Chapter 003: The Family’s Intentions

Hearing his words, Seraphina’s footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second. "Yes," she replied softly.

"So, what are your thoughts, Sera?" Leo knew their father, Quentin Pierce, well enough to know his standards. As the head of the family, Quentin adored Seraphina; he wouldn't dream of introducing a man to her unless he was exceptionally talented.

"Or rather, how did you find the person Dad introduced?"

In truth, Leo already knew exactly who the candidate was. Seahaven was a tight-knit community for those at the top. There were only a handful of young men who truly stood out, and Solas Sterling was a legend—a man who had built an empire from scratch starting in high school. His achievements were nothing short of extraordinary.

Leo himself was highly gifted, and there were few people he truly admired. But for Solas, he felt not just admiration, but a deep sense of respect. He knew that even with his own talents, building a market-leading company within eight years while still a student was a feat he wasn't sure he could replicate.

Deep down, Leo hoped Seraphina and Solas would end up together. It was rare to find someone he liked, and someone both his parents approved of as well. Before Solas entered the picture, Leo hadn't found anyone he felt was worthy of his sister.

Solas was a legend at Seahaven High, but so was Seraphina. However, since she had achieved fame at such a young age and was often traveling with the Starry Sky Orchestra for international music festivals, she was rarely on campus. Coupled with her total lack of interest in anything outside of music, she had never even heard the name Solas Sterling.

"He's excellent," Seraphina said suddenly.

Her tone seemed to carry a weight of emotion that Leo couldn't quite decipher.

Leo blinked, stunned, before realizing she was answering his question. He was genuinely surprised. By "excellent," did she mean she was satisfied with Solas?

He had been at school all day and didn't know the outcome of the date. When he got home, his parents were out, and his sister was resting, so he hadn't had a chance to ask anyone. Given her personality, he had been certain she would reject the arrangement—not because Solas wasn't good enough, but because she simply wasn't the type to let a blind date determine her future.

He had only asked to gauge her impression. He never expected such a direct, positive answer.

While he genuinely wanted them to be together, hearing that Seraphina actually liked Solas felt... strange. It was as if his only sister was already on the verge of belonging to someone else's family. It was a bittersweet, unsettling feeling.

"So... does that mean you’ve accepted Dad’s suggestion?"

"Not necessarily." Seraphina slowed her pace and gave him a knowing look. "Leo, why do you seem so invested in this? I’m the one on the date, not you. Tell me the truth—do you know the man Dad introduced? And for that matter, I didn't even know today’s dinner was a matchmaking setup until I got there. How did

you

know?"

Leo went quiet, his eyes shifting guiltily.

"...I only found out after I called Dad from school," he muttered. "He mentioned it in passing."

The Pierce family had no need to sell off their daughter for profit. Their desire to set her up stemmed from two things. First, while Seraphina was only twenty-two, she had already been out of university for four years without a single romantic interest. They worried she would never care for marriage if they didn't intervene. Second, Solas was truly remarkable. Despite being in the chaotic entertainment industry, he kept his private life clean and stayed away from scandals. The family was delighted with him, and since he had built his fortune in Seahaven, they weren't worried about their daughter being mistreated in a marriage.

Quentin hadn't acted alone. He wouldn't have dared to make such a big decision without consulting his wife and son first. From the beginning, the three of them had been in total agreement. The only person they kept in the dark was Seraphina herself. They knew perfectly well that if they told her the truth, she would never have agreed to go.

"As for the guy... I wouldn't say I

know

him personally," Leo added. "I've just heard about him. He used to go to Seahaven High too. He was a major figure on campus. Even now, the teachers still talk about him in class."

"I see."

If she were still the person she was at twenty-two in her past life, she might have believed him. But having lived through decades of turmoil, she was no longer that naive girl. She understood their intentions perfectly. Solas might be a bit "foolish" in his kindness, but he was indeed a good man. Her family had an excellent eye for character.

Thinking of something, Seraphina paused. "Is Solas... really that famous at Seahaven High?"

"Yeah. Even years after graduation, rumors about him still fly around. Almost everyone at school has heard of him, just like they've heard of you. You’re both legends there."

Seraphina was well aware of her own reputation, but she truly knew very little about Solas's past. In her previous life, after her family was destroyed and her loved ones were gone, her world had turned gray. She had no energy to care about anything else. When she followed Solas to the Capital, he rarely spoke of Seahaven, perhaps fearing that the mention of her hometown would trigger her grief. He had only mentioned their blind date once—when he was on his deathbed after saving her.

That one mention had stayed with her forever. She had memorized the date of that meeting and never let it slip from her mind. Consequently, she knew almost nothing of his early years in Seahaven. Even the fact that they shared an alma mater was something she’d only overheard from others while living by his side.

"After all this talk, Sera... you're actually interested in him, aren't you?"

Seraphina wanted to say no. But on second thought, even if her feelings for him weren't romantic in the traditional sense, saying she was "interested" wasn't exactly a lie. She knew with absolute certainty that in this life, she and Solas would never be able to go their separate ways.

She looked at Leo and nodded. "Yes, I am interested."

Leo was speechless. Her sudden, dead-serious answer caught him off guard, leaving him unsure of how to react.

Still, her being interested was a good thing, right? The whole point of the date was because they feared she only had eyes for music and would never consider her own happiness. But why did it still feel so weird? Seeing his sister actually "wake up" to romance didn't bring him as much joy as he’d expected. Once she woke up, she'd belong to someone else.

A moment later, the siblings reached the living room. Two people were seated on the sofa—a man and a woman. Though middle-aged, their appearance and aura were impeccable.

These were the heads of the Pierce family: Quentin and Yara Pierce. Seraphina and Leo had clearly inherited their stunning looks.

"Sera, why are you up? Are you feeling alright?" Yara asked, immediately rising from the sofa to meet her daughter. She looked Seraphina up and down, reaching out to check the temperature of her forehead, her face filled with worry and affection.

Quentin didn't speak, but the concern in his eyes was unmistakable.

Seeing them both there, Seraphina felt a sudden, sharp sting in her eyes.