Chapter 16
Seraphine's POV
I tossed and turned in bed, the image of the yacht photo replaying every time I closed my eyes. A strange, sour feeling spread through my heart—a sense of crisis. I placed a hand on my chest, slowly exhaling into the darkness, completely awake. It was only at this moment that I clearly realized I had developed a possessive feeling for Octavius.
I slept fitfully that night.
The next day, Brielle followed me to the company, ostensibly to learn about the new products for the press conference. I tried to focus on my work, but my mind was elsewhere, constantly thinking about my three o'clock meeting with Octavius. A bold thought popped into my head: 'when I saw him, should I ask about that woman?'
Just then, Sable knocked and entered. "Ms. Whitaker, someone is here to see you."
An idea struck me. I stood up, deliberately leaving an important document related to the press conference on my desk. As I was about to leave, I paused and looked at Sable, who was still standing there.
A small smile played on my lips. "Do you have anything else to do right now?"
Sable snapped back to attention. "No, nothing else."
"Good. My office is a bit messy. Help me organize the files." With that, I turned and left. Sometimes, you have to give people who want to do bad things a little room to play. Otherwise, how would they make their move?
I went to the meeting room, only to find that it wasn't Ondine, but Zephyr. He was holding an exquisite gift box. When he saw me, his eyes lit up, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red.
"Seraphine, Ondine asked me to bring you some pastries." He handed the box to me.
I opened it to find a variety of adorably packaged sweets.
"Thank you for making the trip." I said with a smile, accepting the box. "Let's eat together."
Zephyr looked embarrassed. "I don't really like sweets. Seraphine, have you had lunch? If not, I know a good place nearby."
I looked at him in surprise. The last time he saw me, he was hiding behind Ondine. Now he had mustered the courage to ask me to lunch. It was quite amusing.
"Sure, I'm hungry anyway. Let's go." Besides, I needed to give Sable enough time to work her plan.
I grabbed my bag and left with Zephyr, heading to a restaurant near the company. During the meal, Zephyr was very considerate.
"Seraphine, what are your plans for this afternoon?" he asked as he poured me some water.
I mentioned it casually. "I have to go to the Capulet Group this afternoon to discuss the collaboration." The press conference was approaching, and I had to get Octavius to attend. It was a crucial part of my plan.
For some reason, when I mentioned Octavius, I noticed Zephyr's eyes darken for a moment. Before I could react, he immediately said, "Then let me drive you there. I came by car."
Having a ride was good, so I nodded in agreement.
It was already past one o'clock when we finished lunch, so it was a good time to head over. I just didn't expect a nearby road to have collapsed, forcing us to take a detour and get stuck in heavy traffic.
The minutes ticked by. It was already two-thirty, and the car was still inching forward. Seeing that I was about to be late, I had no choice but to call Octavius.
"Mr. Capulet, I'm stuck in traffic. I might be a little late."
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line before Octavius asked, "Which road are you stuck on? How long will it take?"
I was taken aback, unsure. "It's hard to say. I'm not sure which road we're on right now."
"Put your driver on the phone." Octavius commanded.
I quickly handed the phone to Zephyr in the driver's seat. "Octavius wants to ask you about the situation."
Zephyr took the phone and spoke to Octavius in a low voice. "Yes, I'm the one driving Seraphine. That's right." I couldn't hear the specifics, but he said a few words and quickly hung up.
He handed the phone back to me, his expression a little strange, as if he wanted to say something but was hesitating.
"What's wrong?" My heart sank.
Zephyr's tone was hesitant. "Seraphine, I think Octavius is in a bad mood."
My heart leaped into my throat. Did Octavius hate people who weren't punctual, or was it because the person driving me was a young man?
I smiled at Zephyr. "Don't overthink it. If he's in a bad mood, it's definitely not because of you."
Zephyr glanced at me in the rearview mirror, choosing his words carefully. "I heard that your relationship with him used to be really bad. He was pursuing you, but you didn't agree and even publicly humiliated him."
Hearing him bring this up, I felt even more helpless. "Yes, I was too foolish back then. I really regret hurting him like that. Octavius was very good to me, countless times better than Mitchell. They're not even comparable. I guess I've finally seen people for who they really are now."
In my eyes, Zephyr was like Ondine, so I spoke my true thoughts without reservation.
Zephyr was silent for a long time, then cleared his throat. "So, will you get together with him?"
I was stunned, not expecting him to ask such a question. "That depends on what Octavius thinks."
Zephyr was silent for another two seconds, and for some reason, his tone was a little sour. "Don't worry. If he doesn't want you, I do."
I couldn't help but let out a laugh, taking it as his clumsy attempt to comfort me.
Another hour passed before the traffic cleared. It wasn't until four o'clock that we finally arrived at the Capulet Group building.
As soon as the car stopped, I saw Octavius standing at the company entrance. He was wearing a black suit, which made him look even more decisive and ruthless, exuding a low-pressure aura that warned everyone to stay away.
I got out of the car and thanked Zephyr. "You should head back. Be careful on the road. I'll treat you to dinner another time."
Zephyr gave Octavius a complicated look, nodded, and drove away.