Playtime's Over, CEO: She's Really Done With You-Chapter 514: Are You Still Thinking About Serena Sterling?

Chapter 514: Chapter 514: Are You Still Thinking About Serena Sterling?

Early in the morning, Silas Hawthorne was sitting in the car, taking Seraphina to school.

Seraphina looked at the seat beside her, feeling a bit empty inside.

Normally, as long as Serena Sterling wasn’t busy, she would always take Seraphina to school, but now...

Silas Hawthorne saw Seraphina’s dejected look and understood her thoughts.

But he didn’t know what to say, so he just gently patted her arm in comfort.

Seraphina looked up and glanced at Silas Hawthorne.

"Dad." Seraphina called out.

"Mm." Silas Hawthorne reached out and touched Seraphina’s head.

He knew that Seraphina used to call Serena "Aunt Serena" and him "Uncle Silas," but after the factory incident, Seraphina had completely changed what she called them.

Serena had always looked forward to her calling her "mom" because it signified that Seraphina had fully accepted them.

But the cost of this change...was quite significant.

Moreover, Serena never got to hear Seraphina call her "mom."

"Dad, will you have time to pick me up this afternoon?" Seraphina asked.

Silas Hawthorne nodded: "Alright, I’ll be there."

Only then did Seraphina smile, nod, and get out of the car.

Silas Hawthorne also got out, and like the other parents, he walked her to the classroom.

"Mr. Hawthorne?"

"Is Mr. Hawthorne dropping off his child at school?"

"I didn’t expect Mr. Hawthorne to personally bring his child."

Silas Hawthorne responded with nods to everyone.

"I hope the children have fun." Silas Hawthorne said, "My daughter Seraphina has a special situation, so she might fall behind a bit. I hope everyone will take care of her."

The people in Aeston all knew about Seraphina’s situation, so they smiled and nodded.

Finally, he walked her to the classroom door. Silas Hawthorne watched her sit down with her little backpack, waved goodbye, and then turned to leave.

He still felt reluctant.

Silas Hawthorne glanced back once more.

He saw Seraphina still smiling at him.

He smiled back before turning away.

Children need to have their own independent lives and can’t be held onto too tightly.

...

The day passed busily just like that.

Silas Hawthorne continued dealing with company matters.

Julian Lawson’s sentencing had come down; it wasn’t a long term, but he was currently out on medical parole.

He underwent countless examinations in preparation for his first surgery the next day.

Concerning his legs, he wasn’t sure how he felt.

Whenever he thought of those legs, he thought of her in the flames.

Covered in blood, her fate unknown.

It hurt terribly.

"Brother Julian, the surgery is tomorrow. If this one is successful, things should improve." Isla Lawson spoke up.

Julian Lawson nodded but continued staring at a point to the side, lost in thought.

"Brother Julian, are you still thinking about Serena?" Isla Lawson asked as she observed him.

"Yes." Julian Lawson replied, "I remember the jewelry set I made with Tanzanite."

Previously, while in a car chase, the box fell out, and the Tanzanite within fell into the river.

"I see," Isla said, "Jude Chaucer has been busy near the river these past few days; did you ask him to do that?"

Julian Lawson nodded.

At that moment —"Knock knock knock."

Someone knocked on the door.

Then Jude Chaucer came in.

"President Lawson, we found it." Jude Chaucer said excitedly, placing the box in front of Julian Lawson’s bed.

He had hired many skilled hands and exerted great effort to retrieve it.

Though the odds were slim, he was lucky enough to find it all.

Julian Lawson looked at the box before him, reaching out but hesitating to open it.

Isla Lawson and Jude Chaucer exchanged glances and quietly left, closing the door behind them.

Who knows how much time passed.

Eventually, Julian Lawson reached out and opened the box.

The jewelry set he had crafted with Tanzanite was neatly arranged inside.

He seemed to see once again the scene of passing by the shop with her for the first time and seeing that Tanzanite piece.

She said she hoped their child would have eternal love and know that Mommy and Daddy would always love him.

He recalled at the charity auction gala, he and the masked her repeatedly raising their bids, her eyes showing depths of black.

And later...

Tears fell drip by drip.

He clenched the jewelry set, unable to control himself any longer.

Who knows how much time passed.

Julian Lawson finally composed himself.

Isla Lawson and Jude Chaucer came back in.

"I want to go see Seraphina." Julian Lawson said.

Isla Lawson and Jude Chaucer exchanged a glance.

"Seraphina is in school now." Isla finally said.

"I know." Julian Lawson said, "I want to see her and give her this..."

Julian Lawson lowered his head and placed the jewelry back in the box.

"For her." he said.

"Brother, you mean...?" Isla was a bit confused.

But Jude Chaucer gave her a look.

Isla Lawson fell silent.

"I want to fulfill this wish before my surgery tomorrow." Julian Lawson said, "So even if the surgery fails..."

"It won’t fail, knock on wood!" Isla Lawson immediately interrupted.

Jude Chaucer quickly went to make arrangements.

The car sped along, quickly reaching Seraphina’s elementary school.

It was already afternoon, but school wasn’t over yet.

Seraphina’s current period was an art class.

She was cutting paper with her little friends.

The teacher was preparing for dismissal, leaving only the kids in the classroom.

"Hey, Seraphina." a boy next to her suddenly called.

Seraphina looked up, puzzled: "What’s up?"

"I heard from my mom, is it true your mom’s about to die?" the boy asked further.

Seraphina instantly felt upset, clenching her small fists.

"My mom is just injured; she’s not dead." Seraphina replied immediately.

"Really?" another mischievous boy gathered around, saying, "But why did I hear your dad’s at the end of his rope and had to pray to Buddha."

"Yeah, it’s been so many days, everyone’s saying your mom won’t make it."

Seraphina’s eyes reddened.

"You’re lying!"

Seraphina shouted: "My mom is fine; she’s just injured!"

The crowd shook their heads, and then someone said: "Also, you’re not your parents’ real daughter, right?"

"I saw it on a livestream when you were kidnapped, Serena said it was just a persona; she doesn’t really care about you."

Seraphina was on the verge of tears.

She was already very worried about Serena, and now to be told this.

"That’s not true!" Seraphina shouted, "My mom was only trying to save me, to keep the bad guys from grabbing me!"

"Oh, really? But you’re not her biological daughter; my parents said if Serena and Silas have another child, you’d be an outsider."

"I’m not an outsider!" Seraphina cried.

Crying, she said: "Mom treats me well; she said I’m her daughter! She said she’d never abandon me!"