Chapter 4: His Serene

Soaring across the azure skies with peculiar hues of tabasco and apricot is a jet laced with luxury, gracefully carving through the clouds, almost as if it was creating a mirage in the beautiful skies as the sun began to set.

Serenity, wriggling as she was seated beside the windows where the rays of light passed through, was letting out her pleading whispers.

“Mmph…”

“Keep it down,” Vince teased amidst the kisses as his hands traveled across Serenity’s spine.

Two souls had become intertwined inside the opulent cabin, with no one else to interrupt what was unfolding between the two. Serenity’s scent had begun to blend with the scent of the air freshener and Vince’s strong perfume, adding to the sensations she was being exposed to.

Vince snickered as he looked up at Serenity, whose struggle was visible as he nipped on her lips. “You’re too loud.”

“Shut up— hngh…” Serenity whined as her tongue continued to clash with Vince’s.

Risky, that’s one word to describe what they’re doing on her father’s plane. There’s a high chance that there are cameras and that they will be found.

Vince knows that, and that this may well be the last time he’ll ever be able to touch Serenity if someone finds out. But so does he know that if he’s not going to say no to her at all, then he might as well take control of the security system.

All that’s left for them is to make sure that no one will walk in on them while they’re in the middle of…something.

As Serenity struggled to cover her mouth, suppressing any sound that was likely to be heard across the plane, she still had the rationale to immerse herself in wonderment about how Vince managed to effortlessly switch from a monotone to that of something more playful. A skill, perhaps? She prays she can do the same.

Except she can’t.

“Ahh, Vince—” Serenity couldn’t finish moaning his name as he shoved two fingers in. “Mmph!”

“I told you to keep it down, Serene.”

Furious, she yanked her arm away. “You can’t just do that!”

Vince raised a brow as his free arm slowly climbed inside Serenity’s top. “Who said I can’t?”

“Why are you…so brave today?” she managed to say as she struggled to keep herself calm.

“There’d be no one but us on that island, Serene. It’ll be less risky.”

She let out a breathy sigh as she dug her claws into his shoulders. “How sure are you? Fuck…”

“About ninety percent sure. The security system will be in my hands, baby…”

“Don’t…say such risky things.”

Vince chuckled as he slowly withdrew his hands. “You like it risky, though.”

“Hey, why are you getting off me?” Serenity whispered, drowsy, as she tried to pull him back.

“We’re about to land, sweetheart. Pull yourself together.”

Glaring at the man in front of her, Serenity picked up the layers of clothes that Vince took off of her. Of course, Vince being the gentleman that he is, helped her put them back on.

Still, Serenity is visibly upset over the fact that he stopped when things were already getting good. The two of them are perfectly aware that they’d be heavily monitored.

Soon enough, the plane landed, tearing the two of them apart as they had their own matters to attend to. Serenity, to the things she must rearrange and check. And Vince, to attend to his duty. As the head of security and the only person to be left with Serenity on the island, he’ll be the busiest person on the island.

“Be sure to come to me as soon as you’re done,” Serenity whispered as she walked past him.

Vince was, however, unmoving. As always, it irked Serenity to see him doing as he needed to when it’s not just them around.

As the most renowned employee of the Lopez family, Vincentius Lionel Salvador was trained to never speak casually with any of the Lopez family members, most especially around others. Of course, it’s a different question if it’s just the two of them.

Serenity cleared her throat, glaring at him. “Salvador!”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Head straight to my room as soon as you’re finished with your tasks. There are a couple of things we ought to discuss.”

The daggers in Serenity’s eyes were met with Vince’s, as if the latter was telling her to thread her words carefully in fear that they’d be taken out of context by the ones who could hear. Even so, she didn't care and simply turned her back on him.

Strutting across the lovely sands barefooted, Serenity began to rekindle her sweet memories with both parents. Little Serene, or more commonly known to the Lopezes as Little Aia, was first raised on this island.

The secluded island that was first meant to protect Amora, who dearly loved the ocean, and was therefore named after her. Indeed, the most beautiful island Serenity has ever laid her eyes on, adorned with the pristine beaches of lovely white sands along with the lush greeneries that harbored decades, or perhaps even centuries, worth of memories as time passed by.

