Chapter 119 The Down-to-Earth Tycoon
Hearing that Seraphina intended to reach out to Ophelia, Magnus became frantic. "Seraphina, you promised you wouldn't involve Ophelia. With all your debts, why would you put her in such a difficult position? If Ophelia goes to Finnegan for money, what's that going to make her look like to him?"
"You only ever think about Ophelia," she retorted. "What about me? What if they come and chop off my hands or feet? It's like all those TV shows—those debt collectors..."
"That's all on you," Magnus snapped, his temper rising.
Startled by his tone, Seraphina froze.
Frustrated, Magnus reached for a cigarette only to find his lighter wouldn't work. His irritation peaking, he chucked the lighter away in a fit of anger.
"Magnus, what's wrong?" Seraphina's voice quivered with fear.
"It's nothing." Magnus struggled to keep his emotions in check. "I'll help you figure things out. You mustn't bother Ophelia with these problems. Also, you need to find a job as soon as possible. Sooner or later, we'll pay off all the debts."
Seraphina didn't want to find a job. It was easy to slip from frugality to luxury, but hard to return to thrift after indulging in extravagance. Accustomed to a lavish lifestyle, the thought of living modestly once again was both uncomfortable and unacceptable to her.
She used to wear dresses worth tens of thousands, frequenting upscale venues with those wealthy socialites. Now the thought of working a job that paid only four or five thousand a month was unbearable to her.
Her perspective on spending had changed. She'd rather stay unemployed than stoop to those lowly jobs.
However, she didn't dare voice these thoughts and instead replied evasively, "Jobs aren't that easy to come by these days. Relying on a salary to pay off debts? When will I ever be clear of them? I can't even cover the interest."
"Whether cleared or not, you still have to pay. You can't just do nothing." Magnus said, "As long as you find a job honestly and do your best to pay it off, I'll handle the rest."
If he were not doing this for Ophelia's sake, Seraphina might have been moved by his words. This million-dollar debt tied her to Magnus. Deep down, she didn't really want to seek Ophelia's help. With Magnus taking care of her, she had a reason to stay — wasn't this exactly what she had always wanted?
She had a crush on Magnus, and if it weren't for Finnegan's entrance into her life, without any comparison, Magnus would have been the best man she believed she could have.
Seeing Magnus's distressed face, all she could do was nod in agreement. "Okay."
...
Meanwhile, Ophelia, unaware of Magnus's true situation, was lounging in the living room with Finnegan, binge-watching a TV series.
The more time they spent together, the bolder Ophelia became. She now felt comfortable enough to lean on Finnegan's shoulder while munching on snacks and engrossed in the show.
She glanced at Finnegan and asked, "Do you find it boring?"
"It's quite enlightening," Finnegan replied agreeably. "I can learn quite a bit. Of course, TV simplifies things. The reality of the elite is much more complex. The connections of interests are critical, and there's no such thing as a complete fool in those circles."
Finnegan seriously analyzed the situation as they discussed a popular TV drama. "The male lead's pursuit of the girl comes off as pretentious. He’s displaying such machismo in front of the girl he likes, which to me, signals that he doesn't truly cherish her—he sees her as a possession, not someone to love. The guy seems to lack the brains to see through the female secondary character’s despicable schemes..."
Ophelia just listened in silence. Was it really necessary to be so critical over a TV show?
Speaking of pretense, Ophelia felt that Finnegan himself was a bit of a dreamer.
While Finnegan spoke, Ophelia just watched him.
Finnegan paused and curled his lip slightly, "What?"
"Finnegan, I've just realized you were pretty good at putting on an act yourself," Ophelia mused, chin in hand. "It's already bizarre that you live here, but you insist on staying and sharing the simple life with me. Is this your way of experiencing the common struggle?"
Finnegan laughed, "If I was nice to everyone, I'd have a trail of rumored ex-girlfriends stretching all the way to France."
Wouldn't that just make him more likable?
When Ophelia mentioned "rumored ex-girlfriends," something sprang to her mind. "Today, at our office, Miss Niamh brought afternoon tea for everyone," she said with a hint of mystery. "Guess why? It's Miss Niamh’s birthday tomorrow, and they say that her rumored boyfriend is going to propose."
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