Chapter 26
In the past, when no one had ever stood up for Seren, Slater saw everything she did as wrong-no questions asked.
But today, seeing Lennon step in to defend her, Slater felt a flicker of doubt. Was it possible he’d been the one in the wrong all along?
The thought barely lasted a heartbeat before Slater dismissed it entirely.
He was the golden boy, after all—the kind of man whose decisions had always been spot-on, never once faltering. There was simply no way he could have made a mistake when it came to Seren.
Impossible.
As for Seren, with Lennon’s help this time, she could maintain that air of pride and defiance a little longer.
But Lennon couldn’t shield her forever. Now that she’d broken things off with Sheridan, she’d have to face the reality of returning to normal life.
Seren had no real skills for surviving on her own. Once she was back in the real world, her arrogance would be ground down by harsh reality. Slater was certain she’d end up running back to him in utter desperation, begging for just a glance.
He gave a cold snort, started the engine, and drove away.
Seren entered the house hand in hand with Lennon.
He was careful, letting go of her hand as soon as they’d crossed the parking lot, but even after they parted, the warmth lingered in her palm.
After releasing her, Lennon asked, “Where to now p>
“I’m heading back to my cousin’s place p>
“When are you moving in with me?” he added, almost as an afterthought. “I’m just asking your opinion. If you’d rather stay at your cousin’s, that’s fine. It’s completely up to you. I promised Old Mr. Rutledge I wouldn’t let this marriage become a cage for you p>
“My opinion?” Seren was caught off guard.
No one had ever asked for her opinion before. She’d grown up believing her wishes didn’t matter.
She thought it over and said, “I just settled in at my cousin’s. It’d feel wrong to leave so soon, especially since we haven’t seen each other in ages. I’ll stay a couple more days-today’s Friday, so she’ll probably be off work this weekend. When she goes back to work on Monday, I’ll move to your place p>
Seren knew that as close as she was to Nadine, staying there forever wasn’t an option.
And now that she and Lennon were married, even if they didn’t love each other, she wanted to try building a life with him.
Lennon smiled gently. “Alright. Give me a call before you head over and I’ll come pick you up p>
Seren shook her head. “No need. Don’t trouble yourself. I only have one suitcase. Just text me your address, and I’ll grab a cab over p>
She’d always been fiercely independent, never one to ask for help-afraid of rejection, more afraid of being a burden.
If she could handle something on her own, she would.
“We’re married now, you know. Don’t you think it sounds a bit distant to talk about troubling me, Mrs. Crestwell p>
Lennon let out a soft, almost
inaudible sigh. “You have to
realize you’re not on your own
anymore. You’ll have to get used to
letting me help you, otherwise, I’ll feel like I don’t matter at all as your husband p>
Seren blushed at the sound of “Mrs. Crestwell,” her heart skipping a beat.
Something about his slightly aggrieved tone made her feel unexpectedly guilty, and in the end, she couldn’t hold her ground about not wanting to bother him.
“Alright. I’ll call you then.” she said.
After that, the two went their separate ways. Seren didn’t head straight back to Nadine’s.
Nadine had worked a night shift and was probably still catching up on sleep; going home now would only disturb her.
Instead, after a quick phone call, Seren drove to the city center.
Over the past three years, even though she’d been orbiting around Sheridan, she hadn’t completely lost touch with the world.
One of her friends had opened an art studio downtown and had invited her to join the team several times over the years.
After all, Seren had studied under Mr. Shaw, a master whose paintings were nearly impossible to acquire. As his last student-and the sole heir to the Shaw School she was, Someone every art studio wanted.
But for years, Seren had devoted all her energy to Sheridan. She’d even signed with an agency and spent a stint as a performer, chasing after him, which meant turning down all those tempting job offers
Now, though, it was time to get her life back on track.