, saying, ¡°The other two are fine, but this one¡­. I think it might fetch a high price.¡± After saying that, herughter suddenly stopped. She looked at Leandro carefully, her eyes wide, ¡°That¡¯s not too much to ask, right?¡± Leandro just said, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you some time to think.¡± Seraphina said, adjusting his tie and shirt for him, ¡°Go back to your room tonight, take a bath, rest well. You have all night to think quietly.¡± After saying that, she looked at him gently and smiled. Leandro suddenly grabbed her hand, slowly saying, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Seraphina blinked her eyes, looking at him innocently, ¡°I¡¯m just tempting you.¡± Hearing that, Leandro gave her a deep look, then wrapped his arm around her waist, took her into the study, and closed the door On the day of the charity g, there was a sea of guests. The atmosphere was lively,parable to a major event. As the host, Seraphina was very busy, weing one guest after another. John came to show his support with his new girlfriend. Just as Seraphina was mocking him while his girlfriend wasn¡¯t looking, Sandy ran in and told her, ¡°Bowen Smith is here.¡± Hearing this news, the smile on Seraphina¡¯s face brightened. Not bothering to mock John any longer, she said hello and followed Sandy out. In front of the signature wall, Bowen was signing his name with Tania Martin, then they stopped to let the reporters take a few snaps. After these procedures, they finally came over to Seraphins. ¡°Bowen, wee.¡± Seraphina extended her hand with a smile. Bowen heard this, smiled slightly and shook her hand, then said, ¡°Sera, I wish your event sess.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Thank you.¡± Seraphina smiled back, then turned to Sandy, ¡°Show Mr. Smith and his fianc¨¦e in.¡± Sandy immediately looked troubled, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, the list¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to have Mr. Smith and Ms. Martin.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seraphina feigned surprise, ¡°How did you do your work, missing such important guests? Hearing this, Bowen smiled slightly, ¡°No wonder I¡¯ve been waiting for your invitation but never got it. But since it¡¯s your first time hosting such an event, I thought I shoulde and show some support. So I came on my own. If there really isn¡¯t a spot, just add two more chairs for us.¡± Hearing this, Tania shook Bowen¡¯s arm in dissatisfaction, but Bowen seemed oblivious and ignored her. ¡°Mr. Smith, are you ragging on me for not being thorough?¡± Seraphina asked with a slight frown. ¡°Even if I genuinely forgot to invite you, I¡¯d still wee you with open arms if you showed up.¡± After saying that, Seraphina turned to Sandy, ¡°Please seat Mr. Smith and Ms. Martin next to me.¡± Upon hearing this, Sandy promptly nodded, and then said to Bowen, ¡°Mr. Smith, Ms. Martin, right this way please.¡± Bowen nodded, and then said to Seraphina, ¡°See you in a bit.¡± Seraphina smiled in response, then turned to watch their backs as they entered the venue. About an hour and a halfter, as the guests trickled in and only ten minutes were left until the start of the event, seeing that most of them had already arrived, Seraphina turned to Sandy and asked, ¡°Has everyone arrived?¡± ¡°All the should-be-here¡¯s and shouldn¡¯t-be-here¡¯s are here,¡± Sandy, who had been busy counting heads all evening, said somewhat helplessly. The unexpected turnout was a bit much for her, ¡°But everyone on our guest list has arrived, except for¡­¡± Someone still hasn¡¯t shown up? ¡°Who?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Reynolds. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Upon hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at Sandy before she spoke, ¡°He¡¯s got an important meeting today. I guess he¡¯s still tied up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sandy frowned, ¡°You mean Mr. Reynolds isn¡¯ting?¡± At that, Seraphina just gave a faint smile, ¡°He¡¯ll be here.¡± Her casual assurance made Sandy somewhat envious of their rtionship. ¡°What makes you so sure?¡± Seraphina just gave her another eye roll, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s starting soon.¡± Sandy shrugged and led the rest of the staff to follow Seraphina into the venue. Inside, the room was packed and buzzing with excitement. Seraphina made her way to the front with a smile, greeting seated guests along the way. Just as Sandy had said, everyone who was supposed to be there, and those who weren¡¯t, were all present. It was time for the event she¡¯d carefully nned to start. Seraphina took her seat at the head table, with John, Edgar, Victor, and others who were already arranged to be there, along with Bowen and Tania. Tania seemed quite pleased with the seating arrangement. When Seraphina sat down, she even gave her a small smile. Seraphina returned the gesture, then turned to Bowen, ¡°Bowen, you didn¡¯t donate any items for the auction. You better participate in the auctionter, or I won¡¯t wee you.¡± ¡°Rx.¡± Tania jumped in before Bowen could respond, ¡°He just got back from out of town. When he heard about your charity auction, he insisted oning to support you. He¡¯ll definitely participate.¡± Seraphina looked a bit surprised, ¡°Bowen, you did this for me? I¡¯m touched.¡± Bowen looked at her, gave her a slight smile and said, ¡°Sera, this is your event. I¡¯ll definitely support it.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. At eight sharp, the event started on time. After a brief introduction, the host invited Seraphina to give a speech. Before she could even start speaking, the room erupted in apuse. Seraphina nced around the room and saw Bowen watching her quietly. Tania pped a couple of times for show, but he remained unmoved. ¡°Thank you all for attending tonight¡¯s charity auction,¡± Seraphina began, ¡°The auction is primarily to raise funds for disabled people worldwide, especially those with visual impairments. I hope that your generosity can give them hope and help them regain their sight.¡± The room erupted in a round of apuse. Seraphina paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°This charity auction is held in the name of a friend of mine who has passed away. She was perfectly fine except for her eyes, which led to an ident- Bowen slightly narrowed his eyes, a faint smile still on his lips. ¡°So, in saying goodbye to her and in her memory, I organized this charity auction,¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°I thank you all for your generous donations. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Doing good deeds will bring good rewards.¡± After Seraphina finished her short speech, the auction officially began. There were a total of eighteen auction items. Each time an item was presented, the donor would go up on stage to exin its value and origin. As each item was quite valuable, the atmosphere was lively. However, when the fifth item appeared on stage, there were murmurs of confusion. Seraphina went back on stage and held up the item. ¡°As you can see, this is a women¡¯s watch from a pair of couple¡¯s watches. As I mentioned earlier, this charity auction is held in memory of my friend, and this lonely watch belonged to her,¡± Seraphina said with a smile, ¡°This watch holds her past, and from today, I hope she canpletely let go of the past and rest in peace.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. As soon as Seraphina finished speaking, someone raised their hand to bid, ¡°500,000! The bidding started, and the room was filled with offers.. Although the watch was only worth two to three hundred thousand, it was brought out by Seraphina, and everyone was there because of her, Mrs. Reynolds. Therefore, everyone wanted to outbid each other for the honor in front of her. In no time, the bids reached a million. Tania couldn¡¯t help but whisper to Bowen, ¡°Are these people crazy? An old watch is fetching such a high price!¡± Bowen kept his expression neutral, his eyes fixed on the watch in Seraphina¡¯s hand. It was one of a pair of couple¡¯s watches he¡¯d personally bought from a Swiss factory a few years ago. Sandra loved it and wore it for several years. Even when she had many other, better watches, she still wore this one the most. Soon, the bidding approached two million. Seraphina on stage gracefully nodded to the bidders with a look of silent gratitude. Tania continued to scoff, ¡°A bunch of lunatics.¡± Just as she finished speaking, Bowen suddenly raised his hand, ¡°Three million.¡± The room fell silent. A watch with an original price of 300,000, bidding to two million was already the limit, and he actually started with three million? Tania violently tugged at Bowen¡¯s sleeve, ¡°What are you doing? I wouldn¡¯t want this old watch even if you gave it to me!¡± Bowen didn¡¯t look at her, his eyes were still fixed on Seraphina. On the surface, Seraphina looked surprised, but her eyes were unusually calm, even carrying a hint of mockery that only Bowen could detect. The bidding ended when the auction bammer fell. Everything was set in stone. Seraphina grabbed the microphone, grinning as she said, ¡°Props to Mr. Smith for his generosity, raising 3 million in donations for us. Mr. Smith, karma will reward you for your good deed.¡± Bowen shed a subtle smile, his face barely changing. When the twelfth item came up for auction, Seraphina took the stage again. ¡°This is an 8.31 carat natural ruby ring. We all know, the ruby symbolizes noble and pure love, representing beauty, permanence, and faithfulness. The carat number of this ring stands for ¡®8 letters, 3 words, 1 meaning¡¯, which means ¡®I love you¡¯, perfectly matching the symbolism.¡± Seraphina exined, ¡°This ring, it belongs to my friend who has passed away. Even though she¡¯s gone, her beauty, permanence and faithfulness will forever live in our hearts. And the beautiful symbolism this ring represents should continue to be passed on.¡± Down in the audience, Tania suddenly grabbed Bowen¡¯s hand, ¡°This one looks pretty good.¡± Bowen looked up at Seraphina, the corner of his mouth still curved in a smile but his eyes were cold. Chapter 344 Chapter 344 This ruby ring was his New Year¡¯s gift to Sandra. Back then, she had a spat with him over Tania and some other stuff, seemed to have made up her mind to leave him and went to Velvetwood alone. After not seeing him for a long time, she returned to Sunburst City for the wedding of Seraphina and Leandro. Eventually, they patched things up, and on Valentine¡¯s Day, he gave her this ruby ring She was really over the moon then, even though she always said she had no asion to wear it, her eyes were full of joy. In fact, she really had no opportunity to wear such a ring, andter, the ring was often left in the drawer of her vanity. But now, the ring has appeared at the auction. Seraphina held the ring box in her hand, showing the pure and clear ruby to the HD camera on the spot, her smile was elegant andposed. Such a ring withrge carats is a treasure in itself, plus it was brought out by Seraphina herself, so the atmosphere on the scene boiled up again. *600,000!¡± ¡°650,000!¡± ¡°700,000!¡± ¡°800,000!¡± People were bidding fiercely, and in a blink of an eye, the bidding had exceeded one million. ¡°Is this ring really worth that much?¡± Tania whispered, ¡°It¡¯s not just because Seraphina brought it out, and these people are blindly bidding, right?¡± Bowen lit a cigarette without answering. In fact, of course, it¡¯s worth the price. He originally bought this ring for 1.7 million, and the current bid is far from its actual value. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. But soon, the bidding broke through 2 million. After 2 million, there were obviously fewer bidders. After 2.5 million, only two people were bidding. ¡°2.7 million!¡± ¡°Mr. Benjamin Morton bids 2.7 million.¡± The host announced, ¡°Any higher bids?¡± There was no bid for a while, and all eyes turned to where Benjamin was. Bowen also nced back. Benjamin was sitting way back, obviously showing his low status in Sunburst City, but when Bowen saw the man clearly, he immediately recognized him. He was a billionaire he had met, originally named Bob Morton, but after making his fortune he changed his name to Benjamin. Despite changing his name, he was still very vulgar, liked to show off his money and power. The woman next to him was heavily made up. Her already very exaggerated figure paired with a shy low-cut evening dress made people ufortable to look at. When she heard Benjamin¡¯s bid, she couldn¡¯t help but grin happily. In public, in front of everyone, she kept moving closer to Benjamin, her actions were very ambiguous. ¡°What kind of person is it?¡± Tania muttered quietly, ¡°It¡¯s disgusting.¡± Bowen silently turned his head back, his gaze falling back on the stage. ¡°2.7 million for the first time!¡± ¡°2.7 million for the second time!¡± ¡°2.7 million for the third time!¡± Just as the host was about to strike the hammer, Bowen suddenly raised his hand and said lightly, ¡°3 million.¡± ¡®Mr. Bowen bids 3 million! Can anyone bid higher than 3 million?¡± The host shouted excitedly. Some people looked at Bowen, some at Benjamin, they were all expectant, seemingly wanting to see a good show. Benjamin, with his high bid just now, had repeatedly defeated his opponents. But just when he was about to win, Bowen¡¯s challenge suddenly appeared, which troubled him, so his face reddened a bit. He thought to himself, 3 million is not a huge number, he was about to raise the price again, but suddenly realized that this 3 million is just for buying a ring. He hesitated for a moment, thinking that he had already had the opportunity to show off his wealth in front of Seraphina, why bother to waste that 3 million to really buy the ring? So, Benjamin ignored the gazes around him and the coquetry of the woman beside him, and did not continue to bid. In the end, Bowen won the ring for 3 million¡­ Tania was both happy and distressed, and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I don¡¯t really like that ring that much, why did you spend so much money to buy it?¡± Amidst the apuse, Seraphina picked up her skirt and walked down from the stage, smiling as she returned to her seat next to Bowen. ¡°Bowen, you¡¯ve spent a lot of money this time.¡± Seraphina said. Bowen smiled faintly and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m doing good deeds, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯ll thank you on behalf of the blind first.¡± Bowen took a puff of his cigarette, then turned to look at her again, ¡°There¡¯s another auction item on your auction list that hasn¡¯t been made public, what is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know in a while.¡± Seraphina said slowly, ¡°But Bowen, you¡¯ve already won two items tonight, give others a chance to do charity.¡± Bowen was about to say something, but looked up to see Leandro walking over slowly with Keen and a few staff members. Because the auction was in progress, Leandro walked over from the side aisle, but he still attracted most people¡¯s attention. Most people came for him, seeing that half of the charity evening had passed, most people were a bit nervous. Now seeing Leandro finally showing up, most people¡¯s mood gradually settled down. Leandro sat down next to Seraphina, those sitting at the same table were all his friends. As soon as he sat down, Leandro was immediately teased by everyone. ¡°Your wife¡¯s charity event, you show up just now, that¡¯s inappropriate, right?¡± John Garcia joked. ¡°Not just inappropriate.¡± Edgar Lamont said, ¡°Coming up when it¡¯s almost over, neither the money nor the people showed up, really stingy.¡± Victor Farris couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°That¡¯s a good one. I should learn from it.¡± Before Leandro could respond, Seraphina defended him. ¡°Anyone who donates less than my husband tonight has no right toin about him!¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro instinctively turned to look at her. Edgar clearly wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Well, how much did your husband donate then?¡± Seraphina hooked her arm around Leandro¡¯s and said, ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a bit, won¡¯t you?¡± Leandro gave a wan smile, and turned his head to see Bowen¡¯s expression. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you seem to have been quite busy recently?¡± Bowen asked. ¡°I¡¯m doing alright,¡± Leandro answered nonchntly. Bowen chuckled. ¡°Being busy is good, keeps you upied.¡± Seraphina nced at him, then told Leandro, ¡°I won¡¯t defend you against Bowen¡¯s words. After all, he¡¯s the biggest donor tonight so far, having already donated 3.3 million!¡± Hearing this, Leandro turned to Bowen, ¡°Mr. Smith, you¡¯re truly generous.¡± Bowen¡¯s lips still held a smile as he looked at Seraphina, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for your final auction item.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Seraphina replied with a smile, ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Bowen shifted his gaze back to the stage, his eyes bing more intense. After seventeen rounds of auctioning, Seraphina once again tbok to the stage. ¡°Our final item tonight is a painting by the internationally renowned master, Ma,¡± she said. ¡°We all know of Master Ma¡¯s skill, and his works are among the most influential and valuable in the contemporary art market. In recent years, Mr. Ma has been focusing on his research and hasn¡¯t created any new works for five years. Tonight, we bring you thetest work by Master Ma ¨C Romance in Bloom.¡± As the red curtain on the stage¡¯s painting frame slowly fell, it revealed a lifelike portrait of a young girl named Farrah. Chapter 345 Chapter 345 This painting was quite a departure from Malcolm¡¯s usual style. In the past, Malcolm¡¯s work focused on the portrayal of ambiance, using light strokes to outline figures and muted colors. The characters in his paintings were slender, giving off a cold and detached feel. But this painting was quite the opposite, full of rich colors and intricate details. The girl¡¯s beautiful face, her long eyshes, her moist red lips, everything was crystal clear. The girl in the painting was looking sideways, her expressive eyes bright and clear, staring at something off canvas. And what she was looking at was a blurry and dim silhouette of a rough-looking man. This painting wasmissioned by Seraphina, using a photo of Sandra Smith as a reference. Sandra, as depicted in the painting, has clearly defined facial features and her emotions were vividly portrayed. Anyone who knew her would easily recognize her. Yet, Seraphina did not go into detail about the painting. She simply said, ¡°This painting just arrived today, so it¡¯s not included in our auction catalog. Please enjoy it, and we¡¯ll start the biddingter.¡± High-definition cameras in the auction room captured the painting from different angles, projecting every detail onto arge screen. As this was Malcolm¡¯s first new work in a long time, many people in the room took out their phones to take pictures. Tania, sitting in the audience, stared at the painting for a while before turning to Bowen, ¡°Is that¡­ your sister?¡± She had only met Sandra once, so she wasn¡¯t entirely sure. But as she turned to Bowen for confirmation, he didn¡¯t respond. He was just staring at the painting, at Sandra who seemed so close yet so far. It must have been from her 18th birthday party that he threw for her because the dress she was wearing was a gift from him. ¡°Who¡¯s that man?¡± Tania asked again, ¡°Is your sister in a rtionship?¡± Bowen¡¯s gaze finallynded on the blurry silhouette of the man, then back to Sandra¡¯s face. Back then, she used to look at him with such joy, excitement, and a touch of shyness. But when did that expression disappear from her face? Tania kept talking but got no response. She was getting a little annoyed and gave Bowen a light shove, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you! Are you listening?¡± Bowen suddenly turned to look at her, his eyes as cold as ice. Tania was taken aback, about to lose her temper, but then she remembered the time when Sandra had an ident, and how Bowen was like a different person. Since then, she knew how important Sandra, his sister, was to him. And it took him a long time to get over the pain of losing her, and now, out of nowhere, these emotions have been stirred up again- Tania suddenly looked up at Seraphina on the stage, directing all her resentment and frustration towards her. Out of all the paintings in the world, why did Seraphina have to auction this one? On the stage, Seraphina, who had been closely examining a painting, suddenly looked their way. Tania didn¡¯t expect her to look over so suddenly, and she didn¡¯t have time to hide her expression, so she quickly looked down. But Seraphina only nced at her, then looked at Bowen. Bowen was watching her too, his face void of any smile, only coldness remained. Yet, Seraphina kept her smile and even nodded at him. Bowen held her gaze for a moment, then suddenly scoffed. Seraphina didn¡¯t look at him again, instead, she turned to Leandro. Leandro, who had been listening to Victor, looked at her when she looked his way. Seraphina casually pointed to the painting next to her and raised her eyebrows at him. Many people had been watching Leandro and Seraphina, and even though her gesture was subtle, many people still noticed it. This meant that Seraphina wanted Leandro to buy the painting, Even though the painting was created by Malcolm, Seraphina was the one auctioning it off, clearly, she had ownership. Her intention for Leandro to purchase the painting was quite obvious. Firstly, the painting could fetch a high price, which would be an honor for Seraphina. Secondly, Leandro-buying the painting at a high price could be seen as a good deed and a way to please his wife. Lastly, the amount of donations raised from this charity auction should be quite substantial, which would earn him a good name. Everyone understood how the auction would proceed. Tania also saw through their intentions, carefully tugged at Bowen¡¯s sleeve, and whispered, ¡°Seraphina wants to buy the painting herself. You can bid, but don¡¯t fight with them.¡± Bowen didn¡¯t respond, just lit another cigarette. Sure enough, as soon as the bidding started, everyone started cing their bids. In no time, the price of the painting had risen to 2 million. ¡°3 million.¡± Leandro made his first bid. Seraphina stood on the stage, a blissful smile on her face. ¡°3.05 million!¡± ¡°3.1 million!¡± ¡°3.15 million!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. The bidding continued. Most people knew that Leandro was determined to buy the painting and wouldn¡¯t mind the price. The higher the price, the more honor Leandro would gain. Leandro raised his bid to 4 million. Tania had also ced a bid earlier, but seeing the price had risen to this level, she stopped. Bowen, however, hadn¡¯t said anything. Just as Tania was about to go over and say something to Bowen, Bowen suddenly raised his hand, ¡°4.1 million.¡± The room fell into stunned silence at his bid. In such a charity auction, it was rare for the goods to fetch over a million, let alone three million for that ruby ring just now. But the guy who just forked out three million for the ring, now bid over four million for this next item. It was a real jaw-dropper. Equally surprising one was Tania, but no matter how hard she tried, Bowen just brushed her off. Leandro didn¡¯t n on backing down, if there was a bid, he was to win. Bowen, too, stood his ground, looking like he was gonna go head-to-head with Leandro. Just as the price skyrocketed to five million, about to pass the mind-blowing six million, Seraphina stepped in. ¡°Excuse me for a sec,¡± Seraphina said with a smile, ¡°I can see you both really dig this painting and want it. Even though Ma¡¯s work is worth the price, we¡¯re here for charity, not a pissing contest. Why don¡¯t you both share the reasons you¡¯re so into this painting?¡± A staff member quickly handed Leandro a mic. Leandro just looked at Seraphina on the stage and said nonchntly, ¡°My wife digs it.¡± The crowd burst into cheers and whistles. Seraphina, grinning, turned to Bowen. When the room got quiet down, a staff member gave Bowen the mic. Bowen was indifferent, his gaze on the painting, but his eyes were intense. ¡°The woman in the painting is myte sister,¡± he said.¡± The room fell silent. ¡°I see,¡± Seraphina sighed softly, and then added, ¡°So this painting must be very important to you, right?¡± Bowen didn¡¯t dodge Seraphina¡¯s question, he just said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very important.¡± ¡°In that case, we should stop fighting with Mr. Smith over this painting,¡± said Seraphina, ¡°So, I dere Mr. Smith the winner of ¡®Romance in Bloom¡¯ with hisst bid Additionally, Mr. Reynolds will also donate the same amount of his final bid as a charitable contribution. Thanks to both of you for your generous contributions!¡± The crowd broke into apuse again, and all cameras were on Leandro and Bowen. As the ¡°loser¡± of the contest, Leandro raised his ss, smiling at Seraphina on the stage. As the ¡°winner¡±, Bowen¡¯s expression was cold, his gaze deep, not a hint of joy on his face. Chapter 346 Chapter 346 The charity auction wrapped up and Bowen was without a doubt the man of the hour As the interview session kicked off, the majority of the reporters swarmed Bowen, grilling him about his big spender donations that night, leaving only a handful of them around Seraphina and Leandro Seraphina was chuffed to bits about the fundraising results and was all smiles during the interview. Leandro usually gave reporters the silent treatment but with Seraphina yfully nudging him from time to time, he surprisingly answered a few questions. In contrast to Seraphina and Leandro¡¯s easy banter, the vibe between Bowen and Tania was seriously awkward. Despite Bowen being the top donor of the night, putting Tania in the limelight, Bowen¡¯s strange reaction left Tania feeling down in the dumps. She had no mood to bask in the attention and just stood quietly next to Bowen, giving curt responses when reporters asionally asked her a question. Facing the interview cameras, Bowen¡¯s smile finally returned and he patiently answered the reporter¡¯s questions. Since he confessed that the girl in the painting Romance in Bloom was his sister, a reporter asked, ¡°Mr. Smith, we¡¯re very sorry to hear about your sister. As she¡¯s the protagonist of Romance in Bloom, could you share some stories about her?¡± At that question, Tania¡¯s face shifted slightly, and she carefully observed Bowen¡¯s reaction. Unexpectedly, Bowen just smiled, not showing any emotional turbulence and said, ¡°My sister was just an ordinary girl. She¡¯s passed away, and her stories are pretty ordinary too. It¡¯s not worth everyone¡¯s excessive attention. Halso don¡¯t want her soul to be disturbed.¡± ¡°Mrs. Reynolds stated that the watch and ring were left by her deceased friend. Is your sister this friend of Mrs. Reynolds? Did you bid for the watch and ring because they belonged to your sister?¡± At that question, Tania hesitated. ¨C She hadn¡¯t thought of this before who else could Seraphina¡¯s deceased female friend be? Even though she knew little about Seraphina, her mind immediately jumped to Sandra. A wave of mixed emotions welled up in her heart and she looked at Bowen. Bowen simply said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure who Mrs. Reynolds¡¯ friend is. I bid for the watch and ring simply because I liked them.¡± After the interview, Bowen took Tania over to Leandro and Seraphina. Seeing him, Seraphina immediately broke into a grin, ¡°Mr. Smith, you were really generous tonight.¡± Bowen replied casually, ¡°I just bid on a few items I wanted. I wouldn¡¯t call that generous.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°So I must express my gratitude for your generosity.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s your selection of auction items that were amazing. Bowen said, ¡°You really have a knack for this industry.¡± Seraphinaughed and said, ¡°But it also requires someone who appreciates it. Mr. Smith, you and I have the same taste. Although I didn¡¯t get the painting in the end, I¡¯m still very satisfied. Thank you.¡± Bowen just smiled lightly at that. Seraphina took a look at Tania standing next to Bowen, lost in thought, and then startedughing, ¡°I guess you bought the watch to save me from embarrassment, and as for the ruby ring, you must have nned to give it to Ms. Martin, right?¡± Tania was brought back to reality. She looked at Seraphina, then at Bowen. Before Bowen could answer, Seraphina said to Tania, ¡°That ring is truly beautiful, and it has a great meaning. It¡¯s a pity that Leandro wasn¡¯t there during the auction. Otherwise, I would have wanted it too.¡± Hearing that, Leandro looked at her and said slowly, ¡°If you like it, I can have my men find a better one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep, because I¡¯ll remember.¡± Seraphina hummed lightly and then said to Tania, ¡°Ms. Martin, you¡¯re so lucky to be wearing that ring soon. I¡¯m so jealous.¡± Tania paused for a moment, only replying awkwardly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Bowen gave Seraphina a deep look before saying, ¡°Anyway, congrattions. You really hit the jackpot tonight.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°This result is beyond my expectation.¡± Soon, a staff member came forward to invite Bowen to the notary to receive his auction winnings. Bowen just nodded lightly, and left with Tania. Most of the guests had left. Seraphina had nothing else to do and just watched Bowen¡¯s retreating figure. It was clear that she had rattled Bowen that night, but the result was also beyond Seraphina¡¯s expectations. ¡°Why do you think he was willing to shell out so much money to buy Sandra¡¯s stuff?¡± Seraphina asked Leandro. Leandro looked at her and said, ¡°Wasn¡¯t this what you expecting?¡± Seraphina chuckled and said slowly, ¡°But how could it be possible? He was even capable of hurting Sandra, how could I expect him to still have any lingering feelings for Sandra¡¯s belongings? But he bought all three items. I really don¡¯t know whether tough or to be angry.¡± She organized this auction just to tell Bowen that she knew his true colors. From the moment Bowen made a move on the Reynolds Group, he didn¡¯t bother hiding his true colors. And tonight, everything was about Seraphina trying to sever the connection between Bowen and Sandra. In other words, it was her deration of war against Bowen. One could imagine that starting from tonight, there¡¯d be no need to fake friendliness whenever they crossed paths. However, what Seraphina didn¡¯t expect was that Bowen didn¡¯t seem to n on cutting ties with Sandra. Maybe he regretted his actions, maybe he was ming himself, and that led to his behavior tonight. But for Sandra, it was all toote. Over there, Bowen had already taken the ring he had bought twice from the notary. Watching all this, Seraphina suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll put that ring on Tania?¡±- After asking this question, Seraphina didn¡¯t wait to see the result, but pulled Leandro towards the donation collection point. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Regardless of whether Bowen gave the ring to Tania or kept it for himself, the oue was the same his own heart being tortured. And for her, that was more than enough. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Seraphina just dropped the one question that Tania was dying to know. How much Bowen spent tonight wasn¡¯t what bothered her, but his attitude did. As they were leaving, the staff delivered Bowen¡¯s purchases to the car, and Tania¡¯s gaze was glued to the ruby ring. However, until the car left Cedarcrest Chateau and had gone some distance, Bowen still didn¡¯t say a word. Tania had been holding it in all night, and now she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She sharply reached out and knocked on the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°Stop the car!¡± The driver was flustered, ¡°Ms. Martin¡­¡± ¡°I told you to stop!¡± Tania snapped, ¡°Are you deaf?¡± Left with no choice, the driver slowly pulled over. Only then did Bowen speak, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Tania snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t want to ride in your car! I¡¯ll walk back myself!¡± Just as she was about to open the door, Bowen reached out and grabbed her. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Tania struggled. Bowen turned to the driver, ¡°You go wait outside the car for a bit.¡± The driver quickly got out, closing the door behind him and giving them some privacy. Bowen turned back Tania, ¡°Everything was fine, why are you suddenly mad?¡± Tania scoffed, ¡°You can throw a tantrum, but I can¡¯t?¡± Hearing this, Bowen sighed, ¡°I know I was off tonight, you should¡¯ve told me earlier if you were upset.¡± ¡°Tell you?¡± Tania¡¯s eyes welled up, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how scary your face was! How could I dare to tell you? I didn¡¯t even dare to speak to you!¡± Bowen held her in his arms and gave her a quick peck, ¡°Was it really that scary?¡± Tania shoved him away, turning her head to avoid answering. ¡°Then I apologize.¡± Bowen said, ¡°I was wrong. It won¡¯t happen again, okay?¡± Tania still didn¡¯t respond after hearing this. Bowen was silent for a moment, then sighed again, ¡°The watch and the ruby ring, they were both Sandra¡¯s.¡± Hearing this, Tania quickly turned to look at him, ¡°They were hers? Then why did you tell the reporters earlier that you didn¡¯t know who they belonged to?¡± ¡°Those items were all tied to my rtionship with Sandra.¡± Bowen said, ¡°If I told the reporters the truth, it would be the same as letting them dig up Sandra¡¯s past. Sandra¡¯s gone now. I don¡¯t want her to be bothered by this.¡± Tania paused, then asked, ¡°So, why did Seraphina have those items?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that this charity auction tonight was specifically arranged by Seraphina for me?¡± Bowen said, ¡°The three items she brought out were all rted to Sandra, she did it to provoke me¡­¡± Tania suddenly grabbed his sleeve, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Recently, Leandro and I have beenpeting a lot in business. The Martin Group has sessfully won over many long-term partners of the Reynolds Group. Naturally, they would harbor resentment towards me.¡± Bowen said, ¡°This is clearly¡­ their deration of war against me.¡± Tania frowned, ¡°Businesspetitions aremon, how could they use such methods to influence you?¡± After hearing this, Bowen leaned down and kissed her again. This time, Tania didn¡¯t avoid him. ¡°They did influence me a bit.¡± he said, ¡°That¡¯s why you got dragged into this¡­ I¡¯m sorry, can you forgive me?¡± Tania was silent for a moment, then hummed in response, still looking a bit upset. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Still angry?¡± Bowen asked, ¡°Do you want to hit me or bite me?¡± Tania lifted her hand and pinched him hard, then asked, ¡°Who are you nning on giving the ring you bought back at the auction to?¡± Upon hearing this, Bowen replied quietly, ¡°That belonged to Sandra, so I can¡¯t give it to you.¡± Even though Tania had prepared herself for his answer, she couldn¡¯t control her anger when she heard him say it out loud. Just as she was about to argue, she saw Bowen reach into the storage compartment and pull out arge blue velvet box. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the box, only breaking her stare when Bowen opened it in front of her. Inside was a full set of emerald jewelry. Tania suddenly covered her mouth, but couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°Isn¡¯t this better than that ring?¡± Bowen asked, ¡°Are you still angry now?¡± ¡°You did this on-purpose!¡± Tania grabbed his tie, ¡°You jerk, why didn¡¯t you bring it out earlier?¡± Bowen looked at her and slowly started to smile, ¡°A gift like this should be given when you¡¯re the angriest, right? That¡¯s when it¡¯s most effective, right?¡± Tania huffed again, then threw her arms around him. Bowen lightly wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling her tight grip on him, his eyes slowly darkened. After the auction was over, there was still a lot of work to be done on site. Especially the payment part, it had to be settled and recorded under the supervision of a notary public, and Seraphina had to be present. ¡°It might take a while here, why don¡¯t you go back and rest?¡± Seraphina asked Leandro. ¡°No need.¡± Leandro replied, ¡°You do your thing, I can chat with Spencer.¡± Knowing that the owner of Cedarcrest Chateau, Spencer, was an important figure, Seraphina agreed. It was a rare opportunity to interact with someone of his caliber, ¡°Go ahead.¡± By the time she finished all her work, it was alreadyte into the night. Seraphina walked into the garden from the hall, only to see Leandro sitting alone at a stone table in the garden, apanied by his bodyguard. There were two teacups on the table, but the tea inside had already gone cold. ¡°Where¡¯s Spencer?¡± Seraphina asked. Leandro slowly stood up, slipped off his suit jacket and put it around her. ¡°Look at the time, Spencer is not getting any younger. How could his people let him stay upte?¡± Seraphina looked up at him, I sense some grudge in your voice.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, just held her hand and walked out. After a few steps, Seraphina said, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, you¡¯ve spent quite a lot of energy and money tonight. To show my gratitude, I¡¯ll give you a gift. Just name it.¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro gave a slight smile, ¡°That¡¯s quite a thoughtful gift.¡± Seraphina grumbled a bit, ¡°Well, it¡¯s the thought that counts. If you can¡¯t think of anything, it will save me the trouble.¡± Leandro looked at her, but didn¡¯t respond for a moment. Seraphina thought that would be it, until they arrived back at Reynolds Manor, back to her room, back to her bed- The moment Leandroid on top of her, he asked a question, ¡°Are you on your safe period?¡± Chapter 348 Chapter 348 On Leandro¡¯s bed, Seraphina, though she had a hell of experiences under her belt, always ready to dive headfirst into anything, was taken aback a bit after hearing what he just said. When Leandro asked the question, he was pretty clear in his intention ¨C he wanted to ditch the raincoat. Ever since she got back home, whether it was before the cat was out of the bag about Betty or after, he always kept it safe. Even though there were times when Seraphina could feel that he wanted her to have another kid, he never popped the question. But this time, he finally brought it up, but it wasn¡¯t about having a kid. He simply wanted to get closer, even closer¡­ Seraphina figured, if she said it wasn¡¯t a safe day, Leandro would probably still wrap it up on his own. But if she said it was a safe day, then that was basically giving him the green light. But with this kind of thing, if you make one exception, there may be a second, and besides, who can guarantee that a safe day is actually safe? Seraphina didn¡¯t answer right away, just looked up at him, taking gentle breaths. Leandro also looked at her quietly waiting for a bit, then reached over to open the drawer of the bedside table as if he got his answer. Seraphina noticed his move but kept her eyes on his face. His expression and gaze remained unchanged, but for some reason, her heart gave a little twinge. The next moment, Seraphina reached out to stop the drawer he had already opened. Leandro turned to look at her. Seraphina gave a push and wrapped her legs around him. Leandro¡¯s breathing quickened slightly, but he just looked at her, waiting for her answer. Seraphina let out a soft breath and finally said, ¡°Today is a safe day, but-¡± Leandro suddenly lowered his head, and just as he was on the verge of losing control, he heard her say ¡°but¡±. ¡°But?¡± He repeated the word, swallowed hard, his voice rough with restraint. Seraphina looked at him for a moment longer, then wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered with a smile, ¡°But, tomorrow won¡¯t be¡­¡± Leandro mulled over the meaning of this sentence a few times. Today is, tomorrow isn¡¯t¡­. So, does that mean, today would be good? Seeing the penny had finally dropped for him, Seraphina felt a sudden urge to tease him and tried to make a run for it. But she was caught by Leandro before she could move. The next moment, there was nothing left between them. They were as close as could be¡­N?velDrama.Org is the owner. The next morning, both Conway and Valerio were at the breakfast table, but there was no sign of Leandro. Conway couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did Leandro note backst night, or did he leave early this morning?¡± The maid brought a cup of milk in front of Valerio and said, ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t gotten up yet!¡± Upon hearing this, Conway raised an eyebrow and then nced at the time, saying, ¡°He came back prettytest night, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± the maid replied, ¡°he should be home by now. He¡¯s been really busytely, he should really take a break.¡± Meanwhile, in a dim room upstairs, a slightly angry voice came from the messed-up, fluffy bedcovers, ¡°Leandro, you bastard, you¡¯ve really crossed the line!¡± Leandro¡¯s voice was cool and deep, ¡°Just a little while, it¡¯ll be over soon.¡± ¡°Pah-¡± Seraphina snapped, then fell silent for a long while. In the end, she couldn¡¯t hold back and said with a choke in her voice, ¡°I¡¯ll give you back that 600 grand, I don¡¯t want it, just take it-¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer, just lowered his head and gently kissed her. Chapter 349 Chapter 349 That morning, Leandro came into the office at ten. Late again. Keen didn¡¯t show up until close to eleven. When Yasmina saw him, she perked up. ¡°Oh boy, you¡¯re in for it now. Showing up thiste. Mr. Reynolds beingte is one thing, but you showing up eventer?!¡± ¡°I had stuff to deal with!¡± Keen shot back, then asked, ¡°Mr. Reynolds waste today?¡± Yasmina nodded, then chuckled. ¡°Based on past experience, Mr. Reynolds is usually in a good mood when he¡¯ste.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Yasmina said. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed the atmosphere in the office today? It¡¯s like a breath of fresh spring air.¡± Hearing this, Keen sighed. ¡°Well, that might change once I give my report.¡± With that, he turned and knocked on Leandro¡¯s office door. Leandro was looking over some files. Keen took a deep breath, then stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, I¡¯ve got some information on Bowen.¡± Without looking up, Leandro simply said, ¡°Spill.¡± ¡°Bowen was born in the northern district of Sunburst City in 1986. His biological parents were in the construction business, then started a small real estatepany. In 2002, thepany went bankrupt. They were drowning in debt. They couldn¡¯t pay it off, so they both jumped off a building. Bowen got seriously sick that year and supposedly lost his memory when he woke up. He was then adopted by the Smith family.¡± Hearing this, Leandro slowly looked up. ¡°Why did his parents¡¯pany go bankrupt?¡± Keen took a breath, then continued, ¡°They were working on a real estate project, Avalon Pce, with the Reynolds Group at the time. But the project was halted not long after it started and didn¡¯t resume until you took over thepany.¡± Of course, Leandro knew about this. The Reynolds Group had been on the brink of copse at that time, and many projects were halted, including Avalon Pce. When Leandro took over, he went against opposition and started with Avalon Pce. Not long after the project restarted, the government introduced a new urban n, and the project area became a key development zone. Consequently, Avalon Pce became andmark luxury residential area in Sunburst City, helping the Reynolds Group through a tough time. Before that, the initial development of the project was led by Bruce. By evening, Leandro¡¯s car pulled into Reynolds Vista Retreat. The entrance hall was empty when he walked in. Leandro was about to head upstairs when Karan came out from the kitchen area. Seeing him, she beamed. ¡°You¡¯re back? I was asking the kitchen to prepare your/ favorite dishes, but I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d be eating here, so I didn¡¯t tell your mom.¡± Leandro paused, then said, ¡°I need to talk to my dad first, then I¡¯ll have dinner with her.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go tell her then!¡± Karan said. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been eating well. Seeing you might make her eat more.¡± Leandro nodded, then went upstairs to Bruce¡¯s room. Bruce looked like he had just gotten home. He was still in his suit, sitting on the sofa, watching an old movie on TV. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Seeing Leandro, Bruce turned down the TV volume and turned to him. ¡°You wanted to talk?¡± Leandro asked directly, ¡°Do you remember the Avalon Pce project in 2002?¡± Bruce frowned in thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I have some memory of it, why?¡± ¡°There were threepanies working with the Reynolds Group at the time. Are thosepanies still around after the project was halted?¡± Bruce was clearly ufortable at the question, but he answered honestly. ¡°Some things happened back then. The bank called in the loan early, the project¡¯s funding chain broke, the Reynolds Group nearly copsed, and those smallpanies went bankrupt not long after.¡± Leandro asked, ¡°Was there a way to save them?¡± ¡°How?¡± Bruce said. ¡°They dide to me for help, but we were in a tough spot ourselves. How could we help them? In cooperative projects like these, we share the glory and the losses. We can¡¯t be responsible for them just because ourpany has arger share, right?¡± Leandro did not respond immediately. In truth, the failure of the project should have been Bruce¡¯s mistake in decision-making. Yet, as Bruce said, the risks in cooperative projects were shared. If the investment failed, one party could not bear all the responsibility. In the business world, even family could disagree over business, let alone business partners. But if someone wanted to pin the me on someone, then Bruce and the Reynolds Group were suitable suspects. After all, the otherpanies had all gone bankrupt, but the Reynolds Group was still standing. ¡°Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Is something going on?¡± 1. Leandro said. ¡°Just some minor issues, nothing worth mentioning.¡± Just as he finished speaking, Gloria¡¯s voice echoed from the hallway. ¡°Leandro! Leandro!¡± Leandro was about to open the door when Gloria walked in. Seeing him, Gloria broke into a smile. ¡°You haven¡¯t been home for days. The cook made your favorite dishes today, make sure you eat plenty-¡± Speaking of which, her gaze suddenlynded on the TV ying ¡°Pedro Paramo¡±. The words stuck in her throat mid-sentence as she began shaking uncontrobly. Bruce didn¡¯t give her any attention, just kept sitting on the couch, watching the movie. Suddenly, Gloria darted around Leandro, grabbed the vase from the table and chucked it at the The water from the vase sshed onto the TV, and after a couple of flickers, it turned off. ¡°What the hell are you doing!¡± Bruce suddenly stood up. Gloria was a mess, ¡°She¡¯s dead! Dead! What¡¯s the point of you sitting here watching her favorite movie? Is sheing back? Is she gonna look at you again? Did she even nce at you before she died! You miss her so much, you can¡¯t bear to let her go, then why don¡¯t you go be with her! Why don¡¯t you!¡± Gloria was practically screaming her head off. Bruce was so furious, he raised his hand as if to hit her. Leandro suddenly stepped in, blocking Bruce. He didn¡¯t say a word, but his eyes were filled with sorrow. Bruce red at him for a moment, then angrily pulled his hand back. Leandro turned around and walked out with Gloria. Gloria was still seething, cursing as she walked, ¡°She even chose to die with another man, what does that make you! Pathetic! Ridiculous! Bruce! You¡¯re a pitiful prick-¡± The door mmed shut with a bang, cutting off Gloria¡¯s shrill voice. Bruce, his ears still ringing, angrily swept everything off the table onto the floor. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Leandro went through a whole lot of trouble to get Gloria back to her room, but she was still a mess. She wouldn¡¯t stopining and was throwing fits, repeating the same things over and over again.. Leandro was used to it, so after calming Gloria down for a while, he got someone to stay with her and then went downstairs. Downstairs, Karan just stepped out of, the kitchen. Seeing Leandro, he asked immediately, ¡°I heard your parents are at it again?¡± Leandro plopped down on the couch and said nonchntly, ¡°They¡¯ve been fighting a lot recently?¡± ¡°Hardly,¡± Karan sighed, sitting down too, ¡°Your dad is hardly ever home, no chance for them to fight all the time.¡± Hearing this, Leandro frowned slightly, then said, ¡°I thought my mom had been stabilizing?¡± ¡°Yeah, Karan sighed, ¡°But since Magdalen passed away, your dad has been a mess. He¡¯s been ying her favorite songs, watching her favorite movies¡­ Seeing all this, how could your mom not be upset?¡± Leandro stayed silent after hearing this, not saying anything further. Bruce¡¯s obsession with Magdalen was probably due to the fact that he never had her, so he couldn¡¯t let go. But she was dead, cutting off all his longing, that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t let go. And Gloria¡¯s obsession was even harder to calm. She had lost to many women in her life, and now she was losing to a dead woman, a battle she could never win. Their broken marriage was beyond repair, but she still clung to it. All the advice andfort were like wasted efforts, ineffective. So as an outsider, even her own son Leandro couldn¡¯t help her find relief. ¡°We¡¯re really powerless,¡± Karan sighed, ¡°We can only hope that your mom will have an epiphany one day and let it go.¡± Leandro lowered his eyes, not responding. After a moment of silence, Karan looked at him again and said, ¡°I heard you were wasting money aroundst night, six million?¡± Leandro just responded with a nonchnt ¡°yeah¡±. ¡°So Sera must be very happy, right?¡± Karan looked at him, ¡°No wonder you look so refreshed today. If she¡¯s happy, of course you¡¯re happy.¡± Hearing this, Leandro just gave a small smile. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been taking care of everyone for so many years. Now that she¡¯s helping you with Valerio and the old man, and making you happy, you should just stick with her,¡± Karan finished, ncing at him, ¡°Just try to keep a low profile, likest night. If your mom sees it, she¡¯ll be upset again.¡± Gloria was still unstable, so Leandro stayed to have dinner with her before leaving. When he got back to Reynolds Manor, the yard was buzzing. In the hot summer, a few more loungers were added to the yard, and an outdoor projector was specially installed today, ying a movie. Conway, Seraphina, Valerio, and the nanny were all there, but only the nanny was watching the movie. Conway was trimming a potted nt, while Seraphina and Valerio were fighting over a box of ice cream. When Leandro approached, Seraphina sessfully grabbed the ice cream and while eating, scolded Valerio, ¡°You naughty little boy, you don¡¯t have any gentlemanly manners, how can you fight with a girl for food, how will you get along with other girls in the future?¡± Valerio, spoon in hand, sat sulking. Conway looked up and finally couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Obviously you finished yours and are still trying to take his. And you¡¯re making it a matter of manners! Do you think that¡¯s right?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes, then pointed at Valerio, ¡°You¡¯ve changed! You used to be so nice to me! You used to give me the choctes-little girls gave you! Now you¡¯re even fighting me for an ice cream, men really can¡¯t be trusted-¡± As soon as she finished, she saw Leandro and the ice cream slid down her throat, making her cough violently. Conway nced at her and shrugged, ¡°See, karma, right?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t argue, but just reached out for help. The nanny immediately got up to pour her a ss of water. Leandro walked over, took the water, went to Seraphina¡¯s side, and while giving her the water, patted her back to help her breathe. After a great effort, Seraphina finally recovered, feeling very weak. What kind of family is it, both adults and children are against me, Seraphinained angrily, ¡°You¡¯re all Reynolds, only I¡¯m not, right? What an old-fashioned family. As Seraphina spoke, she sneakily pinched Leandro. But the man was so sturdy that her pinching seemed to have no effect. ¡°Where did you learn this biting back thing!¡± Conway sighed. Leandro noticed her action, looked at her long-sleeved pants, and then said, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ looking for an opportunity for revenge?¡± ¡°You have the nerve to say!¡± Seraphina gritted her teeth, ¡°Leandro, you and your family keep bullying me!¡± At this moment, although she seemed very agitated, Leandro¡¯s annoyance was swept away. Suddenly, he reached out and hugged her, kissing her lightly. Seraphina didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly do this and was stunned for a moment. Valerio took the opportunity to take back his ice cream and ran away. ¡°Valerio-¡± Suddenly, the yard was lively again. Leandro sat in the chair, watching Seraphina and Valerio chasing each other, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The night breeze blew gently, the sound of insects gradually disappeared, and the hot summer night suddenly became incredibly beautiful. At ten in the evening, after the movie ended, Conway and Valerio were both tucked in by their nanny, leaving only Leandro and Seraphina in the courtyard. They both lounged on a deck chair. Seraphina, who had been horsing around all night, was now beat, sprawled sofortably on the chair that she didn¡¯t want to budge. Leandro held her in his arms, not moving either. ¡°Did you go home?¡± After who knows how long, Seraphina suddenly asked. ¡°Mhm,¡± Leandro responded. Seraphina suddenly opened her eyes to look at him, ¡°Is your mom doing okay?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Leandro replied, ¡°same old, same old.¡± Seraphina was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, ¡°Are we weird for being like this?¡± Ever since getting hitched eight months ago, Seraphina hadn¡¯t seen Gloria once, though she hadn¡¯t nned to either, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Leandro nced down at her and slowly said, ¡°Just like this, it¡¯s pretty great.¡± As long as it could always be like this, it would be more than enough. Seraphina wanted to say something else, but Leandro leaned down and kissed her again. In this scorching summer, they wished they could kiss until the end of time. Chapter 351 Chapter 351 The next day, Seraphina took Valerio out for a game of tennis, and invited Andrea for lunch. Andrea, who was a fashion designer, brought some cool little suits for Valerio. ¡°I¡¯ve designed a few suits and I think they¡¯re pretty good, so I made a few more for him,¡± Andrea exined, ¡°Two of them fit just right, and two are a bit big. He can wear them next year.¡± Seraphina took the bag, handed it straight to Valerio, then asked, ¡°You always bring gifts for him, why don¡¯t you make clothes for me?¡± Andrea replied, ¡°When I design clothes that suit your style, I¡¯ll make them for you.¡± Seraphina huffed and said, ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t make clothes for me, don¡¯t me me for ordering expensive dishes today!¡± After that, she waved to the waiter, opened the menu, and specifically picked the pricier dishes. Andrea didn¡¯t stop her, just smiled and then suddenly looked towards the restaurant entrance. At the entrance, a group of people were being led in by the restaurant manager. They were supposed to go to the VIP room, but upon seeing Seraphina, they suddenly headed this way. Andrea immediately stood up and called out, ¡°Dad.¡± Seraphina, who was ordering, paused and looked up. The man standing next to their table was Simon Martini ¡°Hello, Mr. Martin,¡± Seraphina greeted him with a smile.. Simon smiled back warmly, ¡°What a coincidence, you guys are also here?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Andrea replied, ¡°What about you, Dad?¡± Simon nced back and said with a light smile, ¡°I have a business banquet. Otherwise, I could have joined you for lunch.¡± As he spoke, another man came over and said, ¡°Sera, what a coincidence!¡± Upon hearing this voice, Seraphina¡¯s smile widened, and she turned to look at him, ¡°Bowen, what a surprise.¡± Bowen looked at her, then at Andrea, ¡°You and Andrea are having lunch? When did you guys get so close?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t dare tell you.¡± Seraphina teased, ¡°I finally found a good friend. What if you have any bad ideas?¡± Although she was joking, the meaning was clear. Bowenughed, ¡°You love talking nonsense. Andrea is part of the Martin family, how could I possibly have any bad ideas?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that as long as someone is part of the Martin family, you¡¯ll treat them well?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°Then this afternoon, I¡¯ll be sisters with Andrea. From then on, I¡¯ll be part of the Martin family too. I hope you can treat me better.¡± Bowen couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°You want to be a part of the Martin family, will your husband agree?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know, Seraphina said, ¡°in our house, the wife has the final say, He won¡¯t object whatever I say goes.¡± At this, Bowen raised an eyebrow, ¡°Then I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡± Simon listened quietly to their conversation, then smiled and said, ¡°Alright, you guys enjoy your meal. Order whatever you want, I¡¯ll pay for lunch today.¡± At this, Seraphina burst intoughter, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Martin. I won¡¯t be shy then. After that, she nced at Bowen with a smirk. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Bowen looked back at her, gave a faint smile, then turned and walked away. As they entered the VIP room, Andrea finally asked, ¡°What were you guys talking about?¡± Seraphina paused for a moment, then said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, you probably don¡¯t care, so it¡¯s okay to tell you. He¡¯s aligning with the Martin family to fight against the Reynolds family, and I suspect that Sandra¡¯s death was his doing.¡± After listening, Andrea was a bit stunned, then said, ¡°Indeed, these things have nothing to do with me¡­ but if you need my help, I can do my best.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Seraphina quickly said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to drag you into this. Live your own life, and don¡¯t worry about things that don¡¯t concern you¡± Andrea sat quietly for a while, then nodded with a smile. After lunch, Andrea left first. As Seraphina was seeing Valerio off, Bowen¡¯s car suddenly drove by. .Seraphina watched the car, the window slowly lowered, revealing Bowen¡¯s face. ¡°Sera, can I give you a ride?¡± Bowen asked with a smile. Upon hearing this, Seraphine gave a sarcastic smile, ¡°Although your car is definitely the safest, sometimes the safest ce can also be the most dangerous. At this, Bowen just raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Then I wish you good luck,¡± Abbot, who was by Seraphina¡¯s side, frowned upon hearing this. After Bowen¡¯s car left, he issued amand to increase alertness through his earpiece. Once Seraphina got in the car, she said, ¡°His tant approach is probably just to wear down others¡¯ will, don¡¯t get too nervous. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am.¡± Abbot said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± J The car smoothly drove towards Reynolds Manor. When they were on the overpass, the traffic suddenly slowed down and after a while, it came to aplete standstill. After about five minutes, all the drivers got out of their cars and looked at the situation ahead. Abbot made a call to check what happened and then turned to Seraphina, ¡°There was a five-car pile-up ahead and now the whole road is blocked¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Were not in a hurry anyway.¡± Just as Abbot was about to say something, he suddenly spotted something and urgently yelled, ¡°Get down,dy!¡± Seraphina barely had time to nce out the window before she pushed down Valerio¡¯s head and ducked herself. The next moment, the car window on her side was sshed with a bucket of red paint, darkening the surroundings instantly. Inside the car was safe, so Abbot didn¡¯t jump out immediately. Instead, he issued an instruction to the car behind. Before his order was even issued, the bodyguards in the following car had already jumped out and nabbed the paint thrower. However, capturing him didn¡¯t stop him from shouting at the top of his lungs. ¡°You¡¯re a criminal! Seraphina, you¡¯re a criminal! You pushed my daughter down the stairs to snatch her boyfriend, turning her into a vegetable! You¡¯re a monster! Did you lose your conscience to a dog?¡± Some curious drivers on the road, upon seeing this drama, whipped out their phones to record the scene. Inside the car, Seraphina¡¯s seat was isted from the outsidemotion and noise. But looking at the bright red paint slowly dripping down the window, she knew very well what had gone down. In the brief glimpse earlier, she recognized a familiar face ¨C Vivian¡¯s father. No wonder Bowen had wished her good luck earlier. So this is what ¡°good luck¡± looked like, waiting for her right here Chapter 352 Chapter 352 On the 26th floor of the Reynolds Group. Keen was shocked when he got a call from Abbot. ¡°Edwin? Vivian¡¯s dad, Edwin?¡± He asked hastily. ¡°Yeah.¡± Abbot confirmed, ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± Upon hearing this, Keen quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is Madame okay?¡± ¡°Madame is fine,¡± Abbot whispered, ¡°but the situation was caught on camera by many people. I predict it¡¯ll soon spread all over the inte, maybe even worse thanst time¡­¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you say that?¡± Keen asked. Abbot exined, ¡°Because this time it feels like it¡¯s been nned. We were conveniently blocked on the road, unable to move. When all the drivers got out of their cars to check the situation, there was Edwin with a paint can in his hand¡­ We were on an overpass, and it was uncanny that Edwin could find us. So, I think someone nned it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Keen said, ¡°You escort the missus home, I¡¯ll report to Mr. Reynolds.¡± After hanging up, Keen quickly searched online, his brows furrowed. Although the video of the incident hadn¡¯t yet surfaced online, the video of Seraphina¡¯s encounter with Edwin at the hospital, which had been widely criticized, was being dug up again. Clearly, today¡¯s incident was premeditated. ¡°Greedy bastards!¡± Keen couldn¡¯t help but curse under his breath, then he got up and walked into Leandro¡¯s office. Leandro was reviewing documents and didn¡¯t look up when he heard themotion, Keen had to muster up the courage to say, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Edwin is back.¡± Leandro looked up slowly and nced at him. Keen felt a bit awkward. In fact, after the video of Seraphina¡¯s encounter with Edwin at the hospital made headlines, Leandro quickly controlled the public opinion and sent Vivian¡¯s families to Starhaven. Keen was responsible for this, but now that Edwin was back and causing trouble, Keen felt like he had dropped the ball. After listening to his report, Leandro closed the document, looked up and asked, ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He ran away in the chaos, everyone was quite emotional.¡± Keen said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if those people were genuinely bystanders or nted there to protect him.¡± Leandro rose to his feet, put on his zer, and walked out. ¡°Find him.¡± He left these words behind and left the office. Keen was sweating bullets and quickly nodded in agreement. Upon leaving the Reynolds Group, Leandro went straight home. When he got to the second floor, Seraphina was justing out of Valerio¡¯s room. She looked no different than usual, even her facial expression hadn¡¯t changed. Seeing him, she raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why are you back so early?¡± Leandro walked over, looked into Valerio¡¯s room and saw that Valerio had already gone to sleep. He closed the door and then turned to Seraphina, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seraphina adjusted her skirt, spread her hands and showed him, ¡°Look, I¡¯m not hurt, not even a smudge.¡± Hearing this, Leandro reached out to hold her. But Seraphina suddenly stepped back, avoiding his hand. ¡°Leandro, this is a problem you created,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Until you solve this problem, don¡¯t touch me. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be happy!¡± After saying this, Seraphina turned and went back to her room. Leandro sat quietly for a while, then went back to his room to change clothes. Then he went to Seraphina¡¯s door and walked right in. In the room, Seraphina was sitting in a chair by the window, looking out. Hearing the door open, she turned to look at him and sighed. Leandro walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, reached out and held her, pulling her into his arms. Seraphina didn¡¯t resist, sat on hisp, looking at him. Are you angry at me?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphinaughed at this, ¡°Why should I be angry about such a trivial matter?¡± Hmm.¡± Leandro responded, waiting for her to continue. Seraphina thought for a momerit, then said, ¡°I was just wondering, how will you fight Bowen? He¡¯s such a person-¡± ¡°He has deep ties with the Smith family and his birth parents. Once he¡¯s with the Smiths, they¡¯ll treat him well. But to fully integrate into the Smith family and gain theplete eptance of his adoptive parents, he even pretended to have amnesia!¡± ¡°Because he pretended to have amnesia, his adoptive parents treated him as their biological son. But after they passed away, he deceived Sandra¡¯s feelings, took full control of the Smithpany, and nned to retaliate against the Reynolds family.¡± J ¡°Once he found a stronger backing to use against the Reynolds family, he got rid of Sandra without hesitation. This shows he¡¯s a heartless man.¡± ¡°Likewise, he doesn¡¯t have any sincerity towards Tania or anyone else. He¡¯s extremely ruthless. Apart from himself, he has almost no weaknesses.¡± At this point, Seraphina poked Leandro¡¯s chest with her finger, ¡°And you, Leandro, you care about too many things. In other words, you have too many weaknesses. He can easily take hold of these weaknesses and use them against you.¡± After hearing this, Leandro grabbed her hand. ¡°Not having weaknesses doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s invincible,¡± Leandro said, ¡°In other words, once he loses, he loses everything. Do you think it¡¯s hard to make him lose?¡± After hearing this, Seraphina stared at him quietly for a moment before breaking intoughter, ¡°What do I care? However you see it, Mr. Reynolds, is fine by me!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. That afternoon, a video of Edwin sttering paint on Seraphina rapidly spread throughout the inte, along with the previous videos. All sorts of characters got involved. Some were stirring the pot, while others were muddying the waters. Some were fuming and itching to stand up for Edwin, while others were enthusiastically following this juicy upper-ss scandal. Amidst this chaos, Keen was under immense pressure and called Leandro that evening, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, we found him. He¡¯s got protection and is staying at a hotel in the city center, which belongs to the Martin Group.¡± The fact that the hotel was not only in the city center but also owned by the Martin Group meant they had to tread carefully. After hearing this, Leandro simply responded, ¡°Notify Herman.¡± This act of sttering paint on the streets and harassing, blocking and insulting people had caused a serious social impact. With several videos as evidence, this tant act of provocation was enough reason for the police to take action. Chapter 353 Chapter 353 That night, Edwin was hauled off by the cops for starting a ruckus at a hotel under the Martin Group. In this digital age, news about this spread like wildfire online. With the ongoing buzz about two videos involving Seraphina and Edwin, public anger was brewing. Everyone was calling for justice for Vivian¡¯s family. The next day, detailed information about Vivian was leaked online. She was from a well-off family, a good looking and obedient child, with excellent academic performances. Later, she studied dance at a local university and seemed to have a bright future ahead of her. However, not long after meeting Leandro, she had an unfortunate fall from the balcony of Reynolds Manor, resulting in severe injuries that left her in a vegetative state. That year also happened to be the year Seraphina left the Reynolds family. Gossip lovers quickly linked these two incidents together Seraphina had grown up in the Reynolds family and had developed feelings for Leandro from an early age, they spected. So, when Leandro brought Vivian home, Seraphina, out of jealousy, had lost her mind and pushed Vivian off the balcony. After the Reynolds family learned the truth, they didn¡¯t turn Seraphina in but instead sent her away. In one sense, it was a banishment; in another, it was a form of protection. The onceplicated love story between Seraphina and Leandro, now under this new light, suddenly made people feel uneasy. Everyone was pissed, and even Leandro was given a good tongueshing. The deep affection between him and Seraphina, once known and admired by all, was now seen as a rotten watermelon that no one wanted a piece of anymore. At this moment, Seraphina was sitting in the living room of Reynolds Manor, enjoying a piece of watermelon. Andrea sat beside her, watching her quietly for a moment, ¡°Can you still stomach that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡± S¨¦raphina said, ¡°You should try some.¡± While talking, she was scrolling through all sorts ofments online andughing People are calling Leandro a jerk. I haven¡¯t even gone that far!¡± Andrea couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and snatched her phone away, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with this Vivian?¡± ¡°You mean, did I push her off the balcony?¡± Seraphina retorted. Andrea paused, then said, ¡°If you were that scheming, you wouldn¡¯t have stayed in Starhaven alone for seven years, would you?¡± On hearing this, Seraphina looked at her for a moment, then stretched out her hand, sticky with watermelon juice, and squeezed Andrea¡¯s hand. Andrea wiped her hand with a napkin, handed another one to Seraphina, and asked, ¡°Since Vivian fell at the Reynolds family¡¯s ce, what exactly was her rtionship with Leandro?¡± Seraphina wiped her hands casually, saying, ¡°Leandro just wanted to use Vivian to make me give up and force me to leave. It was a simple matter. At the time, his/ actions did hurt me deeply. But it doesn¡¯t mean I had to leave. Who knew that just when things were settling down, Vivian had her ident and I had no choice but to leave¡­¡± Andrea listened, fell ent f for a moment, then asked, ¡°Could it be possible that Leandro deliberately staged the ident to frame you and make you leave?¡± Hearing this spection, Seraphina looked at her in shock, ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯ve been sharing a bed with a cold-blooded murderer every night?¡± ¡°Quit it.¡± Andrea frowned, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to analyze the situation here.¡± Seraphinaughed, then said, ¡°As bad as Leandro is, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that bad.¡± was her first time visiting the Reynolds family and meeting the people there.¡± Andrea said, ¡°Who would have such a grudge against her to push her off the balcony?¡± Just as Andrea finished speaking, the nanny came in through the front door with Herman and another cop. Seraphina nced at Herman, then grinned at Andrea, ¡°See, no matter how you look at it, I¡¯m the prime suspect, right?¡± Herman approached, catching the tail end of Seraphina¡¯s words. Clearly, he was here for the same reason. Herman nced at Andrea, then said to Seraphina, ¡°Let¡¯s have a chat.¡± ¡°About what?¡± Seraphina casually asked, greeting the cop next to Herman. ¡°About the incident where Edwin caused a disturbance. The police are about to release the details of the case, and I think we should discuss Vivian¡¯s fall more so we can better define Edwin¡¯s case.¡± said Herman. Seraphina rolled her eyes, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying if I¡¯m innocent, he¡¯s a troublemaker. But if I really did push Vivian, then he¡¯s seeking revenge, right?¡± Herman didn¡¯t say much, he just asked, ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Seraphina took a deep breath, ¡°This happened a long time ago. Let me think it over.¡± Herman wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He sat down on the sofa, turned to Andrea, and slowly said, ¡°Ms. Martin, you seem to be very close with Mrs. Reynolds. This is the third time I¡¯ve seen you at the Reynolds family.¡± Andrea smiled, ¡°Mr. Herman, if you didn¡¯te to the Reynolds family, you wouldn¡¯t see me.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Herman was left with no choice but to say, ¡°I¡¯ve been hanging around the Reynolds family since I was a kid, no reason to cut ties because of some random people.¡± No sooner had he finished speaking than Seraphinanded a punch on him, ¡°Who are you calling random people?¡± Realizing his mistake, Herman coughed and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to business.¡± Seraphina huffed and then said, ¡°Firstly, it was my birthday that day, and I thought Leandro woulde back to celebrate it with me. But he suddenly brought Vivian home and announced that she was his girlfriend, so I was really upset.¡± ¡°What was your rtionship with Leandro at that time?¡± Seraphina shot him a nce, ¡°I was the little girl who had an unrequited love for him. And him? He just treated me as a ything, tossing me around when he felt like it.¡± Upon hearing her description, Herman couldn¡¯t help but frown, turning his head to look at his colleague who was taking notes. The officer also looked at him, hesitating on how to record this. Herman paused before saying, ¡°So you mean, you thought you two were boyfriend and girlfriend, but he never clearly expressed anything, right?¡± Seraphina nodded and went on, ¡°Secondly, although I was heartbroken, I was curious about what kind of person this Vivian was, to make him fall for her, to make himpletely forget about me. So, when she was alone on the balcony, I went to have a chat with her.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t your first reaction be to ask Leandro?¡± Herman asked again. Seraphina propped her chin up and looked at him, ¡°I never even asked him if he really liked me, what makes you think I had the guts to ask him why he brought another woman home?¡± Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Herman always thought Leandro¡¯s feelings for Seraphina were all about unconditional giving and spoiling, truly cherishing her from the bottom of his heart. He didn¡¯t expect to hear about their past conflicts today, leaving him a bit bewildered for a moment. Andrea was even more clueless about what was going on between them. Hearing Seraphina recount her past mental journey, she was quite shocked to imagine what Seraphina had been through. It turned out, Leandro¡¯s current attentiveness and care towards Seraphina might be his way of making up for her unfortunate past. ¡°What did you chat with Vivian about?¡± Herman asked again. What did they chat about? Actually, they didn¡¯t chat about anything. Back then, she was in so much pain she could barely contain herself. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help but sneak peeks. In the end, she couldn¡¯t resist showing up in front of Vivian when she was alone on the balcony. Vivian was originally enjoying the view from the balcony. Suddenly, she heard footsteps and turned her head to see Seraphina, which left her stunned. In fact, she had noticed Seraphina the moment Leandro led her in. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Young girls always have this kind of mutual curiosity, especially when Seraphina stood on the stairs in a red dress, looking stunning and captivating. However, Seraphina disappeared soon after, only to reappear now. ¡°Hello,¡± Vivian said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m Vivian.¡± Seraphina simply looked at her quietly, her gaze fixed on her face. In her eyes, Vivian was not exceptionally beautiful, but she was always smiling. The dimples on the corners of her mouth made her look very cute, and her eyes were bright and lively, clearly a smart and lively girl. In contrast, Seraphina felt like a piece of wood. ¡°Hello?¡± Seeing that she was not responding, Vivian asked again, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± For a moment, she even lost her voice. She struggled to say her name, ¡°Seraphina Bet.¡± Vivian heard this, looked her up and down, and said, ¡°You¡¯re not a daughter of the Reynolds family, are you? I thought you were Leandro¡¯s sister!¡± Hearing Vivian address Leandro as his name, Seraphina¡¯s hand clenched tightly behind her back, not even noticing that her nails were digging into her flesh. Yes, Vivian was his girlfriend, calling him ¡°Leandro¡± was only natural. But what about her? She didn¡¯t even have the right to call his name. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Seeing Seraphina spacing out again, Vivian suddenlyughed, then asked, ¡°Hey! Who the hell are you?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t know how to answer. Who was she? A pitiful, confused orphan living off others¡¯ charity, how could she say that out loud? Seeing that Seraphina was not answering, Vivian slowly walked up to her, circled around her, and then said with a smile, ¡°If you won¡¯t talk, let me guess. You¡¯re not a daughter or rtive of the Reynolds family, but you came down from the second floor, so you might be adopted, or a temporary resident here, right?¡± Upon hearing these words, Seraphina suddenly looked at her. Vivian continued, ¡°You¡¯re always staring at me, on guard and sad, which means you don¡¯t like me. But I¡¯m Leandro¡¯s girlfriend, why don¡¯t you like me? Could it be that you like Leandro?¡± Upon hearing these words, Seraphina¡¯s body stiffened, even breathing became difficult, she wanted to run away. Vivianughed again, then slowly said, ¡°It seems I guessed right. But he¡¯s my boyfriend now.¡± This sentence seemed to finally awaken Seraphina, she finally understood the situation. Leandro brought her home, introduced her to his family, she was his girlfriend. Leandro was this woman¡¯s boyfriend, what right did Seraphina have to stand here? Finally, Seraphina turned around, unable to control herself, she decided to run away. Vivian stood behind her, watching her hurriedly running away, stillughing and calling out to her, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t run-¡± How could she not-run? What reason did she have to stay? She returned to her room, closed the door, and sat on the floor. After a while, a group of people from the Reynolds family came, they broke in. When she faced these people, her face was pale, full of fear. ¡°it must be her! It must be her¡± Nte Reynolds said, ¡°Look at how scared she is! She must be the one who pushed that girl off the balcony!¡± ¡°I saw Ms. Bet talking to Ms. Smith on the balcony¡­¡± ¡°Seraphina! You¡¯re so young, how could you do such a thing?¡± ¡°So heartless!¡± §¤ ¡°So malicious!¡± People were using her left and right. Even though she couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying, she was still considered a criminal. Leonard Reynolds pped her, and Nte strangled her neck, forcing her to confess her crime. In the midst of being attacked by everyone, she desperately searched for Leandro¡¯s figure. When she finally saw him, who was standing outside the crowd with an expressionless face, nced at her for a while, then turned and left. ¡°Were you thest one with Vivian on the balcony?¡± Herman asked. Seraphina shrugged, ¡°I was when I left.¡± ¡°In that case, it might have been an ident.¡± The cop nearby said. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, it¡¯s hard to verify whether it was an ident or not,¡± Herman said, ¡°Unless someone admits tomitting the crime¡­¡± Seraphina lounged on the couch, casually saying, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯m not gonna confess.¡± Herman nced at her and slowly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was you.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, then said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve spilled all the beans. Now, it¡¯s your turn to chase up Leandro.¡± At her words, all eyes in the room turned to her. ¡°You¡¯re saying Leandro knows the real scoop?¡± Herman frowned slightly. Seraphina let out a slow breath, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly say that. Just that Vivian is the new girlfriend he brought home that day. Whether it¡¯s true or false, he shouldn¡¯t let her out of his sight for too long. I only know my own affairs, he might know something else.¡± After hearing this, Herman pondered for a while, then stood up. ¡°I¡¯m off then. I¡¯ll hit you up if I need anything.¡± Seraphina, loungingzily with a pillow, waved them off. Watching Herman and another cop leave, Andrea reached out to grip Seraphina¡¯s hand. ¡°You suspect Leandro knows the truth, so why don¡¯t you grill him?¡± Seraphina turned to look at her, gave a softugh, and slowly said, ¡°If this was just a fluke, he would¡¯ve spilled the beans eight years ago. If there¡¯s a culprit, everyone suspected that day belongs to the Reynolds family. Even if he knows who did it, do you think he¡¯d sing like a canary?¡± Chapter 355 Chapter 355 A bitter, the police finally released a statement about the case. The statement detailed the parties involved: Edwin, Seraphina, Leandro, and Vivian, and gave a blow- by-blow ount of Edwin¡¯s trouble-making behavior. It also revisited Vivian¡¯s fall from a building, and concluded that the incident was an ident. Once the detailed case report hit the newsstands, it was picked up by a ton of official media outlets. The irrational chatter quieted down quite a bit, but a few stubborn skeptics still questioned whether the Reynolds family was using their deep pockets to cover up the truth. Shortly after, Keen, acting as Leandro¡¯s special assistant, took some heat from the media. In the interview, he mentioned Vivian¡¯s fall and said that Leandro has been financially supporting the Smith family for years, with all payments on record. Over the past couple of years, Edwin had voiced his dissatisfaction with the amount of money he had received, but Leandro had continued to provide financial aid as usual. After the interview was released, the online conversation took a sharp turn. Most people thought that Edwin had intentionally caused this incident out of greed, hoping to scare Leandro, but ended up getting himself pped with a charge of causing trouble. When Seraphina saw the case report, she was hanging out with Andrea. After reading the report, she handed her tablet to Andrea, Andrea took it, read the report carefully, and then looked at thements below. ¡°These people are ridiculous,¡± Andrea couldn¡¯t help butment halfway through. ¡°They start yelling before they know the whole story, and now that they know they were wrong, they¡¯re rushing to criticize others. Have they ever thought about apologizing for their misguidedments?¡± J ¡°Admitting you¡¯re wrong takes a lot of courage,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°It¡¯s always easier to throw stones at others. This kind of thing happens all the time, why are you still surprised?¡± Andrea slowly said, ¡°I never really paid attention to this stuff.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Seraphina said lightly, ¡°our Andrea is too good for this earthly mess.¡± Andrea didn¡¯t respond to her joke. She spent a few more moments staring at the tablet before saying, ¡°I suppose the police have already questioned Leandro before releasing this report, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Herman¡¯s always thorough.¡± ¡°So, Leandro¡¯s statement is that Vivian¡¯s fall was an ident,¡± Andrea said. Seraphina shrugged, ¡°That answer isn¡¯t exactly a shocker, is it?¡± ¡°But do you really care whether it¡¯s true or not?¡± ¡°Of course I care,¡± Seraphina said with a slight smile. ¡°No one cares more than I do. Until there¡¯s solid evidence, I choose to believe it was an ident. But if evidence proves otherwise, whoever¡¯s responsible will have hell to pay.¡± That night, when Leandro got home, Seraphina was already in bed. She had just dozed off when she heard noises from outside. Usually, Leandro¡¯s pretty quiet when he comes home, but tonight, it sounded like he wasn¡¯t alone. Curious, Seraphina got up and sneakily opened the door to peek outside, and sure enough, she saw Keen apanying Leandro up the stairs. Even though Seraphina barely made a sound when she opened the door, Leandro still turned to look at her. For some reason, she thought he looked a tad pale, but after a closer look, she couldn¡¯t put her finger on what was different. So, Seraphina decided to fully open the door and ask, ¡°Workingte again?¡± ¡°No,¡± Keen hurriedly replied. ¡°Just finished entertaining guests, I¡¯m bringing Mr. Reynolds home.¡± After he finished speaking, Leandro had already reached Seraphina and took her hand to lead her into the room. His hand was slightly cold, which was a change from his usual warm and dry grip. Surprised, Seraphina gave him a quick look, then saw a bag in Keen¡¯s hand. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s that you¡¯re holding?¡± Keen remembered the bag in his hand and quickly handed it over, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Reynolds¡¯ medicine.¡± ¡®Medicine?¡± Seraphina took it from him, ¡°What kind of medicine?¡± ¡°Just some stomach medicine,¡± Leandro answered nonchntly. Then he turned to Keen and said, ¡°You can leave now.¡± Keen responded but couldn¡¯t help giving Seraphina another nce before turning to leave. .Seraphina opened the bag and saw that it was indeed medicine for the stomach. Frowning, she turned to Leandro and asked, ¡°You drank so much at the party that you need stomach medicine?* As Leandro walked into the room, he said, ¡°Even without the medicine, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal.¡± Seraphina watched him walk into the bathroom, then turned and went downstairs. Sure enough, Keen was still waiting downstairs with a ss of ice water prepared for Leandro. Mrs. Reynolds, seeing Seraphinae down, he immediately handed over the ss of water and detailed the instructions for the medicine. As she looked at the medicine in her hand, Seraphina asked, ¡°Was the party that important? You had to drink so much that you need medicine?¡± ¡°Well, the party was indeed important, but Mr. Reynolds only had two drinks,¡± Keen exined. ¡°It might be because he¡¯s been working too hard and eating irregrly, so his stomach hurts. It¡¯s an old problem. Mr. Reynolds doesn¡¯t pay much attention to it, so he only takes medicine when he remembers. But now that you¡¯re here, he should take better care.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina rolled her eyes, ¡°He doesn¡¯t take care of his own health, thenes honte sick so I have to take care of him?¡± With that, Seraphina turned and went back upstairs. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. When Leandro came out of the bathroom after his shower, Seraphina wasn¡¯t in the room. Beside the bed were the medicine he was supposed to take and a ss of ice water. Leandro plunked down by the bed, about to take a sip of water when bam, the door swung open. Seraphina strode in, with another ss of water in hand, gave him a ring look and coldly commanded, ¡°Put it down.¡± And indeed, Leandro did as told, setting down his water ss. Stepping forward, Seraphina handed him the refilled soft stic cup she was holding. ¡°Drink this. Take your meds.¡± Each word, every sentence from her was like an order, and Leandro was surprisingly obedient, swiftly downing his pills and guzzling most of the water. Patting his head with satisfaction, Seraphina said, ¡°Leandro, such a good boy.¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro¡¯s expression dimmed a notch. He reached out, pulling her into his arms. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said, you need to behave. Take your meds on time, go to bed early, eat meals regrly, and no more drinking when you have a stomachache.¡± Seraphina slowly spelled it out. ¡°Will you listen or not?¡± Leandro looked at her silently for a moment, eyes half-closed. He slowly asked, ¡°What¡¯s it to you whether I listen or not?¡± ¡°Oh my, are you defying me?¡± Seraphina reached out to pinch his face, ¡°What¡¯s the use of a husband who doesn¡¯t listen? I want a divorce!¡± Leandro caught her hand in a tight grip. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but yelp in pain. The next moment, Leandro said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll behave Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Seraphina thought that Leandro was going to be super busy after dealing with the temporary issues created by Vivian Smith. She knew that Bowen had already started to make his move against Leandro, and Leandro had been aware of this. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t have a counter-strategy. Especially after he had attended a social event despite having a stomach-ache the night before. And Keen had said that the social event was important, which meant he must be busy dealing with stuff. However, to Seraphina¡¯s surprise, Leandro didn¡¯t go to work the next day. Instead, he spent the whole day with her, taking Valerio to school and swimming. The entire day was consumed by family time. This was a rare urrence, even on weekends. Valerio was naturally over the moon, and suggested going to the zoo in the afternoon, which Leandro agreed to. Seraphina was a bit puzzled and finally asked him, ¡°You were so busy yesterday, howe you¡¯re so free today?¡± ¡°I just finished a busy phase, naturally there¡¯s time for me to chill.¡± Leandro replied casually, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to be obedient? I let you watch me all day, isn¡¯t that obedient enough?¡± Seraphina moved a bit closer to him and sniffed, ¡°I suspect you¡¯re drunk.¡± Then Leandro reached out his hand, gently held the back of her head, and pulled her towards him. As Seraphina was forced to get closer to him, she suddenly heard a ¡°click¡±. Turning her head, she saw Valerio snapping photos of them with a camera! ¡°You little rascal!¡± Seraphina was immediately angry, ¡°Where did you learn that?¡± Valerio justughed silently and ran away with the camera. Leandro couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight of Seraphina chasing after him. He knew she was always shy in front of Valerio. After a day of family time, Valerio fell asleep in Leandro¡¯s arms in the car on the way back. Seraphina kept checking the trending topics on her phone. She nced through many posts, but didn¡¯t see anything rted to herself. She had no idea what Leandro was up to, so she stopped thinking about it. Meanwhile, at the Martin Group headquarters, the lights were still on in the high-level office on the 42nd floor. When Bowen entered Simon Martin¡¯s office, it was bustling. Simon sat behind his desk with Lionel and Teague sitting across from him, and several senior managers standing by. Everyone was frowning and deep in thought. Everyone looked at him as he entered, and their gazes stayed on him. Bowen remained calm, just smiling lightly, ¡°Mr. Martin, what¡¯s up?¡± Simon slowly said, ¡°I believe you¡¯ve heard about what happened with thepany¡¯s projects these past couple days?¡± Bowen replied with a light smile, ¡°The Martin Group took some big deals from the Reynolds Group. The Reynolds Group is bound to react, I think it¡¯s all normal.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®normal¡¯?¡± Teague, looking at his troublesome future son-inw, couldn¡¯t help but be angry. ¡°Do you know how much bad news we received today? The construction project in Europe had to be suspended due to government policy issues, a real estate project was exposed for safety hazards, even our dock containers have been detained-¡± ¡°Those are all small issues.¡± Bowen said, ¡°They can be solved at any time.¡± Simon slowly said, ¡°Indeed, these are all small issues. But if small issues keep popping up, they be big issues. Also, I need to remind you, several cooperation projects that thepany was negotiating, have now either disappeared or are asking to terminate the contract. You¡¯re in charge of these projects, you owe the board an exnation.¡± Bowen was silent for a moment, then started to chuckle, ¡°If they breach the contract, they¡¯ll have to pay a huge price.¡± Lionel coldly said, ¡°Now they¡¯re willing to pay any price to terminate the contract.¡± One of the senior managers chimed in, ¡°They couldn¡¯t afford the penalty for breach of contract, but if they have the Reynolds Group backing them up, it¡¯s a different story. After all, the Reynolds Group has deep pockets and Leandro has a widework. Just the families that have good rtions with the Reynolds family alone can influence the economy of the entire Sunburst City. We, the Martin Group, may be growing fast, but in these respects, we¡¯re still somewhat isted.¡± ¡°I told you not to go head-to-head with the Reynolds Group.¡± Teague reprimanded Bowen.again, ¡°You just wouldn¡¯t listen! What good does going head-to-head do?¡± Bowen replied lightly, ¡°Why the rush, Messrs. Martin? The Reynolds Group hasn¡¯t won yet.¡± Simon stared at Bowen and slowly said, ¡°Good, if you can find a chance to turn the tables, we can discuss other issues.¡± As Bowen was about to reply, Simon¡¯s phone on the desk suddenly rang. Simon pressed the call button, the secretary¡¯s anxious voice came through, ¡°Mr. Martin, two police officers are here. They¡¯re looking for Mr. Smith-¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Bowen. Bowen¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, but the next moment, he chuckled. Seraphina didn¡¯t find out that Bowen had been taken away by the police until the next day. The next day, Leandro was still chilling at home. Keen brought over some paperwork from the office for him to look over, and while he was there, he filled him in on thetest scoop about Bowen. Seraphina, pretending to be bored out of her mind, just happened to be strolling past the study door when she heard this juicy tidbit, and she barged right in. ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± She excitedly grabbed Keen, ¡°What did Bowen do?¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Leandro sat in his chair, quietly watching her and letting her probe away. ¡°A couple days ago, the Reynolds Group¡¯s server got hacked, and some important stuff was stolen,¡± Keen replied, ¡°Yesterday, we traced the hacking back to the tech department of the Smith Group.¡± So, Bowen had his IT teamunch a malicious attack on the Reynolds Group? Seraphina blinked at him, ¡°Would Bowen really do that?¡± ¡°In the business world, anything can happen,¡± Keen said seriously. Seraphina nced at him, then at Leandro, and she started to put things together. The Reynolds Group had been in Riverside Haven for years, how could their server just get hacked by someone so easily? There had to be more to this story. But regardless, the thought of Bowen getting someeuppance brought a smile to Seraphina¡¯s face. But there was one thing that worried her- ¡°He won¡¯t just take this lying down, will he?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°He¡¯ll definitely retaliate somehow- Leandro, your back might not be as covered as you think.¡± Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Keen was a bit ticked off after hearing Seraphina¡¯s words. ¡°Madam,¡± he called out to Seraphina as calmly as he could, ¡°how can you say such demotivating things at this time?¡± Seraphina nced at him, sarcastically replying, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m saying this because I think you guys will flunk. I¡¯m rooting for Bowen, is that okay?¡± Keen was left speechless for a moment. Leandro, head down reading some documents, just smirked at their exchange. Seraphina shot Keen another look before exiting the study. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Not long after, Keen went downstairs to get some water, and bumped into Seraphina in the kitchen again. Knowing he was no match for Seraphina, he wanted to bolt as soon as he saw her, but Seraphina stopped him, ¡°Am I that terrifying? Why are you running away as soon as you see me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Keen hastily replied, ¡°I¡¯m just worried I might say something wrong and upset you.¡± Seraphina snorted, ¡°Well, since you know that, why don¡¯t you say something that¡¯ll cheer me up?¡± Keen immediately got nervous, ¡°Madam, what would you like to hear?¡± Seraphina handed him a ss of water, smiling slightly as she asked, ¡°I¡¯d like to know, what tactics has Leandro used against Bowen?¡± Hearing this question, Keen let out a sigh of relief, ¡°Madam, why don¡¯t you just ask Mr. Reynolds directly?¡± ¡°I want to ask you.¡± Seraphina shot him another look, ¡°Can¡¯t you answer?¡± Of course, Keen didn¡¯t dare refuse. He left the kitchen and sat down at the dining table, and started chatting with Seraphina about the recent movements of the Reynolds Group. Leandro wasn¡¯t just dealing with the Smith Group, he was mainly targeting the Martin Group, Bowen¡¯s support. The Martin Group¡¯s projects kept getting sabotaged, and the me would inevitably fall on Bowen. If they could cut ties between Bowen and the Martin Group, everything would be much easier to handle. Upon hearing this, Seraphina frowned, ¡°But wouldn¡¯t this make the conflict between the Reynolds Group and the Martin Group even worse?¡± ¡°Business is about making money, not getting angry.¡± Keen said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds has enough capital to do whatever he wants, and Simon is a shrewd businessman.¡± Seraphina slightly raised an eyebrow at this, ¡°So even Simon¡¯s business style is under your control, that gives you guys the upper hand.¡± Keen was a bit concerned, ¡°But Bowen is a bit ruthless. He brought back Edwin Smith from abroad, tried to use the Vivian incident to sway public opinion against Mr. Reynolds and the Reynolds Group. Although it seems like he failed for now, but we don¡¯t know what ns he has up his sleeve¡­¡± Hearing this, Seraphina took a sip of her water before asking, ¡°Where is Vivian receiving treatment now?¡± ¡°Ennd.¡± Keen replied. Seraphina nodded, then asked, ¡°Over these many years, Leandro has always treated them well, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Keen said, ¡°I personally handed over every single payment to Edwin in recent years. Mr. Reynolds has been more than generous with them, it¡¯s just that Edwin is never satisfied.¡± ¡°But thest time I ran into Edwin at the hospital¡­¡± Seraphina recalled the sh she had with Edwin at the hospitalst year, ¡°He seemed really angry, really resentful, not like someone who can be easily appeased with money.¡± ¡°His anger is real, so is his resentment.¡± Keen said, ¡°After all, that¡¯s his only daughter. But, having known him for so many years, as long as the money is enough, everything is negotiable. The reason he was so angry back then was because he suddenly demanded a sum of money, which we didn¡¯t give him.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina shrugged and sighed, ¡°Human nature is really¡­¡± She didn¡¯t ask any more questions after that. Keen sat quietly for a while, finished his ss of water, and was just about to get up and leave when his phone suddenly rang. Keen took out his phone and looked at it. His face changed slightly. Seraphina, who was quite perceptive, immediately asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Keen was silent for a moment before showing her his phone. On the screen was a clear photo of Bruce kissing a young woman in broad daylight. Seraphina felt a little dizzy after seeing the photo, then she startedughing, looking at him she said, ¡°See, I told you, your boss¡¯ back is anything but stable.¡± Everyone knew Bruce was a yboy. Although he had been low-key these past few years, his reputation was still well-known, so no one was surprised when they saw such a photo. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of it. After this photo came out, a forum suddenly started posting more photos of Bruce being intimate with different women, all seemingly taken within thest year. One photo could be dismissed, but so many different photos with so many different women, even for a womanizer like Bruce, it was still shocking. Then, someone neatly summarized Bruce¡¯s romantic history over the past decade ¨C aside from the women from his early years, just in thest decade alone, dozens of women had been associated with Bruce. This summary quickly got reposted everywhere, and spread on arge scale. Rumors were flying around,pletely unstoppable. As for this, Leandro had no instructions. Keen just worried that a massive ban on the topic would trigger a new round of public condemnation. So, he just banned a few new posts on a small scale. As for the ones that had spread earlier, he let everyonement freely. Not long after the news broke, Leandro returned to Reynolds Vista Retreat. Usually, Reynolds Vista Retreat was quiet, but today it was bustling with several rtives gathered there. However, the person involved, Bruce, wasn¡¯t there, and the other person involved, Gloria, hadn¡¯t appeared downstairs. As soon as Leandro entered the door, several rtives immediately surrounded him to discuss. But he didn¡¯t say a word, just pushed them aside and walked towards Karan. ¡°How¡¯s mom?¡± ¡°I was going to prevent her from seeing this stuff.¡± Karan frowned, ¡°But it¡¯s all over the inte, newspapers, magazines, and TV. I was careless for a moment, and she saw it¡­ She blew up, almost smashing the whole room¡­ I called a doctor to give her a sedative, but she still couldn¡¯t sleep. She¡¯s just lying in bed resting¡­¡± After hearing this, Leandro immediately headed upstairs. ¡°Leandro!¡± Nte quickly called out to him, stepping forward, ¡°This series of negative news is obviously targeting us, the Reynolds family. The stock price of the Reynolds family has been fluctuating quite a bit recently. You must calm your mother¡¯s mood. We can¡¯t let things get worse.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer. He just went straight upstairs. Upstairs, he pushed open the door to Gloria¡¯s bedroom. The room was somewhat dim, with only one curtain drawn. A beam of daylight shone at the foot of the bed, and Gloriay on the bed, staring nkly at the light, her face pale and bloodless. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Leandro wearily trudged forward and sat at the edge of Gloria¡¯s bed. He had said it many times before. He was never one to beat around the bush, but now, looking at Gloria lying on the bed, he feltpelled to repeat himself. ¡°You know he¡¯s always been like this, why keep hurting yourself over it?¡± Leandro said slowly. ¡°Is it really that hard to let go?¡± Gloriaid motionless, taking a long time to respond. Her face was expressionless, her lips slowly parting to speak in a weak voice, ¡°I won¡¯t let him go, not even if I die¡­ I¡¯ll make sure he suffers for the rest of his life¡­¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze hardened for a moment, then he quickly drew back the nket covering Gloria. The bed was soaked in blood, chilling shivers ran down his spine at the sight of the cutting wounds on Gloria¡¯s wrists. Leandro felt a sudden chill throughout his body. This was Gloria¡¯s second suicide attempt in short session. The previous time, she had swallowed half a bottle of sleeping pills. They didn¡¯t send her to the hospital, didn¡¯t tell anyone, and had been saved here at the Reynolds Vista Retreat. This time, however, she absolutely had to go to the hospital. Upon hearing the news, Seraphina hesitated for a moment, but eventually rushed to the hospital. Despite the severity of the situation, the hospital was eerily calm. As Seraphina arrived at the emergency room, she saw no one from the Reynolds family, other than Karan standing guard at the door. Even Leandro was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Karan,¡± Seraphina approached and called her name, ¡°How¡¯s Gloria?¡± Karan looked pale. She nced at Seraphina and weakly said, ¡°She¡¯s still in critical condition.¡± Seraphina took another look at the ER door and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Leandro?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Karan replied indifferently. ¡°He left a while ago.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t say anything more, sat with Karan for a while, then got up to find Leandro.. Under these circumstances, Leandro couldn¡¯t possibly have left the hospital. Seraphina had just taken a few steps when she saw Lorenzo Reynolds. Lorenzo gestured to her, and Seraphina quickly approached and followed him into a resting room. As expected, Leandro was in the resting room. He was sitting on the sofa, his face cold and his eyes deep, holding a lit cigarette. He had started smoking again. Smelling the cigarette smoke filling the room, Seraphina could guess Leandro¡¯s mood at the moment. Lorenzo led Seraphina in, then quickly left the room. Seraphina then went to sit next to Leandro, reaching out to hold the cigarette in his hand. Leandro lifted his eyes to look at her, seemed to suddenly snap back to reality, paused for a moment, then put out the cigarette. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Neither of them spoke. They just sat in silence, waiting for the impending news. About ten minutester, Lorenzo opened the door and calmly said, ¡°Her vitals have stabilized. She¡¯s no longer in immediate danger.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina let out a relieved sigh. Leandro, however, showed no sign of relief. He got up and left the resting room. Seraphina thought he was going to see Gloria, but Leandro didn¡¯t stop at the ER. He walked straight out of the hospital¡¯s emergency department. ¡°Leandro! Leandro!¡± Karan called out to him several times, but he seemed not to hear her. Seraphina quickly gestured to Karan and followed Leandro¡¯s steps. Once Leandro was out of the emergency department, the driver immediately drove the car over. Seraphina had a pretty good idea of where he was going, so she got into the car with him. Leandro didn¡¯t give the driver any instructions, so he just drove west. About ten minutester, they arrived at a viplex in the west of the city and stopped in front of one of the vis. Seraphina hadn¡¯t been to thisplex before and guessed that this must be Bruce¡¯s residence. The driver quickly rang the doorbell, and the door was opened by what seemed to be a housekeeper who looked surprised to see them. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer her question and just walked straight into the house. ¡°Hey¡± The housekeeper tried to stop Leandro, but Seraphina held her back and said, ¡°We¡¯re here to see Mr. Reynolds.¡± The housekeeper looked at Seraphina, then at Leandro, seemed to understand, and nodded. Leandro, presumably not his first time here, went straight upstairs, checked two rooms without finding anyone, then finally opened the door to the home theater. The home theater was dark, with an old movie ying on the screen. Bruce, who had been dozing on the couch, was startled awake by the sudden noise. He looked surprised to see Leandro, asking, ¡°What brings you here all of a sudden?¡± Leandro¡¯s expression was cold, his tone indifferent. ¡°Mom¡¯s in the hospital.¡± Bruce was taken aback at the news, then frowned. ¡°Is she causing trouble again?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she get tired of stirring things up?¡± ¡°Would it be a relief for you if she didn¡¯t make it?¡± Bruce was silent for a while before asking, ¡°How is she now?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer his question and just turned around and left. Bruce sat in the home theater for a while before getting up and leaving. It was only then that he noticed Seraphina was also there. He paused for a moment, then went to the bathroom to wash his face before entering the living room. ¡°Sera, take a seat,¡± he said to Seraphina who was standing by the window. He didn¡¯t really care if she sat down or not. He then turned to Leandro and slowly said, ¡°We¡¯ve been at this for years, I¡¯m tired, she¡¯s tired. But she refuses to let go, and I¡¯m at a loss. We can¡¯t exactly drag this to court, can we? Who knows what would happen then.¡± ¡°You know as well as I do that court is not an option,¡± Leandro responded calmly, ¡°If it¡¯s not an option, why can¡¯t you show her a bit of respect? Respect your marriage?¡± Bruce gave a light shake of his head, and after a moment, let out a sigh he couldn¡¯t hold back. Just then, the sound of a door opening and closing echoed from downstairs, followed by a mature female voice, ¡°Bruce, I made you soup and bought some of your favorite snacks. I¡¯ll cook for you tonight, okay?¡± Upstairs, Bruce and Leandro didn¡¯t move, only Seraphina looked curiously towards the stairs. After the woman put down her things and presumably had a word with the maid, she asked while walking up, ¡°Do we have guests?¡± The woman finally appeared at the top of the stairs, and Seraphina saw a graceful figure. As she came closer, Seraphina could see she was a woman in her forties, beautifully maintained. However, when she saw Leandro and Seraphina, she stopped in her tracks, probably recognizing them. And Seraphina also stopped when she recognized this woman. This woman had a distinctive mole under her eye, very unique. In Seraphina¡¯s distant memory, there was someone else with a simr mole, adding to her charm, drawing attention. That person was Vivian. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 The atmosphere in the living room suddenly became tense. Bruce remained silent, not giving the woman a single nce. As for Leandro, his gaze lingered on her for a moment when he looked at her. He swiftly turned his head to look at Seraphina, only to find her staring at the woman, seemingly lost in thought. A heavy feeling suddenly overwhelmed Leandro. The woman was the first to break the silence. Sheughed awkwardly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you had guests. I¡¯ll leave now¡­¡± After she finished speaking, she nced at Bruce again, but he was still deep in his own thoughts, not looking at her. When she saw Leandro¡¯s gaze, her heart suddenly pounded, and she quickly turned around and rushed downstairs. At this moment, Seraphina slowly approached and smiled, ¡°Let me walk you out.¡± Even though it was her first time here, and this woman was clearly more familiar with the ce, Seraphina still made the offer. The woman smiled and turned to leave. Seraphina followed her downstairs. When they reached the bottom, Seraphina spoke softly, ¡°You¡¯re Lory¡¯s mother, right? The woman was slightly surprised, then nodded shyly, ¡°Do you know Lory?¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m close with Lory. Even though I haven¡¯t met you before, I can tell Lory looks a lot like you.¡± The woman smiled and said, ¡°My name is Leda.¡± ¡°Leda,¡± Seraphina repeated, ncing upstairs before continuing, ¡°You¡¯ve been looking after him while Bruce was away, haven¡¯t you?¡± Leda studied Seraphina carefully. She wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. Despite Seraphina¡¯s gentle demeanor, she was, after all, Leandro¡¯s wife, a member of the Reynolds family. Leda wasn¡¯t sure how Seraphina would view her, a lover who had been with Bruce for many years. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Seeing her hesitations, Seraphina said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Leda. I have no ulterior motives. I just want to thank you for taking care of him while he was away. It puts both me and Leandro at ease.¡± Upon hearing this, Leda sighed, ¡°I onlye by asionally. He¡¯s so busy, he wouldn¡¯t stay here for long. Just being able to see him once in a while is enough for me.¡± 10 Seraphina smiled, ¡°I can tell, Leda. You¡¯re a kind and thoughtful person. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have stayed with him for all these years. But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Leda couldn¡¯t help but ask when Seraphina paused. Seraphina hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°You¡¯ve probably seen the news about him over the past few days, right? Leandro¡¯s mother was quite upset by it and had to be hospitalized¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Leda¡¯s face instantly changed, her eyes filled with guilt and anxiety. ¡°How is she?