Serena looked at him calmly, her tone neither sad nor happy. “It’s me. I heard you were ill and came to check on you.”
A light instantly sparked in Clint’s lifeless eyes.He looked at her with delight and tried to prop himself up by the bed, wanting to sit. Unfortunately, his body was far too weak, and he had no strength in his arms. He tried several times, all in vain.Serena couldn’t bear to watch. She stood up and gently pressed his shoulder down. “Just lie down. You need rest right now.”“Serena,” Clint said with joy, “thank you for coming. I thought… you didn’t care about me at all anymore…”“We did know each other once. Since I heard you were sick, it’s only right to come see you.”“That’s… all it is?”“What else could it be?” Serena looked at him with a slight smile.The man pressed his lips togethSerena looked at him calmly, her tone neither sad nor happy. “It’s me. I heard you were ill and came to check on you.”A light instantly sparked in Clint’s lifeless eyes.He looked at her with delight and tried to prop himself up by the bed, wanting to sit. Unfortunately, his body was far too weak, and he had no strength in his arms. He tried several times, all in vain.Serena couldn’t bear to watch. She stood up and gently pressed his shoulder down. “Just lie down. You need rest right now.”“Serena,” Clint said with joy, “thank you for coming. I thought… you didn’t care about me at all anymore…”“We did know each other once. Since I heard you were sick, it’s only right to come see you.”“That’s… all it is?”“What else could it be?” Serena looked at him with a slight smile.The man pressed his lips togeth
Vernon Hospital, Emergency Department Ward.A young nurse walked into the room carrying a metal tray filled with medical supplies.“Mr. Beckett, it’s time for your injection.”The man lying on the hospital bed had a pale face, and his lips were almost devoid of color.He forced his eyes open, glanced at the nurse, then turned his head to the side and remained motionless.At the bedside, Poppy was on the verge of tears. She pleaded earnestly, “Clint, I’m begging you, please cooperate with the treatment! Your body can’t take this kind of torment anymore!”Clint kept his eyes tightly shut, giving her no response whatsoever.“Ugh!” she sighed, then muttered, “Ever since you divorced Serena, you’ve been drowning yourself in alcohol every day, neglecting even the company’s affairs! Now, because of your drinking, your body is falling apart!”She
Lowering her eyes, Serena truly couldn’t come up with another excuse at the moment.Sullenly, she said, “My mind’s a mess. Give me some time to think things through.”“Alright! How much time do you need?”“I… I don’t know. Maybe not long, maybe a long time. When I’ve really thought it through, I’ll give you an answer.”Xavier’s face turned solemn, and he didn’t speak again.The sudden silence made the atmosphere inside the house feel heavy.Just when Serena thought he’d become impatient with her for being indecisive, Xavier solemnly replied, “Alright, I’ll wait for you. No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait.”“You… you’re really willing to wait? What if… it takes me years to figure it out?”He tilted his lips into a smile and looked at her. “I’ve already made up my mind&
Serena tried to pull her hand back, but he caught it in his own.Her cheeks instantly flamed, turning a shade of red rivaling a ripe apple.“Y-You… what are you doing?”His handsome face inched closer, their noses nearly touching.He let out a soft sigh. “Serena… do you know what I’ve been thinking since just now?”“W-What?”Serena turned her face slightly, trying to put some space between them—space she desperately needed just to breathe properly.“Watching you in the kitchen, busy with a simple bowl of pasta… I suddenly felt something I’ve never felt before—happiness. The kind of quiet, ordinary happiness I used to think only existed in novels.”“I realized… if I could spend my life with you as just an average couple, even if we ate plain pasta every day, I’d still think I’m the luckiest man alive.”
Like a sudden flash, Poppy’s face popped into her mind—beautiful, undeniably so, but with a charm that was impossible to like.She remembered how that woman had always boasted about knowing the truth behind Gaius’ death.Serena had never been sure how much of it was true and how much was just empty bluff—but Poppy hadn’t seemed like she was making it all up.If Xavier’s people had already hit a wall in their investigation… maybe she could try approaching Poppy herself?“Serena?” the man beside her leaned closer. “What are you thinking about?”Serena blinked, snapping out of it. “Nothing.”She lit up her phone screen and checked the time. “Are you hungry?”Xavier patted his stomach—which had been audibly protesting its emptiness for a while now. “Nope. Not at all. I don’t feel like going out to eat. I’d rather stay here wi
“Roommate?!” Serena shook her head at once. “No need! I’m fine living alone. Besides, I already told you, I don’t like dealing with strangers. If you bring in someone I don’t know and make me live with them under the same roof, won’t that just make things worse?!”“Well then… what if it’s someone you do know?”“Someone I know?!”The first person that came to Serena’s mind was Vega.She had recently had a falling out with her parents over work and moved out. Now, she was renting a place on her own.If she moved in, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. It could help Vega save some rent, and Serena would have someone to talk to.Blinking, her tone softened a little. “That... could work…”Before she could finish her sentence, Xavier’s eyes lit up, and he quickly said, “Great! That means you agreed!”?