Chapter Five: Memory lane

Descending the stairs for breakfast, Serenity welcomed the stillness of the mansion, it meant the brother’s had already left for the day and Giovanni was either cooped up in his study or long gone as well. All of those possibilities favoured her. 

Entering the dining room with a spring in her step, Serenity didn’t notice the man at the head of the table as she danced around piling a plate full of sweet breakfast treats. 

Alexander watched the show with a mix of amusement and affection as Serenity tried to pick between waffles and pancakes to add to her already unsturdy tower of sugary treats. 

“One of each.” He suggested, finally announcing his presence when her fork hovered over the plate of pancakes for the third time.

His voice startled her causing her body to jerk and before she could react a large strawberry rolled to the floor with her watching in horror. 

“Look what you did!” Serenity shrieked and bent to pick up her fallen fruit with a pained look on her face.

“It’s just a strawberry, you can take another.” Xander chuckled, thoroughly entertained by her theatrics. 

“Just a strawberry? It was the biggest, juiciest strawberry on the plate. Choosing another would be settling for second best.” She scoffed and decided against choosing another, she was loyal like that. 

“Of course, of course. What was I thinking?” Xander’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. 

“I don’t know, it doesn't matter. What are you even doing here so early, shouldn’t you be resting?” Serenity cocked an eyebrow at his arm still in the sling. 

“I am resting.” He gestured to the chair below him and plate full of breakfast before him. 

“Here?” Serenity’s jaw dropped, her guard slipping for a second.

“Yeah, Lorenzo insisted I stay till we figure out who’s behind the attack the other day.” Hearing Lorenzo’s name from his mouth left a sour taste in hers and Serenity could feel her appetite slipping. 

“Of course.” She muttered bitterly. 

“So, any plans for the day?” Xander swiftly changed the subject, sensing the shift in her mood at the mention of her brother. 

“Just because I’m cooped up here, doesn’t mean I don’t have a job. The same job I was doing when Giovanni dragged me back here.” Serenity sneered, her mood only seemed to worsen. 

“What do you do?” Xander asked, it was yet another attempt to change the subject, but this time he was genuinely curious to know the answer. All he heard from Lorenzo was that they found her in a hotel in Italy, he never thought to ask what she was doing there. 

“I own an online clothing company. Have you ever heard of Serene?” She supplied, wondering why he even cared to know. 

“Yeah, Darrio orders a bunch of stuff from there. That’s your company?” Xander leaned forward, interested to hear more about her business. 

“Don’t sound so surprised.” Serenity rolled her eyes, but deep down she was glad he knew what she was talking about. 

“I’m not surprised- I mean I am, but in a good way. Tell me more about your business, did you start it or did you buy it off from someone?” Xander blinked up at her and for a moment Serenity was lost in the curiosity of his gaze, moments like this reminded her of the days he hung off her words like they were the law itself. 

“Well- when Peter took me in after the whole kidnapping ordeal I needed some way to get my mind off everything that happened and I didn’t want to have to rely on him so I got a job at a local boutique in Mexico. I’d always liked clothes and fashion and when the owner of the store saw how good I was she made me a buyer and took me with her when she went to fashion shows. 

I worked there for about a year when I came up with the idea of an online store and when I told Peter he offered to loan me some money for a start up on top of the money I managed to save over the year. Selena and I started off as partners but she pulled out a few months ago when she had her baby. Since then I’ve been running the business myself and other than meeting with brands and making deals with clothing factories, I can basically run all operations remotely.” Serenity’s eyes took on a faraway glint when she spoke of her business, it was clear to Xander that she was passionate about what she did and her company meant a lot to her. 

“Wow, you have achieved so much in the past few years. I’m impressed.” Xander smiled proudly. 

“It hasn’t been easy, but I have some good people in my corner.” Serenity boasted, smiling widely when she thought of all the great friends she’s made in the last four years. 

“Have you been living in Mexico?” Alexander’s eyes held a certain light she couldn’t quite place, but she ignored the fluttering in her stomach by stuffing her mouth full of pancake. 

“Mhm.” Serenity nodded, silently hoping he left it at that and to her relief, Xander leaned back in his chair.

“Cool.” He answered shortly, taking a bite of the bacon and eggs on his plate.

“What about you?” Serenity dared.

“I’ve been between LA and Italy.” He supplied, clearly in no mood to elaborate and Serenity swallowed thickly. 

Aside from the clinking of cutlery against our plates, the air around us was permeated with awkward silence. A tell-tale of all that has changed over the years. 

“Excuse me.” Serenity’s chair screeched against the porcelain tiles as she escaped the suffocating tension that seemed to have materialised suddenly. 

“Serenity?” Xander’s voice caused her to freeze in the doorway and Serenity’s breath caught in her throat, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

His words were simple enough, but the weight with which it landed on her chest made her a little weak at the knees. 

“I’m glad you’re okay too.” She whispered in return and continued on her path to get as far away from him as she could. 

Neither of them had to say the words; they both knew he wasn’t referring to the bombing and neither was she, but too much had changed, too much time had passed. 

Serenity pushed open the door to her bedroom when a shot rang out, followed by a blood curdling scream.