Female Novel
Chapter 445
Chapter 445
“Ma’am!” Keen’s voice cracked with urgency as he saw Seraphina heading for the door.
“Let her go,” Bruce interjected suddenly, his voice low and steady. “Staying here is only gonna twist theknife in her heart even more.” Keen hesitated at Bruce’s words, his gaze lingering on Seraphina’sretreating figure until she was out of sight.novelbin
As Seraphina stepped out of the hospital, her driver, who had been caught in traffic, had just pulled up.She yanked open the car door, slid into the backseat, and gave the driver one simple direction, “Takeme to Reynolds Vista Retreat.”
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The driver caught one glimpse of Seraphina’s stony expression and didn’t dare to ask questions. With aquick nod, he started the engine and they were off.
The road to the retreat was unusually clear, a fact that only added to the driver’s anxiety. Seraphina’spallor was alarming – he could only imagine what awaited her at the Reynolds Vista Retreat.
About thirty minutes later, they arrived at the grand entrance of the retreat. Seraphina got out of the carwithout a word and headed straight inside. She was greeted by a scene of chaos – the staff waspicking up the aftermath of a storm.
Broken vases, a shattered glass coffee table, and puddles of water mixed with jarring splashes of redcovered the floor. It wasn’t just the floor that was stained; the sofa, the tables, and other surfaces boresilent witness to the bloodshed.
This blood belonged to just one person.
Seraphina couldn’t bear to imagine the horrible things that had led to this moment, but seeing thewreckage before her, she commanded in a steely voice, “Stop cleaning. Now.”
Everyone turned to look at her, their faces still etched with panic. They were at a loss for words.
“Leave the living room as it is,” Seraphina instructed firmly. “Whatever’s been moved, put it back. Nomore tampering with evidence, or you can explain yourselves to the cops.”
Without waiting for a response, she ascended the staircase, leaving the staff in stunned silence.
Reaching the top, Seraphina made a beeline for Gloria’s room.
The door was ajar, and through the crack, she could hear Gloria’s panicked voice, “Where’s Leandro?What’s happened to him?” Her voice was tinged with hysteria. “It was me… I stabbed him, didn’t I?”
Karan was inside, trying to soothe Gloria, though her voice was close to breaking, “It’s okay, it’s okay.Leandro’s going to be fine. Just calm down…”
But Gloria persisted, her voice rising in desperation, “Is he badly hurt? Tell me how he is now – tell me!”
With a forceful push, Seraphina swung the door wide open and stood at the threshold, “I’ll tell you howhe is.”
Gloria’s face drained of color at the sight of her. Karan’s expression darkened, and she steppedforward to block Seraphina, “What are you doing here? Isn’t this mess enough for you? Get out!”
“Karan, didn’t you hear her? She wants to know how Leandro is doing. Well, I’m here to satisfy hercuriosity,” Seraphina said, trying to step past her to reach Gloria.
“No, you can’t do this!” Karan blocked her firmly. “Do you want to drive her mad? You can’t be here –leave!”
“Karan!” Gloria was pale as a ghost and called out with a trembling voice, “Let her speak!”
Karan froze but didn’t turn to face Gloria. She just looked at Seraphina with pleading eyes, shaking herhead ever so slightly.
Seraphina met her gaze and said calmly, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to drive anyone mad. I’m here tohelp her face reality.”
Breaking free from Karan’s grasp, Seraphina approached Gloria’s bedside.
Gloria looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes, filled with loathing, yet waiting for an answer.
Seraphina asked, “You know what you’ve done, right?” she said coldly, towering over the bed. “With akitchen knife, you stabbed your own son. Do you remember that?”
Gloria’s lips trembled again.
“Do you want to know what the doctors said?” Seraphina continued, mercilessly. “Spleen laceration andmajor blood vessel damage. They say there’s a 50% chance he’ll pull through… Are you happy withthose odds?”
Gloria stared at her, wordless.
Seraphina sneered, “You probably have no clue how serious it is. Want me to spell it out for you?”Without waiting for an answer, Seraphina pulled out her phone./
Karan’s tears were falling freely now, “Seraphina! Stop this – please!”
Ignoring her, Seraphina pulled up an article and read out to Gloria in a chilling tone, “Spleen rupture isdangerous, with a mortality rate of
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Chapter 445
3% -23%. Not too scary, right? But add major blood vessel damage, and the mortality rate skyrocketsto 70% – seventy percent. Still, you have a 30% chance of keeping your son. He might still come backto you, and call you ‘mom’!”
As Seraphina uttered “70%,” the color drained completely from Gloria’s face. And when Seraphinafinished, Gloria lunged at her in a frenzy, slapping at her face, screaming, “Lies! All lies!”
“Mrs. Reynolds!” Karan exclaimed, her voice laced with a mix of shock and urgency as he made amove to intervene. “Seraphina, stop!”
“Let her hit me!” To everyone’s surprise, Seraphina stood her ground, motionless, her gaze locked onGloria. “You might as well take me out too. I mean, what’s one more casualty? After all, you’ve alreadyhurt my son, Leandro. Oh, but not just us, remember Vivian Smith? Do you recall who she is?”
“Seraphina!” Karan’s face paled, “Please, no more words!”
“Vivian, the girlfriend Leandro brought to the Reynolds Manor eight years ago.” Seraphina’s handgently brushed away a tear from the corner of her eye as she enunciated each word deliberately. “Thewoman with the teardrop mole beneath her eye. Do you remember her now?”
Gloria shuddered violently, her strength seemingly drained as she struggled to maintain her gaze onSeraphina, unable to utter a single word.
“You despised her. Hated her for sharing the same teardrop mole as your husband’s mistress. Hatedher for stealing your son’s affections, so you pushed her off the balcony!”
“You loathed my son because, like those other bastards your husband fathered, he carried a stigmayou couldn’t stand, so you terrified him into silence when he was just three years old!”
“You hated me because I was the daughter of the woman your husband truly adored. And so, you evendespised my child, your own flesh and blood, your grandson, to the point of brandishing a knife at him!”
“You resented your husband for making you endure all this, wishing you could just take him out too!”
“And what was the result? You ended up driving that knife into the body of the only son who ever lovedyou!”
“Do you even remember all the things you’ve done? Have you counted them? Do you have any ideahow much sin you’ve amassed?” Seraphina’s voice was icy as she continued, “You were dealt a badhand in marriage, that’s true. You could’ve clung to it, or you could’ve let go. But you, you didn’t doanything. All you do is take your misfortunes out on others, making them shoulder your pain!”
“Why not just torch the whole Reynolds family, huh?” Seraphina challenged. “Burn them all. It could bea funeral pyre for your marriage-and for your son as well. Wouldn’t that please you?”