Chapter 43
“Yes, we do. It’s 10% off. The sales associate beamed. “After the discount, it’s 59 thousand dollars.”
“Alright. Charge it, Jennifer said calmly while handing over her card.
Seraphina was taken aback when she heard that, thinking. A dress that costs nearly 60 thousand dollars, yet Jennifer treats it as casually as if it were just a couple hundred dollars. This must be the confidence of a successful woman.
After Jennifer paid, the sales associate carefully packed up the dress and walked them to the car, nodding respectfully as she
saw them off
Jennifer started the car and asked. “Where do you live, Sera? I’ll drop you off.”
Seraphina didn’t dare mention Clarence’s villa, so she just threw out the name of another residential area instead. After Jennifer dropped her off there, Seraphina took a taxi back to the villa on her own.
Just as she stepped out of the taxi, she received a call from Clarence. “Hello?”
“Where are you?!
you?” he asked.
“I just got out of a taxi at the entrance of the neighborhood,” Seraphina replied. Then, she softly added, “Did you finish.
work!”
“Why didn’t you have the driver pick you up?” Clarence immediately honed in on the detail.
“Taking a taxi was convenient too, you know?” she responded.
Clarence didn’t push further. “I’ll be back soon!
“Okay. Bye,” Seraphina said.
“Mm” Clarence gave a short acknowledgment but didn’t hang up.
“What’s wrong?” Seraphina asked.
Clarence’s tone softened. “I’m waiting for you to hang up.”
Seraphina fell silent, and her heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t help but remember how, when she read romance novels, the male leads would always wait for the female leads to hang up first. It filled her with longing back then–she thought it was a sign of affection.
Five years ago, Clarence always hung up first whenever they talked. But now, he was purposely waiting for her to hang up. She figured it was his way of showing emotional growth.
A small sense of sweetness bubbled up inside Seraphina, and her voice became gentler. “I’ll wait for you to come back, she said before hanging up.
On the other end of the line, sitting in the backseat of his car, Clarence couldn’t help but smile as he listened to the call disconnect. Those four words, “I’ll wait for you to come back, stred something within him. The way she said it was like a doting wife.
Seraphina was engrossed in her book when she heard the sound of the door unlocking. It seemed like Clarence had returned
She turned around, and sure enough, the door opened, revealing Clarence walking in with his usual commanding presence. Every time he showed up, it was as if everything around him dimmed in comparison to his radiance.
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Chapter 43
Seraphina was sitting on the couch, her face half–bathed in sunlight while the other half rested in a light shadow, giving her a serene and peaceful beauty that made anyone feel at ease.
When Clarence saw her like that, his expression softened slightly as he walked toward her. She then put her book down and stood up.
“What are you reading?” he asked as he glanced down at the book. It was a novel.
“A romance novel. Im just killing time, Seraphina smiled..
“This kind is not very useful. Here. Read this instead. Clarence landed her a magazine.
Seraphina thought it was some kind of intellectual literary magazine, but when she took a look, she realized it was a car magazine. The cover showed a very sleek white sports car. She asked in confusion, “Why this?”
Clarence lightly tapped her cheek and said, “Well, it’s for you to pick a car for your daily commute.”
Seraphina was a little surprised and suddenly remembered the car he had planned to give her five years ago, which had ended up being given to Catherine instead.
Now, Clarence was offering her a car again. The old resentment welled up for a moment, but Seraphina quickly pushed it down. She hgured it was all the past. No need to hold onto it anymore.
She flipped through a few pages. The cars were all stunning, and naturally, the prices were equally “stunning. Some of the models even required custom orders, as there were no ready–made options available. After skimming through, she said, “I don’t really get i
Knowing that most girls weren’t well–versed in mechanics, Clarence replied, “I’ll choose for you then.”
Seraphina handed the magazine back to him. He immediately flipped to a specific page, pointing at an international luxury brand’s sports car–pearl white and breathtakingly beautiful. “This one,” he said.
The car was indeed gorgeous and compact, perfect for a woman to drive. But when Seraphina caught a glimpse of the price which was hundreds of thousands of dollars, she instinctively declined. “It’s too expensive. Let’s pick something else.”
“Are you doubting my financial capabilities?” Clarence’s voice grew a little colder.
Seraphina fell silent, thinking, As if I’d dare question the great Mr. Vanderbilt’s financial strength
Still, she simply replied, “I just think that car’s too pricey. It’s only for commuting. A car between 30 to 60 thousand dollars will do
Clarence let out a light scoff, saying, “Even the managers at Vanderbilt Group drive cars worth more than 60 thousand dollars. You’re my woman. How can you drive a 60–thousand–dollar car? That’d be an embarrassment to me.”
Seraphina was at a loss for words and, once again, found herself warmed by the phrase “my woman“.
She sighed inwardly. Well, he’s rich anyway. I’ll just let him do what he wants. But how can he casually give me a car worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet still fuss over the 200 thousand dollars I owe him?
“While we wait for the car to be customized, go get your driver’s license, Clarence said, pulling Seraphina into his arms and brushing his chin against the top of her head “I bet you won’t even get it in two months, you silly girl
She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard, pouting her pink, soft lips. “You’re underestimating me. I must get it. Just you
As Clarence looked at her rosy lips, a sudden thought crossed in mind. Without warning, he scooped her up in his arms. She froze, startled “What are you doing?”
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Chapter 43
He bent down and kissed her. “I’m hungry.”
Seraphina sighed inwardly, thinking that those words seemed to have become a code between them, signaling some…activity,
Now, lying in Clarence’s arms, Seraphina felt utterly worn out. He had one arm wrapped around her shoulders, letting her rest against his chest in an intimate embrace.
Watching her as she closed her eyes to rest, Clarence gently traced circles on her face with his fingers. “How did your boxing session go today?
“It was alright.” Seraphina replied as she opened her eyes, a sparkle in them. “I met a girl today. She’s gorgeous, perfect even. We hit it off right away. It was her first time trying out boxing too, but she works out regularly–she even has abs. Her body is really toned and it looks nice.”
You should work out more too, Clarence said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “You’re already exhausted after just a little round. That’s not good.”
Seraphina didn’t respond, but she helplessly thought to herself, It’s already been an hour, and he’s calling that a “little round? What would a big round‘ be then, Mr. Vanderbilt? How long would that last, huh?”
Just then, the sound of a phone ringing broke the moment. Clarence reached over with his free hand and grabbed his phone, seeing that it was his mom calling.
Without bothering to move, still holding Seraphina with one arm, he answered the call and said, “Hey Mom. Yeah, I’m off work. No, I’m not coming home for dinner. She’s there to visit you, so you take care of her. I really can’t make it. I’m sorry Mom. Bye.
Clarence always kept a respectful tone with his mother, but he stuck to his principles and didn’t agree to any of Marilyn’s requests. Meanwhile, Seraphina, sensing that his family matters were none of her business, kept quiet the entire time.
SEND GIFT
