Chapter 004: The Phone Number

In her memory, her parents had been gone for twenty-eight years. The warmth of a mother’s care and a father’s protection felt like something from a distant, ancient lifetime.

In her previous life, she had never dared to dwell on the days when they were still alive. Whenever she tried to reminisce, the memories were always eclipsed by the horrific, agonizing way they had left this world.

Once again, Seraphina felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that everything could be undone.

Pushing down the prickling sorrow in her eyes, she reached out and squeezed Yara’s hand. "Mom, I’m really fine," she said with a gentle smile.

"Well, your fever has definitely gone down. But honestly, look at you—you're an adult, yet you still manage to get yourself into this state," Yara scolded, though her eyes were brimming with tenderness.

Seraphina hugged her mother’s arm and gave it a playful tug. "The weather changed so fast, I just wasn't paying attention. It’s okay, Mom. It was just a fever. A little medicine and a long nap were all I needed. See? I’m perfectly fine now."

"Fine? Look at your face. You’re as pale as a ghost."

Despite the bittersweet ache in her heart, Seraphina was genuinely happy. She grinned. "Mom, I’m starving. Leo mentioned dinner was ready when we were coming down. Let’s go eat."

"Listen to you—acting like a spoiled child at your age. What are we going to do with you?" Yara teased, though she didn't pull her arm away. She called out to Quentin, who was still on the sofa, "Let's eat!"

Quentin rose at her call.

Seraphina turned her gaze toward him, watching him for a long moment before lowering her lashes, her lips pressed into a thin line. She made a silent vow: she would protect this picture of family harmony at all costs. She would never allow anyone to shatter it again.

The family moved into the dining room and took their usual seats.

Midway through the meal, Quentin looked at Seraphina. "Are you still angry?"

Being back at the family table had caused Seraphina’s mind to drift back to the tragedies of her past life; it took her a moment to realize what he was asking. She quickly shook her head. "No, I'm not."

At this point in her previous life, she

had

been furious. The idea of an arranged marriage was the antithesis of everything she wanted. She believed her future should be hers to decide, not something brokered over a dinner table.

But now, she felt the opposite of anger. She felt lucky. If it hadn't been for that matchmaking attempt, she might never have met Solas Sterling. And without meeting him, she might have been murdered—pushed from a rooftop with no one to catch her.

If she had died then, who would have avenged her family?

Even without the threat of death, she wouldn't have had the power to seek justice on her own. She was talented and successful, yes, but only in the world of music. That was no weapon against her enemies. Every skill she eventually used to settle the score had been taught to her by Solas.

Her connection to him had started with this very dinner.

Quentin studied her for a moment. Once he was certain she wasn't just hiding her resentment, he nodded. "Good. I’m glad."

"Sera, I know how you feel about these things, which is why I didn't tell you the real reason for lunch today. But your father would never hurt you. Solas is a rare talent with impeccable character. I spent a long time observing him before I decided to introduce you. You should at least consider him."

"Of course," he added, "if you truly don't like him, I won't force it."

She knew he wouldn't. In her past life, once she had voiced her firm opposition, her parents had never brought up the subject again.

"Don't blame us too much, honey," Yara added. "If you’d only show an interest in someone, we wouldn't have to arrange things for you. You've been out of university for four years and haven't had a single male friend around. We were just worried."

Seraphina gave a helpless sigh. "Mom, I’m only twenty-two. There’s no rush."

She was indeed only twenty-two, but it was also true that she had graduated four years ago. Seraphina thought to herself that she probably shouldn't have been in such a hurry to finish her studies early back then.

"Besides, who says I don't have male friends? Isn't Finnian Foster a friend?"

The Fosters were another prominent family in Seahaven and old family friends of the Pierces. Finnian was the eldest son, the same age as Seraphina. They had grown up together—true childhood sweethearts.

Yara gave her an annoyed look. "Don't bring up the Foster boy. You've known each other forever; if something was going to happen, it would have happened by now. I’m your mother—I can tell you don't feel that way about him."

