Mr. Sterling, Mrs. Sterling is Multifaceted!-Chapter 261: Watching from the Shadows

In a highly private villa, Seraphina Redgrave sat in front of a canvas. Around her feet lay a variety of painting materials. She held a sketch pencil and carefully outlined on the paper.

Not far away stood two tall tombstones.

They bore the photos of two women.

These were the very women she was sketching.

A fawn squatted nearby, quietly resting without disturbing its owner, and it was very well-behaved.

When it got bored, it ran off to play, wandering through the flowers and the grass. The golden sunlight on its white fur made it seemed to glow.

"What kind of gift are you planning? You’ve even moved right in."

On the canvas next to Seraphina was a phone with Ethan Sterling’s voice on the speaker; they were having a voice call.

Seeing her secretive demeanor, Ethan felt increasingly eager to find out what kind of gift he would receive.

Seraphina continued drawing and said, "You’ll find out when you return, won’t you? If you insist on knowing, get someone else to check for you."

After all, this was his turf. If he wished, nothing could escape his gaze.

"That’s not acceptable. My gift must be seen by me first," Ethan insisted.

Even if the Vastire Ocean separated them, Seraphina could sense Ethan’s current expression, and it must be extremely dissatisfied.

He was curious, but refused to let others see.

Knowing him well, Seraphina hadn’t tried to conceal her preparations at the villa.

Now, making use of the daylight, she would finish the drawing and begin carving by evening.

Meanwhile, the occasional sound of keyboard typing came through the phone, showing Ethan still handling work matters.

Seraphina was focused on her art, when Ethan suddenly asked, "Is the speech five days from now?"

"Yes." Seraphina glanced at the speech materials placed nearby and replied calmly.

She attached great importance to this speech, having just submitted her application for membership. The outcome of the speech would largely determine her acceptance, and it was also an excellent opportunity to win over support.

Fortunately, she had gained quite a following. The members of The Defiance Society excelled in various fields, bringing her considerable popularity.

Additionally, she had entered The Law Council at such a young age, earning the President’s praise, and she had become well-known nationwide.

Choosing the venue for the speech took a lot of effort. It had to be large enough to accommodate more citizens.

Moreover, TV stations and streaming platforms had all agreed to broadcast the speech, indicating the grand scale of the event.

"Are you nervous?" Ethan suddenly asked.

"Not really, I’m not nervous."

The popularity she was enjoying was hard-earned through numerous encounters with the public gaze.

The more people focused on her, the more support she could garner. It was beneficial for her, eliminating any reasons for nervousness.

Continuing her drawing, Seraphina suddenly remembered something. She asked, "Ethan, did you find out the reason for Young Master Finn’s car accident?"

That day, Ethan’s bodyguards quickly caught up without delay.

But unexpectedly, they found only two corpses. Melody Lockwood and Young Master Finn had their throats slit and blood splattered everywhere.

After being taken away, their car drove into a section without surveillance. The killer acted with swift and clean precision, leaving no suspicious traces. It was likely the work of professional assassins.

Though Young Master Finn was arrogant and had indeed made enemies, choosing to act after her vendetta seemed odd timing.

"Haven’t found anything. The killer left no trace, but I’ve sent people to the assassin organization to see if we can identify who took the job."

Discussing this matter, Ethan’s voice grew cold.

What Seraphina could think of, Ethan surely could too.

"I’ve got nothing on my end either."

After the incident, Seraphina used the Shaw Family’s intelligence network. Despite being less powerful than before, the Shaw Family was still highly resourceful, yet they could find no clues whatsoever.

She felt uneasy, sensing someone hiding in the shadows, secretly watching her.

This feeling was quite disconcerting.

"If they leaked your info before dying..."

Ethan didn’t continue.

Upon hearing this, Seraphina looked at the bracelet on her wrist. "If that were the case, the person behind it would’ve exposed my identity long ago. There’s no need to wait this long."

Moreover, killing them meant losing witness testimony.

This was the contradiction.

Such a meticulously planned murder surely had its purpose, yet the mist before them remained dense, obstructing the resolution of the mystery.

This made her feel a sense of losing control.

"During the speech in five days, I’ll arrange my bodyguards to pose as security to ensure your safety," Ethan expressed worry.

"Alright, there shouldn’t be any issues during the speech."

Seraphina thought further, "I still lean towards Young Master Finn’s enemies seeking revenge, coincidentally after us; that’s the only plausible explanation."

In truth, her real thoughts differed, but to prevent Ethan’s undue concern while afar, she could only say this.

Since the situation had escalated to this point, she would resolve it herself.

"Having someone to protect me makes me feel more at ease," Ethan stated, "Once the speech is over, come home promptly, don’t linger outside. I feel uneasy. Avoid contact with unfamiliar people."

"Strangers?" Seraphina chuckled softly, "Who can be considered a stranger?"

Just as Seraphina’s voice fell, she heard a deep, magnetic voice from the phone, "Anyone besides your man."

Each word clearly echoed in Seraphina’s ears.

She couldn’t help but laugh; the possessiveness of this man was indeed powerful, undeterred by thousands of kilometers apart.

"Alright, I’ll remember, when that day comes I’ll be extra cautious, and nothing unexpected will happen."

Ethan ultimately trusted her. She was always prudent; otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed to her holding the speech.

...

For the next few days, Seraphina halted matters at The Law Council and university, focusing entirely on preparations for the work and speech.

Time flew swiftly, and the day of the speech finally arrived.

The venue was chosen as Sovereign’s largest public square, with a huge platform erected in the center and six large LCD screens suspended above, capable of broadcasting the speaker’s status live.

Usually bustling with people, today all the shops were closed, and everyone gathered at the massive square solely to await Seraphina’s speech.