"You haven't even paid for it yet, so what makes you think it's yours?" Kiera Winters argued unreasonably. "Mom, I want that dress."
"Alright, Mommy will buy it for you. Clerk, I'll take that one," Linda Quinn said, her expression haughty and disdainful.
Seraphina Ashworth looked up to see a woman dripping with jewels, a disdainful sneer on her face, leading a young girl. The girl's expression, so similar to the woman's, completely shattered the innocence she should have had at her age.
"Ma'am, this young lady did ask for the dress first. Perhaps you'd like to look at something else?" the salesclerk said, looking troubled.
"No! I want this one!" Kiera Winters shrieked, throwing a tantrum.
"Didn't you hear my daughter? Do you want to keep your job or not?" Linda Quinn snapped.
"Hold on. The Winters Family is certainly brazen. You should watch who you're trying to steal from." Maurice Ashworth walked up to Linda Quinn, his expression cold. His soft voice held an undeniable authority, his formidable nature already on full display despite his youth.
Linda Quinn hadn't expected to see a member of the Ashworth Family here. "Well, well, if it isn't the eldest young master of the Ashworths. What are you doing here? This doesn't seem to be any of your family's business, does it?"
"There you're mistaken. My sister wants this dress, so how could it not be the Ashworth Family's business?" Victor Ashworth said gently as he walked to Maurice's side, but the sharp glint that flashed in his eyes showed he was not to be underestimated.
Seeing the Ashworth brothers were not to be trifled with, Linda Quinn switched targets. "Oh, your sister... Cecilia, how about you let Auntie have this dress? Auntie will buy you something else."
"Auntie Quinn, I'm only calling you that out of respect for your age, so don't try to pull rank. I'm buying this dress for our Seraphina. Besides, the Ashworth Family isn't short on cash," Cecilia said, looking at Linda Quinn with unconcealed sarcasm.
"Cecilia Ashworth, don't be ridiculous! What right does she have to wear a dress like this? Is she even worthy?" Kiera Winters couldn't help but lash out, pointing at Seraphina. 'In her eyes, Seraphina is a nobody. She's met everyone in the Ashworth Family, but she's never seen this girl before. She's just jealous that Seraphina is prettier than her—so pretty it makes her want to destroy that face.'
"Say that again. The dignified Fifth Miss of the Ashworth Family, my own sister, Jasper Ashworth's sister, the precious daughter of Paul Ashworth of the Apex Group. You're saying she can't wear this? If she isn't worthy, what makes you think you are?" Jasper stood beside Seraphina. Upon hearing Kiera's words, his face instantly turned frigid, and his icy voice shot straight toward Kiera Winters.
Intimidated by Jasper's icy tone, Kiera Winters quickly shrank behind her mother.
Linda Quinn suddenly recalled a rumor from a few years ago, and the words slipped out before she could stop them. "Paul Ashworth's daughter... you mean the sickly weakling of the Ashworth Family."
"Who are you calling a sickly weakling? Watch your mouth." Upon hearing this, Maurice's face darkened instantly.
"Isn't it the truth? That's what everyone says." Being publicly rebuked by a junior, Linda Quinn felt her pride sting. She looked up at Seraphina and couldn't help but be stunned by the girl's beauty.
"Eldest Brother, don't stoop to their level. If a dog bites you, you don't bite it back. You'll just get rabies," Seraphina said, not wanting to ruin her family's mood and hoping to end things quickly.
"Who are you calling a dog? Say that again!" Hearing Seraphina's veiled insult, Kiera Winters couldn't stop herself from jumping forward to argue.
"I didn't mention you by name. If you insist on identifying with the description, I can't help you," Seraphina said with a raised eyebrow, her voice cool.
"Hmph! So what if you're the Fifth Miss of the Ashworth Family? I'm getting this dress no matter what," Kiera Winters snarled, her eyes filled with unconcealed jealousy.
"Then you can have it."
Kiera Winters assumed Seraphina was scared, and the smug look on her face made Cecilia want to slap her senseless. But in the next second, Kiera's expression froze. "You..."
Seraphina took the dress from the salesclerk's hands, grabbed a pair of scissors from the counter, and cut it to shreds right in front of her.
"Here, for you. My treat. It suits you perfectly," Seraphina said, putting down the scissors and holding the ruined dress out to Kiera Winters.
"Clerk, ring me up," Seraphina said, taking out her bank card for the salesclerk to swipe.
"Ah! How dare you do this to me!" 'How dare she disrespect me like this!' Provoked by Seraphina, Kiera Winters shrieked and lunged forward to attack her.
"Elara, stop! You've all gone too far! I'm going to ask Paul Ashworth if this is how he raises his daughter!" Linda Quinn said, looking at Seraphina and her siblings as if she and her daughter were the real victims.
"Oh, please do. My father is available anytime." Jasper couldn't help but laugh when he heard Linda Quinn's threat. 'If Father found out how they've been slandering Seraphina, they should count themselves lucky if he doesn't tear them apart.'
"Brothers, let's go. Ignore them." Seraphina turned to leave the store, but she suddenly spotted someone at the entrance. Her steps faltered. "Nina."
At the entrance, a plainly dressed girl of about twelve heard Seraphina's murmur and immediately looked up. When she saw who it was, she couldn't help but blurt out, "Mr."
Hearing the girl's title for her and seeing that familiar face, Seraphina immediately confirmed that this was, in fact, one of her Four Great Guardians: Nina.
"Nina, what are you doing here? Where are the others?" For the first time since her rebirth, Seraphina's emotions were in turmoil.
"Mr., it's a long story." As soon as Nina saw Seraphina, tears began to stream down her face.
"Come with me." Realizing this wasn't the place to talk, Seraphina pulled Nina along and turned to Maurice and the others. "Brothers, let's go home. I have something urgent to deal with."
"Seraphina, isn't she from the Winters Family? What are you doing?" Cecilia had once seen Kiera Winters bullying this girl and found out she was the illegitimate daughter of Mr. Winters, making her Kiera's half-sister.
"Let's not talk about it now. We'll talk when we get home," Maurice said at once, seeing how anxious Seraphina was to leave.
With that, Seraphina and her siblings immediately headed for home.
"Mom, that little bitch is gone! Look, she left her stuff on the ground." When Kiera Winters came out, she saw that Nina had disappeared, leaving only her belongings behind.
"Just forget her. It's for the best that she's gone." Linda Quinn had long found the illegitimate girl an eyesore. Out of sight, out of mind.