Seraphina was no naïve 17-year-old girl living in an ivory tower. Her life had been marked by relentless hardship, where she had seen the ugliest sides of humanity. She could clearly sense the intentions behind the words of the person opposite her. After all, she had heard from Evelyn that Linara frequently visited the lakeside mansion, trying to gain access to Heartlake Island. It didn't take much to figure out why Linara kept showing up so often—it was obvious. Did Chloe not realize it? Of course, she did. In fact, she had set it up more than once. If Jason and the Drakon Family were really such a danger, why would Chloe willingly send her most beloved daughter into that kind of peril? In my past life, Chloe had showered Linara with so much affection and favoritism that it made me seethe with jealousy. And now, even in this life, nothing has changed. Suddenly, a startling thought flashed through Seraphina's mind. She leaned closer to Chloe, resting her hand affectionately on her shoulder for the first time. "I understand now. I'll keep my distance from him in the future. Honestly, my relationship with him is nothing more than ordinary friendship. It's not what you think." Chloe, relieved that Seraphina seemed to heed her advice, looked pleased. "Mom, I'm back!" A sweet voice called out from the entrance. Linara walked into the living room, only to see Seraphina and Chloe standing close together. Her smile faltered and disappeared in an instant. Seraphina smiled at her, a smile that to Linara felt like a deliberate provocation, as if saying, "See? In the end, Mom still belongs to me." "I'm a bit tired. I'll head upstairs," Linara said, her voice trembling. Even though she had mentally prepared herself for this day, it still hurt deeply when it finally came. She couldn't stand being here for another second, witnessing the warmth and affection between Chloe and Seraphina. Linara rushed upstairs. Seraphina, watching out of the corner of her eye, noticed every flicker of emotion on Chloe's face—the pain and unease were unmistakable. Chloe seemed as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing. Turning back to Seraphina, her expression returned to normal. "I'll teach you more another time. Your arrangement today turned out beautifully." Seraphina nodded. "I'll head upstairs now." "Go ahead." After Seraphina left, Chloe's smile vanished. She stared at the two floral arrangements before summoning a maid. "Place these in the entryway." The maid carried the flower arrangements out. Jasmine happened to see her and asked, "Where are you putting those?" "Mrs. Whitewood said to place them in the entryway.""They're so lovely. Why put them in the entryway?" Jasmine glanced at one of the arrangements, recognizing it as Seraphina's work. "I don't know," the maid replied. Upstairs, Seraphina closed her bedroom door and opened her palm to reveal a long strand of hair. Earlier, when she had leaned close to Chloe, she had discreetly plucked it. She carefully placed the strand into a sealed plastic bag. … That evening, Seraphina knocked on the study door, carrying a tray with a cup of strong tea and a plate of savory snacks. "Dad." Oberon looked up. "What is it?" These past few days, Oberon had been deeply troubled. The Hall Family had managed to pull some strings with connections in Pearlpoint, altering the development plans for slums.The Hall Family's crisis was now resolved, and Oberon, who had once abandoned them, had become a laughingstock. That piece of land was now set to bring the Hall Family billions in profit. Where once everyone had flattered Oberon, now the tide had turned, with people praising Jacob's boldness and shrewd tactics.