4
Seraphina didn’t come hame that night.
It wasn’t until the next morning that I received a text from her.
“Julian, my condition relapsed yesterday, and I fainted and was taken to the hospital. I just woke up.”
“How’s Mom’s condition? And have you collected enough money for me?”
This wasn’t the first time Seraphina had used this excuse for staying out all night.
Expressionless, I packed all my belongings and shipped them away, then headed to the address Seraphina’s assistant had given me.
As I walked into the high–end restaurant, I immediately spotted Seraphina’s familiar back in the distance.
Chloe’s phone watch in my pocket was still buzzing. Seraphina had been calling it incessantly since yesterday evening.
Become SVIP! Read all SVIP stories
When the watch finally fell silent again, I, having just reached their table from behind, heard Dominic say,
“Looks like Julian isn’t as obedient this time, huh?”
Seraphina stopped calling Chloe and threw her phone on the table, her voice full of aggression.
“My relationship with my husband is none of your business!”
<
“Why can’t I reach Chloe’s phone?”
Just as Seraphina was about to try calling again, I walked up to her table.
She was clearly agitated about Chloe, and didn’t even bother to look up at me.
“I booked this entire place today. Beat it!”
I clenched my fists until Dominic noticed me and let out a small gasp.
“Oh! Julian, what are you doing here? Are you curious why Sera is here?!”
Seraphina suddenly looked up at me, her expression utterly bewildered.
“Julian… how could it be you?!”
I watched Seraphina frantically try to hide the expensive watch on her wrist further up her sleeve.
She clumsily tried to explain, “I, why am I here? Oh, right! I’m here to pay the money… just now…”
I shifted my gaze to her lavish attire. Her voice trailed off, as if even she knew her excuses were crumbling.
Soon, Seraphina noticed the suitcase in my hand, and her face lit up with surprise.
“Julian! You collected enough money for me?”
“You should go home first and be with Chloe. Isn’t it Chloe’s birthday today? I’ll be back as soon as this is sorted! And how’s Mom’s condition? Is she feeling better?”
Seraphina wore a look of concern, as if afraid I’d discover something if I stayed, and eagerly urged me to leave.
She spoke as she took the suitcase from my hand.
But the moment she took it, she quickly noticed its weight, and her expression instantly changed. She swiftly unzipped the suitcase.
Seeing it empty, she immediately glared at me, her face darkening.
At the same time, Dominic burst out laughing.
“Looks like Julian didn’t get the money after all! No, wait! He didn’t even try to get it!”
Dominic’s laughter clearly embarrassed Seraphina, and she exploded in anger.
“Julian! I asked you! Where’s the money? Even for Mom’s sake, you shouldn’t have given me absolutely nothing!”
“Do you know? The victim’s family is coming any minute now. If I don’t pay, that family, crazy with poverty, will cling to us like leeches for the rest of our lives!”
She scoffed as she spoke.
“It’s laughable, really. For money, they’d even use their own mother’s and daughter’s lives as leverage?”
My chest heaved violently. I glared at her.
“Do you have to be so insulting?”
“Julian! All these poor people are the same! They reek of poverty! Honestly, they’re just breeding more beggars, they should just stop reproducing!”
A flickereds
3:16 PM ·
<
A flicker of scorn crossed Seraphina’s eyes as she looked down on the “poor people” she spoke of with the air of a superior.
“Forget it! I don’t want to give you negative emotions. I’ll have Nadia spot me the money for now. You hurry home and take care of Mom and Chloe! Wouldn’t want the victim’s family to disgust you when they arrive!”
“Disgust *me*?”
“What else? I’ve seen so many paupers on their knees… begging in front of others. It’s utterly repulsive!”
My stomach churned. I didn’t want to argue with Seraphina anymore.
Every word I spoke to her felt utterly sickening.
“Forget it, Seraphina. This is over!”
“We’re getting a divorce!”
