Tangled in His Obsession

Chapter 313

That day, Seraphina ran into Andrea at noon, and unexpectedly, she bumped into Patrick in the afternoon.

Patrick popped up in the gallery out of the blue and Seraphina was taken aback, “Are you in the country? Why didn’t I see you at Tania’s engagement party last night?”

At this, Patrick just smirked, “I just got back today.”

“Oh?” Seraphina raised an eyebrow, “Tania’s engagement was yesterday, but you chose to come back today. Was this intentional or just a coincidence?”

Patrick just threw a casual smile, “Nobody would care whether I attend a Martin family event or not, so I’d rather spend my time doing my own thing. I’ve got a gift for you.”

“For me?” Seraphina asked, puzzled, “Why are you giving me a gift?”

“You’ve thoroughly investigated the Jones family case and even took down a crime syndicate, avenging my friend and countless others who were wronged. Yet, you refused the job offer I made.” Patrick replied, “So, I can only give you a small token of my gratitude.”

With that, Patrick made a “please” gesture. “You’ve already paid me a hefty reward and bonus. You don’t owe me anything.” Seraphina followed him towards the gallery entrance as she spoke.

At this moment, Patrick’s assistant walked in carrying something. Seraphina could tell from its shape that it was a painting.

“I stumbled upon this painting overseas and thought you’d like it.” Patrick said.

Seraphina approached and unwrapped the packaging on the frame. She was stunned.

It was a painting by Carney. The brushwork and style were unmistakably his. However, she had never seen this Jasmine painting before.

“This….” Seraphina stared at the painting in silence for a long while before speaking, “This must be one of my father’s early works. I’ve never seen it.”

Hearing this, Patrick chuckled, “Looks like I didn’t pick the wrong gift.”

Seraphina smiled slowly, stood up and said, “Thank you. I love this gift.”

With that, she carefully packed up the painting and invited Patrick upstairs.

When they entered Seraphina’s office, the papers on her desk were still scattered. The moment Patrick sat down, his eyes fell on a document labeled “the Martin family”.

Seraphina noticed his gaze but didn’t bother to hide it, she just gave him a slight smile.

“Are you still investigating the Martin family?” Patrick asked outright.

Seraphina nodded, “Why wouldn’t I? The Naylor syndicate may have been destroyed, but there could still be other bad guys behind the scenes.”

At this, Patrick looked at her silently for a moment, then slowly nodded and laughed, “I knew I didn’t misjudge you.”

Seraphina suddenly thought of something, “You must know quite a bit about the Martin family over the years, right?”

Patrick pondered a moment and laughed again, “Didn’t expect we’d be on the same side again so soon. Even though you’re not working for me, it seems there’s no difference.”

“Yes.” Seraphina replied, “In the future, I might need the help of some of your people.”

“Anything you need, all my resources are at your disposal.” Patrick responded..

Seraphina looked at him quietly for a moment, then pushed the documents on her desk towards him, “So, can you tell me about the Martin family now?”

The Martin family rose to prominence recently. Despite some shady dealings behind the scenes, they’ve kept their business legitimate and grown rapidly through real estate, becoming one of the top ten corporations in Sunburst City. And it’s all thanks to Simon.

Simon appeared refined and friendly, but he’s actually tough and decisive, never going easy on rivals.

Everyone in the Martin family respected Simon.

The eldest son, Maurice Martin, lived a mundane life and stepped down from the company management long ago;

The third son, Lionel Martin, handled the company’s legal affairs. He’s steady, deep-thinking, and quite cunning;

The fourth son, Teagué Martin, Tania’s father, was always causing trouble. But with the Martin family backing him, he’s become quite arrogant.

Seraphina smirked at this, “Like father, like son.”

Patrick just gave a faint smile, not commenting.

Suddenly, Seraphina remembered something and looked at him, “Do you know Andrea?”

“Simon’s daughter?” Patrick slowly replied, “I’ve only met her a few times. She doesn’t seem to like socializing.”

“Is that it?”

Patrick thought for a moment and then seemed to remember something, “She’s not Simon’s wife’s daughter.”

Seraphina’s eyes shifted slightly, “So, she’s a love child?”

Patrick gave a nod. “After Simon’s wife Helena walked through the door, she never had a kid. Five months later, Andrea was brought home, she was already six months old then.”

Seraphina pondered over the timeline, then couldn’t help but chuckle. “So Simon was busy planning a wedding with his wife on one side, and on the other, he was out there knocking up another woman, and then he even had the nerve to bring the kid home for his wife to raise….

No wonder Andrea said those words about her parents this morning. It seemed that Simon and his wife were not in a good place.

“Why do you suddenly ask about her?” Patrick inquired.

Seraphina casually shrugged. “She’s interested in me, so naturally, I’m interested in her.”

Patrick warned her after hearing this, “Every member of the Martin family has their own agenda, stay on your toes.”

Seraphina rubbed her ears and laughed. “Which family isn’t like that? I’m used to it.”

She chatted with Patrick for a bit and before she knew it, time had slipped away.

By the time Seraphina realized how late it was, it was already dark outside.

Patrick glanced at the time, then asked her, “Fancy some dinner?”

Seraphina laughed, “My treat. Thanks for the info and the painting.”

Patrick gladly accepted.

As the two of them left the building and got into the car, Leandro’s car pulled up steadily at the entrance of the gallery.

Ahead, the figures in the car that just left were still visible.

“Mr. Reynolds, it seems Mrs. Reynolds just left in someone else’s car,” the driver remarked. “Should I call Mrs. Reynolds?”

Leandro sat in the dim light, his gaze fixed on the car that was slowly disappearing into the traffic. After a moment, he said simply, “No need.”

Seraphina and Patrick headed to a restaurant for dinner, spending most of their time in a private room discussing matters of the Martin family.

With Patrick’s help, Seraphina saved a lot of time on fact-checking, so she was thrilled.

After dinner, Patrick offered to drive her home, but Seraphina politely declined.

“I have a driver, I’ll be safe getting home,” said Seraphina. “Paparazzi these days can spin quite a tale, I’m a journalist, I don’t like being the subject of

news.”

Patrick chuckled at this, “Looks like I’ve not done my job well if you’re worrying about this.”

Seraphina remembered that he was a media mogul and couldn’t help but laugh, “Oops, I forgot you’ve a voice in this business, I’ve worried over nothing… But still, I won’t trouble you today. You just got back from abroad, better get some rest. We can catch up some other time.”

Patrick didn’t insist, he watched Seraphina get into her car and leave, then he got into his own.

As his car slowly drove towards his apartment in Sunburst City, Patrick rolled down the window and lit a cigarette.

The assistant in the passenger seat turned to look at him, “Seems like this Mrs. Reynolds shares quite a few common interests with you.”

Patrick gazed at the city lights outside the window, stayed silent for a bit after hearing this, then a slight smile appeared on his face, “Pity, she’s Mrs. Reynolds.” Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

What a shame.