Chapter 66 “Alright, Grandpa p> Seren couldn’t refuse Old Mr. Rutledge’s insistence, so she finally agreed. “Oh, and remember last time I said I’d check the dates for you and Lennon? Well, I’ve found the perfect one-next month on the 15th. It’s a lucky day p> He paused, then added,
Chapter 65 When Seren returned to the second floor, Seth was already waiting for her. They walked together to Seth’s office, and only after he closed the door did he begin. “This time, Mr. Shepherd offered two hundred thousand. After the final payment, it came to three hundred thousand. I’ll
Chapter 64 It was simple, really-Seren was just too young. In Old Mr. Shepherd’s eyes, an artist with such remarkable skill had to be at least in their forties. But when he learned that Seren was the personal protégé of the famous Mr. Shaw, a flash of understanding crossed his
Chapter 63 The next morning. Seren woke early to find, as usual, that Lennon was nowhere to be seen. All that awaited her was the familiar breakfast and a note. After she finished eating, she made her way to the study. Even though her work was done and there was
Chapter 62 Seren wanted to fire back, a retort already half-typed into the message box. But after a moment’s hesitation, she deleted each word, one by one, until the screen was empty again. If she responded to Sheridan now, he’d only cling even tighter, and that wouldn’t be fair to
Chapter 61 At the same time, in Rippling Gardens- After dinner, Seren said goodnight to Lennon and retreated to her room. She picked up her phone and scrolled through her social feed. The post she’d made earlier was already racking up likes and comments-warm wishes from old schoolmates and friends,
Chapter 60 Carla looked up in surprise, her eyes lighting up. “You’re back, Ethan p> Ethan’s gaze softened with quiet affection. “Yeah, I’m back p> As Carla lifted her face, Ethan immediately noticed the bright red handprint on her cheek. His expression darkened in an instant. “Carla, what happened to
Chapter 59 Old Mr. Rutledge gave Zena a stern talking-to in his study. Zena stood there, chin lifted stubbornly, her whole posture radiating defiance. To her, Old Mr. Rutledge was simply taking Seren’s side again. The rest of his words barely registered. He shook his head, frustration clear. Zena was
Chapter 58 Seren’s gaze flickered, just for a moment. Of course. Otherwise, there was no way to explain why Old Mr. Rutledge had shown up uninvited, and with such perfect timing. It was the kind of feeling you get when someone is always quietly taking your side, a warmth that
Chapter 57 Ten minutes later, in front of the gates of The Mountain Retreat. Seren glanced around. Aside from the luxury cars gliding in and out, there wasn’t a single cab in sight. It was rush hour, and her ride app showed a daunting queue-143 people waiting before her. She
Chapter 56 He looked at Seren and let out a weary sigh. “You silly child. If something rightfully belongs to you, then it’s yours. Why give it up? If you just let it go, you’re handing it over on a silver platter to those shameless enough to snatch things that
Chapter 55 “Oh, go ahead and decide whatever you want. You only called me over to go through the motions anyway. Whether I agree or not, you’ll tell the family—and Granddad-that I was the one who gave up my shares p> Seren’s voice was flat and emotionless. Carla tried to
Chapter 54 He asked her, “What’s wrong? You look pale p> Seren wasn’t used to sharing her feelings with others. She forced a small smile. “I’m fine. I’ll head out first. When you leave the studio, could you lock up for me?” She headed downstairs from The Antiquarian’s Gallery. Seren
Chapter 53 Ten minutes later, Seren arrived at The Antiquarian’s Gallery. The moment she stepped into the studio, she lost herself in her work, brush sweeping across the canvas, utterly oblivious to the passage of time. It wasn’t until the piece was finally finished that she let out a long,
Chapter 52 “If there’s ever anything I do that makes you uncomfortable, Mrs. Crestwell, I hope you’ll tell me right away p> “I can wait until the day you truly accept me, Mrs. Crestwell p> The warmth of his palm against hers jolted Seren back to the present. Her mind
Chapter 51 Seren let out an involuntary gasp. The world dropped away beneath her feet for a second—a dizzying rush-before strong hands caught her by the waist. Suddenly, she found herself staring right into Lennon’s eyes, their faces so close she could smell the familiar hint of sandalwood on his
Chapter 50 “Your husband isn’t even home tonight. There’s no point in rushing back so early why not keep me company at the hotel? It’s awfully dark out, and I get a little nervous walking back alone p> Willa was never one to play the damsel, but perhaps that was
Chapter 49 Sheridan was far too proud to stoop so low as to borrow someone else’s phone just to check if Seren had blocked his number, not here, not in front of this crowd. Everyone in the room understood what was going on, but no one dared to tear away
Chapter 48 Lennon chuckled. “Even if you gained a few pounds, it wouldn’t make a difference p> “You sound just like my grandpa,” Seren replied with a wry smile. “He always tells me to eat more, says an extra bite or two won’t hurt. And before I knew it, with
Chapter 47 Seren followed Lennon up to the rooftop of The Grand Seaside Hotel. Lennon called for a waiter to take their order, while Seren gazed out the window at the vibrant city below-neon lights flickered, the streets glowed with promise, and the nightlife thrummed with energy. It was a