Chapter 591 Jacob, I've Been Waiting for You
Oliver and Sarah knew nothing of Serafina's situation until Jacob announced his sudden return home. Only then did they realize something serious had happened.
Oliver accompanied Jacob on the flight back, but by the time they arrived, it seemed everything was already too late.
By the day Jacob returned, Ronan had already been buried.
Twilight was settling over the city when Jacob's car pulled up to the villa. As he stepped out and walked toward the entrance, the household staff gave him peculiar looks.
Without waiting for him to ask, one of the maids spoke up, "Mrs. Windsor just got home. She's upstairs embroidering. These past few days, she's been handling her family matters and then working on her needlework without rest—day and night. We're worried she'll make herself ill. Now that you're back, Mr. Windsor, perhaps you could comfort her a bit."
Jacob mumbled a response and carried his luggage upstairs.
To his surprise, Serafina wasn't in her workroom but in the sitting area of their bedroom, clutching a cup of coffee, lost in thought. She glanced up briefly when he entered.
Though they'd been apart only a few days, Serafina had visibly lost weight.
Her already slender face now appeared sharp and angular. The room lay in darkness, and sitting there in the twilight shadows, she looked even more fragile and haggard. Her eyes gleamed faintly in the dim light.
Jacob set down his suitcase and switched on the wall lamp.
"Why are you sitting here in the dark?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Serafina placed her cup on the coffee table and rose silently. She moved to his side and began carrying his luggage to the dressing room, methodically unpacking his belongings without uttering a word.
"Serafina." Jacob followed her and caught her wrist. "Talk to me."
She was holding one of his shirts when her hands began to tremble, and soon her entire body was shaking. She looked up at him, her lips quivering for a moment before she could produce any sound.
"Jacob, I've been waiting for you," she finally said.
Jacob froze.
After a long moment, he pulled her into his arms.
"I'm here now," he said, his voice thick with regret.
He finally came back, but Serafina's heart had left long before.
They'd never had a solid emotional foundation to begin with. She had wanted to leave, but he had given her hope when she was at her most vulnerable—only to extinguish that hope himself. Serafina hardly knew how she'd survived these past few days.
Ronan's relatives had refused to leave Serafina and Isadora in peace, causing a scene at the funeral. Serafina had endured more than her share of suffering.
Now that Jacob was back, this should have been the moment to embrace and share their pain, but she couldn't bring herself to speak.
What could she say? Tell him how terrified she'd been when she hit Ronan with the vase? How helpless she'd felt in the detention center? Or how she and Isadora had been humiliated at Ronan's funeral?
Serafina couldn't form the words.
She leaned against Jacob's shoulder, vaguely recalling his words on the phone that day—telling her not to be afraid, that he would be there for her.
Their cheeks touched, and Jacob felt the cold wetness of tears.
Serafina was silently crying.
He bent his head to comfort her, to explain, but she pulled away, turning her back to wipe away her tears. She continued organizing his clothes as if nothing had happened these past days, as if everything were normal.
A night breeze swept through the room, causing the crystal chandelier above to chime softly, reminiscent of their wedding vows on that night not so long ago.
Life, like a dream, was brief and ephemeral.
That first night after Jacob's return passed quietly.
In the days that followed, Jacob became involved in the Penrose family's affairs, but the dust had already settled, and no one could change the outcome. He specifically invited Jade to dinner. As Evergreen City's most expensive lawyer, she could only spare him an hour.
This dinner meeting was Jacob's private invitation to Jade.
That year, Cassius Blackwood had not yet returned to the country. Jade was still the carefree, successful lawyer she'd always been.
Among the Howard and Montague families, only Dashiell Montague had developed romantic entanglements, though those weren't going smoothly either.
In the club's most luxurious private room, Jacob and Jade sat across from each other. Jacob held his wine glass, studying this capable female lawyer. Her father Jonah and mother Arabella Greer had blessed her with both beauty and an unrivaled intellect.
Even in business circles, Jacob had heard of Jade's impressive achievements. In both legal and entertainment circles, men and women alike were captivated by her.
Jade wore a professional suit, her commanding presence undiminished even while seated.
Understanding Jacob's intentions, she cut to the chase as their meal wound down. "Mr. Windsor, you're most concerned about Lila's sentence, I presume. I won't waste your time or give you unrealistic hopes. Three years—at minimum, three years."
Jacob gently set down his glass.
He glanced at Anya, who immediately understood. She reached into her briefcase and produced a pre-prepared check, placing it carefully on the black crystal table surface.
The check was for thirty million dollars.
Jade picked it up, examined it, and after a moment, smiled slightly. "Mr. Windsor, you're certainly generous. Thirty million to salvage a crumbling marriage might well be worth it, but this case has already been classified. Even with supernatural abilities, I couldn't exonerate Lila. The prosecutor is notoriously difficult."
This was thirty million Jade couldn't earn.
She returned the check and rose to leave.
As she gripped the door handle, she paused thoughtfully. "Jacob, your choice at the time wasn't wrong. Your mistake was not loving Serafina as a wife, which led to your mishandling of the situation. If you don't love her, let her go. Why prolong the suffering for both of you?"
Anya, standing behind her, felt her heart flutter.
Jacob remained seated beneath the crystal chandelier. His handsome features were enough to make any woman's heart skip a beat. His long fingers wrapped around the small glass.
After a while, he spoke, "Ms. Howard, Is that your personal experience speaking?"
Jade couldn't help but think of Cassius and their first love that had ended before it truly began.
That sunset evening.
A young girl experiencing her first period, Cassius's school jacket tied around her waist, her body carefully leaning against his as she held onto his neck. Her heart had raced in that moment.
"Perhaps," Jade said softly, before opening the door and leaving.
Anya followed to see her out.
In the luxurious private room, Jacob sat quietly, contemplating Jade's words.
Under the bright lights, Jacob's expression turned distant.
Should he let Serafina go?
It was nine-thirty in the evening when Jacob returned home.
Serafina had already arrived and was upstairs. The staff mentioned she hadn't come down for dinner. Jacob climbed to the second floor and pushed open the master bedroom door. Serafina sat on the sofa, reading a book on legal matters.
Jacob closed the door behind him, his voice soft and gentle. "Why didn't you have dinner?"
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