All Chapters of The Day I Should've Died: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

"Serena, I wish you'd died in that explosion when we were ten and saved me the trouble."Adrian's words hit me like a bullet to the chest.Rough laughter erupted in the room. "Holy shit, Boss is savage as hell!""Next time when Serena's busted ears are finally fixed, you should say it right to her face. I'd love to see that fragile little princess cry her eyes out.""Who cares if she hears? She's a deaf—no one else would want her anyway except Adrian."My hands were shaking.Today was supposed to be my birthday party.I'd been planning to show Adrian my diagnosis report tonight and tell him that my hearing had finally recovered. I wouldn't be a burden to him anymore.But instead, my carefully planned surprise led me straight to the brutal truth I was never meant to hear.I thought he loved me."Enough." Adrian's voice cut through the room, calm and detached. "Serena saved my life as a kid. Don't say that stuff around her."A faint click—plastic against plastic. My hearing aid."Got it.

By the time I got home, the rain was pouring down hard.I walked into the living room, soaking wet, and my parents, Monica and Hugo, were sitting on the couch waiting for me. The moment Monica saw me, she jumped up and grabbed a towel to dry my hair."How did you get this soaked? What happened?"I took a deep breath and gave them the short version of tonight. When I got to the part about what Adrian said, my voice began to shake."I don't like him anymore." I said, "And I don't want to see him again, and I definitely don't want to be with him or marry him."Monica pulled me into her arms and rubbed my back gently. "Sweetheart, this isn't the end of the world. I'll take you to cancel the engagement tomorrow, and you can apply to any college you want. Your dad and I will always support you."Hugo came over and placed the cake knife in my hand. The living room lights were warm and soft, unlike the cold, luxurious atmosphere of the private room at the restaurant."Let's just have a quiet l

"What did you say?" Adrian's face drained of color. His voice shook. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?""Does it matter?" My voice was eerily calm. "You know exactly what you did behind my back, Adrian. You thought I couldn't hear you."His fists clenched. He stood frozen. The veins on his hands bulged."Well, Serena," Daniela cut in, her voice sharp and grating. "Didn't know you were such a good actress. Everyone knows your hearing loss is permanent. An explosion caused it. It can't just magically get better."Her eyes widened dramatically. "You don't think Adrian will fall for you again just because you're not deaf anymore, do you? That's some serious scheming. Adrian, don't let her fool you."Deaf. That word hit me like a bullet.But I didn't let it show on my face.Adrian's eyes lit up. He dropped the guilt act instantly, that smug smirk sliding back onto his face. "Daniela's right. Serena, stop causing drama. I never said I looked down on you for being deaf. Why are y

When I heard through mutual friends that Adrian was looking for me, I wasn't surprised at all.Maybe he'd finally found out that my hearing was fixed, and it hit him—a little too late—that I'd heard every cruel word in that private room that day.But none of that mattered anymore.My life in Kayby was whole and vibrant. Sure, adjusting to a new place was exhausting, but I'd never felt this light before.I'd joined tons of clubs at university and made so many new friends.I even went to some mixers and exchanged numbers with a few guys.So when I spotted Adrian's familiar figure downstairs at the girls' dorm, I was genuinely caught off guard.I thought about taking a detour and leaving.But Adrian saw me first and strode over, his tone almost wheedling. "Serena, I've missed you so much. Can we talk? Please?"My roommates thought we had something going on, and they gave me knowing looks before leaving together, giggling.I tilted my head back, let out a long sigh, and then looked at him

After I took over the company, I secured several major deals that had previously eluded Adrian.Each one felt like a slap across his face."Ms. Lombardi, the Colombo family called again." My assistant Mia pushed through the door, and her voice couldn't hide her excitement. "They want to terminate their arms deal with the Falcone Group and switch to us."I didn't turn around, just let a smile curl at the corner of my mouth.The Falcone Group.What an ironic name. The Falcone name used to mean unshakable power—smuggling, money laundering, arms dealing, they had their hands in everything.Too bad, Adrian, the one who threw away his dignity over Daniela, didn't inherit any of Vincent's brains."Tell Colombo," I turned around and set my glass down on the desk, "we can talk business, but I want to meet with their Capo. Not some errand boy—someone who can actually make decisions."Mia nodded and left. I walked over to my desk and pulled open a drawer, taking out a thick file.This was Adrian