Tears fell uncontrollably, and Serena sobbed as she wrapped her arms around Xavier's neck. "It's all your fault!"
He was stunned for a moment, letting her pull herself closer. "Serena, what do you...?!"
Serena could no longer distinguish between reality and fantasy. She just felt overwhelmed with grievance and urgently needed an outlet for her emotions.
She pulled Xavier close and buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing like a wounded little animal, her shoulders shaking with each cry.
A warm hand rested gently on her back, patting her soothingly, "Serena, it’s okay, don’t cry, don’t be afraid. I’m here for you."
She cried for what felt like a long time, but eventually, the sobs died down.
Maybe the alcohol in her system had evaporated with the tears, and she was feeling clearer.When she came to, she suddenly let go, sat up straight, and stared blankly at Xavier.He studied her eyes carefully, seemingl“Apologize? That’s a bit sudden, don’t you think?” Xavier let out a sarcastic chuckle. “Just a second ago you were all fire and brimstone, questioning me about ruining your sister. Now, you’re suddenly all humble and apologizing?”“Christan Ryder, don’t you have a few new roles lined up? If your acting itch is acting up, go to the set. Isn’t it a waste of talent putting on a performance here with me? Besides, I’m really not in the mood to play along.”“Xavier!” This time, the name was spoken with a deeper, more heartfelt weight. “It’s about Celia.”Xavier paused, responding nonchalantly, “Okay. And?”“What she did with that photo... she was in the wrong. But she’s young and immature. Can you cut her some slack for that? I’m apologizing on her behalf, alright?”Xavier raised a brow. “You’ve got ten sec
“So it was you?!”Although he had already expected this answer, hearing Celia admit it out loud still made Christan feel a deep sense of pain and disappointment.Her voice was choked with tears. “Ever since I confessed to Xavier, he hasn’t given me any response. All the pressure from public opinion fell on me—I could barely breathe.”“Even though I canceled all my work and hid at home every day, I still saw all sorts of nasty rumors about me online. I was about to break down... If I didn’t do something, I really wouldn’t have been able to hang on any longer!”Christan sighed, “I understand the pressure you’re under, but no matter what, you shouldn’t have done something like this!”“You don’t know Xavier well, you don’t understand his personality! If he finds solid evidence proving that this whole thing was orchestrated by you, he
"Mom!" Celia didn’t respond directly. Instead, she yawned. "It’s late, I’m so sleepy. Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?"With that, she crawled back under the covers and shut her eyes, ignoring her mother.Staring at her daughter's beautiful profile, Mrs. Ryder grew even more suspicious.After some hesitation, she finally decided not to disturb her rest and quietly left the room....The next morning, just past seven.Xavier’s phone started ringing.After the call with Serena last night, he’d stayed awake for quite a while longer.All told, he’d gotten less than five hours of sleep.Buried under the blanket, he hadn’t planned on answering—but the caller was relentless.No sooner had one ring finished than the next began.Unable to bear it, he grumpily fumbled for his phone.His voice was filled with irritation. "Who the hell is it?! It&r
Serena’s heart softened a little, and she said quietly, “Then it’s strange… if it wasn’t you hugging Celia, then who could it be?”"I don’t know yet either. But I believe I’ll find out soon enough."Serena let out a silent sigh.She didn’t even know what was wrong with herself.She was never the kind of person to trust others easily, and yet… she had this innate trust in Xavier.He only explained a few things, and somehow, most of her anger had just… melted away."Alright then, go ahead and investigate." After speaking, she suddenly remembered her conversation with Poppy earlier at the café near the hospital. "Oh right, I spoke with Poppy today. She gave me some information.""Poppy Castano?!" Xavier asked instinctively, "She didn’t do anything to you, right?! Are you okay?!"Serena couldn’t help but laugh. "Shouldn’t you be asking me
Serena’s heart clenched inexplicably, her fingers tightening around her phone.Her emotions were a tangled mess—confusion, disbelief, and a flicker of unspeakable anger.Just yesterday, he’d gone to such lengths to see her—wearing women’s clothes and sneaking out of a private clinic.He had professed his love for her, said he would wait for her his whole life.Now, in just the blink of an eye, he was in another woman’s arms?!That... wasn’t like Xavier at all.But the photo was right in front of her. Even if the faces were blurred, that jacket didn’t lie.Narrowing her eyes, Serena murmured to herself, “Why... is he hugging Celia?”Before she could think it through, her phone rang again. Serena frowned.It was Xavier.Seeing his name made her emotions even more tangled.After a moment of hesitation, she slid to accept the call. “Hello.”
Once outside, Serena looked up and saw a bright, round moon hanging in the sky. The moonlight shimmered on the lake in front of the villa, making it sparkle.The scenery was truly breathtaking.Unable to resist, Serena walked toward the lake.She figured—since she’d come all this way, why not take a stroll before leaving?She had never known there was such a beautiful lake in the northern suburbs of Vernon.By the lakeside was a patch of reeds—not tall, but each stalk thick and healthy.She stopped by the reeds and looked into the distance.Having just put Christan in his place and now enjoying this lovely view, her mood couldn’t be better.She took a deep breath, feeling the gentle breeze from the lake brush her cheeks. Bathed in moonlight, Serena stretched out her arms, feeling like a goddess of the lake, majestic and serene.But the good mood didn’t last long. A jarring voice behind her d