Chapter b
Chapter 5
Seraphina chose the most luxurious private club in Sunburst City, Enchanted Petals Club, to treat Balch to a
meal.
Seraphina wore a tight dark green skirt and a pair of beautiful black heels, looking like an elf in flowers.
As a waiter led her down the club restaurant’s hallway, Seraphina’s phone started buzzing.
The hallway was a winding path with a glass floor, surrounded by lush vegetation and unusually quiet. Rarely could she see anyone. Underneath was a deep blue lake, with the moon hanging in the sky and casting a reflection on the water, creating an incredibly romantic scene.
A clear voice came through from the other end of the phone. It was Balch.
“Sorry,” he said, “some urgent work came up at the office, I’m afraid I can’t make it tonight.”
“Is that so…” Seraphina slowed her pace, let out a sigh, and looked ahead.
By the lake, a tall figure was leaning against the railing, lighting up a cigarette.
Probably he was a guest coming out of a nearby box for fresh air. He had no coat, only a simple white shirt on his back, his hands raised, silver cufflinks glistening at the cuffs. As he moved his hand, the silver cufflinks on his sleeves sparkled. A flick of the lighter lit up his clean, slender hands. The flickering flame revealed his deep.
gaze.
The lake shimmered, and the spring wind carried the dampness of the night, bringing a chill with it.
Though Seraphina was not usually bothered by the cold, and for a beauty junkie like her, the spring night breeze was nothing. But at that moment, Seraphina felt a cold shiver run down her spine, as if her blood had frozen. She couldn’t help but shiver.
It took her a while to recover, then she slowly said to Balch on the other end of the phone, “Well, since I was treating you tonight, if you’re not coming, then you owe me a dinner.”
Balch chuckled lightly on the other end, “Alright.”
Seraphina hung up, halted, and told the waiter next to her, “My friend can’t make it, please cancel the reservation.”
She was about to leave when she bumped into someone. He saw her and started laughing.
“Ms. Bennett?” Ike looked at her, grinning from ear to ear, “I was just thinking about when I could see you again, didn’t expect it to be so soon. We must be fated.”
Ike stepped forward, “Since we bumped into each other here, why not have dinner together?”
Seraphina just looked at him, not saying a word.
“What’s the matter? Ike raised an eyebrow, put his hand on Seraphina’s shoulder, and playfully twirled a strand of her hair, “Are you scared I’m going to eat you up?”
Seraphina, with a challenging look in her eyes, straightened up, retrieved her hair, and said in a soft and ambiguous voice, “That depends on whether Mr. Ike has the appetite.”
Ike burst into laughter, threw an arm around Seraphina’s waist, and led the way forward.
After a few steps, Ike spotted the man smoking by the railings. His steps faltered for a moment, then he hurried forward, “Mr. Reynolds, what brings you out here?”
Seraphina, standing next to him, also looked at the man.
Leandro held a cigarette between his fingers. Despite this, he still exuded an icy and serious demeanor. Dressed in a white shirt and black pants, the moonlight shone on his back, making him seem timeless and devoid of warmth.
Chapter 5
When he noticed Ike, he cracked a contemptuous smile. His gaze was still cold, “Too many people inside, I came out for some fresh air.”
Then, Leandro’s eyes landed on Seraphina’s face with a calm expression.
Seraphina met his gaze and smiled naturally.
Ike looked at Seraphina, raised an eyebrow, and introduced, “This is Ms. Seraphina, a new friend of mine.”
Seraphina nodded slightly, “Mr. Reynolds, hello.”
Leandro’s gaze lingered on Seraphina’s face, casually sizing her up, but his gaze stayed on her for a long time.
Seeing this, Ike thought to himself: Seraphina is a real piece of work.
Balch, the new noble in Sunburst City, was known for his deep affection for his late wife. It was said that he had been single for four years since her passing. Yet, last night, Seraphina was seen getting into his car arm
in arm.
Leandro, born into the prominent Reynolds family, was known for his aloof personality and indifference towards women. There were even rumors about his sexual orientation. But now, the way he looked at Seraphina, he didn’t seem like a gay man.
Seeing this, Ike silently cursed under his breath.
The Reynolds family was a rich and influential family, and the Reynolds Group was the leading company in Sunburst City. The Whitman family, although considered a nouveau riche, had always wanted to get in good with the Reynolds family. However, Leandro had always been cold and aloof, giving them no face. Today, for some reason, he agreed to attend this gathering, so naturally, Ike didn’t dare to offend him.
Even if he was unwilling, if Leandro really fell for Seraphina, what could he say?
“Mr. Reynolds?” Ike called out to him, “Shall we go inside and talk?”
Only then did Leandro withdraw his gaze, nodded, and turned to go back to his private room.
As he walked past Seraphina, she looked up and noticed a small black mole on his ear, hidden behind his neatly combed hair.
She had grown taller. If it were in the past, all she would have seen was his broad shoulders.
Snapping back to reality, Seraphina realized what she was thinking about and couldn’t help but chuckle to herself.
Ike led her into the private room. This time, he did not reach out to hold Seraphina’s waist.
The private room was jam–packed with more than a dozen people making merry, with Leandro being the guest of honor smack dab in the middle. To his left sat Ira Whitman, the eldest son of the Whitman family, while the seat to his right was still up for grabs.
Ike led Seraphina directly to Leandro and called out to her, “Sera, come here.” Most of the folks in the room were from the Whitman clan who had witnessed Edith and Peterson’s engagement bash, hence had a vivid memory of Seraphina. Seeing Ike waltzing in with Seraphina was a bolt from the blue for all, even Ira furrowed his brow, shooting a stern look at Seraphina.
But Seraphina couldn’t care less. She shot Ike a glance, then picked an empty seat for herself, looking up at him, “You invited me to grub, so it makes sense for me to sit next to you. Parking me next to someone else, what’s that supposed to mean? I’m no social butterfly!”
She didn’t bother to lower her voice, so everyone in the room heard it loud and clear, resulting in an awkward silence.
Ike quickly scanned Leandro’s face, but he seemed oblivious, didn’t even bat an eye this way, only slightly turned his head, nonchalantly listening to Ira.
Only then did Ike park himself next to Seraphina, leaning closer to her ear, grumbling. “You’re such a pain in the
19.50
neck!
“Are you scared?” Seraphina leaned back in her chair, “If you’re scared, then let me go. I don’t have to eat this meal.
Ike was getting irked, so he sneaked another peek at Leandro, then murmured, “Alright, fine, I’ll stick with you!”