¡± Leda asked anxiously. ¡°She¡¯s not in any life-threatening danger now,¡± Seraphina replied, noticing Leda¡¯s sigh of relief. She continued, ¡°You¡¯ve met her before, haven¡¯t you, Leda?¡± Caught off guard, Leda stammered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve met her a couple of times when I was younger¡­¡± Years ago, Bruce loved partying, and he¡¯d often take Leda with him to various social events. Gloria and Bruce were from the same social circle, and the two women had crossed paths on a couple of asions, resulting in some unpleasant encounters. Perhaps it was because of these experiences that Bruce eventually toned down his behavior. After hearing this, Seraphina felt as if she had found the answer to her questions. Gloria had met Leda when she was young, and not just once. Fast forward to the present, Leda had been by Bruce¡¯s side all these years, even gave birth to Lorenzo and raised him to be a doctor. How could Gloria, who loved Bruce so deeply, not feel threatened by such a woman? For Gloria, Bruce¡¯s betrayal was a pain she could never escape from. Over the years, it had eaten away at her. How would she have reacted when she saw Vivian, who bore a mole under her eye that looked just like Leda¡¯s? Given her unstable mental state, could the shock of linking Vivian and Leda together have driven her to harm Vivian? Upstairs, Leandro, facing the silent Bruce, finally said one thing. ¡°If you truly don¡¯t care about mom¡¯s life and death, then just keep doing what you¡¯re doing,¡± Leandro said. ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy, right?¡± With that, Leandro got up and left the room. Downstairs, the dining table wasden with soup and food that Leda had brought, but there was no one around. Leandro went straight to the front door, where he found Seraphina standing alone outside, staring nkly in the direction Leda had left/ Hearing Leandro¡¯s footsteps behind her, Seraphina didn¡¯t turn around. It wasn¡¯t until the driver brought the car around that Leandro reached out and grabbed her hand, ¡°Get in.¡± Seraphina nced at him, then obediently got into the car. Leandro instructed the driver to head home. Seraphina turned to look at him, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to the hospital?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you home first,¡± Leandro replied. Seraphina thought for a moment. If they went to the hospital at this hour, Gloria might already be awake, and she might not be pleased to see Seraphina. Although Leandro seemed indifferent, he cared deeply about many people and things, especially Gloria. As Gloria¡¯s son, it was his duty to protect her. Seraphina sat quietly, looking out the window for a moment before asking, ¡°Have you met Leda before?¡± Without looking at him, she didn¡¯t know what his reaction was to her question. After a while, she heard Leandro answer, ¡°Yes, I have.¡± ¡°When did you meet her?¡± Seraphina asked further. ¡°A few years back.¡± Seraphina quietly did the math. A few years back, in other words, after Vivian¡¯s mishap. Indeed, if Leandro had met Leda earlier, he¡¯d have definitely spotted the strikingly simr mole under the eyes of both women when heter met Vivian. Considering how meticulous and cautious he is, how could he possibly bring Vivian home to mingle with Gloria? But then, if Vivian really got shoved down those stairs by Gloria, did he know? With that thought, Seraphina turned her head to look silently at Leandro. After a moment, Leandro turned his head to look at her. Neither of them said a word, just quietly locking eyes. Suddenly, Seraphina wondered, would the ever-truthful-in-her-presence Leandro answer her question honestly, just like he always did, if she asked him? Chapter 360 Chapter 360 This question kept bouncing around in Seraphina¡¯s head. Just as she was about to blurt it out, she suddenly turned her head away and held her tongue. Leandro had a deep look in his eyes. After a while, he calmly asked, ¡°Did you have something you wanted to ask me?¡± Seraphina stayed silent for a moment, then slowly shook her head. She averted her gaze, no longer looking at Leandro, and didn¡¯t utter another word. Seeing her reaction, Leandro didn¡¯t continue the conversation either. The car journeyed back to Reynolds Manor. Seraphina got, out and went in, while Leandro stayed put in the car. Seraphina looked back at him, ¡°Are you heading back to the hospital?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Leandro replied. Seraphina simply smiled faintly, ¡°Go ahead then, be with your mother. I¡¯ll take care of Grandpa and Valerio.¡± Hearing her indifferent tone, Leandro took another look at her before slowly nodding and telling the driver to head to the hospital. Seraphina stood at the doorway, watching his car pull away. As the car gradually moved away from the main gate, Leandro looked at Seraphina¡¯s retreating figure in the rear-view mirror, his gaze growing even more intense. Leandro¡¯s car left the estate, but Seraphina remained stationary at the entrance. It was only when Conway Reynolds came out of the house and called out to her, ¡°Sera.¡± ¡°Grandpa.¡± Seraphina finally turned her head. Conway frowned slightly, asking cautiously, ¡°How is she doing?¡± ¡°She¡¯s out of danger.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But she¡¯ll likely need time to recover.¡± Hearing this/ Conway closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.! Seraphina turned around and helped Conway into the house, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Grandpa. She¡¯ll figure it out one day..¡± Conway sighed once more, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯ll be hard¡­¡± Seraphina stayed silent for a while, not picking up the conversation. Conway sat quietly for a moment, then looked at her again, ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°Scared? Me?¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°You know me, Grandpa. [don¡¯t scare easy.¡± With that, she suddenly stood up, ¡°Grandpa, I have to head out for a bit. You rest up and stop worrying, alright?¡± Hearing this, Conway gave her a long, hard look, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you guys hiding something from me?¡± ¡°If we told you about Gloria, what else could we possibly hide?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± After reassuring Conway, Seraphina headed out to Reynolds Vista Retreat. Compared to the bustling morning, the Retreat was now quiet. When Seraphina walked in, only two servants were whispering to each other. On seeing Seraphina, both of them jumped. One of them, Aggie, looked especially ufortable. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. No surprise there. It was Aggie who had vehemently imed that Seraphina and Vivian had been alone on the balcony. Seraphina specifically smiled at her, ¡°Aggie, I need to gather some personal items and clothes for Gloria. Could you help me upstairs?¡± Aggie seemed uneasy. She frowned but responded, ¡°Sure, ma¡¯am.¡± Seraphina understood her difort. In the past, she was just a helpless orphan and Aggie had no reason to fear her. But who would¡¯ve thought that, yearster, Seraphina would be thedy of the Reynolds family. Life really liked to y tricks on you, and it was unsettling. And Seraphina was all about making Aggie ufortable. The two of them went upstairs and entered Gloria¡¯s room. As soon as the door opened, Seraphina took a seat on the couch and instructed Aggie to fetch things. Once Aggie had brought a pile of stuff, Seraphina started to pick through it. Most of it, she had Aggie put back, then asked her to fetch more. After a few rounds of this, anyone could see Seraphina was doing it on purpose. Finally, Aggie couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She put the items down in front of Seraphina, saying, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I know you¡¯re mad about my testimony. I said you were on the balcony with Miss Vivian, but I was just telling the truth. I never said you pushed her¡­ If you want to me me, I have nothing to say.¡± Seraphina sat on the couch, scoffing, ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth? Ask yourself, is it really the truth?¡± Aggie was stumped, then replied indignantly, ¡°Of course it¡¯s the truth! I saw you on the balcony with Ms. Smith. I just told what I saw, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Seraphina stood up, her heels clicking loudly on the floor. She red at Aggie, saying. ¡°You told everything you saw? You saw me on the balcony with Vivian, so you told everyone! But what about after that? Other people went to the balcony too, Gloria went to the balcony. Why didn¡¯t you say anything about that?¡± Seraphina was intimidating and Aggie was taken aback. She quickly tried to defend herself, ¡°How would I know who else went to the balcony? Gloria¡­ she did go to the balcony, but how could she be the culprit? It was you, you were-¡± She wanted to say that Seraphina had a crush on Leandro and therefore attacked Vivian, but she stopped herself before she could, Looking at Seraphina, she said, ¡°If you think I wronged you, I have nothing to say. I can resign.¡± With that, she looked at Seraphina, only to find her previous coldness had faded. She was just standing there, her expression calm. Aggie was not sure of Seraphina¡¯s intentions, and she didn¡¯t want to be alone with her anymore. So, she hurried towards the door. But, just as she was about to step out the door, her eyesnded on Karan. Karan forgot how long she had been standing at the doorway. All she did was watching Seraphina inside the room, her gaze calm yet deep. ¡°Karan¡­¡± Aggie called her in a soft voice. Hearing the noise, Seraphina turned around. Seeing Karan, her eyes deepened even further, sparkling with light. Karan waved her hand, motioning Aggie to leave. Then, she slowly walked into the bedroom, starting to sort out the items Seraphina had just chosen. As she tidying up, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s with the threatening act? What do you want to ask?¡± Seraphina suddenly burst intoughter, ¡°If I ask, Karan, will you answer me?¡± Karan quickly finished tidying up the items in her hands, then looked up at Seraphina. She fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, ¡°You already have the answer in your heart, don¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 361 Chapter 361 ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± Seraphina lifted her chin slightly, her gaze steady and solid. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the right decision.¡± Karan was silent for a moment, her eyes lowered, avoiding Seraphina¡¯s gaze. But Seraphina stood there, patiently waiting for her response. After a while, she finally heard Karan¡¯s voice. ¡°I know you¡¯ve had it rough these years,¡± Karan said. ¡°But it¡¯s all in the past now. You and Leandro have patched things up, and he¡¯s making up for all the wrongs you¡¯ve been through. Why can¡¯t you just let bygones be bygones?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Hearing this, Seraphina was silent for a moment, then finally burst intoughter. All these years, every time Vivian/came up, she was always tagged as a ¡°murderer.¡± Although Leandro had said he believed her before, he never revealed more. And now, finally, someone acknowledged the injustice she faced. At this moment, Seraphina felt a sense of relief from the guilt she¡¯d carried for eight years. But there was no joy or excitement in her heart. She didn¡¯t even know why she wasughing. 1 Soon, Seraphina stoppedughing, said nothing more, and walked past Karan, leaving the ce.. Karan didn¡¯t stop her. After a moment of silence, she took a deep breath and began packing the stuff Gloria needed for her hospital stay. When she got back to the hospital with the stuff, Leandro was at Gloria¡¯s bedside, looking down at some documents. Karan knew Leandro¡¯s habits well as she¡¯d taken care of him for a long time. So, she could tell from the speed Leandro was flipping through the documents that his mind wasn¡¯t really on them. Karan walked over, put her stuff aside, looked at Gloria and asked quietly, ¡°Is she asleep again?¡±: ¡°Yes.¡± Leandro replied without lifting his head. Karan sighed softly, dipped a cotton swab in some water, and gently applied it to Gloria¡¯s lips. ¡°Has your father still note yet?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Leandro answered with just one word. ¡°Seraphina went to your house earlier.¡± Karan said casually as she repeated her actions. Hearing this, Leandro finally lifted his head, his gaze falling heavily on her. Karan tossed away the cotton swab, paused for a moment, then turned to look at him. ¡°She went to question Aggie about whether your mother was on the balcony the day Vivian jumped off the building. That woman is so smart. Aggie was no match for her and spilled the beans when she got scared.¡± Leandro listened quietly, then slowly closed his eyes. She had guessed it. She had suspected it from the moment she saw Leda. On the way home, she wanted to ask him about it. But in the end, she didn¡¯t. Instead, she chose to seek confirmation elsewhere. ¡°She has indeed suffered a lot over the years.¡± Karan continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what decision she will make¡­ Given your mother¡¯s current situation, what if she doesn¡¯t want to forgive your mother?¡± Leandro remained silent. ¡°You two are so close now¡­¡± Karan said. ¡°Maybe you should talk to her. For your sake, she might back down¡­¡± It was a long while before Leandro finally said, ¡°The fact that she didn¡¯t ask me, that¡¯s her backing down.¡±. With her character, she should¡¯ve put the question to Leandro directly, demanding an answer. But she didn¡¯t. Because she knew how difficult it was for Leandro to answer that question. Leandro wouldn¡¯t tell lies, but he couldn¡¯t tell the truth, either. For some reason, she had resolved the issue for Leandro. So, what more could Leandro ask of her? Late at night, when Leandro returned to Reynolds Manor, the lights were still on in the rooms of Seraphina and Valerio on the second floor, and their doors were open Leandro went to Seraphina¡¯s room. It was empty, except for a suitcase standing quietly by the bed. Leandro stared at the suitcase for a moment, then turned towards Valerio¡¯s room where there was some movement. In the room, there was another suitcase open on the floor, and Valerio was putting clothes into it from his wardrobe. Seraphina sat beside the suitcase, watching Valerio helplessly. ¡°Your dad hasn¡¯t agreed yet, and you¡¯re packing so many clothes. If he doesn¡¯t agree, aren¡¯t you wasting your effort?¡± Valerio seemed not to hear, continuing to put clothes into the suitcase. When he was done, he got up to get more stuff, and when he turned around, he saw Leandro standing at the door. His eyes immediately lit up, and he pulled Leandro into the room, shaking his hand as if requesting something. Leandro turned to look at Seraphina. Seraphina looked calm, giving a slight smile before she said, ¡°I got a call from thewyer at Velvetwood today. They said my mom¡¯s inheritance has been sorted out and I need to go there to take care of the remaining procedures. Since you¡¯ll be busy in theing days, I thought I might as well go and take care of those things.¡± After that, Seraphina nced at Valerio and added, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this little guy to insist oning with me. I couldn¡¯t stop him even if I wanted to.¡± Upon hearing this, Valerio immediately started shaking Leandro¡¯s hand again. Leandro reached out and patted his head, simply saying, ¡°Go on packing.¡± Hearing this, Valerio was so excited he almost jumped up. He turned around and started packing other stuff enthusiastically. Only then did Leandro turn to Seraphina again, extending his hand to her. After a while, Seraphina reached out her hand and, with his help, got up. Leandro took her hand, leading her back to her bedroom, then eased the door shut behind them. Seraphina moved towards the bed, shifting her neatly packed suitcase to the wall. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna see me?¡± Leandro asked gently. Seraphina stood facing the wall. After a while, she shook her head. Leandro moved a step closer, standing behind her, then asked, ¡°Are you ming me?¡± Again, Seraphina shook her head. ¡°So, what¡¯s your take on all this?¡± Finally, Seraphina turned to face him, speaking softly, ¡°I told you, you¡¯re gonna be swamped. Your mom¡¯s not doing well physically, and emotionally, she¡¯s a wreck. You need to be there for her, look after her. I¡¯ll be off to Velvetwood, sorting out my mom¡¯s estate. I hope when Ie back, your mom is back on her feet, ready to¡­ ready to own up to her past mistakes.¡± Leandro got the message. She wasn¡¯t gonna let it slide, but right now, Gloria wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the fallout. Once again, Seraphina chose topromise. She was willing to wait for Gloria¡¯s recovery, but she didn¡¯t want to keep facing her. So, she nned for a temporary leave of absence. Chapter 362 Chapter 362 In the quiet bedroom, the two of them silently stared at each other for a while, then Seraphina turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯m going to help Valerio pack.¡± Seraphina said. Leandro reached out, caught her, and slowly said, ¡°There are some things, I just have to do.¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes flickered. She then slowly smiled and said, ¡°I know.¡± She had told him when Bowen started crossing him that Leandro¡¯s weakness was his family. How could she not know about the people and things he cared about? Leandro¡¯s gaze fell heavily on her face, and he said no more. Seraphina lifted her head to look at him a whileter, ¡°So, do you have any demands for me?¡± She had always kept a calm expression. When she said this, there was a slight smile at the corner of her mouth, but her eyes were serious. After a long while, Leandro just slowly shook his head. ¡°You can do whatever you want to do.¡± Leandro said, ¡°I¡­ will do what I should do.¡± Seraphina was stunned for a moment. She hadn¡¯t expected him to say that. What she wanted to do was to expose the truth; and what he should do was to protect Gloria. What he meant was that he wouldn¡¯t stop her, but he would also do everything he could to protect Gloria. To some extent, they were opposing each other, but what they wanted to do did not interfere with each other. This was the best oue Seraphina could foresee. She just didn¡¯t expect that Leandro would think the same way. After a while, Seraphina spoke again, Would you hate me then?¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro slowly lifted his hand, gently touching her face. Seraphina¡¯s heart was heavy, her eyes were lost, showing no fluctuations. Leandro quietly looked at her for a while, then reached out his hand and pulled her into his arms. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t hate me, that¡¯s all I could ask for.¡± He said. Upon hearing this, Seraphina was silent for a while, then suddenlyughed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something the Leandro I know would say.¡± She said. Yes, the Leandro she knew was decisive, one who always got even, but he actually told her, as long as you don¡¯t hate me, that¡¯s all right. While Seraphina was still surprised, Leandro suddenly called out to her again,¡±Sera. She rarely heard him call her that, and couldn¡¯t help but want to turn her head to look at him. However, Leandro just held the back of her head, not letting her turn around. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Leandro whispered, then turned his head and gently kissed her cheek, not moving. Seraphina quietly leaned against his chest, also not moving. The next morning, Seraphina and Valerio boarded a ne to Velvetwood. At the same time, Leandro was at the hospital, reading documents while having breakfast with Gloria who had just woken up. Karan brought some soup from home to the hospital. He held the bowl and spoon to feed Gloria, but Gloria was always absent-minded and wouldn¡¯t open her mouth. Leandro put down the documents in his hand, stood up, walked to the bedside, and took the bowl from Karan, ¡°Let me do it.¡± Karan handed the bowl to Leandro, watching him sit by the bed, scoop up the soup, blow it cool, and then feed Gloria, her heart warmed. ¡°Madam, see how much Leandro cares about you¡­ He has never done such a thing before, he¡¯s doing it all for you¡­¡± Karan said, ¡°You can ignore anything, but you cannot disregard his feelings¡­¡± However, no matter what Karan said, Gloria would not open her mouth. Leandro¡¯s patience seemed endless, even if Gloria had no response, he did not show any impatience. Soon, Keen knocked on the door and walked into the ward carefully. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. and Valerio have taken off.¡± Keen whispered, ¡°They are expected to arrive in Velvetwood at nine o¡¯clock tonight.¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro just responded indifferently. Karan overheard this and couldn¡¯t help but frown, looking worriedly at Leandro. After Keen reported the work he had justpleted, he did not leave, but just stood there quietly watching Leandro feed Gloria, standing still for a while. ¡®Speak up if you have something to say. Leandro said without looking back. Keen paused for a moment, then stepped forward and said, Mr. Luke and Mr. Norman are dissatisfied with the recent actions of the Reynolds Group, and they are contacting other shareholders to convene a shareholders¡¯ meeting¡­ Mr. Reynolds, can we put Bowen¡¯s matter on hold?¡± Leandro did not respond. Keen naturally knew this was Leandrd¡¯s stance, and dared not say more, only saying.¡±I will follow the instructions given by you, Mr. Reynolds.¡± He was just about to leave the ward when he suddenly heard Leandro speak, Tell them, I¡¯ll take responsibility for any consequences. Also, consolidate all project data from the Martin Group and the Smith Group over the past ten years, I want it today.¡± Upon hearing this, Keen was slightly surprised. Leandro had previously dealt with the Martin Group by targeting some of their recent key projects, but this time he was going back to ten years ago, clearly ready to pull out all the stops. Thinking of Seraphina and Valerio who he had just sent away, Keen sighed and hurriedly went to work. When Keen left, Karan looked at Leandro, ¡°Seraphina-¡± Perhaps fearing to upset Gloria, Karan abruptly stopped as soon as he began to speak, then changed his question,¡±Why did she leave? What is she going to do?¡± Leandro picked up a napkin and gently wiped the corner of Gloria¡¯s mouth, and slowly said,¡±She is¡­ giving me some breathing space.¡± At around 9 in the morning local time, Seraphina and Valerio arrived at Velvetwood, checking into the same house they stayed in at the beginning of the year. Returning to this ce after half a year, Valerio was super excited, running all over the house. Then, as if he remembered something, he ran up to Seraphina and grabbed her hand. Seraphina took one look at him and chuckled, ¡°You miss your dad, huh?¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Valerio nodded his head instantly. For him, thest time he was here, he was with Seraphina and Leandro. This time without Leandro, there seemed to be something missing. Seraphina propped her chin and looked at him, ¡°But your dad won¡¯t being this time, what now? You¡¯re missing him already, should I send you back?¡± Upon hearing this, Valerio quickly shook his head, and threw himself into Seraphina¡¯s arms, hugging her neck tightly. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh lightly, patting his head, and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give him a call?¡± Upon hearing this, Valeno immediately rolled off the bed, took out his tablet, and dialed Leandro¡¯s video call. A few secondster, the video call connected. On the screen, Leandro was walking out of a hospital room, closing the door while ncing at the parts of Valerio and Seraphina visible on his phone screen, ¡°Have you guys arrived?¡± He couldn¡¯t see Seraphina, but she could see him. He stood in the hallway of the hospital, the white light above casting down, making his face look a bit pale. Suddenly, Seraphina turned her face away. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 In the video, Leandro was saying a few words to Valerio, while Seraphina was sitting on the sofa, head down, engrossed in her phone. Valeno nodded after hearing Leandro¡¯s words, then handed the tablet to Seraphina. Seraphina looked up and her gaze directly met Leandro¡¯s in the video. There was a moment of silence, then Seraphina said, ¡°We just arrived, I¡¯m feeling a bit wiped out, we still need to adjust to the time difference. We n to stay home and rest today, and I will sort out stuff with thewyer tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alnght,¡± said Leandro, ¡°Take it easy.¡± You too, Seraphina replied. With that, she handed the tablet back to Valerio. ¡°I¡¯m gonna hit the shower, don¡¯t glue your eyes to the tablet for too long, okay?¡± Seraphina said, ruffling Valerio¡¯s hair before heading upstairs. 1 Valerio watched her go up, then turned to the video and gave a small smile. Leandro on the other end of the video also smiled. After Seraphina had her shower, she took Valerio for his, then they both went to bed. Valerio was iming he couldn¡¯t sleep, but was out like a light in less than twenty minutes. Listening to his steady breathing. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but tweak his nose. Valerio was sleeping soundly, but she was wide awake. These quiet moments, just lying in bed and letting her thoughts wander, were rxing in their own way. Seraphinay awake for three hours. Seeing no signs of Valerio waking up, she decided to head downstairs and watch TV. Leandro¡¯s housekeeper only showed up when needed, so the house was quiet with just Seraphina and Valerio. After going downstairs, Seraphina first had a drink of water in the kitchen, then sat in the living room. Just as she was about to switch on the TV, she noticed theputer on the desk was on. She guessed Valerio probably turned it on when he was bored, so she went over to shut it down. A few programs were running on theputer. After closing each one, the video call interface appeared. 1 In the video, her body upied most of the screen, with a small corner in the upper right unclear. After switching between a couple of screens, Seraphina finally saw that on the other end was what seemed to be the ceiling of Leandro¡¯s office. From the angle, it looked like Leandro¡¯s phone was ced on his office desk, with the video call still connected. Seraphina was slightly taken aback, then put on her headphones. No one was visible in the video, and the voices outside the frame were distant and noisy, but Seraphina could still make out Leandro¡¯s voice, and Keen¡¯s, along with two or three other top executives from the Reynolds Group. They were discussing a project in Europe. Everyone was having a meeting a bit far from the phone, likely not noticing the small soundsing from it. Seraphina nced at the ceiling in the screen, then at her own webcam, and a light bulb went off. This must be an arrangement between Leandro and Valerio. Valerio had turned on theputer here, keeping a video chat with Leandro on the other end ¨C meaning, if Leandro didn¡¯t hang up, he could always see what¡¯s going on in their living room. In this way, it was like a surveince device was installed here. As long as Seraphina and Valerio were around, he could see and hear them anytime. Seraphina sat quietly, just listening to Leandro¡¯s distant and deep voice in her headphones, a bit raspy, analyzing the progress of the project without emotion. She nced at the time disyed on theputer. It should be almost 2 a.m. back home. She sat for a long time, then took off her headphones, took another look at the screen, and walked away. Theputer was still running, the video was still on, with no changes. Sunburst City. The Reynolds Group headquarters was still brightly lit at 3 a.m. When Keen and a few executives walked out of Leandro¡¯s office, they all looked worn out. ¡°I really am getting-old. I used to pull all-nighters, now I¡¯m exhausted just staying up till now.¡± ¡°Old? You¡¯re younger than me, don¡¯tin in front of me!¡± The executives chatted as they headed for the elevator. One of them turned to look at Keen, gave him a pat on the shoulder, ¡°You¡¯re still so young, but looking a bit under the weather! You¡¯re nowhere near Mr. Reynolds!¡± Hearing this, Keen nced at the office, thought of the energetic man inside, and let out a sigh. Who could outdo him when ites to being a workaholic?. Meanwhile, Leandro finally sat down at his desk and nced at his phone that was still on the video call. His slightly blurred gaze suddenly became clear. He picked up his phone, projecting the screen onto the big screen. In the screen, someone was in the living room. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina had sat down on the sofa at some point, watching TV and peeling an apple. Since she was alone, she was almost motionless except for the slight movements of peeling the apple. Yet, even these tiny movements, Leandro watched carefully. He watched her finish peeling the apple, slowly eat it, then wipe her hands with a napkin. A series of mundane actions. Yet, he was totally engrossed. Chapter 364 Chapter 364 On Seraphina¡¯s fifth day in Velvetwood, Andrea got up early to have a 10-minute phone call with her. Andrea wasn¡¯t busy with work in the summer, and Seraphina had nothing much going on in Velvetwood. So, she invited Andrea over to stay with her in Velvetwood. Andrea was hesitating and was walking down the stairs. When she saw Simon at the dining table, she quickly hung up her call with Seraphina. Andrea looked at Simon and then took a seat at the dining table. ¡°Hi, Dad.¡± Simon nodded, ¡°You¡¯re up early. Have you been busy with work?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Andrea replied, ¡°It¡¯s summer, I don¡¯t sleep much.¡± After saying this, she took another look at Simon and added, ¡°But you seem to be quite busytely, Dad.¡± Lately, Simon had beening in early and leavingte. Although there didn¡¯t seem to be any changes, Andrea felt that his vibe was different than usual. Simon responded, ¡°It¡¯s manageable.¡± He didn¡¯t borate. Andrea didn¡¯t ask further either. She just quietly ate her breakfast. Suddenly, the front door was pushed open from outside. Lionel Martin walked in and came to the dining table. Upon seeing Lionel, Andrea immediately stood up to greet him. Seeing that Lionel seemed to have something to talk to Simon about, she moved over to the sofa with her breakfast. Lionel took her previous seat and said coldly, ¡°We can¡¯t keep going like this. This time, Bowen Smith has really pissed off Leandro. He¡¯s retaliating like mad. He¡¯s going all out against us and we can¡¯t hold our own.¡± Simon listened to his words, cleaned his mouth with a napkin, but didn¡¯t say anything! Lionel continued, ¡°I think Bowen is doing this on purpose. He¡¯s obviously targeting the Reynolds Group. I¡¯ve said it before, he¡¯s using us to fight the Reynolds Group. Because of Tania, Teague has been too lenient with him. We can¡¯t let him use us like this.¡± Simon finished his coffee and said, ¡°Please invite Leandro for, dinner.¡± He knew what Bowen was up to. It was not like he couldn¡¯t see it. But he was looking forward to the confrontation with the Reynolds Group. If they could outdo the Reynolds Group in a few rounds ofpetition, the Martin Group¡¯s position in Sunburst City would be more secure. But the problem now was an infuriated Leandro seemed to have lost his mind. Going all out, by any means necessary against the Martin Group, was a true depiction of Leandro¡¯s recent state. If he decided to sacrifice his own business just to bring down the Martin Group, it would certainly pose a significant threat to them. This couldn¡¯t go on. Andrea, sitting nearby, listened to their conversation, quietly eating her food as if it had nothing to do with her. After Gloria¡¯s condition stabilized, she quickly returned to Reynolds Vista Retreat for recovery. Due to Leandro¡¯s strict protection, although the incident had stirred up a bit ofmotion, due tock of substantial evidence, the public remainedrgely uninformed. To take better care of Gloria, Leandro moved back to Reynolds Vista Retreat. In the morning, when Leandro visited Gloria, he found her having an IV treatment. Karan was feeding her, and she was eating calmly, bite by bite. Seeing this, Leandro felt somewhat reassured and left for work. On his way to thepany, Keen arrived early and briefed him about the recent work. ¡°Also, I received a call from the Martin Group this morning,¡± Keen said, ¡°Simon wants to invite you to dinner.¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro didn¡¯t immediately respond. He just looked at his phone screen. It disyed the view of Velvetwood. At this time, Seraphina had already brought Valerio Reynolds home and they were having dinner. After leaving the hustle and bustle of Sunburst City, she genuinely seemed more rxed, just like her state in Summitville, carefree and at ease. Perhaps leaving Sunburst City was indeed the right choice for her. Seeing that Leandro didn¡¯t respond, Keen continued after a while, ¡°It seems like the Martin Group doesn¡¯t want to continue this war, Simon is indeed a sensible man. This makes Bowen¡¯s position in the Martin Group seem shaky¡­¡± After a while, Leandromented, ¡°How boring.¡± Hearing this, Keen was taken aback. When Leandro said this, it meant he was not done ying yet. Even if the Martin Group had intentions for peace, he was not ready to back down. Keer didn¡¯t voice his opinion. He could only follow his boss¡¯ instructions. It wasn¡¯t until twenty dayster that Simon finally managed to arrange this dinner with Leandro. In these twenty days, the Martin Group faced another full-scale attack, and the employees barely had a chance to catch their breath. Lionel¡¯s mood flip, along with Leandro¡¯s arrogance and disregard, pissed him off big time. Everyone at the Martin Group was steamed at Leandro¡¯s actions, wishing they could have a face-off with him. But Simon was the only one patiently waiting, sending out dinner invites every day, just hoping for a response from Leandro. Just when the Martin Group was pushed to the corner, and resentment was at its peak, Leandro suddenly changed his tune and epted the dinner invite. August at the Enchanted Petals Club was blooming with flowers, intoxicatingly beautiful. But in the private room surrounded by a sea of flowers, the people with their own thoughtspletely ignored the floral feast. At this meal, Simon, Lionel, Teague, and Bowen from the Martin Group were all present. On the Reynolds Group¡¯s side, it was just Leandro and his buddy Keen. Lionel, with his brooding personality, was peeved but didn¡¯t let it show on his face. Teague, who always cared about his dignity, nearly had his eyes popping out at seeing someone more arrogant than him. Compared to them, Simon remained cool and collected, and Bowen was all smiles, even pouring a drink for Leandro. In a way, Leandro agreeing toe to this dinner was like epting the Martin Group¡¯s olive branch. So, at Simon¡¯s dinner, everyone was chatty, and the overall vibe was pretty good, the atmosphere was light. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, how¡¯s Seraphina doingtely?¡± Bowen seized an opportunity to bring up Seraphina. He said, grinning, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her in ages.¡± Hearing this, Leandro lifted his eyes to look at Bowen and said calmly, ¡°She¡¯s in Velvetwood, handling some financial matters.¡± ¡°Velvetwood,¡± Bowen said, ¡°Nice ce. Looks like Seraphina still has fond memories of it.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t Sandra Smith also love it there?¡± Leandro shot back, ¡°You even went out of your way to apany her there for a while. You and your sister were very close.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Upon hearing Leandro¡¯s words, Teague didn¡¯t seem to grasp anything, but Lionel had already subtly nced at Bowen. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Simon seemed to not react, but there was a tiny shift in his gaze. Bowen quickly burst intoughter, ¡°Since my parents died early, Sandra is my only family. As her brother, it¡¯s my duty to take care of her. Unfortunately, I always feel like I¡¯m not doing a good job¡­¡± After finishing. Bowen raised his ss, gestured a toast to Leandro, and then chugged his ss with a smile. Leandro was fiddling with his own ss, but didn¡¯t drink, he just said, ¡°At least in Sandra¡¯s eyes, you¡¯re the best. I think that¡¯s enough for her.¡± Upon hearing this, Bowen smiled again, but his eyes became solemn. Leandro didn¡¯t seem to notice, and turned to chat with Simon about other things. In the middle of the meal, the phone Leandro had left with Keen suddenly rang. Keen nced at it and quickly handed it to Leandro, ¡°It¡¯s Valerio.¡± After hearing this, Leandro took the phone, excused himself, and then walked outside. Watching this, Simonughed, ¡°It¡¯s rare these days to see a man taking calls from his wife and children at dinner.¡± Hearing this, Keen gave a faint smile, ¡°After all, they are in two different ces, they must miss him a lot.¡± Upon hearing this, Bowen alsoughed, turned to Simon and said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds is a man of great loyalty, especially when ites to his own family.¡± Upon hearing this, Simon just said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± After the meal, Leandro left first, and then Simon also left without any expression. Looking at the direction where Leandro¡¯s car was leaving, Teague couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°That arrogant bastard!¡± Lionel looked at him, then at Bowen next to him, and left without a word. Bowen lit a cigarette, head down, saying nothing. Teague turned to him, ¡°Are youing with me?¡± ¡°No, thanks Bowen answered with a smile, ¡°I still have some things to take care of Teague nodded, ready to get in the car, but turned back and said, ¡°Go home early, don¡¯t keep Tania waiting.¡± Bowen gave a small smile, nodded, and then helped him close the car door. After everyone had left, Bowen¡¯s car came over and his assistant got out to open the door for him. Once in the car, the smile on Bowen¡¯s face disappeared. Bowen¡¯s assistant, Hammer, noticed this and asked softly, ¡°Has Leandro reached a resolution with the Martin Group?¡± After a while, Bowen sneered and said, ¡°Resolution? They really think Simon is a pushover?¡± Hammer said, ¡°Simon may seem mild and rational, but he¡¯s vengeful, and his style is usually tough. Leandro has pushed the Martin Group to this point, he won¡¯t let Leandro and the Reynolds Group off easily.¡± After exhaling a puff of smoke, Bowen said coldly, ¡°As long as he remembers this grudge, that¡¯s enough.¡± After driving a long distance, Bowen realized that the car was heading to the apartment he shared with Tania Martin. He abruptly put out his cigarette, ¡°Go to the south of the city.¡± Upon hearing this, Hammer exchanged a nce with the driver, but eventually, the car quickly turned and headed south. When Leandro returned to Reynolds Vista Retreat, the lights were brightly lit. Two more cars were parked in the parking lot, obviously some people had returned. Leandro didn¡¯t think much of it, but bumped into Karan as soon as he entered the front door. Karan said to him, ¡°Guess who¡¯s back?¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro¡¯s heart raced. But when he turned to look at the hall, his heart rate quickly returned to normal. In the hall, Ferne Reynolds was originally chatting with Conway, holding his hand. The moment she saw Leandro, her facial expression changed slightly, she then stood up and walked slowly towards Leandro. ¡°Leandro,¡± she said softly, ¡°I heard your mother¡¯s not well, so I came back to see her. Leandro looked at her deeply, then nced at Conway sitting in the living room, and gave a cold response. Ferne had been sent to the Bahamas by him, and she had sneaked back on her own this time, so she was feeling quite uneasy. Seeing Leandro¡¯s response, sheughed, ¡°I bought lots of local specialties, grandpa loves them. You should try them too.¡± ¡°No need, Leandre-replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower upstairs.¡± After saying that, he went straight upstairs, Karan followed him. Once they reached the second floor, Karan finally said, ¡°You thought it was Seraphina who came back, didn¡¯t you?¡± Leandro nced at her without saying a word. In fact, he knew very well that Seraphina wouldn¡¯te back, but there was a sliver of hope in his heart. As expected, there were no miracles. Seeing this, Karan sighed and said, ¡°You know the moment shees back, the matter about your mother and Viv¨ªan won¡¯t be able to stay hidden, yet you still hope she¡¯lle back¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro turned to look at her, ¡°So what? Should I hope she neveres back?¡± Hearing this, Karan opened her mouth, but didn¡¯t know what to say. She¡¯s been Leandro¡¯s nanny since the start, sticking by him and Valerio even after they moved out of the Reynolds¡¯ household. She saw every bit of Leandro¡¯s transformation from a happy-go-lucky kid to a cold and ruthless man, and witnessed first-hand how different he was around Seraphina after she returned to Sunburst City. Leandro¡¯s never been good at showing his feelings, but Karan treated him like her own son, so she felt it ¨C the change in Leandro¡¯s icy demeanor and his withdrawal after he got hitched to Seraphina. No one knew better than her just how much Seraphina meant to Leandro. And the current situation? Yeah, he was stuck between a rock and a hard ce. Karan didn¡¯t say anything more, and Leandro headed straight back to his room. After he showered, he first checked in on a sleeping Gloria before heading back to his own room. He whipped out his phone and projected the security camera in the Velvetwood room onto the big screen. Seraphina was home. In reality, she was one of those people who could be both lively and quiet. When she was in her lively mode, no house could contain her; when she settled down, she seemed capable of staying indoors for weeks. Ever since she moved to Velvetwood, she seemed to prefer staying in, rarely going out, and spending most of her time pacing around her room. At the moment, she was sitting on the couch, tutoring Valerio who was sitting on the floor. Leandro was lying in bed, silently watching the almost silent scene. He guessed she knew. She knew that he was here, watching her. Chapter 366 Chapter 366 A few dayster, Seraphina weed her first guest at her home in Velvetwood. The only person who¡¯d travel all this way to see her in Velvetwood, of course, was Andrea. Seraphina and Valerio went to the airport to pick up Andrea. Valerio was quite fond of Andrea, so he was in high spirits. This time, with Leandro absent and the house being so big, Andrea naturally moved in with Seraphina and Valerio. After Seraphina showed Andrea around the house and let her choose a room, she said, ¡°Feel free to do whatever you want here. I guess you won¡¯t be shy about it. But be careful when you go down to the living room, just in case someone sees you, you might get hurt.¡± Andrea frowned at this, ¡°Is there someone peeping across the street?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh and nodded, ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s one.¡± After they finished unpacking Andrea¡¯s luggage, the two adults and the kid went out for shopping and lunch.. Andrea herself didn¡¯t care about the details, so she wasn¡¯t particr about buying daily necessities. But she saw Seraphina being meticulous about what to buy and what not to, just like a housewife. ¡°When did you be so good at this?¡± Andrea asked, bemused. Seraphina scoffed at this, ¡°Is there anything I can¡¯t do well? I just didn¡¯t have time before. Once I settle down, I can be whatever I want.¡± Andrea watched as she put some of Valerio¡¯s health food into the shopping cart, paused before saying, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve really settled down?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°No work, no assignments, no annoying people and things, it¡¯s hard for me not to settle down.¡± ¡°Annoying people and things¡­ including Leandro?¡± Seraphina was reading productbels, upon hearing this, she didn¡¯t look up, just chuckled and said, ¡°Of course, he¡¯s included.¡± Andrea wasn¡¯t sure if she was serious or just joking, after a moment of thought she said, ¡°A few days ago, Dad had dinner with Leandro.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina looked at her in surprise, ¡°They made up?¡± Andrea nodded, continued, ¡°Probably because Bowen¡¯s intention to use the Martin Group was too obvious, dad and the others realized it. Plus Leandro¡¯s mad revenge, so dad didn¡¯t want things to get worse.¡± Seraphina was silent for a while, then said, ¡°Bowen indeed has a hold on Leandro¡¯s weakness, but Leandro¡¯s weakness is also his defense line, anyone who touches this line will surely get hit.¡± Andrea didn¡¯t understand this and didn¡¯tment, only asked, ¡°Now that Bowen¡¯s issue is temporarily resolved, when are you nning to return to Sunburst City?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I didn¡¯t n this. And you just got here, how could I leave right away? That¡¯s not right, is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything important.¡± Andrea said, ¡°I¡¯m free, and I can go wherever I want. The key is whether you want to go back or not.¡± Seraphina turned to look at her, then slowly said, ¡°Maybe I should never have gone back in the first ce.¡± Hearing this, Andrea nced at Valerio, who was ying with toys by the shelf, and whispered, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gone back, how would you have met him?¡± Seraphina looked at Valerio, smiled softly, and said, ¡°He¡¯s my responsibility. I didn¡¯t have any responsibilities before, but now¡­¡± Her grandfather was her responsibility, so was Valerio, even¡­ ¡°Having no responsibilities is not a good thing.¡± Andrea softly said, ¡°Having no responsibilities means you¡¯re alone. Such a life may not necessarily be easier.¡± Seraphina was silent for a while, didn¡¯t say anything. Andrea snapped out of her thoughts, asked, ¡°What about Leandro? You¡¯ve been here for so long, hasn¡¯t he urged you toe back?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina chuckled, ¡°He might not want me to return¡­¡± Just as she finished speaking, she looked up and saw a figure moving through the shelves out of the corner of her eye, and she froze. The next moment, she let go of the shopping cart and walked towards where the figure disappeared. Andrea and Valerio were surprised to see her suddenly walk away. Andrea didn¡¯t think much of it, she grabbed Valerio and chased after Seraphina. After passing through a dozen shelves, they found Seraphina. She stood among therge shelves, looking lost. ¡°Sera.¡± Andrea quickly grabbed her hand, which was cold, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you see someone?¡± Seraphina was breathing fast, looking a bit pale, she looked at Andrea for a moment, then slowly shook her head. ¡°I just spaced out, I thought I saw¡­ Sandra.¡± said Seraphina. Just now, that figure shed past her, with long hair down to her shoulders, slightly curly at the ends, wearing a ginger-colored dress. Sandra had one too, and she loved it very much. From the outfit to the silhouette, it looked a lot like Sandra. Andrea knew Sandra, and she was surprised to hear Seraphina say this. She was about tofort Seraphina, who had already regained herposure, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°How could that be? I must have seen it wrong. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Andrea said, ¡°Is there anything else we need to buy? Let¡¯s finish shopping and head back to rest Seraphina took a deep breath, then startedughing, ¡°No problem, we rarely go shopping, so let¡¯s take our time and head back when we¡¯re done.* Andrea knew that Seraphina was pretty good at keeping her cool, so when she saw her calming down, she didn¡¯t push it any further. The three of them hit the supermarket until it was dinner time, then they ate at the most popr restaurant nearby before heading home. After the little incident at the supermarket, Seraphina seemed to bounce back pretty quickly, but Andrea couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she was quieter than usual, Luckily, Andrea had justnded and was nning on going to bed pretty early, with no other ns for the night. After watching Valerio head off to bed, Seraphina also decided to rest early. Seraphina slept like a log, deep in dreand. However, in the middle of the night, her phone suddenly rang. Startled out of her deep sleep, Seraphina picked up her phone in a daze and noticed it was a strange local number. Checking the time, it was already past one in the morning. She was initially nning to ignore it, but for some reason, she picked up. The call was connected, but the other end was quiet,pletely silent. It was like talking to a ghost. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Seraphina was holding her phone, murmuring a soft ¡°hello,¡± but there was no response from the other end. This was undeniably weird. Seraphina shapped back to reality, sat quietly for a moment, then gently tapped on her phone. Still, no response. Seraphina decisively hung up, then dialed back. The call went through, but no matter how long the ringtone went on, no one picked up. After hanging up, Seraphina found she couldn¡¯t sleep anymore. Ate-night call from an unknown number with no sound at the other end ¨C wasn¡¯t that ripped straight out of a horror movie? She¡¯d been living in this house for so many days, was she about to star in her own horror story? Seraphina found this somewhat amusing, but after theughter, she suddenly recalled the figure she saw at the supermarket today. In the day, a figure that looked a lot like Sandra Smith appeared in her line of sight; At night, a soundless call came through to her phone. Was this a coincidence? If not, what did these two events mean?Original from N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina was momentarily baffled. She got up, pacing barefoot on the floor, trying to clear her head with the coolness of the ground. Before she knew it, she walked downstairs to the living room, stopped by the liquor cab and got herself a ss of wine. As the red liquid slowly filled the ss, Seraphina¡¯s mind was still upied with the silent phone call. Just as she was deep in thought, her phone rang again. Seraphina almost jumped, promptly set down the wine bottle, picked up the phone and saw a domestic number disyed on the screen. She nced instinctively at herputer in the living room, then answered the call The other end was still eerily silent until Seraphina softly said, ¡°hello¡±. ¡°It¡¯s almost two, you¡¯re still up?¡± Leandro¡¯s voice was deep and calm, as always. Seraphina nced at the clock in the living room, paused for a moment, then replied, ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t sleep.¡± She picked up her wine ss, walked over to the couch, and sat down. After taking a sip, she asked, ¡°Guess what I saw today?¡± The two of them hadn¡¯t had a normal conversation in a long time. Apart from theputer in the living room, which was always on video calls, asionally Valerio would also video chat with Leandro. Most of the time, Seraphina was just there, they would chat casually, asking about each other¡¯s well-being, avoiding other topics. Now, Leandro was sitting in his office, looking at Seraphina¡¯s figure on therge screen, when he heard her question, his nerves that had been tense for many days rxed a bit. He loosened his tie and asked, ¡°What did you see?¡± ¡°I saw a woman¡­ who looks a lot like Sandra.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°But when I went to find her, she had disappeared.¡± Hearing this, Leandro couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡®Do you think there are really ghosts in the world?¡± Seraphina asked out of the blue. ¡®No, I don¡¯t believe in that.¡± Leandro¡¯s reply came without hesitation. Seraphina smiled faintly, and said slowly, ¡°But I just got a silent call.¡± Leandro¡¯s expression darkened slightly. ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Seraphina answered, ¡°Just that it¡¯s a Starhaven number.¡± Leandro was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°So, do you believe in ghosts now?¡± Seraphina smiled lightly, and said slowly, ¡°If it really was Sandra¡¯s ghost, shouldn¡¯t she be back home? Did she travel all the way to Starhaven just to find me, even using a Starhaven number to call, but not come find me in person?¡± ¡®So, someone¡¯s up to something.¡± Leandro finally said. Seraphinay on the couch, took another sip of her wine, then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the point, though?¡± On the other end of the call, Leandro looked at her nonchnt manner, took a moment, then slowly said, ¡°Someone wants you to stay there, they don¡¯t want you toe back.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina was taken aback. She really hadn¡¯t considered this. But thinking about it, it did make some sense ¨C Facing a woman looks like Sandra, a mysterious silent call, Seraphina wouldn¡¯t just let it go. If someone wanted to influence her through Sandra, they could do it back home, whye to Starhaven? So, the whole shenanigans here were to make her stay in Velvetwood? But why? Who would benefit from her staying in Velvetwood? Almost instantly, Seraphina thought of Gloria. Part of the reason she wanted to return to Sunburst City was because of Gloria. If she went back now, she might expose Gloria¡¯s act of pushing Vivian Smith down the stairs. Someone wanted to cover this up, so they didn¡¯t want her to return to Sunburst City? But the only people who knew the truth were Leandro and Karan. Leandro wouldn¡¯t do this to her, plus he had no reason to; Karan didn¡¯t have the means or the chance to do so. Seraphina quickly dismissed this spection. So, if it wasn¡¯t about Gloria, who wanted her to stay in Velvetwood? The only person who knew how to influence her through Sandra, was Bowen Smith. And Bowen¡¯s target has always been the Reynolds Group. So, what would happen to the Reynolds Group if she stayed in Sunburst City? This thought made Seraphina instinctively nce at herputer. She knew her ce, aware that she had little impact on the Reynolds Group. The only person who would be affected by her was one single person. Seraphina sat at a distance, quietly staring at theputer, as if she could see Leandro on the other side of the video chat. Because she knew, right then and there, Leandro was on the other side of the camera, silently watching her. For the past 20 days, he might have been watching her all along, just like that. But he hadn¡¯t made a single call to her, not until today. Maybe her waking up in the middle of the night had him worried, or maybe after holding back for so many days, he couldn¡¯t stand missing her anymore. ¡°What about you?¡± Seraphina suddenly asked him, ¡°Do you want me toe back?¡± Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Why on earth did Bowen set up this trap to keep her from heading back to Sunburst City? This means, Bowen reckons that if she doesn¡¯t go back to Sunburst City, it might do some harm to Leandro. But Bowen is clueless about Gloria¡¯s situation, and he doesn¡¯t know that her not returning might actually be the best thing for Leandro. So, Bowen just went ahead and tried to make her stay in Velvetwood. However, what Leandro thinks about this, Seraphina had no idea. There hadn¡¯t been any extra conversation between them, they were both avoiding the issue. They were afraid that if they said too much, they might touch upon topics they were both too scared to bring up. Like right now. Seraphina knew he was stuck between a rock and a hard ce, but she still couldn¡¯t help but bring it up.. Seraphina thought that Leandro might not answer, but Leandro¡¯s voice still clearly reached her ears. ¡°I hope youe back.¡± he said. Seraphina, holding her phone, stayed silent for a long time. She had been in Velvetwood for a while, and she had been patient enough not to converse too much with him, not to bring up those awkward topics. But maybe seeing that figure who looked like Sandra today made her emotions waver a bit, or maybe the deep silence of the night made her a bit bored, and she suddenly lost control.. After asking, Seraphina wasn¡¯t quite sure how to continue the conversation. But then, Leandro, on the other end of the phone, spoke again, ¡°A few days ago, I saw Bowen at a party.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Seraphina finally responded. Leandro paused for a moment, then said, ¡°I told the Martins about him and Sandra. This was unexpected for Seraphina, mainly because Leandro didn¡¯t seem to be the type to do this. It was hard to imagine that a man as proud and cold as him would do such a thing Seraphina let out a chuckle, ¡°I wish I could have been there. What was the Martins¡¯ reaction?¡± ¡°Bowen¡¯s future father-inw didn¡¯t seem to get it.¡± Leandro said, ¡°But Simon and Lionel should have. They¡¯re both smart guys, so they had to keep their cool on the surface, didn¡¯t have any big reaction. But you could tell they didn¡¯t know about this before.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina let out a sigh. When Sandra had her incident, she had two guesses ¨C the culprit was either someone from the Martin family or it was Bowen. Later on, although she had somewhat figured out that Bowen was the mastermind, it was just her own spection. Now, ording to Leandro¡¯s observation, the Martin family didn¡¯t know about Sandra and Bowen¡¯s rtionship before, so the Martin family wouldn¡¯t have any motive to harm Sandra. This means, the real culprit must be Bowen. Even though she had known this for a long time, having it confirmed again still sent chills down her spine. What pissed her off the most was that Bowen shamelessly used Sandra¡¯s death to attack her! Seraphina closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°Why would he think my staying in Velvetwood would benefit him?¡± Leandro looked at Seraphina¡¯s figure on the big screen and took a moment to respond. Why would Bowen think that? It might have something to do with that dinner party. He knew that Leandro and Seraphina were in different ces, he knew Leandro missed her, so he tried to make her stay in Velvetwood, so he could stir up trouble between Leandro and her. ¡°Because he thinks, if you¡¯re not by my side, I¡¯ll be distracted.¡± Leandro said, ¡°This would affect my judgement, my actions and my decisions.¡± Seraphina chuckled after hearing this, ¡°Well, he miscalcted then.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t.¡± Leandro¡¯s calm voice reached Seraphina¡¯s ears, she lowered her eyes and didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You¡¯re not here, tem distracted.¡± Leandro repeated, giving her a clear answer. Seraphina remained silent for a while, then she justy quietly on the couch. After a while, she spoke again, ¡°You know what it means if I go back, right?¡± After she said this, they both fell into silence. But before the silence could shatter, a voice came from upstairs, ¡°Sera¡­¡± Seraphina was startled, she quickly hung up the phone, then sat up and replied, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Andrea came downstairs when she heard the voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to bed early? Why are you here drinking?¡± ¡°I suddenly woke up.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°What about you? You haven¡¯t rested since you got off the ne, I thought you¡¯d sleep till noming and adjust to the time zone. I have a stomach-ache. Andrea said, ¡°I need some stomach medicine.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina got up to find the medicine, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re still adapting to the environment here.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Andrea looked a bit embarrassed, ¡°I came to visit you and ended up causing you trouble.¡± Seraphina she gave her a stare, ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± She searched around but couldn¡¯t find any stomach medicine, so she rang the bell to call the butler. The butler was very well-prepared, the stomach medicine was delivered quickly. Seraphina watched as Andrea swallowed the medicine, her mind finally at ease. Just as she was about to turn off the lights and head upstairs with Andrea, Seraphina remembered that she¡¯d left her phone behind. So, she went over to the couch and found it. She had hung up on a call that was still going on, not because she didn¡¯t want to hear Leandro¡¯s response but rather because she thought, ¡°Ah, never mind.¡± He¡¯d already said so much tonight, was his answer really that important? As she thought this and checked her phone, she saw two text messages. The first one -¡°I know.¡± The second one -¡°Juste back.¡± Seeing these two messages, Seraphina¡¯s first instinct was to look at the webcam on herputer. But as she was about to turn her head, she stopped herself. Holding her phone, she quietly climbed the stairs, hooking arms with Andrea as they ascended. Andrea picked up on something. ¡°What¡¯s up? Who texted you?¡± Not until they reached the second floor did Seraphina slowly respond, ¡°Leandro.¡±- ¡°And why the long face?¡± Andrea asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you always calm when ites to him?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, then slowly said, ¡°I found out a secret. If I keep it to myself, it¡¯ll eat me up inside. But if I spill the beans, it¡¯ll hurt him. How am I supposed to y it cool?¡± After hearing this, Andrea remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°You¡¯re considering his feelings.¡± Seraphina smiled again, ¡°But I can¡¯t always put him first.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But you still came to Velvetwood,¡± Andrea said. ¡°In a way, you¡¯ve already put him first.¡± Chapter 369 Chapter 369 When Seraphina heard this, her first reaction was to argue back. But when she was about to speak, she paused and just quietly looked at Andrea, seeming a bit out of it. Andrea slightly tilted her head and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it true?¡± Is it true? Isn¡¯t it true? After she went back to her room, Seraphina thought about this for a long time. She had never really thought about her feelings for Leandro before. Leandro had always been around her. They spent all day together, and she never had time to think, nor did she dare to. She was afraid that if she thought about it too much, Grandpa Reynolds would see through her. Yes, since the cancetion of their wedding to its rescheduling, she never thought about anything else. The only thing she thought about was Grandpa Reynolds. At first, it was Grandpa Reynolds wanted her to marry Leandro, so she agreed. Then, Grandpa Reynolds found out that she was only engaged to Leandro to make him happy, so he let her cancel the wedding and live freely. But after the wedding was canceled, even though her grandfather always appeared pleased in front of her, he still unintentionally revealed his regret and sighs. She thought that maybe her grandfather would only be happy if she really married Leandro. So, after Betty¡¯s affair was exposed, she saw Leandro¡¯s same heartbroken and guilty emotions, and she forgave him. After forgiving him, she put the past behind her and became Leandro¡¯s bride again. After the wedding, she devotedly yed the role of Leandro¡¯s wife, Mrs. Reynolds, in public and in private, she was a satisfied Mrs. Reynolds, Leandro always put her first, he spoiled her, and she epted all of his kindness with peace in her heart, just to be a loving couple with him. In this world, some things can only be lied about if you can lie to yourself first. She knew this very well. If she was happy, if Leandro was happy, then Grandpa Reynolds would be happy. So she put her heart and soul into the role of Mrs. Reynolds, trying to make Leandro happy as well. In this way, if her grandfather was happy, she was happy, and everyone would be happy. As for other things, she never really thought about them. From the beginning to the end, she only managed this marriage with this goal in mind. So when Andrea said that she had started to put Leandro first, she instinctively wanted to argue back. But when she wanted to say something, she couldn¡¯t. Because when she tried to bring up other reasons, she couldn¡¯t find any. In fact, she could say that everything she did was to not affect the Reynolds family, to not upset Grandpa Reynolds. But the truth was, when she made this decision, she didn¡¯t consider Grandpa Reynolds at all. Over the years, Grandpa Reynolds had weathered countless storms, he wouldn¡¯t be unable to handle such a small blow. So from beginning to end, the only person she considered was Leandro. She only considered whether he would be troubled by this, whether he would be anxious, or whether he would be in a difficult situation. Perhaps she could say that she was too invested, so invested that she lost herself. Maybe her expectations for this marriage had unconsciously be blurred¡­ Late at night, Sunburst City. When Bowen returned to his apartment in the city center, Tania was sitting on the sofa with a cold expression on her beautiful face. The apartment was very quiet, without the sound of a TV or music, and there was no sign of her usual favorite champagne The unusual atmosphere naturally made him alert, but Bowen still remained calm, slowly closed the door, and then smiled at Tania, ¡°What happened?¡± As soon as he said this, Tania¡¯s cold expression instantly turned into undisguised anger. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Sandra?¡± Hearing this question, Bowen seemed to find it somewhat amusing, ¡°What do you think our rtionship is?¡± ¡°What do I think?¡± Tania grabbed a few sheets of paper from the table and threw them at Bowen, her voice sharp, ¡°The evidence of you two staying in a hotel together is right here, what am I supposed to think?¡± Bowen quietly watched the papers fall in front of him, and after a moment, he bent down to pick up one of them. After looking at it, a cold smile appeared on his lips. He slowly ced the paper back on the table, then said tly, ¡°She¡¯s already dead, what are you still worried about?¡± Hearing this, Tania couldn¡¯t control herself and rushed at Bowen, yelling at him, ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk! You broke up with me because of her! You hit me because of her! She¡¯s dead, and you¡¯re still buying her stuff! You¡¯re deceiving me! You¡¯ve always been deceiving me!¡± To Bowen, Tania¡¯s behavior was just a farce. He abruptly grabbed Tania¡¯s wrist and pushed her away. Tania fell to the ground, crying uncontrobly, ¡°Bowen-¡± ¡°You¡¯re too emotional right now,¡± Bowen looked down at her,pletely unmoved, ¡°We¡¯ll talk when you¡¯ve calmed down.¡± After saying this, he turned around and left. ¡°Ah-¡± Tania screamed and tried to stop him, but all she saw was the elevator doors slowly closing. She sat in the hallway uncontrobly, crying her heart out. Velvetwood. It was almost noon when Seraphina finally got up. When she went downstairs, the butler and the cook were preparing lunch. Valerio was sitting on the sofa reading a book, and Andrea was by the window taking a call. Seraphina sat down on the sofa, gently stroked Valerio¡¯s head, and couldn¡¯t help but nce at the computer camera. There was a time difference between Sunburst City and here, she wondered if anyone was watching from the other side of the camera. Just as Seraphina was thinking about this, Andrea hung up the phone and walked over. Seraphina snapped out of her thoughts, looked at Andrea, and noticed that she looked unwell, so she asked, ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± ¡°Not so well,¡± Andrea touched her temple, ¡°I have a headache.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Who¡¯s giving you a headache?¡± Andrea swung her phone around to show her, and Seraphina quickly caught sight of the call log on the screen. ¡°Tania? What¡¯s up with her?¡± Andrea said, ¡°She found out about Bowen and Sandra¡­¡± Seraphina was somewhat taken aback. She recalled what Leandro had just said and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Everyone in the Martin n knows about it, it¡¯s no surprise she does too.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Then what? Any follow-up?¡± Andrea put down her phone and said slowly, ¡°She must be furning right now, or else she wouldn¡¯t have called me to rant. She¡¯s the kind who can¡¯t hide her feelings. Thest time she and Bowen broke up, she also called everyone to sob¡­¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes after hearing this, ¡°Is that all? Ms. Martin is so weak and soft, shouldn¡¯t she have dumped Bowen as soon as she found out what he¡¯s really like?¡± If she had the guts, she wouldn¡¯t be under Bowen¡¯s thumb. Andrea said. No sooner had she finished speaking, when Andrea¡¯s phone rang again. The shrill sound echoed in the quiet room. Both Seraphina and Andrea looked at the phone screen. As expected, it was Tania again. Andrea picked up the call and put it on speaker. Tania¡¯s sobbing voice came through the speaker, ¡°Have you been hanging out with Seraphinately? Help me find her! I want to ask her if she knew about all this! About her good friend and Bowen! That auction she held, all the items were their love tokens! He spent so much money! He spent all that money just to buy back their love tokens! He¡¯s a liar! He¡¯s a big liar!!¡± Before Andrea could respond, Seraphina had already leaned into the phone and said softly, ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Go and teach that jerk a lesson!¡± Tan¨ªa, seemingly overwhelmed by grief, didn¡¯t seem to recognize her voice. Sobbing twice, she choked out, ¡°I¡¯ll make them pay! I¡¯ll definitely make them pay!¡± After screaming a couple of times, Tania hung up the phone without waiting for a response. Seraphina and Andrea exchanged nces. Andrea shrugged helplessly, while Seraphina snorted and said, ¡°I sure hope she can pull it off.¡± Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, Andrea gave her a helpless look and said, ¡°The person she was talking about paying the price, that includes: Seraphina leaned back into the couch and casually said, ¡°As long as she can get rid of Bowen, I don¡¯t really care.¡± you, right?¡± ¡°Do you really not care?¡± Andrea said, ¡°You need to think about it before you say that.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina hesitated a bit. She turned her head to see Valerio staring at her, seemingly waiting for her response too. Seraphina cleared her throat lightly and then gently touched Valerio¡¯s head, saying, ¡°Of course I care, I can¡¯t just leave our Valerio alone, right?¡± Valerio nodded seriously. Seeing this, Andrea couldn¡¯t help butugh, and then said, ¡°Although she usually just talks tough, if you really piss her off, she might actually do something crazy. You need to be clear about that.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina thought for a while and then slowly said, ¡°So if I go back home now, wouldn¡¯t that be like walking into a trap?¡± Andrea looked at her in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re nning to go back?¡± Seraphina paused for a moment, then touched Valerio¡¯s head again and answered, ¡°Even though I want to stay here, the school starts soon. Our Valerio is about to be a primary school student. How could a responsible elementary student miss his first day of school?¡± Hearing this, remembering her conversation with Valerio the night before, Andrea couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Alright.¡± Andrea said, ¡°For the sake of this elementary school kid, you should go back.¡± Seraphina nced at him, stood up, and decisively said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Once the decision to go back to Sunburst City was made, those boring days seemed to have a new purpose, and Andrea¡¯s time here became short and precious. In thesest few days, Seraphina took Valerio with her, apanying Andrea to sightsee nearby for a few days. After that day, Leandro never called Seraphina again. He asionally saw her when he was video chatting with Valerio, but he never brought up the topic from that night again. Seraphina knew that he didn¡¯t want to pressure her, so she didn¡¯t say much, just waiting to discuss it when she got back. The day before departure, all three of them went shopping. Val¨¦rio was very thoughtful. Since it was only him and Seraphina traveling abroad this time, he wanted to bring a gift back for everyone in the family. As a result, he spent most of the day picking out satisfactory gifts due to his high standards. Seraphina and Andrea apanied him shopping for the entire day. By nightfall, they were almost exhausted. When they got back to their house, all three of them copsed onto the couch, just in time for the butler to unexpectedly knock on the door and walk in. ¡°Madam.¡± The butler held an envelope in his hand and said to Seraphina, ¡°Someone delivered this while you were out, saying it was for you.¡± Seraphina looked at the envelope and frowned slightly, then slowly reached out and took it. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. The envelope was a regr one, very thin. The thing inside was a bit hard. As soon as Seraphina touched it, she knew it was a photo. What could it be this time? As she pondered, she started to open the envelope. The moment she held the photo from inside in her hand, Seraphina froze. The photo was a shot of a regr restaurant. Most of the seats were empty, but in the corner sat two people, a man and a woman. The man¡¯s face was clearly visible. It was Bowen in casual wear. And the woman next to him was wearing a baseball cap, obscuring her eyes and eyebrows, only revealing the lower half of her face. Even though only the nose and mouth were visible, the contours of that face were too familiar to Seraphina. For a moment, many questions flooded her mind, and Seraphina was somewhat at a loss. When was this photo taken? Why would someone send this photo to her? What was the purpose? Seeing her standing there in a daze, Andrea called out to her, ¡°Sera, what is it?¡± Seraphina came to and handed the photo in her hand to Andrea. Andrea took it and nced at it, quickly recognizing the man, ¡°Bowen?¡± Seraphina nodded. Andrea asked again, ¡°And who¡¯s this girl next to him?¡± Looks like Sandra.¡± Seraphina said. Hearing this, Andrea gave her a look, ¡°How could that be?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Seraphina rubbed her temples and said, ¡°Who knows when this photo was taken.¡± ¡°This photo couldn¡¯t have been taken in the past.¡± Andreaid the photo in front of Seraphina and pointed to Bowen, ¡°Because this outfit Bowen is wearing is this summer¡¯s new release.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina looked up at her sharply, then picked up the photo and looked at it closely a few more times before speaking again, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± After Andrea confidently answered, she quickly picked up the tablet next to her and under Seraphina¡¯s gaze, found the brand¡¯s official website and searched for the top that Bowen was wearing in the photo. Seraphina took the tablet and carefullypared the two. In theory, Andrea was in the fashion industry and Seraphina should trust her judgement. But for something this important, Seraphina didn¡¯t want to make a rash conclusion. She scanned the received photo into theputer, erged it, and carefullypared it with the image on the brand¡¯s official website. The result confirmed that the top Bowen was wearing in the photo was indeed this summer¡¯s new release. Which means that this photo was taken during this summer. It could have been two months ago, a month ago, or even just a few days ago ¨C But how could that be possible? Seraphina kept looking at the lower half of the woman¡¯s face in the photo. Sandra died in early April. How could she appear in a recently taken photo? ¡°If the woman in the photo isn¡¯t her, then who the heck could it be? Could there really be another girl in this world who¡¯s a dead ringer for Sandra, so much so that even Seraphina could get them mixed up? Suddenly, Seraphina was filled with doubts, making it hard for her to catch her breath, Andrea stared at the photo, her insides a mess of confusion, but she was at a loss for words. Even if it was a question Seraphina herself didn¡¯t have the answer to, no matter how much she puzzled over it, it would just be a waste of time. Seraphina sat quietly in front of theputer, motionless for a long time. Valerio wanted to go over and cheer her up, but Andrea stopped him. Just as Andrea was about to tell Valerio to take a breather, Seraphina, who had been slumped over, suddenly sat up and began examining the photo on theputer screen carefully. She zoomed in on every single detail in the photo, taking note of each one. ¡°Sera?¡± Andrea called to her softly. Seraphina was totally engrossed in annotating the details in the photo. When she finally spoke, her voice was a bit frosty, ¡°If we want to figure out what¡¯s going on, then let¡¯s start from square one. I¡¯ll look up which-restaurant this is and where it¡¯s located. One step at a time, we¡¯ll get to the bottom of this.¡± Chapter 371 Chapter 371 At night, after tucking Valerio into bed, Andrea turned to the living room only to find Seraphina still sitting by herputer. She had alreadypiled detailed pictures of the restaurant and posted them to her old social circles, as well as various social media tforms asking for help. Seraphina sat in front of herputer, meticulously going through each feedback. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Andrea walked over and asked in a low voice, ¡°Any useful information?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°But I believe we¡¯ll have something soon. Even though these guys are just regr journalists, they can be pretty influential when they band together.¡± Before she could finish, a ¡°ding-dong¡± sound came from herputer. She immediately turned to see a private message. The message was from a journalist she knew before. After some chit-chat, he quickly sent over a few pictures of the restaurant. Each detail in the photos perfectly matched the previous ones! Seraphina immediately got excited and asked for the restaurant¡¯s address. The answer she got was somewhere in Moonhaven. She quickly thanked him and turned to Andrea, ¡°If the restaurant is indeed in Moonhaven, I can go and check it out tomorrow.¡± Andrea fell silent for a moment, then said, ¡°But we¡¯re going back home tomorrow, is there enough time?¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°Definitely not. You and Valerio can go back first, I¡¯ll follow once everything¡¯s sorted.¡± Andrea shrugged, nced at theputer in front of her, and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin to me.¡± With that, he stood up and headed upstairs. Seraphina sat for a while, then opened a minimized video call software. The view of Leandro¡¯s office ceiling appeared on the screen. Seraphina quietly watched for a moment, then picked up the nearby headphones and put them on. ¡°Hello?¡± she said slowly, ¡°Anyone there?¡± After a moment, the screen on the other end moved. Leandro¡¯s expressionless face appeared in front of the camera. Seraphina sat hugging her legs, quietly watching him but said nothing. The fact that he responded at her call meant he was always near his phone, he must have heard her conversation with Andrea. Sure enough, after a while, Leandro spoke, ¡°Is there something you want to tell me?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Seraphina carefully said, ¡°Could you have Keene over and take Valerio back? School¡¯s about to start, he needs to attend.¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina pursed her lips, then said, ¡°Also, I might stay here a bit longer. I want to find out who¡¯s messing with us and their motive.¡± ¡°Just for that?¡± ¡°Then what else could it be?¡± Leandro silently observed Seraphina for a moment, then said, ¡°By choosing to stay, aren¡¯t you falling for their trap?¡± Seraphina gave a slight chuckle and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve always been good at taking advantage of situations. Since they¡¯ve given me an opportunity, I¡¯ll certainly seize it.¡± Leandro fell silent for a moment after hearing this. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Seraphina asked. Leandro paused for a few seconds, then said, ¡°It¡¯s your decision.¡± He would always support her. Even though he wished she coulde back at this moment, he knew that every day she was around would be another day of trouble for Gloria. ¡°Then you carry on,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± She was about to continue with her work when Leandro suddenly said, ¡°No, you¡¯re not disturbing me.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina paused for a moment, then asked softly, ¡°is work busy recently?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Leandro replied. ¡°Do you get off work on time every day?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Seraphina. After she finished, she didn¡¯t know what else to ask. But on the screen, Leandro was still quietly looking at her, as if waiting for her to continue. Seraphina silently watched him, then finally said, ¡°Leandro, I wille back.¡± Hearing this, Leandro¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, then he softly responded, ¡°Okay.¡± The next day at noon, Keen arrived in Velvetwood very quickly after receiving the urgent task. Seraphina had been waiting for him, finally handing over Andrea and Valerio to him when he arrived. Valerio found it hard to ept leaving Seraphina, holding tightly onto her clothes. It took Seraphina a long time tofort him, finally managing to convince him. Andrea didn¡¯t say much, just told Seraphina, ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°This is my turf.¡± After seeing them off, Seraphina immediately headed to Moonhaven. Two hourster, Seraphina walked into the restaurant. It was a very ordinary restaurant. Seraphina ordered a set meal and took out Bowen¡¯s picture, asking the server, ¡°Do you remember these two?¡± There were five servers in the restaurant. Seraphina asked all of them but got no affirmative answers. Considering it was a restaurant located downtown with arge number of customers, it would indeed be hard for the servers to remember Bowen if he only came asionally. Seraphina then turned to the restaurant¡¯s surveince camera. ¡°How long do you usually keep the surveince footage?¡± she asked. ¡°Two weeks.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina was obviously disappointed. The news Keen brought back from home was that Bowen did often travel between Moonhaven and Sunburst City, but it seemed he hadn¡¯t left Sunburst City at all in the past month. This meant that the odds of finding any clues in this restaurant were pretty much zilch. Seraphina mindlessly munched on a few bites of food, preparing to leave when out of the blue, she got a call from an old co-worker. ¡°I¡¯ve got the info on the phone number you were looking for,¡± her former colleague told her. ¡°The number is andline for an apartment near the restaurant.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Andline? Hearing this, Seraphina almost burst outughing. It seemed like the puppet master really hadid out the red carpet for her, just waiting for her to step into the unknown. ¡°Is there a specific address?¡± Seraphina asked. Her former co-worker shot the exact address to her phone in no time. As she looked at the address, Seraphina took a deep breath. Just as she thought, the apartment was right around the corner from the restaurant. Right now, she was dying to know, who on earth was living in that apartment. Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Seraphina wasn¡¯t sure if it was luck or someone¡¯s doing, but the apartment was conveniently up for rent. So, she got in touch with the real estate agent, asked to meet thendlord and managed to do so within the apartment. The apartment was an old-fashioned building, three bedrooms, a living room, furnished, butpared to the age of the apartment, the furniture in the room was clearly new, obviously recently reced. ¡°Is all this fumiture new?¡± Seraphina asked, walking around the room. ¡°Yes.¡± Thendlord replied, ¡°These were all reced when thest tenant moved in, but they didn¡¯t stay long, probably only about three months, so everything is still very new.¡± ¡°They?¡± Seraphina responded casually, ¡°How many people lived in such a big house?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Thendlord said, ¡°The lease was signed with a man.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t ask further, just nodded and casually asked, ¡°Was he from Sunburst City?¡±. Thendlord was surprised, ¡°How did you know?¡± Seraphina nced at the room¡¯syout and smiled, ¡°The arrangement of these furniture shows the living habits, not like a Moonhaven people¡¯s habit, but more like a Sunburst City resident.¡± So, thendlord gave Seraphina a thumbs up. ¡°When did they move out?¡± Seraphina asked again. Thendlord replied, ¡°They left about a month ago, but the lease didn¡¯t end untilst week, so we just started re-renting.¡± ¡°Has anyone moved in after they left?¡± ¡°No.¡± Thendlord said, ¡°Even though they gave me the keys when they left, I didn¡¯t give the keys to anyone before the lease ended.¡± After listening, Seraphina did some mental calction. Thendlord said the lease was terminatedst week, and she received the call from this room a few days ago, which means that after thendlord was preparing to re-rent the house, someone called her from this room. In addition to thendlord, the keys to the house should also be held by the agency. People who view the house through the agency will probably leave personal information, but this person who lured her here in such aplicated way may not have left useful information for her. Seraphina took a deep breath, preparing to be in for a long investigation. ¡°What do you think?¡± Thendlord asked her when she was almost finished looking around, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Very satisfied, extremely satisfied.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°We can sign the contract right away, I want to move in immediately.¡± Seeing her so straightforward, thendlord was naturally very pleased, so he immediately signed a six- month lease. The decision to rent and move in was made within a day, Seraphina naturally didn¡¯t have too much luggage, but she believed the process of moving was very important, so she asked Abbot to go to the supermarket to buy arge number of daily necessities. The purchased goods were stacked in boxes downstairs in the apartment, Seraphina was not in a hurry to move these items upstairs, but took advantage of this time to wander around nearby. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. The building where the apartment was located was a bit old, part of the old city area, the surrounding streets were full of life. Seraphina wandered aimlessly around the neighborhood for a while, but didn¡¯t leave any deep impressions. The only thing that caught her attention was Mercy LifeCare Hospital she saw in the distance. She didn¡¯t walk to the hospital, roughly estimated, from the apartment to the hospital, it would take about three to five minutes by car, very close. Seraphina stood quietly on the street, staring at the white hospital building for a long time. During this time, she could have thought about many things, but she didn¡¯t want to. Not until it was getting dark did Seraphina turn around to go back. On the way back, she passed a wine shop, so she pushed the door and went in, nning to pick up a couple of bottles of wine to take back. She didn¡¯t have much professional knowledge about wine, but Leandro was an expert, and under his influence, Seraphina also learned a bit. Seraphina was looking closely at thebel on a bottle of wine when she heard a lowugh behind her, followed by a familiar voice, ¡°This one is so-so, if you are drinking it yourself, I suggest you try this one.¡± With that, another bottle of wine was handed to Seraphina. Following the wine, Seraphina looked at the person behind her and suddenlyughed. Then, she took the wine, looked down at it for a moment, then looked up at the other person, ¡°Since Mr. Gray rmends it, I must give it a try.¡± Behind her, Patrick Gray was dressed in a ck suit, elegant andposed. Then, he picked up another bottle of wine and handed it to Seraphina, ¡°This one is also good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to try all of Mr. Gray¡¯s rmendations.¡± After Seraphina finished speaking, she reached out to take the bottle of wine. Patrick just smiled and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s my rmendation, I¡¯ll pay.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina just smiled, ¡°Thank you, I appreciated it.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s destiny that we run into each other.¡± After Patrick finished speaking, he took two bottles of wine and walked towards the cashier. ¡°Hello, Mr. Gray.¡± The shop owner saw him and immediately came over to greet him, then said, ¡°The two cases of wine you ordered have arrived, I was just about to send them to you.¡± Patrick gave a slight smile and said, ¡°I was just passing by today, so I came to pick it up myself, didn¡¯t expect to run into an old friend here.¡± Hearing this, the shop owner enthusiastically greeted Seraphina. Then, Seraphina watched as the shop owner brought out the two cases of wine Patrick ordered, and for a moment, she didn¡¯t know how to feel. ¡°So, it really is a coincidence.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°When did youe back to Starhaven?¡± ¡°Over two months ago.¡± Patrick answered, ¡°How about you? When did you get here?¡± ¡°Moonhaven?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I just got here today.¡± Patrick heard this and looked at Seraphina¡¯s bodyguard, then said, ¡°Did youe alone?¡± Seraphina nodded. ¡°So¡­¡± Patrick chuckled, ¡°How about I treat you to dinner?¡± Seraphina, however, shook her head with a smile, ¡°I can¡¯t today! ¡°Got a date?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seraphina answered honestly, ¡°I¡¯m moving.¡± Hearing this, Patrick raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Moving? Need any help?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really no biggie, I wouldn¡¯t dare to disturb your precious time, Mr. Gray.¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°I¡¯ve got people to help, I can handle it.¡± Alright then.¡± Seeing this, Patrick didn¡¯t say much. He just said, ¡°If it¡¯s not convenient for you today, let¡¯s schedule another day.¡± Seraphina agreed with a smile. After leaving the wine shop, they went in different directions. Abbot followed behind Seraphina, watching Patrick¡¯s car disappear into the traffic before murmuring, ¡°Running into him here, what are the odds?¡± Hearing this, Seraphina exhaled softly, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. But once we find the previous tenant of that apartment, everything should be clear.¡± Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Once she got back to the apartment, Seraphina¡¯s moving adventure officially kicked off. All the stuff Abbot had people buy were still down in the lobby. Only after Seraphina returned did the hauling upstairs begin. Aside from Abbot, there were two bodyguards with Seraphina, but she wouldn¡¯t let them lend a hand. She hoisted those boxes up the stairs herself, one box at a time. It was peak time for the people living here toe home, and Seraphina, going up and down in the elevator with her stuff, naturally bumped into a lot of them. Although city folks nowadays tend to be pretty aloof, most were willing to exchange a word or two with ady as good-looking and warm as Seraphina. So, she spent the evening recycling a few phrases- ¡°I just moved in. I¡¯ll be working around here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking over my sister¡¯s lease. 702. The ce is not half bad.¡± ¡°My sister used to live in 702, for about three months. Have you seen her? We¡¯re like two peas in a pod!¡± After hauling up dozens of boxes, Seraphina had met over twenty people. But none of them had seen the previous tenant of 702. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. A few did recall seeing caregivers and helpersing in and out of 702, but none of them were locals. So, Seraphina did glean some useful info: there were caregivers and helpers in the apartment, which meant the person living there for those three months was likely someone needs help. Given theck of sightings of the tenant, it¡¯s fair to guess that the person must have been seriously ill. Once the apartment quieted down, Seraphina retreated to her room, pulled up a photo of a restaurant on herptop, and studied it intently. In the photo, the woman who looked a lot like Sandra had her eyes obscured by a duckbill hat, but her lips and jawline looked stiff. Bowen, sitting next to her, seemed to be quite tender, portioning food onto her te. The woman, however, wore a cold expression void of any sweetness or tenderness. Seraphina stared at the photo for a long time, until her phone rang, snapping her out of it. She picked up her phone. It was a video call from Andrea. Seraphina took the call, and Andrea and Valerio¡¯s faces popped up on the screen. Valerio waved excitedly at Seraphina, but his smile quickly faded, and his eyes lost their sparkle. Andrea ruffled his hair and said, ¡°We just got out of the airport, now we¡¯re taking Valerio home.¡± Then she spotted the background behind Seraphina, ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Moonhaven,¡± Seraphina answered nonchntly, ¡°In an apartment that¡¯s supposedly haunted.¡± Andrea, used to Seraphina¡¯s blunt style, was calm. She simply said, ¡°It¡¯ste over there. Get some rest. Deal with things tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°As long as you guys are safe, I¡¯m good. I¡¯m gonna go to bed now.¡± Even though she said that, she stayed put in front of herputer after hanging up and continued to gaze at the photo on the screen. Meanwhile, in Sunburst City. On the way to the city from the airport, Keen made two phone calls then turned to Andrea, ¡°Ms. Martin, we¡¯ll drop you off at home first, then I¡¯ll take Valerio straight to the Reynolds Group. Mr. Reynolds hasn¡¯t seen him in a while. They should have a good time together this afternoon.¡± Andrea thought for a moment and replied, ¡°No need to drop me off first. Let¡¯s go to the Reynolds Group. I¡¯ll bring him to his dad and then leave.¡± Keen didn¡¯t argue and they went on their way. When they arrived at the office, Andrea, hand in hand with Valerio, made their way to the 26th floor and into Leandro¡¯s office. Valerio, having not seen Leandro in almost a month, ran into his arms the moment he saw him. Leandro held him, then looked at Andrea. With a small smile, Andrea said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave him with you. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Leandro simply nodded. Andrea said goodbye to Valerio then turned and left. Keen was taken aback. He whispered, ¡°I thought she came to say something to you. I didn¡¯t expect she just wanted to hand Valerio over to you personally.¡± Leandro wasn¡¯t surprised. After patting Valerio¡¯s head, he told Keen, ¡°Take Ms. Martin home.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Keen answered, then hurried to catch up with Andrea. Leandro then turned his attention back to Valerio. After a moment, he said, ¡°You seem a bit taller?¡± Valerio, excited, stood up. Then, pulling Leandro to the lounge area, he showed him the drawings from his backpack. The drawings consisted ofndscapes, buildings, and mostly everyday scenes, with Seraphina featuring prominently in them. There she stood, sat,ughed, and daydreamed. Leandro carefully examined each drawing. After a while, he said, ¡°Very good. You¡¯ve improved.¡± At the praise, Valerio beamed. Finally, he walked over to Leandro, eyes wide, looking at him expectantly. Leandro could clearly read Valerio¡¯s thoughts through his eyes. With a small smile, he didn¡¯t hide his emotions, ¡°Yes, I miss her,¡± Upon hearing this, Valerio frowned. Leandro rubbed his head again, saying slowly, ¡°When it¡¯s time for her toe back, she¡¯lle back.¡± The next morning, the first thing Seraphina did when she got up was to head to the familiar Agency S. She used to hang out mainly in Velvetwood, so moving to Moonhaven was a bit of a challenge. Luckily, she was well-acquainted with a few journalists from themunication agencies, so she didn¡¯t hesitate to seek their help.. Her mission was to investigate the patient records of Mercy LifeCare Hospital, paying special attention to the women from Sunburst City who had been treated there since April. The hospital¡¯s privacy protection system was very strict, making such information hard to get. However, for a meticulous investigative journalist, nothing is impossible. Throughout the morning, Seraphina visited several journalist friends in Moonhaven, entrusting them with this task. Around noon, Seraphina left Agency S. As the elevator door opened, she bumped into someone she knew. Patrick and his assistant were inside the elevator, discussing something. Seeing Seraphina standing outside, Patrick gave a slight smile. Seeing him didn¡¯t surprise Seraphina. After all, Agency S was this man¡¯spany, and she had even calcted the probability of running into him here. ording to her calctions, the chances of meeting him were over 70%. As it turned out, her calctions were spot on. Seraphina also broke into a smile, ¡°Looks like Mr. Gray has to treat me to lunch today.¡± Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Agency S was perfectly located, just a stone¡¯s throw away from all sorts of restaurants downstairs. After consulting with Seraphina, Patrick decided to go to his regr restaurant. Once they sat down, Seraphina handed the menu over to Patrick. Without much thought, he ordered two sets and shooed the waiter off. ¡°We¡¯ve got lobster andmb chops here,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°You ordered such a fancy meal for me, how much weight am I gonna gain?¡± Patrick nced at her, grinned, and said, ¡°You¡¯re so skinny, you could eat more.¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow. ¡°Most men say that. But when a woman actually puts on weight, the result is usually being rejected.¡± Patrick chuckled, ¡°I mean it, really.¡± Seraphina took a sip of water, keeping her own counsel. Then Patrick asked her why she was at Agency S. ¡°I asked a friend to dig up some info for me,¡± she responded. ¡°Dig up what? Need a hand?¡± asked Patrick. Seraphina gave him a sidelong nce, smiling. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to help, that¡¯d be great. But I don¡¯t want to cause you any trouble.¡± ¡°No sweat,¡± Patrick said. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me out a lot before, I¡¯ll help you. What¡¯re you looking for?¡± Seraphina looked at him calmly, slowly saying, ¡°I want to find out about the women who were treated at Mercy LifeCare Hospital from April to July.¡± Patrick nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy, but I think I can help you.¡± ¡°You have got so many elite people working for you, it can¡¯t be difficult.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then.¡± Patrick grinned, ¡°I¡¯d be happy to.¡± Seraphina also grinned, then said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna ask me why I¡¯m looking for this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for it, you¡¯ve got your reasons.¡± Patrick looked down, smiling before looking back up at her. ¡°What I want to know is, why¡¯d youe back to Starhaven on your own?¡± Now that¡¯s an interesting question. Seraphina looked at him, slowly saying, ¡°I came back to deal with my mom¡¯s estate.¡±¡®¡± Patrick nodded, then asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Mr. Reynoldse with you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s busy,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°I can handle this little thing on my own.¡± ¡°When are you nning on going back?¡± Patrick asked. Seraphina grinned, ¡°Depends on when I get the information I need.¡± Hearing this, Patrick smiled and said, ¡°So should I hurry up and find the information you need, or should I slow down so you can spend more time hanging out with friends in this foreignnd?¡± Seraphina looked at him quietly for a while, thenughed, ¡°I guess that¡¯s up to you.¡± Patrick smiled, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± After lunch with Patrick, Seraphina went to meet other friends. Although Patrick could help her find all the information, she didn¡¯t dare trust himpletely before she had a better understanding of the situation. On the road, Abbot, who was in the passenger seat, kept stealing nces at Seraphina, looking like he had something to say but didn¡¯t dare to speak up. At first, Seraphina paid him no mind, but eventually she got fed up and nced at him, ¡°You don¡¯t need to report this to your boss.¡± ¡°But ma¡¯am¡­¡± Abbot cautiously said, ¡°Patrick seems to have a thing for you.¡± Seraphinaughed, ¡°There are plenty of men who have a thing for me. If your boss gets jealous over every single one, he¡¯d go insane.¡± After hearing this, Abbot was speechless. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. After the silence returned, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but think about her encounters with Patrick over the past couple of days. She had been deliberately testing him, but he didn¡¯t show any signs of weakness. Instead, he showed a confusing mix of genuine and fake interest in her, which even Abbot noticed. For a moment, Seraphina was truly confused. What role was Patrick ying in this whole thing? That day, Seraphina visited various ces,working. By the time she returned home in the evening, she was exhausted. Lying on the couch, watching the clock strike eight, Seraphina picked up her tablet and video called Valerio. Even though it was early, Valerio was already up, arranging his books and stationery in his room. ¡°You¡¯re really disciplined at home,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Up so early.¡± Valerio patted his chest, indicating he was a good, disciplined boy. Seraphinaughed, then asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your dad?¡± Valerio shrugged and spread his hands. ¡°He didn¡¯te home to sleep?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°You¡¯re back, and he¡¯s still staying at Reynolds Manor?¡± Valerio nodded. Seeing this, Seraphina sighed. It had been a long time since Leandro and Valerio had been apart, and now that Valerio was back, Leandro was still staying at Reynolds Manor. It was clear that Gloria¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t very good. Seraphina didn¡¯t ask about Leandro anymore and chatted with Valerio for a bit. Then her phone rang. Seraphina nced at the caller ID and quickly told Valerio, ¡°Alright, you keep tidying up your stuff. I¡¯ll call you back in a bit.¡± After ending the video call, Seraphina immediately answered the phone. It was Patrick. ¡°Seraphina, I¡¯ve got the info you wanted. Should I bring it over, or do you wannae over and take a look?¡± Seraphina thought to herself, Patrick sure lives up to his name as a media mogul. ¡°Mr. Gray, are you in your office?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°I¡¯lle to you then.¡± Half an hourter, Seraphina arrived at Patrick¡¯spany. Even at night, SpectrumMedia Innovations was still lit up. Seraphina went to the top floor and quickly entered Patrick¡¯s office. When she walked in, Patrick was on the phone. Seraphina quietly waved at him in greeting, then took a seat across his desk. While still on the phone, Patrick passed her a file from his desk. Seraphina took the file and immediately started reading. The file contained the medical records of female patients from Sunburst City who had visited Mercy LifeCare Hospital between April and August. The number of records was in the dozens. Seraphina quickly went through each page, but didn¡¯t see any familiar names. Just as she was about to start over and sift through the records more carefully, Patrick had hung up his phone and was looking at the file in her hands. He said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure who you¡¯re looking for. But I¡¯ve already sorted this list by age group. Each page represents a different age group, so it should be easier for you to look through.¡± Seraphina took another nce, and quickly pulled out the page for the 20 to 30 age group. There were 9 names on that page, but none of them were familiar to her. However, among these unfamiliar names, there could very well be the person she was looking for. ¡°I¡¯ve already had someone looking into these individuals¡¯ detailed information,¡± Patrick said, ¡°If all goes well, we should hear something by tomorrow.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina slowly lifted her eyes to look at him. She was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°So, you actually knew I was looking for a woman between the ages of 20 and 30?¡± Chapter 375 Chapter 375 When Patrick heard Seraphina¡¯s question, he paused for a moment, but didn¡¯t dodge it. He just shed a small smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing the person you¡¯ve been busting your hump to find is about this age, right?¡± Seraphina gently shook her head, ¡°This answer doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡± Patrick couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, then said, ¡°Seraphina, trust me on this. You¡¯ve helped me crack cases before and everything I¡¯m doing is to help you.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina silently looked at him. In a way, Patrick saying this was like admitting something. ¡°Did you send me that photo?¡± Seraphina asked. Patrick probably didn¡¯t expect her to be so blunt, he could only nod helplessly. Seraphina¡¯s eyes stiffened a bit. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you juste to me directly, but instead make mee to Moonhaven in this roundabout way?¡± Patrick pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to misunderstand me, thinking I had ulterior motives.¡± This involved Bowen, and Bowen had ties to the Martin family. To Patrick, the Martin family was something special. Patrick¡¯s words could be understood. ¡°If you wanted to avoid any misunderstandings, then you shouldn¡¯t have shown up in front of me.¡± Seraphina said. Patrick slowly nodded, showing a helpless smile, ¡°I know, but I just want to help you. I know it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± Seraphina pondered for a while and said, ¡°You¡¯ve indeed helped me a lot. Can you tell me now the whole story behind this photo?¡± ¡°The photo was taken unintentionally by one of my guys. Bowen is not a nobody in my book, so they snapped it.¡± Patrick exined, ¡°I only realized the girl in the photo might be important to you when I saw the news about your charity auction.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s body stiffened involuntarily. Since receiving that photo, she had never admitted that the person in it was Sandra. The reason she was so eager to investigate was just to see who the woman in the photo was, and why she looked so much like Sandra. She dared not to think about the possibility that Sandra¡¯s still alive, because she didn¡¯t want to give herself false hope. But now, with Patrick directly stating that the person in the photo might be important to her, Seraphina felt a pang. This sting even made her a bit angry. ¡°I want to know who the person in the photo is, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s important to me,¡± Seraphina said. Patrick seemed to understand her feelings, hearing her emotional words, he just nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you investigate who the woman in the photo is.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t refuse. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The identity of the woman in the photo had be her main concern now. If she could utilize Patrick¡¯s connections to quickly find out this woman¡¯s information, it wouldn¡¯t hurt. The answer to this question appeared in Patrick¡¯s hands the next day. Seraphina saw the woman¡¯s passport information on Patrick¡¯sputer. The woman¡¯s name was Leni Sawyer, from Riverside Haven, born in ¡¯90. Aside from her face, which was almost identical to Sandra¡¯s, her personal information didn¡¯t ovep with Sandra¡¯s at all. However, she appeared next to Bowen, and over a month ago, left Starhaven with him. Seraphina stared at the passport information for quite a while. Seeing her silence, Patrick finally asked, ¡°Any thoughts?¡± Seraphina scoffed, ¡°What can I think? I won¡¯t make any judgments until I see this woman with my own eyes.¡± ¡°I thought your style was to hypothesize boldly and verify cautiously,¡± Patrick looked at her and said slowly. Seraphina bit her lip tightly and didn¡¯t answer. Actually, Patrick wasn¡¯t entirely right, her usual approach was to hypothesize boldly and then verify in an exaggerated way. But this situation didn¡¯t even give her the courage to hypothesize. She didn¡¯t want to assume that she never lost Sandra; she also didn¡¯t want to assume that after the car ident, pain and death, Sandra was living in this world in such apletely lost way. Because once such assumptions formed in her mind, she might lose herself, By then, she would lose her reason and would go crazy looking for Sandra. What problems that might cause, she couldn¡¯t predict. ¡°So, are you nning to go back to Sunburst City to find her?¡± Patrick asked again. Seraphina nodded, ¡°Yes. Since she¡¯s already left Starhaven, I¡¯ll go find her. If I can¡¯t find her in Sunburst City, I¡¯ll go to Riverside Haven, turn every stone, I¡¯ll find this Leni.¡± Patrick fell silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°When are you nning to go back?¡± ¡°The sooner the better,¡± Seraphina answered, but the next moment, she suddenly stopped. What about Gloria¡¯s problem if she just left like this? Seeing her momentary confusion, Patrick asked softly, ¡°Anything wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Seraphina took a deep breath, ¡°I have to go back eventually, the rest will take care of itself.¡± Patrick didn¡¯t ask what her ¡°other problems¡± were, just smiled and said, ¡°Well, perfect timing, we can go back together.¡± Seraphina looked at him. Patrick said, ¡°I was nning to go back to Sunburst City in a few days anyway. Now that you¡¯re going back too, it all works out.¡± Seraphina epted his help, smiling as she said, ¡°Sure.¡± The news that Seraphina wasing back reached Leandro at seven in the morning. The call was from Abbot, probably made at this time so as not to disturb Leandro¡¯s rest. He informed Leandro that Seraphina had arrived at the airport, and Patrick was with her. It happened to be the weekend, so Leandro had the day off. He got up early and had a chat with Gloria, then headed back to Reynolds Manor. He had originally nned to spend the day with Valerio, but didn¡¯t expect Seraphina to return on the same day. Everything seemed to fall into ce perfectly. When Leandro got back to Reynolds Manor, he was surprised to see Bruce. It had been a while since Gloria¡¯s suicide, and Bruce had never visited her. Leandro didn¡¯t expect to bump into him here. Bruce was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a world encyclopedia with Valerio. When he saw Leandro, he just gave a faint smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, just wondering what the heck was going on today. Soon, he recalled a simr date from his memory ¨C the day Magdalen joined the Reynolds family. So that¡¯s why Bruce suddenly showed up. Leandro slightly lowered his head, a hint of sarcastic smile ying on his lips. Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Valerio was quietly sitting in Bruce¡¯sp reading a book, but as soon as he saw Leandro, he dropped the book and ran over to him, looking at him expectantly. Leandro could tell from Valerio¡¯s expression that he hadn¡¯t talked to Seraphina today, which was probably why he looked down and his eyescked sparkle. Leandro reached out and patted Valerio¡¯s head, saying in a deep voice, ¡°You¡¯ll see your mom tonight.¡± Valerio¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief when he heard this. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Bruce, hearing this, also broke into a smile, ¡°Seraphina ising back tonight? Perfect, we can all sit down for a family dinner.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t react much to this, just patted Valerio¡¯s head again, ¡°You need a haircut, I¡¯ll take you to the barbershopter.¡± Valerio was already very excited about the news of Seraphina¡¯s return, so he nodded quickly to whatever Leandro said. Soon, Leandro took Valerio out the door. When Conway came downstairs, only Bruce was left sitting in the living room. ¡°Didn¡¯t Leandroe back?¡± Conway asked, ¡°Where did he go?¡± Bruce chuckled and said, ¡°He seems a bit mad at me, didn¡¯t want to see me, so he took Valerio out.