CHAPTER 155: CHAPTER 155: ASKING FOR MONEY

Ethan Lloyd had just extricated himself from the recent accident when he received news from the hospital.

Avril’s parents were causing a scene at the hospital, demanding an explanation from Ethan Lloyd.

Outside the hospital ward, because Avril was still in a coma due to her serious injuries, the doctors wouldn’t allow them inside. Avril’s parents started making a big fuss outside the ward, ignoring the doctors and nurses regardless of what they said.

"My perfectly fine daughter is lying in there because of that President Lloyd! How are you going to give us an explanation?!" Avril’s mother shouted like a market shrew, "If you don’t give us an explanation, our family will sue!"

Originally, they hadn’t been in touch with Avril for a long time, but recently received a call saying Avril was hospitalized and that they could get a large compensation, so they came to the hospital to cause trouble.

The Lloyd Group really couldn’t withstand any turbulence at the moment. If they ended up in a lawsuit over something like this, Ethan feared that the board of directors, those old folks, might devour him whole. After thinking for a moment, he sent a lawyer to negotiate with them.

Over there, they demanded an exorbitant compensation of one million, but the lawyer managed to negotiate it down to seven hundred thousand.

Despite the heartache, since word of this matter would be unpleasant, it was better to settle it quietly. Ethan sold a small apartment he had acquired a few years ago, scraping together enough money to compensate Avril’s mother.

"Seven hundred thousand? I thought, with his personality, he’d at most give seventy thousand. I guess I underestimated him," Seraphina Sinclair raised an eyebrow and said, then sent someone to follow Ethan Lloyd.

Ethan Lloyd had spent quite a bit of money recently. The media reporters wanting them to keep silent wouldn’t do so without some real cash. How much of that eventually ended up with Desmond Fairchild and Seraphina Sinclair was unknown.

Can the Lloyd Group really hold out until she and Desmond make their move? Seraphina suddenly had some doubts.

For Chinese New Year, Old Mrs. Fairchild had instructed early on that Seraphina Sinclair and Jude Sinclair should come back to celebrate. Usually, it was just her and Desmond Fairchild in the old house, cold and lacking the festive atmosphere.

Now with Seraphina and Jude, it was naturally livelier for the New Year, finally bringing some festive spirit to the old house.

On New Year’s Eve, both Jude and Old Mrs. Fairchild, unable to maintain their energy due to age, went to sleep midway, leaving Seraphina and Desmond outside watching the snow.

A heavy snowfall had been creating a buzz these past few days, the red lanterns reflecting off the pure white snow, casting a serene peace on the snowy night.

"I haven’t seen such heavy snow in a long time," Seraphina said, leaning against Desmond while looking at the falling snowflakes.

Diamond Island rarely saw snow; though there were a few flurries throughout the year, they were sparse and light. She hadn’t seen such heavy snowfall in many years.

"From now on, I’ll watch the snow with you every year," Desmond said gently.

Seraphina took a deep breath, suddenly wanting to talk about her life abroad, but after some thought, she swallowed the words.

"Mm," she responded.

Behind them, the warm lights of the old house, and beside her, her beloved, the swaying lantern light reflected on the snow, making everything appear softer. At this moment, it seemed like the world was just the two of them, undisturbed by anyone else.

Seraphina peacefully closed her eyes, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

From the second day of the New Year, visitors began to arrive at the old house. Seraphina was asked by Old Mrs. Fairchild to stay and entertain guests, clearly placing her in the status of the lady of the house.

Seraphina handled these matters skillfully, navigating amongst the visiting ladies and young misses with ease.

"Seraphina, come here. Desmond wants to take you to see someone," Old Mrs. Fairchild suddenly smiled and placed her hand in Desmond’s.

Seraphina, somewhat puzzled, followed Desmond out, "Who do you want to take me to see?"

"You’ll know when we get there," Desmond said lightly.

Seraphina could only suppress her curiosity and follow him, wondering where he intended to take her.

