《Obsessive CEO’s Sinful Wife》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Her emaciated body was ruthlessly pinned to the ground, her hands stained with blood.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± she heard a voice full of contempt say from above her. ¡°The former most promising up-


    andingwyer is now nothing but a worthless pile of dirt!¡±


    Serenity Lewis raised her head with great effort and stared at the cold, exquisite face in front of her.


    Who would have thought that the most popr star in the entertainment industry who was as pure and


    innocent as white snow in the public¡¯s eye could be so vicious in real life?


    ¡°Jenny Hall,¡± she spoke with a weak and trembling voice. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Jenny sneered. Her lips curled up in biting scorn as her sinister eyes glinted. ¡°You killed my


    sister, and you dare to ask me why?!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me!¡± Serenity denied, frantically shaking her head. ¡°I was wrongly used!¡±


    Sheboriously tried to get up on her feet, and her eyes were fixed on the man standing next to Jenny


    Hall.


    That man¡­ was her boyfriend! That was the man who had promised to protect her for the rest of her


    life!


    In the past, he would get distressed for a whole day even when a needle merely pricked her finger, yet


    now, all he did was watch silently as another woman tortured her.


    ¡°Z-Zeke¡­!¡±


    Serenity shouted with all her might and pleaded, ¡°I beg you¡­ Please believe me¡­¡±


    Outwardly, he was exactly the same as he always was¡ªdressed in a smart suit and a pair of leather


    shoes¡ªyet his eyes were icy cold as he stared at her. Gone was all the warmth. The only thing left was


    cold indifference.


    ¡°Zeke,¡± Jenny affectionately grabbed the man¡¯s arm. Her ruthless expression changed as she faced


    him, and she now turned into an innocent woman who had been wronged. ¡°You¡¯re not feeling sorry for


    this woman, are you? I¡¯m only doing this so my sister can rest in peace.¡±


    ¡°She brought this upon herself,¡± Zeke replied, gently stroking Jenny¡¯s smooth silky hair as he


    continued, ¡°She¡¯s not worth any sympathy. Do whatever you like.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s eyes widened.


    Brought this upon herself?! Ha! This man who used to treasure her as if she was the most precious


    thing in the world to him had nothing more to say but use her of bringing it all onto herself!


    Serenity had no idea where she got the strength, but she suddenly broke free from the person pinning


    her down to the ground and crawled forward, doing anything she could to get closer to the man.


    ¡°Zeke, I don¡¯t know what actually happened in that car crash¡­ but I wasn¡¯t drunk when I was driving,


    and it was definitely Mira Hall¡¯s car¡­ that crashed into my car¡­¡±


    Crush!


    A foot stomped down on the back of her left hand. The pain pierced through her bones, but it was


    nothingpared to the agony that wrecked her heart.


    She looked up strenuously and stared at Zeke, who had just stomped on her. She could never believe


    that he would ever do such a thing.


    Serenity took a deep breath, her voice as raspy as if her throat was filled with sand as she asked,


    ¡°Have you ever loved me?¡±


    ¡°The thing that I regret the most in my life,¡± Zeke replied in the coldest voice, ¡°is once having you as my


    girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Crush her hands!¡± Jenny interrupted. ¡°Just destroy them, Zeke! Those are the hands that killed my


    sister!¡±


    The next moment, Serenity heard the man¡¯s voice reply, ¡°Okay!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Ah!¡± Serenity¡¯s eyes opened violently, realizing that she had just dreamt about the incident in prison


    again.


    She looked down at her coarse calloused hands. After having spent three years in prison, her hands


    would never be as smooth and delicate as they used to be anymore. Although the nails on all of her ten


    fingers had grown back, there were still some lingering effects of the injury on her hands.


    In that incident, they had broken all the bones in her fingers, but she was ultimately not crippled


    because the bones eventually healed. Unfortunately, her joints were now crooked, and she could no


    longer perform many fine movements very well.


    In fact, on a particrly cold or damp day, her fingers would be in excruciating pain. Sometimes the


    pain was so unbearable that she wished she could cut off her hands just to get rid of the pain.


    After that car crash, she had been used of drunk driving and killing Mira Hall, who was not only the


    eldest daughter of the wealthy Hall family, but also the fiancee of Sria¡¯s most powerful man, Jackson


    Valor.


    Following that, Serenity¡¯s family turned their backs on her, and she had been kicked out of the house.


    She was then sentenced to three years in prison.


    Serenity got up to her feet and picked up the cleaning tools that were lying beside her.


    She was wearing fluorescent overalls, a sanitation worker¡¯s uniform. Her delicate face was flushed


    slightly red because of the cold weather. Beneath her almond-shaped eyes were a dainty nose and soft


    pink lips, and her hair was tied up in a high ponytail.


    Based on her appearance alone, many would assume that she was a college student fresh out of high


    school, but there was no youthful vigor in her eyes like many young people had. Instead, her eyes were


    dull and grave.


    She was supposed to be on the night shift that evening and had just taken a nap in the sanitation


    station, and she was just about to bete for work.


    Just as she was about to leave, she overheard some colleagues scrolling through their phones, reading


    the news, and saying, ¡°Guys, look! Zeke Shaw and Jenny Hall are getting engaged! What a lucky


    woman! She¡¯s a popr star, she¡¯s from a wealthy family, and now she¡¯s marrying into another wealthy


    family!¡±


    Serenity shuddered before hurrying out of the room. Zeke Shaw and Jenny Hall¡­ Those names were


    like scars of pain carved into her bones.


    It was a cold January night, but Serenity still held firmly to the broom in her hands and swept the


    streets. The joints of her fingers throbbed in pain unceasingly because of the biting cold.


    ¡®Just bear with it a little longer and it will be over soon,¡¯ she told herself. For a sanitation worker like her,


    even painkillers had be a luxury now.


    As she was working, a Ferrari suddenly came to a screeching halt in front of her, and out came a man


    and a woman. Serenity quickly paled as she recognized the man.


    The man came from a rich family and had tried to molest her in the past, and Serenity had given him


    hell for it.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the greatwyer, Ms. Lewis?¡± Travis Dawn mockingly asked.


    ¡°What are you doing here sweeping the streets, Miss Hotshot?¡±


    ¡°It would be strange if she was still awyer!¡± said the woman beside him with a snigger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you underestimate thiswyer!¡± replied Travis while leering at Serenity. ¡°Back then, she used to


    be Zeke Shaw¡¯s girlfriend, you know!¡±


    ¡°Have you heard that your ex-boyfriend is going to get engaged with Jenny Hall? How about


    reconsidering my offer? You know you can get way more money than however much you get sweeping


    the streets!¡±


    Serenity had no ns to just stand there and take it from him, so she desperately tried to slip away


    from the man, but Travis managed to grab her arm and pinned her against the wall in the alley.


    Seeing that Travis was about to assault her, Serenity kicked him in his lower region and took the


    chance to slip away while he was still grunting in pain.


    Travis was now so enraged that he saw blood. He would never let that woman go! He then got into his


    Ferrari and chased after her down the street.


    By then Serenity had already escaped to the other side of the street, but what struck her as odd was


    how quiet it was. Usually, the street would be filled with cars and people at this time of day, but right


    now, there was not even a trace of a soul there.


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    It was as if¡­ the street had beenpletely abandoned.


    Soon, Serenity had been cornered by the Ferrari. Travis got out of the car and charged straight toward


    her, but just then, there was the sound of footsteps approaching.


    The eerie silence of the night made the sound of the footsteps exceptionally clear.


    Subsequently, Serenity saw a tall man approaching. His bangs covered up his eyes, so she could not


    see what he looked like, and he was wearing an old and shabby-looking shirt.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Travis yelled at the man. ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you!¡±


    The man ncednguidly at Travis. Oddly enough, it made Travis¡¯s hair stand on end. That cold icy


    gaze made Travis feel as if he was nothing but dead meat in the eyes of that man.


    Travis spat and then raised his fist as he aimed it at the man¡¯s face.


    However, the next thing he knew, he was trampled under the man¡¯s foot with one side of his face


    pressed against the pavement. He had ended up in an utterly helpless and incapacitated position.


    After that, all Serenity could see was a one-sided attack, where it was obvious that one man had


    already imedplete victory over the other.


    Meanwhile, in a car that was parked in a hidden corner nearby, Connor Gunn watched on and


    murmured, ¡°Please don¡¯t lose your mind, Mr. Valor!¡±


    Every time Jackson lost control, only God could tell what might happen. There was a possibility that he


    might even end up killing someone. He remembered seeing Jackson lose control once, and after that¡­


    he never expected to see Jackson in that state ever again.


    Strangely enough, although the streets had been blocked, somehow those people and that Ferrari had


    managed to slip through, thus disturbing Mr. Valor¡¯s peace.


    In truth, Mr. Valor would always block the streets here every year on this day, and he would then put on


    a shabby old shirt and sit alone in silence. No one knew why he did this, and no one dared to ask,


    almost as if it was taboo to even bring up the subject. Even Connor, who had been working with Mr.


    Valor for so many years, had no clue as to why he would do such a thing.


    When Connor noticed his boss pulling the slightly rotund man up from the ground and continuing to


    beat him up, he debated whether he should get out there and stop him.


    Just then, he saw the woman who had almost gotten raped suddenly speak up, and he saw his boss¡­


    stop beating the man?!

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    What Serenity had said at the time was, ¡°If you keep beating him up like that, he¡¯ll die!¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Jackson peered down at the man who wasboriously struggling to get up from the ground,


    his gaze piercingly cold.


    Serenity was taken aback. It was only then that she had a good look at the man¡¯s face.


    He had a wlessly handsome face with a straight nose and lips that were thin but shapely. His facial


    features were delicate, but there was not a trace of emotion in his expressions. One could even say


    that his eyes were dead calm, almost as if human lives meant nothing to him at all, and he had no


    qualms about either taking someone else¡¯s life or even his own life!


    Serenity took a deep breath and told him, ¡°It¡¯s not worth losing your freedom to a scum like him.¡±


    The man stared straight at her for a while before releasing his grip on Travis.


    Knowing that he had just narrowly escaped, Travis hurried away with a face smeared with his own


    blood and quickly got into his car with his femalepanion before fleeing.


    In the car, he gritted his teeth and vowed, ¡°I¡¯ll bring my men over and teach that b*stard a lesson!¡±


    However, the woman beside him who had been silent all along suddenly widened her eyes as she


    finally realized why that man just now had seemed so familiar. She remembered how she had seen the


    very same man in the banquet earlier from afar, and that man was¡­


    ¡°Jackson Valor! That man just now was Jackson Valor!¡±


    ¡°Jackson Valor?!¡± Travis turned pale as if he¡¯d just seen a ghost. ¡°The richest man in Sria?


    Impossible!¡±


    ¡°But he really did look a lot like Jackson Valor¡­¡± the woman insisted.


    They stared at each other, both turning just as pale as death¡­


    ***


    Serenity looked at the man in front of her and stammered, ¡°Thank you for¡­ just now.¡±


    The man said nothing. Instead, he just walked over to the other side and sat down on the ground with


    his back against the wall.


    Was he not¡­ going home? The temperature could go down as low as 10 degrees in this weather at


    night. If he stayed here all night, Serenity was not sure if he would still be alive the next morning!


    Grateful that he had just saved her earlier, Serenity stepped toward the man.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going home?¡± she asked as she stood in front of the man. ¡°What about your family? Do you


    have their contact number? I can make a call for you and ask them toe get you.¡±


    The man slowly raised his head. His dull and somber eyes met hers, yet he still would not answer her.


    Serenity was suddenly struck by a deathly chill.


    At that moment, it was as if she could see exactly what she looked like after being sentenced. At the


    time, the whole world seemed dark and bleak. Though she was still alive, her life was bereft of any


    hope.


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    ¡°If you have nowhere to go, you cane home with me.¡±


    Those were the words that flowed effortlessly out of her mouth.


    ***


    Serenity could never have imagined that she would have the boldness to act on a sudden urge to bring


    home a man she did not even know. Perhaps it was because the man had just saved her, or perhaps¡­


    it was because she saw herself as she used to be in this man.


    ¡°This is where I live,¡± Serenity said. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, then I¡¯lly a mat on the floor for you to sleep


    on.¡±


    Hearing no objections from the man, Serenity riffled through her ce and got him a clean towel and a


    new toothbrush.


    ¡°You can clean yourself up a little in the bathroom, but I don¡¯t have any clothes in your size, so you¡¯d


    better not get your clothes wet.¡±


    As she waited for the man to clean up inside the bathroom, Serenity began toy out a mat on the floor


    and took out a spare quilt nket.


    Her rental room was not very big at all. It only had an area of slightly more than a hundred square feet,


    and it only consisted of a small room and a separate tiny bathroom.


    When the man re-emerged from the bathroom, he was still wearing the same shabby clothes, but his


    hair was dripping wet as he had just washed it.


    Seeing that the man¡¯s hair was still dripping with water, Serenity picked up a towel and said, ¡°Lean


    down.¡±


    The man stared fixedly at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m only trying to dry your hair,¡± she exined. ¡°I have no other intentions. If you leave your hair


    dripping wet like that, you might catch a cold.¡±


    The man stared intently at her for a long time before asking, ¡°Are you concerned about me?¡±


    His voice was frigid, but it sounded inexplicably appealing.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Serenity did not avert her eyes from him as she continued, ¡°Since I brought you home, I


    just don¡¯t want you to get sick.¡±


    His long eyshes fluttered slightly, and he slowly leaned down toward her.


    Serenity then covered his hair with the towel and began drying it as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    After a long silence, he simply replied, ¡°Jack.¡±


    ¡°Jack,¡± she echoed him, thinking it must be a nickname. ¡°My name¡¯s Serenity Lewis. Where do you


    live? Where¡¯s your family?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any family,¡± he replied.


    Her movements stiffened abruptly. Was this man an orphan? Was that why he was on the streets?


    She then reflected how, although she did have a family, she might as well be an orphan too. The only


    difference between them, perhaps, was that she had managed to rent a ce, so she had a roof over


    her head.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got a lot of things inmon,¡± she smiled bitterly, then continued drying his hair.


    Once his hair was almost dry, she put the towel away and began tob his hair. After brushing his


    hair back and revealing his forehead, she realized that the man was, in fact, even more handsome than


    she thought.


    His exquisite features were striking and sharply defined especially his eyes, which were now focused


    on her. No longer were they dull and lifeless. They were now filled with a trace of curiosity.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ll get you something to eat.¡±


    All the while as she was sweeping the streets that evening, she had never noticed him eating anything.


    She grabbed a packet of instant noodles and an egg, then cooked him a simple bowl of noodles with


    her induction cooker.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± she said. ¡°But be careful, because it¡¯s hot. Don¡¯t slurp it up too quickly or you¡¯ll scald


    your tongue.¡±


    The man lowered his head and quietly tucked into the noodles.


    As she silently stared at him, she could not help but feel that the loneliness that had been filling her


    rental room had somehow suddenly dissipated. Could it be because there was now another person in


    here?


    Once the man had finished the food, Serenity cleaned up the dishes and said, ¡°I have to keep the lights


    on when I sleep. I hope you don¡¯t mind it.¡±


    Ever since she was released after serving her sentence, she had developed a habit of sleeping with the


    lights on.


    ¡°Okay,¡± the man replied simply.


    Serenity then got into her bed while the many down on the matid out on the floor.


    She closed her eyes and tried very hard to fall asleep. At some point, she had begun to be afraid of


    falling asleep because as soon as she fell asleep, she would always dream of the incident three years


    ago, of the painful memories that made it hard for her to fall asleep¡­


    In fact, she often thought that she would eventually die in that tiny room where the air was thick with the


    mustiness of mold.


    Strangely though, that night, she slept soundly till the break of dawn, undisturbed by any nightmares.


    Serenity stared at the figure lying on the floor beside her bed, still in a daze of sleep.


    Was it because of him? Was it because there was not only her in this room anymore? Was it because


    there was someone else with her now¡­ staying by her side?


    She could not help herself from getting out of bed and kneeling next to the sleeping figure before


    resting her hand on the man¡¯s face. She could feel his warmth spreading to the palm of her hand.


    So, he was real. She had not just imagined him. Last night, she really had brought a man back to her


    rental room.


    When she returned to her senses, she realized that the man was already awake, though she had no


    idea since when. Those striking eyes of his were now staring intently at her.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Serenity¡¯s face suddenly turned red. ¡°I¡­ I was just¡­ If¡­ If you¡¯ve got nowhere to go, you


    can stay with me here.¡±


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    She blurted those words out nervously at first, but now that she had gotten it off her chest, she was


    filled with a sense of relief.


    The man¡¯s obsidian-like eyes were fixed on her flushed red face, and a look of surprise seemed to


    have shed across his face.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stay here,¡± she said, biting her lips, ¡°it¡¯s fine. Just pretend that I never said


    anything.¡±


    His thin lips finally parted as he asked, ¡°Do you want me to stay here?¡±


    His voice was as cold as a winter spring, and the silence of the room made it sound even more crystal


    clear.


    Had those wordse from another man¡¯s lips, it would have sounded like flirting. However, this man¡¯s


    voice made it sound as if it was a factual question that demanded a definite ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ answer. There


    was simply no room for ambiguity or mystery in his tone, even his eyes were perfectly calm.


    Serenity pursed her lips and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like you to stay here.¡±


    And that was her honest answer.


    He stared at her, and a faint smile slowly bloomed on his thin lips as he said, ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    It was the first time she had ever seen him smile, and although it was such a faint and subdued smile, it


    was still so¡­ incredibly beautiful.


    ***


    Before Serenity went off to work, she gave Jackson 5 dors so that he could get himself something to


    eat.


    As soon as he exited the apartment building, there was already someone waiting for him.


    ¡°Mr. Valor,¡± the man greeted when he saw Jackson.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jackson casually replied.


    He then got into a ck Mercedes parked in front of him, looking at the five-dor bill in his hand.


    ¡°Mr. Valor,¡± Connor Gunn, Jackson Valor¡¯s longtime personal assistant, began reporting as soon as he


    got into the car, ¡°The woman you were withst night is a contract worker at the Sanitation Office. She


    rented a room here a month ago and was released after serving her full sentence two months ago.¡±


    ¡°Released after serving her full sentence?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Connor continued while carefully studying his boss¡¯s expressions. ¡°Her name is Serenity Lewis.


    Three years ago, she was the one who killed Miss Mira Hall in a car crash. She was charged with


    drunk driving. She¡¯s also Zeke Shaw¡¯s ex-girlfriend. She was sentenced to three years in prison, and


    herwyer¡¯s license was revoked.¡±


    ¡°Serenity Lewis¡­¡± Jackson murmured the woman¡¯s name as a faint but yful smile cropped up on his


    lips. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Back then, Mira Hall had been very eager to marry him, so he had agreed, seeing that she was a pretty


    good candidate for a wife, and if he had to choose a woman to marry, Mira seemed not to be a bad


    choice at all. But then, she had unexpectedly died in a car crash before the wedding could happen.


    If this woman, Serenity Lewis, found out about his connections to Mira Hall, Jackson wondered what


    kind of expressions he would see on her face.


    In any case, after all these years, it was the first time a woman had ever taken his hand and boldly


    brought him back to her ce before confessing to him in a gentle but firm voice that she liked him.


    Out of the blue, Jackson asked, ¡°Connor, what kind of woman do you think deserves someone like


    me?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Connor responded in surprise, unsure of what to say. ¡°I guess it depends on what kind of


    woman you like, Mr. Valor.¡±


    Jackson blushed slightly.


    ¡°Make sure I¡¯ve got all of Serenity Lewis¡¯s information ready on my desk when I get back to the office,¡±


    he ordered.


    ¡°Roger,¡± Connor nodded with an affirmative, wondering if Mr. Valor had¡­ taken a liking to Serenity


    Lewis?


    ***


    When she got back from work, Serenity got a call from her father, asking her to go home and saying


    that since she was now released from prison, she should go home and pay respects to her mother¡¯s


    ashes.


    This confused Serenity. Ever since she had been released, her family had always seemed too eager to


    cut all connections with her. In fact, over thest three years, none of them had ever visited her. It was


    as if she was dead to them from then on.


    Her biological mother had passed away a long time ago, and she was only three years old then. Three


    months after that, her father remarried and had another daughter, whose name was Aria Lewis.


    Ever since she was very young, Serenity always knew that Aria was her father and her stepmother¡¯s


    favorite child, and they would often neglect her. This drove her to work very hard so that she could get


    the best grades in her exam. Because of that, she had always excelled academically, and slowly, even


    her father had begun to be proud enough of her to show her off to his friends as a very smart girl.


    Then, she had be Zeke Shaw¡¯s girlfriend, and that was the period when she felt most loved and


    cherished by her family. Her father now regarded her with pride and respect, her stepmother began to


    treat her more kindly, and even her half-sister Aria had started fawning over her.


    She knew that it was all just because of her rtionship with Zeke Shaw, the young heir to the wealthy


    Shaw family. Still, at the time, she had just wanted to feel at least a glimmer of what it felt like to be


    loved by her family.


    However, that car crash proved that it was all just wishful thinking and that her family never truly cared


    for her at all.


    Now, her stepmother, Catherine Fisher, exined to her that Aria had managed to get into the show


    business after working very hard, but in order to be cast in a better role, she had had to make lots of


    special arrangements.


    Catherine then implored her, ¡°You know we don¡¯t have much money, Serenity, but your sister needs


    some money right now, so¡­ Why don¡¯t you lend us some money? Later, when your sister bes a


    superstar, she¡¯ll definitely pay it all back to you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any money,¡± Serenity replied briefly.


    Catherine¡¯s expression froze. Then she smiled gently and continued, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t, I¡¯m sure Zeke


    Shaw must have some! You were his girlfriend back then, but he instantly broke up with you as soon as


    you got into trouble. Don¡¯t you think he should make somepensation to you?¡±


    ¡°But even you, Dad, and Aria all distanced yourselves from me back then too, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Grayson Lewis, Serenity¡¯s father, snapped angrily, ¡°So, you¡¯re begrudging us for what we did in


    the past, huh? Well, if you hadn¡¯t killed someone, your sister would¡¯ve been a superstar by now,


    considering she got a lead role a long time ago!¡±


    Serenity sneered. Back then, Aria had gotten a lead role because the Shaw Group was a major


    investor in the TV series, and Zeke Shaw had even instructed them to cast Aria in the lead role himself.


    Then, after he had broken up with Serenity, Aria also naturally lost the lead role.


    Aria then asked Serenity in a soft voice, ¡°You¡¯re still angry with us because we didn¡¯t help you when


    you were in trouble, aren¡¯t you, Serenity?¡±


    ¡°But it was you who offended not just the Hall family but Jackson Valor himself! Even the Shaw family


    was so nervous about it that they forced Zeke to break up with you, so what did you expect us to do? If


    we had stayed by your side back then and helped you with thewsuit, it would mean that our family


    would have offended Jackson Valor and the Hall family! We¡¯re just ordinary people, you know! There


    was no way that we could stand their wrath!¡±


    ¡°Everything you¡¯ve said makes perfect sense,¡± Serenity smiled suddenly, looking straight at Aria. ¡°But


    since you wouldn¡¯t stand by me when I was at rock bottom, why should I do anything to help you climb


    your way up?¡±

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Aria¡¯s countenance changed abruptly. Grayson, on the other hand, had already pped Serenity hard


    across her face.


    ¡°How dare you speak like that?!¡± Grayson berated. ¡°You¡¯re the one who killed someone and got thrown


    into prison! Do you know how much trouble this family got into because of you?! You have no future


    left, so now you want to drag your sister down with you?!¡±


    His eyes were filled with disgust for this daughter of his. He recalled how impressed his friends had


    been back when they had gained a connection with the Shaw family, and he was then reminded of how


    humiliated he had felt after that when Serenity had gotten into trouble!


    One side of Serenity¡¯s face was burning with pain, yet her eyes remained perfectly still and


    unperturbed, almost as if none of what had just happened mattered to her.


    ¡°I only came here to pay my respects to my mother¡¯s ashes, but now I think I¡¯d better get my mother¡¯s


    urn out of here. She doesn¡¯t have to be here anymore, and I will never set foot in this house ever


    again.¡±


    After finishing her sentence, Serenity turned and left the ce she had once called home.


    This ¡®home¡¯ no longer had a ce for her.


    ***


    When Serenity returned to her ce, the whole room waspletely dark, and none of the lights were


    on. She turned the light switch on, and the scene that greeted her was that of an empty room.


    It was clear at a nce that there was no one inside the small hundred-square-foot room.


    Where was Jack? Had he left? The thought made her feel a little empty. Was she really all alone, after


    all?


    She smiled wryly. Just as she was about to turn around and close the door, she saw a tall figure slowly


    walking toward her, which made her freeze.


    It was Jack! And he was still wearing the same shabby clothes, but he was holding a stic bag in his


    hand. His thick bangs covered up almost half of his face, making it hard to see what he really looked


    like at a nce. But Serenity knew that beneath those bangs was a dashingly handsome face.


    Could someone like that really be¡­ a homeless wanderer?


    Subsequently, she realized that in truth, she really did not know this man at all. She did not understand


    him one bit, yet she had brought him home just like that. She knew it was an impulsive move, and


    perhaps even dangerous, but¡­ she just could not stop herself.


    Perhaps it was because after all was said and done, humans were social animals at their core.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± Jack spoke in a nonchnt voice, yet for some reason, to Serenity, it was the most beautiful


    sound she had ever heard.


    Her throat tightened, and her voice sounded stiff as she said, ¡°I¡­ I thought you were nevering


    back again.¡±


    He stared at her and replied, ¡°I just went out to buy something.¡±


    She quickly turned sideways, pulled him into the room, and closed the door behind them. She then


    noticed that there were two big buns in the stic bag that he was holding, and she smiled. It felt as if a


    weight had been lifted off her chest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat those togetherter,¡± she said. ¡°Right now, I¡­ I¡¯m going to pay my respects to my mother¡¯s


    ashes. Today is the anniversary of my mother¡¯s death.¡±


    After that, Serenity pulled out some candles and incense sticks from her bag and ced a framed


    photo on the shelf. Within the frame was a ck and white photo of a woman aged around 30 years


    old. She looked like a gentle and mild-natured woman.


    Serenity then lit a candle and then incense sticks before respectfully bowing at the urn of ashes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve begun my new life, Mom, and things are going really well. I now have a job to support myself, and


    I earn enough money to stand on my own two feet, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore. In


    fact, I have a feeling that my life is going to get better from now on¡­¡±


    Jackson stood aside, watching the woman who was smiling but with misty eyes. The light from the


    candle and the ceiling light danced on her face, speckling it with bands of light and shadow.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She had shapely eyebrows, a tiny pert nose, and moderately thick pink lips. She was a pretty woman


    indeed, but Jackson had seen too many gorgeous women in his life. In fact, Mira Hall, his former


    fiancee, was regarded as a rare beauty, so to Jackson, Serenity seemed just like an average-looking


    woman.


    He had read through her background information before, so he knew that today was the anniversary of


    her mother¡¯s death. However, why would a woman fresh out of prison sweeping the streets for a living


    say that her life was going really well?


    ¡°Besides,¡± she said in a gentle voice, ¡°I have someone by my side now.¡±


    She then turned around, and her almond-shaped eyes focused on him. Under the flickering candlelight,


    she looked calm andposed, yet at the same time, perfectly happy and content. It was just as if his


    presence therepleted her life.


    The next moment, she turned back to the photo of the woman and added, ¡°So, you see, my life really is


    going very well, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me, Mom.¡±


    After that, she bowed respectfully once again and burned an incense stick for her mother. She then


    stood there in respectful silence, looking at the woman in the framed photo.


    After about fifteen minutes, the incense was all burnt out, so Serenity blew out the candle and told


    Jackson, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll clean the ce up a little and make us some soup, then we¡¯ll have dinner


    together.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied.


    She then quickly cleaned up the ce and got an egg and a tomato from the fridge. Then, she quickly


    rustled up a pot of tomato egg drop soup, which was then paired with the bun Jackson had bought, and


    that was their dinner for the night.


    ¡°By the way,¡± she started asking as they were eating, ¡°What have you been doing for a living all this


    time, Jack?¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡± He answered. ¡°I¡¯d take any job I could find. If I can¡¯t find anything to do, I¡¯d find a spot to


    rest.¡±


    Rest? Was that what he was doing that night on the streets? Serenity figured he must have suffered a


    lot in the past. After all, no one who was not at their wit¡¯s end would sit by the roadside on a cold winter


    night.


    ¡°So, how old are you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°27,¡± he replied.


    ¡°We¡¯re the same age!¡± she responded in surprise. ¡°Which month were you born in?¡±


    ¡°November.¡±


    ¡°I was born in July,¡± she said. ¡°That means that I¡¯m older than you by a few months. Since neither you


    nor I have any family, why don¡¯t I be your big sister from now on? You can call me Sis. You¡¯ll be my little


    brother!¡±


    ¡°Big sister?¡± he chuckled. No one would ever dare to im themselves as Jackson Valor¡¯s big sister,


    yet this woman just brazenly asked him to be her little brother?


    If she knew who he really was, would she ever dare to say such things?


    But it was precisely because she did not know who he was that made this so interesting.


    ¡°You don¡¯t agree to it?¡± Serenity asked, her eyes dull.


    She was only three years old when her mother had died. All she knew was that her mother had had a


    miscarriage and had not survived. She overheard some rtives say that she was already six months


    pregnant at the time and that the baby was a boy, but he had only lived for ten minutes.


    If that boy had lived, he would be her little brother, and perhaps, she would not end up so lonely if he


    was still here!


    ¡°Are you sure you want to be my big sister?¡± He suddenly asked.


    She raised her head abruptly and looked into the eyes behind the thick bangs. They were crystal clear,


    yet at the same time, they were also foggy and mysterious.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied.


    ¡°But I¡¯m homeless and jobless. I don¡¯t even have the basic needs of life! Why on earth would you want


    to be my sister?¡±

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Serenity swallowed thest bite of her bun which tasted mediocre, at best. In the past,


    she would have disliked it, but now, taste had be secondary to her. What was more important was


    to have enough food to fill her belly.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s because we¡¯re the same kind of people,¡± she continued. ¡°We¡¯ve both been tossed aside by


    society, and we¡¯re just trying to survive at the bottom rung. No one wants people like us, and nobody


    cares about us, but at least we can hug each other for warmth, and I can cherish you, and you can


    cherish me, right?¡±


    She smiled gently. It was a smile full of hope, longing, and even nervousness.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he murmured. ¡°Sounds like we really are very simr¡­¡±


    His gaze was that of a hunter who had just seen his prey falling into his trap. Perhaps life had been too


    easy for himtely. So easy that it had be boring. Anything he wanted, he merely had to stretch


    out his arm, and it would be there for him to reach it. As time went by, this easy kind of life became


    uninteresting to the point of being irksome. Yet, this game he was ying made everything exciting


    again.


    ¡°Sis.¡± He softly murmured the words that she had been waiting to hear.


    In an instant, her smile bloomed till it sparkled like stars in the sky.


    ***


    After dinner, Serenity took Jackson out to the night market so that she could buy him some clothes.


    Although she ended up only choosing cheap used clothes, it still cost her 70 dors. She immediately


    told Jackson to put on the padded jacket and asked him, ¡°Is it a little warmer now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied nonchntly, his eyes looking down at the woman who was about a head shorter


    than him. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to buy all these clothes for me, you know. I¡¯m used to the cold now. I


    would¡¯ve been fine wearing my old clothes.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re used to the cold,¡± she argued, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that you should stay cold. Besides, I


    didn¡¯t spend all that much at all, and I couldn¡¯t afford to buy nearly enough clothes for you anyway. At


    the very least, I could keep you a little warmer, so I¡¯m d.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so nice to me?¡± he asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m your big sister, that¡¯s why!¡±


    Serenityughed, then she identally touched his hands and discovered that they were as cold as


    ice, so she held them firmly with both of her hands before leaning down to blow warm breaths onto


    them as she rubbed them repeatedly.


    ¡°Your hands are too cold,¡± she said. ¡°If we rub them like this, they¡¯ll get warmer.¡±


    His hands stiffened a little, and the eyes behind the bangs narrowed. No woman had ever rubbed his


    hands just to warm them up the way she did.


    In fact, he never liked anyone to touch him. But for some reason, he did not despise Serenity¡¯s touch all


    that much. Was it because this woman was the most important part of this game he was ying, which


    made it easier for him to tolerate her touch?


    Seeing that he did not react, she suddenly thought of something and nced down at her calloused


    hands.


    ¡°Are my hands so rough that it hurts you¡­?¡± she asked before releasing his hands in a hurry.


    He frowned slightly, almost as if he was upset that the warmth in his hands had suddenly vanished.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think your hands are rough at all,¡± He told her before offering his hands up to her as he said,


    ¡°My hands are still cold. Can you rub it a little longer, Sis?¡±


    Serenity froze for a moment but then took his hands into hers again. Compared to his hands, hers


    looked quite small, but on that cold wintry night, those tiny hands tried their best to wrap around his big


    hands as much as possible as the palm of her hands rubbed against the back of his hands.


    She bent down from time to time to breathe warm air onto his hands. Because of the cold weather, the


    tip of her nose was flushed red, and he found that quite adorable.


    Jackson¡¯s eyshes trembled as he looked at his hands being wrapped around those tiny hands, and


    he felt as if he really was¡­ getting warmer.


    ***


    Two dayster, Serenity received a call from Aria.


    ¡°Sis,¡± she said, ¡°Dad said he was going to throw away that photo album, but I begged him not to do it. I


    want to give it to you, but can youe over?¡±


    Serenity froze. She knew exactly which photo album Aria was referring to. It was the one with photos of


    her mother and herself before she turned three years old.


    Aria continued in a gentle voice, ¡°If you don¡¯te over, I might misce the photo album and lose it.


    Wouldn¡¯t that be a shame?¡±


    After that, she sent a specific address to Serenity and quickly ended the call without waiting for her


    sister¡¯s reply.


    Serenity stared at her phone. She knew that Aria would never just hand the photo album to her for no


    reason. She definitely must have some kind of sinister n. Still, this concerned the memories of her


    mother. All of her memories about her mother came from that photo album.


    ¡°Sis?¡± A crisp baritone sounded in her ears.


    She came back to her senses and took a deep breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while, Jack, so don¡¯t wait up and just go to sleep before me, okay?¡±


    As she spoke, she hastily got to her feet and put on her coat before stepping out of the door, oblivious


    to the pair of eyes that had been observing her constantly.


    Once she had arrived at the address Aria had given her earlier, she realized that it was a club. She


    went inside and headed toward the private lounge ording to Aria¡¯s direction only to find not just Aria


    in there, but also a slightly chubby man in his 40s.


    The man looked Serenity up and down and asked, ¡°Is this your sister, Aria? The one who used to be


    Zeke Shaw¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aria replied, smiling. ¡°Heiden, this is my sister. Sis, this is Heiden. He¡¯s an assistant director.


    He¡¯s been eager to meet you after finding out that you used to be Zeke Shaw¡¯s girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the photo album?¡± Serenity asked coldly.


    Aria spoke in a soft voice, yet her tone wasced with threat, ¡°If you want it, you¡¯ll have to speak more


    to Heiden and keep him entertained. If he¡¯s willing to cast me in more roles, I¡¯ll hand the photo album


    over to you.¡±


    ¡°Come on! Since you¡¯re here, let¡¯s have a drink!¡±


    Heiden then poured a full ss of red wine and signaled for Serenity to drink.


    Serenity pursed her lips and stared at Aria. It looked like her dear sister had decided to sell Serenity¡¯s


    body in exchange for more roles.


    Aria picked up the ss of wine and offered it up to Serenity. Then, in a voice she would only use when


    there was just the two of them, she said, ¡°It was you who ruined my chances back then, Sis. It¡¯s only


    right that you should help me now. After all, in your current state, if you manage to keep Heiden happy,


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll make your life much better in the future. So, really, I¡¯m helping you, you know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard anyone say such shameful things so soberly and calmly,¡± Serenity


    retorted.


    She then shoved the wine ss away, spilling the red wine all over the floor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want the photo album?¡± Aria asked in a hushed voice through gritted teeth.


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    ¡°I would never sell my body in exchange for it,¡± Serenity replied. She knew that her mother would never


    wish to see her do such a thing.


    However, just as she was about to turn and leave, Heiden suddenly said, ¡°Oh, so you think I¡¯m beneath


    you, huh? Do you still think that you¡¯re Zeke Shaw¡¯s girlfriend? Aria told me that you¡¯re cleaning the


    streets for a living now, so you should know that being invited to drink with me is an honor!¡±

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your favors,¡± Serenity said.


    Heiden was drunk, and he rushed to Serenity, pping her hard. ¡°I told you to drink, so drink. You¡¯re


    just a poor woman now, so how dare you refuse me?!¡±


    As Heiden spoke, he took the bottle and poured the liquid into Serenity¡¯s mouth.


    Serenity tried to push him away, but she was unable to. A man¡¯s strength was much stronger than a


    woman¡¯s. Besides, Heiden had Aria helping him.


    Heiden was pleased by Aria¡¯s help. ¡°Oh, Aria, you¡¯re smart. I¡¯ll talk to the director about adding more


    screen time for youter.¡±


    Naturally, this made Aria work harder as Heiden¡¯s aplice. ¡°Thanks, Heiden. My sister isn¡¯t


    behaving, so I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡±


    Serenity did not know how much alcohol she had been given. She was not a very good drinker, and


    she was already feeling a little drunk, so she struggled to control her remaining consciousness. ¡°I-I


    want to go home¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll take you backter.¡± Heiden took Serenity into his arms.


    Heiden did not find Serenity extremely attractive, but he was excited knowing that she had once been


    Zeke Shaw¡¯s girlfriend.


    Just then, Heiden¡¯s phone rang abruptly. Heiden wanted to hang up the call directly, but he picked it up


    upon seeing who had called.


    It was Director Hudson, who was also his brother whom he relied on, and his brother was the only


    reason he had managed tond his position as the assistant director.


    Shortly after answering the phone, Heiden¡¯s breathing became rapid. He suddenly paled, and the


    director¡¯s phone call seemed to have sobered him up.


    ¡°Impossible¡­ How?! She¡¯s just a sanitation worker with no background. Zeke Shaw was her former


    boyfriend, but he now has a fiancee and no longer cares about her.¡±


    Otherwise, how could Zeke let his ex-girlfriend be a sanitation worker?!


    ¡°Anyway, get your hands off her and let her leave safely. I¡¯m telling you now, thepany boss called


    me directly and talked to me. He also warned me that the production crew will be disbanded tomorrow


    if anything happens to her tonight. As for you, don¡¯t even think about working in Sria ever again,¡±


    Hudson warned. He was terrified as he recalled the boss¡¯s stern warning earlier.


    ¡°How can that be!? The investment of several hundreds of millions can be so easily disbanded?!¡±


    Heiden said incredulously, ¡°Who the h*ll is she?!¡±


    ¡°How would I know? Anyway, you¡¯ve caused a huge mess. If you darey a finger on her, I¡¯ll make sure


    you regret it!¡± Hudson then questioned him fiercely, ¡°How is she now? Is she okay?¡±


    Heiden wanted to cry in regret. He did not dare to tell Hudson that he had pped Serenity and forced


    her to drink half a bottle of red wine.


    Serenity stumbled as she tried to open the private room door and leave. Aria, however, went over and


    tried to stop her. She did not mind sacrificing her half-sister, and she would do anything to be a


    popr star. However, Heiden¡¯s reaction was beyond her expectation.


    Heiden rushed over and pped Aria hard, causing her to stagger and almost fall to the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you try to stop her!¡± Heiden despised Aria intensely right now. After all, he was in this mess all


    because of her!


    Aria watched in shock as Heiden respectfully opened the door and let Serenity leave the private room.


    ¡°Heiden? What are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to screw me over? Who the hell is your sister?! Who is behind her?!¡± Heiden snapped.


    Aria was confused. Was it a big shot? Did Serenity have someone powerful behind her? Why did she


    not know?


    Serenity wobbled and stumbled out of the private room. She was feeling ufortable and dizzy from


    the alcohol, and her vision became increasingly blurred.


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    ¡®I have to go back¡­¡¯ Serenity thought. ¡®I have to go back quickly!¡¯


    It was dangerous for her to get drunk outside like this!


    Serenity¡¯s mind desperately tried to tell her to go home, but her body was not listening.


    Go home? Where was she supposed to go? Where would she¡­


    Just then, a blurred figure came into her view. Somehow, the familiar figure made her feel reassured. It


    was as if she was safe as long as the figure was there.


    Serenity walked toward the blurred figure with much difficulty. Step by step, she finally reached him,


    and she looked up at him with blurred vision as she smiled in relief. ¡°Jack¡­¡±


    Serenity had been struggling to keep herself awake. The very next moment, she wobbled and


    copsed with her eyes closed.


    Jackson caught Serenity¡¯s falling body with one arm, and as he held her, he stared at her rosy red


    cheeks and gently stroked his fingers along the obvious marks on her cheeks, his eyes turning cold.


    ¡°Mr. Valor.¡± Connor put away the phone in his hand. He spoke carefully about what he had just learned


    about the situation earlier. ¡°Ms. Lewis was forced to drink, and she was also pped in her face.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Whoever hurt her will have his hand broken,¡± Jackson spoke coldly. Then, he picked


    Serenity up and sat back in the car.


    Connor was stunned as he thought to himself, ¡®Is Mr. Valor trying to stand up for Serenity?¡¯ Mr. Valor


    did not do anything for his fiancee when she was killed, however, he¡¯s treating the perpetrator of the


    very same car ident in such a way.


    Meanwhile, inside the car, Jackson found himself getting more annoyed as he looked at the bruises on


    Serenity¡¯s cheeks. She was obviously just a game to him, but why was he getting upset from seeing


    her bruised?


    Was it sympathy? When did he ever sympathize with others?


    ***


    When Serenity woke up, the ceiling of her rented house and a familiar face came into view.


    ¡°Jack!¡± Serenity sat up with a jolt. As soon as she had shot up, her head throbbed in pain.


    Serenity drew a breath in pain, and it took a while for the pain to ease. After that, she asked slowly, ¡°I¡­


    How did Ie back? I was at the club¡­¡±


    The memories of what had happened in the private room reyed in her mind. Soon, her face


    gradually turned gloomy.


    ¡°I saw you walking out of the club, so I brought you back,¡± Jackson said.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t tell you I was there.¡±


    ¡°I heard the address when you answered the phone,¡± he exined. He asked, ¡°Sis, would you like


    some water? You¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    Jackson then handed Serenity a ss of water, and she took a few sips, gradually feeling better.


    Serenity could not help but ask, ¡°Did I do anything strange when I was drunk?¡±

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± Jackson answered.


    Just then, Jackson recalled the scene when he had taken Serenity home. When he had carried her


    back to her room and put her on the bed, she had suddenly pushed him down and pinned him to the


    bed.


    Jackson had been taken by surprise at that moment, and he was shocked by his own carelessness. If


    he was dealing with an enemy, his enemy who wanted his life could have killed him in that instance!


    Jackson had always been vignt. When had he ever let his guard down like this?!


    Before Jackson could get up, Serenity¡¯s hands had reached out to him, and she touched his face,


    pushing the thick bangs on his forehead away. Then, she stroked his eyes with her fingertips.


    ¡°Your eyes are so beautiful¡­ I like them very much¡­ I love them¡­¡± She murmured.


    ¡°You like my eyes?¡± Serenity¡¯s praises were not new to him. After all, there were always women who


    had said they liked him, particrly his eyes, and so on. His eyes were perhaps the most striking


    resemnce he had to his mother.


    When he was a child, his father would always look into his eyes and murmur, ¡°Such eyes look


    seemingly full of emotions, but they¡¯re the most ruthless. Jack, I wonder if you¡¯ll grow up to be


    affectionate or heartless.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because¡­¡± Serenity huped and said, ¡°They¡¯re so pure¡­¡±


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    ¡®Pure?!¡¯ Jackson sneered to himself. For the first time ever, someone had described his eyes as pure.


    ¡°It¡¯s as if¡­ You¡¯re free from the stains of sins¡­ So pure¡­¡± Serenity was so drunk that her face was


    almost touching his.


    ¡°Jack, don¡¯t be scared¡­ I-I¡¯ll protect you¡­¡±


    Serenityy on his chest and fell asleep in a drunken stupor right after saying that.


    Protect him? Serenity was unable to protect herself, yet she wanted to protect him. It was in


    ridiculous!


    Jackson looked at her and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything. You just fell asleep.¡±


    Serenity was relieved to hear that.


    Jackson¡¯s gaze fell upon the redness of her cheek, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Serenity was startled. Then she answered honestly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± After all, she had suffered more than this


    in prison.


    ¡°What happened yesterday? Why were you hurt and drunk?¡± Jackson asked, staring at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I met a drunk and had some conflicts,¡± Serenity spoke lightly, not wanting to tell him about


    the terrible things that had happened the previous night.


    Serenity had always felt that Jackson was an innocent and pure soul. Although he was homeless and


    wandered on the streets, he was still like a child on the inside.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Jackson¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly, and he held back the glint in his eyes as he


    muttered, ¡°If only I had arrived earlier. That way, you wouldn¡¯t have been hurt.¡±


    Jackson could have resolved this matter sooner. After all, this was just a game to him. It was a game to


    add some fun to his dull life. Jackson had anticipated what might happen when Serenity entered the


    private room.


    However, he found himself really unhappy after seeing what had actually happened.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you picked me up at the club. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve slept on the road all night,¡± Serenity said,


    taking his hand. ¡°Thank you, Jack. It¡¯s good to have you around. Also, I¡¯m fine. It was just a p on the


    face. It¡¯s nothing to me.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s smile was always calm and breezy yet blinding to him. Why did he find her smile so


    bedazzling?


    ***


    ¡°What? Did Aria really trick you into escorting a man?! I¡¯m going to teach her a lesson!¡±


    Lisa Quest hade to visit, and she was surprised to see the red and swollen bruise on Serenity¡¯s


    cheek. She soon found out what had happened after asking about it.


    ¡°What can you possibly do?¡± Serenity pulled her arm and stopped her. ¡°I was too careless. I thought


    she was just trying to get some money from me, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s okay. Jack came to


    pick me up when I came out drunk and disorientated.¡±


    ¡°Jack?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the guy I¡¯m living with now. He¡¯s kind of like a younger brother. I let him call me ¡®Sis¡¯,¡± Serenity


    exined. Speaking of Jack brought a smile to her face unconsciously.


    ¡°Younger brother? How old is he?¡± Lisa asked curiously.


    ¡°He¡¯s twenty-seven years old, a few months younger than me.¡±


    Lisa almost choked on her own saliva. She could not believe her best friend was living with a man.


    ¡°What are you thinking?! What if he has bad intentions? Have you ever thought about the danger?! You


    studiedw! Don¡¯t you know about the cases that happened because of men and women who shared a


    room?! This is even more dangerous than sharing a room!¡±


    ¡°I understand your worries, but Lisa, having someone to live with makes me feel less lonely. Besides,


    Jack is a nice person.¡±


    ¡°How are you lonely? You still have me!¡± Lisa then suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t I move out and live with


    you?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t. If you move out, your parents will most likely hate me even more.¡±Serenity hurriedly stopped


    her.


    When Serenity had gotten into trouble, no one believed her words. She did not drink, but all the


    evidence pointed at her drunk driving. Only Lisa believed in her innocence.


    During Serenity¡¯s three years in prison, Lisa had worked on the case, even giving up on her studies


    abroad, which made Lisa¡¯s parents angry. They med Serenity for being a burden and damaging


    Lisa¡¯s promising future and career.


    It was true that Lisa could have had a better life if it was not for her. Instead, Lisa was just an associate


    designer in a local architectural firm.


    ¡°Jack is like a brother to me. Well, you know I¡¯ve always wanted a younger brother before. My wish has


    finallye true,¡± Serenity said.


    Lisa realized she could not dissuade her friend, so she had to settle for the next best option. ¡°I¡¯d like to


    meet him next time,¡± Lisa said. She thought she would probably feel at ease after meeting him.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Serenity agreed.


    ¡°By the way, this is a copy of your original case file and some information I found over the years,¡± Lisa


    said and handed a stack of documents to Serenity. ¡°Now that you¡¯re out, do you n to appeal the


    case?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know where the witnesses are. Besides, all the evidence points to me. I couldn¡¯t


    appeal at all over these three years. In the future¡­¡±


    ¡°You may find a chance to turn the case aroundter. The Serenity I know isn¡¯t someone who gives up


    easily,¡± Lisa said.


    Serenity smiled bitterly. She would have tried hard to clear her name three years ago, but she had


    changed. Her spirit and vigor had long been dulled by pain after her experience in prison.


    Serenity returned home with the stack of documents to find her house empty as Jack was not at home.


    Serenity thought that Jack was still working, handing out flyers during the day.


    She cooked some corn, made a simple dish, and boiled a bowl of soup, waiting for Jack¡¯s return.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Serenity waited until nine o¡¯clock at night, but Jack still did not show up. She was worried that


    something might have happened to him, but she could not even call him because he had no cell phone


    with him.


    Serenity simply walked out of her home and went to the gate area, constantly looking around, hoping to


    see the figure she was expecting soon.


    She did not know how long she had waited until she saw a familiar figure walking toward her.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Jack!¡± She finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him.


    Jackson was a little startled to see the figure running toward him. He watched her running up to him


    panting slightly, her face red from the cold, but her beautiful eyes sparkling brightly.


    ¡°Great, you¡¯re finally back,¡± Serenity said.


    Jackson looked at her and asked, ¡°Sis, were you¡­ waiting for me?¡± He gently brushed her cheeks with


    his hand, and he could feel the coldness on her cheeks through his fingertips. It seemed like she had


    been waiting outside for quite some time.


    ¡°Yeah. I was so worried because you were still not home, and it¡¯s gotten sote. Fortunately, you¡¯ve


    come back safe and sound,¡± Serenity answered with a warm smile.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes wandered slightly. Serenity was worried about Jack, not Jackson Valor of the Valor


    Group. He wondered if that would change when she discovered that he was Jackson Valor. Would she


    still be so worried about him?


    ¡°I was runningte distributing flyers,¡± Jackson exined with a small smile.


    ¡°Your hands must be cold. Let me warm them up.¡± Jackson held her cold hands in his palms, and he


    imitated what she had done previously and rubbed the palm of his hands against the back of her hands


    to warm her up.


    Serenity¡¯s palms gradually warmed up. It was such a cold day, but it felt so warm.


    ¡°Jack, it¡¯s good to have you around.¡± She murmured.


    Jack smiled. ¡°I hope you remember this and don¡¯t regret saying such a thing.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± She then urged, ¡°Alright, my hands are warm now. Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll warm up the food.¡±


    Serenity dragged Jackson into the apartment, not noticing the ck car parked at the corner of the


    street near the gate.


    At the same time, Connor, who was in the car, could barely believe what he had just seen, and his


    thoughts came to a halt. Had Jackson Valor been trying to warm Serenity¡¯s hands with his actions


    earlier?!


    Connor had never seen Mr. Valor act this way with any woman, not even histe fiance Mira Hall.


    However, Mr. Valor treated Serenity differently. Furthermore, Serenity was the perpetrator of Mira¡¯s car


    ident!


    Connor then remembered the night that Mr. Valor had personally picked up the drunk Serenity at the


    club, and he felt even more perplexed.


    ¡®What was Mr. Valor thinking?¡¯ Connor thought, ¡®Also, how much of a ce does she hold in his heart?¡¯


    ***


    The next day, in the CEO¡¯s office, as he was reporting on the itinerary and work matters, Connor could


    not help but continuously nce at Jackson¡¯s hands.


    Jackson had beautiful hands with long fingers, and as a man, even Connor found his boss¡¯s hands truly


    beautiful.


    Nevertheless, Connor had seen these hands relentlessly choke someone¡¯s neck, almost killing that


    person. Jackson did not mind letting the dripping blood flow all over his hands, making people tremble


    and shiver in fear.


    However, Connor had never seen these hands warming another pair of hands, especially the hands of


    a woman who had just gotten out of prison.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my hands?¡± Jackson¡¯s voice suddenly rang in Connor¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Connor came back to his senses and hurriedly averted his eyes. He then handed an


    invitation over to Jackson.


    ¡°This is an invitation from the Hall family. Jenny Hall and Zeke Shaw will get engaged in two weeks,


    and Mr. Hall is hoping you can attend.¡±


    ¡°Engagement?¡± Jackson nced at the invitation.


    Jackson immediately understood the Hall family¡¯s intention of inviting him. After all, the Hall family¡¯s


    eldest daughter, Mira Hall, was histe fiancee. Meanwhile, Zeke Shaw¡¯s former girlfriend, Serenity,


    was the cause of Mira¡¯s death. The Hall family probably wanted to see his attitude on this matter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out, then,¡± said Jackson.


    Connor took note of it.


    That afternoon, Connor apanied Jackson to a private hospital in the city. This was an exclusive


    private hospital that served only the rich and powerful.


    Connor stood waiting outside the ward as Jackson pushed the door open and walked in slowly.


    Connor knew the old man in the ward. Zack Valor was once a great man. He was all-powerful in


    Sria, but his only son had run away from home for a woman.


    Yearster, all that returned to the Valor family were his only son¡¯s ashes and a young child.


    Meanwhile, in the ward, Jackson looked at the old man in the bed. Zack was whom he should call his


    grandfather. He was dressed in a hospital gown and had an IV drip on the back of his hand. Zack was


    getting weaker day by day, and he looked a little frail.


    Zack looked at his only grandson and said, ¡°There you are.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I came to visit,¡± Jackson responded.


    The grandfather and grandson faced each other quietly like this. The two seemed to be ustomed to


    such silence.


    It took a while for Zack to break the silence. ¡°I heard from the secretary. Is it true that the Hall and Shaw


    families are getting united in marriage?¡±


    Zack might be hospitalized, but his secretary would continue to report on important matters daily.


    ¡°They¡¯re getting engaged in two weeks. They sent the invitation,¡± Jackson answered.


    ¡°Are you going?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked in reply.


    Zack¡¯s eyes suddenly perked up. He stared at his grandson for a long time and suddenlyughed.


    ¡°Great. That¡¯s good. You¡¯re not like your father.¡±


    Ever since Mira¡¯s death, Jackson had not been involved with any woman over the past three years.


    Zack had been worried that his grandson would be just like his son and that Jackson had been deeply


    in love with Mira and was unable to ept the Hall and Shaw family¡¯s marriage.


    After all, Zeke¡¯s ex-girlfriend was the one who had killed Mira.


    Jackson naturally understood Zack¡¯s concern and what he meant. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not him, and I won¡¯t be


    like him.¡±


    Zack suddenly grabbed Jackson¡¯s wrist. With his old wrinkled fingers, he grabbed Jackson¡¯s wrist with


    all his might. ¡°Remember what you¡¯ve said today. Never be like him. If he had listened to me, things


    wouldn¡¯t have been¡­¡±


    Zack ground his teeth as a glint of hatred shed in his eyes. He squeezed his fingers on Jackson¡¯s


    wrists so hard that red marks appeared.


    Jackson did not seem to feel the pain. Then, a mocking half-smile slowly appeared on his lips.


    Jackson would never give up everything for a woman, let alone bow or grovel.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    After leaving the hospital, Connor asked, ¡°Mr. Valor, do you want to return to the residence or¡­¡±


    ¡°Go back to West City,¡± Jackson said lightly.


    Going back to West City meant going back to Serenity¡¯s ce. Connor wondered how long his boss


    nned to stay in that tiny rental ce.


    While on the way to West City, Connor spoke up at a traffic light. ¡°Mr. Valor, Ms. Serenity is on the


    roadside.¡±


    Jackson turned to see a slender figure sweeping the garbage along the roadside with a broom.


    Serenity wore fluorescent-colored overalls and a simple ponytail for work. It was a cold day, so every


    breath she took turned into white smoke.


    At the same time, an electric bike moved quickly, seemingly rushing to catch the green light. As it flew


    past Serenity, it brushed her legs, making her fall to the ground. However, the rider did not even bother


    stopping and quickly crossed the road.


    Naturally, Jackson and Connor saw this scene y out in front of them clearly.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, should we find the owner of the electric bike and hold him ountable?¡± Connor asked. He


    thought his boss might be interested in Serenity. After all, he had stood up for her when she had been


    hurt and pped in the club before. He thought Mr. Valor would naturally stand up for her again.


    Jackson looked out the car window. His eyes were fixed on the woman who had fallen to the ground,


    but Master Zack¡¯s voice rang in his mind again¡ª¡±Remember what you¡¯ve said today. Never be like


    him¡­¡±


    He would never care about a woman like his father did. It was just a game. Besides, he was not really


    Jack. Why would he care about the sanitation worker named Serenity?


    He withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡±


    Connor was stunned. Had he guessed wrongly? Perhaps Mr. Valor did not care about Serenity at all?


    As the red light in front turned green, the car continued to move forward.


    Meanwhile, X helped Serenity up and asked worriedly, ¡°Serenity, are you okay? Do you want to go


    to the hospital?¡±


    Serenity ground her teeth and checked her injuries. Her hurt ankle was swollen but showed no


    bleeding. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just go back and treat it with safflower oil.¡±


    ¡°Remember to treat it well. It¡¯ll heal better that way,¡± X said. After that, sheined about the


    terrible rider who had bumped into Serenity but rode away without looking back.


    That night, Serenity limped back home, and upon entering the door, she saw a figure sitting under the


    lamp.


    The man stood up and greeted her, ¡°Wee back, Sis.¡±


    The coldness Serenity felt seemed to disappear at the sight of Jack. It turned out this was what


    Serenity had always wanted¡ªsomeone who would wait for her at home, even if this was just a small


    and simple home.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back.¡± Serenity chuckled, ¡°You must be hungry. I bought two boxed dinners today. I¡¯ll cook


    some soup and prepare dinner in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jackson responded. Then, he watched as she staggered to put the boxed dinners on the small


    square table. After that, she walked to the kitchen with a limp. She washed the vegetables and began


    boiling the soup on the induction stove.


    ¡°Sis, what¡¯s wrong with your leg?¡± Jackson asked knowingly.


    ¡°I identally bruised it a little. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll rub some safflower oil on itter,¡± Serenity answered lightly.


    However, her expression would change subtly with every few steps she took, and her forehead was


    already covered with a thinyer of sweat.


    Jackson pursed his lips slightly. ¡°Why not do it now?¡± As he said that, he pulled her over with hisrge


    hand and rolled up her pants.


    He could see the obvious swell on her ankle beneath the socks. After pulling her sock down, he saw


    that her ankle was already red and badly swollen.


    Jackson had thought that he would not care and that he could remain indifferent even if her legs were


    broken. However, he felt ufortable when he saw her ankle all hurt and swollen.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just rub it with some safflower oil and I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Serenity said as she awkwardly tried to


    pull her ankle back from his big hands. However, he held her ankle firmly, rendering her unable to


    move.


    A moment of silence soon filled the room.


    Jackson suddenly asked, ¡°Where is the safflower oil?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ In the medicine cab on the bedside table,¡± Serenity said and suddenly yelped in surprise right


    after as Jackson unexpectedly picked her up in his arms. He then carried her to the bed and put her


    down before proceeding to take out the safflower oil from the medicine box.


    Jackson sat on the bed and put her injured right foot on hisp, removing her socks and pressing his


    fingers against her swollen ankle.


    It seemed that Serenity did not have any broken bones and perhaps it was just a light injury like she


    had said. Jackson then poured the safflower oil into his palm and rubbed the red and swollen area.


    Jackson used some force as he rubbed her ankle, but Serenity kept her teeth clenched and did not cry


    out in pain.


    ¡°Does it hurt, Sis?¡± Jackson asked. He thought about how any other woman would have cried out in


    pain as soon as he had started.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Serenity said and gasped slightly. ¡°This pain is better than what I used to experience in¡­¡±


    Her voice paused, and she refrained from mentioning her experience in prison. Instead, she said, ¡°It¡¯s


    better than the pain I suffered in the past.¡±


    Jackson nced at Serenity thoughtfully and naturally understood what she had not said.


    When Serenity had been thrown into prison, Jackson had merely looked on and not made a move.


    However, it might have been different for the Hall family. Besides, many people would love to curry


    favor with the Hall family. Her time in prison might have been worse than any ordinary person¡¯s.


    Jackson murmured, ¡°It seems that Sis has suffered a lot in the past.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past,¡± Serenity replied. After rubbing the oil on her ankle, the pain gradually eased, and it


    soon faded away, reced by a warm andfortable sensation.


    ¡°Thank you, Jack. That was really nice of you. You¡¯re a good guy.¡± She shed a smile at him.


    ¡®A nice person?¡¯ Jackson¡¯s lips curved upward sardonically. Even those whoplimented and


    ttered him had never described him as a good guy. His life and actions were nothing like a good guy.


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m a good guy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Of course you¡¯re a good guy.¡± Serenity said it so naturally. It was as if she truly saw him as a


    good guy and younger brother in her eyes.


    ¡°What if you find out I¡¯m not a good person one day? Will you be disappointed?¡± Jackson asked.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t do anything illegal ormit any serious crimes, how could I be disappointed?¡±


    Serenity said. After putting on her shoes and socks, she got up and walked toward the small square


    table.


    Jackson watched the back of her figure with a smile, and an inexplicable light shed in his eyes. He


    whispered softly, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t be disappointed in the future.¡±


    ***


    Aria had been anxious ever since the night at the club. After all, Heiden had acted so strange that


    night, and he had not appeared on the set the next day. Two dayster, even the director had been


    changed.


    The production team had no idea about the reason for the change, however, Aria somehow felt that the


    director had been reced because of Heiden¡¯s actions. She thought about it further and became


    afraid that it might be rted to Serenity.


    A few dayster, she heard that Heiden had been injured and hospitalized, and she was stunned to


    learn that his right hand had been crippled. If she remembered correctly, Heiden had pped Serenity


    with his right hand that night.


    Aria panicked immensely. What was going on?!


    Heiden¡¯s change of attitude toward Serenity right after answering the phone that night and his fate after


    that seemed strange. Was it just a coincidence? Or could Serenity really have someone powerful


    behind her?


    If Serenity really had such powerful support, why would she be sweeping the roads in misery?N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Aria could not keep it to herself anymore, and she told her parents about what had happened in the


    club that day.


    Grayson listened to Aria¡¯s story about what had happened at the club, and when he learned that Aria


    had tricked her elder sister into drinking with another man, he immediately gave Aria a stern look. ¡°How


    could you let your sister do something like that? Our family is¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just apanying the man for a drink. Besides, Aria is doing it for the family. Our family¡¯s future


    depends on Aria¡¯s sess. We can¡¯t rely on your oldest daughter, an ex-convict, right?¡± Catherine


    interrupted Grayson.


    Grayson¡¯s face sank upon hearing that, and he said nothing further.


    ¡°Dad, did Sis find herself a powerful man again?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Otherwise, why would Heiden let her go?


    He¡¯s still in the hospital now!¡±


    How would Grayson know?!


    Catherine chimed in, ¡°You¡¯re her father, so you should ask her. If she really does have powerful


    support, she should at least tell the family! I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s into some cult and may drag the family into


    trouble. She¡¯s been in prison before, after all, and there are all sorts of people in prison. Who knows


    who she¡¯s actually acquainted with?!¡±


    The more Catherin spoke, the more she felt that it was possible. How could Serenity hook up with the


    rich and powerful in her current state? She was most likely acquainted with some gangsters or


    lawbreakers who used prison as a vacation home.


    Grayson scowled and red up at the conversation. ¡°How dare she?! If she causes trouble for the


    family again, I will break her legs!¡±


    Meanwhile, Serenity had cooked a meal and was waiting for Jack toe home to eat. While waiting,


    the doorbell rang, and she opened the door only to see her father, stepmother, and half-sister.


    The three of them stormed straight into her home as Grayson questioned her aggressively, ¡°Did you


    befriend any terrible people while you were in prison? Let me warn you! If you dare to do anything


    that¡¯ll hurt the family, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡±


    ¡°What have I done to deserve such a lecture?¡± Serenity looked coldly at her father.


    ¡°Did you have someone break Heiden¡¯s hand? He only asked you to drink with him and didn¡¯t do


    anything else. How can you be so cruel?! You¡¯ve been in prison yet you¡¯ve never learned your lesson!


    Did you bewless after getting to know all the terrible people in prison?!¡± Grayson cursed.


    Serenity sneered, ¡°He probably deserved it. Also, if you think that what happened was fine, why don¡¯t


    you let your precious daughter Aria be an escort instead? She can drink with the men herself instead of


    trying to trick me into doing it!¡±


    ¡°You owe it to her! If it weren¡¯t for you, she would¡¯ve¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you really think she would¡¯ve gotten the lead role without me?!¡± Serenity snapped, ¡°Stop saying I


    owe her! I have never owed her anything!¡±


    ¡°Sis, I¡¯ve never med you for anything. You don¡¯t have to talk to Dad like this,¡± Aria said with a pitiful


    and aggrieved look.


    Catherine quicklyforted her daughter and looked at Serenity with displeasure. ¡°Don¡¯t take it out on


    your sister, Serenity. Your dad just doesn¡¯t want you to go astray. If you end up in jail again, we¡¯ll lose


    our reputation and be embarrassed!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of talking to her? Anyway, go and meet Heiden immediately. No matter what you do,


    get him to forgive you. Don¡¯t get Aria involved because of this, okay? Try ruining Aria¡¯s future again and


    I¡¯ll teach you a lesson you¡¯ll never forget!¡± Grayson ordered harshly.


    Serenity found Grayson¡¯s demands ridiculous. Did her father really think he could control her at will? Or


    was he so out of mind because of his favoritism toward Aria?


    ¡°I won¡¯t apologize. You may leave. None of you are wee here,¡± Serenity retorted.


    Grayson was furious to hear that. ¡°How dare you?!¡±


    He then raised his hand with a face full of anger and tried to hit Serenity.


    Serenity instinctively wanted to step back, but she immediately felt a sharp pain in her ankle as soon as


    she moved her foot. Her swollen ankle from the collision with the electric bike earlier was not


    completely healed!


    Serenity prepared herself for the pain as she saw Grayson¡¯s handing at her. However, a hand


    suddenly intercepted Grayson¡¯s hand in mid-air.


    ¡°Jack!¡± Serenity yelped helplessly. She did not expect Jack toe back at this time.


    Jackson looked coldly at the three uninvited guests in Serenity¡¯s rented ce. He had gone through


    Serenity¡¯s information before and naturally recognized that they were her father, stepmother, and half-


    sister.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Jack roared.


    ¡°I¡¯m teaching my own daughter a lesson. Who are you to mind our business?! Let go of me!¡±Grayson


    yelled. He thought his hand would break under such force.


    Grayson finally got what he wanted, and Jackson let go of him, throwing him out of the house


    immediately. Catherine and Aria rushed outside and helped Grayson up.


    ¡°Serenity! How could you let someone do that to your dad?!¡± Catherine used.


    ¡°Who is this man?¡± Grayson roared bitterly.


    ¡°This is just great, Serenity. You sure are something. You immediately hooked up with a random man


    right after getting out of jail¡­¡± Grayson began to curse but stopped abruptly.


    Somehow, Grayson suddenly felt terrified because of the man in front of him. It was as if a ferocious


    beast had targetted him, and if Grayson continued, he might very well be killed.


    Bang!


    Right then, Serenity mmed the door closed.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Grayson, Catherine, and Aria looked at each other at a loss.


    Catherine wanted to curse, but Grayson stopped her. ¡°Enough. That man may be an ex-convict too!


    There are all kinds of people in jail. Who knows what he was in jail for.¡±


    Catherine paused for a moment before saying uneasily, ¡°Are we going to leave this matter alone?¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Grayson said, ¡°We¡¯ll see. If Heiden does pursue Aria on this, we¡¯ll think of


    something.¡± Grayson did not have the guts to go back in and challenge that man again.


    Aria stood beside them, deep in thought the whole time. She wondered if the man earlier was really an


    ex-convict. She had been unable to see his face clearly as his bangs were covering his eyes. Even so,


    she could tell that he was charming.


    For some reason, she found that Jackson¡¯s figure looked inexplicably familiar. It was as if she had seen


    him somewhere before. Could he be someone from the entertainment industry?


    ***


    Meanwhile, Serenity looked at Jackson, who was in the room with her, and thanked him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    If Jack had note back, her father would have hurt her.


    ¡°What are you thanking me for? Helping you is the right thing to do.¡± Jackson nced at her ankle and


    said, ¡°Your ankle hasn¡¯t healed. I¡¯ll help by rubbing it with the safflower oil.¡±


    Jackson took the safflower oil, rubbed some on her ankle, and massaged the swollen spot.


    The room seemed a little too quiet, and Serenity bit her lips slightly as she asked nervously, ¡°Aren¡¯t you


    going to ask me about earlier? About what those people were doing here?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say it, I won¡¯t ask,¡± he said.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that hard to say. Those people are my father, stepmother, and half-sister,¡± Serenity


    confessed. ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Serenity hesitated a little before asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to ask?¡± She knew Jack must


    have overheard her father¡¯s curses earlier, calling her an ex-convict.


    Jackson¡¯s eyshes fluttered lightly. Then, he looked up at Serenity. ¡°What do you want me to ask?¡±


    His dark eyes reflected a strange tranquillity in the dim light.


    Surprisingly, Serenity¡¯s anxiety gradually eased. She calmed down and took a deep breath. ¡°I was in


    prison for three years, and I only just got out of prison not long ago. I was charged with causing death


    while drunk driving.¡±


    Many people¡¯s opinions of her had changed upon finding out that she had been in prison. Those who


    knew her history were judgemental of her and would deliberately keep a distance from her.


    Serenity wondered if Jack would be the same. At this moment, she felt like she was waiting for her trial


    in court.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Jack answered lightly and concentrated on her ankle.


    Jack¡¯s reaction took her by surprise. She blinked her eyes and wondered if that was it. ¡°You don¡¯t


    mind?¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡± Jack asked in reply. ¡°As you said, I¡¯ll call you Sis. We¡¯ll take care of each other, and I


    don¡¯t really care about the rest.¡±


    Serenity smiled with relief. Her heart seemed to have calmed down because of his words. ¡°Jack, I¡¯m


    d to have met you.¡±


    However, she did not notice the glint that shed across his eyes at that moment.


    ***


    Lisa came to visit Serenity on Sunday. When she met Jack, she could not rte him to the homeless


    guy her friend had been talking about.


    Jack was simply wearing an ordinary cotton shirt, pants, and sneakers. Although he was wearing just


    in street goods, his attire did not feel cheap because of his good figure.


    Jack was 180 centimeters tall and had a well-defined face. His eyes were covered by his bangs, but


    even so, the asional glimpses of his eyes under his bangs were impressive.


    Lisa had never seen a man with such beautiful eyes. His eyes were more striking than the idol stars


    she knew, and he had delicate features, even speaking with a perfect ent. He could also answer


    Lisa¡¯s asional questions smoothly.


    This made Lisa wonder if he was truly a homeless guy.


    She pulled Serenity aside and asked surreptitiously, ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s really a homeless guy? Does


    he really have no ce to live? He could be a star or a model with his good looks alone, right?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone good-looking is a good fit to be a star or a model,¡± Serenity answered.


    Lisa thought about it and agreed that a career in the entertainment industry was not that easy. ¡°Say,


    won¡¯t you have other ideas from seeing him daily?¡±


    Serenity rolled her eyes. Previously, Lisa had been worried about what Jack would do to her. After


    meeting Jack in person, she seemed more worried about what Serenity would do to Jack.


    ¡°He¡¯s a few months younger than me, and I only see him as a brother.¡±


    Lisa walked up to Jackson. ¡°Let me put this straight. You can stay here, but you have to promise me


    this. You mustn¡¯t mess around or lie to Serenity. Serenity hates deception the most. If you¡¯re a liar, I¡¯ll


    call the police to arrest you!¡±


    ¡°Lisa, what are you talking about? Jack wouldn¡¯t lie to me,¡± Serenity hurriedly said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only known him for a short time. We have to make things clear. Hey, Jack? Did you hear that?¡±


    Lisa questioned him.


    Jackson answered with a small smile, ¡°Okay. I understand.¡±


    Jackson did not refute Lisa and replied with an affirmative, seemingly smiling. Despite that, Lisa


    somehow felt a little uneasy at heart. The faint aura he emanated seemed to be telling a different story,


    and it seemed like she was the one who had been warned instead.


    ¡®Jack is just a homeless guy. I must be overthinking it,¡¯ Lisa thought to herself. However, when she left,


    she secretly reminded Serenity to protect herself and call her if there was anything that seemed


    strange.


    Serenity spoke to Jackson when it was just the two of them again. ¡°Don¡¯t take Lisa¡¯s words to heart.


    She¡¯s just too worried about me.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your friend. I won¡¯t take anything she says to heart,¡± Jackson responded. Lisa¡¯s warning was


    simply ridiculous to him. ¡°Are you two really close?¡±


    ¡°Do you know that feeling when you¡¯re about to drown, you try hard to catch onto something, but you


    just can¡¯t? Then, you finally manage to grab onto something with your hand. It may not get you out of


    misery, but it¡¯ll give you hope and keep you from despair.¡± She muttered, ¡°Lisa is that kind of lifesaver


    to me.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    When Serenity had been in prison, she had been all alone. Lisa had visited her from time to time,


    encouraged her, and worked hard for her affairs. Otherwise, she might not have gotten out of prison


    alive. It was Lisa who had supported her during those three difficult years.


    ¡®Lifesaver?¡¯ Thoughts flickered in Jackson¡¯s eyes. Lisa seemed to hold an unusual ce in Serenity¡¯s


    heart. ¡°But isn¡¯t it ridiculous to regard someone as a lifesaver? If your lifesaver abandons you one day,


    wouldn¡¯t that give you more despair?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t,¡± Serenity spoke with unparalleled certainty and absolute trust in her eyes.


    Somehow, Jackson had an ufortable feeling because of Serenity¡¯s confidence. It seemed as


    though he did not want someone else to be worthy of her trust. It was as if she could give everything to


    that other person.


    ***


    Soon, Serenity had an increase in workload. As the higher authorities wereing to inspect the


    Sanitation Office over the next few days, some overtime was required.


    Fortunately, Jack would prepare the food and wait for her to get home, and this warmed her heart.


    Serenity had told Jack not to wait for her and that if she waste, he should eat first. Despite that, he


    insisted on waiting for her toe home so that they could eat together.


    Sometimes, Serenity felt they were like siblings, depending on each other in a shabby and humble


    rented ce. Maybe this was what it felt like to have a younger brother.


    Serenity cleaned the streets she was in charge of in the early morning and returned to the Sanitation


    Office. After putting the tools away, she stood in the empty space in front of the entrance.


    The inspectors from the City Council would be arriving in a moment, and everyone in charge of street


    cleaning would stand there to greet them as it would be convenient for them to report on their work


    later on.


    Serenity¡¯s slender figure stood out among the group with mostly middle-aged women and men in their


    forties to fifties.


    Soon, the inspectors arrived at the Sanitation Office.


    Among them, a young woman around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old suddenly eximed


    when she saw Serenity. ¡°Serenity? You must be Serenity!¡±


    Serenity looked up only to see ady in a light blue suit. Although she was wearing sophisticated


    makeup, she looked ordinary with her round face, narrow eyes, and her hair that was tied up.


    Serenity was stunned for a moment, and it took her a while to recognize her high school ssmate,


    Janice Moore.


    ¡°It¡¯s really you.¡± Janice looked at Serenity in surprise, ¡°Why are you here? Are you¡­ a sanitation


    worker?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m working here now,¡± Serenity answered frankly. She did not evade Janice¡¯s probing eyes.


    After all, she would always meet someone she once knew. Even though she was a little embarrassed,


    she had to bear it.


    ¡°Janice, do you know each other?¡± Janice¡¯s colleague who hade along for the inspection asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Meet Serenity Lewis. She was the prettiest and top student in our ss, always ranked at the


    top of every exam. Many boys in our ss liked and chased her, but she didn¡¯t fancy any of them.¡±


    Janice spoke to her colleague, deliberately praising Serenity highly.


    However, the more she praised Serenity, the more it contrasted with Serenity¡¯s current state.


    Sure enough, Janice¡¯s colleague frowned. ¡°Her? Was she really the top student and the most beautiful


    in your ss? You must be kidding.¡±


    Janice pursed her mouth in a small smile with a self-satisfied pleasure in her heart. Serenity had been


    admired by many people in the ss. Meanwhile, she was just an ugly duckling. No one had ever


    noticed her.


    However, what was the use of being the prettiest in the ss? Serenity had still ended up as a


    sanitation worker who had to clean the streets!


    Upon hearing Janice¡¯sments, Serenity¡¯s colleagues turned their heads toward her. The people


    surrounding her had different looks on their faces. It was either looks of surprise, sympathy, or mockery.


    The next day, Serenity came back to return the tools afterpleting her work in the morning, and a


    young girl from the tool department asked Serenity curiously, ¡°Serenity, were you really the prettiest


    and top student in ss?¡±


    Before Serenity could answer, Quinn Fender, another member of the tool department snorted coldly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of being the prettiest and top student? She¡¯s just a sanitation worker now. If she was


    that good, she would¡¯ve changed jobs.¡±


    The young girl who had asked the question before looked at Serenity with an awkward look. Serenity


    only lowered her head, signed her name on the record book after returning the tools, and turned to


    leave.


    X went after Serenity and patted her shoulder,forting her, ¡°Don¡¯t take Quinn¡¯s words to heart.


    She¡¯s taking it out on you because she likes Pete from the team.¡±


    Serenity was simply confused. She did not know who X was talking about and what it had to do with


    her.


    ¡°Pete is the driver of our team, and he seems to be interested in you. Doesn¡¯t he usually say hello to


    you?¡± X exined. She was truly concerned for Serenity¡¯s sake. ¡°Pete is a nice guy, and he¡¯s well-


    established in his career too. His parents even bought him a house for his future marriage. Why don¡¯t


    you consider him?¡±


    Serenity shooked her head. ¡°No, thanks. I don¡¯t want to be in a rtionship at the moment.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already 27. When your age goes up, it¡¯ll be hard to find a partner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just stay single,¡± Serenity replied. She no longer had any expectations for love by the time she was


    released from prison.


    Zeke and Serenity had made vows at the beginning of their rtionship, however, things had changed


    later. Even when she had had her ten nails pulled out, Zeke had shown no sympathy for her, merely


    faintly stating without a frown, ¡°You deserved it.¡±


    That moment had been devastating for her. All the emotions of the past she had were wiped out. Many


    times, she would dream of this scene and wake up from the dream in terror. Her fingers ached many


    times. Whenever it happened, she told herself that this so-called love was simply cruelty.


    Serenity simply did not want to experience love again.


    Besides, it was tough for her to find a job as an ex-convict. Would finding a marriage partner be any


    easier? How many people could ignore her history?


    However, Jack¡¯s face shed in her mind as she spoke of this. Speaking of which, she would get her


    sry in the next few days. Then, she could buy a cell phone for Jack.


    ¡°Oh, child¡­¡±X sighed and said no more.


    Serenity took Jackson to the mall after getting off work on payday, intending to get Jack a cell phone.


    ¡°Having a phone or not doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± Jackson said indifferently. He did not think she would


    actually get him a phone.


    ¡°Everyone has a cell phone nowadays. It¡¯ll be easier to find a job with a phone. It¡¯s convenient for the


    company to contact you. Handing out leaflets daily isn¡¯t a good long-term job,¡± Serenity said. ¡°Besides,


    if you have a cell phone, it¡¯ll be easier for us to tell each other if you¡¯reing homete.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The two came to a cell phone store in the mall. There were many brands for sale, but Serenity could


    only afford a phone around two hundred dors or so. She then checked online and found several cell


    phone options in this price range.


    Serenity picked out the phones she had chosen and asked Jackson to see which one he liked.


    ¡°I can only afford these phones now, but I¡¯ve checked online. These are the best value phones in this


    range and with great specs. You can use it first, and we¡¯ll get another one after saving more money in


    the future¡­¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    ¡°A phone like this is already pretty good!¡± Jackson interrupted her and looked down as if he was


    genuinely focused on choosing a phone.


    Just then, a voice rang out, ¡°Serenity, is that you?¡±


    Serenity looked up to see Janiceing toward her with another woman by her side. It was clear that


    the two were out shopping.


    As the two drew closer, Serenity realized that the other woman was actually her high school ssmate,


    Amanda.


    ¡°What a coincidence! Is this your boyfriend?¡± Janice asked, her eyes scanning over Jackson from head


    to toe, sizing him up.


    Before Serenity could answer, Amanda said, ¡°Come now, Janice, don¡¯t make such assumptions! I


    heard from someone that Serenity¡¯s boyfriend is a wealthy heir. Look at how this man is dressed. He


    doesn¡¯t seem to be the mentioned boyfriend now, does he?¡±


    The man was dressed in cheap clothes, so how could he be the rumored boyfriend?


    Amanda even raised a brow after she was done speaking, and an obvious hint of disdain and mockery


    shed across her somewhat pretty face.


    ¡°Oh, wait. My apologies, I forgot that boyfriend of yours already has a new girlfriend, and they¡¯re about


    to be engaged! The headlines in the newspaper these days are just filled about the engagement


    between the Shaw family¡¯s son and the Hall family¡¯s daughter, you know? Now that¡¯s a match made in


    heaven, even if I say so myself. Ah, by the way, does your new boyfriend know that you¡¯re just a simple


    janitor now?¡±


    ¡°Amanda, there¡¯s no need to say things that way,¡± Janice said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve said anything wrong, right? Didn¡¯t you tell me she¡¯s working as a sanitation worker in


    the Sanitation Office?¡± Amanda replied arrogantly.


    Back when they were in high school, Serenity had always outshone Amanda. Later, Amanda heard that


    Serenity had been lucky enough to be the Shaw family¡¯s youngest son, Zeke¡¯s girlfriend, and she


    had been extremely jealous.


    Why did all the good fortune in the world seem to favor Serenity?


    Luckily, Zeke was going to marry someone else while Serenity was now a sanitation worker despite all


    her best efforts!


    Amanda felt relieved at that.


    Serenity nced coldly at the two women before her. Since they were deliberately trying to embarrass


    her, she saw no reason to pay them any attention. It would only fuel their enthusiasm to continue if she


    rose to their provocation.


    Therefore, she turned her head and asked, ¡°So Jack, which phone did you like?¡±


    ¡°This one,¡± Jackson said as he pointed at it.


    With that, Serenity called the salesperson over to make her purchase.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to get you a SIM card and register a number before you can use it. Let¡¯s do that tomorrow,¡±


    Serenity said.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stop by the service center tomorrow and get one,¡± Jackson replied.


    The two carried on with their conversation as if Janice and Amanda were invisible. Janice seemed fine


    with it, but Amanda was furious.


    She was trying to humiliate Serenity, so why did she feel like she was the one getting offended


    instead?!


    As Serenity pulled out her phone to make the payment, Amanda sneered, ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you paying


    for the phone? Using your own money to support a gigolo, then? But as a janitor, you don¡¯t have much


    money, do you? That¡¯s why a cheap phone is all you can afford!¡±


    As Amanda spoke, she looked at Jackson and studied him.


    She couldn¡¯t help but admit that the man was actually quite good-looking. Even though his bangs


    covered his forehead and eyes, his delicate and sharp features stood out despite it. She could vaguely


    make out a pair of beautiful eyes behind the hair that covered them.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to stick to her, hmm? Why not break up with her? If you do, I can buy you a


    better phone. You¡¯re free to pick any from this store,¡± Amanda offered.


    Her family owned a smallpany, and although her wealth couldn¡¯tpare to the rich, elite families,


    she had more money than an average person.


    Jackson pursed his lips and stared at Amanda.


    Amanda thought she had won the man over, so she continued, ¡°How about it? Break up with her, and


    we can be friends. I¡¯ll take you for a spin in my new BMW, and I can also introduce you to some friends


    in the entertainment industry. Who knows, with your looks, you might even be a superstar in the


    future!¡±


    The more she spoke, the more excited she became as her hand gestures became more obvious.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in bing a small-time celebrity. As for your BMW¡­ you should probably watch


    out for it,¡± Jackson replied casually.


    His words were like a p in Amanda¡¯s face.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?! I can make it so that you-¡±


    ¡°Oh? What can you do?¡± Jackson coldly interrupted her.


    His voice was like ice, and it sent a chill down Amanda¡¯s spine.


    Jackson ignored the woman and turned to Serenity, who had finished paying, and they then walked


    away with their newly purchased phone.


    After Serenity and Jackson left, Janice gently pulled Amanda aside and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Amanda gritted her teeth and hissed, ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±


    The man had utterly intimidated her with just a re! It made her feel as if he was the dominant and


    superior one between them and that he could crush her into dust without much effort.


    What a joke! He was just an unemployed beggar in cheap clothes!


    After that, Janice took Amanda for a walk, and they grabbed a bite to eat. As they walked toward the


    parking lot outside, Amanda suddenly received a notification that she had a text message.


    At the same time, a man in a ck suit approached them with a gentle demeanor and asked, ¡°Are you


    Miss Amanda Zest? We have just transferred one hundred thousand dors to your ount. That¡¯s the


    depreciated value of your car today. You should have received the money by now.¡±


    Amanda was stunned when she heard that. She pulled out her phone to check, and there was indeed a


    message to notify her that the mentioned amount had been deposited into her ount.


    Seeing that Amanda had not disagreed, the man turned and gestured with his hand. Immediately,


    several men in ck suits appeared. They had hammers in their hands, and they ruthlessly smashed


    Amanda¡¯s BMW as soon as they had permission.


    Amanda and Janice were rooted to the spot in terror instantly, and the former screamed, ¡°What are you


    doing?! P-police! I¡¯ll call the police and report you!¡±


    ¡°Miss Zest, you already epted the money, so this car is no longer yours. I can do whatever I want


    with it, including smashing it to pieces,¡± the man calmly replied.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t sell my car! You can¡¯t smash my car!¡± Amanda screamed again as she tried to stop them.


    However, the men ignored her and continued to wreck the car. In no time at all, the once shiny and


    beautiful car was now a pile of scrap metal.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡­!¡± Amanda hissed, trembling in anger. She was fuming with rage to the point she almost


    dropped her phone.


    ¡°If you would like to call the police, Miss Zest, feel free to do so. We have records of the transaction,¡±


    the man said after the deed had been done. ¡°Your car was an eyesore to my master, so I kindly request


    that you buy a car that¡¯s more pleasing to the eye in the future to avoid such a thing from happening


    again.¡±


    After the had man finished speaking, he left with the group of men. There were many passersby


    around, and Amanda looked up to see Serenity and Jackson also there, ncing in her direction.


    A hot wave of anger swept through her, and she felt like she would explode at any minute.


    Not long ago, she had shown off her beautiful car to them, and now, they had witnessed how the same


    car had been wrecked.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    It felt like a vivid and painful p in Amanda¡¯s face.


    She was so furious that she turned around and quickly left the ce in embarrassment with Janice


    following close behind.


    Serenity felt like she had just watched a drama unfold before her eyes. As soon as they exited the mall,


    they had witnessed someone smashing a car, which turned out to be Amanda¡¯s.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°What happened? Did she offend someone and that was their revenge?¡± Serenity wondered.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Jackson replied, his eyes flickering slightly as he pursed his lips.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s none of our business,¡± Serenity said as she grabbed Jackson¡¯s arm and headed toward


    the bus stop.


    Suddenly, Jackson stopped abruptly. Serenity turned to look at him only to find that he had turned pale,


    and there was a shocked look on his face.


    He was also staring unblinkingly at the bus stop.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nothing,¡± Jackson replied as his expression gradually returned to normal.


    That had been a mistake, right? He thought the woman who had just boarded the bus looked like a


    certain other woman he knew¡­


    A woman who had once abandoned her husband and child.


    But it was impossible for her to be here.


    ***


    ¡°Jack, don¡¯t be like me, okay? Don¡¯t give them all your heart even if you want to love someone.¡±


    ¡°As it turns out, love is the cheapest thing in this world. When she stops caring about you anymore, it¡¯s


    useless even if you kneel and beg her.¡±


    ¡°Jack, maybe one day when you truly love someone, you¡¯ll understand that in this world, there¡¯s


    someone who can control the joy and sorrow you feel, who can make you feel alive or dead¡­ But if


    possible, Daddy hopes you never experience that.¡±


    Who was it? Who was talking to him?


    ¡®Stop it! I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore! It¡¯s cold¡­ so cold¡­ I don¡¯t want to stay here¡­ I¡¯ll freeze to


    death!¡¯


    ¡°Jack, I¡¯m leaving. I don¡¯t want your father to repeatedly say he loves me but can¡¯t give me the life I


    want! I¡¯ve already done everything I could for him!¡±


    Who was that? Who was talking?


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ go¡­¡±


    Who was that?


    Oh, it was¡­ him, Jackson.


    He was pleading with the woman, begging her not to go. If she left, then his father would¡­


    Don¡¯t go! Please!


    Jackson desperately cried out and tried to hold on to something, but nothing happened. His


    surroundings got increasingly darker like he was drowning, and he struggled to breathe.


    He wed desperately at the air, trying to grab something¡­ He didn¡¯t care, even if it was a straw!


    Suddenly, something warm enveloped him, and a gentle voice rang out faintly in his ears like it was


    coming from a distant ce.


    ¡°Jack¡­ Jack¡­! I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯m not leaving! Don¡¯t be scared! I¡¯m here!¡±


    This voice was¡­ Serenity! The woman he called ¡®Sis¡¯!


    Jackson slowly opened his eyes, and a petite face with delicate features entered his sight. Her eyes


    were filled with concern, and her lips were moving as she said something.


    ¡®Oh, right¡­ She was telling me not to be scared¡­!¡¯


    Seeing that Jackson had opened his eyes, Serenity finally let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Jack, what happened? Was it a nightmare?¡±


    Jackson slowly exhaled. How long had it been since he had had that dream? It was about that woman


    who had heartlessly left him and his father, and seeing his father knowing about it but not doing


    anything to stop her with a bitter but sorrowful smile on his lips.


    ¡°Yeah, it was a nightmare,¡± Jackson muttered softly.


    Blinking, he noticed that he had been tightly gripping her hand as if he had been clinging to a lifeline.


    In his dream, he had clung to the warmth that had enveloped him when he felt like he was drowning


    like it was a lifeline, and now, he realized that it had been¡­ her hand?


    Was he so muddle-headed that he had mistaken someone for a lifeline?!


    He abruptly released her hand, and the warm, gentle feeling disappeared instantly. He frowned, and his


    face gradually paled. He curled up where hey, covering his stomach with his hand.


    Serenity was instantly worried again. ¡°Do you feel any difort?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Jackson replied softly, his voice clearly indicating that he was shoving down his


    difort. ¡°Just¡­ some stomach cramps. It¡¯ll pass in a while.¡±


    Was it because of his nightmare? When he was younger, he would often experience stomach cramps


    due to stress, but he had hardly had any rpses in recent years.


    Serenity looked at Jackson¡¯s increasingly pale face and noticed a thinyer of sweat forming on his


    forehead, dampening his hair.


    She quickly poured a ss of warm water and helped him sit up.


    He reluctantly took a few sips before pressing his lips together. asionally, he would grind his teeth


    as if using all his willpower to fight against the pain.


    Serenity looked at Jackson with concern and suddenly stood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back! Wait for a bit!¡±


    Before leaving the room, she covered him with a nket, worried that the cold would make his stomach


    pains worse.


    The sound of the door closing behind her echoed through the room, and her footsteps gradually faded.


    The room fell into silence, and Jackson was left alone.


    Closing his eyes, Jackson waited for the pain wrecking through him to fade away, unsure of when it


    would subside. Being alone was not unusual for him, just like after his father¡¯s death when he had been


    brought back to the Valor family. Despite having a so-called grandfather and numerous servants, he


    had always felt alone.


    After an unknown period of time, the sound of the door opening reached his ears, and he heard the


    familiar gentle voice gasping for breath in the room.


    ¡°I bought you some medicine, Jack. The pain will ease once you take it.¡±


    Jackson opened his eyes to see Serenity letting out white puffs of air, and her hair was disheveled from


    running. There was concern and anxiety in her eyes, and her petite face was flushed red from running.


    Even though Jackson had seen women with more outstanding and beautiful appearances, he could not


    avert his gaze from Serenity.


    It was as if his lonely world now had another person in it.


    ***


    Serenity held a ss of warm water and took out two pills ording to the instructions on the package.


    Then, she carefully helped Jackson to sit up and fed him the medicine.


    She also took a towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead that had appeared due to the pain he was


    in.


    ¡°If you still feel ufortable, close your eyes and rest for a while,¡± Serenity said. ¡°You can sleep in


    the bed today, and I¡¯ll take the floor.¡±


    As she spoke, she helped him lie down on the bed.


    Just as she was about to turn around, Jackson suddenly grabbed her hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you still feel a lot of pain?¡± Serenity asked with worry written all over her face.


    Jackson stared at Serenity in a daze. He had instinctively reached out to hold her hand without thinking


    about it as if he didn¡¯t want her to leave him.


    ¡°I¡­ want you to stay with me,¡± Jackson finally said after a while.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    ¡°I¡¯m staying with you. The mattress is right next to the bed. If you turn your head, you can see me,¡±


    Serenity said in response.


    ¡°Will you stay with me?¡± Jackson whispered, not even realizing that a hint of longing had seeped into


    his eyes.


    Serenity bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before she nodded.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said before dragging the bedding from the mattress andying down beside him.


    Even she was surprised that she had agreed to share a bed with a man. Perhaps it was because in


    that moment, he had looked like a fragile porcin doll, and it looked like a gentle touch could shatter


    him, which gave her a strong urge to protect him.


    She turned off the light from where shey in bed, and Jackson held her hand the entire time.


    ¡°Jack, if you still feel any difort, just let me know, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jackson replied.


    Was it because of the medicine? He actually felt much better right nowpared to the previous times


    he had stomach cramps.


    Or maybe¡­ it was because of her?


    He could feel the warmth of her hand in his.


    ¡°Sis, will you always stay with me?¡± Jackson murmured softly.


    ¡°Of course! We can always be there for each other. Even if you get married and start a family in the


    future, I¡¯ll still be there for you.¡±


    She would always be there as his sister. Despite the fact that they shared no blood rtion, she


    considered the man family.


    Jackson slowly closed his eyes, her voice washing over him and bringing him a sense of peace as the


    pain diminished.


    Getting married¡­?


    Ever since Mira died, he hadn¡¯t thought about marrying again, but she seemed to have thought about it.


    ¡°Will you keep your promise?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Serenity firmly replied.


    With her confirmation, Jackson finally let himself drift into a deep sleep.


    Serenity carefully tucked the nket around Jackson and also went to sleep.


    Early the following morning, when she woke up, Jackson was still sleeping. She reached out and gently


    touched his cheek and forehead. He was no longer sweating, and his expression seemed peaceful as


    he slept, indicating he was probably no longer in pain.


    Just as she was about to remove her hand, his eyes suddenly snapped open. There seemed to be a


    hint of affection in his gaze as he looked at her.


    ¡°Sis¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry for waking you,¡± Serenity said. ¡°It¡¯s still early, so go back to sleep for a while longer.¡±


    As she spoke, she quickly got out of bed to get dressed and ready for the day.


    ¡°There¡¯s still some soup in the pot. You can have it when you wake up. Since you had a stomachache


    last night, eating something light today is better, and soup will be good to settle your stomach. Don¡¯t


    forget to take your medicine. You need to take it three times a day, so remember to bring it when you


    go out.¡±


    After she was done talking, she hurriedly left the room.


    Inside the cramped rental room, Jackson was once again left alone. He nced at the pot on the small


    table and then buried his head in the spot where she had sleptst night.


    Her scent was still on the bed, and he could still feel her body heat lingering on the nket she had


    used.


    It seemed that he had started to be attached to certain things¡­


    ***


    Connor watched as his boss pulled out a cheap and outdated-looking phone, which waspletely


    unlike his usual style. To make things even stranger, the man ordered him, ¡°Get a SIM card. I need it.¡±


    Connor was stunned, but he quickly pulled himself together and efficiently obtained a SIM card before


    handing it over.


    Jackson then slipped the SIM card into the old phone and sent a text message. Soon after, a


    notification from the phone rang, and the usuallyposed man smiled faintly upon reading the


    message.


    Connor blinked repeatedly.


    Oh, it really wasn¡¯t a mistake.


    Jackson was indeed smiling.


    Was it because of the text message he had received?


    From the corner of Connor¡¯s eyes, he caught a glimpse of the sender, and the name was ¡®Sis¡¯.


    The only person who Jackson called that was Serenity.


    Connor was shocked to learn that Jackson had smiled because of Serenity.


    Was it possible that the woman had already made a ce for herself in Jackson¡¯s heart?


    In the afternoon, during a higher management meeting at Valor Group, Jackson¡¯s phone suddenly rang


    while everyone was focused on listening to the presentation.


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    Under everyone¡¯s surprised gaze, Jackson pulled out an old-fashioned and cheap phone, pressed the


    answer key, and ced the phone to his ear as he listened to someone on the other end of the line.


    ¡°Hmm, I got it. Yeah, I won¡¯t forget to eat it,¡± Jackson said.


    The executives in the room were shocked. Their boss had spoken in a much gentler tone than usual to


    the person on the other end of the line.


    Who was he talking to?


    After Jackson ended the call, he suddenly stood and said, ¡°I have something to attend to. Continue the


    meeting.¡±


    Having said that, the man left the conference room without another word, leaving behind a group of


    bewildered executives. They turned their gaze unanimously toward Connor, who had remained behind


    in the conference room.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mr. Gunn? That phone call that Mr. Valor answered was¡­?¡±


    Connor smiled awkwardly. Since he was sitting close to Jackson when thetter had taken the call, he


    had faintly heard the person on the other end of the line telling Jackson to take his medicine.


    Considering the box of medicine that had appeared on Jackson¡¯s desk today, Connor hesitated to say


    that the man had probably taken the call and was now on his way to take his medicine.


    Thinking about it, it was quite unbelievable that a call from Serenity was enough to make Jackson head


    out of the meeting to take his medicine. In the past, even if Jackson had an upset stomach, he wouldn¡¯t


    take any medicine unless it reached an unbearable point.


    ¡°That¡¯s his personal business. Let¡¯s continue with the meeting,¡± Connor said wryly as he resumed


    leading the meeting.


    Meanwhile, Serenity put away her phone and continued to pick up litter with X along the roadside.


    X approached her and asked, ¡°Who were you talking to just now on the phone?¡±


    ¡°My younger brother,¡± Serenity replied.


    ¡°What? You have a younger sibling?¡± X asked, somewhat surprised. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever mention


    him?¡±


    Serenity smiled and remained silent.


    After they finished cleaning the area, Serenity and X returned to the equipment station to return their


    tools when they overheard the people there discussing news about the Shaw and Hall families forming


    a union. The engagement between the two families had be the hottest gossip in Sria City these


    days.


    ¡°Zeke gave her a six-carat diamond ring, and not just any diamond, but a rare one in pink! I think that


    one ring alone cost him millions!¡±


    ¡°Man, it feels like Jenny really is winning at life, huh? Not only is she a beautiful and wealthy woman


    herself, but she also found a handsome and rich husband.¡±


    ¡°If my boyfriend gave me a one-carat diamond ring, I¡¯d marry him right away.¡±

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Serenity couldn¡¯t help but tense when she heard those names. The mention of them itself was enough


    to give her the feeling of falling into a nightmare!


    Naturally, she also knew about the six-carat diamond ring. After all, she had seen it in the news. Even if


    she tried to avoid seeing anything rted to them, she would alwayse across something when she


    opened her phone and browsed the inte.


    Back then, when she and Zeke had browsed through a jewelry store, she had also seen that pink


    diamond in its raw form. At that time, he had told her, ¡°Serenity, if you like it, I¡¯ll buy it and make it into


    our wedding rings when we get married.¡±


    But in the end, Zeke wasn¡¯t hers, and even that diamond ring didn¡¯t belong to her.


    ¡°Serenity, um¡­ are you heading back now?¡± A clear and slightly shy male voice drifted into Serenity¡¯s


    ears from nearby.


    She looked up to see a man in his early thirties with short hair standing nearby. He was wearing the


    sanitation worker¡¯s uniform, and his face was slightly flushed as he looked at her.


    She paused momentarily before she recalled that this man was from the convoy team, and his name


    was Peter Wall.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity replied after a while.


    ¡°Let me send you back, then. I happen to have some free time,¡± Peter spoke as if he had mustered up


    all his courage to say those words.


    Serenity recalled that X had mentioned that Peter was interested in her, so¡­ was he trying to


    pursue her right now?


    But she currently had no intentions of entering a romantic rtionship.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Serenity refused.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I have a car, so it¡¯ll be convenient for me to give you a ride,¡± Peter spoke hurriedly, trying


    his luck once more for her to agree.


    ¡°Hmph! Who cares about your car? Serenity wants a luxury car for transportation, okay? Or maybe you


    should also buy her a six-carat diamond ring. Maybe then she¡¯ll agree to let you give her a ride!¡± Quinn


    Fender, who was from the equipment team, piped up sarcastically.


    Peter¡¯s face turned red, and he was at a loss for words momentarily.


    Serenity nced at Quinn and said calmly, ¡°So if someone offers to give you a ride home one day,


    would you refuse because you only want to ride a luxury car or want a six-carat diamond ring? Or


    would you agree regardless of who offers to give you a ride?¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Quinn was rendered speechless and could only re fiercely at Serenity.


    Serenity ignored her and turned to Peter before saying, ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I live nearby and I¡¯m


    used to walking home.¡±


    With that, she turned and left.


    On her way home, Serenity bought some lean meat and vegetables. She would cook soup with


    shredded meat and vegetables when she arrived home for dinner with Jackson.


    ***


    ¡°Does your stomach still hurt?¡± Serenity asked in concern.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore,¡± Jackson replied.


    ¡°You should still take the medicine for another day so that you won¡¯t rpse. Also, have your meals on


    time from now on. Distributing flyers isn¡¯t a long-term solution. You should find a more stable job,¡±


    Serenity suggested. ¡°Or I can search online for something more suitable for you.¡±


    ¡°No need. I can find it myself,¡± Jackson assured her. ¡°If you want me to find a stable job, I¡¯ll get one.¡±


    Oh, he was such an obedient boy!


    Serenity couldn¡¯t help but reach up to pat Jackson¡¯s head with a gentle smile.


    This must be what having a younger brother felt like.


    Jackson paused for a moment and looked into her eyes, his own looking like it was covered in ayer


    of mist. Her action of patting him on the head was as if he was being treated like a child.


    Come to think of it, how long had it been since someone had touched his head like this?


    It seemed that his father used to pat his head like this when he was very young and say, ¡°Jack, you


    have to be strong, stronger than anyone else. Don¡¯t be as weak as me.¡±


    Yes, he had to be strong and ruthless. Only then could he obtain what he wanted and avoid ending up


    like his father.


    Now, he had control over the entire Valor Group, and he stood at the top of the city. He had achieved


    what he once desired, but he still felt dissatisfied.


    It felt like there was something more that he wanted.


    What he wanted¡­


    Jackson¡¯s gaze shifted and fixed firmly on the person before him¡­


    Suddenly, a phone rang, breaking the trance he was in.


    It was Serenity¡¯s phone.


    Serenity removed her hand and picked up her phone. The warmth Jackson had felt vanished instantly,


    and he frowned, feeling ufortable at the absence of it.


    It seemed that he was bing increasingly attached to her warmth.


    Serenity checked the caller to find that it was from an unknown number. When she answered, she


    heard a hesitant voice from the other end.


    ¡°Um¡­ Serenity? This is Peter. I just wanted to say¡­ don¡¯t take what Quinn said to heart, okay? I know


    you¡¯re not that kind of materialistic girl. Even though my car is cheap and a local model, I¡¯ll work hard to


    get a better car in the future!¡±


    Before Serenity could respond, Peter hurriedly hung up the phone.


    Serenity pulled the phone away from her ear, feeling slightly overwhelmed. She wondered if she should


    give a more explicit rejection to the man to avoid wasting his time and feelings.


    ¡°Who was it?¡± a cold voice suddenly rang out in the room.


    ¡°It was a colleague from the Sanitation Office,¡± Serenity replied as she ced her phone on the table.


    Jackson nced at the phone and asked, ¡°A male colleague?¡±


    Even though Serenity had not put the call on speaker just now, Jackson could vaguely make out the


    soundsing from the other side because he was sitting near her.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Does he like you?¡± Jackson asked as a hint of unease slipped into his eyes.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Serenity replied.


    ¡°And what about you? Do you like him?¡±


    ¡°If I were to mention that I was once an inmate, he would probably back off,¡± Serenity replied. ¡°So,


    whether I like him or not ispletely irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°What does it matter that you¡¯ve been to prison? If someone genuinely liked you, they wouldn¡¯t care


    about that,¡± Jackson argued.


    Serenity smiled bitterly.


    While that statement may be true in theory, far too many people cared about such things in reality. It


    was what had happened back then when she had believed in love and thought it was sincere, only for it


    to be even less than scrap paper once she ran into trouble.


    ¡°If he could ept your past as an inmate, would you like that person?¡± Jackson asked.


    Serenity paused. If there was someone who could truly ept her as she was¡­


    Her absent-mindedness seemed to displease Jackson slightly. He reached out and took her hand


    before gently nibbling her fingers.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Serenity eximed, returning to her senses immediately, only to find his beautiful inky eyes


    staring straight into her.


    ¡°Would you like that person?¡± Jackson repeated his question, seemingly insistent on getting an answer.


    ¡°No,¡± Serenity replied. ¡°I would still only see him as a colleague.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Besides, she had no interest in romantic rtionships at the moment.


    Her answer made Jackson smile, and his already handsome face seemed even more alluring than


    usual as his eyes sparkled with a captivating light.


    Serenity instantly felt drawn to him and was unable to look away.


    Jackson was obviously in a good mood as he said lightly, ¡°Then, you should just continue treating him


    as a colleague.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Serenity could feel her heart pounding heavily in her chest.


    Goodness, what had gotten into her?!


    She blushed and quickly withdrew her hand.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s¡­ eat before it gets cold.¡±


    With that, she concentrated on her food and started eating voraciously.


    Jackson smiled faintly as he watched her face almost disappear into her bowl of soup, and the


    amusement in his eyes seemed to deepen.


    ¡°Then, do you like me, Sis?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Serenity replied without hesitation.


    ¡°I like you very much too,¡± Jackson said, his lips curling up into a smile.


    It seemed like it had been a long time since someone had captured his interest like this.


    ***


    After the City Council inspection ended, Janice said to Serenity, ¡°Serenity, our high school ssmates


    are nning a ss reunion this weekend. You shoulde too.¡±


    A ss reunion?


    Serenityughed inwardly. Given her current situation, attending a ss reunion would only invite more


    ridicule.


    ¡°No, I have something else on that day, so I won¡¯t go,¡± Serenity replied.


    ¡°Come on, we rarely gather. What could you possibly have to do that you can¡¯t skip? Join us, okay?¡±


    Janice urged, clearly eager for Serenity to turn up at the reunion.


    If the former ss valedictorian and ss beauty were to show up in her current state, it would surely


    astonish everyone. Janice couldn¡¯t wait to show their former ssmates the state Serenity was in.


    ¡°I have to work this weekend. Did you think my job included weekends as regr days off?¡± Serenity


    replied.


    Janice was momentarily speechless. She had indeed forgotten about that.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I have to go pick up rubbish now. Let¡¯s talk another time if anythinges up,¡± Serenity interrupted


    Janice and walked away without waiting for the other woman to finish speaking.


    Serenity wasn¡¯t an idiot. She could clearly see what Janice¡¯s intentions were.


    However, she didn¡¯t expect that even though she had deliberately tried to avoid it, the deputy director


    specifically instructed her to deliver a document to someone at the City Council on Sunday who was at


    a luxurious club in Sria City.


    Ordinary sanitation workers couldn¡¯t even dream of entering an establishment like this, but when she


    arrived at the club entrance, staff members were waiting there as if they had already known she was


    coming, and they led her through a side entrance into the club.


    One of the staff members pushed open the door to a private room that was filled with people.


    As soon as Serenity entered the room, a familiar voice called out, ¡°Hey, look! Guess who¡¯s here!¡±


    Serenity looked up to see Janice, Amanda, and a group of her former high school ssmates.


    The person who had called out was Janice.


    Instantly, Serenity knew Janice had set her up. Janice was affiliated with the City Council, and the


    leader of the Sanitation Office branch Serenity was working at would naturally want to establish a good


    rtionship with her. So, if Janice mentioned a seemingly insignificant document that needed to be


    delivered and specified who she wanted it to be delivered by, the deputy director would naturally


    comply with her request.


    ¡°See, I told you! Our former ss beauty is now working as a sanitation worker!¡± Amanda chimed in


    with a grin filled with satisfaction.


    At this moment, Serenity¡¯s sanitation worker uniform stood out conspicuously in the private room.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t our ss¡¯s former academic genius and beauty? I almost didn¡¯t recognize you after you


    spent three years in prison. Didn¡¯t Zeke use to dote on you excessively? And yet, you¡¯re now working


    as a sanitation worker. What happened? Did he toss you aside without caring now?¡±


    Serenity stiffened when she heard Zeke¡¯s name. Every time she heard his name, a pang would run


    through her heart.


    The person who had spoken approached Serenity slowly, and she realized it was William Sanders. He


    came from a well-known family in Sria and had once pursued her.


    Back then, when she was dating Zeke, William had even attempted to assault her. After Zeke had


    taught him a lesson, he had be more restrained and didn¡¯t bother her anymore.


    Serenity ignored William and walked up directly to Janice, handing over the document and saying,


    ¡°This should be the file you wanted.¡±


    Janice stered on a fake, hypocritical smile and took the offered document.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble, Serenity.¡±


    Just as Serenity was about to turn and leave, William suddenly grabbed her arm from behind and said,


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush to leave? It¡¯s a ss reunion, after all. Let¡¯s catch up, hmm?¡±


    As he spoke, he held a ss of red wine to Serenity¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Come on, have a drink. You got charged for drunk driving back then, right? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t hold


    your alcohol!¡±


    Serenity pressed her lips tightly together and abruptly turned her head to avoid the ss. She also


    forcefully shoved William away from her with both hands.


    The man lost his bnce, and the red wine sshed all over his body. He was instantly furious, and he


    pped Serenity across the face.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re still Zeke¡¯s girlfriend?! You¡¯re just a street sweeper right now! You really don¡¯t know


    what¡¯s good even if itnded in yourp!¡±


    William continued to berate her as he grabbed a nearby bottle of wine and poured it directly over her


    head.


    The chilled wine drenched her body, leaving her in a disheveled state.


    Janice smiled calmly and said, ¡°Serenity, you should apologize to William. Perhaps he¡¯ll forgive you if


    you do.¡±


    Apologize?


    Serenity found the situation ridiculous. Clearly, she was the one being insulted here, yet they expected


    her to apologize?


    She pursed her lips, and a sense of rity seeped into her inky eyes. No matter how wretched a state


    she was in currently, she wouldn¡¯t be easily defeated!


    However, her current disy only served to anger William further.


    ¡°Hey, I already told you. Did you think you were still Zeke¡¯s girlfriend? I¡¯m asking you to apologize


    because I hold you in high regard, you know? No one would stand up for you either, anyway!¡±


    A sharp tearing sound echoed in the room, and Serenity¡¯s clothes were ripped open, revealing her skin


    underneath.


    ¡°No!¡± she eximed in rm.


    But none of her so-called friends in the room was willing to speak up for her, let alone step forward to


    stop what was happening.


    After three years of imprisonment with hardly any exposure to sunlight, her skin was fairer than an


    average person¡¯s, but it was also covered in numerous scars.


    Some of the scars had yet to fade, and they appeared grotesque and horrifying.


    All of these were remnants from her time in jail.


    Serenity struggled to cover her body and tried to stand when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her


    hand. Wincing in pain, she turned to see that Amanda was currently stepping on the back of her right


    hand with her heels.


    ¡°Hey, now, why are you in such a hurry to leave? You haven¡¯t even properly apologized to Mr. Sanders


    here,¡± Amanda sneered, her eyes filled with malice.


    Her eyes seemed to sparkle as if her desire was only to see Serenity¡¯s suffering as she pressed down


    harder on Serenity¡¯s hand.


    The agonizing pain on the back of her hand made Serenity feel as if she were back in prison when her


    bones were being slowly broken.


    During those times, she couldn¡¯t even resist and could only ept her fate like the powerless ant she


    was.


    But now¡­


    Serenity mustered up all her strength and yanked her left hand from William¡¯s grasp. Then, she shoved


    Amanda off her before running out of the private room with all her might.


    She had to escape¡­ She had to get out of here!


    Serenity held onto her torn clothes and ran forward desperately. But suddenly, a tremendous force


    struck her from behind, causing her to fall t to the ground, and a foot heavily stomped on her own.


    It hurt!


    It was so painful!


    Her back felt like it was on fire!


    William¡¯s voice rang in her ear, ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you trying to escape? Haven¡¯t you heard about this


    club? My family is one of the shareholders¡­ Huh?¡±


    William abruptly stopped talking.


    Immediately after, Serenity heard a painfully familiar voice, ¡°William? What are you doing?¡±


    Serenity stiffened.


    That was¡­ Zeke.


    She had once believed he would shield her from everything, but in the end, he had casually discarded


    her like an unwanted object.


    Serenity couldn¡¯t help but tremble. She never expected to encounter Zeke again after her release,


    much less in such a miserable state.


    ¡°Oh, are you here to dine with your fiancee today? What a coincidence! Your ex-girlfriend is here with


    me for a meal too. However, she doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her even if it fell into herp, you know?


    That pissed me off. Do you want to speak up for her?¡±


    As William spoke, he grabbed Serenity¡¯s hair and forced her head up to face Zeke.


    Her gaze fell on Zeke¡¯s familiar face immediately.


    He was a man who used to feel extremely distressed every time she was in pain, but now, he merely


    furrowed his brows in slight confusion, and his eyes remained indifferent.


    Just like back then when he had coldly agreed to let someone cripple her hand.


    Jenny stood next to Zeke, and Serenity¡¯s eyes widened when she caught sight of Jenny¡¯s exquisite and


    gorgeous face.


    Instantly, she recalled the image of Jenny smiling as she watched someone pluck out Serenity¡¯s nails


    and break her fingers one by one.


    It hurt¡­ It hurt so much¡­!


    Serenity trembled even more violently as images shed in her mind.


    Zeke and Jenny¡­ They were like her personal nightmares, which caused her to wake up countless


    times from her sleep at night.


    But now, they were right before her.


    ¡°William, what you do is your own business. There¡¯s nothing between her and me,¡± Zeke said with


    disgust as his frown deepened.


    Serenity felt another pang through her heart. Although she had long given up on Zeke, hearing those


    words from his own lips brought back the pain of the emotions she had once invested in him.


    ¡®What were you still holding out for, Serenity? Did you really expect someone to save you?¡¯ Serenity


    mocked herself inwardly.


    Now, the only person she could rely on was herself!


    ¡°Oh? Is that so? Then, it doesn¡¯t matter what I do to her, right?¡± William suddenly pulled Serenity to a


    nearby artificial pond and shoved her head into the water.


    Icy-cold water assaulted her mouth and nostrils, and a suffocating feeling engulfed her.


    William seemed to be venting his frustrations from the time in the past when Zeke had beaten him up


    because of Serenity. He repeatedly pressed Serenity¡¯s head into the water as he smugly taunted, ¡°I¡¯d


    like to see who¡¯ll save you now, Serenity.¡±


    ¡°Zeke, Jackson is still waiting for us. It won¡¯t be good to keep him waiting,¡± Jenny¡¯s faint voice drifted


    into Serenity¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zeke replied calmly.


    Once again, Zeke had replied in the same calm manner as he had done back then. He had replied the


    same way when Jenny had asked to cripple Serenity¡¯s hand.


    His tone was light and ethereal, yet it was enough to cast someone into hell.


    The suffocating sensation continued to grow stronger, and Serenity didn¡¯t even have the strength to


    struggle or resist anymore.


    Would she die here?


    She hadn¡¯t died in prison, but would she die in a ce like this?


    It wasn¡¯t like anyone would save her, right?


    No one¡­ there was no one¡­ was there?


    She was shoved again into the water.


    Once, twice¡­


    The icy-cold water filled her senses, apanied by water sshing as she was forcefully pushed in


    repeatedly.


    Despite themotion, no one stepped forward to stop it.


    Jenny held Zeke¡¯s arm as they walked slowly toward the stairs. From the corner of her eye, she could


    see Serenity being treated like an inanimate object as she was ruthlessly abused, and a hint of a smirk


    crept upon her crimson lips.


    No one here would save Serenity. Even if she managed to survive, it would probably be by the skin of


    her teeth.


    ¡°Enough! Bring that woman up here!¡± A reprimanding voice boomed from the second floor suddenly.


    That voice¡­!


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Jenny couldn¡¯t believe her ears as she looked up.


    A tall figure stood by one of the pirs on the second floor. He had an enchantingly handsome face that


    could take anyone¡¯s breath away, and there was an unusual trace of anger that lined it.


    It was¡­ Jackson Valor!


    At this moment, the man¡¯s gaze was lowered, and he was looking in the direction of¡­ Serenity!

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Chapter 18


    Jenny¡¯s face was filled with disbelief.


    Jackson¡­ wanted to see Serenity?


    As a member of the Hall family, Jenny naturally understood that Jackson might not have been


    particrly interested in her sister. Choosing her sister as his fiancee was simply because she was


    suitable to be the mistress of the Valor family.


    At Mira¡¯s funeral, Jackson had only had indifference on his face, as if the life of Jenny¡¯s sister was


    insignificant to him. Sometimes, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what could actually stir the man¡¯s


    emotions¡­


    And now,


    she saw it.


    There were lines of faint anger on his beautiful face, something she had never witnessed before.


    And it was because of¡­ Serenity?! The woman who was as insignificant as an ant?!


    She turned to look at Zeke and saw the same disbelief reflected in his eyes.


    Connor, who was standing beside Jackson, quickly responded, ¡°Understood, Mr. Valor.¡±


    Was Jackson ¨¢ngry?


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Connor shivered slightly at the thought. Anyone who had witnessed Jackson getting angry would never


    want to see it again in their lifetime.


    But suddenly, Jackson spoke again, ¡°Forget it. Go and deal with the matter downstairs. It¡¯s too noisy!¡±


    Conner nodded and left in a hurry.


    Caught between a daze and the feeling of suffocation, Serenity vaguely thought she had heard Jack¡¯s


    voice¡­


    But he was always calm, and she had never heard him angry before.


    ¡®Jack¡­ Jack¡­!¡®


    The cold yet angelic face shed in her mind.


    If she really died here, would Jack be sad for her?


    Just as Serenity felt that she was about to pass out from theck of air, the pressure around her neck


    suddenly loosened, and she copsed to the ground, gasping for breath as she greedily gulped in the


    fresh air.


    At the same time, two security guards restrained William. The man was in a sorry state, pressed down


    on the ground. More security guards quickly filed into the area.


    When Jackson had spoken earlier, William hadn¡¯t taken it seriously, nor did he expect the man that


    Chapter 18


    had just spoken to be Jackson, who had extraordinary influence in Sria City.


    A senior manager of the club hurriedly approached them.


    ¡°Mr. Wace, what are you doing?! Get them to release me this instant!¡± William yelled.


    His family also held shares in the club, which made him one of the bosses here, and that was the


    reason he could act so arrogantly.


    2/3


    However, Mr. Wace didn¡¯t spare William a nce. He simply walked up to Serenity and respectfully


    said, ¡°Miss, you may leave now.¡±


    Everyone was dumbfounded when they heard that, especially William.


    ¡°Mr. Wace, what are you saying? She¡¯s just a sanitation worker. I didn¡¯t allow her to leave! Who


    does she think she is-¡®


    ¡°This is Mr. Valor¡¯s order. He doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed,¡± Mr. Wace exined.


    The mention of Jackson made William tremble violently.


    In Sria City, the name could only be one person¡­ Jackson Valor!


    Was the person who had called out a reprimand previously¡­ Mr. Valor?!


    ¡°W¨Cwhat? Mr. Valor? Why would he stand up for this woman?! S¨Cshe was the one responsible for the


    ident that killed his fiancee!¡± William shouted in disbelief.


    There was no way he would believe that had happened!


    However, there was no hint of joking on Mr. Wace¡¯s face.


    Even Serenity was taken aback from where she stood behind them.


    The person who had saved her¡­ was Jackson?!


    What incredible irony!


    Serenity straightened her clothes and stood up before hastily leaving. She didn¡¯t notice the pair of


    eyes on the second floor watching her intently.


    Jackson stared at Serenity¡¯s disheveled figure as she hurried away.


    She was merely a pawn in his game, so why¡­ did he feel ufortable when he saw how she was


    being treated?


    Was it because¡­ even as a pawn, he couldn¡¯t allow others to mess with her? Even if he wanted her to


    be tormented¡­


    Only he was allowed to do it, and no one else!


    After a moment, he turned and left.


    Meanwhile, Zeke, who was standing not far away, looked at Serenity¡¯s retreating figure and pondered


    silently.


    Next to him, Jenny bit her lip with hate¨Cfilled eyes.


    Serenity had gotten off too lightly! Couldn¡¯t that idiot, William, have kept it down?


    Why did he cause a big enough ruckus to disturb Jackson?!

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Chapter 19


    But what surprised Jenny even more was the appearance of Connor shortly after Serenity had left.


    He was Jackson¡¯s personal assistant.


    ¡°Mr. Gunn!¡± Mr. Wace quickly greeted him respectfully.


    Connor looked at William with a gaze that resembled someone looking at a dead man.


    Of all the people to provoke, William just had to go after someone Jackson had an interest in!


    Today had been quite a coincidence for Jackson to be here in this club and witness the scene unfold


    just now.


    Connor turned to the security guards nearby and said, ¡°Do to him what he did earlier.¡±


    The security guards immediatelyplied. The two strong guards that had pressed William down on


    the floor dragged him to the pond¡¯s edge and pressed his head down into the water repeatedly, just as


    he had done to Serenity earlier!


    As for his former ssmates who had followed him to watch themotion including Zeke and Jenny,


    they were all dumbfounded.


    No one expected the situation to turn out this way!


    The security guards showed no mercy, and Mr. Wace showed no intention of interceding for


    William.


    After all, the Sanders family was just one of the shareholders in this club. Sacrificing the son of one


    shareholder would surely please the other shareholders.


    Connor then turned his attention to Zeke and Jenny.


    Jenny was the first to regain herposure, and she smiled calmly.


    ¡°Sorry to have kept Mr. Valor waiting. We¡¯ll go see him now.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Connor replied tly. ¡°Mr. Valor said he doesn¡¯t have time to meet you two today. Please


    head back.¡±


    Without waiting for their response, Connor left.


    Jenny and Zeke exchanged nces, and the former ground her teeth in frustration. The meeting she


    had arranged with Jackson had been ruined because of Serenity!


    She wouldn¡¯t let Serenity off the hook so easily!


    ***


    When Serenity returned to the Sanitation Office, she was still shaken.


    ¡°Serenity? Why are you all wet? Did you fall into the river while delivering documents?¡± X asked. ¡±


    Chapter 19


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Did something happen to you on the trip?¡±


    2/2


    Serenity took a deep breath and replied slowly, ¡°The documents¡­ are fine. I identally fell into a


    small pond just now.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, it¡¯s freezing cold right now! Come on. Hurry up and change your clothes and dry your hair,¡± X


    said.


    Serenity nodded. It was lucky she had a spare set of clothes to change into here.


    After changing her clothes, X asked her, ¡°By the way, Pete asked me to ask you if you have any


    requirements for a partner.¡±


    ¡°X, I¡¯ve already told you I¡¯m not interested in a rtionship right now. Could you help me turn him


    down and ask him to stop investing his feelings in me? It¡¯s just a waste of time,¡± Serenity said.


    X sighed.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll talk to Pete for you. But as a girl, you¡¯ll eventually want to find someone to


    spend the rest of your life with, right? Do you n on growing old alone?¡±


    grow


    An elegant and handsome face suddenly appeared in Serenity¡¯s mind. She probably wouldn¡¯t old alone


    since she would have Jack by her side. They could be like family, apanying each other until their


    old age.


    In the evening, when Serenity returned to her home, Jackson was already there.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make dinner now, just wait a bit, okay?¡± Serenity said.


    As she was about to head in to prepare the food, Jackson grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Sis, there are


    some tears on your clothes.¡±


    Serenity followed his line of sight and looked down, noticing a slight tear at her neckline. It was barely


    noticeable unless one looked closely. It must have happened when William had torn her clothes


    at the club earlier.


    ¡°The stitching just got a little loose. I¡¯ll fix it upter,¡± Serenity replied.


    Jackson¡¯s


    eyes flickered at her answer.


    ¡°Sis, did something happen today?¡±


    ¡°What could have happened to me? I just did my cleaning as usual, that¡¯s all,¡± Serenity replied, not


    wanting to tell him about themotion at the club today.


    The scene had been nasty, and she didn¡¯t think it was something appropriate for him to know.


    ¡°But Sis¡­ your hand is red and swollen. Did you get injured?¡± Jackson asked.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Chapter 20


    Serenity nced at the back of her right hand, which Amanda had stepped on earlier today.


    ¡°I just bumped into something while sweeping the floor today. It¡¯s nothing serious,¡± she causally replied,


    not wanting Jackson to worry.


    ¡°Really?¡± Jackson asked as he looked into Serenity¡¯s eyes intently. ¡°Sis, if someone bullied you, just let


    me know. I¡¯ll stand up for you.¡±


    He would make those people pay and ensure that no one would dare mess with her in the future.


    Serenity¡¯s heart raced for a moment. It felt as if Jackson knew everything.


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect myself,¡± she said.


    ¡°But what if you can¡¯t?¡± Jackson argued.


    ¡®If it really came to that, it¡¯s not like telling Jack would make any difference.¡¯


    However, Serenity didn¡¯t voice these thoughts out loud, fearing it would hurt the man¡¯s pride.


    ¡°Sis¡­ don¡¯t you like me protecting you?¡± Jackson posed another question, his deep inky eyes fixed on


    her.


    Serenity bit her lips and thought for a moment.


    ¡°Then, when the dayes and you find your way in life and be strong, you can protect me. For


    I¡¯ll protect you and try my best to keep others from bullying us.¡±


    now,


    Something shed in his eyes, but Jackson didn¡¯tment any further.


    He simply nodded lightly and replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After dinner, Serenity changed out of her slightly torn uniform, then pulled out a needle and thread to


    mend them under the light.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Jackson sat beside her, stealing nces at the woman who was enveloped by the dim light.


    Her head was lowered, and her shoulder-length hair cascaded down. Her hair seemed slightly dry and


    dull, perhaps due to theck of care and nutrition from her three years in prison as well as the exposure


    to the current elements. Her skin wasn¡¯t as fair as it looked, and though she looked delicate, a sense of


    weathered hardness lined her face due to the hardships she had endured in life.


    But right now, as Serenity meticulously stitched the torn clothing in her hand, a tranquil and elegant air


    emanated from her, which was attractive in its own unique way.


    It was as if¡­ one could never tire from looking at her.


    In Jackson¡¯s life and circle, he rarely saw women mending clothes like this. Many of them would


    intentionally present themselves as noble, elegant, or even cute to capture his attention.


    Chapter 20


    2/2


    It had never urred to him that such a simple and in aspect could captivate all of his attention one


    day.


    Serenity finished mending her uniform and looked up to meet Jackson¡¯s eyes.


    He was so focused on her that it made her blush.


    ¡°W-what is it? Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking¡­ Sis, you¡¯re beautiful,¡± Jackson replied.


    Serenity chuckled. She knew the difference between her current appearance and her past was great. It


    was unlikely that anyone would consider her attractive when she stepped back out into the world. At


    best, she wasn¡¯t ugly.


    Still, hearing his praise made her feel good. It was evident that women still enjoyed ttery.


    ¡°By the way, I came across a piece of clothing online when I had some free time today. Take a look. Do


    you like it?¡±


    As she spoke, Serenity pulled out her phone and opened the shopping website to show him the


    sweater she had added to her cart as she handed the device to him.


    Jackson looked at the sweater. It was a id sweater, and the price was thirty dors. The item was


    also popr as it had a lot of sales. The monthly sale disy showed that tens of thousands of units


    were already sold.


    ¡°You only have one sweater for winter, and you don¡¯t have any spares. Buying one would at least give


    you a backup. This one has good reviews as they say it offers great value for money. Plus, I think this


    style would look good on you,¡± Serenity exined.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Chapter 21


    ¡°If you like it, I like it too,¡± Jackson said.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just consider whether I like it. You should consider if you like it instead. If you don¡¯t, I can always


    find another style or color for you,¡± Serenity said.


    ¡°No need. This one is perfect. I really do like it,¡± Jackson assured her.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get it, then,¡± Serenity said as she confirmed her order.


    He looked at her and suddenly asked, ¡°Sis, why are you so good to me?


    Serenity would buy him clothes and a phone, yet she was frugal when it came to herself.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re my younger brother, so it¡¯s only natural that I treat you well,¡± Serenity said matter- of-


    factly.


    Jackson was unsure why, but hearing her call him her ¡®younger brother¡¯ was somewhat grating on his


    nerves.


    Did she truly forget that he was still a man?


    ***


    After William was embarrassed at the club, he returned to a beating from his father, whichnded him


    in the hospital.


    Furthermore, several deals between the Saunders family and Valor Group were affected, which


    caused significant losses to the former.


    As for the other people who had attended the ss reunion that day, they either lost their jobs or their


    family ran into trouble.


    Everyoneined bitterly.


    When Janice exited the Human Resource Department, her legs shook, and she felt as though she


    couldn¡¯t steady herself. She had been handed a termination letter stating that she had been fired and to


    complete her resignation process within a week.


    Fired?!


    Janice had never considered that this would happen to her.


    Her family had put a lot of effort into securing her position in the City Council, and it had taken


    considerable connections and favors to secure this stable job. Moreover, her job was a highlight when it


    came to blind dates and finding a partner. The few blind date prospects she had met were willing to


    engage her further precisely because she worked at the City Council.


    If she was fired like this, not only would it be hard to find another job in the current market, but she


    would also be humiliated before her family and friends. The prospective blind date she was interested


    Chapter 21


    2/2


    in would probably lose interest in her once he found out she had been fired from the City Council.


    When she asked the Human Resources Department the reason she was fired and what she had done


    wrong, they simply replied, ¡°It¡¯s an order from the higher-ups. Compensation for the termination will be


    provided, but you¡¯ll never be hired here again.¡±


    Janice panicked and called Amanda.


    ¡°Amanda, what should I do?! The City Council is about to fire me¡­ Y-you said you have connections,


    don¡¯t you? Could you help me think of something? Find someone who has a connection with my


    department head and persuade them for me!¡±


    Under normal circumstances, Amanda would help Janice because thetter was an obedient follower.


    However, Amanda had her own troubles to deal with at the moment.


    Her own family was in jeopardy.


    The bank loan they had negotiated had fallen through suddenly, and the funding for their family


    business was on the verge of copse. Her entire family was desperately trying to find people to borrow


    money from.


    However, they kept hitting dead ends.


    No one dared to lend money to their family, and they were on the verge of bankruptcy!


    ¡°I can¡¯t help you. Find someone else!¡± Amanda said impatiently.


    ¡°H-how could you say that? I did everything without hesitation when you asked me to do things before


    this! You asked me to bring Serenity to the private room for the ss reunion, and I did it


    refuse!¡± withoutint. Yet now, when I need some help, you

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Chapter 22


    At this moment, Janice was absolutely furious with Amanda.


    She had found out from a colleague in the Human Resources Department whom she had a decent


    rtionship that there was a rumor she had been abusing her power and instructing people from the


    Sanitation Office without authorization.


    The only time she could think of such a thing happening was the incident with Serenity delivering the


    files, but Amanda had been the mastermind behind it, not her!


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I forced you to do it. You also wanted to embarrass Serenity, so you did it willingly, right? I


    simply gave you a suggestion. You did that on your own, and it had nothing to do with me,¡± Amanda


    replied, immediately washing her hands off the matter.


    The two of them started bickering like dogs and snapping at each other!


    After Janice and Amanda¡¯s falling out, Janice¡¯s family scolded her severely, but they still tried to spend


    money and use their connections to find someone to intervene on her behalf. Unfortunately,


    the money and gifts they sent out couldn¡¯t be delivered to the intended recipients.


    Even if they were delivered, the recipients would return it within a couple of days.


    In the end, it was an old acquaintance of Janice¡¯s family that secretly spoke to them about the


    situation.


    ¡°Who did your daughter offend? It seems like the person has a significant influence on the city. I heard


    from the City Council¡¯s director that your daughter will have difficulty finding any job, let


    alone a stable position like this.¡±


    Janice¡¯s parents were dumbfounded when they heard this information. When they returned home, they


    immediately interrogated Janice, wanting to know who she had offended.


    Janice was utterly confused.


    How could she have offended someone who had such a great influence in the city? It wasn¡¯t like she


    hade into contact with any prominent figures, whether in her work or personal life!


    Suddenly, she came to a realization and thought of the incident during the ss reunion.


    On that day, the person who had ultimatelye to Serenity¡¯s rescue was Jackson Valor.


    Was it possible that¡­ Jackson was the influential figure behind Serenity?!


    The thought briefly crossed Janice¡¯s mind, but she quickly dismissed it.


    Serenity was responsible for the death of Jackson¡¯s fiancee, Mira.


    With that said, it was impossible that Jackson would support Serenity.


    That would mean that Serenity had been incredibly lucky that day on their ss reunion, and Jackson


    12


    1/2


    Chapter 22


    had inadvertently saved her.


    Then, perhaps someone else had a significant influence in the city and stood at Serenity¡¯s back.


    But Serenity was just a sanitation worker, so was that even a possibility?


    2/2


    Despite the low possibilities, it seemed that Serenity was the only person Janice had offended recently.


    The following day, Janice wasted no time in finding Serenity.


    As soon as Janice caught sight of Serenity, tears welled up in her eyes, and she said, ¡°Serenity, I¡¯m so


    sorry about what happened that day. It was all Amanda¡¯s idea to have you attend the ss reunion!


    That¡¯s why I came up with an excuse for you to deliver the documents to me. I¡¯ve been regretting it


    ever since. It¡¯s all my fault that you were humiliated that day. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Serenity coldly observed Janice¡¯s performance, not believing a single word out of thetter¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Can you forgive me, Serenity?¡± Janice pleaded.


    Serenity calmly replied, ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°H-huh? I-I¡¯ve already apologized¡­ yet you won¡¯t forgive me?¡±


    Serenity found her words hrious.


    ¡°You asked me to deliver the documents, which was normal. There was nothing wrong with it, so what


    should I forgive you for?¡±


    Janice was dumbfounded.


    How¡­ should she respond to Serenity¡¯s words? Did she have to admit that she wanted to see Serenity


    embarrassed and humiliated, so she had orchestrated the n for her to deliver the documents in the


    first ce?N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Chapter 23


    ¡°But¡­ you got embarrassed in front of everyone because of me¡­ and William Sanders even¡­¡®


    ¡°They did that. It has nothing to do with you, right?¡±


    It did have something to do with her! Janice cried out in her mind. For the first time in her life, she was


    desperately trying to take the me for something.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s all, I need to get back to work,¡± said Serenity, ignoring Janice¡¯s pained look. She walked


    past Janice and crossed the road to sweep the other side.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Although she did not know why Janice hade to look for her today, she had no intention of forgiving


    Janice for what happened that day.


    While she was sweeping, a person suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up and saw that it


    was Peter Wall.


    Peter was blushing slightly. He seemed to be mustering his courage to say something. After some


    hesitation, he said, ¡°Serenity, X told me that you¡¯re not ready to get into a rtionship right now,


    but¡­ but I¡¯m serious about you. I can wait for you. When¡­ When you¡¯re ready to date someone,


    to me.¡®


    ))


    After he said that, he felt as if he said something wrong, so he added in a hurry, ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying that


    you have toe to me, I¡¯m just saying that I¡¯m avable¡­¡±


    Serenity stared at him, somewhat dumbfounded. She was really surprised. ¡°You should look for


    someone more suitable for you. I¡¯m just a sanitation worker. I don¡¯t earn that much and my job has no


    future. I¡¯m not a good candidate for marriage.¡±


    ¡°But I like you.¡± After saying that, Peter blushed even harder. ¡°X said you don¡¯t have a boyfriend right


    now. I can wait for you.¡±


    ¡°But I¡­¡± She wanted to reject him again, but when she saw his reddened face and somewhat nervous


    expression, she fell silent. From what she could tell, he seemed to really like her, and X said that he


    was an honest man.


    A man like that would usually make a good husband and a good father, but¡­ when he found out that


    she was an ex¨Cconvict, he would probably stay away from her.


    Suddenly, someone said from behind her, ¡°Sis, mind introducing me to this guy?¡±


    Serenity turned around and saw a familiar figure walking over. The ck down jacket, ck pants and


    ck sneakers he wore were nothing fancy, but they looked really good on him. The pair of pretty


    peach blossom eyes under his fringe were currently staring straight at Peter with a hint of annoyance.


    ¡°He¡¯s my co¨Cworker. What are you doing here, Jack?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°I finished work early today, so I came to see you,¡± said Jack as he held Serenity¡¯s left hand. ¡°Your


    hand¡¯s a bit cold.¡±


    Chapter 23


    2/2


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Her hand had been exposed to the cold winter wind. Of course it would be cold. She was


    used to it.


    Jack held her left hand in both his hands and rubbed it gently to warm it up. After her left hand was


    warm, he took her right hand and did the same.


    Peter watched the intimate interaction between Jack and Serenity in shock. He could not help asking, ¡±


    Serenity, is he¡­ your younger brother?¡±


    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± Serenity nodded.


    Jack nced at Peter nonchntly, then put his hand around Serenity¡¯s waist and moved his face


    closer to hers possessively. ¡°What time do you get off work? Let¡¯s go home together.¡±


    ¡°In another half an hour. I¡¯ll be done after I clean this road,¡± replied Serenity.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Jack smiled.


    Peter felt strange as he watched them. Were they really siblings? Why did his gaze and his posture


    scream of his possessiveness of her?

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Chapter 24


    Maybe he was overthinking it!


    Seeing that Serenity was busy with work, Peter shrugged it off and said, ¡°I¡¯ll stop bothering you, then.


    See youter.¡±


    After Peter left, Jack held Serenity¡¯s chin with his fingers and turned her face to him. ¡°I don¡¯t like you


    looking at other men like that.¡±


    Serenityughed. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I don¡¯t have any feelings for him.¡±


    ¡°Does he have any feelings for you?¡± he asked.


    She did not know what to say.


    ¡°He¡¯s that co-worker who has a crush on you, isn¡¯t he?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I already asked X to tell him no. I didn¡¯t think he woulde look for me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not good enough for you. If you don¡¯t like him, you should have rejected him more directly,¡± said


    Jack.


    Serenityughed. ¡°You think too highly of me. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s not good enough for him. He has a


    house, a car, and a stable job. A lot of women in the Sanitation Office are interested in him.¡±


    ¡°My sister deserves better,¡± said Jack. His voice contained a possessiveness that even he was


    unaware


    1. of.


    After Serenity finished cleaning the road, she packed up the tools and was about to bring them back to


    the Sanitation Office when Janice suddenly rushed over and said to Serenity, ¡°Serenity, you have to


    forgive me, I beg you. I can¡¯t lose my job. It¡¯s very important to me! Please, talk to my boss and tell him


    that you¡¯ve forgiven me so that he won¡¯t dismiss me!¡±


    After pondering about it, Janice came to the conclusion that the person she had offended was most


    likely Serenity.


    Serenity looked at Janice and said, ¡°I think you¡¯re asking the wrong person here. I have nothing to do


    with your


    dismissal. I can¡¯t even see your boss even if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Janice said sharply, ¡°You¡¯re the only person I¡¯ve offendedtely. Maybe Zeke Shaw felt


    bad for you after he saw you in that condition the other day and took revenge for you?¡± After thinking


    long and hard about it, this was the only possibility Janice could think of.


    Serenity finally understood why Janice hade to her to beg for forgiveness. Zeke Shaw?¡­ No, he


    probably did not even feel an ounce of pity for her!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. If you think it was Zeke Shaw who made you lose your job,


    then the person you should talk to is him,¡± said Serenity coldly. She then grabbed Jack¡¯s hand and


    walked past Janice.


    Janice tried to chase after her, but when Jack turned back and gave her a casual nce, she stopped


    in


    her tracks.


    That look scared her. She felt like, if she were to keep pestering Serenity, something really bad would


    happen to her.


    ¡®What¡­ is going on?¡¯ The man¡¯s fringe covered half his face so she could not see what he looked like,


    but his eyes struck fear in her heart. Was he Serenity¡¯s sugar baby?


    Also, did Serenity have friends in high ces? If so, who could it be? Was it Zeke Shaw? Or was it


    someone else?


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    At that moment, she could not take another step forward despite her best effort.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Chapter 25


    On the way back, Serenity suddenly asked, ¡°Jack, do you know Zeke Shaw?¡±


    ¡°The CEO of the Shaw Group?¡± he asked.


    ¡°So you do know him. Yes, the guy who¡¯s been in the news a lottely and the main character of the


    marriage between the Shaw family and the Hall family. He¡¯s also¡­¡± She suddenly stopped. After a


    moment of hesitation, she added, ¡°He¡¯s also my ex-boyfriend.¡±


    Jackson also stopped in his tracks and stared quietly at Serenity.


    Maybe she had been bottling up her emotions for too long, so she could not help but pour them all out


    now. ¡°Isn¡¯t it unbelievable? Someone like me actually used to be that guy¡¯s girlfriend.¡±


    She smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°Back then, I was a newwyer who had just graduated from college. I


    thought we would get married one day. However, after a car ident, I was convicted of involuntary


    manughter with a motor vehicle while driving under influence. He immediately broke up with me


    and even¡­¡±


    She stopped. She could not tell him about the nightmare she experienced in prison.


    She could vaguely feel the pain in her fingers again. Even if the nails had grown back and the broken


    bones had mended, her fingers were no longer the same as before!


    ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s all in the past,¡± she said in a bitter voice.


    Jackson pursed his lips. Even if she would not tell him the whole story, he already knew. The


    information of her that Connor gave him recorded everything in detail.


    When he first read the information, he felt nothing, but now, hearing it directly from her, he felt a slight


    pain in his heart.


    Was he feeling sorry for what she experienced? Since when would he feel sorry for a woman?


    She took a deep breath and continued, ¡°Ever since then, I¡¯ve always reminded myself to never believe


    in love that easily again. Someone may love you now, but once his interests arepromised, he


    might throw you away like he¡¯s discarding a pawn.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t throw you away,¡± he suddenly said.


    Serenity smiled. She no longer felt that painful now, as if his words had washed away much of the pain.


    A warmth filled her heart. ¡°I know. I know you won¡¯t throw me away.¡±


    She paused and added, ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t n to date anyone or get married now. These things are


    out of reach for me.¡±


    Jack¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if he did not like those words.


    ¡°See that advertisement?¡± she asked while pointing at arge 3D projection on a wall not far away.


    Zeke Shaw bought that advertisement for Jenny Hall. The ad slogan is ¡°I¡¯ve waited 99 lifetimes for a


    lifetime with you.¡± Isn¡¯t that romantic? It shows that, even if you love someone now, it¡¯s not that hard to


    fall in love with another person in the future.¡±


    The Shaw family was disying this advertisement in many major shopping malls across Sria to


    promote the uing marriage between the Shaw family and the Hall family. The media had been


    praising the advertisement as being very romantic. Some were even calling Jenny Hall the happiest


    woman in the world.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    It had garnered a lot of attention.


    Jackson stared at the woman in front of him. Her face was expressionless, as if her heart had long


    been numb to emotions and nothing could faze her now.


    For some reason, his heart sank. Then what about him? Could he not Make her feel anything too?


    He covered her eyes to stop her from looking at the ad and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t like the ad, should I take


    it down tomorrow?¡°

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Chapter 26


    She smiled. She thought he was just joking. It was an ad to celebrate the marriage between the Shaw


    family and the Hall family. Who would dare to take it down?


    Her vision was dark. She could feel the warmth of his hands that were pressing against her skin.


    After a moment, she pulled down his hands, looked up at him and said, ¡°Jack, thank you.¡± She thought


    he had said that tofort her. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m hungry.¡± She took his hand and walked away towards


    home.


    Jack¡¯s eyes stole onest nce at therge advertisement before he followed after her.


    When they reached the rental house, Serenity went to the security booth to pick up a delivery. It was a


    sweater she bought.


    She opened the packaging, took out the sweater and touched it to inspect the texture. It was okay;


    worth the price at least.


    ¡°Jack, try this sweater on and see if it fits,¡± she said.


    It was a blue and green checkered sweater. After Jackson put it on, Serenity¡¯s eyes brightened. Wow,


    he looked good in it.


    She suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Jack, lower your head.¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Jackson lowered his head obediently. Serenity grabbed ab andbed his fringe backwards,


    revealing his well¨Cdefined face.


    She had always known that he was good¨Clooking, but his fringe usually covered most of his eyes so


    his face was barely visible. Now that it was, it amazed her.


    ¡°Our Jack is so handsome,¡± she couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°If youb your fringe back all the time, you


    would have groups of girls chasing after you when you hand out leaflets on the streets.¡±


    He smiled faintly. The way she said ¡°our Jack¡± seemed to please him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the hairdresserter so that you can get a haircut? It¡¯s such a shame to see your


    beautiful eyes get covered up all the time,¡± she tried to persuade him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not. As long as you get to see them, that¡¯s enough,¡± said Jackson.


    Serenity smiled. ¡°You can wear this sweater tomorrow. I¡¯ll wash the sweater you¡¯re currently wearing.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She took out her phone and took a picture of him in the sweater, then posted it on Facebook.


    Speaking of Facebook, her friends list was pretty empty. There were only two people on it. One was


    Lisa Quest and the other was Jackson.


    ¡°I¡¯m showing Lisa the photo. She must be so envious to see that I have a brother like you,¡± said


    Serenity. Only at times like these would she behave more like a girl and stop being so gloomy.


    As expected, Lisa liked the photo not long after and sent a reply. ¡°The sweater looks good. How much


    is it?¡±


    ¡°$29.90. The quality of the material is good and it¡¯s quite thick too, so it should be pretty warm,¡±


    Serenity replied.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll buy one for my dad,¡± said Lisa. ¡°By the way, your new brother is like a model. Everything


    looks good on him. I think he can actually be a model for online stores. The threshold isn¡¯t high and it


    pays much better than handing out flyers.¡±


    Serenity thought about it and asked Jackson, ¡°How do you feel about bing a model for online


    stores?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that interested,¡± he said.


    ¡°But it pays much better than your current job of handing out flyers and it¡¯s a little more stable too,¡± she


    said.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Chapter 27


    He stared at her. ¡°Do you think I earn too little money?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no!¡± She denied it. ¡°I just wish you could have a better life.¡± Maybe she wouldn¡¯t amount to much,


    but she wished for a


    better life for him.


    ¡°I will have a better life. And when the timees, I can give you whatever kind of life you want, too,¡±


    he looked at her seriously and said.


    Obviously, this was just a game to him, but now, he really wanted to give her a different kind of life. It


    would be something that he could easily do.


    Serenity smiled. She did not believe that Jack could give her the kind of life she wanted. However, she


    did not want to hurt his self¨Cesteem, so she simply said, ¡°Nice. Then I¡¯ll wait for you to get rich and just


    be a leech and live off you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied as a glint shed across his deep, dark eyes. If she wanted, he could support her for


    the rest of her life.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The next day, when Connor Gunn went to the pantry, he heard some co¨Cworkers chatting with each


    other. ¡°Have you seen the sweater that Mr. Valor is wearing today?¡±


    ¡°No, why?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be a bestseller on Amazon.¡±


    ¡°No way. There¡¯s no way Mr. Valor would wear that kind of clothes.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it either. Maybe the bestseller on Amazon is a replica of a sweater from a well¨C


    known brand. But that sweater looks different on Mr. Valor. It makes me want to buy one for my


    husband.¡±


    ¡°Send me the link too.¡±


    Connor froze. Then, he silently backed out of the pantry. He did not have the heart to tell the two co¨C


    workers that, yes, the sweater Mr. Valor was wearing today was indeed an Amazon bestseller, and he


    even saw someone else in thepany wearing the same sweater today.


    Mr. Valor was pretty nonchnt about it. He merely gave that person a faint nce.


    But that co¨Cworker was shocked. He could not believe that his CEO was wearing the same sweater as


    him.


    Connor returned to the CEO¡¯s office and saw his boss at the desk. Jackson had taken off his suit jacket


    and was reviewing documents.


    The sweater did make him look more bookish than usual, and less ruthless.


    Serenity Lewis probably bought that sweater for him, thought Connor. Usually, before Mr. Valor came to


    thepany, he would change out of the clothes he wore to the rental house, but today, he did not


    change out of the sweater.


    What did this mean?


    Also, how long was Mr. Valor going to go to that tiny rental house for? Of course, Connor did not dare


    to ask him these questions.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, this is the acquisition proposal you asked for.¡± Connor ced the document on the desk. He


    was about to leave when Jackson suddenly called out to him.


    ¡°Do you know about the advertisement Zeke Shaw put up everywhere in town for Jenny Hall?¡± Jackson


    asked.


    The question surprised Connor a little bit. He did not expect a question like that from his boss.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°How many such advertisements are there in the city?¡± asked Jackson.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Chapter 28


    ¡°I believe there are 99 of them,¡± answered Connor. He recalled a news interview in which Zeke Shaw


    said that there were a total of 99 ads to represent 99 lifetimes of love.


    This was something often repeated by Jenny Hall¡¯s fans. Jenny Hall was a popr celebrity in the


    entertainment industry with


    lots of fans.


    ¡°Take them all down,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°All of them?¡± Connor was shocked.


    ¡°All of them,¡± Jackson confirmed.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m on it,¡± answered Connor. Mr. Valor wanted to take down the Shaw family¡¯s advertisements?


    Did the Shaw family or the Hall family offend Mr. Valor? Or did Mr. Valor disapprove of the marriage


    between the two families? But didn¡¯t he ept their invitation to the engagement party?


    Connor was puzzled. Suddenly, with a jolt, a certain possibility urred to him.


    Maybe Mr. Valor wanted to take down the advertisements because of¡­ Serenity Lewis? Connor was


    surprised by his own thought.


    Would Mr. Valor actually do something like this for a woman? He would offend both the Shaw family


    and the Hall family for a woman? He did not remember Mr. Valor offending anyone in the business


    industry for the sake of Mira Hall, the woman who was going to be his wife.


    How much did Serenity Lewis mean to Mr. Valor? Connor could only wonder.


    Aria Lewis stood at the hotel corridor, looking at the man in a suit in front of her. He was handsome in a


    bookish way. ¡°Brother -inw¡­ Oh, my bad, I can¡¯t call you brother¨Cinw now since you and my


    sister are no longer dating.¡±


    The Shaw Group was about to produce a big¨Cbudget movie. After Aria Lewis heard about it, she went


    through a lot of trouble to find out that Zeke Shaw wasing to this hotel for dinner, so she took the


    opportunity to meet with Zeke Shaw here.


    Since Serenity refused to plead with Zeke Shaw, she would do it herself!


    When Zeke heard the word ¡°sister¡°, he froze. He recalled the encounter with Serenity in the clubhouse


    a few days ago.


    Although she was a woman he once loved, she almost caused the downfall of the Shaw family.


    If he had not broken up with her in time and the Hall family had not helped the Shaw family ovee


    the crisis, the Shaw family may very well be a third¨Crate enterprise by now!


    That day, she was wearing the vest of a sanitation worker, and she was in a mess. He did not expect


    the once proud ¡°best neerwyer¡± to work as a lowly sanitation worker now after getting out of


    prison.


    When he thought of that, his mind shed back to the time when her nails were plucked, but she still


    desperately crawled to


    him.


    She kept saying that she was innocent!


    He almost believed her back then, but there was ample evidence and witnesses. There was no way


    she was innocent!


    That woman refused to admit her crime until the very end!


    ¡°I¡¯m d you know that,¡± said Zeke coldly.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Aria shamelessly continued, ¡°Umm¡­ Our family can only count on me now. They hope that I can get


    an important role so that I can earn some money to support the family. But I don¡¯t have a powerful


    background and my sister is an ex¨Cconvict, so it¡¯s hard for me tond a better role.¡±


    Aria tried to make herself sound as pitiful as possible, hoping to gain his sympathy.


    But Zeke Shaw¡¯s expression remained cold. Aria continued, ¡°My sister once had a good life. I can¡¯t


    bear to see her live like this.


    I want to earn more money to give her a better life. Brother¨Cinw, can you¡­¡±

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Chapter 29


    1839


    ¡°Who are you calling your brother¨Cinw?¡± A voice abruptly sounded. A voluptuous woman in a brown


    coat and fashionable clothes walked over. When she saw Aria, she scoffed, ¡°My, my, look who it is. It¡¯s


    the murderer¡¯s sister.¡±


    Aria¡¯s face instantly stiffened. She recognized the woman. It was Jenny Hall, Zeke Shaw¡¯s current


    fianc¨¦e.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Jenny stepped forward and stared at Aria in contempt. ¡°I remember you. You¡¯re a small¨Ctime actress,


    aren¡¯t you? Did youe to beg Zeke to give you a leading role? Is that why you keep calling him your


    brother¨Cinw? You seriously have no


    shame.¡±


    Aria felt humiliated. There were other people in the corridor, and they were staring at them as if they¡¯re


    watching a show.


    Aria could only curse Serenity silently. If Serenity had not murdered someone, Aria would have be


    a popr star by now.. She would not have to go through all this.


    Aria hadpletely forgotten that the reason she was able to get some good roles in the past was all


    thanks to Serenity.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not gonna leave?¡± Jenny remarked unhappily.


    Aria could only smile while looking at Zeke pitifully. If she were to leave now, she would havee


    here for nothing.


    ¡°You should go. Your sister and I have nothing to do with each other anymore,¡± said Zeke.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Aria still wanted to say something.


    Jenny snorted coldly and told Aria, ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll have the security guards throw you out!¡±


    Aria bit her lip and had no choice but to leave. She would find another opportunity to talk to Zeke.


    Jenny turned to Zeke and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still have feelings for Serenity Lewis? Aria Lewis kept


    calling you brother¨Cin w but you didn¡¯t try to stop her at all. What if Jackson Valor hears about this?


    Don¡¯t forget, my sister almost married him.¡±


    These words were like a warning.


    Zeke¡¯s eyes dimmed. How could he have forgotten?! The name ¡°Jackson Valor¡± was like a sharp sword


    hanging over the Shaw family¡¯s neck. For the past three years, the Shaw family never had a day of


    peace because of it.


    And the cause of everything was Serenity Lewis! Even the meeting with Jackson Valor a few days ago,


    which took him a lot of effort to arrange, turned into a mess because of Serenity Lewis.


    ¡°Serenity Lewis got off easy with only a three¨Cyear sentence. Oh, my poor sister. How could you let


    Aria Lewis call you brother -inw? Am I dead to you, Zeke Shaw?¡± Jenny said angrily.


    ¡°Enough. I get it. I¡¯ll ignore Aria Lewis from now on. She just wants to use me to climb higher. I already


    told her I have nothing to do with Serenity Lewis anymore!¡± Zeke hugged Jenny and said, ¡°As you saw


    that day, when Serenity Lewis got humiliated by William Sanders, I didn¡¯t even stand up for her.¡±


    That made Jenny feel better. She went back to the private dining room with Zeke.


    All the people in the private room were their friends. They were holding a pre¨Cengagement party today.


    Someone mentioned Zeke¡¯s 3D projection ads.


    Lots of them remarked on how romantic it was. Jenny¡¯s best friend, Kristin Fender, said, ¡°By the way,


    isn¡¯t the Yale Tower right across from this hotel? I remember there¡¯s a 3D projection advertisement


    there too. We should be able to see it from here. Why don¡¯t we go take a look?¡±


    Kristin said while pulling open the curtains.


    With a sweet smile on her face, Jenny said in a shy manner, ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, you guys¡­¡±


    However, after the curtains were drawn open, they did not see any 3D projection advertisement. There


    were just ordinary lights on the opposite building.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is the projector broken?¡± Kristin was perplexed.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Chapter 30


    Jenny also frowned. She turned to Zeke. After all, the advertisement was ced by the Shaw family.


    Zeke said, ¡°I¡¯ll go find out what the situation is¡­¡±


    Before he could even finish speaking, his phone rang. Zeke picked up the call and his expression


    instantly turned ugly. ¡°What? Taken down? All of them? That¡¯s a breach of contract!¡±


    ¡°They said they¡¯ll take down the advertisement even if they have to pay the full penalty,¡± the manager in


    charge of this matter said anxiously on the phone. ¡°We immediately contacted otherpanies but


    none of them are willing to do this advertisement.¡±


    In other words, besides thepanies owned by the Halls and the Shaws, no other building would


    provide a surface for the advertisement.


    ¡°Who the hell is trying to mess with the Shaws?¡± Zeke asked angrily.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Valors,¡± the manager replied. ¡°This matter was personally overseen by Connor Gunn, the Shaw


    Group¡¯s secretary.¡±


    Zeke was shocked. Connor Gunn¡­ That¡¯s Jackson Valor¡¯s personal secretary! Could this be Jackson


    Valor¡¯s order? Did Jackson Valor want to take down the advertisement?


    ¡®What¡¯s the meaning of this? Does Jackson Valor disapprove of the marriage between the Shaws and


    the Halls?¡® Thinking of that, Zeke broke out in cold sweat.


    All 99 of the Shaw family¡¯s 3D projection ads throughout the city were taken down overnight, causing a


    lot of gossip in the city. Many people on the inte were specting whether there were changes to


    Zeke and Jenny¡¯s wedding.


    That evening, Zeke and Jenny made a joint statement, saying that their love for each other was as


    strong as ever. The 3D projection ads were only taken down because their duration had expired, but


    the love between the two would never expire.


    These words were once again celebrated by Jenny¡¯s fans.


    Serenity Lewis was browsing the web in her rental house when she came upon the news. She was


    shocked. The 3D projection ads she mentioned to Jack yesterday had all been taken down!


    ¡°Are you happy that all the ads have been removed?¡± she suddenly heard Jackson ask.


    She snapped back to her senses. He had walked in at some point. He seemed to have seen the news


    she was reading and was looking at her with a smile.


    For just a fleeting moment, she thought that this matter might be rted to him and that he was the one


    who had taken down those advertisements.


    She then smiled wryly. That¡¯s impossible. Even though he said he would do that, it was just a joke. This


    was just a coincidence.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be happy about. Zeke and I are already a thing of the past. I have no more feelings


    for him, so whoever he wants to marry or love has nothing to do with me anymore,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°You don¡¯t care about him at all now?¡± His gaze burned into her, as if those beautiful eyes wanted to


    see through her.


    ¡°Would you care about someone who abandoned you?¡± she asked rhetorically.


    Suddenly, a certain woman came to his mind. It was the woman he should have called his mother.


    Didn¡¯t she also abandon him?


    She abandoned him sopletely that she never looked back, even when he begged her on his


    knees.


    From then on, he swore that he would never kneel down to anyone again, nor beg anyone to stay.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    His smile widened. ¡°Yeah, that was a silly question. Why should you care about someone who


    abandoned you?¡±


    She stared at him in a daze. He was right in front of her, yet she felt like she couldn¡¯t see him very


    clearly, as if his face was covered with a thin veil.


    Chapter :0


    It was as if his smile hid a forbidden ce that no one could touch.


    She recalled what he told her that he had no family.


    Then¡­ was he abandoned by someone too? When she thought of that, she wrapped her hands


    around his neck and pulled him closer.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Chapter 31


    His body stiffened slightly, but he didn¡¯t resist. He leaned his head on her shoulder and let her scent


    envelope him.


    The scent that carried a faint fragrance made him feel safe for some reason.


    He felt like he couldpletely rx when he was around her.


    ¡°You told me you¡¯ll never abandon me, right? Me too. I¡¯ll never abandon you too. No matter what


    happens in the future, I¡¯ll always stay by your side.¡±


    Her voice slowly reached his ears.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯ll stay by my side no matter what happens?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she replied, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    ¡°You promise you won¡¯t be scared of me?¡± he asked.


    Serenityughed softly. ¡°Why would I be scared of you? Our Jack is such a good boy.¡±


    Our Jack¡­ The way she said that made it sound like he was hers, but he did not dislike it. In fact, he


    actually¡­ kinda liked it.


    He lifted his head, and suddenly, their faces were really close to each other; the tips of their noses were


    even touching.


    She blushed and subconsciously tried to back away, but his hand was around her waist, preventing her


    from doing so.


    ¡°Do you like that I¡¯m a good boy?¡± he asked softly.


    All she could see was his handsome, wless face. Serenity could not help biting her lip slightly. Her


    face became even hotter.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    It was just a very ordinary question, but why did it sound so wrong when he said it?


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± It took a while before she answered, softly.


    ¡°So if I behave myself even more, you¡¯ll like me even more?¡± he asked.


    If those words were said by a child, it would feel innocent and cute, but when they came from him, it felt


    alluring and


    seductive.


    ¡°Will you?¡± His face moved a little closer, his thin lips almost pressing against hers.


    ¡°¡­I will,¡± she heard her own voice answer.


    Her heart was in her throat.


    She only saw him as a little brother, so why would her entire body freeze when his face moved close to


    hers, as if all the blood had rushed to the top of her head?


    In the end, she came to the conclusion that it was because he was too handsome, so she got


    momentarily distracted. After all, extreme beauty could cause a huge visual impact.


    ¡°Serenity, clean the area near the trash can one more time. The garbage truck will be here soon,¡± said


    X.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she answered. She went to the trash can and swept the area around it again.


    Suddenly, a pair of Dior high¨Cheels stepped into her vision. Serenity had seen a lot of luxury brand


    products before, so she knew that this pair of shoes was worth her entire year¡¯s sry.


    When she raised her head, she saw Jenny Hall¡¯s gorgeous face in front of her

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Chapter 32


    Serenity did not expect to see Jenny again so soon.


    Jenny was still the same as she was the first time Serenity saw her gorgeous look, impable


    makeup, and fashionable clothes. She was a star in the entertainment industry and a famous socialite


    in the city.


    Even when Jenny visited Serenity in jail to pluck out Serenity¡¯s nails, she was still dressed in


    expensive, branded clothes. She lookedpletely out of ce in the gloomy prison.


    She was almost glowing.


    But it was exactly this famous star that gave the cruel order to pluck out Serenity¡¯s nails in a sinister


    voice!


    It also became Serenity¡¯s lingering nightmare!


    Kristin Fender had alsoe with Jenny. When she saw Serenity, she immediately mocked her. ¡°Look


    who it is, Jenny. It¡¯s your sister¡¯s murderer! She¡¯s actually working as a sanitation worker now! This


    must be karma.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Serenity¡¯s face paled but she did not say anything. She merely lowered her head and continued to


    sweep.


    ¡°You have such thick skin. If I were to kill someone while driving under influence, and I saw the victim¡¯s


    sister, I would have knelt down to beg for forgiveness, yet you¡¯re acting like nothing happened,¡± Kristin


    continued to mock her.


    Serenity took a deep breath and slowly raised her head to look at them. ¡°I¡¯ve already paid the price.¡±


    For a crime she did notmit, she went to prison for three years, got herw¨Cpracticing license


    revoked, suffered hardship in prison, and, after her release, she now worked as a sanitation worker.


    The trajectory of her lifepletely changed. She already paid a huge price.


    ¡°Paid the price? You think three years in prison is enough?¡± Jenny said coldly. ¡°Serenity, my sister lost


    her life.¡±


    ¡°What else do you want?¡± Serenity asked calmly. She¡¯s already living the worst life possible now. She


    had nothing to lose


    anymore.


    Jenny stared at the woman in a fluorescent orange sanitation overalls in front of her.


    After three years, her long ck hair had wilted and be a little yellowish. Although her face was


    still clean, her eyes were dead. Her hands, which were holding a broom, were rough and calloused


    from work.


    Jenny still remembered the first time she saw Serenity. She had been amazed at Serenity¡¯s smooth,


    fair hands. Even her nails had been carefully maintained. Her hand looked especially beautiful when it


    was holding a pen.


    But now, those hands held not a fine pen, but a rough and dirty broom instead.


    ¡°So your hands are still working fine!¡± Jenny coldly snorted, ¡°Looks like I went a little too easy on you.¡®


    She said that as if Serenity was just an object to her!


    Serenity¡¯s body stiffened, and she could not help tightening her grip on the broom.


    ¡°Serenity, it¡¯s over between you and Zeke! Stop asking your sister to approach him to ask for a role!


    The next time this happens, I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t hold anything with those hands anymore!¡± warned


    Jenny. When she thought of all the 3D projection advertisements that had been taken down, she hated


    Serenity even more.


    When they found out that the person behind the removal of the advertisements was none other than


    Jackson Valor, the Shaw family was rmed. They wondered if Jackson Valor was still angry with the


    Shaw family for Mira Hall¡¯s death.


    At first, they thought Jackson Valor had given his approval for the marriage because he epted the


    invitation to the engagement party, but now, they were not so sure anymore.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Chapter 33


    1AB9


    Serenity found itughable. ¡°You should tell that to my sister, not me. Excuse me, I have to get back to


    work.¡±


    Kristin yelled angrily, ¡°It¡¯s your fault the 3D projection ads for Jenny¡¯s marriage were taken down!


    Because you hit and killed Jackson Valor¡¯s fiancee, he¡¯s holding the Shaw family responsible.


    Meanwhile, here you are, cleaning the streets without a care in the world.¡±


    Serenity was surprised. She did not expect it to be the work of Jackson Valor.


    Jackson Valor¡­ It was thanks to him that she was able to escape from William Sanders that time.


    That man was the ¡°god¡± of Sria. He controlled the great Valor Group. No one dared to offend him.


    His words were like imperial edicts in this city.


    Her rtionship with Jackson Valor was indeed a bitplicated.


    The reason Zeke Shaw was so eager to break up with her three years ago and the reason nowyer in


    Sria dared to take her case was exactly because of Jackson Valor.


    The reason the prison guards did not care when she was tortured in prison was also because of


    Jackson Valor.


    That¡¯s because the person she killed was Jackson Valor¡¯s fiancee.


    There was an incident in prison where her head was held down in cold water and she almost drowned.


    The fear of death, gripped her strongly then.


    The reason she was treated this way in prison was simply because someone had heard that the Valor


    family wished for her to suffer in prison. Anyone who wanted to get in Jackson Valor¡¯s good books


    woulde to her and torment her.


    Serenity continued to sweep the floor, ignoring Kristin.


    That angered Kristin. She wanted to p Serenity but was held back by Jenny.


    ¡°Jenny, she¡¯s too arrogant. We need to teach her a lesson!¡± Kristin said.


    ¡°No need to dirty our hands.¡± The corners of Jenny¡¯s lips suddenly curled into a smile. ¡°I lost a ring. I


    think I must have lost it nearby. It was probably swept away along with the trash on the ground. Looks


    like I¡¯ll have to trouble the sanitation workers to help me find it.¡±


    Kristin was puzzled at first, but she soon figured out what Jenny was trying to do. She also smiled and


    said, ¡°Yes, they have to look for it. Your ring¡¯s really expensive. They need to search through the trash


    carefully and make sure they don¡¯t miss anything.¡±


    Kristin said to Serenity, ¡°You¡¯re the person who has been sweeping around here. You must have thrown


    the ring into the trash can. Hurry up and go through the trash to find the ring!¡±


    Serenity stopped sweeping and stared at her coldly.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Hurry up and find it! If you can¡¯t find it, that means you stole the ring!¡± Kristin


    spoke viciously.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    X, who was sweeping across the road, saw themotion and came over to ask what was going


    on.


    Jenny quickly made a call. As expected, soon after that, X received a call from the director who told


    her that they had to find Jenny¡¯s lost ring no matter what.


    Serenity pursed her lips. She knew that Jenny was deliberately making things difficult for her, but she


    had no choice but to look for this imaginary ring.


    Not long after, their team leader also rushed over. When he heard that Jenny¡¯s ring was worth over


    $10,000, he immediately told X and Serenity, ¡°Hurry up and look for the ring! Look in every trash can


    you dumped rubbish into earlier! Make sure you find the ring!¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go back to our car and wait. If you find the ring, please inform us,¡± Jenny said elegantly as


    she got ready to leave.

 Chapter 34

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    Chapter 34


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯ll wait in the car?¡± The team leader was obviously surprised. He thought they would stick


    around to keep an eye on them since the ring was worth more than $10,000.


    ¡°Ms. Hall is a popr celebrity. If we stand here while you guys look for the ring, the fans will crowd


    around us in no time,¡± said Kristin.


    The team leader thought it made sense.


    Jenny¡¯s car was parked nearby. Even from the car, she could get a good view of Serenity pitifully


    rummaging through the trash


    cans.


    ¡°That¡¯s what she deserves,¡± Kristinughed sinisterly, ¡°She was so arrogant a moment ago, but look at


    her now. She¡¯s rummaging through garbage.¡±


    Jenny said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go back after we keep this up a bit more.¡± With how pathetic Serenity


    looked now, Jenny no longer felt threatened by her.


    Zeke once loved this woman, but in the end, she was just a woman who was abandoned by Zeke.


    But back then, in the prison, even with all ten fingers continuously dripping blood, even with all ten


    fingers broken, Serenity still insisted that she was innocent!


    That irritated Jenny to no end.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Why did that woman keep insisting that she was innocent even after suffering so much pain? Did she


    really think that as long as she insisted on her innocence, she would be released?


    The court required evidence!


    ¡°Okay, but let¡¯s take some pictures first,¡± said Kristin. She picked up her phone and photographed


    Serenity who was rummaging through the trash.


    Serenity did not know how long this farce wouldst, but she knew there was no way she could get off


    work on time today. She had even dragged X into this.


    Serenity took off her gloves and made a call. ¡°Jack, it¡¯s me. Today¡­ something came up at the


    Sanitation Office. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be back reallyte. Have dinner by yourself. Don¡¯t wait for me.¡±


    From the other end of the phone came the man¡¯s elegant voice, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ It¡¯s just something work rted. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to wait for me.¡± She saw the team


    leader ring at her, so she quickly ended the call, put her gloves back on, and continued to rummage


    through the trash.


    Valor Group¡¯s CEO¡¯s Office.


    Jackson Valor told Connor Gunn, ¡°Go find out what happened to Serenity at the Sanitation Office.¡±


    Connor nodded and left the CEO¡¯s office.


    Jackson appeared to be deep in thought. He could clearly tell that Serenity was hiding something,


    but¡­ what was she hiding?


    It did not take long for Connor to find out what happened. ¡°Jenny Hall said she lost a ring worth more


    than $10,000. She called the director of the Sanitation Office, Jason Wheeler, who asked Miss Lewis to


    rummage through the trash to look for the ring.¡±


    Connor called Jenny by her full name but used honorifics for Serenity, which showed the difference in


    their importance in Jackson Valor¡¯s eyes.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Rummage through the trash?¡±


    His icy cold voice made Connor flinch. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Valor.¡±


    ¡°As if a stupid ring like that is worth rummaging through the trash for,¡± Jackson sneered. After a


    moment of contemtion,


    Chapter 24


    he said, ¡°Since Jenny Hall wants to find the ring so badly, let her look for it as much as she wants!¡±


    Connor had been by Jackson Valor¡¯s side for many years. He knew that his boss was really angry this


    time.


    How rare. Over the years, very few things could make Mr. Valor angry, but now, he was actually angry


    because of a woman. Connor sighed. Looks like Serenity Lewis was more important to Mr. Valor than


    he initially thought.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Chapter 35


    Jenny and Kristin had seen enough. They were getting ready to drive away.


    Kristin said, ¡°How long do you n to make her do this for?¡±


    Jenny said casually, ¡°Until I go to bed tonight I suppose. I¡¯ll call their director and say that if they really


    can¡¯t find the ring, then forget about it. I¡¯ll just consider it my misfortune.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really letting her off easy,¡± said Kristin, ¡°If Zeke could see the way she looked now, he


    would probably throw up. She¡¯s not worthy of a man like Zeke Shaw, unlike you.¡±


    Jenny had just started the red Maserati when several police cars suddenly drove past them. In no time,


    the Maserati was surrounded by police cars.


    A police officer got out and knocked on the Maserati¡¯s window.


    Jenny quickly brought down the car window. The police said, ¡°We received a report that a ring worth


    more than $10,000 was lost here. We will beunching an investigation into this matter to see if the ring


    was lost or if it was stolen.¡±


    ¡°An investigation?¡± Jenny and Kristin were bbergasted.


    ¡°But we didn¡¯t call the police!¡± Kristin shouted.


    He ignored their protests, ¡°Losing a ring worth more than $10,000 can already be considered a major


    case. We hope you two will cooperate with us. We just want to help you find the ring.¡±


    But the problem was¡­ there¡¯s no ring! The two women exchanged nces. Jenny gritted her teeth and


    said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to pursue this matter anymore. Even if the ring can¡¯t be found, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°If this is theft, then the amount has reached the threshold to file this as a criminal case. A case file has


    to be opened for the investigation. Please also get out of the car and show exactly where you noticed


    that the ring had gone missing,¡± the officer


    insisted.


    Jenny and Kristin got down from the warm car into the cold wind and walked to the spot where they


    were talking to Serenity earlier. Only now, there was trash everywhere.


    Much of the trash was originally in the trash cans but had now been dumped out of them during the


    search for the ring.


    The strong smell of garbage wafted over. Jenny and Kristin were both in expensive clothes. They really


    stood out amidst the piles of garbage. However, the officer refused to let them go and insisted that they


    recount to him what happened.


    When they finally finished telling the story and thought they could leave, the officer said, ¡°Since they¡¯re


    already looking for the ring, the two of you please wait here. Once they find it, you can immediately


    confirm if it¡¯s your ring.¡±


    ¡°Wait here?¡± Kristin eximed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s so dirty and smelly here¡­¡±


    Suddenly, they heard a startled voice. ¡°Oh my god, isn¡¯t that Jenny Hall?! I actually ran into a celebrity!¡±


    Upon hearing that, a number of people started gathering around.


    ¡°Why is she standing in the midst of all that garbage?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a cop next to her, right? Is she filming?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The crowd started talking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should be here. I¡¯ll let my assistant andwyer handle the rest,¡± said Jenny. She wanted


    to hurry up and leave the ce.


    ¡°Miss Hall, I know you¡¯re a celebrity, but right now, the sanitation workers are working hard to find your


    ring for you. Is it that hard to just stand here and wait? Or do you think you¡¯re superior to them?¡± he


    asked righteously.

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    1/1


    Jenny did think that she was superior to them, but with a crowd around her, how could she say that out


    loud?


    Some of the onlookers were even recording with their phone. Jenny was furious, but she had to


    maintain herposure.


    Not long after, a lot of people came from the Sanitation Office too. They joined in on the search for the


    ring together with the people brought by the police.


    And so, on that cold day, Jenny and Kristin stood next to piles of garbage and had to endure their


    stench the whole time while they were questioned by the police and surrounded by a crowd.


    The ring could not be found, of course. When the police finally let Jenny and Kristin leave, they were


    close to fainting from the stench.


    ¡°Jenny, what should we do? This is a big deal now. It¡¯s ssified as a criminal case,¡± Kristin said


    uneasily back in the car. ¡± Who the hell called the cops anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone go talk to the police so that the case will be forgotten,¡± Jenny said with a gloomy


    face.


    She was more concerned about her image than the case. She was a popr celebrity who usually took


    selfies in various high- ss ces, but she was now photographed next to piles of garbage.


    It probably wouldn¡¯t be long before it became a hot topic. Jenny quickly called her agent to ask him to


    suppress the news.


    Serenity now smelled like garbage. Even after she washed her hands a few times, her hands still


    smelled. Even after she changed out of her work clothes back into her own clothes, the smell still


    lingered.


    ¡°D*mn those rich people. They¡¯re the ones who lost the ring but we have to do all the work for them. If


    the ring is that expensive, why didn¡¯t she take better care of it?¡± Xined.


    Serenity said a few words tofort her, picked up her bag, and left the Sanitation Office.


    Jenny¡¯s incident meant that she went hometer than usual today. The street lights have lit up by now.


    Cold wind blew on her face, stinging her a little.


    Today, she once again experienced the drastic difference between her past and her present. When


    Jenny asked her to find the ring, she waspletely powerless to resist.


    Unless she was willing to quit the job, she had no choice but to rummage through the stinking garbage


    to find the imaginary ring.


    In the past, even if she quit being awyer, she could find a lot of other jobs, but now, finding even one


    job was very difficult


    for her.


    If she wanted to survive, if she wanted to feed herself, she had no choice but to keep going.


    She suddenly stopped in her tracks. She looked in a daze at the figure standing at the neighborhood


    entrance not far away.


    It¡¯s Jack!


    He was waiting for her toe home!


    The street light that fell on him coated his body in ayer of warmth.


    But things were different now. At the very least, she was no longer alone.


    ¡°Jack,¡± Serenity ran towards him, but when she was about to reach him, she suddenly stopped.


    He raised his beautiful eyes and looked at her in confusion. ¡°Sis?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡­ smell terrible right now. You shouldn¡¯t get too close to me,¡± she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home first. It¡¯s cold


    outside.¡±


    She was about to walk into the neighborhood when her body suddenly froze. A pair of arms had


    wrapped around her from behind. The next instant, she was pulled into a warm embrace.


    ¡°Jack!¡± she eximed.

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    Chapter 37


    Jackson Valor embraced Serenity, lowered his head, and gently pressed his face to her neck. He


    naturally knew what she meant when she said she smelled.


    Jenny yed a malicious prank on Serenity today and made her rummage through the garbage for a


    long time. But¡­ ¡°Sis, no matter how much you smell, you don¡¯t have to avoid me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± She was a little embarrassed. She was not sure if it was because of her smell or because of the


    hug.


    ¡°We said that we¡¯ll be relying on each other. Why would you avoid me? Would you avoid me if I smell


    bad one day?¡± he asked.


    Serenity remained silent for a moment before she took a deep breath and said, ¡°Okay, I understand. I


    won¡¯t do that again.¡±


    A smile appeared on his face. He grabbed her hand and led her back to the small rental house.


    He had prepared a meal for her. Although the food had already gone cold, Serenity enjoyed it very


    much.


    ¡°What happened today?¡± Jackson asked.


    Serenity hesitated for a second but ultimately decided to tell him the truth. After all, there was quite a


    commotion today. Even if she hid it from him, he would probably find out from the inte afterwards.


    Jackson listened quietly. After she finished, he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?¡±


    She smiled helplessly and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be angry about.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t really lose a ring, she just wanted to mess with you, right? Why aren¡¯t you angry?¡±


    ¡°Because it wouldn¡¯t help,¡± she said. ¡°Do you know Jackson Valor?¡± she suddenly asked.


    He was stunned. His eyes flickered.


    ¡°He¡¯s the god of Sria. Many people want to please him,¡± she said. ¡°When I was convicted for


    causing the death of his fianc¨¦e, many people went after me in prison in order to please him. If I was


    angry about everything, I would just go crazy from anger.¡±


    She said it nonchntly, but his heart felt painful.


    Even if she did not say much, he could roughly guess what she had gone through in the prison. Like


    she said, there were too many people who wanted to please him.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Some of them even told him directly that they had ¡°taught her a lesson¡± in prison. And how did he react


    back then?


    He merelyughed it off.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t a big deal for him.


    But now, he regretted it terribly. If he had known that she was a woman like this, if he had known that


    he would meet her like this, if he had known that he would get along with her like this, he would not


    have let anyone touch her.


    He would not even¡­ let her spend three years in prison!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing that he was in a daze, she raised her hand and waved it in front of his eyes.


    He abruptly grabbed her hand, feeling the rough calluses on her palm.


    ¡°You must have had a hard time in prison,¡± he murmured.


    Serenity smiled faintly, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡±


    But the more nonchnt she acted, the more painful he felt.

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    Chapter 38


    What kind of pain did one have to go through before one could talk about these things so casually?


    ¡°I won¡¯t forgive anyone who hurts you from now on,¡± he said, as if he was swearing an oath.


    She rubbed his ck hair and said, ¡°Alright, enough about that. Let¡¯s eat.¡± She lowered her head and


    continued eating.


    His eyes flickered as if he was thinking about something.


    The incident indeed caused quite a stir. However, Jenny could not believe that herpany failed to


    suppress the news from trending.


    The inte was now filled with the news of her losing her ring and the sanitation workers having to


    help her rummage through trash to find it.


    The apanying photos showed her standing next to garbage piles in morous clothes with


    several sanitation workers nearby bending down to look in the garbage.


    Such a huge contrast made many people upset. They used her of having character issues and


    being snobbish.


    Someizensmented, ¡°She lost the ring, but the sanitation workers had to look for it? The


    sanitation workers have been working hard to clean the streets all day. Why didn¡¯t she rummage


    through the trash herself?¡±


    ¡°Is she superior to normal folks just because she¡¯s a celebrity?¡±


    ¡°Why should she take up the city¡¯s resources? She doesn¡¯t pay the sanitation workers, so why should


    all those people look for the ring for her?¡±


    Even though Jenny¡¯s fans tried hard to defend their idol, they could not stop the torrent of negative


    comments, especially since there were quite a few people at the scene, and many of them took videos


    which theyter uploaded onto the Inte.


    ¡°Why is this still trending?¡± Seeing more and more negativements on the Inte, Jenny could no


    longer sit still.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. The major entertainment ounts are also refusing to take down the relevant


    content.¡± Her agent paused for a moment before he asked with some hesitation, ¡°Jenny, did you offend


    anyone?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± She was backed by the Hall family and was about to marry into the Shaw family. Other


    people should be the ones who were scared of offending her, except¡­.


    Jenny¡¯s body stiffened. Could it be Jackson Valor?


    The major entertainment ounts and media outlets adamantly refused to withdraw the content. They


    would rather offend the Shaw family and the Hall family. Not many people in Sria had the ability to


    make them do that. Jackson Valor was definitely one of them.


    Was Jackson Valor mad at the Shaw family for her sister¡¯s death? But in the past few years, the Valor


    Group was not hostile to the Shaw family. They were also doing business as usual with the Hall family.


    And when the two families extended a wedding invitation to Jackson Valor, he epted it.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    But he also took down the advertisements, so Jenny was not so sure anymore.


    The next day, the police issued their investigation result. After analyzing some surveince footage that


    they managed to obtain, they confirmed that Jenny actually did not lose any ring that day.


    The surveince footage of Jenny on the way to the site of the incident showed that the only ring she


    wore was the one on her pinky. There were no other rings besides that. The ring was still on Jenny¡¯s


    finger when she asked the sanitation workers to look for the ring she had supposedly lost.


    Jenny¡¯s reputation instantly took a nosedive. The fans who defended her at first were powerless to do


    so anymore. What else could they say? The police had issued a detailed investigation report.


    (+

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    Chapter 39


    Many of her fans even expressed their disappointment in her and imed they would not be her fans


    anymore.


    Some of Jenny¡¯s more loyal fans expressed their disbelief. They wondered if there was a mistake


    somewhere.


    Another person who was in disbelief was Jenny herself. The police actually issued an investigation


    report, and she only found out about it the same time everyone else did!


    Jenny shivered. How could this happen?


    Could her public persona and the career she had worked so hard for be destroyed just like that?


    But the worst was yet toe. Jackson Valor¡¯s personal secretary, Connor Gunn, informed the Hall


    family and the Shaw family that Jackson Valor would not attend their engagement party.


    The public naturally thought it was rted to Jenny¡¯s recent negative press.


    Serenity was a bit surprised when she saw the police investigation report. She did not expect it toe


    out so quickly. She was also surprised that the Halls and the Shaws did not suppress the news. In fact,


    the topic was still trending.


    ¡°Jenny Hall is such a b*tch! She made us look for her ring when she didn¡¯t even drop any ring!¡± In the


    Sanitation Office, the staff were talking about the incident.


    ¡°No wonder so many people on the Inte are ming her.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s strange. Why would a big celebrity like her lie and make us look for a ring that doesn¡¯t exist?¡±


    someone wondered.


    ¡°She probably has nothing better to do.¡±


    X asked, ¡°Serenity, I saw Jenny Hall talking to you for a long time that day. Do you know each


    other?¡±


    Quinn Fender happened to be passing by and heard her. She said mockingly, ¡°X, are you kidding?


    There¡¯s no way Jenny Hall would know Serenity. Jenny Hall is famous.¡±


    ¡°But I saw her talking to Serenity that day.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Maybe Serenity offended Jenny, and that¡¯s why she lied and said that she lost the ring,¡± spected


    Quinn. Then, as if she had caught the culprit, she said, ¡°So it was you, Serenity! You caused us to


    rummage through the garbage!¡±


    Because Peter liked Serenity, Quinn was always finding faults with her. X did not expect Quinn to


    me Serenity like this.


    Serenity gave Quinn a casual nce and said, ¡°When a person lies, instead of ming the person who


    lies, you me someone else for making that person lie? Your sense of right and wrong is


    unbelievable.¡±


    Quinn blushed profusely but could not refute. She could only re at Serenity hatefully before walking


    away.


    In the Valor Residence, Jenny and her father Quinton Hall stood in the living room anxiously, waiting for


    Jackson Valor.


    ¡°You brat, why would you even do something like that? Serenity Lewis is just a sanitation worker now.


    She¡¯s not worth your time. Why would you mess with her?¡± Quinton admonished his daughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m still mad that she killed Mira! If not for her, Jackson Valor wouldn¡¯t be angry with the Shaw family,


    and Zeke¡¯s ads wouldn¡¯t be taken down,¡± Jenny said a little indignantly.


    Quinton¡¯s expression wasplicated. His lips moved slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

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    ¡°Dad, you miss Mira too, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Jenny. ¡°When I saw Serenity Lewis that day, she did not


    look remorseful about Mira¡¯s death at all.¡±


    ¡°Enough. Stop speaking of that woman,¡± said Quinton.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The sound of footsteps made them turn around. They saw Jackson Valor walking down the stairs.


    ¡°You want to see me?¡± Jackson asked indifferently as he eyed the two people in front of him.


    When Jackson¡¯s icy gaze swept past her, Jenny felt her body stiffen. This was the man her sister was


    madly in love with back in the days!


    Jenny still remembered her sister Mira once telling her with a dreamy face, ¡°Jenny, I once thought that


    I¡¯d never be able to make a man like Jackson Valor mine. He¡¯s too cold, too rational. Even if you hold


    him, you can¡¯t feel his warmth. He¡¯s like a delicate and beautiful porcin; you can see his surface, but


    never his inside.¡±


    Jenny felt the same way about Jackson Valor. Every time she saw him, she felt that she could never tell


    what¡¯s on his mind.


    Therefore, even though Jackson Valor was extremely handsome and was the CEO of the Valor Group,


    Jenny never had any intention of dating him.


    He was simply too scary, too cold.


    Even though Mira loved Jackson Valor wholeheartedly and even managed to convince him to marry


    her, Jenny felt that Jackson Valor never actually loved her sister.


    At her sister¡¯s funeral, Jackson did not shed a single tear. He did not look sad at all.


    ¡°Jack, Jenny is young and naive, so she often makes mistakes. I already gave her a talking¨Cto. I hope


    you can attend the engagement party. Jenny is Mira¡¯s only sister. I believe Mira would have wanted you


    to attend Jenny¡¯s engagement party too,¡± said Quinton with an earnest look.


    Jackson looked at Quinton with a strange smile. Quinton instantly felt like his throat had gone dry. He


    could not say another word.


    Quinton had been involved in the business world for many years, but now, in front of a man who almost


    became his son¨Cin-w, he felt pressured, as if the man could see through his thoughts and ns.


    ¡°She¡¯s young and naive indeed. She didn¡¯t even lose any ring, but even if she did, so what? It¡¯s not


    important enough to make such a big fuss about it. You raised such a good daughter, Quinton,¡± said


    Jackson with a faint smile.


    Quinton forced a smile in return.


    Jenny¡¯s face was flushed red. She was a youngdy from the Hall family and a famous celebrity.


    People treated her with respect wherever she went. She had never been mocked like this before.


    But the person who was mocking her right now was jackson Valor. She could only endure it!


    ¡°I can go to the engagement party.¡± Jackson slowly stood up and said, ¡°But since your daughter likes to


    look for things so much, then maybe she can help me look for something first.¡±


    What?


    Quinton and Jenny looked at Jackson in confusion.


    Jackson walked to the side of the living room and pulled open the ss door. There was a man¨Cmade


    pond outside the door. He threw a ring he was ying with into the pond and told Quinton indifferently,


    ¡°If your daughter can find the ring, I¡¯ll attend the engagement party.¡±


    The two Halls were dumbfounded.


    They had to look for a tiny ring¡­ in a pond?! He¡¯s gotta be kidding!

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    Chapter 41


    He paused as his eyes swept across the two dumbfounded people, ¡°If they leave before that, they¡¯re


    not allowed to step foot in this residence ever again.¡±


    The father and daughter flinched.


    Jackson¡¯s words undoubtedly meant that, if they left without finding the ring, the Valor family would


    sever all ties with them.


    After Jackson left, Quinton and Jenny looked at each other.


    The pond was not that deep, but its bottom was filled with mud. It was not that big either, but it was still


    about 100 square feet in size. Finding a small ring in that pond was not an easy task.


    Jenny felt like crying. ¡°Daddy, what should we do? Do I really have to go down there to find the ring?


    It¡¯s so cold out there! How can I find the ring by myself?!¡±


    ¡°You made this mess, so you must clean it up. You know what will happen to the Hall family if the Valor


    family sever ties with us!¡± Quinton said with a serious expression.


    The future of the Hall family was at stake. He could not indulge his daughter anymore.


    Jenny fell silent. Of course she knew that the Hall family relied on the Valor Group in several major


    business deals. If Jackson Valor cut ties with them, it would be an absolutely devastating blow to the


    Hall family.


    Jenny had no choice but to step into the pond to look for the tiny ring.


    It never crossed her mind that this was Jackson¡¯s revenge for Serenity. Jackson was paying her back


    for what she did to Serenity!


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When Jackson returned to the rental house, Serenity was doingundry.


    Her hands were submerged in cold water. They had turned red from the cold..


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use hot water?¡± he asked with a frown.


    ¡°Heating the water uses a lot of electricity. After being in cold water for a while, my hands will warm up,


    so it¡¯s fine,¡± said Serenity. She rinsed the clothes one more time and twisted them to squeeze the water


    out.


    He grabbed her hands. They were ice cold.


    ¡°Next time you doundry, use hot water. Don¡¯t mind the electric bill. I¡¯ll earn the money to pay for it,¡±


    he said.


    Serenityughed. She gently flicked his forehead and said, ¡°We should save money whenever we can.


    We already have to spend money on a lot of things. How did the dinner with your co¨Cworkers go?¡±


    ¡°It was all right,¡± replied Jackson. Having dinner with his co¨Cworkers was the excuse he used. Unless


    he¡¯s mistaken, Jenny Hall should be looking for the ring in the pond right now.


    He wondered how long it would take for Jenny to find it.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s grown even longer,¡± Serenity¡¯s murmur snapped Jackson back to his senses. She was


    inspecting his fringe.


    ¡°Jack, why don¡¯t I trim your fringe for you? It¡¯s a little too long. It must be affecting your vision,¡± she


    said.


    He stared at her. There seemed to be a light flowing in his eyes. After a few moments, he slowly said,


    ¡°Sure.¡± Serenity only had simple tools ¨C ab, a pair of scissors, and a piece of cloth that she


    wrapped around Jackson¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 42

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    Chapter 42


    She gentlybed his fringe and trimmed the fringe little by little with a pair of scissors. She looked


    very focused. All her concentration was on the fringe. She did not even notice the pair of beautiful eyes


    under the fringe watching her.


    Jackson stared at her. Her face was slightly red due to the cold weather. He looked at her pretty eyes,


    her small nose, her pink lips, and her beautiful face. The more he looked at her, the harder he found it


    to look away. Under the light, her body seemed


    to emanate a warm aura.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s done.¡± After a while, he suddenly heard her say.


    ¡°It¡¯s done?¡± he asked. All the time he spent with her seemed to pass by very quickly.


    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± She smiled and took two steps back to scrutinize him. ¡°It¡¯s not bad. My skills are pretty


    good. We saved a few dors.¡±


    She chuckled, then took a dry towel and helped him dust off some of the fine strands of hair that had


    fallen onto his face, neck


    and clothes.


    ¡°All right, go take a shower,¡± said Serenity.


    Jackson nodded, took a change of clothes and walked into the small bathroom. He let warm water


    wash over his body. He looked down and saw the scar on his chest.


    Time had passed and the scar had now be very shallow, but every time he saw it, it still reminded


    him of that woman.


    The woman who had abandoned him and his father.


    This wound was probably the only thing that woman left for him.


    At the time, he knelt and begged her not to leave him and his father, but she ruthlessly pushed him


    away and left without looking back.


    His chest mmed into a metal sp ik e. Afterwards, the doctor told him that the sp ik e was really close


    to his heart. If it had been a little more to the side, he would have lost his life.


    At that time, he told himself that the woman was no longer his mother.


    After the death of his father, he was even more unwilling to have any expectations of anyone. Without


    expectations, there would be no disappointment.


    But¡­


    Jackson turned off the faucet, grabbed a towel, dried his body and put on his clothes. When he walked


    out of the bathroom, his eyes fell on Serenity who seemed to be looking at something at the table.


    Since when did he start having expectations of her? He looked forward to seeing her smile, to seeing


    her happy, to seeing her look at him with gentle eyes and call him ¡°Jack¡°.


    ¡°Are you done showering? Let me help you blow your hair dry,¡± she said as she got up to get the hair


    dryer.


    He went over to the table and saw some papers she had spread out on the table. They were¡­ copies


    of the files from her old


    case.


    His eyes flickered. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± he asked despite already knowing the answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s something rted to my case,¡± she replied. ¡°Lisa helped me collect them.¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking at them?¡± he asked.


    Yeah, why? Serenity asked herself that question all the time. She had tried to appeal her case for three


    years but to no avail. She¡¯s not even sure if she could locate the witnesses now. What could a


    sanitation worker like her do?


    ¡°Maybe¡­ it¡¯s because there are still parts of this case that I can¡¯t figure out,¡± Serenity muttered.


    She could not figure out why her alcohol test showed that her Blood Alcohol Concentration was high


    enough to reach the


    standard of drunk driving even though she clearly did not drink any liquor that day.

 Chapter 43

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    Chapter 43


    She also could not understand why Mira Hall¡¯s car woulde crashing towards hers.


    She also could not understand why all the witnesses said she was in the wrong.


    She was fighting against the world. All the evidence and witnesses back then pointed to her being the


    perpetrator.


    After all, Mira Hall was going to marry Jackson Valor soon. She had no reason to crash her car into


    Serenity¡¯s to kill herself.


    ¡°Are you trying to overturn the case?¡± Jackson asked.


    Serenity smiled self¨Cdeprecatingly. ¡°I¡¯m just a little unsatisfied, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s not that easy to overturn a


    case. Besides, I¡¯ve already been released from prison. All right, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I¡¯ll


    help you blow your hair dry.¡±


    She put the documents away, grabbed the hair dryer, and helped him blow his wet hair dry.


    A darkness gradually crept into Jackson¡¯s eyes¡­


    The next day, Connor found that his boss¡® hair¡­ seemed to have been trimmed, but he did not


    remember scheduling an appointment with a hair stylist for him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Jackson, probably because Connor had stared at him for too long.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, you haven¡¯t had a haircut in a while. Should I book an appointment with a hair stylist for


    you?¡± asked Connor.


    ¡°No, Serenity just trimmed my hair for me yesterday.¡±


    Serenity¡­ That¡¯s Serenity Lewis, right? But what¡¯s even more surprising was that Mr. Valor actually¡­


    let Serenity trim his hair. His hair was usually designed and taken care of by top hair stylists.


    But Serenity Lewis¡­ was just a sanitation worker. And in the past, she was awyer. She¡¯s not a hair


    stylist.


    ¡°It looks pretty good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Jackson flicked his fringe back. He seemed to be quite satisfied with it.


    Connor¡¯s mouth twitched. Mr. Valor was very picky when it came to his hair. He wondered how the top


    hair stylists who received negative reviews from Mr. Valor would feel if they knew that they had lost to a


    sanitation worker.


    Lisa Quest visited Serenity at noon. The two had lunch together in a small noodle restaurant near the


    Sanitation Office.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about Jenny Hall making you rummage through the trash?¡± Lisained.


    She only found out through the news even though Serenity was her friend.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± Serenity said with a smile.


    Seeing her good friend like this made Lisa feel a bit sad for some reason.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    The Serenity Lewis of the past was absolutely amazing, as if she was favored by the goddess of luck.


    At school, she was always an outstanding top student. After graduating, she was hired by the bestw


    firm in the city. She even dated the young master of the Shaw family!


    Almost everyone envied her. Who would have thought that one day, she would have to rummage


    through trash?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Seeing her friend¡¯s gaze, Serenity could not help


    but sigh. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really. I just rummaged through some trash, that¡¯s all. Besides, I knew that it was all


    an act, so I didn¡¯t do it seriously.¡±


    ¡°Jenny Hall has gone too far. Not only did she do all those things to you in prison, she still wanted to


    make things difficult for you after you got out,¡± Lisa said angrily.


    Serenity fell silent. She suffered a lot of hardship in prison. Some of it was caused by the people who


    wanted to please Jackson Valor, and some of it was caused by the people hired by the Hall family.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    Chapter 44


    ¡°Jenny Hall thinks I killed her sister,¡± Serenity said after a short silence. However, she had never known


    that a person could be so evil before she saw Jenny Hall order her nails to be plucked out of her


    fingers!


    ¡°She¡¯s probably happier that she gets to take your ce,¡± Lisa was still angry. ¡°Less than a month after


    you were sentenced, Zeke Shaw and her already started dating. There¡¯s no way they would get


    together that quickly if she didn¡¯t already have her eyes on him in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°This also shows that the love between Zeke Shaw and I wasn¡¯t actually that strong. I¡¯m d I get to


    see the person he really is,¡± Serenity said with a smile.


    ¡°True that. A man like Zeke Shaw doesn¡¯t deserve your love,¡± said Lisa. She suddenly thought of


    something. ¡°By the way, how are you getting along with that new brother of yours? Do you really n to


    live with him forever?¡±


    ¡°Mm¨Chmm,¡± she nodded. ¡°If Jack is willing to stay with me, then yeah, I¡¯d like that.¡±


    ¡°People who didn¡¯t know better might think that you two are a couple that¡¯s living together.¡± Lisa asked


    anxiously, ¡°Did he do anything bad to you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she answered, but for some reason, the memory of his beautiful eyes staring at her from close


    range came to mind. Her heart started beating fast again.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± When Lisa saw a blush appear on her best friend¡¯s face, she asked in surprise, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me


    you have feelings for him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Serenity denied it. ¡°Lisa, you know how much I¡¯ve been through, especially in prison¡­ I don¡¯t


    intend to fall in love ever again.¡±


    At the mention of prison, Lisa¡¯s face turned gloomy. ¡°Serenity, why don¡¯t you go see a doctor? Maybe


    there¡¯s still hope¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Since I don¡¯t intend to get married for the rest of my life, it doesn¡¯t matter


    anymore,¡± said Serenity. In prison, she was once beaten so badly that her uterus ruptured. Although


    she had healed after the surgery, it would be a lot more dangerous for her to get pregnant now


    compared to normal people. Even the doctor had advised her not to get pregnant


    in the future.


    Perhaps she would never have her own child in this life.


    But even if she did, the child would just suffer with her.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Lisa¡¯s heart ached for her best friend, but she did not know how tofort her, so she could only


    change the subject. ¡°By the way, that brother of yours was still a stranger to you not long ago. You need


    to find out more about him so that you don¡¯t get taken advantage of.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± said Serenity, ¡°But even if I don¡¯t know much about Jack, I can be sure of one thing ¨C Jack will


    not hurt me no matter


    what.¡±


    Lisa saw the smile that crept onto the corners of her friend¡¯s lips at the mention of Jack. She thought it


    was a really nice smile.


    Looks like that Jack was notpletely useless after all!


    Jenny Hall almost stayed in the pond overnight before she finally found Jackson Valor¡¯s ring.


    She was on the verge of copsing when she got out of the pond. She was immediately rushed to the


    hospital to get an IV drip. Of course, she did not forget to ask her agent to take pictures of her and post


    them online to gain sympathy.


    After that, Jenny Hall held a press conference while she was still weak and feeble.


    During the press conference, she apologized in public and exined that the ring was a gift from her


    boyfriend, Zeke Shaw, so she cherished it very much. She thought she was wearing the ring that day,


    so when her friend told her that the ring was not on her hand, she thought it had fallen off.


    And that was why she asked for help to find the ring even though she did not wear it that day.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I apologize to all the sanitation workers who helped me look for the ring while I stood aside


    and did not look for


    the ring together with them. I¡¯ve realized my mistake and will try to do better in the future.¡±

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Chapter 45


    Jenny Hall apologized with a sincere expression. When she bowed, she almost fell because she was


    so weak, and that won her a lot of sympathy.


    After a short pause, she continued, ¡°I will go to the Sanitation Office to express my sincere gratitude to


    the sanitation workers for their help. I will also donate all my ie this year to set up a breakfast


    stand for the sanitation workers. They can receive a free breakfast every day with their work permit.¡±


    When the video of the press conference was posted online, many people felt that Jenny handled the


    crisis very well. Her fans were also actively postingments to help her improve her image.


    Because of this, many people actually thought that the whole thing was just a misunderstanding.


    Jenny Hall¡¯s visit to the Sanitation Office was highly publicized. A lot of reporters followed her there.


    The director of the Sanitation Office arranged for the sanitation workers who helped Jenny find the ring


    to shake hands with Jenny one by one and receive a gift from her.


    X was really happy with the gift. In addition to $70 in cash, there was also a down jacket. Based on


    its quality and brand, it was probably worth over $150.


    ¡°Serenity, why don¡¯t you go take the gift?¡± X asked Serenity when she saw her sitting alone in a


    corner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± Serenity said with a smile.


    ¡°Why? This down jacket is worth more than $150. There¡¯s also $70 in cash, which is a quarter of our


    sry!¡± said X.


    But Serenity merely shook her head.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, it won¡¯t take long. Just take the gift and leave,¡± said X. She dragged Serenity out of the


    office.


    ¡°No, X, I don¡¯t want it. It¡¯s okay,¡± said Serenity.


    But before she could break free of X¡¯s hand, she had already been dragged outside.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more person who hasn¡¯t received a gift!¡± shouted X.


    At once, all the reporters aimed their camera at Serenity.


    Serenity raised her hand to block her face almost instinctively.


    The camera shes reminded her of the time she was surrounded by reporters outside the courtroom.


    At that time, Zeke Shaw¡­ Serenity caught a glimpse of Zeke Shaw standing outside the circle of


    reporters.


    Three years ago, in prison, that man stood in front of her coldly. When Jenny Hall said she wanted to


    break Serenity¡¯s hands, he merely looked down at her bloodied fingers and said ¡°okay¡°.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Three yearster, in the clubhouse, as she was being tormented, Jenny Hall said they had to go to


    meet up with Jackson Valor. All Zeke Shaw said was ¡°okay¡°.


    Some things remained the same even after three years.


    Serenity put down her hand. She felt a lot calmer now.


    Zeke Shaw was slightly stunned when he saw Serenity. After all,pared to thest time they met,


    he could take a good look


    at her this time.

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    Chapter 46


    Chapter 46


    Even though her face remained the same, it felt more weathered. She was also wearing a fluorescent


    work uniform instead of branded clothes.


    Zeke stared at her in a daze. The scene of her desperately crawling to him and begging him to believe


    her once again surfaced in his mind.


    At that time, she had looked at him with eyes that were eager, hopeful, and pleading¡­ but now, her


    eyes were like a calmke that had no ripples.


    Jenny saw her boyfriend¡¯s reaction from the corner of the eye. She handed the gift box to Serenity with


    a warm smile and said, ¡°This is for you. I¡¯m sorry for what happened that day. Thank you for helping me


    look for the ring.¡± She was so different from the demon in the prison!


    Serenity took the box from her in silence. Without saying anything, she turned around and walked


    away.


    Back in the office, Serenity gave X her gift box. ¡°X, you can have this.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t want such a good jacket?¡± X was surprised.


    ¡°I have enough clothes,¡± replied Serenity.


    ¡°But there¡¯s also $70 inside¡­¡±


    ¡°You can have that too,¡± said Serenity. Lunch break was almost over, so Serenity grabbed the cleaning


    tools and got ready to clean the streets again.


    When she went outside, she was relieved to find the reporters gone.


    But she soon ran into Zeke Shaw.


    ¡°Are you¡­ doing all right?¡± asked Zeke. He once hated this woman. He hated her for killing Mira Hall,


    causing his family to me him and almost causing the downfall of the Shaw family.


    But when he saw her in a sanitation worker¡¯s uniform, he truly felt bad for her.


    After all, she was a woman he once loved.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, Mr. Shaw,¡¯ said Serenity indifferently. She tried to walk past him.


    ¡°Stop being so rude, Serenity!¡± Zeke stopped her and said. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Rude?¡± Serenity snickered. She looked at him tly. ¡°Are you going to let Jenny pluck my nails again


    or break my fingers again? Will you only be happy if I can¡¯t even hold a broom anymore?¡±


    It had been three years, but some of the hurt was still there even after all this time.


    When she needed him the most, he looked on coldly and allowed others to hurt her. Now, he came to


    ask her if she was all right?


    How ridiculous!


    Zeke could not help but frown. The way she looked at him and her attitude irritated him slightly.


    Everything that happened to you, you brought upon yourself. You killed Jenny¡¯s sister! Whatever Jenny


    did to you, you have no grounds toin!¡±


    Serenity¡¯s face went pale.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you realize that the person you killed was Mira Hall? Even your own family shunned you. Who


    would dare to show concern for you?!¡± Zeke said angrily, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t because I feel sorry for you now, I


    wouldn¡¯t be¡­¡±


    He pursed his lips and sighed, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll tell mypany¡¯s HR manager to arrange a clerk


    position for you in a subsidiarypany. At least it¡¯s a better job than this.¡±


    No matter what, Serenity was still his ex-girlfriend. Seeing her like this made him unhappy.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Chapter 47


    Serenity grinned as if she found that amusing. She simply walked away.


    Zeke felt like his kindness was wasted on her. A surge of anger rose inside him, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning


    of that, Serenity? I¡¯m taking a great risk trying to help you here!¡±


    ¡°No one asked you to take that risk, Serenity said indifferently, ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t you afraid that your


    dear Miss Hall will find out about this?¡±


    Just then, a voice suddenly came from around theer, ¡®Find out about what?¡±


    Zeke¡¯s body stiffened. His hand that was tugging at Serenity¡¯s arm let go almost instantly. He turned


    around and saw Jenny walking over. He said, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Jenny held Zeke¡¯s arm with a smile. ¡°Zeke, why are you talking to this sort of person? What if Jackson


    Valor finds out? You know my sister is the only woman Jackson Valor is willing to marry. Even though


    she¡¯s passed away for three years, he has dated no one else¡­¡±


    She did not finish her sentence, but her meaning was obvious.


    Zeke¡¯s expression turned unsightly. He was instantly reminded of the 3D projection ads being taken


    down and Jackson Valor¡¯s refusal to participate in their engagement party.


    The Shaw family was actually specting if Jackson Valor still disliked the Shaw family because of


    Serenity Lewis.


    ¡°Being a sanitation worker is all you¡¯re good for, Serenity Lewis. I wonder if Jackson Valor knows that


    you¡¯ve been released from prison. Maybe there won¡¯t even be a ce for you in Sria anymore very


    soon.¡± After saying that, Jenny left holding Zeke¡¯s arm like a high-and-mighty queen.


    Serenity¡¯s face was calm. She picked up her cleaning tools and took a bicycle owned by the Sanitation


    Office to the intersection she was tasked to clean.


    Her love for Zeke Shaw waspletely dead. He was no more than a stranger to her now.


    Even when she saw Zeke and Jenny behaving intimately, she did not feel anything.


    Serenity did not notice a figure not far away who witnessed the entire thing.


    In a certain news agency, reporter Sam Lawson was looking at the content of Jenny Hall¡¯s SanitationOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.


    office trip.


    He frowned when he saw Serenity appear in the video. He kept feeling like he had seen this woman


    somewhere before, but could not remember where exactly.


    Who is this woman? Why does she look so familiar?¡±


    Sam Lawson repeated that part several times. He eventually noticed that when the woman appeared,


    Zeke Shaw seemed to be a little ufortable.


    Zeke Shaw¡­ Something suddenly clicked in Sam¡¯s mind. He quickly went to hisputer to conduct a


    search.


    After a while, he pulled up a news report from three years ago. The woman in the photograph was


    none. other than thest person to receive the gift from Jenny Hall.


    ¡®This is too big of a coincidence! Sam Lawson could not help eximing in his mind.


    Three years ago, she was Zeke Shaw¡¯s girlfriend, and three yearster, she was a sanitation worker


    who received an apology gift from Zeke Shaw¡¯s current girlfriend.


    2/2


    Sam immediately became excited. He could already foresee the amount of retweets and likes that he


    was going to get for this news report. It would trend for sure!


    Sam immediately started to write the report with enthusiasm, but after he finished it and submitted it to


    the editor-in-chief, the editor-in-chief immediately rejected it and asked him to rewrite it.


    ¡°But why?¡± Sam protested, ¡°This report will be a hit for sure!¡±

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    Chapter 48


    Chapter 48


    ¡°The higher-ups have given the order. Anything involving Serenity Lewis can¡¯t be published,¡± said the


    editor -in-chief.


    Sam was astonished. ¡°Is it because of pressure from the Shaw family? No, that didn¡¯t make sense.


    When Jenny had that incident at the Sanitation Office, he wrote a report about Jenny and there was no


    problem at all. Howe they could not write about Serenity Lewis?


    ¡°No, not the Shaw family. All right, enough questions. The bottom line is, if this story gets out, not only


    will you have to quit being a reporter, I might have to quit too,¡± said the editor-in-chief.


    Sam stared at him in disbelief. What the editor-in-chief said¡­ was too shocking.


    ¡°Serenity Lewis¡­ She¡¯s just a sanitation worker. Who would be so protective of her?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too green, In this world, there are always things that are beyond your imagination, the editor-in-


    chief said with a sigh. In truth, he himself did not expect that it was Jackson Valor who wanted to


    protect Serenity Lewis. It waspletely unbelievable.


    Meanwhile, Jackson Valor was watching Serenity clean up the table. He suddenly said, ¡°I heard Jenny


    Hall, the woman who made you look for the ring, went to the Sanitation Office to apologize today.


    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡¯ Serenity replied, ¡°But I already gave X her apology gift.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you saw Zeke Shaw today? I saw on the news that he went along with her,¡± he said


    while carefully watching her reaction.


    ¡°Yeah, I saw him,¡± said Serenity, her face calm. She looked as if she was just talking about a stranger


    who appeared in the gossip column.


    He gave her a peek, then suddenly got up and walked over to her. ¡°Are you sad?¡±


    She looked up at him. She seemed to have understood something, so she smiled and said, ¡°Are you


    worried about me? Don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t feel sad for a man like him.¡±


    Worried? His gaze deepened. There appeared to be something else there besides worry¡­


    She rubbed his head. She seemed to be doing that a lottely. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be sad for someone who doesn¡¯t love me. If I do feel sad, that means I love the person


    a


    lot.¡± Therefore, she was d that she did not feel sad when she saw Zeke Shaw,


    She was also d that Zeke Shaw and her did not end up getting married back in the days,


    Thanks to the tragedy, she was able to see his true character. It was a silver lining.


    ¡°Will you be sad for me one day?¡± Jackson asked.


    He was so possessive of her that he even wanted to own her negative emotions.


    Serenity was dumbstruck. She did not know how to answer that.


    ¡°Will you?¡± he asked again as he bent down and moved closer to her.


    Her heart started beating wildly again.


    ¡°I¡­ Like I said, I will only feel really sad for someone if I love him very much, but Jack, I see you as a


    little brother¡­¡± She felt her mouth going dry.


    ¡°Then you can¡¯t love me?¡± he asked.


    Chapter 4


    2.7


    Boom!


    Her face instantly turned red. She felt like all her blood was rushing to her face. Did he have any idea


    how wrong his words sounded?

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Chapter 49


    However, the pair of eyes under the fringe were unusually direct, as if to him, it was just an innocent


    question.


    ¡®Hmm¡­ Jack looks naive. He probably didn¡¯t mean anything by that,¡¯ thought Serenity.


    She cleared her throat and said, ¡°I can like you, but it¡¯s not love. They¡¯re two different kinds of feelings.


    In my opinion, love is eternal, irreceable, and you would even be willing to¡­ live and die together.¡±


    His dark eyes abruptly narrowed. Live and die together? Strangely enough, when he heard her say


    that, the first thought that came to his mind was¡­ Living and dying together with her did not sound so


    bad.


    Did that mean he was in love with her?


    How could that be? He almostughed out loud at the thought.


    He admitted that he had a fondness for her and felt attached to her. He cared about her and seemed to


    have unknowingly gotten addicted to the feeling of staying by her side. Otherwise, he would not have


    yed this game for so long.


    But falling in love with her¡­ he would not do that.


    He swore to himself a long time ago that he would never fall in love with any woman!


    ¡°Besides, you¡¯ll never make me sad, will you?¡¯ Her gentle voice transmitted into his ears.


    He looked at her slightly red cheeks and her faint smile, and he smiled in response. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll


    never make you sad.¡± He wondered if she would be sad the day she found out that he was Jackson


    Valor.


    Or would she be ted? Maybe she would be ted that she could befriend him?


    But whatever her reaction would be, he could keep his promise to protect her forever. After all, for him,


    it wasn¡¯t anything hard.


    Serenity went to work as usual the next day. After cleaning the streets with X, they went back to the


    Sanitation Office for lunch break. When they arrived, Serenity noticed that their co-workers seemed to


    be stealing nces at her. Some of the gazes were curious, some were contemptuous, some were


    mocking. and some showed sympathy.


    A lot of them were also pointing at her and whispering among each other.


    Serenity was wondering what happened when X walked over from the tool storage room, pulled her


    aside and whispered, ¡°Serenity, were you in jail before?¡±


    Serenity felt as if she was electrocuted. Her face suddenly turned pale. All her questions from a


    moment ago had just been answered.


    In truth¡­ she had long prepared herself me ntally for this moment. She knew that sooner orter, the


    people around her would find out that she was an ex-convict.


    After all, no secret was truly safe in this world.


    But when the secret actually got out, when the people around her started looking at her askew and


    talking about her behind her back, she still felt really vulnerable, like she was standing naked in a


    snowynd.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Oh, no! But you¡¯re such a goodss. How did you end up in jail? What crime did youmit?¡¯ asked


    X. She hade to seek confirmation from Serenity the moment she heard others talking about it,


    so she did not hear the specifics.


    22


    ¡°Involuntary manughter while driving under Influence, Serenity bit her lips and said.


    Normally, the punishment for drunk driving, even if it caused death, was just probation plus


    compensation. However, the Hall family was adamant that they did not want to receive a penny of


    compensation from her. They only wanted her to go to jail.


    ¡°You¡­ Sigh¡­ X sighed. ¡°I heard you used to be awyer, but now you can only clean the streets


    with me. What a shame. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t drive when you¡¯re drunk.¡±


    X rambled on, but she did not look at Serenity with contempt. That warmed Serenity¡¯s heart.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 50


    Chapter 50


    1/2


    But at that moment, Quinn Fender walked over. She looked at Serenity with disdain and said, ¡°X,


    why are you talking to her? She¡¯s an ex-convict! She killed someone!¡±


    ¡°Quinn, why do you have to say that? We¡¯re all co-workers. Besides, she only went to jail because she


    got careless when she drove¡­


    Before X could finish speaking, Quinn already interrupted her, ¡°But the person she killed was Mira


    Hall! X, do you know who Mira Hall is? She¡¯s Jenny Hall¡¯s sister! No wonder Jenny Hall asked us to


    look for a ring that doesn¡¯t exist. She was targeting Serenity all along and we just got dragged into it.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t we all get an apology gift aspensation?¡± said X.


    Quinn was obviously unhappy to see X speak up for Serenity. She was the one who broke the news


    that Serenity had been in prison before.


    She overheard the conversation between Serenity, Zeke Shaw and Jenny Hall by ident, so she


    spent some time looking up various news articles about Zeke Shaw and Jenny Hall on the Inte.


    That was how she discovered that the person who ran over and killed Mira Hall years ago was actually


    Serenity.


    ¡°X, did Serenity bribe you? Is that why you¡¯re speaking up for her?¡± Quinn asked sarcastically.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± X was indignant.


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough. It was an ident. It¡¯s not like Serenity did it on purpose,¡± a male voice


    suddenly interjected.


    Serenity looked up and saw that the man who spoke up for her was Peter Wall.


    But that only made Quinn angrier. The main reason she disliked Serenity was because she liked Peter,


    but Peter liked Serenity.


    ¡°Do


    you think she¡¯ll like you just because you spoke up for her, Peter? Her ex-boyfriend was Zeke Shaw!


    The young master of the Shaw Group!¡±


    Peter Wall¡¯s face turned red.


    Quinn continued to mock Serenity. ¡°But Zeke Shaw probably wants to puke when he sees Serenity now


    since she¡¯s a sanitation worker. Tsk tsk, I wonder if Zeke Shaw throws up when he thinks of how


    intimate they used to be.¡±


    Serenity looked at Quinn coldly. ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°What? Are you going to deny that you were in jail or that you¡¯re Zeke Shaw¡¯s ex-girlfriend?¡± asked


    Quinn condescendingly. ¡°You¡¯re an ex-convict! Stop acting innocent!¡±


    ¡°I am an ex-convict. So what? As for whose ex-girlfriend I am, it¡¯s none of your business. Besides, who


    says I can¡¯t date someone just because I¡¯m a sanitation worker? Are you saying that being a sanitation


    worker will only make people puke?¡±


    Serenity attacked her with question after question. ¡°Quinn, you¡¯re an office worker, but that doesn¡¯t


    mean you can look down on my career!¡±


    Quinn could find no retort.


    There were many sanitation workers in the vicinity, and they were all staring at her! Usually, office


    workers like her tend to have a sense of superiority, but it was not something that could be spoken out


    loud, especially with so many sanitation workers around.


    Chapter 30


    2/2


    ¡°Serenity, you¡­ This ain¡¯t over!¡± Quinn red at Serenity hatefully and walked away.


    Serenity exhaled and was about to walk away too when Peter said, ¡°Serenity¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re


    the kind of person Quinn said you are.¡±


    She stopped, but she did not reply. She walked away.


    She was grateful that Peter Wall was willing to speak up for her, but now that he knew she was an ex-


    convict, surely he would give up on his pursuit of her.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Chapter 51


    That night, Serenity was back at her ce having dimer with Jackson when someone kicked on her


    door.


    She was mildly taken aback since no one lund evere to her ce and lunched on her door before.


    Could it be her father, stepmother, and sistering to cause trouble again?!


    But when she opened the door, she was surprised to find that the person standing outside was Peter


    Wall. He was wearing a ck padded jacket, and his face was slightly flushed red. He looked at


    Serenity while seerning a little embarrassed as he told


    her. ¡°L.¡±


    Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he noticed Jackson walking up behind Serenity, and this made


    him stop speaking abruptly as if he was hesitant to speak.


    Jackson stared straight at the man standing outside the door. He remembered the man to be one of


    Serenity¡¯s colleagues at the Sanitation Office and that he seemed to be interested in Serenity.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked Peter, ¡°Do you need my sister for something?


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°¡­¡± Peter replied, blushing, ¡°I¡¯ve got something to tell Serenity, and I¡¯d like to talk to her privately.¡±


    He then turned to Serenity and added, ¡°Can I talk to you alone, Serenity?¡±


    Jackson frowned slightly. He did not like the casual tone the man used to speak tu Serenity.


    Serenity was about to answer when Jackson interrupted, ¡°What are you going to talk about? Why can¡¯t


    you just speak to her here?¡±


    Well. Peter hesitated


    ¡°Whatever it is,¡± Serenity interceded, ¡°just get straight to the point and say it, Peter.¡±


    ¡°Serenity, L¡­ I just wanted to tell you that I don¡¯t mind the fact that you used to be in prison. I really do


    like you, and I¡¯d like you in be my girlfriend. I¡­ I can wait for you. As long as you¡¯re not interested in


    anyone else yet, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Peter blurted it all out in one breath, almost as if it took him all the courage he had to say those words.


    Serenity froze in a daze. She did not expect Peter to say such things at all.


    Peter continued, ¡°I¡¯m also aware that I¡¯m just a lowly driver now, but I promise that I¡¯ll work very hard to


    provide for my family. I just want to make you happy.¡±¡±


    After finishing his sentence, he did not wait for Serenity¡¯s response before adding, ¡°I¡¯ll give you time to


    think about it.¡±


    Then, he fed the scene.


    Serenity stood rooted to the spot, staring at the man who was hurrying away. She only came back to


    her senses when Jackson put an arm around her waist and pulled her inside the room, mading the


    door behind them shut..


    ¡°What are you¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he pinned her against the door, leaned down


    toward her, and stared piercingly at her with his dark eyes.


    ¡°What are you thinking about, Sis?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡± she replied. They were too close to each other that she found it overwhelming. ¡°Let go of


    me.¡±


    Jackson acted if he had not heard her. In fact, his face inched even closer to her, so close that his lips


    brushed her ears ever so slightly when he asked her, ¡°Are you moved by what that guy just told you?¡±


    Moved? She was not sure about that, but she was certainly surprised. After all, she was convinced that


    after hearing about her tainted past, Peter would undoubtedly give up his feelings for her.


    But not only did he not give up on her, he even carne straight to her ce and said all those things to


    her.


    Very few people would treat someone who had been in prison before so respectfully the way he did.


    Chapter 51


    Jackson¡¯s eyebrows knitted in response to her silence. He hated to see her think about another man.


    For some reason, this made him feel extremely ufortable.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Chapter 52


    ¡°Are you falling in love with him because of what he just told you, Sis?¡±


    Jackson asked the question in a soft voice, but there was a sh of jealousy in his eyes that even he


    himself did not realize.


    His breath brushed against the tip of her nose, and such close distance disconcerted her. A sense of


    danger washed over her. It felt like if she failed to give him the right answer, she would instantly be


    bitten in the neck by a savage beast.


    Good lord, what was she thinking?!


    Serenity silently scoffed at the thought that had just crossed her mind. She reminded herself that the


    man in front of her was Jack, not anyone dangerous at all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any feelings for Peter,¡± she told him. She knew that she could never reciprocate Peter¡¯s


    feelings. She could only apologize to him.


    Her short response cheered Jackson up instantly. He looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you sure you


    haven¡¯t fallen in love with that guy?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie to you about it?¡± she responded. Ever since she was released from prison, she had no


    desire to ever fall in love again for the rest of her life. Love was just too perilous a feeling. Tying her


    heart and soul to another person meant that she would be at risk of seeing her whole worlde


    crashing down when that person abandoned her, and she did not want to ever suffer such a


    devastating blow ever again.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t forget to make your rejection clear to him,¡± Jackson told her with a glint of pleasure in his


    eyes. ¡°Otherwise, a guy like that would wait for you indefinitely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do that,¡± she replied. Since she had no intention of getting into a rtionship with Peter,


    she certainly would not drag this matter out any longer.


    Besides, Peter was a decent man. He deserved true love. He should not be wasting his time on her.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Jackson abruptly asked, ¡°How did he find out that you used to be in prison?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Serenity¡¯s Cave darkened.


    ¡°Someone at work discovered the news about the car crash, so now everyone at the Sanitation Office


    knows that I used to be In prison.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she continued, changing the subject, ¡°you can let me go now. I¡¯m going to clean up the room.¡±


    Only then was he willing to let go of her. As she walked past him, it felt as if she was taking a trace of


    warmth away with her 100.


    Without realizing it, he rubbed his lunds together and raised his head to watch her walk away.


    This was all just a game to him, yet now, he was getting more and more attached to her. She now


    gradually meant more and more to him. He even felt that it would not he had at all if he could have this


    woman by his side for the rest of his life.


    For a few days after that, Serenity could sense that people were whispering beltind her back at work.


    Most of her colleagues would keep a distance from her. She had long been prepared for this to happen.


    After all, there was nothing she could do to change her past


    Luckily, K still treated her the same as usual. She would watch over Serenity whenever she was at


    work, and Serenity was Immensely grateful to her for it.


    As they were chatting during a break, X asloed curiously, ¡°Serenity, why are you wasting your time


    doing this job when you¡¯re actually a college graduate? You¡¯re not nning to sweep the streets for the


    rest of your life, are you?¡±


    Serenity replied bluntly, ¡°I have a criminal record, so it¡¯s pretty hard for ine to get any job.¡±


    Whenever a prospective employer found out that she had a criminal record, they would ask for the


    specific detalls, and when


    Chapter 52


    they discovered that she was the one responsible for the death of M Hall, Jackson Valor¡¯s fiancee, all


    of them would reject her application without exception.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Chapter 53


    In fact, at first, it was almost impossible for her to find any job that would enable her lo stand on her


    own two feet at all. ¡°But you still shouldn¡¯t waste your time staying in this kind of job,¡± said X. ¡°If you


    go on like this, you¡¯ll never find a nice man to marry!¡±


    For a woman like X, what concerned her the most was marriage and how to find a suitable match.


    ¡°It looks like Peter doesn¡¯t mind your past,¡± she continued, ¡°so are you really not going to consider him?


    You can¡¯t find many honest and decent men like him these days, you know.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Serenity. ¡°I can¡¯t possibly be in a rtionship with Peter.¡±


    X paused for a moment before eximing, ¡°Serenity! You aren¡¯t rejecting him because he¡¯s just a


    driver, are you? Granted, he¡¯s not a rich man, especially whenpared to your ex¨Cboyfriend, but¡­¡±


    ¡°X!¡± Serenity interrupted her. ¡°That¡¯s not what I thought at all! I just.. I¡¯ve been through so much, and


    I really have no desire to fall in love with anyone ever again¡±


    ¡°Sally girl!¡± X sighed ¡°Haven¡¯t you considered that if you stay single for the rest of your life, you¡¯d


    regret itter? You may be fine now, but when you grow old, you¡¯ll be miserable because you¡¯d have no


    children by your side. You have no idea how unbearable it will be when you¡¯re all alone!¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Children¡­ Serenity smiled wryly. The thought of having her own family sounded like an oundish


    fantasy now.


    After a whole day of working, Serenity and X started to pack up all their cleaning tools and headed


    back to the Sanitation Office. When they were returning the tools, Serenity did not see Quinn Fender,


    the woman who had been terrorizing her every chance she got, anywhere in the office, but just as she


    was about to go wash her hands, she noticed Quinn standing next to Peter near the sink


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Serenity used to be in prison?!¡± she heard Quinn assert angrily. ¡°Why the hell


    would you want to wait for a woman like that? Am I even worse than a jailbird in your eyes?!¡±


    ¡°Will you shut up about her having been in prison already?!¡± Peter countered with displeasure. ¡°It was


    an ident! She didn¡¯t mean to harm anyone!¡±


    ¡°She was drunk driving!¡± Quinn argued. ¡°That means she meant to harm people! She¡¯s clearly just a slt


    who¡¯s trying to seduce you!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll dly be seduced!¡± Peter snapped back.


    Hearing that these two were talking about her, she instinctively tried to avoid them, but before she


    could leave, Quinn suddenly noticed her and yelled, ¡°Serenity, you shameless b*tch! You were


    eavesdropping, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Serenity sighed and stopped in her tracks. Meanwhile, Peter appeared awkward and embarrassed


    when he saw Serenity there.


    ¡°This Sanitation Office is a public ce,¡± Serenity calmly said, ¡°and I only came here to wash my


    hands, not to listen in on anyone¡¯s private conversation. If you¡¯re so worried about people overhearing


    you, you should¡¯ve found yourselves a room and closed the door before you started talking.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Quinn gave Serenity a death stare. Before she walked away, she threatened, ¡°Just wait and


    see what¡¯sing for you!¡±


    Serenity¡¯s face was mildly flushed red. She had heard the exact same threat more than a few times


    before in prison.


    Peter looked at Serenity with slight embarrassment before telling her, ¡°Don¡¯t take whatever she said


    just now to heart.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she replied.


    Sering that she had bumped into him now, Serenity decided that she should take the opportunity to talk


    to him and settle the imatter once and for all.


    ¡°Anyway, I hope you¡¯ll stop wasting your time on me from now on. The fact is, she¡¯s right. I used to be


    in prison. I¡¯m not at suitable match for you.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t mind it,¡± he assured her hastily. Seeing her suspicious eyes, he added, ¡°I.. I know that


    you¡¯re a good person, Serenity, so I really don¡¯t care that you¡¯ve been in prison before.¡±


    As he spoke, he started to blush again while the memory of his first time seeing Serenity shed in his


    mind.

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    Chapter 54


    1/2


    He had just gotten off work at the time when he had seen Serenity kneeling on the side of the road,


    trying her best tofort acrying little girl. She had sung to the girl, danced, and made all kinds of silly


    and funny moves in an attempt to cheer the girl up without caring about how the people around her


    might think, and in the end, she had seeded in making; the girl stop


    crying


    After that, she had bought the girl abun and stood there while reporting to the police, never leaving the


    girl¡¯s side until her parents came to take her safely home.


    Eventually, the police had returned with the girls family. The parents had tried to give her a hundred


    dors for helping keep their daughter safe, even stuffing the money into her hands, but all she had


    done was smile and shake her head firmly,


    refusing to ept even a single cent.


    Once the girl had finally left with her parents, Serenity stood quietly in the same spot, staring at the


    young family walk away with a peaceful smile on her face,


    At that moment, Peter was suddenly hit by a realization that what he really wanted was a calm and


    level¨Cheaded woman Serenity. He had no idea if this counted as love at first sight, but he knew that it


    was the first time in his life for him to fall love with a woman in such a fashion.


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t mind it,¡± Serenity continued, ¡°what about your parents? Would they let you marry a


    woman who¡¯s been in prison before?¡±


    Peter froze. The color drained from his face, and he became slightly pale.


    ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t about two people,¡± said Serenity. ¡°It¡¯s about two families. You don¡¯t even know what my


    family is like. Besides, 1 don¡¯t have any feelings for you, so please just stop wasting your time with me.¡±


    After speaking, Serenity headed to a sink and washed her hands.


    Peter stond aside in a daze, almost as if her words were a huge blow to him. Just when Serenity was


    done washing her hands. and was about to leave, he suddenly uttered, ¡°But what if I manage to


    persuade my parents to ept you.¡±


    She paused and then turned toward him as she said, ¡°That doesn¡¯t change anything. If I really liked


    you, I¡¯d stay by your side even if your parents don¡¯t approve of me. I¡¯d be by your side till the day your


    parents finally gave in. But the truth is, I only regard you as a colleague, nothing more. I don¡¯t have any


    feelings for you at all.¡±


    She could not have spoken in a harsher or more nt way than that.


    Peter¡¯s face became even more sickly and pale now.


    Just as she was about to head home, Serenity noticed that there was a familiar figure when she walked


    out of the Sanitation Office entrance, and this person seemed to be eagerly waiting for her.


    ¡°Jack!¡°¡± she shouted, running up toward him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I got off work early today,¡± he exined before talking her hand as if it was the most natural thing to


    do, ¡°so I came here to pick you up.¡±


    At that moment, Peter walked out of the entrance and bumped into them. He nodded his head at then


    awkwardly before heading straight toward the parking lot


    Jackson casually asked, ¡°Have you rejected hirm, Sis?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± she replied, although she felt that she might have hurt Peter¡¯s feelings with her words. Still, it


    was kitler to let him down now instead of dragging the whole thing out indelinitely,


    ¡°Actually, I think he shouldn¡¯t have wasted his time on me at all. He can find a much better woman than


    me.


    Serenity knew that she was no great beauty, and besides, she had a lowly job and even had a criminal


    record, so she just could not figure out why Peter would be so persistent in pursuing her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrung,¡± Jackson corniscted her. ¡°It¡¯s you whi


    rves a much better. thon that guy. He¡¯s not worthy of


    you,¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Serenity smiled but did not take those words to heart.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Chapter 55


    So, not only are you trying to seduce Peter, but you¡¯ve also been hooking up with another man,


    Quinn¡¯s shrill using voice suddenly rang through the air.


    Serenity was annoyed, but she knew that this world would never be rid of pesky people like Quinn.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Jackson tumed around, and his cold gaze fell on this in¨Clooding woman with a sharp tongue.


    As soon as Quinn got a good look at Jackson, astonishment shed through her eyes. This man was


    even more handsome th all the actors she had seen on television! Although his thick bangs covered


    parts of his face, it only made her feel that if this man were to tidy up his hairstyle and change into


    better clothes, he could easily give all those male superstars a run for their money!


    Quinn was instantly struck by jealousy. How could a woman like Serenity not only steal Peter¡¯s heart


    but also attract such a handsome man?