¡± Conway frowned when he heard this, nced at Bruce, and went back upstairs. Bruce seemed used to this kind of situation and didn¡¯t mind it at all. He shrugged, picked up the ss of water in front of him, and drank quietly. Leandro took Valerio to the barbershop he often went to. The barber, Fabian, was an old man who laughed when he saw Valerio, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re getting ready to go back to school, thinking about a new hairstyle?¡± Valerio shook his head vigorously at the mention of a new hairstyle. Fabian couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°You¡¯re just like your dad-got it, got it, no new hairstyle, I¡¯ll just trim it a bit.¡± Only then did Valerio sit down in the barber chair with a smile of relief. Fabian was arranging his tools and looked at Leandro who was sitting on the couch looking at his phone, and asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t been here for a while, have you been busy?¡± Leandro looked up slowly when he heard this and looked at himself in the mirror. ording to his habit, he shoulde once a month, but he had been too busytely and hadn¡¯te for more than a month. And today was a good time. ¡°I¡¯ll get a haircut too after Valerio¡¯s done.¡± Leandro replied. As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Valerio secretlyughing in the mirror. Leandro pretended not to see it and lowered his head to look at his phone again. At nine o¡¯clock in the evening, the ne carrying Patrick and Seraphinanded in Sunburst City on time. As soon as they got off the ne, they saw that the car to pick up Patrick was already waiting, but Seraphina didn¡¯t see who wasing to pick her up.. Patrick seemed happy about this situation, he turned to Seraphina and said, ¡°How about I give you a ride?¡± Before Seraphina could answer, she saw a familiar car driving over from the corner of her eye. The car quickly stopped, but only the driver got out in a hurry. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± The driver came over and looked apologetic when he saw Seraphina, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯mte. Mr. Reynolds was going to bring the young master to pick you up, but he got a call and had to go back to Reynolds Vista Retreat, he really couldn¡¯t leave¡­¡± Seraphina nodded, then turned to Patrick, ¡°My ride is here, no need to bother you, Mr. Gray.¡± Patrick smiled slightly, nodded, and said, ¡°If you need anything, feel free to call me.¡± Seraphina simply nodded and got into the car. Patrick didn¡¯t get into his car until he saw Seraphina¡¯s car drive away. He left the airport on the same route. It wasn¡¯t until the driver was alone with her that Seraphina spoke, ¡°Did something happen to Leandro¡¯s mother again?¡± The driver hesitated a bit before nodding and saying, ¡°It¡¯s said that his mother wouldn¡¯t take her medicine and threw a tantrum, that¡¯s why Mr. Reynolds had to rush back.¡± Seraphina looked a bit heavy when she heard this, ¡°Isn¡¯t his mother¡¯s condition stable yet?¡± ¡°Not really¡­¡± the driver replied, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ today Mr. Reynolds¡¯ father went to Reynolds Manor to mourn Ms. Magdalen¡­ ¡°So his mother was upset?¡± Seraphina asked. The driver silently nodded. Seraphina didn¡¯t say anything more and turned to look out the window. After a while, she turned her gaze back and looked at her phone. She unconsciously clicked on her phone a few times and somehow ended up in her conversation with Leandro, Their chat record was still at thest ce. Leandro said: Juste back. Seraphina stared at these words for a long time without speaking. It wasn¡¯t until a sudden ¡°bang¡± came from behind and the car shook that everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to it. From behind, a white SUV hit their car hard. Abbot immediately protected Seraphina and turned to look at the back. After the two cars collided, the white SUV backed off a bit, but then charged forward again. The driver was about to stop the car thinking it was a normal rear-end collision, but Abbot anxiously said, ¡°Keep driving! Maintain a steady speed!¡± The driver, realizing that something had happened, didn¡¯t dare to be negligent and concentrated all his attention on driving the car smoothly. The car body has been reinforced and even the ss is special bulletproof ss, so ordinary collisions won¡¯t cause much impact to the people inside. Seraphina snapped back to reality and looked back, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry.¡± As Abbot was dialing up reinforcements, he assured her, ¡°That car won¡¯t harm us.¡± Despite his reassurance, Seraphina couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the relentless pursuer behind them. That car looked familiar, like the car Tania Martin used to drive. Blinded by the strong headlights from the car tailing them, Seraphina turned around. After a deep breath, she stopped Abbot who was in the middle of a call andmanded coldly, ¡°Skip the reinforcements, call the cops directly.¡± Before Abbot could react, Seraphina had ordered the driver, ¡°Pull over and let her ram into us!¡± The driver eximed in surprise, ¡°Madam!¡± Seraphina chuckled coldly, ¡°I¡¯m already in a bad mood. If she wants to provoke me, why shouldn¡¯t I y along?¡± The driver nervously brought the car to a stop. As expected, Tania¡¯s car crazily charged forward and mmed into them again. The car shuddered slightly, but to Seraphina, it felt like a gentle caress. No wonder Leandro had a soft spot for this car. After the modifications, its safety rating was top-notch. Behind them, Tania¡¯s car was starting to crumple up. Even the airbags had deployed, but she still kept reversing and charging forward, ramming into Seraphina¡¯s car again and again, until the police arrived. Seraphina never once left the car. She drove directly into the police station with it. Chapter 377 Chapter 377 At the police station, Seraphina got out of the car on her own, while Tania was taken out by the cops. But when Tania saw Seraphina, she totally lost her cool, trying to charge at Seraphina, but was stopped by the cops again. ¡°Seraphina! You bitch!¡± Tania yelled furiously. ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you! I¡¯m gonna kill you!¡± This outburst left everyone around dumbstruck. It¡¯s a police station full of cops and here¡¯s someone openly shouting murder threats ¨C pretty shocking stuff. If Tania wasn¡¯t such a petite girl, she¡¯d probably have been manhandled on the spot. As for Seraphina, she just chuckled at Tania¡¯s rant, and headed for the station¡¯s office. Just as she got to the door, she ran into Herman. He¡¯d heard themotion and was out there enjoying the show. He¡¯d probably been watching for a while. Seeing Seraphina, he sighed, ¡°More trouble?¡± ¡°This case is none of your business.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°So don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Herman had been working all day, so tired he could barely lift his arms. He really didn¡¯t want to get involved, but Seraphina was Leandro¡¯s wife, how could he not? Even though Seraphina ignored him, he followed her into another office. Tania was taken to the interrogation room, while Seraphina gave her statement in the office area. She didn¡¯t exaggerate anything, just told it like it was. Since everyone had heard Tania¡¯s tirade at the entrance, Seraphina¡¯s statement went smoothly and was soon over. Atst, Herman found a chance to ask in a low voice, ¡°How did you get on her bad side?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Seraphina shot back. ¡°Her boyfriend cheated on her. She¡¯s pissed, and she took it out on me.¡± To Seraphina, this was totally undeserved. Hearing this, Herman couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I always tell you to keep a low profile, to not be so shy, so you don¡¯t attract trouble.¡± Seraphina gave him a re, ¡°Do you want me to record this and post it on Twitter? You¡¯ll be criticized by everyone tomorrow.¡± Herman just snorted disdainfully, then asked, ¡°You just got back from Starhaven? Where¡¯s Leandro? Didn¡¯t hee to pick you up?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t want to answer him. Herman then stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll give him a call.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother him.¡± Seraphina grabbed his arm. Herman immediately sensed something was up. ¡°What happened? You two¡­ had a fight?¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s none of your business,¡± Seraphina snapped. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying.¡± But Herman didn¡¯t mind. He was patient and kept asking. Just then, people from the Martin family arrived. Lionel Martin, who was in charge of the legal affairs of the Martin Group, and Tania¡¯s father Teague, both showed up. Seeing Seraphina, they walked seriously into an office. Seraphina and Herman exchanged a look, both aware of the intricate rtionships involved. Seraphina turned to Herman, suddenly asking, ¡°In these powerful and influential families, if someone gets into trouble, can they easily get out of it?¡± Herman red at her, ¡°What are you talking about? Thew doesn¡¯t favor anyone, you know?¡± ¡°Stop pretending.¡± Seraphina gave him a nce, ¡°You can spout this high-sounding principle now, but if someone from the Reynolds family or the Garcia family broke thew, would you still say this?¡± Herman frowned, then said, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make any difference.¡± Seraphina was speechless for a moment and did not ask further. Herman was considering whether to call Leandro when Andrea walked in. Seeing Seraphina sitting there, Andrea quickly walked over, ¡°Sera, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Seraphina reached out and took her hand, then asked, ¡°What brought you here?¡± Andrea paused for a moment, didn¡¯t answer this question, just said, ¡°d you¡¯re okay.¡± ?? ? ? ??? ??? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? Herman coldly watched their hands held together, sarcastically said, ¡°Ms. Martin, your cousin is in the interrogation room giving her statement, shouldn¡¯t you worry about her first? Instead, you¡¯re more concerned about Seraphina. Your dedication is really touching.¡± Herman¡¯s words were clearly sarcastic. Andrea heard it clearly but didn¡¯t respond. Seraphina, however, reached out and gave him a hard twist, ¡°Can you take a hike?¡± Herman nced at them, stood up and walked away, preparing to call Leandro. Just before he left, he looked back and saw Andrea sitting next to Seraphina. They were talking in low voices, looking very close. Herman frowned and walked out with his phone. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Who sent you?¡± Seraphina asked Andrea in a low voice. Andrea was silent for a moment before she said, ¡°Dad told me¡­ you got into trouble.¡± wearing this, Seraphina chuckled, ¡°He wanted you to plead for mercy, didn¡¯t he?¡± Tania¡¯s issue would affect the entire Martin family. Even if not directly, Tania was still his niece. Simon Martin sent Andrea over, hoping that Seraphina would spare Tania because of Andrea¡¯s rtionship with her. ¡°I know,¡± Andrea whispered, ¡°But I had toe.¡± Seraphina continued, ¡°You also know that I won¡¯t let her off just because of you.¡± Andrea paused before saying, ¡°She was wrong, and she deserves a lesson.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina suddenly leaned on Andrea¡¯s shoulder and said after a moment of silence, ¡°If only everyone thought like us.¡± As soon as the words fell, a pair of ck leather shoes slowly walked into Seraphina¡¯s line of sight. Without lifting her head, she knew who wasing. For a split second, Seraphina¡¯s heart involuntarily skipped a beat, but quickly returned to calm. Andrea nced at the figure, then said to Seraphina, ¡°I¡¯m gonna make a call.¡± With that, she gently pushed Seraphina¡¯s head off her shoulder and got up to leave. Only then did Seraphina lift her head to look at the man standing in front of her. Leandro, who hadn¡¯t gone to the office today, had rushed over from the Reynolds family. Dressed in ck trousers and a white shirt, his broad shoulders and narrow waist gave him an upright posture, looking cold and distant. Although they often met in front of the camera, it seemed that it had been a while since they had this kind of face-to-face contact. Suddenly, Seraphina felt a bit uneasy. Leandro sat next to her and reached out to hold her hand. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Leandro asked softly. Seraphina shook her head, then promptly said, ¡°But I wrecked your car, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Leandro turned his head, quietly looking at her for a moment, then reached out to pull her into his arms, and then gently kissed her hair. ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay¡± Leandro said lightly. Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Herman was about to call Leandro when he saw Leandro¡¯s car drive through the gate. He initially thought Leandro and Seraphina might have had a fight, but seeing Leandro rushing over in a shirt, he thought otherwise. Leandro¡¯s style was always meticulous, even if there was a slight wrinkle on his suit, he would change it, not to mention the slight water stain on the shirt he just put on. Herman was a bit puzzled. He wanted to follow in to see what was happening, but didn¡¯t want to disturb them at this time, so he went to the corner to smoke. He had just taken a few puffs when he saw Andreaing out of the gate, standing under the eaves. Herman hid in the shadows, carefully observing the woman. He had once warned Seraphina that this woman had feelings for Leandro, but Seraphina seemed to trust this woman too much. The women of the Martin family¡­ The thought of it sent shivers down Herman¡¯s spine. What kind of daughters could the Martin family raise? Tania was a perfect example. Original from N?velDrama.Org. And Andrea, although ordinary on the surface, was probably even more terrifying. As Herman watched Tania¡¯s back, he pondered. As he was deep in thought, a familiar song suddenly yed from the office building¡¯s entrance- ¡°The long night, the stars will never stop, I ask why people cannot exist forever, I hope we leave a light to illuminate the dark night¡­¡± Herman heard the sound, looked at Andrea, and saw her take out her phone from her bag and answer it. Herman instantly became alert. The call was from Simon. After Andrea answered the call, she said, ¡°Dad.¡± Simon asked about the situation on the other end of the phone. After Andrea truthfully answered, she finally said, /Dad, my uncles Lionel and Teague are here, I can¡¯t help much here.¡± Simon didn¡¯t say much, just said, ¡°Then you go back and rest early.¡± Andrea responded, quickly hung up the phone. But as soon as she put down her phone, she heard a snicker from behind. Andrea turned her head and saw Hermaning out of the shadows. Herman, with a cigarette in his hand, squinted at her and said, ¡°You won¡¯t even help your own cousin. You¡¯re really fair.¡± 1 After a moment of silence, Andrea calmly said, ¡°If I helped her, Mr. Herman, you would probably say I had other/motives for getting close to Seraphina. No matter what I do, I will be criticized. I don¡¯t need to care about what others think.¡± After saying this, she made a goodbye gesture to Herman-and turned to walk towards the gate. ¡°Wait!¡± Seeing her ready to leave, Herman suddenly called her. Andrea stopped, but didn¡¯t look back. Looking at her back, Herman seemed a bit hesitant, but finally asked, ¡°When did you start using that ringtone?¡± Hearing this question, Andrea¡¯s gaze wavered slightly. The next moment, she chuckled, turned to look at Herman, ¡°I heard this song in your car that day and thought it was nice, so I set it as my ringtone. The copyright of the song doesn¡¯t belong to you, so even if you mind, I¡¯m not nning to change it.¡± Hearing her say this, Herman¡¯s face instantly became serious and he turned and went into the office. Andrea watched his figure disappear from view, stood quietly for a moment, then slowly turned and left. When Herman returned to the office, Leandro was about to leave with Seraphina. Just as they were about to leave, Lionel suddenly came out. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Lionel called to Leandro, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds was frightened tonight, I¡¯m very sorry. Can I exin what happened?¡± Hearing his words, Leandro didn¡¯t look back at him, but turned to look at Seraphina who was standing next to him. Seraphina slightly lifted her chin and nced at him. ¡°My wife is the victim,¡± Leandro slowly said, ¡°I have no intention of epting any exnations.¡± Hearing his response, Seraphina gave a satisfied smile. iono ¡°Mrs Lionel clenched his teeth secretly, once again approached Seraphina, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, can I exin to you?¡± At this point, Seraphina suddenly put on a scared look and shrunk back behind Leandro. Leandro immediately stepped forward to protect Seraphina. S¨¦raphina was about to speak when the door of the interrogation room suddenly opened and Tania was brought out by the police. Tania, who had juste out, saw Seraphina and immediately rushed towards her, but was stopped by the police officer next to her. Tanja!¡± Teague followed closely behind, grabbed Tania and sternly said, ¡°Stop making a scene!¡± Unlike her usual sweet and gentle appearance, Tania now looked disheveled, her eyes red and swollen, looking very haggard. She stared at Seraphina, her tears suddenly falling. Seraphina watched coldly, without any reaction. ¡°Where¡¯s Bowen?¡± Tania finally spoke up, her voice hoarse, ¡°Tell me where he is, please, tell me¡ª¡± Seraphina was suddenly filled with rage. Because when Tania asked this question, there was no anger, but full of sadness and sorrow, and her tone was begging humbly. ¡°You¡¯re chasing me and bumping into me just to know where Bowen is?¡± Seraphina asked. Mentioning Bowen, Tania was already crying uncontrobly, but she still kept asking Seraphina, ¡°Tell me, please tell me¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, you see, Tania is just young and impulsive, why make a big deal out of this?¡± Lionel quickly said. Seraphina ignored him and walked straight up to Tania. Tania looked at Seraphina with tear-filled eyes and a face full of hope. Seraphina only looked at her pitifully. ¡°If you want to know his whereabouts to get back at him, I¡¯d totally help you track him down.¡± Tania was instantly dumbfounded. Herman on the side couldn¡¯t help but cough a little, signaling Seraphina to watch her mouth. ¡°Too bad that¡¯s not why you want to know.¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°So, I can¡¯t help you.¡± With that, she turned around and walked away. Tania started to cry, holding her face in extreme sadness. Just as Seraphina left the office, her phone rang. She nced at the caller ID and picked up the call, ¡°Mr. Gray.¡± ¡°Sera.¡± Patrick¡¯s voice came through the speaker, ¡°I heard you had a little ident there, just checking in to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡± Seraphina let out a small breath, ¡°You¡¯re not just worried about me, are you? You want to plead for your niece, don¡¯t you?¡± Patrick paused slightly, ¡°If you think that¡¯s my intention, I wouldn¡¯t deny it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you also despise the Martin family?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°Sera, Tania is my sister¡¯s daughter.¡± Patrick said, ¡°I care about her, but I¡¯m not here begging for your forgiveness. I know your character well enough.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°So no matter whether you call or not, my decision won¡¯t change. But thanks for your concern. Patrick chuckled helplessly, ¡°Okay, as long as you¡¯re fine.¡± After hanging up, Seraphina let out a breath, turned around, and saw Herman with a worried look. Herman gave her a look, and-only then did Seraphina notice Leandro standing next to her. Leandro¡¯s eyes were deep. He watched her finish the call, then looked at her and ndly asked, ¡°Ready to go home?¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Seraphina turned to Herman and the cop beside him, ¡°Let¡¯s drop it.¡± As soon as Seraphina¡¯s words fell, Leandro¡¯s gaze deepened even more. ¡°Ms. Martin might have lost her mind because of love.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°If I fuss about it, I¡¯d look just as irrational.¡± The cop nodded, quickly turning around to handle the situation. Herman nced at Leandro¡¯s back and whispered to Seraphina, ¡°Are we really just letting it go?¡± ¡°What else can we do?¡± Seraphina nced, towards the office, ¡°An irrational woman who didn¡¯t really cause any real harm.¡± Herman looked in Leandro¡¯s direction again. Suddenly Seraphina remembered something and turned to Leandro, ¡°Wait, she wrecked our car!¡± Leandro finally turned around and looked at her. Seraphina walked up to him, ¡°Make them pay for it! At the highest rate! They better rece it with a new one! All the parts must be reced ording to the original standard, not a bit less!¡± 2 FISI 5 9 3 = 3 3 0 F G & FOR Seeing her all fired up, Leandro finally cracked a smile, then grabbed her hand and got When they returned to the Reynolds Manor, it was alreadyte at night. in the car. Both Conway and Valerio were asleep. Seraphina first tiptoed to check on Conway, then walked into Valerio¡¯s room. There were tear stains on Valerio¡¯s sleeping face, as if he was sad that he couldn¡¯t wait for her. Seraphina gently touched his little face, tucked him in, turned off the light, and walked out. As soon as she entered the door, Leandro came over. ¡°Which side do you want to sleep on?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina replied, ¡°Either is fine.¡± Then, Leandro took her hand and led her to his bedroom. Once in the bedroom and with the door closed, Seraphina walked to the wardrobe, opened the door and looked for her pajamas. Since they usually stayed in her room, the wardrobe space in this bedroom was limited. The maid had put Seraphina¡¯s clothes on the top shelf Seraphina tiptoed to try to get her clothes, but she couldn¡¯t reach it. Leandro came over and handed her a red silk nightgown. ¡°I¡¯m not used to wearing this one.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯ll get something else.¡± As she was about to turn around and leave, Leandro stopped her. ¡°If you¡¯re notfortable wearing it, then don¡¯t wear anything.¡± Leandro said. Chapter 379 Chapter 379 When Leandro spoke, Seraphina¡¯s hand on his arm involuntarily stiffened. This kind of interaction wasmon for them in the past, but after over a month, it suddenly became a bit awkward. Maybe it wasn¡¯t just her feeling this way, but Leandro felt it too. Seraphina quietly lowered her eyes, and Leandro looked down at her, waiting for her response. Seraphina pondered in silence for a while, and finally looked up at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you need to go home today?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± He replied. Seraphina quietly looked at him for a moment, her gaze suddenly fell on his hair. Despite it being midnight, his hair was still neat, with a scent of some unfamiliar hair product. A thought came to her mind. ¡°Did you get a haircut today?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Mhm.¡± Seraphina gently bit her lip, slightly tilting her head to look at him, ¡°Is it because I came back?¡± After a moment of silence, Leandro responded, ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina lowered her head and fell silent for a while, then asked, ¡°Are you happy that I¡¯m back?¡± This time, Leandro didn¡¯t answer. Seraphina was looking down, not seeing his face, waiting for his answer for a long time. Finally, she looked up at him. Just as she raised her head, Leandro leaned down and kissed her. It was gentle at first, just a light kiss. Seraphina was drawn in by his tenderness, and found herself responding to him instinctively. After she responded, Leandro¡¯s emotions came at her like a whirlwind. Leandro pulled her into his arms, turned her against the wall, and his passionate kiss mixed with heavy breaths left her breathless. Seraphina was a bit rigid at first, but in the end, she was infected by his warmth, andpletely melted into him. By the time they finished, it was already past midnight. Leandro held her in the single bathtub in the bathroom. Seraphina was like a deted balloon, lying weakly in his arms, toozy to even lift her arms. Leandro hugged her tightly, unwilling to let go, peppering her with kisses. Seraphina rested in his arms for a long time before slowly recovering. She looked at him and asked, ¡°How long have you been holding back? Why are you so wild today?¡± Leandro had one hand on the edge of the bathtub and the other around her soft waist. He was about to lean down to kiss her again. Seraphina raised her hand to stop his lips, then said, ¡°I have something to talk to you.¡± Hearing this, Leandro¡¯s eyes flickered. Seraphina saw it clearly. She thought Leandro might think she was going to talk about Gloria. The next moment, Leandro stood up from the bathtub, picked up a towel, wrapped Seraphina up, and carried her to bed. When Seraphina rolled onto the bed, Leandro casually put on a robe and sat on the edge of the bed, then said, ¡°Shoot.¡± He looked like he was ready to talk about some serious business. Seraphina also wrapped herself up in a robe, sat cross-legged, and looked at him seriously, ¡°I need at least a week to investigate some things.¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes were deep, quietly waiting for her to continue. ¡°So, during this week, I don¡¯t need a driver, don¡¯t need a bodyguard, and you better not haveplete freedom this week.¡± any time demands on me,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°In short, I need What she said was obviously different from what Leandro had imagined, so Leandro asked after hearing it, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Hearing his tone, Seraphina felt that he might agree, so she nodded, ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°What are you investigating?¡± Seraphina paused before saying, ¡°There¡¯s a woman around Bowen, I want to find out who she is. Until I get this done, I don¡¯t have the mood to do anything else.¡± Hearing this, Leandro said quietly, ¡°No.¡± Almost jumping up, Seraphina asked, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be without a bodyguard,¡± Leandro said. Seraphina looked at him for a moment, deciding topromise, ¡°Alright, they can still follow me, but I want to drive myself.¡± ¡°You can drive yourself,¡± Leandro said, ¡°But Abbot must be in your car.¡± This time, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but p the bed, ¡°If I drive with him in the car, wouldn¡¯t I be his driver?¡± Leaning against the headboard, Leandro slowly said, ¡°You can also let him drive.¡± Seraphina suddenly gritted her teeth, ring at him. Leandro seemed to ignore her, slowly saying, ¡°Anyway, Abbot must be in your car.¡± After a while, Seraphina softened her tone, ¡°Alright, he can be in my car, but he can¡¯t interfere with any of my decisions.¡± ¡°Even if he had the power, would he have the ability?¡± Leandro asked with a suggestive tone. Seraphina bumped her head into Leandro, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Leandro was knocked in the ribs by her, which hurt a bit, but the next moment, he reached out to pull Seraphina into his arms. The move was too gentle, and for a moment, Seraphina didn¡¯t move, simply resting against him. Leandro reached out and gently stroked her back, whispering, ¡°Whatever you want to do, no one can stop you, including me, right?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Seraphina listened quietly to his words, staying silent for a long time. In the end, she didn¡¯t say anything, just pulled the nket over herself and said softly, ¡°Sleep!¡± But in the end, she didn¡¯t fall asleep. As soon as shey down, Leandro also got into the covers. Soon, the neatly wrapped bath towel on her was thrown out of the bed. Then, Leandro¡¯s robe was thrown out as well. Seraphina felt that Leandro was doing it on purpose. He deliberately exhausted her so that she wouldn¡¯t be able to get up the next day, and thus wouldn¡¯t be able to drive herself to investigate what she wanted to investigate. Thinking about it, she just couldn¡¯t help but get into it with Leandro. They kept making love, seriously losing track of time¡­ Chapter 380 Chapter 380 At 5 AM, Valerio woke up, immediately got out of bed and headed straight for Seraphina¡¯s bedroom. But once he opened the door, the room¡¯s empty. Valerio immediately turned and ran to Leandro¡¯s bedroom and tried to open the door, only to find it locked. Convinced that Seraphina had returned, Valerio began banging on the door. Inside, Seraphina, who just managed to doze off, was jolted awake by the racket. Her heart started racing. When she looked at Leandro, though, he¡¯s as wide awake as if he¡¯d had a full night¡¯s sleep. Seeing her awake, Leandro threw her a nce and said, ¡°Valerio¡¯s up.¡± Then he threw back the covers and got out of bed, ready to open the door. As Seraphina watched him, still dazed, she suddenly became alert when she spotted something. She quickly threw on her nightgown, hollering, ¡°Leandro!¡± Leandro, who¡¯d reached the foot of the bed, turned to look at her. Seraphina gestured to the floor. It¡¯s aplete mess. Leandro usually kept things tidy, but sometimes, in certain situations, he let things slide. This was one of those special situations. ¡°If you open the door now¡­.I swear, I¡¯ll jump out the window,¡± Seraphina said through gritted teeth. Leandro looked at her, then picked up a towel from the foot of the bed. ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t know how to exin this?¡± he said. Then the CEO of the Reynolds Group bent down to start cleaning up the mess. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Seraphina watched him. After a while, she cracked a small, satisfied smile. Amidst Valerio¡¯s pounding, Leandro finished tidying up, then walked over and opened the door. By now, Valerio¡¯s clearly antsy, his face full of confusion and a hint of anger towards Leandro. Before Seraphina came along, Valerio had never shown Leandro this side of him, let alone challenged him. But with Seraphina¡¯s backing, things had clearly changed. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Before Leandro could even respond, Valerio squeezed past him and darted into the room, jumping onto the bed and into Seraphina¡¯s arms. Leandro watched them for a moment, closed the door, and headed for the bathroom. Seraphina breathed a sigh of relief, pinched Valerio¡¯s cheek, and said, ¡°You¡¯re causing such a ruckus first thing in the morning, disrupting our sleep!! Valerio pouted, clearly not bothered by the details. He just held Seraphina tighter. Looking down at him, Seraphina suddenly said, ¡°You got a haircut too? With your dad?¡± Valerio nodded. His haircut was simr to Leandro¡¯s, since they both went to the same barber. So, Valerio now looked like a carbon copy of his dad. Seraphina watched him quietly. When she heard the toilet flush, she told Valerio, ¡°It¡¯s still early. Go back to sleep.¡± Valerio readily epted and quickly burrowed into Seraphina¡¯s covers. By the time Leandro came out of the bathroom, Seraphina was already holding Valerio, eyes closed, leaning against the pillow. Valerio, originally with his eyes closed, peeked at Leandro when he heard him, then quickly-closed his eyes and buried himself deeper into Seraphina. Seraphina and Valerio were curled up together, with Seraphina sleeping against the edge of the bed, as if the rest of the bed had been imed by Valerio. Leandro stood by the bed watching them for a moment, then suddenly lifted the covers on Seraphina¡¯s side and squeezed in, despite the cramped space. ¡°Hey!¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t pretend to sleep anymore and opened her eyes to protest, ¡°What¡¯s your deal? I¡¯m trying to sleep here.¡± Valerio, hiding in Seraphina¡¯s arms, couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Once Leandro found a spot, he casually turned off the light and reached out to hold the person in front of him, simply saying, ¡°Sleep.¡± Seraphina, sandwiched between Leandro and Valerio, sighed helplessly. Leandro¡¯s outstretched hand also wrapped around Valerio, then he fell silent. Valerio, nestled in Seraphina¡¯s arms,id a hand on Leandro¡¯s arm. Before long, he fell asleep again. Seraphina Tied quiet. So did Leandro. Until dawn, Leandro lowered his head and nted a soft kiss on Seraphina¡¯s shoulder. Seraphina flinched slightly, then after a moment, leaned into him, closed her eyes, and finally drifted off again. When Seraphina woke up again, it¡¯s almost noon. Leandro and Valerio were nowhere to be seen. Seraphina got up alone, opened the window, and saw the clear blue sky. Bright sunshine, clear blue skies. A good omen. The next moment, Seraphina spotted a light blue golf car parked in the yard. This model, this color, all per her request. Leandro nailed it ¨C except for the confused Abbot standing next to the car. Looking at nearly six-foot-tall Abbot and then at thepact golf car, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Clearly, Abbot and this car were a total mismatch. ! Once in the car, Abbot adjusted the seat several times but never found afortable position. Seraphina put on an act of not noticing, calmly starting the car from the driver¡¯s seat. Abbot had been tagging along with Seraphina for a while now and knew she wasn¡¯t exactly a tough nut to crack, so he couldn¡¯t help but make a suggestion. ¡°Madam, there are loads of low-key car models that don¡¯t attract much attention and arefy to drive¡­¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Seraphina responded without batting an eyelid, ¡°Those fy¡¯ cars you¡¯re talking about are too long for me. I¡¯d have a hard time maneuvering them.¡± Abbot paused, about to say something more, but Seraphina cut in, ¡°At first, I wanted apact car. But considering you also need a ride, I chose this model. I¡¯ve considered your needs plenty.¡± At this, all Abbot could do was zip it. Seraphina let out a slight smile, then floored it, leaving Reynolds Manor in the dust. No sooner had they hit the road than Seraphina¡¯s phone started ringing. After ncing at the caller ID, she handed the phone straight to Abbot. ¡°Tell your boss I¡¯ll drive carefully and won¡¯t put a single scratch on his new car. Plus, you can assure him that your tracker will work just fine. He can keep tabs on us anytime he wants.¡± Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Abbot felt a bit embarrassed after hearing Seraphina¡¯s words. Even though he always had a tracking device on him, when Seraphina exposed him, he felt like he was caught red-handed. However, he couldn¡¯t repeat what Seraphina had said in front of Leandro. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, the missus is out,¡± Abbot whispered to Leandro, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep an eye on her.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t expect him to answer the call, but remembering Seraphina¡¯s request, he didn¡¯t say much and hung up after agreeing. Abbot formally handed Seraphina¡¯s phone back to her. Seraphina didn¡¯t ask what Leandro said, and didn¡¯tment on the situation, quickly focusing on driving. The car first arrived at a high-end apartment in the city center. Bowen owned more than ten properties. After careful analysis, Seraphina selected five possible locations. She didn¡¯t want to make a big fuss about it, so she chose to deal with it low-key, standing guard one by one. Seraphina parked the car in a parking lot across from the apartment and stayed for a good part of the day. Until ten o¡¯clock at night, Bowen hadn¡¯t shown up. Seraphina checked the time and then drove off. Abbot thought she was going home, but the car was heading for the east side of the city. ¡°Missus?¡± Abbot was surprised, ¡°It¡¯ste and you¡¯re not nning on going home?¡± ¡°Going home?¡± Seraphina nced at him, ¡°I don¡¯t n to go home for the next two or three days. But if you want to go home, I can give you some time off.¡± Abbot immediately shut up. They arrived at the entrance of a regr neighborhood. Seraphina parked the car across the street, then took out a telescope and began observing the neighborhood. Abbot didn¡¯t know what she was looking at, but he just kept alert, paying attention to the surrounding environment. Seraphina held the telescope, silently counting the floors of a building in the neighborhood. The data showed that Bowen¡¯s house was on the 32nd floor, but the windows of it were pitch ck. After waiting for half an hour, Seraphina drove off again. This time, she drove to the south of the city. Bowen had a vi there, which was a high-end residential area, not a ce for ordinary people to enter. However, Seraphina, as Mrs. Reynolds, had many friends, including those who lived there the big star, Una. When Seraphina first met Una at Ike Whitman¡¯s party, she was still an unknown actress. By the end ofst year, when Una was her bridesmaid, she was already a renowned actress. In April, Una starred in a modern romanticedy that became an instant hit. Una and the male lead became a popr star duo, attracting arge number of fans and quickly became the most watched rising star of the year. In just a few months, she had moved into such a high-end vimunity. Although Seraphina knew there were many stories behind this, she didn¡¯t want to delve into it. She had helped Una at a critical moment, and Una understood the principle of gratitude. Therefore, when Seraphina entered Una¡¯s vi, Una warmly weed her. ¡°Seraphina, I invited you over as soon as I moved in,¡± Una walked in arm in arm with Seraphina, ¡°But you were too busy, I couldn¡¯t even find you.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m here now, aren¡¯t I?¡± Seraphina, leaving Abbot outside to watch the car, couldn¡¯t help but exim as soon as she entered, ¡°You really know how to live it up! Living in such a big ce all by yourself, and it¡¯s so luxuriously decorated¡­¡± Unaughed and said, ¡°Well, you know, it¡¯s not my money¡­ Do you want something to drink?¡± ¡°No need to entertain me.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯m just borrowing your ce, you can do whatever you need to do.¡± Una immediately leaned in and whispered, ¡°Is there another case to investigate?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t answer, just looked at her, ¡°The less you know, the better, so you won¡¯t blow my cover.¡± Upon hearing this, Una pouted and said, ¡°Alright, then. Feel free to use anything in the house. Don¡¯t be shy. I¡¯m off to take a bath and do a face mask!¡± Seraphina waved her off and then turned off the living room lights, sitting by the window. Although the privacy of this vimunity was very good, with her telescope, she could still see Bowen¡¯s vi. In the dark, the vi only showed a vague outline under the street light, with every window dark. Seraphina sat by the window for a long time, and there was no movement at all. It seemed that this was not Bowen¡¯s recent hiding ce. Seraphina sighed softly and tiredly, checking the other two locations marked on her phone. Just then, the phone screen suddenly lit up, it was Abbot calling. Abbot was right outside, he could have just knocked ande in if there was something, why call? Seraphina hesitated a bit, but still answered the call. ¡°Missus.¡± Abbot¡¯s voice was very low on the phone, ¡°A car just entered themunity. I think I saw Bowen.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina immediately picked up the telescope again. She couldn¡¯t see the car that Abbot was talking about, but in the telescope, Bowen¡¯s vi was still dark, with no signs of anyone entering. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Are you sure you weren¡¯t mistaken?¡± Seraphina asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t see him go back¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Abbot said, ¡°I just saw the car sh by through the car window, and I think the person driving really looked like him¡­¡± Seraphina still kept her eyes on the vi, while thinking about the possibility of Abbot seeing Bowen. A momentter, she suddenly spoke, ¡°Do you remember the te number of that car?¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Abbot quickly read out a string of numbers. Seraphina hung up the call and immediately dashed upstairs. She yanked Una, who was fresh out of the shower, out of the bathroom and told her to take a spin around the neighborhood. Una was clueless about what was going on, but was tickled pink to be involved in one of Seraphina¡¯s investigations. She quickly obliged and hopped in her car for a tour around the block. About twenty minutester, Una returned to the house. ¡°I spotted the car,¡± Una said, ¡°but it wasn¡¯t where you said, it¡¯d be. It was parked in front of another mansion.¡± ¡°In front of another mansion?¡± Seraphina sprung up, ¡°Can you find out who owns it? That¡¯s out of my league,¡± Una chuckled, ¡°but I know someone who can.¡± Chapter 382 Chapter 382 After Una finished speaking, she didn¡¯t wait for Seraphina to respond. She took out her phone and raised an eyebrow at Seraphina, then made a call. Seraphina didn¡¯t bother listening in on Una¡¯s phone conversation. She continued to lean by the window, scrutinizing the direction of Bowen¡¯s vi. About fifteen minutester, Una walked over to Seraphina and whispered, ¡°I found out. The house is registered under Tania Martin¡¯s name.¡± ¡°What?¡± This answer took Seraphina by surprise. ¡°Tania?¡± Una nodded seriously. ¡°The intel I got is legit.¡± ¡°Tania lives in this neighborhood?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Have you seen her around?¡± Una shook her head, ¡°Nope. I just moved here a few months ago. I¡¯m out early and backte. Maybe she does live here, but I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but frown. Was Tania searching for Bowen here? Had Bowene here to see her? Something didn¡¯t feel right. After pondering for a while, Seraphina called Andrea. She remembered Andrea mentioning that apart from the single Lionel, the rest of the Martin family lived together. So, Andrea should be well-informed about Tania. Andrea soon told Seraphina what she wanted to know, ¡°Tania¡¯s home. She¡¯s been looking for Bowen these past few days, but she can¡¯t find him. Nobody in the family is helping her because they want her to cut ties with Bowen. She¡¯s on her own¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s at home now?¡± Seraphina confirmed again. Andrea responded affirmatively and then asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nothing much.¡± S¨¦raphina said, ¡°I just found out where Bowen is.¡± Upon hearing this, Andrea fell silent for a moment, then asked cautiously, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Tania is your cousin.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Since she¡¯s looking for Bowen, you as her cousin should lend a helping hand, right?¡± About forty minutester, a car sped into the neighborhood. Using her binocrs, Seraphina was able to see Tania¡¯s te number. As expected, Tania had a house in this neighborhood, but she hadn¡¯t found Bowen here. Maybe Tania hade here before, but she would¡¯ve only checked out the house under Bowen¡¯s name. If she didn¡¯t find him there, she would give up. How could she ever think that Bowen would be in a house under her own name? Now, Tania stormed into the house registered under her name. What would she find? In the darkness, Seraphina sat quietly by the window, keeping an eye on that unseen location. If Bowen was really here, if he had hidden that woman named Leni Sawyer in the house¡­ what would happen next? Would Tania barge in and make a scene, attracting the attention of security and revealing everything? Or would Bowen manage to calm her down and keep things quiet? But would Tania, the fool, be fooled by him so easily? As Seraphina was contemting all the possible oues, a ck car emerged from the depths of the neighborhood. At 3 a.m., hardly any cars wereing in or out of the neighborhood. Hence, she noticed when Tania¡¯s car entered, and the same for this ck car. However, while Tania¡¯s car had stormed into the neighborhood, this ck car moved steadily through the darkness like a ghost. As the car passed by Una¡¯s house, Seraphina quickly noted down the te number, then got into her car and followed the ck car out of the neighborhood. It was pretty clear- Only two minutes after Tania¡¯s car went in, the ck car came out, probably rted to Bowen. But Bowen, who was being searched for by Tania, surely couldn¡¯t be in that car. If he was, the car wouldn¡¯t be moving so steadily. If Bowen wasn¡¯t in the car, then who could it be? All sorts of thoughts filled Seraphina¡¯s mind, but she remained clear-headed. She focused on the road ahead and the ck car, maintaining a safe distance. She couldn¡¯t just rush forward and rm them. So, she only needed to follow that car, seeing where it would end up, and who would get out of it. She waited silently for the final oue. Abbot, sitting next to her, seemed to be affected by her mood and was so quiet that he hardly made a sound. The streets were empty at 3 a.m. There were a few cars, but they didn¡¯t stand in the way of Seraphina following the ck car. Instead, they served as a cover for her. However, just as she was following smoothly, a car suddenly zoomed past her and headed straight for the ck car. Seraphina recognized it instantly. It was Tania¡¯s car. In a sh, Seraphina swerved to the side of the road, turned off the engine and lights, and hid herself. Meanwhile, Tania, driving her wildly swerving car, blocked the ck car without a care in the world. Seraphina sat in her car without moving, observing the situation ahead through her binocrs. She saw Tania get out of her car. She saw Tania open the door of the ck car. She saw Tania pull the driver out of the ck car. And then, there was nothing more to see. The ck car didn¡¯t have anyone else Seraphina was expecting. Seraphina bit her lip. Tania had rushed out to chase the ck car because when she arrived at the vi, she found Bowen sitting alone in the living room, staring at her coldly. At the same time, a ck car in the garage started up and left the vi the moment she arrived. Tania immediately made some conclusions- Bowen wasn¡¯t alone here. He probably had a chick hidden somewhere. When Tania showed up, he chose to let the girl slip away. She pretty much lost it and started hitting him, cursing him, but Bowen didn¡¯t give her the time of day. She finally had enough, stormed out of the mansion, wanting to see what kind of woman he was hiding. But when she stopped the car, there was only the driver¡­ In Seraphina¡¯s car, even Abbot was a bit puzzled. ¡°Why is there only the driver? Where¡¯s the passenger? We didn¡¯t see anyone get out.¡± Seraphina let out a coldugh, ¡°Yeah, there was no one. It¡¯s a diversion.¡± Luckily, the attention Bowen wanted to divert was just Tania¡¯s! Seraphina was relieved she didn¡¯t rush to stop the car earlier, otherwise, Bowen¡¯s suspect might have been her. During this time, Bowen could have moved the woman he was hiding in the mansion to any safe ce. ¡°Women crazy in love are really scary,¡± Abbot said, ¡°Bowen must have made a run for it by now.¡± Seraphina leaned back quietly in her seat, after a long while, she slowly replied, ¡°Maybe not.¡± Because, the most dangerous ce is often the safest ce.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Seraphina no longer paid attention to Tania, but immediately started the car and headed back to Una¡¯s vi. After that round of chaos, Seraphina became even more cautious. After getting back, she surveyed the surroundings, then had Una make up an excuse to check the gate¡¯s surveince. What Seraphina saw was that not long after she and Tania left, Bowen¡¯s car also quietly left the neighborhood under the cover of darkness. Through the surveince screen, she could only clearly see the driver in the front seat, as for the passengers inside, it was impossible to see After Bowen¡¯s car left, Tania never returned to this neighborhood. Seraphina sat on the couch, repeatedly watching the video of Bowen entering and leaving the neighborhood, while Una sat beside her, yawning. ¡°It¡¯s sote¡­¡± she mumbled while yawning. ¡°You¡¯re like a spy¡­ You¡¯re not nning to tail him, are you?¡± Seraphina put down her phone, took a deep breath, and slowly said, ¡°This city¡¯s so big. He¡¯s been gone for over ten minutes. How am I supposed to know where to follow him?¡± Upon hearing this, Una couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°So we can take a break today, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Seraphina gave a pat on the back of her hand, ¡°I know you¡¯re tired, go rest. An actress needs to take care of herself.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± As Una walked upstairs, she spoke with contempt. ¡°When I was filming. I often stayed up all night. No one can beat me at pulling all-nighters.¡± Yawning, she disappeared at the stairway. Only Seraphina was left sitting on the couch. After a moment of silence, seeing that it was still dark outside, Seraphina decided to go out and take arge circle around the neighborhood. Soon, she arrived at the vi deep within the neighborhood, the one under Tania¡¯s name. ording to the intel Una gathered, Bowen bought this vi, but it was under Tania¡¯s name. For ady like Tania, this vi was perhaps just one of her numerous properties, so she didn¡¯t really care about it and rarely visited. This was why Bowen chose this ce as his hideout. Now, this hiding spot had been exposed. Where would Bowen choose to hide next? Seraphina¡¯s car quietly passed by that vi, then parked in front of Bowen¡¯s actual house. Just like before, the house was dark, showing no signs of habitation. Driving her car slowly, Seraphina kept her eyes on the vi in her rearview mirror after passing it. Suddenly, Seraphina hit the brakes. Abbot immediately became alert and turned to look at Seraphina, only to see her staring intently in the direction of the rearview mirror. Abbot was puzzled and turned to look at the vi, but he couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Madam?¡± he called softly to Seraphina. Snapping back to reality, Seraphina quickly hit the gas, leaving the area and returning to Una¡¯s vi. As soon as she entered the house, she quicklyy down at the edge of the bed, took out a telescope, and focused on observing the vi. She wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed, only that for about thirty to fifty minutes, there was no movement from the vi. Suddenly, a faint orange light appeared from a window of the vi, on a spot that was originally dark. The light was very faint, almost indistinguishable from the orange street light reflecting on the window. But Seraphina noticed. The light wasn¡¯t reflecting on the window, but wasing from inside. Perhaps the curtains weren¡¯t dark enough, or part of them wasn¡¯t fully drawn, so a bit of light leaked onto the window. The lightsted only a short time. It was only a few seconds before the window returned to darkness. However, this was enough to prove a fact- There was someone in that house. L For the rest of the time, Seraphina sat quietly by the window, staring at the house. At eleven in the morning, when Una woke up, she found Seraphina still in the same position. ¡°My God, you didn¡¯t stay up all night, did you?¡± Una was surprised and moved closer to Seraphina, following her gaze to look at the house, ¡°What¡¯s so special about that house? I thought no one lived there?¡±. Seraphina nced at her and gave a slight smile, ¡°No one¡¯s there, but perhaps there¡¯s a ghost!¡± Una was startled by her words, ¡°Don¡¯t scare me! I have to live here for a long time! I was going to make breakfast for you! Now I¡¯m not going to do so! Starve to death for all I care!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Starve me to death, then there¡¯ll be another ghost. As long as you¡¯re not scared.¡± Una was so angry she lunged at her. While the two were messing around in the room, Seraphina nced out the window and saw something. She immediately stopped and picked up the telescope anain She saw Bow Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The car that had left in i marly hours of the morning wat musw back the naughtyfoot And it had stopped in front of Bow¡¯s vi Seraphina watched the situation over there intently Not long after, she saw Bowene out of the vi and get in the car Then, the car oft Abbot, who had been outside the whole time, immediately called Seraphina, Madam, Bowen¡¯s left. Should we follow ** Should they follow! Seraphina¡¯s gaze fell on the now quiet vi, and she made a decision based on her intuition, ¡°No.¡± After making this decision, Seraphina stayed in Una¡¯s vi for another whole day Until around eleven at night, there was suddenly some movement at Bowen¡¯s vi, A ck van drove up and parked at the vi. Seraphina couldn¡¯t see the entrance, but her intuition told her that someone hade out of the vi and gotten into the van About ten minutester, the van made a U-turn and headed towards the exit Just as the van was about to pass Una¡¯s house, suddenly, a light blue Golf sped out from the side The sound of brakes echoed on the road, and the two cars stopped just before colliding Abbot sat in the Goff, slowly exhaling. The driver of the van came back to his senses, but didn¡¯t get out of the car, just leared out and shouted, ¡°How do you drive? Are you okay?¡± Abbot didn¡¯t respond. Soon, Una flung open the door and strode out. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Meanwhile, themunity property management folks and security guards were quickly on the scene Seeing themotion, the van driver hopped out of his vehicle. Upon making sure he hadn¡¯t hit Abbot¡¯s car, he prepared to leave ¡°Hold it right there!¡± Una, gesturing towards Abbot in the car, used the driver, ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done, you scared my driver half to death!¡± ¡°Miss, I was driving normally, he¡¯s the one who darted out!¡± the driver said, ¡°If there¡¯s an issue, it¡¯s not on me!¡± ¡°Oh, if you say so, is it the truth?¡± Una retorted, ¡°Who decides whos at fault here? Check the surveince! Call the cops!¡± The scene quickly became noisy. That¡¯s when Seraphina finally came out of the house, curiously asking, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Una took Seraphina aside and filled her in on what was going on. As they talked, they circled the van. The van¡¯s windows were covered with curtains, making it impossible to see inside However, as Seraphinapleted her circle and returned to the front of the van, the previously stationary vehicle suddenly rocked a little Spotting this, the drivers face changed slightly. He then said, ¡°If its my fault, I¡¯ll own up to it! If there¡¯s a problem, I¡¯ll take responsibility, alright? You¡¯ve taken photos, and the property management has my info. If there¡¯s an issue, just find me! I have an emergency and need to leave now!¡± With that, he turned to get back in his van. The property management didn¡¯t want to upset the home owner, and was also afraid to escte the situation, so they were hesitant to just let him go. But no matter how much everyone tried to stop him, the driver was determined to leave and even started his van, trying to disperse the crowd. Seraphina pulled Una aside, no longer daring to stand in front of the moving vehicle She just stared at the curtained windows, seemingly trying to peer inside. But what could she see? Seraphina was silent, not uttering a word Meanwhile, the driver had broken through the crowd, hit the gas, and sped off. Just as the van was leaving, the curtain of the window in front of Seraphina was suddenly pulled back. But it was only for a second, maybe even half a second, before the curtain was drawn again. However, Seraphina had seen inside the van. She saw a face, struggling to press against the window in that brief moment, only to be quickly pulled back, hand mped over mouth and nose The face had only shed before her eyes for an instant. But she knew that face, she knew it very well Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the van zipped away. Despite the property management and security guards trying to chase and stop it, their efforts were futile. Una exhaled softly, turning to look at Seraphina, ready to ask forpliments about her performance, but found Seraphina walking straight towards Abbot. Though Seraphina¡¯s face was calm andposed, she bent over to look at Abbot in the car, asking him, ¡°You okay?¡± Abbot replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Noticing Seraphina¡¯s facial expression, he didn¡¯t say more. He had been by Seraphina¡¯s side for a long time, traveling to many ces. At this moment, Seraphina¡¯s expression was calm, without a ripple, even her eyes lost their usual luster. Such a situation could only mean that she was troubled. Meanwhile, the van turned the corner and was about to disappear. The driver k¨¦pt his eyes on the rearview mirror. Seeing no abnormalities, he turned his eyes back and focused on driving out of the residential area. Una quickly sent the property management and security guards away. Seraphina watched as they left and nced at the exit of the housing estate. The van was gone. After Abbot parked the car, he walked over to Seraphina and asked in a low voice, ¡°Ma¡¯am, is something off?¡± Seraphina clearly heard his question, but there was no change in her expression and she didn¡¯t answer him. Una then came over and asked curiously, ¡°So, how did it go? Are we continuing tonight?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°You¡¯ve been bothered for two days, that¡¯s enough.¡± Upon hearing this, Una immediately asked out of curiosity, ¡°So where are you going to investigate next? Need my help?¡± Seraphina smiled at her and replied, ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± At half past eleven in the evening, the Reynolds family¡¯s driver pulled up at the vi door to pick up Seraphina. Seraphina and Abbot got in the car and the driver slowly drove towards Reynolds Manor. The road was wide and clear at night. The traffic wasn¡¯t heavy, but it wasn¡¯t light either. The cars flowed smoothly like clouds and water on the streets. How many of the bright lights were shining on their car? Seraphina calmly looked out the window, remaining silent, until they returned to Reynolds Manor. After getting out of the car, Seraphina went straight into the house.. The driver also noticed Seraphina¡¯s odd behavior. After she entered the house, he couldn¡¯t help but quietly ask Abbot, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the missus?¡± Abbot shook his head, indicating that he didn¡¯t know either. At this time, Conway and Valerio were already asleep, and Seraphina had asked Leandro for a week of free time, so Leandro might not be back today. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina went straight upstairs to her bedroom, didn¡¯t turn on the lights. After closing the door, she walked in the dark to the bed, took off her shoes and got into bed. She didn¡¯t change her clothes, but just sat on the bed wrapped in a nket, quietly thinking about what just happened. Things happened so fast that she didn¡¯t even have time to react before it was over. Now, she finally had time to rethink the whole situation again. She had an excellent memory and was very good at reviewing what she had seen. So, starting from when the van drove into the residential area, the scenes yed out in her mind like a movie, frame by frame. Until that moment. In front of her, the moment the car window curtain was pulled open. The scene in Seraphina¡¯s mind stopped. In that scene, she saw a face, a face of someone who had already passed away, a face that shouldn¡¯t appear in this world again. It was aplete, clear face. Unlike the blurry photo, this time the face was unobstructed, which could be seen clearly. She could say the name directly, but that name was like stuck in her chest, circling around, unable to escape. Late at night, a light shed outside the window. Not long after, Seraphina heard the familiar footsteps in the hallway. The steady and calm footsteps gradually approached, finally stopping at her room door. The door was opened from the outside. Seraphina was sitting on the bed with her knees up, not looking, not moving. The orange light from the corridor shone into the room, revealing her solitary figure hidden in the dark. Leandro walked into the room and closed the door. He didn¡¯t turn on the light either, just sat down on the bed, reached out and held one of Seraphina¡¯s hands in his. When she touched his warm and strong palm, Seraphina came back to her senses, took a deep breath, and then asked, ¡°Why are you back?¡± T Leandro didn¡¯t answer. After a while, he also sat on the bed, next to Seraphina. After a moment of silence, Seraphina suddenly leaned on Leandro¡¯s shoulder. In the hazy moonlight outside the window, Leandro turned his head, able to see the shadow of her facial contours. She rarely showed such emotions, it seemed like a big problem hade up. How could he note back at a time like this? ¡°Leandro,¡± after a while, Seraphina asked quietly, ¡°do you believe¡­ in resurrection?¡± ¡°If you believe, so do I,¡± Leandro said. Upon hearing this, Seraphina turned to look at him. 1 She had been sitting for a long time, her eyes had adapted to the darkness, so even though the room was dimly lit, she could still see his face clearly. In the darkness, his eyes were firm and calm, even deeper than before. Seraphina suddenly thought back to when she first returned to Sunburst City. She waspletely different from her past self back then,pletely beyond his expectations. This change obviously made him very angry and annoyed, but he still gave her full trust ¨C he didn¡¯t even know what she had gone through in the past seven years, what kind of woman she had be, yet he unreservedly let her raise Valerio. In fact, he hadpletely trusted her from that moment¡¯ on. To this day, his trust in her had almost be an instinct. This kind of instinct was something you just couldn¡¯t dodge. After a moment of silence, Seraphina suddenly reached out and hugged Leandro tightly. Resting her head on his shoulder, she chuckled softly and said, ¡°I¡¯m really envious of you, being able to trust someone like that.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond. It was only after a while that he asked, ¡°What about you?¡± They had discussed the topic of ¡°trust¡± before. That time, he asked her the same question, but she didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Leandro, being the stubborn guy he is, eventually brought up the question again. Seraphina nuzzled his neck gently, then fell silent for quite a while. She had been through so much, people in her lifeing and going, to the point where she could barely trust herself. But this man, he was consistent. Even with time stretching out in front of them and the future filled with uncertainties, at least for now¡­ ¡°I do.¡± She whispered. Chapter 385 Chapter 385 When Leandro heard her response, he seemed to pause for a moment. Then, as if he finally got it, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Do you really trust me?¡± Leandro asked quietly. Seraphina looked up into his eyes and gave him a soft smile, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t move, nor did he respond. He watched her silently for quite a while, then leaned down and kissed her. The moment, the situation, it all felt a bit surreal to Leandro. He needed the reality of touch and warmth to prove what was happening was real. But just as he was leaning in for the kiss, Seraphina¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Seraphina immediately pushed him off and reached for her phone, after a nce, she picked up the call. In the darkness, both of their faces were slightly lit up by the phone screen. Leandro could see that Seraphina¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look too good. Seraphina didn¡¯t notice, listening to the call with full attention, then turned on the bedsidemp and got up from the bed. The sudden brightness made Leandro squint. He watched as Seraphina walked towards the bathroom. ¡°Who was it?¡± Leandro asked. Without turning around, Seraphina replied, ¡°Terrell. I asked him for a favor.¡± Today, the van suddenly appeared, Seraphina didn¡¯t have time to prepare, she just followed it. But she was worried about attracting unnecessary attention, so she had Abbot tail the van. Seeing the face in the van was an unexpected bonus, but regardless of this surprise, Terrell¡¯s people were already prepared and discreetly followed the van as soon as it left the neighborhood. The message Seraphina just received was thest known location of the van- The van had circled around the city, then took several detours, finally stopping at an inconspicuous apartment building. ording to the information that Seraphina had, Bowen didn¡¯t own any property in that building, so it was likely rented or purchased temporarily. His cautious behavior only served to highlight the problem. Seraphina went into the bathroom, sshed cold water on her face, then looked at herself in the mirror for a while, the conclusion that she¡¯d been too afraid to make was slowly forming in her mind. After drying her face, Seraphina walked out of the bathroom. Leandro was still by the bed, watching her calmly. Seraphina took a deep breath, then told him her conclusion, ¡°Sandra isn¡¯t dead.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t seem too surprised. Although he hadn¡¯t directly asked her what she was investigating, her associates were his people, so he knew some things. Sandra was important to her, so when things rted to Sandra came up, she would get anxious, but kept reminding herself to be careful. It took her a long time toe to this conclusion. Unlike her, Leandro could look at the issue of Sandra rationally. So, when the uncertain information reached him, he was actually sure of many things. ¡°We saw her dying at the hospital, being cremated and buried. From beginning to end, we never saw her¡­ body.¡± Seraphina gritted her teeth and slowly said, ¡°Bowen deceived me.¡± ¡°Hmm. Seeing that she could finally calmly discuss this fact, Leandro responded lowly. Seraphina chuckled coldly, then said, ¡°That damn bastard, I won¡¯t let him go!¡± As she finished speaking, she went to the closet, picked out a darker set of clothes, and changed right in front of Leandro. ¡°I have to find Sandra and save her.¡± As Seraphina changed, she said, ¡°No matter where Bowen is hiding her, I will find her-¡± She finished changing and tidying up, grabbed her bag, and was about to leave when she turned to Leandro and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out!¡± Leandro watched her silently and nodded. Seraphina walked out and closed the door behind her. Leandro stayed where he was, not moving. After Seraphina closed the door and was about to go downstairs, she suddenly realized something. Was the atmosphere just now a bit off? So, she paused at the top of the stairs, standing still. Inside the bedroom, Leandro was about to get up from the bed when the door was pushed open again. Seraphina had returned. Unlike before when shepletely ignored him, this time her gaze was on him. Leandro stopped what he was doing and just waited for her to speak. Chapter/385 ¡°Uh¡­¡± Seraphina hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°You were nning to stay at Reynolds Vista Retreat tonight, right?¡± Leandro nodded. ¡°You knew I wasing home, so you came back from there, right?¡± Seraphina asked again. Leandro nodded again. Seraphina paused, then slowly walked to the bed and sat down. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe back just for me. I wasn¡¯t nning on staying home tonight¡­¡± Leandro slowly said, ¡°I know now.¡± He¡¯d originally promised to give her a week, but it had only been two days. He¡¯d thought too highly of himself, overestimated his importance. In front of him, Seraphina was always sharp and eloquent, but now, she was unsure how tofort this disappointed and wronged man. Just as she was hesitating, Leandro suddenly held her chin, leaned forward, gave her a quick kiss, then whispered, ¡°Go.¡± Seraphina froze, wondering if she¡¯d heard him wrong. Though Leandro was always at her beck and call, he had never been this agreeable before. ¡°You serious?¡± Seraphina asked tentatively. Leandro muttered softly, ¡°Or it could be a lie.¡± Seraphina abruptly stood up, as if fearing that she would be caught in his bed in the next second. Leandro watched her movement, his eyes slightly narrowing. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Seeing his expression, Seraphina finally confirmed that Leandro was indeed nning to let her go. All along, he had never truly stopped her from doing what she wanted to do. Seraphina felt a bit ernotional. When she spoke again, she said, ¡°If you really can¡¯t sleep, I could get a couple of hot chicks to keep youpany. Those actresses from Una¡¯s new drama, their noses are very straight, their filled cheeks are quite stiff, and their faces are really bizarre ¨C super thrilling=¡± Before she could finish, Leandro strode off the bed, pressing her directly against the wardrobe door and deeply kissed her. Seraphina gripped his shirt, offering no resistance. That passionate kiss was intoxicating. Just when he was about to lose control, Leandro finally let her go, whispering, ¡°If you don¡¯t leave now, you won¡¯t be able to.¡± Seraphina pushed him away fiercely, turning around and running faster than a rabbit, This time, she didn¡¯t stop or look back. Listening to her gradually fading footsteps on the stairs, a faint smile crept onto Leandro¡¯s face. Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Seraphina bailed out from Reynolds Manor, hurried to the apartment address that Terrell had provided. Terrell himself waited downstairs. Upon seeing Seraphina, he didn¡¯t fuss much, just gave her a simple run-down, ¡°The apartment has only one entrance and exit, same goes for the underground parking, which makes it pretty easy to keep an eye on. If you¡¯re tailing someone, it should be a piece of cake.¡± Seraphina shed a thumbs-up, then said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, you should head back and get some rest.¡± Terrell nodded, turned to leave. Just as their cars were about to part ways, Seraphina tossed Terrell a pack of cigarettes, ¡°Thanks a bunch!¡± Terrell raised an eyebrow, nonchntly pocketed the cigarettes and drove off. Seraphina¡¯s next task was still to wait. And she waited for three days. No sign of Bowen or Sandra. Abbot got a little antsy, couldn¡¯t help but say to Seraphina, ¡°Ma¡¯am, are we sure we¡¯re not barking up the wrong tree?¡± Seraphina, still keeping her eyes peeled on the apartment entrance, whispered, ¡°I trust Terrell.¡± As if it was fate¡¯s arrangement, that afternoon, Seraphina¡¯s faith was rewarded. At two in the afternoon, a middle-aged woman came out from the apartment building. The moment Seraphinaid eyes on her, she snapped into high alert. After a moment, Seraphina told Abbot, ¡°Track her. See where she¡¯s headed.¡± Abbot followed her gaze and gasped, ¡°That woman?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Seraphina confirmed. That night at Una Vi, she remembered three faces Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Sandra in the car, and the two who had covered her mouth and dragged her into the darkness. She remembered clearly, this middle-aged woman was one of them. The woman hailed a cab. Without a second thought, Abbot whipped out his phone and gave the order. Once the woman was gone, everything was back to normal. Seraphina still sat quietly in the car, keeping an eye on the apartment. That night, besides the driver and this woman, there was another middle-aged man in the car. Clearly, he was a butler and she was a nanny. They were both taking care of Sandra, but also watching and controlling her. For that reason, their every move should have something to do with Sandra. Having one of Abbot¡¯s guys tail this woman should be enough. Seraphina still waited under the apartment, quietly. About two hourster, the woman returned to the apartment, carrying a paper bag. ¨C Through her binocrs, Seraphina saw the logo on the paper bag Silveke General Hospital. At the same time, Abbot¡¯s guy reported, ¡°Ma¡¯am, the woman went to Silveke General Hospital, saw a neurology specialist, and brought back some meds.¡± Neurology, specialist, meds¡­ Seraphina kept these keywords in mind, thinking quietly. Around dusk, Bowen¡¯s car, which hadn¡¯t been seen for a while, suddenly appeared outside the apartment, then drove into the underground parking. About an hourter, Bowen¡¯s car left the apartment. These busy in-and-out behaviors left people unprepared. Seraphina quietly observed from the side, a guess started to form in her mind. ¡°If someone you care about is sick, what would you do?¡± Seraphina asked Abbot. Abbot thought for a moment, ¡°Of course I¡¯d take her to see a doctor.¡± ¡°And what if she doesn¡¯t want to go to the hospital?¡± Abbot thought about the bag of medicine the middle-aged woman was carrying earlier, slowly said, ¡°Then¡­bring the meds back for her to take.¡± ¡°And what if she doesn¡¯t want to take the meds?¡± Abbot frowned, then said, ¡°Can¡¯t let her do whatever she wants. At crucial moments, I would use all means, even force her to the hospital.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina took a deep breath. Silveke General Hospital was a famous high-end private hospital in Sunburst City, all the doctors were industry elites, many of them famous. Unlike the bustling patient flow in public hospitals, Silveke General Hospital was orderly and quiet. In the spacious doctors¡¯ office hallway, a young woman apanied by a middle-aged man and woman, walked into the office of a renowned neurology specialist. Everything was organized. After a detailed inquiry and diagnosis, this taciturn young woman was sent to radiology for examination. The middle-aged couple was still stopped outside the radiation room. When the young woman went in, the middle-aged man nced at the treatment room. A doctor came forward to help the young woman, and another doctor was preparing the instrument, and a nurse was sorting out some tools in the corner. The heavy door of the radiation room closed slowly, the young womany quietly on the treatment bed, waiting for the examination. Her eyes were hollow, lifeless. She didn¡¯t speak, just quietly staring at the ceiling above her head. She was used to this series of examinations. But this time, it seemed different from the previous ones. Because shey on the bed for a long time, and there seemed to be no movement around her. When she realized this and turned her head to ask, she saw a woman in a nurse uniform, with a nurse cap on her head and a mask on her face, walking towards her. The nurse bent down to look at her, gently stroked her forehead, and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you feeling unwell?¡± She was stunned. Half of the nurse¡¯s face was covered, revealing only a pair of eyes, looking at her gently. Those eyes were full of tenderness and sympathy. She felt those eyes were familiar, but she found the look in them somewhat foreign. She was not sure, knew it couldn¡¯t be, so she was stunned. Until the nurse spoke again, ¡°Howe you haven¡¯t fully recovered yet? Are you being naughty, not willing to be examined or take your meds properly?¡± Hearing those words, she noticed the nurse¡¯s eyes gradually turning red, filled with tears. She felt as if she¡¯d caught some kind of emotional flu, her eyes growing damp. Before she even realized it, tears were slipping down her cheeks. She gripped the nurse¡¯s hand tightly, using all the strength she could muster. If anyone would¡¯ve noticed their sped hands, they¡¯d see them turning pale from the intense grip. But no one did. Their gazes were locked onto each other¡¯s faces. Even though their vision was blurred with tears, even in the flickering light, their faces were blurry in each other¡¯s view, yet they continued to look at each other. In the quiet moment when the tears fell, Seraphina removed the mask from her face. The instant Sandra saw her face, her tears stopped falling. Everything before this felt like a dream, and now, she suddenly woke up. ¡°Sera-¡± she croaked out. Seraphina slowly nodded, trying to keep herposure, and responded in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± But the next moment, Sandra¡¯s expression became frantic. She looked at Seraphina as if she was in great pain, her body stiff, breathing hard. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina¡¯s face changed. ¡°Where does it hurt? Where do you feel ufortable?¡± Sandra bit her lip, looking at her, seemingly unable to speak. ¡°I¡¯ll get a doctor!¡± Seraphina turned to go fetch a doctor. But Sandra reached out and grabbed her. Seraphina turned back to look at her. Sandra opened her mouth, and with all her strength, she finally managed to speak. ¡°Sera, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Seraphina gently touched her face and slowly shook her head, ¡°No, it¡¯s me who should apologize. I should have noticed sooner¡­¡± Sandra¡¯s gaze lingered on her face. After a while, she suddenly smiled. It was a bitter and guilt-ridden smile, but it also seemed to carry a hint of relief. ¡®Sera. She croaked out again. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Seraphina gripped her hand again, looking at her, ¡°Where are you feeling ufortable? Do I need to get a doctor?¡± Sandra didn¡¯t answer her question. She just looked at Seraphina, then spoke up once more. Sera, Valerio¡­ he¡¯s your son.¡± Chapter 387 Chapter 387 ¡°What are you talking about?¡± That was Seraphina¡¯s response. She was clearly shocked by Sandra¡¯s words, then she reached out and gently touched Sandra¡¯s head. She wasn¡¯t sure if Sandra had lost her mind because of Bowen¡¯s actions, or if the car ident had affected her in some way. But, Sandra clung to Seraphina¡¯s hand, and through her hot tears, she repeated firmly, ¡°Sera, Valerio is your real son. He¡¯s the son of you and Leandro-* Original from N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina stared at her in surprise for a moment, then rasped out, ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Sandra grabbed Seraphina, speaking rapidly, her emotions running high, ¡°Sera, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Seraphina felt a chill run through her. She didn¡¯t know why Sandra would say these things, but seeing how distraught Sandra was, she couldn¡¯t help but try tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Seraphina reached out to steady her, ¡°Take your time, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I messed up¡­¡± Sandra sobbed even harder as Seraphina softened, ¡°I listened to him, I took your son- Seraphina watched her quietly, before slowly asking, ¡°You took my son?¡± ¡°That child is Valerio, he¡¯s Valerio-¡± Sandra said, ¡°Sera, I¡¯m sorry, I should¡¯ve told you sooner¡­¡± Seeing Sandra crying inconsbly, Seraphina¡¯s thoughts became chaotic. She couldn¡¯t keep a cool head tofort Sandra anymore, because she started pondering the possibility of what Sandra was saying. Her words were so believable, her emotions so genuine, even if what she was saying sounded outrageous, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help reying the whole thing in her head. Sandra said she listened to Bowen, took her son Valerio, but- ¡°But Betty has always been with me.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°How can Valerio be my son?¡± ¡°Betty isn¡¯t your child at all!¡± Sandra suddenly broke down crying, ¡°She¡¯s a child Bowen got from somewhere else! I swapped your son with Betty!¡± Seraphina had been reaching out to Sandra, but after hearing Sandra¡¯s words, she slowly pulled her hand back. In that moment, she felt like she froze, her heart plunging into a cold abyss. When she spoke again, Seraphina¡¯s voice was hard and cold, ¡°Exin.¡± ¡°Sandra was sobbing so hard she could hardly breathe, but she persisted, ¡°He hated the Reynolds family, wanted revenge on the Reynolds family, so he had me swap your child¡­ he used Betty to rece your son. Betty isn¡¯t your child¡­ he wanted to raise Valerio as a bargaining chip for revenge against the Reynolds family¡­¡± Seraphina¡¯s gaze was cool and icy, she slowly said, ¡°But Leandro found Valerio on the street.¡± ¡°I was scared¡­¡± Sandra reached out and clung to Seraphina¡¯s uniform, ¡°I was afraid of what he might do to the child, so I wanted to get him away¡­ but he was always after me, he was always after me¡­ I had no choice but to leave the child on the street¡­ I thought, even if someone found him and called the police, it was safer than being with Bowen¡­¡± Seraphina opened her mouth, but no sound came out. In that moment, she didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. It took her a long time to calmly say, ¡°So, the child was found by Leandro, and identally returned to his biological father?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know, I really didn¡¯t know¡­ I thought the child might never be found¡­¡± Sandra said, ¡°Until you told me that Valerio was picked up by Leandro, and it was at the end of March¡­ then I knew¡­¡±. Seraphina watched her sobbing in pain, but slowly managed a smile, ¡°But you still didn¡¯t tell me the truth.¡± ¡°I was scared! I was scared!¡± Sandra quickly held onto Seraphina again, ¡°I wanted to be sure before I told you¡­ in Velvetwood, I took a spoon Valerio used and your DNA for testing, but I was afraid Bowen would find out, and I didn¡¯t have time to see the report before I had to go back to Sunburst City with him¡­ but he found out anyway, he tampered with the report I received. I thought Valerio wasn¡¯t your son, I thought he had nothing to do with you¡­¡± Seraphina took a deep breath, then asked, ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Then, I identally found the real test report in his study¡­ Seraphina, Valerio is your son! He really is your son!¡± Sandra reached out again to grasp Seraphina¡¯s hand. But Seraphina¡¯s hand was icy cold. ¡°And then, you wanted to tell me the truth, that¡¯s why he got angry.¡± Seraphina said slowly, ¡°That¡¯s why heid a hand on you?¡± Sandra was crying uncontrobly, her face wet with tears. Unlike Sandra¡¯s tear-streaked face, Seraphina¡¯s expression remainedposed. ¡°Nope, nope.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t wait for Sandra¡¯s reply, she said again slowly, ¡°Remember? The day before you got into trouble, you came to me all frazzled. By then, you probably already knew the truth, right? But you didn¡¯t tell me, you had Bowen on your mind. You went back to wait for him, wanted to have a serious talk, but either you guys didn¡¯t end up talking, or you didn¡¯t even get to see him. That¡¯s why you rushed to me the next day, wanting to spill the beans. And then, Bowen had someone mess you up.¡± Sandra, who had been soaking in her emotions, slightly snapped out as she heard Seraphina¡¯s words. ¡°Seraphina¡­¡± She tried to grasp her in a fluster, ¡°Seraphina, I¡¯m sorry, I know I let you down, can you forgive me?¡± Seraphina looked at the hand that was tightly gripping hers. After a long pause, she spoke again, ¡°You know? After you got into trouble, I thought you were dead. I I was bent on avenging you. No matter who hurt you, I thought I gotta get back at them, to let you rest in peace. Recently, I identally discovered that you might still be alive. But I couldn¡¯t believe it at all, I didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. Because I was scared, the more I hoped, the bigger the disappointment. No one wants you alive in this world more than me, you know how important you are to me.¡± Sandra, who was gripping Seraphina¡¯s hand, identally fell off the examination table. ¡°Seraphina, I know I messed up, forgive me, forgive me¡­¡± Seraphina just watched her, without helping her up, she didn¡¯t even bend down. ¡°When I saw you alive, I was truly happy.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But now, dead or alive, I couldn¡¯t care less.¡± ¡°Seraphina-¡± ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± Seraphina said coldly, ¡°Never.¡± Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Seraphina yanked her hand out of Sandra¡¯s tight grip, turning around and heading for the door. ¡°Sera, Sera!¡± Sandra fell to the floor behind her, calling out to her with a hoarse voice, but Seraphina didn¡¯t look back, she just opened the door and left. Sandra clutched at her chest, breaking down into uncontroble sobs. After exiting the therapy room, Seraphina immediately removed her nurse¡¯s cap and stripped off her uniform, tossing it emotionless into the trash can just outside the door. Abbot came over quickly, taken aback by Seraphina¡¯s actions but still asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, the man and woman have been temporarily restrained, would you like us to escort thedy out?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Let those two go. They cane back and take her.¡± Abbot was taken aback again. Things had spiraled way out of his predictions, but seeing how Seraphina was, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Isn¡¯t she the one?¡± ¡°She is,¡± Seraphina slowly replied, then let out a scoff, ¡°But from now on, she has nothing to do with me.¡±¡± With that, Seraphina turned around and headed towards the hospital¡¯s main building. Seeing all this, Abbot didn¡¯t dare to ask anymore. He quickly followed Seraphina while making a phone call. When the man and woman who had been apanying Sandra hurried back to the therapy room, they found Sandra curled up in a corner of the room, tightly clutching her own arm, unable to stop her tears from flowing,pletely broken. After leaving the hospital, Seraphina directed the driver to head back to the Reynolds family. Abbot, sitting in the passenger seat, hesitated for a moment before sending a message to Leandro. Seraphina sat quietly in the back seat of the car, staring out of the window with no expression on her face. Not until they arrived back at Reynolds Manor. As Seraphina was about to get out of the car, she saw Valerio sitting on the steps at the entrance with the nanny. Next to them was a broken flower pot and a pile of soil, the nanny was applying some medicine to Valerio¡¯s hand. Seeing this, Seraphina immediately got out of the car. ¡°What happened?¡± Seraphina quickly walked over and grabbed Valerio¡¯s hand. The nanny quickly exined, ¡°For homework, the teacher asked each of them to nt a flower. He just filled the pot with soil when he identally dropped it, causing a small cut on his hand.¡± Seraphina immediately started inspecting Valerio¡¯s body carefully. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious,¡± the nanny quickly reassured her, seeing her concern. ¡°Just a small cut on his hand. There are also some bruises on his arm and leg, but he wasn¡¯t bleeding. Valerio¡¯s skin is thin, even a slight bump will leave a mark for a day or two, but it¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Seraphina looked at the wounds on Valerio¡¯s hand and leg, and fell silent for a moment.. Suddenly, Valerio pulled his hand out of hers, hugging it to his chest and turning his head to look away, his lips pouting. Seraphina slowly lifted her eyes, taking in his profile that looked so much like Leandro¡¯s, remaining silent. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He¡¯s somewhat upset.¡± the nanny softly said to Seraphina, ¡°You haven¡¯t been home these days, and he¡¯s been missing you. He hasn¡¯t been very happy recently¡­¡± Upon hearing the nanny¡¯s words, Valerio, who had been keeping his emotions in check, suddenly had red-rimmed eyes. ¡°You¡¯re such a brave boy, you didn¡¯t cry when you fell just now, why are you about to cry now?¡± the nanny teased, ¡°You can¡¯t cry, you¡¯re a boy, you should be brave and not shed tears.¡± Hearing this, Valerio suddenly took a deep breath, forcing back his tears. The nanny couldn¡¯t help but let out a softugh at this, but when she turned to look at Seraphina, she suddenly looked surprised, ¡°Sera, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Valerio¡¯s tears didn¡¯t fall, but Seraphina¡¯s tears were uncontrobly welling up. Hearing the nanny¡¯s voice, Valerio quickly turned to look at Seraphina. Seeing her crying, he was instantly flustered. He wanted to reach out and wipe her tears, but seeing how dirty his own hand was, he hesitated, and put the hand that he just pulled out of Seraphina¡¯s back into hers. Seraphina cleaned her own tears, looked at the wounds on his hand, then looked at him, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Valerio shook his head vigorously, then used the back of his other hand to gently clean Seraphina¡¯s face. Seraphina¡¯s eyes were still filled with tears. She looked at Valerio¡¯s face, her gaze focused yet somewhat dazed. ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± Seraphina asked again. Valerio quickly shook his head again. But it seemed as though Seraphina didn¡¯t see his response. She held his hand, took a moment, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me¡­don¡¯t be mad at me¡­¡± As she spoke, her tears fell uncontrobly again. Valerio was confused. Seraphina had never cried in front of him before, She rarely showed any negative emotions in front of him. ording to her style, she should be angry with him, but she was crying. Valerio didn¡¯t understand what was going on with Seraphina, but he was affected by her emotions. His tears, which had already stopped, welled up again, flowing down his face without any hesitation.. Suddenly, Seraphina stretched out her arms and pulled him into a tight hug. They hadn¡¯t known each other for long, and she once asked him, ¡°If you can¡¯t find your mom, will you be very sad?¡± At that time, he was confused, and he was scared. Then, sheforted him, ¡°We will definitely find her. Your mom must be very sad after losing you¡­ She will definitelye looking for you.¡± But it turned out that she was the mom who lost him. But she never thought about looking for him, she didn¡¯t even know he existed¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Seraphina sobbed, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at mommy, mommy will never leave you again, never again¡­¡± Upon hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, Valerio cried even harder, just tightly hugging Seraphina, refusing to let go. The nanny stood aside, at a loss, unable to control her own tears. Conway heard themotion, walked to the door, saw this scene, and didn¡¯t know how to react. Meanwhile, Leandro¡¯s car stopped in the garden, not far away. Leandro pushed the car door open, slowly walked up to Seraphina¡¯s back. People around consciously retreated or disappeared, only leaving Leandro standing there, watching the sobbing mother and son. After a while, Leandro reached out his hand, gently caressing Seraphina¡¯s swollen eyes. Seraphina slowly opened her eyes, and when she looked up at him, there were even more tears. She was always good at hiding her inner self, whetherughing or crying, she always had great control. But at this moment, her eyes, cleared by tears, seemed to return to the way they were eight years ago. Her eyes were very clear. Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Leandro was dumbstruck looking at Seraphina like this. In that moment, he seemed to realize something, but the feeling was too vague and unreal, so he didn¡¯t grasp it. Seraphina cried for a long time holding Valerio, his tears gradually stopped, but Seraphina still couldn¡¯t control her emotions. The nanny tried tofort Seraphina, but retreated back to the room after seeing Leandro shake his head. It wasn¡¯t until Valerio slowly recovered, reaching out to touch Seraphina¡¯s face, that her crying gradually stopped. But when she looked at Valerio, she still couldn¡¯t control her tears. Valerio still looked upset. Seraphina tenderly pulled his hand over, kissed it, then cradled his face, showering him with kisses. Seeing this, the feeling that Leandro couldn¡¯t grasp before became clearer and clearer. He turned his head to look at Abbot standing not far away. Abbot seemed to notice his gaze and quickly looked over. Seeing Leandro¡¯s gaze, he shook his head with some difficulty, indicating he didn¡¯t know what was going 1. Leandro didn¡¯t expect an answer from him. He just looked back at Seraphina, who was holding Valerio tightly, and he knew in his heart what was going on. By the time Valerio was led by Seraphina into the room, Conway had been waiting on the sofa for a long time, and the nanny was standing by, watching Seraphina with concern. But all of Seraphina¡¯s attention was on Valerio. She pulled Valerio into her arms, not caring about her own tears, just continually asking him ¡°Does your hand still hurt? Really not hurting? What about your knee? Does it hurt?¡± After Valerio answered each question, Seraphina held him in her arms again, uncontrobly kissing his head and hands. Then, she suddenly realized something and nervously asked Valerio, ¡°Why are you sweating so much? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?¡± The nanny quickly said, ¡°He¡¯s been crying so long, of course he¡¯s sweating! He¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take him upstairs to have a bath to prevent him from getting sick.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll take him to bathe,¡± Seraphina said softly. Then, touching Valerio¡¯s face, she gently said, ¡°Mummy will give you a bath.¡± Valerio nodded and obediently followed Seraphina upstairs. From beginning to end, the other three people in the room were ignored. It wasn¡¯t until then that Conway sensed something. Previously, although Valerio had started regarding Seraphina as his ¡°mummy¡±, and the other people in the house had started referring to her as his mummy, Seraphina had never called herself his mummy in front of Valerio. Even when Valerio called her, she would respond happily, but calling herself Valerio¡¯s mummy like today was the first time. Unable to resist, Conway looked at Leandro and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Leandro had an answer in his heart, but it still needed to be confirmed. He nced at Conway, didn¡¯t respond, and just turned and went upstairs. After Seraphina led Valerio into his room, she said to him, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared the clothes for you to change into after your bath.¡± Valerio stood obediently, looking a bit surprised. In the past, Seraphina might have let him pick up his own clothes, fill the tub himself, and then wash himself¡­ But now¡­ Valerio was thinking at the foot of the bed and turned to see. Leandro standing at the door. Leandro signaled him, and Valerio obediently went out. ¡°Valerio!¡± Seeing Valerio leave, Seraphina wanted to stop him immediately, but then saw Leandroe in and gently close the door. Seraphina looked anxious, ¡°Where did you take Valerio? I still have to give him a bath! He¡¯ll get sick!¡± While speaking, she tried to get past Leandro to find Valerio, as if afraid Valerio would disappear. Her state was indeed very different from before. Leandro stood still, just calmly said, ¡°Valerio¡¯s just outside the door. First tell me, what did Sandra do?¡± She had gone to see Sandra today, and after she had seen Sandra, her entire state had be like this. All the possibilities Leandro could think of were rted to Sandra. Hearing Sandra¡¯s name, Seraphina¡¯s expression changed slightly and she became a little downcast. She turned her face away, avoiding Leandro¡¯s gaze, and after a while, she said in a low voice, ¡°Guess what she did?¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes flickered, he asked quietly, ¡°About Valeno?¡± 5 9 5 5 Seraphina didn¡¯t respond, but as soon as she heard this name, tears uncontrobly flowed down again. Seven years, Valerio was already seven years old. For the past seven years, he had been lonely and silent, longing for his mother; And she, after three years of busy time, was plunged into endless pain, lost and wasting her life. He was supposed to be with her. Even in the early years, she might not have been a good mother, but he was always with her. He would make herugh, cry, be with her from his first steps to learning to speak, he could call her ¡°mummy¡± over and over again¡­ All of this should not have turned out like it is today. And all of this was caused by the person she trusted the most. All these years, all the warmth. and care of that person, at this moment, all turned into painful memories. Seraphina felt like she was a joke. ¡± In the past few years, she always thought she was clever and observant, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t truly understand the people around her, missing out on these seven years with Valerio. Sandra, the culprit, still hoped to be forgiven! Seraphina cleaned the tears off her face, then looked at Leandro again, saying, ¡°I can¡¯t cry anymore. If I do, it¡¯ll scare the bejesus out of Valerio¡­¡± The moment her tears fell, Leandro knew what his heart was telling him.¡± Over the years, his heart had been as steady as a rock. Only the thought of Betty would stir something in him. Yet now, he got a significant piece of info, but there was no ripple in his heart. Just like seven years ago. Seven years ago, when he first discovered Valerio¡¯s identity, he had his doubts too. He investigated many people, including some he¡¯d only met once. In the end, his thoughts unwillingly drifted to Seraphina. It had been a long time since he had thought of Seraphina. Her bright eyes, filled with a shyughter, suddenly shed in his mind, but his heart didn¡¯t budge. However, a sudden emptiness was felt somewhere deep down. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. This emptiness was suffocating, leaving no room for any emotional turmoil. Thest person he wanted to investigate about Valerio¡¯s identity, was Seraphina. Chapter 390 Chapter 390 At that time, Leandro never wanted to see Seraphina again. He didn¡¯t want to see what she looked like now, didn¡¯t want to know how she was living, and didn¡¯t want to know whether she was doing well or not. In the past year, he had sessfully isted many pointless people and things. Bringing up the past was not his style anymore. But a living, breathing blood rtion was right in front of him and he had no choice but to look into it. Conveniently, he had a business trip to Moonhaven in a week. With this opportunity, he could have his subordinates investigate in Velvetwood. But that trip to Moonhaven was extremely unsessful. He hit a wall everywhere, was left to cool his heels by his business partners for a few days, and got nothing done. Finally, Leandro decided to leave. On the day he left, it was early spring, the weather was fine, sunny and warm. The flight took off in the evening, the apanying staff were given the day off, and everyone was free to do their own thing. He himself drove aimlessly. This trip was unsessful, and he felt frustrated. He drove onto the road absentmindedly, and when he came to his senses, there was a road sign for Velvetwood. He looked at the name Velvetwood from afar, a name that was both strange and familiar, and suddenly remembered that he had another purpose for this trip. And at this moment, he was so close to that purpose. Perhaps he only needed to drive another twenty or thirty minutes to see the person he had been apart from for a whole year. She was neen now. Maybe she had matured, maybe she had gotten prettier, maybe she had made new friends¡­ Maybe she had already forgotten him. Leandro slowly parked the car on the side of the road and lit a cigarette for himself. When he finished the cigarette, he started the car again, turned around, and left without looking back. He didn¡¯t go to check in person after all. It was because he thought it was impossible, and also because of the steadfastness in his heart. After returning to Moonhaven, he sent someone else to investigate, stating clearly that he did not need any information, just a result. But the person who went to investigate still brought back some information, and reported it without his objection. After going to Velvetwood, she had reunited with her mother, settled down securely, and was attending a tutoring ss. She was currently applying to several universities, including the famous University of Pennsylvania. She was doing well. She had never given birth. This was the result he had anticipated, so he had no reaction. It wasn¡¯t until a long, long timeter that he finally understood ¨C Behind thatplete calm and steadfastness, was the unspoken expectation. It was the same then, and it is the same now. The only difference is, back then, he never faced or touched this expectation; And now, after a long period of emptiness and tranquility, all of a sudden, something seemed to pierce through the sky and hit straight to his heart! His heart, which had been calm before, was now beating violently. Leandro stretched out his hand and pulled Seraphina into his arms, holding her tightly. Seraphina¡¯s tears had never been as uncontroble as they were today.. The moment she hit Leandro¡¯s shoulder, more tears flowed out. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said in a damp and hoarse voice when she spoke again, ¡°Thank you for helping me find my child -¡± ¡°Our child.¡± Leandro said heavily. Seraphina bathed Valerio for a long time. In the more than a year that she had known Valerio, he had always bathed himself from the moment he started living with her. But this time, Seraphina filled the bathtub with water and washed him thoroughly. Valerio had stopped crying and was trying hard to make Seraphinaugh, so she, with red eyes, laughed again Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. The bath took over an hour, and by the time they finished, it was past dinner time, I again. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Seraphina asked, wrapping Valerio in a towel and cing him on the bed. Valerio shook his head, crawled under the covers, and patted the bed, indicating that Seraphina should come up too.. He had missed Seraphina terribly for so many days, and now that she was finally back and so gentle, he wanted to be with her all the time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Seraphina read his mind, ¡°Mommy won¡¯t leave you ever again.¡± She turned to get Valerio¡¯s usual lotion, ¡°Shall I apply it for you?¡± Valerio immediately nodded and pulled back the covers. Boys his age usually have some sense of gender and would probably be shy in front of females. But maybe because he doesn¡¯t talk, he¡¯s a bit slower to mature than other boys his age, so most of the time in front of Seraphina, he¡¯s still a cute and soft child. Seraphina squeezed the lotion into her palm, warmed it with the temperature of her hand, and then slowly applied it to Valerio¡¯s body. He had several moles on his body, one at the back of his neck, one on his waist, and even one on his butt. When she saw thest mole, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, but as soon as her smile spread, tears fell. She really wasn¡¯t a good mother. Even if she knew her child was missing, she didn¡¯t even know what marks he had on his body, how could she find him back if it wasn¡¯t for a lucky coincidence? The more Seraphina thought about it, the more frightened she became, and the more tears she shed. Hearing the noise, Valerio turned around to see Seraphina crying again, he immediately became anxious and quickly reached out to wipe her tears. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Seraphina quicklyforted him, ¡°Mom is happy.¡± But Valerio still pouted, looking unconvinced. So Seraphina put down what she was holding, sat on the bed, and wrapped herself and him in the nket, handing him the pen and paper from the bedside table. ¡°I haven¡¯t been home for a long time, I didn¡¯t even apany you when you started school,¡± Seraphina said, stroking his head, ¡°Tell me about your life at school. Do you like it? Are your teachers nice? Are there any pretty girls in your ss?¡± With a new topic of conversation, Valerio immediately lit up. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, he started to sketch and write, exining to Seraphina about his favorite teacher and the new friends he had made. They sat in their bed, chatting away until the darkness of night had enveloped them.. Downstairs, Conway sat on the couch, restlessly twiddling with his walking stick. Karan, anxious, kept ncing towards the door, letting out an exmation when he finally saw a car pull in. ¡°They¡¯re back!¡± At hearing this, Conway immediately got up and made his way to the door. A car stopped outside, and Keen, holding a paper folder, hurriedly entered. He had originally intended to report to Leandro, but was intercepted by Conway. With no other option, he handed the report in his hands to Conway. Conway took the folder, his hands trembling as he opened it. Realizing he couldn¡¯t see clearly, he pushed the folder back towards Keen in frustration. ¡°Read it!¡± Keen started to read out the contents of the folder. ¡°Parental verification report, Sunburst City Medical University Medical Examination Center¡­¡± Conway, getting irritated, tapped him with his walking stick. ¡°Read the results!¡± Keen quickly flipped to thest page. After confirming the results, he read, ¡°¡­supporting the existence of a biological rtionship between sample 1 and sample 2¡­¡± Karan let out a gasp and covered his mouth. Conway, clutching his chest, was on the brink of tears. Karan quickly moved to support Conway, his voice choked with emotion. ¡°Sir, Valerio really is Sera¡¯s child! This is such great news! It¡¯s wonderful!¡± Conway let out a breath, nodding slowly, then turned to Keen. ¡°Now take it upstairs!¡± Keen hurriedly took the folder and went upstairs, pushing open the door to Leandro¡¯s study. ¡°Mr. Reynolds.¡± Handing over the report, Keen could hardly conceal the excitement in his eyes. The results of the verification were clear. Leandro took the report and read it, then slowly closed his eyes. Keen stood there silently, holding his breath. Sure enough, when Leandro opened his eyes again, they were deep and cold, filled with a deadly seriousness. Chapter 391 Chapter 391 After Keen left the Reynolds residence, Leandro finally emerged from his study and opened the door to Valerio¡¯s bedroom. The bedroom was dim, with only a small bedsidemp providing a soft glow. Valerio was nestled in his covers, his eyes closed and breath steady in sleep. Seraphina was lying beside him, her body turned to face him. Her arm was draped over Valerio¡¯s body, careful not to weigh him down. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She watched him intently, her eyes reluctant to blink. Leandro moved to sit at the edge of the bed. He too observed Valerio silently for a moment before speaking, ¡°Are you sleeping with him tonight?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Seraphina responded quietly, then added, ¡°He enjoys sleeping with me the most. We didn¡¯t have the chance before, but recently I¡¯ve had some time, so I let him sleep with me. If he wakes up in the morning and I¡¯m not there, he gets upset.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, he reached out and gently held the hand Seraphina had left outside the covers. After a pause, she spoke again, ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Leandro answered. ¡°Can you look into Betty¡¯s background? Even though she¡¯s no longer here, I don¡¯t want her existence to be another tragedy.¡± Leandro nodded, reaching out to brush a stray hair from her face. ¡°Even though Betty wasn¡¯t our biological child, she was by your side for three years. She was our daughter.¡± Tears welled up in Seraphina¡¯s eyes. She quickly turned away from him, focusing back on Valerio. Leandro sat quietly beside them for a while longer. Finally, he stood, bending down to kiss Valerio¡¯s forehead before nting a soft kiss on Seraphina¡¯s lips. Seraphinaid quietly, not pulling away. ¡°Good night.¡± Leandro said. Seraphina nodded in response. Leandro turned off the bedsidemp, then left the room. That night, even though she was beside Valerio, Seraphina stayed awake. Fortunately, the next morning, when Valerio awoke and saw her, he broke into a bright smile. -Because Seraphina had been away recently, Valerio was particrly clingy. He watched her intently as she brushed her teeth, afraid that she might disappear if he looked away. Seraphina understood his worries. She patiently apanied him as he got ready, then said, ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t leaving. From now on, every day. I¡¯ll eat with you, sleep with you, and take you to school. Is that okay?¡± I¡¯ll be with you At her words, Valerio¡¯s eyes lit up. But he was still worried that she might be lying, so he stretched out his pinky finger towards her. In the past Seraphina would not have entertained such a childish gesture, but today, she linked her pinky with his, making a promise. Valerio immediately perked up, brushing his teeth with renewed energy. As Seraphina was wiping his face, she had a sudden thought, ¡°Call me mom.¡± After blinking a few times, Valerio confidently mouthed the word, ¡°Mom.¡± Seraphina locked eyes with him, then leaned in for a quick kiss. She whispered, ¡°Jesus, I hope this isn¡¯t a dream¡­¡± Everything that followed reassured Seraphina that this was not a dream. When she led Valerio downstairs, Leandro and Conway were already seated at the breakfast table. Karan was bringing breakfast from the kitchen. When they saw Seraphina and Valerio, their faces lit up with joy. Seraphina went into the kitchen to serve Conway a bowl of oatmeal. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ve been busy recently and haven¡¯t spent much time with you,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry with me.¡± Conway looked at her and took the bowl of oatmeal from her hands. ¡°Your grandpa¡¯s not mad at you,¡± Karan said. ¡°He¡¯s overjoyed. He was humming and Look at how energetic he is today.¡± to music in his roomst night. I don¡¯t think he slept much. Seraphina rolled her eyes at Karan, ¡°No matter how happy you are, you need your sleep. Do you want to break your old bones?¡± ¡°From today, I feel ten years younger!¡± Conway dered. He then held Seraphina¡¯s hand, ¡°I¡¯m truly happy. I¡¯m even happier than when you and Leandro got married! Of course, if you two could give Valerio a little brother or sister sooner, I¡¯d be even happier!¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes at him again, withdrew her hand, and returned to Valerio¡¯s side. Leandro looked at her, then at Valerio. Valerio was also sneaking nces at him. It seemed as if he was trying to gauge Leandro¡¯s reaction. Leandro took a sip of his coffee and said, ¡°You¡¯re happy now? Your Mom will sleep with you for many days.¡± On hearing this, Valerio tried to maintain hisposure, but his eyes were filled with joy. Seraphina said, ¡°He might only want to sleep with me for a year or two. When he grows up a bit, who knows, he might find me annoying! You can¡¯t control your kids as they grow up.¡± Leandro looked at her again. Conway didn¡¯t speak, but initiated the conversation, ¡°You¡¯re not nning on sleeping with Valerio for the next couple of years, are you? I still want a second great-grandson!¡± Seraphina huffed, burying her face in her breakfast. After breakfast, Seraphina intended to take Valerio to school herself. However, Leandro unexpectedly suggested that they go together. This day held a special significance, so Seraphina nodded, happily agreeing¡­ Valerio was the happiest of all because such special treatment was truly rare! Leandro and Seraphina not only walked him to school but also held his hand as they entered the school gates. If humans had tails, Valerio¡¯s tail would probably be wagging so hard! After dropping him off, Seraphina didn¡¯t rush off but stayed behind to meet Valerio¡¯s teacher. Leandro stayed right by her side. When she had been busy with other things, Leandro had already familiarized himself with the school and the teacher. However, Seraphina had been oblivious, so after talking to the teacher and giving detailed instructions about Valerio, she took a tour around the entire school. Aside from her work, she rarely paid such meticulous attention to things. Thus, the visit took up half the day. Surprisingly, Leandro stayed with her the entire time, not leaving ahead of her. Finally recalling something, Seraphina turned to him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy today?¡± Leandro stared at her silently before replying slowly, ¡°I can afford to be not busy today.¡± Seraphina listened, pursed her lips, and then smiled slightly, asking, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like we¡¯re dreaming?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dream.¡± Leandro responded, ¡°Everything I experience is real. So, you don¡¯t need to worry about whether this is a dream.¡± Seraphina leaned on the balcony railing. At his words, her eyes welled up slightly, and the breeze made the wetness well up even more. Seraphina reached up to clean her tears. Leandro walked slowly towards her, reaching out to pull her into his arms. She leaned against his chest, transferring the tears from her eyes onto his shirt. ¡°Leandro, she whispered. After a pause, she continued, ¡°I¡¯ve been happiest today¡­ in all these years¡­¡± Leandro fistened, holding her even tighter for a long time before finally whispering, ¡°Having Valerio is our blessing¡­ Sera, I¡¯m grateful.