Chapter 037: Classmate Sterling

Leo cleared his throat to dispel the awkwardness. "Several uncles and elders in the company seem a bit off. I haven't investigated the details thoroughly yet. I originally planned to tell you once I had a clearer picture, but I figured it's better to give you a heads-up. As for the specifics, I'd rather wait until I have concrete information before telling you in detail."

"It's just, Sis... how do I get the feeling that you already know everything?"

Meeting his bright, clear eyes, Seraphina simply smiled gently and offered no further explanation.

"I’ll send you a file later. Take a look. As for those people in the company... just help Dad keep an eye on things. You don't need to speak to him directly; just give him appropriate reminders so he notices them on his own."

The file she intended to send was, naturally, regarding those who had defected to Silas Pierce in her past life.

Calling it "defection" wasn't entirely accurate. It was all a matter of interest. One couldn't say those people hadn't contributed to the company; if they hadn't, they wouldn't have reached high-ranking positions.

Silas Pierce had spent twelve years working in the shadows. He hadn't just bribed one or two people; there were many, and they held pivotal roles within the Pierce Group. If they were all uprooted at once, the company would inevitably fall into turmoil, and the one who would suffer the most would be her father, the head of the company.

There was no need for that. Nor did she intend to do it.

Just as in the latter part of her previous life, after she had dealt with Silas Pierce, she continued to use those same people. They still managed the Pierce Group perfectly well for her. What those people lacked was simply a deterrent.

Most importantly, whether in her past life or this one, those people hadn't done anything to substantially harm the Pierce Group. They had simply chosen to support Silas Pierce’s rise to power after her parents and brother met with accidental deaths. Even knowing that Silas was using the pretext of "managing things for her" while having no intention of ever returning the company, they still chose to back him.

As for why she was sending a file to Leo instead of giving him the final results—it was because she hadn't yet gathered substantial evidence for some things, so they wouldn't be very effective. By sending it to Leo, he could keep a mental note and stay vigilant within the company.

Leo stared at her for a long while. His lips moved as if to ask something, but in the end, he simply nodded. "Fine. Send it over; I'll look at it."

He decided not to ask. When it was time for him to know, he would find out. It seemed his sister had her own plans, so he would just follow her lead.

Seraphina looked at him and smiled. Neither spoke again.

The car continued toward Sea City First High and reached its destination shortly.

The centennial anniversary was a major event for First High. Not only were there many banners outside the school, but many people had arrived. Since the school had invited successful alumni, many relevant leaders of Sea City had also been invited. Combined with the students, a crowd had gathered at the school gate.

Fortunately, it was getting late, and most of the students had already arrived; otherwise, the crowd would have been even larger. On this special day, cars were allowed to drive directly into the school parking lot. Usually, only staff vehicles could enter.

There were two security checkpoints. One was for pedestrians, where ID cards and invitations were checked, and the other was for vehicles, which required the same inspection. On such a grand day, with so many prominent people invited, the school naturally had to ensure security. Checking thoroughly was a necessity to prevent unauthorized persons from slipping in.

Seraphina had the driver take the vehicle entrance.

"Hello, please show your invitation or relevant credentials," a staff member said politely, leaning down to knock on the car window.

Seraphina rolled down the window and handed him the invitation along with Leo’s student ID. When the man saw Seraphina and then Leo sitting beside her, a flash of amazement crossed his eyes. He quickly regained his composure.

In truth, even without looking at the documents, he already knew who they were. The Eldest Miss and Young Master of the Pierce family were celebrities at Sea City First High. There were many photos of them on the school bulletin boards. Both siblings were exceptionally good-looking and famous; the Eldest Miss, in particular, was an artist one could find on Baidu Baike—she was not hard to remember.

However, procedures had to be followed. After carefully inspecting the documents and finding no issues, he handed them back with a smile. "Welcome back to school, Miss Pierce. I wish you and Mr. Pierce a pleasant time."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Miss Pierce. Do you know where the parking lot is?"

"I know," Leo answered.

The staff member smiled as he watched them enter the school. Just after they parked and got out, they ran into acquaintances. At that moment, Leo was still carrying the gifts Seraphina had prepared for her teachers.

"Seraphina!"

Hearing the voice, they looked over to see someone waving. She had a round face, wore a standard ladylike dress, and possessed clear eyes and a sweet smile. At a glance, it was hard not to have a good impression of her.

It was Tina Wu.

Two other people—a man and a woman—stood beside her. Seraphina recognized the man: Lucas Lu. He was the one who had tried to hit on her at The Dawn and always viewed Silas Sterling as his rival.

Standing next to Lucas was a graceful beauty. She had a good figure and a lovely face, wearing a long white dress. She looked pure and delicate. Seraphina didn't know her.

Meeting Seraphina’s gaze, the woman gave a small smile and a nod. It seemed she recognized Seraphina.

When Lucas saw Seraphina, his expression soured, likely remembering their previous encounter. However, perhaps not wanting to lose his composure in public, he forced a smile, acting like a well-bred gentleman.

Tina Wu was on good terms with Xara Zale, so Seraphina knew her, but they weren't close. Since Tina had greeted her, Seraphina responded with a polite nod and a smile. "Hello."

It was a standard greeting—not rude, but not warm either.

Tina, however, seemed oblivious to her distance and walked toward her with delight. "Seraphina, I didn't expect to actually see you at school! I'm just a parasite living off my family; though I have some small projects of my own, I'm far from the level of receiving a centennial invitation. My parents are vacationing abroad, so I came using my dad's invitation."

"I'm a little fangirl of yours, you know. I thought that for a centennial anniversary like this, the school would definitely invite a celebrity like you. Maybe you'd even perform on stage, so I wanted to come and test my luck to see if I could catch one of your performances."

"It's just that tickets for your shows are too hard to get."

"Then I’m afraid I might have to disappoint you," Seraphina said. "I received an invitation, but the school hasn't notified me of anything else in advance."

Tina looked a bit crestfallen. "Oh, I see..."

"But it's fine. I'm just happy to see you."

Seraphina’s eyes held a smile, but her gaze was deep. This Tina Wu...

Just as she was thinking, her train of thought was interrupted. "Miss Pierce, we meet again."

It was Lucas Lu. He and the woman in the white dress approached Seraphina. Seraphina noticed that Lucas was much more restrained this time compared to their meeting at The Dawn. She didn't think he was wary of her status or because he’d been warned before. Her gaze fell on the woman beside him. Lucas's restraint likely had to do with her. The way Lucas looked at her was different. He liked her.

Seeing Seraphina’s gaze on her, the woman smiled faintly. "Miss Pierce, I've heard a great deal about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. My name is Holly Hu. I was a high school classmate of Lucas's. I haven't achieved much; I’m just tagging along with Lucas today to see the sights."

She seemed very natural and unpretentious.

"I was also a high school classmate of Silas Sterling’s. Miss Pierce must know Silas, right? He was a star student in our class and at First High. He graduated a few years before you. He’s quite successful in Sea City now; even if you haven't met him, you've surely heard of him."

She spoke as if she and Silas were very close. Just from her tone, one might think she was someone special to him.

At her words, everyone's expression changed. A flash of ruthlessness crossed Tina Wu’s clear eyes. Lucas’s face darkened immediately. Leo’s gaze turned cold.

Nearby, Xander and Xara Zale, who were about to come over to say hello, froze with their smiles stuck on their faces. Only Seraphina’s smile grew wider.