Chapter 405
Chapter 405
Seraphina had been standing on the dock for a long time. Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
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 hours later, 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 plans 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 placed 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.
Seraphina glanced 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 melancholy. But since I went, she can at least feel a bit more at ease, and perhaps she will come 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 glass 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 minutes later, 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 in comparison.
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 simply lay 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 glass door as Leandro carried Seraphina away. A soft smile played on his lips.
Seraphina, initially in a semi-drunken stupor, seemed to awaken as Leandro placed her in the car. Her sleepiness vanished, leaving only a hint of intoxication that kept her weak and relaxed, 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, glanced at the caller ID and answered the call.
Seraphina lay 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 glanced 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 nonchalantly.
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 become 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 place 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.