¡± Seraphina leaned against him in silence. Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Once Seraphina had familiarized herself with every aspect of Valerio¡¯s new school, she was still reluctant to leave. However, she knew she couldn¡¯t stay at the school and disrupt Valerio¡¯s studies. Therefore, she chose a nearby caf¨¦ to wait for Valerio¡¯s school day to end. Leandro was understanding and dropped her off at the caf¨¦ before heading back to his office. Once Leandro was gone, Seraphina asked the waitress for some paper and a pen and spent the whole afternoon engrossed in a single task, She began calcting how much she owed Sandra over the years. Ever since she left the Reynolds household, Sandra had been by her side. From her initial arrival in Starhaven to her departure from the Wilson family, Sandra was the constant in her life. Since then, she has received a lot from Sandra. When she first arrived in Starhaven, she was unfamiliar with the ce and couldn¡¯t get along with Magdalen. During this time, she was stubborn and unwilling to ask Magdalen for help. Sandra was there to support her in every aspect of her life. Magdalen barely paid any attention to her, but asionally, Samuel Wilson would send her some living expenses. Even her college tuition was provided by Samuel. Samuel¡¯s generosity made her life much easier, but that didn¡¯t exempt Sandra¡¯s continuous help. Ever since she got pregnant, Sandra would bring bags of items every time she visited. Sandra would manage everything in her life even before Seraphina herself noticed anyck. Without any ie and relying on others, Seraphina was focused on just meeting her basic needs while Sandra ensured she livedfortably. Sandra would even get double of everything, from clothes to groceries, and even get an extra of Seraphina¡¯s favorite outfits, despite the fact that she couldn¡¯t wear them due to her pregnancy. When she had her baby, Sandra was even more generous to her, and especially to the child. Every time she visited Velvetwood, the items she brought could almost pile up into a small hill. During the two years Seraphina was focused on her studies, Sandra took care of all the child¡¯s expenses, even hiring a nanny. So, Seraphina calcted everything, each debt she owed Sandra was clearly ounted for. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Indeed, she owed Sandra a lot, but all she owed couldn¡¯t make up for what Sandra had done. Especially now, she was ready to pay back everything she owed Sandra. The whole afternoon, Seraphina filled nearly ten sheets of paper, trying to ount for everything without omission. -Finally, she calcted a sum. On this sum, she added interest and intion, eventually arriving at a figure of $5,000,000. Without hesitation, Seraphina called Keen and asked him to help transfer this amount to Sandra¡¯s ount. ¡°Ms. Smith?¡± Keen asked uncertainly. ¡°Yes,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°I owe her, and please, transfer it to her as soon as possible.¡± Keen agreed. Hanging up, Keen looked at the auditors, ountants, andwyers working diligently in the conference room and said, ¡°Please maintain efficiency and aim to finish within the next two days. I need to leave for a bit.¡± Keen left the conference room to handle Seraphina¡¯s request. Once he arrived at the bank, he suddenly remembered that Sandra was dead. Knowing what Sandra had done and guessing Seraphina¡¯s current attitude towards Sandra, Keen didn¡¯t pry further. He quickly transferred the money to Bowen Smith¡¯s ount, leaving a note that it was from Seraphina to pay off her debt to Sandra. The money was soon transferred to Bowen¡¯s ount. At this time, Bowen was sitting on the couch in his apartment, smoking a cigarette, and listening to Laurinda, Sandra¡¯s caretaker, report on Sandra¡¯s condition. Since returning from the hospital the day before, Sandra¡¯s mental state had deteriorated significantly. She hadn¡¯t slept, eaten, or drank anything since then. This morning, we tried to give her an IV drip for nutrition, but as soon as we inserted the needle, she immediately pulled it out and threw it aside¡­ We didn¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± Laurinda said cautiously. Bowen exhaled a puff of smoke and said quietly, ¡°Leave.¡± Laurinda quickly left the room. In the months she had been caring for Sandra, Sandra had always disliked her, mainly because she was Bowen¡¯s spy. Sandra also despised Bowen. Every time she saw him, she would be agitated and refuse to take her medication or eat. For those caring for Sandra, life was easier when Bowen was not around. First Bowen was temperamentally vtile and difficult to deal with. Second, Sandra would always take a long time to calm down after seeing him, returning to her zombie-like state. After the incident at the hospital the previous day, they initially kept it from Bowen, fearing he would me them for their negligence. However, as the day went on, they realized they couldn¡¯t hide it anymore and had to informed him. Everyone was on edge, unsure of how the situation would unfold. Bowen simply sat on the couch, smoking in silence. Bowen was in the middle of a cigarette when his cell phone on the coffee table rang. He reached out, picked it up, and squinted at the screen after reading the message. Momentster, he put out his smoke, rose from the chair, and walked towards Sandra¡¯s room. Sandra wasn¡¯t in her bed. She was on the icy floor at the foot of the bed, huddled into a ball, face pale and eyes red-rimmed, tears brimming in her eyes at every moment. Bowen moved forward and effortlessly lifted her from the floor, cing her back on the bed. Sensing his scent, Sandra began to struggle even before she could regain her senses. ¡°Get away! Get away!¡± It was the phrase she had repeated the most in the past few months. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± In the past, Bowen might have coaxed her with soft words, but this time he abruptly reached out, gripping her wrist tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t want to see me? Then who do you want to see? Seraphina? Have you ever thought if she even wants to see you?¡± At the mention of ¡°Seraphina,¡± Sandra froze. The next moment, tears uncontrobly poured out. The scene from yesterday shed before her eyes ¨C Seraphina letting go of her hand and saying¡­ I won¡¯t forgive you. Never. Chapter 393 Chapter 393 For months, her thoughts had been consumed by the desire to see Seraphina again, to confess her past mistakes in person. When she bumped into Seraphina by chance that day, she knew that Seraphina was looking for her. Such a coincidence was too convenient to be idental, at least from Seraphina¡¯s perspective. She knew how smart and resourceful Seraphina was. But their paths crossed just like that. It took her a lot of effort toe back to Sunburst City from Starhaven. If Bowen found out that Seraphina was looking for her, he might send her off to some unknown corner of the world, severing their paths forever. But to her surprise, Bowen was unaware of what happened that night. Those around her did not tell Bowen about her encounter with Seraphina. They were betting that Seraphina didn¡¯t see her, that the incident wouldn¡¯t have any repercussions. In truth, she wasn¡¯t sure whether Seraphina had seen her. But she saw Seraphina, and that gave her hope. She started refusing treatment, throwing all her medications down the toilet. With no other option, they got her new medicine from the hospital and informed Bowen. Bowen thought she was just emotionally unstable due to her illness. After giving her a sedative, he sent her to the hospital. He dared not show up, knowing his presence would only agitate her further. Lucky for her, and thanks to Seraphina¡¯s intelligence, they finally met at the hospital. She had no other thoughts in mind, only the thing she had been contemting for months ¨C she had to tell Seraphina the truth, a truth that had been dyed for seven years, a truth that she couldn¡¯t postpone any longer. She hesitated at thest moment, knowing that once she spilled the beans, it could mean the end of their friendship. But she had to tell her, and she had to face up to the mistakes she had made. However, she had overestimated herself. When Seraphina dered that she would never forgive her, her world copsed. She had lost everything, and now, she was about to lose Seraphina too. It was all her own doing, but she couldn¡¯t bear the consequences. What hope was left for her life? She was lost and confused, and on top of that, Bowen had to add salt to her wounds.. Bowen pulled out his phone and showed her a message he had just received. ¡°Do you see what this is?¡± he asked in a heavy voice, ¡°Five million dors, Seraphina paid you back.¡± Sandra stared at the message, her soul seemed to have been sucked out of her body. Bowen sneered, ¡°After all these years, did you ever give her this much? She¡¯s settling the score with you, down to thest cent. Isn¡¯t that a clear sign that she wants to cut ties with you?¡± Tears streamed down Sandra¡¯s face, soaking her pillow. ¡°So, what expectations do you have for her now?¡± Bowen gently cleaned the tears from her eyes, ¡°Sandra, you have no one left. You only have me, do you understand?¡± Sandra slowly closed her eyes. After a long while, she finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯d rather die-¡± ¡°Die?¡± Bowen grabbed her chin, ¡°Because of you, I had to go against the Reynolds Group earlier than nned. Now, the Reynolds Group has bought most of the Smith Group¡¯s debts and is forcing the Smith Group into bankruptcy. I¡¯ll soon have nothing left, all because of you. Do you think I¡¯ll let you die?¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. He had aplete n, and she was just a part of it. But she turned out to be the only unexpected element that disrupted his n. How could he let her die? She could not die in this lifetime. Bowen forcefully kissed her. For months, she had been rejecting him in every way possible. She refused to see him, refused his touch, and rejected all his affection and care. He wanted nothing more than to ease her pain and distance her from her past, but she was determined to jump right into it. Now with Seraphina determined to cut ties with her, she must be in extreme pain. He didn¡¯t want her to face such a situation, but if she chose this path, there might be a silver lining. At least, when she lost everything, the only person she could turn to would be him. But Sandra didn¡¯t seem to realize this. She was still resisting him with all her might. In the struggle, their lips were cut, and the metallic taste of blood spread between their lips. Bowen seemed oblivious, continuing to kiss her. Or perhaps the taste of blood was intoxicating to him, causing him to dive deeper into the kiss. At five in the afternoon, Valerio was promptly dismissed from school. As expected, he saw Seraphina waiting outside the school gate. He was overjoyed, running up to her and grabbing her hand tightly. ¡°What do you want for dinner?¡± Seraphina squatted down to his level, ¡°Do you want to eat out, or at home?¡± Valerio thought for a moment and chose to eat at the Reynolds Group¡¯s ce. His choice surprised Seraphina, ¡°Why do you want to eat at the Reynolds Group?¡± Valerio just smiled without saying a word. If he felt like he waspeting with his dad, Leandro, for Seraphina¡¯s affection before, then he felt like he had won thepetition since yesterday. That put Leandro in a bit of a pitiful position, especially since he had been under the impression that Seraphina would be sleeping with him for quite some time. While he was thrilled, it was clear that Leandro also yearned for the same intimacy with Seraphina. But what could be done? After all, it was Seraphina who had chosen him. So, in Valerio¡¯s mind, the only way to console his dad was to invite Seraphina for dinner. That was all he could offer, Valerio thought. Of course, Seraphina had no idea about Valerio¡¯s hidden intentions, but since he had proposed the idea, she was naturally inclined to indulge him, Moreover, Valerio finally had his parents, a blessing that was invaluable at his age and stage in life. Seraphina didn¡¯t want to let him down, so she took him to the Reynolds Group. Upon arriving at the Reynolds Group, the office was bustling with activity. Despite it being close to the end of the day, the work atmosphere was still bubbling over with energy. Leandro was in a meeting, which Keen was stepping out of to handle other matters when he spotted Seraphina and Valerio. Without a moment¡¯s dy, he turned back into the meeting room to inform Leandro. Five minutester, the meeting ended. When Leandro returned to his office, he found Seraphina cuddling with Valerio on the couch, perusing through the dinner menu in his office, deciding on their meal for the evening. For Leandro, the sight was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Valerio looked up and saw him, gave him a friendly nod. Seraphina just nced at him, smiled slightly, then went back to studying the menu for Valerio¡¯s favorite food. She didn¡¯t like to waste, she wanted Valerio to enjoy his meal, but also didn¡¯t want to order too much. So, she studied the menu quite thoroughly. Valerio chimed in asionally with suggestions, making the conversation lively. Leandro, despite being the owner of the office they were in, felt like an outsider. Once Seraphina finally decided on their dinner menu, she called for Yasmina to ce the order. When Yasmina noted what they wanted, she suddenly realized something and snuck a nce at Leandro, whispering, ¡°What will Mr. Reynolds have?¡± After ordering, Seraphina went back to reading with Valerio,pletely disregarding Yasmina¡¯s question. Yasmina cautiously looked at the ignored Leandro, ¡°Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro, uninterested in food, simply told Yasmina, ¡°You can decide.¡± Sensing the awkwardness, Yasmina quickly left the office after taking the order. Seraphina and Valerio were engrossed in their book,ughing and asionally exchanging affectionate gestures. Leandro sat like an invisible man on the sidelines, unable to join in. Soon, Yasmina brought in the food. Seraphina was still engrossed with Valerio, meticulously peeling the shrimp, picking out fish bones, and removing any possible hazards from his te. Leandro watched, then suddenly reached out to stop Seraphina¡¯s hand. ¡°Let him do it himself.¡± Leandro said. ¡°It¡¯s just a meal, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°He won¡¯t be spoiled by this.¡± Leandro couldn¡¯t refute her logic. Valerio snuck a nce at him and continued eating more happily. After the meal, Seraphina was ready to take Valerio and leave, but Valerio suggested waiting for Leandro. Seraphina agreed without hesitation. Leandro rubbed his forehead, feeling like he was the one being pitied. When Keen came in to report on work matters, Seraphina was still engrossed in reading with Valerio. She only looked up and asked, ¡°Is everything sorted?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sorted. The money has been transferred to Bowen¡¯s ount, along with the reason for the transfer,¡± Keen replied. Seraphina only-responded with a nod, not showing any extra emotions. Keen had already reported this matter to Leandro, so Leandro didn¡¯t ask further. He only asked Keen, ¡°Have you prepared the documents I asked for?¡± Keen quickly responded, ¡°They are ready.¡± Keen didn¡¯t say anything else. He went and got the documents and ced them directly in front of Seraphina. ¡°What is this?¡± Seraphina asked with confusion, flipping through the documents. Knowing that he wasn¡¯t capable of exining, Keen quietly left the office. ¡°These are the remaining assets of your mother, returned to their rightful owner,¡± Leandro exined. Seraphina was taken aback. She recalled how she had yed Leandro and how he had forced her to reveal herself by seizing most of Magdalen¡¯s assets. ¡°Sign it,¡± Leandro said after a pause. Seraphina flipped through the documents before her eyes lit up, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize my mother was this wealthy. Does this mean I¡¯ll be rich once I receive these assets?¡± ¡°Do you want to be rich?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°Of course! Who doesn¡¯t want to be rich?¡± Seraphina said, ¡°With wealth, I can do whatever I want, spend however I like, keep a toy boy-¡± She suddenly realized Valerio was still there and stopped herself. Valerio was looking at her with confusion, as if asking, ¡®What¡¯s a toy boy?¡¯ Used to her bbering, Leandro just raised an eyebrow, waiting for her exnation. ¡°It is a kind of toy, Seraphina told him, ¡°But it¡¯s not important. What¡¯s important is taking care of my son.¡± Seraphina said, pinching Valerio¡¯s cheek, ¡°Son, even if it¡¯s just us two, you¡¯ll always have enough to eat!¡± Valerio knew this was good news, so he simply smiled. Leandro narrowed his eyes at Seraphina, ¡°What do you mean?¡± What did she mean by¡­ ¡®just them two¡¯? Seraphina quickly replied, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a figure of speech, to emphasize t I¡¯m a wealthy person now!¡± After saying this, she quickly signed her name on the documents, then pulled t the activity center.¡± up, ¡°Let¡¯s not hang around your father¡¯s office anymore, let¡¯s go to She pulled Valerio out the door, and Leandro looked at the signed documents on the table, suddenly feeling a pang of regret. For Leandro, this feeling of regretsted for many days, and even intensified. Because for several consecutive days, all of Seraphina¡¯s attention was on Valerio. She apanied him to eat, to sleep, to school, and back. Her world revolved around Valerio. This situation became even more intense when Valerio was told that Seraphina was his biological mother. He¡¯d already epted that Seraphina was his mom, and after finding out they were truly blood-rted, he was even more inseparable from her, wishing to monopolize all her time. Seraphina naturally indulged him, but some people around couldn¡¯t bear it. One day, while Seraphina was away, Conway took the opportunity to tell Valerio in a stern tone that although Seraphina was his mom, she was also his dad¡¯s wife. He couldn¡¯t keep her all the time, because then his dad would be pitiful. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Valerio heard this, but didn¡¯t really understand it. Until one night, after Seraphina had gone to bed, he went downstairs to get some water and saw Leandro sitting alone on the couch, talking on the phone. Perhaps it was the dim light, or the cool night, but at that moment, Valerio felt deeply that his dad was indeed a little pitiful. After pondering for two days, Valerio, a boy of kind nature, decided to give Leandro a night with Seraphina. So, on the third night, Valerioy on his bed, waiting for Seraphina to fall asleep, then he quietly sneaked out of the room to wait for Leandro. Leandro didn¡¯t return home until nearly midnight, and upon entering the house, he found Valerio sitting on the stairs, yawning. Seeing Leandro, Valerio immediately perked up, extended his hand to grab Leandro, and led him to the door of his room. Leandro asked him yfully, ¡°What¡¯s all this about?¡± Valerio solemnly held up a finger, suggesting this was a one-time thing, then he turned and ran into Seraphina¡¯s bedroom, painfully closing the door behind him. Leandro didn¡¯t know whether to find it amusing or touching, he stood at the door for a moment before pushing Val¨¦rio¡¯s room door open and stepping inside. Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Valerio¡¯s bedroom was quiet, the only illuminationing from a small bedsidemp casting a soft glow on Seraphina¡¯s slumbering face. Leandro stood in the doorway, momentarily stunned as he took in the sight. It had been so long since he hadst seen her sleep peacefully. Quietly, he made his way to the bed and settled himself on the edge. As soon as he sat down, Seraphina moved, her eyes fluttering open. At the sight of him, her expression was dazed, slowly giving way to rity. Yet she remained in bed, lazily mumbling, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡­¡± Her tone wasnguid, devoid of any emotion, yet for some reason, Leandro found himself asking, ¡°Disappointed?¡± Seraphina nced at him, still half-asleep, before muttering, ¡°What¡¯s there to be disappointed about? I saw iting.¡± ¡°What did you seeing?¡± ¡°Your son,¡± she replied. ¡°He¡¯s been acting strangetely. I knew he was up to something, that little rascal.¡± Leandro paused before responding, ¡°And you didn¡¯t stop him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have the energy, Seraphina confessed, burrowing deeper into the covers. ¡°Leandro, do you know how exhausting it is to look after a child all day? I thought I had plenty of energy, butpared to him, I feel old¡­ I can¡¯t keep up¡­¡±. With a yawn, she closed her eyes once more, appearing ready to return to sleep. Leandro remained seated on the bed, silently watching her for a while. It was a long time before Seraphina moved again, her eyes remaining closed as if she had fallen back asleep. Leandro finally stood up, his hand gently brushing her hair away from her face before he turned to leave. As he moved to exit, Seraphina¡¯s eyes snapped open. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± she asked. Leandro paused, not turning back to look at her. ¡°What else should I do?¡± Seraphina watched his departing figure for a moment before chuckling, ¡°Your son went to all that trouble to set this up, and you¡¯re just going to walk away?¡± Leandro turned to look at her, his gaze deep and dark. ¡°You said you were tired.¡± he asked, his voice low. Half of Seraphina¡¯s face was hidden by the covers, but she sighed softly in response. ¡°Since when has whether I¡¯m tired or not mattered? When has anyone cared about that?¡± Her words, though light-hearted, held a deeper implication. Leandro was not a fool; he understood her perfectly, and he didn¡¯t need to hide his ¡®desire in front of her. Rising to his feet, he loosened his tie and undid a couple of buttons on his shirt. Then, he scooped Seraphina into his arms and carried her out of their son¡¯s room and into his own. The door closed behind them with a soft click, sealing them off from the rest of the world. Seraphina lost count of how many early mornings it had been. Given their work schedules, they often found themselves meetingte at night, and having intimate moments until the early hours of the morning. And if Leandro was not yet satisfied, the early morning could stretch on indefinitely. Especially tonight. Tonight was different. Learning about their son¡¯s true parentage had shifted things. He was their flesh and blood, carrying both of their bloodlines. Even though he was not a product of love, he was a testament to their past. A past that might not have been pleasant, but was important nheless. Their son¡¯s existence was important. This realization left Leandro somewhat unhinged, and Seraphina, ever amodating, only turned him on even more. Time passed in a blur until atst, things settled down. But the warmth of Seraphina¡¯s body against his made it impossible for Leandro to let her go. Seraphinay contentedly in his arms, toozy to make a move. Theyy in silence, neither of them asleep. After a while, Leandro broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯ve found out about Betty¡¯s past.¡± Seraphina looked up at him in surprise. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She¡¯s the illegitimate child of a young couple from Velvetwood¡¯s Chinatown. Bowen bought her from her parents¡­¡± The truth, though expected, was cruel. Seraphina, who had seen the evils of the world, could nevere to terms with the abandonment of children by their parents. Blood ties shouldn¡¯t be so easily severed, let alone for money¡­ ¡°Betty¡­¡± She muttered, choking back a sob. ¡°I failed her.¡± Leandro gently lowered his head to kiss her reddened nose. ¡°She was happy,¡± he assured her. ¡°That¡¯s all that matters.¡± Seraphina was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°What are you going to do about Bowen?¡± Ever since their son¡¯s parentage was revealed, they hadn¡¯t had much time alone. And with Seraphina focusing all her energy on their son, she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Leandro¡¯s recent activities. Even so, she knew that the Smith Group was facing bankruptcy and that the Reynolds Group, as the largest creditor, had applied for thepany¡¯s liquidation. This was Leandro¡¯s n to deal with the Smith Group, but Seraphina knew he wouldn¡¯t let Bowen off so easily. Leandro hadn¡¯t intended to share this with her, but since she asked, he decided to tell her. ¡°An eye for an eye,¡± he said, his gaze dark. Upon hearing this, Seraphina seemed to sense something. She nced at Leandro but ultimately decided not to question him further. She softly acknowledged his words, then closed her eyes and nestled into his embrace, swiftly drifting off to sleep.. The bankruptcy verdict for the Smith Group was issued rapidly by the court. With the Reynolds Group, thergest creditor, taking the lead, any possibility of negotiation or restructure was vetoed,unching the Smith Group into the swift current of bankruptcy liquidation. Throughout this process, Bowen didn¡¯t put up any resistance. To the Reynolds Group, bringing down the Smith Group was as easy as squashing an ant. Bowen was acutely aware that any resistance he might offer in such a situation would be futile, and could even potentially provoke Leandro further. What kind of person Leandro was, was never a secret. Therefore, just how dangerous Leandro might be at this moment wasn¡¯t hard to guess. Bowen kept a low profile, avoiding any situation that might lead to a conflict with Leandro as much as possible. However, despite his precautions, one day when he returned to his apartment, Sandra was nowhere to be found. Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Before this, Bowen had nearly estimated all possible oues, providing Sandra the most comprehensive protection he could muster. He didn¡¯t underestimate the ruthlessness of Leandro¡¯s tactics, yet he still couldn¡¯t escape them. To some extent, ever since the truth about Valerio revealed, Bowen had sensed this daying. Yet when he was confronted with an eerily empty house, he lost control. In a suburban vi. This was an old house, spacious but antiquated. The interior was so minimally furnished it was almost austere. Arge living room contained only a single sofa. At this moment, Sandra sat on this sofa, motionless. Until someone removed the blindfold from her face. Before her eyes was an unfamiliar room. The floor was mottled and the walls were yellowed with age. The room was so vacant it felt cold. Outside the window was a dense forest, directionless. No one spoke to her. The person who had removed her blindfold had silently retreated to the side. Sandra wasn¡¯t startled or scared. She sat calmly on the sofa, neither asking who was responsible nor why they had done this. About half an hourter, the vi door opened, and someone walked in. Sandra slowly turned her head, recognizing Keen, a man she had encountered a few times before. Keen slowly approached, standing before her, his expression calm as he watched her. Before Keen could speak, Sandra was the one to break the silence, ¡°How is Sera?¡± Keen slightly furrowed his brows but didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Please tell me, how is Sera?¡± Sandra stubbornly asked again, ¡°Is she¡­ alright?¡± ¡°Mrs. Reynolds is doing well,¡± Keen replied. ¡°Since finding out the truth, she has been very happy every day.¡± Sandra¡¯s eyes fluttered slightly, then dulled again, reverting to a still-water-like calm. She murmured, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, I want to inform you that we brought you here without any ill intentions,¡± said Keen. ¡°As Mrs. Reynolds¡¯ best friend, it¡¯s hard to stand by and see you in such a predicament. We simply wanted to help.¡± Sandra listened without any visible reaction and attempted a strained smile. How could she not know why she was here? Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Bowen¡¯s treatment of Seraphina was now being mirrored by Leandro as payback. They took Valerio from Seraphina, so Leandro took Sandra from Bowen. Perhaps only in this way could Bowen truly feel the pain of loss. As for her, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Sandra said. ¡°Where I am makes no difference to me.¡± Her eptance surprised Keen slightly. Considering they had forcibly brought her here, he had expected some resistance. To see her so compliant was unexpected. This made things more straightforward, and Keen breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Ms. Smith, if you need anything, feel free to ask,¡± Keen said. ¡°We will do our best to amodate your needs.¡± Upon hearing this, Sandra¡¯s eyes flickered again, and she slowly asked, ¡°What if I want to see Sera?¡± Hearing this, Keen fell silent and didn¡¯t respond. In the end, Sandra smiled sadly and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I was just saying. I know she doesn¡¯t want to see me¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cause any trouble¡­¡± Keen didn¡¯t respond, and Sandra asked, ¡°Why did you bring me here? What do you want me to do?¡± Keen looked at Sandra¡¯s pale face, and the words he had prepared somehow got his throat. ¡°Go ahead, Sandra said. ¡°I know that Leandro wouldn¡¯t just want me to live here in peace, right?¡± Keen took a deep breath and said, ¡°Mr. Reynolds hopes that you can testify against Bowen and his crimes.¡± Hearing this, Sandra couldn¡¯t help but pale. ¡°You know what Bowen had done. He nned to swap our young master; hired a hitman to cause an ident which nearly cost you your life; and faked your death, creating a false identity for you¡­ No one knows better than you.¡± Yes, no one knows better than me¡­¡± Sandra murmured. ¡°Perhaps you need some time to make a decision,¡± Keen said. ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll give you time to consider. Whether you¡¯re willing or not, it¡¯s your choice. No one will force you.¡± Sandra lowered her head, staring nkly at the floor in front of her, not speaking for a long time. Keen didn¡¯t linger, and soon left. It was a long time after his left before Sandra seemed toe back to herself, letting out a strange chuckle. Indeed, she was also a participant in the event of Valerio being swapped. How could Leandro let her off easily? Bowen must be punished, and so was she. And Leandro knew exactly what would be the best punishment for her. He gave her space, time, and choice, yet all these things brought her nothing but endless torment¡­ Her guilt towards Seraphina was so overwhelming that she was willing to do anything to make amends, but Leandro¡¯s demand was for her to testify against Bowen. Bowen, the man she despised and resented to the core¡­ She should have made the decision without hesitation. But she couldn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t testify against him. But if she didn¡¯t, she could never make up for what she owed Seraphina- It seemed like an unsolvable vicious circle. But what if she died? Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Everything about Sandra was a mystery to Seraphina. Life had been simple and satisfying for Seraphina since she had gotten back into Valerio¡¯s life. She had no other worries, her days were filled with being there for Valerio. She would drop him off and pick him up from school, spend the weekends with him at his various hobby sses. Whether it was drawing sses or ser practice, Seraphina was always right beside Valerio, never leaving his side. As for everyone else, they were mostly ignored by her, even Andrea, who could only meet her when Valerio was at school. Andrea hadn¡¯t seen her for nearly a month, and upon seeing her now, she noticed how much Seraphina had changed. Compared to before, Seraphina looked radiant, better than she ever had. When she sat down, Seraphina was engrossed in watching a video of Valerio on her phone. Even by herself, she couldn¡¯t help but beam proudly. As Andrea sat down, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°You¡¯re with him every minute of the day, and yet in these few hours of absence, you need to watch videos of him?¡± Seraphina put away her phone and replied, ¡°What are you talking about? His teacher sent this video. I¡¯just received it, so I opened it to watch. ¡°Just admit you miss him.¡± Andrea said, ¡°I won¡¯tugh at you. After all these years of being apart, it¡¯s understandable that you want to make up for lost time.¡± Seraphina looked at her, ¡°You¡¯re not jealous, are you?¡± Andrea nced at her, ¡°I¡¯m not that idle.¡± Andrea handed Seraphina a bag from her side, ¡°I made two new outfits for Valerio, consider it a gift from his loving aunt,¡± ¡°Well, on his behalf, thank you, Aunt Andrea.¡± Seraphina epted the bag with a smile. After having a look inside, an idea popped into her head, ¡°Hey, when you have time, make us matching outfits. I want to wear the same clothes as him when we go out-¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Andrea nced at her outfit, ¡°Matching clothes don¡¯t really seem like your style.¡± ¡°I can switch up my style, didn¡¯t you know?¡± Seraphina retorted. Seeing her beaming smile, Andrea shook her head and sighed, ¡°Right now, you¡¯re like a die-hard fan of your son.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that.¡± Seraphina admitted, ¡°After all, my son is far more handsome than the celebrities.¡± As she kept bringing up Valerio, Andrea chose to remain silent and took a sip of her water. As she lifted her gaze, Andrea¡¯s eyesnded on the restaurant entrance. Her expression changed slightly and she nced at Seraphina. Seraphina noticed and quickly turned to look as well. Walking through the door was none other than Bowen. Seraphina immediately averted her gaze, refusing to look at him. However, Bowen didn¡¯t stop. Instead, he headed straight towards them. Despite the awkwardness, Bowen maintained the demeanor of a suave gentleman. With a slight smile, he asked, ¡°May I join you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wee here.¡± Seraphina responded without even looking at him. Ignoring her response, Bowen pulled up a chair and sat down, ¡°Sera, I didn¡¯t take you for someone so petty.¡± Seeing this, Andrea stood up, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± After she left, only Seraphina and Bowen were left at the table. Seraphina crossed her arms and looked at Bowen coldly. Bowen¡¯s gaze lingered on Andrea for a while before turning back to Seraphina, ¡°You and Andrea are so close now, Sandra would be jealous if she saw this.¡± Seraphina only stared at him coldly without responding. You¡¯ve always been the most important person to her.¡± Bowen continued, ¡°That¡¯s never changed.¡± Seraphina gave a small smile, still not responding. Bowen decided to cut to the chase, ¡°Everything was my doing, and she was just manipted by me. Sera, no matter what, I hope you won¡¯t hate her.¡± Seraphina turned her face away and began flipping through the menu. ¡°From the start, I only wanted to deal with the Reynolds family, I didn¡¯t want to hurt you, and Sandra only ever wanted the best for you.¡± Bowen exined, ¡°You should know that.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. She looked at him, ¡°Do you honestly believe what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just not ready to ept it yet.¡± Bowen responded, ¡°But you know it¡¯s true.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t try your tactics on me.¡± Seraphina retorted, ¡°I¡¯m not your Sandra, and I¡¯m not your Tania. I¡¯m not falling for your tricks.¡± Bowen smiled, showing a rare hint of sincerity, ¡°We both know what kind of person Leandro is, and how he would treat Sandra. Sera, wouldn¡¯t you feel sad if something happened to Sandra?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve settled everything between us.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°From now on, whatever happens to her is none of my business.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s in the hands of your husband.¡± *Don¡¯t make baseless usations, Mr. Smith.¡± Seraphina respondedzily, ¡°My husband wouldn¡¯t do anything illegal.¡± Bowen fell silent, his gaze lingering on Seraphina¡¯s face, before he finally let out a bitter smile, ¡°It seems you¡¯vepletely forgiven Leandro. In that case, can¡¯t you forgive Sandra?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Seraphina quickly replied, ¡°As long as she steps forward and uses you of all the crimes you¡¯vemitted, or if you turn yourself in, I¡¯ll forgive her.¡± After finishing her sentence, she turned to Bowen, ¡°What do you say?¡± Bowen leaned back in his chair, quietly watching her. His expression was calm, and he didn¡¯t say a word. Seraphina let out a quick, unexpectedugh, ¡°Guess you don¡¯t dare? If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t parade your deep and meaningful emotions in front of me. I couldn¡¯t care less about whatever¡¯s going on between you two. From now on, whether you want her dead, she wants you dead, or you both want to die together ¨C don¡¯t bother telling me ¡°Seems like death is the theme here¡­¡± Bowen chuckled, ¡°Looks like you really hate us.¡± Seraphina simply smiled, ¡°d you¡¯re aware.¡± Bowen slowly nodded, ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve made your feelings clear, I won¡¯t bother you any further. Enjoy your meal.¡± With that, he got up and left without a second nce. Seraphina sat quietly for a moment before abruptly pping her own hand. Andrea returned to the table just in time to catch this, looking at her in surprise, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I fell for his tricks.¡± Seraphina gritted her teeth. Bowen hade here to gauge her response, but she had been far too aggressive. Someone as adept as Bowen at reading people had likely gotten the answer he wanted from her, Seraphina let out a slow breath, her brow still furrowed. ¡°So what are you really thinking?¡± Andrea asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgiven her.¡± Seraphina admitted, ¡°But I¡¯d rather she be in Leandro¡¯s hands than Bowen¡¯s.¡± That way, you can keep Bowen in check.¡± Andrea reasoned, ¡°And you know Leandro wouldn¡¯t hurt her.¡± Seraphina fell silent for a moment before speaking again, ¡°Even if he truly despised her, he would never actually harm her out of respect for me.¡± ¡°So in the end, you chose to put her in the hands of the person you trust the most.¡± Andrea slowly said, ¡°You and Leandro seem to be on the same wavelength more and more.¡± Seraphina was quiet for a moment, then turned to look out of the window, ¡°Bowen has probably figured out my stance by now.¡± Andrea shrugged, ¡°Not hard to guess, right?¡± Seraphina shot her a look, and Andrea continued, ¡°Since you¡¯ve handed this matter over to Leandro, stop overthinking it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Seraphina suddenly rxed, ¡°Whatever happens, he¡¯ll handle it better than I ever could.¡± Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Meanwhile, Leandro was on his way to a suburban vi. From the moment he got into the car, he had been on the phone with Starhaven, and the call didn¡¯t end until the car stopped. The driver didn¡¯t dare to disturb him and waited quietly. After about ten more minutes, Leandro hung up the phone, and the driver finally opened the car door for him. Before him stood an old and somewhat worn-out vacation vi. The moment Leandro got out of the car, Keen hurried out of the house to greet him, ¡°Mr. Reynolds.¡± Leandro nodded at him and turned to walk into the house. ¡°Our people have been watching her closely. She¡¯s not in any real danger, but she¡¯s emotionally unstable,¡± Keen said. ¡°The doctor is trying to examine her, but she¡¯s resisting fiercely¡­¡± Leandro didn¡¯tment and walked straight into the house. In a bedroom as simple as the living room, Sandra sat on the bed, hugging her knees tightly, rejecting any contact from the doctor or anyone else. The moment Leandro walked in, everyone looked helpless. Keen quickly waved his hand to signal everyone to leave. Sensing the sudden change in the atmosphere, Sandra slowly lifted her head. The moment she saw Leandro, her eyes flickered, and the next moment, she hugged herself even tighter. Leandro didn¡¯t look at her. He walked slowly to the window, took a nce at the scenery outside, and then turned around. There was a chair by the window. Leandro nced at it and noticed a thinyer of dust on the seat. Keen immediately instructed someone to bring a clean chair and rece the dusty one. Only then did Leandro sit down, looking at Sandra, ¡°You¡¯re not ustomed to this kind of environment, are you, Ms. Smith?¡± Sandra hugged herself tightly, her body stiff. It took her a while to quietly say, ¡°Mr. Reynolds¡­¡± Leandro looked at her calmly, ¡°When you faced me in the past, Ms. Smith, you didn¡¯t have this attitude.¡± ¡°I know I wronged you and Sera, I owe you two¡­¡± Sandra mentioned Seraphina, her eyes reddened uncontrobly, ¡°But I truly want Sera to be happy¡­¡± ¡°Do you think she¡¯d be happy if you died?¡± Leandro asked slowly. Sandra hugged herself even tighter, and after a long silence, she said, ¡°If I die, at least she won¡¯t have the burden of hating me¡­ Hating someone is exhausting¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s more important, you¡¯d be relieved too, right?¡± Tears fell from Sandra¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you want to use me to get back at Bowen, don¡¯t you?¡± Sandra said, ¡°If I die, he will suffer for the rest of his life. That¡¯s the best revenge you can have on him¡­ and the best punishment for me.¡± Leandro just gave a faint smile at her words. ¡°You¡¯ve known it well. After all, you¡¯ve experienced death once. What are you afraid of the second time?¡± Leandro looked at her solemnly, ¡°You¡¯ve been considering for me and Sera. I¡¯ll fulfill your wish. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± That day, Leandro returned home earlier than usual. It was the time for game time after dinner. Seraphina and Valerio were dedicatedly ying a competitive video game in front of the TV, while Conway and Karan were enthusiastically watching the fun. When Leandro walked in, no one noticed him. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Not until the game ended with Seraphina¡¯s cheer. ¡°I win again!¡± Seraphina looked at Valerio triumphantly, ¡°Challenge me? You were born from me, and now you want to surpass me?¡± Valerio didn¡¯t seem to care much about winning or losing. He just shrugged calmly at Seraphina¡¯s taunt. ¡°Look at her, she¡¯s been a serious mom for just a few days, and she¡¯s back to her old ways!¡± Conway shook his head and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t care about my image.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°A son never despises his mother. No matter what I look like, I¡¯m still your mom!¡± As she spoke, Seraphina reached out to pinch Valerio¡¯s face. Valerio, the innocent victim, couldn¡¯t help but turn his face away. That¡¯s when he saw Leandro standing behind everyone. ¡°Oh, why are you so stealthy when youe back?¡± Seraphina was startled andined. Leandro nced at the TV screen, ¡°Or were you too engrossed in the game?¡±: ¡°Who knew you¡¯de back so early today?¡± Seraphina grumbled. When she turned her attention back, she saw Valerio winking at her. But before she could say anything, Karan was already in front of Leandro, ¡°You¡¯re home pretty early today. Have you had dinner? Do you want me to make something for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Leandro said, ¡°Just make me a cup of coffee.¡± Upon hearing this, Valerio immediately looked at Seraphina with eager eyes. Seraphina had just teased him, so naturally, she needed to give him some sweet words. So she stood up and walked over to Leandro, ¡°Are you drinking coffee because you¡¯ll be workingte tonight?¡± Leandro looked at her sparkling eyes, and said calmly, ¡°Do you have other suggestions?¡± ¡°Tomorrow is Saturday, and your son wants to go to the amusement park, Seraphina smiled at him. Leandro looked at Valerio, who was leaning on the back of the sofa, looking at him expectantly. Leandro turned his gaze back to Seraphina, ¡°Are you inviting me?¡± Asking knowingly, pushing his luck. Seraphina rolled her eyes, quickly saying, ¡°No, I¡¯m just letting you know. After all, you¡¯re a busy man. It¡¯s understandable if you don¡¯t have time. It¡¯s fine, Abbot will be there. Whether youe or not, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Even though he knew she was doing it on purpose, Leandro¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. Seraphina continued, ¡°You know, Abbot is such a rock. Wherever I go, he¡¯s right there with me, day in and day out. I probably spend more time with him than anyone else. The more I see him, the more secure I feel¡­ You must be generous with him, keep him around. If one day he decides to leave, I would surely miss him.¡± Finishing her speech, Seraphina patted Leandro¡¯s chest lightly, ¡°You can go to work with peace of mind tomorrow. Abbot will be with me and Valerio. We will have a st.¡± As she was turning to call for Valerio, Leandro suddenly seized her hand, stopping her dead in her tracks. On the other side of the room, Conway, who had been enjoying the scene all along, quickly whisked Valerio away upstairs, sensing something was amiss. Seraphina¡¯s face turned dark in an instant. ¡°Since ¡®ve received yourint¡­¡± Leandro began slowly, ¡°I will take it seriously and handle it properly.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t aint, just a bit of sincere advice,¡± Seraphina replied with a slight smile. ¡°Good,¡± Leandro nodded, ¡°I¡¯m quite interested to see just how sincere you really are.¡± That night, Valerio mysteriously ended up spending the night in his great-grandfather¡¯s room. And Seraphina spent the whole night earnestly ¡°discussing her sincere advice¡± with Leandro Chapter 399 Chapter 399 At that night, time seemed to stretch on endlessly. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina dozed off for a bit, and when she woke up, she found herself alone in the bed. Themp by the bed was dimmed to its lowest setting, casting the room in near darkness. There was clearly no one else in the roorn. Rubbing her eyes, Seraphina reached for her phone to check the time: it was already half past two in the morning. Could it be that Leandro was still working at this hour? After lying in bed for a bit without any sign of Leandro¡¯s return, Seraphina finally got up and put on her robe. Just as she was stepping out of their bedroom, she saw Karahing up the stairs, carrying a steaming te of pasta. Just as she suspected, the light was still on in Leandro¡¯s study. Seeing Seraphina, Karan was slightly surprised, then broke into a smile. ¡°Having trouble sleeping without Leandro by your side?¡± Seraphina just nced at the te of pasta in Karan¡¯s hands. ¡°He asked you to cook him pasta at this hour? Isn¡¯t that a bit demanding?¡± ¡°No, no,¡± Karan hurriedly exined. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, and when I saw him working, I asked him if he had eaten anything for dinner. The answer was no. Considering his stomach wasn¡¯t well, I thought I¡¯d cook him some pasta.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s expression softened slightly. Karan then handed her the bowl of pasta. ¡°Since you¡¯re up, you can take this to him. Make sure he eats it all. Young as he is, he still needs to take care of his health.¡± Seraphina took the te, nodded, and headed for Leandro¡¯s study. Pushing the door open, she found Leandro still deep in his work, not even looking up at the sound of the door opening. Seraphina moved closer, cing the pasta next to him. Perhaps it was the atmosphere, or perhaps it was her familiar scent, but Leandro suddenly looked up at her. ¡°Why are you awake?¡± he asked. Seraphina didn¡¯t answer, just leaned in to peek at the pile of documents in front of him. ¡°Are you really that busy?¡± she asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t all this work have been done during the day?¡± Leandro simply replied, ¡°Some other things came up.¡± Seraphina gave him a knowing look. She knew that work always came first for Leandro, and the only things that could disrupt his work were the Reynolds family matters. But she and their son Valerio hadn¡¯t caused any trouble, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any issues with Gloria either¡­ Seraphina had a feeling that something was weighing on him. But she didn¡¯t say anything, just nced at the pasta. ¡°I want some too.¡± Leandro gave her a quick nce, then put down his work and left the room. In a little while, he came back with a fork. They shared the pasta, Seraphina taking a small portion of pasta, leaving the rest for Leandro. In the quiet early hours of the morning, the two of them, after an intimate encounter, sat in the study, sharing a te of warm pasta. After slowly finishing her portion of pasta, Seraphina looked at Leandro. ¡°Karan asked me to make sure you finish all of it, so her effort won¡¯t go to waste,¡± she said. Leandro didn¡¯t say much, just quietly ate the pasta. Perhaps Seraphina was watching him too intently, he eventually turned to look at her. ¡°Do you want to ask me something?¡± Seraphina paused for a moment, then slowly shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Seraphina shrugged innocently. ¡°Really, I¡¯m just here to make sure you eat your pasta Leandro didn¡¯t say anything more, just quietly finished his pasta. Then Seraphina got up, started cleaning up the dishes, and said, ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you, I saw Bowen today¡­ I have a feeling he won¡¯t give up his revenge so easily, so be careful.¡± Leandro just gave a nod. As Seraphina was about to take the dishes downstairs, Leandro suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms. ¡°What about Sandra?¡± he finally asked. Seraphina shook her head calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t care about her.¡± ¡°Not even if she were to disappear from this worldpletely?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina was quiet for a moment, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe in fate. I believe that everyone chooses their own path. As long as she¡¯s not being forced or murdered¡­ I have no opinion on the path she chooses.¡± Leandro just held onto her hand, not saying a word. She had made her stance clear, and set her boundaries. And beyond that, there were no more words. Leandro knew that she chose not to care. She handed all the decision-making power to him, because¡­ was it because she finally trusted him completely? She trusted him to consider her feelings, to make the right decisions for her, and never to cross her boundaries. Leandro was pondering, while Seraphina suddenly leaned in and said, ¡°So, the only thing I¡¯m concerned about right now is whether or not you¡¯re going to the amusement park with Valerio tomorrow.¡± Leandro looked at her slightly upturned lips and said, ¡°Would you be disappointed if I didn¡¯t go?¡± ¡°You do whatever you want!¡± Seraphina said, tired of arguing with him. She picked up the empty te and left the study. Watching her retreating figure, Leandro sat in silence for a moment, then a small smile appeared on his lips. The next morning, when Seraphina woke up, she was still alone in the bed. When her excited son Valerio dragged her out of the room, she found that Leandro was nowhere to be found in the house. He had clearly left early in the morning. Valerio was a bit disappointed, his eyes drooping slightly. ¡°No pouting,¡± Seraphina said, pinching his cheeks. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to go, that¡¯s fine. We can still have a great time, just two of us.¡± Soon, Seraphina was all packed up, leading Valerio out the door. But when they arrived at the amusement park, they were greeted with a silent scene. The park, which was normally bustling withughter and fun, was eerily quiet. ¡°Oh no,¡± Seraphina said, turning to Valerio with a puzzled expression. ¡°Did I get the days mixed up? Could it be Friday instead of Saturday? Did I inadvertently make absent on ss?¡± you Valerio gave her a deadpan look and showed her his wristwatch. ¡°It is Saturday,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°And the park doesn¡¯t mention any special closures for today, why is it so empty?¡± No sooner had she spoken, the manager of the amusement park came bustling out, greeting Seraphina with enthusiasm. ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, Valerio, everything is ready for you. You can go in anytime.¡± Seraphina exchanged a nce with Valerio, ¡°Your dad didn¡¯t go mad, did he? Just the two of us in this huge park, isn¡¯t that a bit creepy?¡± ¡°No, no,¡± the manager hurriedly exined, ¡°There are also Valerio¡¯s ssmates. Today, our amusement park is only open to Valerio and his ssmates.¡± At that, Valerio¡¯s eyes lit up. Seraphina, however, was still shaking her head, the phrase ¡°mad as a hatter¡± running through her mind. Then she turned to the bodyguards following behind her, ¡°Well, at least with fewer people, your job will be a bit easier¡­ Wait, where¡¯s Abbot?¡± ¡°Madam, the Reynolds Group has important clients visiting these days and requires strict protection, so Abbot has been temporarily reassigned.¡± At this, Seraphina was stunned for a moment before she burst into uncontrobleughter. Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Seraphina knew her words from the night before had an impact on Leandro. But did Leandro misunderstand something? She had said what she did to encourage him to spend more time with Valerio, but he seemed to have taken it as a reason to be jealous? Moreover, since he had rented the entire amusement park, effectively keeping out the general public, there was no need for Abbot to be constantly on guard for her and Valerio. Why then, did he have to pull Abbot away? This man¡¯s jealousy can be petty, even more so than a woman. Soon, more than half of the twenty ssmates in Valerio¡¯s ss had arrived. The kids, who usually y together every day, were overjoyed to meet in the amusement park. The shrill screams of excitement were piercing the sky. ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, didn¡¯t Mr. Reynoldse?¡± A guest asked Seraphina. ¡°Mr. Reynolds specially invited us, so we thought he would be here.¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds¡­¡± Seraphina trailed off, wondering how to respond, when suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure. Leandro, dressed in ck cks and a white shirt, looked as formal as he did on any other day, but lack of a tie and suit jacket. For him, this was casual enough. Seeing him walk over, Seraphina looked away. The guest immediately went up to greet him. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, hello.¡± Leandro exchanged pleasantries with him. Valerio and his friends were running around nearby, when they suddenly spotted Leandro. Valerio, delighted, rushed over and threw himself into Leandro¡¯s arms, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Leandro ruffled his hair, then nced at the friends waiting for him. ¡°Go y first. Your mom and I will come find youter.¡± Valerio nodded happily, ran over to hug Seraphina, and then ran off. Then, Leandro sat down next to Seraphina.. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Seraphina sipped her drink and gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, aren¡¯t you very busy? How did you find the time toe?¡±. ¡°Of course, I had to finish my work first before I coulde.¡± Leandro said. Seraphina huffed and said, ¡°Could you at least show some sincerity and change your outfit before coming? Just taking off your jacket and tie doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re dressed for a day out. You¡¯re not sincere at all.¡± ¡°If I hade anyter, who knows what stories would have been made up.¡± Leandro nced at her. ¡°So, I had to prioritize.¡± Seraphina was about to retort when another guest with a camera approached. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, can we take a photo?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Seraphina quickly agreed, then effortlessly leaned into Leandro¡¯s embrace and posed for the camera.. Leandro looked at her, then reached out to wrap his arm around her waist and looked at the camera. Over the years, he had rarely faced the camera so casually. Most of the time, he was the aloof and low-key CEO of the Reynolds Group, hidden from the public eye. On the rare asions when he had to face the media and the public, he was serious and reserved. But today, facing an ordinary camera, Leandro had a slight smile on his face. The guest took several shots, then eximed as she looked through the photos, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds are truly a match made in heaven¡­ such a lovely couple.¡± She showed them the photos she had taken. Seraphina took the camera and looked at the photos, then looked at Leandro in surprise. ¡°You were smiling just now?¡± Leandro, sitting back in his chair, merely raised an eyebrow in response. Seraphina looked at the photos several times before returning the camera to the guest, praising her for the good shots. ¡°You two are so beautiful, any photo would look good.¡± The guest said. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the photos after I¡¯ve sorted them out.¡± After a brief chat, the guest went off to take more photos of the kids, leaving Seraphina and Leandro alone again. Seraphina felt something was off. In the past couple of years, there had been asional photos of Leandro in the media, but in all of them, he never smiled. So when Seraphina saw the photo of him smiling, she was taken aback. She held back her questions for a while, then suddenly took out her phone. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, let¡¯s take a selfie.¡± As she spoke, she leaned into Leandro and opened the camera. On the phone screen, Leandro¡¯s expression was neutral, no obvious smile on his face, Seraphina studied his face on the screen for a moment, then sighed softly. ¡°So, you were smiling just now, not because of me, but because of that guest, right? She¡¯s quite to your taste, right? Gentle and refined, just your type¨C¡± Before she could finish, Leandro suddenly leaned forward and kissed her on the corner of her lips. Caught off guard, Seraphina¡¯s hand holding the phone shook. With a click, the camera captured the moment. Before Seraphina could recover, Leandro had taken her phone and was looking at the photo she had identally taken. In the photo, she was making a funny face at the camera, while he was kissing her lips. Incredibly, the photo was clear, with no blur. ¡°Not bad.¡± Leandromented, sending the photo to his own phone. Seraphina took back her phone and continued to tease him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you post it on your social media?¡± Leandro looked at her and said slowly, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°You can do it then.¡± Seraphina crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, challenging him. The very next moment, she saw Leandro pull out his iPhone, select a photo, and ready it for upload to Twitter. ¡°Wait!¡± Seeing him about to actually do it, Seraphina quickly reached over to snatch his phone, hurriedly deleting the photo he was about to tweet. Only then did she hand the phone back to Leandro. ¡°Would I post an unedited photo for the world to see?¡± Leandro remained silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Just because the photo isn¡¯t edited?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Seraphina snorted, retorting. Leandro didn¡¯t respond. But he could anticipate the repercussions of such a tweet. His Twitter ount had amassed arge following ever since he posted a handwritten letter a while back. If this photo went out, it would undoubtedly trigger a wave ofments. Once the reactions started pouring in, everyone in their circles would likely know about it. And that included Gloria. Given Gloria¡¯s current state, she might not be able to handle such a shock. He wasn¡¯t sure if Seraphina had considered this, but he had a hunch that this was the reason. Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Even though she didn¡¯t utter a word, there seemed to be an unspoken understanding between them. Regarding Gloria, her silence was undoubtedly the greatest concession she could offer him. A concession he never dared to dream of. Where did such understandinge from? Thinking about her trust in him handling Sandra¡¯s situation made Leandro¡¯s heart flutter. Without thinking, he reached out, pulling Seraphina into his embrace. The scattered staff around them couldn¡¯t help but cast nces their way. Seraphina made no move to resist, allowing him to hold her for a moment before she finally spoke. ¡°Done yet? If you don¡¯t go and join our son, he¡¯s going to get anxious¡­¡± As soon as she finished speaking, sure enough, they saw Valerio running towards them, his brow sweaty. Seeing his unreliable parents sitting here cuddling instead of joining him, Valerio was both angry and jealous, his gaze filled with sorrow as he looked at the two. Seraphina cleared her throat, raising her hand to indicate her innocence, then sneakily pointed at Leandro, implying it was all his fault. When Leandro turned his head, he saw her finger that she hadn¡¯t had the time to pull back yet. Seraphina quickly retracted her hand. Realizing her own folly, she chuckled and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve been away from him for so many years. I can only y the role of a loving mother. As the role of strict father, I¡¯ll leave to you.¡± As she finished speaking, Seraphina quickly got up from her chair, grabbed Valerio¡¯s hand and ran off, shouting, ¡°Let¡¯s go have fun!¡± Valeria instantly brightened up, and as they ran off, he waved to Leandro to join them. 4 Watching the two figures, one big and one small, Leandro finally rose and followed. Because Valerio and his ssmates were still young, most of the day was spent on family-friendly activities. The children naturally had fun, and for the parents, their main goal was to apany their kids, putting their entertainment needs first. Sitting in a little boat floating in a fairy-tale world, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but ask Leandro, ¡°I heard from Grandpa this morning that you¡¯ve been to almost all the fun amusement parks in the world, right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re referring to the ones that were popr years ago, then yes,¡± Leandro replied. Seraphina could have guessed as much. Before he became the man in this moment, he loved to have fun. From the moment she joined the Reynolds family, she remembered that for the first few years, he was never home during the holidays. He was always off vacationing somewhere. Being the heir of the Reynolds family, he naturally had the means. If someone had told her ten years ago that Leandro would turn out like this, who would have believed it? ¡°So, which amusement park is the most fun?¡± Seraphina asked again, ¡°We can take Valerio there during the holidays.¡± When Leandro heard this question, he looked at her thoughtfully before replying, ¡°So far, this one.¡± ¡°This one?¡± Seraphina pointed incredulously at the boat they were sitting.in, but then it dawned on her. Nearby, Valerio was nodding vigorously, agreeing with Leandro¡¯s answer. Seraphina hummed and turned her face away. As they passed under an arch bridge, other parents and children were passing by. Seeing them, they immediately raised their cameras, ¡°Look this way!¡± Seraphina immediately posed with Valerio, while Leandro held her other hand, looking into the camera with a gentle and clear gaze. By the end of the day, Seraphina thought, they should have a thick family photo album. On the way home, Valerio, who had spent his energy throughout the day, fell asleep in Seraphina¡¯sp. After holding him for a while, Seraphina¡¯s arm began to feel numb, so she shifted positions. Leandro nced over and without a word, took Valerio into his ownp. Seraphina took out a wet wipe and started to clean Valerio¡¯s hands. t get bakal2.30 ir a moment before slowly saying, ¡°This is indeed the first time I¡¯v ¡°Look at him, he¡¯s so tired, but he didn¡¯t want to leave¡­¡± Seraphina said, ¡°He¡¯s afraid he wonk ¡°Are you proud of that?¡± Seraphina looked at him, ¡°That shows you weren¡¯t a responsible fath Leandro was quiet for a moment before he said, ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± He actually admitted it? Seraphina nced at him in surprise. Leandro continued to look down at Valerio. It was different, after all. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Knowing that he was Seraphina¡¯s child¡­ his significance to Leandro had indeed changed. chance, the silly boy.¡± spent a whole day with him.¡± before. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to tell you how thrilled I was to learn of Valerio¡¯s parentage,¡± Leandro looked at Seraphina and slowly said, ¡°That joy, it surpasses everything else. Seraphina was taken aback. She quietly met his gaze for a moment before saying, ¡°I just regret that we found out toote¡­ But thankfully, we have a long future ahead of us.¡± Leandro listened to her, touched Valerio¡¯s forehead, and after a long while, he finally Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Upon hearing these words, Seraphina fell into a sudden silence. She had thought that once she handed over Sandra¡¯s affairs to Leandro, she could bepletely relieved, never to meddle in Sandra¡¯s matters again. Seraphina was genuinely angry and felt unreconciled about Sandra¡¯s actions,. This anger had nothing to do with the nearly perfect ending; it was all about her deceit and betrayal. Moreover, her deceit and betrayal were for such a man. Seraphina felt that she probably would never forgive her. But when she heard Leandro¡¯s words, her heart seemed to be futhlessly stabbed by something. She was pregnant¡­pregnant with Bowen¡¯s child. Even if that man was cruel and unworthy, he was the man she loved. Standing on the observer¡¯s standpoint, Seraphina couldn¡¯t me anything. , Because she had once been in such a predicament, and it took a long time to struggle out. Life is like this, a process of constantly falling and standing up. On this point, Seraphina had a deep understanding. But the premise was that Sandra would have the intention to stand up, rather than continue to be deeply trapped. But for so long, what Seraphina saw was all about Sandra fluctuating in the gentle trap set by Bowen for her, even at the expense of her life- Now, she might be awake, but Seraphina was certain that as long as Bowen put a little effort, she was likely to fall again. Moreover, she was pregnant. What could a child mean? The crystallization of love, the continuation of life, and the entangled fate. Perhaps for Sandra, it meant she couldn¡¯t get away from Bowen¡¯s control in this life. Seraphina couldn¡¯t perceive for a moment whether she was angrier or more worried. Seeing that she had not spoken for a long time, Leandro reached out and took her cold hand into his palm. Seraphina returned to her senses, took a deep breath, and opened her mouth in a teasing manner, ¡°It¡¯s quite good, didn¡¯t you say before that you want to give the person a taste of his own medicine? Now she is pregnant, it is simply a repeat of the case seven years ago. How Bowen treated our child, we will treat their child. Everything is the best arrangement, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°If you really think so, I have no objections.¡± Leandro said lightly. Seraphina listened and fell silent again. After sitting quietly for a while, she leaned slightly against Leandro¡¯s shoulder,zily looking at the scenery outside the window, and said lightly, ¡°So what are you nning?¡± Leandro turned his head, looked at her blurred eyes from the reflection in the window, and said slowly, ¡°Let her go.¡± ¡°Go?¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes paused slightly, ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Where Bowen can¡¯t find.¡± Seraphina heard this while her thoughts were in a mess. The ce where Bowen can¡¯t find means that he will never see the woman he loves and the child she gave birth to for him. This is his revenge on Bowen. Sandra¡¯s departure represents that she can get rid of Bowen¡¯s control forever. This is Leandro¡¯s protection for Sandra. And he didn¡¯t have to do this. It was because of her that Leandro showed mercy to Sandra. Because he knew how much Seraphina cared about Sandra, and he knew how much she wanted to forgive Sandra. But how easy is it to forgive? Especially such an important person. How much trust, dependence, and gratitude Seraphina had for Sandra in the past, she had the same amount of resentment for Sandra at this moment. Such resentment was not something that could be passed by in a few words. If there was time to wear and make up, perhaps one day the wound would be filled, leaving only an inconspicuous scar. But if there was no more time¡­ If they can¡¯t live a peaceful life with each other, let them forget each other.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Leandro listened, just holding her hand tighter, and said after a long time, ¡°Do you want to see her?¡± Seraphina slowly shook her head and closed her eyes. After learning of the pregnancy news, Sandra was stunned, Since escaping her death, living under a new name, Bowen became an untouchable taboo. For a long time, he could not approach her. Untilst time, she told Seraphina all the truth in the hospital. Whether to do this or not, it didn¡¯t mean much to Bowen, Because her affairs had exposed his true intentions early, and Leandro and Seraphina had already regarded him as an enemy, not a friend. After knowing about Valerio¡¯s affairs, they would hate him more, but for Bowen, it didn¡¯t have muchy impact. She insisted on telling the truth, in order to make up for the mistakes she made, to atone for her sins, to heal Seraphina¡¯s heartache that has been difficult to heal for many years. But such behavior stili angered Bowen. He made her death and gave her a new life, just to let her escape from the mire of the past. As long as she could forget the past and lived peacefully under the identity of Leni Sawyer, they could have a harmonious and happy life as before. But she wouldn¡¯t forget. She would rather abandon the harmony and happiness he gave her, but choose to tell Seraphina the truth. His anger was not for him, but for her. That was the only time he approached her in several months, with anger,pulsion, and reluctance- Unexpectedly, she got pregnant like this. Sandra sat in a rocking chair by the window, her hand on her t belly, staring nkly at the mountains and forests outside the window. There was a little life in her belly, just like¡­ when Seraphina left Sunburst City and went to Velvetwood, she found a little life in her belly. Sandra still clearly remembered Seraphina¡¯s reaction at that time- She was deceived by Leandro, chased out of the Reynolds¡¯ n, returned to Velvetwood only to leave the Wilsons where Magdalen was. She was originally left with nothing. But when she learned of the existence of this child, she stood firm and fearless, even joyous. ¡°I want to have this baby¡± Seraphina had said back then, ¡°I want it.¡± And her situation at this moment, how simr it was to Seraphina¡¯s past- Yet she, she didn¡¯t possess Seraphina¡¯s firm and fearless character. She was at a loss, even unsure of what the significance of this child¡¯s existence really was. Its mother was a sinner, and its father was even more deeply mired in the swamp of vengeance¡­ Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. She couldn¡¯t think about the future, each time she did, she felt suffocated. In a life that was already engulfed in darkness, why drag another person into it? But just then, Leandro¡¯s staffs told her, they could help her escape. To leave Sunburst City, to go to a ce where nobody would ever find her. No rtives, no friends, no lover¡­ but at least, she still had her child. It was a life of peace she could never have imagined, yet now, she was given such an opportunity. Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Sandra knew in her heart who was responsible for this opportunity. Even if it was Leandro who made the decision, he had done so for Seraphina. So, in the end, it was because of Seraphina. She had betrayed a friendship of over a decade, stealing Seraphina¡¯s only hope her child ¨C when she had nothing left. She had lied and deceived Seraphina for seven long years. So, when Seraphina chose to me or hate her, she had no defense. Yet, against all odds, Seraphina had given her a chance at a new life. Unknowingly, Sandra¡¯s eyes welled up with tears once again. Keen was just reaching her door when he saw a tear falling from her eye. ¡°Ms. Smith.¡± Keen averted his gaze slightly and called out her name in a low voice. Jolted back to reality, Sandra quickly wiped the tear from her face. 1 Keen then walked in, cing a stack of items in front of her details of her new amodation, new identification documents, a debit card, and more, all neatly organized. Sandra held the new ID in her hand, looking at it over and over again. Keen didn¡¯t disturb her, he simply said, ¡°We will depart the day after tomorrow. I¡¯lle to get you.¡± ¡°Mr. Keen.¡± Sandra called out to him just as he was about to leave. Keen halted, turned around, and knew from just one look at her what she wanted. She had asked him the day she arrived if she could see Seraphina. And now, as she was about to leave, she wanted to ask the same question. Sure enough, Sandra finally asked, ¡°Can I see Seraphina? Even just a glimpse of her from afar would do. Is that possible?¡± Keen sighed slightly. Judging from Sandra¡¯s behavior, she truly regretted her actions and wanted Seraphina¡¯s forgiveness. Unfortunately, this was a question Keen couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Rest well and take care of yourself.¡± That was all he said before he left. As Sandra watched his retreating figure, her eyes flickered for a moment before finally settling into a calm gaze. In fact, there was more than one person she wanted to see. But that person, that person¡­ it was better not to see. The next morning. In a room at a private club, Bowen was awakened by the continuous ringing of his phone. He finally opened his eyes. The room was dark with the curtains drawn shut. Only the light from his phone screen on the bedside table provided a faint glow. Bowen held his throbbing temple, a result of a hangover, and checked his phone. Seeing it was a call from hiswyer, he hung up immediately. The room fell silent, leaving only the sound of his heartbeat and breathing. But then, he realized there was another set of breaths ovepping with his! Bowen quickly reached out and turned on the bedsidemp. As the light came on, a pair of slender arms silently wrapped around his waist. Bowen turned his head and saw Tania leaning against his shoulder, his eyes darkened instantly. Tania clung to him without uttering a word. After a while, Bowen finally said, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Tania suddenly looked up at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Bowen turned his face away without expression, released her hands from his waist, opened the curtains, took the pack of cigarettes and lighter from the bedside table, walked towards the slowly opening curtains, and lit a cigarette for himself. Of course, he remembered. He had drunk a few more sses than he intended at a dinner party the night before. The people there, whom he had a good rapport with, either spoke superficially or beat around the bush. None of them truly wanted to help him, and they dared not offend the Reynolds Group. Disappointed but not surprised, he left the party and then he saw Tania. She was there with some friends and was about to leave too. Seeing him unexpectedly, Tania was stunned. Since thest time he had abandoned her again after she had gone through so much to find him, she seemed to have woken up ¨C this man truly did not love her. She hated and resented him, was so angry that she wanted to kill him. Even her father had told her it was possible, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. Every woman in love was clinging to an elusive hope, always thinking that she was the special one, that he was not really like this, that he woulde back to find her. Last night¡¯s encounter was fate to Tania. How could he not love her? How could he bear to leave her? Clearly, he missed h¨¦r terribly¡­ But all the emotionsy bare after drunkenness returned to his usual indifference once he sobered up. ¡°You should leave,¡± Bowen said, ¡°Since we¡¯ve broken up, we shouldn¡¯t linger.¡± ¡°The one who can¡¯t let go is not me!¡± Tania suddenly got up from the bed, rushed into his arms, looked up at him, and said, ¡°Last night, it was you! You held me and asked me not to leave! Why? Why is that? You clearly can¡¯t bear to leave me! You clearly love me!¡± As she spoke, tears fell from her eyes. The once haughty and domineering princess was now humbled in front of him. Bowen looked at her red eyes and after a long while, he reached out and gently stroked her eyebrows. It seemed he always encountered foolish girls who were so simr to each other that he could always see one person through them. ¡°Ding, ding, ding-¡± The moment their eyes met, Bowen¡¯s phone rang again. He turned to look at his phone lying at the foot of the bed and saw the iing call. Bowen pushed Tania away, walked to the foot of the bed, picked up the phone, and quickly answered it. ¡°Mr. Smith,¡± a deep male voice came from the other end, ¡°We found that the Reynolds Group¡¯s Administrative Department has issued several tickets to London for tomorrow. The passengers are not employees of the Reynolds Group. It¡¯s very likely they are nning to send Ms. Smith away-¡± ¡°Time, ce,¡± Bowen said coldly. The other party quickly gave the specific time and location at the airport. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone staked out at the airport today,¡± Bowen dered, ¡°Even if we have to search every nook and cranny of the airport tomorrow, we¡¯re going to find her!¡± Tania stood by the window, staring nkly at Bowen until he hung up the phone. Then she finally asked, ¡°What are you doing? What are you hiding from me?¡± Bowen nced at her, got up and headed towards the bathroom. ¡°You go home first,¡± he said without looking back, ¡°If everything goes well tomorrow, I¡¯lle find you.¡± Tania suddenly stepped forward and grabbed him, ¡°Are you getting yourself into something dangerous?¡± Bowen paused for a moment before turning his head to look at her, ¡°You know there¡¯s nothing I set my mind on that I can¡¯t aplish. If you don¡¯t want me to avoid you like before, then be a good girl and listen to me.¡± Hearing this, Tania stared at him nkly for a while before once again reaching out to hug him, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you. I¡¯ll always wait for you!¡±. Chapter 404 Chapter 404 On the day of departure, at the crack of dawn, Keen¡¯s car was already waiting outside the mansion. For Sandra, it wasn¡¯t too early. She hadn¡¯t slept all night. As Keen made his way upstairs, she was sitting by the window in her usual spot, gazing out nkly. Even though it was still pitch ck outside, she stared into the darkness. ¡°Ms. Smith,¡± Keen called out from the doorway. Sandra slowly turned around. Upon seeing him, she stood up instantly, ¡°Is it time to leave?¡± ¡°No rush,¡± Keen replied, ¡°I¡¯ve brought you some breakfast. Have something to eat first.¡± Upon hearing this, Sandra sat back down, ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating. Just let me know when it¡¯s time to leave. I¡¯m all packed.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith,¡± Keen sighed, ¡°You should consider the baby inside you, even if you don¡¯t feel like eating.¡± Sandra was quiet for a moment, then stood up once again and walked out of the roorn. The dining table outside was indeed set up with several foods, among them, a te of ravioli, which Sandra recognized instantly. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. She sat down a bit bewildered. Keen immediately served her the ravioli. Sandra took a bite and the familiar taste instantly filled her mouth. She was momentarily lost in thought, eating silently. ¡°Try the beef pie, Keen suggested, ¡°They¡¯re quite good.¡± Sandra obediently picked up a piece of beef pie. The moment it entered her mouth, her eyes welled up with tears. The ravioli and beef pies from Spoon Symphony were her absolute favorites, a preference known by very few. Considering that Spoon Symphony was not open at this hour, yet Keen managed to bring these hot dishes, it was clear he had gone to great lengths. But who arranged all this for her¡­ Sandra didn¡¯t dare to ask. She simply continued eating in silence, lost in the aroma of the food. Keen stood beside her, not uttering a word. By the time they were ready to leave, the sky had started to lighten up. Sandra followed Keen silently into the car, without a word spoken nor a question asked. As the morning light began to peek through, they left the mansion behind. At Sunburst City airport. Despite the early hour, the airport was bustling as usual. Cars wereing and going, and amidst the constant flow of departures, one car remained stationary by the curb. Inside, Bowen sat alone in the back seat, his gaze fixed on the throng of travelers and vehicles. Soon, his phone rang. He picked it up. ¡°Mr. Smith, we¡¯ve arranged people around the airport. The moment Ms. Smith appears, we¡¯ll spot her instantly.¡± Upon hearing this, Bowen didn¡¯t respond. He simply hung up the phone. He hadid a trap in the airport. What was his would never escape his grasp. Keen had arranged everything perfectly. Leaving the mansion, they were escorted by two cars all the way to their destination. Sandra stayed in the car while Keen went to take care of the formalities. Once everything was settled, Keen came back to escort Sandra out of the car, ready to board. Sandraplied quietly throughout, showing no emotion. About to embark on a journey that would require a new identity and a life but the words died on his lips. from home, Keen felt a pang of sympathy. He wanted to say something tofort her, Sandra¡¯s eyes remained dull until she saw the massive cruise ship in front of her, then a flicker of emotion crossed her face. Instead of going to the airport as Bowen thought, they actually went to the dock. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, and a ne ride might be ufortable. The cruise ship will be much more comfortable,¡± Keen exined. ¡°There will be plenty of activities on board, as well as a library and a cinema: We have arranged for people to take care of you throughout the journey. You can ask for anything you need.¡± As he finished speaking, the two people assigned to take care of Sandra on the ship approached. Keen formally handed Sandra over to them. Sandra simply said, ¡°Thank you,¡± and turned to follow them, ready to board. She moved mechanically, following instructions like a robot. Keen watched her retreating figure, a sigh escaping his lips. Just before she stepped onto the boarding bridge, Sandra paused, then turned around. She didn¡¯t expect anything. This nce was simply for the impending goodbye. Yet the moment she turned around, tears unexpectedly fell from her eyes. Not far behind Keen, a familiar figure stood, silently watching her. Their eyes met, and Sandra nearly burst into tears. Seraphina hade. Seraphina hade to see her after all. Even if it was just for thest time, just onest nce, Seraphina hade. Following Sandra¡¯s gaze, Keen turned around and saw Seraphina. There was no surprise in his eyes. Despite Seraphina¡¯s earlier statement that she wouldn¡¯te to see Sandra, Keen had guessed it when she casually asked him to prepare the breakfast. A rtionship as close as sisters for over a decade, how could one let go when the other couldn¡¯t forget? Sandra leaned on the bridge¡¯s pir, unable to stop crying. She had so much she wanted to say to Seraphina, but now that she was finally in front of her, she couldn¡¯t move. 1- Smart as Seraphina was, how could she not know what Sandra wanted to say? If she wanted to listen, she didn¡¯t need Sandra to say it out loud, she would understand. If she didn¡¯t want to listen, even a single word from Sandra would be superfluous. Between them, there was no need to say everything¡­ especially now. Sandra stood still, unable to take a step, just staring at Seraphina. Until the motionless Seraphina finally moved. She looked at Sandra from a distance, and as if signaling something, she gently ced her hand on her own belly. Sandra saw clearly and her tears burst forth like a dam breaking. There it was¡­ Seraphina was telling her to cherish and protect the child growing within her. It was her admonition, her blessing. Seraphina had finally forgiven her. Her inexplicably foolish decisions, her irreparable mistakes, had finally received Seraphina¡¯s grace. And that was enough. Her deep-seated sorrow and despair were finally assuaged. Sandra suddenly reached out, vigorously cleaning the tears streaming down her face, before giving Seraphina a gentle wave. Seraphina remained motionless, maintaining her earlier posture, silently watching her Sandra remained at the entrance, casting lingering nces at Seraphina before finally turning around, reluctantly retreating from Seraphina¡¯s sight, looking back every few steps. Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Seraphina had been standing on the dock for a long time. The cruise ship in front of her was enormous. From the shore, each window on the ship was the size of a matchbox and the figures on board were barely visible. Even if Sandra¡¯s cabin faced this direction and even if Sandra stood on the balcony Seraphina might not have been able to see her. Yet, she remained standing there, unwilling to leave. There were still two hours before the ship would depart. Keen, her butler, checked his wristwatch and approached Seraphina, whispering, ¡°Madam, Ms. Smith will be taken care of once she¡¯s on board. You don¡¯t have to worry. Shall we go home?¡± Seraphina slowly shook her head. Keen paused before saying, ¡°The ship is too big. You won¡¯t be able to see her from here.¡±. ¡°I can¡¯t see her, but she can see me,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°She will feel at ease knowing I¡¯m here.¡± Upon hearing this, Keen merely nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. When the ship¡¯s horn sounded two hourster, signaling its departure, the crowd on the shore began to wave goodbye. On the ship, figures could be seen waving back. But among those indistinct figures, was Sandra one of them? As the ship slowly pulled away from the shore, Seraphina stood there for a moment longer before finally turning around and leaving the dock. When Seraphina returned to the city, it was lunchtime. With no ns and nothing to do, she decided to buy some food and visit Andrea at her studio. When she arrived, Andrea was busy drawing. Upon seeing Seraphina, she looked surprised, ¡°What brings you here?¡± > Seraphina sat down across from Andrea and ced the food on the table, ¡°I know you¡¯ve been busy, so I brought some food to share lunch with you.¡± After clearing some space on her desk, Andrea opened the food that Seraphina brought. But when she saw what was inside, she looked at Seraphina hesitantly, ¡°This is what you brought for lunch?¡± A box of nuts, some prosciutto, and two bottles of red wine. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Seraphina nced at the items she brought and teased Andrea, ¡°I thought it was enough for us.¡± Andrea sighed and said, ¡°Luckily, I brought my own lunch. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± After heating up her own lunch, Andrea brought two mugs over. Seraphina poured the wine into the mugs without hesitation. ¡°Drinking wine at noon?¡± Andrea asked, sensing something was off, ¡°What happened?¡± Seraphina took a whiff of the wine then said quietly, ¡°Sandra left.¡± Andrea paused, ¡°Where did she go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Somewhere I don¡¯t know, somewhere Bowen can¡¯t find. ¡°Did you go to send her off?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°So¡­ have you forgiven her?¡± Seraphina stayed silent for a moment before giving a small smile. ¡°She always seemed thoughtful, understanding, and empathetic, but she¡¯s very indecisive and easily influenced by others,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°She must be feeling very anxious about being sent away like this. If I didn¡¯t go to send her off, she would be anxious forever, leading a life of mncholy. But since I went, she can at least feel a bit more at ease, and perhaps she wille to her senses and live a good life someday¡­¡± Andrea reached out and held Seraphina¡¯s hand, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t overthink it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if there¡¯s one thing about me, it¡¯s that I can let go,¡± Seraphina raised her cup, ¡°After this drink, I¡¯ll stop thinking about it.¡± After clinking ss with Andrea, Seraphina downed her wine in one gulp. Andrea watched as Seraphina finished off the rest of the wine, effectively getting herself drunk. When Leandro¡¯s call came through to Seraphina¡¯s phone, she was already lying on the couch in Andrea¡¯s studio. Even though her phone was ringing, she didn¡¯t move. Andrea picked up her phone and, after hesitating for a moment, answered the call for her. y minutester, Leandro arrived at Andrea¡¯s humble studio. Forty m After opening the door for him, Andrea pointed at Seraphina, who was lying on the couch, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave her in your care,¡± before returning to her room and closing the door behind her Leandro didn¡¯t fully believe Andrea when she told him over the phone that Seraphina was drunk, but seeing her lying there, he realized she really was drunk. All from just two bottles of wine? Given her drinking ability, that shouldn¡¯t be possible. It was more likely that she wanted to be drunk. Leandro walked over and sat riext to Seraphina, reaching out to touch her flushed face. Her cheeks were burning hot, making his warm hand feel cool inparison. The sudden coolness roused Seraphina, who furrowed her brows before opening her eyes. Upon seeing Leandro, she looked somewhat dazed and mumbled, ¡°Is it time for Valerio to leave school yet?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Leandro answered. ¡°Oh,¡± Seraphina responded, then added, ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going to sleep a bit longer.¡± After saying that, she closed her eyes again. Leandro watched her for a moment before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go home and sleep.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina slowly opened her eyes again. After a moment of confused and tranquil eye contact, she said, ¡°Okay, take me home.¡± Leandro paused for a moment, lowering his gaze to gently press a kiss onto her lips, whispering, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Seraphina simplyy on the couch, watching him without making a move. Leandro scooped her up into his arms, cradling her protectively as they left the studio. Andrea sat behind his desk, watching through the transparent ss door as Leandro carried Seraphina away. A soft smile yed on his lips. Seraphina, initially in a semi-drunken stupor, seemed to awaken as Leandro ced her in the car. Her sleepiness vanished, leaving only a hint of intoxication that kept her weak and rxed, nestled comfortably in Leandro¡¯s arms. Leandro draped his suit jacket over her, instructing the driver simply, ¡°Home.¡± Seraphina snuggled deeper into his embrace, slowly closing her eyes. At that moment, Leandro¡¯s phone rang. He picked it up, nced at the caller ID and answered the call. Seraphinay against his chest, initially uninterested in his conversation. But the name ¡®Bowen¡¯ caught her attention, causing her to open her eyes and move closer to the ear Leandro was using for the call. Leandro nced down at her, allowing her curiosity. After the call ended, Seraphina looked up at him, ¡°Did you use a diversion tactic?¡± ¡°He¡¯s too smart for his own good, Leandro replied nonchntly. Seraphina smirked, then said, ¡°I wonder what his face looks like now¡­ Such a flirting man, so good at charming young girls¡­ As she spoke, she suddenly fell silent. After a moment, she continued, ¡°If Sandra knew how hard he worked for her, she might be indecisive again¡­¡± ¡°She won¡¯t find out,¡± Leandro assured. ¡°Mmm,¡± Seraphina agreed, then added, ¡°She¡¯s so naive, unable to let go of a man like Bowen. She¡¯s completely foolish¡­¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, simply pulling her closer into his embrace, a safe ce for her to shed tears. Unexpectedly, Seraphina didn¡¯t cry. She just nestled quietly against him, and after a long silence, she murmured, ¡°That jerk doesn¡¯t compare to even a thousandth of you¡­¡± Leandro paused, looking down at her. Chapter 406 Chapter 406 For a moment, Leandro thought he must have misheard With Seraphina¡¯s current temperament, when had she ever sincerely praised him? asionally, she would say a thing or two, but they were merely her teasing or joking around. And now- As Leandro was deeply contemting what he heard, Seraphina suddenly said, ¡°If only the person Sandra likes was you¡­¡± Leandro frowned, and a momentter, he reached out to lift Seraphina¡¯s face, ¡°Say that again?¡± He knew better than to expect anything normal toe from her, especially when she was in an emotional state. ¡°If she liked you- She actually repeated it again. Leandro just looked at her, coldly saying, ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Then¡­ I would give you to her!¡± Seraphina said, ¡°That way, she should be much happier than she is now¡­¡± Leandro took another look at her, deciding not to argue with a drunk. However, Seraphina did not intend to end their conversation just yet. She reached out, hooked her arm around Leandro¡¯s neck, and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you think? After all, being your woman, Leandro, is such a happy thing¡­¡± Upon hearing that, a flicker of emotion crossed Leandro¡¯s eyes. Then, he turned to Seraphina, ¡°What about you? Are you happy?¡± Happy? Seraphina squinted her eyes slightly, after a moment of eye contact, she suddenly chuckled. Leandro never expected a serious answer to his question. Seeing her reaction, he turned his face away. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. But then Seraphina reached out, turned his face back to her. The next moment, she leaned forward and kissed him. The hand Leandro had on her waist tightened slightly. Seraphina intertwined with him in a passionate kiss, changing her position to straddle him. On the way back to Reynolds Manor, Seraphina behaved very differently from her usual self, teasing him constantly. She had been preupied with Valerio recently, leaving very little time for him. He was already frustrated, and her teasing nearly made him lose control several times. Noticing his state, Seraphina became even more excited, seemingly determined to stir things up in the car before she would stop. Leandro guarded himself vigntly all the way until they returned to the Reynolds family home. The moment the car stopped, he pushed open the car door without waiting for the driver to get out, and dragged Seraphina into the house. Conway and Karan were discussing dinner in the dining room when they heard the sound outside. Karan got up and went to the dining room door, only to see a fleeting figure disappearing at the top of the stairs. Karan was taken aback. She went to the front door and saw Leandro¡¯s driver, asking, ¡°Was that Leandro who just came back?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the driver replied, ¡°Mr. Reynolds came back with Mrs. Reynolds.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Karan wondered, ¡°This time of day, they seem to be in such a rush, what happened?¡± The driver looked a bit awkward, cleared his throat, and simply said, ¡°Nothing, they¡¯re fine¡­¡± Getting the hint from the driver¡¯s reaction, Karan didn¡¯t ask any further. Once Leandro and Seraphina went upstairs, they were tied up until the afternoon. Seraphina missed the time to pick up Valerio, luckily Leandro called down in between to arrange for someone else to pick him up. Karan hung up the phone and immediately sent the driver to pick up Valerio. Then she returned to the living room, ncing upstairs with a sigh of relief. Conway looked at her and Karanughed, ¡°Feeling better now?¡± Conway sighed slightly, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s fine,¡± Karan said, ¡°When Sera first came back from Starhaven, there was some tension between them. Then she found out about Valerio¡¯s background and focused all her attention on him, leaving Leandro feeling neglected¡­ But today is different, they seem fine! You should rx!¡± Conway considered this, then slowly said, ¡°If they could give me another great-grandchild, then I could rx.¡± Karan chuckled lightly, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time! Just wait and see!¡± The second great-grandchild was a long and distant matter, but the first great-grandchilding home from school was just a matter of twenty or thirty minutes. Valerio, unlike his usual energetic self, came home seemingly upset and immediately sought Seraphina. Karan didn¡¯t dare let him run upstairs, so she had to coax him. Upstairs, in Seraphina¡¯s bedroom, the air was still thick with intimacy. Leandro, pressing her from behind, was gently biting her smooth and sexy shoulder The hint of alcohol that Seraphina had taken earlier in the day had long since evaporated. Her mind was filled with the man behind her. She felt incredibly thirsty, her mouth dry and in desperate need of hydration. Yet, the man behind her was relentless, never-ending. It wasn¡¯t until he hadpletely drained her of energy that Leandro once again pressed down on her, holding her hands above her head and whispering in her ear, ¡°Still want to give me away?¡± Seraphina was utterly spent. Dazed, she shook her head in response to his question ¡°Why not?¡± Leandro asked. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to look at him. After a moment, she uttered just three words- Can¡¯t let go. Chapter 407 Chapter 407 That gentle ¡°can¡¯t let go¡± felt like it carried the weight of the world,nding heavily on Leandro¡¯s heart. He lowered his gaze, observing Seraphina in silence for a long time before finally asking, ¡°Can you say that again?¡± But Seraphina refused, pushing him away instead. ¡°Hurry up, Valerio will be home soon, he¡¯ll be worried if he can¡¯t find me¡­¡± Yet Leandro wouldn¡¯t budge, turning the conversation back to her words over and over again, insisting she repeat what she had just said. Left with no choice, Seraphina finally reached up to rest her hand on his shoulder, gasping slightly before speaking. ¡°How could I possibly let such a great man like Mr. Reynolds be taken by another woman? I won¡¯t let you go, not in this lifetime-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she kissed him, stopping his words. Leandro was taken aback. Her words were a mix of truth and falsehood, making it impossible to discern whether she truly meant it, or if she was just trying to appease him. Leandro was not one to be easily swayed by words, but with her, he desperately wanted to hear something that would satisfy him. It seemed impossible. : But now, her willingness to say such things was more than enough for him. Next moment, he pulled her into his embrace, sinking into the quilts. When everything finally calmed down, the sky had darkened. After Seraphina finished her shower and emerged from the bathroom, Leandro had already changed into fresh clothes, clearly ready to head out again. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Seraphina asked him casually. She was concerned about Valerio and wanting to spend time with him. As he adjusted his cufflinks, Leandro replied nonchntly, ¡°Some friends are hosting a dinner party. They n to put in a good word for Bowen, so I thought I¡¯d show up.¡± Seraphina, who was already halfway out the door, spun around and walked back to him. ¡°They¡¯re speaking up for Bowen? Will he be there?¡± Leandro nced at her and replied, ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to such an exciting event and you weren¡¯t going to invite me?¡± Seraphina asked, already heading for their closet to choose her outfit and start getting ready. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to stay with Valerio?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°How dare you even mention that!¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you¡­ do you think I wouldn¡¯t have time to spend with him?¡± Seeing her determination to go, Leandro didn¡¯t stop her. He let her take her time getting ready while he went downstairs first. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g By the time Seraphina was ready and made her way downstairs, Leandro had managed to pacify Valerio. Seeing his mother getting ready to leave, Valerio didn¡¯t seem too upset, only bargaining for a weekend outing in return. Seraphina readily agreed, kissing him and saying, ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll go out this weekend. Not just on the weekend, whenever you¡¯re on holiday, all my time is yours.¡± Valerio seemed satisfied with this and finally smiled, ncing at Leandro as if to challenge him. Ever since he had epted Seraphina back, the little boy seemed to be getting bolder. Leandro didn¡¯tment, simply rising to his feet and pulling Seraphina towards the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As they were leaving, Seraphina turned back to wave goodbye to Valerio, noticing his somewhat sad expression. She felt a pang of reluctance but there was nothing she could do. She really wanted to see Bowen. Leandro was dyed of handling business due to the activities in the afternoon. As soon as they got into the car, he started making phone calls. Soon, someone from the dinner party called to ask when he¡¯d be arriving. Leandro, of course, wasn¡¯t concerned about beingte, and Seraphina was in no hurry either. She even instructed the driver to ¡°take it slow.¡± By the time they arrived at the restaurant, it was nearly nine o¡¯clock. When Leandro and Seraphina were led into the private dining room, the atmosphere was lively. The dinner party was organized by Hanley, an older acquaintance of the Reynolds, family who happened to have some connections with Bowen as well. Seeing the recent developments, he had taken it upon himself to arrange this dinner party in hopes of mediating between Leandro and Bowen. Usually, these types of gatherings were dominated by men. Besides the few men in the room, there were also several charming escort women chattering away. The room was buzzing with conversation. But when Leandro and Seraphina walked in, the room fell silent. Perhaps no one had expected Leandro to bring his wife along, and for a moment, everyone was taken aback. who had been flirting with a beautiful woman, felt somewhat embarrassed and quickly let go of her to greet the neers. ¡°Leandro, you¡¯ve arrived! And I you brought Sera too?¡± Seraphina nced at the women who clearly outnumbered the men in the room, saying, ¡°I heard I¡¯de and have a sip. You all don¡¯t need to mind me. Continue your conversations¡± 2. Would be drinks, and I was feeling a bit thirsty. So I thought Hanleyughed and led them further into the room. ¡°Leandro, you¡¯re truly lucky to have such an understanding wife.¡± It was obvious that some of the women in the room were there for Leandro, but he remained composed, walking hand in hand with Seraphina to take the seat at the head of the table. As Seraphina sat next to Leandro, the other women naturally moved away. However, Seraphina¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on them. Instead, she looked around the table and asked, ¡°Wait, where¡¯s Bowen?¡± The moment the words were uttered, the bathroom door swung open, and Bowen strolled out. As another protagonist of this dinner party, Bowen had obviously arrived early and seemed to have indulged in quite a few drinks. His eyes were somewhat bloodshot, and there was a particrly brooding look in his gaze when he looked at people. Yet, even so, he broke into a smile the moment he saw Leandro and Seraphina. ¡°Sera, you¡¯re here too?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Bowen, I heard you were here, so I decided toe.¡± Upon seeing this, Hanley immediately interjected, ¡°Since everyone knows each other, we should be able to talk freely, right? What¡¯s such a big deal that we can¡¯t get past? Right? Come on, sit down, tonight, no one leaves sober!¡± Hearing Hanley¡¯s words, Seraphina¡¯s smile became even brighter. ¡®Some things, indeed, couldn¡¯t be simply swept under the rug. ¡°I heard Bowen was at Sunburst City airport today?¡± Seraphina said to Bowen, ¡°Funny enough, I happened to be driving by this morning, but we must¡¯ve just missed each other. I didn¡¯t see you.¡± Bowen took a seat and opened a pack of cigarettes. He lit one, took a draw, then turned his gaze back to Leandro and Seraphina. ¡®Is that so? Guess we weren¡¯t meant to cross paths. Where were you headed when you drove by the airport?¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡± Chapter 408 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.¡± Chapter 409 Chapter 409 The dinner that night was seemingly peaceful, a picture of harmony, until the facade crumbled. Bowen gazed at Seraphina, his eyes an eerie abyss. ¡°Sera.¡± He called her name softly, stating, ¡°In all this, you¡¯ve lost nothing. You¡¯ve found your son again, from now on you can live happily. But you insist on getting involved, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Nice try, Bowen.¡± Seraphina scoffed, retorting, ¡°Who dragged me into this? And besides, do you really think our debts end with Valerio?¡± Bowen paused, then nodded slowly, ¡°You¡¯re right.. If you insist on being part of this, then our debts are far bigger.¡± Seraphina just chuckled coldly. Sandra ¨C the debt she owed Bowen, and the debt he owed her. It was time to settle the score. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see your next move, Bowen, Seraphina said, ¡°We¡¯ll see whoes out on top.¡± = With that, Seraphina turned and walked back into the private room, leaving Bowen alone by the window, finishing his cigarette. Because of Leandro and Seraphina¡¯ste arrival, the party endedter than usual. The guests were about to leave when an unexpected visitor burst into the room. Tania frowned as she walked in, her face changing instantly when she saw the room full of escort women vying for the attention of the few men there. ¡°Bowen!¡± she cried out in exasperation, her voice filled with irritation. From the back of the room, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh at Tania¡¯s outburst. In the silence of the room, herughter was conspicuous. Tania turned to the source of theughter and spotted Seraphina and Leandro, not knowing how to react If this party was inappropriate, what was Seraphina doing there? She turned back to Bowen, but he was just sitting there, not even looking at her. Hanley, however, laughed and said, ¡°Oh, Ms. Martin hase to pick up her fianc¨¦. We better not disturb them, let¡¯s leave.¡± Everyone J¨¦ft except for Seraphina and Leandro, who were thest to leave. As they walked past Tania, Seraphina paused, wanting to say something. But seeing the way Tania was looking at Bowen, she sighed and swallowed her words. Instead, she just smiled at Bowen and said, ¡°Goodnight, Bowen. Sweet dreams.¡± Bowen just nced at her and gave a nonchnt smile, ¡°I¡¯ll take your good wishes! Leandro said nothing, just helped Seraphina out of the room. Once they were out of the room, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but look back. Leandro noticed her action but didn¡¯t turn back, just asking, ¡°Why did you hold back? Seraphinaughed helplessly, ¡°Because I know Tania wouldn¡¯t listen, no matter what I said. Women in love, they¡¯re often blinded¡­ but it¡¯s rare to see someone as stubborn as her. Maybe it¡¯s not her fault, maybe Bowen is just too good at maniption. He could be a lecturer on mind control.¡± Leandro didn¡¯tment, just listened. Seeing his attitude, Seraphina raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Of course, a man like Mr. Reynolds doesn¡¯t care about women. After all, there are too many women rushing to Mr. Reynolds.¡± If I hadn¡¯t come tonight, the room would have been much more lively, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Leandro knew she was far from jealous over such a thing, so he ignored her. Seraphina continued, ¡°Ah, I forgot, Mr. Reynolds is a man who doesn¡¯t trust easily, especially strangers. So why not cultivate a few young, naive girls, and when they¡¯re ripe, you can enjoy them. It¡¯s safer to groom them yourself, right?¡± As they reached the elevator, the waiter pressed the button for them. He couldn¡¯t help but nce at the two of them after hearing Seraphina¡¯s words. Leandro noticed the waiter¡¯s curious nce but remained indifferent. Seraphina went on, ¡°Should I help you pick? I have a good eye for beauty, I guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± The elevator doors opened in front of them, and Leandro stepped in. He turned back to Seraphina, extending a hand, and said, ¡°No need, I¡¯m already grooming one. That¡¯s enough.¡± Seraphina was momentarily stunned, then pulled into the elevator by Leandro and into his arms. The elevator doors slowly closed as Seraphina red at him, ¡°Who are you grooming!¡± ¡°Not grooming¡­¡± Leandro raised his hand, tracing her jawline gently, ¡°But training, from when you were young and naive, right?¡± 1 ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve,¡± Seraphina huffed, ¡°Shameless! If you hadn¡¯t changed your characters, you¡¯d probably be just like Bowen!¡± Leandro pinched her waist gently, hinting that she shouldn¡¯tpare him with Bowen. Seraphina, remembering the past due to his words, was still not satisfied. She tiptoed up and bit his lip hard. Meanwhile, in the private dining room left with only two people, Bowen sat quietly, smoking, not looking at Tania. Tania watched him, realizing he was probably upset. A wave of worry and hurt washed over her, and she murmured, ¡°You said you¡¯de to see me today¡­I¡¯ve been waiting all day¡­¡± ¡°And so?¡± Bowen retorted, ¡°You think something held me up?¡± ¡°I know you were busy.¡± Tania quickly approached, leaning against Bowen as she nestled into his chest, ¡°But I was just worried about you¡­ You didn¡¯t keep in touch, and it scared me¡­¡± Bowen allowed her movements, remaining still. After a moment of silence, Tania assumed he had cooled down. She looked up at him, ¡°What exactly did you do today? Nothing bad happened, right?¡± Bowen looked at her, his gaze dark and brooding, and he said nothing for a long time. Tania began to worry again and couldn¡¯t help but take his hand, holding it tightly in her own. Bowen nced down at their entwined hands, and after a while, he suddenly said, ¡°Tania.¡± He hadn¡¯t called her like that in a long time. Tania couldn¡¯t contain her joy, and quickly responded, waiting for him to speak. ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± Bowen said. Upon hearing this, Tania was taken aback. As she processed his words, she couldn¡¯t help but tear up. She didn¡¯t stop to think, she just nodded eagerly, leaning in to kiss his lips. Bowen raised a hand to support her back, his eyes never wavering. Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Theing Saturday, with Leandro caught up in work, Seraphina postponed their nned outing to Sunday. Instead, she invited Andrea over for dinner. With Conway visiting friends and the nanny on her day off, the house was left to Seraphina, her son Valerio, and their guest, Andrea. Since Seraphina had once expressed her wish to try a meal cooked by Valerio, the young boy was filled with ambition to cook for his mother and aunt, following a recipe he had found. Seraphina, however, couldn¡¯t bear to let him into the kitchen alone and decided to be his assistant. The result was, of course, aplete mess. Unable to bear the sight, Andrea ushered the two out of the kitchen and rolled up her sleeves to prepare a simple meal of three dishes and a soup. ¡°Wow,¡± Seraphina was pleasantly surprised: ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could cook.¡± Andrea gave her a sidelong nce, ¡°I¡¯m actually pretty good at surviving, you know?¡± ¡°Son, in the future, you need to stick with your aunt more. Learn her survival skills so you can take care of me, okay?¡± Seraphina told Valerio. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the young boy actually nodded in agreement. Andrea looked at Seraphina, at a loss for words. ¡°I thought you said you were going to take care of him?¡± ¡°I take care of him, or he takes care of me. There¡¯s no difference,¡± Seraphina exined. ¡°My son is so brilliant, why should I be worried? If anything, he should be the one looking after me.¡± ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Andrea hastily interrupted, ¡°We get it. You have a wonderful son. Now quit gloating.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. She teased Valerio, ¡°Your aunt is just jealous of us.