Serenity wondered how her father came to discover said island on his own as she made her way to the only estate that stood on the vast island. It is an enigma to her, really.

With no one to keep her company, she decided to rummage through the boxes of things settled in the living room of the mansion she’s supposed to spend years of her life in.

“What the hell are these?” she murmured to herself as she cut a box open.

As if a plethora of memories were making their way to a book to write a tale of their own, Serenity was overcome with a wave of emotions she had not felt in a long time as she stared at a photo of her childhood where she seemed…normal. 

A kid. That’s what Serenity is, as always. Regardless of how much she had to do to toughen herself up, she still remains a child that yearns for a life. A life that’s not spent inside a cage of responsibilities.

“Why?” she questions the world as she refuses to tear her gaze off the photo in her hand. “Funny how I used to look so happy and uncaring of the world…”

Smiling emptily, she trailed her hands across its rough texture, wondering why everything was suddenly different. In the photo, she was laughing while being surrounded by people…something that’s now too far-fetched to ever happen.

Despite no tears running down her beautiful skin, Serenity mourned the freedom she had just lost. Soon enough, even a measly trace of it would no longer be seen.

She was almost certain she would be married off to an owner of a security company, probably one from a family her father had been acquainted with for a long time. That was something she knew her father had decided on a long time ago, when he stopped being the Sephiro she admired. If things take a turn for the worse, it won’t be long before she’s saying a wedding vow she doesn’t mean.

It’s a probability Serenity doesn’t even want to believe, but she knows her father will have no choice once he’s driven to a corner. She knows that even if she resists her fate, it’s bound to crush her down to her core.

“Screw it…” she whispered as she began to transfer the contents of the boxes to their rightful place.

“Why do you look so down?”

Sighing, Serenity refused to answer and decided to shift the topic. “Help me with these.”

Having noticed that she didn’t want to talk about what was bothering her, Vince quietly followed through Serenity’s instructions as to where the things were supposed to be taken.

As soon as they were done, Serenity looked around as awkwardness had begun to overcome the two of them. Or perhaps just on her end.

“Have they left?”

Vince nodded. “Yeah. I sent them back to report to your father.”

“So it’s really just us here now?”

“Mm-hmm.”

The distant sound of the ocean’s gentle waves crashing on the shore made Serenity feel drowsy at last as the peacefulness of the island had slowly lulled her to sleep. Serenity couldn’t recall the last time she felt safe to sleep outside her room. 

Of course, it’s been more than a decade since then.

Vince knows. Of course he does. And so a smile crept upon his lips as he lay his gaze onto her, countenance laced with curiosity and adoration.

He loathes  how their relationship had become, but Serenity is still the same Little Aia he knew. Or so he believes.

Perhaps it’s a delusion. A way to cover up how bad he thinks their relationship has become. Because despite not wanting to admit it, it’s not the same anymore.

As Vince’s sharp gaze watched over his dearest, his heart ached. “Go sleep, Serene. I’ll stay here.”

And with that, her formerly piercing gaze softened as they shut close. Serenity has finally drifted to sleep, her body slowly falling into the comfort of Vince’s embrace.

“Been a while, my love…” he sighed as he tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ears.

Vince is afraid. Though he may act tough as he emanates an impeccable strength and dominating aura, clad in an attire only a person in the Lopez ranks could wear, Vincentius Salvador is still a man who swore loyalty to Sephiro Lopez. To mess around with his daughter is to betray his master.

What can he do, though? Serenity has him on a leash. How can a man that’s been leashed by both people even stand up for himself? It’s a rocky situation for Vince, but so is it for Serenity.

“Why do you pull me up from the depths of hell, only to push me back?” Vince sighed, feeling fragments of himself die as his fingers burned upon touching Serenity.

Has a woman ever destroyed you down to your very core?

Vince has. He willingly lets a woman do it for him, regardless of the consequences he is bound to face. The once valiant walls he built had crumbled as Serenity, contrary to her name, had laid waste in them.

But so what? Is that enough to push him to make the biggest sacrifice of all?

The heart he tried his very best to suppress had already learnt to beat. And he knows there’s a different danger he must watch out for as he guards his Serene.