Chapter 48
Clarence paused for a moment before asking. “NexGen Group?”
Seraphina replied. “Yeah. It’s a newly established multinational company in Angoria. They should have plenty of capital. Um… Do you know anything about it?”
“I know a thing or two, Clarence responded casually, handing her a glass of milk. “Hurry up and drink this. I’ll drive you to the gym. Also, my name’s not Um.”
Seraphina went quiet, thinking. ‘Right… I haven’t really called him by his name properly yet, have I‘
The morning sunlight spilled over the car’s hood. Clarence, wearing sunglasses, drove one–handed–looking effortlessly cool. His left hand gripped the steering wheel while his right hand held Seraphina’s left hand, their fingers intertwined. She really liked the warmth of his touch.
What she loved the most was watching Clarence drive with just one hand, focused and captivating. And the way he held her hand while driving, occasionally brushing his thumb softly against the back of her hand, gave her a deep sense of comfort and affection.
These small, natural gestures meant everything to a girl, even though Clarence did them without thinking.
The atmosphere in the car was great. That was until Clarence’s phone rang. He connected it to the car’s speaker, and the caller ID “Catherine flashed on the display.
Seraphina had been so caught up in their tender moments recently that she had completely forgotten Catherine even existed in his life.
Clarence let go of Seraphina’s hand and pressed the button to take the call, not bothering to hide anything from her. He called out, “Cathy”
“Clarry,” Catherine’s voice came through, slightly choked with emotion, soft and weak. “Where are you? Are you free?”
“What’s wrong? Clarence’s voice dropped a little.
“I got into a car accident… Can you come get me?” Catherine’s voice was fragile, with a hint of sobbing, making it impossible
to say no.
“Where are you? Clarence asked.
Catherine gave him the location, and without a second thought, he replied, “Okay, I’ll be there right away.”
After hanging up, Clarence pulled the car to the side of the road and looked at Seraphina. “It’s easy to catch a taxi from here. You can take one to the gym.”“
She sat there in stunned silence, pondering, “He’s abandoning me for Catherine, again and again. Five years ago, it was like this, and it’s still the same now. To him, she’ll always matter more than I do!
Seraphina wasn’t the kind of person who was unreasonable. Catherine had gotten into a car accident, and Clarence needed to help her. It wasn’t something to fault him for. But Seraphina couldn’t help but wonder why it always had to be Catherine and why, whenever there was a choice to be made, Clarence always seemed to choose to abandon her.
“Couldn’t Randy have gone to pick her up?” Seraphina asked softly.
“What?” Clarence hadn’t heard her clearly.
Seraphina swallowed nervously, glancing at him, her eyes slightly misty. “Did you really have to be the one to pick her up?”
1/B
13 35 Wed, Oct 30
Chapter 48
* 3.46%
Clarence was a little taken aback by the question. It seemed like be suddenly realized what Seraphina was bothered by, and his expression turned grim. “She’s my sister,” he said, his tone firm. The meaning was clear–Catherine was family. Who was Seraphina to try and compete with that?
itis cold expression was meant to remind Seraphina to behave sensibly. And just like that, the sweet atmosphere from earlier was completely gone.
She didn’t say anything more. Instead, she simply reached for the car door and stepped out. She didn’t say goodbye or glance at Clarence, closing the door behind her.
Seraphina’s actions left him momentarily stunned, and he grumbled inwardly, ‘She’s throwing a tantrum? Hah! I’ve spoiled her too much!
Clarence didn’t say another word either. The moment Seraphina shut the door, he pressed down on the gas and drove off. The wind lifted the hem of her dress, and the side mirror brushed against her arm as he sped away, but that slight touch felt like a blade cutting into her heart.
Seraphina thought to herself, “He was in such a rush, recklessly brushing past me… She bit her cheek, tilting her head back to stop her tears from falling.
The following day, the news of Clarence picking up Catherine made the headlines. She was clinging to Clarence’s arm. looking sweet and delicate as they posed for the reporters.
She didn’t have a single scratch on her, and she told the press that the so–called accident was just a minor scrape between cars and that she was completely unharmed. She even reassured her fans not to worry
Some fans left comments asking if she and Clarence were going to get together. Catherine responded with a playful tongue- out emoji, its meaning unclear, but it only fueled further speculation
By Saturday, Clarence still hadn’t returned to the villa, nor had he called Seraphina. Seraphina didn’t reach out either–not a single message was exchanged. They were both giving each other the silent treatment.
That day, Seraphina hadn’t even said goodbye before getting out of the car, which must’ve really pissed off the high and mighty Clarence. No girl could get away with playing hard to get in front of him. His coldness was just his way of telling her, if you don’t know your place, you’ll fall out of favor.
Actually, Seraphina wasn’t oblivious. She just couldn’t get past the fact that Clarence had chosen Catherine. He would never understand that Catherine was the biggest reason she left five years ago.
He would never know how humiliating those words Catherine had whispered into Seraphina’s ear had made her feel
So, every time she thought about how Clarence had chosen Catherine over her, Seraphina couldn’t help but feel bitter. It wasn’t jealousy–it was about her pride,
To pass the time, Seraphina went to the gym every day for boxing classes. But Jennifer had been busy for several days and hadn’t shown up, which made Seraphina feel lonely during training.
Today, when Seraphina arrived at the gym, she finally saw Jennifer, who was in the middle of a personal training session. Not wanting to disturb her, Seraphina went to her own session first.
However, Seraphina’s mood and stamina were noticeably off today. After a short while, she didn’t have the energy to keep punching, so the trainer had to reduce the intensity of the workout.
When she finished, she left the training room and was about to find Jennifer when she saw her chatting with a middle–aged man dressed in workout gear.
The man had a handsome and refined appearance, exuding the air of a successful and well–mannered individual. His body was muscular, with not a trace of fat. He was clearly someone who stayed disciplined working out
2/3
13:35 Wed, Oct 30
Chapter 48
46%
Seraphina thought he looked familiar. After thinking for a moment, it hit her, and she reflected. Isn’t that the man I saw the other night when Mom and I were about to cross the street? What’s his connection to Jennifer?
Just as Seraphina was guessing, Jennifer glanced over at her and similed, waving in her direction.
Seraphina walked over Jennifer linked her arm with the man’s and affectionately leaned her face against his arm with a bit of playful charm. “Sera, let me introduce you. This is my dad.”
Then, Jennifer turned to her father, Mason Dickens, and said, “Dad, this is Sera, the girl I’ve mentioned to you before. She’s really beautiful and such a sweet person
“Hello, Seraphina greeted softly, the corners of her mouth lifting into a gentle smile, her eyes warm and sparkling.
Mason looked at her, but his gaze wavered for a moment as if some deep emotion surfaced. Quickly, though, his expression. cleared, and he nodded kindly at her. “Hello, Sera
SEND GIFT