¡± Andrea simply rolled her eyes and continued eating. Seraphina, on the other hand, didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Come to think of it, all these years, besides Leandro, have you ever met anyone you thought you could spend the rest of your life with?¡± Caught off guard, Andrea nearly choked on her food. She looked at Seraphina, ¡°Do we really need to discuss this in front of the kid?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Seraphina was unfazed. ¡°My son is exceptionally intelligent. There¡¯s nothing he can¡¯t handle.¡± With a light sigh, Andrea finally answered, ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Seraphina retorted, ¡°There are so many eligible bachelors in Sunburst City. Aside from their family business, there should be plenty who are better than Leandro.¡± Andrea put down her utensils to serve herself some soup before responding, ¡°That¡¯s if they¡¯re interested in me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve set your standards too high?¡± Seraphina joked, before suddenly remembering something, ¡°By the way, what do you think of Herman Garcia?¡± Upon hearing the name, Andrea¡¯s attention sharpened. ¡°Stop kidding around, Seraphina. You know his background. What chance do we have?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Seraphina insisted. ¡°As long as you two like each other, anything is possible.¡± Andrea simply shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s too bad then, because the chance of us liking each other is zero. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Seraphina thought of Herman¡¯s temperament and sighed, ¡°Herman is actually a reliable guy. He¡¯s just a bit too straightforward. Can¡¯t seem to take a hint.¡± Andrea looked down and smiled, ¡°There are plenty of good men in the world. If there¡¯s no spark, what can we do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Seraphina reached out to pat Andrea¡¯s hand, ¡°You¡¯ll find the right person eventually.¡± Hearing this, Andrea couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°The way you¡¯re talking, it sounds like you¡¯ve already found the right person. Now you¡¯re starting to worry about me?¡± ¡°Whether I¡¯ve found someone or not, I have no control over it,¡± Seraphina reached out to caress Valerio¡¯s cheek, ¡°As long as my son is happy, that¡¯s all that matters. For now, Leandro is fulfilling his role as a father, so I don¡¯t n on finding a new one for Valerio.¡± At this, Andrea broke intoughter. She nced subtly towards Seraphina¡¯s back. Sensing something, Seraphina turned around to find Leandro standing at the dining room entrance, his gaze steady on her. Upon seeing her turn around, Leandro slowly approached and took the seat next to Seraphina. Only then did he turn to her, ¡°So, under what circumstances would you consider changing Valerio¡¯s father?¡± Seraphina gave Andrea a look before responding to Leandro, ¡°That would depend on your performance. If you do well, I might consider keeping you around a bit longer. But if you slip up, I won¡¯t hesitate to kick you out. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you Leandro turned to Valerio, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask your son¡¯s opinion?¡± Without hesitation, Seraphina turned to Valerio, pinching his cheek, ¡°Son, how would you like to have a new father? Someone more handsome, richer, and who spends more time with you than your current father. Someone who takes you on trips around the world. How does that sound?¡± Valerio furrowed his brows, ncing between Seraphina and Leandro, before decisively shaking his head. ¡°Are you crazy!¡± Seraphina lightly tapped his forehead, ¡°When I say you should, you should!¡± Yet Valerio remained firm, shaking his head again. ¡°If we¡¯re going by what makes our son happy, Leandromented, ¡°It seems like my position is quite secure.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky, Seraphina huffed, before changing the topic, ¡°I thought you said you were busy today?¡± ¡°A meeting got rescheduled,¡± Leandro replied. ¡°One of ourpany¡¯s property projects is in its trial operation phase. I thought I could take Valerio there this afternoon.¡± Seraphina scoffed, ¡°Oh please, you¡¯re not taking Valerio out for fun, you¡¯re just checking on your work. I wasn¡¯t nning on spending my day with you.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Andrea just smiled wryly, ¡°Oh, forget it. In a situation like this, I wouldn¡¯t dare to be a third wheel. You all should enjoy your family time, while I¡¯ll go back to my studio and draw.¡± Leandro gave Andrea a subtle nod, a silent thanks for her understanding. Suddenly, Seraphina remembered something else and asked Andrea, ¡°Do you have ns for Thanksgiving? If not, you could spend it with me and Valerio.¡± ¡°Thanksgiving?¡± Andrea looked at Leandro as she responded. ¡°Why would it just be you and Valerio? Doesn¡¯t the Reynolds family have a family feast?¡± ¡°We do.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°But Valerio and I don¡¯t necessarily have to go.¡± After all, in the vast Reynolds family, she and Valerio weren¡¯t exactly popr figures. Now that they were mother and son, they were even less wee. Andrea nced at Leandro once more before replying, ¡°The Martin family also has a family feast on Thanksgiving. I can¡¯t really bail.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina let out a faint huff. Leandro nced at her before finally saying, ¡°On Thanksgiving, both you and Valerio are needed. No exceptions.¡±. Chapter 411 Chapter 411 With Thanksgiving around the corner, Seraphina never really had much of a concept for dates, but it felt like it hade in the blink of an eye. In previous years, the Reynolds family naturally gathered at the Reynolds Vista Retreat for Halloween. However, this year, as Conway had moved back to the Reynolds Manor, everyone amodated him and nned to gather there for the holiday feast. Consequently, Seraphina had be half a hostess, and had no way to avoid the responsibility of the day. Facing therge Reynolds family was one thing, but the thought of Gloria inevitably stirred up feelings of aversion. Not just her, when Valerio found out that all of the Reynolds family wereing to the Manor, he also showed signs of anxiety. Seraphina knew why. In the past, as a child with an unknown mother, who couldn¡¯t speak and was raised alone by Leandro, he was arguably the least noticeable member of the Reynolds family. Everyone seemed to habitually ignore him, which was a terrible environment for a child. However, thankfully, things were different now. On Thanksgiving Day, Seraphina personally picked a little suit for Valerio designed by Andrea, dressing him up to look both respectable and handsome. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but kiss him, sincerely eximing, ¡°How did I manage to birth such a handsome son?¡± Valerio, who was initially a bit nervous, couldn¡¯t help but smile at her teasing. In the afternoon, members of the Reynolds family started to arrive one after another. By the time dinner was ready, everyone except Leandro and Gloria had arrived. Since moving back to the Reynolds Manor, it had rarely been this lively. Conway was in high spirits, sitting among his children, chatting and laughing. Seraphina promised Valerio a jack-o¡¯ntern, so she was now at the dining table with him, drawing the face on the pumpkin. Following Valerio¡¯s request, they decided to draw their family of three on the pumpkin Seraphina initially wanted to draw some flowers, but Valerio didn¡¯t want the flowers to separate the three of them, so they ended up drawing the family twice, encircling the pumpkin. Once the jack-o¡¯ntern was finished, Valerio immediately excitedly took it outside, showing it off to Conway like a treasure. Seeing it, Conway couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Very good, the drawings are excellent. Did our Valerio draw them?¡± Valerio pointed to Seraphina and then to himself, indicating that they had done it together. Nte Reynolds, seeing this, abruptlymented, ¡°The child is so big now, and still doesn¡¯t speak. He won¡¯t be like this for the rest of his life, will he?¡± Conway¡¯s face changed slightly at her words, and he shot Nte a nce. Seraphina stepped forward, pulling Valerio into her arms before looking at Nte and smiling, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Aunt Nte. Valerio might not talk much, but he¡¯s very intelligent. He¡¯s doing just fine in his studies, even excelling in many areas He doesn¡¯t speak because he¡¯s humble, not wanting to overshadow his peers too much. But, as they gradually get used to his excellence, he¡¯ll start to speak up more, right?¡± As Seraphina spoke, she adjusted Valerio¡¯s cor and then touched his chest, finally making himugh again. Nte scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re really good at making excuses for him-¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Conway suddenly shouted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit too disrespectful, speaking like that in front of a child?¡± As the youngest and spoiled daughter of the Reynolds family, Nte was undeterred by Conway¡¯s anger but retorted, ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts-¡± Seraphina, smiling on the outside but seething inside, really wanted to give Nte a piece of her mind. But considering Conway, and the fact that it was Thanksgiving, she had to suppress her anger. ¡°Valerio is still young, he has plenty of time,¡± Seraphina said in the most tactful way she could manage. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to wait and see, Aunt Nte!¡± ¡°You seem to have a really good rtionship with Valerio,¡± Ntemented. ¡°But aren¡¯t you afraid of what will happen when his real motheres back?¡± At her words, Seraphina and Conway exchanged nces, nearlyughing out loud. Because the Reynolds family members were often busy with their own affairs and hadn¡¯t gathered together in a long time, they hadn¡¯t had a chance to inform everyone about Seraphina and Valerio¡¯s mother-son rtionship. Leandro had nned to announce this news at today¡¯s family banquet, but Nte had beaten him to it. Unfazed, Seraphina looked at Valerio and asked, ¡°Who would you choose between me and your real mother?¡± Of course, Valerio pointed at her. Just as Seraphina was about tough, Ferne Reynolds, who had been quietly observing, suddenly spoke up. ¡°Seraphina, isn¡¯t it a bit childish to tease your elders like this?¡± Seraphina turned to her, ¡°I¡¯m teasing my elders?¡± ¡°Valerio is obviously your biological son,¡± Ferne said. ¡°How long do you n on keeping this from the Reynolds family?¡± At her words, the members of the Reynolds family were taken aback. ¡°Ferne, what are you talking about?¡± Bruce Reynolds frowned, questioning. Ferne subtly lifted her chin, looking at Seraphina, ¡°Why don¡¯t you, ask her?¡± ¡°Sera, is it true?¡± Bruce immediately shifted his gaze to Seraphina. Before Seraphina could respond, the front door opened and in walked Leandro, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his voice grave, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± If the crowd was previously immersed in shock, this simple affirmation shattered their silence. Suddenly, the living room buzzed with a cacophony of voices- ¡°Dad, is it true? How could Valerio be Seraphina¡¯s son?¡± ¡°Leandro, this isn¡¯t something to joke about. If it¡¯s true, it¡¯s true. If it¡¯s not, it¡¯s not. Don¡¯t tell us you¡¯re lying just for the sake of the child.¡± ¡°Seraphina, didn¡¯t your child die? How did Valerio suddenly be your son?¡± Amid the chaotic questioning, Leandro merely nced at Karan. Understanding the unspoken request, Karan turned and left the room, soon returning with a document which he handed to Leandro. ¡°The DNA test results are here,¡± Leandro stated, ¡°For the three of us.¡± With that, Leandro handed the DNA test results to Bruce. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Bruce took them and immediately flipped to the end, the final results. Everyone crowded around Bruce to get a look, everyone except for Ferne who already knew. Once they¡¯d seen the results, they looked up in surprise, gazing at Seraphina and Valerio with disbelief in their eyes. ¡°Although we, the Reynolds family, ¡®have never been particr about lineage, I still want to make one thing crystal clear-¡± Leandro called Valerio over and picked him up. After exchanging a nce with Seraphina, he turned to the crowd, stating slowly and clearly, ¡°Seraphina is my wife, Valerio is our son, and he is the rightful heir to the Reynolds family. I won¡¯t tolerate anyone disrespecting them.¡± Chapter 412 Chapter 412 That statement was an official deration of Valerio¡¯s status in the Reynolds n In the past, Leandro showed affection towards Valerio, but he was still a child raised outside of the Reynolds household. Due to his biological mother¡¯s unknown status, he was seldom seen and inevitably looked down upon. But now, Leandro had made his stance clear. The title of ¡®firstborn legitimate grandson¡± was bestowed upon Valerio, elevating his status instantly. Valerio quietly nestled against Leandro, his eyes lowered, showing no reaction. For a moment, the room was silent, with no one speaking up. Only Feme tumed to Seraphina, her lips curling into a small smile as she said, Seraphina, congrattions. After all these years, you finally have a mother son reunion. All the hardships you¡¯ve faced before don¡¯t amount to much now, do they?¡± ¡°I have a clear idea of the past incidents,¡± Seraphina walked over to Leandro, tickling Valerio¡¯s chin, making himugh, and then spoke. ¡°From now on, I just want my son to grow up happy and healthy.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Femne chimed in. ¡°Being the firstborn legitimate grandson is an unprecedented honor in the Reynolds n. He will certainly grow up to be happy.¡± After Valerio startedughing again, he quickly showed Leandro the jack-o¡¯ntern he and Seraphina had painted. Leandro still held Valerio with one arm, as he picked up the jack-o¡¯ntern with his free hand and moved aside to admire it. He knew that many questions lingered in everyone¡¯s minds, but he chose not to respond, leaving the exnations to Conway. 1 As expected, as soon as he stepped aside, several elders surrounded Conway, chattering away about the matter. Seraphina turned to check on the progress of the meal preparations in the kitchen, not expecting Ferne to follow her in. Seeing Ferne, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Do you have something else to say?¡± ¡°I want to see how smug you are now,¡± Ferne replied, her gaze fixed on Seraphina¡¯s face. ¡°The once pitiful orphan girl who grew up in the Reynolds family is now the wife of the family¡¯s head and has given birth to the firstborn legitimate grandson. Seraphina, you must be overjoyed.¡± Seraphina pondered for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I suppose I am¡­overjoyed.¡± ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought things would turn out this way? But let¡¯s not dwell on the past, Ferne continued. ¡°Even today, some of the family elders still believe Leandro married you just to quell the scandal.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Seraphina looked at her, asking, ¡°And you don¡¯t think so?¡± ¡°Of course not. After Leandro sent me to Bahamas for your sake, how could I underestimate you?¡± Ferne retorted. ¡°Really?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Then why not call me sister-inw?¡± Ferne¡¯s face turned slightly pale and turned to leave the kitchen. Seeing this, Seraphina also sneered. Karan, who had been quietly working by the side, finally spoke up. ¡°Ferne is just spoiled. She¡¯s never faced any setbacks or hardships. Sera, don¡¯t let her get to you.¡± Seraphinaughed. ¡°If I were upset by her, I would¡¯ve died of anger when I was a teenager.¡± Hearing this, Karan couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°I know you¡¯re not that kind of person. Let¡¯s get ready for dinner!¡± As Seraphina was about to reply, she remembered something. Nodding, she turned and left the kitchen. Leandro was sitting on the couch in the living room with Valerio, both of them ying with the jack-o¡¯- lantern, amon sight between father and son recently When Seraphina first returned to Sunburst City, the rtionship between Leandro and Valerio was more of a strict father and naive son. But ever since learning that Valerio was her child, Leandro¡¯s attitude towards Valerio changed. Valerio, who used to be afraid of him, now wasn¡¯t afraid at all. Seraphina approached them, sitting next to Leandro, and watched thentern together. The jack-o¡¯ntern had six panels, each depicting a family of three holding hands. When it spun, it seemed like they were dancing. Valerio watched with delight, while Leandro¡¯s gaze remained on thentern, his hand reaching out to hold Seraphina¡¯s. Seraphina nced at their intertwined hands before looking up at him. ¡°Your mother hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡± Hearing this, Leandro looked at her and replied, ¡°She¡¯s not in the best mood. It¡¯s not suitable for her to attend today¡¯s gathering.¡± Seraphina agreed. After all, she might not want toe back to this ce. She looked around the room before speaking. ¡°Everybody is here. It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Leandro continued to look at her, not responding immediately. Seraphina met his gaze and tilted her head with a smile. ¡°Do you think anyone will toast me tonight?¡± In reality, not only did Leandro¡¯s cousins toast Seraphina that evening, but several uncles and aunts also invited her over for a drink. The Reynolds family was more harmonious and liberalpared to other powerful families. Although there were many power struggles, they were all harmless. Yet, even in such a family, everyone acted ording to the situation, which was a microcosm of society itself. Seraphina had always been sensible and was more than happy to do anything that would contribute to Valerio¡¯s future physical and mental well-being. So the family dinner that evening was especially cheerful. Having lived with the Reynolds family for nearly ten years, Seraphina felt a warmth and affection that was unprecedented. And of course, Valerio didn¡¯t need to say much about this. After all, as far as the Reynolds family was concerned, he was even closer to them than Seraphina. ¡°Son, this Christmas, you¡¯re definitely going to receive a lot of gifts.¡± Seraphina whispered to Valerio, ¡°Buy mommy a handbag as a gift okay?¡± Valerio nodded. ¡°Buying a regr bag seems a bit wasteful. Why not go for ¨¤ tinum one?¡± Valerio nodded again. ¡°On second thought, why buy a handbag when you can invest in real estate? Not only does it retain its value, it increases in value!¡± Valerio just kept nodding. Leandro lowered his eyes to look at the mother and son duo whispering to each other on either side of him. Out of the blue, he said, ¡°Why not buy an ind?¡± At this, Seraphina looked up at him, a vague memory shing through her mind. ¡°An ind? I think that¡¯s what you promised to buy for me!¡± She looked at him, his face still the same yful one she was used to seeing every day. But there was something warm in his eyes. Unable to help himself, Leandro reached out and gently smoothed her brow. Chapter 413 Chapter 413 With the warmth in her eyes, Leandro was frozen in ce, but couldn¡¯t help leaning in and kissing her. Seraphina had had more than a few drinks, but she was still sober. Seeing him lean in, she quickly turned her head and ducked behind him. Leandro, having missed his chance, showed no reaction on his face. Instead, he subtly reached out and tightly grasped her hand. This scene, witnessed by the crowd in the dining room, was yet another testament to their rtionship. For a moment, everyone seemed to have a clear understanding of Seraphina¡¯s ce in the family. No matter how much resentment or unwillingness they felt, the truth was right in front of them. The family feast ended around nine. The remaining activities like drinking or dancing, were left to individual interests. Leandro¡¯s cousins had no interest in such festivities. Led by Ferne, they left early, leaving only the older family members to sit in the garden, sipping wine and chatting. As a mother of a school-aged child, Seraphina naturally stayed with Valerio, telling him stories about the Thanksgiving tradition. Valerio, enthralled, begged her to tell him more and before they knew it, it waste into the night. It wasn¡¯t until Conway decided to go sleep that everyone started to leave. Everyone made a point to say their goodbyes to Leandro and Seraphina, their attitudes surprisingly mild. Bruce was thest to leave. Before he left, he said to Seraphina, ¡°Knowing that Valerio is your son makes me very happy.¡± 12 His cheeks were flushed with drink, his eyes bright as he looked at Seraphina. It was as though he could see through her, see another person entirely. Seraphina sighed softly, unsure of how to respond. ¡°Your mother¡­ she would¡¯ve been very happy too, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± Bruce added, a touch of sorrow in his voice. ¡°Mom is gone.¡± Seraphina finally spoke. ¡°She¡¯s with my dad now, probably very peaceful and happy. So, you don¡¯t need to worry, Bruce.¡± Bruce paused, seeming to take her words in. He sighed softly, not saying anything more before getting into his car with the help of his driver. Standing outside, Seraphina heard him instruct his driver to take him to his vi, not to the Reynolds Vista Retreat. His rtionship with Gloria, a marriage of many years, seemed to be nothing more than a tangled mess. It was a sad thought, how a marriage could end up causing such pain and anguish to both parties involved. How many couples in the world end up going down that same path? As Seraphina watched Bruce¡¯s car drive away, Leandro quietly approached her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning in to kiss her neck. ¨C Tonight, Leandro too had had his fair share of alcohol. Having held back all evening, and now with only the two of them left in the garden, he no longer had to restrain himself. His kiss was hot, a clear indication of his intentions. Yet, Seraphina suddenly turned to face him, asking softly, ¡°Did your mom and dad ever have a good time together?¡± Leandro did not expect this question. He frowned slightly, pausing before answering, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Never?¡± Seraphina questioned further. ¡°Never.¡± Leandro confirmed. There was a cool detachment in his gaze as he spoke of this, as though there were no excess emotions involved. Taken aback, Seraphina was silent for a moment before continuing, ¡°Not even when you were little?¡± ¡°No.¡± Leandro repeated. For a moment, Seraphina didn¡¯t know what to say. Being the heir of the Reynolds family, Leandro had been doted on by his grandfather, uncles, and aunts. But for a child, none of that could rece the love of parents. But if his parents were always at odds, always fighting, how could a child feel loved? So, Leandro had not been very happy when he was little, right? Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Perhaps because Valerio resembled him so much, whenever she thought of Leandro¡¯s childhood, she couldn¡¯t help but picture Valerio. And with that thought, a sharp pang of pain struck her heart. After a moment, she reached up to loop her arms around Leandro¡¯s neck, standing on her toes to kiss him. She had intended for it to be a quick peck, but as soon as their lips met, he pulled her closer and she found herself unable to pull away. On this night, a sleeping Valerio was once again temporarily forgotten. ¡°Is it safe today?¡± Inside Seraphina¡¯s bedroom, Leandro asked the question again. Breathing heavily, Seraphina red at him, ¡°Why is that all you think about? Is it that much better without protection?¡± Leandro ran his hand gently over her lips, replying softly, ¡°You¡¯ll see how much better it is.¡± With those words, he once again imed her lips, taking this as her agreement. Chapter 414 Chapter 414 When Seraphina woke the next morning, at her usual time, Leandro had already showered and was drying his hair as he emerged from the bathroom. Seeing Seraphina halfway between sleep and wakefulness, Leandro approached the bed, sat down next to her and pressed a kiss on her forehead. ¡°You can sleep in a bit longer, I¡¯ll take Valerio to school.¡± At this moment, Seraphina could feel every ache in her body, and hearing his voice only irritated her more. She opened her eyes to re at him, ¡°He only likes it when I take him to school, understand?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Leandro simply smiled at her response. ¡°Are you sure you want to get up?¡± After a moment of struggle, Seraphina finally sat up, the pain in her back ring even more. She leaned onto Leandro, biting him hard on the shoulder. ¡°Jerk! You¡¯re shameless!¡± The pleasure fromst night¡¯s escapades had left her feeling the consequences in the morning. Add to that her grogginess, and she found herself directing all her irritation towards Leandro, who merely let her bite him, then responded, ¡°I told you I¡¯d handle taking Valerio to school, but you insisted.¡± Seraphina released her hold on him, looking up at him with a re. ¡°Valerio has suffered enough in the past few years. From now on, whatever he wants, I¡¯ll give him. I won¡¯t let him be disappointed, not even a tiny bit.¡± Both she and Leandro had had less perfect childhoods. She was determined not to let this repeat with Valerio. By the time Seraphina had freshened up and descended the stairs, Leandro, Valerio, and Conway were already seated at the dining table, having breakfast. Valerio seemed to have no issues with his solo sleeping arrangement from the night before. When he saw Seraphina, he gave her a cheerful grin. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Seraphina asked, sensing something amiss. She ruffled his hair, ¡°Did you do something naughty?¡± Valerio shook his head in response, showing his innocence. ¡°Grandpa asked him if he wanted a little brother or sister.¡± Leandro exined on behalf of Valerio, ¡°He said he wants a sister.¡± So that was what they were discussing while she was away. Seraphina looked at Valerio, ¡°Dummy! Why do you need a sister? Isn¡¯t it good that your mom and dad only love you?¡± Valerio shook his head, making a mouth shape, ¡°Want-sis-ter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Valerio¡¯s wish, Sera. You should grant it.¡± Conway chimed in. Valerio¡¯s wish? Seraphina immediately turned to Leandro, pointing a fork at him, ¡°Did you put up him to this?¡± She¡¯d just promised to fulfill all of Valerio¡¯s wishes, and now he was asking for a younger sister. She couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious. Leandro set down his coffee mug and answered her, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Seraphina met his gaze for a moment, then put down her fork and looked back at Valerio, ¡°There won¡¯t be a younger sister for now. You have all those girls at school who are always fawning over you, aren¡¯t you tired of them? And now you want a younger sister?¡± ¡°What about a younger brother, Valerio?¡± Conway suggested. Valerio immediately nodded in agreement. Seraphina reached out to still Valerio¡¯s bobbing head, shooting Conway a re, ¡°No talking during meals. Everyone, shut up!¡± Valerio was taken aback at first, but then demonstrated to Seraphina that keeping his mouth shut meant he couldn¡¯t eat. Seraphina almostughed at the absurdity of it all. She stopped talking and focused on eating her meal. After breakfast, Seraphina took Valerio to school on time. Just as she was about to head home for a nap, she received a message from Andrea. It was a screenshot from a social media post. Below a string of flowery and fanciful names, there was a picture of two intertwined hands, one with a large diamond ring. The dim background showed a room filled with flowers and candles, and the word ¡°marryme¡± spelled out in rose petals. Seraphina immediately had an idea of what this could mean and called Andrea, ¡°Is Tania getting married to Bowen?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Andrea confirmed, ¡°He proposedst night. I only found out this morning.¡± Seraphina felt a stab of pain in her chest. Sandra had left, disappearing from his world, and his next move was to propose to Tania? After a while, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh bitterly, ¡°Well, I guess I should congratte them.¡± ¡°Is there anything you want me to find out for you?¡± Andrea asked. ¡°Check if your cousin has mental problem,¡± Seraphina replied, her thoughts still a bit in disarray. ¡°Or if anyone in the Martin family who agreed to this marriage has a problem¡± Andrea understood what she meant, After a pause, she said, ¡°Well, Bowen has Tania wrapped around his finger, and she¡¯s always been spoiled. Given her father Teague Martin¡¯s personality, he¡¯ll never go against her.¡± Seraphina massaged her forehead, exhaling slowly. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no reason for me to be upset. This man is capable of anything. I¡¯ve experienced that firsthand, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re upset on Sandra¡¯s behalf,¡± Andrea pointed out. ¡°Maybe a little,¡± Seraphina admitted, ¡°But they won¡¯t have anything to do with each other from now on, so I don¡¯t really have a right to be upset for her.¡± After a moment of silence, Seraphina asked, ¡°Have they set a date?¡± Confirmed, Andrea replied, ¡°Christmas.¡± ¡°What a romantic holiday,¡± Seraphina chuckled softly, then asked, ¡°Wonder if I¡¯ll get an invitation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about Bowen. But I suppose Tania would send you one,¡± Andrea said. Upon hearing this, Seraphina slowly said, ¡°Invited or not, I¡¯ll definitely go to congratte them. By then, I¡¯ll be sure to give Bowen a big gift, to celebrate his newly-wedded bliss!¡± Chapter 415 Chapter 415 As expected, Leandro and Seraphina received the wedding invitation from Bowen and Tania not long after. Tania delivered the invitation personally to Seraphina when she was hanging out with Andrea. In just a few days, Tania looked radiant and healthy, clearly happy from the inside out. ¡°Congrats,¡± Seraphina said, epting the invitation with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be there to celebrate your big day.¡± Tania¡¯s eyes sparkled with triumph. ¡°I knew you¡¯de. After all, you want to see who he ends up with, right?¡± Andrea, who was standing next to them, turned to Seraphina upon hearing this. Seraphinaughed lightly, then looked up. She used to pity Tania, thinking she was a naive girl fooled by Bowen. But now that Tania was provoking her, she didn¡¯t feel the need to hold back. 23 2 3 2 2 3 2 5 2 2 2 8 5 ¡°True,¡± Seraphina slowly nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be you.¡± Tania¡¯s face slightly changed, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it be me?¡± ¡°No, no, you misunderstood.¡± Seraphina rified, ¡°I just thought, given the misunderstandings between you two in the past, you wouldn¡¯t give him another chance.¡± Tania¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Well, those were just misunderstandings¡­ And the past is past. His heart is with me now, that¡¯s enough.¡± Seraphina gave a small smile at Tania¡¯s confident words, ¡°As long as you¡¯re sure of that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain,¡± Tania said, ¡°A dead person can¡¯tpete with me.¡± Seraphina burst intoughter, sharing a nce with Andrea, and decided not to say anything further. Sometimes, being blissfully unaware and blindly confident might just lead to happiness. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I wish you a happy marriage in advance.¡± Tania seemed satisfied with her words. After a brief smile, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s order something to eat. Lunch is on me today.¡±.. Due to her grudge with Sandra, Tania remained a bit hostile towards Seraphina. After lunch, she left in a hurry, leaving Seraphina and Andrea to continue their leisurely meal. ¡°Did I you see that?¡± Andrea said, ¡°She¡¯s head over heels and there¡¯s no going back.¡± Seraphina nodded, then shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s up to her. It¡¯s not our ce to interfere, especially when her own parents couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Who knows if the Martin Group will ept Bowen again,¡± Seraphina added. ¡°Dad might not,¡± Andrea said, ¡°But Teague will definitely give his son-inw another chance. Although Dad holds the majority of the shares, Teague has considerable power too. Bowen will get his hands on some.¡± Seraphina listened quietly, then said, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± A few weekster, Seraphina heard from Keen that Bowen, representing the Martin Group, had crossed paths with the Reynolds Group at a bidding conference:Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Although the Reynolds Group didn¡¯t take the conference seriously and just made a show of it, the Martin Group won a medium-sized project with ease. Although it was not a big deal, it marked Bowen¡¯s return to the core of the Martin Group. Even not that important now, he was bound to rise. One night, Leandro didn¡¯t return home until almost midnight. Valerio was already asleep. Hearing the noise, Seraphina got up to check. She opened the door to see Leandroing up the stairs. He pulled her out of Valerio¡¯s room and into his own. Seraphina was about to ask him about the Martin Group and Bowen, but before she could, Leandro said, ¡°I have a gift for you.¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, ¡°What is it?¡± Leandro fiddled with his phone for a moment, and the next second, Seraphina¡¯s phone buzzed. It was a picture sent by Leandro. She was shocked to see it was a photo of Sandra. Sandra was in a supermarket, reading thebel of a health supplement carefully. In the middle of the shelf, her slightly protruding belly was visible. Seraphina stared at the photo for a while, then said, ¡°She must cry every night.¡± Leandro paused, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Seraphina zoomed in on the photo and examined Sandra¡¯s face closely. ¡°Even though her belly has grown, her face has thinned, her eyes are red and slightly swollen¡­ Pregnant women are emotionally unstable. Considering what she¡¯s been through, it¡¯s no surprise that she cries.¡± As she spoke, she seemed to think of something and looked up at Leandro. Sure enough, Leandro was looking at her too. Momentster, he slid off his jacket and paced slowly to the bedside, casting his gaze upon her. In a deep voice, he asked, ¡°Did you cry when you were carrying Valerio?¡± Seraphina abruptly turned her face away, ¡°How could I possibly cry? I am so rational, so clear-headed, I wouldn¡¯t shed tears over a bad man.¡± 8 9 2 8 8 9 8 5 2 2 8 2 2 2 8 2 5 2 3 2 5 Leandro, hearing this, didn¡¯t utter a word, just leaned over and nted a gentle kiss at the corner of her lips. How could he not understand? Nowadays, she was indeed rational and clear-headed. But he was all too aware of what she was like at eighteen. It was because she had been through it herself, so when she mentioned Sandra just now, she felt particrly empathetic. Noticing Leandro¡¯s tender and persistent kiss, Seraphina slowly closed her eyes. Only when her emotions had calmed did she reopen her eyes, revealing a pair of bright, clear eyes. Leandro nced at her, then leaned down to kiss her eyes again, whispering, ¡°If you get pregnant again, both Valerio and I will be there for you.¡± Something dawned on Seraphina, she pointed a finger at Leandro¡¯s heart, slowly creating a distance between them, ¡°Hold on there! I never agreed to have another child for you!* Leandro reached out to hold her hand, but Seraphina deftly rolled over and pulled away. Then she showed him a picture on her phone, saying, ¡°Gifts like this, they cane more often. Preferably every two weeks, I¡¯ll keep them well.¡± Seeing this, Lean Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Seraphina looked incredulously at him, asking, ¡°Are you seriously trying to negotiate terms with me?¡± Leandro, with unapologetic audacity, nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± Seraphina gritted her teeth, saying, ¡°What do you want to negotiate?¡± Leandro bent down slightly, ensnaring her within his arms, ¡°What do you think?¡± Seraphina locked eyes with him for a moment, then resignedlyy back on the bed, ¡°Fine, go ahead.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Leandro frowned slightly at her defiant posture. Seraphina knew he was ying dumb. She immediately hopped off the bed, ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t care that much about those pictures anyway.¡± She was about to leave when Leandro pulled her back into his arms, pinning her back on the bed. Leandro gently lifted her chin, whispering, ¡°How could I resist when you¡¯re in the mood?¡± ¡°You pervert!¡± Seraphina used without hesitation, ¡°Shameless!¡± Leandro let her rant until she was done, then finally leaned down to silence her with a kiss. After a few rounds of intimacy moments, Seraphinay exhausted in his arms, not moving a muscle. Because of the presence of Valerio, their intimacy felt stolen and therefore all the more precious. Leandro cradled her in his arms, kissing her forehead before murmuring, ¡°On theing holiday, let¡¯s take Valerio somewhere.¡± Seraphina, who was drifting off to sleep, bolted awake at his words, ¡°Valerio has a break, but do you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make time.¡± Leandro replied. Seraphina huffed, ¡°Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep. You¡¯ll only disappoint Valerio.¡± Leandro gently stroked her back, simply saying, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Seraphina gave a small nod of agreement, not saying anything more. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep in his arms. Upon learning of the uing vacation and the nned trip, Valerio was ecstatic. His eyes were bright with anticipation for several days. Since they decided to visit Scandinavia, Seraphina worried about Valerio handling the cold. Therefore, she started shopping for winter clothes in advance. They initially only intended to buy a few outfits for Valerio, but they got carried away while shopping. They ended up with a heap of new clothes. Seraphina was pleased and Valerio was happy to go along with it. They spent an entire evening trying on outfits, each one earning Seraphina¡¯s approval. While Valerio was thrilled with his new clothes, he didn¡¯t forget his parents. He picked out a few items for both Seraphina and Leandro.) Seraphina trusted her son¡¯s taste and bought a few outfits in the style that Valerio liked. As for the coats that Valerio picked out for Leandro, they had to be brought in from another city, so Leandro couldn¡¯t see them yet. Returning home loaded with shopping bags, they were both famished. Valerio had a craving for burgers and fries, so Seraphina took him to a popr diner. The restaurant was packed, but the manager enthusiastically managed to squeeze them in at a table in the main hall, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, is this okay? If not, we can find you a different table.¡± Seraphina was easygoing and epted the table as it was. It was a bit busy, but she and Valerio weren¡¯t bothered by the attention. Valerio, truly hungry, dug into his food as soon as it arrived. Seraphina was content to watch Valerio enjoy his meal, helping him wipe his mouth and reminding him to drink some juice, ¡°Eat slowly and drink your juice. Don¡¯t choke.¡± Valerio nodded obediently, allowing Seraphina to clean him up and feed him juice. Seeing that Seraphina hadn¡¯t eaten much, he held out his burger for her to take a bite. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Seraphina took a bite from his hand and couldn¡¯t resist giving him a kiss on the cheek. While they were enjoying their meal, someone suddenly stopped by their table. Seraphina didn¡¯t notice until Valerio looked up and his face changed drastically. The food he was swallowing got stuck in his throat and he quickly turned and buried his face in Seraphina¡¯s chest. Seraphina quickly wrapped her arms around him and turned to see Gloria and her friends standing by their table. It had been a long time since Seraphina had seen Gloria. She had intentionally avoided her, and Leandro had also kept them apart. Gloria, who she had purposely avoided even during the holidays, was now standing there, creating an ufortable rendezvous. Seraphina noticed that Gloria still looked pale. Despite the borate makeup, she looked visibly worn out. Her eyes were vacant, and when she saw Seraphina and Valerio, her confusion was apparent. It quickly turned into a familiar loathing. Gloria despised Seraphina, as always. And she despised Valerio as well. At that moment, in Gloria¡¯s eyes, her hatred was doubled. But Valerio was still nestled in Seraphina¡¯s arms, his tiny delicate hands gripping her tightly. Seraphina didn¡¯t give Gloria any attention, her mind was fully upied with Valerio who had choked a moment ago. She lifted Valerio¡¯s head, observing hisplexion while anxiously asking, ¡°Did you choke? Did you manage to swallow it?¡± Valerio didn¡¯t answer, but his flushed face had already answered Seraphina¡¯s question. Seeing this, Seraphina quickly cradled Valerio in her arms, standing up and hastily heading towards the bathroom. Valerio remained silent throughout, clutching onto Seraphina¡¯s shirt, unwilling to let go. Gloria stood where she was, watching Seraphina as she hastily left. Her gaze remained gloomy, dark and unexpressive. In the bathroom, Valerio exerted arge amount of effort to cough up the food lodged in his throat. His little face was already flushed and purple. The moment he managed to cough it up, tears began to fall. Seraphina¡¯s heart felt as if it was being crushed. She quickly held him close to her, kissing his forehead whileforting him, ¡°It¡¯s alright now, mommy¡¯s here. Don¡¯t be scared. With mommy here, no one can bully you.¡± Valerio clung onto her, resting his head on Seraphina¡¯s shoulder as he sobbed softly. Seraphina felt a heartache so intense that she almost shed tears herself, but she managed to hold it in. ¡°Mommy¡¯s here,¡± she simply repeated tofort Valerio, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, mommy will protect you¡­¡± Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Prior to this, Seraphina had believed that Valerio¡¯s emotional state had stabilized when it came to dealing with Gloria. Even if his silence was due to Gloria, he had, after all, been able to face her afterwards. Even when Leandro took him back to Reynolds Vista Retreat, he didn¡¯t show excessive restlessness. But what Seraphina didn¡¯t expect was that an unexpected encounter with Gloria today would cause such him almost a panic attack. Seraphina thought that probably Valerio had developed an excessive dependence on her after her constant presence. Because before he turned six, Valerio had never enjoyed the feeling of relying on someone so much. After Seraphina appeared, especially after knowing that she was his biological mother, he unhesitatingly ced all his trust in her, probably to make up for theck of security he had felt before he was six. This dependence allowed him topletely rx himself, forget his previous defensiveness and fear, and fully revert to the mindset of a child. Because of this, the sudden encounter with Gloria would bring up his past fears again, causing such a big impact. He had be ustomed to a safe andfortable environment. Suddenly returning to his former state of mind, it was inevitably a bit overwhelming. But the more it was like this, the more Seraphina felt heartache. In the past, it was her who owed this child too much, leading to his current condition and mindset. From now on, she would never allow anyone to hurt him even a little bit. Although Valerio was scared, the presence of Seraphina still sessfullyforted him, Herested his head on Seraphina¡¯s shoulder, and after a bout of sobbing, gradually calmed down. He slowly raised his head, looking at Seraphina with teary eyes, and reached out to wipe her tears away. Seraphina was on the verge of tears, but eventually just smiled lightly, saying, ¡°Mommy¡¯s fine. Are you still scared?¡± Valerio gently shook his head. Seraphina said gently, ¡°With Mommy here, Grandma won¡¯t dare to scold you. Mommy won¡¯t let Grandma scold you, okay?¡± Valerio nodded and rested his head on Seraphina¡¯s shoulder again. After a while, Seraphina carried Valerio out of the bathroom. When they returned to the previous dining table, Gloria and her friend were nowhere to be seen. Valerio was motionless on her shoulder. Seraphina knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to eat anything if he stayed here, so she quickly paid the bill and took Valerio back to Reynolds Manor. Back home, looking at the piles of shopping bags being unloaded from the car by the driver, the nanny couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°The mother and son must have had a great time shopping, they bought so many things¡­¡± Raising her head, the nanny noticed that Seraphina seemed a bit off, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina, carrying Valerio, walked in without answering the question, but instead said, ¡°Could you make Valerio some food? He didn¡¯t eat well tonight, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll be hungryter.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. The nanny nodded immediately, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get right on it.¡± Seraphina then put Valerio down, looking at him sitting quietly on the couch, she reached out and stroked his head, ¡°Is there anything else you want to eat?¡± Valerio obediently shook his head. Seraphina smiled, ¡°Okay, then Mommy will eat some snack with youter.¡± After saying this, Seraphina stood up, ready to go to the bathroom to get a hot towel for Valerio. But as soon as she stood up, Valerio immediately grabbed her sleeve, looking fearful that she would leave. Seraphina paused, and the next moment, picked up Valerio and headed to the bathroom together. That night, Valerio clung tightly to Seraphina, unwilling to leave her for even a moment. Seraphina watched him finishing his food, then quickly took him upstairs to bathe and sleep. Normally, Valerio had a fixed sleep time and would fall asleep quickly once he was in bed. But that night, he kept tossing and turning in Seraphina¡¯s arms, showing no signs of sleepiness. Seraphina patted his back, gently humming a song. After a while, Valerio finally fell asleep, but his little hand still clung to Seraphina¡¯s nightgown. Compared to Valerio, Seraphina found it even harder to fall asleep. Shey quietly, watching Valerio¡¯s restless sleeping face, until she heard the faint sound of a car outside Seraphina picked up her phone to check the time. It was already half past one in the morning, and Leandro had just returned. Seraphina didn¡¯t move, just lying in bed listening. Soon, Leandro came upstairs, his footsteps stopping outside the door of their room. Then, the door was pushed open. With the light from the hallway pouring in, Leandro slowly walked into the room and sat down by the bed. Seraphina abruptly turned her head to look at him. Leandro nced at her, his gaze quickly falling on Valerio. He reached out to touch Valerio¡¯s forehead, finding the temperature normal before gently stroking Valerio¡¯s face, whispering, ¡°Did he get scared today?¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina knew why he hade home sote. It was probably not just Valerio who was frightened today, but also Gloria, so he had gone to Reynolds Vista Retreat. Seraphina responded with a low ¡°Hmm¡± without saying anything else. Leandro was silent for a moment, then reached out to cover the hand that Seraphina had ced on Valerio. But Seraphina immediately pulled her hand back. Leandro paused, then asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you ming me?¡± It took a moment before Seraphina replied, ¡°I know I can¡¯t me you. You¡¯ve been good to Valerio, you¡¯ve done all that you could-that¡¯s what my rational side tells me. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Leandro listened, quiet for a while before he asked again, ¡°And what about emotionally?¡± Seraphina clenched her teeth, slowly saying, ¡°Valerio was traumatized, and he had turned into today¡¯s state because you didn¡¯t protect him well enough.¡± So, she did me him after all. That¡¯s probably the raw and selfish side of human nature- When Valerio was only his, Leandro¡¯s, son, Seraphina thought he was a pretty good father. At least from his perspective, he had done his best. But when Valerio became their son, Seraphina felt like he hadn¡¯t done enough. Even if he could have done just a little bit more, perhaps Valerio could have avoided his current mute state. Muchter, Leandro once again gently took Seraphina¡¯s hand and brought it to his lips, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. Chapter 418 Chapter 418 After a pause, Seraphina finally withdrew her hand gently. She said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, you should sleep too. It took a while for Valerio to doze off, let¡¯s not wake him.¡± Having said that, she slowly closed her eyes. Leandro still sat by the bed, quietly watching Seraphina and Valerio for a long time before finally leaving their room. Back in his own room, Leandro didn¡¯t prepare for bed. Instead, he loosened his shirt cor, sat down by the window, and lit himself a cigar. Today was not only a day when Valerio got frightened by Gloria but also a day when Glo¡¯s emotions were greatly affected by seeing Seraphina and Valerio. Gloria had been emotionally unstable for a long time, especially after two attempted overdoses and self-harm incidents. Her emotional state was extremely fragile, Her friends naturally knew about Gloria¡¯s situation. They often apanied her to distract her from her thoughts, especially after Leandro had asked them to. Gloria had been depressed in her marriage to Bruce Reynolds. Apart from Leandro¡¯spany, her friends¡¯panionship did help lift her spirits. But no one expected that she would run into Seraphina and Valerio today. For Gloria, the existence of Seraphina reminded her of Magdalen, the woman she¡¯d despised half her life. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Bruce had many women, but none of them held a ce in his heart like Magdalen. He had loved Magdalen all his life, but he never had her, even when she died for Carney. Because of this, Magdalen held an eternal ce in Bruce¡¯s heart. Even though Seraphina was not Magdalen¡¯s biological daughter, her existence reminded Gloria time and time again about the kind of woman Magdalen was. Such a reminder was enough to disturb Gloria¡¯s emotions, let alone the addition of Valerio. Gloria didn¡¯t like Valerio, despite him being Leandro¡¯s biological son and her own grandson. The reason was simple. Valerio, of unknown origin, only reminded her of Bruce¡¯s illegitimate sons. Each of them of unknown origin, yet each carrying the Reynolds family name, living freely. Even though Leandro was the rightful heir to the Reynolds family, the existence of Lemuel Reynolds and Lorenzo Reynolds was like two thorns in her heart. These two thorns, deeply embedded in her flesh, caused her as much pain as Magdalen did. Most of the time, she tried to convince herself to forget, but seeing Seraphina and Valerio brought everything back, like a thousand arrows piercing her heart, and she couldn¡¯t calm down. When Seraphina took Valerio to the restroom, Gloria¡¯s friend sensed the situation was intense and took her away. Otherwise, who knows whatmotion would have urred. Even so, Gloria lost control after leaving. When Leandro returned to Reynolds Vista Retreat after receiving the news, Gloria¡¯s room was already a mess again. If there hadn¡¯t been someone watching, the situation would have been even worse. That was why Leandro stayed at Reynolds Vista Retreat until thiste hour before finally returning home. Valerio had Seraphina forpany, but Gloria only had him. For Leandro, this was a helpless situation. But he also knew clearly that things couldn¡¯t continue this way. As the cigar in his hand slowly burned out, Leandro extinguished the cigar butt and dialed Lorenzo¡¯s number. At the crack of dawn, Lorenzo¡¯s voice was exceptionally clear when he answered, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a psychologist named York, your school senior, right?¡± Leandro said, ¡°I hope you can help me get in touch with him.¡± York, a renowned psychologist, had been working for the government in recent years and almost no longer treated private patients. Despite this, Lorenzo didn¡¯t say much, only responding with a single word, ¡°Okay.¡± Leandro hung up the phone and lit another cigar. Over the years, Gloria had met with quite a few psychologists, but due to her resistance, there had been no progress. Leandro had aplete list of authoritative psychologists in his hand and hoped that York would be the last one. The next morning, Valerio woke up at his usual time. He opened his eyes sleepily and met Seraphina¡¯s concerned gaze. Seraphina touched his little face and whispered, ¡°Are you tired? Any difort? Want to sleep some more?¡± Valerio was just waking up and seemed confused for a moment. After shaking his head, he leaned into Seraphina¡¯s arms. Just as Seraphina was about to hug him, the door opened, and Leandro walked in. Seraphina didn¡¯t turn around, but Valerio looked up and saw Leandro. Leandro walked over and lifted him from the bed, ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± Valerio immediately rubbed his face, appearing energetic. Leandro smiled faintly before asking softly, ¡°Did you see grandma yesterday?¡± Valerio paused for a moment before carefully nodding his head. ¡°Grandma didn¡¯t say anything to you, right?¡± Leandro said, ¡°She didn¡¯t intentionally scare you, did she?¡± Valerio thought for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°So, she was just surprised because she hasn¡¯t seen you for a long time,¡± Leandro exined, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be scared, okay?¡± Valerio puffed out his cheeks, seemingly agreeing with Leandro¡¯s reasoning, and nodded his head before regaining his usual energetic demeanor. Only then did Leandro set him down, ¡°Go wash up.¡± Valerio obediently went into the bathroom. As Seraphina watched Valerio seemingly forget the incident from the day before, she finally felt some relief and climbed out of bed. Leandro turned his gaze towards her, pausing for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll handle things with my mom, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Seraphina quietly put on her shoes, not responding. ¡°Keen is arranging our trip to Scandinavia, if you have any requests, you can tell him directly,¡± Leandro added. Upon hearing this, Seraphina slowly lifted her gaze towards him, ¡°Isn¡¯t your mom not feeling well? Don¡¯t you need to stay with her?¡± ¡°I promised Valerio first,¡± Leandro replied, ¡°I won¡¯t let him down.¡± Valerio is a very understanding child,¡± Seraphina remarked, ¡°He won¡¯t throw a tantrum over a broken promise. If we can¡¯t go, he might be a little disappointed, but he¡¯ll get over it quickly.¡± ¡°I said ¡°Leandro repeated, emphasizing each word, ¡°I won¡¯t let Valerio down.¡± Seraphina met his deep gaze, and after a long while, she finally smirked and said, ¡°This is your decision. Don¡¯t me meter. I¡¯m not some wicked wife who forces her husband to abandon his mother.¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro bent down, giving her a soft kiss on the corner of her lips Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Even though Valerio¡¯s mood was back to its usual cheerful self, allowing their vacation to proceed as nned, there was an undeniable tension between Seraphina and Leandro in the next few days. While Valerio was too young to understand, Seraphina and Leandro were well aware that some things weren¡¯t so easily brushed aside. During these days, Leandro was out early and backte, and the housekeeper finally sensed the discord between the two adults. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you and Mr. Leandro, mydy?¡± the housekeeper asked Seraphina the night before their departure. ¡°You¡¯re leaving for your vacation tomorrow, right? Have you two had a fight?¡± Valerio, who had been sitting next to Seraphina, immediately looked at her upon hearing the question. Seraphina met his gaze and smiled gently, ¡°Of course not.¡± Valerio visibly rxed. ¡°So, the trip is still on for tomorrow?¡± the housekeeper ventured. ¡°Of course it is,¡± Seraphina replied, pulling Valerio into her arms. ¡°Our little Valerio has been looking forward to it for days. We can¡¯t possibly cancel now.¡± That night, Leandro returned homete as usual. Knowing they had a long flight the next day, Seraphina and Valerio had gone to bed early. Leandro stood outside Valerio¡¯s room for a moment, listening to the silence, before retreating to his own room. The next morning, Valerio woke up earlier than usual, instantly rousing Seraphina. His excitement soon spread throughout the house, and everyone was up and about earlier than usual. Seraphina, who hadn¡¯t slept well, was lethargic and not in the mood for conversation. The housekeeper, noticing the tension between her and Leandro, exchanged a worried look with Conway Reynolds. Conway, however, seemed indifferent. The family was about to be on a trip, and there would be plenty of time for them to sort out their issues. He was confident there would be no longsting disputes between them. After breakfast, before the trio left for their flight, Conway left with his personal assistant, and the housekeeper went out to do some grocery shopping. While Leandro worked in his study, Seraphina sat with Valerio, watching a science program on TV. Valerio, although excited about the trip, was.engrossed in the show. During this time, a delivery arrived at the house. It was the two coats Seraphina had ordered from a boutique during their shopping trip. She had forgotten about them until they arrived, just in time for their trip. Seraphina gave the coats to Valerio, told him to deliver them to Leandro as a surprise. Valerio, engrossed in the TV program, simply handed them back to her, asking her to do it. As Seraphina held the cashmere coats, she remembered the day they had picked them out. She thought Leandro would look good in them, and after receiving so many gifts from him, she wanted to return the favor. But then they ran into Gloria, and everything had changed. She sighed at the memory. If they hadn¡¯t run into Gloria that day, everything might have been different. But Gloria was a part of their lives, and they couldn¡¯t just ignore her. Leandro was innocent in all of this. His predicament was understandable, and he hadn¡¯t crossed any of Seraphina¡¯s boundaries. Although she had been upset with him, holding the coats brought a sharp pang of empathy for him. After a long silence, Seraphina finally stood up and took the coats upstairs to Leandro. Leandro was just finishing a phone call when Seraphina entered his study. He asked her if Valerio was getting impatient, and she replied that a couple of minutes wouldn¡¯t make a difference. She handed him the bag with the coats, telling him his son picked them out. Leandro chuckled at the expensive brand, ¡°My son is rich¡± Seraphina gave him a nce, ¡°Do you want it or not?¡± Leandro, sensing an opportunity to bridge the gap between them, agreed. He extended his arm, and Seraphina helped him into the coat, the tension between them momentarily forgotten. The shirt was a perfect fit. When Leandro slipped it on, it looked just as Seraphina had imagined it would. Seraphina moved to stand in front of Leandro, adjusting thepels and pockets of his shirt. Suddenly, Leandro reached out and took her hand, slowly guiding it down to his waist. The two hadn¡¯t shared such an intimate moment in days. Even though no words were exchanged, when Leandro made his move, Seraphina didn¡¯t pull away. Coming back to her senses, Seraphina gave his waist a yful squeeze. Leandro¡¯s waist was firm, and her squeeze barely made a dent. Nevertheless, he took the opportunity to draw her into his embrace. Seraphina¡¯s hands danced around his body, poking and prodding, but ultimately, they came to rest around his waist. ¡°There¡¯s another shirt to try on,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Do you want to change?¡± Before Leandro could answer, a strange and piercing shriek echoed up from the downstairs- Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. The sound was like the ripping of fabric, alien yet horrifying. The expressions on Leandro and Seraphina¡¯s faces changed instantly, and they rushed down the stairs. Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Descending halfway down the staircase, Seraphina had already caught sight of the situation in the living room. But just one nce was enough to nearly break her. In the center of the living room, Valerio, who was usually quietly sitting on the couch watching television, was now curled up in the corner of the couch, his small figure barely visible. Next to the couch stood Gloria. Her face was dark and her eyes were menacing. In her hand, she held a bloody kitchen knife! Leandro quickly stepped forward, snatching the knife from Gloria¡¯s grasp and throwing it aside. He then pulled Gloria away to the side before turning his attention to Valerio, who was curled up in the corner between the couch and the floor, his small body trembling. At the same time, the jagged sound of screaming continued- Seraphina quickly knelt down on the floor in front of Valerio, pulling him into her arms, panic-stricken, ¡°Valerio! What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t be scared, mommy¡¯s here-¡± Her words were cut short as the moment she pulled Valerio into her arms, her white blouse stained red. Valerio¡¯s face was pale, streaked with tear tracks. He let out a bizarre and frightening scream. Unable to control it, he was waving his right hand, on his small arm, a trail of blood seeping through his torn sleeve, clearly visible to Seraphina. Seraphina quickly reached out, pressing hard on his wounded hand, while her other arm cradled Valerio and headed towards the door. ¡°What the hell have you done?¡± Leandro¡¯s face was cold and stern as he sharply questioned Gloria. Without waiting for an answer, he released her, turning to meet Seraphina. Seraphina stumbled into Leandro¡¯s arms, holding Valerio, Leandro took Valerio from her, carrying him out the door. A minuteter, a ck Bentley sped out of the driveway, heading straight for the hospital. In the living room, Gloria stood alone, in a daze as if she were in a dream. It was only when she heard the roar of the car engine that she snapped back to reality. It seemed only then did she notice the stters of blood on the floor and the small coffee table in front of her, chilling her to the bone. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. She looked down at her hands, then at the kitchen knife Leandro had thrown aside. ¡°Ah-¡± Gloria let out a sharp scream, turning to run out of the living room. Inside the car heading to the hospital, Valerio was held in Leandro¡¯s arms, screaming incessantly. Seraphina cradled his head, bending over to kiss him over and over again. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Valerio, don¡¯t be scared¡­ mommy¡¯s here, don¡¯t be scared, mommy¡¯s here-¡± Seraphina continued to whisper soothing words, but she was choking up. Thest time Valerio was scared, she had told him the same thing. She had told him that mommy would protect him, that no one would dare to bully him. But the fact was Valerio was hurt again right under her watch! No one would understand her guilt and regret, her shock and fear right now. Listening to Valerio¡¯s cries and Seraphina¡¯s increasingly choked voice, Leandro¡¯s eyes were dark and silent. In the end, he couldn¡¯t utter a single word. Upon arriving at the nearby hospital, Valerio was quickly rushed into the emergency room. The injury turned out to be not severe, the main artery was not damaged. However, the wound on his hand was nearly 7 centimeters long and needed stitches. Valerio was extremely unsettled due to the scare. Seraphina, holding back her own anxiety, held Valerio tightly in her arms while Leandro stayed by their side without taking a step away. Even after his wound was stitched up, Valerio was still not calm. As he fell into a fearful sleep on the hospital bed, his small brows were still furrowed. Seraphina, with her eyes red and swollen, was lying by the side of the bed, staring intently at Valerio as if afraid to miss any sign of his difort and pain. Even though the painkiller should keep him from feeling any pain at this moment, what could sooth the fear in his heart? Seraphina, secretly and gently, held Valerio¡¯s small hand, feelingpletely drained. The aftermath of the ordeal was even more terrifying. Seraphina dared not imagine ¨C if Valerio hadn¡¯t cried out when he did, or if she and Leandro hadn¡¯t heard him ¨C the extent of the potential damage. How much more could Gloria have hurt him? Would her son still be alive? He was so young, he was so well-behaved, he was innocent and kind, he did nothing wrong, why did he have to suffer like this time and time again? The anger and fear in Seraphina¡¯s heart were too overwhelming to subside. Soon after, Leandro walked into the room after discussing with the doctors. Hearing the sound of him entering, Seraphina remained motionless. Leandro slowly walked up to the bed, tidying up Valerio¡¯s nkets, and putting his slightly cold hands under the covers. ¡°I¡¯m going to call the police.¡± Seraphina suddenly said. On hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, Leandro¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, but he didn¡¯t raise his head. ¡°No matter what your attitude is¡­¡± Seraphina said, ¡°I¡¯m calling the police.¡± After Seraphina called the police, the cops quickly took action. While gathering evidence at Reynolds Manor, they also sent officers to Reynolds Vista Retreat based on Seraphina¡¯s statement, ready to take Gloria back to the police station for questioning. The police arrived at Reynolds Vista Retreat just two minutes before Leandro¡¯s car returned to the retreat. Due to the arrival of the police, the atmosphere at Reynolds Vista Retreat was slightly tense, but not overly so. The status of the Reynolds family was undisputed in themunity, and everyone present was used to dealing with high-stakes situations. They were not easily rattled. Upon entering through the grand oak doors and ascending to the second floor, Leandro found Karan standing at the entrance to Gloria¡¯s room, locked in a stand-off with two police officers. Thedy is resting now-how can you just say you¡¯re taking her away like this? Don¡¯t you know who we are ¡± Karan was in mid-sentence when he spotted Leandro, a sight for sore eyes, and quickly moved to his side. ¡°Leandro, thank God you¡¯re here, they ¨C ¡°I know,¡± Leandro replied in a deep voice, then turned to the officers, ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys go downstairs, take a breather. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± ¡± As the head of the Reynolds family and a well-known businessman in Sunburst City, Leandro¡¯s words carried weight. Both parties seemed to find a way out of the tense situation, and soon, Karan was escorting the two officers downstairs. Only when their figures disappeared down the staircase did Leandro open the door before him and step inside. The room was dimly lit, with Gloria sitting alone by the window. At the sound of the door opening, she seemed to start, and as she turned and saw Leandro, she quickly rose and hurried over, gripping his arm tightly, ¡°Leandro, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen, I really didn¡¯t¡­¡± Gloria¡¯s eyes were red-rimmed as she spoke. Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Leandro looked down at Gloria, a rare trace of fatigue appearing in his eyes. ¡°Do you even realize what you¡¯re doing?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Gloria still spoke, ¡°I know you care about him, I know you love him¡­ didn¡¯t mean to hurt him, I really didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s your grandson too,¡± Leandro said slowly, ¡°Your own flesh and blood.¡± These words seemed to pierce Gloria like a sudden, sharp knife, making her feel pained. She had been clinging onto Leandro, but now her grip slightly loosened. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He¡¯s just a child, he doesn¡¯t understand anything¡± Leandro said, ¡°Why can you bear to hurt him, again and again?¡± ¡°Do you me me?¡± Gloria¡¯s tears fell, her eyes red, ¡°I already said I didn¡¯t mean to hurt him, do you still me me?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still in the hospital,¡± Leandro looked at her, speaking slowly, ¡°As a father, I can¡¯t even protect my own child. What else can I do?¡± Gloria took a few steps back, tears still hanging in her eyes, but she started tough. ¡°Indeed¡­¡± she said, ¡°I have hurt your son, I deserve to die! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll pay you back! I¡¯llpensate you right now!¡± As she spoke, she began frantically searching around the room. ¡°Where¡¯s my knife? Where¡¯s my knife?¡± she was looking for something, babbling nonsense, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back! I¡¯ll thoroughly pay with my life!¡± Leandro watched her irrational behavior silently. After a long while, he finally spoke again, ¡°What will it take for you to let yourself off the hook?¡± Upon hearing his words, Gloria¡¯s movements froze. Let herself off the hook¡­ Leandro had said those words to her countless times since he was a child. Gloria never really listened, but this time, she seemed to suddenly understand what he meant. ¡°Do you really hate me that much, you want me to atone with my death?¡± Gloria asked, ¡°Your father doesn¡¯t want me, now even you don¡¯t want me anymore¡­ Fine, fine!¡± Gloria said ¡°fine¡± twice, then abruptly turned and rushed towards the wall! Leandro was always prepared, seeing her action, he quickly stepped forward and grabbed her. Gloria struggled a few times, but finally couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. ¡°You and your father are tormenting me, all you do is tormenting me-¡± Gloria¡¯s eyes were terrifyingly red, ¡°He only thinks about that woman! He only cares about that woman! And you even married that woman¡¯s daughter! Even Valerio is her son! You are driving me insane!¡± She used them with all her might, Leandro listened quietly. After a long while, he finally spoke in a low voice, ¡°Maybe it was my fault since the beginning.¡± In the end, the police took Gloria away from the Reynolds family. Karan was frantic, her eyes red, constantly tugging at Leandro, ¡°In her state, how can she be taken away by the police? She¡¯ll break down!¡± Leandro stood at the front door, watching the police car gradually drive away, he remained silent. Herman Garcia arrived as the police car passed by, he parked his car in front of Leandro, getting out with a serious expression, ¡°Leandro, what on earth is going on?¡± Leandro seemed to have expected him toe, he fell silent for a moment, then finally spoke, ¡°You¡¯re part of the force, help me out. There must always be someone with my mother. If anything happens to her, I will hold someone ountable.¡± Herman sighed upon hearing this. Regardless of Leandro¡¯s orders, the Reynolds family¡¯s standing and Gloria¡¯s status meant the police would handle this matter with utmost care. However, this dramatic incident in such a family was bound to cause a stir. ¡°Leandro-¡± Karan still looked worriedly at Leandro. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will handle it,¡± Leandro said slowly, ¡°Before that, I need you to help me confirm who leaked Valerio¡¯s identity to my mother.¡± Upon hearing this, Karan froze. After a brief meeting, Herman apanied Leandro to the hospital. On the way, Leandro received a call from Keen. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, thewyer has arrived at the police station, and a team of authoritative psychologists has been assembled and is on the way to the police station,¡± Keen said cautiously, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds shouldn¡¯t have to stay at the station for too long.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t say much, only replying, ¡°Let me know when it¡¯s taken care of.¡± ¡°Are you considering having your mother undergopulsory treatment?¡± Herman asked. Leandro looked out the window, speaking slowly, ¡°Maybe I should have taken this step a long time ago.¡± Hearing this, Hermary replied softly, ¡°After all these years, it might not hurt to try a different approach. Although no one can predict the oue, maybe things will turn around?¡± Leandro continued to gaze out the window, not responding. Herman paused, saying nothing more. It was difficult enough for Leandro to make this decision in light of the circumstances. Any more constion would be superfluous. Herman knew that Leandro was strong and wouldn¡¯t be crushed by such an incident. When they arrived back at the hospital, it was already the afternoon. When Leandro had left, only Seraphina was in Valerio¡¯s room. Now, both Conway and Andrea were there. Valerio was awake, nestled quietly in Seraphina¡¯s arms. Andrea and Conway sat next to them, trying their best to make himugh. Andrea was holding an iPad, ying Valerio¡¯s favorite show. She was adjusting the videos while exining it to him, trying unmoved. It wasn¡¯t until Leandro walked through the door that Valerio¡¯s face showed any sign of change. to attract his attention, but Valerio remained ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here.¡± Upon seeing him and Herman, Conway didn¡¯t say much, only remarking, ¡°Valerio had been looking for you since he woke up.¡± Leandro looked at Valerio¡¯s still pale face, took slow steps to the bedside, and bent down to gently take his small hand. ¡°Sorry, I thought I could get some work done while you were asleep, so I stepped out for a bit. I didn¡¯t expect you to wake up so quickly¡­ Does your hand still hurt?¡± At the mention of his hand, Valerio flinched slightly, then slowly nodded. He was still very scared, but with both Leandro and Seraphina there, it seemed like his sense of security was restored. Valerio leaned into Seraphina¡¯s embrace, his other hand clutching Leandro¡¯s, reluctant to let go. Seraphina nced at Valerio¡¯s actions, then subtly turned her face away, saying nothing. Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Upon seeing this, Conway turned to Herman, giving him a knowing look. Herman was busy trying to figure out what was going on with Andrea, who was sitting at the bedside. Just as he was about to ask, he caught Conway¡¯s signal and immediately shifted his gaze. After exchanging a nce with Conway, he walked out of the room. Conway quickly followed him out, whispering, ¡°What¡¯s going on? You came with Leandro, right?¡± ¡°His mother¡¯s been taken to the police station.¡± Herman replied. ¡°But Leandro has everything under control. She shouldn¡¯t be there for too long. She¡¯ll probably be brought to the hospital soon¡­ After all, her mental condition isn¡¯t the best.¡±¡± Hearing this, Conway slowly nodded. ¡°As long as he has a n¡­ I just hope that Sera can get through this.¡± Upon hearing this, Herman couldn¡¯t help but think of Andrea. ¡°When did Andrea and Seraphina be so close?¡± he asked Conway. ¡°What?¡± Conway paused for a moment before replying. ¡°They get along well, naturally they became close. With Andrea by her side, I hope Sera can recover soon.¡± Herman scoffed, ¡°If she was genuinely trying to help, that would be one thing. But who knows what she¡¯s really up¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Andrea emerged from the room and caught his words. Their eyes met. Herman didn¡¯t feel guilty and didn¡¯t avoid Andrea¡¯s gaze. Andrea, however, quickly averted her eyes, saying to Conway, ¡°I¡¯m going to grab something from the store.¡± Conway simply nodded, giving her a small smile. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Standing beside Conway, Herman watched Andrea walk away before saying, ¡°Ms. Martin, I¡¯ll apany you.¡± Andrea paused, giving him a quick nce before continuing towards the elevator. Herman followed behind her, his expression solemn. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Back in the room, Leandro asked about Valerio¡¯s condition, and Seraphina answered all of his questions. Valerio was scared and the two of them didn¡¯t bring up any sensitive topics in front of him, focusing most of their attention on him. Seraphina was relieved to see Valerio calming down, and he even showed them his hungry belly. I¡¯ll have the driver get something to eat.¡± Leandro offered, then turned to Seraphina, ¡°Have you eaten? What would you like?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Just get something for Valerio.¡± Leandro nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Valerio was a sensitive child, and he picked up on the tension between Leandro and Seraphina. Leandro, still watching Seraphina, called the driver while Seraphina watched Valerio. Valerio¡¯s eyes filled with sadness. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina asked, gently touching Valerio¡¯s head. ¡°Your dad¡¯s getting you food, don¡¯t worry.¡± Valerio didn¡¯t respond until Leandro finished his call and returned to the bedside. He looked back and forth between Seraphina and Leandro. Seeing Valerio¡¯s reaction, they both understood what was on his mind. Leandro spoke first, ¡°Your mom and I aren¡¯t fighting. We¡¯re just worried about you. When you feel better, we¡¯ll be okay, okay?¡± As he said this, he took Seraphina¡¯s hand in his own, and Seraphina didn¡¯t resist. Valerio, after a moment, ced his hand on top of theirs. Seeing it, Seraphina felt a rush of emotion. The previously awkward atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten. But then, the sound of voices came from outside the room. Seraphina recognized the voices of the Reynolds family- Leonard, Billy, and Nte- all seemed to be outside. Hearing these voices, Valerio quickly pulled away and hid into Leandro¡¯s arms. Seraphina took Valerio from Leandro, covering his ears with her hands. She looked at Leandro, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want Valerie to be disturbed at this time.¡± Leandro met her gaze before standing up and walking towards the door. Outside the room, Leonard and the others were indeed there, all talking to Conway at once. The silence hung heavy in the air as Leandro emerged from the hospital room, only to be broken by the mor of usatory voices. ¡°Leandro, what the hell is going on? Why did the police take your mother away?¡± ¡°I heard that you were there, too. How could you just let the cops take her? Have you thought about how damaging this could be to the reputation of the Reynolds family?¡± ¡°This was a spectacr failure on your part! No matter what happens, it should¡¯ve stayed within the family. Why did you involve the police? What were you thinking? As thest words echoed in the room, the door swung open once more, and Seraphina walked out. Inside the room, Valerio, following Seraphina¡¯s advice, slipped on his headphones and stared nkly at the video ying on his tablet. Only after ncing at him did Seraphina finally turn her attention to the crowd gathered in front of her. In a calm voice, she announced, ¡°I was the one who called the police.¡± ¡°You?¡± Nte gasped, before adding, ¡°I knew it. Only someone who isn¡¯t a true Reynolds would do such a thing. What were you thinking? Haven¡¯t you caused enough trouble for the Reynolds family? Are you not happy until you bring down the entire family?¡± Seraphina listened, a faint smile ying on her lips after a long silence. ¡°I don¡¯t care if the Reynolds family falls apart,¡± she said. ¡°But if anyone dares to hurt my son, they will pay the price.¡± Chapter 423 Chapter 423 ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t care if the Reynolds family falls apart?¡± Nte immediately frowned, ¡°What are you ying at, Seraphina? Did the Reynolds family ever wrong you?¡± ¡°The Reynolds family didn¡¯t wrong me,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°But if someone in the Reynolds family breaks thew, they should face legal consequences,¡± ¡°Break thew?¡± Nte retorted, ¡°identally hurting your son is breaking thew now? Do you think your son is some sort of precious gem?¡± ¡°Aunt Nte,¡± Seraphina suddenly addressed her, ¡°You have kids too. The value you ce on your son is the same value I ce on mine. Oh no, wait. My son Valerio, being the eldest legitimate grandson of the Reynolds family, is far more precious than your son, who is not of Reynolds blood!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Nte was so infuriated by Seraphina¡¯s words that she was almost choking, ¡°Who do you think you are to speak to me in such a manner! Magdalen was an orphan the Reynolds family adopted! And you¡¯re nothing more than the result of her eloping with someone! Do you really think giving birth to Valerio can¡­¡± Nte stopped mid-sentence, suddenly locking eyes with Leandro. Leandro was generally a reserved man, but he maintained a polite demeanor towards his elders. However, at this moment, his gaze was icy cold, a profound darkness that was unbearable to look at. Even though he didn¡¯t say a word, it was clear that Nte¡¯s words had angered him. Nte was usually fearless, but she felt a shiver of fear at Leandro¡¯s expression. Seeing this, Leonard stepped in and pulled Nte behind him, then spoke, ¡°Sera, I understand that you¡¯re upset and worried about Valerio¡¯s injury. But you didn¡¯t consider the full picture in this situation. Reporting this to the police is a big deal, why didn¡¯t you discuss it with us first? Leandro, are you so blinded by your wife and son that you don¡¯t care about your own mother anymore?¡± ¡°Leonard, you really don¡¯t need to me Leandro for this,¡± Seraphina cut in before Leandro could respond, ¡°He¡¯s done much more for his mother than you could ever imagine,¡± Leandro looked at Seraphina, his gaze deep. But Seraphina didn¡¯t look at him, instead continuing, ¡°Reporting this to the police was my idea. If you want to see this incident as a confrontation with the Reynolds family, that¡¯s your choice. To get justice for my son, I¡¯m willing to do anything. Likewise, you can do your utmost to protect the people of the Reynolds family and its reputation. The one that¡¯s on the opposing side, is only me.¡± After finishing her statement, Seraphina nced at Leandro, then without waiting for anyone to respond, she returned to the hospital room and closed the door. ¡°You all should go,¡± Conway finally spoke up, ¡°In this matter, Sera¡¯s actions are not up for criticism, and Leandro will find a way to protect Gloria. You don¡¯t -need to worry about anything else.¡± ¡°Seraphina is clearly trying to put the me on my sister,¡± Billymented, ¡°And Leandro wants to protect his mother. Won¡¯t this put them at odds from now on?¡± Leandro stood with his back to everyone, his figure stern and silent. Hearing this, Conway couldn¡¯t help but tap his cane heavily, ¡°Did you even listen to what I said?¡± Seeing Conway getting angry, Leonard quickly tried to pacify him, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be angry. We¡¯re just worried about my sister, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°You can worry all you want,¡± Conway replied, ¡°But there¡¯s one thing ¨C from now on, you¡¯re not allowed to cause any trouble in front of Sera and Valerio!¡± Conway asserted his authority as the family patriarch, and his children fell silent. Soon, they all left one by one. Once they were gone, Conway turned to look at Leandro, ¡°You heard what Sera said¡­ she still cares about you.¡± Leandro remained silent. He had, of course, heard what Seraphina had said, and he understood the implications. She had told Leonard and the others that they were free to do whatever they could to protect the Reynolds family and its reputation. Those words were meant for him. She was firm in her stance, but she understood his position. However, could two people walking in opposite directions ever find their way back to each other? After a long silence, Leandro finally turned around and said, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t worry about us. You should go home and rest.¡± Hearing this, Conway slowly nodded, ¡°Alright, you and Sera¡­ you should have a good talk with her.¡± When Leandro returned to the hospital room, Seraphina was already sitting on the bed, holding Valerio in her arms and watching a video with him. To keep Valerio entertained, Seraphina exined the video content in the most yful way she could, but Valerio didn¡¯t seem very interested.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Fortunately, Leandro¡¯s driver soon brought back some food that Valerio wanted, and Seraphina was once again busy helping Valerio eat. Valerio was hungry, but the shock of the previous incidents hadn¡¯t worn off, and he didn¡¯t have much of an appetite. He managed to eat a few small snacks, but then he couldn¡¯t eat anymore. ¡°Do you want to eat a bit more?¡± Seraphina asked him cautiously, ¡°Or do you want something else? I can get anything for you.¡± Valerio lowered his eyes and gently shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s not hungry now, let him be.¡± Leandro said, ¡°I¡¯ve asked the nanny to prepare a pot of chicken soup, it¡¯ll be delivered to the hospitalter. It¡¯s easier on his stomach.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina simply responded, ¡°That¡¯ll be good.¡± There was still food left on the table that Leandro had specifically bought for her. He nced at it and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten much today, have some food. How else will you have the energy to take care of Valerio?¡± Seraphina slowly looked up at him, then turned her gaze back to Valerio, who was quietly observing both Seraphina and Leandro. Seraphina quickly picked up her fork and started eating. After taking a bite, she immediately got some and held it up to Leandro¡¯s mouth, ¡°And what about you? Have you eaten yet? Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± Leandro looked at her, his voice deep, ¡°I am hungry now.¡± Having said that, he opened his mouth and epted the food Seraphina offered. Seraphina hummed in response, and continued to serve him more food. Leandro epted each bite. This was an intimacy that had not previously existed between them, yet it unfolded naturally in this moment. Leandro knew clearly that she was doing this to cheer up Valerio. Sure enough, seeing the two of them interacting in this way brought a faint smile to Valerio¡¯s face. Watching Seraphina feeding Leandro, Valerio seemed to regain his appetite. He moved closer, wanting Seraphina to feed him as well. Seeing Valerio¡¯s reaction, a genuine smile finally appeared on Seraphina¡¯s face. Chapter 424 Chapter 424 As long as Valerio was happy, Seraphina could forget about everything else. At that moment, Leandro also set aside everything else, focusing solely on how Seraphina and Valerio were eating. For a moment, the three of them seemed to have returned to their old ways, sharing the food in front of them with intimacy. Just as they were enjoying their meal, the door to the room was pushed open and Herman walked in, holding some fruit. Seeing him, Seraphina paused, ¡°I thought Andrea went to get the fruit. Why are you the one bringing it back?¡± For some reason, Herman¡¯s face seemed a little heavy. He paused for a moment before answering, ¡°She had somethinge up, so she left.¡± Upon hearing this, Seraphina acknowledged it with a nod before turning her attention back to Herman, ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Herman put the fruits on the coffee table before walking over to the bed to check on Valerio¡¯s injury, ¡°How are you doing? Are you okay?¡± Valerio immediately put on a brave face, indicating that he was fine. Hermanughed softly at this but soon after, hisughter faded and he seemed lost in thought. Both Leandro and Seraphina noticed his reaction, sharing a look but not saying anything. Herman talked with Valerio for a while, but his mind was clearly elsewhere, and he soon left again. At that time, both Leandro and Seraphina were preupied and didn¡¯t bother asking him anything. By evening, the results of Valerio¡¯s various tests were out, showing that apart from the injury on his hand, there were no other wounds. Only then did Seraphina truly rx, although Valerio¡¯s hand injury was enough to worry her for a while. However, due to the seriousness of the situation, the doctors requested that Valerio stay in the hospital for observation overnight. Staying overnight at the hospital meant there was a lot to prepare, and as Seraphina was on the phone with the housekeeper discussing what to bring to the hospital, the door to the room was pushed open and Bruce walked in. Leandro was sitting by Valerio¡¯s bed, reading somepany work. Hearing the sound, he looked up and his gaze darkened slightly upon seeing Bruce. Half a day had passed since the incident and Bruce was only now arriving at the hospital. Realizing that he was probably a bitte, he cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly before asking, ¡°How¡¯s Valerio?¡± Valerio looked up at him, indicating that he was fine. Bruce stepped forward, examining Valerio¡¯s wound before patting Valerio¡¯s head and saying, ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay.¡± He paused for a moment before turning to Seraphina and speaking in a low voice, ¡°Sera, I¡¯d like to have a word with you.¡± Before Seraphina could respond, Leandro stood up and put down his documents, ¡°She needs to stay with Valerio. Whatever you want to discuss with her, discuss it with me.¡± Bruce looked from Seraphina to Leandro and nodded, ¡°Well.¡± Leandro apanied Bruce out of the room and they walked to the end of the corridor, stopping near a window around the corner before Leandro asked, ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± ¡°I actually wanted to talk about your mother.¡± Bruce said, ¡°Sera is quite angry about this, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°She is.¡± Leandro confirmed. ¡°So what are you nning to do?¡± Upon hearing this question, Leandro looked at him and slowly returned the question, ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± Hearing this, Bruce¡¯s brow furrowed slightly before he said, ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to your mother either.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t enough already happened?¡± Leandro retorted. ¡°I know you me me.¡± Bruce said, ¡°But you have to understand, if I had shown up in front of your mother when those things happened, it would only have made her more agitated. The more she saw me, the worse it would get!¡± ¡°So what about this time?¡± Leandro asked, ¡°This time you took initiative to show up-was it because you didn¡¯t want her to get into trouble, or because you didn¡¯t want her troubles to affect the Reynolds family?¡± Bruce turned his face away slightly, ¡°If you insist on seeing it that way, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± All Leandro did in response was let out a coldugh. Bruce then asked, ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± ¡°If you could do nothing, that would be enough.¡± Leandro said, ¡°I¡¯ll handle my mother¡¯s situation myself.¡± With that, Leandro turned to leave. Bruce let out a sigh that sounded almost like a sigh of resignation before saying, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see a rift form between you and Sera because of her. Let me handle this matter. It could provide you and Sera with another option.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Leandro responded without looking back, ¡°Neither of us would believe in such self-deceit.¡± Just as Leandro was about to return to the room, his phone rang. It was a call from Keen. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, your mother has been released from the police station.¡± Keen said, ¡°Her emotional state is very unstable. The police didn¡¯t manage to get much out of her, but the evidence at the scene is conclusive. Plus, there¡¯s your wife¡¯s testimony, so the facts are pretty clear. However, given the expert¡¯s evaluation of her mental state, the prosecution is unlikely to take any action. From what I can tell, she won¡¯t be held responsible.¡± Leandro merely responded with a nomittal hum with no emotions. Meanwhile, Seraphina also received news from the police in the ward. That Gloria would be released from the police station was something she had expected; That Gloria¡¯s mental state would be used as a point of argument was also something she had expected. The nature of the incident wasn¡¯t particrly severe to begin with, so Seraphina had predicted this oue from the start. But even though she had anticipated all of this, seeing Valerio sitting on theUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g hospital bed, she still felt a sense of unease. After hanging up the phone, Seraphina gathered Valerio, who was looking at a picture book, into her arms. ¡°Are you still scared?¡± she asked softly. Valerio was engrossed in hisic book when he heard Seraphina¡¯s question. He seemed to ponder over it for a while before shaking his head softly. Seraphina always prided herself on knowing her son well, but at this moment, she couldn¡¯t tell if he was telling the truth. ¡°Talk to mommy if you¡¯re scared,¡± she said. ¡°Never lie to mommy, okay?¡± Upon hearing this, Valerio looked up at her for a moment before slowly nodding. The terrifying events of the day were too much for his young mind to process, and the fear wasn¡¯t going to dissipate within a short span. Seraphina felt a sharp twinge of pain in her chest. ¡°You won¡¯t see your grandma anymore,¡± Seraphina promised, hugging him tightly. ¡°She won¡¯t appear before you again, alright?¡± Leandro walked into the room just as Seraphina was saying this. Clearly, this was the kind of assurance Valerio was hoping for, as he quickly nodded. Seraphina studied Valerio¡¯s innocent face for a moment before finally looking up at Leandro who was standing at the door. Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Seraphina¡¯s gaze was as tranquil as still water. Leandro, upon noticing, was fully aware that she had learned about Gloria¡¯s situation. Clearly, she had anticipated the oue of this ordeal, hence herck of agitation or anger. At this moment, Leandro found himself wishing that Seraphina would let her emotions loose, causing a scene-however, no matter she was the Seraphina of the past or the Seraphina of the present would never resort to such behavior. She continued to hold Valerio tightly, apanying him while he flipped through his picture book. After a while, she finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with Valerio tonight. You should head home and rest.¡± Upon hearing this, Leandro simply said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay too.¡± At these words, Valerio¡¯s eyes lit up. When he turned to look at Seraphina, a faint smile appeared on his face. Seraphina wanted to say something, but upon seeing Valerio¡¯s reaction, she relented. Throughout the evening, neither of them mentioned a word about Gloria¡¯s situation in front of Valerio. Around ten o¡¯clock, Valerio fell asleep in Seraphina¡¯s arms, his breathing gradually bing steady. Leandro was still sitting on the couch, reviewing some documents until he heard Valerio¡¯s stable breathing. Only then did he slowly look up. Seraphina was semi-reclining on the hospital bed, her hand on Valerio¡¯s back, gently protecting him, trying to provide him with a peaceful sleeping environment. At this time, although Valerio had already fallen asleep, she still maintained her position, quietly watching Valerio, not moving an inch. Leandro put down the documents in his hand, stood up, and walked over to Seraphina to adjust her nket. ¡°Thank you,¡± Seraphina murmured. Leandro didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he sat down at the edge of the bed and after a moment of silence, he finally said, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, but I can assure you that from now on, my mother will never be able to harm Valerio again.¡± Upon hearing his words, Seraphina¡¯s gaze immediately fell on Valerio¡¯s face. Seeing that Valerio hadn¡¯t been startled, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to discuss this here. Valerio might get scared if he hears us.¡± ¡°Valerio is asleep,¡± Leandro said. ¡°He won¡¯t hear us¡­¡± ¡°How do you know what he¡¯s dreaming about at this very moment?¡± Seraphina interrupted. ¡°Your words can seep into his subconscious mind and affect his dreams-he¡¯s already had a tough day, so I don¡¯t want him to continue being scared even in his dreams.¡± ¡°Even if he hears us, he doesn¡¯t have to be scared,¡± Leandro said. ¡°Because from now on, no one can hurt him.¡± Seraphina slightly closed her eyes, then opened them again to ask, ¡°What makes you so confident?¡± Leandro said, ¡°Sera, my mother¡¯s mental state isn¡¯t something I made up. She¡¯s been in a terrible emotional state for a long time, which is a serious mental illness. In the past, she avoided treatment and refused to face her condition. From now on, I will have someone keep an eye on her at all times and treat her.¡± ¡°I know you have a whole team of psychological experts,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°But is that enough to ensure Valerio¡¯s safety?¡± ¡°I can assure you-Valerio will be safe.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I¡¯m not sure!¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after Valerio calms down.¡± After saying this, Seraphina slowly closed her eyes. Leandro sat by her bed for a while before finally standing up and leaving the room. Hearing him leave, Seraphina slightly opened her eyes and watched his retreating figure in silence. Only when he reached the end of the hospital corridor did Leandro take out his phone and call Keen, ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not good.¡± Keen seemed a bit conflicted but had no choice but to tell the truth. ¡°Madam is very resistant to the forced intervention and contact by the psychologists¡­ They say she¡¯s in extreme despair and pain, with tendencies of self-harm and suicide, so her mood needs to be adjusted as soon as possible¡­ Mr. Reynolds, maybe you shoulde back and check on her?¡± After hanging up, Leandro nced towards the direction of Seraphina¡¯s room but ultimately headed towards the elevator. Leandro was gone for several hours. When he came back to the hospital, it was around 5:30 in the morning. In the ward, Valerio was still sound asleep, while Seraphina was wide awake and saw him enter. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Leandro nced at her and dimmed the room¡¯s already faint light a little more. Seraphina¡¯s gaze remained on his face, ¡°You¡¯re here at this hour, doesn¡¯t that mean you haven¡¯t slept either?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond. He sat back down on the couch and said, ¡°It¡¯s still early. You had a long day yesterday. Get some more rest.¡± However, Seraphina just got up from the bed, put on her shoes, walked over to him and turned on the floormp next to the couch. The warm light spread out, clearly illuminating the scratch marks on Leandro¡¯s face. The moment he entered the room, Seraphina noticed the marks on his face. Now they were even more visible. Four in total, not too noticeable, but still enough to stand out. Seraphina quietly observed Leandro for a while, until he reached out and pulled her into his arms. Seraphina didn¡¯t struggle, but she didn¡¯t look at him either. After sitting quietly for a few minutes, she finally turned her head and asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes were deep, and he merely shook his head slightly. Seraphina was silent for a moment, not saying anything. She stood up, put on her coat, and left the room. When she returned a short whileter, she had a tube of ointment in her hand. Seraphina slid back next to Leandro, uncapping a tube of ointment. She dabbed a bit onto her fingers and warmed it in the palm of her hand before gently applying it to Leandro¡¯s wounds. ¡°You¡¯re the mighty CEO of Reynolds Group. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be aughing stock if people saw you in such a state?¡± Seraphina teased. ¡°I¡¯ve never been afraid of ridicule,¡± Leandro retorted. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Seraphina simply hummed in response, then added, ¡°But Valerio would be.¡± At hearing this, Leandro couldn¡¯t help but fix his gaze on Seraphina. Only after she had finished applying the ointment did Seraphina continue, ¡°She¡¯s always been so protective of you, and yet she¡¯s the one who caused this¡­ It just shows how terrible her condition must be, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll get better,¡± Leandro said, his voice icy. ¡°Healing the mind requires a different kind of medicine,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Are you not worried that your aggressive approach might backfire?¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze grew even colder. ¡°Are you concerned about her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s ill, perhaps not even in control of her own actions. From your perspective, from an outsider¡¯s perspective, she could be forgiven,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°But from my perspective, she¡¯ll never be worthy of forgiveness. So no, I¡¯m not concerned about her. I¡¯m concerned about you.¡± Chapter 426 Chapter 426 Hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, Leandro¡¯s gaze fell on her face and lingered there. Seraphina seemed to sense something. She looked up and met his gaze, chuckling lightly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°I just think that there¡¯s something else you want to say,¡± Leandro replied. Seraphina paused for a moment, then sheughed again, ¡°Is that how little faith you have in me? I finally show some concern for you and you are suspecting me.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s really nothing else, then I ept it,¡± Leandro said and pulled her back into his arms, holding her tightly. Seraphina was taken aback for a moment, then obediently leaned against his shoulder. The dawn was still a ways off and the sky was dark. The two of them, who had not slept all night, leaned against each other in silence. After a while, realizing that Leandro was just resting his eyes and not actually asleep, Seraphina spoke again in a low voice, ¡°Valerio made a sound yesterday¡­¡± Leandro heard this and slowly opened his eyes, looking at Valerio who was lying on the hospital bed, and responded with a low hum. ¡°I originally wanted to try and test him yesterday,¡± Seraphina continued, still leaning against his shoulder, ¡°but I was afraid he would remember the incident, so I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Hearing this, Leandro was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°He has been practicing a lot to be able to call you ¡®mom¡¯. By now, he should be able to make a sound.¡± At this, Seraphina paused, then lifted her head to look at the small figure lying on the bed. As if sensing their gazes, Valerio moved slightly on the bed and slowly opened his eyes. The moment he woke up, he started looking for Seraphina. Upon seeing Leandro and Seraphina sitting on the couch, he rubbed his eyes, looked confused for a moment, then began to smile. The sight of his smile warmed Seraphina¡¯s heart. Then, Valerio tried to get out of bed toe to them. ¡°Wait,¡± Seraphina suddenly said, stopping him, ¡°Don¡¯te over yet.¡± Valerio had already gotten out of bed and now stood by it, looking at Seraphina in confusion. ¡°Are you my son?¡± Seraphina asked. Valerio paused, then nodded. ¡°But I just had a dream where you weren¡¯t my son,¡± Seraphina said. Upon hearing this, Valerio immediately wanted to rush over to her. ¡°I¡¯m a little scared¡­¡± Seraphina said, frowning slightly, ¡°Call me ¡®mommy¡¯, then I¡¯ll believe you¡¯re my son.¡± Hearing this, Valerio, feeling both anxious and scared, immediately called out. Seraphina and Leandro both froze. Valerio had made a sound. His voice was hoarse and short, the word ¡°mommy¡± only half-formed, the rest of the sound swallowed up in his throat. But even so, it was still a huge surprise for Seraphina and Leandro. Even Valerio himself was stunned. After making the sound, he remained where he was, staring at Seraphina and Leandro. The next moment, Seraphina and Leandro both got up and went over to him. ¡°Call me again,¡± Seraphina said, reaching out to hold Valerio¡¯s arm, ¡°Just once more.¡± Looking into their eyes, Valerio hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth again, ¡°Mom¡­¡± He was trying to say ¡°mommy¡±, but the sound that came out was still only half of the word. ¡°Call ¡®daddy¡¯,¡± Leandro said, also holding onto one of Valerio¡¯s hands, ¡°Just once will do.¡± ¡°Dad¡­dad¡­¡± Valerio¡¯s voice was still hoarse, but he was able to say ¡°daddy¡±pletely this time. Although he stuttered a bit, he had managed to say it. Leandro¡¯s face didn¡¯t show much emotion, but his eyes were fixed on Valerio. It had been four years since hest heard Valerio call him ¡°daddy¡±. The memory suddenly took him back to the first time Valerio had called him that. Back then, Valerio had been with the Reynolds family for nine months, going from a baby swaddled in nkets to a toddler who could crawl and walk with the support of furniture- The moments of Valerio¡¯s growth that Leandro had witnessed were too few. He had been too busy back then, and the child¡¯s origins were unknown. The future was uncertain and might bring all sorts of trouble-Leandro at that time had not fully epted his role as a father, or the fact that he had a son. Until one day, he was workingte in his study. Because he had been working without rest for several days, he could not control himself and fell asleep at his desk. Suddenly, a small, soft hand gently touched his knee. Leandro felt it. The only one in the house who had such soft hands, and would ignore his work and barge into his study, was that little guy. He could even imagine Valerio wobbling into his study. As a father, he should have picked him up and put him on hisp, fulfilling his duty as a dad- But he was just too tired. The exhaustion of body and mind made it impossible for him to lift his head. He was hoping that someone at home would soon discover that the little guy had wandered in here and woulde and take him away. But he waited for a long time, and no one came. The only sounds were the toddler¡¯s unsteady footsteps and the hand that kept moving over his leg for support. Leandro still didn¡¯t move. The faint noise wasn¡¯t enough to disturb him. Even though his sleep had been terribletely, as long as he ignored it, he could fall asleep- ¡°Dad¡­daddy¡­¡± Suddenly, Leandro heard a voice, two soft, unclear sybles of ¡°daddy¡±. The voice was very soft, softer than the weight of the little guy¡¯s hand on him. He could have ignored it and forgotten about it. But he couldn¡¯t help but sit up. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Leandro looked down to find the little guy, all cuddly and endearing, standing with the support of his knee, looking up at him. His eyes, as ck as the midnight sky, twinkled withughter as he tried to call out, ¡°Da¡­ da¡­¡± Leandro, who was usually cold, felt an unfamiliar warmth thawing his frozen heart. And, that happened again. Yearster, when Valerio called him ¡°Daddy¡± again, Leandro, despite his stern demeanor, couldn¡¯t help but feel a lump in his throat. He pulled Valerio into his arms, shielding his delicate body. Ovee with emotion, he couldn¡¯t resist leaning down and nting a gentle kiss on him. Leandro was not usually this affectionate, so Valerio seemed a bit taken aback. He looked up towards Seraphina, seeking some kind of reassurance or exnation. However, the next moment, Seraphina too bent down and nted a big kiss on him, with all the love and warmth a mother could muster. Chapter 427 Chapter 427 During the day, Valerio underwent a few more medical tests. Once the doctor confirmed that he was good to go, he was finally discharged from the hospital. For Valerio, returning to theforts of home was a relief. But Seraphina was worried, fearing that the sight of their living room would remind him of the incident that had happened just the previous day. Before she could voice out her concerns, Leandro spoke up. ¡°I had the house rearranged. All the furniture and decorations in the living room have been reced.¡± Valerio didn¡¯t understand the implication of his words, but Seraphina did right away. By changing the furniture and decorations, Leandro had essentially given the living room aplete makeover. This way, Valerio would be distracted by the novelty of his surroundings and not dwell on the past event that his grandma was trying to hurt him. True enough, upon returning home, Valerio looked around the refurbished living room with curiosity. The couch, coffee table, and carpet had all been reced, and even the arrangement had been altered. The room bore no trace of its previous state. Valerio settledfortably into the couch, his eyes leisurely focused on the TV screen in front of him, seemingly unaffected by the unpleasant memories of the previous day. Seraphina let out a sigh of relief at the sight. She then sat next to Valerio, coaxing him to call her ¡°Mommy¡± once again. Conway and the babysitter sat nearby, waiting for Valerio to speak. However, Valerio pouted, appearing rather unwilling. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Conwayughed. ¡°Are you feeling shy in front of grandpa?¡± Leandro nced at Valerio and exined, ¡°Not shy, he just thinks his voice isn¡¯t nice.¡± Upon hearing Leandro¡¯s response, Valerio shrank back a little, apparently agreeing with Leandro¡¯s exnation. ¡°What a silly boy,¡± Conway said. ¡°The more you speak, the better your voice will sound.¡± Valerio merely lowered his eyes in response. ¡°Never mind,¡± Seraphina sighed. ¡°No matter how many times I tell him that, it doesn¡¯t help. Let¡¯s just say that I don¡¯t have a son. He won¡¯t even call me ¡®Mom¡¯¡­ I¡¯m heartbroken. Just leave me alone, let me wallow in my sorrow¡­¡± As she spoke, she buried her face into the couch. Seeing her reaction, the innocent and kind-hearted Valerio immediately became anxious. He reached out to hold Seraphina¡¯s hand, urgently calling out, ¡°Mom, Mom¡­¡± Hearing his voice, Conway¡¯s face broke into a wide grin. Seraphina, on the other hand, quickly sat up and pulled Valerio into her arms. She then turned to Conway, ¡°Grandpa, does his voice sound nice?¡± ¡°Very nice, indeed,¡± Conway replied. ¡°Now, call me ¡®grandpa¡¯.¡± Valerio looked at Seraphina, and upon receiving her encouraging nod, he slowly opened his mouth and tried to speak. But the word that came out was nowhere close to ¡®grandpa¡¯. Regardless, Conwayughed happily, ¡°Good job! With practice, you¡¯ll get better.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Seraphina added. ¡°After all, Valerio is the best kid. There¡¯s nothing he can¡¯t do.¡± As they were happily chatting andughing in the living room, they heard a car pulling up in the driveway. It seemed like more than one car had arrived. Sure enough, the next moment, the uncles and aunts from the Reynolds family, who had just visited the hospital yesterday, walked into the house. Seeing them, Valerio instinctively shrank back into the couch. Leandro noticed his reaction and his expression darkened. Seraphina also noticed and quickly picked up Valerio. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs and open your presents, okay?¡± To make up for the trauma he had experienced the previous day and to reward him for finally starting to speak, Leandro had bought him several gifts on their way home. Valerio had been excited about the gifts, but now he just nodded listlessly. Seraphina felt a pang of sadness as she carried Valerio upstairs. The visitors were not there for Seraphina or Valerio, and showed no reaction to their leave. They all took a seat in the living room. Leandro sat quietly on the couch, his cool gaze sweeping over everyone. As expected, they were there to discuss Gloria¡¯s situation. Leonard got straight to the point, ¡°Leandro, what are your ns regarding your mother?¡± ¡°She was in the police station yesterday, and you were all worried,¡± Leandro replied. ¡°Now she¡¯s home, and you¡¯re still worried?¡± ¡°The issue is that you¡¯re making a big deal out of her treatment for emotional disorders,¡± Billy chimed in. ¡°Isn¡¯t that like announcing to the world that the Reynolds family has a¡­ a mental patient?¡± Leandroughed coldly, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that my mother¡¯s condition shouldn¡¯t be treated?¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Not that it shouldn¡¯t be treated, but rather it shouldn¡¯t be treated like this,¡± Billy rified. ¡°With so many eyes on the Reynolds family, any upheaval could be blown out of proportion. This could also adversely affect your mother¡¯s condition, right?¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze swept over everyone present before he spoke slowly, ¡°Since you all came together, you must have discussed this. What do you think should be done?¡± ¡°Send your mother abroad,¡± Nte suggested. ¡°The doctors overseas are more professional, the environment is better, and there won¡¯t be any of these messy issues¡­ It would be best for your mother to recover abroad.