Female Novel
Chapter 468
Chapter 468
In the Reynolds household, Leandro certainly had the knack for being shameless.
So, when Seraphina hurled a cushion at him in frustration, he merely set it aside with an unruffled airand continued speaking to their son, Valerio, “If you really want to know where you came from, andwhere your younger sister might come from, come on, follow Dad upstairs. I’ll teach you.”
Valerio, eager for knowledge, instantly wriggled out of Seraphina’s protective grip and dashed over toLeandro.
“Hey!” Seraphina snapped, clenching her teeth, “Don’t you fill his head with any of your nonsense!”
Leandro looked over at her, a hint of challenge in his voice, “And you think proper sex education isnonsense?”
Caught off guard, Seraphina fell silent, her cheeks flushing at Valerio’s innocent gaze. She turnedaway, looking elsewhere for refuge.
Seeing his chance, Leandro stood up and led Valerio upstairs.
Alone now, Seraphina eyed their retreating figures, silently cursing Leandro in her head-she’d forgottenthat when it came to sex education, he was somewhat of an expert.
While Leandro and Valerio ventured upstairs to discuss the facts of life, Seraphina sat on the couch,grinding her teeth as she calmed her nerves and reflected on her recent lifestyle.
The conclusion was clear-she’d let herself go! She couldn’t continue this slide into decadence. But withnothing else pressing to do, her gaze drifted over to the art studio across the way.
In a matter of minutes, Seraphina had crafted a plan.
Starting tomorrow, she’d rise early every day, clock in at the studio on time, and take the reins of thebusiness once more, to prevent herself from becoming the layabout Leandro seemed intent oncreating.
However, following Leandro’s “lesson,” Valerio was unusually cooperative that night. He didn’t ask forSeraphina’s company and even shooed her off to Leandro’s bedroom at bedtime.
Suddenly having to deal with such a “considerate” son, Seraphina obediently returned to Leandro’sbedroom-straight into the lion’s den, so to speak.
Thus, the plan she’d made just the day before was abandoned by the next morning.
When she finally dragged herself to the studio, it was already past noon.
Although her visits had been infrequent, the studio had flourished. The new manager had networkedwith numerous art dealers, acquiring a collection of works and signing several promising young artists,enhancing the studio’s reputation.
Once back in her element, Seraphina’s familiarity with the business made it easy to fall back into therhythm, and she busied herself until evening.
At seven o’clock, her secretary, Sandy, couldn’t help but knock on her door.
“Mrs. Reynolds, it’s seven already, it’s pitch-dark outside…” Sandy spoke softly.
Seraphina finally looked up from her paperwork, glanced at the darkening sky behind her, and thoughtof Valerio. She stood up quickly, tidying her desk as she spoke, “Oh no, my son’s going to be upset!”
Sandy couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
Seraphina gathered her things in a hurry and rushed out of the office, only to stop short at the sight oftwo familiar figures in the open area of the studio.
The taller figure stood in the corridor, admiring the studio’s newest displayed works, while the smallerone was flipping through an
art book on the couch.
Hearing Seraphina approach, both heads turned toward her.novelbin
“Mom!” Valerio leapt from the couch and ran over, “Dad and I came to pick you up!”
Seraphina, stiff from sitting all afternoon and worried about Valerio’s reaction, felt a rush of joy at seeingthem and hugged her son. “How long have you been here?”
Valerio checked his little watch, “Ten minutes. Dad said we shouldn’t disturb you.”
Hearing this, Seraphina glanced at Leandro on the side.
Leandro, as composed as ever in his black cashmere coat, still had the aura of a business mogul abouthim, and in a weak
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moment, Seraphina found herself staring a second too long.
Breaking the moment, Leandro stepped closer, “Ready to leave?”
Seraphina rolled her eyes, “I still have documents to go through. Wait a bit longer, will you?”
As she turned to walk back, Leandro reached out and pulled her back.
“Mom can’t be out this late,” Valerio protested. “If you’re always gone, how will I ever get a youngersister?”
Just as he spoke, a few suppressed giggles echoed from the office corridor behind them.
Seraphina stiffened and turned, “Show yourselves!”
Sandy and a few staffers timidly appeared. They all got along well with Seraphina and were less afraidof her than of Leandro, so Sandy explained nervously, “Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Reynolds, we were justabout to leave. We didn’t mean to eavesdrop!”
Leandro merely nodded in acknowledgement.
Seraphina glared at them, “Then why are you still here?”
They scattered instantly, hurrying past the family of three.
Sandy lingered, boldly bending down to Valerio, “I hope your wish can come true soon.”
Valerio beamed at the blessing and shook Sandy’s hand.
Seraphina swatted Sandy playfully, and the secretary bolted away, laughing.
“It’s all your fault,” Seraphina grumbled, pinching Leandro, “Now how am I supposed to work afterthis?”
Leandro merely cast a fleeting glance at her, his tone laced with dry amusement. “Since when did youbecome so easily embarrassed?”
Seraphina bit back a retort, a flicker of alarm crossing her mind-indeed, when had her famously thickskin started to wear thin? Why was she suddenly taking to heart a comment as trivial as that?
What a loss! Truly, a loss!
Muttering to herself inwardly, Seraphina took Valerio by the hand and made her way to the exit. Yet, thesting of discontent spurred her to throw one last jab at Leandro. “What a pity, Mr. Reynolds. Just asyou’ve grown fond of my thick-skinned charm, I start going soft… I must be such a burden.”
Before Leandro could respond, Valerio chimed in with childlike certainty, “It doesn’t matter if Mom hasthick skin or thin skin, Dad will love her anyway.”
Seraphina shot Valerio a look, but Leandro chuckled softly, his laughter serving as his silentagreement.
As they stepped out of the grand hall and into the night, Seraphina halted in her tracks, caught offguard.
The sky was a deep obsidian, and beneath the dim glow of streetlights, delicate flakes of white dancedsilently to the ground.
It was snowing.
“Ha!” It’s like Seraphina had uncovered a long-hidden surprise. Valerio’s laughter rang out, pure andjoyful. “Dad brought me here to share the first snowfall of the season with Mom!”
A warmth surged within Seraphina’s chest, rendering her speechless in the face of the simple, yetprofound, moment.