Tangled in His Obsession (Seraphina)

Chapter 447

Police cruisers once again lined the driveway of the Reynolds Vista Retreat, their blue and red lights casting an eerie glow over the opulent estate. For the staff of the Reynolds family, a visit from law enforcement was nothing novel.

But this time, the incident was unprecedented.

The last casualty was Valerio Reynolds, who had suffered only minor injuries;

This time, however, it was Leandro Reynolds, the family patriarch, who was seriously hurt. The amount of blood he’d lost had been so substantial that despite the cleanup, the living room still resembled a crime scene.

In the midst of this chaos, the officers were meticulously gathering evidence and taking statements.

Standing alone by the grand entrance, Seraphina gazed out over the expansive private gardens and driveway, her eyes reflecting the bright lights with a cool, clear sharpness.

Herman stepped out of the house and positioned himself beside her, lighting up a cigarette with a contemplative frown.

The night breeze carried a wisp of smoke to Seraphina, prompting her to suddenly ask, “Got another one for me?”

Herman, taken aback, glanced at her before hesitantly pulling out another cigarette and handing it to her.

Seraphina took it, placed it between her lips, and leaned in to catch a light from Herman’s lighter. She drew back after a deep inhale, her movements betraying a practiced ease that left Herman momentarily speechless. After a beat, he managed to ask, “Aren’t you going to the hospital?”

With a cigarette pinched delicately between her fingers, Seraphina let out a low chuckle. “What for?”

Leandro was in surgery, racing against death itself. She was unable to enter, unable to see him. If she went, she would merely be another anxious spirit wandering the hospital hallways, eyes glued to the status light above the operating room door.

And even if she could enter, what then? She’d be powerless, a silent witness to his struggle on the operating table.

Waiting made time stretch into an eternity, morphing into something monstrous.

She knew that feeling all too well. So she preferred to distract herself with something else, anything to divert her focus. Perhaps then, when she least expected it, she’d get the news that the surgery was over, and he was going to be okay… After a moment of silence, Herman finally said, “Yeah, Leandro’s a tough guy. He’s come through worse than this. He’ll pull through.” At that, Seraphina laughed again but offered no response.

She had only taken a couple of drags from the cigarette before letting it burn down between her fingers, the ember glowing and fading slowly.

and briefed Herman on the investigation’s progress. “We’ve pretty much wrapped

their room, unseen and unreachable, the police having decided against a

longer,” Herman suggested before taking the

me have a look,”

with a slight smile, she said, “I might

hesitation, he handed her one of the statements.

quickly, then went back to

had started out harmoniously

state of mind, and Bruce, who had been away from

typically assertive to the point of aggression, was uncharacteristically

down. Her mood even seemed

that day, tiptoeing around Gloria as if afraid to

his way to purchase Gloria’s favorite greenhouse-grown cantaloupe and had

at that moment that his phone, left unattended on the coffee table, lit

1/2

09:07

on the sofa, Gloria caught a glimpse of the caller ID-Tina.

to another woman, sent Gloria spiraling out of control

prepared

most serene and

Leandro, who had just

still unable to anticipate Gloria’s fierce outburst, or perhaps he had been trying to protect too many at once and had

man. He wasn’t made of steel, nor was he

her back to everyone. Herman, concerned, took a few steps towards her and suggested, “Should

hesitated, about to speak again when he caught a movement in

looked

Gloria, now changed and groomed, leaned on Karan’s arm. Her face was deathly pale, her

previously erratic and volatile demeanor, Gloria now appeared unnervingly composed

other hand, Karan was inconsolable,

sensing the gravity of the moment, promptly