¡± The typically quiet Celeste Reynolds spoke out, ¡°That¡¯s right, Leandro. It¡¯s best for your mom this way. Just look at Seraphina¡¯s attitude yesterday. If your mom continues to stay in the States, do you think Seraphina will let it be? Who knows what kind of chaos she might stir up?¡± After hearing everyone¡¯s opinions, Leandro paused for a moment, then smiled. Then, he spoke slowly, ¡°My mom was born in Sunburst City, raised in Sunburst City. All her family and friends are in Sunburst City. I¡¯m not going to send her abroad.¡± ¡°But your mom is heartbroken. If you keep her in Sunburst City, she¡¯ll be constantly reminded of her pain, and her condition won¡¯t improve,¡± Nte argued. ¡°Besides, knowing Seraphina¡¯s love for stirring up trouble, do you think she¡¯ll just leave your mom alone? Won¡¯t your mom suffer even more?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blind yet,¡± Leandro answered without looking up, ¡°I can see clearly who¡¯s the one who loves stirring up trouble.¡± Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Leonard suddenly furrowed his brows, ¡°Leandro, we¡¯re all trying to do what¡¯s best here. How can you speak to your elders like that?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re here to express your opinions, well, I¡¯ve heard them,¡± Leandro responded, ¡°You may leave now.¡± With that, he stood up, preparing to ascend the staircase. ¡°Leandro!¡± Leonard also rose, saying, ¡°In the past, you called the shots at home and in thepany. Everyone listened to you. But with the current economic climate and family troubles, if you continue to act so independently, you risk ruining the entire Reynolds family.¡± Leandro slowly stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Leonard, ¡°And who, in your opinion, should be in control to prevent the Reynolds family from falling apart?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to take your ce!¡± Leonard retorted, ¡°I just think you can¡¯t make all decisions on your own!¡± Nte, seeing an argument brewing between the uncle and nephew, quickly moved to sit next to Conway. ¡°Dad, you need to talk to Leandro¡­¡± As soon as she said it, all eyes fell on Conway. Conway and Leandro exchanged looks before Conway slowly spoke, ¡°Eight years ago, I personally handed over the Reynolds Group and this family to Leandro. So far, his stewardship has been commendable. I have nothing negative to say.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Nte¡¯s face slightly changed, ¡°So you think he should handle his mother in the same way?¡± Conway heavily tapped his cane on the floor, replying in a deep voice, I¡¯ve said it before. Since I handed this family over to Leandro, he makes the decisions. If anyone is dissatisfied with that, then they can choose to no longer be part of the Reynolds family!¡± With that, Conway also rose, leaning on his cane as he made his way upstairs. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. 1 Leandro reached out to assist Conway, slowly climbing the stairs with him. The living room was left with Leonard and his sisters, each lost in their own thoughts, exchanging nces. Once they reached the second floor, Conway spoke in a low voice, ¡°Did you see what they¡¯re thinking?¡± At this, Leandro chuckled lightly, replying, ¡°Once thepany stabilized, the true intentions of some began to reveal themselves¡­ I saw, thising a long time ago.¡± Although the Reynolds Group had grown significantly since he took over, it was still arge family with many people, especially elders It was impossible for them to ept him, a younger member, holding all the power. The fact that this situation had only arisen now was actuallyter than he had anticipated. Unfortunately for them, their attempts to usurp him were far from sessful given the current state of thepany. ¡°You don¡¯t need to get upset over this,¡± Leandro reassured, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Conway simply grunted in response, then added, ¡°Right now, this isn¡¯t the most important issue. The main concern is your mother, Sera and Valerio-¡± ¡°I know,¡± Leandro responded, before falling silent. After escorting Conway to his room, Leandro made his way to Valerio¡¯s room. Upon opening the door, he found Valerio sitting cross-legged on the bed, a pile of toys in front of him that had previously excited him. However, his face now betrayed no hint of excitement. Seraphina was trying to engage him with the toys, but he remained uninterested. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Leandro asked as he walked in and sat at the edge of the bed, picking up a children¡¯s book, ¡°Didn¡¯t you like these toys just a while ago?¡± Seraphina chuckled softly, ¡°He heard some noise from downstairs and thought it was an argument. It scared him a little.¡± Leandro looked at her, understanding that Valerio hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the previous day¡¯s fright. ¡°There was no argument,¡± Leandro assured Valerio, ¡°Just my uncles wanted to talk to me about some things. It got a bit loud because it was like in school when everyone wants to answer the teacher¡¯s question.¡± Valerio seemed to ept this exnation, nodding a little. Leandro handed the children¡¯s book to him again, and this time, Valerio reached out to take it. Seraphina leaned against the door, watching this scene with thoughtful eyes. It wasn¡¯t until the evening that Valerio¡¯s mood began to stabilize. After having a ss of milk and brushing his teeth, he climbed into bed with Seraphina¡¯s help. Leandro had to leave. After saying goodnight to Valerio, he gave Seraphina a look, dimmed the lights for them, and exited the room. Seraphina held Valerio close, humming softly, listening to the sound of Leandro¡¯s departure. Leandro was gone for almost five hours, not returning to Reynolds Manor until around three in the morning. At this hour, everyone in the Manor should have been asleep. However, as Leandro ascended the staircase to the second floor, he found Seraphina sitting in the small living room. An old movie was ying on the TV. Seraphina, wrapped in a thin nket, was curled up on the sofa, engrossed in the nearly silent film. Leandro quietly approached, and Seraphina didn¡¯t turn around. When he took a seat behind her, she naturally leaned back into his arms. Neither of them spoke. In the silence of the night, the two of them sat in the unlit room, watching the old movie together. Seraphina, who had been watching from the beginning, was engrossed Leandro, on the other hand, had no interest in these kinds of movies and hadn¡¯t seen the beginning. Despite trying to get into it, he remained clueless about the plot. As the movie credits rolled, Seraphina let out a long sigh, delivering a brief verdict, ¡°A terrible movie.¡± Leandro was silent for a moment before he replied, ¡°You knew it was bad but you watched it so attentively.¡± ¡°I have to focus on taking care of Valerio in the future,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°If I don¡¯t seize the time now, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t even have time to watch terrible moviester.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond to that, and Seraphina, after finishing the movie, made no move to leave the room. She seemed to have no intention of going back to her room. Leandro knew very well what she was waiting for. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of taking Valerio away, aren¡¯t you?¡± Leandro asked. Seraphina stared at the TV screen in front of her, but her attention was focused on the man behind her. Taking Valerio away, far from Gloria, far from the drama of the Reynolds family, was indeed a part of her n. She had also thought about under what circumstances she would bring this up to Leandro. She assumed that Leandro would be very angry, that he would disagree, and that they might even have a big fight over it. But none of those things happened. On this peaceful, quiet night, she nestled in his arms, and they talked about this thing. After a moment of silence, Seraphina answered, ¡°In my view, nothing is more important than Valerio growing up safe and happy.¡± Chapter 429 Chapter 429 This topic had been previously discussed between Seraphina and Andrea. Andrea had sensed Seraphina¡¯s intention to take Valerio away, so she asked her, ¡°Do you think Valerio could bear to part from Leandro?¡± ¡°He would definitely miss him,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°But I never nned to cut off their rtionship. Leandro can visit him anytime.¡± Andrea remained silent for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Valerio might not get used to it though. After all, he has grown up in arge family.¡± ¡°Whatrge family? He used to live only with Leandro. Just the two of them and a nanny, it was a lonely existence,¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°But he has experienced the warmth of arge family now,¡± Andrea added. ¡°It would be hard for him to return to that lonely life.¡± ¡°I understand that for a child, aplete family is important,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°But if a child cannot even feel safe in this so-calledplete family, how can he grow up happily and healthily? In this case, what¡¯s more important? Aplete family or safety and health?¡± Though Andrea had tried to consider the situation from Seraphina¡¯s perspective, she had to agree. ¡°Of course, safety and health are more important.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡± Seraphina sighed softly. ¡°Will Leandro agree to this?¡± Andrea asked. Seraphina rubbed her forehead, ¡°He probably won¡¯t.¡± ¡°You need to have a serious talk with him,¡± Andrea advised. ¡°You are doing this for Valerio¡¯s good. Valerio is also his child. He needs to consider his child¡¯s life too.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina nodded slowly. She had initially nned to discuss this with Leandroter. After all, the incident with Gloria had just urred and she expected everyone to be on high alert to prevent Valerio from getting hurt again. But the arrival of the other rtives from the Reynolds family that day made Seraphina change her mind. Because Valerio was scared when he saw these people. Therge Reynolds family, if only Conway and Leandro could provide him with warmth, then the existence of this family was more of a threat than afort to Valerio. In the past seven years, he had encountered too much neglect. Seraphina couldn¡¯t imagine how much more his tender heart could bear. As a mother, all she could do was try to heal his wounds and let him grow up like a normal child, happy and carefree. But in the Reynolds family, where he could be frightened at any time, this healing was too difficult. Maybe a change of environment would bring about apletely different life. Seraphina had plenty of reasons, but she didn¡¯t know if these reasons would be enough to convince Leandro. ¡°I also hope that Valerio can grow up safely and happily,¡± Leandro said in a deep voice. Seraphina, who had been leaning against him, couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at him when she heard this. Leandro¡¯s eyes were deep, but when he said this, his tone was extremely firm and serious. Seraphina was taken aback for a moment. Leandro looked at her for a long time before finally speaking again, ¡°So, you can take Valerio to Summitville.¡± Seraphina¡¯s heart contracted suddenly. She had never mentioned this topic to Leandro before, but as soon as Leandro opened his mouth, he hit the nail on the head. Obviously, he had guessed her thoughts a long time ago, even the city she nned to go to, he had figured. She and Valerio had lived in Summitville for a while. There were familiar people and things there, and he had been very happy there. The harmony, warmth, and cozy vibe of the old house in Summitville were all the environment that Seraphina wanted to create for Valerio. That ce was indeed her first choice, but Leandro¡¯s attitude still made her a bit dazed, ¡°You agree?¡± Leandro looked at her, ¡°Valerio is also my child. If it¡¯s for his good, I have no reason to disagree.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Seraphina murmured, ¡°And in theing time, you would be very busy¡­ You wouldn¡¯t have much time to spend with Valerio¡­¡± She softly enumerated some reasons she had prepared in advance, but they seemed disjointed and lacking in confidence when she said them out loud. Seeing her like this, Leandro gently reminded her, ¡°I have already agreed.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Seraphina responded, then took a deep breath involuntarily before looking at him and saying, ¡°I can bring Valerio back on weekends.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°You can also visit us when you have time.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say for a moment, so she fell silent. Leandro then reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, saying softly, ¡°When things get sorted out, bring Valerio back.¡± Seraphina wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by ¡®things getting sorted out¡¯ or how long it would take. But she didn¡¯t ask, and she just responded softly, ¡°Okay.¡± Seraphina¡¯s n to take Valerio away was put into action the next day. Valerio initially thought that the trip that had been canceled the day before was back on. However, when he found out that they were going to Summitville, and that it would be just him and Seraphina, he was slightly disappointed. ¡°Dad¡¯s busy, and he¡¯lle find us as soon as he¡¯s done,¡± Seraphina reassured her son. ¡°And the kids back at the old house are all missing you, especially Susan. She¡¯s always asking when you¡¯lle find her.¡± Upon hearing his friend¡¯s name, Valerio smiled faintly and nodded. Conway, sitting nearby, found himself at a loss for words in this situation. Seraphina, however, scolded him first. ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t you dare break the rules when I¡¯m not around. I¡¯ll be calling every day to keep an eye on you and I¡¯ll be back on the weekends for spot checks. If you dare to mess around and not take care of your health, don¡¯t me me for being tough on you.¡± ¡°Look at her,¡± Conway said to the nanny, ¡°she treats me like I¡¯m a child, even smaller than Valerio!¡± 10:58 ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°If you don¡¯t behave, I¡¯ll even spank you!¡± At this. Conway yfully hit Seraphina with his walking stick. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a mother now, how dare you hit me?¡± Seraphina responded. ¡°Watch out, my son might avenge me!¡± ¡°Come here, Valerio, let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to avenge your mother,¡± Conway teased. Hearing his name, Valerio looked from Seraphina to Conway, then decisively leaned in and gave Conway a big kiss on the cheek. Conway¡¯s face immediately lighted up withughter, and the sadness of parting was subtly washed away in the yful banter. That day, Leandro left early in the morning and didn¡¯t return until after Seraphina and Valerio have left. Their travel ns were arranged by Keen, who informed Leandro when it¡¯s time for them to depart. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, your wife and Valerio are off to the airport,¡± he said. ¡°Okay,¡± Leandro responded without looking up from his papers. Keen hesitated before asking, ¡°Do you want to see them off at the airport?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Leandro replied without raising his head. Keen, having been dismissed, quietly left the room. Once the office door was closed, Leandro finished reviewing the document in hand before lifting his gaze. After a moment of silence, he picked up his phone and called Seraphina on video chat. The call was quickly picked up and Seraphina and Valerio appear on screen from the backseat of their car. ¡°It¡¯s your dad,¡± Seraphina handed the phone to Valerio. ¡°Tell him to hurry up ande find us.¡± Valerio, blinking at the phone for a moment, eventually uttered two words, ¡°Dad¡­ Dad¡­¡± Leandro smiled and replied, ¡°Take good care of your mom. I¡¯lle find you as soon as I¡¯m done with work.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina was taken aback. It¡¯s a familiar phrase-Carney had said the same to her before he passed, asking her to take care of her mother. Carney¡¯s deep love for Magdalen made him worry more about her than Seraphina when he couldn¡¯t be there. Was it the same for Leandro now, was he more worried about her? Lost in thought, Seraphina was jolted back to reality when Valerio handed the phone back to her. ¡°Message me when you arrive,¡± Leandro instructed, not mentioning anything else. ¡°Okay,¡± Seraphina agreed. ¡°Call me anytime,¡± he added. ¡°Alright,¡± she assented. ¡°Good,¡± Leandro concluded, ¡°I¡¯ll get back to work now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Seraphina handed the phone back to Valerio, ¡°say bye.¡± Valerio said ¡°bye¡± into the phone, then hung up the call. The video chat was light and casual, as if the family of three would be reunited in just a couple of hours. That¡¯s exactly what Leandro intended. After all, this separation was hardly a separation-they were just apart for a short while, Everything remained the same, except for their physical presence. There was no need to stress or make a big deal out of it. A message, a call, a video chat, were all methods ofmunication for them, but also¡­ proof that they¡¯d never truly been separated. Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Seraphina and Valerio returned to their old home in Summitville, a quaint little town that seemed to have been frozen in time. Before their arrival, Leandro had already arranged for the house to be cleaned up. By the time Seraphina and Valerio arrived, their neighbors had already showered them with gifts and the Manleys had prepared a hearty pot roast dinner, waiting for them to join. Despite having been away for a while, Valerio had yet to forget everything here. He was thrilled to see the familiar faces of the Manleys and other neighbors, quickly settling back into the rhythm of the town. ¡°Are you here for the summer break? Bringing Valerio for a short stay?¡± Mr. Manley asked Seraphina. ¡°No.¡± Seraphina answered truthfully, ¡°We might settle down here for a while.¡± Mr. Manley seemed surprised. ¡°And what about Valerio¡¯s father?¡± ¡°He has to work, of course.¡± Seraphina said, ¡°But he will visit us whenever he can.¡± Hearing this, Mr. Manley breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°I thought something had happened.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°If something did happen, you can give him a piece of your mind when he visits, Mr. Manley.¡± ¡°Ha, not a chance.¡± Mr. Manley said, ¡°You look radiant. It¡¯s clear how good he is to you. It¡¯s not my ce to lecture him. I¡¯d be afraid of getting a talking-to myself for not looking after you two well enough.¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Seraphinaughed. On their first day back in Summitville, Valerio slept soundly while Seraphina suffered from a bout of insomnia. The next day, she took Valerio on a leisurely tour around town and to visit his soon-to-be school. Given it was a private international school, Seraphina handpicked the ss that had minimum students for Valerio to facilitate his integration and make new friends. Considering Valerio¡¯s current situation, the school¡¯s teachers drew up a tailored teaching n for him. After reviewing the proposal, Seraphina felt satisfied. Valerio also seemed to get along well with his new teachers, so they settled on the school. As it was the summer break, Seraphina and Valerio spent their days at ease, strolling around the town¡¯s small streets andnes, enjoying the tranquility that Summitville offered. The rest of their time was spent with Valerio¡¯s new ymates. In just a couple of days, Valerio was already able to utter simple sentences. Although his voice was still a little rough, it was already much better than when he had just started speaking. Every evening, video calls with Leandro became Valerio¡¯s speaking practice. From simple greetings to recounting his daily activities, Valerio made significant progress. ¡°When are youing to see me and mommy?¡± Valerio asked during a video call. ¡°In a couple of days, daddy wille and apany you to your new school, okay?¡± Leandro replied with a smile. Valerio nodded eagerly. Seraphina, sitting next to him, lightly tapped his forehead, ¡°Speak up, don¡¯t just nod.¡± Valerio immediately replied with enthusiasm, ¡°Okay!¡± His voice was so forceful that it sounded distorted. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, giving him a peck on the cheek before turning back to Leandro on the screen, ¡°In two days¡­ You¡¯ll really be able toe?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Leandro answered, ¡°There¡¯s nothing major at work. I can take a day or two off.¡± A slight smile crept onto Seraphina¡¯s face, ¡°Alright.¡± Seeing her smile, Leandro returned a small one of his own. Once Leandro made a promise, Valerio couldn¡¯t wait for his arrival. However, before Leandro could make it, an unexpected guest showed up. Seeing the unexpected visitor, Seraphina nearly dropped her jaw, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Herman, dressed in casual attire and carrying a bunch of bags, seemed slightly ufortable in the face of the surprised Seraphina and Valerio. ¡°I was on a business trip to Summitville, thought I¡¯d drop by and visit you and Valerio.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ quite a surprise.¡± Seraphina moved aside to let him in, ¡°Come in.¡± Upon entering, Herman briefly scanned the room before asking. ¡°Where¡¯s Valerio?¡± ¡°He¡¯s ying with his friends next door,¡± Seraphina said as she poured him a ss of water. ¡°Hmm.¡± Herman nodded, taking the water from Seraphina and ncing around the room again. Seraphina nced at him, not asking anything, and began to unpack the things Herman had brought. Among them were some food items, a bunch of books, and toys that were too young for Valerio. Picking up a toddler¡¯s Whac-A-Mole toy, she said, ¡°Can you put a little more thought into your gifts next time? This is clearly for 2 to 3-year-olds. Do you think my son is 2 or 3?¡± Herman coughed lightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention¡­ I thought all children¡¯s toys were the same¡­¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°Luckily, there are children in the neighborhood who would enjoy these toys. They won¡¯t go to waste.¡± Herman nodded in agreement, pausing for a moment before asking. ¡°Has Leandro stopped by to see you guys?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Seraphina replied, busying herself with tidying up the room. ¡°He¡¯s been tied up with work. Maybe he¡¯ll swing by when he¡¯s less busy.¡± As she spoke, she sneaked a nce at Herman, noticing his distracted expression. She decided to keep the conversation casual, answering his questions without prying. ¡°You guys settling in okay?¡± Herman asked, ¡°Must be a bit lonely without familiar faces around.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been fine.¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°We¡¯ve met so many neighbors, you wouldn¡¯t believe it. You should see Valerio; he¡¯s practically made friends with everyone.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good.¡± Herman replied, his gaze wandering around the room. ¡°This ce is a bit small, though¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us. It¡¯s more than enough.¡± ¡°What if you have guests over?¡± ¡°Guests?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, ¡°People know better than to befriend a troublemaker like me. And no one would bother to visit¡­¡± Before she could finish, Herman interrupted her, ¡°Isn¡¯t Andrea your friend?¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Looking at his eager expression, Seraphina had to suppress a giggle. She kept her face serious as she replied, ¡°Andrea was my friend. But we had a falling out a few days ago. 11.361 We¡¯re not on speaking terms anymore.¡± ¡°A falling out?¡± Herman was taken aback, ¡°But she was at the hospital with you when Valerio was admitted!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s when it happened.¡± Seraphina said, feigning seriousness, ¡°You¡¯ve always been telling me to keep my distance from her. You should be happy.¡± Herman looked at her skeptically, ¡°You two seemed to be best friends, and now you¡¯ve fallen out just like that?¡± ¡°Easye, easy go.¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s like rtionships. Female friendships are no different.¡± Herman frowned slightly, ¡°What exactly happened?¡± ¡°Why are you so nosy?¡± Seraphina shot him a look, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Herman looked a bit taken aback, ¡°Can¡¯t I be concerned about you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re concerned about me?¡± Seraphina feigned surprise, ¡°You should tell Leandro that. See if he will punch you!¡± Herman quickly sat up straight, ¡°Stop thinking nonsense! Leandro won¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Seraphina gave him a dismissive nce, about to tease him some more when she heard familiar footsteps approaching. Soon, Valerio¡¯s small figure appeared in the doorway, holding onto arger hand. Before even entering, he called out to Seraphina, ¡°Aunt Andrea¡¯s here!¡± In the room, Herman stiffened and looked towards the door. Andrea, who was holding Valerio¡¯s hand, seemed surprised to see Herman. She paused before breaking into a smile, ¡°You have a guest?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a guest.¡± Seraphina dismissed, ¡°Just passing by. What brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m attending a productunch.¡± Andrea replied, ¡°Thought I¡¯d drop by to see you guys.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Seraphina drew out the word, ¡°So you¡¯re on a business trip too?¡± Catching the emphasis on ¡®too¡¯, Andrea nced at Herman, who quickly averted his gaze and shot Seraphina an annoyed look. She had seriously told him that she and Andrea were no longer friends, and he had almost believed her! Seraphina shrugged, and when they were talking, Valerio had already released Andrea¡¯s hand and had run to Herman, shouting out each syble with great emphasis, ¡°Her-man!¡± This was the first time Herman had heard Valerio speak. Caught by surprise, he paused for a moment before hurriedly responding. ¡°I have brought you some gifts¡­¡± he said with a soft smile. Seemingly attached by a string, Valerio¡¯s gaze fixated on the pile of presents. Meanwhile, Andrea¡¯s loving eyes followed Valerio, Herman¡¯s eyes gently rested upon Andrea, and Seraphina she, of course, was watching Herman. To Seraphina, the situation was truly amusing. She amused herself by stirring the bowl, so she suggested, ¡°It¡¯s rare for you all to visit at the same time! Why don¡¯t we all go out for a nice lunch?¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Andrea replied before Herman could answer, ¡°I have an eventter. I barely managed to carve out an hour for this visit. Please, proceed without me.¡± Herman¡¯s face fell slightly at her response. Chapter 431 Chapter 431 When Andrea spoke those words, a frown creased Seraphina¡¯s face. ¡°Just go then,¡± Seraphina said with a scowl. ¡°And if you leave, don¡¯t bothering back to us.¡± Although Valerio was exceptionally good at adapting to new surroundings, the sight of someone from his past brought a unique sense of security. So when he heard Andrea was leaving, he immediately stood up and reached out to take her hand. ¡°Auntie Andrea¡­¡± he whispered, his eyes shimmering like pools of clear water, his expression the epitome of forlorn. Andrea found it so hard to leave him. She paused, then silently nodded in agreement. Andrea might have agreed to stay for dinner, but she hardly exchanged a word with Herman, sticking close to Valerio instead, showing him the clothes and gifts she had brought for him. Herman sat quietly to the side, his gaze almost unabashedly fixed on Andrea. And yet, Andrea didn¡¯t so much as nce his way. Clearly agitated, Herman couldn¡¯t help but step outside to light up a cigarette. Seraphina had just been over at the neighbor¡¯s for a visit and caught sight of him standing at the door, smoking, his brows deeply furrowed. The sight made Seraphina smirk. Herman caught her schadenfreude and shot her a re. ¡°Oh, ring at me now?¡± Seraphina teased. ¡°You really ought to be thanking me, you know. If my son and I hadn¡¯t intervened, do you honestly believe Andrea would have stuck around?¡± Herman responded without a change in his frosty demeanor. Seraphina snorted. ¡°Fine, maybe I got it wrong. Maybe you don¡¯t want her to stay? I can go and send her on her way right now if that¡¯s what you want.¡± Herman reached out and grabbed her arm at those words, and Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± Seraphina asked. ¡°Is there something going on between you two that I don¡¯t know about? I remember you weren¡¯t too fond of her before. Did you chase her all the way to Summitville this time?¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯m here on business,¡± Herman said. ¡°Sure, keep ying tough,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to open up, don¡¯t me me when I don¡¯t help you out.¡± She turned to head inside, but Herman grabbed her again. Seraphina thought he might finally have something to say, but Herman instead asked, ¡°Why does Valerio call her ¡®Auntie¡¯?¡± Seraphina stopped short, then finally said, ¡°She¡¯s close to me, so my son calls her whatever he likes. Why, is that your business too?¡± ¡°Is she as close as Sandra Smith was to you?¡± Herman pressed. Seraphina huffed and crossed her arms, offering no reply. With Herman¡¯s detective instincts, it was telling that he only now sensed something amiss, which spoke volumes of his previous disdain for Andrea. The more profound his disdain had been, the more interesting his current interest appeared. ¡°It¡¯s just a form of address; no need to get worked up,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°Besides, that¡¯s not really what you¡¯re concerned about right now, is it?¡± Herman looked at her silently for a moment, not saying another word. Indeed, at this stage, the exact nature of Seraphina and Andrea¡¯s rtionship wasn¡¯t of any real consequence to him. What he was focused on was only¡­ Just as Herman was about to speak, the door opened, and Andrea emerged with Valerio, looking calmly at the two of them before saying slowly, ¡°Valerio¡¯s hungry.¡± ¡°Ah, well then, let¡¯s get going,¡± Seraphina announced cheerfully. ¡°Let¡¯s grab some food!¡± Herman gave Andrea another look, still without saying a word. With Seraphina and Valerio around, the meal passed without Herman getting a chance to speak to Andrea privately. And Seraphina, oblivious to any inconvenience she might be causing, chatted away with Andrea, almostpletely ignoring Herman. It wasn¡¯t until the bill was paid and they were ready to leave that Seraphina seemed to remember her good conscience, suggesting to Andrea, ¡°Don¡¯t you have to get back to work? Let Herman give you a ride.¡± Herman, who had been disinterested until now, suddenly perked up at this suggestion. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Andrea said quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll just take a cab. Mr. Herman is here on business, unfamiliar with the ce-it wouldn¡¯t be right to trouble him.¡± Herman spoke up, casual but firm, ¡°My grandfather¡¯s house is actually in Summitville. I practically grew up here, so I know the ce quite well.¡± Andrea stiffened slightly. Seraphinaughed outright, ¡°Well, that settles it then. You can drop Andrea off at work, and if you¡¯re free in the evening, bring her over to my ce. We can have dinner together again.¡± Herman looked at Andrea and said simply, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you.¡± Andrea nced at Seraphina, eventually didn¡¯t say anything. She got up and left with Herman. Seraphina watched them go, her expression one of someone enjoying a spectacle. ¡°Does Herman like Auntie Andrea?¡± Valerio asked, looking up at her. Seraphinaughed again. Whether they liked each other or not, she wasn¡¯t sure. But there was definitely something tangled up between them. Herman had made a special trip to Summitville, and she saw no reason not to lend a hand to this clueless man. As for the specifics of their situation, she¡¯d just have to wait for one of them toe forward and fill her in. Herman hadn¡¯t been lying; Summitville was indeed his granddad¡¯s hometown, and he had grown up there, which meant he knew every corner of the town center like the back of his hand. Andrea sat in the passenger seat of his car, watching him navigate the familiar streets with ease, yet she remained silent as the grave. 11:42 Still not talking, huh?¡± After enduring the stifling silence, Herman finally couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and spoke up to break the ice. A glint of resignation shed in Andrea¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, but you just don¡¯t want to believe me.¡± Before she could finish, the car¡¯s stereo suddenly jumped to a song that was all too familiar to both of them- ¡°In the dead of night, gazing at the stars alone, the stars remain constant every night, shining brightly¡­¡± Herman¡¯s face went through a quick session of emotions, then he challenged, ¡°How do you exin this song, then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± Andrea replied. ¡°It¡¯s a ssic, loved by many, including me. Just like you¡ª¡± ¡°Then why have you been avoiding me since that night?¡± Andrea gave a wry smile tinged with helplessness. ¡°Because I know my ce, Mr. Herman. I¡¯m well aware of how you feel about me. Why would I bother showing up just to be a nuisance?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Herman was momentarily lost for words, then added, ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± Andrea responded tly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s ttering.¡± Herman was nearly at his boiling point with her indifferent attitude. He was about to give up on the conversation when, momentster, he involuntarily asked, ¡°Was it really you that night?¡± ¡°No.¡± Andrea¡¯s answer was simple and direct. The car came to a stop at a red light, and Herman turned to look at her for a long while, finally nodding slowly, resigned. ¡°Okay.¡± He said no more, asked no more, and drove in silence to the hotel where Andrea was staying. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, turned to him with a ¡°Thanks,¡± and stepped out of the car. Herman remained in the driver¡¯s seat, not watching her leave. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. As Andrea entered the hotel through the revolving door, Herman couldn¡¯t help but turn and watch her go. Despite her denials, he was determined to find out if she was the one from that night seven years ago! Back at the family home, Seraphina yed with Valerio for a bit before his naptime arrived, and he drifted off to sleep in his bed, content and peaceful. Seraphina sat alone on the couch, scrolling through the news on her iPad while waiting for something. Sure enough, about forty minutester, there was a knock at her door. She set the tablet aside, opened the door with a beaming smile, and said, ¡°Back from dropping off Andrea, are you?¡± Herman stood at the doorway, his gaze somewhat somber. Seeing his mood, Seraphina knew he had hit a wall. Andrea¡¯s aloof nature wasn¡¯t going to make things easy for him, and she wasn¡¯t surprised. With Valerio asleep, they sat down by the stone table in the courtyard. Seraphina had prepared some fruit-infused iced tea, ready to relish the drama. As she cracked open a bag of popcorn, she beckoned to Herman, ¡°Spill it.¡± Herman couldn¡¯t help but re at her before he began, ¡°I suspect she¡¯s someone I met seven years ago-¡± ¡°Seven years back?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow. ¡°That long ago?¡± He nodded and continued, ¡°Right after I graduated from the police academy, my supervisor saw potential in me and assigned me to an undercover operation.¡± Seraphina¡¯s interest peaked. Herman, young and fearless, had been tasked with infiltrating a particrly vicious gang to gather evidence of their crimes. In such a world, the more you stood out, the faster you climbed the ranks. Herman knew the game well, starting from the bottom and quickly making a name for himself, climbing thedder at lightning speed. But being young and inexperienced, he naturally made a few enemies along the way. Plenty of people tried to trip him up, most of which he could deftly avoid or foresee, except for one time when he got caught off guard at a bar and was drugged. Seraphina¡¯s ears perked up at the story, ¡°Such a lowbrow trick?¡± ¡°Those who resort to such means aren¡¯t exactly high-ss,¡± Herman replied. ¡°And after the drugs?¡± she asked. ¡°What kind of prettydy did they set for you?¡± He smirked bitterly, ¡°It was a guy, not a woman.¡± Seraphina nearly choked on her tea, coughing uproariously. ¡°I sensed something was off before I totally lost it and managed to dodge that bullet,¡± Herman exined. ¡°But after that, I met a woman¡­¡± Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Seraphina instantly snapped back to reality, her gaze sharp as she locked eyes with Herman. ¡°Andrea?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Herman shrugged, a hint of confusion in his voice. ¡°She says it wasn¡¯t her.¡± In truth, that fateful night, he had staggered out of the private room, using thest shred of his sanity to avoid the prying eyes. Beyond that, his memory was a blur. When he finally came to, he found himself lying on a bed in one of the club¡¯s private rooms. He didn¡¯t know what they had slipped into his drink. Slowly regaining consciousness, his body felt incredibly heavy and his head throbbed with pain. He didn¡¯t know what he had done, or where he was. All he could recall was a voice echoing in his ears, ¡°In the dead of night, gazing at the stars alone, the stars remain constant every night, shining brightly¡­¡± That song yed on repeat, starting and stopping, haunting him. He desperately wanted to open his eyes and see where he was, why this one song kept ying over and over again. Until a woman¡¯s voice suddenly reced the voice from the song. Through his haze, he heard the woman speaking, as if on a phone call. But he couldn¡¯t make out the words, nor could he muster the strength to open his eyes and take a closer look, before slipping back into a heavy sleep. When he awoke again, it was afternoon and the room was bathed in sunlight¡­ mixed with the scent of debauchery. He was alone in the room, his clothes and shoes scattered across the floor. Pulling back the covers, the white sheets were speckled with stains of blood red, a silent testament to the forgotten events of the night before. In that instant, he realized what he had done, and a cold sweat broke out across his back. He had been intimate with a girl, the specifics of whose identity were unknown to him. After that day, he went to great lengths to find out who the girl was but to no avail. It was as if she had appeared for just one night in his life and then vanished without a trace. All that remained was that song, ¡°By the silence of the night, gazing at stars so bright, unchanged they shine each night, their glow forever in sight¡­¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Perhaps the song had yed too many times during his moments of confusion, but it deeply imprinted itself in his mind. He grew to like the song, ying it for years. The day Andrea had a reaction to the song in his car, he hadn¡¯t made any connection. To him, Andrea had always been a calcting and scheming woman, so he couldn¡¯tprehend linking her to the girl from that night. Later, when he discovered Andrea used the song as her ringtone, he asked her about it. She said she had heard it in his car and liked it, so she set it as her ringtone. At the time, he even felt a twinge of anger, thinking such a woman didn¡¯t deserve to use this song as her ringtone. Until that day in Valerio¡¯s hospital room when he saw her again. Seeing her so close to Seraphina and Valerio, even Conway and Leandro didn¡¯t seem to mind her presence, he grew suspicious of her cunning. He offered to apany her to buy fruit, trying to probe deeper into this woman¡¯s intentions. But Andrea was so indifferent to him. Whatever he asked, she replied with the most straightforward answers, not a word more. When her phone rang again in the market, Herman heard that familiar song once more. His irritation red-this woman still used that song as her ringtone! He couldn¡¯t help but nce at her, only to see another woman in the shop approaching and tapping her on the shoulder. ¡°Andrea!¡± the woman eximed with a smile. ¡°I knew it was you the moment I heard that ringtone! You¡¯ve been using that song for so many years; you¡¯re so sentimental!¡± Andrea greeted the woman with a faint smile. ¡°Tina, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Indeed! It¡¯s been years since we graduated! If it weren¡¯t for your ringtone jogging my memory today, we might have passed each other by again!¡± The two were college friends, and their chance meeting naturally led to a warm exchange. Meanwhile, Herman stood frozen, lost in his thoughts. ¡°Wow, recreating the Cindere story, are you?¡± Seraphina said with a smirk. ¡°Just like the prince uses a crystal heel to find Cindere, you¡¯re frantically looking for a girl attached to a song-if she really is Andrea, should I be congratting you?¡± ¡°If it is her, why would she vehemently deny it?¡± Herman pondered. ¡°Maybe it really is just a coincidence, and it¡¯s not her at all.¡± ¡°A song that old, and she had used for seven years-if that¡¯s a coincidence¡­¡± Seraphina shrugged, popping a handful of popcorn into her mouth. ¡°Then that¡¯s quite the coincidence.¡± Herman turned away without a word, but Seraphina leaned in, her curiosity piqued. ¡°So, let me interview you. Do you hope it¡¯s her, or do you hope it¡¯s not?¡± Herman exhaled sharply, ¡°I¡¯m frustrated enough as it is, don¡¯t ask me that.¡± 1 ¡°Hmm, feeling frustrated?¡± Seraphina teased. ¡°That means you wouldn¡¯t be happy if Andrea was the girl. Got it, I know the answer now.¡± Herman shot her an annoyed nce. ¡°How can you know anything from what I haven¡¯t said? Stop jumping to conclusions and spreading fake news!¡± ¡°I¡¯m all about the facts,¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°You know what¡¯s in your heart.¡± ; Herman fell silent again. What did he truly feel? The girl he¡¯d been haunted by for seven years, the girl he¡¯d been searching for with a guilty conscience, revtion was bitter to swallow. urned out to be a woman he had disliked for a long time. The If she had just admitted it, he could have found a clear answer. But her steadfast denial left him in agonizing uncertainty, his emotions in turmoil. How could he even begin to think about anything else? ¡°So, can you ask her for me, whether it¡¯s really her or not?¡± Herman finally Seraphina sighed softly, ¡°If I ask her, she¡¯ll know it¡¯s on your behalf. If she won¡¯t it¡¯s not her.¡± t it to you, why w I she tell me the truth? Anyway, if she won¡¯t confess, just assume Herman ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He wished he could just let it go. If it wasn¡¯t her, everything could return to normal, and everyone would be at ease. But that song was an inexplicable coincidence he simply couldn¡¯t ignore. Even now, the faint connections that once seemed to exist between her and Leandro appeared to involve him- Back in the day, Leandro and Andrea were set up on a blind date by some well-intentioned friends. Leandro wasn¡¯t smitten, but Andrea seemed to have taken a liking to him. Rumor had it that she even reached out to Leandro a few times afterward. Then, at one of those swanky private gatherings, Herman happened to be there with Leandro. Coincidentally, Andrea was at the same club and came over to greet Leandro. That was the first time Herman had everid eyes on Andrea. And it was after that encounter that Andrea reportedly cut ties with Leandro. Everyone assumed it was because Leandro wasn¡¯t into her, and so the end of their brief connection seemed only natural. But now, upon reflection, could it be that she had recognized Herman at that party and, upon realizing his close bond with Leandro, decided to step back from her pursuit of Leandro? Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Herman couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was onto the truth of the matter, and the more he thought about it, the more he couldn¡¯t let it go. ¡°Could you just ask her for me? See what she says,¡± Herman pondered aloud after mulling it over, ¡°She might say something different to you than she would to me.¡± Seraphina could hardly contain her amusement at his obsessive behavior, ¡°And if it really is her, what do you n to do? Step up and take responsibility? Be her boyfriend? Marry her?¡± Herman was taken aback at the suggestion. He had been so focused on confirming whether Andrea was indeed the girl from seven years ago, he hadn¡¯t considered Seraphina¡¯s implications at all. ¡°At the very least¡­ I could have a chance to exin things to her, and, well, apologize,¡± Herman said finally. Seraphina sighed softly and said, ¡°Believe me, after something like that, no woman cares about your apology.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Herman paused, then continued slowly, ¡°But to me, it matters a lot.¡± Seraphina looked up, meeting his gaze for a moment before finally nodding. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask her for you,¡± Seraphina conceded, ¡°But I can¡¯t promise you what the oue will be.¡± Herman fell silent upon hearing this, not responding further. As dusk settled, Andrea arrived at Seraphina¡¯s ce for another meeting with Seraphina, having been invited once again. Seraphina had brought home a few takeout dishes from a local diner, creating a simple but decent dinner spread. Upon entering, Andrea¡¯s gaze seemed to wander, as if searching for something. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Seraphina assured her, ¡°Herman was chased away by me earlier. He¡¯s not here.¡± Andrea gave her a deep look and settled down to chat with little Valerio. However, Seraphina quickly sent Valerio off to find his friends and y. ¡°Isn¡¯t he eating?¡± Andrea inquired. ¡°With all the snacks those kids bring him daily, he¡¯s hardly ever hungry,¡± Seraphina chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. Just take care of yourself.¡± Andrea nced at her before quietly starting her meal. ¡°You know, I heard a fairy tale this afternoon. Would you like to hear it?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Andrea responded without looking up. ¡°Well, I want to tell it, Seraphina insisted, and began recounting the story Herman had shared with her that afternoon. Andrea continued eating as she listened, her expression unchanged even after the story ended. ¡°He¡¯s been carrying guilt and remorse for seven years, which is hard enough,¡± Seraphinamented, ¡°Wanting to know who he hurt is understandable, right?¡± Andrea nodded calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, is it you?¡± Seraphina asked cautiously. ¡°No,¡± Andrea replied without hesitation. Seeing Andrea¡¯s dismissive attitude, Seraphina smiled faintly and dropped the subject. After a meal that seemed tock vor, Andrea excused herself to return to work. Seraphina didn¡¯t stop her, only smiling as she saw her out. At the doorstep, Andrea paused, looking back at Seraphina with suspicion, ¡°Why do I get the feeling you¡¯re up to no good?¡± ¡°Come on,¡± Seraphina raised her fingers in a gesture of innocence, ¡°We¡¯re family. If I had a scheme, it wouldn¡¯t be against you. Just like¡­ you would lie to anyone else, but you wouldn¡¯t lie to me, right?¡± Andrea paused briefly at Seraphina¡¯s words and then walked out without another word. Just as she stepped out, she caught sight of a tall figure lingering at the curb. Andrea¡¯s steps faltered, and she turned to confront Seraphina, only to see Seraphina quickly duck back inside and m the door shut. Biting back her frustration, Andrea headed toward the street. Herman had been waiting by the roadside for a long time, looking back repeatedly until he finally saw Andrea approaching. Her expression was stoic as she faced him, walking up directly. ¡°Mr. Herman,¡± she started before he could speak, ¡°I¡¯ve just heard your story from Seraphina¡­ I understand how you feel, but I must reiterate, I am not the person you¡¯re looking for.¡± The streemp¡¯s glow was obscured by the overhanging trees, casting a dim light that only the passing headlights asionally brightened, illuminating Herman¡¯s face. He looked moreposed than before, his previous anxiety reced with a quiet intensity as he gazed at Andrea. After a long silence, he spoke softly, ¡°It might not be you, but there are things on my mind I need to say. Could you listen?¡± Andrea was silent for a moment before replying, ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± Herman continued to look at her as he spoke, ¡°Seven years ago, that night, I wronged a girl. I¡¯ve been guilty ever since, I tried to find her, to make it up to her, to apologize. But I¡¯vee to realize that in these seven years, she may have moved on with her life. By bringing up the past, I might be causing her more pain. The wrong I did is mine to bear, and I have no right to impose my apology on her. So, I won¡¯t be pursuing this any further. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble I¡¯ve caused you and for everything that¡¯s happened¡± Andrea paused, then offered a slight smile, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯vee to terms with it. I ept your apology. It¡¯s okay.¡± Herman nodded slowly and then offered, ¡°Let me walk you home.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Andrea stated tly. ¡°We were strangers to begin with. There¡¯s no point in holding a grudge over a simple misunderstanding. You don¡¯t owe me anything. I can get home on my own.¡± Herman was taken aback, speechless in the face of her cool dismissal. Behind the door, Seraphina leaned against the wood, her thoughts racing uncontrobly. She knew that Herman had been waiting outside for Andrea, and she also knew that after tonight¡¯s conversation, perhaps the whole ordeal woulde to an end. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Despite Andrea¡¯s aloofness, which seemed so out of character, if this was her decision, Seraphina knew she had no right to intervene. All she could hope for was that Andrea truly didn¡¯t care, or that she really wasn¡¯t the girl from seven years ago. Lost in her thoughts, Seraphina was startled by a knock at the door. Had their talk ended so soon? As she turned to open the door, Seraphina began to exin to Andrea, ¡°I told you, we¡¯re family, I would never betray-¡± But standing before her wasn¡¯t Andrea. It was Leandro, with his tall and regal stature, who upon hearing her words, spoke slowly, ¡°I¡¯m d to hear you¡¯re so principled.¡± Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Seraphina thought it was Andreaing back to settle scores, but when she opened the door, to her surprise, it was Leandro standing there. She froze for a second before pushing past Leandro and stepping outside to nce down the alley. The roadside spot where Herman had been standing was now empty, save for the sporadic passerby in a hurry. ¡°Where on earth did he disappear to so quickly?¡± Seraphina muttered to herself. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Leandro, feeling like he¡¯d been left out in the cold, looked from Seraphina back to Keen, who was standing behind him. Keen got the hint ¨C Leandro was wondering if he had somehow turned invisible. Of course, Seraphina had seen them; her reaction was just¡­ unexpected. ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Keen called out, trying to salvage the situation, ¡°Mr. Reynolds made time toe over to see you and Valerio.¡± Only then did Seraphina turn back, giving him a quick nce before responding, ¡°I know, he¡¯s not exactly hard to miss, is he?¡± Keen felt unjustly rebuked and rubbed his nose, feeling a bit slighted. Seraphina then gave Leandro another look, her voice tinged with annoyance, ¡°Well,e on in!¡± Leandro stood there for a moment, a frown etching his brow, before finally stepping inside. Back in the living room, Seraphina was scrolling through her phone, not even bothering to look up as Leandro entered. ¡°Where¡¯s Valerio?¡± he asked. Without looking up, Seraphina replied, ¡°He¡¯s ying next door. Go find him yourself.¡± Leandro did just that, not without giving her a long, searching look ¨C which Seraphina pointedly ignored, engrossed in her phone. Leandro strode forward and snatched the phone from her hands. ¡°Hey-¡± Seraphina protested, looking up at him with irritation. He simply extended his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She eyed his hand for a moment before reluctantly cing hers in his and followed him out to find Valerio. As they opened the door, they saw Keen chatting with her bodyguard- ¡°Is thedy in a bad moodtely?¡± ¡°No, I think she¡¯s been rather cheerful today.¡± ¡°Then why did she look so sour when Mr. Reynolds arrived?¡± ¡°Um,¡± the bodyguard cleared his throat awkwardly, ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°Could it be menopause?¡± Keen muttered under his breath. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that can really-¡± The bodyguard frantically signaled Keen to stop, but it was toote. Sure enough, Seraphina¡¯s voice, t and unemotional, followed, ¡°You seem to know a lot about women.¡± Keen didn¡¯t expect them to re-emerged so fast and was caught off guard. He blushed with embarrassment. Seraphina, on the other hand, would have loved to crack open his head with a hammer, but Leandro seemed utterly unconcerned, pulling her hand as he walked towards the front gate. Keen was far from reassured. Seraphina kept looking back at him, even raising her hand in a threatening gesture. In that instant, Keen felt a chill run down his spine. Leandro, taking Seraphina with him, went next door to bring Valerio back home. Valerio lit up at the sight of Leandro, leaping into his arms and refusing to let go. The father and son hadn¡¯t had much physical closeness in days, they had been only catching up over the phone. Valerio clung to Leandro, eager to tell him all about his adventures. Leandro listened with joy as Valerio chattered away, his speech bing smoother and his voice stronger. Valerio had hit his chattiest day since he started talking. Seraphina wasn¡¯t really in the mood to listen to his endless babble, so she yed with her phone.. Since Leandro¡¯s arrival, the they hadn¡¯t spoken much, and that didn¡¯t change until Valerio was sound asleep. Once he had Valerio tucked in bed, fast asleep, Leandro finally turned to look at Seraphina, who remained seated on the couch. She was watching a show and inadvertently met his gaze, she asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°If I¡¯d known that this would be your attitude after not seeing me for a few days-¡± Leandro began. Seraphina snorted softly, looking at him provocatively, ¡°Regretting it? Toote!¡± But in the next moment, Leandro pulled her into his embrace and whispered, ¡°I should at least know what taboo I¡¯ve broken, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no taboo,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°I just simply don¡¯t like the look of you-haven¡¯t seen you in days, and you¡¯ve gotten less handsome.¡± 09:52 Leandro looked deeply into her eyes, ¡°Was I ever handsome to you?¡± ¡°No!¡± she denied vehemently. ¡°You¡¯re not handsome at all!¡± Despite her critique, Leandro wasn¡¯t offended. Instead, he smiled slightly and leaned in to kiss her. At first, Seraphina dodged and squirmed, but soon she softened, leaning into Leandro¡¯s embrace and even responding to his advances. Feeling her cooperation, Leandro¡¯s heart swelled with happiness. It had been a while since he¡¯d been this close to her, not since the distressing incident with Valerio at the restaurant. And now, finally, they were reconnecting. Hunkered down desires, once they start fermenting, can get a little out of hand. By the time Seraphina snapped back to reality, Leandro was already gearing up to take things further. In a rush, Seraphina caught his hand, panting slightly as she spoke up, ¡°Stop, we can¡¯t.¡± Although their son, Valerio, was still a picture of innocence at seven, he was asleep right beside them. Seraphina wasn¡¯t one to throw caution to the wind. Leandro, understanding her concerns, nced at the bed and promptly grabbed a nearby throw nket, wrapping it around Seraphina to cover her completely. ¡°Seriously¡­¡± Seraphina continued to resist. Leandro didn¡¯t say much, just maintained their previous closeness, and before long, he had stirred Seraphina into a state of utter distraction. She had been determined to resist, but as he persisted, she inexplicably found her resolve crumbling, and before she knew it, he won. She was a mix of embarrassment, annoyance, and anxiety. In such a state, their intimacy only deepened. Suddenly, Leandro understood the reason for her coldness toward him that day. ¡°You missed me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Leandro held Seraphina tight, whispering into her ear with a low, stirring voice. At the sound of his murmurs, Seraphina¡¯s body softened even more. Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Miss him? How could she possibly miss him? She loathed the very thought. Seraphina opened her mouth to retaliate, but before she could form a word, other, unbidden sounds escaped her lips. She bit down on her lower lip, shocked into silence, ring at Leandro. Leandro met her gaze for a moment before leaning in again, sealing her protests with his kiss. In the velvety night, the room¡¯s temperature rose with their passion, slowly fermenting until it verged on the uncontroble¡­ When it was over, they remained entwined, Seraphina sitting atop Leandro, leaning against his shoulder, too breathless to move. 1 Leandro¡¯s hands were under the light duvet, tracing the delicate curve of her waist and drawing her even closer. Feeling the heat between them, Seraphina wanted to lift herself for some air, but her arms, resting on him,cked the strength. They wandered aimlessly over his skin instead. Neither wished to move just yet, so they stayed, lost in the silence. Seraphina¡¯s fingers found their way to his back, caressing his spine. ¡°You know why you look so rough?¡± Seraphina blurted out suddenly. ¡°Hmm?¡± Leandro nced at her profile. ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight,¡± she said. They had been apart for only a few days, and while she and Valerio had been living carefree in Summitville, Leandro¡¯s days in Sunburst City might not have been as kind. She thought of Gloria, but couldn¡¯t muster the energy to ask or care. Leandro sensed her thoughts, tightened his embrace, choosing not to spoil the moment with talk of troubles past. ¡°That¡¯s not a good look for a man,¡± Seraphina continued. A low chuckle rumbled in Leandro¡¯s chest, followed by, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± At hisughter, she couldn¡¯t help but give him a mock re. Leandro responded by gently kissing her eyes. The following day was Valerio¡¯s first day at his new school. Dressed in his crisp new uniform, he was bubbling with excitement, tugging both his parents along. While he loved the new environment, there was an undertone of nervousness. But Leandro¡¯s presence washed it away-having both his parents there was the greatestfort. Leandro and Seraphina spent the morning watching Valerio adapt, and he did so with ease. ¡°Valerio¡¯s got a good knack for this, just like me,¡± Seraphina boasted. Leandro gave her a look before saying, ¡°Being adaptable is good. I hope he adjusts just as quickly if we move back to Sunburst City.¡± Her expression shifted at his words, and she replied, ¡°Do you know when he might go back to a school in Sunburst City?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be long,¡± Leandro answered. And with that, they inevitably circled back to the topic of Gloria. Seraphina paused, then added, ¡°Valerio¡¯s happy here. There¡¯s nothing to scare him, nothing to worry about. I really don¡¯t want to see him back in that kind of environment-¡± ¡°Remember, I¡¯m looking out for him too,¡± Leandro interjected softly. She stopped, knowing he was right. If it weren¡¯t for his consideration, how could she have brought Valerio to Summitville so smoothly? Because of his attitude, she had felt awkward confronting him the night before. She had thought she knew him, could anticipate his every move and thought. But this time, he proved her wrong. She didn¡¯t understand himpletely. He could offer her and Valerio more than she had ever envisioned. With this in mind, she finally asked, ¡°How¡¯s your mother doing? Any improvement?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Leandro nodded slowly, ¡°I believe it won¡¯t be long before you and Valerio can return to Sunburst City.¡± She didn¡¯t respond immediately. Leandro looked out at Valerio ying in the schoolyard and reached out to hold Seraphina¡¯s hand. ¡°Do you want to go back?¡± he asked earnestly. Seraphina bit her lip, pulled her hand away, and turned her head, huffing, ¡°Sunburst City can¡¯tpare to the freedom of Summitville¡­¡± ¡°Right.¡± Leandro¡¯s voice was steady, unsurprised by her answer. She sighed and conceded, ¡°But Conway¡¯s getting older. I can¡¯t leave him all alone.. If you can sort out those messy situations, of course, I¡¯ll go back to keep himpany Leandro¡¯s gaze remained on Valerio, but at her words, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Chapter 436 Chapter 436 Leaving Valerio¡¯s school, Leandro had nned to take Seraphina to a cozy little bistro for lunch, but his ns were interrupted by a call from Herman. ¡°Leandro, you¡¯re in Summitville too?¡± Herman¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Let¡¯s grab some lunch together.¡± ¡°With you?¡± Leandro responded bluntly, ¡°No time for that.¡± He didn¡¯t visit Summitville often and certainly didn¡¯t want to waste his time with Herman. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina could hear Herman¡¯s whining through the phone and couldn¡¯t help but lean in close, cheek to cheek with Leandro, to listen in. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that,¡± Herman pleaded from the other end. ¡°I know you¡¯re here to see Seraphina and Valerio, but we haven¡¯t caught up in ages. A quick bite won¡¯t kill you, will it?¡± It would waste a lot of time. Leandro was about to say just that when Seraphina snatched the phone from his hand and chuckled softly, ¡°Tell me, are you looking to have lunch with Leandro or someone else? Because there¡¯s no one else with us.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± Herman responded, sounding like he was grinding his teeth. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, then said, ¡°Well, since you¡¯re so pitiful, we¡¯ll ept your lunch invitation. Send over the address.¡± After hanging up, Seraphina handed the phone back to Leandro, who finally spoke up, ¡°I don¡¯t recall agreeing to lunch with him.¡± ¡°But I did,¡± Seraphina nced at him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see him, we can go our separate ways. I don¡¯t mind at all.¡± Leandro remained silent, just pocketing his phone. Then Seraphina leaned in closer to him and added, ¡°The reason I agreed is that I know he¡¯s been feeling downtely. We should cheer him up.¡± ¡°Him? Feeling down?¡± Leandro echoed thoughtfully. ¡°Yeah,¡± Seraphina confirmed. ¡°He¡¯s had a breakup.¡± She proceeded to tell Leandro about the vague and elusive tangle between Herman and Andrea. ¡°You call that a breakup?¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°Herman has been carrying a torch for that girl for seven years, turned her ringtone into his favorite song. Was that all just out of guilt? Over these years, she became a part of his life. He spent seven years fantasizing about her, falling for this imagined girl. But now, this girl has be real. Maybe Andrea doesn¡¯t match his dreams, and to him, that feels like a breakup. Or maybe he could ept Andrea as she is, but if she outright denies it, that¡¯s a breakup to him too. So either way, he¡¯s heartbroken.¡± Leandro looked at her with a slightly furrowed brow, ¡°Since when did you be a rtionship expert?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been like this,¡± Seraphina imed. ¡°I¡¯m always logical and clear-headed when it¡¯s someone else¡¯s love life.¡± ¡°And when are you not logical or clear-headed?¡± Leandro pressed in a deeper tone. Seraphina turned her head to gaze out the window, ¡°I hope I never have to be like that again. So no matter what, I try to avoid it.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, just reached out and quietly held her hand. As a civil servant, Herman chose a modest diner for their lunch, but thankfully they had a private booth, which offered some peace and quiet. Upon entering, Seraphina noticed Herman looking behind her and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. At herugh, Herman quickly averted his gaze, ring at her uncontrobly. ¡°You really are heartless,¡± Seraphina teased. ¡°Here I am, bringing Leandro tofort you, and you re at me? You weren¡¯t like this when you were begging me yesterday! Talk about a fair-weather friend.¡± Herman was taken aback and turned to Leandro, who had taken a seat beside him, ¡°Comfort me about what?¡± ¡°Word is you¡¯ve had a breakup,¡± Leandro stated inly. Herman looked at Seraphina, baffled, ¡°What breakup?¡± Seraphina shrugged, ¡°Why do you looking behind me, do you want to see her again?¡± Herman¡¯s face darkened for a moment before he said, ¡°That¡¯s not it. I said what needed to be said to her yesterday. Whether that girl is her or not, I apologized¡­ I¡¯ve let go of that matter.¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow nonchntly, ¡°Well, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°I mean it,¡± Herman insisted, seeing her dismissive attitude. Seraphina threw up her hands in surrender, ¡°I believe you, why keep stressing it?¡± At that moment, Leandro chuckled quietly, covering his lips with his hand. Herman¡¯s face stiffened, and he fell silent, focusing on his meal. Seraphina nced triumphantly at Leandro, who met her gaze with an even broader smile. Herman realized inviting these two out had been a mistake, but what was done was done. He decided to just go with the flow and eventually asked Seraphina, ¡°Did she¡­ say anything to you afterward?¡± ¡°No,¡± Seraphina answered truthfully. ¡°Andrea is clear-headed, independent, and far more resilient than you¡¯d imagine. I can assure you, she¡¯s not as hung up as you are.¡± 09:37 Hearing this, Herman quietly bowed his head and asked no more questions. For a guy like Herman, nearly thirty years into life with almost zero romantic experiences-save for the girl of his fantasies-it was normal for him to struggle with this situation. Seraphina imed she came to comfort him, but she wasn¡¯t really worried about him spiraling. Herman was pushing his food around the te with a fork, his appetite lost somewhere between the tension and Seraphina¡¯s sharp tongue. Leandro, on the other hand, was barely nibbling at his food, but every time he nced at Seraphina, who seemed genuinely delighted by the meal, a subtle smile graced his lips. As soon as dinner wrapped up, Herman was itching to leave, to avoid further verbal sparring with Seraphina. But just as they were about to leave, his phone rang. After hanging up, Herman turned to Leandro and Seraphina, looking almost sheepish. ¡°My grandparents found out you were in town, so they want us toe over for dinner tonight.¡± Seraphina expected Leandro to decline, but after a moment¡¯s contemtion, he said, ¡°It has been a while since I¡¯ve seen them. Let¡¯s take Valerio and pay them a visit this evening.¡± That¡¯ll be nice,¡± Herman replied. ¡°Last time they saw you, you were a single dad¡­ Now you¡¯ve got a wife, and Valerio has a mom. They¡¯ll be over the moon for you.¡± Seraphina had always known that the Garcia family had deep military and political roots, with a roster of influential figures. But it wasn¡¯t until Leandro¡¯s car pulled into Herman¡¯s grandparents¡¯ estate that she realized the true stature of his family. The house looked like any other stately home, but the presence of sentries standing guard at the entrance and security patrols within the grounds spoke volumes. For Seraphina, this was whole new and fancy. Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Valerio was a boy with a heart for adventure, his eyes lighting up whenever he saw soldiers or police officers. He spent the entire car ride with his nose pressed against the window, saluting every uniform that passed by. Seraphina had never seen such fanfare either. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at Leandro and say, ¡°You never mentioned that Herman¡¯s grandparents lived like¡­ well, like this¡­¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°It was never a secret, Leandro replied casually. ¡°So I never felt the need to bring it up.¡± ¡°And how did you get connected with them, living all the way out in Summitville?¡± Seraphina asked hurriedly, as the car began to slow down. Leandro turned to her with a smile. ¡°When the Reynolds Group was struggling, how could I possibly turn it around all by myself? I had to rely on some heavy hitters along the way.¡± ¡°Herman¡¯s grandparents were your heavy hitters?¡± ¡°One of my heavy hitters, Leandro said simply. As they spoke, the car came to a stop. Herman was waiting on the porch for them. Seraphina eyed the quaint cottage, imagining what kind of people Herman¡¯s grandparents would be. She and Leandro had barely helped Valerio out of the car when Herman¡¯s Grandma Ross emerged from the house, exactly as Seraphina had pictured. Though she was well into her seventies, Ross was the picture of vitality, with her jet-ck hair and bright eyes. She wore a tasteful, modernized dress that spoke of elegance and grace. ¡°Mrs. Ross, it¡¯s been too long,¡± Leandro greeted her with Seraphina and Valerio in tow, his tone respectful and warm. ¡°It has,¡± Ross smiled gently. ¡°But I know you¡¯re busy, and it¡¯s good for young people to keep busy.¡± Then Ross turned to Seraphina and Valerio. Leandro quickly introduced them. ¡°This is my wife, Seraphina, and Valerio¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard all about it from Herman. It¡¯s wonderful news.¡± Ross took Seraphina¡¯s hand and examined her closely. ¡°No wonder Valerio is such a handsome boy, with a stunning mother like you. You¡¯re a lucky man, Leandro.¡± Used topliments, Seraphina humbly said, ¡°I am, Mrs. Ross.¡± ¡°Now, none of that Mrs. Ross¡¯ business-it¡¯s too formal. Leandro might be set in his ways, but you can call me Grandma.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Seraphina said cheerfully, ¡°Grandma Ross! I never got to meet my own, so it feels nice to call you that.¡± Rossughed heartily at that, looking at Leandro approvingly. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten yourself a bright and lively wife, a perfectplement to you.¡± Leandro just smiled, then asked, ¡°Where is Mr. Neil?¡± ¡°The doctor was just upstairs giving him a check-up,¡± Ross said hurriedly. ¡°Come in,e in, let¡¯s talk inside.¡± As they entered the house, they were greeted by Grandpa Neiling down the stairs with the doctor. Grandpa Neil, with his military background and imposing presence, matched Ross perfectly, a true power couple. ¡°Leandro¡¯s here?¡± Neil¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°It¡¯s been two years since you¡¯ve visited!¡± ¡°I apologize,¡± Leandro admitted, almost sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯ve been too focused on work and should have visited sooner.¡± ¡°Never mind that,¡± Neil waved the apology away. ¡°At least you¡¯ve settled down. That¡¯s an achievement for you. Unlike Herman, nearly thirty and not a thought of family life in his head!¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh, earning a re from Herman. She quickly quipped, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t worry. Herman will find a nice girl when the time is right!¡± ¡°And this must be Leandro¡¯s wife?¡± Neil appraised Seraphina, then nodded his approval. ¡°Pretty, bright eyes, vibrant! Good choice.¡± Thank you for thepliment, Grandpa, Seraphina said with a smile. The doctor, sensing the family atmosphere, excused himself. ¡°Since you havepany, I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all family here, it¡¯s okay,¡± Neil insisted. ¡°Stay for dinner. This is Dr. Garrison from the Summitville Hospital, a renowned gastroenterology expert and an old friend of mine.¡± Leandro nodded at Garrison in greeting, ut hearing the name, Seraphina was struck by a distant memory. ¡°Dr. Garrison?¡± she asked, searching her recollections. ¡°The deputy chief physician in gastroenterology at Summitville Hospital over a decade ago?¡± Surprised at being remembered so precisely, Garrison adjusted his sses and looked closely at Seraphina. ¡°You are?¡± Seraphina sighed softly, a smile in her voice. ¡°Years ago, my father was your patient. His name was Carney Bet, do you remember him?¡± The name seemed to trigger something in Garrison, who hesitated before his expression grew somber. ¡°I remember him¡­ I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t save him.¡± ¡°well, Seraphina sighed again. ¡°Such is the nature of illness Regardless, I wanted to thank you for all you did to try to save my father.¡± Garrison also sighed, replying softly, ¡°I wish I could have done more¡­¡± Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself, Seraphina brightened up again. ¡°I¡¯m thankful. Let¡¯s not dwell on sad memories. It¡¯s fate that we meet again today, and I¡¯ll be sure to toast to youter.¡± Sure thing, Garrison murmured in a low voice, not adding anything else. 09:42 Over the past twenty-odd years, Seraphina had met with lots of elderlies, but Herman¡¯s grandparents were a rare sort that made her feel warmth and affection from the first handshake. Therefore, on this particr evening, she feltpletely at ease, her mood light and joyful. Her cheerfulness naturally rubbed off on Valerio, and Leandro couldn¡¯t be happier with the atmosphere. After a delightful dinner, as they bid their farewells and the car rolled past the front gate, Valerio leaned against the window and gave a respectful salute to the guard standing at attention. Suddenly, Seraphina let out a sigh. Leandro gently took her hand into his, holding it firmly. ¡°Missing your dad?¡± he asked. Seraphina shook her head softly. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years; I¡¯ve let that go. Just now¡­ I was suddenly reminded of Andrea. Herman is such a good man, and it¡¯s highly likely that he shares a special connection with Andrea. If they really are meant to be ande together, wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful? If only-¡± ¡°If only what?¡± Valerio turned his head around, his expression a mix of confusion. Seraphina looked at his innocent face and slowly smiled, ¡°If only, dear, Herman¡¯s family wasn¡¯t so intimidating.¡± Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Although the Garcias were known for their storied ancestry, perhaps because of Herman¡¯s approachable demeanor, Seraphina never felt he was out of her league. But after meeting his grandparents today, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was a vast chasm between Herman and Andrea. Herman hailed from old money, his lineage as pristine as it gets, whereas Andrea¡¯s came from a lot moreplicated family. This divide was intrinsic, not the sort that could be bridged with time or effort. So, whether or not something had happened between Herman and Andrea, their paths were likely to diverge from here on out. That¡¯s why Andrea was so adamant about denying any rtionship with Herman. An entanglement, if it ever existed, would only lead to difort and embarrassment. Andrea, being both clear-headed and rational, surely knew how to handle such matters. With this realization, Seraphina decided not to dwell on their situation any further. Hearing her resigned tone, Leandro nced her way and said slowly, ¡°I thought you of all people wouldn¡¯t care about family backgrounds.¡± Seraphina sighed faintly, ¡°I may not give a damn about family status, but reality is what it is. For now, that reality isn¡¯t changing. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Leandro conceded, ¡°but who can really predict the future?¡± Seraphina frowned at him, ¡°Since when did you be such a romantic?¡± ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± he asked. Shaking her head, she replied, ¡°Not necessarily. But to run a giant like Reynolds Group, we need the ruthless Mr. Reynolds back, don¡¯t we?¡± Leandro looked at her again, ¡°Do you think I have the patience to indulge in such idle chit-chat with just anyone?¡± Seraphina paused, then red at him while pulling Valerio into her arms as a shield, ¡°I never asked for your precious time, Mr. Reynolds.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Leandro uttered, ¡°I invest my time where it¡¯s worthwhile.¡± Seraphina was silent after that. Hearing the exchange, Valerio chuckled quietly after a moment¡¯s peace. Seraphina suddenly pinched his cheek, ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Valerio, not quite pleased, wriggled out of her hold and into Leandro¡¯s arms, seeking his favor. Seraphina watched the little traitor with a cold huff. So the kid thought Leandro was talking about him? How utterly¡­ foolish. As it turned out, there was some truth to the saying that fools are blissfully ignorant, at least they could sleep soundly when tired. But the overly clever ones? Sleep eluded them. Seraphina belonged to thetter group. In the cool spaciousness of the autumn bathroom, with the heat emanating from the body behind her, Seraphina endured a rollercoaster of sensations until she waspletely spent and could finally return to bed. Despite being utterly exhausted and assuming she¡¯d fall asleep instantly, shey there with closed eyes yet didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. Leandro was awake too, hisrge hand absentmindedly tracing patterns on her back. Ultimately unable to resist, Seraphina opened her eyes only to meet Leandro¡¯s deep, brooding gaze. She jumped, slightly startled, ¡°Staring at someone in the middle of the night without sleeping can scare them to death, you know?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond, instead he leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips. It was a simple gesture, one of many intimate disys he had a habit of, but Seraphina sensed something more, ¡°You¡¯re leaving, aren¡¯t you?¡± Leandro nced at his wristwatch on the nightstand, ¡°In about four and a half hours.¡± Frowning deeply, Seraphina retorted, ¡°If you had to go, why not earlier? Why choose such an early hour to stir up trouble!¡± After venting, she turned over and closed her eyes again, intent on sleep. Leandro pulled her back into his embrace, his voice deep and steady, ¡°I¡¯ll go my way, you sleep yours. How am I troubling you?¡± ¡°If you can leave without waking me up, be my guest,¡± she said. Leandro, upon hearing this, actually fell silent, contenting himself with dropping soft kisses on her shoulder and neck. Seraphina kept her eyes tightly shut, refusing to move again. At five in the morning, Leandro rose punctually to head for the airport. Seraphinay quietly next to Valerio, feigning deep sleep. But when Leandro emerged from the bathroom, he found Seraphina sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes filled with a intive look, ¡°You woke me up.¡± Approaching her, Leandro extended his hand, ¡°Then, you might as well see me off.¡± About to p his hand away, Seraphina, was caught off-guard when he grasped her hand firmly and pulled her up from the bed. And so, she was ¡°forced¡± into a cozy robe, grudgingly following him to the door. At the entrance of the charming courtyard, the driver had the car running, and Keen and the bodyguards were waiting. Leandro gave her a look, then offered, ¡°Wannae to the airport with me?¡± She rolled her eyes, ¡°In your dreams.¡± Keen misinterpreted her distress, and he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mrs. If you don¡¯t want Mr. Reynolds to leave, you know you can always bring Valerio back to Sunburst City. I¡¯ll make all the necessary arrangements.¡± ¡°Who said I don¡¯t want him to leave?¡± Seraphina snapped back, not having forgotten the grudge she held for his nderous words. ¡°I¡¯m just having morning grumpiness. You im to understand women, can¡¯t you grasp that?¡± Keen visibly shrank back, retreating silently to the side. Only then did Seraphina give Leandro another shove, withdrawing her hand, ¡°Get going, will you? I need you to leave so I can get some sleep.¡± Leandro nced at the sky, muttered an acknowledgment, and turned to descend the front steps. It wasn¡¯t until he reached his car that he looked back, catching Seraphina peering out from behind the half-open door. The moment their eyes met, she quickly retreated and the door mmed shut with a bang. But in no time at all, there was a gentle tap on the door. ¡°What now?¡± Seraphina opened the door, clearly irked. Before she could finish her sentence, a pair of warm lips crashed onto hers, sealing her words with a kiss that spanned the threshold, intertwining them in a moment that seemed to refuse separation. Bystanders in the alley discreetly looked away. The kiss felt eternal, yet eventually it broke. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯lle back as soon as I can,¡± Leandro whispered. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s going to miss you, Seraphina retorted. ¡°Hmm,¡± Leandro responded, ¡°It¡¯s me who can¡¯t bear to be away from you and Valerio.¡± Seraphina shot him a swift nce but said nothing more, quickly shutting the door and heading back to bed. Only then did Leandro finally get into the car and drive off towards the airport. Chapter 439 Chapter 439 At the crack of dawn, Leandro¡¯s flight touched down punctually at Sunburst City Airport. Stepping out of the terminal, he went straight back to the Reynolds Group headquarters. Leandro, after a quick change of clothes, entered the boardroom in his stride. Inside, the majority of shareholders were already present, awaiting the start of the routine shareholders¡¯ meeting. As Leandro crossed the threshold, he sensed an unsettling tension in the air. Sure enough, as the meeting progressed, the atmosphere thickened with palpable unease. Despite all Reynolds Group¡¯spanies and projects running smoothly with nary a hitch, this meeting took a different turn, with a few shareholders nitpicking and throwing challenges his way, seemingly eager to hold Leandro ountable. Throughout this ordeal, the Reynolds n remained neutral, with the exception of Bruce, and nobody else spoke up in Leandro¡¯s favor. This silence did not go unnoticed by Bruce, who sensed that something was amiss. The meeting concluded with Leandro¡¯s expression unchanged, while Bruce looked stormy. Not long after Leandro returned to his office, Bruce followed. ¡°What¡¯s your take on that meeting?¡± Bruce inquired. Leandro, buried in paperwork, replied without looking up, ¡°Some are never content, others are itching for a chance. It¡¯s all pretty standard.¡± Bruce hadrgely stepped back frompany affairs in recent years. Hearing Leandro dismiss the tension as ¡°standard,¡± his expression darkened, ¡°When has Reynolds Group ever undergone a major shift without your lead? After all the effort to get here, they should be grateful, not plotting against you.¡± Leandro continued to focus on his documents, well-aware of Bruce¡¯s approach. Thepany had been on shaky ground when Bruce took over, and now, despite its stability, Bruce still held out hope for the other members in the family. ¡°Never mind the shareholders, Bruce said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we schedule a family meeting?¡± A smirk slowly formed on Leandro¡¯s lips, ¡°What good would that do?¡± ¡°It might remind your aunts and uncles of theirst name, for starters,¡± Bruce suggested. ¡°They know theirst name all too well, which is exactly why we¡¯re in this situation,¡± Leandro responded. Bruce paused, taken aback, then heard Leandro continue, ¡°Remember thest time my mother lost control andshed out at Valerio? Supposedly, she overheard about Valerio from your sister who was chatting with the housekeeper. Do you believe that was just an ident?¡± Bruce was stunned, ¡°Your aunt has always been gentle, she wouldn¡¯t-¡± ¡°Not her,¡± Leandro cut him off, ¡°but who else behind the scenes but someone from the Reynolds family?¡± Bruce¡¯s expression hardened, ¡°Then we must have that family meeting.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Leandro insisted, ¡°I¡¯m curious to see what other tricks they have up their sleeves.¡± Bruce, after a moment of silence, finally spoke again, ¡°How¡¯s your mother doingtely?¡± ¡°If you cared, you¡¯d see her yourself,¡± Leandro countered, ¡°If it¡¯s just small talk, don¡¯t bother. You wouldn¡¯t care for the real answer anyway.¡± Bruce, slightly embarrassed, hesitated before speaking, ¡°If her mood isn¡¯t stable, my presence might upset her more. But if she¡¯s better, perhaps I could visit¡­¡± Leandro looked up at him finally. ¡°If your mother truly recovers¡­¡± Bruce started, ¡°maybe she and I could amicably part ways.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too hasty, starting with a breakup,¡± Leandro said, abandoning his pen and locking eyes with Bruce. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± Bruce quickly exined, ¡°If she¡¯s willing, I¡¯d want to spend some time with her like friends first¡­ It might make it easier for her to ept thingster.¡± Leandro coldly replied, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Knowing the timing wasn¡¯t right, Bruce let the matter rest. After Leandro left Summitville, Seraphina¡¯s days should have been carefree and easy. Her biggest concern had been Valerio¡¯s adjustment, but after his two days at school smoothly and even looking forward to it, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. With Valerio settled and Andrea finding sess in Summitville, Seraphina could sense Andrea¡¯s satisfaction with the trip, seemingly unaffected by the Herman incident. For a while, Seraphina could rx too. Everyone around her seemed content and at peace, and she should have been happy, yet something felt amiss. But what was it? Seraphina wasn¡¯t keen on delving into it. On Friday, ready to leave Summitville for Sunburst City, Seraphina drove Andrea to the airport. With time to spare, they sat down for a coffee. Having spent much time together, Andrea had noticed Seraphina¡¯s state of mind and teased, ¡°How about it? Why not buy a ticket and fly back with me to Sunburst City.¡± ¡°Why go back to Sunburst City?¡± Seraphina challenged. Andrea shrugged, ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll feel better back in Sunburst City.¡± Seraphina scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine, thank you. No need to worry about me.¡± Andrea chuckled softly, choosing not to borate. Seraphina, bored out of her mind, turned her head, only to catch sight of a familiar face. Patrick Gray had been chatting away as he passed by, but the moment his gaze met Seraphina¡¯s, he paused in his tracks. In the next instant, Andrea noticed him too and, after a brief moment of surprise, called out somewhat awkwardly, ¡°Uncle Patrick.¡± Patrick excused himself from hispanion and approached their table, grinning. ¡°What are the odds? What brings you two together?¡± After exchanging greetings with Patrick, Seraphina exined, ¡°I¡¯m just staying in Summitville for now, and Andrea¡¯s here on business. Figured we might as well catch up.¡± Patrick nodded, still smiling. ¡°Here I was thinking you were both headed back to Sunburst City. I just ran into Andrea at aworking event a couple of days ago; didn¡¯t expect to bump into you at the airport. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always swamped,¡± Seraphina teased. ¡°A free spirit like me can¡¯t always be graced with your presence.¡± Hearing that, Patrick¡¯s gaze lingered on her face, and he let out a soft chuckle. ¡°You seem much happier than before. A little downtime never hurt anybody.¡± Andrea, overhearing the exchange, nced between Seraphina and Patrick but chose to remain silent for the moment. Chapter 440 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. Chapter 441 Chapter 441 On a mundane Tuesday, after dropping her son Valerio off at school, Seraphina lounged on the couch, idly scrolling through her phone until shended on Leandro¡¯s WhatsApp chat. Theirst exchange was still the video call they had on the day Seraphina bumped into Patrick at the airport. The following day, the tabloids. were abuzz with her scandal with Patrick, and since then, that chat page had remained untouched. Staring at Leandro¡¯s name for a moment, Seraphina tapped on the payment feature and typed in an amount: $1,000. She sent the transfer, but the screen showed no change. F F 5 5 5 5 5 2 Five minutester, she picked up her phone again, the screen unaltered. So, she initiated another transfer, sending another $1,000 his way. Still, no response. Almost mechanically, she hit the transfer button repeatedly, sending a string of identical amounts until a system alert popped up, notifying her that she¡¯d exceeded the daily transaction limit. Scrolling up, she counted twenty messages sent, with no reaction from Leandro. Twenty minutester, she sent a message ¨C [I was testing my transfer limits. Now you can give my money back.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Not long after, she received a notification from Keen-four transfers of $5,000 each, precisely the sum she¡¯d sent to Leandro. Quickly switching back to Leandro¡¯s chat, it remained as static as before. ying hard to get, huh? Biting her lip in frustration, Seraphina was ready to drop the issue. Just then, Manley called from next door, inviting her toe over for a taste of the season¡¯s first persimmons. She hollered back an affirmative, put her phone down, and prepared to head out. But as she opened her door, she unexpectedly collided with a familiar embrace. Looking up sharply, she locked eyes with Leandro¡¯s unfathomable gaze. He showed up? With a mocking sneer, she quipped, ¡°Well, well, Mr. Reynolds, this is a rare honor. What brings you by at this hour?¡± Leandro, unfazed by her challenging stare, simply asked, ¡°Where are you off to?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Seraphina retorted, pushing against him. He was immovable, almost like a solid barrier in her doorway. She pushed harder, to no avail, her irritation mounting until she made onest, desperate shove. Instead of moving him, her hand slipped, and she tumbled into his arms, which closed snugly around her. ¡°Let me go!¡± she demanded, struggling to break free. Leandro, however, stepped forward into the apartment and shut the door with a decisive ¡°thud.¡± Outside, the bodyguards tactfully averted their eyes. Manley, standing on his doorstep, hesitated about calling Leandro over for persimmons, but then his wife emerged, gave him a sharp pinch, and chided him for his nosiness. Then, she dragged him back inside. In Seraphina¡¯s house, she resisted Leandro¡¯s hold with persistent defiance, even as her wrists were secured behind her back. She red up at him, chin tilted in challenge. ¡°You seem to have quite the grudge, huh?¡± Leandromented coolly. ¡°As if my life or death has anything to do with you¡­¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°And as for my grudge, Mr. Reynolds, that¡¯s none of your business. Now let me go!¡± Instead ofplying, he pulled her closer into his embrace. Seraphina aimed a kick at his shins, but he anticipated it, capturing her knee and hoisting her leg over his. In the next moment, he maintained their awkward tangle and tossed her onto the bed. ¡°Hey-¡± she snapped, still ring daggers at him. Leandro, unfazed by her re, slowly began to loosen his tie. Seraphina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He answered with action, using his tie to bind her hands behind her back. ¡°Leandro, this is domestic violence!¡± Seraphina eximed. ¡°It¡¯s illegal! You really think I won¡¯t have you thrown in jail?¡± Once he had secured her hands, he flipped her over, easily pinning her iling legs, and then cupped her face in his hand. ¡°Pull up that news about you and Patrick, and I doubt any judge would me me,¡± Leandro said sternly. ¡°Asshole!¡± she spat out. Leandro leaned in and silenced her with a kiss. Seraphina tried to bite him, but he dodged and their lips met again. Their struggle continued until Seraphina¡¯s strength waned and she sensed the undeniable aggression in Leandro¡¯s touch. She knew, with a sinking feeling, that there would be no easy way out for her today. When she finally caught a moment to breathe, she seized the chance to speak her mind, ¡°Getting worked up over some silly gossip? You¡¯re the one who 10:35 should be reflecting!¡± Leandro finally eased his grip on her, taking her chin in his hand as he spoke, ¡°I think I might have been too generous with my time and attention, which had given you so much passion tovish on some other guy¡­ Yeah, I really should take a moment to reflect on that-¡± His voice trailed off as he flipped Seraphina around once more, leaning down to press kisses along her shoulder and neck. Seraphina let out a startled cry, then, remembering the soundproofing of the room, she dared not make another sound¡­ In the relentless tangle of limbs and wills, Seraphina couldn¡¯t pinpoint when her hands had been freed. She only knew that what started as a contest of strength between them had spiraled into a heady and chaotic whirl. In the end, shey exhausted in Leandro¡¯s arms, trying to scratch and bite him, but without any real threat left in her. ¡°Jerk! Jerk! Jerk!¡± Though her body was spent, Seraphina¡¯s mouth was still very much alive, hurling usations, ¡°You heartless capitalist! Domestic tyrant without a conscience! Bullying women, is that supposed to be impressive?¡± Hearing her, Leandro slowly rolled over, pinning her beneath him again. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve still got plenty of energy,¡± Leandro noted. Seraphina¡¯s body tensed up with a shiver. Chapter 442 Chapter 442 For a while, Seraphina had truly reveled in Leandro¡¯s indulgence andpliance, to the extent that she had almost forgotten his cunning and ruthlessness. He could be utterly merciless when he chose to be. She¡¯d been run ragged all day, to the point where she didn¡¯t even have the energy for her usual sharp- tongued banter. It was only then that peace prevailed. In the afternoon, Leandro had gone alone to pick up Valerio from school. Having not seen his father for several days, Valerio was overjoyed, eagerly tugging Leandro home to see Seraphina. But when Seraphina saw Leandro, she was as cold as ice, hardly in the mood to make nice. ¡°Mom, Dad¡¯s here,¡± Valerio informed her, clearly hoping to warm the frosty atmosphere. Seraphina glowered at Valerio, making a fist as a warning, deliberately showing off the marks on her wrist left by Leandro¡¯s tie, a silent testament to her ordeal that day. Leandro, holding an innocent-looking Valerio close, spoke calmly, ¡°Mom¡¯s tired. Let her rest, so she can give you her full attentionter, instead of wasting her energy elsewhere.¡± At his words, Seraphina gritted her teeth and shot Leandro another re. He met her fiery gaze with a raised eyebrow, as if to challenge her disapproval. Remembering the day¡¯s events, Seraphina begrudgingly swallowed her pride. That evening, after a cozy dinner at the Manleys, they took Valerio to a movie at his request. It was a family-friendly animation that Seraphina could tolerate, but exhausted from the day¡¯s events, she struggled to focus and soon started nodding off. She was jolted awake by a loud sound effect. Blinking groggily, she saw the movie had reached a climactic scene. To her surprise, she was resting against Leandro, her hand in his. She tried to withdraw her hand subtly, but Leandro caught her nce and held on without a word. After a silent struggle, Seraphina gave in, let him hold her hand as she once again drifted off to sleep on his shoulder. Leandro quietly adjusted their position to make her morefortable. Leandro¡¯s visit was brief, and the next day, after dropping Valerio at school, he was off to the airport. Seraphina was dragged along to see him off. Normally, Leandro traveled by private jet, but this time, he led her into the regr terminal. ¡°Why here?¡± Seraphina asked, puzzled. ¡°What about your ne?¡± ¡°Undergoing maintenance,¡± was Leandro¡¯s curt reply. While waiting for his flight, Seraphina sat beside him, somewhat lost in thought, as she watched the bustling crowd. She had a nagging feeling about his motives. He was pettier than she had realized. But at this point, Seraphina yed along. Seeing Leandro engrossed in a business magazine, she snuggled under his arm to share the view. The action was intimate and natural. Leandro nced down at her and, without missing a beat, pushed the magazine a little further away to reveal their faces together. Business content was only halfprehensible to Seraphina, so she wasn¡¯t focused. She adjusted her posture, and ¡°kindly¡± straightening his already pristine shirt and suit. Leandro, disturbed by her antics, finally set aside the magazine and met her gaze. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted?¡± she retorted. They locked eyes silently for a long moment, until, just when Seraphina was about to roll her eyes in impatience, Leandro leaned in and kissed her, using the magazine to shield their faces. Behind the cover, their kiss deepened, reluctant to part.- That afternoon, photos of Seraphina seeing Leandro off at the airport hit the mediaworks. Previously, pictures of Seraphina and Patrick had sparked rumors about her settling in Summitville and issues in her marriage to Leandro. Many spected they were separated. The new photos showed the couple unaffected by the gossip, their affectionate gestures and stolen kisses shattering the rumors. Yet their bicoastal separation continued. Leandro¡¯s visits to Summitville remained brief. A fortnightter, Seraphina took Valerio back to Sunburst City for the weekend. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Upon arrival at Reynolds Manor, only the housekeeper was present. ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa?¡± Seraphina inquired. The housekeeper held Valerio and responded, ¡°He went for a check-up at the hospital.¡± ¡°Has Grandpa been unwell?¡± Seraphina pressed, concerned. ¡°Same as always,¡± the housekeeper replied. ¡°No major issues, just¡­ there¡¯s been some family drama lately. The old man got upset, and Leandro insisted 11:161 on a check-up.¡± Seraphina¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°What kind of family drama?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure, the housekeeper admitted. ¡°Seems like Leandro¡¯s uncles and aunts have been stirring the pot-¡± Seraphina listened without much surprise, merely nodding slightly in response. For a family as wealthy and influential as theirs, it would be odd if there weren¡¯t a bit of drama. But regardless of the chaos, Leandro was always capable of handling it. ¡°What about his mother?¡± Seraphina inquired, ¡°How is she doing?¡± ¡°There¡¯s been improvement,¡± The house keeper said, her spirits visibly lifted at the mention. ¡°They say she¡¯s much more at peace now, not so prone to those fits of distress¡­ With you and Valerio out of the house, Leandro spends a lot of time with her. Most of his days, really. It seems to be doing some good.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina let out a soft sigh. ¡°In that case, Valerio and I probably shouldn¡¯t stay here for too long.¡± Nonsense,¡± The house keeper chided. ¡°Leandro, you, and Valerio are family. Since when does a family live apart like this? Sooner orter, you all have toe back home.¡± Seraphina rested her head on her hand and sighed again. ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of when ¡®sooner orter¡¯ will be.¡± The house keeper chuckled at that. ¡°Getting tired of the long-distance life? Missing home, are you? You guys need to be together to feel that real sense of happiness, am I right?¡± Chapter 443 Chapter 443 When the house keeper bombarded Seraphina with a barrage of questions, she suddenly became alert. After nudging Valerio upstairs to y with his legos, she finally responded, ¡°All this talk about happiness, it¡¯s just so vague. For me, it¡¯s all about Valerio. If he¡¯s having a st, then I¡¯m over the moon. I¡¯m just worried about the mess with Leandro¡¯s case. Sooner orter, someone¡¯s gonna use me and Valerio to threaten him, just like that scandal at the airport.¡± The house keeper seemed to be in the know about the airport scandal and quickly offered a knowing smile, ¡°Mr. Gray in the news, he¡¯s quite the self-made man, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Seraphina replied without hesitation, ¡°He was swindled out of his inheritance when he was young. Then he went off to the big city and made a fortune from scratch, he¡¯s legend.¡± ¡°No wonder Leandro was so cut up about it,¡± The house keeper observed. Seraphina straightened up, ¡°He was upset about the news?¡± ¡°Upset doesn¡¯t cut it,¡± The house keeper said with a tsk. ¡°He was like thunder for days, hardly spoke a word, buried in his work, barely touched his food!¡± Seraphina touched her chin thoughtfully- She had assumed Leandro was giving her the silent treatment on purpose, but maybe he was genuinely upset? Surprisingly, when he arrived in Summitville, he hadn¡¯t shown much sign of it, meting out a little ¡®tough love¡¯ before letting the matter drop. The more Seraphina pondered over Leandro¡¯s mood during those days, the more she found herself trying to stifle a chuckle. ¡°You weren¡¯t trying to get a rise out of him, were you?¡± The house keeper chided. ¡°That¡¯s ying with fire, you know. Nothing goodes from riling up your partner like that.¡± ¡°Heavens, no!¡± Seraphina protested with augh. ¡°He knows the stories were bunk, and he still got hot under the cor. Can¡¯t me me for that¡­¡± ¡°He has so much to take care of, it¡¯s gotta be exhausting¡± The house keeper sympathized. ¡°He¡¯s already got a lot on his te, and seeing you on the news with another? Of course, he¡¯d get upset. Can¡¯t you cut him some ck?¡± Seraphina was about to argue that Leandro wasn¡¯t the fragile type, but the words caught in her throat. After all, Leandro did shoulder a heavy burden, and it was tough on him. With a sigh, she said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading up for a shower, clean up nice and fresh, and when he comes home, I¡¯ll give him the royal treatment. How about that?¡± With that, she rose and made her way upstairs. The house keeper swatted at her yfully, ¡°You¡¯re incorrigible!¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. True to her word, Seraphina went straight to her room and into the bathroom. But once inside, she paused. During her absence, the bathroom had changed- Not drastically, but her personal items had been relegated to a corner, reced by Leandro¡¯s essentials in prominent spots. His toothbrush, shaving kit, aftershave-all strategically ced. His bathrobe hung by the window, his towel on the rack. His slippers were in the corner, the showerhead adjusted to his height. All signs that Leandro had imed the bathroom as his own while she was away. After a thorough scan of the bathroom, Seraphinay down on her bed, immediately enveloped by a familiar scent. Clearly, Leandro hadn¡¯t just taken over her bathroom but her bed as well. Seraphinay there, still as stone, lost in thought. At noon, Lorenzo Reynolds himself apanied Conway back to the Reynolds Manor. Upon seeing Conway, Valerio rushed to him with the same enthusiasm he showed in their daily video calls, eximing in person, ¡°Great-Grandpa!¡± Conway¡¯s face lit up, and if not for his frailty, he might have swung Valerio around in joy. When Seraphina saw Lorenzo, she immediately inquired about Conway¡¯s health. ¡°Grandpa¡¯s been better over the past few months, buttely, there¡¯s been a downturn,¡± Lorenzo exined. ¡°It¡¯s clear he can¡¯t afford to get worked up. At his age, these upsets can take their toll.¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°If I could, I¡¯d take Grandpa away from Sunburst City and off to Summitville for a peaceful life.¡± Lorenzo gave her a knowing look and said slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Grandpa¡¯s family is in Sunburst City. Those are the ties he can¡¯t bear to break.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°So I guess I¡¯ll just have to make time to keep himpany more often.¡± Thus, Seraphina spent the afternoon with Conway, and with Valerio hogging all the affection, she felt somewhat sidelined. When dinner came around, Seraphina cooked personally, eager for Conway to taste her cook. However, Conway merely nced at her and grumbled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to call your husband and check when he¡¯sing home?¡± Seraphina arched an eyebrow, ¡°I came back especially to keep youpany. Can¡¯t you appreciate that?¡± ¡°What do I needpany for at my age?¡± Conway shot back, his own eyebrows raised in challenge. ¡°You¡¯d better off giving me another great-granddaughter to cheer me up,¡± ¡°Oh, so now that you¡¯ve got a great-grandson, you¡¯re done with your granddaughter, is that it?¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Conway dismissed her. ¡°Worry about your husband!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Seraphina dered with a smirk. ¡°Not only am I going to fuss over you, but I¡¯m also going to tuck you in tonight.¡± And with a yful roll of her eyes, Seraphina¡¯s banter with Conway carried on into the evening, a blend of affection and yful jabs filling the manor. Conway nced at her with a wry smile, ¡°Who are you kidding, Seraphina? You¡¯ve been checking the clock all afternoon. It¡¯s pretty obvious you¡¯ve got someone on your mind. You think I¡¯m too old to notice?¡± Seraphina clenched her teeth in frustration, while the house keeper couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle, then handed over Seraphina¡¯s phone, ¡°Give him a ring, dear. It¡¯d be nice to know if we should wait for him for dinner.¡± ¡°Wait for what?¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°If he wanted us to wait, he¡¯d call himself.¡± No sooner had the words left her lips than, as if on cue, Seraphina¡¯s phone began to ring. Her eyes snapped to the device, the screen shing with Keen¡¯s name. A call from Keen could only mean something about Leandro. Conway watched with barely concealed amusement as Seraphina red at him before finally picking up the call.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Keen¡¯s voice came through, tinged with an unusual edge. A bad feeling surged in Seraphina¡¯s chest, but she kept her voice steady, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Mr. Reynolds is injured!¡± Keen spoke urgently, ¡°He¡¯s been stabbed by his mother!¡± Chapter 444 Chapter 444 Seraphina¡¯s heart skipped a beat when Keen¡¯s words sunk in, her mind freezing for a few seconds before it began to sluggishly turn again. Keen had said that Leandro had been stabbed by Gloria. Where was he wounded? Was it serious? Gloria always doted on Leandro, so how could she have harmed him? A whirlwind of questions surged in Seraphina¡¯s mind, but at that moment, she couldn¡¯t voice a single one. Clutching the phone tightly, it took her a moment before she could say, ¡°Send me the address. I¡¯m on my way.¡± After hanging up, Conway looked at her, concerned while asking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°He told me to go find him,¡± Seraphina replied with a calmness that didn¡¯t reach her eyes, her tone laced with annoyance. ¡°God knows what tricks he¡¯s pulling now.¡± Conway raised an eyebrow. ¡°Go. Cherish it when a man still wants to show off for you.¡± Seraphina shot Conway a sharp nce before heading for the door. ¡°I wanna go!¡± Valerio suddenly piped up. ¡°Stay and eat your dinner!¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t even turn back. ¡°If I hear you haven¡¯t eaten properly, I¡¯ll give you a whooping!¡± Valerio¡¯s lower lip jutted out in a pout, while Conway watched Seraphina¡¯s retreating figure, words failing him. The house keeper stepped out of the kitchen just in time to see her leaving in a hurry. ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave like that? Not even taking a coat or your purse?¡± Seraphina paused, seemingly snapping back to reality, and hurried upstairs. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into her?¡± She muttered, watching Seraphina¡¯s hasty retreat. ¡°A phone call and she¡¯s all out of sorts?¡± Conway frowned slightly but remained silent. Soon after, Seraphina re-emerged, d in a coat and clutching her purse, leaving behind a brisk ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± before vanishing out the door. Valerio watched her leave with longing eyes, receiving not even a backward nce, his sense of hurt deepening. Conway sighed softly, ruffling Valerio¡¯s hair. ¡°Your mom has important things to handle. Let her go and do her business, then she¡¯lle back and spend time with you.¡± It took a while before Valerio nodded reluctantly. Seraphina drove off, the silence in the car deafening. She was familiar with the driver, and they used to chat with a lot, now the driver respected her quiet and focused on the road. Just then, a ring ambnce siren suddenly came from behind. Amidst the congested traffic, numerous vehicles swiftly pulled over to make way, creating a clear and unobstructed path for the ambnce. Seraphina watched the shing lights pass by, unable to tear her gaze away even though she knew Leandro wouldn¡¯t be in that ambnce. Once the ambnce had disappeared, Seraphina grabbed her phone and stepped out of the car. ¡°I¡¯ll take the subway.¡± ¡°But ma¡¯am¡± The driver could only get those words out before Seraphina was already crossing the street toward the subway entrance, followed closely by two bodyguards. Twenty minutester, Seraphina arrived at the hospital where Leandro was taken. She saw Bruce and Keen near the emergency room, both sttered with blood, their faces ashen. Seraphina approached stiffly, examining both men before speaking. ¡°Sera¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s voice was hoarse as he spotted her first. Keen, looking dazed, lifted his head and met her eyes. Seraphina¡¯s throat felt dry. She scanned them again before asking, ¡°Whose blood is this?¡± Bruce quickly looked away. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Keen seemed frozen for a moment before he finally answered, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Mr. Reynolds¡­¡± Just then, the emergency room doors swung open, and a doctor rushed out. He addressed Bruce, ¡°His spleen is damaged, major blood vessels too. He needs surgery immediately. I need to prepare-¡± Bruce grabbed the doctor¡¯s arm. ¡°Tell me the truth, how risky is it?¡± The doctor paused, then spoke softly, ¡°Chances of recovery are fifty-fifty at best. You should be prepared for any oue.¡± On hearing it, Bruce turned pale. Standing quietly nearby, Seraphina¡¯s gaze lingered on the blood on Bruce¡¯s sleeve. Keen, looking defeated but trying to muster some strength, moved closer to Seraphina. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Reynolds will make it through¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± Seraphina finally said after a pause. ¡°He¡¯s been through worse, hasn¡¯t he? Always pulls through. He¡¯s a fighter. He won¡¯t give in that easily-¡± Hearing Seraphina¡¯s words, Bruce covered his face, his pain evident. Seraphina gave him another look before turning to Keen. ¡°Tell me, what exactly happened?¡± Keen nced at Bruce, his voice barely above a whisper, ¡°We went to visit Gloria. She¡¯s been terribly upset, and Mr. Reynolds and I had just arrived¡­ It wasplete chaos, and she had a knife. When Mr. Reynolds tried to intervene, she lost control and¡­ the knife ended up in his abdomen.¡± Bruce, despite the soft tones, heard every word, and in that moment, he seemed to sink deeper into despair, closing his eyes tightly. Seraphina, having listened to the ount, remained silent for a long stretch. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Keen ventured tentatively. Finally, Seraphina let out a bitterugh. ¡°Her again¡­ it¡¯s always her¡­¡± she spoke with a chilling rity, ¡°What does she want, really? First, she injured Valerio, and now her own son-Does she need to drag the whole world down in mourning for her wretched marriage before she¡¯s satisfied?!¡± After her outburst, Seraphina fell silent for a moment, then suddenly turned and strode towards the door. Chapter 445 Chapter 445 ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± Keen¡¯s voice cracked with urgency as he saw Seraphina heading for the door. ¡°Let her go,¡± Bruce interjected suddenly, his voice low and steady. ¡°Staying here is only gonna twist the knife in her heart even more.¡± Keen hesitated at Bruce¡¯s words, his gaze lingering on Seraphina¡¯s retreating figure until she was out of sight. As Seraphina stepped out of the hospital, her driver, who had been caught in traffic, had just pulled up. She yanked open the car door, slid into the backseat, and gave the driver one simple direction, ¡°Take me to Reynolds Vista Retreat.