Chapter 104: Trying

Serena POV

I sat on a comfortable garden chair, looking out over the rose garden in front of me. The air seemed to be guiding me to bring all the courage I had.

Here I was, in the garden of my father's house, with my heart pounding. I had considered everything carefully beforehand, and now I needed to ask for his blessing.

“Dad, I'm sorry I came without telling you first,” I said, trying to compose myself.

He turned to me with a serious expression, his eyes staring intently at me. I knew he was going to ask me the gist of what I wanted to talk about. That's how my father was—always straight to the point.

“What do you want to talk about, Serena?” He asked, his voice sounding stiff, as if reflecting how difficult it was for him to express emotions.

I swallowed, trying to organize the words properly in my mind before speaking them. I wanted my father to understand; I wanted him to support me.

“I've come to talk about Leopold,” I said slowly, trying to construct my sentences carefully s