"Mom and Dad would be so proud to see you, Dyson. You're doing so well," Sera encouraged her brother with tears in her eyes as he tried to reach for the spoon she held in her hand. He had begun to move, even if only a little, but the very fact that he was trying filled her with hope that he would soon recover completely. Patrick had put his heart and soul into treating him. If not for him, it might have taken Dyson longer to respond to the treatment. She couldn't help but feel guilty. He was an amiable person with a kind heart, but Nate's brutal attack on him had left her shame-faced. A week had passed, but she couldn't even gather the courage to call him and ask after his health. He must be hating on her. She was snapped out of her thought as Dyson gripped the spoon. Sera smiled. "Very good," she praised, happy. In response, his lips quirked in a half-smile. He could hear her and was trying to respond. He hadn't begun talking yet, just some incoherent mumbles, but the doctor had as
"You sent for me?" Sera asked. Her gaze absently drifted around to take in the heap of ash overflowing the tray, the cold coffee cup left untouched. Nate turned, smoke curling from the half-burned cigarette resting between his fingers. The shadow underneath his eyes spoke of battles lost to sleep. He masked the melancholy clouding his face and motioned toward the chair. “Take a seat.The formal edge in his voice struck her as foreign, almost distant. Choosing to ignore it, she lowered herself into the chair across from him just as he crushed the cigarette into the ashtray. She lowered her gaze, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. The memory of their last encounter lingered heavily in the space between them. He settled down behind the desk. The gentle breeze drifting in through the open window carried the faint scent of flowers. "It was Gloria who sent you the video," Nate revealed. Her head snapped up to meet his gaze. A faint frown tugged at her brows as she murmured, "Gl
"This! This is what I hate the most. You don't..you can't let me see breathing. And then you claim you love me. What kind of love is yours that I feel more suffocated than alive?" Sera yelled, shaking with rage. She didn't even remember the last time she felt free. "I love you, that's why I am protec..""You're not protecting me, Nate. Let's get this clear first..." Sera cut him in, then jabbed a finger into his chest and continued, "You are protecting your own interest, your madness. He knows I am taken by you. You yourself made it utterly clear to him. He has kept his distance from me. It's your rotten mind that sees lust in every interaction between a man and a woman." She didn't mince her words and put it bluntly. Nate clenched his jaw. "You've no idea how beautiful you are, Sera. Men would kill to be near you, and...and it drives me insane thinking anyone else could have your attention.” His insecurity lay bare. She radiated it from within, every movement and glance filled wit
"Nate, are you listening?" Dave’s voice cut through his thoughts. Nate blinked, forcing his gaze up, though the sadness lingered. “Yeah… what is it?”Dave didn't respond for a moment, studying him. "What is it? Did you have a fight with Sera?" Dave guessed. She was the only one who ever left Nate looking so downcast. "I can fight anyone........ but not her," Nate murmured, sorrow clouding his eyes. "What happened?" Dave asked, setting the files aside, knowing this wouldn’t be quick. "She’s mad at me," Nate admitted. "Why?" Dave prodded. "Because I hurt her," Nate said, his voice breaking at the edges. Dave didn’t need more explanation.A heavy silence settled between them, broken only when Nate spoke, ""She was crying miserably. Her voice broke every time she tried to speak. And her eyes… they were filled with so much pain it hurt to look into them. Every tear, every sob… I caused them. She kept asking me why, like she couldn’t understand how I could hurt her. And I had no an
Her hateful glare pierced straight through his chest. "Just imagining your sisters suffering what I endured all these years is enough to send you into a fury. You can’t see them in pain, yet you never blinked before inflicting it on me," she told him, her voice trembling with anguish. Nate looked at her, his eyes soft but heavy with guilt. "I’ve spent most of my life wondering what I did to make you hurt me so much. You scared me to the point I was afraid to step outside alone. I feared being seen. You made me shrink, hide, erase myself until I wasn’t even sure I existed," Sera burst out, her chest heaving, hands shaking as if trying to hold herself together, but her voice kept rising, raw and rough, as though each sentence was tearing free from years of silence.Nate’s throat tightened as the full weight of his actions settled over him. She stepped closer, her eyes shimmering, not just with pain, but with years of silent confusion that had eaten her alive. Her trembling fingers fou
"Anyone can become bitter after going through hard times, but only a heart made by God can stay kind and loving despite sufferings," Hannah said."Great philosophy. Are you taking up preaching now?" Nate remarked, amused by her big words. He was behind the wheel, Hannah beside him, driving her to the airport, where his private jet awaited."I am talking about Sera," she replied. "Even after everything, she refused to let hardships sour her heart,” she added.“ Hannah had expected Sera to be bitter toward her for being his sister, but she was still so fond of her, so kind and loving. She had never heard her raise her voice or even glare at anyone. Hannah turned her head and caught him smiling, as if she had just paid him a compliment and not Sera. She didn't know what exactly was going on between them, but she had also noticed her softening towards him. Also, the fact that Nate was financing Dyson's treatment indicated things were improving between them. But the doubt still lingered.