    Her lips curled up into a sinister smile, and she said, ¡°Are you Serenity¡¯s friend? You¡¯re probably


    unaware that she¡¯s been in prison before. A few years ago, she was drunk driving when she crashed


    into another car and killed someone. Imagine, she drove her car even though she was drunk! That¡¯s


    likemitting a murder on purpose!¡±


    To Quinn¡¯s utter disappointment, there was no shock, astonishment, or even concern on the man¡¯s face


    at all after hearing what she had to say, Instead, he looked as calm as ever. The only detectable


    change was his gaze, which had be even colder now.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re the one who spread the news to everyone else,¡± said Jackson, his prating gaze


    fixed on Quinn.


    Quinn was now inexplicably filled with terror. It felt as if horrible things would happen to her if she


    admitted to the deed. Still, she bit her lips and defiantly responded, ¡°So what if I did? I was only doing


    the right thing! Everyone has the right to know that there¡¯s a criminal among their colleagues! If she¡¯s


    so afraid of people finding out, she shouldn¡¯t havemitted the crime back then!


    Jackson suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°So you admitted it. Good.¡±


    After speaking, hepletely ignored Quinn and turned to Serenity, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sis. I¡¯m tired of


    this woman now.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Serenity replied.


    Quinn red at them as they walked away. Sis?! Could that man really be Serenity¡¯s brother? They did


    not even look alike! Besides, that man seemed to be about the same age as Serenity!


    Yet, for whatever reason, she got goosebumps when she thought of the man¡¯s soft chuckle earlier.


    Serenity dragged Jackson away from the Sanitation Office, but she did not lead him back to her ce.


    Instead, she headed in


    another direction


    ¡°I got paid today,¡± she told him, ¡°so let¡¯s go out and have dinner outside! Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think


    we¡¯ve ever proper dinner outside before ever since we met!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a nice dinner, then,¡± said Jackson. ¡°Hut let me pay this time since I¡¯ve earned some money


    too. You¡¯ve been taking good care of me all this while, so it¡¯s my turn to repay you, Sis.¡±


    Serenity felt strangely proud, almost as if her own little brother had finally grown i


    ¡°Go ahead, then!¡± she said, smiling. The bad mood she had been in because of Quinn nove quickly


    dissipated


    The two of them soon came to a shopping mall downtown where Serenity decided on a popr


    restaurant to have dinner at


    ¡°The food here isn¡¯t bad at all, and their price is reasonable tou. Back then, my colleagues and I would


    always..¡±


    Serenity paused abruptly mid¨Csentence.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    Chapter 56


    In the past, Serenity would alwayse here for a meal with her colleagues at thew firm after work.


    Back then, eating here was nothing more than a normal routine after an ordinary workday, yet now,


    having a meal here felt like a rare treat and an extravagant one at that.


    ¡°It looks pretty good!¡± said Jackson, trying to distract Serenity by changing the subject. ¡°I¡¯ll let you order,


    then ¡±


    Serenity then ordered some dishes for bath of them. She only chose the cheaper dishes, and the most


    expensive one, a shrimp dish, cost about a dors. All the dishes added up to about 25 dors, which


    was not that much at all, but it was still the most expensive meal Serenity had had in a long time.


    Jackson urged her to order more food, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sis, I can afford it.¡±


    However, Serenity merely replied, ¡°This is more than enough for both of us to have a nice meal.


    There¡¯s no need to order more food.¡±


    Not long afterward, the waiter brought all the dishes to the table, and they both began to enjoy their


    meal. The food there was much better than all the simple dishes they had been eating together all this


    while. As they tucked into the shrimp dish, Jackson very thoughtfully peeled the shell off the shrimps


    before cing them onto Serenity¡¯s te


    Stunned, she stared silently at those shrimps


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± he asked.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Serenity smiled gently and replied, ¡°I just realized that you¡¯re a really sweet guy, Jack Anyone lucky


    enough to date you would be a very happy woman!


    Having said that, she stuffed a shrimp into her mouth. She remembered a scene in a television series


    she used to watch where the male protagonist had peeled the shrimps for the female protagonist, and


    how it used to fill her with a warm feeling inside.


    The gesture might seem small and insignificant, yet it could make someone feel treasured and


    cherished.


    Back when she was dating Zeke Shaw, not once had he ever peeled any shrimps for her. In fact, she


    could now clearly see that wwen while they were dating, although Zeke had repeatedly told her he


    loved her, his actions proved that he never cared much


    for her at all


    It should have been no surprise then that when she had gotten into trouble, he had immediately


    distanced himself from her! ¡°Is that so?¡± Jackson responded in a soft voice. Dating, huh? To him, it


    sounded like such an immature thing to do. He figured he would probably never do such a thing with


    any woman in his life.


    As for marriage, he thought he might consider it, but only as a means to advance his career.


    Once they had both finished their meal, Jackson got up from his seat to pay the bill. Serenity was about


    to get up ton when she suddenly recognized a few familiar faces cutside through the ss wall, and


    they were heading inside the restaurant.


    She turned her back almost instinctively, not wishing for them to see her. s, it seemed that the more


    she wished against something, the more likely it was to happen.


    Those familiar faces were now inside the restaurant, and the waiter was leading them toward a table


    near her. They were now


    heading her way,


    Serenity¡¯s heart pounded in her chest.


    She could hear Jackson¡¯s voice asking ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sis?¡±


    Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around Jackson¡¯s waist and huned her face in his chest


    Jackson was stunned but said putting, and he just let her bug him like that


    After a while, he finally asked, ¡°sis?¡±

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    Chapter 57


    Serenity raised her head ever so slightly to nce rideways. She then breathed a sigh of relief and


    looked up at Jackson, asking. ¡°Have you paid the hill?


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± she said, grabbing her handbag. Then, as if trying to escape something, she hurried


    out of the restaurant.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jackson asked. ¡°Are you hiding from someone?


    She paused her steps. A peculiar look flushed across her face, and she said, ¡°My former colleagues


    were in that restaurant,


    I didn¡¯t want them to see me


    As she spoke, she chackled, almost as if marlding herself, and she added, ¡°Isn¡¯t it ridiculous? They all


    know what has happened to me, and they must¡¯ve guessed how far I¡¯ve fallen now, yet I still can¡¯t face


    them and want to hide from them.¡±


    She did not want to see the pity in their eyes. She did not want to see them feeling sorry for her.


    and


    Back then, she had fought tooth and nail to build herself a sessful career as awyer, yet now, while


    all her colleagues were still in the profession, that path was closed off to her forever.


    The derision she felt for herself at that mament suddenly made him feel deeply sorry for her.


    ¡°Then just avold them this time,¡± he said softly, holding her hand tight. ¡°One day, you¡¯ll shine even


    brighter than them, Sis.¡±


    any


    of


    Shine.. she smiled butterly. At present, she no longer dared to dream of a bright future because she


    had to fight with all her might just to survive from day to day.


    ¡°I heard Jenny say you tried to get that woman. Serenity Lewis, a job the other day. I¡¯m warning you,


    don¡¯t ever get Involved with that woman again! She was the one who killed Jenny¡¯s sister, Jackson


    Valor¡¯s fiancee! Our family simply can¡¯t afford to offend Jackson Valor!¡±


    Zeke¡¯s father¡¯s stern voice rang in his ear through the phone. Zeke frowned slightly and simply replied,


    ¡°I know, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever offend Jackson Valor,¡± was a sentence that he had heard too many times before. Back


    then, everyone had med him for choosing a woman like Serenity to be his girlfriend. Fortunately,


    after breaking up with her, he had started dating Jenny Hall, whom his family very much approved of


    The Shaw family and the Hall family were equals, so they were a good match. They had almost gotten


    married then, and the two families had nearly be inws. Although the marriage had note to


    pass, the two families still got along we??


    The Shaw family hoped that if things turned really bad for them, the Hall family might be able to save


    them by persuading Jackson Valor to go easy on them.


    After the call ended, Zeke stared ahead at the red light in front of him and slowly stepped on the


    brakes. The image of Serenity crossed his mind, and he could not deny that she was no longer the


    same woman she used to be all those years ago. Although she might still look exactly the same, the


    aura she now exuded waspletely different. Not to mention that the sanitation worker uniform she


    had been wearing convinced him that he made the absolutely correct choice in breaking up with her


    back then.


    He now knew that Jenny was his suitable match. As for Serenity, she now belonged in the past, a past


    that might forever be a stain on him should anyone mention it to him in the future. He felt slightly guilty


    when he saw how she had ended up now, of course. After all, when she had asked him to collect the


    evidence for her back then, he not only refused her but even broke up with her right then and there.


    Still, it was ultimately her own fault that she had killed Mira Hall! That one tragle mistake meant that she


    had not only offended the Hall family but the powerful Valor family as well. How could be ever help her


    then?!


    As these thoughts went through his mind, a slender figure at the intersection that he saw through the


    windshield caught his


    eye.


    Chapter 57


    1/2


    That was. Serenity!


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Zeke was taken alsack, but what shocked him more was the discovery that there was a man by


    man¡¯s side. They were


    saying something to each other, and then Serenity slowly raised her head toward the man while the


    man leaned gently down toward her, their faces inching toward each oflier.


    It clearly looked like they were going in for a kiss!


    Anger bubbled up inside him. He did not expect Serenity to find a new man so soon after being


    released from prison. He really should not have wasted his time trying to help her!

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Chapter 58


    The red light soon turned green.


    Zeke was about to drive away, but his whole body suddenly froze when he realized that the man beside


    Serenity looked very familiar¡­ The image of the only man in the whole of Sria that he must never


    offend popped up in his mind.


    That man looked just like Jackson Valor!


    But how could it be him? How could Jackson Valor be with Serenity?! The idea itself was ridiculous!


    The car behind Zeke honked, urging him to move already, but at that moment, the man beside Serenity


    suddenly turned around and looked up in Zeke¡¯s direction. As soon as Zeke could see the man¡¯s face,


    he felt as if the blood in his body had frozen inte ice.


    Jack Jackson Valor?!


    Was it really Jackson Valor?! Sure, the man¡¯s clothes and hairstyle were different from what he


    remembered, but that face was simply identical to the man himself!


    Zeke drove away while his body was still stiff in shock, and he could not help but doubt if what he had


    just seen was real.


    Meanwhile, at the intersection, Serenity rubbed her eyes again and again until, atst, her eyes were


    clear of any sand. It looked like Jack really did get rid of it when he blew on her face. She turned to the


    man beside her and noticed that his gaze was focused on the other side of the road,


    She asked, ¡°What are you looking at, Jack?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he replied in a t tone. ¡°I just.. I think I saw someone I know.¡±


    ¡°Is it your friend?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he answered, his eyes gleaming. ¡°I¡¯ve never considered that man to be my friend.¡±


    Zeke simply could not go to sleep that whole night. His mind was preupied with the scene he had


    seen at the intersection earlier that day. He suspected that he might have been mistaken and that the


    man beside Serenity might just have been someone who looked a lot like Jackson Valor. After all, how


    could a powerful man like him spend any of his precious time with a woman like Serenity?


    She was the woman who had killed his former fiancee, after all.


    No one would ever believe that Jackson Valor had been with Serenity Lewis even if he told them.


    Still, he could not suppress the uneasiness he felt at that moment.


    What if it really was him? If that man really was Jackson Valor, then¡­ he dared not imagine what would


    come next.


    The next day, Zeke went straight to the street where Serenity was cleaning to find her.


    He tactfully asked her, ¡°Are you dating anyone right now?¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    The question confounded Serenity. Never in a million years would she expect Zeke Shaw to suddenly


    show up first thing in the morning just to ask her such a question.


    She replied, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, Mr. Shaw. I¡¯m trying to work right now, so please get out of


    my way.¡±


    After that, she went back to cleaning the streets, acting as if Zeke was not even there.


    Zeke¡¯s expression turned dark, and he grabbed Serenity¡¯s arm as he demanded, ¡°Answer me,


    Serenity! I¡¯m not here to joke with you! Who is that man that you were with yesterday?¡±

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Chapter 59


    Serenity furrowed her brows Was Zeke asking about¡­ Jack?


    ¡°You should really mind your own business, Mr. Shaw. I was only with my brother yesterday. Do I need


    to report to you about that too?¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡± asked Zeke. ¡°Since when did you have a brother?¡±


    As far as he knew, the only sibling Serenity had was a younger sister.


    ¡°He¡¯s a brother to me,¡± she replied, ¡°and that¡¯s all that matters. Do you have any problem with that?¡±


    Zeke studied Serenity¡¯s face, almost as if he was trying to determine the truth of her words from her


    expressions.


    Just then, X, who had been sweeping the other side of the road, noticed what was going on and


    hurried over, saying, ¡°Calm down, Mr. Shaw! Don¡¯t do anything rash! Let her go!¡±


    X recognized Zeke as the man who had apanied Jenny Hall when she came to the Sanitation


    Office to apologize. ording to her colleagues, this man must be Serenity¡¯s ex¨Cboyfriend.


    ¡°You really should let go of her, Mr. Shaw, otherwise someone might take a picture of you with her now,


    and then you¡¯ll have a lot of exining to do to your girlfnend, Miss Hall.¡±


    Zeke¡¯s expressions went through several changes before he finally let go of Serenity and left.


    ¡°What did that guy want from you?¡± X asked Serenity with concer


    ¡°Who knows?¡± she replied. ¡°He probably had nothing better to do!


    She was perfectly certain that whatever reason he had foring to her and asking her who she was


    dating, it was definitely not because he still had any feelings for her. Still, what had happened was


    undeniably odd. Only God knew what Zeke Shaw was trying to do!


    ¡°By the way,¡± X said, ¡°I think you¡¯d better talk to the director during lunch break, Serenity. I heard that


    Quinn has been collecting signatures in a petition to pressure the director to fire you.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s eyebrows knitted. It seemed that Quinn was sparing no effort in getting rid of her. Still¡­


    She said, ¡°If the director decides to fire me, there¡¯d be no point in talking to him. If ites to that, I¡¯ll


    just look for another


    job.¡±


    Even though she had said that, she still felt a little helpless since she had only managed to get this job


    after tirelessly applying for countless jobs everywhere. Finding another job would unquestionably be a


    nigh impossible task.


    X sighed. She knew, of course, that workers in their position did not even sign a contract before


    taking up the job. Compared to those in proper positions like Quinn, they were, simply put, expendable.


    She did not even have to guess whose side the director would take between Quinn and Serenity.


    Once they had bothpleted their work, they returned to the Sanitation Office together, where they


    bumped into Quinn.


    ¡°I think you¡¯d better get ready to leave now,¡± Quinn told Serenity with a smug look on her face. ¡°No one


    here has any desire to work with a criminal, you know.¡±


    Serenity kept herposure, showing no sign of fear at all, which had been what Quinn hoped to see.


    This vexed Quinn.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how much longer you can keep up that act!¡± she dared Serenity. ¡°Soon, the director is going


    to call you into his office, then we¡¯ll see what happens!¡±


    She then snorted haughtily. She had worked so hard trying to get the signatures of most people in their


    workce. Judging from the director¡¯s reaction when she handed the petition over to him, she was


    pretty sure that Serenity would be fired soon.


    Yet momentster, an employee from the Human Resources Department came to her and told her,


    ¡°The director would like to


    see you in his office, quinn.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Quinn asked, surprised. Could it be that the director had some questions about the petition so he


    wanted to talk to her before firing Serenity?


    And so, Quinn beaded over to the director¡¯s office.


    ¡°Serenity,¡± N said, her face wrought with concern, ¡°make sure you let the director know how


    desperate your situation has been when you see himter, okay? Perhaps he might sympathize with


    your plight and change his mind about firing you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see how it goes,¡± Serenity responded.


    At that moment, her colleagues all looked at her with different looks on their faces. Some looked at her


    with sympathy, some with disgust, and more¡­


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    But no one could have guessed that Quinn woulde out of the director¡¯s office looking devastated.


    There was not a trace of smug confidence left on her face.


    Some of their colleagues surrounded her and asked her, ¡°What did the director have to say to you,


    Quinn?¡±


    By that point, Quinn was on the verge of tears. She could hardly believe what was happening. How


    could she be the one getting fired?? It clearly should have been Serenity!


    However, what the director told her in the office still rang vividly in her ears¡­

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    Chapter 60


    ¡°Quinn Fender, I don¡¯t want anyone in this workce to be hostile to each other. Serenity Lewis


    certainly has been in prison before, but that is no reason for us to discriminate against her, making it


    difficult for her to survive. Since you don¡¯t feelfortable working with her, I think it¡¯s best that you


    leave this job.¡±


    But¡­ But she was a full¨Ctime employee! How could she be fired just like that?! Quinn could hardly


    believe that it was real, yet she could not deny that it had just happened!


    She heard someone urging her, ¡°Say something, Quinn.¡±


    She looked around her, then when her gaze fell on Serenity, she rushed toward her in a burst of


    outrage. She reached her in one huge stride and yelled, ¡°You! It¡¯s all your fault! If it hadn¡¯t been for you,


    the director would never have fired me! You¡¯re the one he¡¯s supposed to fine!¡±


    Everyone there was astounded. So the one getting fired had ended up being¡­ Quinn Fender?!


    ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you, Quinn?¡±


    ¡°But how could it be?!


    Quinn red at Serenity with fierce contempt, and she started to raise her hand to hit her. Serenity


    managed to dodge her, but Quinn seemed to have gone rabid, and she was hell¨Cbent on attacking


    Serenity.


    Just then, seune stepped forward and held Quinn back from reaching Serenity.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough? What does Serenity have to do with the director¡¯s decision to fire you,


    anyway? How can someone in her position ever influence him?¡±


    Quinn turned around and noticed that it was Peter.


    Seeing this, the other drivers rushed forward to hold Quinn back too. And just like that, the whole farce


    ended.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Serenity said to Peter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Peter replied in a voiceced with guilt. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for me, she would never


    target you like that.¡±


    Serenity was about to turn and leave, but Peter suddenly asked, ¡°That guy you called your brother¡­ Is


    he really your real brother?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity stared at Peter, slightly taken aback by the question.


    Peter then stammered, ¡°I just.. I just feel like.. The two of you don¡¯t look like siblings.¡±


    When he first saw them together, for some reason, it seemed more to him like they were lovers, not


    siblings.


    ¡°We¡¯re not rted by blood,¡± she told him, but he is family to me,


    Family, huh? Peter still could not believe it. Even if she did think of him as family, what about that


    guy¡­? Did he think of her as family and nothing else?


    The way that guy looked at Serenity, Peter could clearly see signs of possessiveness in his eyes, and it


    was definitely not the way abrother looked at his sister!


    ¡°Are you listening to me, Zeke


    Jenny had to raise her voice when she asked Zele the question. He had been acting oddly distracted


    that whole day, even to the point where she had to repeat what she said a few times, and even then he


    did not seem to be listening to her.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Zeke eximed,ing abruptly back to his senses. ¡°What were you saying?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± Jenny grumbled. ¡°If you¡¯re going to act this way tomorrow when try on


    the dress, I¡¯m just going to find someone else to apany me!!


    2/2


    ¡°Jenny, I suddenly thought of something urgent that I need to attend to immediately!¡±


    As he spoke, he shot up to his feet and rushed out of the private lounge in a great hurry.


    Jenny did not even have the chance to ask him anything before he was gone. Now, she was left all


    alone in the spacious private lounge with a huge table full of food. Her expression was twisted by


    displeasure. What could be so urgent that it made him abandon her like that?! He seemed to be a


    completely different manpared to the tender way he usually treated her!


    Meanwhile, Zeke made a call to his secretary while driving and instructed, ¡°Go to the Sanitation Office


    and get me Serenity Lewis¡¯s current address now!


    Not long afterward, his secretary sent Serenity¡¯s address to Zeke¡¯s mobile phone. He then took off to


    her ce at top speed.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    Chapter 61


    Earlier in the morning, Serenity had told Zeke that the man was just her brother. However, he had to


    reconfirm it before feeling at ease.


    Zeke drove to the entrance of a rural residential area. He left the car, entered the neighborhood, and


    searched for the specific unit.


    After some effort, he finally stopped in front of a narrow door.


    ¡°This is a typical rural house for rent. Is this where Serenity lives?¡¯ Zeke thought.


    Zeke heard some footsteps approaching just as he was about to knock on the door and instinctively


    ducked toward the shadows beside him. He hid in the dark and looked toward the sound of footsteps.


    A tall and lean figure soon came into his view, and as the figure got closer, Zeke¡¯s eyes grew wide. He


    had a spection that asionally popped up in his head, and he thought it was impossible, but it had


    ultimately turned out to be possible.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡®It¡¯s Jackson! It¡¯s really him!¡± Zeke thought. That man could be a lookalike, but two different men could


    not have resembled each other so much! Besides, Jackson was still dressed as what he had seen


    yesterday.


    ¡®Why¡­ Why is Jackson here?¡¯ Zeke thought, and a cold shudder ran through him. He felt a chill


    creeping up his spine, and he began shivering in fear.


    Zeke had stood in front of the narrow door before ducking to hide in the shadows. Now, Jackson stood


    in front of the sarhe door and knocked on the door lightly.


    A few momentster, someone opened the door.


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± A voice greeted Jackson, and a beautiful face came into Zeke¡¯s view.


    Zeke felt suffocated and ufortable cholding on his breath, but he could not do anything about it.


    It was Serenity who had opened the door.


    ¡®Serenity and Jackson?! Are they dating? What¡¯s going on? And why is Jackson dressed like this?¡±


    Many doubts shed in his


    mind.


    Then, Zeke heard Jackson answer, ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m home.¡±


    Zeke had heard Jackson¡¯s voice before and recognized it. This voice was the same voice he


    remembered!


    At this point, Zeke had no doubt-this man was Jackson


    Just as Jackson was about to enter the house, he suddenly paused in his steps, and he turned his


    gaze toward the dark corner where Zeke was hiding.


    Zeke stiffened. In that instance, he felt as if all his blood had frozen, and even his breathing seemed to


    have stopped.


    ¡°Jack? What are you looking at?¡± Serenity¡¯s voice came.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jackson had a slight smile on his face as he walked into the house.


    Bang! The door was shut closed.


    Zeke took a long breath, and his hands and back were wet, covered in a cold sweat. It felt as if he had


    narrowly escaped death.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?! Why is Jackson with Serenity?!¡¯


    Distracted by his thoughts, Zeke walked away and headed for his car. When he wanted to drive, he


    found that his hands were shaking badly.


    When he saw how Serenity and Jackson had gotten along earlier, the two seemed to know each other


    very well. Besides, Serenity had referred to Jackson as Jack. He had never heard anyone call Jackson


    such an intimate nisame before.¡±

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    Chapter 62


    Zeke thought Jackson¡¯s attitude toward Serenity seemed a little too gentle. The great Mr. Valor he


    knew had never been gentle with women. He probably had never even treated thete Mira this way.


    Suddenly, a thought shed through Zeke¡¯s mind. He thought about the previous advertisements that


    had been withdrawn.


    Zeke was in turmoil.


    Before this, they had thought that Jackson had a problem with the Shaw family and the high-profile


    marriage proposal because of Serenity. Thinking about it again, Serenity was indeed an issue,


    however, it was apletely different reason from what they had initially thought!


    Meanwhile, Serenity and Jackson were eating a meal together at home, and Serenity was telling


    Jackson about what had happened at the Sanitation Office earlier.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but the director fired Quinn. I thought I would be the one fired.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity hesitated slightly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m d I wasn¡¯t dismissed, but I don¡¯t know if Quinn will try to seek


    revenge.¡±


    After all, Quinn had been staring at her with a look full of hatred earlier.


    ¡°She can¡¯t do anything,¡± Jackson reassured her. He would naturally help Serenity solve the potential


    danger with Quinn.


    At the moment, something else was bothering him more. When he came home earlier, someone had


    been hiding in the shadows nearby. He had not seen the man¡¯s face clearly, but if he had guessed


    correctly, it might be Zeke.


    Zeke must have seen him and Serenity together at the intersectionst night ande here today for


    confirmation.


    ¡°Sis, do you like living with me like this?¡± Jackson asked abruptly.


    ¡°I do,¡± Serenity replied without any hesitation.


    ¡°What if I change my identity in the future? Would you still live with me?¡± Jackson asked, his deep eyes


    staring straight at her.


    Serenity blinked in confusion. A different identity? Did he mean something other than his homeless


    status? Lisa had kept saying she knew too little about him and that she was afraid that Serenity would


    be at a disadvantage.


    Besides, Serenity had never asked Jack about his identity or real name. She only knew him as Jack,


    that he had no family, and nothing else.


    Lisa also said that Jack did not look like a typical homeless man. Sometimes, Serenity thought the


    same too.


    However, if he did not want to tell her, she would not ask. After all, everyone had their own secrets.


    ¡°I would,¡± she uttered softly.


    ¡°Would you like me no matter who I truly am?¡± Jackson asked again.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine no matter who you really are, okay?¡± Serenity then urged, smiling, ¡°Hurry up and eat.


    Otherwise, the food will


    get cold.¡±


    Jackson smiled too, and his lips curved upward slightly as he looked at her with smiling eyes.


    The way he smiled put Serenity in a trance. It was so dazzling and more beautiful than anything she


    had ever seen.


    ¡°Zeke, what do you think?¡± Jenny asked as she tried on her custom-made wedding dress in the bridal


    dress store. She had


    spent 4.5 million dors on this dress for the engagement party, so naturally, she wanted to see Zeke


    charmed by her beauty in this special dress.


    Zeke looked at the gorgeous and elegant woman standing in front of him. Everyone around him envied


    him for having a girlfriend like Jenny. She was a popr star and the daughter of the Hall family.


    After Mira¡¯s death, Jenny had be the sale heir to the Hall family. Marrying Jenny was the same asMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    getting the whole of the Hall family. That was why Zeke was originally very satisfied with the


    engagement and looked forward to the engagement party.

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Chapter 63


    Zeke was staring at his girlfriend, Jenny. Although she was wearing such a gorgeous dress, he was


    distracted. His mind was full of what he had seenst night. Jackson and Serenity¡¯s faces were shing


    through his mind.


    Zeke still felt that what he had seenst night was like a dream. He thought, ¡®What the hell is going on?


    Serenity and Jackson? What the hell is going on between them?!¡±


    Jenny was unhappy seeing her fiance so distracted. She frowned, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You


    have been so distracted since yesterday. Why are you still so distracted today? If you don¡¯t want to be


    engaged to me, just say so.¡±


    Startled, Zeke hurried up and reassured her with a smile, ¡°How could that be? Why wouldn¡¯t I want to


    be engaged to you? You should know that I¡¯m absolutely devoted to you.¡±


    ii


    ¡°Devoted to me?¡± Jenny arched her brow. ¡°So you really don¡¯t love Serenity anymore?¡±


    Zeke¡¯s expression faltered slightly. He asked, feeling somewhat ufortable, ¡°Why did you mention


    her again? It¡¯s been three years since we broke up. How could I possibly still love her?¡±


    ¡°Then why did you want to introduce her to jobs before?¡± Jenny questioned.


    ¡°I just felt sorry for her,¡± Zeke said.


    ¡°Why would you feel sorry for her? You should feel sorry for my sister. She died because of her!¡±


    Jenny grunted coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t try to pity her again. Otherwise, my family probably won¡¯t be putting in a


    good word for you when Jacksones for you in the future.¡±


    Zeke¡¯s expression turned slightly odd. He naturally would not feel anything wrong with what his


    girlfriend had said before seeing what he had seenst night. However, with how things were¡­


    What Jenny had said might not be true, and Serenity¡¯s existence might mean something else.


    After a moment of hesitation, he asked tentatively, ¡°Jenny, do you know if Jackson has a new girl


    recently?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Jenny denied it in a heartbeat. ¡°Jackson is known to be abstinent. He has never had any


    women in these three years!¡±


    The outside world thought that Jackson loved Jenny¡¯s sister deeply because of that, but only the Hall


    family knew this was not the case. Even so, the Hall family would not take the initiative to correct such


    misunderstandings. On the contrary, they hoped the outside would misunderstand their rtionship


    more. They wanted to rely on the Valor family¡¯s influences to gain more


    benefits in their business.


    Hearing that, Zeke said nothing more.


    When the two had finished trying on their clothes, they left the dress store. As they walked outside, a


    car drove by and stopped in front of them.


    Zeke and Jenny both knew the man who emerged from the car. He was Jackson¡¯s secretar


    ¡°Mr. Gunn. What are you doing here?¡± Jenny asked curiously.


    Zeke, however, became stiff. He had a vague sense of foreboding.


    Connor Gunn.


    Connor smiled politely. ¡°I¡¯m here for Mr. Shaw.¡± As he said that, he looked at Zeke and said, ¡°Mr. Shaw,


    Mr. Valor wants to see


    you.**


    ¡®I knew this wasing! Zeke thought and exhaled a long sigh. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll go with you to see Mr. Valor.¡±


    ¡°Zeke? What¡¯s going on?¡± Jenny asked.


    Zeke grimaced slightly, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter.¡± After that, he got into the car with Connor.


    Jenny was full of doubt as she watched the car drive away. Meanwhile, inside the car, Zeke looked at


    Connor anxiously.


    ¡°Mr. Gunn, do you know what Mr. Valor wants to see me for?¡±

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Chapter 64


    Connor responded with a meaningful smile, ¡°You¡¯ll lenow when you meet him.¡±


    Zeke felt apprehensive about the meeting.


    The car soon stopped at the gate of Valor Residence. Zeke followed Connor into the house and saw


    Jackson sitting on the couch


    Jackson was ying with an invitation card in his hands. As Zeke approached Jackson, he saw it was


    the invitation to his engagement party with Jenny.


    ¡°We meet again,¡± Jackson greeted indifferently.


    Zeke shuddered a little. Jackson wore a tailored gray-blue suit, his bangs werebed back, revealing


    his forehead. He had a rxed look in his beautiful eyes, and his defined nose and s exy lips with a


    small smile had an indescribable charm,


    No wonder many women were obsessed with him. Many celebrities and wealthydies from high


    society were desperate for Jackson¡¯s attention. It was not just for Jackson¡¯s influential identity but also


    because of his looks.


    Subsequently, those beautiful eyes nced at Zeke, and Zeke stiffened. He felt like a ferocious beast


    had him in its sights, and his breathing became difficult when faced with the imminent danger.


    It was the same feeling he had had when Jackson stared at himst night.


    However, he had been hidden in the shadowsst night, and Jackson had been standing in the light.


    Zeke could see Jackson clearlyst night, but Jackson should not have been able to see him at all.


    This time, he was exposed in Jackson¡¯s sight.


    Zeke let out a dryugh. ¡°Yeah.¡± He wondered if Jackson meantst night when he said those words.


    ¡°Did you tell anyone else aboutst night?¡± Jackson asked nonchntly.


    Despite Jackson¡¯s casualness, Zeke was terrified!


    He knew it! It was because of what had happenedst night! Zeke had had a hunch about this, and


    when he heard Jackson asking this question personally, he finally confirmed some of his suspicions.


    This meant that Jackson was really with Serenity!


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t mentioned it to anyone,


    ii sald Zeke.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Jackson stated, ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else to know about this.¡±


    Zeke hurriedly agreed. When he felt Jackson¡¯s gaze on him, he was so pressured that he could not


    help but gulp nervously.


    ¡°Also, I don¡¯t want to see you there again. I don¡¯t care why you were there yesterday. However, you


    chose to break up with Serenity before. You don¡¯t have anything to do with her anymore, understand?¡±


    Jackson said


    Zeke looked at Jackson, surprised. Jarkson¡¯s tone sounded almost like a threat mixed with a strong


    sense of possessiveness. ¡®Does this mean that Jackson is seriously interested in Serenity? Just the


    thought of that made Zeke¡¯s head hurt.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Zeke said with some difficulty.


    ¡°All right. You may leave,¡± Jackson then ordered Conner, ¡°Connor, send Mr. Shaw home.¡±


    Connor responded in ordance and gestured toward Zeke.


    As Zeke was leaving, he could not restrain his curiosity any longer and asked, ¡°Unin, are you and


    Serenity..¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Chapter 65


    The cold glint in Jackson¡¯s beautiful eyes made Zele shudder.


    Connor, who stood beside them, spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you¡¯re not supposed to ask. Mr. Shaw, how


    do you not understand this?


    Zeke paled and left in embarrassment.


    Meanwhile, Jackson leaned back on the couch. He then took out a cheap cell phone with only one


    number stored in it and dialed it. A few momentster, a gentle female voice answered the call.


    ¡°Sis, what do you want to eat tonight? I¡¯ll pack it and bring it home,¡± Jackson said softly, and his cold


    eyes became gentle.


    That night, Serenity took a tissue and wiped the picture frame with her mother¡¯s photo.


    She had specially bought a small desk for her rented ce. She usually put her mother¡¯s photo on the


    desk and would wipe the umted dust every few days.


    All of her mother¡¯s belongings had been left at the Lewis Residence. For her, this photo was the only


    thing she had of her mother.


    Jackson sat aside and quietly watched her as she wiped the photo.


    ¡°By the way, Jack, it¡¯s almost New Year. Have you bought¡­ Uh¡­ Tickets home or anything?¡± Serenity


    asked.


    Over the past two days, many of her colleagues in the Sanitation Office had been scrambling to grab


    train tickets for the New


    Year.


    Jackson instantly understood what she wanted to ask. ¡°I don¡¯t need to buy any tickets.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go home?¡± Serenity was surprised.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a home except here.¡± Even though he had stayed in the Valor Residence for many years,


    he never felt at home.


    Serenity remembered that Jackson had said previously that he had no family, but Most people had


    rtives and extended family, and they would usually visit them during New Year¡¯s.


    Serenity then voiced her doubts. Nevertheless, Jackson smiled and exined indifferently, ¡°I do have


    some rtives, but 1 don¡¯t really go out of my way to visit them.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Although he still had his grandfather, they did not share an affectionate rtionship. After all, Master


    Zack needed nothing more than an heir to the Valor family.


    What Master Zack wanted was merely a capable heir. As long as Jackson was good and strong


    enough, he was what Master Zack wanted. If he was a weakling, Master Zack would ruthlessly expel


    him regardless of their rtionship.


    Besides, Jackson had half of that woman¡¯s blood in his body. Master Zack hated this the most and was


    disgusted with it.


    Jackson remembered when he was a child, many times, Master Zack would grimace with hatred in his


    eyes. ¡°Why do you have that woman¡¯s blood flowing in you?! You shouldn¡¯t even exist!¡±


    At that time, Master Zack had hit him with his cane countless times and continued for a long time.


    When he grew up and began to show his abilities, Master Zack¡¯s attitude toward him slowly changed.


    However, he still had that woman¡¯s blood flowing in him, and this was a fact that could not be changed.


    Serenity hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°How about your parents? A¨Care they ¡±


    The look on Jackson¡¯s face changed slightly. Those beautiful eyes looked at her, but the emotions in


    his eyes seemed to be masked with a thin veil. She could not tell what he was thinking at the moment.


    Serenity bit her lips. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, just pretend I didn¡¯t ask.¡°¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Jackson spoke with a hint of inadvertent coldness in his tone.


    ¡°I just want to understand you better, but if it¡¯s something you don¡¯t want to say, don¡¯t say it. Anyway,


    the past doesn¡¯t matter anymore. What¡¯s more important is the future, isn¡¯t it? Serenity said.


    Jackson¡¯s long eyshes fluttered softly and then stopped. ¡°My dad died. I met you on the anniversary


    of his death. Many years ago, he died where I sat that day.¡±

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Chapter 66


    Serenity was startled. She did not expect the ce where she had met him to be the ce where his


    father had died.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.


    ¡°My father¡¯s death was his own doing.¡± Jackson said in a low voice. ¡°No need to apologize, Sis.¡±


    ¡°His own doing?¡± Serenity was surprised. She never thought he would describe his father¡¯s death in


    this way.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? He fell in love with someone he shouldn¡¯t have. Soon, the person he loved found out he had


    no more value. He knelt on his knees and desperately begged for her to stay. Even so, it was useless,


    Finally, he froze to death in the snow.¡±


    The expression he had seemed indifferent. It was as if he was just talking about a perfectly ordinary


    thing, and even his voice remained calm.


    However, there seemed to be a feeling of loneliness around him.


    Serenity felt like Jackson was back to how he had been when she had first met him.


    ¡°Jack¡± Serenity called out to him.


    When Jackson looked up, her face was reflected in his dark eyes. ¡°Hey, do you think he had his death


    coming?¡±


    Serenity felt a dryness in her throat. After a moment of hesitation, she stuttered out a question. ¡°Was


    she¡­ Is that woman your mother?¨C


    Although he was silent with no expression, a touch of pain shed through his eyes.


    Serenity knew the answer in that instant, and she did not know how tofort him. Any words she said


    would be meaningless at this moment. Only those who had experienced the past understood this pain.


    She stood up and hugged him as he sat in the chair.


    As he rested his head against her body, he inhaled her scent in his nose and felt her warmth on his


    cheeks. Through her clothes, her steady heartbeat resonated in his ears.


    It made him want to keep listening to her heartbeat like this¡­


    ¡°Mom¡­ Don¡¯t go¡­¡±


    The tiny figure knelt right on his knees. The woman had already packed her bag and was leaving.


    However, he wanted to beg


    the woman to stay.


    Even so, it was useless. The woman was determined and left without looking at him.


    When he saw she was about to leave, the boy panicked. He grew desperate and tried to reach out and


    grab his mother.


    The next moment, the young boy was swung away. Then, a piercing pain exploded in his chest.


    ¡®It hurts! It hurts!!


    It was so painful. Could anyone save him from his pain? Could someone stop his pain? He felt like he


    was dying from the suffocating pain¡­


    ¡°Jack! Jack!¡±


    ¡®Someone is calling! Who is it? Who is calling?


    ¡°Jack, it¡¯s fine now. There¡¯s no more pain. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m right here, Jack. It¡¯s fine now¡­¡± A gentle voice


    called out to him anxiously, worried


    As her voice reached him, his suffocation and pain faded like a tidal wave. He struggled to open his


    eyes, and a beautiful and quiet woman soon came into his sight.


    Chapter 66


    Jackson muttered with difficulty, ¡°Sis¡­¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    Chapter 67


    Serenity let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Great, you¡¯re finally awake.¡±


    Jackson sat up. Earlier, he had dreamed of his childhood, kneeling in front of that woman and begging.


    Why had he had such a dream? Was it because they had talked about that woman earlier?


    ¡°I just had a bad dream¡­¡± Jackson exhaled a long breath. When he looked down, he found that his


    pajamas had been unbuttoned, revealing his bare chest. ¡°Why are my clothes¡­¡±


    Seeing that, Serenity pursed her lips in embarrassment and exined, ¡°Well¡­ You were screaming


    about the pain, and I was afraid that something was wrong¡­ Uhh¡­ So, I unbuttoned your pajamas


    and wanted to have a look¡±


    Jackson stared at Serenity in silence, and her face slowly grew hot.


    ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t¡­ You woke up before I saw anything. I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± Serenity was busy


    exining, but the more she spoke, the weirder it sounded.


    ¡°Even if you did see anything, it¡¯s okay,¡± Jackson reassured her.


    Serenity¡¯s face flushed red. His response made her almost choke on her own saliva. ¡®My goodness!


    Doesn¡¯t he know how someone else can easily misunderstand his words?!¡±


    After a short silence, she stammered, ¡°Does it¡­ Does it still hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jackson looked down and buttoned up his pajamas.


    Serenity struggled to keep her gaze above his neck. However, she suddenly yanked his pajamas open


    after an idental glimpse of his chest.


    ¡°How did you get this¡­¡± Serenity stared at his chest at a loss. There was a scar on his chest near his


    heart. Although the scar had faded, it looked terrible. She was sure it was definitely not a minor injury.


    ¡°It¡¯s just an old small injury,¡± he said indifferently.


    Serenity bit her lower lip slightly. She raised her hand and gently touched his scar. In his sleep earlier,


    he had kept crying out in pain while scratching at this spot. Was it because of this injury?


    After so many years, he still felt the pain in his dream. How could it be just a minor injury?


    Was he in great pain when he had gotten this injury? Serenity felt a terrible heartache for the pain he


    had gone through.


    She murmured, ¡°How did you get hurt like that? When did you get hurt?¡±


    Jackson stiffened slightly. How many years had it been? No one had ever touched his scar except the


    doctor. She was the only one¡­ The only one who had ever touched his scar.


    Jackson seemed to feel a rush of blood to his heart, and his heart felt as if it was beating faster than


    usual.


    ¡°A long time ago. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore,¡± he said.


    Serenity felt slightly rxed. Only then did she realize that it looked like she was going to do something


    indecent to him


    ¡°G¨Cgreat! Quickly button up. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± She blushed and moved her hand away quickly.


    The warmth of her fingertips suddenly disappeared, making him feel empty.


    Jackson buttoned up his pajamas slowly. ¡°By the way, while I was sleeping, did I say anything other


    than crying out in pain?¡±


    After a short hesitation, she answered frankly, ¡°You just¡­ You loept yelling ¡®Mom, don¡¯t po¡°¡­¡±


    Jackson froze. He unconsciously clenched his hands into fists and dug his nails into his palmus until it


    hurt.


    Seeing his reaction, Serenity could not help but reach out and touch his cheek. She could feel a slightly


    cold feeling on her fingertips.


    Chapter 67


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    ¡°Jack,¡± she whispered his name.


    Jackson slowly looked up and fluttered his eyshes slightly. He lifted up his eyes and stared fixedly at


    her through his bangs.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    He had the same look in his eyes as before when he talked about his parents. It seemed empty. For


    some reason, this made her heart hurt a little.

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    Chapter 68


    Chapter 68


    ¡°Jack¡± Serenity called out to him. She was louder this time and pressed her hands firmly to his face.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    A trace of rity gradually came to his eyes, and his dark pupils regained focus, reflecting her face.


    However, the look in his eyes seemed inexplicablyplicated.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jackson let out a long breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine.¡± Serenity sighed in relief. ¡°That look you just gave was like¡­¡± She thought about it


    and came up with at description. ¡°You were like fragile ss, and it scared me.¡±


    ¡°Fragile ss?¡® Jackson chuckled softly. A deep coldness and hostility shed in his eyes and


    disappeared instantly. Then, he was back to normal. ¡°Sis, no one in this world can break me.¡±


    At that instance, Serenity felt like Jackson was a different person, and she thought she must have seen


    it wrongly.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re never going to leave me behind, are you?¡± he asked, staring at her.


    Serenity smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t we talk about this before? I won¡¯t leave you as long as you stay.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we did. I forgot,¡± Jackson murmured.


    Jackson opened his arms and grabbed her, embracing her and feeling her presence in his arms.


    Serenity had promised not to leave him behind, yet why did he feel so uneasy? Was he scared? Would


    she leave him after knowing his true identity? Jack could stay by her side, but what about Jackson


    Valor? Could he?


    David Shaw was questioning his son, Zeke, in the living room of the Shaw Residence. ¡°Zeke, Jenny


    said Jackson sent his secretary to pick you up. Why did he suddenly ask for a private meeting with


    you?¡±


    David was a little fearful of Jackson. After all, the Shaw family was unlike the Valor family. The Shaw


    family¡¯s business was now declining. In David¡¯s view, Zeke¡¯s marriage with Jenny was the only way to


    turn their family business around.


    David was afraid of Jackson¡¯s prejudice against them as it might hinder the Shaw family¡¯s marriage


    with the Hall family.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Zeke said


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell Jenny anything either. Are you going to say nothing to us as well? If there was nothing,


    why would Jackson send his secretary to pick you up?¡± David said with displeasure.


    Zeke¡¯s mother, Marcia, urged, ¡°Yeah, Zeke. It¡¯s better to be honest with us if there¡¯s something wrong¡±


    Zeke took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s really nothing.¡±


    Zeke could not tell them anything. If he did, Jackson would be furious! Zeke still had chills when he


    thought of his previous meeting with Jackson!


    ¡°Does Jackson still have an issue with us? Is he going to act against us?¡± David simply guessed on his


    own.


    Zeke had to make up an excuse. ¡°It has nothing to do with us. Jackson met me that day and talked


    about the engagement party.


    Hearing that, David and Marcia breathed a sigh of relief and looked better.


    Meanwhile, Zele¡¯s younger sister, Joy, was indignant at the conversation. Sheined, ¡°Isn¡¯t it all


    because of Serenity? If it weren¡¯t for her, why would we have so many worries?¡±

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    Chapter 69


    Joy disliked Serenity. Joy had been very displeased after Serenity¡¯s ident. She would often hear


    people talking about the end of the Shaw family, and this made her feel ashamed. It had gone on until


    her brother had started dating Jenny. Finally, no one said that anymore.


    ¡°Serenity is someone who brings bad luck to us. Fortunately, you broke up with her in time. She isn¡¯t


    worthy of you at all. I heard she¡¯s cleaning the streets now. She¡¯s such a disgrace. Why did the judge


    sentence her to only three years in prison? I think she should stay in jail for a decade or two!¡±


    Joy spoke of Serenity with disgust. The more she spoke, the more frightened Zeke became.


    After all, he knew Serenity was with Jackson! Jackson had not explicitly exined his rtionship with


    her, but Zeke could somewhat guess as a man himself.


    ¡°Enough, Joy. Don¡¯t talk about her anymore. When you see Serenity, you¡¯d better be more polite,¡± Zeke


    warned.


    Joyined with displeasure, ¡°Zeke, what¡¯s wrong with you?! You didn¡¯t say anything when I spoke


    of her before! Why are you defending her now?¡±


    ¡°Zeke, you¡¯re not still in love with her, are you?¡± Marcia asked, feeling, worried.


    Hearing that, David frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Serenity isn¡¯t wee here!¡±


    Zeke felt troubled. The truth was not the same as they thought. Unfortunately, he could not exin it


    clearly.


    Zeke gritted his teeth and warned, ¡°I don¡¯t have any feelings for her, but she¡¯s not someone we can


    offend! All I can say is don¡¯t offend the wrong person!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t offend the wrong person?¡± Joy scoffed. ¡°Zeke, what nonsense are you saying? Serenity is just a


    sanitation worker. Why can¡¯t we offend her?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, just listen to me. Don¡¯t ruin the family!¡± Zeke warned sharply.


    David was experienced and had gone through a great deal more than his children. When he saw his


    son¡¯s overreaction, he sensed something strange. ¡°Zeke, is Serenity..


    ¡°Dad, there are some things I can¡¯t say. Either way, you¡¯d better show some respect to her, or¡­ At


    least respect her for now,¡± Zeke advised. After all, Jackson seemed to be taking Serenity very


    seriously, at least for the time being.


    David fell into deep thought, and Marcia was silent too. Only Joy brushed it off with disdain. She did not


    believe her brother¡¯s warning at all, and she did not want to respect Serenity either. Zeke was obviously


    still in love with Serenity and giving them


    excuses!


    Joy thought, ¡®Serenity has been in prison before. How can she be so to get engaged, so how can she


    still seduce him? She¡¯s too shameless!


    edy after leaving prison?! Serenity knows Zeke is about


    Jackson¡¯s eyes were fixed on the box of stomach medicine on his desk. Serenity had bought this for


    him when he had had a stomach ache. His stomach pain had improved eventually, but he still had half


    a box of medicine left. He had not thrown it away and kept it on his desk instead.


    An elegant and slightly hypnotic voice resounded in the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°Connor, what do you think?


    What would happen if Serenity knew who I really am?¡±


    Connor was picking up a document that his boss had approved and was about to leave, but Jackson¡¯s


    sudden question startled him. ¡°Uhh.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is that a difficult question?¡± Jackson raised his brow.


    It was not a particrly difficult question. However, Connor was unsure if his boss would ept the


    answer.


    ¡°Ms. Lewis might feel deceived,¡± Connor answered tactfully. In truth, she would most definitely feel


    deceived, not maybe.

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    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll want to stay with me?¡± Jackson asked.


    Connor was slightly surprised. ¡°Do you want Ms. Lewis to stay with you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the game over once Mr. Valor tells Ms. Lewis who he really is?¡± Connor thought. He wondered if


    Mr. Valor. Perhaps he had special feelings for Ms. Lewis?


    Connor¡¯s eyes grew wide at the thought. ¡°Mr. Valor, are you¡­¡± Connor gaped and paused his question


    abruptly.


    ¡°What do you want to say? Say it!¡°Jackson ordered.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, are you in love with Ms. Lewis?¡± Connor asked honestly.


    Connor thought that was why Mr. Valor had been so passionate about this game. Maybe that was why


    he had secretly done so many things for her. That would exin why he wanted her to stay with him


    even after the game was over.


    Jackson¡¯s expression gradually froze.


    In love with Serenity? How could that be? How could he fall in love with a woman?


    His father was already a good example. One should never fall in love with anyone. He should protect


    his dignity and not let anyone trample over it.


    At best, he simply enjoyed Serenity¡¯spany. Her warmth and presence made him feelfortable


    and at ease.


    ¡°Never say that again,¡± Jackson warned coldly.


    Connor was shocked. He then responded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The dazzling light and vibe in the bar were simply mesmerizing


    Jackson waszily sitting on the couch, and Caleb looked at him curiously. Their circle of friends


    always had gatherings like this, but Jackson had never liked to participate. However, this particr


    night was an exception.


    Caleb leaned over and probed, ¡°What made you think ofing?


    Caleb and Jackson were childhood ymates. Having been a ssmate in junior high and high school,


    Caleb naturally knew Jackson had always preferred quiet ces to bustling ces like this.


    ¡°I felt like it, so I came over. Do I need any particr reason? Don¡¯t you guys often call me out?¡±


    Jackson replied.


    Although he said that, Caleb still found it strange.


    Just then, a woman dressed in beautiful clothes and borate makeup approached Jackson and


    started talking to him.


    Caleb had thought that his friend would refuse. Who knew that Jackson would let the woman sit beside


    him?


    Caleb¡¯s eyes were popping out of his head. He thought Jackson was not interested in women. Why


    was he willing to let a woman get close? Had he changed?!


    Caleb backed off in good grace and walked to the side as he looked at another man sitting on the


    couch. The man was ying with a silver bracelet in his hand.


    ¡°Hey, is Jackson finally interested in women now?¡±


    The man with the silver bracelet raised his eyes and swept his gaze over Caleb indifferently as he said,


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him about it?¡±


    Caleb rubbed his nose, Clearly, he did not dare to ask.


    ¡°By the way, you¡¯re a fully grown adult yet you still wear a silver bracelet all day. Aren¡¯t you afraid of


    beingughed at?¡± Caleb tried to reach for the silver bracelet in the man¡¯s hand as he spoke.


    Chapter 70


    Lucas Gomez moved his wrist away from Caleb¡¯s hand and warned thetter with a darkened gaze,


    ¡°No touching


    Caleb Inoked at the man in front of him. If he were to describe it, Jackson was aloof and charming with


    azy aura. Meanwhile, Lucas was a stoic man, always so indifferent and cold.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Lucas had tanned skin, a tall nose, and long eyshes shielding his eyes. Most would find him


    charming yet strangely distant. It was as if no one could ever enter his heart.


    Jackson had only had a woman before, and that was histe fiancee, Mira. However, Lucas was


    different. He constantly changed his girlfriends one after another, but no one ever really captured his


    heart.

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    10


    Sometimes, Caleb and his group of friends would make bets on whether Lucas¡® newest girlfriend would


    be the one to end his bachelor¡¯s life, but they always lost the bets.


    On the surface, Lucas was a man who appeared courteous, but in reality, he was so cold that he might


    as well be a corpse.


    ¡°Yes, I know. I can¡¯t touch that bracelet.¡±


    Caleb wasn¡¯t surprised at all. Anyone who spent a long enough time with Lucas knew that the man


    cherished the silver bracelet and wouldn¡¯t allow anyone else to touch it,


    Just then, a figure approached them, and Caleb looked up to see that it was Lucas¡® newest girlfriend,


    Lyra. She was a rising star in the entertainment industry who had recently gained a lot of poprity.


    Of course, her recent sess was all thanks to Lucas.


    As a bigshot in the entertainment industry, Lucas held thergest entertainment and filmpany in


    the country, so making a star famous was a piece of cake for him.


    Lucas always doted on his girlfriends, but when he was no longer interested in them, he would


    resolutely leave them without looking back


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte, Lucas,¡± Lyra said softly.


    When she caught sight of the bracelet in Lucas¡± hand, aplicated look shed across her face.


    It was undeniable that Lucas treated her well at this moment. Even if she asked for millions worth of


    jewelry, he would reply without blinking, ¡°If you like it, go ahead and buy it.¡±


    But this silver bracelet was off¨Climits, a taboo.


    Even she wasn¡¯t allowed to touch it.


    Once, she had pretended that she had touched it, and he had shot her a cold look and said, ¡°Do you


    believe me if I said those fingers of yours will no longer he attached to your body if you dare touch that


    bracelet with them?¡±


    Lucas¡® eyes had been filled with viciousness when he had said those words.


    Lyra had been terrified, and she hadn¡¯t dared to breathe, much less move.


    Although he had carried on pampering her after that incident, Lyra was well¨Caware that she would


    neverpare to that silver bracelet in his hands.


    Just what in the world did that silver bracelet represent? It looked small and like it could barely fit the


    size of a child¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lucas replied casually as he kept the bracelet away.


    After Lyra took a seat, her gaze fell on Jackson, who was seated not too far away. When she


    recognized his features, she was startled and asked, ¡°Is that Mr. Jackson Valor?¡±


    She had only seen him from a distance once, so she wasn¡¯t entirely confident.


    Especially in this moment when he seemed so intimate with another woman.


    Weren¡¯t there rumors about how the was indifferent to women?


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s Jackson,¡± Caleb said with a smile, then turned to Lucas. ¡°How about a bet? Let¡¯s see if


    Jackson leaves with that Wodnanter.¡±


    ¡°No need for that,¡± Lucas replied.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Lucas said nothing, but he kept his paze fixed in Jackson¡¯s direction.


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    2/2


    Caleb turned around again and noticed that Jackson had already distanced himself from the woman,


    who seemed to be trying to get closer to the man again. However, Jackson seemed to say something,


    and the woman dared not approach him again.


    Then, Caleb watched as Jackson left alone.


    Outside the clubhouse, Connor watched as Jackson exited the building and greeted him respectfully,


    ¡°Mr. Valor.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Jackson said in response as he climbed into the car.


    Had hee here today to deliberately prove something? But in the end, the only thing he had proven


    was that he couldn¡¯t ept just any random woman approaching him.


    When he embraced the woman who had approached him just now and smelled her perfume, he


    couldn¡¯t help but miss the faint soap fragrance of another woman.

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    Chapter 72


    In fact, when that woman had leaned in closer to him, Jackson even felt a sense of disgust.


    Holding another womanpared to holding a certain someone really did feelpletely different.


    When he arrived at the front of the rental house, he crouched down to retrieve the spare key from


    under the doormat. Serenity always liked to keep it there, saying that she wouldn¡¯t be locked out if she


    forgot her key.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    When he opened the door, the light in the room was still on. A slender figure was sitting by the table,


    and her head was tilted slightly as she slept..


    Jackson studied her sleeping face under the light, her expression as serene as a quiet night. It felt as if


    his heart had also found peace when he saw her.


    He raised his hand to gently brush a strand of stray hair from her cheek. It felt as if even if he looked at


    her for a lifetime, he would never grow tired of it.


    After a few moments, he bent down and carefully lifted her from the chair.


    Even though he had been careful in his motions, Serenity was still startled awake.


    ¡°Jack..¡± she murmured, and her eyes fluttered open as she blinked dazedly.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back,¡± Jackson replied. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you to bed. You can go back to sleep.¡±


    As he said that, he walked toward the bed.


    Serenity leaned her head against his chest and muttered, ¡°You smell¡­ really good. It smells like¡­


    perfume? Where did you go?


    ¡°I had something to do today, so I went to a bar. It¡¯s probably where the scent came from,¡± Jackson


    replied as he ced her gently on the bed. ¡°Now, be a good girl and sleep. I¡¯ll wash off this smell.¡±


    After hearing his response, Serenity¡¯s eyes slowly slid close again.


    Jackson made sure the nkets were tucked around her properly before he grabbed a change of


    clothes and headed to the bathroom.


    He stood under the water and let it wash away the scent on his body. The scent of this perfume must


    have been from the woman at the club earlier.


    The smell of an expensive perfume couldn¡¯tpare to the scent of the soap in his hands because¡­ it


    wasn¡¯t the same smell


    as hers.


    It was as if Serenity¡¯s fragrance had been imbued in his body.


    Once Jackson had finished his shower, he walked out of the bathroom and looked at the woman asleep


    in bed.


    Bending down slightly, he brought his face closer to her and took a whiff of her scent.


    ¡°Serenity, tell me, when should I let you know who I really am? Should I wait until you¡¯repletely


    reliant on me and can¡¯t leave me anymore, so you¡¯ll stay by my side even if you knew?¡± Jackson


    murmured softly.


    In the small room, the only thing that could be heard were the sounds of their breathing and their


    heartbeats.

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    Chapter 73


    It was a rare day off for Serenity on the weekend, and Lisa wasted no time in taking her out shopping.


    It had been a while since they hadst gone shopping together, and Serenity felt like she was back to


    those early days.


    It was like back in the time before that incident had happened, and she would often take Lisa out


    shopping on weekends. They were carefree and content with life, and everything seemed beautiful


    then.


    ¡°By the way, what about Jack? Do you know more about him now? Like, where¡¯s he from, or does he


    have any family?¡±


    Lisa was most worried about her best friend falling for a scammer.


    ¡°I only know that his father passed away, and it seems like his mother abandoned them. He didn¡¯t talk


    about anything else, and I didn¡¯t ask,¡± Serenity replied with a smile.


    You¡¯re so silly. Why didn¡¯t you ask more? At least find out what he used to do!¡± Lisa said with a groan.


    Serenity smiled calmly. ¡°What¡¯s the use in knowing what he used to do? In the past, I knew every detail


    about Zeke¨Chis family background, which school he attended from his childhood, and even his license


    te and ID number. I remembered everything clearly, but ultimately, I still couldn¡¯t see through him.


    Lisa bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Serenity chuckled. ¡®It¡¯s fine. I know you¡¯re only worried about me, but right


    now, I really don¡¯t care about any of those things. Besides, if he didn¡¯t want to tell me the truth and


    made up stories to deceive me, it¡¯s not like I would know, anyway. So, what¡¯s the point of asking?¡±


    ¡°Well, forget about that. Come on, let¡¯s get some clothes. I need a set of professional attire to wear. My


    boss at the design firm insists that I wear formal attire when meeting clients,¡± Lisained while


    pulling Serenity to the nearby high¨Cend boutique.


    Based on Lisa¡¯s reasoning, they were only leaking, and that wouldn¡¯t cost any money. They would just


    browse around to see what were the avable and popr styles now and then buy something


    affordable after.


    As Serenity stood inside the store, she could feel the intense gaze of the salesgirl. Her cheap outfit


    shed with the atmosphere of this store.


    ¡°Oh? Who do we have here? How could someone like you be in this store? You¡¯re practically lowering


    the standard of this ce just by being here, you know?¡± A voice rang out in the store.


    Serenity looked up to see two familiar figures.


    One of them was Jenny, and the other was none other than Zeke¡¯s sister, Joy.


    They were both dressed in expensive luxury brand clothing and were carrying designer handbags,


    looking at Serenity with disdainful eyes.


    Especially Joy. When she recalled her older brother¡¯s warning the other day, she felt even more upset


    with Serenity.


    As soon as the salespeople in the store caught sight of Joy and Jenny, they immediately rushed up to


    greet them warmly.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Shaw, Miss Hall We¡¯ve recently received a new collection of thetest fashion in our store.


    Would you like to take a look and see if anything suits your taste? Some of them are even runway


    pieces that received acim at the Mn Fashion


    Show.¡±


    ¡°Sure, that would be great,¡± Joy said and then shot Serenity a malicious smile. ¡°Hey, do you want to try


    some on tuo, Serenity? But I guess with your current sry, you won¡¯t be able to afford anything here


    even if you save for a year. You¡¯re just a sanitation worker. Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed wallding into a


    stone Tile Thals?¡±


    The other employees of the store looked at Serenity in surprise and even a hint of contempt when they


    heard those words.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being a sanitation worker?¡± Lisa said indignantly. She had been browsing through


    clothes on the other side of the store and rushed over upon hearing themotion. ¡°Is there anyw


    prohibiting sanitation workers from


    entering this store and looking at clothes?¡±


    ¡°The question is, can you afford it?¡± Joy disdainfully said. ¡°You¡¯re just a street sweeper, soing into


    a store to look at clothes you clearly can¡¯t afford is obviously because you want some trouble.¡±


    As she said that, Joy looked at the nearby store employees and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you deal with people


    like them who intentionallye in to cause trouble, hummm?¡±


    Joy was a regr customer here, and the employees naturally would tter thedy from the Shaw


    family. So, one of the supervisors immediately walked up to Serenity and Lisa and said, ¡°If you¡¯re not


    buying any clothes, please leave for now.¡±

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    ¡°Who said we¡¯re not buying? I can


    Lisa was about to grit her teeth and buy a plece of clothing to vent her frustration so that these people


    wouldn¡¯t look down on others, but Serenity quickly held her friend back


    Then, she said. ¡°If we¡¯re not buying, are we not allowed to browse the store?¡±


    ¡°The two of youing into a store that far exceeds your ie raises suspicions of causing trouble.


    I¡¯m simply trying to protect the rights of other customers in this store,¡± the supervisor replied with a


    seemingly reasonable exnation.


    However, Serenity wasn¡¯t buying any of that and retorted directly. ¡°But you have no evidence, and


    there¡¯s obvious doubt of consumer discrimination in your words. By the way, I¡¯ve recorded what you¡¯ve


    said on my phone. I believe it should serve as sufficient evidence which I can submit to the mall


    management.


    ¡°You¡­!¡±


    The supervisor¡¯s face turned red immediately, never expecting that Serenity would have recorded their


    conversation.


    ¡°Are you done causing a fuss, Serenity? You¡¯re just a street sweeper, so why are you here looking at


    clothes beyond your pay grade? Are you missing the times when you could afford it?¡± Joy mucked. ¡°If


    you really want an outfit from this stare, I supposed I could show you some pity and buy it for you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you saying that a sanitation worker can¡¯te in here to Inok at or buy clothes? Or


    does the Shaw family think all sanitation workers are inferior? If the public knew that¡¯s how the Shaw


    family views sanitation workers, I wonder how they would feel?¡± Serenity calmly said, elevating Joy¡¯s


    personal actions to the level of being a representation of the Shaw family¡¯s views.


    Joy¡¯s face turned as red as the supervisor¡¯s, but unfortunately for her, she couldn¡¯te up with


    anything to refute Serenity¡¯s


    statement.


    If she really said that she believed sanitation workers to be inferior, there would probably be protests


    directed at the Shaw family online tomorrow.


    ¡°Joy was only making a casual remark. There¡¯s no need to escte it to this extent,¡± Jenny, who had


    remained silent the entire time, finally spoke up coldly. ¡°Of course there¡¯s nothing wrong with sanitation


    workersing here to buy clothes. But 1 wonder, which item has caught your eye? If you¡¯re not going


    to buy it, perhaps it¡¯s best if you stop interfering in the business


    of others.¡±


    ¡°This one¡¯s fine,¡± Serenity said, pointing at a long dress hanging in the shop disy which cost seven


    hundred and twenty thousand dors ¡°Miss Shaw, you said you¡¯d buy a piece for me earlier, right? Let¡¯s


    go with this one.¡±


    Joy nearly screarned. She had never intended to go through with that! Besides, the dress was seven


    hundred and twenty. thousand dors! Not seven hundred and twenty dors!


    ¡°Oh dear, are you going back on your words, Miss Shaw?¡± Lisa chimed in from the side, supporting her


    friend.


    Joy¡¯s face turned increasingly red as time passed.


    Jenny sneered, ¡°It¡¯s only seven hundred and twenty thousand. Joy can clearly afford it, but it¡¯s just not


    worth buying such a dress for a murderer.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s face paled, and Lisa defended her friend, ¡°Who are you calling a murderer?!¡±


    ¡°What, you ran my sister over and don¡¯t dare admit it?¡± Jenny sakd as she stared directly at Serenity.


    Serenity pursed her lips tightly as the scene of the car ident from all those years ago shed


    through her mind once again. She would have died in the explosion if she had been even a second


    slower.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it,¡± Serenity said as she met Jermy¡¯s gaze evenly.


    Jennyughed coldly. ¡°The judge has already made the ruling. Are you still trying to say that the


    ident had nothing to do with you? Weren¡¯t you just talking about evidence earlier? All the evidence


    from back then pointed at you.¡±


    Chapter 24


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Serenity paled further. No matter how she tried to defend herself, all evidence had indeed pointed to


    her.


    She was innocent, but no one apart from Lisa was willing to believe her.


    ¡°Lisa, let¡¯s just go,¡± Serenity said, pulling her friend along.


    Just as she was about to exit the store, they bumped into Zeke, who was making his way inside.

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    Zeke was clearly taken aback to see the woman before him.


    ¡°Serenity!¡±


    Meanwhile, when Joy caught sight of her brother, she immediatelyunched into aint, ¡°Zeke!


    You have no idea how shameless Serenity is! She actually asked me to buy her a dress that cost


    seven hundred and twenty thousand dors! Can you believe that?! She doesn¡¯t even deserve to wear


    something like that!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Zeke immediately reprimanded her with no hesitation.


    His face twisted into a grimm expression. His sister was so reckless! Didn¡¯t she want to live?! Serenity


    had Jackson behind her back! Forget about a dress costing seven hundred and twenty thousand


    dors. Even if it was seven hundred and twenty million, Serenity would still deserve to wear it!


    ¡°Zeke, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why did you raise your voice? I was only talking about Serenity,¡± Joy


    protested unhappily.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say,¡± Zeke replied curtly before turning to the nearby salesperson and saying,


    ¡°Wrap that dress up.¡±


    His words shocked everyone in the store.


    ¡°Zeke, what are you doing? Are you seriously buying that dress for Serenity?!¡± Joy asked in disbelief.


    Jenny furrowed her brows, and a hint of anger shed in her eyes.


    As for the salespeople, a look of delight appeared on their faces. A sale of seven hundred and twenty


    thousand dors meant substantialmission!


    ¡°Serenity, I apologize for joy¡¯s rudeness. Please forgive her immaturity and consider this dress an


    apology.¡± Zeke spoke while ignoring Joy, his tone extremely humbled.


    Joy couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. With the same disbelieving expression on her face, she


    practically hissed, ¡°Zeke, why are you giving her the dress? What right does she have to it?! And an


    apology?! Who does she think she is?!¡±


    The more Joy spoke, the more overwhelmed Zeke felt. He was afraid if Serenity mentioned any of this


    to Jackson, the Shaw family would be in trouble.


    ¡°Serenity, don¡¯t mind what Joy said, okay?¡± Zeke said somewhat awkwardly.


    Serenity looked at Zeke in confusion. He was suddenly willing to gift her a dress worth seven hundred


    and twenty dors and treated her with a cautious attitude as if he was afraid of something


    That begged the question. Just what did Serenity have that Zeke would be afraid of?


    Serenity pursed her lips and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to give me a dress. Just give me the cash


    equivalent and that¡¯s fine. You still carry your checkbook with you, right, Mr. Shaw?¡±


    She still recalled that Zeke had a habit of carrying his checkbook wherever he went.


    Zeke was visibly stunned and struggled to react while Joy red at Serenity with contempt.


    ¡°You even have the nerve to ask for money!¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? You¡¯re the one who said you¡¯d buy me a dress from this store. I¡¯m simply converting


    the dress into cash,¡± Serenity replied.


    ¡°Are you crazy about money or something?!¡± joy shot back ¡°My brother wouldn¡¯t-¡±


    Just then, Zeke pulled out his checkbook, wrote in the amount stated, and handed it over to Serenity,


    ¡°Zeke!¡± Joy eximed unhappily.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Joy. Since you promised Serenity something, you should follow through. I¡¯m just


    helping you to fulfill your word!¡± Zeke berated Joy and then turned to Serenity as he mustered a forced


    smile. ¡°Here, Serenity. This is the check.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

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    After Serenity epted the check, she left the store with Lisa


    ¡°Serenity, don¡¯t you think that was a little strange? Lisa said as they exited the store. ¡°Zeke actually


    handed you seven hundred and twenty thousand dors without any hesitation, and Jenny was right


    there! Wasn¡¯t he afraid that she would misunderstand?¡±


    ¡°It really is strange,¡± Serenity agreed.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s because Zeke still has feelings for you?¡± Lisa wondered.


    ¡°No. He¡¯s afraid. It¡¯s as if he was afraid that I might get angry at Joy, and that would be detrimental to


    the Shaw Jarmily,¡± Serenity said, expressing her thoughts honestly.


    Lisa found her statement somewhat absurd.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s overthinking it.


    ¡°Who knows what goes on in his mind?¡± Serenity said with a shrug before looking at the check in her


    hand


    ¡°What are you going to do with this? Tear it up?¡± Lisa asked, knowing her friend well enough that she


    wouldn¡¯t cash in the money for herself.


    ¡°Why waste it by tearing it up? I¡¯ll just donate it to those in need,¡± Serenity replied and carefully tucked


    the check into her bag.


    The two continued to window shop a little longer, had a meal, and as they were approaching the


    esctor to the underground parking lot after they were done, they saw Zeke, Joy, and Jenny,


    The expressions on their faces were clearly dark and grim, almost as if they were having an argument.


    At that moment, the three of them also spotted Serenity and Lisa approaching the esctor.


    The longer Joy looked at Serenity, the angrier she became. She couldn¡¯t understand what Serenity had


    done to brainwash her elder brother to make him so protective of her. He didn¡¯t even allow a single


    negative word to make it past her lips without a scolding to follow it!


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Especially just moments ago, when Zeke had warned her that if she picked on Serenity again, he


    would send her abroad!


    Her anger bubbled dangerously beneath her skin, and it felt like she would explode at any moment.


    Seeing how Serenity was about to walk past her to the esctor, Joy suddenly extended her foot and


    tripped the woman.


    Serenity was caut off¨Cguard, and she tumbled down the esctor.


    Lisa eximed in shock and rushed to the side of the esctor, mming the emergency stop button.


    Even so, it was toote, and Serenity had already rolled down several steps.


    Lisa hurriedly helped her friend up and red at Joy.


    ¡°You deliberately hurt her! Do you know that your actions almost cost Serenity her life?!¡±


    However, Joy replied indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s her own fault for not watching where she was going and running


    into my foot. That¡¯s not my fault, and she can¡¯t me me now, can she?¡±


    ¡°stop talking nonsense with a strait face! We just need to look at the surveince footage and we¡¯ll


    know the truth!¡± Lisa retorted angrily.


    Then, she anxiously looked over Serenity and asked, ¡°Are you okay?!¡±


    ¡°It hurts a little,¡± Serenity muttered with a pasp.


    Her entire body ached, and it felt like it was about to fall apart.


    ¡°Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right away,¡± Lisa sald in an urgent tone.


    Chapter 76


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small fall and you want to go to the hospital? You¡¯re making a big fuss out of nothing! What¡¯s


    next? Extorting medical expenses from me?¡± Joy sarcasticallymented.


    Before anyone else could react to her words, an unexpected crisp p rang out suddenly


    The force behind the blow was strong enough that Joy almost fell off the esctor.


    ¡°Zeke! Joy screamed in disbelief as she covered her face where she had been pped.


    Zeke¡¯s face was unnaturally pale as he bellowed, ¡°Apologize! Apologize to Serenity! Now!¡±

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    ¡°Why should I apologize?!¡± Joy protested indignantly.


    In the meantime, a crowd had started to form around them. Some of the onlookers recognized Jenny.


    After all, Jenny was popr celebrity. Even though most of her face was covered by her sunsses


    and hat, some people could still recognize her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Jenny Hall! And 1 think the guy next to her is her fianc¨¦!¡±


    ¡°What are they doing here?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening at the esctor? Is there an ident?¡±


    Whispers rose among the crowd. Lisa helped Serenity walk down the esctor, Zeke saw this and


    went after them.


    A hint of surprise shed across Jenny¡¯s eyes. She could not believe that Zeke would actually ditch her


    to go after Serenity! To make matters worse, the crowd around Jenny started to gossip after seeing


    that.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Jenny¡¯s fianc¨¦ is going after another woman.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, is it a love triangle?¡±


    Jenny felt humiliated. She shielded her face and left in a hurry with Joy, trying her best to avoid the


    phones that were filming her.


    Meanwhile, Zeke caught up to Serenity. He said anxiously, ¡°Serenity. Joy didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I¡¯ll pay


    for your medical expenses. I¡¯ll pay as much as you want. Please don¡¯t tell anyone about this¡­¡±


    ¡°Save it, Zeke Shaw!¡± Lisa yelled at him indignantly. ¡°Do you honestly expect us to believe that your


    sister didn¡¯t do it on purpose? You Shaws are crazy!¡±


    She opened the car door and helped her best friend onto the passenger seat, then got onto the driver¡¯s


    seat herself. Zeke mmed the car window repeatedly, trying to get their attention. His face was pale


    and his voice was trembling


    Seeing this, even Lisa believed that Zeke was truly scared, but the question was, what was he scared


    of? That Serenity would sue Joy?


    Even if she did, Joy would only have to pay a bit ofpensation, and the Shaw family had money to


    burn.


    After Lisa drove away with Serenity, Zeke stood motionless. All he could think of was¡­ ¡°it¡¯s over¡°.


    He did not know what the rtionship between Jackson Valor and Serenity was, but from what he


    could tell, Serenity seemed to be special to Jackson Valor. And now, Serenity had gotten injured


    because of Joy. What would happen to Joy and the Shaw family?¡­


    Zeke could only try to convince himself that Jackson Valor probably wouldn¡¯t do anything to the Shaw


    family for someone like Serenity Lewis¡­ right?


    R¨CRight? He could not help recalling the way Jackson Valor called Serenity ¡°Sis¡± There was a


    tenderness in his voice that Zeke had never heard from him before.


    Lisa took Serenity to the hospital. They went straight to the emergency room and were now waiting to


    get an X¨Cray scan.


    Serenity did not say anything, but Lisa could tell from her expression that she was in a lot of pain.


    She did not know when it started, but her best friend would not even groan anymore even if she was in


    great pain,


    Was it because of what she experienced in prison? Because she had been through greater pain than


    this, she would no longer groan for this amount of pain?


    When Lisa recalled the bizarre car ident, she felt that there was more to it than met the rye, but she


    had no proof. Lisa saw Serenity taking out her phone, so she asked, ¡°Who are you calling?¡±


    1/2

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    ¡°Jack¡± answered Serenity. ¡°I don¡¯t know howng 1 have to stay here for. I want to tell him not to wait


    for me for dinner.¡±


    Serenity searched for Jack¡¯s contact in the phone and called him.


    The call was quickly picked up. Jackson¡¯s slightly cold voice greeted her, ¡°Sis.¡±


    ¡°I have to take care of something, so I¡¯ll be homete today. You should take care of dinner yourself,¡±


    said Serenity.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡°take care of something¡°? Just tell him that you¡¯re in the hospital!¡± Lisa chimed in.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re in the hospital?¡± There seemed to be a slight change in Jackson¡¯s tone.


    ¡°Yeah, I tripped and fell, so I¡¯m now in the hospital waiting to get an X¨Cray,¡± replied Serenity.


    ¡°Which hospital? I¡¯ll be right there,¡± said Jackson,


    ¡°You don¡¯t have toe. Lisa¡¯s with me. Just wait for me at home,¡± she quickly said.


    The other end of the call was silent. After a moment, Jackson¡¯s cold voice could be heard again. He


    repeated the question insistently, which hospital?¡±


    ¡°Sria General Hospital.¡± Serenity bit her lip slightly. Because she lost her mother when she was


    young and also spent three years in prison, she was always reluctant to impose on other people


    If Lisa did not happen to be with her today, she would probably havee to the hospital by herself


    without telling anyone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there,¡± said Jackson.


    After hanging up, Jackson called Connor Gunn. ¡°Find out what happened to Serenity Lewis today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor,¡± answered Connor.


    ¡°Also, find out who¡¯s the best doctor in Sria General Hospital¡¯s orthopedic department and have him


    go to the hospital right now to take a look at her injuries,¡± ordered Jackson.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor,¡± Connor answered once again.


    After the call ended, Connor stared at his phone. Was his boss really not in love with Serenity Lewis?


    For the sake of a woman, he would go through the trouble to investigate what happened to her and find


    the best orthopedist


    for her.


    He remembered there was an incident when their car drove past Serenity Lewis quite some time ago.


    She was cleaning the side of the road when an electric scooter ran into her. At that time, Mr. Valor


    merely spared her a nce and did not even react.


    But now¡­ he would go through all this trouble for the woman Connor thought there was no way


    Jackson Valor had no special feelings for Serenity Lewis..


    And so, while Serenity was waiting to get an X¨Cray, a nurse suddenly walked over to her and took her


    directly to a VIP room to get an X¨Cray scan. She then took Serenity to a consulting room that had a


    different doctor in it than the one who inspected Serenity earlier.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t i pa bark to the doctor from before?¡± asked Serenity. After all, it was the other doctor who


    examined her and told her to get an X¨Cray, so it only made sense for her to return to him after doing so.


    ¡°Dr. House happens to be avable,¡± the nurse quickly said.


    free at all. He was at home when the


    Dr. House smiled and said gently, ¡°Yes, I happen to be free right now.¡± No, he was ba hospital director


    called him and ordered blin to go in the hospital to inspect a certain patient.


    The director even told him to be extra careful and not to make any mistakes.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He thought the patient must be a big shot of some sort, but the person before him looked rather


    ordinary. Her clothes did not look that expensive either.


    However, as a doctor, it mattered not to him who the patient was. He would always do his best to help


    them.

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    He only paid more attention to Serenity than usual because of what the director said.


    At that moment, someone else walked into the consulting room and went to Serenity¡¯s side. He said,


    ¡°Sis.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± said Serenity. He arrived faster than she thought.


    ¡°Yeah, the heavy traffic dyed me a bit,¡± said Jackson


    ¡°Doctor, how is she? Is she okay? Someone tripped her and she fell several steps down the esctor,¡±


    Lisa asked nervously.


    ¡°The fall didn¡¯t hurt her that much. She only had some minor bone fractures on her ankle. She¡¯ll be fine


    after resting for a couple of weeks, but¡­¡± Dr. House hesitated a little.


    ¡°But what?¡± asked Lisa


    ¡°But Miss Lewis, did you get injured a lot in thest few years?¡± asked Dr. House.


    The question surprised Serenity. She wasn¡¯t sure how to answer that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to pry. It¡¯s just that, your X¨Cray shows that you suffered a lot of injuries in thest few


    years. Some of your old injuries didn¡¯t heal properly, so there might be someplications.¡±


    ¡°Complications?¡± Serenity frowned. ¡°But I usually feel fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still young. When you get older, thoseplications will slowly show


    themselves.¡±


    ¡°What kind ofplications are we talking about?¡± Lisa looked more anxious than Serenity was


    ¡°In the future, she might get frequent joint pains. If it bes serious, she might have difficulty lifting


    heavy objects or have difficulty walking.¡± answered Dr. House.


    Serenity kept quiet and looked down at her limbs. She suffered all those old injuries in prison.


    Even if her bones were fractured after a beating, she was merely bandaged up and left to heal by


    herself. She was grateful enough to get a moment of respite. There was no way she would get the


    proper treatment or be given enough time to heal properly.


    ¡°Then¡­ can her injuries still be healed? Lisa asked nervously while trembling,


    Serenity, however, seemed calm.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long¨Cterm process. She has to eat more food that contains calcium. She should also avoid using


    cold water when she showers or does household chores. Miss Lewis, make sure you rest properly this


    time so that your injury doesn¡¯t add to theplications,¡± said Dr. House.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    He prescribed some medicine for her which Lisa went to get. Meanwhile, Jackson helped Lisa walk to a


    chair outside the


    consulting room.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t hurt that much,¡± said Serenity, ¡°The injury isn¡¯t that serious. Like the doctor said, I¡¯ll


    heal in a week or


    Two.¡±


    He pursed his lips, ¡°The old injuries the doctor mentioned¡­ are they the injuries you suffered in


    prison?¡±


    Serenity feigned a smile and said nonchntly, ¡°I took some beating in prison, but it¡¯s no big deal.


    These old injuries will heal


    ake care of them properly from now on.


    The more nonchnt she looked, the more upset he became


    ¡°Sis, do you hate the people who put you in jail?¡± he suddenly asked.


    Sheughed. ¡°Who am I supposed to hate? The judge? The Hall family who sued me? The Shaw


    family who refused to help me? Jackson Valor?

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    Chapter 80


    When she said ¡°Jackson Valor¡°, his body stiffened, almost imperceptibly.


    ¡°Do you hate Jackson Valor?¡± he asked softly.


    1/1


    She sighed a little. ¡°Maybe. Everyone in Sria knows who he is. The person who died in the car


    ident was Jackson Valor¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Mira Hall, so naturally, I wouldn¡¯t get off easy. The more people


    wanted to please him, the more I suffered.¡±


    ¨C


    After a pause, she said almost self¨Cdeprecatingly, ¡°Sometimes, I do wonder if the person who died in


    the car ident wasn¡¯t Mira Hall, would I have won the case? Maybe I wouldn¡¯t have to go to prison for


    three years and go through all that.¡±


    She was not resentful or angry, but her self¨Cdeprecation made him feel even tnore guilty.


    He was probably responsible for half the pain she suffered.


    He crouched down in front of her. Through his heavy bangs, his eyes stared at her fixedly. ¡°If I had


    known that you would suffer so much. I would have protected you three years ago.¡±


    He was not saying that because of the game. It came straight from his heart.


    If, back then, he did not let others do those things to her to please him or if he was willing to give her a


    fair trial, then¡­ she would not have spent three years in prison and gotten all those injuries.


    ¡°I know you would have done that for me. Alright, let¡¯s not talk about that anymore,¡± Serenity smiled,


    lifted her hand and rubbed his ck hair.


    She seemed to be doing that more and more often recently.


    Lisa returned after getting the medicine. She told them, ¡°I¡¯ll go get the car from the underground


    parking lot, Jack, help Serenity to the main entrance and wait for me there.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered Jackson.


    Lisa left to get the car. Serenity got ready to stand up with Jack¡¯s help, but he lowered his body with his


    back to her instead.


    What are you doing?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you,¡± he said, ¡°Your foot will still hurt even if you hold onto me when you walk. I¡¯d rather carry


    you.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you hate getting carried by me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± she denied sharply.


    ¡°Then climb on. How long are you going to make me squat for?¡±


    Serenity bit her lip. In the end, she climbed onto Jackson¡¯s back and wrapped her arms around his


    neck.


    She did not notice the slight change in his expression when her hands coiled around his neck. It was


    akin to leaving his life in


    her hands. She could easily choke his throat and threaten his life in this posture.


    Under normal circumstances, he would never have allowed anyone to put their hands there.


    But if it¡¯s her, then¡­


    There was a touch of tenderness in his eyes that he himself did not seem to notice.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    He carried her out of the emergency room towards the hospital¡¯s main entrance,


    ¡°Am 1.. heavy?¡± Serenity bit her lip and asked. She was worried that she might be too heavy of a


    burden for him.

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    Chapter 81


    ¡°You¡¯re very light,¡± replied Jackson. He was telling the truth. Although Serenity was over 160 cm tall,


    Jackson estimated that she weighed no more than 45 kg. He would make sure to feed her well from


    now on.


    She leaned her face against his back. It felt very warm. When was thest time she had been carried


    like this? She could onl remember her mother carrying her like this when she was a child.


    However, the memory was very fuzzy because it was so long ago.


    ¡°Jack, you¡¯re so nice,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Are you going to say that I¡¯m a nice guy again?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, you¡¯re a really nice little brother. I¡¯m so lucky to have a little brother like you,¡±


    she said.


    Little brother¡­ His eyes flickered slightly.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    When this game started, wasn¡¯t he the one who chose to stay by her side as a younger brother? She


    asked him to call her Sis.


    But now, it seemed like he no longer wanted her to think of him as just a younger brother. He wanted¡­


    more.


    Jackson carried Serenity to the hospital¡¯s main entrance. Not long after, Lisa drove over.


    After they got into the car, Lisa startedining angrily about the things that happened earlier that


    day.


    Although Jackson already got the rough story from Connor, his face still hardened when he heard Lisa


    tell it.


    ¡°Joy Shaw was way over the line. Not only did she ask the staff to kick us out, she even tripped


    Serenity on purpose. Serenity¡¯s lucky she didn¡¯t get seriously hurt!¡± Lisa was furious. ¡°Joy Shaw thinks


    she can do anything she wants because her family¡¯s powerful!¡±


    ¡°Her family¡­¡± Jackson quietly repeated. His tone seemed to carry a hint of mockery. ¡°What¡¯s the big


    deal with the Shaw family?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you look down on the Shaw family,¡± Lisa may dislike them, but she still had to exin the truth to


    him, ¡°The Shaw family has a deep foundation and a lot of connections in Sria. The Shaw Group


    belongs to that family, as well as various


    otherpanies.¡±


    Lisa thought Jack might not know about the Shaw family¡¯s background since he was a homeless man,


    so she gave him a quick exnation.


    She then added, ¡°Joy Shaw knows that even if we sue her, she can hire the bestwyers, so the worst


    that can happen to her is that she has to paypensation. That¡¯s why she¡¯s not scared at all!¡±


    ¡°Then we won¡¯t sue her,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°No way! We must make thempensate Serenity for medical expenses and lost sry. Even if the


    money is nothing to them, we can¡¯t let them get away scot-free,¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°They won¡¯t. Whoever hurts Sis will pay the price,¡± Jackson said coldly.


    In that instant, a touch of hostility crept into his eyes.


    Lisa, who was driving, did not see it, but Serenity, who was sitting in the back seat with him, saw it


    Jack suddenly felt like aplete stranger to her, as if he had turned into apletely different


    person.


    But the next moment, the hostility in his eyes disappeared, and returned to his usual self,


    ¡°Sis,¡± he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing,¡± she shook her head, telling herself that she must be seeing things.


    When they arrived back home, Jackson carried Serenity into the apartment on his back while Lisa


    helped her carry the other stuff.

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    Chapter 82


    In the apartment, Jackson carefully ced Serenity down on a chair, then went to reheat the food that


    had gene cold.


    Looking at Jackson getting busy, Lisa changed her mind about him. She used to dislike the idea of


    Serenity living with a stranger, but he obviously treated Serenity very well.


    Lisa was d to know that someone was taking care of her best friend like this,


    Lisa soon went home. Jackson and Serenity had a simple dinner together. After the meal, Serenity


    wanted to clean up, but Jackson said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You shouldn¡¯t move around too much.¡±


    Serenity thus had nothing to do.


    After doing the dishes, Jackson asked Serenity. ¡°Sts, do you need to go to the bathroom?


    ¡°Huh?¡± She was stunned for a moment, and then her face turned red.


    ¡°Do you need to go to the bathroom or not?¡± he asked, as if it was just a really ordinary question.


    She looked embarrassed, but finally gave a very small nod.


    He thus picked her up, carried her to the bathroom, and then backed out again. ¡°call me when you¡¯re


    done,¡± he said.


    Okay,¡± she blushed even harder.


    She was surprised he actually noticed that she had not gone to the bathroom for a while.


    Aftering out of the bathroom, Jackson carried Serenity to the chair again.


    She could not help saying, ¡°I can walk, you know. One of my feet has a minor fracture, but my other


    foot is fine.¡±


    ¡°The doctor said you should walk as little as possible,¡± he said, ¡°Or do you dislike me taking care of you


    like this?


    ¡°N-No, I don¡¯t,¡± she shook her head with a blushi.


    He smiled and gently stroked her blushing face. ¡°Although I don¡¯t like it when you get hurt, I like it when


    you rely on me like


    this.¡±


    ¡°Rely on you?¡± She was a bit puzzled


    ¡°Yes, rely on me. No matter where you want to go, you need me to carry you or you wouldn¡¯t be able to


    get there. I like that you¡¯re dependent on me, so¡­ feel free to rely on me more.¡±


    His body slowly moved closer towards her. She could feel his warm breath on her face. His eyebrows


    and lips were beautiful. His eyes shined like the surface of ake at night.


    Serenity fell into a trance. In that instant, Jack looked so beautiful that it felt surreal.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not used to relying on people,¡± Serenity could just barely force out those words


    ¡°You can slowly get used to it,¡± he whispered.


    That night, when it was time to go to bed, Jackson brought Serenity a basin of warm water to wash her


    feet. One of her feet was bandaged so she could not wash it. She could only wipe it a little.


    The other foot, however, could be washed


    Jack held her uninjured foot and put it in the warm water. He gently cleaned it with his slender lingers.


    ¡°You should take an extended leave from work. The doctor said you need to rest properly,¡± said


    Jackson


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I go to work kantorrow. In our job, it¡¯s not that convenient to take a leave,


    especially a long leave. You might get fired.¡± She was clearly hesitant.


    ¡°Even if you do get fired, you can just look for a new joli after you¡¯ve recovered,¡± Jackson insisted.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

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    Chapter 83


    Chapter 83


    1/1


    ¡°But if I get fired, I won¡¯t have any ie. What do we do about rent and food?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them!¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll earn enough money to support you, so don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    Serenity stared at him in surprise. She knew that he was only doing odd jobs so he did not earn much,


    but when he said those words, it somehow gave her a sense of security.


    It reminded her that she was not alone. She actually had someone to rely on. She could rely on him.


    ¡°Call your boss.¡± He handed her the phone.


    She bit her lip. In the end, she relented and called her team leader at the Sanitation Office who was


    responsible for managing them.


    At first, she thought it would be very difficult to ask for an extended leave, but to her surprise, when she


    said she needed a week off, the team leader immediately agreed. He even said that if a week was not


    enough, she could even take two weeks off. Not only that, she would still be paid the basic sry and


    he would not deduct her pay.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Serenity was astonished. She remained in disbelief long after she hung up


    ¡°Why does it feel like my team leader can¡¯t wait for me to take a long leave? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t figure it out, then don¡¯t bother thinking too much about it. You got your leave, and that¡¯s


    that,¡± Jackson said while continuing to help her clean her foot.


    His fingers gently rubbed the back of her foot, her heel, and her toes¡­ She was starting to feel a little


    embarrassed.


    Speaking of which, she had never let a man inspect her foot so attentively before, not even Zeke Shaw.


    When he held her foot with hisrge hands, her foot waspletely wrapped inside his palms. She


    suddenly blushed. She felt like all her blood was rushing straight to her head. Her face was red-hot.


    ¡°T-Thanks. I can do it myself!¡± She quickly pulled her foot out of his hands.


    But his fingers still grasped her foot, ¡°I can do it for you. Don¡¯t move,¡± he said.


    She was too embarrassed to move her foot away again.


    He slowly grabbed a dry towel and carefully wiped her feet dry. His face dropped lower and lower until


    it was really close to her


    foot.


    Serenity felt as if her heart was about to leap out of her throat. When his lips were about to touch her


    foot, she could not stop herself from crying out, ¡°Jack!¡±


    His body jolted slightly. He then raised his head and said expressionlessly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sis


    ¡°N-Nothing¨C


    ¡°She bit her lip. She was probably overreacting. She thought jack was going to kiss her foot.


    He wiped her foot dry, then picked her up and carried her to bed. He told her, ¡°Get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± she answered.


    He turned around and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.


    He lifted his head and gazed at his reflection in the mirror. At the moment, his beautiful eyes were filled


    with lust.


    When he washed Serenity¡¯s foot just now, if she had not cried out, he actually would have kissed her


    foot. He never knew that


    a woman could actually make him this impulsive.


    ¡°Serenity¡­¡± he murmured. He ced his palm that had just wrapped around her foot on his lips.


    Was he starting to have¡­ feelings for her? He was starting to feel a bit different about her.


    If it was her, then except for love, he could actually give her anything.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    Chapter 84


    That night, Serenity¡¯s muffled scream woke Jackson up. He turned on the light and found that she was


    not sleeping peacefully. She seemed to be muttering something under her breath


    However, her words were so slurred that he could not make out what she was saying.


    ¡°Sis!¡± he called out to her. He felt her forehead with his hand and found that it was wet with sweat. Her


    forehead seemed to be


    a bit hot too.


    Jackson quickly grabbed a towel, soaked it in warm water, squeezed it dry, and used it to wipe


    Serenity¡¯s forehead.


    Her eyes were still tightly closed as she kept mumbling


    No matter how hard he tried to rouse her, her eyes never opened.


    He pursed his lips. Anxiety washed over him. He did not know what he could do to make her feel better.


    It was the first time he had ever felt so worried for a woman.


    2


    He grabbed his phone and called his secretary, Connor Gunn. Connor thus received a call from his


    boss at z. a.m. in the moming


    ¡°Connor, call a doctor and bring him to Serenity Lewis¡® apartment Immediately. Serenity is having a


    fever.¡± Jackson¡¯s voice carried a hint of anxiety


    ¡°Right now?¡± Connor was bbergasted.


    ¡°Yes, right now,¡± said Jackson.


    What else could Connor say? He could only contact a doctor right away. He then left the warmth of his


    bed in the middle of the night to bring the doctor to the apartment


    Connor was very careful when he knocked on the door. After all, Jackson did not want Serenity to


    discover his true identity,


    The door was quickly opened. Jackson moved aside to let the doctor and Connor in


    Once inside, Connar saw Serenity lying on the bed with her eyes closed. She did not seem to be


    awake.


    ¡°Take a look at her and see what¡¯s wrong with her. I can¡¯t wake her up,¡± said Jackson,


    Connor could feel that his boss had lost some of his usualposure.


    The doctor Connor brought was an experienced family doctor. Although he did not know Jackson¡¯s


    identity, he knew who


    Connor was


    He thought he would be inspecting a patient in a mansion, but Connor actually brought him to a tiny


    studio apartment.


    After giving Serenity a basic examination and hearing from them that Serenity had fallen down the


    esctor earlier, the doctor said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. The fever is probably caused by an inmmation


    from today¡¯s injury. I¡¯ll prescribe some anti¨Cfever medicine for her. If her fever hasn¡¯t gone down by


    tomorrow, she¡¯ll have to go to a hospital for further


    examination.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Jackson.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Connor then sent the doctor home whille Jackson remained in the house. He poured a cup of warm


    water to feed Serenity the


    medicine.


    On the way out, Connor happened to see his boss carrying the medicine and water to the bed.


    Connor was slightly taken aback. When had Mr. Valor ever taken care of someone like this? And she¡¯s


    not just any person,


    she¡¯s a woman


    Was Mr. Valor really not in love with Serenity Lewis? Or was he actually in love with her but he hadn¡¯t


    realized it yet?!

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Chapter 85


    But after that, Connor immediately reminded himself to stop specting. It was not something that he


    should concern


    himself with.


    Connor gently closed the door behind him. Inside the house, Jackson looked at the still¨Casleep


    Serenity. He brought the medicine in his hand to her slightly dry lips. ¡°Be a good girl and take the


    medicine, okay?¡±


    However, her lips shut tighter instead. He could not even stuff the pill into her mouth, let alone make


    her swallow it.


    Jackson pursed his lips so hard that it almost formed a straight line. He put the pill in his mouth


    together with some water, lowered his head and moved his mouth closer to Serenity¡¯s.


    His lips pressed against hers. The tip of his tongue pried open her lips and pushed the medicine into


    her mouth. There were actually other methods he could have used, but for some reason, he chose to


    use this method to feed her the medicine.


    Even though the medicine was already in her mouth, he was still longing for her lips.


    The sensation was like a craving or even an addiction. The touch only made him want more and more


    until¡­ he could stop thinking about it¡­


    Serenity he whispered, calling her name.


    Suddenly, as if she had sensed him calling out to her, she slowly opened her eyes. Her blurry gaze fell


    on him.


    He was slightly taken aback. For some reason, he felt a little nervous.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Then, her lips parted. She cracked a silly smile. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll be a good girl. I want to sleep with you.


    He chuckled. She actually mistook him for her mother. The fever must be messing with her mind.


    Her smile was childish and innocent, but it was also heartbreaking. He recalled that her mother had


    passed away early in her life. To her, her mother must have been thest bit of warmth in that house.


    The corner of Jackson¡¯s lips curled up. His father had died early while her mother had died early. There


    were some simrities


    between them after all.


    ¡°Mommy, stay here with me, okay? I¡¯ll be a good girl, 1 promise¡­¡± She half¨Copened her eyes. Her


    cheeks were flushed due to her fever. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly. She looked as cute as


    a tiny animal.


    ¦§


    ¡°Okay,¡± he could not help but reply. He took her hand in his, brought it to his face, and gently rubbed


    her palm against his cheek. He said softly, ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯m staying right here.¡±


    With that, she finally closed her eyes and fell asleep once more, only this time, her sleep seemed to be


    much more peaceful


    than before.


    Jackson silently stared at her while she slept. His lips kissed her palm somewhat greedily.


    ¡°Serenity¡­¡± The name escaped his mouth.


    He felt like his desire for her was bing stronger and stronger as time passed.


    The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her!


    ¡°Dad! Mom!¡± The next day, Joy Shawined to her parents, ¡°I can¡¯t believe Zele actually hit me


    yesterday because of Serenity Lewis! He was totally trying to humiliate me, J was there too. You


    have no idea how upset J looked.¡±


    Zeke¡¯s face was sullen. He could not care less about his sister¡¯sint. He was too busy thinking


    about how Jackson Valor would react after he found out that Serenity got hurt.


    ¡°Did you run into Serenity yesterday?¡± their father asked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Joy said indignantly, ¡°I have no idea what a sanitation worker like her was doing in a designer


    brand store! Also, Zeke wrote her a cheque for $720,000!¡±

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    Chapter 86


    Joy continued toin.


    When their parents heard that, they could not help but frown


    $720,000 was not a lot of money for the Shaw family, but it was for ordinary people.


    ¡°Zeke, you¡­¡± Marcia Shaw stared at her son in disbelief.


    ¡°You should ask Joy what she did,¡± Zeke Shaw said irritably, ¡°She was the one who told Serenity to


    choose any dress in the store and said she would pay for it. Serenity chose a $720,000 dress. I was


    merely cleaning up the mess [ny made.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually going to pay!¡± said Joy. ¡°Zekr, you still have lingering feelings for Serenity Lewis, don¡¯t


    you?!¡±


    ¡°I was just trying to save your life!¡± Zeke wished he could p his sister again.


    Joy retorted indignantly, ¡°You¡¯re funny. What can Serenity Lewis do to me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Zeke, that was too much. You shouldn¡¯t have hit your sister for Serenity Lewis. That woman is


    simply bad luck. If not for her, we wouldn¡¯t need to be so cautious when we deal with the Valor family!¡±


    Marcia Shaw took her daughter¡¯s side.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not Eke what you think¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course it is.¡± Marcia Shaw snapped bark, ¡°Serenity Lewis is throwing herself at you again. She¡¯s still


    trying to seduce you. even though you¡¯re about to get married. She¡¯s shameless. $720,000! Shractually


    had the nerve to ept that dress!¡±


    Though: of gifting something worth $720,000 to that kind of woman made Marcia Shaw furious.


    Zeke stood up sharply. ¡°Mom, do you know what your dear daughter did to Serenity after that? She


    tripped Serenity on purpose and made her fall down the esctor!¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Marcia Shaw was totally unconcerned. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. How much are the medical expenses?


    We can afford it. Do you really need to hit your sister for something like that?¡±


    Zeke took a deep breath to regain hisposure. He would think that it was no big deal too II Serenity


    Lewis did not have Jackson Valor backing her up. At most, they would have to pay for her medical


    expenses, but now¡­ ¡°In any case, you two should keep an eye on Joy. Don¡¯t let her cause any more


    trouble.¡±


    At that moment, David Shaw¡¯s phone rang. He picked up the call and, after listening for a moment, his


    face wentpletely pale.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Zeke quickly asked,


    ¡°The bank is suddenly refusing to approve our loan,¡± David Shaw¡¯s voice trembled as he said that.


    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t they say there was no problem before? Give President Gunn another call!¡± urged Marcia


    anxiously.


    The one who called just now was President Gun,¡± said David


    Unlike the rest of the Shaw family who all looked shocked, Zeke looked like he expected something like


    this to happen.


    It was Jackson Valor. He always made sure to get back at anyone who dared toy their hands on his


    people.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°But is that all, or¡­ Is that just the beginning?¡® If the loan was not approved, the Shaw family¡¯s cash


    flow would be obstructed, which might lead to a capital chain rupture.


    If it got to that, the entire Shaw Group would fall into crisis!


    The only way to save the Shaw family now was to quell Jackson Valor¡¯s anger!

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    Chapter 87


    Zeke wanted to make amends with Jackson Vr, but he could not even get the chance to see him, so


    all he could do was wait at the main entrance of Serenity¡¯s neighborhood, hoping to run into Jackson.


    When he finally saw a Bentley pull up not far


    from the entrance and a maning down from it, he quickly got out of his car to greet the man.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, I¡¯m really sorry for what happened before. My sister is young and ignorant. Please forgive


    us,¡± Zeke humbly apologized.


    ¡°Forgive you?¡± Jackson snorted indifferently.


    ¡°If you have any requests, feel free to tell me. I¡¯ll agree to anything as long as it¡¯s within my power to do


    so.¡±


    Jackson stared coldly at the guy in front of him. In that instant, Zeke felt like his blood was freezing up.


    Jackson¡¯s gaze made him feel like he was bring watched by a fierce beast. He did not even dare to


    breathe too hard.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Actually, I owe you a favor,¡± Jackson abruptly said.


    ¡°A favor?¡± Zeke was perplexed. He had na idea when he did Jackson Valor a favor.


    ¡°How about this- I¡¯ll spare the Shaw family as long as Joy Shaw doesn¡¯t attend your engagement


    party,¡± Jackson said indifferently.


    Zeke heard a sigh of relief. If all it would take was his little sister not attending his engagement party, it


    was a price he would dly pay. Even though it would be a bit embarrassing, their family could just


    come up with a random excuse to exin her absence. It was a very small price.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Valor,¡± Zeke quickly said.


    ¡°No need to thank me. I should thank you instead.¡± Jackson put a hand on Zeke¡¯s shoulder and slowly


    leaned over until his mouth was close to Zeke¡¯s ear. Then, in a voice that was only loud enough for the


    two of them to hear, he whispered, ¡°Thanks for breaking up with Serenity so cleanly. If you hadn¡¯t, I


    probably would have to go through a whole lot more trouble.¡±


    Jackson said that calmly, like he was thanking a friend in a casual conversation.


    But Zeke broke out in cold sweat upon hearing that. If he had not broken up with Serenity back then,


    would he have be Jackson Valor¡¯s target?


    Was that what Jackson Valor meant when he said he owed Zeke a favor?


    After Jackson entered the neighborhood, Zeke stood rooted to the spot for a long time, trying to calm


    himself down.


    Meanwhile, Joy was waiting for her friends in a luxury clubhouse, hoping to cheer herself up. Her elder


    brother was too much. He actually med her for the bank¡¯s refusal to loan money to them. He said


    the Shaw family was facing a crisis because she offended someone she shouldn¡¯t have


    Who did she offend? Serenity Lewis?!


    She¡¯s just a sanitation worker! As if she had any connections in the bank that would allow her to


    persuade the bank not to loan. money to them! He must be joking!


    While she was thinking of her problems, the dour of the private room was pushed open. However, the


    people who came in were not her friends but a bunch of men she did not recognize.


    ¡°Who are you people?¡± asked Joy in rm.


    The men walked straight towards her. One of them said emotionlessly, ¡°Sorry for bothering you, Miss


    Show, but can you please verify if the person in this video is you?¡±


    He yed a video on his phone. It was surveince fantage of Joy deliberately extending her foot to


    trip Serenity.


    Joy was shocked. Didn¡¯t she already send some people to delete all the surveince footage? Why


    would these people have this


    video?


    ¡°You¡­ What do you want? Are you trying to ckinail me? I¡¯m warning you, my father is David Shaw.


    If you dare to ckmail me, the Shaw familly will being after you You better delete the video right


    now

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    Chapter 88


    Before Jay could finish her threat, the mail interrupted her, ¡°So you are Miss Shaw. Thank you, that¡¯s all


    we need to know,¡±


    After that, the man turned to the people behind him and said, ¡°Smash her right foot. That¡¯s the foot she


    extended in the video.


    W-What?


    Joy was shocked. These people weren¡¯t here to ckmail her?


    A momentter, a painful scream resounded in the private room¡­


    When Serently woke up the next morning, the fever had finally subsided. Jackson said, ¡°Fortunately,


    the fever has gone down, or I would have to carry you to the hospital again today.¡±


    ¡°¡­ had a feverst night?¡± mumbled Serenity.


    ¡°Yup. And you talked a lot during your fever dreams,¡± he said.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    She was taken aback. ¡°1¡­ What did I say?¡± Surely she didn¡¯t say anything she shouldn¡¯t have, right?


    ¡°You said you¡¯d be a good little girl. You also asked me to stay by your side,¡± he said with a rare tease


    in his eyes.


    She instantly blushed.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Sis, even if you¡¯re not a good little girl, I¡¯ll still stay by your side,¡± said Jacksonzily.


    Serenity was still blushing, but she also looked at Jackson in surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You seem¡­ umm, different from before. You would even cra ck jokes now,¡± she said after giving it


    some thought


    He was slightly take aback, seemingly unaware of the changes himself.


    Was she the cause of the changes?


    He stared at her fixedly. Then, he suddenly leaned down. His Lace was so close to hers that their


    were almost touching-


    ¡°Aah!¡± She was startled. She subconsciously tried to back away but she forgot that she could not move


    that well at the


    moment.


    He wrapped a hand around her waist just in time and pulled her even closer to him.


    She stared at his face in a daze. His eyes were beautiful. She saw her own reflection in those pitch-


    ck-like pupils.


    She wondered if anyone else noticed that Jack was actually this good-looking. If he would justb


    his thick fringe up It wouldn¡¯t cover his face¡­


    so that


    ¡°Do you prefer the old me or the current me? It was only when his voice abruptly rang in her ears that


    she snapped back to her senses


    Their faces were extremely close to each other at the moment, the tips of their noses almost touching.


    Just a little closer and.. their lips would touch


    It was almost as if¡­ they were about to kiss!


    Serenity¡¯s eyes opened wide. She felt her mind go nk.


    ¡°Sis?¡± His voice jolted her awake once more.


    ¡°Ah, of course I prefer the current you¡­ It¡¯s better and feels less distant,¡± Serenity quickly said, ¡°Um..


    Jack, you can let go now. I¡¯m not going to fall. We¡¯re a little too close at the moment.¡±


    Her heart was beating so hard that she could almost hear it.


    Chapter 88


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to be close?¡± he asked.


    How was she supposed to answer that?! At this distance, it felt like he was about to kiss hier!

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    Chapter 89


    God, what was she thinking? How could she think that?


    ¡°It¡¯s too close so it feels weird,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± he said. He released her and took a step back, then went to the table to clear it.


    Serenity let out a sigh of relief. She touched her face, and it felt quite hot.


    ¡°By th


    the way, Sis, when we were really close just now, did you have the urge to kiss me?¡± His sudden


    question made her entire body freeze up.


    She blinked her dark almond eyes. The face under her palms felt even hotter now.


    ¡°Is that a hard question to answer?¡± he asked with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°well. Of course l¡­¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I would do it if it¡¯s with you,¡± he interrupted her, ¡°I don¡¯t like other women kissing me, but if it¡¯s you, I


    wouldn¡¯t mind it.¡± Sunlight spilled into the room through a narrow ss window and fell on him.


    His expression was serious, as if he was trying to convince her that he was not joking


    Thetter part of her sentence, ¡°I only see you as a brother¡°, got stuck in her throat, unable to be


    uttered no matter how hard she tried.


    That afternoon, when Serenity was idly surfing the web on her phone, she came across news about


    Joy Shaw. The news report stated that Joy Shaw was sent to the hospitaltest night. Apparently,


    she had offended someone, which resulted in her foot getting crushed. Her foot might never heal


    completely.


    She would probably be absent from her brother¡¯s engagement party which would be held in a few days.


    The paparazzi who reported the news said that he had yet to find out who Joy Shaw had offended, but


    the Shaw family¡¯s attitude was vague. They did not lodge a police report so it appeared they did not


    intend to pursue the matter.


    Therefore, the reporter concluded that the person Joy Shaw offended was likely more powerful than the


    Shaw family, so the Shaw family had no choice but to take it.


    After reading the news, Serenity subconsciously looked towards Jackson. When she got injured, he


    said that Joy Shaw would pay the price.


    And now, she really had. 1


    Was it a coincidence? Or was it¡­


    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Jackson suddenly raised his head and asked.


    She shook her head. What was she thinking?!


    ¡°Joy Shaw got injured and was hospitalized,¡± Serenity told Jackson about the news.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that great?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I just feel like your words are always very prophetic,¡± she said, ¡°Remember when you said that the ad


    Zeke Shaw put up to propose to Jenny Hall would be taken down? It actually did happen. And this time,


    you said Joy Shaw would pay the price, and something immediately happened to her.¡±


    She pondered and said, ¡°It feels like whatever you say woulde true, as if you¡¯re Nostradamus.¡±


    She was probably the only person in the world who would describe him lile this. He did not low whether


    tough or cry. Since I have that kind of power, is there anything you want to wish for?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any wish.¡± She knew very clearly that her dreams were


    beyond her reach right now.


    Chapter 89


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to find someone who can take care of you?¡± he asked. ¡°A man who can protect you


    and give you anything you want.¡°!


    She chuckled softly, ¡°As I am now, I would be


    to look for someone like that. Besides, I¡¯m juteful enough if I could stop worrying about rent and fond. I


    don¡¯t have time


    a sanitation worker. A guy who could do all that wouldn¡¯t look at me twice.¡± ¡°What if someone does take


    a liking to you?¡± he asked.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    Chapter 90


    She bit her lip and said, ¡°Relying on yourself is always better than relying on others. Only by relying on


    yourself will you not be disappointed.¡±


    Because the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.


    ¡°But I really want to be a person you can rely on. What should I do?¡± He raised his eyebrows


    slightly and looked at her calmly.


    ¡°If it¡¯s you¡­¡± she smiled, ¡°Then of course it would be great. I¡¯ll be waiting for you to take care of me in


    the future.¡±


    ¡°What made you change your mind?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Because I know you¡¯ll never let me down. Because she paused, ¡°Because you won¡¯t abandon me no


    matter what, am I right?


    He smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, I definitely won¡¯t abandon you,¡±


    That night, after making sure that Serenity was sound asleep, Jackson left Serenity¡¯s apartment and


    went to a nearby apartment.


    Unlike Serenity¡¯s tiny apartment, this apartment was much bigger and much more spacious. The


    decoration was also more borate.


    Connor was waiting for Jackson inside. As soon as he heard a knock on the door, he immediately


    opened it and invited his boss im.


    Connor still could not believe it. His boss was usually so arrogant. Connor had never seen him take


    care of anyone before. But now, in order to take care of Serenity, he actually bought a whole building in


    this neighborhood and¡­ He did all this just so that he would have a ce to work while Serenity was


    asleep.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Connor reported today¡¯spany affairs to him. After all, he was busy taking care of Serenity during


    the day.


    After listening to his report, Jackson gave him the instructions to carry out. He then asked Connor to


    contact the senior management of their overseas branches for an online meeting.


    A few momentster, the senior management of the overseas branches showed up on the projection


    screen, and the meeting started


    Some of the senior executives were curious about Jackson¡¯s whereabouts when they saw his


    background. After all, the apartment¡¯s decoration was only sophisticatedpared to the houses of


    ordinary folks. For people of Jackson¡¯s level, the ce could only be described as ¡°impoverished¡°.


    Jackson simply said, ¡°Stop wasting time on unnecessary questions. Get on with the meeting.¡±


    Connorughed inwardly. He knew why his boss was holding an international meeting in this kind of


    ce, but what could he say? That his boss had temporarily moved his office here because a certain


    woman had rented an apartment in this neighborhood?


    It took him an entire day to find a suitable ce in this neighborhood. After that, he offered double the


    market price so that the owner would sell. He thenpleted all the necessary procedures as fast as


    he could.


    Halfway through the meeting, Jackson¡¯s phone suddenly rang. It was not the phone he usually used


    but the one Serenity bought for him.


    And so, the foreign executives saw the man who was usually as mysterious and noble as a Variegata


    flower pick up a call on a cheap outdated phone. When he spoke into the phone, even his tone seemed


    to have be gentler


    Of course, that was just what it looked like to them. They had no way of knowing for sure because


    Jackson had muted the conference call from his side, so they could not hear what Jackson was saying.


    The executives secretly discussed among themselves why their boss would use such a phone and who


    he was talking to


    Connor even received a text from one of the senior executives who obviously wanted to gossip.


    Connor wished he could tell these people that the cell phone was no longer a secret in thepany


    headquarters in Sria,


    The senior management here had seen Mr. Valor pick up a call on this phone mare than once.


    As for why Mr. Valor would use such a phone and who the caller was, Connor did not dare to tell


    anyone.

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    Chapter 91


    Jackson soon ended the call and told Connor, ¡°You handle the rest of the meeting. Wrap it up and give


    me the minutes


    tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°And you, Mr. Valor?¡±


    ¡°Serenity suddenly woke up. She asked me where I was. I have to go back,¡± said Jackson, ¡°I¡¯ve already


    made all the major decisions anyway. All that¡¯s left is to work out the details.¡±


    After saying that, he left the house. When the foreign executives who were waiting for him saw him


    leave, it sparked another round of discussion among them.


    Connor finally unmuted the conference call from his side.


    ¡°Mr. Gunn, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Why did Mr. Valor leave?¡±


    ¡°Who called him just now?¡±


    ¡°Doh, that expression on Mr. Valor¡¯s face when he talked on the phone, that was definitely love.¡±


    The foreigners talked excitedly.


    Connor could only put on an awkward smile. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s continue the meeting Love? Was Mr. Valor


    really in love?


    Connor was not sure.


    If Mr. Valor really was to start a rtionship with Serenity, the news would probably cause a major


    sensation in Sria!


    In her rented apartment, Serenity looked up as Jackson walked through the door. She asked, ¡°It¡¯s


    already sote. Where did


    you go? I was so surprised when I woke up and didn¡¯t see you. I thought you might have met with an


    ident.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I went out for a walk,¡± said Jackson, He picked up Serenity, who had climbed out of


    bed, and gently pat her down on the bed. ¡°Get back to sleep, Sis. I¡¯m not going anywhere this time.


    ¡°Next time, if you go out for a walk while I¡¯m asleep, leave me a note,¡± she said.


    ¡°I will,¡± he gave her a smile. ¡°By the way, I need to take care of something tomorrow evening, so I won¡¯t


    be home.¡±


    ¡°Is it work rted?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± he answered, ¡°But it¡¯s not that important, to be honest. Even if I don¡¯t go, it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°No, if it¡¯s work rted then you should go. I¡¯ll be fine by myself. My foot actually hasn¡¯t hurt anymore


    for the past two days.


    I can move around II walk gently.¡± In fact, he was making too much of a fuss over her injury. He kept


    carrying her around like she was an invalid.


    ¡°Okay, then. I won¡¯t be gone for long,¡± he said.


    The next day, Jackson made Serenity dinner before he left. He also told her not to wait for him and that


    she should go to bed early.


    He then went to the building he bought, Connor was already there waiting for him.


    Connor had prepared the clothes that Jackson would be wearing


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jackson changed into a suit andbed his heavy bangs back. He instantly looked a lot sharper,


    especially his eyes that were extremely beautiful but also extremely cold.

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    Chapter 92


    As if they had never shown any emotion before.


    But Conner had seen a hint of tenderness in those very eyes when Jackson was talking to Serenity


    Lewis on the phone.


    It was t


    then that he realized his boss¡® eyes were not cold towards everyone. There were exceptions.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, the car is already waiting outside,¡± informed Connor.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go,¡± Jackson said indifferently. He was originally not that interested in the engagement


    party, but now, things were a little different.


    Zeke Shaw, the man who once dated Serenity. Serenity no longer had any feelings for this man. The


    possibility of their rtionship Trkindling was almost zeru.


    But¡­ Jackson wanted to be absolutely certain


    He did not want the slightest possibility to exist. Tonight was the night that the possibility would


    completely disappear.


    How could he not be interested?


    After dinner, Serenity had nothing to do, so she picked up her phone and browsed the web


    The entire inte seemed to be discussing the marriage between the Shaws and the Halls today.


    Although it was just an engagement party, everyone knew that for these prestigious families, an


    engagement was almost the same as a marriage.


    Holding an engagement ceremony in addition to a wedding ceremony made the asion appear more


    grand and important. That was why they held an engagement ceremony first.


    The two families would probably prepare for the wedding as soon as the engagement party was over.


    The news articles were apanied by engagement photos of Zeke Shaw and Jenny Hall released by


    the two families.


    Jenny Hall wore a white gown and Zeke Shaw wore a white suit. When they stood together, they


    looked like the perfect pair.


    Thements below the article all sounded envious.


    ¡°Wow, a rich, young and handsome man and a rich, young and beautiful woman. This is a real


    marriage between two prestigious families!¡±


    ¡°They look like they¡¯re made for each other.¡±


    ¡°Of course the man chosen by my idol, Jenny, is outstanding.¡±


    A lot of Jenny Hall¡¯s fans were calling tonight¡¯s engagement party the engagement party of the century!


    It was so romantic!


    Apparently, Zeke Shaw booked the most luxurious hotel in Sria for tonight the entire hotel!


    Apparently, Zele Shaw ordered 990 nou white roses for tonight because Jenny Ball¡¯s favorite flower


    was white roses. Zeke Shaw said Jenny Hall was like a white rose in his heart pure and wless.


    ¨C


    Apparently, Zeke Shaw gifted Jenny a vi worth over 100 million dors and named it the Jenny Vi,


    much to the envy of


    countless women online.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Reading these things, Serenity felt like so much time had passed.


    It had only been three years since she broke up with Zeke Shaw, but it felt like a lifetime ago.


    Jack asked her if she wanted to find a man who could take care of her.


    She once thought Zeke Shaw would be that man. She thought she could rely on him. She thought she


    would be safe in his arms


    forever

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    Ever since she was young, she had been trying hard to please everyone. She wanted her father to


    praise her and her stepmother to not hate her. Even though she obtained a lot of achievements, living


    like that was simply too tiring.


    Zeke Shaw made her understand that she could not rely on anyone else but herself.


    But¡­ Jack said he wanted her to rely on him. Serenity could not help smiling when she thought of


    Jack. Perhaps the luckiest thing to happen to her after her release from prison was meeting Jack


    She continued browsing the webs. She came upon a post that said Jackson Valor had also gone to the


    hotel to attend the engagement party, but he was surrounded by bodyguards who stopped people from


    snapping photos, so not even the reporters could get a photo of him.


    Whoever took a photo of him had to delete all the pictures they had taken on the spot.


    Yes, he was bossy, but he was Jackson Valor.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    The poster said he risked his life to get a shot of Jackson Valor¡¯s back. Jackson Valor had always


    refused to ept interviews. He rarely appeared in public and when he did, he was always surrounded


    by bodyguards. He was a very mysterious man.


    Even Serenity, who was used of killing Jackson Valor¡¯s fianc¨¦e, had never seen Jackson Valor


    before.


    He never appeared in court.


    Lisa said she tried going to the Valor Group to meet with Jackson Valor to make him understand that


    Mira Hall¡¯s death was suspicious, but she was chased away and failed to see him even once.


    Sometimes Serenity found it funny how she had not even met Jackson Valor before, but her life


    seemed to be so deeply intertwined with him. Her imprisonment, the reason no one dared to take her


    case, and the torture she suffered in prison all seemed to be rted to him


    Serenity scrolled to the bottom of the post and saw the photo. Even surrounded by a bunch of


    bodyguards, the back of that man still looked very striking.


    Wide shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. He had excellent proportions,parable to a model¡¯s.


    Among the people Serenity knew, only Jack had such excellent proportions.


    Jack¡­ His figure popped up in Serenity¡¯s mind. She thought, from the back, Jackson Valor looked very


    much like Jack


    God, what was she thinking?! Serenity shook her head. They were clearly two different people. Jack


    never wore a suit like that.


    But if he were to wear a suit, he would look very good too. While staring at the photo, Serenity became


    lost in thought¡­.


    Jackson Valor¡¯s appearance at the engagement party was a relief to both the Shaws and the Halls.


    They had been worried that Jackson would note.


    There were many businessmen among the people present. They kept looking for opportunities to talk


    to Jackson.


    If they could form a connection with Jackson Valor, it would naturally be very beneficial to their


    businesses.


    However, Jackson could not be bothered dealing with these people. He let Connor deal with them


    instead.


    Poor Connor was so busy that he hardly had time to catch a breath.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been so busytely that it¡¯s hard to get an appointment with you.¡± Azy voice came


    from the side.


    Jackson turned his head to see who it was. The man before him had a handsome face that was cold


    and aloof, but many women loved this man to death. ¡°What about you? I heard you changed your


    girlfriend again recently.¡±


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s true,¡± Lucas Gomez said indifferently, as if it was something verymon for him.


    ¡°To think Caleb actually made a bet with someone that your previous girlfriend would be yourst,¡± said


    Jackson.

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    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s losing the bet, then,¡± said Lucas as theer of his eye caught a glimpse of a person


    who was looking around in the banquet hall. ¡°There she is. Should I introduce you to her?¡°!


    Jackson followed after Locas¡± gaze. When he saw who it was, the corners of his lips curled up. ¡°A


    Lewis?¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡± Lucas seemed a bit surprised. He could not imagine how A and Jackson could


    have met before.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Jackson said vaguely. ¡°If you care about that new girlfriend of yours, make sure she doesn¡¯t


    cause any trouble. Otherwise, even you might not be able to protect her.¡±


    ¡°She offended you before?¡± Lucas raised his eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°If she did, do you think she would still be standing here right now?¡± asked Jackson. ¡°But hopefully


    she¡¯s smart enough not to do it in the future.¡±


    Jackson turned around and walked away. Aria finally saw Lucas and quickly came over.


    ¡°Lucas!¡± She called out to him.


    Upon entering the banquet hall, she saw many public figures that she had only seen on TV before.


    There were also a lot of A- list celebrities present. Being a C¨Clist celebrity, she could not believe that


    she was actually attending this kind of party.


    She knew that all this was possible thanks to Lucas Gomez.


    ¡°You should have called me when you arrived. I would have gone to the door to get you in,¡± said Lucas


    as he helped Aria tidy up a few strands of hair that had fallen to the side of her cheek.


    All this felt like a dream to Aria. Who would have thought that she would actually get to date a big shot


    in the entertainment industry like Lucas Gomez?


    Lucas Gomez was known as the prince of


    ince of the entertainment industry. Whoever he wanted to make popr, would be popr.


    She was originally having a tough time during filming, but her luckpletely turned around when she


    met Lucas. Just because Lucas Gomez had taken a liking to her, almost everyone in the crew and the


    cast had to show her respect. No one dared to offend her. Even the lead actor, the lead actress, the


    director and the producer were respectful towards her now.


    This feeling was something that she had never experienced before.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here now.¡± Aria smiled sweetly and took Lucas¡® arm. ¡°I saw so many A¨Clist celebrities


    today. I feel so lucky. I¡¯ve never seen so many popr stars before. I wonder when I can be like


    them.¡±


    ¡°Easily done. I¡¯ll arrange a role in a TV series for you as well as a few variety show appearances. You


    can pick a script that you like,¡± Lucas said casually, like it was no big deal.


    But Arta was left speechless. She could hardly believe her ears. She tried really hard to appear on


    variety shows before but she could not even get a single chance, let alone a few!


    ¡°What kind of role.. are we talking about?¡± she asked in disbelief.


    ¡°The female lead, of course. You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­ I¡¯d like that a lot,¡± Aria was so shocked by her good fortune that she did not know what to say.


    ¡°Lucas¡­ Why are you being so nice to me?¡± Aria asked softly.


    Lucas smiled and brushed Aria¡¯s lips graily with his finger.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Aria immediately blushed. There were many people around!


    But she did not pash his hand away


    ¡°Because your lips are beautiful. I really like them,¡± he said, almost in a whisper.

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    1/1


    Her lips were beautiful? Aria was a little perplexed. After all, among all the facial features, the lips were


    not really something people would usually notice. As long as the lips were not too ugly, they were not


    that different from one another.


    Therefore, Aria could never have imagined that it was her lips that Lucas liloel.


    But regardless, it was her good fortune all the same.


    She must hang onto Lucas Gomez and be the most popr actress. And then, maybe she could


    even¡­ marry into a rich family and change her lifepletely!


    Aria could already see a bright future beckoning to her. She falled to notice that, although the man in


    front of her was smiling, the smile did not reach his eyes.


    ¡°By the way, do you know Jackson Valor personally?¡± Lucas suddenly asked.


    Aria shook her head. How could she know someone like Jackson Valor?


    Laicas pursed his lips slightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mess with him. If you do, even 1 might not be able to


    protect you.¡±


    Of course, the more important question was whether he would want to protect her.


    He would not get into a conflict with Jackson Valor for a substitute. A substitute¡­ Lucas¡® eyes suddenly


    looked like they were clouded over by ayer of mist.


    ww many more s


    He had been looking for years. How many more substitutes did he have to go through?!


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    He really, really wanted to find her. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her!


    Before the engagement ceremony started, Zeke Shaw sought Jackson Valor out to talk to him. ¡°Mr.


    Valor, it¡¯s such an honor to have you attend my engagement party.¡±


    ¡°Of course I would attend your engagement party,¡± Jackson¡¯s words seemed to carry other meanings.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m d you broke up with Serenity back then so that she could get over you


    completely. If you had stayed with her through thick and thin, she would probably still be in love with


    you right now.¡±


    Zeke felt embarrassed. He did not know how to respond to that.


    ¡°By the way, how long will your sister be hospitalized for?¡± Jackson asked casually.


    ¡°A month,¡± Zeke¡¯s heart sank. He quickly added, ¡°But the injury will take half a year to healpletely.¡±


    He naturally knew the reason why his sister got injured. But even if he did, he had to pretend he did


    not.


    ¡°Then maybe she should stay home for the next six months like a good girl so that she can recover


    properly,¡± Jackson said indifferently.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Zeke quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask my parents to keep an eye on Joy and make sure she stays home to


    get plenty of rest.¡°¡± Having a good read on the situation was Zeke Shaw¡¯s greatest strength.


    That was why, when Serenity gut into trouble, he wasted no time in breaking up with her. It was also


    why he did not confront Jackson Valor despite what happened to his sister.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving after your engagement ceremony. Serenity is waiting for me back home,¡± said Jackson.


    Right now, Zeke


    no longer felt like Jackson Valor caine to the engagement ceterany out of respect for the Hall Lamily. It


    felt more like he was worried about¡­ the passibility of Serenity and himself reconciling, so he wanted


    to witness the engagement ceremony with his own eyes.


    Was Serenity¡­ really that important to Jarkson Valor? Zeke still found it incredulous. Had he ever been


    this concerned for his own fianc¨¦e, Mira Hall?

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    Chapter 96


    Zeke walked away from the conversation with so many questions,


    The engagement ceremony began not long after that. Jackson Valor looked on as Zeke Shaw and


    J Hall exchanged engagement rings and gave their engagement speeches on stage. A smile


    shed across his face.


    Tomorrow, after the engagement party photos were released to the public, there could no longer be any


    possibility of Serenity and Zeke reconciling.


    The engagement ceremony concluded. While the guests were offering their congrattions, Jackson


    Valor left the venue


    His Silver Bentley was parked outside. Connor respectfully opened the door for him. He got into the


    car.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Do you wish to go back to Miss Lewis apartment?¡± asked Commor.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± answered jackson as he leaned back on the seat and closed his eyes


    Today, Lucas Gomez gave him a surprise He did not expect Lucas¡®test girlfriend to be Aria Lewis,


    Serenity¡¯s half¨Csister,


    That woman, in his opinion, had no redeeming qualities. He had no idea what Lucas saw in her.


    But that¡¯s none of his business. He did not care as long as Aria Lewis did not cause any trouble for


    Serenity. Otherwise¡­ he would make Aria Lewis pay a hundred fold.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, Chairman Hall called just now to ask why you left so early. He was wondering if something


    upset you,¡± said Commor.


    ¡°Call him back and tell him that I had a great time tonight, but I¡¯m a little tired so I¡¯m going back early to


    rest,¡± said Jackson.


    Of course he had a great time. He just saw Serenity¡¯s ex¨Cboyfriend get engaged to another woman.


    The car pulled up at the neighborhood¡¯s main entrance. Jackson got off, walked to the narrow door,


    took out the key and opened the doar


    The interior of the apartment was illuminated by a dim yellow light.


    Serenity was knitting under themp. As soon as she saw hime back, she looked up and smiled at


    him sweetly. ¡°Wee back. It must be cold outside.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± he said. Seeing the yarn in her hands, he asked, ¡°Where did you get the yarn from?¡±


    ¡°I took apart some of my old sweaters. I wanted to use the wool to make you a scarf and a pair of


    gloves. I have nothing to do at home these days, so I thought I¡¯d find something to do.¡±


    He noticed a few washbels and logos on the table. He recognized one of the brands. ¡°I know this


    brand. Their cluthes are not cheap. Why did you take the sweater apart? You should have worn it


    yourself.¡± He picked up the logo and shook it.


    Serenity said, ¡°It¡¯s not cheap, but the design of the sweater is too shy. I can¡¯t find a suitable asion


    to wear it now. Might as well turn it into something more useful.¡±


    The original swater was designed to be cluak¨Clike. If it was worn with skinny pants, boots, and makeup,


    it would look quite cool, but she no longer had any matching skinny pants and boots and could also find


    no asion to wear it now,


    It would just be collecting dust.


    ¡°I think I should have enough yarn to kult a scarf and a pair of gloves. Do you like this color?¡± she


    asked. The color of the wool was oatmeal, which was a neutral color that was suitable for both men


    and women.

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    1/1


    ¡°I like it.¡± Jackson smiled and put down the logo he was holding. ¡°Sis, I¡¯ll buy you a thousand sweaters


    in the future so that you can wear them anytime you want, okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too many. I can¡¯t wear them all,¡± Serenity chuckled and said, ¡°Oh, right. I have to measure your


    hand.¡±


    She grabbed his hand and started to measure it with a roll of measuring tape.


    Jackson frowned slightly. He could feel how cold her hand was through the skin contact. ¡°Stop knitting.


    Your hands are so cold,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Hey, don¡¯t move your hand, or I won¡¯t get the right measurement,¡± she muttered. She pulled


    his hand back and once again positioned his fingers so that she could get the measurements she


    wanted. ¡°We¡¯re indoor, so it¡¯s not that cold. Sweeping the roadte at night or early in the morning, now


    that¡¯s cold. Even in gloves, my hands would sometimes popletely numb from the cold.¡±


    Ayer of mist swept across Jackson¡¯s eyes as if to cover up the guill in them. Actually¡­ he could


    easily help her get away from this lifestyle so that she did not have to do this kind of hardbor


    anymore.


    Perhaps, at first, he stayed by her side and called her Sis because he thought it was fun, but now that


    he felt differently about her and intended to take her under his wing, there was naturally no need for her


    to do this kind of handbor anymore


    ¡°Okay, done.¡± After getting the measurements, she lowered her head and resumed her knitting.


    However, because her fingers had been injured before, they were not that nimble, so her knitting was


    rather slow.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Sis, Zeke Shaw and J Hall got engaged today,¡± he suddenly said, ¡°On my way back, I passed by


    the hotel where they¡¯re holding the engagement party. There were still a lot of people there.¡±


    ¡°I know, I saw it on the Inte. The ce was crowded,¡± she said. Her voice did not sound any


    different.


    ¡°Are you sad?¡± He looked up slightly, trying to observe her reaction.


    ¡°Sad?¡± Her hand paused, as if she was surprised.


    ¡°If you had not broken up with Zeke Shaw, all of this would have been yours, including the grand


    engagement party,¡± he said.


    ¡°Even if the car ident didn¡¯t happen, all of this would not have been mine. The Shaw family would


    never truly ept me. 1 would have broken up with Zeke Shaw sooner orter,¡± Serenity was honest


    with herself.


    Every time she visited the Shaw family in the past, she tried so hard to please Zeke¡¯s parents and his


    sister, hoping to be epted as a part of the Shaw family.


    And the result? She was treated as a joke. Once, at a party, Joy Shaw even mocked her for getting


    ideas above her station.


    Even after being insulted like that, she still forced a smile in order to ease the mood. Thinking back on it


    now, she should not


    have bothered


    The car ident merely opened her eyes to reality.


    Jackson smiled as if he was satisfied with Serenity¡¯s answer. ¡°My sister deserves better! Zeke Shaw is


    nothing.¡±


    ¡°Yeals. If Jenny Hall likes that kind of man, she can have him,¡± Serenity smiled too.


    ¡°Did you see any other interesting news?¡± he asked casually.


    ¡°Yeah, I saw a picture of Jackson Valor¡¯s back,¡± said Serenity, ¡°That guy is so mysterious. It¡¯s hard to


    find a picture of him online. Even a picture of his back that someone posted earlier pot deleted not long


    after.¡±

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    Chapter 98


    She did not notice his body stiffening slightly when she said that


    ¡°Do you want to see Jackson Valor?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not really. He and 1 are simply two worlds apart,¡± she said, ¡°But speaking of Jackson Valor, his back in


    a suit looks a bit like yours. I think if you wore a suit, you would look really good too.¡±


    He pursed his lips and kept quiet.


    She continued, ¡°Let¡¯s save some money and buy you a suit when springes so that you can wear it


    when you¡¯re looking for a job. Some interviews require you to wear formal clothes.¡±


    ¡°If you see Jackson Valor one day, what would you say to him? he suddenly asked.


    Serenity fell into silence. After a while, she said with a wry smile, ¡°I would beg him to leave me alone.


    He was stunned. ¡°That¡¯s it?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to tell him that you¡¯re innocent? Don¡¯t you want his help to overturn the case?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no use. When I was on trial, Lisa went to hispany and begged to see him, but he simply


    refused to see her. In prison, I kept writing letters to him to tell him that his fianc¨¦e¡¯s death had nothing


    to do with me and beg him to stop sending people to torture me, but it did no good,¡± she said with a


    bitter smile.


    Those memories were painful to her.


    Jack¡¯s face was gloomy. Even his eyes seemed darker than usual. No one could tell what he was


    thinking


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about these things. It¡¯s all in the past. At least, after I got out of prison, Jackson


    Valor didn¡¯t try to take revenge on me anymore, or I couldn¡¯t have kept working in the Sanitation


    Office,¡± she said.


    Jack suddenly took her rough, calloused hands and rubbed them in his palms to warm them.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    If he had known, he would not have ignored her. He would not have let her go to prison for a crime she


    did notmit. He would not have allowed those who tried to please him to torture her in prison.


    But even if his identity was ever revealed to her one day, he still could not grant her request.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°For what?¡± She did not understand.


    ¡°Your hands got so cold because you¡¯re knitting a scarf and a pair of gloves for me,¡± he said softly.


    Also¡­ he would never leave


    her alone.


    He would make it up to her. He would give her the best of everything. He would make her the most


    enviable woman in the entire Sria. He would wash away all her stains. However, he would never


    leave her alone!


    Over the next few days, Serenity had a pretty leisurely time. All she did was knit and browse the web.


    She enjoyed a rare period of peace.


    Her foot injury was getting better every day. Every day, Jackson would carry her to the small park in


    their neighborhood sa that she could get some sun.


    Whenever he did, the old people there would look at them curiously.


    ¡°Youngdy, your boyfriend is carrying you here to get some sun again, huh?¡± sakd an old woman at


    the park who liked to


    chatter.

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    Serenity had lost count of the number of times she had to exin that Jack was not her boyfriend, but


    her younger brother. However, after the olddy found out that they were not rted by blood, she


    went back to thinking that he was her boyfriend.


    ¡°He might not be right now, but he will be in the future. A sibling rtionship like yours isn¡¯t real.¡± That


    was what the olddy said.


    Therefore, Serenity did not bother to exin anymore.


    But whenever the olddy called Jack ¡°the boyfriend¡°, he would smile and respond.


    Jackson put Serenity on a stone bench in the park and said, ¡°It¡¯s colder today than it was yesterday. I¡¯ll


    go get you another piece of clothing to put on.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.


    When he came back with the clothes, he saw the neighborhood aunties surrounding Serenity and


    telling her something while she blushed profusely and waved her hands repeatedly.


    Jackson slowed down. She looked so cute when she was blushing, like a harmless little kitten. It made


    him want to tease her.


    When the neighborhood aunties saw himing back, they left smiling andughing. Some winked at


    Serenity, making her


    blush even harder.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jackson asked while draping the clothes he brought on her.


    Her dark eyes looked at him in embarrassment. Her cheeks were red and puffy like ripe apples. He felt


    like taking a bite.


    He looked calm on the surface, but deep down, he was surprised.


    It seemed her influence on him was bing bigger and bigger. With only a blushing face, she made


    him.. like her even more.


    ¡°They thought you¡¯re my boyfriend,¡± she said softly.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°So? We¡¯ve always known that,¡± he said.


    ¡°And then they said you¡¯re too pretty.¡± She got even more embarrassed.


    ¡°And?¡± he urged her to go on.


    ¡°And then they taught me the ¡°Eighteen Moves to Tame Your Husband¡°.¡± She was too embarrassed to


    tell him the details.


    ¡°Maybe you can try them on me one day to see how effective they are,¡± said Jackson


    ¡°You too?¡± Serenity bit her lip.


    He could not help swallowing hard.


    Just then, Serenity¡¯s phone rang and she picked it up. Her expression changed. She answered in a low


    voice.


    After the call, Serenity told Jackson, ¡°I have to go back to my mother¡¯s hometown thising New


    Year. My grandma wants


    to see me.


    Her grandmother was the only rtive on her mother¡¯s side that made her feel warm. When her father


    married her stepmother, he sent Serenity back to her mother¡¯s malden home for a period of time. Her


    grandmother took care of her until she was in third grade, after which she returned to the city,


    When she was young, she could only go back for a bit during the winter break and summer break, but


    after she graduated from high school, she would go back to visit her grandmother whenever she saved


    up enough money to buy a bus ticket, up until her ident three years ago¡­ At that time, her


    grandmother¡¯s health was already very poor. She was often bedridden.


    Serenity¡¯s other rtives cut all ties with her. Whenever she called, they would ruthlessly hang up. This


    was the first time in three years someone from her mother¡¯s skle of the family had called ber.

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    ¡°Are you going, then?¡± asked Jackson.


    Serenity nodded. ¡°But¡­¡± She hesitated for a moment, ¡°Do you want to go with me?¡±


    He pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I have to work overtime on New Year¡¯s Eve. My boss said he


    would triple the pay. Why don¡¯t you give me the address? I¡¯ll go on New Year¡¯s Day. ¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Serenity. But after that, she hit her lip and said hesitantly, ¡°nut some of my rtives might


    give you attitude. Just ignore them.¡±


    Jackson smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    She was the only one he cared about..


    The closer it got to the New Year, the fewer people there were on the streets. Many people had gone


    back to their hometown to spend the New Year with their family.


    Serenity¡¯s mother¡¯s maiden home was in a small town outside Sria. It was not very far from the city,


    only about an hour and a half away by bus. Therefore, tickets were not that big of a problem.


    When Serenity booked the tickets, she told Jackson, ¡°Jack, give me your ID. I¡¯ll book a ticket for you.¡±


    She realized that she had never seen his ID before.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already booked a ticket,¡± said Jackson.


    Serenity did not pursue the matter. She took out the scarf that she had been knitting and wrapped it


    around Jackson.


    Is it too short?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just right,¡± he said. The scarf seemed to carry her scent. Wearing the scarf made him feel like


    he was surrounded by her scent.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll finish it upter so that you can wear it on New Year¡¯s Eve. The gloves will take a bit longer,


    probably until after the New Year,¡± she said.


    Lisa was originally nning to spend the New Year with Serenity, but after hearing that Serenity


    nned to go back to her mother¡¯s hometown, she could not help feeling a little worried for her.


    ¡°You¡¯re going alone?¡±


    ¡°Jack will be there on New Year¡¯s Day to keep mepany,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°But those rtives on your mother¡¯s side¡­¡± Lisa was aware of how ruthless they were when Serenity


    got into the ident.


    ¡°I want to see my grandmother. I haven¡¯t visited her once after I was released from prison. I want to see


    how she¡¯s doing.¡± said Serenity. Her grandmother was the only person she cared about over there.


    ¡°If anything happens, call me. I¡¯ll be at home over the New Year,¡± said Lisa.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Nothing will happen.¡± Serenity chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my mother¡¯s hometown, not going to war.¡±


    ¡°Who knows what those rtives of yours will do,¡± Lisa muttered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just going there to see my grandmother, stay for two days and thene back,¡± said


    Serenity.


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, Serenity departed early in the moming. Before leaving, she reminded Jackson to


    be careful ¡°I will,¡± Jackson said with a smile.

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    After Serenity left, Jackson felt a sense of emptiness as he looked around the small rented home. He


    picked up the scarf she had left on the table and wrapped it around his neck with a slight smile.


    By the time Jackson walked out, Connor had been waiting outside for a long time. Connor was


    dumbfounded to see his boss with the scarf. Mr. Valor had never been fond of wearing scarves, but he


    wore a in scarf around his neck this time.


    As Jackson approached, Connor managed to get a better look at the scarf, Judging by the yarn and


    pattern, it was certainly a hand-made scarf.


    Why would Mr. Valor wear a hand-made scarf? There was only one answer to it. Serenity must have


    hand-made the scarf for


    him!


    ¡°Mr. Valor, where shall we.¡±


    ¡°To the hospital. I¡¯ll have dinner with Zack for New Year¡¯s Eve today.¡± Jackson ordered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Connor responded and drove Jackson to the hospital.


    The bus stopped at an elevated exit near the towIL


    Serenity got off the bus. It had been three years, and it seemed the small town had changed a lot


    during this time. Even the dirt road had been upgraded into cement roads.


    As she walked along the road to her grandmother¡¯s house, she encountered neighbors from her


    grandmother¡¯s ce. Everyone was pointing at her, gossiping about her, however, she was already


    used to it.


    Ever since her release from prison, those who knew her from before talked about her whenever they


    saw her


    Serenity soon arrived at her grandmother¡¯s house to see that it was crowded with rtives


    Desmond Walker, her second uncle, saw her and weed her with a warm smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Serenity.


    Hurry up ande here. We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Serenity was a little surprised. After all, it was Desmond who had sent someone to give her a message


    in the detention house shortly after she had been arrested for the ideri, telling her not to get the


    family into trouble.


    ¡°Come on, sit down!¡± Her aunt, Theresa, also came over with a warm smile, and she pulled Serenity


    over to the table and sat her down. Subsequently, her other uncle, Francis, his wife, Lorraine,


    Desmond¡¯s wife, Dorothy, and Theresa¡¯s husband, Nn, all gathered around her and wannly greeted


    her.


    Serenity was a little puzzled, and she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Granny?¡±


    ¡°Granny is taking a nap right now. You can see herter when she wakes up,¡± Aunt Theresa said.


    Sitting beside them, Francis urged, ¡°Hey, Serenity, now that you¡¯re out of jail, you have to be a good


    person Aren¡¯t you single right now? A woman like you will need a man to rely on. I¡¯ll introduce someone


    nice to you soon.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Francis, I¡¯m just not interested in a rtionship right now,¡± Serenity refused.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you¡­¡± Francis seemed like he wanted to say something else, but Theresa


    gave him a look, and he immediately mmed up and said nothing further.


    Meanwhile, Serenity¡¯s grandmother, Emily Walker, was in another room, quarreling with her husband,


    Henry.


    ¡°No! I disagree! Absolutely not! I won¡¯t let Serenity marry that moron! You¡¯re going to ruin her life!¡±


    Emily shouted in disagreement.


    Henry, Serenity¡¯s grandfather, snorted, ¡°Her life is already ruined. She¡¯s not of prison, but what can she


    do? She¡¯s a sanitation. worker now. She might as well get married early while she¡¯s still young. The


    Foster family promises us that as long as Serenity gives then a baby, they¡¯ll support her for fife. I¡¯m


    doing this for her sale, aren¡¯t 17¡±


    Chapter


    2/2


    ¡°For her sake?! What do you mean by that? You¡¯re just greedy for the Foster family¡¯s money!¡± Emily


    retorted, disgusted.¡± You¡¯re practically selling Serenity to them!¡±


    ¡°Mom! What are you talking about?!¡± Aunt Theresa rushed over and tried to persuade her mother. ¡°Dad


    is doing this for all of us. The Foster family promised to give us three hundred thousand dors. Micah


    and Myran will get married eventually, and with this monry, they can at least have enough for a


    downpayment on a house in town. Mom, you can¡¯t hurt your grandsons¡± chances of getting married.

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    Theresa had been trying hard to persuade Emily. After all, her father and brothers had promised to give


    her thirty thousand dors out of the three hundred thousand dors.


    Thirty thousand dors was a year¡¯s sry for her!


    However, Emily would not agree to whatever Theresa and Henry said. Finally, Theresa left a harsh


    warning, ¡°Mom! Fran and Des have spoken. If you ruin this, Micah and Myran won¡¯t be able to afford a


    house or get married. They¡¯ll resent you for the rest of their lives!¡±


    Emily was furious and anxious. ¡°How could you.. Do you all even have a conscience?! Have you


    forgotten how Serenity treated


    Theresaughed. ¡°Mom, that¡¯s all in the past. Things have changed. You can¡¯t let her ruin our family


    and the children¡¯s future. Besides, it¡¯s partly Serenity¡¯s fault that Micah and Myran can¡¯t get married.


    When a girl from a good family hears that someone from our family was in prison, would she want to


    marry into the family? If they don¡¯t even have a house ready, it¡¯s even less likely for them to get


    married.¡±


    Emily ground her teeth. After a short silence, she looked at her third daughter with teary eyes. ¡°Y-you¡­


    How can you even face your younger sister?!¡±


    Theres did not care. Her youngest sister had been dead for years. They might have had a good


    rtionship before, but their sisterly love was gone. What was more important than money?


    Serenity¡¯s cousins surrounded her in the living room. Her cousin, Lte, was snacking on so


    some seeds and said with a half- smile, ¡°I heard from Grandpa. Your Dad said you¡¯re now a sanitation


    worker and cleaning the streets. Is that true?¡±


    Lte was just one year older than Serenity, When they were younger, everyone alwayspared


    Lte to Serenity. Serenity was a top student, but Lte was theplete opposite. Lte failed


    to go to college and went to work after graduating high school. Later, she had married a cksmith in a


    neighboring town.


    At that time, Serenity was dating Zeke Shaw, the son of a wealthy family. Whenever Lte thought of


    Serenity¡¯s boyfriend andpared him to her own husband, she felt outssed and ashamed.


    Needless to say, Lte would take every opportunity to step on Serenity, who had fallen in hard times.


    ¡°Yes, I clean the streets,¡± Serenity said, not ashamed of her career.


    ¡°Hey, you went to college, but what¡¯s the use? In the end, you¡¯re out cleaning the streets. Oh, but in the


    future.. Hehe, you won¡¯t have to¡­¡±


    Before Lte could finish her sentence, Myrau gave her a look.


    Lte paused with a meaningful expression, gloating over Serenity¡¯s future doom. ¡®Hmph! What¡¯s the


    use of bring a top student? She¡¯ll end up marrying a m oron, anyway.¡±


    Lte could not wait to see how Serenity would be after marrying that mo ron.


    In the evening, the family gathered for New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, and Serenity finally met her


    grandmother.


    When Emily saw Serenity, her eyes were leary, and the former hugged Serenity for a while.


    ¡°Oh, child. You must have suffered so. I¡¯m so sorry. You got into trouble, but I couldn¡¯t help at all,¡± Emily


    sobbed.


    Lte Interrupted before Serenity could even answer Emily as she remindest her grandinother,


    ¡°Granny, Serenity was jailed because of her mistake! She deserved her punishment by thew!¡±


    Emily red at Lte which finally made thetter shut her mouth resentfully.


    Serenity shook her head and reassured Family, ¡°In fine. I didn¡¯t suffer much Besides, I¡¯m out now,


    aren¡¯t 17 I¡¯ll visit more often and spend time with Grandpa and you.¡±


    Hearing that, Emily felt even sadder.


    Chapter 102


    Afraid that Emily would reveal their secret n, Henry and the rest hurriedly urged everyone to sit


    down and have dinner together. During dinner, Serenity¡¯s uncles and her aunt, Theresa, tried


    persuading Serenity to drink.


    ¡°It¡¯s a celebration. Let¡¯s have some wine. Serenity, you should visit your grandparents more often,¡±


    Theresa said, smiling.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

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    Serenity smiled. ¡°Aunt Theresa, I¡¯ve quit drinking. You should know that I got into a car ident and


    was charged with drunk driving. How would I dare to drink again?¡±


    Theresa choked at Serenity¡¯s reply andughed twice awkwardly.


    Francis urged, ¡°Serenity, it¡¯s New Year. Let¡¯s have a couple of drinks. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to drive


    today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Drink with respect for yourself, the family, and the evening!¡± Desmond chimed in.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Emily suddenly raised her voice. ¡°All of you are truly wicked! Do you really want to force


    Serenity into trouble?!


    Everyone immediately sank into silence, and Serenity looked at Emily in surprise.


    Emily exined to Serenity, ¡°Serenity, your uncles are ill-intentioned. They¡¯re trying to marry you off to


    the mo ron from the Foster family. They took three hundred thousand dors from the Foster family,


    and they.


    Henry cut Emily off before she could finish speaking.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with letting Serenity get married into the Foster family? Are we mistreating her? She¡¯s


    an ex-convict, but the Foster family doesn¡¯t mind. Do you think she¡¯ll be able to marry into a better


    family?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. The three hundred thousand dors from the Foster family could help Myran and


    Micah get their houses. Serenity, you owe it to them. If you hadn¡¯t been in jail, Myran and Micah would


    have been dating someone nice,¡± Lte said, adding fuel to the fire.


    ¡°I won¡¯t marry!¡± Serenity stood up, furious. She looked around them coldly. ¡°Even if I owe anyone


    anything, I definitely owe you people nothing!¡±


    Serenity then told Emily, ¡°Granny, I¡¯lle to see you again next time.¡±


    Serenity tried to leave right after that, but Francis and Desmond stopped her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave! Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter! You¡¯ll just have to get married!¡± Francis roared ruthlessly.


    Serenity turned to her cousins, Myran and Micah, who were sitting not far away. She remembered how


    they used to y together as children and shared a good rtionship.


    ¡°You want me to marry a fool?¡±


    Myran persuaded, ¡°Serenity, it¡¯s good that the Foster family is willing to let you marry into the family. Do


    you think you¡¯ll ever find a better family to marry into?¡±


    Micah flinched at Serenity¡¯s question. He said embarrassedly, ¡°1-I want to get married, and I¡¯ll need a


    house, so¡­ I-I have no other choice,¡±


    Serenityughed at herself mockingly. She should not have expected anything from her cousins, only


    to let herself down


    again.


    Serenity took a deep breath and announced to the crowd. ¡°I won¡¯t marry!¡±


    p!


    The next moment, Henry pped her hard on the face. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare defy me! You don¡¯t have a say


    in this!


    Meanwhile, in the hospital, a round table full of delectable food was prepared inside the VIP ward for


    only two people.


    Jackson ate his dinner slowly. Meanwhile, Zack sat opposite him and ate his dinner with the nurse¡¯s


    helpThis material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 104


    No one was talking in the ward, and there was no sound other than the sound of eating as the


    grandfather and grandson barely spoke a word.


    The nurse serving Zack found the situation a little odd. However, she stayed quiet, not daring to ask.


    After all, these two men were very powerful in Sria.


    Just as Zack was about to finish his dinner, he finally spoke and broke the silence. ¡°I heard you haven¡¯t


    been staying in the Valor Residence these days?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jackson responded inly. He was not surprised about Zack¡¯s knowledge of this. After all,


    someone in Valor Residence must have kept an eye on him and reported it to him.


    ¡°Where do you live now?¡±


    ¡°Elsewhere,¡± Jackson said.


    ¡°Why do you want to live outside?¡± Zack asked.


    ¡°Valor Residence is a little too quiet,¡± Jackson responded in a seemingly casual manner as he picked


    up another cooked shrimp and slowly peeled it.


    ¡°Speaking of which, you¡¯re already at the age to get married. I¡¯ll have my secretarypile a list of the


    city¡¯s best women from prestigious families. You can pick from there.¡± Zack spoke with a rxed tone,


    almost as if he was shopping for a piece of clothing


    Jackson paused peeling the shrimp slightly. Then, he rejected Master Zack¡¯s suggestion, ¡°No need.¡±


    Master Zack narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s just finding a woman to have a child, I have a candidate ready,¡± Jackson answered.


    Jackson used to think that if he needed a child as the heir to the Valor family, it did not matter who


    would carry his child. However, he now had a change of mind. If he needed a child, he wanted Serenity


    to be the mother of his child. It would be great if the child could inherit their genes.


    ¡°A candidate?¡± Master Zack was shocked, ¡°Did you¡­¡±


    Jackson¡¯s cell phone rang abruptly, interrupting their conversation


    Jackson was slightly startled and took a cheap cell phone from his pocket. He looked at the caller IDThis text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    and answered the call, but his face suddenly changed as soon as he heard the voice from the other


    end of the phone.


    ¡°Jack¡­5-save me¡­


    The woman had a cracked, rasping voice. Even so, he could recognize Serenity¡¯s voice immediately.


    However, before he could ask any questions, the call was cut off. When he called again, the number


    was unreachable and went straight to voicemail.


    Did Serenity get into trouble? Jackson paled, not realizing his face had turned ashen under the light.


    He immediately told Master Zack, ¡°Grandpa, I have something to do. I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    With that, he hurried out of the ward.


    A trace of anger shed across Zack¡¯s face. His grandson¡¯s expression reminded him of histe son¡¯s


    obsession with that


    His son was so in love with that woman, and he did not hesitate to leave his family, glory, and wealth


    for her, but what did be get in the end?! A man¡¯s crazy obsessed love with a woman would inevitably


    turn into a tragedy!


    Zack was curious: Jackson had lost hisposure because of an unknown woman. What kind of


    woman was she?


    Serenity did not expect her rtives to drug her. Although she had taken no alcohol during dinner and


    drank something else,


    she still ended up weak and powerless


    Emily wanted to stop the family, but Theresa stopped her as Francis and Desmond carried her into the


    Foster residence.

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    Meanwhile, the Foster family had locked Serenity in a room. There was an unknown man in the room


    with her, and he was most likely the mor on from the Foster family, Felix Foster.


    Serenity struggled to stay conscious. She wanted to get out. She had to escape no matter what!


    However, she was in a terrible state and could barely stand. How could she even escape?!


    Earlier, Serenity had secretly tried to call for help when Francis and Desmond had carried her over.


    However, they had noticed it and taker her phone away,


    Serenity¡¯s only opportunity to seek help was now gone!


    Why? She had her phone, but why did she call Jack first?! Jack was in S and could not help at all!


    Besides, what could Jack even do? Serenity realized she should have called Lisa, which might be more


    helpful. She could have just called the police toa. It seemed she had unwittingly be dependent on


    Jack


    Soon, Serenity¡¯s vision blurred, and the other man in the room rushed toward her with a giggle. She


    could only try to dodge, but she could not escape him


    Meanwhile, the Foster and Walker family gathered outside the room, happily settling their deal.


    Francis urged, ¡°Ery, Kyle, we¡¯ve brought you the woman. The three hundred thousand dors is a


    deal.¡±


    ¡°H ebe. Sure, sure. I¡¯ll pay once they are done,¡± Kyle Foster said. He was willing to do anything to let


    his son Felix get married and continue the Fuster family¡¯s bloodline.


    Kyle¡¯s wife, Marve, was a little worried. She asked uneasily, ¡°What if this girl tries to run away after


    doing the deed?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you can take some photos of her and ckmail her. Lock her up for a year and a


    half. By the time the child is born, she won¡¯t run away anymore. She¡¯ll stay and be your daughter-in-


    law,¡± Francis suggested. He only had the money in his mind, feeling no pity for Serenity,


    ¡°That¡¯s right. After giving birth to a child, she¡¯ll be obedient. You¡¯re a woman yourself. You should


    understand,¡± Desmond added hurriedly.


    Maeve thought about it and agreed. Even so, she was still a little worried. ¡°B-but¡­ Can they really do


    the deed? What if she resists? Will Felix¡­¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t resist! She has no strength now!¡± Desmond hurriedly said.


    Kyle chimed in, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I taught our son wellst night. Felix is stu pid, but he knows what to do!¡±


    Marve was relieved to hear that.


    The four of them were eating and drinking in the yard when suddenly, there was the sound of cars


    approaching from outside. ¡°It¡¯ste already! Whose car is it!¡± Kyle grumbled and got up, feeling a little


    drunk.


    Kyle walked to the entrance and opened the door. He was about to shout at the intruder but suddenly


    froze


    There were many police cars outside surrounding the entire building, and Kyle immediately sobered up.


    What was going on? Immediately afterward, the police officers got out and surrounded the yard.


    Francis, Desmond, and Maeve were frightened to see so many police officers surrounding the


    residence. They had to idea what had happened.


    The chief officer then questioned, ¡°Where is the woman you brought back?¡±


    The four of them looked at each other. Kyle but the ballet and Insistently questioned in turn, ¡°W-what?


    What woman? Str, we don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡¯


    H


    The chief did not waste time with Kyle. ¡°Search!¡± He barked out hismand at once, and the police


    officers began to search every room.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

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    The group suddenly panicked. Seeing that the room was about to be searched, Kyle immediately


    yelled, ¡°Do you have the right to perform a search? How can the police just barge in?!¡±


    Kyle and Marve tried to rush forward, but the police officers stopped them. Someone soon discovered


    that the door to a


    certain room was locked.


    Just then, another car arrived in front of Kyle¡¯s house, and a tall figure stepped out of the car and


    walked into the yard. Meanwhile, a police officer walked to the man and informed him about the


    situation.


    ¡°There¡¯s a locked door. She may be inside.¡±


    As the police officer spoke, he led the man to the locked room door. In the meantime, the group of four


    became desperate and gave all sorts of excuses, refusing to open the door.


    Jackson stared at the door andmanded coldly, ¡°Break the door open.¡±


    Someone immediately took an axe and split the door open.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go in! This is tresp assing! I¡¯m going to sue! Kyle and Marve shouted. No matter how loud


    they were, it was useless. Jackson was the first to rush into the room when the door was breached.


    Just as the others were about to follow, a roar suddenly came from inside. ¡°Don¡¯te it!¡±


    Those who were about to rush in stopped at once.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes turned red at the scene in front of him. Serenity was cowering in a corner on the bed in


    torn clothes, and a man kept giggling as he punched and kicked her.


    Serenity was curled up in a ball, trying to defend herself. She held a piece of broken mirror ss in her


    hand, but she had no strength to fight back at all.


    All she could do was keep herself awake, but she was still conscious because of the tremendous pain.


    Blood kept dripping down her palm, staining the light-colored bed like poppies in full bloom.


    The man beating her continued to mutter to himself the whole time. ¡°My dad taught me that if a woman


    doesn¡¯t obey, I have to beat her! She¡¯ll be obedient after that! So, I¡¯m going to beat you! Beat you! Beat


    you!!!¡±


    The very next moment, Jackson rushed over and pulled the m oron away from Serenity, stomping on


    him under his feet.


    How could a fool hurt his dearest Serenity like this?! It was simply. In that instance, a murderous intent


    shed in his dark


    eyes.


    Felix struggled to get up from the ground, but he felt a sharp pain as Jackson stepped on his chest, and


    he could not get up at all. Although st upid, Felix still had basic instincts to survive, and he found the


    person stepping on him terribly frightening. It was life-threatening, and he might even be killed.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes grew redder, and his thirst for blood grew.


    Suddenly, the sound of strenuuts breathing reached his ears, and it made him snap out of his


    bloodthirst.


    Serenity!


    Jackson kicked Felix out of the room. Then, he turned to Serenity, who was cowering in theer of


    the room.


    Serenity seemed limp, and her cheeks were abnormally red. The corner of her mouth was bl oody red,


    and her usually warm and beautiful eyes seemed blurred. She looked lost and confused, like a


    wealtHttle animal struggling, desperate to protect


    itself.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 107


    Jackson suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. Serently was fine when she left this morning, but¡­


    She had ended up in such a bad state. If he hade with her, she would not have suffered this way.


    When Jackson tried to approach her, her body trembled even more. She subconsciously squeezed the


    broken mirror ss in her hand, causing her to bleed more.


    ¡°Sis, it¡¯s me. Please let go of your hand. You¡¯re safe now. No one will hurt you anymore,¡± Jackson said


    in a hurry.


    Jackson had never been afraid of blood. He would usually not feel anything sering someone hurt and


    dripping blood.


    However, Jackson was afraid of seeing lier bleed at this moment. He feared she would hurt more,


    afraid she would use too much blood.


    This fear made him tremble.


    Serenity could not feel anything except for the heat in her body. The pain was the only thing keeping


    her awake.


    More pain! Serenity thought she needed more pain to protect herself and not pass out ¡®I mustn¡¯t fall


    asleep! 1 can¡¯t!¡¯


    Serenity was isted and helpless. She thought she could take control of her life after her release from


    prison, but her life was still the same as her prison time. No one could help her whenever something


    happened! She had to endure the pain alone.


    ¡°Sis¡­ Sis..¡±


    A voice was ringing in her ears, calling, her. Who was it? Who was calling out to her?


    She tried to open her eyes wide, wanting to see who was calling her.


    She heard that person say, ¡°Sis, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll taloo you away to safety!


    His silhouette came into her sight as her blurred vision finally became clearer


    ¡°J-Jack Serenity struggled to say his name, her rasping voice cracking badly.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m right here. No one can hurt you anymore!¡± Jack said with a stern and pained look,This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    vowing his eternal promise for her.


    Serenity stared at him nkly, Jack seemed a little different from usual, but¡­ Jack was here!


    All the strength she held onto was now gone, and she suddenly loosened her grap on the broken mirror


    ss at that realization. As the piece of broken mirror ss fell to the ground, so did she.


    As Serenity fell limply to the ground, Jackson stretched out his arms and caught her. He pulled off his


    coat and wrapped it around her. Then, he picked her up and carried her in his arms,


    ¡°Sis, rest well I¡¯ll take you home,¡± Jackson Tuished gently


    Serenity leaned against Jackson¡¯s chest and inhaled his familiar scent. She was Enally not alone at this


    moment. She felt as if she had someone she could rely on


    ¡°Jack.. You finally came¡­¡± Serenity muttered, resting her head in his arms and gasping for breath.


    Jackson looked at the women in his arms steadily, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m right here.¡± He was here, so she no longer


    had to be afraid of anything!


    As he spoke, he carried her out of the room.


    The people waiting outside the room saw Jacksoning out, carrying a woman wrapped in his coat.


    They could not see the woman¡¯s face buried in his arms, but they could see her long hair exposed


    outside and hear her beavy breathing

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    Jackson held the woman carefully in his arms Anyone wit


    saw that could tell how important she was to him.


    Some of those present who knew Jackson¡¯s true identity were secretly surprised to see this


    After all, the most powerful man in Sria had arrived at a ce like this in the early hours of the


    morning and caused such a big scene all just for a woman. No matter who she was, she might soon


    cause a stir in Sria.


    ¡°Find out who is involved in this. Don¡¯t leave anyone out,¡± Jackson ordered


    ¡°Yes.¡± One of the men with Jackson answered,


    At the same time, Kyle and Marve were devastated to see their son, Felix, screaming in pain. They


    were about to cry seeing the yard full of police officers.


    The couple red at Serenity¡¯s uncles with great resentment. ¡°Who is this woman you gave us?!¡±


    Francis and Desmond¡¯s faces were ashen, and they looked at each other at a loss. Their niece was an


    ex-convict, out of prison for less than half a year. They thought she was just a helpless woman with no


    one to rely on. Otherwise, they would not have targeted her!


    It seemed they had made a grave mistake, and their niece had a powerful man behind her!


    They suddenly broke out in cold sweat as they thought about the things they had dune before. They


    had even said those nasty things to Serenity and drugged her!


    Serenity should have told them about the big s hat! If they knew, they would not have done such a


    thing!


    Serenity¡¯s condition seemed increasingly amiss.


    Jackson looked at the woman in his arms, his fare bing darker as time passed.


    ¡°Da mn it! If Serenity had not called or if he had arrived anyter, her situation would have been


    iparably worse.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, we¡¯ve got the answer. It¡¯s a pill sold secretly in the local pubs. I¡¯ve sent someone to find out


    the drug content,¡± Connor reported thetest news to Jackson.


    ¡°Who drugged her?¡± Jackson questioned coldly


    ¡°Her rtives did. We don¡¯t know who exactly yet, and they¡¯re all trying to push the me on each


    other,¡± Connor exined.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes turned colder. How would Serenity feel to be betrayed by her own rtives?!


    He could hear her calling his name repeatedly, ¡°Jack.. Jack¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± Jackson¡¯s cold gaze immediately softened. He lowered his head andforted her


    with a gentle voice. ¡°Sis, I¡¯m right here. Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s fine now. You¡¯ll be okay..


    Even so, Serenity did not seem to listen to him at all.


    Jackson raised his hand, wanting to brush away her sweat-drenched hair. However, she suddenly


    opened her mouth and bit his finger hard.


    ¡°Mr. Valor!¡± Connor saw what was happening and yelled in rm immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jackson said calmly. It was as if he did not feel any pain at all. ¡°How long will it take to get to


    the hospital?¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

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    ¡°Tifteen minutes,¡±


    ¡°Connor stated.


    A small ordinary hospital would not help with Ms. Lewis¡¯s current state. They would have to send her to


    a big hospital in the


    city


    By the time the car arrived at the hospital, Connar had finally gotten the list of the drug content, and he


    had contacted the doctors on the way to the hospital All of them were the best doctors in their field


    Anyone would be shocked to see these great dectors gathered right here in such a short period of time.


    Whenever this happened, usually meant something big had happened.


    Contrary to what might have been the case, the doctors were studying the list of drug content and


    giving an emergency consultation to a woman in ordinary clothing


    The doctor advised. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. We can administer some sedatives to her, then just let her


    sweat more and expel the drug through sweating. It should help with her current situation. If she didn¡¯t


    take the drug inrge doses for a long time, the drug shouldn¡¯t cause any side effects on her bedy¡±


    One of the leading doctors in pharmacology added, ¡°We¡¯ll prescribe some medicine as well for her over


    the next three days to elerate her metabolism.¡±


    ¡°Sedate her quickly, then,¡± Jackson ordered.


    The doctors quickly gave Serenity an injection, sedating her, and Serenity immediately quieted down as


    if she had fallen asleep.


    Seeing this, Jackson finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°There is no clinical data on this drug, so I don¡¯t know if the sedative dosage is enough. If the previous


    symptons continue to show, we¡¯ll have to administer another dose of sedative,¡± the doctor said.


    After the doctors had left the ward, Jackson ordered Connor, ¡°Stay outside.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Mr. Valor!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here,¡± Jackson replied


    Connor nced at the sleeping Serenity and then looked at Jackson. He suggested, ¡°Shall I keep


    watch? You left so suddenly today, Master Zack might..¡±


    ¡°Grandpa will probably find someone to investigate this himself. There¡¯s no need to hide it. Sooner or


    later, he¡¯ll know about Serenity¡¯s existence, anyway.¡± Jackson ordered, ¡°You may leave. I¡¯ll stay with


    her.¡±


    Hearing that, Connor did not say anything else and left the ward.


    Only Serenity and Jackson stayed in therge VIP ward.


    Jackson walked to the bed and lowered his head, fixing his gaze on the woman on the bed. ¡°Serenity.¡±


    Jackson murmured softly, raised his hand, and gently brushed her cheek. ¡°You¡¯ve suffered today. I¡¯ll


    help you get revenge. Those who hurt you will pay a significant price for this, okay?¡±


    Serenity was unconscious and did not answer his question.


    Jackson sat quietly by the bed, watching her in silence. Watching her in person was the only way to put


    him at ease. He would not feel at ease hading someone else watdi her.


    Serenity remained unconscious for a while when suddenly, e manlled something incolerently.


    Jackson frowned slightly and he leaned over, trying to wipe the sweat from her forehead.


    As he drew closer, she opened her eyes suddenly and wrapped her arms armand his neck


    aggressively. Her chels were still flushed, and the hazy light in her dark eyes seemed like a beautiful


    vell.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

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    ¡°Jack¡±


    Serenity murmured softly, and her whispering voice hit Jackson¡¯s heart hard, as if with the weight of a


    million pounds. Serenity raised her chin, and a smile bloomed on her face as she kissed him fiercely


    Jackson looked at her in confusion. She was so close to him, and he could have avoided the kiss,


    but¡­ He chose not to.


    Serenity was the only one who could make him like this


    When he heard her calling his name in a rasping voice, he finally snapped back to his senses. He had


    almost lost his mind earlier!


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Jackson took a deep breath and rang the emergency call bell


    Not long after, the doctors and nurses rushed over and gave Serenity another dose of sedative. Finally,


    Serenity quieted down


    once DEC


    Connor noticed something different about Jackson. Connor had been with Jackson for years. Others


    might not have noticed anything, but he could sense something different about Jackson.


    ¡°Could it be.¡± Connor nced at Serenity on the bed. Suddenly, a moment of rity came to his mind.


    would have thought? How could a man like Mr. Valor go this far for Serenity? He probably cared deeply


    about her!


    Connor¡¯s thoughts lingered as he left the ward.


    The Shaw and Hall family had dinner together on the night of New Year¡¯s Eve. After dinner, Jenny went


    to the backyard with


    Zele


    ¡°Did something happen between you and Jackson?¡± Jenny suddenly asked.


    Zeke stiffened immediately. He turned to Jenny, looking a little pale. ¡°What are you talking about? How


    could there be anything between us?¡±


    ¡°Really? Then why did your face turn ugly after you talked to Jackson at our engagement party that


    day? What about Joy¡¯s Injury? Also, the Shaw family¡¯s bank loan approval had failed earlier but was


    suddenly approvedter. Are these things all connected?¡±


    Zeke¡¯s face turned ashen at Jenny¡¯s series of questions.


    ¡°Enough. It has nothing to do with you. Stop asking,¡± Zeke answered vaguely.


    Jenny was unwilling to stop. ¡°Zeke, we¡¯re engaged and getting married soon. Must you keep such


    secrets between us?¡±


    Zeke hesitated. He wanted to confess everything, but he was unsure. After all, Jackson and Serenity¡¯s


    matter had been wrighing on his mind, pressuring him.


    His parents had len nagging himtely as they were worried that he was still in love with Serenity, and


    they repeatedly reminded him not to meet Serenity again.

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    1/1


    Nevertheless, he certainly had no feelings left for Serenity!


    It was a pity that he could not possibly tell Jenny the truth now, but he was still anxious that Jenny


    might misunderstand him.


    ¡°Jenny,¡± he said after taking a deep breath, ¡°there are some things that 1 just can¡¯t tell you even if I


    wanted to.¡±


    Jenny stared at Zeke for a while and asked, ¡®Does Serenity Lewis have anything to do with Joy¡¯s


    injury?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Zeke stared back at his fiancee in astonishment,pletely unable to utter a word. Still, his silence


    and expressions were enough to let Jenny know that her guess was correct


    ¡°So she really does have something to do with it,¡± she said, before continuing to specte, ¡°Did she


    make a new friend in prison? A friend with some connections, maybe?¡±


    Before Ze¡¯s could answer her, a voice suddenly rang out, ¡°So my injuries were Serenity¡¯s doing. huh?!


    Joy walked into the room with a limp. She had merely intended toe over to tell her brother and


    Jenny to return to the living room only to overhear such a shocking revtion. The incident that led to


    her injuries filled her heart with a burning vengeance. Not only were the bones in her leg fractured and


    she had to be sent to the hospital for that, but she had now also became aughingstock among her


    group of friends, and yet she could not even Ind out who had done this to her, and she was even


    unable to attend her own brother¡¯s engagement party because of ir!


    She was already seething with rage before, but when she heard that it was Serenity who had sent


    some people to hurt her, she was simply on the verge of exploding, wishing for nothing more than to


    settle the score with that woman right then and there!


    ¡°If you still talo Serenity¡¯s side this time, Zeke, you¡¯re dead to me! I don¡¯t even know how long it will


    take for my leg to heal! 1 might even end up being a crip ple for the rest of my life! Since Serenity was


    the one who did this to me, I¡¯ll never rest before I break her leg too! I swear it on my honor as a Shaw!¡±


    As Joy uttered those words in full fury, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through it as if looking for


    a number to call


    ¡°Joy!¡± Zeke yelled. ¡°I told you that if you want to live the rest of your life In peace and safety, don¡¯t ever


    hamn Serenity ever again!¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that?! Who the hell is she, anyway? Why should I be so scared of her? Did she think


    that she can get away with everything just because she made some friends in prison?!!


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jenny chimed in, ¡°Joy is a member of the Shaw family, after all. If she doesn¡¯t fight back


    even after being so cruelly attacked, then from now on, the whole world would think that the Shaw


    family is weak!¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t say that if you knew that the one helping Serenity is Jackson Valor!¡±


    Zeke blunted those words out in one breath before he could think. Right after he spoke, his face was


    suddenly drained of all color. He shuddered to think about what would happen if Jackson Valor found


    out that he had told someone else about this.


    And just lie him, Jenny and Joy both turned sickly pale.


    Jackson Valor?!


    ¡°But that¡¯s impossible!¡± Joy eximed in disbelief. How could Jackson Valor ever help Serenity 7! She¡¯s


    the o Mara bark then!¡±


    who killed


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you guys believe it or not,¡± Zeke stated inter-of-factly, ¡°but it is the truth Jackson


    Valor probably look a liking to Serenity or something, I don¡¯t know. In any case, he was probably the


    one responsible for Joy¡¯s injuries. In other words, it was his way of saying that he didn¡¯t want Joy in


    attend the engagement party

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    Joy almost passed out due


    to the shock How could she ever guess that Jackson Valor would be the one behind her injuries and


    that he had ordered the attack to help Serenity?!


    Why would he do such a thing for a woman like that?!


    After all, his fiancee, Mira Hall, was a renowned beauty! As for Serenity. Well, Joy had to concede to


    the fact that she used to be beautiful in the past, but after being in prison for three years and now


    bing a sanitation worker sweeping the streets all day, she would never even have the time to take


    care of her appearances, so how pretty could she be?!


    How could it be possible that Jackson Valor, a man so used to being surrounded by great beauties,


    would ever be interested in a woman like Serenity?!


    ¡°That¡¯s why you must never harm Serenity ever again,¡± Zeke warned his sister, ¡°Also, don¡¯t ever tell


    anyone about anything I said just now, not even Mom and Dad! Jackson told me that he doesn¡¯t want


    anyone to know about this. In fact, I¡¯ve probably made a huge mistake by talking to both of you about


    this.¡±


    Joy no longer dared to make a peep of sound. If it had been anyone else, she might still find some way


    to get revenge, but if it really was Jackson Valor¡­ Offending this man only meant certain death for the


    whole Shaw family, and they would never be able to live in Sria in peace ever again.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    That man¡­ Some people said he was the emperor of Sria, some said he was a ruthless and


    unbeatable force of nature in th world of business, and others simply regarded him as a¡­. ¡°maniac¡±.


    In the past, there was a woman who had wanted to get close to him, so she bribed the manager of a


    certain hotel to get his room number and the spare key to the room so that she could seduce him, but


    in the end, the woman had been rolled up in a sheet and chucked out onto the street in front of the


    hotel. After that, the woman¡¯s family business had plummeted and gone bankrupt. In less than a year,


    the woman had transformed from a wealthy socialite into a pauper who could only make a living


    through prostitution


    As for the hotel manager that she had bribed, it was said that no one in Sria had ever seen him


    again. Some said that he fled. from the city with his tail tucked between his legs, some said he was


    dead, and there were some who said he had been taken abroad by human traffickers and now worked


    as a hardborer.


    In any case, the rumors were rife with all kinds of wild guesses, but they all pointed to one fact, and that


    was that Jackson Valor was an unforgivingly ruthless man. Anyone who offended him had better be


    prepared for their whole family to face his wrath and certain ruin..


    It was from then on that the socialites and celebrities in Sria no longer dared to mess with Jackson


    Valor or try to attract his attention, Jackson might indeed be a handsome, wealthy, and powerful man,


    but who in their right mind would ever dare to take such a lethal risk? After all, the socialite who now


    worked as a prostitute in nightclubs had not only be theughingstock of Sria¡¯s society but also


    a stern warning of what was to be of anyone who tried to mess with Jackson Valor.


    ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Zeke repeated.


    ¡°I.. I hear you,¡± replied Joy begrudgingly. ¡°I won¡¯t ever mess with Serenity again.¡±


    She then left the garden in limping steps.


    Zeke turned to Jenny and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back inside.¡±


    However, he noticed that Jenny was frowning deeply, looking like she was in a very bad state.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zeke asked her. ¡°You can ept the fact that Jackson Valor is now interested in


    Serenity, can you?


    After all, back then, it was Serenity who had crashed into Jenny¡¯s sister¡¯s car, killing her.


    ¡°Do you think that¡­ Jackson Valor might reopen Seendly¡¯s case and reverse the verdict on her?¡±


    ¡°Heverse the verdict?¡±


    ¡°I mean, with his power and capabilities, he can easily clear off all her guilt, and if he actually does


    reverse the verdict on her, my sister..¡±


    Jenny ground her teeth vehemently. Her lists were clenched tight, and she was even trembling slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much,¡± he assured her, gently patting his fiancee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s so


    easy to overturn verdict? Back then, there were witnesses and physical evidence that pointed to her


    quilt. Even Jackson Valor would find it almost impossible to help Serenity that way. Besides, I¡¯m sure


    he only feels a fleeting interest in her. There¡¯s no way a woman like her could be epted into the


    Valor family. Master Zack would be the first person to make sure that never happens.¡±


    Hearing this, the terrible expressions on Jenny¡¯s face gradually lightened up.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°Otherwise, my sister would never get the justice she deserves! If only


    I¡¯d known this would happen, I would not have gone easy on her back then!¡±


    Zeke pursed his lips. Gone easy on her? The image of Serenity¡¯s ten bl oody fingers with the bones in


    every single one of them broken shed across his mind


    Back then, he had merely stood aside and coldly watched it happen. In fact, it would not be wrong to


    say that he was one of Jenny¡¯s aplices, so if Serenity ever asked Jackson Valor to help her seek


    justice one day, Zeke and the whole Shaw family

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    A cold shudder spread through his body as Zeke thought about this, and he corned to look at Jenny


    beside him. Right now, the Hall family and the Shaw family were each other¡¯s close allies, so even if


    Jackson Valor was currently interested in Serenity, would probably never go so far as to dere war


    against the two wealthy families just because of a woman like her, would he?


    After all, Serenity had no one else to me but herself for all the bad things that happened to her back


    then, right?!


    Serenity felt as if she had been stuck in an unending nightmare.


    In it, she was back in prison where no matter where she tried to run and hide, no matter how much she


    begged for mercy, she could never escape any of the torture she was subjected to. Bitterly cold water,


    disgusting filth, all the feet that had stepped on her head, pluring her to the ground as they macked her,


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the greatwyer, Miss Lewis? Look how far she has fallen! She used to be an intellectual, yet


    now she¡¯s no different from any of us, caped up in this prison. In fact, she¡¯s even weaker than us now.


    We can beat people up, but all she can do is get beaten up!¡±


    That torment¡­how long did she have to endure it? Way.. Why did she have to suffer such a fate? She


    had never done anything wrong! Why did she have to endere such aony?


    ¡°Serenity Lewis, do you know what your biggest mistake is? It¡¯s the fact that you¡¯ve offended the


    emperor of Sna!¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Serenity Lewis, anyone who has offended Jackson Valor must suffer a tragic ending!


    ¡°Serenity Lewis, Mr. Valor has been kind to you for letting you live! Otherwise, you would¡¯ve long been


    killed in prison!¡±


    Kind? Three years in prison, a body full of scars and so frail that she might never have the ability to get


    pregnant for the rest of her life¡­ was that really kindness?!


    She could not endure it any longer, and her bady felt as if it was about to explode. The pain was too


    excruciating. Would anyone evee and save her?


    ¡°Stop. Please, stop¡­¡±


    She kept fighting and struggling desperately even though she had no idea what exactly she was


    struggling to do¡­ Was it to escape all this pain and torment her body had to endure, or was it to


    escape this woeful fate?


    Who woulde and save her? Who woulde and protect her?


    ¡°Sis,


    you¡¯re safe now. I¡¯m right here. With me by your side, no one will ever dare to hurt you ever again.¡±


    A familiar voice rang in her ears, but who could it be?


    Right, it was Jack! [ack!


    Serenity strained herself to open her eyes, and the first thing she saw was that handsome and almost


    divine face.


    It really was¡­ Jack But.. he seemed a little different from his usual self.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake¡±¡± Jack spoke, his crisp voicered with warmth. He then asked, ¡°How do you feel?


    Are you still in pain?¡±


    Serenity shook her head, Jack helped her sit up on the bed, and only then did she notice exactly what it


    was that made Jack see different fromls usual self. His thick bangs had now beenbed back


    neatly, revealing his strong, forehead, and i was also wearing a well tailored suit with a tie around his


    neck. Then there was the watch on his wrist. She unticed the brand of this watch, and if it was


    authentic, it could easily cust more than a hundred thousand dors!


    Was this man wally.. Jack? She blinked her eyes, finding it all a little unreal


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sis?!


    Jackson had to ask the question again when he saw her expression.


    ¡°Are¡­ Are you really Jack?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

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    ¡°But..The clothes you¡¯re wearing are.¡±


    He seemed to only realize then that he had been wearing the same


    Jack would never have been able to afford any of these cloth clothes he was when having dinner with


    Zackst night.


    Still, after all that had transpiredst night, he no longer nned to hide his true identity anymore,


    especially considering he had to reveal it to her eventually, anyway. What difference would it make if


    she found out a little earlier now?


    Besides, it would be easier for him to keep her under his wing of protection once she learned who he


    really was


    ¡°Even if my clothes are different,¡± he smiled at her and asked her, ¡°I¡¯m still the same Jack, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    By that point, even if Serenity had been a romplete idiot, she would still have easily detected something


    wrong and realized that the truth had not been as she imagined.


    ¡°You¡¯re not homeless?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he confessed.


    ¡°Then.. Then why did you pretend to be homeless?¡±


    She started to feel as if she had been fooled all along. Her eyes widened as they stared fixedly at him,


    and her hands gripped the nker on her body tightly, her fingers trembling slightly.


    The little brother she had always assumed to be innocent and helpless turned out to be someone else


    entirely. It tumed our that it had all just been her own fantasy from the start.


    Lisa had been right. She had taken Jack home without pausing to think, without even knowing him one


    bit.


    And what about him? If he was not homeless, why would he ever stay with her in that small and shabby


    room? Did those days he had spent living with her even mean anything to him?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pretend to be homeless,¡± argued Jackson. ¡°It was you who assumed that I was. I just didn¡¯t


    correct you, that¡¯s all.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    For a second, Serenity found it hard to breathe and had no idea how to refute him.


    ¡°Then..¡± she started again, her eyes fixed on him, ¡°then why did you live with me? You clearly have a


    home to go back to!¡±


    ¡°Because it felt good whenever I was with you. Besides¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he raised a hand to gently smooth over her messy hair and added, ¡°Back then, it was you


    who clearly stated that you wanted me to stay, which was why I stayed. Don¡¯t you remember?


    Serenity bit her lips, and her face went pale before it turned red.


    He was right. It was indeed her who had started it all!


    She peeled the nket off of her body and got out of bed, trying to leave the room, but just as her feet


    touched the floor, her whole body pave way, and she almost fell forward. It was as if both of her legs


    had turned into jelly with no strength left in them.


    Jackson quickly reached out his arm and caught her before sh


    ¡°The drug¡¯s effect on your body hasn¡¯tpletely worn off yet,¡± he told her. You¡¯ve been through so


    muchst night, it¡¯s only natural that there¡¯d be no strength left in your body now.


    His words were a rude awakening of what had happened to her yesterday.


    Yesterday, she.. had been drugged by her uncles and his family, and then.. her two uncles had taken


    her to Felix Foster¡¯s


    house


    Serenity¡¯s face turned pale and pasty as she recalled what had happened next, She¡­ She had been


    shoved Into Felix¡¯s room and then¡­ They had locked the door. Following that, Felix had barged into


    the room and charged at her¡­.


    ¡°Last night, was T..¡±


    Her lips trembled as her body quivered all over.


    Jackson looked down at the woman in his arms. At that moment, she seemed like a helpless small


    creature, so fragile and vulnerable.. He could no longer deny that seeing her in such a state truly


    tugged at his heartstrings.

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    Chapter 115


    A feeling arose in him, telling him to protect her at all costs.


    So many people had cursed at him for being cruel and cold-hearted in the past, yet none of them would


    ever imagine that right now, he would have such a strong urge to protect a woman.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he assured her, ¡°what you feared didn¡¯t happenst night. I managed to stop it just in


    time when I got there.¡±


    So¡­ he really had saved her!


    Serenity raised her head and stared bewilderedly at the face that was merely inches away from hers


    and asked, ¡°But how did you get there in time to save me?¡±


    He had not even gone to town with her yesterday!


    ¡°Have you forgotten?¡± He smiled gently. ¡°You called me, so I managed to rush there just in time.¡±


    But it was just a call! How had he managed to get there in time to save her when he was almost a


    hundred miles away?!


    Serenity¡¯s heart was suddenly filled with an inexplicable shock


    As he spoke, he carried her back onto the bed and carefully tucked her under the nket before


    saying, ¡°Unfortunately, your hand was cut by fragments of the mirror, Sis. It¡¯ll probably take a while to


    heal. If it leaves a scar, I¡¯ll make sure to get the best doctor to get rid of that scar.¡±


    Only then did she realize that her right hand was wrapped in bandages. Too many shocking things had


    happened all at once just now, so she had not even noticed the throbbing paining from that hand.


    He then asked her in a serious tone, ¡°How much do you remember of what happened yesterday, Sis?¡±


    Serenity bit her lips. She then told him everything that had happened at the New Year¡¯s Eve dinnerst


    night without concealing anything.


    Jackson¡¯s face turned dark and ashen. How could those rtives of hers¡­ sell her to that


    psychopath?! The sheer audacity!


    He vowed never to rest until everyone who wanted to harm her received their dues!


    Just then, Jackson¡¯s phone rang. He nced at the screen and frowned slightly before telling Serenity,


    ¡°I admit that I was wrong for hiding my true identity and lying to you. I¡¯m willing to do anything you want


    so you¡¯ll forgive me, but you¡¯re still in the hospital right now, so you should focus on letting your body


    heal and get better. I¡¯m going to call a doctor toe see


    you


    After speaking, he left the room and instructed Connor, who had been guarding the door, ¡°Serenity¡¯s


    awake. Go get a doctor toe and check on her condition.¡±


    Only then did he finally answer the call


    ¡°Why did it take you so long to answer the call?¡± asked Master Zack on the other end of the line,


    ¡°I was a little busy just now,¡± Jackson replied casually.


    ¡°Did it have anything to do with the woman you savedst night?¡± his grandfather asked bluntly.


    Jackson was not at all surprised that his grandfather had found out what had happenedst night. After


    all, Jackson had notified the police in town before he got there to buy some time. In other words, he


    had caused quite amotion. Besides, right now, the Foster family, along with those rtives of


    Serenity¡¯s, were all still locked up in the small town¡¯s police station. He had left too many traces that it


    would take his grandfather no effort at all to find out what he had been up to


    ¡°What is your rtionship with that woman right now?¡± Master Zack asked in a cold voice.


    ¡°I guess she¡¯s someone I¡¯d like to protect,¡± Jackson replied nonchntly. ¡°Which means that you¡¯re not


    allowed to touch her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget how your father died!¡± Master Zack suddenly raised his voice, adding, ¡°Or do you n to


    follow in footsteps?!¡±


    Chapter 115


    Jackson¡¯s face darkened instantly. What had happened to his father had been a weary load that he


    carried all his life.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget that,¡± he assured his grandfather brusquely. ¡°I¡¯m not my father, Grandpa. I will never


    throw my whole life away just for a woman, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry!¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

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    Jackson hung up the phone as soon as he had finished his sentence.


    Master Zack stared at the phone screen silently for a while before giving it back to the nurse beside


    him.


    Was there really no need for him to worry? It would be great if that was true, but sometimes, being


    uncertain was often the scariest thing. He was reminded of how his own son had once assured him by


    saying ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll never neglect all my duties to the Valor family just for a woman!¡±.


    Yet in the end, his son had abandoned the Valor family and even sacrificed his life just for a woman!


    ¡°Go find out who that woman actually is,¡± he ordered. ¡°I want to know every little detail about her.¡±


    A voice answered, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The voice hade from aer of the room where a man d in a ck suit and wearing a pair of


    gold-rimmed sses sat with aptop in front of him, his fingers flying over the keyboard.


    Serenityy on the hospital bed, her mind still in a jumbled mess. Too many things had happened since


    last night, and she still could not quite wrap her head around it all.


    Just now, some doctors and nurses hade in. They had done some basic checks on her and took


    some of her blood for testing. The results shoulde backter in the afternoon, depending on the


    situation.


    At that moment, someone coughed lightly at the door before opening it and entering the room. Serenity


    looked at the mant who had just walked in. He was wearing a business suit with a necktie, and he


    looked to be a rather neat and refined young man who was probably not more than a few years older


    than her.


    The man smiled at her and introduced himself, ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Lewis. My name is Connor


    Gunn, and I¡¯m¡­ secretary. This is your mobile phone and your handbag. You may check the contents


    of your handbag and tell me if belongings are missing.¡±


    ¡°Jack¡¯s¡¯


    any


    of your


    As he spoke, he ced the phone and the bag on the nightstand near Serenity. Just as he was about


    to leave the room, she stopped him hastily and asked, ¡°Umm¡­ who exactly is Jack?


    He respectfully replied, ¡°You¡¯ll find out in due time, Miss Lewis. I¡¯m only a secretary, after all.¡±


    ¡°Then can you tell me what happened to my rtives?¡± asked Serenity, changing the subject.


    Connor had no obligation to hide this matter from her, so he answered, ¡°Your uncles and aunt, along


    with their spouses and children, are now all detained. At first, the police intended to detain your


    grandfather as well, but he was too old, and besides, they feared that there would be no one to look


    after your grandmother if she was left all alone, so he was released on bail,¡±


    Serenity was stunned. She had not expected all those people to be detained so quickly. Of all the


    people in that family¡­ The only one who had ever cared about her was her grandmother. She was


    awash with piercing pain when she thought of what had happenedst night.


    ¡°Also,¡± Connor added, ¡°the Foster family are now detained at the police station.¡±


    Once Connor had left the room, Serenity started looking around the rather spa cious room. So, Jack


    could afford what was clearly a VIP private ward. It appeared that he also had a private secretary.


    Besides, there was not just one doctor who hade in to check on her, but a few of them, and they


    were all expert physicians at the top of their game.


    She also noticed the way all the doctors treated her-so full of respect and continusness. She knew, of


    course, that the respect they showed was not really for herself, but for ¡°Jack¡±, who had sent her here.


    So, who exactly was Jack?!.


    The more she thought about it, the more perplexed she was. She picked up the bag on the nightstand


    as she recalled having left this bag at her grandmother¡¯s house.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

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    1/1


    She opened her bag and checked the contents. All her belongings were still there. As for her phone,


    she recalled that it had been sna tched away from her at the Foster¡¯s house when they discovered it.


    Her phone was turned off, so she turned it back on only to find that there were tons of missed calls and


    unread messages.


    Some of those were from her grandmother, some from Lisa, and others were from unknown numbers.


    Serenity had a good guess of why her grandmother would call her. As for Lisa.. She scrolled through


    her phone and found that Lisa had called her more than twenty times, so she called her back right


    away.


    Lisa picked up almost as soon as the call went through and asked, ¡°Is that you, Serenity?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, ¡°it¡¯s me. I¡­ turned off my phone yesterday, and I saw your calls just now when I


    turned it back on.¡±


    1


    Lisa sighed in relief and said, ¡°Oh my Go d, I was so worried when I couldn¡¯t call youst night. You


    told me you were going to your grandmother¡¯s house for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. I was afraid that


    something might happen to you since your. grandmother is the only one who treats you well in that


    family. The rest of them just want to kick you while you¡¯re down.¡±


    Lisa frantically added that she had been trying to call Serenity sincest night till this morning, but the


    call just would not get through. The more she thought about it, the mare anxious she got. She finally


    decided that if she was unable to call Serenity by noon, she would rush to Serenity¡¯s grandmather¡¯s


    house right away since she already knew the address anyway.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Lisa asked with concern, ¡°did they do anything awful to youst night?¡±


    ¡°They tried to sell me off to a psychopath as his wife,¡± Serenity replied without concealing anything, and


    they wanted to use the money to buy a house.¡±


    She then proceeded to tell Lisa about everything that had transpired yesterday. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How could there be such brazenly savage people?!¡± Lisa eximed through gritted teeth. ¡°How are


    you? Did they hurt you?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied. ¡°Jack saved me just in time, so nothing happened to me.¡±


    ¡°Where are you now? Are you back at your ce? I¡¯lle to find you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± she told Lisa hastily, ¡°1¡­ I¡¯m not back home yet. I¡¯m with Jack right now. I¡¯lle to see


    you after I¡¯ve gotten home.¡±


    Hearing this, Lisa reminded her to be careful and added, ¡°Those rtives of yours must be taught a


    harsh lesson this time, otherwise, if you let them go this time, they¡¯ll surely try to sell you off again next


    time.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I got it.¡±


    Once she hung up the phone, she stared at her grandmother¡¯s phone number in the missed call list


    with hesitance in her heart. What would Grandma say to her? Would she tell her to let go of what had


    happened and pretend it never happened, or would she tell her to¡­ let her uncles and aunt receive the


    punishments they deserved?


    She took a deep breath and called her grandmother. It did not take long for the call to be answered,


    and she heard her grandma¡¯s trembling voice ask, ¡°Serenity, is that you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, suddenly on the verge of tears when she heard her grandma¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Serenity, did¡­ Did anything happen to you yesterday? L¡­ I heard that a powerful man hade to


    save youst night. Did that fool, Felix, take advantage of you?! Did they¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Grandma. I¡¯m fine. Nothing has happened to me sincest night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it. I¡¯m so d to hear it!¡±


    It sounded like her grandmother sighed in relief before she added, ¡°If anything terrible really happened


    to youst night, how could I ever face your mother when I join her in the afterlife?¡±


    At that moment, Serenity¡¯s urge to cry only grew stronger and stronger.

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    Just then, she could hear her grandfather¡¯s goading voice through the phone saying, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you


    told Serenity to rush over to the police station and tell them to release her uncles and the rest?!¡±


    ¡°Release them? Why should they be released?! Theymitted the crimes themselves, so they should


    be locked away for as long as they deserve!


    ¡°Have you forgotten that they¡¯re your children?! How could you take the side of someone with a


    different surname?!


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®someone with a different sumame?! She¡¯s my granddaughter! Since her mother¡¯s


    gone, it¡¯s my job as her grandmother to support her!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that no one will take care of you when you get old and frail if you act this way? Or


    are you that granddaughter of yours who¡¯s been in prison before to take care of you?!¡±


    I counting on


    The old couple continued to argue, almost as if they had forgotten that the call was still ongoing. After a


    long while, Serenity¡¯s grandmother finally remembered that she was still on the phone, so she asked,


    ¡°Serenity, are you still there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just d that you¡¯re okay, Serenity. As for your uncles, aunt, and cousins, they must¡¯ve been


    blinded by money to have done such a wicked thing! You don¡¯t need to think about withdrawing the


    case. Just let them be locked up for as long as they deserve!¡±


    After u


    uttering those words in a firm voice, her grandmother then hung up the phone.


    Serenity held her phone close to her chest as she wept uncontrobly. She thought her grandmother


    had tried to call her to tell her to forget about the whole incident, to ask her not to pursue the matter and


    let the police release her rtives, but it turned out that she actually wanted to support her!


    This reminded her of what had happened when she was still a child, back when her father had tossed


    her to her grandmother She had been bullied by the other kids in the small town and was crying


    because of it when her grandma had taken her hand and asked her to take her to the bullies.


    She had told her, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Serenity. Grandma¡¯s here, and I¡¯ll help you. We will never bully anyone,


    but we won¡¯t let others bully us either!¡±


    Her grandmother would take her to the bullies and talk to them, but if talking did not settle anything, she


    would roll up her sleeves and take matters into her own hands. She might have been a brash woman,


    but Grandma was always the most adorable and admirable person in Serenity¡¯s eyes. To others,


    Serenity was just an orphan whose mother had died and whose father had remarried, after which she


    had be an unwanted child.


    Nevertheless, in Grandma¡¯s eyes, Serenity was her precious baby.


    Grandma would often say, ¡°Once our girl grows up, I¡¯ll be riding on her coattails and live happily ever


    after!¡±


    w up, just as she thought she could finally give Grandma a happier and better life, she had been thrown


    into


    But when she grew


    prison.


    Back then, when Grandma had gotten the news of the verdict, she had fallen so ill that she had been


    bedridden for a long time. She had only finally regained some of her healthst year.


    Grandma must have known that if she took Serenity¡¯s side, she would put herself on the opposing side


    of her grandfather and fall out with the rest of the family. In fact, it might be fficult for Grandina to stay in


    that house from now on, yet despite all that, Grandma still chose to stand on Serenity¡¯s side.


    Tears kept rolling down her eyes, soalding her hands and even the sheets¡­¡­..


    It was then that Jackson walked into the room. The sight that greeted him was that of Serenity sobbing


    hysterically while still. holding her phone against her chest. He frowned and rushed to her side before


    holding up her face and asking her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sis? Are you in pain? Is there something


    wrong?¡±


    Chapter 118


    Serenity turned to the man in front of her, and though her sight was clouded by her tears, she shookThis material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    her head.


    This did not reassure him at all. In fact, it made him even more concerned about her now.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sis? What made you cry like this? just tell me, Sis. I can help you make the


    problem go away non what it is.¡±


    no matter


    He wiped her tears away with his hands. When his fingers touched her fresh tears, it felt as if the tears


    were scalding his fingertips.


    These were her tears, and they felt so hot, so scorchingly hot.

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    Her tears always made him feel strangely helpless, almost as if he could do everything for her just to


    make the tears stop. flowing from her eyes.


    Serenity suddenly sobbed and threw herself into Jackson¡¯s arms before letting it all out and crying even


    harder than before.


    Even she was unsure why she would do such a thing at the time. She just felt that as she hugged him


    and leaned her face against his chest, she no longer had to suppress any of her feelings and that she


    could express all the pain she had suffered without needing to hold anything back.


    Jackson lowered his head and looked at the woman who was crying in his arms. He held her gently


    and let her cry her heart out.


    Serenity had no idea how long she cried, but in the end, she gradually stopped and found that she


    could no longer shed any


    tears


    Jackson took a tissue and gently wiped away the tears that had not yet dried up on her face.


    ¡°Can you tell me what happened now, Sis?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Grandma,¡± she replied, sniffling


    ¡°Did she ask you to sweep the matter under the rug?¡± Jackson asked, his eyes darkening slightly.


    ¡°No,¡± Serenity answered, her voice still nasally after crying. ¡°She just asked if I was okay and told me


    not to bother with my uncles and the rest of them. She said they should be locked up for as long as


    they deserve.¡±


    This surprised Jackson.


    ¡°This Grandma of yours isn¡¯t bad at all.¡±


    ¡°She has always treated me very kindly,¡± murmured Serenity. Still, she never knew that Grandma¡¯s


    kindness for her would run so deep to the point where she was willing to stand against the whole family


    and be their enemy for her sake and in the name of justice for her.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Jackson asked. ¡°Do you intend to let your rtives go? N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Serenity looked up and stared intently at the man in front of her.


    ¡°If you want to let them go,¡± he continued, ¡°I can just tell the police to release them, but if you want


    them to be severely punished, I¡¯ll find awyer that can make sure they never see the light of day again


    for the rest of their lives.¡±


    He spoke in a very calm manner as if all those things were a simple matter to him


    Serenity was bewildered. She had studiedw before, so she definitely knew the same case could


    result in dramatically different charges with tiny changes in the circumstances. Still, no ordinarywyer


    was capable of handling such awsuit to ensure this oue. If they really wanted to make sure that


    her rtives stayed in prison for the rest of their lives, they would have to hire one of the very few top


    lawyers in the city!


    ¡°Who on earth are you really?¡± she asked. As those words came out of her mouth, she could feel her


    heart thumping in her chest. She even held her breath without realizing it.


    His long eyshes trembled slightly, and he looked down at her tightly clenched fists and frowned


    before reaching out to take her right hand, which was wrapped in bandages, and slowly unfurled her


    lingers one by one.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too worked up, Sis. If you clench your fist like that, you¡¯ll make it harder for the wound on


    your hand to heal.¡±


    As he spoke, he noticed that the gauze in the center of the palm of her hand was stained red with


    blood. It appeared that the wound had opened again when she clenched her list.


    Jackson quickly rang the bell for the nurse.


    Momentster, a nurse came in When she learned what had happened, she quickly removed the


    Isdages on Serenity¡¯s right hand. As expected, the small cuts on the palm of hernds caused by the


    mirror fragments were opzing with blood


    Chapter 119


    The nurse then applied a medicinal powder to the cuts to stop the bleeding.

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    Serenity merely watched quietly all throughout the process. There was not a trace of perturbations in


    her expression even as she looked at the ugly cuts on the palm of her hand.


    It was only when the nurse was reapplying the bandages on her right hand that she frowned ever so


    slightly due to the pain although she never made a peep of noise toin.


    ¡°Let me do it,¡± Jackson told


    nurse. ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    The nurse then left the room very respectfully. Jackson picked up the gauze and very skillfully and


    effortlessly wrapped it around Serenity¡¯s hand. His every move was so gentle and cautious that she


    almost felt no pain at all


    Once he was done, he put down the gauze and said, ¡°Try your best not to use your right hand over the


    next few days, and don¡¯t ever clench your fist like that again. You¡¯ve bled enough.¡±


    She looked at the bandages neatly wrapped around her hand and noticed how even the knot was tied


    beautifully, so shemented, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re very good at doing this.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    A gloomy look flickered in his eyes before he replied, ¡°I learned how to do it when I was a kid.¡±


    Back then, his father would go to all kinds of ces in search of his mother. Sometimes, he would see


    someone who looked like his mother and rush straight up to them, grabbing them and not letting go.


    This caused him to get beaten up a lot.


    As for Jackson, he was always the one in charge of bandaging his father¡¯s wounds, so after a long


    time, he had naturally be very proficient in the skill. But after his father had died, he had never


    bandaged anyone¡¯s wounds ever again. Serenity was the only exception.


    He told her, ¡°From now on, don¡¯t ever hold mirror fragments in your hand again, okay? You¡¯re lucky that


    the cuts didn¡¯t sever any of your tendons this time, otherwise, you¡¯d never be able to use this hand


    again.¡±


    Serenity bit her lips and replied, ¡°But if I didn¡¯t do thatst night, there¡¯d be no way for me to stay


    conscious, and if I really did pass out, I¡¯d be¡­pletely at their mercy, and they¡¯d do whatever they


    want to me.¡±


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± he asked. When he had barged into that roomst night, she had been holding onto the


    mirror fragments tightly in her hand. The sight of blood dripping continuously from her hand was deeply


    engraved in his mind.


    He had never met a woman who would fight with such willpower. Even though she was already in a


    semi-drowsy state, she had still kept on fighting till the end.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± she told him, lowering her eyes gently. ¡°The truth is, this much pain is nothing to me.


    You know, Jack, even though you did lie to me, I¡­ I¡¯m still really grateful to you for saving me


    yesterday. Back when I was in prison, no matter how much I begged for mercy and pleaded for them to


    stop, no one would let me go because I had offended the man who must never be offended in Sria,


    so everyone thought that those pain and sufferings were things that I deserved.¡±


    She paused and took a deep breath before adding, ¡°Butst night was different. When I was in pain


    and agony, you came to me and saved me. It made me feel like I am not so alone in this world, after


    all¡±


    She spoke in a gentle voice, not realizing that Jackson¡¯s expressions had gradually be more glum


    and dismal as she went


    un.


    If there was one thing he regretted in his whole life, it was that a few years ago¡­ he had let go of those


    people who had hurt her in prison. Back then, he did not care at all what lord of suffering she had to


    endure as a woman in prison. Even if she died in prison, he would simply view it as an insignificant


    event in his life.


    Yet now, his only wish was to never let here to any harm or feel the slightest pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he murmured.


    She looked up at him in confusion and responded, ¡°What are you apologizing for? If you hadn¡¯te


    last night, I wouldn¡¯t be


    as safe and sound as I


    Serenity thought that he was merely saying sorry for what had happenedst night. If he had not gotten


    there in timest


    2/2


    night, she could easily guess what would have happened to her.


    She would probably be locked up in the Fosters house until she had given birth to a child¡­ Her face


    suddenly turned deathly pale at the thought of what might have happened to her.


    After that, she mustered up her courage and told Jackson, ¡°Jack, I have, in any case, offended Jackson


    Valor. Back then, the Shaw family was afraid that I would drag them down with me, so Zeke broke up


    with me. If Jackson Valor finds out that you¡¯ve helped me, I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll get angry and..¡±


    She guessed that Jack might be the kind of rich man whose family was somehow involved with the


    Valor family. After all, the Valor family had their finger in every pie when it came to the basic necessities


    of life in Sria. In fact, they even monopolized some industries in this city, which was why Sria was


    often jokingly referred to as the Valors¡¯ City.

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    Jackson felt his throat tighten. At this moment, he couldn¡¯t even tell Serenity who he really was.


    He had clearly intended to tell her about his true identity!


    In the light of the room, her long hair cascaded down her shoulders. There was a touch of paleness on


    her face, and there was a hint of nervousness in her glimmering eyes that were fixed on him. It looked


    like she was worried yet resigned about something.


    It was as if life had already burdened her with too much heaviness and hardship, and she had long


    since. epted those injustices.


    ¡°Sis, just focus on getting better. Don¡¯t think too much about anything else. Once you¡¯re discharged, I


    tell you who I am,¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity kept her gaze on him before hesitantly nodding in response.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    As if he had relieved her worries, Serenity yawned and felt her eyelids droop.


    ¡°If you¡¯re feeling tired, you should rest. The doctor mentioned you might feel sleepier than usual over


    the next few days,¡± Jackson said as he helped the woman lie down,


    Before long, Serenity was asleep.


    Jackson stared at her sleeping face as he pressed his lips tightly together. He gently brushed his


    fingers across her face, starting from her cheeks, and finally lingering on her lips.


    ¡°Sis, tell me¡­ What should I say to you?¡± Jackson wondered out loud.


    The only response he received was silence.


    When Serenity woke up, she saw Jackson still sitting by her bedside and wearing the same clothes.


    ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want me to have someone bring up some food now? Jackson asked,


    As he said that, Serenity realized that she was indeed very hungry, so she nodded in response.


    ¡°Let me help you to the bathroom so you can freshen up first before we eat,¡± Jackson said and bent


    down to lift Serenity into his arms in a princess carry.


    ¡°I can do it myself¡­ Serenity protested, but before she could finish, she already found herself off the


    ground.


    Almost instinctively, she wrapped her arms around Jackson¡¯s neck.


    He carried her into the bathroom and carefully ced her on the nearby sink counter before fetching a


    pair of soft slippers. After he helped her put them on, he set her down on the floor.


    ¡°Can you stand on your own? Jackson asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity replied softly.


    At this time, Jackson was standing behind her with his arms supporting her on both sides of the sink


    counter as if he was holding her in a secure embrace.


    Though her feet were on the ground, Serenity felt as if she was floating in the air.


    When she looked up, she could see their reflection in the mirror above the sink.

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    Jackson prepared her toothbrush for her, squeezing toothpaste onto it and cing a cup of warm water


    in her hand.


    Serenity blushed at the attention and almost forgot how to even brush her teeth as Jackson¡¯s presence


    prated the air all around her.


    He even grabbed a towel and ran it under warm water,


    ¡°I can do it myself¡­ Serenity started as she bit her lip.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it easier if I do it for you?¡± Jackson asked.


    But the problem was¡­ he was too close to her! She was practically in his arms as he ran the towel


    under the water from behind her!


    Serenity couldn¡¯t help but look up at the mirror before her.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    She had always known that Jack was handsome, but the man before her right now had no heavy


    bangs. covering his forehead. He wore a suit and exuded an air of nobility from head to toe, and it felt


    like he was on an unattainable pedestal.


    How had she never noticed this before?


    Even Lisa didn¡¯t believe that such a man could be homeless, yet Serenity always naively thought that


    she and Jackson were the same and wanted to keep him by her side.


    Was it because¡­ she was afraid of being alone?


    But in reality, Jack wasn¡¯t a homeless man at all. On the contrary, his attire clearly showed how wealthy


    he was. Even the doctors and nurses treated him with exceptional respect


    ¡°What are you thinking about. Sis? Jackson¡¯s voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.


    Serenity snapped out of her trance and saw that his gaze was fixed on her through the mirror. Their


    eyes met in the reflection, and Serenity felt a shiver up her spine, feeling like she waspletely


    enraptured by


    his eyes.


    ¡°Your face is so red, Sis,¡± Jackson whispered as he leaned closer, his lips nearing her face.


    His warm breath gently brushed against her cheeks and neck, leaving a tingling sensation behind.


    Her face instantly turned even redder,


    ¡°Why¡­ do you still call me that?¡± Serenity asked as she struggled to avert her gaze. She lowered her


    eyes and refused to look into the mirror again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Jackson countered softly.


    ¡°You¡¯re clearly not a homeless person¡­ There¡¯s no need for you to call me that,¡± Serenity murmured in


    response.


    Jackson fell silent, and there was suddenly an indescribable suffocating feeling in the air. In the small


    bathroom, only the sound of water flowing from the tap continued to echo consistently.


    ¡°Are you ming me for lying to you?¡± Jackson finally asked after a long while.


    Serenity couldn¡¯t quite express what she felt about his deception. She despised others deceiving her,


    and he had done that to her for a long time.


    But her time with him was so wonderful, like a beautiful dream. Besides, he had saved her. Without


    him,


    Chaeof 122


    she might have descended into hell once more.


    Serenity took a deep breath and looked up, meeting his eyes through the mirror again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t me you, Jack.¡±


    Yet, she also knew that he would not be the same man she treated as a little brother anymore. They


    were simply two people from different worlds.


    Jackson furrowed his brows slightly. Although he should be happy to hear her admit that she didn¡¯t


    me him, her gaze filled him with a sense of unease.


    It was as if she was putting up a barrier between them and keeping him at a distance.


    Jackson didn¡¯t like this feeling one bit.

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123


    Chapter 123


    After Serenity was finished freshening up, Jackson carried her back to the hospital bed.


    A meal was already prepared andid out on a small table beside the bed. It consisted of soup and


    some side dishes which were simple but enticing.


    Serenity¡¯s stomach immediately growled loudly, demanding to be filled.


    ¡°The doctor said it would be best for you to eat something that¡¯s easily digestible,¡± Jackson said as he


    arranged the food on the tray before her.


    If anyone else were to witness this scene, their eyes would be wide with surprise. Since when did a at


    dignified and formidable man like Jackson Valor, who could easily manipte the city, attend to


    woman in such a manner?


    Serenity picked up her utensils and started eating. However, her long hair kept falling forward as she


    leaned down to eat, oftennding in the soup


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Just as Serenity was about to look for something to tie her hair up with, Jackson had already


    anticipated her needs and pulled out a box of hair ties andb as he said, ¡°Here, let me.¡±


    When Serenity saw the logo on the box, she instantly recognized it as a luxurious brand. Before she


    was incarcerated, she had managed to buy some hair essories from the same brand. Back then,


    her ie had only allowed her to afford some small items.


    She hadn¡¯t expected Jackson to be so considerate and even prepare this for her.


    ¡°Do you know how to?¡± Serenity couldn¡¯t help but ask


    ¡°I¡¯ve watched you do your hair every day. I¡¯ve seen enough to know,¡± Jackson replied smoothly.


    He brought up theb and startedbing through her hair before using a hair tie to put it up. His


    technique wasn¡¯t exactly smooth, but it looked decent enough.


    Just then, someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Jackson called out.


    The door opened, and Connor walked in. Upon seeing the scene before him, the man was


    momentarily.


    taken aback.


    Jackson was¡­bing a woman¡¯s hair?!


    The man was usually disdainful toward women who threw themselves at him, so it was hard to believe


    that Jackson would have the inclination to do such a thing for a woman.


    However, it seemed that nothing was impossible when it came to Serenity.


    Serenity didn¡¯t react initially, but upon seeing Connor¡¯s stunned expression, she quickly realized that


    Jackson was currentlybing her hair.


    She blushed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Jackson asked calmly as he continued to run theb gently through Serenity¡¯s hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Connor trailed off hesitantly but ultimately kept quiet.


    Jackson understood that whatever Connor wanted to say now wasn¡¯t appropriate for Serenity¡¯s ears.


    So, he finished up Serenity¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Sis, go ahead and cat. I¡¯ll step out for a moment.¡±


    Once outside the room, Conner continued, ¡°Security caught a journalist attempting to sneak in here.


    They


    Chap 123


    questioned him, and it turns out that the journalist discovered that Miss Lewis was admitted here and


    wanted toe to dig up some news.¡±


    Jackson narrowed his eyes at the words. ¡°Dig up some news? How did he find out about Serenity


    being admitted here?¡±


    ¡°He imed that he saw somements online about how you carried Miss Lewis into the hospitalst


    night, so he thought he could get a scoop if he came here,¡± Connor exined.


    Jackson¡¯s voice turned cold as he asked, ¡°Is he trying to dig up something on me or Serenity?¡±

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124


    Chapter 124


    ¡°The journalist seemed unaware of Miss Lewis¡¯ past imprisonment. He only appeared to know her


    name and seemed only interested in digging up some gossip about you, Mr. Valor,¡± Connor replied.


    Jackson¡¯s voice remained icy as he instructed, ¡°Continue questioning him. Get all the details you can


    from him before releasing him. Also, find out where those onlinements originated from!¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir,¡± Connor replied.


    As Jackson pushed open the door to the hospital room again and looked at the woman eating on the


    bed, he wondered if the journalist¡¯s presence was simply a coincidence.


    Was it merely a chance encounterst night, or was there something more to it?


    When the door opened, Serenity looked up to see the dark look on Jackson¡¯s face and an air of hostility


    around him. She was momentarily startled and stared at him in a daze.


    The hostility disappeared instantly from Jackson¡¯s demeanor when he noticed her attention, and his


    usual gentle smile appeared on his handsome face.


    What¡¯s wrong, Sis? Why are you looking at me like that? Jackson asked


    Serenity shook her head slightly and struggled to find words to respond. ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing.


    At that moment, Serenity felt as though the man before her was a stranger. Or perhaps that was the


    real him, and the man before her now smiling innocently like an angel was only a mask?


    Ever since Joy had discovered that Jackson was the pir of support behind Serenity, she hadn¡¯t been.


    doing well at all.


    This meant that Joy had no way of holding Serenity ountable for her leg!


    The fact that she had been hospitalized with a broken leg had made her aughingstock in her social


    circle. If her leg didn¡¯t heal in the future, she would truly be a permanent joke!


    It was all Serenity¡¯s fault! If it wasn¡¯t for that woman, Joy wouldn¡¯t be in this position right now!


    That woman hadn¡¯t even mentioned that she had allied herself with Jackson!


    Joy suspected that Serenity had intentionally kept it a secret and pretended to be weak in order to


    upset Joy and provoke her into taking action so that Jackson would seek revenge on her!


    The more Joy thought about it, the angrier she became.


    Her friends had arranged for a private room today to try and cheer Joy up, but how could she enjoy


    herself when she had to rely on crutches to get around?!


    As Joy hobbled away from the private room on her crutch, she noticed a group of people walking


    toward her


    Huh? She recognized some of the people!


    At the same time, the man who was leading the group immediately smiled and walked briskly up to her


    when he caught sight of her.


    ¡°Miss Shaw, I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here. Did you injure your leg? Oh, we should have visited


    you¡­¡±


    The man chattered on and fawned over her, yet Joy didn¡¯t even know who he was. In the end, the man


    introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m the director of the Second Institute of Fair Rock Design Research Institute.


    We¡¯ve


    5


    Chap 124


    had business dealings with the Shaw Group before, and I¡¯ve seen you several times at the gatherings.¡±


    Although Joy couldn¡¯t recall seeing or meeting this person, she was familiar with Fair Rock Design


    Research Institute. It was a small design research institute that asionally received some


    insignificant projects from the Shaw family due to the connection the institute¡¯s owner had with a


    rtive of the Shaw family.


    ¡°Are you here for a meal? Why don¡¯t I join you? I have nothing else on right now,¡± Joy suddenly


    suggested.


    The director perked up, looking as excited as if an amazing boon had fallen from the sky and into his


    lap.


    ¡°Of course! That wouldn¡¯t be a problem! In fact, it would be great!¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125


    Chapter 125


    Joy held back a smile as she looked at one of the people standing behind the director from the corner


    of her eyes.


    She remembered that person.


    It was the woman who had been shopping with Serenity that day, and she was probably Serenity¡¯s


    friend, right?


    Since Joy couldn¡¯t vent her anger on Serenity, she would take it out on her friend!


    Lisa felt a sense of foreboding as she met Joy¡¯s gaze.


    Not long after, shortly after they had begun eating. Joy raised her ss for a toast. Since it wasn¡¯t


    convenient for her to move around with her broken leg, the others took turns approaching her and


    offering their toasts.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    When it was Lisa¡¯s turn, Joy deliberately shook her hand and dropped her ss, spilling the liquid all


    over her own uninjured foot.


    Then, she said, ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t want to offer me a toast, there¡¯s no need to knock over my ss.


    intentionally. If you didn¡¯t want me to join you, you could have just said so, and I would have left.¡±


    Lisa shot Joy a cold look, and the director quickly tried to intervene and protect Joy. He didn¡¯t care who


    was right or wrong and immediately demanded an apology from Lisa.


    ¡°Lisa, apologize to Miss Shaw!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Lisa. Hurry up and apologize!¡± Her nearby colleagues chimed in.


    In truth, anyone who had eyes could see that Joy was deliberately causing trouble, but who would dare


    speak out and offend the woman?


    After all, she was from the Shaw family. If they offended her, they might lose their jobs!


    Lisa straightened up slowly and stared silently at Joy.


    ¡°Lisa, are you trying to drag everyone down with you? It¡¯s the New Year! Do you n on getting


    everyone to lose their jobs?!¡± The director hissed into Lisa¡¯s ear as he urgently tried to persuade her.


    Lisa gritted her teeth before approaching Joy slowly. She lowered her gaze and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about


    that, Miss Shaw. It was my fault.¡±


    Joy smiled. ¡°Since you know it was your fault, you should do something to make it right. How about


    this? Since my shoe is dirty, help me clean it, and I¡¯ll consider this matter settled.¡±


    Lisa red at Joy, and thetter continued, ¡°You can¡¯t expect an injured person like me to clean it,


    right?¡±


    Lisa¡¯s colleagues urged her, so Lisa could only endure her anger and crouch down to wipe Joy¡¯s shoe.


    Lisa was well-aware that Joy was seeking revenge for their previous encounter. Suddenly, she felt


    somewhat relieved that she was the one enduring Joy¡¯s retaliation instead of Serenity.


    If it had been Serenity, it would have been another heavy blow to her. Serenity had already suffered.


    enough pain in this life.


    Just then, Joy suddenly raised her foot and brought it down directly on Lisa¡¯s hand. She applied


    considerable force, almost as if she wanted to crush Lisa¡¯s bones.


    Lisa cried out in pain, and her colleagues had astonished looks on their faces. No one had expected


    Joy


    2/2


    to do such a thing.


    ¡°Oh, dear, I didn¡¯t mean to do that,¡± Joy said apologetically, but there was a smug smile on her face,


    and she refused to remove her foot.


    Lisa looked coldly at her colleagues who remained standing where they were with obviously no


    inclination to help her. Then, she nced at Joy¡¯s triumphant expression and suddenly stood up


    abruptly.

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    Chapter 126


    When Lisa stood up abruptly, it caught Joy off-guard, and she toppled to the ground. The chair she was


    sitting on fell and pressed down on her, more specifically, on her foot which was still healing.


    Joy screamed in pain instantly, and the people around them immediately rushed forward to help her up


    in a flustered manner.


    ¡°Lisa, do you no longer want this job? How could you treat Miss Shaw like this?!¡± The director angrily


    scolded Lisa.


    Lisa sneered and replied, ¡°Yeah, I dont want this job anymore. I¡¯ve had enough. I may receive a sry,


    but I didn¡¯t sell my soul to this institute. Why should I endure this suffering?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that resigning will be enough!¡± Joy eximed furiously. I¡¯ll sue you for causing intentional


    harm!¡±


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll countersue you for the same! I¡¯m going to the hospital and getting my injuries documented!¡±


    Lisa fired back just as angrily, waving her injured hand before Joy.


    If Joy wanted to act arrogant, Lisa could do it better!


    Joy was about to lose her mind from the fury running through her veins. She couldn¡¯t even deal


    Serenity, and now, she couldn¡¯t even touch Serenity¡¯s friend?!


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because Serenity has Jackson backing her up that you¡¯re safe! Do you think he¡¯ll


    back. you up the same way?! Hah! Dream on! I¡¯m sure Jackson is only messing around with Serenity.


    After all, Serenity killed Mira, and he wouldn¡¯t have feelings for a woman who killed his fiancee now,


    would he?!¡±


    As soon as the words were out of Joy¡¯s mouth, Lisa froze on the spot.


    Jackson and¡­ Serenity?!


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Why would Jackson back Serenity? What do you mean he¡¯s messing


    around with her? Lisa repeated as she took a step forward, her gaze fixed intently on Joy,


    Joy realized she had let something slip and recalled that her brother had explicitly told her not to reveal


    anything about this matter. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Joy said, hastily getting up and leaning on her crutches.


    With her caregiver¡¯s assistance, Joy quickly hobbled away. The institute director hurriedly followed after


    her as if he was trying to say more to salvage the situation.


    Meanwhile, Lisa¡¯s colleagues, who remained at the table, kept pointing and whispering about her.


    However, Lisa could care less about those people. Her mind was filled with the words Joy had just


    uttered.


    Jackson and Serenity ?! Were they together 21 If such a thing was true, how could Serenity not have


    told her?!


    Besides, Serenity worked at the sanitation office and led a very mundane and routine life. How could


    she have had the chance to interact with Jackson?


    For the past six months after Serenity had been released from prison, the only man she had interacted


    a lot with was the one she had brought back, Jack.


    When the name shed through Lisa¡¯s mind, she froze.


    Could it be? Was it possible? Was Jack truly Jackson Valor? If he was, then why did he choose to


    Chipper 12


    masquerade as a homeless man and stay by Serenity¡¯s side?


    What the hell was his motive?!


    Lisa¡¯s mind was inplete chaos at all the possibilities swirling around in it.


    The following day, Serenity was already able to slowly walk on her own.

 Chapter 127

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    Chapter 127


    She already felt stronger than she did yesterday.


    Her phone had been ringing from time to time. All the calls were from the rtives from her mother¡¯s


    side. They¡¯re calling her for various reasons.


    Some pleaded on her uncle¡¯s behalf, hoping that she would withdraw her charges.


    Some called to ask who the big shot who took her away from the Fosters was. After all, there were so


    many police cars there that day that the Foster residence waspletely surrounded. All the neighbors


    saw it.


    Some called to borrow money. They said that, since she knew a big shot like that, she must have a lot


    of money now, so she should help her rtives out.


    Serenity was speechless. Big shot? She still had no idea who ¡°Jack¡± really was.


    But from what they said, she managed to piece together some things that Jack did not tell her, such as


    how she was rescued from the Fosters that day.


    Serenity walked out of the ward. She told the nurse who was in charge of her, ¡°I just want to walk


    around the corridor for a bit. You don¡¯t have toe with me. Having someone following her around


    made her feel awkward.


    The nurse consented.


    The bodyguard outside the door did not say anything. After all, Serenity had already walked back and


    forth in the corridor several times this morning.


    When Serenity reached the emergency staircase, she saw Jackson through the ss door. He was at


    the top of the stairs, talking on his phone.


    He was leaning slightly against the wall with a cigarette in hand. She could only see his back from this


    angle. The well-fitting suit he wore out ined his broad shoulders, narrow waist and slender legs very


    well. Even if he was just standing there casually, he looked like a model in a poster.


    Before this, she was actually thinking that she should save up to buy him a suit and wondered how he


    would look in one. She could not have imagined that the first time she saw him wear a suit would beText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    under such circumstances.


    Her phone suddenly rang. Serenity looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Lisa.


    ¡°Lisa? What¡¯s up?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°Serenity, umm¡­ Is ¡°Jack¡± with you right now? Lisa emphasized the word ¡°Jack¡± hard.


    ¡°Yeah, answered Serenity.


    ¡°Then¡­ Is he next to you?¡± Lisa continued with an anxious tone.


    ¡°Nope,¡± said Serenity as her eyes darted to the figure across the ss door. He was still talking on the


    phone with his back to her and had not noticed her yet.


    Her gaze moved down onto the cigarette he was holding. She certainly did not expect him to be a


    smoker. After all, he never smoked in front of her.


    But of course he¡¯s a smoker. He¡¯s a young man from a rich family. Those people usually smoked.


    He actually looked elegant holding that cigarette. Serenity never know that men could look good


    holding a cigarette too.


    5


    ¡°Serenity, do you realize that ¡°Jack¡± might be Jackson Valor?¡± Lisa suddenly dropped this bomb on her.


    ¡°What?!¡± The information shocked Serenity so much that she felt like her head was going to explode.


    She stared wide-eyed at the figure across the ss door. ¡®Jackson Valor? Jack is Jackson Valor? No


    way! How can they be the same person?¡¯

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128


    hapter 128


    ¡°I¡¯m actually not 100% sure,¡± said Lisa, ¡®I met Joy Shaw. She imed that Jackson Valor is helping you.


    She even said that you and Jackson Valor are dating, but the only man around you these days is


    ¡°Jack¡±, so I was thinking, could ¡°Jack¡± be Jackson Valor?¡±


    After all, Jack did not look like a homeless man at all. Lisa tried searching for Jackson Valor¡¯s photos


    online but to no avail. All she could find were blurry photos taken from afar and pictures of his back.


    None of the photos showed his face clearly.


    Lisa¡¯s voice seemed to sound more and more distant to Serenity.


    Serenity knew Jack could not be an ordinary person. He must be a man of high status.


    She knew the two of them were from different worlds.


    However, she would never have thought that Jack was actually Jackson Valor.


    Yes. Jack¡­ That could very well be short for Jackson. Why didn¡¯t she make the connection?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Jack¡­ was Jackson Valor. Compared to Mira Hall, the woman who died in the car ident, Jackson


    Valor actually caused her more trauma.


    People would always tell her that she deserved to suffer because the person she ran over was Jackson


    Valor¡¯s woman.


    A lot of people made her suffer in order to please Jackson Valor, all because Jackson Valor said ¡°let her


    spend some time in prison.¡±


    so


    And so¡­ they made sure she spent some ¡°unforgettable time in prison.


    ¡°Serenity? Are you there?¡± asked Lisa. The other end of the call had remained silent for a long time.


    She knew how much ¡°Jack¡± meant to Serenity. If Jack really was Jackson Valor, it would naturally be at


    heavy blow to her.


    However, Lisa did not want her best friend to be kept in the dark and be treated like a fool. That was


    why she decided to give her a call.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ here.¡± Serenity took a deep breath to calm herself. She was trembling so much that she was


    struggling to hold the phone. ¡°Lisa, I¡­ I¡¯ll call you backter.¡±


    With all the strength she could muster, she forced out those words.


    ¡°Yeah, okay. Serenity, umm¡­ don¡¯t be too upset,¡± said Lisa. She did not know what else to say.


    After she hung up, Serenity quietly stared at the man on the other side of the ss door. That¡¯s right!


    When she saw the picture of Jackson Valors back online, she even thought that it looked a lot like


    Jack¡¯s back.


    They were the same person! Of course they looked simr from the back!


    She¡¯s an idiot!


    She quietly pushed open the ss door¡­


    Jackson was talking to Caleb Moss on the phone.


    ¡°What kind of woman could make you rush to a small town to rescue her on New Year¡¯s Eve, leaving


    Master Zack to spend New Year¡¯s Eve alone?¡¯ Caleb was curious.


    ¡°How did you know that? asked Jackson.


    Chap 128


    ¡°I met a deputy police chief today. He talked about it.¡±

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129


    Chapter 129


    ¡°¡­¡­Da mn that gossipmonger.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring her along the next time we go out? Let us see what she looks like,¡± suggested


    Caleb.


    In their social circle, Jackson had always been known as someone who was uninterested in women.


    He even treated Mira Hall rather coldly, and she was his fiance. But this time, he actually rushed to a


    faraway town to save a woman in the middle of the night.


    Caleb was shocked when he heard it: He immediately called Jackson to ask him about it.


    But Caleb¡¯s curiosity made Jackson a little unhappy. He did not want other men to be curious about


    Serenity. He did not want her to meet those people. He even wished he could keep her in a ce


    where only he could see her.


    If he let Caleb and the others meet her and she ended up falling for one of them¡­


    Jackson naturally knew those people were very popr with women, especially Lucas Gomez. It felt


    like any woman Lucas had his eyes on would end up bing his girlfriend. Those women would still


    go out with him even though they knew that the shelf life of their rtionship would be very short


    If Lucas took a liking to Serenity¡­.


    The idea annoyed Jackson very much.


    Others might think that Jackson could have any woman he wanted because he was Jackson Valor,


    but¡­ that name was precisely his biggest taboo with Serenity.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a normal woman. There¡¯s nothing to see,¡± he remarked indifferently.


    ¡°Ah, but this woman is different. You actually dumped your grandfather for this woman,¡± said Caleb,


    ¡°Tsk. tsk, I¡¯ve never seen you care so much about a woman before. Are you hiding her because you¡¯re


    actually in love with her?


    That annoyed Jackson even further. All he could think of was that pretty face. An uneasy feeling rose in


    his heart.


    When had he ever worried about a woman falling for another man before? Was he really in love with


    Serenity? No, no way, he just enjoyed spending time with her, that¡¯s all.


    He swore that he would never fall in love with any y woman!


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing different about her. It¡¯s all just a game. I¡¯m bored, so I¡¯m doing this to pass the time.


    There¡¯s nothing to be curious about,¡± he said, seemingly nonchntly.


    The next moment, he heard a crisp ng of something dropping to the ground behind him.


    He instantly froze. When he turned around and saw the person standing behind him, fear gripped his


    heart and quickly spread to his whole body.


    How long¡­ had she been there? How much did she hear?!.


    How many years had it been since he had felt so afraid? Yes, right now, facing her, he was afraid. He


    felt. as if something that he had been holding firmly in his grasp was about to slip away.


    ¡°Jackson¡­¡± Caleb was still talking on the other end of the phone, Jackson hung up without a word.


    Silence filled the air between Serenity and Jackson. They remained still until Jackson¡¯s cigarette his


    fingers and he had to put it out.


    burned


    Chapter 1


    ¡°Are you¡­ Jackson Valor?¡± To Serenity, the voice that asked this question seemed to belong to


    someone else. There was no anger, no resentment, no tears in the voice, only calmness.


    For some reason, her chaotic mind calmed down when she heard him say that it was all just a game to


    him and he was only doing it to pass the time because he was bored.


    Well, there¡¯s her answer.


    Otherwise, why would someone like Jackson Valor stay with her for two months in a rental house as


    ¡°Jack ¡°N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130


    1/2


    Chapter 130


    Because this was¡­ just a game to him. A game between the rich and the poor.


    Was his n to tell her his true identity when she was discharged from the hospital to announce the


    end of the game?


    Serenity¡¯s calmness made Jackson¡¯s fear grow even stronger. She was standing right there in front of


    him, yet she felt so distant.


    ¡°Are


    you Jackson Valor?¡± She repeated the question. She was still very calm, as if she was simply asking a


    very ordinary question.


    He pursed his lips as he stared into her crystal-clear eyes. After a long time, he finally opened his


    mouth and uttered the word ¡°yes¡±,


    Serenity felt bitter. So he really was Jackson Valor, Honestly, she already knew that, but¡­ she was still


    holding onto a sliver of hope. She wanted to hear it from him.


    ¡°Okay, I get it.¡± She gently lowered her eyes. She squatted down, picked up her phone that had fallen


    onto the floor, turned around and pulled open the ss door to leave.


    But the next moment, a strong hand grabbed her arm. His other hand pressed against the ss door,


    trapping her between the door and himself.


    ¡°What do you get?¡± He asked while staring into her eyes.


    ¡°I get that you¡¯re Jackson Valor and this is just a game to you, sad Serenity calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr


    Valor, I know what to do. If you¡¯re doing this for revenge, then I believe. you¡¯ve seen with your own


    eyes that I¡¯ve truly lost everything. I¡¯m no longer worth your time because I have nothing left to lose.¡±


    His eyes narrowed. Revenge¡­ She thought he was taking revenge? For Mira Hall?


    Mira Hall was not worth going through all this trouble for,


    But the calmer she was, the more annoyed he became. Why must he be so afraid? Why was he afraid


    of her calmness, afraid that she would leave him? N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    He could not tell whether he was annoyed with her or with himself.


