Dominic and I met at the restaurant he owned. I let him choose the place where we would meet.
At first, he insisted on picking me up at my house, but I refused, telling him that I was with Mira and that she would bring me to his restaurant.
When I arrived, he was already sitting and waiting for me. I sighed deeply and walked toward him.
"Sera..." he called, pulling out a chair for me.
I smiled at him, and the waiter handed us the menu.
"Choose anything you want," he said.
I looked at the menu and ordered a Caesar salad and cucumber lemonade.
"That's all for lunch? That's not very heavy," Dominic said.
"I'm not that hungry," I answered.
But Dominic didn't listen and ordered a lot of food for both of us.
After the waiter noted the orders, he left.
"I thought I wouldn't see you again. I'm happy you called and wanted to meet me," Dominic said with a smile while looking at me.
"I didn't come here just to see you. I need to talk to you about something," I said.
"About what?"
"About what you did to get my house back," I said directly.
He didn't seem surprised by what I said, which meant he already knew why I had asked to meet him.
"The brokers went to my house earlier and told me that someone bought it back," I said.
"Aren't you happy about it?" he asked.
"How much did you pay?"
"Does it matter?"
"Dominic, tell me. You can't just spend money on me like that. No matter how rich you are, I can't just let you do that," I said, my voice rising. I wasn't angry. I was just overwhelmed with guilt over what he had done for me, especially when I was only his friend.
"You already have so many things to handle. You're still recovering from what happened at the company," he said.
"You just gave me another reason to owe a huge debt. You know I don't have millions," I said in frustration.
"I never said you owe me anything. Think of it as an advanced birthday gift," he said, smiling.
How could I stay mad at someone who only wanted to help me?
"I don't want people to think I'm using you just because you're rich. Yes, I'm happy and relieved because I thought I was going to lose the house. I can't even imagine someone else living in my grandmother's house. She worked so hard for it just to buy it. But I can't let someone spend so much money just for me. What would Lucca and Damian think about it? That I'm a gold digger?" I explained at length.
"Lucca told me he sent you home yesterday," Dominic said, looking at me with amusement.
I was taken aback and couldn't respond.
"When Mira called, Damian and Lucca overheard your situation. They didn't judge you."
I remembered Lucca's face yesterday. Despite the rain, he went out just to confront me. Even though we weren't friends, he still sent me home. I saw a different side of him yesterday. He seemed concerned, even if he didn't show it clearly.
He didn't force me to explain why I was crying.
He was different from the Lucca I had met before.
Was he changing? Or was he just tired of arguing with me?
Dominic's POV
After the call, I went back to drinking with Lucca and Damian. I was waiting for my secretary to text me the information I needed for the transaction.
As I sipped my wine, Lucca broke the silence.
"I saw Seraphina sitting on a waiting shed in the town where I went for a business meeting."
His statement caught my interest.
"I offered to send her home. She was crying, but I didn't ask why," Lucca continued.
"What was she doing there?" I asked.
"That's the town where her mother lives," he answered.
"How do you know that?"
"Because I was once offered a large amount of money just to get the ring," he replied.
Damian and I exchanged a look, as if silently understanding each other.
"I'll handle her mother," Lucca said while sipping his wine.
"You can't just use force to hurt someone," I warned him.
"I won't use force, especially not against a woman. Surely, Master will be angry with me. But I want her to taste her own medicine," he said, staring into his glass.
Damian joined the conversation.
"I know you badly need the ring, but do you guys really go this far just for a woman?"
"She's not just a woman, Damian. We need her for Lucca," I said, trying to emphasize that his statement was wrong.
"I know you, Lucca. You don't interfere in things you're not involved in. So why bother talking to her mother?" Damian asked again, looking at Lucca as he took another sip.
Damian was right. I knew Lucca badly needed the ring, but why was he doing this? He was never the type to interfere in matters that didn't concern him directly. I was starting to see changes in him, but I still couldn't figure out the reason behind it.
"I'm not doing this for revenge against Seraphina. I'm doing this because she deceived me about the ring," I said.
I wasn't sure if Lucca was making excuses or not, but I didn't ask further. What mattered most right now was helping Seraphina get her house back.
After twenty minutes, my secretary called to inform me that he already had the address. He emailed me all the details of the client who had bought the house.
The next morning, I woke up early because I was going to meet the client who had purchased the house. My secretary drove me to the location.
I stepped out of the car and walked into the Italian restaurant.
"Mr. Vale?" a woman in her late forties greeted me. Beside her was her husband, who looked to be in his early fifties.
"You can order whatever you want. The bill is on the house," the woman said. So the restaurant was hers, meaning she was wealthy too.
I ordered some drinks and pizza, while she instructed the waiter to bring her usual order.
After that, she looked at me and smiled.
"What brings the CEO here, Mr. Vale?" she asked.
As I observed her, I could tell she had been beautiful when she was younger. It was still visible in her skin and the way she carried herself.
"The house you recently bought..." I said.
The woman looked confused for a moment, then seemed to remember.
"You mean Ms. Blake's house?"
I nodded.
"Why are you asking, Mr. Vale?"
"I was just curious why you bought it. How much did it cost?"
"I bought it for ten million. Actually, it was her mother I dealt with. I bought it because it was a perfect location for my planned coffee shop."
"I also want to buy that house. Would you be willing to sell it to me?" I asked.
