What is it?" Tiff followed her line of sight.
She saw a woman in a sultry burgundy dress, her hair styled in glamorous, cascading waves, fully made-up and practically dripping with seduction.
She was clinging to a man's arm, giggling coquettishly.
The man looked to be in his early fifties. He was short, balding, and sported a prominent beer belly. His dark blue suit was noticeably ill-fitting, and the gold watch on his wrist caught the harsh glare of the sun.
Seraphina's face instantly drained of color.
Catching the shift in her mood, Tiff took a closer look at the woman, nearly dropping her latte.
"Wait, isn't that... your stepmom, Zelda Gates?!"
Seraphina didn't say a word, her lips pressed into a thin line.
A moment ago, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
But she knew that woman far too well.
It was her stepmother, Zelda Gates.
Back when Zelda married her father, Samuel Simmons, she played the part of the gentle, devoted stepmother flawlessly. But behind closed doors, Seraphina would never forget the torment she was put through.
Sowing discord, twisting truths, secretly slashing her living expenses, badmouthing her to her father at every turn...
If Seraphina hadn't eventually married Lucian and escaped that toxic house, she couldn't even imagine what her life would look like now.
But the main issue right now was—the man beside Zelda was absolutely not her father.
Samuel might be in his fifties, but he kept himself in excellent shape. He was lean and distinguished, practically a different species entirely from this pudgy man with the beer belly.
"Who is that guy?" Tiff whispered.
Seraphina didn't answer.
She watched as Zelda affectionately clung to the man's arm, the two of them chatting and laughing as they strolled into the hotel lobby.
Just before they stepped through the doors, the man casually gave Zelda's butt a squeeze.
Instead of pulling away, Zelda playfully shoved his shoulder, her eyes practically swimming with affection.
Besides, she had no hard evidence yet.
"Come on, let's just go shopping." Seraphina grabbed Tiff's arm and pulled her toward the mall entrance.
Tiff kept glancing back over her shoulder, muttering, "That is so disgusting. If your dad finds out, all hell is going to break loose."
"Then again, I guess it's not that shocking. A homewrecker who married up was bound to be a tramp."
Seraphina didn't respond.
Let Samuel find out the hard way!
There was no such thing as an airtight secret. Samuel would inevitably discover the truth.
Seraphina had zero desire to get dragged into their messy drama.
She was no longer the terrified little girl waiting in that house, desperate for her father to spare her a single glance of affection.
Though, it was safe to say the Simmons household was about to get very entertaining!

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