    ¡°Like you said, you¡¯re not worth spending all this time to take revenge on, so why would I do that?¡± he


    said coldly.


    Sheughed bitterly, He¡¯s right. She was not worth the trouble. He did not have to make his own hands


    dirty. He could have just gotten somebody else to do it for him, like he did when she was in prison.


    Plenty of people would make her suffer in order to suck up to him.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, do you mind stepping aside? I¡­ I¡¯d like to return to the ward to pack my stuff,¡± she said.


    They were standing very close together. She could feel his breath at the tip of her nose. It made her


    feel.


    ufortable.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give you the permission to leave the hospital, he said. He bent down slightly, moving his face.


    even closer, His deep, beautiful eyes stared into her pale face. ¡°Also, since you¡¯ve always called me


    Jack, keep calling me that.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Valor, there¡¯s no need to continue ying this game. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason for me to keep


    staying in this hospital.¡±


    her now. It marked


    Jack¡­ This name sounded like a mockery to her now. It mocked her for being stu pid.


    Chapter 130


    She thought that she had found a brother to keep herpany. Little did she know that he was actually


    the person she had to avoid the most!


    Game?¡­ Jackson would not look away from her. Even though it was indeed a game to him at first, it


    was not anymore.


    ¡°If you really think this is a game to me, then I¡¯ll be the one to decide when it¡¯s gonna end.¡± He closed


    his eyes and rubbed his cheek gently against hers, like they were an intimate couple.


    Serenity froze. His breath was really warm, but she felt cold.

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    Chapter 131


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that right, Sis?¡± He still called her Sis like before. The slightly raised tone at the end hinted at a


    kind of attachment.


    But she felt as if there was a heavy mountain pressing down on her chest, weighing her down so much


    that she could hardly breathe.


    Serenity returned to the ward with Jackson. Right after they entered the ward, Jackson asked the nurse


    to leave.


    The two of them were thus left alone in the ward.


    Serenity sat stiffly in the chair with her head hanging low. She had no idea what he wanted to do to her.


    If he wanted to make life more miserable for her because he thought she was not miserable enough,


    why did he rescue her on New Year¡¯s Eve?


    If he had just left her to her fate, her life would be even more miserable, right?


    But no matter what he wanted to do to her, she was powerless to resist. After spending three years in


    prison, she knew the weight of fate and understood its cruelty, and knew how insignificant she was


    before it.


    To those people with power and wealth, she was no more than a bug that they could easily


    crush.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask me anything?¡± His clear voice broke the silence in the room.


    Serenity shivered slightly. His voice sounded so pleasant, like a breeze blowing through a bamboo


    forest on a quiet night. It was pleasing to the ear and gave off a sense of grandeur.


    She slowly raised her eyes. Her gaze fell upon a beautiful and regal face. She took in his fair


    complexion, his straight nose, his thin lips that carried a hint of a smile, and his eyes that seemed to


    sparkle.


    He stood in front of her and looked down at her from above, as if she was entirely under his control.


    Serenity bit her lip unconsciously. She bit hard, but she did not feel any pain.


    Seeing that, he frowned and reached out to pinch her chin. He said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t bite your lip. You


    might hurt yourself.¡±


    He was so gentle, as if he was still her Jack and not the Jackson Valor that she feared.


    Serenity stared at Jackson in a daze. Her jaws unconsciously loosened up.


    His fingertip gently brushed her lips.


    She jerked her head away and leaned back. ¡°Mr. Valor, when do you n to end this game?¡±


    His eyes dimmed slightly. ¡°Is that all you want to ask?¡±


    What else could she ask? He could make her life as miserable as he wished for revenge. All she could


    do was take it.


    That was the case three years ago, and it was no different now.


    She did not say anything.


    He picked up her hands and wrapped his hands around them. ¡°Sis, your hands are a bit cold,¡¯ he said


    as he rubbed her hands to warm them.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

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    This was something that they would often do whenever it was cold. Before this, when he warmed her


    hands, it would warm her heart too, but now¡­ it merely gave her a sense of trepidation.


    Because she had no idea what he was trying to do.


    She squirmed ufortably and tried to pull her hands back, but his fingers were firmly wrapped


    around them, not letting her pull away.


    ¡°Mr. Valor¡­¡±


    ¡°Call me Jack. Haven¡¯t you always called me Jack?¡±


    She pursed her lips tightly.


    ¡°Consider it an order. Call me Jack.¡± He murmured softly, not wanting to hear her call him ¡± Mr. Valor¡±


    one more time because it really annoyed him.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Serenity remained quiet for a long time before she finally uttered the word ¡°Jack¡± softly.


    The corners of his mouth instantly curled up into a smile.


    The pure-looking smile left her in a daze. Before this, she had always thought that his smile was very


    pure, like it had not been contaminated by the world. It made her want to protect this purity in him.


    But¡­ Jackson Valor¡­


    No one in Sria would describe Jackson Valor as pure. They would say that his hands were covered


    in the blood and tears of countless people, that he was cold-blooded and vicious. If


    you


    offended him, it would not end well for you.


    He was the one guy you did not want to mess with in Sria.


    She could not believe that she wanted to protect a person like that. Howughable.


    ¡°When I first met you, I did think of this as just a game, but afterwards, I started to truly enjoy spending


    time with you.¡± He had never exined himself to anyone else before, but he was now doing that to


    her. People who knew him would be shocked if they heard him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay by my side from now on?¡±


    ¡°Stay by your side?¡± She stared at him in shock. She would never have expected such a request from


    him.


    ¡°If you stay by my side, you can once again live like you did in the past. No, I¡¯ll give you an even better


    life than that. I¡¯ll fulfill any request you have as long as it¡¯s not excessive. You used to be awyer,


    right? I can help you get back your license. I¡¯ll even open aw firm for you if you want me to,¡± he said.


    In the past, she had thought of opening her ownw firm after she gained more experience, butter, it


    became just an unrealistic dream.


    But now, Jackson Valor was actually telling her that it was possible. It was akin to cing a delicious


    fruit in front of her, tempting her to eat it.


    Chapter 132


    ¡°Why?¡± she was puzzled, ¡°Don¡¯t you want revenge?¡±


    ¡°If I wanted revenge, I wouldn¡¯t have rescued you two days ago,¡± Jackson said with a faint smile, ¡°I told


    you, I enjoy spending time with you, so I¡¯d like to keep you by my side.¡±


    ¡°Until you get tired of me, right?¡± she said. So this was still a game to him. It was a game of roleying


    as siblings, something he had never yed before. The reason he was treating her so well was


    because the feeling was still novel to him.


    Get tired of her? Jackson believed he would never get tired of her, but at the moment, all could say was


    ¡°yes¡±.


    He would never let any woman control him.


    ¡®I knew it!¡¯ thought Serenity. Once he got tired of her, she would be sent back to hell.

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    ¡°If your n is to lift me up high so that I would fall hard, you don¡¯t really have to do that. My life is


    already miserable enough. I¡¯m just a sanitation worker. I don¡¯t have any money left. My family has


    kicked me out. Do you want me to kneel down in front of Mira Hall¡¯s grave to apologize? Or do you


    want to take my life in return¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± He violently interrupted her. She would rather believe that he did all this to get


    revenge for Mira Hall rather than because he liked spending time with her? ¡°Listen to me. To me, Mira


    Hall is not worth going through all this trouble for. All you have to do is stay by my side.¡±


    He looked down at her hands that he was holding. He had been rubbing them for a while, they were


    still cold for some reason.


    but


    He knew that he lost his temper just now. It felt like she could always stir his emotions easily, making


    him feel scared, making him feel angry.


    The closer he got to her, the more control she had over his emotions, but he could not help getting


    closer to her.


    ¡°Stop saying those silly things. Get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± After that, he left the ward.


    Serenity was now alone in therge ward.


    She lowered her head and stared at her hands. They were shaking. Was she scared? Scared of


    Jackson Valor, scared that something would happen to her?


    Did she really have to stay by his side? But¡­ could she do it? He was the reason she suffered all


    those injuries in prison. He was the reason she almost died in prison. He was the reason she had to


    live through three years of hell.


    Because of that, whenever she looked at him, her heart would be filled with fear and dread.


    Just now, he rubbed her hands for a long time, but her hands never warmed up because his touch


    chilled her down to the bones. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Why must Jack be Jackson Valor? Why must it be Jack, the person she thought was her salvation?


    Why? Why?


    Serenity asked herself that countless times. The tears she had been holding back burst out of her as if


    in protest.


    Was she afraid? Was she feeling uneasy? Or¡­ was she simply unable to let ¡°Jack¡± go?!


    She once told him, ¡°Jack, I¡¯m so d I have you.¡±


    At the time, he smiled and said, ¡°I hope you¡¯ll remember you said this and not regret it in the future.¡±


    Perhaps he was already dropping hints at the time.


    What was her reply again? She said, ¡°I won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Meeting him was a bizarre dream, and now, she had woken up from the dream.


    Chapter 133


    2/2


    But his game had not ended yet¡­


    Connor stared at his boss¡¯ gloomy face in the car. He was surprised to see Mr. Valor in this mood. After


    all, Mr. Valor was with Miss Serenity just now. That usually brightened his mood.


    Maybe¡­ Miss Serenity was the one who made him upset? The possibility sent shivers down Connor¡¯s


    spine. If that was the case, he must tread carefully today lest he make himself a


    target for his boss¡¯ anger.


    Jackson gently closed his eyes. He did not expect her to find out his real identity this way.

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    Originally, he wanted to find a more suitable opportunity to let her know so that it would be easier for


    her to ept.


    This¡­ was probably the worst way for her to find out.


    He got careless. He did not notice her standing right behind him. But¡­ he did not mention his identity


    during the conversation with Caleb, yet she immediately called out his name.


    That meant¡­ she already knew who he was before she overheard his conversation? Who told her?


    Jackson snapped open his eyes and instructed Connor, ¡°Check Serenity¡¯s phone record and find out


    who she talked to on the phone recently!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Connor immediately replied.


    It did not take long for Connor to obtain the information. ¡°Mr. Valor, thest call Miss Serenity received


    today was at 6:35 pm. The caller was Lisa Quest.¡±


    Lisa Quest¡­ Jackson narrowed his eyes. He remembered that name. She¡¯s Serenity¡¯s best friend.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Find out who Lisa Quest met with today!¡±


    Connor nodded.


    The car pulled up outside the hospital where Master Zack was staying in.


    Jackson and Connor got out of the car and walked to Master Zack¡¯s ward. Jackson asked the


    bodyguard at the door, ¡°Is the old man asleep?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± the bodyguard answered respectfully.


    Jackson told Connor, ¡°Wait for me outside.¡± After that, he pushed open the door and walked in.


    Zack Valor was sitting on the hospital bed, looking through a photo album.


    Jackson knew the album contained photos of his father, Jude Valor, from childhood to adulthood.


    Although the old man alwaysined about Jude, Jude was once his pride and was someone the


    old man had high hopes for.


    As for himself¡­ Jackson scoffed. The old man probably wished he could remove half of Jackson¡¯s


    genes the half he inherited from his mother.


    ¨C


    When Jackson was a child, the old man particrly hated Jackson¡¯s eyes because his eyes were very


    simr to his mother¡¯s. There was a time when the old man even forbade Jackson from looking at him


    because being looked at by those eyes made the old man feel sick.


    Jackson pulled a chair over and sat down in front of the old man. He quietly stared at the old man.


    Neither the grandfather nor the grandson spoke.


    When the old man finished flipping through the photo album, he finally looked up at his grandson.


    Just by sitting there casually, his grandson looked elegant and handsome. He was also decisive,


    ruthless and cold¨Cblooded, but because of that, their family business expanded a lot in his hands.


    5


    Zack Valor had to admit that his grandson was much more capable than his son, but when he


    remembered that the woman¡¯s blood flowed in Jackson¡¯s veins, he felt disgusted.


    However, Jackson was also the only child his son left behind!


    ¡°I investigated your woman. Her name is Serenity Lewis. She used to be Zeke Shaw¡¯s girlfriend and is


    also the person who ran over and killed Mira Hall three years ago, right?¡± asked Master Zack coldly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jackson replied with a faint smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s an ex¨Cconvict who¡¯s now working as a sanitation worker. Are you seriously going out with her?


    Do you want our family to make headlines?¡±

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    Chapter 135


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°So what? If I want to, I can make her as famous as any socialite in the city!¡± Jackson retorted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget how your father died!¡± Master Zack said through gritted teeth.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. Even if I were to be with her, it doesn¡¯t mean I would give


    my life to her. I¡¯m not father. I wouldn¡¯t die for a woman, and I wouldn¡¯t be controlled by a woman!¡±


    He was always the one in control!


    Master Zack snorted. ¡°Is that what you came here to say?


    ¡°No,¡± Jackson replied, ¡°I came here to tell you to noty a hand on her!¡±


    Master Zack¡¯s eyes narrowed. He said angrily, ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you threatening your


    own grandfather? Is she more important to you than me?¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m just telling you, not threatening you,¡± Jackson chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯ty a hand


    on her. No matter what happens between me and her, don¡¯ty a hand on her. Of course, you can do


    that, but I don¡¯t know how I would react if you do. Maybe you can try it?¡±


    Master Zack¡¯s expression changed. He actually felt a chill run down his back.


    Jackson was the heir he raised. Jackson grew up as he expected, maybe even better than he


    expected, but¡­ he¡¯s slipping out of his control!


    ¡°What do you even see in Serenity Lewis?¡± He could not help but ask. There were many famous


    women in Sria. A lot of them were beautiful, talented and clever with a clean background, but


    Jackson had to fall for an ex¨Cconvict!


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s a little foolish,¡± muttered Jackson.


    Foolish enough to lead him back to her rented ce and foolish enough to bare her heart to a stranger.


    She was so foolish that he felt sorry for her.


    Even after spending three years in jail, this woman had not learned to be wiser.


    But it was also this woman who told him that he had pure, beautiful eyes. She did not look at him with


    disgust like the old man, or look at him with obsession like other women. She looked at him with


    appreciation and¡­ a desire to protect him.


    She told him she wanted to protect the purity in his eyes.


    Little did she know that no one had ever used the word pure to describe him. In the eyes of many


    people, he was an executioner that would do anything to achieve his goal.


    How could a person like him be pure?!


    ¡°I¡¯m going, grandpa. I don¡¯t want to disturb your rest,¡± Jackson smiled, got up and left the ward.


    Master Zack looked at the door of the ward open and close with aplicated expression. He seemed


    to be in deep thought.


    When Jackson returned to Serenity¡¯s ward, she was already asleep. He walked to her bedside without


    turning on the light. He stared at her sleeping face, using the moonlight that poured


    2/2


    in through the window for illumination.


    There were still visible tear marks on her face. He gently caressed her cheek. Did she cry after he left?


    How many tears did she shed? She was not a person who cried easily. In front of him, she appeared so


    calm, as if she was resigned to her fate, whatever it may be, but she actually cried behind his back.


    Why did she cry? Because he lied to her? Because he¡¯s Jackson Valor? Or because¡­


    11


    ¡°Serenity¡­¡± Jackson murmured, ¡°Since you¡¯ve made my heart flutter, you should stay by my side; don¡¯t


    you think so?¡±

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    Chapter 136


    As if she heard him, she suddenly frowned. Beads of cold sweat began to appear on her forehead. She


    started shaking her head from side to side like she was trying to avoid


    something.


    Jackson frowned and was about to call for a doctor when Serenity suddenly opened her eyes and sat


    up while screaming, ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Sis, what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Jackson.


    Like a drowning man clutching at straws, Serenity hugged Jackson¡¯s waist tightly. ¡°Jack, thank god¡­.


    It¡¯s you¡­ It¡¯s you¡­ I had a nightmare. I was back in jail and those people just wouldn¡¯t let me go. I


    begged them for mercy, I¡­ I got on my knees and begged, but they still kept hitting


    me¡­¡±


    Although it was a dream, the pain felt so real. Even now, after she already woke up, her stomach still


    seemed to be aching slightly.


    Halfway through her sentence, she abruptly stopped and went rigid.


    She suddenly recalled that the man in front of her was Jackson Valor and not ¡°Jack¡°! The main culprit


    responsible for all the pain she suffered in prison was¡­ him.


    Serenity stiffly let go of him and moved back.


    But he instantly wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Are you scared of


    me?¡±


    Because he was hugging her, he could feel the slight trembling of her body. She was like a weak little


    animal that was facing an apex predator.


    She bit her lip and tried hard to suppress her fear. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m scared,¡± she told him honestly, I¡¯ve taken


    a lot of beating in prison. I¡¯m scared of being hit again¡­¡®


    ¡°No one will ever hit you again,¡± he interrupted her and said, ¡°Sis, I promise, from now on, one would


    dare to hit you again.¡±


    Serenity looked up in confusion, ¡°What exactly do you want from me?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°I told you, I want you to keep mepany.¡±


    ¦°¦¯


    ¡°You can have a lot ofpany. A lot of women would be happy to spend time with you,¡± she said.


    His smile grew wider, but his eyes grew dimmer. ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t want to?¡±


    She kept quiet, not knowing how to answer.


    ¡°But even if you don¡¯t want to, what can you do?¡± He chucked as if it was funny. ¡°Even if I do this, what


    do you think you can do?¡±


    After saying that, he bent down and kissed her on the lips.


    She was so surprised that her mind momentarily went nk. When she came back to her senses, she


    tried to move her head away, but to no avail.


    He was gripping her lower jaw. Whenever she tried to move her face away, he would turn her


    face back to him. She could not avoid the kiss.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    She felt powerless. For the first time, Serenity could feel the difference in strength between men and


    women very clearly.


    Just as she felt like she was going to suffocate, he finally let go of her mouth. She gasped and yelled,


    ¡°Jackson Valor, let me go!¡±


    But he simply ignored her.

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    ¡°Stop¡­¡± she shouted, but no matter how hard she struggled, it was in vain. Her face turned red.


    Goosebumps appeared on her skin under her ripped hospital gown from the sudden exposure to cold


    air. ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡±


    She was nervous and angry.


    Meanwhile, he was calm and collected. His slender fingers held her wrist down as he smiled and said,


    ¡°Sis, you can shout as loud as you want. There are bodyguards, nurses and doctors on duty outside.


    They should all be able to hear you, but¡­¡±


    He paused and stared at her with passionate eyes before he continued, ¡°I can guarantee that none of


    them wille in here to save you.¡±


    Serenity froze. She knew that he was telling the truth. Even if she shouted until her throat was sore, no


    one would dare toe in here.


    Because this man¡­ was Jackson Valur!


    She was silent while he pressed his mouth against her jaw¡­ her neck¡­ and finally lingered on her


    pretty corbone, sprinkling little kisses on her.


    ¡°Stay by my side. Didn¡¯t you say that you like me? Then why are you refusing when I¡¯m giving you this


    opportunity?¡± he murmured.


    Serenity felt a pain in her heart, as if it had been stabbed.


    Yes, she did say that once, but it sounded soughable now.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re not Jack.¡± He was not the homeless man she thought she could sympathize with. He


    was Jackson Valor, a man who could move mountains in Sria.


    He stopped and propped himself up slightly to look at her. ¡°I am. If you want, I can keep behaving in the


    manner you like.¡±


    She smiled bitterly. ¡°Even if you act like Jack again, you¡¯re not Jack anymore.¡±


    The Jack she knew was gone. He had been a lie since the beginning


    He pursed his lips. There was a tinge of coldness in his eyes. After a while, he said, ¡°Are you so


    repulsed by the fact that I¡¯m Jackson Valor? But Sis, have you ever considered that it¡¯s exactly because


    I¡¯m Jackson Valor that I can change your fate and make your life better? Otherwise, who would dare


    offend Jackson Valor for you?


    He straightened up, and, after giving her an arrogant look, left the ward.


    Serenity sat up, buttoned up her hospital gown one by one, and wrapped her trembling body in the


    nket tightly.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Just now, he did not really desire her. He just wanted to send her a message, that if he wanted her, she


    was powerless to resist!


    She could not even say no!


    Connor reported the result of his investigation to Jackson. ¡°The people Lisa Quest made contact with


    that day were all family members, co¨Cworkers and neighbors she saw regrly,


    2/2


    with one exception Joy Shaw.¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°Zeke Shaw¡¯s sister?¡± Jackson asked after pondering for a moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. ording to Lisa Quest¡¯s co¨Cworkers, Joy Shaw mentioned your name during


    her argument with Lisa Quest,¡± said Connor.


    Jackson sneered. ¡°How unexpected. So that¡¯s where it went wrong.

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    Zeke Shaw knew about him and Serenity, and Joy Shaw exposed his identity at the worst possible


    time.


    Those Shaws¡­ ¡°Invite Joy Shaw to the hospital.¡±


    reporter who


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor,¡± replied Connor. He then continued, ¡°I¡¯ve also investigated the sneaked into the


    hospital. The person who leaked the news of you taking Miss Serenity to the hospital was a nurse, who


    shared the information with her friends on her social media. The newster spread to other parts of the


    inte. Although it¡¯s all been deleted now, we have no way of knowing how many people saw it.¡±


    ¡°Hold that nurse legally responsible. Also, tighten up the security in and around the hospital. I don¡¯t


    want to see anyone sneaking into the ward,¡± Jackson said coldly.


    ¡°I understand. That will never happen,¡± Connor assured him.


    Meanwhile, at the Shaws.


    Ever since she identally leaked Jackson Valor¡¯s identity to Lisa Quest, Joy Shaw had been feeling


    extremely uneasy. She regretted messing with Lisa Quest. Now, she had to live in fear.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    If Lisa Quest figured it out and told Serenity¡­


    Last time, Jackson Valor broke Joy¡¯s leg to teach her a lesson. It still had not healed yet. She did not


    know what he would do this time.


    ¡°Joy, what¡¯s wrong? You seem fidgety. Did you do something wrong again?¡± Zeke Shaw could not help


    asking because his sister had been pacing back and forth in the living room on crutches even with a


    cast on one foot.


    Today, their parents were out visiting friends. He was supposed to go with them, but joy wanted him to


    stay home to keep herpany, so he did.


    ¡°Zeke,¡± Joy finally made up her mind to tell him the truth, ¡°Please help me. I got careless that day and


    let slip about Jackson Valor and Serenity Lewis.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Zeke jumped up from the sofa. ¡°Who did you tell?¡±


    ¡°A friend of Serenity called Lisa Quest. I don¡¯t know if she told Serenity about it. If she did, and Serenity


    told Jackson Valor, would Jackson Valore after me again?¡± Joy asked uneasily.


    Zeke had gonepletely pale. Right then, a maid came to tell them that the Valor family¡¯s personal


    secretary was here to pick up Joy to meet with Jackson Valor.


    When the siblings heard this, they exchanged nces and saw the fear in each other¡¯s eyes.


    But who would dare refuse Jackson Valor¡¯s invitation?


    The Shaw siblings got into the car apprehensively. When they arrived at the hospital, Zeke was


    stopped outside the ward. Connor would only let joy into the ward.


    The luxurious VIP ward was not a ward you could stay in even if you had the money. Joy looked


    towards the hospital bed and saw Serenity Lewis sitting there in a hospital gown.


    When Joy¡¯s leg was broken, even she could not stay in a VIP ward like this, but Serenity could!


    But¡­ was Serenity Lewis sick? What¡¯s her condition?


    Joy secretly hoped that Serenity Lewis¡® condition was something serious, the more serious the better!


    But immediately afterwards, Joy saw Jackson sitting on a sofa by the hospital bed. She winced.


    He was in a white sweater and khaki pants. He looked casual and also a little sexy. A guy like Jackson


    Valor was the dream man of many young female socialites of Sria, but there were examples of


    women who tried to approach Jackson Valor and did not end up well, so Jackson Valor was not only


    desired, he was also feared.

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    Chapter 139


    If it was before, Joy would be overjoyed to get a chance to meet Jackson Valor face to face like this,


    but now, her heart was screaming in agony.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Jackson remarked indifferently.


    Joy put on a meek and pitiful look and said carefully, ¡°You wanted to see me, Mr. Valor? What can I do


    for you?¡±


    Serenity also seemed puzzled. She had no idea why Jackson brought Joy Shaw here.


    Jackson smiled and exined to Serenity, ¡°Sis, you might not know this, but on the second day of the


    new year, Miss Shaw here met your friend Lisa Quest and gave her problems.¡±


    Serenity was confused at first, but she soon figured it out. When she had the argument with Joy Shaw


    at the mall, Lisa spoke up for her, so Joy knew that Lisa was her friend. If Joy ran into Lisa, she would


    naturally vent her anger at Lisa.


    When Joy heard Jackson call Serenity ¡°Sis¡°, her eyes almost popped out.


    No way! Which woman in Sria was worthy of being called that by Jackson Valor?


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    But now, Jackson Valor was actually calling a sanitation worker ¡°Sis¡°!


    ¡°Sis, do you want to know what she did to your friend that day?¡± Jackson asked.


    ¡°She¡­ What did she do?¡± The thought of Lisa suffering unnecessary hardship because of her made


    Serenity¡¯s heart ache.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we let Miss Shaw demonstrate?¡± Jackson said casually as if he was just chatting about


    everyday matters. He walked over to the hospital bed, bent down and put a pair of shoes on Serenity¡¯s


    feet.


    His actions were gentle and careful. He even got down on one knee and held Serenity¡¯s foot in his


    hand when he put on shoes for her.


    Joy felt like hermon sense was taking one blow after another. Jackson calling Serenity Sis¡± was


    already unbelievable enough, and now he was actually putting on shoes for her.


    How did Serenity Lewis make Jackson Valor treat her like this?


    Moreover, Joy could not believe Jackson Valor was asking her to demonstrate. How could she


    demonstrate?


    While Joy was thinking, Jackson finished putting on shoes for Serenity. He carried her to the sofa and


    told Joy, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start.¡±


    Start? Start what? Joy was bewildered. Connor, who had followed Joy into the ward, handed Joy a


    piece of tissue and said amicably, ¡°Miss Shaw, please wipe Miss Lewis¡® shoes the way Lisa Quest


    wiped your shoes that day.¡®


    Joy was shocked. ¡°What did you say? You want me to wipe her shoes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Valor¡¯s order,¡± Connor said indifferently.


    Joy gritted her teeth and red at Serenity. He wanted her to wipe the shoes of a person she looked


    down on? How could she possibly do that?!


    How the hell did Serenity Lewis bewitch Jackson Valor?!


    ¡°Mr. Valor, this woman is just a sanitation worker. She¡¯s really good at seducing men. She did all kinds


    of things to seduce my brother back in the day. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way my brother would fall for an


    ordinary woman from an ordinary family like her. Mr. Valor, don¡¯t let her trick you!¡±

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    Joy ndered Serenity as hard as she could.


    However, Jackson showed no reaction other than to y with Serenity¡¯s fingers


    absentmindedly. He said indifferently, ¡°So? What¡¯s wrong with wiping the shoes of a sanitation worker?


    Even if the mayor¡¯s daughter were to wipe her shoes, I still don¡¯t see anything wrong with it.¡±


    Joy was speechless. Of course she could notpare to the mayor¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Miss Shaw, please hurry up. Mr. Valor doesn¡¯t have much patience,¡± Connor urged, ¡°If Mr. Valor¡¯s


    patience runs out, you¡¯d have to do much more than wipe shoes.¡±


    Joy bit her lip. She was reluctant, but no matter how reluctant she was, she had no choice but to do it.


    She walked towards Serenity slowly, knelt down in front of her, took the tissue and wiped Serenity¡¯s


    shoes, which were actually not dirty at all.


    Serenity stared at Joy in disbelief. She could never have imagined that something like this would


    actually happen. But, Lisa actually had to do what Joy was doing right now?


    How did Lisa feel at the time?


    Serenity¡¯s heart went out for her best friend. At the same time, she seemed to have vaguely


    understood why Jackson Valor brought Joy Shaw over and made her do this.


    He wanted to show Serenity the extent of his power. He wanted her to know that he could make the


    people who used to look down on her kneel before her and wipe her shoes.


    Joy said after wiping for a while, ¡°Mr. Valor, this should be enough,


    Jackson smiled and said, ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    right?¡±


    Connor, who had been standing to the side, walked forward and said, ¡°Pardon me, Miss Shaw. ¡°After


    that, he stepped on the back of Joy¡¯s hand.


    Joy howled in pain, ¡°M¨CMr. Valor, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing what you did to Lisa Quest that day. Are you denying that you did this to her?¡± asked


    Jackson.


    Of course she did it. Therefore, she could find no words to retort.


    Jackson told Serenity softly, ¡°Sis, didn¡¯t you say that Lisa Quest is someone very important to you? I¡¯m


    helping you to get revenge for her. Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    He even seemed a bit innocent when he said that, as if he was doing this simply out of a desire to


    please her.


    All the while, his hands were ying with her left hand. He intertwined his fingers with hers and slowly


    closed them¡­ It¡¯s like they were holding hands¡­


    Serenity¡¯s left hand went numb. It felt unbearably hot. She wanted to pull her hand back.


    But as if her hand was separated from her consciousness, she couldn¡¯t move it at all.


    She had never seen this side of Jack before. He could actually do something so ruthless while smiling


    and chatting casually. But this must be the real him. The Jack she knew was just an


    22


    illusion.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    The pain Joy was experiencing was agonizing. If Connor continued to step on her hand, her hand


    might end up like her foot.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, my¡­ my hand will be ruined for life. Mr. Valor, please¡­ please spare me,¡± Joy was in so


    much pain that there were tears and snot on her face. She did not look like a rich youngdy at all.

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    However, Jackson did not even spare Joy a nce. He asked Serenity, ¡°Sis, what do you think? Is this


    enough?¡±


    Although Joy resented Serenity, she had no choice but to beg Serenity for forgiveness.


    ¡°Serenity, I¡­ I know what I did was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have done that to your friend, I¡­ I¡¯ll apologize to


    your friend. Please, forgive me.¡±


    Serenity looked at Joy who was crying bitterly. She knew very well that Joy was only begging her for


    forgiveness because of Jackson, not because of her,


    She did not feel any sympathy for Joy Shaw at all. Joy Shaw did the same thing to Lisa that Jackson


    was doing to her right now. Serenity resented Joy Shaw for that and also felt guilty.


    Serenity wished it was her who was humiliated, not Lisa.


    Lisa had already sacrificed a lot for her. After she was released from prison, not only was she unable to


    repay Lisa properly, Lisa even had to suffer because of her.


    ¡°I want you to apologize to Lisa in front of everyone who saw what happened that day andpensate


    Lisa the medical expenses for her hand injury and her lost wages,¡± said Serenity.


    Joy naturally agreed. Apologizing and payingpensation was better than having her hand smashed


    and possibly ruined for life.


    Only then did Connor take his foot off Joy¡¯s hand. Joy held her hand gingerly. It was so painful that she


    could barely hold onto her crutches.


    Jackson told Connor, ¡°Let Zeke Shawe in to take his sister away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor,¡± replied Connor. Soon after, Zeke Shaw followed Connor into the ward.


    When he saw his sister holding her hand with tears streaming down her face, Zeke quickly helped his


    sister up. He gave Jackson and Serenity aplicated look.


    He already knew that Jackson and Serenity were going out, but this was the first time he was seeing


    them together with his own eyes.


    The woman he dumped, whoter dropped down to the lowest rung of society, had now bounced back


    up. Perhaps in the future, he would have to look up to this woman.


    The change in status made Zeke feel a little ufortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my sister back, then, Mr. Valor,¡± said Zeke.


    Jackson asked with slightly raised eyebrows, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to say hello to Serenity? You¡¯re old


    acquaintances after all.¡±


    There was nothing unusual with his tone, but his words sent chills down Zeke¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ I haven¡¯t seen Miss Lewis for a long time, so we have nothing to talk about. What happened


    between us was all in the past,¡± Zeke replied carefully. He could feel cold sweat on his back.


    What Jackson said next made him sweat even harder.


    ¡°Serenity, when you had the ident, he immediately broke up with you. If you want to take revenge


    on him, just say the word. I can help you do that,¡± Jackson said that as if it was no big deal.


    Zeke and Joy looked aghast.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

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    If Jackson really were to help Serenity get revenge on the Shaw family, the Shaw family was doomed


    for sure. They would be removed from Sria¡¯s high society.


    ¡°M-Mr. Valor, I¡­ Zeke anxiously tried to defend himself.


    But Serenity cut him short. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. The moment we broke up, he already became


    a stranger to me. I¡¯m actually d the ident let me see his true nature.¡±


    Zeke went pale. He felt humiliated. Serenity did not spare him a single nce the whole time.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Jackson got up, walked over to Zeke, and gently patted Zeke on the shoulder. You


    should be grateful that she doesn¡¯t want revenge. If not, the Shaw Group will no longer exist in Sria


    this time


    next year.¡±


    Zeke trembled and started sweating even more profusely. He quickly thanked Serenity and helped Joy


    out of the ward.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    The siblings only felt like they were alive again after they left the hospital,


    ¡°Why would Jackson Valor fall for Serenity Lewis?¡± Joy said indignantly.


    ¡°I already told you not to mess with Serenity,¡± Zeke rebuked her angrily.


    she¡¯s


    nothing!


    ¡°She only gets to act all high and mighty because of Jackson Valor! Without Jackson Valor,


    Joy¡¯s hatred for Serenity ran really deep now after the humiliation and pain she suffered.


    ¡°Do you even realize that if she had said she wanted revenge just now, how much trouble our family


    would be in?!¡± For this, Zeke actually fe t a little grateful for Serenity. At least she did not try to push the


    Shaws into a dead end.


    ¡°Would Jackson Valor really get into a conflict with the Shaw family for a sanitary worker?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Zeke red at his sister. ¡°Remember, for the sake of the Shaw family, stop


    messing with Serenity. If you do, our family might not be able to save you. You might even drag our


    family down with you!¡±


    Joy wanted to retort, but when she recalled what happened in the ward, she cowered and kept quiet.


    Meanwhile, back in the ward, Jackson was standing in front of Serenity. He leaned down until his eyes


    were almost level with hers. There was a smile on his handsome face. His beautiful eyes sparkled.


    He looked like an angel, but his actions were more like the devil¡¯s.


    ¡°Are you happy?¡± Even his voice sounded gentle and pleasant.


    Serenity stared fixedly at him. ¡°You brought Zeke and his sister here and did those things to them in


    order to show me that you can do many things that I can¡¯t ever hope to do in my entire lifetime. Am I


    right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± he said, ¡°I also want to show you that I can give you pride and honor. I can also give


    you whatever kind of life you want.¡±


    He gently stroked a strand of her hair that had fallen onto her shoulder.


    ¡°Do you want to be awyer, a celebrity, or a business owner? I can help you be anything. I can


    make all the people who looked down on you andughed at you in the past bow down to you. Doesn¡¯t


    that sound great?¡± he asked.


    His gentle voice was almost the most beautiful sound in the world.


    Clupte 142


    He was making very tempting promises, and considering his power, they were not empty promises. He


    would indeed make theme true.


    But ¨C ¡°Are you asking me to stay by your side?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied.

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    ¡°I can¡¯t refuse, can I?¡± she asked.


    His eyes flickered. The smile on his face faded a little. He slowly straightened up and looked down at


    her. ¡°No, you can refuse, I can give you the right to refuse, but¡­¡±


    After a pause, he said with a strange smile, ¡°Are you really going to refuse?¡±


    Serenity felt as if the air around her froze. If she agreed to his proposal, she would indeed gain a lot. It


    would change her destiny.


    If it was any other person saying those things to her, maybe she would actually agree.


    But Jackson Valor¡­ She feared this man. He had never harmed her directly, but one word from him


    was enough to make her life in prison hell.


    And even before that, not a singlewyer dared to take her case because the victim who was killed in


    the car ident was Jackson Valor¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    She was also unsure if he had anything to do with all the false evidence against her, as well as the


    witnesses who all testified that she was drunk driving


    The man¡¯s shadow loomed over her like a nightmare the whole time. After learning his true identity.


    whenever he moved close to her, her body would go stiff.


    Whenever he initiated physical contact with her, she would shiver.


    How could she possibly stay by his side?!


    She took a deep breath to suppress her fear and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to refuse.¡±


    His face sank and his eyes turned cold. ¡°Are you sure you want to refuse?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered.


    He suddenlyughed. ¡°Who would have thought that I, Jackson Valor, would get rejected by a woman?


    Serenity, think about it. Without my protection, what will happen to you? Even if the Shaws and the


    Halls stop messing with you, are you gonna be a sanitation worker for the rest of your life?¡±


    She bit her lip and said, ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡±


    His lips almost pursed into a straight line. The mes of anger started burning inside him. He had never


    gone to such lengths for a woman before, yet she waspletely ungrateful and was hell bent on


    getting away from him.


    How long had it been since hest got so mad at someone? He was so mad that he wanted to strangle


    her, but he knew that he could not bear losing her.


    He could not bear losing her?!


    -He felt incredulous that someone could actually make him feel this way.


    He left without saying another word. After he left, Serenity¡¯s tense body finally rxed.


    When the doctor came to perform the daily routine checkup, he informed Serenity that she had fully


    recovered. Her blood test result showed that there was no more residual drug left in her body. ¡°Then,


    can I be discharged from the hospital?¡± asked Serenity.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

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    ¡°As long as Mr. Valor says yes, you can be discharged any time,¡± said the doctor.


    Serenity did not know how to feel about that. She even needed Jackson Valor¡¯s consent to be


    discharged from the hospital now?


    ¡°Okay, I understand,¡± she replied.


    After the doctor and the nurses left, she went to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. The


    person in the mirror had a fresh looking face, curved eyebrows shaped like willow leaves, almond-


    shaped eyes, and pink lips. Under the light, she seemed to glow.


    She looked pretty decentpared to the average person, but someone like Jackson Valor had to be


    surrounded by beautiful women. Compared to them, she would not stand out.


    What exactly did Jackson Valor see in her? Serenity smiled bitterly. She mistook him for a homeless


    man, so he found it interesting and wanted to keep ying this sibling game?


    She rubbed her lips as the scene of him kissing her shed in her mind.


    She remembered Lisa once said, ¡°Serenity, do you know that you have really beautiful lips?¡±


    ¡°Beautiful lips? She had never paid much attention to her lips. She knew that her lips were not ugly, but


    she did not think they were anything special either.


    ¡°Yeah. The shape of your lips make people feel tempted to kiss them. They¡¯re the sort of lips that men


    want to kiss the most.¡±


    At the time, she found it funny. What kind of description was that?!


    But now, recalling Jackson¡¯s kiss, her lips felt like they were burning.


    Stop thinking about it! Stop thinking about it!


    Serenity kept repeating that to herself. Jackson Valor said he would give her the right to choose. He


    must have meant it, right?


    Surely a man like him would not go back on his word.


    She would treat everything that happened between them as just a dream. In the dream, she met a man


    named Jack. They cherished each other and lived together happily. After she woke up from the dream,


    she was alone again.


    Serenity walked out of the bathroom and changed back into


    own clothes.


    Besides her clothes, there was also her handbag and her phone. That was the entirety of her


    possession. when she was admitted to the hospital.


    Serenity sat quietly on the sofa in the ward, waiting for Jackson Valor toe.


    In the Valor Residence, Connor walked up to Jackson and said, ¡°Mr. Valor, Miss Lewis is waiting for


    you in the hospital ward. She said she wants to be discharged.¡±


    Connor treaded carefully. Sinceing back from the hospital yesterday, Mr. Valor had been staying at


    home. He did not go to the hospital today.


    That was very abnormal.


    For the past few days, he had stayed at the hospital the whole day every day.


    Jackson pursed his lips tightly. After a few seconds, he asked, ¡°Did she say anything else besides


    that?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Connor. He saw his boss¡¯ face be even more gloomy.


    Connor did not dare to say anything else. He waited quietly for Jackson¡¯s order.


    Jackson lowered his head and yed around with a scarf. Connor knew that the scarf was a gift from


    Serenity Lewis. She knitted the scarf herself.


    Jackson caressed the scarf absentmindedly, as if he was thinking of something. After a period of time,


    he stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

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    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor,¡± Connor quickly answered. They left the Valor Residence and headed to the hospital.


    When Jackson walked into the ward, he saw Serenity sitting properly on the sofa.


    Yes, ¡°properly¡± was Jackson¡¯s first thought upon seeing her. She was sitting with her back straight and


    her hands resting on her knees. Her sitting posture was perfect.


    ¡°You want to be discharged from the hospital?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied. Her eyes darted to the scarf around his neck. That was the scarf she knitted for


    him. She made it for him hoping that it would keep him warm in winter.


    But she actually did not have to do that at all. He must have more scarves than he could wear and had


    many ways to keep himself warm. The scarf she made for him waspletely unnecessary.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance to choose. Think it over before you answer. Are you really refusing to


    stay with me?¡± he asked.


    He never gave anyone a second chance. She¡­ was an exception.


    She raised her head to look at him. His gaze was oppressive, as if he was trying to devour her with his


    eyes. The air around them felt heavy.


    A sense of crisis suddenly washed over her. If she gave the wrong answer, it might be the end of her!


    Refuse? Or agree?


    If she stayed by Jackson Valor¡¯s side, her destiny may change.


    But¡­ when he got tired of the sibling game, what would happen to her? Would she end up in an even


    more


    miserable situation?


    Moreover, he was Jackson Valor, a nightmare for her. Back when she was in prison, whenever she


    heard the name, she would tremble in fear.


    After being released from prison, it got slightly better, but if she stayed by his side, that feeling of fear


    might follow her around like a shadow, and she would never be able to get rid of it.


    ¡°Yeah, I want to¡­ be alone. I don¡¯t want to stay with anyone,¡± she answered with a gulp. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    His face instantly became even more gloomy. His eyes became so cold that it could freeze her to


    death.


    ¡°You won¡¯t regret it?¡± His voice sounded dangerous.


    She couldn¡¯t help but tremble again. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The moment she said that, he suddenly pulled her up and threw her onto the bed.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She cried out in shock and tried to sit up.


    But he immediately held her down by the wrists, just like thest time.


    ¡°Jackson Valor, you¡­ What are you doing?¡± Serenity yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯m regretting my decision to give you a choice,¡± he whispered. He pressed his lips down on her cheek.


    kissing her.


    His kiss was very soft, as if he was kissing a rare treasure.


    But his fingers held her wrists tight, stopping her from struggling free.


    ¡°No!¡± She swayed her head from side to side, trying to avoid his kiss.


    But his kiss followed her like a shadow. There was no avoiding it.


    ¡°Have you forgotten? If I want you, you don¡¯t even have the right to say no,¡± said Jackson. Even now,


    his voice still sounded so pleasant.

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    Serenity¡¯s body stiffened. He¡¯s right. Even if she screamed at the top of her lungs, no one would barge


    in to save her.


    Anyone who tried to save her would be making an enemy out of Jackson Valor. No one would be that st


    upid!


    While she was lost in thought, he kissed her lips.


    No! Not like this!


    Almost subconsciously, she bit down hard.


    The next instant, her mouth was filled with the taste of iron. Serenity realized with a jolt that it was the


    taste of¡­ Jackson¡¯s blood. She had just bitten his tongue.


    But even so, he continued to kiss her, forcing her to swallow his blood!


    She did not know how long the kisssted, When the kiss ended, she felt her lips tingle. The taste of


    blood in her mouth was unbearably strong


    ¡°Does it taste good?¡± he asked in a whisper. His lips curled into a smile. A streak of blood ran down the


    corner of his mouth.


    His faint smile, apanied by the crimson blood, actually looked stunning.


    The smell of blood became even more intense when she opened her mouth. A smear of saliva mixed


    with blood streaked down the corner of her mouth.


    He lifted a finger and gently wiped it away. ¡°Speaking of which, this is the first time a woman has ever


    drank my blood. Sis, you¡¯ve really taken a lot of my first times.¡±


    ¡°Please let me go,¡± she pleaded.


    ¡°Are you that unwilling to stay by my side?¡± he asked as his fingers gently stroked her hair.


    His actions were gentle, but she could not help but shiver. She could even feel the hair on her body


    stand


    up.


    ¡°I just want to¡­ live a peaceful life.¡± Every time she swallowed her saliva, it felt like she was drinking


    his blood.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that staying by my side?¡± he asked with a chuckle.


    Serenity¡¯s body instantly became stiff. She closed her eyes and stopped moving.


    Since it was useless to struggle, she could only endure it.


    This was a lesson that she learned back in prison.


    She could feel his lips kissing her neck¡­.


    Bear with it! Bear with it! Think of him as ¡°Jack¡± and not as Jackson Valor!


    She kept telling herself that, but her mind was unable to fool her body. She trembled harder and harder


    until a nauseous feeling, mixed with a taste of blood, rose from her stomach to her throat¡­.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Serenity opened her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand.


    She felt the force that had been holding her down loosened up. She flew out of bed and rushed to the


    bathroom. She leaned on the sink and started to vomit non-stop.


    146


    ¡°Blurgh¡­ Blurgh¡­¡± She had barely eaten anything today so her stomach was empty. Her vomit


    consisted of only gastric acid.


    Her body trembled uncontrobly while she vomited. She only stopped after she vomited so much that


    her body was on the verge of copse and she could not even throw up gastric acid anymore. She


    slowly lifted her head and looked out of the bathroom.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

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    A tall figure stood just outside the bathroom, He looked unhappy.


    Jackson Valor¡¯s dark eyes stared at her with a gloomy look. ¡°You hate me this much?¡±


    Her face was pale. She cowered, as if she was trying to stay as far away from him as possible.


    Jackson pursed his lips. He had never had to go through so much trouble to obtain a woman. He was


    Jackson Valor. In Sria, he could have any woman he wanted.


    And she¡¯s just a really ordinary woman. He might find her more interesting than other women, but¡­ he


    would not bother with a woman who hated him this much.


    ¡°Fine. If you despise me so much, I¡¯ll let you go,¡± Jackson said coldly. His beautiful eyes were so chilly


    that they looked like they were made of ice. ¡°But, remember this. Even if you regret it in the future, I


    won¡¯t take you back. 1, Jackson Valor, never give second chances.¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the ward.


    Serenity used the sink to support herself. It took everyst ounce of her strength to keep herself from


    copsing.


    Did this mean¡­ she could leave the hospital now?


    She tidied up her messy clothes and hair. Seeing how pale she looked in the mirror, she smiled bitterly.


    When Serenity exited the hospital, a mob of people surrounded her.


    ¡°That¡¯s her! That¡¯s the murderer, Serenity Lewis!¡±


    ¡°Oh my g od, so she really is staying in this hospital! I heard she only spent three years in prison! Three


    years in prison in exchange for a human life? How¡¯s that enough?!¡±


    *Jenny was sad for so long! It¡¯s her fault Jenny was sad! She made Jenny lose a sister!¡±


    Not only were the mob shouting, they were also throwing rotten eggs and vegetables at Serenity.


    Serenity tried her best to dodge, but a lot of the stuff still hit her.


    There were also some reporters there who were taking pictures. It was almost as if they were trying to


    create news.


    In a ck Bentley not far away, Connor shifted his gaze from Serenity to Jackson in the back row of the


    car. Jackson¡¯s expression was cold and he was silent. Connor could not help asking, ¡°Mr. Valor, should


    I go help Miss Lewis?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jackson replied coldly. Since she did not want to stay with him, she should understand that these


    were the consequences.


    *Those people are likely Miss Jenny Hall¡¯s fans. They must have seen the news of Miss Lewis being


    hospitalized here, so they waited outside the hospital for her,¡± said Connor. He naturally knew that


    there were people walting for Serenity outside.


    However, he did not think too much of it because he did not even consider the possibility that Serenity


    would refuse to be with Jackson Valor!


    Countless women in Sria dreamed of being with Jackson Valor, but Serenity actually rejected him!


    Connor stopped talking.


    Jackson looked at the scene outside the car with a cold expression. After a while, as if he got bored, he


    closed his eyes and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor,¡± answered Connor. The car slowly drove away from the hospital. Connor did not notice


    his boss¡¯ hands clenching into tight fists on his knees.


    He was¡­ trying really hard to restrain himself.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

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    Serenity was a mess when she got back to her rental house. She left on New Year¡¯s Eve, which was


    only a few days ago, but it felt like a lifetime had passed since then.


    The air in the small rental house felt cold. Serenity could not help but smile bitterly. From now on, she


    would be living by herself again.


    No one would keep herpany, no one would chat with her in the middle of the night, and no one


    would call her ¡°Sis¡± with a smile anymore!


    The first thing she did was to grab a set of clean clothes and take a shower to wash away the filth. After


    that, she started to organize the house.


    Jackson had not stayed here for long, but he left many traces in the house. His dishes and cups, his


    towels and toothbrushes, his worn clothes and shoes¡­


    She gathered all of them one by one and put them in a cardboard box.


    Why not throw them away? She asked herself that. They would only take up space. However, she


    would rather put them away than dispose of them. It¡¯sughable, but she missed the days she spent


    with Jack,


    Obviously, Jack was nothing but a lie. He was a lie created by Jackson Valor, but¡­ her fondness for


    Jack


    was reall


    She was so happy to have Jack because she was no longer alone.


    Finally, Serenity picked up the gloves she had not finished knitting. Originally, she nned to find time


    to finish the gloves after the New Year so that he would have gloves to wear, but¡­ that¡¯s no longer


    necessary.


    She threw the gloves together with the needles and yarn into the cardboard box. She then sealed the


    box up with tape and kept the box in a corner of the house.


    From now on, she would live alone. Jack was just a person from a dream, Serenity told herself that.


    That night, she did not turn off the light. She went to bed with the light on. After her release from prison


    and before she met Jack, she always slept with the light on like this, because the darkness would


    remind her of things that happened in the prison.


    But after Jack moved in with her, she could finally fall asleep even with the light off.


    Now, the habit had returned.


    Before going to bed, Serenity called Lisa and told her friend that she was back in the rental house.


    ¡°Will you be home tomorrow? I¡¯lle over,¡± said Lisa,


    ¡°Yeah, I will,¡± she said. She had nowhere to go anyway.


    That night, she rinsed her mouth countless times, but the taste of blood remained strong.


    The next day, Lisa came over. When she saw how tired Serenity looked, she asked anxiously, ¡°I saw


    the news this morning. You were mobbed when you left the hospital yesterday, right? Are you hurt?¡±


    Serenity shook her head. ¡°It looked bad, but I didn¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    Seeing the self-deprecating look on her friend¡¯s face, Lisa was angry and heartbroken. She was angry


    at the mob for treating an innocent person like that. She also felt sorry for her friend who was


    sentenced for drink driving even though she obviously did not drink.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149


    Chapter 149


    To this day, they still could not figure out where all the evidence came from, or why the statements of


    the


    witnesses were so consistent.


    ¡°Those people are too much. They know nothing, but they like to stand on moral high ground and


    criticize other people,¡± Lisa said indignantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to it.¡± Serenity replied calmly.


    When Lisa thought of Serenity¡¯s injuries, she could not help but sigh. She saw Serenity¡¯s injuries when


    she picked her up from prison. There were old and new ones. Serenity never told her what happened in


    prison, but Lisa could more or less guess.


    She must have gone through a lot of hardship.


    ¡°Is Jack really Jackson Valor?¡± Lisa asked to change the subject.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity nodded.


    ¡°But¡­ if he¡¯s Jackson Valor, how could he pretend to be a homeless man and stay with you in this


    small rental house for so long?¡± That was what Lisa could not figure out. It could not be a fetish of his,


    right?


    that,


    ¡°It¡¯s just a game to him,¡± Serenity said a little bitterly. She still remembered, when she heard him say


    she found it hard to breathe.


    Jack, who was so good to her, who warmed her hands, who waited for her to have dinner, who quietly


    listened to herints, was just a lie Jackson Valor came up with for a game. How absurd.


    ¡°A game?¡± Lisa did not understand.


    ¡°Yup. Rich people like him probably find their days boring, so they like to y this kind of game to pass


    the time,¡± said Serenity.


    Lisa did not know how tofort her best friend. She knew the thing that her best friend hated and


    feared the most was deception. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    What Jackson Valor did was no doubt a heavy blow to her.


    Serenity looked up and smiled at Lisa. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry. I have nothing to do with him anymore.


    His game is probably over. I didn¡¯t actually lose anything. I just go back to living alone again.¡±


    Lisa felt like crying when she saw Serenity¡¯s smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t I move in and live with you?¡±


    ¡°No need, Lisa. I don¡¯t want you to fall out with your family again because of me,¡± said Serenity. ¡°I know


    you care about me, but I don¡¯t want to keep feeling guilty towards you. I already owe you so much¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. We¡¯re best friends! Back in school, when our ssmate lost her money, everyone


    thought I stole it except for you. You¡¯re the only one who believed me and even helped me catch the


    thief. Back then, you believed me and helped me, so now, I¡¯ll believe you and help you too!¡± said Lisa.


    After that incident, Lisa had decided that Serenity and her would be best friends for life!


    ¡°Thank you,¡± murmured Serenity. She didn¡¯t sacrifice anything to help Lisa back then, but Lisa had to


    sacrifice way too much to help her now.


    ¡°By the way, what do you n to do from now on?¡± asked Lisa.


    ¡°What else can I do? I continue working at the Sanitation Office,¡± replied Serenity.


    ¡°But news of you being mobbed outside the hospital is all over the Inte now. Everyone at the


    Sanitation Office will know about what happened three years ago. Your co-workers might¡­¡± Lisa


    expressed her concern.

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    Chapter 150


    Chapter 150


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine,¡± replied Serenity. She said that because¡­ everyone in the Sanitation Office


    already.


    knew anyway.


    The man on the sofa propped up his face with one hand while holding a ss of wine with the other.


    He took a sip of wine. The man looked handsome and clean. The seductive charm he unconsciously


    exuded could make any woman he so much as look at lose themselves in his deep, mysterious eyes.


    No wonder so many famous women in Sria were attracted to him! Caleb stared at Jackson Valor,


    who was drinking alone, and could not help but sigh. Even though Jackson had many admirers, not


    many of them dared to make a move.


    After all, it ended terribly for some of the women who took action¡± and ended up annoying Jackson.


    They became jokes in the city.


    ¡°Why are you drinking alone? If you¡¯reing here, you should have brought the woman along. I really


    want to see what kind of woman could make you leave your grandfather on New Year¡¯s Eve,¡± said


    Caleb.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Caleb was really curious about the woman.


    Jackson told him on the phone the other day that it was just a game to him and she¡¯s not worth


    meeting. but¡­ he had never seen Jackson y games with any woman before! That¡¯s why Caleb did


    not really believe Jackson¡¯s words.


    Jackson¡¯s hand that was holding the wine ss stopped in mid-air. With his eyebrows raised, he


    looked at Caleb with a weird smile and said, ¡°Oh, you really want to see her?¡±


    Caleb immediately felt a sense of crisis. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. He had a feeling


    that, if he so much as nodded now, he would meet a terrible fate.


    It was as if what he just said touched on Jackson Valor¡¯s taboo.


    The woman was Jackson Valor¡¯s¡­ taboo? Was the woman actually that important to Jackson Valor or


    was Caleb overthinking it?


    Caleb thought he must be overthinking it. He smiled mockingly and said, ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t ask


    anymore.¡±


    While they were talking, two people walked in from the entrance. Caleb immediately changed the


    subject. ¡°Lucas is here. He brought his new girlfriend along. All his girlfriends in thest two years have


    been small- time celebrities. He would date one, make her famous, then date another one and make


    her famous. How many small-time celebrities does he want to promote?¡±


    The speed at which Lucas Gomez changed girlfriend left Caleb speechless. Lucas would spoil all his


    girlfriends and give them everything they wanted, but he would bepletely merciless when he broke


    up with them.


    Some people even said that Lucas Gomez simply did not have a heart. No matter how much he spolled


    a woman, he would abandon her without hesitation in the blink of an eye.


    Aria Lewis was holding onto Lucas Gomez¡¯s arm. They walked into the grand banquet hall together.


    In the past, she did not even dare to dream ofing to this kind of ce, but things were different


    now. She was being treated very well at the filming set and Lucas even promised her a leading role in a


    future drama.


    This was like winning the lottery for her. In the past, in order to get a few more lines for her role, she


    would have to su ck up to the writers, assistant directors and directors, and even then, she might not


    always get what she wanted.


    But now, she could get a leading role just because Lucas said so.


    Still, the biggest prize was bing Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend!


    Lucas spoiled her. He took care of her very well. He would buy her all kinds of designer bags and


    clothes that she could only look at in the past. However, every time she tried to get intimate with him,


    he would always say, ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡±

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    Chapter 151


    Aria wanted to kiss him, but Lucas refused.


    Lucas ¡®s rejection made Aria feel a little uneasy. After all, she knew how quickly Lucas changed


    girlfriends. He never had long rtionships with his girlfriends, and he usually got bored of them within


    just a few months.


    Aria had to capture his heart no matter what. She did not want him to get bored with their rtionship,


    and she did not intend to be his girlfriend for just a few months. She could not help wanting more the


    longer she stayed with him.


    After experiencing such a good life with him, why would she want to return to her old life?


    Besides, Lucas was charming. Aria nced at Lucas ¡®s handsome side profile. Women could easily fall


    for him, and she was one of them.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Aria wanted to be close to him because she really wanted him, not just for the glory and wealth.


    Whenever his handsome eyes gazed at her, her heart could not stop pounding. She wanted to hold on


    to him at all costs.


    ¡°My friends are here today. Let me introduce you to him.¡± Lucas ¡®s voice came to Aria¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Aria answered nicely.


    Aria knew Lucas ¡®s friends would certainly be rich and powerful, but she was stunned to see a familiar


    face when meeting them.


    Was he a friend of Lucas? Why did he look so much like the man she had seen in Serenity¡¯s rented


    ce?


    Luca s¡¯s friend was dressed differently than the man she had seen before. The man staying with


    Serenity had thick bangs, but Lucas ¡®s friend had his bangsbed back, revealing his forehead.


    Were they the same man?


    Aria was lost in her thoughts when Lucas ¡®s voice rang in her ears. Lucas introduced, ¡°Aria, meet


    Jackson Valor. You can mess with anyone in Sria but him. If you do, I won¡¯t help.¡±


    Lucas had a in tone and spoke as if he was stating something ordinary. His words, however,


    rumbled in Aria¡¯s ear like a thunderp.


    Lucas had been protective of Aria during their time together. He would never say something like this,


    refusing to protect her.


    Was the man in front of him Jackson Valor? Everyone knew about Jackson Valor, but there were no


    photos of him online.


    Jackson Valor?!


    Jackson raised his eyebrows and looked at Aria with a slow gaze.


    Aria jolted, but she immediately wore a smile like the actress she was. ¡°Mr. Valor, nice to meet you. I¡¯m


    Aria Lewis.¡±


    Jackson responded with a cold smile, ¡°Oh, Aria. It¡¯s you, I didn¡¯t expect to see you again.¡±

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    Chapter 152


    Aria broke out in cold sweat. 1s he really¡­ Could he be¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Jackson? Do you two know each other?¡± Caleb was surprised. As far as he knew, Aria was just


    a C- lister. Logically speaking, Jackson and Aria had nothing to do with each other.


    ¡°Yeah. We met once,¡± Jackson said indifferently.


    Aria¡¯s eyes widened, and her heart began to pound in terror. It was indeed him-the man who had been


    living with Serenity! When they visited Serenity, her family suspected he was someone Serenity knew


    in prison.


    Who would have thought?! He was Jackson Valor, the most powerful man in Sria!


    Aria felt dizzy. What was going on? Why was Serenity living with Jackson in such a shabby rental


    ce?!


    Lucas looked at Jackson and Aria in astonishment. He asked, ¡°Aria, why didn¡¯t you say you knew


    Jackson


    before?¡±


    Aria shuddered and let out a dryugh. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know who he was at that time,¡± she said and hurriedly


    smiled apologetically at Jackson, ¡°Mr. Valor, what happened before was a misunderstanding. I¡¯m really


    sorry.¡±


    Jackson, however, simply ignored Aria. He turned to Lucas and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bring your girlfriend over


    again. I don¡¯t like seeing her.¡±


    Aria¡¯s face turned ashen, but she dared not say anything


    A thoughtful look shed across Lucas ¡®s eyes.


    After Lucas and Aria left, Caleb approached Jackson excitedly as he asked with interest, ¡°What? Did


    Lucas ¡®s new girlfriend offend you before?¡±


    Jackson lifted his ss of wine that was half-full and downed it in a gulp.


    Seeing Aria had made him think of Serenity again. Serenity could have stayed by his side and enjoyed


    a good life. She would no longer have to do such dirty and tiring work, and she would not have to live


    under another¡¯s control, but why? Why did Serenity refuse him?


    It was not just that. It seemed Serenity was even disgusted by his touch.


    Serenity was just a helpless woman! He should not care about her! Jackson kept telling this to himself,


    but his restlessness grew worse.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Aria looked at Lucas anxiously. ¡°Lucas¡­ Have I offended Mr. Valor?


    He¡­¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t appear in front of him again,¡± Lucas stated, studying the woman in front of him.


    ¡°How did you meet Jackson?¡±


    ¡°I met him at my sister¡¯s rented ce. However, Mr. Valor was dressed differently at that time. My


    family had some arguments with my sister, so we had a little conflict with Mr. Valor,¡± Aria tried to


    downy the seriousness of the matter, deeply afraid that Lucas would abandon her because she had


    offended Jackson.


    Lucas was surprised. Rented ce? Sister? Could this woman be the same woman Caleb had


    mentioned? Jackson had left Master Zack during New Year¡¯s Eve dinner to save a woman.


    ¡°I did not expect him to be Jackson Valor. Will this affect you? Should I apologize? Lucas, please don¡¯t


    be angry at me. I1l behave and stay by your side obediently,¡± Aria said with slightly teary eyes. She


    looked like


    a helpless and pitiful woman that needed a man¡¯s protection.


    Lucas raised his hand and stroked Aria¡¯s lips gently. Aria knew this was his favorite thing to do these


    days.


    Lucas seemed very fond of her lips. He praised her beautiful lips, but strangely enough, he would never


    kiss her lips.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

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    Chapter 153


    It was not just that. After touching Aria¡¯s lips, Lucas would clean his fingers with a handkerchief, almost


    as if touching her was dirty.


    His contradicting actions filled her with doubts, but she dared not ask any more questions.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. You¡¯re my girlfriend. You just have to think of me. Don¡¯t worry about the


    rest,


    Lucas reassured her.


    Lucas touched her gently, treating her like an important treasure. However, his voice was so cold and


    distant.


    Sometimes, Aria just could not understand Lucas. She had no idea what he was thinking and what he


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    wanted


    ¡°1-I understand,¡± Aria stammered.


    Lucas then withdrew his hand and wiped his fingers with a handkerchief as usual,


    Aria bit her lip slightly. One day, she wou d make this man truly hers. She would be hisst girlfriend


    and eventually marry into the Gomez family!


    Aria secretly swore this in her heart!


    The holidays were over. Soon, Serenity returned to work. Many of her colleagues from the Sanitation.


    Office had seen the news. They knew people had thrown rotten eggs and vegetables at her in front of


    the hospital and were talking about it behind her back,


    ¡°Serenity, don¡¯t let anyonee to the office and throw rotten eggs at you. Don¡¯t drag the rest of us


    down with you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly. My parents are worried knowing I¡¯m working with an ex-convict!¡±


    ¡°Jenny has so many fans. Serenity killed Jenny¡¯s sister in the ident before. Jenny was close to her


    sister, so her fans felt sorry for her. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll continue to act violently. If we¡¯re unlucky, they


    may identally hurt us.¡±


    There were many cynical voices gossiping in the Sanitation Office.


    Serenity endured it andughed everything off in silence. After all, this job was important to her. She


    was surviving on the job and could not risk getting fired. She would not be able to get another job in a


    short time after losing this job.


    X told Serenity, ¡°Just ignore them. They just want you to resign and leave voluntarily. It¡¯s hard to get


    a job outside. Even if you change jobs, people will still talk.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I know,¡± Serenity responded before she lowered her head and concentrated on sweeping the


    road.


    At the same time, a person in a hurry suddenly bumped into her. She stag gered several steps back,


    almost falling to the ground.


    The person who had bumped into her did not apologize and instead ran away quickly.


    ¡°Serenity! Are you okay?¡± X saw this and ran over to ask.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Serenity shook her head. Although the passerby had bumped Into her pretty hard,


    fortunately, she was not injured.


    Chap 153


    ¡°That guy was so rude! He didn¡¯t even apologize after bumping into you!¡± Xined angrily.

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    Chapter 154


    Serenity had gotten used to rude people like this. Many people looked down on sanitation workers.


    Sometimes, people would identally bump into the sanitation workers and push the me on them


    anyway even if it was obviously not the sanitation worker¡¯s fault.


    ¡°Okay, X. It¡¯s just a small matter,¡± Serenity said. X and Serenity continued working and swept the


    floor. When Serenity changed out of her uniform, she suddenly found a small silver bracelet in the


    pocket of her uniform.


    Serenity wondered when this bracelet had fallen into her pocket. It was a night shift, and no one was in


    the Sanitation Office. So, she put the bracelet away and nned to register the bracelet as lost and


    found the next day.


    When Serenity got back home, it was dark and silent.


    The room was usually bright whenever she came back from her night shift as Jack would wait for her at


    home. However, after that incident¡­ Serenity turned on the light and smiled bitterly at the coldness of


    the


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    room


    That night. Serenityy in bed and took out the bracelet she had discovered earlier. It was a seemingly


    ordinary silver bracelet worn by a child. Serenity remembered having a simr bracelet as a child.


    How had this bracelet ended up in the pocket of her work uniform? The memory of the man who had


    bumped into her earlier shed in her mind. Had he identally dropped it?


    This brace et did not seem valuable. Serenity wondered if the owner woulde back and look for it.


    Serenity exhaled at the thought. Why was she thinking so much? She decided to take the bracelet to


    the lost and found at the Sanitation Office the next day.


    Little did Serenity know, the man who had bumped into her earlier that day was currently being held in


    a hotel room, interrogated by a group of people, and he was full of injuries.


    The man deeply regretted his actions earlier. If he had known, he would not have stolen from Lucas.


    He saw how Lucas had been dressed like a rich man and thought he had been lucky to catch a big fish.


    Instead, he had gotten himself into big trouble


    ¡°Sir! I really don¡¯t know anything about the bracelet you¡¯re talking about! I did see the bracelet, but I


    simply stuffed it into my pocket. I swear! I don¡¯t know why you can¡¯t find it in my pockets. The man knelt


    in front of Lucas with blood all over his face as he shouted and pleaded.


    Lucas sat gracefully on the couch with an icy-cold look on his handsome face. ¡°Where is the bracelet? I


    don¡¯t care what you want, but I must retrieve the bracelet. If the bracelet is gone, there¡¯s no need to


    keep your hands.¡±


    The man trembled in fear. That bracelet¡­ He did not know the importance of that bracelet. If only he


    had known. Otherwise, he would not have casually stuffed it in his pocket. Besides, he had been busy


    making his getaway and identally bumped into someone¡­


    Suddenly, the man remembered something and hurriedly said, ¡°I remember now. Someone else might


    have picked up the bracelet! ¨C bumped into a sanitation worker sweeping the road earlier. The bracelet


    might have fallen out of my pocket. The sanitation worker might have picked it up!¡±


    The few men who were holding the man down turned to Lucas.


    ¡°Master Lucas, what should we¡­¡±


    ¡°Find out who the sanitation worker he mentioned is! Lucasmanded coldly. The bracelet had been


    his only sce all these years. He had to get the bracelet back at all costs.


    ¡°No matter what it takes!


    Somehow, Lucas had a strange feeling. If he lost his bracelet, he might never find that person in his


    lifetime!


    Serenity somehow woke up suddenly. The room was still dimly lit just as it had been when she had


    fallen. asleep.

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    Chapter 155


    Serenity fumbled for her phone next to the bed and checked the time. It was 3 am, meaning she could


    still sleep for a few more hours.


    Just as she was about to close her eyes, she suddenly sat up with a jolt. Then, she widened her eyes


    in terror, feeling incredulous.


    A man was sitting at the small dining table in her home, and he was ying with the silver bracelet she


    had found in her pocket earlier.


    The man looked like a painting under the dim light. He looked like a work of art drawn on the highest


    quality paper, using the best brushes and ink. He had thick eyebrows, a straight nose, thin lips, and


    beautiful eyes. When he looked up a little, his cold gaze seemed a little distant.


    She saw the man staring at her, but it felt surreal.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Was this man really here? Did he really exist? C-could it be¡­ Was it a bad dream?!


    ¡°Are you awake? The man¡¯s voice broke the silence in the room.


    Serenity snapped to her senses. It was not a dream! It was real!


    ¡°W-who are you? Why are you in my room in the middle of the night? Serenity forcibly resisted her urge


    to scream. She tried to sneak her phone into her hands, wanting to call the police while the man was


    not paying attention.


    Before she could reach her phone, the man¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Are you trying to call the police?


    That won¡¯t be necessary. If I wanted to hurt you, I would¡¯ve done that in your sleep.¡±


    Serenity froze. The man knew exactly what she was up to.


    ¡°What do you¡­


    ¡°This bracelet is mine,¡± Lucas stated, stood up, and slowly marched toward Serenity¡¯s bed. ¡°But it was


    stolen today.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I found it in my uniforms pocket earlier,¡± Serenity hastily exined.


    ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t you,¡± Lucas said. ¡°If you had stolen it, you wouldn¡¯t be here now.


    Serenity clenched her teeth, biting her lips, and she tightened her grip on the nket nervously.


    There was a cold and dangerous aura around the man in front of her. When had he entered her room.


    without a sound?


    The man sat there quietly, ying with the bracelet in his hand. He must have been in the room for a


    while, but she had not noticed his presence at all.


    When she thought about it carefully, a person who could do this was definitely not an ordinary man.


    As the man approached her, Serenity noticed his well-made clothing. It was certainly not cheap.


    Besides, the watch on his wrist was expensive and valuable. A man like him had broken into her house


    at night while looking for a cheap-looking bracelet!

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    Chapter 156


    Serenity had found the bracelet in her pocket when she had gotten off work at night. However, this man


    knew the bracelet was with her. He knew where she lived and had broken in silently. He had managed


    to do all that-who was he?


    ¡°You found my bracelet. Say, what kind of reward do you want? I can give you anything reasonable,¡±


    Lucas lowered his head, looking down at Serenity.


    Lucas could have left after retrieving the bracelet, However, he decided to stay after seeing Serenity¡¯s


    sleeping face.


    Lucas thought that maybe he wanted to see what she looked like when she was awake.


    She soon opened her eyes, revealing her mesmerizing dark eyes. Her naturally curled eyshes made


    her eyes even more charming.


    Her eyes were wide open, but the light in her eyes was something else and did not match her age. She


    seemed to have gone through many hardships in life. She lost the youthful spirit in her eyes, reced


    by a resigned look.


    Serenity did not recognize the intruder, but he seemed to have an aura simr to Jackson¡¯s, and she


    knew she could not afford to mess with a man like him.


    ¡°I happened to find this in my work uniform¡¯s pocket. I didn¡¯t actually find it. You don¡¯t have to give me


    any reward,¡± Serenity said.


    Lucas raised his eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by her rejection. This woman was a poor


    sanitation worker living in a shabby and tiny ce. Why would she refuse his reward?


    ¡°What if I reward you with something life-changing? Would you want it? Lucas asked.


    Serenity could not help but think of what Jackson had said to her back then. These two men were


    indeed simr. Both men seemed powerful enough to change people¡¯s lives easily.


    However, she did not want another person to control her life. She wanted to take control of her own life.


    ¡°No need. The bracelet is back to its original owner. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Serenity said.


    Lucas ¡®s face sank slightly. He leaned down, his face close to hers. His dark eyes were studying her


    carefully.


    Serenity subconsciously tightened her grip on her nket and red at him.


    She had no idea who this man really was and what he wanted. This man was able to enter her house


    so silently at night and with ease. She probably would not be able to stop him if he really were to do


    something to her.


    The two stared at each other in silence. After a long while, the man¡¯s indifferent voice sounded again.


    Are you saying that because you want more? Are you ying with me?¡±


    She froze for a moment and then said, ¡°I¡¯m not. I really don¡¯t care. Besides, I don¡¯t even know you.


    You¡¯ve got your bracelet back, so can you leave now? I have to go to work early in the morning. I need


    another two hours of sleep.¡±


    Lucas straightened up slowly and yed with the silver bracelet in his hand. He moved his gaze to her


    face and introduced himself slowly, ¡°I¡¯m Lucas Gomez. So, now you know who I am.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157


    Chapter 157


    Lucas Gomez. Serenity had heard of this name before.


    Lucas Gomez was the prince of the entertainment industry. The Gomez family monopolized many


    businesses in the entertainment industry. Word had it that Lucas was powerful enough to either make


    someone rise to fame or destroy their entertainment career.


    Lucas ¡®s influence in the entertainment industry was undeniable.


    When Serenity and Zeke were still dating. Zeke had mentioned Lucas before. The Shaw family was


    considerably rich and powerful in Sria, but they were nowhere close to the Gomez family.


    Naturally, Zeke was not good enough to befriend Lucas.


    Serenity had also heard of Lucas ¡®s name from others. The gossipy women in the Sanitation Office


    often talked about him. Although he was rumored to be cold and unapproachable, Lucas had many


    girlfriends, one after another.


    Lucas would make the girlfriends he dated popr. However, he would eventually break up with them


    without hesitation and lingering feelings. He was said to be cold-blooded and heartless.


    Lucas had many rtionships but never once cheated on anyone. He would only date one woman at a


    time. No matter how long their rtionship was, Lucas would date only one woman and never stray.


    Therefore, his dating history did not attract much criticism online.


    After all, they were all dating as adults with free will, and the women who had been with him had all


    greatly benefited.


    Many women dreamt of dating Lucas as one could get a lot of benefits by dating him. Besides, Lucas


    was charming. Even if it was a short rtionship, being pampered by a handsome man like him would


    certainly be an unforgettable experience.


    Serenity never expected a man like Lucas to break into her home. Moreover, he came just to retrieve


    seemingly ordinary bracelet. The bracelet seemed extremely important to him.


    ¡°Oh, dear. Prince Lucas has broken up with Lyra. I heard he¡¯s dating a C-lister now.¡± While Serenity


    had been returning her work tools, the girls at the Sanitation Office had been chatting about Lucas.


    ¡°Which C-lister defeated Lyra 7¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been revealed yet. Maybe in a few days. But Lyra is pretty lucky! She became popr after


    dating Prince Lucas. In fact, she¡¯s made a fortune.¡±


    ¡°I really hope to meet Prince Lucas someday. I hope he fancies me. Even if just for a night, I would be


    more than willing.¡±


    ¡°Dream on.¡±


    The girls had beenughing and gossiping at that time, and Serenity now wondered what they would


    think. if they knew she had just met Lucas in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Serenity, what¡¯s wrong?¡± X asked, feeling concerned.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Serenity snapped back to her senses. After returning the tools, she changed out of her


    uniform.


    After changing into her daily clothes, Serenity looked at the scabbed scars on her right palm. She had


    hurt her palm on the night of New Year¡¯s Eve from holding the piece of broken mirror ss tightly to


    stay awake. Fortunately, she had not hurt her nerves.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 Chapter 158

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    Chapter 158


    The scar on her palm might fade in a few days, just like her story with Jackson. After all, everything


    would fade with time as if nothing had happened.


    Serenity softly clenched her hand into a fist and left the Sanitation Office.


    Before she had gone far, a silver-gray Porsche stopped her. A man then stepped out of the car. The


    girls in the Sanitation Office had just so happened to be talking about him earlier-Lucas Gomez.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°I would like to treat you to a meal and express my thanks,¡± Lucas said, opening the passenger seat


    door and inviting Serenity into the car.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t help in finding your bracelet. You don¡¯t have to do anything to express your thanks, Serenity


    said, moving her feet and trying to walk away.


    Just as Serenity took a step away, Lucas raised his hand and blocked her way as he fixed his eyes on


    her with a gaze she could not understand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to owing favors, so I must treat you to a meal, Lucas said in an unquestionable tone, his


    gaze bing darker.


    Serenity bit her lip slightly. Perhaps men like Lucas rarely encountered rejection. He might pester her


    the more she refused. In that case, it was better to just have this meal with him.


    Anyway, if he really wanted to hurt her, he would have done sost night!


    Serenity stopped arguing and sat in the passenger seat.


    Lucas then closed the door, returned to the driver¡¯s seat, and drove away.


    As they were on their way, Serenity watched the scenery flying past. She could not help but smile


    bitterly. She felt everything could be justified when she graduated from college and became awyer,


    but the reality was different.


    After going through many hardships, she learned not everything was justifiable. It depended on the


    other party¡¯s attitude. If the other party refused to reason, she would never have a chance to justify


    things. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Lucas ¡®s voice suddenly rang in the car.


    ¡°The silver bracelet seems important to you,¡± Serenity casually said.


    A faint smile seemed to appear on Lucas ¡®s indifferent face. ¡°Well, it¡¯s very important.¡±


    ¡°Is it that important? The person who stole this from you yesterday will be pretty miserable, right?¡±


    Serenity asked.


    He nced toward her with his peripheral vision. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s pretty miserable, I guess.¡±


    Although rxed, his voice was an understatement, and Serenity figured that the person who had


    stolen his things yesterday must have suffered a great deal.


    Soon, the car stopped in front of a restaurant.


    Serenity knew about this restaurant. It was a very famous restaurant in Sria, but it was hard to


    reserve a table. Not only that, the price of dining there was insanely high. A simple meal could cost an


    overage person one or two years of annual sry. Naturally, an ordinary person would never be able to


    afford the special dishes. That being said, it was probably verymon for someone like Lucas to


    have a meal here.


    The two entered the restaurant, and Lucas led Serenity to a private room.


    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Lucas asked.


    ¡°Anything¡± Serenity answered.


    Finally, Lucas decided on the order, and the table was soon filled with a variety of delectable dishes.

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    Serenity ate, wondering about Lucas ¡®s purpose. What was he trying to do? Did he really buy her a


    meal to thank her?


    ¡°Ms. Lewis, are you Zeke¡¯s ex-girlfriend?¡± Lucas suddenly asked halfway through the meal.


    Serenity¡¯s hands froze suddenly. She lowered her head and answered with a soft voice. Sure enough,


    someone like Lucas would have investigated her background before having a meal with her.


    ¡°Did you break up with him because of the car ident?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, so what?¡± Serenity looked up and asked in reply. ¡°Mr. Gomez, I got into an ident and killed


    Jackson Valor¡¯s fiancee. Who would dare to date me in Sria?¡±


    ¡°I would,¡± Lucas said.


    Serenity was shocked and looked at Lucas with a face full of surprise. Her mind suddenly went nk at


    his reply.


    ¡°Well, do you want to try dating me?¡± he asked.


    Hearing that, Serenity did not feel anything romantic in his advances. Instead, she felt troubled. Lucas


    was speaking to her with such a cold and indifferent expression, almost as if she was just an object to


    him-an object he had his eyes on.


    ¡°I heard Mr. Gomez is dating a new girlfriend recently. Serenity said. She heard about this gossip at the


    Sanitation Office earlier in the day.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m dating someone. If you¡¯re going to date me, I break up with her,¡± Lucas said seriously.


    What a joke! Serenity suddenly felt this waspletely ridiculous. Lucas seemed really casual about


    dating.


    ¡°Why?¡± Serenity could not understand. Her appearance was considerably good back then, but she had


    changed after three years in prison. Besides, she worked in harsh conditions and did not take care of


    her appearance. There was nothing great about her looks.


    ¡°You have a nice face. I like it,¡± Lucas said


    ¡°Face?¡± Serenity touched her face. She did not think her face was better than the actresses in the


    entertainment industry. Besides, many beautiful actresses were more than willing to be his girlfriends.


    ¡°Especially your eyes,¡± Lucas continued, ¡°Your eyes are beautiful, but your gaze seems bitter and


    heavy.


    Lucas spoke and kept his eyes on Serenity the whole time. ¡°What do you think? Do you want to date


    me?¡±


    Lucas seemed casual, but his gaze was so overwhelming, seeing through her, and it eventually made


    her breathless.


    Serenity stood up abruptly. ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom. She found an excuse and left the private room in


    a hurry.


    Lucas gently lowered his eyes, and a hint of yfulness crossed his lips.


    Serenity stared nkly at her own face in the restroom mirror. She had decent features, but her bare


    face was barely passable. Serenity had never thought much about her eyes, and she did not find them


    beautiful. It was nice enough but not amazingly mesmerizing


    Had Lucas really taken a liking to her, or was it just a whim? Was he just like Jackson? Jackson had


    found her interesting and wanted to y a game with her. Was Lucas the same?


    Serenity¡¯s heart ached again as she thought of Jackson. Her Jack was no more. The pure-hearted man


    in her eyes was long gone.


    Serenity shook her head and left the restroom. Just as she walked out, someone rushed to her and


    pped her hard.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160


    Chapter 160


    p!


    A loud p sounded.


    It was so sudden that Serenity could not react in time. She did not realize what had happened until she


    felt a burning sensation on her face.


    ¡°You must be that woman!¡± The person who had pped her cursed bitterly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to let


    Lucas take you to dinner at such a ce. Aren¡¯t you just a Clister? Do you really think you can secure


    your position as his girlfriend?! I¡¯m telling you, he¡¯ll dump you very soon!¡±


    Serenity looked up. Surprisingly, she recognized the woman who had pped her!


    It was none other than Lyra Ross. Lyra was originally a B-lister and often yed supporting roles. After


    dating Lucas, Lucas had made her famous.


    There was spection that Lyra would be Lucas ¡®sst girlfriend. After all, Lyra was the one who had


    stayed with Lucas the longest. No one expected Lucas to break up with Lyra. In the end, Lyra had


    merely be just another ex-girlfriend of his.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong person!¡± Serenity said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get the wrong person! Aren¡¯t you here with Lucas tonight?! Lyra looked at Serenity with


    jealousy burning in her eyes. She found Serenity inferior in everything. Even her clothes were shabby.


    ¡°How long do you think you can stay with Lucas? He has already left me, and he¡¯ll leave you


    tomorrow!¡±


    Serenity looked at her coldly. ¡°Your rtionship with him is none of my business. He and I aren¡¯t in the


    rtionship you think, so please apologize to me!¡±


    Serenity suddenly did not want to endure it anymore. She had had to tolerate everything while dealing


    with Jackson. Now, she had to endure the same with Lucas. An unwarranted disaster had suddenly


    come for her for no reason. She did not want to suffer this p for nothing


    Serenity had fallen to the bottom of society. When she was in prison, she had lost all her spirit and


    confidence. Even so, that did not mean anyone could hurt her and scold her at will.


    Her old self from back then would have¡­


    ¡°Apologize? You want me to apologize to a shameless woman like you?! You casually seduced my


    boyfriend and took him away! You must be dreaming! Don¡¯t think Lucas is yours. He won¡¯t even touch


    you. Someone else will rece you in no time!¡± Lyra said with jealousy.


    Lyra was clearly not acting like her usual self. She had lost herposure, cursing rudely instead of


    maintaining her usually gentle and quiet public facade on TV.


    People going in and out of the toilet stopped at the sight of the conflict. Some guests recognized one of


    them-the popr star, Lyra Ross.


    The patrons of this restaurant were not ordinary citizens, so no one took out their phones to take videos


    or photos of the conflict.


    ¡°Are you going to apologize or not?¡± Serenity asked again.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? I won¡¯t apologize to someone like you! You¡­¡±


    Lyra paused abruptly. Before she could finish speaking, Serenity suddenly raised her hand and pped


    her hard on the cheek.


    A loud p sounded again.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

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    Chapter 161


    This time, however, their positions were reversed, and it was Serenity who did the pping.


    Lyra held her cheek in disbelief as she asked, ¡°How¡­ How dare you p me?!¡±


    ¡°If you could p me,¡± Serenity countered, ¡°then why the hell can¡¯t I p you back?¡±


    If she had to bear the responsibility, it stood to reason that Lyra had to bear some too


    ¡°Who do you think you are? Lyra spat, mad with anger. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a third-rate minor celebrity!


    How dare you p me?!


    Serenity was not at all offended being called the ¡°minor celebrity¡± as Lyra put it, but still..


    ¡°Then what right did you have to p me? You¡¯re a minor celebrity yourself! If it hadn¡¯t been for Lucas


    Gomez, do you really think that you¡¯d be where you are today? You¡¯re well aware of why you came


    here to throw a fit like a madwoman! It¡¯s all because you broke up with Lucas, and you¡¯re afraid that


    you will lose everything, right? Because everything you have was all given to you by that man! And you


    actually think that you¡¯re above me?¡±


    Serenity¡¯s barrage of words made Lyra turn bect red, especially when she noticed all the eyes that


    were staring at her. This only made Lyra feel more and more humiliated, which in turn made her hate


    Serenity even more now. She raised her hand and prepared to charge at Serenity once more.


    But this time, someone came up behind Lyra and held her hand before itnded on Serenity¡¯s face.


    This startled Lyra, and just momentster, she heard a voice behind her ask, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re


    doing, Lyra?¡±


    Her body froze in an instant, and she turned around slowly. What caught her eyes was a handsome but


    nonchnt face with piercing narrow eyes that were now filled with impatience. Lyra trembled as a chill


    ran down her spine. She knew, of course, that whenever there were signs of impatience in his eyes, it


    meant that he was extremely displeased.


    ¡°Lucas¡­¡± said Lyra in a quivering voice. ¡°I heard that you were here, so I¡­ I wanted to see you¡­


    ¡°See me?¡± Lucas nced at Serenity¡¯s red cheek and asked her, ¡°Did she hit you?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    He asked Serenity that question whilepletely ignoring the fact that Lyra¡¯s cheek was just as red as


    Serenity¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already hit her back,¡± Serenity told him.


    ¡°Is hitting her back once enough? Lucas asked, his voice calm and breezy, almost as if he was merely


    talking about something mundane.


    Serenity and Lyra both froze in shock. Serenity looked a little confused, but Lyra seemed like she was


    hit by a sudden realization, and her face turned pale as her whole body trembled.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hit her a few more times?¡± Lucas suggested, though no one could guess what he was


    feeling from his cold and indifferent expression. ¡°It might help you vent your anger since she was the


    one who caused you trouble. Don¡¯t you think she should pay for what she did?¡±


    ¡°Lucas¡­¡± Lyra hastily begged him, obviously in panic. ¡°I¡­ I promise I won¡¯t ever do it again! Please


    forgive me this time!¡±


    Lyra¡¯s fans would never have believed that she would ever look as distraught as she did then..


    At that moment, the staff in the restaurant rushed over after hearing what had happened. When they


    saw


    2/2


    that Lucas Gomez was involved, they quickly dispersed the crowd that was surrounding them. After all,


    they could not just let the public start rumors about the prince of the entertainment industry!


    Because of that, shortly afterward, there was no one else around Serenity, Lyra, and Lucas.


    Unfortunately, no matter how much Lyra begged Lucas, he did not even bother to look at her. It was as


    if this woman was nothing to him at all now.


    It was only then that Serenity finally understood how true all those rumors on the inte about Lucas


    were. She finally understood how cold and unfeeling he was to the women that he had broken up with.

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    She remembered reading in gossip columns about how much Lucas used to shower Lyra with love,


    how she couldnd a leading role in any film she liked, how any director who did not get along with


    Lyra would Instantly get reced with a different one, how he would rent the entire hotel, even if it was


    the most expensive and luxurious hotel in Sria, if Lyra wanted to have a birthday party in it¡­


    With such treatment from Lucas, it was no wonder that everyone thought Lyra would soon be marrying


    into the wealthy Gomez family.


    Yet, who would have thought that, in the blink of an eye, things would take such a dramatic turn?!


    No matter how Lyra begged for his mercy, Lucas showed absolutely no sign of sympathy for her. To be


    more precise, there seemed to be no sign of emotion in his eyes at all-not for Lyra, nor for Serenity!


    While it was true that right now Lucas seemed to be taking Serenity¡¯s side, the way he looked at her


    was nothing but distant and aloof. It was as if no one could truly ever get close to this man. Some might


    be able to stay by his side for a while, but it seemed that no one could ever get close to his heart.


    Seeing that she was getting nowhere by begging for his mercy, she quickly turned her attention to


    Serenity and said, ¡°What I did just now was all my fault, so I¡¯m begging you, please be kind and just


    forgive me. Please¡­ Please help me beg for Luca s¡¯s mercy! Please! He loves you so much right now!


    I¡¯m sure he¡¯d do whatever you ask!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    What Lyra feared was not that Serenity might p her to vent her anger. Instead, what she truly feared


    was Luca s¡¯s displeasure. She was anxious that after the p, she might forever be banned in the


    entertainment industry.


    Serenity turned to Lyra and said, ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m not his girlfriend, so don¡¯t waste your time


    begging me.¡±


    After that, she looked up at Lucas and told him, ¡°She pped me once, and I¡¯ve pped her back, so


    we¡¯re even now. I don¡¯t need to p her anymore.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lucas responded in a t voice. No one could guess what he felt from the tone of his


    voice.


    ¡°Mr. Gomez,¡± Serenity added, ¡°thank you for the meal and your hospitality. I¡¯d like to get home early


    today, so please excuse me.¡±


    After she was done speaking, she walked right past him and left.


    Lucas watched quietly as Serenity walked away from him. Once she was gone, he finally turned toward


    Lyra, whose face waspletely drained of color.


    At the moment, Lyra was misty-eyed and on the verge of tears. Her lovely face now looked pitiful due


    to her panic.


    Lucas gently brushed the corner of her eyes with his fingertips and asked, ¡°Are you going to cry?¡±


    ¡°Lucas,¡± she hastily told him, ¡°I just love you too much and I don¡¯t want to lose you! I know I was too


    impulsive today, but¡­ but I promise it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°You love me too much?¡± Lucas asked in an expressionless voice.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, I love you! I love you so much! Lucas, you¡¯re the only man that I¡¯ll ever love for the rest of


    my life. Let¡¯s not break up, okay?¡±


    Lyra¡¯s words were punctuated by her sobbing. Tears rolled down her cheeks like pearls, making her


    look heartrendingly woeful.


    Nevertheless, there was no sign that Lucas was moved by it at all in his expressions. All he did was


    utter in a cold voice. ¡°But I never loved you.¡±


    Lyra¡¯s whole body stiffened. Amidst that, she could hear him add, ¡°And I¡¯ve always hated women who


    like to cause a scene.¡±


    It was such a simple sentence, yet Lyra¡¯s body shook like a leaf upon hearing it. She knew that in the


    past, Lucas had an ex-girlfriend who always caused a scene, and she had heard Lucas say those


    exact words before with her own ears.


    Not long after he had said that, the ex-girlfriend had then vanished from the entertainment industry. Her


    managementpany hadpletely abandoned her, and all the directors in the industry refused to


    work with her. Then, she had ended up with a lot of debts, so much so that she was forced to flee the


    country.


    Even now, Lyra had no idea what had be of her, but she doubted that there was any happy


    ending for that woman.

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    Chapter 163


    ¡°If it had been her, she would never cry.¡±


    Lyra heard Lucas utter such a vague sentence, and it instantly made her fear shoot up to such a level


    that she could not help but yell out, ¡°Who is she? Who exactly is that woman?! Lucas Gomez, you¡¯ll


    never love anyone else but that woman, won¡¯t you? But you¡¯ll never get her! You¡¯ve been treating other


    people¡¯s feelings with disdain, so one day, she will treat your feelings with disdain as well!*


    Lucas stopped in his tracks and turned around, his piercing eyes dead-focused on Lyra. At that


    moment, his usually indifferent gaze was filled with a biting coldness, but he merely red at her and


    said nothing at all before turning around and leaving.


    Lyra slumped onto the floor, her whole body limp and powerless. Judging by the look that Lucas had


    just given her, it seemed as though he wanted to kill her right then and there.


    She knew then that she was toast!


    Serenity was hit by a gust of frigid wind when she walked out of the restaurant, soothing the sting on


    her cheek.


    What aical farce the evening had turned out to be!


    Her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from her rtive. As soon as she picked up, she was informed


    that her grandma was in the hospital.


    ¡°Serenity, have you forgotten that your two uncles, your aunt, and your cousins are all still locked up in


    jail? I heard from the police that they might end up in prison for many years! Aren¡¯t you worried that


    your grandma might have no one to be by her side at the end of her life?!¡±


    The rtive kept on bbering to urge Serenity to go to the police and withdraw the case immediately


    so that the police could release them all.


    ¡°So, even if you¡¯re really worried about your grandma,¡± her rtive added, ¡°You should release them


    all! After all, we¡¯re family, no matter what. You shouldn¡¯t have gone too far!¡±


    Serenity found it funny how her rtive was using her of going too far, yet what her uncles and the


    rest of the family had done was never regarded as going too far!


    Right now, the only person she thought of as family was Grandma and no one else.


    After hanging up the phone, Serenity hailed a cab and told the driver she would like to go to the small


    town.


    The driver told her, ¡°But it¡¯s going to cost you almost 50 dors to go there thiste at night, Miss!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°Just take me there.¡±


    No matter how much she had to pay, she had to rush to the hospital now and see her grandma with her


    own eyes.


    When she arrived, she saw her grandmother lying on the hospital bed with all kinds of tubes inserted


    into her body, and she was brought to the verge of tears. This was the only person in her family who


    would risk going against everyone else to stand by her side, yet at the moment, she was so frail and


    weak that her wrinkled face was ashen, almost as if her life might easily slip away any moment now.


    Grandma had never told her that her health had failed to this degree!


    Chap 163


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have the audacity toe here!¡± Her uncle¡¯s wife yelled vehemently at her as soon


    as she saw her, looking as if she was ready to pounce on Serenity and tear her into pieces. ¡°This is all


    because of you! It¡¯s all your fault that your grandmother has turned out like this!¡±


    Her other uncle¡¯s wife quickly put a stop to this and pulled her away before begging Serenity. ¡°You¡­


    You¡¯ve made a powerful friend, haven¡¯t you, Serenity? Why didn¡¯t you tell us about it? If we¡¯d known


    about it, none of this would¡¯ve happened! We only wanted you to marry Felix Foster for your own good!


    That way, you¡¯d have someone to rely on for the rest of your life!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

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    Chapter 164


    What Serenity¡¯s aunt was saying was nothing more than an attempt to whitewash the crimes and guilt


    of what her rtives had done to her. Still, no matter what they said to her, it seemed like she did not


    even hear it at all. She just stared nkly at her grandmother who was lying on the hospital bed.


    The only person in this world she cared about was her grandmother,


    Suddenly, she noticed her grandmother¡¯s lips moving, almost as if she was mumbling about something


    in hera. Serenity leaned down close to her grandmother¡¯s lips, and she froze when she realized


    that her grandmother was mumbling the names of her uncles and aunt.


    Serenity stood up straight without saying a word and left the room. Her uncles wives followed her,


    urging her to promise them that she would withdraw the case.


    ¡°What right do you have to demand me to withdraw the case?¡± She snapped back coldly. ¡°None of you


    even thought of me as family back then, so I have no reason to treat you like family now!¡±


    ¡°You cold-hearted beast!¡± her aunt yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel guilty at all for what you¡¯ve done to your


    grandma?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my business, not yours! At least I¡¯ve never done anything wrong to you, yet it was your


    husbands and children who tried to hurt mel Otherwise, there¡¯d be no reason for the police to lock them


    up¡±


    Her aunt was so choked up with fury that she could not say a word.


    Serenity then left the hospital without looking back. One of her aunts tried to chase after her, but the


    others stopped her, saying. ¡°Don¡¯t provoke her! You know she has a powerful man supporting her right


    now! We simply can¡¯t afford to offend her, or she might try to get a harsher sentence for our family!


    What are we going to do then?!¡±


    ¡°I want to see if she dares!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not the question of whether or not she dares to do it! What could you do to her if she does?! In


    fact, she might even make the police arrest you and lock you up tool¡±


    Hearing this, her other aunt shrank. She was enraged but also terrified and eventually decided againstN?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    going after Serenity.


    Serenity hailed a cab to go back to Sria. She ended up spending half of the time that evening on the


    road, and when she finally reached the city, dawn had begun to break.


    She got no sleep that night because she had to begin sweeping the streets by five o¡¯clock in the


    morning.


    ¡°Did you not get a good sleepst night?¡± X asked her. ¡°You don¡¯t look well at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity answered, yet her mind was fully upied by the thoughts of her grandmother.


    Unfortunately, at the moment, her rtives would not be released even if she went to the police and


    withdrew the case. The only person who could get them out was Jackson Valor!


    Her heart ski pped a beat when she thought of that man.


    He had obviously been angered when she had rejected his request for her to stay by his side, so could


    she really go to him and ask for his help now?


    Would he ever agree to help her?


    If he refused to help her, her grandmother might never see her family again, and she might even¡­ die


    without her family by her side.


    Serenity knew that her grandmother still cared about her uncles and the rest of the family! She just


    never mentioned it to Serenity because she did not want to burden her.


    Her grandmother wanted to give her justice, yet at the moment, she could not find a way to savor that


    justice at all. It only left a bitter taste in her mouth.


    If foregoing this justice meant getting rid of the agony her grandmother was suffering and helping her


    get better, she would dly forego it!


    At noon, Serenity picked up her phone and stared at a number. It was the number Jack had gotten the


    day after she had bought him a mobile phone,


    She had no idea if the number was still in use.

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    Chapter 165


    In desperation, Serenity could only call the number with faint hope.


    The call went through, but no one picked up. All she could hear was the beeping tone.


    But she would not give up just yet. She called the number for a second time, then a third time¡­


    Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, a few top executives were in Jackson Valor¡¯s CEO office, their


    attention fixed on the ringing cheap old phone. All the top executives knew that recently, the CEO had


    started to have two phones with him at all times. One was his usual phone, and the other was this


    curious cheap old mobile phone.


    As for the phone¡¯s origin, the only person apart from Mr. Valor himself who knew about it would be


    Connor Gunn, his secretary. But if anyone asked Connor about it, thetter would just smile and refuse


    to say a single word about it.


    Because of this, the top executives could not help but specte about this strange phone.


    In the past, Mr. Valor would instantly pick the phone up as soon as it rang, yet today, he had let the


    phone ring for so long, and he still would not pick it up even though his eyes were fixed on it the whole


    time with an icy cold expression on his handsome face.


    This odd reaction stirred even more curiosity in the top executives¡® hearts, and they all turned to


    Connor.


    Meanwhile, Connor, who had been standing beside Jackson all along, was secretly worried as he


    watched the phone ringing. The only person who could call this number was Serenity Lewis and no one


    else.


    Having worked with Jackson for so many years, Connor could easily tell that his boss had been down


    in the dumps after Serenity had refused to stay by his side. Yet he would not pick up the phone when


    she called him just now, so what did it mean?


    Did Mr. Valor not care about Serenity Lewis anymore?


    No, that could not be. Connor had a hunch that perhaps the opposite was true. Perhaps Jackson cared


    about Serenity even more than he imagined. If Serenity meant nothing to Jackson, he could have


    easily thrown the phone away, yet he kept it by his side at all times all along. Could that mean that


    Jackson


    simply could not let go of Serenity?


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    But that would be highly surprising.


    Still, who would ever guess that a man like Jackson Valor would ever be interested in a woman like.


    Serenity Lewis? And yet, she had rejected him!


    Fifteen minutester, the phone finally stopped ringing


    Only then did Jacksonnguidly look up at the top executives in the room and tell them, ¡°Okay,


    continue the report.¡±


    The executives froze for a moment before hastily continuing the report.


    Serenity ground her teeth as she stared at her phone. She had just called the number five times in a


    row, but no one ever picked it up. Could it be that Jackson Valor had¡­ discarded this number, after all?


    Was that why no one picked it up no matter how many times she called?


    X noticed her acting weird and started to ask in concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Serenity? You¡¯ve been


    calling someone for ages! The food is going to get cold if you don¡¯t start eating, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve got some matters to settle, X. I think I need to leave work around three o¡¯clock. I¡¯ll clean up


    all


    Chapter 165


    the garbage on the streets, but could you help me with the restter?¡±


    Street sweepers like them needed to get someone in their own team to cover for them whenever they


    wanted to take a leave. If no one would cover their shift, they basically had no way to leave work early


    or take a leave at all.


    ¡°No problem,¡± X replied with full readiness. ¡°You helped me back when I took a leave in the past,


    after all.¡±


    Serenity smiled in response, full of gratefulness, even though her heart was still heavy.


    1

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166


    Chapter 166


    Serenity was not even sure if she could meet Jackson if she really went to Valor Group¡¯s office building


    in the afternoon, but there was nowhere else she could go to find him anyway. Thinking of this, she


    suddenly realized how little she knew of him. She did not even know where he lived!


    When she finally arrived at Valor Group headquarters, she discovered that not only was there no


    chance to meet Jackson Valor, but she could not even get inside the building because the security


    guards had blocked her entrance at the door.


    She told them that she was there to meet Jackson Valor, but all she got was their sneers and mocking


    looks.


    ¡°If Mr. Valor would meet everyone who wants to meet him, he¡¯d have no time to do anything else! Do


    you know how many people like youe here demanding to see him every day?¡±


    ¡°But at least the others would dress up nicely before asking to meet Mr. Valor. Who would believe that


    you know Mr. Valor personally when you¡¯re wearing shabby clothes like that?¡±


    Serenity looked down at her clothes and realized that these were all cheap discounted clothes which


    must have made her look shoddy and scruffy to others. It would not be a surprise that in the security


    guards¡® eyes, she was nothing more than a woman who hade here to take advantage of Jackson


    Valor.


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    Right now, the only way she could try to meet Jackson was the dumbest way, and that was to stand


    guard outside the entrance, waiting to see him.


    She gathered the cotton coat she was wearing and hugged it more tightly against her body. The winter


    breeze blew against her bare neck, and the cold seeped in through her coat, freezing her.


    Serenity rubbed her hands against each other and blew warm breaths onto them to warm herself up


    while both of her eyes were fixed on the exit of the huge building. She was determined to stay there


    until Jackson came out. She knew, of course, that there were many exits from the building, but all she


    could. do now was to guard the exit she deemed most likely to be where Jackson could walk out from


    and wait for him.


    Suddenly, Serenity¡¯s eyes glimmered. She had just noticed Connor Gunn getting out of his car and


    walking Into the Valor Group building


    ¡°Mr. Gunn!¡± Serenity shouted hastily. Connor was the only person in Jackson¡¯s life that she knew.


    Connor turned toward the direction where the voice came from and froze for a moment when he saw


    Serenity, almost as if it hade as a huge surprise to him.


    ¡°Miss Lewis!¡± He walked up to her and politely asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Serenity bit her lips, seeming quite embarrassed, ¡°I want to meet¡­ Mr. Jackson Valor, but I


    couldn¡¯t


    get inside the building. Mr. Gunn, may I trouble you to take me to Mr. Valor?¡±


    Connor considered it for a while before replying, ¡°Okay, Miss Lewis. Come with me.¡±


    As he spoke, Connor led the way, and Serenity began to follow him inside.


    Meanwhile, the security guards who had been jeering at her were dumbfounded.


    ¡°Did¡­ Did she just go inside with Mr. Gunn?¡±


    ¡°It looked like Mr. Gunn even treated her with respect!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that that woman really does know Mr. Valor, right?¡±


    2/2


    The security guards looked at each other, and they all broke out in cold sweat for no apparent reason.


    Serenity followed Connor into the elevator and then all the way up to the floor where the CEO¡¯s office


    was. It was a quiet floor. She followed Connor to the office door, where he turned to her and said,


    ¡°Please walt here for a moment, Miss Lewis. I go inside and inform my boss that you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she responded, looking downcast and humble.


    Not long afterward, Connor reemerged from the office and told Serenity that she could go inside now.

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    Chapter 167


    Chapter 167


    Serenity walked into the office, after which Connor gently closed the door behind her.


    He decided to bring Serenity here not just because of what she had told him, of course, but because he


    knew how much his own boss cared about this woman. Perhaps he only wanted her to coax him a little.


    Besides, Serenity looked very visibly troubled just now, so it might give Jackson a great chance to


    swoop in and save her.


    The thought of this somehow brightened Connor¡¯s mood.


    Afterward, when he returned to his office, his colleague came over to him and asked, ¡°Who was that


    woman who went into the CEO¡¯s office with you just now, Mr. Gunn?¡±


    The employee was especially curious because judging by the way the woman dressed, there was no


    way that she was the kind of person who usually went in and out of Mr. Valor¡¯s office at all.


    Nevertheless, the only reply from Connor was, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. If you needed to know


    about it, you would¡¯ve known it already.¡±


    All along, gossiping about Jackson Valor had always been an unpardonable crime in their organization.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Meanwhile, inside the office, Serenity stood restlessly as she watched Jackson reviewing some


    documents at his desk, almost choked by the tense air of awkwardness. Back then, she had firmly


    refused to stay by his side no matter what, and she was certain that from then on, they would have a


    clean break and not have anything to do with each other again.


    Yet, she never expected that the day she had to swallow her own pride ande crawling back to him


    woulde so soon. It had only been a few days, and she was already standing here before him.


    Still, the man in the room was nothing like the man she knew. This man was sitting in a spacious office,


    d in a smart gray suit with his hairbed back neatly, revealing his full forehead. His long


    eyebrows, were distinct, and his striking eyes were looking down, focused on the documents in his


    hands.


    Around his beautiful neck was his shirt cor and a navy blue tie. His long fingers were wrapped


    around a ck fountain pen, and as he held the pen and signed his name on the documents, his


    movements gave off a distinctly elegant vibe.


    It remained quiet in the office for a long while until atst, his voice broke the silence.


    ¡°Did youe here just to stare at me, Sis?¡±


    Serenity froze. She never thought that he would still call her ¡°Sis¡® after all this time. Still, this nickname


    was nothing more than a mockery and a cruel joke to her as it reminded her of how naive and stupid


    she had been. Back then, not only did she bring him back to her ce, but she had even treated him


    like a little brother.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something to ask of you,¡± she said, licking her dry lips.


    ¡°Okay,¡± He responded, but his eyes were still fixed on the documents, ¡°Tell me, then.¡±


    She hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°Well, the thing is, I want my rtives to be released. They¡¯ve


    been locked up long enough. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve learned their lessons. I¡¯m going to the police station to


    withdraw the case, but the case has always been handled by the prosecutor and yourwyers, so¡­ I¡¯d


    like you to inform yourwyers about it.¡±


    Only then did Jackson slowly look up. His gaze fell on her face as he said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve already given


    you a


    Chapter 162


    choice about what to do with the case, and you told me yourself that you didn¡¯t want to let them go.


    What happened? Why did you suddenly change your mind?¡±


    There seemed to be mockery in his eyes. She could not help but find it difficult to breathe whenever he


    looked at her.


    After a while, she finally replied, ¡°Umm, I just¡­ I just want them to be released.¡±


    Jackson reacted as if he had just heard a funny joke, and he responded, ¡°Who do you think I am? Am I


    yourckey who¡¯s just going to do whatever you order me to do? I gave you a choice, and you¡¯ve made


    your choice. Now, what you must do is ept the consequences of that choice.¡±

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    Chapter 168


    Chapter 168


    ¡°But all I ask is for them to be released,¡± Serenity hastily argued. ¡°This is no trouble for you. It can be


    done. after a short phone call from you.¡±


    ¡°It might be something I can do with a short phone call, but¡­ what, then?¡±


    He looked at her withplete nonchnce, which was in stark contrast with her anxiety.


    Her hands, which had been hanging limply by her side, now clenched tightly. She took a deep breath


    and braved his gaze before telling him, ¡°What do you want me to do to get them released?¡±


    His eyes darkened slightly, and he put down his pen and stood up before slowly walking up to Serenity.


    He gently took her hand and said, ¡°Your hand is pretty cold. Sis.¡±


    Her whole body stiffened. Compared to his hands, hers were indeed icy cold.


    He lowered his head and took both of her hands into his own before gently massaging them, giving


    them warmth. He did this so effortlessly that it seemed like he had done it countless times before, and


    his touch was also very gentle and cautious, almost as if she was the most precious thing to him.


    Oh, God! What was she thinking?!


    Serenity quickly reminded herself not to have those ridiculous thoughts again, but just then, he


    murmured, ¡°Are your hands warmer now, Sis?¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Umm¡­ yeah. They¡¯re a bit warmer now.


    She wanted to withdraw her hands from him, but he would not let her. Instead, he held onto them event


    more tightly now.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush,¡± He said. ¡°They¡¯ll get even warmer after rubbing them for a little longer.¡±


    Serenity stared at him suspiciously. The gentle warmth he disyed right now made it seem like he


    was apletely different person from the one who had been coldly mocking her just moments ago.


    While her hands were getting warmer and warmer, her heart was now getting more and more anxious.


    ¡°What exactly do you want me to do so you¡¯d be willing to release them?¡± She could not stop herself


    from asking once again.


    Instead of answering her, he asked, ¡°Why did you change your mind so suddenly and decide to let


    them go now?¡±


    ¡°My grandma¡¯s in bad health,¡± She told him the truth. ¡°She¡¯s been hospitalized, and I don¡¯t want her to


    get worse because she¡¯s worried about her family.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He asked in a soft, deep voice, not unlike the sound of a cello. ¡°It looks like your grandma


    is very important to you. So important that you woulde back to me begging only a few dayster


    just because of her.¡±


    Her nostrils were filled with his warm breath and scent. It felt like all the blood in her body was now


    flowing into her two hands, which were firmly in his.


    ¡°What about me?¡± He raised his head suddenly and asked. His striking eyes were now focused on


    hers, almost as if he was trying to look straight into her soul. ¡°Am I Important to you?¡±


    Her body trembled, and her almond¨Cshaped eyes met his dark eyes in panic.


    She could see her nervous self reflected in those eyes of his.


    Chapter 168


    He leaned down, Inching his face ever closer to hers, and his warm breath tickled her face as he said,


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not that important to you, am I? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have left me so eagerly. I¡¯m


    probably just someone you disdain, huh?¡±


    While her hands were still warm, she could feel her body getting colder and colder as she stared


    nkly at the handsome face that was merely inches away from her. His expressions were still just as


    gentle as before. In fact, even the way his hands were holding hers was still just as tender and


    cautious, but his eyes were unmistakably icy.


    At that moment, Serenity was suddenly hit by a realization, yet she still would not give up and


    continued asking him, ¡°Will you¡­ let them go?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He replied bluntly.


    Her heart sank much deeper now. Yes. Of course. He was Jackson Valor, after all. There had perhaps


    never been any woman who dared to refuse him before.

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    Chapter 169


    Chapter 169


    How could a proud man like him ever allow it?


    ¡°So, you agreed to see me just so you could tell me that you would never do what I ask no matter how I


    beg you?¡±


    Each word came out of her mouth with great difficulty, but she asked the question anyway.


    There was a faint smile on his lips. He raised his hand and gently brushed a stray strand of hair on her


    face behind her ear with his long fingers.


    ¡°Back then, you told me that you wouldn¡¯t stay with me, that you didn¡¯t need me to change your fate,


    that you would never regret it¡­¡±


    His moves were graceful, and his voice was soft and gentle. He bent over and leaned his lips closer to


    her ear, and she could feel his breath brushing against it, his breath enveloping her ear and neck.


    In contrast, her whole body was frozen stiff. She felt as if a heavy boulder was pressing down against


    her chest, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.


    ¡°I wanted to see you so you¡¯d understand howically wrong you were when you said you


    regret it.¡±


    He then looked intently into her eyes.


    But at that moment, it felt like her whole body was immersed in icy cold water.


    wouldn1


    He was right. She wasically wrong.


    Serenity could not even remember how she left Jackson¡¯s office.


    He had never nned to agree to her request from the start, and in fact, she had no right to ask him for


    anything at all.


    All she had gotten from this meeting was nothing but humiliation.


    The next day, Serenity¡¯s mind was so preupied that she was almost absent¨Cminded at work. Her


    rtives had called her again, telling her that her grandmother had gotten worse now. Although she


    had woken up, she was still disoriented and would demand to see her children all day. She had even


    forgotten -about a lot of things that had happened.


    The doctor exined that it was Alzheimer¡¯s disease, and it was advancing very quickly too. For


    others, it might take a few years for the disease to advance, but for her grandmother, it had only taken


    a short while for her condition to get this bad, and it was only going to get even worse from now on.


    Serenity¡¯s heart sank when she heard all this. It felt like her world only got worse and worse as time


    went


    1. on.


    ¡°The doctor also said that you should let your grandma see her children as soon as possible,¡± Her


    rtive urged. ¡°This is the only thing that can help her, so how much longer do you want to keep them


    locked up??¡±


    Her rtive stopped short of calling Serenity heartless


    Nevertheless, she could only smile wryly, for at that moment, there was truly nothing more that she


    could


    do!


    Once she got off work, she dragged her exhausted body to go home, but Peter Wall suddenly blocked


    her way and said, ¡°Serenity, let me¡­ Let me take you home. I¡¯ve got a car, so I can drive you home.


    It¡¯d be


    20


    more convenient for you.¡±


    He blushed slightly as he spoke.


    Serenity stared at the man in front of her, unsure of what to do or say so as not to hurt this good honest


    man¡¯s feelings. She knew that Peter was interested in her, but she had already rejected him.


    She was clearly unsuitable for this man. If she took advantage of his kindness and generosity, she


    would only hurt him even more.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± She told him, ¡°My ce isn¡¯t too far from here. I can easily walk home.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t look well at all!¡± He hastily added.


    ¡°No.¡± She insisted, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    After speaking, she walked past him and left the Sanitation Office.

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    Chapter 170


    Chapter 170


    She got no sleep at all the day before yesterday, and she could not sleepst night either because of


    what had happened to her grandmother. At that moment, she felt as if her steps were so light that she


    was merely gliding across the floor.


    She had been walking for a while when someone bumped into her shoulder. The next moment, she


    staggered and fell to the ground right away. Fortunately, her clothes had been thick enough to pad her


    fall, so it didn¡¯t hurt much.


    Just as she was about to struggle het way up onto her feet again, someone swiftly rushed over to her


    side and helped her up.


    She turned to that person and realized that it was Peter.


    ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    ¡°I parked my car by the side of the road,¡± He exined. ¡°I think I¡¯d better drive you home, after all.¡±


    Although she had refused his offer earlier, he was still too concerned about her that he had to follow


    behind her in his car.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I can walk home by myself.¡±


    ¡°But someone merely brushed past you just now and you fell t to the ground. How can I just let you


    go home alone? Come on, my car¡¯s parked by the road. If the police find it, I¡¯ll be fined!¡±


    Seeing that he would not take no for an answer, Serenity sighed and followed him into his car.


    Peter then started the engine and drove off toward Serenity¡¯s ce.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± He assured her in earnest. ¡°I just want to take you home. I don¡¯t expect


    anything from you in return at all. I know I¡¯m just an ordinary guy and I can¡¯tpare with your ex-


    boyfriend, but I¡¯m just afraid that something might happen to you on your way back, so I wanted to


    drive you home. That way, I be sure that you¡¯ll get home safe.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. In truth, her life in the past was nothing more than a dream to her now. In her


    current situation, it was she who was not a suitable match for others. Who in their right mind would


    marry a woman who had been in prison before?


    ¡°I saw you getting into a Porsche two days ago.¡± Peter mentioned with hesitation. ¡°If you¡¯ve found


    someone much better than me, then I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m happy for you, but I¡­ I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯re being


    tricked or manipted, so I think you should really consider it before y


    you¡­¡±


    ¡°That man wasn¡¯t my date,¡± She interrupted him. ¡°I just found his belonging and returned it to him, so


    he treated me to a meal as a way to thank me.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he uttered. A look of hope soon arose on his face.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    After only a short while, the car reached the small neighborhood where Serenity lived.


    ¡°Peter,¡± she said, turning to him, ¡°You¡¯re a good guy, but I¡¯m not suitable for you. Stop wasting your time


    on me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find someone much better than me in the future!¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°But you¡¯re more than good enough for me,¡± he argued, his face flustered. ¡°I can wait until you¡­.¡±


    Serenity gritted her teeth and told him, ¡°But it¡¯s just as you said. My ex¨Cboyfriend was a really rich man.


    If I were to be married, I¡¯d find someone at least as good as him or I¡¯d rather stay single forever, so we


    really are not suitable for each other, do you understand?¡±


    Chap 170


    Perhaps saying these harsh words was the only way she could make him give up on her. It might hurt


    him now, but at least she would not be dragging it out by being blunt with him now. Peter was a good


    man. If he was not so insistent or waiting for her, Serenity would never have chosen to do this.


    Disappointment was written all over Peter¡¯s face as he stared stiffly at Serenity.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m getting out of the car now. Thank you for driving me home, but you don¡¯t have to do it any


    more next time.¡±


    After speaking, she opened the door and stepped out of the car, then walked straight through the


    entrance of her apartmentplex.


    She could hear the sound of a car engine starting behind her, followed by the sound of it driving away.

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171


    Chapter 171


    Serenity paused in her steps and slowly turned around, watching as the departing car gradually turned


    into a tiny ck dot in the distance.


    Perhaps there would never be another man like Peter who truly cared for her. He didn¡¯t even mind her


    past as a convict, but¡­ she didn¡¯t want to burden him.


    When the car was out of her sight, Serenity turned around and walked slowly into the residential area.


    At that moment, she didn¡¯t notice a ck Bentley parked not too far away on the side of the road. A


    manzily nced out the window from inside with a faint smile on the corner of his lips as if he had


    just witnessed something amusing.


    However, Contior, who was sitting in the front, trembled in fear as he studied his boss through the


    rearview mirror.


    That look on Jackson¡¯s face¡­ was like he was about to explode in anger!


    Connor couldn¡¯t help but put the me on Serenity for the situation he was in t on her own instead of


    letting a man escort her!


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    What would Jackson think of this?!


    right now. She should have just returned home


    Connor used to think that it was a good thing for Jackson to have met Serenity, but now, he wasn¡¯t so


    sure of it. He definitely didn¡¯t want to be the target of Jackson¡¯s anger because of her!


    ¡°Umm, Mr. Valor. Maybe something happened to Miss Lewis. That¡¯s why she had someone bring her


    back,¡± Connor spoke up, breaking the silence in the car


    Jackson looked up at him, an amused and sarcastic look on his face as he said, ¡°Ch? Are you pleading


    on her behalf?¡±


    Connor felt a chill run down his spine and quietly closed his mouth.


    Well, it looked like Serenity was on her own


    Meanwhile, Serenity had returned to her rented house. She turned on the lights and ced the cheap


    fast food she had bought at the canteer, just now on the table before going to the bathroom to wash her


    hands.


    Her hands were rough after working hard and tolling every day, and they were no longer as fair and


    delicate as they were so


    many years ago


    Serenity only hoped that her words hadn¡¯t had too heavy an impact on Peter. After that thought, she


    smiled wryly. If it didn¡¯t, then perhaps Feter would continue wasting his feelings on her.


    No matter what happened, it still seemed quite contradictory.


    Serenity sighed and looked up at her reflection in the mirror. Right now, she was in a heap of trouble.


    There was the matter with her uncle and also her grandmother¡¯s illness. She didn¡¯t know how to handle


    either of them.


    Stepping out of the bathroom, Serenity suddenly tensed because Jackson was sitting at the small


    dining table right at this moment, ying with a key in his hand.


    That key was¡­ the rental house key she had given him before. She hadn¡¯t asked for it back at the


    hospital and hadn¡¯t changed the lock either, so it was no trouble for him to enter.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Serenity asked, feeling uneasy.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯te, would I have known that someone brought you back?¡± Jackson replied as he stood


    and approached Serenity. ¡°The man who brought you back today¡­ Was it Peler from the sanitation


    office?¡±


    Serenity shuddered. Had Jackson seen Peter when thetter had dropped her off?


    She pressed her lips tightly together and remained silent.


    Jackson stopped in front of her and suddenly grasped her chin.


    ¡°So, did you refuse to stay by my side because of that man? Who is he to you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    Serenity wanted to shake her head free from his hold, but he was surprisingly strong, and she couldn¡¯t


    move a single inch.

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172


    Chapter 172


    Jackson slowly leaned down, his face approaching hers, then gently rubbed his cheek against hers as


    if his actions were filled with boundless affection.


    However, his words that were softly uttered next sent shivers down her spine.


    ¡°None of my business, hmm? But if I want to know something, I¡¯ll find nut for sure. Tell me, if something


    happened to him, wouldn¡¯t 1 know where he truly stands in your heart, then?¡±


    Serenity trembled violently at the underlying threat in his words as she red at jackson.


    ¡°What do you want? We¡¯re just colleagues, nothing more!¡±


    ¡°But he likes you, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Jackson murmured as his thumb lightly grazed her soft lips.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t do anything to him,¡± Serenity said, her lips quivering slightly.


    ¡°So, you care about him, Sis?¡±


    Jackson¡¯s voice when he spoke was as soothing as a summer¡¯s breeze, almost as if it could lower


    anyone¡¯s guard when they heard him.


    However, there was a hint of steel in his gaze.


    ¡°N-no..¡± Serenity stuttered, trying to avoid his overbearing presence but failing.


    ¡°Is that so? You don¡¯t like him even a little?¡± Jackson asked, his lips brushing lightly against the tip of


    her nose as if he were teasing a timid little animal.


    Serenity tumed rigid. ¡°No.¡±


    Suddenly, Jacksonughed.


    As Serenity watched himugh in what seemed to be delight, contradictory words like how clear, pure,


    and charming he looked in that moment shed in her mind.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel confused at his reaction. At this moment, the way heughed reminded her


    of the man she knew from the past, the one she called Jack


    ¡°So, you should remember what you said just now, okay?¡±


    Serenity only snapped back to reality when Jackson¡¯s voice echoed in her ear.


    He wasn¡¯t Jack. He was Jackson Valor!


    Just as she was about to retort, her stomach chase that exact moment to growl loudly in protest.


    Jackson blinked in surprise before ncing toward her stomach.


    Serenity pursed her lips and felt incredibly embarrassed.


    ¡°I almost forgot that you haven¡¯t eaten, Sis,¡± Jackson murmured as he released his grip on her.


    Serenity let out a sigh of relief, but then the man only walked back to the table, lightly touched the box


    of takeaway she had brought back, and said, ¡°it¡¯s a little cold now.¡±


    ¡°I just heat it up and it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Serenity sail.


    However, Jackson was suddenly In front of her again as he took her hand and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s cold


    anyway, how about we go out and have sounrthing but to eat? Do you remember that I once said I


    would treat you to a good meal once I had money in the future?


    A surge of emotions welled up in her chest. When she had first heard him say those words, she had felt


    so happy and looked. forward to the day when they could go out and enjoy a meal together.


    Chapter 172


    2/2


    But now¡­


    Hearing those words again only filled her mouth with bitterness.


    Without giving Serenity a chance to refuse, Jackson led her outside the apartmentplex.


    Connor was waiting outside. When he caught sight of Jackson and Serenity, he got out of the car and


    respectfully opened the door for them.


    Jackson pulled Serenity into the car and then instructed, ¡°To the Royal Court.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173


    Chapter 173


    ¡°Understood,¡± Connor replied as he nced cautiously at the two people in the backseat through the


    rearview mirror.


    Serenity had her head lowered, and he was unable to see her expression, but Jackson¡¯s mood seemed


    to have improvedpared to when they had first entered the residential area.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good thing, I guess,¡± Connor thought.


    The Royal Court restaurant was a well-known establishment in the city which specialized in luxurious


    cuisine. Naturally, the prices there were high, and those who dined there were either wealthy or


    influential. It was impossible for ordinary people to go there.


    When the car stopped before the entrance of the restaurant, Jackson took Serenity¡¯s hand after they


    got out of the car.


    She instinctively wanted to pull her hand away, but Jackson held on tightly,


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, Sis, or I can¡¯t guarantee the methods I¡¯ll use to get you inside,¡± Jackson said casually.


    Serenity froze and stopped struggling


    He led her into the restaurant where the staff inside greeted Jackson with respect, but they


    asionally shot strange looks at Serenity from the corner of their eyes.


    Serenity was well aware that her cheap and worn-out-looking clothes didn¡¯t fit in with the high-end


    atmosphere of the


    restaurant at all.


    ¡°Wee, Mr. Valor,¡± the restaurant manager greeted him warmly. ¡°Will you be taking your usual


    private room?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jackson replied casually.


    Just as the manager was about to lead the way, Serenity identally caught sight of a figure behind


    and froze momentarily.


    It was.. Amanda!


    In Serenity¡¯s memory, Amanda¡¯s family owned a factory, so she acted like a spoiled princess. A while


    ago, when they encountered each other, Amanda had macked and taunted her. She had even


    intentionally set Serenity up during their ssmate gathering and forced her to show up.


    But what surprised Serenity was that Amanda was currently leaning against a short and chubby


    middle-aged man in an affectionate manner as if they were a loving couple.


    From what Serenity could remember, Amarda had always been attracted to good-looking men. During


    their school days, Amanda had always sought after the most handsome school idols as boyfriends.


    She had even consistently scornfully expressed her dislike for overweight people.


    But now,


    she was¡­


    As if she had suddenly noticed Serenity¡¯s intense gaze, Amanda caught sight of her immediately, and


    her face twisted abruptly.


    ¡°Serenity, how dare youe to a ce like this? Do you even have the right to be here? Amanda


    berated her.


    She hadn¡¯t noticed Jackson, who was standing beside Serenity. All her attention was focused on


    Serenity and the desire to kick her out of this establishment quickly!


    After all, Serenity was witnessing Amanda in an embarrassing situation, and if she were to tell others


    about it¡­


    Amanda couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of hatred wash through her when she thought about it, and she


    felt that Serenity was a jinx at this moment.


    After encountering Serenity at the mall, her car had been trashed. After that, she had set things up so


    that Serenity would be forced to show up at their ssmate¡¯s gathering, but something had gone wrong


    in her family after that. The bank had rejected her loan, and the business deal that had been in


    discussions had fallen through


    Just who had she offended?!


    Chapter 173


    Till now, she didn¡¯t know.


    2/2


    sacrifice her own body!


    Now, she had fallen so low to


    the


    point that she had to curry favor with this uncouth man. When necessary, she even had to


    She felt nauseated whenever she had to put on a smile and tter this oily, fat man!Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174


    Chapter 174


    But more than this disgusting feeling, what Amanda feared the most was not being able to live a


    sessful life from now on. She was stressed that she would have to work hard from mine to live like


    an ordinary person, scrimping and saving for a long


    time just to buy a designer bag.


    The thought of such a life scared her.


    In Amanda¡¯s imagination, she should be looking down on Serenity from her high and mighty position.


    But now, Serenity had seen her fawning over a chubby and unattractive person. So, it was only natural


    that she was furious.


    ¡°Amanda, do you know her?¡± The short and fat middle-aged man standing next to Amanda asked.


    ¡°Yeah. She just got out of prison not too long ago, and she¡¯s now a street sweeper!¡± Amanda


    maliciously exposed Serenity¡¯s background and then looked at the manager standing nearby. ¡°Did the


    Royal Court drop standards? How can even a street sweeper afford toe in now?¡±


    Because Jackson was currently facing away from Amanda, she didn¡¯t see his face..


    However, the manager she was talking to could see it!


    The manager trembled in fear. He wished he could immediately kick this stupid woman out of the door!


    So what if Serenity had just gotten out of prison? So what if she was a street sweeper? As long as it


    was someone Jackson wanted to bring in for a meal, they wouldn¡¯t even care if the person was a


    beggar!


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to decide who can grace our establishment. I must ask you to apologize to this Lady!¡±


    The manager said.


    Amanda felt like she was going to explode from anger. Seriously? The man was asking her to


    apologize to Serenity?!


    ¡°Do you want to lose your job?¡± She burst out angrily before putting on a pitiful look as she leaned


    against the middle-aged man next to her. ¡°Mr. Crouch, this person actually wants me to apologize to a


    street sweeper. Isn¡¯t it outrageous?!¡±


    Mr. Crouch was about to speak up for Amanda, but then he heard a cold voice pierce through the air,


    saying, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with apologizing? Even if I asked you to kneel, that would still be well-deserved.¡±


    Mr. Crouch was startled at the sudden interruption. When he turned to see who had spoken, his


    expression changed abruptly.


    This person was.. Jackson! Valor Group¡¯s CEO!


    Mr. Crouch had seen him once at a high-profile gathering, but he couldn¡¯t approach Jackson for a


    conversation given his position. Although Mr. Crouch wanted to male connections and get to know


    Jackson, he had never had the opportunity.


    He never expected to see Jackson again in such circumstances, and judging by the current situation, it


    was apparent that the woman leaning against him had offended Jackson.


    Mr. Crouch was fond of beautiful women, and he couldn¡¯t deny that Amanda had served him well


    during this time. Thinking of how this delicate and spoiled little princess had catered to him, Mr. Crouch


    couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sinug.


    But when he thought about how she had offended Jackson, Mr. Crouch only wanted to p her in the


    face!


    Didn¡¯t she look for trouble on her own when there was none? Of all the people she had to pick on, she


    had to choose the person next to Jackson!


    ¡°M-Mr. Valor, this is a misunderstanding! just a simple misunderstanding!¡± Mr. Crouch repeated


    anxiously, his forehead already covered in a culd sweat.


    ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± Jackson said as his cold gaze swept over Mr. Crouch. ¡°If things were so easily


    brushed aside as Inisunderstandings, the world would likely be filled in the brim with them, don¡¯t you


    think?


    Mr. Crouch¡¯s face immediately twisted into an ugly expression, and his bby body couldn¡¯t help but


    tremble.


    Amanda stared ndy at Jarksun. Although she didn¡¯t know who he was, she knew he had to be an


    extraordinary person. based on how Mr. Crouch was treating him Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Chapter 174


    Especially now, she noticed that Serenity had been holding hands with this man the whole time.

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175


    Chapter 175


    As clueless as Amanda was, even she knew when she had run into a brick wall.


    When had Serenity met such a good-looking and wealthy man?


    A hint of jealousy rose in Amanda¡¯s heart before she realized the man¡¯s face seemed familiar as if she


    had seen him somewhere.


    Suddenly, Amanda¡¯s eyes lit up, and she blurted out, ¡°Aren¡¯t you. Serenity¡¯s boytoy from back then?¡±


    As soon as the words left her mouth, the manager¡¯s face instantly changed, and Mr. Crouch barely


    stopped himself from falling to the ground.


    He wished he had never met someone like Amanda!


    Who the hell would dare speak about Jackson like this in the entire city?!


    Jackson looked at Amanda with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes and an icy-cold re,


    ¡°Amanda, what nonsense are you talking about?! This is Jackson, the CEO of the Valor Group!¡± Mr.


    Crouch hurriedly exined.


    Amanda stared at him, her eyes filled with disbelief.


    This man was actually Jackson Valor?!


    How was that possible?! How could Jackson be with Serenity? Serenity had killed his fiancee, after all!


    Suddenly, Amanda remembered that when William had bullied Serenity at the club before she had her


    stroke of bad luck, it was Jackson who had intervened and saved her!


    At that time, everyone thought it was just that William had crossed the line and disturbed Jackson,


    which resulted in Serenity¡¯s stroke of luck


    But looking at things now¡­ it didn¡¯t seem like a coincidence at all!


    Suddenly, Amanda felt as if her blood was flowing in reverse, ready to burst out of her veins.


    ¡°B-but Serenity.¡± Amanda¡¯s words trailed off as she met Jackson¡¯s icy gaze,


    In the end, she swallowed back her words as fear surged through her. It was warning her that if she


    continued speaking, her fate was likely to be irreparable.


    ¡°Amanda, apologize to Mr. Valor and thedy beside him!¡± Mr. Crouch urged


    Amanda felt humiliated as she looked at Serenity, who remained silent. Having to apologize to Serenity


    felt like a p in her face! But even though she was unwilling, she had no choice.


    After all, the man next to Serenity was Jackson!


    Just as Amanda was preparing to swallow her pride and apologize, Jackson calmly said, ¡°Are you


    going to apologize? That¡¯s fine. Kneel and do it.¡±


    Kneel?!


    Amanda¡¯s eyes widened again, and a surge of anger coursed through her.


    ¡°You want me to kneel and apologize to her?!¡±


    ¡°What about it? Do you think she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it if you kneel?¡± Jacksonzily replied.


    ¡°Even if countless people kneel before her, she can take it if I say she can.¡±


    A flurry of emotions shed across Amanda¡¯s face wille Mr. Crouch continued to urge her, ¡°Amanda,


    you¡¯d better kneel and apologize. Since you made a mistake, you should apologize properly!¡±


    But the problem was if she were to kneel¡­ everyone around could see! It was such a public ce!


    How could she face people in


    212


    the future if she did that?


    A fierce battle raged within Amanda¡¯s heart.


    Serenity, on the other hand, felt like she was witnessing a farce.


    As she saw Amanda about to kneel in her direction, Serenity instinctively tried to avoid it. However, a


    pair of hands pressed firmly on her shoulders, preventing her from moving an inch.


    ¡°Sis, don¡¯t move. If she wants to apologize, then let her apologize sincerely,¡± Jackson whispered near


    Serenity¡¯s ear, his lips almost touching her skinContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

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    The ambiguous way in which Jackson treated Serenity shocked the restaurant¡¯s manager and Mr.


    Crouch


    It was said that Jackson had no interest In women. Even when he was with his former fianc¨¦e, the two


    always maintained a respectful distance.


    When had anyone ever seen him being so close to a woman, especially in such a public setting, and


    even demanding justice for her?


    Amanda knelt and trembled as she apologized, ¡°Serenity. It was all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have spoken to


    you that way. I-I won¡¯t do it again. Please forgive me!!


    Serenity looked at Amanda without a shred of sympathy. After all, Amanda had never shown any


    sympathy toward her. She wasn¡¯t a saint who would sympathize with someone who only knew how to


    ridicule and mock her.


    However, she didn¡¯t appreciate this kind of gesture either. She felt no satisfaction whatsoever even as


    Amanda knelt before


    her.


    ¡°Sis, do you think you should forgive her?¡± Jackson whispered as if he was offering her a chance to


    decide.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± Serenity replied, lowering her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I want to eat.¡±


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s go,¡± Jackson said as he reached for Serenity¡¯s hand again before signaling the manager to


    lead the way.


    The manager quickly guided them while Amanda remained kneeling in ce, her mind still reeling from


    what had just happened


    Did Jackson just¡­ call Serenity ¡®Sis¡¯?!


    What did that mean? When had Serenity be Jackson¡¯s sister? But the way Jackson treated


    Serenity just now didn¡¯t seem like a sibling rtionship at all.


    It seemed more like.. lovers!


    As soon as Jackson left, Mr. Crouch angrily approached Amanda and said, ¡°If you want to bring about


    your own downfall, don¡¯t drag me into it! Remember, it¡¯s not that I won¡¯t help your family, but you have


    offended Jackson, and I can¡¯t help


    that.¡±


    p with


    After speaking, Mr. Crouch walked straight toward the restaurant¡¯s entrance. Amanda suddenly


    snapped out of her daze and quickly stood up to hurriedly catch up with the man


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know that woman had a connection with Jackson. S-she deliberately wanted to harm me! She


    intentionally wanted to use Jackson against me.¡±


    ¡°No matter if it was intentional or not, Jackson is now backing her up.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t Jackson let me off? Just now, he didn¡¯t do anything further,¡± Amanda said anxiously.


    Mr. Crouch looked at Amanda with a gaze that clearly showed he thought of her as an idiot. He used to


    think this woman had some cunning, but now, it was clear that she was incredibly foolish.


    Did humans care when they stepped on ants? How stupid was this woman?!


    Without sparing her another nce, Mr. Crouch got into his car and drove away. Before leaving, he left


    her with a final remark, telling her not toe looking for him again.


    Amanda¡¯s face twisted into an ugly expression.


    How could this happen?! She had worked so hard to curry favor with Mr. Crouch! She had even


    endured many losses, only to end up with nothing!


    It was all because of Serenity! If she hadn¡¯t known Jackson¡­


    Suddenly, Amanda jolted as if she had realized something.


    2/2


    Could it be¡­?


    Her car being vandalized and her family¡¯spany facing trouble, were they all happening because of


    Serenity? Because she had mocked and schemed against Serenity, that¡¯s why.. things had turned out


    like this?!


    Before, her family had discussed who they might have offended, but now, Amanda seemed to have an


    answer.


    It was Jackson Valor!

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177


    Serenity followed Jacleson into the private room. After they sat down, Jackson told the manager to


    bring over some appetizers.


    ¡°Come, eat something first while we wait for the food. The appetizers here are pretty good,¡± he said as


    he picked up a piece of tart and handed it to her.


    Serenity hesitated for a moment before epting the tart. She took a few small bites.


    Jackson ced the menu in front of Serenity. ¡°Take a look and see what you¡¯d like to order¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just order me anything,¡± said Serenity. Even though she was eating an exquisite-looking tart,


    it felt tasteless to her. She felt like she was chewing wax


    Jackson¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    The air around them instantly felt a bit colder.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    The manager held his breath. He was afraid that Jackson might fly into a rage.


    Luckily, a smile appeared on Jackson¡¯s face. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll order for you then.¡±


    He ordered a few things The manager jotted thern down and exited the room.


    Once outside, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Who would have thought that the emperor of Sria would show so much care and attention to a


    woman? But the woman did not look like she appreciated it.


    ¡°Manager, is it true? Did Jackson Valor really bring a woman to our restaurant? A waitress who liked to


    gossip asked the manager curiously. ¡°Who¡¯s the woman?¡±


    The manager red at the waitress and rebuked her. ¡°Don¡¯t ask unnecessary questions. Didn¡¯t you see


    how he forced the woman just now to get on her knees and apologize? Life will be difficult for her in


    Sria from now on!¡±


    The waitress cowered, but still stole curious nces at Jackson Valor¡¯s private room.


    Meanwhile, in the room, Jackson smiled at Serenity and said, ¡°You don¡¯t like these appetizers? I¡¯ll ask


    them to bring something else.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t bother,¡± said Serenity while looking at the man in front of her who was smiling brightly. She


    once loved to see that smiling face. It would wash away all her fatigue.


    But now, seving that smiling face made her nervous. ¡°Can I leave after I finish the meal?¡± she asked.


    His eyes flickered slightly. ¡°Are you that eager to go home?¡±


    ¡°I want to go back and rest,¡± she gave him a random excuse. In truth, she just did not want to spend


    time with him alone. Every second she spent with him reminded her of the vivid difference between


    Jack and Jackson Valor.


    And then¡­ she would start missing Jack terribly, even though she knew full well that Jack was just a


    he created by Jackson. Valor and had never truly existed


    Despite that, she would still miss him.


    ¡°You¡¯re scared of me,¡± he said as he stared straight at her. It was not a question, but a statement.


    Her body stiffened. She pursed her red lips,


    ¡°Why? Because I¡¯m Jackson Valor?¡± he asked with a gaze that seemed like it could see through her.


    ¡°Do you still miss Jack?

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    Chapter 178


    1/1


    Her body became even stiffer. She looked away almost subconsciously, not wanting him to see the


    look in her eyes,


    ¡°Did It evt cross your mind that it¡¯s exactly because I¡¯m Jackson Valor that I could take your ex


    ssmate who insulted you get on her knees to apologize to you? From now on, you no longer have to


    care about what other people think. I can make anyone who looks down on you how down to you,¡± he


    said calmly.


    ¡°So? They would bow down to me because of you, not because of me,¡± she said.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? You can borrow my power, what do you think?¡± He leaned backzily on the


    chair and asked her casually, as if he was discussing something very ordinary.


    Serenity looked at him in confusion. She went to brg him the other day and was met with his refusal, so


    she thought he was done with her. She thought they would go their separate ways from then on.


    After all, how could a proud man like him take it well when he gets rejected by a woman?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    But to her surprise, he suddenly went to the rental house and¡­ brought her here.


    He deliberately made Amanda Zest kneel to make Serenity understand how much power the name


    Jackson Valor carried.


    The high-and-mighty Amanda Zest could only apologize with a face full of humiliation in front of him.


    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± She looked at him suspiciously.


    His eyes shock slightly. What did he want?¡­ In truth, he was not sure either. Maybe he just wanted to


    see her again.


    once.


    He wanted to see if she would beg him again after getting rejected by him


    But she did not.


    He was right in front of her, but she never begged him a second time.


    ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t you going to beg me to let your rtives go again?¡± he decided to ask directly


    She looked stunned. ¡°If I beg you, will you ask the police to let them go?*


    ¡°You won¡¯t know if you don¡¯t try,¡± he said with a smirk.


    A trace of anxiety shed across her face. Was he saying that just so that he could reject her again?


    Or¡­ would he really let her rtives go?


    Serenity¡¯s hands tightened into fists. In order to let her grandma stop worrying, even if there was only a


    glimmer of hope, she had to try.


    ¡°Then¡­.. I¡¯m begging you, please ask the police to release them,¡± she said. She had already made up


    ber mind. Even if Jackson Valor asked her to get un hier knees or do even worse things to humiliate


    her, she would simply endure it


    But to her surprise, Jackson suddenly stood up, walked over to her, took her right hand, and slowly


    pried open her fingers that were clenched tight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you jermember that your hand is injured? The wound might have closed now, but if you clench


    your hand that tightly, it¡¯ll still hurt.¡± His soothing voice was tender, malding her body go numb.


    The injury on her palm¡­ She had deliberately injured her hand at the Faster Residence in order to


    retain a trace of rationality.


    It was the night he saved her from total despair.


    ¡°Your hands are always so cold. Do you want me to warm them for you?¡± he asked gently.


    She watched in a daze as his pair ofrgends enclosed around her own smaller pair of hands. The


    heat of his hands seeped Into hers little by little.

 Chapter 179

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    Chapter 179


    Suddenly, a knack came from the door.


    Jackson said nonchntly, ¡°Come in.¡±


    1/1


    The door opened. It was the manager. He carne in with some waiters to serve the food Jackson


    ordered. Serenity consciously tried to pull her hands back, but Jackson held onto them and said, ¡°Don¡¯t


    move, they¡¯re still cold.¡±


    The manager and the waiters immediately looked at their hands. Serenity¡¯s face turned red.


    However, Jackson kept warming Serenity¡¯s hands as if no one was watching.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Was that really¡­ Jackson Valor? The legendary Jackson Valor who would strip the women who tried to


    seduce him naked and throw them onto the street?


    It was said that Jackson Valor did not care much for women, but right now, he was treating a very


    ordinary looking woman¡­¡­ very lovingly!


    It was unbelievable!


    The manager was the first to react. He quickly cleared his throat and told the waiters to serve the food


    and wine. After that, they withdrew from the private room. The manager carefully cinsed the door


    behind him


    ¡°Manager, did you see that?¡± One of the waiters moved closer to the manager and whispered, ¡°Who


    the hell is that woman?


    The manager said with a serious look, ¡°That woman might be the future empress of Sria.¡±


    That¡¯s right. If Jackson Valor fell in love with a woman, that woman would instantly be a really


    important person in Sria!


    The private room became quiet again. When Jackson finally felt that Serenity¡¯s hands were warm


    enough, her face was already. burning hot.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s enjoy the food while it¡¯s still hot,¡± said Jackson as he sat down beside Serenity.


    Serenity ate absentmindedly. She peeked at Jackson from the corner of her eye. After a while, she


    mustered the courage to ask again, ¡°Umm.. Will you ask the police to release my rtives?¡±


    ¡°Looks like you really want me to let your rtives go,¡± he said.


    She was only doing it for her grandma! Serenity looked straight at Jackson and asked, ¡°Will you?¡±


    His jet-ck eyes measured her. She seemed to be thinner than before, so her chin looked more


    pointed and her almond- shaped eyes appeared to be bigger. Her face was so small now that he felt


    like he could cover it with one hand.


    The hopeful look in her eyes made her seem like a cute little animal. He wanted to cuddle her.


    He had actually never been fond of animals.


    But she was special.


    He picked up the wine ss in front of him, filled it with red wine and handed it to her, ¡°How about a


    drink?¡±


    ¡°A drink?¡± She was stunned for a moment, apparently not expecting him to make such a request.


    ¡°Yes, a drink. I want to see what you look like when you drink,¡± he said with a little smile.


    Serenity hesitated. She could not hold her liquor. If she drank the wine, she right get drunk and lose


    control of herself. ¡°How inuch do I have to drink?¡± she asked.

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    Chapter 180


    ¡°Until I¡¯m satisfied,¡± he said.


    She hit her lip and stared at the ss of wine in his hand. With the light in the room illuminating her


    face, her slightly trembling eyshes looked strangely beautiful.


    ¡°Are you afraid that I take advantage of you when you¡¯re drunk he said, as if he could read her mind, ¡°If


    I really want a woman, I have plenty of ways to get her. I wouldn¡¯t have to go through so much trouble.


    Even if I force myself on you right now, no one would stop me,¡±


    That¡¯s true, Serenityughed to herself. She was overthinking it.


    She took the ss of wine and drank it all in one go.


    The wine that slid down her throat was both bitter and sweet.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    She was not much of a drinker. Even in the past, when she had to socialize because of work, she


    would only drink some champagne.


    At the time, she was Zeke Shaw¡¯s girlfriend, so no one would force her to drink more.


    Jackson filled the ss with more wine. She drank her second ss.


    And just like that, she drank one ss after another like the wine was water. She loopt drinking, hoping


    to satisfy him. Jackson had a smile on his face the whole time, as if watching her drink gave him great


    satisfaction.


    After a while, Serenity¡¯s mind became fuzzy and her limbs became increasingly uncoordinated. She


    was even starting to stutter when she spoke.


    ¡°You should drink some too. When he once again filled her ss with red wine, she shakily handed the


    ss to him and even grinned at him.


    Seeing her actions, he knew that she was already drunk


    He had seen her drunk once before, but this time, things werepletely different from back then.


    Back then, he was unhappy that someone messed with his game,


    But now¡­ his eyes were drawn to her smile. Even though he knew that she was drunk so her smile


    and her words meant nothing, he could not help but ask, ¡°You want me to drink?


    ¡°Minh,¡± she nodded her head hard. ¡°Drinking alone. is boring, so drink with me, okay?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows slightly. If she was sober, she would never have spoken with such a coquettish


    voice,


    ¡°Say it again. Say what you just said one more time.¡± He caressed her lips gently with his thumb,


    ¡°Drink with me, okay?¡± she cooed. Her almond-shaped eyes stared at him hazily.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± he said gently. His voice contained a tenderness that even be himself did not notice.


    He took the ss of wine from her and drank it.


    Her smile widened. She grabbed another ss, filled it with wine and lifted it to drink


    But this time, he stopped her. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re already drunk Stop drinking


    ¡°Stop drinking?¡± she askedzily


    ¡°Yes, stop drinking,¡± he said.


    But¡­¡± She tilted her head, feeling as if she had forgotten something important. After a while, as if she


    had suddenly remembered something, she asked ¡°Then¡­ Jack, will you let my rtives.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181


    Chapter 181


    Despite stuttering, she managed to finish the sentence.


    ¡°I will,¡± he answered. After all, he promised he would. He had seen her drunk, so he would naturally


    fulfill his end of the bargain and release her rtives


    He took the ss of wine in her hand and gulped it down.


    he must be really drunk, or she would not have called him ¡°Jack¡±.


    She had no idea how much he liked to hear her call him ¡°Jack¡±. When she called him Jack with that


    gentle voice, he felt as if there was someone who would be waiting for him in the middle of the night.


    She smiled again. It was a really sweet smile. Then, as if she had finished her task, she flung herself


    into his arms, her hands wrapping around his neck ¡°Jack, L. I¡¯m so sleepy, I want to sleep¡­¡±


    After saying that, she actually fell asleep in his arms.


    He lowered his head and looked at her in a daze


    Serenity was very wary of him when she was sober, but when she was sleeping, she had no guard up.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re cuter when you¡¯re drunk,¡± he murmured while gently tucking her hair behind her ear.


    Her cheeks were red because of the alcohol. With her almond-shaped eyes closed, he could see her


    slightly curled eyshes more clearly. Her small nose and delicate lips looked so charming


    As if to confirm that, his heart started beating faster.


    Jackson grabbed his coat and draped it over her body. He then picked her up and walked out carrying


    her.


    She was sleeping soundly with her face buried in his chest. When Jackson arrived at the parking lot,


    Connor was already there waiting for him. He opened the car door for Jackson respectfully.


    Jackson carried Serenity into the car.


    At that moment, two people were walking towards the parking lot not far away from them. When he saw


    Jackson and Serenity, Lucas Gomez raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡®Looks like Jackson has found a woman,¡¯ he thought. From the way he carefully carried the woman


    onto the car just now, she was probably really important to him,


    The other person who saw that scene was Aria Lewis, but Aria¡¯s reaction waspletely different.


    She did not see what the woman Jackson Valor was carrying looked like, but¡­ she saw the shoes the


    woman was wearing. She recalled that Serenity had a simr pair of shoes.


    Could the woman be¡­ Serenity?


    Aria rernen:bered seeing Serenity and Jackson Valor together in Serenity¡¯s rented house. It made her


    feel uneasy.


    Jackson¡¯s car drove away from the parking lot. Aria also followed Lucas Gomez to his car.


    ¡°Lucas, the person just now¡­ was that Jackson Valor?¡± asked Aria despite already knowing the


    answer.


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s him,¡± Laras answered indifferently.


    ¡°Then.. do you know who that woman is?¡± she inquired further.


    He turned his head slightly to look at her. ¡°Do you really want to know? You can ask him yourself the


    next time you get the chance to see him.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t dare! ¡°I¡¯m just curious. It¡¯s rat Important,¡± said Aria with a dryugh.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

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    ¡°Sometimes, being overly curious can be a bad thing.¡± Lucas looked away and started the car.


    ¡°Mm-hmm, I know,¡± Aria said, trying to appear docile..


    She had asked around and found out that Lucas Gomez liked women who listened to him. Usually, the


    more obedient the woman, the longer she could stay by his side. Those who tried hard to be the


    ¡°exception¡± and wanted to be his ¡°only one¡± would get dumped by him really quickly.


    Although she also wanted to be the ¡°exception¡± and his ¡°only one¡±, she would not be hasty. She would


    take her time and make herself more important to him little by little.


    ¡°Lucas, thanks for the ne you gave me earlier. I love it, but I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have that many


    asions to wear such a beautiful and expensive ne,¡± Aria first put on a happy expression, then


    changed it to one of regret.


    Little did she know howughable Locas found her performance, which she thought was perfect.


    He had simply seen way too many women acting in front of him. ¡°You can wear it to the Starlight


    Dinner.¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Aria was instantly overjoyed, but she then said, ¡°Hut I¡¯m just a small-time actress. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll


    receive an invitation to the Starlight Dinner.¡±


    ¡°Why do you need an invitation? You can just go with me,¡± said Lucas, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce some directors


    and producers to you.


    Aria quickly said, ¡°Lucas, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    Lucas¡¯ eyes remained cold the entire time.


    He knew what Aria wanted, so he went along with her wishes. After all, she was currently his girlfriend.


    He did not mind giving a woman something back as long as she could give him somefort.


    The car soon reached Aria¡¯s house. A said, ¡°Lucas, thanks for driving me hurne. Do you want to


    come inside for some


    coffee?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± he said as he slowly moved closer to her.


    Aria¡¯s heart started beating wildly. Was he finally going to kiss her?


    But she was soon disappointed. He merely moved his thumb to her lips and gently swiped off some of


    her lipstick.


    He frowned a little, grabbed a piece of tissue to wipe off the lipstick on his thumb, and said tly, ¡°Don¡¯t


    wear a lipstick of this color next time. It¡¯s too vibrant. It doesn¡¯t suit your lips.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. okay, I won¡¯t,¡± Aria quickly said.


    ¡°See you.¡± There was hardly any emotion in his voice.


    As soon as Aria got out of the car, he immediately drove away.


    Aria bit her lip A trace of confusion crept onto her face. She could not understand it.


    Lucas would give her anything she wanted. He would buy her any designer shoes, bags, clothes or


    jewelry that she had her eye on. He would also spend arge amount of resources to promote her.


    But he did not seen to have any feelings for her at all. He would even look at her raldly sometimes.


    ¡°However¡­ this is just the beginning! I¡¯ll win his heart eventually! Aria told herself that


    By the way, what¡¯s going on with Serenity and Jackson Valor? Were they really¡­a couple now?


    Aria could not stop thinking about R.


    Jackson carried Serenity into the small rental house and put her on the bed..

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    ¡°You can go back now,¡± Jackson told Connor who had followed him inside.


    Connor¡¯s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but having worked for Jackson for many years, he naturally


    understood that some questions should be left unasked.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor,¡± Connor replied before leaving the house.


    Since Mr. Valor told him to go back, did that mean Mr. Valor was going to stay here tonight?


    There were only two people left in the rental house Jackson and Serenity.


    He helped her take off her shoes and jacket, covered her in a nket, pulled a chair over and sat down


    next to the bed.


    He had not been here for a while. All the ¡°traces¡± he left in the house were gone.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Did she throw away all the stuff he used? The thought made him frown. It made him feel


    ufortable.


    Serenity, who was sleeping on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes. She tried to get out of bed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    She said blurrily, ¡°Water¡­ I want water..¡±


    She must be thirsty after drinking so much wine.


    Jackson sighed and made her sit back down on the bed. ¡°Sit still. I¡¯ll go get you some water!¡±


    If he let her go get water by herself, she might identally burn herself with hot water.


    He went over to the small table where the thermos was ced. He knew that she usually kept a ss


    of cold water ready so that when she wanted to have some water in winter, she could mix the cold


    water with hot water to get warm water.


    He took a ss and mixed some warm water for her, then brought it back to the bedside.


    Luckily, she listened to him and remained seated. She was sitting obediently on the bed like a


    schoolchild.


    Jackson could not help but chuckde.


    She seemed to have heard that. She lifted her head and looked at him with half-opened eyes. Her


    cheeks were flushed and her lips were really red too.


    ¡°Water, water. She urged, but she maintained her sitting posture.


    It looked so cute to him.


    ¡°Okay, okay, here¡¯s your water,¡± he said as he carefully handed her the ss.


    She reached out, grabbed the ss of water, and gulped it all down. Then, she heaved a long, satisfied


    sigh and smiled at him. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is that enough? Do you want some more?¡± he asked.


    She c ocked her head as if struggling to understand the meaning of his words, then mumbled,


    ¡°Sleepy¡­ I wanna sleep¡­¡±


    ¡°Then lie¡­¡± Before he could say the word ¡°down¡±, she reached out and pulled him down.


    He was caught by surprise and ended up being pulled onto the bed


    In an instant, she was on top of him, smiling gently. Her hand caressed his face.


    ¡°Jack¡­¡± Her gentle voice filled his ears. Her sweet breath carried the scent of wine, intoxicating him


    ¡°Howe you¡¯re so good looking?¡±

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    His jet-ck eyes were fixed on her. Her drunken demeanor was coquettish and alluring. Surely, not


    many people had seen her like this before.


    Had Zeke Shaw¡­seen it before?


    Suddenly, a touch of jealousy crept into his heart. He was jealous of the fact that Zeke Shaw had once


    dated her. Back when she was with Zeke Shaw, did she also say his name with such a gentle voice?


    How intimate were they?


    ¡®Do you really think I¡¯m good looking?¡± he asked softly. He wanted to keep her firmly by his side just like


    this so that no one else could see her looking so alluring


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Jack, you¡¯re the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± She chuckled and naughtily


    touched the tip of his nose with her finger as if he was an interesting toy.


    She was the only person that he would allow to treat him as a toy.


    Suddenly, her expression changed. Her smile disappeared and it was reced by a look of sadness.


    ¡°Jack, I¡¯ll be good to you, so don¡¯t leave me, okay?¡±


    Her eyes were uded with ayer of mist. She made it sound like he was an incredibly important


    existence to her, and if he left her, it would be an unbearable blow for her.


    ¡°I never wanted to leave. You¡¯re the one who refused to stay by my side. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± he


    said. He knew that she was drunk so she might not even remember this conversation by tomorrow, but


    he could not help replying to her.


    She c ocked her head and seemed to be thinking about the question seriously. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t 1¡­ want


    to stay by your side?! want to stay by your side.. I want it so badly¡­¡±


    Perhaps he could only hear such words from her when she was drunk


    Her face moved close to his and she gave him a light kiss on the lips.


    His body became stiff and his gaze became more interise. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?


    Of course she did not. That was why she was still smiling at him. She looked really happy, like she had


    just taken a bite of something really sweet


    The women who wanted to get his attention would do things that were even more intimate to him, but


    he would not feel anything at all. Serenity was an exception.


    Right now, she was behaving like an innocent child. Right now, she was not burdened by the three


    years of experience in prison, so it felt like she was back to her old positive self.


    He closed his eyes hard as his hands unconsciously clenched into light fists.


    ¡°You think I won¡¯t touch you no matter what you do to me, huh?¡± he said h oar sely. He did not know


    whether he was saying


    this to her or himself.


    She blinked a few times, seemingly not understanding what he meant by that. She appeared to be


    thinking. A momentter, she broke into a smile andssed him.


    When her lips parted from his, he looked stunned.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

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    When she looked at him with those loving eyes, when she smiled at him and called him ¡°Jack¡±, when


    her hands wrapped. around his neck and her sweet breath rushed into his nostrils, he felt as if he was


    intoxicated too.


    ¡°Looks like I shouldn¡¯t have said that I wouldn¡¯t touch you when you¡¯re drunk,¡± he murmured. This was


    the first time be would go back on his word, and it was all because of her.


    He bent down and kissed her on the lips, so fondly and so lovingly.


    He did not know how long the kisssted, but when he finally stopped, he found that she had fallen


    asleep again.


    ¡°She¡¯s so¡­¡± He was ovee with a rare feeling of helplessness. She was probably the only person


    in the world who could fall asleep after messing with him!


    He stared fixedly at the woman in his arms. After a while, he sighed and covered her up with the


    nket again. He then got out of bed and sat down next to her.


    ¡°You owe me one, okay?¡± he whispered, his voice drifting across the quiet house.


    The little rental house no longer felt as cold as before. There was warmth in


    air.


    When Serenity woke up, she was shocked to see Jackson sitting by her bed.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she stammered.


    ¡°Do you think you can walk back on your own after getting drunk?¡± he answered with a question.


    It all came back to Serenity then. Yesterday she seemed to have drunk a lot of wine. In fact, all she


    could remember fromst evening was her drinking a lot of wine in the restaurant¡¯s private room.


    ¡°After you sent me home yesterday, you didn¡¯t¡­ go home?¡± she asked in bewilderment. He could not


    have sat there the whole night, right?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I didn¡¯t. I took care of you all night,¡± he said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should be thanking me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks,¡± she said. He was the one who made her drink, but now, she had to thank him? It felt a bit


    weird. ¡°By the way, will you let my rtives po?


    She suddenly remembered why she drankst evening. She instantly looked at him with an eager and


    nervous face, afraid that


    he would refuse..


    He chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked Connor to take care of it. They should be released soon.¡±


    She let out a sigh of relief.


    If they¡¯re released, surely Grandma would get better, right?Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

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    The problem is, they went to jail for many days because of you. Aren¡¯t you worried that they¡¯ll hold a


    grudge against you after they¡¯re released and try to do even worse things to you?¡± he asked.


    Serenity did not say anything. She naturally knew that her rtives would not show her any gratitude


    for helping them get released. They would even hold grudges against her.


    ¡°They¡¯re not people 1 care about, so it doesn¡¯t matter how they think of me or how much they hate me.


    I simply don¡¯t care,¡± she said calmly.


    However, her calmness inexplicably annoyed him.


    ¡°What about me?¡± he suddenly asked.


    ¡°What?¡± She was too stunned to respond.


    He propped his hands on the edge of the bed and moved closer. ¡°What about me? Do you care about


    me? Do you care how I think of you?


    Serenity was dumbfounded. If he was Jack, of course she would care, but he¡¯s now Jackson Valor¡­


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Whether I care or not shouldn¡¯t matter to you at all, she replied.


    ¡°What if it does?¡± he asked.


    She bit her lip, took a deep breath and said, ¡°I do care,¡±


    He seemed a little surprised that she would give such a straightforward answer. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re Jackson Valor. In Sria, a single word from you can change someone¡¯s entire life. Of


    course 1 care what you think. As you very well know, I can¡¯t afford to offend you.¡±


    The consequence of offending him was being tortured unceasingly in prison. She¡¯s scared, she¡¯s really


    scared!


    The way she was now, she simply could not afford to offend him.


    His mood instantly turned bad.


    ¡°You can¡¯t afford to offend


    side?¡± he asked coldly.


    She shrank back slightly.


    Did it ever cross your mind that you would offend me when you said you wouldn¡¯t stay by my


    He suddenly reached out, held the back of her head, and pulled her face closer to him. He said


    mysteriously, ¡°Do you have any idea what happened to us herest night after I brought you home?¡±


    Her expression abruptly changed. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t touch me.


    ¡°Yeah, I did say that, but even if I did touch you, what can you do?¡± he asked rhetorically.


    She instantly went pale. She bit her lip so hard that it almost bled. Her eyes were no longer calm. They


    were now filled with panic, anxiety, and uncertainty.


    Jackson¡¯s mood became even worse.


    He only said that to punish her for upsetting him, but he was no longer sure which one of them was


    getting punished now.


    He abruptly released her, straightened up and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t touch youst night. You


    were the one who climbed on top of me and wouldn¡¯t let go.¡±


    Serenity secretly herved a sigh of relief when she heard the first part, but the second part instantly


    made ber nervous again.


    That¡¯s impossible!¡± she denied it, alioost reflexively.


    He looked at her coldly, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely possible. You¡¯re drunk, so you simply don¡¯t remember what


    happened. Want me to


    Chapter 186


    refresh your memory for you? I can tell you in detail how you kissed mest night.¡±


    With each additional sentence he said, she blushed a bit harder,


    By the time he was done, her face was so red that it looked like a tomato.

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    Serenity got out of bed in pante and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up¡± She then fled to the bathroom.


    Seeing Serenity fleeing from him, Jackson¡¯s eyes turned even more gloomy.


    In the bathroom, Serenity looked at her blushing face in the mirror and sighed.


    She found what Jackson Valor said hard to believe. She¡­ she kissed him?


    There¡¯s no way she would do that kind of thing!


    But¡­ she could not be 100% sure either. Was It really impossible? Even she herself did not know what


    she would do after she gol drucik


    What if¡­ Jackson Valor was telling the truth? Then¡­


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    When she thought of the possibility, she felt like digging a hole and burying herself in it.


    She took a quick shower. When she got out of the bathroom, she found that Jackson Valor was still


    there.


    He was sitting on a chair, sipping a cup of water,


    His well-tailored suit outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist perfectly. His pair of long legs were


    elegantly folded His handsome fare had well-defined features and contours. With his eyelids half-


    closed, his long eyshes looked like a pair of fans. One could not help but imagine how pretty his


    eyes would be when they were fully open.


    He was aesthetically pleasing just sitting there, as if he was a beautiful painting.


    Even the cheap cup he was holding could not diminish the noble air emanating from him.


    How did she not notice it before?!


    Serenity once again berated herself. When Jackson lived here with her, she should have noticed that


    his movements, his dining posture, and some of his subconscious habits were a reflection of his


    upbringing. A homeless man would not behave


    like that.


    Jackson slowly looked up. His beautiful eyes looked towards Serenity. She felt like she would fall into


    those deep pupils of his.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to work¡± She forced herself to snap out of it. It was past nine in the morning. She was


    already several hourste for work. She would probably get her sry deducted, and be reprimanded


    on top of that.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. I¡¯ve taken the morning off for you,¡± he said.


    She was slightly surprised. He went on, ¡°By the way, did you throw away all my stuff here?


    She pursed her lips, not replying.


    ¡°Did you throw away the gloves you knitted for me too?¡± he asked while staring straight at her.


    She hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°No, I merely put them away.¡±


    Throwing stuff away.. was something she could not afford to do.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you throw them away?¡± be asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re worth some money. I can sell them as second-hand items¡­¡±


    But before she could finish, he rut her aff,nkang visitly furious. ¡°You really know how to infuriate me,


    don¡¯t you?


    Jackson red at Serenity for a moment before he continued, ¡°Since you haven¡¯t thrown the gloves


    away, finish them and give them to me.¡±


    She was stunned and looked at him somewhat dumbfounded. He no longer had any reason to act in


    front of her. Why would want a pair of gloves made from the wool of an old sweater? He¡¯s not actually


    going to wear them, right?

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    People like him usually wear custom made branded gloves!


    Seeing her dumbfounded face, he added, ¡°Consider it mypensation for releasing your rtives.


    You should thank me for that, right?¡±


    She hesitated, ¡°But I don¡¯t have your measurements anymore.¡± Back then, in order to make him the


    gloves, she had taken the measurements of his hands with a tape measure.


    But after that, because she did not intend to finish the gloves anymore, she threw the paper with the


    measurements away.


    ¡°You can just take the measurements again,¡± he said.


    She had no choice but to take out the tape measure, sat down next to him and measured his hands


    again.


    Her hands inevitably made contact with his hands sometimes.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Whenever her fingertips touched his hand, she would carefully move them away. She was even


    pinching the tape measure with her fingertips to minimize contact with his hand.


    Her actions made him snicker. ¡°You were so boldst night when you hugged me and ldssed me, but


    you wouldn¡¯t even touch me now? Is touching me that hard for you?¡±¡±


    Serenity¡¯s face instantly turned red. ¡°I¡­ I was drunk.¡±


    ¡°That means if you weren¡¯t drunk, you wouldn¡¯t even make the slightest bit of physical contact with


    me?¡± he asked while staring at her.


    She was speechless. Under his mocking gaze, she did not know what to say,


    He lowered his head slightly to conceal the glint in his eyes.


    ¡°One day, I¡¯ll make you take the initiative to touch me willingly. I won¡¯t force you to stay by my side, but,


    believe it or not, one day, you¡¯ll beg to stay by my side.¡±


    His cold voice was calm, as if he was making idle talk, but to Serenity¡¯s ears, his words sounded like a


    thunderstorm. They made her heart beat wildly.


    Take the initiative to touch him. Beg to stay by his side.


    How could that be possible?!


    The two of them were simply from two different worlds, not to mention¡­ the name Jackson Valor was


    synonymous with pain


    for her.


    Serenity went to the Sanitation Office in the afternoon.


    Noticing her tired face, X was concerned. She asked Serenity if she had taken the morning off


    because she was sick. Serenity could only force a smile and say she had to take care of something


    back home,


    Whenever she remembered that she had to finish the gloves for Jackson, Serenity would have a weird


    feeling.


    That evening, one of her rtives from her mother¡¯s side called. He said Serenity¡¯s uncle and the other


    rtives had been released. They had gone to the hospital to visit her grandmother, and her


    grandmother was finally showing some spitit again.


    However, he hoped that Serenity could pay a visit during the weekend because they needed to discuss


    her grandmother¡¯s condition with her.


    After hanging up, Serenity¡¯s heart felt heavy. The only thing she still cared about at her mother¡¯s


    makden home was her grandmother.


    She had to pay a visit that weekend no matter what.


    Jackson did not make an appearance over the next few days. Serenity felt slightly relieved by that. She


    continued knitting the unfinished gloves ording to his lunds¡¯ messurements.


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    Jackson did not say when he wanted them, but she wanted to finish them as soon as possible.


    However, because she had not knitted many gloves before, she was not very skilled at it and made a


    lot of mistakes. Whenever she did, she had to take apart a significant portion of the glove and re-knit it.

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    In order to finish the gloves faster, Serenity brought the half-knitted gloves and yarn with her to work so


    that she could knit during lunch break


    When X saw Serenity knitting the gloves, she asked curiously, ¡°Are you knitting them for yourself?


    They seem a bit too big for you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you knitting them for someone?¡± X guessed.


    Serenity nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have a boyfriend?¡± asked X


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± she immediately denied it.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, why are you putting so much effort into these gloves? You¡¯re even knitting during lunch


    break,¡± X clearly did not believe her.


    Serenity did not know how to exin it to her. What could she say? That they were for Jackson Valor


    and she wanted to finish them as quickly as possible to get it over with?


    If she really said that, X would probably think her head was messed up.


    Looks like Peter is going to be disappointed, What a shame,¡± X said regretfully, ¡°Peter is actually a


    good man. He has a house and he¡¯s honest. If you get married to a man like him, you can have a


    peaceful and stable life.¡±


    Indeed, if she married Peter Wall, she could have a peaceful and stable life.


    However, the moment the car ident urred, she was destined to no longer have a peaceful and


    stable life.


    Serenity hoped that Peter Wall could find a woman who cherished him and could spend the rest of her


    life with him.


    ¡°But I heard Peter might be quitting soon. I wonder if it¡¯s true. Working at the Sanitation Office might not


    sound that fancy, but at least he¡¯s a civil ser vant. A job like that isn¡¯t that easy to find nowadays.¡±


    Serenity was surprised. ¡°Peter wants to quit?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what 1 beard,¡± X replied, ¡°Some people can¡¯t get a civil ser vant job no matter how hard theyOwned by N?velDrama.Org.


    try, yet he actually wants to quit. It might just be a rumor though.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s mind was in disarray.


    Was Peter quitting because of her? Was it because of what she told him that night?


    Her intention was to stop him from wasting his time on her, but if he quit his job because of that..


    Instead of thinking about it, Serenity immediately got up and went directly to Peter¡¯s department to look


    for him


    When she found Peter, he was just about to get off work.


    ¡°Can I have a word with you?¡± asked Serenity.


    Peter Jonlord at Serenity, then said a few words to the co-worker next to him before turning back to


    Serenity ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s talk in my office.¡±


    Peter had a personal office in the Sanitation Office.


    Serenity nochded and followed Peter into his offer. ¡°You want to quit?¡± She went straight to the point.


    Peter was stunned. He then scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. ¡°Even you¡¯ve heard about


    it? Yeah, I do intend to quit. I¡¯ve already subentred my resignation letter to the director.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the things I said that night? You don¡¯t have to take what I said so seriously. Your job is


    a good job, When you gain more experience, you might even get promoted,¡± she sold

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    ¡°But even if I do get promoted, I still won¡¯t be good enough for you, will 1?¡± he asked.


    Serenity was at a loss for words,


    Peter smiled wryly and added, ¡°Actually, even before you said those things to me, I¡¯d already thought


    about changing jobs. I can already see how the rest of my career will pan out if I keep working in the


    Sanitation Office. I want to find some new challenges before I turn 30.¡±


    Challenges? If the old Serenity had to choose between an unknown life full of challenges or a stable life


    that had everything nned out, she would probably choose the former.


    But after all the things she had been through, she now knew that stability was actually the most


    important thing in life


    Serenity took a deep breath and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to take what I said that day to heart. I just don¡¯t


    want you to keep wasting your time on me. I don¡¯t have that kind of feeling for you, so it wouldn¡¯t work


    out between us.¡±


    After a pause, she told him slowly and clearly, ¡°If I really do love you, then no matter how terrible your


    situation is, I¡¯ll still choose to be with you, but if I don¡¯t love you, then even if you be sessful in


    the future, I still won¡¯t be with you.¡±


    Peter was visibly disappointed. He then smiled and said, ¡°Is that so? See, I knew I wasn¡¯t wrong about


    you. There¡¯s no way the person I like could be someone so materialistic.¡±


    ¡°Are you still quitting then?¡± Serenity did not want him to lose a stable job because of her,


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to try my luck outside,¡± Peter said seriously without any negative emotions.


    ¡°Regardless of whether I seed, at least I won¡¯t have any regrets.


    Seeing Peter¡¯s determination, Serenity knew further persuasion was futile, so she said, ¡°In that case¡­


    I wish you back.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± he said.


    Before Serenity left, Peter said, ¡°Serenity, you¡¯re a good woman. I¡¯m not lucky enough to make you fall


    for me, but you don¡¯t have to feel guilty. My resignation has nothing to do with you. I¡¯m doing it so that IContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    can give my future significant other a better life.¡±


    After leaving Peter¡¯s department, Serenity¡¯s heart felt heavy. She was frustrated.


    Two dayster, Peter quit from the Sanitation Office. The Sanitation Office organized a farewell party


    for Peter at a restaurant


    Serenity attended the farewell party. After the meal, Peter invited everyone to karaoke.


    After that, when it was time to go home, Peter told Serenity, ¡°Serenity, will you let me send you home


    onest time today? After today, I won¡¯t have the chance to do so anymore.¡±


    This time, Serenity did not refuse.


    Peter thus drove Serenity home. When they arrived at the entrance to Serenity¡¯s neighborhood,


    Serenity got out and said to Peter, ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    Peter hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    It was a simple word, but it carried a lot of emotions.


    His pursuit of her was destined to be fruitless from the beginning. However, Peter never regretted it.


    Serenity actually had a far more difficult life than he could have ever imagined. Not many people could


    endure such ups and downs. Yet, she was like a wintersweet after a severe winter; even if the wind and


    the frost of winter tried to destroy her, she still bloomed and emitted her own unique fragrance after


    winter had passed


    |


    Her beauty was not deliberate and eye-catching, but it was so attractive. Her gentleness could warm


    someone¡¯s soul.


    He actually wanted to ask her if she was already in love with someone else, and if she was, who the


    man was.


    But for some reason, when the words reached his throat, man who called her ¡°Sis¡± came to mind


    Chapter 190


    That man did not


    as his sister at all. He acted like she was his lover, and he would not allow anyone to touch her.

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    Chapter 191


    Could that man be the person she loved?


    In the end, he did not ask the question.


    Right now, he was not worthy. Maybe one day, after he found sess, he coulde back and stand


    before her again¡­


    Peter drove away while Serenity went home to her rental house. Before she even opened the door, she


    already noticed that the light was on


    She clearly turned off the light before she left, so¡­


    Serenity was surprised. She opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Jackson, who was sitting


    on a chair.


    ¡°You¨C¡± She walked in ¡°What are you doing here sote at night?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be asking you that. I know you don¡¯t have to work overtime tonight, so why are


    you home sote? He raised his brows slightly and scrutinized her.


    ¡°A co-worker quit, so we all went out for a farewell dinner,¡± said Serenity,


    ¡°Which co-worker?¡± he asked.


    She hesitated before saying, ¡°Peter Wall.¡± Even if she did not tell him, he cacld still find out.


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he sent you home again today.¡±


    Serenity did not say anything, but her silence said it all.


    ????


    ¡°You still say you don¡¯t care about him? If you don¡¯t care about him, why would you let him send you


    home again and again?¡± He stood up and slowly moved closer to her.


    She met his gaze. ¡°To me, he¡¯s just another co-worker. In fact, we¡¯re not even co-workers anymore


    after today. Believe what you want, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    He stopped and scrutinized her, as if he was trying to discern if she was telling the truth.


    She subconsciously held her breath under his intense gaze. His gaze seemed to carry a sense of


    oppression. Even her palms


    were sweating.


    She knew that she could not show any concem for Peter Wall If she did, it would be bad for him.


    The more she appeared not to care about Peter Wall, the better.


    He suddenly broke into a smile, and that oppressive feeling vanished.


    ¡°Are you nervous, Sis?¡± he asked. He gently took her hand and pulled open her fingers that had


    clenched Into a tight fist. Your palms are sweaty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard not to be nervous when you¡¯re staring at me like that,¡± she said as she pulled back her hand.


    She put down her bag. and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    In other words, if he had something to say, he should say it now, and if he had nothing to say, he


    should leave.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± he said.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m staying.¡±


    Serenity was astonished. ¡°You¡¯re staying?!¡± she eximed.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

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    Chapter 192


    ¡°I used to live here, didn¡¯t I? We used to sleep together in the same room every night,¡± he said calmly.


    Those words sounded¡­ way too suggestive!


    Serenity bit her lip, ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no extra bed for you. I already put away your mattress and nket. You¡¯d have to wash them


    and sun-dry them before you use them or they¡¯d smell.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all? Not a problem,¡± said Jackson. He took out his phone and made a call.


    Not long after that, there was a knock on the door.


    Serenity went to open it. She saw Connor and a few bodyguards she had seen with Jackson in the


    hospital outside. They walked in with a mattress, a nket and a pillow.


    Each person who walked in would say, ¡°Sorry to bother you, Miss Lewis.¡±


    All of them said that to her.


    Serenity¡¯s mouth twitched. What could she say in reply? The only thing she could say was ¡°It¡¯s okay¡±


    After they put all the stuff down and arranged them properly, they left.


    Serenity and Jackson were left alone in the house again.


    Serenity stared at the mattress on the floor. It was in exactly the same spot as before. She also used to


    lay down a mattress on


    the floor for him to sleep on.


    ¡°Are you really going to sleep here?¡± she asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered.


    Was this another one of his games? Otherwise, why would he sleep in this cramped house when he


    had a much morefortable ce to sleep in?


    Did he want to experience more of the poverty lifestyle?


    As for her¡­ there was nothing she could do but to ept it.


    She looked down and said no more. She grabbed a change of clothes and walked towards theContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    bathroom.


    Suddenly, a pair of arins held her from behind. ¡°I just want to stay here for one night. It¡¯s her birthday


    today.¡±


    Serenity froze, ¡°Who¡¯s her?¡±


    He did not answer. He merely buried his head deep in the nook of her shoulder and murmured in


    almost a pleading tone, ¡°Let me stay here tonight, just like before. Is that okay, Sis?¡±


    She was stunned. He was obviously Jackson Valor, but he was talking to her with Jack¡¯s tone.


    ¡°Is that okay, Sis?¡± he asked agalia.


    She hesitated before she said, ¡°Just for one night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just for one night,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I


    Okay. One night just one night.


    She considered it a thank you gift to him for rescuing her from the Fosters and taking her to the hospital


    for treatment. If he had not shown up, she would be in apletely different situation right now.


    After that, Jackson finally let her go.


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    2/2


    Serenity walked into the bathroom, closed the door and inspected herself in the mirror.


    She still lookedely, butpared to a few years ago, she had lost a lot of weight. At least her chin


    looked more pointed


    now.

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    In the past, when life was good, she would often try to lose weight. She was worried of growing fat


    because she would not look good in certain clothes.


    Now, she no longer had to worry about that. She had lost weight, but she no longer had to consider if it


    would make her look good in certain clothes, What she needed to consider when it came to clothes


    was the practicality of the clothes, their resistance to wear and tear, how long they wouldst.


    Sometimes it¡¯s funny to think about.


    She wanted something, so she worked desperately to achieve it, but now that she had achieved it, she


    found that she no longer cared about the thing she desperately wanted in the first ce.


    She smiled self¨Cdeprecatingly. She still could not figure out why Jackson Valor insisted on calling her


    Sis as if he cared about her and missed the time they spent together.


    Was he interested in her?


    He sometimes acted as if he really liked her, but she could not help wondering if that was also an act


    Serenity shook her head and decided not to think about it anymore. She could only take things as they


    came.


    After she took a quick shower and walked out of the bathroom, she found him sitting on the mattress,


    waiting for her to say good night to him before he went to sleep, just like before.


    She walked up and said a little awkwardly, ¡°Good night.¡± After saying that, she quickly climbed into bed


    and buried herself under her nket.


    Right now, all she wanted was to fall asleep so that the night would be over as soon as possible.


    But before she could even close her eyes, he leaned closer and said, ¡°Sis, you haven¡¯t called me Jack


    once the whole evening. I want to hear you call me that.


    Her throat tightened. If she were to turn her back to him and close her eyes now, it would seem too


    deliberate.


    But if she were to keep facing him¡­¡­.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me you would act like you did in the past tonight?¡± he asked.


    Serenity bit her lip. Before this, he was acting by himself, but now he wanted her to act along with him?


    ¡°Good night, Jack¡± In the end, she said the name.


    It had only been a bit over a month since she found out that Jack was Jackson Valor, but it felt like such


    a long time ago, as if Jack was someone from her previous life.


    He gave her a little sinile, lowered his head slightly and moved a bit closer.


    She knew what he wanted. In the past, before going to bed, she would often ruffle his hair and express


    her envy of his soft, lush, hair.


    After a while, ruffling his hair before going to bed became a habit for them.


    He wanted her to ruffle his hair.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity ced her hand on Jackson¡¯s head gently. Her fingers slowly slid into his hair. She ruffled hals


    hair just like before.


    But the feeling in her heart was different now.


    He rubbed the top of his head against her palm and mumbled, ¡°As expected, being with you makes me


    feel at ease.¡±


    His words felt like a mockery to Serenity.


    Feel at ease?


    2/2


    She could not feel at ease at all due to his presence,


    After getting his hair ruffled, Jackson finally returned to his mattress and went to turn off the light.


    ¡°Don¡¯t turn it off!¡± said Serenity. Seeing his inquiring eyes, she said rather awkwardly, ¡°If you turn it off,


    I¡­ don¡¯t think I can fall asleep.¡±


    He stared at her for a moment, seemingly in deep thought, before he smiled and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s


    leave the light on then.¡±


    She heaved a sigh of relief, theny down and closed her eyes. Some timeter, she heard him ask,


    ¡°Sis, have you ever hated someone?¡±

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    But without waiting for her to answer, he resumed talking to himself, ¡°I once hated someone very, very


    much. I¡¯ve thought a million times how I¡¯ll get my revenge when I finally find her one day. But every


    year, on her birthday, I would still feel a little upset. I only feel a little better when I¡¯m here with you.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s eyes were closed as if she was asleep. She remained silent.


    Perhaps he hoped that she would be asleep because he did not actually want her to hear this?


    Serenity secretly guessed. If that was the case, she had even more reasons to pretend to be asleep


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to see her again sooner rather thanter. I can only take revenge if I see her again,


    right? No matter where she hides, I¡¯ll find her one day and let her know what it feels like to be betrayed


    and tormented by someone she cares about.¡±


    His soft voice resonated in the quiet house, but the tone of his voice carried a hint of hostility.


    Serenity could not help trembling slightly. Someone he cared about¡­could he be talking about his


    mother?


    She remembered he once told her that his mother abandoned him and his father


    If what he said back then was true then, one day, his mother would definitely¡­


    Jackson Valor was like an emperor in Sria. Who could withstand his revenge?


    Serenity could not help thinking of the three years she spent in prison¡­.


    ¡°Sis, please never became someone I have to hate, alright?¡± When these words drifted across the


    room like the night wind, Serenity felt all the blood in her body go cold.


    He knew she was awake the whole time, didn¡¯t he?


    The night passed uneventfully after that. When Serenity woke up at 4:00 am to go to work, Jackson


    was no longer there.


    That surprised her. When did he leave?


    But she was also relieved that she could at least avoid the awkwardness of talking to him.


    When sheid eyes on the pair of unfinished gloves, Serenity once again felt that she must get them


    done as quickly as possible.


    Maybe the two of them could finally go their separate ways after the gloves were done.


    Meanwhile, Jackson was leaning back with his eyes closed on the back seat of his car while rubbing


    his temples with one hand.


    He barely got any sleepst night.


    After she fell asleep, he sat back up and stared at her sleeping face.


    In the past, he never found anyone looking beautiful when they slept, but she became an exception


    once again.


    He felt like he would never get tired of looking at her sleeping face.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, should we go back to the mansion first?¡± asked Connor.


    ¡°Minh,¡± Jackson responded indifferently.


    However, Connor received a call along the way. After he answered the phone, his expression changed.


    He reported to Jackson, ¡°Mr. Valor, Master Zack¡¯s condition has taken a tum for the worse. The


    hospital is currently giving him emergency treatment. Would you¡­ like to go to the hospital?¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes snapped open. He immediately said, ¡°To the hospital.¡±

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    The driver immediately turned the car around and headed towards the hospital.


    When Jackson arrived at the hospital, Master Zack was still getting emergency treatment. Jackson


    waited outside the emergency room withplicated feelings.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    This day woulde for even the strongest man.


    In the past, he always thought of his grandfather as powerful, ruthless and cold¨Chearted. The only


    person his grandfather would show affection to was his father.


    Everyone else was just a pawn to him, including his own grandson!


    Master Zack only saw Jackson as the future heir of the Valor family, not as his grandson. There was no


    family love at all between them.


    After 2 hours, the door of the emergency room opened. A doctor came out and told Jackson, ¡°Master


    Zack¡¯s condition has stabilized, but he already had several surgeries before. At his age, it¡¯s a question


    of when rather than if. Maybe he has a few years left, maybe a few months- no one can say for sure.¡±


    Jackson naturally understood no amount of money could stop someone from growing old and dying.


    Master Zack was sent to the intensive care unit for post¨Csurgery observation.


    Two dayster, Master Zack left the intensive care unit. Only then could Jackson talk to him face to


    face once again.


    ¡°I heard you were waiting outside the emergency room while I was having surgery the other day,¡± said


    Master Zack. His voice was a bit softer than usual, seemingly still weak from the surgery.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jackson responded indifferently.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry you have to wait outside the emergency room for an old man like me,¡± said Master


    Zack.


    Jackson looked at Master Zack tly. ¡°Grandpa, you asked someone to summon me here. Is that all


    you want to tell me?¡±


    After the nurse helped Master Zack take two sips of water, he asked everyone else in the ward to


    leave, leaving only Jackson behind. He then said, ¡°I¡¯ve investigated the woman called Serenity Lewis.


    She¡¯s not a good match for you. You should just pick one of the youngdies from the various


    prestigious families in Sria.¡±


    ¡°I decide if she¡¯s a good match for me, not you,¡± Jackson retorted.


    The grandfather and the grandson stared at each other. A tense feeling filled the air.


    After a while, Master Zack coughed a few times and sighed. He really had grown old. He managed to


    raise his grandson into a qualified heir, but found that his grandson¡¯s growth had far exceeded his


    expectations.


    Now, the pup had grown into a fierce beast, but he could no longer be the beast tamer.


    ¡°Does that mean you think she¡¯s a good match for you?¡± asked Master Zack.


    ¡°Is that important?¡± Jackson asked back instead of answering


    Master Zack became visibly angry. ¡°Tell me honestly, do you love her?¡±


    His old and cloudy eyes stared fixedly at his grandson, as if to take note of every little change in his


    expression.


    Jackson met his gaze. If it was before, he would have said no because he had known since he was a


    kid that love hurt. Therefore, he intended to gois whole life without falling in love with anyone.


    But now the denial could note out of his mouth that naturally anymore.


    i


    As if, without him realizing it, that woman had be more and more important to him. Even after she


    rejected him once, he continued to have interactions with her, as if he could not bear to part ways with


    her and not see her again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jackson replied. He knew his grandfather had never wanted him to Invest his love in any


    woman. To his grandfather, women were just tools to keep the Valur family line going.

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    In his opinion, the men of the Valor family should never fall in love with any woman.


    ¡°You..¡± Master Zack¡¯s face was red with anger, which was obviously bad for his health considering he


    was just in the emergency room two days ago.


    But Jackson did not intend to appease Master Zack. He said tly, ¡°Grandpa, since I dare to tell you


    this today, it means that I absolutely have the ability to protect her. You should worry about yourself.


    The doctor said if you take good care of yourself, you can live for a few more years.¡±


    Master Zack seemed furious. Heughed and said, ¡°As expected of my grandson. Looks like you really


    are in love with that wurnan. Have you forgotten what happened to your father? Do you want to follow


    in your father¡¯s footsteps?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. Even if I do love a woman, I won¡¯t allow her to control my life,¡± he responded


    Master Zack mocked, ¡°Your father said the same thing! But what happened in the end? He threw his


    life away for a woman!


    ¡°I¡¯m not him!¡± Jackson retorted coldly. He slowly got up, walked over to Master Zack¡¯s side, and leaned


    down to look him in the eye. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m not my father. Don¡¯t confuse me with him!¡±


    The two pairs of eyes red at each other in se distance. Tension once again filled the air. A small


    spark was all it would take for the situation to spiral out of contral


    After a while, Master Zack¡¯s voice finally broke the silence. ¡°So you intend to marry her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not out of the question,¡± said Jackson. He knew he would have to marry someone eventually. In


    the past, he did not care who he had to marry. His wife¡¯s role was just to bear children for the Valor


    family.


    But now, he felt that, if he had to spend the rest of his life with a woman, Serenity would be a good


    choice. At least he felt like he would never get tired of looking at her and enjoyed spending time with


    her.


    He desired her. He wanted to hide her away so that he would be the only person who could see her


    smile and tenderness.


    He had never felt this kind of possessiveness for any woman before.


    He could not stand the thought of her marrying another man. Whenever he thought of the possibility, an


    emotion called ¡± jealousy¡± would spread through his body.


    ¡°Really?¡± After hearing that, Master Zack was surprisingly not angry. ¡°ording to my investigation,


    Serenity Lewis has already found out who you are, but she¡¯s still living in a small rental house. It


    doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s willing to marry you.¡±


    ¡°If I really want to marry her, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time,¡± Jackson smiled confidently: ¡°Grandpa, if I


    want a woman, I¡¯LL make sure she gives me her heart willingly!¡±


    ¡°Willingly? Good!¡± Master Zack coughed again. He grabbed a stack of papers from the bedside table


    and hurled them towards Jackson with all the strength he could muster. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll willingly be


    with you after she finds out what happened in the past?¡±


    The papers sca ttered all over the floor.


    Jackson bent down and picked up a few sheets to take a look


    Master Zack said sternly, ¡°When she finds out that the car ident was actually just part of a power


    y, when she finds out that she¡¯s just a pour sacrificialmb, when she finds out the role you yed in


    the ident, do you think she¡¯ll still be with you willingly?¡±


    The smile on Jackson¡¯s face gradually disappeared. His handsome face was frosty.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to find out about all this.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t care enough back then to cover anything up,¡± Master Zack said. He actually uncovered the


    truth pretty easily.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my negligence,¡± Jackson humbly admitted his mistake.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 197


    ¡°How do you think Serenity Lewis will react when she finds out the truth?¡± asked Master Zack.


    Jackson suddenly smiled, but his eyes were cold. ¡°She¡¯ll never find out the truth.¡±


    Master Zack scoffed. ¡°You think that¡¯s possible? If I can uncover the truth, so can she¡­


    Before he could finish, Jackson interrupted him. ¡°She definitely won¡¯t. Right, grandpa?¡±


    His voice was low, so it was only audible to both of them. But more importantly, Master Zack saw a


    threatening look in his grandson¡¯s eyes.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    His grandson was actually threatening him for the sake of a woman? A feeling of uneasiness surged in


    Master Zack.


    Would his grandson really not be controlled by a woman in the future?


    Or maybe things would get even worse than that?


    That weekend, Serenity took a bus to the hospital where her grandmother was.


    Her grandmother¡¯s ward was crowded with her rtives. When they saw Serenity, they reacted in


    various ways.


    Francis, Desmond, and Theresa looked at Serenity with a mix of fear and hatred.


    Serenity did not bother herself with them. The only thing she cared about was her grandmother¡¯s


    condition.


    ¡°Serenity,¡± Emily Walker called out at Serenity with great effort, ¡°Come closer and let Granny take a


    good look at you.


    Serenity walked over and held her grandmother¡¯s hand. ¡°Granny,¡± she greeted,


    ¡°I know things have been hard for you.¡± Tears welled in Emily¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I only want you to get better, Granny,¡± said Serenity.


    Theresa could not help butin, ¡°Mom, how has it been hard for her? It¡¯s been hard for us! We


    were locked up for so long..¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you fool!¡± Emily red at Theresa.


    Theresa wanted to talk back, but the other rtives stopped her. Several other rtives tried to ease


    the mood.


    Emily chatted with Serenity for a while, but because she was still sick, she got tired very quickly.


    A nurse came in and told everyone to leave the ward so that the patient could rest


    Some of the more distant rtives left not long after that. Serenity¡¯s grandfather, Henry Walker, said,


    ¡°Her illness will never be cured, so it¡¯s only a matter of time for her. However, the medical bills are still


    pretty expensive. You guys should discuss among yourselves how to share the cost.¡±


    As if Francis, Desmond, Theresa and their families had known about this, all of them looked at


    Serenity.

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    Serenity immediately knew what was going on. They probably called her over to make her pay.


    If she guessed correctly, they must have prepared a script in advance.


    As expected, Francis immediately said, ¡°Dad, we don¡¯t have any money. I don¡¯t even have the money


    to hold a wedding for my son. That¡¯s why Myran is still single.¡±


    Desmond followed up with, ¡°Yeah, Dad, we really don¡¯t have any money!¡± He then turned to Serenity


    and said bitterly, Serenity, we only tried to marry you off to the Foster family because we¡¯re so poor that


    we had no choice.¡±


    ¡±


    ¡°What? Just because you¡¯re poor, you can marry me off to a moron? Does being poor make you right?¡±


    Serenity retorted coldly.


    Desmond was at a loss for words, but Francis immediatelyined, ¡°Your two cousins can¡¯t find


    matches because we¡¯re too poor. They have to keep the Walker family line going. Your Granny treats


    you very well, so shouldn¡¯t you repay her? Besides, you¡¯re an ex¨Cconvict, so you should feel grateful


    that someone is willing to marry you!¡±


    ¡°Granny¡¯s the one who treats me well, not you guys, so why should I sacrifice myself to repay you?¡±


    Serenity found it ridiculous.


    Some people would always be selfish and self¨Cserving. They would only think of how much benefit


    they could take from others and never think of how much they could give to others.


    ¡°Great! You said it yourself, your Granny treats you well Now that she¡¯s hospitalized, you should pay for


    some of her medical expenses.¡± Theresa looked ted, as if Serenity had fallen for their trap.


    Serenity was not surprised to hear Theresa say that. She simply remained quiet and waited to hear


    what Theresa had to say


    next.


    Theresa continued, ¡°Serenity, if you had told us earlier that you know a big shot like the man from that


    day, that whole misunderstanding would never have happened. We merely wanted to help you find a


    husband, that¡¯s all.¡±


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    ¡°How did you meet a man like that, by the way? Does he know that you¡¯ve been in prison before?


    You¡¯re not hiding the fact that you¡¯re an ex¨Cconvict from him, are you?¡± Serenity¡¯s cousin, Lte,


    asked jealously.


    She had never met the man, but from what she heard from her uncles, the man was not only powerful,


    he was handsome too! She felt incredibly jealous. Serenity was not worthy of a man like that!


    Shouldn¡¯t men like him look down on a woman who had been in prison before?


    Serenity just smiled without saying anything.


    Theresa lightly rebuked her daughter, then said to Serenity, ¡°It¡¯s great that you found a man like that,


    Surely that means you have a lot of money now. Why don¡¯t you take care of your Granny¡¯s medical


    bills? Besides that, you should also reimburse us foring to the hospital to take care of your Granny.


    The bus fare and the meals cost money too. Also, considering your Granny¡¯s condition, we should hire


    someone to take care of her full¨Ctime. The total cost shoulde up to about $30,000. L? your


    Granny¡¯s medical bills go up in the future, we¡¯ll ask you for more.¡±


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s decided then.¡± After Theresa finished spealing, Henry pped his hands and concluded,


    ¡°Serenity, make sure you. Transfer $30,000 into your Uncle Francis¡® bank ountter.¡±


    ¡°I never said I agree,¡± said Serenity.

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    Their expressions instantly changed. Theresa inmediately questioned, ¡°What do you mean by the


    ¡°It means I don¡¯t intend to pay $30,000!¡± Serenity said coldly, ¡°I never imed to know any big shot.


    Granny is your mother, Aunt Theresa. It¡¯s your duty to take care of her. Why are you asking me for


    travel expenses and meal costs when I¡¯m not even a Walker? Don¡¯t you find it ridiculous?


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right, Serenity. Your Uncle Francis and Uncle Desmond saw the big shot carrying you out


    of the Foster Residence with their own eyes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything All I remember is that I was drugged by my two uncles and I lost


    consciousness,¡± said Serenity mockingly, ¡°Maybe that guy simply had a strong sense of justice and


    tried to help when he saw two men drugging their own niece. Why don¡¯t you ask Uncle Francis and


    Uncle Desmond who he is? I want to know too because I¡¯d like to thank him personally.¡±


    ¦§


    Henry Walker and his children exchanged nces.


    She did not know him?! But that¡¯s impossible!


    ¡°Serenity, you have to pay the hospital bills no matter what. Your Granny only fell sick because your


    Uncle Francis, Uncle Desmond and Aunt Theresa were arrested by the police,¡± said Henry.


    ¡°Grandpa, you got it all wrong. I¡¯m the victim here. The police are just doing their job. If those three


    didn¡¯t scheme to make me marry the moron, all this wouldn¡¯t have happened. If you think they got


    arrested because of me, let¡¯s go to the police station together to make things clear.¡±


    Serenity said calmly. Henry¡¯s face stiffened while his children panicked.


    The three of them just got released after spending many days in jail. If they go back to the police


    station to ¡°make things clear


    they might get locked up again.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t intend to pay a penny for your Granny¡¯s medical bills?¡± Henry asked unhappily. ¡°If we


    don¡¯t pay her bills, she¡¯ll get licked out of the hospital


    ¡°There¡¯s the resettlementpensation, right? Isn¡¯t the house you and Granny are living in going to be


    demolished? The house is a joint property between you two, which means Granny owns half the right


    to the house. ording to the currentpensation rate for resettlement, you¡¯ll get at least $150,000.


    Half of that, which is $75,000, belongs to Granny. You can apply for a loan first to pay the medical bills


    and pay off the loan when you get the resettlement money.¡±


    Serenity talked so much that the Walkers had a hard time keeping up with what she said, but one thing


    was clear to them, and that was the fact that Serenity intended to use the resettlementpensation to


    pay for the medical bills.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°What does the resettlementpensation have to do with you? You¡¯re not even a Walker! You have


    no right to talk about the resettlementpensation!¡± Francis immediately yelled, as if Serenity was


    trying to get a cut of the pie


    ¡°Oh, now you remember that I¡¯m not a Walker? Then why did you ask me to pay for everything?¡±


    Serenity said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll cover a quarter of Granny¡¯s medical bills, which I will pay directly to the


    hospital. As for the rest, you guys take care of it. If Granny doesn¡¯t get proper treatment, I¡¯ll take you


    people to court.¡±


    After saying that, Serenity left. She could no longer be bothered with these so¨Ccalled rtives of hers.


    The Walkers looked at each other.


    ¡°Dad, Serenity would only cover a quarter of the medical bills. What should we do about the rest?¡±


    Francis asked cautiously.

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    We¡¯ll take your mother home and tell Serenity we can¡¯t afford to pay for her treatment. Let¡¯s see if she¡¯ll


    pay then!¡± Henry said angrily.


    ¡°But what if she really takes us to court?¡± Francis said uneasily.


    Desmond quickly added, ¡°Yeah, she used to be awyer. Besides, she knows a big shot now¡­ If she


    really sues us, I don¡¯t think we have any chance of winning.¡±


    Henry rubbed his chin and said unhappily, ¡°Then you three take care of the remaining three quarters of


    the bills.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Theresa asked in disbelief.


    ¡°What else can we do? Wait for that girl to sue?¡± Henry red at his daughter, ¡°If you don¡¯t pay for the


    medical bills, you won¡¯t get a dime of the resettlementpensation!¡±


    Theresa instantly shut up. Although she was already married, Henry had promised to share some of


    the resettlementpensation with her.


    Her whole family was counting on the resettlementpensation!


    If Serenity really sued them, they might actually have to give her a share of the resettlement


    compensation too.


    Everybody there exchanged nces. In the end, they could only try their best toe up with the


    money together.


    Serenity returned to her grandmother¡¯s ward and found that she was asleep. Serenity sat down by the


    hospital bed and quietly stared at her grandmother¡¯s sleeping face.


    The grandmother who had always protected her had grown old and needed her protection now.


    If she actually had the money, she did not mind paying all of her grandmother¡¯s medical bills by herself.


    However, the harsh reality was she barely had enough money to survive. There was no way she could


    afford to pay the medical bills by herself.


    Now that she had threatened her rtives with the resettlementpensation, she believed they


    would make sure her grandmother got proper treatment.


    If the medical bills were not paid fully, she would help her grandmother fight for her rights and her share


    of the resettlementpensation to ensure that she would be taken care of for the rest of her life.


    Serenity could not do much for her grandmother, but she could do that


    Serenity had no idea how long she stayed in the ward. She only left when a nurse came in to check on


    her grandmother. By then, the sky outside had turned dark


    When she walked out of the ward unit, she saw a familiar figureing out of the outpatient building at


    the same time.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity was surprised. She did not expect to run intocas Gomez at a ce like this.


    He was alone


    Lucas saw Serenity as well. His eyes brightened. He came over to her and said, ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what a coincidence,¡± she replied. She tried to walk past him.


    But he immediately reached out to stop her and said, ¡°Thest time I bought you dinner, it didn¡¯t turn


    out to be very pleasant. Why don¡¯t you let me take you out to dinner again as an apology forst time?¡±


    Serenity knew that Lucas was talking about the incident with his ex¨Cgirlfriend, Lyra Ross.


    Speaking of Lyra Ross, Serenity remembered she would oftene across her news on the inte a


    while back, but recently, there was no news about her at all, as if no such person existed in the


    entertainment industry.


    ¡°How¡¯s that ex¨Cgirlfriend of yours doing?¡± Serenity could not help but ask, but the moment the words


    left her mouth, she instantly regretted it. It wasn¡¯t her ce to ask.

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    ¡°She deserved the consequences for doing what she shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Lucas responded casually,


    almost as if it did not matter atall.


    When Serenity heard that, her heart ski p pe d a beat. Had Lyra been banned and forced out of the


    entertainment industry? She would no longer be a star and would have to return to an ordinary life.


    However, would she be willing to ept her fate? Not many people would ept a mediocre life,


    particrly those who had Lasted sess. Mediocrity would be unbearable to them.


    ¡°Why? Feeling bad for her?¡± Lucas stated, looking straight at Serenity, ¡°Lyra was rude to you the other


    day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling bad for her. She probably doesn¡¯t need my sympathy,¡± Serenity answered, ¡°Don¡¯t bother


    treating me to a meal to apologize. I have to catch the bus back to sria.¡±


    ¡°But I insist. I must treat you to a meal,¡± Lucas said.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity rejected him, disinterested, ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Are you going to force me


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to use force, but it would be nice to do so asionally,¡± Lucas said as he dragged Serenity


    away. He took her hand and strode to the parking lot.


    ¡°Lucas! What do you want?¡± Serenity roared softly.


    W ?T jH¡±


    ¡°I just want to have a meal with you,¡± Lucas said indifferently.


    ¡°Just a meal? Really?¡± A man like him could easily find a partner to have a meal with. Many women


    would willingly apany him. She was reluctant to go, and there was no need to force her like this


    While Serenity was wondering about this, the two arrived at Luca s¡¯s car.


    When Lucas opened the passenger door, Serenity refused again, ¡°Mr. Gomez, I really don¡¯t have time


    to have dinner with you. I need to catch thest bus. If I miss it, I can¡¯t return to Sria tonight.¡±


    Luca s¡¯s dark eyes stared intently at Serenity. Later, he added, ¡°If you really don¡¯t want to eat with me,


    1 guarantee you¡¯ll never be able to catch any bus.¡±


    Serenity gasped. She knew Lucas was powerful enough to do such a thing


    ¡°Why must I have a meal with you?¡± Serenity felt puzzled. Even if he wanted to apologize for thest


    meal, this was too far-


    fetdied.


    ¡°Because I have something I want to ask you,¡± Lucas said.


    Serenity looked at him suspiciously. After thinking about it, she got into the passenger seat. She knew


    there was no point going against him at this moment. It would be futile.


    Besides, Serenity had learned after three years in prison. She became much more aware and knew


    powerful people like him. could easily change the fate of others.


    For example, Lucas could easily make the famous Lyra vanish from showbiz. Lyra was well-known and


    had a lot of fans, but he could destroy her as soon as she put on the wrong side of him like she was a


    nobody


    Serenity¡¯s life was far worse than Lyra¡¯s. She was just a sanitation worker. If Lucas really wanted,


    dealing with her would be


    mudi easier.


    Just for a moment, Jackson¡¯s face shed in her mind.


    If she was ever in times of need, would Jackson be willing to help her?


    ¡°Oh, my G od! What was I thinking?! Serenity thought, mocking her momentary question.

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    Serenity wished she had nothing to do with Jackson anymore, or so sise thought. After all, his


    existence had been a nightmare to her. She could not believe she was thinking of him, wanting him to


    save her!


    ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Luca s¡¯s cold voice rang in the


    ¡°My grandmother is sick. I¡¯m here to visit her,¡± Serenity answered. She could refuse to answer, but he


    could find out with at little investigation


    ¡°Your grandmother lives in this town?¡± Lucas asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡­ Have you lived here before?¡± Lucas asked with some hesitation in his voice.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I lived here for some time as a kid, but I went back to Sria when I grew up.¡± Serenity exined.


    ¡°Is that so? Did anything special happen to you when you lived here as a child? Luca s¡¯s fingers on the


    steering wheel tightened a little as he asked this question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean by something special, Serenity replied ¡°Besides, I was very young


    when I was here. Ever if something special happened, I may not know about it. I may have forgotten it


    long ago.¡±


    Lucas fell silent and said nothing else. The car continued driving until it reached the entrance of a


    restaurant.


    Serenity took a look at this restaurant. It was a famous shabby-looking restaurant in the town. Most of


    the patrons were local, and only a few foreigners knew about this ce.


    The town was not a tourist destination, after all. Such a restaurant would naturally not be as popr as


    those in a popr tourist spot, which would usually attract plenty of foreigners to check in at the


    location.


    When Serenity was younger, she stayed in town for several years and was very familiar with the ce.


    Otherwise, she would not have heard about this restaurant. The restaurant had been operating far


    years. The restaurant had even been there when she still lived in her grandmother¡¯s house. Her


    grandmother had uften taken her here for a meal, satisfying her food cravings. Serenity was slightly


    surprised and did not expect Lucas to know this ce.


    ¡°The food here is not bad, but the ce is kinda shabby.¡± Lucas got down the car and spoke to her. He


    casually mentioned, ¡± Speaking of which, you lived here for a while. Have you ever eaten here?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Serenity replied.


    ¡±???


    o you like the food here?¡± Lucas asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s good value for many. Some dishes are quite special too.¡± Serenity actually liked the


    food here, but she thought that the food here would not be suitable for someone like Lucas, who was


    probably used to all kinds of exquisite delicacies.


    To Serenity¡¯s surprise, when Lucas walked into the restaurant, the owner greeted Lucas warmly. ¡°Mr.


    Gomez, it¡¯s been a while. You always visit at this time of year. That¡¯s..¡±


    The restaurant owner turned to Serenity, Serenity had frequented the restaurant as a child but rarely


    came in the past ten years. She only came to have a meal during her asional visit to her


    grandmother. Naturally, the owner could not remember her.


    ¡°Just a friend,¡± Lucas said


    The restaurant owner asloed, ¡°Haha. It¡¯s rare to see you bring friends over. Is it the same today?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s add a few more dishes as you see fit,¡± Lucas ordered. Then, he led Serenity to a table near the


    window,


    Serenity sat down after Lucas. She thought about Luca s¡¯s introduction earlier. He had introduced her


    as a friend, but she was not his friend.


    2/2


    ¡°Ie here for a meal every year at this time,¡± Lucas exined, ¡°Just like every year today, I would


    go to the hospital and stay for a while.¡±

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    ¡°I see,¡± Serenity responded. She somehow had a feeling that Lucas was telling her all of these things


    on purpose,


    Lucas continued speaking, his prating dark gaze pinned on her. ¡°I was separated from a girl in the


    hospital many years ago this day. She told me about this restaurant, which was her favorite. That¡¯s why


    I would spend some time here every year on this day and have a meal¡±


    ¡°She must be someone dear to you,¡± Serenity said. Lucas sounded like he missed her a lot.


    ¡°Yeah. She is. She¡¯s probably the most important person in my life.¡± Luca s¡¯s tone was very indifferent,


    almost as if he was talking about something that seemed natural to him.


    Serenity, on the other hand, was shocked. Did Lucas care that much about a lost person? Serenity¡¯s


    original view of him was very different. She thought he was cold and heartless. He showed no mercy to


    his ex-girlfriend and constantly changed


    ¨C


    girlfriends his feelings were like a ripple in the water and would die down as quickly as they formed.


    Lucas said there was someone who was important to him in his life. Serenity wondered how the gossip


    media would feel if they heard this


    ¡°Is she so important? Didn¡¯t you search for her?¡± Serenity asked


    Lucas let out a soft chuckle. His gaze focused on her as if watching her reaction. ¡°I did. I¡¯m still


    searching for her.


    Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t many surveince cameras installed at that time. There was no


    surveince at the hospital and


    the roads in this small town. It took me a while before I started looking for her, but I was toote.¡±


    There was great regret in his tone. He had been looking for the girl for many years, but as time passed,


    his chances were getting slimmer and slimmer.


    Sometimes, he could not help thinking he would never find her again.


    ¡°I hope you can quickly find her,¡± Serenity said. Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, I hope so,¡± Lucas agreed. Then, he asked, ¡°What about you? Did you have any special


    experiences when you were in this town? Have you ever¡­ saved someone? Or told someone about


    the good food in this restaurant?¡±


    Serenityughed. ¡°I probably told many people about the good food here, but the locals like eating at


    this restaurant, anyway. As for saving someone¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Serenity did not remember saving anyone when she was a child.


    ¡°Really?¡± His eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Mr. Gomez, is there someone you wish I had saved?¡± Serenity asked in reply.


    A look of disappointment shed in his eyes. ¡®So. It¡¯s not her either?¡± Lucas thought. Serenity was not


    the one he was looking


    for.


    Lucas did not think much about it at first. However, when he first saw her, he found that her face


    vaguely resembled the girl in his memory.


    The girl was very young at that time. Later, he fantasized about what she would look like many times


    based on the face be remembered.


    Lucas had been dating people who had her shadow. His former girlfriends more or less looked a little


    like the girl in his


    memory.


    After seeing her in the hospital this time, a suspicion suddenly grew in his mind. He wondered if


    Serenity could be the one.

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    After all. Lucas had first met the girl in this small town.


    After asking Serenity a series of questions, lucas thought about it again. It seemed like he was


    overthinking it.


    ¡°You¡¯re not her,¡± Lucas stated indifferently. Serenity was not the one he was looking for.


    ¡®Not who? Confusion shed in Serenity¡¯s eyes,


    When the restaurant owner came over and served the food, Lucas spoke. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s eat. Do you want


    some wine?¡±


    Serenity thought of her previous experience of getting drunk in Jackson¡¯s presence and shook her


    head. ¡°No, I¡¯ll just have a bottled drink.¡±


    Lucas then asked the owner to bring over two battled drinks.


    ¡°Are you not drinking?¡± Serenity raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°I won¡¯t drink I have to driveter,¡± Lucas said.


    Serenity¡¯s expression darkened, thinking of the car ident years ago. She had been charged with


    drunk driving despite not drinking at all!


    ¡°By the way, you were in


    In a car ident because of drunk driving, weren¡¯t you?¡± Luca s¡¯s voice rang out abruptly, you¡¯re


    working as a sanitation worker now?¡±


    ¡°At least I have a job,¡± Serenity said self-deprecatingly


    ¡°Shall I speak to someone at the Sanitation Office? I could get you transferred over to an easier job.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Serenity refused. A favor from the famous Mr. Gomez would only make things harder.


    ¡°Is that why


    Lucas furrowed his brow slightly. It was his first time getting rejected for his kindness. He wanted to


    give her a favor because she looked like the girl in his memory. Otherwise, he would not have offered


    his help.


    Serenity kept her head down and ate. Even with her head down, she could feel luis probing gaze on


    her asionally.


    Atst, the ined was over. Lucas offered, ¡°Let me take you home.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks I¡¯ll take the bus myself,¡± Serenity said,


    ¡°Look at the time. Even if you rush to the bus station, can you get a bus back to Sria?¡±


    Serenity nced at the time. It was already half past eight at night. She could take a taxi to the bus


    station, but it would be toote to catch thest bus. She would have to wait until the next morning to


    take a train back


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you home,¡± Lucas said in an indifferent tone. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, you can figure it out


    yourself¡±


    Serenity bit her lips slightly. Even if she tried to figure out a way home, she could not.


    ¡°Well¡­ Thanks.¡± Finally, Serenity epted Lucas ¡®s offer awkwardly and got into his car again. She sat


    in the passenger seat and looked out the window. While watching the night scenery outside, the song


    ¡®Walk of Life¡¯ by Teresa was yed in the car.


    Serenity was once again surprised. She did not think that Lucas would like such an old song. Not only


    that, the song was on a loop, so the same song just kept ying in the car.


    Serenity was reminded of how much she used to love this song She could sing it too.


    The song was in a foreignnguage. When she was young, she had to pronounce every wordt it


    urately to sing the song


    well.


    Thinking about it again, Serenity really enjoyed her time living with her grandmother back then. It was


    probably the happiest time in her memory.


    Soon, Serenity¡¯s eyelids started feeling heavy due to this music. She was sleepy.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

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    Serenity had had very little time to sleep every day for the past few days. She had work during the day


    and was busy. researching and knitting gloves at night. Early this morning, she had taken the bus to the


    town and had a busy day.


    Therefore, it was not long before Serenity closed her eyes and unknowingly drifted off to sleep.


    Lucas nced at Serenity and turned down the volume slightly.


    The sleeping Serenity reminded him of the young girl in his memory. In fact, Serenity resembled the


    young girl when awake, but there was a striking difference in her eyes


    The present Serenity had a depressed look in her eyes like she had been beaten up by life, but the


    young girl¡¯s clear and bright eyes had been filled with endless hope.


    When Serenity woke up, the car was already parked at the entrance of her residence area.


    Embarrassed, she quickly unbuckled her seat belt. ¡°How long have I been sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Well, not long,¡± he said.


    Serenity hurriedly got out of the car and took her bag. However, she was so hasty and identally


    spilled the contents of her bag on the seat.


    Serenity was sweating profusely and hurriedly picked up the things that had spilled out of her bag.


    However, Lucas was faster and picked up her half-knitted gloves.


    ¡°Are you knitting gloves?¡± Lacas asked in surprise


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve nothing else to do, so I¡¯m knitting something.¡± Serenity scrambled for an excuse and quickly


    took the gloves back from his hand. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said again. Then, she closed the car door and


    hurried into the neighborhood.


    Lucas watched her figure fade from view through the car window. He thought about the gloves earlier.


    Judging by the size, the glove seemed about the size of a man¡¯s hand. Was she knitting it for a man?


    It was rare for a woman to knit something for a man. Was he family? If not, it would only mean one


    thing. The wool, however, was old. Lucas wondered who she was knitting the gloves for. After


    pondering for a moment, Lucas started the engine and Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    drove away..


    Serenity went home and took a shower. After that, she took out her cell phone and checked her


    savings.


    The money she had saved since her release from prison was less than 750 dors,


    When Serenity was at the hospital, she had asked about her grandmother, Emily¡¯s medical expenses.


    Emily owed the hospital a few hundred dors, but she would incur more money if the treatment


    continued. Serenity conservatively estimated another 7,500 dors for Emily¡¯s follow-up treatment.


    After that, it would depend on Emily¡¯s condition after the treatment.


    A quarter of 7,500 dors would be 1,875 dors. Serenity needed another 1,100 dors.


    Serenity thought about the past when 1,100 dors did not matter much to her, but¡­ Things had


    changed. She finally understood the feeling of desperation from theck of money.


    Serenity had a monthly sry from her work at the Sanitation Office. However, with her criminal record,


    It would be hard for her to find part-time jobs.


    Serenity let out a long sigh. Her mind was preupied until she fell asleep.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sleep! We can get out of here.¡± Who was that? Who was spealing? This voice¡­ It seemed


    to be her voice. Was she talking?


    ¡°My leg¡­ hurts¡­ I-I can¡¯t walk any further¡­¡± Whose voice was answering? It sounded like a little boy.


    Chapter 205


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you! I¡¯m strong! I can carry you on my back and walk!¡± Little Serenity said.


    ¡°Hey! Stay awake! Isn¡¯t this frequently shown on TV? If you sleep, you¡¯ll die! You¡¯ll never open your


    eyes again. Shall I sing for you? I can sing Teresa¡¯s song. Granny said I sing very well!¡±

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    Serenity then heard herself singing ¡°Walk of Life¡¯ in her childish voice.


    ¡°W-what if we get caught again? What if we can¡¯t escape?¡± The little boy¡¯s voice rang again.


    ¡°Silly. Why can¡¯t we escape? I¡¯ll definitely get you out!¡±


    ¡°If you leave me behind, you¡¯ll surely escape.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave you behind! I promised to protect you, so I will protect you! I¡¯m not afraid of those bad


    guys!¡±


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you leave me?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re friends!!


    ¡°Ah!¡± Serenity jolted out of sleep and sat up from the bed. When her eyes fluttered open, all she saw


    was the dim light.


    She was still in her rented ce!


    Serenity breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the time. It was only 3 arm.


    Was that a dream? She seemed to have dreamed about her younger self. She had been talking to a


    boy and singing the song Walk of Life¡± by Teresa


    ¡®Oh, Go d.¡± Serenity wondered how she could have such a dream. Did she dream of singing the song


    because she had listened to


    it countless times in Lucas ¡®s car earlier?


    However¡­The scene in the dream seemed very real. It was as if it had truly happened before¡­


    At the same time, one of the rooms in the Gomez Residence remained brightly lit. Lucas was sitting in


    front of a painting, staring at it quietly.


    On the painting was a little girl carrying a little boy, walking forward in a thorny forest.


    Luca s¡¯s fingers slowly slide across the little girl¡¯s face. He murmured, ¡°When will I ever see you


    again?¡±


    His whispering voice seemed shrouded with nostalgia, regret, disappointment, and filled with


    unspeakable pain. The memory Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    of certain people and events would not fade as time passed. Instead, it became more vivid with time


    and eventually turned


    into an obsession.


    Two dayster, Uncle Francis called, urging Serenity to pay a quarter of the medical bill. After much


    deliberation, Serenity gave Lisa a call.


    ¡°Lisa, can you lend me 1,100 dors? I need it urgently, but I can¡¯t pay you back right away. I¡¯ll probably


    pay you back in monthly installments,¡± Serenity said with some difficulty


    If she could, she really did not want to keep troubling Lisa. Serenity was indebted to Lisa for all she had


    done for her, but she could not return anything to her.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll transfer the money to you on my phone,¡± Lisa cheerfully said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Serenity answered softly.


    ¡°Serenity, don¡¯t worry about it. You don¡¯t have to rush to pay back the money either. Just do it when you


    have the money.¡±


    Lisa said.


    Even so, Serenity wanted to pay off the money as soon as possible. She did not want to owe Lisa too


    much. Therefore, when X introduced her to a part-time job for extra money, she quickly said yes.

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    The part-the job


    la introduced was acting as an extra Serenity only needed to register her name and leave a contact


    number on the line to apply for the job. They would not check her records.


    A background actor would receive a daily rate of 80 dors, and lunch was provided. Dinner would be


    provided in case of overtime, but no overtime would be paid.


    ording to X, Serenity could work as a background actor during her rest day. She would be free,


    anyway, and she could earn money each extra day she worked


    Serenity had a few rest days in a month. If she could work on every rest day, she would have a few


    hundred dors extra in that month.


    A few hundred dors would not mean much to mest, but it was good enough for Serenity.


    At the end of the shift, Serenity looked at the finished gloves and called Jackson. ¡°The gloves are


    ready. Should I send them over, or would you prefer to send someone over to pick them up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle and get it,¡± Jackson said.


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± Serenity replied.


    Serenity went home. After eating dinner, she put the gloves on the table and took out the case file


    about her car ident. Lisa had given the tile to her before. It contained the statements of the


    witnesses and cupies of the photographs of various pieces of evidence during the ident


    Serenity felt dazed and bitter looking at the content. The evidence in the file included a photo of the


    bottle and ss she had drunk from. They even detected her DNA at the rim of the ss,


    It was simply ridiculous. Serenity had never drunk or used the ss, but her DNA showed up in the


    test. However, she had no way to overthrow this evidence.


    Serenity did not know who had set her up and could not understand what had happened to Mira. Even


    if someone wanted to harm ber, why at the cost of Mira¡¯s life? Maybe it was the opposite. The


    mastermind had wanted to kill Mira and made her the scapegoat.


    It had been three years. While in prison, Serenity could not figure out who hated her and harmed her.


    Maybe someone had a grudge against Mira and caused this, but she could not investigate that yet.


    Serenity¡¯s phone then buzzed, Someone had just mentioned everyone in a group chat.


    Serenity checked the group chat. She had joined the group with mostly background actors and


    actresses earlier for the part- time job.


    The organizer had just tapped everyone in the group, informing them of the details of the next job. It


    mentioned the time and ce, the name of the show, the number of people needed, and the


    requirements.


    Serenity checked the dates, which happened to be her day off. She could earn some extra money, so


    she immediately privately messaged the organizer and signed up for the job,


    [Okay, Let¡¯s meet at Cultural City¡¯s main entrance at 8 am tomorrow. The organizer replied to her


    message.


    [okay. Serenity replied,


    Although the money as a background actor was not much, it was the only jab she could find,


    Serenity put down her phone. While trying to search online for information about the show she was


    going to perform in someone knacked on the door.


    ¡®The only person who woulde at this hour is¡­ Serenity thought and pursed her lips. Then, she got


    up, wallsed over, and opened the door.


    Sure enough, Jackson¡¯s figure came into view.


    Chanter 2017


    2/2


    Jackson arrived in a ck coat. He hadbed his hair back neatly, revealing his handsome face, and


    he had an elegant aura


    around him.


    The only exception was probably the scarf around his neck.


    That was¡­ It was the scarf she had made for him!


    Serenity looked at the scarf around Jackson¡¯s neck with aplicated look.


    The scarf she had made looked so cheap whenpared to the luxury clothing he wore. It was funny


    how she had feared he would be cold and had rushed to make it for him. She had even thought the


    scarf she made was good. However, it all turned out to be a joke.


    Even so, Jackson actually wore the scarf. When she saw this, an indescribable feeling rose in her


    heart.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 208

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    Chapter 208


    ¡°Y-you came.¡± Serenity spoke, but her throat felt dry. She moved sideways and let Jackson into the


    room.


    ¡°Have you been waiting. Sis?¡± Jackson smiled and went to the table. Then, he saw the papers spread


    out on the table. Serenity had left the case file on the table and did not have time to clean up.


    Jackson¡¯s dark eyes narrowed slightly. He reached out, picked up some of the documents, and nced


    at them. ¡°Hmm? Are you looking at the case again?¡±


    Serenity stiffened slightly. She did not know his true identity before and had mentioned the case to him.


    After learning of his real identity, talking about the case again made her feel awkward and helpless.


    Serenity might think she was not guilty, but the car ident had indeed happened, and histe fiancee


    had died in the car ident!


    ¡°Sis? What¡¯s wrong?¡± When she did not answer, he looked up at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­¡± She swallowed and answered, ¡°Casually looking.¡±


    ¡°By the way, you mentioned that you were used and not guilty. Since you¡¯re looking at this


    information again, are you trying to reopen the case?¡± Jackson chatted casually, but there was a deep


    look in his eyes.


    Serenity bit her lip in deep thought. ¡°Reopen the case? Of course! However, the case witnesses from


    before had gone missing, and the evidence remained Irond.


    During her three years in jail, Lisa had spent a lot of money, time, and energy to get her conviction


    overturned but to no avail. Although Serenity was finally out of jail, she was poor. She had had to


    borrow a thousand dors for her grandmother¡¯s medical expenses.


    Serenity had been awyer before and knew how much it would cost to hire awyer and re-investigate


    the case.


    The police would not waste resources to re-investigate the case in the absence of new and strong


    evidence. Serenity would have to do it on her own, but shecked the financial capabilities to do so.


    Serenity suddenly had a thought and turned to Jackson, looking straight at him. ¡°What about you?Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Don¡¯t you want to know the truth? Maybe you should find out why your fiancee drove toward me. Is


    there something going on here? Don¡¯t you want to know why the woman you loved did that?¡±


    Jackson suddenly chuckled softly. ¡°Oh? The woman I loved?¡± His tone was slightly upward as if he had


    heard a joke.


    ¡°Mira is your fiancee. Is she not the woman you love?¡± Serenity found Jackson¡¯s reaction very strange.


    Jackson put down the documents in his hand and approached her slowly. He looked down at her and


    divulged, ¡°You¡¯re only half-right, Sis. Mira was my fiancee, but not the woman I loved.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s words startled her, and his voice continued ringing in her ears. ¡°Sis? Haven¡¯t you heard of


    such a thing as an arranged marriage?¡±


    Serenity¡¯s eyes widened suddenly. Indeed, she had heard that an arranged marriage wasmon for


    business alliances, but she never thought a man like Jackson would need one..


    Jackson had the Valor family in his hands and was all-powerful in Sria. An arranged marriage for


    business alliances with the Hall family was just icing on the cake, but it was not a necessity.


    Serenity was not the only one who thought so. Many people thought the same too.


    There were many discussions about Jackson nulline. Many believed he loved Mira and talked about his


    deep love for her.


    Jackson had been engaged to Mira at the young age of 24. He had never dated anyone since Mira¡¯s


    death, and there was no rumor of him in a rtionship either.


    ¡°But.. An arranged marriage? Weren¡¯t you only 27, years old at that time?¡± Serenity asked.

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    Chapter 209


    ¡°Why not?¡± Jackson asked in reply.


    ¡°I would eventually have to marry someone in my life. Would an early orte marriage make a


    difference? Besides, Mira is quiet and obedient enough. An arranged marriage with the Hall family


    would help the Valor family¡¯s business in the shipping industry, so why not?¡±


    Serenity felt a little unsettled listening to Jackson¡¯s business mindset.


    Jackson spoke as if he had no love at all. Event marriage was just business to him. For a m


    a man like him, what was important to


    him?


    yaw


    ¡°But now, I think It¡¯d be nice to marry a woman I find interesting,¡± Jackson added with a smile, his


    zing gaze her


    focused on


    Jackson¡¯s words seemed to imply something, and Serenity turned away ufortably. She told herself


    not to overthink. Both of them were simply living in two different worlds. They were very different. She


    thought it would be unlikely for them to cross paths again after giving him the gloves.


    ¡°Oh, um ¡°Serenity said hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you the gloves.¡± She tried to walk past him to get the gloves


    for him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡± Jackson took her by the arm and slowly bent down, leveling t its gaze on her. ¡°Hey,


    Sis. You haven¡¯t answered my question. Do you want to reopen the case?¡±


    Of course she would. Why would she not? If she remained guilty as charged, she would bear this crime


    for the rest of her life. She would not be able to regain her dignity,


    Even so. ¡°I want to, so?¡± She asked in reply.


    ¡°If you really want to overturn the conviction, I can help you,¡± Jackson proposed.


    Serenity was shocked. ¡°Do you really believe me? That I wasn¡¯t drunk driving back then?¡±


    ¡°Whether


    you were drunk driving or not doesn¡¯t matter to me,¡± Jackson nurtured. ¡°We have to remove yo


    drunk driving charges. I can get the bestwyer to help. Thewyer should be able to overturn it after


    finding the loopholes in the case.


    Gloom reced the sparkle in her eyes. Serenity understood what he meant. Under the presumption of


    innocence, every person used of any crime was considered innocent until proven guilty. If there was


    reasonable doubt, she would have the chance to overturn the conviction. Even so, that did not mean


    she had truly proved her true innocence.


    The case reversal and the suspect¡¯s innocence would always be controversial.


    ¡°What do you think, Sis? You don¡¯t like it?¡± Jackson naturally saw the change in her expression.


    ¡°I want to find out the truth, I want to know what¡¯s the cause of the ident. Why did all the witnesses


    testify that I drank? What¡¯s with the evidence? The police did a blond test on meter. Why did it show


    that I was indeed drunk driving¡­¡±


    Her series of questions were the doubts she had held all these years.


    If these queries remained unsolved, she would bear the crime forever. Even if she was truly innocent,


    she would remain at criminal in the hearts of others after overturning the conviction


    Jackson¡¯s face gradually darkened. Coldness seemed to be looming in his dark eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll help overturn


    the conviction for you. Is the truth really that important to you?¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

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    Chapter 210


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Serenity was certain. ¡°For me, the truth is more important than anything else!¡±


    The car ident happened three years ago,¡± Jack reminded her. ¡°There might have been surveince


    footage and evidence, but they would be gone by now. It¡¯s hard to overturn the conviction, let alone find


    out the truth.¡±


    Serenity let out a bitterugh. She naturally understood his intention. Jackson would overturn the


    conviction for her, but the truth did not matter to him. Mira¡¯s thoughts and her suicidal driving which had


    led to the car ident-it did not matter.


    Jackson had never had any feelings for Mira. Mira¡¯s unfortunate death meant nothing to him. All he had


    lost was just a candidate for marriage.


    ¡°Jackson, you never loved Mira at all, Serenity suddenly said in an unmistakable tone.


    Jackson lowered his gaze slightly, ¡°I never said I loved her.¡±


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Then who do you love?¡± When her question sounded, an answer instantly came to his mind.


    He looked at her for a moment in a daze. After a while, he collected his thoughts and said, ¡°Sis. Who


    do you want me to love?¡±


    Serenity suddenly felt silly. Why had she asked such a stup id question? This man treated marriage like


    a business deal. He probably would never fall in love with anyone in his life.


    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked,¡± she apologized with a slight frown. ¡°You don¡¯t have to help. I¡¯ll figure it


    out myself.¡±


    Serenity was determined to find out the truth in her own way. It might take a long time, but there was


    still a chance, right?


    ¡°Really? His gaze remained pinned on her. ¡°Fine, then. I¡¯ll see what you cane up with. But if you


    change your mind,e to me anytime. I¡¯ll help you overturn the case.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to help?¡± Serenity gave him a puzzled look. By the look on his face, she was finally


    sure it was not empty talk. He was really nning to help her.


    However, it was strange for him to do so. Serenity had rejected him in the hospital before. After that,


    whenever she needed his help, he would ask her to give something back in return, and¡­.


    ¡°What do you want me to do? Is there a condition to it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no condition. You don¡¯t have to do anything either,¡± Jackson said. ¡°Take it as mypensation


    for you.¡±


    ¡°Compensation?¡±


    ¡°You suffered a lot while in prison. You deserve this muchpensation. So, if you want to overturn the


    conviction, just let me know anytime,¡± Jackson said.


    His words were like a great temptation that shook her heart, wavering the decision she had just made.


    If she could overturn the conviction¡­ As soon as she did, she would be off the records. She would be


    able to get herwyer¡¯s Doense back. She would be awyer again.


    However. If Serenity could notpletely clear her name, would she have the courage to be awyer


    again and stand in


    court?


    Serenity found it fronte that none of her family, rtives, or former colleagues had ever thought of


    helping her.


    Her only best friend who had worked hard to help once told her with a grave exqiression, ¡°Serenity. I


    don¡¯t think you can overturn your conviction at all. No one dares to help. Nowyer will ept the case,


    let alone find the evidence in your favor.¡±


    When Serenity was in prison, Jackson Valor was the man she feared the most. He made her restless


    and terrified. Whenever she heard his name, she could not help but tremble. Of all people, he was the


    one who had said that he could help her overturn the conviction at any time.

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    Chapter 211


    She could not help thinking what an irony her life had been.


    She said nothing and instead just walked over to the side of the drawers and pulled out a pair of


    gloves.


    ¡°These are for you.¡± she handed them to him, ¡®as promised.¡±


    He examined the gloves carefully before trying them on, after which hemented, ¡°The knitting is


    done very well, and they¡¯re really warm too, just like the scarf that you knitted for me-really warm and


    comfortable to wear.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to wear that scarf, she told him. ¡°I¡¯m sure people could tell at a nce that it doesn¡¯t


    match your outfit at all.¡±


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    In contrast to Jackson¡¯s expensive high-end clothes, her scarf only looked cheap and shoddy, not to


    mention how rough and unrefined the handwork looked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t match? He raised his brows and chuckled. ¡°Sis, I don¡¯t care what other people think about


    this scarf, only how I feel about it, and I think it matches me perfectly!


    He paused to touch the scarf and then added, ¡°Besides, as long as it¡¯s something you made yourself,


    it¡¯s more than good enough to match any of my outfits!¡±


    Her heart suddenly thumped violently in her chest. If those words hade out of anyone else¡¯s


    mouth, it would have sounded ridiculous and absurd, buting from Jackson, it simply sounded like


    he was stating a fact.


    At the moment, his handsome chiseled face was full of seriousness. The expression on his face


    seemed to say that the scarf Serenity had knitted for him was a priceless treasure to him.


    ¡°But¡­¡± He took off the gloves that he was trying on and pulled up a chair before nonchntly sitting.


    down. Then, looking at her with a smile, he said, Tve always detested wearing the same things that


    other people do. Since you¡¯ve knitted me a scarf and a pair of gloves, you¡¯re not allowed to knit these


    things for anyone else, do you understand?¡±


    His smile seemed crisp and pure, just like the first rays of light at dawn. Anyone else would have been


    charmed by such a smile, yet it only made Serenity shudder.


    Was that a warning?


    Was he warning her not to knit any scarves or gloves for anyone else from now on?


    And if it was a warning, who in Sria would ever dare to disobey him?


    On the day Serenity was working as an extra, she went to the designated location before the scheduled


    time. X did not join her this time, though, so there were not many people she knew among the group


    of extras as they reported for the job that day.


    When the time came, the person in charge ticked everyone¡¯s name off the list and led the extras into


    the film set which happened to be rearby today. It was a rented mansion. Although it was still early,


    there had already been a considerable number of fans waiting outside the ce, some of themi holding


    cards. with the name of their favorite celebrity.


    It was then that Serenity saw Jenny Hall¡¯s name among the cards, which made her heart skip a


    beat.


    Would Jenny Hall be on the film set today?


    2/2


    The person in charge had posted the title of this film and she had intended to get more information


    about it, but then she had been distracted by Jackson Valor, so she hadpletely forgotten about it.


