Chapter 010: Harvey Zale is Present

Seraphina frowned slightly.

Did I forget?

She searched her memories; they didn't seem fragmented. That meant she hadn't forgotten, but rather she had

never

known the reason Solas suddenly became a serial dater. Given their deep history in her past life, it made no sense that she wouldn't know why a man of integrity turned into a playboy.

Was it because too much time had passed, or because she was so consumed by grief and revenge back then that the details of his dating life became unimportant and faded from memory? It was possible. Yet, even as she told herself this, something felt off. Solas was different to her—different in a way that surpassed her own life. She remembered his first girlfriend, Gillian, perfectly; it stood to reason she shouldn't have "faded out" such a significant turning point in his life.

Did I truly lose a piece of memory?

The question didn't plague her for long. She was a rational woman; she knew thinking about it now wouldn't produce an answer. She tucked the doubt into the back of her mind. If an answer came later, fine; if not, it likely wouldn't change the grand scheme of things.

While Seraphina was calm, everyone else—including Zelda—was stunned by her words. They were all thinking the same thing:

What does she mean? Is she saying the blind date was a success?

The rumors they’d heard said she had flatly rejected the match. If the rumors were true, how could she speak like the "lady of the house" protecting her territory?

Among the group, several girls felt a surge of jealousy. Not every man could build a business empire from scratch starting in high school like Solas Sterling. And he was incredibly handsome to boot. Many women wanted him. Knowing Quentin Pierce favored him had made many anxious; hearing Seraphina had rejected him had made them celebrate her "foolishness." Now, it seemed their celebration was premature.

However, no one dared ask for clarification. They were afraid that if the match

was

real, being noticed now would mark them as a rival in Seraphina's eyes—and with the Pierce family behind her, that was a dangerous position.

Zelda was also shocked, but she kept her mouth shut until they were away from the group. As soon as they exited the mall, she chased after Seraphina with questions. "Sera, what is going on with you and that CEO of J-H Entertainment?"

Seraphina gave a faint smile. "My father thought well of him and introduced us. We had a blind date a few days ago. It’s no secret in our circle; didn't you know?"

Of course she knew! Her cousin, Harvey Zale, had been close friends with Solas since high school. Harvey had even told her about the date, hoping she would put in a good word for Solas with Seraphina. Harvey seemed very keen on the match, even though he claimed he was just "playing matchmaker" because they looked good together.

"I know that! I’m asking about

now

. Have you actually taken a liking to him?"

Seraphina didn't answer directly. "My father was right; he is indeed an extraordinary man."

Knowing Seraphina's character, Zelda realized that since Sera had spoken so pointedly in front of those women, she most likely

did

have an interest in him. But it was still baffling. Seraphina was someone who naturally repelled the idea of arranged marriages; Solas should have lost at the starting line.

"Sera... are you for real?"

Seraphina looked ahead, her eyes filled with an emotion Zelda couldn't read. "I’m not sure if it’s 'for real' yet, but I think Solas is someone worth getting to know."

Seraphina was never one to play with emotions—hence being single at twenty-two. If she said this, she meant it.

"I used to think people were exaggerating about the founder of J-H Entertainment," Zelda said. "But now I see the rumors were true. Someone who can make

you

interested must be exceptional. Sera, if you like him, don't let go. I trust your judgment and I’ll support you."

Seeing Zelda's sudden serious face, Seraphina felt a twinge of guilt. "Mm." She didn't actually have romantic designs on Solas, but to stay close enough to protect him from bad relationships, she had led even her best friend to the wrong conclusion.

I'll explain it slowly when I have the chance,

she thought. Regardless, her life was now destined to be intertwined with his.

Aside from warding off "rotten peaches," she couldn't leave him alone. The enemy who had used her to kill Solas in her past life was still very much alive, and Solas was still unaware of those hidden ambitions.

"Zelda, your cousin Harvey is friends with Solas, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing, just... don't tell him about what happened today. I did technically reject Solas during the date; it would feel awkward for him to find out about my change of heart like this." Seraphina felt a headache coming on. It was difficult to approach a man after a flat rejection without looking suspicious or fickle, especially given her "dignified lady" persona.

"I thought it was something major! Don't worry, I get it," Zelda said, though she looked at her friend suspiciously. "But Sera, rejecting someone and then realizing you have feelings for them? That's so not like you. With your EQ, you shouldn't be so slow on the uptake. And deciding to chase him back? That's even less like you!"

Seraphina: "..."

"It's hard to explain," she said.

She wanted to leave it at that, but Zelda nodded solemnly. "True. Feelings are never easy to explain. It's understandable that you'd act out of character for your first real crush."

Seraphina: "..."

What Seraphina didn't know was that while the women in the mall were busy being shocked, someone else had been standing around the corner of the stairwell, equally stunned.

It was Harvey Zale, who had been accompanying a female companion shopping. He had spotted Zelda and Seraphina and was about to say hello, but stopped when he saw the other group of women. He had intended to wait for them to leave—mostly because his relationship with Solas made him a target for girls wanting an introduction, and he didn't want the headache.

Unexpectedly, he had overheard Seraphina's shocking declaration. Watching them take the elevator down, he immediately whipped out his phone.

"Solas, guess who I just saw at the mall?"