Chapter 3

"Hey, old bat. Clifford is going to propose to me today, you know? Let me show you how romantic the place looks. I heard he only registered his marriage with your daughter without even giving her a wedding ring. Just so you know, your daughter is just a stand-in for me. As for you… You're just his stepping stone.

"Once you're dead, I'll chase Seraphine out of his life! I do have to thank you for one thing, though—that the fruits of your labor are going to bring me wealth and power."

The messages were followed by photos of Clifford and Clarissa holding each other lovingly. There were even explicit videos of them in bed together.

Rage ignited in Seraphine's eyes like wildfire. So, Andrea had died of a heart attack after being provoked by the photos and messages Clarissa had sent her. She'd even taunted Andrea so blatantly!

She burst into heartwrenching sobs, unable to keep her grief at bay. Her heart twisted painfully. She was in agony. She wouldn't let any of the people who'd caused Andrea's death off the hook!

Seraphine cried for a long time before calming down. She dried her tears, swearing to avenge Andrea and leaving unscathed.

Hatred filled her eyes. Clifford had only gotten the chance to return to the Johansen family because of the neural chip for coma patients that Andrea had developed. He was an illegitimate son, yet he'd now been given the right to manage Johansen Group. It was all thanks to Andrea's technology.

Seraphine would make him end up in the dump from which he'd crawled out!

She staggered out of the hospital, feeling distraught. Tears brimmed in her eyes again as she looked up at the cloudless sky. It was her blind love and devotion that had ultimately led to Andrea's death.

She wandered along the streets before ending up at a restaurant that she often visited. She rubbed her rumbling stomach, figuring she would have dinner before heading home. Lorraine was busy with work and wouldn't have time to eat with her anyway.

Seraphine headed into the restaurant, and a waiter came to take her order. She ordered a few dishes and waited for them to be served. In the meantime, she stared out the window blankly, feeling so weighed down by sorrow that it was hard to breathe.

When the food was served, she ate quietly. Suddenly, she was interrupted by a familiar, mocking voice.

"What are you doing here, Seraphine? Didn't I tell you not to show your face in front of me after taking the money? Don't you have any sense of dignity?"

Seraphine stopped eating and looked up to see Clifford and Clarissa. After everything that had happened, she could only see Clifford's twisted and grotesque side.

He appraised her smugly, pleased by the redness of her eyes. It seemed she'd cried for a long time, and he pompously thought it was because of him. Still, he'd lost his bet. She hadn't sought him out all day, and he was upset over losing tens of millions of dollars.

Seraphine glanced at him indifferently before fixing her gaze on Clarissa. The sight of her face made Seraphine want to puke—she was the reason Andrea had died of a heart attack. She wanted to rip Clarissa to shreds, but she knew she didn't stand a chance of taking Clifford down at the moment.

She said coolly, "This is a restaurant, Mr. Johansen. I came first, and I had no idea you guys were coming. And stop being so full of yourself. What makes you think I'd still want to look at your ugly mug, you scumbag?"

Seraphine knew some people had an innate, irrepressible desire—the firm belief that everyone had to revolve around them. Clifford was one of those people.

Meanwhile, Clarissa was simmering. Clifford hadn't been in the best of moods that day, and it was all because of Seraphine. It was likely he'd made room in his heart for Seraphine—they'd spent five years together, after all. That was enough time for one to become attached to an animal, let alone a human.

"You took 200 million dollars from Clifford, Seraphine. Doesn't that weigh down your conscience? And have you shown up here in hopes of creating an accidental encounter so you can make him give you more money?" Clarissa asked sharply.

That amused Seraphine. Why would the money weigh down her conscience?

"Why would I feel guilty? He's only where he is now because my mother invested in him. That makes us something like business partners, right? It's my right to get the money, and my conscience is clear about taking it."

She turned to Clifford. "Let's finalize the divorce when you're free, Mr. Johansen. You can make things official with your mistress."

She no longer had an appetite, so she stood up and left.

Behind her, Clarissa screamed, "I'm not a mistress, Seraphine!"

Clifford caressed her head gently and said soothingly, "That's right. You're not a mistress, Clary. Seraphine is."

Seraphine faltered at his words. So, he only saw her as the other woman? She suppressed her heartache as she strode out of the restaurant. This wasn't the right time to strike. She had to wait until Clifford's company's new product launch. That would be when the real showdown happened.

Outside the restaurant, Seraphine stood by the roadside to hail a cab. Suddenly, she saw Jim Horne, one of Andrea's research collaborators, get out of a car and stride into the restaurant.

She knew Jim and Andrea had never gotten along. Thinking about how Andrea had been poisoned and how Clifford was also at the restaurant, a terrifying guess formed in her mind.