    Serenity now regretted not checking for more information about this film after that, but then she


    thought. about it and realized that there might not be any reason to worry about it after all since she


    was just an extra and would probably never have to interact much with Jenny Hall. So, it was likely that


    Jenny might nevere to bother her.

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    1/2


    Serenity¡¯s role as an extra today was to be a maid. All she needed to do was stand at the designated


    spot set by the director and keep her head low. Not only that, she would not be the only maid in the


    scene, but merely one of a group of maids. They had to wait till the main characters walked by, then, at


    the director¡¯s call, all of them were supposed to kneel down in unison, then say, ¡°My lord. Mydy.¡±


    And that was it.


    Because the scene involved kneeling, her pay was increased almost twofold. Serenity thought about it.


    and decided to do it anyway since it was just an act. Besides, even some popr actors had to kneel in


    their roles. When survival was on the line, one must swallow one¡¯s pride and not care too much about


    one¡¯s knees.


    The makeup room for the extras was a big spa c ious room with many makeup artists in it. All the


    extras, whether male or female, had to wait in line here to get their makeup done. The makeup artists


    worked really fast on each extra, barely needing five to six minutes toplete the makeup for an


    extra.


    ¡°Oh!¡± the makeup artist cried out when it was Serenity¡¯s turn. ¡°You¡¯ve got a scar on your forehead!¡±


    Serenity trembled a little, then said, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The scar was on her forehead, near the scalp. It was, in truth, quite inconspicuous, and most people


    did not notice it at all unless they looked at her face carefully. It had been caused by an injury when


    someone had attacked her in prison. Because it was never treated properly, a scar formed after it


    healed.


    Serenity knew exactly why the makeup artist mentioned it too. As a maid extra, she was required to


    have a hairstyle where her bangs had to be smoothed backpletely, revealing her forehead, and


    hence the


    scar.


    ¡°Would it be a problem?¡± she asked, nervous. She had been worried that Jenny Hall would cause her


    trouble, but now, she was even more concerned about whether or not she would be able to keep this


    job. Do you think I can still keep the maid¡¯s role?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the makeup artist assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll use a thickeryer of powder there, and it¡¯ll be


    perfectly concealed.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s makeup was thenpleted a few minutester. She looked into the mirror and was


    surprised to find that the scar really was invisible now.


    She left the makeup room and waited for her turn to be in front of the camera. Just then, she noticed a


    familiar face on set. It was not Jenny Hall, though, but her sister, Aria Lewis!


    Serenity froze. She could never have guessed that not only was Jenny Hall a part of this crew, but Aria


    as well!


    Aria appeared to be a huge celebrity now. Her entourage trailed behind her, Including a few assistants,


    one of which was holding up an umbre above Aria, one was holding her handbag, and another one


    was reading her lines for her to make it easier for Aria to get immersed in the scene she would be


    filmingter that day.


    Aria stopped in her tracks and turned toward Serenity. She seemed taken aback at first, but a smile


    quickly cropped up on her lips. She walked up to Serenity and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?


    Working as an extra?¡±


    By now, Serenity was already dressed up as a maid, so it was obvious what she was doing there.


    Serenity stared at her sister. She was indeed surprised because her sister was evidently no longer just


    a C-


    2/2


    list actress. Every move and every gesture of hers exuded the confidence and haughtiness of a top-tier


    celebrity.


    Aria was not yet in her costume. She was not only wearing expensive designer clothes but seemingly


    priceless shy jewelry too, looking quite literally like a million bucks.


    Serenity would never believe that her sister would ever use counterfeit products. Her pride would neverOwned by N?velDrama.Org.


    allow it, for if anyone ever found out about it, the humiliation would be worse than death for Aria.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Serenity responded proudly, without any intention to hide the fact that she was an extra.

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    Chapter 213


    After all, Serenity had neither stolen nor robbed anyone for this job. She was merely doing honest work


    in exchange for money.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me if you wanted to work as an extra?¡± Aria asked her. ¡°I could¡¯vended you a role


    with a line or two. It would¡¯ve earned you much more than what you make as an extra!¡±


    As Aria spoke, she deliberately stroked her hair to show off the expensive watch on her wrist. Serenity


    noticed this and was amused.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of person who would trick my own sister to have a drink with someone just to ask for a


    role with a few more lines,¡± said Serenity,


    ¡°You¡­¡± Aria¡¯s expression soured. She knew that Serenity was mocking her for trying to offer Serenity


    up to an assistant director in the past. But within a few moments, she looked as if she had suddenly


    thought of something. She looked Serenity up and down as she asked her, ¡°You¡¯re short of money,


    aren¡¯t you? Is that why you¡¯re working as an extra? Don¡¯t you have anyone to lend you some money?


    Why do you need to work so hard for so little money?¡±


    ¡°I have no need to tell you anything.¡±


    Serenity could not be bothered to pay any more attention to Aria, so she just walked past her and over


    to the waiting area for the extras.


    Aria frowned and hesitated for a moment before ordering her assistant, who stood by her side, ¡°Go and


    find out everything you can about that woman called Serenity Lewis. Find out what kind of living


    conditions she¡¯s in right now and who rmended her to work here. Just find out everything about


    her, the more details the better.¡±


    Was there really any connection between Jackson Valor and Serenity Lewis? Aria kept considering this


    question, but she never came up with a certain answer. If the woman she had seen Jackson Valor carry


    into his car truly was Serenity, there would be no need for Serenity to work as an extra to earn money.


    After all, Serenity was never the type of person who had any interest in showbiz at all. If she really


    needed some money, she could have just asked Jackson for it.


    Besides, no one ever earned much money working as an extra!


    Aria was putting on her makeup when her assistant returned with all the information about Serenity,


    ready to report to her.


    ¡°What?!¡± Aria responded in disbelief. ¡°She¡¯s still working at the Sanitation Office? And the person who


    rmended her to work as an extra is her colleague there?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± her assistant replied. ¡°In fact, Mr. Gray heard from the woman who rmended her


    that she¡¯s in desperate need of money right now and was looking for a way to earn some extra money.¡±


    Hearing this, Aria felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off of her chest. It was apparent now that


    Serenity was no longer with Jackson Valor. Or perhaps it was more urate to say that even if she had


    been with Jackson Valor before, their rtionship was now eitherpletely severed or at the very


    least, cold and distant. Otherwise, Serenity would never have to work as an extra just to earn some


    money.


    Aria had been really concerned that her sister might be in some kind of rtionship with Jackson Valor,


    but now that she knew it was nothing after all, she had nothing to worry about if she wanted to do


    something.


    She recalled how she had lost all opportunities in the past after Serenity had been sent to prison. She


    had lost her chance to get leading roles and was forced to be a third-rate actress. After that, in


    order to


    get a chance to get better roles, she made Serenity apany an assistant director, but in the end, all


    she had gotten was a p from the assistant director.


    Her journey after that had be even more tortuous.


    Back then, all she had wanted Serenity to do was talk to Zeke Shaw and ask him to get her better


    roles, but what had her sister done? She had merely gotten on her high horse and refused to help her


    outright!


    All Serenity would have had to do was swallow her pride a little and beg Zeke Hall, and she could


    easily change Aria¡¯s fate, but Serenity had never done anything about it at all,


    t a new


    Had Aria never met Lucas Gomez, she was sure that she would never have a chance to turn over a


    leaf again.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 214

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    Chapter 214


    The thought of Lucas Gomez always stirred up a lingering restlessness in her heart because although


    she had been with him for a long time now, Lucas had still never touched her at all.


    But no matter what, she was still Lucas Gomez¡¯s official girlfriend, and as for Serenity, she would teach


    her how their tables had turned, and she would finally see the price she had to pay for refusing to help


    Aria back then!


    Before filming officially began, the director had everyone rehearse their scenes twice, but Serenity did


    not see Jenny Hall during the rehearsal at all because Jenny had a stand-in take her ce instead.


    Aria, however, did not let a stand-in take her ce. She joined the rehearsals herself, standing next to


    the leading actor. She yed the second female lead in this drama and was the male lead¡¯s concubine.


    She would be sharing a lot of scenes with Jenny Hall as well.


    Lucas Gomez had given her a few roles to choose from, and she had chosen this one herself without


    any hesitation much to Luca s¡¯s own surprise.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d choose a leading role,¡± he said. ¡°This one¡¯s just a supporting role.¡±


    it¡¯s a huge production,¡± she told him. ¡°The director is renowned, the male lead has won the best actor


    award twice, and the female lead, Jenny Hall, is the most popr actress at the moment. If I join such


    a production, even as a supporting actress, Ill get more exposure than bing the female lead of a


    drama with small production!¡±


    Although that was what she told Lucas, no one but Aria knew that these were mere excuses The true


    reason she had chosen to join this production was to show Jenny Hall how far she hade.


    Jenny Hall had always looked down on her. Aria remembered clearly how she had treated her with


    contempt and disdain when she had begged Zeke Shaw for a role! But now, she could show Jenny that


    although she was just a supporting actress, she could easily outsh ne the female lead herself!


    But then, she had gotten another pleasant surprise as Serenity had also joined the production as an


    extra! Now, she could stand tall above these two women at the same time. The thought alone delighted


    her to no end!


    When the second rehearsal ended, the director was about to start the official shooting, but Aria


    suddenly told him, ¡°I think the extras weren¡¯t in unison when they were kneeling down.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The director was taken aback. He thought that the extras had done well enough just now. After


    all, these were just extras, not soldiers. He could not possibly expect absolute unison from them.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Aria insisted in a professional tone as if all she wanted was to get the best result in the


    final version of the drama. ¡°I don¡¯t think they were in unison at all, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to affect the


    overall scene. Why don¡¯t you let them reh ear se it a few more times so that they do it more properly? I


    don¡¯t mind rehearsing with them. All I want is for the scene toe out perfect, anyway!¡±


    Although the director was suspicious of Aria¡¯s sudden request, he was cautious of the fact that she was


    the Prince of the Entertainment Industry¡¯s current girlfriend, so he had to avoid offending her at all


    costs. Hence, he could only fulfill her wish as much as he could and ordered the extras to kneel down


    again.


    And so, Serenity and the rest of the extras went down on their knees and touched their foreheads to


    the ground. At that moment, Aria deliberately walked up to Serenity, making it seem like Serenity was


    kowtowing to Ara.


    22


    Serenity knew then that this was all Aria¡¯s doing, but there was nothing she could do about it since the


    director seemed to be willing to do whatever Aria wanted. If she wanted the pay for the day, she had no


    choice but to do what she was told.


    She thought of the money she still owed Lisa to pay for her grandmother¡¯s medical bills and ground her


    teeth, telling herself to just get it over with.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215


    Chapter 215


    Although she knew that Lisa would never demand her to pay back the money she owed, she still felt


    that she owed her friend too much and could not continue to keep on owing her money any longer.


    Time and time again, Serenity knelt and touched her forehead to the ground, then got up on her feet¡­


    after which the cycle continued over and over again.


    The other extras were doing the same thing too, but they were getting more and more restless. Some


    even demanded more pay since the work was more grueling than they expected.


    Sensing that the extras were getting agitated, the director told his assistant to ask Aria what to do. Aria


    pretended to think about it for a moment before suggesting, ¡°How about this¡­ I think that woman is


    doing a pretty good job. Her posture is correct, and her timing is just right, Why don¡¯t you get her to


    demonstrate it to the rest of the extras? They can study carefully how she does it, and once they


    understand, they can rehe ar se it again. This way, they won¡¯t all be exhausted.


    And the woman she pointed out was Serenity, of course.


    ¡°Still,¡± she added with false concern, ¡®I¡¯m not sure if that woman is willing to do it. After all, shell have to


    work a lot harder than the rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be willing to do it once we pay her more! replied the assistant director, overjoyed. It


    would be much less of a problem if they merely let one extra get tired as opposed to making all of them


    tired. If they all went on strike, they would not be able to find recements in time, and it would even


    cause an


    unwantedmotion.


    Letting just one extra kneel repeatedly was a much more manageable situation. He took Serenity aside


    and told her bluntly that if she was willing to do a demonstration for the rest of the extras, her pay would


    be tripled. But if she was not willing to do it, it would be considered a breach of contract, and she would


    not be paid a single dime.


    Serenity looked at Aria, who was standing nearby. She could not help but find the smile on her sister¡¯s


    face unbearable to see. She knew that Aria had done this on purpose. It was not about wanting her toContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    demonstrate anything at all. Aria merely wanted to torment her. But still¡­ in her current situation,


    getting. paid 150 dors in a single day was just too tempting to refuse.


    Besides, her knees had long been coa rse and bent. She had suffered so much more humiliation and


    torture in prison that kneeling and kowtowing felt like a walk in the park for her now.


    Serenity looked past the assistant director and straight into Aria¡¯s eyes before slowly but firmly


    answering, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    She walked up to Aria with a perfectly calm face, showing neither displeasure nor happiness, and she


    tly asked thetter, ¡°Should I demonstrate it to everyone here and now?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Aria stammered before replying, ¡°Sure!¡±


    Why was Serenity¡¯s reaction so different from what she had expected?! She should at least show some


    signs of humiliation or unwillingness, or at the very least, some grief and pain! Only then would she be


    able to stand proud and savor the delights of being superior to her sister!


    Yet now, Serenity very methodically and precisely demonstrated how she knelt and kowtowed without a


    single expression on her face. Her movements were so urate that no one could find a single w in


    them, but this only robbed Aria of her sense of satisfaction.


    Now it felt like Aria was the one who should feel ashamed!


    27


    Aria was now filled with renewed scorn for her sister. Good! Since Serenity wanted to be an


    emotionless robot now, she would let her have her fill of kowtowing!


    Meanwhile, Jenny Hall sat in her air-conditioned room, listening to her assistant describe what was


    happening outside. Her assistant had even recorded a video of Serenity kneeling and kowtowing with


    her phone, which she handed to Jenny.

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    Chapter 216


    As Jenny Hall watched the video on the phone where Serenity was kneeling over and over again, she


    could not help but smile andment, ¡°Some people just have a death wish.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± her assistant echoed. ¡°This extra must¡¯ve offended Aria Lewis, that¡¯s why she was targeted


    like that! Everyone on set knows that you must never offend Aria Lewis¡­¡±


    The assistant stopped abruptly, realizing that she had said the wrong thing. Her face turned pale as she


    hastily added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jenny. I was so mistaken. This Aria Lewis is a nobody, anyway. She¡¯s just


    Lucas Gomez¡¯s current girlfriend, that¡¯s all. She can be all haughty and proud now, but when she finally


    gets dumped, she probably won¡¯t even get minor roles, let alone a supporting one!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Jenny in a t tone. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say these things. I¡¯m well aware of it.¡±


    Ever since Aria Lewis had joined the production, she had never once treated Jenny with respect. Every


    time they bumped into each other, all Aria did was either mock her sarcastically or sometimes even


    openly confront her.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    She knew, of course, that Aria was putting on airs in front of her now because she resented Jenny for


    what happened in the past. Still, Jenny never concerned herself with a woman like Aria Lewis. She had


    a humble background and was only lucky that Lucas Gomez was interested in her right now, but


    everyone in the industry knew how short each of Lucas¡¯ s girlfriend¡¯s ¡®shelf life¡± was. At most, Aria could


    probably. remain Lucas ¡®s girlfriend for a few more months, and that would be the end of it.


    Besides, the more arrogant Aria was, the worse her ending would be in the future.


    ¡°The one who has a death wish isn¡¯t the extra,¡± Jenny said, her interest somewhat aroused.


    This surprised her assistant. Not the extra? Then, could it be that Jenny meant¡­ Aria Lewis?!


    But the person Aria Lewis was bullying was just a lowly extra! What kind of danger could a mere extra


    pose? No matter what it was, she could not possibly be a threat to someone like Aria Lewis, right? After


    all, she had the support of the Prince of the Entertainment Industry himself!


    Jenny had no desire to exin things any further. She took another look at the video her assistant had


    recorded. It was indeed a delightful scene to watch for her! She despised both Aria and Serenity


    anyway, so seeing them both attack each other really did make for a good show for her to watch!


    She wondered how would Jackson Valor punish Ania Lewis for what she had done today. Perhaps he


    would have Aria thrown into a ditch without waiting for her to break up with Lucas Gomez? The thought


    filled Jenny¡¯s heart with joy¡­ but it was not without a sense of terror.


    After all, Jackson Valor was not a man to y by the rules. He might have been Jenny¡¯s sister¡¯s former


    fiance, but every time Jenny faced this man, she could not help but feel intimidated and afraid of him.


    That man was the definition of unfathomable. He could be smiling at you in one second, yet send you


    straight to hell in the next second. He could turn the tides with his bare hands and change someone¡¯s


    fate without any effort at all. Even her own family, the Hall family, would never dare to go up against a


    man like Jackson Valor.


    She could only wonder how long his Interest in Serenity Lewis wouldst.


    With this thought in mind, Jenny got up and announced, ¡°Well, I¡¯d better go outside and watch this


    show myself. It would be a pity not to see this with my own eyes.¡±


    As she spoke, she strode idly out of the lounge.

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    Chapter 217


    Jenny¡¯s assistant quickly followed her when she saw Jenny leaving the room.


    It was early April then, and the weather was still a bit chilly. The male extras wore moreyers of


    clothes, so they were doing fine, but the female extras were only permitted to wear the baseyers of


    clothes to prevent them from looking bloated on camera, For this reason, the female extras were all


    shivering from the cold. And so, taking advantage of the fact that they were now only watching a


    demonstration, they all rushed to put on their own coats to protect themselves from the cold.


    All except Serenity, who was still wearing her costume and kneel ng over and over again.


    As for Aria, because they were not officially filming yet, she had been wearing her thick coat above her


    costume all along.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m not sure if they saw it clearly just now. Why don¡¯t you kneel again and do it more slowly


    this time? That way, everyone can see it more clearly.¡±


    Aria still would not stop urging Serenity to keep on kneeling.


    Still, Serenity only looked straight at Aria coldly and calmly responded, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Following that, Serenity proceeded to kneel again.


    By that point, everyone else could tell that Aria was deliberately bullying Serenity!


    All Aria wanted was to see Serenity suffer and in pain. Only then could she be satisfied, yet no matter


    what, Serenity still would not give her what she wanted.


    Thinking of this, she suddenly loosened her grip on the prop heater that she was holding in her hand.


    The prop heater fell straight down with a thud, followed by the sound of Serenity¡¯s pained muf fled


    gasp.


    The copper heater had crashed on Serenity¡¯s left hand, who was still kowtowing on the floor. It barely


    missed her head by a hair¡¯s breadth!


    Serenity sat straight up, osted by a sharp pang of pain from her left hand. She looked up at Aria and


    saw a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. Evidently, she had done this on purpose.


    But in the next second, Aria¡¯s expression changed. She now seemed full of concern and guilt as she


    leaned down, almost as if she was trying to help Serenity up onto her feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± she told Serenity. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I..¡¯


    But before she could finish her sentence, someone else had rushed to Serenity¡¯s side and helped her


    up.


    ¡°Are you okay? Is your hand hurt?


    Serenity looked up and recognized that the person who hade to her help was Lucas Gomez.


    Even Aria was bbergasted when she noticed Lucas ¡®s sudden appearance. When¡­ When had he


    gotten there? And what was he doing helping Serenity right now?!


    Judging by what she knew of Lucas, he was never the kind of man to feel sympathy for anyone. Even if


    he chanced upon someone trying to jump off a building, there was no guarantee that Lucas would do


    anything to stop that person, so it was simply ridiculous that he would help someone whose hand had


    gotten slightly hurt!


    As Lucas spoke, he gently touched Serenity¡¯s scalded hand, but just as his finger touched the raw part


    of her skin, Serenity could not stifle a sharp gasp. She frowned, and a suppressed cry of pain escaped


    her lips.


    Lucas ¡®s eyes darkened, then he quickly gathered Serenity into his arms and lifted her up before


    instructing his employee who had been following behind him, ¡°Go get the doctor on set and tell him to


    go to the


    lounge.¡±


    ¡°Lucas!¡± Aria shouted,pletely unable to process what she was seeing in front of her.


    But she was his real girlfriend! Why was Lucas carrying Serenity off, then?!


    All Lucas did was glower at Aria coldly before quickly carrying Serenity into the lounge.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218


    Chapter 218


    Everyone on set was in an uproar. Some even looked at Aria with pity on their faces, thinking that her


    shelf life¡± as Lucas Gomez¡¯s new girlfriend was now close to expiration because he clearly favored the


    extra over her just now!


    Even Jenny Hall, who had been watching nearby, was stunned for a moment. Serenity Lewis and


    Lucas Gomez? What exactly was going on here?! Could it be that Lucas Gomez was interested in her


    too? Just now, it obviously looked like he was trying to protect her!


    But what about Jackson Valor? Did he know what was going on between Lucas Gomez and Serenity


    Lewis?


    ¡°Oh.


    my Go d,¡± Jenny¡¯s assistant eximed, ¡°What a dramatic twist! The prince and the extra¡­¡±


    Then, with a mocking tone, she added, ¡°Looks like Aria Lewis has been kicked to the curb! Lucas


    Gomez clearly didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with her anymore! Perhaps she was bullying that


    extra because she found out that Lucas Gomez was interested in her?¡±


    Jenny¡¯s assistant thought it was a reasonable guess to make..


    Meanwhile, Jenny remained silent with her eyes lowered, as if she was in deep contemtion.


    Aria, who had been struck dumb and was still standing at the same spot, finally regained her senses.


    She looked around and saw pity, ridicule, and even mockery in the eyes of those around her. It felt like


    she had been pped across the face a million times


    But she should have been the most sought-after woman in the industry right now! All eyes should be on


    her, full of envy and jealousy! So why was everyone looking at her as if she was a clown or a pitiful joke


    right now?!


    It felt as if the halo around her body hadpletely vanished, and now, all she had be was a poor


    wretched woman.


    Aria wanted to shout out and remind everyone that she was Lucas Gomez¡¯s real girlfriend! Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    But in the end, she did not make a sound at all, and she just rushed out of the ce with her face


    flustered.


    At that point, the assistant director turned to the director with a nk expression and asked, ¡°W-What


    now¡­?¡±


    Aria was still the supporting actress with an important role, after all. With her gone, there was not much


    that they could film that day! But what could they do when all of this was connected to Lucas Gomez?


    Now, no one would even dare to think about meddling in the matter.


    The director sighed heavily and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s just shoot the scenes without Aria Lewis in it for now!¡±


    What else could they do, anyway?!


    Lucas carried Serenity straight into the lounge. Not only was she in pain the whole time, but she was


    also embarrassed-in pain because of her hand, and embarrassed because she was carried there.


    Because of the injury to her hand, she had no way to push him away, so she could only tell him, ¡°it¡¯s my


    hand that was injured, not my feet. I¡¯m perfectly capable of walking, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he replied calmly, yet he still kept on carrying her.


    With that kind of response, Serenity no longer knew what else to say.


    1

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    Chapter 219


    It was not until they were inside the lounge that Lucas finally put Serenity down on the sofa. He looked


    at her left hand, which she was covering with her right hand, and asked her, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Just a little,¡± she mumbled.


    He could see from her pained expression that she was making it sound less serious than it actually


    was. The usual calmness and tranquility she had on her delicate face were now gone, reced by a


    tight knit in the brows and sickly pallor. Even her voice sounded like it was taking her a lot of effort just


    to speak.


    The sight of her suffering like that tightened his chest, but it was such a foreign feeling for him. So was


    how he had felt when he had seen her kneeling and kowtowing. When he saw that copper heater fall


    on her hand-it was such a raw pain that he thought he had gotten a thorough thrashing!


    And then, he almost reflexively rushed to her side to help her up.


    Lucas asked himself, why had he done that? He had already confirmed that Serenity was not the


    woman he was looking for when he went to the small town, so why was he still so inexplicably drawn to


    her?


    Was it because of the way she looked? She did indeed look just like the girl in his memories, so


    perhaps that was why even though his logical brain knew that she was not the one, his emotions were


    still heavily influenced by her?


    Soon afterward, the doctor on set arrived and went straight to giving Serenity a preliminary


    examination. He had to use a firmer touch on her injured hand in order to determine whether or not her


    bones were affected, but this only made the pain even more excruciating for her.


    She bit her lips hard, and beads of sweat broke out on her forehead. She could only respond to the


    doctor¡¯s questions with a nod or shake of her head.


    When the doctor was finally done, Serenity felt like she might copse any minute now. Her forehead


    and her back were soaked in sweat.


    ¡°The bones are fine,¡± said the doctor. ¡°You just need to apply some medicine on the bruises, that¡¯s all.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    For now, make sure you take good care of this hand and try not to use it to carry any heavy objects. If


    you¡¯re still worried, you may get it examined more thoroughly at the hospital.¡±


    The doctor was just an on-site doctor on the film set, after all, so he could only treat some minor


    injuries and apply some bandages here. There would be nothing he could do if the injury had been


    more serious since he did not have any adequate medical equipment here.


    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Serenity. ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±


    She was finally relieved. Had the injury affected her bones, she was not even sure if she could still


    keep doing her job at the Sanitation Office. With a job like hers, they simply could not afford to take


    much time off from work, and the Sanitation Office would never agree to grant her a long medical leave


    to


    recuperate.


    Once the doctor left, Lucas told her, ¡°It might look like you¡¯re fine, but I think you¡¯d better get it


    examined properly at the hospital.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she refused. ¡°I just go get some medicine for the bruises from the pharmacy. By the way¡­


    Thanks for helping me just now.¡±


    No matter what, it was Lucas who had helped her up and even gotten the doctor on set to examine her


    hand.


    He raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, ¡°What exactly was going on just now? Why were you


    kneeling


    and kowtowing?¡±


    In fact, she was repeating the movements many times over! That was the first thing he had seen when


    he had first arrived, though he had only seen her back, so he had not recognized her at first.


    Lucas had decided toe to the set on an impulse today without any particr reason other than to


    visit Aria at work. He never expected to walk in just as the copper heater fell on Serenity¡¯s hand. It was


    only when she sat straight up and raised her head to look at Aria that he finally recognized her!


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Serenity replied calmly. ¡°Apparently I knelt and kowtowed very well, so they wanted me to


    demonstrate it in front of the others.¡±


    Lucas narrowed his eyes and focused on her forehead. Because it had been covered in a thinyer of


    sweat, he had not noticed anything before, but now that she had dabbed it with a tissue, he finally


    realized that there was a red round bruise right in the middle of her forehead.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220


    This bruise had obviously been caused by the repeated kowtowing.


    ¡°Did you really just¡­ do whatever they told you to do?


    For some reason, Lucas suddenly got angry.


    ¡°What else could I do?¡± Serenity responded. ¡°Refuse them? In that case, I wouldn¡¯t get paid a single


    dime today.¡±


    He almost choked. He was fully aware that extras were the workers at the lowest rung of the hierarchy


    on set, and they basically had no bargaining power at all when they were demanded to do something.


    ¡°How much are you getting paid per day as an extra?¡± he asked in a muf fled voice.


    ¡°I was initially promised 80 dors,¡± she exined, ¡°but because there would be a kneeling scene, 50


    dors was added. Just now, when I had to demonstrate kowtowing alone in front of the others, I was


    given another 200 dors


    He stared at her with roiling emotions. So, she had kept on kneeling and kowtowing over and over


    again, all just for 330 dors?


    Did this wornan not know how to protect herself?!


    ¡°Are there any past grudges between you and Aria Lewis?¡± he asked. He could naturally tell that what


    had happened just now was because Ana deliberately wanted to bully Serenity, yet no one on set


    dared to say anything about it


    On one hand, this was, of course, due to how little extras were valued on set. The crew was full of


    shrewd people, so everyone knew not to offend Aria Lewis just to help a lowly extra


    But it was also not least due to the fact that the person supporting Aria Lewis¡­ was Lucas himself!


    Thinking of this, Lucas felt as if his chest was stuffed with a heavy load that suffocated him.


    ¡°She¡¯s my half-sister,¡± Serenity exined bluntly, ¡°born of a different mother. As for past grudges, I


    guess she has always felt that her career and future were ruined because I had been in prison before.¡±


    Even if she did not tell him any of this, Serenity was sure that Lucas could easily find out the truth


    without expending much effort at all. Hence she found no reason to conceal anything from him.


    Mild surprise shed in his eyes. Although he basically knew everything about Aria¡¯s life and was wellContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    aware of the fact that she had a half-sister who did not live with her, he had never bothered to find out


    what Ana¡¯s half-sister¡¯s name was. But that was only to be expected since he never cared much about


    Ana, anyway. He only kept her by his side because Aria¡¯s lips reminded him of the girl in his memories.


    He never expected the woman in front of him to turn out to be Aria¡¯s half-sister.


    Just then, the door to the lounge swung open, and in came the woman they had been talking about-


    Aria Lewis. She walked in with her face pale as a sheet. She nced at Serenity¡¯s now bandaged hand


    and then turned to Lucas, who was frowning slightly and ring at her with displeasure.


    Aria rushed to Luca s¡¯s side and tried her best to look guilty and remorseful, saying. ¡°Thank you for


    bringing my sister here and getting the doctor to check up on her, Lucas. I bumped into the doctor on


    my way here, and he told me that my sister¡¯s injury isn¡¯t serious at all. I was so relieved when I heard


    that.¡±


    Then, she turned to Serenity and said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for what happened, Sis. I should¡¯ve held onto the


    heater more carefully. I didn¡¯t mean to let it fall on you.¡±


    Serenity stared nkly at her half-sister. She remembered how she used to love Aria sincerely and


    wanted to help her as much as she could with her career in the entertainment industry because to her,


    they were family no matter what.


    But after that car crash, she finally understood that her eamest feelings for Aria werepletely one-


    sided.


    And now, she also figured out exactly how Aria was able to climb up the careerdder so quickly,


    leaping from her past position as a third-rate actress tond a role as the second lead in a major


    production and why even the director had to do everything she wanted.

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    Chapter 221


    Chapter 221


    So, Aria¡¯s backer behind the scenes was Lucas, huh?


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll send you a copy of the receipts for the medicines I buy and the proof of the loss of wages or


    whatever. Please take care of the payment.¡± Serenity said before turning to Lucas. ¡°Mr. Gomez, thank


    you for today. I¡¯ll take


    my leave now.¡±


    After saying that, Serenity left the lounge, leaving Lucas and Ana behind.


    Lucas stared coldly at Aria, which caused her heart to race.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Aria forced a smile and said, ¡°Lucas, why are you looking at me like that? By the way¡­ About my


    sister¡­ Have you met her before?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to dig for information? Lucas shot back instead of answering.


    ¡°¡­ was just curious. My sister never mentioned it,¡± she said.


    ¡°Of course. Your sister lives in a rundown and small rented house, working as a street sweeper, and


    now, she¡¯s just an extra. For the sake of 330 dors, she kept kneeling and bowing to her own sister. I


    do wonder why she never mentioned it to you? Lucas said in an unusually cold voice.


    At least for Aria, it was the first time he had spoken to her in such a chilling voice.


    Ania trembled involuntarily as she stammered, ¡°Lucas. my sister and I had some misunderstandings


    before¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, do tell. What kind of misunderstanding would cause her to kneel and bow repeatedly to you?¡±


    Lucas countered


    Aria felt a wave of panic wash over her as she tried to exin, I¡­ I just wanted the shots to look better,


    and my sister¡¯s movements were done correctly, so I thought of asking her to demonstrate¡­ I didn¡¯t


    have any other intentions¡­¡±


    Aria tripped over her words and tried to make herself appear innocent, but under Luca s¡¯s gaze, she


    only grew increasingly nervous.


    ¡°Enough. You don¡¯t need to say such things anymore. Do you really think anyone would believe your


    reasons?¡± Lucas coldly interrupted. ¡°Do you think of yourself as a fact, or do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡±


    Her face immediately turned pale, feeling as if he had seen right through her.


    Lucas casually took hold of Aria¡¯s hand. On her slender wrist was a diamond-encrusted watch, a limited


    edition worth two million in the market.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve turned the tables and now want to show off in front of your sister? Do you want


    her to know how capable you are, how easily you can make her kneel and bow down, and how you can


    do whatever you want while she can¡¯t even resist? Lucas spoke as if he were having a casual


    conversation, but Aria listened in fear.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve given you quite a lot during this time. Not to mention, there are some people who, in


    order to please you, have secretly given you quite a bit. Any item you pick from your possessions is


    probably something your sister couldn¡¯t earn in several years of work. And you? Have you ever thought


    about helping her out?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Aria widened her eyes but couldn¡¯t utter aplete sentence.


    She started trembling violently as she processed everything he had said. She thought she had been


    discreet when she had epted those so-called gifts from others. Those people wanted her to say a


    few


    Chipp 221


    good words on their behalf to Lucas, to be amodating in certain matters.


    And indeed, she had ¡°amodated¡± those people, sessfullypleting a few tasks and


    intentionally speaking well of them in front of Lucas, which led to their requests being granted.

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222


    Chapter 222


    It turns out what Aria thought was discreet had been so tantly and simply exposed by him.


    ¡°Do you know why I didn¡¯t reveal it earlier? Because it didn¡¯t bother me much. You were so eager to act


    in front of me, so I thought I should let you earn some hard-earned money, right?¡± he said casually.


    She looked stunned, and her face turned red. It felt as if someone had pped her face several times.


    It was both hurtful and embarrassing.


    ¡°However, some people go overboard with their acting, thinking too highly of themselves,¡± Luca s¡¯s


    expression darkened as he took the expensive watch off Aria¡¯s wrist and yed with it. ¡°I can bring you


    up, but it doesn¡¯t mean you can act recklessly. Otherwise, I can lift you as high as I want and make you


    fall just as miserably.¡±


    As he finished speaking, he released his grip, and the watch fell heavily to the ground, forming fine cra


    cks on its surface.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Aria gasped and tensed, clearly frightened by the man¡¯s words and actions


    ¡°Also, you don¡¯t need to attend tonight¡¯s banquet,¡± Lucas said, walking out of the lounge without giving


    Aria a chance to defend herself!


    Aria looked panicked as she stared at the watch on the ground. It was worth over two million! It was the


    first time in her life she had wom such an expensive watch. But he had just thrown it like that! Was he


    trying to tell her that he could treat her the same anytime he felt like it?


    Even if people praised her to the skies, Lucas could easily just brush her aside without care!


    Aria clenched her hands tightly at her sides, channeling all her anger toward Serenity


    Tonight¡¯s banquet was a gathering of the elite in Sria. She had been looking forward to it for a long


    time, even especially having a dress flown in from France to amaze everyone and boost her reputation.


    It was also supposed to help herwork and establish connections with various influential figures.


    But all of it was useless now. Because of Serenity, she couldn¡¯t attend the banquet tonight!


    She would definitely make Serenity pay for this!


    The banquet of the city¡¯s top elites naturally attracted reporters. However, such an event wasn¡¯t


    essible to just any reporter. Many of them had to gather and wait at the entrance in hopes of


    capturing some valuable footage.


    One by one, luxury cars pulled up at the entrance of the banquet venue, and the people that stepped


    out of those cars were all influential figures from various sectors of the city.


    Suddenly, a ck Bentley rolled to a stop at the venue¡¯s entrance. Experienced reporters, upon seeing


    the license te, knew exactly who had arrived and thus set down their cameras and video recorders.


    After all, this person never liked being photographed by reporters. In the past, some ignorant reporters


    had managed to capture a frontal picture of this individual and had the audacity to post it online


    Needless to say, the photo had been swiftly deleted. Not only did that reporter lose their job, but they


    couldn¡¯t even stay in the city anymore.


    A saying circted within the journalistmunity. ¡°Don¡¯t ever photograph Jackson unless it¡¯s


    absolutely necessary. And even if you identally snap a picture, never publish or post it online. The


    bottom line is that you can capture his back view at most, and he likely won¡¯t pursue it further.¡±


    The door of the Bentley opened, and a tall figure stepped out of the car.


    The crowd couldn¡¯t help but be dazzled by the sight before them.

 Chapter 223

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    Chapter 223


    Even though tonight¡¯s banquet had some top-tier celebrities in attendance, Jackson was in no way


    inferior to those A-list actors.


    In fact, his presence was even more captivating. Despite possessing a beautiful face, it was his


    enchanting eyes, known in the journalist circle for their alluring charm, that truly stole the show.


    It was indescribably enchanting when he gazed at someone with those alluring eyes with a twin kle in


    them, apanied by a faint hint of a smile on his lips. Regardless of gender, anyone would be drawn


    to


    him.


    However, when those eyes turned cold, they exuded an inexplicable sense of pressure.


    At this moment, Jackson had his eyes partially closed, surrounded by his bodyguards and the venue¡¯s


    security personnel. His lean and well tailored ck suit entuated his slender and proportionate


    figure, exuding a sense of elegance from head to toe.


    Jackson had always been known for his impable fashion sense, and this was a consensus in the


    journalist circle, However, today, there seemed to be a slight except an


    Everything else seemed fine except for the light purple scarf around Jackson¡¯s neck and the matching


    gloves on his hands


    They looked somewhat strange and out of ce.


    ¡°Why do the scarf and gloves seem a bit different from Jackson¡¯s usual style?¡± whispered a reporter.


    ¡°They appear a bit rough, and they even have a hint of a vintage look. Are they a new retro collection


    from a famous brand?


    ¡°This shade of light purple is usually quite challenging for men to pull off, but it seems surprisingly


    suitable for Jackson.¡±


    Although Jackson disliked being photographed, some reporters coudn¡¯t resist secretly snapping


    pictures¡± Strangely enough, when his apanying bodyguard noticed this, he initially intended to


    approach to stop them, but Jackson seemed to have said something that made the bodyguard stop in


    his tracks.


    Finally.


    when Jackson entered the venue and out of the reporters¡¯ sight, the sneaky photographer couldn¡¯t help


    but breathe a sigh of relief.


    The sneaky photographer had thought that the bodyguard would approach him and demand that he


    delete the content from his phone.


    Once inside the venue, Jackson naturally became the center of attention, especially for many socialites


    who were eager to get close to him.


    Caleb walked up to Jackson and examined his friend¡¯s attire before saying ¡°You¡¯re quite eye-calching


    with this outfit. The scarf and gloves seem to be different than your usual style, though.¡±


    Jackson raised an eyebrow. What¡¯s my usual style, then?¡±


    ¡®Definitely not these soft-colored knitted scarfs and gloves! Caleb thought.


    ¡°By the way, do you want me to introduce you to some prominent socialites from the cly? Caleb


    suddenly suggested.


    ¡°No need,¡± Jackson coldly rejected.


    Caleb¡¯s face immediately turned bitter. Just let me introduce them, otherwise, I¡¯ll be annoyed to death


    by


    212


    those women.¡±


    These women were the precious daughters of family friends who had close ties with Caleb¡¯s family.


    In theory, Caleb should have been their top consideration as part of their social circle, but unfortunately.


    these socialites didn¡¯t find him appealing and were desperate to connect with Jackson instead


    It was like Caleb couldn¡¯t do anything about this!


    After all, he wasn¡¯t bad-looking and had a charming personality, yet those women didn¡¯t show interest


    in him.


    It seemed like there was simply something wrong with their eyes!Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224


    Chapter 224


    Jackson nced at Caleb in disdain, and Caleb overheard a socialite nearby muttering, ¡°Wow, he even


    looks good when he rolls his eyes!


    Caleb was speechless at that and had an urge to throw up. Jackson had merely rolled his eyes and


    these infatuated girls were making a big deal out of it?!


    Just as Jackson removed his gloves, Caleb suddenly discovered something. He quickly snat ched the


    gloves from Jackson¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Huh¡­ these ves seem to be hanc knitted, but the craftsmanship isn¡¯t that great. Calebmented


    with a puzzled expression. ¡°And the yarn, it looks like old yam. Did some store scam you by selling you


    such gloves?


    ¡°Who said I bought them? Jackson replied nonchntly.


    Caleb¡¯s aw dropped in disbelief. If he hadn¡¯t bought them, then was possible.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did someone knit them and give them to you?¡±


    Jackson cdn¡¯t answer, but his expression confirmed it.


    Caleb felt his head spinning from the nformation Someone had given them to Jackson? Considering


    Jackson¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t wear anything like this, let alone in such a public setting


    Who could have knitted them? What kind of person would knit such¡­ well, these average-looking scarf


    and gloves, and still Jackson was willing to wear them?


    A thought momentanly shed through Caleb¡¯s mind. There had been rumors about Jackson rescuing


    a woman in a nearby town on New Year¡¯s Eve and abandoning Master Zack in the process. It was an


    incident that even involved the local police.


    Was it possibly the same woman?!


    While lost in his thoughts, Jackson extended his hand toward Caleb and said, ¡°Give them back.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Caleb snapped out of his trance and was about to return the gloves to Jackson when someone


    spoke from the side. ¡°Those gloves¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the gloves Jackson wore today.¡± Caleb said first, and they¡¯re¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Lucas interjected, ¡°Hand-knitted.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you can tell? Caleb grumbled good-naturedly


    Luca s¡¯s gaze was fixed on the gloves, and he then looked at Jackson with a hint of surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something with these gloves? Jackson asked, sensing that Luca s¡¯s


    expression had changed when he looked at thern.


    ¡°Did someone give them to you? Lucas asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jackson replied with narrowed eyes, observing the change in Lucas ¡®s gaze. ¡°Have you seen


    these gloves before?¡±


    Lucas met Jackson¡¯s gaze head-on and answered directly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    In that instant, a sense of tension seemed to fill the air.


    Caleb couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°What are you two talking about? What¡¯s with that, anyway? By the


    way, Lucas, why didn¡¯t you bring your new girl friend today? Thoard she was causing a scene on the


    set and


    ended up crossing you


    Lucas nced at Caleb indifferently, ¡°You seem to be well-informed.


    ¡°Not really!¡¯ Caleb said modestly. ¡°I just happened to chat with someone who told me the gossip Heard


    that your girl friend made an extra kneel and bow to her non-stop, but you publicly humiliated her and


    took the extra to the dressing room. So, did the extra catch your eyes and you¡¯re now kicking out your


    newly appointed girlfriend?¡±

 Chapter 225

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    Caleb was joking when he made the remark. He had grown ustomed to his friend changing


    girlfriends, and it would be a real surpnse if Lucas went a prolonged period without doing so. But if


    Lucas were to rece his current little star, it would be the shortest rtionship he had ever had.


    ¡°Well, I suppose you could say that, Lucas calmly replied, his gaze stillcked with Jackson¡¯s.


    Caleb didn¡¯t think much of it, but sudden, Jackson¡¯s face darkened, and even the air around them


    seemed to grow cold and heavy,


    ¡°Hey, Jackson, what¡¯s wrong? Why the serious face? Caleb asked, puzzled by the inexplicable and


    eerie atmosphere.


    Jackson ignored Caleb. His inky dark eyes were fixed on Lucas, and the corner of his ps quirked up.


    ¡°That extra, was she your girlfriend¡¯s sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Quite a coincidence, isn¡¯t it? Lucas said.


    Jackson¡¯s smile grew wider, but his eyes remained icy cold. ¡°Yes, what a coincidence indeed.¡±


    After uttering those words, he turned around and walked toward the venue¡¯s exit.


    Celeb had a bewildered expression and looked at Lucas standing beside him, ¡°What¡¯s going on with


    Jackson¡­ Did he just leave? He just arrved not long ago!¡±


    Lucas, however, kept his gaze fixed on Jackson¡¯s retreating figure, his expression equally grave.


    ¡°Did you say something that I didnt catch earlier? Caleb asked. He had clearly understood everything


    his two trends said, but now, he felt like he might have missed something. Their reactions were utterly


    iprehensible to him


    ¡°it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that some things are truly too coincidental, Lucas said, lowering his gaze lightly.


    He had heard from Caleb that Jackson seemed to be concerned about a certain woman, but he never


    expected that the woman Jackson cared about would turn out to be Serenity.


    At this moment, Serenity was eating takeout while scrolling through her phone and watching random


    videos.


    The current video she was watching was a live stream by a popr inte celebrity standing in front


    of the event venue, live-streaming tonight¡¯s gathering of Sria City¡¯s elites. The inte celebr ty


    mentioned that the stars and influencers should have already arrived Although she didn¡¯t have the


    qualifications to enter, she would wall cutside in case she could bump into one of them if they came


    out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how lucky we are today. Shall we wait together?¡± the inte celebrity said, striking various


    Cute poses in front of the camera to attract the viewers.


    Serenity didn¡¯t particrly care about celebrities and wasn¡¯t really interested to see if the inte


    celebrity would run into any of them. She was simply watching it as a way to pass the time while eating.


    On the stream, the inte celebrity started interacting with the viewers, asking them to guess which


    celebrity she might bump into today. She even organized a voting session and other activities.


    Just then, the person in charge of filming alerted the inte celebrity. ¡°Sameone¡¯sing out.¡±


    Immediately, the camera angle turned, and indeed, a figure was swiftly walking out of the venue.


    The inte celebrity became excited and quickly eximed, ¡°I wonder who it is. The banquet must


    have just started, yet this person ising out. Maybe they have something urgent to attend to? Let¡¯s


    move our camera over there and see who it is. Hopefully, it¡¯s the celebrity we¡¯ve been waiting for!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 226

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    Chapter 226


    Just as the person got closer to the camera, their figure became clearer on screen.


    When Serenity saw the person on the screen, she almost spat out the food in her mouth.


    It was¡­ Jackson!


    On the screen, Jackson was dressed in a ck suit. He stood tall with a neat hairstyle, looking like a


    noble and elegant gentleman. The only thing that seemed out of ce was the scarf around his neck


    and matching gloves on his hands, which seemedpletely mismatched with the suit.


    Netizens were already discussing and flooding the screen withments inside the live stream chat.


    [Who¡¯s that?]


    [He doesn¡¯t seem like a celebrity, but he¡¯s so handsome! Oh my, I would dly kneel before his suit


    pants.]


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    [Oh my gosh, is this person really not a celebrity?! If he debuts, I¡¯ll be his number-one fan!]


    [Quick, go and interview him! Talk to him! I can¡¯t wait!]


    The inte celebrity smiled brightly at the camera and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and interview him, then.


    Hopefully, this gentleman will agree to our interview!¡±


    However, after taking a few steps forward, she realized that the person holding the camera didn¡¯t follow


    along. She turned back and joked, ¡°Come on, is our cameraman tired today? Can¡¯t keep up?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­ Jackson¡­. It¡¯s Jackson Valor!¡± a shaky voice came from off-screen, clearly from the person


    filming.


    ¡°What?¡± The inte celebrity was shocked, a disbelieving expression on her face. She quickly looked


    back at the man and then immediately shouted in a panicked voice, ¡°Quick, cut the feed! Stop


    recording!


    But it was toote. As soon as the person holding the camera revealed that it was Jackson they had


    captured, exploded with excitement.


    the viewers


    Who Jackson was was clear to many people. After all, their daily lives, including food, clothing, shelter,


    and transportation, often involved the Valor Group.


    However, Jackson had always disliked being photographed, so there were unwritten rules in the media.


    Even if they managed to capture Jackson, they would only show blurry distant figures or his back.


    However, this inte celebrity had managed to capture Jackson¡¯s face in incredible rity in a video


    and during a live broadcast, no less.


    [Oh my goodness, so this is how Jackson looks! He¡¯s so handsome!]


    [Please take my knees.


    [He¡¯s my husband! I¡¯mpletely devoted to him!]


    [None of you better try to steal my husband!


    The live stream was filled with crazyments all the way until it was shut down.


    However, not long after, when Serenity was browsing the inte, she stumbled upon the video that


    captured Jackson¡¯s appearance during the live broadcast which already had numerousments.


    Besides praising Jackson¡¯s stunning appearance, there was curiosity about his early departure,


    Many were discussing Jackson¡¯s early exit and wondered what the reason for it could possibly be.


    Some even meticulously analyzed the footage of Jackson¡¯s departure, pointing out that he was walking


    faster than an ordinary person, suggesting that he might have had an urgent matter to attend to.


    As for what that urgent matter could be, people began specting. Some suggested that something


    had happened in the Valor Group that required Jackson¡¯s immediate attention, while others spected


    it anlght be rted to Master Zack.


    Chapter 220


    2/2


    After all, there had been previous media reports about Master Zack¡¯s long-term hospitalization, and


    many people knew about

 Chapter 227

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    Chapter 227


    There were even spections that Jackson Vr had an argument with someone at the banquet and


    left in anger. There were also spections that jackson Valor was annoyed at bring pestered by all the


    female socialites there, so he left early.


    In short, there were all kinds of spections.


    Serenity read all this like she was reading, normal gossip. She also wondered what made Jackson


    leave so suddenly.


    There was a knock on the door. Serenity got up to open it and, upon seeing the person standing


    outside, almost choked.


    *Cough*¡­*cough*¡­¡± She coughed, her face turning red.


    Who would have thought that the person whose whereabouts theizens had been discussing the


    whole day would suddenly appear outside her door?


    Jackson frowned and patted Serenity¡¯s back to help her get her breath back. ¡°Why are you coughing so


    hard? Did you catch a


    cold?


    She shook her head and kept coughing. No, she did fot catch a cold; she choked because she was


    shocked at his sudden


    appearance.


    When Serenity finally got her breath back, she looked at Jackson and asked, ¡°What¡­ What are you


    doing here?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± he asked bark


    She pursed her lips. Of course he could be here, but..


    He walked inside and closed the door behind him. The small rental house seemed a little smaller with


    him in it.


    His eyes fell on his left hand, which was still red and swollen. ¡°How did your hand get hurt? Did it get


    hurt during filming earlier today?¡±


    While asking that, he grabbed huld of her wrist and inspected her left hand. His fingers were about to


    touch the red swelling on the back of her hand when she yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it! I just rubbed some


    ointment on it!¡±


    He retracted his fingers slightly, but he kept his eyes on the swelling on the back of her hand.


    He heard about the kowtowing and kneeling from Caleb, but he did not hear about her hand getting


    injured,


    The angry swelling was especially conspicuous because her hand was so slender.


    ¡°Some props dropped on my hand,¡± Serenity replied nonchntly, but she suddenly realized something


    with a jolt. She looked at him in surprise and asked, ¡°How did you know I was filming today?¡±


    He frowned even harder after he saw the bruise on her forehead. ¡°Was that from the kowtowing?¡±


    She inhaled sharply at his touch.


    Although the swelling on her forehead was not as bad as the one on the back of her hand, it was still


    painful when it was


    touched


    Since he already knew that she was working as an extra, it did not surprise her that he also knew about


    the kowtowing. After all, she did that in front of a lot of people on the set.


    Jackson looked really mad, as if someone owed him a lot of money. The air pressure seemed to have


    dropped significantly.


    Serenity stared right back at Jackson. She could not understand why he had suddenly left the banquet


    toe to her house. All he had done aftering here was ask her about the filming


    Her confused and naive expression made him feel even more annoyed for some reason.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 228

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    Chapter 228


    Earlier in the evening, his mood turned sour at the thought of her getting bullied on the set. He was


    anxious to see her. Now that he had seen her, his mood became even worse!


    Jackson flicked the swelling on her forehead.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Serenity could not help crying out in pain.


    He scoffed. ¡°You can feel pain?¡±


    Of course she could feel pain! She¡¯s not made of stone! How could she not feel pain when he flicked


    her with his finger?! Especially since he was flicking her where she was injured!


    She red at him.


    He was so mad that heughed. ¡°Well done, Serenity Lewis. Well done. You refused to stay by my side


    without even giving it a second thought, so I thought you must have a lot of backbone and dignity. But


    then, what happened? You became an extra and was forced to repeatedly kneel and kowtow to your


    sister. Was that fun?¡±


    She bit her lip and subconsciously took a step back. Right now, he felt scary to her for some reason.


    But every time she took a step back, he would take a step forward.


    She retreated all the way back until her back was against the wall and she had no room to retreat any


    further.


    He closed in on her and mmed his hands on the wall on either side of her, practically trapping her


    between his arms.


    ¡°I asked you if it was fun.¡± He stared right at her. His voice was deeper than usual and seemed to


    contain suppressed anger.


    She was bewildered. What the hell?! She¡¯s the one who got messed with and got hurt, so why was he


    getting angry instead?


    ¡°L¡­ didn¡¯t do it for fun,¡± she stammered after a long pause.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t do it for fun? Then why did you be an extra? What, do you want to be a star? Why


    didn¡¯t you just tell me then? I can make you famous. You can ask me for any role you want. You don¡¯t


    have to kneel and kowtow and get your hand injured!¡± he berated coldly.


    If his rationality wasn¡¯t holding him back, he would tie her to his side right now so that she could not go


    anywhere and would not get bullied.


    Serenity took a deep breath, then held her chin up slightly and said, ¡°For $330. I earned $130 working


    as an extra, and I earned a further $200 by kneeling and kowtowing to Aria. That¡¯s the reason I became


    an extra. You happy now?¡±


    He was bbergasted. ¡°$330?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, $330!¡±


    ¡°You would do all that for only $330? If you wanted money, why didn¡¯t youe to me? I can give you


    as much money as you


    want. I.


    ¡°If I take money from you, I would have to pay some sort of price again, wouldn¡¯t 17¡± retorted Serenity.


    She simply did not want to have anything to do with him anymore. She wanted to go back to the way it


    was before she met him. Back then, her life was lonely, but at least she was not an object in a game.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want you to pay any price?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Then I would have even less of a reason to take money from you. I can feed myself just fine,¡± she


    answered.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He scoffed, ¡°By making yourself this miserable?=


    She kept quiet. Her eyes dimmed slightly. But after that, she slowly lowered her eyes and said in a soft


    voice, ¡°At least I earned the money through honest work I don¡¯t have to be scared of anything.¡±

 Chapter 229

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    Chapter 229


    ¡°Are you saying that I scare you?¡± he asked.


    She hesitated slightly before replying, ¡°I know that you¡¯re just treating me as an object in a game. You


    still maintain interest in me because the novelty hasn¡¯t wom off, but once your interest fades, I¡¯ll


    be worthless to you. If I identally piss you off, I might end up getting tormented again like I did


    back in prison.¡±


    She never wanted to go through that kind of miserable experience again!


    ¡°Surely saying all these things to me wouldn¡¯t piss me off, right?¡± he questioned.


    Her body stiffened. Of course she was afraid that it would, but she still chose to say them.


    Her reaction told him everything he needed to know.


    Silence enclosed around them. It was a scary silence.


    Serenity lowered her head. The only thing she could hear right now was her own breathing and


    heartbeat. Jackson did not say anything, but she could feel his eyes on her.


    She had no idea how much time had passed when she finally heard him say, ¡°What if I tell you that I


    don¡¯t see you as an object In a game? Would you be willing to stay by my side?¡±


    Her head jerked up. She looked at him, stunned. She did not expect him to say something like that.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Would you?¡± He looked at her with passionate eyes.


    She let out a bitterugh. ¡°What would I do by your side? Keep being your sister? Or do you want me


    to be your ymate? Whichever it is, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not up to the task.¡±


    His thin lips pursed into a straight line and his eyes gradually turned cold. The word ¡°wife¡± got stuck in


    his throat; he could


    not utter it.


    If she asked him to marry her, he would do it, but he, Jackson Valor, would never beg any woman to


    be his wife!


    He suddenly gave her a gentle smile. He lowered his body slowly and caressed her face gently. ¡°In that


    case, let¡¯s keep this up. Let¡¯s see which one of us has more patience. Let¡¯s see if I¡¯ll give up trying to


    make you stay by my side first or if you¡¯ll beg to stay by my side first¡±


    Serenity¡¯s breathing became a little heavier. Her body trembled slightly because of how close he was


    He was always so unpredictable. A second ago, he was still mad, but a secondter, he looked like he


    already got over it


    Jackson walked over to the table, pulled out a chair and sat dowIL


    Serenity heaved a sigh of relief. She realized that her back and palms were sweating,


    Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of him casually picking up her phone out of the corner of her eye. She


    bolted forward to try and snatch it back from him.


    But it was toote. He had already seen the content on the screen.


    Jackson raised his eyebrows and looked at Serenity with a weird smile. ¡°Why did you search for my


    news online? If you wanted. to know something, you could have just called me. You don¡¯t have to look


    me up on the inte.¡±


    She had no reply. What could she say? That she came across a live stream by nce and got curious


    so she searched for the rted content?


    ¡°The banquet has only just begun. Is it really okay for you to be liere?¡± She could only try to change the


    tople.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a banquet,¡± he said indifferently. There were quite a few of these banquets every year,


    Sometimes, he would not even bother attending them.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t finished your dinner yet, have you? Go on. Don¡¯t mind me,¡± he said after taking a nce


    at her half¨Cfinished meal.

 Chapter 230

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    Chapter 230


    She lightly bit her lip. Then, she sat down, picked up the chopsticks with her uninjured right hand and


    slowly finished her meal.


    All the while, he sat quietly next to her, watching her with his chin resting on his hand.


    Her eyshes had a natural curl which was even more pronounced whenever she looked downwards.


    Her face was so small that he could cover it with one hand.


    Her tiny nose and her cheeks that were constantly moving while she was chewing made her look like a


    cute little pet.


    He had never realized that watching a woman cat could be so fascinating


    ga


    The more he looked at her, the more he wanted to hide her away from prying eyes so that he would be


    the only person who could look at her and get close to her.


    He would not allow anyone else to covet her!


    Although Serenity was eating with her head hanging down, she could feel Jackson¡¯s eyes on her the


    whole time.


    There was an ambiguous feeling in the air.


    She felt her face bing hotter and hotter. Even swallowing seemed to have be a little difficult.


    It¡¯s not like this was the first time he watched her eat. However, in the past, his gaze would warm her


    heart and would not make her feel ufortable. But now..


    Serenity subconsciously picked up the pace, trying to finish the meal as quickly as possible.


    He suddenly asked out of nowhere, ¡°Sis, do you like Lucas Gomez?¡±


    Pitt!


    The food that she was still chewing in her mouth burst forth violently. She coughed for a good while


    while looking at the tness she made on the table and on¡­ him.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry..¡± Flustered, she quickly apologized. She grabbed a tissue to wipe away the food that


    had sttered onto his


    clothes.


    He was unconcerned. He took her hand and said, ¡°Sts, you haven¡¯t answered my question. Do you like


    Locas Gomez.?¡±


    She gave him a confused look. Like Lucas Gomez? Why would he ask her that? Also.. how did he


    know that she knew Lucas Gomez? She hadn¡¯t mentioned Locas Gomez to him at all!


    Her mind was filled with all kinds of questions.


    Her silence made him frown slightly. His fingers gently swiped away a few grains of rice that were


    sticking to her lips,


    ¡°Do you like him?¡± he asked softly. His voice was gentle but carried a lot of danger.


    ¡°I¡­ There¡¯s nothing going on between us. Why are you asking me that?¡± She tried to turn her head


    away to avoid the touch of his finger.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    However, his hand held her jaw and made sure she could not back away. He lowered his head and


    slowly moved his lips closer. to hers. ¡°Really? If there¡¯s nothing going on between you two, why did be


    pick you up and carry you to the break room today?¡±


    She was startled and stared at his handsome face in shock. He. He actually knew about that!


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you wondering how I found out?¡± He smiled gently, ¡°1.nts of people saw lt.


    What¡¯s so strange about. me finding nut?¡±

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231


    Chapter 231


    His lips moved even closer to hers. Their lips were almost touching by now


    Serenity could not help but blush. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± she said in a panic.


    He stopped and stared at her fixedly. ¡°Then how about you tell me how you met him.¡±


    ¡°A thief stole his bracelet. The thief then bumped into me and the bracelet fell into my pocket. Lucas


    Gomez asked for it back from me. That¡¯s how I met him,¡± Serenity said in a hurry.


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, ¡°How many times have you met him?¡±


    She didn¡¯t count! But seeing Jackson¡¯s face moving closer, Serenity quickly counted and answered,


    ¡°Four¡­ Four times. After the incident, he bought me dinner to thank me for the bracelet. Then I ran into


    him at the hospital my grandmother was staying in. And then I met him again on the set today.¡±


    His eyes gleamed. Based on his understanding of Lucas, if Lucas merely wanted to thank her for the


    bracelet, he could have just paid her. He did not have to buy her dinner.


    In other words, Lucas already had his eye on her back then?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Why Serenity? Hadn¡¯t he just started going out with Aria? In the past, when he was dating someone, he


    would not be interested in another woman.


    This seemed to be an exception!


    ¡°Do you like him?¡± He repeated the question.


    ¡°I told you, there¡¯s nothing going on between us. Besides, he¡¯s the prince of the entertainment industry


    while I¡¯m just a sanitation worker.¡± They were from two different worlds. Jackson¡¯s question made no


    sense!


    ¡°If I can fancy you, so can he,¡± Jackson chuckled. He pressed his lips against theer of her lips and


    ate a grain of rice that was sticking there. ¡°What if Lucas also fancies you? Would you like him?¡±


    Serenity¡¯s body went stiff and her mind went nk.


    ¡°Sis?¡± He ate the rice sticking to the corner of her mouth one grain at a time, as if it was a fun game to


    him. ¡°Do you like him or not?¡±


    She pushed against his chest but he did not budge at all.


    ¡°No.. I don¡¯t¡­¡± she quickly said. She wanted him to end this ambiguous interaction as soon as


    possible.


    ¡°You can¡¯t lie to me, okay?¡± he said, his bass¨Clike voice ringing in her ears, ¡°Don¡¯t ever fall for Lucas


    Gomez, okay?¡±


    Her body went numb. His voice was so pleasant, but hidden under that pleasant tone was a chilly


    warning


    She felt like she was done for if she really did fall for Lucas Gomez in the future.


    But Jackson was the one who lied to her first! He made her think that he was someone she could


    sympathize with. He yed her like a fiddle and made her look like a fool.


    And now, he actually had the gall to ask her not to lie to him? How ridiculous!


    ¡°I don¡¯t like him now, but maybe I will one day¡­¡± She tried to put up a final resistance with words. It


    was perhaps the only way she could fight back right now


    However, before she could finish, he had already pressed his mouth to hers, blocking the rest of her


    words.

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    ¡°Mmh¡­¡± Serenity reflexively tried to push him away with her right hand, and when he grabbed it, she


    tried to do the same with her left hand.


    When his fingers pressed down on her left hand, she inhaled sharply and instinctively opened her


    mouth to cry out in pain, but that allowed him to kiss her even deeper


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She could hardly breathe.


    She had no idea how much time had passed before he fina


    finally ended the kiss and let


    od


    and let go of her hands.


    He had a hand on her waist while his other hand gently held up her left hand ¡°Did 1 hurt you, Sis?¡±


    Serenity bit her lip and red at Jackson. ¡°Why did you do that


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t like it when you say something I don¡¯t want to hear,¡± he chuckled softly, as if he had a


    gentle personality, ¡°If you n to say it again, I don¡¯t mind kissing you one more time.¡±


    ¡°She did not say anything, afraid that he would really do it.


    Jackson lowered his head and carefully inspected the swelling on the back of Serenity¡¯s hand. ¡°Your


    injury will probably need a few days to heal. This ce isn¡¯t a good ce to recover from an injury.


    How about you go over to my house?


    ¡°What?¡± She was surprised to hear his suggestion, ¡°Go to your house?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the Valor Residence. There are many rooms there. You can pick any room that you want. There


    will be malds to serve you,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, thanks!¡± She quickly refused, ¡°I¡¯m used to this ce. Besides, it¡¯s not a serious injury. I can take


    care of myself just fine. I don¡¯t need anyone to serve me.¡±


    His expression gradually chilled. A shadow crept into his beautiful eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡±


    Her throat tightened. She indeed did not want to.


    If she went to live in his house, she would only get more and more involved with him. She did not want


    to have anything to do with him anymore!


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she swallowed hard and reminded him, ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t force me.¡±


    ¡°I did say that, but that¡¯s for staying by my side, not for this. I only want you to stay at my ce for a


    few days while you recover from your injury. I¡¯ll feel more at ease that way.¡± He smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t you want


    me to feel at ease, Sis?¡±


    His smile was like a huge mountain that weighed down on her heart.


    The unwavering look in his eyes let her know that refusal was futile.


    He¡¯s the emperor of Sria. Once he had decided on something, others could only obey.


    In the past, she was like a tiny bug in front of him, and now, she was still powerless to resist.


    If she said no, le probably had a hundred ways to make her say yes.


    Serenity heard herself say, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    She packed a simple luggage which consisted of mostly clothes. As for things l tolletries, he said the


    Valor Residence had then so she did not have to bring her own.

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    Chapter 233


    In fact, he did not even want her to bring the clothes, but she said, ¡°I¡¯m used to wearing my own


    clothes. They¡¯re morefortable¡±


    Therefore, he said no more and let her bring them.


    After she finished packing, Serenity wanted to carry the luggage, but Jackson picked it up first and


    said, ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    They walked out of the rental house with Serenity following cluse behind Jackson.


    Sometimes, she found him very unpredictable. One second, he would look very gentle, as if he would


    be treating her very well, but the next second, he would look like he was about to send her to hell


    Now that she was going to the Valor Residence, their rtionship would be even more unclear.


    When would she finally be able to cut all ties with him? Must she wait until he got bored of her? She


    stared at his back. Her eyes fell on the scarf he was wearing around his neck.


    It was the scarf she knitted for him, which was made of old wool. She never expected him to wear the


    scarf and gloves she knitted to a high ss banquet attended by famous people in the city,


    The bizarre thing was, she sawments online specting if they were new products from famous


    brands or if they were handcrafted by famous designers. No une could have guessed that they were


    actually made by someone with unremarkable skills using recycled wool.


    de if the scarf and the gloves suited him.


    Perhaps, like he said, he was the one who would decide if


    Upon walking out of the neighborhood, Serenity saw a familiar ck car parked on the roadside.


    Connor got down from the car, jogged over and took the luggage from Jackson.


    Jackson turned around and saw that Serenity had stopped a few paces behind him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?


    Let¡¯s go,¡± he said as he offered her his hand.


    She bit her lip and hesitated. In the end, she started walking forward again but did not take his hand.


    He frowned a little as he retracted his hand. When she bent down to get into the car, he bent down too


    and said next to her ear, ¡°You might be unwilling to hold my hand now, but one day, you¡¯ll be unwilling


    to let my hand go.¡±


    Her body went stiff. At that instant, she felt like her heart had stopped.


    After getting into the car, Serenity stared at Jackson¡¯s hands which were resting on his knees.


    He said she would be unwilling to let his hand go one day?


    That¡¯s impossible.


    When they arrived at the Valur Residence, the metal gate opened for them, and the car slowly drove


    inside. On both sides were lush ancient trees that were over a hundred years old. Through the car


    window, Serenity could see the various sections which connected together to form the mansion. She


    could not even tell how big the Valor Residence was because she could not see the edges.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She had seen rich people¡¯s mansions before. Zeke Shaw was from a rich family and she had been to


    his house countless times, butparing the Shaw Residence to the Valor Residence was like


    comparing a vi to a pce.


    The car drove all the way to the front doar Serenity followed Jackson nut of the car.


    He took her hand very naturally and walled into the house with her. Serenity could sense looks of


    surprise and bewilderment from all around her.


    ¡°Young master.¡± A man in a butler¡¯s attire who looked like he was in his fifties walked up to Jackson and


    Inquired respectfully, ¡°This youngdy is¡­¡±


    ¡°Her name¡¯s Serenity Lewis, She¡¯ll be staying here for a few days,¡± said Jackson. He then turned to


    Serenity and told her,¡± This is Mr. Knot, our butler. You can go to him if you need anything

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    Chapter 234


    Mr. Knot looked thoughtfully at Serenity while trying hard to suppress his astonishment. Serenity


    greeted him, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Knot.¡±


    ¡°Miss Lewis, if you need anything, feel free to call for me,¡± Mr. Knot told her with a smile.


    ¡°Just call me Serenity,¡± she said. Miss Lewis sounded awkward to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re the young master¡¯s guest. Of course 1 have to call you Miss Lewis,¡± said Mr. Knot, as if these


    manners were very important to him


    Serenity did not insist. She would not he staying for long anyway.


    ¡°Mr. Knot, take her to the guest rooms and let her pick a room that she likes,¡± instructed Jackson.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with any room,¡± said Serenity,


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Mr. Knot turned to Jackson.


    ¡°In that case, take her to the attached room on the third floor,¡± sald Jackson indifferently.


    ¡°Very well, Mr. Valor,¡± Mr. Knot answered.


    Serenity was puzzled. What¡¯s an attached room? But Mr. Knot was already leading her to the third


    floor, so she did not ask.


    When they reached the third floor, Mr. Knot opened the door to a room and told Serenity, ¡°Miss Lewis,


    pleasee in. I¡¯ll have someone send over the daily necessities and toiletriester. If there are any


    specific brands that you would like, please tell me ¡®


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± said Serenity.


    Alter Mr. Knot left, Serenity looked around therge room. The room decorations were feminine and


    vintage. The furnishing was not in the more popr European style but in the traditional Chinese style,


    which Inaked elegant and calming.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    From what she could tell, all the furniture was made from rosewood.


    If that was the case, then the furniture in this room must be worth a lot of money.


    So this was what a Valor guest room looked like.


    While Serenity was still feeling amazed at all the rosewood furniture in the room, a maid came in


    bringing Serenity¡¯s luggage and things like toiletries. The maid reced the bed sheet with a new one.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Serenity.


    After the maid left, Serenity took out her clothes from the luggage bag and hung them in the closet.


    To her surprise, she found a wedding dress in the closet.


    Based on the style¡­ it should be from some years ago. The wedding dresses now wouldn¡¯t have this


    kind of style.


    But the wedding dress was very well made. It was protected from dust by a transparent cover.


    Did the previous inhabitant of the room leave the wedding dress behind? Serenity wondered. She


    walked around the room and saw another door at the side of the room.


    When she opened the door, she found another room behind it. It was a very different room from the


    one she was staying in. This room looked cold and oppressive.


    The hue of the room was mainly blue and ck. The furniture was not made from rosewood; instead, it


    was modern, simple and practical.


    There were not that many pieces of furniture in the room, so the room looked a bit empty.


    The two rooms were connected?

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    Chapter 235


    Serenity wandered to the bedside table absentmindedly while she pundered. When her eyes fell on the


    photo frame on the table, she immediately froze. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes widened in shack.


    It was a photo of her!


    The problem was, she did not remember ever taking that picture. In the picture, she wasn¡¯t even


    looking at the camera.


    Who took the picture? Why was there a picture of her here? And who lived in this room?¡­


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    *Click¡±


    Someone opened the door. Serenity looked up and saw that it was Jackson.


    ¡°Looks like you already found out that the two rooms are connected. Saves me the exnation,¡±


    Jackson walled forward with


    a smile. His eyes fell on the photo frame Serenity was holding ¡°What do you think of the picture?¡±


    ¡°Why is there a picture of me here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I asked someone to take it,¡± he said. He took the photo frame from her hand and put it back on the


    bedside table. ¡°I miss you dearly when I can¡¯t see you.¡±


    Thatst part sounded very suggestive.


    She shivered and suddenly thought of something. ¡°This is your room?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my room, he nodded.


    Serenity bit her lip. ¡°Then¡­ give me another room, please.¡±


    ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re fine with any room? Besides, we used to sleep next to each other in the


    rental house. There wasn¡¯t even a door separating us. Why would you have a problem with this


    arrangement?¡± asked Jackson.


    Serenity bit her lower lip and blushed slightly. She could not help recalling the time they spent together


    in the rental house. Whenever she looked down from the bed at night, she would see him on the


    mattress on the floor.


    It warmed her originally cold room.


    Back then, she could approach him whenever she wanted, but now¡­


    ¡°Sis¡­¡± He suddenly bent down and looked at her seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you shouldn¡¯t show a


    man that kind of


    expression?¡±


    She was startled and came back to her senses. She instinctively tried to back away, but his hand


    abruptly wrapped around her waist and stopped her from stepping back.


    Her body went stiff. ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m going to wash up and go to bed,¡± she said. She was worried


    that he might kiss her again like he did in the rental house¡­.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he stared at her fixedly.


    It was as if his eyes were trying to pierce into her heart and soul. She quickly lowered her head to avoid


    his gaze.


    His eyes were simply too beautiful, so beautiful that they seem to be able to suck a person¡¯s soul and


    willpower out of them.


    He suddenly let go with a littleugh. ¡°It is gettingte. I won¡¯t keep you, then.¡±


    Serenity heaved a sigh of relief and left his room in a hurry. After she went back to her own room next


    door, she dashed into


    the bathroom.


    Serenity looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She was blushing, so her cheeks were flushed. Her


    lips were red and moist. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes were bright and alluring. No wonder Jackson said


    she should not look at a man like that.


    Serenity shook her head to clear her mind, then turned on the faucet and used cold water to cool her


    burning face. What was wrong with her?! Even though she was powerless against Jackson Valor, she


    did not have to blush like this!

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    Chapter 236


    Shouldn¡¯t she be afraid of him? He was a man who could easily cause her pain and herniation, With a


    single word, he could


    make her life hell.


    So why would she lose control of hersel! whenever he moved close to her and whispered in her ear?


    He was not a man she could handle. Even though he called her Sis, she knew she was just a pawn to


    him- a pawn that he yed with because he was bored!


    In the other room, Jackson picked up the picture on the bedside table and stared at the person in the


    picture. Her almond shaped eyes were looking ahead and there was a little smile on her face.


    The serenity and tranquility on her delicatece gave off afortable feeling.


    Whenever she looked at him with that smile, he would feel like he had obtained something that he did


    not even know existed in the past.


    ¡°Sis,¡± Jacksen softly whispered. His fingers brashed the lips of the person in the picture. Then, as if he


    could no longer hold himself back, be kissed the person in the picture..


    Just now if it wasn¡¯t because her body was so stiff, if it wasn¡¯t because there was a trace of fear on her


    face, he would have actually kissed her


    However, he decided to suppress his lust.


    Why? Was it because he did not want to scare her?


    He had already scared her in the rental house today, so he did not want to scare her a second time?


    He gently closed his eyes. A faint smile crept onto his face.


    Serenity thought she might not be able to fall asleep on her first night in the Valor Residence, but she


    actually slept very well. She would have kept sleeping if her phone rm did not wake her up.


    Maybe it was because a lot of things had happened the day before, so she was exhausted. She simply


    had no more energy to think of anything else.


    Serenity checked the time on her phone. It was 5:00 am.


    She had to get to the sanitation office before six.


    She changed her clothes in a hurry and went into the bathroom to wash up.


    When she came out of the bathroom, she saw Jackson sitting at the dressing table, ying with her


    phone.


    ¡°Are you going to work?¡± he looked up and asked


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity replied. She sna tched her phone back from his hands, put it in her bag, and walked to


    the door.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast together,¡± he grabbed her wrist to stop her and said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bete for work,¡± she replied.


    He smiled. ¡°You ll make it in time, I promise!¡¯


    She was speechless!


    They went to the dining room downstairs together. To Serenity¡¯s surprise, breakfast was already servedContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237


    Chapter 237


    It was only a little past 5 am. A normal household would not have breakfast this early.


    From now on, breakfast will be served ording to your work hours. You¡¯ll definitely get to have


    breakfast before going to work every day,¡± said Jackson. He led Serenity to the dining table and gently


    pressed down on her shoulders to make her sit


    down.


    Serenity did so abediently. There was a rich variety of food on the table. She had a ss of milk, a


    bowl of congee, and a few pastries


    It was a much more sumptuous breakfast than the Sz buns she usually bought in the morning.


    It also made her even more aware that she was truly living in the Valor Residence now and not in that


    tiny rental house. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my driver to drive you to the sanitation office,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just take the bus,¡± Serenity quickly refused.


    ¡°The sanitation office is pretty far away. You¡¯ll have to change buses twice. You¡¯re gonna bete.¡± He


    looked at her calmly, as if he was sure she would relent


    Serenity could say nothing


    And so, after breakfast, the Valor family¡¯s driver drove Serenity to the sanitation office in a silver


    Maybach.


    Serenity found it really funny. She was doing the cheapest job but was going to work in such an


    expensive car. It was kind of irank,


    Serenity asked the driver to stop about son meters away from the sanitation office. She got out of the


    car and walked to the sanitation office on foot. If the driver dropped her off at the sanitation office, her


    co-workers would see her and they would Possip.


    She changed into her work uniform in the locker room. Although she had applied ointment to the back


    of her left hand, it still hurt. She was having trouble performing even simple tasks.


    After changing into her work uniform, Serenity grabbed her tools and went to sweep the road that she


    and X were responsible for. X noticed that Serenity was having trouble with ber hand, so she


    asked, ¡°What happened to your hand?¡±


    ¡°Something fell on it. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s not a serious injury,¡± replied Serenity.


    X said, ¡°Take it slow today. Don¡¯t exert too much force with this hand. I¡¯ll cover for you.


    H


    Serenity said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, X¡± Ever since she partnered with X, X had helped her a


    lot. She was actually worried that they might not be able to finish their work on time due to her injury.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Today you, tomorrow me. Maybe I¡¯ll feel really tired someday and you¡¯ll have to pick up


    the ck for me too, ¡°said X.


    The two of them worked until noon. They then went back to the sanitation office to have lunch in the


    canteen.


    Some people in the canteen were talking about the Inve stream of Jackson Valurst evening


    nally, a video that showed Jackson Valur¡¯s face would quickdy disappear from the Inte, but this


    time, although the streamer had deleted the stream recording, theizens had already clipped the part


    showing Jackson Valor. The clips were now posted everywhere on the inte.


    The bizarre thing was, these videos were not removed from the Inte, so many people finally saw


    the face of Jackson Valor


    for the first time.


    Many people were in awe of Jackson Valor¡¯s good looks. Although there had long been rumors that


    Jackson Valor was pretty good-looking, they now knew that the rumors were actually selling him short-


    he was dushingly handsome.


    Lots of femaleizens joked that they wanted to apply for a job at the Valur Group. Although they


    would only be low-level employers, they would still be able in seeim asionally.


    Chapter 237


    ¡°The scarf and gloves he was wearing are pretty unique. They actually look kinda vintage. If it was


    anyone else wearing them, they would look old, but because it¡¯s him, they look tasteful¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

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    Chapter 238


    Chapter 238


    ¡°So far, no one has been able to find out what brand the scart and gloves are. Some people say they


    might be hand-knitted and custom-made by a famous designer.¡±


    Serenity sweared profusely while listening in her co-workers¡¯ discussion. She wondered how they


    would feel if they knew that she was the one whoitted the scarf and gloves.


    When X saw Jackson Valor¡¯s scarf and gloves on their co-worker¡¯s phone, she could not help


    wondering, ¡°Those gloves look a lot like the pair you were knitting before, Serenity.¡±


    After all, not only did X see Serenity knit those gloves, Serenity would even ask X for advice


    whenever she encountered a problem while knitting. X naturally remembered what the gloves


    looked like.


    But X¡¯s words were immediately met with ridicule by their co-workers.


    ¡°X, how would Serenity¡¯s gloves end up on Jackson Valor¡¯s hands?¡±


    ¡°Even if Jackson Valor¡¯s gloves are hand-knitted, they must have been made by a famous designer.


    There¡¯s no way he would wear a pair of gloves made by a sanitation worker.¡±


    ¡°Guys, X¡¯s just joking!¡±


    X felt embarrassed and said no more. She tumed back to Serenity and whispered, ¡°Serenity,


    Jackson Valor¡¯s gloves really do look very simr to the pair that you knitted They say the gloves are


    custom-made by a famous brand. That means the gloves you knitted look just as good as the gloves


    from a famous brand!¡±


    Serenity did not know how to respond to that. They were actually the same pair of gloves!


    When Serenity got off work that afternoon, she received a call from Jackson¡¯s driver who told her that


    Jackson had asked him to pick her up from work.


    Serenity once again asked the driver to wait 500 meters away from the sanitation office. She anxiously


    sneaked to the car after making sure no one was watching


    After getting into the car, Serenity leaved a sigh of relter. If she had to go to work and get off work like


    this every day, it would be a real ha ssle!


    When she arrived back at the Valor Residence, Jackson was not home yet. Mr. Knot informed her that


    Jackson had a meeting at thepany and would be homete Jackson asked Serenity to have


    dinner without him.


    Therge dining table was filled with food, but Serenity was the only one eating.


    It was a sumptuous meal, but sitting alone at such arge table made her feel lonely.


    She suddenly thought of Jackson. ording to what she read in the newspaper, Jackson¡¯s grandfather


    had been staying at the hospital for a long time. Did that mean Jackson often clined alone at this huge


    dining table?


    For some reason, Serenity¡¯s heart felt heavy when she thought of that!


    Meanwhile, at the Lewis Residence, Aria Lewis was eating absentmindedly. Wille serving food to her


    precious daughter, Catherine Fishier asked, ¡°Why have you been eating at home regrly in thest


    couple of days? Don¡¯t you have to spend time


    with Lucas?


    Spend time with Lucas? Ariaughed bitterly inside. Lucas had not called her ance in thest couple of


    days. When she went to hispany to look for him, she was refused entry into his office. They told


    her he was busy.


    Lauras¡¯ sudden dange of attitude scared her. She could more or less guess that it had something to do


    with Serenity.


    Was he mad at her because he saw how she treated Serenity that day?


    The thought made Aria¡¯s mind even more chantic. She gritted her teeth. How did Serenity and Lacas


    even know each other?! Why hadn¡¯t Lucas nor Serenity mentioned it before?


    ¡°You have to hold onto Lura Gallerine reminded her.


    Chapter 239


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t be like your sister. She made a huge mistake and ended up with nothing,¡± Grayson


    Lewis also reminded his daughter.


    Grayson was furious when he recalled how his eldest daughter¡¯s excellent marriage arrangement


    ended due to a car ident. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    He could have been inws with the president of the Shaw Group


    But this was even better. His youngest daughter¡¯s current boyfriend was the prince of the entertainment


    industry, Lucas Gomez! The Gomez family was much more powerful than the Shaw family. They were


    a very prestigious family with a long history.

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239


    Chapter 239


    ¡°I know.¡± Aria suppressed the uneasiness in her heart. The only thing she could do now was to go to


    Serenity and ask her directly.


    She must find out what the rtionship between Serenity and Lucas was!


    When Serenity came out of the bathroom in the evening, she saw from the gap underneath the door


    connecting the two rooms that the light in the other room was turned on.


    Was Jackson.. home?


    Serenity knocked on the door. She wanted to talk to him about the matter of going to work in his car


    However, the door was not closed properly, so when she knocked on it, it was instantly pushed open.


    She immediately saw arge projection on a screen diagonally to her left. It was a video conference.


    She could see many foreigners on the screen.


    The people in the video conference obviously saw her too. They all turned towards her.


    ¡°That¡¯s a woman¡­ What¡¯s a woman doing in your room at this hour, Jack? Someone asked in


    astonishment.


    ¡°Jack, is she your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you introduce her to us?¡±


    ¡°Is that the person who called you during ourst meeting?¡±


    Various voices filled the room. Jackson muted them all and the room became quiet again.


    However, she could still see the people in the video conference staring at her curiously.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jackson turned around and asked Serenity.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m sorry for interrupting your meeting¡± She stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do.


    She had no idea that he was in the middle of a video conference.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want to talk about, just say it.¡¯


    ¡°Well¡­ You don¡¯t have to ask your driver to drive me to work tomorrow, I can just take the bus,¡± she


    said. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Why? The bus is a vehicle and my car is also a vehicle. What¡¯s the difference?¡± He raised his


    eyebrows slightly as he asked


    Of course they¡¯re different!


    ¡°It¡¯s too¡­¡­.. high-profile,¡± she hesitated for a moment before she answered.


    He pondered for a while before asking, ¡°Which car did the driver use?¡±


    ¡°The silver Maybach,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to the driverter and ask him to use a less conspicuous car,¡± he said.


    Serenity was speechless. That¡¯s not the point!


    ¡°What I mean is¡­


    ¡°Do you want me to personally send you to work?¡± Jackson suddenly stood up and walked over to her.


    He bent down with a faint smile and moved his face close to liers. If that¡¯s what you want, I don¡¯t mind ¡±


    Serenity blushed. She could see from the corner of her eye the people in the video conference


    watching them intently.

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    Serenity felt like a panda being on disy at the zoo.


    ¡°Hmm? Do you really want me to send you to work?¡¯ he asked again.


    Her face became even redder. She answered sharply, ¡°No.¡± She then hastily retreated back to her


    room and closed the connecting door.


    Jackson smiled. When he turned around, his face had returned to its usual stoic expression. He walked


    back to the chair, sat down, and unmuted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue the meeting.¡± Jackson said indifferently, ignoring the curious Incles


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Jack, was that the person who called you during ourst meeting? Someone could not hold back his


    curiosity anymore and


    asked.


    Jackson raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    The man shivered upon hearing that. Heughed it off and said, ¡°Umm¡­. Yeah, let¡¯s continue the


    meeting


    Although the meeting went on normally after that, all of them could not stop thinking of one thing ¨C their


    CEO was living together with a woman!


    Aria went to the rental house to look for Serenity, but to her surprise, there was no one home. The


    lights inside were not, turned on and no one answered the door.


    She thought Serenity must be out, so she waited for her. She ended up waiting until 1:00 am. She was


    so cold that she thought she would fall sick, but Serenity was still nowhere to be seen.


    Aria left in anger. The next morning, she went to look for Serenity at the sanitation office.


    ¡°I need to talk to you!¡± Aria was wearing sunsses, a mask and a baseball cap. She was afraid that


    she would be recognized because she was a celebrity


    However, she had forgotten that she and Lucas Gomez had never appeared together in public.


    Moreover, even though she was the second female lead in a major production and everyone on the set


    had to show her respect, not many people outside the set could recognize her yet. To the general


    public, she was still just a C-list actress.


    ¡°We have nothing to talk about.¡± Serenity spared her a cold nce as she grabbed her tools and put


    them on the sanitation office¡¯s bicycle, She then told Aria, ¡°Move over, I have work to do.¡±


    Aria looked at the dirty bicycle in disgust and took a step backward involuntarily.


    Serenity got on the bike and cycled out of the sanitation office Aria stomped her foot in anger, but there


    was nothing she


    uld do. She dashed out of the sanitation office, grabbed a cab, and asked the cab driver to follow


    Serenity. The cab followed Serenity all the way to the road she was rasted with sweeping.


    ¡°Why do you have to act like that, Serenity? Lonly want to talk to you. We¡¯re sisters, aren¡¯t we? What¡¯s


    with the altitude?¡± Aria finally stopped being so aggressive. She decided to use a softer approach.


    However, Serenitypletely ignored A and focused on sweeping the road.


    Seeing that, Aria frowned slightly. She followed behand Serenity and said, ¡°I came today to apologize


    to you. I¡¯m really sorry for hurting your hand.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. You haven¡¯t paid me any medicalpensation yet. Please do so now,¡± said Serenity.

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    Auta¡¯s face turned stiff. However, she could not afford to get mad right now, so she could only put out


    her wallet and asked Serenity, ¡°How much?¡±


    ly put on a fake smile. She took


    ¡°$105,¡± replied Serenity.


    Aria tookout $200 from her wallet, trying to act generous. ¡°Keep the change. Consider it a gift from me.


    Serenity scoffed. She took the money and said, ¡°A gift from you? Please, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s showing


    you kindness by only taking this much. If I press charges for assault, how much do you think you would


    have to pay?¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Aria blushed profusely. Fortunately, she was wearing a mask so no one saw it.


    She had almost forgotten that Serenity used to be awyer!


    ¡°I would never hurt you on purpose.¡± Aria put on a fake smile. ¡°It was an ident, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Aria, what¡¯s the point of putting on a show in front of me?¡± Serenity looked at A in amusement, ¡°You


    and I both know what kind of person you are. There¡¯s no one else here. All this acting will just make me


    think that you¡¯re a clown.¡±


    Aria almost choked on her own spit. Her expression immediately changed into one of displeasure. ¡°Tell


    me what your rtionship with Lucas is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s the real purpose of your visit today.¡± Serenity looked at Aria coldly and said, ¡°But why


    should I tell you?¡±


    ¡°Lucas is my boyfriend! You better not think you can seduce him! You¡¯ll only end up with a bad name


    and empty hands! told her off fiercely.


    A bad name, huh¡­ Serenity found her half-sister¡¯s wordsughable.


    Her name had already been dragged through the mud after the car ident three years ago. ¡°It¡¯s not


    like I have anything to lose,¡± she said mockingly


    Aria raised her chan high. ¡°If you behave yourself, I might give you some money in the future to start a


    little business or something. It¡¯s better than cleaning the streets, right?¡±


    After all, when she became Mrs. Gomez, having a sister who worked as a sanitation worker would be


    bad for her own reputation.


    Aria would love to see Serenity being down and out, but for the sake of her own reputation, it would be


    best if Serenity could start a little business. Aria would also gain praise for supporting her sister despite


    what her sister had done.


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m interested in your money?¡± Serenityughed, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be


    Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend for long¡±


    A man like Lucas Comex was simply not of A¡¯s league. He was definitely aware of Aria¡¯s n


    Serenity had seen with her own eyes how mercilessly Luras Gomez treated his ex-girlfriend.


    It was said that Lucas Gomez would treat his girlfriend like she was the most precinus woman in the


    world when they were dating. However, after seeing how he treated his ex-girlfriend, Serenity realized


    that maybe he had never truly fallen in love with anyone.


    The so-called ¡°treating his girlfriend like she¡¯s the most precious woman in the world¡± was only because


    the things his past girlfriends asked for did not matter to him at all.


    Money, linuses, cars, designer clothes, designer jewelry, as well as various opportunities¡­ these


    things were all Incursequential to him.

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    But the women were under the illusion that they were being spoiled.


    Aria took off her sunsses and red at Serenity with eyes that looked like they were spitting fire.


    ¡°Serenity, Lucas is mine!¡±


    ¡°You should tell him that, not me,¡± Serenity replied coldly.


    ¡°You..¡± Aria harrumphed and walked away furiously.


    Since she could not get any answer from Serenity, there was no point in wasting her time. However¡­


    she would make Serenity pay for what she said today!


    What did Serenity mean by ¡°it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend for long¡±? She would be


    Lucas Gomez¡¯sst girlfriend!


    She would not concede Lucas Gomez to anyone no matter what!


    That night, Serenity received a voice message from the organizer of the extras. He asked her to go to


    the same filming venue again on her day off this week.


    ¡°The director said you did pretty well in some of the shots. There¡¯s a group scene that they still haven¡¯t


    filmed yet. They want to use the same group of extras asst time for the sake of continuity. The scene


    will be filmed the day after tomorrow,¡± th organizer. Mr. Gray, exined in the voice message.


    Serenity hesitated for a little bit, but in the end, she replied, ¡°Okay, I got it.¡±


    After all, she was already involved in the filming, so it would be inconsiderate of her not to go this time.


    Besides, she got the job through X. If she refused to go, it might cause X unnecessary trouble.


    ¡°You got what?¡± A voice came from behind her. Serenity turned around sharply and saw Jackson


    standing behind her. She had no idea when he hade into the room.


    This time, he did note in through the door that connected the two rooms, but through the front door


    instead.


    ¡°I agreed to be an extra again this week,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°Again?¡± He frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned your lesson yet?¡±


    Serenity pursed her lips and said, ¡°No job is easy. You have to put up with stuff to earn money.¡±


    Besides, after this, she could just avoid being an extra in a production involving Aria.


    A glimmer of dariiess swept across his eyes. ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t care if you have to suffer as


    long as you can earn money?¡± he asked as he bent down, propped himself on the edge of the bed with


    both hands, and looked straight into her eyes.


    That startled her. She pulled back reflexively, trying to put some distance between them.


    But the more she pulled back, the closer he moved. His beautiful eyes seemed to contain ayer of


    cloud ¨C pretty, yet imprable


    ¡°Is that right, Sis?¡± She could feel his warm breath on her face.


    She lost focus for a moment, which caused her to lose bnce. She fell onto the bed.


    The next moment, he was already on top of her. ¡°You¡¯ll put up with whatever I¡¯ll do to you as long as I


    pay you? Is that right?¡±


    Serenity blushed profusely. ¡°I.. I¡¯ll only earn money through honest work!¡±


    He chucked as he rubbed her lips with his fingertips ¡°This is honest work ton,¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

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    Her face became even redder. She tried her best to move her face away from his fingers, but his


    fingers followed her like a shadow; she could not avoid them at all.


    Jackson Valor, stop teasing me,¡± she said, short of breath. Under the light, her almond¨Cshaped eyes


    did not look as gloomy as usual; in fact, due to her anger, they looked very spirited.


    He stared at her eyes in fascination. He had seen many eyes that were prettier, but this was the only


    pair of eyes that could fascinate him like this.


    Loolding into her eyes, it made him want to monopolize her gaze. He did not want her to look at other


    men with those res


    ¡°What if I¡¯m not teasing you? What if I tell you that I can give you as much money as you want? Would


    you be willing to put up with me?


    She could feel the coolness of his touch on her lips, as if his fingertips were continuously taking away


    her heat.


    ¡°I¡¯d only take what I earn with mybor,¡± she said, but she could not stop her heart from beating fast.


    He must be teasing her, right? Even if he really would give her a lot of money, what kind of price would


    she have to pay?!


    Serenity¡¯s almond¨Cshaped eyes stared straight at the handsome face that was ton close to hers..


    Jackson stared right back. His eyshes trembled slightly. Ele suddenly straightened up, freeing her


    from his shackle. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll see how you exchange yourbor for money then.¡±


    His voice returned to being gentle, as if nothing had happened.


    Serenity was a little surprised. What did he mean by that?


    The next two days were uneventful. Aria did note looking for Serenity again. Jackson also did not


    bring up the topic with her again.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She went to work at the sanitation office as usual, but with the Valor family¡¯s driver transporting her to


    and from work


    The car he used had changed into the most inconspicuous car the Valor family had, but it was still a


    BMW worth three to four hundred thousand dors! For the average person, it was still a very high¨Cend


    luxury car!


    Therefore, Serenity still had to get on and off the car 500 meters away from the santation office every


    day.


    On her off day, Serenity went to the ce where the extras were supposed to gather. The Valor family¡¯s


    driver drove her there.


    When she arrived, some of the extras were already waiting there. When Serenity got down from the


    BMW, the extras all looked stunned.


    After the car drove away, one of them came up to Serenity and asked curiously, ¡°Are you a youngdy


    from a rich family? Why did youe here in a luxury car?


    ¡°No way! If she¡¯s from a rich family, there¡¯s no way she would have knelt again and again thest time!¡±


    Another person said. Serenity turned around and saw that the person who said that was a good¨C


    looking young woman wearing fashionable clothes and fine makeup.


    Must of the people who worked as extras were divided into two categories: Those who lived in poverty


    and wanted to cam a bit of extra money, and those who were not in it for the money but for the


    opportunity to be seen by directors, producers of Investors in order to get into the entertainment


    industry.


    This young winan obviously belonged to thetter category.

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    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡®Don¡¯t say that, Melly!¡± Someone chided her.


    ¡°I¡¯m just stating, a fact,¡± the woman named Melissa Zest snorted.


    But it¡¯s also a fact that she just got off a BMW,¡± another person said.


    ¡°Maybe she managed tond a rich guy. Some people don¡¯t have any talent, but they know how to


    seduce men,¡± said Melissa, her voice filled with jealousy.


    Last week, she thought Serenity was really unlucky to offend the second female lead, but who could


    have expected the prince of the entertainment industry to suddenly step forward and carry her all the


    way to the break room?


    Melissa was incredibly jealous. She had always dreamed of getting an opportunity like that. Melissa


    regretted it for days


    afterwards.


    If she had known, she would have volunteered when A Lewis asked Serenity to demonstrate the


    kneeling and kowtowing. Although it was humiliating, it won Lucas Gomez¡¯s attention, so it was


    definitely worth it.


    Melissa thought the luxury car just now must belong to Lucas Gomez. He must have asked his driver to


    drive Serenity here.


    Because of what Melissa said, many of the extras started giving Serenity weird looks.


    Serenity did not bother exining not that they would believe her anyway.


    Besides, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s acquainted with these people. They were free to think what they wanted.


    She did not feel the need to desperately try to prove her innocence.


    After all the extras had arrived, Mr. Gray took them to the set.


    Likest time, Serenity changed into costumes, put on makeup, and waited for her scene,


    But this time, while waiting, she saw Jenny Hall


    Jenny did not use a substitute today. She was standing next to the male lead.


    Serenity stared at Jenny, and Jenny stared back at her. However, Jenny¡¯s eyes.. were not


    condescending like they were in the past. Instead, it appeared as if she was in deep thought.


    This puzzled Serenity.


    She remembered vividly how much Jenny hated her after the car ident. If eyes could kill, Jenny


    would have killed her a


    hundred times over.


    She thought Jenny would surely seek her out for revenge after she got out of prison, but besides the


    incident with the ring, Jenny did not do anything else to her.


    Was it because she was already miserable enough that Jenny did not deign to deal with her anymore?


    Or was it because of. Jackson Valor?


    The Shaw family knew about her rtionship with Jackson Valor, so surely Jenny would know as well.


    While Serenity was lost in thought, Aria, who was standing on the other side of the male leal, was


    looking at Serenity with obvious displeasure. In order to male Serenitye to the set again, she


    persuaded the director to use the same group of extras asst time to shoot the unfinished sore.


    They were supposed to shoot the scenest week, but after the incident, Aria did note to the set


    for three days straight, so shooting was naturally dyed.


    However, because she was Laras Gomez¡¯s girlfriend, in one dared to say anything in her.


    Aria would make sure Serenity suffered today. She wanted to let Serenity understand that she, Aria


    Lewis, was Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend

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    Everybody in the crew and cast had to pander to her. Even if Lacas had saved Serenity once, it was


    only a little incident; no one would offend Aria for an extra.


    The director told everyone to take their spot, and filming started.


    When they reached the scene where the extras had to kneel, a member of the crew suddenly ran to the


    director¡¯s side and said a few words in the director¡¯s ear. The director looked surprised. He got up and


    left in a hurry.


    Except for those who were in the scene, everyone else looked curiously in the direction the director had


    gone to. They wondered what had happened to make the director leave in such a hurry.


    They saw the director walking up to a man in a beige trench coat. The director lowered his head slightly


    as he spoke to the man and seemed to be showing the man a lot of respect. Seeing this, they


    spected that the man was probably someone very important.


    The director was decently famous in the industry. He would not talk to an ordinary person like that.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Not long after that, the director respectfully led the man back to the ce where they were filming.


    The moment the man walked in, many people recognized who he was.


    Jackson Valor!


    The screenshots and clips of the live stream showing Jackson Valor¡¯s face were still circting on the


    inte. Most of the people here worked in the entertainment industry, so they naturally paid a lot of


    attention to gossip.


    Both Aria and Jenny were stunned to see Jackson Valor. They subconsciously looked at Serenity.


    Was Jackson Valor here.. because of Serenity?


    Both of them frowned. Aria looked especially upset as she had spent a lot of effort to get Serenity back


    here.


    Jackson Valor here, how could she still carry out her n? After all, she was still not sure what Jackson


    Valor and Serenity¡¯s rtionship was


    ¡°I¡¯m just here because I have a friend who¡¯s filming here today, so I came to see her. I hope I¡¯m not


    causing you any trouble,¡± Jackson said with a smile, looking like a typical Mr. Nice Guy.


    If you were seeing him for the first time, you would probably think that he was a mild-mannered


    gentleman, but those who knew him understood that the smile and gentle demeanor were just an act.


    ¡°Of course you¡¯re not. Which one¡¯s your friend?¡± the director asked. He was already guessing which


    actress in his show was the most likely candidate.


    ¡°She¡¯s over there,¡± Jackson lifted his chin in Serenity¡¯s direction


    ¡°Over there?¡± the director blinked a few times. He could only see a group of extras there.


    Could it be that Mr. Valor¡¯s friend was an extra?


    That¡¯s impossible! So the director desperately looked past the group of extras to see if he could find a


    famous actress behind them, but no matter how hard he looked, he did not see anyone else there.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t started shooting yet, right?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°No, no yet,¡± the director replied.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go over and say a few words to her. Something happened to her thest time, so I came


    today specifically to give her Some encouragement,¡± said Jackson. He then wallud towards Serenity.

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    Most of the people there did not hear the conversation between Jackson and the director. When they


    saw Jackson walking towards the group of extras, they could not help whispering and specting


    among themselves.


    Several of the female extras were overjoyed to see Jackson wallding towards them. They put on what


    they thought was their most lovely smile.


    Melissa Zest was naturally one of them. She wished she could just leap into Jackson¡¯s arms.


    She was even thinking if she should pretend to faint or identally stumble into Jackson so that she


    could start a conversation and get acquainted with him.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    After all, he was Jackson Valor, a man who could move mountains in Sria.


    If she could catch Jackson Valor¡¯s eye, even if she only ended up as his mistress, it would be


    something that many women could only dream of.


    Moreover, she heard that Jackson Valor was not that interested in women. His only fianc¨¦e died in a


    car ident more tha three years ago. If she actually managed to seduce Jackson Valor, she might


    actually be able to marry into the prestigious Valor family.


    She had always been very confident in her own beauty. She felt that the reason she had not made it


    big as an actress yet was because she had no connections. That was the reason she had failed all the


    auditions she had gone to. That was why she had to start with being extras.


    Melissa started thinking of all kinds of things as she watched Jackson walk closer and closer to her.


    She swayed a little, ready to pretend to fall into Jackson Valor¡¯s arms when he walked by.


    Was this not what always happened in movies and TV shows? This was how the female protagonist


    would start getting involved with the male protagonist!


    But Jackson suddenly stopped, Melissa watched Jackson smile at Serenity, who was standing in front


    of her, and ask, ¡°I have time today, so I came to see how you¡¯re doing. Should we go back together


    after you finish filming this scene?


    Melissa¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    So did the extras around Serenity.


    Some of the extras did not know who Jackson was, but from his demeanor and attire, they could tell


    that he was a rich young


    Serenity bit her lip. Everybody was looking at her. It made her feel ufortable.


    She felt like she was an exhibition item on disy.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like me being here?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°Too¡­ high profile,¡± she said in a solt voine.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even stand this much attention? How did you be awyer in the past? Besides, weren¡¯t


    there a lot of eyes on you during the trial?¡± Jackson joked.


    Serenity¡¯s eyes dimmed a little. Before she went to prison, she was not afraid of being the center of


    attention at all. She could still talk eloquently even when there were a thousand pairs of eyes staring at


    her. But now that she was out of prison, she was scared of being noticed.


    If it wasn¡¯t because she wanted to earn money to pay off her grandmother¡¯s medical bills as soon as


    possible, she would not have be an extra:


    Seeing Serenity looking gloomy with her head hanging low, Jackson realized his mistake and did not


    continue the topic. He raised his hand and gently rubbed Serenity¡¯s head.


    Oh my god! He¡¯s rubbing her head!


    Melissa¡¯s eyes almost popped out. What was their rtionship?! Jackson Valor was actually rubbing


    her head gently!

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    Melissa wished she could rece Serenity¡¯s head with her own.


    Jackson bent down and leaned over. He whispered in Serenity¡¯s ear in a voice that only the two of


    them could hear, ¡°You were bullied thest time you filmed here, right? Should I help you get revenge


    today?¡±


    Serenity looked at him in confusion


    The extras around Serenity were shocked again upon seeing that. Even an idiot could see that the two


    of them were very close. They could not help but specte about Serenity¡¯s background.


    Could she really be a youngdy from a rich family? Was she working as an extra for fun?


    As for the others there, the people who knew who jackson was werepletely in shock. When word


    got out of this, the gossip columns of Sria would be working overtime for sure!


    The big boss of Sria was acting really intimately with an extra. Their rtionship did not look


    ordinary at all!


    Jenny pursed her lips Worry and panic shed across her eyes.


    Meanwhile, Aria gritted her teeth hatefully. She naturally knew that she had to throw her n out of the


    window. Jackson Valor obviously still maintained a rtionship with Serenity Lewis.


    Aria shivered when she recalled the way Jackson Valor looked at her when Lucas introduced him to


    her. She felt afraid of him for some reason.


    The director asked the assistant director, ¡°Mr. Valor¡¯s friend is that extra?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± the assistant director replied. He also found it incredulous.


    ¡°Who exactly is that extra? How could she be Mr. Valor¡¯s friend?¡± the director asked.


    The assistant director had no answer for him. How would he know!! ¡°Should I send someone to


    investigate?¡±


    By then, Jackson had finished his conversation with Serenity. He returned to the director¡¯s side and told


    him, ¡°Alright, go abead and film. I¡¯ll just stand here and watch.¡±


    ¡°okay, okay,¡± the director quickly replied, his tone respectful. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    A chill ran down the director¡¯s spine when he recalled that he had asked Mr. Valor¡¯s ¡°friend¡± to kneel


    and kowtow multiple times as a demonstration. The real culprit was Aria Lewis, of course, but if


    Jackson Valor wanted the perpetrators punished, Lucas Gomez would protect Aria Lewis while no one


    would protect the director, so he would be the one to bear the brunt of Jackson Valor¡¯s wrath.


    The director started filming nervously. He hoped Aria Lewis would not do something st upid today.


    Fortunately, Jackson Vallor merely watched the shooting quietly from the side with a smile on his face.


    He did not look angry. He might actually be here just to watch them film.


    The director and the crew were relieved to see that.


    But when it came time to shoot the kneeling scene, Jackson suddenly said, ¡°Stop,¡±


    The director was startled. He asked Jackson, ¡°Mr. Valor, what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°I remember an actress said the other actors weren¡¯t kneeling properly thest time, so she asked


    someone to demonstrate, right?¡± Jackson asked casually, as if he was just chatting about something


    very ordinary.

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    The dintor


    dumbfounded. He did not know how to answer that.


    Jackson did not keep his voice down, so quite a few people heard him. They all looked at Aria in


    unison..


    Aria was stunned. Before she could react, she heard Jackson say, ¡°Since that person thinks the others¡¯


    postures weren¡¯t proper enough, let her show us what a proper posture looks like.¡±


    He nced casually at Aria, as if the matter had been decided.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Ara felt like screaming What¡¯s the meaning of this? Did he want her to perform the kneeling and


    kowtowing? She¡¯s the second female lead and Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend How could she possibly


    ¡°perform¡± kneeling and kowtowing in public ¨C something the extras should do?


    Moreover, Jackson was obviously picking on her on purpose to get revenge for Serenity!


    Aria stood still with a stiff face. The director looked at Jackson, then at A, and, after weighing his


    options, walked over to Aria and said with a smile, ¡°Aria, since you were the one who said that their


    postures weren¡¯t proper enough, why don¡¯t you demonstrate for them? I¡¯m sure people can see how


    kind you are to teach the extras¡±


    A was fuming. ¡°It¡¯s not my part. Why should I demonstrate


    The director lowered his voice and said, ¡°Aria, I¡¯m not trying to make things difficult for you, but Mr.


    Valor wants you to demonstrate. If you don¡¯t want to do it, how about you tell him that to his face?¡±


    Aria¡¯s expression changed. As if she dared! When she recalled Jackson¡¯s gaze just now, she started


    feeling afraid again.


    Aria gritted her teeth and spat out the words, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll demonstrate!¡±


    The director heaved a sigh of relief.


    After a short instruction, he let Aria demonstrate the sequence.


    Aria felt humiliated. She was conscious of everyone in the cast and crew looking at her. She could see


    some sympathy in those eyes, but most were loolding at her with mockery and schadenfreude.


    After all, she was a C-list actress who suddenly rose to the top by bing the girlfriend of the prince


    of the entertainment industry, so a lot of people did not take kindly to that.


    There were probably many people who were happy to see her in this predicament.


    Aria took a deep breath and performed the sequence ofweling and kowtowing in front of everyone.


    But she had not practiced the sequence before. She did not even know basic things like hand


    positions. She could only try to do it based on what she could remember. Therefore, her postures were


    not proper at all.


    Moreover, her mind was in a mess. She just wanted to hurry up and get the demonstration over with.


    She did not care if her postures were correct.


    Aria got up after she finally finished performing a round of kneeling, and kowtowing. She thought the


    matter was over, but Jackson spoke again, ¡°I think you failed to do it properly because you were


    kneeling and kowtowing at empty air. That¡¯s why your movements were stiff. If you were kneeling and


    kowtowing at someone, you should be able to do a better job!¡±


    As Jackson said that, he walked over to Serenity and pulled Serenity forward. He then told Aria


    indifferently. ¡°Try it again.¡±

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    Chapter 249


    ¡°What?¡± Arizavas incredulous, Jackson wanted her to¡­ ¡°You want me to feel down to her?


    ¡°Why not?¡± Jackson casually looked up and asked.


    Aria was speechless. Her face turned red in anger, but she could not find any response.


    Is Jackson trying to get revenge for me? thought Serenity. Or was he trying to tell Serenity that, even


    though Aria was backed by Lucas Gamez, he could still make her kneel whenever he wanted?


    Suddenly, amotion rose from the entrance,


    The director turned around and, upon seeing the reason, did not know whether he should be nervous


    or relleved.


    Who would have thought that two big shers would decide to pay a visit to the set at the same time


    today!


    A tall man in a dark gray coat walked over, his face handsome but indifferent. It was Lucas Gomez


    Serenity¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Jackson raised his eyebrows slightly. He seemed to be a little surprised as well.


    On the contrary, Lucas Inoked calm when he saw Jackson and Serenity, as if he already knew that they


    would be here


    When Aria saw Lacas, she immediately ran over to Lucas¡¯ skle. She grabbed his arm and said pitifully.


    ¡°Lucas, please help me


    L


    talk to Mr Valer. He asked me to demonstrate to the extras how to kneel and howtow properly, and I


    already did it once, hur


    be still wasn¡¯t satisfied and wanted me to do it again. I¡¯m not an extra this isn¡¯t what I¡¯m supposed to


    do.¡±


    Aria looked aggrieved and tried toin as subtly as possible.


    Lucas did not respond to Aria. He slowly walked over to Jackson while eyeing him intently. ¡°What are


    you doing here?


    ¡°I came here to take a look. Serenity¡¯s working as an extra here. I heard, thest time she was here,


    your girlfriendined that the extras didn¡¯t perform the proper postures and ordered Serenity to


    repeatedly demonstrate to the other extras how to kneel and kowtow properly. I thought I¡¯de and


    ask your girlfriend to show me what the proper postures look like,¡± Jackson said with a strange sulle


    Aria tried to make herself look as weak and pitiable as possible. She bit her lip and sald with wet eyes,


    ¡°Lucas, 1 already performed the sequence like Mr. Valor asked, but he¡¯s still not satisfied and wanted


    me to keep going. Are you messing with me on purpose, Mr. Valor? If you don¡¯t like me, I can quit ¡±


    She was trying to advance by retreating. At times like this, the weaker she appeared to be, the more


    other people would feel bad for punishing her. It would also arouse men¡¯s protective instincts.


    But to her surprise, Jackson actually said, ¡®Great. Quit then.¡±


    Aria was bbergasted. She did not expect Jackson to actually go that far.


    She immediately turned to Lucas, hoping that her prince would stand up for her. She didn¡¯t really mean


    it when she said she would quit.


    She could tell from the production alone that this show had the potential to be a huge hit.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

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    If she really did quit, all her efforts so far would have been for naught!


    She did not want to remain a small-time acress forever. She wanted to be famous! She wanted to be a


    popr star! She even wanted to be an award-winning actress someday!


    Lucas gave Arta a sideway nce, then asked Jackson, ¡°Do you dislike her?¡±


    ¡°A little bit,¡± answered Jackson


    He said it casually without keeping his voire low, so everyone nearby heard it. Although many of them


    did not like Aria too, they pity her ROW.


    After all, she was one of the few people that the emperor of Sria had publicly dered his dislike of


    ¡°In that case, you should quit,¡± Lucas told A indifferently, as if it was something that¡¯s not very


    important


    But when Aria heard it, she felt like she had been struck by lightning


    Quit? He really wanted her to quit the show?! just like that?! No way!


    Aria¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Lucas¡­ You¡­ You want me to quit the show?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself. If Jackson doesn¡¯t like you, you¡¯ll quit. Since he doesn¡¯t like you, what¡¯s wrong with


    you quitting?¡± asked


    LUCKS


    Aria wanted to p herself. If she knew this would happen, she would never have said that!


    She had no way back now!


    Aria did not know what to say. The staresing from all around her made her feel even more


    humiliated.


    She bit her lip hard. ¡°I-In that case, I¡¯ll leave for now so that I won¡¯t annoy Mr. Valor any further.¡±


    Hight now, she had to find a secluded ce to avoid the stares and calm down while she think of a


    countermeastire.


    But before she could even turn around, Jackson already said, ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to leave?


    You haven¡¯t kneeled yet.¡±


    Aria looked shocked ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°How many times did you make her kneel and kowtow to you? Do it back to her the same number of


    times. Let¡¯s see how proper your postures are. You¡¯re an actress, so surely you should be able to do it


    better than an extra. If you can¡¯t even do this properly, you should just quit acting.¡± Jackson said


    indifferently.


    He decided Aria¡¯s future with just a few words.


    If Aria wouldn¡¯t do it, then her acting careers over.


    Aria bit her lip so hard that it was almost bleeding. She turned to Lucas for help. Humted and


    anxious, she called out, ¡±


    However, Lucas¡¯ eyes were on Serenity the whole time. He only retracted his gaze when Jackson


    moved in front of Serenity to block his line of sight. Lacas said coldly, ¡°In that case, you should just do


    it. Do it as many times as she did.¡±


    The two men stood face to face and reached an agreement.


    Aria could not afford to offend either of them.


    ¡°By the way, don¡¯t forget that you have to kneel down and kowtow in front of her,¡± Jackson addedContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

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    At this moment, Aria directed all her hatred on Serenity. She would not have to suffer such humiliation if


    not for her! ¡®It¡¯s all Serenity¡¯s faul!¡¯ Aria thought, One day, she would make Serenity payback for all the


    humiliation she had caused her! Aria¡¯s hurricane of hateful thoughts went on and on, but in reality, she


    had no choice but to oblige. She knelt on her knees, aggrieved. After all, she could not afford to offend


    jackson. Lucas was her only support. She could not turn against him either. Aria wanted to be Luca s¡¯s


    last girlfriend!


    The moment A knelt, Serenity frowned slightly. She retreated two steps and spoke to the director,


    who was trembling. *Sorry, sir. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t finish any act today Forget about the pay too. I¡¯ll leave


    first.¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± The director answered with a shudder.


    Serenity strade to the changing room, preparing to change out of her costume, and Jackson went


    straight after her.


    Locas watched the two leave, an indescribable glint present in his eyes.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Aria was relieved to see the two leave. She wanted to get up and end this show quickly, but Lucas


    stopped her indifferently.¡± Continue acting. You¡¯re not done with your part yet. What¡¯s the hurry?¡±


    A looked at Lucas, dumbfounded, only to realize that Lucas was serious. Lucas really wanted her to


    get down on her knees as many times as she had forced Serenny to during their previous performance.


    Jackson had made her do this to avenge Serenity. What about Lucas? Was he doing it for Serenity as


    well?


    The thought of the possibilities gave Aria never-ending terror, far worse than the fear she felt facing


    Jackson before.


    Countless pairs of eyes were watching her. Seeing that Lucas had no intention of changing his mind,


    Aria continued kneeling At least she did not have to kneel to Serenity anganore, which made her feel


    better.


    In the meantime, Lucas took out a bracelet and yed with it in his hand, treating Aria like she was


    invisible. The bracelet had all his attention, almost as if it was everything to him.


    Jackson stopped Serenity at the door to the changing room. ¡°Why are you leaving? What¡¯s wrong?


    Don¡¯t you like seeing your so-called sister kneeling to you?


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of interest,¡± Serenity replied. Just because Aria enjoyed watching her kneel did


    not mean she enjoyed watching others kneel to her.


    ¡°Do you feel better today? If it¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ll help you vent more. You can let Aria do anything you want.


    Just tell me,¡± Jackson suggested, raising an eyebrow slightly


    ¡°Why did you help me?¡± Serenity asked strangely.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re my Sis.¡± Jackson chuckled as if she had asked him a st upid question. ¡°You were


    bullied. Naturally, I have to help


    ¡®Sis¡¯? Jackson kept calling her Sis, and she found it ironic.


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary. I don¡¯t need anyone to help with this,/..


    said, spun around, and walked into the changing room.


    Jackson had helped her this round, but what about the next time? What if it happened ag?


    She must not grow dependent on him. She could not rely on him forever. The day he stopped helping


    would be devastating.

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    Just like back then, when Zeke and Serenity were dating, Zeke would always help Serenity whenever


    there was trouble.


    Serenity had thought that she could rely on Zele for the rest of her life. Instead, he had not stood up for


    her when she really needed his help. Only then had she realized that feelings were unreliable and


    could be taken back at any time.


    She had habitually relied on him, but he no longer helped. She had lost everything at that moment, and


    the despair had almost killed her.


    She had suffered in prison and was in so much despair, even driven to the brink of considering suicide


    several times.


    If Lisa hadn¡¯t¡­ Lisa had visited her often and encouraged her. She might not have survived without


    Lisa¡¯s support.


    When Serenity thought of her best friend, her heart was filled with deep gratitude.


    Serenity let out a sigh and unbuttoned her costume, preparing to take it off when she heard footsteps


    behind her.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Serenity was startled and turned to see Jackson walking into the changing room.


    Everyone was filming outside, so no one else was in the changing room. ¡°This is the female changing


    room! Y-you. Get out!¡± Serenity eximed, her face slightly flushed.


    Despite that, Jackson closed in on her. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Afraid of?¡± She was stunned by his question and started retreating, one step at a time.


    The more she retreated, the closer he got. He closed in until her back was up against the closet in the


    changing room, and she ultimately had no room to escape.


    Jackson grabbed her hands, pinning her against the closet door. ¡°I¡¯m helping you. Why are you afraid


    of that?¡±


    Jackson could not understand. Other women would be happy for his kind help, but she seemed to be


    an exception.


    Serenity subconsciously put her hands on Jackson¡¯s chest, stopping him from advancing closer. ¡°Go


    out first. Someone might


    come in.¡±


    ¡°No one wille in.¡± Jackson¡¯s tone was unquestionable


    ¡°How are you so sure? She red at him.


    ¡®Because no one cane in,¡± Jackson exined, ¡°My bodyguard is guarding the door. Do you think


    anyone would dare toe in?¡±


    Serenity was lost for words, unaware of the presence of his bodyguard. She had never noticed.


    ¡°Tell me. Why are you scared?¡± Jackson asked the same question again, his slender fingers brushing


    aside tendrils of hair on


    her cheeks


    Serenity looked better than usual with makeup, but this makeup look did not suit her. He was so close


    that he could smell the makeup fragrance.


    Jackson preferred her usual naked face look and the natural, light fragrance of her body. She always


    smelled good.


    Her eyes were the same before and after makeup, Jackson found it cute, the way she was ring at


    him.


    Serenity bit her lips slightly and lowered her gaze as she denied, ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡±


    Jackson cupped her chin gently, forcing her to look up at him. ¡°I¡¯m asking you why, not If you¡¯re


    scared.¡±


    In other words, he was already sure that she was afraid.


    Serenity¡¯s heart trembled. Did he see through her fears?


    His beautiful, drep eyes seemed to be seeing through all of her.

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    ¡°I fear getting used to this,¡± Serenity said, somewhat embarrassed. ¡°If it happens more often, it¡¯ll


    be a habit. When it¡¯s


    Igone, I¡¯ll fall into despair again.¡±


    ¡°Why? Have you been hopeless before?¡± Jackson said casually.


    Serenity took a deep breath and stopped avoiding his gaze. ¡°Yes Once.¡±


    Jackson froze, and his slight smile soon faded from his face.


    ¡°Can you please leave? I want to get changed, Serenity sald, almost pleading.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Jackson did not back off. His dark eyes remained fixed on her, his fingers stroking her cheeks, and he


    seemed to be lost in his thoughts


    A few momentster, he murmured, ¡°What if I say nothing will change even if it bes a habit? win


    you still be afraid?


    Jackson¡¯s face was so close. Her heart thundered in her chest as she stared nkly at him, not


    knowing how to answer.


    In the meantime, in the changing room, Serenity changed her clothes, blushing Jackson had left the


    room earlier, but even so, the touch of his fingers on her face lingered.


    In the end, she had not answered hisst question What if it became a habit and remained the same


    forever? What did he mean by that? Would he stand up for her all his life?


    A man like him would not bother to tell cheap lles. Jackson must have meant his words, but what about


    the future?


    ¡®Who knows what the future holds? He was never hers, to begin with.


    ¡®Habits.. I¡¯m better off without it,¡¯ Serenity thought to herself


    Meanwhile Jackson stood by the door outside the changing room. He kept his head down, seemingly in


    deep thought as his bodyguard stood behind him.


    Alerted, the bodyguard looked to the left and saw a figure walking toward them.


    The bodyguard naturally recognized the approaching figure. He was the prince of the entertainment


    industry, Lucas Gomez, and he was a friend of Jackson. The bodyguard did not move and remained


    rocted in ce.


    Lucas walked over to Jackson and asked, ¡°You came here today to help her?¡±


    Jackson slowly raised his head and looked up at Lucas with a small smile. ¡°Yes, so what? What about


    you? What a coincidence to see you here.¡±


    ¡°Coincidence? Lucas snorted. When he learned that Jackson was here, he guessed that Serenity was


    also around. Then, he too had rushed over to see what was going on. Sure enough, it was an


    interesting show. He was not nning to share the reason for this. Jackson could probably guess lon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whatever reasons brought you here today, whether coincidence or not. But Serenity¡­ You


    mustn¡¯ty your hand on her. She¡¯s mine,¡± Jackson spoke in azy tone. He seemed nonchnt about


    it, but his eyes were full of seriousness.


    ¡°Do you care about her that much? Lucas asked in reply.


    ¡°I do,¡± Jackson admitted frankly.


    The bodyguard behind Jackson was shocked by that statement. He had never beard his abmitting


    something like this. ¡°Mr. Valor actually admitted it. He cares about her!¡¯ He then remandons Mr. Valor¡¯s


    fiancee, Mira Hall. He did not seem to have said anything like this back then.


    There was a slight sh of surprise in Lucas ¡®s eyes. The two had known each other for years.


    Naturally, Lucas lww how race it


    for Jackson to make such a statement.

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    ¡°Is that so? Alright. I¡¯ll leave her alone,¡± Lucas promised. ¡°After all, she¡¯s not the one I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s appearance had a lot of shadows of the girl in Lucas ¡®s memory. Sometimes, when he


    looked at her, he felt that the girl would have grown up to look like Serenity.


    Either way, it was just a resemnce. Serenity was not the girl.


    she¡¯s the one you¡¯re looking for? Would you stay put too? Jackson c ocked an eyebrow.


    Lucas remained unperturbed, but waves of unreadable emotions shed in his eyes. It was


    indescribable. ¡°If she is, I won¡¯t let go even if it¡¯s against you.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°So, it¡¯s a good thing she wasn¡¯t, right?


    ¡°Yes, fortunately.¡± Lucas responded and turned to leave.


    Fortunately, she isn¡¯t her. If she is, things will turn messy!¡¯ Lucas thought. He unconsciously reached


    into his pocket and touched the bracelet inside, wondering how long it would take to find her.


    Finding the girl in his memory had almost be his obsession.


    When Serenity walked out of the changing room, Jackson and the bodyguard were guarding the door,


    and no one else was


    around.


    ¡°You¡¯re done changing ¡°Jackson looked at Serenity.


    Serenity had changed into her usual everyday look and tied her hair into a ponytail, also removing the


    makeup on her face. She had no makeup on, but she looked better and pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°Yeah, Serenity answered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± Jackson said and naturally reached out to take Serenity¡¯s hand, but she almost


    instinctively pulled her hand


    back


    Jackson raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes focused on her. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°I-I can walk myself.¡±


    I like holding hands with you,¡± Jackson said. He reached out again, taking her hand. ¡°If I hold you like


    this, you won¡¯t be able to go anywhere.¡±


    His casual tone startled her. It sounded like he was weaving a dense around her, trying to control


    her life.


    Serenity did not want to get involved with him again. She just could not read a man like him nor figure


    out his intentions. If she wasn¡¯t careful, she might annoy him. Her consequence would be worse than


    her past three years in prison!


    Serenity tried to pull her hand out of his hold, but as soon as she moved her hand, his fingers sped


    her hand tighter.


    ¡°Al¡± Serenity gasped. She winced and frowned at the pain on the back of her hand.


    ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± Jackson asked softly and slightly loosened his grip. His fingers unintentionally pressed


    on the unhealed injury on the back of her hand.


    Serenity but her lips slightly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please let go of me.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

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    Jackson simply ignored Serenity¡¯s request. Instead, he pulled her hand closer and gazed down,


    studying the bruise on the back


    of her hand.


    Jackson then pulled the back of her hand closer and blew gently.


    Serenity gasped and stared at Jackson as he gently blew on her bruise with all seriousness.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be better after I blow the pain away,¡± Jackson hushed, his fingertips gently rubbing the bruise on


    the back of her hand. He was blowing the pain away as if performing a serious task.


    Serenity¡¯s heart was thundering hard, and she choked on her unspoken words, unable to say anything


    Serenity treated Jack and Jackson differently, Jack would be a caring brother for doing this, but


    Jackson. Serenity was overwhelmed, not knowing what to do.


    The bodyguard standing behind Jackson was shocked. His eyes went wide as he watched this scene.


    He had never seen Mr. Valor treat a woman like this! He thought that maybe Serenity would be


    known throughout Sria before long!


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± His gentle and melodious voice rang in her ears.


    ¡°Y-yes. Much better,¡± Serenity responded, trying to withdraw her hand for the third time.


    Even so, Jackson held her wrist firmly. He carefully avoided the bruise on the back of her hand. ¡°You


    know it hurts, so be good. If I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯ll hurt you again.¡±


    Serenity flushed uncontrobly. His voice and words sounded suggestive.


    In the end, they continued holding hands all the way to his Bentley


    The driver opened the door respectfully, and Jackson and Serenity then got into the


    car.


    ¡°We still have time today. Let¡¯s not go back so early, Sis. Is there anywhere you want to go?¡± Jackson


    asked


    Serenity shook her head. With him by her side, there was nowhere she would want to go.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s find a ce nearby for a stroll. By the way, I miss the time you took me to the night marketContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    and shopping malls.¡± Jackson smiled with nostalgia.


    ¡®That was one of the most idiotic things I¡¯d ever done!¡¯ Serenity thought to herself. She had been saving


    money to buy him clothes and a new cell phone, but it turned out to be unnecessary. He did not need


    them at all.


    Was she just a joke to him at that time?


    Jackson had the driver park the car in front of a nearby mall, and Serenity recognized the ce. It was


    the same mall they had visited before.


    Jack had said that he had received his wages, so they had gone to the mall and dined in a restaurant.


    She had even tried to save him money and order as little as possible. Thinking back on, she realized


    her actions had beenpletely unnecessary.


    This time, Jackson led her to the same restaurant as before.


    ¡°Want to go in and get something to eat?¡± he suggested.


    She bit her lip and finally agreed, ¡°Fine!¡± Then, she strode in


    The two found a seat, and when the waiter handed over the menu, Serenity took the menu and ordered


    all sorts of expensive dishes on it.


    The waiter quickly noted down her orders. He could not help frowning as she continued ordering


    wastefully. She had ordered too much food. The two of them simply could not finish them all. Were they


    here to make trouble?


    Jackson had a doting smile the whole time. He watched Serenity ordering all the food she wanted, not


    aware of the indulgence in his eyes.


    Serenity ordered about two dozen dishes in one go, and when she looked up, she was met with


    Jackson¡¯s smiling eyes.

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    There was a hint of gentleness in Jackson¡¯s eyes. It was as if he could tolerate her no matter what she


    did. He was indescribably charming with the light in his eyes and smile on his lips.


    Serenity suddenly realized that she was being such an idiot. Even if she ordered everything on the


    menu, this would mean nothing to Jackson


    What was wrong with her? She could not believe how she had ordered a crazy amount of food. It was


    such a foolish way to


    Serenity was almost discouraged. She then handed the menu back to the waiter in low spirits. ¡°That¡¯ll


    be all.¡±


    ¡°Is that enough?¡± Jackson asked with a smile.


    Serenity bit her lips slightly. After a short moment, she responded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The waiter asked politely, ¡°Can you really finish it? These are more than enough to feed seven to eight


    people. Would it be too much for you two?¡±


    Jackson replied indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s all for now.¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing this, the waiter took the menu, turned around, and left


    Jackson turned to Serenity. ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, you can order moreter.¡±


    His indulgent tone made her heart s kip a beat again.


    was such a fool. Let¡¯s change the order and remove some orders.¡± After hesitating for a short while,


    Serenity wanted to get up and go to the waiter who had just ced the order.


    Jackson, however, abruptly held Serenity¡¯s hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. You¡¯d have to


    remove the food you like.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste anything,¡± Serenity said.


    Jackson seemed a little surprised.


    ¡°The money for these dishes may be nothing to you, but 1¡­ I don¡¯t want to waste the food.¡± Serenity


    bit her lips again.


    In the past, Serenity used to be wasteful of food. She would order all her favorite food in one go but


    taste only a little of each. She would not finish her food by giving excuses, saying things like keeping fit


    and dieting to lose weight.


    Her life had changed drastically after that. After her life had turned upside down, she realized having a


    good meal was not


    always easy.


    While in prison, she would eat everything. It was her only way to live. Her inmates would pick on her


    sometime maliciously drop her food on the ground. Even so, she had to pick up the edible bits and eat


    anyway.


    If unlucky, she would not have anything to eat. Her inmates might pull a prank on her and turn the food


    inedible. When that happened, she would have to wait for the next meal with an empty stomach.


    Her inmates once pulled a nasty prank on her for two days. She had nothing but water for two days.


    That was when she experienced the fear of hunger


    After her release from prison, she would clean her te and never waste food.


    Such was the irony of human nature-only when they suffered from hunger did they truly value food.


    Jackson fixed his gaze on Serenity. After a short moment, he gave in and agreed, ¡°All right, then. Let¡¯s


    do what you said.¡± After that, Jackson called the waiter again. He canceled the dishes that had not


    started in the kitchen, leaving only three dishes


    When the food came, Jackson offered to help Serenity set


    Serenity picked up her cutleries and looked at the food on the table. Thest time she had brought him


    here for dinner, never


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    2/2


    would she have imagined a day like this,


    At the same time, her stomach growled untimely. Serenity realized she seemed to be really hungry and


    began eating her meal.


    During the whole time, Jackson¡¯s gaze remained pinned on Serenity

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    Jackson¡¯s intense gaze was ton direct and scorching, so much so that Serenity looked up at him


    helplessly. ¡°Are you not rating?¡±


    ¡°I am, but I¡¯ll watch you eat for a while, It¡¯ll make the food taste better,¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity felt really speechless,pletely lost for words. What did he mean by that? Would watching


    her eat really make the food better?


    ¡°Every time I watch you eat, I find the food tastier,¡± Jackson murmured.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve never starved before. Serenity mocked indifferently, ¡°If you haven¡¯t eaten for a


    few days, you¡¯ll find even white rice soaked in water delicious¡±


    His gaze darkened. ¡°Have you starved before?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have,¡± Serenity answered tly. She used to be living on the verge of life and death. When she


    mentioned it again, her experience seemed to have be something ordinary.


    Jackson pursed his lips. ¡°While in prison?¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Veal,¡± Serenity responded.


    After that, the two never said anything else, and Jackson¡¯s heavy gaze remained on Serenity as she


    ate


    Serenity was wearing her usual cheap clothes. She kept her head down, a few tendrils of hair on her


    cheeks. She had a slender neck and a thin body, and she seemed much slimmer than the photos he


    had collected of her before she went to prison. She had lost a lot of weight and seemed fragile.


    Serenity ate with her head down and took every bite seriously. Her seriousness, however, made him


    feel sour and heavy.


    Jackson had lost count of the countless times he regretted it. After getting to know Serenity, he grew to


    care so much about her. If Jackson had known, he would not have let her suffer so much in prison!


    Jackson would never have sent her to jail with such a charge!


    Jackson kept his head down and ate his meal. However, filled with regret, the food somehow seemed


    tasteless and bitter.


    After the meal, Serenity said, ¡°I¡¯m heading to the restroom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity was speechless. Did he have to go to the restroom with her? It somehow reminded her of the


    old days. Girls in elementary and junior high school always loved going to the restroom together. Was


    he seriouslying to the restroom with her?


    Fortunately, when she arrived at the restroom, Jackson stood outside waiting a few meters away from


    the entrance to the


    restroom.


    Serenity let out a sigh of relief. She feared he would speak to the mall management and reserve the


    entire restroom and then go in with her.


    Serenity went into the restroom. When she was done, she came to the sink area to wash her hands.


    Then, a voice suddenly sounded beside l?r, ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that. Serenity? Are you here to shop ton?


    Serenity looked up and saw her formerw firm colleague, Liliana Granger.


    Back then, they had entered thew firm in the same batch. Serenity and Liliana got along well, and


    Liliana often cared about her and befriended her. However, Liliana had never been warm to her even


    once after she got into trouble.


    I


    It was a little embarrassing for Serenity to meet her former colleague again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the news. Jenny and your ex¨Cboyfriend Zeke visited the sanitation workers at the Sanitation


    Office and even


    brought gifts. I think I saw a photo of you wearing a uniform in the Sanitation Office. Are you working as


    a sanitation worker now?¡± Liliana said with a look of concer

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258


    Chapter 258


    Many people in Sria knew that Jenny and Zeke were engaged. They would be married soon.


    Liliana¡¯s mention of Zekas Serenity¡¯s ex-boyfriend seemed like a deliberate reminder.


    Serenity stared at Liliana and suddenly had a moment of rity in her heart.


    Liliana felt a little ufortable as Serenity gazed at her. She seemed to have seen through her.


    However, she immediately told herself ¡®So what? After all, Serenity was no longer the promisingwyer


    in the industry as before.


    Liliana and Serenity had joined thew firm together. They were batchmates, but everyone only had


    Serenity in their eyes. Liliana was just a sidekick


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Everyone talked about how Serenity was sessful in her career and love and how she would be


    a greatwyer in a short time. Meanwhile, Liliana could only envy her from the sidelines.


    Whenever Liliana made a mistake at work, her mentor in thew firm would tell her to learn from


    Serenity. It made her angry, but she could not do anything about it.


    Serenity was always the better person, so Liliana had a mountain to climb to get better than her. During


    Serenity¡¯s tenure in thew firm, everyone would alwayspare the two. Liliana had had to


    constantly live in Serenity¡¯s shadow at that time.


    Liliana had been secretly happy when Serenity got into trouble, and she had gloated over Serenity¡¯s


    misfortune, thinking that G od was helping her. Sure enough, people stoppedparing Liliana to


    Serenity after Serenity was thrown into prison.


    ¡°Hey, Serenity, don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m just concerned about you. Life must be hard as a sanitation worker,


    right?¡± Liliana said with fake sympathy,


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s not hard,¡± Serenity responded. At the very least, being a sanitation worker was much


    better than being in


    prison.


    Liliana took Serenity¡¯s words as a lie. ¡°Not hard? How can it be? A sanitation worker sweeps the floor


    and cleans the garbage bins daily, I heard prople say that after working as a sanitation worker for a


    long time, you¡¯ll get a kind of bad body odor.¡± A glimpse of obvious contempt shed through Liliana¡¯s


    eyes.


    ¡°If you think I smell, you can leave me alone.¡± Serenity was blunt.


    Liliana froze andughed stiffly, ¡°How can that be? We were once colleagues! I¡¯m notining


    about you. By the way, when are you free? You should visit us at thew firm. We all miss you.¡±


    Liliana seemed warm and enthusiastic in her invitation, but her words were like a knife to Serenity¡¯s


    heart, hurting her.


    It had always been her dream to be awyer. When she did, she wanted to be a great and


    famous Lawyer. She would punish evil, spread kindness, and work hard for people¡¯s justice.


    However, her dream had been shattered after that car ident


    Liliana became more excited seeing the gloom in Serenity¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Right. Oh, did you know? I¡¯m dating someone now. He¡¯s a doctor. My boyfriend is waiting for me


    outside. Why don¡¯t I introduce himter?¡±

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    Chapter 259


    Chapter 259


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Serenity said indifferently. ¡°My friend is waiting for me nutside too. I¡¯ll be leaving.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why are you in so much hurry?¡± Liliana hastily added, ¡°You must be single, right? My boyfriend is


    a university professor. He knows a lot of people. Shall I get him to introduce you to somebody?


    Liliana spoke as she followed Serenity out of the restroom..


    After that, Liliana called out to a medium-sized man waiting outside. The man immediately came over


    to her.


    Serenity studied the average-looking man who approached. He seemed a little older and was about


    forty. He must be Lana¡¯s boyfriend.


    ¡°Benjamin, this is my former colleague, Serenity Lewis. I ran into her in the bathroom earlier


    coincidentally,¡± Liliana said and introduced, ¡°Serenity, meet my boyfriend, Benjamin Holt. He¡¯s a


    professor at the University of the People.¡±


    From Liliana¡¯s tone, she was clearly bragging.


    Instead, Benjamin quickly corrected Liliana, ¡°I¡¯m just an associate professor, not a professor.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be a professor in two years, anyway, Liliana said disapprovingly. Then, she asked Serenity,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had a friend waiting for you outside? Where is he?¡±


    Serenity looked around but did not see Jackson ¡®Did he leave already?¡± She wondered.


    Liliana, however, thought Serenity¡¯s friend waiting outside was just an excuse she had made up earlier.


    So, she suggested, ¡± Why don¡¯t we find a ce to sit? My boyfriend might have a suitable candidate for


    you around him. He previously mentioned the logistics workers at his working ce had trouble finding


    a partner to get married. Maybe there¡¯ll be someone suitable for your age.¡±


    Liliana acted seemingly embarrassed and pretentiously added, ¡°Do you mind a blind date with the


    workers? Well, I¡¯d love to introduce you to the single professors, but you know, they¡¯d probably prefer


    to marry someone with a clean record. Your history may be a bit of an issue but don¡¯t worry about it.


    The logistics workers may be less educated and earn a lower wage, but they are quite hard-working


    and nice people.¡±


    Serenity watched as Liliana went on with her long speech. She found it funny. She had never


    mentioned anything about finding a partner or wanting a blind date. However, Liliana simply jumped to


    conclusions, wanting to get her a blind date.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in a blind date,¡± Serenity rejected straightforwardly.


    Liliana widened her eyes in surprise, looking at Serenity in disbelief.


    ¡°Are you uninterested because they¡¯re just logistics workers? Listen to me, Serenity. You¡¯re no longer


    the same as before. You should lower your standards when finding a partner. If you don¡¯t go on any


    nd dates at this age¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Is summeone trying to introduce you to a blind date?¡± A voice suddenly rang beside Serenity,


    effectively interrupting Liliana¡¯s lung speech, almost making her choke on her words.


    Dressed in a trench coat, Jackson walked over to Serenity and handed her a cup of milk tea. ¡°You said


    you wanted to try this milk tea. I saw it, so I went to grab you a cup. Try this. Let me know if you like the


    vor. If not, I¡¯ll get you another er.¡± Serenity took the milk tea in her hands. It was


    and warmed her palm slightly.


    Serenity nced at the brand name on the milk tea. When the milk tea brand had first Led in Sria,


    she had seen it in the news and casually mentioned it to Jack. ¡°This milk tea is pretty popr online.


    They¡¯re opening a branch in S. We should try it when we go shopping next time.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260


    Chapter 260


    Then, there had been the turn of events. Before they could go to the mall again, he was no longer the


    Jack she knew, but Jackson Valor.


    Serenity did not expect Jackson to remember her casual ramble to him before.


    ¡°Serenity? Who is he?¡± Liliana looked at Jackson in a daze and asked somewhat nervously.


    Jackson had an elegant aura around him. Was he Serenity¡¯s friend? How could that be? No matter how


    she thought about it, it just seemed very strange!


    Jackson answered before Serenity could say anything. ¡°Is she trying to introduce you to a blind date?


    Didn¡¯t you tell her? You already have me.¡±


    Liliana drew a sharp breath.


    This man.. Was he really just a friend to Serenity? Could he be her boyfriend?!


    Just his appearance alone was already streets ahead of Zeke Shaw, let alone Liliana¡¯s boyfriend!


    Thinking of this, Liliana nced at her boyfriend, Benjamin Holt. She had been quite satisfied with him


    before meeting Serenity¡¯s friend. He might be ten years old than her, but he was an associate professor


    and would probably be a professor in a few years.


    However, when shepared Benjamin to Serenity¡¯s friend¡­ Liliana suddenly found her boyfriend a


    littlecking.


    Serenity almost choked at Jackson¡¯s words, and she was unable to say anything


    Instead, it was Benjamin who took the initiative and spoke to Jackson. ¡°My girlfriend didn¡¯t know her


    friend already had a boyfriend. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I¡¯m Holt, Benjamin Holt. This is my


    girlfriend, Liliana.¡±


    ¡°Valor.¡± Jackson simply gave hisst name and omitted his first name.


    Benjamin did not mind at all. Instead, he suggested. ¡°Mr. Valor, I¡¯m sorry for the misunderstanding. Why


    don¡¯t we all find a ce to sit?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Jackson agreed. Then, he told Serenity, ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce where you can sit down and


    have your milk tea.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Serenity found the whole situation a little strange. Jackson was rarely someone who liked to deal with


    strangers. Why had he agreed to find a ce to sit with them?


    Jackson took Serenity¡¯s hand while she was distracted.


    Atst, the group of four came to a cafe. Benjamin handed the menu to Jackson and Serenity. ¡°Have a


    look. What do you want?


    ¡±


    ¡°The coffee here is great,¡± Liliana rmended as if she was hosting. ¡°The owner rarefully selected


    the coffee beans here. Kona from The Big Ind is the most famous, but it¡¯s bing rater and


    lesser.¡± She turned to Serenity and asked, ¡°You used to love coffee, right? Do you want a cup of


    Kona?¡±


    Serenity licked her gaze down and said tly, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll have my milk tea.¡±


    Jackson nced at Serenity thoughtfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the price being too high. It¡¯s just a cup of coffee, let my boyfriend and I treat you this


    time. Liliana made her words sound nice but constantly showed off her superiority.


    Jackson smiled, ¡°Serenity prefers milk tea, but I¡¯ll have one.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s enchanting smile almost charmed Liliana ¡°Of course¡­ Sure,¡± Lihana repiled.


    Liliana hurriedly collected herself but quickly becacie jealous of Serenity. Why was Serenity¡¯s boyfriend


    so handsome? What was so great about Serenity? How could she find such a boyfriend after losing


    Zeke?

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    Chapter 261


    The three ordered coffee for themselves, and Liliana intentionally talked to Serenity about various


    topics. She kept asking about Serenity¡¯s current job for many reasons. She just wanted to hear more


    about Serenity¡¯s misery and observe Jackson¡¯s reaction after hearing this.


    Jackson was calm and collected, and it seemed he was aware of Serenity¡¯s situation. Her answers did


    not surprise him at all.


    ¡°Serenity, why don¡¯t I talk to the firm¡¯s bosses? You might be able to find a job here. You can be a


    cleaner and do some cleaning in the office. It¡¯s probably better than being a sanitation worker,¡± Liliana


    pretentiously suggested, pretending to help.


    Serenity¡¯s gaze darted up to Liliana and turned cold. ¡°I don¡¯t n to change jobs.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Liliana grimaced, ¡°You¡¯ll earn more working as a cleaner in an office than sweeping the


    road. Won


    it?¡±


    ¡°I think I know exactly what I want to do,¡± Serenity said, her tone gradually bing ice-cold.


    you consider


    Liliana wanted to say something else, but Benjamin stopped her. Fortunately, the waiter served the


    coffee, temporarily halting the topic.


    ¡°Here. This coffee is quite expensive, and it tastes better when hot,¡± Liliana exined.


    Jackson picked up the coffee gracefully. He sniffed the aroma of the coffee and took a sip.


    Liliana studied the man in front of her. Jackson somehow reminded her of one of those idol stars, and


    the image of him drinking coffee was pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, how did you and Serenity meet?¡± Liliana asked curiously.


    ¡°She came to talk to me on a snowy day, and we got to know each other,¡± Jackson said, smiling.


    ¡°Huh? Just like that?! Isn¡¯t that too simple? Liliana thought to herself and added, ¡°That means Serenity


    is the one who pursued you?¡±


    Jackson nced at Serenity and answered, ¡°I guess so.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity was drinking milk tea with her head down and almost spat out her drink. When had she ever


    pursued him?!


    Liliana had clearly misunderstood Serenity¡¯s rtionship with Jackson. Serenity seemed unperturbed


    by Liliana¡¯s misunderstanding. She did not bother to exin and let Jackson say whatever he wanted.


    ¡°Serenity is so lucky to have a handsome man like you. How long have you two known each other?¡±


    Liliana continued asking-


    ¡°A few months,¡± Jackson answered with rare patience.


    ¡°I see.¡± Liliana snuck a nce at Serenity. Then, she mentioned, as if unintentionally, ¡°I¡¯ve always


    hoped that Serenity would find someone to rely on after getting out of prison. Her life in prison must


    have been a blow to her. She finally has a boyfriend like you, Mr. Valor. That¡¯s really¡­¡±


    Liliana suddenly stopped speaking halfway through and saw Jackson smiling at her, almost as if he


    knew all her little thoughts,


    The rest of her words kept getting caught in her throat, and she could not continue speaking anymore.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just keep talking? Really what?¡± Jackson c ocked an eyebrow.


    Liliana continued sleepishly, ¡°That¡¯s really generous of you. After all, Serenity is an ex-convict. Not


    many men would ept someone who has been in jail.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all,¡± Jackson said and turned to Serenity datingly, ¡°I don¡¯t mind what has happened to


    her. I just want her to stay by my side.¡±

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    Chapter 262


    Jackson¡¯s words made Serenity jolt in shock. She looked up, somewhat startled, and met Jackson¡¯s


    clear eyes.


    Liliana¡¯s face changed, and she let out a dryugh as she said, ¡°Mr. Valor, you love Serenity so much. I


    couldn¡¯t tell at all. Do you n to get married?¡±


    ¡°If she wants to, I¡¯ll dly marry her,¡± Jackson said.


    Jackson¡¯s words had Serenity¡¯s heart thundering in her chest. She turned to Jackson in disbelief,


    almost as if she had heard something unthinkable.


    ¡°Seriously?! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Liliana blurted out.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Jackson cast a listless nce at Liliana. ¡°How is that impossible?¡±


    The coldness in his eyes made Liliana shiver, and a kind of fear rose in her heart.


    ¡°Alright, Serenity, time to go.¡± Jackson took Serenity¡¯s hand and left the cafe. Serenity followed Jackson


    out without objection.


    Benjamin looked at Liliana disapprovingly, ¡°Lily, why did you mention your friend¡¯s past in jail?


    Fortunately, Mr. Valor is aware of it. If not, it¡¯ll strain their rtionship. They may even break up.¡±


    ¡°I did that on purpose!¡± Liliana thought with hatred. When she noticed the cup of coffee on the table,


    she suddenly realized Jackson had only had a sip of this expensive cup of coffee and left.


    ¡°Hmph. I think her boyfriend is just a show. He only took a sip of coffee and stopped drinking. I guess


    he has never ever had a good cup of coffee. He probably doesn¡¯t even know how to enjoy the good


    stuff.¡± Liliana went on and on, thinking that her guess was right.


    Lilian then thought about it. That man was willing to marry a sanitation worker who had been in prison


    before. He was most likely just a pretty good-looking but broke guy.


    ¡°Lily, you shouldn¡¯t say that about others.¡± Benjamin frowned slightly, not liking how his girlfriend talked


    about her friends.


    Liliana did not care at all. When she called the waiter to pay the bill, what the waiter said surprised her.


    ¡°The other gentleman¡¯s subordinate has paid for the bill.¡±


    Subordinate?


    Liliana blinked in confusion. The man named Valor had subordinates. Howe they never noticed


    them earlier?


    And¡­ The bill had been settled? This meal was not cheap at all. It was just a few cups of coffee, but


    the bill came close to 150


    dors.


    An average working-ss person could not afford to drink this. Did the guy earlier just pay the bill


    without saying a word? Who was he? Was he showing off, or was he really wealthy? Liliana grimaced


    at her thoughts.


    On the other side, with Jackson and Serenity. As they left the mall, Serenity suddenly spoke up, ¡°I know


    you said those words to Liliana on purpose. I won¡¯t take your words to heart.¡±


    ¡°Your former colleague has such a terrible personality,¡± Jackson remarked.


    Serenity had noments. Assuming she and Jackson were a real couple, Liliana was clearly


    malicious with her words and intended to cause trouble.

 Chapter 263

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    ¡°But what I said earlier, you¡¯d better take it to heart,¡± Jackson reminded her.


    Serenity was stunned. What did he mean by that? Take it to


    art? What he had said earlier w¡­


    1/2


    ¡°If she wants to, I¡¯d dly marry her.¡¯ Did Jackson really know the meaning behind this?


    Serenity¡¯s thoughts were a mess, and it went on until the two got into the car and arrived at the Valor


    Residence. Serenity followed Jackson out of the car. Just as they were about to enter the house, he


    suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ve also starved before,¡± Jackson said, ¡°I¡¯ve had times when I was so hungry I thought I


    might die.¡±


    His father had died when he was a child. After cremating his father¡¯s body, he had gone home and


    stayed in the small, dpidated house holding his father¡¯s um. He was ravenous, starving even. He was


    so hungry that he almost lost all strength and had a brush with death.


    He only survived because his neighbor hade and knocked on his door, offering him some food.


    Serenity was shocked and looked at his back in surprise. Jackson shared his words with such a light


    tone, but somehow, it made her feel a little heartache.


    Serenity remembered what Jackson had told her when he was still Jack. He had told her stories of his


    childhood. His mother had left him and his father, and his father¡­ had died in the snow. He must have


    had a hard life before joining the Valor family.


    Serenity¡¯s hand curled against her sides. Earlier¡­ After hearing what he had saidst, she almost


    subconsciously wanted to touch his head andfort him like before.


    However, she hade to her senses at the very next second. Jackson Valor was not the Jack she


    knew. He was Jackson Valor, someone out of her reach and untouchable.


    Meanwhile, in the Lewis Residence, Aria was crying to her parents,ining about the grievances


    she had suffered at work.


    ¡°He made me loneel to Serenity in front of so many people. She knew Jackson Valor but deliberately


    kept it from us. She must have bad intentions! She¡¯s just trying to see me suffer!¡± Aria whimpered.


    ¡°What? She knows Jackson Valor?!¡± Grayson was shocked. ¡°Which Jackson? That Jackson from Valor


    Group?!


    After all, Jackson Valor was a well-known figure in Sria. Naturally, many would have heard of his


    name.


    Aria immediately knew what her father was thinking when she saw his excitement.


    ¡°Dad! Okay, maybe Serenity does know Jackson, but do you really think he¡¯ll be serious with her?! Did


    you forget? Serenity was the one who killed Jackson¡¯s fiancee years ago. Who knows what Jackson is


    up to!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Catherine chimed in from beside, ¡°I think this is probably a game of revenge. He probably


    wants to spoil her first and punish herter. Isn¡¯t that amon plot in TV shows?¡±


    The mother and daughter¡¯s words came pouring like cold water and instantly extinguished the little


    thoughts in Grayson¡¯s heart.


    Right. Grayson¡¯s daughter was an ex-convict. She was just a sanitation worker. Could someone like


    Jackson Valor really fall for an ex-convict and sanitation worker?


    ¡°And she also deliberately attempted to curry favor with Lucas. Lucas misunderstood me and thought I


    was targeting her before!¡±


    Aria continued andined, ¡°Dad, how can Serenity is such a sister? A normal sister would be


    happy to see her younger sibling doing well, but Serenity always gets in my way!¡±


    Grayson frowned at Aria¡¯s words.


    Aria continued adding fuel to the fire. ¡°I can¡¯t let Lucas break up with me because of Serenity. I wouldn¡¯t


    know what to do in


    Chander 26


    the future. Dad, I really love Luicas.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 264


    ¡°Serenity just doesn¡¯t want Aria to have good things, especially when she can¡¯t have them herself!¡±


    Catherine was indignant.¡± If she¡¯s ruining things for Aria and Lucas, I¡¯ll tear her apart!!


    Grayson said instead, ¡°Could there be a misunderstanding?¡±


    After all, Serenity was also his daughter. To be frank, Grayson did not really care which of his


    daughters could be with Lucas as long as he got to be Lucas ¡®s father-inw.


    ¡°Misunderstanding? How can that be? Serenity is just trying to climb thedder! Catherine said. ¡°How


    else could she get involved with Lucas after meeting Jackson? She doesn¡¯t even consider this. She¡¯s


    an ex-convict. Will they even take her seriously? It¡¯s just for fun.¡±


    Catherine spared no effort to nder her stepdaughter, fearing that she would rob her daughter Aria¡¯s


    great marriage.


    ¡°But Aria is different. Aria has a clean record! She¡¯s Luca s¡¯s official girlfriend. Aria will be the best


    actress and eventually marry into the Gomez family. It¡¯s just a matter of time!¡±


    Catherine spoke as if Aria would be the best actress and Mrs. Gomez the very next day.


    Hearing that, Grayson nodded, ¡°okay, enough. I¡¯ll have Serenitye home and make it clear to her.


    She should keep her distance from Lucas and not ruin Aria¡¯s chances.¡±


    Aria and Catherine exchanged a nce and beamed.


    ¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± Aria said, but worry clouded her face again as she continued apprehensively, ¡°But what


    if she doesn¡¯t listen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m her father! She has to listen to me as long as herst name is Lewis!¡± Grayson said with a tough


    look.


    Aria lowered her head slightly, a smile crossing her lips.


    That night, Serenity got a call from her father, Grayson.


    ¡°Oh, Serenity. You haven¡¯t been back for a while. Why don¡¯t youe back? We need to discuss your


    mother¡¯s grave relocation,¡± Grayson said.


    ¡°Grave relocation?¡± Serenity was shocked.


    ¡°Yes. We buried your mother in the vige cemetery, but the vige will be redeveloped. Thend is


    being expropriated for development, so many graves need to be relocated. You didn¡¯t know because


    you were in jail. The vige has already received the official notice,¡± Grayson exined.


    Serenity pursed her lips slightly.


    When her mother had died, they had not bought a plot in the cemetery to bury her. Instead, her father,


    Grayson, had gotten his friend¡¯s help. Grayson¡¯s friend came from a small vige on the outskirts of


    Sria. There was a public cemetery there, and burial was free, so Serenity¡¯s mother had been buried


    there.


    After her mother¡¯s death, her father had never paid respects to her for years. It was not until Serenity


    had studied hard and gone to a good high school and university that following that, her father and


    stepmother had visited Serenity¡¯s mother¡¯s grave to pay their respects.


    When Serenity had been imprisoned, her father had stopped visiting her mother¡¯s grave,


    Serenity had visited her mother¡¯s grave after leer release from prison. The woods had grown so much


    and almost covered the words on the tombstone, and cr acks had appeared between the tombstone


    and the grave. She had wanted to repair the cr acks on her next visit, but she did not expect to love to


    move the grave,


    ¡°okay. I¡¯ll be back,¡± Serenity answered. She would never go back unless it was for her mother.


    ¡°How about tomorrow night? You cane over. What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll send Cath to get it,¡±


    Grayson spoke in a fatherly tone which shocked Serenity for a second.


    Chapter 264


    2/2


    Serenity had only heard such a tone in the prime of life, which was when she had a sessful career


    and good love life. Her father would talk to her warmly then, but everything had changed after she had


    been imprisoned.


    Serenity then realized the truth. Her father had only treated her as an unwanted child from a previous


    marriage. He would treat her like his daughter while useful but abandon her as soon as she held no


    valur in his eyes. ¡°No need. I¡¯lle after dinner.¡± Serenity ended the call immediately and put the


    phone away.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

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    Chapter 265


    When Serenity spun around, she found Jackson leaning against the door where the two rooms were


    connected, his gaze fixed


    on her.


    ¡°Who called?¡± Jackson came to her and asked.


    ¡°My father,¡± Serenity answered, ¡°I¡¯m going home tomorrow night. Tell the driver not to pick me up at the


    Sanitation Office.¡± Jackson¡¯s eyes were thoughtful. ¡°Do you need me toe with you?¡±


    Serenity looked at him in surprise. Did he just offer to apany her home? In what capacity?


    Besides, she was going home to deal with herte mother¡¯s affairs.


    ¡°No, I can go back by myself.¡± Serenity rejected. ¡°It¡¯ste. I¡¯m heading to bed,¡±


    In other words, it was time for Jackson to leave.


    Jackson narrowed his eyes slightly. He leaned forward and twirled a strand of her long hair around his


    fingers. ¡°Are you going to keep me miles away?¡±


    Serenity pursed her lips and did not answer.


    So, tell me, what do I have to do for you to treat me how you used to?¡± Jackson exhaled, his breath


    fluttering against her


    Jackson missed the old Serenity, her sweet smile, and gentle words. She used to only have eyes for


    him, and they depended on


    each other before.


    ¡°How she used to treat him?¡± Serenity was startled for a moment. ¡°You were Jack,¡± she muttered


    ¡°I can still be Jack I¡¯ll be Jack, only for you, Jackson said.


    Serenity¡¯s heart suddenly pounded at the thought of that. Her Jack? How was that even possible?


    She should have been scared, but why was her heart racing so hard as his words?


    Jackson lowered his head slightly, pressing his forehead against hers. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever said these words


    to you. What about you? Won¡¯t you think of me as Jack?¡±


    The Jack and Serenity who used to depend on each other¡­


    Serenity barely slept all night with Jackson¡¯s words echoing in her mind endlessly.


    Her Jack? Was he not done with ying games with her? But his expression seemed one hundred


    percent serious when what he said, almost as if he was no longer ying games.


    X came early in the morning and asked Serenity, ¡°Serenity! Mr. Gray is asking me about you. He¡¯s


    asking who you are and if you really work here. He said you took the show yesterday and had a big


    shot on your back. What¡¯s happening?¡±


    The Mr. Gray mentioned was the organizer of the group of extras. X was the one who had


    rmended Serenity, so, Wis only natural for Mr. Gray to talk to X about Serenity. X was very


    confused when she heard about what had happened on the set and the big shot supporting Serenity.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 266

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    Chapter 266


    Did Serenity really know someone so important? If so, why would she be working as a sanitation


    worker? Why was she working as an extra to cam more money?


    ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s all in the past,¡± Serenity answered vaguely. ¡°Oh, X. I think I¡¯m not suitable to be an


    extra. I won¡¯t be doing this job again. Please apologize to Mr. Gray. I¡¯ll quit the group shortly.¡±


    After all, many people had seen what had happened on the set yesterday. The entertainment industry


    was a small world. People from show business would always bermp into each other in such a small


    circle


    Continuing to work as an extra would make things more awloward. Serenity would rather quit. It was a


    p¨®ry that she now had one less way to cam extra money. She would have to think of something else


    and try to increase her ie


    ¡°I see¡± X stopped asking. She could tell that Serenity did not want to talk about yesterday X said,


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll talk to Mr. Grayter, but you¡¯d better talk to Mr. Gray before leaving the group.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Serenity responded.


    Serenity was still troubled by money. She wanted to pay Lisa back as soon as possible. Besides, her


    grandmother¡¯s medical bill would be a problem. She would have a hard time if the bills continued to


    increase.


    Thinking of this, she could not help but smile bitterly


    In the past, Serenity had thought that she could study hard and make money by putting her knowledge


    to good use However, she had ended up doing physical work to make money. All the knowledge she


    had learned for years, the legal provisions she


    had memorized, were all useless to her.


    She wondered if this was ironic.


    After work, Serenity went to a food stall near her office to grab a simple meal. Naturally, the food here


    was much worse than the dinner made by the chef of Valor Residence, but she ate freely, without any


    burden or restraint.


    Cunlike dinner in Valor Residence. Eating with Jackson Isail always been stressful. She felt as if bound


    by a bency, depressing feeling that often made her want to escape.


    Anyway, she just could not read this man Jackson said he could be her jack, but she could not tell


    how much of his words were true or just a joke.


    Or maybe it was because. The bad encounters in prison made Serenity afraid of Jackson. She¡­ She


    feared him.


    She feared offending him unintentionally. He would make her go through the hellish days again!


    Serenity shook her head and told herself to stop thinking about it. She quickly finished her food in a


    hurry and took the bus to her family hurt.


    However, this ce was no longer home for her.


    Serenity rang the doorbell, and a few momentster, Aria opened the door.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re here.¡± A acted sweetly, totally different from her domineering self on sel


    Serenity looked at her with an indifferent game and went into the house


    |


    Catherine warmly weed Serenity, ¡°You¡¯re here, Serenity. Your dad and I were just talking about


    you.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

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    Chapter 267


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    1/2


    ¡°Come on,¡± Grayson Lewis said, ¡°sit down.¡±


    Serenity took a seat and bluntly asked, ¡°Where are you going to move my mother¡¯s grave?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter,¡± Grayson waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about what¡¯s going on between you


    and your sister. I¡¯m going to be the peacemaker for both of you today. No matter what happened,


    you¡¯re still family, you know. As the elder sister, you should always protect your little sister,¡±


    ¡°All I want ia ¡®enow,¡± Serenity insisted, ¡°is where you¡¯re going to move my mother¡¯s grave¡®


    Grayson grew impatient.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you we¡¯ll talk about thatter? Let¡¯s settle this problem between you and your sister first,¡±


    ¡°Sis,¡± Aria spoke up in an apparently earnest voice, please forgive me if I¡¯ve ever done anything wrong.


    I¡¯m Iruly sorry¡±


    This only made Serenity put her guard up even more. The more Aria acted this way, the more she


    could tell that there might be a problem.


    And just as she suspected, the next thing Grayson said confirmed her fears and made her realize what


    Aria¡¯s true motive was


    ¡°Come now, you¡¯re both sisters, after all, so don¡¯t let one man get in between the both of you.


    He then tumed to his eldest daughter and said, ¡°Serenity, Lucas Gomez is your sister¡¯s boyfriend, so


    don¡¯t ruin her rtionship with him. Besides, aren¡¯t you with Jackson Valor right now? In that case, you


    really shouldn¡¯t get in between your sister and Lucat.¡±


    Realization hit Serenity. So, that was the true reason why they wanted her there.


    ¡°I have no interest in what¡¯s going on between Ana and Lucas Gomez,¡± she said, before once again


    repeating her question, ¡°I just want to know where my mother¡¯s grave will be moved.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me you won¡¯t do as I say?¡® Graysan snapped with anger. ¡°So, you re determined to


    steal Lucas away from. your sister, huh? I¡¯m telling you now, if you ever dare ruin Arta¡¯s rtionship,


    you won¡¯t ever see your mother¡¯s grave ever


    again


    Serenity stared at her father icily and replied, ¡°My actions won¡¯t have any effect on her rtionship


    anyway. If Lucas really loves her, then no one can steal him away from her, but if he never loved her,


    she won¡¯t be able to keep him no matter what she does, then!¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?!¡± Serenity¡¯s stepmother suddenly cut in anxiously. ¡°You¡¯re not trying to drag Aria


    down with you. because you can¡¯t marry Jackson, are you?! My daughter is nothing like you! She¡¯s an


    innocent girl with no criminal record and she¡¯s going to be a superstar in the future! She¡¯s not going to


    end up lior you!¡±


    If you really think that she¡¯s nothing like me,¡® said Serenity with indifference, ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be able to


    keep Lucas by her side with her own capabilities.¡±


    She never understood why Lucas would ever choose Aria to be his girlfriend. Was it love? It did not


    look like it Otherwise, he would never let Aria kneel in front of so many prople back then on the film set.


    Even if the real person behind it was Jackson, Lucas was more than powerful enough to not be


    intimidated by him!


    Besides, Serenity had seen how Lucas treated his ex¨Cgirlfriends. Perhaps those who had been in the


    most rtionships. the most unfeeling ones after all, Serenity simply could not believe that Aria would


    be Lucas Gomez¡¯sst girlfriend.


    ¡°The only reason I came here today was to find out about my mother¡¯s grave! Please give me the


    documents regarding the application to move my mother¡¯s grave along with the household registration


    bookdet, and I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡±


    As she spoke, she realized that she had never officially moved out of this house yet. But then, she


    thought about it and realized that she had nowhere to move to since she had no offici address in


    Solicia. She could not put her name in the Sanitation Office collective housebuld registration, and as for


    her grandother¡¯s house.. she was sure that her uncles and the rest of the family would never agree to it


    since they would suspect her of going after the relocation fund.


    At that moment, it suddenly dawned on her how truly alone she was in this world. She did not even


    have a single ce she could traly call home.

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    Chapter 268


    ¡°All you ever think about is your mother!¡± Grayson gmwled. ¡°You never thought about your sister at all!


    Fine Let¡¯s see what a good daughter you are to your own mother!¡±


    He then stomped into his rooms and reemerged shortly after with a photo album in his hand.


    Serenity froze. That photo album was her mother¡¯s! It contained the only photos she had of herself and


    her mother together!


    The next thing she saw was her father pulling out a lighter, which he then lit up and held under the


    photo album.


    ¡°Since you never thought of your own sister, 1 have no reason to give you this album! Even your


    mother would never want a traiterous daughter like you!!!


    The photo album caught fire, and trayson tossed it as it burned onto the tiled floor.


    Serenity shrieked before pulling down her sleeves to beat out the fire with all her might.


    She would never let the photo album burn no matter what! Never! it was the only memento she had left


    of her mother! It contained her memories she would never let it burn!


    Even Serenity herself had no idea how long she had been screaming hysterically as she unceasingly


    beat the photo album with her two bare hands in a desperate attempt to put out the fire she did not


    even care when the mes consumed her hands. A?L she cared about was extinguishing the Ere at all


    costs, to the point where she appeared like a lunatic!


    Her father, stepenother, and sister were all frightened by Serenity¡¯s frenzied reaction.


    In the end, when the fire was out, Serenity looked down at the burnt album. Only then did she realize


    that her face was soaked in tears. She staggered to her feet and clutched the photo album to her chest


    before looking up coldly at the man in front of her


    the man who should be her father.


    This man¡­ had just tossed away the keepsake from the woman he had once vowed to spend his


    whole life with without any hesitation at all. Serenity¡¯s mother had eddently been gone from his heart a


    long time ago. It turned out that his supposed love for her had vanished with the passage of time


    without even leaving a trace of nostalgia


    There was a sign of embarrassment on her delicate tear¨Csoaked face, but her almond shaped eyes


    were scouting itly at her father.


    Grayson was shocked to see that look in his daughter¡¯s eyes, but he still maintained his pride and


    demanded, ¡°You, Wisat right do you have to look at your father like that? I can burn this album if I want


    to and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it!¡±


    Serenity suddenly smiled, but her eyes were ful and sarcastic.


    ¡°If Mom was still alive,¡± she said, ¡°she would question herself as to why she would ever marry a


    scumbag like you!¡±


    ¡°Is that how you talk to your father?!¡± Grayson raised his hand and struck it vehemently across


    Serenity¡¯s face.


    The p was so hard that Serenity staggered back a few steps before she regained her bnce again,


    but she kept that tattered photo album securely sped in her arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re not worthy to be her husband!¡± she derided. But if you still had an inkling of feeling for her,


    you¡¯d never burn this photo album.¡±


    She then turned on her heels and strode out of the house with the photo album in her hands.


    Meanwhile, the three people left inside the house all looked at each other.


    ¡°Why did you burn that all?¡± catherine Fisher asked her husband with some concern. ¡°What if she got


    burned and died?¡±


    ¡°No one gets burned that easily,¡± Grayson argued, still angry because he fel: his dignity as a father had


    been challenged by his daughter. ¡°Even if she did get bumed, she¡¯s only gut herself to me!¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t she with Jackson Vallor now?¡± Catherine asked anxiously. ¡°What t! she tells him about it and


    he tries to get back at ¡°But


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    us for it?¡±


    Chueter 265


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if she dares Grayson snapped with his eyes widened, ¡°No matter what, I¡¯m still her father! If


    she really does try to get back at us, I¡¯ll make sure she never finds her mother¡¯s grave!¡±


    Aria stood aside with her head lowered. Her eyes flickered as she silently cursed the me for not


    consuming Serenity just now!

 Chapter 269

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    Chapter 269


    Had Serenity been disfigured by the fire, it would have saved her a lot of work. At the very least, she


    knew that Lucas would never take a fancy to a deformed woman.


    What a pity!


    Serenity had no idea how she got downstairs. All she felt was that each step she took seemed to be


    exhausting all of her strength. The two hands that were chatching the photo album kept trembling


    because of her flustered emotions.


    At the moment, she did not even have the courage to look through the album to see how many of the


    photos were damaged. These were all her memories-her memones of her mother!


    When she finally teetered her way to the gate of her apartment, a figure walked up to her, and


    suddenly, an anxious voiceced with heavy concern sounded above her head, asking, ¡°What


    happened to you?¡±


    Serenity felt as if she was enveloped in a shadow, and following that, a pair of arms swooped up and


    supported her frail wobbly body.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Who was in? Who had just held her up?


    She slowly looked up, and the first thing that cought her eyes was that exquisite pair of eyes looking


    back at her. They were as alluring as peach blossoms, so entrancing that she was stunned, and his


    ck pupils were like obsidian, so ck and lustrous, yet su imprable and unfathomable at the


    same time.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he frowned as he saw her tear-stained face, a sight that pulled at his heartstrings.


    She stared at hun in shock for a while, then a hage sinile bloomed suddenly on her face.


    ¡°Jack¡­¡± she murmured his


    How long had it been since she hadst called him by that name? It was probably only about a few


    months, yet it felt like it had been ages and ages ago.


    Hut at this umbent, all she saw in her eyes was Jack and nothing else¡ªin fact, I was the same Jack


    who rebeioa bertu survive, the same That she could trust and rely on, and the same Jack who had


    been the source of wannth for ber.


    He froze for a moment, then softly answered, ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡±


    ¡°Jack,¡± she murmured, ¡°I¡¯m.. I¡¯m so tired..¡±


    She was so tired that she had no strength left to wilk nor even ang energy left to cry.


    He bent down and scooped her up into his arms before carrying her toward his car, which was parked


    nearby.


    She stayed quietly in his arms, just like a dull, without struggling to escape the way she unveil to.


    As he carried her into his car, his gaze fell on the half-bumt photo album in her bands. His eyes


    narrowed instantly, focusing on Serenity¡¯s hands. He then quickly ordered the driver to change direction


    and drove toward the hospital instead.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he said, ¡°what happened exactly?¡±


    But Serenity would not answer him, and she just held onto the photo album even more lightly.


    He felt a surging pain in his chest that he could not quite understand. If he had known that this would


    happen when he let her go home, he would have insisted on going with her.


    Thinking of this, his eyes darkened.


    Once they reached the hospital entrance, Jackson canted Serenity out of the car and hurried to the


    emergency room.

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    There was not a peep out of Serenity the whole time. She was perfectly still and silent, almost as if lost


    in her own inner world until the doctor tried to take the photo albus in her hands. She seemed to came


    to her senses suddenly and clurg, tightly to the photo albums, yelling, ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s taking it away,¡± Jackson assured her gently, ¡°but the doctor needs to examine your hands.


    Give it to me, Sis, and let the doctor take a good look at your hands, okay?¡±


    As soon as Serenity heard him call her sis, she finally looked at him and murmured, ¡°Jack 7¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, ¡°it¡¯s me. Tell me, what happened to you exactly?


    Hers trembled, and the tears that had been suppressed all this while gushed straight out as she told


    him in a choked¨Cup voice, ¡°It¡¯s burnt! The album with phates of me and my mother! It¡¯s burnt!¡±


    As she spoke, her curly eyshes seemed to bring forth more tears free her eyes with their every


    fluttering movement


    Jackson was astonished. So, that half¨Cburnt album was a photo album of Serenity and her mother?


    He had spent enough time living with Serenity to understand how important her mother was to her.


    At that moment, the doctor finally had a chance to examine Serenity¡¯s hands. After seeing them, he


    immediately began to treat the scalded area, cleaned the wounds, and bandaged them.


    The bruises on the back of her hand had barely even started to heal, yet there were now more wounds


    on her hands. All ten fingers of her hands were now wrapped in gauze. All throughout the process,


    Serenity remained totally silent, as if she felt no pain at all, but the more she acted this way, the more


    unbearable it was for him to see it


    Jackson pulled out his handkerchief and wiped away her tears, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    Every tear that she shed made him suffer, and it made him feel helpless. He had always been all¨C


    powerful in Sria, capable of making anything happen, but as for the photo album of Serenity and her


    mother, he realized that no matter how much money he had, it was not enough to restore it to its


    original state.


    Right now, all he could do was wipe away her tears¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a minor burn,¡± the doctor informed them, ¡®but it¡¯s nothing serious, fortunately. You shouldn¡¯t let the


    woundse into contact with water until they heal, and you must apply the medicine every day.¡±


    ¡°Will there be any long¨Cterm effects?¡± Jackson asked.


    ¡°The wounds are all skin¨Cdeep,¡± the doctor replied. ¡°No nerves or muscles were affected, though the


    wounds might leave somme scars in the future.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyebrows knitted


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Once her hands were bandaged, Serenity desperately tried to sp the photo album against her chest


    as if it was her baby.


    Precious


    Seeing this, Jackson pursed his lips tightly, before once again gathering her up in his arms and striding


    out of the emergency room to take her back to the car,


    I


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the scars,¡± he assured her. ¡°Dnce the wounds are healed, get an expert doctor to


    remove all scars.¡±


    She raised her head slowly until her gaze fell on his face. There were still heads of tears on her


    eyshes, but the look in her eyes was slowly reparing its rarity and lightness. She stayed silent for a


    long time, until atst she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Lpletely lost mypusure just now.¡±


    That evening, In her most painful moments, she had regarded him as the old ¡°Jack¡± that she once


    knew and cried bitterly in


    front of him..


    Was it because the pain was too unbearable? Was that the reason why her mind was muddled just


    now?


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to apologize,¡± he told her. ¡°You can always lose yourposure without any


    hesitation in front of me.¡±

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    Chapter 271


    Her nose topled. The tears that had only just stopped flowing moments ago began to gush out again.


    ¡°If you really want to cry,¡± he said, his fingertip caressing gently against her eye, ¡®then just let it all out,


    Sis


    Him calling her ¡®Sis¡® was like a key that unlocked all the pain and misery that had been suppressed and


    sealed up all this time. Unable to restrain her emotions any longer, she yelped and finally cried her


    heart out.


    How long had been since shest cried her heart out like this? How long had it been since she had to


    resign herself to the fact that no matter how loudly she cried, no matter how many tears she shed, it


    would all be useless because she could rely on no one else but herself because her tears were


    useless?


    Yet the moment she heard him call her ¡®Sis¡®, she thought of her mother, she thought of the baby in her


    mother¡¯s womb who would have been her little brother, but who never even had the chance to call her


    ¡®Sts¡®.


    If her mother and little brother had never left this world back then, would she feel less alone now?


    Would she actually have a real family who loved her?


    Serenity¡¯s impassioned cry startled Jackson. If it hurt him to watch her bite her lips and cry silently, then


    the sight of her crying bitterly as she did now made him feelpletely and utterly at a loss of what to


    do.


    His whole body stiffened as her teardrops poured out uncrasingly, almost as if all the blood in his


    vessels had congealed and all the nerves in his body were frozen


    He had never felt so helpless before. Even when his mother had dumped his father and afterward


    when his father had frozen. to death in the snow, all he had felt was hopelessness and despair¨Che had


    not felt weak or powerless at all.


    Yet at this moment, when facing Serenity who was crying her heart out, he felt as if he was frozen in ice


    and burned in fire at the same time. He wanted nothing more than for her to stop suffering, yet his


    whole body was as stiff as a stone, and he simply did not know how to react.


    Just then, she suddenly threw herself into his arms and buried her face against his chest while still


    fervently crying. Her tears soaked into the fabric on his chest, and it felt ke her tears were absorbed


    into his body and then moved into his bloodstream before flowing into his heart.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    After a long while, Jackson finally raised his stiff arms and cautiously wrapped them around Serenity.


    If she had been so depressed and in despair, then she could just let it all out, but¡­ she must only let it


    all out in front of him. He would never let her show her weak side and cry in front of anyone else.


    d stronger.


    As time went by, his possessiveness over her only grew stronger and s


    When they reached Valor Residence, the driver respectfully got out of the car, but Jackson still


    remained inside and stayed in the same position with Serenity in his arms, letting her cry as much as


    she wanted.


    He was not sure how much time went by when her crying finally subsided. He looked down, only to see


    that she had cried. herself to sleep Her face was drenched in tears, and her eyes were red and swallen


    from all the crying. All her ten fingers were wrapped in white gauze. The sight of her looking like this


    almost made his heart burst with sympathy.


    Suddenly, the sound of a phone ringing bruke the silence. It was the phone in Serenity¡¯s pocket,


    Jackson picked it up and nced at the caller IDon the screen, which told him that it was Lisa Quest


    calling.


    He frowned slightly and then pressed the answer button.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Lisa¡¯s voice spoke up at the other end of the line. ¡°Serenity? Are you there? Why aren¡¯t you


    home today? Are you working overtime?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not staying there right now,¡± Jackson sald in a lushed voice as he was afraid that he might wake


    Serenity up. ¡°She¡¯s already asleep, so if you¡¯ve got anything to say to her, just call her tomorrow

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    Chapter 272


    Lisa was fabbergasted. She never expected to hear the voice of a man answering the phone,


    especially when it sounded like¡­


    ¡°Are you Jackson Valor?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± was the short reply she got before the call was swiftly ended.


    Lisa stared at the phone in her hand and was in a daze for a few seconds before she came back to her


    senses. If Serenity was already asleep.. Why had Jackson answered her phone?! Did that mean that


    he was by her side?


    And if she was not at her ce, where else would she be staying right now?!


    Lisa¡¯s


    ¡®s gaze shifted from the phone to the door to Serenity¡¯s rented room, which was closed shut. Could it


    be that.. she was staying with Jackson Valor?!


    Could something so oundish even be possible?


    Meanwhile, Jackson put Serenity¡¯s phone away and very carefully carried the woman who was


    sleeping in his arms out of the car. Worried that she might get cold on the way, he took off his coat and


    laid it over her body to keep her warm.


    All the servents who saw them along the way could barely hide their astonishment. Although they knew


    that Miss Lewis must not be any ordinary woman since she had been staying at the Valor Residence..


    Who would ever think that Mr. Valor would treal anyone with such care and tenderness?


    He held her in his arms as if s might disturb her sleep.


    she was his most treasured prize, and be even forbade anyone to make any noise, for fear that it


    When the butler, who had always been with the family even before Jackson was born, saw the young


    master of the house treat a woman sa dearly, a conflicted look of mixed feelings arose in his


    expression.


    It was exactly the same way Jude Valor, Jackson¡¯s father, hat treated Jackson¡¯s mother when he had


    first brought her back to The Valor Residence. But then, how had it all ended? He was left with nothing,


    not even his own life.


    Sometimes, things could only end in tragedy when you focused all of your heat and soul on one


    person.


    Would history repeat itself with Jackson Valor? Had he already given all of his heart and soul to Miss


    Lewis? After all, he had never treated any other woman like this before, not even his former nce Miss


    Hall


    On the one hand, the butler hoped that Jackson could meet someone he loved yet at the same time, he


    dreaded the possibility. that Jackson would love this woman so much that it would all end in another


    tragedy in the family.


    Jackson carried Serenity into her bedroom. He opened the door and carefully ced her on the bed,


    then took off her shoes


    and real


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    The tear stains on her fare had dried, yet her brows were still furrowed though she was already asleep.


    It looked like she was unable to escape the aguny even in her slumber. She clung to the ball¨Cburnt


    photo album very tightly even though she was in deep sleep. It took Jackson a long time before he


    could finally pay the album out of her hands without waking her up. The sight of her fingers wrapped in


    bandages stung his eyes.


    ¡°Why did you have to do such a stupid thing just for a photo album?¡± he grumbled in a low hasky voice.


    Even if the albums contained photos of her with her mother, she still should never have risked her own


    life to save it. Had the mes spread to her body, her injuries would have been far more serious now.


    He gently took her hand and kissed her fingertips, which were all swaddled in ganze


    ¡°It must¡¯ve hurt a lot when you got burned, he murmured. ¡°I wish I could¡¯ve bare the pain for you¡­¡±


    This was the first time in his life wishing he could bear someone else¡¯s puin. If there was anything he


    could do to transfer all


    the suffering she had to endure onto his own loudy, he would have done without hesitation.


    Jackson tucked Serenity under the nket and stared at her sleeping face, feeling like he was losing


    his mind¡­


    Serenity felt like she had a long, unending dream. In it, she saw herself when she was still a little girl,


    and beside her was her own mother. Fuzzy images from her memories shed before her eyes


    But gradually, the sweet idyllic dream turned into a nightmare. The fetus in her mother¡¯s womb took the


    form of a bal?y¡ªher httle brother¨Cbut it was cold, still, and lifeless.

 Chapter 273

    Chapter 273


    No. No!


    Give her back her mother! Give her back her little brother!


    She desperately tried to shout, but no sound escaped her throat.


    Just then, the sound of a bell rang, pulling her out of the nightmare.


    Serenity slowly opened her eyes, only to hear an aring voice ask her, ¡°Are you awake?¡±


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    Het ryes, still disoriented by slumber, were greeted with a strikingly handsome face with shimmering


    eyes that shone with indescribable tenderness.


    ¡°Yeah..she answered nkly, still half¨Casleep. It was as if the world of her dreams and reality


    intermingled with each other, overwhelming her mind.


    ¡°Answer the phone, then,¡± he said, then held up the phone to her ear.


    Serenity listened vacantly to the phone, then suddenly heard a familiar voice from the other end of the


    line asking her, Serenity? Is that you? Are you awake?¡±


    The voce jolted her awake, and she instantly came to her senses.


    Lisa!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me! Where are you right now? Are you staying with Jackson Valor? I called youst night, but


    he answered the phone. I called you again just now, and it was still him picking up the phone.¡±


    Lisa was on the verge of losing her mind. She never would have thought that Jackson Valor would


    answer her call twice.


    ¡°Did you call mest night too?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied, ¡°but he told me you were already asleep. What in the world is going on, Serenity?


    Are you guys living together? What¡¯s going on between you two?


    A barrage of questions poured out of Lisa¡¯s lips in quick session. Serenity bit her lips and turned to


    Jackson, who was still holding up the phone for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you all about it the next time we meet. Anyway.. Why did you call


    ¡°Well,¡± said Dis?, ¡°it¡¯s about your case. I identally found out just recently that one of the witnesses


    might actually be in San Marco, which isn¡¯t far from Sria at all. I thought we should talk about this.¡±


    The news startled Serenity for a moment. She then hastily replied, ¡°Great! Then.. Then let¡¯s meet up!


    When will you be free?¡±


    ¡°How about today after I get off work? Will you be working at the Sanitation Office today? Should I pick


    you ap there after


    work?


    ¡°No, let¡¯s just meet at our usual ce.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±


    After their conversacion ended, Serenity wanted to get up, but when she pressed her palms onto the


    bed to hoist herself up, she was thrown off by the pricking pain in her fingertips.


    ¡°Ah!¡± she instantly yelped in a muffled voice. Before she knew it, Jackson had slipped his hands under


    her amplts and lifted her up, just as if he was helping a child sit up in bed


    Serenity was a first mildly embarrassest, but the pain in her lingers suddenly reminded her of what had


    happenedst night. Panic quickly took over her expression, and she asko, ¡°Where¡¯s my photo album


    Where did the photo album gu

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    She spoke almost hysterically. That photo album contained the most cherished memories in her life,


    after all.


    Jackson frowned without him realizing it as he asked her, ¡°Were you going to throw your life away just


    for that photo album? You were lucky yesterday because only your fingers were blistered, and they


    were not that serious, but what if the mes had consumed more parts of your body?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°But that photo album is very important to me!¡± she insisted.


    ¡°More important than your own two hands?¡± he countered, his voice deepening. ¡°Were you really going


    to sacrifice your hands just to protect that photo album?


    Serenity took a deep breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s important enough to me that I¡¯d protect it without any


    hesitation, even if it means sacrificing my hands ¡±


    To her, this was not just an empty wish, but it was her conviction and resolve, because the album


    contained the memory of the purest and most genuine love she had ever received, and it was also the


    happiest period in her life.


    Her answer made his expression turn ugly. A wave of anger began to simmer and boil in his chest. He


    was angry at her for not cherishing herself at all, but he was also angry at himself for caring about her


    safety more than she did herself.


    Even Serenity did not care at all if her hands were damaged and wounded, yet it meant the world to


    him to never see her suffer the slightest pain ever again.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my photo album?¡± she repeated her question with apparent anxiety.


    Jackson let out a lengthy sigh, stood up, and walked over to a shell nearby before retuming to her to


    hand her the half¨Cburnt


    album.


    Only then did Serenity sigh in relief. She opened the album gingerly and looked at the photos inside.


    Soon, her eyes started to redden again.


    Many of the photos werepletely burnt, but some were merely crinkled at theers, while others


    were partially burnt. Only a quarter of the photos had survived intact.


    With each tum of the page, she had to brace herself with immense willpower to endure the pain. She


    was incapable of protecting even a photo album from harm.


    Finally, she closed the album and murmured, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, turning to look at her.


    ¡°Thank you for taking me to the hospitalst night,¡± she replied somewhat awkwardly. ¡°I¡­ Ipletely


    lost control of my emotionsst night.¡±


    The images of what happened yesterday shed through her mind. If she had still kept herposure,


    she would never have thrown herself in his arms even if she did break down and cry, butst night, she


    kept holding onto him as she wept, almost as if she was holding onto a floating raft to keep her from


    drowning in the sea


    ¡°From now on,¡± he leaned down and whispered to her, ¡°I¡¯m the only one allowed to see you breaking


    down like that.¡±


    The way he said it, it was definitely not a question, but a foregone conclusion.


    Serenity found it hard to breathe. Jackson leaned down and once again nced at her handaged


    fingers as he said, ¡°If you¡¯ve got any problems from now on, you can alwayse to me for help. Don¡¯t


    ever try to face it alone again. Also, your hands are still healing, so I¡¯ve applied for leave for you from


    your work at the Sanitation Office, Just stay home and rest for a few more days,¡±


    Home? She was


    as stunned. It left a taste of bitterness in her mouth. She had never thought of this ce as her home.


    In fact, sh did not have a home at all in Sria


    ¡°I¡¯ve been taking leaves too oftentely,¡± she told him, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to cause my supervisor any


    problems. I¡¯ll probably be fined if I don¡¯t show up again.¡±


    She had taken a long leave earlier in the year, and street sweepers like her had always been treated as


    hardborers, so she knew that if she did not show up to work again, her colleagues would have to do


    all the jobs that she was supposed to do.

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    ¡°No one will fire you,¡± he assured her with full confidence. ¡°Just rest and let your fingers heal. Besides,


    what do you think you can do at work when you can¡¯t even pick anything up with your hands? How are


    you going to sweep the streets?¡±


    Serenity hung her head low and fell silent. At the moment, with her hands like this, she truly could not


    do anything at all.


    ¡°Just let your hands heal,¡± said Jackson, and you can do anything you like after that.¡±


    Then, he looked like he suddenly thought of something and asked her, ¡°Are you going to meet Lisa this


    evening? Why don¡¯t you change the date and wait for your hands to get better?¡±


    Anyone who knew Jackson Valor would have been shocked to hear what he had just said. The most


    mysterious and unfathomable man in Sria certainly never shown such a level of concern for a


    woman whose hands were injured!


    If it had been anyone else, they could stand before him covered in blood and on the brink of death and


    he still would show no sign of pity or concer


    ¡°No,¡± she insisted firmly, ¡°I must go meet her this evening. It sounded like Lasa¡¯s got new information


    about a witness in my case all those years ago. I must go see her and talk about what she¡¯s found.¡±


    As she spoke, she failed to notice his change of expression and how his hands, which had been


    hanging by his sides, were now slowly clenched into balls of fists


    ¡°Information about a witness?¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± she nodded. ¡°But I need to ask Lisa about the specifics.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re determined to find the clues and solve the case yourself?¡± he asked, raising a hand to


    brush away a stray strand of hair from her cheek. ¡°I told you before-I can help you overturn the verdict,


    so there¡¯s no need for you to run around trying to solve the case when you might end up with nothing at


    all in the end.¡±


    But you¡¯ll only overturn the verdict,¡± she argued, ¡°and not actually help me find the real culprit in that


    car crash, right? You won¡¯t help me find out who was the person who implicated me with the crime andExclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    p me with thebel of a criminal which I must bear for the rest of my life, will you? You¡¯re just going


    to help me overturns the verdict through theck of concrete proof for my guilt, but then, even if my


    criminal records are wiped clean, I¡¯ll still be guilty in everyone¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°Is other people¡¯s opinion of you so important?¡± Jackson asked, frowning


    Serenity smiled wryly and replied, ¡°If it¡¯s about anything else, I would¡¯ve never concerned myself with


    what other people think of me, but this crime. I must find out the truth for myself, and I want everyone to


    know that I¡¯m not a murderer!¡±


    She did not want people to think of her mother as the woman who gave birth to a daughter that killed


    someone. She, of all people, knew how much damage mocking words could cause as she had


    personally experienced it herself.


    Jackson stared at Serenity intently for a while and then suddenly smiled.


    ¡°Okay, then, but if you ever change your mind and want me to overturn the verdict, just tell me.¡±


    Despite the smile, there was a frightening darkness deep in his eyes.


    Serenity spent the whole afternoon carefully picking out the photos in the album one by one. She even


    painstakingly picked out the photos that were half-burnt, but because her hands were bandaged, the


    jab was naturally aborious oive for her.


    ¡°let me do it,¡± Jackson offered.


    Then, with his long, slender fingers, he helped her pull out the photos from the albums. Compared to


    Iver awkward and bungling movements, his were deft and elegant, even pleasing to the eye.


    Hut right now, Serenity was not in the mood to appreciate his gracefulness because all of her attention


    was focused on each and every photo taken out from the album as she checked each one for how


    seriously They were damaged.


    Meanwhile, Jackson was also trying to picture the memories Serenity had of her ther through the


    photos.

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    Serenity looked so small in the photographs. Her cheeks looked chubby with baby fat. Her hair was


    thick, luscious, and ck. She was such an adorable and cherubic child.


    Jackson never knew that he would ever he so fascinated by a little girl before, yet at that moment, as


    he was looking at the tiny toddler in the photo, a peculiar love grew from the bottom of his heart. In fact,


    he even had a feeling that if the girl in the picture would appear in front of him right now, he would not


    be able to stop himself from hugging and kissing her.


    Was it just because the little girl was Serenity? Was that the reason why he thought the girl was so


    cute? In any case, he had never felt this way about any other child.


    Jackson continued to pull out each photograph carefully one by one. It started with photos of Serenity


    and her mother, but afterward, there were mostly photos of Serenity alone. She looked slightly older in


    these photos than she did in the photos with her mother. She was probably about four to six years old


    here¡­¡­..


    There were not many photos of her alone at all. In fact, there were significantly fewer of these than the


    photos of her with her mother.


    Serenity stared at these photographs and recalled, ¡°My mother loved taking pictures with me when she


    was alive. There were a lot less photos of me after she died.¡±


    There would be only a few photos of her after that, taken very asionally, and most were pictures of


    Serenity alone. It looked just like she was never weed to be a part of her father¡¯s new family.


    All of a sudden, Jackson squinted and fixed his eyes on one of the photos. He even stopped taking the


    photos out of the album.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°This photograph¡­¡± he paused. ¡°How old were you here?¡±


    She nced at the photo. There was a little girl wearing a floral dress in it, and she was standing in


    front of a fence with lush mountains in the background. Her eyes were filled with gentle warmth as she


    stared at the picture.


    ¡°I was probably about eight or nine years old here,¡± she said. ¡°Back then, I really wanted this floral


    dress, but it was very expensive ¡ª it almost cost about 50 dors. Only well¨Cto¨Cdo families would buy


    such a dress for their kids. I didn¡¯t dare to tell my grandmother that I liked the dress, but she could tell


    that I really wanted it, so she gritted her teeth and saved up the money to buy it for me.¡±


    She would always cherish the love and affection her grandmother showed her and cherish this memory


    for the rest of her life.


    The older she got, the more she understood how hard it was for her grandmother to buy her that dress.


    She was sure that her grandmother must have endured a lot of pressure from her grandfather, not to


    mention her uncles and aunt¡­ They must all disparage her for wasting money on such a frivolous


    thing.


    After all, 50 dors really was a lot of money for them back then. Each of them was barely able to earn


    500 dors a month, not to mention the fact that her grandmother earned her money through working


    hardbor jobs.


    ¡°What¡¯s the name of the ce you lived at the time?¡± Jackson asked, but there was an almost


    imperceptible oddness in his


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    voice.


    ¡°Back then, it was called Lorena Vige,¡± she replied, ¡°but afterward, the viges in the area merged


    together and became a new town called San Leon.¡±


    As she answered his question, she could not help but find it weird that he did not know the name of the


    town. Had he note to San Leon to find her before? How could be not know the name of the town,


    then?


    Darkness shed across Jackson¡¯s eyes. He then asked, ¡°Were there a lot of girls in that town wearing


    this dress?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea how many girls wore this dress in town,¡± said Serenity, ¡°but I was the only one wearing


    it in the vige. At the time, my cousin was really angry about it. She loopt saying how unfair my


    grandmother was and tried to take the dress away from me.¡±


    2/2


    When Serenity recalled how moody and crabby her cousin Lte had been back then, she could not


    help thinking of her as a petnt child.


    ¡°And then?¡± he asked. ¡°What happened next? Did she take the dress away?¡±


    twas the same day that I fell


    ¡°Then, I was ying outside one day and I tore the dress. I couldn¡¯t wear it anymore after that. It was ill


    aftering home

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    ¡°Sick? You got sick?¡± He suddenly sounded nervous.


    ¡°I was just a fever. Itsted a few days and made may mind blurry. But after I recovered, I was still as


    lively as ever. Unfortunately, the dress was gone,¡± she said regretfully. However, her Grannyter


    secretly promised her that if she managed to get the best grades in her ss in the final exams, she


    would buy Serenity another beautiful dress


    But when Serenity managed to do that, she had to leave her Granny to go back to her father.


    Before she left, her Granny secretly slipped a new dress into her luggage.


    While Serenity was lost in thought, arge hand suddenly reached over and touched her forehead.


    Serenity looked at Jackson in surprise. ¡°I.. I don¡¯t have a fever right now.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said softly, ¡°From now on. I¡¯ll buy you any dress that you want.¡±


    His words made her heart tremble, ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore. I¡¯m no longer interested in dresses.¡± She bit


    her lip and quickly lowered her eyes.


    The longer she looked at him, the more intensely her heart would beat


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Really?¡± Jackson retracted his hand. He took out all the remaining photos in the album and picked up


    the photo of her in a floral dress. ¡°Can I have this one?¡±


    She was stunned Although he was asking her, he was already putting the photo away without waiting


    for an answer,


    ¡°What do you want the photo for?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s cute, so I want to keep it as a memento,¡± he said.


    She did not remember him being particrly fond of kids when they lived together! Why had he


    suddenly taken an interest in her childhood photo?!


    Serenity pursed hier lips and said, ¡°But this is the only photo I have of me in this floral dress.¡± It was


    also a precious memento for her.


    Because the floral dress was a gift from her Granny!


    ¡°Great¡± The corners of his lips curled into a smile, ¡°That makes the photo even more meaningful.¡±


    She was speechless. What kind of logic was that?! ¡°How about I give you a different photo?¡± She tried


    to negotiate.


    ¡°No, I want this one,¡± he said. He leaned forward to move his face close to hers. ¡°I never change what I


    like, be it a photo or person.¡±


    His dark pupils reflected her face and his elegant voice reverberated in her ears¡­


    Serenity failed to get the photo back from Jackson. She could only admit defeat


    But she was still feeling baffled. Why did he insist on having that particr photo? Was it really


    because he thought it was

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    Chapter 278


    The problem was, someone like him must have seen a lot of cute people. Was she really so cute when


    she was little that he must have that photo?


    However, she did not have time to think too much about it because she had to po meet Lisa


    Jackson asked his driver to take her there.


    She knew from past experiences that protesting was futile. When he had decided on something, there


    would not be much room for negotiation.


    Serenity got in the car and told the driver her destination.


    And so, she arrived half an hour earlier than intended.


    Serenity went into a fast food restaurant, found a seat, ordered a drink which cost a dor, and sent a


    text to Lisa.


    While waiting for her friend, she looked illy at the delivery riders who were dashing in and out of the


    restaurant.


    Deliveries¡­ Serenity was intrigued. Her driving license had been revoked, but that did not mean she


    could not ride an electric scooter. She would also be paid ording to how muchbor she put in.


    Although the base sry was low, she would earn


    more if she worked more


    If she could pass the interview, despite her criminal record, perhaps being a delivery rider would be a


    decent job for her.


    After all, at the sanitation office, whenever she had to take time off, X¡¯s workload would increase


    significantly. She felt like she was pushing her work onto others.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Besides, her job at the sanitation office had a fixed sry, and she now needed to cover a quarter of


    her grandmother¡¯s medical bills, so she really needed extra money..


    ¡°What are you thinking about? Lisa¡¯s voice rang in her ears.


    Serenity snapped back to her senses and saw that her friend had arrived. ¡°I¡¯m thinking if I should be a


    delivery rider,¡± answered Serenity,


    Lisa was surprised. ¡°A delivery rider? That¡¯s a tough job. You have to deal with customerints


    every day. Women rarely work as delivery riders. Your stamina might not be able to keep up.¡±


    That kind of work was usually done by men.


    ¡°But at least I¡¯ll only be responsible for myself,¡± said Serenity, ¡°I won¡¯t drag anyone else down even if 1


    do a bad job. At the sanitation office, if I take time off, it means I¡¯ll increase someone else¡¯s workload.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± said Lisa. And then, as if she suddenly realized something, she asked, ¡°By the way, how


    come you arrived so early? Did you take time off?¡±


    She remembered that Serenity usually got off work at the sanitation officeter than she did.


    ¡°Yeah, I hurt my hands and had to take a few days off, so I thought I might as well just change jobs,¡±


    replied Serenity.


    Only now did Lisa notice that her friend¡¯s fingers were all wrapped in bandages. What in the world


    happened to your hands? she asked anxiously.


    Serenity did not keep it a secret from Lisa. She gave Lisa a brief ount of what happenedst


    evening


    Lisa listened to her stary with gnashing teeth. I can¡¯t believe your father! Even if he loves A more, he


    can¡¯t treat you like this! How can he burn the album when he knows how important it is to you?!¡±


    Serenity smiled self¨Cdeprecatingly. Yeah, that¡¯s her father, alright.


    She had a


    meltdownst night, but she had ralined down now. After all, she knew her father no longer had much


    love for her


    due to her mother.


    That was why he did not visit her even once while she was in prison.

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    ¡°Are your hands okay?¡± Lisa asked with concem.


    ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± replied Serenity, ¡°The injury looks worse than it is because of the bandages. My hands


    barely hurt anymore. I can hold things just fine,¡±


    Lisa heaved a sigh of relief.


    The two girls chatted as they ate. Lisa finally exined to Serenity what she meant when she said she


    found a witness Lisa¡¯s -worker shared a video in their work chat group in which Lisa saw one of the


    witnesses from Serenity¡¯s case.


    The man recently got married to a rtive of one of Lisa¡¯s co¨Cworkers. He was currently living in San


    Marco.


    Lisa pretended to casually ask her co¨Cworker for his name. Unfortunately, her co¨Cworker did not know.


    She did say that his Surname was York, though


    ¡°York¡± was not a verymon surname, so Lisa was pretty sure it was not a mistake.


    But just in case, Lisa showed Serenity the video.


    It was a video of a pair of newlyweds being teased. The scene was joyful and filled withughter.


    Serenity eyes were fixated on the groom


    The groom was all smiles. He joked raucously with the people around him.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    It was just a very ordinary video. The only thing that was unordinary was the groom.


    Serenity felt like a storm was brewing in her heart. She could still vividly remember that chubby face.


    That man once testified in court that he saw her drinking liquor. He said he tried to persuade her not to


    drive after drinking, but she refused and stubbornly drove away!


    But those things never happened.


    She did not know that man. She simply dined in the same restaurant as him that evening. He sat at the


    table next to her.


    She still did not understand why he would say those things in court. Did someone tell him to say that?


    Was someone trying to frame her?


    But it was precisely because the witness did not have any reason to be that the judge felt his testimony


    was credible.


    Especially since more than one witness used her of the same thing.


    ¡°Is it him?¡± asked Lisa.


    ¡°I think so,¡± replied Serenity, ¡°Can you find out his whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll ask my co¨Cworkerter,¡± said Lisa, ¡°Do you n to look for him in San


    Marco?


    but I¡¯ll have to do some basic investigation first. All the other witnesses are nowhere to be found, so


    he¡¯s my only clue, ¡± said Serenity.


    Lisa understood her friend¡¯s concern. She was afraid of losing the only clue she had if she made a rash


    move.


    After all, the car ident was just way too bizarre. Many eye¨Cwitnesses testified against Serenity


    afterwards, as if there was someone pulling the strings from behind the scenes.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s investigate first,¡± said Lisa


    While the two girls were chatting, Serenity suddenly loolust up as if she sensed something. She saw a


    car that was parked not far away. The car¡¯s window was open, and a man in the car was loolding in


    their direction.

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    Chapter 280


    He was a young adult, a beautiful man v


    with the kind of pretty


    face that was very popr at the moment.


    His facial features were exquisite, as if they were painted on. But at the moment, his thin lips were


    tightly pursed together, and that pair of extremely beautiful ck eyes seemed to be shrouded by


    anger.


    That man¡­ was angry? thought Serenity. Moreover, based on the direction he was looking at, he


    seemed to be angry at something in her direction¡­.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Serenity, I¡¯m talking to you. Did you hear what I say?¡± Lisa¡¯s voice resounded in Serenity¡¯s ears,


    causing her toe back to


    her senses.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Serenity turned to look


    at her friend and asked.


    ¡°I asked, did the doctor say how long your hands would tale to heal?¡± asked Lisa.


    ¡°About a week. After that, I¡¯ll have to wait for the skin to slowly heal,¡± answered Serenity. When she


    nced in the direction of the strange man again, the car was no longer there


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Lisa followed her friend¡¯s gaze, ¡°Is there anything over there?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Serenity smiled. Just now¡­ she must have been too sensitive. Even if that man was looking


    angrily in their direction, it did not mean that he was looking at them!


    ¡°By the way, are you staying with Jackson Valor currently? What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Lisa. When she


    called her best friendst night, it was Jackson Valor who answered the phone. Ever since then, she


    had been eagerly waiting to ask Serenity about it.


    ¡°Sort of..¡± replied Serenity.


    ¡°Then¡­ does it count as living together?¡± asked Lisa.


    The phrase ¡°lving together¡± almost made Serenity spit out her drink


    ¡°N- No, l¡¯in just staying there for a while. I can move out after my hand heals,¡± Serenity quickly


    exined.


    ¡°What do you mean you can? Lisa frowned slightly, ¡°Are you being forced to live with Jackson Valor?¡±


    It made sense that Lisa would think that way. Most of the painful experiences her best friend suffered in


    prison were thanks to Jackson Valor. Jackson Valor was probably a trauma Serenity could never get


    over.


    Moreover, after that, Jackson Valor had deceived Serenity. Serenity hated being deceived.


    Serenity pretended to smile nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly.. forced. At least I¡¯m eating well and living


    well at his ce. Because my hand is injured, staying with him makes things more convenient. He also


    gave me a separate room.¡±


    ¡°Hut¡­¡± Lisa was still concerned.


    However, Serenity cut her off. ¡°Enough about that. Let¡¯s talk about something else. Weren¡¯t you


    comining that your mother was arranging blind dates for you? Have you met anyone you like?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, I¡¯m racking my brain trying to think of a way to get out of it. I¡¯m only 27 years old, but


    my mother acts like I¡¯ll never be able to get married. ording to her, a fortune teller told her that I


    have to get married next year, so she¡¯s urging me to find a suitable man this year. I feel like beating that


    fortune teller up,¡± Lisa huffed indignantly.


    ¡°Is there no one who catches your eye all these years?¡± asked Serenity. They had known each other


    for a long time, but she had never seen Lisa be romantically involved with anyone.


    ¡°Umm..¡± Lisa rubled her puse a little unconfortably.

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    Chapter 281


    Something swells fishy! Serenity stared at her friend curiously, ¡°So there is someone?¡±


    ¡°Kinda,¡± Lisa smilled sheepishly, ¡°There was someone I liked, but that guy loolood really young. When I


    was with him, I felt like a cougar. It was just a fateful encounter.. but it was pretty sweet.¡±


    ¡°A cougar? Serenity was speechless. Lisa was only 27 years old. ¡°He¡¯s that young?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s quite young,¡± She shrugged and said, ¡°We met abroad.. but afterwards¡­ Sigh, I don¡¯t


    wanna talk about it. He¡¯s probably forgotten what I even look like by now.¡±


    After all, a handsome man like him was probably surrounded by women all the time. There¡¯s no way he


    would remember someone he only spent a few days with for too long.


    Lisa felt that having one experience like that in her life was already enough.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Serenity¡¯s face fell when she heard Lisa say ¡°abroad¡±. As far as she could remember, Lisa had only


    been abroad once. Before Serenity¡¯s ident, Lisa nned to further her studies in an overseas


    college, so she had gone abroad to the school she had applied to for an interview.


    However, because of what happened to Serenity, Lisa came straight home without going to the


    interview.


    It was Serenity¡¯s fault that Lisa lost an opportunity to further her studies abroad. It would not be wrong


    to say that Serenity had altered Lisa¡¯s fate.


    Serenity could not me Lisa¡¯s parents for holding a grudge until today. Serenity herself felt guilty


    whenever she thought of


    it..


    Noticing Serenity¡¯s expression, Lisa knew that her friend was probably feeling guilty again about her


    failure to study abroad, so she quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. It wasn¡¯t because of you that


    I didn¡¯t study abroad. My grades were mediocre, so even if I attended the interview, I wouldn¡¯t have


    been epted anyway.¡±


    ¡°Lisa, thank you. I want you to know that I¡¯d go through fire and water for you whenever you need me


    to!¡± Serenity said seriously.


    ¡°You silly girl.¡± Lisa patted her friend¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Stop being so cringey. You can thank me properly


    after you overturn your


    ???


    ¡°y,¡± Serenity smiled, but deep down, she was worried. Even though she was determined to get her


    case trapened¡­.could she


    e really overturn the verdict?


    Even if there really was a so-called mastermind behind the scenes, three years had already passed


    since then, so could she still find the mastermind?


    Serenity returned to the Vallor Residence in the evening. Jackson was sitting in the living room. He was


    holding something in his hand and was looking at it intently.


    When Serenity got closer, she realized that he was holding the photo he had taken from her earlier that


    day.


    Noticing her presence, Jackson put the photo away and gave her a little smile. ¡°You¡¯re home! How did


    it go?¡±


    ¡°It went well,¡± she replied.


    ¡°The clue your friend had about the case, was it useful?¡± he asked, seemingly in a casual manner.


    ¡°Probably. But I still can¡¯t figure out why the witness led. I¡¯m worried that if I go look for him recklessly,


    he¡¯ll hide from me again, so I want to collect more information alsout him first before I n my next


    move,¡± said Serenity.


    Then, as if she realized something, she looked at Jackson and asked, ¡°You believe that it wasn¡¯t me


    who killed your fianc¨¦e in The car ident?¡±

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    Chapter 282


    He stared deep into her eyes. ¡°Does it matter if 1 believe y


    you or not?¡±


    She was stunned, and then she smiled to herself. Yeah, whether he believed her or not had nothing to


    do with her. Why was she so nervous when he looked at her just now?


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room,¡± said Serenity. She tried to walk past Jackson to get to the stairs.


    But she only managed to take two steps before he grabbed her arm. The next moment, she was pulled


    into his embrace.


    ¡°I believe that you¡¯re innocent.¡± He bent down and said next to her ear, ¡°But do you really think you can


    find out anything investigating on your own like this? Three years have already passed. Have you ever


    thought that maybe the truth you wanted to uncover never existed in the first ce?


    Serenity¡¯s bright almond¨Cshaped eyes looked hack at Jackson. She smiled gently and said, ¡°Rich and


    powerful people like you think that I can¡¯t possibly overturn the case with my own power, but amon


    folk like me still believes that one day, I can prove my innocence,¡±


    Her smile irritated his eyes and stung his heart. After a while, he said, ¡°What if I¡¯m willing to help you?


    What If¡­ I can help you uncover the truth you want?¡±


    She stared at him nkly, not understanding why he had suddenly changed his attitude.


    ¡°What if I say that, if you¡¯re willing to stay by my side and keep mepany, I can help you uncover


    the truth? Would you say yes?¡± he asked, his warm breath almost enveloping her.


    Her heart started beating really fast. She could feel it in her throat.


    She knew that all she needed to do was say yes and she would be able to clear her name and stand


    before society as an innocent


    woman once more.


    But she would be trading for this ¡°innocence¡± using her freedom and perhaps even her body. Was that


    really what she wanted?


    She was not a little girl anymore. She could more or less guess what would happen if she said yes.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Her mother would not want to see her obtain onend of innocence at the cost of another.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find out the truth myself,¡± said Serenity. She rejected Jackson¡¯s offer.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked in a whisper. Then, he slowly straightened up. His seductive eyes turned


    gloomy. ¡°You cane to me whenever you change your mind.¡±


    He let go of her arm.


    Serenity bit her lip softly and walked to the stairs.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes stared at Serenity¡¯s back until her figure disappeared from his vision. He then sat back


    down on the sofa and took out the photo of Serenity in a floral dress from his pocket again.


    ¡°Is it you?¡± he asked softly, as if his question could reach the little girl in the plioto across the


    boundaries of time and space.


    The only response he pot was the silence in the air around him.


    In his mind, the ploto ovepped with a painting that he had seen before. The little girl in the painting


    looked very simr to the little girl in the photo. She was also wearing a simr floral dress.


    Was it a coincidence? Jackson¡¯s eyes regained focus. Or was she really¡­ the little girl in the painting?


    If she was, then¡­

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    Chapter 283


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re her or not. You can only be with me and no one else!¡± He stared at the photo


    and dered coldly


    It was a deration of absolute dominance.


    He would never let her go or let anyone else get a chance!


    In a luxurious clubhouse suite, Aria Lewis was trying hard to please Lucas Gomez


    She could not get any guarantee out of Serenity, so she could only put in more effort on Lucas¡¯s side.


    But to Aria¡¯s frustration, from the time she walked into the suite, all he had asked about was Serenity.


    He asked what she was like as a child, how her grades were, and so on


    He wanted to know everything about Serenity. As long as it¡¯s something rted to Serenity, he was


    interested in hearing it, matter how trivial


    What the hell?! His girlfriend was her, not Serenity! Ariained inwardly. However, she kept a


    gentle smile on herce and talked about some of the things she remembered about Serenity like they


    were loving siblings.


    They were just random, trivial things.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    But Lucas listened intently with great interest. It made Aria feel even more humiliated.


    After she told him a few things about Serenity¡¯s childhood, Aria said coquettishly, ¡°Lucas, I¡¯ve realized


    my mistake now. After I lost the second female lead role, everyone¡¯sughing at me. They say all your


    former girlfriends are famous celebrities and award¨Cwinning actresses and I¡¯m the most unimpressive


    one.¡±


    Lucas stared at the woman indifferently, as if he wanted to see how she would continue the act.


    Aria could tell that he was reading her like a book, but there were some things that she had no choice


    but to say.


    If she did not, she would leave empty¨Chanded.


    ¡°I want to prove that I deserve to stand next to you, so¡­ why don¡¯t you give i properly and not cause


    any trouble,¡± she said.


    e me another role? This time, I¡¯ll make sure to


    to do it


    ¡°Really? What kind of role do you want?¡± he asked emotionlessly.


    A role in a big production with a famous director, of course! Aria screamed in her heart. But on the


    surface, she put on at grateful expression and said, ¡°I¡¯m happy as long as I can get a role. Any role will


    do.¡±


    ¡°okay, someone will notify you in a couple of days,¡± said Lucas.


    ¡°Yay! Lucas, you¡¯re the best! Aria said while trying to copse into his arms.


    However, Lucas pushed her away. The next moment, he covered the upper part of her face with his


    hand, leaving only her lips and chain visible.


    ¡°Luras.¡± Aria was flustered. She did not know what Lucas was trying to do.


    Lucas stared at her lips in a daze. He lightly brushed her lips with his fingertips. They look so simr.


    Her lips looked very simr to the lips of that little girl in his memory, and also very simr to¡­


    Serenity¡¯s lips.


    It was strange. He knew that Serenity was not the person he was looking for, but he could not help


    wanting to know everything about that woman, even if it was just something trivial.

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    Chapter 284


    ¡°Tell me more about your sister,¡± Lucas said softly.


    ¡°Huh? You want me to speak.. like this?¡± Aria asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Yes, like this,¡± replied Lucas


    Aria could only keep talking about Serenity while she silently cursed Serenity out.


    Serenity was just a sanitation worker! She¡¯s also an ex¨Cconvict! Even if she was pretty before, after


    three years in prison, there was no way her beauty couldpare to Aria who took very good care of


    herself.


    What exactly did Larcas Gomez see in her?!


    Aria even had a weird suspicion that the reason why Lucas hadn¡¯t broken up with her yet was because


    she was Serenity¡¯s sister.


    Of course, the suspicion only surfaced in her mind for a fleeting moment before she suppressed it.


    ¡°After that¡­ after that, my sister met Zeke Shaw. Zeke Shaw courted her for a long time. One time, my


    sister twisted her foot while hiking. Zeke Shaw carried my sister all the way down the mountain. My


    sister agreed to date him after that. They were a loving couple back then. My sister would often make


    lunch boxes for Zeke Shaw.


    Aria tried her best to describe how much Serenity and Zeke Shaw were in love with each other. She


    wanted Lucas to know that Serenity already fell in love with another man before, unlike her, Aria Lewis,


    who had never been in a serious rtionship before. Lucas was her first official boyfriend.


    While Aria spoke, Lucas gradually removed the hand covering Aria¡¯s face.


    Aria could finally see again. The first thing she saw were Lucas¡® eyes. ¡°Zeke Shaw carried her down


    the mountain, so she agreed to go out with him?¡±


    His voice had returned to being emotionless, but something seemed to be stirring under the surface.


    ¡°Y¨CYeah¡­¡± Aria stammered. The aura Lucas exuded at the moment felt like sharp des. It felt painful


    just being close to him.


    Lucas looked down slowly. ¡°You can go now.


    What? Aria was caught by surprise. She stared at him nkly.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Lucas frowned, seemingly a little unhappy.


    Aria¡¯s brain finally processed what he said. She stood up and left the suite in a hurry. But before she


    left, she stole onest look


    at Lucas.


    Lucas was sitting with his head hanging low, seemingly deep in thought. He did not even spare her a


    nce.


    Aria bit her lip. Never mind. She already got what she came here for. Lucas had promised to give her


    another role.


    As long as she could seize the opportunity and keep climbing higher, when she became a star, Lucas¡®


    attention would be on her again.


    As for Serenity, Aria was not worried. Serenity might have gotten involved with Jackson Valor, but in the


    end, Serenity was still Jackson Valor¡¯s enemy. She was the murderer of Jackson Valor¡¯s fianc¨¦e, for


    goodness¡® sake!


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Aria was sure that Jackson Valor was only protecting Serenity to toy with her. The higher she climbed


    now, the harder she would fall!


    That was just how rich people get their revenge.


    Aria left the suite.


    Lucas was the only one in the spacious suite now.


    He took out a small silver bracelet and stared


    2/2


    Aria¡¯s story reminded him of what happened in the past. However, back then, the little girl was the one


    carrying him after they escaped.


    He had no idea where she found the strength to carry him with that tiny body of hers, considering he


    was slightly older than


    her.

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    Chapter 285


    While she was struggling to carry him, she kept telling him, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ll carry you down the


    mountain and take you to the police.¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Don¡¯t be scared, huh?¡­.


    She was the one who was trembling heavily. Even her voice was trembling.


    She was the one who was scared, but she keptforting him.


    ¡°You¡¯re so heavy.¡± She would asionallyin.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized.


    ¡°Hehe, after you get better, you have to carry me back. Then we¡¯re even,¡± she said with a smile as she


    continued to move her feet forward with great difficulty.


    He had never thought that he would one day be protected by a girl younger than him.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll carry you back,¡± he said it like it was a promise.


    He told himself that he would carry her on his back after this. No matter what the obstacles were, he


    would keep carrying her.


    Where was she?


    All these years, he had always regretted letting go of her hand.


    If he insisted on holding onto her hand back then, would she be by his side now?


    But all he could now was wonder ¡°what if¡°.


    Serenity Lewis was not the person he was looking for. Then¡­ ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked in a whisper.


    As usual, the only response he received was the silence in the air.


    Serenity went to the sanitation office to quit her job. When the director of the sanitation office heard that


    she wanted to resign, he looked surprised.


    isfied


    ¡°You want to quit? Why? Are you dissatisfied with the working conditions in the sanitation office? If you


    feel like sweeping the streets is too exhausting, I can transfer you to the office,¡± said the director.


    Not long ago, his superior personally called him to take time off for Serenity.


    At that time, he was stunned.


    That¡¯s not all. A while ago, when there were people who tried to drive Serenity out of the sanitation


    office, the director received a call from his superior who told him to handle the matter properly and to


    make sure the culture of discrimination did not persist


    At that time, he thought the person behind this was Zeke w. After all, Serenity was his ex¨Cgirlfriend,


    so maybe he still cared about her.


    But the phone call two days ago really shocked him. Was the person behind all this really Zeke Shaw?


    When he asked, his superior told him meaningfully, ¡°The person behind her is someone even Zeke


    Show can¡¯t offend.¡±


    The director shivered when he heard that.


    He decided then that he would make sure Serenity got taken care of, but to his surprise, she was


    actually quitting.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Serenity shook her head. Normally, there was no way the director would try


    so hard to retain a sanitation worker. He must know something

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    If she kept working in the sanitation office, she would inevitably be given preferential treatment, and the


    other employees would surely look askance at her.


    ¡°No, I want a change in environment,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The director thought that the person behind Serenity must have offered her a decent job,


    so he approved Serenity¡¯s resignation without much ha ssle. He did not deduct any of her sry for the


    time off she took and even paid her an extra month¡¯s worth of sry. He told the financial department


    to process the payment immediately.


    After leaving the sanitation office, Serenity took a deep breath. The extra month of sry was the


    director¡¯s way of showing goodwill, but to be frank, he did it because of Jackson Valur.


    If she had a backbone, she should have said no to the extra money.


    But she could not.


    Her grandmother was still in the hospital. The money she borrowed from Lisa would notst long.


    There might even be additional medical expenses in the future. Her debt would only keep piling up


    Serenity walked over to where X was to say goodbye to her.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    When X found out that Serenity had resigned, she asked, ¡°Why did you quit so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°I feel bad for taking time off all the time,¡± she said.


    ¡°This injury is an ident. I can just work harder to cover for you,¡± said X while looking at Serenity¡¯s


    fingers that were still wrapped in bandages, ¡°How are your hands doing?


    ¡°They¡¯re fine can remove the bandages in two days,¡± answered Serenity.


    ¡°What do you n to do after this?¡± X asked with concern.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll work as a delivery rider,¡± replied Serenity.


    ¡°That¡¯s hard work,¡± X sighed. She would have to run around a lot. It was physically more exhausting


    than sweeping the


    streets


    afraid of hard work,¡± Serenity smiled. She was more afraid of not having any money.


    One would only realize how important money was when one truly needed it.


    When Serenity got back to the Valor Residence, she saw Jackson sitting on the sofa as soon as she


    walked through the door. By the looks of it, he was waiting for her.


    ¡°Come here.¡± He extended a hand towards her.


    She bit her lip and, after a moment of hesitation, walked over.


    He gently took her hand with both hands and stroked her bandaged-up fingers. ¡°Where were you?¡±


    ¡°At the sanitation office,¡± she answered.


    ¡°The driver said you adamantly refused to let him drive you and took the bus instead?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to being driven around,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re back. The driver said he didn¡¯t get a clear view of what bus you got on, so if you had


    come back a quarter of an hourter, I would have searched the whole city for you,¡± Jackson said


    casually, as if it was just an everyday conversation


    By was startled, ¡°Searched the whole city¡­ fur me?¡± Thai¡¯s clearly overreacting.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to get plenty of rest? What were you doing at the sanitation office?¡± he asked after


    telling the maid to bring over the medicine and bandages she had to change daily.


    I went to quit my job,¡± she answered truthfully. He would probably find out anyway even if she did not


    tell him. You want to change jobs/Why don¡¯t I see if there¡¯s any position that¡¯s suitable for you in my


    company?¡± he asked.

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    ¡°No, I¡¯ll look for a job myself,¡± she refused his offer.


    fell slightly, and the fingers holding her hand also tightened a little. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to help you find


    a job?¡±


    Her body stiffened as if there was an invisible pressure all around her.


    I want to look for a job myself.¡± She took a deep breath and met his eyes firmly.


    She would no doubt have an easier time if she let him find her a job. The job would probably be easy


    and high-paying too.


    But such a job¡­ how long would itst?


    When he got tired of the game and drove her away, everything would burst like a bubble.


    Perhaps her refusal was also meant to preserve what little dignity she had left,


    That¡¯s right. The trials and tribtions of life and the cruelty of reality had taken away almost all her


    dignity.


    The old her could never imagine what it felt like to kneel before someone, but she had to do that


    multiple times in prison. She also had to eat food that had been tossed to the floor and had her head


    stepped on¡­


    When one had to struggle to simply survive, what good was dignity?


    She was once proud, but now, her dignity had been shattered into pieces.


    But she still wanted to preserve what little dignity she had left.


    The two stared at each other. Even the maid who came over with the medicine and bandages could


    sense the suffocating Mmosphere.


    The maid put down the things on the coffee table with slightly trembling hands and quickly stood aside,


    afraid of angering her boss. In Sria, no one could afford to make Mr. Valor mad!


    Serenity stared at Jackson with wide eyes. She could feel his anger. She could see a trace of anger in


    his beautiful eyes.


    Fear rose in her heart. After all, she had always feared him.


    However, she did not look away. She had no idea where she got the courage from


    the end, he was the first to lower his eyes. Theers of his lips curled into a smile. ¡°Okay, look for a


    job yourself then.¡±


    He skillfully and gingerly unwrapped the bandages on her lingers, reapplied ointment on her wounds,


    and wrapped her fingers with new bandages.


    His actions were gentle and careful


    Serenity stared at the person in front of her. At the moment, his head was lowered so she could not see


    his expression, but he was obviously treating her very tenderly.


    He had been changing her bandages for her every day. She told him to leave it to the maid, but he


    insisted on doing it himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feelfortable leaving you in the hands of others.¡± That was the answer he gave her.


    Sometimes, she simply could not figure him out. He would be really mad at her, then the next second,


    he would be gently changing her bandages for her.


    It was as if there were two different people inside him.


    Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call him unpredictable?


    After he re-bandaged her fingers, he raised his head, and their eyes eyes anymore. He was all


    smiles.


    one. She could


    Inot see any trace of anger in hisText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 288


    Serenity blushed involuntarily. She tried to look away.


    But he stopped her by holding her jaw. ¡°You were staring at me intently. Is it because I¡¯m good-


    looking?¡±


    She was at a loss for words. What was she supposed to say? That he¡¯s good-looking? That he¡¯s not


    good-looking?


    Neither answer sounded right! Serenity felt her face be hotter. She wanted to avoid his eyes, but it


    was impossible.


    The maid who was standing nearby tactfully lowered her head. Although she was not looking at them,


    she could hear their conversation, and that was enough to shock her.


    Mr. Valor really was treating Miss Lewis differently from how he treated other women. Could the rumors


    be true? Would Miss Lewis really be the mistress of the Valor family?


    But¡­ wasn¡¯t she a sanitation worker?


    Would Mr. Valor really marry a woman like her?


    That night, Serenityy in bed, unable to sleep. Through the moonlight that slipped through the window,


    she inspected her bandaged fingers, Jackson had been changing those bandages for her every day.


    He was far more attentive to her than Zeke Shaw ever was Sometimes, his actions would send her into


    a trance.


    If.. If he was not Jackson Valor but someone else, perhaps she would be deeply moved.


    After all, few women could resist a handsome man who was so attentive to them.


    But because he was Jackson Valor and she had a deep, lingering fear of him, she would constantly


    remind herself to stay alert!


    After her injury healed, she would be able to leave this ce.


    The next day, Serenity wrote a resume and used her phone to search for delivery jobs online.


    The threshold to be a delivery rider was rtively low, but most of the jobs required a health


    examination report. Serenity would have to find some time to go to the hospital to get a healthN?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    examination report.


    She seemed to have a special rtionship with the hospital.


    But getting a health examination report would cost money. Her funds kept shrinking, and money


    appeared more valuable to her with each passing day


    Two dayster, Serenity could finally remove the bandages for good. Faint scars were left on the


    burned spots.


    Jackson held her fingers and stared at the scars on her fingertips. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the hospital to prescribe


    some scar removal medicine. Removing these scars shouldn¡¯t be a problem ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t care about them,¡± said Serenity. If these scars were the price she had to pay to keep


    half of the album, it was aprice she would dly pay.


    ¡°You may not care, but I do,¡± he said softly. The scars on her fingertips reminded him of his mistake.


    If he had insisted on going with her that day, she would not have injured her hand.


    ¡°I want you to be safe and healthy. I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt in any way,¡± he murmured.


    She suddenly felt the urge tough. Not get hurt in any way? She already got hurt in various ways in


    prison!

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    Chapter 289


    ¡°My hands have healed Can I go back to the rental house?¡± She changed the subject.


    His fingers, which were caressing her fingertips, stopped. ¡°Why are you so eager to go back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now. There¡¯s no reason for me to stay here anymore,¡± she said and bit her lip.


    ¡°You really want to leave?¡± His expression went cold.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°Do you dislike living with me that much?¡± Even his voice had gone cold.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to bring alone,¡± she replied.


    He scoffed ¡°Used to being alone? If that¡¯s true, then you wouldn¡¯t have brought me back to the rental


    house. You were the one who said that you¡¯re lonely, so wanted somepany. You also said that you


    wanted to be with me so that we could rely on each other. Have you forgotten that already?¡±


    Her eyshes shook slightly. Of course she had not forgotten. However, all that seemed like a joke


    now.


    She stayed silent while he kept staring at her. The air was filled with that oppressive feeling once more.


    He suddenly broke the silence. ¡°You said you¡¯re leaving because you¡¯ve healed, right? Does that mean


    if you get hurt again, you¡¯ll keep staying here?¡°!


    She was shocked. She looked up and stared at him with wide eyes.


    He abruptly leaned over, held the back of her bead, and pressed his lips against hers.


    Her nose was instantly filled with his scent. Before she could react, the kiss had already begun.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Just when she felt like she was about to suffocate, there was suddenly a tingling sensation on her lips.


    After that, the taste of blood filled her mouth.


    When the kiss ended, Serenity felt a prickling pain at the corner of her lip ¨C he had bitten her lip!


    He looked at her with a smile, but his eyes were cold.


    He lifted his hand and gently wiped away the blood on her injured lip. A smear of crimson blood stained


    his fingertip.


    The red stain stood out against his fair skin.


    He smiled and licked the blood on his fingertip. ¡°See? It¡¯s easy to get you hurt, Sis. So, you haven¡¯t


    healed yet, and you have to keep staying here¡±


    He was smiling at her, but she could not help shivering. Her body felt cold. Cold sweat broke out on her


    palms and her back.


    He was Jackson Valor, a man who could move mountains in Sria!


    She was like a pawn in his hand. She could not break free no matter how hard she struggled


    Could she actually escape from him? Or must she wait until he grew bored of her?


    Right now, the future looked really uncertain to Serenity.


    Jackson stood up, looked at her from above, and left.

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    Chapter 290


    The night air in therge room felt so cold that it made her shiver!


    As soon as Aria reached home, she heard the news that her mother had been fired from her job and


    her father had been demoted from a supervisor to ordinary staff!


    ¡°How did this happen?! Aria was surprised because both her parents were civil servants. In those jobs,


    as long as you didn¡¯t make any mistakes, you usually wouldn¡¯t even be demoted, let alone get fired.


    Moreover, she was Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend! Even if her parents¡® bosses had to fire or demote them,


    they would think twice before doing so!


    ¡°Did you tell your bosses that I¡¯m Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend asked Aria.


    ¡®We did! Of course we did!¡± Catherine was furious. She told her boss that her daughter was the prince


    of the entertainment industry¡¯s girlfriend and would marry into the Gomez family one day.


    But her boss did not want to hear it. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t care who your daughter¡¯s boyfriend is. You¡¯re


    dismissed. It¡¯s non- negotiable!


    She was so angry that she almost passed out.


    But who would have thought that that wasn¡¯t the end of it! She had been bragging to her co¨Cworkers


    lately that her daughter was the prince of the entertainment industry¡¯s girlfriend, so when her co¨C


    workers, who had been ingratiating themselves to her so far, saw her packing her stuff, they came over


    to make sarcastic remarks at her.


    One of her co¨Cworkers that had been oppressed by her came over and said, ¡°Oh, Catherine, your


    daughter is Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend, right? Thank god. Even though you lost your job, you can still live


    off your daughter. But who knows how long that willst. I heard Lucas Gomez changes his girlfriend


    regrly. Unfortunately, being his girlfriend doesn¡¯t mean you get to marry into his family, Otherwise, he


    would have a harem by now!¡±


    Several co¨Cworkers expressed their agreement with her remark. They were acting as if they were


    concerned for Catherine.


    ¡°Yeah, Catherine, you should ask your daughter to grab whatever benefits she can before it¡¯s toote.


    She might not have the opportunity anymore in a few months.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to marry into a prestigious family, especially since your daughter isn¡¯t from a rich


    family herself. The more powerful a family is, the more important it is to them to find a matching


    spouse.¡±


    Catherine naturally knew that these people were not truly feeling concerned for her, they were mocking


    her! She unted too hard, so her co¨Cworkers were getting back at her!


    ¡°After Lucas marries you, I¡¯ll definitely go back there as Lucas Gomez¡¯s mother¨Cinw and parade


    myself in front of them! Let¡¯s see if they would dare to say anything to me then! Catherine said


    furiously.


    Aria was worried. If it was before, she would probably agree with her mother, but now she was not so


    sure anymore.


    These days, Lucas would only contact her to ask her to tell him about Serenity. He did not seem to be


    interested in anything else other than that. Aria had told him so much about Serenity by now that she


    was running out of things to tell him!


    She still did not understand what Lucas saw in her sister! Serenity¡¯s just a sanitation worker! Why was


    he so interested in her?!


    Grayson suddenly said, ¡°Why is this happening to our family? Did we offend someone? Why would we


    lose our jobs at the


    Something came to Arta¡¯s mind, and her face paled, ¡°It couldn¡¯t be Serenity, could it? She might have


    comined to Jackson Valur after you burned the photo album. Maybe Jackson Valor is behind all


    this?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    The more she thought about it, the more likely the possibility seemed to her, otherwise, her parents¡±


    bosses would not have been so unconcerned about her being Lucas Gamer¡¯s girlfriend

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    Chapter 291


    Catherine was furious too. She looked as if she wanted to look for Serenity and rear her to pieces.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, calm down. Serenity has Jackson Valor¡¯s support now. We can¡¯t do anything reckless,¡±


    persuaded Aria. She had learned that lesson the hard way!


    Grayson and Catherine agreed. Catherine asked, ¡°Then what should we do? Are we just gonna do


    nothing?


    ¡°I¡¯ll think of something,¡± said Aria. She had to think about how to deal with Serenity carefully. She could


    not let Serenity be more and more important to Lucas.


    Otherwise, even if Jackson cast Serenity aside one day, Serenity could just take Aria¡¯s ce as Lucas¡¯


    girlfriend!


    Aria absolutely could not let that happen!


    Lisa met up with Serenity and gave Serenity the information she managed to obtain from her co-


    worker, including the witness ¡®full name, current address, upation, and even the names of his family


    members.


    There was also information about the witness¡¯ name change. He did not change his surname, only his


    given name.


    ¡°At the time of the ident, he was only an ordinary sry-man. He used to have a girlfriend, but


    because he could not afford to buy a house, they broke up. However, not long after your case ended,


    he changed his name, left Sria, and bought a house in San Marco. The house cost $750,000, which


    he paid in full!¡±


    Lisa harrumpled. ¡°Unless he won the lottery, how else would he suddenly have enough money to buy a


    house?!!


    ¡°Where did you get all this information from? Your co-worker?¡± Serenity asked curiously. After all, sore


    of the information were not things that you could ask in a casual conversation.


    They were very private information.


    ¡°I got the basic information from my co-worker, then I hired a private detective to get the details,¡±


    answered Lisa. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°A private detective?¡± Serenity was surprised. Lisa would always take Serenity¡¯s matters seriously.


    ¡°How much did it cost?¡±


    ¡°This is no time to talk about money!¡± Lisa red at her friend, ¡°The most important thing now is to find


    out the truth about your case. Don¡¯t worry about the money.¡±


    ¡°But..¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t care about things like this in the past.¡±


    Hearing that, Serenity smiled bitterly. Yeah, she did not care much about money in the past. When she


    went out with Lisa, neither of them cared who took care of the checks. But now..

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    Did she be like this because her harsh life had taught her the importance of money?


