Chapter 358 - Wife, what did you say?

"Tuna boy, stand up there -- Doc, you as well." Tito glanced at the other two confused people inside the room. Don't they sensed that Dragon's ambiguous words were the cue for them to give them some 'quality' time to talk things?

After all, Seraphina was asking for a favor and with the short days Tito spent with Dragon, he won't refuse but… he'll surely ask something in return which any one of them couldn't bear to witness -- just in case Seraphina was on the last thread of her patience and would snap. It's better to be safe than sorry if that happened.

Hearing Tito's words, Tuna sluggishly crawled like a gigantic hippo as his knees were rather weak at the moment from the shocked he receive just now. Mariel who was in his trance altered his gaze from Dragon's mischievous grin to Seraphina's unfazed reaction, then to Tito who's almost blocking the door even though he was on the side.

"Huh?"

"Get a hold of yourself, leave." Tito repeated with a stern threatening tune that was akin to a loud slap for Mariel Min to get back on his senses.

"Y-- yes!" After abruptly bowing his head towards Seraphina who didn't even glance at him, before he scurried away; following Tito and Tuna.

--

When only Dragon and Seraphina were left in the room, Seraphina finally broke the silence. "Yes…"

"Oh?" Dragon raised his brows. He didn't celebrate as of yet as he wouldn't fall for her trap. Knowing her, she'll rebut a nasty one which would crash his reverie in an instant, hence, instead of feeling jubilant, he would play along with her ploy.

Seraphina was about to continue her sentence but swallowed her words and only stared at Dragon with the same unaffected look on her eyes. None know, even Dragon what's going on with her conniving mind of hers which slightly, just slightly vigilant to what she'll about to do or say.

However, unlike Dragon's expectation, Seraphina didn't utter a word after her last remarks. Knitting his brows together with a slight frown, Dragon inquired, "Yes? No continuation like 'yes, I took another step near my death or something?' hmm?" 

Seraphina blinked and still, her front didn't give the slightest clue about her thoughts. Alas, on her subconscious mind, she laughed hearing the exact rebut she wanted to say earlier but chose not to speak about it. Surely, Dragon was immuned from her usual dialogues and could even predict what she was about to say. Thus, for a change, she might as well make fun of this tease just like he always does to her.

"Yes means yes. So, will your skilled specialist look after his daughter? Perhaps, find him a donor for a bone-marrow transplant while they're at it -- after all, you need to persuade my family if you wanted my hand, no?" Seraphina stated with a matter of factly tone as if it wasn't her marriage that she was talking about.

"Wait, wait, wait -- I think my ears were deceiving me." Dragon raised his index finger, gesturing her to stop as he tries to process her agreement. Did she just give her consent just like that? Dragon was baffled with this game Seraphina put him in. 

'What kind of trick is this again?' Dragon thought inwardly. 

Of course, he'll lend Seraphina his helping hand as it was the first time Seraphina relied on him. After all, her request was a piece of cake and won't be a problem with his connections. Alas, the fun was spoilt with her simple 'yes'. In his perspective, something was amiss. The discussion should not like this!

"Baby, the trauma you had caused me gave me a little trust issue with your sporadic response -- allow me to process the data from your reply." Dragon pondered hard as if he was cracking the greatest code behind her words. Alas, Seraphina didn't mean anything from her words as she only wanted to tease him back.

Looking at Dragon's confused expression, a subtle smile formed on the side of her lips. She didn't realize it until now that the enormous walls she built around her had crumbled down; which made her see what's in front of her. It gave her more broadened hindsight.

"Damn," Dragon grinned his teeth in frustration as he pinched the bridge of his nose. This time, Seraphina really got him good with her airtight response earlier.

"I have been thinking… if I opened this rotten heart again, what difference will it make?" Seraphina gazed down with the back of her hand still propped on her jaw and her leg laid on the other.

Indeed, if someday, she'll give herself and Dragon to have that kind of relationship -- a relationship where for once, she felt genuinely happy and in love, what difference will it make? Will it make them or just break them even further?

Seraphina sometimes crossed that thought on her head which she would shrug off as it wasn't her priority at the moment. Alas, now that she watched Dragon indulge of what scheme she had plotted with her words, she realized she had been lying all these years; not just to Dragon, to her Gramps, and to herself as well.

Her lies had already become her truth. For example, the feelings she had with Liam and her unjust hatred towards Dragon. It has always been chaotic inside her mind ever since the beginning. None would understand but, Seraphina was also lost inside the never-ending darkness inside her. She knew that her case was beyond savable and no one would find the Seraphina she used to know, even herself, hidden in the deepest abode of her rotten heart.

"Ba -- baby, what did you say?" For the first time in history, Dragon stuttered as he took a lousy step forward.

"Nothing." Raising her head to meet his unreadable gaze, Seraphina smiled -- a genuine and gentle smile.