Chapter 88 The Beginning of a Nightmare
The man standing at Ophelia's door wasn't Finnegan, but Magnus.
Hearing her footsteps, Magnus turned around with a warm smile, "You're off work quite late. I was passing by after finishing up some business and brought you some late-night snacks – grilled sweet potatoes and sautéed chestnuts, your favorites."
A trace of disappointment flickered deep in Ophelia's eyes, so subtle she didn't even notice it herself.
"Have you been busy lately?" Ophelia asked as she unlocked the door. "The sweet potatoes you got must be really aromatic. I can already smell them."
Upon entering the room, Magnus immediately spotted the king-sized bed.
Magnus offhandedly remarked, "The landlord's pretty generous. That bed looks damn nice, and huge too."
Caught by his words, Ophelia felt a bit embarrassed but didn't explain that the bed had been a gift from Finnegan.
"Come on, let me try those chestnuts," Ophelia quickly changed the subject.
Magnus handed her the bag of chestnuts, and when she saw that they were already peeled, Ophelia paused, "They're peeled?"
Magnus chuckled, "Had some time on my hands while waiting for you, so I peeled them. They're still warm. You should try them now. They taste better that way."
Such thoughtfulness was rare even among couples or spouses.
Ophelia was genuinely touched, "Magnus, you shouldn't have. Peeling them is such a hassle, it's rough on the hands."
"No big deal, I've got thick skin," Magnus said with a smile, and then asked, "You mentioned you saw Seraphina earlier. How's she doing?"
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Ophelia replied seriously. "Seraphina's gotten involved in a business venture with a group of people, and something seems off. I've tried to warn her, but she wouldn't listen. It's some beauty products scheme, with stockpiling and fronting the capital. She's put in tens of thousands. I've heard about their business model—it's all about recruiting downstream and getting a cut."
Magnus instantly understood, "You think it's an illegal pyramid scheme?"
"Yeah," Ophelia said. "Same old scam with a different label. With that whole Finnegan situation, there's been tension between Seraphina and me, so it's tough for me to convince her."
"Don't worry, let me handle this," Magnus didn't want Ophelia to overthink things. "You focus on your work. I'll have a talk with Seraphina."
Ophelia, feeling guilty, added, "The whole Finnegan thing, I feel like I owe Seraphina an apology. She's aware of what happened between Finnegan and me, so she's been avoiding me lately. To be honest, I get it."
"You couldn't have known about the relationship between Seraphina and Finnegan beforehand. You can't blame yourself for that," Magnus said thoughtfully. "Are you still in touch with Finnegan?"
Ophelia didn't want to lie to Magnus. After hesitating for a moment, she admitted, "He... came to see me."
At this, Magnus's expression tightened. "What did he want?"
She looked down, fidgeting with a chestnut in her hand, "He wanted me to be his girlfriend."
Hearing this, a jolt went through Magnus and he asked urgently, "Did you agree?"
She shook her head. "I declined. I promised Seraphina I wouldn't have any more contact with Finnegan."
Magnus let out a sigh of relief, then immediately felt ashamed of his reaction.
He picked up a chestnut, trying to mask his thoughts.
There was a silence between them.
The atmosphere turned awkward.
Ophelia changed the subject. "Any news from the ancestry website?"
"There is," Magnus's eyes sparkled with excitement, unable to hide his joy, "Today, the ancestry website called me. They've found my biological parents. The tests are done. It's confirmed. They should be coming to A City to meet me in a couple of days."
"Really, Magnus, you've found your family," Ophelia said, happy for him. "Where are your parents from? What do they do? Are they happy to find you? Have you talked on the phone or done a video chat?"
He shook his head. "No, we haven't spoken or seen each other. They're from the South. I'll find out more when we meet."
"The South is wonderful, beautiful landscapes and waters," Ophelia smiled. "Magnus, I'm happy for you. You have a family now."
"I've notified the ancestry website to expedite your search for family members," Magnus said. "As long as your parents are registered and looking for you, they'll find you."
"It's been so long without news. Maybe they never thought to look for me," Ophelia shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn't matter. I don't force these things. Aren't you really eager to see your parents?"
Magnus smiled slightly, a bit embarrassed. "I'm somewhat looking forward to it."
"I'm looking forward to it for you too," Ophelia said with a smile, sharing Magnus's joy as she envisioned the heartwarming scene of reuniting with his family, unaware it was the beginning of a nightmare.
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