Chapter 395
Chapter 395
Valerio’s bedroom was quiet, the only illumination coming from a small bedside lamp casting a soft glow on Seraphina’s slumbering face.
Leandro stood in the doorway, momentarily stunned as he took in the sight. It had been so long since he had last seen her sleep peacefully.
Quietly, he made his way to the bed and settled himself on the edge.
As soon as he sat down, Seraphina moved, her eyes fluttering open.
At the sight of him, her expression was dazed, slowly giving way to clarity. Yet she remained in bed, lazily mumbling, “Oh, it’s you…”
Her tone was languid, devoid of any emotion, yet for some reason, Leandro found himself asking, “Disappointed?”
Seraphina glanced at him, still half-asleep, before muttering, “What’s there to be disappointed about? I saw it coming.”
“What did you see coming?”
“Your son,” she replied. “He’s been acting strange lately. I knew he was up to something, that little rascal.”
Leandro paused before responding, “And you didn’t stop him?”
“I didn’t have the energy, Seraphina confessed, burrowing deeper into the covers. “Leandro, do you know how exhausting it is to look after a child all day?
I thought I had plenty of energy, but compared to him, I feel old… I can’t keep up…”.
With a yawn, she closed her eyes once more, appearing ready to return to sleep.
Leandro remained seated on the bed, silently watching her for a while.
It was a long time before Seraphina moved again, her eyes remaining closed as if she had fallen back asleep.
Leandro finally stood up, his hand gently brushing her hair away from her face before he turned to leave.
As he moved to exit, Seraphina’s eyes snapped open.
“Are you leaving already?” she asked.
Leandro paused, not turning back to look at her. “What else should I do?”
Seraphina watched his departing figure for a moment before chuckling, “Your son went to all that trouble to set this up, and you’re just going to walk away?”
Leandro turned to look at her, his gaze deep and dark.
“You said you were tired.” he asked, his voice low.
Half of Seraphina’s face was hidden by the covers, but she sighed softly in response. “Since when has whether I’m tired or not mattered? When has anyone cared about that?”
Her words, though light-hearted, held a deeper implication.
Leandro was not a fool; he understood her perfectly, and he didn’t need to hide his ‘desire in front of her.
Rising to his feet, he loosened his tie and undid a couple of buttons on his shirt. Then, he scooped Seraphina into his arms and carried her out of their son’s room and into his own. Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.
The door closed behind them with a soft click, sealing them off from the rest of the world.
Seraphina lost count of how many early mornings it had been.
Given their work schedules, they often found themselves meeting late at night, and having intimate moments until the early hours of the morning.
And if Leandro was not yet satisfied, the early morning could stretch on indefinitely.
Especially tonight.
Tonight was different.
Learning about their son’s true parentage had shifted things.
He was their flesh and blood, carrying both of their bloodlines. Even though he was not a product of love, he was a testament to their past.
A past that might not have been pleasant, but was important nonetheless.
Their son’s existence was important.
This realization left Leandro somewhat unhinged, and Seraphina, ever accommodating, only turned him on even more.
Time passed in a blur until at last, things settled down. But the warmth of Seraphina’s body against his made it impossible for Leandro to let her go. Seraphina lay contentedly in his arms, too lazy to make a move.
They lay in silence, neither of them asleep.
After a while, Leandro broke the silence. “I’ve found out about Betty’s past.”
Seraphina looked up at him in surprise.
“She’s the illegitimate child of a young couple from Velvetwood’s Chinatown. Bowen bought her from her parents…”
The truth, though expected, was cruel.
Seraphina, who had seen the evils of the world, could never come to terms with the abandonment of children by their parents.
Blood ties shouldn’t be so easily severed, let alone for money…
“Betty…” She muttered, choking back a sob. “I failed her.”
Leandro gently lowered his head to kiss her reddened nose.
“She was happy,” he assured her. “That’s all that matters.”
Seraphina was silent for a moment before asking, “What are you going to do about Bowen?”
Ever since their son’s parentage was revealed, they hadn’t had much time alone. And with Seraphina focusing all her energy on their son, she hadn’t paid much attention to Leandro’s recent activities.
Even so, she knew that the Smith Group was facing bankruptcy and that the Reynolds Group, as the largest creditor, had applied for the company’s liquidation.
This was Leandro’s plan to deal with the Smith Group, but Seraphina knew he wouldn’t let Bowen off so easily.
Leandro hadn’t intended to share this with her, but since she asked, he decided to tell her.
“An eye for an eye,” he said, his gaze dark.
Upon hearing this, Seraphina seemed to sense something. She glanced at Leandro but ultimately decided not to question him further. She softly acknowledged his words, then closed her eyes and nestled into his embrace, swiftly drifting off to sleep..
The bankruptcy verdict for the Smith Group was issued rapidly by the court. With the Reynolds Group, the largest creditor, taking the lead, any possibility of negotiation or restructure was vetoed, launching the Smith Group into the swift current of bankruptcy liquidation.
Throughout this process, Bowen didn’t put up any resistance.
To the Reynolds Group, bringing down the Smith Group was as easy as squashing an ant.
Bowen was acutely aware that any resistance he might offer in such a situation would be futile, and could even potentially provoke Leandro further.
What kind of person Leandro was, was never a secret.
Therefore, just how dangerous Leandro might be at this moment wasn’t hard to guess.
Bowen kept a low profile, avoiding any situation that might lead to a conflict with Leandro as much as possible.
However, despite his precautions, one day when he returned to his apartment, Sandra was nowhere to be found.