Chapter 65
Octavius's POV
Seraphine hadn't contacted me in the past few days.
I could roughly guess what was on her mind.
She had simply taken Quinlan's words to heart, afraid that if I came, I would be gossiped about by those who didn't know better, causing me embarrassment.
How foolish.
When had I, Octavius, ever cared about what others said?
I appeared wherever I pleased, and the opinions and gossip of others had no effect on me.
In this life, only those I care about have the power to hurt me.
So, I came.
But I didn't expect to see Mitchell presenting a diamond ring and spewing nauseating words, putting Seraphine in a difficult position.
"It's quite lively in here."
I walked in slowly.
All the murmuring instantly ceased, and countless gazes focused on me, filled with awe and curiosity.
I ignored the frozen Mitchell and walked over to Seraphine.
When she saw me, surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes, mixed with a hint of imperceptible grievance."You still came."
I smirked slightly. "What, not welcome?"
Seraphine's expression tightened. "No, I was just afraid..."
I didn't let her finish. "Don't be afraid. I'll handle it."
With that, I looked down at Mitchell from my superior height.
He was still holding up that diamond ring.
"Mitchell," I began, my tone casually cruel, "you just said that to win Seraphine, you would give anything and spend the rest of your life repenting?"
Mitchell's Adam's apple bobbed, and a fine cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Under my gaze, all his carefully rehearsed lines seemed to get stuck in his throat.
Mitchell nodded uncomfortably. "Yes! My feelings for Seraphine..."
I cut him off impatiently."Alright, since you're so sincere, I'll give you a chance."
Confusion and unease rose in Mitchell's eyes.
The surrounding guests were also bewildered.
I said slowly, "How about this? You hand over the Stafford family's assets."
The color drained from Mitchell's face instantly.
I added, "If you do that, I won't compete with you for her. How about it?"
As my words fell, even the sound of breathing seemed to disappear from the banquet hall.
Everyone was stunned into silence by my words.
I knew they were shocked that I was still interested in Seraphine, and even more shocked by my thunderous move to swallow up a family with just a few light words.
Although the Stafford family was no match for the Capulet family, they were still one of the long-established local powers in the city.
My single sentence demanding the Stafford family's assets was also a show of force, a warning to them not to forget that I was not someone they could casually gossip about.
Mitchell was completely panicked. "I..."
"Unwilling?"I raised an eyebrow, my gaze suddenly sharp. "So you were just playing with everyone?"
Mitchell's mouth opened, but no sound came out.
I couldn't be bothered to waste any more words on him and gave a signal with my eyes.
The bodyguard behind me immediately stepped forward and snatched the jewelry box from Mitchell's hand.
Mitchell wanted to resist, but when he met the bodyguard's fierce gaze, he cowardly pulled his hand back.
One of the bodyguards quickly came to me.
I took the checkbook the bodyguard handed me at the right moment, signed a number, tore it off, and threw it at Mitchell.
"Your diamond ring, I'll take it."My tone was flat. "It'll be perfect for adding a little sparkle to my dog's kennel. He's been complaining it's not bright enough lately."
Mitchell's face instantly turned crimson with shame and indignation.
He stared at the check on the floor, but didn't even have the courage to bend down and pick it up.
Under countless gazes, Mitchell, utterly humiliated, pushed through the crowd and fled.
The scene was still dead silent. Everyone had their heads bowed, not daring to breathe, afraid of attracting my attention.
Just then, I felt a gentle tug on my sleeve.
Looking down, it was Seraphine.
She tilted her small face up, her eyes sparkling, as if filled with tiny stars.
Seraphine took a deep breath, as if mustering a great deal of courage, her voice clear and crisp. "Octavius, today is my birthday. Can I invite you to cut the cake with me?"
Heath, standing nearby, also reacted immediately, smoothing things over. "Yes, it's Seraphine's honor that Mr. Capulet could grace us with his presence!"
I glanced at Heath coolly, a silent response.
My gaze returned to Seraphine. Seeing the cautious anticipation in her eyes, my heart softened a little.
I nodded.
The birthday song began, and the candles were lit.
I stood beside her, watching her close her eyes and make a wish devoutly.
Seraphine opened her eyes and smiled as she blew out the candles.
"Done."
We held the handle of the cake knife together.
Seraphine's hand was soft and slightly cool.
I wrapped my palm around her hand and cut down. The surrounding people cheered.
I handed her the gift I had prepared beforehand."Open it yourself later."
Seraphine took it, held it tightly to her chest, and nodded vigorously.
Seeing that everyone was starting to eat cake, I prepared to leave.
Just as I was about to turn and go, Seraphine called out to me again.
"Octavius," she looked at me with sincerity and gravity, "please wait a moment."
I keenly sensed that she seemed to want to say something important.
As expected, Seraphine's gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on me. "While everyone is here today, I would like to formally apologize to you. I'm sorry for being deceived by someone like Mitchell in the past and saying those very harsh and hurtful things to you."
"And thank you, thank you for still being willing to forgive me and come to my birthday party."
She spoke these words with candor and sincerity, not shying away from her past actions.
I turned my head to look at Seraphine.
She was publicly clearing my name.
Using her own mistakes to silence the crowd, to stop everyone from gossiping about how I had once pursued her so humbly.
Seraphine chose to bear the blame herself, placing me in the noble position of being magnanimous even after being wronged.
It seemed she had truly realized how terribly she had treated me before.
Something gently nudged my heart, and I suddenly felt that Seraphine's sensibility at this moment was heart-wrenching.
"My presence here means I don't mind the past. And from now on, I don't want to hear anyone talk about the past again."
The others clamped their mouths shut, understanding my warning.
Seraphine smiled at me from a distance, but her eyes were slightly red.
I nodded to her and turned to leave with large strides.
Sitting in the car, the world fell silent.
I leaned back against the seat and slowly raised my hand to cover my left chest.
The bodyguard in the front seat noticed my strangeness and turned back nervously. "Mr. Capulet, are you alright?"
I waved my hand, signaling that I was fine.
It was just that my heart had throbbed in a way it hadn't for a long time.
My gaze shifted to the window outside, and the corners of my lips curved up uncontrollably.