Chapter 015: Why the Nervousness?

"Since this is a 'sincere' invitation, why didn't you first ask if we were meeting someone else? Or if we were busy? To speak without asking and then persist after being rejected—is this what you call upbringing, Mr. Lu?"

"If I had urgent matters to handle today and your interference ruined them, could you bear the responsibility?"

With that, Seraphina turned and walked away, not granting Lucien Lu another look. It wasn't that her tone was explosive, but anyone could see she was deeply displeased. As she reached the elevator, she tossed his business card directly into the trash bin beside it.

The onlookers gasped. The eldest Miss Pierce might be well-bred, but she wasn't a pushover. She had politely accepted the card; with better luck, one might have actually befriended her. Instead, he chose to overreach, making his ulterior motives as plain as day.

This was Seahaven. The Pierce family was the most influential clan in the city. Was this "Lu person" insane to provoke their eldest daughter here? Many decided then and there to keep their distance from Lucien to avoid trouble. Even some of the people who had come with him looked at him differently. They had once thought he was a smart, capable person to know... but after today, they decided to fade out of his circle.

Lucien Lu’s early success as a college entrepreneur proved he wasn't brainless. He knew exactly how severe the consequences of this scene would be. But just now, he couldn't control himself.

Ever since high school, as long as Solas Sterling was around, no one ever noticed Lucien. In his freshman year, he was the star pupil in the eyes of teachers and students alike. But the moment Solas transferred in during sophomore year, everything Lucien owned was snatched away. Everyone saw Solas; no one saw him. Even the girl he loved had pined for Solas for years, never giving Lucien a second glance.

He lived perpetually in Solas's shadow. If Solas married into the Pierce family, wouldn't he be suppressed for life? Encountering Seraphina here felt like a golden opportunity to interfere. If he could stop the alliance between the Pierces and Sterling, dealing with Solas would be much easier.

He hadn't expected Seraphina to be so "ungrateful," publicly shaming him. In his fury, he hadn't thought through the fallout. Now that reality had set in, he felt regret—but more than that, he felt rage. If not for Solas, he wouldn't have been so impulsive. And Seraphina was no better! He gave her face, and she threw it back at him!

He would remember today's humiliation. Sooner or later, he would trample Solas under his feet and make Seraphina pay for her arrogance.

If Seraphina knew his thoughts, she would have called him a psychopath.

Zelda and the staff member hurried to catch up with Seraphina just as the elevator doors slowly opened. Seraphina saw the person inside.

"Miss Pierce." It was Harvey Zale.

His tone carried a hint of surprise, and faint beads of sweat clung to his forehead—the result of running. Minutes ago, Solas had suddenly contacted him, telling him to go downstairs. When asked why, Solas didn't hide it: he told Harvey to pick someone up who was being troubled. He had added that he must bring her back "completely intact, not a single hair out of place."

Solas's tone hadn't been heavy, but having known him for years, Harvey knew his temperament. Solas had been genuinely anxious and even issued a veiled warning. Harvey knew that if he messed this up, his future days might be unpleasant.

Admittedly, he was a bit afraid of Solas, but not to the point of blind obedience. He hurried down mostly out of curiosity—who could possibly be so important to Solas Sterling? In eight years of friendship, he had rarely seen Solas care about anyone.

He hadn't expected it to be the eldest Miss Pierce! Well... actually, it made sense. Aside from her, he couldn't think of anyone else Solas would care about. It wouldn't be family; Harvey only knew of Solas's elderly grandfather. He had never heard of any other relatives. Either their relationship was terrible, or Solas simply had no other family. In any case, it was unlikely to be a relative.

If it were a family matter, Solas wouldn't have asked Harvey to interfere. And his grandfather wouldn't be visiting a place like The Dawn at night. That left only Seraphina. She was, after all, the person Solas agreed to meet for a blind date.

So, Solas really has fallen for her!

Harvey thought. He trusted Solas’s character; even if Solas needed a powerful family alliance to solidify his standing in Seahaven, he would never exploit someone—unless they had ulterior motives themselves. Seraphina had no such motives and barely any prior connection to him. Therefore, Solas's concern was almost certainly genuine.

Seraphina was incredibly sharp. She caught every micro-expression on Harvey’s face. She felt a sense of doubt, but simultaneously, she deduced a few things. For one, Solas was likely not at The Dawn right now. Harvey had rushed down, even sweating from the effort, just to help Zelda? No. Harvey knew Zelda wouldn't actually come to harm in a place with such strict rules. He also knew Zelda could handle herself. Furthermore, there was no way Harvey could have known about the downstairs incident within minutes on his own. He was a friend of the owner, but he didn't run the security feed.

He had been sent by someone.

The question was: Why would Solas ask Harvey to help them? This was what puzzled her. In this life, they had met only once. They weren't even "acquaintances" yet.

As for how she knew Solas wasn't here—it was based on her analysis of Harvey and her deep knowledge of Solas’s character. Solas wasn't one to meddle. Sending Harvey rather than a random manager showed how much he valued the situation. If he were here, he would have stepped out himself.

So, he isn't here...

She felt a flicker of disappointment. She truly wanted to see him. Yet, ironically, a weight seemed to lift from her chest. She realized her hands had been gripping her handbag tightly.

Was I... nervous?

Nervous about seeing Solas?

She couldn't understand it. With her current state of mind, she shouldn't feel such emotions. He was someone she had remembered for twenty years, her soulmate—why the nerves?

Was she afraid that seeing him would bring back the memory of him dying to save her? Or the twenty years she spent ruling the Sterling family alone after her revenge?

Her mind was a whirlwind, but her face remained calm. She looked at Harvey and nodded slightly. "Mr. Zale."