Chapter 43
The entire Bradley family heard Carla’s voice and turned around, one after another.
When they saw Seren, surprise flickered across every face.
Seren was here with Lennon for dinner.
The rooftop of the Grand Seaside Hotel boasted an elegant, old-world restaurant -Western in style, but with a charming, timeless atmosphere and dishes that always left her satisfied.
She hadn’t expected to hear Carla’s voice just as she stepped out of the car. Instinctively, she glanced over in that direction.
The Bradley family stood clustered together, all smiles and laughter, exuding warmth and harmony. In the center, Carla-dressed in a pristine white party dress -was surrounded by the others like a little princess, the star of the evening.
Once, a scene like this would have felt like a slap to Seren: harsh, uncomfortable.
The Rutledge Group was Old Mr. Rutledge’s life’s work-built from scratch in his youth. With no son to inherit it, he eventually passed the reins to Thurman and Zena.
When Seren was born, the company was amid a crucial transition. Thurman and Zena were consumed by work, so they sent Seren to Rutledge Manor, to be raised by Old Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge.
Only when the company stabilized did Zena consider bringing Seren back from the Rutledge family to the Bradley household.
Old Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge had been busy with their careers when their own daughters were young, so they poured all their residual love and regret into Seren, doting on her endlessly. It made Seren stubborn, fiercely independent.
When Zena finally brought Seren home, she was shocked to find a daughter who was not only distant, but as stubborn as a mule-nothing like the gentle, obedient girl she’d envisioned.
Zena was impatient by nature. Her other children were all sweet, clever, and easy -no trouble at all.
So after a few fruitless attempts to discipline Seren, Zena lost patience entirely.
It didn’t help that Carla, who had been raised in the Bradley family from birth, was the perfect model: gentle, compliant, always eager to please. The contrast was glaring, and Zena’s preference for Carla was obvious-almost painfully so.
Back then, Seren could hardly stand Zena’s blatant favoritism.
Having spent her childhood away from the Bradleys, she felt no real sense of belonging. She’d slip back to the Rutledge family whenever she could.
In the end, she even defied Zena’s strong objections and began studying oil painting with Mr. Shaw.
That was the turning point. From then on, Zena’s attitude toward her shifted from disappointment to outright rejection.
After that, Zena barely paid her any mind, pouring all her attention and affection into Carla instead.
If this was how her own mother treated her, it was no surprise that the rest of the Bradley family followed suit.
Those years were hard-every time Seren felt the stinging difference, her heart ached.
“Mrs. Crestwell p>
A gentle voice snapped her back to the present. Seren blinked, finding Lennon
had slipped his hand into hers—large, warm, and reassuring.
She glanced again at the Bradley family, but the old bitterness was gone. She felt utterly calm.
“Seren, you made it p>
Swain was the first to react, his face lighting up with genuine delight. It was only then he realized Seren probably hadn’t even known here the birthday dinner was being held.
Zena’s smile vanished, her expression frosty as she shot Seren a cold glance.
With a sneer, she muttered, “Honestly, it would’ve been better if you hadn’t come at all p>
Seren’s presence was an unwelcome reminder to Zena: For all her success in marriage and motherhood, there was this one glaring stain—a failure she could never quite erase.
Slater, too, was clearly caught off guard by Seren’s appearance. His gaze slid naturally to Lennon at her side, his expression tightening noticeably.
That morning, the head of NE Group
BUT
had come by in person to cancel several partnership deals that already been agreed upon in principle. No explanation was offered, but Slater knew exact what was going on, even if no one else did.
For a moment, tension hung heavy in the air.
Thurman looked
at Seren with
impatience until his eyes landed on Lennon, tall and imposing beside her He paused, his gaze flicking to the way their hands were linked and tugged unconsciously on Zena’s sleeve.