Andrea glanced at the fluttering curtain and quickly said, "That's Renee Lewis."
"Renee?" Seraphina asked, her curiosity piqued. "Who is she?"
"She's the girl Lionel took in," Andrea explained. "Her parents were old friends with Lionel. They passed away in an accident, and he's been looking after her ever since – must be over a decade now."
So, she was Lionel's adopted daughter.
Seraphina took another look and said, "I've seen her before."
"What?" Andrea seemed slightly taken aback. "You've seen her? When?"
Seraphina didn't respond right away but said, "What's up? I've met her before; is it that surprising?"
Andrea replied, "She's always been frail, so she was kept at home most of the time, hardly ever went out or met people. Look, she doesn't even attend family gatherings like today's. How could you have possibly met her?"
Now Seraphina was even more intrigued. "She never goes out, never meets people? Is that what you call taking care of someone? Sounds more like house arrest to me."
"I hardly ever see her myself," Andrea said. "Lionel insists she needs rest and can't be disturbed. Where did you meet her? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
Mistaken? Seraphina arched an eyebrow. Given her impeccable memory, the only way she could be wrong is if the world housed two girls with the exact same appearance.
A long time ago, during a routine check-up at the hospital, she saw a girl peering into Lorenzo Reynolds' office. And just now, the face that appeared at the window was undeniably the same girl she had briefly encountered at the hospital!
Without hesitation, Seraphina grabbed Andrea's hand and said, "Let's go talk to her. That'll clear up any confusion, won't it?" As she turned to leave, Andrea quickly reached out to stop her. "No, we can't."
"What's the problem?" Seraphina asked, puzzled.
"That’s Lionel's house..." Andrea looked troubled. "We can't just walk in there."
Seraphina laughed, "Aren't you all family?"
"Yes," Andrea admitted, "but Lionel's a very private person. He doesn't allow people to just wander into his home."
Hearing this, Seraphina raised an eyebrow and said, "Why don't we just ask him? I'd like to get to know his daughter and have a chat. That should be fine, right?"
Andrea shook her head. "Lionel is very protective of Renee. Knowing him, he wouldn't agree to it."
To Seraphina, this only made things more interesting but suspicious.
After a moment, she scoffed and said, "That's not just being protective; that's extreme. Oh, by the way, Lionel's been single all these years, right?"
"Yes," Andrea responded, then suddenly realized what Seraphina was implying. "What are you thinking?"
Seraphina laughed, "I'm thinking exactly what you're thinking! Doesn't it seem odd to you?"
"It does seem a bit off," Andrea conceded. "But he always uses Renee's health as a reason, and there's nothing we can do."
"How often have you seen Renee? What do you know about her?" Seraphina pressed on.
Andrea thought for a moment. "The last time I saw her face-to-face must've been years ago. These past years, at most, I've caught brief glimpses of her through the window, like earlier."
"And when you saw her before, did she seem unwell?" Seraphina probed further.
Andrea shook her head again. "I didn't really notice anything."
"Then let's go find out today!" Seraphina said, suddenly pulling Andrea down the stairs.
"Sera, what are you planning?" Andrea asked worriedly.
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