Chapter 283 Act in Collusion with Each Other
Seraphina first went over to greet Theodore and Genevieve before pushing Dashiell around the hall.
She stopped at the pastry section.
"Do you want anything?" Seraphina asked Dashiell while picking out pastries.
She wasn't trying to be nice to Dashiell.
She just didn't want others to say she was mistreating him.
After all, Dashiell was in a wheelchair and couldn't easily reach the pastry buffet.
"Cream is fine," Dashiell said.
Seraphina asked, "How about chocolate?"
"No, I don't like chocolate. It's too bitter," Dashiell explained.
"Is chocolate bitter?" Seraphina began to doubt her taste buds.
Dashiell nodded.
Seraphina didn't feel like arguing with Dashiell and asked, "More cream or less?"
"More."
Seraphina asked, "You like cream?" She found it amusing that a grown man liked cream.
"I prefer sweets," Dashiell said.
She thought, 'Definitely more suited to be a girl.'
Seraphina picked a cream-heavy cake and handed it to Dashiell.
Dashiell said, "Thanks."
"Don't overthink it. I just don't want people to think I'm mistreating a disabled person," Seraphina said bluntly.
Dashiell nodded.
He knew. It was just that the word disability was a little hard for him to digest.
Dashiell sat in his wheelchair, elegantly eating the cream cake in front of him.
Seraphina really thought that Dashiell's refined, otherworldly demeanor didn't belong in the mortal world.
"Seraphina." A male voice suddenly sounded beside them.
Seraphina turned her head sharply.
Dashiell also turned to look for a moment before slowly focusing back on his cream cake.
"Sebastian." Seraphina's voice had a noticeable emotional fluctuation.
Maybe she was excited.
Dashiell placed the cream cake on the buffet table and wheeled himself away.
Sometimes he preferred not to see.
It allowed him to deceive himself into thinking this life was still okay.
"How have you been?" Seraphina asked, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness.
She stared at him, feeling a sudden pang of unease. It was as if they had become strangers overnight. They had once been on the verge of marriage, and now the distance between them seemed insurmountable.
The more she thought about it, the more it pained her.
"I'm fine. And you?" Sebastian asked gently.
"I'm not," Seraphina admitted bluntly.
Sebastian seemed at a loss for words, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for something to say.
"If I say I'm not okay, will you take me away from all this?" Seraphina pressed.
Sebastian remained silent.
It became clear then. Sebastian's decision to let her marry Dashiell wasn't a spur-of-the-moment choice. He had truly pushed her toward Dashiell.
Seraphina gave a wry smile and said, "If you're not going to, then don't ask me how I'm doing in the future. You'll only make me think you want to start over."
With that, she walked away, her eyes slightly reddened.
Despite her emotions, she felt stronger than she had expected. She had thought she would break down the moment she saw Sebastian, but not a single tear had fallen.
Sebastian watched her retreating figure, her graceful exit, and the way she seemed to have moved on. His eyes tightened with a surge of pain.
All the years he had invested in Seraphina would not go to waste.
Suppressing his emotions, he turned to leave.
"Sebastian."
A woman's voice called out from behind.
Sebastian frowned and turned to see Penelope standing there, neither too close nor too far.
"Are you content with this?" Penelope asked.
"I'm not sure what you're referring to," Sebastian replied cautiously. He was always on guard with people he didn't know well.
"You were supposed to marry Seraphina," Penelope said, her voice sharp. "The House of Everhart Bank was meant to be yours. Now, it's all gone up in smoke. Are you content with that?"
"That's my concern, not yours," Sebastian replied coldly.
"It is relevant," Penelope said, her eyes narrowing. "If Seraphina hadn't dumped you, I might have ended up marrying Dashiell! In a way, your incompetence is what tore me and Dashiell apart."
Sebastian's expression darkened. Penelope's words were laced with clear disdain, and her high-handed attitude was evident.
"What's done is done. Complaining won't change a thing," Penelope continued. "Instead, how about we join forces as fellow victims?"
"Join forces?" Sebastian's interest was piqued, though his face remained impassive.
"Yes," Penelope said, stepping closer. "We can work together to break up Seraphina and Dashiell."
"I haven't considered that," Sebastian said, firmly rejecting the idea.
Penelope's face tightened. Dominic's warning had been accurate—Sebastian was not to be underestimated. For a man who had risen from nothing to his current status, whatever methods he used, he was clearly not to be taken lightly.
At this moment, Sebastian's cautious nature was evident in his swift rejection.
"Partnering with me would be beneficial for both of us," Penelope persisted. "First off, I'm from one of the four major families in high society. There's bound to be something in the business world where my connections could be of use to you. Second, Dominic is making moves towards the noble family. If you work with me now, I can facilitate an introduction. With Dominic's help once he gains prominence, controlling the House of Everhart Bank could become a real possibility. Lastly, you like Seraphina, I like Dashiell. If we help each other get with the people we want, why not?"
Despite her persuasive argument, Sebastian remained guarded. Though he had not outright refused, he hadn't agreed either.
"Rest assured, I won't betray you," Penelope said, her tone condescending. "Your social status isn't worth me compromising my own standards. I'm approaching you because I see value in our potential cooperation. Otherwise, someone like you wouldn't even warrant my attention."
Sebastian bristled at her words but also recognized the truth in them. Penelope's interest in collaboration was rooted in mutual benefit rather than malice. For him, this was a positive development.
Without Seraphina, his chances of establishing himself in business or reclaiming the House of Everhart Bank seemed like a fantasy. Support from someone with Penelope's connections could make a significant difference.
Even if Dominic's reputation was less than stellar right now, he was still a major player. If Dominic indeed rose within the noble family, collaborating with Penelope could be advantageous.
"But," Sebastian said cautiously, "if you're so fond of Dashiell, how can I be sure that once you're with him, you won't aid him in taking over the House of Everhart Bank instead of helping me?"
Sebastian felt a bit of a blow to his pride from Penelope's words.
But they also made him lower his guard a bit.
From Penelope's perspective, she had no reason to harm him. Hurting him wouldn't benefit her at all.
She approached him purely for mutual benefit.
For him, it was actually a good thing.
Without Seraphina, establishing himself in business, let alone taking over the House of Everhart Bank, was a pipe dream. If someone supported him...
Dominic's reputation had been poor lately, but a starving camel was still bigger than a horse.
He was still much stronger than Sebastian.
And if Dominic did rise in the noble family.
Collaborating with Penelope would indeed be beneficial.
"But," Sebastian remained extremely cautious, "if you like Dashiell so much, once you're with him, how can you guarantee you won't help him take over the House of Everhart Bank instead of helping me?"
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