¡± 25 F 8 F The driver caught one glimpse of Seraphina¡¯s stony expression and didn¡¯t dare to ask questions. With a quick nod, he started the engine and they were off. The road to the retreat was unusually clear, a fact that only added to the driver¡¯s anxiety. Seraphina¡¯s pallor was rming ¨C he could only imagine what awaited her at the Reynolds Vista Retreat. About thirty minutester, they arrived at the grand entrance of the retreat. Seraphina got out of the car without a word and headed straight inside. She was greeted by a scene of chaos ¨C the staff was picking up the aftermath of a storm. Broken vases, a shattered ss coffee table, and puddles of water mixed with jarring sshes of red covered the floor. It wasn¡¯t just the floor that was stained; the sofa, the tables, and other surfaces bore silent witness to the bloodshed. This blood belonged to just one person. Seraphina couldn¡¯t bear to imagine the horrible things that had led to this moment, but seeing the wreckage before her, shemanded in a steely voice, ¡°Stop cleaning. Now.¡± Everyone turned to look at her, their faces still etched with panic. They were at a loss for words. ¡°Leave the living room as it is,¡± Seraphina instructed firmly. ¡°Whatever¡¯s been moved, put it back. No more tampering with evidence, or you can exin yourselves to the cops.¡± Without waiting for a response, she ascended the staircase, leaving the staff in stunned silence. Reaching the top, Seraphina made a beeline for Gloria¡¯s room. The door was ajar, and through the crack, she could hear Gloria¡¯s panicked voice, ¡°Where¡¯s Leandro? What¡¯s happened to him?¡± Her voice was tinged with hysteria. ¡°It was me¡­ I stabbed him, didn¡¯t I?¡± Karan was inside, trying to soothe Gloria, though her voice was close to breaking, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Leandro¡¯s going to be fine. Just calm down¡­¡± But Gloria persisted, her voice rising in desperation, ¡°Is he badly hurt? Tell me how he is now ¨C tell me!¡± With a forceful push, Seraphina swung the door wide open and stood at the threshold, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you how he is.¡± Gloria¡¯s face drained of color at the sight of her. Karan¡¯s expression darkened, and she stepped forward to block Seraphina, ¡°What are you doing here? Isn¡¯t this mess enough for you? Get out!¡± ¡°Karan, didn¡¯t you hear her? She wants to know how Leandro is doing. Well, I¡¯m here to satisfy her curiosity,¡± Seraphina said, trying to step past her to reach Gloria. ¡°No, you can¡¯t do this!¡± Karan blocked her firmly. ¡°Do you want to drive her mad? You can¡¯t be here ¨C leave!¡± ¡°Karan!¡± Gloria was pale as a ghost and called out with a trembling voice, ¡°Let her speak!¡± Karan froze but didn¡¯t turn to face Gloria. She just looked at Seraphina with pleading eyes, shaking her head ever so slightly. Seraphina met her gaze and said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not here to drive anyone mad. I¡¯m here to help her face reality.¡± Breaking free from Karan¡¯s grasp, Seraphina approached Gloria¡¯s bedside. Gloria looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes, filled with loathing, yet waiting for an answer. Seraphina asked, ¡°You know what you¡¯ve done, right?¡± she said coldly, towering over the bed. ¡°With a kitchen knife, you stabbed your own son. Do you remember that?¡± Gloria¡¯s lips trembled again. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Do you want to know what the doctors said?¡± Seraphina continued, mercilessly. ¡°Spleenceration and major blood vessel damage. They say there¡¯s a 50% chance he¡¯ll pull through¡­ Are you happy with those odds?¡± Gloria stared at her, wordless. Seraphina sneered, ¡°You probably have no clue how serious it is. Want me to spell it out for you?¡± Without waiting for an answer, Seraphina pulled out her phone./ Karan¡¯s tears were falling freely now, ¡°Seraphina! Stop this ¨C please!¡± Ignoring her, Seraphina pulled up an article and read out to Gloria in a chilling tone, ¡°Spleen rupture is dangerous, with a mortality rate of 10:31 3% -23%. Not too scary, right? But add major blood vessel damage, and the mortality rate skyrockets to 70% ¨C seventy percent. Still, you have a 30% chance of keeping your son. He might stille back to you, and call you ¡®mom¡¯!¡± As Seraphina uttered ¡°70%,¡± the color drainedpletely from Gloria¡¯s face. And when Seraphina finished, Gloria lunged at her in a frenzy, pping at her face, screaming, ¡°Lies! All lies!¡± ¡°Mrs. Reynolds!¡± Karan eximed, her voiceced with a mix of shock and urgency as he made a move to intervene. ¡°Seraphina, stop!¡± ¡°Let her hit me!¡± To everyone¡¯s surprise, Seraphina stood her ground, motionless, her gaze locked on Gloria. ¡°You might as well take me out too. I mean, what¡¯s one more casualty? After all, you¡¯ve already hurt my son, Leandro. Oh, but not just us, remember Vivian Smith? Do you recall who she is?¡± ¡°Seraphina!¡± Karan¡¯s face paled, ¡°Please, no more words!¡± ¡°Vivian, the girlfriend Leandro brought to the Reynolds Manor eight years ago.¡± Seraphina¡¯s hand gently brushed away a tear from the corner of her eye as she enunciated each word deliberately. ¡°The woman with the teardrop mole beneath her eye. Do you remember her now?¡± Gloria shuddered violently, her strength seemingly drained as she struggled to maintain her gaze on Seraphina, unable to utter a single word. ¡°You despised her. Hated her for sharing the same teardrop mole as your husband¡¯s mistress. Hated her for stealing your son¡¯s affections, so you pushed her off the balcony!¡± ¡°You loathed my son because, like those other bastards your husband fathered, he carried a stigma you couldn¡¯t stand, so you terrified him into silence when he was just three years old!¡± ¡°You hated me because I was the daughter of the woman your husband truly adored. And so, you even despised my child, your own flesh and blood, your grandson, to the point of brandishing a knife at him!¡± ¡°You resented your husband for making you endure all this, wishing you could just take him out too!¡± ¡°And what was the result? You ended up driving that knife into the body of the only son who ever loved you!¡± ¡°Do you even remember all the things you¡¯ve done? Have you counted them? Do you have any idea how much sin you¡¯ve amassed?¡± Seraphina¡¯s voice was icy as she continued, ¡°You were dealt a bad hand in marriage, that¡¯s true. You could¡¯ve clung to it, or you could¡¯ve let go. But you, you didn¡¯t do anything. All you do is take your misfortunes out on others, making them shoulder your pain!¡± ¡°Why not just torch the whole Reynolds family, huh?¡± Seraphina challenged. ¡°Burn them all. It could be a funeral pyre for your marriage-and for your son as well. Wouldn¡¯t that please you?¡± Chapter 446 Chapter 446 When Seraphina coldly uttered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just bury me alongside your son, Gloria¡¯s face turned ashen, and then, with a rage that seemed to tear the very air, she lunged at Seraphina once more, screaming, ¡°Shut up! Just shut up!¡± Seraphina stood by the bed, as immovable as a mountain, watching Gloria¡¯s advance with a detached gaze, not bothering to dodge. Instead, she called out to Karan, her voice dripping with irony, ¡°Karan, look, I speak of the sins she oncemitted, and how she loathes me now¡­ Would you mind fetching a knife so she can finish me off?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Seraphina!¡± Karan shook with anger, ¡°Stop provoking thedy!¡± ¡°Everyone must answer for their actions, Seraphina spoke slowly, ¡°She¡¯s sown so much discord, why can¡¯t I speak of it? Now, the misdeeds havee to haunt her own son-it¡¯s her retribution!¡± Gloria let out a sharp scream, turned to the bedside, and in a frenzy began hurling everything from the bedside table at Seraphina. But Seraphina just stood there, unflinching, even smiling as objects pelted her. Seeing Seraphina¡¯s smile, Gloria, using all her strength to hold herself upright, turned ghastly pale, looking like a specter. ¡°You really should kill me, you know why?¡± Seraphina spoke again, ¡°Because your son¡¯s favorite person is me. Now he¡¯s hanging by a thread, about to die. If you kill me, let me join him, that would be thest act of love for him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Gloria could hardly articte anything else, only repeating those simple words, ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± ¡°He¡¯s loved me for eight, maybe nine, ten years, Seraphina continued calmly, ¡°Even when you were knocking on the door, he was holding me behind it, did you know? He loved me so much that, fearing I¡¯d be a burden to him, he staged a whole act to push me away from the Reynolds family. Do you know how he lived after I left? A life full of deceit and darkness, constant betrayal, brushes with death¡­ After all, that, he trusted no one, kept everyone at arm¡¯s length. In those seven years, he never touched another woman-why? Oh, because he was afraid! Afraid that every intimate moment was a calction, a test of life and death! Until I came back¡­ I was the only woman in his heart, the only one he trusted-his borate plot was to bring me back! In those seven years, have you ever seen him truly¡¯smile? But after I returned, he began to smile, to sleep properly, to be a normal man again! We even had a child, a child conceived together, and do you know how thrilled he was when he knew Valerio was mine? He held me and said how grateful he was that Valerio was our child! We were happy, just the three of us, I could even forgive the things he had once done to me! But then you appeared¡­ and destroyed everything! Because of you, I have to take Valerio to Summitville. Because of you, we have to live apart. And because of you, he¡¯s back to those dark days! He can¡¯t eat, can¡¯t sleep, worn out from constant toil, all to care for you, a woman as hysterical as a lunatic!¡± Seraphina said so much in one breath that as Gloria listened to every word, her hatred intensified, grinding her teeth in anger. Yet every time she tried to interrupt, she found herself at a loss for words, only able to re at Seraphina, her tears falling unnoticed./ And Seraphina continued, ¡°He thought you were sick, that everything you did was beyond your control, and that you¡¯d be fine once cured¡­ But what sickness do you have? All these years, everything you¡¯ve done has been an escape! You couldn¡¯t face a husband who didn¡¯t love you, a marriage that failed, you even feared facing the real you-because the real you is cowardly, weak, and inept! You feared everyone seeing your true face, so you tormented those around you for a sense of satisfaction! But no one cares, because no one loves you! Not a single one-except your son! Only he loved you¡­ Only he endured everything you did! He loved me so much, he adored Valerio, my child, yet for you, just for you, he was willing to let us go to a city miles away! But how did you repay him? You took a knife and plunged it into his flesh! He was the only person in this world who loved you, and you killed him with a knife-¡± Gloria, who had been propping herself up with all her strength, suddenly lost all her energy as Seraphina finished speaking, copsing onto the bed with a thud. ¡°Madam!¡± Kar¨¢n, tears streaming, rushed to help Gloria up from the floor but only touched her cold, lifeless body. With great effort, Karan lifted her halfway, turned her over, and saw a face etched with utter despair- She was crying. Her mouth open but soundless, her tears incessantly streaking down h her pallid, face. Karan had been by her side for over thirty years and had never seen Gloria ¡°Come on then, don¡¯t you want to kill me?¡± Seraphina taunted, him to hell with your own hands!¡± Come 16me joint ¡°Seraphina!¡± Karan, overwhelmed with sorrow, cried out, ¡°Please, you, n join your son, whom you¡¯ve dutifully served for years, only to send Seraphina seemed deaf to Karan¡¯s words, her voice steady butced with a chilling resolve. ¡°If you don¡¯t end me now, I swear I will avenge my son, my husband. Every dark deed, every sin you¡¯ve committed ¨C I¡¯ll spill it all to the cops. You will get what¡¯sing to you. Justice will be served.¡± With that deration, she stood still, a statue in the midst of chaos, waiting for Gloria¡¯s reaction. Gloria, however, was copsed in Karan¡¯s arms, her sobs a testament to her despair and helplessness, her tears silent and endless. Two minutes ticked by before Seraphina finally turned on her heel and headed for the exit. But as she reached the staircase, she came face to face with a grim-looking Herman, whose eyes widened at the sight of her. ¡°Seraphina, what are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be at the hospital?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who called you here. I had to be here,¡± she replied, her voice hoarse with unshed emotion. Herman hesitated before speaking, ¡°Is¡­ is Leandro not doing well?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she answered simply. ¡°So why¡­ your face¡­¡± Herman started, tentatively raising his hand to gesture toward his own cheek. Following his cue, Seraphina mechanically reached up to touch her face, only to feel the dampness of tears. Tears she hadn¡¯t even realized she had shed ¨C a silent cascade of grief and determination. Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Police cruisers once again lined the driveway of the Reynolds Vista Retreat, their blue and red lights casting an eerie glow over the opulent estate. For the staff of the Reynolds family, a visit fromw enforcement was nothing novel. But this time, the incident was unprecedented. Thest casualty was Valerio Reynolds, who had suffered only minor injuries; This time, however, it was Leandro Reynolds, the family patriarch, who was seriously hurt. The amount of blood he¡¯d lost had been so substantial that despite the cleanup, the living room still resembled a crime scene. In the midst of this chaos, the officers were meticulously gathering evidence and taking statements. Standing alone by the grand entrance, Seraphina gazed out over the expansive private gardens and driveway, her eyes reflecting the bright lights with a cool, clear sharpness. Herman stepped out of the house and positioned himself beside her, lighting up a cigarette with a contemtive frown. The night breeze carried a wisp of smoke to Seraphina, prompting her to suddenly ask, ¡°Got another one for me?¡± Herman, taken aback, nced at her before hesitantly pulling out another cigarette and handing it to her. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Seraphina took it, ced it between her lips, and leaned in to catch a light from Herman¡¯s lighter. She drew back after a deep inhale, her movements betraying a practiced ease that left Herman momentarily speechless. After a beat, he managed to ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the hospital?¡± With a cigarette pinched delicately between her fingers, Seraphina let out a low chuckle. ¡°What for?¡± Leandro was in surgery, racing against death itself. She was unable to enter, unable to see him. If she went, she would merely be another anxious spirit wandering the hospital hallways, eyes glued to the status light above the operating room door. And even if she could enter, what then? She¡¯d be powerless, a silent witness to his struggle on the operating table. Waiting made time stretch into an eternity, morphing into something monstrous. She knew that feeling all too well. So she preferred to distract herself with something else, anything to divert her focus. Perhaps then, when she least expected it, she¡¯d get the news that the surgery was over, and he was going to be okay¡­ After a moment of silence, Herman finally said, ¡°Yeah, Leandro¡¯s a tough guy. He¡¯se through worse than this. He¡¯ll pull through.¡± At that, Seraphinaughed again but offered no response. She had only taken a couple of drags from the cigarette before letting it burn down between her fingers, the ember glowing and fading slowly. When the cigarette had turned to ash, an officer emerged from the house and briefed Herman on the investigation¡¯s progress. ¡°We¡¯ve pretty much wrapped up collecting evidence, and we¡¯ve finished taking statements, except for upstairs-¡± Upstairs, Gloria and Karan had remained locked in their room, unseen and unreachable, the police having decided against a forced entry. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit longer,¡± Herman suggested before taking the statements from the officer to review them. ¡°Let me have a look,¡± Seraphina interjected suddenly. Herman looked at her, and with a slight smile, she said, ¡°I might as well do something.¡± After a brief hesitation, he handed her one of the statements. Seraphina read through it quickly, then went back to review it word by word. The day had started out harmoniously enough. Gloria had been in a much calmer state of mind, and Bruce, who had been away from home for a long time, had unexpectedly returned. Bruce, typically assertive to the point of aggression, was uncharacteristically patient and attentive, gently inquiring about Gloria¡¯s well-being. Initially, Gloria was a bundle of nerves, but gradually, she had settled down. Her mood even seemed to lift, and she joined Bruce for lunch. Bruce, who had always embodied the machismo image, was exceptionally considerate that day, tiptoeing around Gloria as if afraid to trigger an outburst, showing a side of tenderness that was rare for him. He had even gone out of his way to purchase Gloria¡¯s favorite greenhouse-grown cantaloupe and had taken it upon himself to slice it in the kitchen. But it was precisely at that moment that his phone, left unattended on the coffee table, lit up silently with an iing call. 09:07 Seated on the sofa, Gloria caught a glimpse of the caller ID-Tina. That name, belonging to another woman, sent Gloria spiraling out of control once more. Nobody was prepared for it. After all, this afternoon had been one of the most serene and harmonious the Reynolds Vista Retreat had seen in years. Except for Leandro, who had just returned home. He had been cautious, yet he was still unable to anticipate Gloria¡¯s fierce outburst, or perhaps he had been trying to protect too many at once and had forgotten to protect himself¡­ But ultimately, he was just a man. He wasn¡¯t made of steel, nor was he impervious to injury. He was made of nothing more than vulnerable, mortal flesh. Seraphina handed the statement back to Herman and walked away to stand by herself, her back to everyone. Herman, concerned, took a few steps towards her and suggested, ¡°Should I call Andrea to keep youpany?¡± Without turning around, Seraphina shook her head slightly, her voice firm and resolute, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Herman hesitated, about to speak again when he caught a movement in the foyer. He turned to look inside. Seraphina also noticed and looked in the same direction. Descending the staircase, Gloria, now changed and groomed, leaned on Karan¡¯s arm. Her face was deathly pale, her lips devoid of color, but her eyes were a fierce, bloodshot red. Compared to her previously erratic and vtile demeanor, Gloria now appeared unnervinglyposed and collected. On the other hand, Karan was inconsble, tears streaming down his face. Herman, sensing the gravity of the moment, promptly led the officers inside to meet them. Seraphina remained outside, staring through the vast ss panes, her expression unreadable as she watched the unfolding scene. She saw Gloria speak to Herman, Karan¡¯s sobs intensify, and then Herman, with a slow nod, signaled an officer who produced a pair of handcuffs. Herman raised a hand, signaling the officer to retract the handcuffs, and then motioned for a female cop to step forward, recing Karan, to support Gloria. They walked slowly out of the main building of Reynolds Vista Retreat. A police cruiser was parked at the entrance, its red and blue lights shing. Gloria, still pale-faced, quietly settled into the back seat under the female officer¡¯s escort. Soon, the engine of the police car hummed to life, ready to depart. Inside the cruiser, Gloria¡¯s face was a serene shade of gray, her eyes dim and lifeless, as if she saw no one, not even Seraphina standing a short distance away. Only then did Herman approach Seraphina again, slowly saying, ¡°She¡¯s agreed to confess, toe with us to the station and tell us everything she¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Seraphina replied coolly. ¡°Do you¡­ want a ride out of here?¡± Herman offered. Seraphina shook her head slowly, ncing back at the hall, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the most dangerous person here is gone. No one¡¯s going to hurt me now-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll head to the hospital once I¡¯ve wrapped things up here,¡± Herman said. ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡± Seraphina listened but did not respond. Herman turned and walked back to the cruiser, opening the door and sliding into the vehicle. Before long, the line of police cars glided silently away from Reynolds Vista Retreat. Meanwhile, Karan stepped out of the building,ing to stand in front of Seraphina. Seraphina looked up to see her, noting the redness at the tip of her nose and the moisture still present in her eyes. Seraphina braced herself, half-expecting a p.¡± ¡°Go to the hospital, Karan¡¯s voice was hoarse and deep, ¡°Go to him, stay with him. He¡¯s so fond of you, he loves you so much. Who eise could he be waiting for but you?¡±, Chapter 448 Chapter 448 When Seraphina finally made her way back to the hospital, Andrea was waiting at the main entrance, her eyes anxiously scanning each arriving vehicle. As soon as Seraphina¡¯s car pulled up, Andrea darted forward, grasping Seraphina¡¯s hands in her own. Seraphina¡¯s palms were icy, a stark contrast to the warmth of the summer evening. Andrea instinctively rubbed them between her hands, trying to infuse some of her own warmth into Seraphina¡¯s chilled skin. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± It took a moment for Seraphina to find her voice, a quiet murmur against the buzz of the hospital. Andrea¡¯s gaze lingered on her face, a gentle tone softening her words, ¡°Mr. Herman sent me a text.¡± A briefugh escaped Seraphina at the mention of his name. ¡°You haven¡¯t blocked him yet?¡± The quip brought a more scrutinizing look from Andrea, revealing a disturbing calm in Seraphina¡¯s eyes that sent a shiver down her spine. ¡°I¡¯lle in with you,¡± Andrea offered. But Seraphina shook her head, her gaze drifting to the dark expanse of the night sky as she exhaled, ¡°Time moves so slowly¡­¡± ncing at her watch, Andrea noted it was already ten in the evening. ¡°How¡¯s Valerio?¡± Andrea attempted to shift the focus away from the unspoken topic of Leandro, ¡°Is he still in Summitville, or did hee back too? Is everything settled?¡± ¡°You remind me¡­¡± Seraphina mumbled, reaching into her purse for her phone only to realize she¡¯d left it in the car. Fortunately, her driver had parked and was approaching with her bag in hand. After retrieving her phone and quickly dialing Reynolds Manor, the familiar voice of the housekeeper answered. Seraphina¡¯s tension seemed to ease as she asked, ¡°Has Valerio gone to bed?¡± ¡°He just nodded off,¡± the housekeeper responded, her voice carrying a hint of mirth, ¡°He was a bit down today, missing Leandro and you not being around.¡± ¡°Good that he¡¯s asleep,¡± Seraphina sighed, ¡°Keep an eye on him for me, will you? We might only get backte tonight.¡± The housekeeper¡¯s chuckle came through the line, reassuring, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear. I¡¯ve got it covered. You go enjoy your date with Leandro!¡± Another softugh from Seraphina, and with a simple ¡°Okay,¡± the call ended. As Seraphina turned to face Andrea, thoughts of Herman momentarily returned, but before she could voice them, another car rolled to a stop nearby. Two doctors emerged swiftly from the hospital and approached the newly arrived vehicle. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Dr. Daniel, Mr. Reynolds is waiting for you-¡± The hospital¡¯s chief, Daniel, wasted no time and quickly entered the building. Rooted to the spot, Seraphina watched the group disappear inside, her mind momentarily nk of all else. Snapping back to reality, Andrea tugged at Seraphina¡¯s hand, and they both hurried inside. By the time they reached the surgical floor, Bruce and Daniel were deep in conversation, heading toward the conference room. Hearing their approach, Bruce turned and motioned them over, ¡°Sera,e here.¡± Andrea felt Seraphina¡¯s hand grow even colder, her whole body rigid with tension. She squeezed Serephina¡¯s hand, guiding her forward into the room. As they all settled in the conference room, Andrea, unable to bear the silence any longer, inquired, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, what¡¯s the status?¡± The surgery is ongoing,¡± Bruce replied softly, ¡°I wanted to be updated, so I called in Dr. Daniel.¡± Closing her eyes briefly, Seraphina seemed to rx ever so slightly, a cue for Andrea to breathe a sigh of relief. In the midst of their conversation, a doctor handed Daniel a stack of documents, ¡°Here are the patient¡¯s previous medical records, recent test results, and reports¡­¡± ¡°His injury from years ago shouldn¡¯t affect the surgery; he¡¯s recovered well,¡± Daniel spoke, setting Leandro¡¯s past records aside to focus on thetest reports. The past recordsy within reach of Seraphina, who sat quietly beside Daniel. As the others continued their discussion, Seraphina¡¯s attention drifted to the medical file before her. She reached out and flipped it open. Leandro¡¯s history with the hospital was extensive; from childhood colds to surgeries, his medical journey wasprehensively documented. His health had been robust until his 27th year when the records suddenly thickened with more frequent hospitalizations. In April, Leandro was admitted three times in two months due to recurring gastric bleeding. In June, he was stabbed by an assant, sustaining three deep wounds. In September, while rescuing others from a fire at a construction site, he copsed from exhaustion. In January, he survived a severe car ident that left him with multiple injuries and on the brink of death¡­ Seraphina had heard snippets of these events before, but never had she so vividly visualized the reality of those moments-diagnoses, photos of his wounds, reports of damaged organs, X-rays of fractures, and even three critical condition notices that Leandro had once narrowly survived. The pain he had endured, the trials he faced, casually spoken of in the past, nowy bare before her in the stark, unyielding print of medical history- It was only at that moment that Seraphina realized the extent of the perils he had weathered, time and again, to make it through to now. As she gazed at the words before her, a chill liquid began to fall ¨C drop by drop, magnifying the lifeless ck print on her hands. ¡°Sera,¡± Andrea called out to her urgently, her voice a whisper, ¡°he¡¯ll be okay, he has to be-¡± It was a long while before Seraphina finally lifted her head to meet her gaze and said in a low voice, ¡°Tell me, what hurts more-the wounds on one¡¯s body, or the ones deep in the heart?¡± Andrea¡¯s eyes, tinged with redness, stared back for a long moment before she replied, ¡°Both hurt.¡± ¡°And if one had to endure both kinds of pain at the same time¡­¡± Seraphina¡¯s voice trailed off as tears began to cascade uncontrobly, ¡°how excruciating that must be¡­¡± At a loss for words, Andrea simply reached out, cleaning the tears that wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°I need to be with him, I have to go to him¡­¡± Seraphina murmured, suddenly pulling away Andrea¡¯s hand and turning to face Daniel, ¡°Mr. Daniel, please let me sit with him. I promise I won¡¯t interfere with the surgery, I just want to be there¡­ to quietly stay by his side.¡± Chapter 449 Chapter 449 In over two decades of life, Seraphina had never witnessed an actual surgery, except for the dramatized versions on TV and movies where the operating room was a hive of tension. She had heard, however, that in reality, the atmosphere in the OR was often surprisingly rxed, even filled with lighthearted banter among the medical staff. Yet as she donned her scrubs and entered the OR, she was met with a profound silence, punctuated only by the sounds of surgical instruments. The doctors were intensely focused on the task at hand, operating on Leandro, and only a couple of nurses spared her a brief nce before swiftly returning their attention to their work. Standing quietly at the perimeter of the sterile theater, Seraphina observed Leandro lying unconscious on the table. Though under the heavy veil of anesthesia, his brow was still furrowed with tension. She couldn¡¯t fathom the pain and struggle his body was enduring, but she knew it had to be unbearable. After all, hadn¡¯t his life been a series of hardships? Lost in thought, she found herself drawn closer to the operating table, standing right at the head where Leandroy. One of the assisting surgeons suddenly looked up and locked eyes with her. ¡°Mrs. Reynolds,¡± he said, his toneced with a stern warning. Seraphina knew what he meant. She had promised not to interfere with the surgery. So she simply stood there, silently watching over Leandro, the man who often held her in his arms, refusing to sleep. How could he willingly close his eyes in her presence unless he was utterly exhausted? She believed that if he sensed her presence, he would somehow find the strength to open his eyes, no matter what. After a long moment of contemtion, she bent forward, kissing Leandro¡¯s forehead through the mask. The action drew a few nces from the medical team, but Seraphina held her position, unwavering. And then, as if nothing had happened, the OR returned to its previous rhythm of quiet efficiency. The surgerysted a grueling eight hours. At four in the morning, Leandro was wheeled out of the OR and into the ICU. Seraphina followed alongside his bed until they reached the doors of the intensive care unit. The hallway was already crowded with concerned faces-Bruce and Keen, who had been there from the start, Leandro¡¯s friends who had arrivedter, and members of the Reynolds family along with several executives from Reynolds Group who had turned up at some point. Despite the surgery being tentatively sessful, the concern was palpable on everyone¡¯s face as they peered into the ICU at Leandro, his body a maze of tubes and wires, almost afraid to breathe too loudly. Seraphina was escorted by Andrea to change out of her scrubs and upon her return, the heavy air of anxiety still hung over the group. Herman, spotting her, paused before approaching. ¡°You should get some rest,¡± he suggested gently. Seraphina shook her head with a wan smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You all have been so busy, and it¡¯ste¡­ You should get some rest. At the sound of her voice, the others turned to look at her. Victor and Edgar offered words offort just as Leonard stepped forward, his gaze heavy on Seraphina. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said, heading toward the elevators. Andrea gripped her hand, shaking her head as if to warn her, but Seraphina reassured her with a pat, then followed Leonard. Silently, the members of the Reynolds family and the high-ranking executives from Reynolds Group trailed behind. Andrea watched as Seraphina was enveloped by the group, her brow furrowing in concern. Herman, with an inkling of what was toe, followed at a distance. Sure enough, Leonard confronted Seraphina about her decision to involve the police with Gloria¡¯s situation. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± he demanded. ¡°Wasn¡¯t thest incident enough? With Leandro in this state, and his mother taken by the police, how do you think it looks for the Reynolds family? Do you have any idea how this could affect the Reynolds Group?¡± Seraphina had tired of these usations since the incident with Valerio, but she listened patiently before responding. ¡°What happens to the Reynolds family is not my concern, nor is the Reynolds Group my responsibility. All I know is that if someonemits a crime, they should be held ountable.¡± That¡¯s Leandro¡¯s mother! No matter the issue, it¡¯s a family matter for the Reynolds family!¡± Leonard retorted. ¡°You grew up with the Reynolds family, you married Leandro, you are one of us. Every action of yours should consider the family. If you can¡¯t see that, why should the Reynolds family ept you?¡± ¡°Mr. Leonard, Herman cut through the crowd, sidling up to Seraphina without waiting for her to speak. He addressed Leonard firmly, ¡°The case involving Gloria is a criminal assault, not a Reynolds family affair. She has fully confessed to her involvement, and I assure you, the police will handle this matter with absolute impartiality, without any special treatment.¡± The murmur of the crowd surged as Gloria¡¯s confession was mentioned, a mor of voices rising in a cacophony of shock and spection. Seraphina listened quietly for a moment before finally speaking up. ¡°What you¡¯re all so worried about is the effect this scandal will have on Reynolds Enterprises, right? You me me, which means you me Leandro. Because any impact I have on thepany will ultimately fall on Leandro¡¯s shoulders, am I correct? Since Leandro¡¯s out ofmission due to his injuries, unable to attend to thepany¡¯s affairs, this is your golden opportunity. Seize the chance to wrest control from his hands, to take the reins for yourselves. As for who ultimately calls the shots at Reynolds Enterprises, that¡¯s down to your own skills and cunning, isn¡¯t it?¡± What are you insinuating?¡± Nte Reynolds, her temper ring, shoved Seraphina. ¡°Leandro is still fighting for his life, and you speak such words. What are you trying to say? That we all wish harm upon Leandro?¡± ¡°Aunt Nte, perhaps you do hold some affection for Leandro, worrying over his fate,¡± Seraphina said, her gaze sweeping over the assembled faces. ¡°But how many here are itching to stir the pot, seizing the opportunity? They know it, and so do you, don¡¯t you?¡± Nte was taken aback, momentarily at a loss for words. So, there¡¯s no need for any of you to stand here and criticize,¡± Seraphina continued. ¡°The choices I¡¯ve made, I stand by them. And any responsibilities Leandro must bear, I¡¯ll shoulder them too. Do as you please. I only ask that you don¡¯t disturb Leandro¡¯s healing and recovery at the hospital. Go and do what your hearts desire.¡± With that speech, the crowd seemed even more indignant, their voices a babble of protest and confusion. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Having said her piece, Seraphina didn¡¯t wish to linger on the matter. She turned to a nurse, ¡°Would you mind asking these folks to leave? They¡¯re causing quite a racket.¡± The nurse, already on her way due to the noise, promptly intervened. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this is a hospital. The patients need peace. If you wish to stay, please be quiet. If you want to argue, take it outside.¡± Recognizing their social standing, the group quickly fell silent. After exchanging nces, they filed into the elevator and departed in silence, leaving only Aunt Celeste, Nte, Ferne, and two other younger rtives behind. Witnessing Seraphina¡¯s deft handling of the situation, Ferne called out to her just as she was about to head back to the ICU, ¡°Seraphina.¡± Seraphina paused, turning back to face her. After scrutinizing Seraphina, noticing her bloodshot eyes, Ferne let out a faintugh, ¡°It seems you truly care about my brother. But do you have any idea how important Reynolds Enterprises is to him? You just casually handed over his control of thepany. Are you sure he¡¯ll ept that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whether he epts it or not,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°He¡¯ll have to ept my decisions.¡± Ferne found the notionughable. ¡°Do you really believe you¡¯re more important to my brother than Reynolds Enterprises?¡± ¡°Why should Ipare myself to Reynolds Enterprises?¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°I am far more important than thepany, am I not?¡± Ferne, unsure how to confront such self-assurance, could only snort in response. ¡°Besides, him being ousted from the decision-making at Reynolds Enterprises is what you wanted to see, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seraphina shot her a nce before continuing. Ferne¡¯s expression shifted subtly as she watched Seraphina, ¡°Why would I want that?¡± ¡°You know why, Seraphina said without borating further, then turned back to the ICU. Ferne remained by the elevator, watching Seraphina¡¯s retreating figure, eventually letting out a cold laugh. Back at the ICU door, Seraphina thanked everyone who hade to see Leandro. Although he was still in critical care, the surgery had been sessful, and there was no longer a need for such a vigil. She sent Victor and Edgar away first, then turned to Herman, ¡°Please take Andrea home to rest.¡± Herman nced at Andrea, then nodded slowly, ¡°Alright.¡± Andrea tugged at Seraphina¡¯s hand, wanting to say more, but Seraphina reassured her, ¡°I¡¯m not comfortable with you going alone at this hour. Don¡¯t give me extra worries.¡± Andrea responded, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to overexert yourself. Rest when you need to, don¡¯t push too hard.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Seraphina said with a smile. ¡®This is nothing. How could it possibly bring me down?¡± Reassured, Andrea nodded, cast a nce at Herman, and headed towards the elevator. Herman turned and followed Andrea at a respectful distance, both leaving the floor together. Chapter 450 Chapter 450 At six in the morning, the hospital¡¯s quiet halls echoed the soft footsteps of departing visitors, leaving only Seraphina, Bruce, Celeste, and Keen in the small lounge adjacent to the ward where Leandroy motionless. Keen, noticing that both Seraphina and Bruce had stayed up all night, had gone downstairs early to fetch some sandwiches and hot coffee. The lounge, situated directly across from Leandro¡¯s room, offered a clear view through the hallway and the twin panes of ss that separated them. Seraphina sat perched by the window, her gaze fixed on the still form of Leandro across the way. Handing out the food, Keen passed a sandwich to Bruce, who then nced at Seraphina and called out, ¡°Sera,e grab something to eat.¡± It took a moment for Seraphina to pull herself away from the view, but she eventually turned and took a sip of the steaming coffee Bruce handed her. Throughout the night, Bruce hadn¡¯t uttered a single question about Gloria, as if his entire universe had narrowed down to the figure lying in the hospital bed. Taking a sip of her coffee, Seraphina finally spoke in a low voice, ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± Bruce, realizing what she was referring to, paused before replying, ¡°Everything you did was out of concern for Leandro. How could I be mad at you? Besides, if anyone¡¯s to me, it¡¯s me. What right do I have to be mad at anyone?¡± Before Seraphina could respond, Celeste interjected, ¡°Big brother, you¡¯ve made enough messes over the years with your flings. It¡¯s time for some serious self-reflection.¡± Bruce simply closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh. ¡°If you can, go see her, Seraphina suggested. ¡°Talk to her about Leandro¡­ Even though Herman will surely keep her informed, hearing it from you might give her some peace.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me her?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°I do,¡± Seraphina admitted, ¡°but in the end, she¡¯s a pitiable figure too.¡± After this exchange, Seraphina looked at Bruce, seemingly waiting for his reply. After a moment of silence, Bruce nodded, ¡°Alright. Once Leandro wakes up, I¡¯ll go see her.¡± Seraphina nodded in acknowledgement and then turned to Keen, ¡°Keen, could you head over to Reynolds Manor for me?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sure,¡± Keen responded promptly. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°Comfort Valerio,¡± she said. ¡°Bring him a few books and a couple of model kits.¡± Valerio was already disappointed not having seen Leandro yesterday. If he missed her today as well, it would undoubtedly affect his mood. But considering Leandro¡¯s current state, she dared not let Valerio see him just yet and decided to dy it a little longer. ¡°And what about Conway?¡± Keen couldn¡¯t help but ask. With such a significant incident, they could keep Valerio in the dark, but Conway would be another story. Seraphina knew this all too well and replied, ¡°Just give Grandpa a brief update. Don¡¯t make it sound too grave; we don¡¯t want to upset him. If he insists oning to the hospital, have his secretary bring him. Leandro should be waking up soon anyway¡­¡± Keen nodded in understanding and left the hospital shortly after. Bruce, hearing Seraphina handle so many concerns, felt a twinge of guilt and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you get some rest? You¡¯ve been up all night. Sleep for a while, and I¡¯ll wake you when Leandroes around.¡± Seraphina shook her head with a faint smile, ¡°One night of worry is nothing. Leandro has been carrying these burdens for years, and he¡¯s made it through, hasn¡¯t he?¡± After hearing this, Bruce sighed again and looked away. Seraphina had barely finished her coffee when she saw the lead doctor gesturing to her from the other side of the ss. Rising quickly, she left the lounge and met the doctor, who nodded towards Leandro¡¯s room. ¡°You can go in now, but please don¡¯t touch anything. Are you going in?¡± Before he had even finished speaking, Seraphina was already making her way through the door into Leandro¡¯s room. Back in the lounge, Bruce nodded in thanks to the doctor outside, while Celeste, watching Seraphina enter the ward, remarked, ¡°I never knew Seraphina could be so considerate and thorough-¡± Bruce sighed softly, ¡°After all she¡¯s been through, how could she not be?¡± Sometimes, it¡¯s those who have endured the most who hide their understanding the most. They learn not to rely on others and in turn, be less reliant on those around them. Solo journeys may be the best way to protect oneself in a harsh world, b ut such a life can be unbearably lonely. -The best destination is where there¡¯s someone to share the burdens with, to lean on and be leaned upon. Yet, finding such a destination is easier said than done. Inside Leandro¡¯s room, Seraphina sat quietly beside him, asionally watching the medical staff attend to him but mostly just watching him. She couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing Leandro so still, so quiet. To her, he had always been full of life and seemingly tireless. At times, she had even wondered if he was some sort of cyborg, not human, to keep on existing in such a relentless state. But in the ces where she couldn¡¯t see, Leandro too would hurt, would feel pain. He could be just like he was now: quiet, fragile, and pale. This version of Leandro was a rarity, a precious anomaly to Seraphina. But sometimes, what¡¯s rare and precious doesn¡¯t bring appreciation or value; it brings fear- The fear of loss. Throughout their journey, she had endured a constant cycle of loss and gain. Yet in her eyes, no gain could everpensate for what she had lost. She had already sacrificed so much, surely if there was any justice in this world, it would grant her something evesting? Seraphina sat there, silently gazing at the slumbering Leandro, for a long, long time until he slowly opened his eyes. Yet she remained still, unmoving, u ntil his gaze finally met hers. Through the oxygen mask, she saw his lips move. The shape of his lips was unmistakably asking her, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Seraphina bit her lip before she finally spoke softly, ¡°Looking at an ugly guy.¡± Chapter 451 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. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°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.¡± 09-331 ¡°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.¡± Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Leandro exhaled slowly, regaining hisposure before he spoke. ¡°Thought you didn¡¯t want to take care of me?¡± Seraphina suddenly lifted the handkerchief in her hand, ¡°Aren¡¯t I taking care of you right now, Mr. Leandro?¡± Hearing this, Leandro closed his eyes and took a deep breath, a faint smile ying at the corners of his mouth. After a moment, he asked, ¡°How¡¯s¡­ my mother doing?¡± Seraphina had anticipated this question first thing in the morning, yet it was the very topic she least wanted to discuss with him. The doctors said his injuries were severe and required rest. But how could he rest if he started worrying about Gloria? Clear as day, Seraphina knew this was a conversation that had to be had for Leandro to truly rest. So, after sending the nurse away, she sat down beside his bed to address his concern. ¡°I gave her a piece of my mind.¡± ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± Leandro acknowledged, prompting her to continue. ¡°I made her cry,¡± she added. Leandro seemed mildly surprised by this, watching Seraphina quietly, waiting for her to continue. ¡°Then-¡°Seraphina hesitated, but on ncing up, she caught sight of Herman outside the hospital room. She resumed, ¡°She agreed to go with Herman.¡± Leandro closed his eyes again upon hearing this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry just yet,¡± Seraphina advised, ¡°I asked Herman toe and talk to you.¡± After saying this, she stood up, walked to the door, and gestured for Herman toe in. Herman approached promptly, asking, ¡°How¡¯s Leandro doing?¡± ¡°Tell him about his mom first, then we can decide how he¡¯s doing,¡± Seraphina replied. Herman nodded and made to enter the room. Yet Seraphina pulled him back, asking, ¡°It¡¯s something he can handle, right?¡± Herman gave her a reassuring look, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to say and what not to.¡± Relieved, Seraphina let him into the room. ¡°Leandro,¡± Herman called out. In the half minute it took Herman to enter, Leandro had rested his eyes again. He opened them hearing Herman¡¯s voice and responded softly. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Herman asked in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m not going to kick the bucket,¡± Leandro replied curtly, then pressed on, ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Herman let out a breath and exchanged a nce with Seraphina before saying, ¡°Gloria¡¯s confessed to everything, including pushing Vivian Smith down the stairs years ago-¡± Leandro¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°But don¡¯t worry,¡± Herman quickly added, ¡°because Gloria was very calm, very stable. She was lucid when she talked about the past, and I think she¡¯s trulye to her senses.¡± Herman knew all too well the state Gloria had been in over the years, as the Reynolds family¡¯s close ties made such news known. After the recent incident, he was all the more familiar with Gloria¡¯s mental condition. But the Gloria he saw today seemed like apletely different personposed, serene, clearly articting each mistake from her past without any sign of distress. ¡°Her only concern was about you,¡± Herman continued, ¡°But this morning, Bruce came and told her you were out of danger- The memory of Bruce and Gloria¡¯s meeting was still vivid in Herman¡¯s mind. Aware of their rocky marriage and mindful of the receiit ident, Herman had been on edge, fearing a confrontation the moment they met. Unexpectedly, the moment Gloria saw Bruce, she sat up¨Cstraight and immediately asked, ¡°How¡¯s Leandro? Is the surgery ove)? Is be out of danger? de nodded slowly. The surgery is done, he¡¯s been moved to ICU, He was awake before I left Tears welled up in Gloria¡¯s eyes. ¡°What did the doctor say? Is there any permanent damage? Will he recover?¡± ¡°Everything went well,¡± Bruce assured her. ¡°The doctors are optimistic due to his youth and health. He¡¯ll recover in time¡­¡± Hearing this, Gloria burst into tears. For her, her greatest aplishment in life was having a son like Leandro. If she were the cause of his downfall, her life might as well have ended. But fortune smiled upon her; Leandro was safe. She could finally rest easy, reassured, and face the mistakes of her past with the time she had left. Gloria¡¯s crying was intense, yet she seemed reluctant to reveal this side of herself to Bruce. She stood up, intending to leave the visitor¡¯s room with the female officer. ¡°Gloria,¡± Bruce suddenly called out. She paused but didn¡¯t turn around. Bruce¡¯s eyes reddened, and after a long silence, he finally said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry-¡± At those words, Gloria¡¯s tears broke free, but she didn¡¯t turn back or linger. With her back to Bruce, she followed the officer out of the room. Bruce remained seated, his hand pressed to his eyes, motionless for a long time. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°She¡¯s been lost in this marriage for too long, Seraphina said softly, ¡°I hope she¡¯s truly found rity now.¡± After she finished, Herman remained silent, and a stillness fell over the room. Seraphina looked up to meet Leandro¡¯s darkening gaze and paused before saying, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Are you ming me?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t answer. Sensing tension, Herman cleared his throat, ¡°I snuck away during lunch to check on you. Now that you¡¯re awake, I¡¯m relieved. I have to head back to the office, but I¡¯lle visit you tonight.¡± After finishing his piece, Herman rose swiftly, brushing past Seraphina with a look that wordlessly urged her to be wise, before hurrying away. Seraphina shot him a re so sharp it could have drawn blood, but before she could retract her fiery gaze, Leandro¡¯s voice cut through the tension, ¡°Come here.¡± Only then did Seraphina saunter over to the bedside, saying, ¡°What¡¯s done is done, there¡¯s no turning back the clock. But whateveres next, whether it¡¯s getting her a doctor or awyer, you can count on me to handle it¡­ if you still have any faith in me, that is Leandro didn¡¯t speak, simply unfolded the hand that rested by his side. Seraphina eyed his outstretched palm for a moment before slowly cing her own hand in his. He gently wrapped his fingers around hers, holding them lightly before finally asking, ¡°What did you say to her?¡± Seraphina hesitated, a slight frown creasing her brow. 1 want her to break free from those dark, hopeless days more than anyone, Leandro said, his voice low. ¡°So if she really can find some peace, f¡¯d be happier than anyone.¡± Seraphina¡¯s lips pressed together, the evident battle to keep her emotions in check ying out across her face So, what did you say to her? Leandro pressed, his tone insistent. After a brief silence. Seraphina finally spoke. Honestly, it¡¯s not about what I said to her, She came to her senses because she truly cares for you, her son Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Seraphina never did spill the beans about what she told Gloria, or what was eating at Leandro so badly that he couldn¡¯t resist her. After a short while, he was ovee by exhaustion and drifted back to sleep. The hospital was a revolving door of faces that day, most of whom Leandro had neverid eyes on, and Seraphina had no time for those who didn¡¯t matter. She had bigger fish to fry. In the afternoon, while Leandro was snoozing, Seraphina slipped away to the Reynolds Vista Retreat to cover for Keen for a bit, and then sent Keen off to sort out the legal and medical teams needed for Gloria¡¯s situation. Keen was more seasoned in these matters. Seraphina only needed updates on the progress; she didn¡¯t need to get her hands dirty with the details. Then there was the matter of Valerio¡¯s schooling. It seemed unlikely they¡¯d be returning to Summitville anytime soon, but Valerio¡¯s education couldn¡¯t be put on hold. Unwilling to drag him through the ordeal of switching schools repeatedly, Seraphina decided to hire a few tutors for some home¨Cschooling. No sooner had she put the word out than a flood of rmendations and applications came in. After a quick sift through the prospects, she set up interviews for the next day, hoping to find the right fit for Valerio¡¯s trial lessons. Come evening, Seraphina returned to the hospital, only to be swarmed by a pack of reporters at the entrance. ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, we heard Mr. Reynolds is injured. Is it true?¡± ¡°Is it serious? Is Mr. Reynolds out of danger now?¡± ¡°What caused Mr. Reynolds¡® injury? Rumor has it, it¡¯s rted to you, Mrs/ Reynolds. Can you comment?¡± ¡°We heard you¡¯re at the police station. Is the Reynolds family nning to take legal action regarding this ident?¡± Questions bombarded Seraphina, but she strode through the reporters, shielded by her bodyguards, as if she hadn¡¯t heard a thing, making her way inside. Leandro¡¯s injury had been kept under wraps until now, but the sudden siege of reporters¨Cand their knowledge of Gloria¡¯s situation¨Cmeant someone had been spreading the word. The cat was out of the bag, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before all of Sunburst City was buzzing with the news. To Seraphina, Leandro was just a man who had been hurt. His injury wasn¡¯t a secret to be kept. But for the Reynolds family and the Reynolds Group, Leandro was the linchpin, the executor. His condition had undeniable social ramifications. Yet, these were the things Seraphina cared about least. She had no need to answer questions, no need to exin her husband¡¯s condition to the world, and no need to shield the family or thepany¡¯s reputation. Exiting the elevator, Seraphina headed for Leandro¡¯s room, only to see several figures stepping out of the lounge¨CLeonard and Ferne among them, along with a few high¨Cranking board members from the Reynolds Group. It looked like they had just finished speaking with Conway. As they turned to leave, they spotted Seraphina. Perhaps it was the blunt words she had spoken that morning, but they gave her cold looks and quickly dispersed without a viord¨Ceven Leonard and Ferne. Approaching Conway, Seraphina offered aforting arm, ¡°Grandpa, did they bother you?¡± Conwayughed softly at her question, ¡°With your directive not to bother Leandro, who else were they supposed to turn to but me? She knew the likely answer but asked anyway. ¡°What did they say?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Your uncle will be stepping in for Leandro temporarily Ferne also just secured some major deals for the Reynolds Group. There¡¯s going to be a press conference tomorrow to announce a stew of ns, hopefully to soften the blow to the stock prices caused by this incident Seraphinaughed, Major deptat A slew of ns? This Incident might just cause our stocks to soar instead of fall why patted her hand. From thepany¡¯s perspective, there¡¯s no other choice phins replied, thinking of the power ys at work ¡°When ites to power and profit, some would trade their soul Hades inparison With a sigh from Conway, Seraphina shelved those thoughts. ¡°Leandro¡¯s out of danger now. Don¡¯t worry too much, Grandpa. Go rest. I¡¯m here.¡± After seeing Conway off, Seraphina pushed open the door to Leandro¡¯s room. Leandro was still asleep, his meal untouched. She checked in with the nurse about his condition, her mind racing with the day¡¯s events and the challenges yet toe. ¡°Mr. Reynolds can only have some liquid nourishment at the moment, but his appetite isn¡¯t great. He only managed a few sips of broth before he gave up,¡± the caregiver reported, noticing a slight furrow in Seraphina¡¯s brow. She quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s normal to feel this way right after surgery. You don¡¯t need to worry, Mrs. Reynolds.¡± Seraphina nodded, ¡°Got it, thank you.¡± Once the caregiver had tidied up and left, Seraphina took a seat beside the hospital bed, stealing a nce at Leandro who was deep in slumber. She suddenly bent forward, resting her head beside his arm on the bed. From yesterday to now, she had been relentlessly sorting out affairs, running on empty until this very moment when fatigue began to seep into her bones. But it wasn¡¯t just a physical tiredness; even if she closed her eyes, sleep seemed like a distant dream. So shey there in stillness, unmoving for a long while, until arge hand gently rested on her head. ¡°Tired?¡± Leandro¡¯s deep voice broke the silence. ¡°Hah,¡± Seraphina let out a softugh, her voice muffled against the sheets, ¡°What a joke. I¡¯m a firecracker. I never run out of steam.¡± Normally, she only had to deal with her own issues, but now, she had to shoulder Leandro¡¯s burdens too. It turns out carrying the weight for two isn¡¯t quite so easy. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Leandro replied. Only then did Seraphina slowly lift her head to look at him, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± Leandro said, ¡°But you¡¯re not. You¡¯re always buzzing with energy, so you can handle a lot of things for me. That way, I can take a well¨Cdeserved break.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina¡¯s brow creased slightly. Even though those sharks from the Reynolds Group hadn¡¯t shown their faces to him directly, Seraphina guessed that he probably had caught wind of the situation. ¡°You¡¯re stepping back from the Reynolds Group?¡± she probed. Leandro remainedfortably reclined, speaking slowly, ¡°I hear someone doesn¡¯t want me involved, so I guess I shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Seraphina¡¯s cheeks flushed as she asked knowingly, ¡°Who told you that?¡± Chapter 454 Chapter 454 ¡°Seriously, does it matter who told me?¡± Leandro drawled, a faint hint of fondnesscing his tone ¡°Of course, it matters,¡± Seraphina shot back, crossing her arms. ¡°I suspect the person who¡¯s been whispering in your ear might be a bit hard of hearing. Probably got the whole thing twisted.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Leandro¡¯s voice lifted in mock surprise. ¡°So, you¡¯re suggesting I should continue to manage Reynolds Group??¡± Seraphina¡¯s brows knitted together before she softened, adding, ¡°If you have enough energy to do it, go ahead. Can I really stop you?¡± ¡°Alright, then. About Keen-¡± Leandro began, but before he could finish, a wince tightened his features, and he shut his eyes, inhaling deeply. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Seraphina¡¯s face flickered with concern as she rose to her feet. ¡°Is it the wound?¡± It took a moment before Leandroposed himself, his face paler than before. Watching him intently, Seraphina sighed as Leandro breathed out slowly and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Her gaze shifted to the pain pump beside his hand. ¡°Is that thing not doing its job? Or maybe the dosage is too low? Should I call the doc to up your pain meds?¡± Leandro just looked at her quietly for a moment before finally responding, ¡°I can handle it.¡± Seraphina gave him a stern look, but seeing him gradually rx, she finally relented, ¡°You still up for work? Want me to get Keen in here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not out of the question,¡± Leandro admitted. Hearing that, Seraphina reached out and gave his good arm a yful twist. ¡°Hmm?¡± Leandro raised an eyebrow at her. After a moment of silent confrontation, Seraphina let out a huff and said simply, ¡°No way.¡± A low chuckle escaped Leandro, and he finally conceded with a single word, ¡°Fine.¡± With only one good arm to use, he would have enveloped her in a bear hug if he could. However, all he managed was to reach out and grasp her hand tightly in his. Following his touch, Seraphina¡¯s gazended on an inconspicuous scar on his arm, and memories of his medical reports shed through her mind. She had seen his scars before, especially the prominent ones from an old leg fracture. But she never dwelled on them, or rather, she chose not to. Now, tying those scars to the pain he had endured, she suddenly felt a wave of distraction wash over her. Before she could snap out of her trance, Seraphina leaned down and gently kissed the scar on his arm. Leandro¡¯s muscles tensed at the contact. By the time Seraphina came back to her senses, the moment had already passed beyond salvaging. Without looking up, she could feel Leandro¡¯s gaze on her, likely mixed with surprise and confusion. And she couldn¡¯t help but wish she could pinch herself for being so embarrassingly forward. What was she thinking? In an attempt to reim some semnce of dignity, Seraphina opened her mouth and bit down on Leandro¡¯s arm, grinding her teeth in for good measure! After releasing her bite, she looked up at him and asked, ¡°Did that hurt?¡± Leandro just stared at her expressionlessly. Clearing her throat, Seraphina rambled, ¡°If that didn¡¯t hurt, it means the wound really hurts. You better rest up. I need you to get well soon so I can bring Valerio over- ¡°You think because I¡¯m stuck here, you can do whatever you want, huh?¡± Leandro nced at the teeth marks she had left on his arm and spoke calmly. Seraphina¡¯s lips curled into a slight smirk. ¡°What else? You gonna get up and hit me?¡± Leandro¡¯s lips twitched into a smile. ¡°This one, I¡¯ll remember.¡± 09:05 ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you,¡± Seraphina dered defiantly, her words dripping with challenge. Leandro relished that defiance, cherishing every word. The next day, after 24 hours of observation, Leandro was moved to a regr room, and visitation restrictions were eased. Conway and Karan took up residence in the room-Conway idly flipping through channels or reading, while Karan bustled with a never-ending list of tasks. Feeling somewhat superfluous, Seraphina returned to Reynolds Manor to oversee Valerio¡¯s lessons with his new tutor. After a productive session, she retained a couple of teachers and politely dismissed two, temporarily resolving Valerio¡¯s education concerns. He was a quick learner, deeply engrossed in his studies, yet always seemed to worry about everything else afterward. Just as Seraphina was debating whether to take him to the hospital, Conway¡¯s call came through. ¡°Sera, you bettere to the hospital.¡± Seraphina stiffened, ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing serious,¡± Conway sighed. ¡°I just don¡¯t fancy ying spectator to the drama here anymore.¡± At Conway¡¯s tone, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Who¡¯s bold enough to give you the cold shoulder?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± Conway grumbled. ¡°Just get over here!¡± Hanging up, Seraphina turned to Valerio and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to take you to see Dad now-¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Valerio¡¯s cheer erupted before she could finish. Quickly tempering his excitement, Seraphina said solemnly, ¡°But Dad¡¯s sick, in the hospital.¡± Valerio¡¯s joy turned to concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Dad?¡± ¡°He¡¯s had an operation because he wasn¡¯t feeling well,¡± Seraphina exined. ¡°So he has to stay in bed and can¡¯t move, looks quite pitiful-¡± Valerio¡¯s eagerness to see his father surged at the thought. ¡°Let¡¯s go see Dad right away.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Seraphina asked him. ¡°I miss Dad!¡± Valerio said, his voice cracking a little, ¡°I want to see Dad!¡± Seraphina quickly changed Valerio into fresh clothes and grabbed a few necessities before leading him out the door. When they arrived at the hospital and were about to enter the patient¡¯s room, they stumbled upon Karan exiting. ¡°Lady Karan¡­¡± Valerio called out to her in a hushed tone upon seeing her. Karan froze, taken aback, ncing at Seraphina before reaching out to ruffle Valerio¡¯s hair. ¡°Say that again for me, kiddo.¡± ¡°Lady Karan,¡± Valerio repeated obediently. In a heartbeat, Karan¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, and she hastily dabbed at them with the back of her hand. After making a silent promise to Valerio, she turned her gaze back to Seraphina. That look was heavy with unspoken emotion. ¡°You were right. It was after you came back that Leandro began to live like a normal person again. And now Valerio¡¯s getting better too. It¡¯s all good¡­¡± Karan murmured more to herself than to anyone, before addressing Seraphina, ¡°Go on in. He¡¯s been waiting for you for ages. Every time he wakes up and you¡¯re not there, he gets this disappointed look on his face, like a little boy.¡± Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Eight years ago, Seraphina could still conjure up an image of Leandro as a child, all wide-eyed and innocent. But nowadays, the very thought seemed like a page torn from an ancient fairytale. Would Leandro even know how to be childlike anymore? Seraphina, skeptical as ever, led her son Valerio through the hospital doors, only to have her mood sour at the sight that greeted them. There, by Leandro¡¯s bedside, stood Keen, stooped slightly, whispering something with a hushed urgency. Leandro listened, his gaze heavy and detached, the very picture of adult reserve. Where was the trace of that childlike spirit now? As the door creaked open, both men turned to see Seraphina and Valerio. Keen, caught mid-conversation about matters he deemed pressing, halted abruptly, his words choked off by the sight of Seraphina¡¯s stormy expression. ¡°Daddy!¡± Valerio, spotting Leandro, dashed to his side, scanning him from head to toe with a mix of excitement and concern. His eyes, tinged red, looked up at his father. ¡°Did your mom bring you here?¡± Leandro managed a smile, reaching out to caress Valerio¡¯s reddened eyes. ¡°Miss me?¡± Trying to stifle his tears, Valerio nodded. Leandro nced at Seraphina before turning back to his son. ¡°Alright, then you¡¯ll stay with me all night, okay?¡± ¡°Does it hurt, Daddy?¡± Valerio¡¯s gaze fell on the IV in Leandro¡¯s hand, his voiceced with worry. As father and son began to catch up, Seraphina¡¯s attention shifted to Keen, who seemed to shiver under her gaze, contemting a quick escape. Yet before he could excuse himself, Seraphina motioned him over with a finger, ¡°You, with me.¡± Keen¡¯s eyes, pleading, sought Leandro for rescue, but Leandro, engrossed with Valerio, paid him no heed. With a sinking heart, Keen followed Seraphina out. ¡°What were you telling him?¡± Seraphina demanded, arms folded, the moment they were out of earshot. ¡°I was just¡­ updating Mr. Reynolds on the current situation¡­¡± Keen stammered. ¡°And you think now¡¯s the time for that?¡± asked Seraphina. ¡°Mr. Reynolds has been at the helm of the Reynolds Group for years. He can¡¯t just let go overnight¡­¡± ¡°So you thought it best to bombard him with this the day after his surgery?¡± ¡°He asked for the update-¡°Keen protested. ¡°So you just do whatever he says?¡± Seraphina¡¯s tone was sharp. ¡°Don¡¯t you think for yourself?¡± Keen fell silent, then finally admitted, ¡°As Mr. Reynolds¡¯ personal assistant, I¡¯m to follow his instructions to the letter¡­¡± Before Seraphina could retort, the hospital door swung open. Valerio peered out, his gaze shifting from the formidable Seraphina to the dejected Keen. ¡°Mom, Dad wants you inside.¡± Seraphina caught Leandro¡¯s calm gaze through the slightly ajar door, and after a brief stare-down, turned back to Keen, ¡°Just remember, weigh your words next time. Or I¡¯ll make sure Leandro fires you!¡± Keen, outmaneuvered by the so-called ¡°Iron Lady,¡± made a hasty retreat. Back in the room, Leandro seemed to be in good spirits, chatting with Valerio. Seraphina, however, remained stern. ¡°Can¡¯t let go of the Reynolds Group, huh? Shall I have you discharged tomorrow so you can get back to ruling your empire?¡± Karan, just returning, caught the tail end of the exchange, his surprise evident as he nced from Seraphina to Leandro. Leandro, ever the picture ofposure, cleared his throat before exining, ¡°Keen was only briefing me on the press conference today.¡± ¡°Does it make a difference?¡± Seraphina¡¯s voice wasced with indignation. ¡°It¡¯s still about the Reynolds Group, isn¡¯t it? Since you¡¯re so concerned, why not have Keen bring all the unfinished paperwork here? Move the boardroom to this hospital room, summon all the execs, and you can run the show from your sickbed. Happy now?¡± The room fell silent. Valerio, who had never seen Seraphina this irate, was struck mute, looking between his parents in confusion. Karan, equally stunned, was speechless. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Leandro, unustomed to such a dressing-down, remained silent, exchanging a wordless look with Valerio, the epitome of a ¡°whipped man.¡± The tension was palpable. Snapping back to reality, Karan gently prompted Valerio, ¡°Go on, reassure your mom that Leandro will not repeat his mistake. Ask her not to remain upset.¡± Valerio nced at Leandro, catching the subtle cue in his eyes, then he quickly stepped forward and grabbed Seraphina¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be mad. Dad won¡¯t do it again-I promise.¡± Seraphina reached out and gently ruffled Valerio¡¯s hair, but when she lifted her gaze, she still shot Leandro a sharp look. That was when Leandro finally spoke up. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stay out of the Reynolds Group business from now on. Let them handle it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that, Seraphina huffed, her words clipped and devoid of any further conversation. Leandro coughed discreetly behind his hand, wisely choosing not to argue. Karan, who had just managed to collect herself, felling helpless at the scene before her. After a brief pause, she said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get out of your way now. 09:21 You three should enjoy your family time.¡± After gathering her things to leave, Karan turned back to Seraphina with onest instruction. ¡°Leandro was thirsty earlier, so I made him some juice. Make sure he drinks it.¡± Once Karan had left, Seraphina made her way back into the hospital room and set the freshly made juice that Karan had brought on the bedside table. ¡°Here¡¯s your juice,¡± she said curtly. Leandro gave her a nce, then looked at the cup of juice. Finally, he reached out, trying to grasp the cup in his weakened state. Seraphina had every intention of ignoring him, but when she saw his struggle, she relented, picked up the juice, and held it to his lips. A small smile crept onto Leandro¡¯s face as he watched her movements. ¡°I just don¡¯t want Grandpa to be sad if you died of thirst,¡± Seraphina said coldly. Leandro nodded slowly, starting to say, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m also afraid-¡± Seraphina promptly pressed the cup to his lips, silencing him. Chapter 456 Chapter 456 By evening, Seraphina finally pieced together what unsettling news Leandro received from Keen. Leandro had been hospitalized with severe injuries, and the incident involved Gloria, prompting the board of directors at Reynolds Group to hold an emergency meeting. They decided to rmend Leonard to temporarily take over as the acting CEO of Reynolds Group, ensuring thepany¡¯s continued stability and growth. That very afternoon, Reynolds Group held a press conference to announce this shift in leadership and to outline a series of uing ns and major projects. Among these new ventures, three were in coboration with Martin Group. The crux of the matter was that these lucrative deals had been brokered by none other than Ferne. This meant that Ferne must have already established a solid connection with Martin Group, as there was no other exnation for such swift and significant project coborations. It was bing clear, especially considering Ferne was among the first in the Reynolds family to learn of Valerio¡¯s mother was actually Seraphina. At the time, aside from a few individuals at the Reynolds Manor, only Bowen, Sandra and Andrea were privy to Valerio¡¯s lineage. Bowen, in particr, was a known adversary of Leandro. Ever since Ferne¡¯s exile to the Bahamas-a punishment inflicted by Leandro himself-it was usible that she harbored resentment towards him. Although Ferne and Leandro were first cousins and their rtionship had been rtively normal, being banished by him was a blow to her pride that she could not easily forgive. Given Leandro¡¯s supreme position within the family, the most effective way to challenge his authority would be to usurp it. It was highly likely that Bowen approached Ferne to conspire against Leandro. Perhaps Ferne believed Bowen¡¯s vendetta was solely against Leandro, which could exin her willingness to coborate with him, leading to the sequence of events that followed. However, Ferne might have been unaware that Bowen¡¯s real target was the entire Reynolds Group. With the Reynolds Group and Martin Group set to embark on several major joint projects, it remained to be seen whether this partnership was an opportunity or a trap. No wonder Leandro was so invested into this whole thing; after all, he had been instrumental in building the Reynolds Group from the ground up. The thought of handing it over to others and facing an uncertain future was unbearable. Even Seraphina felt a knot in her stomach upon learning that Ferne had negotiated these projects with Martin Group. Since the day she announced Valerio¡¯s heritage to the Reynolds family, she had suspected a connection between Ferne and Bowen, but she had never imagined it to be this deep. Now that Ferne and her father Leonard had secured decision-making power within Reynolds Group, with Bowen presumably solidifying his position at Martin Group, the future seemed bright for them. Yet the deeper the ties between Reynolds and Martin Groups grew, the greater the risk to Reynolds Group. Ferne and her father were likely aware of this, but the chance to gain ultimate control over Reynolds Group might have been a risk they were willing to take. However, the Reynolds Group¡¯s path forward under their leadership was anything but certain¡­ After understanding why Leandro was so concerned about the press conference, Seraphina¡¯s attitude softened considerably. Out of consideration for Leandro¡¯s condition, she found herself effortlessly preparing fruit and serving him warm soup. Nevertheless, her stern reprimand of Leandro earlier was imprinted in Valerio¡¯s mind. Taking advantage of a moment when Seraphina was distracted, Valerio couldn¡¯t help but whisper to Leandro, ¡°Mom was so fierce earlier!¡± After all, Valerio had never seen this side of Seraphina. Even though she often looked cool, she had never truly lost her temper. And since acknowledging Valerio as her son, she had been nothing but gentle with him. The sight of an upset Seraphina was indeed startling. ¡°Are you afraid of mom when she¡¯s like that?¡± Leandro asked him. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Valerio pondered for a moment before nodding. Leandro advised, ¡°Then maybe you shouldn¡¯t sleep with her anymore. You wouldn¡¯t want to be frightened if she gets angry again.¡± Valerio thought it over again, then his gaze shifted to one of suspicion. ¡°It¡¯s you who wants to sleep with mom, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why you don¡¯t want me around,¡± Valerio used, ¡°Mom was mad at you, not me.¡± ¨C Leandro found himself speechless his son was smarter than he thought. Valerio, having spent time with Seraphina, was no longer the naive, easily fooled boy he had been. As father and son exchanged silent nces, Seraphina entered with a basin of warm water, ready to bathe Leandro. ¡°What are you two up to?¡± Seraphina asked as she stepped into the room, instantly changing the atmosphere, ¡°Valerio, have your finished your milkshake? Leandro, done with your chicken soup?¡± After getting their names called, Valerio quietly sipped his milkshake while Leandro slowly sipped the bowl of chicken soup in front of him. It wasn¡¯t until both of them had nearlypleted their respective eating tasks that Seraphina began to sponge Leandro down. She wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled to do it, but Leandro refused to let the nursing staff touch him, so the task fell to her. As she was halfway through, the door behind her opened, and she turned to see the hospital director Daniel walk in with Leandro¡¯s attending physician and two other doctors. ¡°Mr. Daniel,¡± Seraphina said, a bit surprised, ¡°What brings you here at this time?¡± Daniel, who had a long-standing friendship with Bruce and treated Leandro like a nephew, smiled warmly and exined, ¡°I had a conference in the next town over and just got free toe and check on you. How are you feeling today, any better?¡± Leandro nodded slowly, ¡°Apart from the soreness at the wound site, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to worry about.¡± While listening, Daniel put on gloves and carefully examined Leandro¡¯s wound. ¡°Young folks bounce back fast,¡± Leandro¡¯s attending physicianmented with a smile, ¡°Strong constitution too. He¡¯ll recover quickly, for sure.¡± After checking the wound, Daniel nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed, to think you¡¯re this spirited the day after such a serious surgery is remarkable. Your wife has been beside herself with worry, crying her eyes out for you.¡± At that, Leandro looked up at Seraphina, whose face changed color suddenly, and she quickly changed the subject, ¡°So, you mean there won¡¯t be anysting effects?¡± ¡°Everything looks promising so far,¡± Daniel said as he removed his gloves, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This won¡¯t affect your ns for a family. With his strong body, having ten or a dozen kids wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Seraphina clenched her teeth for a moment before responding, ¡°If he could reproduce on his own, that certainly wouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Seraphina, attempting to switch topics and inadvertently digging herself into a hole, was left seething with irritation at Leandro. Wanting nothing more than to avoid him, she took their son Valerio to the lounge to freshen up. Back in the hospital room, everyone chuckled as she walked away. Leandro then turned to Dr. Daniel and inquired, ¡°If I¡¯m healing up nicely, is there any chance I can get an early discharge?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through major trauma, and the surgery was a big one. We need to keep an eye on your vitals and run all the necessary tests. There¡¯s still a recovery process to go through,¡± Dr. Daniel exined. ¡°So, you just focus on getting better. You¡¯ve got your wife and kid here for support. What¡¯s the rush?¡± Leandro paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Did she cry in front of you that day?¡± ¡°Sure did,¡± Dr. Daniel confirmed. ¡°She was pouring over your old medical records, tears streaming down her face, and nothing! said couldfort her.¡± Leandro fell silent. Karan had mentioned that Seraphina cried when she went to see Gloria; Dr. Daniel had just said she cried looking at his past medical records. In his memory, Seraphina was never one to cry easily. And after seven years away, the Seraphina who had returned to Sunburst City seemed even less likely to shed tears. Unless it was something that truly touched her heart, she wouldn¡¯t let even a single tear fall. But now, she had cried twice because of his condition. As Leandroy there, he felt as though the Seraphina he was waking up to was somewhat different from the past, but he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on whether this change was real or imagined. It seemed now he might have found his answer. When Seraphina returned to the room with Valerio, freshly washed and brushed, Dr. Daniel and the others had already left. Leandro was quietly lying in his hospital bed, aimlessly watching a mundane TV show. Seraphina nced at him, her expression still sour. ¡°They left. so soon?¡± Leandro nced back and replied, ¡°Did you want to see them? Why did you run off then?¡± ¡°Who ran off?¡± Seraphina retorted, gripping Valerio¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s your son who needed looking after.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Valerio protested, ¡°I¡¯m big enough to take care of myself!¡± Seraphina tapped his forehead sharply, and shot him a sideways look, ¡°then don¡¯te crawling into bed with me anymore!¡± At that, Valerio suddenly cast a wary nce at Leandro. Leandroy still, catching Valerio¡¯s gaze only after a moment, his eyes calm and serene. Yet, Valerio could sense a hint of pity in that expression. After all, Leandro was his dad, always strong and invincible. But now he was bedridden and sick, a pitiful sight indeed. Remembering something his dad had once said, Valerio wondered if maybe his dad really missed sleeping next to mom. With that thought, Valerio pouted and slowly said, ¡°Then you sleep with dad.¡± Seraphina looked at him in surprise, ¡°What did you say?¡± Valerio nced at Leandro again and said, ¡°Dad needs someone to look after him.¡± Seraphina took a deep breath, lifted Val¨¦rio¡¯s chin, and asked, ¡°Son, are you sick? Got a fever? Your brain overheated?¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Valerio wriggled free from Seraphina¡¯s grasp and took his tablet to Leandro¡¯s bedside, ¡°I¡¯ll watch a movie with dad.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Seraphina relented, ¡°You two enjoy your bonding time. I¡¯ll enjoy my peace and quiet. From now on, it¡¯s just you two!¡± With that, she turned to settle herself on the sofa, but then she heard Leandro¡¯s voice, ¡°Who said so?¡± Seraphina turned back, ¡°Anything else Mr. Leandro requires?¡± Leandroy there like a lord, saying leisurely, ¡°You only half-finished wiping me down earlier. Aren¡¯t you going to finish the job?¡± ¡°You really think I owe you something?¡± Seraphina threatened to lose her temper. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Leandro said innocently, ¡°I just want to be properly cleaned up.¡± His tone was calm and polite, and any further outburst from Seraphina would seem unreasonable. 09:55 1 So, after ring at Leandro for a moment, she finally relented and resumed her unfinished task. While Seraphina attended to him, Leandro and Valerio watched the movie together. For a moment, Seraphina felt like an old-school housewife, tirelessly serving the men of the household. And the worst part was, those being served acted as if it was their due, with not a hint of gratitude! After Seraphina finished up with Leandro, she was atst able to take a temporary leave. In the lounge, she enjoyed a hot shower, though shemented theck of her homeforts-no hair mask, no essential oils, no facial treatments. With her hair half-dried, she had no choice but to return to Leandro¡¯s room. To her surprise, during the short time she took her shower, Valerio, who had sworn to watch a movie with Leandro, had already sumbed to sleep at the edge of Leandro¡¯s bed. Although the hospital bed was a bit wider than usual, Leandro had just undergone surgery, and the slightest movement could cause him pain. Seraphina couldn¡¯t risk letting Valerio sleep next to him. She swiftly called a nurse to carry Valerio back to the lounge. Turning back to Leandro, Seraphina said, ¡°Valerio¡¯s asleep now. You should get some rest too.¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond immediately, furrowing his brows as if in difort. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Seraphina asked as she sensed something was off and quickly approached. ¡°My back is a bit itchy,¡± Leandro replied, ncing at her. The unspoken request hung in the air, and with a soft sigh of resignation, Seraphina moved closer. ¡°Where does it itch?¡± ¡°Just around where my tank top is,¡± he said. Cautiously, Seraphina¡¯s hands circled around his back, but she was at a loss as to where to begin. His might looked fine, but his body was fragile and confined to the bed. She feared that any careless move might cause him pain or further injury. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said Leandro. ¡°Just slip your hand in there; that¡¯ll do.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina gingerly slid her hand down the side of his back. Leandro seemed tock the strength to adjust his position, his body fully resting on the bed. Seraphina struggled to get her hand to the spot on his tank top, finding herself trapped by his weight. The idea of scratching his itch seemed impossible, let alone moving her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t really scratch it like this,¡± she remarked. ¡°Just keep your hand there; even just the pressure against whatever is bothering me feels better,¡± Leandro reassured her. Seraphina looked down at her half-prostrate form on the bed. ¡°Are you saying I need to stay like this the whole time, attending to you?¡± Leandro also nced at her posture and casually said, ¡°You coulde up on the bed.¡± Seraphina eyed the narrow space beside him-getting up there wasn¡¯t out of the question, but she had this nagging feeling she was walking right into a trap. In her moment of hesitation, Leandro seemed to crave her touch again. ¡°Your hand, just rub it a little bit. A rub would be much morefortable¡­¡± Rub it a little bit? Seraphina¡¯s eyebrow arched sharply. Wasn¡¯t that the ssic line of a yer luring women? And the man before her, he was definitely ying her! Even knowing he was a scoundrel, in the end, she had no choice but to obediently sit on the bed, one hand pinned beneath him, almost like she was half-embracing him. She maintained this position, leaning beside Leandro, who only needed to turn his head slightly to catch the scent of her freshly washed hair. But still, it wasn¡¯t enough for him. ¡°Lower yourself a bit,¡± Leandro instructed. Seraphina stared at the television, expressionless, and moved down a bit. ¡°Go on.¡± So, she lowered herself a bit more. 213 09:55 Before Leandro could speak again, Seraphina interjected, ¡°Mr. Reynolds, if I go any lower, I¡¯ll be lying down.¡± Leandro listened but insisted, ¡°Just a little lower.¡± Biting her lip in frustration, Seraphina finally descended as low as she could, leveling with him. And the moment Leandro turned his head, his lips met her smooth, glowing cheek. Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Considering Leandro¡¯s injuries, Seraphina didn¡¯t dodge or pull away; she simplyy there, letting him kiss her. But even so, as his lips met hers, Leandro sharply inhaled, pain from his wounds evident. Seraphina abruptly turned her head and shot him a look, slowly uttering two words, ¡°Serves you.¡± ¡°Yeah, serves me right,¡± Leandro surprisingly admitted, tilting his head to lock eyes with her. ¡°I can¡¯t help but fall for you.¡± Those words sounded awfully familiar to Seraphina ¨C they were the exact ones she had repeatedly told Gloria about how much Leandro adored her. Leandro knew this, which meant Karan must have spilled the beans. In her fury that day, Seraphina had blurted out more than she intended, and now to think of it made her cringe. Yet here was Leandro, throwing those words back at her! On the outside, Seraphina¡¯s face was unreadable, but her ears betrayed her, burning up without a sound. She red at Leandro, only to see him with a tranquil expression, a trace of feigned innocence that screamed triumph. Seraphina had meant to storm off in a huff, but she remained pinned under Leandro, motionless. After a moment¡¯s pause, she changed her mind. The next second, she shifted slightly toward him, careful not to press on his injuries, and leaned down to kiss his lips. This kiss was the epitome of gentleness, of sweetness. When she took the initiative, she was deliberately seductive, but this time, she was unusually tender and demure, like an innocent girl exploring something new and curious. It was devoid of desire, but irresistibly alluring. Leandro¡¯s gaze darkened uncontrobly. Oblivious, Seraphina continued her soft, slow kisses. ¡°That¡¯s enough-¡± Leandro suddenly turned his face away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina looked at him in mild surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re crazy about me? I thought I should reciprocate, right?¡± she reasoned. With that, she leaned in for another kiss. Leandro couldn¡¯t move to avoid it and her lips met his once more. Seraphina thought to herself that shamelessness was indeed a superpower when wielded properly. She was even more determined to push the envelope, especially since she wasn¡¯t the one immobilized. In the midst of their endless moment, there came a knock on the hospital room door. Leandro heard it, but Seraphina did not. The next moment, a nurse entered, pushing a cart. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you have one more medication to take today-¡± The couple on the bed froze. The nurse was stunned, while a blush crept across Seraphina¡¯s cheeks. Leandro coughed, ¡°Um¡­ Another medication, you say?¡± His question seemed to snap both Seraphina and the nurse back to reality. Seraphina quickly sat up beside him, while the nurse handed over Leandro¡¯s medication. ¡°Once you¡¯ve taken this, Mr. Reynolds, you can rest,¡± the nurse said, her cheeks tinged with pink. Regaining herposure, Seraphina took the medication from the nurse and nced at it before speaking up, ¡°Do you have that kind of medication?¡± The nurse blinked, ¡°Which kind?¡± ¡°The kind that can silence a person.¡± The nurse hesitated, then quickly caught on and said, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, rest assured, I didn¡¯t see anything, and I won¡¯t say a word¡­¡± As she spoke, she made her way to the door, but couldn¡¯t help turning back to add, ¡°Just remember, Mr. Reynolds just had surgery, and he shouldn¡¯t engage in any strenuous activity. Please be mindful, Mrs. Reynolds¡­ I¡¯ll leave you two alone now.¡± As she left, closing the door behind,her, Seraphina was left speechless. ¡°Did she get the wrong idea?¡± Seraphina turned to Leandro. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wanted to silence her.¡± Leandro simply responded, then slowly said, ¡°So, who do Seraphina chuckled mischievously, ¡°Take a guess.¡± you want to silence?¡± 09:07Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g While speaking, she got off the bed to pour water for Leandro to take his medication. As she brought the pill and water to his lips, Seraphina spoke again, ¡°Darling, time for your medicine.¡± Leandro nced at her and swallowed the medication and water she offered. ¡°You really trust me enough to take anything I give you.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± was his confirming reply. ¡°If it¡¯s from you, I¡¯d even swallow poison.¡± Seraphina¡¯s grip on the cup weakened slightly. It seemed her penchant for banter had backfired. She was used to Leandro¡¯s cutting remarks, so when he was this agreeable, she was caught off guard and unsure how to respond. Leandro nced at the cup in her hand. ¡°More water, please.¡± Seraphina hummed in mock annoyance but still brought the cup back to his lips. After he took a few sips with her help and ced the cup on the bedside, he asked, ¡°Shall we continue?¡± ¡°Continue what?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t catch on immediately. Leandro nced at the spot on the bed where she had been lying before. Remembering the earlier awkwardness, Seraphina red up, ¡°You scoundrel! Shameless!¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯m shameless,¡± Leandro calmly admitted. ¡°Shall we continue?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®fine¡±?¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°It was clearly you who seduced me first. What¡¯s this ¡®fine¡¯?¡± Yet Leandro simply agreed, ¡°Alright, it was clearly me. Shall we continue?¡± Seraphina bit her lip, glowering at him for a long time before once again bending over to press her lips to his. This time, Leandro¡¯s hand came up to cradle the back of her head. A deep, tender kiss ensued, lingering and soft. Chapter 459 Chapter 459 Given Leandro¡¯s boredom while confined to his hospital bed, Seraphina took it upon herself to enliven his days, even going so far as to arrange for Valerio¡¯s tutoring sessions to take ce at the hospital. Though he hadpany by day, the loss of freedom was a torment to a man like Leandro, who was ustomed to a bustling life. Forced to be idle, he waspletely out of his element. Three days post-op, once he was free of the myriad tubes, Leandro began trying to get out of bed with assistance. On day four, he attempted to walk on his own. By the seventh day, Seraphina had to leave to handle some matters at Carney Artful Reverie. Twenty minutes after her departure, Leandro, with Keen¡¯s support, also made a temporary exit from the hospital. Naturally, he was going to see Gloria. Herman was already surprised when he got the call, but seeing Leandro in person left him utterly astonished. ¡°Leandro!¡± Herman rushed over to support him. ¡°How did you manage to get discharged so soon?¡± Fresh from surgery, Leandro was visibly pale and running on sheer willpower. Herman guessed the reason immediately. ¡°Does Seraphina know you¡¯ve bolted from the hospital?¡± Leandro shook his head, bypassing the concern. ¡°Is everything set?¡± Herman was worried about his health, but since Leandro hade all this way, they couldn¡¯t let it be for nothing. He nodded, ¡°But it can¡¯t be long, you need to get back to the hospital ASAP.¡± Leandro acknowledged with a nod. Herman reached out to help him, but Leandro waved him off, ¡°I¡¯m not that fragile.¡± Unable to argue, Herman let him be. Ten minutester, Gloria, apanied by a policewoman, entered the room where Leandro was waiting. As she stepped in, her face was calm, but upon seeing Leandro, her eyes instantly welled up. She hastened forward, reaching out to cradle his face. The policewoman moved to intervene but was stopped by Herman. Understanding Herman¡¯s look, the policewoman nodded and closed the door behind her. Gloria gazed silently at Leandro for a moment and then couldn¡¯t hold back her tears any longer. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± she sobbed, ¡°Your wounds, do they still hurt?¡± Leandro gently grasped her hands. ¡°It stopped hurting a while ago.¡± Up close, Gloria could see the weariness in his pallor. She cried even harder, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leandro¡­ I have failed you¡­¡± Holding her hands tightly, Leandro said, ¡°I¡¯ve made the effort toe see you, please don¡¯t cry.¡± Despite his words, Gloria couldn¡¯t stop her tears, leaning on him and weeping. Even in the worst fights with Bruce, Gloria rarely cried. Her tears showed she was no longer holding back. Leandro let her cry it out without further attempts to console her. After more than ten minutes, Gloria began to calm down, still looking at Leandro with a mix of tenderness and remorse. ¡°You need to heal properly. You¡¯re so young; don¡¯t let my mistakes cause you lasting harm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Leandro reassured her. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of myself. And I know you¡¯re struggling too. I¡¯ll get you out of here soon.¡± Gloria paused at his words, then slowly shook her head. ¡°No need,¡± she said. ¡°Just take care of yourself. I¡¯ve done wrong and need to face the consequences¡­¡± ¡°Mum-¡°Leandro called out softly. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Gloria insisted, gripping his hand tighter. ¡°I¡¯m not being spiteful or giving up. I¡¯ve thought it through. Just let it be¡­ I¡¯ll be at peace knowing you¡¯re okay. Nothing else matters-¡± As she spoke, Gloria lowered her head, resting her forehead against Leandro¡¯s hand, her heart full of silent prayers. In all these years, Leandro had never seen Gloria soposed. For a moment, he was at a loss for words. 08:511 Gloria looked up again, her focus solely on Leandro as if nothing else mattered. Then Leandro spoke up, ¡°Dad said he visited you, but you refused to see him.¡± Hearing Bruce¡¯s name, Gloria¡¯s gaze hardened slightly, then softened into a faint smile. ¡°What¡¯s the point? It¡¯s meaningless¡­ Tell him not toe anymore¡­ Arrange for awyer to handle our divorce.¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Have you finallye to terms with it?¡± Gloria let out a smallugh. ¡°I have. I¡¯ve tormented myself over him for the better part of my life. It¡¯s time to live for myself. Don¡¯t you think?¡± With that, she looked into Leandro¡¯s eyes-a smile on her lips, tears in her eyes. Leandro tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°Your happiness is what matters most.¡± Gloria¡¯s concern quickly returned to him. ¡°Why are your hands so cold? Are you feeling alright? You shouldn¡¯t be out of the hospital so soon after such a severe injury. Did you sneak out?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Leandro reassured her. ¡°I know my own body. I¡¯m fine.¡± Gloria leaned on him again, taking a moment to find her words. ¡°You should go back and recover¡­ Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m doing well. I¡¯ve never been better¡­ My only wish is for you to be alright¡­¡± After finishing her sentence, she paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I know you¡¯ll get better. With Seraphina by your side, you¡¯re bound to recover¡­ You care for her, and she cares for you¡­ You¡¯ve suffered enough over the years, and now, with her support, you can finally start living a good life¡­¡± Leandro listened silently, locking eyes with her for a moment before finally speaking in a soft voice, ¡°You need to get better too, for me to have a good life.¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­¡± Gloria¡¯s tears started to fall once again. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. From now on, you won¡¯t have to worry about me anymore¡­¡± Leandro slowly raised his hand to wipe away the tears cascading down her cheeks. As Leandro was about to leave, he saw Bruce standing at the doorway. Bruce, upon seeing him, immediately approached, first scolding him for leaving the hospital without notice, then hesitantly inquired about Gloria, ¡°Your mother¡­ how is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s doing well,¡± Leandro replied. ¡°Does she want to see me?¡± Bruce asked. Leandro slowly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. She won¡¯t see you again. The years of conflict and entanglement between you two shoulde to an end now.¡± Bruce was stunned upon hearing this. All the conflicts and arguments he had with Gloria over the years were for this very day. But now that the day had finally arrived, there was no sense of joy or thrill in his heart. Who could have imagined that after carrying a burden for thirty years, its release would not bring relief or freedom, but rather an inexplicable sense of loss? Chapter 460 Chapter 460 When Leandro sneaked back into the hospital after his little escapade, he found Seraphina lounging on the couch, one foot propped up as she leisurely flipped through a magazine. Keen escorted Leandro back to his room, and upon seeing Seraphina¡¯s rxed posture, he instantly sensed trouble brewing. Compared to Keen, Leandro was much moreposed, yet when he spoke, his voice was notably gentle, ¡°Back already?¡± Seraphina lifted her gaze from the magazine, her eyes casually drifting over to Leandro. ¡°Well, look who¡¯s returned,¡± she drawled, ¡°Managed toe back without passing out in the streets, did you?¡± ¡°Just went for a little stroll, nothing drastic,¡± Leandro replied, beginning to change out of his clothes to get back into the hospital bed. But no sooner had he finished speaking than the attending doctor and the nurse on duty burst into the room. The doctor, clearly anxious, couldn¡¯t help but scold him, ¡°Do you have any idea how serious your injuries are? It¡¯s only been a few days since your surgery, and here you are sneaking out of the hospital for three whole hours! What if something had happened? Who would be responsible then?¡± ¡°Yeah, Mr. Reynolds,¡± the nurse chimed in while preparing to check his vitals, ¡°You¡¯re making it tough for us, and Mrs. Reynolds, she¡¯s been worried sick.¡± Hearing the nurse mention her, Seraphina finally spoke up, her tone nonchnt, ¡°Me? Worried? He is a big boy; he knows his own body better than anyone. It¡¯s not our ce to fret over him.¡± With that, she stood up and sauntered out of the room. ¡°See what you¡¯ve done,¡± the doctor said to Leandro. ¡°You¡¯ve upset her. You¡¯re not just being irresponsible with your health; you¡¯re being irresponsible to her as well!¡± Leandro merely smiled faintly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, doc. I assure you, you won¡¯t be the one shouldering the me.¡± After giving Keen a knowing look, Keen sighed deeply, bracing himself as he followed Seraphina out. She was outside chatting with a janitor when Keen appeared, causing her to roll her eyes at his approach. Keen, on the verge of tears, could only exin, ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, he went to see his mother¡­ After all this time, he hadn¡¯t seen her. He didn¡¯t even know how she was doing¡­ The son¡¯s connection to his mother is deep, he couldn¡¯t simply stay put and not know.¡± Seraphina nodded, seeming to agree, ¡°Fair point.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t be mad at Mr. Reynolds. He wasn¡¯t trying to risk his health on purpose.¡±¡± ¡°I know,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at him.¡± Upon hearing it, Keen suddenly had a sinking feeling. Sure enough, Seraphina added, ¡°His concern for his mother is natural, and I have no reason to be mad about that. But his reckless escape from the hospital, that¡¯s on you. As an assistant, it¡¯s your job to manage these things, and you failed!¡± Keen was aghast, ¡°Me?¡± Seraphina¡¯s lips curled into a smirk, ¡°Any objections?¡± Keen¡¯s shoulders slumped, ¡°No, it¡¯s my responsibility, it¡¯s my fault. If this happens again, I¡¯ll inform you immediately¡­ She nodded, giving him a stern look before asking, ¡°How¡¯s the situation over there?¡± ¡°Mrs. Reynolds is stable, no changes,¡± Keen replied. ¡°But she refuses to see Mr. Bruce and¡­ she¡¯s asked for a divorce.¡± Seraphina paused at that. Gloria, after decades trapped in a nonsensical marriage, had finallye to her senses with such rity./ Just when Bruce realized his lifelong debt to her and sought to make amends, she had decisively chosen to walk away. She had lived in confusion for decades, looked pitiful for decades, yet in this final moment, she reimed her pride and dignity. This was unexpected for Seraphina as well, and upon hearing the news, she felt a twinge of mncholy. Upon returning to the hospital room, Leandro had finished some tests. The nurse was reporting his blood pressure to the doctor, and the readings were not promising. The doctor¡¯s expression was grim as he admonished, ¡°Look at you, just starting to recover and now this. Are you trying to run yourself into the ground?¡± Leandro, leaning back in the hospital bed, was compliant, ¡°This won¡¯t happen again.¡± The doctor sighed and turned to Seraphina, ¡°He should be fine with some rest. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Me, worry?¡± Seraphina shrugged. ¡°Why would I? It¡¯s not like anyone would fret over me if I wore myself out. I don¡¯t do pointless things!¡± The doctor and nurse exchanged a knowing smile at this and soon left the room. Still ignoring Leandro, Seraphina sat down on the couch again. But Leandro suddenly spoke up, ¡°Come here.¡± *Just because you call, you think I¡¯lle?¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°Do you really see me as that obedient?¡± Knowing she wouldn¡¯t let go of her anger easily, he added, ¡°I¡¯ve got a gift for you.¡± Please, I¡¯m well off now, Seraphina scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t need your gifts.¡± Leandro pulled an envelope from his bedside drawer, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want it?¡± Seraphina nced over, her interest piqued despite herself. Yet, she stood her ground, pulling out her phone after a few seconds. Her phone chimed with a notification ¨C she had transferred fifty thousand to Leandro. Only then did she stride over, snatch the envelope from his grasp, ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not interested in your gifts. Consider this a purchase!¡± She sat on the edge of the bed and tore open the envelope, her curiosity finally winning over her pride. Sure enough, it was a recent photo of Sandra. In the picture, she was sitting in a diner, her eyes red and puffy as she tried to force down a bite of her cheeseburger. It was obvious that she wasn¡¯t in a good ce; her appetite was bad, but still, she was determinedly shoving food in her mouth. Even though she couldn¡¯t get over Bowen, at least she was trying to soldier on for the baby growing inside her. Seraphina¡¯s gaze lingered on the photo, studying it over and over until Leandro reached out from behind her, wrapping an arm around her in a half-hug. ¡°Don¡¯t use this as an excuse to get cozy, Seraphina said tly, ¡°I paid good money for that photo. I don¡¯t owe you a thing. Don¡¯t expect me to change my opinion of you because of it.¡± Leandro, hearing this, picked up his phone and in front of Seraphina, reversed the transfer of fifty thousand dors. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°I didn¡¯t take your money, Leandro said, ¡°I¡¯m not about forcing deals here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want the photo either, take it back!¡± Seraphina suddenly threw the photo over her shoulder. ¡°Ah-¡°Leandro sharply inhaled. Seraphina instantly turned to him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I hit your wound?¡± Leandro¡¯s face was tinged with pain, obviously not faking it. Seraphina quickly helped him lean back against the headboard of the bed and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll call the doctor to check on your stitches.¡± As she was about to press the call button, Leandro gently pulled her hand down and slightly shook his head, then said, ¡°I knew it¡­¡± ¡°Knew what?¡± Seraphina frowned slightly at him. Leandro slowly lifted his hand, brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, and whispered, ¡°I know¡­ my dear Seraphina, you aren¡¯t as heartless as you pretend to be.¡± Chapter 461 Chapter 461 Hearing Leandro¡¯s words, Seraphina fell silent for a moment before she bit her lip uncontrobly. Such words should not havee from the Leandro of today. After all, with what had happened over the years, he was no longer the same man he once was. To outsiders, Leandro had be the very definition of aloof and reserved. Even with Seraphina, his asional teasing was just a spur-of-the-moment act, mostly just ying along with her. But that thing he said just now, it was so natural, for a moment, Seraphina thought she had stepped back in time and was facing the Leandro of eight years ago. Back then, Leandro was a notorious yboy. Seraphina had wondered, if she ever returned to Sunburst City and faced the yboy Leandro, what would things be like between them? A question without an answer, but at this moment, Seraphina was beginning to draw some conclusions- She couldn¡¯t outy him. She knew plenty of tricks to stir the heart, but whenever she tried, they seemed a bit forced. Not for Leandro- That seasoned charmer, every gesture, every word, as natural as breathing! She couldn¡¯t beat him at his own game. As Seraphinapsed into silence, Leandro spoke again, ¡°Why so quiet?¡± After another brief pause, she let out a little sigh and said, ¡°My grandma always said, the best rtionships are aboutplementing each other. When you were the strong silent type, I¡¯d do the talking. Now you¡¯re Mr. Chatterbox, I guess it¡¯s my turn to listen.¡± With that, she mimed zipping her lips shut. ¡°Have you really done talking?¡± Leandro asked. With her lips firmly pressed together, Seraphina nodded slowly. The next moment, Leandro leaned in and kissed her. Instinctively dodging, as Seraphina was about to protest, she saw Leandro just watching her quietly, as if waiting for her to break the silence. Abruptly, she swallowed the words she hadn¡¯t managed to say and leaned in voluntarily, returning Leandro¡¯s kiss with a mischievous smile. As the kissnded, she suddenly realized something was amiss. This way, not only could she not talk much, but she also had to make the first move-it was a losing deal for her, wasn¡¯t it? This damn schemer! Realizing this, Seraphina quickly tried to pull back, but it was toote- Leandro was holding the back of her head, giving her no chance to retreat. In the midst of their intimate kiss, the hospital room door suddenly burst open with a bang! Startled, Seraphina quickly separated from Leandro and turned to see Valerio standing at the door, with Andrea following him. ¡°Mom, Dad!¡± Valerio seemed oblivious to the situation, walking straight into the room. Andrea, holding Valerio¡¯s jacket and slightly out of breath from the chase, her cheeks tinged with red, looked at Seraphina and Leandro and said, ¡°Looks like we¡¯vee back at an awkward time.¡± Leandro settled back against his pillows, remained silent. Seraphina shot him a re before standing up to speak to Andrea, ¡°Perfect timing, actually, or who knows how much more I¡¯d have been bullied.¡± As she spoke, she took out two wet wipes, one to clean Valerio up and the other handed to Andrea. Taking the wet wipe, Andrea nced between her and Leandro before murmuring, ¡°My dad came here too.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Seraphina asked after a shared nce with Andrea. 09:14 ¡°He¡¯s waiting for his assistant to bring some fruit up. Valerio couldn¡¯t wait, so we came ahead¡­¡± Shortly after, Simon indeed appeared in the doorway. Seraphina had met Simon a few times but hadn¡¯t really conversed with him much. Leandro and Simon had crossed paths on several asions, each meeting ending less than amicably. Simon¡¯s presence in Leandro¡¯s hospital room was nothing short of awkward, yet, given his connection to Andrea, it seemed fitting. For Andrea¡¯s sake, Seraphina greeted him with a smile, ¡°Mr. Martin, long time no see.¡± Simon gestured for his assistant to set down the fruit basket before responding with a light smile, ¡°I heard about Leandro¡¯s ident and wanted to visit, but just couldn¡¯t find the time. It¡¯s a bit of a coincidence to run into Andrea and your son today.¡± ¡°My injury is not that serious,¡± Leandro replied, ¡°but thank you for your concern, Mr. Martin.¡± Simon said, ¡°You seem to be in good spirits, which means you must be recovering well. It¡¯s good to see you unharmed.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Leandro agreed, ¡°it seems the heavens aren¡¯t quite ready to have me yet.¡± At that, Simon chuckled, ¡°You¡¯ve still got a lot of time ahead of you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± Seraphina chimed in. ¡°Troublemakers live forever, you know.¡± At her words, Leandro shot her a look, and Simon nced her way before both men broke into laughter. Feeling ufortable with the awkwardness, Andrea decided to take Valerio to the adjoining lounge. Once Andrea left, Seraphina visibly rxed, and her conversation seemed less guarded, without the need to tiptoe around sensitivities. ¡°First time seeing your kid,¡± Simon remarked. ¡°He¡¯s got the best of both his parents-handsome and sweet-natured.¡± ¡°Well, nature and nurture are both important,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°Growing up in a wholesome household is pivotal for a sound character. Otherwise, when your folks are at each other¡¯s throats the better half of your life, it¡¯s no wonder the son turned out so cold and aloof.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Leandro gave her a sidelong nce, his expression unreadable, and let her ramble on. ¡°I¡¯m different, though,¡± Seraphina continued, a sparkle in her eyes. ¡°My parents were like that couple from the old love songs, sweethearts through thick and thin, which is why I¡¯m as tender-hearted and charming as I am.¡± Leandro turned his face away, clearly uninterested. However, Simon held his gaze on Seraphina a moment longer before he let out a low chuckle, ¡°It shows.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame, really,¡± Seraphina shrugged casually, ¡°Kids who had it as good as I did are few and far between.¡± She shed Simon a smile that was both knowing and yful. Simon was well aware of the underlying message in her words but kept his friendly facade intact, smoothly changing the subject, ¡°Leandro¡¯s injury must¡¯ve been quite the worry for you.¡± ¡°You bet,¡± Seraphina shot back. ¡°With a personality like his, courtesy of his dysfil upbringing, it¡¯s no surprise he¡¯s made more enemies than friends. Who knows how many grudges he¡¯s racked up over the year. When you¡¯re dealing with folks who y for keeps, you¡¯re always at a disadvantage. I¡¯ve been worried sick, and there¡¯s no easy fix. I just hope some people will start thinking about their children, ease up on the conscienceless acts¡­ A After all, what goes aroundes around, right Mr. Martin?¡± Chapter 462 Chapter 462 After listening to Seraphina¡¯s spiel, Simon chuckled softly before eventually responding with a nonchnt, ¡°Having faith is a good thing.¡± ¡°Do you have faith, Mr. Martin?¡± Seraphina inquired. ¡°None,¡± Simon answered bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m more of a believer in making my own destiny.¡± Raising an eyebrow, Seraphina retorted, ¡°A man without faith is a man without fear. Perhaps Mr. Martin, you feel thatcking faith frees you from all restraints?¡± ¡°Life¡¯s but a fleeting moment, why live it in constant fear and hesitation? That¡¯s no way to live at all,¡± Simon remarked. ¡°I thought you youngsters would see through that.