Chapter 81 A Sense of Familiarity
With Niamh gone, Ophelia breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, she was not recognized.
"Ophelia," Dovie asked as she reviewed a proposal, "do you have any other thoughts on the Imperial Vista project? The board isn’t too keen on moving forward with it. How do you think we can persuade them?"
Caught off guard by Dovie's question, Ophelia quickly composed herself and replied, "Ms. Parks, I believe we don't need to persuade the board. Letting the facts speak for themselves will be much more convincing."
Dovie smiled, her eyes reflecting approval. She was never one for endless boardroom debates, always decisive in her younger years and just the same now.
In contrast to mingling with the board, Dovie preferred to invest her energy in the project and let the results do the talking.
Dovie inquired with casual concern, "Ophelia, you've been with the company for a while. Are you settling in okay?"
Ophelia, eager to please, replied, "Joining Parks Corporation felt like coming home."
What did it mean to feel at home?
Comfort, a sense of belonging, and your heart being where your home is.
In other words, Ophelia was saying she would treat the company as her own home, dedicating herself wholeheartedly.
Dovie then asked, "I heard you’ve worked at Abbott's Corporation before?"
"Yes," Ophelia answered honestly, although she didn’t elaborate.
Dovie didn't probe further and simply said, "You may go."
"Yes, Ms. Parks," Ophelia responded and left the room.
Dovie cast a glance in the direction Ophelia had departed, feeling an inexplicable fondness for her. Whenever Dovie saw Ophelia, she was reminded of her younger self.
Their encounters at the office had been few, yet Dovie felt a strange connection, as if Ophelia resembled her more than her own daughter, Niamh. The thought was peculiar, but Dovie didn't dwell on it.
...
After wrapping up her work, Ophelia started calling friends who might know Seraphina, hoping to track her down through them. After several calls, she finally got a lead on Seraphina from a friend of a friend.
Post-work, Ophelia hopped into a taxi and made her way to a beauty salon, where she found Seraphina indulging in a spa treatment. Seraphina's life hadn't gone downhill since leaving Orchid Garden. Anticipating trouble, she had smartly converted some cash into luxury goods and stashed them elsewhere.
Once ousted, Seraphina had sold some of these valuables. With the proceeds, she lived a lavish life, even dabbling in investments and business ventures, dreaming of wealth.
"Seraphina," Ophelia loomed over Seraphina, who lay with a mask on her face, enjoying a massage from the beautician.
At the sound of Ophelia’s voice, Seraphina opened her eyes, her expression frozen briefly upon seeing her. Sitting up, she removed her facial mask.
"What are you doing here?" Seraphina's voice was laden with distaste.
She harbored resentment towards Ophelia, who was a reminder of the times Finnegan had dismissed her and Magnus had spoken ill of her behind her back.
"I thought you'd vanished off the face of the earth after disappearing for months," Ophelia said as she sat down, and then turned to the beautician, "Could you give us a moment, please? I need to talk to my friend here."
The beautician glanced at Seraphina for approval, which was granted with a nod.
After the beautician left, Ophelia looked at Seraphina and asked, "So, you seriously plan to cut ties forever? Not even a word to me or Magnus when you left Orchid Garden? You've even ghosted Magnus! Do the past twenty-plus years mean nothing to you, Seraphina?"
At first, Ophelia had been dead set on burning bridges in a fit of anger, but she later wanted to find a way to mend the relationship.
Ophelia was sentimental and couldn't hold a grudge against Seraphina over a few harsh words.
Hearing this, Seraphina's face turned rigid. "What, you heard I got kicked out and came to gloat? Are you just thrilled that Finnegan threw me out?"
"He threw you out?" Ophelia was puzzled. "Why?"
"You didn't tell Finnegan something, did you?" Seraphina accused with a look full of resentment. "Don't play the saint with me, Ophelia. You're after Finnegan and stringing along Magnus. You want it all. You say you won't compete with me, but you're after everything. Is it because they've been with me that you're so intrigued? Are you trying to prove you're more charming?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