"If Solas doesn't interest you, I’ll find a few more candidates for you to meet. You can take your time and choose someone who actually catches your eye."

"That said," Yara continued, "it won't be easy to find someone better than Solas. When your father first picked him out and told me about him, I was impressed. A young man who started his own business in high school and became a market leader in just a few years... plus he’s handsome and has a solid reputation..."

"Okay, Mom, let's eat," Seraphina interrupted, placing a piece of food into Yara’s bowl. She laughed softly. "Dad, Mom, don't worry about this anymore. I know what I’m doing."

Yara’s eyes lit up. "What does 'knowing what you're doing' mean? Do you already have someone you like?"

Quentin lowered his chopsticks and looked at her expectantly. Only Leo glanced at her briefly before returning to his food.

Someone she likes? As if,

Leo thought. If anything, she had probably just developed a spark of interest in Solas. She had been asking about him since they were on the stairs, which was already highly unusual for her.

"Sera, let me tell you," Yara said, "the Pierce family doesn't care about social status, but we care deeply about character. If there’s someone you like, tell me. I’ll help you vet them. After all, I’ve lived longer than you; I’m a better judge of people."

Yara wasn't just a housewife; she was an accomplished pianist with a significant reputation of her own. She certainly had the right to claim she was a good judge of character.

The Seraphina of this age in her past life was a naive, sheltered lady. But the woman sitting here now had lived through decades of experience. Of course, to everyone else, she still had to maintain that "innocent" image.

"If you don't trust my judgment, tell your father. He’s spent years in the business world—he’s seen every kind of person imaginable. His eye is even sharper."

"Mom, stop gossiping. I don't have some secret crush."

Seraphina paused, realizing she needed a reason to stop them from hunting for more suitors. If they kept lining up candidates, it would be a nightmare to manage. She steeled herself and took the plunge. "I just... I thought about it after I got home. I think Solas Sterling is actually pretty good. I’m planning to get in touch with him and see where it goes."

In her past life, Solas was the one person she could trust with her life. She figured he wouldn't mind her using his name as a temporary shield. She could make it up to him later.

Besides, to prevent him from being swindled by those toxic women again, she intended to stay close to him and expose their true colors. Shading him from those "rotten peach blossoms" was her plan anyway. Using this excuse now would save her the trouble of explaining their future interactions to her parents.

"Really?" Yara looked at her skeptically.

Quentin was equally doubtful. "Sera, you aren't just saying this as an excuse to get us off your back, are you?"

Seraphina felt a pang of guilt. "...Of course not. I’m serious. I think he’s interesting, and I want to get to know him better."

"In that case, I’ll give you his number after dinner," Yara said, her expression becoming serious. "But Sera, your father and I want to be clear: we aren't forcing you. If you truly don't like him, that’s the end of it."

Seraphina knew they meant it. Their only concern was her apparent lack of interest in any romantic future; they only stepped in because they feared she was leaning toward a life of solitude.

"I know," she replied. Their love was never something she doubted.

As for getting Solas’s number—that worked out perfectly. With her mother providing the contact info as an excuse, her calling him wouldn't raise any eyebrows at home.

"I’ll send it to you right now!" Yara said, pulling out her phone immediately.

Seraphina smiled helplessly, her eyes warm.

Having such a lively family is wonderful.

Then, a thought occurred to her, and her eyes narrowed slightly. "Mom, have you been in touch with... Aunt Fiona Foster lately?"

Yara, still happily focused on her phone, didn't think much of the question. "Yes, we spoke last night. Fiona said she and your uncle are coming back to the country in a few days."

"Why the sudden interest? Did the Foster boy say something to you?"

Fiona Foster was the daughter of the Foster family—or more accurately, a recognized illegitimate daughter. She was Finnian’s nominal aunt.

Seraphina’s grip on her chopsticks tightened. "Yeah... Finnian mentioned in passing a few days ago that his aunt was returning. I just remembered and thought I'd ask."