Tangled in His Obsession (Seraphina)

On this particular evening, nearly a hundred guests mingled and celebrated the new year with the Martin family.

Most of them were close friends and relatives of the Martins.

As the head of the household, Simon should have been flitting from group to group, playing the consummate host. Yet, his gaze often lingered on Seraphina and Leandro, who seemed to be the center of his world that night.

Seraphina was the picture of elegance and detachment, her eyes rarely meeting anyone else's as she conversed quietly with Andrea, who sat by her side. Meanwhile, Simon seemed to be deeply engaged in conversation with Leandro.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the steady stream of toasts, the guests who approached Simon for a celebratory drink did not neglect to include Leandro in their well-wishing.

Even though Leandro had recently stepped down from the executive board of the Reynolds Corporation, his reputation for shrewd business acumen remained unblemished. And with the apparent closeness he now shared with Simon, he was regarded with a newfound respect.

"What's the real story here?" whispered a high-ranking executive from the Reynolds Corporation, who sat next to Ferne. "Mr. Reynolds has always been a bit of a lone wolf, not to mention he once cdown hard on the Martin Group. It's not like him to cozy up to the Martins like this." Leonard overheard the comment and replied, "His old pride was part of his persona as the president of Reynolds Corporation. Now that he's not, what's stopping him from being affable?" Ferne took a sip from her wineglass and said slowly, "Didn't you hear Simon earlier? He called it a family dinner.

They waited for them to start the meal, which means they're considered family. What more is there to say?" As Ferne spoke, her gaze drifted towards Seraphina, who was still deep in conversation with Andrea. "I never noticed before, but now that they're sitting together, it's striking how much Seraphina and Andrea have identical eyes." At Ferne's observation, the others at the table couldn't help but turn their attention to the pair, and a collective realization seemed to dawn on them.

While chatting with Leandro, Simon noticed that Seraphina had barely touched her food. "Sera, is the food not to your liking?" he asked with concern. "You've hardly eaten a thing." With all eyes on her, Seraphina could hardly avoid responding. She offered a light chuckle and said, "How could a lavish banquet like this not be to my taste? It's just that | don't have much of an appetite." After that, she turned her attention back to Andrea.

At that moment, the servers brought in a new dish. Simon beckoned one over and whispered instructions.

Shortly thereafter, a bowl of sweet soup was placed in front of Seraphina.

Seraphina glanced at Leandro, who in turn looked at Simon.

Simon said, "You're always so busy, hardly ever eating well—no wonder you're so slender. You may not feel like eating, but at least have ssoup. You can't go on an empty stomach." Taking up the spoon, Seraphina listlessly stirred the soup before her.

"Eat a little," Leandro encouraged. "Otherwise, you'll get hlate and the nanny will have to get up to cook for you." Only then did Seraphina reluctantly sip a few mouthfuls of the soup, but soon set the spoon down again. "It's stuffy in here," she said to Leandro. "Andrea and | are going to step out for sair." With that, she took Andrea by the arm and they left the banquet hall. Simon watched their retreating figures and said softly, "It warms my heart to see them sisters so close." "Andrea's temperament," Leandro commented dryly, "she's fond of it." "Is that so?" Simon replied with a faint smile. "Well, I'm quite fond of it too." Leandro met Simon's gaze and remarked, "Because she's like you?" Simon just smiled, not answering directly. After a pause, he added, "If one day she decides to acknowledge her lineage and cinto the fold, it would be the greatest joy for me." "That's her choice to make," Leandro stated firmly. "I won't interfere." "Good," Simon replied, visibly pleased. "Straightforward and decisive—just like you." With that, Simon lifted his glass.

Leandro followed suit, and they clinked glasses softly.

Outside the banquet hall, a group of youngsters and children were setting off fireworks. Normally, Andrea would have gone unnoticed, but tonight, drawn by Seraphina's presence, several people looked their way and even invited them to join the fun.

Sensing Andrea's reluctance to dive into the festivities, and feeling little desire for it herself, Seraphina politely declined and followed Andrea into the main house.

"Do you want to see Mom's room?" Andrea asked.

Although it was not the room Adelina had truly lived in, if Simon had gone to the trouble of arranging it, Seraphina felt it was worth a look.

They entered the room and Seraphina took a moment to walk around the small space. She stopped in front of a framed photograph on the bedside table.

The woman in the photo was beautiful, with a gentle and captivating gaze.

When Seraphina had first seen her mother’s picture Andrea showed her, she hadn't felt much. But now, seeing this clear image, a tangible sense of connection washed over her. After all, this was her mother, the woman who had carried her for nine months.

Seraphina stood silently for a while before Andrea pulled out a large photo album from the shelf and placed it on the bed. "All of Mom's pictures are kept in here. Take a look," she said.

Together, they sat and flipped through the album. Most of the photos were solo shots of Adelina, but there were also plenty of pictures with Simon. It was clear from their youthful, smiling eyes that they were deeply in love.

Simon truly loved Adelina. To Seraphina now, that love might seem trivial, but it was evident that it had bound Simon for a lifetime.

Flipping through the photo album, they reached the last page and a moment of silence fell between them.

Just then, the clear and loud sound of fireworks burst from outside. Seraphina and Andrea walked to the window just in tto see fireworks rising and blooming against the night sky over the clearing outside, their vivid colors illuminating the darkness.

"It's been years since we had fireworks at home," Andrea remarked.

"Really?" "Yeah, Dad always complained about the noise. He wouldn't let anyone set them off here." So, did that mean this year's fireworks were somehow connected to her? With that thought, Seraphina's lips curled into a half-smile. As she was about to turn away from the window, her gaze inadvertently fell on the villa opposite.

Compared to the brightly lit neighboring villas, that one had only a few windows glowing softly. On the third floor, one window framed a face looking up at the sky in wonder.

It was a young face, looking to be only eighteen or nineteen, fresh and... oddly familiar.

"Whose place is that across the way?" Seraphina asked.

"That's Lionel's house," Andrea replied.

"Isn't he single?" Seraphina couldn't help but ask, "Who is that girl?" Andrea followed her gaze briefly. The face of the girl that had been reflected in the window had vanished, replaced by drawn curtains.

It was as if the vision had been nothing more than a figment of Seraphina's imagination.