Chapter 562 Jacob: Have You Ever Been in Love?
After Jacob finished speaking, Serafina stood frozen in place.
Dating with marriage in mind—with him, as a real married couple?
Serafina looked up at him, and the world seemed to stop entirely. Before she could process what was happening, the word slipped from her lips: "Yes."
After saying it, she felt dazed again, though she didn't seem to regret it. She knew that for the Penrose family's future, she simply couldn't refuse Jacob. As Ronan had put it, "Jacob agreeing to this arrangement is the greatest fortune our family could hope for."
Jacob took her hand and led her to the car, instructing the driver to start moving. As the engine purred to life, Anya in the front seat sat stunned. Having worked for Jacob for years, she knew his preferences intimately. While Serafina was certainly attractive, she didn't fit Jacob's usual standards or requirements—yet clearly, she had somehow won his favor.
'My God,' Anya thought. 'Jacob has chosen Serafina over Isadora.'
The black sedan glided smoothly through the streets as a dark partition slowly rose between the front and back seats, creating two separate spaces. Serafina, already uncomfortable being alone with men, felt even more uneasy now.
The interior grew dim and intimate.
Jacob checked his watch, then turned to study Serafina.
She was young—six years his junior—with a gentle oval face that radiated warmth and softness.
"Have you ever been in a relationship?" he asked quietly.
Serafina placed her hands on her lap and lowered her head. After a long pause, she answered softly, "No. My father wouldn't allow it."
Jacob frowned slightly. From what he knew, Isadora had dated during her studies abroad. Why was Serafina held to different standards?
Serafina offered a faint smile. "Because I'm not brilliant enough to achieve great things. My father says purity is also an advantage." She spoke matter-of-factly, but the words carried deep sadness.
As the Penrose family's second daughter, she had lived a privileged life far beyond most people's reach, but these comforts came with conditions. Her life had largely been orchestrated by Ronan, and while Lila loved her, she often couldn't intervene.
A long silence filled the car until Jacob took her hand in his—broad, warm, and reassuring. She couldn't help but look at him.
Jacob gazed back at her steadily, his expression not matching someone who had just made such an impulsive decision. After a moment, he said quietly, "I'm glad."
He couldn't fool himself.
Every man had his weaknesses—most wanted a wife with no past lovers.
His mind wandered, unbidden, to Nicole and the years they'd shared. Had she been so disappointed that she chose to walk away from everything that once mattered? What was going through her mind back then?
The way she had helped Theron choose shirts, so natural and familiar, so tender and sweet—he was the only one who couldn't let go.
With complicated emotions swirling within him, Jacob slowly leaned down and lifted Serafina's delicate chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
Though they were barely acquainted, though he felt no overwhelming desire for her, he pressed his cold, beautiful lips to hers.
Serafina was inexperienced and felt little beyond nervousness, but she didn't dare resist. She simply tilted her head back and waited for him to finish. Jacob wasn't urgent; he seemed to be testing her as he gently parted her lips.
As their tongues met, he drew her shoulders closer. Serafina made a broken sound, her hands instinctively moving to his shoulders, then sliding up to clasp around his neck, holding him tightly. Too timid to touch his face, she was nonetheless curious, watching his handsome features soften with the kiss, amazed that someone so ethereal could have such earthly moments.
His nose was perfectly straight, brushing against hers as he kissed her deeper and deeper—beyond what Serafina could handle, given this was her first kiss. She had no experience, no knowledge of how men behaved when aroused, only that Jacob's body was burning hot.
She understood clearly that in this relationship, Jacob held all the power. Like this kiss—inappropriate as it was—because Jacob wanted it, she couldn't refuse.
When the kiss ended, Jacob released her. Serafina breathed in soft gasps, not resisting as she rested her face against his shoulder.
As for love—she didn't dare hope for it. Though she had been struck by his beauty at first sight, though her heart had fluttered secretly, she now suppressed all such feelings. She would be Jacob's girlfriend, perhaps his wife, but never his beloved—because his heart already belonged to someone else.
She knew Jacob didn't love her.
News of Jacob and Serafina's relationship quickly reached both the Windsor and Penrose families, shocking everyone. The two families reacted differently—the Penroses quietly thanked God for their fortune.
On an autumn evening at Windsor Mansion, in the master bedroom on the second floor, Oliver emerged from his shower wearing a loose white shirt, untucked and casual, though it still revealed his solid frame and masculine appeal. He stood on the terrace, smoking a cigarette between his fingers.
Sarah approached and draped a jacket over his shoulders. "It's getting cold. You're not in your thirties anymore."
Oliver pulled the jacket closer and gazed at the distant city lights. "Jacob's with Serafina now. What do you make of it?"
Sarah considered this. "Don't you think Serafina resembles someone?"
Oliver frowned and looked down at his wife. The answer was obvious—Serafina's temperament was remarkably similar to Nicole's: reserved, unassuming, naturally comforting.
No one knew their child better than his parents, and they both understood that without this resemblance, Jacob would never have chosen Serafina.
After a long silence, Sarah adjusted Oliver's clothing, tears gathering in her eyes. "Did you notice what Theron said that day? He mentioned settling abroad with Nicole, returning only when they're older. I think he's considering Jacob and Nicole's history.
"Oliver, I know you've always wondered why Jacob and Nicole separated despite loving each other. It's because they loved too deeply. Love can drive people to madness, make them desperate and possessive, push them to make clean breaks when hope becomes unbearable.
"I believe they still love each other, but now their love takes the form of sacrifice. Nicole's move abroad is one kind, and Jacob's choice of Serafina is another. I actually quite like that girl, Oliver. Perhaps she and Jacob will be good together."
Oliver looked down at Sarah and said hoarsely, "I'm afraid Jacob will hurt her, the way I once hurt you. Sarah, all these years later, I still wake up in the middle of the night, terrified that you won't be there beside me."
Sarah stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around Oliver's waist, holding him quietly. After a long moment, she whispered, "Oliver, we promised each other forever."