    Soring Serenity¡¯s gloomy expression, Lisa suddenly hugged her. ¡°Serenity, all these years, I¡¯ve always


    felt bad that I couldn¡¯t do anything to help you. Even though I know that you¡¯re innocent, I couldn¡¯t help


    you find any evidence to overturn the case.¡±


    She had kept these words buried in her heart for a long time.


    ¡°When you were in prison, I couldn¡¯t do anything for you except to say some things tofort you


    when I visited. I really hate that feeling. Now that we have a clue, I¡¯ll definitely help you uncover the


    truth. You don¡¯t have to feel like you owe me anything¡±


    Lisa¡¯s voice was racked with guilt


    ¡°Lisa, if you hadn¡¯t visited me in prison from time to time and worked relentlessly to prove my


    innocence, I don¡¯t think I could have made it through prison. So don¡¯t think your words offort were


    insignificant. Those words gave me the courage to keep living.¡°Serenity hugged her best friend back


    Both of them were teary


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    After some time, they calmed down. Lisa said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the private detective to collect more information.


    Maybe he¡¯ll find something useful. We have to be patient. Even if we confront the witness now and ask


    him why he gave a false testimony, he¡¯ll just deny it.¡±


    Serenity nodded, agreeing with her best friend.


    She had already served all three years of her unjust sentence. She could afford to wait.


    Serenity put away all the information Lisa gave her. Lisa said, ¡°I drove here today, so I can give you a


    ride back.¡±


    Serenity hesitated.


    ¡°Are you still living at Jackson Valor¡¯s ce?¡± Lisa asked when she saw her reaction.


    ¡°Yeah¡± Serenity pursed her lips. The part of her lip that was bitten by Jackson still hurt.


    ¡°How much longer are you going to stay there?¡± asked Lisa.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Serenity shrugged, pretending to be nonchnt about it. ¡°But living there isn¡¯t all that


    bad. At least the food is good.¡±


    Lisa knew she could not help in this matter, so she said, ¡°If you run into any trouble, you can always tell


    me.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± answered Serenity.


    The two of them kept chatting while they walked to the parking lot.


    ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯ll go get the car.¡± Lisa told Serenity when they got out of the elevator. Her car was


    parked near the


    elevator entrance.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Serenity.


    Lisa walked towards her car. While she was talding out her car keys, a car approached and stopped in


    front of her.


    Because the car pulled up between Serenity and Lisa, it blocked Serenity¡¯s view of lis


    A few secondster, Serenity heard her friend¡¯s scream, followed by the sound of a car door closing.


    The ck car drove away.


    Serenity looked at where Lisa was standing a moment ago and found that she was no longer there!


    Was Lisa taken away by the people in that car?


    Serenity was shocked. She instinctively cluased after the car, but of course she could not catch up!

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    She shivered and raised het lead stiffly. Her wet rys slowly gained Incus


    ¡°Jack, help me find Lisa¡± She seemed to havee back to her senses. She said in a hurry, ¡°The


    police said they¡¯ll send people to look for her, but who knows when they¡¯ll find her! I wish I memorized


    the license te. Why didn¡¯t I memorize the license te?¡±


    Her voice was heavy with quilt


    Jackson ha! nnly seen Serenity this anxious once before when her grandmother fell ill.


    ¨C


    But her grandmother was her family, and tix was not. And yet, Serenity cared so much about Lisa.


    He suddenly felt jealous of Lis. If something happened to him, would Serenity be this anxious for him


    too?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. It¡¯s cold outside,¡± he said, ¡°Your hands are freezing.


    It¡¯s cold? She didn¡¯t even realize that it was cold. Lisa was the only thing in her mind.


    ¡°Then.. will you help me find Lisa¡± she asked, wanting a definite awer from him. The pulice could only


    wait, but.. if he was willing to help, surely she could find Lisa secrer


    After all, he had a lot of connections and resources in Sria.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back list, okay? Even if I want to help, I have to get all the details from you first,¡± he said.


    ¡°But if we wait¡­ Lisa could be in danger,¡± Under the moonlight, she stared right at him with ck eyes


    that were filled with tears. Her anxious and pale¨Clooking face stung him hike needles


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Please, I beg you. Can you send people to look for her right now? If anything happens to Lisa, L¡± She


    bot her lip hard.


    Nothing will happen to Lisa! She¡¯ll be fine! She kept telling herself that


    ¡°Why are you so anxious to look for her? Since you haven¡¯t received any news of her and her parents


    haven¡¯t Indged a pulice


    , maybe she¡¯s fine,¡± he said.


    ¡°Something delincely happened to her! If not, she would have called by now! Serenity had not received


    a single call from Lisa since thest sight of her


    ¡°You care about her that much?¡± he asked in a deep mice


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied without any hesitation. But her answer made him feel even more unhappy. It


    continued to sting,


    Even her pale for serened to upset him.


    ¡°What if I refuse to help you? What are you going to do?¡® he asked


    Her eyes widened in surprise Her lips trembled, and her slender body soon started to tremble too. Her


    hands clutched her phone sa tightly that her lingers were almost digging to the phone.


    Seeing her like this made him feel bad.

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    His chest felt tight.


    Since when had he ever felt bad about making a woman worried and scared? She seemed to be the


    only one who could make him feel this way


    Jackson sighed. He sighed because he had no creice but topromise. He took out his phone and


    made a call ¡°Help me find someone. I need to know where this person is and whether she¡¯s safe. Her


    name is Lisa quest. She was taken away in a car this afternoon. The car is


    Jackson handed the phone to Serenity and gestural at her to speak.


    Serenity immediately understood. She quickly said, ¡°it¡¯s a ck Maybach. The license te is.¡±


    She told the person the part of the license te she could remember, the address of the parking lot,


    and other detalls like what Time the incident urred.


    When Serenity was done, Jackson told the person in the phone, ¡°That¡¯s all I want to know Lasa Quest¡¯s


    whereabouts as soon as possible!


    After ending the call, Jackson looked at Serenity and said, ¡°Okay, can we po hack now?¡±


    She followed him to his car. He opened the passenger seat door for her. After she got in the car, he


    suddenly bent down.


    She was startled, and her body stiffened. His upper body leaned towards her. His handsome face


    moved closer and closer to her. She could feel his breath on her face.


    She did not know what to do. At such a close distance, she could clearly see his long eyshes, his


    dark pupils, the curve of his nose, and the few strands of hair that had fallen down onto his forehead..


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Below his nose were his lips, which were undeniably beautiful. His upper lip was a bit thin, but also a


    little sexy. When his lips were pursed, they gave off an oppressive feeling, but when the lips were


    slightly curled up in a smile, those whoid eyes on them could not help but want to see more of that


    smile.


    Who would have thought that the man known as the most untouchable man in Sla would look so


    pure and scent whet he smiled from the buttons of his heart?


    Serenity stared at Jackson¡¯s lips absenteddedly until the ¡°click¡± ofler seat belt bring buckled jolted her


    back to her senses. He only wanted to help her fasten her seat belt.


    ¡°Thank you¡± she said a little awkwardly.


    He maintained the close distance and gazed at her with glittering eyes. ¡°You were looking at me so


    intensely, What were you Thinking about?¡±


    She could feel his warm breath on her face. It made her blush.


    What was she thinking about? There¡¯s no way she could tell him that she thought he looked really good


    when he smiled.


    She lowered her gaze and avoided his eyes. The next moment, his finger caressed her lips gently at


    the spot that he bit


    ¡°This wound will heal in a few days. Do you me me for biting you?¡± he asked in a soft voice.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Forbiting you?¡± There was a yfulness in his voice.


    ¡°No, for helping me findsa¡± She took a deep breaths and raised her head, meeting his eyes again.

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    Jackson said no more the straightened up, closed the door, went around to the drivers seat and started


    the car


    Serenity was surprised to see Jackson drive the car himself. He usually let his driver drive him


    But because he was driving, she was able to look at his side profile.


    From the side, the contours of his face seemed even more well¨Cdefined, especially his high nasal


    bridge and his sexy thin lips.


    His hair was messier than usual. A few strands of his hair had dropped onto his forehead. This made


    him look more like the Jack she knew.


    Jack The name gave her aplicated feeling Just now, she kept calling him park heranse she wasn¡¯t


    thinking straight


    Was it because she subconsciously thought that fack could help her and Jackson Valor could not?


    But in reality Jack and Jackson Valor were the same person!


    And he was the only person she could turn to for help. The police were also searching for Lisa, but she


    would die to haw more people searching for Liss, just in case.


    The sooner they could find is, the better


    When Eve car stopped at a traffic light, Jackson tumed to Serenity and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do


    you keep looking at me like that?¡±


    She was surprised. She did not realize that be noticed her looking at him ¡°N¨CNothing, I just wondering


    why you¡¯re driving the car yourself.¡±


    She stuttered a little bit, ashamed that she got caught looking.


    ¡°Yeah, why indeed.¡± he said meaningfully, his eyes bing deeper.


    When he heard her sobbing on the phone, he became so anxious that he lost hasposure. He


    immediately grabbed the car keys and dashed in the war without calling for the driver. But how could he


    tell her that?


    ¡°Do you really want to know he looked her in the eye and asked.


    made her heart skop a beat. His stare made her nervous. Her intuition told


    The that


    that the answer had something to


    to do with her


    She struggled to find a reply, but fortunately, she was spared by the traffic light turning green. She


    quickly said. The traffic light turned great.¡±


    He gave her a look, but did not dwell on the topic.


    They drove back to the Valor Residence. Serenity followed parkson of the car


    ¡°When will we get news about Lisa? Serenity could put hulp asking. Although she knew that less than


    half an hour had passed since Jackson aloed someone to look for Lisa, she could not help feeling


    arulous.


    Afraid that something might happen to Lisa!


    She recalled the duction cases she had read about back when she studiedw. If the victim was a


    young woman, it nomally


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    did not end well.


    ¡®No, I will be tine! She¡¯ll be fine!


    Serenity up telling herself that. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes looked at Jackson from time to time. Jackson


    felt like he was being stared at by a pitiful little animal


    The pleading and anticipation in her eyes were obvious


    Seeing her like this, he felt the urge to pull her into has ans and wipe away te pading and anticipation in


    her eyes¡­because


    Those emotions

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    He wanted her eyes to be filled with only his presence


    ¡°If you want to know immediately, you can wat with me. My men will inform me right away when they


    find Lisa,¡± said Jackson.


    Of course that would not be a problem for Serenity, but wait with him? Wait where? Serenity blinked


    while wondering that.


    Five minutester, she finally found out where they would be waiting


    In his room!


    Although this was not her first time in his coom, it was the first time she came to through the front door


    instrad of the door that connected the two rooms.


    Right after they walked into the room, Jacksor leak off his jacket. He also took out his phone and put it


    on the table.


    ¨C


    Serenity was surprised to see the phone because it was the phone that she bought for him the


    outdated model which she bought at a discount. Most people had a better phone than that.


    Hest kept the phone around?


    Well, if he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have picked it up instantly when she called him earlier.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    But while she was still thinking about the phone, she caught a glimpse of his continuing to undress from


    theer of her


    eye.


    Serenity blushed profusely, ¡°You What are you..¡±


    have a


    ¡°I¡¯m changing.¡± He looked at her with raised eyebrows. ¡°I used to change in front of you all the time.


    Why do you problem with it now?¡±


    She choked. Yes, he did change in front of her all the time in the rental house, but he would only


    change his outeryer of clothing like a sweater or a jacket.


    if he had to get naked or half¨Cnaked, he would change in the bathroom.


    But now, he had stripped down to the point alene he only had a thin shirt left on his upper body. If he


    took that off too. The thought made Serenity turn her back on Jackson


    She could only look away. After


    she was in his room.


    She heard rustling. It must be the sound of him taking his clothes off.


    She wondered how long it would take him to change his clothes. While she was thinking about that, a


    pair of arms suddenly hugged her from behand


    She was instantly pulled into a warm embray & familiar scent enveloped her.


    Serenity was stunned Jackson¡¯s clear and elegant voice resounded in her ears ¡°Won¡¯t you look at me,


    Sis?¡±


    ¡°T¨CThere¡¯s nothing to see,¡± she stammend.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that I¡¯m good looking and you wanted to see more of me when we were living


    together?¡± asked Jackson.


    Serenity wanted to go back in time anal bite off her own tongue Why did she say that?


    ¡°Are you done changing?¡± She changed the subject.


    ¡°Take a look for yourself,¡± he replied.


    She was speechless. He held her shoulders and lurred her to


    When she turned around and faced him beat un her had identally touched his chest. It sent a jolt


    through her body.

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    The upper half of his body.. waspletely naked!


    shouldn¡¯t.


    She blushed profusely. Her eyes were still closed. She did not dare to open them lest she saw


    something that she


    ¡°Won¡¯t you open your eyes?¡± His voice was so pleasing to the ear. It sounded like the devil¡¯s


    temptation.


    However, Serenity kept her eyes closed. She urged him with a blush, ¡°Hurry up and put on some


    clothes.¡±


    ¡°But I want you to look at me,¡± he said, ¡°Besides, I helped you out today, and you won¡¯t even look at


    me?¡±


    Serenity¡¯s body stiffened. She subconsciously bit her lip and let out a smallery of pain when she


    identally touched the bite wound


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    She could hear him chockle. Then, she felt the sensation of his touch on her lip. ¡°Do you know how


    cute you looked just now?¡±


    Cute?


    But before she could react, she felt something else on her lips. It was his lips!


    He was kissing her!


    Serenity opened her eyes in surprise. She stared at the face right before her eyes in astonishment. She


    could not even see his entire face. All she could see were his eyes. They were as beautiful as blooming


    peach blossoms. They were so beautiful that they could suck the soul out of one¡¯s body.


    ¡°Mmh..¡± She opened her mouth to try and say something, but he used the chance to bury his tongue


    deeper.


    Serenity passively epted the kiss with her hands resting against his chest


    It took a while for the kiss to end. After it ended, Serenity was pancing and blushing


    Meanwhile, Jackson seemed calm and collected. He said with a faint smile, ¡°So that¡¯s what it takes for


    you to look at me.


    I


    She choked. There was serious innuendo in his words, but she did not know how to refute him


    She


    he was about to close her eyes again when he said, ¡°You won¡¯t even take a good look at me after what


    I¡¯ve done for you today?


    She pursed her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ll look at you after you get dressed.¡±


    ¡°But I like it when you look at me like this,¡± he said in a deep voice, as if he was showing off his good


    side to her, ¡°It makes me feel like I¡¯m the only one in your eyes¡±


    Serenity looked at the man before her in a daze. When a womanid eyes on a man like him, it would


    be hard to see anyone


    He had exquisite facial features and a lean, muscr body that was on full disy because he was not


    wearing a shirt. However, the scar on his chest caught her attention.


    She had seen the scar before in the rental house, but when she asked him about it, he said it was just


    ¡°a small injury¡°,


    Even though the scar was shallow now, it did not look like it was ¡°a small injury¡± at all when he gut it.


    As if noticing where she was looking, he suddenly grabbed her hand and pressed it against his scar


    She was surprised and instinctively tried to retract her hand, but his fingers held her hand in a firm grip


    like they were steel bars, forcing her to keep pressing her hand against the scar.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking at the scar just now? Instead of looking at it, you can just touch it,¡± he said,


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­ Please let go of my hand,¡± Serenity hastily replied.

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    He ignored her request. He simply stared at her and asked, ¡°Would you hurt me. Sis?


    Her entire body shook, and her throat tightened. The wonds she wanted to say got stuck in her throat


    He stared at her fixedly with eyes that tried to see through her


    ¡°Was that a difficult question?¡± he asked when she remained silent for a long time. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re


    unwilling to answer that, but I still want to tell you¨C¡±


    He slowly bent down until has mouth was next to her ear. He whispered, ¡°Never hurt me, understand?¡±


    As long as she did not hurt him, he wild spoil her and give her everything she ever wanted. He would


    pruter! hier for the rest of herte and keep her safe and sound.


    As long as she did not hurt him!


    Serenity sat uneasily in therge room. She checked the time on her phone from time to time,


    wondering how much longer she had to wait to hear news of her best friend.


    Jackson had changed into casual attire. He was currently sitting on the sofa and reading some reports.


    Looking at the elegant Jackson, Serenity recalled the words he said marker


    He told her forever hurt him.


    he problem was, she did not have the ability to hurt him anyway! His warning was somewhat


    redundant.


    In the entire Sria, who could hurt him?


    As if he sensed her gaze, he raised his head and looked at her. ¡°Are you thinking about me or are you


    thinking about lisa?¡±


    Of course she was thinking about Lisa She only thought about him for a moment.


    But ber instinct told her that she should not tell him the anth


    Although he looked gentle and harmless right time, if she made him uchappy, he would¡­


    She was a little afraid to finish that thought. She could not upset him right now because she had to rely


    on his help to find Lisa.


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    The next second, Jackson¡¯s phone rang. The ringing reverberated in the room


    Serenity instantly looked towards Jackson¡¯s phone which was casually ced on the coffee table. It


    was already 11:00 pm. Who would call at this hour? Could it be the people who were loolding for Lisa?


    Jackson nced at the caller ID before picking up the phone. Sering Serenity¡¯s look of anticipation, he


    turned on the Loudspeaker.


    A man¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. Valor, we¡¯ve got something. We found that a


    Quest was taken away by Trury White. She should be in Terry White¡¯s house over at Crescent Bay.¡®


    Jackson frowned. ¡°Terry White?


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no mistaking it. In fact, we believe Torry White personally took her away today,¡± the guy


    sail


    Okay, got it.¡± After hanging up, Jackson tumed to Serenity and asked, ¡°How did Lisaget to know Terry


    White?¡± Serenity was confused. ¡°Terry White? Who¡¯s that?¡±

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    Chapter 300


    ¡°The Chu of the White Maple Groupent head of the White Lamily,¡± replied Jackson. He then looked at


    Serenity


    and the curiously, ¡°You don¡¯t know who he is? Has Lisa mentioned him before?¡±


    Serenity shook her head. She was sure that she had never heard her best friend mention the name


    Terry White before.


    However, she had heard of the White Maple Group before. It was not a localpany but it had


    business dealings in Sria. It was a famous shippingpany.


    But how da! Lisaget involved with this Terry White guy? What puzzled Serenity even more was the fact


    that Terry White personally took sa away.


    They White was in the Maybach that she saw earlie?


    Serenity thought her best friend was abducted, but that did not seem to be the case now.


    look for her!¡± Serenity tumed around abruptly. She wanted to go to the address she just heard to find


    her best friendl


    ¡°You think you can get in? Jackson asked aty,


    Serenity halted After hesitating for a moment, she said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go talk to the police and go there with


    them.¡±


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    ¡°If you do that, I guarantee you that you won¡¯t get in.¡± Jackson smiled and walked over to Serenity. He


    lectured her like he was lecturing an ignorant child, ¡°I you know what kind of person Terry White is? He


    has a hundred ways to keep you from seeing your friend.¡°¡±


    Serenity naturally did not know what kind of person Terry White was, so she could only listen to what


    Jackson had to say.


    Jackson continued, ¡°Terry was just one of many illegitimate sons of the White family at Erst. He was


    even exiled abroad. His father had two legitimate sons and plenty of legitimate ones.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s hear, sank Although Jackson did not say much, she already more or less understood what


    kind of person Terry


    White was


    He was an illegitimate son who managed to ims the final victory in that kind of family dispute. There


    was no way he could have achieved that without a scheming mind and a ruthless heart!


    Back when she was awyer, she had heard about some family dispute Lawsuits involving prestigious


    families from her mentor. Some of the tactics and dark secrets involved were unimaginable to ordinary


    people.


    Serenity looked at Jackson, ¡°In that case. Can you help me meet with Lisa?¡±


    He gave her a look Terry White wouldn¡¯t harm your friend¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°know, but..¡± Serenity hit her lip. She still felt uneasy. She would only feel at ease if she could meet with


    Lisa and ask her why Terry White Look hun away. ¡°¡±You must have a way to let me meet with Terry


    While so that I can ask him why he took Lisa, night?¡±


    She knew better than anyone how much weight the name Jackson Valor carried in Sria.


    He was the only one she could turn to for help if he was willing to help her..


    He narrowed his eyes. She was actually begging him like this for the sake of Lisa Quest


    She did the same thing in front of the police station. It was as if she would do anything for Lisa Quest.


    Was it because Lisa Quest tried her best to falp Serenity after the car ident years ago? He recalled


    the things that Serenity had said aboutsa Quest before.


    So, she was pleading love this because¡­. Lisa Quest was hier savior? A savior that she could not


    lose?


    ¡°You¡¯re night, I can take you to see Terry White, but¡­why should I help you? I¡¯ve already helped you


    find Lisa and told you that Lisa¡¯s Ide isn¡¯t in danger. I¡¯m a businessman. I won¡¯t keep making losing


    trades,¡± said Jackson.


    Serenity bit her lip hard. Her face gradually paled. What could she offer him?!

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    Money? Serenity did not have money. She did not have any connections either,


    Things she had leared over the years would be useless to him. The team ofwyers in Valor Group


    was simply more qualified than her..


    The only thing she had left was herself. She was worthless, but it was all she could offer.


    Serenity looked down and sank to hersers. ¡°I¡¯m begging you, please. Take me to Terry White. I need


    to find Lisa¡±


    Jackson¡¯s gaze darkened. He red at her with a look of shock and a hint of anger.


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Jackson glowered, anger brewing in his chest.


    Jackson knew Serenity had her pride. Even if hurt or ridiculed, she would protect her List bit of dignity,


    the dignity that had been trampled on countless times.


    It was the only reason why she had rejected him repeatedly. However, she was willing to let go of her


    dignity and beg for Lisa¡¯s sake. So, was Lisa more important than anything else to her?


    ¡°I know.¡± Serenity lowered her head and said without hesitation, ¡°Please take me to Lisa. I¡¯ll agree to


    whatever you ask as long as Lisa is safe.¡±


    It was the only thing she could give,


    Jackson red at her, his eyes showing a kind of subtle resentment that he had never noticed.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree? His voice was as cold as ice.


    Serenity trembled. Her eyes slowly flicked up, staring right at him.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    He pursed his lips tightly and continued the staring game with her.


    Eventually, Serenity¡¯s face gradually turned pale. She breathed deeply and epted his rejection.


    ¡°Okay. I understand.¡± After that, she stood up and turned to leave, heading outside of the residence.


    Serenity had offered the only thing she could give, but he had rejected it. Unable to exchange her offer


    for his favor, she had no choice but to rely on herself.


    Serenity did not ask for more. She knew that when the other party was unwilling to agree, continually


    asking was ultimately self¨Cdefeating


    Hack then, she had begged the judge to believe her in court. While in prison, she had also begged


    those people to let her go, but she had turned out to be a joke.


    Serenity approached the main door when suddenly, a hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out


    of Valor Residence, taking her to the ce where the car was parked.


    Serenity stated at Jackson in a daze, overwhelmed and unable to react to his actions.


    Jackson opened the car door and practically tossed Serenity into the passenger seat. He then


    mmed the door shut and go back into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Tasten the seatbelt yourself,¡± Jackson scowled and started the car.

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    Serenity fastened the seat belt. She watched in disbelief as jackson drave the car out of the Valor


    Residence. Earlier, the person on the phone had informed Jackson of the ce where Terry White had


    braded after taking Lisa away. Jackson was clearly driving in that direction.


    Was Jackson.. Was he taking her there?


    Jackson¡¯s face was livid. His tightly parsed lips and darkened eyes clearly showed his displeasure.


    Serenity kept staring, wanting to say something, but then she stopped and said nothing. She feared


    malding him angrier, which would make things worst.


    At the moment, finding Lisa and figuring out what was going on was the top priority.


    Serenity figured that she could wait until Jackson was less angry and then thank him.


    When the car arrived at Crescent Bay, the security guards stopped them


    ¡°Send Terry White a message. Tell him Jackson Valor wants to see him. Ask him if he lle or not.¡±


    Jackson was straight to the point.


    The security guards were clearly astonished at Jackson¡¯s words. After all, many in Sria Imew what


    the name Jackson Valor represented


    The security guards did not recognize Jackson, but knowledgeable people could tell by the Bentley that


    jackson was driving Only a few selected people could afford to drive a Bentley worth around one and a


    half million dors.


    Hence, one of the security guards contacted their captain.


    Meanwhile in Terry¡¯s Residence at Crescent Bay, Lisa was staring anxiously at the man in front of her.


    She had never expected Terry to drag ber into the car directly in broad daylight and then¡­


    Terry had condiscated her cell phone and tumed it off.


    Lisa could imagine how arocious her friend would be. She wanted to give Serenity a call, but she could


    not. She had no way to get her phone at all.


    It was not just Serenity, Lisa also wondered if her parents would call her for not being home thiste.


    Her parents would be worried when they called and found that her phone was unreachable,


    Lisa was anxious like a cat on a hot tin roof, and Terry seemed to enjoy seeing her anxiety.


    Lisa looked at Terry¡¯s expression and felt a little sour in her heart. Back then, he had never had such an


    expression when he looked at her. He would ding to her like a little puppyst time, always smiling


    shyly and nervously.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The younger Terry she knew was as cute as a child. He would rub his head whenever embarrassed


    and carefully tug at Lisa¡¯s clothes.


    Lisa had not seen Terry for three years. She could barely recognize him anymore. His face was still the


    same asst time, but his aura had totally changed. It was as if he had morphed from a little puppy into


    a little woll.


    ¡°Ugh, no! He¡¯s a big bad wolf!


    ¡°Can you give me back my phone? I really need to call any friend and my parents¡± Lisa repeated what


    she had been telling him


    countless times.


    Terry questioned with a half¨Csmile, ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡±

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    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Was that ever a question? Of course Lisa was anxious, particrly when she was unsure when Terry


    would let her go.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make my friend and parents worried,¡± Lasa said.


    What Lisa said seemed to have triggered Terry. His eyes turned cold, his smile ice¨Ccold.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to make them worried, bet did you ever think about me when you left me before?


    Whether I would be worried?+


    A look of guilt shed across her face. ¡°L.. Well, it was an


    as an emergency..


    ¡°Emergency?¡± Terry snorted. ¡°By emergency, do you mean running home to help your friend in the


    lawsuit? You didn¡¯t even tell me anything and returned to your country. Were you just ying games


    with me?¡±


    Lisa knew she was in the wrong for ditching Terry. Lisa had been traveling abroad to see her future


    school and had met Terry during her trip.


    Lisa did not think about what would happen between the two. They had met as fellow countrymen in a


    foreign country and had then gotten together naturally.


    Terry would take Lisa on a tour of the local attractions and bring her to try some of the local specialties.


    Lisa had had a happy time with Terry. She had thought that she woulde to him again after


    returning to her home country andpleting the procedures for studying abroad. She had initially


    thought that she would be able to stay overseas for four


    years


    Lisa had always treated Terry as a friend. That said, she was also attracted to him. After all, he was her


    type!


    Terry was good¨Clooking. He had a beautiful face with a hint of feminine beauty, delicate features, fair


    skin, and mesmerizing eyes. Even as he looked at her coldly right now, her heart throbbed for him.


    A man like him was simply irresistible to any


    y woman!


    Lisa had all these thoughts in her mind. When she first met him, she had almost fallen hard and fast for


    him. Fortunately, she had gathered her tuind in time and not turned her infatuation into action.


    After all, dating someone in a different country was not part of Lisa¡¯s n. Lisa kiew Terry had grown


    up in a foreign country. Lisa was the only child in her family, and her parents were conservative. They


    would not allow her to marry abroad


    Terry had been quite warm and clingy with her previously, so Lisa thought that Terry was naturally


    enthusiastic because of his roots in a fureign country!


    Looking at him again, it seemed that Terry was not what she thought.


    More importantly, Terry was too attractive and so gorgeous that she had no thoughts other than the


    initial attraction drawing her to him. It was like admiring an idol with stunning features without intending


    to get into a rtionship, stay together for life, or even have children


    Well, someone that charming might not even have his eyes on her. Even if he did, she would have to


    be streng¨Chearted and hold her ground.


    Lisa knew she was easily attracted to beautiful people but would not advance on them. She would


    usually just admite them. with no thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ ying games with you.¡± Lisa licked her lips. She could not resist defending herself,


    ¡°Besides, I was the one who got the short end of the stick.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡°Terry stood up and approached Lisa in her chair. He stared straight at her with a dark gaze.


    ¡°You left the next day without saying goodbye Remember how you told me you were going to Mervva


    University? You weren¡¯t even a student there! You were full of lles. You fooded me, nd now you¡¯re


    telling me that you¡¯re the one who got the


    short end of the stick?¡±

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    Lisa felt guilty as she recalled that night again.


    Lisa med it on her excitement that night. She had been in high spirits and had been unable to


    control her drinking. She thought having some fruit wine would be fine, but she had ended up so drunk


    and turned everything into a mess. Sure enough, her drunkenness soon led to mistakes.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Unfortunately, Lisa had woken up and remembered everything she had done while drunk, She


    remembered how she had forced herself on Terry and told him countless sweet words.


    Lisa even recalled the sweet words afterward. She found them very simr to the sweet words men


    would say to women in TV shows. Some of the lines she had said were taken from the TV series she


    had been watching. In conclusion, too many romantic shows were simply unhealthy. She had ended up


    saying all sorts of sweet words she leamed by watching too many shows while drunk


    Surprisingly,dy luck had been smiling upon her, and the sweet words worked! She had thought a


    handsome man like Terry would be untouchable, but she had sessfully devoured him regardless!


    Lisa looked back on it asionally and wondered if the sweet words were to me. Maybe Terry had


    stayed abroad for too long and had never received much sweet praise, which was how she had gotten


    away with it.


    The next morning, she had woken up dumbfounded, realizing what she had done. She then happened


    to receive a phone call from Serenity the very next moment, so she had rushed to check out of the


    room and gone home to her country.


    At that time, she had regarded their night as a romantic fling. She thought she would never meet him


    again in her life.


    Who would have expected them to meet again under such circumstances?


    ¡°I left a note,¡± Lisa reminded him with some embarrassment. She had not exactly left without saying


    goodbye.


    The sarcasm in his eyes grew stronger at her reminder. ¡°Yeah, you did leave a note. You said you were


    leaving, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Lisa¡¯s shoulders shook in guilt. Alright. She knew it was her fault. ¡°Then consider yourself at a


    disadvantage. What do you want?


    Terry gathered his emotion and stared at her steadily. After a beat, he questioned, ¡°Did you ever try to


    look for me all these years?¡±


    Lisa bit her lips a little and said nothing, but her expression was a giveaway. Terry had all the answers


    he needed from her reaction¨Cshe had never once tried to look for him!


    Suddenly, Terry let out a soft chuckle, hisughterced with coldness. ¡°Great, Lisa. That¡¯s just great.


    You¡¯re really something!


    Lisa had not looked for him all these years, but he had searched everywhere for her. He had traveled


    almost every road they had walked together, searched Mervo University, and even searched the city¡¯s


    surveince. He had tried everything he could to trace her down.


    Lisa choked at the emotions in his chuckle. Her heart climbed up her throat and made her


    ufortable.


    Then, Terry¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    Terry answered the phone. After listening for a moment, his face changed slightly, his gaze on Lisa


    thoughtful.


    ¡°Hring them here,¡± Terry ordered, ended the call, and put the phone aw


    Lisa had a bunch that the phone call earlier was about her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?


    ¡°Jackson Valor is here for you,¡± Terry sald, studying Lisa¡¯s expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that. Why would


    Jacksone here to look for you? Do you know him well?¡±

 Chapter 305

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    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him. Still, Lisa could guess why Jackson hade to her. It probably had something to


    do with Serenity.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know him well, why would hee to you like this at night?¡± Terry¡¯s voice was ice¨Ccold.


    ¡°Would he treat another woman like this? You didn¡¯t look for me all these years because of him?!¡±


    There was an imperceptible hint of jealousy in his voice.


    Lisa felt speechless, Ch, please! That was only possible if Jackson had taken a ding to her, but the


    truth was that Jackson had his eyes on Serenity!


    ¡°It¡¯s not about him. I just didn¡¯t think to look for you,¡±


    that she had no time to think about anything Lisa rified. When she returned home, so many things


    had happened


    Besides, Lisa only thought of their encounter as a vacation fling. She regarded their night as an


    ident. She even nned to keep this secret forever and never told her parents and Serenity


    anything


    Terry was clearly indignant at her reply. He pressed his thin lips together and shot her a fierce re. At


    last, he uttered in defeat, ¡°You really have a knack for pissing people off.¡±


    Terry had been very good at controlling his emotions since childhood.


    Growing up as an illegitimate child, Terry had always known how to hold back. He had restrained his


    emotions until his future


    Lisa seemed to be the only one who could stir his emotions. With her, he could be himself without any


    burden. The few days he had spent with her were both sweet and painful for him.


    During these three years, Terry would think of their short time together whenever he was free. He had


    had a happy time with Lisa, but her departure without a proper goodbye pained him.


    Soon, there was a knock on the door of the room. Trey gathered his emotions and answered, ¡°Come


    in.¡±


    Someone pushed the door open, and the man guarding outside came in with two people behind him¨C


    Jackson and Serenity


    Lisa¡¯s eyes lit up at her best friend¡¯s arrival


    ¡°Serenity!¡±


    She did not expect her best friend to find her here. Serenity rushed to Lisa immediately. She asked


    nervously, ¡°How are you? Is there anything wrong? Are you okay?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Don¡¯t worry! Lisa hastily said.


    Serenity was relieved. ¡°How did you per¡­ Ch Why did he bring you here? Do you know him?¡± Serenity


    could not resist the


    urge to ask


    Lisa answered with an awkward smile, ¡°Well.. It¡¯s a long story.¡± Then, she seemed startled by her


    thoughts. ¡°Right. Did you tell my parents about this?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but I called the police,¡± Serenity said.


    ¡°D¡°m! The police will call them!¡± Lisa wailed and tried to leave in a hurry.


    When she went hometer, her parents would definitely be furious and nag at her!


    A hand abruptly blocked her way: ¡°When did I say that you could leave?!


    Lisa was startled. Serenity strode forward and protected her friend behind her.


    ¡°You have no right to detain her. I¡¯ve called the police ton. If you don¡¯t want to get into trouble, you¡¯d


    better let her go

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    ¡°You must be Serenity Lewis.¡± Terry¡¯s statement was not a question but an affirmation.


    When Terry happened to see Lisa on the street that day, he had begun to investigate everything about


    her.


    Serenity¡¯s information was naturally among the information he found.


    Serenity Lewis, Lisa¡¯s best friend. Three years ago, Lisa had suddenly retumed home to help Serenity


    fight thewsuit. She had taken the earliest flight back and spared no effort to help Serenity find a


    lawyer and gather evidence.


    In other words, Serenity was the reason why Lisa had left him so suddenly and quickly.


    Terry felt somewhat ufortable at that thought.


    If Serenity was a man, Terry would have treated her as a love rival.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s me.¡± Serenity raised her chin.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t meddle in our affairs. It¡¯s best to leave us alone. I never show mercy


    Lisa pot anxious. ¡°Terry! Don¡¯t drag my friend into our business!¡±


    Terry felt the sting of her reaction seeing Lisa getting anxious.


    mercy to women,¡± Terry warned icily.


    Just then, Jackson finally drawledzily. ¡°I don¡¯t care what happens between you and Lisa, but you


    can¡¯t touch Serenity.¡±


    Terry turned to Jackson, his gaze a little surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Valor woulde to my ce at


    this hour at night.¡±


    What really surprised Terry was Jackson and Serenity¡¯s rtionship. Terry had investigated Serenity


    and was aware of her case back then. She was the one who had killed Jackson¡¯s fiancee, Mira.


    However, anyone could tell that Serenity¡¯s current rtionship with Jackson was not ordinary at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking Lisa away tonight,¡± Jackson stated.


    Terry frowned and sneered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you don¡¯t care what happens between Lisa and


    me?¡±


    ¡°Not after tonight, but I¡¯m taking her away now,¡± Jackson said.


    The two men looked at each other, and neither showed any signs of yielding. Tension grew in the room,


    making it hard to breathe. Serenity and Lisa could not take it and looked at each other.


    ¡°What if I disagree? Mr. Valor, are you going to take Lisa away by force?¡± Terry questioned.


    ¡°That¡¯s the n,¡± Jackson answered confidently. It seemed that taking Lisa away from Terry¡¯s territory


    was not difficult for


    Terry¡¯s gaze darkened. Terry had only taken over the White family for a short time. Besides, the White


    family¡¯s roots were not in Sria Even so, he knew of Jackson¡¯s power and position in Sria.


    Terry spun around and turned to Lisa. ¡°Are you going to leave?¡±


    Lisa was stunned for a second and looked at the man she had not seen in three years. After a slight


    hesitation, she said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving¡±


    Terry¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°You¡¯re still as heartless as ever.¡±


    Lisa was speechless and wanted to argue back.


    The look in his eyes made Lisa nervous. Her words kept getting caught in her throat. Unable to speak,


    the pain in her heart seemed to hurt again.


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    Just like that, Jackson lelt Terry¡¯s residence with Serenity and Lisa Terry ordered the subordinate who


    had led them in. ¡°You may leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± The subordinate answered.

 Chapter 307

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    Chapter 307


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Terry pulled out a crumpled and yellowed piece of paper from his pocket. The words ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m


    leaving.¡± were written on the paper.


    Lisa had left this behind back then. He had been carrying it with him all these years.


    Terry had had several episodes of anger where he had crumpled the paper into a ball and thrown it in


    the trash, but after that, he would rummage through the trash can and retrieve it again.


    The note Lisa had left behind was like a thorn in his heart. He could not remove the thorn and was


    even more reluctant to pull it out


    The note was the only thing she had left behind for him. If he lost this, he would have nothing left of her.


    ¡®But, it¡¯s all right now¡­ He had finally found her!


    ¡°Lisa Lisa¡­¡± Terry murmured her name repeatedly and pressed a kiss on the piece of paper in his


    hand. He seemed to have missed her dearly


    Lisa followed Serenity into Jackson¡¯s car and said to the two, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jackson replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll send you home. Where do you live?¡±


    Lisa hurriedly gave her address to Jackson. Serenity was still uneasy and asked, ¡°Hey, Lisa, Terry


    really didn¡¯t do anything to you?¡±


    ¡°Well, he made me sit in a chair and watch him for three hours,¡± Lisa said. ¡°I wanted to call you, but he


    had my phone, so.¡±


    Speaking of which, Lisa suddenly remembered that Terry still had her phone! She had her work


    documents saved on her phone.


    Lisa had a headache thinking about it. ¡®Should 1 get my phone back from Terry? Should I just treat it as


    a lost phone?¡® She struggled with the tough decisions to make.


    What¡¯s wrong?¡± Serenity asked.


    I¡¯m fine.¡± Lisa shook her head and looked at Jackson in the driver¡¯s seat. She was actually being given


    a ride in Jacksons¡¯s car which was pretty unbelievable!


    Lisa kure that Jackson had onlye to her rescue for Serenity¡¯s sake. ¡°I made you worried.¡± She


    looked at her friend with an apologetic face.


    ¡°As Jorig as you¡¯re line,¡± Serenity said.


    The car drove to Lisa¡¯s neighborhood. When they arrived, Lisa got out of the car and entered her


    house.


    Serenity took the initiative and moved to the passenger seat in front. She looked at Jackson with


    gratitude, ¡°Thanks for the help today.¡±


    Jackson turnedis head to Serenity, his gaze fixed on hers. The moonlight streamed through the car


    window, lighting up her


    calm face.


    Earlier, Serenity had been on edge with anxiety because of Lisa¡¯s matter. She would do everything for


    Lisa, Including discarding thest shred of remaining dignity she had. She could disregard everything


    just to help Lisa


    Was it because¡­ Was Lisa her only salvation?


    ¡°If I was in danger one day, would you drop to your knees and save me?¡± Jackson asked in a murmur.


    His croaky voice rang in her ears, causing her to tremble slightly.


    Serenity looked straight into his dark eyes. For a moment, she almost could not resist saying yes.


    2/2


    However, she managed to stop herself before blurting out an answer. What was wrong with her?


    Besides, how could someone like Jackson ever get into trouble?

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    Chapter 308


    Could someone like Jackson really ever find himself in danger? If that happened, the threat would be


    beyond Serenity¡¯s means. Whether she got on her knees to beg would not matter.


    She could get on her knees and beg until she broke her legs, but it would not benefit a man like him.


    The light in his eyes dimmed at her silence. He was silent as he restarted the engine and drove away.


    At this moment, Serenity found the stinging silence in the car unusually oppressive.


    1/2


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Serenity went to see Lisa the next day. The two met up and got a table in a restaurant near Lisa¡¯s


    house.


    Seeing Lisa¡¯s swollen eyes, Serenity reckoned Lisa had probably not slept wellst night.


    ¡°What happened after you got home yesterday?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even talk about it. My parents were starting to prepare a ransom amount. They almost punished


    me when they saw me back,¡± Lisa grumbled.


    Serenity looked puzzled. ¡°What? You didn¡¯t tell them about Terry?¡±


    ¡°Uh.. I told them a friend I hadn¡¯t seen in a while pulled a prank on me. I imed I forgot to tell them


    and unintentionally made them worried,¡± Lisa exined. She did not dare to tell her parents the truth.


    Her parents did not know about her vacation fling oversea. If they knew, they would not stop at merely


    lecturing her. Her father would probably beat her with a rolling pin.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you and Terry? Why did he take you away like that yesterday? Serenity then


    asked the biggest question on her mind.


    When Serenity had seen Terryst night, she remembered seeing him before. Serenity had seen him


    through the ss window when eating in the restaurant with Lisa.


    That meant Terry had been looking at Lisa!


    Lisa flushed a little. There seemed to be some unspeakable problems.


    ¡°If you¡¯re notfortable talking about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not about that.¡± Lisa then told Serenity about what had happened back then. ¡°After that, I got


    your call and went back home. I thought he was open¨Cminded because he had grown up abroad. I


    thought he would not care, you know, no strings attached, but who knew¡­ Well, he seems to regard


    me as a woman who had dumped him.¡±


    Lisa felt a little embarrassed sharing this.


    Terry had made Lisa listen to his long usation yesterday. After hearing how the woman had hurt


    Terry, Lisa would have dismissed the woman in the story as a sc*mbag, but she was the woman in the


    story.


    How could she manipte a passionate and innocent man with sweet words? How could she devour


    him and leave without a word?


    Reversing their roles, her actions would be the same as those despicable male characters in TV


    shows!


    Serenity was dumbfounded hearing about Lisa¡¯s past with Terry. From what she had heard from


    Jackson, Terry White was not just any man. He was scheining and well¨Cconnected, but it turned out


    that Lisa had¡­.


    Who would believe this?


    ¡°So, he has been looking for you all these years?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°M¨CMaybe.¡± Lisa said awkwardly.


    ¡°We got you out of his ce yesterday, but I don¡¯t think Terry will let it go.¡± Serenity was worried. ¡°What


    do you n to do


    with him?¡±


    212


    Lisa scratched her head in distress. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Let¡¯s take one step at a tirne,¡±


    Speaking of which, Lisa¡¯s phone was still with Terry. She would have to buy a new pher and get


    her phone number back by reporting her ¡®lost¡® phone.

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    Chapter 309


    ¡°Can you deal with him? If you can¡¯t, just tell me. 1¡­¡± Serenity started to speak, but Lisa interrupted


    her before she could finish.


    ¡°Serenity, you were a huge help to me yesterday. Jackson wouldn¡¯t havee to get me if not for you.


    Regardless, I did cause Terry some problems, At the worst, I¡¯ll let him take it out on me.


    Lisa made it sound easy, but Serenity was still a little worried. Would it really be that simple?


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. I left Terry without saying goodbye, but I didn¡¯t do anything bad. It¡¯s not a grudge


    either. It¡¯s just¡­ Well, it was a one¨Cnight affair. I hope I won¡¯t be too harsh on me,¡± Lisa reassured.


    Lisa did not want Serenity to worry about her. She knew Serenity was already having a hard time just


    staying by Jackson¡¯s side.


    ¡°But if you have any trouble, tell me! Serenity insisted, ¡°I may not be able to help much, but¡­ I can beg


    for Jackson¡¯s help. He might help¡®


    Serenity sounded embarrassed and depressed when she talked about begging Jackson.


    Serenity hade to help Lisa yesterday, after all. Lisa knew what it meant for Serenity to beg


    Jackson for help. How could she not understand it?


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Jackson was like a nightmare to Serenity. He was the cause of her darkest pain and misery.


    Lisa noticed Serenity¡¯s worries and gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°Okay. Got it.¡±


    Lisa said that because she did not want to worry her best friend. She would eventually solve the issue


    and work things out with Terry.


    The two chatted for a while. After that, Serenity looked at the time. It was almost time for her interview,


    so she got up and nned to leave.


    ¡°Is it an interview for a job as a delivery rider?¡± Lisa asked.


    ¡°Yeah¡± Serenity nodded. ¡°I sent my resume two days ago. This moming, I got a call to go for an


    interview.¡±


    ¡°Then go for it! I wish you sess,¡± Lisa encouraged


    After Serenity had left, Lisa headed to the bus station. She wanted to take a bus to pick up her car from


    the parking lot.


    Lisa¡¯s car was still in the private parking lot. Terry had taken her away suddenly, leaving her car behind.


    Lisa felt the pain as she thought about the parking fee she would need to pay for leaving her car there


    for almost an entire day.


    Earning money these days was hard. The small design firm Lisa worked at had recently announced a


    sry change Lisa¡¯s employer would only pay 80% of the monthly sry and keep the remaining 20%


    in the year¨Cend bonus. It was effectively a wage cur. The employee was putting together 20% of the


    monthly wages and treating it as the year¨Cend bonus.


    Just as Lisa was about to walk to the bus stop, a car pulled up in front of 1.isa


    Her scalp tingled at the sight of the car. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s Terry¡¯s car!¡± Lisa had been caught and dragged


    into this car yesterday.


    The car window rolled down, and Terry¡¯s delicate face came into Lisa¡¯s sight.


    Lisa took a step back subconsciously, trying to keep a distance from him.


    Terry¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. It stung seeing how she backed away subconsciously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want your phone? Terry asked.


    She looked at him cautiously and wet her dry lips. ¡°So¡­ Will you return it to me?¡±

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    Chapter 310


    ¡°Get in.¡± Terry ordered.


    Lisa had a reluctant look upon hearing his order. Although her phone was important, her freedom was


    worth way more! She did not want to be locked in his room for hours again like yesterday.


    Fortunately, Jackson and Serenity hade to take her away yesterday. If they had not, she had no


    idea when she would have


    been able to leave.


    ¡°No need. I¡¯m thinking of getting a new phone, so I don¡¯t need the old one,¡± Lisa rejected him


    awkwardly.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t need the photos and various social ounts on your phone? Right. You have some of


    yourpany¡¯s confidential information on the phone too. Terry said tly, ¡°But if you really don¡¯t want


    it, that¡¯s fine,¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s just¡­ A threat! Lisa thought and gritted her teeth. ¡°But the thing is, my phone has a password!


    He¡­ Did he unlock my phone? Did he see the photos and information on the phone?!!


    ¡®What about My various social ounts? Did he decrypt them too?!¡±


    Lisa huffed in anger upon realizing what was going on. ¡°How could you?!¡±


    ¡°So, are you getting in the car or not?¡± Terry did not answer and asked in reply.


    Lisa almost choked on her next words. She could barely form a reaction to his question.


    Lisa had thought Terry was a sweet little cutie when she first met him. How had he be like this


    after not seeing each other for years?


    Despite that, Lisa could only oblige. She kept her head low, obediently opened the back seat door, and


    sat beside Terry.


    When she got into the car, she found Terry ying with her phone in his hand.


    ¡°My phone!¡± She gasped in surprise and instinctively reached out, attempting to get her phone back


    Before she could reach her phone, however, his hand caught hers.


    ¡°You seem to have been doing well these past few years,¡± Terry spoke leisurely and tapped on the


    photos in her phone with his other hand


    She had many smiling photos on her phone. Some were travel photos, some were photos of daily life,


    and some were photos of her eating outside. By looking at these photos alone, her life indeed


    appeared to be quite good. However, most people would only snap photos at happy times. Who would


    snap photos in their sad moments?


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not been too bad¡­¡± Lisa answered embarrassedly. She twisted her wrist, trying to free it from


    his grip. The way he held her hand made her feel odd.


    Speaking of which, Terry had beautiful fingers. Lisa had been fascinated by his fingers and had even


    said to him cheekily, ¡± You have beautiful fingers. Let me touch them.¡±


    What had happened after that? Terry had actually reached out his hand and allowed her to touch it.


    Lisa had a thing for beautiful hands. It felt good to touch his hand!


    Wait, what was she thinking?!


    Lisa snapped back to lier senses. ¡°Why am I thinking about his fingers again?!¡± She really wanted to


    smack herself for the inappropriate thoughts at the wrong time.


    Looking up, she met Terry¡¯s beautiful dark eyes. Aplicated series of emotions yed in his eyes,


    but she could not decipher them.


    The next moment, Terry released her hand, and Lisa¡¯s hand was finally free.


    ¡°What will you do to get me to return you


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    phone?¡± Terry asked coldly.

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    Chapter 311


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Lisa blinked her eyes, What? Was he not nning to return her phone?


    ¡°You want me to pay you?¡± Lisa felt silly as soon as the words left her mouth. With Terry¡¯s status, would


    he even care about her money?


    Sure enough, Terry was looking at Lisa with a slight smile as if she was an idiot¡­


    Lisa took a deep breath. ¡°So, what do you want?¡± Lisa knew that this would not be easy and reckoned


    that Terry was trying to use her phone to vent about what she had done three years ago. Resigned to


    her fate, she decided to let him vent his anger.


    ¡°Have you been dating over the past three years?¡± Terry asked.


    Lisa shook her head, puzzled by his question.


    ¡°Have you ever liked anyone?¡± he asked again.


    ¡°Oh..¡± Lisa had lost count of how many idols and celebrities she liked. Seeing Terry¡¯s expressionless


    face, Lisa almost intuitively shook her head again.


    ¡°Speaking of which, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d be d to have a boyfriend like me? Terry mentioned


    seemingly nonchntly.


    Lisa almost choloed on her saliva What she had said was. She had been young and ignorant at that


    time! Lisa had already heard from Serenity that Terry was the present CEO of the White Maple Group


    and the head of the White family. Therefore, he was way out of her league.


    ¡°Haha, really? I just need an ordinary boyfriend. I don¡¯t ask for a lot in love.¡± Lisa¡¯s lips twitched


    awkwardly. She barely knew what she was saying.


    Terry nced at her and stopped asking questions. He kept his head down and continued to y with


    Lisa¡¯s phone. Then, he browsed through her phone¡¯s web browsing history.


    Lisa was terrified! She remembered reading a novel onlinest week. Terry must not see


    iL!


    However, her little hope was soon shattered. Terry had gone through her browsing history a week ago


    and randomly opened


    some of them


    When he clicked on the link to the novel, Lisa suddenly shouted, ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Terry cocked an eyebrow and turned to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s my phone and privacy. Why are you going through it like this?! Isn¡¯t that rude?¡± Lisa said.


    ¡°Privacy?¡± Terry gave her a look. ¡°Do you remember how you saw every part of my body before? Why


    don¡¯t you tell much privacy you invaded, then?¡®


    Lisa choked at Terry¡¯s words, her face red with embarrassment. Fine, it was her fault. ¡°But I didn¡¯t force


    you back then,¡± Lisa whispered in ur own defense,


    ¡°You didn¡¯t, but you seemed to have forgotten what you said that night. You said you wouldn¡¯t like


    anyone else but me. You called me beautiful and praised my obedience. You said I was your ideal


    boyfriend¡­¡®


    Every time he repeated the sweet words she had said to him that night, her face flushed even rekler.


    D*mn! She was a real sc*inbag!


    Lisa lowered her head and stopped defending herself. After all, she had indeed said all that to him.


    Terry leaned forward, his face inching closer to hers. ¡°You even gave me a confession of eternal love at


    the end. Did you forget? That was probably the funniest thing you said among everything you told me


    that night. What a joke!¡±

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    Lisa¡¯s red face turned white, and her lips trembled slightly. Finally, she uttered, ¡°Sorry,¡±


    After all, Lisa was the one who had given Terry all those empty promises,


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°You should feel very sorry for me,¡± Terry said.


    There was then a brooding silence in the car. After some time, they arrived at their destination. Lisa


    followed Terry out of the car only to find herself at the same vi yesterday.


    Lisa stopped dead in her tracks when she remembered how Terry had detained herst night.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you afraid to go in?¡± Terry turned to Lisa.


    Lisa¡¯s lips twitched slightly. She managed a smile. ¡°If you have something to say, let¡¯s say it outside.¡±


    Terry said with a half¨Csmile, ¡°Lisa, if I wanted to, I have many ways to detain you. I swear it would not


    be easy for Jackson to take you away this time.¡±


    Lisa was stunned. After a short hesitation, she ground her teeth and mustered her courage. Did he


    think she was afraid of him? Even if Terry wanted to harm her, Lisa had no power to stop him. Lisa then


    strode forward in resignation.


    Terry snickered and marched forward as well.


    When the two entered the vi, Terry pointed to a long couch and ordered, ¡°Sit¡±


    L?sa sat down obediently.


    Terry went to the bar and started making drinks. Soon, he had a rainbow¨Ccolored cocktail in his hands.


    Terry walked to Lisa, ss in hand. ¡°Drink I remember how you liked this drink very much.¡±


    Lisa felt very guilty thinking about what had happened back then. This cocktail tasted like fruit wine.


    She had thought the drink would not be too strong, but ultimately, she had ended up very drunk. Who


    knew she would be so drunk?! She even did this and that to Terry, which made her rtionship with


    Terry so awkward now.


    ¡°No need. I¡¯m not thirsty.¡± She smiled meekly.


    Terry raised an eyebrow. ¡°I went to all this trouble to make this. Don¡¯t you want to drink it?¡±


    Terry took her right hand and slowly pushed the ss into her hand, almost forcing her to hold it.


    ¡°I never had the intention to learn mixology. After all, I didn¡¯t intend to be a bartender. But I learned over


    the years, and¡­ fun to make this one drink¡±


    Lisa listened, a wave of indescribable feeling rising up in her heart. The ss of cocktail seemed to


    weigh a lot more in her


    hand


    ¡°Still not drinking? Terry stared at her.


    Lasa pursed her lips. Well, getting drunk was the worst thing that could happen with this drink. And


    then.. He could have his revenge all he wanted, but¡­.


    ¡°This is only between us. You can vent your anger on me all you want, but don¡¯t cause my parents any


    trouble.¡±


    Terry watched Lisa¡¯s growingly desperate expression and let out a one¨Csyble response. ¡°Sure,¡±


    Lisa tilted her head and downed the cocktail in her hand in a gulp.


    This drink was the same cocktail as back then. However, Lisa¡¯s feeling as she drank it this time was


    very different from before.


    She had found the cocktail so delicious back then, but why did it feel so bitter this time?


    Is it good?¡± Terry looked at her intently,

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    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Lisa¡¯s words almost got caught in her throat, and her mouth was filled with the taste of


    the cocktail.


    The ss of cocktail was meant to be savored slowly, but she had finished it in one go


    ¡°Tell me, Terry. What do you want for me? How do you n to vent your anger?


    Lisa became bolder and spoke louder, perhaps under the influence of alcohol.


    Terry¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°You¡¯ll pay me back for what you owed me back then.¡±


    She cocked her head, her round eyes wide open at him. She seemed lost in her thoughts. ¡°I just have


    to pay you back for what I owe you, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Terry said.


    Lisa got to her feet and shook her head. It seemed like the alcohol was getting to her. Her head felt a


    little dizzy all of a sudden


    Sure enough, the cocktail was still as strong as ever, Lisa became bolder because of the alcohol and


    could do things she would not normally do


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Lasa pulled the zipper of her jacket down and started to take off her coat.


    Terry narrowed his eyes. Seeing Lisa¡¯s actions, a glint of light flickered in his eyes.


    Lisa stripped off her coat, her inner sweater, and her cotton T¨Cshirt


    ¡°What, did you think I¡¯d miss you?¡± Terry¡¯s voice was ice¨Ccold.


    Lisa blinked for a second. ¡°Right. You hate me so much. You probably don¡¯t miss me. You can get


    another person to do it. Anyway, I owe you¡­ Lisa huped. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back. That¡¯ll ease your anger,


    right?¡±


    Lisa was feeling tongue¨Ctied as she spoke.


    Terry¡¯s face turned ugly. He closed in on her, cupping her chin with one hand. ¡°What? You¡¯d allow


    anyone to use you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just think of it as A lesson. W¨Cwhat else can I do? How can I pay it back? Oh, but¡­ You must keep


    your promise. D¨Cdon¡¯t hurt my parents. They¡¯rew¨Cabiding citizens and have never harmed anyone in


    their life¡­ Lisa went on and on, but when she mentioned her parents, her voice became unusually


    sharp.


    Terry red at Lisa. In the end, Lisa was only doing this to protect her parents! Was she so afraid that


    he would vent his anger on her parents and hurt them?


    Her fear was not what he wanted!


    ¡°Did you ever regret it?¡± Terry¡¯s face closed in an hers, his lips almost on hers. ¡°Do you regret leaving


    without saying goodbye!


    Lisa stared at Terry¡¯s handsome face in a daze. He was beautiful, just like the dolls she yed with as


    a child.


    ¡°You are so beautiful¡± Lisa suddenly cracked a smile. Both her hands were on his cheeks, her fingers


    brushing his face restlessly.


    Seeing this, Terry knew Lisa was really drunk. She was drunk again, just like back then. She was even


    saying the same thing as


    At that time, Lisa had made a lot of vows, drawing him in. As a result, Terry had fallen head over heels


    in love. That night would have been his fondest memory if Lisa had not left without saying goodliye the


    next day.


    Lisa¡¯s paze was different from the rest, Terry had seen plenty of mockery, Indifference, and cold eyes


    since he was a child, but Lisa always looked at him warmly.

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    Terry had revealed to Lisa that he was an illegitimate child. Hearing that, Lisa had smiled heartily


    ¡°So what? You are you. You¡¯re unique in this world. A man¡¯s achievement isn¡¯t determined by his birth


    but by hard work.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find my birth disgracelul


    How had Lisa answered him at that time? Lisa had given him a serious answer. ¡°I think your parents


    are very irresponsible toward marriage. They should have gotten married after having children. If they


    didn¡¯t n to get married, they should have kept their distance from each other or taken precautions


    from the beginning. Isn¡¯t there a saying that a rtionship without a n to get married is just


    dishonorable


    It was Terry¡¯s first time hearing someone¡¯sment about his parents.


    However, did she know? There were other reasons behind his parent¡¯s rtionship without a n for


    marriage. How much personal interest was involved in their decision?


    For his father, marriage was just a matter of choosing the right woman and maximizing the benefits.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°So, if you date someone, would it be for marriage? Terry asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Lisa answered Terry this way, ¡°If I want to get married in the future, 1771 find a man I love


    very much. He has to love me very much too, We¡¯ll love each other for a lifetime. After a long time, our


    love will be family affection. We¡¯ll never separate no matter what, and we¡¯ll grow old together.¡®


    Lisa had told him about her ns for her future love and marriage. Meanwhile, as Terry listened, he felt


    a yearning and looked forward to having such a rtionship himself.


    Terry always thought he was not interested in his future marriage. He thought he would never get


    married or only get married because the woman could bring him benefits, but her words at that time


    had moved his heart.


    If Lisa would marry him for life. Terry was more than willing. He looked forward to their days growing old


    together.


    ¡°Do you like me?¡± Terry asked in a deep voice.


    ¡°I do.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s date. Fall in love with me. When you fall in love with me, I¡¯ll consider all that you owe me to


    be paid for,¡± Terry murmured softly.


    Deep doubts surfaced in Lisa¡¯s eyes. She was so drunk and could barely think


    ¡°Girlfriend? Fall in love with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± Terry loosened his grip, releasing her jaw. Lisa¡¯s hands were on his face. He felt slightly reluctant


    when he raised his hand to pull her hands off his face, almost resisting to part with the warmth in her


    hands and walk away that.


    Lisa stared at the handsome face close to her. She beamed suddenly and agreed loudly,


    Her response hit his heart heavily like a hammer, his heart thundering with emotions. Did Lisa


    understand what she had just said? The significance behind the word ¡®yes¡®?


    Terry kept his gaze pinned on Lisa Lisa¡¯s eyelids got so heavy as she began to feel sleepy, and her


    hands on Terry¡¯s cheeks slowly slid down. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured,


    ¡°I feel sleepy. I¡­ Didn¡¯t get much sleepst night, I¡¯m going to take a nap. Call me when it¡¯s time for


    dinner.¡±


    Lisa¡¯s murmurs amused Terry. She was still thinking about food even at this time.


    Not long after, Lisa drifted to sleep.


    Terry pursed his lips in silence. Atst, he pisd her up and carried her into his bedroom,ying her


    on the be

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    Chapter 315


    Terry looked at Lisa¡¯s sleeping face and took her hand in his.


    He had found her! She no longer existed only in his memory. She had actually appeared in front of him


    again!


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°You promised today. I won¡¯t allow you to go back on your word.¡± Terry¡¯s whisper rang in the quiet mom,


    the sound of rhythmic breathing the only response to him.


    Serenity returned to Valor Residenc after the interview. The interview was actully quite simple for her.


    The interview only looked at her health report and asked her some basic questions.


    Even though she was prepared for this, she was still nervous when the interviewer then asked why a


    law graduate like her wanted to be a delivery driver. She tried her best to exin in simple words and


    shared how her Lawyer license had gotten revoked because she had been in jail for a traffic ident


    The interviewer had not asked any further questions after that. He told her to go back and wait for the


    notke. At that instance, Serenity knew that she might have failed the interview. However, the question


    was an unavoidable one.


    More than a dozenpanies were recruiting delivery riders in Sria. Serenity had submitted her


    resume to each of them. She did not know if anypany would ept her, but she felt tired


    She felt like. It was exhausting to live.


    Perhaps the series of events that had happened after her release from prison had left her physically


    and mentally exhausted.


    While having dinner that night, Jackson suddenly asked about her interview. ¡°Sis, did you apply for a


    delivery rider job today?¡±


    Startled, Serenity almost dropped the fork in her hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you so surprised?¡± Jackson smiled. ¡°I got a call from thepany¡¯s CEO today.


    He said you applied for a job with them, so he wanted to ask my opinion¡±


    Serenity fell silent. She remembered the interviewer earlier. The interviewer had not specifically asked


    about the victim who had been killed in lee car ident. She thought if she did not tell him, he might


    not have known.


    Who knew¡­ The interviewer would have gone to check on Serenity¡¯s records. Then, thepany¡¯s


    CEO had contacted Jackson directly. This realization came to her like a merciless p from reality.


    ¡°Tell me. He is aslong for my opinion. How should I answer him?¡± Jackson asked.


    Serenity pursed her lips and understood the situation with rity of mind. Under normal circumstances,


    would a CEO call Jackson for a potential recruit? The CEO would just refuse to hire her.


    Yet, this CEO had deliberately made this phone call to im credit. He probably thought Jackson hated


    her for identally killing Mira Hall in the car ident befare. Therefore, he had taken the Initiative to


    disclose her job application so as to get in touch with the Valor family and please Jackson.


    However, the CEO¡¯s action made Serenity feel sick


    ¡°should I talk to them and let them hire you, sas?¡± Jackson added:


    ¡°No need ¡°Serenity hastily said.


    Jackson cocked an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t seen to like thepany very much. Well, I don¡¯t like the


    company either. In that case, let¡¯s delist thepany.¡±

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    Chapter 316


    Serenity was shocked. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me clearly, Sis?¡± Jackson repeated with a look of patience, ¡°I was saying, if you don¡¯t


    like thepany, it would be better to get rid of thatpany¡±


    Jackson spoke as if he was talking about something ordinary. But.. Getting rid of thepany?!


    Serenity was shocked. Had she understood it correctly?


    Thatpany was a neer in the food delivery industry. Although it was not as big as the well¨C


    knownpanies in the industry, thepany had had good momentumtely. Serenity had seen the


    recent news, and acending to the news report. thepany had sessfully raised 25 billion dors in


    a funding round led by same venture capitalists.


    How could such apany be dissolved so easily? But¡­ If it was Jackson, then even the Impossible


    would be possible


    ¡°Just because I don¡¯t like it?¡± she asked, staring nkly at Jackson.


    Jackson smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t like people who betray you. Sis. Even if I don¡¯t take action, I don¡¯t think a


    company leader who wants to benefit by selling another person¡¯s information will do much. In that case,


    it would be better to strike off thepany


    earlier.¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    For a moment, words kept getting caught in her throat. Jackson smiled and talked about thepany¡¯s


    fate sa simply. The CEO would not have made this phone call if he could predict such a result.


    ¡°Right, Sis. Why aren¡¯t you eating? Eat,¡± Jackson urged and put more food on her te.


    Jackson might seem gentle and thoughtful, but Serenity knew that all these things were mere illusions.


    No one would ever guess his next thoughts Jackson might be taking good care of her right now, but he


    could put her in hell in the very next second.


    Serenity lowered her head and ate stiffy The food was supposedly delicious, but she could barely taste


    anything.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to introduce you to a job? You can do whatever job you want,


    including your old profession.¡± Jackson enticed


    ¡®No.. It¡¯s fine. I can find a job by myself, Serenity said.


    A stifling silence brooded in the room in the next second. Serenity kept her head low and could feel his


    gaze pinned directly on


    ber.


    A short momentter, Serenity heard Jackson¡¯s voice ring in the room. ¡°Well, if you insist. Just do as


    you like.¡± Jackson rose and left the dining area after saying that.


    Serenity waited until the sound of footsteps liad faded before finally letting out a long sigh. She looked


    up at the table and saw half a portion of food left at his seat. Jackson had left without finishing his meal.


    Was he furious at her answer again? Serenity could not resist thinking about it and quietlyughed at


    her thoughts. What was the use of thinking about it? Was she annoying him? Jackson was probably


    already angry from the very beginning when she rejected him and refused to stay by his side.


    The injury on her finger had almost braled, but.. She had no way to leave.


    ¡°When wall I be able to leave?!


    Somehow, the longer she stayed, she felt that her bond with him would eventually grow deeper.


    Lisa woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling and a dirmined crystal light on the ceiling.

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    Where. Where was she?


    She was initially still dazed and confused, but then memories of what had happened earlier flooded her


    mind, and that made her sit up straight frantically.


    She¡­ She had taken that encktail and gotten drunk again!


    ¡°Are you up?¡± she heard a voice ask her. Lisa froze, then slowly turned to her side. Sure enough, she


    saw Terry sitting on the sofa next to the bed, and his eyes were fixed on her.


    ¡°Yeah¡± she answered awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m up..¡±


    She then hastily climbed off the bed and checked her clothes. Seeing that they were all intact, she


    thought perhaps nothing happened after all. But just in case, she decided to ask him anyway.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything after getting drank, did 1?¡±


    ¡°You did a lot of things,¡± Terry replied nonchntly. ¡°Where do you want me to begin?¡±


    Lisa¡¯s jaw dropped.


    A lot of things. What exactly had she done?! Everything was a blur after she had gotten drunkst


    night. She could not remember anything at all! At least thest time it had happened, she still


    remembered what she had done the night before!


    ¡°What.¡± she swallowed her saliva, then cautiously began again, ¡°What did I dost night?


    For some reason, his face suddenly flushed red.


    Lisa stared nkly at Terry¡¯s blushing face. She suddenly recalled that he looked just like that in her


    memories of what had happened all those years ago.


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t take advantage of you against night, did 1?¡±


    After asking the question, she noticed that Terry was blushing even more now, and he even turned


    away from her.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Lisa wished she could kick herself. Good Lord! Did she just make the same mistake twice?!


    This meant that just because her clothes were intact when she woke up, it did not signify that nothing at


    all happenedst night.


    ¡°How.. How exactly did I force myself on you?¡±


    Lisa asked the question cautiously, but it was purely out of her desire to know the truth to find out if


    there was any way could make amends.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± he barked angrily, finally able to keep hisposure and not blush as much.


    she


    When she had asked the question just now, the memory of him bringing her into this room came back


    to him. He remembered how she had suddenly woken up from her sleep and wrapped her arms around


    his neck before nting kisses all over his face like a wild puppy


    This woman was still exactly the same as she was all those years ago!


    In fact, her scent still lingered around him even now.


    ¡°All you need to know,¡± he concluded, ¡°is that we¡¯ll be dating from now on, and you must fall in love with


    me!¡±


    What?!


    Lisa stared at him, dumbstruck. She seriously suspected that she might have heard him wrong.


    Terry wasted no time ying the recording of their conversationst night, and that was when Lisa


    heard herself agree to the arrangement. She almost lost her bnce and fell to the floor.


    2/2


    Date Terry White? And¡­ fall in love with him?! Did that mean that his revenge was to wait until she had


    fallen in love with him, and then he would dump without any hesitation, just so she could have a taste


    of what was like to be abandoned?


    Lisa¡¯s imagination went wild. After all, this was exactly the kind of thing that would happen in so many


    TV dramas, right?!

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    Chapter 318


    ¡°Fine,¡± Lisa sighed, sounding as if she was resigned to her fate. If this was how he was going to get


    revenge,


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    then at the very


    she was mentally prepared for it, so it would not be ton bal in the end. ¡°Can you, um¡­ give me back


    my phone now?¡±


    She had not forgotten that the main reason why she had followed him to the mansion was to get her


    phone back


    He scrutinized her for a few moments before picking up the phone on the nightstand and tossing it to


    her.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She yelped as she narrowly caught her phone in her hands. This phone had cost her a fortune


    and she had to save up for ages before she could afford it! If it really fell and broke the screen, she¡¯d


    have to spend hundreds of dors to fix it!


    It hurt her even thinking about it!


    Besides, if it did break, she would never dare to ask him to pay for the damages, anyway!


    Lisa then turned on her phone and noticed that it was already 9 pm. There were also several missed


    calls from her parents, so she called them right away.


    The call was answered almost immediately, after which she heard her father bellowing, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you


    just give us a call if you¡¯re not going to have dinner at home? You didn¡¯t even pick up the phone when I


    called you! What were you doing?! Are you nning to make us go to the police like we did yesterday


    again?!!


    ¡°1¡± Lisa broke into sweats. ¡°I was caught up in samething urgent just now. I¡¯ming home right


    away.¡±


    She then hung up the phone in a rush and turned to Terry, who had walked up to her side without her


    noticing. She realized that he must have heard everything her father was saying on the phone just now.


    ¡°So, um, if there¡¯s nothing else, then I guess I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home,¡± he told her.


    ¡°No,¡± she hastily refused, ¡°it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just take the cab. Besides, I.. I still need to go get my car from the


    parking lot.¡±


    He grabbed her wrist and firmly insisted, ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home. We¡¯re dating now, remember?¡±


    ¡± ¡±


    Fine, then If he wanted to drive her home so much, then let him do it.


    And so, Lisa quietly followed Terry out of the mansion, no longer voicing any objections to his ns.


    ¡°Give me your car kry,¡± he suddenly demanded,


    Confusion was written all over Lisa¡¯s face, but she still obediently fished out her car key from her


    handbag and handed it over


    to Terry.


    Terry then gave his driver the key and told him to go get Lisa¡¯s car from the parking lot and drive it to


    her house.


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    The driver then left after answering Terry.


    Following that, Terry stepped into the driver¡¯s seat himself and turned to Lisa, who was still standing


    there as if in a daze, then coldlymanded, ¡°Get inside the car.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied, finallying back to her senses. She then quickly climbed into the car.


    All along the way, Terry was focused on driving and paid no mind to Lisa.


    Feeling bored, Lisa picked up her phone and quickly reset the password. She had a hunch that Terry


    had probably seen much of her phone¡¯s content. However, just as she was trying to set a new


    password for the video folder, she noticed that¡­ a lot of her videos were missing


    Almost in a panic, she went through the videos in the folder and was horrified to find that a lot of the


    videos of her beloved idols were gune!

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    Chapter 319


    1/2


    Lisa was well¨Caware that she had a weakness for handsome men. She¡¯d fall in love with this idol one


    day and a different one the next day, her adoration as fickle as the weather, but when it was all said


    and done, her love for each and every one of her favorite idols had always been serious and sincere!


    Each time when she was in love with a certain idol, she would be his most loyal and die¨Chard fan. She


    would never hesitate to spend money to go to his concerts, get his autograph, and do everything a fan


    would do. If the particr idol held a fan meeting, she was sure to attend


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    But all this happened before Serenity gat into trouble, of course. She did not chase after celebrities as


    much as she did anymore because most of her time was spent finding a way to help her friend overturn


    the court¡¯s conviction.


    Because of this, all the recordings of her going to concerts, autograph sessions, and fan meetings were


    precious memorabilia of her idyllic youth. Yet now, all these beautiful memories had just vanished?!


    ¡°Where are those videos of me with my idols?¡± she demanded as she stared at Terry in the driver¡¯s


    seat.


    ¡°I deleted them,¡± he replied bluntly.


    ¡°You¡­ You actually deleted them?!¡±


    Lisa almost fainted. She would have found it easier to ept if he had just not returned the phone to


    her. She would have just resigned to her fate if those videos were merely inessible to her. What


    good did it do even if he returned her phone now if he had actually deleted all those precious videos?!


    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± he continued, ¡°And they¡¯re all permanently deleted as well, so even if you take your phone to


    a professional repair shop, you¡¯ll never be able to restore those videos.¡±


    She felt so sick that she could almost throw up.


    ¡°But those contain the precious memories of my youth!¡±


    ¡°Memories?¡± he sneered, before suddenly turning the steering wheel and parking the car by the road.


    He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned toward her, asking. ¡°Do you know what I thought when I saw


    those videos?¡±


    ¡°What?


    Lisa¡¯s heartbeat instantly quickened when his handsome face inched closer to her. Seeing him this


    close made her realize how kindly time had treated his looks. He was two years older than her, yet he


    looked like he was fresh out of college¨Chow boyishly charming!


    Wait! What was she thinking?! Lisa quickly tossed those ridiculous thoughts out of her mind. Her eyes


    were fixed on the man in front of her as she told him, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think! You have no right to


    delete my videos!¡±


    ¡°When I saw those videos,¡± he said, his breath tickling her face, ¡°I realized that you didn¡¯t say those


    words you said to me all those years ago to me alone. You probably said it to plenty of other men as


    well.¡±


    She was suddenly tongue¨Ctied because¡­ when she carefully thought about it, she realized that he


    was probably right. She must have said she loved all these idols in those videos. But was that not a


    normal thing to do? Did fans not always dere their love for their idols and say things like they were


    willing to stay by their idol¡¯s side for the rest of their lives?


    But, of course, what she meant by forever was usually only from a few months to a year when it came


    to the klols, anyway.


    He raised his hands and gently stroked her bangs as he told her, ¡°From now on, you¡¯re not allowed to


    say things like that to any other man but me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± She was about to argue with him, but his cold piercing gaze stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience, Lisa. I told you, from now on, we¡¯ll be dating officially. You¡¯re not nning to


    say you love other men when you already have a boyfriend, are you? How do you think I¡¯d feel?


    Chapter 319


    His gestures as he spoke were affectionate and loving, yet his voice was chilling.


    In that instant, Lisa felt her body freeze.


    She was rudely reminded that this man was no longer the cute boy she knew all those years ago. He


    was now Terry White, the current head of the White family!

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    Lisa had not recovered from the shock yet when she got home. Was she really dating Terry White


    now? She had been


    wondering about the ways that this man might try to get revenge, but she never thought that this would


    be his way of doing


    It!


    She was not that experienced in dating, but either way, she decided that all she had to do was follow


    Terry¡¯s lead. If that was not good enough, she would just consult her TV dramas for guidance.


    The only problem was that he wanted her to fall in love with him.


    Would he dump her as soon as she fell in love with him, then? Lisa shook her head helplessly. In any


    case, she would just date him for a few months and then pretend that she had fallen in love with him.


    When he dumped her, she would act as if she waspletely heartbroken, and then the whole affair


    would be over.


    She sighed heavily as she thought of this. Never would she ever think that her first experience in dating


    someone would be this way. But then when she remembered how she feared that Terry might send her


    family to bankruptcy as his revenge, she reminded herself that things could have gone much, much


    worse and that she should count her blessings.


    This should be a lesson for her to never take advantage of men. If only she had never yed around


    with Terry and then left him, none of this would ever happen!


    Her parents were still giving her a hard time for not calling to tell them she would not be home for


    dinner, and Lisa rolled her eyes. If only her parents knew that their whole family had almost lost


    everything and that she was sacrificing herself to save everyone!


    ¡°I¡¯ve made an arrangement with Mr. King to get you a blind date next week,¡± her mother told her. ¡°Make


    sure you¡¯re notte!


    Lisa almost choked. She¡­ she had just begun to date Terry, yet now her mother wanted her to go on a


    blind date?!


    Mr. King was well¨Cknown in the neighborhood for bring a matchmaker. In fact, he had sessfully


    matched several couples around here, so Lisa¡¯s mother often met up with the man in the hopes that he


    might find a suitable match for Lisa


    ¡°Mom¡­ let me find my own match, okay? I promise I¡¯ll find someone both of you will love!TM


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Despite saying that, she had no ns to tell her parents that she was dating Terry because she knew


    that her ¡°rtionship¡± with him would neverst that long. She was sure that they would be ¡°breaking


    up soon enough, so it was unnecessary to tell her parents about it since it would just be like giving


    them false hope.


    ¡°How many times have I heard you say that?¡± her mother snapped angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re


    turning 28 soon? If you don¡¯t look for a partner now, are you going to wait till you turn 30 and be a


    spinster?¡±


    Lisa pouted. Nowadays, lots of people only started dating and getting married after they turned 30. You


    did not have to settle for anyone you could find even if you were a spinster. If she was going to get


    married, she would only marry the man she took a fancy to and fell in love with


    As she thought of this, the image of Terry¡¯s face popped up in her mind.


    Wait! What was she doing thinking about that guy?!


    shook her head and tossed the thoughts from her mind, then announced to her parents, ¡°I¡¯m


    exhausted!¡±


    She then dashed to her room in a hurry.


    As soon as she was in her room, she received a text message that read: [This is Terry White. Save my


    number so you can contact ine easily.)


    Lisa stared at the unfamiliar phone number and sighed helplessly before saving it just as she was told.


    All she could do now was take one step at a time!


    Serenity had started to look for a job again, but because of her criminal records, her application had


    been rejected continuously.

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    Serenity once again walked out of a job interview in failure. She smiled wryly.


    She had thought that she was mentally prepared for this. She was even willing to take a delivery job


    that did not evene with a basic sry, but even there, her application was rejected.


    Serenity nced at the time. It was almost nou now, so she stopped by a small restaurant where she


    ordered a bowd of noodles that cost barely more than a dor¨Cthe cheapest item in the restaurant.


    There was an old television in the restaurant with the news on it. It was a rerun of yesterday¡¯s news, so


    Serenity did not pay much attention to it at first, but when she heard a familiarpany¡¯s name, her


    head instantly shot up.


    That.. was thepany where she had gotten an interview for a delivery job previously. It was the


    samepany whose hoss had called Jackson to tell him about her interview.


    Jackson had told her off¨Chandedly that he would eliminate thispany.


    And now.. the news reported that thepany was in financial hot water. The inwestens who had


    previously announced publicly that they were about to make investiments in thepany suddenly


    withdrew themselves. Starting yesterday, many people who had invested were gathered in front of the


    company entrance, demanding their money back.


    Judging from the pictures on the news, it was indeed a chaotic scene.


    Serenity sat frozen as she watched the news, dreadfully startled


    Did Jackson do this? It had only been a few days, yet he was already able to destroy a promising


    company so thoroughly?


    If her suspicions were true, it could only mean that Jackson was truly a terrifyingly formidable man. But


    if it was not the case at all, then.. Could there be such an uncanny coincidence in this world?


    Serenity¡¯s head was full of such thoughts as she ate her noodles. Suddenly, she could feel something


    touching her leg. She looked down and saw a little boy about three years old. He was wearing old,


    shabby clothes, but he was an exceptionally adorable child. His facial features were exquisite, his skin


    was supple and smooch, and he was so lovably chubby in a way that only toddlers could be, giving one


    an urge to pinch his cheeks.


    And right now, the boy¡¯s big brown eyes were staring fixedly at her.


    Serenity stared back at him in confusion. She looked around. Because it was around lunchtime, many


    tables around her were upied, and she could not tell where the boy hade from. She picked him


    up and then noticed that the boy¡¯s eyes were


    fixed on her bowl of noodles


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Would you lie to try the noodles?¡± she asked.


    The buy did not react nor did he pay any attention to her. He just kept his gaze fixed on the bowl.


    Could it be that this child really liked noodles? Serenity would not mind ordering another bowl for the


    boy, but she had to attend to the most urgent matter at the inocent, which was to find the boy¡¯s parents.


    Just as she was about to ask around if anyone knew the boy, a woman about 30 years old in in, dull


    clothes rushed up to her and said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry my son disturbed you! I should¡¯ve kept an eye on him!


    I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry..


    The woman went on to apologize repeatedly, Serenity recognized the woman as the one behind the


    register when she had been making her order. She even recalled the waiter calling the woman ¡°Boss¡°.


    It surprised her that she was the boy¡¯s mother.

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    ¡°He wasn¡¯t disturbing me at all,¡± said Serenity. ¡°Besides, your son is really cute. I think he wants to try


    the noodles because he¡¯s been staring at the bowl the whole time.¡±


    ¡°He might not eat it even if you offered it to him,¡± said the woman. ¡°This boy just likes to join in on the


    fun.¡±


    As the woman spoke, Serenity noticed that she was making hand gestures in front of the boy. She was


    taken aback for a moment when she realized that those gestures were signnguage!


    ¡°Is this boy..¡± Serenity blurted out.


    ¡°He can¡¯t hear,¡± the woman replied. ¡°But he knows a little signnguage now, so if I tell him something


    in signnguage, able to understand me.¡±


    Then, the woman slowly said the words ¡°Apologize to Auntie while simultaneously using signnguage


    to say the same thing


    Following that, the boy turned to Serenity and bowed to her, signifying that he was saying sorry to her.


    Serenity could not help but raffle the boy¡¯s hair affectionately. The boy was so young, yet he could not


    hear at all? Did that mean that all the sounds and voices in the world did not exist at all as far as he


    was concerned?


    The woman picked the boy up and carried him away. Serenity went back to her food, but her heart was


    inexplicably heavy.


    When she finished her noodles and was about to leave the restaurant, she caught a glimpse of a


    vacancy notice posted at the entrance. It stated that they were looking for someone to do the deliveries


    for the restaurant.


    Serenity quickly turned to the woman behind the cash register and asked her, ¡°Are you looking for a


    rider to do the deliveries?


    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Then¡­ Can I apply for the job?¡±


    The restaurant owner stared at Serenity, looking a little puzzled.


    ¡°You want to apply for the rider¡¯s job?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the woman replied, ¡°I just thought that a young woman like you wouldn¡¯t normally apply for a


    laborious job like this.¡± ¡°Any job is precious to me,¡± Serenity paused, then truthfully told the woman,


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in prison before. I have a criminal record. I was involved in a car crash that killed someone,


    so it¡¯s been really hard for me to find a job. To tell you the truth, desperately need this job.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes trembled a little when Serenity mentioned that she used to be in prison, almost as if


    she was taken by surprise.


    ¡°This jobes with a fixed sry,¡± the woman said. ¡°When it gets really busy, you¡¯ll be in charge of


    both the deliveries and you¡¯ll also have to help out in the restaurant. You¡¯ll be paid 500 dors a month.


    Are you okay with these terms? Oh, and you¡¯ll be provided with two free meals per day¨Clunch and


    dinner. Your work will start at half past nine in the morning, and you¡¯ll get off work at nine in the


    evening, so the working hours are a little longer.¡±


    500 dors was almost twice what Serenity earned at the Sanitation Office. As for the backbreaking


    work, well, it was nothing when one¡¯s survival was on the line.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Serenity replied enthusiastically. ¡°I ept the terms!¡±


    The woman scrutinized Serenity for an instant then smiled.


    ¡°In that case, you may start working tomorrow. We have the scooter for the deliveries, so you don¡¯t


    need to buy one if you don¡¯t already have one. Just use the one we have.¡±


    I


    ¡°Thank you!¡± cried Serenity earnestly. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to show up on time tomorrow!¡±


    Never would she expect that she would end up finding a job so soon and so unexpectedly too!

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    ¡°By the way, the woman added, ¡°my name is ra Wells. You can just call me re. What about you?


    What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Serenity Lewis,¡± she answered, the dark clouds in her eyes now dissipated ¡°You


    can call me Serenity, re.¡±


    ra¡¯s eyes trembled as she looked at Serenity.


    After giving her name and contact number, Serenity left. A woman over 50 then walked up to ra¡¯s


    side and asked her,¡± What were you talking about with that person?¡±


    ¡°She applied for the rider¡¯s job with es jest now,¡± ra replied, ¡°and I¡¯ve given her the job. She¡¯ll start


    working tomorrow.¡± ¡°That young woman, a rider? Something¡¯s fishy here. Women like her would usually


    apply for office jobs, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Because of the low sry, only people over the age of su ever


    asked about the job, and even they decided against taking the job because the wages were too low


    and the working hours were too long.


    She has a criminal record,¡± ra exined. She was in a car crash that led to someone¡¯s death. Still, I


    think she¡¯s a good person. She was very lind to Yannick earlier, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯s all that bad at all.


    That car crash was probably just an ident.¡±


    ¡°re!¡± cried the older woman, who was her mother. She could not help but continur scolding her


    daughter, ¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you suffered enough?! How could you trust someone so easily? If you can tell from


    a lock how good or bad someone is, there would probably be no bad people in this world! You can¡¯t


    take in someone with a criminal record to work with us What if she crashed into someone again while


    doing our deliveries? Would we need to pay for the damages, then?!TM


    ra sighed, ¡°I just want to give her a chance, Mom. It looked like she really needed a job.¡±


    ¡°A chance?¡± snapped Mrs. Wells. ¡°You¡¯re the one who needs a chance, re! We need money to treat


    Yannick¡¯s hearing! We¡¯re the ones in desperate need of money!


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because no one gave me any chance,¡± ra smiled wryly, ¡°that 1¡­ wanted to help her.


    After all¡­ I¡¯ve been in prison too!!


    Hearing this, Mrs. Wells sighed and said nothing more. Her daughter¡¯s imprisonment had been the


    biggest pain their family had to bear in all their lives!


    That night, Serenity told Jackson, ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ve got a job, but I¡¯ll get off work prettyte at night, and I


    don¡¯t want to disturb you, so¡­ I think it would be best that I move back to my own ce ¡°


    Jackson raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, ¡°You¡¯re thinking of moving out again, are you, Sis?¡±


    But she was not moving out. She was moving back to her own ce. The slight twist in his words made


    it sound like this ce was her real horne, yet Valor Residence was a huge mansion. She feared she


    could never truly call such a ce her home.


    Besides, she was not even sure if she would ever find a home again in this life.


    ¡°This ce is just too big,¡± she replied tactfully, ¡°I¡¯m not used to living in this kind of house. A small


    rental room suits me much better. Besides, I¡¯ve already paid the rent for that rooms, so it¡¯d be a waste if


    I don¡¯t live there.¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Then you¡¯d better stay here more so you can get used to it,¡± Jackson told her calmly. ¡°As for the rent,


    I¡¯ll pay you back what you paid them.¡±


    ¡°No, but I..¡±


    She wanted to go on arguing, but his frightfully cold gaze stopped her.


    ¡°If you¡¯re afraid that you¡¯d disturb me when you me homete at night,¡± he added, his eyes floed on


    her, ¡°then you can just quit this new job and find a new one. Wouldn 1 that be a great solution? the is


    this job more important to you than Lam


    Serenity could instantly feel chills naming down her spine when she heard that,

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    Serenity¡¯s first reaction was the thought that Jackson might attack that small restaurant. If he could


    destroy an up¨Cand-ingpany to the point of bankruptcy, there was certainly no limit to what he


    could do to that small restaurant.


    ¡°No¡­¡± she stammered. ¡°No, 1 never thought of it that way.¡±


    She did not want to see the small restaurant suffer because of her. Besides, she could tell that re


    was a decent person, and she even had a disabled son to take care of, so Serenity was sure that re


    must have a lot of burdens to bear.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, then,¡± Jackson smiled. ¡°So just keep on living here and don¡¯t worry about anything.¡±


    Serenity pursed her lips and said nothing.


    Jackson took her hands and ced her palms against his cheeks.


    ¡°Since you insist on finding your own job,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give in and let you have your way. But


    remember, no matter howte you get home, you must wish me good night every day, okay?¡±


    She was slightly stunned, having never expected that he would make such a weird request.


    Saying good night to him¡­ was something that she used to do every day when they lived together in


    that rental room. But that was because he was her only family back then and because he was the only


    one she believed she could rely on.


    But¡­ was he still her family now?Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    His cheeks rubbed against the palms of her hand gently. He closed his eyes slowly, and his lips


    gradually curled up into a smile. He looked perfectly content.


    The next day, Serenity showed up punctually at the small restaurant with her identification documents


    in hand. ra did the necessary paperwork and then gave Serenity the rough guidelines for the job


    before allocating an electric scooter to her.


    ¡°You can use this scooter tomute to and from work as well, she told Serenity, then suddenly


    thought of a question she should have asked sooner. ¡°By the way, do you know how to ride it?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sercity replied, then honestly added, ¡°but I haven¡¯t ridden one for a few years now. I should be


    able to do it just fine after practicing for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± ra said, ¡°Then go ahead and practice a little. By the way, you know you¡¯ve been in a tragic


    car crash before, so you must be very careful on the road, okay? Don¡¯t ever exceed the speed limits


    just to rush the deliveries. I¡¯d rather you be careful


    means you¡¯re a littlete with the deliveries. It¡¯s for your own good and for everyone else¡¯s as well.¡±


    ¡°okay,¡± Serenity answered. She then assured ra, ¡°I understand and I¡¯ll always remember it, re. I¡¯ll


    be very careful and never exceed the speed limit.


    ¡°Good!¡± ra smiled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s it, then. You¡¯ll get paid on the 15th day of every month. I¡¯ll cover your


    basic insurance as well. You can alwayse to me if you have any questions.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Just then, she could feel someone hugging her leg tightly. She looked down and saw that beautiful


    cherubic face again. She recalled how re had called the boy ¡°Yanny¡± yesterday.


    re then called out to her sur while signing with her hands to say ¡°Come here, Yanny!¡°.


    However, the boy only clung onto Serenity¡¯s leg even more tightly now. He even looked up at her in


    fascination, paying no mind at all to his own mother.


    re walked up and tried to pull her son away, but she realized that the boy would note with her


    quietly as he always did usually, but on the contrary, he held onto Serenity¡¯s leg even more firmly now.

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    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± ra said, ¡°Vanny¡¯s never like this usually. He seems to like you very much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Serenity assured her before picking the boy up in her arms. ¡°I like him very much too.¡±


    The boy did not struggle when Serenity picked him up. Instead, he happily went along with it and even


    smiled at her when he was in her arms. But that smile was a mixture of timidness and admiration,


    which made her feel inexplicably sad.


    She tousled his hair and said to him, ¡°Hello, Yanny!¡±


    But the little boy could not hear her, so he had no idea what she was saying to him. All he did was look


    up at her with eyes full


    of curiosity


    ra, who had been watching her son interacting with Serenity from the side, suddenly looked gloomy


    as a look of heartache shed across her eyes.


    Did Yanny regard Serenity as that person? Perhaps that was why he liked her so much¡­ It was a pity


    that¡­ they could never mert that person anymore.


    Serenity turned to ra and asked her, ¡°Can you teach me signnguage, re? I want to be able to


    communicate with Yanny.


    ¡°Sure,¡± replied ra,ing back to her senses, ¡°no problem.¡±


    Serenity went on to y with the boy for a little longer, but because she did not know signnguage,


    their interaction did not go very smoothly, and they needed ra to be there to help themmunicate


    with signnguage.


    By noon, Serenity began to do the deliveries for the restaurant. She had taken the time to practice


    riding the scooter earlier, and it had gone very well. It was just like riding a bicycle. Once you learned


    how to do it, you¡¯d be able to pick up the skill again no matter how long you stopped doing it.


    Nevertheless, she made sure to be very careful and ride the scooter as slowly as she could to let


    herself get used to it.


    There were a lot more deliveries to do around noon. By half past one, the restaurant started to get


    fewer takeaway orders, but Serenity was kept very busy till around two in the afternoon when she was


    finally able to have her lunch.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± ra asked.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Not too bad,¡± Serenity smiled. She desperately needed to earn money now, so she had no time to


    mind the workload.


    ¡°It can get pretty busy here,¡± said ra, ¡°so you might not have time to get lunch until prettyte in the


    afternoon.¡±


    In fact, just like Serenity, ra would often wait till she had some free time to grab a bite of food as


    well.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Serenity turned to the little boy who was eating fruits beside her and asked, ¡°How old is


    Yanny? Shouldn¡¯t he be in kindergarten?¡±


    ra smiled wryly and replied, ¡°He was supposed to be in kindergarten this year, but since he¡¯s dead,


    most kindergartens won¡¯t ept him. There are special education kindergartens, of course, but the


    tuition fees are expensive. Besides, Yanny needs to be equipped with a hearing aid, and he needs to


    be apanied by a parent in kindergarten. I¡¯m always busy working, so that¡¯s just not possible.¡±


    ¡®So, Yanny hasn¡¯t been equipped with a bearing and yet?¡± Serenity asked, only now realizing that she


    had never seen a hearing aid in Yanny¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m saving up for it,¡± ra responded. The question seemed to fill her with new hope, and her face


    shone brightly with motherly love as she gently looked at her son and said, ¡°In two or three months,


    we¡¯ll be able to get him a bearing aid. By then, Yanny will be able to licar, and he¡¯ll start to learn how to


    speak.¡±


    Serenity could tell how much ra loved Yanny. Although ra owned the restaurant, she was


    dressed in cheap p?ld clothes and woreno jewelry. Even her hair was tied up in a simple ponytail


    without much care or thought.

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    Besides, this boss of hers not only worked behind the cash register, but she also took on the role of a


    waitress and even cleaned the tables. There was simply no work in the restaurant that she would not


    do. When it got really busy in the restaurant, she would basically be left with no free time at all.


    Perhaps because her capabilities were limited, she devoted all her life to giving her child the best that


    she could afford.


    At around three in the afternoon, the restaurant received an order for pineapple buns and milk tea.


    When Serenity read the address of the customer, however, she seemed to be lost in her thoughts.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ra asked. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    She had already prepared the food, but when she handed it over to Serenity, she noticed that the


    young woman was staring a the receipt nkly, seemingly in a daze.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± replied Serenity as she took the food in her hands.


    The address happened to be thew firm where she used to work. If she was to deliver the food there,


    it was likely that she would bump into her former colleagues.


    Back then, she used to be the starwyer of the firm, but now, she was about to return there without


    any honor or respectability at all.


    Her heart was filled with bitterness, but she reminded herself that since she had chosen this profession,


    it would be impossible to avoid this kind of thing happening sooner orter. Besides, she still had a long


    life ahead of her, so she was bound to bump into people she used to know. Was she going to stay


    fearful of facing those people for the rest of her life just because she used to be in prison, just because


    she had fallen to rock bottom?


    When it all came down to it, all she had to do was get used to it and she would be fine!


    she


    She reminded herself of all these things as she ced the food into the scooter¡¯s basket and headed


    toward the address. The closer she got to her old office, the more familiar the roads seemed to her.


    When she finally reached the office entrance, parked the scooter and looked up at the modern


    skyscraper.


    Back then, when she had first stepped into this building, she remembered how ambitious and


    determined she was. She even thought that once she had umted enough experience and


    became more independent, she might be able to set up her ownw firm one day!


    But now, all those thoughts had be wishful fantasies, as illusory as the shadow of the moon on the


    surface of theke.


    Serenity picked up the food and went into the familiar elevator before pressing the floor button. As she


    stood in front of the ss doors of her old office, she dialed the number of the customer who had


    ordered the food. Soon afterward, out walked a young woman who seemed to be fresh out of college.


    She was probably a new recruit of thew firm.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the young woman said as Serenity handed her the food.


    Just then, the receptionist of the office recognized Serenity and cried out, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Serenity? Are


    you¡­¡¯


    The receptionist¡¯s eyes turned to the food in her colleague¡¯s hands and asked in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re doing


    the delivery?¡±


    ¡°Yeals, Serenity replied.


    The young woman asked the receptionist, ¡°Do you guys know each other?¡±


    ¡°Of course we do! Serenity used to work here, and she was the star..


    The receptionist stopped abruptly mid-sentence. The look she gave Serenity turned from surprise to


    pity.


    Serenity smiled and turned on her heels to leave, but just as she was about to step into the elevator,


    she could hear the hum of conversation between the receptionist and the young woman. They were


    most likely talking about her.


    In any case, Serenity still had one thing to be thankful for. At least she had not bumped into too many


    of her old colleagues today, so things had not gotten too awkward.


    After a long day of working, Serenity finally got back to Valor Residence at around 10 pm. She was


    about to head straight int her room but then remembered what Jackson had said, so she gentlyContent rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    knocked on his door when she passed by his room.


    Since he wanted so much for her to say goodnight to him, she would just say it!


    Momentster, the door opened. Jackson stood there, his eyes peering down at her as he said, ¡°You¡¯re


    finally home, Sis.¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah. Anyway¡­ Good night!¡±


    She then turned around and prepared to head back to her room.

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    But he immediately grabbed her arm and yanked her into a warm embrace.


    She instinctively tried to struggle free, but his hands hugged her even tighter.


    ¡°Your ¡°good night¡± doesn¡¯t sound very sincere,¡± he whispered next to her ear.


    She trembled slightly. She could feel his breath on her ear. She felt like she was being enveloped in his


    scent.


    ¡°Let¡­ Let go,¡± she said while blushing.


    ¡°Tell me about the first day at your new job,¡± he urged.


    ¡°It¡¯s just


    just a normal food delivery job. Someone orders something, I deliver it,¡± she replied. She could feel her


    heart beating harder and her blood flowing faster.


    ¡°Is that so? Did you eat properly today?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes. I ate with my boss. I get two meals a day at my job.¡± Her face was burning hot. The strange


    feeling made her panic. Right now, all she wanted was for him to let her go.


    However, he refused to do what she wanted. He grabbed her face and turned it towards him.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± he suddenly asked.


    ¡°N-No,¡± she denied.


    your face is so red.¡± He smiled, bent down, and pressed his lips to her cheek gently. ¡°Are you blushing


    because of me?¡±


    ¡°N-No.¡± Her body stiffened. She was beginning to stutter.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± he rebuked her yfully.


    She bit her lip and tried to push him away, but her hands felt devoid of any energy.


    Was it due to fear? Was she afraid that if she pushed him away, the consequences would be dire? Or


    was it because of something else?


    Serenity did not know. Her mind was in a mess. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    After a while, he let her go. He brushed her lips gently and said with a smile, ¡°Well then, good night¡­


    Sts.¡±


    Serenity dashed like she was running away.


    After returning to her room, she buried her face in her hands. It was really hot. However, she could not


    tell if her face was


    hotter or her hands.


    What¡¯s wrong with her? He used to hold her like this all the time, but she didn¡¯t react this way.


    At first, it was because she thought of him as family. Later, after finding out his true identity, she would


    tremble in fear whenever he held her. But now¡­ why would she react like this?


    Could she have fallen in love with him?


    No, that¡¯s impossible!


    She shook her head to stop herself from going further down that line of thought. Jackson and her would


    not have a happy ending.


    A man like Jackson Valor was very unpredictable. She could not tell what he was thinking at all. He


    might look like he¡¯s in love with her now, but how long would this illusionst?

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    1/2


    In the wee hours of the morning, when Serenity was asleep in bed, the door between the two rooms


    slowly opened, and a tall figure crept in.


    The figure¡¯s normally cold eyes now looked at the woman on the bed with a lot of affection.


    ¡°Good night, Sis.¡± A deep, elegant voice came out of his mouth. It was filled with fondness, but also


    desire.


    The next day at noon, Serenity received arge order at work. The customer ordered more than 30


    sets of takeouts.


    Usually, she would only deliver 7-8 sets at a time. 30 sets was about as much as what their small


    restaurant would normally deliver every day at lunchtime in total.


    ra prepared the takeouts in a hurry. She told Serenity, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to deliver them.¡±


    ole to deliver the other


    ¡°But what about the other orders?¡± asked Serenity. If she delivered this order, she would not be able to


    smaller orders


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of them. I¡¯ll ask my mom to put Yanny to bed and stand in for me for a bit.


    The restaurant has another electric scooter,¡± replied ra.


    For her restaurant, this order could be considered a big deal. They would earn a few hundred dors


    from this order alone. She was quite happy about it.


    When Serenity saw the delivery address, she fell silent. It was the Valor Group¡¯s address¡­


    However, she did not recognize the name or the phone number on the order. It was not Jackson who


    ced the order.


    That made her heave a sigh of relief. Maybe it was just a coincidence.


    After ra had packed the takeouts, Serenity put them on the electric scooter and rode it to the Valor


    Group¡¯s headquarters.


    Over 30 sets of takeout were not that light. Serenity could not carry all of them at once, so she decided


    to park the electric scooter somewhere and take several trips.


    But to her surprise, immediately after she parked the electric scooter, a security guard came up to her


    and asked, ¡°Are you Miss Serenity Lewis?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, yes, I am.¡± Serenity looked stunned. She did not expect the security guard to know her name.


    ¡°We have a trolley that you can use to deliver the food. It¡¯ll be more convenient for you,¡± the security


    guard said while gesturing for two other security guards toe over.


    The two security guards pushed a stainless steel trolley over and helped her move all the takeouts onto


    the trolley.


    Serenity had not recovered from her surprise. The security guards obviously knew she would be


    coming and were prepared for


    ir.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ But may I know how you know my name? Also, who told you to prepare this trolley?¡± she


    asked.


    ¡°Mr. Gunn told us. He was also the one who asked us to prepare the trolley,¡± the security guard replied.


    Mr. Gunn?


    Was he talking about Connor Gunn, the secretary who was always by Jackson¡¯s side? Serenity


    wondered. She had seen him a few times at the hospital


    The realization made Serenity bite her lower lip.


    As Serenity apprehensively pushed the trolley Into the Valor Group building, a security guard came up


    to the first security guard who spoke to Serenity and asked, ¡°Boss, why did Mr. Gunn ask us to wait for


    that delivery girl? What¡¯s her rtionship with Mr. Gunn?¡± After all, deliveries were verymon these


    days. A while ago, someone delivered 100 cups of milk tea, but Mr. Gunn did not explicitly ask them to


    help.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions that you¡¯re not supposed to ask,¡± replied the chief security guard. ¡°Remember, if


    you see that woman Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Chapter


    again in the future, don¡¯t treat her as amon delivery girl.¡±

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    After Serenity pushed the trolley into the building, a receptionist greeted her. The receptionist only


    asked Serenity for her name and did not even ask her to register. She even took the initiative to help


    Serenity press the elevator button.


    All this caused Serenity to graduallye to a certain conclusion. When she arrived at the specified


    address,


    a tall woman


    professional¨Clooking attire came over and said, ¡°Miss Lewis? I¡¯m the one who ordered the food. You


    can put it down here. Please take these two sets to the CEO¡¯s office.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s heart sank. Her questions had been answered.


    The CEO¡¯s office. Jackson was the CEO of Valor Group, so did that mean she was gonna take the two


    sets of takeout to Jackson¡¯s office?


    Serenity picked up the takeouts and went to the CEO¡¯s office. In front of the dark wonden door, she


    took a deep breath before knocking on the door twice.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Come in.¡± A valce came from the inside.


    Serenity opened the door and walked in. She saw Jackson sitting at the desk with his head down,


    reading some documents.


    ¡°Your takeout is here. I¡¯ll put it on the coffee table,¡± Serenity said and pursed her lips.


    Jackson raised his head and saw Serenity walking to the coffee table to put down the takeout, ¡°Why


    are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± he asked. He stood up, went around the desk and walked over to


    her.


    ¡°I have to go back to the restaurant to deliver other orders,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Have you had lunch?¡± He suddenly asked out of the blue.


    She froze and blinked as his question caught her by surprise.


    ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t. Let¡¯s have lunch together. I want to try the food that your restaurant makes,¡± he


    said. He pulled her to the sofa and pressed down on her shoulders to make her sit


    She instinctively tried to stand back up, but the force on her shoulders made that impossible.


    ¡°You¡­¡± She red at him.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t like to eat with me?¡± he asked with a smirk.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time,¡± she said.


    ¡°Really?¡± A dangerous glint crept into his eyes. ¡°In that case, maybe I should return all these takeouts.¡±


    Serenity suddenly realized with a jolt that the person in front of her was Jackson Valor!


    A man like him would not ept rejection gracefully. If he returned the order, it would be a huge loss


    for ra


    Moreover, if he decided to go after the restaurant, ra¡¯s little restaurant might go out of business.


    ¡°Just lunch?¡± she asked after she calmed down a little.


    Jackson smiled, ¡°Of course. What else can we do?¡±


    He removed his hands from her shoulders and opened the takeout lug on the coffee table.


    His long and slender fingers were very nice to look at. Even the shapes of his fingernails were pretty.


    Hands like that, even when they were just opening a stic bag, were aesthetically pleasing and eye¨C


    catching. He took out the two sets of meals, helped her break apart her disposable chopsticks and


    handed them to her.

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    Serenity took the lunch box and ate it quickly with her head down. Right now, all she wanted was to


    finish the food and leave as soon as possible.


    ¡°You¡¯re eating so fast. Are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± Jackson¡¯s voice reverberated in the office.


    *Cough cough*


    Serenity choked on her food. She had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from spitting out the food


    in her mouth. Her face turned red.


    After a while, she finally stopped coughing. A few grains of rice gut on her palm, so she reached for a


    plece of tissue to wipe it. But before she could do that, Jackson grabbed her hand and pulled it over.


    She twisted her wrist ufortably but failed to break free. ¡°My hand¡¯s dirty. I need to wipe it,¡± she


    said.


    ¡°Dirty? He chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s dirty at all.¡± He lowered his head and pressed his lips to her palm,


    licking away the grains on her palm one by one.


    Serenity¡¯s body turned stiff.


    ¡°Done.¡± He sounded like he hadn¡¯t had enough yet.


    Serenity came back to her senses with a jolt. She found that he had licked away all the rice on her


    palm.


    But he was still holding onto her hand. With his beautiful eyes, he gave her an intense stare. ¡°The rice


    tastes great. I wish there were more.¡±


    Her heart skipped a beat. His words were very suggestive and his gaze was full of lust.


    She quickly looked down to break off eye contact with him. His eyes seemed to have a magic power


    that could entrance people. Fortunately, he did not keep holding onto her hand. He loosened his grip


    slightly, and her hand finally regained freedom.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Serenity went back to her meal in a hurry.


    A few momentster, she heard him say, ¡°Sharing a meal with you like this makes me feel as if we¡¯ve


    returned to the past.¡±


    Her hands stopped


    The past. It felt like a dream. They could never go back to that time anymore. Everything about ¡°Jack¡±


    was now buried in the depths of her heart.


    It was almost 1 pm when Serenity finally got back to the restaurant. ra did not seem suspicious that


    it took her almost an hour to deliver a single order. However, Serenity apologized in ra of her own


    ord. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took so long.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. There was a lot of food, so I¡¯m sure it took you a few trips on the elevator. Thank


    you for your hard work,¡± said ra, ¡°Td the customers say anything?¡±


    Being a business owner, she was naturally worried that the delivery recipients wouldin or ask


    for a refund.


    ¡°No.¡± Serenity sounded a bit guilty when she answered.


    She went back to work and delivered other orders. When they had lunch at 2 o¡¯clock, Serenity did not


    eat much.

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    ra asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You ate so little. Is today¡¯s food not to your liking? The restaurant would


    usually ask the chefs to cook something for the restaurant staff during off¨Cpeak hours and they would


    have lunch together.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not it. I probably ate too much before I came to work this morning so I¡¯m not that hungry.¡±


    Serenity looked at Yanny and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me I¡¯ll feed Yanny some fruit.¡±


    Serenity grabbed an apple, peeled it, and cut it into small pieces to feed Yanny.


    Yanny obediently opened his mouth and ate the apple one piece at a time. He asionally gave


    Serenity a smile.


    After eating the apple, he felt sleepy and yawned. He spread his hands, asking for a hug


    Serenity picked him up and gently lulled him to sleep


    Although he could not actually hear her soft hum, he gently touched her lips with his tender fingers, as


    if he was trying hard


    In sense her voice.


    After a while, he fell asleep. Looking at the sleeping baby, Serenity¡¯s nose ringled. He was such a


    lovely child, but he could not hear any sound. Sometimes, God could be excessively cruel.


    Hopefully, after getting a cochlear imnt, Yanny would be able to hear the sounds of the world and


    the disability would not


    affect him for the rest of his life.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry him back to the room.¡± Mrs. Wells took her grandson from Serenity¡¯s arms.


    At the back of the little restaurant was a simple dwelling where ra, her mother and Yanny lived.


    ra told Serenity, ¡°Serenity, you¡¯ll definitely be a good mother in the future.¡±


    A good mother?¡­ Serenity smiled, but her feelings were bitter. She would likely never get the chance


    to be a mother. Back in prison, her womb was kicked and injured during one of the beatings she


    endured. The doctor said it would be hard for her to get pregnant anymore. Even if she did get


    pregnant, her womb probably would not be able to handle the growth of a


    fetus.


    The restaurant received another delivery order at 3pm¡­ The delivery address and the customer name


    made Serenity frown.


    It was an order from her formerw firm, but this time, the person who ordered was Liliana Granger.


    Thest time Serenity ran into Liliana, Liliana kept making snide remarks about Serenity¡¯s current


    condition. This order was probably not a coincidence, but a deliberate scheme.


    However, Serenity had experienced even more embarrassing and humiliating things before. This was


    no big deal for her


    Serenity grabbed the takeout ra had prepared and got on her electric scooter.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    At thew firm, when the receptionist saw Serenity, she said, ¡°Hold on, Serenity. Liliana asked me to


    inform her the moment. you get here so that she cane pick up the delivery.¡±


    The receptionist made an internal phone call.


    A few momentster, Liliatia walked out of the office. She was wearing professional attire and exquisite


    makeup. There was a Stoug smile on her face


    naw


    As soon as Liliana saw Severalty, she said, ¡°Serenity! You really are delivering food now! I heard about


    it yesterday but 1 couldn¡¯t believe it!¡±


    While saying that, Lina grabbed the takemus from Serenity and casually put it on the reception desk.


    She then held Serendly¡¯s hands as if they were the best of friends

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    ¡°By the way, you haven¡¯t been here for a long time, so everyone in the office misses you. Good thing


    you became a delivery woman. We can see you whenever we want now,¡± said Lina as she led


    Serenity Into thew firm, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, don¡¯t tell me you won¡¯te in to say hi to your old co-


    workers.¡±


    Serenity looked at Liliana tly. Of course she knew what Liliana was ying at


    In that case, she would face the challenge directly. If she tried to avoid it, she would look pathetic.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go in and say hi,¡± Serenity said nonchntly.


    Her attitude surprised Liliana. It was not what she wanted to see.


    Once inside, Liliana pped a few times to attract everyone¡¯s attention and said, ¡°Everybody, look over


    here. Our old co- worker, Serealty, is back¡±


    Many people in the office looked over upon hearing that.


    Serenity looked around and saw that some of them were old colleagues that she knew and some of


    them were new.


    ¡°Lily, is she someone who used to work here? where is she working now?¡± a young man asked.


    This question was exactly what Liliana warted to hear. However, she put on a look of regret and said,


    ¡°Serenity used to be the most promising rookiewyer here. Everyone said she would be a


    famouswyer before long and he coveted by all the majorw firms.¡±


    ¡°So which love firm is she working in now? the neer asked curiously.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Liliana pretended to hesitate and turned to Serenity.


    Liliana¡¯s performance lookedughable to Serenity. If Liliana wanted to mock her, so be it, but what


    Serenity was disgusted by was the fact that Liliana wanted to mock her but tried to act innocent.


    I now deliver food for the Hot Restaurant. Feel free to order from us. I¡¯ll bring some menus next time,¡±


    Serenity said. indifferently. Contrary in Liliana¡¯s expectation, she did not seem embarrassed or


    humiliated. She was even smiling.


    The smile made her look calm and gentle.


    Liliana gritted her teeth and thought hatefully: Yeah, keep acting. Let¡¯s see how long you can keep it up.


    ¡°Serenity, when I ran into you a while ago, I remember you were with your boyfriend, weren¡¯t you? He¡¯s


    dressed like a rich man, but he lets you work at a restaurant for a living? Are you sure he¡¯s not a fraud?


    Lots of people nowadays like to act rich even though they don¡¯t have any money. You need to make


    sure he¡¯s not one of those people who pretend to be rich but actually carry a lot of debt,¡± Liliana


    pretended to give Serenity and reminder.


    Serenity smiled and said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll ask him about it.¡±


    Liliana felt like she was punching air. Nothing she said seerned to bother Serenity at all.


    The neers in the office naturally did not know why Serenity quit being awyer to deliver food.


    Serenity heard someone asking that question after she turned around and walked towards the exit.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

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    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The one who provided the answer was naturally Liliana Liliana deliberately raised her voice and told


    the story of how Serenity went to jail for drunk driving and killing someone¡­


    Serenity shrugged. Liliana must be trying to humiliate Serenity because Serenity used to be better than


    Liliana in everything back when Serenity was awyer.


    As expected, you can only see the true nature of people around you when you¡¯re down on your luck.


    When Serenity reached the elevator, she heard a sudden rush of footsteps behind her. A voice called


    out to her, ¡°Serenity, walt!


    Serenity turned around and saw a man running over. He stopped in front of her and stared at her with


    complicated eyes.


    He was a man in his 30s with medium build and a decent¨Clooking face. He was in a suit and was


    dressed the way an elite white cor worker in the city would normally dress.


    ¡°Can I help you? Serenity asked her former co¨Cworker, James Holt. He used to be her partner in the


    firm. There were rumors that he liked her, but she was dating Zeke Shaw back then, so she did not


    take the rumors seriously.


    Gradually, the rumors died out.


    James Holt observed the face of the woman in front of him carefully. It was still the same face, but it felt


    so different now. She used to stand proud and shine bright, but now, she looked reserved and


    despondent.


    Something seemed to be suppressing the light in her eyes.


    ¡°If you run into any trouble, you cane to me for help. I¡¯ll definitely help you if I can,¡± James said


    with a sincere face.


    Serenity felt likeughing. Three years ago, no one in thew firm would take her case. Lisa came to


    thew firm many times to ask for help, but every time, she left disappointed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need your help with anything now,¡± replied Serenity.


    James said, ¡°Delivering food isn¡¯t a long¨Cterm job. Why don¡¯t I ask around to see if I can find a better


    paying and less tiring job for you?¡±


    ¡°You want to help me look for a job?¡± The corners of Serenity¡¯s mouth curled up a little. ¡°Have you


    forgotten who allegedly killed? Mira Hall, Jackson Valor¡¯s fiancee. Aren¡¯t you scared?¡±


    A touch of embarrassment crept into James¡® face. ¡°Serenity, I¡¯m sorry for not taking your case three


    years ago. I¡¯ve been regretting it all these years. Now that you¡¯re out of prison, I just want to help you


    as much as I can.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for apologies. People tend to look out for themselves, I understand that. It would have


    been great if you had helped, but even if you didn¡¯t, no one could me you. It¡¯s over now. I don¡¯t need


    your help anymore.¡±


    After Serenity said that, the elevator arrived. She walked into the elevator.


    As the elevator door slowly closed, James stared at her quietly. His hands slowly tightened into fists.


    In truth, he did consider throwing caution to the wind and take Serenity¡¯s case three years ago to help


    her!


    He knew that she would definitely not drive after drinking. She would often remind people around her


    not to drive if they had been drinking

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    In the past, when the staff at thew firm went out for dinner, she would take the trouble to remind her


    drunken colleagues not to drive and to get a substitute driver.


    How could such a person possibly drive under influence?


    He believed she must have been wrongly used. Yet, he did not have the courage to help her prove


    her innocence even though he was awyer!


    He was afraid that the water in her case would run too deep. He was afraid of going up against


    Jackson Valor


    In Sria, no one dared to offend Jackson Valor!


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Serenity could only me her luck!


    Over the next few days, Jackson¡¯s secretary would ce arge order every day at noon. As usual,


    Serenity was responsible for delivering the order.


    And then¡­ Jackson would make her stay for lunch


    Serenity had already told Jackson several times that she hoped he would stop doing that.


    But every time, he would just raise his eyebrows and ask with a smile, ¡°Do you hate having lunch with


    me? I just want to have lunch with you.¡±


    ¡°His smile and his beautiful pleading eyes were simply unfair.


    Serenity noticed that she was falling into a daze more and more oftentely when she looked at him.


    When she told Lisa about it in a text, Lisa replied decisively, ¡°It¡¯s because of his charm!¡±


    ¡°His charm?¡± Serenity frowned and asked Lisa, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Do you not notice how handsome he is? He¡¯s even better looking than most popr actors. Of course


    you would fall into daze looking at such a beautiful face every day.¡±


    Well.. Lisa had a point.


    ¡°Serenity, what¡¯s going on between you and Jackson Valor? I get the feeling that he might be serious


    about you,¡± said Lisa. ¡°If he¡¯s really just ying some kind of game with you, I don¡¯t think he would


    have gone through all that trouble to find me for your sake, and I don¡¯t think he would get into a conflict


    with Terry White for you.¡±


    ¡±


    Serious?¡­ Serenity fell silent. She stared at her friend¡¯s text but did not know what to reply.


    ¡°Serenity? Serenity!¡± Lisa sent another text after her friend had not replied for a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯m still here,¡± Serenity replied, then changed the topic, ¡°By the way, how are you and Terry White


    doing?¡±


    ¡°Sigh. It¡¯splicated,¡± Lisa texted back. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it when I see you. You said you found a


    food delivery job, right? What day is your day off?¡±


    ¡°I get half a day off every Saturday after 2 pm.,¡± said Serenity. It was natural for a food delivery job to


    not get much time off.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s meet up on Saturday then,¡± said Lisa


    ¡°Serenity, please deliver this order,¡± said ra.


    Serenity hastily said goodbye to Lisa and put away her phone. When she saw therge pile of takeouts


    ra had packed, she knew it was another delivery to the Valor Group

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    But seeing how happy ra was, Serenity could only sigh and put the takeouts on the electric sconter.


    She could only tell herself that, with more takeouts sold, ra would be able to earn more and would


    be able to give Yanny a cochlear imnt sooner.


    Serenity¡¯s heart ached for Yanny. It was so unfortunate that a lovely child would have such a disability.


    Moreover, Serenity had never seen his father being around.


    Yanny¡¯s family name was Wells like ra, so Serenity could tell that ra must be a single mother.


    Being a single mother was not easy.


    Serenity rode the electric scooter to the Valor Group. The security guards there were already very


    familiar with Serenity. The moment Serenity arrived, they immediately helped her move all the food


    onto the trolley and even helped her push the trolley into the building all the way to the elevator. They


    were even thoughtful enough to help her press the elevator button.


    The receptionist also greeted Serenity with a smile. She even bowed a little to show Serenity respect.


    Serenity was probably the only delivery rider in the world who could enjoy this kind of treatment.


    She naturally knew that this was all thanks to jackson.


    The elevator door opened and Serenity pushed the trolley out of the elevator. A few of Jackson¡¯s


    secretaries were already. waiting there for her. They greeted her politely and took the food from her.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    One would think she was a top executive of thepany if they didn¡¯t know better.


    Serenity carried two sets of takeouts to Jackson¡¯s office. After she locked twice on the door and heard


    him say e in¡°, she opened the door.


    To her surprise, she saw a lot of people in suits standing in the office. She recalled seeing the portraits


    of some of them on the bulletin board on the wall when she walked into the building. They were the


    senior management of Valor Group.


    With two sets of takeout in her hands, Serenity and the top executives stared at each other.


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± Jackson told Serenity while pointing to the sofa in the office.


    Serenity walked awkwardly to the sofa. She put the food down, sat down, and¡­ continued to stare at


    the executives while they


    stared back at her.


    ¡°You can start without me. I¡¯ll join you once I¡¯m done here,¡± Jackson said gently.


    Serenity was speechless. How could she eat with so many people staring at her?


    The top executives were excited. All of them had heard of the rumor that the CEO was having lunch


    with a delivery woman every day.


    Many of them did not believe it and thought the rumor was ridiculous. However, the rumor was now


    proven true.


    The woman was obviously wearing a jacket with the words ¡°Hot Restaurant¡± on it.


    The executives were now curious about this ¡°Hot Restaurant¡°. The CEO¡­ liked this restaurant¡¯s food


    so much?


    But then, Jackson¡¯s voice pulled the executives¡® attention back


    ¡°Hedo the budget. Also, keep negotiating the acquisition. I want to see results in three days. In


    addition¡­¡± Jackson¡¯s voice returned to being cold. It waspletely different to the gentle voice he


    used when he spoke to Serenity just now.


    After he finished what he had to say, Jackson announced the end of the discussion, and all the top


    executives left the office. Jackson walked over to Serenity and said, ¡°You¡¯re usually in a hurry to finish


    your meal. Howe you¡¯re not in a hurry today?

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    Serenity pursed her lips. She did not know how to answer that. She could only open the lunch box and


    bury her head in it.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes were fixated on Serenity. He tried to keep her by his side time and time again. It was


    almost a habit by now,


    He did not want her to leave. He kept thinking of how he could make her stay willingly.


    He did not know when he started eagerly anticipating having lunch with her every day. He was happy


    just getting to eat with her, even if the atmosphere could be pretty quiet sometimes.


    Now that he thought about it, the days of him being ¡°Jack¡± were probably the happiest days of his life.


    At least, back then, she would talk andugh with him, treat him like an ordinary person, dry his hair


    intimately, and call him ¡°Jack¡± over and over again


    Jack¡­ Jack¡­.


    She had no idea how much he wanted to hear her call him that again. Back then, whenever she called


    his name, it was as if she was calling out to her most important family member.


    Serenity finished eating and looked up. Her eyes met with Jackson¡¯s.


    He was just looking at her. He had not even opened his lunch box yet. In other words, he had been


    looking at her the whole time she was eating?


    Thinking of that possibility, Serenity suddenly blushed. She stood up in a hurry and said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m gonna


    go back.¡±


    She bent down to clean up her lunch box on the coffee table.


    He moved his hand on top of her hand and looked up slightly, his eyes gazing at her fixedly. ¡°Sis, can


    you call me ¡°Jack¡± one more time?¡±


    He almost sounded like he was begging.


    Her body stiffened. She felt her throat going dry. ¡°Why¡­ so sudden¡­¡±


    ¡°Call me ¡°Jack¡°. I want to hear you call me ¡°Jack¡± right now,¡± he said.


    She pursed her lips, not doing as he wished.


    He moved his face a little closer to hers. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t call me that even once?¡±


    She could feel his breath at the tip of her nose. When she saw his lips closing in on her lips, she quickly


    yelled, ¡°Jack!¡±


    His lips stopped inches away from hers. He smiled and said, ¡°That sounds so nice.¡±


    She felt her face bing even hotter.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The moment he let go of her hand, she dashed out of the CEO¡¯s office like she was running away.


    In the office, Jackson stared at his hand that had just touched the back of Serenity¡¯s hand. He could


    still feel the heat of her hand in his palm.


    After a while, he slowly closed his hand as if he was trying to hold onto the heat firmly.


    That evening, after cleaning up the restaurant, Serenity was about to leave when ra handed


    Serenity a book on signnguage. She told Serenity, ¡°If you really want to learn signnguage, you can


    take a look at this.¡±

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    ¡°Thanks,¡± Serenity took the book and said.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be thanking you,¡± said ra, ¡°Yanny doesn¡¯tmunicate much with


    strangers. Because he can¡¯t hear or speak, people are also reluctant tomunicate with him. I¡¯m so


    d you¡¯re willing to learn signnguage to


    ¡°Yanny is very lovable. He also seems to like me a lot. Maybe we¡¯re fated to be friends,¡± said Serenity.


    Fate¡­ ra looked like she was going to say something, but in the end, she simply said, ¡°Yeah¡­


    maybe it¡¯s fate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then, ra,¡± said Serenity.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, see you tomorrow.¡± ra waited for Serenity to leave before shecked the door and went to


    the small residence at the back of the restaurant. Her son was lying on the bed and had already fallen


    asleep. Mrs. Wells was gently patting the baby¡¯s


    back


    ¡°Is he asleep?¡± ra asked softly. Even though she knew her son could not actually hear her, she still


    lowered her voice subconsciously.


    ¡°Yeah, he just fell asleep,¡± said Mrs. Wells, ¡°Does Serenity really want to learn signnguage?¡±


    ¡°I think so. She even thanked me when I gave her the signnguage book just now,¡± said ra.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that she¡¯s actually not bad. She gets along really well with Yanny too,¡± Mrs. Wells sighed.


    She was seeing Serenity in a new light after spending a few days with her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s guilty of her crime,¡± ra sat down and said, ¡°She seems like a careful person. I


    heard her on the phone with her friend the other day. She was talking about overturning the case. She


    would only try to overturn the case if she believed she was wrongly used.¡±


    ¡°Looks like she shares your fate,¡± Mrs. Wells¡® face suddenly turned gloomy. ¡°If you weren¡¯t wrongly


    used, you wouldn¡¯t have gone to jail and


    ¡°Mom, say no more,¡± ra shook her head and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I¡¯m happy to have you


    and Yanny. When we earn enough money for Yanny¡¯s cochlear imnt operation, our lives will be


    better.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to look for him? Mrs. Wells said after a moment of hesitation.


    ¡°Mom, I know you think that if I go to him, he might give Yanny and I a better life because Yanny is his


    son, but you have to remember that he personally sent me to prison when I was pregnant. Do you


    really think he cares if Yanny is his son? ra calmly said.


    She had been through so much pain and so much despair that all that was left was calmness.


    Mrs. Wells wiped away the tears in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s tiring being a single mother. I¡¯m just worried that you


    might not hold up.¡±


    ¡°I will I have you and Yanny. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll hold up. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± A smile crept


    onto ra¡¯s gentle face. ¡°Go to bed, Mom. I¡¯ll clean up and prepare the ingredients for tomorrow.


    Mrs. Wells nodded andy down beside Yanny.


    When ra turned around, the smile on her face disappeared. Her mother thought that if she went


    back to that man¡¯s side, she might live a better life, but instead, she was afraid that he may still want to


    get revenge on her.


    The reason she left that city with her mother and Yanny and came to Sria after she got out of prison


    was to avoid that man.


    Only by staying away from that man could her life truly begin anew.


    She wished she would never see that man again for the rest of her life!


    Serenity stared at the old man who was half lying on the bed in front of her. She did not expect


    Jackson¡¯s grandfather, the old man who used to call the shots in Sria, to send someone to intercept


    her on her way home and bring her here to the hospital

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    At the moment, the atmosphere in the ward was quiet. No one made a sound. She could tell that


    Master Zack was observing her very seriously, but there also seemed to be a bit of disdain and disgust


    in his eyes,


    Next to Master Zack, in addition to a nurse, was the man who brought her here. He imed to be


    Master Zack¡¯s personal secretary.


    ¡°Do you know why I brought you here?¡± After a while, Master Zack finally broke the silence.


    ¡°I know,¡± answered Serenity, ¡°It¡¯s because of Jackson, right?¡± She would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t


    nervous and apprehensive on the way here, but now that she had arrived and had seen the disdain in


    Master Zack¡¯s eyes, she managed to calm down for some reason


    She had already been through the worst possible experience. How bad could this be?


    Master Zack harrumphed, ¡°I¡¯m d you know that!¡±


    ¡°What do you want to say to me? Serenity went straight to the point. She was tired, so she did not want


    to beat around the bush.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he would let you stay in the Valor Residence. Do you really think a woman like you can


    join the Valor family? Master Zack remarked coldly.


    Serenity now understood that the old man brought her here to make sure she knew her ce.


    She lowered her head and said nothing. He would not believe anything she said anyway.


    Because she was silent, Master Zack turned to his secretary and asked, ¡°What does my grandson


    even see in this woman?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but there must be something outstanding about her,¡± the secretary replied.


    The old man waved his hand and said as if he was tired, ¡°I don¡¯t see anything outstanding. I don¡¯t like


    her face. Destroy it. Let¡¯s see if Jackson still wants her after that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the secretary answered.


    Serenity looked up at Master Zack in shock and shuddered.


    He wanted to destroy her face. An old man like him said those words so calmly, as if it was something


    very ordinary.


    Then, Serenity smiled bitterly. She almost forgot that Master Zack was once the shot¨Ccaller in Sria.


    He would not bring her here just to say a few threatening words.


    Did she expect the old man to send her home after giving her a warning?


    The secretary took out a dagger from his coat and walked slowly towards Serenity. Serenity looked at


    him without a trace of panic on her face. She did not beg for mercy either. She just sat there quietly.


    Master Zack was a little surprised to see her reaction.


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    ¡°You¡¯re not running away?¡± the secretary asked after he walled up to Serenity,


    ¡°I can¡¯t escape,¡± she said calmly. Since he was someone that Master Zack kept by his side and


    someone that Master Zack would entrust such a task to, he must be really skilled. On the other hand,


    Serenity was just an ordinary woman.


    Besides, even if she managed to escape from the ward, could she escape from the hospital?


    Her mind told her to resign herself to her fate, but her heart was indignant. Why must she be at the


    mercy of others like this? They were both human beings, but when he wanted toy hands on her, she


    could not even retaliate!

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    Didn¡¯t she choose to studyw in order to uphold justice? But now, she could not even uphold justice


    for herself.


    ¡°A wise decision,¡± the manughed and said.


    Serenity¡¯s hands clenched into fists. So this is what it felt like to be powerless!


    The closer the dagger moved towards her face, the harder she trembled. She abruptly ducked under


    the man¡¯s arm and dashed towards the door of the ward.


    When she opened the door, she was grabbed and held down by the two bodyguards who were


    guarding the door.


    The man walked up in Serenity and mocked, ¡°I thought you had guts, but it turns out you were just


    waiting for an opportunity to run away. But, like you said, you can¡¯t escape.¡±


    Yes, she could not escape, but even if she was just amb waiting for ughter, she wanted to give


    herself a chance to fight


    back.


    Serenity was dragged back into the ward once more. When the dagger was going to cut her face for


    real this time, the door was suddenly kicked open


    A figure walled in and went straight towards Serenity. In the blink of an eye, the dagger changed hunds


    and the secretary was kicked away.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little rash, Grandpa?¡± While ying with the dagger, Jackson asked Master Zack


    who was still half lying on the bed. I thought I told you not to touch her?¡±


    Master Zack seemned unperturbed, as if he expected this to happen.


    ¡°She¡¯s not right for you.¡±


    ¡°Whether she¡¯s right for me is up to me, not up to you,¡± said Jackson. He then turned to Serenity and


    asked, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Serenity shook her head. He came just in time to stop her from getting hurt.


    The secretary who tried to hurt Serenity got up fruen the floor in pain, Jackson walked over to him and


    said, ¡°You should thank your lucky star you didn¡¯t hurt her, or you¡¯ll regret it for the rest of your life, I


    promise you that.¡±


    He kicked the man on the chest and stepped on him. ¡°But I still need to teach you a lesson,¡± he said.


    He threw away the dagger and raised his fist, then punched the man¡¯s face repeatedly.


    The man was a tough guy, but he was obviously in a lot of pain.


    ¡°Count yourself lucky. If I wasn¡¯t worried that she would feel ufortable If she saw blood, I would


    have done something much worse to you than just punching you a few times.¡± After Jackson was done,


    le grabbed Serenity¡¯s hand and led her out


    of the ward.


    ¡°Cough¡­¡± Master Zack yelled, ¡°Do you want to go down the same path as your father?¡±


    Jackson stopped in his tracks for a moment, but he quickly started walking away again.


    ¡°Cough cough cough cough¡­¡± Master Zack coughed incessantly. What he did today was only a test to


    see how important the woman was to his grandson.


    If the woman was not important, it would not matter if he really ruined her face, but if his grandson


    came, then it meant that the woman¡­ was very, very important to his grandson


    Because today was the birthday of the woman whan gave birth to farlison.

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    In the past, Jackson would never leave the Valor Residence in the evening on this day no matter what.


    De would stay in front of his fathers portrait the whole night to remind himself not to repeat his father¡¯s


    mistake.


    He would do this every year.


    But this evening, things have changed!


    Jackson led Serenity out of the hospital.


    A ck car was at the entrance of the hospital. After getting into the car,


    dream she thought this evening would be a nightmare, but su still felt like everything that


    happened was a


    he showed up.


    ¡°Scared?¡± He asked while holding her hand. Even now, her hand was still slightly trembling


    Serenity bit her lower lip, then nodded her head. Yes, how can she not be scared? Her fate was


    completely left in the bands of others. She felt so powerless


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As if a single word from others could determine her life and death.


    ¡°I got careless today,¡± Jackson said, ¡°I thought the old man wouldn¡¯t touch you so quickly. He¡¯s more


    anxious than I thought, and I didn¡¯t expect him today of all days.¡±


    She was stumped. ¡°Today¡­ What¡¯s so special about today?¡±


    When she asked this question, his expression changed slightly. He pursed his thin lips and his deep,


    beautiful eyes stared right at her, as if he wanted to devour her whole.


    The atmosphere in the car suddenly became oppressive.


    Serenity ufortably tried to pull her hand back, but Jackson Lightened his grip. He simply stared at


    her for a while without saying a word, then looked out the window.


    Serenity was puzzled. Was it something he could not say?


    Just now, when he stared at her, she felt as if she had said something tabou.


    The car arrived at the Valor Residence, and Serenity followed Jackson out of the car.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Get some rest. The old man has made a move on you today and he already got his


    answer, which means he won¡¯t do anything to you again for the time being, so you don¡¯t have to be


    scared anymore,¡± said Jackson. He was the old man¡¯s grandson after all. After thinking about it a little,


    he could already figure out why the old man chose to do this today of all days.


    Serenity nodded. Jacksun walked Serenity back to the room. After she entered the room, she noticed


    that he was not going back to his room next door, but was walking to the stairs on the other side.


    He was going back downstairs?


    Serenity was surprised.


    That night, shey in bed tossing and turning but unable to fall asleep.


    She could not stop thinking of Jackson walking towards the stairs. Where was he going? Why didn¡¯t he


    go back to his room? He felt a little different today, for some reason.


    She sat up and looked hesitatingly at the dour separating the two rooms.


    If she opened the door, she would be able to see if he had gone back to his own room, but¡­


    Stop being so curious! Curiosity kills the cat! Especially when it involved a man like Jackson Valor!


    She kept telling herself that, but in the end, she could not help it..


    All she saw was darkness. Through the light from her own room, she saw that, sure enough, there was


    no one there.

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    He was not in the room


    Where could be be? Downstairs?


    But when Serenity went downstairs, she found that Jackson was not downstairs either.


    She did not know why she would go outside when she could not find him in the main house.


    The Valor Residence was really big. Outside the main house, there were the servants¡± rooms, the


    garden, other pavilions, as well as ponds and streams.


    In fact, having stayed at the Valor Residence for so long, she had never really taken a stroll through the


    Valor Residence. She was not sure how big it really was.


    It was the wee hours of the morning. Besides some lighting along the way, the whole ce was dark


    The night was a little chilly because of the wind. Serenity could not help pulling up her cor. She asked


    herself, why was she looking for Jackson? Was it because she was afraid that something might have


    befallen him?


    As if anything would happen to him in the Valor Residence!


    In the end, she could only tell herself that she merely wanted to check if he¡¯s alright because he came


    to her rescue today.


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    Suddenly, a bright light caught her attention.


    A short distance ahead, she saw a separate hut. She could see light through the windows.


    When Serenity approached the hut, she found a que in front of it that said ¡°Mooming Hall¡°.


    Serenity was shocked. She gently pushed open the door. What she saw behind it was a spacious


    antechamber. On the wall of the antechamber was a ck and white portrait of a man.


    He was a very handsome man with a strong schrly air. He had gentle eyes. He looked a little like


    Jackson, but not as


    seductive


    Perhaps it was because their eyes were different. The man¡¯s eyes looked more like Master Zack¡¯s


    eyes.


    Serenity already had an answer. The man was probably Jackson¡¯s father.


    She did not expect his father to be such a gentle¨Clooking m


    She recalled hearing Jackson say that his mother abandoned him and his father. When she heard it,


    she actually did not think much of it. After all, she had seen many such cases back when she was a


    lawyer.


    But now, seeing this portrait, what was originally just a concept in her mind suddenly gained a face, so


    it became that much


    more real.


    What kind of woman would leave a man who looked so gentle? After the man died, did that woman


    ever regret it?


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± A voice suddenly asked in the quiet space, making Serenity jump.


    She turned around and saw Jackson standing not far away, his deep, ck eyes staring at her.


    ¡°L..I was looking for you,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Looking for me?¡± He raised his eyebrows slightly, then approached her and asked, ¡°Do you need


    something?


    She bit her lip. She did not need anything. She just wanted to check if he¡¯s alright.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± His eyes were still on her, waiting for her answer.

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    She hesitated for a moment before she said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I noticed that you didn¡¯t go back to your own


    room after walking me to my room. Instead, you walked towards the stairs. I thought you might be up to


    something, so¡­ uhh.. since you¡¯re fine, I guess I¡¯ll go back¡­¡±


    She turned around, intending to leave.


    However, a pair of arms instantly hugged her from behind. ¡°sis, you were worried about me, weren¡¯t


    you?¡±


    Serenity instantly felt his scent enveloping her. She did not know what to say.


    Worried? Was she worried about him?


    Her mind was in a mess. Was it because he saved her tonight? That¡¯s why she did not think of him as


    Jackson Valor tonight, but as ¡°Jack¡°, so she was worried about him?


    While thinking that, she suddenly noticed the sound of his breathing near her ear bing more rapid.


    He was also moaning softly in his throat. He slowly loosened his arms that were wrapped around her.


    Serenity turned around and saw that Jackson¡¯s face was pale. His forehead was drenched in sweat


    and he was holding his


    stomach with one hand.


    She suddenly recalled seeing him like this before. ¡°Ts your gastric pain acting up again?¡±


    ¡°Looks like you still remember my old illness,¡± he murmured as he squeezed out a smile. However,


    because his face was pale and there was suppressed pain in his eyes, the smile seemed to be tainted


    with vulnerability.


    Serenity hurried forward to support Jackson. She did not see a ce to sit down in the antechamber,


    so she helped him to the inner chamber where there was a sofa. She helped him sit down on the sofa,


    then grabbed a tissue from the coffee table in front of the sofa and wiped away the sweat on his


    forehead.


    ¡°Did the paine suddenly?¡± she asked.


    ¡°it hurt a little before, but I didn¡¯t pay it much heed. I thought I would stop hurting after a while, but the


    pain suddenly got worse just now,¡± he murmured. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to remember my old Illness.


    Looks like you still care about me after all.¡±


    Serenity naturally did not bother to answer. Did she care about him¡­? Even she did not know the


    answer to that.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the medicine? Do you have it with you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to take medicine. The pain will pass after a while,¡± he said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like to take medicine? But when I bought you medicine thest time, didn¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you bought it for me. How could I not eat it?¡± Back then, he obediently took his medicine


    on time every day.


    Serenity was speechless. The problem was, they were close to the city center back then, so there was


    a pharmacy nearby. Right now, they were in the Valor Residence in the middle of the night. There was


    on 24¨Chour pharmacy nearby)


    The servants in the mansion were all asleep by now The security guards were probably the only people


    awake.


    ¡°Maybe we can ask one of the security guards to go out and buy medicine for you?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°Are you going to make me take medicine again?¡± Jackson sald with some difficulty. The pain in his


    stomach made him feel cold. He was swearing more and more.

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    ¡°If you don¡¯t take medicine, what if the pain gets worse?¡± said Serenity. Suddenly, she thought of


    something. She took out her phone and browsed online pharmacies.


    Although some of the pharmacies were a little far away, she could just pay a higher delivery fee. The


    medicine would arrive in 20 minutes. It would be faster than waiting for a security guard to go out, buy


    the medicine, ande back.


    Serenity immediately made an order. She bought the same medicine she used to buy for Jackson.


    After that,


    him again.


    eyes


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    fell on


    He was curled up in pain. His lips were tightly shut as if he was trying hard to stop himself from


    gmaning, but that made his breath sound even more painful.


    His eyes were closed. His long eyshes made shadows on his lower eyelids like they were fans.


    The man who called the shots in Sria seemed like a helpless, vulnerable child at the moment, as if


    he could only rely on himself to stop the pain.


    Serenity felt pity for him for some reason. He was thest person she should feel pity for, but she could


    not control her own


    emotions.


    She looked around. The inside chamber was arranged like a funeral, but the ¡°coffin¡± was missing


    In front of her was a portrait of the same man as the one in the antechamber. In front of the portrait was


    a te that had the name Jude Valor on it


    The name of Jackson¡¯s father was Jude Valor? His name sounded as schrly as he looked.


    And next to that te was the portrait of a woman. The woman was very beautiful. She had a pretty


    face and long ck hair. Her peach blossom¨Clike eyes were particrly alluring.


    Her eyes looked a lot like Jackson¡¯s eyes.


    Was this woman.. his mother?


    Her mind was filled with questions, but the most important thing right now was to get her hands on


    medicine that could relieve his stomach pain!


    Her eyes lit up when she saw the water dispenser in the room. She quickly poured him a cup of warm


    water. ¡°Come, drink some warm water. It might make you feel better.¡±


    His eyshes trembled slightly and he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Do you want it to hurt less?


    She pursed her lips without saying anything. She only helped him up and held the cup of water to his


    lips. He took small sips, and it did not take him long to finish the cup of warm water.


    After that,r slowly closed his eyes again. ¡°But¡­ I wish it would hurt more.¡±


    She looked at him, puzzled. He kept mumbling. ¡°This pain is probably way less than the pain you


    suffered. If it hurts more, would it help you vent your anger? Maybe you would hate me less then


    Serenity was bbergasted. She did not expect him to say such a thing.


    He Was he feeling guilty for all the sufferings she endured in prison? At that moment, her phone rang.


    The medicine was here.

 Chapter 344

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    Chapter 344


    Serenity told Jackson, ¡°Wait here for a minute. I¡¯ll go get the medicine.¡± After saying that, she ran out of


    the mourning hall.


    Jacksony on the sofa Walt for a minute?¡­ Back then, when she went out in the middle of the night


    to buy medicine for him, she said the same thing.


    Okay, he would wait. He would wait for her toe back¡­


    Serenity rushed to the mansion¡¯s metal gate. The street lights outside the gate shane on the delivery


    man¡¯s bewildered face.


    Obviously, the delivery man did not expect to deliver medicine to such a luxurious mansion.


    ¡°Are you Miss Lewis?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me,¡± Serenity answered. She took the medicine from him and said thank you. She then


    turned around and ran back to the mourning hall.


    The delivery man scratched his head. Looking at the huge mansion before him, he could still hardly


    believe it


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In the Valor Residence¡¯s security office, several security guards were watching the surveince


    monitors with dumbfounded looks on their faces. They watched as Serenity ran all the way out to the


    gate to get the medicine, then ran all the way back to the mourning hall.


    ¡°Oh my god! She actually came out of that ce unharmed?¡± someone asked in bewilderment.


    ¡°Did she order.. takeout?¡± They could not see too clearly from the monitors. They only saw Serenity


    retrieve something from the delivery man.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Mr. Valor didn¡¯t kick her out. Also¡­ is she going back to eat the takeout with Mr. Valor?¡±


    another security guard asked in wonder.


    They knew that Serenity was someone important to Mr. Valor since he let her stay in the Valor


    Residence.


    But not everyone could enter the mourning hall. Besides Mr. Valor and Master Zack, only old servants


    who had served the Valor family for decades could go in there to clean the ce.


    And now, a woman had gone inside.


    When they saw her walking inside, they were already waiting for her to get kicked out. She might


    actually get kicked out of the Valor Residence the very next day.


    But to their surprise, she actually stayed in there for quite a while. When she came out, she only did so


    to retrieve takeout!


    They were shocked!


    Serenity naturally did not know that her status had suddenly been elevated in the minds of the Valor


    Residence security guards. All she could think of was to get back to Jackson as soon as possible


    When she returned to the mourning hall, she saw that Jackson was still curled up on the sofa with his


    eyes closed. His pale face was a stark contrast to his crimson lips.


    His lips. She walked closer to take a look and saw blood on his lips. He probably hit his lips because of


    the pain, making them.


    There was sweat on his forehead again.


    Serenity sald, Jackson. Valor, the medicine is here. Hurry up and take it.¡± She poured him a cup of


    warm water, parked the medicine and fed it to him ording to the instructions.

 Chapter 345

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    Chapter 345


    He slowly opened his eyes. She really did¡­e back, just likest time. Even though she was


    scared of him, disgusted with lim, maybe even hated him, she still could not bear to see him in pain,


    right? At the thought of that, even the pain seemed to


    subside a little.


    Jackson opened his mouth and swallowed the medicine that Serenity fed him.


    She could not help looking at his lips. As expected, she saw teeth marks there. He must have been in


    great pain earlier.


    ¡°If you keep looking at my lips like this, it¡¯ll make me think that you want to kiss me,¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity suddenly came back to her senses. Her face instantly turned red. ¡°I was just looking at your


    lips because they¡¯re bleeding, I don¡¯t have any other intentions.¡±


    ¡°Even if¡­you have other intentions, it¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s you, you can kiss me anytime you want,¡± he said.


    Although his face was still pale and his forehead was drenched in sweat, he could talk normally now


    Serenity looked away to avoid eye contact so that she would not blush even harder.


    Her eyes fell on the te on the table. The incense in front of it was still burning, but it was about to


    burn out.


    ¡°The incense is about to burn out. Do you want to put a new one in? Serenity said. Usually, before the


    worship ritual was over, the incense could not stop burning


    Seeing the situation here tonight with lit incense and candles as well as food and fruit offerings, this


    should be a worship


    When Jackson heard that, he tried to stand up, but Serenity quickly held him down and said, ¡°Don¡¯t


    move. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    After she said that, she went to the table, picked up the incense on the shelf and lit it on a candle.


    Facing the ck and white portrait of the man, she bowed three times before inserting the incense into


    the incense burner.


    There was surprise in Jackson¡¯s eyes. He looked at her, stunned.


    He did not expect her to bow to his father. From this angle, he was looking at her from the side. He


    could not see her expression very clearly, but he could feel that she took the three bows seriously.


    Did his father¡­see that? This was the woman he loved. From now on, he would keep her by his side


    and make her rely on him like a fish relied on water so that she could never leave him.


    He would not repeat his father¡¯s mistake.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    After burning the incense, Serenity turned around, only to meet Jackson¡¯s eyes. She immediately felt a


    little embarrassed Uhh. The woman in the portrait, is that your mother?¡± She tried to change the


    subject.


    However, she immediately regretted asking that question! Having spent some time with him, she knew


    that his mother someone he did not want to talk about. Mentioning his mother now was way too


    reckless of her!


    he panicked and tried to think of another tople to talk about, but before she could, he already


    answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She was stunned. She did not expect him to answer.


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s pretty?¡± he suddenly asked.


    Serenity nodded. His mother was indeed pretty. She would leave an impression on anyone whoid


    eyes on her.


    r was


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s beautiful. In the past, my father loved her so much. He would do whatever she said and


    give her everything she wanted,¡± he said in a soft vodce. ¡°But one day, when the man who could give


    her everything she wanted left his home for her, he could not give her status and wealth anymore and,


    consequently, lost all value to her.¡±

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    Chapter 346


    Chapter 346


    He would never tell anyone these things in the past, but at this moment, seeing her standing in front of


    his father¡¯s portrait, be told her so naturally.


    It was as if he could only pour out these words that were buried deep in his heart when he was talking


    to her.


    ¡°My father should have met many women back then. There were bound to be some who were even


    prettier than her, yet he gave up everything for such a woman. He¡¯s a fool,¡± Jackson murmured.


    ¡°Your father may not necessarily love your mother because she¡¯s beautiful. When you love someone,


    looks may not be that important anymore. Furthermore.. you¡¯ll like everything about them, be it the


    good or the bad,¡± said Serenity.


    The light in Jackson¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. His eyes were fixed on Serenity¡¯s face. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s as you


    say. When you love someone, looks may not be that important anymore¡­¡±


    It was the same for him. He had seen women who were prettier and more considerate than Serenity,


    but only Serenity could make him feel this way.


    He liked the warmth when she cared for him. He liked it when she called him ¡°Jack¡°. He liked it when


    she held his hand at night as they fell asleep.


    His eyes looked as if they were hinting at something. He enveloped her with his gaze. When he looked


    at her like that, she could not move an inch.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    When the incense burned out, Jackson stood up and burned his mother¡¯s portrait too. He then blow out


    the candles. ¡°Why did you burn your mother¡¯s portrait?¡± Serenity asked in surprise.


    ¡°I burn this portrait every year,¡± said Jackson, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Serenity looked at the time. It was a little past midnight, so it was a new day.


    ¡°Why do you burn that portrait every year?¡± she asked curiously. Then, as if realizing her mistake, she


    quickly said, ¡°Uhh, you don¡¯t have to answer that. I was just¡­ asking casually.¡±


    She realized that it was not her ce to ask. She should be trying to stay away from him, but they


    seemed to be getting more and more tangled up now.


    ¡°Because yesterday was her birthday. In the past, my father would always wait for her on that day to


    celebrate her birthday with her. He would wait for her no matter howte it got. I burn her portrait to let


    my father know that, one day, I¡¯ll find her and bring her to his grave.¡±


    Jackson murmured. That was why he would stare at the portrait of the woman he should be calling his


    mother at this time every year- so that he would not forget what she looked like. He wanted to


    recognize her when he saw her one day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. He took her hand and walled back to the main house.


    Meanwhile, in the security office, the security guards who were keeping watch were all crowding in


    front of the surveince monitors, looking at the two people who were walking out of the mourning hall


    ¡°They¡¯reing out! Oh my god, Miss Lewis is still safe and sound!!


    ¡°Mr. Valor is¡­ holding her hand!


    ¡°She¡¯s the only one who could go in there ande out with him holding her hand. Anyone else would


    have been killed by Mr. Valor!¡±


    While the security guards were discussing that, the man on the surveince monitor suddenly looked


    up into the camera as if he was looking at the security guards through the screen.


    The security guards immediately fell silent. They did not dare to make a sound.

 Chapter 347

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    Chapter 347


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Serenity was puzzled to see Jackson stopping in his tracks.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Jackson looked back down and answered indifferently.


    When they returned to the main house, Serenity asked, ¡°How are you feeling right now?¡±


    ¡°Much better,¡± he replied


    ¡°Even if the gastric pain is an old sickness, you still have to find time to go to the doctor and get


    treatment,¡± said Serenity, ¡°If you don¡¯t take care of it, it might develop into something serious,¡±


    ¡°Ate


    you concerned about me, Sis?¡± he asked. The corners of his lips rose in a smile.


    She was stumped. She tried to go upstairs in embarrassment, but he pulled her into his arms. ¡°Okay, I


    promise 111 go to the doctor. I will also take the medicine you bought every day. If I listen to you, will


    you like me mare?¡±


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    ¡°What?¡± She was exasperated. What was he talking about? Did he just say he would listen to her? Oh


    god, how was that possible? Was that something a man like him would say?


    He lowered his head and moved his face close to hers. He then said in a voice that sounded like a


    double bass, ¡°If I listen to you, will you like me? I want you to like me.¡±


    Yes, he wanted her to like him. At first, he only wanted her to stay by his side, but now, he was starting


    to get greedy and wanted more.


    Keeping her by his side was not enough anymore. He wanted her to like him too. He wanted her to like


    no one else but him. He wanted her to invest her feelings in him.


    ¡°Will you?¡± His voice sounded as tempting as the voice of the devil. She was really tempted to say yes.


    Serenity looked at the person in front of her in a daze. Her mind had gone nk


    The word ¡°yes¡± almost came out of her mouth..


    All night long, Serenity woke up intermittently Jackson¡¯s words shed through her mind from time to


    time


    Jackson Valor¡­ would listen to her? She could hardly believe that he would say such words.


    She wondered what would happen if she actually said ¡°yes¡°.


    However, she merely stared at him dumbfounded and did not say anything.


    Fortunately, he was not actually anticipating an answer from her. He merely said, ¡°When you do,e


    to me and tell me.¡±


    When she woke up the next morning, Jackson was no longer in the mansion, to Serenity¡¯s relief. It was


    Saturday, so Serenity only had a half¨Cday shift¡­


    In the afternoon, Serenity packed up and went to meet with Lisa


    Lisa was already there waiting for her. She was sitting in the dessert shop and talking on the phone


    with a worried look on her face.


    When she saw Serenity, she gestured for Serenity to sit down and told the person on the phone, ¡°Okay,


    okay, 1 promise I¡¯ll do in. Mon, please stop urging me¡­ I¡¯ll tell you what, if Ie home tonight without


    aplishing my mission, you can punish. me any way you want!

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    Chapter 348


    When Lisa could finally hang up, Serenity asloed, ¡°What did your mother say to you? You look like


    you¡¯re having a hard time.¡±


    ¡°What else? She set me up on a blind date.¡± Lisa rolled her eyes. ¡°My mother said the man this time is


    highly sought¨Cafter. She said it took a lot of effort to snatch him from the hands of other mothers. She


    wanted me to meet him.¡±


    Lisa sighed helplessly


    Her mother seemed to think that if she could not get married in the next two years, she would not be


    able to get married ever.


    ¡°Just go and meet him then. Take it as an opportunity,¡± Serenity thought about it and said.


    ¡°Nah. I already have enough headaches. A blind date will only bring me more headaches.¡± Lisa felt like


    coughing blood at the thought of her mother setting her up on blind dates.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Serenity


    Lisa looked at her best friend and said, ¡°Would you be surprised if I say that I¡¯m dating Terry White?¡±


    Serenity almost choked on her own saliva. ¡°You¡¯re dating Terry White? Didn¡¯t you say that you were


    worried he would get revenge on you?


    ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± Lisa nodded.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Then why..¡±


    ¡°His n is probably to go out with me first, and after I fall in love with him, he¡¯ll cast me away and let


    me have a taste of falling from heaven to hell. Isn¡¯t that what they always do on TV?¡± said Lisa.


    But the question was, would Terry White actually use such a childish way to get revenge? Serenity had


    serious doubts, especially after she heard from Jackson that Terry White was a ruthless man.


    Otherwise, there was no way an illegitimate son like him could inherit the White family fortune.


    Even the original mistress of the White family, as well as her two sons, had to listen to him now.


    Do you really think so?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°What else can it be?¡± Lisa shrugged, ¡°But I¡¯ve thought about it. If he wants to retaliate like that, let him.


    171 date him for a few months and pretend to fall in love with him. Then, when he broke up with me, I¡¯ll


    pretend to be heartbroken. That should


    take him feel better. Surely he¡¯ll let me go after that, right?


    Serenity could only marvel at the way her friend¡¯s mind worked. Did she really think her acting could


    fool someone like Terry White?


    The man was probably born in deceit and molded by it. He would read her like a book


    ¡°Have you considered the possibility that he might still be in love with you? Serenity said after a bit of


    hesitation. She recalled the first time she saw Terry White, when he was staring at Lisa through the car


    window. She also thought about what happened when Jackson and her went to the White Residence to


    pick Lisa up.


    Although Terry White ¡°abducted¡± Lisa to the vi, Lisa actually remained unharmed. If Terry White really


    wanted to pay her back, Lisa would have been in deep trouble.

 Chapter 349

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    Chapter 349


    Lisa. She hadn¡¯t experienced too much of the darker side of the world, unlike Serenity. Serenity had


    seen too much of the mentioned dalovess in prison. Sometimes, she didn¡¯t even have the strength


    lacry


    ¡°P¡±


    The pedding in Lisa¡¯s mouth sprayed out before she could swallow it. She quickly grabbed a tissue to


    wipe it off, then said to Serenity, ¡°Seriously, if you want to joke, at least do it when I don¡¯t have anything


    in my mouth. That was too moch ¡±


    ¡°I was serious,¡® Serenity said.


    They stared at each other for awhile, then Lisa chuckled and said, ¡°If he really had feelings for me, it


    wouldn¡¯t work out. Think about how the White family is! If we got together, our life would be a constant


    battle within his family. With how I am, I¡¯d probably be crashed in minutes.¡±


    Ugh, so it¡¯s better not to think about these things! Once she paid off her debt to Terry, she would be


    free, right?


    ¡°Forget about that. By the way, you said you found a new job. How is it? Is it going well?¡± Lisa sald and


    changed the topic.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s a small restaurant. I eam about six hundred dors a month. Although it¡¯s not much,


    the boss is nice, and 1 get along with the other employees,¡± Serenity said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. But this job isn¡¯t a long¨Cterm n for you. Since you¡¯re great at studying, have you


    thought about getting some other kind of certification so that you can pursue a different careerter?¡±


    Lisa asked.


    Serenity forced a smile and said, ¡°I can¡¯t even be a ceceptionist now. Even if I were to get a


    certification, it wouldn¡¯t useful¡±


    Lisa fell silent. In the end, it was because of Serenity¡¯s criminal record. Clearing her name would be the


    best solution here!


    I keep a closer eye on that witness we talked aboutst time. The private investigator said they would


    be able to find some substantial evidence for me soon. When we have the evidence, we¡¯ll go to San


    Marco City together to figure things out ¡°Lisa


    ¡°y.¡± Serenity gratefully looked at her friend, who had been with her through thick and than since her


    trouble began. Lisa was the only one who believed in her innocence, even when everyone else thought


    she was gutty.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. You don¡¯t have to be so uptight!¡± Lisa joked, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you to


    make a fortune after clearing your name, and then you can support me for the rest of my life. I¡¯ll be in


    charge of eating and drinking, you know?¡±


    Serenity chuckled at the remark. ¡°Okay, when that timees, I¡¯ll support you and make sure you¡¯re


    well¨Cfed and taken care


    od.¡±


    Lisa propped up her cheek and looked at the smile on Serenity¡¯s face. She couldn¡¯t help but say,


    ¡°Serenity, you look sa beautiful when you smile. Your smile seems to have a stress¨Crelieving effect.


    You should smile more.¡°¡®


    Smile more?


    Serenity couldn¡¯t help but sigh imwardly. Somehow, in a time she hadn¡¯t realized, smiling had also


    be a luxury for her.


    They ate a little more and chatted before Lisa¡¯s phone started ringing. She answered the call easily and


    spoke for a while before ending the call.


    After the call ended, Lisa turned and gave Serenity a helpless look and said, ¡°That was my mom again.


    I have to go carry out my duties and go on a blind date. Let¡¯s meet up again when we have time,


    okay?!


    ¡°Okay,¡± Serenity replied and watched her friend leave, She couldn¡¯t help but erwy Lisa¡¯s worries. Even


    if she wanted a mother to urge her to go on blind dates, she didn¡¯t have that luxury.


    Lisa rushed to the location that her mother had sent her. When she arrived at the supermarket, she


    saw a man who resembled the photo her mother showed her standing at the entrance, sevmingly


    waiting for someone.


    After thinking for a moment, she pulled out her phone and dialed his number. She saw him reach into


    his pocket to pull out his phone, which was ringing.

 Chapter 350

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    Chapter 350


    Alright!


    L?sa confirmed the man was the right person she was meeting today.


    Lisa stepped forward and said, ¡°You must be Mr. Godfrey Longwell Hello, I¡¯m Lisa.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± the man replied, studying Lisa


    ¡°Um. I wanted to tell you something. L..¡±


    Lisa wanted to apologize to him. After all, she had only agreed to this blind date to appease her mother.


    She would be fine to treat the man to a meal and consider making a new frend, but nothing further than


    that.


    Godfrey interrupted her before she could finish, Let¡¯s just take a stroll here for now. I see there¡¯s a


    small park riest to the supermarket. Let¡¯s take a walk there.¡±


    Huh? Go to the park?¡±


    Lisa nced at the darkening sky. It was already past five in the afternoon, nearly dinner time.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry


    She was simply reminding him out of goodwill. After all, this was a crowded area, and many restaurants


    around here would likely have long queues during dinnertime. If they waited until they finished strolling


    in the park before eating, they would coincide with the peak dining period and probably have to wait for


    awhile.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet. Let¡¯s have a chat,¡± Godfrey replied.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡®Fine, chat it is.¡±


    So Lisa followed him to the small park and experienced what she thought was an absolute


    bombardment, like a sudden storm


    of questions.


    Godfrey¡¯s questions were all¨Cepassing. It started with her age, familly, upation, then


    educational background. He asked about which university, high school, middle school, and even


    elementary school she graduated from.. and so on.


    In the end, he even wanted to know her grades in primary school!


    Lisa couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Were blind dates so tedious nowadays? Did it require so many questions?


    ¡°Ms. Quest, have you been in a rtionship before?¡± Godfrey asked.


    ¡°Um, sorry, Mr. Langwell, 1¡­


    Lisa was about to exin, but Godfrey continued, ¡°Ms. Quest, I don¡¯t like it when a girlfriend has had


    too many previous boyfriends, and I don¡¯t want a girlfriend with extensive experience. I hope you can


    be honest with me so we can avoid any misunderstandings in the future.¡±


    Lisa was dumbfounded


    This man¡­ was being too direct, wasn¡¯t


    This was only their first meeting. Even if she wasn¡¯t familiar with blind dates, she knew these weren¡¯t


    the kind of questions you should ask immediately.


    ¡°Well, I think there might already be a misunderstanding between us¡­¡±


    Lisa felt that even if she were genuinely looking for a potential partner throughs This blind date, she


    definitely wouldn¡¯t have any feelings for Godfrey, not with the way the man was acting. It didn¡¯t seem


    toe they werepatible.


    Just then, a voice rang out, interrupting Lisa¡¯s words, ¡°Well, well¡­ I¡¯m curious totow the


    misunderstanding between you and this gentleman.¡±


    L¨¢sa felt her skin crawl instantly.


    This voice.. it was Terry!


    She turned around abruptly, and sure enough, a familiar figure entered her sight. He had such a


    gorgeous face that she, who used to say she was a sucker for pretty faces, couldn¡¯t help but sneak a


    few more nces whenever she saw him


    ¡°W¨Cwhat are you doing here?¡± Lisa asked in shock


    ¡°What, did you choose this ce for your little pet¨Ctogether because you thought I wouldn¡¯t be here?¡±


    Terry shot back in


    response.


    It suddenly felt the beginning of a storm, and Lisa¡¯s head already started to ache despite nothing


    happening yet.


    She rarely went on blind dates, and yet, the one time she did, Terry had seen her


    Was the universe conspiring against her?!

 Chapter 351

    Chapter 351


    Chapter 351


    ¡°Ms. Quest, who is he?¡± Godfrey Longwell asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Tell him.¡± Terry looked at Lisa, ¡°Who am


    The two men kept their gaze pinned on Lisa, their gazes almost piercing through her!


    One was the blind date her mother had forcibly arranged, and the other was her new revengeful


    boyfriend, both of whom she should not offend!


    After careful consideration, the blind date her mother introduced was the lesser of the two. Lisa decided


    to keep Terry happy, so she turned to Godfrey with a sheepish smile.


    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot the introduction. Mr. Longwell, meet my boyfriend, uh, Mr. White¡±


    Godfrey¡¯s face turned ugly at that, ¡°Boyfriend? You have a boyfriend?!¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Lisa responded, feeling guilty. No matter how strange and awkward Godfrey had been, it


    was her fault in this case.


    Godfrey trembled in a fury, his face beet red as he cursed at her. ¡°I kindly came to have a blind date


    with you, but you¡¯re actually taken! That¡¯s too much! You must give me an exnation! Are you ying


    games with me?!¡±


    Godfrey cursed and stepped forward, wanting to grab Lisa¡¯s cor. Lisa could barely avoid Godfrey, but


    fortunately, a hand had already intercepted and stopped him.


    ¡°Who said you could touch her?¡± Terry warned him icily.


    ¡°What? Do you want to fight?¡± Furious, Godfrey chided, ¡°You¡¯d better be careful with a woman like this.


    She secretly came to a blind date without your knowledge today. Who knows what will happen


    tomorrow? She¡¯ll be secretly sleeping with someone the next day. She¡¯s just obedient by appearance,


    but she probably has lots of shady deals in the dark.¡±


    Godfrey¡¯s remarks were getting harsher and demeaning. Fueled with anger, Lisa rolled her sleeves and


    wanted to beat him. The next second, a loud p rang out, but it was not her doing.


    Lisa stared nkly at Terry, who was shaking his hands. He had struck the man before she could.


    ¡°Did you just hit me? How dare you?!¡± Godfrey glowered at Terry in a fury.


    ¡°Trust me. If you dare to say another word about her again, I swear all your teeth will be gone,¡± Terry


    spoke, his voice cold.


    Godfrey trembled for a second, a shiver of fear suddenly sped up his spine. He tried to defend himself


    and began to say something, but his words got caught in his throat. He could not even make a sound.


    Terry then dragged Lisa away with a sullen face.


    Lisa was still a little overwhelmed. She followed Terry along in a daze, but Terry¡¯s pace quickly picked


    up. Eventually, she had to trot to keep up with him.


    ¡°Hey, slow down,¡± Lisa called out. If Terry was not holding her hand, she would have stopped in her


    tracks.


    Terry suddenly stopped walking without any warning, and Lisa bumped unceremoniously into his back.


    ¡®That hurt!¡¯ Lisa held her nose in pain. It felt as if she had just run into an iron te.


    ¡°If you want to stop, at least give me a heads-up,¡± she muttered aint.


    ¡°Warn you? Terry sneered suddenly. He turned around and red at Lisa, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give me a


    heads-up first? You already have a boyfriend. Why are you still going on a blind date?! Are you used to


    cheating?!¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

 Chapter 352

    Chapter 352


    Chapter 352


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Lisa almost choked at his words. Cheating?! What the heck She was not dating any one of them, okay?


    Lisa thought about it and decided to exin it to Terry curtly, ¡°Hey.. My morn was the one who forced


    me into this. She Insisted on the blind date. If I didn¡¯t show up, she said she¡¯d cut off rtions with me.


    I wanted to tell him about you, but he interrupted me.¡±


    Lisa was technically not lying about this.


    ¡°Your mother forced you on the blind date?¡± He raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°Y¨Cyeah!¡± Lasa smiled sheepishly. Her mother¡¯s strength in forcing her to blind date was beyond the


    charts. She could not fight back at all.


    ¡°So, you haven¡¯t told your family about me?¡± Terry questioned with a dangerous glint in his eyes.


    Lisa felt weak. Tell her parents? How could she tell them?! Besides, Terry¡¯s identity alone would scare


    her parents especially when. She was just going through the motions. Besides, her rtionship with


    Terry seemed kind of fruitless.


    ¡°Well, our rtionship was too sudden. Breaking the news so suddenly would shock my parents, so I¡¯m


    nning to find the right time to tell them,¡± Lisa tried her best to exin why, but the truth was that she


    had no intention of telling them.


    ¡°You¡¯d really talk to them? Terry¡¯s dark eyes narrowed.


    I promise ¡°Isa quickly put on an earnest look, almost raising her hand and swearing to God.


    ¡°Great¡± Terry nodded. ¡°If you get pulled into another blind date, you¡¯re dead.¡±


    Lisa was left speechless. Was that a threat? However, as she thought of her situation, she could only


    let out a dryugh. ¡°There


    won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    Despite saying that, Lisa could not resistining in her mind. She was just an acting girlfriend for


    Terry, but she seemed


    a little too weak.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t a gentleman treat his girlfriend with love and care? Why do I get threats instead?!!


    Terry was probably nning to take revenge on her. Even so, should he not make her fall in love with


    him first? In the movies and TV shows she had seen, men would act like incredibile gentlemen and


    treat the women as their most precious person to lure them in before taking their revenge.


    Lisa had never felt any of that from Terry. Instead, she felt threatened, almost as if he would kill her at


    any time.


    Terry seemed satisfied with her answer, so be spun around and continued walking Lisa hurriedly


    followed behind.


    Lisa¡¯s stomach made an untimely growl as they walked out of the park.


    ¡°Feeling hungry?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°Kinda,¡± Lisa replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. Looking at his expression, he seemed pretty calin.


    Lisa then suggested,¡± Well.. Why don 1 we eat here? There are a lot of good restaurants around here. ¡®


    Terry gave her a sidelong nce, Lisa¡¯s eyes were sparkling. Her eyes always sparlded whenever she


    talked about food, just like before. Lisa loved asking Terry about the local specialties and had made him


    take her around to try them all during their short time together abroad.


    ¡°Let¡¯s po,¡± Terry sald. Sure enough, her fare lit up with joy.

 Chapter 353

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    Chapter 353


    Lisa looked like a hungry little pig


    As Terry was unfamiliar with the restaurants in the area, Lisa dly took him to one of her favorite


    restaurants.


    ¡°They have some special dishes here. You won¡¯t find them in any other ce.¡± Once they got a seat in


    the restaurant, Lisa took the menu and ordered with great enthusiasm.


    While ordering, she passionately introduced the best dishes served in the restaurant. Halfway through,


    she found Terry looking at her with a deep gaze.


    ¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯ve spoken too much,¡± Lisa said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Carry on. I¡¯m listening,¡± Terry said tly.


    Lisa rubbed her nose, suddenly feeling lost for words. Not knowing what to say, Lisa spontaneously


    blurted out, ¡°So, what brings you here today?¡± She wished she had bitten her tongue the moment she


    said that


    It had been so hard for them to get past the topic of her blind date earlier. Why had she led the


    conversation back to the topic?! Sure enough, Terry Inoked up at her and said, ¡°If I hadn¡¯te, would


    you have gone on a dinner date with that man today?¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± Lisa choked and turned red. ¡°No way.¡±


    Lisa¡¯s answer felt a little weak. After all, her original n had been to treat her blind date to a meal as


    an apology. She had most definitely dodged a bullet by not inviting Godfrey to dinner. Lisa regretted not


    beating Godfrey up when she remembered some of the rude remarks he had made at the end of their


    meeting.


    ¡°When yo


    your parents introduced you to a blind date, did they have any requirements for the man?¡± Terry asked


    casually.


    ¡°Just the usual requirements¨Csomeone with a house, a stable job, and someone tall,¡± Lisa said. In


    truth, she did not really care about owning property before marriage. For her, she could make do with


    renting a ce. Besides, a couple could simply raise money to co¨Cown a house after marriage.


    By her mother¡¯s logic, Lisa could find a good man with housing at her current age, but she would


    struggle if she waited any longer.


    Lisa felt speechless about her mother¡¯s thinking. She had never treated her age as a problem. She


    believed she could still reap the love she wanted even if she had ate marriage.


    As soon as she had said that, her mother had directly countered her argument, ¡°Yeah, but only if you


    have money, good looks, and education. What do you have?


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Sure enough, that was her mother¡¯s approach to tough love. ¡°Well, at least I have a university degree.


    It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have


    Lisa could not help but justify her education.


    ¡°Everyone has a degree nowadays. If a billiard falls on the street, it¡¯ll easily crash into multiple people


    with a degree. What¡¯s the use of your degree? Back then, you could have gone abroad to further your


    studies, but no. You wouldn¡¯t be a mere associate designer if not for Serenity.¡±


    Whenever they talked about her education, her mother would always talk about Serenity. However,


    Lisa had no regrets. Serenity was alone, devastated, and helpless because of the case. If Lisa had not


    returned quickly, no one would have been there for Serenity.


    Unfortunately, Lisa could not help Serenity win thewsuit. Ultimately, Serenity had spent three years in


    jail.


    Lisa felt heavy¨Chearted as she thought about this again.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± An elegant male voice rang in her ears. Lisa snapped back to her senses,


    realizing she had been a little distracted by Serenity¡¯s case yet again.

 Chapter 354

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    Chapter 354


    I¡¯m just thinking¡­¡± Usa suddenly jolted, her gaze locked on Terry while her train of thoughts ran


    through her head. Terry was the current head of the White family. He naturally had connections and


    contacts in his hands. If Terry would help her look into Serenity¡¯s case, she might have an easier time


    getting some useful leadspared to looking alone.


    Lisa¡¯s eyes sparkled at that thought. Her gaze on Terry became even more intense, and she looked at


    him like he was some great treasure in the world.


    ¡°Hey.. I know I did something wrong to you back then. I admit all my mistakes. I promise to do what you


    say, but umm.. While we¡¯re dating, can you do me a small favor?¡± Lisa looked at Terry with hopeful


    eyes.


    ¡°A favor?¡± Terry seemed a little intrigued. ¡°What kind of small favor do you need?¡±


    Looking at Lisa¡¯s expectant look, he could tell that this favor might not be as small as she made it


    seem.


    ¡°Umm, remember my friend Serenity? The Lady who came to me with Jackson. She was convicted in a


    case before and spent three years in prison, but she was wrongly used. We haven¡¯t found any


    evidence to overtum the conviction, but I finally got some clues recently. Can you help follow the trail


    and see if you can find any evidence that¡¯ll overturn the case?¡± Lisa asked


    Terry clearly did not expect that Lisa¡¯s request would be a favor for Serenity.


    ¡°She¡¯s in a good rtionship with Jackson. Why doesn¡¯t she ask for Jackson¡¯s help? Why are you


    going through all the hassle instead?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Serenity doesn¡¯t Imow I asked for your help. She didn¡¯t get together with Jackson because¡­¡±


    Lisa paused mid¨Csentence. After all, this was her friend¡¯s private matter. It was hard to exin


    Serenity¡¯splicated rtionship with Jackson.


    Lisa continued ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ask Jackson for help. After all, she allegedly hit and killed


    Jackson¡¯s fiancee, Mira Hall, and got convicted for drunk driving ¡±


    Terry narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly chuckled.


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Lisa frowned.


    ¡°Just thought it was kind of an interesting rtionship,¡± Terry said, smiling. ¡°But the judge has ruled that


    your friend caused death while drunk driving. What makes you think she¡¯s innocent?¡±


    ¡°I trust Serenity. She said she didn¡¯t drink that day. Also, Mira¡¯s car was the one that came rushing


    toward her. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not lying, Lisa said confidently.


    Terry¡¯s smile faded slightly, and his eyes darkened. Do you trust her that much?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my best friend! If I don¡¯t trust her, who would I trust?¡± Lisa said naturally.


    ¡°What about me? Do you trust me? Terry suddenly changed his tone and asked.


    Lisa choked. What did Terry mean by that? Was he not nning to take revenge on her? How could


    she trust him without reservation?!


    If Lisa trusted Terry wholeheartedly, he would probably torture her to death.


    However, Lisa naturally could not say that straight into Terry¡¯s face. She hastily said, ¡°Yes! Of course, I


    do!¡±


    Terry looked at hier steadily, his gaze trying to see through her genuine thoughts.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After a shon silence, his eyshes Hutteral softly, concealing the sh of disappointment in his eyes.


    ¡°Okay. Give me the clues you have now. Ell have someone investigate it.


    ¡°Really?! Thank you so mural Lisa was overjoyed and reached across the table, grabbing Terry¡¯s hands


    in excitement. ¡± knew you were a good man. Keep your promise!¡±

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    Chapter 355


    Terry was a little stunned at her actions, his gaze fixed on her hands on his. Lisa was grabbing his


    hands so tightly, expressing her unconcealed joy..


    Terry nced up to see her beaming. He suddenly felt a little jealous. Lisa was not smiling because of


    him. It was for Serenity. Lisa clearly prioritized Serenity much more than him!


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Lucas leaned back in his seat inside the car, his hand gently rubbing his temples slightly.


    Lucas¡¯s secretary, ke Hamer, was in the car with Lucas. He received a phone call and said to Lacas,


    ¡°Mr. Gomez, Ms. Lewis is at the jewelry store. She has her eyes on a set of jewelry worth 3 million


    dors. Would you like Ms. Lewis to have it?¡±


    The highly valued jewelry at 3 million dors was a tremendous amount, so the jewelry store owner had


    called to inquire.


    Lucas said indifferently, ¡°Since she has chosen, let her have it.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± ke responded and aptly passed the message to the jewelry store owner.


    ke found Aria too materialistic and superficial. She had only been dating Lucas for not long and was


    already eager to join the high society. Recently, she often shopped at high¨Cend jewelry and luxury


    stores, almost as if she was trying to look like ady from high society.


    Aria would take whatever she fancied and put it on Lucas¡¯s tab. ke found A too impatient.


    Although Aria could have everything she wanted at the moment, she would eventually fall in the future


    and be very miserable.


    ke felt something odd. If Mr. Gomez¡¯s previous girlfriends had been this impatient and ostentatious,


    Mr. Gomez would give them the cold treatment for a while. However, Mr. Gomez did not do so this time.


    Is it because of the fresh rtionship? ke guessed. Despite that, Bake did not think that Aria had


    charmed Mr. Gomez. If he truly loved her, he would not let her shop for jewelry alone or speak of her in


    such a t tone.


    ¡°By the way, Ms. Lewis has been spending rathervishly. She has racked up bills of about 4.5 million


    dors.¡± As Lucas¡¯s secretary, ke felt that it was necessary to remind Lucas of this.


    ¡°Seriously? Lucas¡¯s gaze slowly flicked up. He turned to his secretary sitting beside him with a half¨C


    smile. ¡°Say. Why do you think some people are always so impatient?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Lewis is probably trying to grab whatever she can,¡± ke responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s so boring. She may gain nothing in the end,¡± Lucas murmured as his gaze flicked toward the


    car window.


    4.5 million dors was packet change to Lucas. He had always been willing to spend money on his


    girlfriends and treated it aspensation for them


    The women who dated Lucas came to him for reasons¨Cmoney, wealth, resources, and fame.. but they


    did better than Aria


    and would not treat him like an ATM.


    Anyway, it did not matter. Lucas only kept A because he wanted to hear more about Serenity¡¯s past


    from her.

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    Chapter 356


    Locas initially treated Aria as a substitute for the Itle girl in his childhned because her lips resembled


    those of the girl he remembered Later, his purpose had gradually changed. Listening to Aria tell him


    something about Serenity would calm him down whenever he was in a bad mood even though Serenity


    was not the little girl who had saved him back then


    Maybe it was because of Serenity¡¯s features. Serenity somehow resembled the little girl in his memory,


    which made Lucas treat Serenity especially. Whenever he saw her, he could not resist wanting to get


    closer to her.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Even so, Serenity was the person Jackson wanted. No need for him to sever his rtionship with


    Jackson for a woman. After all. Serenity was not the one he truly wanted to find.


    Lucas instinctively looked toward the street as the car drove across a familiar road. He was


    subconsciously looking at the umformed sanitation workers by the road.


    Lucas knew Serenity was in charge of clearing this particr road. The car suen drove out of the road,


    but he did not spot Serenity anywhere. A hint of disappointment shed in his dark eyes,


    ¡®Is she or leave? Or did she skip work because she has something to do?


    Lucas did not realize that not seeing Serenity would give rise to so many guesses in his thoughts.


    When had he ever thought so much about a woman apart from the little girl in his memory?


    The car snon stopped at a red light. Just as Lurns was about to look away, a figure on an electric bike


    stopped at the stop line, drawing his full attention.


    The slim figure was riding an electric bike for men. There was a ratherrge delivery box at the trunk of


    the electric car with The words ¡°Hot Restaurant printed on it.


    Lucas was stunned for a moment. Before he could react, the red light turned green, and the figure


    riding the electric bike moved, turning to the right.


    ¡°Follow that delivery bike!¡± Lucas immediately instructed the driver.


    ¡°Mr.Gamrz we¡¯re on a straight path. We can¡¯t turn now,¡± the driver hastily said. Besides, there were


    cars in front of them. Even if the driver wanted to turn and follow the electric bike, there was no way for


    him to push the car in front of him out.


    Lucas let out a chuckle helplessly. What was wrong with him? He had been so impulsive, even going


    as far as to order his driver to follow Serenity. She was just another woman. Was that even necessary?


    Serenity resembled the little girl in his memory very much, but he should not care too much about her.


    ¡®After all, she is who Jackson wants, isn¡¯t she?


    Lucas withdrew his gaze at this thought and leaned back in his seat. He slowly cleard his eyes and


    ordered, ¡°Go back to the


    Lucas once again subconsciously put his hand close to his chest. He had the silver bracelet on the


    timam chain he wore. He held the bracelet close to his heart as if feeling its warmth.


    Would letting go this time mean giving up for life? When would he ever find the little girl who had saved


    him back then?


    How he wished he had not let go of her at that time. How wonderful it would have been!


    Since then, fnding her had turned into his felony absession!

 Chapter 357

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    Aria wore the ne that was worth 3 million dors with a face full of joy. She felt that her worth was


    equivalent to this 3- million¨Cdor ne and that she was no longer someone ordinary


    Aria had joined a new production cow and was ying the leading role. Although the director of this


    production was not as renowned as the previous one, overall, it was bad. As the leading actress,


    she was quite satisfied with the resources Lucas provided


    Aria was sure that as long as she was good to Luras, good opportunities would be abundant. However,


    something was frustrating her. Whenever Lucas asked her nut, he would ask her to tell him about


    Serenity. She had almost told him everything she knew.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Aria felt uneasy sometimes. It was as if Lucas still let her hang on as his girlfriend to hear her talk about


    Serenity. However, knowing that Serenity had hooked up with Jarlsen, it was unlikely for Lucas to get


    involved with Serenity.


    Aria had asked around and heard about 1.cas¡¯s strictest requirement in a rtionship¨Cpurity. All his ex¨C


    girlfriends had never dated anyone before him. They seemed pure, at least on the surface.


    A rumor in high society said that Mr. Gomez would never have an impure woman who had dated


    before.


    Aria was secretly d about that. Although she had flirted with other men before, she had never been


    in a serious rtionship at had a boyfriend On the contrary, Serenity had dated Zeke Shaw before


    Jackson. Having that history, no one would think of her as pure and innocent.


    She was sure that Lucas would not even consider such at


    Lucas probably wanted to know about Serenity¡¯s past out of curiosity. After all, it was hard for many


    people to imagine a man like Jackson falling for Serenity. Besides, Lucas seemed to share a good


    rtionship with Jackson


    Aria mentally found an exnation for Lucas¡¯s behavior.


    In her opinion, Jackann was not serious about Serenity, knowing that Serenity had identally killed


    histe fiancee, Mira Hall, in a car ident three years ago. Jackson was probably doing this for


    revenge. He would spoil Serenity first and then let her fall hardter.


    Aria could not wait to see the day when jackson left Serenity.


    A wore her new jewelry and designerbels into a high¨Cend club.


    Lucas was in the club¡¯s private room, having a drink with someone. Meanwhile, some women gathered


    around, almost as if they were trying to attract his attention.


    Seeing this, Aria quickly strode to Lucas and said softly, ¡°Lucas, sorry I¡¯mte. I must have loept you


    waiting ¡±


    The man who was drinking with Lucas smiled at Ana. ¡°Oh, Mr. Gomez¡¯s girlfriend is here. I¡¯m finally


    done here. Mr. Gomez was so lonely without you here and came to me for a drink.¡±


    Aria was surreptitiously happy that Lucas cared about her. ¡°Lucas, is this reddare nice? Thank you for


    giving for thi


    spoke, she deliberately raised her chin to unt the ne on her neck.


    As she


    She wanted the ne to be striking enough for the winen around to see and understand her status


    as Lucas¡¯s girlfriend as well as her ce in his heart. The ne she was wearing was not simply a


    ne one could give away casually¨Cit was the kind of ne usually worth many thousands of


    dors.

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    Chapter 358


    Sure enough, when the women who had been vying for Lucas¡¯s attention saw Aria¡¯s ne and


    listened to her words, strong jealousy and envy rose in their eyes. Finally, they walked away in defeat.


    Aria had a victorious smile, knowing she had achieved her goal. Seeing that the people around had left,


    Aria murmured to Lucas, ¡°Lucas Chope you won¡¯t be angry with me for wanting such an expensive


    ne at the jewelry store.¡±


    Aria behaved coyly, her teeth biting her lower lip in a pitiful but lovable look. As an actress, she knew


    what kind of expression she needed to appear softer and likable. ¡°I just wanted to make myself more


    worthy of you. I don¡¯t want to embarrass you when I¡¯m standing next to you,¡± she exined


    Lucas looked at the woman in front of hirn with pensive eyes. Worthy of him? Did Aria think she was


    worthy of him? Just by dressing up with jewelry and designerbels? In that case, countless women


    would be worthy of him.


    Lucas was certain this time. Other than her lips, Aria was nothing like the little girl in his memory


    ¡°You bought these things already. There¡¯s nothing to be angry about,¡± Lacas said indifferently. ¡°As for


    whether you 11 embarrass me. You should put in some serious work on that.


    ¡°Huh?¡® A was stunned by his words. What did be mean by that? Was she embarrassing for him? Aria


    had been relieved about her earlier victory, but Lucas¡¯s words made Aria anxious again


    ¡°By the way, do you know what your sister is doing now?¡± Luras suddenly changed his tone, asking a


    question out of the blue.


    Lucas¡¯s sudden question caught Aria by surprise. A did not respond for a second until she saw the


    impatience in his eyes. She quickly snapped to her senses and stammered, ¡®S¨Cshe. Isn¡¯t she working


    as a sanitation worker?¡±


    Lucas sneered. ¡®It seems that you don¡¯t really care about your sister.¡±


    Aria trembled at the displeasure in his tone. Umen. My sister is rarely at home. B¨Cbesides, she¡¯s with


    Jackson now. I guess she can¡¯t be having a bad life.¡±


    Knowing that Lucas had always been reluctant to be with other men¡¯s women, Aria deliberately


    mentioned Jackson¡¯s name,


    Sure enough, Lucas flicked his gaze down. He seemed lust in thought and did not continue on the


    topic.


    Aria followed Lacas to the car when leaving the club. Lucas had drunk a little too much, but she did not


    mind in fact, she world rather have him drink more. After all, she would have a chance with Lacas


    drunk


    Aria had made a n in her mind. When the driver drove to Lucas¡¯s residence, Aria hastily said, ¡°Let


    me help him in. I¡¯ll take care of him!!!


    The driver nced at Aria for a moment but did not stop Aria from helping lucas into the residence. As


    Mr. Gomez scurrent girlfriend, Aria could have anything she wanted. Everyone secretly talked about


    how Mr. Gomez was spoiling her. A driver like him could not afford to offend ler


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Lucas was a little drunk, but he was not seriously wasted yet. Therefore, Aria teck Lucas back to his


    room without much trouble.


    ¡°Lucas, let me change your clothes for you or you¡¯ll fall asleep ufortably,¡± Arta pretentiously


    offered her help and began to undress Lucas on the bed.


    Lucas had one hand over his eyes, almost as if he was drunk and asleep.


    A¡¯s heart rate kicked up as she unbuttoned his clothes. She had always wanted to take their


    rtionship to the next level, but be had never seemed to be lnterested. They had not even shared a


    kiss before, which male her increasingly uneasy about their rtionship.


    Was luck finally on her side? If she was lucky camugh to get pregnant, could she marry into the Comex


    faully?

 Chapter 359

    Chapter 359


    Chapter 359


    Aria became more excited at the thought of that. As she undressed him, her fupers touched a hard


    object. Leaning in for closer look, she saw the silver bracelet Lucas often carried with him.


    Lucas held the silver bracelet close to his chest. Aria stared at the silver bracelet in a dare, lost in


    thought.


    This bracelet. It¡¯s just an ordinary and in bracelet What¡¯s so important about it? Why does he wear it


    like this? He¡¯s treating it like a precious treasure ¡±


    a


    Aria packed up the bracelet and held it closer to get a better look. The very next moment, a strong


    hand grabbed her hand. She Estinctively Irt go of the bracelet as a sharp pain hit her waist.


    Aria gasped in pain. Then, she met a pair of cold eyes.


    Lucas was obviously a little drunk, but in this instance, his sharp eyes seemed to show no sign of


    drunkenness. His eyes were frighteningly clear.


    ¡°You can¡¯t teach this!¡± His voice was bone¨Cchilling


    ¡°T¨CI won¡¯t teach it again! I was just trying to help you to change your clothes and sleepfortably. I¨CI


    didn¡¯t mean it! Lucas L¨Clet me go..¡± Aria was in pain, reld sweat pouring from her forehead. She felt as


    if her wrist was about to be broken.


    Lucas shook eff Aria¡¯s hand. Then, he closed his eyes again andy on the bed. ¡°Leave,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°But I want to stay and take care of you tonight. You¡¯re drunk. The maids are asleep, sal..¡±


    Before she could finash speaking, he interrupted coldly, ¡°Leave. Don¡¯t make me say it a third time¡±


    Aria ground her teeth resentfully. Her rare opportunity was wasted just like that. Even so, she could not


    comin or say anything more. She could only leave Lucas¡¯s room in defeat


    Lucas was soon left alone in his room. He raised his hand and rubbed his temples with his fingers. He


    knew he was a little


    drunk.


    Lucas had drunk a little too much earlier, seemingly upset by an indescribable emotion looming in his


    heart. Was it after seeing Sereally during the day?


    For some reason, he kept recalling the scene when she had ridden away on that electric bike


    That woman was the person Jackson wanted, so he did not bother to fight for her. After all, Serenity


    was not who he truly wanted. Even if he kept her around, she would, at best, be the most alike


    substitate to the little girl in his memory.


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    ¡®But¡­.¡® Lucas wondered if he would regret it in the future. Regret not fighting for her and leaving her by


    Jackson¡¯s side.


    When this question crossed his mind, a throbbing pain hit his heart, as if foreshadowing something.


    Lucas could not resistughing. It seemed. He thought he probably had too many drinks. Maybe he


    was indeed very drunk!

 Chapter 360

    Chapter 360


    Meanwhile, Aria was staring at the painting in front of her, her eyes full of disbelief.


    Aria had wanted to go in and have a look when she passed by the studio thest time, but Lucas had


    stopped her from going in. Having the chance this time, she could not resist the temptation anymore.


    Aria curiously pushed the door to the studio open and went in only to see thest thing she would have


    expected to see here- a painting with Serenity¡¯s face. Not the adult Serenity, but the young Serenity.


    The painting showed a little girl carrying a little boy on her back. The little girl was the young, Serenity.


    Serenity had looked just like that when she was a child


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Aria remembered the floral dress on the little girl. She had seen a simr dress in Serenity¡¯s photo


    album before.


    What the heck was going on? Why was the young Serenity on the painting in Lucas¡¯s studio? What


    was Lucas¡¯s rtionship with Serenity?


    Aria had so many doubts in her mind. An overwhelming panic consumed her all at once, the fear


    greater than her previous anxiety. It was as if Serenity was going to take away everything she finally


    had.


    ¡°No! Never! I must not let this happen!¡® Aria thought. Lucas¡¯s rtionship with Serenity did not matter!


    No matter their rtionship, she was still Lucas¡¯s girlfriend! She would be the one to marry into the


    Gomez family and be the woman of the house!


    Serenity returned to the Valor Residence. When she arrived at Jackson¡¯s bedroom, she hesitated a


    little before knocking on the door.


    The door opened a few momentster, and Jackson emerged, still in his bathrobe and with slightly wet


    hair. He had obviously just showered


    At Jackson¡¯s request, Serenity woulde to his room every night to say good night if he was home


    ¡°Hey¡­ Good night.¡± After saying that, Serenity spun around, wanting to leave. The next second, he


    grabbed her by the arm. and pulled her into the room.


    ¡°Sis. Are you just going to say good night to me?¡± Jackson asked


    Serenity looked at Jackson, her lips tightly pursed. The innocent look in her eyes clearly showed her


    intentions¡ªshe had obliged his request ande by just to say good night.


    Jackson sighed heavily. He bent forward and hugged Serenity suddenly. He buried his face in the crook


    of her neck, breathing in the scent of her body. The sweet scent of hers seemed able to stir all his


    senses.


    ¡°I really missed you, Sis. I¡¯ve been thinking about you all day,¡± Jackson whispered in a low murmur. His


    elegant voice sounded almost like the most beautiful chant Serenity had ever heard, and it made


    something pinch in her chest.


    ¡°Sis, did you miss me?¡± Jackson breathed against her neck.


    Serenity bit her lip, not knowing how to answer ham.


    A stinging silence fell over the room.

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    Chapter 361


    A long passeter, Serenity heard a soft sigh It in the room. Jackson straightened up and looked at her


    with a helpless look in his beautiful eyes.


    ¡°Only you.¡±


    She was the only one who could make him like this, Jackson longed for her to miss him, and only she


    would refuse to answer him. Even so, he could not do anything about it.


    Jackson seemed less and less like his old sell whenever he was with her.


    ¡°Hey, help me dry my hair.¡± Jackson handed her the towel he had used earlier.


    Serenity was stunned for a moment and stared nkly at him. Jackson leaned forward, his head close


    to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you use to dry my hair when we were staying in the rented ce?¡± Jackson


    asked with an arched. eyebrow.


    ¡®But that was different!¡¯ Serenity thought, her lips pursed. Nevertheless, she finally put the towel over


    his head and began to dry his wet hair.


    Serenity rxed a little as the towel covered his face. Jackson behaved like an obedient puppy as she


    dried his hair. This moment gave her a strange feeling, almost as if she was his master, and he was


    bowing to her.


    Serenity immediatelyughed at the thought in her mind. God, what was she thinking?! In reality, their


    roles were reversed- she was as weak as an ant to him, and he could crush her at will, rendering her


    unable to fight back at all.


    Was it because of his docility at the moment? Was it his meekness that gave rise to her illusion?


    Serenity was done after a while and took off the towel. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s freshly dried hair was messy at the moment. His bangs covered his forehead and most of his


    eyes, which reminded Serenity of the old Jack


    Jackson¡¯s gaze pinned onto her, and the pair of dark eyes behind his bangs seemed to draw her


    attention in and captivate her soul. She could not resist wanting to see more of it.


    Serenity reached out her hand and gently moved his bangs away from his eyes to see his eyes clearly.


    His usually cold eyes wereced with surprising rity, beautiful and impressive..


    His gaze on her reflected a glimpse of rare tenderness, almost as if he cherished her the most.


    Serenity jolted at her thoughts and snapped back to her senses. Just as she was about to withdraw her


    hand, Jackson grabbed it and gently pressed it against his cheek.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t like seeing my face anymore? Didn¡¯t you praise my good looks before, saying you


    wouldn¡¯t ever get bored seeing my face daily?¡± Jackson rasped in a low murmur, his cheek rubbing


    against her hand gently as if showing his infinite


    love for her.


    Serenity flushed red and regretted what she had said previously. She turned away, not daring to look at


    his face again. Just staring at his face seemed to make her even more flustered.


    Suddenly, Serenity¡¯s gaze fell on a bowl on the table. The bowl was already empty, but she could see


    some dark brown residue


    in the bowl


    ¡°You had some herbal medicine?¡± Serenity asked almost by reflex and turned to Jackson in surprise.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jackson¡¯s answer was a soft murmur.


    ¡°Are you not well?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s herbal medicine for the stomach. Didn¡¯t you tell me to take care of my health? I did what you told


    me to do,¡± Jackson exined.


    A smile tugged up theers of his mouth. Somehow, he looked like he was waiting for her praise


    Serenity felt overwhelmed. Should she go pat him on the head and praise him?


    ¡°T¨Cthat¡¯s great,¡± she finally managed to choke a reply after a long silence.

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    ¡°I¡¯ll always listen to you. So, will you like me?¡± Jackson said. Despite that, Serenity felt a slight


    hesitation in her heart.


    ¡®If only¡­ If he was not Jackson Valor, maybe. Serenity thought she would have liked him better if he


    was just Jack


    However, he was the man himself¡ªJackson Valor had been a nightmare to Serenity during herst


    three years in prison, the man she feared from the bottom of her heart!


    ¡ª


    Serenity could not figure out her rtionship with Jackson anymore. She was supposed to fear him, be


    afraid of him, but sometimes, she could not resist caring about him.


    Serenity felt torn and confused when he said such heart¨Cstopping words and looked at her so


    earnestly. Was he treating her like a game? Or was he actually serious? What about her? Was she


    attracted to him too?


    Serenity could only take one step at a time while doing things. She felt as though she was trapped in a


    swamp. She wanted to leave but found herself sinking deeper into the abyss.


    Serenity finished another round of deliveries and returned to the restaurant. However, she was stunned


    to see an unexpected guest waiting in the restaurant. A man was sitting in the restaurant, someone


    whom she would never expect to see here-


    Lucas Gomez.


    Lucas wore a full¨Cbusiness suit, his handsome face showing an elegantly aloof look. A man like him


    could be hanging around in a luxurious banquet, a small and chic restaurant, or in the cozy balcony of


    the presidential suite, but definitely not in a small and cheap restaurant like this.


    Serenity did not see re around. Mrs. Wells was stationed at the cashier instead.


    Lucas obviously spotted Serenity¡¯s arrival. He then rose to his feet and walked toward her. ¡°I didn¡¯t


    think you really worked here.¡±


    ¡°How did you know? Serenity asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I saw you riding an electric bike on the road yesterday. The delivery box on the back of your bike had


    the words Hot Restaurant on it. I happened to pass by here, so I came in,¡± Lucas exined, a trace of


    unnoticeable tenderness on his face.


    ¡®Serenity, here are three more orders. Please go and deliver them,¡± Mrs. Wells called out to Serenity.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Serenity went to the cashier and picked up the take¨Cout that was already ready and packed on


    the counter.


    Mrs. Wells took the chance and asked Serenity in a soft whisper, ¡°Your friend?¡±


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Serenity shook her head. ¡°I just happen to know him.¡± She did not consider Lucas as a friend. After all,


    the prince of the entertainment industry, Lucas Gomez, was way out of her league.


    Serenity still found the whole situation a little odd. Even if Lucas had happened to see the restaurant¡¯s


    name on her delivery box and passed by the restaurant, there was no need for him toe in for a


    meal.


    Could it be¡­ Was he deliberately waiting for her? Serenity had this thought but immediately erased it


    when it popped into her


    mind.


    Just as Serenity was about to leave the store with the take¨Cout, Lucas suddenly asked, ¡°Are you going


    to deliver food?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m in charge of the delivery,¡± Serenity answered.


    ¡°Did Jackson really let you do this kind of work?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with working like this,¡± Serenity sakl humbly, ¡°I¡¯m making money


    with my own hard work, and I¡¯m happy with it.¡±


    As she said that, she walked to the electric bike parked outside the restaurant and put the take¨Cout on


    the bike.

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    ¡°Wait.¡± Lucas stepped forward and grabbed her. ¡°Are you angry? I didn¡¯t mean to belittle your current


    job.¡±


    Serenity gave him an odd look. ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± It was not worth getting angry at petty things like this or


    letting the anger


    drown her.


    ¡°If you want, I can get you another job,¡± Lucas offered.


    ¡°Mr. Gomez, we aren¡¯t that close. You don¡¯t have to help with my career. I¡¯m happy with my current


    job,¡± Serenity said and nced at his hand. ¡°Can you let go of my hand? I¡¯m nishing to make a


    delivery.¡±


    Luca s¡¯s rich and ck eyes stared at her. A momentter, he finally let go, ¡°We aren¡¯t that close?


    Despite what she had said, he knew her better than she thought. He had learned about her past from


    early childhood to her adult life from Aria¡¯s word of mouth.


    ¡°Happy with your job now?¡± He suddenly let a soft chuckle. ¡°Would someone who was awyer be


    happy with just being a delivery girl now?¡±


    A gloomy look shed in Serenity¡¯s eyes. ¡®Someone who used to be awyer¡­ Her past career as a


    lawyer seemed to have drifted very far away from her.


    As Serenity got on her electric bike, Luca s¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°It seems things between you and


    jackson are a little different than I thought. If one day, you can¡¯t stay with Jackson anymore, feel free to


    come to me.¡±


    ¦§


    Serenity stiffened slightly. She then started the engine and rode away. She might eventually leave


    Jackson someday, but even so, she would not go to the famous Prince Lucas of the entertainment


    industry.


    A man like Lucas was probably more heartless than Jackson. Serenity had seen how he had treatedExclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    his ex-girlfriend. He used to spoil his ex a lot, but he was menacingly cold the moment they broke up.


    Besides, Lucas had a lot of ex-girlfriends.


    Lucas was dating Aria at the moment. Serenity had seen Aria¡¯stest news in the newspaper and


    magazine. Aria seemed to havended some good opportunities. Some media even predicted that


    Lucas would eventually make Aria one of the top actresses in the industry.


    Serenity was uninterested in Aria¡¯s future with Lucas, She just did not want to be involved in any more


    trouble.


    Serenity wanted to stay out of trouble and live a peaceful and uneventful life. Her greatest dream at the


    moment was probably a quiet life


    Lucas watched Serenity¡¯s figure gradually disappear from his sight. He finally unsped his hand and


    stared at the palm of his


    hand


    Lucas had felt reluctant to let go of Serenity earlier. Also¡­ When he had followed her out of the


    restaurant, he actually cared


    whether she was angry or not.


    Serenity was just another woman. He only cared about her because she resembled the little girl in his


    memory.


    Lucas gradually reverted to hits usual indifference. He walked into the restaurant and closed his tab.


    While settling the bill, le casually asked Mrs. Wells at the register, ¡°About thedy here earlier, where is


    she?


    ¡°She¡¯s She went to work in the kitchen,¡± Mrs. Wells stammered an answer.


    Lucas said nothing more, but before leaving, he nced thoughtfully at the kitchen.


    After Lucas had left, Mrs. Wells went to the kitchen to look for her daughter. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± she told her.


    ra Wells was not yet relieved. Instead, she asked, ¡°Did he say anything when he left?¡±

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    ¡°He asked about you. I said you went to work in the kichen, and he nced at the kitchen.¡± Mrs. Wells


    was puzzled. ¡°Who is he? Do you know him?¡±


    Mrs. Wells had seen how c


    how ra had hurriedly avoided Lucas as soon as she saw him.


    ra had aplicated look on her face. ¡°That man is Lucas Gomez, the prince of the entertainment


    industry! When.. I met Lucas a few times while I was still with him.¡±


    ¡°Did Lucas recognize you?¡± Mrs. Wells asked nervously


    ra sighed. ¡°He probably did.¡±


    ra¡¯s current appearance was very much different than the old her. Even so, Lucas must have


    recognized her. Otherwise, he would not have asked Mrs. Wells that question before leaving


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Mrs. Wells¡¯ face turned ugly. ¡°Oh¡­ What should we do? Will he tell that man about you? I think


    Serenity seems to know Lucas. Should we let Serenity talk to him for us?¡±


    ra bit her lips slightly. She was still puzzled about the situation earlier. She had initially thought that


    Lucas had walked into her restaurant by luck, but it seemed that he was obviously waiting for Serenity.


    However. He was Prince Lucas of the entertainment industry, and she was just a delivery rider working


    at her restaurant. The difference between them was too wast


    When Serenity returned, ra asked, ¡°Serenity, do you know Lucas?¡±


    ¡°Do you know Lucas too?¡± Serenity was surprised.


    ra managed a smile. ¡°Well, Lucas is always in the news. He has dated many actresses in the show


    business. There are photos of him everywhere online.¡±


    ¡°I guess I do. I¡¯ve met him several times,¡± Serenity said.


    ¡°Are the two of you¡±


    ¡°We have nothing to do with each other,¡± Serenity said.


    ra was still staring at Serenity with a dazed expression. Seeing that, Serenity interrupted her, ¡°re,


    if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to get another delivery done.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± ra pursed her lips. It seemed that she would have to go to Lucas herself.


    Connor watchedis buss drink the herbal medicine, and knowing Mr. Valor as a man who would avoid


    taking any kind of medicine at all times, Connor was surprised to ser him taking some herbal medicine.


    Connor figured that the sudden change in Mr. Valor probably had something to do with Serenity.


    Lately, Mr. Valor had done things differently, even breaking his own rules for Serenity.


    Jackson frowned after finishing the herbal medicine. He then took a sip of in water to cleanse his


    pte.


    Jackson had never enjoyed herbal medicine, but Serenity wanted him to take care of his body-he was


    more than willing to


    listen to her.


    ¡°Do you know what it takes to make a woman like you?¡± Jackson asked abruptly.


    Connor was dumbfounded. Had Mr.


    Valor really just asked him that?


    ¡°What it takes to make a woman like him?¡¯Connor pondered. ¡°If it¡¯s Mr. Valor, plenty of women would


    surround him without needing him to du anything.¡¯


    Connor pondered for a second and then asked cautiously, ¡°Mr. Valor, are you referring to¡­ Ms.


    Lewis?¡±


    Jackson gave Connor an indifferent look but did not deny it.

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    ¡®Which means¡­ Mr. Valor is yearning for Ms. Lewis¡® affection? Connor thought and finally understood


    the situation. However, he was still astonished. When had Mr. Valor actually cared about a woman¡¯s


    feelings for him?!


    ¡°Ms. Lewis has¡­ suffered greatly. Having been through so many struggles, she ¡®ll probably see right


    through things. If you force your way to her, she may appear submissive but keep a greater distance in


    her heart.¡±


    Connor suggested, ¡°Ms. Lewis seems to be the soft type. It might be easier to persuade her with


    gentler ways. She may eventually feelfortable enough to let her guard down.¡±


    ¡°So, am I supposed to please her to get her to like me? Jackson murmured.


    Conner blinked, feeling a little frightened. He had only suggested that his boss saften his ways, not


    please her. ¡®B¨Cbut¡­ If Mr. Valor is trying to impress a woman, isn¡¯t she going to be¡­¡±


    ¡°But how am I supposed to please her?¡± Jackson asked.


    Connor¡¯s words gat caught in his throat. Hearing Mr. Valor¡¯s tone, he seemed to be.. ¡®Is he trying to


    impress Serenity?


    Connor¡¯s cell phone rang abruptly, halting the conversation. Connor say the caller ID and answered the


    call immediately. A few momentster, the call ended.


    Connor reported to Jackson, ¡°Mr. Valor, someone is investigating Mira Hall¡¯s case.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Who¡¯s looking into it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still not sure. There are a few people collecting information on the case. They are also tracking


    the whereabouts of the witnesses. Someone is following the witness from San Marco City closely,¡±


    Connor reported.


    ¡°The witness named York? Jackson¡¯s brows furrowed


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not the same private detective Lisa called in before,¡± Connor said.


    When Lisa had first approached a private detective to investigate this witness, Connor had already


    grasped the situation.


    Everything was initially going as nned. Lisa had found the evidence they had purposely released to


    her earlier. Even sa having additional parties in the investigation was not part of the n, and it caught


    Connor off guard. Moreover, they had not figured out who was the new party investigating the case.


    Jackson flicked his eyes down and flexed his fingers. He tapped his finger on the table as if lost in his


    train of thought. A few secondster, he mentioned a name, ¡°Terry White.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Connor stumped for a moment.


    ¡°Check out Terry White. He might be the one looking into the case this time.¡±


    ¡°Terry White? That Terry from White Maple Group?¡± Connor inquired. He could not understand how Mr.


    Valor had connected Terry with this matter.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the guy,¡± Jackson confirmed, Jackson thought of those who could conceal their tracks from


    Comor and decided that Terry was one of


    If he had guessed correctly, Terry must be investigating the case for Lisa¡¯s sake.


    Lisa Quest Jackson rubbed his temple. It seemed he had underestimated her slightly. Terry might


    eventually find out something. In that case, a confrontation with Terry would be unavoidable.


    ?


    Lisa gave Terry a helpless look. ¡°Hey¡­ Are you really going to meet my parents?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your parents wanted to see me?¡± Terry asked nonchntly from beside her.

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    Terry looked like a prince in aic book in his pristine sult and delicate face. Surely no one would


    believe that a man like him was her boyfriend.


    Lisa just wanted to gaze up at the sky and sigh. She felt miserable thinking about thest few days of


    events,


    It had all started with the blind date with Godfrey. She had thought that the blind date was a failure and


    would end there, but she did not expect what woulde next.


    When she went home, her mother had lectured her about the blind date incident and berated her for


    not telling the family about her boyfriend. The introducer who had referred Godfrey to her family had


    even called her parents and blew up at them, embarrassing her parents.


    Right after that, her parents had started to ask who her boyfriend was


    Lasa had initially refused to admit it given the situation. She had given ame excuse and imed that


    a friend had happened to pass by and helped her knowing that she did not want a blind date.


    Her parents had questioned her further, wanting to know which friend this was. Lisa had casually given


    a name, a buddy with whom she had had a good rtionship before She nned to get her buddy to


    help her exin thingster.


    However, Terry had happened to call Lisa before she could make up a story. Before she could answer


    the phone, her mother had taken the phone away from her and talked to Terry.


    When her mother had asked Terry about his rtionship with Lisa, Terry had stated. Mrs. Quest, I¡¯m


    Lisa¡¯s boyfriend.¡±


    Terry¡¯s statement had stirred the Quest family like a surprise bomb. Mrs. Quest had warmly invited


    Terry toe over on the phone. Meanwhile, Lisa had repeatedly tried to snatch her phone back but


    was stopped by her father¡¯s re. Once the call was over, Lisa¡¯s parents had lectured her for two


    hours.


    ¡°Say, child. Why are you so shy about your boyfriend? No matter who he is, you should at least inform


    the family! Do you n to keep your boyfriend a secret forever? Are you only going to tell us after you


    get knocked up before marriage?!¡±


    Lisa was rendered speechless. She swore she had never thought of it that way!


    Lisa had a bigger problem. She could not be honest with her parents about her rtionship with Terry.


    They were only casually dating and would break up once Terry¡¯s nned revenge was over.


    Telling them the truth behind her rtionship with Terry would cause more trouble. They would


    eventually find out about how she had left without saying goodbye after what she had done to Terry.


    Lisa had no choice but to ept her fate. So, she obliged her parents¡® request to n a date to take


    Terry hate with her and Introduce him to her parents.


    Lisa had been mentally prepared ahead of time, but she could not resist hesitating again as soon as


    she stepped into her neighborhood.


    Lisa nced at Terry¡¯s appearance and thought about his family background. Although he was an


    illegitimate son, Terry was the current head of the White family with the entire White family under his


    control.


    Many would dly wee a son¨Cinw like hem.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Are you afraid that your parents won¡¯t like me?¡± Terry askst.


    Lisa rolled her eyes, speechless. Quite the contrary, she feared her parents would think too highly of


    him. She would eventually break up with him, but it would not hurt her. Even so, the news right male


    her parents sad.


    Taking a deep breath, Lisa spoke, resigned to her fate, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Either way, there was no use backing out now. Her parents were aware o unavoidable.


    of Terry¡¯s existence. A meeting with him would be


    Lisa led Terry into the neighborhood and healed to her building, pressing the button for the elevator.

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    Shortly after, the elevator arrived, and the person walking out of it just happened to be Lisa¡¯s neighbor.


    As soon as the neighbor saw her, she immediately greeted her, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re home, Lisa! And this must


    be your boyfriend!¡±


    As the neighbor spoke, her eyes wandered toward Terry.


    Lisa was still in shock and did not know how to react, but Terry quickly answered the neighbor, ¡°Yes,


    you¡¯re right. I¡¯m Lisa¡¯s boyfriend¡±


    ¡°Ah, looks like it won¡¯t be long before I get invited to your wedding!¡±


    The neighbor stalled before she hastily abled, ¡°¡°Very well, then! Hurry up and take your boyfriend in,


    Lisa! Your mother¡¯s he nagging about it all day. She just can¡¯t wait to meet your boyfriend!¡±


    Lisa broke out into a sweat. Now she knew exactly why her neighbor thought Terry was her boyfriend


    the moment she saw him¨Cher mother must have been announcing it to the world the whole day!


    They entered the elevator, and Lisa nced at Terry only to see him staring at her with a half¨Csmile on


    his face. She could not stop herself from blushing but then hesitated for a moment as she suddenly


    remembered that she still had something to tell


    him.


    ¡°Erlink. My parents might be a little too excited because I¡¯ve never had a boyfriend before. Just don¡¯t


    worry about it and say a few words to them, then I¡¯ll find an excuse to get you out of here¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He raised his eyebrows and then bent down toward her with his deep ck eyes fixed on her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had a boyfriend before?¡±


    Lisa¡¯s heart skipped a brat. She had always had a weakness for handsome mens, and seeing such a


    dashing face so close to her could easily make her love herposure!


    She chuckled awkwardly and replied, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always been busy with work, so I never had the time to


    find myself a boyfriend¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked. ¡°I would¡¯ve been much happier if you¡¯d told me that you¡¯d never been able to forget


    me, that¡¯s why you¡¯ve never found another guy.¡±


    Lisa almost choked on her saliva.


    Never been able to forget him? Was that.. the true reason after all?


    Well, she had to admit that sometimes, she would indeed reminisce about the past and regard their


    encounter as a beautiful arudent.


    Ding dong!!


    The elevator reached Lisa¡¯s floor and they walked out. She led Terry to the door to her house and then


    fished out the key and opened the door.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    As soon as the door swung open, the sight of her parents all dressed up almost blinded her. Her dad


    was d in the suit that h only ever wore when his picture would be taken, and her mom was wearing


    brand¨Cnew clothes from head to toe. She had even put making on and had a new hairdo!


    Lisa could tell at a nce that her mom had had her hair done in the nearby salon. She now had a


    sneaking suspicion that all the women in the neighborhood must live barnest of her bringing her


    boyfriend home today! After all, the owner of the hair was the infamous pussiper of the neighborhood! If


    she beard about something, then the whole world would soon bear


    about it too!


    La nced at her parents with some embarrassment and then saw that they were both staring at Terry


    with supelse written all over their faces. Meanwhile, Terry was starcling there very calmly, saviningly


    caffected by anything at all.


    Lisa then announced, ¡°Thad, Mon, this is Terry White. He¡¯s, uh.. my boyfriend¡±


    It took a special amount of effort for her to squeeze thest two words out of her mouth.


    Nevertheless, Terry merely greeted her parents politely, ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Quest. Pleasure to meet


    you.¡±

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    Chapter 368


    Lisa¡¯s parents hastily replied, ¡°Pleasure.. to meet you too.¡±


    Her dad then invited Terry to take a seat while her mother pulled her aside and asked her, ¡°Is that really


    your boyfriend?! You didn¡¯t hire an actor to pretend to be your boyfriend, did you?¡±


    Lisa rolled her eyes, ¡°Maybe I did do that, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl!¡± Mrs. Quest snapped angrily. ¡°How could you say things like that?! Go on, go make us some


    tea¡±


    After that, Mrs. Quest changed into her warm and weing expression as she walked over to ¡®Terry.


    Having been reduced to a waitress, Lisa stomped into the kitchen to brew some tea. When she


    reemerged in the living room with a tray of tea and cups in her hands, her parents and Terry seemed to


    already be getting along swimmingly in a cheerful


    conversation.


    ¡°So,¡± said Mrs. Quest, ¡°you said you met Lisa abroad, didn¡¯t you, Terry? Does that mean you two have


    been in contact all these years?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Terry replied. ¡°I happened to bump into her when I returned to this country not too long ago. We


    only reconnected


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    then.¡±


    ¡°But to tell you the truth,¡± he added with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve always been looking for Lisa ever since we lost


    contact. Luckily, I¡¯ve finally found her now!


    ¦§


    He nced at Lisa as he spoke. The look he gave seemed to be an affectionate one to Mr. and Mrs.


    Quest, but to Lisa herself, it was nothing but a dangerously threatening look.


    ¡°Sounds like you two were fated to meet each other!¡± Mr. Quest remarked. ¡°But Lisa only went abroad


    for a few days, didn¡¯t she? How did you take a fancy to her so quickly?¡±


    Mr. Quest was filled with curiosity because he distinctly remembered that his daughter was only very


    briefly abroad, yet she had somehow caught a man¡¯s eye so much so that the man could not forget her


    for three years. It was especially surprising considering the fact that this young man was clearly very


    attractive. He was certainly not the type to have any difficulty finding a girlfriend, yet he spent three


    years looking for his daughter. That alone filled Mr. Quest¡¯s heart with affection for


    this young man,


    ¡°Lisa is an honest and straightforward woman,¡± Terry exined. ¡°I feel very much at case when I¡¯m with


    her. In fact, I once got drunk and¡­¡±


    Just as he spoke, Lisa¡¯s hand trembled and spilled half of the tea from her cup.


    ¡°Ow!¡± she cried before putting the teacup down in haste. The back of her hand had already started to


    turn red because of the


    hot tex.


    Terry¡¯s eyebrows knitted, and he quickly took Lisa¡¯s hand as he led her into the kitchen. He then turned


    on the tap and let the cold running water flow over the back of Lisa¡¯s scalded hand.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you even hold a cup properly?¡± he asked her with a stern face.


    ¡°Umm,¡± she said in an anxious voice, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell my parents that we stayed in a hotel room


    together back then! They¡¯ve always been very conservative. If they find out about that, they¡¯ll absolutely


    chase me out like I¡¯m a mangy mult!¡±


    ¡°Mangy mutt?¡± he squinted at her. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anyone describe themselves as a dog before.¡±


    Lisa found it hard to breathe, realizing that she might have used the wrong metaphor somelow.


    ¡°In any case,¡± she turned to him with pleading eyes, ¡°you must promise me not to tell them about it,


    okay?¡±


    He pursed his lips tightly but said nothing.


    ¡°So? Say something, Terry White! As long as you promise to keep it a secret, l¡¯IL..¡±


    She suddenly paused when she got to that point. What could she do for him? Treat him to a meal? But


    he could afford to eat


    2/2


    anything he desired anytime he liked! Give him a present? But she was talking to a man who was


    thousands of times richer than she was right now, and she just could not think of what to give him.


    Should she give him something that was not an object but rather an experience? Perhaps she could


    take him to an idal¡¯s concert, at perhaps she should sing and dance for him herself?


    But no matter what she thought of, it all seerard inappropriate. By now Lisa had fallen silent for a long


    while, and she no longer had any idea how to continue the conversation.


    ¡°What will you do for me?¡± Terry bent downnguidly and fixed his eyes on her.


    Seeing that exquisite face at such a close distance made her heart beat faster again. She could not


    help but silently grumble at how unfair it was that this man could look so attractive, especially his skin,


    which was much smoother than hers


    She even considered asking him what kind of skincare products he used.

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    Chapter 369


    ¡°I guess I can do whatever you want,¡± Lisa said. After all, she had no money to offer him nor had


    anything else but her life to give.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said


    She was stunned. Did he just¡­ agree to her request? Was that not too easy?


    ¡°How¡¯s your hand?¡± He asked as his gaze fell on Lisa¡¯s hand which was still held under the cold


    running water. ¡°Does it still burt?


    ¡°Not anymore,¡± she replied. ¡°It¡¯s been under the running water for quite a while, so I think I should be


    fine now.¡±


    He turned off the tap, pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, and used it to pat her hand dry.


    ¡°Is there any medicine in your house?¡± he asked. ¡°Your hand is still a little red and swollen. I think we¡¯d


    better apply some medicine on it.¡±


    ¡°Umm, I think there is


    ¡°Go get it, then¡±


    Lisa hurried to her own bedroom and quickly got the ointment for burns. It was only then that she


    suddenly realized what she was doing. Why had she been so obedient in following Terry¡¯s orders?!


    Still, she shook off the thought and walked out of the room with the ointment. As soon as she stepped


    out, she saw Terry with her parents in the living room, engaged in a conversation


    As she approached them, she heard her mother say, ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how you two met! You got drunk


    and Lisa brought you back to the hotel and even took care of you the whole night! I always knew that


    our daughter Lisa is a kindhearted girl! We raised her to always be ready to help those in need!¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Lisa almost tripped over her own foot and fell when she heard that. Kindhearted girl? Always ready to


    help those in need?! if only her parents knew what had actually happened that night, they would never


    even think of saying those words!


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Terry continued. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t taken such good care of me, I would¡¯vended in a lot of


    trouble. Sometimes, if you¡¯re not careful, you might choke on your own vomit when you get drunk,


    which could then suffocate you and even kill you


    As he spoke, he turned to look at Lisa before adding, ¡°So, I¡¯m really grateful to Lisa for taking care of


    me back then.¡±


    Those words made Lisa feel so embarrassingly guilty!


    Yet, her parents then replied, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it! You¡¯re from the same country, after all! It¡¯s only


    right that Lisa should help you when you are in need since you were both in a foreign country!¡±


    Lisa had the urge to dig up a hole and hide in there forever.


    Just then, Terry waved his hand and said, ¡°Come over here and take a seat.¡±


    She quickly followed his order and sat beside him. Once she had settled down, she once again realized


    that she.. She had just obeyed¡± him again! She felt like she was his pet dog that followed her owner¡¯s


    every order!


    ¡°No!¡® she thought in panic. ¡®Stop it! I am not his pet dog!¡±


    Terry then took the ointment in her hand, leaned down, and began to rub it on the back of her hand


    which had been scalded by the hottes


    Lisa¡¯s parents exchanged a look when they saw this. Her mother then said in a warm voice, ¡°Say, Terry,


    how big is your family? Are your parents still working or are they retired?¡±


    ¡°My father has passed away,¡± he replied, ¡°and my mother has always lived abroad. She currently has


    no ns of returning to this country in the near future.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Lisa¡¯s mother, ¡°Then, do you have any siblings?¡±

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    Chapter 370


    ¡°I have some half¨Cbrothers and half¨Csisters,¡± Terry replied. ¡°My father had a lot of mistresses, so he


    naturally had many children as well¡±


    Lisa¡¯s parents did not expect this kind of answer at all. They turned awloward and had no idea how to


    continue the


    conversation


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing this, Lisa did not quite know why, but she quickly responded, ¡°Mom, Dad, what his parents did


    has nothing to do with him! He¡¯s his own person! He¡¯s not his parents!¡±


    Terry turned to Lisa in shock, but there was a tinge of warmth in his eyes that even he did not notice.


    Luckily, Lisa¡¯s father came back to his senses and echoed her, ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s not his parents. So¡­


    Terry, what kind of work do you do now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m mainly responsible for the management of a corporate group.


    ¡°Management¡­of a corporate group?¡±


    Lisa¡¯s father looked like he doubted what he had just heard. He continued, ¡°What kind ofpany do


    you manage? You¡¯re only 29 years old, aren¡¯t you?


    In Mr. Quest¡¯s mind, a 29¨Cyear¨Cold would have to be exceedingly talented to rise up to the rank of


    middle management at that age, so to hear that Terry managed a whole corporate group. It was simply


    too incredible and hard to believe!


    ¡°It¡¯s called the White Maple Group,¡± said Terry. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve heard of it.¡±


    Mr. Quest was just an ordinary man, so he had never been familiar with any famous shipping


    companies. But as for all the cars parked in the neighborhood, you could count on him to tell the brand


    of the car as soon as he saw the car logo,


    He smiled sheepishly and said, ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of it before. Is it a newpany?


    After all, young people liked to start their own businesses these days, so it would not be so strange that


    Terry was working in a new start¨Cup.


    It was then Lisa¡¯s turn to be even more embarrassed than her father.


    Still, Terry merely smiled and said nothing


    They went on to chat for a little longer, and Lisa was just about to find an excuse to take Terry away,


    but her parents then insisted on haring Terry join them for dinner.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve got an urgent business to attend to at work? Lisa asked, desperately winking at


    Terry to give him a


    hint.


    ¡°It¡¯s not so urgent that I don¡¯t have time for dinner,¡± he replied.


    Lisa was speechless.


    Did that mean he wanted to have dinner with them?


    After what seemed to be a painfully long time, the dinner was finally over. Seeing that her parents were


    trying to start another conversation with Terry to know more about him, Lisa quickly interjected, ¡°I¡¯m


    going to talor a walk with Terry now. It helps. with digestion, you know.¡±


    She then swiftly took his arm and led him out of the house.


    Once they got to the elevator, Lisa finally sighed in relief, knowing that her task of taking her boyfriend


    home to meet her parents was finally over.


    ?????


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t dragged you out just now,¡± she said, ¡°any parents would¡¯ve asked you about your whole


    family tree! You know, you didn¡¯t need to answer all of their questions with so much detail. A simple


    answer would¡¯ve been enough.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d hoped your parents wouldn¡¯t like me,¡± he said out of the blue. ¡°Then why did you have


    to tell them that I¡¯m


    2/2


    not like my parents?¡±


    Lisa was taken aback and fell silent for a while. In fact, what she had sald back then felt like an


    instinctive reaction to her and nothing more.


    ¡°So¡­does that mean that you actually don¡¯t want your parents to dislike me?¡±


    She had no idea why, but the look he gave her made her feel flustered right now.


    ¡°I was just thinking,¡± she exined, ¡°that what your parents did has nothing to do with you at all. You¡¯re


    your own person, that¡¯s all I meant to say. I didn¡¯t have any other intentions as you suspected.¡±


    She then turned away, trying to avoid his gaze.


    1

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    Chapter 371


    ¡°Really?¡± He murmured, staring intently at her flushed cheeks, looking as if his mind was full of


    thoughts.


    Ding d ong!


    The elevator had arrived downstairs. They both walked out and headed toward the spot where Terry


    parked his car.


    ¡°Well, then,¡± said Lisa, looking very keen to send Terry off. ¡°Goodbye!¡±


    She then turned around and was about to leave, but he quickly grabbed her arm, and with a single pull,


    he dragged her into his


    TITLE


    ¡°Ow!¡± She cried out as her nose bumped into his chest.


    It was really painful! She was starting to get worried about her nose now that the same thing had


    happened over and over again. No matter how sturdy her nasal bone was, she was not sure if it could


    withstand such a bump so many times!


    Terry leaned down and inched his face next to Lisa¡¯s ear before saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯d


    do whatever I want if I keep what happened that night at the hotel a secret?¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± She licked her dry lips and asked, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°I want you to kiss me,¡± he replied, ¡°Then tell me that I¡¯m the one you like the most.¡±


    Huh?!


    She was momentarily dumbfounded, and then she asked, ¡°Right here?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± He replied, ¡°Right here.¡±


    But¡­ the spot where they were standing was right in the middle of the neighborhood, not to mention


    that it was not even & pm yet, which meant that plenty of people were still out and about in the area.


    Even if the parking spot was a little more isted than the rest of the ce and not many people were


    walking by, that did not guarantee that no one would be there!


    ¡°How about¡­¡± Lisa bit her lips, ¡°How about going somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you so embarrassed by being seen with me? Is


    that why you don¡¯t want to be in public?¡±


    ¡°No, but there¡¯s a high chance that people might see us here, and if that happens, they¡¯ll start talking


    about it¡­¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± he asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t we dating now? You¡¯re only kissing your boyfriend, which is a very natural


    thing to do. So what if people start talking about it? Let them do what they want.¡±


    But the problem was that they would eventually break up anyway!


    The thought popped up in Lisa¡¯s mind, but she dared not say it out loud at the moment. After all, it was


    best for both of them to leave this ¡°inevitable ending¡± to their rtionship unsaid.


    Lisa gazed at the man in front of her under the moonlight. The shimmery gleam fell on his face,


    illuminating his fairplexion which was softened by the silvery rays of the moon. His eyes were


    enticing and alluring. His nose was long and straight. His lips were se xy and inviting. He did not have


    to say anything at all. He just had to stand there silently, and he would still be the picture of irresistible


    temptation.


    She had been violently moved by his looks before when she had first met him. Sometimes, Terry


    seemed to possess a androgynous kind of delicate look, yet no one would ever mistake him for a


    woman.


    And he only seemed to have gotten even more attractive now. His will mix of sumy and dark disposition


    seemed to have been restrained now, but it only made him even more mysterius, which invited and


    attracted people toe nearer so that they could try to take a peek into what he was really like.


    Lisa slowly wrapped her arms around Terry¡¯s neck and stood on her tiptoes. Kissing him was such an


    easy thing to do because she was never repulsed by the thought of kissing him at all. In fact¡­ she


    thought she might even enjoy it.


    Chapter 371


    So, she decided to have some fun during their brief rtionship. She would enjoy this feeling while it


    lasted, andter, when they broke up, she would then make sure to keep all her feelings in check and


    regard it as either a payment for what she owed him or as a practice for romance and dating.


    Those were the thoughts that filled her mind as she reached up and kissed him on the lips.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

 Chapter 372

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    Chapter 372


    Before Serenity got off work, she asked ra, the restaurant owner, ¡°Could I take half a day off


    tomorrow, re? I¡¯d like to visit my mother¡¯s grave.¡±


    Although it was Memorial Day tomorrow which was, in fact, a national holiday, the restaurant would still


    be open, and it would definitely be even busier tomorrow since many people would have a lot of free


    time. The restaurant even stayed open during festive seasons as well,


    ra was a little taken aback. She never knew that Serenity¡¯s mother had already passed away, so


    she told her, ¡°Okay, no problem. You can get the kitchen to prepare some dishes for you to take to your


    mother¡¯s grave before you leave tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Serenity replied, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m going to prepare the fond myself.¡±


    She really looked forward to preparing some food to take with her to her mother¡¯s grave. She had been


    very young when her mother died, but now, she was all grown up, and she even knew how to cook.


    She wished to let her mother see that.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving, then,¡± Serenity said


    ¡°Okay,¡± ra replied. She seemed to have something to say, but ultimately, she hesitated and decided


    against it. Since Serenity insisted that she was not that close with Lucas Gomez, it would be best not to


    involve her any further in this matter. ra would just have to go see Lucas herself.


    After leaving the restaurant, Serenity did not head straight back to Valor Residence. Instead, she took a


    detour to a supermarket to buy some groceries before riding the scooter to a tiny shop that sold


    supplies for visits to the grave.


    She went inside and said to the so-year-olddy sitting inside, ¡°I¡¯d like some incense, candles, and gold


    ingots, please, Mrs. Francesca.¡±


    Every year before Memorial Day, Serenity would alwayse to this same shop to buy these three


    things. Every year, that was, except those three years when she was in prison¡­


    ¡°Is that you, Serenity? You¡¯re going to visit your mother¡¯s grave again tomorrow, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Mrs. Francesca grinned at Serenity, revealing her toothless mouth.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity responded.


    Mrs. Francesca nced at the shopping bags in Serenity¡¯s hands andmented, ¡°You¡¯re going to


    prepare lots of delicious food again, huh? You haven¡¯t been here for the past two or three years. I was


    wondering if I¡¯d see you this year.¡±


    ¡°Well, I lots of things happened over the past few years, so I couldn¡¯te here.¡±


    As Serenity spoke, Mrs. Francesca handed her the goods she hade to buy.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so many years since your mother died,¡± the old woman said. ¡°She must already be resting in


    peace now since she¡¯s got a perfect daughter like you,¡±


    ¡°Perfect daughter? Serenity thought mockingly. How perfect of a daughter could she be when she


    could not even keep a photo album in perfect shape? And even now¡­ there really was nothing she


    could do for her mother at all except to clean up her mother¡¯s grave


    After saying goodbye to Mrs. Francesca, Serenity rode hier scooter back to Valur Residence. She had


    just entered the house and was walking through the living room to get to the kitchen so she could keep


    all the groceries in the fridge when she suddenly heard a cold voice asking her, ¡°Why did youe


    home sote today?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Serenity yelped. The candles and incense in her hands fell to the ground.


    Then, the lights in the living room turned on, and she saw Jackson sitting on the sofa.


    ¡°Why are you sitting in the living room with the lights off?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Waiting for you,¡± he replied, then rose to his feet and walked up to her. ¡°What about you? You haven¡¯t


    answered my question.


    Chapter 372


    2/2


    She pursed her red lips and told him, ¡°I did some shopping after getting off work. I had to buy some


    groceries and other stuff to visit my mother¡¯s grave tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Visit your mother¡¯s grave¡­¡± His gaze fell on the incense and candles in her hands. ¡°Ah, so tomorrow¡¯s


    Memorial Day, huh? Too bad I can¡¯t go with you tomorrow.¡±


    Serenity was somewhat startled. She had never thought of asking him to go with her to her mother¡¯s


    grave, but his words reminded her that¡­ His father had passed away too, so he was probably going to


    visit his father¡¯s grave tomorrow.


    Between the both of them, one was going to visit her mother¡¯s grave, while the other was going to visit


    his father¡¯s grave. She suddenly realized that they were much more alike than she had thought.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

 Chapter 373

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    Chapter 373


    Once Serenity had put all the groceries in the fridge, she turned around and discovered that jackson


    had been leaning against the kitchen door and staring at her, seemingly with his mind full of thoughts.


    She turned away disconcertedly, trying to evade his eye contact, but as she walked out of the kitchen,


    there was simply no way for her to avoid him. He grabbed her arm and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t said good


    night to me yet.¡±


    She was startled, but then quickly said, ¡°Good night.¡±


    He stared at her and suddenly smiled, saying, ¡°Your good night wishes are starting to sound more and


    more forced and hollow, Sis.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s chest tightened, unable to find the right way to respond to him.


    ¡°Someone suggested,¡± Jackson said, ¡°that if I want to make you like me, I should try to please you.¡¯


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    He then bent down so that his eyes were on the same level as hers, and he added, ¡°What do you


    think? Would you really like me if I tried to please you?¡±


    Serenity almost bit her tongue as her eyes widened in disbelief. What did he just say? He wanted to¡­


    please her?!


    Could such words have reallye out from the lips of a man like him?!


    But her stunned look only seemed to delight him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He teased her. ¡°Is it so shocking to hear that I want to please you?¡±


    All the words she wanted to say seemed to be stuck in her throat without any way to cough them out.


