Chapter 98 Skipping Out
Magnus has always liked Ophelia.
She filled his entire adolescence, a dazzling presence in his world.
She was the girl he wanted to protect with all the tenderness he could muster.
This secret, one that Magnus had never shared with anyone, was abruptly exposed by Seraphina, leaving him feeling bewildered.
Magnus denied it outright. "Seraphina, stop spreading nonsense. When have I ever liked Ophelia…"
"You don’t even have the guts to admit it, how are you supposed to pursue her?" Seraphina said with a sneer. "It’s so obvious to everyone. Since we were kids, you've always given the best to Ophelia, even if it meant going hungry yourself, you'd leave the last piece of bread for her."
Magnus found himself at a loss for words but still pleaded, "Why are you pretending to be Ophelia? You need to go clear things up with her, Seraphina. Don't let your sisterly bond of so many years grow cold—that would break Ophelia's heart."
"Now you're defending her? Do you think only of her, what about me?" Seraphina said with a flare of jealousy. "Magnus, stop looking out for her all the time. If I go to her now, Ophelia will end up with Finnegan, and you'll lose your chance. I can help you win Ophelia over; you've been friends since childhood, and you two are meant for each other."
Seraphina's words weren't genuine. She simply didn't want Ophelia to outshine her.
"As long as she's happy, that's enough for me," Magnus remarked, a pragmatic tone in his voice. "Finnegan is leagues beyond me in every way. If Ophelia chooses him, I'm happy for her."
"How can you be so foolish," Seraphina fumed, frustrated that Magnus was not taking action to court Ophelia as she had hoped.
"Seraphina, when you love someone, you want them to be happy. I don't care who provides that happiness. Just knowing she's joyful is enough for me," he said solemnly.
Magnus spoke sensibly, "I do care for her, but I'm well aware I can't give her the life she deserves. Making twenty grand a month, in this city, after all the expenses, I could work my whole life and still not afford to buy a house."
Magnus's realistic outlook struck a chord with Seraphina, as it reflected her own life situation.
"Yeah, Magnus, folks like us could work a lifetime and never afford to settle down with a house of our own," Seraphina said, her eyes alight with determination. "But I've found a way to make money. A friend got me into an investment that could bring in millions in just six months. Magnus, I can get you in on it, too. Let's invest together, and soon we'll be the ones with big houses and fancy cars."
"Are you referring to that beauty product venture?" Magnus said, "Ophelia mentioned it to me. Seraphina, I came here today to urge you to pull your money out sooner rather than later. That group is definitely shady. Don't get scammed."
"Giselle wouldn't deceive me. The last time I put in a few thousand, I made over a hundred thousand," Seraphina retorted with a fervor bordering on obsession. "I've put it all in, a total investment of one million. In six months, I'll make five million."
Magnus was shocked. "Where did you get all that money? Did you scam it from Finnegan? Seraphina, what's happened to you?"
"What do you mean scam? It's restitution," Seraphina declared confidently. "He mistook someone else for me, not my fault. I was with him long enough; what's wrong with getting some compensation? In fact, I didn't take much from him, just over half a million. I took out a loan for the rest, rounded up to a million to invest."
"You're playing with fire," Magnus said anxiously. "Seraphina, you've got to get your investment back, or you'll regret it. There's no such thing as free money. If it’s that profitable, why would anyone hand it over to you?"
"Why do you and Ophelia look down on me? Do you think I don't deserve a shot at wealth? I don’t want to work my life away like you guys, waiting for a break," Seraphina said heatedly. "You all graduated from prestigious universities and look at you now. I only have a diploma, and I’m not as pretty as Ophelia. I thought I had a chance with Finnegan, but he threw me out. Now that I'm trying to do my own thing, you all want to stop me. You just can't stand to see me succeed."
"Seraphina, we only want what's best for you..."
She was cut off by the ringing of her phone.
Glancing at the caller ID, she saw it was one of her fellow investors. Seraphina quickly answered, "May, what's going on..."
On the other end was a girl's voice, frantic and tearful. "Seraphina, the company's been cleared out. Giselle and the others have vanished. I can't reach them. Could we have been conned?"
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