At the study door, Desmond pushed it open, motioning for Seraphina to enter. She looked at him curiously but obediently walked in to see a woman sitting on the sofa, her back facing her.

Seraphina frowned, feeling the silhouette was very familiar. Just as she pondered, the woman on the sofa, seemingly hearing something, turned to look at the entrance.

Upon seeing the woman’s face, Seraphina froze in place, her eyes gradually reddening.

"Aunt Yates..." Seraphina called out in disbelief.

Zoe Yates, seeing Seraphina’s expression, got a little emotional herself, stood up from the sofa, and looked at Seraphina with a loving expression, "Seraphina, long time no see."

Hearing this long-lost voice, Seraphina couldn’t hold back anymore, ran to Zoe’s side, and fell into her embrace.

Zoe Yates had been friends with Mr. Sinclair for many years and watched Seraphina grow up. When that incident happened, Zoe was abroad handling some matters and couldn’t return. By the time she got back, it was all over.

"A grown-up like you, still shedding tears? Aren’t you ashamed?" Zoe gently patted her head and said kindly.

"Aunt Yates, I’m just so excited. I didn’t expect to see you here. How did you end up here?" Seraphina, calming down, asked.

"That’s something you should ask your fiancé. He found someone to track me down, told me about you, and brought me back from abroad," Zoe said with a smile, glancing at Desmond.

Seraphina looked towards Desmond at the doorway. His expression didn’t change, but when he met her gaze, there was a brief flicker of unease.

Her heart was suddenly filled with an indescribable sensation, sweet with a hint of bittersweet.

"I’ll wait for you outside," Desmond said, then turned and left, leaving the study to Seraphina and Zoe.

"Desmond, thank you," Seraphina said softly to his retreating figure.

Zoe, watching her, chuckled gently, "Seraphina, Desmond truly keeps you in his heart. You should cherish him."

Zoe squinted lightly, knowing how hard it was to find her abroad. The place she stayed wasn’t somewhere just anyone could locate. She wondered where Desmond got his information.

"Aunt Yates! Have you always been abroad all these years?" Seraphina stomped her feet, changing the subject to Zoe.

"I returned to the country for a while. When everything happened, I was abroad on business, so I couldn’t make it back in time. Later, I tried to find you after returning, but I couldn’t figure out where you’d gone," Zoe said, gently touching Seraphina’s hair.

"At the time, due to some unexpected circumstances, I went abroad and gave birth to my son there, only returning to the country a little over a year ago," Seraphina briefly recounted her experiences of these years.

"Your son? The child isn’t Ethan Lloyd’s, is it?" Zoe asked, almost disbelieving.

Seraphina quickly shook her head, "The child is Desmond’s. I had some entanglement with him, and only after going abroad did I realize I was pregnant."

Zoe sighed in relief, as long as it wasn’t that treacherous Ethan’s child, she didn’t care whose it was. As for Desmond, that guy better take good care of Seraphina. If she were still bullied, Zoe felt she’d have lived for nothing.

"Oh, if I had known the Sinclair family would encounter such turmoil, I would’ve stayed in Bayside City. You had it rough," Zoe looked at Seraphina with compassionate eyes filled with pain.

"It’s okay. I’ve gotten through it over the years, and I’m doing well now. I’ve reclaimed Sinclair Properties and will make sure Ethan Lloyd gets his due punishment," Seraphina declared.

She hesitated but ultimately didn’t mention her suspicion that Ethan had switched Mr. Sinclair’s medication, leading to his death.

Zoe’s heart was suddenly a mix of emotions. The once pampered little princess had grown into a queen who could face challenges alone, but she still felt heartache for Seraphina, not knowing how she had made it through.

"That’s good. I brought some of Sinclair’s old staff back to the house I bought overseas when I returned, including your father’s old caretaker. If you have time, you should visit. I’ve always felt guilty for not being able to help back then," Zoe said.

Seraphina’s eyes brightened. She had been troubled by not being able to find Sinclair family’s old servants, and now it was as if fate had handed her the solution on a silver platter.