    He raised a hand to gently caress her lips as he continued, ¡°So, now you know how much I want you to


    like me, Sis. What about you? How should I please you so that you¡¯ll finally like me?¡±


    Her lips suddenly felt like they were burning hot. Her heart was thumping in her chest violently again.


    She never expected Jackson to say things like this to her. Did he really want her to like him that much?


    So much that he was willing to please her?


    And how sincere were feelings for her, anyway?


    Those questions circled her mind, but she kept all of them to herself and did not ask him anything


    At noon on Memorial Day, Jackson came to the hospital by himself and headed straight to his


    grandfather¡¯s private wand.


    ¡°Have you visited your father¡¯s grave?¡± Zack Valor asked. The man used to be powerful and


    commanding, but now, he was nothing more than a frail old man, wasting away on the hospital bed all


    day.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jackson replied, ¡°I have.¡±


    In the past, he would always visit his father¡¯s grave with his grandpa, but ever since Zack Valor¡¯s health


    had begun to deteriorate, he was no longer able to go with Jackson, so Jackson would visit his father¡¯s


    grave by himself and then visit his grandpa here.


    ¡°How do you think your father would react if he found out that you¡¯re now so enraptured by that


    woman?¡± Zack Valor snorted coldly. ¡°He¡¯d give you a hard p to try to wake you up!¡±


    Old Master Zack was, of course, extremely displeased with how he was less and less able to keep his


    grandson under his control.


    Jackson raised his eyebrows and turned to Zack Valor as he asked him, ¡°Are you trying to tell me


    something, Grandpa?¡±


    Those exquisite eyes of his once again reminded Zack Valor of Jackson¡¯s mother.


    Those eyes looked too much like that cursed woman!


    2/2


    Had it not been for that woman, his son would never have turned against him! His son would never


    have cut all contact with him and left the family! And most of all, his son would never have ended up


    dead out there on the streets!

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    Chapter 374


    ¡°Have you forgotten what happened to your father in the end?¡± asked Zack, back to singing his old


    tune.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget about that,¡± replied Jackson, ¡°and as I¡¯ve told you before, I will never repeat my father¡¯s


    mistakes.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true,¡± his grandpa snapped angrily, ¡°You should kick that woman out of Valor Residence now


    and never let her back into your life ever again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that,¡± said Jackson, his eyes dark and gloomy. The second he heard what his


    grandpa said, his heart tightened suddenly, as if he instinctively rejected the notion right away, so much


    so that he was not even willing to think


    about it


    ¡°You¡± Zack almost choked on his breath as he red at his grandson.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never repeat the same mistake my father made, Grandpa, so trust me when I say that I¡¯ll have


    everything under control. I¡¯ll make sure that Serenity gets used to my existence to the point where she


    won¡¯t be able to leave me.¡±


    Jackson then smiled, but there was no mirth in his eyes, only a look of warning as he added, ¡°So I hope


    that you won¡¯t interfere with my affairs, Grandpa. If you meddle too much into my business, I might be


    forced to restrict your movements.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Zack¡¯s face flushed red instantly. He broke out into a coughing fit, and even when the coughing finally


    stopped, it was obvious that he was furious with his grandson.


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m merely reminding you.¡±


    Jackson fixed his eyes on his grandpa¡¯s and added, ¡°If anything bad happens to her, I¡¯ll go up against


    you with no holds barred!¡±


    Zack looked into his grandson¡¯s eyes with his muddled but still very sharp gaze, and he knew that


    Jackson was not joking.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about that woman?!¡± He asked,pletely befuddled, ¡°What is it about her that has


    turned you into a love-


    crazed idiot?¡±


    He had sent people to bring Serenity here so that he could see her. That woman was extremely


    average-looking, nothing at all like the ideal granddaughter-inw he would like to have.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s the first woman to let me call her Sis,¡± answered Jackson with a smile. Because


    Serenity had once to from that day onward, they could always rely on each other.


    told him that


    She was the woman who had finally given him a feeling of being at home with someone after all these


    years. Every tinse he called her ¡°Sis, it truly felt like they were a real family.


    And he would do anything to hold onto this feeling.


    Zack looked at his grandson in disbelief, as if what Jackson had just said wasicallyughable. He


    was sure that Jackson was only joking and dodging the question.


    Jackson blushed slightly and said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand, Grandpa.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret it sooner orter!¡± Zack barked bitterly.


    Jackson smiled gently and replied, ¡°Then I hope you¡¯ll live at least a few more years, Grandpa, so you


    can see if I¡¯m really going to regret it one day.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Zack snapped furiously. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll wait until the day you regret it all!¡±


    That afternoon, Serenity walked out of the restaurant with the dishes she had already prepared as well


    as the candles and Incense as she headed toward her mother¡¯s grave.


    When her mother died, her father had not even bought a tomb in the cemetery for her. Instead, she


    was simply buried in a


    Chapter 374


    212


    graveyard in a vige where one of her father¡¯s friends lived merely because it was much cheaper that


    way.


    Back then, all her father had had to do was give the vige chief some cigarettes, and it would all be


    settled. This solution was certainly much cheaper than buying a tomb in a cemetery.


    Afterward, Serenity had considered moving her mother¡¯s grave to a more suitable ce someday,


    especially since the grave was only on a small plot ofnd near a hill next to the small vige.

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    Chapter 375


    1/2


    It was usually a difficult journey to the graveyard, not to mention a time¨Cconsuming one. In fact, even


    the grave was cracked in many ces, and fixing it would require a big undertaking, so Serenity felt


    that it would be much better to just move her mother¡¯s grave to a proper cemetery.


    s, just as she was nning to do so, she had been thrown into prison and forced to abandon the


    idea temporarily. When she was finally released, she found herself penniless. She could not afford to


    pay the workers to relocate her mother¡¯s grave, much less buy a spat in a cemetery.


    As she walked to the foot of the hill, she saw the graveyard administrator working the registration in the


    shed that was set up there. There were many people who had gotten there earlier queueing up to


    register one after another.


    Serenity joined the queur, and when she got to the front to register her mother¡¯s grave number, the


    administrator noticed it and quickly asked, ¡°What are you doing here? This grave has been moved from


    here.¡±


    ¡°Moved?¡± Serenity was shocked.


    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± the administrator flipped through the documents and exined, ¡°It¡¯s been moved by a man


    named Grayson Lewis. I think he¡¯s the husband of the deceased ¡±


    Serenity suddenly remembered that thest time her father had wanted to meet her, he had used the


    excuse of wanting to discuss the matter of her mother¡¯s grave, but when she did go home, her father


    and stepmother did not talk about it at all but focused on her rtionship with Lucas Gomez instead.


    Because of that, she had never given much thought to it anymore. She never thought that her father


    would actually move her mother¡¯s grave so suddenly, especially without even informing her at all.


    ¡°Do you know where they moved it to?¡± she asked anxiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that,¡± the administrator replied. ¡°All we do is move the grave, we don¡¯t


    really care where they move it to!¡±


    Serenity bit her lips and asked again, ¡°Then¡­ Then can you let me go up there and take a look at it


    myself? I¡¯ll just register my name and go up for a while just to see if it¡¯s really been moved, then I¡¯ll rush


    back down.¡±


    Seeing that she was pale and distressed, the administrator decided to agree and let her in.


    Serenity almost flew up the hill. She rushed to the spot where her mother¡¯s grave used to be, but all


    she saw was a bare pit. Even the tombstone was gone. All that was left was a small, tiny bag of dirt


    near the pit.


    So, it had actually been¡­ moved!


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Serenity was stunned and stood rooted to the spot for a long while. When her senses finally returned,


    she picked up her phone and dialed her father¡¯s number.


    The phone rang for a long time before it was finally answered, and she heard her father¡¯s voice on the


    other end of the line say, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Did


    you move Mom¡¯s grave?¡± she askeri.


    ¡°So what if I did?¡± replied Grayson impatiently. ¡°You ungrateful daughter! I thought you¡¯dpletely


    forgotten about your mother¡¯s grave!¡±


    ¡°Where did you move it to?¡±


    ¡°Ha! So you still care about it, huh? 1 thought you¡¯dpletely disowned your family! What¡¯s the point


    of asking about your mother¡¯s grave now?¡±


    Serenity pursed her lips and took a deep breath before asking her father, ¡°What do you want me to do


    so you¡¯d be willing to tell me where Mom¡¯s grave is?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re finally humble enough to beg me now, huh, you ungrateful daughter? I told you not to tempt


    Lucas Gomez and ruin his rtionship with your sister, but what did you tell me?¡±


    Chapter 37/5


    2/2


    He then threatened, ¡°I¡¯m telling you now, if you don¡¯t give me 10 million dors, don¡¯t even dream of


    finding your mother¡¯s grave ever again!¡±


    As soon as he had finished that sentence, he hung up the phone.


    Serenity called her father again and again after that, but it was never answered.


    She rushed down the hill and headed straight to her father¡¯s house, but no matter how many times she


    pressed the doorbell or knocked on the door, no one came to answer it.

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    Chapter 376


    Chapter 376


    A neighbor then told her that her father and stepmother had gone on a vacation and were not at home.


    As for Aria, the neighbor said she very rarely ever came here after having bought a big house


    somewhere else and had been basically living


    there.


    Hearing this, Serenity started to worry if they had done this on purpose. They must have known that


    she would visit her mother¡¯s grave today, so they made sure not to be home.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    10 million dors! When she thought of her father¡¯s demand, her whole body went numb all over. How


    could she possibly find 10 million dors to give him in her current state?!


    After saying goodbye to the neighbor, Serenity quickly called Aria.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± she asked her sister. ¡°I need to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± replied Aria in a voice tinged with cold contempt from the other end of the line, ¡°but I¡¯m


    really busy right now.¡±


    ¡°Then let me just ask you,¡± Serenity responded, ¡°where has Dad moved my mother¡¯s grave to?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that,¡± answered Aria with a hint of mockery in her voice.


    ¡°Then you must at least know where they are now, right?!¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I really don¡¯t know. How about this? I promise that I¡¯ll tell them you were looking for them


    when they get back, okay?¡±


    Shortly afterward, Serenity could hear the voice of a man on the other end of the line saying, ¡°I don¡¯t


    think this lipstick suits you.¡±


    She was stunned because she recognized that voice to be Lucas¡¯s.


    She then heard her sister replying coquettishly, ¡°But I thought you¡¯d like this shade! Fine, I¡¯ll choose a


    different one.¡±


    After saying that, Aria then went back to the phone and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got to go now. I¡¯m in the


    middle of something.


    She then hung up the phone.


    Serenity stared at the phone screen. An indescribable feeling arose inside her. She had just met Lucas


    Gomez a few days ago, and he had said all those things to her¡­ Yet, while he was not with Serenity,


    he was with Aria, choosing lipstick with her.


    For a man like Lucas Gomez, she must have been just something new that he wanted to try ying


    with for a while. That was probably the only reason why he had said all those things to her. He might


    have some feelings for her, but he was likely the sort of man who had feelings for many women at the


    same time.


    Just like the way he treated all his ex¨Cgirlfriends and the way he treated Aria now.


    Once his interest had waned, this man would be the most ruthless and heartless man in the


    world, just like the way Serenity had once seen him behave toward his ex¨Cgirlfriend back then.


    And now, that ex¨Cgirlfriend of his who had used to be one of the hottest actresses in the entertainment


    industry with at promising future had virtually vanished from the face of the earth.


    Serenity put her phone back in her handbag. Her mood was in a downward spiral. There was no way


    she could ever find 10 million dors for her father, and now, she had no idea where to even find her


    father and stepmother.


    But even if¡­ she found them one day, would they really tell her where her mother¡¯s grave was?


    When that day came, what would they ask from her in return?


    She had always thought that her fate had been tragic enough, but now, it seemed that she was not at


    rock bottom yet and that it could always get worse and worse.


    Meanwhile, when Lucas saw Aria put her phone away, he asked her in an offhand manner, ¡°Who was


    that on the phone?¡±


    ¡°Just someone looking for my parents,¡± Aria replied, pretending to sound casual and nonchnt.


    ¡°They¡¯re on vacation, so


    Chapter 376


    that person called me to ask where they are.¡±


    Aria then clung onto Lucas and asked Lucas, ¡°Which shade of lipstick do you like, Lucas? From now


    on, I promise I¡¯ll only wear your favorite shade of lipstick!¡±


    But Lucas only frowned slightly as his gaze once again fell on A¡¯s lips. For some reason, the more


    he saw the bright red shade on her lips, the more irritated he felt.

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    Chapter 377


    Chapter 377


    Suddenly, a pair of beautiful lips with no lipstick applied shed through his mind. Those rosy pink lips


    had a natural appearance, and he felt it was the most suitable color.


    ¡°Wipe it off,¡± said Lucas.


    ¡°Huh?¡± His words were so sudden that Aria failed to react in time.


    ¡°I said, wipe off your lipstick ¡±


    Aria was left dumbfounded. They were on the way to the banquet. She had deliberately dressed up


    today because of the event.


    If she removed her lipstick, her makeup would be ruined. Not only would she not stand out from the


    rest, but she was afraid that others might startughing at her.


    ¡°Now? But we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± interrupted Lucas impatiently.


    Aria noticed the displeasure in his gaze, but she didn¡¯t want to risk angering him. She bit her lip as she


    pulled out a napkin. which she used to wipe off her lipstick.


    Lucas then pulled out a silver bracelet from his pocket. He nced down at it with unprecedentedly


    gentle eyes while stroking it with his fingertips, as if it were his lover.


    At the very least, he had never looked at Aria in such a way before. As she wiped off her lipstick, Aria


    nced at him through her makeup mirror and noticed his gaze. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of


    envy.


    Only now did she understand what the bracelet represented. She recognized that it was the same


    bracelet found on the little girl in Lucas¡® painting


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Did that bracelet really belong to a little girl? There were rumors in the showbiz industry that Lucas had


    been looking for someone for years. It was said that whoever tracked down that person would stand to


    receive rewards that wouldst more than a lifetime.


    She initially thought it was just a rumor. After all, she knew just how many baseless theories were


    floating around the showbiz industry.


    However, it seems that they weren¡¯t lying about this.


    Lucas must be searching for that girl in his painting! Although Aria had never asked him about it, she


    had seen that painting with her own eyes. After all, she had snuck into his studio on her own ord


    Something told her this was the truth: Lucas was searching for that little girl. More than that, she had a


    feeling that Serenity might actually turn out to be the little girl. Both she and the girl in the painting


    shared striking simrities, especially when Serenity was still a young girl. What¡¯s more, in a picture


    taken many years ago, Serenity wore a simr¨Clooking floral skirt as the girl in the painting.


    Could this all really be just a coincidence?


    If Serenity


    away!?


    was I


    really the person Lucas was looking for, then¡­. didn¡¯t that mean everything she had right now would


    be taken


    If that was the case, Aria could not ept this. She had to stop Lucas from developing such suspicion


    at all costs!


    When Jackson arrived home, he was informed by a servant that Serenity had also returned. However,


    her room was pitch ck when he went to her room.

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    Chapter 378


    Jackson knew that she was afraid of the dark. She had the habit of leaving the lights on even when she


    slept.


    There was a period of time when she was renting her own ce. At the time, she could sleep with the


    lights off, but she seemed to have reverted to her old habit of sleeping with the lights on.


    Jackson frowned at the possibility that she wasn¡¯t in her room.


    Just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard a muffled sounding from within. So she was in


    her room the whole time!


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    He paused in his tracks and reached for the light switch in the dark. The room was engulfed in


    brightness the moment the lights were switched on.


    Immediately, he noticed a slender figure curled up in the corner of the room. She buried her face in her


    knees, and her shoulders twitched as she sobbed silently.


    Was she crying?


    Jackson¡¯s eyes narrowed instantly. He approached her and knelt down next to her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?


    What happened?¡±


    His voice made her freeze up momentarily. Then, she slowly lifted her head and looked at him with her


    almond eyes. They were red and swollen, indicating that she had been crying for quite a while now.


    Tear stains ran down her cheeks, and her expression suggested she was in pain.


    His heart throbbed with pain when he saw how fragile and broken she was at that moment. He rarely


    saw her cry, but every time she did, he would find himself at a loss for what to do.


    ¡°Tell me what happened, please.¡± It was only after a while that Jackson managed to find his voice.


    Serenity sniffled and spoke while choking on her own tears. ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to find my mother. I


    couldn¡¯t find her¡­ I tried but ¡±


    The moment she mentioned her mother, her tears came gushing out. Following her return, she had


    spent days thinking long and hard about where his father had moved her mother¡¯s grave. Was it the


    local cemetery? Or was it somewhere out in the woods?


    Even if she wanted to investigate the matter, she had no idea where to start.


    Despite her repeated phone calls, whether to her father, stepmother, or Aria, they all went unanswered.


    What could she do? Pay them fifty million dors? Even if she sold herself, she was doubtful that she


    could fetch that amount.


    Then, her gaze Landed on Jackson. It suddenly made sense why her father and stepmother were


    asking her to fork out fifty million dors. While she would never be able to afford that sum, he couldl.


    At that point, Jackson furrowed his brows. He was confused. Wasn¡¯t her mother already dead? What


    did she mean when she


    said she couldn¡¯t find her?


    ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± he asked while wiping her tears away. Serenity reached up and grabbed


    his hand. With a look of determination in her eyes, she said, ¡°I need fifty million dors. If you¡¯re willing


    to give me that much¡­ I¡¯ll stay with you! It doesn¡¯t matter how long, I¡¯ll stay by your side. You can do


    anything with me! Anything!!


    H


    As long as she had the fifty million dors, she¡¯d be able to find where her mother¡¯s grave was!


    Her mother was¡­ the only thing that kept her spirit alive. Serenity had lost everything Leaving aside


    her future, she had lost even the chance to grieve over her mother¡¯s passing! This was something she


    wasar¡¯i prepared to give up.


    Jackson¡¯s


    ¡®s expression darkened. Staring unflinchingly at Serenity, he asked, ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re


    talking about?¡±

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    Chapter 379


    ¡°I know,¡± replied Serenity through her sobbing. Now that things hade to this, she had no idea what


    other method she could use to acquire fifty million dors.


    Jackson smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna pay you,¡± he said.


    Serenity froze up immediately. All of a sudden, she felt like a deted balloon as thest glimmer of


    hope faded from her eyes.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to pay her. What made her think that he would fork out such an outrageous


    sum of money just because she promised to stay with him?


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenityughed at how pathetic she was. Did she really think that his interest in her was worth that


    much money? She silently lowered her head, and her grip on his hand gradually loosened.


    Jackson gazed at her silently. After a while, he stood up and said, ¡°Sis, I think you should get a proper


    rest first. I¡¯ll get the servants to prepare some food for you. After that, you should go get some sleep.¡±


    After telling her that, he got up and left the room. That left Serenity alone in the needlessly¨Cspacious


    room.


    She sped her hands together tightly. As she thought¡­ she¡¯d be left alone again. Turns out, a


    combination of loneliness and helplessness really eats away at one¡¯s soul. Even if she was willing to


    sell herself, it wasn¡¯t as easy as she thought.


    Jackson went straight to his study. There, he gave Connor a call ¡°I need you to check her trail today.


    Find out what happened, and what made her lose control like this.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± replied Connor. It took only an hour for him to figure out the gist of what happened. He


    reported the findings of his investigation to Jackson over the phone.


    ¡°Her grave was moved?¡± asked Jackson with a frown.


    ¡°Yes. A week ago, Ms. Lewis¡® father had histe wife¡¯s grave moved somewhere else. She found out


    about this today when she visited her mother¡¯s grave. The caretaker said she grew incredibly emotional


    upon learning what happened and insisted on going up the hill. He said she left in a hurry aftering


    back down¡­¡±


    Connor went on to describe Serenity¡¯s visit to her father¡¯s home, and the conversation he had with their


    neighbors. He even went as far as to report the records of her phone call with her father as well as


    Aria.


    ¡°From the call record, it seems that she called her family 38 times in total, but they were all


    unanswered.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s expression grew increasingly bitter as the report went on. A rough guess told him that they


    were demanding fifty million dors from her in exchange for information about her mother¡¯s


    whereabouts.


    She was nning to sell herself just to obtain that information? That woman¡­


    An indescribable wave of emotions surged in Jackson whenever he thought about her.


    ¡°Find out where her mother¡¯s grave is,¡± he instructed.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    At that moment, one of his servants locked on his door. She came to report that Serenity wasn¡¯t willing


    to eat, nor was she responding to their words.


    ¡°I understand,¡± replied Jackson. He then walked over to Serenity¡¯s mom. When he entered the ce,


    he immediately noticed the untouched te of food sitting on a tter. She was still in the same


    curled¨Cup position as when he first entered her room earlier.

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    Chapter 380


    Jackson walked up to her with the te of food and ced it in front of her. ¡°Sis, if you want to know


    where your r buried, finish this.¡±


    Serenity abruptly lifted her head and stared at him in astonishment.


    What did he mean by that? Could it be..


    ¡°Do you know where my mom¡¯s buried?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after you eat your food,¡± replied Jackson


    mother¡¯s


    Serenity was energized in an instant. She picked up the te and began devouring everything on her


    te. The sight of her eating like this made Jackson turrow his brows. She wasn¡¯t acting like her usual


    self.


    Still, this proved how important her mother¡¯s gra


    was to her.


    Wearing a slight frown, Jackson inspected the tear stains on her face, as well as her swollen eyes,


    which had be worse than before.


    Did that mean she started crying again after he left the room earlier?


    ¡°Slow down, even if your mother¡¯s grave was moved to the North Pole, I¡¯ll still bring you to her!¡±


    assured Jackson. ¡°On the other hand, you¡¯d waste more time if you chaled on your food.¡±


    ¦§


    As if she was struck by lightning, Serenity¡¯s body jolted, and her hands froze up. A momentter, she


    resumed eating, but at a considerably slower speed.


    Jackson kept watch of her from the sidelines. When she finished her food, he pulled out a napkin and


    carefully wiped theer of her lips


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve finished eating. Tell me, where is my mother buried?¡± asked Serenity with urgency,


    expectation, and anxiety in her eyes.


    She was worried that her expectation would be shattered once more and that Jackson wouldn¡¯t be able


    to locate her mother¡¯s


    Erive.


    He raised his arm and gently wiped her cheek. His fingertips were wet from her tears.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go wash your face. Your mother won¡¯t be happy if she sees you like this,¡± he reminded her.


    ¡°But


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t believe that I¡¯d bring you to your mother¡¯s grave?¡± jackson pouted his


    lips slightly. ¡°Aside from me, there¡¯s no one you can trust. Only I can bring you to the ce you¡¯re


    looking for so desperately.¡±


    Serenity stared at him for a while before she got up and walked over to the bathroom. Inside, she


    tumed on the faucet and gazed into the mirror. She saw her red and swollen eyes, the tear streaks


    running down her cheeks, and the messy fringe that covered her forehead.


    Jackson wasn¡¯t lying. She did look like she was in shambles. If her mother saw the state that she was


    in, she would definitely be sad.


    But was Jackson telling the truth when she said he could bring her to her mother¡¯s grave? Was he


    really going to help her without asking for anything in return?


    She felt restless. Even so, she had no nice but to follow him. After all, he really was the only person


    lett that she could trust.


    After washing her face, Serenity walked out of the bathroom to find Jackson sitting on the sofa. He was


    swiping through her phone.


    ¡°So your father¡¯s asking for fifty million dors in return for the whereabouts of your mother¡¯s grave?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Serenity as she lowered her head.

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    Chapter 381


    ¡°Before you asked me for the money, why didn¡¯t you ask for my help in tracking down your mother¡¯s


    grave?¡± asked Jackson.


    Serenity was caught by surprise when she heard his question. At that moment, she realized how


    foolish she was. Even if she really handed fifty million to her father, was he really going to stop at that?


    Who¡¯s to say he wouldn¡¯t ask for more?


    As Jackson suggested, she really should have just sought his help in finding out where her mother¡¯s


    grave was moved.


    The only exnation was that she was blinded by pante. She couldn¡¯t believe she had managed to


    overlook such an obvious option.


    ¡°Can you bring me there now?¡± she asked anxiously. At this point, the only time she could be at ease is


    after personally visiting her mother¡¯s grave.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. You should rest first. If you¡¯re feeling sleepy, you can take a nap first,¡±


    advised Jackson.


    But how could she sleep now? Serenity could only stare at him with helpless eyes.


    After roughly 15 minutes, his phone rang. He answered the call, and momentster, he replied, ¡°Alright,


    I understand. I¡¯ll be there shortly. Remember to make the arrangements I mentioned earlier.¡±


    Jackson tucked his phone away after ending the call. He turned to Serenity and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    She immediately understood what he meant. Looks like he was bringing her to her mother¡¯s new grave


    after all. She got on her feet and followed closely behind Jackson


    When she got onboard his car, she realized that instead of heading to one of the various cemeteries in


    Sria, they were heading for arge neighborhood in the city.


    When the car rolled to a stop, Serenity looked around the area in surprise, then she turned to Jackson


    with a skeptical expression. After all, they were parked in an old suburb in the middle of the city.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Jarkson as he led her by the hand into the area.


    Serenity dazedly followed his lead Sonn, they arrived in front of one of the houses where Connor, his


    secretary was waiting There also appeared to be several men who lonked like bodyguards standing


    nearby.


    The moment Connor caught sight of Jackson, he stepped forward and said, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s inside.¡±


    Jackson brought Serenity into the house. It was apparent that Connor had it cleared out before they


    arrived. When she entered the ce, she could tell that this ce was likely rented out. However, no


    one was home at the moment.


    Walking ahead of them, Connor opened one of the rooms. It was minimally furnished with an empty


    bedframe and a table. From what Serenity could see, aside from a box on the table, the room was


    virtually empty.


    Hold on, that wasn¡¯t a box. It was an um!


    Serenity¡¯s pupils constricted when she realized what it was. She marched forward and grasped the urn


    with her trembling hands. She noticed there were engravings on the side of the um, and sure enough, it


    was her mother¡¯s name and the date when she passed.


    This was¡­ her mother¡¯s urn!Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Serenity felt her heart racing. She assumed that her father had bought a new grave t for her mother


    when she heard about the move.


    To her shock and dismay, he couldn¡¯t even bother to buy her a new grave. Instead, he had rented a


    room just to store her urn!


    Connor¡¯s subsequent exnation continued ber quess.

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    Chapter 382


    ¡°From our investigation, after Ms. Lewis¡¯s father removed her mother¡¯s urn from its original location, he


    ced it here and paid three months¡® rent in advance. After a brief visit on the first day, he never


    returned again.¡±


    Connor continued, ¡°We¡¯ve asked around, but he hasn¡¯t reached out to any cemetery in particr, nor


    has he initiated any ns to purchase a new grave plot.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s eyes remained firmly nted on the um.


    So¡­ he never really nned to relocate her grave all this time? Everything he did until this point was


    just to get her to fork out the money.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    It was likely that after her use was expended, he would simply throw the urn back at her.


    What a terrible father, Well, at least she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his funeral expenses in the


    future.


    Serenity wondered how her mother would feel if she knew how she was being treated by a man that


    she once loved.


    Even after her death, he still had the audacity to use her. Serenity found the situation as sad as it was


    absurd. Her nose wrinkled, but no tears came. Perhaps she had cried too much just now that her tears


    had already run dry.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Serenity to Jackson. If not for him, she would never have found her mother¡¯s ashes.


    ¡°You can save your thanks forter.¡± Jackson then turned to Connor and asked, ¡°Is everything ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± replied Connor.


    Jackson turned back to her and said, ¡°Take your mother¡¯s ashes with you. The most important thing


    now is to allow her soul


    to rest.


    Taken aback by his statement, she stared at him dumbfoundedly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve made the necessary arrangements,¡± he said.


    It was a simple sentence, but it did wonders in calming her restless heart. It felt as if she didn¡¯t have to


    worry as long as he was here.


    Serenity followed Jackson out of the rented ce and got in his car. By the time they came to a stop,


    they were outside a rtively famous cemetery in Sria.


    It was well¨Cknown because of its convenient location and well¨Cmaintained facilities. Due to this, one


    wouldn¡¯t be able to buy a grave plot even if they could pay for it.


    Jackson brought Serenity to one of the empty plots, where several men wearing overalls stood waiting


    for them. They seemed to be workers employed by the cemetery.


    She nced down at the gravestone and found her mother¡¯s name carved into its surface. All this had


    been prepared before their arrival


    Serenity would never have been capable of doing this on her own, if not for Jackson¡¯s help.


    ¡°I thought this was a good ce to bury your mother. If you¡¯re not satisfied, we can pick another


    location,¡± said Jackson

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    Chapter 383


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine with this ce!¡± replied Serenity hastily. The grave plot Jadeson had picked for her mother


    had its own private spacepared to the other graves


    Using an analogy with the different types of houses, the rest of the cemetery was Ie an apartment


    ck, while her mother¡¯s grave was a standalone bungalow.


    The private grave plot was neatly lined with a row of trees. There were also marble tables and chairs


    for visitors within thepound


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Jackson. ¡°Then it¡¯s time for you toy down your mother¡¯s ashes.¡±


    Serenity nodded before she knelt down and ced the urn inside a hole specially dug to contain the


    um. Then, the workers covered the hole with cement, thus sealing the grave.


    One of them passed a contract over to her. It contained a fifty¨Cyear lease over the grave plot. She was


    shocked when she saw the price of the lease. It was so expensive that she probably wouldn¡¯t be able


    to afford the lease even prior to the incident.


    ¡°All expenses have been paid for my Mr. Valor I just need you to sign here, Ms. Lewis, said the worker


    Once again. Serenity was indebted to Jackson. Biting her lip nervously, she scribbled her signature on


    the piece of paper. This wasn¡¯t the time to worry about her dignity.


    After the cemetery workers left, Jackson had Connor bring over some candles and lowers to


    commemorate the asion.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had the chance to grieve over your mother¡¯s death, so you might as well do it now,¡± said


    Jackson as he knelt down to arrange the candles in front of the gravestone. He then produced a lighter


    andt up the candles.


    Serenity took the flowers and stared nkdy at the gravestone. Now that her mother¡¯s ashes had been


    returned, her heart was finally at peace.


    Even after her mother¡¯s death, her grave seemed to offer a sense of spiritual support for Serenity


    whenever she felt down. She lowered her head and said a prayer for her mother in heaven.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s winter now that I¡¯m finally able to see you. I promise I¡¯ll visit you every day. You don¡¯t have


    to wait for me anymore,¡± she murmured under her breath. ¡°If you¡¯re really out there, I pray for your


    blessing, so that I can uncover the truth behind the car ident and avenge myself.¡±


    Jackson overheard her words, which made his expression darken immediately. His hand, which held


    the flowers trembled. imperceptibly.


    After Serenityid a bunch of flowers over her mother¡¯s grave, Jackson followed suit.


    The scene caught Connor and their bodyguards by surprise. While it wasmon practice tu respect


    the dead, the sight of their master bowing to another person shucked them to the cure. After all, there


    were only a handful of people in the city that he would treat with such respect.


    Serenity was equally as astonished. ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She is your mother, isn¡¯t she? It¡¯s only natural that I should pay my respects,¡± replied Jackson as he


    knelt down and ced a flower over her grave.


    If it weren¡¯t for this woman, then Serenity would never have existed, and she was someone he never


    expected to want so


    much


    At that point, she felt an indescribable mix of emotions in her heart. As the pale mtlight bounced off his


    body, It almost looked like he was wrapped in a silver rule.

 Chapter 384

    Chapter 384


    Chapter 384


    12


    Chapter 384


    Jackson¡¯s pitch ck hair contrasted its fair skin. From her position, she could clearly see his beautiful


    neck, his shapely ear, and the side profile of his face.


    Everything about him was maic as she couldn¡¯t look away from him. At that moment, she felt even


    his ear was much better looking than any other person¡¯s.


    When he straightened his back and turned to face her, Serenity felt her heart hammering against her


    chest.


    His gaze under the moonlight was gentle. His lips opened and closed, creating sounds that tugged at


    her heartstrings as if they were a magical harp.


    At that moment, Serenity felt her surroundings fade away, making him the only existing being in her


    world.


    Then, she watched as his face inched closer. His facial features were wless as if they were sculpted


    by God¡¯s own hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± his voice sounded.


    Serenity snapped out of her reverie and realized she had fallen into a trance from stating at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s it¡¯s nothing,¡± replied Serenity.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s head back. If you wish to see your mother, we cane here any time. Even if


    your father finds our that she¡¯s buried here, he won¡¯t be able to move her grave,¡± assured Jackson


    While speaking, he extended his hand toward her.


    She looked at his outstretched hand in a daze. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she ced her hand in his.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Serenity.


    This was the second time she had thanked him tonight. The first time was after he helped her locate


    her mother¡¯s um. This time, she was thanking him forying her mother¡¯s remains to rest


    ¡°If you really want to thank me, maybe you can start lng me more,


    teased Jackson,


    Serenity was lost for words as she blushed shyly. With her head lowered, she followed him out of the


    cemetery.


    After they got into their vehicle, Serenity gazed at the cemetery that was receding into the distance.


    The weight that bore down on her shoulders had finally slid off.


    From today onward, her mother would be resting here for good. No more would she have to worry


    about her father moving her grave.


    All this was thanks to Jackson.


    Although she repeatedly stated that she wanted to maintain a strict boundary between them to avoid


    getting entangled any further, Jackson was still the person who stepped in and solved her problem.


    He said she should like him more.


    But how much of her feelings for him was true? Also¡­could she really ovee the fear that gued


    her heart? Could she look past the suffering that he put her through for three whole years and start


    lilding him?


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Sermity unwittingly peered at Jackson, who sat next to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me like this?¡± asked Jackson with a raised brow


    ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing,¡± answered Serenity with a stutter. Warnever he looked at her like that, her heart would


    inevitably start racing.


    She subconsciously avoided his gaze.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked, Jackson leaned over and lifted her n with his slender fingers, forcing her


    to make eye contact with him. ¡°Despite what you said, I could sense the conflict in emotions in your


    gaze. Is there anything about me that¡¯s


    making you feel that way?¡±

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    Chapter 385


    Chapter 355


    Serenity noticed that whenever Jackson nced at her, there would always be a hint of fascination in


    his gaze as if they had already known each other for years. However, she also noticed that he would


    quickly revert to his usual self, who acted as if he desperately wanted to leave her.


    Something seemed to have changed recently, as she noticed the struggle in his eyes.


    At that moment, Serenity had no idea what was the appropriate response. Under his intense gaze, her


    face grew bright red.


    ¡°Why are you looking away? I want you to look at me, sis¡± said Jackson as he moved closer to her. As


    if his volce contained a magical spell, her gaze unwittingly returned to his face.


    When she looked at him, she was met with a gentle gaze, from which she sensed longing and


    attachment. His hair was slicked back, which left his forehead exposed. In her mind, the image of him


    right now kept ovepping with ¡°Jack¡± from before.


    Back then, Jack would also look at her in the same way.


    ¡°Perhaps, you have developed a bit of feelings for me?¡± whispered Jackson in her ear.


    A guilty expression shed across her face. Her lips parted and she wanted to deny it, but those words


    remained stuck in her


    throat


    I


    ¡®Do¡­ I like him?¡± wondered Serenity. If she viewed him as ¡°Jack¡°, of course she liked him, but only as


    a kid brother. But as


    Jackson Valor¡­


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You like me.¡± His tone carried a degree of certainty when he whispered into her ear.


    The look on her face had already given him the answer he sought. His lips curled into a smile that


    pervaded his eyes. On the other hand, she found his smile to be incredibly beautiful.


    After returning to the Valor family residence, Serenity followed Jackson into the living room. Suddenly,


    she asked, ¡°Um¡­ you¡¯ve helped me out so much today. H¨Chow should I repay you?


    This was how the world worked. A favor in return for a favor. It was perfectly reasonable if he was


    expecting her to do something for him in return.


    Jackson paused in his tracks and turned to face her. ¡°How do you n on repaying me? Staying by my


    side forever?¡±


    Serenity bit her lip and took a deep breath. She was about to say yes when he pressed a finger against


    her lips. ¡°Have you forgotten? I already turned down your offer when you asked me for fifty million.¡±


    She nced at him skeptically.


    ¡°Even if I could get you through this deal, it would never be enough for me. I don¡¯t just want this, do you


    understand?¡± his voice reverberated through the living room.


    Then what exactly did he want?


    ¡°I want you to like me. Not just a little bit, but I want you to really really like me,¡± said Jackson as he


    leaned toward her face.¡°1 want you to like me so much that you can¡¯t afford to lose me.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s heart was racing when she heard that, She could feel the blood rushing through her veins.


    Jackson softly caressed her face with his fingers. ¡°Yes, I can make you promise to stay by my side


    forever, but what¡¯s the point If it¡¯s not what you truly desire?¡±

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386


    Chapter 386


    From the very beginning, all Jackson wanted was for Serenity to love him willingly.


    As time passed, his desire for this grew stronger. He wanted her to develop strong feelings for him only


    In fact, he could not ept the possibility that she might be with another man in the future. Every time


    he thought of this, his heart would be overwhelmed by a tidal wave of jealousy.


    Jealousy.. because of her, he finally understood how it felt to be jealous,


    Serenity looked up at him intently. The hand that rested against her cheek felt het. At that moment,


    memories of the time she spent with him came flooding through her mind.


    Even¡­ even if she felt a certain degree of fear toward him, perhaps she really had developed feelings


    for him.


    In fact, she might have already liked him back when he was still known to her as ¡°Jack¡±


    ¡°Are you really okay with me falling for you?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Jackson without hesitation


    ¡°What about you? How do you feel about me? Or perhaps you¡¯re interested in me because we just


    met? So¡­ I¡¯m just a decent ything in your eyes?¡±


    Serenity had to drum up her courage just to express her true feelings.


    Jackson lowered his gaze and sneered. ¡°III regarded you as a mere ything, why would I be standing


    here now?!¡±


    He reached around the back of her neck and pulled her closer to his body. ¡°In my life, there are only so


    many people that i truly love. Perhaps you¡¯re the only person I love aside from my father. Why don¡¯t


    you tell me how I feel about you.¡±


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    That was the sound of Serenity¡¯s heart drumming against her ribcage.


    She slowly raised her hands and held Jackson¡¯s cheeks, as if to confirm to herself that he was really


    standing there. Caught by surprise, his body from up imomentarily.


    As surprised as he was, he still felt excited and a strong desire for her.


    ¡°I like you, Jack¡± Serenity heard her voice say


    This was the first time she admitted to liking him after knowing his true identity.


    next day, Serenity found Jackson sitting on the side of the bed when she opened her eyes.


    He was dressed in a white shirt and beige trousers, Under the maming sun, he carried a clean and


    refreshing aura like Prince Charming that little girls dreamed of.


    They exchanged pazes.


    ¡°Are you awake¡± an elegant voice rang in her ears.


    Shocked, Serenity¡¯s body folted upright. Staring at him wide¨Ceyed, she asked, ¡°What are you doing


    here?¡±


    ¡°There are some things I need to confirm with you again,¡± he exined. He leanest into her and


    brushed a few strands of hair on her check behind her ears. ¡°That¡¯s why Jamar to your nomen.¡®


    ¡°What do you need to confirm with me?*


    Serenity felt parched. The visual impact of his presence was even greater due to their close proodmilly.


    Everything ab Jackson, from his gaze to his aura, was capable of malding anyone¡¯s heart flutter.


    ¡°Do you remember what you said yesterday? That you lilood me?¡± he asked in a hushed tone.


    Chapter 386


    Serenity¡¯s face tumed bright red the moment memories fromst night reyed in her mind.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I remember¡­¡± she murmured as she bit her lip nervously.

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387


    Chapter 387


    Perhaps Serenity was a little impulsive when she said thatst night. But¡­ It was the truth. It seems


    that at some point, she had fallen for this man named Jackson Valor


    Toward him, she felt both fear and admiration. Although they were contradicting feelings, they still


    existed together.


    ¡°That means you wish to be with me, yes?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°Huh?¡± His question caught her by surprise. Suddenly, she remembered how he pulled her into his


    arms after she confessed her feelings for him.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then what do I have to do to make you like me only, and not any other man?¡±


    When Serenity heard what he said, she blurted out in response, ¡°You mean¡­ like a boyfriend?¡±


    Jackson murmured in reply, ¡°Boyfriend, huh? Do you wish to date me?


    Date me? Her mind went nk when she heard those words. Perhaps she had never imagined the two


    of them in such a rtionship.


    The corners of Jackson¡¯s mouth were upturned. ¡°Then we¡¯ll do just that. How do you feel about us


    dating?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Serenity without hesitation. Aside from that, she had no idea how to respond to his


    question. Was she really gonna date Jackson? Such a scenario had never crossed her imagination


    before.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t regret this,¡± whispered Jackson into her ear. ¡°After all, you said those words yourself.


    Even if you wish to regret your decision, I¡¯m not gonna allow that to happen.¡±


    At that moment, she noticed the look of determination in his eyes.


    That¡¯s right. He would ensure she never regretted her decision. The woman that he longed for had


    finally fallen into his


    1. ds. There was no reason to destroy such a precious opportunity.


    On the other hand, Serenity¡¯s heart was in turmoil.


    Date. Was she really dating Jackson?


    When Serenity clocked in at the restaurant, she was still in a daze, ra was nowhere in sight when


    she arrived. She only saw Mrs. Wells sitting at the counter with Yann in herp


    ¡°Where¡¯s ra?¡± she asked


    ¡°She uli.. went out to du some errands. She¡¯ll probably be back soon,¡± replied Mrs. Wells nervously.


    To her surprise, Serenity did not sense the nervousness in her reply. Instead, she proceeded to set up


    the store. After she was done with that, she picked up Yanny and yed with him for a bit.


    The child loved Serenity so much that he would smile styly whenever she picked him up. She was so


    busymunicating with the little boy through abination of gestictions and random band


    signals that she failed to notice the worried look


    on Mrs. Well¡¯s face.


    At the moment, ra was standing in a massive office before Lucas Gomez, the man renowned as the


    prince of the showbiz industry.


    Back when she first met him, she never would have imagined she would one day seek his audience


    under such conditions.


    ¡°I heard from my secretary that you¡¯ve been asking to see me,¡± said Lucas. If his secretary hadn¡¯t


    mentioned the name of a certain someone, he would never have bothered to see her today.


    ¡°Mr. Gomez, 1¡­ have something to ask of you today,¡± replied ra with her heal lowered

 Chapter 388

    Chapter 388


    Chapter 388


    ¡°Turns out I wasn¡¯t mistaken at all. It really was you.¡± Lucas nced at ra with an indifferent


    expression, ¡°Let me guess. You want me to keep what I saw a secret from Wilson?


    ra¡¯s body trembled the moment she heard him mention Wilson¡¯s name. It¡¯s been such a long time


    since shest heard someone talking about him.


    It was a name that she once loved, but also hated. Now, she just wanted to stay as far as possible


    away from that person, so she could continue her life in peace.


    ¡°Yes,¡± affirmed ra through gritted teeth. ¡°I understand that I don¡¯t have the right to tell you what to


    do, but I beg your mercy. Just pretend that you didn¡¯t see me!¡±


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ra¡¯s tone indicated that she had epted her position as an interior in this negotiation. Even if he


    wanted her to gravel at his feet, she likely would have done so without hesitation.


    ¡°You probably know that for the past few years, he¡¯s been on the search for you,¡± said Lucas.


    ra pursed her lips and remained silent, He was searching for her, not because he felt she hadn¡¯t


    suffered enough, but because she had broken off from the painful course that he initially set her on.


    He was looking for her because she had unexpectedly gone ¡°missing¡°.


    ¡°Mr. Gomez, please! You should know what happened between us! I just want to love peacefully. I


    didn¡¯t harm anyone, and I don¡¯t want to be harmed either,¡± pleaded ra.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t harm anyone?¡± Lucas sneeredzily. But everyone knows how you made Wilson¡¯s girlfriend


    suffer a miscarriage. You¡¯re a murderer.¡±


    ra gritted her teeth and shut her eyes in pain. His words branded her body with guilt. Despite


    repeatedly denying evermitting such an act, no one believed her. Even the person she loved the


    most had her sent to prison.


    Before the polire brought her away, she asked him, ¡°Have you ever loved me, Wilson?


    ¡°How could I possibly love you? From the very beginning, I had nothing but hatred for you. ra, I want


    you to live out the rest of your life in pain¡±


    That was thest thing he had said to her.


    The man she loved the most wanted her to spend the rest of life in agony. At that point, she realized


    that the sweet affection from before was only a part of his revenge.


    While ra was serving her time in prison, she heard that Wilson got engaged to his girlfriend and that


    they were in a loving rtionship. On the other hand, she was known to most as his crazy ex¨Cgirlfnenl


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it!¡± said ra with a trembling voice. With herst ounce of strength, she attempted to


    assert her innocence.


    For some reason, Lucas was reminded of Serenity when he saw ra like this. He had investigated


    Serenity¡¯s case before, so helsew she also served time in prison.


    From the reports that he read, Serenity never pleaded guilty in court in rtion to the car ident from


    back then.

 Chapter 389

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    Chapter 389


    Perhaps there was more to the story than a simple car ident. Lucas pondered in silence and


    laughed to himself. The only fatality from the car ident was Mira Hall, Jackson¡¯s ncee. Yet,


    Serenity and Jackson were dating today.


    If it really were a plot to remove Mira from the picture, then Jackson would have investigated the


    matter. Why was he being so worked up about it?


    It¡¯s just that¡­


    ¡°When did Serenity start working at your shop?¡± asked Lucas not of the blue.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Even ra was surprised by his question. After a moment, she answered, ¡°I guess about half a


    month ago? She¡¯s helping us with order deliveries ¡±


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How is she as a worker?¡± inquired Luca


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty good. Serenity¡¯s a diligent worker and rarely messes up our orders. I¡¯ve never heard her


    comin about being tired¡­¡±


    As ra spake about Serenity, Lucas propped up his face and wore an intrigued expression. His lips


    were curled into a smile, and there was a renewed gentle look on his facepared to before.


    This caught ra by surprise. Could it be that Lucas was¡­ but how was this possible!? Being the


    prince of the showbiz industry, he was constantly surrounded by all sorts of beautifuldies.


    Serenity, on the other hand, was a in Jane who rarely wore makeup or dressed up for work. Her


    hands were rough and


    calloused, which indicated the sort of work she was typically engaged with


    These two people were from seemingly different worlds. If she hadn¡¯t seen them talking in a small


    restaurant, who would have thought Lucas was acquainted with Serenity?


    After ra answered his question about Serenity working at her store, Lucas shifted his attention back


    to her. ¡°You¡¯re saying she had juste out of prison when she applied to work at your shop? Why did


    you ept her application? Aren¡¯t you afraid that she¡¯ll cause trouble, given her background?¡±


    ra shed a bitter smile at him. ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I was in the same position as her, so I could


    empathize with her.¡±


    cing herself in Serenity¡¯s shoes, she could tell that she desperately needed a job.


    ¡°Empathy huh¡­¡±


    Lucas murmured to himself. After a moment, he turned to ra and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you. At the


    very least, I won¡¯t tell Wilson that I saw you. Even so, I can¡¯t guarantee someone else won¡¯t tell him


    about it.¡±


    For ra, this promise was more than enough.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Gomez. Thank you,.¡± ra thanked him repeatedly. Her intuizzon told her that


    ¡°empathy¡± was what convinced the prince of the showbiz industry to help her.


    However, it sepiped to confirm that Mr. Gomez really had feelings for. There was a hint of worry in


    ra¡¯s eyes. She wondered if this would turn out to be good or detrimental for Serenity.


    After all, she was in this exact position before. From the time they spent together, ra started to view


    Serenity as more than a mere employee. She was a friend.


    Perhaps her fare would change if she involved herself further with Lucas. Whether she would be happy


    in the future was¡­ still hard to say.


    Around noon, Grayson received a call from thendlord of the room he was renting. He was informed


    that someone had entered the ce, which shocked him. With an anxious voice, he asked, ¡°Who was


    it? I¡¯m a tenant here! How could you open the door without asking me first?!¡±


    2/2


    Thendlord responded angrily. ¡°I can¡¯t believe your audacity! I allowed you to rent this ce for


    yourself, not to store a dead person¡¯s ashes! Thanks to you, the police investigated my ce and


    they¡¯re now demanding me to renovate it because of regtions! I¡¯ll have you know, you won¡¯t be


    getting your deposit back Not a single cent!¡±

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390


    Chapter 390


    Thendlord¡¯s reply pissed off Grayson to no end. He was about to ask thendlord about the room


    when the man hung up. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did something happen to the um?¡± asked Catherine


    anxiously.


    ¡°Thendlord said someone went therest night and took it away!¡± replied Grayson.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°What do you mean? What about our money? If not for that damned urn, that girl would never give us


    fifty million!¡± Catherine began panicking. All of a sudden, a possibility popped up in her mind. ¡°Hight,


    she must¡¯ve hired someone to take it away¡­¡±


    With a frown. Grayson dialed Serenity¡¯s number.


    A momentter, shr answered the call. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve thought about it, and since you¡¯re still my daughter, if you can¡¯t fork out the fifty million you


    promised yesterday, 1¡¯ll ept half that amount first, and I¡¯ll tell you where your mother¡¯s buried. Didn¡¯t


    you say that you were getting along well with Jackson? He shouldn¡¯t have a probleming up with


    that amount, right?


    Although the are was gone, Grayson thought he could still deceive his daughter. If Serenity wasn¡¯t the


    one who took the um away, then he could still purchase a new um and fill it up with fake ashes. It


    wasn¡¯t muchpared to the twenty¨Cfive million that he could still get


    What he didn¡¯t see was the pained expression on Serenity¡¯s face on the other end of the line. She


    couldn¡¯t believe her father was still trying to scam her using her mother¡¯s ashes. Even after her death,


    he still wanted to squeeze as much use out of his wife as possible.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I acquired Mother¡¯s ashesst night, and I¡¯ve given her a proper burial,¡±


    replied Serenity. Grayson was fuming from the ears when he heard that ¡°I knew it was you! How dare


    you barge into a room I was renting! How dare you remove your mother¡¯s ashes and hery her without


    my permission! Don¡¯t forget. I¡¯m herte husband!¡±


    ¡°oh, so now you remember that you¡¯re her husband? If she were alive, I doubt you¡¯d say the same,¡±


    snorted Serenity coldly. ¡°Is. Is this how you talk to your father? You better tell me where she¡¯s buried, or


    I¡¯m gonna tile awsuit against you! Even Jackson won¡¯t be able to protect you! Don¡¯t think he treats


    you seriously just because you two are together. Unlike Arm, who¡¯s officially epted as Lucas¡±


    girlfriend, you¡¯re nothing but a ything for Jackson,¡±


    ¡°oh? I¡¯d like to see you try. Let¡¯s see if I¡¯m capable of protecting her.¡±


    Grayson was interrupted halfway through his sentence by a man¡¯s voice. His tone sounded cold and


    hostile, which almost made Grayson choke on his own spit. At that moment, he fruze up and almost


    dropped his phone.


    Is that¡­ Jackson¡¯s voin?!


    Was he standing next to Serenity all this time? Did he hear their conversation earlier?


    ¡°About that


    The call ended before Grayson was given the chance to exin himself.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Catherine in a panic¨Cstricken voice. The call wasn¡¯t put on speakerphone, so


    she didn¡¯t war Jackson¡¯s voice.


    ¡°What else?That girl managed to convince Jarkson to protect her!¡± yelled Grayson angrily. He was


    primarily ticked off by the fact that be was missing out on the benefits of his daughter dating such a rich


    and powerful man.

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391


    Chapter 391


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    If he had known that the girl had such ability, he should have treated her better from the beginning


    But now, it was useless, even if Grayson regretted it.


    When Catherine heard her husband¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but bitterly say, ¡°How did Jackson fall


    for her? She¡¯s a girl who has been to prison! And she was responsible for his fianc¨¦e¡¯s death!¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Grayson replied impatiently.


    ¡°Well, either way, there must be more to it than meets the eye,¡± Catherine said. ¡°She¡¯s nothing like our


    darling Aria, who¡¯s open and honest. I¡¯m sure she can even marry into the Gomez family someday.


    Didn¡¯t Aria also fund this trip that we¡¯re on?¡±


    Grayson¡¯s mood improved slightly when he thought about his daughter. All his hopes were now pinned


    on ber.


    On the other side, Jackson returned the phone to Serenity, his eyes shing with a hint of stemness.


    ¡°What kind of fate do you wish for your father?¡±


    He asked her the question with a smile, but she understood the fierceness in his gaze.


    In that Instant, Serenity understood that no matter what fate she wanted for her father, she feared that


    once she said it, he would make it happen for her.


    However..


    ¡°No need. It¡¯s fine to let things be considered settled between us like this,¡± Serenity said.


    Her father¡¯s actions had only erased herst trace of affection for him. She used to believe that her


    father still had a bit of lingering affection for her mother. After all, they had fallen in love and married


    freely back then, and her mother married her father when he was at his lowest point.


    But now she realized that it was just her wishful thinking


    The scariest thing, it turned out, was time.


    Despite their past love, not a trace of it remained after so many years.


    Jackson couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow. With her eyes lowered and a calm expression, there was a


    faint sense of mockery and sadness around her. It was as if something was slipping away within her,


    and no matter what, he couldn¡¯t hold onto it.


    Suddenly, almost instinctively, he tightly embraced her, wanting to hold onto her. Now that she had


    finally begun approaching him, he didn¡¯t want to let her go


    Serenity froze momentarily. She felt herself fall into a firm embrace, but along with it came his hands


    tightly encircling her body, making it almost difficult for her to breathe.


    ¡°Jackson¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t help but call out.


    Her voice caused a shiver to run through his body, and then he loosened his grip on her slightly, though


    he still held her in his arms and didn¡¯tpletely let go.


    ¡°Call me Jack I like hearing you call me that,¡± he whispered. His elegant voice carried a hint of


    hoarseness that pierced through her ears and right into her heart.


    She pursed her lips, hesitating momentarily, but finally whispered, ¡°Jack¡±


    A smile curled up at the corner of his lips. ¡°It sounds delightful.¡±


    Serenity looked at the smile on his face and felt somewhat daz?s?. It was as if a simple call of his name


    from her could. him happy and content.

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392


    Chapter 392


    Did Jackson.. really like her now?


    Serenity couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡®But how long can this feelingst?!


    It was like when her mother married her father. Her mother must have thought that her father loved her


    very much. But now, it seems like no trace of that love was left in her father¡¯s heart. The once profound


    love became nothing more than a joke as time went by.


    Even back when Serenity was with Zeke, didn¡¯t they have a passionate love? She thought she had


    found someone worth entrusting her life to, but that person had easily turned around and severed their


    rtionship!


    ¡°Do you also think I¡¯m just ying with your feelings? Jackson suddenly asked.


    Serenity froze, not knowing how to answer for a moment. Deep down, she had such thoughts. Even if


    he wasn¡¯t just ying around now, she wasn¡¯t confident in how long his so¨Ccalled feelings wouldst.


    Perhaps a year, two years or maybe just a


    few months.


    ¡°Well then, tell me. What should I do for you to believe that I¡¯m serious about you and not just messing


    around?¡± He stared at her, and the next words from his thin lips almost made her jump off the couch.


    ¡°How about we get married? Would that make you believe that I¡¯m serious?¡±


    Serenity felt her heart skip a beat. ¡°Marriage?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Was he joking? Could such words be said so easily?


    ¡°Yes, marriage,¡± Jackson said confidently. ¡°I don¡¯t n on having another woman by my side, which


    means you¡¯ll be the only woman in my life. Since that¡¯s the case, what¡¯s wrong with marrying you?¡±


    ¡°But


    ¡°Or is it that you never even thought about marrying me?¡± His fingertips lightly brushed against her


    cheek


    She felt flustered. Her heart was racing, and her cheeks were hot where his fingertips had grazed her.


    She had never even considered the idea of marrying him. Even their rtionship had started so


    suddenly that she hadn¡¯t thought about the possibility of bing a couple with him.


    Serenity¡¯s expression made him realize that she truly hadn¡¯t thought about it. Jackson couldn¡¯t help but


    feel a bit amused. If it were any other woman who spent so much time with him, they would have


    probably fantasized about being with him and bing part of the Valor family.


    But she hadn¡¯t even thought about it


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you enter a rtionship with me with the intention of getting married? Or were you nning to


    y with my feelings and abandon meter on?¡±


    He was staring intently at her with his mesmerizing eyes as he spoke. Serenity almost choked on her


    own saliva.


    ying with his feelings..?


    He looked like a man who would never allow such a thing to happen to him, let alone abandon him!


    ¡°Or perhaps you¡¯ve already nned to break up with me since the begining of our rtionship?¡±


    Jackson further pressed for


    Serenity hesitated. She was about to speak, but before she could form the words, Jackson had


    pressed his lips against hers.


    ¡°Mmph¡­¡± She instinctively wanted to pull away and avoid the kiss, but his fingers held her Jaw firmly,


    not allowing her to


    inth.


    When the kiss ended, Serenity found herself leaning heavily against his arm.

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    ¡°You better not even think about breaking up.¡± Jackson whispered with a seductive gaze that was filled


    with endless determination. ¡°Since you¡¯ve agreed to be in a rtionship with me, I¡¯m the only one you


    can ever be with! And you will also be my only one¡±


    His voice was so alluring, drawing her in tightly!


    After Serenity finally finished her lunch in Jackson¡¯s office, she quickly packed up and left the CEO¡¯s


    room. As she walked out, she came face to face with Connor


    Connor politely and with a hint of respect said, ¡°Ms. Lewis, are you leaving


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Serenity replied.


    ¡°Have a safe journey, Connor said.


    Once Serenity entered the elevator, one of the mid¨Clevel employees standing next to Connor couldn¡¯t


    help but ask, ¡°Mr. Gunn, who is she?


    After all, that woman just now was dressed in cheap clothes and didn¡¯t seem like someone from the


    company. Yet, Jackson¡¯s personal secretary treated her with such respect. It was known that very few


    people in thepany received such treatment from Connor.


    ¡°Well,¡± Connor responded meaningfully, ¡°she¡¯s someone you shouldn¡¯t mess with.¡±


    Because that person was someone Jackson held dear!


    If someone messed with her, there may be no turning back.


    Serenity returned to the restaurant and continued delivering takeout. Whenever Jackson ordered a


    large amount of food for delivery to Valor Group and asked her to stay for lunch, she felt a sense of


    guilt, as if she were doing something private during work hours


    However, she couldn¡¯t refuse Jackson¡¯s orders. After all, the daily takeout orders he ced were a


    good source of ie for the restaurant.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s re? Isn¡¯t she back yet? After delivering a few more orders, Serenity realized that


    ra wasn¡¯t in the shop. Mrs. Wells had been managing the cash register all this time.


    ¡°Yanny caught a cold, so ra took him to themunity clinic to get some medicine,¡± Mrs. Wells


    exined.


    In the afternoon, ra returned to the shop with Yanny on her back. The little one was fast asleep,


    resting heavily on his mother¡¯s back. Serenity quickly took him from ra¡¯s back and asked, ¡°Is Yanny


    okay?


    ¡°It¡¯s just amon cold, nothing serious,¡± ra replied with a strained smile.


    Serenity looked at the weariness on ra¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but suggest, ¡°You seem tired. Why


    don¡¯t you take a rest? The shop is empty right now.¡±


    ra shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just worried about Yanny since he¡¯s sick. He can¡¯t express his


    difort properly since sign Language doesn¡¯t convey as much as spokennguage. Also, he¡¯s still


    young with limited signnguage skills, I just hope he doesn¡¯t get sick again before getting the cochlear


    imnt.¡±


    Serenity looked at the peacefully sleeping Yanny. ¡°He¡¯ll be able to get the cochlear imnt in two


    months, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± ra finally showed a hint of a smile. ¡°Although it¡¯s a rtively affordable one, he¡¯ll be able to


    hear sounds and learn to speak. If I have the money in the future, I¡¯ll get him a better one. I¡¯ll be like


    this for the rest of my life, but I hope he can have a better one than mine.¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m sure he will. Also, ra, you still have a long way to go. It¡¯s a bit pessimistic to say such things.


    Who knows, the future might be more exciting. Serenity said.


    ra looked somewhat surprised as she gazed at Serenity. ¡°You seem different.¡±


    ¡°Different?¡± Serenity was puzzled


    ¡°Yes, when you first came to my shop, you seemed weighed down by the world, as if life was about to


    crush you. But now, you seem to be shedding that gloominess and have hope for the future,¡± ra


    said.


    Did she have hope for the future?


    Serenity couldn¡¯t help but freeze. Was it because Lisa was helping her with the case? Or maybe¡­


    because she and Jackson had started anew?


    In the evening, when Serenity came out of the small restaurant, she noticed a car parked not far from


    the restaurant¨Cit was


    dacarp Jackson¡¯s!


    The car door opened when she approached the vehicle. Jackson was sitting in the back seat, looking


    at her. ¡°Get in.¡±


    ¡°But I was nning to ride my electric scooter back. It¡¯ll be inconvenient for me toe here tomorrow


    morning If I leave it here,¡± she said.


    His family¡¯s properties dominated the area where he lived, and there were no public bases nearby.


    Even walling from the Valor Residence to the bus stop was quite a distance.


    Heughed as if it was a funny joke before smiling at her. ¡°Tomorrow morning, I will naturally give you a


    tile here.¡±


    With that, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the car.


    Serenity was speechless. She earned six hundred dors a month, and now be was chauffeuring her to


    and from work in his Bentley?


    It felt like one of those stones one would hear about someone driving a BMW to sell oranges.


    ¡°When did you arrive?¡± Serenity settled on a topic to break the awkward atmosphere inside the car.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Even though she agreed to be in a rtionship with Jackson, she was still unsure how to interact with


    him.


    ¡°I arrived around six thirty,¡± he said.


    She was startled. Six thirty? It was already nine now, which meant he had been waiting outside for two


    and a half hours?!


    ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting in the car?¡± She asked in shock


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, pulling her hand and gently rubbing it. Although the weather was gradually warming up,


    lie seemed to enjoy this way of warming their hands, wanting to share his warmth with her.


    ¡°You could have gone home first. There was no need to wait outside for so long,¡± Serenity said. She


    had thought he hade to pick her up after finishing workte.


    ¡°I wanted to see you earlier,¡± he said, lowering his head and gently lissing her fingertips.


    While in the car, he had been watching her going in and out of the restaurant to deliver takeout. He


    even wundered why she chose such a tiring way of living when she could have chosen a simpler and


    more leisurely lifestyle.


    ¡°Do you really not want me to find you a different job?¡± Jackson asked. ¡°Before, you didn¡¯t want it


    because you didn¡¯t want to get Involved with me. But what about now? I want to help you Won¡¯t you


    ept it?


    ¡°I¡¯m doing well in this small restaurant. I get along well with the owner and the staff. Besides.¡± Serenity


    took a deep breath.¡± I know that if you help me find a job, it will definitely be a good one, but I want to


    rely on myself to make a living.¡±

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    Perhaps it was because of Serenity¡¯s past experiences that she was reluctant to rely too easily on what


    others gave her. Because once that reliance was gone, it would feel like another catastrophic event for


    her.


    Jackson stared at Serenity intently, and he lowered his gaze slightly after a moment. ¡°If you still want to


    continue working here, that¡¯s fine. Let me know if you want to change jobs.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Serenity nodded, not rejecting Jackson¡¯s goodwill this time.


    ¡°Oh, have you had dinner while waiting outside for so long?¡± Serenity asked when she suddenly


    thought of it.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Jackson said.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe into the restaurant to eat!!¡± Serenity exlined.


    Although it was a small restaurant, there was still a variety of food to choose frun. As for whether he


    could eat such food, Serenity didn¡¯t think much about it. After all, when Jackson lived with her in the


    rented house, he would eat with her even if the meals were simple. He didn¡¯t seem to have any issues


    with it¡­


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle inside next time,¡± Jackson replied.


    Serenity suddenly felt like she had said something wrong. If Jackson really came into the restaurant


    like that, it wouldpletely change the atmosphere.


    When the car arrived at the Valor Residence, the chef had already prepared dinner for him. So,


    Serenity joined him for a meal as well.


    Of course, for Serenity, it could be considered supper.


    During the meal, Serenity talked about some things rted to her work at the restaurant. Being a


    delivery rider was pretty easy, and the busiest times were usually during lunch and early evening, while


    the rest of the time was rtively calm.


    ¡°ra treats the well. If I need to take leave, she agrees and covers for me. I¡¯m grateful to her for not


    minding my past and hiring me,¡± Serenity sald, her expression darkening tomentarily.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you thinking about your case?¡± Jackson raised an eyebrow. Do you need my


    help?¡±


    ¡°Not for now. Lisa is helping me gather evidence,¡± Serenity replied. She bit her lip slightly. ¡°In that


    incident years ago, 1 wasn¡¯t drunk when I was driving, and I didn¡¯t crash my car into Mira¡¯s car. Her car


    was the one that seemed to have lost control and crashed into mine. Do you believe me?¡±


    As she said thest words, she looked at him with a hint of nervousness. Since when did she care if he


    believed her or not? At least, she didn¡¯t mind what others believed. She would let thew prove her


    innocence.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    But before that, she hoped he could believe that she was innocent.


    As the room light fell on him, his beautiful eyes were tinted with a din yellow, making his gaze look


    hazy. It was as if a thin veil existed in thern, making it difficult for her to see his gaze clearly.


    His eyshes trembled slightly, and his hand holding the utensil tightened slightly. After a moment, he


    slowly parted his lips and said the words she wanted to


    ¡°I believe you

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    Chapter 396


    =


    Joy suddenly surged through Serenity. She never imagined that having Jackson¡¯s trust could make her


    so happy.


    Jackson stared at the person in front of him unblinkingly and continued to whisper, ¡°But you also have


    to trust me. Believe me, if I had met you earlier, if I had known that I would love you this much, I would


    never let you suffer.¡±


    Serenity was taken aback. Was he referring to what happened to her in prison, when those people hurt


    her maliciously just to please him?


    ¡°Okay,¡± Serenity softly responded.


    Regardless of their past, whatever had happened between her and him, maybe it was time to let go


    little by little.


    And since she wanted to get along well with him, she should also let go of that fear.


    After they finished their meal and the servants cleared the table, Serenity suddenly remembered


    something and said, ¡°By the way, do you know any experts in cochlear imnts?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jackson asked.


    ¡°Well, re¡¯s son, Yanny, might have to get a cochlear imnt in a few days. I¡¯m wondering if I can find


    an expert in this field for her and¡­ re can probably only cover the cost of the cheapest cochlear


    imnt right now. But if possible, could we get a better one for Yanny?¡± Serenity said somewhat


    hesitantly.


    She had also looked up information about this online and knew there was a big difference in quality and


    price for cochlear Imnts. ording to re, the current amount she had on hand was only enough


    to get Yanny one cochlear imnt. But if they could get two, the effect would naturally be better.


    ¡°It¡¯s so rare to see you like this. You would ask for help when it¡¯s for someone else¡¯s sake, but you


    wouldn¡¯t if it was for your


    own sake,¡± Jackson joked


    ¡°I feel like I have a deep connection with Yanny. I really like him too. Because he can¡¯t hear, he can¡¯t


    learn to speak. If his cochlear imnt goes smoothly, then in the future, he can be like a normal child,¡±


    Serenity said. She felt distressed whenever she saw Yanny using signnguage with his innocent little


    hands.


    Yanny¡¯s attachment and closeness to her made Serenity unconsciously want to treat him well.


    ¡°Do you really like children?¡± Jackson asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re okay, I guess. I never really thought I liked children that much before. But then..¡± She paused


    midway, and her hand hanging by her side unconsciously touched her lower abdomen as a tinge of


    pain shed in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± His gaze hardened. The pain in her eyes felt like a sharp de that pierced through


    his heart painfully. ¡°If there¡¯s something, just tell me. Even if it¡¯s a huge problem, I¡¯ll help you solve it.¡±


    He would do anything he could as long as that pain no longer showed in her eyes.


    ¡°Do you sincerely want to be in a rtionship with me?¡± Serenity looked up at Jackson and asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± He replied without hesitation. His answer was firm and decisive.


    ¡°But I¡­¡± She took a deep breaths and biter lower lip. She looked as if she was trying to bury a


    difficult matter deep in the depths of her heart. ¡°I may not be able to conceive at all. If you pet together


    with me, maybe we¡¯ll never have our own children in this lifetime


    Her body was already so broken that she couldn¡¯t even bear a chiki.

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    Besides, Jackson was the Valor family¡¯s head. It was only natural for him to have heirs to inherit the


    family.


    Would the Valor family lineage end because of her? She had been naive before and had even forgotten


    to consider this matter when impulsively getting into a rtionship with him.


    But how long could such a rtionship Last?


    Even in the cases she had dealt with before, in such a prestigious family, the existence of heirs was


    even more important than in ordinary households.


    ¡°What do you mean? What happened to your body?¡± Jackson furrowed his brows and stared at her.


    She lowered her head, her gaze falling on her t abdomen. ¡°Once¡­ I was beaten, and my uterus


    ruptured. Although I managed to escape with my life in the end, the doctor also said that the injury was


    severe and I might not be able to conceive in the future.¡±


    To speak of these things was difficult for her, even somewhat unbearable. It was a sorrowful matter that


    she had buried deep within her heart.


    A shadow crossed Jackson¡¯s eyes.


    Serenity had been beaten? When had that happened? Was it during her time in prison? And how much


    pain must she have endured at that time?!


    He trembled unnoticeably out of the blue. The suffering she had experienced became an unbearable


    burden pressing on his heart that threatened to suffocate him.


    The guilt weighing on him was as much as the damage Serenity had suffered.


    If only he had shown her a hint of mercy back then, then others wouldn¡¯t have been able to harm her so


    easily.


    ¡°If¡­ If you want to break up now, then¡­¡±


    she spoke softly, but he interrupted her before she could finish her sentence ember saying that


    breaking up is not even


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    something to consider.¡±


    ¡°I


    As his words fell, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his arms.


    Serenity eximed in surprise. She looked up without much thought and unintentionally met his dark


    eyes.


    ¡°I want you, and I love you. It doesn¡¯t matter if we have children or not. Even if I never have children in


    this lifetime, I won¡¯t let you go.¡± He pressed his forehead against hers, his voice cold but unwavering.


    ¡°So, remember these words of mine. Since you¡¯ve already fallen for me, love me for this entire lifetime!¡±


    Serenity was utterly stunned. His scent was everywhere, and his voice echoed in her ears.


    Did he know the impact of his words on her? What he said¡­ It didn¡¯t matter if they didn¡¯t have


    children? Was he serious?


    And as if he had read her thoughts, he murmured softly, ¡°I¡¯m serious. I¡¯ve never considered children to


    be important. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t even consider having children with anyone else if it weren¡¯t for you.¡±


    While he was indifferent about children previously, he would have chosen a woman who was qualified


    enough to be the mistress of the Valor family and have an heir with her if the old man had demanded it.


    However, he would have done it just to avoid conflicts with the old man over such trivial matters.


    Yes, marriage and having children, which were significant in the eyes of others, were merely small


    matters to him.

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    Chapter 398


    But now, it was different. As Jackson¡¯s love for Serenity deepened, he realized that there were things


    he didn¡¯t want if he couldn¡¯t have it with her.


    He would rather have nothing if he couldn¡¯t have it with her!


    Serenity stared at his face, which was so close to hers, and heard him say, ¡°So I¡¯ll be the only one


    you¡¯ll rely on in your life.¡±


    As he said that, he pressed his lips against hers. It was a tender kiss that made her powerless to resist.


    Rely on him¡­


    Could she really do that?


    And so Serenity¡¯s rtionship with Jackson began that way, which was somewhat unexpected for her


    but not an ufortable thought.


    Sometimes it made her feel like she had returned to their time together in the rental house.


    It was as if he had be ¡°Jack¡± again, and she could unload her burdens and pain before him and


    rx in his presence.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you!¡± ra¡¯s excited voice rang out as she spoke on the phone, catching


    Serenity¡¯s attention.


    She saw the usually dignifieddy with an excited expression. There were even tears swimming in her


    eyes.


    ¡°ra, what happened?¡± Serenity approached her and asked.


    ra excitedly grabbed Serenity and said, ¡°That was the hospital. They have an assistance program


    specifically for financially challenged hard¨Cof¨Cbearing children. This time, they hope to help Yanny. I¡¯ve


    been trying to make an appointment with a renowned expert in cochlear imnts, but I haven¡¯t had any


    luck getting through by phone. Now the hospital says that the same expert can see Yanny and even


    upgrade his cochlear imnt for free if Yanny meets the eligibility criteria for assistance.¡±


    ra felt like she was dreaming. She couldn¡¯t believe that all of this was actually happening.


    But Serenity knew that Jackson must have had a hand in this matter. Seeing ra so happy, Serenity


    knew that Yanny would receive better treatment. In the future, the shorings in Yanny¡¯s life could


    gradually bepensated in time.


    In the evening, Serenity returned to the Valor residence. She looked at Jackson and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡± He propped his chin with one hand, recliningzily on the couch. He


    looked up at her, and his eyes were full of allure.


    ¡°Thank you for helping Yanny,¡± Serenity rified.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°As long as you wish for something, Sis, I will make it happen.¡± He raised his hand and ced it on her


    shoulder.


    Serenity was originally standing by the side of the couch, but she suddenly unexpectedly fell into his


    embrace.


    ¡°But Sis, while you can like that child, you can¡¯t like him too much. I don¡¯t like anyone being more


    important to you than me in your heart,¡± Jackson said, revealing his possessive dominance,


    He was acting just like a child!


    Serenity raised her hand instinctively and pushed against faroson¡¯s chest as she tried to stand.


    However, he was wearing a silk robe at this moment, which was rtively thin. When Serenity touched


    him, her palin was only separated from his chest by a thinyer of silk. Because of that, the warmth of


    his body instantly transmitted through the fabric to her palm.

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    Chapter 399


    ¡°By the way, you have Saturday afternoon off, right?¡± Jackson looked at Serenity¡¯s flushed face and


    found it amusing.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes. What¡¯s up?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Clear your schedule for the afternoon. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital for a full¨Cbody checkup,¡± Jackson


    said.


    ¡°A checkup?¡± Serenity was a bit surprised.


    ¡°You probably haven¡¯t had any checkups in the past few years. It¡¯s good to have one every year,¡±


    Jackson replied.


    She bit her lip and nodded. ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Jackson was right. When she worked at thew firm, they would arrange for checkups, but it had been


    almost four years without one since her imprisonment.


    Also, there was nothing wrong with getting a checkup


    That night, when Serenity was about to sleep, Jackson said he wanted to sleep with her.


    Serenity¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡­ you want to sleep here too?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? We slept on the same bed when we were in the rental house, right?¡± Jackson


    calmly said.


    But the problem was, was it the same now? Back then, she saw him as a younger brother. Now, he


    wasn¡¯t a brother anymore but her boyfriend!


    Serenity blushed and stared at Jackson. ¡°I¡¯m used to¡­ sleeping alone,¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. You said before that you liked the feeling of me apanying you.¡± Jackson said, directly


    exposing her lie.


    She was speechless at his retort. However, there was nothing she could do but scold herself about why


    she had said such. words back then.


    Serenity decided to be honest and said, ¡°W¨Cwe just started dating, s- so it¡¯s better to¡­¡®


    A softugh escaped Jackson¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    As he spoke, he leaned closer, bringing his face closer to hers.


    Serenity¡¯s face turned even redder. She wanted to say something, but her voice seemed stuck in her


    throat.


    He gently stroked her cheek with his fingers. ¡°I just want to be by your side!¡±


    He paused, his lips hovering near her ear, and he exdaled softly, ¡°Because to me, being by your side is


    wonderful.¡±


    Serenity felt her heart suddenly beat wildly in her chest.


    ¡°Sis, is it okay? I want to be as close as we used to be. Besides, we¡¯re already a couple now, aren¡¯t


    we?¡± Jackson whispered, his voire carrying a hint of pleading and impishness.

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    Chapter 400


    Serenity couldn¡¯t bring herself to refuse, and by the time she came to her senses, she was already


    lying in bed with Jackson.


    She sighed and thought, ¡®So what if we¡¯re sleeping together? Whatever. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve never done


    this before.¡±


    But lying in bed now, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep because he was beside her. So Serenity decided to bring


    up a topic. ¡°Why do you still call me ¡®Sis¡®?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like it when I call you that?¡± he asked.


    She hesitated for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it, it¡¯s just that¡­ um, it feels a bit weird to be called


    that now that we¡¯re dating.¡±


    If someone who didn¡¯t know them heard him call her that, they would probably think she was his birth


    sister. But in a way, she had gotten used to the term because he had been calling her that from the


    beginning.


    ¡°What if I call you by name in front of others?¡± he asked. ¡°And I¡¯ll call you ¡°Sis¡® when it¡¯s just the two of


    us.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ seem to really like calling me ¡°Sis¡®? Serenity asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jackson admitted. ¡°Because it¡¯s the first time someone asked me to call them that.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She suddenly felt embarrassed.


    ¡°When I call you that, it¡¯s like we have an unbreakable bond,¡± he said.


    She looked puzzled, not understanding what he meant by that, but he didn¡¯t seem inclined to exin


    further and simply said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s sleep.¡±


    She nodded in response and closed her eyes, but she had no intention of turning off the bedsidemp.


    He nced at themp, and aplex look crossed his face. When they were in the rented house,


    she used to sleep with the light on because turning it off would make her scared and remind her of


    unpleasant things.


    He was well aware that the unpleasant things she referred to must have been some of her experiences


    in prison. Butter on, there was a period when she could sleep with the lights off.


    At that time, she had said, ¡°It¡¯s because I have you, Jack. With you by my side, I¡¯m not as scared.¡±


    But now, she had returned to the habit of sleeping with the lights on Was it because his identity had


    been exposed, and it had caused her fear to return? Did he have to wait for a time when she could


    sleep with the lights off to feel epted by her again


    truly?


    Although they were dating now, and she said she liked him, he was uncertain where he was ced in


    her heart. Perhaps he was Jess impurtant to her than her good friend Lisa The thought filled him with a


    tinge of jealousy.


    ¡°Sis, when will I be your most important person?¡± His gentle voice was subdued as the sound


    drifted around the room, and he gazed at her face silently under the dim light.


    Every time be called her ¡®Sis,¡® it felt like they were truly family and inseparable. The term provided an


    extrayer of security. He feared one day, if she were no longer ¡°Sis¡± to him, then any rtionship


    between them would truly cease to exist.


    He didn¡¯t care if she saw him as a lover or a family member. He wanted to be someone she couldn¡¯t let


    go of because he knew what it felt like to be abandoned.


    Back then, his birth mother had abandonedm.


    This time, he wouldn¡¯t let Serenity abandon him.

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401


    Chapter 401


    Serenity initially thought that she would not be able to sleep at night with Jackson by her side, but she


    drifted to sleep after closing her eyes and slept like a baby. She seemed in have gained a sense of


    peace of mind in his presence.


    Serenity woke up the next day and found Jackson in a white shirt. He was buttoning his cuffs as he


    walked toward her. ¡°You¡¯re up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡± Serenity¡¯s cheeks were slightly pink. She had not washed her face nor brushed her teeth, and


    her hair was a total mess.


    ¡°Had a good sleep? 1 slept very wellst night,¡± Jackson said. He leaned forward and propped his


    hands on the edge of the bed, his dark eyes boring into her eyes.


    Serenity panicked a little as their eyes leveled. She reflexively leaned back a little. She almost tried to


    pull away from him, but he had his hand pressed on her back with just a slight push, their distance was


    suddenly dangerously closer.


    ¡°Did you sleep well, Sis?¡± Jackson arched an eyebrow..


    Serenity stammered, ¡°Y¨Cyeah..¡±


    ¡°Great?¡± He kissed her on the cheek. ¡°When you¡¯re ready,e downstairs and eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Her face was bright pink


    Serenity then went to the bathroom and washed up. By the time she came downstairs, Jackson was


    already sitting at the table. He had not yet started eating, obviously waiting for her.


    The kitchen at the Valor Residence offered a wide variety of food for breakfast.


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Jackson asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some cereal,¡± Serenity said. Soon after, the maid brought the cereal and some appetizers with


    snacks


    Serenity took her seat and gazed up, only to find Jackson looking at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just think you look cute when you eat,¡± Jackson said. Then, he raised his hand, reaching


    out from across the table, and wiped the corner of her lips with his finger.


    A grain of cereal that had been stuck to the corner of her lips moved to his finger, and she watched as


    he ate the grain of cereal. on his fingertips.


    Serenity¡¯s face turned red. She found herself blushing more frequentlytely. She never knew a man


    could be so seductive with such a move.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡± He grinned at her.


    Serenity hurriedly buried her head and continued to savor her cereal, not daring to look at him again.


    She feared getting a nosebleed from staring at him too much.


    After breakfast, Jackson rose to his feet. Serenity watched as he took a tie from the maid. Then, he


    walked over to her and handed the tie to her.


    ¡°Can you help me?¡± Jackson requested.


    Serenity was startled. Before she could react, he had already slipped the tie into her hand.


    Serenity squeezed the tie in her hand. A wave ofplicated emotions suddenly ruse in her heart. She


    thought about how she used to help Zeke with his tie in the past and Low Zeke had made a joke,


    saying she had tied him down in this life


    However, feelings were always unpredictable. How could Serenity the Zele down forever? Their love


    was not meant to be forever. It seemed she had been self¨Cdeceptive In lier romantic rtionship with


    Zeke

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402


    Chapter 402


    This time, a different man was requesting her help with his tie. Serenity wondered how long their


    rtionship wouldst this time, but ultimately, she did not know the answer.


    Serenity and Jackson had feelings for each other. Despite their love at the moment, she dared not think


    about their future, Even if he did not care about the fact that she could not have children.


    Their differences had always been an unsurmountable gap. Even if they dated, would there really be a


    future between them? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± His voice interrupted her train of thought


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Y¨Cyou¡­ Bend forward a little,¡± Serenity said. She found it hard to reach his neck with their


    height difference.


    Jackson obediently bent down, effectively bringing their faces closer to each other.


    Serenity raised her hand and gently lifted his cor. She then wrapped the tie around his neck and


    made a knotted tie at his throat


    ¡°You know what? It feels like I¡¯m putting my life in your hands now,¡± Jackson murmured softly.


    Serenity froze a little, her eyes staring at his face that was so close to her.


    ¡°If you want my life now, just tighten the tie.¡± Jackson chuckled softly, charming and elegant. ¡°You¡¯re the


    only woman who can help with my tie. You¡¯re the only one. There¡¯s no one else but you.¡±


    Later, Serenity went to work and arrived at the restaurant. Jackson¡¯s smile and words earlier repeatedly


    reyed in her mind. He said she was the only one and no one else could ever help him with his tie.


    Serenity did not know what the future held for them, unsure about the truth in his words. Despite that,


    Jackson seemed serious about her at the moment.


    Serenity feared thinking about the future. Jackson¡­ He must have thought of their future together.


    At 1.30 pm, the restaurant received a meal delivery order for 20 people to a slightly farther destination


    that would take about 40 minutes to go back and forth.


    Serenity made the delivery to the destination. She arrived to discover that it was a filming crew who


    had made the order to filming location. It was break time, so the crew members were mostly hanging


    around the area and resting. They were either standing, squatting, or sitting on some stools as they


    ate.


    Most of the crew members were either extras or ordinary staff. The main actors usually received better


    treatment and even had dedicated room for themselves.


    Serenity was about to leave after the delivery. Then, one of the crew stopped her. ¡°Hey! Why are there


    bugs in the food?!¡±


    Serenity took a closer look. As the guy had mentioned, she saw a strange bug lying in the lunch box.


    The food seemed untouched, and only the lid was opened.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    When Serenity had been waiting to make the delivery, she had watched the chef pack the food into the


    lunch boxes with her own eyes. She had not seen this bug in the food while in the kitchen earlier.


    Each meal box was individually packed in a stic bag. It seemed unlikely for random bugs to fly into


    the package during the delivery, which meant that this incident was most likely a¡­

 Chapter 403

    Chapter 403


    Chapter 403


    Sure enough, what the person said next confinned her guess.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not looking for trouble. How about this? You¡¯ll return the money we paid for the 20 meals


    andpensate us with 750 dors for damages. After all, some of us have already started eating the


    food you sent us. Who knows if there are any bugs in the remaining lunch boxes?!¡±


    After he had finished speaking, several other people stood up and surrounded Serenity, clearly trying to


    pressure her.


    Serenity loaked around at her surroundings. She was in a semi¨Cpublic ce. The crew had rented a


    cafe for the shooting From where she stood, there was a surveince camera to her left.


    Since the crew had used the cafe as a filmingration, Serenity wondered if the surveince camera


    was actually working.


    There were some fans hanging around further away. Although blocked from entering the filming area,


    the fans lurked around the filming location. Some were squatting and resting, while some held their


    phones up, waiting for their chance to see their idols or even take photos of them


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not up to me to decide. I¡¯m just a food delivery girl. I¡¯ll speak to my boss about the situation,¡±


    Serenity said and took out her phone. Then, she called ra and told her about the situation.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Upon hearing about the incident, ra said, ¡°You shoulde back first. If they want to dispute, I¡¯ll talk


    to them after this at the end of the day.¡±


    Serenity had not turned on the speakerphone, so the people around did not hear what ra had said.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Serenity responded. She then ended the call and put her phone away.


    As she put her phone away, she quietly used her phone to record the following conversation.


    ¡°So? When will you pay us?¡± One of them, who seemed to be the leader, demanded


    Serenity chuckled. ¡°Did you know? 750 dors is enough to be considered fraud. If proven guilty, you


    could be sentenced to less than three years in prison.¡±


    The faces of the few people around Serenity changed. ¡°What do you mean? Are you calling me a


    scammer?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should speak with evidence. Look around. Many fans are hanging around with their phones


    up. Someone may have identally recorded the incident here. Also, we can¡¯t be returning the money


    for the food to you. As for this lunch box, we can let the police handle this and be fair to everyone.¡±


    The few people exchanged a nce. The leader then shot a fierce re at Serenity as he warned her,


    ¡°You¡¯d better tell your boss to pay us. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about keeping this restaurant running


    in the future.¡±


    ¡°Is this a threat¡± Serenity asked in reply.


    It is a threat. So what?¡± The leader admitted bluntly


    At this point, Serenity could tell that these people had nned to extort money from the very beginning.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a part¨Ctime worker. There¡¯s no need for you to threaten me. As for this lunch box, you can


    keep the evidence and make a police report. Also-¡±


    Serenity paused, her gaze cold. ¡°If you try to hurt our business and act maliciously, I¡¯ll definitely take


    you to court. When that happens, it will cost more than 750 dors.¡±


    Serenity understood ra¡¯s financial status, ra was not rich and needed maney to treat Yanny¡¯s


    ears. Yanny would likely get cochlear imnts for hearing in the future, ra would have to spend


    money on training courses teaching her child to listen to sounds and speak.


    When Serenity left the warning, she had already thought about going to Jackson for help if necessary.

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    Chapter 404


    Chapter 404


    Serenity did not want these people to ruin re¡¯s hard work and business. Perhaps her sense of


    justice had awakened in her again. After all, she had previously studied and worked hard to be a


    lawyer because she believed justice must be seen to


    be done.


    The people around Serenity nced around. The look on their faces changed a little, and some


    obvious concern was present in their eyes.


    As Serenity decided to leave, one of them grabbed Serenity¡¯s arm forcefully to stop her from leaving.


    The force was so strong that Serenity identally dropped her phone to the ground.


    Someone saw the screen on her phone recording the conversation, and the guy¡¯s face turned ugly as


    he yelled, ¡°Bro! She¡¯s recording!¡±


    ¡°What?! Dmn! How dare you trick us?!¡± One of them shouted and cursed in anger. He raised his hand


    in the heat of the moment and was about to hit Serenity,pletely forgetting that he was in a semi¨C


    public ce with many onlookers. Many fans of the cast members were hanging around the filming


    location!


    The people around drew sharp gasps, and Serenity instinctively shut her eyes as she raised her hand


    to defend herself.


    In that split second, the sounds from the people around changed. Some gasped in shock, some were


    obviously surprised.


    Serenity did not feel any pain, and the hit did notnd on her.


    Instead, a strong arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her into a slightly cold embrace.


    Serenity¡¯s eyes fluttered open to see a handsome face with well¨Cdefined features. A hint of anger had


    surfaced on the man¡¯s usually indifferent face.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Lucas caught the hand that had almost hurt Serenity, and he sped the


    man¡¯s hand hard, his voice icily cold.


    The man who had tried to attack Serenity was sweating buckets. Lucas¡± force was so strong, and it felt


    like it could break his hand. However, the pain was not his biggest concern at the moment¨CLucas¡®


    interception frightened him more.


    He recognized him¨Cthe prince of the entertainment industry, Lucas Gomez!


    Looking at the scene in front of him. Could it be that. Was Prince Lucas helping this food delivery girl?!


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The other men in the same group quickly came forward. ¡°Mr. Gomez, she¡¯s just a food delivery girl.


    They had bugs in their food, so we were trying to dispute and got a little rash¡­ Uh¡­ It¡¯s not a big deal.


    No big deal!¡±


    Those people just wanted to get this matter out of the way quickdy, but things did not y out how they


    wanted.


    Lucas kept his gaze down at Serenity. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The tenderness and worry in his voice were


    distinct.


    Serenity shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡± She would have gotten hurt if not for Lucas¡®


    interception.


    Serenity nced at her phone that was on the floor. She wanted to pick it up, but Lacas was ahead of


    her. He bent down and picked it up for her swiftly.


    ¡°Your phone?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she responded and took her phone from his hand. After a quick check, she was d to see the


    phone intact. Her phone had not broken, and the screen was not cracked either.


    The people around them went wide¨Ceyed at Lucas¡® action. Did Lucas just pick up the phone from the


    ground for this woman?!


    Since when was Mr. Gomez such a helpful person? Did he just pick the phone up for her? Even if


    things fell on the ground, someone else would usually pick it up, but not him!

 Chapter 405

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    Chapter 405


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Lucas directed his question to Serenity only. He did not ask anyone else, as if


    he only trusted Serenity.


    ¡°They found a bug in one of the lunch boxes I delivered earlier and demanded a free meal and


    additionalpensation of 750 dors. I thought it¡¯d be better to leave this matter to the police, but


    there was a conflict when they found out I was recording with my phone,¡± Serenity exined.


    ¡°Recording? Lucas arched an eyebrow. ¡°Do you mind sharing it with me?¡±


    When they heard Lucas¡¯s request, the surrounding crew¡¯s faces turned uglier. Lucas¡¯s face darkened


    after he finished listening to the recording. He understood the dispute clearly. The crew members had


    tried to scam Serenity for money, which led to the conflictter.


    The director, assistant director, and field manager were with Lucas and understood what was


    happening. Everyone¡¯s faces turned grave.


    It would be embarrassing for the public to learn about this incident!


    The person in charge could settle ounts with the troublemakerster, but dealing with Serenity was


    the most important thing at the moment


    ¡°Miss, please ept our apologies. Our team failed to manage these temporary staff. It¡¯s our mistake.


    Please let us know if you need anything from us or any form ofpensation.¡±


    ¡°No need. I¡¯m just d to clear this up. However, I don¡¯t want these guys to harass our store again,¡±


    Serenity stated. She knew that making the matter worse would not bring any advantage to Hot


    Restaurant. Instead, more problems would follow suit. It would be best to settle the matter at once.


    The director agreed, ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± He then turned to Lucas, hoping thetter would be satisfied


    with this result,


    Serenity spun around and attempted to leave. After all, she had been out for a while, so surely, many


    food deliveries were pending from the restaurant.


    She had only taken two steps when someone pulled her hand.


    Serenity stopped in her tracks and looked back at Lucas, a sh of confusion in her eyes. ¡°Is there


    anything else you need, Mr.


    Gomez:


    Even Lucas himself seemed a little surprised by his action. Startled, he stared at his hand in a daze.


    His body seemed to have acted on its own. He had pulled Serenity¡¯s hand as if he was reluctant to let


    her leave. He had wanted to spend more time with her, even if it was standing together like this.


    Lucas could keep his emotions suppressed deep inside without seeing her, but he would lose control


    whenever he met her, wanting to stay with her a little longer.


    An indescribable anger had bubbled to the surface when he had seen that she was about to be beaten


    earlier. He wanted to punish the attacker severely, worried she would be hurt. He seemed unable to


    bear seeing her hurt.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just¡­ Your shoce is a little loose,¡± Lucas said and lowered himself, Crouching on the


    floor, he untied the shoce of her left shue and retied it with both hands..


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    The people around gasped hard. The crew members were not the only ones shocked. Even the fans


    watching from a distance and blocked from entering the filming location were stunned. These fans


    might have different idols, but most recognized the famous Prince Lucas in the entertainment circle.


    Lucas was simply more popr than the stars! Many people secretly spected about the kind of


    woman who would own Prince Lucas¡¯s love for life.

 Chapter 406

    Chapter 406


    Chapter 406


    Prince Lucas¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriends came from all sses. Their fate varied¨Csome had a good ending, but


    some ended terribly. Even so, countless women still flocked to Lucas, wanting to be his girlfriend.


    Theizens even discussed Prince Lucas online. His good looks were to die for, and they would


    willingly follow him even without his status as Prince Lucas of the entertainment industry.


    Everyone was shocked at the turn of events and gasped in disbelief as they watched Lucas help


    Serenity with her shoce.


    Lucas tied the shoce and finally withdrew his hand reluctantly as he rose to his feet.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    -thanks.¡± Serenity felt a little awkward. She then kept her head down and hastily left the scene.


    Meanwhile, in the cafe at the shooting location, Aria looked through the ss window from her seat


    inside. She went wide- eyed at what Lucas had just done, her beautifully manicured nails digging into


    her palm.


    ¡®Serenity¡­ Why? Why must they meet again?! Lucas had even taken the initiative to lower himself and


    help Serenity with her shoce. A great sense of jealousy called in her gut as she saw Lucas¡® action. It


    was as if Lucas had shown submission to Serenity!


    Aria swore she would never let Lancas discover the truth¨CSerenity was most likely the little girl he had


    been looking for! Aria could not lose Lucas at all costs!


    Lucas stood outside the cafe and pursed his lips after Serenity had left. He gave the director beside


    him an indifferent gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t want this to happen again. No need for these people to stay in the


    crew.¡±


    The few people who had tried to extort money from Serenity almost jumped at Lucas¡® words. They


    wanted to argue but backed down because of his cold gaze.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to make a big fuss over this. As she wishes, it won¡¯t be. You should be grateful. If


    any of you dare to harass her, I¡¯ll have you stay in prison forever!¡± Lucas warned, a fierce look shing


    in his dark eyes.


    The men had never expected such an oue. They had casually picked a small restaurant, nning


    to extort money from them, which was now apparently a very bad idea.


    The fans watching from afar were all discussing this incident. They all wondered who the woman with


    Prince Lucas was. Could she be Prince Lucas¡® new girlfriend? Some were already counting the days to


    Prince Lucas¡® breakup with his current girlfriend.


    Serenity then returned to the restaurant. When she arrived, ra scurried over to her, worried. ¡°What


    took you so long? What happened to those people who wanted you topensate them? Did they hurt


    you?¡±


    Serenity shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. They didn¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± ra sighed in relief. After that, she said determinedly, ¡°If they really want to make


    trouble, I¡¯ll pay. I don¡¯t want anyone to be injured.¡± She was willing to spend money to eliminate any


    trouble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s already taken care of,¡± Serenity said. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll harass us again.¡± If


    they were smart enough, they wouldn¡¯t put themself into more trouble for some money.


    ¡°Did you call the police?¡± ra guessed.

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407


    Chapter 407


    Serenity hesitated for a second. ¡°No. I happened to meet someone I knew in the crew¡­ He helped


    settle the matter.¡±


    ¡°Is he a friend? We must thank him! Shall I get him a gift of appreciationter? Could you help deliver it


    to him?¡± ra asked hurriedly.


    ¡°No need,¡± Serenity said and quickly changed the subject, moving on to enquire about Yanny¡¯s


    cochlear imnts.


    ¡°Vanny¡¯s medical report will be out in a couple of days. If there¡¯s no problem, he¡¯ll proceed with the


    cochlear imnt surgery. ¡°ra could not hide the joy on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to the hospital, and


    they said that I could apply for a partial for waiver to ease my financial situation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Serenity said, relieved and happy to know that Yanny would be able to hear soon. She


    knew that Jackson was the one who had made the arrangement with the hospital.


    The incident during the lunch delivery soon passed just like an episode.


    Serenity thought it was over, but she did not expect ra to ask her about itter. In the evening, she


    returned to the restaurant after her deliveries, and ra pulled her in as she asked, ¡°Was it Lucas who


    helped us with the incident today?¡±


    Serenity was stunned by her question. She looked at ra in a daze, wondering how she knew about


    this.


    Seeing Serenity¡¯s expression, ra knew it was true. ¡°A customer dining in earlier saw a video of the


    scene and showed me. Someone had recorded the dispute, the group arguing with you, and Lucas¡®


    appearanceter.¡± ra exined and looked at Serenity with more doubt in her eyes.


    ra had had her doubts when Lucas had firste to the restaurant and waited for Serenity. Seeing


    thetest video with Lucas crouching on the floor to help Serenity with her shoce shocked her even


    more.


    Lucas seemed very aloof in ra¡¯s impression. Lucas constantly changed girlfriends, and his dating


    history was further evidence of his heartlessness.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Lucas seemed to pamper each of his girlfriends and dote on them, but he only provided for them in


    terms of money or


    resources


    ra had seen Lucas with one of his ex¨Cgirlfriends before. The way he looked at her seemed devoid of


    emotion¨Clike he was just looking at a toy that interested him rather than a person.


    Thetest video was different. ra could see how Lucas looked at Serenity full of emotions in his


    eyes, almost as if she was everything to him.


    ¡®Perhaps


    ra thought about her previous meeting with Lucas. She had begged Lucas not to tell anyone about


    her. Lucas had probably agreed only for Serenity¡¯s sake!


    ¡°There¡¯s a video on the inte?¡± Serenity was stunned.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll show you.¡± ra took out her phone and searched for the video again. However, she found


    nothing on the inte. The web page also indicated that the content she had searched for did not


    exist.


    ¡°How did this happen?¡± ra frowned


    Serenity reached for her phone. She did the same and searched for the video with some relevant


    keywords but could not find any videos of her and Lucas.


    Serenity pursed her lips tightly, ra had seen the video earlier, but the video had suddenly


    disappeared. Some unknown power must have intervened and removed all the relevant content from


    the inte.

 Chapter 408

    Chapter 408


    Chapter 408


    But who would do this? Serenity first thought of Lucas. After all, Lucas had the most reason to remove


    these videos online. Besides, not many had the power and influence to remove these so quickly.


    In the meantime, in Jackson¡¯s office. Jackson sat in front of theputer, watching the video ying


    on the screen. A hint of hostility Lashed in his eyes.


    Serenity would gasp if she ever saw the video, Jackson was watching the same viden ra had


    mentioned earlier. However, the video had been removed everywhere online.


    Jackson quietly watched the video. His face darkened when he saw Locas crouch to the Serenity¡¯s


    shoce. His fingers on the table reflexively tightened up.


    Jackson had known Lucas for a long time. Jackson had naturallye into contact with Lucas after his


    return to the Valor family.


    The Valer and Gomez family had a good rtionship. Naturally, he had a good rtionship with Lucas


    too. Conflict of interest aside, having a friend was better than having one more enemy in high society.


    Although their friendship might not be sincere, they still remained friends.


    Jackson knew Lucas very well. He knew how proud this man could be. Lucas only cared about the girl


    in his memory. Every other woman was probably just a part of the decoration to hold his longing for the


    little girl in his heart.


    And the person in Lucas¡® heart¡­ Jackson¡¯s lips pursed tightly. He had seen the way Lucas looked at


    Serenity in the video.


    Lucas was probably unaware that Serenity was the one he was looking for! If he knew, he would have


    done more than that.


    Jackson had seen Serenity¡¯s photos when she was a child. Otherwise, he would never have known¨C


    Serenity was the little girl Lucas had been looking for for years.


    Lucas had never found her, and Jackson would never let Lucas know that Serenity was the one he had


    been looking for.


    Jackson wanted Serenity to be his and his alone! He wanted her to stay by his side all her life!


    Connor stood beside his boss, trembling as he stole nces at him.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Mr. Valor¡¯s silence and dark expression were rather frightening. Besides, Mr. Valor had reyed the


    same video countless times, continuously staring at it. Was Mr. Valor going to¡­ Connor stopped his


    train of thought in fear. After all, Mr. Valor¡¯s anger could potentially shake the whole of Sria.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spare the men who tried to hurt Serenity today,¡± Jackson ordered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Connor quickly responded, a strong sense of relief washing over him. Fortunately, Mr. Valur had


    only ordered him to deal with the few grunts who had given Ms. Lewis a hard time.


    Connor feared that Mr. Valor would react to the situation rashly and deal with Mr. Gomez.


    Things would be terrible if the Valor and Gomez family became enemies. More than two powerful


    families would get involved


    in the whole situation.


    However, what Jackson said next made Connor heart ricochet.


    ¡°Hey, say¡­¡± Jackson was speaking to Connar, but his eyes remained glued to the video on the


    computer screen. ¡°Do you think Serenity. Would she like a man like Lucas?¡±


    Connor almost choked on his own spit. He hastily answered, ¡°Ms. Lewis is dating you. She¡¯s your


    girlfriend. Why would she like Mr. Gomez?¡±

 Chapter 409

    Chapter 409


    Chapter 409


    What if she¡¯s single? Would she like Lucas then?¡± Jackson seemed determined to find an an


    answer.


    What¡­ How would I know?! Connor was frantic and had no choice but to answer Jackson seriously. ¡°I


    think Ms. Lewis. She¡¯s quite conservative. She wouldn¡¯t casually fall for someone else.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? But she was dating Zeke before,¡± Jackson reminded coldly.


    Connor wanted to cry. He felt the struggle as Jackson¡¯s trustworthy secretary. ¡°Ms. Lewis¡± rtionship


    with Zeke Shaw is a thing of the past. Zeke has betrayed Ms. Lewis. Naturally, she no longer has any


    feelings for him.¡±


    ¡°Betrayed?¡± Jackson raised his brow in surprise.


    ¡°Well, yeah. Zeke broke up with Ms. Lewis when she needed help the most. Isn¡¯t that betrayal?¡±


    Connor exined, ¡°Knowing Ms. Lewis¡® character, she¡¯s the kind who won¡¯t forgive those who have


    betrayed her.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s face darkened at Connor¡¯sment, his mouth set in a grim line. What Zeke had done to


    Serenity was considered a betrayal. How about the things he had done to her?


    Jackson felt a wave of emotions at the thought of his past actions. It weighed him down so hard that he


    could barely breathe.


    Jackson moved his hand, wanting to take a sip of water. He grabbed the ss of water in his hand to


    see his hand trembling


    No, not only was his hand trembling, but his whole body,


    He trembled so hard and could barely hold the ss of water. The ss suddenly slipped to the desk,


    spilling water everywhere.


    Connor jolted in shock. Worry clouded his face as a sudden realization came to him.


    Jackson lowered his gaze to the pool of water in front of him. A short moment of silenceter, he


    growled, ¡°Connor. Out! Now!


    ¡°Yes,¡± Connor responded and left the room in a hurry.


    Jackson took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair as he covered his face with his trembling


    hands, a small smile creeping


    onto his face.


    His chuckde turned into a burst ofughter, and soon, he was choking with emotions.


    If only¡­ Jackson¡¯s decision years ago had put Serenity through hell. If he had known, he would have


    never done it. Serenity might eventually find out one day. What would happen by then? Would she see


    it as a betrayal?


    Jackson trembled harder at the thought of that,


    No. Only a few people knew what had really happened back then. She would never know as long as


    they stayed silent.


    ¡°Forgive me, Serenity,¡± Jackson whispered, his voiceced with deep pain and regret.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Despite his best efforts, it was toote for him to undo his decision and the pain she had been through


    all these years. If only¡­ He never knew he would love her so much. If he knew, he would never have


    let her suffer!


    It was dark when Serenity returned to the Valor Residence. As she entered the darkness and reached


    for the light switch, a man suddenly hugged her from behind.


    Serenity fell into a familiar embrace and scent that she recognized. She knew who exactly was holding


    her.

 Chapter 410

    Chapter 410


    Chapter 410


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you turn on the lights?¡± Serenity asked, feeling that something was off.


    Jackson simply avoided her question and murmured, ¡°I missed you.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s face flushed red, her heart racing. She was d for the dark surroundings and hid her red


    face in the darkness.


    ¡°What about you? Did you miss me today?¡± His deep voice resonated through her, his breath brushing


    the nape of her neck.


    All her attention shifted to the nape of her neck. She could feel his breath, and his lips were close to


    her, almost kissing her ear. In a daze, she felt a tickle of pain on her earlobe. She jolted to her senses,


    her face bright crimson. Jackson was nibbling her ear!


    ¡°Did ou miss me?¡± His low murmur rang again,


    you


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± she almost stammered. ¡°Uh.. Let me go. I¡¯ll put my bag away,¡± she said unsteadily.


    She could barely breathe, and the air that hung there between them was too much for her to handle.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    He did not oblige, still holding her in his embrace. Instead, he probed for her answer. ¡°Do you love me?


    His question stunned her. Love seemed like a deep word. Was she in love with him?


    Serenity took a deep breath and answered frankly, ¡°I do¡­ fancy you.¡± Yes. She liked him enough, but


    her feelings for him were not as deep as love,


    Serenity considered love sacred. Love was loyal andsting. Saying that she loved him would be


    untruthful. She did not want to force herself to speak against her will Although, her current answer


    might not be the one he wanted.


    Serenity assumed Jackson would be upset at her answer. He might even insist that Serenity change


    her mind. But strangely enough, he just held her and said in a whisper, ¡°But¡­ I love you, Serenity.¡±


    ¡°I love you so much. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I lose you one day. Life seems meaningless without you.


    I want to grow old with you. I love you so much that¡­ My emotions are out of control.¡±


    His voice rumbled right through her like a warm spring breeze,


    Serenity froze, overwhelmed by his confession. What was he saying? Did he just confess his love to


    her? Did he love her that much?! How could that be?!


    Serenity¡¯s first reaction was denial. She thought this might just be his sweet talk, but another voice in


    her heart refuted it.


    A man like him had no reason to sweet¨Ctalk her. It seemed out of character. However, his words


    seemed like a true confession, and his emotions were open for her to read without any secret.


    Jackson¡¯s love for her seemed deeper than what she had thought. Even though he said he loved her,


    she assumed his love for her was nothing more than an infatuation.

 Chapter 411

    Chapter 411


    Chapter 411


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to fall in love with me immediately. I¡¯m not asking you to open your heart to me all of


    a sudden either. I just want you to like me a little better. 1 just want you to love me more,¡± Jackson


    murmured.


    Jackson feared that Serenity did not like him enough. Her other feelings for hirs could rece her little


    love for him without warning, and he was afraid that she would leave him one day.


    Jackson slowly made her tum, and their eyes locked on each other.


    The living room was pitch ck. The moonlight from the window allowed Serenity to see the outline of


    his face but not his expression. She could tell he was looking at her.


    Serenity raised her arm and cupped his cherles as she promised solemnly, ¡°y. I¡¯ll learn to love you


    better.¡±


    Before this, Serenity was still confused about their rtionship. She could not see a future together


    with him. It seemed her thoughts had changed.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Serenity was willing to ept Jackson, regardless of their future. She wanted to share her feelings with


    him and soothe his


    anxiety.


    After giving her promise, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips


    It was the first time she had initiared a less sober, full al affection. For the moment, she had put all her


    feelings into this kiss with him.


    Jackson thought only Serenity could make him like this. He loved her so much, and his love for her had


    grown before he had even realized it. He loved her even more than he thought possible, to the point it


    frightened him.


    The kiss ended with Serenity catching her breath and feeling dizzy. Jackson¡¯s strong, powerful an ns


    held her and braced her before she fell


    ¡°You promised to like me better and¡­ eventually love me.¡± Jackson¡¯s voice was a low murmur, his


    fingertips gently brushing


    her lips.


    Serenity felt her cheeks heating up. She was thandul that it was still dark around them.


    ¡°Also, promise me¡­ You¡¯ll forgive me for my mistake,¡± Jackson murmured, a barely noticeable tremor


    shaking his voice.


    Serenity had a strange look on her face. ¡°Mistake? What do you mean?¡¯


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything I¡¯m just afraid that if I do something wrong in the future, you¡¯ll leave me,¡±


    Jackson said,


    Serenity broke into a gentle smile. Such a thought had not even urred to her. Why was he so


    concerned about this?


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t make any mistake of principle, I¡¯ll forgive you even if you da something wrong.


    We¡¯re dating, after all Are we going to constantly deal with petty arpurnels and break up because of


    this?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by mistake of principle?¡± Jackson asked.


    ¡°For example, being unfaithful in a rtionship. If you fall in love with someone else, I¡¯ll leave,¡± Serenity


    said. Although she had been starred in herst rtionship, she still hoped to have a pure rtionshilp


    Serenity longed for a faithful love that wouldst a lifetime. Love could be ordinary, not necessarily


    dazzling. Hopefully, love


    Perhaps it was Zeke¡¯s affair that had taught her the rarity of a pure rtionship

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    1/1


    Jackson was a powerful man with a high position in society. Endless temptations surrounded him. Even


    so, she knew his love for her was true for the moment. However, would this endure the future andst


    forever?


    ¡°I will never love anyone else. You¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve ever loved in my life,¡± Jackson vowed. ¡°So, if I


    make a mistake about something else, you¡¯ll forgive me, won¡¯t you?¡± His murmur was pleading and


    eager.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Serenity responded.


    When the one-syble answer was out of her mouth, jackson hugged her and squeezed her tight


    again.


    ¡°Remember what you¡¯ve said today, Serenity. Don¡¯t forget this. You promised!¡¯


    Serenity¡¯s promise seemed extremely important to him, something unforgettable and never-changing.


    Later, Serenity could see the red creeping over her cheeks in the bathroom mirror.


    It had been a while since they had hugged and kissed in the living room, but the flush on her cheeks


    had not faded.


    Jackson had seemed a little odd earlier. Serenity felt that something was off but could not quite put her


    finger on it. Granted, his sudden confession of love might have been a little shocking for her.


    A smile hovered over her lips as recalled everything he had said earlier, her heart swelling with


    sweetness. How long had it been since she had tasted such emotions?


    After she had showered, she stepped out of the bathroom in her pajamas and found Jackson sitting on


    the edge of the bed. He was looking through the photo album she had ced on the bedside.


    Serenity had bought a new album, and the photos inside were the ones transferred from the previously


    damaged.


    of which had been burned to pieces by the fire. Even so, she could not bring herself to throw the


    damaged album away. Instead, she carefully salvaged the photos and put them in the new photo


    album.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop looking at this. You were so cute when you were young.¡± Jackson said as he gazed up at


    Serenity.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment and think I¡¯m beautiful,¡± Serenity said in a rare joking manner.


    ¡°To me, you¡¯re beautiful.¡± His burning gaze pinned to her. ¡°There¡¯s no woman more beautiful than you.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s cheeks heated up again. She looked at Jackson with ssy eyes, unsure what to say next.


    ¡°By the way, are all your childhood photos here?¡± Jackson asked casually


    some


    Serenity thought about it and said, ¡°I think so.¡± Having photos taken was quite inconvenient back in the


    day. She did not have mary photos taken and had taken lesser photos after her mother had died.


    Jackson¡¯s lips curved upward, and he said meaningfully, ¡°You must take good care of these. Don¡¯t


    move them around. You don¡¯t want to lose them.


    She responded, ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    Jackson put the album in his hands down, his long arms pulling ber into his embrace. He could smell


    the scent of her. ¡°Did something happen today?¡± he asked in a low voice.


    The question startled Serenity for a moment. She thought about the dispute at noon and the video of


    her and Lu?as online.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 413

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    Chapter 413


    dating.


    The video was no longer online, but. Serenity did not want to hide it from Jackson. After all, they were


    officially d


    ¡°Well Serenity told Jackson about what had happened earlier at noon, including the dispute and Locas


    helping her.


    Serenity studied Jackson¡¯s face when she finished the story, but he did not seem surprised. She could


    not resist asking, ¡°You knew?


    ¡°Yeah I saw that video,¡± Jackson sild.


    Serenity was surprised in tom. She had not ever seen the video yet he had seen t


    Afraid he wenisunderstand, she spoke first. ¡°That video. There¡¯s nothing between us.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She had heard about the video earlier. ra had mentioned that manyments were specting


    about her rtionship with


    Lucis.


    Jackson sat on the bed with his arms around her waist. He tilted his head slightly and looked up at her.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not attracted to Lucas, are you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Serenity answered. Her? Attracted to Lucas? Speaking of which, she found Jackson


    much more attractive. Did he not know?


    Jackson behavedpletely differently with her. How many people would have the chance to see such


    a different side of him?


    ¡°And what if he has a crush on you?¡± Jackson¡¯s gaze on her darkened.


    ¡°Lucas Gomez?¡± Serenity was stunned at first. After that, she said indifferently, He¡¯s dating Aria.


    Besides, even if he¡¯s interested in me, he isn¡¯t going to be the guy 1 like¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes narrowed at that answer.


    Serenity had said that Lucas was not someone she would like. She would never fall for Lucas. In other


    words, even if Serenity had not faller for Jackson, she would not have been attracted to Lucas


    ¡°Just because he¡¯s Aria¡¯s boyfriend!¡± Jackson inquired.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like  yboys. Lucas loveps changing his girlfriends as soon as he finds a better one, I think


    men like him don¡¯t respect feelings. He probably only sees women as an essory. He may be


    interested in you today, but he¡¯ll change his mind the very next day.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s perception of him mainly stemmed from his history as a  yboy. He was a nonmittal


    man who never got emotionally invested in a rtionship.


    Jackson¡¯s ryes shed with thoughts. Then, he broke into a gentle smile. ¡°From now on, you can only


    have your heart set on


    And as for Lucas.. Serenity would never know the reason behind Lucas¡¯ history. He frequently changed


    girlfriends because he was looking for her shadow in them.


    Lucas always dated women that resembled the little girl in his memory to ease the pain of missing her.


    Jackson wandered how Lucas would feel after knwing how his desperation and yearning for her had


    caused his biggest failure in pursuing her.


    Which also meant. Lucas had lost his chance!


    Serenity returned to work the next day. When she arrived at the restaurant, ra looked at her and


    asked, ¡°Serenity, are you feeling unwell today?¡±


    ¡°Hub?¡± Serenity looked up in confusion.


    ¡°Your fare is bright red,¡± ra stated.


    Serenity reflexively touched her face and said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s. I think I got sunlumed on the way here


    today.¡±


    Chapter 413


    2/2


    It was just an excuse. Serenity¡¯s face was still red because of what had happened before leaving this


    morning. When putting on her shoes earlier, Jackson had acted one step ahead before she could squat


    down to tie her shoces.


    Jackson himself had crouched down to help her tie her shoces. After that, he had domineeringly


    said that he was the only one who could tie her shoces for her in the future.

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    Chapter 414


    Serenity immediately thought of what had happened yesterday, Laras had helped her tie her shoce.


    Was Jackson jealous?


    ¡°Is he actually jelous?¡± Serenity thought, feeling that it was a little sweet, Jackson being jealous was


    something that would have never crossed her mind before.


    The sun? ra looked out the window at the cloudy sky. The sun was hiding behind the thick clouds on


    this cloudy day.


    ¡°Oh, right. Vanny is going to get his surgery done soon. My mother and I are going to the hospital. We¡¯ll


    take care of him for a couple of days. I¡¯ll take a few days off but don¡¯t worry. Wages will be paid as


    usual¡± ra said, ¡°I¡¯ll inform you when to start work again¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Serenity said, ¡°I wish Yanny a smooth and sessful surgery. Tet me know after that. I¡¯m eager


    to know the news of his surgery ton.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± ra responded, smiling. Although closing the store for a few days would affect business, her


    son¡¯s hearing was her utmost priority for the moment.


    ra had many impending challenges that woulde after the surgery. She would have to teach


    Yanny how to transform the sounds he could hear into speech Teaching him to understand and speak


    after getting the cochlear imnts would be tough


    ra was ready to ovee the challenges, determined to help Yanny listen and speak like a normal


    child and make his life less difficult.


    The business was slow in the afternoon. ra retumed to the house behind the restaurant to check on


    Yanny, who was fast asleep in Mrs. Wells¡¯ arms.


    Mrs. Wells carefully put Yanny on the bed and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°The business is slow now, so I came to see Yanny,¡± ra said.


    ¡°You just can¡¯t get enough of him, can you? Yanny will be at the hospital tomarrow. You¡¯ll be watching


    Yanny the whole day tomorrow,¡± Mrs. Wells said with a sandle. She lucked forward to her grandsons


    surgery the next day


    ra looked at her son lovingly. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t taken the wrong pills, maybe he wouldn¡¯t be


    deaf.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault! It¡¯s that wretch¡¯s fault! Mrs. Wells was angry whenever she spoke of this.


    ¡°I¡¯m a fool and trusted the wrong person,¡± ra said, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Yanny¡­ He should¡¯ve had a better life,


    but I ruined his life.¡±


    Mrs. Wells looked at her daughter with pain. ¡°What are you talking about?! Yarmy is blessed to have


    someone like you as his mother! Alright. Stop being so negative. It¡¯s Yanny¡¯s surgery tomorrow. There¡¯s


    still a lot to do after that!¡¯


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s be positive!¡± ra lowered her head and pressed a kiss on her son¡¯s soft cheek


    ra returned to the restaurant Later and was stunned to see an unexpected guest waiting there.


    Lucas¡­ He hade to visit the restaurant again!


    ra never expected to see Lucas in her restaurant again. What was he here for this time?


    The first thing that came to mind was the video she had seen yesterday. The way Lucas had behaved


    and looked at Serenity


    ¡®Is Lucas here for Serenity? ra thought. Sure enough, Lucas next question confirmed her


    suspicions.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

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    1/1


    ¡°Where is Serenity? Is she not in the store? Lucas inquired.


    ¡°Serenity.. She went to make a delivery. She¡¯ll be back soon,¡± ra answered.


    Lucas stopped asking questions and ordered a special coffee milk tea. He then got a seat for himself


    and sipped the drink slowly.


    Lucas was a naturally striking man. His presence in the shop alone attracted many people¡¯s attention.


    As business was slow, few guests were in the restaurant. No one recognized this eye-catching man as


    the Prince Laces of the entertainment world. Despite his aloofness, his looks and figure alone seemed


    strangely attractive to many. Many guests in the restaurant frequently rast their eyes upon him.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Even ra could not help but marvel at Lucas¡¯ presence. The way he sat there lesurely, sipping his


    coffee milk tea, seemed like an advertisement rolling in real life. For some reason, ra found the


    coffee mille tea she served in the restaurant ssier than ever.


    ra wondered how long it would take for Serenity toe back. While pondering, she suddenly


    noticed another luxury car parked in the parking space in front of her restaurant. There was already a


    Porsche parked in front of the restaurant before the newly arrived Bentley.


    A rall figure stepped out of the Bentley, and ra¡¯s eyes lit up at the new guest.


    The man arrived in a light gray sust, his hair slicked back, revealing his forchrad. He was fair-skinned


    and looked very young. Strength and power emanated from him with a calmness that greatly


    contrasted the young look on his face.


    When the man walked into the restaurant, ra then noticed his charming yet piercing cold eyes. His


    eyes, although cold, had nd of indescribable beauty in them.


    is be¡­ a celebrity? Or someone important? ra guessed in her mind. She was about to approach


    him to get his order, but he stopped in his tracks and stood beside Lucas.


    The two then were equally good-looking, and they exchanged a nce. A short momentter, the man


    moved to the chair and sat at the same table as Lucas


    ra was surprised at this. She wondered if the two men knew each other. Again, it was unsurprising


    for the two men to know each other. After all, they seemed to be the same kind of people.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect to meet you here,¡± Jackson said with a meaningful smile, his dark eyes studying


    Lucas,


    ¡°Neither did I,¡± Lucas replied.


    Just then, ra approached Jackson and asked, ¡°Str, what can I get you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the same as him,¡± Jackson ordered.


    Later, ra made another cup of coffee milk tea and served it to jackson.


    ¡°Do you like coffee milk tea too? Lucas arched an eyebrow


    Jackson took a small sip and said nonchntly, ¡°You can have the same coffee, but not the same


    woman.¡±


    Lucas¡¯ expression changed. ¡°Women and coffee are indeed different. Unlike coffee, women are


    hamman beings.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you regretting your decision?¡± Jackson questioned, ¡°Are you going to take her away from


    me?¡±

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    Chapter 416


    Lucas¡¯ fingers tightened around the coffee cup. ¡°What if I regret it?¡± Lucas had underestimated


    Serenity¡¯s influence on him when he made his previous decision. He had thought that he only cared for


    her because she looked like the little girl in his


    memory.


    Gradually, Lucas realized that it was more than that. He felt his heart clench whenever he saw


    someone trying to harm her. He would always rush over to her rescue subconsciously, almost as if


    seeing her a little hurt was enough to make his heart ache. Lucas was unwilling to let her leave


    whenever they parted, wishing her gaze on him would stay a little longer, even if it was just for a little


    while!


    No other woman had ever affected him as much as her. When had he ever cared so much about a


    woman? He only cared about the little girl who had saved his life back then, but Serenity was an


    exception.


    Lucas asionally wondered. Maybe he should not have given Serenity to Jackson without putting up


    a fight. Would things be different if she stayed by his side? Would be miss the little girl Jesser? Would


    her presence ease the pain of missing the little cid?


    Jackson¡¯s p


    gaze on Lucas darkened, his eyes cold. ¡°You won¡¯t have the chance. I won¡¯t let you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lucas met Jackson¡¯s gaze. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to try and see how I don¡¯t get that chance.¡±


    The silence between the men grew as they looked at each other. Even ra, who was at the register,


    could feel the tension in the air. She could not hear the conversation from her position, but by the look


    on their faces, it was definitely not a pleasant


    chat.


    Jackson chuckled suddenly, breaking the silence. A thin smile was curved upon his face, his beautiful


    eyes full of sarcasm.¡± What? I thought you were only in love with the owner of the silver bracelet. Are


    you trying to tell me that you¡¯re in love with Serenity now? Mr. Gomez. Since when did your love


    be so disloyal?¡±


    Lucas¡¯ eyes turned sullen. His eyes drilled into Jackson¡¯s as his expression darkened.


    Jackson had a rxed smile. ¡°Hey, when you find the owner of this silver bracelet, what will Serenity be


    to you? You¡¯ve always treated her as a substitute, but she¡¯s different to me.¡±


    ¡°Serenity¡­ What is she to you?¡± Lucas asked with a raspy voice.


    ¡°She¡¯s my life,¡± Jackson said with absolute certainty, a hint of imperceptible hostility in his eyes.


    ¡°Lucas. If you really want to fight for Serenity, we¡¯ll be enemies. Do you really want that?¡±


    Pure shock shed across Lucas¡¯ face. He knew of Serenity¡¯s importance to Jackson, but he did not


    imagine Jackson would care


    about her to such an extent.


    Jackson treated Serenity as his life. Lucas wondered if he could treat Serenity the same. Was she the


    most important person in his life?


    Lucas already had an answer in his heart. Lucas had a good impression of Serenity. He was interested


    in her and cared about her, but that was all.


    Only one person could be the most important to him-the owner of the silver bracelet. There would be


    no one else other than her! Just by this, he had already lost to Jackson. Would he really turn against


    Jackson for Serenity? Bing enemies would not be just a matter between them alone. It would be


    between the Valor and Gomez family.


    Lucas knew this wery well, and so did JacksonN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

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    Chapter 417


    Jackson continued to drink his coffee leisurely as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. It even


    seemed that he was having a casual chat with Lucas instead of talking about something that night


    literally shake the foundation of Sria.


    Likewise, the gleam in Lucas ¡®s eyes slowly faded as he picked up his cup of coffee and casually took a


    sip.


    The tense atmosphere between the two men slowly evaporated. Now, they merely looked like two


    friends hanging out at the


    restaurant


    The sight overwhelmed ra for a moment, and she was not alone. The customers in the restaurant,


    especially the women, could not help but steal a nce at the two men from time to time. After all, both


    of them were handsome enough that they could easily rival celebrities,


    In fact, one of the women there even furtively pulled out her phone to take a photo of the two men, but


    just as she almed her phone at Jackson and Locas, before she even had the time to take a picture, her


    camera was blocked by a huge hand.


    It was Jackson¡¯s bodyguard. He bluntly warned the woman, ¡°My boss doesn¡¯t like his picture taken by a


    stranger, so if you insist on taking his picture, I¡¯ll have to ¡®invite you to leave.¡±


    The woman was dumbstruck. Was he threatening her?! But as she faced the bodyguard¡¯s stem


    countenance and his burly and muscr body, she had to immediately swallow up the words she had


    in her mind. She was fully aware that even if she protested, she would only end up humiliating herself


    And so, the woman paid the bill and left in despair.


    As for the rest of the customers in the restaurant, even if they had any intention to secretly take a


    picture of the two men before, it all went up in a puff of smoke now.


    Just then, Serenity returned on her scooter. As soon as she entered the restaurant, she saw Jackson


    and Lucas sitting at the same table and was instantly taken aback


    What¡­ What exactly was going on here? How could these two be here? It looked like they were


    drinking coffee together?!


    Even if they did want to hang out and have coffee together, she found it hard to believe that they would


    choose a ce like this to do it


    For a while, Serenity stood there with her mind nk, not knowing how to react.


    That was until ra rushed up toward her, pulled her aside, and told her, ¡°Mr. Gomez came looking for


    you, Serenity.¡±


    She did not mention Jackson because the man had not told her his intention ofing here, so she


    had no idea why he was there herself.


    But before Lucas could even get up, Jackson was already on his feet and heading straight toward


    Serenity.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Serenity asked him


    ¡°My work at thepany is done,¡± he replied, ¡°so I decided toe over and see you.¡±


    ra stared at Serenity and Jackson in shock, asking, ¡°Do you¡­ Do you know this gentleman,


    Serenity?


    ¡°Um, yeah He¡¯s..¡±


    When she got to that point, Serenity suddenly paused and hesitated. She realized that she had no idea


    how to introduce Jackson because although they had indeed started dating, she had never had to


    disclose their rtionship to anyone before.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jackson turned to Serenity with a faint smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to your


    boss?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 418

    Chapter 418


    Chapter 418


    Serenity¡¯s face turned deep red involuntarily. She bit her lips and told ra, ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Your boyfriend ?1¡ä ra¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Although she could feel a sense of intimacy through


    their interaction, she had never expected that Jackson would actually be Serenity¡¯s boyfriend?!


    So, Serenity already had a boyfriend? And that boyfriend of hers turned out to be such a mysterious


    and unfathomable person


    too!


    Yes, mysterious and unfathomable¡ªthat was ra¡¯s impression of the man. Just like the smile on his


    face right now, which might make him look like a harmless and friendly person at first nce, and yet,


    she knew deep down that this man was far from harmless.


    On the contrary, ra¡¯s instincts told her that this man was dangerous and not to be messed with. She


    could distinctly feel the intimidating aura that the man exuded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Serenity affirmed, ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend.


    ¡°ch¡­¡± ra then proceeded to introduce herself, ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is ra Wells. I¡¯m the


    owner of this restaurant.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you too,¡± answered Jackson ¡°I¡¯m Jackson Valor.¡±


    Once again, ra was bbergasted. The shock in her eyes grew stronger and stronger.


    Jackson Valor?! He. He could not be the man she thought he was, couki he?!


    ra fell like her head was spinning Suddenly, not only had Lucas Gomeze to her little restaurant,


    but even Jackson Valor as well! And they had bothe here looking for Serenity!


    Who exactly was Serenity? And what was her real background? Could it be as simple as she had read


    in her resume?


    At that moment, Lacas finally got up and walled over to them, but instead of addressing Serenity, he


    merely told Jackson, ¡°1 think I¡¯d better not be your enemy, after all.¡±


    After saying that,is gaze fell on Serenity¡¯s face, and he said to her, ¡°Someone from mypany¡¯s


    film crew caused you trouble yesterday, so I came here to apologize in you on that person¡¯s behalf. IfN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    you need any kind ofpensation at all, please just tell me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anypensation,¡± she replied hastily. ¡°It really was no trouble at all. In fact, I should be


    the one thanking you


    for helping me yesterday¡±


    ¡°Really? Okay. In that case, I¡¯ll excuse myself now.¡±


    Lucas then gave Jackson another meaningful look as he spoke before leaving the restaurant.


    At the end of the day, Serenity was not that impurtant a person to him that he would be willing to


    be Jackson Valor¡¯s enemy just for her. His gaze lowered slightly, and a self-mocking smile arose


    on his lips.


    He was not willing to be Jackson¡¯s enemy, yet Jackson was fully ready to dere war with him


    just because of Serenity. That alone proved how much more Jackson cared about herpared to


    him.


    But what Luca s¡¯s heart truly yearned for was that girl whose name he did not even know,


    Once again, he touched his chest where, through the clothes, the small silver bracelet hung around his


    neck. It was a keepsake that clung to his skin, always staying close to his beating heart


    How long did it have to take until he finally faurul that girl? He had so much to tell her, and he wanted to


    let her know how much be bad been missing her.


    ra¡¯s eyes followed Jackson, who had now returned to his seat at the table and was very elegantly


    drinking his cup of coffee while flipping through a German book. It seemed that he was serious when


    he said that he would stay here waiting for


    Chapter


    Serenity until she got off work.


    But this was Jackson Valor.. the man so powerful in Sria that he might even be able to dictate the


    weather!

 Chapter 419

    Chapter 419


    Chapter 419


    ra remembered how she had pulled Serenity aside to ask her the question, and she had received


    an affirmative answer


    ¡°Yes, re, he is Jackson Valor of the Valor Group, the man you thought he was.¡±


    Okay, so that was the answer Serenity had given her. Still, it felt as if her mind had been struck by


    waves of thunder and lightning, and she just could not process what was happening right now.


    Was her delivery employee really Jackson Valor¡¯s girlfriend? Who would ever believe her if she told


    them that?!


    11 was even more surreal when Serenity said she still had some orders to deliver and Jackson replied,


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll just wait for you right bere. I¡¯m free for the rest of the day, anyway.¡±


    And so, as Serenity went out to make the deliveries, Jackson stayed there.. well, reading a book!


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ra thought she had been through quite a lot of dramatic things in her life, yet she still found it


    incredibly difficult to make sense of what was happening in front of her right now!


    If Serenity really had such a boyfriend, why did she have to work with her? And what about Jackson?


    Was he¡­ serious about Serenity?


    But as she observed the interaction between these two, she had a feeling that it had to be real. At the


    very least, the way Jackson Treated Serenity was obviously full of affection even to an outsider like her.


    Seeing that Jackson had finished his cup of coffee, ra went up to him and asked, ¡°Would you like to


    order something else, Mr. Valor?¡±


    ¡°Just a ss of water, please.¡±


    And so, ra brought Jackson a ss of water as he had requested, and she was about to leave the


    table when he told her,


    Wait.¡±


    ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± Jackson pointed at the empty chair opposite him. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to discuss with


    you.¡±


    ra instantly felt uneasy, but she still pulled out the chair and sat down.


    ¡°Serenity insisted on supporting herself,¡± he said, his eyes fixed on ra with a hint of a dark gleam,


    ¡°so I won¡¯t stop her. Besides, she seems to have taken a liking to you and your son and is pretty


    pleased with her job right now. If it¡¯s something that she wants to continue doing, I¡¯ll just let her do it All


    I want is for her to be happy.¡®


    ra was startled. The immense fear she felt now grew stronger and clearer.


    ¡°Both my son and I¡­¡± she told him, ¡°like Serenity very much too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, then,¡± Jackson calmly replied. If you¡¯re in any kind of trouble, I don¡¯t mind helping you, but


    I hope that you remain honest and sincere with Serenity and do not try to use her. If you ever do such a


    thing, then don¡¯t me me for what I might do to you.¡±


    ¡°How could I¡­¡±


    But before ra could finish her sentence, he interjected, ¡°Wilson Birch must¡¯ve been searching for


    you all these years, but you outsmarted him by bribing the prison guards and found a way to change


    your information in the household registry. He certainly won¡¯t be able to find you now without using


    some special measures.¡±


    ra was so shocked she almost sprung up from her seat.


    He¡­ He knew! In fact, he could not possibly know these things had he not been Investigating her


    background.


    She asked him with rounded eyes, ¡°Have you been¡­ Investigating me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered. ¡°Since Serenity wants to work with you, I naturally had to investigate everyone in


    this restaurant just to be safe, but she doesn¡¯t know about all these things, and I have no desire for her


    to know them either.¡±


    Chapter 41


    ra understood that Jackson was clearly warning her. Did Serenity have any idea that this man had


    been doing all these things behind her back just to protect ser?

 Chapter 420

    Chapter 420


    Chapter 420


    ¡°1. understand,¡± said ra ¡°I won¡¯t tell her anything.¡±


    She then hesitated and added, ¡°Although I now know that Serenity is your girlfriend, I¡¯ve never had any


    idea to use her from the start, and I naturally have no intention to da so now either. I gave her a fob


    back then because we both suffered the same fate and used to be in prison, so I felt sorry for her and


    wanted to give her a chance so she could stand on her own two feet.¡±


    Hearing this, the iciness in Jackson¡¯s eyes thawed a little


    ¡°I won¡¯t meddle in the business between you and Wilson Birch,¡± he assured her. ¡°All I want is for


    Serenity to work here safely and peacefully. If anything happens to her, you can always give me a call.¡±


    After speaking, he gave ra his phone number. She quickly noted it down. To think that only a


    handful of prople in the whole of Sria actually had this man¡¯s number, and ra had actually gotten


    it under such bizarre circumstances!


    Nevertheless, since Jackson had assured her that he would not barge into the business between her


    and Wilson, it must mean that he would not tell Wilson where she was, and this made her sigh with


    relief.


    Jackson then remained in the restaurant until Serenity returned. He even had dinner with her there.


    And so, by the end of the working day, all her colleagues in the restaurant found out that she had an


    extraordinarly handsome boyfriend.


    None of her colleagues knew that he was Jackson Valor, however, because she only referred to him as


    ¡°Jack¡¯, although they did jokingly observe that since her boyfriend seemed to be a wealthy man,


    Serenity was likely going to be a rich man¡¯s wife


    Serenity merelyughed it off when she heard this.


    If her colleagues had known that her boyfriend was Jackson Vallor, would they still say the same thing?


    Or would they just think that there was absolutely no way Jackson would ever marry her?


    ¡°Your boss seems like a decent woman,¡± Jacksonmented on the way back home.


    ¡°She really is a good person.¡± Serenity agreed. She then seemed to have thought of something


    suddenly and added, ¡°By the way, Yanny is going to have the operation tomorrow, so re and her


    mom are going to stay by his side at the hospital, and the restaurant will be closed for a few days. That


    means I won¡¯t be working for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you won¡¯t be delivering my lunch tomorrow?¡± he asked with raised eyebrows.


    Serenity was speechless. Was that all that was on his mind? Still, it suddenly urred to her that she


    had been having lunch with him every daytely.


    ¡°Perhaps I could make you a packed lunch tomorrow?¡± she suggested.


    As she spoke, she was reminded of when they used to stay in the rental room together. Back then,


    whenever she had to work overtime or go homete for some reason, she would always prepare some


    food for him before going to work. All he had to do was reheat it, and it would be ready to eat.


    She remembered how happy she had been to see him enjoy the food that she cooked herself. After all,


    what brought the most Joy to the cook was to see someone savoring the fond they made. Besides, the


    dishes she made were very simple, and her cooking skills were not that impressive.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°Remember your own woods! 11l be waiting for your lunch tomorrow.¡±


    Since she was the one who had suggested it, it was toote to go back on her own words now, so she


    asked him, ¡°What would you like to eat, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not picky,¡± he answered. ¡°Anything you make is good to me!


    ¡°Not picky¡­ Serenity thought. ¡®So in other words, he probably doesn¡¯t have any favorite dishes, then.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just rustle something up tomorrow.¡±


    Chapter 420


    2/2


    Once they reached Valor Residence, Serenity quicldy washed up and changed, but when she got out


    of the bathroom, she saw Jackson already sitting on the bed.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 421

    Chapter 421


    Chapter 421


    Lately, he had always been spending the night sleeping in the same bed with her in this room. Although


    strictly speaking they did nothing at all the whole night, as time went on, it had be a habit for both


    of them to fall asleep together without them even realizing it.


    Because she had to keep the lights on while sleeping, Serenity would gently hint, ¡°I always need the


    light to be on when I¡¯m sleeping and you¡¯re probably not used to it. Why don¡¯t you just go sleep in your


    own room instead?¡±


    But the only reply she got was, ¡°I just want to sleep with you, Sis. I don¡¯t mind it even if the lights are


    on.¡±


    And so, the rest of what she had in mind remained unsaid


    ¡°Are you going to bed now?¡± Jackson asked when he saw her heading toward the bed.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± she replied, blushing slightly.


    She then lifted the nket and prepared to climb into bed when Jackson suddenly wrapped his arms


    around her waist and hugged her tight, burying his face against her body. He was acting just like a


    spoiled child demanding attention.


    Jackson was revealing his childish side at that moment. He was nothing like his usual self at all, yet for


    some reason, Serenity found herself liking this slightly immature version of him.


    ¡°By the way, Serenity suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Why did Lucas say those words to


    you today? Are you guys fighting over something?¡±


    ¡°What words?¡± Jackson asked in return, but he was only thinking about how he could really get


    addicted to hugging her tightly like this and that he might never want to let her go. He wished he could


    stay in this position and be enveloped by her


    scent forever.


    ¡°That he didn¡¯t want to be your enemy,¡± replied Serenity.


    She somewhat recalled how Jackson and Lucas seemed to get along pretty well, yet what Lucas had


    said gave her an impression that there might be some animosity between the two. If the Garnez family


    really did be enemies with the Valors, she could only imagine what major shakeups the finance


    and film industries in Sria might experience.


    ¡°He meant what he said,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°But what¡¯s the reason behind it?¡± she asked, still curious. ¡°Are you guys fighting over a business


    deal?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he told her bluntly, ¡°we¡¯re fighting over you.¡±


    She almost choked on her saliva. They were fighting over her? Impossible! Surely he was joking?!


    He slowly raised his head till his eyes met hers. Those dark pupils of his seemed to be soaked in the


    imprable darkness of the night.


    ¡°He was interested in you,¡± he continued. ¡°He wanted to sn atch you away from me, so I told him that if


    he dared to make a move on you, he would be my enemy, and it would be an all-out war between me


    and him.¡±


    Serenity stared at Jackson, stunned. Turbulent waves churned in her heart. She asked him, ¡°Are you


    really¡­ willing to start a


    war with Lucas?


    She knew very well what price he would have to pay if he really did go against Lucas.


    ¡°I told you that I love you,¡± he reminded her, ¡°and that you are the most important person in my life. Did


    you think that I was Just joking?¡±


    She bit her lips. Her watery almond-shaped eyes were as wide as saucers, almost as if she could not


    shake off the shock she was feeling.


    But she had no idea how alluring she looked to him right now. How it made him desire her even more,


    and how he wanted nothing more than to possess herpletely.


    He then gently caressed her lips with his fingers.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

 Chapter 422

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    Chapter 422


    ¡°But even if Lucas really wants to sn atch you away from me,¡± Jackson asked in a whispering voice, ¡°he


    still won¡¯t get what he wants, right? Because I¡¯m the man you like the most, and I¡¯m also the man


    you¡¯re destined to fall in love with one day, right?¡± His warm breath tickled her face, and soon after she


    heard his voice, his kiss quickly followed as itnded gently on her lips. He would never let anyone take


    her away from him. She was his and his alone!


    When Serenity woke up the next day, Jackson had already gone to work. So, after eating her breakfast,


    she went straight to preparing his lunch


    Both the lunch box and the cooking ingredients were already there for her in the kitchen of the Valor


    Residence. In fact, even the cook was there by her side, and he had been ordered to give Serenity any


    assistance or help that she might need.


    When the lunch was finally prepared, even Serenity felt that her cooking skills had improved to a higher


    level. So, with the lunchbox in tow, she headed to the Valor Group building, but because she was


    driven there by the Valor family¡¯s driver, the security guards were all shocked to see her when she


    stepped out of the car.


    Many employees in thepany now knew that this mysterious delivery rider was not to be trifled with,


    but none of them would ever think that she would change her mode of transport from an electric


    scooter to a private car so quickly!


    In fact, that car. the security guards recognized it to be the CEO¡¯s private car! Not only that, but the


    driver was definitely the Valor family¡¯s personal driver as well!


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    If she was even driven here by the CEO¡¯s personal driver himself, no one would believe that this rider


    was not in a special rtionship with the CEO!


    By then, Serenity was already on somewhat friendly terms with the security guards, so as she walked


    past them, she greeted them with a friendly, ¡°Good afternoon!¡±


    The guards stutteringly replied, ¡°Good¡­ Good afternoon!¡±


    With the lunchbox in her hand, Serenity effortlessly arrived at Jackson¡¯s floor without any hindrance


    from anyone. Everyone on this floor knew Serenity by now, and a lot of them even knew that although


    this woman was a mere rider, her rtionship with the CEO was definitely out of the ordinary.


    Serenity asked, ¡°Umm, is Mr. Valor in his office?¡±


    ¡°He is,¡± a secretary replied.


    ¡°Is there anyone else in the office with him?¡± Serenity asked again, just to be safe. After all, she had no


    desire to face any of the executives in Jackson¡¯s office right now since it was sure to create an


    awkward scene.


    ¡°No,¡± the secretary told her. ¡°No one else is in there with Mr. Valor.¡±


    Only upon hearing this did Serenity then head toward Jackson¡¯s office. She knocked on the door twice


    and opened the door then entered the room. He was sitting at his desk and seemed to be¡­ In a video


    conference!


    Serenity was immediately awash with embarrassment. So¡­ he really was alone in his office, but that


    was only because he was in the middle of a video conference! Fortunately, the camera was not faced


    in her direction, so she did not have to worry about being seen.


    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± Jackson called out. ¡°Give me a second, the meeting¡¯s almost over.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Serenity in a voice as small as an ant¡¯s.


    Serenity then walked over to the coffee table. Before she could put down themchbox, she could hear


    the voice in the video saying, ¡°Oh, is that the same woman we saw in thest meeting, Jackson?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s someone else,¡± Interjected another voice.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be. I¡¯ve never heard Jackson talk to any other woman with such a gentle tone before.¡±


    2/2


    All those people were speaking French, and they were all discussing whether she was the same


    woman whose face they had seen in thest meeting. Although Serenity was tot very fluent in French,


    she was still good enough toprehend the whole


    conversation.

 Chapter 423

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    Chapter 423


    But it was precisely because she couldprehend the conversation that she was now feeling even


    more embarrassed.


    In the end, it was Jackson who confirmed their suspicions with a brief, ¡°It¡¯s her.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So what¡¯s going on between the two of you, Jackson? Are you guys lovers?¡±


    Because these people were foreigners, they were much more direct in their manner of speaking. Had it


    been Jackson¡¯s Srian employees, they would never even dare to think of asking him such a blunt


    and personal question.


    Serenity then heard Jackson reply in French, ¡°She is the woman that I love the most.¡±


    In that instant, she felt as if her heart had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand that made even the


    beating of the heart difficult.


    When the meeting was finally over, Jackson walked over to Serenity¡¯s side and asked her, ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong? Why is your face so red?¡±


    She hastily answered, ¡°N¨CNothing¡±


    But that only made him hold her face and study her blushing face intently, asking her, ¡°Is it because of


    what those people said?¡±


    She made no reply, which in itself was a confirmation.


    ¡°When I get the chance in the future,¡± he added, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to them.¡±


    ¡°Introduce me?¡± she gasped.


    He raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want to be introduced?¡±


    Uh¡­


    Serenity was simply bbergasted. At the moment, his brilliant eyes were exuding an intimidating air


    that told her that if she said no, she would be igniting his fuse.


    After pondering it for a while, she replied, ¡°I just feel that we¡¯ve just begun dating, and those people


    seem to be yourpany¡¯s executives abroad, so it might be¡­ a little too soon to introduce me to


    them, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Too soon?¡± There was a ghost of a smile on his lips as he gently caressed her blushing cheek. ¡°I


    actually think I should¡¯ve done it much sooner. But fine, if you think it¡¯s too soon, I¡¯ll wait till you¡¯re ready


    before I introduce you to them.¡±


    Hearing this, Serenity sighed in relief.


    ¡°Then¡­ Then why don¡¯t you let go of my face and eat your lunch?¡±


    Jackson was still holding Serenity¡¯s face in his hands.


    ¡°But I really don¡¯t want to let go of you,¡± he murmured. ¡°Your sl¨¢n is so soft. I like the feel of it. I feel like


    I could get addicted to it if I keep on touching you.¡±


    She was speechless. Should she be taking this as apliment?


    In the end, Jackson kept on holding her face for a while before finally letting go, and finally, Serenity


    could get on to having


    lunch.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    For their lunch today, she had made three dishes and a soup, and although they were all very in


    dishes, she had been guided by the cook at Valor Residence, and at the very least, all the dishes


    looked very appealing.


    ¡°Did you make this yourself? Jackson asked with some surprise,


    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± she replied, then added, ¡°I did get some help from your cook, though.¡±


    She waited until Jackson had taken the first bite and then stared at him with anticipation as she asked,


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°Really good!¡± he replied with a smile.


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not nearly as good as the food your cook makes, huh?


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± he insisted. ¡°I much prefer the food that you make yourself. It doesn¡¯t matter what you


    cook, I like them all.


    Was he Was he trying to be sweet?


    As she thought about this, her phone suddenly rang. She checked the caller ID and realized that it was


    ra calling, so she answered it right away

 Chapter 424

    Chapter 424


    Chapter 424


    ¡°Yanny¡¯s surgery went well!¡± Serenity heard ra¡¯s voice say from the other end of the line. ¡°The


    doctor said he¡¯d need about two days to get used to it and then he¡¯ll be able to start the training to


    recognize sounds and voices.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± cried Serenity with joy. I¡¯lle over and visit Yanny this afternoon, then.¡±


    She then asked ra where Yanny¡¯s hospital ward was and ended the call


    ¡°Was that about the deaf kid?¡± Jackson asloed


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied. ¡°Yanny¡¯s operation went well, and since I¡¯m free in the afternoon, I think I¡¯ll go visit


    himter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, then,¡± said Jackson


    ¡°Go with me?¡± Serenity¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. ¡°But don¡¯t you still need to work?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just let my secretary postpone my appointments this afternoon. There¡¯s nothing urgent, anyway.¡±


    ¨C


    Although he had said that, Serenity could guess that as the CEO of such arge corporate group, there


    would be very few matters in his work that were not urgent.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you want me to go with you?


    ¡°That¡¯s. That¡¯s not it.¡±


    In fact, even though she was a little taken aback that he was willing to go with her, she had to admit


    that she found this gesture very sweet of him.


    ¡°That¡¯s settled, then,¡± he said before returning to his food.


    Seeing this, Serenity followed suit and continued eating her lunch. A whileter, she suddenly heard


    him ask, ¡°Sis, will you cook for me more often from now on?¡±


    She was frozen for a moment before raising her head, and their eyes met.


    He suddenly smiled gently and raised a hand to touch the corner of her lips. Only then did she realize


    that there was a grain of rice stuck on her lips. She instantly blushed again.


    It looked like she blushed so easily whenever she was with him.


    ¡°So?¡± He repeated his question. ¡°Will you?¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    H


    ¡°But I¡¯m only good at making very in dishes,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m nowhere near as good as your own


    cook.


    ¡°So what? What I like is the food that you cook¡±


    Doubt shed in her eyes. Even if he was not a picky eater, it would still be weird for him to like her


    in dishes so much that be wanted to eat her food all the time. After all, the private cook he had hired


    was a professional, and his skills were far


    superior to that of Serenity¡¯s.


    Or had he just said that to cheer her up? Was it his way of being sweet and romantic with her? Was it


    just as they said, that beauty was in the eye of the beholder? After all, he did say that he liked


    everything she made.


    As if he had seen through her duulits, his thin lips parted slightly as he said, ¡°I like it when you get busy


    doing something for me. When you were cooking these dishes, I¡¯m sure you had me on your mind,


    right? That¡¯s why eating your food makes me so happy, because these are the dishes that you made


    just for me¡­¡±


    His possessiveness of her seemed to be getting stronger and stronger, so strong that even he started


    to find it scary. He had even be possessive of the food that she cooked.


    His murmuring voice was like a pebble that was thrown into theke that was her heart, creating


    rippling waves. His eyes, his voice, his words¨Cthey all seemed to be telling her how much he loved her.


    It was as if¡­ she was hits only one¡­


    As if every little thing that she gave him would make him infinitely happy

 Chapter 425

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    Chapter 425


    Sometimes, she even could not help wondering if she really was that important a person to Jackson.


    They had only knownI each other for half a year, so could his feelings for her really have developed


    that far?


    But it did not look like he had any reason to lie to her either since she was currently a total nobody,


    Lying to her would not benefit him at all, would it?


    ¡°Will you, Sis?


    His maic voice buzzed with undeniable desire as he asked her the same question for the third


    time.


    ¡°Well if I have the time to do it, I¡¯ll try my best to cook for you ritore often.¡±


    When she regained herposure, she could still feel her heart beating violently in her chest.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, smiling faintly.


    Serenity lowered her head hastily and cleaned up the lunchboxes on the table. Just as she was about


    to close the lid of the lunchbox, she suddenly let out a cry and recoiled her finger before gasping in


    pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked with urgent contem


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she replied. ¡°I just identally broke my nail, that¡¯s all. I¡¯ll trim itter.¡±


    Although she usually trimmed her fingernails regrly, she hadpletely forgotten about it these past


    few days, and her nails were now slightly longer than usual.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± he said, taking her hand and then closely examining the nail that she had just chipped.


    ¡°Is it this one?¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He then gently held up her left index finger, where there were signs of cracks at the edge of the nail. It


    looked like it would be fine with a simple trimming


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°Give me a second,¡± he said. Then, he picked up his phone and called his secretary, asking. ¡°Do you


    have nail clippers here?¡±


    Serenity almost choked on her own saliva when she heard that.


    Likewise, there was also someone else who almost choked on her saliva¨Cthe secretary. She would


    never have expected that she would get a call from the CEO asking her¡­ for nail clippers!


    Did Mr. Valor want to trim his nails?! Confused, she entered the office with the nail clippers and was


    greeted by the sight of Jackson and Serenity sitting next to each other on the couch.


    ¡°Mr. Valor,¡± she respectfully walked up to Jackson, ¡°here are the nail clippers.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said as he was handed the object, ¡°you may go now.¡±


    The secretary then quietly turned and was about to leave the office, but just before she closed the door,


    she heard the CEO speak in an impossibly tender voice, ¡°Stay still.¡±


    That voice.. that tone¡­ Could the person speaking really be¡­ Mr. Valor?!


    The secretary could not help taking a peek at her boss only to see Jackson Valor very carefully and


    gently helping Serenity. trim her nails!


    Yes, indeed. Mr. Valor was actually helping a woman trim her nails! In fact, his expressions and voice


    were so warm and gentle that he was oozing affection.


    The secretary had been working in thispany for many years now, but she had never seen her boss


    acting in such a gentle and loving manner before. She had heard of gossip between thepany


    employees about the woman who was a lowly delivery rider and how she was possibly Mr. Valor¡¯s new


    girlfriend. All this time, she had always believed that there coukl simply be no truth in such an absurd


    piece of gossip.


    After all, if she really was Mr. Valor¡¯s new girlfriend, why would Mr. Valor still let her do such a lowly and


    menial job?


    Chaster 425


    Yet, when she saw the scene on the couch just now, she started to suspect that those rumors might


    actually be true. How could they not be when she had clearly seen how intimate Jackson Valor was


    with that woman?! Even if she was not his girlfriend, she must at least be his lover.


    The secretary then left the office with mixed feelings.


    Meanwhile, Serenity, whose nail was getting clipped, was also sitting there, guiding Jackson with a lot


    of mixed feelings


    inside her.


    ¡°Umm, don¡¯t cut it too deep, but don¡¯t trim too little either. No, a little deeper, and the edges as well¡­


    Yes, and trim this part a little more.

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    After a while, Jackson was finally done trimming Serenity¡¯s nails under her instruction and guidance.


    The first thing she felt was exhaustion. It would have been much simpler and easier if she could have


    just trimmed her nails herself. Still, it looked like Jackson was having fun trimming her nails. Once he


    was done with one finger, he began scrutinizing the rest of her fingernails and started to trim all of them


    too.


    He even seemed disappointed when he was done, almost as if he wished it was not over so soon.


    ¡°When your nails get longer again,¡± he told her, ¡°let me help you trim them again, okay?¡±


    Serenity was left speechless and unable to react.


    Because it was still noon, it would have been too early to go to the hospital to visit Yanny now, so


    Jackson returned to his desk and settled the remaining work he had for the day while Serenity picked


    up her phone and began scrolling through the news.


    Suddenly, a trending headline caught her eye. It was an article about her sister, Aria Lewis, which


    touted her as being sessful both in her love life and career. It even mentioned that Aria had


    confirmed that she would be attending the uing dinner g in Sria with her boyfriend, Lucas


    Gomez. This dinner g would be attended by all the elites as well as the upper crust of the Srian


    society.


    With this news article alone, Aria was able to silence all the rumors about her possible breakup with


    Lucas as it proved that their rtionship was still going strong.


    The article was also apanied by several pictures of Aria posing as a model in endorsements and


    advertisements as well as a picture of her being the cover girl of a fashion magazine.


    It seemed undeniable that she was on top of her game right now, but¡­ Serenity¡¯s eyes darkened


    slightly without her realizing it. Anybody could tell that everything that Aria had all came her way


    because she was Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend. Once she broke up with Lucas, she would likely lose many


    things, and her life would no longer be so picture-perfect.


    Besides, men like Lucas probably hated nothing more than a girlfriend persistently clinging onto him for


    the rest of his life.


    At the very least, Serenity had seen with her own eyes how unfeeling and cruel Lucas had been to his


    clingy ex-girlfriend.


    So, what would Aria¡¯s future look like?


    Serenity could not help but chuckle. It did not matter what would be of Aria in the future, whether


    she would fall to rock bottom or continue living in glory because she now had nothing to do with Aria.


    In the past, she had truly loved Aria as a sister and would find ways to help Aria obtain some sess,


    but after having been in prison, it was clear how little she mattered to her own family, and all the love


    Serenity had once felt for them had all but dissipated.


    Serenity went on to scroll through her phone for a little longer until she started to feel a little sleepy. She


    leaned back on the couch, and her eyelids began to feel heavier and heavier¡­


    The next time Jackson turned to look at Serenity, she was already lying on her side on the couch with


    her eyes closed, obviously asleep. He got up and slowly walked over to her side. At the moment, her


    sleeping face looked serene and peaceful, her curly eyshes casting shadows on her face.


    He stared at her sleeping face, mesmerized. The sight of her filled his heart with peace and


    contentment,


    Jackson went to the lounge in the next room to get a nket and gently covered her body with it.


    All his life, he used to think that possessing someone or getting anyone he wanted was a simple


    matter. Only now did he realize that when he truly wanted someone, he did not want to threaten her


    and force her to be his with the power he wielded. Instead, he wanted her to be willing to be his. And


    when he truly loved someone, he could easily lose a night of sleep over something she said, a look she


    gave, or even just a simple gesture of hers.


    ¡°When will you finally fall in love with me?¡± he asked softly. ¡°How much longer do I have to wait for you,


    h?m??¡°


    Chapter 476


    Bet the only reply he got was the silent flowing of the cool air in his office.


    2/2 Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    When Serenity opened her eyes, she saw a blurry image of a familiar ceiling. After a while, she


    suddenly shivered and sat up straight abruptly.

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    She¡­ she had actually fallen asleep!


    ¡°Are you awake? Would you like to rest a little longer?¡± Jackson¡¯s voice sounded.


    Startled, Serenity looked up at him. ¡°I¡­ I fell asleep Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡±


    ¡°You were sleeping soundly, so I thought I¡¯d let you sleep a little longer,¡± he replied.


    ¡°But I promised I¡¯d go visit Yanny. I¡¯ve overslept now..¡± As she spoke, Serenity picked up her phone and


    checked the time. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t 3 pm yet, but she couldn¡¯t afford to wait around any longer


    before heading to the hospital.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got enough time for a trip to the hospital. I¡¯lle with you,¡± said Jackson as he put on his


    jacket. He then walked up


    to her side.


    Serenity nodded. She suddenly remembered that her hair was in a mess, so she reached up and


    pulled off the stic hairband. She then grabbed a bunch of her hair and tied it up into a new ponytail.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    The whole process took only 5 or 6 seconds. Jackson was a little surprised by the speed of her


    movements. ¡°Have you always been this quick with your hair?¡±


    ¡°No. I used to take all day to get my hair right, but during my time in prison¡­¡±


    Serenity came to an abrupt pause. After all, her past was unpleasant for either of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Jackson as he hung his head.


    No it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s not like you put me in jail,¡± Serenity said hurriedly. She tried to resolve the tension


    by adopting a more rxed tone. ¡°Although life behind bars was hard, I¡¯m now better at reading people.


    I know who has my best interests at heart, and who¡¯s only wearing a mask.¡±


    If she hadn¡¯t gone through all that, she would probably still be shackled by her delusions about love.


    a


    Jackson¡¯s gaze darkened. He nced at Serenity and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I might be wearing


    a mask all this time?¡±


    She stared at him for a moment before replying smilingly, ¡°I am someone who has lost everything, so


    you don¡¯t have at reason to maintain a facade toward me. At the very least, I can¡¯t think of a reason for


    you to act that way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not too far off the point.¡± Jackson smiled at her as he took her hand. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Serenity was blissfully unaware that his greatest reason was for her to keep on loving him. Because of


    this, there were some things he had to keep a secret from her forever. Otherwise, there was a real risk


    that she would leave him if the truth was revealed.


    For now, he would have to keep the truth away from her¡­


    Serenity and Jackson came to the hospital and located Yanny¡¯s ward. It turned out to be better than


    she had imagined. It was a single room that was surprisingly spacious.


    Unfortunately, the boy was fast asleep when they arrived. Serenity ced the toys she had bought for


    him on the table next to his bed, hoping he would notice it the moment he woke up.


    ra was surprised when she saw the couple exit the boy¡¯s wand. Although she had heard of Jackson,


    she had never seen him in person before. There were virtually no photos of him online, so most people


    had no idea what he looked like.

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    Back then, she would follow Wilson around at the beginning of their rtionship. However, his family


    had little to no business dealings with the Valors, so she had never seen Jackson before. This was why


    she was surprised to bump into him two days in a row.


    What¡¯s more, Serenity would be there whenever they met.


    ra remembered Jackson¡¯s warming from before. Her gaze was filled with mixed emotions as she


    looked at Serenity. To be loved by such a man, ra wondered if it was a blessing or a curse.


    In any case, she just wanted Serenity to be happy.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot to buy something. Yanny told me he wanted to try pomegranates while he was in the


    hospital,¡± Serenity said a she hastily grabbed her purse.


    Of course, Yanny hadn¡¯t literally told her about it. Instead, he had conveyed his wish through sign


    language.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to do that! You¡¯ve bought him toys, and that¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll get him the


    pomegranates,¡± said ra hastily.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it won¡¯t take too long. There¡¯s a fruit stand outside the hospital, and 1 saw that they were


    selling pomegranates. I¡¯ll be back here in no time,¡± said Serenity. ¡°Since I made a promise to him, I


    have to do it.¡±


    Serenity then left the room in a rush. That left ra, Mrs. Wells, and Jackson in the ward.


    Mrs. Wells had only learned of Jackson¡¯s identity from her daughter yesterday, but she began to take


    notice of him since then. She felt slightly ufortable being in the presence of such an important


    person, so she pretended to focus on her grandson.


    ra, on the other hand, took the initiative and asked, ¡°Would you like some tea, Mr. Valor?¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± replied Jackson, who was gazing down at Yanny. ¡°This child, does he belong to you and


    Wilson Birch?¡±


    It was a simple question, but it made both of them tum pale in shock Mrs. Wells was so flustered that


    she almostunched out


    of her chair.


    ra was surprisingly much calmer than her mother. She looked back at him and asked, ¡°Is that what


    you got out of your investigation?


    ¡°Yes. However, the findings are merely inferences based on time, and¡­¡± Jackson¡¯s lips curled into a


    slight smile. ¡°What I find most interesting is that Wilson doesn¡¯t seem to know he has a son.¡±


    H


    ra pursed her lips before reluctantly admitting the truth. ¡°Yanny is my son. From the very beginning,


    Wilson never wished for his existence. Mr. Valor, you promised that you wouldn¡¯t get involved between


    me and Wilson. Likewise, I hope you won¡¯t tell anyone about my son.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Valor, I beg of you!¡± Mrs. Wells rushed forward and got on her knees.


    However¡­Serenity


    ¡°I¡¯ve made myself clear that I¡¯m not interested in your issue with Wilson. However.. Serenity appears to


    be quite fond of this child.¡± Jackson nced at the boy on the bed. ¡°He¡¯s lucky to have caught her eye,


    I¡¯ll give him that,¡±


    ra had had her suspicions when the hospital had sent a specialist for Yanny and when she had


    received a massive discount. on her bill. They even went as far as to arrange for rehabilitation training


    for the boy, which she paid barely any money for.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    It felt surreal to her. Was her son just really that lucky?

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    To be honest¡­she had a feeling that Serenity was the person behind all this. Did she ask for Jackson¡¯s


    help? Was that why they were so lucky?!


    ra¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when Serenity returned to the ward with a bag of pomegranates.


    ¡°If the doctor¡¯s okay with this, let Yanny have them when he wakes up,¡± she said with a beaming smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Serenity,¡± said ra as tears began welling up in her eyes.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s only a bag of fruits,¡± said Serenity, who assumed she was tearing up because she was


    worried about Yanny¡¯s condition. ¡°His operation waspleted sessfully, and now, it¡¯s just a matter


    of him getting used to the cochlear imnt. He¡¯s no longer under any risk, so you don¡¯t have to worry


    that much. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll recover soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hope sa too,¡± replied ra with a nud. Back then, she used to think of herself as Serenity¡¯s


    benefactor. She had been willing to offer her a job when thetter was struggling. Oh, how the tables


    had turned!


    If it weren¡¯t for Serenity, Yanny would never have been able to undergo such a treatment,


    Yanny was still asleep when Serenity and Jackson left the ward. ¡°I¡¯lle back and see him next time,¡±


    said Serenity before shr bid farewell to ra and Mrs. Wells. They then made their way to the parking


    lot outside the hospital.


    Before she got into the car, Jackson reached out and pulled Serenity into his arms


    ¡°Smile for me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Serenity was confused.


    ¡°Smile for me, just like you did in the ward,¡± said Jackson. There would always be a hint of shyness


    whenever she smiled at him. Rarely would he ever see her smile as brightly as she had earlier.


    At that moment, her eyes had been so bright that he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that how I usually smile at you?¡± asked Serenity skeptically. ¡°Why do you want to see me smile all


    of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Because it was too beautiful. I want to see it with my own eyes again,¡± exined Jackson with a


    coaxing tone. ¡°Come on, let me see you smile one more time, won¡¯t t you?¡±


    Serenity felt her blood rush to her face again. ¡°There are cameras here!¡±


    She was worried that people would see what they were doing through the security cameras set up


    around the parking lot.


    ¡°So what?¡± asked Jackson with eyes that were burning up with desire. ¡°Just one more time, Sis. I want


    to see your smile.¡±


    Her heart was racing again. Serenity stared nkly at Jackson who stood before her. The expectant


    look in his eyes made her feel the urge to satisfy his demands.


    There it was. Her smile that was as bright as the summer sun! Oh, how endearing¡­


    After leaving the hospital, jackson brought Serenity to a ce that she never thought they would visit,


    On their journey to the hospital, they passed by a street food market, and Serenity remarked that it had


    been a long time since she had visited the ce and that she missed it.


    To her surprise, after parking their car nearby, he brought her straight to the market.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

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    ¡°Are you sure you want toe here?¡± asked Serenity in disbelief.


    ¡°Is there anything wrong with this ce?¡± Jackson replied with another question. ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring me


    to a night market before? I think they¡¯re pretty simr.¡±


    ¡°But that was when I had no idea who you were.¡± Honestly, had she known Jackson¡¯s true identity, she


    never would have brought him clothes shopping at the night market.


    ¡°Why does that matter? Whether in the past or in the future, I¡¯ll always be your Jack,¡± he said with a


    serious look on his face.


    Ugh¡­ those eyes were the ultimate killer move for her!


    ¡°Fine¡­ if you say so,¡±


    !!


    Serenity pursed her lips and walked along the stalls with Jackson. Back in college, she would always


    hang out with her ssmates at the market. After she had started working, she naturally came here


    less often.


    When she was released from prison, she struggled to feed and clothe herself, so shopping here was


    out of the question


    It was around sunset when they came to the night market, and it was also the time when people began


    pouring into the market. As they strolled around, Serenity and Jackson would stop and buy a variety of


    snacks to curb their hunger.


    While food stalls were the mainstay of the food market, there were many other stalls that sold cheap


    clothes, fashion essories, gadgets, and every other knick-knack one could think of.


    The prices here were affordable, so most of the visitors were college students and the like.


    As they made their way through the market, Serenity began to notice the looks that Jackson was


    getting from the youngdies. To them, his good looks wereparable to the celebrities on the big


    screen.


    Back when they visited the night market, he had let his bangs down, which almost covered his eyes.


    Today, he had his hairbed back, which highlighted his facial features even more.


    When the two passed by a stall selling hair essories, Serenity said, ¡°Wait a sec, I need to buy some


    scrunchies.¡± The ones she had were getting loose. They were extremely cheap, usually going for 2


    dors a bundle.


    Normally, she would purchase them online together with other essories. However, since they were


    already at the stall, she


    decided to just buy them there.


    Jackson nced at the ck scrunchie that Serenity was using. Upon closer inspection, he noticed


    that it was so worn out that the white rubber band underneath was now visible.


    Serenity was slightly bent over as she browsed through the variety of scrunchies on sale. After picking


    the cheapest one, was about to bargain with the storekeeper when Jackson pulled her away.


    ¡°Hey, I was gonna buy that!¡± she protested.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for you,¡± replied Jackson with a hint of sadness in his tone. He had no idea that the


    scrunchies she used were so cheap or that the ones she had were so worn out,


    To think she was going to bargain with the storekeeper on such a cheap essory. The thought


    created an indescribable mixture of emotions inside Jackson


    ¡°But L.¡±


    Serenity was about to say something when he stopped in his tracks. He turned around and said,


    ¡°Serenity, is it that difficult to ept a gift from me?¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

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    Serenity held her breath when she saw his expression.


    Wait a minute¡­ Was he¡­ Angry?


    ¡°You said you wanted to support yourself, that you¡¯d rather continue delivering food for that restaurant


    than relying on me. I¡¯ll ept that.¡± Jackson took a deep breath before he continued, ¡°However, isn¡¯t it


    quite normal for a man to buy little gifts for his girlfriend? Are you treating me as a boyfriend at all?¡±


    Serenity hit her lip nervously. At that moment, she was lost for words.


    ¡°I understand that you don¡¯t wish to rely on me, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to reject everything I


    give you,¡± said Jackson.


    He wanted her to live a good life and to stop being such a penny-pincher. Of course, he understood


    that she had developed this personality due to her experience. He knew that it would take time for her


    to change


    But¡­ the frustration that he so desperately tried to suppress still made its way out.


    However, the frustration was directed more at himself than her.


    If only he had intervened back then. He thought that if he had defended her, Serenity wouldn¡¯t have


    turned out like this today.


    Her life had been shattered by his hands. She used to be awyer with a bright future, but he had


    turned her into a person


    with


    a criminal record, which made it impossible to find a job. It was he who had taught her what it meant to


    live in poverty, where every dor counted.


    Serenity took in a deep breath and said to Jackson, ¡°Alright, I understand. Could you please get me a


    scrunchie?¡±


    Now that she thought about it, she realized how she had drawn a firm boundary between them. She


    had initially done this to avoid repeating her past mistake. She didn¡¯t want to be a parasite, but


    someone who was self-sufficient, N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    But now, their positions had changed. She was now his girlfriend, and there was no longer the need to


    maintain such firm boundaries. In fact, it would only be detrimental to their rtionship going forward as


    she woulde across as overly


    distant.


    Jackson brought her to the nearby stalls, but none of the essories on sale were to his liking. In the


    end, they went over to the shopping mall next to the market where there was a special kiosk selling hair


    essories.


    Serenity looked around and found that even the most basic ck scrunchie cost 15 dors each.


    Although its quality was good, it was too pricey for a simple scrunchie.


    Jackson looked at the scrunchie, and after confirming that it was the best one on offer, he said


    reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯ll take ten of these, please.¡±


    ¡°Ten?!¡± Serenity was shocked. Ten of these scrunchies would cost 150 dors!


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you gonna buy ten earlier?¡± he asked.


    Serenity was speechless. She had wanted to buy ten scrunchies earlier because it would only cost 2


    dors for all of them. They were much cheaper if she bought them in bulk.


    Feeling dissatisfied with the quantity, Jackson got the shopkeeper to pick out a number of hair


    essories for them. ¡°Is there anything that catches your eye?¡± he asked.


    Like any other girl, Serenity had an eye for pretty things. It went without saying that she liked these


    essories, but¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re too expensive. I don¡¯t really need them, given my work environment.¡±


    To wear these essories properly, she would have to wear a matching outfit.


    ¡°Then you can wear them for other asions,¡± Jackson said. ¡°As for the price, don¡¯tin about it


    unless it¡¯s worth more than half my worth.

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    After saying that, Jackson turned to the shopkeeper and told her, ¡°Wrap these up for me.¡¯


    The shopkeeper was overjoyed. She swiftly wrapped up the items and handed over a purchase receipt.


    Jackson paid the bill and picked up the shopping bag filled with new essories. Serenity did not


    object to his decision as she understood that this was his way of expressing his love for her.


    Further refusals would only make him feel ufortable.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go buy you some more clothes and shoes,¡± suggested Jackson, who had suddenly turned into a


    shopaholic.


    ¡°Umm, but I already have everything I need,¡± replied Serenity.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°But I want to see you dressed up properly. Isn¡¯t there a popr saying among women that a man


    makes money so his woman can spend it? Don¡¯t forget about the clothes you bought for me back then.


    I didn¡¯t turn them away, did 1?¡±


    Now that he put things that way, how could she refute his words?


    Worried that he would buy her a bunch of expensive luxury brands, she said, ¡°Then¡­ how about you


    let me pick out the clothes?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± responded Jackson with a smile.


    After strolling around the mall, Serenity ended up with a dress and a pair of shoes that she liked. She


    tried them on, feltfortable. They weren¡¯t all that pricey either.


    At the moment, she was wearing a cream summer dress and a pair of sandals in the same color


    palette.


    and they


    It had been such a long time since she hadst worn such clothes. Serenity stared dazedly at herself in


    the mirror. It felt as if she was looking at her former self.


    The aura that she exuded at this moment was a stark contrast from her usual self. She was like a


    mighty spear from a glorious. battle that had been left to rust in a forgotten shed.


    Something was different. Serenity looked at her eyes in the mirror. They seemed different from when


    she had just been released from prison. She wasn¡¯t as gloomypared to before, almost as if the


    darkness had dissipated bit by bit.


    Was it because of Jackson? Could it be that because of him, she now saw a glimmer of hope in her


    own future?


    Her former self would have scoffed at this idea. After all, he was once the root of her despair.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± his voice sounded next to her ear.


    Serenity jolted upright. While she had been caught up in her thoughts, he had unknowingly walked up


    to her and was gazing at her reflection in the mirror.


    They exchanged nces through the mirror.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not bad,¡± she replied. His gaze seemed to set everything in its path on fire. At the very least,


    her face was burning up as she blushed.


    ¡°I think it looks great on you,¡± he whispered softly in her ear. For some reason, she had transformed


    into an even more beautiful version of herself, so much so that he couldn¡¯t look away from her.


    Serenity¡¯s ears were stinging hot, and her heart was thumping ¡°Then I think I¡¯ll get these. Let me go get


    changed.¡±


    She then walked into the changing room in arry to change out of the outfit she was trying on

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    1/2


    At the very next moment, Jackson reached over and grabbed her wrist.


    Serenity looked back at him in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?


    He pursed his thin lips, and his gaze gradually cleared up. Wearing a slight smile, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s


    nothing. Go get changed.¡±


    After he had let go of her hand, Serenity went into the changing room. It was only when she shut the


    door that Jackson closed his eyes.


    Not yet. He had spent so much effort just for her to grow close to him. She would be frightened if he


    moved too quickly.


    Serenity was like a timid little animal. She was as cautious as she was timid. Every step she took was


    filled with trepidation.. Jackson, on the other hand, had to be extremely patient in order to slowly break


    down the wariness of her heart. For her to leam to rely on him, he had to take it slow.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Only then would she truly fall in love with him. Only then would she be unable to leave his side!


    And so, patience was key¡­


    But he wanted her love so badly!


    Serenity changed back into her clothes and left the changing room. When she stepped out, she noticed


    Jackson staring at the floor with a deadpan expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What are you thinking of?¡± she asked.


    Jackson lifted his head and smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He then took the clothes that she had picked


    out and brought them.


    to the cashier.


    Just as they stepped into an elevator and were about to leave, a youngdy ran up to Jackson. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m


    Flora Chandler. I¡¯m a sophomore student at Sria State University. Can I have your mumber?¡±


    She had an innocent and beautiful face paired with long ck hair that was allowed to fall freely. Her


    curvaceous body was gift -wrapped in thetest spring designer clothes, which suggested that she was


    from a rtively well-off family.


    Jackson stared back at her coldly and replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of her? Is she your girlfriend?¡± asked Flora as she casually pointed at Serenity, who was


    standing next to him.


    Jackson narrowed his eyes, and a dangerous aura immediately began to overflow. Even Flora started


    to tremble in fear, but that only invoked her desire for conquest even more.


    Flora was the ss beauty that everyone adored and chased after. She wasn¡¯t interested in any of her


    suitors despite how many there were. It was rare that she came across a man so pleasing to look at.


    This was partly why she refused to belleve she couldn¡¯t conquer Jackson¡¯s heart.


    She felt she was much better than thedy standing next to Jackson, whose outfit appeared rather


    dates. Even though her appearapre was passable, her face wasn¡¯t well-maintained, and the same went


    for her hair, which was dry and withered. Her clothes were nothing to shout home about either.


    ¡°Even if she is your girlfriend, you still have the right to choose! So, would you be interested in talking? I


    think I¡¯ll make a pretty nice girlfriend!¡± asserted Flora with utmost confidence.


    There were quite a lot of people who liked her manierism. Her straightforwardness and naivety added


    to her charm.


    There was aroller girl of roughly the same age standing next to Flora. Suchenly, she spoke up, ¡°Flora¡¯s


    the prettiest girl on campus! I¡¯ve seen countless men chase after her, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen


    her ask someone else for his number.¡±


    In other words, she was telling Jackson that he should be grateful for the opportunity.


    Flora maintained her confident smile. She was sure that even if Jackson wanted to turn her down, he


    would feel reluctant


    about it. She was hoping to make use of his reluctance and at least acquire his number.


    Serenity wasn¡¯t even included in her equation. In her eyes, thatdy wasn¡¯t even on the same level as


    herself.


    Even if Serenity started lecturing her, Flora was prepared to snap back at her and make her feel


    embarrassed.

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    What Flora expected did not happen. Instead ofshing out at her, Serenity merely nced at her


    calmly. On the other hand, the man she had set her eyes on simply told her, ¡°Go away.¡±


    Flora¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. This was the first time in her life that someone had told her off so


    rudely.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Her face was flushed red. Without waiting for her response, Jackson pulled Serenity into the elevator.


    Flora saw what was happening and was about to enter the elevator with them. However, when she was


    met with an ice-cold re from Jackson, her body froze up instantly.


    After the doors rolled shut, Candice, who was standing next to her, grumbled, ¡°What a tasteless man!


    Doesn¡¯t he know how to speak properly to ady?!¡±


    Flora gritted her teeth angrily. After all, she had never been humiliated like this before. People would


    suck up to her most of the time, so how could she possibly ept being treated like this?!


    She looked at the elevator disy and saw that it had stopped on the first floor. She then grabbed


    Candice and took another elevator down to that floor. She then rushed out and caught up with the


    couple who were heading toward the nearby parking


    lot.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna bring the car around, you keep your eyes on them.¡± Instructed Flora


    ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± replied Candice. Although they imed to be best friends on the surface, Candice was


    more like a subordinate thanks to Flora¡¯s family background.


    Flora ran all the way to her car and brought it around. She thought that if she could get their address, it


    would be much easier. to investigate his true identity.


    She had to get this man. At the very least, she wanted to make him regret saying those words earlier.


    Flora had just driven out of the parking lot when she received a call from Candice. She drove over to


    her friend¡¯s position and picked her up. When she got into the car, Candice told her, ¡°It¡¯s that Bentley


    over there! They just got on.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¦§


    Flora was stunned when she saw the Bentley that was stopped at a nearby traffic light. Did they really


    get into that car?


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s their car? That Bentley?¡± asked Flora as she read the car emblem out loud.


    ¡°Yeah, I swear it¡¯s them,¡± replied Candice confidently. That¡¯s the car that they got on.¡±


    Flora¡¯s expression darkened. She had seen plenty of expensive cars in her lite, but this one stood out


    from the rest. It was a unique model that cost upward of a few million dors. Due to its limited quantity,


    one couldn¡¯t buy it even if they had the


    money.


    So, that couple owned such an expensive car?! No. It had to be that man! No matter how she looked at


    it, thatdy didn¡¯t seem like she was capable of affording such an expensive car


    Flora continued tailing their velikle. No matter what, she had to find out who Jackson was.


    In front, Jackson nced at the rearview mirror after they rolled to a stop at the traffic light. He then


    pulled out his phone and dialed a phone number. Momentster, he said, ¡°There¡¯s a car following me.


    It¡¯s a white BMW with the license te number¡­¡±


    Serenity was caught by surprise when she heard what he said. ¡°Someone¡¯s following us?¡±


    ¡°I think so. They¡¯ve been following us for quite some time now,¡± replied Jackson


    ¡°Then who are you talking to.¡±


    ¡°The head of the Transportation Department.¡±

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    Chapter 435


    Chapter 435


    ¡°Cough!¡± Serenity almost choked on her saliva. Was he really talking to the head of the Transportation


    Department?! Only a handful of people in Sria were capable of pulling off such a stunt.


    Jackson drove past the intersection when the traffic light turned green again. Serenity nced at the


    rearview mirror and noticed the car that he had mentioned earlier. Sure enough, although there were a


    few cars between them, it would remain behind them.


    Before long, she noticed a patrol car catching up to them, and it eventually forced the vehicle behind to


    the side of the road. She watched as two policemen exited their vehicle, and they soon disappeared


    from the rearview mirror.


    That patrol car had probably been dispatched by the Transportation Department. While shocked,


    Serenity also gained a better understanding of Jackson¡¯s influence in the city,


    Under the intense stares of the policemen, Flora had to produce her ID card and driver¡¯s license. As


    she did so, she silentlymented her terrible lock.


    She hadn¡¯t broken anyws, so why were they stopping her?! She had finally caught up with their car,


    but they were nowhere to be seen now.


    Fortunately, all was not lost. Earlier, she had gotten Candice to snap a photo of the license te


    number of the Bentley they were tailing. Now, she only needed to search around to find out whose car


    it was.


    After the policemen had gone away, Flora called up her cousin to help investigate the owner of said


    vehicle. After all, he had a broad range of contacts which made it a piece of cake to investigate such


    matters.


    What she didn¡¯t expect was that he would call her back ten minutester. With a panicked tone, he


    asked her, ¡°Flora, do you know who that person is?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is something wrong?¡± asked Flora. It was a simple investigation, so what problem


    could there be?


    ¡°Of course there is!¡± replied her cousin. ¡°I looked up the owner of the car, but the database says it¡¯s


    ¡®confidential¡®. This only shows up when we¡¯re dealing with powerful individuals! That¡¯s why normal


    people are barred from essing their information. Don¡¯t tell me you messed with such a person?!¡±


    Flora¡¯s face was painted with surprise and disbelief. She looked up at the spot where the Bentley was


    initially before it had sped off into the distance. All of a sudden, her heart grew restless,


    Who on earth was that man?!


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    After returning to the Valor residence, Jackson received a phone call. After ending the call, he turned to


    Serenity and said, The car that was tailing us just now belongs to those two we bumped into at the


    shopping mall.¡±


    ¡°Them? But why would they¡­¡±


    Serenity paused in the middle of her sentence. She realized that Jackson was precisely the reason why


    they were stalking their


    She remembered meeting such girls when she was still in college. One of them had a crush on a bus


    driver, so she would deliberately take a bus ride during his shift every single day. At some point, she


    even followed him home after he had gotten off work in order to find out his home address.


    It went without saying that such behavior was fairly creepy.


    ¡°If they pull such a stunt again, I¡¯m not gonna let them off so easily,¡± saki Jackson.


    ¡°What about you? What do you feel about this?¡±


    Serenity blinked her eyes and thought about it. ¡°For peuple to have a crush on you¡­ I think it¡¯s quite


    normal?¡±


    After all, lie was an incredibly attractive man.

 Chapter 436

    Chapter 436


    Chapter 436


    Leaving aside his social status, which was a major plus point, his appearance alone was enough for


    most girls to fall head over heels for him.


    To Serenity¡¯s surprise, a dejected expression appeared on Jackson¡¯s face when he heard her


    response. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel the least bit jealous?¡±


    ¡°Jealous?¡± Serenity was stunned.


    Jackson stared at her with his prating, gaze. A whileter, he sighed softly as if he had epted


    the truth. ¡°You really are a heartless woman. I would¡¯ve felt happier if you had said you felt jealous.¡±


    Serenity bit her lip as she pondered in silence. Was she jealous? She recalled Flora confidently running


    up to Jackson and the disdainful look that she had received.


    Was she jealous of that? She had no idea. At that moment, jealousy had not crossed her mind at all.


    Instead, she already knew that Jackson would never ept that girl¡¯s approach.


    Was it because she believed that Jackson was truly hers? Since when had she developed such a level


    of trust in him?


    This realization caught Serenity by surprise.


    ¡°Serenity, I wonder when will you feel jealous about me? At least, I¡¯ll know that you do care about


    me¡­¡®


    Jackson leared over and rubbed his cheek against her face. He was the only person who would ever


    feel jealous because of her.. He didn¡¯t like that, of course, because it made their rtionship feel one¨C


    sided. It felt as if his mood would always fluctuate depending on what she did.


    Perhaps, faimess could never exist in love. Perhaps, one of them would always love the other more¡­


    Serenity remained silent as she didn¡¯t know what was the appropriate response. She felt that the day


    when she felt jealousy would be the day she lost faith in him.


    Jackson had scheduled a health screening for Serenity the next day, so she went to bed early that


    night. When she woke up, she found him standing there with the outfit he had bought her yesterday.


    ¡°Wear this today. I¡¯ve already got them cleaned up for you.¡±


    Serenity was shocked by his efficiency. He had brought her a casual outfit that was easy to slip off


    since she would be going for a health screening. Likewise, her shoes were nonced shoes, which


    allowed her to slip them off easily.


    She was a little surprised by Jackson¡¯s thoughtfulness. It was obvious that he hadn¡¯t simply picked


    these clothes out of the pile The had bought yesterday


    Serenity took the clothes and entered the bathroom, where she freshened up and changed into them.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes were fixated on her from the moment she stepped out of the bathroom.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is something wrong with my look?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just rare to see you dressed like this,¡± replied Jackson.


    Serenity nced down at her outfit. ¡°Actually, I would always dress this way back in college.¡± Casual


    outfits were her go¨Cto in college as they were easier to move around in.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    After she had begun working, the policy at her workce meant that she had to dress formally on most


    days. Even when she wasn¡¯t working, she didn¡¯t have the chance to dress casually because Zeke


    didn¡¯t enjoy the look

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    Chapter 437


    Chapter 437


    1/1


    Before she went to prison, all the clothes in her closet were either formal clothes for work or the type of


    clothes that Zeke Shaw liked. She barely had any clothes that she herself liked.


    It was as if she was trying so hard to please other people that she forgot to please herself.


    ¡°I wish I get to know you sooner,¡± Jackson suddenly muttered.


    If he had known her sooner, they might have started off on the right foot and she wouldn¡¯t have to go to


    prison for three years. He also wouldn¡¯t have to feel apprehensive of her finding out about certain


    things.


    Serenity felt like Jackson¡¯s eyes currently contained a lot of emotions that she could not decipher.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± he said and helped her down the stairs. She skipped breakfast today because she


    had to go to the hospital on an empty stomach for the medical checkup.


    Jackson led Serenity to the car. In the car, he watched her tie her hair with the scrunchie he bought


    yesterday. It was just a simple ck scrunchie, but unlike the old one, the rubber band inside wasn¡¯t


    showing


    That made him feel much better.


    She was obviously important to him, but why had he not noticed these things before? The thought of


    her wearing a scrunchie that was so old that the rubber band inside was showing made him feel upset.


    He had never experienced this kind of feeling before. She was the only one who could make him feel


    upset because he let her wear a torn scrunchie even though he possessed virtually limitless wealth.


    If she hadn¡¯t gone to prison in the first ce, all this would not have happened.


    He was not the entire cause of her tragedy, but he was not entirely meless either.


    ¡°How¡¯s the scrunchie?¡± Jackson tried asking casually.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty goud,¡± answered Serenity. Even though it was expensive, Its quality was indeed much better


    than the quality of the ones she bought from roadside stalls,


    ¡°Good to know I¡¯ll get someone to buy you scrunchies of various other brandster so that you can


    compare them and see which one you like more,¡± he said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Those you bought me yesterday willst for a long time,¡± Serenity quickly


    refused.


    ¡°Consider it my way of spoiling you. Isn¡¯t it natural for a boyfriend to buy his girlfriend stuff?¡± asked


    Jackson.


    Serenity¡¯s heart started beating faster. She felt a sweetness that came froin the bottom of her heart.


    Spoiling her¡­ She did not remember anyone ever saying that to her except for her mother. Even Zeke


    Shaw never said that kind of thing to her back when they were dating even though he would buy her


    branded things.


    At that time, she thought that was his way of spoiling her, his way of loving her.


    But thinking back on it now, perhaps Zeke Shaw was just trying to dress her in a way that would match


    his status.


    Well, even though she kept telling herself to be strong and independent, deep down, she still hoped to


    be pampered.


    After arriving at the hospital, Jackson brought Serenity to the hospital¡¯s Health Screening Center,


    Herause Jackson booked a VIP medical checkup session for Serenity, she did not have to queue up


    and could go in right away through the VIP channel.

 Chapter 438

    Chapter 438


    Chapter 4,38


    When they arrived, the hospital staff was already waiting for them. All Serenity had to do was follow the


    nurse.


    And 30, the mirse guided Serenity through the whole process of drawing blood, getting X¨Cray, getting


    ultrasound, and so on, Jackson waited for Serenity in the VIP lounge of the Health Screening Center.


    As the nurse led Serenity to various departments to perform tests, Serenity saw long queues at the


    entrances of several of the departments,


    ording to the nurse, somepanies were also conducting their medical checkups there, so it was


    a very busy day.


    Serenity followed the nurse to the ultrasound department. There were long queues outside several of


    the ultrasound rooms. The nurse led Serenity towards a room with no queue.


    ¡°Serenity!¡± Suddenly, a voice called out.


    Serenity turned around and saw Liliana Granger. She was queuing in one of the lines.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity was surprised to see Liliana. Was she there for a medical checkup too? Then Serenity looked


    at the people around Liliana. Sure enough, she saw the familiar faces of some of her old co¨Cworkers


    from thew firm.


    What a coincidence. It seemed like thew firm was also conducting a medical checkup there today.


    Liliana spoke a few words to the person next to her, then jogged over to Serenity. ¡°What a surprise to


    see you here! Are you here to deliver food?¡±


    ¡°No, I came for a medical checkup,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°A medical checkup, huh¡­¡± Liliana scrutinized Serenity. Serenity was indeed not in her work clothes


    today. She was dressed much more nicely. ¡°That¡¯s great. You probably haven¡¯t done any medical


    checkups after getting released from prison, so you should really get one.¡±


    Liliana pretended to say with a regretful face, ¡°The queue is really long today. I thought about letting


    you cut in front of me so that you could save some time, but that would be unfair for the people behind


    me. Sorry, Serenity,¡±


    Serenity was rather amused. If Liliana really was sorry, she did not have to say those things at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I never thought about cutting in line anyway,¡± replied Serenity.


    The nurse next to Serenity said, ¡°Ms. Lewis, should we go into the ultrasound room first? The doctor is


    waiting.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered Serenity. She followed the nurse into an ultrasound room.


    Liliana looked dumbfounded. What¡¯s going on? Why did the nurse lead Serenity into that ultrasound


    room? Earlier, she inquired about why no one was lining up in front of that room, but the hospital staff


    told her that that the room was not open for medical checkups


    Then howe Serenity could po in?


    Liliana returned to her own queue gloomily. The coworker who was queuing up next to her asked, ¡°Lily,


    was that our firm¡¯s former employee that you said went to prison? Is she here for a medical checkup


    too? Howe she didn¡¯t queue up at the back and instead went into that empty ultrasound room?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Liliana answered with a pout.


    ¡°Lily, is she really working as a food delivery rider now that she¡¯s out of prison?¡± the coworker asked


    curiously to confirm the rumors she heard.


    ¡°Yeah. Star¡¯s delivered food to our office a few times before. Next Monday, I¡¯ll order takeout from her


    restaurant again to give them some business,¡± Liliana said with a smile. She would make sure Serenity


    made a fool of herself when the time came.

 Chapter 439

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    Chapter 439


    Liliana was always overshadowed by Serenity when Serenity worked at thew firm. Serenity shone so


    brightly that it made Liliana feel invisible.


    Now, Liliana would make sure everybody in thew firm get a good look at Serenity. She wanted them


    to see what the so- called pride of the femalewyers from back then looked like now!


    She wanted to let the people in thew firm know how wrong they were!


    That was the only way her anger could be quelled.


    Just then, a nurse passed by, and the co¨Cworker who was talking to Liliana asked the nurse, ¡°Excuse


    me, a staff member told us earlier that ultrasound room is not open for medical checkups, but a nurse


    clearly led someone who¡¯s here for a medical checkup to that room. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that person must have booked our hospital¡¯s VIP medical checkup package,¡± answered the nurse.


    ¡°VIP medical checkup package?¡± The co¨Cworker looked stunned. She asked, ¡°How much does that


    cost?¡±


    ¡°It depends on the package, but even the cheaper ones cost tens of thousands of dors. The


    expensive ones can go up to six figures. If you want to know more, you can ask the special


    consultation desk on the 6th floor.¡± The nurse left after saying that The co¨Cworker looked astonished.


    She turned around and saw Liliana¡¯s simrly shocked face.


    ¡°Lily, is she really just a delivery rider? A medical checkup that cost tens of thousands of dors was


    not something that the average person could afford.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Liliana eximed, her face twisted in rage. ¡°How can she afford a VIP medical


    checkup package?¡±


    ¡°But we did see her go into that ultrasound room,¡± the co¨Cworker said.


    Some of their co¨Cworkers nearby turned their eyes towards Liliana too.


    Liliana realized that she had reacted too strongly. She quickly regained control of her expression and


    forced a smile. ¡°There must be a misunderstanding.¡±


    However, she could not help wondering what was going on. How could Serenity afford an expensive


    VIP medical checkup package like that?! Where did she get the money from?!


    Meanwhile, in the ultrasound room, a doctor was performing an ultrasound on Serenity. When he got to


    where her uterus was, he couldn¡¯t help but frown


    ¡°Ms. Lewis, have you suffered a very serious impact on your abdomen before?¡± the doctor asked.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Yes. Back then, the doctor who examined me told in the damage to my uterus


    was serious and irreparable.¡±


    In other words, even if she took good care of her body afterwards and took the proper medicine to treat


    the injury, it wouldn¡¯t help much, not to mention that she was in jail at the time, so there was no way


    she could get good treatment.


    ¡°Do you have a child?¡± the doctor suddenly asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Regret welled up in Serenity¡¯s heart as she answered.


    If being sentenced to three years in prison felt like being knocked down from heaven to hell, then losing


    the ability to bear children was like falling all the way down to the deepestyer of hell.

 Chapter 440

    Chapter 440


    Chapter 440


    It was the darkest time of her life. She felt as if living had be meaningless. If it wasn¡¯t because


    Lisa visited her from time to time, she probably wouldn¡¯t be alive now.


    The doctor sighed. ¡°A gynecologist will take a good look at your medical reportter. Maybe we can still


    do something about it.


    ¡°Do something about it?¡± Serenity was stunned. ¡°Is there really a way?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still


    exined


    young, so it¡¯s notpletely out of the question. Besides, nothing¡¯s absolute in the medical field,¡± the


    doctor


    Serenity¡¯s heart started to be filled with hope again. Although she knew that there was only a sliver of


    hope, it was hope


    nheless.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    II¡­ the injury could actually heal, then.. wouldn¡¯t she be able to have her own children?


    Jackson¡¯s face suddenly popped up in Serenity¡¯s mind.


    If she really could have children, then the children¡¯s father¡­


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re done here.¡± The doctor¡¯s words interrupted Serenity¡¯s daydream.


    She quickly got down from the examination table and straightened her clothes. She could feel her heart


    thumping due to the fleeting thought she had a second ago.


    She wanted to have children with Jackson?


    Serenity followed the nurse out of the ultrasound room. She didn¡¯t have to stay to wait for the report.


    Her medical report would be sent to the main doctor responsible for her medical checkup, and the


    doctor would assign experts from specific departments to consult her based on her condition.


    As soon as Serenity came out, Lilliana, who was still in queue, once again ran over and questioned


    Serenity loudly. ¡°You bought a VIP medical checkup package? Aren¡¯t you a delivery rider? How can you


    afford such an expensive package?¡±


    Serenity was amused. Who did Liliana think she was? A judge? She was acting as if Serenity had to


    answer just because she


    asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s private business. I don¡¯t think I have to exin myself to you, do 17¡± Serenity mocked.


    Liliana realized that her tone might have been a tad too apgressive, so she quickly followed up with,


    ¡°I¡¯m only asking you because I¡¯m concerned about you. You just got out of prison. I don¡¯t want to see


    you make a mistake and get punished by the Law again. You knowwyers like us are very sensitive


    when ites to this kind of thing.¡±


    Serenity stared at Liliana coldly, making Liliana cower under her chilly gaze. ¡°You.. Why are you staring


    at me like that?


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just thinking that you seem to be pretty hopeful that I would make a mistake,¡± said


    Serenity.


    Liliana almost choked on her own saliva. ¡°N-Nonsense. I¡­ We used to be co-workers, so of course I


    want to see you do well.¡±


    ¡°Do you? Yet you always seem to bring up the matter of my imprisonment in front of other people, as if


    you wish everyone to know that about me,¡± Serenity spoke bluntly.


    Liliana¡¯s face instantly turnedright red. A number of Liliana¡¯s co-workers from thew firm were


    queuing nearby and they were all paying attention to far conversation, so they naturally heard what


    Serenity sak.


    Some of them had a look of sudden realization on their faces. They were now watching Serenity and


    Liliana like they were watching a soap opera.


    ¡°L¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡± Liliana wanted toe up with an excuse, but the problem was, she couldn¡¯t think of


    any


    ¡°Awyer should know that thew exists to impartially judge whether a person is guilty. Even If a


    person hadmitted multiple crimes before, it doesn¡¯t mean that the person is definitely guilty the


    next time they¡¯re tried. You, however, seein to brand me as guilty from the very beginning and use that


    as a basis to judge me. That¡¯s not something a professionalwyer


    Chapter 440


    should do,¡± Serenity said coldly.


    2/2


    Liliana blushed even harder. Serenity had elevated the argument to a matter of professionalism, yet


    she could find no retort.

 Chapter 441

    Chapter 441


    Chapter 441


    Serenity did not stay to argue with Liliana. After she said what she wanted to say, she gestured at the


    nurse to take her to the next ce for her next examination.


    Liliana stood rooted to the spot, ring hatefully at Serenity¡¯s back When she turned around, she saw


    everyone from the firm staring at her.


    Liliana could only smile and slink back into the group


    After all that, she still did not know how Serenity could afford a VIP medical checkup package.


    Serenity returned to Jackson after she finished all the examinations.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Jackson asked.


    ¡°Yes, but some reports will onlye out this afternoon at the earliest,¡± replied Serenity.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go out for breakfast. You haven¡¯t had breakfast yet,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°okay,¡± Serenity answered. She left the hospital with jackson.


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go grab something nearby,¡± she said. It was only a little past nine, so a lot of breakfast ces


    nearby were still


    §á§â§Ö§á.


    ¡°No problem.¡± He smiled and held her hand. They walked to a breakfast stand near the hospital.


    The burritos and tacos there looked mouth-watering. Serenity told Jackson, ¡°Should we order here? I


    haven¡¯t had these things in a long time.¡±


    He nodded


    Serenity thus ced an order with the stand owner. She turned back to Jackson and asked, ¡°Would


    you like something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have what you¡¯re having,¡± he said. He wanted to know what her food tasted like


    Breakfast taco was something that Serenity used to have pretty often, but in thest few years, its price


    had gone up. It cost about 7 dors now, so after her release from prison, she wouldn¡¯t buy one even


    when she passed by a breakfast taco stand, Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    After all, a 7-dor breakfast was a luxury to her now. She tried to spend only a dor or two on


    breakfast every day.


    ¡°By the way, can youe to the rental house with meter? Serenity suddenly asked.


    ¡°Why do you want to go back there?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°I want to organize some of the stuff I left there and inform thendlord that I¡¯ll stop renting the ce.¡±


    After all, there was no point renting the house and leaving it empty all the time.


    She had not canceled the lease yet because she had nned to move back there at first.


    But now that she was in a serious rtionship with Jackson, she should cancel the lease so that she


    wouldn¡¯t waste money. ¡°We can


    go after breakfast since your reports won¡¯t be out until the afternoon,¡± said Jack She wouldn¡¯t waste


    money

 Chapter 442

    Chapter 442


    Chapter 442


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Serenity considered his suggestion, then nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    She then buried her head in her breakfast. Jackson watched her eat with a faint smile. The way she ate


    the Lacu one little bite at a time was adorable.


    Her long hair that was tied into a ponytail, her smooth forehead, her pretty face, her eyes that were like


    the surfaces of calm Lakes, her tiny nese and her pink lips all looked so beautiful to him.


    He never thought that he would one day fall in love with such a woman, but once he did, it felt so


    natural to him.


    In the midst of rating, Serenity looked up, and her almond¨Cshaped eyes met Jackson¡¯s deep eyes. His


    eyes were so bewitching that her mind went nk


    ¡°What¡¯s.. the matter?¡± she asked foolishly.


    ¡°Nothing. You look really beautiful, that¡¯s all,¡± Jackson replied.


    Serenity was speechless. He must have seen countless women who were more beautiful than her


    before. Moreover, it¡¯s not like she took good care of her appearance in thest few years. She knew


    she was currently far removed from being ¡°really beautiful


    However, from his eyes and his expression, he seemed to be serious.


    Well, perhaps beauty really was in the eye of the beholder. Serenity quickly said, ¡°H¨CHurry up and


    finish your breakfast. It wouldn¡¯t taste as good anymore if it gets cold.¡±


    He gave her a gentle smile and said, ¡°Okay.¡± He lowered his head and ate his taco


    Serenity watched him eat. It was only a simple meal in fact, the taco was in a paper bag that he held in


    his hand- but he managed to make himself look elegant when he ate.


    He looked as if he was in a big¨Cbudget advertisement.


    He was actually the one who was really beautiful


    Who could have imagined that Jackson Vr, the overlord of Sria, would have breakfast at a taco


    stand?


    Moreover Dating, him felt like such a bizarre thing, but it was truly happening to her.


    If one day, they could have children of their own, wouldn¡¯t it be wonderful?


    It seemed like her feelings for him were slowly bing stronger without her realizing it.. Could she


    actually be in love with


    That question filled her mind¡­


    After they finished breakfast, Jackson drove Serenity to the rental house. When Serenity opened the


    door, dust flew everywhere,


    She realized that she had not been back here for almost 3 months.


    She immediately started to organize the things that remained in the house. When she moved to the


    Valor Residence, she already took the important things with her. All at was left were some out¨Cof¨C


    season thes, shoes, beddings, and some pots and pans.


    Since there wasn¡¯t much, she managed to pack up rather quickly. ¡°What are you going to do with these


    things?¡± asked Jackson.

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    ¡°There¡¯s a secondnd vendor down the road. I¡¯ll sell the bedding and the pots and pans to him for


    some money. 1 can wear these clothes and shors, so I¡¯ll bring them back with me.¡±


    Jackson checked out the clothes and shoes that Serenity wanted to bring bark. Although some of the


    clothes looked like they were still in good condition, they were all obviously pretty old and were already


    cut of style. Their colors have also faded due


    to age.


    She probably already had them before she went to prison


    However, he did not say anything. Even though he really wanted to spend money on her and rece


    all these things into newer and better ones, it had to be done gradually, one step at a time.


    He was afraid that he would scare her off if he was too hasty. After all, it took him a lot of effort to make


    her Inwer her guard around him just a little.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait here for a bit. I¡¯ll be back in a while,¡± said Serenity. She moved to pick up the pots


    and pans and bedding, intending to take them to the second hand vendar.


    However, Jackson was one step ahead of her. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Open the door for me.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said and opened the door for him.


    With the bundled¨Cup pots and pans in one hand and the bedding in the other, Jackson walked out of


    the house


    Serenity quickly closed the door behind her and went after him.


    ¡°My hands are empty,


    himself.


    I¡¯ll help you carry some of thein,¡± offered Serenity. She felt bad letting him carry all that stuff by


    ¡°No need. Just lead the way,¡± he said.


    He was


    was adamant.


    Serenity had no choice but to do as he said. She would peek at him from the corner of her eye from


    time to time to check how he was doing.


    He looked like a refugee carrying all that stuff. However, he was also dressed in a suit and had an


    outrageously handsome face. The contrast was simply too striking.


    He had probably never done something like this before.


    When they reached an intersection, Serenity saw the neighborhood¡¯s second hand vendor. She went


    forward and asked, ¡°Hi, Gramps. I have some pots and pans and old building. Do you buy these?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the old man replied with a grin.


    When he saw Jackson walking over with the ¡°used goods¡°, he was visibly stunned.


    He kept muttering something under his breath while he inspected the goods. He then pulled Serenity to


    one side and whispered, ¡°ass, you must be careful not to get tricked. Sometimes, even if a good¨C


    looking man wears fancy clothes, it doesn¡¯t mean that he¡¯s actually rich. If he¡¯s truly rich, he wouldn¡¯t let


    you sell second hand items for a bit of money. He would have just asked you to throw them away.¡±


    Serenity knew the old man only said that because he was concerned for her, so she told ha, ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry. He¡¯s my boyfriend. I know him very well.¡± She actually kurw jackson quite well by now. At the


    very least, she knew about his family history, bis personality, where he lived, and had met his family¨C


    Master Zack


    The meeting with Master Zack could not be considered a pleasant experience by any means, but still¡­


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The old man sighed, obviously thinking that Serenity was one of those women who had fallen so


    deeply in love that they could not be reasoned with anymore.


    Serenity sold all the used goods for 100 dors tu


    total. After receiving the maey from the old man, she and Jackson went


    back to the rental house.


    ¡°What did that old man say to you earlier?¡± Jackson suddenly asked, having noticed the old man pulling


    her aside and whispering to her.


    ¡°He warned me not to fall for your lies, Serenity snickered, ¡°Would you lie to me?¡±

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    Jackson suddenly stopped in his tracks and stared fixedly at her


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    ¡°What if I say I would?¡± he asked.


    She was stunned, her smile slowly disappearing from her face. She pursed her lips in apprehension


    and told him very seriously, ¡°Jack, I hate it when people lie to me. I¡¯ve always felt that sincerity and


    honesty are the bare requirements to maintain a longsting rtionship between two people.¡±


    He kept quiet and continued to stare at her.


    ¡°Would you lie to me?¡± she asked. She was actually bing really apprehensive. She was afraid that


    he would actually say ¡± yes¡°, afraid that they would not see eye to eye on this matter,


    If they could not even agree on something like this, how could their rtionshipst?


    He clenched his hands almost imperceptibly, then slowly said, ¡°No.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    When she heard that, she felt like a heavy stone was lifted from her heart. She heaved a sigh of relief


    Thank goodness he wouldn¡¯t lie to her.


    ¡°Were you afraid that my answer would be different from what you wanted to h expression.


    hear?¡± he asked as if he could tell from her


    ¡°A little bit.¡± She rubbed her nose in embarrassment. ¡°In any case, I would never lie to you, and you


    can¡¯t lie to me too.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied in a soft voice. ¡°But what would you have done if I had said yes?¡±


    He could not help asking. He wanted to know the answer, even if the answer might make him feel even


    more afraid.


    She bit her lip lightly and pondered, then answered hesitantly, ¡°Maybe I would have broken up with


    you.¡±


    After all, if they could not see eye to eye, it would be difficult to maintain the rtionship. Even If they


    ignored it and stayed together for the time being, problems would surely arise in the future. It would be


    wiser to end the rtionship early before they developed deep feelings for each other.


    Having experienced bring lied to once, she did not want to experience it a second time. Years ago,


    Zeke Shaw told her that he loved her and would protect her. When she got into the car ident, Zeke


    Shaw also said that he would hire the bestwyer for


    her.


    But when she was in custody, he told her he wanted to break up with her instead!


    The man who oner told her that he loved her simply stood by and watched indifferently as her hand got


    destroyed!


    He even told her that allowing her to be his girlfriend was the biggest regret in his life. Hepletely


    forgot that he once said


    he loved her!


    The thing that she lost that day, was it love or was it her trust in other people?


    If it wasn¡¯t for Lisa, maybe she would never trust anyone else again for the rest of her life.


    As soon as she said that, he hugged her.


    nas


    ¡°We definitely won¡¯t break up!¡± His cold voice carried a hint of anxiety and a lot of determination. His


    arms hugged her so tightly that she had to pasp for air,


    Serenity¡¯s face was pressed against Jackson¡¯s chest. Through his shirt, she could hear his heartbeat ¨C


    powerful, yet rapid


    ¡°Rx, it¡¯s just a hypothetical scenario. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re actually gonna break up¡­¡±


    ¡°You can even say it hypothetically,¡± he interrupted her sharply. Her hypothetical assumption made him


    nervous, as if it coulde true at any moment. Even now, when he was holding her like this, he felt


    like he could notpletely hold her.


    2/2


    ¡°Jack.N¨CNot so tight. I need to breathe..¡± Serenity had to remind him.

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    He slowly loosened up, but still held her in his arms. ¡°Sis, never say you would break up with me again,


    okay?


    He lowered his head. To her surprise, she saw that his dark eyes were filled with panic. It was an


    emotion that she had never seen in his eyes before.


    It was as if hearing her say that she wanted to break up with him was something that would overwhelm


    him with panic.


    Was she really that important to him? So Important that¡­ he could not even bear to hear the


    hypothetical scenario of her breaking up with him?


    Serenity¡¯s chest felt stuffy. Her heart went out to him. Almost instinctively, she raised her hands and


    hugged him back, gently.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll never say I¡¯d break up with you again.¡± And just like that, she made an ¡°etemal¡± promise to


    him.


    At that moment, she didn¡¯t stop to think what kind of pricey behind a promise like that. All she wanted


    at the time was for him to stop looking so sad.


    Because it made her feel sad too.


    That afternoon, Serenity and Jackson went back to the hospital. All her medical reports were out by


    now. The main problem with her health was still her old injuries. Although she was fine now, she would


    still feel pain in her joints when the weather


    was cold and wet.


    However, the doctor said it would get better with long¨Cterm and consistent treatment, so it was not a


    big problem.


    The most troublesome injury was still Serenity¡¯s damaged uterus.


    The hospital¡¯s gynecology expert¡¯s advice was to carry out some conditioning first, then perform a


    surgery after that. That might improve her uterus¡± condition enough that it may not bepletely


    impossible to get pregnant anymore.


    ¡°Can I really still have a baby?¡± Serenity got emotional. It was an unrealistic wish that she had kept


    suppressed all this time deep down in her heart.


    And now, this unrealistic wish actually had a chance toe true.


    ¡°It depends on the situation after the conditioning process. For now, I¡¯d say there¡¯s about a 30%


    chance,¡± said the gynecology


    expert.


    30% might be low for others, but for Serenity, it was already really high


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do the conditioning first.¡± In the end, it was Jackson who made the decision.


    After fetching Serenity¡¯s medicine from the pharmacy, Serenity and Jackson left the hospital.


    ¡°Jack, thank you so much!¡± Serenity said with teary eyes.


    ¡°Why are you thanking me again?¡± he asked. ¡°Between us, there¡¯s no need for thanks¡±


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t brought me here for a medical checkup, I might never have known that it¡¯s still possible


    for me to be a mother,¡± said Serenity.


    She could still be a mother. She could have a family member connected to her by blood. She


    suddenly felt a lot less lonely!


    Jackson stared fixedly at the slightly emotional Serenity.


    This might be the first time he had seen her get emotional for herself rather than for the friends and


    family that she cared


    about.


    In the past, when it came to her own affairs, she always look like she was resigned to her fate and had


    already epted her harsh life. Perhaps it would not be incorrect to say that she had given up. She


    had given up on her own future.


    But now, it seemed as if her hope of the future had been rekindled


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¨C ¡°So, you want to have children with me, right?¡± hezkeil.

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    hapter 446


    His question stunned her. A blush appeared en her face as she stammered, ¡°1¡­I..¡±


    Serenity didn¡¯t know how to answer. Bath ¡°yes¡± and ¡°no¡± sounded wrong!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say no!¡± Jackson wrapped his arms around Serenity¡¯s waist possessively and told her,


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to have children, I¡¯ll only have children with you. So if you really want to be a mother, you


    can only be the mother of my children.¡±


    Serenity shed even harder. ¡°We¡¯re at the hospital.¡± There were people walking by around them.


    Some of the passers¨Cby were already lonlding over when they saw him hug her.


    ¡°So? His lips moved close to her ear. She could feel his breath on her ear and neck as he said, ¡°Sis, do


    you understand what I Just said?¡±


    A shiver ran down her spine. His voice and his breath were so enchanting. She could not stop herself


    from nodding in


    response


    Even after getting into the car, Serenity¡¯s face remained red.


    She stole nces at Jackson, who was driving next to her.


    From her angle, she could see his side profile. The sharp contours of his face, his deep eyes, and his


    high nasal bridge made his face look well¨Cdefined. Even his jawline and the lines of his neck were


    perfect.


    If she had children with him, what would they look like? The thought suddenly carne to her.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Am I that pleasant to look at?¡± Jackson¡¯s voice suddenly interrupted Serenity¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Serealty realized with a jolt that she had been staring at him in a daze. She felt embarrassed.


    While she was at a loss for words, her phone rang, much to her relief. Serenity took out her phone and


    checked the caller ID. It was a call from her best friend, Lasa


    She answered the call and heard Lisa ask, ¡°Serenity, are you free to talk?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Serenity quiddy replied. She was so grateful to Lisa for calling. It helped her avold an


    embarrassing situation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to San Marco when you¡¯re free. We better hurry, though. The witness is currently being


    detained at a police station Terry said he might have a way to get some information out of the winess.


    He asked if you want to join us and watch the show,¡± said Lisa


    Serenity was bbergasted, ¡°Terry? You told him that I want to reopen the case?¡±


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ Well¡­ He¡¯s much better connected than I am, so I asked him to help us investigate the


    York guy and see if he can find any clues. I forgot to tell you about it. My bad,¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°What are you apologizing for? You¡¯re helping me,¡± said Serenity. From what she could tell, Terry White


    wasn¡¯t a person who would be that eager to help other people. It must not have been easy for Lisa to


    persuade him.


    ¡°When are you free? I¡¯ll ask Terry to make the arrangements. But you better harry because that York


    guy will only be detained


    the police station for 7 days,¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°Tomorrow, then,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°Tomorrow? Don¡¯t you have work tomorrow?¡± asked Lisa. Although tomorrow was a weekend, Serenity


    only had Saturday afternoon off, right?


    ¡°The restaurant is closed for a few days.


    How about you? Are you free tomorrow?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± said Lisa, ¡°Tomorrow, then. I¡¯lle pick you up. I¡¯ll have to inform Terry first. I¡¯ll get


    back to you after I¡¯ve confirmed the

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    Chapter 447


    ¡°okay,¡± answered Serenity.


    After Serenity put her phone away, Jackson asked, ¡°Was it Lisa?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Did she ask Terry White to help you look into your case?¡± he inquired further.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± answered Serenity, ¡°She only asked Terry White to help me investigate one of the


    witnesses who¡¯s in San Marco right now. She said the witness is currently detained by the police, so


    there might be a way to get some information out of him. We¡¯re nning to go to San Marco tomorrow.¡±


    Although Lisa didn¡¯t go into detail, Serenity knew some of the tricks of the trade since she used to be a


    lawyer.


    How could it be that easy to get words out of someone in custody? There¡¯s no way Lisa was capable of


    doing that. It must be Terry White at work again.


    The problem was, Lisa now owed Terry White another favor even though this was Serenity¡¯s problem.


    How much had Lisa sacrificed for her by now? Would she ever be able to pay Lisa back¡® Serenity


    thought about it with a heavy heart. She did not notice the glint in Jackson¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± said Jackson


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Lisa¡¯sing with me,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend. Of course I have to go with you. It¡¯s decided. I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow,¡± Jackson


    said adamantly.


    His hands that were holding the steering wheel tightened slightly as he came up with a n.


    That evening, Lisa confirmed the time with Serenity on the phone. Serenity said, ¡°By the way¡­ Jack ¨C I


    mean Jackson ¨C wants to go with us.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lisa sounded surprised. ¡°He wants to go too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Can he?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°Well, sure. I don¡¯t see why not. But¡­ we should all go in one car. It¡¯s easier to talk if we¡¯re all in the


    same car. Also, with one car, someone else can take the wheel if the driver gets tired.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell him,¡± replied Serenity. After she hung up, she suddenly felt nervous.


    Would they be able to find out the truth from the witness tomorrow? Would she finally find out why he


    used her of drinking? Would she find out who set her up?


    When she was awyer, she was able to help others seek the truth and fight in court, yet she could not


    discover the truth in her own case. She found the irony of the situation ridiculous and pathetic.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, in the study, Jackson was telling Connor, ¡°Go to San Marco. The police there have arrested


    a man with the surname York. He¡¯s one of the witnesses in Serenity¡¯s case, Serenity will go see him


    tomorrow. I want you to make sure he understands what he can say and what he can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor,¡± Connor responded. Then, with some hesitation, he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t n to let Ms.


    Lewis know the truth?¡±

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    ¡°You think I should let her know the truth?¡± Jackson asked with cold eyes.


    The look in Jackson¡¯s eyes made Connar shiver. He realized that he had identally mentioned a


    taboo subject.


    Serenity Lewis¡® case was something that Mr. Valor did not want anyone to inquire about.


    All Connor had to do was obediently follow Mr. Valor¡¯s orders.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave for San Marco right away,¡± said Connor. He then left the study.


    The moment he came out of the study, he ran into Serenity.


    ¡°Are you looking for Mr. Valor, Miss Lewis?¡± Connor asked respectfully. He knew that, barring any


    ident, the woman before him would be the future Mrs. Valor.


    Although Mr. Valor only treated her as a game in the beginning, their rtionship had turned serious


    now.


    Furthermore, Conner had never seen Mr. Valor take a woman so seriously before. He did not even take


    Mira Hall, who only one step away from bing, Mrs. Valor, this seriously.


    But Serenity Lewis actually managed to do it. Who in Sria could have expected this?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± answered Serenity, ¡°Why are you here at this hour, Mr. Gunn? Did something happen in the


    company?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not that serious. I have to go. See you, Ms. Lewis,¡± said Connor,


    ¡°See you, Mr. Gunn,¡± replied Serenity. She lightly knocked on the door of the study twice before going


    in.


    Connor let out a sigh after the door closed.


    was


    Serenity Lewis would not discover the truth she wanted tomorrow. The truth would remain buried


    forever. Although Mr. Valor was not the main culprit, he stood by and watched it happen without


    intervening.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He must be regretting it terribly now.


    Connor climbed down the stairs and left the Valor Residence in a hurry. He would be very busy tonight.


    In the study, Jackson greeted Serenity with a smile while standing by the window. ¡°You want to see


    me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I want to tell you something. Lisa said she¡¯ll drive us to San Marco tomorrow. She said it¡¯s easier to


    talk if we all ride in the same car. Also, if the driver gets tired, someone else can take the wheel,¡± said


    Serenity.


    ¡°Okay, no problem,¡± replied Jackson


    ¡°We¡¯ll depart at 7am. It¡¯s a 2¨Chour drive, so we¡¯ll probably reach after gam,¡± Serenity added.


    ¡°Got it,¡± said Jackson, ¡°Since we¡¯re leaving at 7, you should go to bed early.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I have some things to take care of. You go to bed first,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to bed as soon as I¡¯m done.¡±


    Serenity nodded. Being in charge of arge conglomerate must not be easy.


    Serenity turned around to leave the study. However, the moment she did, Jackson¡¯s arms suddenly


    reached out from behind and pulled her into his embrace.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± It was so sudden that Serenity was caught a little off guard.

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    ¡°Nothing. I just want to hold you like this for a while,¡± he said softly as he buried his face deep in the


    nape of her neck and


    took in her scent.


    It looked as if simply holding her like this gave him a lot of satisfaction.


    Serenity felt like there¡¯s a hint of childishness to Jackson¡¯s behavior for some reason, as if he¡¯s a child


    who¡¯s clinging to a precious toy and refusing to let go.


    And she was that toy.


    Serenity raised her hand and gently hugged Jackson back.


    The moment her hand touched him, she felt his body tremble slightly. A few momentster, he


    murmured in her ear, ¡°Sis, I like it when you hug me like this. Will you hug me for a while longer?¡±


    His soft voice was coquettish, making it impossible for her to refuse.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she answered. She kept hugging him, letting time tick away quietly¡­


    The next moming, Lisa arrived at the Valor Residence right on time. However, she did note alone.


    Terry White was with her. In fact, Terry was the one who drove the car.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    However, the car he drove was Lisa¡¯s cheap car.


    At the Valor Residence¡¯s front gate, Terry and Jackson stared at each other while Lisa pulled Serenity


    to the back seat of the car to chat and catch up.


    After all, they could only meet once or twice a month now because of how busy Serenity was.


    ¡°Will Terry White be driving?¡± asked Serenity. After all, Terry was the one who drove just now,


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lisa shrugged. ¡°Leave the driving to the men.¡± At first, Terry wanted to drive his multi¨Cmillion


    dor luxury car, but Lisa felt that pulling up to a detention center in that car would draw too much


    attention.


    Besides, if she had to take the wheel during the journey to relieve Terry, she would have to be really


    careful not to scratch the


    She was much more used to driving her own car. Besides, with her car, even if she crashed into


    something, the repair cost would not be sky¨Chigh!


    Therefore, she insisted on using her car.


    Luckily, Terry did not dwell on the issue.


    ¡°Have you thought about the key questions to ask the witnesster to get information out of him?¡±


    asked Lisa. The interrogation was their main goal today.


    Serenity nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve written it all down in a notebook. But I can¡¯t question him myself. He should be


    able to recognize me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± said Lisa ¡°Terry has found a mediator who told the witness that he could help him


    settle the dispute. The mediator will ask the questions for you.¡±


    Serenity did not expect Terry to be so thoughtful. ¡°By the way, what did the witness get arrested for?¡±


    Serenity realized that it was too much of a coincidence for the witness to be arrested while they were


    investigating him, and for Terry to find a mediator so quickly.


    Lisa smirked. ¡°Terry hired a group of people to get drunk and start a conflict with him. He hit someone


    during the dispute so he got arrested¡±


    ¡±


    Serenity did not know what to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s a good person. He framed you to make money, remember? He deserves way


    worse than just getting detained by the police.¡± Lisa had no sympathy for the witness

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    Chapter 450


    When Terry told Lisa what he did, Lisa praised him profusely. Of course, she had to let Terry touch her


    afterwards. However, she did not mind being touched by Terry, In fact, she, uhh kinda liked it.


    Lisa did some self-reflecting afterwards as to why that was the case. In the end, she came to the


    conclusion that it was because he was handsome


    After all, his face was very much to her ling. She had always been easily attracted to handsome faces.


    It was hard not to fall for his looks


    It¡¯s not her fault that humans were inherently visual-sensory animals.


    Outside the car, the two men were still staring at each other. The atmosphere outside the car was not


    as cordial as the atmosphere inside the car.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to go with us today, Mr. Valor, Terry broke the silence.


    ¡°Serenity is my girlfriend. Of course I have to go,¡± Jackson replied tly.


    ¡¤


    ¡°Is that so? Terry said, ¡°If I remember correctly, the victim who died in Serenity Lewis¡¯ case was your


    fianc¨¦e, Mira Hall, wasn¡¯t it? Do you think Serenity Lewis is innocent?¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes became as sharp as daggers, piercing into Terry¡¯s eyes fiercely. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely give her


    the justice she deserves.


    He would make the people who hammed her pay.


    Really?¡± Terry gave Jackson a faint smile, but did not inquire any further. After all, he was just an


    outsider in Serenity¡¯s case.


    He was simply curious why Jackson had not helped Serenity reopen her case yet even though they¡¯re


    dating now, Be found that a bit strange.


    Was it because of the Hall family? After all, it was an undeniable fact that Mira Hall died in that


    ident. The rtionship between the Valor family and the Hall family Ead always bren amicable,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to help my girlfriend investigate her case, Mr. White. I really should thank you.¡± The


    corners of Jackson¡¯s lips suddenly curled into a smile, melting away the coldness that was on his face


    a moment ago like the warm spring sun melting away the snow. ¡°Should we get in the car? If we dilly-


    dally, we might get therete.¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s get in the car,¡± said Terry. He had only met Jackson once before when Jackson brought


    Serenity to his vi to take Lise away.


    He had long heard that Jackson Valor was an unpredictable man and no one could guess what he was


    thinking. Jackson Valor was the overlord of Sria who controlled the massive Valor Group, but few


    people knew what he liked. Before Serenity Lewis came along, the only woman he was linked to was


    Mira Hall


    ording to what Terry heard, ir did not end well for the women who tried to get close to him. Terry had


    no idea why a man like Jackson Valor would fall for a woman like Serenity Lewis.


    In his opinion, Serenity Lewis was just an ordinary woman.


    However, at that thought, Terry suddenly rubbed his nose. He could not helpughing at himself.


    Wasn¡¯t it the same for him? He stayed mad at an ordinary woman like Lisa Quest for more than three


    years. He searched for her all over the world. He even visited the nes they had been to countless


    times like a fool, hoping to run into her.


    And now, he had finally found the heartless woman!

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    Chapter 451


    The twodies got in first and took the back seat, and the two men got into the carter with Terry in


    the driver¡¯s seat and Jackson in the passenger seat.


    As the car glided onto the road, Lisa suddenly had a funny thought. Her tiny car suddenly seemed


    more majestic with the presence of the Valor Group and White Maple Group CEOs. People would be


    surprised to know about this.


    The two men were silent on the way back. Meanwhile, the twodies in the back were chattering. Lisa


    did most of the talking while Serenity listened


    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s a popr TV showtely. Have you watched King¡¯s Lower yet?¡± Lisa asked,


    Serenity shook her head. Work had upied most of her timetely. She worked during the day and


    came home at night. By the time she was home, she usually browsed the web before going to bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. The plot.. Ah, I can¡¯t spoil it. I¡¯ll give you the websiteter. Oh, the lead actor is the


    same Finn Gorden you loved back then,¡± Lisa mentioned. She had recently be obsessed with the


    actor again because of this TV show.


    Well, Lisa was a fan for a while, but then she had gotten h ooked on other TV shows and be


    obsessed with other actors instead. Lisa was definitely one of those unfaithful fans. She could be


    obsessed with one actor and change her mind the next day.


    Serenity blinked, startled. Finn Gordon. It had been a long time since she had heard of the name.


    Serenity had been a big fan of the star before. She had watched the shows he starred in, contributing


    to the ratings. She also supported the actor by buying the actor¡¯s endorsements every once in a while.


    Whenever Serenity hung out with Lisa, Serenity would introduce Finn¡¯s TV shows to Lisa. She found


    the actor good-looking and thought he would eventually rise to fame if given the right opportunity.


    Listening to Lisa talk about Finn Gorden made Serenity feel like she was back in the old days. She had


    been tense ever since the conviction. How long had it been since she felt this rxed?


    Serenity was on her way to do something important to her. For some reason, she felt rxed in the car.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Serenity replied. She thought about it and realized that it had been a long time since she had


    had time to enjoy some TV shows.


    She did not have that chance in prison, and she had not been in the mood to do so after her release


    from prison. After all, the fatigue of her day-to-day work overwhelmed her.


    Serenity was currently working at a small restaurant daily. Her work would end at 9 pin, so she had an


    hour or two before bed. Her lifestyle had improved with the regr hours. She no longer had to get up


    as early in the morning as she did when she worked for the Sanitation Office.


    Jackson was in the front passenger seat, and he seemed unfazed by thedies¡¯ conversation, but a


    gleam flickered in his eyes


    As for Terry, he was speechless when he beard Lisa rmending the King¡¯s Lover again.


    Lisa had been telling him so much about the showtely, praising the touching story. Of course, her


    focus was the handsome


    male lead.


    Lisa described the male lead as the best male damsel in distress. She wished she could teleport to the


    TV show¡¯s world andfort the hero, which made Terry annoyed and amused at the same time.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

 Chapter 452

    Chapter 452


    Chapter 452


    Jealous of an actor and a TV character, Terry was annoyed yet helpless. He could not deal with Lisa¡¯s


    obsession with actors. It seemed he would have to live with it.


    * as soon as


    Terry could not handle Lisa well. Lisa could put up with his drastic tactics and would push the limits at


    any chance he was nicer to her. Lisa was a real pain in the behind.


    Lisa had also said that Serenity used to be a big fan of Finn¡¯s. Terry felt a little better hearing that. It


    seemed that he was not the only one amoyed by this!


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Jackson and Terry took turns driving along the way, and they each took half the distance. It was already


    past 9 pm when they arrived at the San Marco facility.


    Terry had made the arrangements prior to their trip. Upon arrival, the staff led them to a room next to


    the meeting room.


    There were severalrge screens in this room, showing live footage of the meeting room. They could


    see and listen to conversations happening in the meeting room next door.


    Momentster, the mediator-in-charge came to Serenity¡¯s room. Serenity told the mediators about her


    doubts and methods of asking questions.


    Fortunately for Serenity, Terry had gotten a good helper. The mediator was experienced and had


    considered many points of concern even before Serenity¡¯s reminder.


    Aftermunicating with Serenity, the mediator went to the next room and waited. Soon, the police


    came over with the former witness to Serenity¡¯s case, York Bowyer.


    When Serenity saw the witness, she glued her eyes to the screen. She recognized this face. This man


    had testified in court that she had been drinking despite her ims of actual innocence. She had


    pleaded to the man to recall his memories carefully, but he had insisted that he had seen it and


    described it all in vivid detail.


    York was only one of the witnesses. There were several other witnesses and so many more. Their


    testimonies together with the evidence formed aplete chain of stories that left her speechless.


    Why? Why?! She had kept asking herself why, but no one could give her an answer. Would she finally


    have the answer? The mediator spoke to York, discussing a potential resolution to this matter and


    minimizing the impact of it


    The mediator skillfully steered the conversation away from thepensation to York¡¯s current house


    and then to his family.


    No matter how he was questioned, York insisted that he had bought the house with the money from


    helping his friend with


    his business.


    ¡°I paid for the house with my life. How could I sell it?! That¡¯s impossible. I don¡¯t have 150 thousand


    dors! I only have 15 thousand dors at most, no more!¡± York said.


    ¡°Is your money for buying a house from a legitimate source? Those people know about your house.


    They may retaliate if you don¡¯t pay them more. Don¡¯t sweat over the small amount. If they find out


    about the illegal money.

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    Chapter 453


    ¡°What do you mean by that? illegal money?! My work and money are legitimate!¡± York denied it, a tinge


    of guilt in his eyes.


    The mediator changed the topic and asked casually, ¡°By the way, I went to your parent¡¯s house


    yesterday and talked to them. Your parents have a heavy Srian ent. Are they Srian?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My parents used to live there.¡±


    ¡°Are you from Sna too? Why did you settle in San Marco? Sria is much better than San Maroc,¡±


    the mediator chatted as if making small talk


    ¡°There¡¯s too moth pressure in a big city. It¡¯s smaller here, but life isfortable.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The mediator smiled and added abruptly. ¡°I almost forgot to mention. The guy you hurt wanted


    me to ask you about Ms. Hall. He wants you to do as he says and pay up, otherwise, he¡¯ll tell the public


    and expose you.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Hall.


    York¡¯s face paled slightly, but he tried to hide his panic. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean by


    exposing me, but I was a witness in a case some years ago. The deceased victim was a famous


    woman in Sria. Ms. Hall died a horrible death. That¡¯s why it is better not to drive drunk. Ms. Hall


    wouldn¡¯t have been hit by a car if it wasn¡¯t for a woman who was driving drunk.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    York seemned unwilling to recall the story. He shook his head, but he seemed to have doubts. ¡°Huh?


    But why would the guy i fought with the other day mention Ms. Hall for no reason?


    ??


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Why don¡¯t you meet that guy after your release?¡± the mediator suggested.


    The two chatted a little longer, but the mediator could not get anything useful out of York. Finally, the


    mediator came to the next room and said to Serenity, ¡°Sorry about that ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Serenity had a small smile. She had expected this. She knew it would be hard to get the truth


    with just one try. However, York had imed that he had earned the money for the house by helping his


    friend with his business. Would the source of the fund lead them to the person who had made her the


    scapegoat? Serenity thought about it.


    After the mediator had left, Terry spoke, almost as if answering Serenity¡¯s thoughts at the moment, ¡°I¡¯ve


    checked the source of the money for York¡¯s property. Someone deposited 750 thousand dors into his


    ount. The person who made the transfer was indeed a friend of his. But why did he pay 750


    thousand dors to him? I need to check again. After all, it¡¯s been three years, and his friend has


    already moved abroad.¡±


    ¡°Did he really make some money for his friend? Did his friend give him a bonus ormission for it?


    But isn¡¯t that too much? York is just a small¨Ctime employee. Could he really have helped his friend to


    make a fortune?¡± Lisa sneered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to look into that,¡± Terry replied.


    ¡°okay. I¡¯ll someone to livestigate,¡± Jackson stared down at Serenity. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone look into it.


    Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help prove your innocence, just as you wish ¡±


    Jackson could prove her innocence as long as the truth remained hidden. He wanted to satisfy her and


    make her happy.


    Serenity looked at Jackson in a daze. Did he really believe in her innocence? Was he willing to help in


    finding the evidence?


    ¡°oh? That would be great! Lisa was thrilled. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely overlum Serenity¡¯s conviction with Mr.


    Valor¡¯s help!¡±

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    Chapter 454


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    1/1


    Jackson was like the king of Sria¨Che would always have what he wished for. He could overturn the


    case if he wanted to Besides, Serenity was innocent. They would eventually find the real mastermind


    behind this.


    Lisa cheered up, no longer gloomy. ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. Let¡¯s go for lunch,¡± she suggested.


    Serenity nodded in agreement. The four of them then left the facility and got into the car.


    Lisa dug through the list of good food in San Marco hurriedly and found a couple of ces for Serenity


    to choose from. The two men had no objection, naturally. Terry then drove the group to bunch.


    They decided on a local specialty restaurant in San Marco, an old favorite. The four of them requested


    a private room and began ordering food.


    Lisa did most of the ordering and decided ording to the food ranking list. She ordered everything


    that had lots of good reviews and ended up with almost 20 dishes.


    Lisa looked around and realized that she had ordered too much food, but there were only four of them.


    ¡°I think I ordered a little too much,¡± Lisa said with a sheepish grin


    ¡°You can order whatever you like,¡± Terry assured her. ¡°It¡¯s good to try some of the specialties while


    we¡¯re here.¡±


    Lisa was relieved to hear that.


    TV sho


    While waiting for the food, Lisa showed Serenity various posters and still shots of a TV show on her


    phone. She was currently obsessed with a TV show named King¡¯s Lover.


    ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t Finn very sexy in this?¡± Lisa said excitedly.


    Terry¡¯s face darkened. Lisa had been obsessed with TV shows and was busy chasing idols daily. She


    had clearly forgotten something her boyfriend, Terry!


    Lisa would always put on a face with him. Lisa acted like she was fascinated with him, but she was


    back to being obsessed with all kinds of young actors and idols as soon as she turned away.


