Tangled in His Obsession

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 air and continued speaking to their son, Valerio, “If you really want to know where you came from, and where 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 to Leandro.

“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 is nonsense?”

Caught off guard, Seraphina fell silent, her cheeks flushing at Valerio’s innocent gaze. She turned away, 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 forgotten that 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 with nothing 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 the business once more, to prevent herself from becoming the layabout Leandro seemed intent on creating.

However, following Leandro’s “lesson,” Valerio was unusually cooperative that night. He didn’t ask for Seraphina’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’s bedroom-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 networked with 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 the rhythm, 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 thought of 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 of two 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 smaller one was flipping through an

art book on the couch.

Hearing Seraphina approach, both heads turned toward her.

“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 seeing them 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 about him, and in a weak

09:42

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 younger sister?”

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 afraid of her than of Leandro, so Sandy explained nervously, “Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Reynolds, we were just about 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 after this?”

Leandro merely cast a fleeting glance at her, his tone laced with dry amusement. “Since when did you become so easily embarrassed?”

Seraphina bit back a retort, a flicker of alarm crossing her mind-indeed, when had her famously thick skin 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, the sting of discontent spurred her to throw one last jab at Leandro. “What a pity, Mr. Reynolds. Just as you’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 has thick skin or thin skin, Dad will love her anyway.” This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Seraphina shot Valerio a look, but Leandro chuckled softly, his laughter serving as his silent agreement.

As they stepped out of the grand hall and into the night, Seraphina halted in her tracks, caught off guard.

The sky was a deep obsidian, and beneath the dim glow of streetlights, delicate flakes of white danced silently to the ground.

It was snowing.

“Ha!” It’s like Seraphina had uncovered a long-hidden surprise. Valerio’s laughter rang out, pure and joyful. “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, yet profound, moment.