Author's note: this is from Magda's point of view

- - -

​​

I was furious to hear John speaking so highly about that wench, yet he is giving me orders to go to some stinky school or to get married.

I am his sister. How can he treat me this way?

It's all Seraphina's fault!

"Why do you care about her? Didn't you see how close she was to Drago? She left with him!"

John exhaled irritably. "You really are stupid, Magda. Seraphina and Drago are childhood friends. Considering that my own father is courting Seraphina despite her rejections and that my sister was glaring daggers at her like a toddler who can't get her way, there were zero chances that Seraphina would turn to me for protection."

I couldn't believe this! She bewitched my brother to the point of turning him stupid. How can he ignore the obvious?

"Even if they are childhood friends, that doesn't mean they are not in a relationship. Drago never gets close to a woman, yet he embraced her when they left. You must be blind if you didn't notice how they were looking at each other."

"SO, WHAT!?", John roared. "Who doesn't have a relationship or a two? Do you expect me to search for a partner only among women who lived in a monastery without interacting with men? Even if Seraphina is in love with Drago or any other, that doesn't mean I can't show her who I am and what I can do for her. Damn it, Magda!"

John closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to stabilize his mood before looking down on me.

"School or marriage. You have two days to decide, or I will make that decision for you. Until then, no phone, no internet, and you will stay in your room. Your phone is unplugged, and you can use the intercom to contact staff when you need something. They are all informed that you are under house arrest and if any of them does more than bring you food or tidy up your room, they will be fired. Understood?"

John left my room without waiting for an answer.

I stared at the door as possessed. Is this really happening? No, no… this must be a nightmare.

- - -

Author's note: this is from Jonathan's point of view

- - -

I stormed out of Magda's room while rage gnawed my insides. I needed a drink.

I grabbed the closest bottle from the liquor cabinet and took a swing without thinking about getting a glass.

This evening was a disaster.

Just when I thought that I took one step forward with Serina, I realized I fell two steps behind.

I was about to take another gulp when I realized that there is another issue I need to deal with before I allow alcohol to numb me.

I got my phone and made a call. "Tyler, there was an issue at the party, and I need you to do damage control."

A yawn was heard from the other side of the line before he responded, "Issue at the party? Did Magda mess up again?" He chuckled. "Don't answer that. I will make sure to erase her name and photos..."

"No.", I interrupted him. "Leave Magda's name as-is."

"Was Magda a victim this time? Or did you decide to stop cleaning up after your sister? Hey, that will put me back on the job market."

I was not in the mood for Tyler's cheeky attitude, but he is the guy in charge of cleaning up media for us.

"Listen, Tyler. The incident involves several people, and too many people saw it to make it disappear. Focus on Seraphina Mezzanotte. Blur her face in images and videos, and replace her name with 'the young heiress' or something like that. I don't want others to know that she was involved."

There was an awkward pause before Tyler spoke. "Seraphina Mezzanotte? Are you serious?"

"Do your job, Tyler. Start now. This is important."

"Aye-aye, captain. I expect extra compensation for working through the night."

I ended the call and kept my phone away.

This is the least I can do for Seraphina, and I hope that she will be able to look over this incident.

I know that leaving the names of my father and sister exposed in gossips will be detrimental for the Thompson family overall, but I need to demolish the cracked foundation before I can rebuild it properly.

I will use my father's indiscretion to get the board of directors to support me in taking over the Giantshade Industries. After this storm is over, I will take the company to greater heights.

Knowing Magda's misdeeds gave me some leverage over her, but controlling Magda is exhausting.

I didn't want to expose Magda's transgressions to our father, but she is manipulative, and I knew that in the morning she would show up all teary-eyed, and father would forgive her, as always. By telling father what she was doing behind his back, I lost a few cards, but I closed off her retreat path.

She is my sister and I watched over her, but tonight she crossed the line.

After all these years, I found a woman who can match up to me and keep my interest with more than just a pleasing visual, and Magda ruined it.

Yes, I saw the way Seraphina was looking at Drago, and I saw how he was looking at her, just like many other guys present at the party. The fact that Seraphina asked Drago for protection and they left together, was a devastating defeat, but I didn't lose the war.

Seraphina is an exceptional lady and it would be hypocritical to expect that I'm the only one interested in her, or that I'm the first man to enter her eyes.

She is like a fiery flame, attracting moths, and I'm one of them.

Seraphina deserves the best, and if I want to be worthy of her, I need to become the best.

Unfortunately, no matter how good I am, she will not consider me if I have this crazy father and sister duo sabotaging my efforts.

It's time to clean the house.

Father was mentally exhausted after hearing everything Magda did. He didn't believe me at first, but I had proof. I hope that he seriously considers retiring amicably, or I will make him retire.

As for Magda, I'm tired of her shit.

Since the Giantshade Industries started growing and we rose in the social circles, Magda's obnoxious behavior is escalating.

She can either straighten her act and go to school, or I will find her a husband who will deal with her tantrums.

Why can't she be a bit like Seraphina?

I remember when Seraphina showed up and Magda approached her with a grumpy face, Seraphina was calm and collected, not allowing Magda's hostility to affect her in the slightest. That's how a true lady should behave.

Seraphina was regal and I would be honored if she agrees to stand by my side.

I plopped into the sofa chair and drank from the bottle while thinking about how to fix the horrible impression. What should I send to Seraphina as an apology?

I can't expect Seraphina to join me in any social outings, but if she accepts a present, it will mean that not all hopes are gone.

With my father and my sister out of the way, I will slowly creep into Seraphina's life, and who knows… maybe into her heart as well?

---

If you are not reading this at 'W e b n o v e l . c o m', then the content you're reading is stolen! Please support the author by reading this novel from the original source.