Seraphina was already the perfect child in Theresa's opinion and after everything that had taken place tonight, she was now given the title of "Perfect Daughter-in-law" as well.
To turn a blind eye to her husband's indecisive nature and even support his family in this tough time, made Seraphina seem both pitiful and dutiful.
This made Theresa pull her daughter-in-law into another tight hug as she rubbed her back affectionately, using her actions to prove that she was on Seraphina's side in this matter.
'I need to have a good chat with Tobias once he gets back!' She vowed to give her son a piece of her mind whenever he returns.
Being hugged out of nowhere caused Seraphina to be stunned for the first few seconds before she returned the hug.
She had no idea that her new mother-in-law had beautifully misunderstood her reason for suggesting that the banquet should end early.
Hence, she had no way to clear this obvious misunderstanding on Theresa's part.
Regardless of the misunderstanding that had occurred, Theresa knew that Seraphina was right.
This was the best way to avoid any scandals that might arise if people noticed Tobias' sudden absence during the rest of the night since she had no idea where he had gone and when he would return.
Hence, she decided to do as her daughter-in-law had suggested and after discussing this plan with Seraphina for a few more minutes, Theresa returned to the banquet hall.
The guests present in the hall were their friends and extended family who were just as worried as them about Grandmother's health.
Therefore, upon revealing that the older woman was feeling better now and was resting, the guests present were glad to hear this good news and found another reason to celebrate tonight.
However, in the next second, Theresa announced that due to Grandmother's health, their family would be returning home now.
This announcement surprised the guests as the banquet was ending too early.
Nevertheless, given the incident they had just witnessed, they were understanding of the older woman's condition and respected Theresa's decision to retreat ahead of time.
Since the main characters of the night would no longer be present, they too prepared to leave soon but Theresa insisted that the guests stay behind and enjoy the rest of the evening.
There were quite a few businessmen and influential people who could not come to the chapel due to various reasons but had arrived at the hotel to attend the banquet.
Therefore, upon Theresa's insistence, the guests did not mind staying behind to socialize as it was common for the older hosts to often leave earlier than others.
Though they felt that the bride and groom should have stayed behind to entertain them, they did not speak their minds and chose to use this opportunity to make connections with a few wealthy individuals present here.
Theresa found Howard in the crowd, who nodded at her, signalling that he could stay behind and deal with the guests.
After all, not only was Howard a close partner of the Rion family business, he was also an influential personality in the city.
Therefore, him staying here meant that many would stick around in hopes of having a conversation with him.
Having resolved this matter, Theresa returned to the hallway where she had left Seraphina but noticed that her daughter-in-law was nowhere to be found.
Selene leaving the chapel without a word had resulted in an undeniable shadow being cast over the hearts of the Rion family.
Their trust had been broken due to her actions, turning today, which was supposed to be a special occasion, into a traumatic event in their lives.
Therefore, not finding Seraphina in the hallway where she had left her, Theresa felt anxiety bubbling up in her heart as she scanned her surroundings.
Panic and a strange sense of being abandoned rose in her heart and before she knew it, she found herself gasping for breath.
She was just about to call her assistant to look for Seraphina when she heard a familiar voice.
The voice had come from the room where Grandmother was resting, so in a daze, Theresa began walking towards this voice.
However, right when she was about to push the door open, a sense of deja vu struck her which made her freeze.
Earlier today, she had opened the door to Selene's dressing room, hoping to see the woman her son wished to marry but had found the room empty.
Therefore, dread now filled her heart, making her wonder if she would come across a similar scene once again.
She despised the very thought of opening this door only to find that it was empty, with no one in sight.
Her anxiety had caused her to forget that even if Seraphina wasn't in the room, Shawn and the doctor would be in there with Grandmother, who was still resting.
Unfortunately, Theresa's mind was working overtime to come up with negative thoughts, not giving her a chance to think clearly.
She was beginning to spiral out of control when, out of nowhere, another thought popped up in her head, which brought a refreshing breeze, calming her earlier stormy mind.
It wasn't Selene whom she was expecting to see on the other side of the door.
It wasn't Selene who had married her son and become a part of their family.
Instead, it was Seraphina, the child she had watched grow into a capable adult, someone she could trust, who had married into her family.
This reminder worked wonders in calming her heart as she gripped the handle of the door.
Holding her breath, she steeled her nerves and finally pushed the door open when her faith in Seraphina overcame her fear of being left behind.
The people inside the room turned toward the door when they noticed it being pushed open.
Shawn glanced at his mother standing at the door but soon his lips turned into a frown when he noticed the pale look on her face.
He watched as his mother scanned the room with a strange desperation, which confused him.
'Is she sick too?' He was worried that after everything that had taken place today, the stress was getting to his mother.
He decided to have the doctor check on his mother too and was just about to give his instructions when his thoughts were interrupted.
His mother, whose face was pale just a second ago, suddenly broke into a wide smile as she rushed into the room, running past him.
Following her movements, Shawn witnessed how his mother ran straight toward Seraphina who had just exited the bathroom.
Theresa showed no signs of slowing down and instead, sped up when she got closer to the woman whom she had been looking for.
The older woman threw herself at the bride, putting her entire weight on the other as she hugged her with that same desparation Shawn had sensed earlier.
The sudden impact caused Seraphina to stumble a few feet back thanks to her high heels but she soon steadied both herself and Theresa, ensuring that neither of them fell to the floor.
Shawn let out the breath he had been holding after witnessing how Seraphina had somehow managed to save them both as he would not have made it in time to catch them before they fell.
"What is wrong with you, Mom?" He whisper-yelled at his mother, making sure to control his volume so as to not disturb Grandmother, who was still asleep thanks to the doctor's medication.
To ensure that he did not wake the older woman up, he moved away from the bed and strode towards the two women who were still embracing each other.
Earlier, his heart had dropped when he saw them almost fall so once he was sure that they were safe, he chose to give his mother a piece of his mind for rushing in and acting in this ridiculous manner which could have hurt both herself and Seraphina.
However, before he could utter another word, a fierce glare was aimed at him which made him swallow whatever he had wished to say next.
While his anger was due to his concern for their safety, this glare extinguished the fire burning within him in just a matter of seconds.
He knew that if he spoke another word in the same tone, the woman who was glaring at him would not let him off the hook easily.
In the past, Seraphina had always been Theresa's little protector even since they were children.
On numerous occasions, she had not shied away from beating up both Tobias and Shawn when they misbehaved with their mother in the past.
Though she was smaller than them in size, she knew how to throw a vicious punch and given them black eyes multiple times.
Therefore, seeing that nostalgic glare from the past once again caused a shiver to run down his spine as he shut his mouth and dared not say anything else.
Seraphina scoffed when she noticed that Shawn had not forgotten the lessons he had been taught as a child.
However, now was not the time to reminisce as she had to calm the woman clinging to her.
She wasn't sure why Theresa had reacted in this way but feeling the woman trembling in her arms, she did not have the heart to push her away.
Instead, she patiently rubbed her back to soothe her and whispered reassuring words to ease her anxious heart.