"Mr. Vale, I know how rich you are, and paying you would be no problem. But why are you so interested in an old house?"
"I'm planning something with it," I answered.
She smiled and looked at her husband.
"We can't sell it. We've already decided to use it for our coffee shop."
"How much do you want for it?" I asked.
"Mr. Vale..."
I didn't let her finish. "I'll double the price." The couple exchanged glances when they heard I would double the amount. They seemed interested.
She looked at me and smiled.
"I'll call the broker and inform them that I'll be selling the house to you," she said.
That made me smile.
Surely, Seraphina would be happy to know her house would not be sold to anyone else. And I would make sure that no one, not even her mother, would ever touch that house again.
Lucca's POV
I rang the doorbell of the house I was standing in. The person I wanted to meet walked toward the gate to see who was outside.
"You… I remember you," said the woman.
Yes. I was at Seraphina's mother's house today. I wanted to give her a lecture so she would never mess with her daughter again.
She was smiling at me and opened the gate.
As much as I wanted to break her composure, I remained calm. I just wanted her to taste her own medicine.
"Have a seat," she offered, pointing to a single sofa in their living room.
"I'll get some tea," she said, then hurried to the kitchen.
While waiting, I looked around the house. I noticed a family portrait hanging on the wall—a happy-looking family.
So my secretary's information was correct.
Before coming here, I had asked him to dig deeper into Seraphina's mother. I wanted to know her past and how she ended up abandoning her only child.
When she returned, she was still smiling, as if I were good news to her.
She really was a gold digger, a selfish woman.
"What brought you here?" she asked sweetly.
I took the teacup, sipped, then placed it back down before answering.
"Katerina Bowles…" I began.
She flinched when she heard her name but quickly composed herself and smiled again.
"Yes?"
I studied her reaction.
"I was just curious how you ended up using the name Bowles," I continued.
Her expression twisted slightly. Curious, anxious, afraid of what I might say next, but she still pretended to be calm.
She forced a smile.
"May I ask what brings you here, Mr…?" she asked, trying to get my name, but I had no intention of giving it to her.
"This is your second family," I said instead. "From the family portrait, you look very happy."
Her smile completely disappeared, replaced by a serious expression.
"Did you come here to ask about the ring my daughter is wearing?"
"No," I answered briefly.
"Then why are you here? You sound like you're threatening me."
"Am I?" I asked back.
She didn't respond.
I picked up the teacup again and took another sip.
"Your children are at school, aren't they? Your husband is at work. That means you're alone here."
Fear was now visible on her face. She looked at me as if I were a murderer.
I set the teacup down and stood, staring at the family portrait on the wall.
"What would this portrait look like if it were ruined?" I asked, my hands in my pockets.
"Mr., please leave my house," she said, trembling. She stood as well but kept her distance.
"You let me in, and now you want me to leave? It's still too early for your children and husband to come home," I said.
"What do you want? The ring? I don't have it! My daughter wouldn't give me that damn ring!" she shouted hysterically.
I smirked.
I looked at her. She was trembling, but still trying to maintain what little composure she had left.
Then I spoke, my tone cold.
"You sold the house without even asking your daughter's consent. You sold it illegally. The land title is under your daughter's name, not yours."
Shock spread across her face.
"Don't mess with your daughter ever again if you don't want to destroy your so-called family," I said through gritted teeth.
"Are you Seraphina's boyfriend?"
"That is none of your business, Katerina."
"Then why are you doing this to me? It's my house too! I'm her mother! Can't I sell it because I needed money?"
"You're a greedy little freak," I said coldly.
Her eyes widened, her mouth slightly open in disbelief.
"You and your ex-husband are useless. How could you abandon your child and let your mother raise her alone? You don't deserve a happy life."
"You are crossing the line, Mr.!"
"Then don't cross the line with your daughter," I replied. "I'm here to warn you not to mess with her again. If you do, I will make sure your entire family suffers."
She frowned, clenching her fists, but said nothing.
"This is your final warning. If you don't want to be destroyed, stay away from her," I said.
I took a step closer. She backed away until she hit the wall. I kept walking toward her until I was close enough to meet her eyes directly.
"I can make your family as miserable as you made Seraphina. Remember my words, or you'll lose everything," I said.
"This is harassment! I can call the police!" she shouted, her voice shaking.
"Go ahead. I don't care," I replied.
I turned to leave but stopped at the door and looked back.
"Your husband works for a company owned by my friend. I might suggest he gets terminated and never finds a job again."
Her eyes widened in panic. She rushed toward me and grabbed my arm, but I shook her off easily.
"Don't do it," she begged desperately. Then, to my surprise, she knelt. "Please. I won't report you. I won't interfere with my daughter again. Just don't do this to my husband."
"Give the money to your daughter. You sold the house for ten million, right?"
"What?" she said in shock.
"Didn't you hear me?"
"But I've already used the money…"
"Then find a way to return ten million to her. I don't care how you do it, just give it back or else…"
"Okay, okay! I'll give it to her! I'll go to her house tomorrow. Just please!" she begged.
I didn't stay any longer.
At the very least, she had already tasted her own medicine. That was the least I could do for Seraphina.
Why was I doing this?
I didn't know either.
I had never involved myself in someone else's situation like this before.
But when I saw Seraphina's face yesterday, something changed.
Pity lingered in me.
And the only thing I could think of… was protecting her.