Tangled in His Obsession

Chapter 439

At the crack of dawn, Leandro’s flight touched down punctually at Sunburst City Airport.

Stepping out of the terminal, he went straight back to the Reynolds Group headquarters.

Leandro, after a quick change of clothes, entered the boardroom in his stride.

Inside, the majority of shareholders were already present, awaiting the start of the routine shareholders’ meeting.

As Leandro crossed the threshold, he sensed an unsettling tension in the air.

Sure enough, as the meeting progressed, the atmosphere thickened with palpable unease.

Despite all Reynolds Group’s companies and projects running smoothly with nary a hitch, this meeting took a different turn, with a few shareholders nitpicking and throwing challenges his way, seemingly eager to hold Leandro accountable.

Throughout this ordeal, the Reynolds clan remained neutral, with the exception of Bruce, and nobody else spoke up in Leandro’s favor.

This silence did not go unnoticed by Bruce, who sensed that something was amiss.

The meeting concluded with Leandro’s expression unchanged, while Bruce looked stormy.

Not long after Leandro returned to his office, Bruce followed.

“What’s your take on that meeting?” Bruce inquired.

Leandro, buried in paperwork, replied without looking up, “Some are never content, others are itching for a chance. It’s all pretty standard.”

Bruce had largely stepped back from company affairs in recent years. Hearing Leandro dismiss the tension as “standard,” his expression darkened, “When has Reynolds Group ever undergone a major shift without your lead? After all the effort to get here, they should be grateful, not plotting against you.”

Leandro continued to focus on his documents, well-aware of Bruce’s approach. The company had been on shaky ground when Bruce took over, and now, despite its stability, Bruce still held out hope for the other members in the family.

“Never mind the shareholders, Bruce said. “Shouldn’t we schedule a family meeting?”

A smirk slowly formed on Leandro’s lips, “What good would that do?”

“It might remind your aunts and uncles of their last name, for starters,” Bruce suggested.

“They know their last name all too well, which is exactly why we’re in this situation,” Leandro responded.

Bruce paused, taken aback, then heard Leandro continue, “Remember the last time my mother lost control and lashed out at Valerio? Supposedly, she overheard about Valerio from your sister who was chatting with the housekeeper. Do you believe that was just an accident?”

Bruce was stunned, “Your aunt has always been gentle, she wouldn’t-”

“Not her,” Leandro cut him off, “but who else behind the scenes but someone from the Reynolds family?”

Bruce’s expression hardened, “Then we must have that family meeting.”

“No need,” Leandro insisted, “I’m curious to see what other tricks they have up their sleeves.”

Bruce, after a moment of silence, finally spoke again, “How’s your mother doing lately?”

“If you cared, you’d see her yourself,” Leandro countered, “If it’s just small talk, don’t bother. You wouldn’t care for the real answer anyway.”

Bruce, slightly embarrassed, hesitated before speaking, “If her mood isn’t stable, my presence might upset her more. But if she’s better, perhaps I could visit…”

Leandro looked up at him finally.

“If your mother truly recovers…” Bruce started, “maybe she and I could amicably part ways.”

“You’re too hasty, starting with a breakup,” Leandro said, abandoning his pen and locking eyes with Bruce.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Bruce quickly explained, “If she’s willing, I’d want to spend some time with her like friends first… It might make it easier for her to accept things later.”

Leandro coldly replied, “We’ll see.”

Knowing the timing wasn’t right, Bruce let the matter rest.

After Leandro left Summitville, Seraphina’s days should have been carefree and easy.

Her biggest concern had been Valerio’s adjustment, but after his two days at school smoothly and even looking forward to it, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

With Valerio settled and Andrea finding success in Summitville, Seraphina could sense Andrea’s satisfaction with the trip, seemingly unaffected by the Herman incident. For a while, Seraphina could relax too.

Everyone around her seemed content and at peace, and she should have been happy, yet something felt amiss. But what was it? Seraphina wasn’t keen on delving into it.

On Friday, ready to leave Summitville for Sunburst City, Seraphina drove Andrea to the airport. With time to spare, they sat down for a coffee.

Having spent much time together, Andrea had noticed Seraphina’s state of mind and teased, “How about it? Why not buy a ticket and fly back with me to Sunburst City.”

“Why go back to Sunburst City?” Seraphina challenged.

Andrea shrugged, “Maybe you’ll feel better back in Sunburst City.”

Seraphina scoffed, “I’m perfectly fine, thank you. No need to worry about me.”

Andrea chuckled softly, choosing not to elaborate.

Seraphina, bored out of her mind, turned her head, only to catch sight of a familiar face.

Patrick Gray had been chatting away as he passed by, but the moment his gaze met Seraphina’s, he paused in his tracks. This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

In the next instant, Andrea noticed him too and, after a brief moment of surprise, called out somewhat awkwardly, “Uncle Patrick.”

Patrick excused himself from his companion and approached their table, grinning. “What are the odds? What brings you two together?”

After exchanging greetings with Patrick, Seraphina explained, “I’m just staying in Summitville for now, and Andrea’s here on business. Figured we might as well catch up.”

Patrick nodded, still smiling. “Here I was thinking you were both headed back to Sunburst City. I just ran into Andrea at a networking event a couple of days ago; didn’t expect to bump into you at the airport. It’s been a while.”

“You’re always swamped,” Seraphina teased. “A free spirit like me can’t always be graced with your presence.”

Hearing that, Patrick’s gaze lingered on her face, and he let out a soft chuckle. “You seem much happier than before. A little downtime never hurt anybody.”

Andrea, overhearing the exchange, glanced between Seraphina and Patrick but chose to remain silent for the moment.