¡± Leandro, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, ¡°That just shows that we walk different paths, Mr. Martin.¡± Seraphina nced at Leandro, whose gaze was cool and steady on Simon. Simon let out another dryugh and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. It would be quite dull if everyone were the same. You and your wife are quite the interesting couple. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll lead a very interesting life.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Leandro replied coolly. Simon¡¯s eyes once again settled on Seraphina, and after a moment of silent observation, he remarked, ¡°I once thought you reminded me of someone I knew.¡± ¡°Did I?¡± Seraphina lifted her chin slightly. ¡°And now?¡± ¡°Not anymore,¡± came Simon¡¯s reply. ¡°Is it because I¡¯m sharp-tongued and maybe a bit too forthright? Did I scare Mr. Martin?¡± Seraphina teased. Simon smiled, ¡°How could you?¡± ¡°Right, I forgot. Mr. Martin fears nothing,¡± said Seraphina with a hint of sarcasm. Simonughed again but did not pursue the conversation further. During the quiet interlude, the door to the hospital room was gently knocked upon, and Seraphina looked up to see Herman entering. ¡°Leandro,¡± Herman greeted Leandro before noticing Simon seated on the couch, which caused him to pause briefly. Simon nodded at him with a smile, and Herman, recovering from his moment of surprise, greeted him rather coldly, ¡°Mr. Martin.¡± Simon then asked, ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Have you fully recovered?¡± ¡°You mean from the injury?¡± Herman replied. ¡°It was nothing serious, and I¡¯m hard to kill.¡± Simon smiled faintly, ¡°Good. In your line of work, you should have such resilience.¡± ? ? ?? ? ? ?? As Herman was about to speak, the door swung open again. Andrea entered, not expecting Herman to be there, and after a moment of silence said, ¡°Valerio mentioned he left his sketchbook here. I came to fetch it for him.¡± Seraphina handed her the sketchbook from beside the couch. At this juncture, Simon stood up, ¡°Since you¡¯re doing well, Leandro, I won¡¯t impose any longer. Andrea, will you being back. with me?¡± Before Andrea could reply, Seraphina pulled her aside and said, ¡°She¡¯s got dinner ns with me tonight, so sorry Mr. Martin, I¡¯ll be borrowing your daughter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Simon said. ¡°You young folks enjoy yourselves. I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± ¡°Take care, Mr. Martin.¡± Seraphina escorted Simon to the door, and after onest look and a nod, he departed without looking back. Returning to the room, Seraphina overheard Herman asking Leandro, ¡°What brought him here?¡± ¡°Just passing through,¡± Leandro replied. ¡°Passing through?¡± Herman snorted. ¡°Since when does he have idle time to just ¡®pass through¡±?¡± At that, Seraphina kicked Herman yfully on the ankle. ww 09:14 ¡°Ow! What was that for?¡± Herman yelped, clutching his ankle. ¡°You talk too much,¡± Seraphina scolded. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Realizing his mistake, Herman nced at Andrea. Andrea stood nearby, quietly flipping through Valerio¡¯s sketchbook as if she hadn¡¯t heard anything. But regardless of howposed she appeared, her identity as Simon¡¯s daughter was inescapable. Herman¡¯s expression darkened, and the atmosphere grew heavy. Seeing this, Seraphina poured Leandro a ss of water before turning to Herman, ¡°Are you off work now? Would you like to join us for dinner?¡± Indeed, Herman had finished work. Worried about Leandro after his unscheduled outing and prolonged absence, Herman hade to check on him. Under normal circumstances, joining them for dinner would be the expected thing to do. However, having just seen Simon, Herman really wasn¡¯t in the mood. ¡°No, thanks,¡± Herman answered after a brief nce at Andrea. ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple of cases to work on, need to put in some overtime.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina also gave him a knowing look. Pretending not to notice, Herman addressed Leandro, ¡°I¡¯m relieved that you¡¯re alright, Leandro. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Leandro nced at him and then at Andrea before simply acknowledging, ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Off you go,¡± Seraphina urged. ¡°The further, the better. Hopefully, you won¡¯t show your face again anytime soon.¡± Herman red at her, gave Andrea a fleeting look, and left. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± Seraphina nudged Andrea gently. ¡°Tonight, we¡¯ll go somewhere nice to eat.¡± Andrea finally turned to her and asked, ¡°Are you treating?¡± Seraphina yfully pointed over her shoulder at Leandro, ¡°This guy sneaked out of the hospital today, so a little payback is only fair! He¡¯ll cover the bill!¡± She raised her voice on purpose as she turned to head towards Leandro. Leandro, without waiting for her to get close, had already handed over his wallet. Seraphina grabbed it and turned back to wink at Andrea. Andrea couldn¡¯t help but let out augh. As the man who had made a mistake today, and still supposed to be a patient confined to bed rest, Leandro naturally had no chance to join thedies for avish meal out. But no sooner had Seraphina and Andrea left the hospital with Valerio, than Leandro called for Abbot. Abbot had been Seraphina¡¯s close protection before being reassigned. Now, he spent most of his time with Leandro. ¡°You¡¯re going back to your duties protecting my wife,¡± Leandro instructed, ¡°and I need you to be on your A-game. No slip-ups, understood?¡± Abbot had thought he was reassigned due to a mistake and was relieved to be entrusted with this responsibility once more. He quickly responded, ¡°Understood, Mr. Reynolds.¡±, Leandro nodded, though his face remained tense. Simon, the man was all politeness on the surface, smooth as silk, but underneath he was ruthless and reckless. After the earful Seraphina gave him today¡­it was a situation that needed to be watched closely. Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Two weeks after his surgery, Leandro finally got the green light from the doctor to be discharged from the hospital. The condition was that he still neededprehensive monitoring, careful convalescence, and regr check-ups. Although the conditions for discharge were stringent, for Leandro, who had been cooped up in the hospital for over two weeks, getting out was worth any price. Back at Reynolds Manor, the housemaid had already prepared a spread offort food, while Conway and Bruce had been waiting at home since early morning. Normally, the Reynolds household would be buzzing with excitement over Leandro¡¯s return, but now the quiet was almost palpable. Fortunately, Leandro himself was a man of few words, never one for fanfare, so the subdued homing suited him just fine. The Reynolds were a stoic bunch, and they took Leandro¡¯s return in stride. Only the housemaid clutched at his hand, her voice thick with emotion, ¡°Thank heavens you¡¯re home, the hospital bed has worn you to a shadow-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Seraphina interjected, ¡°He¡¯s been living it up with room service and bed rest, he hasn¡¯t lost an ounce!¡± ¡°Even the finest hospital food is no match for home cooking, the housemaid retorted, ¡°Nothing beats being home to eat well and rest well.¡± At that, a shadow passed over Seraphina¡¯s face, and she fell silent. Leandro simply nodded and smiled, taking his seat at the dinner table. After the meal, Seraphina went upstairs to arrange some personal items in Leandro¡¯s room, while Bruce called Leandro aside for a chat. Leandro had anticipated this moment from the time he saw Bruce; sure enough, Bruce began, ¡°I received your mother¡¯s divorce papers yesterday¡­¡± Leandro was unfazed, merely acknowledging the news before asking, ¡°Did you sign it?¡± Bruce managed a bitter smile, ¡°I¡¯ve been awaiting this document for years, and now that it¡¯s here, I¡¯m not sure if I should sign it.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re asking for my opinion, you should sign it,¡± Leandro said. Hearing it, Bruce looked up at him. Leandro continued, ¡°Your hesitation and confusion stem from guilt and regret, emotions that will fade in time. Honestly, this marriage hasn¡¯t significantly impacted your life; signed or not, it likely means little to you. But my mother has been bound by this marriage for over thirty years; it¡¯s time she lived her own life.¡± Bruce was taken aback by this, and after a long pause, he sighed, ¡°All these years, you¡¯ve med me, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore,¡± Leandro replied, ¡°I never expected a happy ending¡­ but this might be as good as it gets.¡± Bruce fell silent again, before nodding his head, ¡°Alright, I understand. Take care of yourself. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Leandro watched Bruce leave before making his way upstairs. Valerio was in the midst of a lesson with a tutor Seraphina had hired for him, diligently practicing new Spanish words, correcting his pronunciation with patient precision. So absorbed was Valerio that he didn¡¯t even notice Leandro pass by. Leandro listened for a bit before retiring to his own bedroom. Inside, he found Seraphina, who had imed to be tidying up, sprawled on the bed scrolling through her phone. At the sound of Leandro¡¯s entrance, she sat up and nced at him, ¡°You finished talking with Dad that quickly?¡± There wasn¡¯t much to talk about,¡± Leandro said. Seraphina stood up, grabbing pajamas for him, ¡°You nning on getting some rest?¡± Leandro shrugged off his jacket, ¡°I want to take a shower.¡± Her eyes twinkled with mischief, ¡°But your wounds can¡¯t get wet.¡± ¡°I can wrap them up,¡± he replied. ¡°Your hands work, your feet work, handle it yourself,¡± Seraphina teased. ¡°Everything you need is in the bathroom, I¡¯m off to check on Valerio¡¯s lesson!¡± 08:20 As she made to leave, Leandro caught her arm. Although he was still weak, his grip was enough to pull her into the bathroom and shut the door with a ¡°bang.¡± After a Herculean effort to help Leandro bathe without getting his wounds wet, Seraphina found herself drenched and had to take a shower herself. Emerging from the bathroom with damp hair, she found Leandro lounging on the bed with her phone in hand. She quickly snatched it back, ¡°Don¡¯t touch my phone!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there can¡¯t be seen?¡± Leandro asked. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°What if someone confessed their love to me and you saw it? That would be tragic,¡± she retorted. ¡°I don¡¯t snoop through your phone, so stay away from mine.¡± He nonchntly passed her his phone, ¡°Go ahead and check.¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes, ¡°Like there¡¯s anything to find. You¡¯re so sickly now; no girl would be interested!¡± As she spoke, she nced at her phone and saw what Leandro had been looking at- It was a message from Valerio¡¯s Spanish tutor, who had taken a break to update her on his progress. Apparently, Leandro, out of boredom, had said that he was the father and exchanged a few words with the tutor. Seraphina couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the tutor was a bit more enthusiastic in her responses to Leandro than to her. ¡°Leandro, you¡¯ve got nerve,¡± Seraphina bit back a grin, ¡°Flirting with a girl on my phone right in front of me?¡± Leandrozily ignored her, reaching for the novel on his bedside table and flipping to where he left off. With a nonchnt tone, he began, ¡°If you¡¯re that worried, why don¡¯t you just fire her?¡± ¡°Ugh, do you have any idea how hard it was to find a decent tutor for my son? Fire her because of you? Who do you think you are?¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°If anyone¡¯s getting fired, it¡¯s you!¡± Leandro nced up from his book, ¡°You mean firing me?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± she said, fussing with her hair. ¡°You think I¡¯m like your mother, willing to put up with anything for decades? Once a cheater, always a cheater, and I don¡¯t do second chances.¡± Leandro listened, slowly nodded, and ced his book aside, then threw back the covers and swung his legs out of bed. ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Seraphina called after him, rmed. ¡°You said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? Once a cheater, always a cheater,¡± Leandro replied. ¡°To prove my innocence, I¡¯ll personally go and dismiss this ¡®girl¡¯ you¡¯re so concerned about, alright?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t let him make a scene, especially not in front of Valerio¡¯s tutor-So with gritted teeth and a softened stance, she ultimately coaxed Leandro back into bed. Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Since Leandro had been injured, Seraphina found herself softening towards him more and moretely, and each time she did, it seemed toe with a price- Especially when dealing with someone who was injured, when she had to take the initiative for most of their interactions, this kind of yielding was particrly exhausting. Seraphinay beside Leandro, being careful not to press on his wounds while also trying to pamper him-it was like she was a glutton for punishment. It took all her patience until Leandro finally scrapped the idea of going out. The moment he did, Seraphina¡¯s demeanor flipped, and she abruptly pushed him away, turning over to sleep. But then Leandro snuggled up behind her again, wrapping an arm around her and inhaling the scent of her perfume and shampoo, murmuring, ¡°I¡¯m serious, we can let go of Valerio¡¯s tutors.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Seraphina asked, turning to nce at him. ¡°He was ate talker, already an outsider to the world around him. Now that he¡¯s finally speaking, of course he should integrate into school life, get used to the new world quickly,¡± Leandro replied. ¡°I know that,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°but if he enrolls here and then we go back to Summitville, he¡¯ll have to start all over again. That¡¯s going to be hard on him.¡± Hearing this, Leandro suddenly looked at her, ¡°Back to Summitville?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Seraphina raised her eyebrows, ¡°We stayed in Sunburst City because of your hospitalization. But now you¡¯re discharged, and your wounds are healing. It¡¯s time for us to go back to Summitville, don¡¯t you think?¡± After a moment¡¯s gaze, Leandro slowly nodded in agreement, ¡°Summitville is indeed a great ce for recovery.¡± Seraphina pulled back slightly, studying him closely, ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯reing back to Summitville with us?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Leandro countered. ¡°No,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°What if you discover the other man I¡¯ve been keeping?¡± Leandro gently caressed her face, ¡°By then, you¡¯ll realize you¡¯ve been wasting your time.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, ¡°With the shape you¡¯re in now? Dream on!¡± After a round of teasing andughter, Seraphina looked at Leandro again, ¡°Are you reallying to Summitville with us?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Leandro asked.. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about leaving all the people and things behind in Sunburst City?¡± Seraphina pressed. Leandro said, ¡°What people and things do I have left to worry about?¡± Seraphina hummed softly, turning away, ¡°Just don¡¯t go getting all homesick for Sunburst City once we¡¯re in Summitville.¡± Leandro twirled a strand of Seraphina¡¯s hair in his fingers, falling silent for a moment. After a brief stillness, Seraphina turned back to him, ¡°I knew it! You didn¡¯t mean it! Forget it, men are unreliable! My son and I can only rely on ourselves!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Leandro asked with interest, ¡°And how do you n to do that?¡± Seraphina red at him, ¡°By getting him to adapt to Sunburst City all over again! What else?¡± Leandro chuckled at her response, ¡°Changed your mind?¡± ¡°Stopughing,¡± Seraphina huffed, ¡°It¡¯s not for you, but for the safety of my other man!¡± Leandro didn¡¯t say anything more, justughed softly, and then leaned in to kiss her. As it turned out, even though Leandro had temporarily stepped back from the Reynolds Group¡¯s affairs, he was still unable to leave Sunburst City behind so easily. Gloria¡¯s case had entered the trial phase, and he had much to do before the court date. Seraphina didn¡¯t pry into his business, watching as Keen, thewyers, and others came and went from the house, while she focused on caring for Valerio./ A monthter, the case went to court. 08:35 Because the facts were clear and Gloria had confessed to her crimes, the verdict was immediate- The court acknowledged Gloria¡¯s emotional disturbance before the incident, her loss of control during the crime, and the Reynolds family¡¯s long-standingpensation to the victims and their families, which had earned their forgiveness. Taking all these factors into ount, Gloria was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two At the announcement, Leandro exhaled slowly. On the defendant¡¯s bench, Gloria couldn¡¯t stop her tears. The trial wasn¡¯t public, but still, reporters swarmed the courthouse doors. F£¤ years. Keen and thewyers exited first, holding off the press so Leandro could escort Gloria out through an alternate exit. After more than a month apart, Gloria¡¯s primary concern was Leandro¡¯s health. ¡°How are you? Have your wounds healed? Are you all better?¡± Gloria asked with red eyes. Leandro just nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m almostpletely healed.¡± Despite his assurances, Gloria insisted on seeing his wounds. Resigned, Leandro lifted his shirt to show her. Seeing the scar on his abdomen, Gloria¡¯s tears flowed anew, ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re healed¡­ If you¡¯re okay, then mom can rest easy¡­ I¡¯m sorry, son, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Leandro gently took her hand and shook his head, then asked, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go back?¡± The conversation between them was tender and fraught, a mix of regret and hope for the future. Gloria cleaned her tears, turning her gaze towards the window with a dismissive air. ¡°There¡¯s no point in going back. There¡¯s nothing worth seeing¡­ In that house, I had nothing from the start, nothing worth a second nce.¡± Leandro heard her words but remained silent for a moment. Suddenly, something seemed to strike Gloria, ¡°Valerio¡­ I told Karan to pick up a gift for Valerio. I wonder if she actually got it¡­ I can¡¯t bear to face him again, but getting a little something for him is the least I can do¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain that Karen took care of the task you entrusted her with.¡± Leandro responded. A As the car made its way to the airport, sure enough, Karan was already there waiting in the terminal. Upon seeing Gloria, she rushed over, grasping Gloria¡¯s hands and bursting into tears. ¡°Enough with the tears,¡± Gloria chided. ¡°I¡¯m right here, aren¡¯t I? In one piece.¡± Karan, trying to regainposure, replied through her tears, ¡°I¡¯m just so relieved, that¡¯s all.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Did you manage to get the gift I asked for?¡± Gloria inquired further. Karan nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes, yes, I got everything you asked for. It¡¯s all at the house. Leandro, don¡¯t forget to pick it up when you head back.¡± Leandro nodded, then slowly said, ¡°Karan, I¡¯m entrusting my mom to your care.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Karan assured him. ¡°I¡¯ll be right by her side. The South is great; the air is clear, the climate¡¯s mild, and the people are kind. It¡¯s perfect for us-¡± Gloria nodded, then turned to Leandro, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should head back.¡± Leandro acknowledged but remained rooted to the spot. Gloria didn¡¯t hesitate. She pulled along the luggage that Karan had prepared earlier, strode towards the security checkpoint with Karan in tow. Karan looked back repeatedly, but Gloria only nced over her shoulder once before entering the checkpoint, offering a faint wave before disappearing from Leandro¡¯s/view. Leandro lingered in the airport for a long while, only leaving after the announcement that their flight had taken off without a hitch. Chapter 465 Chapter 465 After leaving the airport, Leandro made his way back to the Reynolds Vista Retreat. The ce had always been quiet, but now with Gloria gone, it was as if thest whisper of life had followed her out the door. The house staff, normally scattered about, had gathered in small clusters, chattering away. But at the sight of Leandro¡¯s return, they scattered like leaves in the wind. Ascending the staircase, Leandro entered Gloria¡¯s room and noticed two prominently ced boxes. After a moment of silence, he approached, picked up the boxes, and left the room. When he arrived back at the Reynolds Manor, Seraphina was helping Valerio with his arts and crafts homework-a simple arrangement of handcrafted flowers that Seraphina had transformed into a dance of colors and shapes. Leandro approached, and Seraphina, catching sight of him, didn¡¯t miss a beat. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± she asked simply. ¡°Yeah, Leandro replied, cing the two boxes on the table. Both Seraphina and Valerio¡¯s eyes were drawn to the boxes. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s that?¡± Valerio asked, ¡°A gift?¡± Leandro nodded slowly, ¡°Yes, a gift.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s it for?¡± Valerio inquired with growing interest, ¡°Can I open it?¡± After receiving a nod from Leandro, Valerio eagerly grabbed one box while Seraphina picked up the other, and they opened them simultaneously. ¡°It¡¯s a ring!¡± Valerio eximed, holding up a radiant emerald ring. Seraphina looked up too, revealing a jade pendant shaped like a peanut in her hand, its texture pure and wless. ¡°Clearly, we got them mixed up,¡± Seraphina remarked to Valerio, swapping her peanut pendant for the emerald ring in Valerio¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh, a peanut,¡± Valerio said, ¡°Is this for me?¡± Leandro affirmed with a soft tone, ¡°Your grandmother wanted you to have it, wishing you a lifetime of safety.¡± At the mention of his grandmother, Valerio paused, then looked towards Seraphina. Seraphina casually slipped the ring onto her finger and propped her chin, teasing, ¡°Don¡¯t you want it? Then give it to me! It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve gotten a present!¡± After a brief silence, Valerio sprang up, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re too greedy! You already have a ring! This one¡¯s mine!¡± ¡°Petty little guy, isn¡¯t what¡¯s yours also mine?¡± Seraphina pped the table with a sudden motion, but quickly winced from hitting her ring-d finger and held it up, hissing from the pain. Leandro took her hand gently, examining the pear-shaped emerald that shone brilliantly against the tinum and diamond setting. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Leandro said. Seraphina cocked her head, ¡°Is it for me? You sure you didn¡¯t get it mixed up?¡± ¡°Maybe, Leandro responded, ¡°But let¡¯s just go with it. It¡¯s kind of fun, right?¡± Seraphina snorted, admiring the ring on her finger while adding, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, I¡¯m not that kind of greedy woman.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it back until I¡¯m sure,¡± Leandro said. Quick as a sh, Seraphina withdrew her hand with the ring and patted his chest with the other, ¡°What¡¯s yours is mine, remember? I¡¯ll keep it safe for you, no worries.¡± With that, she stood up and headed towards the kitchen, eager to show off her new treasure to the housemaid, ¡°Look what I got-¡± Leandro sat back, smiling faintly as he watched her leave. Two dayster, the Reynolds M¨¢nor hosted a small recovery party for Leandro, inviting his childhood friends who had visited him often during his hospital stay. Leandro, usually the busiest of them all, had suddenly found some free time and organized a dinner that no one wanted to miss. The manor buzzed with life as the guests arrived and immediately encircled Valerio. They teased him and persuaded him to challenge his dad, creating a lively atmosph¨¦re. The revtion that Valerio was Seraphina¡¯s biological child sparked yet another round of excitement. Edgar Lamont was utterly baffled, turning to Leandro with a barrage of questions, ¡°What¡¯s going on? It hasn¡¯t been that long since Ist saw you, and now-how much more are you hiding from us?¡± Seraphina interjected, ¡°It¡¯s not like we intentionally kept it from you. Whether you know it or not¡­ it¡¯s irrelevant. It¡¯s a family matter, why should you worry?¡± ¡°How can it be irrelevant?¡± Edgar protested, scooping Valerio into his arms, ¡°Before, we didn¡¯t know if he could speak, or where he came from, so it was hard to know how to treat him. Now it¡¯s different. He¡¯s your son! Plus, he¡¯s got a sweet tongue now. I¡¯ve grown so fond of him, thinking of making him my godson-say hello to your godfather!¡± Valerio looked to Leandro and Seraphina, silent. Leandro couldn¡¯t be bothered with such matters, but Seraphina red at Edgar, ¡°Who agreed to that? Son, don¡¯t you dare call him that!¡± Victorughed out loud, ¡°Ignore him; he¡¯s just feeling guilty about something.¡± Edgar shot Victor a re, and Seraphina, intrigued, slid over, ¡°What have you done that made you guilty enough to use my son as a shield? ¡°Please,¡± Edgar said, ¡°What could I possibly feel guilty about? Right, my dear godson?¡± Valerio, ever obedient to Seraphina, turned his face away, declining to respond. Seraphina sidled up to Victor and said, ¡°If he won¡¯t spill the beans, Victor, tell us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± Victor replied, ¡°Their family just signed a major deal with the Martin Group-¡± ¡°Oh! Seraphina turned sharply to Edgar. ¡°You traitor! How dare you show your face at my dinner table? And you have the nerve to ask to be my son¡¯s godfather after this?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Edgar was caught off guard by Seraphina¡¯s verbal barrage and could only stammer out a defense. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ First off, I couldn¡¯t decide this alone; second, when the deal was struck, I honestly thought the Reynolds and the Martin Groups had buried the hatchet; and third, all this drama unfolded after your ident-by then, the contracts were already signed. There was nothing I could do!¡± Leandro, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, merely ncing at Edgar before turning back to chat with Hal Jacques. Seraphina, however, was relentless. She was determined to see Edgar, whom she considered a ¡°public enemy,¡± ousted from the Reynolds circle. As they were jostling at the door, a car pulled up. The engine cut out, and Herman stepped out of the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°What in the world are you two doing?¡± Herman asked, a frown creasing his brow as he caught sight of Seraphina and Edgar¡¯s shoving match. ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± Seraphina snapped. ¡°Just help me kick him out first!¡± Edgar, usually a suave and worldly man, found himself at a loss under the assault of Seraphina, Leandro¡¯s wife. He had to surrender, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay? It¡¯s all my fault! I swear, I¡¯ll never do anything to cross the Reynolds Group or Leandro. Can we let it go now?¡± Seraphina huffed, ¡°Swear again.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Stay away from my son,¡± said Seraphina. ¡°I don¡¯t want you leading him astray!¡± Edgar was speechless. When the trio returned to the living room, Herman took in the sparse crowd and turned to Seraphina. ¡°Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a big party? Why so few guests?¡± Seraphina sighed heavily, ¡°Do you honestly think Leandro is still the bell of the ball? Without the Reynolds¡¯ backing, who¡¯d give him the time of day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s harsh,¡± Edgarmented. ¡°Aren¡¯t we good enough for you?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You said it, not me.¡± Edgar realized he¡¯d walked into another trap and pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation. Herman, feeling somewhat out of sorts, loosened his shirt cor and cuffs before heading to the restroom. When he emerged, Seraphina was at the sink washing up. She smiled at him faintly, but Herman didn¡¯t return the gesture. Sure enough, she began, ¡°It just hit me. The reason you asked about the guest list earlier-you were expecting someone else, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Who would that be?¡± Herman replied coolly, washing his hands. ¡°The one on your mind, Seraphina nudged. ¡°I did invite her. She was free but then made up somest- minute excuse. Damn¡­ ¡°What¡¯s that to me?¡± Herman¡¯s gaze darkened as he turned off the tap. Seraphina leaned against the sink, watching him. ¡°If I were her, I wouldn¡¯t show up either. After being snubbed like thatst time, why would I run back for more rejection?¡± Herman shut off the water, facing her. ¡°When have I ever snubbed her?¡± Think about it,¡± Seraphina scoffed. Herman frowned deeply, ¡°That was towards Simon, not her-¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a pretty way of putting things,¡± Seraphina cut in. ¡°If you truly believe you didn¡¯t hurt her, why were you looking for her the moment you arrived?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t-¡°Herman¡¯started to object, but meeting Seraphina¡¯s ¡°Let me tell you, Andrea was genuinely upsetst time. You know how stoic she is, and yet even I picked up on her mood. Reflect on your own actions, Seraphina advised. ¡°If you¡¯re a man, you should apologize to Andrea. With that, Seraphina turned on her heel and left. Herman stood alone by the sink, nearly tearing the paper towel to shreds, yet he remained motionless. Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Back in the living room, Herman was still lost in his own world, disengaged from the animated conversation led by Leandro and the chit-chat centered around Seraphina. He just sat in the corner, lost in thought. Every time Seraphina caught a glimpse of him, she could hardly suppress a chuckle. Herman, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t in the mood forughter. In fact, the thing that Seraphina had brought up had been weighing on his mind for days. He kept reflecting on whether he had been too harsh that day, to the extent that he might have hurt Andrea¡¯s feelings. Honestly, considering how he usually treated Andrea, leaving without a word that day wasn¡¯t really out of character for him. But for some reason, ever since he learned that Andrea might be the girl from seven years ago, despite insisting he was over it, he couldn¡¯t help but feel differently whenever he saw her. That¡¯s why he¡¯d been mulling it over, wondering if he had crossed the line. Andrea always seemed so nonchnt, but Seraphina mentioned she was upset¡­ How far had he really gone that day? With this in mind, Herman found himself instinctively reaching for his phone, his thumbs scrolling across the screen as he mentally crafted an apology. How could he apologize after such a long time? They had agreed to let bygones be bygones and to act like strangers. Wouldn¡¯t it be awkward to message her out of the blue? After wrestling with his thoughts for a while, Herman finally decided to bite the bullet and call Andrea to come clean, but as he stood up, there she was, walking through the door. She wore a calm smile as she looked at Seraphina in the midst of everyone; ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± And Seraphina, who had imed she¡¯d probably bail at thest minute, beamed, ¡°You¡¯re notte at all, dinner hasn¡¯t even started! Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t make it until after seven? You¡¯re actually early!¡± Hearing this, Herman shot Seraphina a re that could kill. Seraphina turned just in time to catch his look and simply shed him a small smile before pulling Andrea by the hand. Herman silently pocketed his phone. Everyone present was a close friend of Leandro, and they were all familiar with Andrea. Upon seeing her, there was a moment of surprise as they nced between her, Leandro, and Seraphina, each wearing an expression that seemed to hold back a secret. ¡°Hey, Andrea,e here,¡± Valerio said, grabbing her hand with excitement, eager to show her his recent achievements in studies and y. ¡°Valerio!¡± Seraphina suddenly called out to him, ¡°Didn¡¯t Uncle Herman give you a model airnest time? Why don¡¯t you show him how well you¡¯ve put it together?¡± ¡°Oh, right!¡± Valerio replied, releasing Andrea¡¯s hand and asking her to wait at the foot of the stairs before running back to pull Herman along upstairs. Their ascending figures stood out conspicuously, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room until they disappeared upstairs. ¡°Something feels off here,¡± Edgar said, stroking his chin and looking at Seraphina, ¡°What are you up to?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it,¡± Seraphina leaned into Leandro¡¯s embrace, giving him a nce before saying. ¡°I¡¯m not up to anything. I just want the people I care about to be happy, that¡¯s it.¡± With that, Edgar was even more confused, ¡°The people you care about, who would that be?¡± Seraphina exchanged a look with Leandro before she replied with a light chuckle, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± ¡°Come on, Leandro,¡± Edgar turned to him, ¡°Your wife¡¯s being bold, and you¡¯re just letting her?¡± Leandro looked up nonchntly and smiled, ¡°If I don¡¯t let her have her way, should I let you?¡± The room erupted into a mix of cheers andughter¡­ Seraphina snuggled closer into Leandro¡¯s arms, triumphantly watching Edgar surrender and retreat. Upstairs in Valerio¡¯s room, the boy was showing Andrea his recent drawings while handing each model to Herman for inspection. After examining a few models, Herman couldn¡¯t help but nce at Andrea. She was seated quietly, flipping through Valerio¡¯s sketchbook, asionally engaging in hushed conversation andughter with the kid, acting as if Herman was invisible. Just as Herman felt extremely awkward, Seraphina¡¯s voice calling for Valerio echoed from downstairs. Valerio gave a shout back and dashed out of the room. 10:07 Suddenly alone with Andrea, Herman was caught off guard. Andrea, however, remainedposed, putting away Valerio¡¯s sketchbook and proceeding to tidy up his desk. Herman sat on the bed behind her, silently observing her every move. When Andrea finished tidying the desk and turned around, Herman was still sitting there, dazed. She broke the silence first, ¡°Are you done with the models? If you¡¯re finished, I¡¯ll put them away.¡± That jolted Herman back to reality. He stood awkwardly and revealed the pile of models he¡¯d been hiding behind. Andrea then stepped forward to organize them, and Herman, unable to just stand by idly, silently helped her. Thest model, a cruise ship, was on the highest shelf. Andrea tiptoed but couldn¡¯t reach it. From behind, Herman watched as the hem of her shirt lifted, revealing a sliver of her waist. Snapping back to his senses with a warm flush on his face, he quickly stepped forward to take the model from her hands and effortlessly ced it on the top shelf. ¡°Thanks,¡± Andrea said with a casual shrug. Herman¡¯s voice was unexpectedly raspy, and after a brief pause, he finally managed to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Andrea nced at him, clearly puzzled, ¡°Sorry for what?¡± ¡°That day, at the hospital.¡± Once Herman started, he decided to push through the awkwardness, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to give you the cold shoulder, and it wasn¡¯t personal.¡± Andrea seemed to freeze for a moment before responding, ¡°You gave me the cold shoulder at the hospital? I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Herman was speechless. ¡°I don¡¯t remember it that way,¡± she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. ¡°So, no worries.¡± The air should have cleared with that, but for some reason, Herman felt an even heavier weight on his chest. It wasn¡¯t until after dinner that Seraphina found a chance to corner Andrea in the kitchen for a private chat. ¡°So, how did it go?¡± Seraphina prodded, ¡°What did you two talk about upstairs?¡± Andrea gave her a look that read really? and sighed, ¡°So you made that happen? That exins his sudden apology out of the blue.¡± ¡°He messed up, shouldn¡¯t he apologize?¡± Seraphina countered. Andrea just shrugged, ¡°You know how he feels about the Martins, about me. Why push it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about his issues, Seraphina dered. ¡°As long as you¡¯re not upset, that¡¯s what matters.¡± Andrea mused for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not upset.¡± Seraphina chuckled softly, ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± They left the kitchen together to find Edgar and the others had already set up a card table and were deep in a game. Andrea had drawings to finish and had to leave early. As she was about to exit, Herman appeared from the bathroom and announced to the card yers, ¡°Carry on, guys. I¡¯m heading out.¡± The group was tight-knit, so they just nodded and let him go. Herman turned around to see Andrea also getting ready to leave and was momentarily taken aback, ¡°You¡¯re leaving too?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Andrea nodded. ¡°Well¡­¡± Before Herman could finish, Seraphina cut in, ¡°No need for you to see her out. I¡¯ve arranged a ride for Andrea.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Herman acknowledged, then after a short pause, added, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going.¡± He put on his coat, stepped out to his car, started the engine, and through the rear-view mirror, saw Seraphina ushering Andrea into the waiting vehicle. Andrea¡¯s car pulled away before his, leaving the Reynolds family behind. Herman watched the car disappear from view, ready to leave himself, when a tap on his window startled him. Turning his head, he saw Seraphina¡¯s mischievous grin.. For reasons he couldn¡¯t fathom, Herman found a frowning Seraphina less intimidating than her smile, which always seemed to hint at some hidden agenda. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Herman asked, rolling down the window. *Just seeing you out, saying goodbye,¡± Seraphina said, ¡°What did you think I wanted?¡± Without a word, Herman rolled the window back up and sped away, not looking back. 10:07) Seraphina waved cheerfully from the mansion¡¯s main entrance, ¡°Bye-bye!¡± Back inside, Leandro was entertaining the rest of the group with cards, while Seraphina watched for a bit before heading upstairs. She had woken up early that day and after the night¡¯s excitement, she tucked Valerio into bed and retreated to her own room. nning only to rest her eyes, she soon fell asleep while reading. The next thing she knew, she was being kissed. Blinking awake, Seraphina saw Leandro¡¯s intense eyes. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Her mind was still foggy as she pulled away slightly, ¡°Is everyone gone?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Leandro murmured softly before capturing her lips again. As Seraphina¡¯s mind cleared, she noticed something off. ¡°Hey, stop it¡­¡± she protested weakly, ¡°You¡¯re still healing¡­¡± Leandro¡¯s reply was a soft growl, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Seraphina shot him a warning re. Although he seemed to be alright, his injuries were still healing, and she had insisted on restraint since theirst check-up. But tonight, Leandro seemed to have a surplus of energy. Seraphina realized she might not be able to resist him this time. Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Leandro pressed closer to Seraphina, his voice a low murmur. ¡°You¡¯ve been fussing over everyone else all night, busy with this and that. Isn¡¯t it about time I got my turn?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle at his words. Ever since Leandro had been home resting, she hadn¡¯t had much going on herself. So, naturally, when presented with a rare gathering, she was eager to catch up on all the juicy gossip. She had thought it was just normal socializing, but even that seemed too much for her man. She snorted, ¡°Haven¡¯t I been worried sick about you all this time? Haven¡¯t I been revolving around you like the earth around the sun? Where¡¯s your gratitude?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Leandro grunted in response, ¡°Then tonight, it¡¯s my turn to revolve around you.¡± ¡°Hey¡± Seraphina¡¯s protest came toote. Concerned for his health, she was reluctant; yet it was that very concern which prevented her from putting up a strong resistance. She was torn, which was not the way Leandro liked things at all. And with the skills and methods he possessed, he wouldn¡¯t allow her to be so hesitant. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g What had started as an urgent need in him slowly transformed into a patient y with Seraphina, a long engagement until she finally surrendered, wholeheartedly engaged. Only then did their night truly begin. Seraphina felt like she was being spoiled rotten by Leandro. For days on end, Leandro had been living the high life at home, doing nothing, and by association, so had she. Like a pampered housecat, she¡¯d lost all her sharpness, fearing that her hard-earned skills were fading away. Take the next morning, for instance. When it was time to take their son, Valerio, to school, she found herselfzing in bed, unable to muster the will to rise. And Leandro wasn¡¯t faring much better-when she nudged the responsibility of school drop-off onto him, he stayed put as well. Valerio knocked on their door several times, to no avail, ultimately leaving for school with the driver. The result was a very miffed little prince whose wrath was not to be underestimated! Upon returning home that afternoon, Valerio had some stern words for his parents. With her face in her hands, Seraphina listened to her son¡¯sints and immediately pointed the finger at the main culprit. ¡°It¡¯s all your dad¡¯s fault. He¡¯s the one who wouldn¡¯t let me get up.¡± Valerio turned his gaze to Leandro. Leandro simply lifted his eyes, gazing back calmly, offering no defense. Despite this, Valerio didn¡¯t dare push too far and turned back to Seraphina, ¡°Mom¡¯s the best at dodging the me!¡± Leandro couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, looking down. Seraphina was shocked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you on my side?¡±. Valerio huffed, crossing his arms and turning his back to them, sulking on the couch. ¡°Alright, alright, I know I was wrong,¡± Seraphina quickly moved to hug Valerio, ¡°I promise you, from now on, someone will take you to school every day. If not me, then your dad, or¡­ maybe both of us, okay?¡± Valerio turned his face away, only softening after a moment. ¡°What about dad?¡± Seraphina shot Leandro a re, and with a resigned sigh, he too made his promise, ¡°Alright, dad promises too.¡± Valerio¡¯s mood lightened slightly, but then he looked at Leandro again, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± Leandro raised his eyebrow. Valerio, seizing the opportunity, had another demand, ¡°Mom never had trouble getting up when she slept in my room!¡± Seraphina burst intoughter at this. Leandro shot her a nce and firmly told Valerio, ¡°That¡¯s not an option.¡± Valerio¡¯s pout returned, his young brow furrowing. ¡°Don¡¯t you want a little sister?¡± Leandro said, ¡°If you want a younger sister, you need to sleep by yourself=¡± Seraphina quickly covered Valerio¡¯s ears and threw a cushion at Leandro, ¡°Have you no shame!¡± Chapter 468 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. Chapter 469 Chapter 469 For her, the phrase ¡°first snow¡± was distant and foreign. Snow was nothing exceptional. It graced the streets of Summitville, painted Sunburst City white, and even cloaked Velvetwood in its silent embrace. She had never harbored an abundance of love or anticipation for snow, except when she was 17. That year, having fallen for Leandro, she found herself eagerly awaiting each new day. Yet he was invariably busy, often away from home for long stretches, which only made her yearn all the more. Finally, on New Year¡¯s Eve, she caught a fleeting glimpse of him, a hurried encounter before she scurried off to her room to shower. After her shower, hair dried and clothes changed, she emerged only to see him, simrly freshened up, ready to step out. He was wearing a coat. Seraphina¡¯s heart sank, her eyes betraying a hint of disappointment. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re going out again?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Leandro nced at her, stepping closer, a teasing glint in his eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t stand to be without me?¡± Turning her face away, Seraphina felt the sting of unshed tears. She hadn¡¯t seen him in days, and just when they had reconnected, he was leaving again. The hurt welled up inside her, her eyes reddening with the effort to hold back tears. She truly didn¡¯t want him to go, the disappointment was genuine, but the words wouldn¡¯te. Leandro chuckled at her pained expression, but his voice softened. ¡°Had a priormitment, I¡¯ll be quick. Will you wait up for me?¡± She looked away, murmuring after a pause, ¡°You won¡¯te back¡­¡± She knew his habits too well; ate-night departure meant he wouldn¡¯t return. At best, he¡¯d be gone for the day. More often, he¡¯d vanish for days on end. She was ustomed to it, shouldn¡¯t have expected any different. Without another word, Seraphina retreated to her room. She had hurried downstairs to see him, but with him leaving, there was no point anymore. Back at her desk, she slumped forward, the sorrow deepening. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Then, a knock at her door. Her heart skipped, guessing who it might be, yet hardly daring to believe. When Leandro stepped inside, she looked up, her gaze frozen on him. ¡°If you¡¯re using me of breaking promises, I¡¯ll have to be a man of my word this time.¡± Leandro leaned against the doorframe, checking his watch. Frowning slightly, he peered out the window, then said, ¡°Before dawn. I¡¯ll be back before then.¡± Heat crept into Seraphina¡¯s cheeks. Despite his busy life, he hade to make a promise, as if she were the unreasonable one. Yet, was she happy? Ecstatic, in a way she had never felt before. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, okay?¡± Leandro sought her confirmation once more. This time, she managed a soft ¡°Okay.¡± She didn¡¯t leave her room, just perched by the window, watching Leandro descend the stairs, get into his car, and drive off, her heart surprisingly full of joy. That night, Seraphinay in bed, sleep eluding her. She kept vigil by the window, straining for any sign of him. He said he¡¯d be back by dawn, so she waited. From two to three, from four to five, from six to seven, Leandro did not return. At seven o¡¯clock, Sandra had already sent three messages, urging her to get moving. They had nned to hit the amusement park together, but Seraphina was utterly disinterested now. He had broken his word, again. She despised her own weakness, knowing she¡¯d soon be longing for him once more. Frustrated and powerless, Seraphina got up, washed her tear-stained face, and dressed to leave. New Year¡¯s Day was just breaking, the city still quiet, the Reynolds household no exception. She stepped out of the main building, unable to resist ncing towards the parking lot ¨C no sign of Leandro¡¯s car. Biting her lip, she strode away. Exiting the gates, the tears she had been holding back fell freely. Her cheeks stung in the cold, crisp air as if they might crack. Gritting her teeth, she wiped her tears and continued on. Reynolds Manor nestled deep in a quiet, old neighborhood. Everyone had cars, and no one bothered walking. But she didn¡¯t, so she had to walk two blocks to the main road to catch the bus. Tears blurred her vision as she trudged along, until, at the corner, she collided with someone. Both in a rush, Seraphina nearly toppled over but was caught in a firm embrace. Startled, her heart raced until she found herself in a warm, familiar hold. For a moment, her emotions overwhelmed her, and when she looked up to see him, all she saw was a blur. Only when he wiped away her tears did Leandro¡¯s facee into sharp relief. It was him, truly him. His eyes were red, perhaps fromck of sleep, his nose slightly pink, as if frosted by the cold. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Leandro smiled at her, a yful tease in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m a littlete and you¡¯re ready to run away from home?¡± Her voice failed her, she was unable to answer him. The sky wasn¡¯t fully bright yet, tree-lined streets casting deeper shadows. No cars, no people, just the two of them in their own world. Suddenly, Leandro leaned in and kissed her. His lips were cold, but the kiss sent warmth flooding through Seraphina. It was a long while before she spoke in a hushed voice, ¡°You said you¡¯d be back before dawn¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Leandro exhaled softly, ¡°I thought I¡¯d make it, but I didn¡¯t expect the car would break down on the road¡­¡± Seraphina¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she looked up at him. The car broke down on the road, so he had¡­ walked all the way back? Tears threatened Seraphina again. The car was broken; he could have rested nearby or stayed inside waiting for a tow truck, but he had hurried back on foot because of a promise he made to her? She stared at him, dumbfounded, wanting to ask, yet too embarrassed to voice it. ¡°Still mad at me?¡± Leandro leaned down and asked. Seraphina shook her head slightly, eyes downcast. ¡°Are you still going to run away?¡± he prodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t running away from home,¡± Seraphina retorted. ¡°I had ns with a friend to hit the amusement park¡­¡± A chuckle escaped Leandro, ¡°Oh,¡± he said before adding, ¡°What if I asked you to bail on your friend, would you?¡± Seraphina found herself in a bind, ¡°I¡¯ve already promised her¡­¡± Leandro sighed, a hint of disappointment in his breath. Still, even with him looking at her like that, Seraphina¡¯s gaze was hesitant, with no intention of canceling her ns for him. ¡°You sure stick to your principles,¡± Leandro reached out to pull her along, ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± Seraphina startled. ¡°You wanted to go out, right?¡± Leandro said, ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out. Though I didn¡¯t see a single taxi on my way back, I¡¯m not sure when you¡¯ll be able to catch a ride.¡± Silently, Seraphina followed him, not mentioning that just a ten-minute walk down the street was the bus she needed to take. She looked at the hand Leandro was holding and quietly hoped, hoped that a taxi would show upter, muchter¡­ They emerged from the tree-lined street into the dim world, which was suddenly touched by icy, feather-light flurries settling silently onto Seraphina¡¯s eyshes. It had started to snow. On this first day of the year, as Leandro held her hand walking down the empty street, Sunburst City finally weed its bted first snow. Leandro reached out to brush a snowke from hershes, then chuckled at the sight of the sparse snow upon her hair, saying, ¡°If this snow gets any heavier, it would look like we¡¯ve gotten while hair and grown old together.¡± Seraphina¡¯s heart thumped heavily, her body feeling suddenly weak. ¡°Do you want to grow old with me, Seraphina?¡± Leandro asked. Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Seraphina could never have guessed that, after eight long years, Leandro¡¯s promise to ¡°grow old together¡± would still echo in her ears as if it were just yesterday. How had she responded back then? She hadn¡¯t. Ovee with shyness, she couldn¡¯t find her voice. Just then, an empty taxi happened to pass by. Noticing the couple on the side of the road, the driver pulled over willingly. Seraphina quickly slipped her hand out of Leandro¡¯s and hurried into the taxi. Her cheeks were ame, and in the presence of the stranger driving, she dared not look back at Leandro. Seeing her flustered state, he didn¡¯t press further. Instead, he told the driver, ¡°Buddy, it¡¯s starting to snow. Drive safe, and don¡¯t let her get a scratch.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the driver responded with a nod, ¡°I¡¯ve been behind the wheel for twenty years. Safety is my middle name!¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Leandro then gave Seraphina another nce and asked, ¡°You¡¯ll be back early tonight?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll return in the afternoon,¡± Seraphina quickly replied. Leandro chuckled softly, said no more, and stepped aside. The taxi pulled away slowly. Seraphina didn¡¯t dare to look at Leandro until they were some distance away. Then, ever so cautiously, she edged closer to the window to glimpse back at where he stood. He remained in the same spot, unmoving, as the snow began to fall thicker. The snowkes settled in his hair, a makeshift emblem of their unfulfilled promise of growing old together. Now, as the snow danced around her, she realized it was far heavier than in years past. But today, chances were slim they would share another snowy walk. Snapping back to the present, Seraphina was about to help Valerio into the car when she noticed Leandro¡¯s vehicle was missing. ¡°Where¡¯s your car?¡± she asked, surprised. ¡°The theater¡¯s got a show tonight; the street¡¯s closed,¡± Leandro exined. ¡°I had to park at the corner.¡± Seraphina paused for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s walk over,¡± Leandro suggested. Hearing this, Seraphina instinctively raised her eyes to the swirling snow above. Before she could look away, warmth enveloped her neck. Turning, she saw Leandro taking off his own scarf and wrapping it around her bare neck. ¡°I¡¯m not cold,¡± Seraphina protested. ¡°Better safe than sorry,¡± Leandro insisted, allowing no room for argument. Valerio stood aside, grinning foolishly as he watched them. Seraphina shot him a nce and then pulled his hood over his head. His excitement was unmistakable; upon donning the hood, he couldn¡¯t help but jiggle with joy. Since their reunion, Valerio rarely showed such excitement. Whether it was the snowfall or the rare moment of them being together, it was hard to tell. Leandro took Valerio by the hand and led him down the sidewalk, and Valerio happily reached out his other hand to Seraphina. Seeing the little hand stretched out before her, and the man standing behind it, Seraphina let out a sigh and finally grasped it, stepping into the thickly falling snow. She was no longer the bashful seventeen-year-old girl. The old phrase ¡°Snow in the hair is as good as time shared¡± would now seem cloy andughable. But as the three of them joined hands and ventured into the snowy expanse, the words came back to her. Only now, what she longed for was no longer just a shared journey into their twilight years. Seraphina looked down at Valerio, who was gleefully hopping from one hand to the other in theirs. He was bouncing with such delight, as if he were about to take off into the air, and neither Leandro nor Seraphina wanted to dampen his spirits. In the light snow, the family of three cast long shadows in the dim and intecing light¡­ The short walk felt like an eternity. Reaching the parked car at the corner, Leandro opened the door and helped an overjoyed Valerio inside before turning to Seraphina and gently kissing her. In the midst of the snowstorm, their faces were cold to the touch. But the kiss was sweet, just like old times. Chapter 471 Chapter 471 After the first snowfall, it truly felt like the grip of winter had taken hold. Winter was a time for coziness, yet Seraphina, who had been coasting in anguid state for the better part of the year, found herself caught up in a whirlwind of activity as the cold season settled in. The art gallery she managed was buzzing with preparations for a new exhibition. This time, the exhibition was set to take ce at the renowned Sunburst City Art Museum, and the theme was a retrospective of masterpieces by the great painters from generations past. Among the featured works were iconic pieces from the masters of the yesteryears, as well as contemporary contributions from artists like Malcolm and Carney Bet. The concept for the exhibition was the gallery¡¯s manager¡¯s idea, and she threw her full support behind it, immediately setting ns in motion and diving into the multifaceted preparations. Admittedly, showcasing Carney alongside Malcolm and the legendary greats felt a tad premature, but Seraphina believed in Carney¡¯s artistic merit and felt he more than deserved the honor. She was determined to realize the dreams and aspirations that Carney hadn¡¯t lived to see fulfilled. Her dedication meant that Seraphina was fully immersed in the event, dashing between organizers and exhibitors to secure as many prestigious pieces as possible. But, work had a way of encroaching on family life, and Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but feel she was neglecting home. Valerio had his reservations about her absence, but when he learned she was doing it all in memory of histe grandfather, he understood and kept his peace. The frenzysted untilte December when Seraphina finally began delegating tasks, allowing herself some much-needed respite. After all, Christmas was around the corner, as was the wedding day of Bowen and Tania. She needed to be at her best for their special day. On a rare afternoon off, Seraphina returned home early. The housekeeper was busy in the kitchen, and Conway was sitting on the sofa, engrossed in a TV show. His surprise at her early arrival was evident as he teased, ¡°Look who is back.¡± Seraphina smiled, settling beside him and leaning on his shoulder with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m beat, Grandpa.¡± ¡°You remember what it¡¯s like to be tired?¡± Conway chortled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. I thought you¡¯d forgotten with all the busyness.¡± Detecting something in his tone, Seraphina looked up at him. ¡°Grandpa, beating around the bush isn¡¯t your style.¡± Conway chuckled, then quizzed her, ¡°Do you even know what day it is?¡± ¡°The 21st.¡± ¡°And tomorrow?¡± ¡°The 22nd.¡± ¡°And yesterday?¡± Frowning, she replied, ¡°The 20th¡­ Are you testing a child?¡± ¡°Yes, the 20th,¡± Conway said with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°And what day is that?¡± ¡°The 20th¡­?¡± Seraphina puzzled over the date until realization dawned, and her face fell. Conway tapped her head lightly. ¡°Remember now?¡± Sheughed awkwardly, replying, ¡°It was my wedding anniversary with Leandro¡­¡± ¡°How could you forget something like that?¡± Conway chided. ¡°The whole world remembers it, except you. Is that right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been busy, and Leandro didn¡¯t remind me¡­¡± she muttered, then gasped, remembering the jewelry set on her vanity the night before. ¡°I thought it was a spontaneous gift from him¡­¡± As she rambled, guilt set in. ¡°Was he nning to celebrate with me?¡± ¡°You think he doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re busy?¡± Conway replied. ¡°He expected you¡¯de home early, just this once. But you never did.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t he tell me?¡± she protested. ¡°If he had, I would¡¯vee home sooner¡­¡± ¡°Do you not know how much he indulges you?¡± Conway retorted. After a pause, Seraphina turned to Conway. ¡°He used to be different. Lately, he¡¯s been¡­ indulging me too much.¡± Conway raised an eyebrow at her words. ¡°Do you like this indulgent side of him, or not?¡± She made a face. ¡°I think I prefer him a bit colder and more¡­ intense.¡± As the words left her mouth, a chill ran down her spine. Despite the warm house, she felt a draft behind her neck. Turning around, she saw Leandroing downstairs with a mug in hand. He nced at her without expression, upping the chill factor. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± he said. ¡°Do you want me to run a bath for you?¡± Though his tone was calm, and his words unusually tender, a strange chill ran down Seraphina¡¯s spine. It seemed she still couldn¡¯t get used to this version of Leandro. ¡°No need,¡± Seraphina replied, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for a bath right now.¡± ¡°Well,e up here. I¡¯ve got a present for you,¡± Leandro said. Gifts and guilt mingled uneasily in Seraphina¡¯s mind as she followed him, sending pleading looks at Conway, who was suddenly engrossed in the TV. As they ascended the stairs, she braced herself for the unknown, wondering what her indulgent husband had in store for her this time. After climbing the stairs, she found herself in Leandro¡¯s study. Leandro, seatedfortably in his chair, pulled her close and flicked on hisputer screen, ¡°You¡¯ve been nning that art exhibition, right? Well, it just so happens I know a famous collector. He¡¯s got a catalogue of paintings and he¡¯s willing to loan out three for your show.¡± Seraphina leaned in eagerly, scrutinizing the screen. The collector in question, a friend of Leandro¡¯s, had several masterpieces at his disposal. Just one of these on disy would be a sensation. Ovee with joy, Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of guilt. She turned to face Leandro, ¡°Are you sure you want to give me such a generous gift?¡± ¡°What are you doubting?¡± Leandro inquired. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Seraphina spoke cautiously, ¡°I¡­ I forgot our anniversary.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Leandro responded nonchntly. ¡°I didn¡¯t even remember when I saw your gift.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°And I didn¡¯t get you anything,¡± she admitted. Leandro continued to look at her calmly, ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be angry or upset?¡± Seraphina pressed, ¡°I¡¯d almost prefer if you were cold and distant instead of this gentle, okay?¡± Leandro heard her, reached out to gently lift her chin and said slowly, ¡°You like me better cold-hearted, don¡¯t you?¡± Seraphina hesitated, then slowly nodded. Leandro leaned closer, his voice deep, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be.¡± As he spoke, he tenderly nibbled on Seraphina¡¯s earlobe. Realizing she had been yed, Seraphina¡¯s temper red, and she decided it was time for a showdown! After their intense exchange, Seraphina was left feeling sore and utterly drained, leaning against Leandro without the will to move. It wasn¡¯t until Valerio came home from school that Seraphina mustered the energy to get up. Having been busy for a while, and finally having a day at home, the family settled in the upstairs lounge for some quality time after dinner. Valerio had a pile of things to share with Seraphina, including thetest drawing techniques he was itching to show her. When Valerio took out everything, he suddenly realized he was out of red paint. ¡°There¡¯s some on the bookshelf in my room,¡± Seraphina suggested, ¡°Go get it yourself.¡± Valerio bounced to his feet and dashed toward Seraphina¡¯s room with glee. It was a short trip just to fetch some paint, but he took over two minutes to return. When he did, it wasn¡¯t with paint but with a sketchbook that seemed far too mature for his small frame. ¡°Mom, whose sketchbook is this?¡± Valerio asked as he emerged from the room. Seraphina, who had been thumbing through his drawings, looked up sharply at the mention of ¡°sketchbook¡± and her face paled when she saw what Valerio was holding. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Put that back where you found it!¡± she said urgently, ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to get paint? Why were you rummaging through my stuff?¡± Valerio hesitated, unsure of what to do. Leandro nced at Seraphina¡¯s uneasy demeanor and told Valerio, ¡°Bring it here, let me take a look.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give it to him!¡± Seraphina protested. With his mom and dad giving conflicting instructions, Valerio was confused about what to do. Seraphina quickly got up and snatched the sketchbook from Valerio¡¯s hands, hiding it behind her back as she was about to lecture him. But before she could, it was gone from her grasp. She spun around to find Leandro had taken the sketchbook. ¡°Hey¡ª¡± Seraphina tried to intervene, but it was toote. Leandro had already opened the sketchbook. The only painting it contained was a warm and vivid watercolor. Theposition was rich in warm hues, dominated by the cozy yellow of streetlights¡ª Under the glow of those streetlights, amidst a flurry of snowkes, were silhouettes of a tall man, an elegant woman, and a small child walking hand in hand along a quiet street. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s me!¡± Valerio pointed excitedly at the small figure, then to the man and woman beside it, ¡°And that¡¯s Dad, and Mom¡ªIt¡¯s so beautiful, did you paint this, Mom?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but cover her face with her hands. Leandro studied the painting for a long time. It was her work. He knew her style all too well. This painting was undoubtedly from her hand. Sandra Smith once told him that after leaving Sunburst City eight years ago, she had stopped painting because all her work inevitably depicted him, and so she had given up paintingpletely. After returning to Sunburst City, she asionally picked up the brush to teach Valerio, but never seriously painted anything again. Now, she had once again taken up the brush to create this piece. The painting held the past, the present, and the future. Atst, she could let go of her past entirely, and for him, it was the greatest satisfaction. ¡°So, you did prepare a gift.¡± Leandro spoke softly, ¡°Why hide it?¡± Seraphina frowned at him¡ªshe really didn¡¯t want this painting to be seen by anyone, even Leandro and Valerio. It was too sentimental, not at all in keeping with her usual tough persona! ¡°I love this painting,¡± Leandro said, ¡°I¡¯m keeping it.¡± Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Seraphina hadpletely forgotten her and Leandro¡¯s wedding anniversary, apse which might have been a deal-breaker for some. But after reluctantly giving him a present, not only did Leandro get over the oversight, he seemed genuinely delighted. Two dayster, the painting she had sketched was hanging in Leandro¡¯s home office. It had been years since Seraphina had picked up a paintbrush, and her skills were admittedly rusty. Yet there it was, her casual doodle, taken seriously enough by him to be disyed on the wall. Seraphina felt embarrassed every time she looked at it, and after pestering Leandro for two days to take it down, he remained firm in his refusal. With no choice but to temporarily let it be, Seraphina decided to bide her time, waiting for an opportunity to deal with the offending artwork. Before they knew it, Christmas Day arrived, marking not just the holiday but also the wedding date for Bowen and Tania. Seraphina¡¯s social circle seemed abuzz with the event; friends were live streaming from early morning, so by the time Seraphina and Leandro attended the evening reception, they¡¯d already seen the day¡¯s festivities y out online. In the evening, the couple set out from their home toward the grand affair. The Martins were marrying off their daughter, and the venue was naturally the most upscale hotel ballroom in Sunburst City. Over the years, the Martins¡¯ rise to prominence had been meteoric, and the city¡¯s elite were all attending. The wedding was a glittering affair, a veritable who¡¯s who of the upper crust. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Arriving at the hotel, Seraphina and Leandro found the entrance swarming with reporters eager to snag an interview with the megastar Georgina. Knowing when to y it low-key, Georgina had dressed in a nude-toned gown and understated makeup, answering questions briefly before making her way inside. The reporters, slightly deted by Georgina¡¯s swift exit, turned their attention to Leandro as he stepped out of the car. The former hotshot of the Reynolds Group, alongside Seraphina, known for her mboyant and stunning fashion sense, were always good for a story. However, as Leandro helped Seraphina out of the car, the paparazzi were in for a surprise. Usually, Seraphina would be dressed to the nines, stealing the spotlight wherever she went. But today, she was bundled up in a dark green coat, with what seemed like a simple ck and white dress underneath. Modesty was the order of the day¡ªa stark departure from her usual style. Initially, the cameras surged forward, but as the photographers took in her conservative attire, the flurry of shes and shutters died down. Seraphina, fully aware of the change in atmosphere, nced at the crowd with a yful smile. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re not giving me any love here,¡± she teased. ¡°Just because I¡¯m wearing a coat doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not worth a shot, right?¡± ¡°Mrs. Reynolds, why so conservative today?¡± One reporter ventured, engaging her in conversation. ¡°It¡¯s not quite your usual style!¡± ¡°Could this be Mr. Reynolds¡¯ influence?¡± another chimed in. ¡°Is it that Mr. Reynolds didn¡¯t want Mrs. Reynolds to dress too provocatively today?¡± Microphones were thrust towards Leandro, and Seraphina stood by, twirling her hair and waiting patiently for her husband¡¯s response. ¡°I¡¯ve always respected my wife¡¯s freedom to dress as she pleases,¡± Leandro replied coolly, his gaze steady on the cameras. ¡°Besides, I believe my wife is the most beautiful, no matter what she wears.¡± At his words, the reporters couldn¡¯t help but let out a collective cheer. Then they turned back to Seraphina. ¡°What do you have to say about Mr. Reynolds¡¯ high praise, Mrs. Reynolds?¡± Seraphina nodded, her smile unwavering. ¡°I think my husband is always right.¡± Chapter 473 Chapter 473 The reporters were at it again, buzzing around Leandro, who remained silent, taking Seraphina¡¯s hand as they prepared to head inside. But the press wasn¡¯t about to let him off the hook that easily, tugging at his sleeve to grill him about the Reynolds Group. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, you took a leave from the Reynolds Group due to an injury. When do you n on returning?¡± one of them asked. ¡°What do you think would be the biggest challenge in returning to the Reynolds Group, Mr. Reynolds?¡± ¡°How do you view the uing development ns for the Reynolds Group, Mr. Reynolds?¡± Leandro didn¡¯t respond to the rapid-fire questions. ¡°We¡¯re here for a wedding today,¡± Seraphina interjected, ¡°Let¡¯s keep the focus on the happy couple and leave unrted issues for another time.¡± Just then, new guests arrived, and seeing that Leandro really wasn¡¯t going to answer, the reporters finally let them be. Arm in arm with Leandro, Seraphina walked into the hotel, and as they reached the entrance of the banquet hall, they were greeted by the groom, Bowen. They say happiness is infectious, but the moment Seraphina caught sight of Bowen, she could tell his joy wasn¡¯t genuine. Sure, he looked dashing in his ck tuxedo, standing out in the crowd, but the usual warmth and laughter in his eyes didn¡¯t reach deep. Seraphina thought to herself, she had seen Bowen¡¯s true smile before, and now she could instantly tell this wasn¡¯t it. As for the reason behind his subdued demeanor, Seraphina couldn¡¯t care less; his discontent was her delight. Bowen had been chatting with Georgina and a few other guests by the entrance. Catching sight of Leandro and Seraphina, he excused himself and approached them. ¡°Mr. Reynolds,¡± Bowen said with a light smile, ncing briefly at Leandro¡¯s abdomen before turning to Seraphina. ¡°Sera, d you could make it. I apologize for not greeting you sooner.¡± Leandro looked at him calmly. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Bowen replied, then continued, ¡°I heard about your ident, Mr. Reynolds. I wanted to visit, but with the wedding preparations, I just couldn¡¯t find the time. By the time I was avable, I heard you had gone home to recuperate. I didn¡¯t want to intrude on your rest. Seeing you looking well now is a relief.¡± ¡°Appreciate your thoughts,¡± said Leandro. ¡°I understand, Mr. Smith. A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event. To marry the woman of your dreams is what every man wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help butugh at Leandro¡¯s backhandedpliment. Still smiling, Bowen turned to Seraphina. ¡°Not a single word from you, justughter. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Sorry, the reporters outside wouldn¡¯t let us leave, and I was freezing. I¡¯m just starting to thaw out,¡± Seraphina exined, shrugging off her coat. A staff member immediately approached to take it from her, and Bowen¡¯s gaze fell on the dress she wore beneath, pausing for a moment. Seraphina was donning a ck and white color-blocked gown, subtly off-shoulder, entuating her figure. The dress itself was simple, but what stood out was the white part on the top¡ªa pair of eyes printed on it. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Clearly, they were a woman¡¯s eyes, soft and tender, an unusual yet striking design choice. Those were Sandra¡¯s eyes, how could Bowen not recognize them? Meanwhile, Georgina, about to enter the hall herself, nced over and walked towards them. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Reynolds,¡± she greeted. Leandro nodded slightly, and Seraphina reached out to Georgina, ¡°It¡¯s been too long, gorgeous.¡± ¡°It has, and you look radiant,¡± said Georgina, admiring Seraphina¡¯s dress. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Seraphina shed her dress proudly. ¡°I had it custom-made.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Georgina asked. ¡°Which designer? It¡¯s quite spirited.¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you sometime.¡± With that, Seraphina turned back to Bowen. ¡°Today¡¯s your big day; you must be swamped. We won¡¯t keep you. Rest assured, I¡¯m going to pay close attention to the ceremony and send all my best wishes your way.¡± Bowen¡¯s eyes lingered on the printed eyes on Seraphina¡¯s dress, and after a brief smile, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve always known you to be thoughtful, Sera. I¡¯ll treasure the blessings from you and Mr. Reynolds.¡± Without another word, Seraphina took Leandro¡¯s arm, ready to make their entrance. But as they brushed past Bowen, Seraphina¡¯s phone slipped from her hand,nding right at Bowen¡¯s feet. She turned back, slightly embarrassed, offering a sheepish smile to Bowen. Bowen looked at her, his eyes holding a trace of frost before he stooped to pick up the phone. As he did, the screen lit up automatically. On the disy was a Sandra he didn¡¯t recognize, standing in the middle of a supermarket aisle, examining something closely. Before Bowen could get a good look, the image shed, reced by another photo of Sandra in a restaurant, her eyes red as she tried to eat. And then, just as quickly, the image changed again. She was standing outside a quaint pet store, her silhouette outlined against therge disy window. With a gentle smile ying at the corners of her mouth, she gazed intently at the small animals frolicking inside, seemingly lost in a world of innocent delight. The window cast her reflection¡ªalone and slightly curved at the belly, a subtle hint of new life. Bowen¡¯s stare fixed upon her once again, intensifying in a mere moment. But before he could take in the full scene, Seraphina¡¯s hand reached out, snatching the phone from his grasp, ¡°Thanks, Bowen.¡± In a swift motion, Bowen¡¯s hand shot out, gripping Seraphina¡¯s wrist. When he looked at her again, his eyes were tinged with red, his face etched with an ominous intensity. With a protective instinct, Leandro pulled Seraphina into his embrace while firmly sping Bowen¡¯s wrist, ¡°Mr. Smith, I must insist that you conduct yourself with decorum.¡± Georgina, who stood nearby, was momentarily stunned by the unfolding drama, before she instinctively stepped back to give them space. Bowen¡¯s gaze shifted between Leandro and Seraphina before he let out a low chuckle, speaking with a mocking ease, ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got? Trying to rile me up with some pathetic fake photo? Do you really think I¡¯d fall for that?¡± Seraphina withdrew her hand, blowing on her fingertips as if to cool them from the encounter. With a nonchnt smile, she countered, ¡°Whether they¡¯re true or not, how would I know? But surely, Bowen, you must remember your own doings.¡± With that, she shed him a coy smile and obediently followed Leandro deeper into the venue. As the guests milled about them, the cold expression on Bowen¡¯s face took its time to fade, but the chill in his eyes remained stark and unyielding. Chapter 474 Chapter 474 That night, Bowen should have been the busiest groom alive, bustling with the fervor of the grand reception. Yet, the moment Leandro and Seraphina made their entrance, the smile that once graced his face vanished, never to return. Even as he asionally exchanged pleasantries with the arriving guests, hisughter was faint, his eyes betraying a stormy gloom. Before long, Bowen had slipped away from the entrance of the grand hall. Simon Martin, mingling among the guests, keenly sensed Bowen¡¯s absence. He promptly sent his assistant, Isaac, on a search mission. Isaac scoured the ce without any luck. Eventually, he knocked on the bridal suite, only to find Tania primping in front of a mirror, surrounded by a gaggle of bridesmaids, all immersed in merry banter. The sudden appearance of Simon¡¯s aide startled Tania, ¡°What brings you here? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing at all,¡± Isaac stammered, ¡°I just came to see if you were ready, miss. I won¡¯t disturb youdies further.¡± Knowing Tania¡¯s inability to keep things under wraps, Isaac dared not divulge Bowen¡¯s disappearance, fearing the chaos it might unleash. So, with a polite nod, he closed the door and retreated. Just around the corner, Isaac nearly collided with Andrea. He hesitated for a split second before greeting her, ¡°Miss Martin.¡± Andrea simply nodded, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Isaac furrowed his brow slightly and decided to speak up, ¡°Miss, have you seen Mr. Smith?¡± Andrea shook her head, asking, ¡°He¡¯s missing?¡± ¡°He was just at the entrance, weing guests,¡± exined Isaac. ¡°He seemed to leave the banquet hall, and Mr. Martin sent me looking for him.¡± Andrea showed little reaction, merely responding, ¡°Carry on, then.¡± With a quick acknowledgment, Isaac hurried off. Andrea lingered, but then turned and stepped back into the banquet hall. Amidst thevish spread of a hundred tables, Andrea walked straight to the front, where indeed, she found Leandro and Seraphina at the third table. Seraphina was engaging with those around her, and upon spotting Andrea, she waved her over. Approaching, Andrea joined her away from the crowd, ¡°Your dress is a hit tonight,¡± Seraphina commented. But Andrea was hardly concerned withpliments, ¡°Did you see Bowen when you arrived?¡± ¡°He was ying doorman, how could I miss him?¡± Seraphina replied, adjusting her own gown. ¡°What did you say to him?¡± Andrea inquired in a low voice, ¡°He¡¯s gone missing now.¡± At this, Seraphina couldn¡¯t suppress a giggle, ¡°Really?¡± While inquiring, she scanned the room and indeed noticed the Martin family in a state of subtle disarray, a stark contrast to the earlier jovial atmosphere. Seraphina sighed, ¡°Why all the fuss? He¡¯s waited so long for this day; do they really think he¡¯d ditch her at the altar?¡± ¡°That depends on what you told him,¡± Andrea retorted. Seraphinaughed again, eyeing Andrea, ¡°Whatever I said, it wouldn¡¯t shake him.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g As they spoke, Simon rushed past, apanied by an assistant. Seraphina nudged Andrea, who followed Simon¡¯s lead out the door. Watching Andrea disappear, Seraphina turned back to Leandro. Meanwhile, Andrea and Simon arrived at a room guarded by Isaac. ¡°Miss Martin,¡± Isaac greeted her. Andrea simply nodded, eyeing the door behind him, ¡°Did you find him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s resting inside,¡± Isaac informed her. With another nod, Andrea stood by the door, the room¡¯s soundproof walls concealing any conversation within. Yet, she chose to wait. Inside, Bowen, his tuxedo disheveled, cor unbuttoned, sat slouched in an armchair, a cigarette dangling from his lips. His mind was haunted by the images he had seen on Seraphina¡¯s phone, especially thest one¡ªSandra, with the slight swell of early pregnancy. He knew what he had done. That night, after Sandra betrayed him, rage and desire erupted unchecked, and he took her against her will. Her body was not meant for pregnancy, and he had not intended for her to conceive until everything settled. But that one careless moment led to this¡ªshe could indeed be pregnant. If Sandra was pregnant, the irony was too cruel. Once, he had sought to take Leandro¡¯s son as a pawn against the Reynolds; now, it was his own flesh and blood in Leandro¡¯s grip, a tether always pulling. But that wasn¡¯t the most pressing issue. It was Sandra. How could she manage alone? How would she protect the child, survive the hardships? He shouldn¡¯t have cared, yet the thoughts tormented him relentlessly. ¡°What have you be?¡± Simon stood at the door, his gaze icy as he beheld Bowen. Bowen didn¡¯t move, his eyes fixed outside, unseeing, silent. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got?¡± Simon¡¯s voice was calm but frosty, ¡°A few simple words from a woman can break you like this. If I had known you were so fragile, what use would I have for you?¡± Bowen remained motionless, a man adrift amidst a storm of his own making. Simon seemed to have little interest in prolonging their conversation. After shooting him a contemptuous nce, he said, ¡°If all you want to do is hide out in this room, then by all means, hide. The Martins couldn¡¯t care less if you back out of the wedding at thest minute. But can you afford the fallout? You¡¯d better think of what you¡¯re getting into.¡± With that, Simon turned on his heel, yanked the door open, and strode out. The moment the door swung open, Andrea was hit with a st of cigarette smoke and couldn¡¯t help but lower her head and cough. Simon gave her a heavy look but said nothing. As Andrea lifted her gaze, she caught sight of Bowen slowly standing up inside the room. His eyes were bloodshot, and his stare was icy to the core. ¡°Sorry,¡± Bowen¡¯s voice was as cold as his look when he finally spoke, ¡°I need a few minutes to pull myself together.¡± He then shut the door. Andrea, seeing this, knew that Bowen had regained hisposure. The wedding would go on, no matter what. A sense of unexinable loss washed over Andrea, settling heavily in her heart. Simon then nced at her again and asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I came to see what was going on,¡± Andrea replied. ¡°I¡¯m d everything¡¯s fine.¡± Hearing this, Simon nodded slowly and then questioned, ¡°So, who are you nning to spread this delightful news to?¡± Andrea paused, taken aback. ¡°Dad?¡± Simon¡¯s face darkened, his eyes unfathomable as he spoke in a measured tone, ¡°Andrea, don¡¯t forget you¡¯re part of the Martin family.¡± At his words, Andrea felt her breath catch. Without another word, Simon turned and walked away, leading his entourage out of the scene. Chapter 475 Chapter 475 When Andrea returned to the ballroom, Seraphina caught sight of her right away and beckoned her over with a casual wave of her hand. Andrea made her way over to Seraphina at a brisk pace. Before Seraphina could voice the question on her mind, she noticed Andrea¡¯s pallor and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look a little off.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Andrea replied tersely, then added, ¡°Bowen¡¯s been found.¡± Seraphina wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°So, the wedding¡¯s going on as nned, right?¡± Andrea nodded. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but let out a wry chuckle before looking back at Andrea. ¡°If the wedding is going on as usual, why the long face? Don¡¯t tell me you were anticipating Bowen to stir something up?¡± At that, Andrea yfully pinched Seraphina¡¯s waist. ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± The two shared augh, and once they¡¯d regained theirposure, Andrea sighed, ¡°You know, I did think that if Bowen had bolted for love, I might have actually admired him for it.¡± Seraphina gave her a knowing look. ¡°That would only make you more certain that true love exists in this world, right?¡± Andrea didn¡¯t respond but didn¡¯t deny it either. Seraphina then put an arm around her, ¡°You don¡¯t need to pin your hopes on Bowen. He¡¯s not the type. Maybe if you set your sights on someone else, you won¡¯t be let down.¡± At that, Andrea only chuckled and then said, ¡°I¡¯m not listening to your wild stories. Go mingle; I need to go greet the other guests.¡± Seraphina nodded, watching as Andrea turned to leave. Her gaze then drifted across the room and locked onto Bowen making his entrance. He looked a shade paler than before, his eyes rimmed red, yet his smile seemed stered on, betraying no sign of trouble. Noticing Seraphina¡¯s gaze, Bowen lifted his champagne ss from afar in salute. Seraphina casually turned to face him with a small smile. Soon, Bowen was swarmed by guests, and Seraphina lost interest in watching him. As the wedding ceremony began and the guests settled down, Seraphina¡¯s eyes once again found Bowen. With Tania on his arm, he stepped toward the altar, a picture of romanticmitment, entering into the sanctity of marriage. While everyone watched the couple, Seraphina leaned towards Leandro and whispered, ¡°I must have really made you furious before, right?¡± Leandro nced at her, ¡°What¡¯s this? A sudden bout of self-reflection?¡± ¡°No,¡± Seraphina replied. ¡°I¡¯m just regretting not pushing you further, to the point of utter frustration¡­ Would you have thought about killing me then?¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze briefly swept towards Bowen on the stage. ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t considered it?¡± Seraphina, intrigued, pressed on, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you act on it?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to get my hands dirty,¡± Leandro said. ¡°If you were going to die, it would have to be by my hand.¡± Seraphina looked him over and quipped with a raised eyebrow, ¡°Too bad, the moment we met, you only wanted me in your bed, right?¡± Leandro gave her a nce and then whispered in her ear, ¡°Let¡¯s put that theory to the test tonight.¡± Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but pinch him, only to be caught in his grasp and rendered immobile. Then, her attention returned to Bowen. After tonight, he would lose Sandra forever, with no chance of reconciliation. As far as Seraphina was concerned, any possibility between them had ended the moment Sandra had that ident. So, at that moment, Seraphina felt content. The ceremony concluded with Bowen and Tania¡¯s kiss amid a shower of petals, to the sound of cheers and apuse. Seraphina pped half-heartedly, looking forward to the socializing toe at the reception. As expected, when the official ceremony ended, the atmosphere became even more animated. Guests milled about, chatting and toasting, turning the venue into a bustling social scene. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Seraphina worked the room, particrly where the cameras were snapping, making her presence felt throughout the event. Taking advantage of the asion, she promoted her uing art exhibition, securing countless invitations. In the midst of a lively conversation, a deep, steady voice came from behind, ¡°What¡¯s this lively discussion about?¡± The guests turned to see Simon approach and quickly offered their congrattions with raised sses. Seraphina, too,zily toasted him before answering, ¡°We were just talking about mypany¡¯s uing art exhibition at the Sunburst City Art Gallery. There¡¯ll be pieces from modern masters of Western painting, as well as some fine works from my father, Carney Bet. I hope Mr. Martin can make it.¡± Simon nodded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to attend.¡± ¡°Mr. Bet¡¯s paintings truly have a unique style,¡± someonemented. ¡°He¡¯s a master of contemporary art, such a shame there are so few of his works. I¡¯ve been looking to acquire a Bet piece recently, but it¡¯s been a challenge.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way it goes. My father left us too soon. If he were still here, his art would have reached even greater heights,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°But it¡¯s alright. What matters in life is leaving a trace, a mark that you were here. I believe my father¡¯s existing works are enough to secure his legacy.¡± ¡°Absolutely. Give it some time, and once the public gets a better grasp of Mr. Bet¡¯s work, his artistic achievements are bound to be recognized ordingly.¡± Seraphina beamed with joy at thepliment and graciously said to the man, ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± Then, as if something suddenly urred to her, she handed a business card to Simon. ¡°This is the Carney Artful Reverie, named after my father. Aside from his paintings, we feature many other exquisite works of art. I¡¯d be delighted if Mr. Martin woulde to appreciate them.¡± Simon took the card from Seraphina and, upon reading ¡°Carney Artful Reverie,¡± tucked it into his pocket. ¡°Well, with such a charming invitation, how could I refuse? I¡¯ll be sure to visit.¡± After exchanging pleasantries with the crowd, Simon turned to mingle with other guests. Seraphina, still smiling warmly, continued her conversations with the attendees, her eyes briefly following Simon¡¯s retreating figure before she fully re-engaged with the lively gathering around her. Chapter 477 Chapter 477 However, Seraphina¡¯s ckout was momentary. At least when consciousness began to seep back in, she only felt the sensation of being carried down a staircase. Her ears, still ringing from the st, struggled to process sounds as she slowly opened her eyes to see three burly bodyguards attempting to regain their footing on the stairs, each one moving as if through msses. Next thing she knew, she was being hustled out of the building and thrown into a car parked at the curb. Her head spun, the only coherent thought in her dazed mind¡ªthank goodness. Thank goodness it was only a stun grenade, designed to disorient and deafen temporarily, not to inflict real harm. She and the bodyguards were alive, and that was something to be grateful for. Pinned in the back seat of the car, it took some time before Seraphina¡¯s senses fully returned. Besides the driver, there were two others¡ªone in the passenger seat and one beside her. No one spoke; the car was silent except for the sound of breathing. It wasn¡¯t until muchter that Seraphina managed to croak out, ¡°Who are you guys?¡± No answer came. Taking a deep breath, she continued, ¡°What¡¯s all this for? Money, or is it personal?¡± Silence persisted. Seraphina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, saying, ¡°Come on, fes, you don¡¯t have to be so icy. I¡¯m already in your hands. You might as well clue me in. Who have I crossed? Why am I suffering?¡± ¡°Just keep quiet and you¡¯ll be fine,¡± the man beside her finally said, ¡°Make a fuss, and you¡¯ll only make things worse for yourself.¡± ¡°Can you at least let me sit up?¡± Seraphina was still sprawled in the back seat. ¡°Sitting like this, I¡¯m getting carsick. I¡¯m about to throw up.¡± At this, the man let out a snort of derision, ¡°Go ahead and vomit all you want. After all, you might not get many more chances to do so.¡± Seraphina felt a chill run down her spine at his words. From this exchange, it was clear these men were not after money¡ªif they were, they wouldn¡¯t be so indifferent to her condition. And the man¡¯s remark about ¡°not getting many more chances¡± seemed to imply they were after her life. But why should she give up her life so easily? Suddenly, Seraphina began to struggle, trying to sit up straight. The man beside her kicked her legs harshly, his voice cold with threat, ¡°Stop moving!¡± Pain shot through her, making her gasp. The man in the passenger seat couldn¡¯t help but nce back. The man beside Seraphina snarled, ¡°What? Feeling pity for the prettydy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± the other man replied, ¡°I just wanted to remind you not to leave too many marks on her. It¡¯ll be harder to deal withter.¡± Harder to deal with? What did he mean? Her body? It seemed these people intended to leave her a whole corpse. They were causing such amotion to have her dead, but still they nned to leave her body intact. What was the point? Perhaps they intended to fabricate her death, but therger goal might involve her body¡¯s use for something else. And what use could a dead person have besides affecting the living? With this thought, Seraphina closed her eyes briefly before saying, ¡°You¡¯re taking such a big risk for money. I have money. How much do you want? I can give you enough to livevishly for the rest of your life, to retire in luxury overseas. Let¡¯s make a deal, how about it?¡± The man beside her suddenly grabbed her hair, ¡°I told you to stay put, did you hear me?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. But Seraphina didn¡¯t stop talking, ¡°How much will you get after this job? A hundred thousand? Half a million? A million? Two million? No, it can¡¯t be that much¡­ But I can give you a billion.¡± At the mention of ¡°a billion,¡± the car lurched noticeably. The man beside Seraphina obviously felt it too. ¡°Damn it, focus on driving!¡± he yelled at the driver, then turned back to Seraphina, ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up now, I¡¯ll kill you right now!¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Seraphina replied directly, ¡°Why not? I¡¯m dead anyway, right?¡± At her words, the man¡¯s grip on her hair suddenly tightened. Seraphina almost thought he would lose his self-control when there was a light tapping on the window. Seconds after the man behind her, panting heavily, swiftly opened the door and exited the vehicle, Seraphina finally managed to sit upright. By then, all three men were surrounding the car, which now had its doors and windows locked from the outside. Before her was a chillingly cold pond. The area was deste, likely on the outskirts of town¡ªno buildings in sight, let alone people. In this godforsaken ce, where cries for help would go unheeded, the three men began to push the car Seraphina was in towards the icy pond. Chapter 478 Chapter 478 The ck car plunged into the water, and immediately the murky pond swallowed it whole, leaving no trace of the roof in sight. By the pond¡¯s edge, the three men stood scattered, their gazes fixed on the nearly submerged vehicle, silently waiting. The young man in the passenger seat was clearly pissed, kicking a stone on the ground with force. The boss heard the noise and whipped his head around, ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°That woman promised us a billion!¡± the young man spat out, nearly losing his mind at the thought, ¡°Why the hell did we have to kill her? We¡¯re only getting a measly million out of this! A million versus a billion, can¡¯t you do the math?¡± The boss¡¯ hand shot out, grabbing the young man by the cor, ¡°A billion? Do you look like someone who¡¯d ever see that kind of money? Even if you did get your hands on it, you think you¡¯d be living to spend it?¡± Fuming and unable to retaliate, the young man¡¯s anger bubbled over, and he suddenly threw a punch at the boss¡¯ face. The boss hit the ground, his mouth bleeding, and after spitting out a mouthful of blood, he got up and the two scuffled viciously. The driver, torn himself, didn¡¯t intervene, just silently watched the pond that had swallowed the car. Meanwhile, inside the car, Seraphina used the precious time before the cabin filled with water to desperately attempt an escape. She first reached for the release button of the rear seat, folding it down and crawling into the trunk, trying to force open the lid to escape. But no matter how hard she tried, the lock wouldn¡¯t budge, the lid immovable. Water began seeping into the trunk, and after what felt like an eternity, Seraphina gave up. By the time she made it back into the cabin, the water had risen above the seats. The December chill was biting, but Seraphina felt none of it. Darkness enveloped her; she couldn¡¯t see a thing, searching every nook and cranny of the car to no avail for something, anything, that could be of use. The moment the icy water reached her chest, she couldn¡¯t help but m her fists against the locked doors and windows. She had never feared death, but now, she was terrified. There was too much left undone, too many people she hadn¡¯t loved. She couldn¡¯t die here. Yet, despite her exhaustive efforts, the doors and windows remained firmly shut. As the water level rose, almost engulf herpletely, Seraphina struggled for breath, her eyes involuntarily welling up with tears. Life was fleeting, and if this was her end, all her grievances would fade to nothingness. But to leave without a word to those she loved¡ª How would Leandro and Valerio face their futures? The vast water upset her bnce, forcing her to frantically grab at anything to stay afloat. Her hand found the driver¡¯s seat, and with a sudden realization, she pulled with all her might, yanking out the headrest¡ªexposing two cold metal rods. Clutching the headrest, as the water engulfed herpletely, she smashed it against the window with all her remaining strength! Above the water, the two men were still fighting. The driver, having had enough, was about to break it up when he noticed an unusual ripple on the water¡¯s surface. He paused, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, and then he shouted, ¡°Hold on! Something¡¯s up!¡± In the icy water, Seraphina¡¯s consciousness was blurring, but as she finally pried open the window, a sliver of rity returned. She mbered through and into the murky depths. The filthy pond water stung her eyes, but she knew she couldn¡¯t surface; to do so would mean being captured again. She swam blindly, hoping she was heading towards the distant shore. Her struggle in the car had drained her strength, but she knew she had to tap into her deepest reserves to survive. However, as she pushed through the water, a hand suddenly grabbed her ankle. Seraphina broke the surface in a desperate attempt to escape, but after only a gasp of air, the hand yanked her back down! She fought with herst ounce of energy but couldn¡¯t shake the grip. It seemed they were determined to drown her in this pond. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Darkness crept into her mind, her thoughts fading, her body going limp. She stopped struggling, allowing herself to drift in the cold water, moving on to whatevery beyond¡ª Suddenly, the grip on her ankle released. Seraphina sensed freedom but had no strength to move. Then, someone grabbed her, shooting up through the water¡¯s surface. The once quiet pond was now surrounded by multiple cars. Some of them were grappling with the men on the shore, while others were dealing with the man in the water. Leandro, looking steely andposed, cradled the unconscious Seraphina to the bank. A towel was thrust into his hands, and he wrapped it around her without hesitation. His face was ashen, whether from the cold or worry, as he pressed on Seraphina¡¯s abdomen repeatedly. After what seemed like an eternity, Seraphina violently coughed up water. Leandro paused, then suddenly pulled her into his arms, his voice hoarse with urgency as he looked towards the path, ¡°Where the hell is the ambnce?¡± As if on cue, the ambnce appeared at the end of the road. Leandro lifted Seraphina into his arms. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, let me take her¡­¡± a bodyguard said, moving to relieve him of Seraphina¡¯s weight. Leandro ignored him, holding Seraphina close as he strode towards the ambnce. On the 66th floor of the Martin Group, in the chairman¡¯s office, Simon sat calmly behind his desk, reviewing documents when the internal phone buzzed. ¡°Mr. Martin, Miss Andrea is here.¡± Simon¡¯s gaze dimmed ever so slightly upon hearing this, but he managed topose himself and said, ¡°Let her in.¡± The moment the office door swung open, Andrea walked in with a stiffness. Simon didn¡¯t look up, his attention seemingly tethered to the documents in his hand. It wasn¡¯t until he flipped a page and noticed Andrea¡¯s persistent silence that he finally raised his eyes to meet hers. Andrea stood frozen at the doorway, herplexion pallid, her eyes locked on him with a haunting intensity. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Simon inquired coolly, without a hint of warmth. ¡°You never visit the office.¡± It took Andrea a moment before she could muster the words, ¡°I came to tell you that Sera just had an ident¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Simon returned his gaze to the paperwork, his voice devoid of concern. ¡°Anything else?¡± From a distance, Andrea studied him, his indifferent tone cutting through her. A pained smile flickered across her face before she spoke again. ¡°I came to tell you, Dad, your daughter just had an ident.¡± Chapter 479 Chapter 479 As Herman raced from the precinct to the hospital, Seraphina was still unconscious. Leandro sat solemnly by her bedside, his eyes dark and stormy beneath their calm surface. Bursting into the hospital room, Herman nced at Seraphina¡¯s prone form and asked urgently, ¡°What did the doctors say? Is she out of danger?¡± Leandro simply nodded, then lifted his gaze to Herman. ¡°What¡¯s the situation on your end?¡± ¡°The ringleader¡¯s mmed up, but the other two gave in,¡± Herman murmured. ¡°They ratted out a thug we¡¯re currently hunting down.¡± Before Herman could continue, Keen burst through the door, looking rushed. ¡°Mr. Reynolds, someone tried to set fire in the alley behind Carney Artful Reverie.¡± Leandro¡¯s focus sharpened immediately. ¡°Luckily, it was caught early. The fire didn¡¯t spread, and it¡¯s been extinguished,¡± Keen reported quietly. ¡°No significant damage.¡± ¡°Did you catch the arsonist?¡± Herman interjected. Keen nodded, ¡°Got ¡¯em¡ªjust a couple of punks.¡± Herman, looking back at Seraphina, said slowly, ¡°The timing of these incidents, both linked to street thugs, suggests they might have been orchestrated by the same person. Leandro, has Seraphina crossed anyely?¡± Leandro¡¯s gaze lingered on Seraphina¡¯s pale, still face, and he spoke quietly, ¡°You might not find who¡¯s behind this. But I have my suspicions.¡± Understanding the implication, Herman frowned. The real puppet masters were always shrouded in mystery, beyond the reach of thew, like a crime syndicate they had busted where the trail went cold at Naylor, the underboss. A thought struck Herman. ¡°You don¡¯t think this has anything to do with the Martin family, do you?¡± Before Leandro could respond, Seraphina suddenly coughed violently. Leandro was at her side in an instant, helping her sit up and gently patting her back. Her eyes fluttered open after a few more coughs, and she looked around blearily before settling on Leandro. He held her close, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. You are safe now.¡± Those words seemed to trigger her memory. She winced in pain, then frantically touched her face and body, taking deep breaths to reassure herself she was alive. Finally, her gaze returned to Leandro. Her eyes began to well with tears. Then, abruptly, she reached out and clung to Leandro¡¯s neck. Leandro wrapped his arms around her, continuing tofort her. ¡°You¡¯re not getting rid of me that easily. I haven¡¯t given you permission to die¡ªno one¡¯s taking you from me.¡± At that, Seraphina let out a softugh, burying herself deeper into his embrace and inhaling his scent. Seeing the intimate moment, Keen slipped out of the room, while Herman stood dumbfounded at the foot of the bed. After a while, Herman cleared his throat, ¡°Are you coherent enough to give a statement now?¡± Leandro tensed slightly at the question. ¡°Who¡¯s talking?¡± Seraphina feigned ignorance. ¡°I am,¡± Herman replied, ¡°Can you recognize me ?¡± Seraphina, now more lucid, pushed Leandro away slightly and looked towards Herman standing at the end of the bed. ¡°Should I send him away?¡± Leandro asked softly. ¡°Please do,¡± agreed Seraphina. Herman, perplexed, received a stern look from Leandro, who remained protective of Seraphina. Sighing, Seraphina finally addressed the matter at hand. ¡°Alright, who tried to take me out?¡± ¡°Just some street-level goons,¡± Herman admitted. ¡°They took a million bucks to end your life.¡± ¡°A million? That¡¯s all my life is worth?¡± Seraphina scoffed. ¡°They¡¯re fools. I promised them a billion and myself, and they still went after that measly million!¡± Herman was bbergasted. ¡°promised yourself¡­ what do you mean?¡± Leandro¡¯s eyes were dark as the depths of the ocean yet still tightly holding Seraphina¡¯s hand. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It means I would¡¯ve done anything to survive,¡± Seraphina rified. Herman suddenly realized he might have stepped into a minefield with his question. He lowered his head, cleared his throat, and ventured, ¡°So, have you ticked off anyely? Someone who¡¯s out for your blood and also tried to destroy Carney Artful Reverie¡ª¡± Seraphina¡¯splexion changed in an instant, and then she turned to Leandro, ¡°Carney Artful Reverie?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Leandro reassured, ¡°the fire didn¡¯t catch. No harm done.¡± Hearing this, Seraphina exhaled a sigh of relief. After a brief pause, she let out a small, wry chuckle, murmuring, ¡°As if my life wasn¡¯t enough, they had to go after Carney Artful Reverie too¡­¡± Leandro, catching the hint in her tone, knew she had an inkling of who it might be. ¡°So, you have an idea about who¡¯s behind this?¡± Herman pressed eagerly. Seraphina looked up, locking eyes with Leandro before slowly replying, ¡°Someone who despises me, and hates my father even more.¡± In that lightning sh of a moment, Herman seemed to have a revtion, ¡°Could it be¡ª¡± But before he could voice his suspicion, the hospital room door was knocked upon again. All heads turned to see Andrea pushing the door open. And right behind Andrea, as if on cue, walked in Simon. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room shifted, thick with unspoken tension. Chapter 480 Chapter 480 At that moment, Andrea was too concerned to think of anything else. As soon as she saw Seraphina¡¯s eyes flutter open, she rushed to her side and grasped her hand. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked, her voice tinged with anxiety, ¡°Your hand is so cold. What did the doctor say?¡± Seraphina, still groggy from her slumber, replied with a faint smile, ¡°I¡¯ve barely woken up, and you¡¯re bombarding me with questions. How am I supposed to answer all that?¡± With a yful squeeze of Andrea¡¯s hand, the message was clear. Andrea dropped her gaze for a moment before looking back up at Seraphina, whispering, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sera. I didn¡¯t have a choice¡­¡± Seraphina instantly understood the reason for Simon¡¯s visit. Herman eyed Simon with suspicion and caution, while Leandro was the exact opposite. Without sparing Simon a nce, Leandro focused on fluffing the pillows behind Seraphina, his eyes seemingly calm but his emotions stormy beneath the surface. Seraphina knew Leandro all too well; his pent-up anger was reaching its peak. With a gentle touch, she took his hand before finally addressing Simon with a cool nod, ¡°Mr. Martin, good to see you.¡± Simon, a man seasoned by many a hardship, maintained a calm facade as his eyes met Seraphina¡¯s, betraying a hint of regret. He approached and leaned in slightly, asking with a grave tone, ¡°Are you alright?¡± As you can see, I¡¯m still breathing,¡± Seraphina retorted. Simon¡¯s gaze darkened momentarily before he continued, ¡°I know this isn¡¯t the best time, but I¡¯d like to talk to you.¡± ¡°You and me, talk?¡± Seraphina raised an eyebrow, ¡°I don¡¯t recall any business between us.¡± Andrea, witnessing the exchange, bowed her head slightly, uncertain of what to do. Herman nced between her, Simon, and Seraphina, as ifing to a realization. Simon nodded slightly, pressing on, ¡°You have every right to be angry with me. For years, I failed in my responsibilities.¡± Leandro, listening intently, let out a scoff. Seraphina turned to him, feigning curiosity, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Leandro shot back. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Ignoring the question, Seraphina giggled and leaned into Leandro¡¯s embrace. ¡°Mr. Martin.¡± Finally, Leandro looked Simon in the eye. His gaze waszy and cool but icily detached, ¡°This is a private room, and my wife doesn¡¯t seem inclined to chat. Perhaps you should leave. If you truly have something to discuss, I can spare some timeter.¡± Though his tone was even, the underlying fury and threat were unmistakable. Simon remainedposed and, after another nce at Seraphina, said, ¡°I know you¡¯ve suffered, and I won¡¯t forget that. I won¡¯t intrude further for now and wille backter. Just knowing you¡¯re safe brings me relief.¡± With that, he reached out and gently patted Seraphina¡¯s hand, which she swiftly withdrew. Unperturbed, Simon added softly, ¡°Take care of yourself. Rest up; that¡¯s what¡¯s important now.¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t look at him or respond, instead focusing on soothing Leandro¡¯s anger while straightening his cor. Simon then turned to Andrea, murmuring, ¡°Stay with your sister.¡± His words shifted the mood in the room once again. The rtionship between Seraphina and Simon was known to everyone present. Even Herman, who only had a vague idea, now saw his suspicions confirmed by Simon¡¯s statement. The dynamic became delicate. Seraphina and Andrea were biological sisters, and Seraphina was also Simon¡¯s biological daughter. However, Simon had been unaware of this, having thought Seraphina was the daughter of Carney and Adelina. In his heart, Adelina had betrayed him, with Seraphina as the living testament to that betrayal. Now that Adelina and Carney were gone, only Seraphina remained¡ªher existence a constant reminder of his past humiliation. How could he not resent her? Especially after Seraphina¡¯s repeated provocations and reminders of Carney, Simon had resorted to violence against her. But the revtion that Seraphina was his own flesh and blood was something he had never anticipated. He had almost killed his own daughter. Despite Seraphina¡¯s existing grievances, this new knowledge only intensified her hatred for him. Yet, no matter the depth of her animosity, the ties of blood remained undeniable. Without lingering, Simon cast one more nce at Seraphina and swiftly exited the room. Leandro didn¡¯t watch him leave, nor did Seraphina. Only Herman and Andrea silently observed his retreating figure until it was no longer in sight. When their eyes met, Herman gave Andrea a look filled withplexity before quickly averting his gaze. Andrea then turned back to Seraphina, reaching out to gently take her hand in a gesture of apology. Now that the secret was out, and as Andrea had admitted, she had no other choice, Seraphina found it hard to hold onto her anger. Exhaling softly, Seraphina turned to Andrea and asked, ¡°How did you know it was him who hurt me?¡± Andrea¡¯s expression was strained, and it took her a while to speak up, ¡°I overheard my uncle ordering someone to set fire to the Carney Artful Reverie gallery. I tried calling you, but it was your bodyguard who answered. That¡¯s when I realized you were in trouble too¡­ Dad¡¯s ruthless, when he sets his mind to something, he goes through with it¡­ But this, this is something he should have never even considered.¡± Seraphina listened without interrupting, but Herman jumped in, ¡°You overheard Lionel Martin ordering a hit? So you mean you could testify and help us nail the real culprit?¡± Andrea¡¯s lips quivered slightly, but she didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Enough,¡± Seraphina turned to Herman sharply. ¡°Andrea only caught a snippet of conversation. Knowing the Martins, that shred of evidence won¡¯t be enough to convict them. They¡¯ve got a hundred ways to wriggle out of trouble.¡± ¡°Evidence isn¡¯t always unique, Herman countered. ¡°If we dismiss every piece, how will we ever bring criminals to justice?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle this myself,¡± Seraphina dered, ¡°Don¡¯t put Andrea in a tight spot.¡± Herman had had his fair share of shocks that day, and Seraphina¡¯s words set him off. He turned on his heel and stormed out. The room was tense in the aftermath of his departure. After a while, Andrea spoke in a hushed tone, ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay. It¡¯s a huge relief.¡± ¡°You were this close to never seeing me again,¡± Seraphina replied, then suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she turned to Leandro, ¡°How did you find me, exactly?¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!