جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 50

Justin answered frostily, "Serena has left Farrow Corporation and no longer has anything to do with our family."Damian was about to press for more details when Mollie shot him a warning look. He wisely kept his mouth shut.Everyone began to dig into the food, making small talk with one another. Damian quickly tugged on Joseph's sleeve and asked, "Joseph, did something happen between Serena and Justin?""It's a long story," Joseph replied. With a sigh, he gave Damian a brief run-down of Serena and Justin's fallout.Damian's eyes flashed with interest. "So, what you're saying is, there's no way Serena and Justin will ever get together?""Pretty much. Justin's already seeing someone else, and Serena seemed to have made up her mind. I don't think they'd speak anytime soon, let alone date each other," Joseph pointed out.Upon hearing this, Damian held his wine glass by its stem and lowered his gaze in thought. A small smile curved his lips as he considered what Joseph told him.Half

Surprised, Serena took a step back and said, "No, Mr. Quade, you shouldn't have…"She was starting to think that Wilson's kindness toward her was motivated by romantic feelings. Justin had hurt her too deep for her to even consider dating anyone, and she had no idea how she would face Wilson if he turned out to have feelings for her."It's just a box of chocolates. Why are you getting worked up all of a sudden?" Wilson asked, the cigarette dangling from his lips.As if reading her thoughts, he added for good measure, "I got them from the souvenir shop at the airport. Think of it as a token of thanks for celebrating my birthday. I got one for Jacob, too."He handed Serena the box of chocolates, and only then did she heave a sigh of relief. He did not leave after she took the box and instead asked, "Monique told me you ran into Shawn while you were trying on dresses at the boutique today. Is it true that he gave you trouble?""Yeah, but he backed off after Monique name-dropped you,"

The crowd watched as a striking couple entered the hall.The man boasted a towering height, his tailored black suit accentuating his refinement and handsome features.The woman on his arm had the kind of beauty that kings would wage wars over. She wore a burgundy dress hugging her perfect figure. Her ruby necklace drew attention to her chiseled collarbones. She was dazzling, yet also surprisingly familiar."Is that Serena? How is that possible?" Lynn asked incredulously.Mollie and Candice couldn't hide their bewilderment, either.Standing nearby, Justin could feel his composure slipping away. He had expected Serena to show up, but he didn't think she would look so stunning. She was a vision, one that made the other socialites and ladies of leisure pale in comparison.He had forgotten how beautiful she was in the first place. There was a time when such a beauty had belonged only to him!Bitterness and resentment welled up in him at the thought. He was starting to regret kicking

Wilson explained, "Jacob's mom was David's first wife. When Jacob was four, David threw him and his mom out of the family and remarried within a month. As a result, Marcus Smith, David's youngest son, was born."David had planned on letting Marcus take over the family business, but Marcus was a lost cause. On top of being talentless, he also got into fights. He broke his leg during a recent racing incident and is now receiving treatment abroad."Wilson continued emotionlessly, "Several years ago, Smith Group ran into a crisis. David's ailing health kept him from handling it, and with a few senior directors pressuring him, he had no choice but to call Jacob in for help."So while Jacob looked like he was inheriting his birthright, he was actually made to straighten out the company's mess."A wry smile curved Wilson's lips as he concluded, "I reckon David and Jacob never had much of a father-son relationship, to begin with. So, no, they don't get along at all. If Marcus had lived up

Serena saw Wilson walking out when she arrived at the entrance. She smiled at him."Mr. Quade, why did you leave?""It's dance time. I'm looking for a dance partner." He reached out to Serena and bowed like a gentleman. "Ms. Judd, may I?"She slowly placed her hand in his. They made their way to the dance floor.Not far away, Justin shot them an icy glare. He was about to approach them when Candice took his arm.Looking eager, she said, "Justin, let's dance."He gave it some thought and went to the dance floor with Candice in tow.The lights in the brightly lit hall dimmed. When music started to fill the air, men danced with their partners.Wilson put his hand on Serena's waist. He could feel the slight burn on his palm.He looked down at her face, focusing on her nose and traveling south toward her rosy lips.Whenever he lowered his head, he smelled a whiff of light fragrance that did not seem to come from a perfume. It was just how she smelled like.The look in his eyes de