Chapter 57
Seraphina suddenly stopped crying, her tear–filled eyes fixating on something in the distance. As if she had found her savior, her gaze brightened slightly.
Barbara noticed the change and quickly asked, “Sera, did you think of something?”
Seraphina remained silent. She thought, I have a plan, but will he help me? Her eyes dimmed. We’ve been giving each other the cold shoulder for days. To him, Im just a fling. Will he really go head–to–head with the Dickens family for my sake! But he is the most powerful figure in Angoria. Who else could possibly challenge Jeremy?
Clarence was Seraphina’s only hope. She knew this standoff between them was a battle of wills, one she had been determined to ride out. But now, for the sake of Thomas future, she had no choice but to swallow her pride.
Without answering Barbara, Seraphina picked up her phone, unlocked it, and scrolled to “Clarence“. Her fingers hovered over the screen for a few seconds before finally tapping it and making the call.
Barbara was stunned. She thought. So she’s been with Clarence again without telling me
A gentle evening breeze rustled through the greenery, its soft whispers filling the air.
Wrapped in a white coat. Catherine helped Marilyn to her feet. “Marilyn, the wind’s picking up. Let’s go inside.”
did feel a bit tired Marilyn smiled. “It’s rare to have you and Carry visit me today and even spend the night. Especially you–you’re already so busy filming, and yet you’re wasting your only day off on an old lady like me.”
“Marilyn, how can you call it a waste? It’s called spending quality time, Catherine replied sweetly. “I hardly get to visit anymore. My mom’s already scolded me about it.”
Marilyn replied, I haven’t seen your mother in a while. Is she still traveling abroad?”
you
Catherine nodded. “Yes, ever since Dad retired and handed the company over to my brother, he’s been accompanying Mom on a trip around the world.”
Marilyn sighed softly, “I envy their deep bond.”
Catherine knew that Marilyn and Clarence’s father, Christopher Vanderbilt, had a rocky relationship and were divorced. Not wanting to stir up any sadness, she quickly let the subject drop
Once they arrived at Marilyn’s room, Marilyn said, “Get some rest. You’ve got filming early tomorrow morning.
“Alright, goodnight, Marilyn Catherine wrapped her arms around Marilyn and kissed her forehead.
Marilyn siniled, and her heart warmed.
After Marilyn closed the door, Catherine finally left and headed to her own room.
The small villa only had two floors. Since Marilyn was older and had difficulty climbing stairs, her room was on the first floor. Catherine’s room was upstairs, right next to Clarence’s
Clarence had been sitting with them earlier, enjoying the moonlit evening, but he’d received an international call and had gone to his room to take it
Catherine hesitated when she saw Clarence’s door slightly ajar. After a moment, she gently pushed it open.
The room was e
empty, but the sound of running water came from the bathroom. Catherine thought, ‘Clarence must be
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Chapter 57
taking a shower. She was about to leave quietly, but Clarence’s phone rang just then. It was sitting right there on the dresser,
next to her.
Catherine didn’t think much of it. But when she glanced at the caller ID, “Sera“, her heart twisted. It wasn’t a full name, she knew exactly who it was–Seraphina
but
The same girl who was kissed by Clarence in public five years ago that made Catherine envious and jealous. Now, Seraphina and Clarence were entangled once more.
Catherine clenched her hands slowly, her gaze turning ice–cold. Her mother and Marilyn had been childhood friends, and since Marilyn had no daughters, her mother had asked Marilyn to consider Catherine as her daughter when she was born.
Growing up, Catherine and Clarence were like childhood sweethearts, always together. Around the age of eight, when she first saw Clarence dressed in a tiny suit, looking dashing beyond his years, her feelings toward him shifted, no longer just the affection of a sister, but something deeper.,
That feeling had stayed hidden in Catherine’s heart for over a decade, growing richer and deeper, like wine aging in a cellar. Yet, she never dared to confess
Clarence had always been attentive to Catherine. If anything happened, he was the first to show up and help. However, a girl’s intuition was sharp, and Catherine could sense that despite his care, his feelings toward her were not romantic. How he looked at her lacked that spark, that gaze of love.
So, Catherine kept her feelings locked away, too afraid to confess, fearing that if she spoke her heart, he would distance himself from her.
Catherine had seen what had happened to other girls who had made a move on Clarence. Without exception, they were met with indifference, cut off from any chance to get close to him again. She didn’t want to recklessly join their ranks..
So. Catherine waited. She waited for the day when Clarence’s eyes would light up, sparkling like stars as he looked at her before she dared to confess. But after all those years, that day never arrived. Instead, what came was another woman Seraphina
Catherine would never forget the sharp, cutting pain she felt when she saw Clarence kissing Seraphina–like a blade slicing through her heart. It wasn’t deep, but it was unbearably painful.
Seraphina wasn’t even Clarence’s girlfriend, yet she could have his kiss, his embrace, even his body. But Catherine, having loved Clarence for so many years, got nothing in return.
The sound of water from the bathroom still hadn’t stopped. Catherine glanced at the bathroom door, then reached for the phone and answered the call, “Hello?”
Seraphina was silent. The soft voice on the other end of the line startled her. She thought, ‘A phone is such a personal item. How close must they be for her to answer it on his behalf?
“Hello, who’s this? Catherine spoke again. “Is there something you need?”
Seraphina was silent. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. She thought, ‘So, it turns out, after days of this cold treatment. I’m the only one feeling the pain. Meanwhile, he’s offenjoying the company of someone else. How laughable. Where do I get the confidence to think I’m the only one for hin Where do I get the confidence to believe there aren’t other women by his side? Where do I get the confidence that he would help me?‘ Her heart ached, filled with disappointment,
Steadying her voice, Seraphina spoke in a low tone. “Sorry, wrong number. She quickly hung up. It was a weak excuse. Even though she wasn’t officially his, her name at least appeared on hi caller ID. There was no way this could be a mistake. But right now, she couldn’t find any better way to back down gracefully.
Seraphina clung to her phone, and her body began to tremble. Her arm, where she had accidentally been cut by glass earlier, was now crusted with dried blood, the wound forming an ugly, centipede–like scar. It looked even more ghastly as
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she shook.
Barbara noticed something was wrong with Seraphina’s expression and quickly hugged her. “Sera, what happened?”
Meanwhile, Catherine stood frozen, phone still in hand, her heart pounding. She thought, What had I been thinking, answering Clarence’s call?
Clarence was very particular about his personal belongings, never allowing anyone to touch or invade his private space. Catherine didn’t know how he would react if he found out and how he would reprimand her.
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