Tangled in His Obsession (Seraphina)

Chapter 4

After the main part of the engagement ceremony, the dance party was up next. After Peterson and Edith finished their first dance, more youngsters joined in the fun on the dance floor, having a whale of a time.

Upstairs in the lounge, the Whitmans and the Millers were sitting together, their faces grave after a heated. argument. Ike Whitman, the second son of the Whitman family, was nonchalantly leaning against the window, intrigued by the scene on the dance floor.-

Among the sea of soft, muted colors, a lady in a red dress stood out, her skirt swirling with her dance moves, oozing artistic flair.

The party had been going on for just twenty minutes, and Seraphina had already had five dance partners. Yet, there were still plenty of dudes lurking around, hoping for a chance to dance with her.

The door was pushed open, and Peterson and Edith came in. Edith’s dad immediately picked up a glass of water and threw it at Peterson’s feet.

Ike turned around when he heard the noise.

The parents started arguing again, but Edith and Peterson remained silent, one with a stiff face, the other puffing away on his cigarette, frowning.

The lounge door was pushed open again, and the bridesmaid Amelia appeared, panting.

Edith looked at her with a poker face. “Where have you been?”

“I… I was locked in the toilet. I just managed to get out.” Amelia was startled by the tense atmosphere in the room. “What happened?”

Edith sneered, then turned to look at Ike.

Ike smiled and said, “Come on, it’s a day of celebration. Don’t frown all the time. As for Seraphina… I’ll take care

of it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Peterson looked up at him, his face dark.

Ike had already turned his head, his gaze returning to the banquet hall.

The dance floor was still buzzing.

Apart from the boisterous atmosphere, the open garden at the end of the corridor seemed serene and tranquil.

Seraphina was leaning at the entrance of the garden, holding a slim ladies‘ cigarette in her hand, but it wasn’t

lit.

in no hurry,

impeccably dressed man emerged from the nearby

turned around, she raised the cigarette in her

me a light?”

wind swept through the garden. Standing in the breeze in her red dress with the

a

at him. He was about thirty–five or six, tall and thin, dressed in a well–fitted black suit. He was

Lawson,” she said with

didn’t seem surprised that she recognized him. He

tycoon like him, there was hardly anyone in

his lighter, the blue flame

lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, watched the smoke slowly rise, then looked up

welcome,” Balch said calmly, put away his lighter,

grabbed his sleeve, then draped her arm around his, looking at him with

however, was fixed

the end of the hallway, Ike was coming this way with two

his face remained. “Mr. Lawson, I couldn’t find you in the banquet hall. You came out for

can I do for you, Mr. Ike?”

a smile, “I was hoping to have a

could answer, Seraphina was already clinging to him, cooing, “Mr.

looked at her, seemingly understanding something, and nodded in agreement.

goodbye to Ike, arm in arm

I heard that ever since his wife passed away, he’s been avoiding women, hasn’t he?” one of

behind Ike said.

cigarette, stared at the retreating figures of the two, a smile still on his face, but his eyes deepened, “That depends on the ability of the

Balch, headed towards the

“It’s still early, the dance isn’t over yet, Ms. Bennett,

Seraphina sighed softly and looked down

movement, her

I’m wearing a

followed her gaze and said slowly, “If the shoes don’t fit, you should throw

for these shoes. The more uncomfortable they make me feel, the more I want to

say anything for a moment.

to look at him, “A nice guy like Mr. Lawson may not understand

that, Balch

car, Balch whispered something to the driver. Soon, the driver