Tangled in His Obsession (Seraphina)

Upon hearing Simon's words, Seraphina's expression subtly shifted.

Valerio seemed a bit stunned, not understanding why Simon had suddenly become Grandpa, his eyes filled with confusion as he glanced at Seraphina for confirmation.

Seraphina felt a headache brewing and avoided the topic, turning to Valerio, "What did you go out to buy so early? Let me see." In truth, not many stores were open on New Year's Day morning; the father and son had simply gone out early for a stroll out of boredom, picking up a couple of toys for Valerio along the way.

Simon watched as Valerio displayed the toys, a smile quickly spreading across his face. He pushed a large box towards Valerio, "This is a gift from me." The box was nearly as big as Valerio himself, who was visibly taken aback. Once again, he looked towards Seraphina, seeking her guidance.

Seraphina's face wasn't looking too pleased, but perhaps for Andrea's sake, and because it was New Year's Day, she managed to keep her cool and said to Valerio, "Don’t you know to say thank you when you receive a gift?" "Thank you—" Valerio blurted out, but after the thanks, he was at a loss for what to say next.

Simon patted his head and smiled, "No worries, take your time. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out two envelopes, handing one to Valerio, "This is your allowance." "Thank you." Valerio took the envelope, politely expressing his gratitude.

Only then did Simon turn to Seraphina, extending the other envelope to her, "Sera, this is for you." "Me?" Seraphina let out a light laugh, "I've been an adult for quite some time now." "Mm-hmm." Simon nodded and continued, "But I've never given you anything, and although it's just a formality, I'd like to make up for the past." Hearing this, Seraphina subtly turned her face away, reluctant to accept the envelope.

Luckily, Andrea quickly reached out, took the envelope from Simon, and placed it in her hands, "Take it, it's a token of dad's affection." Seraphina stiffened for a moment, but eventually accepted the envelope, carelessly tossing it onto the couch before standing up abruptly, "I need to make a phone call." She walked out, her figure quickly disappearing through the door.

However, it was obvious to everyone that her cell phone was left on the couch, alongside Simon's envelope. The room fell silent except for the sound of Valerio unwrapping his toy.

Leandro, set in his ways and indifferent to others' feelings, didn’t pick up on the awkward atmosphere and just emotionlessly watched Valerio unpack a large box of LEGO.

Conway, as the elder and head of the family, soon broke the silence with a smile, "Sera's always been tough on the outside but soft on the inside." Simon nodded, showing no signs of blame or anger, simply saying, "I haven't done enough." After a pause, Simon stood up and made his way outside.

In the hallway, Seraphina sat on a bench, staring blankly at the garden, the early New Year's chill bringing a faint red to her eyes.

Hearing footsteps, she turned, and her gaze hardened upon seeing Simon.

Simon sat beside her and said, "Do you feel | came too unexpectedly? "No." Seraphina replied, "I think Mr. Martin, so shrewd and decisive, might be a little too naive." "Oh?" Simon raised his eyebrows slightly, waiting for her to continue.

Seraphina scoffed, "Do you really think that what you did in the past, a couple of paintings, a gift, some kindness, can make up for everything?" Simon nodded slowly, "I know what I've taken from you, and that’s exactly why | want to make amends." "You killed my father," Seraphina said through clenched teeth, her words deliberate and sharp.

"I'm offering myself in his place, Simon responded calmly.

"And what makes you think you can replace him? Seraphina retorted coldly.

"Because you have my blood in your veins," Simon stated, "because we are truly father and daughter." Seraphina vehemently denied, "No, we're not!" "We have a long life ahead," Simon said, "There's plenty of time to prove it." He paused, then added, "I am your father, that’s an unchangeable fact." Seraphina bit her lip, silent for a long time, but eventually stood up and walked away before Simon could speak again.

Despite her clear resistance, Simon still stayed for lunch at Reynolds Manor.

After the meal, Simon lingered, not in a rush to leave. He learned a lot about Seraphina's childhood from Conway, looked through many of her childhood photos, and even picked a few pictures of Seraphina from different periods to take with him.

Meanwhile, Seraphina was upstairs in the small living room, with Andrea and Valerio's help, unwrapping gifts.

They needed assistance because the living room was filled with presents—all for her.

Every gift from her first to her 26th birthday, along with every New Year and Christmas present and so on- a total of nearly a hundred diverse items - were all displayed before her.

The giver of these presents, of course, was Simon.

"These were all arranged by dad himself," Andrea said. "I saw him in the study, deep in thought, as if grappling with a huge problem... It was the gift list he was working on." Looking at the mountain of gifts before her, Seraphina suddenly asked, "Does he have a woman in his life?" Andrea was taken aback for a moment before answering, "I'm not sure about that." "Most likely, he does," Seraphina mused. "A man so attuned to a woman's heart, without a few women by his side, wouldn't that be a waste of talent?" Andrea just shook her head with a wry smile upon hearing the conversation, her gesture clearly saying, "That's out of our hands." Seraphina continued to unwrap her presents with an impassive face, opting not to add any more comments.

Downstairs, Conway and Simon had drifted into a conversation about Seraphina's eighteenth birthday—a topic that inevitably brought up some unpleasant memories.

Conway let out a small sigh and said, "You know, Sera's actually a pretty straightforward kid. She's just starved for affection, which is why she's so intense about love and hate. But the more she acts out, the more it shows how insecure she really feels. If Mr. Martin truly cares, all it would take is a bit of attention to win her over. She's not that hard to please." Simon nodded slightly, taking in the advice, and replied, "I appreciate the insight, thank you." That day, until Simon took his leave, Seraphina hadn't finished going through all the gifts upstairs, which meant she didn't come down to see him out.

Simon wasn't in a rush, calmly saying to Leandro, "We've got a small gathering for the Martins' on the third day of the New Year. If you're free, bring Sera along." Leandro's expression remained indifferent as he replied, "We'll see if we have the time." Simon nodded, not pushing further, and left with Andrea.