* FREEBIES * Chapter 156 : No matter what it cost. 

When Serena arrived back at the Morales family villa, she froze at the sight that greeted her.

Alfonso was home.

For a moment, she thought she was imagining it. But there he was — seated at the long dining table, a thick stack of documents spread out before him. His once-dark hair had turned almost entirely grey, his posture slouched, his face lined and weary. He looked like a man who had aged ten years in the span of a week.

He must have discharged himself without a word. The hospital had clearly tried to keep him, but they’d also kept something else from him — his terminal liver cancer. They probably thought it would be cruel to tell a man in his state the truth.

Serena’s heart ached at the sight of him.

Alfonso now wore a pair of reading glasses, squinting down at the contract in front of him, coughing every few minutes as his frail body struggled to keep up. Each shallow breath, each racking cough, felt heavier in the silence of the room.

She watched as he slowly turned page after page, combing through the Morales Group’s contract with PW Group, desperate to find some loophole. But even after reading it over and over, the outcome was clear — the company was already drowning. It was too late.

Finally, he sighed, setting the papers down, his hand trembling. It was then he noticed Serena standing nearby.

He blinked, as though surprised to see her there. Neither of them spoke.

She didn’t move. Just a little while ago, this proud man could walk unaided. Now, even leaning on a cane seemed to exhaust him. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.

Alfonso looked at her for a long, quiet moment. Then, with effort, he slumped down into the chair and set his cane aside, a wave of defeat in his every motion.

Wrinkles gathered around his eyes, making him look far older than his sixty-three years. The contrast of his newly grey hair only made it worse, and Serena found herself hesitating to meet his gaze.

“Serena,” he rasped, his voice uneven. “The Morales family… it’s finished.”

His shoulders trembled slightly. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing left. Nothing to leave you.”

They had sold off nearly everything — the company, the assets — just to keep creditors from tearing them apart. There wasn’t a legacy left to pass down.

Serena’s throat tightened. She stepped forward and noticed Rex curled loyally at Alfonso’s feet, unwilling to leave him.

She sat down beside him.

Alfonso’s hands trembled as he placed the last document on the table, his eyes distant.

“A lifetime… a lifetime of building, and for what? For it to end like this…” he muttered bitterly.

Serena lowered her lashes, her voice gentle but firm.

“Dad, it’s time you visited Mom’s grave. It’s been years.”

Alfonso flinched. His lips twitched. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then quietly, “I’ll go tomorrow.”

But Serena knew better. In his condition, a few hours’ drive was too much. And time was something he no longer had.

She looked at him, remembering the doctor’s words — one year left, maybe less. And still, he was here, worrying over contracts and debts when his body was giving out.

Alfonso eventually spoke again, his tone cautious, almost pleading.

“Serena… the Morales Group is falling apart. Don’t… don’t be foolish and divorce Alexander. If you do, you’ll have nothing left.”

He swallowed hard. “Mr. Vanderbilt Sr. likes you. As long as you stay as Alexander’s wife, no one will push you out. I don’t want you ending up alone… mistreated.”

He knew it wouldn’t be long before he was gone.

Serena bit down on the lump in her throat. She hated this conversation, hated how he kept bringing up Alexander as though that cold, ruthless man was a lifeline she could depend on.

“I’ve already had the maids disinfect the house,” she said quietly, trying to change the subject. **“Araminta’s things have been cleared out. I’ll handle the company’s affairs.”

Alfonso’s fingers shook.

“You’re not… going to Cornelius, are you?” he asked hoarsely. “Even if he likes you, he won’t hand you a billion dollars. Don’t do anything foolish. It’ll only ruin his opinion of you.”

Before she could answer, a violent cough wracked Alfonso’s frail frame, dark blood staining his lips.

“Dad!” Serena gasped, quickly grabbing a tissue and pressing it to his mouth. “It’s not Mr. Vanderbilt Sr… it’s… it’s Alexander. He promised he’d fix this.”

She wiped the blood away, her hands trembling.

“Please, Dad… don’t worry about the company anymore.”

Alfonso let out a weak, bitter laugh.

“Alexander? That man doesn’t care about you, Serena. If he did, none of this would’ve happened. He wouldn’t have let things get this bad for the Morales family.”

He coughed again, exhausted. His chest rose and fell heavily as he leaned back against the sofa, his gaze dull.

“Alexander Vanderbilt is a heartless man,” Alfonso murmured. “You can rely on him… but never love him. I’ve seen enough in my life to know — men with that kind of power don’t have hearts.”

Serena stayed silent, her emotions warring inside her. He wasn’t wrong.

“Let me take you back to the hospital,” she said softly. “We can’t waste time. The issue with PW Group will be resolved soon.”

Alfonso’s gaze lingered on her face, skeptical, but too weak to argue. In his eyes, he could see it clearly now — the Serena who had once clung to him, crying for her mother, was gone.

She didn’t need him anymore.

Only now did he truly realize it.

And it hurt.

--- 

After everything, Serena knew Alfonso couldn’t hold out any longer. His body was failing, and his spirit wasn’t far behind. She instructed the driver to take him back to the hospital — it was the only place that could give him even a sliver of care.

But barely half an hour later, her phone rang.

“Miss Morales,” the driver’s voice was tight, panicked. “It’s bad. People from PW Group came to the hospital… they made a scene. Mr. Morales… he—he was taken to the emergency room again.”

Serena’s heart dropped.

“What happened?”

“They started shouting about Araminta’s affair… kept mocking him, saying he should get a DNA test for Valentina. They wouldn’t stop. Mr. Morales—he… he started vomiting blood. A lot of it. The doctors rushed him into emergency.”

For a moment, Serena’s hand went numb around her phone.

PW Group had gone too far.

They weren’t just after money anymore. They wanted to crush what was left of the Morales family’s pride, drag them through the filth and leave nothing standing.

Anger, helplessness, and fear tangled in her chest like a knot she couldn’t loosen.

She grabbed her keys and bolted for the car, but as she reached the Morales family gates, several black SUVs blocked the driveway, skidding to a stop in front of her.

The doors flew open, and a hulking man stepped out. His face was twisted into a mocking sneer.

“Miss Morales,” he barked, loud enough for the neighbors to hear, “if you want to see your dear old dad, you’ll have to spend a few nights with Mr. Kuzmin.”

Serena’s stomach turned, her blood boiling with rage. She gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white.

Then her phone rang again — an unfamiliar number.

She didn’t need to guess.

Ryan Kuzmin.

The name itself made her sick.

Without hesitation, she ignored it and did the only thing left she could — she called Alexander.

The phone rang once.

And then… he hung up.

Tears stung her eyes, not from sadness but frustration. Desperation.

There was no one else.

No one else who could untangle this disaster. No one who could match PW Group’s influence, who could make them back down. And time — her father’s time — was slipping away like sand through her fingers.

Even if it meant sacrificing her pride. Even if it meant lowering herself until her dignity was in tatters.

At least Alexander could help.

And right now, that was all that mattered.

Serena took a shaking breath, her heart pounding.

She would fight for her father.

No matter what it cost.