In that instant, Seraphina’s face grew even uglier. “Julian, what on earth are you saying?”
But I didn’t answer Seraphina, because my phone rang.
Under her uncertain gaze, I answered the call.
“Yes, I’m here.”
As my words fell, her assistant hurried in.
He gave me a dismissive glance, then respectfully approached the flustered Seraphina.
“Miss Sterling, the victim’s family has arrived.”
Seraphina paused, instinctively frowning. “Here, besides me…”
Her voice trailed off. As if realizing something, she pointed at me.
“Are you saying… he’s the victim’s family?”
As the assistant nodded, Seraphina’s eyes suddenly reddened. She grabbed my shoulder, her voice trembling.
“Julian, tell, tell me, where are Mom and Chloe?”
5
7
“Mom and Chloe are at Mrs. Henderson’s, right? Tell me!”
I shook off Seraphina’s hand, a mocking look on my face.
“Seraphina, are you, with your heart of stone, capable of fear?”
“I don’t need your filthy money. I want you to remember, every single moment, that *you* personally killed Mom and Chloe!”
My words cut into Seraphina’s heart like knives.
Buthlessly pushing Seraphina’s hand away, I tore the check she’d left on the table into shreds and threw them in her face.
“No! This can’t be!”
Seraphina arakkad k
3:16 PM
<
0
O
Seraphina grabbed her assistant’s arm. “Take me to the police station!”
She was desperate to verify the truth of my words. I watched Seraphina’s hasty steps and couldn’t help but curl my lips in a cynical smile.
Dominic tapped the table with his bent finger. “Since you’re here, why don’t you sit down and talk?”
I still had many unanswered questions, so I sat down across from Dominic.
I felt the thick calluses on my palms as I looked at his still–youthful face.
Neither of us spoke first.
We simply stared at each other for a long time.
Dominic chuckled softly.
“Indeed, a man who can endure Seraphina’s bad temper is no ordinary person.”
“What about the bet?”
I didn’t want to beat around the bush with Dominic, so I cut to the chase.
Dominic paused, then leaned back into the soft sofa behind him.
“Seven years ago, Seraphina fell in love with you at first sight. But as you know, a family like the Sterlings wouldn’t allow a man without status or background to marry into it.”
“Seraphina and I had an engagement since childhood. Our families were equally matched in status and wealth. If it weren’t for you, the one marrying Seraphina right now wouldn’t be you.”
I frowned, not wanting to hear Dominic’s rambling. My tone was cold.
“Just tell me about the bet.”
Dominic took a slow sip of the coffee in front of him before leisurely speaking.
“What’s the rush? I’m getting to it.”
“Seraphina was determined to marry you. So she made a bet with her family: if she pretended to be poor and sick for seven years, whether your whole family would remain devoted to her. If you showed even the slightest inclination to abandon her, she would come back and marry me.”
7
So that was it! *That* was it!
I finally understood why I occasionally caught the scent of expensive perfume on Seraphina.
“Don’t you want to go see?” Dominic winked at me. “Didn’t you already know that day that Seraphina was the one who ran over your mother and daughter?”
My heart leaped in shock. How did Dominic know?!
Seeing the surprise in my eyes, Dominic chuckled and shook his head.
I was in the car that day. I saw everything.”
“But you don’t need to wonder why I didn’t tell Seraphina. After all, you two breaking up is actually a good thing for me, isn’t it? Why would I say anything?”
Seraphina, at that very moment, had arrived at the police station.
Her steps were unsteady as she grabbed a police officer on duty and urgently asked,
<
“Is there a case involving Julian?”
The officer looked puzzled. “Julian who?”
Seraphina felt a huge weight lift from her heart. She wiped away her tears.
“I knew Julian was just trying to scare me! How could I possibly have killed Mom and Chloe?!”
“Julian?” The officer on duty was still trying to recall.
“Miss Sterling, are you talking about your car accident case?”
