Tangled in His Obsession (Seraphina)

As Simon's car rolled away from the Reynolds’ estate, Valerio was perched at the second-floor window, tracking the vehicle's departure until it was out of sight. Only then did he turned to Seraphina.

Seraphina had been mechanically unwrapping presents, her movements devoid of enthusiasm, when Valerio's voice pierced her reverie. "Mom, is Mr. Martin really my Grandpa?" Startled back to the present, Seraphina met her son's inquisitive dark eyes and, after a brief pause, slowly shook her head.

"No?" Valerio scooted closer, his curiosity piqued. "Then why did he say he was? Isn't Grandpa supposed to be Mom's dad?" Seraphina fell silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Maybe one day, I'll let you call him Grandpa. But remember, your real Grandpa's name is Carney Bennett." Valerio blinked, a gesture of half-comprehension, and nodded his head.

By the third day of the New Year, Seraphina had thrown herself back into the hustle of preparing for her art exhibition at the Sunburst Art Gallery, working from dawn till dusk.

Throughout the day, Andrea had phoned several times, but Seraphina had been so tied up that she couldn't answer.

Finally, as the gallery emptied and night descended, Seraphina packed up her things, ready to leave. To her surprise, she found Leandro waiting for her outside.

She hastened towards him, asking, "Here to pick me up from work? Leandro reached out to hold her hand. "To go to a banquet with you." As a prominent former figurehead of the Reynolds family, Leandro never lacked for banquet invitations.

Seraphina asked, "Whose is it?" "The one you've been wanting to attend," Leandro replied.

Seraphina hesitated momentarily as she was about to get into the car, then turned to him, "Why would you think | want to go? If | wanted to, | would have gone by now, wouldn't I?" "Waiting until now seems perfect, doesn't it?" Leandro said, holding the door for her.

After a brief stare-down, Seraphina bit her lip in resignation.

Since when did this man start to understand her so well? Darn it! With a huff, she ducked into the car.

Leandro followed suit, directing the driver towards their destination.

The day was a whirlwind of activity at the Martin estate. Centered around Simon's villa, guests milled about inside and out. As dinner time approached and almost a hundred guests filled the banquet hall, the atmosphere buzzed with lively chatter.

However, amidst the merriment, Simon's smile barely concealed his fatigue.

After greeting everyone, Simon stepped out of the hall to the entrance and spotted Andrea coming in.

Andrea instantly read the question in Simon's eyes and quickly explained, "Sera was busy at the gallery today, too swamped even for a phone call. | guess she won't make it." Simon nodded, about to return to the banquet, when suddenly a security guard came rushing in. "Mr. Martin, Mr.

Reynolds is here." Simon's expression softened momentarily.

Andrea's face lit up with a smile.Dad, she's here." Moments later, Seraphina, on Leandro's arm, appeared at the villa's entrance.

Simon and Andrea waited to greet them. Seeing Seraphina, Simon smiled warmly. "Sera, I'm glad you could make it." Seraphina's expression was cool. "It's just dinner, it doesn't matter where we eat." She rolled her eyes at Leandro, clearly showing resistance. Leandro simply tightened his grip on her hand.

Simon then said, "Exactly, it's just dinner. So, feel at home here, come in." With that, he led Seraphina and Leandro into the banquet hall.

It was almost eight o'clock, well past the usual time for such a dinner to begin. The guests, already seated and waiting, began to murmur among themselves.

Lionel Martin, sensing the growing restlessness, was about to look for Simon when he saw him enter the hall.

Simon was followed by Andrea, and behind her, there were Leandro and Seraphina.

The Martins understood the implications at once, their expressions turning complex. To the other guests, the situation was less clear, but they sensed its significance.

After such a long wait with nearly everyone present, it was apparent they had been waiting for Leandro and Seraphina.

Simon led the couple directly to the head table, placing them beside him, a clear sign of their special status.

The guests whispered and speculated more fervently now.

Among them, Leonard and Ferne shared in the shock. As partners soon to collaborate with the Martin Group, they had been seated at the second table, a position signaling closeness to the host. Yet, unexpectedly, Leandro and Seraphina had taken their place at the head table, immediately adjacent to Simon himself! For a moment, Leonard and Ferne exchanged a glance, their expressions a complex tapestry of emotions.

Across the table, Seraphina caught their eyes and, with a warm smile, waved at them.

Leonard gave a subtle nod in acknowledgment, while Ferne quickly averted her gaze.

Taking her seat, Seraphina then turned her attention to the head table.

The Martin brothers, all four of them, were present and accounted for. Even though the eldest, Simon, was there, they still treated him with a reverence reserved for a patriarch; Lionel sat alone, his demeanor cool and detached; and naturally, beside Teague Martin were Tania Martin and Bowen Smith.

Tania's eyes narrowed at the sight of Seraphina; she never was one to hide her disdain. Catching sight of Seraphina, she couldn't help but grit her teeth and shoot her a venomous glare. Seraphina's gaze casually swept past her, landing briefly on Bowen before she tilted her head and offered a subtle, knowing smile.

Bowen returned the gesture with a slight smile of his own and a raise of his glass in her direction.

Only after Leonard and Seraphina had taken their sits did Simon finally stand to address the gathering. "Ladies and gentlemen, my apologies for the wait. Today we gather for a family banquet, and it's only right to start when everyone has arrived. Let's drink to our hearts' content and wish each other a prosperous New Year!" The crowd lifted their glasses in unison, echoing, "Happy New Year!" And with that toast, the dinner officially commenced. Amidst the clinking of glasses and the buzz of conversation, nearly everyone was still pondering Simon's words.

Today we gather for a family banquet, and it's only right to start when everyone has arrived.

The ‘everyone’ clearly referred to Leonard and Seraphina.

And the ‘family banquet well, Leonard and Seraphina were indeed seated at the main table, right beside Simon himself.

With that, the atmosphere in the banquet hall took on an intriguingly subtle shift.