Chapter 14
Seraphine's POV
As Octavius's car drove away, I got into my own and headed back to the company. The thought of today's events still made my stomach churn with disgust for Mitchell. He could misunderstand all he wanted; if he thought there was something between me and Octavius, I couldn't be happier.
After my rebirth, I had already made up my mind: if Octavius was still willing to love me, I would definitely be with him. But his thoughts were hard to read now, and I wasn't sure if he still had feelings for me or was just seeking revenge.
Back at the company, I pushed these complicated thoughts aside and began preparing for the press conference. Sable kept trying to pry for details, but I ignored her.
When I got home from work that afternoon, only Amara and Brielle were sitting on the sofa in the living room. I didn't feel like talking to them, so I gave a cool greeting and went straight upstairs.
As I reached the second floor, I paused. A large bouquet of vibrant red roses stood by my bedroom door, a glaring red in the hallway. The bouquet was beautifully wrapped, with a card on top.
I frowned slightly, a wave of annoyance rising within me, and walked over to pick up the card. It was in Mitchell's handwriting: [Seraphine, it's all my fault. Please give me another chance. You will always be my most precious treasure.]
Reading such sappy and insincere words, I felt nothing, not even a flicker of amusement. In my past life, every time he made me unhappy, he would coax me with flowers and love notes like this. Having never been in a relationship before, I was completely taken in by these seemingly affectionate little tricks, easily won over every time. Looking back now, it all felt cheap and ridiculous.
"Flowers from Mitchell? How thoughtful of him." Amara said, appearing behind me with a benevolent smile. "Mitchell is truly sincere with you. What happened with Brielle was just a misunderstanding, a moment of youthful folly."
I had no patience for her nonsense and turned to interrupt her with a smile. "Is sending a bouquet of roses really considered thoughtful?"
Amara was taken aback.
I blinked. "The person who pursued me before would give me antique jewelry just because I was unhappy. If I'm supposed to forgive him for a bouquet of roses, shouldn't I go back to my previous suitor and just marry him instead?"
Amara's expression froze, completely stumped by my retort. I ignored her, picked up the bouquet, and went into my room. The door wasn't fully closed, and I heard Amara's hushed voice outside.
"See, She talks tough, but she still took the flowers. A single bouquet is all it takes to win her over. That's all she's worth!"
Brielle chimed in with a soft snort. "Exactly. Mitchell has always won her over like this. A little trick and she's hooked. It's so ridiculous. She rejects antique jewelry from others but can be won over by a handwritten note!"
I pressed my lips together, slowly sitting down at my desk and looking at the roses I had thrown on the floor. Whether it was the suitor or the one who sent antique jewelry, they were both talking about Octavius. When he pursued me, he would have plucked the stars from the sky for me. Compared to Mitchell, it was like heaven and earth.
I found a few spare vases, filled them with water, and leisurely arranged the unsightly roses. Then, I carried the vases out of my room and went straight downstairs.
Amara and Brielle were still talking in low voices, but they stopped when they saw me coming down, looking at me curiously.
I pushed open the door to the first-floor guest bathroom and placed the vases one by one next to the toilet.
"Leave these flowers here." I said to the cleaning lady. "They're perfect for deodorizing."
Amara and Brielle's eyes widened in unison.
"Those are the flowers Mitchell sent you! How could you put them in the bathroom to deodorize?" Brielle blurted out.
I turned around, took out the card, and slowly tore it to pieces in front of them, throwing it into the trash.
"Seraphine, what is the meaning of this?" Amara said, finally reacting and standing up to face me. "How can you trample on someone's feelings like that?"
My eyes held undisguised disgust. "Anything a scumbag has touched, I find unlucky to look at and disgusting to smell. Isn't it perfect for deodorizing? Does Mom think I should have kept and nurtured these flowers?"
Amara was choked by my words, her face changing color. She suppressed her anger and tried to persuade me earnestly. "Seraphine, I know you're angry, but Mitchell surely knows he was wrong. You have so many years of history together..."
I cut her off. "History? You mean the history he built with Brielle in bed?"
"Seraphine!" Brielle stood up abruptly, her face flushed with anger.
Just as she spoke, there was a sound from the entrance. Heath had returned.
"What's everyone gathered here for?" he asked with a frown.
I immediately put on a wronged yet stubborn expression, looked at him, and my voice choked with emotion. "Mitchell sent a bouquet of flowers, and Mom is trying to persuade me to forgive him and get back together. After he betrayed me, should I just be grateful and go back to him because he sent me some flowers?"
Hearing this, Heath's face instantly darkened. He looked coldly at Amara. "Get back together? He can forget about it! Hasn't the Whitaker family lost enough face? Have you lost your mind, trying to persuade Seraphine to go back?"
Amara's face turned pale as she was scolded, and she opened her mouth to argue.
I immediately grabbed Heath's arm and said sensibly, "Dad, don't blame Mom. She's just worried about Brielle, afraid that no one will want her in the future. She thought that if I could get back with Mitchell, no one would talk about what happened with Brielle. Mom's good intentions were just misplaced."
My words seemed to be in her defense, but every sentence was a reminder to Heath of how indecent his real daughter was.
As expected, Heath's expression grew even uglier, and his eyes were filled with disappointment as he looked at Amara. Amara's chest heaved, but she couldn't say a word, only swallowing her anger. "What are you all standing around for? Dinner is ready!" she snapped, then shot me a furious glare.
I, on the other hand, gave her a sympathetic smile. "Mom, I don't blame you. Don't be angry."
Amara almost choked, her face turning dark. I had learned this trick from her, making someone angry but unable to vent. It was time for her to taste what it was like to punch cotton.
At the dinner table, Amara quickly composed herself and spoke as if nothing had happened. "The company's new product launch is the day after tomorrow. It must be very hard for Seraphine to be in charge of such a big project alone. I think we should let Brielle help co-host. After all, she's family, and many hands make light work."
I took a sip of water, hiding the coldness in my eyes. Her plan was brilliant. First, try to stop me from participating, then let Brielle logically take over and shine at the press conference, right?
Heath frowned, glancing at Brielle with disgust. "It's better if she doesn't attend such an event. The press conference will be live-streamed. With your reputation so bad recently, wouldn't your presence just ruin the company's name?"
Brielle's face turned pale, and she didn't dare to speak.
Amara seemed to have anticipated this and immediately smiled. "It's precisely because of the recent rumors about the sisters not getting along that Brielle should make an appearance. Let the outside world see that the Whitaker family sisters are united. The previous rumors will be dispelled, and the other gossip will gradually die down."
Amara's eyes held a calculating look as she smiled at Heath.
My hand holding the fork paused slightly. As expected, Heath had always been concerned with the family's reputation. Hearing Amara's words, he began to hesitate.