    Jackson took Lisa¡¯s phone away before Serenity even had a chance to look at it. He nced down at


    the pictures and posters on Lisa¡¯s phone and studied them carefully. A few momentster, he looked


    up at Serenity. ¡°Is he your type?¨C


    Serenity was wildly embarrassed. ¡°Umm¡­. Well.. 1¨CI used to like him. He¡¯s a good actor. Some of his


    TV shows are pretty good


    ¡°Is that so? Well, maybe I¡¯ll have my secretary set up a meeting with Finn someday. You can meet up


    and get an autograph or something. What do you think?¡± Jackson suggested.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Serenity was dumbfounded.


    Beside them, Lisa¡¯s eyes widened in amazement. Her face was full of envy!


    ¡°oh, my God! Is Jackson giving Serenity a chance to meet her idol?!¡® Lisa was impressed by Jackson¡¯s


    dedication. He was amazing! With Jackson¡¯s ability, he would surely get a date with any celebrity.


    Terry observed Lisa with a gloomy face. ¡°This woman.. Her envy was written all over her face!


    Finn Gurdon was just another popr actor. Was he really that good? How could she be so envious of


    the private meeting and getting an autograph?


    The waiter finally came into the private room and served the food, easing the strange atmosphere in


    the private room.

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    Chapter 455


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat,¡± Jackson urged.


    The four of them had lunch together, and while eating the shrimp, Serenity felt a little shy when


    Jackson offered to peel them for her. Her best friend, Lisa, and Terry were both staring. Lisa even


    winked at her, making Serenity flush with embarrassment.


    Jackson, on the other hand, seemed rxed. He did not care about the stares.


    When they finished the meal, Jackson reminded Serenity, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take your medicine 20


    minutes after the meal.¡±


    ¡°Okay Serenity responded


    ¡°Are you sick? List was shocked and asked with concern.


    ¡°No, not really. It¡¯s some kind of medicine for joint pain,¡± Serenity exined.


    Lisa was surprised. Lisa knew that her friend had health issues after spending three years in prison.


    Serenity suffered from Theumatism and pain, particrly in cold and cloudy weather.


    Lisa had previously tried to get Serenity to go to the hospital and get it checked, but Serenity would


    always gave her the same excuse. She understood Serenity¡¯s concerns. Serenity probably found it too


    expensive to treat the problem and decided to endure the pata. Lisa had offered to pay for her, but


    Serenity would always refuse.


    Serenity had finally begun to care for her health, which had to be Jackson¡¯s work. Lisa found Jackson


    more favorable at that realization


    Jackson had indirectly caused Serenity¡¯s suffering in prison, but he had not known Serenity before.


    Lisa could see that Jackson treated Serenity very well. It would be great if Jackson could be the one for


    Serenity. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise which might eventually lead to Serenity¡¯s happy ending.


    When it time for her medicine, Jackson got a ss of warm water and grabbed the medicine for


    Serenity. He then put the pills in her hand and told her to take them


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Jackson was meticulous and gentle, and as Lisa watched from beside then, she felt that Jackson truly


    loved Serenity


    Love was action. A man in love with a woman would prove it with his actions, not by money or empty


    words.


    After taking the medicine, Lisa Look Serenity to the restroom. She asked curiously. ¡°Are you really


    dating Jackson now?


    ¡°Yeah¡± Serenity nodded frankly, She confessed, Lisa, I originally thought I wouldn¡¯t fall in love again,


    but¡­ I really want to be with him now I¡¯ll try and see whether our love willst.¡±


    Her love was cautious. She had been hurt once, so she had to be extra vignt about every step she


    took


    ¡°Maybe it will¡± Lisa patted Serenity on the shoulder. ¡°I thought it was impossible between you and


    Jackson before, but I¡¯ve changed my mind. I can tell he¡¯s serious about you. I mean, people say all


    lends of things about him, but his history with women seems pretty clean. He has only ever had a


    fiancee, and that was Mira..¡±


    Lisa paused abruptly at the mention of Mira¡¯s name. She nced at Serenity embarrassedly. Mira Hall


    was not just Jackson¡¯s previous fiancee but also the victim of the car ident.

 Chapter 456

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    Chapter 456


    Serenity understood Lisa¡¯s concerns ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll find out the truth eventually. I¡¯ll give Mira justice and


    clear my narne!¡± Serenity spoke with determination and then asked in reply. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about


    me. What about you? How are you with Terry?¡±


    ¡°What else can I do? Just let it be.¡± Lisa shnigerd. ¡°Anyway, we seem like a couple in a normal


    rtionship.¡±


    Lisa¡¯s rtionship with Terry seemed very normal, which often put Lisa in doubt. She wondered if she


    was seriously dating Terry and would fall for him. Lisa kept reminding herself that it was not real. Her


    rtionship was just a game, and Terry would have his revenge once she fell in love with him.


    ¡°I feel that it¡¯s not what you think. Terry probably isn¡¯t seeking revenge,¡± Serenity suggested. A man like


    Terry had plenty of options to get his revenge. There was no reason for him to pick such a lengthy and


    time¨Cconsuming method to get back at


    Lisa


    ¡°I also hope it¡¯s not what I imagined.¡± Lisa pouted in disagreement.


    Serenity knew Lisa probably still thought that Terry was out for revenge, but she did not know Terry well


    enough to say anything else, so she stopped asking


    Lisa would just have to go through some things to understand. Even so, Serenity did not want Lisa to


    be hurt.


    The two then left the restroom and returned to the private room. When Lisa and Serenity opened the


    door, they saw that Terry had propped one hand on the table and the other on the back of Jackson¡¯s


    chair. He was leaning forward slightly as talking to Jackson. Their eyes were almost level, and their


    faces were dangerously close to each other.


    Both Serenity and Lisa were stunned to see this. Lisa drew an exaggerated sharp breath.


    ¡°W¨CWhat are you two doing?¡± Lisa found the scene as beautiful as a painting. She could imagine all


    sorts of roses floating around the two men, just like she had seen inics.


    Terry¡¯s face darkened. Just by the look on Lisa¡¯s face, he could guess the nonsensical thoughts running


    through her mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡± Terry straightened up and stumped back into his seat.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Jackson had a small smile. ¡°Mr. White and I were just having a little chat.¡±


    A little chat? Did they have to speak at such a close distance and posture? Lisa wondered suspiciously.


    Even Serenity was puzzled.


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯re done with lunch. Let¡¯s get moving. If we leave now, we¡¯ll reach Sria by evening,¡±


    Jackson said and rose to


    his feet


    When they were paying the bill, Jackson was one step ahead and settled the bill with his phone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lost a meal next time, Let¡¯s get together again when we have time,¡± Terry suggested, his tone


    meaningful..


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jackson responded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    The group of four walked out of the restaurant, On the way back, Jackson drove,


    Jackson drove orcasionally, and his cars were all luxurious. It was the first time he had driven a cheap,


    tiny car like Lisa¡¯s.


    Lisa had inb?xed feelings as she watched Jackson drive her tiny car. Who would have thought that


    someone like Jackson would actually drive her car?

 Chapter 457

    Chapter457


    Terry noticed Lisa¡¯s sparkling eyes, and for some reason, he felt annoyed again.


    When they returned to Sria, they headed to the Valor Residence first. Terry moved to the driver¡¯s


    seat once Jackson and Serenity had left the car.


    Serenity! I¡¯ll see you next time,¡± Lisa waved goodbye to Serenity


    ¡°Okay,¡± Serenity responded ¡°Thanks for today and take care!¡± After that, she walked through the gates


    of the Valor Residence with Jackson.


    Lisa¡¯s eyes remained glued on Jackson and Serenity. Soon, Terry¡¯s impatient voice rang in her ear.


    ¡°Are you done yet?


    ¡°I¡¯m just staring. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lisa grumbled. Lisa did not think of Jackson as a homeless guy when


    she had first met Jackson in Serenity¡¯s rented ce. Who would have thought? Jackson actually turned


    out to be an all¨Cpowerful bigshot in


    Sria!


    While Lisa was lost in her thoughts, Terry cupped her cheeks and turned her head to look at him.


    ¡°What? You said you loved my face two days ago. Why are you looking at Jackson now? Are you


    interested in him?¡±


    Lisa almost choked on Terry¡¯s words. What was he saying? How could he use her of liking


    Jackson?!


    Lisa was just admining the fact that Serenity was actually dating Jackson. Even so, given her current


    rtionship with Terry, she could not afford to push his buttons and piss him off.


    With that in mind, Lisa answered with a sheepish grin, ¡°How can that be? Why would I be interested in


    him? I¡¯m just¡­.. Uh¡­¡­¡­. I¡¯m happy for Serenity¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Terry inched closer, his face close to her. He seemed really keen to know her true thoughts.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Really!¡± Lisa hastily assured him. She stared up at him with her innocent doe eyes.


    ¡°That would be for the best. Don¡¯t forget who you¡¯re dating,¡± Terry reminded in a waring tone and a hint


    of helplessness i his gaze.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t forget¡°¡® Lisa thought and rolled her eyes. Her status as his girlfriend was like a curse, reminding


    her that this was only a game to pay back her debt. The time when she fell in love would be the time for


    his revenge.


    But¡­ Looking at this handsome face close at hand, Lisa had to admit that Terry was indeed stunning


    and pleasing to the eye! She would have fallen for him in a real rtionship with


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget who I¡¯m dating. I¡¯m your girlfriend,¡± Lisa said cheekily. ¡°Bx. I swear I won¡¯t be


    interested in anyone else before falling in love with you.¡±


    Lisa emphasized the word love. Terry would have his revenge the moment she fell in love with him,


    anyway. It was the only


    way to settle the score.


    Terry red at Lisa. He was the one who had set the rules of the games at the beginning. He seemed


    to squins in a way he would not quite understand bearing what she had said.


    She imed that she would not be interested in anyone else before falling in love with him. Did she


    mean that she would fall in love with someone else after him?


    The thought of this left a sour taste in his heart.


    ¡°Lisa Quest. Don¡¯t you dare to fall in love with anyone else,¡± Terry warned with a re.


    Lisa¡¯s first instinct was to retort, but she rubbed her nose and shut her mouth after meeting his


    threatening gaze.

 Chapter 458

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    Chapter 458


    ¡®Forget it! Fine! I owe it to him!¡® Lisa thought to herself.


    1/1


    When Serenity and Jackson returned to the Valor Residence, Jackson asked, ¡°Feeling disappointed


    today? We made a trip to San Marco and found nothing useful.¡±


    Serenity shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re not disappointed?¡± Jackson seemed a little surprised.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re willing to help in my journey to prove my innocence,¡± Serenity said, feeling grateful. ¡°It


    doesn¡¯t matter if we find useful clues or not. I¡¯m just happy with your help.¡±


    She felt his trust in her, and the barriers between them seemed to be slowly fading


    He gazed at her steadily. He understood her desire to clear her name, but. He could clear her name but


    not give her the truth -the truth she wanted to know,


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy¡± His lips curled into a smile. He changed the subject and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t


    have to go to work for the next few days. What are your ns?¡±


    ¡°I thought about visiting Grandma in two days, Serenity mentioned. She had been so busy with work


    and unable to check up on Emily in person. She could only asionally speak to Emily on the phone.


    Considering the rare holiday, she would like to visit Emily.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go with you when you do,¡± Jackson stated.


    ¡°What? You¡¯reing to visit my grandmother too? Serenity was surprised.


    ¡°She¡¯s your grandmother. Naturally, I¡¯d like to visit her too,¡± Jackson said.


    For some reason, his simple words made Serenity swell up with emotions. She wrinkled her nose and


    agreed, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    In the evening, the hospital delivered some medicine for women¡¯s health. It was meant to help Serenity


    improve her uterus health


    Serenity looked at the medicine with a touch of sadness. She had thought that she was infertile and


    could not have children


    had taken her to the medical checkup. This medicine seemed to give her some hope.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In the evening, about 20 minutes after dinner. Jackson had the maid bring over the liquid medicine as


    well as a tray of candies and choctes along with it.


    ¡°It may be a little bitter. Take some candies or chocteter to lessen the bitterness in your mouth,¡±


    Jackson reminded.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity responded. She suddenly realized that Jackson was so incredibly attentive, more so


    than anyone else.


    Serenity took the medicine all in one gulp, and her brows furrowed. It was just as he had said. It was so


    hitter! She then quickly picked up a piece of candy and popped it into her mouth, dulling the bitterness


    in her mouth.


    ¡°Is it very bitter?¡± Jackson asked


    Serenity nodded. Then, she watched as he picked up her medical ion cup. Before she had a chance to


    ask him what he was doing, be tilted it upward and drank the remaining liquid medicine left in the cup


    Serenity jumped in shock ¡°Why did you drink It?¡±

 Chapter 459

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    Chapter 459


    ¡°I wanted to know how bitter it is,¡± Jacksor: exined, examining the taste of the bitter liquid medicine


    in his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s so bitter.¡±


    Serenity felt speechless. Who in the world would take the medicine itself to find out how hitter it was?!


    Not to mention, the medicine was meant for women¡¯s health.


    Such a small amount of residue would not cause a bad tummy, but. Jackson seemed a little too


    reckless


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a candy too? It¡¯ll help with the bitterness,¡± Serenity spoke with a piece of candy


    still in her mouth.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jackson lumined instead of taking the candy from the tray, be leaned toward her and put one


    hand against the back of her led, his handsome face close to hers.


    ¡°Jack.¡± As her lips parted, his kissnded on her lips.


    Jackson captured her mouth in an intense diss, stealing bittersweet tastes from her lips, leaving


    Serenity breathless. Serenity could barely tell what vor remained in her mouth when the kiss ended,


    and she looked at him with flushed cheeks. His big hand remained on the back of her head, forcing her


    eyes to stay on his


    Jackson¡¯s beautiful eyes locked gazes with hers. ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s sweet,¡± he murmured softly, his words


    stirring up her emotions. His eyes seemed to glitter with desire for her.


    Serenity was under his spell for the moment, her heart a total mess.


    Serenity spoke to Emily on the phone, and after setting an appointment to meet her, she ligured that


    she would bry something for Emily


    Emily had been released from the hospital because ording to her, staying in the hospital would not


    be much help. She would rather save some money and take a good rest at home.


    Serenity knew Emily was concerned about spending too much money on her hospitalization. Staying at


    the hospital would be better for Fily¡¯s health, mainly because of the use of medication and mursing


    care, but. Uncle Fraxis, Uncle Desmond, and Aunt Theresa would likely be upset.


    Could Emily really get better care at home?


    Serenity spoke to the doctor regarding Emily¡¯s condition. Emily needed long¨Cterm recuperation.


    ¡®Anyway, let¡¯s see what happens when we see Emily Serenity thought.


    By the time Serenity woke up, Jackson had left for work. However, she found a bank card on the


    nightstand along with a note that had a message that said, ¡°Take this with you. If you need anything,


    use it.¡±


    The clear and crisp handwriting was a visual pleasure to look at.


    The old Serenity would have probably refused Jackson¡¯s bank card and returned it to Jackson, but her


    thinking had changed.


    Serenity was in a different frame of ented. She would take the card, nut because of the money in the


    card, but because she knew it was has concem for her.


    A strong woman should be independent and refrain from relying on others, but. Serenity felt thred.


    Sometimes, deep down in her heart, she hoped she had someone she could rely on.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hut Jack is different. I can rely on him,¡± she said to herself in her mind.


    After breakfast, Serenity took her medications. She nned to do some shopping for Emilly¡¯s visit first.


    ¡°Ms. Lewis, where are you going? I¡¯ll have the chauffeur take you, the butler, Elliot, suggested.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll take the bus myself,¡± Serenity rejected him, not wanting to bother the driver.


    ¡°Please let the chauffeur do it, otherwise, Mr. Valor will punish me for not taking care of you,¡± Elliot said,


    almost pleading


    .

 Chapter 460

    Chapter 460


    Chapter 460


    After a moment of hesitation, Serenity nodded and agreed with Elliot¡¯s suggestion. She did not want to


    put him on the spot.


    Serenity then had the chauffeur drive her to a mall downtown.


    Serenity wanted to buy some clothes and food for her grandmother. The food section was on the first


    floor, so she headed


    there first


    Serenity looked at the pastries and made her pick. Foods high in sugar or carbohydrates could cause


    spikes in Emily¡¯s blood sugar levels, so although the pastries suitable for the elderly and people with


    high blood sugar were a little more expensive, she bought them anyway.


    After paying the bill, she walked up the esctor with the box of pastries.


    Just as Serenity arrived at the second floor, a figure strode toward her. Someone pped her hard on


    her face before she could


    even Fract.


    Serenity stumbled and almost fell to the ground, barely steadying herself. Unfortunately, the box of


    pastries in her hand fell to the ground.


    ¡°Hey, who is this? Aren¡¯t you the murderer? What? You¡¯re already out of prison? Are you shopping at


    the mall?¡±


    A woman¡¯s voice rang in Serenity¡¯s ear, berating I


    Serenity¡¯s cheeks bumed, and she touched her cheek in a daze as she looked up at the furiousdy


    This face.. She remembered this woman!


    She had met her in the courtroom three years ago. She was the one who had run up to her and


    pped her multiple times. The hard ps had bruised theer of her mouth, and it had taken


    several days for the swelling to go down.


    The bailiff beside her had not even tried to stop this woman from hitting her. It seemed he had


    deliberately given time for this Woman to hit her


    This woman was Mira¡¯s mother, Demetria Hall.


    Serenity shuddered to think about who was behind it. Was in the Hall family? She, on the other hand,


    was just a nobody. The Shaw family had even kicked her away, leaving her in trouble.


    Serenity was finally out of prison, but the same woman was pping her hard again.


    p, and her hand reached for Serenity again.


    Serenity reflexively raised her hand and grabbed Mrs. Hall¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone!¡± Serenity said, pinning her cold gaze to Mrs. Hull


    Mrs. ///ned unsatisfied with just a


    ¡°How dare you?! The court found you guilty! You have the nerve to say you didn¡¯t kill anyone?! Three


    years! Heh. You¡¯ve only been in prison for three years. If you ask me, you deserve a life sentence!¡±


    Demetria¡¯s face flushed with anger. She raised her other band to strike Serenity appain.


    Serenity had to use her other hand to defend herself, blocking Demetria. ¡°Wrongful convictions in court


    happen. Listen. I don¡¯t owe you anything. You have no right to hit me!¡±


    ¡°Rights?¡± Another middle¨Caged male voice interjected, ¡°Who are you to talk about rights?!¡±


    Serenity froze. She nced up at the older man who hade over. This man was Mina¡¯s father, ton


    Hall.


    Quinton


    Jackson and Quinton were a part of her nightmare during her time his prison.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Quinton had a couple of security guards apanying him at the moment. Hemanded coldly,


    ¡°Hurry up and help Madam. Don¡¯t let this crazy woman liant Madam.¡±


    The guards rushed forward and pulled Serenity and Demetria apart

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    Chapter 461


    Chapter 461


    ¡°Seriously. Why are you doing this in public? How embarrassing!¡± quinton scowled


    Demetria was indignant. ¡°I¡¯m just mad at her. Did you hear what she just said? Isn¡¯t that inhumane?!


    She killed Mira, yet she¡¯s saying she didn¡¯t hurt anyone!¡±


    Quinton shot a sharp re at Serenity. ¡°You¡¯re out of prison now. Whether or not there¡¯s a wrongful


    conviction is a matter for the courts to decide. But when you talk about rights.¡±


    His eyes glowed with disdain. To him, Serenity was as weak as a worm he could tr ample on. ¡°You


    don¡¯t have the right to talk about power in front of me,¡± he said to her.


    Quinton then turned to the guards beside him and ordered, ¡°Kick her out. Now. Also, share the photos


    of her with the other guards and mall management. She won¡¯t be allowed in this mall again


    The security guards surrounded Serenity, one left and one right, and they forced her to get moving


    ¡°M-my belongings are still on the floor.¡± Serenity finally understood what was going on. Quinton spoke


    with authority andmanded the guards with ease. This meant that the Hall family probably owned


    the mall. Maybe they were at least the major shareholders of the mall, which gave them the power to


    order these guards around:


    Serenity wanted to pick up the box of pastries on the floor and leave, but Quinton¡¯s next action took her


    by surprise. Quinton ordered the other security guard, ¡°Take this to the trash. What an eyesore ¡±


    The security guard then picked up the box of pastries and discarded it in a trash can nearby.


    Serenity¡¯s face heated red at the humiliation. It was undeniably an insult. Quinton had deliberately


    humiliated her in public.


    Sadly, she had no power to fight back. Unable to resist, the security guards treated her like a


    troublemaker and dragged her out of the mall, evicting her,


    The two security guards let go of Serenity at the mall entrance and lett a verbal warning. ¡°Don¡¯t cause


    any more trouble. Don¡¯te in again. Otherwise, we¡¯ll call the police and sue you for disrupting public


    safety.¡±


    Serenity found itughable. She had studiedw only to have someone else threaten her with the low.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Her hands clenched into fists, her jaw tight. She clenched her teeth and looked through the clear ss


    door at the entrance. She looked at the two people in the mall..


    Serenity tried her best to get rid of her negative thoughts. There was no need to be sad or miserable


    about this. No need to give the Hall family what they wanted. Quinton and Demetria simply wanted to


    embarrass her.


    Mr. ark


    might have their reasons for humiliating her. They thought she killed Mira, but.. she had not! Mira had


    died in vain. What about her? She was innocent and wronged. What was she going to do to fight for


    her justice? Serenity tried to speak to the Hall family about her innocence, but in return, they insmiliated


    her over and over! Serenity felt a heavy weight settle over her heart, suffocating her. She had to clear


    her name. She refused to be subjected to such usations and insults for something she had not


    done!


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Demetria seemed unsatisfied with Serenity¡¯s treatment. She ranted,


    ¡°Kicking her out of the mall was too light of a punishment!!


    ¡°What else, then? What do you want?¡± Quinton Inquired.


    ¡°She should stay in prison for the next eight to ten years. She was released from prison in just a few


    years. It¡¯s too easy for her! *Filled with pure hatred, Demetria continued, ¡°She¡¯s still in the mood for


    shopping. Oh, my Mira, she left so young. If Mira hadn¡¯t died, she¡¯d be Mrs. Valor by now! Mira had


    such a good life, and she ruined all of it!¡±

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    Chapter 462


    Chapter 462


    A dangerous gleam shed in Quinton¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not hard to pot someone like her back in prison. I¡¯ll


    just get someone to do it.¡±Quinton spoke lightly, almost as if manipting the fate of others was a very


    normal thing


    Demetria¡¯s eyes lit up. She said through gritted teeth, ¡°Let¡¯s get her a life sentence this time the rest of


    her life!¡± It seemed to be the only way to ease her hatred


    I want her to stay in prison for


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do as you wish.¡± Quinton soothed, ¡°But don¡¯t hurt yourself thinking about Mira. Think about


    Jenny.¡±


    ¡°I know that very well. Jenny is our only daughter left now. Why wouldn¡¯t I think of her?¡± Demetria


    added, ¡°It¡¯s a pity she¡¯s in love with a guy from the Shaw family. If she loved Jackson, we¡¯d still be


    Jackson¡¯s parents-inw!¡± Demetria said this with a shrug of resignation.


    Quinton reminded, ¡°We can¡¯t have every nice thing in life. Well, Jenny. She¡¯s finally getting what she


    wants.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to let me have my way. I want to see Serenity go back to prison!¡± Demetria was persistent


    about Serenity.


    ¡°Alright. It¡¯ll be done soon! Quinton agreed.


    ¡°What? You met Serenity in the mall?¡± Jenny went home to see her parents and never thought that she


    would hear about this


    from her mother.


    ¡°Yeah. She happened to be shopping at our mall,¡± Demetria said.


    ¡°I let your dad apany me shopping and happened to see her. She doesn¡¯t feel any guilt at all and


    brazenly visited our mall, so I gave her a hard lesson and embarrassed her.¡±


    Demetria had an unconcealed glee in her voice.


    However, Jenny¡¯s face paled at her mother¡¯s words. ¡°What? How did you¡­ embarrass her?¡±


    ¡°I pped her, of course. Your dad had the security guards kick her out of the mall too.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Demetria did not notice the strange look on Jenny¡¯s face. She went on to tell the story, detailing


    Serenity¡¯s embarrassment when they kicked her out of the mall.


    Jenny¡¯s heart thundered at her mother¡¯s story. She began to regret not telling her parents about


    Serenity and Jackson.


    Jenny had initially thought that Jackson was just fooling around with Serenity. She thought that Serenity


    would eventually return to her miserable life, so she had never mentioned it


    Later, she realized that jackson and Serenity¡¯s rtionship was not as casual as she had thought. It


    seemed that Jackson would turn against Lucas Gomez for Serenity, which was beyond her


    expectation.


    Lucas and Jackson were friends, and the Gomez family had business dealings with the Valor family.


    While Serenity


    working on the set, Jackson had deliberately embarrassed Lucas new gleffriend in Lucas¡¯ presence


    and made sure to teach her.


    lesson.


    Jenny had cautiously avoided Serenity after that incident, but she never expected her parents to do


    such a thing to Serenity.


    Zel¡¯s younger sister, Joy Shaw, was still looping on one leg because of Serenity. Thinking of that, Jenny


    panicked.


    ¡°Mom! Y-You¡¯d better call Dad right now! Find a way to contact Serenity. You must apologize to her in


    person! It might be the only way for the Hall family to escape unharmed.

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    Chapter 463


    Chapter 463


    Demetria was confused and finally noticed the grave look on Jenny¡¯s face.


    ¡°Jenny? What nonsense are you talking about? Apologize? Are you telling me to apologize to Serenity?


    That¡¯s impossible! She¡¯s lucky I didn¡¯t smash her in the face! Why do you want me to apologize?!¡±


    ¡°You two must apologize now before it¡¯s toote!¡±


    Jenny took out her phone, but her mother took the phone away before she could ring her father.


    ¡°What the hell is going on? Let¡¯s get this straight.¡± Demetria¡¯s eyes locked on Jenny.


    Jenny took a deep breath. ¡°Mom, Serenity has Jackson¡¯s support. We can¡¯t afford to mess with the


    Valor family!


    Demetria¡¯s expression changed from confusion to a look that was full of shock. ¡°How can that be? Are


    youdding me?!*


    ¡°I wish I was kidding, but it¡¯s true!¡± Jenny rasped. ¡°Remember Joy Show? Didn¡¯t you ask about her leg


    before? Why Joy healed for so long and how she got hurt?¡±


    hadn¡¯t


    Demetria¡¯s nerves tingled at the grave look on Jenny¡¯s face. She had a feeling that the answer was not


    what she wanted to hear. Even so, she still had to listen


    ¡°Jackson had someone do it. Joy had hurt Serenity before, so Jackson helped Serenity return the favor.


    No. Rather, he made Joy pay back ten times more for hurting her!¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Demeina froze in ce, dumbfounded. Her knees felt dangerously weak as Jenny mentioned


    Jackson¡¯s name, and she nearly


    fell


    Jackson Valor¡­ Does Serenity have Jackson¡¯s support?! But Jackson almost became my son¨Cinw


    before! Demetria thought.


    Demetria was once very proud of this. Surely everyone in Sria would tter her because of her


    status as Jackson¡¯s mother¨Cin


    -LAW


    Demetria had had the best time when Mira had be Jackson¡¯s fiancee, but it was short¨Clived. Her


    eldest daughter had been engaged to Jackson, and she had almost be Jackson¡¯s mother¨Cinw,


    but Mira¡¯s death hat crushed her hopes.


    ¡°How could Jackson take Serenity¡¯s side?! Doesn¡¯t he understand? Serenity is the one who got Mira


    killed!¡± Demetria suddenly yelled frantically.


    Jenny hurriedly grabbed her mother. He knows, but he¡¯s got his eyes on Serenity. He likes her. Mom,


    calm down. Even if you don¡¯t like it, we can¡¯t interfere with Jackson¡¯s choice!¡±


    Demetria understood this. She just could not keep her hatred restrained.


    ny did not have time tofort her mother. Her first priority was to resche the situation before it was


    toote. Jackson might turn against the Hall family for this.


    Jenny took the phone away from her mother and quicldly called her father.


    Meshile, on the other side, Connor rushed into the CEO¡¯s office upon finding out what had happened.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, there¡¯s a video online about Ms. Lewis¡­ Would you like to ser l¨¬?¡®


    Connor bestcated a little while saying this, worried about his boss¡® reaction upon seeing the video. As


    Jackson¡¯s personal secretary, Connor knew of Serenity¡¯s importance in Jackson¡¯s heart.


    The actions of the Hall family had undoubtedly hurt Mr. Valor¡¯s precious sweetheart.

 Chapter 464

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    Chapter 464


    Jackson¡¯s how furrowed as soon as he heard the news. He took the phone from Connor and yed the


    video, liis eyes cold.


    Jackson soon exuded an air of quiet fury, Connor knew that his boss¡® anger was not directed at him,


    but the fury in Jackson¡¯s eyes was so icy that he thought he might freeze to death,


    Mr. Valer¡¯s wrath could rock the whole of Sria, Serenity was Mr. Valor¡¯s precious person, and he


    would never let anyone hurt Serenity. The Hall family had made their move on Ms. Lewis, humiliating


    her in public. Not only that but there was a video filmed and posted online.


    ¡°Remove this viden from the inte! Don¡¯t let the see it online ever again!¡± Jackson ordered. ¡°Also,


    find the person who took the video and get the original file deleted permanently.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Cenaar responded.


    Jackson threw the phone back at Connor. Then, he grabbed his jacket and beaded out of his office.


    Connor did not have to ask. He knew Mr. Valor was on his way to see Ms. Lewis.


    Connor had been working with Mr. Valor for years, and Serenity seemed to be the only person who


    could affect Mr. Valor this much. Fate would always intervene in such a strange way. Who would have


    thought that Mr. Valor would fall for Serenity?


    The Hall family would never have thought of this. They probably would not have hurt Serenity if they


    had known,¡® Connor thought to himself.


    Jackson drove away from the office. As he was on the way home, he dialed Serenity¡¯s phone number.


    However, no one answered, and it made him even more andous. He then called the butler in the Valor


    Residence and asked about Serenity,


    ¡°Ms. Lewis went out in the morning and returned around noon, but she didn¡¯t have lunch and went


    straight to her room. She hasn¡¯te out since,¡± Elliot, the butler, answered


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Make sure to keep an eye on her!¡± Jackson hastily ordered and ended the call. Then, he sped up and


    rushed home.


    When he arrived at Valor Residence, he dashed out of the car and ran to Serenity¡¯s room, startling the


    servants around.


    The servants had never seen Mr. Valor in such a hurry! He seemed worried about something, but what


    could possibly worry Mr. Valor, the most powerful man in Sria?


    Elliot was standing in front of Serenity¡¯s room, guarding her. When he saw Jackson, he reported, ¡°Sir,


    Ms. Lewis is in her room. I knocked, but she wouldn¡¯t open the door. The door was locked from the


    inside.¡±


    As the butler, Elliot had the log to the door. However, he would not use it unless permitted. He dared


    not open Ms. Lewis¡® bedroom door without Jackson¡¯s order.


    Jackson dismissed Elliot with a wave of the hand. ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    ¡°The key to the room..¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Jackson said.


    Elliot then left, and Jackson lifted his hand as he gently knocked on the door. ¡°Sereally, it¡¯s me.¡±

 Chapter 465

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    Chapter 465


    No one answered ham in the ro


    Jackson spun around and headed straight to his room instead. He then entered Serenity¡¯s room


    through the inner door that connected the two rooms.


    Serenity¡¯s room was dark, and the lights were off. Jackson nced around in the semi¨Cdarkness,


    relying on the faint sunlight shining through the curtains. Although dim, it did not affect his vision.


    Jackson soon found Serenity in the corner of the room, sitting curled up. She had wrapped her arms


    around her knees and buried her face in it. She seemed like she was trying to curl into a ball.


    Jackson vaguely remembered seving her hiding in a corner with a simr posture some time ago. At


    the thought of this, a sudden pain stabbed at him, just below his heart. The scenario from the video he


    had seen just moments before shed across


    his mind.


    In the video, Serenity had gotten pped in the face and then escorted out of the mall. The video had


    been recorded from a distance, too far away to hear the conversation Even so, Jackson could more or


    less guess what the Hall family would have said to her.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes shed with anger. His anger was mostly directed at the Hall family and at himself. He


    should have warned the Hall family earlier. They should not have attacked her! She did not have to


    endure such humiliation.


    Serenity. Jackson crouched down slowly and called her name softly. Serenity remained in the same


    position, motionless, as if frozen in time.


    ¡°Serenity¡­¡± Jackson raised his voice slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be by your side no matter what.¡±


    Serenity trembled slightly. Her shoulders moved, and she looked up slowly. Her face was pale, her


    eyes red and swollen.


    Jackson could see the obvious marks on her pink lips. He could only imagine how hard she had bitten


    her own lips.


    ¡°Were you crying?¡± Jackson asked, his finger gently tracing her red eyes.


    Serenity stiffened slightly. Then, she tried her best to manage a smile. ¡°L. I wasn¡¯t mying 1-1 was just


    tired and resting by the


    wall¡±


    Jackson held his gaze on Serenity. He wondered if she realized what a terrible liar she was. She


    somehow managed a smile, but the cut on her lips made that motion sting Boe bell


    ¡°I know everything,¡± Jackson lushed. He wanted to see her happy smile, not this. The forced smile on


    her face broke his heart even more. ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to smile like that,¡± Jackson said,


    picking her up in his arms.


    Jackson took her to the couch and sat her down. He then carefully observed her limbs and exposed


    skin. He did not see any other injuries except for the bruises on her face.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity was still stunned at his words earlier. He knows everything.¡± What did he mean by that?


    skud, ¡°What do you know?


    ¡°I know what happened earlier,¡± Jackson exined. ¡°Someone took a vicen of the scene and posted it


    online,¡±


    Sermity stiffened and bit down on her lower lip


    Serenity had made up her mind to get over the humiliation and stop thildegg about it. However,


    someone had filmed the incident earlier and pasted the video online. The feeling of humiliation seemed


    to multiply, overwhelming her.


    What had she cone to deserve this? She had done nothing wrong! Why did she have to suffer


    needlessly?!

 Chapter 466

    Chapter 466


    hapter 466


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already had the video deleted. The video hasn¡¯t been on the inte for long. It won¡¯t


    resurface again, Jackson promised, his finger tracing the swollen bruise on her check


    Serenity let out a whimper and drew in a sharp gasp


    Jackson¡¯s face grew colder. ¡°I¡¯ll get the doctor here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get a coldpress to treat itter,¡± Serenity refused.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me worry. Let the doctor take a look at it,¡± Jackson urged. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve decided. Did the


    security guards at the mall hurt you? Are you hurt?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t get hurt elsewhere,¡± Serenity tried to y it down, not wanting Jackson to worry. ¡°Oh,


    right. By the way, I- I¡¯m visiting Granny tomorrow. I went out to get something for Granny, but I couldn¡¯t


    buy anything. Why don¡¯t youe shopping with me after dinner tonight?¡± Serenity deliberately


    changed the topic.


    Jackson gave her a deep look. A long momentter, he finally responded with a single syble, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door.


    Jackson unlocked the door and opened it to reveal the butler, Elliot, standing in front of the door.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sir, the people from the Hall family are here,¡± Elliot informed.


    ¡°The Hall family?¡± Jackson repeated, an unsmiling look shing through his eyes.


    Serenity stiffened at what she had just heard, her face paling at the mention of the Hall family¡¯s visit.


    ¡°Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Hall as well as their daughter, Jenny Hall,¡± Elliot said. ¡°They said they must see you


    no matter what, Sir.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet them,¡± Jackson answered


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll make the arrangements, then,¡± Elliot said and left quickly.


    Jackson returned to Serenity and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them. Wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Serenity remained stiff and looked at him with a confused look in her eyes. She seemed puzzled.


    Jackson traced his finger along her bruised cheek. ¡°I must seek justice for you¡±


    After saying that, Jackson left the room in a stride.


    Serenity remained as still as a statue until Jackson¡¯s figure disappeared from her view. Only then did


    she lift her hand in a trance and touch her face, feeling the lingering warmth of his touch earlier.


    What did he mean by that? Seek justice for her¡­ Would he help her in seeking justice on her behalf?


    She felt a surge of emotion at his promise, a warmth radiating through her heart!


    When Jackson came downstairs, the Hall family was already waiting in the living room.

 Chapter 467

    Chapter 467


    Chapter 467


    Quinton and Demetria Hall hadpletely lost the previous haughtiness they had disyed with


    Serenity when they acted as if they could easily step all over her.


    But now, it was their tum to be the worthless bugs!


    Jenny, being a professional actress, was now the one who could best conceal her real feelings among


    the three of them. She put on a guilty look and said, ¡°Jackson, my parents bumped into Seren¨CMiss


    Lewis at the mall today, and they lost their temper and treated her a little too aggressively, so we came


    here to apologize to her and ask for her forgiveness in person.¡±


    It was hard for Jenny to utter the words ¡°Miss Lewis, After all, she had always despised that woman.


    Serenity was as worthless to her, yet she had to face herself to address this won respectfully now. It felt


    as if her dignity was being trampled on!


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Jackson calmly. His deep dark eyes were unfathomable No one could tell what he was


    really feeling inside.¡± They lost their temper, huh? Why don¡¯t you tell me what she did to make them


    lose their temper?¡±


    Unpredictable. That was how people always described Jackson Valor, the emperor of Sria. There


    were not even a handful of people in this city who could truly guess what was actually on his mind.


    But Jackson! Demetria blurted out in an using tone. ¡°She.. She¡¯s the murderer who killed Mira! How


    could we not lose dun temper? Back then, it was she who had cased Mira¡¯s death! How.. How could


    you be with a woman the that?! Mira will never rest in peace if you do this!!!


    As she spoke thosest sentences, both Quinton and Jenny¡¯s looks changed. They wanted to stop


    Demetris from continuing. but it was toote. Their eyes then turned to jackson, whose face had


    already darkened. Their hearts sank because they knew that it was a grave mistake to have said those


    words.


    Quinton, who had always been a sly fox in the world of business, was better at reading the situation


    than the other two. A man like Jackson Valor would certainly believe that it was hisplete freedom


    to be with any woman he liked, and it had nothing to do with the fact that he used to be engaged to


    Mira Hat all. In fact, even if he was tried to Mira, it was still his right to be with any wornan he liked,


    and Quinton and Demetria had no power to do anything about it.


    Just as he expected, Jackson red coldly at Demetria and demanded, ¡°When did you have any say in


    who I want to be with?¡±


    Demetria shuddered. She instantly regained her senses and malized what an impulsive thing she had


    just done! She should never have said those things, yet how could she not? How could she just ept


    the fact that the woman who had killed her daughter was now with the man her daughter was supposed


    to marry?!


    Gritting her teeth, Demetria once again asked, ¡®Don¡¯t you remember how much Mira used to love you,


    Jackson? Are you really going to disregard her now?! If you really end up with that murderer, Mira will


    turn into a joke in the eyes of the public!


    ¡°That¡¯s mough,¡± Jackson sneered. ¡°Stop calling her a murderer. She¡¯s not a murderer, and she had


    absolutely nothing to do with Mira Hall¡¯s death!¡±


    As soon as he uttered those words, Quinton and jenny both stared at Jackson in shock.


    ¡°How could that be?! yelled Demetria. ¡°Even the court convicted her back then!¡®


    A cryptic half¨Csmile cropped up on Jackson¡¯s face. His gaze turned to Quinton, who was standing


    beside Demetrial


    ¡°I said she had nothing to do with it,¡± he dered, ¡°so it means that she had nothing to do with it, do


    you understand? From now on, I don¡¯t want to hear any of you call her a murderer ever again.¡±


    Quinton¡¯s face turned pale instantly. Even his bigs trembled slightly.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Demetria seemed to have mure to say, but quinton quickly pulled her ashle and stopped her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he told Jackson, ¡°we understand, Could you let Miss Lewis see us for a whille sa we can


    apologize to her for what we did today?!


    Quinton had been in business for many years, so he naturally understood the true wisdom of being


    flexible. Although the Hall


    family was one of the most prestigious families in Sria, they were absolutely in no position to go


    head¨Cto¨Chead against such a powerful family as the Valors. So, the best thing to do at the moment was


    to give in to Jackson, Besides, there was still something else.. When Quinton thought of what


    happened all those years ago, he was suddenly washed over by a conflicted max of feeling.

 Chapter 468

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    Chapter 468


    Regardless, Quanton remainedposed and hid his true feelings.


    ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary.¡± Jackson said in a t voer. ¡°I don¡¯t think she has any desire to see you.¡±


    Jenny and Demetria instantly sighed in rebel To them, not having to apologize to that woman in person


    would mean that they were spared a humiliating situation. After all, how could they ept being forced


    to apologize to a woman they regarded as nothing more than a dirty bug? Especially since she was a


    murderer in their eyes, and to Jenny, she was even once a love rival to her.


    However, Quinton did not seem to feel relieved at all. In fact, be frowned even more. An ominous


    premonition arose in his heart. He feared that this matter was not as simple as he thought


    ¡°In that case,¡± said Quinton, ¡°we won¡¯t be disturbing you anymore. It¡¯s time for us to leave.¡±


    He then gave his wife a look to unge her that it was time to go. Only then did Demetria get up to get


    ready to leave, but they were soon interrupted by Jackson¡¯s voice again.


    ¡°By the way,¡± he told them, ¡°you have to pay for what you owe her before you leave.¡±


    what we owe her?¡± Demetria asked, confring: Britten all over her face. She had no clue what Jackson


    meant at all.


    ¡°You pped Serenity a few times,¡± replied Jackson matter¨Cof¨Cfactly, so just p yourself to pay for it.¡±


    Although Jackson said it so naturally as if it was perfectly logical thing to say, a burst of fury welled up


    in Demetria¡¯s heart.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He wanted her to p herself?! Just because she had pped Serenity a few times?


    ¡°I don¡¯t owe her anything!¡± she snapped. ¡°That woman deserved to get pped a few times! In fact, I


    was too easy on her backtben!¡±


    Jackson¡¯s face darkened thunderously. He then immediately sprang up on his feet and rushed up to


    Demetria before pping her to the point she stumbled and tell to the Door


    No one could have seen iting as no one would have thought that Jackson would suddenly do such


    a thing


    Demetria was the most befuddled one of the lot. She held her face which had just been struck, and she


    looked utterly


    dumbfounded


    Jackson peered down at Demetria with a cold re and said, ¡°What right do you have to p her? The


    Hall family has absolutely no right to touch her at all! From now on, if you dare to touch even a strand


    of her hair, don¡¯t me a for annihting your family without any mercy.¡±


    ¡±


    Those words were indeed severe. Even Quinton and Jenny were stunned. They both seemed to love


    something to say, but Jackson seemed to have already issued an order to send the guests off


    Chilton sighted and decided to take his wife and daughter out of the property. If they continued to


    remain there even a minute longer, who knew how much more angered Jackson would be.


    Jenny asked him as soon as they got out of the Valor besidence, ¡°Are we just going to leave things like


    this, Dad?¡±


    Quinton shook his head with a gloomy expression and replied, ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.. Tooks like we¡¯ll just have


    to end it here.¡±


    He had been totally taken aback by Jackson¡¯s sudden violent attack just now. A man like Jackson Valor


    would usually never use his own hands to do such a thing, but he had pped Demetria himself just


    now. This proved how furious he truly was.


    And how far would a man like him go if he was truly ennapet? Even Quintor Hensell sluddered to think


    about it.


    Only then did Demetriae back to her senses, She stricked, ¡°H¨CHow dare he hit me?! He¡¯s younger


    than me Has hepletely forgotten about Mira?! That woman, Serenity Lewis, is nothingpared to


    my daughter! She was even in prison! How could Jackson Valor want a woman like that? Is he not


    worried about humiliating the Valor family?!¡±


    When she thought of how Jackson pped her just now, Demetria was filled with extreme humiliation.

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    Demetria thought of how she had always been highly regarded in the elite circle. She had never been


    treated with such ridicule


    before.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let this slide,¡± she dered. ¡°I must teach that woman, Serenity Lewis, a lesson! She must¡¯ve


    run to fackson and whispered horrible things about me in his ear! He has never treated me this way


    before!¡±


    Demetria was determined to push all me on Serenity,


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Quinton reminded her. ¡°From now on, don¡¯t ever mess with Serenity Lewis again! Let


    it and here and now!¡±


    Demetria stared at her husband in disbelief.


    ¡°What?! But that woman is the murderer that killed our daughter!¡±


    A look of conflicted feelings shed across Quinton¡¯s eyes. He turned away as if deliberately avoiding


    his wife¡¯s eye contact.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want the whole Hall family to follow Mira into the grave, just do as I say!¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Demetria seemed to have more to say, but jenny pulled her aside and told her, ¡°ust listen to Dad this


    time, Mam. At the very least, we should leave Serenity alone for now.¡±


    There was no saying when Serenity¡¯s back would run out and Jackson finally lost his interest in her.


    Demetria seemed obviously reluctant to let the matter go. Did she really have to allow Jackson to p


    her without doing anything about it?!


    Serenity Lewas should have just rotted in prison!


    Back in the Valor Residence living room, Serenity finally came down the staircase. She had been


    standing behind the stairs where she was perfectly concealed. She had seen everything that had just


    happened in the living room and heard every word that was sald


    She knew that Jack had done everything to help her just now. All the humiliation she had suffered this


    morning had gradually dissipated as she listened to the words he had said to defend her.


    The sound of her footsteps made him turn his head quickly toward the staircase. He then slowly


    reached out his hands toward her. His movements were so natural that it seemed he would always


    reach out to help and support her wherever he saw her.


    serenity stared dazedly at the hands that were reaching out for her, but she instinctively reached her


    own hands out to take his. His big hands then fully wrapped around her own hands tightly


    ¡°What are you doinging downstairs?¡± he asked.


    ¡°1¡± she bit her lips gently. ¡°I was behind the stairs just now and I saw everything. Thank you. But you


    didn¡¯t have to go against the Hall family just for me, you know.¡±


    Even she knew that there was a lot of business conducted between the Hall fanally and the Valor


    family. Although the Halls were not nearly as powerful as the Valors, a dispute with them would still


    affect the Valors to some extent.


    ¡°So what if the Valors¡® rtionship with the Halls ispletely nained?¡± He smiled. ¡°If I can¡¯t manage


    even this little problem and get justice for you over this small matter, I must be the lousiest boyfriend


    ever.¡±


    As he spoke, he slowly lifted a hand to gently caress the red and swollen spots on Serenity¡¯s face


    ¡°But that one p just now was far from enough,¡± he said.


    She was taken aback. What else was he going to do? Whom she asked him that question, all she gut


    as an answer from him was,


    soon enough. Also, if you¡¯re ever in any kind of trouble again, just give me a call, understand?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll


    As he gave that order, she could not help pouting as she said, ¡°But if you keep on acting this way, ¡®ll


    only make me more and more dependent on you¡±

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    The more dependent on him she got, the more likely it was that it might slowly and gradually be a


    habit of hers to always rely on him..


    He leaned down and gently kissed her red and swollen face. The kiss was so soft and tender that it felt


    like a feather yfully Lickling her face


    ¡°Just rely on me, then,¡± he murmured. ¡°I want nothing more than for you to be dependent on me


    How he wished that she would always depend on him so much that she could never leave him¡­.


    About half an hrter, the Valor family doctor arrived at the Valor Residence. After examining the


    reddened bruises un Serenity¡¯s face, he prescribed some medicine to reduce the swelling


    After the doctor had left, Serenity was just about to apply the medicine, but Jackson quickly sn atched it


    before she could and said, ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    ¡°y,¡± she replied briefly.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    He then dipped his long fingers in the ointment and gently spread it on her face. His gentle touch was


    followed by the cool feeling left by the ointment which significantly soothed the burning sensation on


    her face.


    As he gently caressed her face, he murmured, ¡°Why do you always have to make me worry about you,


    hrum? You keep getting


    hut all the time.¡±


    Serenity found herself unable to argue with him because it really did seem¡­ that ever since meeting


    him, she was always getting hurt from minor injuries.


    ¡°If only I could keep you at home all the time, he said, ¡°then no one could ever hurt you again. That


    way, I won¡¯t ever see any injuries on your body again.¡±


    Every time she got hurt, it always felt as if his heart was ced by something sharp.


    ¡°How can I possibly stay at home all the time?¡± she muttered, thinking that he was only joking


    He withdrew his Engers and wiped the ointment reside on his fingers with a tissue. Then, he lead


    down, looked into her eyes, and said, ¡°If you keep getting hurt like this, I¡¯ll really keep you at home all


    the time. Even if you don¡¯t mind getting hurt, I mind it. I don¡¯t want to see you injured ever again¡±


    His deep dark eyes were full of earnestness. Serenity stared at the man in front of her and realized that


    he was serious?! He was not jolding at all!


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he said, ¡°you should go back to your mom now. You should rest if you¡¯re tired.¡±


    As he spoke, he picked her up and carried twr in his arms. She let out a low cry in surprise but then


    almost Instinctively weggeed hier arms around his neck and could not help reminding him, ¡°I can walk


    on my own, you know.¡±


    She had only been pped on the face and was unharmed anywhere else.


    ¡±


    ¡°I feel more secure carrying you like this,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m worried that you might identally stumble and


    fall again.


    Serenity could not help but blush. Was he treating her like a child?


    After carrying her into the mom, he then gently ced her on the bed.


    ¡°You must be tired,¡± he said. ¡°You should take a rest now.¡±


    Serenity nodded. In fact, she really was feeling a bit tired now. Shey down and closed her eyes,


    drifting off to sleep notng


    afterward


    Jackson gazed at her sleeping face. Apart from the tenderness and pain he felt for Serenity¡¯s sake,


    there was also dangerous hostility in his eyes


    The Hall family. It looked like he had let them love in peace and prosperity for too long. Long enough


    that they forget an

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    No. It¡¯s nothing. I just realized that I haven¡¯t bought the things I wanted to bring with me when I visit


    Grandma tomorrow.¡± In truth, she had already bought the pastries, but they had been thrown into the


    trash by the Hall family¡¯s people. ¡°Oh,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ve bought it for you. It¡¯s on the coffee table.¡±


    She tumed to the coffee table in the room and saw a familiar shopping bag. Was that. The shopping


    bag from the pastry shop in the mall that she had gone to earlier that day? Could it be that he had


    bought exactly the same things she had for her?


    ¡°Are those the same things I bought today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied. ¡°I also added some other items.¡±


    ¡°But how did you, uh, how did you know what I bought?¡±


    Even if he had seen her through the security cameras, at most, he could only have seen the shopping


    bag, right?


    ¡°I just went through the transaction statements in the mall and figured out what you bought.¡±


    Serenity finally understood. For other people, this was not such a doable thing, but for a man like


    Jackson Vallor, it probably required him as much effort as lifting a finger.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Serenity added, ¡°did I disturb you when I screamed just now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever worry about disturbing me,¡± he said, kneeling down beside her bed. ¡°No matter what


    happens, you¡¯ll always be my priority.¡±


    Serenity stared at the man in front of her with a look of surprise. Right now, he no longer looked like the


    same haughty and intimidating Jackson Valor she used to know. In fact¡­ he seemed to be looking up


    at her with respect, almost as if she was his


    superior.


    Jackson then led Serenity downstairs so that she could eat something. He watched as she ate the food


    that was supposed to be dinner but was now ate supper. The light in his eyes darkened as he


    thought of the phone call he had gotten from Quinton Hall just before Serenity had woken up


    It seemed that Quinton was trying to test the waters and see how much Jackson truly cared for


    Serenity as he kept referring to


    that car crash case.


    Back then¡­ if it had not been for that car crash, he would never havee to this point where he got


    nervous every time he was in front of Serenity, almost as if he was afraid that she would discover the


    truth of what had happened back then.


    Jackson would make the Hall family pay for the justice they owed Serenity. He would also make sure


    she was exonerated because that was what he himself owed her!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Serenity suddenly looked up from her food and turned to him. ¡°Why are you staring at


    me?


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he murmured. ¡°I was just thinking how nice it is to be able to sit here and watch you.


    frue. It truly felt amazing that he could just sit here and quietly watch her, knowing that she was so


    close to him


    He had finally found someone he truly wanted to be with, the only person he wanted in the whole wide


    world.


    The next day, after Serenity woke up, she soon set off with Jackson to the small town where her


    grandmother was staying


    Before leaving, she once again gave her grandmother a call to tell her the time that she would roughly


    be there. She was relieved when she noticed that her grandmother sounded rxed and cheerful on


    the phone.


    That must mean that her grandmother was in pretty good health right now.


    Serenity did not want to attract too much attention when they got to the small town, so sh asked


    Jackson to choose a mote humble car to drive there, but in the end, the most ordinary car the Valors


    had was a BMW that cost about half a million dors.


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    She sighed. Fine, then. A BMW might be regarded as a remarkable car to the ordinary folk, yet to


    Jackson Valor, it was clearly the most ¡°humble¡± car he could find.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

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    But to her surprise, what she saw next was Jackson ordering his driver to bring over his own car which


    was worth less than fifty thousand dors. This startled Serenity.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted a humble car?Jackson asked.


    ¡°Well, yeah. I just wanted a more humble car so that it won¡¯t attract too much attention when we get


    there. It¡¯s a really small town, and I don¡¯t want anyone to spread any rumors. I¡¯m worried that Grandma


    will get worried when she hears it. But are you seriously going to drive this car there?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Jackson smiled ¡°Come on, hop ins


    It was only when she got into the car that Serenity realized the driver had been ordered to get out


    because Jackson was going to be driving at himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re driving?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡¯ he replied, speaking as he started the engine. ¡°It¡¯s not that far, anyway. If you¡¯re feeling


    sleepy, go ahead and take anap. I know the way.¡±


    She pursed her lips without realizing it as she watched him drive. It would take more than two hours of


    driving before they got there, and doing that without a break was sure to be an exhausting task, yet


    there was no way for her to help him at all because her driver¡¯s license had been revoked a long time


    ago. In fact¡­ she might never be able to drive again.


    After all, she had been barred from driving for life!


    Still. If she managed to reverse the initial verdict and get exonerated, perhaps she might get some of


    the things she had lost back, things like her driver¡¯s license, her license to practicew, and others¡­


    But some things would remain lost to her forever. Things like¡­ her once vigorous enthusiasm, her


    innocence, her various. ambitions, her optimistic worldviews, the love from her family which she now


    realized was all take, and her beautiful youth.


    She had already turned 18 years old. Although she was not even 40 yet, she sometimes feel as if her


    heart had aged a century. If she had not met Jackson, perhaps she really would have ended up like an


    old cynical woman with an ancient heart all her life until she eventually grew old and died.


    However, because he had appeared in her life, that aged heart of hers had slowly regained a sign of


    life, giving her a sliver of hope for a better life


    She used to believe that meeting him was the most painful thing to happen to her after she got out of


    prison because he had lied to her, but the truth was that¡­ she was perhaps lucky to have met him.


    It was Jackson who had made her see the beauty in life again. So, perhaps the fact that he had fallen


    in love with her was¡­ a great thing to have happened to her.


    These were the thoughts that circled Serenity¡¯s mind as she slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to


    sleep. When she woke up again, they had already reached the small town and were almost nearing her


    grandmother¡¯s house.


    She rubbed her eyes and guiltily mumbled, ¡°.. must¡¯ve fallen asleep¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± he said, ¡°and very soundly too. You were even grinding your teeth in your sleep¡±


    thas


    Embarrassed, her face immediately turned red from her blushing. That could not be. Did she really..


    grind her teeth as she slept?


    ¡°I was only joking,¡± Jackson told her. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    She quickly tidied up her hair and clothes. Once he had parked the car at her grandmother¡¯s door, she


    prepared to get out of the car, but be swiftly grabbed her and held her still.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

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    She turned to him with a searching look and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Have you thought about how you¡¯re going to introduce meter?¡± he asked.


    She was stunned for a moment but quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to introduce you as my boyfriend, of


    course.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jackson smiled gently, ¡°Let¡¯s go, then¡±


    The two then got out of the car. Serenity walked up to the door and knocked on it. Not long afterward,


    the door opened, but the person she was greeted by was not her grandmother. Instead, it was her aunt,


    Theresa.


    Theresa¡¯s expression tumed shifty as soon as she recognized Serenity


    ¡°Oh!¡± she cried. ¡°So it¡¯s you, Serenity! Why, you¡¯ve even brought along another guest!!


    As she spoke, she nced outside, but when she saw a humble car parked outside, her gaze toward


    Serenity was instantly filled with a trace of mockery,


    Everyone had assumed that this niece of hers had managed to nab a rich man for herself. After all,


    Serenity had even been rescued by a chivalrous man from Felix Foster¡¯s house back then! Yet judging


    from the car parked outside, it appeared that the rumors were false after all since it was definitely not


    an expensive car. Theresa was sure because she could recognize quite a few logos of those luxury


    cars


    And as for the man following behind this niece of hers, while she had to admit that he was indeed a


    very attractive man, looks meant nothing to a man. He might even be one of those useless pretty men


    whocked any substance whatsoever underneath!


    Besides, this man had most likely not even found out that her niece used to be in prison!


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Serenity, ¡°I¡¯m here to see Grandma. How is she?¡±


    She had heard earlier that her uncles and aunt took turns taking care of her grandmother. Seeing Aunt


    Theresa here must mean that it was her tum today.


    ¡°Your grandmother still isn¡¯t able to eat or sleep that well,¡± Theresa replied as the three walked into the


    living room. sleeping in her bedroom right now,¡±


    Lte Blossom, Theresa¡¯s daughter, was sitting in the living room, watching the television while


    munching on po. She was about to throw some cuttingments at Serenity as soon as she saw


    her, but she was then distracted when she saw Jackson, who was right beside Serenity. Her eyes were


    instantly fixed on him, and she found it hard to look away.


    Serenity turned to Jackson and told him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit here and wait for me while I go to my


    grandma¡¯s room to see her?


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jackson replied before pulling up a chair and gracefully sitting down. His gestures were bold


    and unreserved yet without seeming inappropriate or impolite.


    Serenity then turned and left for her grandmother¡¯s room while Lte was still aggressively sizing up


    Jackson.


    Lte felt that this man looked like he had just stepped out of a painting even when be just sat quietly


    there doing nothing. Yet when she tried to talk to him, she only managed to open her mouth, but before


    she could utter a word, she had to stay quiet because she was intimidated by his impressive aura.


    It felt as if she could only stare at him from afar but never get any closer to him at all.


    Meanwhile, Serenity went into her grandmother¡¯s room. She did not see her grandfather there, and


    only her grandmother was lying in bed and sleeping. It looked like she had gotten even thinner since


    she hadst seen her.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    As Serenity watched ler frail old grandmother, she had an inexplicable feeling that her grandmother


    was at the end of her life. Perhaps it was because her grandmother really was old now. No matter how


    vivacious and full of life the grandmother in her memories was, it was clear now that as the years went


    by, especially after she had fallen seriously ill, that she probably only had a few years left.


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    If her grandmother only had one year left to live, she really had to cherish this year to the fullest!


    Serenity stayed in the rooms for a while before quietly leaving. She had no wish to disturb her


    grandmother¡¯s sleep. Besides, she could just wait for her grandmother to wake up outside and talk to


    her then.


    When she returned to the living room, she was greeted by the sight of Jackson sitting on the same


    chair, leisurely scrolling through his ne.

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    Chapter 474


    ¡°Are you done seeing your grandma?¡± Jackson asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping,¡± replied Serenity. ¡°I don¡¯t want to disturb her, so I¡¯ll just wait here for now.¡±


    As she spoke, she saw her cousin, Lte, approaching them with two cups of tea, which were then


    ced in front of her and Jackson.


    Lte then offered, ¡°Have some tea, Serenity!¡±


    A look of surprise shed in Serenity¡¯s eyes. All her life, whenever she came here, Lte had never


    bothered to offer her any beverages at all.


    ¡°Say, Serenity, why don¡¯t you introduce this gentleman you¡¯ve brought with you to us?¡±


    It was Aunt Theresa who uttered those words, albeit with a toneced with bitterness.


    ¡°This is Jack,¡± said Serenity. ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend.¡±


    Serenity was careful not to reveal Jackson¡¯s full name for fear that her rtives would cause trouble if


    they found out who he really was. All she wanted now was for her grandmother to live in peace as she


    neared the end of her life.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Boyfriend?!¡± Lte eximed in surprise. ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Lte¡¯s tone suggested that she regarded what she had just heard from Serenity as nothing more


    than a joke,


    Jackson narrowed his eyes and scowled menacingly at Lte. She immediately felt like she had been


    thrown into a freezer- it gave her a chill so unbearably cold that she could feel it in her bones.


    ¡°What¡¯s so impossible about it?¡± Jackson asked casually


    Lte smiled awkwardly and replied, ¡°N¨CNothing¡­ I just never thought that after having been in


    prison, Serenity would manage to find a boyfriend so soon after she was released. It just seemed¡­ so


    quick to me.¡±


    Those words concealed a sinister intention, of course. Lte was deliberately trying to bring up the


    fact that Serenity used to be in prison. After all, she firmly believed that Serenity must have hidden the


    truth from this man, and that was probably the only reason why he had agreed to be her boyfriend.


    Still, Serenity naturally saw through Lte¡¯s ruse. How could she not? Nevertheless, she realized that


    this was probably the first time she felt no embarrassment at all after being exposed for having been in


    prison.


    Perhaps it was because the man beside hier was Jackson and he knew everything about her anyway.


    The look Jackson gave Lte turned even more menacing. Even his face was covered with a thin veil


    of rage. But all this disappeared within a few seconds, and his lips curled into a smile before he


    answered, ¡°So what? I wished for nothing more than for Serenity to be my girlfriend. In fact, I was in


    total bliss for a few days after she agreed to date ineTM


    He actually meant each of those words sincerely. When Serenity had finally agreed to be his girlfriend,


    he really was happier than be had been in ages! He finally realized how happy a man could be when


    they finally got the treasure that they had been dreaming of


    Lte was dumbfounded. So, Jackson not only knew that Serenity used to be in prison, but he even


    felt that being her boyfriend was¡­ what he wished for the most!


    How could anyone feel that way about a woman who had been in prison?!


    But even if Lte felt that way, she dared not voice her thights at the moment because although this


    man called Jack was smiling at her, the look he gave her was actually so frighteningly cold that she


    was beginning to pet restless.

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    Chapter 475


    I felt like this man would never allow


    anyone to say a single bad word about Serenity.


    Envy and jealousy simmered in Lte¡¯s heart. How had someone like Serenity managed to get such a


    handsome boyfriend who did not mind that she used to be in prison at all, while she herself, who had


    gotten married when she was young, had only managed to nab a cksmith?!


    Back then, she used to think that marrying a cksmith was not that bad at all since at the very least, a


    cksmith would always have a stable job. Besides, The dowry gifts she had gotten from him were


    more than generous. But as time went by, she had begun to regret this choice more and more


    All her trends she used to be close with when she was younger now lived much better lives than her in


    the city. In fact, most of them had even married men who were white¨Ccor workers, civil servants, and


    company managers¨Call sding so impressive that she began to be embarrassed to admit that her


    husband was only a cksmith.


    Over the past few years, she had often wondered, had she not married so early, then perhaps, she


    might be married to a man in the city now. At the very least, she would have been able to nab a white¨C


    cor worker!


    ¡°Oh,¡± Aur: Theresa suddenly interjected, ¡°so hrs your boyfriend, huh?¡±


    She then added in a grave tone as if she was giving Serenity a warning, ¡°You should cherish him


    properly this time, Serenity Back then when you were with that rich and powerful man, you must have


    realized by now that he was only interested in you because you were new and exciting to him. When


    the novelty wore off, he post dumped you and left.¡±


    Jackson raised his brows and turned to Serenity, asking her, ¡°Rich and powerful man? Who is she


    talking about?


    Serenity was speechless because she could guess that Aunt Theresa was referring to Jackson himself.


    After all, he had very boldly rushed to this small town to save her in front of everyone back then.


    However, Aunt Theresa had not been there back then as only her uncles were at Felix Faster¡¯s house,


    so she had never met Jackson before.


    Unsurprisingly, Serenity then heard her aur: put on a kind face and start to exin, ¡°Here¡¯s what


    happened¨Cwhen Serenity was staying here, a rich and powerful man brought so many people here to


    take Serenity with him. And they were all driving expensive cars too! At the time, I was worried about


    her because men like that are never honest and he most Exely didn¡¯t truly love her but only wanted to


    seduce her. I was afraid that she might fall into his trap, but she¡¯s lucky because she¡¯s got a boyfriend


    like you now.¡±


    Serenity Found it very amusing how predictably shameless her aunt and cousin could be! They always


    tried to bring up unttering things about her like this, but unfortunately for Aunt Theresa this time, she


    had no idea that the rich and powerful man she was talking about was right here in front of her!


    ¡°Really?¡± Jackson replied in a t vuice. ¡°Then 1 have to thank you for your concern for Serenity.¡±


    He then wrapped his arm around Serenity¡¯s smidler, inched closer to her face, and yfully asked her,


    ¡°Su, did you fall into his trap?¡±


    Serenity could not help but re at him. He clearly lew that Aunt Theresa was talldag about him, yet he


    still asked her that question. Besides, did he not realize how intimate they were acting with each other


    right now in front of her am and cousin?


    ¡°Stop fooling around,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fooling around,¡± he murmured. ¡°I¡¯m being very serious.¡±


    |


    Serenity blushed deeply and only managed to reply in a soft voice, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we get home.¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jackson smiled, ¡°we¡¯ll talk about it when we getne.¡±


    He looked at her with eyes dripping with tenderness and aluting affection, theplete opposite of the


    ice¨Ccolduks he had given Theresa and Lte earlier.


    Seeing this, not only Lte, but even Theresa, who was already a milille¨Caged woman, was green


    with envy when she saw


    2/2


    how Jackson interacted with Serenity. But all she could do was silently curse at their shamelessness in


    her heart.


    As for Lte, her already existing jealousy now gira more and more intense. Did this man really not


    care about Serenity¡¯s unsavory past at all? Or was it because be cared about Serenity so much that he


    was willing to overlook her past?


    ¡°So, can I call you Jack as well?¡± Lte took the intiative to speak to Jackson before introducing


    herself, ¡°I¡¯m Serenity¡¯s cousin. You can call me Lte ¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jackson replied. ¡°You can call me Mr. Jack¡±


    As for what he would call her, since he never intended to speak to her much, he did not even bother to


    respond to thetter half of her sentence at all.

 Chapter 476

    Chapter 476


    Chapter 476


    A sh of humiliation struck Lte¡¯s face. Those words Jackson spoke were like a hard p on her


    cheek!


    When Aunt Theresa saw this, she was visibly annoyed andined to Serenity, ¡°Say, Serenity, your


    cousin was clearly trying to be friendly just now! Why does your boyfriend have to be so arrogant?!


    He¡¯s our guest here yet he expects us to treat him like a prince?


    ¡°My boyfriend is a bit shy with strangers,¡± Serenity replied nonchntly, ¡°so he tends to maintain a


    distance from the people he¡¯s not very familiar with.¡±


    Both Theresa and Lte almost choked on their own saliva


    Shy?! That man was obviously not shy!


    But every time that man swept his ncezily over them, their hearts started to beat violently, almost


    as if they could not help but be tombed of his gaze.


    Theresa forced a smile and said nothing more, but Lte persisted and went on to ask Serenity and


    Jackson when they had met each other and how they had begun dating each other. She was doing


    everything she could to figure out Jackson¡¯s background, his jab, his family, and so on.


    But of course, all these attempts were dismissed vaguely by Serenity.


    In the end, even after trying to interrogate them for ages, Lte still obtained no concrete information


    about the man. Still, seeing that Jackson was right there, she could notse her temper, so she could


    only force herself to smile and asked, ¡°What kind of job are you doing right now, Serenity?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a delivery rider for a small restaurant,¡± Serenity answered proudly and without a single trace of


    embarrassment for her current upation.


    Lte, however, pricked her ears up. Hearing this made her think that Serenity must have fallen from


    grace and hit rock bottom. After all, she used to be awyer, a respected intellectual who was envied


    by everyone, but now, she was nothing but a humble delivery worker, which was not any better than


    her previous job as a street sweeper whatsoever.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t your boyfriend¡­ I mean, didn¡¯t Mr. Jack find you a better job!¡±


    As Lte asked the question, she nced at the man beside Serenity, who was yfully teasing


    Serenity¡¯s fingers.


    Jackson¡¯s fingers were long, slender, and fair. It was an enviably beautiful pair of hands, and now,


    these hands were lightly touching, squeezing, and pinching Serenity¡¯s fingers. His gestures were both


    gentle and affectionate to the point that Lte was almost burning with jealousy, wishing that it was


    her hands Jackson was ying with instead!


    ¡°I like my current job just fine,¡± Serenity replied.


    The truth was that ra and everyone else in the restaurant had been treating her very well, and more


    than that, she was particrly d to have met the little boy, Yanny. He was always very nice to her. In


    fact, not only would he smile at her whenever he saw her, but he would even nin to her and hug her


    very affectionately.


    ve to protect


    Because of Yanny¡¯s hearing problems, Serenity always felt particrly sorry for the kid, and it gave her


    the urge him and take good care of him.


    Yes, she liked her current working environment very much indeed. At the very least, no one in the


    restaurant ever discriminated against her or treated her wst because she used to be in prison


    disdain


    But when Lte heard this reply, she quickly concluded that it must be because this guy called fack


    must not be all that impressive, after all. No decent boyfriend would let his girlfriend do such a menial


    job as a delivery worker, right?


    Perhaps all this guy had was good looks.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Just then, Serenity¡¯s grandmother woke up, so she instantly rushed into her room.


    Aunt Theresa helped Grandma to sit up in bed, and a smile bloomed upon thetter¡¯s face as soon as


    she saw Serenity


    2/2


    ¡°Oh, Serenity! You¡¯re here! Come here! Come closer to me! I want to take a good look at my


    granddaughter.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s eyes reddened as she walked up to her grandmother¡¯s bed. She wanted to say something,


    but as soon as she saw the old woman, her nose stung, and she was on the verge of tears. She was all


    choked up and unable to say anything


    Grandma lifted a hand and gently stroked Serenity¡¯s hair, saying, ¡°Look at you, you silly girl. You¡¯re


    going to cry again, aren¡¯t you? What¡¯s the matter? Did someone bully you?¡±

 Chapter 477

    Chapter 477


    ¡°What are you talking about, Mom? There¡¯s no way we would dare to bully Serenity when her


    hoyfriend¡¯s here today. We even have to respectfully address her boyfriend as Mr. Jack!¡± Theresa


    mocked sarcastically.


    Granny was surprised. ¡°Boyfriend? Serenity has a boyfriend? quick, let me see him!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell him toe in,¡± said Serenity. She exited the room.


    Theresa said unhappily, ¡°Mom, I wouldn¡¯t be so happy if I were you. Serenity¡¯s boyfriend looks like a


    good¨Cfor¨Cnothing. He might even be a swindler!¡±


    She did not wish to see her more find a good boyfriend because that would mean Serenity had one¨C


    upped her own daughter.


    ¡°Enough. Serenity is a smart child. She wouldn¡¯t fall for sweet words that easily. I¡¯ll see for myself if the


    man is really a swindler!¡± said Granny


    Theresa pouted. After Serenity brought Jackson into the room, Grandma locked at Jackson with a


    smile on her face and said, ¡± So you¡¯re Serenity¡¯s boyfriend? What¡¯s your name?


    Serenity was going to introduce Jackson but he was one step ahead of her. He replied, ¡°My name is


    Jack Valor, Granny. You can call me Jack¡±


    Jackson¡¯s tone was respectful and humble towards the elder, which surprised Serenity because she


    had never heard him speak with that kind of tone before


    ¡°Jack? Good, good. I¡¯ll call you jack then Grannyughed, ¡°Serenity is a good kid, but she¡¯s been


    through a lot. Make sure you treat her well.¡±


    ¡°I will. She¡¯s my one and only choice in this life. I won¡¯t have anyone else besides her, Jackson said


    with a serious expression.


    Serenity couldn¡¯t help but blush slightly. She gently tugged on Jackson¡¯s sleeve, hinting at him not to be


    so direct.


    But Granny was even more direct. ¡°Does that mean you intend to marry Serenity one day?¡±


    When Granny asked the question, her cloudy eyes suddenly became sharp, as if she wanted to see


    the person before her more clearly.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jackson replied without hesitation ¡°If she¡¯s willing, I will marry her.¡±


    He had long regarded her as the only woman he would marry in his life. She was the only person he


    wanted to marry in this


    world.


    That¡¯s right he wanted to marry her!


    He really, really wanted to marry her!


    He would marry her right now if she said yes.


    Serenity blushed even harder. Grannyughed and turned to Serenity. ¡°Serenity has made a good


    choice. I¡¯m d she found a boyfriend like you. I look forward to attending your wedding one day.¡±


    Embarrassinent washed over Serenity. Their wedding. Ugh, Granny¡¯s thinking too far aliead! She and


    Jackson had only started dating not that long ago!


    But.. if they get married¡­


    Serenity could not help thinking about it¡­


    ¡°Granny, it¡¯s way too soon for that!¡± Serenity stammered.

 Chapter 478

    Chapter 478


    Chapter 478


    Jackson bent down a little and asked softly in Serenity¡¯s car, ¡°Is it?¡±


    Serenity was speechless. How could she answer that?


    1


    Granny sighed and held her granddaughter¡¯s hand. ¡°You have to hurry up or I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able


    to attend your wedding


    Serenity was stunned. When her grandmother held her hand, she realized that her grandmother was


    much thinner than before. She could feel the bones in her grandmother¡¯s fingers with a light grip.


    It was as if there was only a thinyer of skin wrapped around her grandmother¡¯s bones, without any


    flesh.


    Granny¡­ had aged more than she expected.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity felt a pang of sadness, and it showed on her face.


    ¡°Hey, why are you looking sad again?¡± Granny gently patted the back of Serenity¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m


    d to see that you¡¯re living well and there¡¯s someone taking care of you. I wouldn¡¯t know how to face


    your mother after 1 die otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Granny, don¡¯t say that!¡± Serenity rebuked anxiously. Superstition or not, she was really scared that her


    grandmother would suddenly leave her. Her grandmother was the only person in the world who treated


    her as family!


    ¡°Fine, fine, I won¡¯t talk about it. I¡¯ll make sure to stay alive for a few more years so that I can watch you


    get married. Hopefully, I can watch you give birth to a child too,¡± Granny said with a smile.


    Serenity finally felt more at ease. She brought over the pastries she bought for her grandmother.


    The three of them chatted as they ate. Granny asked Jackson some questions about his family. When


    she heard that Jackson¡¯s only family left was his grandfather, that his father had passed away, and that


    his mother had left him when he was young. she could not help but sympathize with him.


    *Your experience is rather simr to Serenity¡¯s After Serenity¡¯s mother passed away, she stayed with


    me for some time,¡± said Granny. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked Jackson, ¡°Thave some


    of Serenity¡¯s childhood photos. Do you want to


    take a look?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Jackson did not refuse.


    Serenity felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Granny!¡± she protested.


    ¡°Go fetch my photo album,¡± Granny ordered Serenity.


    And so, under the expectant gazes of both Jackson and Granny, Serenity had no choice but to fetch


    the old photo albem


    Granny showed Jackson the photos in the album. Every time she came across a photo of Serenity,


    Granny would tell Jackson the story behind the photo and how it was taken.


    Although Granny was old, she had a very good memory and could remember many things vividly, down


    to the details.


    When she reached a certain photo, Jackson¡¯s eyes namowosd abruptly. He stared fixedly at the photo


    and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that? That¡¯s Serenity¡¯s cousin, my daughter¡¯s daughter,¡± answered Granny.


    Serenity added, ¡°You saw her outside in the living room just now. Her name¡¯s Lte Blossom.¡±


    So it was her, Jackson¡¯s lips twitched with a bemused smile. ¡°You two looked so alilor when you were


    little, but you look very different now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we used to look like each other when we were kids, Serenity said, ¡°People would confuse us for


    each other all the time. But as we grew older, we became more and more different.¡±

 Chapter 479

    Chapter 479


    Chapter 479


    ¡°Thank goodness you look different now,¡± Jackson murmured. He did not want a woman like that to


    have Serenity¡¯s face.


    But the fact that they looked alike when they were kids was quite fortunate.


    Jackson¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly as he looked down in contemtion, his long eyshes covering


    up the schemes and calctions in his eyes¡­.


    Jackson and Serenity stayed for dinner. Serenity¡¯s grandfather, Henry Walker, returned home in the


    evening. His attitude towards Serenity was cold and his attitude towards Jackson was even worse.


    Serenity was used to it, but when she saw her grandfather¡¯s attitude towards Jackson, she looked


    towards Jackson with some


    Concem


    After all, considering Jackson¡¯s status, not many people would dare to treat him this way.


    However, Jackson merely smiled at Serenity. As if he could tell what her concern was, he hinted with


    his eyes that she did not have to worry


    Serenity was relieved.


    Because Granny was in a good mood, she had a bigger dinner than usual.


    During dinner, Lte couldn¡¯t help mocking Serenity, ¡°Grandpa, do you know that Serenity is no


    longer working at the sanitation center? She¡¯s working as a delivery rider now. Although it¡¯s a tiring job,


    she can still earn some money if she works


    hard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing to be proud of! Henry said disdainfully, ¡°She studied for so many years but still ended


    up as a delivery rider.


    That¡¯s embarrassing.¡±


    Serenity went slightly pale. Her grandmother instantly spoke up for her. ¡°What the hell are you talking


    about? She¡¯s feeding herself doing honest work. That¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of studying for all those years then? She should have just looked for a job after high


    school like Lte did, ¡± said Henry


    Lte took the opportunity to sigh dramatically and say, ¡°Serenity, I thought you would make us


    proud. Who could have thought that you would break thew even though you¡¯re awyer. You can¡¯t do


    that again, y? Thest time you went to jail, we were all so embarrassed that we couldn¡¯t show our


    faces in town for a long time.¡±


    Granny was visibly getting mad. Serenity was worried that petting mad would be bad for Granny¡¯s


    health, so she said with a smile even though she knew Lte was mocking lier, ¡°I¡¯ve learned my


    lesson. ¡±


    Lte was still feeling proud of herself for winning an argument against Serenity when she heard a


    voice say, ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason to be embarrassed. She¡¯s an independent woman who relies


    on herself. That¡¯s more than can be said for many other people.¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jackson looked at Serenity with doting eyes as he said that,


    That made Lte jealous again. What did this man even see in Serenity? He¡¯s looking at her as if


    she¡¯s the only person who mattered to him.


    Sure, Serenity used to be an elitewyer, but she¡¯s just an ex¨Cconvict now!


    Lte really could not understand which aspect of Serenity attracted him.


    Serenity met Jackson¡¯s eyes and felt a warmth rise in her heart. This man would always be on her side


    no matter what happened


    Granny was secretly happy to see that.


    After dinner, it was time for Serenity and Jackson to go home, Before leaving, Serenity reluctantly said,


    ¡°Granny, once you get


    Chapter 479


    better, I¡¯ll take you to Sria so that you can try the delicious food there.¡±

 Chapter 480

    Chapter 480


    Chapter 480


    ¡°Good, good. You¡¯ve always been such a filial granddaughter, Serenity,¡± Granny said with a smile.


    Filial? A touch of gloom appeared on Serenity¡¯s face. If she really was filial, she would have taken her


    grandmother to the city to live with her so that she could take care of her.


    However, right now, she was living with Jark. If she wanted to do so, she would have to talk to him first


    and get his consent.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Granny, why don¡¯t youe stay with Serenity in Sria so that she can take care


    of you?¡± Jackson suddenly asked.


    Serenity looked at Jackson in surprise. She did not expect him to propose that.


    Granny seemed to be surprised as well. She smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, but I¡¯m used to


    staying here. Besides, I have children of my own, so if I let my granddaughter take care of me instead,


    people will gossip. When I feel better, I¡¯ll go visit you two in Sria.¡±


    Granny turned to Serenity and said, ¡°You better go now or you¡¯ll get back home really


    Serenity nodded. ¡°I¡¯lle again, Granny.¡±


    After saying goodbye to Granny, Serenity and Jackson got into the car and drove away. From the


    rearview mirror, Serenity saw Granny watching their car leave. She could not help feeling a little teary


    again.


    She felt like her grandmother had aged a lotpared to thest time she saw her. It seemed that,


    although Granny had recovered from the illness, it had taken a huge toll on her body.


    Because of her age, she would probably need a long time to be healthy again.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about your grandmother, I can find a way to get her to Sria,¡± said Jackson.


    Serenity shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. She¡¯ll probably recover faster if she recuperates at


    home.¡± Although her uncles and aunt were not particrly filial, they all had something inmon¡­.


    and that was their pridefulness. In this town, everybody knew each other. If they did not take good care


    of Granny, they would bebeled as unfilial by the townsfolk


    Serenity also noticed that Granny¡¯s clothes, bedding and room looked clean. That meant they were at


    least taking care of Granny properly.


    ¡°Thank you for today,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°For what?¡± Jackson asked with raised eyebrows, ¡°For driving you here?¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°For being so amodating of those rtives of mine,¡± replied Serenity. Otherwise, her Grandpa¡¯s


    bad attitude and her aunt and cousin¡¯s snide remarks would havended them in big trouble.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I was amodating. I simply pretended that they didn¡¯t exist,¡± said Jackson. He was


    there to keep herpany. He couldn¡¯t care less about those people. ¡°But aren¡¯t you mad at them for


    talking to you like that?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, but it doesn¡¯t bother me anymore,¡± said Serendly, ¡°I told myself, even though they¡¯re my


    rtives, I don¡¯t have to care about what they think or say. It¡¯s not like I live with them. I only see then a


    few times a year,¡±


    Maybe it¡¯s because she had been through a lot, she understood that, even if she tried hard to please


    others, the people who did


    not like her would still dislike her.


    Therefore, she should only care about the people who truly cared about her. As for other people,


    they¡¯re not worth her time.


    Jackson sneaked a nce at Serenity. She sat there quietly with a calm expression on her face as if


    she had gained an understanding of certain things in life.

 Chapter 481

    Chapter 481


    Chapter 481


    Simply sitting next to her made him feel rxed.


    last by looking at her, he could forget about the lies, deceit and pressure that he had to face on a daily


    basis.


    Other people could only see how high he stood, but they could not see that, the richer and the more


    powerful a person the more the people around them wanted to bring them down.


    The high and mighty Valor empire coulde crashing down at the slightest misstep


    Therefore, every step he took, he had to be extra careful. He had to look ten steps ahead before taking


    a single step. He had been doing it for so long that he had forgotten what rxation felt like.


    Perhaps she was the only person in the world who could give him this sense of rxation.


    When they came across a gas station, Jackson stopped to buy water. While he was gone, Serenity¡¯s


    eyes wandered to the steering wheel beside her.


    She still remembered the excitement of touching the steering wheel for the first time back when she


    started learning how to drive She paid for her driver¡¯s license with her firstwyer¡¯s paycheck.


    Back then, she could never have imagined that driving would be a nightmare for her a yearter.


    How long had it been since she had touched a steering wheel? Serenity lifted her hand and reached


    towards the steering wheel She couldn¡¯t help herself.


    When her fingers came into contact with the steering wheel, she could feel her heart in her mouth


    The scene of the ident shed across her mind. At the time, she turned the steering wheel as fast


    as she could in order to avoid the other car, but she knew it was toote. The car crashed into hers,


    knocking her unconscious.


    How long was she out for? Maybe a few seconds? Or maybe a minute or two¡­


    When she finally opened her eyes, she touched her head, and blood soaked her hand. She struggled


    her way out of the car and saw that the car that had crashed into her was on fire¡­


    She wanted to put out the fire, but everything happened so fast. Before she knew it, the fire had spread


    to the whole car¡­. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity gasped. Her hand gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the veins on the back of her hand


    bulged.


    Stop thinking about it¡­ Stop thinking about it! She told herself repeatedly. She couldn¡¯t stop trembling.


    Back then, she could only watch helplessly as the fire spread. If the car had crashed into her car near


    the gas tank, her car would be on fire too by now, and she would have¡­


    She did not dare to go down that line of thought.


    Even lisa said she was lucky to be alive.


    She trembled wildly when she saw the fire, the same way she¡¯s trembling wildly now¡­


    Just then, she heard the sound of the car door opening. Serenity subconsciously looked up.

 Chapter 482

    Chapter 482


    Chapter 482


    Jackson was going to hand Serenity the water he had just bought, but when he saw her pale face, he


    asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡±


    She shook her head ¡°I. I¡¯m just¡­¡± She straggled to find the words toplete her sentence.


    He frowned. Her face had gonepletely pale and her forehead was drenched in sweat. One of her


    hands was gripping the steering wheel tightly and she could not stop shivering. Her eyes were filled


    with fear¡­


    It looked as if she was suffering a panic attack


    ¡°Just what?¡± he asked? He put the water bottle aside and put his hand over her hand that was holding


    the steering wheel. Then, little by little, he removed her hand from the steering wheel. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared.


    I¡¯m here. No matter what happens, there¡¯s no reason to be scared.¡±


    His voice was powerful and firm. It reverberated in her ears.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity closed her eyes and took two deep breaths before her trembling gradually subsided.


    It¡¯s all in the past now. There¡¯s no reason to be afraid anymore.


    She told herself that repeatedly. Then, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at Jackson. ¡°It¡¯s


    nothing. I was just having shbacks of the ident. Actually, now that I think about it, I was pretty


    lucky to survive.¡±


    If she had been just a little less backy, she would have died.


    Perhaps that was the silver lining? Even though she was unjustly used and punished, at least she¡¯s


    still alive.


    Before she could react, he had already grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into his arms. He buried


    his face in her hair. She could feel his heavy breathing


    Serenity was surprised. ¡°Jack, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Why was he behaving so strangely? She was the one who should be behaving strangely.


    Jackson kept holding onto Serenity tightly. When he heard her talk about the car ident and heard


    her say that at least she¡¯s still alive, he suddenly recalled the information he had read about the


    ident.


    The information stated that Serenity¡¯s car was also badly damaged. If the other car had crashed into


    her car a little more to the side, her car would have caught fire too.


    The information said that she struggled her way out of the car by herself.


    How much pain was she in back then? He¡­ almost lost her!


    At the time, he read the information with an indifferent attitude. He did not feel anything at all. She was


    just a random person


    to him.


    Little did he know that, in the future, he would fall in love with this random person.


    Fortunately, she¡¯s still alive. She¡¯s still alive¡­


    ¡°Jack?¡± Her voice once again resounded in his ears.


    Jackson slowly raised his head. His dark eyes were filled with affection, drowning her in the emotion.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it really was fortunate.¡±


    However, she¡¯s not the only one who felt fortunate. He felt fortunate too!

 Chapter 483

    Chapter 483


    Chapter 483


    Back at the Valor Residence, Jacksons told a maid to beat up Serenity¡¯s herbal medicine and bring it


    over.


    The maid brought along some chocte with the herbal medicine.


    Serenity did not find the herbal medicine bitter at all. To her, the herbal medicine represented a kind of


    hope.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    If she was lucky, she could actually have her own children one day.


    Jackson broke off a piece of chocte and fed it to Serenity¡¯s mouth. Serenity opened her mouth and


    are the chocte.


    However, she identally bit his finger.


    She reflexively moved her mouth away.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Serenity apologized in a hurry.


    Jackson gently pressed his lips to the spot that she just bit and asked, ¡°Is the chocte sweet?¡± His


    voice was like the sound of


    the night breeze blowing over a flute. It contained an allure that she could hardly resist


    Serenity blushed. Although he was asking about the chocte, she felt as if he was asking about his


    finger.


    The chocte was gradually melting in her mouth. However, at the moment, she could not taste the


    chocte at all.


    ¡°Is it sweet?¡± he asked again.


    Serenity blushed even harder. Almost subconsciously, she tried to avert her eyes, but there seemed to


    be an invisible force that was forcing her to look at him.


    Her eyes could not move away from his face at all. His eyes, his expression, his movements, all


    seemed to contain an indescribable charm that kept pulling her in harder and harder.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet,¡± she said with a red face.


    He gave her a faint smile, then slowly bent down and moved his beautiful face close. He then asked in


    a soft voice, ¡°Sis, do you love me?¡±


    He had never longed for a person¡¯s love this badly. He would only be satisfied if he obtained her love.


    Did she love him? Serenity was in a daze. She was still immersed in his charm. Her mind felt chaotic.


    She liked him, that much was certain, but did she love him? If she did, then how deep did her love for


    him go?


    As soon as she opened her mouth to speak, he kissed her passionately.


    The sweet vor of chocte was still lingering in her mouth, but she did not realize until this very


    moment how very sweet


    the vor was¡­


    Jackson wrapped his arm under her armpits and swept her off her feet, then carried her towards the


    large bed nearby.


    Serenity blushed profusely. Suddenly, she felt her world tum upside down. Before she knew it, she was


    on the bed, and Jackson was already on top of her.

 Chapter 484

    Chapter 484


    Chapter 484


    He stroked her cheek gingerly. Then, his this lips gently parted, and he said with a hoarse and


    suppressed voice, ¡°Love me, okay?¡±


    It was as if he was pleading. He wanted it so badly.


    Seeing him like this made her lick her lips unconsciously, but that only made her lips look even more


    attractive. She didn¡¯t know how to answer. She was gradually losing her rationality, lost in his scent.


    He found her fresh face, dark eyes, tiny nose, and the way she looked at him all so tempting.


    The past hum could never have imagined that he would ask for a woman¡¯s love like this


    But everything seemed to have changed after he met het


    He realized that he wanted her- and her love so badly!


    The desire kept getting stronger and stronger. Before her, he was willing to put aside his pride and his


    principles. He made an exception for her over and over again so that he could experience the feelings


    that he had never felt before.


    He once again pressed his lips to hers. However, unlike the forceful and domineering kiss earlier, this


    kiss was much more gentle


    Serenity snapped back to her senses. With a blushing face, she tried to push fackson away.


    ¡°II¡± she stammered, her almond¨Cshaped eyes filled with timidity.


    This situation was something that she did not expect to happen.


    His eyes gradually regained rity when he saw the timidity in her eyes.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He realized that she was scared. Maybe she was not realy, or maybe she did not love him.


    He was too hasty. He was so eager to have her everything that he neglected her feelings.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he mumbled.


    No matter how much he wanted it, he did not want it to happen while she was scared.


    He wanted her to give it to him willingly


    After he said that, he straightened up and tried his best to smile. With every ounce of self¨Crestraint he


    had, he told her, ¡± There¡¯s no need to be scared. If you don¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t do it.


    That¡¯s because there¡¯s nothing more important to him than her.


    He covered her up with the nket, climbed out of bed and walled towards the bathroom.


    ¡°Jack!¡± she called out toim almost reflexively.


    She was having cold feet a moment ago, but she was feeling worried about him now.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just need to take a cold shower,¡± Jackson halted and said with some difficulty.


    But the next momment, he heard movements behind him. He felt a pair of slender arms wrap around


    his waist and a delicate body press against his back

 Chapter 485

    Chapter 485


    Chapter 485


    Jackson¡¯s body became stiff. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± A simple sentence, but it was like a


    toothpaste being squeezed; he got it out of his mouth one word at a time with difficulty.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Serenity bit her lip. ¡°1¡­ I know.¡±


    Right now, she only wanted to follow her heart. She wanted to tell him what she was thinking


    For this reason, she summoned all her courage.


    ¡°Jack, I think I love you! Serenity blurted out. Yes, she wanted to tell him how she truly felt instead of


    just keeping quiet when he asked her if she loved him, and then watching as his eyes were slowly filled


    with gloom.


    She could not exin what kind of feeling it was. Maybe it was because, when she saw the gloom in


    his eyes, she realized that The must have thought she was not in love with him.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know exactly how much I love you, but I do love you,¡± Serenity added.


    She did not want to hide her feelings because she did not want him to misunderstand. She did not want


    to see that gloom in his eyes because it made the light in his eyes fade.


    Jackson slowly and stiffly turned around. Staring fixedly at the person before him, he asked in a hoarse


    voice, ¡°Really? Do you really love me?¡±


    He had heard the answer that he craved for, but he could hardly believe his ears. He stared at her with


    cautious and nervous


    eyes


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Serenity, ¡°I love you, Jack. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    She slowly ced her hands around his neck, stood on tiptoe and kissed him. She used her actions to


    tell him that she¡¯s ready.


    Perhaps that¡¯s love. Because she loved him, she did not want him to suppress himself. She¡¯s willing to


    give him whatever she could give.


    It¡¯s a normal thing to do for two people who were in love with each other, right?


    When the kiss ended, he bent down, buried his face in the nape of her neck and murmured, ¡°Are you


    sure? You won¡¯t regret it?


    ¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she answered.


    He scooped her up.


    ¡°Serenity.


    inuttered her name. ¡°I love you.


    this world, the only person who could make him act this way was her.


    Because¡­ he was deeply in love with her, and.. he wanted her to love him more!


    Tonight, she would finally be his and he would be hers too!


    The night passed, Serenity had fallen into a deep sleep in Jackson¡¯s arms.


    She once thought she would never love someone like this again after getting hurt once, but Jack was


    different. Last night, he


    Everything felt so natur.

 Chapter 486

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    Chapter 486


    When she thought of what happenedst night, Serenity¡¯s face started to burn again.


    She was already awake, but she had not opened her eyes yet. She was afraid that it would be


    awkward if she opened her eyes and saw Jackson looking at her


    What should she say to make it less awkward?


    Serenity started to ponder.


    But before she could think of anything, she beard him ask, ¡°Are you awake? Why won¡¯t you open your


    eyes if you¡¯re awake? Are you afraid to look at me?¡±


    Serenity winced. She opened her eyes and saw an unusually handsome face ¨C Jackson¡¯s face!


    He was currently propping himself up on the edge of the bed with one hand and bending forward. His


    face was very close to hers. She could feel his warm breath on her face.


    At such close proximity, she could count how many eyshes he had.


    His long, dark eyshes would make women jealous. Coupled with those beautiful eyes of his


    When her eyes met his, she could not help thinking aboutst night, when those eyes of his were filled


    with desine. They were provocative and deadly.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± be suddenly asked.


    Serenity¡¯s face instantly turned red. She replied in a hurry, ¡°N¨CNothing.


    She quickly put on her clothes and was about to get out of bed when he said, ¡°Hang on¡±


    He went down on one knee in front of her and carefully helped her put on a pair of socks.


    Then, he helped her put on a pair of slippers before carrying her to the bathroom


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Serenity asked in surprise.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wash up?¡± Jackson asked.


    Uh.. okay, so that¡¯s how it is.


    In the bathroom, he carefully put her down before saying, ¡°If you can¡¯t stand properly, you can hang


    onto me.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she answered softly and looked into the mirror.


    She saw their reflections in the mirror. She could see him squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush¡­


    This must be what it felt like to be pampered, thought Serenity


    ¡°There,¡± he said as he handed her the toothbrush, ¡°If you can¡¯t brush your teeth, it can help you with


    that too.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­ I can do it myself.¡± She quickly lowered her head and brushed her teeth. She did not notice


    him staring fisedly at her


    reflection in the mirror.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Jackson¡¯s gaze became more and more intense. They were filled with deep affection, She.. finally fell


    in love with him! She was his!


    But, it¡¯s not enough it¡¯s far from enough!


    He slowly buried


    bear to leave me, okay?¡± He pleaded¡­


    in ber hair and took in her scent. namitted, ¡°Love me more. Love me so much that you can¡¯t

 Chapter 487

    Chapter 487


    Chapter 487


    By the time she was done brushing her teeth and washing her face, Serenity¡¯s face had be as red


    as a tomato.


    When she grabbed theb tob her hair, he abruptly took theb from her and said, ¡°I¡¯llb


    your hair for you.¡±


    She was stunned. ¡°But¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make your hair look bad,¡± he said with a smile. He then started to gentlyb her


    His actions were very gentle, as if he was taking care of his mast beloved treasure.


    In this world, how many people would he treat so gently?


    Through the mirror belote her, Serenity stared at Jackson in bewilderment.


    Her face was still red hot, but her eyes were brimming with happiness and also a little bit of shyness.


    He had a smile on his face, as well as a gentle expression that would make countless women swoon.


    He gathered her hair in his slender fingers andbed it a little bit at a time until it was all bunched up


    in his palm, after which he tied it up with a hair tie


    ¡°Should Ib your hair regrly from now on?¡± he asked softly.


    It was just a normal question, yet it sounded like he was making a lifelong promise.


    Her heart started throbbing wildly.


    A certain emotion rose in her heart¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s shorting our stocks? Who¡¯s trying to mess with our family?¡± Demetria Hall


    wondered.


    Quinton Hall spat out the answer with an angry look on his face, ¡°The Valor family.


    ¡°What?¡± Demetria was shocked, ¡°Jackson Valor? He¡­ Why is he shorting our stocks? There¡¯s no


    grodge between us]¡±


    No grudge? Quinton begged to differ. Although they had specifically gone to him to talk about Serenity


    Lewis, Jackson Val obviously did not intend to let the matter rest.


    Demetria seemed to have realized this too. She wondered aloud with a shocked expression, ¡°There¡¯s


    no way Jackson Valor is taking revenge on us because of Serenity Lewis, right?!!


    she found it hard to believe. After all, in her opinion, Serenity was just a very ordinary woman! Would a


    man like Jackson Valer really go to such lengths for a woman like that?


    He would make an enemy of the Hall family for her sake?


    ¡°She¡¯s just an ex-convict!¡± Demetria blurted out. She felt incredulous.


    ¡°yeals He would actually do this for an ex-convict,¡± Quinton said unhappily. What did that mean? It


    meant that Serenity Lewis was far more important to Jackson Valor than he initially thought!


    He had to do something or Jackson Valor would keep shorting their stocks until he could take over all


    their assets at a low price


    But the problem was, Jackson had moved so fast and so fiercely that cyrinton was struggling to deal


    with the attack.


    If this continued, their family assets would plummet in value


    ¡°Should we ask Jenny for help? She¡¯s the Shaw family¡¯s daughter-inw now. Maybe she can pull


    some strings and persuade the Shaw family to help us!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

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    Chapter 488


    Do you really expect them to help us? How?¡± asked quinton ¡°Would the Shaw family be enemies


    with Jackson Valor? Do you want the Shaw family to inject hundreds of millions of dors into per fasily


    business to raise the stock price backup?


    Demetria instantly shut her mouth. She was notpletely clueless about business. After hearing what


    her husband said, she understood that it was impossible to get help from the Shaw family.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Leaving aside the question of whether the Shaw family had hundreds of millions of dors in liquidity,


    she knew there was no way the Shaw family would be enemies with Jackson Valor for them.


    ¡°Then.. what should we do?¡± Demetria asked anxiously, ¡°What is wrong with Jackson Value? How can


    he let himself be seduced by a womans le Serenity Lewis? Did she put a spell on him or something?


    She¡¯s just a woman Zeke cast away!¡±


    Quinton sad a little impatiently, ¡°That¡¯s enough. You can say that to me, but don¡¯t let anyone else hear


    you say that or we¡¯ll be in even more trouble.¡±


    Demetria seemed reluctant, but in the end, she kept quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Jackson Valor and ask him what he wants,¡± said Quinton. He couldnt let the Hall family


    fall into a major crisis


    because of Serenity Lewis.


    But when Quinton met with Jackson, Jackson actually made him a proposal that surprised him greatly


    ¡°You want me to stop? I¡¯ll stop if you raze the mall that kicked Serenity out to the ground within ten


    days,¡± Jackson said tly.


    Quinton could hardly believe his ears, ¡°Raze the mall to the ground? Was jackson. Valor asking him to


    demolish the entire mall? A lot of money was spent to build that mall. It was also located downtown so


    it had always made good profits. The shareholders would never agree to demolish the mall.


    ¡°Jackson, I think there must be a misunderstanding between us. If you simply want to help Ms. Lewis


    went her anger, surely we call agree on something else? Qunion tried to negotiate so that he could


    reduce his losses,


    But Jackson was adamant. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any misunderstanding. But you¡¯re right, I am doing this


    for her. You should be d that I didn¡¯t send someone to remove the arm your wife used to hit her out


    of respect for the Hall family.¡±


    Quinton instantly became unhappy. ¡°No matter what, our Mira was your fianc¨¦e. Can we just let this


    matter rest for Mira¡¯s sake? I can apologize to Ms. Lewis andpensate her.¡±


    Quinton tried to persuade Jackson with emotions, but Jackson stared at him with a strange grin on his


    face, as al quinton had just sand something really funny. ¡°For Mira¡¯s sake?¡±


    Quinton felt awkward. A man who was much younger than him was actually forcing ham into such a


    predicament. Almost reflexively, he opened his mouth and said, ¡°Does Serenity Lewis know about what


    happened back then?¡±


    The air around them instantly froze. Jackson¡¯s dark eyes stand onlilly at Quinton There was obvious


    hostility and murderous intent is those eyes.


    Murderous intent?


    Quinton was shocked. A chill ran down lits spline. He had a feeling that he said one more word, the


    entice Hall family would


    Tall into ruin!


    The old Jackson Valor may not care about what happened back then, but to the current Jackson Vr,


    it was a taboo topic! The things that Quinton had nned to say were all stuck in his throat now. He


    could not utter a single word.

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    Chapter 489


    1/1


    Serenity went to the hospital to visit Yanny again. Unlike the previous time, Yanny was awake this time.


    He was ying with ra in the hospital ward ra was pointing at various things and telling Yanny


    they were called.


    Yanny was listening attentively. He was actually ¡°listening¡°. He would point his finger at something that


    ra had pointed at, and ra would say the object¡¯s name again.


    Serenity shouted, ¡°Yanny.¡±


    The little boy instantly turned back to look in Serenity¡¯s direction.


    He had never done something like that before. It was evident that Yanny could actually hear her voice


    now! Serenity felt happy


    for him.


    Being able to hear meant that he would be able to learn to speak as well. As long as he wore his


    cochlear imnt, he would be able tomunicate like most people.


    Getting a cochlear imnt at three years old was actually a littlete. Doctors usually rmended


    getting one as early as possible. Fortunately, it was not toote. Most children at Yanny¡¯s age were still


    absorbing sounds andnguages like a sponge.


    Serenity walked up and rubbed the little boy¡¯s head. ¡°Yanny can hear voices now. You should be able


    to speak in a few days. right?


    The little boy seemed excited to hear Serenity¡¯s voice. He waved his hands eagerly at Serenity, then


    pointed in various directions while babbling and mumbling like he was trying to express something.


    Serenity smiled and responded every time the little boy pointed at somet


    ¡°Howe you¡¯re here again today? Weren¡¯t you just here to visit Yanny the other day?¡± asked ra


    ¡°Yeah, but that time, Yanny was asleep, so I came again today. Luckily, he¡¯s awake,¡± replied Serenity.


    She then asked ra, How¡¯s Yanny doing? is the malding good progress?


    ¡°He¡¯s doing alright. He¡¯ll be discharged from the hospital in a couple of days, but he still has to take a


    special course for a year. The doctor said that if everything goes well, he¡¯ll catch up to other kids his


    age in speech capability a year from now, and he¡¯ll be able to attend kindergarten normally.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°Yeah¡± ra similed. She then passed Yanny over to her mother and poured a ss of water for


    Serenity. ¡°Mr. Valor didn¡¯te with you today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s at work. I have nothing to do at home, so I came here.¡±


    ¡°You two.¡­¡­.¡± ra besitated for a moment before she said, ¡°You don¡¯t actually have to work as a


    delivery rider, you know. Mr. Valor should be able to find you plenty of better jobs.¡±


    Who could have thought that Jackson Vallor¡¯s girlfriend was actually worlding as a delivery rider in a


    tiny restaurant? Even ra herself found it unbelievable.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Serenity pursed her lips slightly and said, ¡°Maybe¡­ it¡¯s because of what little pride I have left. I wish to


    be independent certain extent. I don¡¯t want to be a leech that¡¯spletely dependent on him.¡±


    to a


    Perhaps the lesson she learned from her rtionship with Zeke Shaw was simply too profound, so


    now, she was adamant on this point

 Chapter 490

    Chapter 490


    Chapter 490


    But from what I can see, Mr. Valor is treating you very well. I¡¯m d you found happiness, Serenity,¡±


    said ra.


    Found happiness? Maybe. Things were getting better and better between her and Jack. She felt like


    they had regained the warmth that they had back in the rental het se.


    No, there was something different about their rtionship now. Back then, she treated him as a


    younger brother, as family, but now, she treated him as a lover, as someone who would potentially


    spend the rest of her life with her.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you found happiness too, ra. Yanny can hear and speak now. In the future, he¡¯ll be able to


    read and malir friends normally like other children,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°Yeah, Yanny is my everything. I don¡¯t care how hard my life is as long as he can be happy,¡± said ra


    She then smiled at Serenity and said, ¡°You¡¯re not a mother yet, so you might not understand. When


    you be a mother, you¡¯ll know that a mother will sacrilice anything for her child!¡±


    Be a mother..?Serenity looked down at her t stomach. Would she get the chance to be a


    mother in this life?


    On the way back from the hospital, Serenity recalled the sex she had with Jacksen. They didn¡¯t use any


    protection.


    Then, she could not help butugh at herself. What was wrong with her? Was she afraid of getting


    pregnant?


    There was no way she could get pregnant in her current state, so using protection or not made no


    difference.


    What¡¯s more, if she really got pregnant, it would be a dreame true for her. She would actually


    be a mother.


    When she returned to the Valor Residence, it was still early so jackson was not home yet. Serenity


    decided to browse the inte on her phone to pass time. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was a call from


    Lisa.


    As soon as Serenity epted the call, she heard Lisa say, ¡°Serenity, can you.. uhh, can youe to


    the police station to buil


    Serenity almost choked. She jumped up freen the sofa and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why


    are you at the police


    ¡°Umm.. Something happened. It¡¯s a long stary. I don¡¯t want to n?n my parents. You know how it is


    with old people. They¡¯ll make a fuss,¡± Lisa sounded rather embarrassed


    ¡°okay, I¡¯ll be there right away. Which police station?¡± asked Serenity.


    After Lisa told her the address of the police station, Serenity immediately asked the Valor family¡¯s driver


    to drive her there.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Upon arriving at the police station, Serenity dashed inside. She exined her situation to the police


    and was led to one of the


    In the room, Serenity saw her best friend sitting on one side of arge table in the center of the room.


    On the other side was a


    and a wornan. The woman was about 25 years old, while the man looked go or 50.


    The man was cowering silently, while the young woman and Lisa were ring at each other like they


    were in a cocklight.

 Chapter 491

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    Chapter 491


    ¡°Who¡¯s that? Your goon?¡± The woman mocked as soon as she saw Serenity.


    Serenity frowned and turned to her best friend. ¡°Lisa, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Ignore her,¡± said Lisa.


    The young woman instantlyshed out like a powder keg that was ignited, ¡°What? You shameless


    b*tch! How dare you seduce my boyfriend! I bet if I hadn¡¯t caught you in the act, you would have


    stripped naked and jumped into his bed!¡±


    Lisa red at her angrily, ¡°Seduce your boyfriend? 1 wouldn¡¯t even look at a guy like him twice. Do you


    have tofu for a brain? Maybe the problem lies with your boyfriend and not with other people!


    ¡°I saw it with my own eyes! How dare you deny it!¡± said the woman.


    ¡°What the hell did you even see?!¡± Lisa retorted indignantly. She pointed her finger at the cowering


    man. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, even if you gift-wrapped a man like that and delivered him to my bed, I still


    wouldn¡¯t want him. Besides, I have a boyfriend, and my boyfriend is much better than him. Why would I


    want him? Is he made of gold or money?¡±


    The young woman said with a mocking face, ¡°There¡¯s no way you have a boyfriend. You have the gall


    to seduce my boyfriend but don¡¯t have the gall to admit it? As if anyone would believe you


    Lisa was so mad that she felt like prying the woman¡¯s head open to see what¡¯s inside her head. How


    could she be this st upid?


    Not only did she think of her boyfriend as a precious treasure, she really thought everyone else saw her


    boyfriend as a precious treasure too!


    ¡°I believe her!¡± Serenity spoke out. She told the young woman, ¡°I¡¯ve met Lisa¡¯s boyfriend before.


    Besides, do you have any proof that she was behaving inappropriately with your boyfriend? If you


    don¡¯t, we can sue you for nder.¡±


    ¡°I saw it with my own eyes!¡± the young woman harrumphed and said.


    ¡°Really? What did you see?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°I saw her and my boyfriend having a private meeting in a fire escape staircase,¡± said Jessica. N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°People pass by a fire escape staircase all the time. That doesn¡¯t count as a private meeting; it¡¯s just a


    normal chat. Do you have any substantial evidence? For example, video or audio evidence which


    proves that my friend behaved inappropriately towards your boyfriend? Otherwise, it¡¯s nder,¡±


    Serenity exined methodically.


    Jessica Jordon instantly became enraged. Serenity¡¯s words were like a p to her face. She yelled,


    ¡°You must be a wh¡¯re who seduces men left and right like her too!¡±


    Upon hearing that, Lisa immediately confronted Jessica, ¡°Jessica Jordon, you b*tch! How dare you talk


    to my friend like that! That¡¯s it, even if I have to spend the night in custody, I¡¯m gonna beat you up!¡±


    Jessica quicklyid behand her boyfriend in fear while Serenity held Lisa back. The police who was


    responsible for the case immediately told both sides to settle down


    Serenity soon heard a rough retelling of what happened. Basically, the two women got into a fight


    because of the man. Both sides were slightly hurt. Lisa was willing to let the matter rest, but Jessica


    would not. In the end, they had to be brought to the police station and had to be bailed out.


    Although Jessica¡¯s boyfriend was the cause of the fight, he did not participate in the fight so he could


    bail Jessica out. As for Lisa, she had to call Serenity to do so.

 Chapter 492

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    Chapter 492


    While Serenity was going through the bail procedures for Lisa, Jackson called her. ¡°You¡¯re at the police


    station?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Serenity was surprised, but she soon figured out that the driver must have told him.


    ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± she said, ¡°Lisa ran into some trouble. I came here to bail her out.¡±


    ¡°She asked you to bail her out?¡± Jackson seemed to find it a bit funny, ¡°Why didn¡¯t she ask Terry


    White? Isn¡¯t Terry White her boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°It was tooplicated to exin. Besides, it concerned Lisa¡¯s privacy, so Serenity simply said, ¡°She


    must have her reasons. I¡¯m actually in the middle of handling the bail procedures, so I¡¯ll talk to you


    later!¡±


    Serenity ended the call and went back to the bail procedures.


    Jessica was still yelling at Lisa. She still believed that Lisa had seduced her boyfriend.


    Lisa was so mad that she cursed her out! Her boyfriend was Terry White, for goodness¡¯ sake! Even if


    he was only a temporary boyfriend, he still let her have her way with him! Why would she seduce a


    man that she was not attracted to at all?


    Some women, when they realized that there¡¯s a problem in their rtionship, would rather me other


    women rather than


    their own man.


    Afterpleting the procedures, Serenity left the police station with Lisa. The moment they walked out,


    they saw Jackson walking over.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Serenity asked in surprise.


    ¡°I came to pick you up,¡± replied Jackson. He then looked at Lisa. From what he could see, she seemed


    to be alright.


    But even if the situation was serious, he was sure Terry White would take care of it for her.


    ¡°If you guys are done here, let¡¯s go,¡± said Jackson.


    Serenity nodded, ¡°Take Lisa home first.¡±


    Lisa smiled in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you guys.¡±


    Jackson held Serenity¡¯s hand and were about to leave when Jessica and her boyfriend, Gavin Stanton,


    walked out of the police


    station.


    Jessica was shocked to see a man like Jackson standing with Serenity and Lisa. After all, he was very


    eye-catching


    He was dressed in a well-fitted suit. With his broad shoulders, narrow waist and long legs, he had a


    model-like figure. He also had a handsome face. Upon closer inspection, one could not help but marvel


    at how stunning his facial features were.


    Just by standing there, he looked like he was in a painting. He exuded an air of elegance and nobility.


    When Jessica saw him holding Serenity¡¯s hand, her heart was filled with jealousy. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s


    the boyfriend of Lisa¡¯s friend, right? Lisa¡¯s friend looked so in. How could she find a boyfriend like


    him?!


    Jessica instantly shifted all her anger of Lisa onto Serenity. She told Jackson jealously, ¡°Hey, are you


    this woman¡¯s boyfriend? You better keep an eye on your girlfriend. She might go around seducing other


    people¡¯s boyfriend like her friend does. After all, birds of a feather flock together!¡±


    ¡°What the hell did you say?!¡± Lisa exploded. She did not expect Jessica to be so shameless. ¡°Jessica


    Jordon, if you dare to spout any more nouselise, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson even If I¡¯ll lose my job!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not spouting nonsense. Gavin sald that you seduced bn!¡± Jessica turned to her boyfriend and


    asked, ¡°She seduced you, didn¡¯t she?!Original from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 493

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    Chapter 493


    Gavin cowered and nodded, ¡°Y-Yeah, Lisa¡­ Lisa seduced me!¡±


    Lisa felt the urge to give him a big fat p on the face!


    Serenity was worried that she would, so she quickly held her friend back and said, ¡°I will hold you


    legally responsible for your words. If you¡¯re lying, that means you¡¯re ndering her. Should we go back


    inside to file a case?


    Gavin shuddered and instantly shut his mouth.


    Meanwhile, Jessica was still pelling, Jackson gave her a nonchnt nce and said, ¡°What a


    conceited woman. As if I don¡¯t know what kind of person my girlfriend is. Who are you to talk about her


    like that? Get out of my sight.¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Jessica¡¯s face twisted in rage. His words were like a huge p to her face.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just reminding you not to get tricked,¡± she argued.


    But Jackson could not be bothered listening to her. He instead turned to Lisa and said, ¡°You had to


    come to the police station because of a person like that? I guess Terry White must not know about this.


    If he did, she wouldn¡¯t be standing in front of you right now


    ¡± Lisa was embarrassed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jackson led Serenity down the stairs. A ck Bentley was waiting for them in front of the


    stairs. They got into the


    Jessica and Gavin werepletely ignored, as if they were invisible.


    Jessica¡¯s hateful expression turned to astonishment upon seeing the Bentley.


    That car¡­ could not be cheap! If its specs were top ss, its price would be beyond an ordinary


    person¡¯s imagination. Who the hell was Lisa¡¯s friend?


    And that man¡­ Thest look he gave her was cold and indifferent, but thinking back of it now, it struck


    fear in her heart.


    Inside the car, Serenity asked Lisa what happened.


    Lisa told her, ¡°Jessica Jordon and Gavin Stanton are both my co-workers. Gavin and I are working on


    the same project. He¡¯s been flirting with me recently. I rejected him outright, but he refused to give up,


    so I asked to have a chat with him in the emergency staircase to warn him not to harass me anymore.¡±


    Lisa exined. At first, she thought the matter would be over after she warned him, but Gavin wouldn¡¯t


    let her go!


    Then, Jessica showed up. She yelled at Lisa for seducing her boyfriend!


    But no one in thepany even knew that they were in a rtionship!


    And s


    so, the situation turned messy, and they were brought to the police station.


    Serenity was speechless after listening to her story. It was a misfortune that came out of nowhere.


    Instead of ming her own boyfriend, Jessica Jordon med Lisa?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Terry White your boyfriend? Why didn¡¯t you ask him to bail you out?¡± Jackson suddenly asked

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    ¡°Lisa had a helpless look on her face. She wished she could hide the fact that Terry White and her were


    dating so that her life would not be inapacted too much when they eventually broke up.


    She did not ever want to tell her parents about it if they had not found out by ident!


    ¡°I¡­ Ah, he¡¯s at work, so I don¡¯t want to bother him,¡± Lisa could only give a random excuse.


    ¡°But you¡¯re okay with bothering Serenity?¡± asked Jackson.


    Lisa did not know what to say. Serenity quickly said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind her bothering me.¡± She then told


    Lisa, ¡°If anything happens again, you have toe to me. You¡¯re my best friend


    Lisa felt a warmth in her heart. She gave Serenity y an affirmative answer while stealing a nce at


    Jackson Valor through the rearview mirror. Just now, he sounded like¡­ he was jealous. She felt like


    she had be the object of envy for no apparent


    reason.


    But the problem was.. was Jackson Valor really jealous of her? Because of Serenity? The thought


    made Lisa shudder!


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Jackson Valor, the overlord of Sria, was jealous of her. It was unbelievable.


    But that seemed to be the case right now.


    When the car reached the entrance of Lisa¡¯s neighborhood, another car also happened to arrive at the


    same time. The car looked familiar to Lisa. The next second, she realized with a jolt that it was Terry


    White¡¯s car.


    Terry had also noticed Jackson¡¯s car. He got out of his car and walked over.


    Lisa also got out of the car. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I called you but I couldn¡¯t get through,¡± he asked.


    She took out her phone and saw that it was turned off. ¡°Oh¡­ my phone ran out of battery.¡±


    Terry looked towards the car again. ¡°Howe you came back with them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a long story,¡± Lisa answered stiffly.


    The car window rolled down, and Jackson spoke to Terry from inside the car, ¡°If you really are her


    boyfriend, you shouldn¡¯t let her get bullied.¡±


    Terry was shocked, but before he could react, Jackson had already asked the driver to drive away.


    In the car, Serenity couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Did you say that on purpose?¡± After all, Jackson was not a


    nosy person. He usually would not have bothered saying something like that.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jackson admitted without hesitation.


    ¡°Why?¡± That was what she could not figure out.


    ¡°So that Lisa wouldn¡¯t bother you anymore. Since Terry White is her boyfriend, he should fulfill his


    responsibility as her boyfriend properly,¡± replied Jackson


    ¡°She¡¯s not bothering me,¡± said Serenity, ¡°I just had to bail her out, that¡¯s all. Besides, Lisa helped me


    out a lot in the past. I would do way inore for her than that.¡±


    That¡¯s exactly why he¡¯s jealous! He was jealous of the fact that Lisa was that important to Serenity,


    jealous of Lisa¡¯s position in Serenity¡¯s heart.


    Even though be knew that they were no more than friends, he still could not help being jealous.


    ¡°Serenity, how important is Lisa to you?¡± he stared into her eyes and asked.


    ¡°Very important!¡± she answered without hesitation.


    ¡°More important than me?¡± he asked jealously,

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    She froze in surprise, then said, ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±


    One was the man she loved and the other was her best friend. They were twopletely different


    kinds of feelings!


    ¡°But¡­¡± She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Both of you are people that I would protect with my life!


    So you¡¯re both important to me.¡±


    His eyes flickered slightly. He should be content. She said she¡¯s willing to protect him with her life!


    But why couldn¡¯t it be just him?


    He was simply too greedy. He wanted to be her one and only and did not want anyone else to be that


    important to her.


    ¡°Just because she helped you in the past?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. Before that, I didn¡¯t know that she could sacrifice so much for a friend,¡± Serenity said


    emotionally. Although they were close back then, it was hard to tell a person¡¯s true nature without


    experiencing hard times.


    Only after going through hard times could you get a better read of the people around you. You would


    know that some people deserved your sincerity.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here without Lisa, so Lisa is really important to me,¡± said Serenity. She rubbed Jackson¡¯s


    cheek and said, ¡± You¡¯re not jealous of Lisa, are you?¡±


    ¡°What if I say I am?¡± he asked.


    Serenity was surprised. She felt like Jackson was behaving like a child right now. Well, she heard that


    even the most mature, stable and responsible man would have a childish side to him. It seemed like it¡¯s


    true.


    ¡°Then I guess you¡¯ll just have to get over it,¡± said Serenity.


    Jackson grabbed her hand and put it to his lips. He gently rubbed his lips against her palm, making her


    blush.


    ¡°I guess I have no choice,¡± he murmured softly, his eyes drooping.


    If the car ident hadn¡¯t happened, perhaps Lisa wouldn¡¯t be so important to her. But like she said,


    without Lisa, she wouldn¡¯t be here right now,


    Therefore, he should actually be grateful to Lisa. At least, during the darkest time in Serenity¡¯s life, Lisa


    was there to help her.


    Thanks to that, he was able to meet the current Serenity.


    ¡®But the most important man in your life can only be me,¡± hepromised and said.


    It seemed like he¡¯s always the one who had topromise in their rtionship!


    Meanwhile, Lisa was still having a stare¨Coff with Terry. ¡°What did Jackson Valor mean by that?¡±


    He had to find out his girlfriend¡¯s troubles from someone else. That annoyed him greatly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious,¡± Lisa said with a smile.


    When Terry heard that, he gave Lisa a choice, ¡°Either you tell me the whole story or I¡¯ll investigate


    myself. Your choice.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Lisa¡¯s smile faltered. She had no choice but to tell him.


    If he were to investigate, he might dig up even more stuff about her than the incident.


    ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± Lisa gave up and told Terry everythi

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    She told him about getting harassed by her male co¨Cworkers, being misunderstood, getting into a fight,


    being brought to the police station, and heing bailed out. She told him everything in detail. She spolo so


    much that she was starting to get a bit thirsty.


    Terry listened with a frown. It was hard to tell what he was thinking from his expression.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    He waited until Lisa finished before he said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡±


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t want to bother you. I thought you must be busy with work. It¡¯s not a big deal anyway,¡± Lisa


    lied.


    Terry stared fixedly at Lisa It made her feel guilty.


    ¡°Is it really because you didn¡¯t want to bother me?¡± After a while, he broke the silence.


    She said sheepishly, ¡°Of course.¡±


    He pursed his lips and said no more. They went back to staring at each other. Lisa was getting anxious.


    She wondered how long he was going to stare at her for


    Shouldn¡¯t he be happy that she didn¡¯t call him and disturb him for every little problem she had? Why


    was he looking at her like she owed him a million dors?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± he suddenly said and grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Huh?¡± she looked at him nkly and asked, ¡°Go where?¡±


    ¡°Inside. Do you want to stand here forever?¡± he replied.


    That response made her choke. But if he was going to her house. ¡°Don¡¯t tell my parents about what


    happened today, okay?¡± If her parents found out, they would nag at her regardless of whether she was


    in the wrong or not.


    He suddenly smirked and asked, ¡°Why should I help you keep it a secret from your parents?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re my boyfriend!¡± she blurted out, but right after the words came out of her mouth, she


    realized that she shouldn¡¯t have said that. They both knew what the deal was with their rtionship.


    ¡°Oh, now you know that I¡¯m your boyfriend? he asked sarcastically. He moved closer and said, ¡°Why


    didn¡¯t you remember that when you¡¯re in trouble? I¡¯m thest person to find out about it.¡±


    She stepped back unconsciously, but the more she retreated, the more he advanced on her.


    She said defensively, ¡°I told you, I didn¡¯t want to bother youTM


    He scoffed. ¡°Yeah, keep lying. Any more lies you want to tell me? Say it all at once.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying¡­ Ah!¡± She tripped on a stair behind her and shrieked as she fell backwards.


    was about to fall onto the stairs when she fell a strong force pulling at her wrist. The next moment, she


    fell forward into embrace.


    Lisa gasped in shock. A familiar scent filled her nostrils.


    She could feel Terry¡¯s hand around her waist. Leaning against his body gave her a strong sense of


    security.


    She knew he wanted to take revenge on her and cause her pain, but right now, he actually made her


    feel safe,


    It was almost ironk.


    She heard his voice in her ear. ¡°Lisa Quest, you¡¯re a liar!¡±

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    She could find no retort.


    1/1


    In the end, Lisa brought Terry home with her.


    When they arrived home, Lisa¡¯s parents weed Terry enthusiastically. They even asked him to stay


    for dinner.


    Terry naturally agreed, much to Lisa¡¯s horror. She was worried that he might blurt out her secret if he


    stayed for too long.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Lisa dragged Terry Lnto her room almost immediately after the meal ¡°When are you going to leave?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so eager for me to leave?¡± he asked with raised eyebrows.


    Sheughed dryly. ¡°I¡¯m worried that my parents¡® enthusiasm might annoy you. As you know, they really


    think that you¡¯re my boyfriend, so they must be asking you all kinds of questions.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not annoying, Chatting with them is quite interesting,¡± said Terry. He could learn new things


    about her like her childhood experiences by chatting with her parents. They would often mention things


    like that in passing


    ¡°Also, from now on, no matter what problem you run into, remember to call me. You¡¯re not allowed to


    ask Serenity for help anymore,¡± said Terry.


    ¡®Serenity¡¯s my friend. It¡¯s normal for me to turn to her for help,¡± she argued.


    He chuckled softly as if he was mocking her. ¡°If you keep turning to Serenity for help, Jackson Valor


    might assassinate you.¡±


    Lisa shuddered and said, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating.¡±


    ¡°Exaggerating?¡± Terry raised his eyebrows, ¡°Jackson Valor is not a generous man. From our trip to San


    Marco, you can tell how important Serenity is to him. The closer you and Serenity are, the more jealous


    he will be.¡±


    Lisa recalled the feeling she got in the car. Jackson¡¯s reaction did resemble jealousy. Could he really


    be¡­ ¡°But I¡¯m a woman!¡± she blurted out.


    said Terry, ¡°You read plenty ofics about gay men. Women can be gay too.¡±


    ¡°Lisa felt like she had been pped on the face. But the problem was, she and Serenity were really just


    friends. ¡°I can¡­ swear in front of Jackson Valor that there¡¯s nothing between Serenity and I other than


    friendship,¡± said Lisa.


    Her words made Terry roll his eyes.


    Iim nowo


    ¡°As long as you contact me first instead of Serenity when you run into trouble from m on, Jackson Valor


    will not misunderstand,¡± said Terry.


    Actually, he was jealous of the friendship between Lisa and Serenity too. Even though he knew that


    they were just friends, he was still jealouS.


    Three years ago, Lisa returned to help Serenity without leaving him a single word.


    Lisa could only agree for now. She could not believe how hard it was for two women to maintain a pure


    friendship nowadays.


    Terry then said, ¡°I¡¯ll have awyer follow up on your dispute.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± She quickly thanked him. After all, awyer could save her a lot of trouble going


    forward. ¡°One more thing¡ª¡°his voice trailed off, ¡°Howe your coworkers don¡¯t know that you have a


    boyfriend?¡±

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    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s not like I could make a public announcement that I found a boyfriend,¡± If she did, her co¨C


    workers would think that she¡¯s crazy.


    ¡°Is that so? Okay, I understand,¡± he said.


    She blinked in confusion. What did he understand? Why did she have a feeling that she did not


    understand?


    The next day, everyone in Lisa¡¯s workce was talking about yesterday¡¯s Incident. The way Lisa¡¯s co¨C


    workers looked at her had changed.


    Some of her coworkers were even making snide remarks at her, ¡°Why do you have to barge into the


    rtionship between Jessica and Gavin, Lisa?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Even if you want to be a homewrecker, you shouldn¡¯t do it in our institute!¡±


    Lisa scoffed. She did not back down at all. ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m a homewrecker? If you have no idea


    what¡¯s going on then stop spouting nonsense! There¡¯s no way I would fall for a man like Gavin Stanton.


    If I do, I¡¯ll gouge out my own eyes!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just talking big. Gavin graduated from a good university. He¡¯ll be transferred to the main institute


    soon. He has a bright future ahead of him,¡± Lisa¡¯s co¨Cworker retorted.


    Their design institute was the second institute under thepany umbre. The main institute offered


    better sry and benefits than the second institute, so everyone in the second institute hoped to get


    into the main institute.


    Just then, Jessica and Gavin walked over. When Jessica saw Lisa, she sneered and said, ¡°Lisa Quest,


    you should start packing and look for a new job. Too bad it¡¯s hard to find a job this year. Should I ask


    my father to put in a good word for you with other design institutes so that someone would hire you?¡±


    Lisa frowned. She had heard rumors that Jessica¡¯s father was a professor at a school of design, so he


    had a lot of contacts in design institutes.


    Hearing what Jessica said, Lisa instantly understood that Jessica wanted to cklist her in this


    industry!


    That shameless woman!


    Lisa rolled her eyes. She was not afraid of Jessica¡¯s threat at all. Even if she could no longer find a job


    in this industry, she did not think she would starve to death.


    Some people thought they could just do whatever they wanted!


    ¡°No need. If you have so much free time, why don¡¯t you keep a closer eye on your boyfriend. To be


    honest, you two are made for each other. Unfortunately, he¡¯s not good enough for me. My boyfriend is


    a thousand times better than him!¡± said Lisa


    ¡°Boyfriend? As if you have a boyfriend!¡± Jessica believed Lisa was lying. ¡°If you really have a boyfriend,


    you wouldn¡¯t have seduced Gavin. Hight, Gavin?!¡±


    Gavin obediently agreed with her.


    Lisa could not stand Gavin at all. He was so brash when he harassed her, but he¡¯s now cowering like a


    mouse. How could be still call himself a man?Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Seeing Gavin, Lisa¡¯s evaluation of Terry rose significantly, Compared to Gavin, Terry was simply far


    superior!

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    Lisa was about to hurl more insults at Jessica when her eyes caught sight of the entrance. The director


    of their institute was currently walking through the entrance, but what caught her attention was not the


    director but the person beside him. That person was¡­ Terry?!


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Lisa blinked a few times in disbelief. She confirmed that she was not seeing things. It really was Terry.


    Terry had obviously seen her but he did not say hi to her. He merely gave her a little smile and kept


    talking to the director.


    From what Lisa could see, the director was talking to Terry in a very respectful manner. The director


    asked his secretary to make some tea and bring it to his office.


    Lisa could understand why he was being so respectful Their design institute was not that famous in


    Sria. The main Institute was at least somewhat well¨Cknown, but the second institute was often


    viewed as just a stepping stone to get Into the main institute.


    Meanwhile, Terry White was the person in charge of the White Maple Group. It was understandable


    that the director would treat Terry as a VVIP. After all, if he could maintain a good rtionship with the


    White Maple Group, it would benefit him greatly


    But the question was¡­ what was Terry doing here?


    This design institute should be too small for him to care about.


    Terry and the director went into the director¡¯s office. Jessica looked at Lisa contemptuously and said,


    ¡°What are you looking at? Do you know who that is? That¡¯s the CEO of the White Maple Group. You¡¯re


    not even worthy of standing before him.¡±


    Lisa turned to Jessica in surprise because she did not expert Jessica to know who Terry was.


    Meanwhile, Jessica was actually eagerly waiting for her chance. The institute director was her father¡¯s


    friend, so he normally took good care of her.


    Earlier, the director happened to run into her before he went out. He told her that the White Maple


    Group¡¯s CEO had suddenly


    ter that said that he wanted toe to their institute. The director did not know what the purpose of the


    visit was, but he promised Jessica that he would create an opportunity for her to show her face in front


    of the White Maple Group¡¯s CEO


    It was obviously a very rare opportunity. She quickly looked up the CEO of White Maple Group on the


    inte. To her surprise, he was actually even younger than what he looked like in the photos she


    found online.


    Looking at Terry White, who had just entered the director¡¯s office, then at her boyfriend next to her,


    Jessica suddenly found Gavin pathetic.


    Not long after that, the secretary notified all the staff in the institute to gather in therge conference


    room for a meeting. She said there would be an important announcement


    And so, the forty or so people in the institute moved into the conference room. Because the seats were


    limited, the lower level employees had to carry their own chairs into the conference room and sit near


    the walls.


    Lisa was naturally one of them.


    Lisa found an empty spot in a corner. She moved her chair there and sat down. She watched as the


    employees trickled in one after another. To her surprise, she even saw the cleaningdy wallding in


    with a chair.


    What kind of Important announcement would require everyone in the Institute to be present, including


    the cleaningdy? Lisa¡¯s mind was filled with questions. After everyone pot into the conference ram,


    the director and Terry walked in. Normally, the director would sit alone at the very front of the room, but


    this time, Terry also sat at the front alongside the


    director.


    From this, it could be seen how important of a guest Terry was to the director.

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    Lisa stole a nce at Terry. He was well dressed and looked like a gentleman. He was indeed good


    looking! No wonder she would do that kind of thing to him when she got drunk in the past.


    Speaking of which, he had a really nice figure ton. He might look slightly thin, but he was actually lean


    and muscr¡­. Although Lisa was looking at Terry, she was actually thinking about the body that she


    had once seen


    She suddenly blushed and immediately lowered her head. She told herself to stop thinking about those


    things.


    Terry looked towards Lisa. He saw that she was sitting in a corner with her head bowed. He had no


    idea what she was thinking


    about.


    The sight of Lisa put a smile on Terry¡¯s face.


    The director of the second institute asked Terry, ¡°Shall we begin, Mr. White?


    ¡°Sure,¡± Terry replied with a faint smile.


    Thus, the director started the meeting. First, he introduced Terry, then he introduced some of their


    institute¡¯s past projects.


    He did not forget to point out Jessica to Terry. He said, ¡°This is Jessica, a young designer in our


    institute. She might be young, but her father is a famous designer in the industry. She¡¯s also won


    multiple awards overseas. Some of her designs are very creative. If you have the time, feel free to take


    a look, Mr. White.¡±


    Jessica quickly stood up and presented herself in her best manner. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. White. I¡¯m


    Jessica Jordon. I look forward to learning from you


    ¡°Oh, 1 lmow you,¡± Terry said casually.


    Jessica looked ttered. He knew her? What was going on? Maybe he had seen hier designs before


    and appreciated her work?


    Jessica started getting excited. Her heart began to beat faster.


    Meanwhile, Lisa, who was trying to look inconspicuous in a corner, raised her head when she heard


    that. She had an ominous premonition, as U¡­ something bad was about to happen.


    What Terry said next made Lasa freeze in shock. Her ominous premonition hade true.


    ¡°My girlfriend mentioned you,¡± Terry said.


    ¡°Your girlfriend?¡± A wave of disappointment washed over jessica. So he already had a girlfriend. She


    felt as if she had lost an opportunity ¨C even though she already had a boyfriend herself.


    But the next instant, she started to wonder who his girlfriend was. Was it someone she knew? Did Terry


    White¡¯s girlfriend tell him about her?


    ¡°I heard my girlfriend and you had to be brought to the police station yesterday. It was a problem


    involving your boyfriend, right? Which one here is your boyfriend, by the way? Let me take a good look


    at him. I heard someone say that yesterday¡¯s dispute supposedly happened because my girlfriend has


    a crush on your boyfriend. Is that right?¡±


    The moment be said that, everyone immediately looked at Jessica, Gavin, and¡­ Lisa, who was trying


    to make herself as inconspicuous as possible in the corner.


    Even though Terry did not mention his girlfriend¡¯s name, everyone in the institute knew that the people


    involved in the conflict yesterday were Lisa and Jessica, and the cause of the conflict was Gavin.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

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    Everyone at the design firm thought it was true. After all, Shen Ziyu was quite a catch while Qin Lianyl


    was just a nobody at the design firm. She came from an ordinary family background and had ordinary


    looks as well. It was quite normal for her to be interested in a man like Shen Ziyu.


    After what happened yesterday, many colleagues were on Zhou Jiewen¡¯s side.


    Many felt that even though Zhou Jiewen and Shen Ziyu were keeping their rtionship low-key without


    anyone knowing, Qin Lianya should not try to steal him away.


    However, who would have thought Qin Lianyi¡¯s boyfriend would be Bai Tingxin, the president of Bai


    Feng Group!


    If theypared Bai Tingxin and Shen Ziyu, were the results not obvious? Hai Tingxin won in every


    way!


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    If Qin Lianyi had a boyfriend like Bai Tingxin and still seduced Shen Ziya.. That was impossible, no?


    Immediately, many colleagues who had been partial to Zhou Jewen and Shen Ziyu changed the way


    they looked at them and began to wonder if things were not necessarily as what Zhou Jiewen said.


    Zhou Jiewen¡¯s mind was almost nk. She thought it was all so unimaginably queer. After a while, she


    finally regained her speaking abilities. ¡°You mean.. Qin Linyi is your girlfriend?


    She asked what was on everyone¡¯s mind, though the answer was almost certain.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Bai Tingxin smiled. Then, he stood up, and step by step, he walked toward Qin Lianyi


    under everyone¡¯s eyes. He stopped when he reached Qin Lianyi. ¡°Lianyi, why don¡¯t you point out to me


    the colleague named Shen Ziyu? The one who caused the argument between you and your colleague


    yesterday? I would like to see if that person is really better than me, so much so that even your


    colleagues have misunderstood you.¡±


    Bai Tingxin clearly said that from the standpoint that Qin Lianyi was wronged.


    Qin Lianyi stared at him nkly. She never expected to have their rtionship exposed in front of her


    colleagues like this. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°To invest in your project. Didn¡¯t you say you might have some funding problems with your recent


    project?¡± answered Bai Tingain. His gentle tone was that of a most considerate lover.


    All of a sudden, many women in the meeting room looked at Qin Lianyi in envy. Having your boyfriend


    invest in the project you were involved in that was underfunded¡­ How many women could have such


    things happen to them?


    The director of the branchpany looked at Qin Lianyi in surprise. He had just taken over the branch


    company not long ago. The former director was unexpectedlyid off, so he took over.


    He originally thought that was all. Zhou Jiewen was probably the one with the greatest background, but


    who knew the one with a great background was Qin Lianyi who usually went unnoticed


    Din Lianyi did not know what she was going to say right now. She did say that her project was


    underfunded and the project might be canceled, but she had just talked about it casually to Bai Tingxin


    and never expected him to invest in it.


    ¡°By the way, who is this Shen Ziyu people are saying you¡¯ve fallen in love with?¡± Bai Tingxin asked


    again.


    Zhou Jiewen and Shen Ziyu¡¯s faces immediately paled.


    Shen Ziyu quickly stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. It¡¯s all just a misunderstanding! It has


    nothing to do with Qin Lanyi. My girlfriend misunderstood ¡±


    By saying so, Shen Ziyu med it all on Zhou Jlewen. Zhou Jiewen felt wronged, but she could not


    throw a tantrum in public.

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    Terry spun around and turned to Gavin Alter a short moment of silence, he chuckled. ¡°I see. It must


    have been a misunderstanding, then.¡±


    Gavin¡¯s face flushed red at Terry¡¯s lock of contempt and dismissive tone. Terry was clearly insinuating


    that Gavin was beneath him, but Gavin could not argue.


    Terry turned to Lisa again. ¡°Just tell me if there are any other misunderstandings. Don¡¯t let people think


    you don¡¯t have a boyfriend¡±


    After saying that, Terry even parted Lisa¡¯s head affectionately. For a moment, Lisa felt like she was


    basking in the shining spotlight, attracting more envious eyes.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Usa had a problem with this. Terry was going to break up with her eventually! The more people envied


    her, the more they would mock herter.


    Lisa¡¯s face turned miserable, feeling like she was in a real pickle.


    The meeting ended awkwardly with many people either envious or embarrassed. Once the meeting


    was over, Jessica and Gavin hastily left the meeting room. Those who had mocked Lisa also excited


    with an ugly look on their faces.


    Director Parnes looked at Lisa with a pleased look, not forgetting to sing her praises to Terry. ¡°Lisa has


    always performed very well in our firm. What happened yesterday was just a misunderstanding. I think


    we¡¯ve cleared the misunderstanding in the meeting jest now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want such misunderstandings to happen again,¡± Terry stated.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Director Bames hastily responded. He then turned to Lisa, ¡°Hey, Lisa. Why don¡¯t you


    introduce the project you¡¯re working on to Mr. White? You¡¯ll be in charge of the project team from now


    on


    Lisa was shocked. Did she just get a promotion?!


    ||


    Director Barnes left the meeting room before she could answer, leaving only Terry and Lisa in the


    meeting room.


    Lisa bit her lips slightly and looked at Terry. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to invest in my project.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your hard work to go to waste. Didn¡¯t you put a lot of effort into this project?¡± Terry


    reminded her.


    Lisa felt a tug at his words. However, she was clearly aware of their fake rtionship. Otherwise, she


    would have drowned in his tendemess. After all, who would not like a considerate and loving boyfriend?


    Still, Lisa knew that she could not fall into it. The moment she fell, their break up would be the end of


    the world for her.


    Lisa besirated slightly ¡°Did you do that on purpose?¡± Terry would not have toe to the office just for


    an investment discussion. He had even made Director Barnes hold a meeting. It was as if¡­ He had


    deliberately held the meeting to speak about the incident yesterday.


    ¡°Yup. It was on purpose.¡± Terry was surprisingly frank. He admitted, ¡°This will save me from more


    troubleter on, I can¡¯t have my girlfriend liking someone else¡¯s boyfriend. I¡¯ll lose face when people


    find you¡±


    ¡°Lose face? For some reason, Lisa fellt a hint of disappointment. Right. He had onlye here today


    just to save his face.

 Chapter 503

    Chapter 503


    Chapter 503


    Terry was still in a rtionship with Lisa. Therefore rumors of Lisa¡¯s involvement with another man


    would only be embarrassing for him.


    Terry did not seem to realize the consequence of his action. His rtionship announcement would only


    get her into more trouble. She would have to find another job by the time they broke up.


    Lisa chuckled at her train of thought. Revenge had always been Terry¡¯s goal. The more miserable she


    was, the happier he would be.


    ¡°Fine, I get it. I don¡¯t think anyone will get the wrong idea about me liking Jessica¡¯s boyfriend anymore,¡±


    Lisa said.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Terry knitted his brows slightly. For some reason, he felt ufortable with the way she spoke. Her


    tone felt like an invisible barrier and a widening distance between them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like what I¡¯m doing?¡± Terry asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.


    ¡°No, not really. You¡¯re my boyfriend. It¡¯s the right thing to do,¡± Lisa smiled. ¡°Besides, what you did today


    made Jessica and Gavin look bad in front of everyone. It made me feel better, which is kind of nice, to


    say the least.¡±


    Terry an odd feeling listening to Lisa¡¯s words. It seemed hollow. Did she truly understand the reason


    behind his actions today? He wanted to put her under his protection, preventing others from hurting her


    when he was not by her side.


    Terry suddenly took Lisa in his arms and hugged her tight. His face was close to hers, his voice


    murmuring in her ear. ¡°Lisa When will you ever fall in love with me


    Lisa¡¯s body stiffened slightly. Falling in love would mean the end of their rtionship.


    ¡®Maybe soon,¡± Lisa said to herself in her mind. She would start acting like she was in love with him, and


    then.. She would show more and more every day until he finally dumped her.


    Serenity called Lisa not long after. She asked about the incident, how the police handled the matter,


    and if any help was needed. Lisa said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve made up. Both of my colleagues apologized to


    me.¡±


    ¡°They did?¡± Serenity was a little surprised. She remembered seeing that woman named Jessica the


    other day. She seemed like she would not stop until Lisa was convicted. Why would she apologize so


    quickly?


    ¡°Terry came by my office for a little visit,¡± Lisa said briefly.


    Serenity understood immediately. Terry had clearly gone to Lisa¡¯s defense.


    Serenity was relieved to know that Lisa was alright. After the call ended, she continued surfing the web.


    Thetest news she saw surprised her.


    The news mentioned the scheduled demolition of a shopping mall. The demolition would take ce


    over a period of a month. However, the mall had been built only ten years ago. It was far from being


    unusable. Besides, the mall had lots of visitors. The sudden demolishment became a mystery, causing


    a lot of spection.


    The mall¡¯s answer was very formal, saying that thend would be used for other purposes.


    What really surprised Serenity was something else. Jenny¡¯s parents had kicked her out of this mall the


    other day. What the beck was going on here? Could it be a coincidence or¡­.?

 Chapter 504

    Chapter 504


    Chapter 504


    Serenity had a vague answer in her mind, but her guess was so crazy and seemingly unbelievable.


    As she was pondering over it, her phone rang. Serenity looked at the caller. It was ra¡¯s number, so


    she answered it.


    ¡°Serenity! Yanny will be out of the hospital tomorrow. Can youe to work the day after tomorrow? I¡¯d


    like to clean up th restaurant the day after tomorrow and reopen the next day,¡± ra informed.


    ¡°Alright, sure,¡± Serenity responded. Speaking of which, it was rare for her to have such a long break


    ever since she had gotten out of prison.


    ¡°Great,¡± ra responded. ¡°By the way, Yanny wants to speak to you. Try and say something to him.¡±


    Serenity was stunned for a moment. She then spoke into the phone, ¡°Yanny? Hi! It¡¯s Aunt Serene. Can


    you hear me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you again the day after tomorrow. I¡¯ll tell you lots of stories once you can understand and


    speak, okay?¡±


    Serenity knew Yanny probably would not understand a word she was saying. Even so, she was full of


    hope.


    After she was done speaking, a young child¡¯s voice rang from the other end of the phone. ¡°Serene.


    Aunt Serene.


    Serenity could hardly believe her ears. What had she just heard?! Was Yanny talking to her? Before


    getting the surgery, Yanny could only respond to her with some meaningless sybles like ¡°ooh¡¯ and


    ¡°ahh¡±. Was he really calling out to her?!


    ¡°Serenity.¡± ra¡¯s voice rang, from the phone again.


    ¡°re! Did Yanny really just¡­ Did he say something to me? Can he finally talk?¡± Serenity asked in


    surprise.


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s only a few words. We¡¯ll need more time and patience,¡± ra said, her tone clearly filled


    with joy and pride. The doctor said Yanny would learn to speak rtively quickly.¡±


    How could ra not be proud? Since her son had gotten the cochlear imnts, his speech had


    improved rapidly. Even the doctors had praised his 10, saying he was undeniably gifted in speech.


    Yanny could have been ahead of other children his age in speaking if not for the inability to hear before.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Serenity was happy for ra and Yanny.


    When the call ended, Serenity thought of getting Yanny a gift on her next shopping trip. She wanted to


    celebrate the fact that Yanny could now hear.


    When Jackson came home that night, Serenity asked him about the news she had seen during the day.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the mall? Did you have anything to do with the sudden demolition of the mall?


    Serenity¡¯s question was straightforward, and so was Jackson¡¯s answer, ¡°Yeal¡±


    Serenity widened her eyes in surprise. She had a vague guess before, but the real answer still


    surprised her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You probably knew because you asked the question. Why are you so surprised?¡±


    Jackson raised an eyebrow in


    wonder.


    A few momentster, Serenity gulped and asked, ¡°Did you tell the Hall family to demolish the mall?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± be answered tly.


    ¡±


    ¡°Was it because..¡± Serenity¡¯s voice quivered and paused for a moment. ¡°Because they kicked me out of


    that all the other day?


    ¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he continued to respond with the same t tone, almost as if this was another normal thing to do.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

 Chapter 505

    Chapter 505


    Chapter 505


    Serenity stared ndy at the man in front of her. She had heard rumors about jackson¡¯s influence in


    Sria before, but his actionstely seemed to have demonstrated the correctness of that impression.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was, after all a big shopping mall demolition. Jackson must have used lots of means to put the n


    into action. Otherwise, how could the Hall family be so obedient and willing to demolish it?


    The root of all of this happening was because of what the Hall family had done the other day. They had


    humiliated her at the


    mall


    Serenity had thought that things would end at the Hall family¡¯s apology in person. Jackson had already


    vented her anger by fighting for her, but she did not expect him to go further.


    ¡°But why?¡± Serenity asked in a murmur and wrinkled her nose. For some reason, she felt emotional


    ¡°Because it¡¯s you,¡± Jackson answered. His simple words seemed like a thousand words. He had taken


    this step all for Serenity.


    Serenity was Jackson¡¯s precious person. He cared for her so much that he could not even bear to hurt


    her. How could he allow anyone else to hurt her?


    ¡°Besides, this wall serve as a good lesson for them. The Hall family now understands that they


    shouldn¡¯t hurt you again,¡± Jackson stated.


    Serenity had a bitter smile. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll believe that the car ident wasn¡¯t my fault when I really


    overturn the case. The one who kind their daughter was someone else.¡±


    Serenity could sense it. Someone else was behind the ident.


    At first, she had thought that Mira Hall had driven poorly and caused the ident. Later, with the


    witness statements and all sorts of evidence that pointed to her, she felt that someone was behind all of


    this, manipting things.


    Well, there could be other possibilities. Maybe the Hall family thought she was responsible for their


    daughter¡¯s death. The real evidence was not enough to put her in prisan, so they had bought witnesses


    and fabricated evidence.


    It was all spection, Serenity had no evidence the moment. The only witness she had found so far


    had not provided her with anything favorable either.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes were hooded. ¡°Tim gonna clear your name,¡± he promised softly.


    Serenity broke into a smile, her mood rxed. Yeah, well, she was no longer fighting alone. She had


    gotten Jackson to help, and Lisa had even gotten Terry to help.


    She thought to herself, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to ovem the conviction!


    ¡°By the way, I have a function tomorrow. You¡¯reing with me,¡± Jackson mentioned suddenly.


    Serenity was stunned. ¡°Me?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Who else but you? Aren¡¯t we dating? You¡¯re my girlfriend. It¡¯s normal to apany me to a


    function, right?¡±


    That was what he said, but.. For some reason, Serenity felt easy. Surely there would be a lot of


    prominent figures at the function would be attending Serenity used to apany Zeke to some of


    these functions many years ago. She had actually met some of the big shots before


    Some might recognter her widle at the function with Jackson, and they knew she had been in prison.


    Knowing her past, many would have lots of criticism seeking them together.

 Chapter 506

    Chapter 506


    Chapter 506


    Serenity had encountered plenty of criticism. She could ignore it, but what about him? Serenity felt a


    little unsure


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t want to go?¡± Jackson asked with a slight frown.


    ¡°Can I really go?¡± Serenity took a deep breath and stared up at Jackson. She reminded, ¡°Jack, are you


    sure? Many people may recognize me. I met lots of people when I was with Zeke.. Besides, I¡¯ve been


    in prison¡­¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Jackson did not care at all. ¡°You¡¯re the one for me. So what if you¡¯ve been in jail? So what if


    someone recognizes you?¡±


    As he spoke, he held her hand and pulled it to his lips, kissing, it gently. ¡°Serenity. You picked me up on


    the street. Did you worry about it? I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re a princess or a beggar. I just want you by


    my side, brighter than anyone else.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Jackson¡¯s kisses moved from the palm of her hand to her fingers, warming her heart. He gradually


    looked up, his dark eyes boring into hers.


    ¡°Besides, you ll be by my side forever. If you¡¯re already worried now, what about the future? When will


    you be able to stand by my side with peace of mind? Do you really have to wait until the day you


    overturns the conviction?¡±


    Serenity caught her breath.


    ¡°Serenity, I don¡¯t care about your history. All I care about is you. You are the one I love. You¡¯re the only


    one who¡¯ll stand by my side,¡± Jacks pledged


    H


    Serenity pursed her lips slightly. Atst, she agreed. ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle with you!


    Serenity was willing to apany him no matter what she would face at the function. She loved him


    too, facleson was fearless when it came to those he loved. What did she have to be afraid of?


    ¡°It¡¯s a promise, then¡± Jackson tipped her chin slowly, his face slowly drawing closer to hers.


    Serenity realized his intentions and obediently tilted her jaw up slightly, feeling his lips on her. His kiss


    was so gentle and reassuring


    Meanwhile, in the Shaw Residence.


    Zeke looked at his future wife, Jenny, with a strange look on his face. ¡°Your family¡¯s mall is going to be


    demolished? Why? You¡¯ve invested so much money in the mall. It¡¯s doing great right now. What will


    you do after demolishing it? No matter what you build next, it won¡¯t be as profitable as the mall now!¡±


    Jenny¡¯s face turned ugly at the mention of the mall. She knew the mall was making money. The


    demolition was a blow to them, but it had to be done to save the Hall family. Otherwise, they would lose


    a lot more than just the mall,


    ¡°Jackson ordered this. Are you telling us to stop him?¡± Jenny eximed.


    Zeke was surprised. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Why would Jackson want to demolish your mall?¡±

 Chapter 507

    Chapter 507


    Chapter 507


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t all this because of that ex-girlfriend of yours?¡± Jenny


    Zeke was stunned. ¡°Serenity?¡±


    He thought about how the Shaw family almost went down because of Serenity.


    It was not just that. Zeke¡¯s younger sister, Joy, was limping because of Serenity. The doctor advised the


    need for several operations to heal Joy¡¯s leg. The surgeries were risky. She could be left with a lifelong


    disability if not done right.


    Zeke was a little worried about his sister. Joy¡¯s character had changed a lot. She used to be fearless.


    Although a little arrogant, she was lively and cheerful. Now, Joy stayed in her room all day long. She


    seldom socialized and never met with her former


    fnends


    ¡°Yup. She¡¯s the one. Jackson is protecting her now. No one can touch her.¡± Jenny sounded a little sour.


    Jenny had always thought of Serenity as someone beneath her. She thought she would never see


    Serenity again. After all, they lived in different circles. However, things were out of her expectations.


    Jenny didn¡¯t expect Serenity to return stronger.


    She didn¡¯t dare do anything to her this time.


    Hearing that, Zeke immediately understood something ¡°Did your family hurt Serenity?¡±


    Jenny pursed her red lips, suddenly filled with regret. She med herself, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t wam my


    parents. Meeting Serenity reminded them of my sister, naturally. How could they not take action against


    her?


    ¡°You should tell your parents to let it go. Serenity has been in prison for three years. She has no future.


    Dwelling on this matter will only make them feel worse,¡± Zeke urged.


    Jenny immediately red at Zeke. ¡°What? Are you feeling sorry for Serenity now? Why didn¡¯t you feel


    sorry for her when she was in prison? She had all of her fingernails removed and her fingers broken!¡±


    Zeke¡¯s face changed at that. More than three years had passed since then, but the scene vividly


    shed in his memories again.


    It never faded


    ¡°Do


    you


    think you can get away with it because you care about Serenity now? Do you think Serenity will put in a


    good word for you? Do you really think she¡¯ll get you a favor with Jackson?¡± Jenny¡¯s voice continued to


    ring in Zeke¡¯s ears.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Zeke furrowed his brows. ¡°Serenity and I are a thing of the past. You¡¯re


    my wife now. I¡¯m just afraid that your parents will get hurt more by attacking Serenity impulsively.


    You¡¯ve seen what happened to Joy. What do you think Jackson can¡¯t do?¡±


    Hearing that, Jenny fell silent.


    Zeke embraced Jenny. ¡°Enough. You¡¯re the one I love. I married you. As for Serenity, I¡¯ve made my


    position clear before. Remember the time you tried to ruin her hands? Isn¡¯t that enough for you? Are


    you still worried?


    Jenny Jeaned into Zeke¡¯s arms and murmured, ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t regret watching her suffer like


    that? I-If there hadn¡¯t been that ident back then.. If she hadn¡¯t gone to prison, would she be the one


    you love? Would you even be with me?


    Jenny had kept the question deep in her heart all these years. She finally asked the question


    Zeke went silent for a moment, and memories of his time with Serenity shed in his mind. He had


    such a good time with Serenity. Her sense of justice made himugh sometimes, but she made him


    feel good just by being with her. She was lively and shining, different from thedies in his circle.


    Sometimes people who stayed too long in the darkness couldn¡¯t help but yearn for the light.


    Zeke¡¯s parents did not think highly of him and Serenity. Despite that, he thought he would fight his


    parents one day and insist on marrying Serenity.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

 Chapter 508

    Chapter 508


    Chapter 508


    1/1


    Who would have thought?


    The determination he was holding on to crumbled within seconds.


    Zeke had panicked when the ident had happened. Then, his parents had ordered him to dissociate


    himself from Serenity. and he had done so immediately without even struggling


    Zeke had reached a sudden realization at that moment. He had thought he loved her, but his future


    meant more to him. He was unwilling to sacrifice his future for Serenity.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    The premise of his love was his status as the son and heir of the Shaw family. Without this identity, his


    so-called love for Serenity meant nothing to him,


    Zeke had asionally felt guilty over the years, but he would tell himself that it was all Serenity¡¯s fault


    whenever he did. Serenity had driven drunk and hit Mira Hall, killing her. Their rtionship would not


    have ended if not for the ident. She was to me for everything. He felt better when he thought like


    this.


    Zeke had thought that he would never cross paths with Serenity again. He thought everything was


    over, like two h orizons that would never intersect. However, her influence seemed to return in his life.


    First was Joy¡¯s leg, and then, his future wife¡¯s family-owned mall.


    Jackson was behind all of this, and he was protecting Serenity.


    ¡°Zeke?!¡± Jenny¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts. Zeke returned to his senses and met with the gorgeous


    face close to him.


    Jenny¡¯s face was totally different from Serenity¡¯s. She was a movie star, a popr woman, and the


    goddess in the hearts of many men. She would be the sessor of the Hall family. She was the perfect


    wife for him.


    ¡®You¡¯re the one I love, naturally!¡± Zeke swore ¡°Serenity and I wouldn¡¯t have made it to the end even


    without the car ident that year. We¡¯re just notpatible.¡±


    ¡°So.. How about our wedding? What¡¯s the n?¡± Jenny asked abruptly. Jenny and Zeke had been


    treating each other as husband and wife ever since they had gotten engaged. An engagement was


    almost the same as marriage in the high-society circle. The only difference was the marriage license,


    but. Somehow, Jenny felt a little uneasy about this.


    Zeke was stunned for a moment. ¡°Why are you talking about the wedding all of a sudden? Didn¡¯t you


    say that a wedding isn¡¯t good for your career? You¡¯re a popr actress now. If we really want to hold a


    marriage ceremony, we¡¯ll have to settle the affairs of the two groups ofpanies first.¡¯


    After all, a marriage between people like them was more than a wedding. It was about the people


    behind them and their family¡¯s interests.


    ¡°Right.¡± Jenny seemed to calm down a little. ¡°I¡¯m just too anxious. For the wedding, let¡¯s just stick to the


    original n. But Zekr¡­¡±


    Jenny paused, her eyes boring into his. ¡°Promise me. You must stay loyal to me. Everything I¡¯ve done


    is for you. You mustn¡¯t let me down.¡±


    Zeke¡¯s breath caught at the look in her eyes. He felt that she was implying something, but heughed


    at himself for overthinking.


    Jenny was just a woman, after all. Women loved saying things like that, always wanting a promise from


    the man.


    ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t let you down. You¡¯re my wife, the future Madam of the Shaw family!¡± Zeke promised


    sweetly.


    Jenny broke into a satisfied smile and smuggled into Zeke¡¯s arms. The moment she burled her face in


    his arms, her face turned icily cold. Serenity Lewis.. This name had always been a thorn in her heart.

 Chapter 509

    Chapter 509


    Chapter 509


    1/1


    Who would have thought?


    The determination he was holding on to crumbled within seconds.


    Zeke had panicked when the ident had happened. Then, his parents had ordered him to dissociate


    himself from Serenity. and he had done so immediately without even struggling


    Zeke had reached a sudden realization at that moment. He had thought he loved her, but his future


    meant more to him. He was unwilling to sacrifice his future for Serenity.


    The premise of his love was his status as the son and heir of the Shaw family. Without this identity, his


    so¨Ccalled love for Serenity meant nothing to him,


    Zeke had asionally felt guilty over the years, but he would tell himself that it was all Serenity¡¯s fault


    whenever he did. Serenity had driven drunk and hit Mira Hall, killing her. Their rtionship would not


    have ended if not for the ident. She was to me for everything. He felt better when he thought like


    this.


    Zeke had thought that he would never cross paths with Serenity again. He thought everything was


    over, like two horizons that would never intersect. However, her influence seemed to return in his life.


    First was Joy¡¯s leg, and then, his future wife¡¯s family¨Cowned mall.


    Jackson was behind all of this, and he was protecting Serenity.


    ¡°Zeke?!¡± Jenny¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts. Zeke returned to his senses and met with the gorgeous


    face close to him.


    Jenny¡¯s face was totally different from Serenity¡¯s. She was a movie star, a popr woman, and the


    goddess in the hearts of many men. She would be the sessor of the Hall family. She was the perfect


    wife for him.


    ¡®You¡¯re the one I love, naturally!¡± Zeke swore ¡°Serenity and I wouldn¡¯t have made it to the end even


    without the car ident that year. We¡¯re just notpatible.¡±


    ¡°So.. How about our wedding? What¡¯s the n?¡± Jenny asked abruptly. Jenny and Zeke had been


    treating each other as husband and wife ever since they had gotten engaged. An engagement was


    almost the same as marriage in the high¨Csociety circle. The only difference was the marriage license,


    but. Somehow, Jenny felt a little uneasy about this.


    Zeke was stunned for a moment. ¡°Why are you talking about the wedding all of a sudden? Didn¡¯t you


    say that a wedding isn¡¯t good for your career? You¡¯re a popr actress now. If we really want to hold a


    marriage ceremony, we¡¯ll have to settle the affairs of the two groups ofpanies first.¡®


    After all, a marriage between people like them was more than a wedding. It was about the people


    behind them and their family¡¯s interests.


    ¡°Right.¡± Jenny seemed to calm down a little. ¡°I¡¯m just too anxious. For the wedding, let¡¯s just stick to the


    original n. But Zekr¡­¡±


    Jenny paused, her eyes boring into his. ¡°Promise me. You must stay loyal to me. Everything I¡¯ve done


    is for you. You mustn¡¯t let me down.¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Zeke¡¯s breath caught at the look in her eyes. He felt that she was implying something, but heughed


    at himself for overthinking.


    Jenny was just a woman, after all. Women loved saying things like that, always wanting a promise from


    the man.


    ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t let you down. You¡¯re my wife, the future Madam of the Shaw family!¡± Zeke promised


    sweetly.


    Jenny broke into a satisfied smile and smuggled into Zeke¡¯s arms. The moment she burled her face in


    his arms, her face turned icily cold. Serenity Lewis.. This name had always been a thorn in her heart.


    Chapter 509


    Chapter 500


    It was like this back then, and it remained the same even now


    So what if Jackson treated Serenity as his most precious person? Jenny was sure that Serenity would


    eventually leave Jackson. After all, there were things that would destroy everything Serenity knew.


    Serenity was no stranger to participating in functions, Back then, she had apanied Zeke to various


    events. However¡­ The current Serenity was a little different than who she had been back then.


    Serenity had spent three years in prison, and her skincked maintenance. It seemed duller than


    before. Her hands were also calloused, and her hair rougher than it had been back then.


    As if to erase her worries, a special team of stylists came to the Valor Residence in the afternoon,


    giving Serenity a special


    makeover.


    The light purple evening dress looked ssy and elegant, and the crystals on the dress made it look


    dazzling. The dress must


    be worth a fortune.


    The stylist told Serenity, ¡°Mr. Valor specially prepared this dress for you. He said it¡¯s in your size.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s cheeks flushed red at that. Well, yes. Jackson knew her size perfectly.


    After changing into the gown, Serenity could not resist admiring Jackson¡¯s eye in selecting the right


    dress for her. The dress fitted her well, and the color ttered her skin.


    Despite wearing no makeup, Serenity¡¯splexion seemed enhanced just by wearing the dress alone.


    Shortly after, the stylist styled Serenity¡¯s hair. The stylist skillfully gave Serenity a princess braid hairdo.


    The stylist parted. her hair on both sides, twisted it, and began braking. For the rest of the loose hair,


    the stylist turned them into wavy curls. Serenity soon looked like an elegantdy but with a touch of


    liveliness.


    By the time the makeup artist had finished, Serenity looked at herself in the mirror in a daze.


    The makeup artist had focused on Serenity¡¯s eyes and lips. Instead of heavy makeup, the makeup


    artist opted for a natura look, highlighting Serenity¡¯s beautiful facial features.


    Serenity felt like she was back in her prime with this look. She used to look like this. No, with this


    makeup, she looked even more beautiful than before.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful¡­.¡± A low murmur rang in Serenity¡¯s ears.


    Serenity immediately came to her senses as Jackson¡¯s figure appeared in the mirror in front of her. He


    walked behind her at ??some point and gently put his hand on her shoulder, his charming eyes locked


    on to her figure in the mirror.


    Only then did Serenity realize that the makeup artist and stylist were no longer in the room.


    ¡°Where are the people from earlier?¡± Serenity asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I told them to leave,¡± Jackson stated. He slowly leaned down, bringing his face close to hers. ¡°How¡¯s


    the dress? Do you like it? I thought it¡¯d suit you the moment I saw it.¡±

 Chapter 510

    Chapter 510


    Chapter 510


    ¡°I like it,¡± Serenity answered in a low mormor. Women would always like pretty things. How could she


    not like a gorgeous dress like this? But¡­ ¡°This dress wasn¡¯t cheap, was it? I feel like it would be a


    waste if 1 only wore it once. She meant to say that she would have chosen a cheaper dress.


    Jackson, however, replied after hearing herment, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, apany me to a few more


    functions. Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t be a waste.¡±


    Serenity choked, feeling lost for words.


    Jackson held Serenity¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The warmth of his hand began to spread across her palm, and Serenity responded softly as she rose to


    her feet. She then followed him out of the room, and they went downstairs.


    car was waiting outside. Jackson took Serenity¡¯s hand and led her inside.


    On the way, Serenity could not help studying Jackson¡¯s look for the night. Jackson looked fresh and


    radiant, dressed in an immacte ck suit, white shin, and dark purple tie. The look suited him


    perfectly.


    His perfect face looked like it was chiseled by the gods, his hair slicked back neatly, showing his


    beautiful forehead.


    Unbuttoning the cor of his shirt would reveal the sexy corbone underneath. Serenity pondered over


    it and could not resist imagining the shape of his corbone in her mind.


    Serenity found Jackson¡¯s corbone incredibly beautiful. Never once would she have thought of


    describing a man¡¯s corbone as beautiful, but it seemed like the perfect word to describe him.


    Serenity¡¯s cheeks grew hot as the memory of that night resurfaced in her mind. She could not help


    thinking about it. She had never thought of herself as the type to judge a book by its cover, but his


    beauty simply made her marvel at it.


    Extremely good¨Clooking men could be such a killer to women!


    ¡°Oh, dear! Stop thinking about things like that! Serenity told herself in her mind. Then, an elegant voice


    abruptly rang in her ears. ¡°Serenity? Something on your mind?


    Serenity¡¯s body stiffened. The low murmur of his voice was like an endless temptation.


    ¡°What was on her mind?¡® She had just been thinking about this body! How could she tell him?


    Serenity¡¯s face turned redder at that thought


    ¡°Your cheeks are so red.¡± Jackson¡¯s finger trailed on her cheek, leaving a slightly cool touch. The


    difference in temperature contrasted with the strong heat on her cheek.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably¡­ too bot in the car.¡± Serenity made up some random excuse and looked away, trying to


    avoid his gaze. However, his fingers gently lifted her chain, semi¨Cforcing her to look at him.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you looking at me?¡± Jackson said


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°N¨Cno. It¡¯s nothing,¡± Serenity denied sheepishly. She grew even more guilty when her gaze met his


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He murmured, his face inching closer to hers. ¡°Do you know? The look on your face now


    seems to be saying something. You feel shy looking at me. Why? Are you thinking about me?¡±


    He was right on the mark Serenity bit her lips slightly, not knowing how to refute it. He seemed to read


    her mind so easily,

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    Chapter 511


    ¡°Don¡¯t bite your lips. You¡¯ll ruin the makeup,¡± Jackson murmured softly, his lips getting closer to hers.


    ¡°What are you thinking? About me? Let me guess. Your face is so red. Are you thinking about the


    intimate moments we shared?¡±


    Serenity¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Just by that look of hers, Jackson knew he had hit the nail on the


    head.


    ¡°I see. What sort of intimate moments¡­¡± His voice grew gentler, making her heart flutter. ¡°Was it that


    night? Serenity? Are you thinking about that night?¡±


    Ba¨Cdump!


    Serenity¡¯s face was burning, a flustered look all over her face. She wanted to bury her head in


    embarrassment, but his fingers remained on her chin, and she could not turn her head away,


    Jackson found Serenity¡¯s red face indescribably adorable, even more so when her dewy eyes


    constantly avoided his gaze. Serenity probably did not know, but her reaction only aroused his


    possessive desire more.


    ¡°Feeling shy? What¡¯s there to be shy about?¡± His fingers gently trailed along her hot cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s


    normal for men and women to be attracted to each other. Isn¡¯t it natural?¡±


    His heavenly scent filled her nostrils, his voice ringing in her ears. Everything about him was a never¨C


    ending temptation, drawing her to him.


    ¡°Do you feel happy?¡± Jackson asked abruptly,


    Serenity¡¯s face was burning hot, but she froze the moment she met his serious gaze. Jackson was


    asking a very serious question. Perhaps her answer was important to him!


    She found it difficult to tell the truth, but she obeyed her heart for the moment and frankly answered,


    ¡°Yeah. I do.¡±


    His lips curled up. He was breathtakingly beautiful¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m happy too. You¡¯ll think of me again, won¡¯t you?¡± Jackson asked in a low murmur,


    Serenity looked at him in a daze. She was about to lose herself in his intoxicating smile.


    Would she think of him again? Most likely. She greedily looked at him, wanting to etch his smile in her


    memory forever. She wanted to see more of his smile.


    His smile seemed to bring joy to her. She felt satisfied seeing him smile. She felt d knowing he was


    happy because of her. She hoped she could look at his smile forever.


    Although embarrassed, Serenity nodded.


    Jackson broke into a bigger smile. ¡°Okay. I promise you. I¡¯ll give you whatever you want and give you


    everything.¡±


    Jackson would give Serenity everything he had as long as she wanted. Serenity was the only one who


    could make him feel this way. She was the only one who had taught him love. He would do everything


    for her.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    He never thought he would be so deeply in love with someone one day. He realized he was more than


    happy when he fell in love. He willingly loved and submitted to her, all for her love.

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    The car soon arrived at its destination. Jackson walked into the function hall holding Serenity¡¯s hand.


    Naturally, their appearance immediately gamered much attention. Jackson alone was the center of


    attention, but everyone¡¯s eyes were also on Serenity. People in Sria had not seen her for more than


    three years.


    Back then, Jackson had attended some public events with Mira Hall before, but they had never held


    hands. This time, Jackson held Serenity¡¯s hand from the moment they entered the venue. It was


    different this time, and most people could sense it.


    Many upper¨Cssdies were attending the function tonight, some of whom were more or less


    interested in Jackson.


    Jackson was notoriously known to be celibate in Sria. He had never been with anyone since Mira¡¯s


    death. Naturally, some of thesedies were eager to try their luck.


    Even so, no one dared to take the first step. A long time ago, a woman had intentionally yed some


    tricks to get close to Jackson, but it had not gone well. Her miserable ending was no secret in the


    circle.


    The upper¨Cssdies thought it would be fine because Jackson remained single anyway.


    Unfortunately for them, he had a woman standing right next to him at this function, and they were so


    intimate together.


    Most did not know who Serenity was, but she looked ssy in that dress. Some of thedies even


    recognized Serenity¡¯s dress. It was a limited edition piece from a major luxury brand. It could not be


    bought with just money. Only the highest¨Cranking VIP customers were eligible to buy it. Those who


    realized this were envious.


    Serenity stayed by Jackson¡¯s side the whole time as she watched Jackson talk to some of the big shots


    in Sria. Jackson simply introduced her, ¡°My girlfriend, Serenity Lewis.¡±


    A simple introduction, but it carried a lot of weight.


    Jackson¡¯s introduction undoubtedly confirmed Serenity¡¯s status, which mattered in high¨Csociety circles.


    No one would dare to underestimate Serenity anymore after this.


    Just then, the crowds mored around the entrance. Serenity turned around to see two figures


    entering the venue surrounded by others. She recognized both of them. Lucas Gomez and her


    stepsister, Aria Lewis


    Serenity had not seen Aria in a while. She would merely asionally read some gossip about her while


    browsing thetest news online. From what she had learned in the news, Aria seemed to be doing well


    as Lucas had been supportive of her. However, many had previously spected that Aria might be


    dumped in less than three months of dating Lucas.


    Three months had passed since, and Aria still remained Lucas¡® girlfriend, which was a big surprise to


    those ready for the breakup news.


    Talks on the inte spected that Aria might be the ordinary girl who had captured Prince Lucas¡®


    heart for once and for real. Aria took advantage of this and gained poprity.


    Aria attended the function wearing a dark red evening gown and crimson red lips, looking quite like a


    popr actress. Lancas, who was beside her, wore a navy suit. His handsome, impassive face


    remained stoic as usual, revealing the coldness in him.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    People might think of Prince Lucas as a famous yboy who constantly changed his girlfriends one


    after another, but his appearance suggested the contrary. With that look of his, no one would think of


    him as a yboy.

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    Lucas was not so much an affectionate person. Rather, he was pretty ruthless


    ¡®Does a guy like him ever care? As the thought shed through Serenity¡¯s mind, she somehow thought


    of Lucas¡® silver bracelet. It was because of that silver bracelet that she had met Lucas.


    The bracelet was clearly meant for a child, but Lucas treasured it like it was the most precious


    belonging. Serenity wondered what was the story behind that bracelet.


    ¡°Who are you looking at?¡± A low and elegant voice rang in Serenity¡¯s cars.


    Serenity immediately came to her senses, and the moment she turned her head, her lips almost met


    Jackson¡¯s. It was then that she realized they were so close to each other that she had almost kissed


    him


    Jackson¡¯s thin lips parted slightly as he murmured softly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who you¡¯re looking at. You


    can only think of me.¡±


    As he spoke, he looked past her to the man standing at the entrance. Lucas Gomez, his friend since


    childhood.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Jackson had never thought that they would both fall for the same woman. The only difference was he


    had Serenity¡¯s heart, but Lucas was still unaware that she had always been the one he was looking for.


    If possible, he would like to keep this a secret forever.


    Lucas would never know.


    Lucas seemed to sense something when Jackson looked at him, and he shifted his gaze to the couple,


    their eyes meeting mid- air.


    A few momentster, Lucas brought Aria along and strode toward Jackson.


    Lucas was struck the moment he saw Serenity. She seemed different from usual. Her ck hair was


    braided into a hairstyle both elegant and lively, and her simple makeup magnified her attractiveness.


    There seemed to be a mysterious glow in her eyes, sparkling with indescribable resolve. Lucas was in


    a trance. He thought he was looking at that little girl¡¯s eyes again.


    The little girl in his memory had simr eyes. She had said to him back then, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m right


    here. I¡¯ll get you out of here.¡±


    That little girl had really done it. She had gotten him out step by step and escaped from that dangerous


    ce.


    Little Lucas had thought that she would leave him alone after he had sprained his foot, but she had


    picked him up and insisted on taking him with her.


    The hope that glimmered in despair was a feeling he would never forget.


    Standing beside Lucas, Aria felt uneasy seeing Lucas¡® intent gaze on Serenity. ¡°Luras,¡± she eximed.


    Aria was surprised to see Serenity¡¯s look today. Aria had initially thought that her mutht was enough to


    put her at the center of attention. After all, she had a pretty luxurious dress, expensive and better than


    many otherdies.


    Unfortunately, Serenity seemed to shine more than her. Aria had a sour feeling as she looked at


    Serenity¡¯s outfit. She felt ufortable seeing Serenity back in the limelight. Serenity was shining


    again, just like the promisingwyer she was before, while Aria seemed like a small¨Ctime actress


    again.

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    This feeling was something Aria had not felt in a very long time. When she found out Serenity was


    dating Jackson, she did not feel Serenity was above her. After all, she was officially Lucas¡® girlfriend.


    However, she felt Serenity had outssed her this


    time


    Lucas returned to his senses and greeted Serenity. ¡°What a coincidence. We meet again.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Serenity greeted him with a simple response.


    Lucas turned his gaze to Jackson. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here today.¡±


    ¡°I brought Serenity here to meet people. After all, she¡¯ll eventually get to know them,¡± Jackson replied


    tly, his words overloaded with information.


    Aria was shocked to hear that. What did he mean? Did he just mention that Serenity would eventually


    get to know some of them? Could it be. What was Jackson hinting at? Was he nning to marry


    Serenity someday?!


    Jealousy rose as Aria thought about this. Despite that, she put on a smile and greeted, ¡°Serenity! It¡¯s


    been a long time. Speaking of which, I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you and apologize for the matterst


    time. Mom and Dad had done something wrong out of good intentions. They probably misunderstood


    you and said the wrong thing at that moment. Please don¡¯t mind them. Dad really misses you a lot. If


    you have time, you shoulde home to see Dad.¡±


    Ana spoke with humility as if everything that had happened was just a misunderstanding.


    Serenity¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. After all, you had nothing to do with it,


    right? What do you need to apologize for?


    Serenity was not too harsh on Aria, but her words made Aria a little speechless. Aria could only put on


    a pitiful look as a reply.


    Meanwhile, Lucas nced at Aria with a frown. He had no idea what the sisters were talking about, but


    it was clearly


    unpleasant


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    ¡°Alright. You must be tired.¡± Jackson turned his head to Serenity and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go over there to


    get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Serenity responded with the sweetest smile.


    Serenity¡¯s smile was stunning, and Lucas stared on nkly, still stunned by her smile.


    ast as Serenity was about to walk away, Lucas reached out almost uncontrobly and grabbed


    Serenity¡¯s wrist.


    Serenity stopped in her tracks and turned around with a strange look on her face. She saw Lucas¡® hand


    grabbing her wrist and shifted her gaze to Lucas. ¡°Mr. Gomez?¡±


    Lucas finally came out of his trance. What was wrong with him?


    The woman in his sight was not the one he was looking for, but just as she was about to leave, her


    smile had taken him back to the past again. The little girl in his memory had smiled, saying they would


    meet again, telling him to get well soon. However, the moment he had let go of her hand, they had


    never seen each other again.


    He lost count of how many times he had tried to grab her hand, unwilling to let go, and how many times


    he regretted letting go after waking up from the dream Why had he let go of her back then? If he had


    not let go of her, he would not be struggling


    In his search for her.


    Lacas knew it was time to let go, but hits hand would not listen. His hand seemed to act on its own will,


    still holding Serenity¡¯s hand and not wanting to let go.


    Just then, a strong hand grabbed Lucas¡® wrist.


    ¡°Lucas, you¡¯d better let go. I don¡¯t like seeing another man holding my girlfriend.¡± Jackson¡¯s warning


    was cold, his eyes


    hostile.


    Lucas had known Jackson for years and naturally knew his nature.


    Jackson might look cold and usually unconcerned, but not this time. His eyes were icily cold. Also,


    Lucas could feel the pain in

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    Lucas had a feeling that Jackson would break his wrist if he refused to let go.


    There was no need to fight with Jackson over a woman. Besides, Serenity was not t had already


    figured that out before, no?


    the one he was looking for. Lucas thought he


    Lucas¡® eyes darkened, but he loosened his grip, and Serenity¡¯snd was instantly free.


    ¡°My apology. I must¡¯ve lost myposure. Ms. Lewis reminded me of an old friend,¡± Lacas exined.


    ¡°She¡¯s not your old friend. Don¡¯t lose yourposure again,¡± Jackson warned coldly. Then, he took


    Serenity¡¯s hand and left.


    Lucas¡® yrs were glued to Serenity¡¯s figure, and there was an unfathomable dackness in his eyes.


    Meanwhile, Ana almost wanted to scream from beside Lucas.


    ¡®She isn¡¯t?! Well.. She probably is! Aria thought. Assuming that the painting she had seen in Lucas¡®


    studio was the old friend he missed. Aria was almost certain that Serenity was the one he had been


    looking for.


    The dress Serenity was wearing, the little girl in the painting, and the silver bracelet Lucas held so dear.


    Aria vaguely remembered them all. She could match them to the young Serenity, but she would never


    tell. She would bury this secret in her heart forever.


    ¡°Lucas, didn¡¯t you promise to introduce me to a couple more producers today?¡± Aria spoke, breaking


    the silence.


    §¤§Ý§à§Ô§Ñ§ñ,


    Lucas gave the woman standing beside him a t look. The darkness in his eyes faded, returning to his


    usual aloofness. He chuckled, ¡°Okay, let me show you around first.¡±


    With that, Lucas led Aria toward the other side. Aria held Lucas¡® arm, but an indescribable uneasiness


    rose in her heart


    Aria was supposed to be his girlfriend. She was so close to him, but he seemed so distant because of


    the coldness he exuded.


    Aria swore to herself. She would eventually make Lucas submit to her! She would be sessful one


    day, and she would be better than everyone else!


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Jackson led Serenity to a quiet area.


    ¡°Tired? Have a seat,¡± Jackson said, sitting her on the couch.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied. She was just a little nervous because she had not participated in such a function


    for a long while. She had even gotten slightly worried when Lucas had suddenlye out of nowhere


    earlier.


    ¡°Want something to eat?¡± Jackson inquired.


    Before Serenity could answer, a man came over and greeted, ¡°Jackson! This must be your girlfriend.


    Care to introduce her?¡±


    Serenity looked up and saw a man about Jackson¡¯s age. He was suited up, but he looked friendly with


    a bright smile spread across his baby face.


    Jackson nced at the other guy before he turned to Serenity. ¡°Meet Caleb Moss, a friend of mine.¡±

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    Serenity was surprised. Jackson seldom introduced another person as a friend. Perhaps he shared a


    close rtionship with Caleb Moss.


    Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Serenity,¡± Serenity humbly introduced herself.


    ¡°Hello! I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you, but I didn¡¯t have the chance,¡± Caleb said, smiling. He had


    always been curious about the woman who had captured his best friend¡¯s heart.


    Caleb remembered the night of New Year¡¯s Eve. To save Serenity, his best friend had left Master Zack


    behind and gone to the town next door with a group of police officers. How could Caleb not be shocked


    and curious?


    Caleb was finally meeting Serenity in person. He did not find her stunningly beautiful, but she seemed


    very approachable andfortable to be with.


    Jackson seemed a little more rxed than usual being with Serenity.


    Caleb immediately realized why his best friend was attracted to Serenity. Men in their circle were so


    used to their environment, usually surrounded by fake people. They held powerful positions, but a small


    mistake could lead to their downfall. Although they looked rxed most of the time, these people


    always led a stressful life.


    Serenity¡¯s rxed and peaceful demeanor made it all the more precious.


    ¡°Right. When I was walking over here, some people over there were discussing this year¡¯s online trend.


    Want to join them?¡± Caleb asked Jackson. The names he mentioned were all big names in the


    technology industry.


    Serenity knew some of the names. They were people she would not have normallye into contact


    with. However, she was now in the same function as them.


    Jackson seemed interested. He turned to Serenity and inquired, ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll skip. I wouldn¡¯t understand much, anyway. Go on. I¡¯ll have a rest here,¡± Serenity rejected.


    ¡°Alright, Jackson answered with a nod. ¡°What about the food¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help myself. Rx,¡± Serenity smiled sweetly.


    Caleb was shocked by his friend¡¯s new behavior. He had known Jackson since he was a child, Jackson


    was acting like a mom, telling Serenity not to take the wine because of the high alcohol content, to be


    careful while walking, and not to fall If she did not want to get it herself, she could ask the waiter..


    Caleb almost thought he was just someone who looked like the proud Jackson he knew.


    The new Jackson was so nervous about Serenity¡¯s well¨Cbeing, afraid she would choke on her food or


    trip while walking. It was as if Jackson wished he could hold Serenity in the palm of his hand.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Anyone else who saw this would probably widen their eyes in surprise. Mr. Valor, the notoriously hard¨C


    to¨Cplease man in Sria, Treated Serenity like his most precious treasure, almost like he was trying to


    serve her. He had never treated another


    woman like this before


    The two men then walked away from Serenity. After they had left, Caleb asked, ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you


    with a woman. Are you in love


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jackson admitted honestly.


    Caleb went wide¨Ceyed at Jackson¡¯s answer. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Jackson shot Caleb an impassive look. ¡°Why would I lie?¡±


    Caleb gulped at Jackson¡¯s answer.

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    Gich swallowed the saliva that was starting to rise up from his throat.


    ¡®Okay,¡± he thought, ¡®it looks like this woman called Serenity Lewis that I just met might very likely marry


    into the Valor family one day and be Mrs. Valor.¡±


    ¡°She seems to be a very lucky woman,¡± Caleb muttered,


    ¦§


    ¡°No,¡± Jackson denied in a soft voice, ¡°I¡¯m the lucky one.¡±


    Or to put it more precisely, it was her misfortunes that had turned him into a lucky man. Had that car


    crash not happened back then, perhaps Serenity would already be married to Zeke Shaw and have


    had kids with Zeke by now, and she would never be caught in the terrible situation she was in when


    she had first met Jackson.


    And he would then never discover the bliss he would feel whenever he was with her.


    Caleb was stunned when he heard this. At that moment, he had a hunch that Serenity already had


    Jackson wrapped around her finger!


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity took a ss of champagne from the waiter and sipped it. Because it was low in alcohol and


    had a fruity taste, she found drinking it quite pleasurable. Still, she had to be careful not to drink too


    much champagne because for a light drinker like her, even a drink with such low alcoholic content as


    this could very easily get her drunk


    As she sipped on the champagne, she scanned her surroundings. All around her were the sounds of


    clinking wine sses and a magnificent scene of sessful people intertwining with each other. In the


    past, she would fit right in such a scene. She used to chat it up with various people in the upper crust of


    society, trying to make more connections so that it would help her career in the future.


    In fact, she would take great care to dress up very nicely back then whenever she would attend


    functions like this besides also making sure to do her best when she was having conversations with the


    elites. This was because she did not want to embarrass Zeke when she stood by his side as his


    companion for these functions.


    But now, looking back, all those things seemed to have happened a whole different lifetime ago.


    Suddenly, a group of women approached Serenity, and one of them asked, ¡°You¡¯re Jackson Valor¡¯s


    partner today, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Serenity looked up. She recognized these women. They were all members of Sria¡¯s high society. In


    fact, she had seen them gracing the covers of gossip magazines before. But that was not the reason


    why she recognized them. Instead, it was because she used to gather as much information on all the


    important figures of Srian society as she possibly could when she was Zeke¡¯s girlfriend in order not


    to embarrass him.


    That was how she knew that among the three women in front of her, one was the granddaughter of the


    Jewelry King of Sria, one was the daughter of the Chairman of Sria¡¯s famous convenience store


    chain, and one was the granddaughter of the owner of Sria¡¯s most prestigious five¨Cstar hotel.


    But the most famous one among them was, of course, the granddaughter of the Jewelry King of


    Sria, Zandra Lane. She was not just exceptionally beautiful, but also undeniably charismatic. She


    had many potential suitors, but she seemed uninterested in any of them.


    In fact, Zandra had once told the media, ¡°I¡¯m only interested in the best man in the work, of course. I


    simply have no time for anything less.¡±


    At the time, it was much spected in the media that the man Zandra was referring to was none other


    than Jackson Valor, but shortly afterward, Jackson had gotten engaged in Mira Hall, so all the rumors


    about the possible rtionship between Jackson and Zandra had fizzled out and was never mentioned


    again.


    The thought of Mira Hall instantly brought a heavy gloom thatng over Serenity¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she stood up and answered, ¡°Lan


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    2/2


    She knew at a nce that these three women had note to her with good intentions.


    ¡°My name is Zandra Lane. What¡¯s yours?¡±


    Zandra spoke with a sweet smile on her face, almost as if she was eager to make Serenity her new


    friend.


    But Serenity was not fooled by this, of course. She was certain that making friends was thest thing


    on Zandra¡¯s mind right now. Nevertheless, in such a situation, she could not possibly refuse to answer


    her, so she politely replied, ¡°Serenity Lewis.¡±

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    Chapter 518


    ¡°By the way,¡± said Zandra, ¡°We¡¯ve been wondering about the nature of the rtionship between you


    and Jackson Valor. Why don¡¯t you tell us about it? You don¡¯t mind satisfying our curiosity, do you?¡±


    Serenity smiled gently and replied, ¡°This is a private matter. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to talk about it


    here.¡±


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    The looks on the three women¡¯s faces changed abruptly when they heard this. Julia Wayne, the


    daughter of the Chairman of a convenience store chain, blurted out, ¡°What¡¯s so inappropriate about it?


    Is it because you¡¯re hiding something humiliating? Is that why you¡¯re so reluctant to speak about it?¡±


    Serenity¡¯s expression darkened. Sure enough. It had finally happened. She had been trying her best to


    avoid such a situation, yet there was no way to escape it now.


    The hotel owner¡¯s granddaughter, Yuna Keller, kept staring at Serenity¡¯s face with a slight frown, almost


    as if she was deep in her thoughts.


    Julia then continued aggressively, ¡°You didn¡¯t use some sly schemes to seduce Jackson Valor, did


    you?¡±


    Serenity pursed her lips and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s somewhere else I need to be. Please


    excuse me.¡±


    She then prepared to leave. These women were obviously here to find fault with her. Things would only


    get more and more awkward for her the longer she stayed here, so the best thing to do now would just


    be to leave.


    But they would not let her leave.


    Julia stood in front of her and blocked her way, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Can¡¯t you just answer our


    question before you go? If it¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about and if you¡¯ve got nothing to hide, why


    don¡¯t you just say it?¡±


    Serenity looked up and eyed the woman in front of her. She knew then that there was no good way to


    end this situation, and since she could neither run nor hide from them, all she could do now was to face


    them head¨Con


    ¡°You¡¯re Miss Julia Wayne, correct? Isn¡¯t your family¡¯s convenience store chain being investigated by the


    Tax Bureau for tax evasiontely? Why don¡¯t you tell everyone what¡¯s really going on? Is it true that


    your family has been evading taxes? If it¡¯s just a misunderstanding, then why don¡¯t you exin to


    everyone what caused this mix¨Cup? By the way, I¡¯ve also heard that the officials investigating this


    matter seem to have a particrly friendly connection with your family. Would you mind. enlightening


    us about the true nature of this connection? If it¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, surely you wouldn¡¯t


    mind sharing it with everyone?¡±


    Julia¡¯s expression turned ugly as she listened to Serenity¡¯s barrage of words. The truth was that


    nothing could be more humiliating to her family at the moment than to have their tax evasion scandal


    exposed to the public. It was precisely the thing that her family had been trying to sweep under the rug


    and conceal from the rest of the work.


    In fact, she had attended this banquet today with a clear purpose in mind¨Cto ask for Zandra and Yuna¡¯s


    families¡® help because both of their families had key connections within the Tax Bureau. If they were


    willing to help, her family could easily avert a possible disaster.


    But how could she possibly just blurt out all these things in public after what Serenity had just said?!


    ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡± she yelled, staring daggers at Serenity, feeling severely offended. ¡°How


    dare you ask me all these questions?!¡±


    ¡°Then who do you think you are?¡± Serenity sneered, ¡°I must say that you¡¯ve got a clear double


    standard. If you¡¯re unwilling to speak, then what right do you have to demand me to talk about my


    private matters?¡±


    ¡°You¡± Julia bad only been used to people ttering ber and praising her. She had never been treated


    this way before. Enraged, she raised a hand and was ready to p Serenity, but Serenity effortlessly


    shoved her hand away.


    Serenity then turned on her heels and prepared to leave. If she stayed any longer, she was sure to be


    caught in a humiliating scene. But just then, Yuna Keller, who had been silent up to this point, suddenly


    yelled, ¡°I remember it now! She¡¯s Zeke Shaw¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend! The one who went to prison for killing Mira


    Hall, Jackson Valor¡¯s former fiancee, in a car crash¡­¡±


    Even as she spoke, Yuna found it all extremely hard to believe. How could the murderer who had killed


    Mira Hall end up together with Jackson Valor?!

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    1/1


    Julia and Zandra were both shocked as well


    Julia suddenly burst outughing and said, ¡°I was wondering what kind of a woman you were! So, it


    turns out that you¡¯re a murderer! Does Jackson Valor know that you¡¯re the one who killed Mira Hall?TM


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    At the moment, Julia just could not wait to see what Serenity would look like when Jackson finally


    realized that she was the culprit involved in that car crash all those years ago. She firmly believed that


    there was no way Jackson already knew about this. Otherwise, there was simply no way that he would


    let Serenity so openly attend this function as his morouspanion!


    Zandra pursed her lips and smiled before saying, ¡°By the way, I think Zeke is here right now as well. I


    just saw him with Jenny Hall. Why don¡¯t we let the former couple meet each other?¡±


    Hearing this, Julia was now even more spirited. She craned her neck and looked around.


    Coincidentally, Zeke and Jenny were not far from them at all, so she cried out to them, ¡°Zeke! Your ex¨C


    girlfriend¡¯s here! Why don¡¯t youe over and have a chat with her?¡±


    Because her voice was so loud, not only did Zeke hear her, but everyone else in the area did so very


    clearly as well. And so, the eyes and attention all shifted toward them. It was clear that Julia was doing


    this to humiliate Serenity publicly


    Julia¡¯s voice startled Zeke. When he turned to look at where the voice came from, he caught sight of


    Serenity d in a light purple dress, a sight which filled his eyes with bewilderment. She was a picture


    of refined elegance. Her delicate makeup and tasteful hairstyle made her look just like she did three


    and a half years ago.


    No, the truth was she looked even more stunning now. It was as if the passing of time had only


    enhanced her beauty. After enduring all the painful experiences, it seemed that her past enthusiasm


    was now slightly tamed, yet she now exuded a calm and serene aura that made anyone looking at her


    feel soothed and at ease.


    But¡­ what was Serenity doing here?! Could it be that Jackson had brought her here? If that was the


    case, then why was he not by her side?


    Those were the questions that raced through Zeke¡¯s mind.


    Meanwhile, when Jenny, who was right beside Zeke, noticed the look of surprise on her boyfriend¡¯s


    face, her eyes shed, and she smiled as she told Zeke, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go over there, Zeke.¡±


    Only then did Zeke regain his senses, and he answered Jenny with a brief, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The couple then headed toward Serenity. When Zele arrived in front of Serenity, a strained smile


    cropped up on his face, and he told her, ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you here.¡±


    ¡°There are so many more things to be surprised about, Zeke!¡±


    That was what Julia interjected with before Serenity could even speak. Then, as if hell¨Cbent on creating


    even more chaos, Julia added, ¡°It was Jackson Valor who brought your ex¨Cgirlfriend here today. I must


    say, Zeke, that it looks like your ex¨Cgirlfriend has found herself a much better catch after leaving you!¡±


    Julia only meant to mock Serenity when she said that, but when Jenny heard this, she instantly looked


    grim.


    Seeing this change in Jenny¡¯s expression, Zandra tried to smooth things over by hastily assuring


    Jenny, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind what Julia said, Jenny! She can be too blunt sometimes, and I¡¯m sure she


    didn¡¯t mean to belittle Zeke at all just now.¡±

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    1/1


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± echoed Yuna. ¡°It¡¯s all because of this woman¡¯s shamelessness! Who knows what kind of


    sly tactics she used to balt Jackson to be with her?! I¡¯m sure he had no idea about her being in prison!¡±


    There was a sh of surprise in both Jenny and Zeke¡¯s expressions when they heard this. Zeke was


    about to say something, but Jenny furtively tugged at him, signaling him not to say anything about it.


    Serenity could sense that more and more eyes were focused on them now. In fact, after hearing what


    Julia had said just now, many people had turned to stare at her with looks of shock, some even with


    disdain and mockery. They all seemed to regard her as a clown who was about to make a fool of


    herself in public.


    She sighed. It looked lilor she was about to embarrass Jack at this function today. After all, there was


    no way that she could ever change what had happened to her in the past.


    Not wanting to remain there as a clown for everyone tough at, she turned around and made up her


    mind to leave.


    But this time, she had barely taken two steps when her body froze in ce, which was then followed by


    the sound of something getting torn.


    She turned around and saw that Julia had stepped on the hem of her dress with her sharp stiletto heel,


    tearing parts of her dress. If she had not stopped in time, the whole dress might have been pulled


    down, and she would have ended up in a much more humiliating situation.


    Julia smiled an artificial smile that showed how satisfied she was with herself before apologizing in an


    exaggerated manner,¡± Ah, I¡¯m so sorry! I must¡¯ve identally stepped on your dress! How about this¨C


    why don¡¯t you go get this dress mended, and I¡¯ll pay for the fees myself? Oh, but in any case, I don¡¯t


    think you¡¯ll have any reason to put on this dress anymore, so it¡¯d only bra waste of time!¡±


    Serenity merely stared coldly at Julia. The look she gave even gave Julia goosebumps. It looked like


    this situation did not embarrass Serenity at all. In fact, it was Julia who felt like she had made a


    complete fool of herself, while Serenity remained dignified like a princess.


    ¡®Hmph!¡® Julia silently thought. ¡®A princess?! But she¡¯s just a woman who has been in prison before!¡±


    As Julia saw the look in Serenity¡¯s eyes, she was filled with a sense of malicious disdain.


    Meanwhile, Zandra and Yuna, who were standing aside, were both smiling with pursed lips. It was


    obvious that they were enjoying this scene which must be mortifying for Serenity.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    A look of anger shed through Zeke¡¯s eyes. Although he used to me Serenity countless times


    before for having been involved in that car crash which very nearly threw the Shaw family into hot


    water, at the end of the day, Serenity was still the


    woman that he used to love!


    However, he was with Jenny today, so he simply could not do anything for her now.


    Just then, the figure of a man came into his view. In the past, the sight of this man always filled Zeke


    with a sense of dread and terror, yet now, he felt inexplicably relieved to see him. Perhaps it was


    because henew that at this moment, this man was Serenity¡¯s most reliable protector.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± a voice asked. Serenity turned around and saw Jackson heading toward her with


    Caleb Moss in tow.


    As he neared her, he saw Julia¡¯s foot on the hem of Serenity¡¯s dress, which was already tom. He


    immediately figured out what was going on, and his face turned dangerously dark.


    Sensing this change, Julia awkwardly lifted her foot and was about to exin herself, but before she


    could open her mouth, Jackson had raised his hand and shoved her away. At that point, she still had


    not got a firm foothold on the ground, so she staggered uncontrobly and fell t on her butt.


    Jackson turned to Serenity and asked, ¡°What happened?TM

 Chapter 521

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    Chapter 521


    They just said some things to me, and my dress got stepped on, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Serenity had no desire to pour her heart out about all her grievances right here and now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she continued. ¡°I¡¯m afraid bringing me here with you today has turned out to be.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to apologize for,¡± he interrupted her. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should¡¯ve taken better care


    of you and not let you get dragged into this kind of situation.¡±


    As he spoke, he knelt and tied up the torn ends of her dress into a knot so that it would not drag along


    the floor, just in case she tripped on it and fell.


    Everyone around them gasped the moment Jackson went down on his knees. None of them would


    have thought that the most powerful man in Sria would kneel before a woman like that.


    Once he was done tying up the loose ends of her dress, he raised his chin to look up at Serenity and


    asked, ¡°Are you hurt anywhere on your body?¡±


    At that point, he was on his knees, loolding up at her as she stood and looked down at him. The


    moment their eyes met, Serenity suddenly felt as if she had conquered him, and he was surrendering


    at her feet.


    ¡®Goodness!¡¯ Serenity thought to herself. ¡®What on earth am I thinking?!¡¯


    And so, she shook her head and replied, ¡°No.¡±


    But Serenity was not the only one who felt that way. In fact, anyone who saw them then all had simr


    feelings. Who would have thought that the proud and haughty jackson Valor, who was almost as


    powerful as a deity, would ever kneel in front of someone they all regarded as an inconsequential


    woman, almost as if he was hurnbling himself before her?


    Could this really be Jackson Valor?!


    Julia, who was struggling to get back up on her feet in embarrassment, was in utter disbelief. How


    could Jackson Valor be so humble and gentle with a woman who had been in prison before?!


    Impossible! This must prove that the woman had hidden the fact that she used to be in jail! Jackson


    must have absolutely no clue about her past! That must be it!


    ¡°Mr. Valor!¡± [u suddenly yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by this woman! She¡¯s been in prison before, and she


    was the one who killed your former fiancee, Mira Hall, in a car crash?¡±


    As soon as she s pake, the air in the room froze instantly Jackson red coldly at her, making her feel


    extremely disconcerted. But how could that be? She was dearly exposing Serenity Lewis as the liar


    that she was, yet why was she the one feeling uneasy?! Why did Serenity not look scared or nervous at


    all? In fact, she was¡­ perfectly calm!


    Jackson merely red at Julia for a brief moment before he withdrew his gaze and stood back up.


    Then, before everyone eyes, he sconged Serenity up in his arms.


    Serenity let out a soft gasp before instinctively wrapping her arms around Jackson¡¯s neck


    She bit her lips lightly and told him, ¡°But¡­ But my feet aren¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he replied, though he showed no sign of putting her down. He merely tuned to Caleb and said,


    ¡°Tay leaving now,


    Caleb¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Caleb hastily replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He then watched in shock as Jackson walled out of the banquet hall with Serenity In his armasN?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

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    Serenity Lewis was the driver who had caused Mira Hall¡¯s death back then, yet she was now with


    Jackson Valor! These were the two people most unlikely to end up together, yet that was exactly what


    had happened right now. Who would have thought?! Thud!


    Caleb heard the sound of something heavy crashing to the floor. He turned around and saw Ju sitting


    on the floor after falling when her legs had failed her. He looked at her with sympathy in his eyes. It


    seemed that the Wayne family would be in big trouble now, and Julia would most likely be banned from


    this social circle from now on


    After all, Jackson had never been a generous and forgiving man.


    Even Zandra Lane and Yuna Keller were now ovee with a tide of fear, especially Zandra. No


    matter how hard it was for her to ept what had just happened, she still could not suppress the fear


    that was showing in her eyes.


    Judging by the way Jackson had reacted just now, it was clear that he already knew everything about


    Serenity¡¯s past, which meant that what Julia had done was simply suicidal. Besides the way Jackson


    had knelt down in front of Serenity earlier¡­ That was a kind of treatment no other woman had ever


    received from him before! Not even Mira Hall!


    Zandra felt a wave of jealousy when she thought of this, but she was still grateful that at the very least,


    the one who would be med today was Julia, not her!


    Just then, Julia suddenly came back to her senses and turned to Zandra and Yuna with a pleading look


    before saying, ¡°Zandra, Yuna, you guys must help me! 1.. I did all those things to Serenity Lewis


    because of you two


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Yuna hastily countered, trying hard to separate herself from Julia. ¡°We


    never told you to do anything like that!¡±


    ¡°How could you say that?!¡± Julia was then so panicked that her face was flushed red. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t


    brought up that Serenity used to be in prison, I would¡¯ve never known anything about it!¡±


    ¡°I was only mentioning something I remembered!¡± Yuna hurriedly argued. ¡°I never intended for you to


    announce it to everyone like that!¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Enraged, Julia then turned to Zandra and pleaded, ¡°Zandra¡­¡±


    Among the three of them, Zandra was the one most interested in Jackson. If Julia had not nned to


    tter Zandra so that she could persuade her to help her family, she would never have been so


    aggressive toward Serenity.


    ¡°Julia,¡± Zandra said with a look of embarrassment, ¡°you were just too impulsive just now. How about


    this? Why don¡¯t you find an opportunity to apologize to Mr. Valor and Miss Lewis? Who knows, perhaps


    you might still be able to turn things around, and everything will be fine.¡±


    Apologize?!


    Julia could almost throw up when she heard Zandra say that. This clearly meant that she was trying to


    distance herself from her and wash her hands clean of the matter! It was clearly all three of them who


    had started it, yet she was the only one to bear the consequences in the end?!


    Julia jumped up to her feet in fury and shrieked, ¡°You¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t like that woman! You¡¯re the


    one who dragged me to her and made me act like the viin! And now, you¡¯re just going to wipe your


    hands clean of everything?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re speaking nonsense!¡± Zandra shouted back at her.


    ¡°Nonsense?¡± Julia countered angrily. ¡°Oh, so you and Yuna are going to make me the scapegoat then,


    huh?!¡±


    And so, the three women started to bite and bark at each other lile dogs, turning into the biggest joke at


    the function that day.


    Meanwdaile, Jenny Hall¡¯s lips curled up into a cold, mirtless sulle. Apologize?! Hmph! If Jackson Valor


    would ept apologies so easily, her family¡¯s shopping mall would never have ended up getting


    demolished so easily like that!


    Earlier, those three women had tried to drag Zeke into their face just so they could humiliate Serenity,


    but they never considered that by doing that, Jenny would be put into an awkward situation as well


    because she was now Zeke¡¯s girlfriend.


    2/2


    That was precisely why she had deliberately restrained Zeke from letting them know that Jackson had


    long known about Serenity¡¯s past. And just as expected, that idiot, Julia, had fallen right into the trap


    and so eagerly made a disastrous blunder right in front of Jackson¡¯s eyes while she remained the


    innocent bystander in the crowd, enjoying the drama.

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    Chapter 523


    ¡°Zeke,¡± said Jenny, ¡°it¡¯s getting too stuffy in here. Come with me to the back garden. I need some fresh


    air.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zeke turned to his fiancee beside him with a conflicted look in his eyes.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you want me to speak back then?¡± he asked her in a voice so soft that only the two of them


    could hear it. ¡°Did you expect this to happen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jenny replied with a faint smile. ¡°Since someone is so eager to jump in front of the bullet,


    there¡¯s no point for us to stop her. Besides, now, another family apart from ours has offended Jackson


    Valor. In fact, she seems to have offended him much worse than we did.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Zeke stared at the smile on his fiancee¡¯s lips, and feelings of loss and gloominess arose in his heart.


    He felt as if he had truly lost something that he would never be able to get back. And now, all he could


    do was to be tied up forever with this woman in front of him¨Call for the benefit of their two families!


    Not far away from them, there was another man who had been watching themotion with a cold


    gaze.


    Lucas Gomez looked on with his key gaze at the three women pointing fingers at each other, pushing


    the me onto one another. Then, he raised his head and emptied the red wine in his ss in one


    gulp.


    Just now, when he saw that those three women were trying to turn Serenity into aughingstock amidst


    the crowd, he had the urge to step up and stop them, but just as he was about to step forward, Jackson


    had already appeared and was heading straight toward Serenity.


    It was then that he realized what a pointless and meaningless thing he was about to do. Serenity


    already had Jackson to protect her. There was simply no need for him to worry about her at all.


    As for those who were mocking her andughing at her, naturally, Jackson would also be settling his


    scores with them too.


    Besides, had he not already made up his mind not to get into a fight with Jackson just for that woman?


    Lucas lowered his eyes, and a smile cropped up on his lips¨Ca smile of self¨Cmockery.


    A, who was standing beside him, softly murmured, ¡°Lucas¡­¡±


    She felt as if he was getting further and further away from her. Or to be more precise, she realized that


    in truth, she had never gotten anywhere close to him at all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lucas muttered in a t voice. ¡°This party is too boring.¡±


    He then strode out of the function hall toward the exit.


    ¡°Aria cried in shock before hastily following behind Lucas.


    Jackson had now carried Serenity out of the function hall, so she told him, ¡°You can put me down now.


    I can walk¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked, looking down at her.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she bit her lips, feeling that they had attracted too much attention when Jackson carried her in


    his arms like this.


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    He put her down as she requested, then picked up his phone and called his driver, who had been


    waiting at the parking lot, toe pick them up here.


    At the moment, the area outside the function hall was nothing like the loud and lively atmosphere


    inside. Instead, it was all quiet and peaceful.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left you alone back there,¡± he murmured softly. ¡°It¡¯s my fault you were caught in that


    situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s totally fine,¡± Serenity smiled. ¡°After all, there are some things that can¡¯t be changed, no matter


    what. If no one brought up the fact that I¡¯d been in prison before today, someone else would eventually


    do so someday.¡±


    And as long as she stayed beside Jackson, someone would try to dig up her past and expose her. She


    only had to face those three women today, but she knew that she would have to face countless others


    In the future.

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    Chapter 524


    Jackson felt a pang of agony, almost as if someone had just stabbed him in the heart.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a pity that this dress got torn, Serenity said in a regretful tone. ¡°I only got to wear it once.¡±


    It really was too bad that there was such a huge gaping hole in such an exquisite dress. Even if she


    wanted it mended, she had no doubt that it would cost a lot of money and require a lot of specialized


    skills.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just buy you a new one,¡± replied jackson. ¡°The most important thing is that you¡¯re not hurt.¡±


    Serenity smiled and shook her head, telling him, ¡°But I¡¯m not hurt at all! I¡¯m not as fragile as you think I


    am, you know,¡±


    But her smile only made him feel more ill at ease. She was right. Although she might appear thin and


    weak, she had always been tenaciously fighting to survive. After spending a lot of time with her, he now


    understood more than anyone else in the world how strong she was,


    And yet, that was precisely why he was filled with even more guilt and regret. It was all because of his


    mistake that she had to toughen up her slender and delicate body when she should never have to be


    this strong at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Jackson suddenly blurted out.


    ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± asked Serenity, confused.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve acted quicker and found out the truth about what happened in that car crash so you could


    be exonerated sooner.


    ¡°But that car crash wasn¡¯t your fault at all!¡± she answered sincerely,pletely trusting him. ¡°Why do


    you need to apologize for it? The fact that you¡¯re willing to help me figure out the truth makes me happy


    enough!¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ||


    ¡®Really?¡± he murmured.


    He could not help himself from leaning down and kissing her on the lips. It was only through a kiss that


    he could express his guilt. It was only through a kiss that he could silently tell her how much he


    regretted his mistake.


    He would make sure that those who harmed her today would pay for what they did. He would make


    sure that no one would ever dare make hurtful remarks in front of her ever again.


    His kiss was both deep and exploratory. Serenity had no choice but to ept it, but his kiss was soon


    about to leave her out of breath. She struggled to try to remind him that they were still right outside the


    function hall where anyone could pass by them at any time!


    But every time she tried to say anything, his lips once again enveloped hers, swallowing her voice. Until


    eventually¡­ She ended up unable to utter aplete sentence and was forced to bepletely


    immersed in his passionate kiss, leaving her mind empty and unable to think coherently.


    Suddenly, Jackson slowly opened his eyes and nced in a certain direction, where Lucas and Aria


    were walking out from the function.


    And those two had obviously seen Jackson and Serenity kissing as well because they both had


    stopped abruptly in their tracks!


    Lucas¡¯s pupils shrank, and his whole body stiffened up. The hands that had been hanging by his sides


    quickly balled up into tight fists.


    Even he could not understand himself right now. How many times had he told himself not to care about


    Serenity anymore? Yet why did he have to react this way when he saw her kissing Jackson?


    Aria watched Serenity and Jackson with both envy and jealousy. Heavens only knew how she had


    never even once kissed Lucas before even though she had been his girlfriend for so long! Yet now,


    Serenity and Jackson were passionately kissing as if no one else in this world existed but the two of


    them!


    The sight made her grind her teeth with bitter contempt. She just could not figure out how a woman


    who had been in prison like Serenity could ever attract a man like Jackson Vallor!


    After a long while, the kiss finally ended. Serenity was panting heavily, but Jackson once again pulled


    her in and pressed her tightly against his chest.

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    Chapter 525


    ¡°Let me hug you for a while,¡± Jackson murmured tenderly. ¡°The driver will be here soon.


    He then nced at the woman in his arms before turning around to take a glimpse at Lucas, who was


    standing not far away, watching them.


    The two men¡¯s eyes met.


    Momentster, a ck car slowly drove up toward Jackson and Serenity. Jackson turned his gaze


    away and led Serenity into the car. Serenity turned around and climbed into the car, unaware that


    Lucas and Aria had been standing not too far away from them all along


    Aria pursed her red lips silently until the ck car disappeared on the h ao rizon. Only then did she


    raise her head and said, ¡°Lu¡­¡­


    ¦§


    But just as she opened her mouth, the rest of her words never escaped her throat as she noticed the


    expression of the man in front of her. Luc as ¡®s face, which had always been strikingly handsome,


    which had always looked cold and distant, now seemed to be in a violent struggle, almost as if Locas


    was trying his hardest to restrain his feelings, so much so that his elegant face


    was now distorted¡­


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Lucas obviously looked like a man who was trying his utter best to suppress his jealousy!


    When Serenity returned to the Valor Residence, Jackson quickly checked her whole body once more to


    make sure that she was not injured anywhere. Only then was he finally assured


    ¡°You should go and rest now,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re going to work tomorrow, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Serenity nodded. The restaurant would resume its business again tomorrow, and she would


    have to wake up early.¡± What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some work to do,¡± he told her. ¡°I¡¯ll go to bedter when I¡¯m done.¡±


    And so, Serenity took a shower and went straight to bed. Meanwhile, Jackson went to his study and


    gave his secretary, Connor Gunn, a call.


    ¡°Get me all the information you can get on the Wayne family that owns Wayne Convenience Store,¡± he


    ordered.


    ¡°The Wayne family? Connor asked, wondering how this family had offended his boss.


    As for Julia Wayne, the moment she got home, she told her family all about what just happened.


    Unsurprisingly, her parents were both in total shock while her older brother flew into a rage, yelling at


    her for being such a dimwitted m oron and scolding her for being so st upid as to offend Jackson Valor


    out of all people.


    They were even more enraged when they found out that she had done all of that for the sake of Zandra


    Lane, but in the end, Zandra hadpletely distanced herself from julia and washed her hands off the


    whole thing.


    The Wayne family had been in turmoiltely because of tax problems, and they were reluctant to attend


    the function because they were afraid that the reporters would be there and they would surely be


    hounded by them. That was why they had let Julia attend it alone-because she had little to nothing to


    do with the family business, and she might even be able to persuade her friends, Zandra and Yuna, to


    help the family as well. But who would have thought that things would end up in such a mess?!


    ¡°But I did all of that to help our family!¡± Julia argued. ¡°At worst, we¡¯ll just have to go meet Serenity Lewis


    and apologize to her.¡±


    She had a hunch that if she was able to meet Serenity and own up to her mistake in person, this whole


    matter might end, and everything would turn out fine.


    Mr. and Mrs. Wayne sighed and said, ¡°I guess that¡¯s what we¡¯ll have to do. We should prepare some


    expensive gifts and bring them along as well.¡±


    But when the Waynes got to the Valor Residence the next day, they were refused outright at the


    entrance. They were not even


    Chapter 525


    allowed to step


    step into the residence at all. It was the Valors¡¯ butler who came out and told them with a deadpan face,


    ¡°Mr. Valor is too busy to see you all.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re only here to offer these gifts as a token of our sincere apology, Mr. Wayne exined. ¡°It was


    all due to my daughter¡¯s recklessness that Miss Lewis was offended.¡±


    Mr. Wayne thought of how he was usually the one wi


    who b


    bossed everyone around and how he had never talked to any butler in such a humble tone before, but


    it was different this time, of course, since this was no ordinary butler, but the Valors¡¯ butler.


    ¡°Mr. Valor said that instead of wasting your time here, you should all go back and try to set your own


    affairs straight.¡±


    After finishing that sentence, the butler then turned around and went back inside the mansion after


    locking up the iron gate.

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    Chapter 526


    Mr. Wayne¡¯s expression turned severe, but Julia still went on to whine petntly, ¡°This must be


    Serenity Lewis¡¯s doing! She¡¯s showing off her power! What a wicked woman! Just because Jackson


    Valor is interested in her now doesn¡¯t mean that she can put on airs like that¡­¡±


    But Mr. Wayne¡¯s unease only grew stronger and stronger. Perhaps this matter might not resolve quite


    so easily as he thought. ¡°Dad,¡± said Julia with a pout, ¡°since they say they¡¯re too busy right now, let¡¯s


    just go home.¡±


    But just as soon as she had finished her sentence, Mr. Wayne¡¯s phone rang. He answered it and


    shortly after, all the color was drained from his face, and he broke out in cold sweat.


    Julia was puzzled when she saw how crestfallen her father seemed after hanging up the phone, so she


    asked him, ¡°What¡¯s Wrong, Dad?¡±


    As a reply, her father raised his hand and pped her hard on the face.


    ¡°This is all your fault!¡± he yelled. ¡°Because of you, our whole family is done for!¡±


    The tax evasion scandal could no longer be concealed from the public now. That call earlier was from


    an important connection in the Tax Bureau, someone he had managed to build a friendship with after


    much effort, yet that person had just informed him that his case would be investigated thoroughly, and


    no one would be able to intercede it no matter what.


    The problem was not merely limited to taxes and fines. Once all the taxes and fines were paid, the


    cash flow in thepany would suddenly be cut off, and with that problem came a whole host of other


    problems for thepany¡¯s smooth operation.


    Perhaps the only way to keep thepany afloat for now was to take out a bank loan, but the problem


    was.. was any bank ever going to lend them a loan at this point? Mr. Wayne suddenly thought of what


    the butler had just told them.


    Jackson Valor¡­ Had he figured out beforehand that the Wayne family was about to fall into such a


    crisis? Or was he¡­ actually the onemandeering everything behind the screen?!


    ay thew C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    After all, that connection of his had once told him that he could


    problems for half a month longer, so as long as he could find someone to help him within this half a


    month, there was still a chance to turn things around.


    But now, that chance seemed pretty impossible.


    Mr. Wayne only wished he could strangle his daughter¡¯s throat right now. What a st upid girl! The whole


    family was about to crash into oblivion all because of her!


    Meanwhile, back inside the Valor Residence, Serenity was all cozied up on the couch in the living room


    watching a new television series,pletely oblivious to the chaos outside. The television set here was


    as big as a small theater screen, so it felt like she was watching a movie in the cinema.


    She had been feeling much better ever since returning to work at the restaurant these past few days


    because Yanny¡¯s operation had gone very well and the boy had since made wonderful progress, so


    much so that even she could notice the rapid progress he made every single day.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a good mood,¡± Jackson observed as he entered the living room and joined her


    on the couch.


    He had instructed his staff not to let Serenity know that the Waynes had just been here earlier. To him,


    this was nothing but a minor inconvenience, too inconsequential a thing to spoil her good mood over.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she smiled before sharing with Jackson what had been cheering her up so much. ¡°Do you


    know that Yanny doesn¡¯t even need to read my lips anymore? He could just listen to me and make out


    what I say now! He¡¯s clearly a genius!


    ¡°Genius?¡± Jackson snorted good-humoredly when he heard this. ¡°I guess he¡¯s not that different from


    his father.¡±


    His father? This shocked Serenity. Her eyes widened, and she asked him, ¡°Do you know who Yanny¡¯s


    father is?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Jackson readily admitted.


    Serenity was stunned. Ever since she had started working in the restaurant, she had been curious


    about who Yanny¡¯s father


    2/2


    could be and why he had never shown up by ra¡¯s side. In fact, some of her colleagues had secretly


    spected that perhaps ra had gotten pregnant out of wedlock.

 Chapter 527

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    Chapter 537


    Serenity had thought about it before. Just what sort of person could knock up ra and force her to


    have his child despite not being married?


    Given the circumstances, the only exnation why ra had chosen to bear his child instead of


    aborting it was because she loved him.


    ¡°How¡­ how did you know?¡± asked Serenity with surprise.


    Jackson gently brushed a strand of hair back over her ear. ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t care about your


    workce? Since you decided to stay with them, it¡¯s only natural that I ran a check on the people


    working there.


    Serenity swallowed the knot that was stuck in her throat as she stared dumbfoundedly at him. She


    knew he was obsessive, but not to this extent.


    Seeing her remainpletely silent, a slight frown appeared on Jackson¡¯s face. With a tinge of


    sadness in his eyes, he asked, What, you don¡¯t like what I¡¯m doing? Do you think I¡¯m spying on you?¡±


    Serenity shook her head. ¡°No, I understand you¡¯re just worried about my safety.¡±


    Jackson was surprised by her response. So, she understood! The gloominess in his eyes dissipated


    and was reced by a joyful look


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ what sort of person is Yanny¡¯s father?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°It¡¯s Wilson Birch.¡±


    This left Serenity dumbfounded once more. She heard him utter that name clearly, but¡­.


    Was Jackson really referring to the Wilson Birch in her mind?!


    ¡°Judging from your reaction, you seem to know who Wilson is.¡±


    To confirm her suspicion, she asked, ¡°Are you talking about the Wilson Birch? From the Birch Group?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him,¡± replied Jackson.


    Serenity pondered in silence. She knew Wilson from back when she was still awyer. She


    remembered a senior colleague mentioning a case in which Wilson had served as a key witness,


    whose testimony ultimately led to a sessful conviction.


    The defendant was


    Serenity felt a chill run down her spine when the surname of the defendant shed through her mind. If


    her memory served her right, the person¡¯s surname was ¡°Wells¡±.


    Could it be a mere coincidence? Or perhaps the defendant really was ra? The mere idea of such a


    possibility made Serenity tense up.


    She bit her lip nervously and nced up at Jackson. ¡°Then.. do you remember if Wilson testified in


    court.


    Before she could end her sentence, Jackson responded. ¡°Back then, ra Wells was sentenced to 3


    years and 6 months imprisonment as a result of Wilson¡¯s testimony.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s heart was suddenly seized with pain. As if Wilson¡¯s testimony wasn¡¯t bad enough, to add


    insult to injury, forced to bear his child.


    ¡°Then, do you know what was the reason behind ra¡¯s trial and subsequent imprisonment?¡± asked


    Jackson.


    she was


    He was surprised that Serenity knew Wilson had testified against ra in court. Now that he thought


    about it, it made sense given she had still been awyer then. What¡¯s more, thewsuit between


    Wilson and ra had been quite a sensation in the city.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

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    Serenity nodded and fell silent. She knew ra, being a single mother, was someone with a past.


    However, she never expected it would turn out to be this.


    A woman imprisoned by the father of her own child. Few people could bear that level of humiliation.


    Despite what had happened, ra still managed to open a small restaurant while raising Yanny.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you feeling sorry for ra?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°I feel like life has been terribly unfair to her,¡± murmured Serenity in response.


    Jackson observed the worried expression on her face. Was she worried about ra? Or was


    something else bothering her mind?


    In the past, she only had to worry about her grandmother, Lisa. Now, it seemed that more and more


    people were upying her mind. A feeling of jealousy surged in his heart.


    Jackson was well aware that Serenity¡¯s worries had nothing to do with romantic love, but the feeling of


    jealousy still gued


    him.


    Perhaps he cared too much about her emotions. Instead of devoting them to everyone, he wanted her


    emotions to be invested


    In him alone.


    ¡°I wonder if you¡¯d feel sad about me in the future?¡± asked Jackson out of the blue.


    Serenityughed awkwardly. ¡°Where did this questione from?¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°I¡¯m just curious. Would you? Or would you not?¡± He seemed insistent on


    hearing her answer.


    ¡°If something were to happen to you, of course I¡¯d be sad. This question ispletely unnecessary.


    That¡¯s why I pray that you¡¯ll stay safe and healthy forever,¡± replied Serenity.


    It sounded from her words as if she couldn¡¯t bear to imagine a scenario where something bad might


    happen to Jackson.


    It felt to her like the more she loved a person, the more she was worried about their safety. In a way,


    that worry made her less


    courageous.


    Having heard her reply, a smile appeared on his face. He raised her hand and kissed her palm


    repeatedly. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll try to make your wishe true. Nothing will happen to me.¡±


    His bewitching dark eyes gazed at Serenity firmly, making lier heart race. For a moment, she felt a


    desire to lose herself in his


    eyes.


    ¡°Do you love me? Serenity¡­¡± he whispered softly. His sweet words made it impossible to hold herself


    back. This time, he was talking to her as a man.


    As he leaned toward her, Serenity¡¯s gaze slowly swept across his face, Everything about him was


    perfect, as if he was an artwork, created for people to gaze at but never to touch.


    Yet now, Jackson was so near that she could feel his breath.


    ¡°I love you,¡± said Serenity.


    At the start of their rtionship, she couldn¡¯t exin what love meant to her. Now, not only did she


    understand what it meant, but she could feel herself fall deeper and deeper in love with him.


    After Zeke¡¯s betrayal, she thought she could never love someone so deeply again. As it turned out, that


    was just an illusion that she had created for herself.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

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    ¡°Say my name, Serenity. I want you to say my name..¡± urged jackson with his hua rse and seductive


    voice.


    ¡°Jack¡­¡±


    In the next second, he pressed his lips against hers, and he began kissing her passionately.


    The sound of her calling his name was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. In fact, he wanted to


    treasure it for the rest of his life.


    Recently, various news outlets across the city had begun reporting on the Wayne family¡¯s tax evasion


    scandal. While there was a half-hearted attempt to cover up the incident, it was now put on full disy


    for everyone to see.


    All the while, the Tax Bureau had gathered sufficient evidence of their tax evasion to bring awsuit


    against the Waynes.


    It was reported that the Waynes had paid back a considerable sum for their taxes and fines, which led


    to a severe restriction in their cash flow. Due to the incident, no bank was willing to give any loans to


    the Waynes as well.


    The Waynes, who once owned arge chain of convenience stores across the city, began to crumble.


    There was a likelihood that they might have to start to restructure their assets and get acquired by


    other businesses in the market.


    Everything happened so fast that the average citizen couldn¡¯t keep up with the development. There


    were even some who were skeptical that the Waynes could fall apart so quickly.


    However, those who were in the know, especially the prople who had attended the recent function, had


    already seen this


    coming.


    This was probably the oue of Julia insulting Serenity the other day. Her actions alone had brought


    down her entire family¡¯s legacy.


    Compared to her, Zandra and Yuna were merely reprimanded by their families, who themselves got offC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    lightly. While their businesses sullered a hit, it wasn¡¯t serious enough to shut down their operation.


    Naturally, both these girls still had a lingering fear that Jackson might still do something to them.


    Thankfully, because of Julia¡¯s ego, she was the one who had initiated the squabble with Serenity.


    Although they had indeed egged her on, they weren¡¯t directly involved in the confrontation.


    On the other end, a gloomy atmosphere gued the Waynes, Julia¡¯s elder brother pointed at her nose


    as he cursed her for bringing this disaster upon their family.


    Her parents went around to their friends, pleading for someone to help thern. However, their pleas went


    unanswered.


    Never in a million years would she have expected her family to be dragged down the gutter simply


    because she had decided to single out Serenity.


    ¡°There.. there must¡¯ve been a mistake! How could Jackson possibly do this over a woman?!¡± Julia


    muttered to herself.


    However, the facts were indisputable. Her friends were beginning to avoid hier already. Zandra and


    Yuna askle, the girls whom she called her ¡°besties¡± all disappeared overnight.


    Before leaving, one of them had said to her directly. ¡°Julia, you were way too lnquilsive. If a man like


    Jackson decided to bring ady to a social event, do you think he¡¯d be unaware of her background? A


    convict? Haha! She may be an unsightly stain, but Jackson can turn a homeless woman into a princess


    If he wanted to.¡±


    Ju was stunned when she heard those words. Indeed, she had forgotten the fact that Jackson was


    no ordinary person. How


    could lie not know about his own woman?


    ¡°Not to mention, the Halls didn¡¯t speak up about this, did they? So why were you so concerned?¡±


    questioned her friendl Wasn¡¯t Jenny present? Did you see her leap out of her seat and point at the


    girl?¡±

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    1/1


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that Mr. Gomez isn¡¯t interested in seeing anyone today. By ¡®anyone¡¯, I think he meant


    you as well, Ms. Lewis. You may try calling him. If he¡¯s willing to see you, I will let you in,¡± The se rvant


    said courteously.


    The politeness in his tone was betrayed by the contemptuous look in his eyes.


    While serving their family, he hade across plenty of women like Aria. Lucas had a string of ex-


    girlfriends who had tried desperately to get him to fall in love with them, but none were sessful.


    It appeared that Atia had the same intention as those girls, but like then, he remained unmoved. If she


    couldn¡¯t get him to fall for her, it was only a matter of time before she lost the mur of being Lucas¡¯


    girlfriend.


    She gritted her teeth as she red back at the ser vant. If Loras had agreed to meet her, she wouldn¡¯t


    havee to him in the first ce.


    At the vi, Lucas was in his art studio sketching the grown-up portrait of the little girl from his


    memories. The moment he finished his sketch, he realized how much she resembled Serenity.


    Lucas stared dumbfoundedly at the portrait as he set down his pencil


    He had to be going crazy! How could he have drawn a sketch of Serenity?! The only person in his


    imagination as he sketched was that little girl.


    Perhaps this mistake had happened because both of them shared certain simrities In their


    appearance.


    Maybe this was the reason behind his obsession with Serenity.


    Recently, every time he shut his eyes, he would see shbacks of Jackson kissing Serenity.


    Was she¡­ finally together with Jackson?


    He recalled how she hadn¡¯t struggled or resisted jackson¡¯s advances when Jackson had kissed her.


    Did that mean she had done It willingly?


    Lucas felt as if he had lost something precious¡­ or something inside his body had shattered into


    pieces. The thing which he had sought for so long was never to return to his side¡­


    His fingers gently caressed the canvas that stood before him. That smile of hers had long burned itself


    into his memory,


    The moment he had seen Jackson less her, he had felt extremely ufortable. He figured it was


    probably jealousy.


    Lucas¡¯ gaze grew distant and lost. Then, he instinctively leaned toward the painting and kissed the lips


    of the girl he had just


    sketched.


    Was this madness or mere confusion? Or perhaps¡­ his desire for her could no longer be contained.


    For him, the answer remained an unsolvable mystery.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

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    1/1


    Serenity learned of the Wayne family¡¯s tax evasion scandal from the news even though there were


    already reports in the past about the same issue. Given their financial capacity, it remained unclear


    whether they could recover from this incident.


    The Waynes had their own connections throughout the city. If they were willing to help and if Jackson


    refrained from pursuing the matter, there was still a chance that they could salvage their business.


    Whenever she asked Jackson about them, he would respond without hesitation, ¡°Julia mistreated you,


    so they deserved this.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s her problem, her family has nothing to¡­¡±


    ¡°Their business was already gued with issues in the first ce. What I did was merely highlight their


    ws in advance. What¡¯s more, the businessmen in this city are no fools. They were all waiting for an


    opportunity just like this to gain more market share in convenience stores across Shermal,¡± exined


    Jackson


    Serenity more or less understood what he was saying.


    She knew that Jackson didn¡¯tsh out at the Waynes just because Julia bad singled her out. Still, it


    also reminded the business- owningmunity in Shermal not to cross Serenity.


    Those who dared to bully her would be met with the same fate as the Waynes.


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m holding you back all the time, like you keep having to protect me,¡±ined Serenity


    while biting her lip.. The same thing had happened with the Hallsst time.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t protect you, who else would protect? Also, I don¡¯t feel held back by you at all,¡± replied


    Jackson. He raised his hand and gently stroked her lips. ¡°Stop biting your lips all the time. To be able to


    protect you, that¡¯s all I ever wished for.¡±


    He was d that she had epted his protection in the first ce. His worst fear was the day when


    this stopped being the case. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to be your protector for the rest of my life, is that okay?¡± Jackson was slightly bent over as he


    stared straight into her eyes. His voice sounded deep. Like the night breeze, it was cold but carried a


    lingering sense of desire.


    It left Serenity in a dazed state. At the moment, he seemed to have ced himself in an inferior


    position, praying for her approval.


    She should have been the one to thank him, but their positions were switched for some reason. How


    could she not love a man


    like that?


    ¡°Alright,¡± answered Serenity while blushing. A burning desire rose in her heart. She wondered if there


    woulde a day when she had to protect him.


    Rather than being in a superior position, she imagined them standing side-by-side against the odds


    and protecting each


    other.


    His lips gently pressed against hers, and his seductive voice whispered into her car, ¡°Serenity_¡±


    The only thing she could see was his dazzling eyes.


    They spent the night together.


    The next morning, Jackson asked if she could take the day off, but Serenity turned him down hastily.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried that the shop will be understaffed if you¡¯re not there, I can send someone to work in


    your stead,¡± he


    offered

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    1/2


    ¡°No you don¡¯t have to go that far.¡±


    Serenity was just a delivery driver. If news got out that the mighty Jackson Valor had to find a


    recement for her, a lot of jaws would drop to the floor.


    The me was still on him for being so enticing, which led to Serenity losing herself in his presence. At


    least she now understood how it felt to be in love with someone so attractive.


    ¡°Serenity? Serenity!¡± ra¡¯s voice sounded next to her ear, forcing her to snap out of her daydream.


    ¡°Huh?


    ? what¡¯s the matter, re?¡±


    ¡°I should be the one asking you that! You¡¯ve been staring off into space the whole day. Is something


    going on?¡± asked ra


    out of concern.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± replied Serenity. Despite her answer, her face was flushed red.


    ¡°Right, how is Mrs. Wells¡¯ leg?¡±


    Yesterday, ra¡¯s mother had fallen and injured her leg. Because ra had to send her to the hospital,


    their restaurant had to close early.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing too serious. The doctor said she¡¯ll have to undergo a minor operation,¡± said ra


    ¡°Is it tomorrow? Doesn¡¯t Yanny have to attend his ss tomorrow?¡± asked Serenity.


    She was referring to the sses that children who had recently gotten cochlear imnts attended in


    order to understand what different pronunciations meant. In brief, these sses helped Yanny learn


    how to listen and speak


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to send him to ss tomorrow, After all, they¡¯ll need a family member to be


    on standby for her operation¡±


    ¡°I can help send Yanny to his ss tomorrow,¡± offered Serenity.


    ¡°You¡¯ll send him to school?¡± asked ra with a stunned expression. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Of course! After all, I¡¯ll be having my break tomorrow afternoon. I have enough time to drop him off at


    his ss,¡± said Serenity. ¡°Yarny¡¯s learning quickly, and he seems quite enthusiastic about those


    lessons.¡±


    The day after his lessons, the boy would always talk to her excitedly. With his soft boyish voice, he


    would vocalize simple words in his vocabry from time to time.


    The ability to listen and speak seemed to have opened a new door for the boy, giving him an


    experience that he had never felt


    before.


    ¡°Oh, how could I let you do that? You should be resting during your break.¡±


    ¡°Sending Yanny to ss is a pretty rxing job!¡± said Serenity smilingly. ¡°I guess that¡¯s settled, then. I¡¯ll


    go with Yanny


    Igo


    tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    Since she had put it that way, ra stopped turning down her offer. ¡°Alright! Thanks a lot, Serenity!¡±


    That Saturday afternoon, Jackson and Serenity stond in front of the car, staring at each other in


    surprise. Standing next to her was little Yannick with his cochlear imnt.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked. She never expected to see Jackson waiting outside when she


    brought Yannick out of the


    restaurant.


    came to pick you up after you got off work. Didn¡¯t you say there was a movie you wanted to watch? It


    just so happens that you¡¯ll be taking half a day off today,¡± he exined.


