Chapter 94 Investigating Seraphina
A blackout.
Ophelia instinctively looked up at the ceiling and said, "Maybe it's a bill issue."
To be sure, Ophelia stepped outside to check—everyone else's lights were on.
In the dead of night, and with a rented place, there was no way to pay the electricity bill now.
Finnegan activated his phone's flashlight, setting it on the table which brightened up the room significantly. He looked at Ophelia standing on the balcony, puzzled, and asked, "Why won't you accept a better life with me? You'd rather live in this tiny rental than come back to Orchid Garden with me?"
Anyone else would have been dying to get in his bed, but Ophelia had been in his bed and still refused to stay with him, which was baffling.
Ophelia turned to look at him. He was standing behind the bright light of the flashlight, enveloping him in a blinding glow that obscured his expression.
Hesitating slightly, Ophelia said, "It may be small, but I pay rent every month. It's my own place, my sanctuary. Being able to fend for myself in this city, to survive on my own terms, it gives me a feeling of security."
"That's not the whole truth," Finnegan moved closer, looking her in the eye. "Ophelia, I want the real story. Is there someone else in your heart?"
Ophelia's hands clenched tightly. Determined to avoid any further entanglement with Finnegan, she admitted, "Yes."
"Who is it?" Finnegan's brow furrowed in a frown.
Ophelia began to spin her tale, "The father of my child. I thought I was pregnant, and I was so happy. The idea of having the child of the man I love was blissful. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a hospital error. We are separated for now due to certain circumstances, but I believe he loves me. He even reached out to me yesterday, wanting to get back together."
Finnegan observed her with amusement. If he didn't know he was the man from that night, he might have been duped by Ophelia once again.
This woman was a master at spinning lies convincingly.
Finnegan teased her with the question, "Do you really love him that much?"
"I do," Ophelia steadied herself and met Finnegan's gaze, asserting, "I love him. In this life, there will be no one else for me but him. So, Mr. Abbott, you're wasting your time with me."
After these words, Ophelia's heart raced—her exaggerations not withstanding, the man she spoke of was none other than Finnegan himself.
She was essentially confessing her feelings to Finnegan right to his face.
She had no clue if he would believe her or not.
Finnegan's lips curled into a half-smile as he once again witnessed Ophelia's level of expertise in lying.
Facing the man himself, could she really lie so blatantly without batting an eye?
Even though he knew her words were fabrications, Finnegan felt oddly... pleased.
Seeing him silent, Ophelia continued anxiously, "Mr. Abbott, do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Crystal clear," Finnegan's eyebrows arched slightly. "I wouldn't have pegged you for the hopelessly romantic type, Ophelia."
"That's just who I am. Once I've set my heart on someone, that's it," Ophelia kept weaving her lies, a mix of truth and fiction. "I appreciate your affection, Mr. Abbott, but I truly cannot reciprocate."
"Hmm," Finnegan said with an indifferent expression, not bothering to probe further or tease Ophelia, and added, "Get some rest."
With that, Finnegan turned and walked towards the door, leaving the Christmas tree on the table untouched.
"Mr. Abbott, the Christmas tree..."
Without looking back, Finnegan opened the door and said, "Handle it yourself. If you don't like it, toss it."
Ophelia stood there, speechless.
A two-hundred-thousand-dollars item, she wasn't foolish enough to just throw it away.
Finnegan closed the door behind him and descended the stairs. He got back into his car and, mulling over Ophelia's words, made a phone call: "Find out where Seraphina is right now."
After hanging up, Finnegan pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
Ophelia's earlier words had made Finnegan realize there was definitely an issue.
There had to be another reason Ophelia refused to admit she was the one that night, repeatedly rejecting him.
Ophelia didn't want to talk. Finnegan wouldn't ask, but that didn't mean he wouldn't investigate.
He suspected the problem had something to do with Seraphina.
If the woman that night was Ophelia, and Seraphina was impersonating her, why was Seraphina's resume found in the room?
There had to be some connection between Seraphina and Ophelia.
Finnegan wouldn't be able to make Abbott's Corporation what it was today without the ability to piece such things together.
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