    It was only at that point did Serenity recall that she had previously watched the trailer of a movie


    starring her favorite star, Finn Gordon, and casually remarked that she wanted to watch it.


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    To her surprise, Jackson had actually remembered what she said.


    Hold on! Serenity remembered something else. With eyes as wide as saucers, she said, ¡°But the


    movie¡­ its premiere is today!¡±

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    Chapter 533


    ¡°Hmm? You don¡¯t enjoy movie premieres?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that,¡± replied Serenity while shaking her head. Her problem was that movie premieres


    weren¡¯t attended by regr movie¨Cgoers. The movie stars themselves would be present at the


    premiere.


    It was just too¡­


    Serenity forced herself to suppress the imaginations in her head as she still had a mission to


    aplish.


    ¡°I have to send Yanny to ss, so I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s possible¡®


    Upon hearing that, Jackson¡¯s gaze left her and fell on the little boy standing next to her.


    ¡°Why are you sending him to school?¡± From his tone, one could almost detect a hint of jealousy.


    ¡°ra¡¯s mother hurt herself and is scheduled for a minor operation in the afternoon. ra¡¯s at the


    hospital with her mother, so I volunteered to send him to his ss.¡±


    Jackson frowned silently at her reply, Havinge under his intense gaze, Yannick grew visibly


    ufortable, so he moved closer to Serenity and grasped her hands tightly.


    Naturally, she felt his anxiety, so she knelt down and reassured the boy. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Yanny. Mr.


    Valor here is my friend! I¡¯m sure he likes you, just like I do!¡±


    To make sure he could understand her, Serenity spoke slowly, and her words were apanied by


    hand signals.


    After reassuring him, she turned around and told Jackson, ¡°You should be more gentle with Yanny.


    Smile at him more, or he¡¯ll be afraid of you.¡±


    She was expressing her opinion even on something as trivial as his facial expression.


    Perhaps Serenity hadn¡¯t noticed it, but her lone when she spoke to him waspletely unprecedented.


    If it was someone else, he would have felt disrespected and angered. To his surprise, nothing about the


    way she spoke ticked him off.


    In fact¡­ he liked how casual her attitude was at the mament. She was much less cautious than usual,


    almost as if the gap between them was slowly disappearing


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve asked me to do it, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± In an instant, Jackson¡¯s expression warmed up. His


    lips formed a smile as he tried his best to conceal the oppressive air he naturally gave off.


    Yannick blinked curiously as he observed Jarkson¡¯s demeanor. Strangely enough, he didn¡¯t look as


    scary as before.


    Serenity breathed a sigh of relief before she got up and patted the bay on the head. ¡°Let¡¯s send him to


    ss first.¡±


    Jackson nodded, and the three got into the vehicle. After Serenity told the driver the address of


    Yannick¡¯s learning center, they began heading toward their destination.


    Throughout the journey, Yannick frequently nced at Jarkson with curious eyes. The man would also


    look back at han with a stone¨Ccold expression. He wondered if Serenity liked children that much.


    Human children were weak and had to rely on adults for their survival. Despite this, they seems to


    capture the hearts of some women so easily.


    At least, it was confirmed to him that this boy had captured Serenity¡¯s heart.


    Jackson observed Serenity asking the bay if he was thirsty, all while ignoring the mat next to her. He


    couldn¡¯t see how this kid was adorable, but for Serenity, he was willing to retract his ws and put on a


    harmless facile.


    ¡°When does his ss und?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°It ends at four in the afternoon, so it¡¯s roughly two hours.¡±

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    ¡°Then there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. The premiere starts at five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. We can still


    make it after his ss


    ends ¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Serenity was pleasantly surprised. She thought she had missed out on the chance to catch the


    premiere.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Jackson chuckled. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t make it in time, I can make them hold


    another premiere when you¡¯re avable.¡±


    His reply caught her by surprise. He was willing to go that far just for her? Though now that she thought


    about it, it wasn¡¯t that hard for him to pull off such a stunt.


    While Serenity didn¡¯t want jackson to spend too much time nning another premiere just for her, she


    felt the sweetness in his promise. It was the gesture of love that she cherished.


    When they arrived at their destination, Serenity held Yanny¡¯s hand as she brought him out of the


    vehicle, Jackson silently followed them to the ssroom.


    This ce was filled with children wearing cochlear imnts. Like Yanny, they were apanied by


    their parents to their ssroom.


    Jackson thought they only had to ce Yannick under the teacher¡¯s care and then they could leave,


    but to his surprise, Serenity sat down next to the boy.


    ¡°The children¡¯s parents are expected to participate in the lessons. Why don¡¯t you take a walk outside


    first? I¡¯ll give you a call when his ss ends,¡± said Serenity.


    Jackson pursed his lips before he pulled out a chair and sat down next to Yanny. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m


    staying too.¡±


    Serenity smiled in response. This was the first time either of them had been here, but the other parents


    already knew Yannick. Jackson and Serenity weren¡¯t the ones who usually sat with him in ss, so


    they looked at the couple curiously.


    Their attention wasrgely focused on Jackson, whose appearance and energy were too hard to


    ignore.


    The parents of the child who sat in front of Yanny couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°It looks like Ms. Wells isn¡¯t


    here today. Could you


    ¡°I¡¯m Yanny¡¯s aunt,¡± said Serenity. The boy would always call her Auntie, so she had gotten used to it.


    The parents then turned to Jackson. ¡°Then he must be ¡±


    It was impossible for a man like Jackson to remain unnoticed. He may be sitting there silently, but his


    radiance was blinding. making it hard for people to look away


    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that he was even more eye-catching than movie stars or runway


    models.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡± Serenity pursed her lips and exchanged nces with Jackson. From his gaze, she could feel


    that he was patiently waiting for her answer.


    ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend,¡± replied Serenity after a pause. This was the first time she had introduced Jackson


    as her romantic


    partner to a stranger.


    A beaming smile appeared on his face the moment she uttered those words.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

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    The parent replied enviously, ¡°So he¡¯s your boyfriend! What a nice guy, to apany you in this


    activity. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll make a great dad if you two get married. It¡¯s rare to see a man as patient as this


    these days. Take a look around, and all you see are mothers.¡±


    The thought of having children with Jackson made Serenity blush. After their conversation ended, she


    nced down at her t belly. She had been taking supplements to boost her fertility, but she


    wondered if it was working.


    In any case, she was still hopeful. At the very least, she wasn¡¯t as pessimistic as before whenever the


    question of having children came up.


    Suddenly, she heard someone whisper in her ear, ¡°I¡¯m gonna be a good father if we have children


    together.¡±


    Serenity was momentarily taken aback. Jackson had moved so close that her lips brushed against his


    cheek when she turned around. It happened so quickly, but her face started to burn up.


    ¡°I swear, I


    I will do my best to protect you and our child. He knew what it felt like to be neglected as a child, so he


    swore to give his child the fatherly love that hecked. At the same time, he was confident that Serenity


    would do great as a loving


    mother.


    She would not turn out like his mother, who treated her children as mere bargaining chips. Once she


    realized her child wouldn¡¯t help her attain her goal, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to abandon them.


    ¡°We¡­ we don¡¯t even have children yet, and you¡¯re already saying this.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s face was glowing hot, and she felt rather embarrassed. Jackson, on the other hand,


    remained adamant. ¡°Just say the word, and I¡¯ll make sure we have children.¡±


    She stared at him dumbfoundedly. He sounded so certain, almost as if he could aplish anything in


    this world for her sake.


    She too hoped that they could have children together one day!


    ¡°Auntie¡­¡±


    Yanny¡¯s soft voice brought Serenity back to reality. She realized that the boy was looking up at them


    with a confused


    expression.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Serenity quickly regained herposure and gestured to him that everything was okay. He was


    probably worried about her health when he saw her flushed face..


    A momentter, the teacher arrived and began the lesson. The parents followed along and let the


    children touch a number of small props or performed certain actions to facilitate their understanding of


    what the words being taught meant.


    Jackson watched from the sidelines. From time to time, he would help pass the props to Serenity.


    Gradually, Yanny started ept him, which was evidenced by his attempts to vocalize the word


    ¡°Uncle¡°.


    Two hourster, the boy was already interacting with Jackson.


    Serenity was surprised by how fast their rtionship was developing. Yanny was fairly cautious toward


    strangers, just like when she had first met him. ording to ra, her close rtionship with the boy


    was an exceptional scenario.


    Most of the time, Yanny would never get close to the customers at the restaurant. In fact, he rarely


    interacted with the employees working for his mother.


    There were times when they would excitedly y with the boy, only to bepletely ignored.


    Serenity was fascinated to see Yanny interacting with Jackson like this. Could it be that¡­ Jack was


    actually really great with children? She smiled at the thought of that possibility.


    In any case, it appeared that they were getting along quite well.


    When they returned to their car, Serenity took out her phone and noticed a message from ra.


    Shortly after, she looked up and asked Jackson, ¡°Umm¡­ can we bring Yanny along to the premiere?¡±

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    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Jackson. After all, bringing an extra child to the movie premiere wasn¡¯t a particrly


    difficult task.


    ¡°But are you sure he can understand the movie?¡±


    Serenity searched her memory. If she recalled correctly, the movie was marketed to everyone,


    including children. Although Yanny was considered fairly young, she was more worried that he wouldn¡¯t


    understand the words being said.


    At the same time, going to the theatre would be a brand¨Cnew experience for the boy. She could


    whisper softly and give him hints of the plot or signal to him with her hands.


    All of a sudden, she realized how meaningful it was to bring Yanny along! She looked forward to seeing


    his reaction to the big


    Using signnguage, she asked the boy if he had watched the movie already. Yanny shook his head.


    ¡°Then, would you like to watch the movie together with Auntieter?¡± asked Serenity while using sign


    language to assist his understanding


    The boy nodded excitedly. Although he understood the concept of movies, he still looked forward to


    experiencing it in person.


    When Serenity saw the expectant look in his eyes, she felt it was a shame that they weren¡¯t watching


    an animated movie instead


    But¡­ you know what, if Yanny¡¯s interested in going to the theatre, she would bring him to watch a


    cartoon in the future.


    Their car arrived at the theatre where the premiere was held, but they didn¡¯t stop at the main entrance.


    After all, it would be filled with reporters, and Jackson already knew that Serenity didn¡¯t enjoy media


    attention. He never liked those pesky


    reporters, anyway.


    At the side entrance, bodyguards were already waiting for them. When Jackson¡¯s car rolled to a stop,


    they automatically stepped forward and opened the door for them.


    The trio disembarked the vehicle and headed inside.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Thankfully, there weren¡¯t any reporters in the screening hall. There were celebratory decorations and


    the attendees of today¡¯s movie premiere.


    As far as her eye could see, Serenity recognized a number of well¨Cknown movie stars and directors.


    She even saw a few politicians and figureheads that frequently appeared on the news.


    Serenity was inwardly surprised. Although Finn was a rtively popr celebrity, she didn¡¯t know he


    commanded such influence.


    She thought about the possible exnations before realizing that the director of this film was among


    the top three most sessful directors in the country. He had been nominated for a number of awards


    abroad as well.


    It became clear to her that the director must be the reason why so many big shots were attending the


    premiere. Serenity had garnered a considerable amount of attention thest time she attended a


    function, but there were whispers


    the elite ss that severe consequences would follow if they offended Jackson¡¯s new girlfriend.


    Still, not everyone was aware of this rumor.


    The sight of Serenity standing next to Jackson while holding the hand of a child attracted quite a lot of


    sideward nces.


    In particr, those who knew Jackson almost had their eyes popping out of their sockets.


    What was going on? Why was the much¨Cfeared Jackson Valor attending a movie premiere with a


    chikt?

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    Also, what¡¯s the deal with the woman beside Jackson Valor?


    This kind of situation could easily give rise to gossip. Serenity noticed the weird gazes cast their way


    and instantly understood what other people were thinking-


    ¡°Umm¡­ I think these people might have misunderstood,¡± Serenity whispered to Jackson.


    Jackson smiled and asked, ¡°Misunderstood? Misunderstood what?¡± His voice sounded a little


    mischievous.


    Well¡­ Could he really not see how people would misunderstand? Serenity blinked a few times as she


    stared at Jackson in confusion, but his glittering eyes were crystal clear, so clear that they¡­ seemed


    very innocent.


    Therefore, Serenity had to tell him with a slightly red face, ¡°Misunderstood that Yanny is our child!¡±


    ¡°Let them misunderstand,¡± Jackson said indifferently.


    Huh? Serenity froze in surprise. Let them misunderstand? Was that¡­really alright? ¡°But¡­..¡±


    ¡°No buts,¡± he said, ¡°We¡¯re going to have a child sooner orter. Does it make any difference if they


    think we have a child now or a few years down the line?¡±


    ¡°Fine. She actually couldn¡¯t find a good rebuttal.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go over there,¡± said Jackson. He took Yannick¡¯s other hand and walked forward.


    This made the people who were gossiping even more certain of the rtionship between the three. A


    man and a woman holding a small child¡¯s hands like that they must be a family of three!


    But Jackson Valor never announced to the public that he was married and had a child who already


    looked 3 or 4 years old!


    Could it be a secret marriage? Or maybe she¡¯s just his mistress. Did that mean that child was an


    illegitimate child? Quite a few people locked at Serenity with sympathetic eyes


    But even more people looked at her with envy. After all, she would still benefit greatly from her son.


    Now that she already had a child with Jackson Valor, her bright future was all but certain. Even if she


    could not marry into the Valor family and be the mistress of the household, she would at least live


    a wealthy life!


    The director of the movie knew Jackson. When he was handing out invitations for the premiere, he was


    surprised when Jackson¡¯s secretary asked him for an invitation.


    But now, he was even more surprised to see Jackson attend the premiere with a woman and a child.


    The director was an experienced man who had seen a lot of things, but he could not help feeling


    shocked nheless.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, wee. ¡°The director enthusiastically stepped forward to greet Jackson. ¡°Would you mind


    introducing me to your friend?¡± he said as he looked at Serenity and Yannick.


    ¡°This is my girlfriend, Serenity Lewis, and the boy is Yannick,¡± said Jackson. He only said Yanny¡¯s


    name and did not mention Yanny¡¯s identity.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    But that only further solidified the fact that the boy was Jackson Valor¡¯s illegitimate son in the minds of


    the people who were listening to the conversation.


    After all, it¡¯s not like he could introduce the boy to the public as his illegitimate son!


    ¡°Director Shaw, you¡¯ve chosen your cast well for this movie. My girlfriend actually likes Finn Gordon


    very much. Can she see him after the premiere? She wants to take a picture with himn and get his


    autograph,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Director Shaw was stunned.


    She liked Finn Gordon? And she wanted to take a picture with him and get his autograph? She


    sounded like a fan! Why did the director feel like Jackson merely attended the premiere of his movie to


    help his girlfriend fangirl over Finn Gordon?!

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    Even though the director thought that, he still maintained a smile on his face. He replied, ¡°No problem,


    no problem at all. I think Finn would be really happy to meet a passionate fan like her.¡±


    Both sides exchanged further pleasantries before the director excused himself.


    Serenity could not believe Jackson actually helped her get an opportunity to meet with Finn Gordon. He


    was helping her¡­ fangirl over a celebrity.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked when he saw her dumbfounded face, ¡°Too happy to hear that you¡¯re


    going to take a picture with Finn Gordon and get his autograph?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m happy, but not because of that. It¡¯s because¡­¡± She could not find the words to express her


    feelings. The reason she was happy was not because she could meet with Finn Gordon up close and


    personal, take a picture with him and get his autograph, but because these unintentional actions of


    Jackson¡¯s made her feel like she was being pampered.


    She no longer felt like she was a waste of space who was hated by her rtives.


    ¡°No matter what your reason for being happy is, as long as you have a wish, I will make ite true,¡±


    Jackson whispered. He bent down a little until his eyes were almost level with hers and said, ¡°But the


    person you love the most has to be me, okay? That can never change.


    His deep voice carried a hint of seduction while his eyes burned passionately.


    It was as if the casual whisper was a promise, and now, he wanted her to promise him back.


    Serenity could not help but nod and say, ¡°Okay.¡± He was already the person she loved the most. He


    made her feel cherished. and treasured.


    He made her realize that there was someone in this world who valued her so highly and loved her so


    much!


    Jackson smiled with satisfaction. Yannick, who was sandwiched between the two, looked up with eyes


    that were filled with confusion. He clearly had no idea what the adults were saying.


    But he liked it when they held his hands like this. He had seen a lot of kids whose daddy and mommy


    would hold their hands


    Usually, his hands would be held by his mommy and grandma.


    He¡­ had actually wondered before what it would feel like to have his hand held by his daddy.


    However, Mommy said that daddy was gone. He had gone to a faraway ce called heaven.


    Where is that ce? Could he go there to look for his daddy when he grew up?


    Yannick wondered. He had no idea that, not only was his daddy not in heaven, he would meet his


    daddy very soon.


    The cinema for the premiere was naturally a very good one. The surround sound system was great,


    and even the seats were bigger than those in ordinary cinemas.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Serenity shared a seat with Yanny so that Yanny could get a better view. She could also exin the


    movie to the boy while they watched.


    After the movie started, the boy gave Serenity a surprise.


    He could actually read most of the subtitles. There were only a few words that were too hard for him.


    Serenity was astonished. Well¡­ It seemed like Yanny was far more intelligent than she had initially


    thought.


    Although the boy could read the subtitles, he could not understand a lot of the movie¡¯s content. He


    could only grasp the


    general concept of the good guys fighting the bad


    But even so, he was really engrossed in the movie.

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    Serenity was relieved to see that. At first, she was worried that Yanny might find the movie boring


    because he¡¯s too young to understand it. She was prepared to leave if Yanny wanted to leave.


    It¡¯s great that Yanny¡¯s enjoying the movie. Now, everybody¡¯s happy!


    Serenity could now focus most of her attention on the movie.


    She had to say, the movie was really good. The casting was great and the actors suited the characters.


    The special effects were beautiful too. Although the movie¡¯s plot was simple, it did not feel boring.


    In this movie, Finn Gordon¡¯s role was different from what he had done before. He was trying to break


    his mold. It was a major challenge for him.


    In Serenity¡¯s opinion, Finn¡¯s performance in this movie was excellent. He performed his role very well.


    She even cried during the movie¡¯s climax.


    Even she was surprised by that. She was not someone who cried easily. Usually, when she watched


    movies with Lisa, even if Lisa bawled her eyes out, Serenity would not shed a tear.


    She may be moved by a movie, but she would rarely cry because of a movie.


    But now, she was actually crying, partly because the movie¡¯s emotional part was really good, and partly


    because the character in the movie reminded her of herself.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    From an ordinary background, he forged a bright future for himself, but before he could make that


    future a reality, he was knocked down to the darkest ce and had to climb back up little by little with


    no one to rely on but himself.


    This was all presented in a humorous way in the movie, but Serenity could sympathize with his pain.


    She reached for a tissue to wipe her tears, but before she could, a hand was already wiping her tears


    away for her.


    The long and slender fingers swabbed the tears that flowed down her face. ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s nothing. The movie¡¯s really touching, Serenity said with a sniffle.


    ¦§


    ¡®Seeing you cry makes me regret bringing you here to watch this movie.¡± He frowned a little. He did not


    like to see her cry because it pained him.


    Even if she said that it was because of the movie, he still did not like to see her cry.


    ¡°I¡¯m crying because the movie is good. It makes peopleugh and cry,¡± Serenity exined as she


    wiped her tears.


    He instantly grabbed her hand and moved his face closer, then kissed the tear on her face.


    Serenity was taken aback. ¡°Jack¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°There are¡­ people around,¡± she whispered. The lights in the cinema were off and the only source of


    light was the big screen.


    the front, so the environment was dark and nobody should be paying them any attention¡­


    ¡­but people might still notice.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried that people might notice, that¡¯s all the more reason to hold still,¡± he whispered as he


    slowly kissed away all


    the tears on her face.


    The salty tears felt heavy to him,

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    If it was possible, he did not want her to be sad or cry again for the rest of her life!


    While Jackson was kissing away her tears, Serenity did not dare to move a muscle. The spots that he


    kissed felt scorching hot.


    By the time the movie ended, Serenity was not thinking straight anymore. She watched about 80% of


    the movie attentively, but because he was kissing her for the final 20%, she could not pay attention to


    the movie.


    She only remembered thest scene in the movie.


    Unlike her, Yannick thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Even after the movie ended, he was still immersed


    in it and acted like he wanted to beat up the bad guys.


    Serenity stroked the little boy¡¯s head. She felt like she made the right decision to bring the boy to the


    premiere.


    ¡°Do you want toe with me to meet the actor? He ys the main character who beat up the bad


    guys just now,¡± Serenity asked Yanny with both her voice and with signnguage.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yannick said that word very clearly.


    Serenity was d. Yanny would surely pick up more and more words from now on. Perhaps it would


    not be long before he couldmunicate like other children.


    A staff member led Serenity, Yanny and Jackson to the green room.


    The green room was quiterge, almost the size of a small hall. Most of the main actors were in the


    green room. Finn Gordon was naturally there too.


    The director had already talked to Finn, so Finn knew that Jackson Valor would bring his girlfriend over


    to take pictures with him and get his autograph.


    When he first heard that, Finn thought he must have heard it wrong.


    The famous Jackson Valor had a girlfriend? And the girlfriend was his fan? Finn¡¯s feelings were


    complicated.


    He had never had the chance to see a person like Jackson Valor up close, but now, he would, thanks


    to a fan of his.


    ¡°Mr. Valor? How are you? I¡¯m Finn Gordon,¡± Finn Gordon greeted Jackson with a smile. Immediately


    after that, he turned to Serenity and said, ¡°I heard from the director that you¡¯re a fan of mine. What an


    honor. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you too. I¡­ I¡¯ve been watching you since your first TV series a long time ago. I could


    never have imagined that I would get to talk to you one day,¡± said Serenity, who was suddenly feeling a


    bit nervous.


    After all, someone that she could only see on screens, someone that she just saw on the big screen in


    the cinema, was now standing in front of her, so she could not help getting nervous.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Finn Gordon said with a smile, ¡°Shall we take a picture?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± said Serenity. She handed her phone to Jackson and said, ¡°Jack, help me take a picture.


    Actually, snap a few¡±


    Some of the people around, especially the actresses, immediately felt jealous upon seeing that.


    Did she really just ask Jackson Valor to take pictures for her? She didn¡¯t even hesitate! Any other


    woman would be trying hard to please Jackson Valor instead! Was she not worried that she would


    make him mad?


    However, Jackson Valor simply took the phone from her and¡­ started snapping photos!


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The actresses¡® jealousy burned even fiercer.


    They eyed Serenity up and down. Her looks were decent, but they were nothing to shout about. At


    most, one could say that she wasfortable to look at, but that¡¯s about it.


    Lots of women in the entertainment industry were prettier than her!

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    There had never been ack of beautiful women in the entertainment industry!


    Some of the actresses who were confident in their looks were posing to try to catch Jackson¡¯s


    attention.


    However, Jackson¡¯s eyes never left Serenity.


    After taking pictures with Serenity, Finn Gordon took a few pictures with Yanny too.


    After a while, Yanny suddenly said to Serenity. ¡°Per¡­ Per..¡±


    Serenity understood that the little boy wanted to go to the bathroom, but there was no bathroom in the


    green room. There was only a bathroom at the end of the corridor.


    Serenity wanted to take Yanny to the bathroom, but Jackson said, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for you to go to


    the bathroom with him. Let the staff go with him.¡±


    After saying that, Jackson ordered one of the male staff to take Yanny to the bathroom.


    Serenity exined that to Yanny with her voice and with signnguage. She told Yanny to be a good


    boy and listen to the staff.


    The boy nodded, indicating that he would listen.


    Because of the signnguage Serenity used, a lot of people there noticed Yanny¡¯s abnormality. Some


    of them saw the cochlear imnt in Yanny¡¯s ear.


    Because ra had decorated the cochlear imnt slightly, those who did not look at it too closely


    would only think that it was a small cartoon essory for kids.


    The actresses who failed to catch Jackson¡¯s attention gave Serenity looks of pity. Even if she had given


    birth to Jackson Valor¡¯s illegitimate son, a disabled child could never inherit the Valor family business.


    The staff took Yannick to the bathroom. However, not long after that, he ran back in panic.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Yanny?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°Ms. Lewis, I-J¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know where that boy ran off to. I received a phone call on the way back


    from the bathroom. I took out my phone and picked up the call, which took only ten seconds at mast,


    but the kid was gone by then. I don¡¯t know where he went!¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    That staff member was panicking. He had heard that the kid was most probably Jackson Valor¡¯s


    illegitimate son. If the kid went missing, would he be able to live?


    ¡°What?!¡± Serenity was so shocked that the autograph in her hand dropped to the floor.


    She grabbed the staff member and asked, ¡°Yanny is missing? You lost him on the way back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in the corridor,¡± the staff member replied.


    Serenity instantly dashed out of the room towards the corridor.


    Jackson followed closely behind her.


    Serenity looked left and right as she ran down the corridor and shouted ¡°Vanny! Yanny!¡± But there was


    no answer


    Yanny could not speak very well yet, so even if he could hear her voice, he probably couldn¡¯t answer


    her loudly enough. Where would Yanny go? Did someone take him away?

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    Serenity thought of all the child abduction and trafficking cases that she had seen before in the news,


    and her mind became even more chaotic.


    If Yanny really was abducted, she would never be able to forgive herself!


    But the more anxious she was, the harder it was to think. She wanted to find Yanny as soon as


    possible, but she did not know where to start looking.


    Someone suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm. Then, a familiar voice resounded in her ears,


    saying, ¡°Calm down.¡±


    They were just two simple words, but they instantly made Serenity feel less helpless.


    ¡°What do we do? Yanny is missing!¡± she subbed, her eyes teary. ¡°This is all my fault. I should have


    gone to the bathroom with Yanny. If I did, he wouldn¡¯t have disappeared.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault,¡± said Jackson, ¡°I was the one who suggested letting the staff go with him. But don¡¯t


    worry, we¡¯ll find him. I¡¯ll lock down the building right away. We¡¯ll search for him thoroughly.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°But¡­ what if he was kidnapped by a human trafficker? What if he¡¯s already taken out of the building?¡±


    Serenity voiced the possibility


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll lock down the whole city,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll lock down Sria in 10 minutes. It¡¯s impossible to


    reach the highway exit. out of the city from here in 10 minutes. As long as the city remains on


    lockdown, even if there really were human traffickers, they would have to stay in the city because


    there¡¯s no way to leave. We¡¯d have plenty of ways to locate them.¡±


    She was shocked. Lock down the city? Was it possible to lock down such arge and busy city?


    However, because Jackson was the one who said it, no one would question that he could really do it!


    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ll definitely find Yanny. Even if I have to tum Sria upside down, I¡¯ll find him,¡± Jackson


    assured her.


    He would go to such lengths to find a child because he did not want to see her carry the heavy burden


    of guilt and sin.


    He knew that, with her personality, if she could not find Yanny, she would feel guilty for the rest of her


    life!


    Jackson took out his phone and dialed a number. He was about to pass down orders to the person on


    the other end of the phone when suddenly, he heard a child¡¯s tender voice say, ¡°Auntie¡­¡­


    The voice sent a jolt through Serenity¡¯s body. It was¡­ Yanny¡¯s voice!


    She looked up and saw Yanny walking over with a man holding his hand.


    Serenity ran forward and hugged Yanny. She sobbed and asked, ¡°Where did you go? Why did you


    suddenly disappear? I was so worried!¡±


    She blurted out while sobbing. Although the little boy did not understand what she was saying, he could


    feel her sadness, so he hugged Serenity back and rubbed his little head against Serenity¡¯s cheeks.


    When Jackson saw Yanny, he told the person in the phone, ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s all good.¡± He put away his


    phone, and his eyes moved from Serenity and Yanny to the man who walked over with Yanny.


    When he saw who it was, he could not help raising his eyebrows in surprise. A touch of mischief crept


    into his eyes. What a coincidence. He did not expect to see this man here. The man was none other


    than Yanny¡¯s real father, Wilson Birch!


    He wondered if this was destiny.


    Serenity finally managed to calm down. She took a deep breath and asked the little boy in her arms,


    ¡°Where were you? Yanny simply stared at Serenity¡¯s lips, as if he was trying to read what she was


    saying.

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    When the boy remained silent, Serenity gestured with signnguage. The bay extended his hand and


    showed her the cochlear imnt he was holding. To be precise, it was part of the cochlear imnt the


    external part that was worn on the ear.


    Yanny¡¯s cochlear imnt fell off? Serenity pondered, then asked Yanny about it with signnguage.


    After somemunication, Serenity finally figured out what happened, Sure enough, Yanny¡¯s cochlear


    imnt had fallen off. On the way back, Yanny realized that he could not hear any sound when the staff


    answered the phone, so he ran back to the bathroom to look for the cochlear imnt.


    In the bathroom, the little boy ran into a man, but because the man did not know signnguage, he


    could notmunicate with Yanny.


    Bul Yanny was smart. He dipped his finger in water and wrote on the sink counter that he had to retum


    to the green room.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The man let Yanny lead the way as he escorted Yanny back.


    On the way back, they ran into Serenity and Jackson


    Serenity heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Yanny met a good person. If he had met a bad person, he


    might have been kidnapped and sold.


    Serenity straightened up and said to the man standing beside Yanny, ¡°Thank you, sir¡­¡±


    She suddenly stopped, as if her voice got stuck in her throat. She stared wide¨Ceyed at the man before


    her like she was seeing something unbelievable.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do I know you?¡± Wilson asked with a frown. He was sure he had never seen this


    woman before, but the way she looked at him made him feel like she knew him.


    Serenity kept quiet. Of course she knew him! He was Wilson Birch, Yanny¡¯s biological father! Who


    would have thought that the father and the son would meet for the first time under such circumstances?


    Moreover¡­ they did not know each other¡¯s real identity!


    Serenity could not even begin to describe her state of mind at the moment.


    ¡°I know you.¡± Jackson answered for her. Then, he walked over to Serenity, put his hand around her


    shoulders, smiled at Wilson and said, ¡°Mr. Birch, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. What a coincidence.


    I¡¯m Jackson Valor.¡±


    ¡°Jackson Valor of the Valor Group?¡± asked Wilson.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± answered Jackson.


    ¡°What a coincidence indeed! I¡¯m actually nning to pay cooperation. I¡¯m d I ran into you here,¡± said


    Wilson.


    way you


    a visit while I¡¯m in Sria to see if there¡¯s any possibility of


    ¡°No problem. You¡¯re wee to visit me anytime,¡± said Jackson


    The two men shook hands. Jackson said, ¡°My girlfriend must have seen you on the news before. I


    guess she¡¯s a little surprised to see you in person.¡±


    Jackson helped Serenity look for an excuse.


    Serenity finally came back to her senses and greeted Wilson too, ¡°Hi, Mr. Birch. I¡¯m Serenity Lewis.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Lewis.¡± Mr. Wilson observed Serenity carefully. After all, there were not many


    women in this world that Jackson Valor would introduce in such a serious manner!

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    ¡°This boy is¡± asked Wilson.


    ¡°He¡¯s.. my friend¡¯s son,¡± Serenity gave a vague answer, not wanting to expose ra¡¯s identity, ¡°Thank


    you for helping him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± said Wilson as his eyes wandered to the little boy who was clinging onto Serenity¡¯s


    leg


    When he went to the bathroom, he saw the boy desperately searching for something there. The boy¡¯s


    tiny face was filled with nervousness, anxiety, and fear. It stopped Wilson in his tracks.


    It¡¯s weird. He was not a nosy person, but when he saw the boy, he couldn¡¯t help but stop to look. He


    wanted to know what the boy was nervous and afraid of.


    To his surprise, he realized that the boy could not hear. The boy was deaf. He mumbled some words,


    but Wilson could not understand what he was trying to say.


    He thought there was no way he couldmunicate with the boy, but the boy gave him another


    surprise. He could actually


    write.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He could write more than simple things like one, two, three. He could actually write some pretty


    complicated words, so he had no problem expressing himself through writing.


    Wilson could not help but be amazed by the boy, but he also felt sorry for him. Such a smart child, but


    he was born with a disability.


    He helped the boy look for his cochlear imnt and found it somewhere in the bathroom.


    When the boy got his cochlear imnt back, the happy smile on his face left Wilson in a daze. His


    smile actually reminded


    Wilson of someone.


    Wilson thought it was ridiculous. How could a child¡¯s smile remind him of that woman?! The woman


    that¡­ he had been searching for a whole year, but to little sess.


    He thought it would be easy to find the woman¡¯s whereabouts after she got out of prison, but it turned


    out to be surprisingly


    Wilson was surprised to find out that Jackson Valor was the one who brought the boy here.


    Just then, he heard a voice say, ¡°Wilson? Why are you still here?¡±


    Wilson turned around and smiled at the woman who was walking over. He said, ¡°1 ran into something,


    but it¡¯s taken care of


    now.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s feelings wereplicated when she saw the woman. The woman was undoubtedly


    beautiful. She was wearing a Leige dress and a pair of high heels iid with crystal ornaments. Her


    long, straight hair lined her tiny face. She exuded an air of innocence that could easily stimte a


    man¡¯s protective desire.


    Serenity remembered seeing the woman¡¯s face in the case file she read as well as in the news. ra


    went to prison because of


    this woman.


    The woman was none other than Wilson Birch¡¯s current fianc¨¦e, Sandra Cooper.


    After discovering the rtionship between ra and Wilson Birch, Serenity had looked up Wilson


    online. She saw that Wilson Birch and Sandra Cooper were rumoured to get married soun


    ra gave birth to Wilson¡¯s child but was imprisoned thanks to his testimony. And now, the man was


    about to get married to another woman..


    ra must have seen the news too. Serenity wondered how ra felt about that.


    Sandra walked over to Wilson and held his arm intimately before sizing up Serenity, Jackson and


    Yammy.


    ¡°This is Jackson Valor and his girlfriend, Serenity Lewis,¡± Wilson introduced them to Sandra.

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    Sandra shed them a faint smile and said. ¡°Ell, I¡¯m Wilson¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Sandra¡±


    ¡°Well, Mr. Valor, 1 must be going. Hopefully, we¡¯ll meet again,¡± said Wilson.


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Jackson answered with a semi¨Csmile.


    After Wilson left with his fianc¨¦e, Jackson turned to Serenity and said, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve already found


    Yanny, Why do you still look worried?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°That person just now was Wilson Birch,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°So?¡± Jacksun asked indifferently.


    ¡°Yanny is his son, but he didn¡¯t even realize that the child standing in front of him was his flesh and


    blond,¡± Serenity said emotionally. There was sadness in her voice.


    She had observed Yanny and Wilson carefully just now. She could definitely see the simrities.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about other people¡¯s business. This matter concerns only Wilson and ra. There¡¯s


    no need for us to get involved,¡± said Jackson


    Serenity nodded and Inoked at Yanny. Yanny¡¯s cochlear imnt had fallen off, so he could not hear


    anything. Therefore, Serenity did not have to worry about him overhearing what she said.


    The three of them returned to the green roam Serently bid Finn Gordon goodbye before they left from


    the side door.


    Serenity did not know how to put the cochlear imnt back for Yanny, so she kept it for now.


    ¡°Want to grab dinner?¡± asked Jackson.


    Only then did Serenity realize that it was getting thatte. No wonder she felt hungry. Yanny must be


    even hungrier, yet he neverined.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yanny, you must be hungry. Let¡¯s pop


    The hoy nodded heavily.


    dinner, okay?¡± Serenity used signnguage to talk to Yanny.


    Serenity recalled that there was a children¡¯s restaurant nearby that was famous unline. The restaurant


    was quite popr among parents. She asked Jackson, ¡°Should we go to a children¡¯s restaurant


    nearby? The reviews I saw online are pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Jackson agreed without hesitation.


    Serenity took out her phone and searched for the restaurant¡¯s address. It was actually really close to


    where they were, only at few hundred meters away.


    Therefore, the three of them simply walked to the restaurant.


    The restaurant¡¯syout and furnishing were specifically catered towards children. The interior was


    decorated like a small yground.


    The restaurant was divided into a dining area and a fun area. In the fun area, fliere were slides, a ball


    pool, a sand zone, trampolines, lego, rocking horses and various other small toys. In short, children


    could not only eat, but also y in the


    restaurant.


    In the dining area, the paintings on the wall, the tableware, and the disy cabs were all children¨C


    themed. The paintings depicted various fairy tales and fables so parents could tell their kids stories


    while thay dines.

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    Following the rmendations online, Serenity ordered the set meals.


    When the food was served, she noticed that the children¡¯s meals were n not the only ones that had


    cute cartoon images; the adults¡® meals were decorated with cartoon images too. They looked colorful


    and fun.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    But¡­ Serenity eyed Jackson. He was wearing a suit with his hairbed back, so he looked like a


    typical elite businessman. He was dressed more appropriately for a banquet or a meeting than a meal


    in this restaurant.


    The meal in front of him was a set meal decorated with cartoon images, so the contrast was striking.


    Serenity found it a little funny


    She could not help snickerling.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°Nothing, its just¡­ ummm, I¡¯ve never seen you eat a cartoon set meal before. By the way, the little pink


    pig on the meal that you¡¯re eating, that¡¯s Peppa Pig,¡± Serenity exined helpfully.


    Jackson cracked a smile. He had never had a meal like this before


    When he was young, he remembered wanting to have cartoon meals like this when he passed by


    certain restaurants with his parents, but their family¡¯s financials were in dire straits, so they could not


    afford such a meal.


    At that time, the price of a meal like this was simply too expensive for their family to afford.


    Now that he could afford it, he no longer had the desire to have a cartoon meal. If he hadn¡¯te here


    with Serenity and Yanny today, he probably wouldn¡¯t even recall that piece of childhood memory.


    Serenity helped the little bay with the cutlery and put on his little bib for him. Yanny usually ate on his


    own, so Serenity did not have to spoon¨Cfeed him.


    With a little spoon in hand, Yanny scooped up the food and put it into his mouth one spoonful at a time.


    Because he was still very young, he would spill his food easily. In no time at all, there was food all over


    his bib and the tabletop:


    Serenity would clean it up for him so that he wouldn¡¯t get any fond on his clothes. She would also help


    the boy wipe his mouth from time to time.


    Towards the end of the meal, Yanny¡¯s beautiful eyes kept wandering to the fun area.


    Serenity removed the bib from the little boy¡¯s neck with a smile and told Jackson, ¡°I¡¯ll take Yanny over


    there to y for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said with a nod


    Serenity took Yanny over to the fun area. They started with the slides.


    The little guy happily walked up the steps to the top of the slide and slid down. Serenity steadily caught


    him at the bottom of the slide so that he would not get hurt.


    When Serenity caught Yanny, he was smiling and giggling aloud, which surprised Serenity


    In the past, when Yannyughed, he wouldugh without making a sound, but now, he wasughing


    out loud even with his cochlear imnt off.


    Jackson quietly stared at Serenity from the distance, his eyes full of affection.


    person was just a child, but¡­he could


    He did not like it when she focused so much attention on another person, even if that p not get enough


    of the gentle and southerly expression on her face.


    Her smile and her actions at the moment made her look like a loving mother. People who did not know


    any better would surely mistake her for the child¡¯s mother.


    Being her child must be a very happy thing. She would surely shower her chill with plenty of motherly


    love¡­


    Once, Jackson longed to be loved like that by his own mother. He wished his mother would look at him


    more often, talk to himn


    Chapter 546


    more often, and also¡­.. hug him more often!

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    But in the end, they remained only wishful thinking.


    After about half an hour, Serenity checked the time and decided that it was about time to take Yanny


    home, so she took the little boy¡¯s hand and went back to Jackson.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to y anymore?¡± Jackson asked with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time we head back. If we bring Yanny home toote, ra might be worried,¡± said Serenity.


    She turned to Yanny, whose face was a bit flushed, and gestured in sign Language, ¡°Do you like it


    here?¡±


    The little boy nodded hard.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring you here again next time,¡± Serenity promised.


    The little boy nodded again. He smiled at Serenity, hugged her waist, and rubbed his little head on her


    belly intimately.


    Jackson frowned. He picked up the boy and ced him down away from Serenity. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As expected, he did not like it when other people got too intimate with her!


    Serenity did not know whether tough or cry.


    After getting into the car, Yanny started yawning because he was tired. He quickly fell asleep while


    leaning on Serenity.


    Seeing his innocent sleeping face, Serenity couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Yanny is so cute. I wish his hearing


    isn¡¯t impaired.¡±


    Cute?


    Jackson gave the sleeping Yanny a nce. All children looked pretty much the same to him. What¡¯s so


    cute about this boy?


    ¡°Yanny¡¯s sleeping posture might be ufortable. Can you help me adjust his posture a little bit?¡±


    asked Serenity, ¡°I¡¯ll hold his shoulders while you lift his feet.¡±


    Serenity started ordering Jackson around.


    Jackson stared at her with raised eyebrows but didn¡¯t protest. He did what she asked.


    The only person in the world who could order him around was her.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Hey, do it more gently. You might wake him up,¡± Serenity whispered.


    The driver¡¯s hands almost shook when he heard that. He had to use every ounce of his willpower to


    stop his hands from


    shaking


    No one else would dare to order Mister Valor around like that. Anyone else who did that would have


    been kicked out of the car.


    Mister Valor would only bear with it if it was Miss Lewis.


    The orders came one after another, and the driver¡¯s admiration for Serenity kept growing.


    The car pulled up at ra¡¯s restaurant, Serenity got out of the car and bent down to pick up the


    sleeping Yanny.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Jackson. He picked Yanny up with his long hands.


    When they walked into the restaurant, ra was astonished to see Jackson Valor carrying her son.

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    But she soon snapped out of it and walked forward to take her son from Jackson¡¯s hands. She said,


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll put Yanny to bed.¡±


    ra then carried Yanny into the room in the back of the restaurant.


    Seeing this, Serenity told Jackson, ¡°I want to have a word with ra. Walt for me here.¡± She followed


    ra into the room.


    ra was putting Yanny down on the bed when Serenity walked in. ra gently covered her son with


    the nket.


    ¡°Thanks for helping me take care of Yanny today, Serenity,¡± ra expressed her gratitude.


    Serenity bit her lip slightly, looked ra right in the eye and said, ¡°ra, we ran into Wilson Birch


    today.¡±


    The name Wilson Birch stunned ra. Her face instantly turned pale. ¡°He¡­¡±


    She could not finish her question. She did not even know what to say. Her eyes were filled with fear


    and anxiety.


    Serenity exined without waiting for her to ask, ¡°We simply ran into him. Yanny¡¯s cochlear imnt fell


    off and he ran back to the bathroom by himself to look for it. He bumped into Wilson Birch there.¡± As


    she spoke, she took out Yanny¡¯s cochlear Imnt from her bag and gave it to ra, ¡°Wilson Birch has


    no idea that Yanny is his child.¡±


    ra¡¯s pupils shrunk abruptly as she stared at Serenity in shock. She had always kept Yanny¡¯s identity


    a secret. Not many people knew about it. ¡°You¡­ know?¡± she asked with difficulty.


    ¡°Yeah. When Jack mentioned Wilson Birch to me, it made me recall a case that I read about in the


    past. From that, I figured out the rtionship between you and Wilson Birch. Yanny also looks a bit like


    Wilson Birch,¡± said Serenity. She then said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    After all, that was ra¡¯s secret. No one would wish for their miserable past to be known.


    ra smiled bitterly. ¡°What is there to apologize for? That¡¯s right, I remember you mentioned that you


    used to be awyer. You said you¡¯ve read the case file? You should know about the case then.¡±


    Serenity nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m innocent. Unfortunately, no one believed me,¡± said ra. The helplessness she felt back then was


    painful. Even her own mother did not believe her back then because their rtionship used to be


    strained. Their rtionship only got better after Yanny¡¯s birth because her mother could not bear to see


    her suffer so much.


    ¡°I believe you. There¡¯s not much evidence that can prove your innocence, but I believe in your


    character,¡± said Serenity. She believed ra because she had first¨Chand experience of being framed


    too.


    She became awyer because she believed that thew was always just, but after experiencing it first


    hand, she realized that even though thew was just, the witnesses and the evidence could lie, which


    resulted in thew not always being right.


    ra¡¯s eyes became teary. ¡°Serenity, thank you. Thank you for believing in me, and thank you for not


    letting Wilson Birch know that Yanny is his son.¡±


    ¡°How long are you going to keep it a secret? I heard from Jack that Wilson Birch is looking for you


    everywhere,¡± Serenity seemed concerned.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let him find me,¡± said ra, ¡°As for Yanny, I¡¯ll tell him everything when he reaches adulthood so


    that he can make his own choice!¡±

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    After Serenity left, ra looked down at her sleeping son. She gently touched the child¡¯s tender face


    with a pained look.


    She remembered the time her son asked her in signnguage where his father was.


    She could only tell him a terrible lie in heaven.


    She did not know how long she could fool the child with that lie. She could not tell him where or who his


    father really was.


    What should she say? That his father had approached her with malicious intentions from the very


    beginning? That when she yelled, ¡°What if I¡¯m pregnant with your child?¡°, he merely told her coldly,


    ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of having my child¡°?


    Yanny¡¯s father never wanted to have a child with her.


    That man had never truly loved her. The love had been one¨Csided all along. She was simply too


    foolish. Even after discovering his true intention, she still tried to move him, only to meet a more tragic


    end.


    She would not have survived her days in prison if not for her baby,


    Today, Yanny finally met his father. She was so determined to prevent them from meeting that she


    moved away from the city she was living in. She did not expect them to meet under such


    circumstances.


    Fortunately, Wilson Birch did not recognize Yanny.


    In his sleep, Yanny rolled over. His little mouth moved a bit. He seemed to be having a good dream.


    ra lovingly tucked him in. She then took out her phone and looked up news of Wilson Birch.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ra¡¯s heart sank when she read the news. Sure enough, Wilson Birch was in Sria for an


    investment project. He would probably be staying here for a while.


    He might stay for a week or two, maybe even a few months. If he managed tond a major project in


    Sria, he might even be traveling back and forth frequently in the future.


    The chances of running into each other would always be higher if they were in the same city.


    She must try to avoid bumping into Wilson Birch as best she could. She would only feel at ease after


    he left Sria.


    ra¡¯s eyes fell on a photo at the bottom of the news article. It was a photo of Wilson Birch and Sandra


    Cooper standing together. Sandra was intimately holding onto Wilson¡¯s arm. She looked really happy.


    The two looked like a matching couple. In other people¡¯s eyes, they were made for each other. No one


    cared about the woman they drove to the brink of despair who contemted suicide countless times.


    For three years, she deliberately avoided all news of Wilson Birch and Sandra Cooper. She thought


    she would feel a lot of resentment and hate if she saw how intimate they were.


    But when a photo of them truly appeared before her eyes, she realized that all she felt was calmness,

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    It was as if the two people in the photo had nothing to do with her anymore, no matter how lovey¨Cdovey


    they looked.


    It appeared that she had truly moved on.


    Now, her biggest wish was to protect her son and her family!


    Serenity¡¯s mood remained heavy after she left the restaurant. After they returned to the Valor


    Residence, Jackson asked her,¡± Are you still thinking about Yanny?¡±


    Serenity nodded. ¡°ra doesn¡¯t want Wilson to find them. ra has been telling Yanny that his father


    is in heaven. I also don¡¯t think they should meet. Wilson has someone else now. If I were ra, I would


    stay far away from him too. I wouldn¡¯t want to see him ever again.¡±


    Her words made Jackson frown hard. She might not mean anything by that, but her words rmed


    him.


    ¡°Because¡­ he sent ra to prison?¡± Jackson asked. It was seemingly an ordinary question, but only


    he himself knew how nervous he was when he asked the question.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Serenity answered without hesitation.


    Jackson¡¯s heart sank. He felt like his heart was going to stop heating


    ¡°Then if it was me instead of him¡­ would you also stay far away from me and never want to see me


    again?¡± Jackson suddenly asked


    ¡°You?¡± Serenity looked at him in confusion, ¡°You¡¯re not Wilson Birch. How can I answer that?


    ¡°I¡¯m just speaking hypothetically. You once promised me that no matter what I did in the past, you¡¯d


    forgive me, but¡­ if I did what Wilson Birch did, would you still be able to forgive me?¡±


    Because he was asking so seriously, she gave the question serious thoughts. She then shook her head


    and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. After all, there are some things that can never be forgiven.¡± Therefore,


    there¡¯s actually a huge asterisk attached to her im of ¡°no matter what he had done¡°.


    His hands shook violently. His heart skipped a beat, then sank to the pit of his stomach


    He suddenly pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t forgive me as long as


    you promise me, no matter what happens, you can¡¯t stay far away from me and never see me again!¡±


    He held her tightly and wouldn¡¯t let go. He could endure her hate, but he could not bear not seeing her


    ever again.


    if shepletely disappeared from his life one day, would he be able to bear the pain? Would he go


    crazy?


    He loved her more than he could ever have imagined.


    Jackson hugged Serenity so tightly that she could hardly breathe. ¡°Jack, what¡¯s wrong with you? It¡¯s not


    like you¡¯ve done anything wrong. Why would you need my forgiveness?¡±


    ¡°Just promise me, alright?¡± he insisted.


    Well if she wouldn¡¯t promise him, she would probably suffocate! ¡°But¡­ why¡­¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m really scared of the thought of never seeing you again,¡± he murmured, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that one


    day, I¡¯ll make a mistake and lose you forever.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He would probably lose all hope the day that happened


    Afraid? He¡¯s afraid? Serenity was bbergasted. She slowly raised her hands and¡­ hugged him back.


    Jackson¡¯s body jolted in ck, as if he could not believe that she would hug him.

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    ¡°Well, I promise. I¡¯ll be here, always. You¡¯ll always find me.¡± Serenity¡¯s voice was gentle andforting,


    soothing his restless


    heart.


    Jackson lowered his head, his gaze locked on her eyes. ¡°Really? You¡¯re not lying?


    ¡°Yes, I promise,¡± Serenity said, Jackson loved her so much. She believed he would not do something


    that would hurt her. Jackson was not Wilson Birch. Her story with him would not be the same as Wilson


    and ra¡¯s


    ¡°Then tell me that you love me, that you would hate not seeing me,¡± Jackson rasped, his eyes filled


    with love and desire for her.


    The look in Jackson¡¯s eyes asionally surprised Serenity. He looked at her like she was the only


    woman in the world. Almost as if she was his whole world. How much did he love her?


    Serenity had been sceptical about his love at first. Now, she was sure.


    Serenity put her hand on his cheek and said, ¡°I love you.¡± Still, she wondered why he was so insecure


    about love. Was he afraid because of his childhood experience? If so, she wanted to soothe his fear.


    ¡°I¡¯d hate not seeing you ever again.¡±


    A sigh escaped him as her words hit him. He lowered his head and kissed her lips. His lips felt a little


    cold, so different from her warmth. Sometimes, even the coldest man like him would yearn for warmth.


    Jackson wanted to carve everything about him into her soul. His breath, his warmth, all of him.


    Jackson kissed Serenity until she was breathless and suddenly picked her up, taking her to bed. He


    carefully put her down and propped himself above her, looking down at her with endless love in his


    dark eyes.


    Atst, he gently guided her hand to his cheek and rubbed his cheek against her palm softly.


    ¡°I missed you, Serenity. Do you miss me?¡± Jackson murmured softly, the hint of restraint hard to ignore


    in his voice.


    Serenity knew that if she said no, he would stop touching her. However, she wanted to set her feelings


    free. ¡°I do,¡± she answered with absolute certainty, her eyes boring into his.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jackson broke into a smile the next moment, filled with endless joy and the most intense love.


    The next day, Serenity woke up to the morning light seeping into the room. It was sofortable


    basking in the warm morning light, and she could not resist moving a little.


    She opened her eyes to see Jackson¡¯s handsome face right in front of hers. He was lying right beside


    her, half¨Cturned on the bed, and looking at her with a hint of a smile in his dark and deep eyes.


    ¡°Hey.. Serenity responded to his look softly.


    ¡°Tired? Maybe you should sleep in,¡± Jackson suggested.


    Serenity shook her head immediately. ¡°I have work to do!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Serenity. Why are you so devoted to your job?¡± Jackson sighed helplessly. He found Serenity¡¯s


    delivery job at the restaurant a tiring jobs that paid too little. He could have offered her more options,


    but she had refused them all.

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    ¡°Well, I feel like I can support myself with my job,¡± Serenity stated.


    A faint glint flickered in Jackson¡¯s eyes. Then, he smiled softly, ¡°I¡¯ll send you to work today,¡± he offered,


    kissing her forehead. Then, he lifted the quilt and got out of bed.


    ¨C


    ¡°Oh! Serenity let out a low gasp and reflexively looked away.


    Her shy reaction amused him. He found her really adorable.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t like that?¡± Jackson turned back. He propped himself up on top of her, his breath


    close to her.


    Serenity¡¯s cheeks heated up red. With him this close, she did not know where to look. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m just shy.¡±


    ¡°What is there to be shy about?¡± Jackson pulled her hand to him, letting her feel the skin of his chest.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you touch me here yesterday? You¡¯ve already seen it all. We¡¯re in love with each other. It¡¯s only


    natural for you to look at me. Well, unless you find me unattractive.¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Serenity instinctively refuted, her face burning redder as soon as her words escaped


    her. Gosh! What was she saying?! Although it was the truth, it was just way too¡­


    Her palm was full of his warmth.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that fine? Serenity, won¡¯t you look at me more? I like it when you keep your eyes on me,¡± he


    muttered, sounding like he needed more love.


    Jackson¡¯s voice vibrated like a string that moved the heart. Naturally, Serenity was undeniably moved


    by him. She could not resist locking her gaze on him. His body was beautiful, just like a perfect


    sculpture.


    Jackson chuckled softly and rose to his feet again. He began to change his clothes, and as he did so,


    his eyes remained locked on hers.


    Serenity could not look away from his intense gaze. By the time he had finished changing, her face was


    as red as a beet. He then fetched her clothes from the closet and gently helped her change into them.


    ¡°I¨CI can do it myself,¡± Serenity mumbled.


    ¡°But I like doing this. I feel like you¡¯re growing more dependent on me,¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity was slightly startled ¡°Why do you always seem like you really want me to rely on you?¡±


    ¡°Because the more you do, the harder it is for you to get away from me,¡± he answered.


    Serenity pursed her lips in reply. She watched as Jackson crouched down and helped her put on her


    socks. He was so gentle with her, not at all what the world described him to be.


    In the past, Serenity thought a man like Jackson would be arrogantly proud. Someone like him would


    surely like to have full control.


    After getting to know him better, she could always sense his insecurity. Even when they were together,


    he always feared that she would leave him someday. He feared she would not love him and not forgive


    him or something


    Why would someone like him feel insecure? Was it because of his mother? His mother had betrayed


    his father and left them behind. Was it his mother¡¯s betrayal that led to his extreme insecurity? Was he


    so traumatized by this?


    Serenity remembered the scar still visible on lus chest, Jackson had told her it was from when his


    mother had pushed him away when she was leaving him. It had almost killed him.

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    As the years passed, the hideous scar had gradually faded and be lighter, but it remained on his


    skin. Jackson could remove the scars easily with the cosmetic technology today, but he never did. It


    was as if he kept the scar as a reminder. Jackson¡¯s insecurity about rtionships seemed to stem from


    his mother. What about Serenity?


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Serenity also had some insecurities. She became afraid of love after Zeke¡¯s betrayal and thought she


    would be alone for the rest of her life, but Jackson made her feel secure. He made her want to love


    again.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me Eke that?¡± Jackson looked up and met Serenity¡¯s eyes. Her


    emotions seemed to be heartache inxed with a hint of sympathy and something else he could not


    understand.


    Serenity snapped back to her senses and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just realized that I love you


    very much.¡± She leaned forward slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Jack, I¡¯ll be good to


    you. Always


    ¡±


    Was Jackson insecure? Then she would let him feel safe. They were like two people who were


    huddling together to warm each other up. As she felt warmed by him, she would like him to feel the


    same.


    Jackson trembled slightly, his dark eyes looking at Serenity with some bewilderment, his lips curling up


    a few momentster. His lips then parted softly. ¡°It¡¯s a promise.¡±


    Jackson drove Serenity to work in his Bentley, which drew a few stares from the rest of the restaurant¡¯s


    staff Jackson had been here before, so they knew Serenity¡¯s boyfriend was rich. However, no one


    knew that her rich boyfriend was actually Jackson Valor, one of the most powerful men in Sria.


    Serenity went to work and found ra locking tired. Her dark circles were showing. Clearly, she had


    not slept well.


    ¡°re, you didn¡¯t rest well? Because of Wilson? Serenity asked softly.


    ra had a bitter smile. ¡°Kinda. I¡¯ve been hiding from him ever since I gut out of fall. I thought I finally


    found some peace, but 1 fear it¡¯ll be gone again.¡±


    Her greatest fear was that Wilson would Luke Yanny away from her. Yanny had never been the child


    Wilson wanted, but there was no guarantee be would not do it.


    After all, the man wanted nothing more than her suffering.


    ¡°Sria is so big. Although he¡¯s in Sria now, there can¡¯t be such a coincidence for you to run into


    him,¡± Serenity reassured. ¡°Hopefully.¡± ra hoped so too. All she wanted was to run her restaurant


    business and see her son grow up safe and sound. After everything ra had been through, she


    realized peace was a blessing. And Serenity¡­ ra nced at Serenity and hesitated to speak. She


    wondered if Serenity and Jackson¡¯s rtionship was a blessing or a curse.


    A man like Jackson was popr with countless warnen, but who would dare to love a powerful man


    like him?


    Jackson was very fond of Serenity and spalled her, but what about the future? Would he turn his back


    and walk away someday? Would Serenity be able to handle it?

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    ra could tell that Serenity had fallen hard for Jackson. Still, after thinking about it, she decided to


    stay silent. After all, Serenity had been through just as much as ra. Serenity must have considered


    the worries she had. She could only hope for Serenity¡¯s good ending and pray that she would not end


    up like her.


    Lisa was free in the afternoon and started chatting with Serenity. When she learned that her best friend


    had gone to Finn Gordon¡¯s movie premiere, she gasped in surprise, wishing she had been there


    yesterday.


    Lisa then asked Serenity about the meeting yesterday and wanted to see a photo or something.


    Serenity sent Lisa the group photos that Jackson had taken for her yesterday on her phone. As for the


    autograph and signed posters, she would have to take pictures of themter.


    ¡°Wow! I¡¯m so jealous of you! You got to meet Finn up close! I heard he¡¯s got a couple more roadshows


    coming up in Sria. I wonder if I can meet him!¡± Lisa eximed.


    ¡°Do you really want to meet Finn? Why don¡¯t you tell Terry? He¡¯ll find a way,¡± Serenity suggested. After


    all, Terry was the head of the White family. He would have his connections.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It should be easy for Terry to set up a private fan meeting with Finn for Lisa.


    ¡°Well, Terry¡­.¡± Lisa shuddered slightly. ¡°Forget about it.¡±


    Terry had an ugly face whenever he found her watching a video of Finn. It was as if she owed


    something to him. Well, it was not just Finn. Terry had the same reaction toward all of Lisa¡¯s favorite


    male idols.


    L?sa could only chase after the celebrities she loved secretly. She was supposedly dating Terry, but


    could anyone else have a tougher life than her?


    Fortunately, Lisa and Terry were in a fake rtionship. Otherwise, she would probably have to quit


    chasing stars for the rest. of her life.


    Lisa felt a strong regret at the thought of this. How could she have fallen for Terry¡¯s pretty look back


    then? Lisa had gotten so drunk and done those things with him. She would not be in such a mess if she


    had not drunk so much! In short, that one mistake led her to all of this.


    Serenity could not helpughing at the bitter emoticon from her best friend¡¯s reply, but she still did not


    think that Terry had started dating Lisa for revenge.


    After all, there were many means of revenge. Terry did not have to pick such a troublesome one.


    Serenity remembered Terry¡¯s behavior thest them they had gone to San Marco together. The way he


    looked at Lisa seemed to tell a different story.


    Serenity believed that Terry had some feelings for Lisa.


    Serenity went home from work at night and put the posters and autographed photos from Finn on the


    tea table. Then, she took photos of them and sent them to Lisa


    Talking with her best friend about celebrities made her feel rxed. She had not felt this in a long time,


    especially after the car ident and prison time.


    Jackson sat on the couch and watched Serenity busy talding photos of the poster and chatting with


    Lisa on the phone. Serenity kept grinning as she typed on the phone, her hand asionally brushing


    Finn¡¯s face printed on the poster.


    Is this actor that attractive?¡® Jackson thought, his gaze pinned to Serenity¡¯s hand. ¡®S¨CShe¡¯s still She¡¯s


    still touching Finn¡¯s face on the poster..¡±


    Then, his jealousy rose again, and he reached out and pulled Serenity into his arms, interrupting her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not done yet?¡± he asked.

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    ¡°I have two store posters to go,¡± Serenity said.


    ¡°Let me.¡± Jackson grabbed the phone from Serenity¡¯s hand. He took the photo of the remaining posters


    and sent them to Lisa. Why let her take the photos? He would rather do it himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± Serenity was surprised by his speed.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just two posters. How long did you think it¡¯d take?¡± Jackson said.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity nced at the photos Jackson had just sent to her friend. Uh.. It was a little bit off¨Ccenter. She


    wondered if Lisa would mind. Perhaps she should retake them againter.


    Serenity clicked on the photo album in her phone and started looking through the photos Jackson had


    taken of her and Finn yesterday. She nned to print nut one of them as a nice memory with her


    favorite star.


    ¡°Why are yu


    still looking at these photos?¡± A fit of new jealousy rose in Jackson once more.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to print one for the photo album,¡± Serenity said.


    ¡°Is he really that good¨Clooking?¡± There was a strong hint of jealousy in Jackson¡¯s voice.


    Startled at first, Serenity looked up and saw the clear jealousy on Jackson¡¯s face. She suddenly felt


    amused, unsure how to react. Who would have thought that the almighty Mr. Jackson Valor would


    actually be so jealous?


    ¡°He is, but¡­¡± Serenity changed her tune and added before Jackson¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Not as much as


    you. I think my Jack is the most handsome.¡±


    Jackson seemed pleased by the possessive note in Serenity¡¯s reply. ¡°Your Jack?¡± He arched a brow.


    ¡°Yes. Mine.¡± Serenity nodded. It seemed she was bing less shy.


    Serenity¡¯s reply made Jackson chuckle. The jealousy on his face faded instantly. ¡°I like hearing you say


    that. I¡¯m yours, and you¡¯re mine¡±


    ¡°So quit being jealous!¡± Serenity said, then exining her feelings for Finn. ¡°I¡¯m just a fan of Finn. 1 like


    him as an actor, and I¡¯m not even a die¨Chard fan. I have other favorite stars besides him. I appreciate


    how they interpret the characters in the movie, but it¡¯s just admiration and nothing more. I really care


    about them.¡±


    Serenity paused slightly and put her phone away. She reached out and cupped his face. ¡°But you¡¯re


    different. I care about your feelings. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I¡¯ve never thought about


    this with my favorite stars.¡±


    Jackson gazed steadily at Serenity. Somehow, she could always make his uneasiness fade away like


    magic.


    #Though I don¡¯t like you looking at him tou long.¡± Jackson reminded, ¡°Serenity, I¡¯m not a generous


    man. I know you¡¯re admiring him as an actor, but it¡¯s not okay.¡±


    Jackson was dominant and had a strong possessiveness over Serenity. He knew it was so strong that


    it would be suffocating at times. He studied her reaction as he spoke, fearing she would hate feeling


    restrained.


    Serenity blinked her eyes. She pursed her lips and pondered for a moment. Then, she broke into a


    smile. ¡°Well, fine. I¡¯ll just asionally follow the celebrities, and.. Jack..¡±

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    Serenity put her face close to his. She even took the initiative and pressed a kiss on his lips. ¡°You¡¯re


    the most beautiful in my eyes. You¡¯re the one I love. Stars are just stars. I¡¯d go through fire and water


    for you, but not for a celebrity. So don¡¯t be jealous.


    Since Jackson was extremely insecure, she would try to change that and let him feel assured!


    ¡®Go through fire and water. Jackson was slightly startled. He had not expected her to say this,


    Serenity¡¯s words washed over Jackson in warm waves, filling his heart with warmth and spreading to


    the rest of his body.


    Serenity Lewis. His most beloved Serenity.


    ¡°I¡¯d go through fire and water for you too!¡± Jackson muttered softly, his words like a heavy promise.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    It was a promise to her-a promise of a lifetime. Serenity had be a part of Jackson¡¯s life without


    him realizing it. She was more important than his life!


    Meanwhile, Lisa was happily looking at the pictures her friend had sent her.


    Hmm¡­ So handsome! Finn was truly a man with talent and good looks. Although he had been styled


    horribly in the newly released movie, he was as charming as usual!


    The posters Serenity had were all limited edition and few in number. It was said to be Finn¡¯s special gift


    to the fans. The fans would have to win the draw to get it.


    Lisa envied Serenity for actually having all the limited-edition posters. If only she could¡­ Maybe she


    could talk to Serenity about giving one to her.


    Lisa loved the poster where Finn was half-naked. He was lean and muscr, which was drool-worthy!


    ¡°What are you looking at? You seem so engrossed.¡± A voice sounded, and a hand suddenly took the


    phone away from Lisa¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Lisa gasped in a low cry and looked at Terry, who was sitting across the table. ¡°This guy¡­ How


    could he just sna tch my phone?!!


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Give it back!¡± Lisained.


    Instead of handing her phone back, Terry nced down at the photo on the phone to see Finn¡¯s poster


    Terry¡¯s face darkened. Finn Gordon! Lisa was the only reason he could recognize Finn¡¯s face so easily.


    Lisa was supposedly dating him, but she had been obsessed with the TV series starring Finn. She


    would watch the TV series whenever it was airing. She would watch the TV series on her phone even


    on a date. As a result, Terry, who was bad at remembering faces, could now even recognize the actor,


    Finn.


    Lisa had been staring at a half-naked photo of Finn on her phone earlier. In the photo, Finn was posing


    in a popr pose. With his attractive face, many girls would squeal at this photo of him. Well, of course,


    the 28-year-old Lisa was one of them


    001


    Terry stared at Lisa¡¯s phone with an unreadable look, contemting whether or not he should do


    something to end Finn¡¯s


    Even so.. Lisa would quickly fall for another male celebrity. After all, he was after a bunch of them. He


    could delete their photos in her phone now, but new ones would appear tomorrow.


    If Terry really wanted to end the career of those stars she was chasing, many A and B-listers in the


    entertainment industry would be affected.


    Helplessness settled over Terry as he thought of that

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    Terry was good¨Clooking and nice to Lisa. He wondered why Lisa would not put the same kind of


    passion into him instead of chasing stars. She did not even have a picture of him on her phone.


    ¡°Were you looking at Finn?¡± Terry looked through Lisa¡¯s phone and found her chat with Serenity.


    Serenity was the one who had sent the picture of Finn.


    ¡°Lisa is just like a pery! Terry thought as he went through the chat conversation, and he grew angrier as


    he read the chat. Seriously, Lisa?! It seemed he had to remind her that she was dating him!


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Yup.¡± Lisa was surprisingly frank. ¡°Serenity is so lucky, Jackson took her to Finn¡¯s movie premier. She


    even met Finn in person! Finn gave her these posters.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just an actor. What¡¯s so great about him and these posters?¡± Terry said.


    Lisa raised her eyebrow. She did not like what she heard. ¡°What? Are you looking down on actors?¡±


    Terry¡¯s face darkened. His beautiful dark eyes gazed at her. ¡°What? Are you going to speak up for


    him?¡± There was a hint of danger in his cold voice.


    Lisa jolted and immediately changed her tune. Her favorite celebrities were important, but her life was


    in danger!


    ¡°I¨C1. Well, I¡¯m just saying!¡± Lisa said weakly.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Terry had a meaningful smile. ¡°Hey, how much do you like Finn?¡±


    ¡°Well, umm Just so¨Cso.¡± Lisa smiled sheepishly. She was not an idiot. Even if she liked him, she could


    not confess honestly! Well, she seemed to have a lot of favorite celebrities, anyway,


    ¡°What about me? How much do you like me?¡± Terry asked


    Lisa straightened up and put on a serious look. ¡°I think I should like you now. Whenever I can¡¯t see you,


    I¡¯d think of you.¡±


    ¡®What a little liar! Terry thought to himself. He knew Lisa was lying just by looking at her expression


    alone.


    Many women flocked after Terry even before he became the head of the White family. As the head of


    the White family, more and more women looked for every opportunity to get close to him. Meanwhile,


    Terry allowed Lisa to get close to him, but she


    never took it seriously!


    ¡°If you miss me, why don¡¯t you have my photo on your phone?¡± Terry asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°If I look at your photo, I¡¯d miss you even more, Lisa replied smoothly.


    Terry almost choked at her reply. This little liar did not even bother finding a proper excuse.


    Lisa was just staring at Terry with a look on her face that said ¡®Give me back my phone¡°. Terry got so


    mad and threw the phone


    back at Lisa.


    Lisa was d to have her phone back and started eating her supper peacefully.


    Speaking of which, Lisa realized one good thing about dating Terry. She got to eat a lot of food she


    could not eat before.


    Terry¡¯s voice rang in her ears again, interrupting her train of thoughts.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve been dating for a while. Why do you seem reluctant to be more intimate with me? Didn¡¯t


    you say you always iniss me? Or do you find me less attractive than that actor, Finn?


    ¡±

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    Chapter 558


    Lisa almost choked on the food in her mouth. She swallowed hard and looked up to meet Terry¡¯s deep


    eyes. His gaze was pinned to her as if trying to see through her.


    ¡°Well..¡± Lisa bit her lips. It took her a while before she could manage an excuse. ¡°Because you. You


    seem a little too cool sometimes, just like¡­ You seem untouchable, so I feel shy to be intimate with


    you.¡±


    Lisa felt a little guilty as she spoke. She thought of what she had done with him years ago which had


    landed her in her current situation. She would love to be intimate with him again but had no guts to do


    so!


    Hah! Be intimate with him again?! Lisa wamed herself in her mind. She just did not want to get into


    more trouble with him


    in the future.


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you feel the same back then? You even went ahead and did it. Terry questioned in


    amusement..


    Lisa¡¯s breath caught. If she knew her one mistake would lead her to such a result, she would not have


    gotten herself drunk.¡± Well, I was drunk, and you know¡­ I¡¯m a bad drinker and get drunk easily. I can¡¯t


    control myself when I¡¯m drunk 1-1 didn¡¯t


    mean it¡­


    Lisa¡¯s voice eventually got softer. Terry¡¯s gaze on her was bing colder, making her feel terrified.


    She gulped, unable to talk


    ¡°Right. If you did, you wouldn¡¯t have left without saying goodbye the next day.¡± Terry stated.


    Lisa remained silent. His words hit her like bricks.


    Terry then called the waiter and ordered a bottle of red wine. He opened the wine and poured her a


    ss.


    Lisa blinked and looked at the ss of red wine. Could be be¡­


    ¡°Drink,¡± he ordered tly.


    ¡°I get drunk easily.¡± Lisa reminded Terry with an embarrassed look, ¡°I can¡¯t control myself while I¡¯m


    drunk. I may mess up again.¡±


    I¡¯d love to see you out of control while drunk. Don¡¯t worry. If you do get drunk this time, I¡¯ll allow you to


    do anything you want with me. I won¡¯t hold you responsible this time,¡± Terry said.


    ¡®Boom!¡± Lisa¡¯s heart thundered, her face burning red. ¡°Does he know what he¡¯s saying?! It¡¯s like


    seduction!¡®


    Terry ignored Lisa and poured himself another drink. Drinking seemed to be the only way he could


    suppress his rising anger. He told himself not to pay too much attention to this heartless woman!


    Lisa still got drunk in the end. She drank the first ss because Terry had ¡®threatened¡® ber to do so, but


    she eventually began to enjoy the wine. Lisa found the wine quite nice and kept drinking. She was


    already a little drunk when she realized that she had had a little too much.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°W¨CWhat time is it? I¡­ I need to go back. Lisa stumbled to her feet. Her parents would nag her if she


    got home toote.


    ¡°About 10 pm, I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Terry grabbed Lisa and steadied her. Seeing her drunk reminded


    him of her drunkenness. years ago.


    ¡°If I¡­ If I misbehave again. J¨CJust throw me out of the car..¡± Lisa mumbled and could barely speak


    clearly, her eyes getting a little misty.


    Terry nced at her and led her out of the restaurant in silence. The White family¡¯s driver was already


    waiting outside the


    restaurant.


    Terry helped Lisa into the car and told the driver, ¡°To Lisa¡¯s¡±


    The driver drove the car slowly. Terry looked at Lisa what was sitting beside him and leaning against


    him adache the next day!

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    Chapter 559


    Lisa¡¯s cheeks were burning red. Her eyes were half¨Cclosed, her head resting on Terry¡¯s shoulder.


    There was a faint alcohol smell in the car.


    Lisa might bepletely drunk, but Terry remained sober. There were times he hoped he could get


    drunk as easily as she did. Maybe he would think less if he did.


    Terry stiffened suddenly. Someone¡¯s hand was moving around his chest slowly. Lisa was very drunk


    and would not stay still. ¡°Lisa. Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Terry asked, but heughed at himself


    as soon as the words were out of his mouth. What was he doing? questioning a drunk woman? she


    probably would not know what he was asking.


    However, Lisa answered, ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m touching you¡­¡®


    ¡°Good. She knows.¡± Terry thought and sneered, ¡°Won¡¯t you regret it again after you sober up?¡±


    Despite that, he was still a little reluctant to pull her hand off his chest.


    This time, Lisa simply ignored him and carried on, muttering something. She raised her head slightly a


    few momentster and struggled to straighten up. ¡°Terry! I¨CI¡¯ll tell you a secret¡­


    Terry arched a brow. ¡°A secret? She¡¯s very drunk. What secret could she possibly have?¡±


    ¡°H¨Chey,e closer¡­ Secrets are to be¡­ whispered in your ears¡­¡± Lisa frowned a little as if


    unhappy with the distance between them.


    Terry pursed his lips and gave her a deep look. Then, he leaned over and put his ear close to her lips.


    Surprisingly, he found the smell of alcohol mixed with her scent pleasant.


    Terry had always hated women who reeled of alcohol. He usually found it foul¨Csmelling, but Lisa


    seemed to be the exception. It was so before, and it was still the same now.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Lisa¡¯s lips carelessly brushed past his earlobe, causing him to tremble slightly. Then, he heard her


    slurred speech.


    ¡°Actually. I think Your body is better than¡­ Finn¡­ He¡¯s no match for you¡­¡±


    Ba¨Cdump! Ba¨Cdump! Ba¨Cdump!


    Terry¡¯s heartbeat suddenly raced loudly. He seemed to hear nothing other than her voice and his own


    heartbeat.


    ¡°Besides¡­ T¨CTerry¡­ Terry¡­ I like you¡­ I¡¯m serious..¡± Lisa continued intermittently and even shed


    him a silly grin at the end of it.


    Lisa kept giggling, but Terry seemed mesmerized by her silly smiles. His heartbeat thundered like a


    drum. Many women had far more beautiful, graceful, or charmingughs than Lisa, but nothing else


    drew him more than hers.


    Ba¨Cdump! Ba¨Cdump!


    Lisa woke up the next morning with a sharp pain in her head. ¡®God! It hurts! Lisa thought she should


    have known better than to drink Drinking too much always gave her a he

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    Chapter 560


    ¡®Drinking?!¡® L?sa suddenly jolted at the thought. She rubbed her head and struggled to open her eyes.


    The memories ofst night gradually came to her mind as she stared at the celling


    Right, Lisa remembered drinking a lot when she had ate supper with Terry. After that¡­ She had


    gotten drunk¡­ And then¡­


    Her fuzzy memories gradually wandered into her head. She remembered getting into the car with Terry


    and touching him! What happened after that? She vaguely remembered saying something but could


    not remember what exactly she had said!


    Lisa eventually gave up and stopped thinking. She prayed that those words she could not remember


    were not offensive to Terry, or he would be thinking of ways to get back at her.


    Lisa got up and changed her clothes. As soon as she left her room, she ran into her parents.


    ¡°Hey, why did you drink so muchst night? You were very drunk. Fortunately, Terry was with youst


    night and sent you back. Otherwise, what would have happened to you?¡± Her mother could not resist


    criticizing Lisa as soon as she saw her.


    ¡°Terry told you to drink less, but you drank more. A girl like you shouldn¡¯t drink so much!¡± Her father


    berated Lisa as well.


    Lisa could only nod weakly, looking like she knew her mistake, but her mind thought otherwise. Terry


    was the one who had made her drinkst night!


    Unfortunately for her, Terry had sessfully charmed her parents into believing him. Whenever Terry


    visited, her parents would wee him so warmly. Their enthusiasm in meeting him made her wonder


    who their real child was.


    Still, Lisa and Terry would eventually break up, and she could not imagine how devastating it would be


    for her parents.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    After finally escaping to the bathroom, Lisa looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was in aplete


    mess, her skin smooth and fair. Her facial features were ordinary. She seemed delicate but not enough


    to be stunningly beautiful.


    Lisa had never been in a rtionship before. She had started ¡®dating¡® Terry for a strange reason, but it


    was still¡­ It was still her first time. Lisa thought about her future. She probably would not meet such a


    good¨Clooking guy like Terry even if she dated again. If only her rtionship with Terry was real, not


    fake.


    Then, Lisa lost her smile and secretly scolded herself. What are you thinking?! You¡¯ll break up with


    Terry eventually!¡±


    After all, their rtionship had not begun out of love!


    Lisa sighed and then brushed her teeth and washed her face. For her, this rtionship was nothing


    more than an atonement,


    Lisa did not know what had happened after she had passed out in the carst night. The man had


    gently caressed her sleeping. face and murmured in the most gentle voice, ¡°Lisa, you¡¯d better love me.


    Like me more.¡± His voice was full of joy and anticipation.


    ¡°What? Lucas doesn¡¯t want to see me?¡± Aria¡¯s voice trembled.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gomez said he¡¯s not seeing you today. Ms. Lewis, please go back.¡± Lucas¡¯s secretary, ke


    Hamer exined.


    Aria gritted her teeth. How many times had it been?! She had been trying to meet Lucas, but he


    constantly denied her. She had even tried his private residence andpany,

 Chapter 561

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    Chapter 561


    The media would exaggerate any slightest hint of trouble in the entertainment industry. It had been a


    while since Aria had appeared together with Lucas in public. There were already rumors around,


    specting that Lucas had left her.


    Aria desperately needed to do something and dispel the rumors. She needed to be seen with Lucas but


    could not get to him.


    ¡°Mr. Hamer, can¡¯t you go talk to him for me again? I really need to see him.¡± Aria pleaded.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Mr. Gomez said no, so no. ke said without any room for negotiation.


    Aria saw the faintest hint of mockery in ke¡¯s eyes, almost akin to condescending pity..


    Did Mr. Hamer think Lucas would abandon her? Did he think she would be beaten back down?! Aria¡¯s


    thoughts were filled with hatred. It seemed like staying here would only be a further insult to herself.


    A had no choice but to leave. She then found a parking spot near the entrance of the building and


    parked her car. She nned to stay here and wait for Lucas to appear.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Aria had deliberately taken a day off from work just to see Lucas. Unexpectedly, she did not need to


    wait long before Lucas¡® car appeared Arta hurried to drive and tall him.


    To Aria¡¯s surprise, Lucas drove for more than 20 minutes without any intention of stopping, and he


    seemed to be heading toward the expressway.


    Lucas¡­ Where is he going? Aria was puzzled. After driving for an hour or more, the car finally stopped


    near a hill.


    Afraid that Lucas would find out, Aria had to park as far away as possible. Aria recognized the town


    they were in. It was the town Serenity¡¯s grandmother lived in. She had visited twice with her father


    when she was a child.


    Why had Lucase here? Could it be¡­ A bad feeling shed in Aria¡¯s heart.


    For the moment, she could only observe Lucas from a distance. He stood still in front of the hill


    motionless.


    This hill¡­ What was so special about It? A tiptoed a little nearer but suddenly stopped dead in her


    tracks and stiffened. She recognized the hill as the one she had seen in Lucas¡® studio.


    In the painting, the little girl had carried the little boy on her back. The two children seemed dependent


    on each other as they. got down the hill with difficulty. It seemed they only had each other in the whole


    world.


    Lucas stood as still as a statue in front of this hill. Was he thinking about Serenity?


    Aria clenched her hands into fists, her well¨Cmanicured nails digging into her palms, her beautiful face


    with makeup contorted


    Serenity helped to clean up the restaurant as Mrs. Wells had been hospitalized for the past few days.


    ra had to look after Yanny alone, so Serenity took the initiative to help clean up at closing time. As a


    result, she got off work a littleter than


    usual.


    Serenity left the restaurant after cleaning up. As she walked out of the restaurant, she suddenly


    stopped and looked at the figure in front of her with some surprise.

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    Chapter 562


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Lucas!¡±


    He seemed slightly different than usual with his messy hair and wearing a casual white shirt and belge


    pants. His face was mostly in the shadows, though.


    His dark eyes bore into hers under the cold moonlight but with a touch of confusion instead of the usual


    coldness. That gaze made Serenity feel ufortable. It was as if he was looking at someone else


    through her.


    Lucas moved and came closer to her.


    ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± Serenity asked reflexively. She could smell the alcohol oozing from his


    breath.


    ¡°Yeah. A little.¡± Lucas chuckled softly, his eyes watching, her more intently.


    Serenity pursed her lips slightly. ¡°It¡¯ste. I¡¯m heading home. Goodbye,¡± she said and stepped away,


    intending to leave.


    Before she could walk away, his hand grabbed hers, pulling her into his arms. She trembled in his


    embrace. Lucas reeked of alcohol. It was far stronger than what she had thought.


    He had definitely drunk more than a little wine! How much had he consumed?!


    ¡°Let go!¡± Serenity yelled, but his grip on her remained strong


    ¡°Tell me. How can I find you? I¡¯ve been looking for you. It¡¯s been a long time, but I can¡¯t find you! I


    can¡¯t.¡±


    Serenity stiffened. Did Lucas just¡­ Did he mistake her for someone else? His words did not seem to


    be directed at her.


    ¡°Mr. Gomez, please let go of me. You¡¯re drunk,¡± Serenity said. His arms were so strong that her


    struggles seemed useless. The difference in strength between men and women in such times became


    apparent.


    ¡°Drunk? It would be nice to be really drunk. Do you know how much I want to be drunk?¡± Lucas rasped


    in a low murmur. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you think I am. You¡¯d better let go, or else¡­¡±


    ¡°Or else what?¡± Lucas lowered his head, putting his face closer to hers, almost touching the tips of their


    noses.


    As his scent surrounded her, the strong smell of alcohol made her jolt in rm


    She could havemunicated with the normal Lucas, but how could she reason with someone drunk?!


    Serenity frowned. ¡°Mr. Gomez, please have some self-control.¡±


    The expression on his face changed slightly at her words. ¡°Self-control? I-I¡¯ve always been.. I¡¯ve always


    shown too much self -control¡­¡± He thought, ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t even fight for it.¡¯


    ¡°Why? You¡¯re not her. Why?!¡±


    If Serenity was the one he was looking for, he would have fought for her. He would go against Jackson


    at all costs and do even more for her..


    ¡°Not her?¡± Serenity did not know who he was referring to, but she had goosebumps the moment Lucas


    put his hand on her face. Then, a chill ran down her sp?ne. The dangerous vibe was rming.


    ¡°If only.. How wonderful it would have been if I hadn¡¯t let po of your hand. You carried me down the hill


    that year today. You said you would protect me and told me not to be afraid.¡±


    A cold and choked voice resounded in the night wil. Lucas¡¯ eyes were moist. Then, tears flowed down


    his cheeks.


    Serenity was dumbfounded. She never thought Lucas would cry in front of her. He had always been


    aloof, cold, and mighty, However, his vulnerability gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

 Chapter 563

    Chapter 563


    Chapter 563


    His tears. It was as if she had¡­..


    Serenity suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head. It felt like a sharp needle prickling the back of her head,


    causing her a moment


    ¡°Did you know? I really miss you. I miss you.. Lucas murmured softly, his face getting closer, his lips


    almost upon hers.


    ¡®Smack!¡± A loud p sounded in the middle of the night.


    Serenity panted nervously. The palm of her right hand was burning with pain, which showed how hard


    she had just pped


    him.


    Serenity pped Lucas so hard that his face turned to the side. In that instance, the air around them


    froze. There was silence.


    A long momentter, Lucas slowly turned his face back to hers. He fixed his eyes on her, but this time,


    there was rity in his eyes, not the earlier confusion.


    Lucas slowly loosened his grip on her and spun on his heel without saying a word. He staggered away


    and got into his car nearby.


    Serenity¡¯s head had been throbbing in pain. She put her hand on her temple and tried to ease the


    headache.


    She wondered why she had gotten a headache from seeing Lucas¡® tears. A very unpleasant feeling


    welled up in her at that moment. It felt as if something had hit her hard.


    Why? Why did she feel so bad? It was as if she instinctively did not want to see him cry. Serenity was


    confused by her


    emotions.


    Meanwhile, Aria remained hidden in a darker not far away. She clenched her teeth and looked at


    Serenity¡¯s figure with vicious eyes filled with hatred.


    She had followed Lucas to the town earlier and watched him stand in front of the hill like a fool for


    hours. After standing for so long, her legs were so sure that she almost copsed.


    Later, Lucas had gone to a restaurant in town and drank A had never seen him drink like that before.


    He had one ss after another, almost as if he wanted to get himself drunk.


    Aria was secretly delighted at first, thinking it might be an opportunity to get close to Lucas. She could


    try to approach him. while he was drunk, and something good for her might happen. Unfortunately, the


    next thing she knew, Lucas was here looking for Serenity.


    Also, Serenity and Lucas, they¡­ They had almost kissed!


    Why?! Serenity was the little girl in his painting, but Lucas was clearly unaware about the truth. Why


    would he even do this to Serenity?!


    Serenity already had Jackson. Why would she mess with Lucas?


    Aria¡¯s face contorted in hatred. She swore to herself. If she ever lost Lucas one day, she would make


    Serenity pay!N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    That night, Serenity cupped her cheeks and stared at Jackson busy working in his room. He loved


    having her by his side as he worked. He said he would feel less tired with her around.

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    ??


    Serenity felt quite amused sometimes, unsure whether tough or cry. Even so, she enjoyed quietly


    watching him from the side. It was pleasing to her eyes. She never thought the two of them could get


    along this way.


    Jackson was very focused on his work. As he quickly browsed through the documents in front of him,


    he continuously made notes with the pen in his hand.


    He was reviewing the documents at a fast speed and at the same time, multitasking on theputer


    and instructing his


    executives to follow up on the tasks.


    Serenity suddenly felt emotional seeing Jackson working hard. She used to hear people say men were


    the most attractive when they were at work. It seemed to be tre


    Everyone knew Jackson Vallor as the king of the business world. After all, he came from the Valor


    family, an old money family. However, no one was hom a king. He could have all the support from the


    Valor family, but only if he worked hard. Otherwise, someone else could dethrone him at any time.


    The Valor family and his sess today were all achieved by his own efforts.


    Serenity¡¯s gaze fell on Jackson¡¯s side profile. From her angle, she could see his perfectly sculptured


    face, straight nose, lips, and firm jaw.


    At the moment, his eyes were hooded as he looked at the document in his hand. His long eyshes


    cast a nice shadow on his face, and his eyes were extremely mesmerizing. Serenity could not help but


    keep wanting to look at them. His beautiful eyes were so irresistible, sparkling whenever he looked at


    hers.


    ¡®I love your eyes.¡± Serenity was startled by the abrupt voice that shed through her mind! Her head


    seemed to ache again. Had she said that to anyone before?


    Suddenly, Lucas¡® tearful eyes shed in her mind.


    God! Why had she suddenly thought of Lucas? Serenity shook her head and tried to get rid of the


    image of Lucas in her mind.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You keep shaking your head.¡± A voice suddenly rang in the room.


    Serenity nced up to see Jackson walking over to her from his desk at some point


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Serenity bit her lip slightly. She did not want to mention Lucas at all. After all, Lucas was


    clearly drunk. He probably did not even know what he was doing. She had a feeling that Lucas might


    have mistaken her for someone else.


    Besides, the Gomez family and Valor family had always been close. Lucas and Jackson seemed to


    have known each other since childhood. Serenity did not want to cause any trouble between them. She


    thought about the incident earlier and decided to pretend it had never happened.


    Jackson seemed unhappy with her answer. He arched a brow and tipped her chin. ¡°Nothing? Really?


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Those dark eyes seemed to see right through her.


    ¡°I was just thinking that. You don¡¯t cry much, do you?¡± Serenity did her best to manage an excuse,


    Jackson could not resist andughed a little. He seemed to have believed the absurd reason she had


    made up. ¡°What? Do you want to see me cry?¡±


    Stunned, Serenity was speechless. How could she answer that? If Jackson cried one day, she would..


    A tingling pain rose in her heart.


    Serenity never wanted to see him cry. Even a strong man like him had his wet moments. Jackson


    seemed extremely fragile whenever he mentioned his parents, like a ss that would break with just a


    little force,

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    Chapter 565


    ¡°I¡¯ll cry if you really want to see me cry.¡± Jackson¡¯s voice rang


    in the room again.


    Serenity¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. What did he just say? Him? Crying?


    ¡°What?¡± Jackson smiled gently


    ¡°Did you just say¡­ Y¨CYou.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything you want. I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill your wish,¡± Jackson said. He lowered himself slowly,


    his handsome face closing in on her.


    Serenity stared nkly at him. His face was so close that she could see her own reflection in his dark


    eyes. He was smiling, but he spoke with a serious look. It was as if he would really cry and fall into


    tears as long as she wanted it.


    ¡°Do you want to see?¡± His voice rang in her ears again. A soft murmur, the sweetest words of love.


    Serenity shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    Her answer caused a slight confusion in his eyes. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯d hurt me. If you¡¯re crying, it would mean that you¡¯re sad. I don¡¯t want to see you sad,¡±


    Serenity exined.


    Emotions stirred in his eyes. Her words created a warm current that flowed through his heart to his


    heart and lungs. Many in this world could not wait for him to have bad luck. His friends mostly treated


    him with respect and fear


    His father had loved his mother too much, so much that he had given the young Jackson very little


    love. As for his mother, Jackson was just a pawn for her. He was a pawn for her to get into a wealthy


    family.


    When a pawn like him was no longer of any use, his mother had turned away from him, not even


    showing him the slightest bit of mercy.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As for his grandfather, Master Zack only saw him as the only choice for the heir to the Valor family. He


    had his father¡¯s genes and also his mother¡¯s genes. His grandfather hated seeing his mother in him,


    and so, he frequently looked at him with disgust.


    For a long time, Jackson had told himself that he had to be strong. Otherwise, the world would swallow


    him, leaving him with nowhere to live. And yet, this woman in front of him cared so much about him.


    She did not want to hurt him


    She was¡­ the woman he had fallen in love with. She was the only one who truly cared for him.


    Jackson kissed her gently with all his love.


    ¡°Serenity, only you. I only have you¡­¡± Jackson had always been alone in this world, but he had her


    now. With her around, he would not be so lonely..


    Serenity went to work the next day. When she returned to the restaurant from her deliveries, she found


    Lucas sitting in the restaurant waiting.


    ra approached Serenity and whispered, ¡°Lucas has been here for a while. He¡¯s looking for you.¡±


    Serenity took a deep breaths. She walked to Lucas¡® table and met his gaze, ¡°Mr. Gomez, how can I


    help you?¡±


    ¡°About yesterday, I¡¯m very sorry,¡± Lucas apologized.


    Yesterday was the anniversary of the day the little girl had carried him down the hill and also the day he


    had been separated from her.

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    Chapter 566


    Even after years of searching for her, he never found her again. Lacas missed that little girl so much


    and regretted it even


    Morr


    Lucas was drank yesterday. The long suppressed regret in his heart suddenly burst like a flood,


    drowning him.


    Lucas had no idea how he got to the restaurant. All he had in mind was to see her again. He had to see


    her. As if seeing Serenity would make him feel better.


    When Lucas mer her, the Serenity in reality and the little girl in his memory constantly intertwined. As a


    result, he did. something out of character.


    Although he was drunk, he remembered what he had done to her. He would not have cared if it was


    another woman, but Serenity was different.


    Not because she was Jackson¡¯s girlfriend. Rather because she was so much like the girl he imagined


    she would be when she


    grow up


    Serenity was not the little girl he was searching for, but he did not want to be hated by her.


    ¡°No big deal. We¡¯re even, Serenity replied tly. After all, she pped him for what he didst night.


    ¡°We¡¯re even. For some reason, these words stung Lucas. ¡°Aboutst night, you¡¯re not going to ask me


    why?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Serenity stated. She did not want to be overly curious about his business. ¡°I just hope you won¡¯t


    get drunk and do the same thing to me again. About what happenedst night, let¡¯s just pretend it


    never happened.¡±


    Lucas curled his lips, feeling dejected. Serenity really was not interested in him at all.


    ¡°You have a new order! The machine¡¯s voice suddenly rang at the register, interrupting them.


    Serenity had a new delivery order and needed to get back to work. When she was about to leave,


    Lucas grabbed her wrist.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Serenity frowned, spun around, and red at him. ¡°Mr. Gomez! Please let go of me!!!


    .???


    ¡°Would you be with me if you didn¡¯t know Jackson?¡± Lucas asked abruptly. He suddenly wondered if


    that was even possible.


    Serenity¡¯s brow furrowed harder. What kind of question was that?!


    ¡°I just want an answer. Why? Is it so hard to answer such a hypothetical question? Or are you too shy


    to say it¡¯s possible?¡± Lucas stated


    Serenity pursed her lips and said with a serious look, ¡°No way! Even if I didn¡¯t know Jack, there¡¯s no


    way I¡¯d be interested in


    you.¡±


    Her answer had stung his heart. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°You have too many ex-girlfriends. I don¡¯t want in be one of them. Also, you have someone in mind. I


    don¡¯t want to be a recement for someone else,¡± Serenity stated. She just wanted to be herself and


    nothing more.


    Lucasughed at himself and finally let po. ¡°Seriously¡­¡­. I can¡¯t refute that.¡± trudeed, his ex-girlfriends


    were all the recements for the little girl.


    Serenity walked to the register. Not long after, she left the restaurant with the takeout delivery in her


    hand. Meanwhile, Lucas fell into a long silence, still sitting in his seat and twirling the cup of tea in his


    hand.

 Chapter 567

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    Chapter 567


    On Saturday afternoon, which was Serenity¡¯s day off from work, she was dragged along by Lisa to a


    roadshow event for a


    movie.


    ¡°Do you know how hard it was for me to grab these two tickets?!¡± Lisa babliled on. ¡°Finn Gordon is


    going to be at the roadshow. He knows you, doesn¡¯t he? Could you say something to him for me,


    please? Could you at least persuade him to take a picture with me?


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Lisa looked as if she was so eager to meet Finn Gordon that she was willing to do anything, eveny


    down her own life!


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you juste with Terry instead? Serenity asked, thinking that Terry would have been of


    much more help to Lisa than she could ever be.


    Lisa¡¯s mouth twitched. The truth was that she had kept the fact that she wasing here aplete


    secret from Terry! Judging by that man¡¯s temper, she was certain that he would mope and sulk for days


    if he found out that she had snuck out to see Finn Gordan at a roadshow!


    In fact, Terry had forced her to drink so much that she had gottenpletely drunk, and she had nearly


    gotten her ear pulled and grounded by him for it¨Call because of a Finn Gordon poster!


    Although, to be fair, Terry had only forced her to drink the first ss of wine. She had voluntarily drank


    the rest because she thought the wine tasted really good.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Lisa shook her head. ¡°If I bring him along. I¡¯ll never get to meet Finn Gordon!¡±


    Serenity could not help but chuckle.


    ¡°So he doesn¡¯t like you chasing celebrities?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You bet he doesn¡¯t!¡± Lisa pouted. ¡°Everytime I get excited about my favorite idols, he¡¯d act like I owed


    him a ton of money!¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just jealous,¡± Serenity suggested. Jack was exactly like that too. He would get all jealous


    and possessive of her just because he found out she was Finn Gordon¡¯s fan.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Lisa responded, immensely amused by what Serenity had just said. ¡°At most, he


    probably just doesn¡¯t want me to think of any other man but him before he gets his revenge.¡±


    Lisa thought to herself that this kind of behavior was expected of a man who was so petty that he would


    hold a grudge against a woman he had lost his virginity to


    Hearing this. Serenity chose to say nothing else. Lisa would have to experience it herself when it came


    to the subject of love and other emotions, anyway.


    And so, Serenity and Lisa entered the venue, and they headed to their seats ording to the tickets


    that Lisa had bought for both of them, which were in the third row and pretty close to the stage.


    Before the movie started, the main cast came out and interacted with the audience. Naturally, most


    people who attended the roadshow were big fans of the starring actors in the movie, so a lot of them


    were holding up posters and cards of their favorite idols, but what surprised Serenity was the fact


    that even Lisa was holding up a sign that said, ¡°Finn Gordon is the


    best!¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Lisa asked her. ¡°I actually paid someone to make this, you know.¡±


    Lisa had really spared no expense for this event.


    danking that the sign a


    ¡°It looks pretty cool,¡± replied Serenity, thinking that the sign could indeed attract a lot of attention.


    When the thine came, the main cast started to get on stage, one of them being Finn Gordon. His


    appearance caused the fans to erupt in apuse, screams, and shouts, all vying in attract their klol¡¯s


    attention. And one of those crazed fans was Lisa, who was screaming her lungs out while waving the


    sign frantically in the air.


    Seeing this, Serenity was quite envious of her best friend¡¯s lively enthusiasm. She realized that she had


    became much more quiet and reserved now, especially after having been in prison for three years. It


    was an experience that had turned her into


    Chapter 56/


    someone as still as a stagnant puddle of water.


    If it had not been for Jack, perhaps she would now be leading a life that was utterly devoid of any hope.


    But Lisa waspletely the opposite. She was passionate and had a genuine zest for life. Her face


    was vivacious with expressions, and she was never afraid to voice her true feelings.


    Sometimes, Serenity wished that she could be more like her friend.


    Just then, she suddenly noticed Lisa¡¯s hoarse shouting voice abruptly dying down, and she heard the


    host of the event announce, ¡°Now, let¡¯s wee the special guest of the roadshow to the stage¨CAria


    Lewis!¡±

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    Chapter 568


    1/2


    Serenity waspletely taken aback. She never thought that the special guest of the event would turn


    out to be Aria.


    It wasmon for roadshows like this to invite a special guest as a surprise for the audience, but most


    of the time, the special guests would be A¨CList celebrities. Aria, on the other hand, was no more than a


    third¨Crate actress before she became Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend and was not even that popr at all.


    In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that her current fame was all due to Lucas. Because of


    him, Aria had gained much more work and ie from the moment she started dating him, but apart


    from some advertisements that had appeared in public, everything else she was involved in¨Ctelevision


    series, music singles¨Cwere all still in production, so she had not released anything to the public yet. To


    put it bluntly, the sole reason she had been invited here today was because of her rtionship with


    Lucas Gomez.


    Lisa turned to her friend with a guilty face and said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Serenity. I didn¡¯t know Aria was going


    to be today¡¯s special guest.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to apologize!¡± Serenity smiled. ¡°This has nothing to do with you, anyway.


    Besides, we¡¯re here to see Finn Gordon, not Aria.¡±


    But her words did not put Lisa at ease at all. She was not even enjoying the movie that much when it


    was screened as her mind was preupied by the fact that A was there as a special guest,


    Even when the movie was over, she did not pester Serenity to help her find a way to meet Finn Gordon


    at all, and she just told her friend, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take a picture with Finn Gordon?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°Maybe next time,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Serenity egged her on, ¡°let¡¯s at least give it a try.¡±


    Serenity knew how much her friend had been anticipating meeting Finn Gordon and getting his


    signature or taking a picture with him today, so she did not want her to leave the event disappointed


    and gloomy just because of Aria.


    As she spoke, she picked up her phone and called Jackson, saying, ¡°Hey, Jack, could you get me Finn


    Gordon¡¯s contact number, please? I¡¯m with Lisa right now, and we¡¯d like to take a picture with him. We


    won¡¯t bother him for too long¨CUh¨Chuh, okay. Got it.¡±


    Once she ended the call, she looked up and saw the eager excitement in her friend¡¯s eyes, which


    made her smile and say, ¡°It¡¯s done! Jack said he¡¯d help us contact Finn Gordon, and he told me to just


    wait for a phone call from Finn himself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± cried Lisa. ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡±


    Initially, Lisa was only thinking about trying her luck today and never expected that she and Serenity


    would actually be able to meet Finn Gordon. After all, he had so many fans eager to meet him, so even


    if Finn knew Serenity, it did not mean that he would be able to see her.


    But now, it turned out that it was as easy as a quick phone call!


    Shortly afterward, Serenity¡¯s phone rang, and the person calling was Finn Gordon himself. After asking


    her where she was,


    an then told her that he would instruct someone toe bring them to the lounge.


    ¡°Goodness!¡± Lisa cried dramatically after the call ended. ¡°I feel like I could faint! Good Lord! Finn


    Gordon actually called you himself! You You actually have Finn Gordon¡¯s private phone number now!


    Don¡¯t you know how many people would kill to get that number?!¡±


    Serenity stifled augh and asked her friend, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you ask Finn for his phone number


    yourself when you meet binter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    letti


    The warning from Terry shed in Lisa¡¯s mind, and she ndered in terror.


    Chapter 568


    ¡°I¡¯d better not.¡±

 Chapter 569

    Chapter 569


    Chapter 569


    How could Lisa ever forget it when Terry had t out warned her, ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend now, so if I ever


    find out that you got more intimate with that Finn Gordon guy than a normal fan should be with their


    idol, I¡¯ll make sure he gets cklisted in the entertainment industry so you¡¯d never even have a chance


    to see him on screen again!¡±


    If anyone else had said that, she would haveughed in their face, but considering that it was Terry


    White¡­ Lisa thought of how petty and begrudging that man could be and started to fear that he might


    actually do such a horrendous thing.


    That was why she thought it best to forget about getting Finn Gordon¡¯s number. She would just take a


    picture with him, get his autograph and some more of his posters, and be content with it.


    Not long afterward, a young woman sprinted toward them and said, ¡°Hello, Miss Lewis.¡±


    Serenity recognized her to be Finn Gordon¡¯s assistant, the one she had seen standing beside him the


    last time she had met him.


    ¡°Hello, replied Serenity.


    ¡°Please follow me,¡± the young woman said before leading Serenity and Lisa through a secret passage


    meant for staff members only.


    But to Serenity¡¯s surprise, they had not gotten very far when they bumped into Aria Lewis, whose


    assistant was trailing behind her, and the two seemed to be in the middle of some sort of discussion,


    Serenity intended to pretend that she did not know Aria and wanted to just walk past her, but as soon


    as Aria saw her, she smiled faintly and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that you, Sis? What a coincidence! What are you


    doing here?¡±


    Serenity¡¯s eyes narrowed with suspicion. Aria never liked to acknowledge the fact that they were sisters


    when she was in public since she found it humiliating that Serenity used to be in prison. So, what


    exactly was she nning to do now?


    Even the young assistant beside Serenity who had been leading their way now looked surprised. She


    obviously never thought that Aria Lewis and Serenity Lewis were, in fact, sisters.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But this is the staff area,¡± Aria observed. She then recognized the young woman to be Finn Gordon¡¯s


    assistant, so she added, ¡°If you managed to get in here. then could it be that you know Finn Gordon


    personally?¡±


    ¡°Miss Lewis and her friend would like to meet Mr. Gordon to take a picture with him and get his


    autograph,¡± the assistant hastily exined.


    The way Aria put it made it sound like Serenity and Finn Gordon were closer than they actually were,


    and since they were pretty close to the public entry where a huge throng of Finn Gordon fans were


    gathered, some might misunderstand Aria¡¯s words and spread rumors about them, thus affecting Finn


    Gordon¡¯s squeaky clean image.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Aria smiled. ¡°Is that so? If you and Lisa want to meet Mr. Gordon, you should¡¯ve just told me! I


    could take you guys to him myself! There¡¯s no need to bother his assistant at all!¡±


    As she spoke, she walked up to Serenity with a fake sweet expression on her face and cordially took


    Serenity¡¯s arm as if she was going to lead her to Finn Gordon¡¯s lounge herself.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Serenity told her in a cold voice. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re trying to do right now, but I


    have no desire to y along with you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Aria smiled and added in a voice so soft that only the two of them could hear it, ¡°Don¡¯t


    forget that you¡¯re asking for it yourself, so don¡¯t regret itter.¡±


    As soon as she had finished speaking, she abruptly let go of Serenity¡¯s arm and then frantically


    staggered backward, almost as if someone had just showed her away.

 Chapter 570

    Chapter 570


    Chapter 570


    There was a small flight of steps behind A, and as she staggered backward, she tripped on it


    and instantly fell on the floor, and she cried out in pain.


    ¡°I was only trying to be nice to you, Sis! Why did you have to shove me away like that¡­¡±


    Aria seemed to be in pain, and her eyes were welling up with tears. She looked just like an


    innocent angel who had been wronged.


    This sudden change made the fans who were gathered at the entrance turn their attention to


    Serenity. Many of them pulled out their phones and started to snap photos.


    Serenity red icily at Aria and said, ¡°You know full well whether or not I shoved you just now.¡±


    ¡°How could you say that, Sis? I know that¡­ that you haven¡¯t been out of prison for long, that¡¯s why


    you¡¯re still emotionally unstable, so I won¡¯t me you for it.¡±


    Not only was Aria acting the role of the innocent and pitiful younger sister in front of everyone, but she


    had also just publicly announced to the world that Serenity used to be in prison. Such a revtion was


    like a juicy morsel of meat to the fans who were always hungry for some sensational gossip.


    Lisa was instantly aggravated when she saw this, and she yelled, ¡°You¡¯re a vile woman, Arial¡±


    But Aria only put on an aggrieved look and replied, ¡°You can call me whatever you want, Lisa. I know


    you¡¯re my sister¡¯s best friend, so I hope you can help her and persuade her not to y dirty tricks like


    this on anyone else. It¡¯s fine this time since she only shoved me away. I won¡¯t me her for that. But if


    she happens to hurt someone else next time, who knows how they might react?¡±


    Aria was simply putting an act to make her look like a kind and forgiving sister. This further enraged


    Lisa. She had met shameless people before, but never was anyone more disgustingly shameless than


    Aria was right now!


    Just then, Aria¡¯s assistant rushed up toward her and helped her up to her feet before asking her with a


    face full of concern, ¡± Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡±


    Aria bit her lips, furrowed her brows, and replied, ¡°I think I sprained my foot¡­ It hurts a lut¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    This made her assistant tum to Serenity angrily and chided, ¡°How could you treat your sister like this?!


    Is it because you¡¯re jealous that she¡¯s a popr actress and that she¡¯s Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend?! I


    can¡¯t believe anyone could be so jealous of their own sister like that¡­¡±


    The assistant then suddenly stopped speaking. Her eyes shifted away from Serenity and was now


    looking at someone behind


    lver.


    Serenity followed her gaze and saw that right now, among the crowd at the entrance, there was not


    only Lucas Gomez. standing there, but Terry White as well.


    ¡®Do they even know each other? Serenity thought in shock


    As for Lisa, after turning around just as Serenity did and seeing the same two people, she instantly


    froze. A look of guilt cropped up on her face. She did not dare in even make eye contact with Terry.


    How could she not feel guilty when she had lied to him and told him that she was going to work


    overtime today so she had no time to go on a date with him?


    Terry raised his eyebrows when he saw Lisa and seemed to be stifling a smile


    ¡®You little liar?¡® he thought. ¡®You said you were worlding overtime, yet here you are!


    In contrast to Terry¡¯s expression, the look on Lucas¡¯s face was so stern and severe that it was


    terrifying


    For some reason, Aria¡¯s assistant felt as if the prating gaze Lacas directed at her was so


    cold and icy that it could freeze her up into a corpse.

 Chapter 571

    Chapter 571


    Chapter 571


    But¡­ that made no sense! Lucas Gomez was Aria¡¯s boyfriend! She was helping Aria just now, so if


    there was anyone Lucas was going to despise, it should be Aria¡¯s sister, not her!


    Lucas stepped forward silently, but before he could speak, the assistant eagerly added, ¡°Mr. Gomez,


    Aria was only trying to help her sister and take her to Finn Gordon just now, but her sister t out


    shoved her away! Aria even sprained her ankle because of her!¡±


    She was saying all this to encourage Lucas to take Aria¡¯s side and help her.


    And Aria was currently all misty¨Ceyed. She looked heartrending as she tried to hold back her tears and


    say, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t listen to her, Lucas, My sister¡­ She didn¡¯t mean it. It was actually my fault. I was


    not careful and tripped over my own feet. That¡¯s why I fell.¡±


    But the more she acted that way, the more the public¡¯s me shifted onto Serenity, and the more


    spiteful and domineering Serenity seemed, while Aria looked like the innocent and angelic younger


    sister who was quietly enduring her older sister¡¯s bullying.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    This was exactly what Aria wanted. She wanted to use the fans and the public opinion to trample on


    Serenity. This way, no one could ever find any fault in her. In fact, if things developed the way she


    nned, even Jackson Valor could find no excuse to defend Serenity.


    After all, she continued to think, right now, she was the kind and forgiving younger sister who would


    endure anything that Serenity throw at her, who would even defend Serenity no matter what!


    But Lucas¡¯s gaze only got more icy and prating. He looked Aria dead in the eye. His gaze made


    Aria feel like she could never conceal anything from him because with just one look, he could see


    through her and figure out every single thing she had in mind.


    Although she was his girlfriend, she always felt that there was a huge gap between them, and that no


    matter how hard she tried to close that gap, he would never let her get any closer to him


    Lucas¡¯s thin lips moved slightly as he uttered curtly, ¡°Of course you fell because you weren¡¯t careful.¡±


    Those words were like a p on Aria¡¯s face. A p so hard that she could feel the burning sting!


    The image of what she had seen that night shed in her mind¨Cwhen she had seen Lucas hugging


    Serenity at the entrance of


    that restaurant.


    Even though¡­ Lucas had no idea that Serenity was indeed the little girl he was looking for, he was still


    somehow attracted to Serenity?!


    ¡°As for her,¡± Lucas said, pointing at Aria¡¯s assistant who had been using Serenity just now, ¡°I think


    there¡¯s no need for her to work with you anymore.¡±


    The assistant was stupefied. Had¡­ Had Mr. Gomez just fired her?!


    She broke out in cold sweat. Getting fired by the Prince of Entertainment Industry himself meant that


    she would have no future at all in this industry because nopany would dare to hire her now!


    But¡­ But she had done all that to help Aria! She was only trying to tter Aria just now!


    She turned to Aria with a pleading look, but A had no time to think of her assistant now, because


    Lucas¡¯s icy gaze which instantly saw right through her had thoroughly stunned her and made her


    shudder in fear.


    Lucas turned to Serenity and asked her in a voiceced with concern, ¡°Are you okay?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied in a t voice. She then turned to Finn Gordon¡¯s assistant, who still appeared to


    be in shock, and asked,


    ¡°Can we go


    now?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± the assistant responded quickly, ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, of course!¡±


    She then continued to lead the way as Serenity dragged Lisa, who was feeling guilty right now, and


    followed the assistant to

 Chapter 572

    Chapter 572


    Chapter 572


    Finn Gordon¡¯s lounge.


    Behind them, Aria lowered her gaze to conceal the intense hatred in her eyes.


    2/2


    Lucas¡­ He had said all those things to her in front of everyone because of Serenity. What did Serenity


    have that she did not?! What was so great about her?! No matter what, Aria would find a way to wipe


    out any chance that Serenity might have to he


    with Lucas!


    Chapter 572


    1/2


    Chapter 572


    Serenity and Lisa finally arrived at Finn Gordon¡¯s lounge after following his assistant¡¯s lead,


    Finn turned out to be very warm and friendly with both of them. He even voluntarily asked them if they


    would like to take a photo with him and even told them, ¡°If both of you would like tickets to my movies


    or anything like that in the future, just give me a call. I¡¯ll get my staff to send them to you right away.¡±


    As he spoke, he took the initiative to give Lisa his private phone number himself. In his mind, after


    seeing Serenity with Jackson Valor that day and hearing from Mr. Valor himself saying that Serenity


    was his girlfriend, he naturally felt it wise to strike up a good friendship with this woman.


    After all, the more key connections you made in the entertainment industry, the better it would be.


    And seeing that Lisa was Serenity¡¯s best friend, he was naturally happy to extend the friendship to her


    as well.


    If Finn Gordon had voluntarily given his phone number to Lisa before what had happened back there,


    she would have died in bliss, yet now. all she did was ept the number and thank him politely.


    After getting Finn¡¯s autograph and posters, Lisa then told him, ¡°We won¡¯t take up any more of your


    time, Finn. Please excuse us. Thanks for everything!¡±


    As she spoke, she took Serenity¡¯s hand and led her out of the room.


    Serenity eyed her friend suspiciously. She had assumed that Lisa would want to spend a little more


    time with Finn Gordon. When they finally got out of the lounge, she asked Lisa, ¡°Why were you in such


    a rush to leave? Did you panic after meeting your idol for the first time?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Lisa rolled her eyes at what her friend had just suggested. ¡°I just feel guilty for dragging


    you here today.¡±


    ¡°Because of what happened with Aria?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°She did all that in front of all those fans on purpose!¡± said Lisa. ¡°She was clearly trying to frame you!


    Now, only heaven knows what vile things people will say about you online!¡±


    Lisa had always loved reading gossip about celebrities, so she was naturally quick to connect the dots.


    ¡°Let them say what they want,¡± Serenity shrugged. It had been a long time since shest cared about


    rumors and gossip. In the past, she used to try to maintain a good image in the eyes of the public, but


    then she realized that caring too much about what other people think would only hurt herself.


    If she still cared about what other people said about her aftering out of prison, she would have


    hung herself and died a long time ago.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask for Jackson¡¯s help?¡± Lisa suggested, believing that a man like Jackson Valor would


    probably be able to


    clear


    up the matter in seconds. ¡°You can tell him to let his people suppress any unttering rumors about you


    online.¡±


    Serenity studied her friend¡¯s anxious face and patted her shoulder, assuring her, ¡°Okay, understood.


    You don¡¯t need to worry


    about me anymore.


    ¡°By the way,¡± said Lisa, suddenly thinking of something, ¡°what is going on between you and Lucas


    Gomez? Back there, he looked like he was¡­ pretty concerned about you. He made a foul of Aria just


    to help you.¡±


    No matter how Lasa looked at it, it was obvious that Lucas was taking Serenity¡¯s side even though he


    was Aria¡¯s boyfriend!


    ¡°It¡¯s all just because I look like someone he knew,¡± Serenity exined. ¡°Perhaps¡­ he lost contact with


    that person and never found her again, so it cheers him up a little whenever he sees ane.¡±


    She made all these guesses based on what she had learned from her conversations with Lancas


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± replied Lisa after thinking about it. ¡°I read in some gossip sites before that all of


    Luras¡¯s numerous girlfriends were nothing but a substitute, that he¡¯s actually sparing me effort tock


    for a certain woman.


    ¨C


    Back then, she used to think that it was nothing but nonsensical rumors people online were spreading,


    but now, it seemed


    Chapter 572


    that it might actually be true.


    As the two were talking to each other, Terry walked up toward them.


    Lisa was once again awash with guilt and instinctively hid herself behind Serenity.


    2/2


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Terry in a stern voice. ¡°So, you¡¯ve got the guts to lie to me and say you were


    going to work overtime today, but you don¡¯t have the guts to face me now?

 Chapter 573

    Chapter 573


    Chapter 573


    ¡°Hehehe..¡± Lisa chuckled awkwardly, thinking that she should never have lied, because liars always got


    exposed.


    Terry then turned to Serenity and greeted her, ¡°Hello. I¡¯m sorry this idiot dragged you into trouble today.


    May I ask if your business here is done? If it is, why don¡¯t we all eat dinner together?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Serenity politely refused, not wishing to be the third wheel, ¡°I¡¯m a little busy and have


    something else to do, so go ahead and just take Lisa to dinner.¡±


    ¡°Then let me drive you home,¡± Terry offered.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can just take the train at the station in front of the cinema. I don¡¯t want to get stuck in traffic.¡±


    After speaking, she then quickly said goodbye to Lisa and left.


    Once she was gone, Terry folded his arms and stared at Lisa with a half¨Csmile before saying, ¡°It looks


    like you¡¯ve got some exining to do regarding what happened today.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Lisa began fumblingly, ¡°I¡¯ve been working really hard today, so I thought I¡¯d just go out and have


    some fun with Serenity after work, that¡¯s all.¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, his tone suggesting he clearly did not believe a word of hers.


    ¡°By the way,¡± she continued, wanting to change the subject, ¡°what are you doing here?¡±


    It was only after asking this question that she realized something even more puzzling. She recalled


    seeing him with Lucas Gomez back then. What was he doing with that guy?


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he responded with some annoyance.


    If it had not been for this woman, he would never have gone to Lucas Gomez and asked him if he could


    get some posters and autographs from Finn Gordon, although those posters exposing Finn¡¯s naked


    upper body were still uneptable, of course.


    By coincidence, Lucas had some work rted reason toe to the same ce Finn Gordon was


    going to appear for a roadshow, so Terry had tagged along as well. He never thought that he would


    actually bump into this little liar here.


    And right now, that same little far was holding what obviously looked like rolls of posters in her hands,


    which only set his teeth on edge even more.


    It looked like she could get what she wanted without his help at all! In fact, some of those posters might


    even be of Finn Gordon posing half¨Cnaked, showing off his muscr build!


    Lisa blinked innocently and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯te here to get Finn Gordon¡¯s posters and autographs


    for me, did you?¡±


    She had actually hit the nail on the head with one guess!


    Yet for some reason, when faced with her big doe eyes, he just could not be honest and admit the


    truth. It was as if the words were stuck in his throat and he could find no way of blurting them out.


    In her eyes, he was just a man who was bent on taking revenge. She would never believe that he


    would do anything so selflessly for her.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± he uttered, his voice turning colder than before..


    ¡®As expected!¡® Lisa thought. She did not know why, but she started to feel slightly disappointed when


    she heard that. What was going on with her? What was there to be disappointed about? What was she


    expecting? Terry never liked it when she got crazy about her favorite idols, so why would she ever


    expert him to help her with her idol¨Cchasing pursuits?


    Lisa bit her lips. Suddenly, her stomach started to grumble at the worst time ever.


    Terry nced at her and asked, ¡°Hungry?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± she replied awkwardly. She had truly exerted herself back there when she was screaming


    during the roadshow, and now, she realized that she was nearing exhaustion.

 Chapter 574

    Chapter 574


    Chapter 574


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get dinner, then,¡± said Terry.


    Lisa felt revitalized as soon as she heard food being mentioned. One of the biggest perks of dating


    Terry was being able to eat all kinds of food she had never gotten to try before.


    The two then left the cinema, and Terry drove Lisa to a rather famous restaurant in the city. It was the


    kind of restaurant that Lisa used to only read about in food magazines but never had the luck of


    frequenting it herself, but ever since dating Terry, she had actually eaten here several times before and


    found the food here very much to her taste.


    Once they got inside, Terry asked for a private dining room, and they settled down there. All the while,


    Lisa did not even care much at all about the posters of Finn Gordon that she had just gotten. Instead,


    she kept on scrolling through her phone and reading the posts online.


    After reading them for a short while, her face turned really sullen.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Terry asked.


    ¡°These people are ridiculous!¡± she grumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t they care about the truth at all? They just like


    running their mouths! It¡¯ll be a waste of my time arguing with them!¡±


    Terry snatched the phone right from Lisa¡¯s hand and read what was on the screen. What he saw was a


    video recording of what had happened between Serenity and Aria earlier.


    From the camera angle of the video, it really did seem that Serenity had shoved Aria away violently,


    and Aria¡¯s innocent and pitiful act was clear on disy as well. This made a lot ofizens take Aria¡¯s


    side and use Serenity of being the ¡°mean¡± and ¡°evil¡± sister.


    As for Aria¡¯s own fans, they tried their very best to fuel the already roaring mes in thements.


    Some even dug up the case Serenity was involved in and how she used to be in prison before


    dering Serenity to be a murderer online.


    Others spected that Lucas Gomez was cheating on Aria with Serenity. Otherwise, why else would


    he not care about his girlfriend at all yet showed concern for Serenity instead?


    ¡°Poor Aria! It¡¯s just her rotten luck to have such an awful sister!¡±


    ¡°She used to be in prison, and she dares to dream of being the Prince of Entertainment Industry¡¯s


    girlfriend?! What a lunatic!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Arial¡°.


    Seeing people all over the inte rush to console Aria while vehemently ndering Serenity made


    Lisa feel sick to the stomach. She had expected that someone would post a video of what had


    happened earlier online, but she did not expect it to happen so quickly. What was even more shocking


    was how universally theizens seemed to side against Serenity and piled


    on her.


    She simply refused to believe that no one was behind all this, fueling the mes and egging on the


    attacks against Serenity.


    Could it be that Aria had hired an army of online trolls topletely destroy Serenity¡¯s reputation by


    setting the public opinion against her?


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    The more Lisa considered the idea, the more usible it sounded.


    ¡°Aria Lewis!¡± she muttered angrily. ¡°That b*tch! She¡¯s obviously trying to destroy Serenity! What has


    Serenity ever done to her?! It is truly Serenity¡¯s rotten luck to have a sister like Aria!¡±


    When the food they ordered finally arrived at the table, Lisa found that she had no appetite left at all


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Terry assured her in a perfectly calm voice, ¡°Your friend won¡¯t suffer much from this. As


    for Aria Lewis, her time will surelye soon.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lisa asked in shock


    ¡°Your friend has Jackson Valor to protect her, so you don¡¯t need to worry about her at all. And as for


    A Lewis¡­¡±


    Chapter 574


    2/2


    Terry smiled a meaningful smile and then added, ¡°It¡¯s likely that she¡¯ll have to give up the much coveted


    position of a certain someone¡¯s girlfriend soon.¡±


    Those words suddenly made it all clear to Lisa


    ¡°You mean Lucas Gomez is going to break up with her?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just an educated guess of mine,¡± replied Terry.


    ¡°Then tell me exactly why you made that educated guess,¡± Lisa asked, full of curiosity.

 Chapter 575

    Chapter 575


    Chapter 575


    1/2


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Terry was amused by Lisa¡¯s reaction. This girl hadpletely lost all interest in her most beloved idol,


    Finn Gordon, but was now obsessively curious about anything that had to do with her best friend


    instead.


    In fact, she was so obsessive about anything regarding Serenity that he was beginning to get jealous.


    When would this idiot start to be even slightly curious about him?


    ¡°Go on! Lisa urged impatiently. Tell me


    ¡°What do I get if I do that?¡± Terry asked nonchntly.


    What would he get?


    Lisa blinked in confusion. Uhh¡­ What could she possibly give him? At most, she could probably give


    him some concert tickets or perhaps give him one or two of the Finn Gordon posters she had just


    gotten.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°A kiss is good enough,¡± he replied without thinking much of it, except to see how she would react.


    But in the end, Lisa held up his face and very casually nted a deep kiss on his face.


    ¡°That should be good enough! Now, hurry up and tell me!¡±


    There was not a trace of embarrassment or shyness on her face at all, thus draining the enjoyment


    Terry would have felt from


    the kiss.


    ¡®You idiot!¡® he thought. ¡®At least in the past you¡¯d blush a little when I kissed you, yet now, you don¡¯t


    even bother to blush anymore!¡±


    As Lisa stared at him with eyes brimming with eager anticipation, Terry had no other choice but to clear


    his throat and begin exining, ¡°Aria has just dragged Lucas into a scandal. She wanted to attack


    Serenity, but she used Lucas as the weapon to do so. Do you think a man like Lucas would stand for


    that? Besides¡­¡±


    Terry suddenly paused when he got to this point and decided against continuing what he was about to


    say.


    ¡°Besides what?¡± asked Lisa


    ¡°Nothing,¡± replied Terry. ¡°All you need to know is that Aria¡¯s time as Lucas¡¯s girlfriend ising to an


    end.¡±


    What he had refrained from saying was that he could clearly sense that Lucas was harboring secret


    feelings for Serenity, but now that Serenity was already Jackson¡¯s girlfriend, there was no way that


    Lucas would ever have a chance with her.


    Or at least that was what Terry thought at the time.


    The scandal unfolded online for about a few hours before a new video that just popped up quickly went


    viral.


    It was a surveince video where it could be clearly seen that Aria Lewis had been holding Serenity¡¯s


    arm, and she had then suddenly let go of it before staggering backward uncontrobly before falling.


    Then, in the next part of the video, there was an expert analysis which exined that based on the


    angle of the video and the sizes of the two people involved, there was no way that Serenity Lewis could


    have shoved Aria Lewis so hard that she fell so far backward.


    However, the video did not just end there. After that, the expert even demonstrated a model which


    showed how much swing Serenity needed in order to push Aria that far away. What was most


    surprising was that the expert in question was, in fact, one of the most renowned physicists in the


    country!


    Many people wondered why such a prominent academic would even be interested in celebrity gossip,


    and why he would go to such an extent as to make such a detailed analysis and even build a model to


    demonstrate his points about the matter.


    When asked, the expert simply replied, ¡°I just don¡¯t like seeing an innocent person getting framed.¡±


    This short answer immediately caused an uproar online.


    2/2


    Based on the expert¡¯s analysis, it was clear as day who was the innocent person and who was the one


    trying to frame the other party.


    And so, thoseizens who had been chastising Serenity not too long ago quickly turned their targets


    toward Aria, and not matter how hard Aria¡¯s fans tried to turn the tide, it was all to no avail.

 Chapter 576

    Chapter 576


    Chapter 576


    Soon, more and more people started to join in on the bombardment against Aria Lewis. After all,


    nobody liked to be made a


    fool of


    As for questioning the expert? His analysis was just too crystal clear and his logic too watertight that


    there was no doubting him. Besides, he had nothing to do with Serenity Lewis at all, so there was no


    reason to doubt that he might be biased!


    Aria¡¯s assistant quickly called her, saying, ¡°The situation online is getting out of control, Aria! There¡¯s an


    expert who ims that you did everything on purpose. I think you should hurry up and ask for Lucas


    Gomez¡¯s help, otherwise, this might really get out of hand!¡±


    Aria ground her teeth in anger. When she first saw how everyone online was ming Serenity, she was


    indeed in a very good mood. If things had developed further, there might be a chance that it would


    cause a strain in Serenity¡¯s rtionship with Jackson Valor when he figured out what was going on,


    and that would have made Aria even happier!


    And then, even if Lucas really still had some feelings for Serenity, not only would he be offending


    Jackson Valor, but he would also be ruining his own reputation.


    As for her, all she had to do then was to keep on acting like the poor victim in the matter, and she would


    come out as the


    winner.


    But who would have thought that an expert would appear out of nowhere and that he would even


    spend so much time and effort to do all sorts of analysis, even going as far as to build a model?!


    Not only that, but this expert is a definite authority in a relevant field. He was nothing like the usual fake


    ¡°experts¡± who would often appear on television just for the limelight.


    Aria understood perfectly well that everything she now possessed was all due to her connection to


    Lucas, and the more wealth and fame she umted after bing his girlfriend, the more people


    would get jealous of her. Now that she hadnded in hot water, those jealous people were all but ready


    to trample on her and bury her in the ground.


    Right now, the only one who could contain this mess and save her was Lucas.


    With this in mind, Aria got ready to go out and meet Lucas, but just as she opened her apartment door,


    she bumped into a man standing there. She immediately recognized him to be one of Lucas¡¯s staff.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What are you.


    ¡°Mr. Gomez wants to see you


    Aria was overjoyed. She had been worried that Loras would refuse to see her, but now could it be that


    Lucas was actually worried about her? This must mean that he still cared about her and that he would


    not just watch her suffer without doing anything about it.


    ¡°Great!¡± Aria responded gleefully. ¡°I was going to go see him now, anyway!!¡±


    Aria then followed the man into a car and was taken to Laras¡¯s private residence.


    Just as Aria stepped into the living room, she was greeted by the sight of the viral surveince video


    ying on the big screen. It was also the same video that the expert had based lils analysis on.


    But this video..


    Aria was covered in goosebumps. An inexplicable sense of terror began to rise up in her gut.


    Could it be that the reason Lucas wanted to see her was not to help her as she had expected?.


    ¡°Lucas.¡± Aria called his name in a weak and timid voice. ¡°Why.. Why are you watching this?¡± ¡°Why


    not?¡± Lucasnguidly threw the question back at Aria ¡°Am I not allowed to watch this?¡±


    ¡°N¨CNo!¡± Aria hastily denied. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯d misunderstand me after watching this. Trust


    me, Lucas, I never meant to harm my sister at all. To be honest with you, I¡¯m not exactly sure how I fell


    down at the time. Perhaps¡­ I just lost


    Chapter 576


    2/2


    my footing¡±


    ¡°Lost your footing?¡± Lucas slowly turned his head toward Aria, and his icy gaze fell on her face. ¡°Why


    don¡¯t you to me now precisely how you lost your footing that day?¡±


    demonstrate


    Aria¡¯s face went through a number of changes. First, it went sickly green, then, it went beet red.


    ¡°Lucas, I¡¯m your girlfriend! How could you not believe me?! Besides, Serenity is my sister! Why would I


    ever want to harm. her? How could it possibly benefit me?!¡±

 Chapter 577

    Chapter 577


    Chapter 577


    Her voice sounded emotional as if she was being charged for a crime she didn¡¯tmit. However,


    whenever they made eye. contact, she would feel a lingering sense of guilt.


    ¡°Right, you¡¯re still my girlfriend,¡± marmured Lucas to himself. He rose from his seat and walked toward


    Aria. Seeing this, she was overjoyed. Did Laicas finally believe her? Looks like he still had some


    feelings for her!


    When he finally approached before Aria, he gently raised her chin to gaze at her eyes, which were wet


    with tears. She maintained a meek and pitiful demeanor throughout their interaction.


    While she wasn¡¯t an A-list movie star, she was still an actress. What¡¯s more, she had plenty of


    experience ying innocent and heart-rending characters.


    ¡°If you really think I¡¯ve mistreated my sister, 1 will apologize to her. Even if the inte turns against


    me, I don¡¯t mind,¡± said Aria softly.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Lucas¡¯ fingers moved up and pressed softly against her lips. ¡°Do you know why I chose you as my


    girlfriend?¡±


    His question caught Aria by surprise. Was there a reason why he dated her?


    It was a question that she had asked herself over and over again. After all, there were plenty of women


    in the showbiz industry who were far more attractive than Aria.


    ¡°Does the reason matter? In any case, I¡¯m Incredibly lucky to be your girlfriend.¡±


    A thought her response was perfect. To her horror, Lucas sneered at her answer. ¡°Lucky? Are you


    talking about the resources that I gave you?¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s not that!¡± replied Aria hastily. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t give me anything, I¡¯d still think I¡¯m the luckiest


    woman on the. I love you, Lucas


    ¡°But I don¡¯t love you,¡± responded Lucas mercilessly.


    Aria¡¯s face turned as pale as a sheet. She had already suspected that he didn¡¯t love her, but hearing


    him personally say that crushed the sliver of hope in her heart.


    It¡¯s because your lips remind me of her. That¡¯s why I dated you. Though, apart from your lips, nothing


    about you resembles her at all,¡± he exined. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we ended this.¡±


    What? What did he mean by ¡°ended this ¡°?¡±


    In a panic-stricken voice, she asked, ¡°What do you mean by that? Lucas, what are you suggesting?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    At that moment, Aria felt a chill run up her spine. His dazzling eyes, which were once sa beautiful and


    enchanting, were now so cold and distant. It felt like this man had just sentenced her to death


    No! She didn¡¯t want this!


    His voice sounded in her ears. ¡°We¡¯re breaking up. Whether or not you¡¯ll continue receiving my


    resources will depend entirely on your actions.¡±


    Lucas sounded extremely calm, almost as if he was talking about the weather. It made Aria¡¯s scalp


    tingle.


    Break up? Did he really intend to break up with her?


    Setting aside whether she would continue receiving his resources, she rished losing her contract to


    y an ongoing TV series and variousmercials. What¡¯s mure, if she didn¡¯t find a way to fix her


    public image on the inte, she was worried that the advertisers and investors would file awsuit


    against her.

 Chapter 578

    Chapter 578


    Chapter 578


    The damages she stood to pay were no small amount.


    ¡°I really love you, Lucas. Do do my lips resemble hers? Even as a substitute, I¡¯m more than happy to


    stay by your side. Please, don¡¯t break up with me!¡± Aria pleaded desperately.


    Lucas, on the other hand, pulled his hand away and returned to the sofa. ¡°What a shame. You¡¯ve even


    lost the right to serve as her substitute.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    How could a person like her be that little girl¡¯s substitute?


    He had been searching for a person like that, only to be disappointed repeatedly. There would always


    be something about those women that reminded him of that girl, but this illusion would be shattered


    once they got together. No matter how he tried, he just couldn¡¯t feel the emotions he felt from his


    interactions with the little girl


    It felt like he was desperately trying to grasp something, only for it to slip out of his hands all the time.


    A wanted to lunge at Lucas and persuade him to let her stay, but two security guards came up and


    held her back


    ¡°Lucas.¡± she called to him desperately, but he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at her.


    The living room fell silent once more after Aria was led outside. Lucas nced at the television screen,


    but his attention was fully on Serenity¡¯s figure.


    If it was her, he probably wouldn¡¯t feel disappointed.


    Still, it would be a waste to treat her as a mere substitute.


    He was well aware that he had been caught up in Aria¡¯s plot. It made him unhappy, of course, but he


    was angrier at the fact that Serenity was a victim too.


    Meanwhile, Serenity was observing the public sentiment on the inte. It had changedpletely in a


    matter of hours.


    Earlier that evening, many had been criticizing her. However, they seemed to have now turned their


    pitchforks against Aria instead. She was surprised by how quickly they switched targets.


    ¡°You hired this expert?¡± she asked Jackson, who was next to her. She assumed that a busy person like


    him would never be bothered to look at inte gossip.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this in the afternoon?¡± If Connor hadn¡¯t told him about


    it, Jackson would probably still be unaware of the incident now.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was a big deal,¡± answered Serenity. After all,pared to being locked up behind bars,


    being criticized by strangers on the Inte was rtively trivial.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing about this that¡¯s not a big deal,¡± said Jackson. To him, everything about Serenity was


    a big deal. ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy seeing people bully my girlfriend on the inte.¡±


    So, you were behind the fake users too?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°Some of them, yes.¡±


    ¡°Some!¡± Serenity¡¯s eyes were full of doubt,


    Jackson smilingly exined, ¡°Do you seriously think Aria is Miss Ginody Twn¨CShoes? For a person like


    her to sucklenly be Lucas¡® girlfriend, the inte¡¯s not gonna let her live in peace. In fact, I don¡¯t


    think she even knows how many people she has pissed off.¡±


    Serenity thought about his answer, and it did indeed make sense.

 Chapter 579

    Chapter 579


    Chapter 579


    Serenity realized that there were plenty of people who were eager to kick Aria while she was down.


    However, she was far from sympathizing with her.


    She wasn¡¯t a saint, not to mention the fact that Aria had initially set out to harm her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want me to announce that you¡¯re my girlfriend?¡± asked Jackson. He was nning to


    officially introduce Serenity to the public as his girlfriend to avoid any misunderstanding that she was in


    a rtionship with Lucas.


    For some reason, she objected to his n even though she didn¡¯t intend to hide her past rtionship


    with him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna make a big deal out of this, and I don¡¯t like being on the news.¡±


    Even a sizable portion of their current social circle was aware of her past rtionship.


    If they announced their rtionship online, it wouldn¡¯t take long before she appeared on the front page


    of the Inte. When that happened, she was worried that people would flood into the restaurant and


    make her work difficult.


    Given her previous conviction and the fact that the deceased victim was Mira, Jackson¡¯s fiance, there


    were bound to be new conspiracies about her intention.


    While Serenity couldn¡¯t care less about these theories, she was concerned that it might affect Jackson.


    Before her case was overturned, there were already unsavory spections about their rtionship.


    Jackson pondered silently for a moment. ¡°I will protect you. You won¡¯t appear in the headlines as I¡¯ll


    send a warning to all the journalists in the city beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Jack, I¡¯m not worried that they might find out about us. Since we are dating, it¡¯s only a matter of time


    before the public finds out about our past,¡± said Serenity. After all, he was the Jackson Valor that every


    man on the street knew.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s impossible to hide my previous conviction. Anyone can look it up on the database,


    whether it¡¯s from the police, the courthouse, or the prison system. I¡¯m worried that if they find out, it


    won¡¯t just affect you, but your entire family. After


    ording to the court¡¯s decision, I was the one who lled¡¯ Mira¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± replied Jackson. People could say what they wanted to, but it wouldn¡¯t affect a person


    like him one bit.


    In fact, he was powerful enough to control what people said.


    ¡°But I care.¡±


    In the past, all she wanted was a chance to appeal her case to prove her innocence and find the true


    culprit behind the incident. Now, more than that, she just wanted to be together with Jackson without


    any interference or malicious remarks from anyone. Serenity hoped that she could stay with him


    without tarnishing his reputation.


    Jackson¡¯s brows twitched. He lowered his gaze before pulling her into his arms. ¡°I will make sure your


    case is overturned, don¡¯t worry about it. Soon, no one will be able to use this case against you.¡±


    He would return her innocence, even if he was 3 yearste for that.


    Serenity was surprised by his promise. ¡°Soon? Did you find some new evidence?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we found some clues, but we still need more than what we have. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be over


    soon,¡± sald Jackson Serenity was overjoyed when she heard that.


    ¡°Thank you, Jack¡±


    Her words of gratitude p ricked his heart when he realized that he was thest person she should be


    thanking


    He could only hope that she never found out the truth. The price he would pay was something he


    couldn¡¯t ept.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 580

    Chapter 580


    Chapter 580


    The next day, news of Lucas¡¯ breakup with Aria became a trending topic on the inte. Posts


    suggesting that Serenity was the cause of their breakup were quickly removed.


    One could safely say that Serenity was removed from the equationpletely.


    Because Lucas himself had plenty of ex-girlfriends, the public wasn¡¯t all that surprised that he had once


    again broken up. After all, there were so many more celebrities who were more popr, beautiful, or


    better-educated than Aria. In fact, some thought that their breakup was inevitable.


    Compared to Laicas¡± exes, Aria had virtually nothing going for her.


    Many spected that because of this incident, Aria¡¯s status in the showbiz industry would take a


    nosedive. In the past, many were envious of her position as his girlfriend. After what had happened,


    she was nothing but a mere ¡°ex-girlfriend¡±.


    In Aria¡¯s apartment, Grayson and Catherine looked at their daughter with worried expressions. They


    had learned of the breakup not from her, but from their neighbors.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The neighbors had said to them smilingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much. That man¡¯s a pyboy,


    anyway. Consider it your daughter¡¯s luck to be able to date him. Otherwise, Aria would have still been


    stuck ying some minor character. How else could she have be a lead character and appear in


    those TVmercials?¡±


    The couple almost exploded with rage when they heard that. On their way here, the residents of their


    neighborhood had pointed at them while whispering among themselves.


    This was partly their own doing, given that they had paraded around town boasting that their daughter


    was dating Lucas Gomez and about the expensive gifts she received from him. They even went as far


    as to say that she was going to marry into


    his family.


    Aria was a way for the family to recover from the shame of Serenity¡¯s conviction.


    As the saying goes, the higher you go, the harder you fall


    ¡°Aria, is it true that you broke up with Lucas? Is there no way to fix the rtionship?¡± implored


    Catherine,


    ¡°Yeah, how could you just break up with him like that?! I thought your rtionship was going well!¡±


    Grayson chimed in.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to get back with him!¡± said Aria dejectedly. Once a man like Lucas had made his


    decision, he wouldn¡¯t be


    swayed that easily.


    What¡¯s more, in the end, she was just a substitute. To him, she was merely a pair of lips that reminded


    him of the person he longed for.


    Lips¡­


    At the thought of his words, Aria almost turned green from envy.


    Her lips closely resembled Serenity¡¯s. What¡¯s more, the little girl in his painting and the dress she


    wore¡­ she just couldn¡¯t help but think that Serenity was the person he was looking for!


    The mere possibility of it involed her hatred. Back then, Serenity was an academically-gifted child. She


    was also known throughout the neighborhood as Aria¡¯s well-behaved and sensibile older sister, leaving


    her in the shadows.


    Aria had thought that after spending three years behind bars, Serenity would fall from grace for good.


    Who would have thought that Lucas would fall in love with her and that she was, in fact, the person he


    was searching for?!


    She, on the other hand, was merely Serenity¡¯s substitute. In fact, she had even falled at that!


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of Serenity! She caused us to break up!¡± hissed Aria through gritted teeth. ¡°She


    destroyed my rtionship with Lucas. If not for luer, we would never have broken up.¡±

 Chapter 581

    Chapter 581


    Chapter 581


    That¡¯s right, Serenity was the cause of this! She was the reason why Aria had lost everything


    Unfortunately, Aria¡¯s train of reasoning stopped there. She failed to consider the fact that Serenity was


    also the reason she had gotten so far with Lan?as.


    1/1


    Having just returned from delivering an order, Serenity stepped into the restaurant. The moment she


    came in, two people walked up to her, and one of them gave her a tight p across the face


    The p was sa farceful that she stumbled backward. The very next second, she tasted the metallic


    vor of blood in her mouth.


    You shameless wh*re! How dare you sna tch your sister¡¯s boyfriend away! I can¡¯t believe our family


    raised a daughter like you!¡± Catherine yelled sharply as soon as she delivered the blow.


    Serenity stared coldly at her stepmother who was still berating her. Catherine was about to deliver a


    second p when she reached up and grabbed her wrist.


    Catherine red at her. ¡°What?! Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m still your mother! I have the right to punish you!¡±


    ¡°I only have one mother, and you¡¯re not her!¡± snapped Serenity,


    ¡°How dare you treat your mother like this! As 1 thought, you inherited your shamelessness from her!


    Your kind are all just lily homewreckers¡­


    Catherine hadn¡¯t even finished her sentence when she received a p across the face, which left her


    stunned.


    ¡°H-How dare you hit me?!¡± she said with a look of disbelief. She had never expected her stepdaughter


    to physicallysh out at Iver.


    ¡°Never mind a daughter, you treat me like an enemy. What¡¯s stopping me from fighting back?¡± said


    Serenity coldly. ¡°Also, you¡¯re the shameless person here. It was barely a while after my mother¡¯s


    passing that you started living with us Worse, you were already knocked up when you started staying


    with us!!


    In the past, despite the frequent humiliation, Serenity still felt obliged to respect her stepmother. She


    had endured everything. However, what sealed the deal for her was Catherine¡¯s involvement in using


    her mother¡¯s grave to threaten her.


    Serenity snapped when Catherine said that she was her mother.


    For a homewrecker to use another woman of shamelessness, it was the final straw for Serenity. If


    she allowed Catherine to continue humiliating her, she would be disrespecting herte mother.


    The moment Catherine heard her response, her face turned red from anger. To add insult to injury, the


    diners at the restaurant started giving her contemptuous looks after hearing what Serenity had said.


    How could she bear to witness such a scene?


    ¡°I¡¯ll tear your mamuth out!¡± Catherine shrieked as she lunged at Serenity.


    Serenity dodged her attack, but Catherine wasn¡¯t so lucky, and she tripped and fell face-first into the


    door frame of the restaurant. Blood soon began pouring down her forehead.


    ¡°How dare you?! You¡­ you murderer! Are you gonna kill me too?!¡±


    Catherine exploded the moment she caught sight of blood. She then turned to her husband, who was


    standing nearby. ¡°Did you see what your daughter tried to do?This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 582

    Chapter 582


    Chapter 582


    Upon being called, Grayson quickly intervened in his wife¡¯s favor. He stepped forward and began


    yelling at his daughter,¡± How could you treat Catherine like this?! No matter what has happened, she¡¯s


    still your elder. Hurry up and apologize to her!¡± Serenity stared coldly back at her father. She used to


    put herself through hell just to gain his approval, just so he would treat her like he did Aria. In the end,


    she realized that it was just her wishful thinking.


    At this point, she had truly given up on him.


    ¡°Apologize? What should I apologize for? Are you implying that I should let her do whatever she wants


    with me when she starts abusing me? Do you think I should sit back and let her lumiliate me and even


    my mother? I don¡¯t think I need to say out loud who betrayed Mom all those years ago.¡±


    An embarrassed expression appeared on Grayson¡¯s face. Amidst Catherine¡¯s incessant wailing, he


    retorted, ¡°So what if Catherine pped you a few times? Why didn¡¯t you mention the things you did to


    your sister? If not for you, she wouldn¡¯t have broken up with Lucas!¡±


    Serenity snorted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her about the scandal she got herself into?¡±


    ¡°How could your sister possibly do such things?!¡± yelled Grayson. ¡°Quick! Apologize to her right this


    instant!¡±


    At that moment, Catherine screamed, ¡°She hurt me! I¡¯m gonna call the cops on her for attempted


    murder!¡±


    Serenity couldn¡¯t be bothered to quarrel with them anymore. She turned to ra and apologized.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that my problem is affecting your business.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± replied ra who began guiding the diners out of the restaurant.


    Having been ignored by Serenity, Grayson felt his pride take a hit as the man of the house. So, he


    rushed forward and began to


    attack her.


    Serenity was about to dodge his attack when a person behind her pulled her back. Then, with a swift


    kick to the chest, Grayson was knocked to the floor.


    In a daze, Grayson tried to get back on his feet but was quickly restrained by another man.


    Catherine, who had witnessed everything, stood there with a dumbfounded expression. Instinctively,


    she yelled at the attacker, ¡°What are you doing attacking people in broad daylight?! I¡¯m gonna call the


    cops on you!¡±


    ¡°Very well! Connor, call the cops!¡± Jackson¡¯s ice-cold voice reverberated through the restaurant,


    stopping everyone in their


    tracks.


    ¡°Understood,¡± replied his secretary who was standing behind him. Connor pulled out his phone and


    dialed gu


    Finally, both Grayson and Catherine realized that the person who had kicked him to the floor was none


    other than Jackson Valor!


    But what was Jackson Valor doing here?!


    The two were shocked to the core. They had learned from Aria that her elder sister was working in a


    small restaurant, which led them to believe that Jackson didn¡¯t care all too much about her.


    After all, she wouldn¡¯t be delivering orders if he truly loved


    They hade here thinking they would stand up for Aria only for things to take a sudden turn for the


    worst.


    ¡°I¡¯m teaching my daughter a lesson. This is none of your business! J-Just because you¡¯re rich doesn¡¯t


    give you the right to interfere in our family matters!¡± howled Grayson as he tried to free himself from


    Jackson¡¯s bodyguard.


    In response, Jackson dered, ¡°Serenity is my woman. Whoever daresy their finger on her will be an


    enemy of our family!


    His reply made Grayson and Catherine gasp in horror. While their thoughts were initially clouded by


    rage, they quickly realized the massive difference between their families.


    It wasn¡¯t just a matter of money,


    If they were dered an enemy of the Valors, there would be hell to pay!T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ra, who was standing on the sidelines, observed jackson as he held Serenity in his arms. For a man


    to make such a bold deration, he must be extremely in love with her.

 Chapter 583

    Chapter 583


    Chapter 583


    Serenity was much luckier than herself, she thought. Thinking of her past, the light in ra¡¯s eyes


    fizzled out. Back then, she had also thought that she had found a man who was willing to fight the


    world for her.


    In the end, she discovered that he regarded her as his enemy.


    Pathetic and absurd. Those two words described her love for him perfectly.


    Now, she just wanted to raise Yanny properly.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Jackson looked down at Serenity¡¯s bleeding lips. Her cheek was red and swollen from the p, and a


    trail of blood ran down her chin. The sight of her in such a state enraged him.


    Wearing a deep frown, Jackson brushed his fingers gently across her wound.


    ¡°Who hit you?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing Isere?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°I finished my work, and 1 was nearby, and I wanted to see you,¡± he exined. She was lucky that


    Jackson had decided to pay her a visit. Otherwise, she would have to continue being bullied by


    Grayson and Catherine.


    ¡°Who hit you just now?¡± he asked again.


    my


    ¡°My stepmother,¡± replied Serenity, who realized he wasn¡¯t going to stop asking until he received an


    answer, ¡°But I hit her back


    Jackson shifted his gaze toward Catherine.


    Upon meeting his gaze, thedy felt a chill run down her spine. An inexplicable sense of fear flooded


    her heart. ¡°What are you nning to do? I hit her, but so what? I¡¯ll just pay for her medical bill.¡±


    Jackson casually strolled up to Catherine, and using all his might, he pped her across the face.


    The impact was so hard that it knocked out a tooth and she crumpled to the ground.


    ¡°A¨CAssault you assaulted me!¡± squealed Catherine before she started wailing.


    Jackson stared down at her and said, ¡°So what if I hit you? I¡¯ll pay for your medical bill.¡±


    He repeated her line back to her.


    The problem was¡­ no one in their right mind would dare to take his money.


    After a while, the police arrived, and everyone was brought to the police station to be interviewed.


    The process was easy for Serenity, especially with Jackson¡¯s attorney by her side. Naturally, this man


    was Sria¡¯s top


    attorney.


    Grayson and Catherine were subsequently detained for five days for being uncooperative.


    As soon as they heard they were going to be detained, both of them burst into tears. This time, they


    didn¡¯t dare mention Serenity¡¯s name.


    Jackson brought Serenity out of the police station to his car, where he inspected her wound. ¡°Looks like


    I really have to get my bodyguards to protect you 22/7. I don¡¯t want this happening again.¡±


    Serenity hastily stopped him. ¡°No. I only make 1,000 dors a month. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s even worth a


    single bodyguard¡¯s Wage!¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t youe and work in mypany?¡± suggested Jackson, who figured it would be


    much easier to look after her.

 Chapter 584

    Chapter 584


    Chapter 584


    Serenity hesitated for a moment before she replied, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m quite happy working at this ce.


    Besides..


    She paused for a moment and then continued speaking with an eamest expression, ¡°Jack, I¡¯d like to


    continue relying on myself. If I joined yourpany and people found out I¡¯m your girlfriend, I¡¯m


    worried that they¡¯ll put me in a token position


    who gets paid for doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good?¡± asked Jackson.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°At the very least, I¡¯d like to see how far I can make it on my own. I don¡¯t n to work as a delivery


    driver all my life. I¡¯ve been reading some research papers in my free time, and I hope it¡¯ll help my future


    career,¡± exined Serenity.


    She already had a rough idea about her career development.


    Upon hearing her reply, Jackson frowned slightly as he stroked her reddened cheeks.


    It hurt so much that she gasped silently


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back and treat your wounds. Also, didn¡¯t I tell you to call me whenever you need help? Why


    didn¡¯t you call me?¡±


    He wondered what would have happened if he hadn¡¯te today.


    Serenity awkwardly exined, ¡°Oh I forgot.¡±


    After all, everything had happened so suddenly. During her confrontation with her father and


    stepmother, she hadpletely forgotten about calling him.


    There was a flicker in Jackson¡¯s eyes. Didn¡¯t that mean that whenever she bumped into an obstacle,


    the first person she relied on was not him but herself?


    ¡°Remember, next time you find yourself in trouble,e to me. Don¡¯t forget what I said!¡± reminded


    Jackson.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll remember!¡± Serenity felt a warmth in her heart. ¡°You know, you didn¡¯t have to p Catherine


    just now. I can¡¯t imagine the legal battle that will ensue if she decides to sue you¡®


    ¡°Let here,¡± said Jackson nonchntly. His p was a reminder to everyone that he would


    physically retaliate if anyone dared to harm his girlfriend.


    ¡°Why did theye looking for trouble today?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because they thought I had something to do with Aria¡¯s breakup with Lucas.¡±


    At that moment, Serenity thought of something which made the whole situationughable. ¡°It might also


    be that they just wanted someone to vent their frustration on, so they¡¯ll continue thinking the breakup


    wasn¡¯t Aria¡¯s fault but someone else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Jackson¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t they know that I¡¯m your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m pretty sure they know by now,¡± replied Serenity.


    After returning to the Valor Residence, Jackson found a first¨Caid kit and treated Serenity¡¯s wound


    himself.


    ¡°Would you like me to deal with your father and stepmother?¡± he asked.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Grayson was her biological father, he wouldn¡¯t have wasted his breath


    asking her this. He would have wiped them off the face of Sria without any hesitation.


    ¡°Forget it, we don¡¯t need to go that far. After what happened today, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re gonna attack me


    in the future,¡± said Serenity before r yawned.


    The whole incident today had made her exhausted. It was only 8 o¡¯clock in the evening, but she was


    already feeling sleepy.


    ¡°Sleep early,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Serenity nodded. She thenid down on the bed and fell asleep shortly after.


    212


    sitting on the edge of her bed, Jackson gazed at her sleeping face. A momentter, he got up and left


    the room. As he made his way downstairs, he made a phone call.


    ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯d like to see you.¡±


    In a clubhouse owned by the Gomez family, Lucas sat alone in a private room as he made himself tea.


    The wall of the room was a one¨Cway mirror, meaning he could see everything outside, but no one


    could look into this room.

 Chapter 585

    Chapter 585


    Chapter 585


    Through the one¨Cway mirror, Lucas could observe the activities happening in the main hall ourside.


    There were various singers and dancers performing on the stage. Compared to that, the inside of


    Lucas¡® private room was rtively quiet.


    He poured himself a cup of tea and began sipping it slowly as he observed the chaos that was


    happening outside.


    Then, the door swung open, and the sound of footsteps echoed through the room.


    Lucas lifted his head to gaze at the neer. ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Would you like some tea?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°No need,¡± replied Jackson before he sat down directly facing Lucas. ¡°I¡¯m just here to talk to you, it


    won¡¯t take long


    Lucas raised his brow. ¡°Is that so? What would you like to discuss?¡±


    ¡°You can break up with Aria all you want, but don¡¯t drag Serenity into this. My patience has its limits. I¡¯m


    not going to stand by and watch her suffer because of you,¡± warned jackson.


    Lucas¡® expression changed immediately.


    ¡°Aria¡¯s parents came looking for Serenity today. They used her of being the reason why you broke


    up with her,¡± said Jackson. ¡°For them to think this way, is it Aria¡¯s fault or your fault?¡±


    Lucas gave his tea a light swirl, releasing its aroma and stearn into the air.


    ¡°Is that important?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important enough that I came to talk to you,¡± said Jackson.


    Lucas¡® eyes were downcast as he sat there in silence.


    Jackson¡¯s voice resonated through the room once more. ¡°Is it true that Serenity¡¯s the reason why you


    broke up with Aria?¡±


    Lucas¡® fingers trembled slightly when he heard that question. It was a subtle movement, but it was


    noticed by Jackson.


    Jackson¡¯s expression darkened. In an instant, an ley¨Ccold atmosphere descended upon the room


    After a long wait, Lucas finally looked up and met Jackson¡¯s gaze. ¡°What if I said yes?¡±


    In a split second, Jackson¡¯s gaze turned cold and hostile. ¡°Are you looking to die?¡±


    ¡°Seems to me she¡¯s pretty important to you. However, if I truly wanted her, there¡¯s nothing you can do


    to stop me,¡± replied. Lucas as he met Jackson¡¯s gaze head¨Con.


    The tension in the air was so thick that one could cut it with a knife.


    ¡°You won¡¯t do it,¡± growled Jackson with a threatening demeanor.


    Lucas poured the remaining tea down his throat. ¡°She¡¯s not the person I¡¯m looking for, Otherwise, even


    if it was you, I won¡¯t let go. As you wish, even after I¡¯ve broken up with Aria, I won¡¯t Lake Serenity away


    from you.¡±


    well. I don¡¯t hope to see Serenity get affected by your personal affairs in the future.¡±


    Upon saying that, Jackson got up and left the room.


    He had gotten the answer th


    that he was looking for.


    Perhaps be should thank his lucky stars that Lucas was blissfully unaware that Serenity was indeed the


    person he was looking for. Despite this, the man still found himself attracted to her.


    If it weren¡¯t for Lucas¡± obsession with the girl from his past, he might have already¡­

 Chapter 587

    Chapter 587


    Chapter 587


    Did Lucas change his mind?


    Looking around at the people who were taunting and mocking her a moment ago, Aria felt truly


    vindicated!


    Hmph, as long as she could be Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend again, she could get all of them


    cklisted by the entertainment industry!


    Aria walked out of the filming site in a haughty manner.


    However, when she met with Lucas, she realized that¡­ things were not the way she thought they


    were.


    Because¡­ Lucas asked to meet her in a detention facility, and her parents were in that detention


    facility.


    Lucas was sitting on a chair, casually sipping lea


    Her parents, on the other hand, were trembling and cowering on one side of the table. They looked


    afraid.


    Aria bit her lip, her heart thumping with apprehension.


    What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s Lucas doing here?


    She was aware that her parents were in police custody, but since it was only for a few days, she didn¡¯t


    think it was a big deal. It would be fine as long as the media did not find out about it.


    But now¡­


    ¡°Lucas, why did you ask to meet me here?¡± Aria softened her voice to make herself appear weak ¡°But


    I¡¯m so d you¡¯re willing to see me. Can you help my parents? I don¡¯t want my parents to be detained


    for a little misunderstanding.¡±


    She acted like a filial daughter, then med her parents¡® arrest on a misunderstanding


    ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Lucas said coldly, his eyes indillerent, ¡°Your parents went to Serenity Lewis and


    caused a scene. You gave them the address, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Arsa¡¯s expression changed, while Grayson Lewis and Catherine Fisher flinched.


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot. I chose to meet here because I want your parents to hear about this as well. Quit all


    the jobs y


    you¡¯re working on right now. After your parents get out of police custody, I don¡¯t want to see your family


    in Sria ever again. If I do, things are gonna get real bad for you


    Aria was stunned. He wanted her whole family to leave Sria?


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    But she was working on a promising TV series. The reason she had been enduring all those hardships


    lately was because she was banking on the TV series bing a hit so that she could rise in


    poprity. He wanted to¡­ take away her opportunity


    ¡°Lucas, you can¡¯t do this to me! If I quit all my jobs, how can I still work in the entertainment industry


    after this? Also¡­ my agency and my connections are all in Sria. My parents have been living in


    Sris their whole lives. We.. we can¡¯t leave!¡±


    Lucas said faintly, ¡°From now on, no one in this country¡¯s entertainment industry will hire you anymore,


    so don¡¯t worry about your agency or your connections. If you won¡¯t leave, be prepared to suffer the


    consequences.¡±


    Aria was shocked. He¡­ he wanted to cklist her?


    Grayson and Catherine looked like they wanted to say something, but they were scared. Obviously,


    Lucas¡® attitude before Aria arrived had intindated them.


    ¡°Lucas. This isn¡¯t fair, Just because my parents went and said a few words to Serenity, you¡¯re going to


    cklist me and kick our family out of Sria?!¡±


    She tried to move closer to Lucas.


    However, when she was a few steps away from him, she was stopped by Lucas¡® bodyguards.

 Chapter 588

    Chapter 588


    Chapter 588


    Lucas stared at Aria coldly. Fair? The world had never been fair. If it was, he would have found the girl


    from back then by now! He poured in so much effort throughout the years!


    But¡­ he hadn¡¯t found her!


    It was as if that girl had never existed at all.


    But¡­she clearly existed!


    ¡°You want faimess? Fine. Your mother pped Serenity, so it¡¯s only fair if she ps you too,¡± Lucas


    said indifferently.


    Aria, Catherine and tirayson froze when they heard that.


    Catherine, in particr, jumped up from her chair and yelled, ¡°Why would I hit my own daughter?! Even


    if you¡¯re rich and powerful, you can¡¯t make me do this!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t hit your own daughter?¡± Lucas snorted as if he had heard a joke, ¡°Yet you were so ready to


    hit your stepdaughter who¡¯s not rted to you by blood.¡±


    Catherine¡¯s face went red, but she still argued emotionally, ¡°Th There¡¯s a good reason for that. Serenity


    Lewis is a shameless woman who barged into your rtionship with Aria¡­¡±


    Lucas¡® expression got progressively angrier when he heard what Catherine said. Before she could


    finish, Lucas¡® bodyguard gave her a p on the face.


    Poor Catherine. Jackson knocked her teeth out only a few days ago and she had not had the chance to


    go to the dentist yet. The p made her wail in pain.


    ¡°The next time I hear you people say anything bad about Serenity Lewis, I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t speak


    anymore.¡±


    Lucas seemed to have no intention of staying any longer. He got up to leave.


    Aria shouted, ¡°Lucas, you can¡¯t do this to me!¡±


    Lucas gave her an indifferent look and said, ¡°You¡¯re lucky that your lips look like hers¡® or I wouldn¡¯t have


    shown you any mercy!¡±


    After saying that, he left with his men following behind him.


    Aria and her parents were the only ones left in the room.


    Holding her mouth that still hurt from being hit, Catherine ran over to her daughter and asked, ¡°What


    should we do, Aria? What¡¯s going to happen to us? Are you really going to be¡­ cklisted? Do we


    really have to leave Sria?¡°


    Grayson suddenly thought of something and asked anxiously, ¡°Also, if you suddenly quit all your jobs,


    aren¡¯t you breaching your contracts? How much are the penalties? Are we going to lose everything?¡±


    Aria trembled. For Serenity Lewts? Lucas was duing this to her for Serenity Lewis?


    What¡¯s even more ridiculous was that the ¡°mercy¡± Lucas imed to have shown her was because her


    lips looked like Serenity¡¯s. That was simply the most absurd thing in the world!


    Il Aria¡¯s life was ruined, she would definitely bring Serenity down with her!


    All of A Lewis¡® jobs came to a sudden hall. There was even gossip that the entire entertainment


    industry had cklisted her. The public suspected that she had offended Lucas Gomez.


    Sume gossip¨Chungryizens brought up the fact that some of Lucas Gomez¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriends were


    cklisted too.


    Theizensmented that bring Lacas Gunner¡¯s girlfriend was actually a high¨Crisk upation. The


    upation may look great on the surface, but there was a risk of getting ckdisted.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 589

    Chapter 589


    Chapter 589


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Some reporters also discovered that Aria Lewis was currently selling her real estate and jewelry. Even


    the house that Aria¡¯s parents were living in was listed for sale online. They spected that it was to pay


    for her breach of contracts.


    Someone even revealed all the contracts that Aria had breached to the public. The total amount of


    compensation she had to pay was over 10 million dors.


    For a person like Aria who came from an ordinary family and was only a C¨Clist actress before she


    became Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend, this was naturally arge sum of money. Even if she sold all her


    family assets, it might not be enough.


    Serenity saw the news on her phone. She also saw a picture of her family house, which was being


    listed for sale by a real estate agent.


    There was a coge of photos showing the interior of the house.


    The price listed was 900 thousand dors.


    The house that contained memories of her and her mother was now being sold for 900 thousand


    dors. Serenity sighed.


    Many years had passed, so all the traces her mother left in the house must be gone by now. That


    house was now filled with traces of A and Catherine instead.


    What are you looking at?¡± Jackson walked over. When he saw what was on her phone, he raised his


    eyebrows slightly and asked, ¡°The hause you used to live in is up for sale?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The Lewis family is selling the house,¡± Serenity replied with a nod.


    ¡°Do you want to buy it?¡± asked Jackson.


    Serenity looked at him in surprise. It was obvious that he would immediately buy it for her if she wanted


    it.


    She shook her head and said, ¡°No, don¡¯t bother. The house contains more bad memories than good


    memories for me.¡±


    Her mother had only lived there for three years, but her stepmother and Aria had lived there for more


    than twenty years.


    ¡°By the way, you¡¯ve known Lucas for a long time, haven¡¯t you? Is he¡­ really searching for someone?¡±


    asked Serenity.


    Jackson¡¯s body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about him?¡±


    ¡°I saw a piece of online gossip just now, Someizens were talking about Lukas. They said all his


    girlfriends so far are actually just substitutes, so I got curious,¡± replied Serenity. She thought about all


    the things Lucas said the night he got drunk.


    Also, her first encounter with Lucas was because of a small bracelet


    ¡°You¡¯re curious about him?¡± asked Jackson with a faint glint in his eyes.


    Serenity said, ¡°I¡¯m curious about this matter.¡± After all, she nearly became one of the substitutes


    Jackson held Serenity¡¯s hand and caressed it gently. ¡°You can only be curious about the matter and not


    about him, not even slightly.¡±


    Serenity blinked a few times, clearly feeling puzzled.


    He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed her fingertips. ¡°When a woman bes curious about a


    man, she might be interested in him one day. She might fall in love with him. Therefore, I¡¯m the


    only man you¡¯re allowed to be curious about.¡±


    Serenity did not know whether tough or cry. Was that a manifestation of his possessiveness? Or was


    he getting Jealous again?


    ¡°Then Should we pretend I never asked?¡± she said. It was just a casual enquiry anyway. She did not


    necessarily have to know The answer.

 Chapter 590

    Chapter 590


    Chapter 590


    Jackson said, ¡°Well, since you asked, I guess there¡¯s no harm telling you.¡± Even if he did not tell her


    now, she would find out


    After all, the matter was no longer a secret ansong Sria¡¯s high society.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Therefore, instead of letting her hear it from others, he would rather tell her about it himself.


    ¡°Lucas is indeed looking for someone a girl from his early childhood. However, he hasn¡¯t been able to


    find her so far. Those girlfriends of his can be considered that girl¡¯s substitute. He can¡¯t find the right


    person, so he found some substitutes tofort himself,¡± Jackson spoke while observing Serenity¡¯s


    reaction closely.


    Serenity frowned a little. ¡°They¡¯re substitutes for a little girl?¡±


    ¡°All his ex¨Cgirlfriends reminded him of that little girl in some ways.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re not the person he¡¯s looking for. Why does he go through one substitute after another when


    he knows that?¡± she


    wondered.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s obsessed. Or maybe, he¡¯s reached a point of desperation. Maybe even he doesn¡¯t believe


    that he can still find that girl.¡±


    Jackson suddenly changed the tople. ¡°If you were that little girl, and you found out that there¡¯s a person


    like him who had been looking for you, what would you do?¡±


    Serenity was taken aback by the question. She had never considered that before.


    ¡°Would you feel moved and go to him?¡± Jackson asked in a voice that was deeper than usual, as if he


    was trying to hypnotize her to induce her to voice her honest thoughts.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± answered Serenity, ¡°Like you said, maybe it¡¯s just an obsession rather than love.


    Besides, they knew each other when they were just kids. How deep can a child¡¯s feelings go?¡®


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Jackson, ¡°What if he insists on having you?


    Serenity chuckled. ¡°He can insist all he wants, it doesn¡¯t mean I have to give it to him. Besides, I


    already have you. I know you¡¯ll never agree.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you already have me.¡± Jackson murmured, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll never agree. I won¡¯t let anyone


    else have you.¡± He suddenly sped the back of her head and kissed her passionately.


    The long, fiery kiss was dominant and possessive. Serenity could hardly breathe.


    Serenity had no idea how long the kisssted, but when it ended, her cheeks were flushed and her


    chest was heaving. She was left in a daze.


    Jackson gently stroked her lips, his eyes twinkling. ¡°Lucas thinks he can find sce in substitutes, but


    he¡¯s simply trying to decrive himself. If I were him, I would never look for substitutes. If the person next


    to me was not the person I wanted, it would be meaningless.¡±


    That


    afternoon, Serenity once again received a delivery order from her oldw firm at work. The person who


    ced the order was none other than her former co¨Cworker, Liliana Granger.

 Chapter 591

    Chapter 591


    Chapter 591


    Ever since Liliana found out that Serenity was delivering food at ra¡¯s restaurant, she had ordered


    there a few times on purpose. Of course Serenity knew what her intention was


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem with the order?¡± ra asked from the cash register.


    ¡°Nope, nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± Serenity answered with a faint smile. She grabbed the takeouts, went to her


    electric scooter, and rode it to thew firm.


    When Serenity carried Liliana¡¯s order into the office, Liliana greeted her with a smile and said, ¡°Sorry to


    trouble you again, Serenity.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. It¡¯s my job,¡± Serenity replied indifferently as she handed her the food


    However, Liliana didn¡¯t take it. Instead, she grabbed Serenity¡¯s hand and led her into the office. She


    told all her co¨Cworkers in the office, ¡°Everyone, this is the person involved in the case I just told you


    about, our former co¨Cworker, Serenity Lewis.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes instantly turned towards Serenity.


    Serenity had an ominous premonition.


    Liliana told Serenity with a sincere expression, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Lately, I¡¯ve been tasked with teaching the


    rookies. As you know, the best way to do that is by studying and discussing controversial old cases.


    The case that we¡¯re discussing today happened to he your case. Hather than just looking at the court


    records and description of the case, I thought it would be better to hear it directly from you since you¡¯re


    the defendant.¡±


    Liliana cordially held Serenity¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Surely you wouldn¡¯t refuse, right, Serenity? In the trial,


    you insisted that you¡¯re innocent. Maybe we can brainstorm and find clues that will help you reopen the


    case.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s hands and feet went cold. Every word Liliana said cut open a new wound on her old scars!


    Brainstorm? Find clues? Reopen the case?


    Absolutely ridiculous!


    Liliana never offered to help three years ago when Serenity needed help the most! She shunned


    Serenity, afraid that she would get dragged into Serenity¡¯s mess


    And now, she wanted to reopen Serenity¡¯s old wounds to introduce the case to people who didn¡¯t know


    about it.


    Serenity red at Liliana. Before this, she thought Liliana was only petty and tried to step on Serenity


    whenever she could to feed her own ego, but now, Serenity realized that Liliana was more vile than she


    originally thought.


    Serenity cold re made Liliana gulp, but she managed to suppress the uneasy feeling in her heart


    and say, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Serenity? Why are you looking at me like that? I¡¯m just trying to help you


    because we used to work together. If you really are innocent, I hope you can receive the justice you


    deserve through thew.¡±


    ¡°Liliana, you¡¯re such a b*tch!¡± Serenity said without mercy as she yanked her hand free. ¡°If you really


    wanted to help me, why didn¡¯t you help me three years ago when I couldn¡¯t find awyer who was


    willing to take the case?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I was¡­¡±


    ¡°Afraid that my case would bring you trouble? Why aren¡¯t you afraid now? Why aren¡¯t you afraid of all


    these tookies getting into trouble for discussing my case?¡±


    ¡°Serenity, I¡¯m just trying to help you! How could you say that?!¡± Liliana¡¯s embarrassment turned to


    anger.

 Chapter 592

    Chapter 592


    Chapter 592


    ¡°Help me? Hearing those wordse out of your mouth makes me sick!¡± said Serenity.


    The people around were allwyers; they were no fools. They could more or less figure out what¡¯s


    happening by now. They now saw Liliana in a different light. The image Liliana tried to build up had


    crumbled.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Liliana originally wanted to embarrass Serenity in order to vent her frustration of getting humiliated in


    the hospital during the medical checkup.


    To her dismay, the person getting embarrassed now was her.


    Without thinking of what she was doing, she picked up a cup of tea in front of


    her and sshed Serenity with it.


    Serenity saw iting and stepped back to dodge. She managed to avoid getting sshed on her


    face, but the tea still sshed onto her upper body,


    Because the weather was getting warm, Serenity was only wearing a white t¨Cshirt on her upper body.


    The tea immediately. made her shirt wet.


    Liliana¡¯s co¨Cworkers cried out in surprise. They did not expect Liliana to suddenly do something like


    that.


    Serenity subconsciously tried to cover her chest area, but the next moment, a thin coat draped over her


    body, covering her up.


    ¡°Put it on!¡± A voice resounded in her ears.


    Serenity was stunned. That voice¡­ She turned around and saw a refined yet cold face.


    It was Lucas Gomez!


    Currently, he was slightly frowning with a hint of anger in his eyes which surprised Serenity because he


    always looked so indifferent in everything that¡¯s happening around him.


    Serenity did not expect Lucas to be there. The coat could obviously help her avoid an embarrassing


    situation.


    Following behind Lucas were the boss of thew firm and two of the firm¡¯s harristers, one of whom was


    responsible for mentoring Serenity back when she worked at the firm.


    He was currently looking at Serenity withplicated eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± the boss asked in a stern voice. Something like this happening in front of the


    firm¡¯s big client was obviously not a good look for the firm.


    Liliana was still angry a moment ago, but her anger had now tumed into trepidation. ¡°N¨CNothing. My


    hand slipped and 1 identally spilled tea on Serenity.¡±


    Lucas snorted coldly ¡°identally or intentionally?¡±


    His eyes were piercing


    Liliana blushed. ¡°It¡­ It was.¡± She wanted in insist that it was an ident, but under his cold gaze, the


    words got stuck in her throat and would note


    The boss¡® eyes swept across the room and he asked the others, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?!¡±


    A co¨Cworker in the office, who was also Serenity¡¯s co¨Cworker three years ago, told the boss what


    happened.


    When he arrived at the part where Liliana askest Serenity to tell the rookies about the specifics of the


    case, the light in Lucas¡® ryes flickered. His gaze fell on Serenity¡¯s face that had gone slightly pale.


    She stood there with his coat draped over her body, the salt covering up the wretched state she was in.


    Her pale lips made her shockingly dark alinond¨Cshaped eyes stand out.

 Chapter 593

    Chapter 593


    Chapter 593


    Her hands, which were hanging by her sides, were clenched tight, showing that she was holding


    herself back.


    He had investigated her before, so he naturally knew that she went to prison because of a car ident


    that caused Mira Hall¡¯s death


    However, he did not investigate the specific details of that case. From what thew firm employee was


    saying, back then¡­ she refused to plead guilty and insisted that she was set up.


    Was she really innocent? Did she really have nothing to do with Mira Hall¡¯s death?


    Thew firm employee simply described the incident without taking any sides, but being the boss of a


    law firm, of course the boss could figure out what truly happened. His eyes became increasingly colder


    when he looked at Liliana. When the employee finished talking, the boss turned to Serenity.


    ¡°Serenity, I¡¯m sorry for what happened to you. Why don¡¯t you provide the firm with a list of your losses


    and we¡¯llpensate you for them,¡± said the boss.


    Serenity answered tly, ¡°Forget about it! I have to go back to work!¡±


    She took a deep breath, took off the coat and gave it back to Lacas. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said


    Although her shirt was still wet so it was semi see¨Cthrough, Serenity simply wanted to get out of there


    as soon as possible.


    ¡°You can wear it. You don¡¯t have to return it to me just yet,¡± said Lucas.


    The boss looked at Lucas in surprise. He had known Lucas for a few years now, so he naturally knew


    that the prince of the entertainment industry was usually indifferent to the people around him. He would


    rarely go out of his way to help others. Even if someone was being hacked to death in front of him, he


    would probably not react.


    But now, he was obviously showing concern to a woman. That¡¯s really surprising


    He probably did not even show his past girlfriends this much concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Serenity insisted on giving it back Although her shirt was semi see¨Cthrough so it was a bit


    embarrassing, she would just pretend that she was wearing a swimsuit. She did not want to get


    involved with Lucas Gomez in any way. ¡°Thanks for earlier.¡±


    After she politely thanked him, she shoved the coat into Lucas hand and left.


    Lucas stared at the coat in his hand absent¨Cmindedly. She was polite when she thanked him, but it


    also felt distant, as if she was merely thanking a stranger.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Was he a stranger to her?


    Somehow, when this thought shed through his mind, it made him feel very ufortable.


    Lucas chased after Serenity,


    Meanwide, the atmosphere in thew firm was currently dead silent.


    Liliana was dumbfounded. What the bell was going on? The prince of the entertainment industry knew


    Serenity? Lots of people wanted to catch his attention, but why did it look like.. he was the one who


    was trying to catch Serenity¡¯s attention?!


    ¡°See me in my officeter,¡± the boss told Liliana unhappily,


    Liliana¡¯s body went stiff. Her co¨Cworkers looked at her with either sympathetic or mocking eyes.


    That was originally how she hoped they would look at Serenity¡­.

 Chapter 594

    Chapter 594


    Chapter 594


    Liliana could not even begin to describe how she was feeling right now.


    Right then, a co¨Cworker who had beef with her sneered and said, ¡°Look at that. She wanted to


    embarrass her old co¨Cworker but was embarrassed instead. Maybe one day, she¡¯ll have to quit bring a


    lawyer too like her old co¨Cworker. Our rookies should take a good, hard look at her because she makes


    for a fine example!¡±


    Liliana¡¯s face paled. She was tongue¨Ctied and her eyes were filled with panic.


    If that truly happened, she would be a joke in the Lawyers¡® circle!


    If she had known that this would happen, she would never have carried out her little scheme!


    Serenity stepped out of the building. Before she could even get to her electric scooter, Lucas caught up


    to her and grabbed her arm. ¡°Why would you rather walk around in a wet shirt than ept my coat? Do


    you hate me so much that you wouldn¡¯t even touch my stuff?¡±


    Serenity tried to break free from the man¡¯s grip but to no avail. His hand merely gripped her tighter.


    ¡°I just think it¡¯ll be a hassle to return the coat. Besides, it¡¯s hot right now, so my shirt will dry in no time,¡±


    replied Serenity. ¡°That means you¡¯re okay with people looking at you like this?¡± his eyes skimmed over


    her as he said that.


    Her body stiffened, ¡°A gentleman wouldn¡¯t look,¡± she said. In her mind, she kept telling herself that it¡¯s


    no different from wearing a swimsuit! A swimsuit!


    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of myself as a gentleman!¡± Lucas forcibly draped the coat over her. ¡°The way you


    look right now, you¡¯re increasing your chances of getting harassed.¡±


    ¡°You¡± she blushed profusely.


    ¡°Also, you don¡¯t have to give me back the coat. You can just throw it away or give it away, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    He simply did not want the public to see her like this.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    It was weird. If she was any other woman, he wouldn¡¯t have cared at all, but the moment he saw her


    with tea all over her body, his chest tightened involuntarily. He felt an urge to protect her and keep her


    safe.


    ¡°Thanks, Mr. Gomez, but I¡¯m alright,¡± Serenity insisted.


    She thanked him politely again. Lucas¡® thin lips were pursed tight. ¡°Do you really have to refuse?¡±


    ¡°If I wore your coat, it could easily cause unnecessary misunderstandings, Mr. Gomez,¡± exined


    Serenity.


    Lucas¡® eyes dimmed. ¡°Who do you fear would misunderstand? Your family? Or¡­ Jackson Valor?¡±


    Serenity kept quiet, but the intention of refusal in her eyes was firm.


    Lucasughed at himself. Usually, he was the one who rejected others, but this woman had rejected


    him over and over again.


    He sighed and gave her a choke. ¡°Either you go back wearing my coat or you buy a new shirt and


    change into it. I don¡¯t want to see you going back in this state.¡±


    Serenity was about to retort when Lucas added, ¡°I¡¯ll keep you here until you take one of the two


    options. Let¡¯s see who runs out of patience first!¡±


    Serenity was speechless. If she stayed here with the prince of the entertainment industry, she would


    probably make the news headlines torturrow!


    Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a clothing store nearby. She quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll buy


    a new shirt.¡±


    ¡°Good, Where do you n to buy it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Over there, I guess.¡± She pointed at the clothing store.

 Chapter 595

    Chapter 595


    Chapter 595


    To her surprise, Lucas followed her into the store. He said she was wearing his coat and he wanted to


    take it back after she changed into new clothes.


    Serenity quickly looked for a cheap T-shirt in the store to change into,


    Meanwhile, Jackson was listening to Connor¡¯s report in the Valor Group¡¯s CEO office with a gloomy


    face.


    ¡°Because we¡¯ve told the media that they can¡¯t publish any news about Ms. Lewis, these three media


    outlets didn¡¯t dare to release the news,¡± said Connor.


    Three media outlets had simultaneously received an anonymous email containing intimate photos of


    Serenity and Lucas


    Gomez


    ¡°Did you find out who sent the email?¡± asked Jackson.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°We¡¯re still investigating that. The culprit had taken precautions to avoid being detected,¡± answered


    Connor.


    ¡°Find out as soon as possible. I want to know who¡¯s behind this,¡± Jackson said coldly.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor!¡± replied Connor.


    ¡°You can get back to work,¡± said Jackson. After Connor left the CEO¡¯s office, Jackson clicked open the


    mailbox on hisputer.


    In the mailbox were the folders that Connor sent him earlier.


    He clicked on one of the folders and saw pictures of Serenity and Lucas inside.


    Under the moonlight, the man was holding the woman tightly. There were photos of him burying his


    face in the woman¡¯s shoulder, and also photos of the two looking at each other.


    They looked¡­. like a pair of lovers.


    Jackson¡¯s gaze became more and more intense. The veins on the back of his hand that held the


    mouse were bulging. That¡¯s¡­ Serenity and Lucas Gomez!


    Why would she let Lucas Gomez hug her like that? What were they talking about?


    Suddenly, Jackson¡¯s pupils shrunk. He stared at one of the photos in a daze. In the photo, there was


    something that was reflecting light on Lucas¡¯ face, while Serenity was looking into his eyes in surprise.


    Lucas was crying!


    Jackson suddenly recalled that time Serenity talked to him about the topic of ¡°crying¡±.


    Did she discuss that topic with him because of¡­ Lucas?


    He suddenly panicked. Did something happen between Serenity and Lucas that he did not know


    about?


    He kept trying to sever the thread of fate between Serenity and Lucas, but to no avail.


    Some sort of bund would keep forming between the two.


    Lucas clearly did not know that Serenity was the person he was looking for, but he still treated her


    differently and even¡­ shed


    tears in front of her!


    What in the world happened that night?


    Jackson subconsciously picked up his phone and called Serenity.

 Chapter 596

    Chapter 596


    Chapter 596


    He desperately wanted to hear her voice, as if her voice was the only thing that could put his mind at


    ease right now!


    A momentter, the call was picked up, but the voice that answered was a voice that Jackson did not


    expect.


    ¡°Jackson?¡±


    It was¡­ Lucas¡® voice.


    Jackson¡¯s heart sank. He spoke rigidly, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. Why are you the one who answered the phone?¡±


    ¡°Serenity¡¯s changing her clothes. She left her phone and bag outside. Should I¡­ tell her to call you


    backter?¡± Lucas asked Indifferently.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Jackson simply ended the call.


    After the call ended, Lucas looked down at the phone in his hand.


    Just now, when he saw the caller ID was ¡°Jack¡°, he answered the phone for some unfathomable


    reason.


    Normally, he would never help anyone answer their phone.


    But, a moment ago. that¡¯s exactly what he did. Was it because the caller was Jackson?


    He once thought Jackson would never fall in love with any woman, but he actually fell in love with a


    woman Lucas was also interested in.


    In the end, Lucas chose to back off, but not because he didn¡¯t dare topete with Jackson.


    But because the person he really wanted was not Serenity.


    Despite that, every time he saw Serenity, he could not help feeling attracted to her.


    He found himself thinking about her more and more. Whenever he looked at the bracelet now, he


    would inevitably see Serenity¡¯s face.


    It was as if¡­ he was possessed!


    Lucas smiled bitterly and buried his face in his hand. What was wrong with him? He knew that Serenity


    was Jackson Valor¡¯s woman, but he couldn¡¯t help wanting to get closer to her!


    The changing room¡¯s door opened and Serenity walked out. She had changed into a long floral dress.


    Lucas¡± pupils abruptly shrunk.


    He didn¡¯t think much of it when Serenity picked the dress earlier, but now that she appeared in front of


    him wearing the dress, he felt like he was seeing the little girl from the past again.


    Back then, that tiny body carried him down the mountain in a floral dress.


    The thorns along the way tore holes in her dress.


    He knew she loved that dress. She said it was a gift from her grandmother. Therefore, he promised to


    buy her lots and lots of beautiful dresses in the future.


    Over the years, whenever he saw a nice dress, he would buy it and put it away so that he could give it


    to her when he saw her again one day.


    Over the years, he had bought so many dresses that he had to buy an apartment just to keep all the


    dresses,


    He had bout dresses in all kinds of sizes, taking into ount her age and her growth. He would


    sometimes even buy the same dress in every size avable.


    Every time he bought a new dress, he would go in that apartment to put it away himself.

 Chapter 597

    Chapter 597


    Chapter 597


    In that apartment filled with dresses, he would fantasize about how beautiful she would look when she


    wore the dresses.


    However, he had never felt as shocked as he did now. Serenity was only wearing a very ordinary and


    very cheap dress, but the sight of her slowly walking to the mirror to take a look at herself instantly


    brought tears to his eyes.


    Serenity stood in front of the mirror and checked out the dress. The reason she picked the dress was


    because it looked like the floral dress her grandmother bought her when she was a child,


    Unfortunately, that floral dress was badly tom, so she had to throw it away.


    She remembered she cried back then.


    The good thing about the new dress was that it was pretty long, so she could safely wear it even when


    she rode the electric scooter. She checked the price and found that it was not expensive. It cost only


    $40, and one could usually bargain in a store like this to lower the price even further.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°What do you think of the dress, ma¡¯am? Do you like it?¡± the shopkeeper walked up and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad, but can you lower the price a little?¡± Serenity asked.


    ¡°But.. the clothes in the store are already very cheap. If I lower the price any further. The shopkeeper¡¯s


    voice abruptly halted as if something had grabbed her throat. She stared behind Serenity in shock.


    Serenity was puzzled, but before she could figure out what was happening, a pair of arms hugged her


    from behind, and she felt a slightly cold sensation on her neck and cheek.


    ¡°Is it you?¡± Lucas¡® hoarse voice resounded in her ears.


    Serenity was s


    stunned. When she came to her senses, she tried to break free from Lucas¡® sudden embrace.


    But he was holding her very tightly. His face pressed hard against her neck as he repeated in a


    murmur, ¡°Is it you? Is it you? You¡¯re her, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re her..


    ¡°Lucas, let go! I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about!¡± said Serenity. She could not understand why


    Lucas was suddenly behaving like he did that night when he got drunk.


    The problem was, he waspletely sober right now!


    ¨C


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ her, aren¡¯t you? If not, why would you look so much like her?.. Why¡­ Why are you the only


    one who makes me feel this way


    he murmured, as if the person he had been looking for had appeared in front of him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but you better let go of me right now, or else¡­¡±


    ¡°Or else what?¡± He suddenlyughed mockingly, ¡°I¡¯ve let go so many times. I should never have let go!¡±


    The shopkeeper was bbergasted. She could not understand what was going on between the man


    and the woman in front of her.


    Serenity felt Lucas¡® arms hugging her tighter and tighter. He was even starting to sob.


    ¡°Lucas, you got the wrong person. I¡¯m not the person you¡¯re looking for!¡± said Serenity when she


    recalled that Lucas had been looking for a girl.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not, why did you pick this dress?¡± he asked in a soft voice.


    When he saw her in the dress, he felt like he was seeing the little girl from back then again. She had


    now grown up and was standing before him in a floral dress, smiling at him.


    He had a vague feeling that he had seen this scenario before in als dreams.


    ¡°I picked it because I liked it, that¡¯s all. There¡¯s no special reason!¡± said Serenity.


    But no matter how hard she tried, she could not break free of Lucas¡± embrace.


    212


    Lucas seemed to have no doubt that she was the one he was looking for. He hugged her tightly and


    kept saying, ¡°Tell me that you¡¯re her! Tell me that you¡¯re the person I¡¯ve been looking for! Do you know


    how long I¡¯ve been looking for you? Do you


    know how much I regretted letting go of your hand that day?¡±

 Chapter 598

    Chapter 598


    Chapter 598


    He hugged her so tightly that she could hardly breathe.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ not¡­¡± she said with difficulty.


    Just when Serenity thought that she might pass out due tock of oxygen, a sudden force tore her out


    of Lucas¡® arms. The next moment, she heard the sound of a fist hitting someone, followed by a muffled


    grunt. She then heard the sound of a heavy


    object hitting the ground and chairs colliding with shelves.


    Serenity panted heavily. Jackson¡¯s face appeared before her.


    Jack was the one who pulled her out of Lucas¡® arms! Serenity stared at Jackson in a bit of a daze,


    wondering what he was doing there.


    Jackson was currently staring at Lucas, whom he had just punched to the ground, with a solemn face.


    Lucas was leaning against a shelf. The area around him was in a mess due to the impact of his fall.


    Blood slowly trickled down the corner of his mouth, showing that Jackson definitely did not hold back.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing right now?¡± Jackson asked furiously. His ice¨Ccold voice was like a


    bone¨Cchilling wind. It would send shivers down the spine of anyone who heard him.


    However, Lucas looked Jackson right in the eye and replied with a smile, ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You know? And you still did it? Lucas, do you want the Gomez family and the Valor family to be


    enemies?¡± Jackson questioned him arrogantly.


    Lucas wiped the blood from his mouth and slowly stood back up, ¡°Jackson, you know I¡¯ve always been


    looking for someone. Serenity is most likely the person I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s pupils shrunk abruptly and his body stiffened. ¡°What kind of nonsense are you saying?¡±


    Lucas did not answer his question. Instead, he turned to Serenity who was by Jackson¡¯s side and


    asked her, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? You saved a boy years ago while wearing a simr floral dress. You


    could have left him behind, but you insisted on carrying him and helping him get to safety! You asked


    him to trust you, to trust that you could definitely carry him out of that mountain


    Serenity looked at Lucas doubtfully. She did have a simr floral dress when she was a child, but she


    had no recollection of what he said at all.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Jackson shouted and pulled Serenity behind him.


    Things were quickly moving out of his control. He was caught a little off guard. The person Serenity


    loved right now might not be Lucas, but¡­¡­.


    ¡°What? Are you scared? Scared that she really might be the person I¡¯m looking for?¡± said Lucas as he


    took a step closer.


    Jackson pursed his lips and red at Lucas with cold eyes.


    Lucas was right he was indeed scared!


    He was scared of Serenity finding out that she was indeed the person Lucas had been searching for. It


    was a truth that he had been hiding from her.


    Jackson gripped Serenity¡¯s hand so hard that it was starting to hurt.


    He gripped her hand so tightly. His hand¡­ was trembling non¨Cstop, as if it was quietly informing her


    that he was panicking.


    She never expected that there woulde a day when his hand would tremble like this when it was


    holding hers.


    Serenity took a deep breath and held Jackson¡¯s trembling hand.

 Chapter 599

    Chapter 599


    Chapter 599


    That sent a jolt through his body. He turned his head to look at her in surprise. His dark eyes contained


    many emotions that she could not decipher.


    ¡°Jack, let me talk to him,¡± she said as she gripped his hand hard, as if she wasforting him.


    Jackson pursed his lips and looked at her without moving an inch,


    He was hesitating. He did not know what to do..


    Serenity took a step forward, stepping out from behind Jackson. Jackson did not stand in her way.


    Her eyes fell on Lucas, who was now only a few steps away. ¡°I¡¯m not the person you¡¯re looking for. I


    don¡¯t have the slightest recollection of the things you mentioned, so I think you must have gotten the


    wrong person!¡±


    When she finished, the light in Jackson¡¯s eyes wavered, while Lucas seemed like he was unwilling to


    believe her. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You you must have forgotten. You¡¯ve forgotten, haven¡¯t you? Have you


    forgotten because it¡¯s been too long?¡±


    ¡°My memory has always been good,¡± said Serenity, ¡°I really don¡¯t remember anything like that ever


    happening to me. If I really do look like the little girl in your memory and the dress I chose today locks


    like her dress, they can only be coincidences.


    Lucas pursed his lips so hard that they almost formed a straight line. Ite looked Serenity right in the


    eye.


    Serenity met his gaze steadily. She did not try to avoid his gaze in the slightest. After all, she was


    telling the truth.


    After a long time, Lucas averted his eyes and said, ¡°You might be her or you might not be. I¡¯ll definitely


    look into this further!¡±


    After saying that, he left the clothing store.


    Before today, he had always thought that Serenity was not the girl, but when she chose the floral dress


    today and put it on, he was suddenly sure that it was her¡­


    If it wasn¡¯t her, why would he feel so strongly about her? Why would she.. look so much like the girl?


    He should have investigated Serenity¡¯s background thoroughly from the beginning!


    Serenity suddenly realized that Jackson was gripping her hand even harder now


    ¡°Jack!¡± Serenity looked up at his face. His expression was so serious that it was almost frightening.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Her voice seerningly dragged him back to his senses. Jackson let out a long breath, and the


    seriousness and gloom on his face gradually dispersed. ¡°Nothing,¡± he answered. He then took out a


    stack of money from his wallet and gave it to the shopkeeper. ¡°This ispensation for the damage! I


    don¡¯t want anyone else to low what happened here!¡±


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    The shopkeeper stared at the money in amazement. A part of her store had be messy and some


    chairs had been tipped over, but there wasn¡¯t actually any serious damage.


    The money felt more like hush money.


    Jackson held Serenity¡¯s hand and led her outside to his Bentley. The shopkeeper stared at the car


    driving away, then at the money in her hand.


    Umin. The three people who came to her store today were most likely not ordinary people. She had


    better kept quiet.


    Inside the car, Serenity eximed, ¡°My electric scouter!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone take it back to the restaurant,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°But. Serenity paused before asking, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± He was not driving in the restaurant¡¯s


    direction.

 Chapter 600

    Chapter 600


    Chapter 600


    Jackson remained silent and kept driving. He was teeling a panic he had never felt before.


    He did not know what he was afraid of. Was he afraid of Lucas finding out that Serenity was indeed the


    person he had been looking for? Or was he afraid that Serenity would develop some kind of feelings for


    Lucas in the future?


    No, Lucas¡­ shouldn¡¯t be able to discover anything. Jackson had already taken the necessary


    precautions, just in case something like this happened.


    Meanwhile, Serenity seemed to have forgotten about the things that had happened in the past.


    ording to Jackson¡¯s Investigation, in the days after Lucas was found, Serenity had fallen terribly sick


    with a high fever. She was even sent to Sria for treatment.


    She must have forgotten certain things because of that high fever,


    But¡­ even though Jackson had taken the necessary precautions, why did he still feel so


    apprehensive?


    He felt as if something out of his expectations would happen, thus throwing his n off.


    Like the photos he just saw, for example. Lucas was hugging Serenity and crying into her arms. At that


    time, what was on her mind? Why had she never told jackson about that?


    What was she trying to hide?


    ¡°Jack, where exactly are we going? I have to get back to work,¡± said Serenity.


    However, Jackson remained silent, as if he didn¡¯t hear her.


    Serenity bit her lip. She could only take out her phone and give ra a call. ¡°ra, umm.. something


    unexpected came up. I¡¯m. afraid I won¡¯t be able to get back to the restaurant for a few hours¡­ Yeah,


    I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m so sorry..¡±


    After ending the call, Serenity saw that there was a call from Jackson earlier in the call history.


    The callsted for nearly a minute.


    However, she did not remember receiving that call! Serenity suddenly thought of Lucas.


    When she was changing earlier, she did not bring her phone and bag into the changing room. Instead,


    she had left them on


    the seat next to Lucas.


    Could Lucas have answered her phone back then?


    When Serenity thought of that, she immediately understood why Jackson would suddenly appear at the


    store.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Did Lucas answer my phone earlier when you called? I happened to be in the changing room and left


    my phone outside¡­ I merely bumped into Lucas today. My shirt got dirty when I was delivering food¡­¡±


    Serenity, can you not say anything right now?¡± He suddenly cut her short.


    She bit her lip. From her angle, she could see theyer of frost covering his face. His face was so cold


    that it was frightening. His hands were gripping the steering wheel hard, as if he was suppressing his


    emotion with all his might.


    The inside of the car was once again filled with a suffocating silence.


    Did Jackson misunderstand that there was something going on between her and Lucas? Serenity could


    only wait to give Jack a proper exnation after the car stopped.


    When the car finally stopped, Serenity realized that they were at the top of Mount Asol. From here, they


    could overlook the entire city of Sria.


    A lot of people woulde here to enjoy the scenery on the weekends and during the holidays, but


    right now, there were not that many visitors. Except for the noises made by the insects and birds, the


    ce was very quiet.

 Chapter 601

    Chapter 601


    Chapter 601


    ¡°What are we doing here?¡± Serenity asked, feeling puzzled.


    Jackson pursed his lips tightly, looking at the view of Sria through the window ss.


    The young, Jackson hade here with his father once. His father had brought him here and told him,


    ¡°Jack, you know what? You¡¯ll understand what it means to be unstoppable only when you¡¯re high


    standing. You often have no control over your own destiny unless you have enough power.¡±


    If one wanted to be truly in control of his own destiny, he would have to keep climbing higher and


    higher!


    Whenever Jackson was frustrated, he woulde here and look out over this view of Sria. He had


    told himself that one day, only he could control his own destiny. He had not been here for a long time


    since he had taken over the Valor Group and yet, he was here again. How long had it been?


    Thest time he was here, he thought he was finally inplete control of his own destiny. He would


    no longer be at the mercy of anyone. However, he hade here once again.


    Was he truly in control of his destiny? Or was his fate already in the hands of another person? That


    person controlled his emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and anxiety. Theseplicated emotions


    somehow reminded him of a long¨Clost fear!


    Jackson turned his head, his dark gaze pinned to Serenity, who was sitting beside him. He unbuckled


    his seat belt and leaned forward toward her, propping his hand against the sides of her seat.


    ¡°Alright. You can tell me now. Why were you and Lucas in the same store? Why did he happen to


    answer my call to you?¡±


    The color of his eyes darkened, the emotions in him seemingly unreadable.


    Serenity looked at Jackson¡¯s face in a daze. Taking a deep breath, she told him what had happened


    during the delivery earlier except she omitted the fact that Liliana had purposely tried to hurt her. She


    merely said she had spilled tea on her clothes, and Lucas happened to see it.


    How Lucas had hugged her was a surprise to her as well. She had never seen iting


    ¡°He¡¯s got the wrong person. After hearing his story, I don¡¯t even remember meeting him before,¡±


    Serenity said.


    Jackson¡¯s gaze was still fixed on her. ¡°What if he¡¯s not mistaken?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Serenity was stunned and looked at Jackson, feeling puzzled.


    ¡°What if he didn¡¯t get the wrong person? Would you fall in love with him?¡± Jackson questioned, his face


    looking terribly grim.


    Serenity felt that she would be doomed if she answered incorrectly. Oh, God. What was she thinking?


    Serenity pushed down the thought. ¡°No way. Even if he didn¡¯t get it wrong, I¡¯m not going to fall for him.¡±


    After all, Serenity already had Jack in her heart. Besides, Lucas¡® constant search for a recement for


    the girl in his memory was not something she appreciated.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Why?¡± His low elegant voice rang in her ears.


    Jackson stared down at her, his face getting close. He gently brushed his fingers across her lips,


    rubbing them like a silent temptation.


    Serenity suddenly felt hot.

 Chapter 602

    Chapter 602


    Chapter 602


    Why? Must she tell him the answer to that? Jackson seemed like he clearly needed an answer from


    her.


    ¡°Hey, tell me. Why? Why won¡¯t you have a crush on Lucas?¡± Jackson urged.


    Serenity¡¯s face turned slightly pink. Even so, she stated clearly, ¡°Because you¡¯re the one who makes


    my heart beat. I don¡¯t want you to get the wrong idea, Jack. There¡¯s really nothing between Lucas and


    me.


    Was it really nothing?


    ¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes darkened. The photo of Lucas embracing Serenity in hisputer¡¯s mailbox seemed to


    sh before his eyes again. There were also photos of Lucas in tears in front of Serenity.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Those photos seemed like a silent irony to him. Despite all his efforts, he could not break the band


    between Serenity and Lucas.


    ¡°Is it really nothing? You¡¯re not hiding anything from me?¡± Jackson asked in a low voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything between Lucas and 1.¡± Serenity thought Jackson was asking about today.


    ¡°So¡­ Serenity, how much do you love me?¡± Jackson¡¯s breath was on her face, his lips almost on hers.


    Something about the atmosphere in the car seemned to have be suggestive. Serenity¡¯s face


    flushed even redder. How could she answer that?!


    ¡°Does it hurt you to see me in pain?¡± he murmured.


    Serenity nodded with a red face.


    ¡°Will you miss me terribly when you don¡¯t see me?¡± he continued to ask


    She nodded her head again.


    ¡°So. Will you think of me at all time?


    of a violin, a silent temptation to her.


    Would you desire me?¡± His voice vibrated like the sound of the most beautiful strings


    ¡®Boom!¡¯ Serenity felt the blood rush to her head, and her face burned. It was as if he had unleashed


    something she had been keeping to herself. Her thoughts? Her desire for him?


    His face, his voice, his scent, all seemed to draw her in. There was no hiding how attractive she found


    him.


    Serenity wanted to be with him. She wanted to grow old with him and have a family with him. She


    wanted a future with him. She desired him!


    Serenity nodded again, her face burning red. She answered softly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    It took her a lot of courage to give such an answer.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes on her grew intense. He suddenly moved, his hand reaching up to loosen his tie and


    undo the two buttons on


    his cor.


    Jackson¡¯s aura seemed to have changed, his lips parting slowly. ¡°Then prove it to me,¡± bemanded,


    sounding dark and dangerous

 Chapter 603

    Chapter 603


    Chapter 603


    Serenity was stunned. Prove it? How could she prove it to him?! She was a little unsure of how to


    respond initially but suddenly understood something, seeing how he stared at her.


    Serenity hesitated. Then, she raised her arms and wrapped them around Jackson¡¯s neck. She tilted her


    jaw up slightly and pressed a gentle kiss against his mouth.


    Jackson¡¯s lips were soft, and his cool lips and scent made her feel at ease. It was just a touch of lips,


    but the kiss was her initiative.


    Serenity brushed her lips against his with love. It was her way of proving how much she loved him, but


    this kiss alone was not enough for him..


    When she was about to withdraw eventually, Jackson abruptly cradled the back of her head, his lips


    devouring hers gently yet firm and slightly dominantly.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She jolted at the suddenly intense kiss, only to drown in it the next moment. Did Jack know what this


    kiss meant to her? This kiss made her realize her heart and her feelings for him even better.


    Unsure how long the kisssted, he finally ended the kiss when she was almost breathless.


    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough ¡°Serenity panted heavily, breathing in all the fresh air she needed badly. ¡°Jack, what


    are you¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, his voice cut her off.


    ¡°Not enough¡­ It¡¯s far from enough¡­ Serenity, your proof isn¡¯t enough¡­¡± Jackson mumbled. He


    pressed the button on the side of the seat, and her seat suddenly reclined.


    The sudden change caught Serenity off guard. She had not unbuckled the seatbelt and ended up lying


    on her back in her seat.


    Jackson moved from the driver¡¯s seat to the passenger¡¯s seat. He then straightened his upper body,


    took the tie off his neck, and unbuttoned his shirt.


    Serenity was dumbfounded. She could not imagine what would happen if someone had been curious


    enough to take a look at the car. This might even make the headlines!


    ¡°Jack!¡± Serenity wanted to unbuckle the seatbelt and get up. When her hand was on the buckle of the


    seatbelt, he suddenly put his hand over the back of hers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t want to prove it to


    me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, but¡­¡± Serenity suddenly shook violently, the rest of her voice stuck in her throat.


    Jackson unbuckled her seat belt with a click, his fingers gently caressing her cheek Jackson gazed at


    Serenity intently. He found her blushing face extremely adorable. She was like a lovable kitten, staring


    at him with cute dewy eyes. Seeing that, he could not help but want to tease her.


    ¡°Do you realize how cute you are right now?¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity¡¯s face turned even redder. No one had called her cute since grade school! Looking at his


    serious face, it seemed that he truly did find her cute.


    ¡°But remember this, only I can see this cute look of yours, okay?¡± Jackson said domineeringly. Then,


    he lowered his head, his kisses spreading all over her body.

 Chapter 604

    Chapter 604


    Chapter 604


    Serenity caught her breath. There seemed to be a dangerous aura around him. She instinctively tried


    to push him away, but his hand would not move.


    ¡°Serenity, I love you!¡± Jackson murmured softly, ¡°Not just how cute you are. Only I can see the many


    faces of you.¡±


    Jackson straightened up and gazed down at her. ¡°So don¡¯t ever fall for someone else. Don¡¯t even try to


    think about it.¡±


    He wanted her to be only his. He wanted to be absolutely sure that she was his. He wanted to have her


    all to himself and eliminate any of the remaining uncertainties that might make things go wrong.


    Was this love? Though his love had be fear, he wanted all of her. Had his father loved his mother


    the same way? That was why his father had lost the will to live after his mother had left.


    Jackson had thought that he would never love anyone in his life. Even if he got married and had


    children, his only goal was to leave the Valor family with an heir. However, Serenity was like a brand in


    his heart. Her importance was already deeply imprinted on his mind. So deep he would not allow


    anyone else to get their hands on her, not even the slightest possibility.


    Serenity had gently told him before, ¡°Come with me. From now on, I¡¯ll love you, and you¡¯ll love me.¡±


    She would put her arms around him whenever he was in pain. She made him feel that he was not


    alone in the world. With her by his side, he seemed to have found a reason to live. It was as if he was


    finally experiencing the joy of living and had found what he really wanted in life!


    She had also said before, ¡°Call me Sis.¡±


    ¡°Sis¡® She called him family. From then on, she considered him family.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Family¡­ Jackson had lost his family ever since his father had died. The Valor residence wasrge and


    had many servants, but the only one rted to him by blood was Master Zack. To Master Zack, he was


    probably nothing more than a tool to carry on the family¡¯s bloodline.


    He would be the heir of the Valor family only if he excelled. Otherwise, he would be forced into a


    marriage and have a child so that the Valor family could have a new heir.


    Master Zack had never had any grandparental love for him. He even loathed him, hating him for having


    his mother¡¯s


    bloodline.


    Master Zack hated Jackson¡¯s mother. His only son, his pride and joy, had left the Valor family for her! If


    not for Jackson¡¯s mother, Jackson¡¯s father would not have frozen to death in the snow!


    Jackson had thought that nothing could make his heart beat again, but Serenity would always call out


    to him. ¡°Jack, Jack..¡±


    ¡±


    Her cries were like a gentle call, drowning him in it. He could spend his whole life listening to her call


    out to him like this. He knew his heart was all hers at that moment!

 Chapter 605

    Chapter 605


    Chapter 605


    ¡°Jack Jack¡­¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s her. She¡¯s calling for me again¡­ But why does it sound like a choked sob? Is she crying?¡±


    Jackson¡¯s mind finally focused again, his eyes meeting Serenity¡¯s tear¨Cstained face.


    ¡°Serenity? Is she crying?! Did I hurt her?!¡®


    Yes. Serenity was suffering because Jackson had almost lost his mind.


    Seeing the tears on her face and the fear in her eyes made his heart ache terribly. It was the deepest


    blow to him.


    What had he¡­ Was Serenity afraid of him?


    Jackson had lost the sanity he had always prided himself on because of what had happened between


    Serenity and Lucas!


    ¡°Are you¡­ Afraid of me?¡± Jackson murmured, his voice hoarse. All he wanted was to see her smile!


    Seeing how her smile lit up her face and calling him ¡®Jack¡® in her soft voice made him feel alive.


    Perhaps thest thing he wanted to see was her fear. However, he had unintentionally scared her this


    time.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Serenity trembled slightly. Afraid of him? Yes, a little. No matter how hard she had resisted earlier, it


    seemed useless. Jackson. seemed like apletely different man.


    The quiet menace emanating from him hurt her like the cold night wind. Even so, his quiet murmur of


    the question made Serenity feel as if he was the one in fear, not her.


    Jackson clearly had the advantage in the current situation. Despite that, he seemed fragile, like a ss


    full of cracks. Just the smallest force would shatter himpletely.


    A suffocating silence loomed inside the car. Their eyes locked, the sound of their heartbeats the only


    other sound other than their breathing


    Serenity¡¯s face was still wet with tears as shey on the seat in a mess. ¡°Jack, I¡¯m not afraid of you I¡¯m


    just scared because no matter how much I yelled, it was like you couldn¡¯t hear me just now,¡± Serenity


    said, her voice almost choking.


    For some reason, she had a feeling that her answer was of great importance to him. It might even


    shatter him.


    What gave that feeling? Jackson was the fearful Mr. Valor, a powerful man in Sria. He had always


    been the one who would


    crush others.


    Or was it because of the vulnerability he showed? She could not resist wanting to protect him and save


    him. Although in this situation, she was obviously the one who needed saving!


    Taking a deep breath, Serenity continued, ¡°Jack, I don¡¯t want this. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t love you enough


    or I don¡¯t want your love as much as I should. I just find it a little ufortable. If¡­¡± She paused,


    trembling slightly. It was as if she was trying to suppress the fear in her heart.

 Chapter 606

    Chapter 606


    Chapter 606


    1/2


    After a brief pause, Serenity parted her lips. ¡°If you really insist¡­ If that¡¯s the only way to prove how


    much I love you, Okay.¡±


    then¡­


    Serenity was unwilling to do this. They might get found out, and it would be extremely embarrassing.


    Despite that, if it was what he truly wanted, she was totally willing to give it to him. All she wanted was


    to ease his fear of vulnerability and take care of him.


    Jackson looked at Serenity in a daze. Her familiar voice rang in his ears, but it sounded like a stranger.


    What did she say? She had said okay.


    Serenity was still shaking in fear. Even so, for him. She was willing to do anything for him.


    Contentment flowed over him, making him feel a little overwhelmed. Despite that, it somehow soothed


    all his worries. The coldness in him seemed to be gradually fading.


    Serenity Lewis, the woman he loved¡­..


    There was a long silence. After that, Jackson let out a slow breath and draped his suit over her body to


    cover her.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I wasn¡¯t being myself,¡± Jackson apologized in a low murmur, taking her into his arms. He had


    almost done something he might regret for the rest of his life carlier!


    Serenity¡¯s voice had brought him back to his senses. If not, he would have done something to hurt her.


    The thought of hurting her scared him¨Che could not help but hug her a little tighter.


    Serenity leaned into Jackson¡¯s arm and gradually stopped trembling. The Jack she knew was back. ¡°Is


    he¡­ Is he really okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Is it because of Lucas?¡± Serenity hesitated slightly and added, ¡°He really got the wrong person.


    I¡¯m not the one he¡¯s looking for.¡±


    Serenity emphasized, ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind at all. I¡¯ve told you before. Even if I am the one he¡¯s


    looking for, I won¡¯t have anything to do with him. It¡¯s you that I love.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me you love,¡± Jackson repeated in a murmur. His eyes fell on her wrists, still bound by his tir.


    Jackson gently untied her, revealing the obvious bruises on her wrists.


    ¡°It must¡¯ve hurt,¡± Jackson said softly, a rare touch of guilt in his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s not too bad.¡± Serenity pretended to be rxed. She did not want him to feel bad about


    this. ¡°How about you? Feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Much better now,¡± Jackson answered. He had Serenity wear his suit jacket and helped her button it


    up. He then tidied her messy hair before restarting the car and driving down the mountain.


    When the car pulled up to the gate of the Valor Residence, Serenity unbuckled her seat belt and


    prepared to get out. However, Jackson stopped her. ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll carry you in.¡±


    ¡°No need, I can walk myself,¡± Serenity said. She was not hurt anywhere except for a red wrist.


    ¡°Your dress is so torn. Is it really okay for you to walk in there like that?¡± Jackson reminded her.


    Serenity¡¯s cheeks flushed red. Then, she fell into silence.


    Jackson walked to the other side of the car and carefully picked Serenity up from the passenger seat.


    Then, he carried her into


    the residence


    The servants who passed by along the way nced sideways at them.


    Serenity¡¯s face flushed redder, and even her neck was red. She buried her head in Jackson¡¯s arms,


    embarrassed.


    She thought those who saw her in his suit would get the wrong idea! Well, of course¡­ What actually


    happened earlier seemed a little improper too.


    Chapter GUS


    Jackson carried Serenity upstairs back to her room and set her down. Then, he went to her closet and


    grabbed a change of clothes for her.

 Chapter 607

    Chapter 607


    Chapter 607


    1/1


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ Let me do it myself,¡± Serenity said, her face red.


    After a short silence, Jackson handed her the clothes in his hand and turned his back.


    Serenity¡¯s cheeks were burning. She hurriedly changed her clothes, not noticing that Jackson had his


    hands clenched into fists. Even the sound of her changing clothes seemed very stimting to him.


    Serenity had been the only one who had ever made his heart flutter, his love for her bing stronger


    as time went on.


    A sense of crisis arose maybe because of her interaction with Lucas. The beast in him was rising up to


    demand full control of her, not wanting anyone else to have a chance with her.


    However, Jackson did not want to scare her again. He did not want to see the fear in her eyes directed


    at him. He did not want to lose his mind again and hurt her uncontrobly.


    Jackson waited until Serenity was dressed and turned around.


    Serenity had changed into a long yellow dress, leaving the damaged floral dress lying on the ground.


    Jackson bent forward and picked up the dress. ¡°I¡¯ll get you another dresster.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Serenity hastily said, ¡°Anyway, this dress was just a recement for the one spilled with tea.


    You¡¯ve bought me plenty of clothes. There¡¯s no need to get another one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the maid throw this away,¡± Jackson said. He was about to call the maid, but Serenity hurriedly


    took the dress from him and stopped him.


    ¡°I¨CI¡¯ll do it myself.¡± If they let the maid throw it away, they might overthink looking at the damaged state


    of the dress.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Jackson replied. He took her hand again and looked at the red mark on her wrist. It


    seemed less redpared to


    before.


    ¡°Let me rub it for you. The redness will fade faster,¡± Jackson said, his finger gently rubbing Serenity¡¯s


    wrist. He massaged her with just enough pressure, making her feelfortable. The slight pain before


    seemed to have gone away.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± Jackson inquired.


    ¡°Yeah. Much better,¡± Serenity replied.


    ¡°Get some rest,¡± Jackson said and was about to leave the room.


    ¡°Jack!¡± Serenity suddenly called out to Jackson.


    Jackson froze and spun around to look at her. In the next moment, she wrapped her arms around his


    neck and tiptoed, initiating a kiss on his lips.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one I love. Only you make me feel this way, so don¡¯t worry, I will never leave you.¡±


    Serenity spoke to him


    with tenderness and determination in her eyes.


    Jackson looked at Serenity in a trance. She¡­ Did she understand his fear?!


    She would never leave? Did she understand the significance of her words to him?


    Jackson wrapped his hands around her and kissed her back hard.


    ¡°Serenity, you promised. Never forget this. You mustn¡¯t leave me,¡± Jackson murmured softly, the


    strongest emotional attachment forming in his heart.

 Chapter 608

    Chapter 608


    Chapter 608


    Later, in Jackson¡¯s study.


    Jackson looked at the photo of Lucas embracing Serenity on theputer screen and pinned his gaze


    to it.


    In the end, he had not said anything about this. He did not ask Serenity why she had not told him about


    that day¨Cabout why Lucas had hugged her and even cried in front of her.


    Was he afraid that her answer might be something he never wanted to hear?


    A bitter smile spread on his lips at the thought of this. He wondered when he had be so timid.


    Earlier, he could not help shaking when he saw Lucas hugging Serenity in the clothing store. He


    trembled as he listened to the wordsing out of Lucas¡® mouth. Thest thing he wanted was for


    Lucas to realize that Serenity was the little girl he had been searching for.


    Having known Lucas for years, Jackson knew how obsessed Lucas was with the little girl in his


    memory. He was so obsessed with finding her that he was almost crazy!


    Jackson was afraid because he cared. His father¡¯s voice seemed to ring in his ears as if in a trace.


    ¡°Jack. The more you care about someone, the more cowardly you¡¯ll be.¡±


    ¡°Coward?¡± The young Jackson was too young to understand what his father had said.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll be timid. You¡¯ll fear losing. That¡¯s when you finally have a weakness.¡±


    His father had patted little Jackson¡¯s head with his big hand. ¡°But life would be very boring having no


    one you care about.¡±


    The young Jackson had asked, ¡°Weakness Must I have one?¡±


    ¡°If possible, I wish you would have one,¡± his father said.


    ¡°Love makes us weak. Even so, I love your mom and willingly embrace my weakness. I just want her to


    look at me and love her. That alone gives me excitement and joy. I hope you¡¯ll experience the same


    feeling with someone you care about in the future.¡±


    After that, Master Zack had eventually kicked them out of the Valor family. However, his mother had


    stayed with his father. Although they lived in poverty, he had a vivid memory of the joy on his father¡¯s


    face whenever he talked about his mother. However, his father¡¯s depression and miserable deathter


    became a stark contrast to this.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Weakness could be fatal. As a young boy, he had learned this from his father. Therefore, he never


    wanted to have any


    weaknesses.


    Someone he cared about. He did not need someone like that at all!


    Jackson thought he would stay like this his whole life, but he seemed to have made Serenity his


    weakness. She controlled his joys and sorrows, all his emotions.


    The phone on the desk rang abruptly, interrupting his train of thought, Jackson answered the phone,


    and Connor¡¯s voice came through.


    ¡°Mr. Valor, we¡¯ve got the answer. Aria Lewis was the one who sent the email to the news media,


    Connor reported.


    Aria had gone around in circles and used foreign IPs to send anonymous emails. Unfortunately for her,


    an expert would find out what she was doing by putting in a bit more effort. Aria was simply way too


    nalve

 Chapter 609

    Chapter 609


    Chapter 609


    ¡°She¡¯s really a bit of an eyesore. Since she likes the news media so much, let¡¯s give her thorough


    exposure,¡± Jackson ordered coldly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Connor responded. Just by Mr. Valor¡¯s voice alone, he could tell that Mr. Valor was totally pissed


    off!


    Aria should not have gotten into trouble with Mr. Valor. She would be in deep trouble, especially now


    that she had broken up with Mr. Gomez. No one in Sria would protect her!


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Connor could almost foresee a bad end for Aria.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, in Lucas¡® residence. Lucas was standing in his studio, staring at his


    painting of the little girl carrying the little boy down the hill.


    Lucas had drawn the same painting over and over again, year after year. This image was the one that


    stuck in his mind the


    most.


    The number of paintings with the same scene would increase every year. His painting skills had also


    improved over time. Eventually, the figure and appearance of the little girl in the paintings became more


    and more like the girl in his memory.


    His mother used to ask him why he kept drawing the same thing repeatedly when one painting would


    suffice. But¡­ No. It was not enough!


    Lucas feared forgetting the little girl in his memory. If he stopped drawing, he might not be able to draw


    her again. His memories of her would grow fuzzy, and he would not be able to find her again.


    It must be Serenity. It must be her!


    As early as the first time Lucas had met Serenity, he thought she looked very much like the grown¨Cup


    version of that little girl. However, too many factors clouded his judgmentter.


    When he had seen Serenity in that floral dress simr to the one he remembered, a voice deep in his


    mind yelled, ¡°It¡¯s her. It must be her!¡±


    Serenity had always been the only one who had ever touched his emotions. She was the only one who


    made him want to take her in his arms. She was the only one who made him regret giving her up to


    Jackson!


    ¡°Serenity, I¡¯ll find proof that you¡¯re her. And then¡­¡± Lucas mumbled to himself, ¡°I wish you could tell me


    why you¡¯re denying that you saved my life. Is it really so trivial to you?¡±


    His grip on the brush tightened. With a click, the brush snapped in his hand. The wood chips from the


    broken brush pierced into his hand, but he did not seem to feel the pain at all. His eyes remained fixed


    on the little girl¡¯s face in the painting


    For Lucas, this memory was a life¨Cchanging event, but what did it really mean for her?


    Aria was the talk of the towntely. Everyone wasughing at her like she was a joke. She was no


    longer Prince Lucas¡® girlfriend. As a result, she had all her TV shows andmercials canceled, and


    she even had to pay liquidated damages


    because of the scandal.


    Aria had sold all her properties and jewelry she had gotten from Laicas to pay for the breach of


    contract. However, she waspletely broke after paying for all the liquidated damages.


    The thought of leaving Sria and leaving without any money was too much for her.


    After having a taste of a life of luxury, how could she go back to living a miserably broke life? A had


    been trying to approach directors, producers, and big name actors she used to know. Using her


    connections, she wanted to find a second chance and restart her career, but instead, she was


    humiliated.


    A¡¯s phone rang suddenly. It was a call from a director she knew before, Mr. Parker. Aria answered


    the call only to have Mr. Parker tell her to meet him at a grand hotel in Sria.

 Chapter 610

    Chapter 610


    Chapter 610


    Aria ended the call with mixed feelings. ¡°To meet Mr. Parker at the hotel¡­ Aria was not naive. She had


    been in the entertainment industry for several years and knew what it meant to meet in a hotel.


    Unfortunately, it was her only way out.


    Aria was Lucas¡® ex¨Cgirlfriend. Many might be interested in her for this. Also, Mr. Parker was a big name


    in the circle. Just because she was cklisted in the industry did not mean she would not have a


    chance to make aeback.


    She would not mind if anyone like Mr. Parker offered her some bar gigs and behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes work.


    She would wait until Lucas forgot about her. She still had a chance to make a name for herself.


    Thinking of this, Aria made up her mind. Mr. Parker was already in his forties and married. She could


    ckmail him while he tried to bed her.


    Aria decided to videotape the sex in secret. She would have proof, so Mr. Parker would have no choice


    but to oblige to her demands


    Aria had ns with Mr. Parker. She would force him to make her famous and give her money to spend!


    Everyone who hadughed and taunted hertely¨CAria wanted to make all of them regret and envy


    her.


    Aria was determined to get back to the top of the entertainment industry, even by any means


    necessary!


    Aria got up and picked out an outfit from her closet. It was something she had wom on her previous


    date with Lucas. She dressed up before heading to the agreed hotel


    When she reached the hotel room, Mr. Parker opened the door and invited her in. Aria removed her


    disguise upon entering the room. She took off her hat, sunsses, and mask, and smiled sweetly at


    him.


    Mr. Parker treated her warmly, asking how she had been doing. Aria thenined about her


    miserable lifetely. She had to move out of Sria and begged Mr. Parker for help.


    Well, of course, Mr. Parker was very nice. He even offered to introduce Aria to a new job and promised


    to find a way to support her in the future


    ¡°Aria, I¡¯ve always thought highly of you,¡± Mr. Parker said suggestively.


    Aria naturally understood the hint. She ¡°half¨Cwillingly¡® went along with it. While they were making out,


    Aria nced at her bag on the side. She had hidden a special camera device inside to film everything.


    She would have the means to ckmail Mr. Parker once this was over. Even if he disagreed, she


    would force him to help her rise to fame!


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go well for her. Someone suddenly kicked the door to the hotel room open.


    That person then rushed in with a phone and eagerly filmed Aria and Mr. Parker in bed. Another


    woman soon rushed in and dashed to the bed. The woman went straight for Aria, grabbing her hair and


    pping her multiple times.


    Aria was stunned by the sudden turn of events. What? What was going on here?! Who was beating


    her? Why would they barge into the room, and this woman¡­ Wait! She looked like Mr. Parker¡¯s wife!


    ¡°What a shameless couple! Aria, you¡¯re so cheap! Lucas just abandoned you a couple of days ago, and


    you can¡¯t even wait to climb into my husband¡¯s bed?!¡± Mrs. Parker snarled coldly.


    Aria tried to wrap herself in a nket, but the few people who came with Mrs. Parker woukl not let A


    have her way. They dragged Aria and Mr. Parker out of the bed naked. They also pointed their phones


    at them the whole time and never stopped filming.

 Chapter 611

    Chapter 611


    Chapter 611


    ¡°Stop filming! Stop it!¡± Aria wanted to cover her face and body but could not. She reflexively tried to


    cover herself with something else and grabbed her bag that was on the chair.


    Unfortunately, someone hit her, and her bag fell to the ground. The hidden camera device she had


    hidden in the bag rolled out.


    Mrs. Parker snorted. ¡°It¡¯s funny how I¡¯m not the only one who wants to film this.¡±


    Meanwhile, Mr. Parker clearly understood Aria¡¯s n. He immediately kicked and punched Aria in


    anger despite his embarrassing situation.


    ¡°You b*tch! How dare you try to trick me? Who do you think you are?!¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Poor Aria. She got beaten up terribly once again after receiving a couple of ps earlier. A begged


    for mercy but to no avail. Her miserable moments were all captured on camera.


    Over the next few days, these videos were all posted online. Although some indecent scenes were


    blurred, people understood what was going on!


    ¡°How shameless!¡±


    ¡°Aria was actually going to make a video of her selling her body to threaten others. How hical!¡±


    ¡°What a horrible person. Luckily Prince Lucas has dumped her. It¡¯s bad to have this kind of person


    around Prince Lucas. Her presence alone would bring dishonor upon him.¡±


    Aria¡¯s reputation was tamished overnight. Many people were criticizing her online. There were even


    posts on the inte detailing her shameless history.


    The famous director who had cheated would be banned in the industry, naturally. His career would


    never be able to prosper again.


    The director¡¯s wife, also the woman who had caught her husband having an affair yesterday, called


    Connor and said, ¡°Mr. Gunn, thanks to your information, I finally got to vent my anger and frustration. I


    think I¡¯ll be able to get a good divorce now.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Feel free to contact me if there¡¯s anything I can do to help,¡± Connor replied.


    After the call ended, Connor browsed thetest news on his phone. It should be the end for Aria now.


    Let¡¯s hope Mr. Valor would be satisfied with the oue!


    Let¡¯s just say Aria deserved it. She had hurt Serenity, Mr. Valor¡¯s precious! How could Mr. Valor allow


    anyone to harm Serenity?!


    Aria¡¯s scandal was all over the news. Everyone in Sria had heard about it, and naturally, Serenity


    had seen it on the inte


    100. 100.


    In the video, Aria had gotten beaten up badly. Serenity found Aria so different from how she had


    strutted around her before, acting all high and mighty.


    for s


    The fall from heaven to hell could be so quick just because she was attached to one person for


    sess.


    Aria only became popr after bing Lucas¡® girlfriend. Brealding up with Lucas also meant losing


    the support of Lucas, which led to Aria¡¯s current situation.


    Serenity could not help but think about herself. What about her? Was she overly reliant on Jack now?


    She had tried so hard to be independent and strong. She did not want to depend on anyone, but


    whenever she was in trouble, it was Jack who helped


    her.

 Chapter 612

    Chapter 612


    Chapter 612


    ¡°If Jack is gone one day¡­ Serenity immediatelyughed at that thought. What was wrong with her?


    Jack was not Lucas, and


    she was not Aria


    Serenity, have you seen Aria¡¯s scandal?¡± Lisa asked in their chat conversation


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity replied


    ¡°This must be bad karma for her! Aria thinks she¡¯s smart, but what¡¯s


    use of it? She¡¯s now in deep trouble!¡± Lisa said.


    Aria had had her reputation destroyed overnight. No honorable man would want to have anything to do


    with Aria now.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard Lucas even gave Aria a warning, telling her to leave Sria. Did you know?¡±


    Lisa shared the gossip she had been hearing. She actually heard about it from Terry


    Not many people knew about Lucas¡® warning to Aria, not even in the entertainment industry. For this,


    Lisa praised Terry for his great potential in collecting information for gossip. Well, Terry rolled his eyes


    at her appreciation, naturally.


    Serenity was a little surprised. She did not expect Lacas to do that. Maybe. Maybe that was partly why


    her father was selling their old family house. However, it did not matter to her whether her family left


    Sria or not. When she had gone to prison, she had stopped treating them as family.


    On the other end of the conversation, Lisa chatted with Serenity for a while before putting her phone


    away.


    ¡°In a good mood? Terry¡¯s voice suddenly rang, in Lisa¡¯s ears.


    Lisa was startled, and she finally remembered Terry¡¯s presence. Well, she was supposed to be on a


    date with him.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Lisa responded and continued eating her dessert. Aria¡¯s scandal was big news. Lisa was


    obviously happy about Aria¡¯s bad ending.


    ¡°Because of Aria¡¯s incident? Terry arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah. I knew it. Aria is a terrible person. She deserved it. Thank God for this!¡± Lisa cherred. It was


    refreshing to see everyone scolding Aria. Reading thements on her phone somehow made her


    appetite better.


    ¡°Thank God?¡± Terry snickered, looking at Lisa in amusement. ¡°Do you think this is God¡¯s will?¡±


    Lisa paused slightly, staring at Terry with confusion in her eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡±


    ¡°Only a fool like you would think this is God¡¯s will,¡± Terry said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much of a


    coincidence?¡±


    ¡°Coincidence?¡± Lisa was dumbfounded.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since Aria framed Serenity. It¡¯s no secret that Mr. Parker, the director in Aria¡¯s


    scandal, is a womanizer. He loves sleeping with actresses. Mrs. Parker could have caught Mr. Parker


    having an affair with any woman, but why did she


    catch Aria?¡±


    Hearing that, Lisa realized something. ¡°She was after Aria?¡±


    ¡°The whole scandal was caught at such a coincidental timing, Mrs. Parker caught Aria in the act, took


    the video, and uploaded the video the very same night. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to use the video to


    negotiate and get what she wants? She didn¡¯t even give Aria a chance to light. It¡¯s like she simply


    wanted to destroy her. She won¡¯t benefit from uploading the video online. She may also face the risk of


    awsuit.¡±

 Chapter 613

    Chapter 613


    Chapter 613


    Lisa¡¯s brows furrowed deeper as she listened to Terry analyzing all the things she had never thought of


    before. Indeed, they were all suspicious.


    ¡°Mrs. Parker is smart. What¡¯s the point of doing something that¡¯s not necessarily good for you?¡± Terry


    said steadily.


    Lisa was not an idiot. Hearing that, she immediately seemed to understand. ¡°So, someone is behind


    this? Someone trying to


    screw Aria over?


    Was it Aria¡¯s rival in the entertainment industry? Or was it Lucas? Or could it be¡­ Jackson¡¯s face


    shed in Lisa¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Terry said nonchntly.


    ¡°Who do you think is behind this?¡± Lisa asked curiously.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s Jackson,¡± Terry stated.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    to put this into action.


    ¡°Not many people can keep things under control like this. I¡¯m afraid not many can get Mrs. Parker to


    put Besides, Aria is Lucas¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend, Allowing Aria to make a fool of herself would humiliate Lucas¡®


    pride. How many people in Sria would dare offend Lucas?¡±


    Lisa fell silent. Terry was right. Perhaps Jackson was the one behind this.


    ¡°But Jackson probably didn¡¯t even try to cover it up. Otherwise, he would have plenty of ways to make


    Aria disappear without a word,¡± Terry added. In his opinion, Jackson¡¯s move served more as a warning


    to others. A was the best example. Therefore, be smart and never try to hurt Serenity.


    ¡°Serenity. Is it really good for her to be with Jackson? Lisa blurted out suddenly.


    Terry was taken aback by Lisa¡¯s statement. He then realized how pale her face was. Her hand holding


    the spoon was trembling slightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He held her trembling hand. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Feeling the warmth from his hand, Lisa¡¯s hand gradually stopped trembling. ¡°I just¡­ suddenly find men


    like Jackson a little scary.¡±


    Jackson was so calctive. He had even devised a n where Aria had no chance of turning back.


    While it was nice of Jackson to help Serenity, Lisa somehow found him really scary.


    For someone like Jackson, it was just too easy to destroy another person¡¯s life..


    Jackson was madly in love with Serenity for the time being, but what it..? With Jackson¡¯s intelligence,


    power, and


    connections, Serenity would be powerless to fight back.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Scary? Right. Men like Jackson are indeed scary, Terry agreed. ¡°Why? Worried about Serenity?¡±


    Lisa nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯d better pray Serenity would never betray Jackson ever,Terry said. ¡°I guess he really loves


    Serenity.¡±


    Jackson was extremely possessive of Serenity. Even someone like Terry could tell by the way Jackson


    looked at Serenity. Jackson was the type like a predator. He treated Serenity as if she was prey, too


    selfish and possessive to let someone else harve


    her.

 Chapter 614

    Chapter 614


    Chapter 614


    Anyone who tried toe close to Serenity would suffer from Jackson¡¯s most violent counterattack.


    ¡°What kind of constion was that?! Lisa rolled her eyes at Terry¡¯sment.


    ¡°But what if? What if their rtionship doesn¡¯t work out? What if Serenity identally pisses Jackson


    off? What do you think Jackson will do to Serenity? Lisa said and thought, ¡®After all, anything is


    possible¡±


    Terryughed and flicked at her forehead. ¡°Oh, Lisa. You¡¯re underestimating your friend. I¡¯m afraid


    Jackson isn¡¯t the one in control¡±


    Lisa gaped in surprise. It can¡¯t be!¡± She could not imagine Jackson not being the one in control. It


    seemed out of character for


    him


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    ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± Lisa said in disbelief.


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m kidding?¡± Terry exined, ¡°Your friend is probably the one in control of their


    rtionship, so don¡¯t worry.


    No rtionship was entirely equal. Being the one who loved more was always having less control. And


    between Jackson and Serenity, it was clear that Jackson loved mare.


    ¡®Just like us¡­¡® Terry looked at the women before him. He knew Lisa thought their rtionship had


    begun as his revenge on her, but only he understood¨Che was just begging for her love.


    Lisa dominated all of Terry¡¯s emotions. Despite all his resentment, he was still..


    Terry was willing to remain emotionally bound to Lisa. She was the one who controlled all of his


    emotions, only because he loved her too much before he even realized it


    When Serenity got off work on Saturday, Jackson came to pick her up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere,¡± Jackson said.


    ¡°Where?¡± Serenity asked, feeling puzzled.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there,¡± Jackson said mysteriously.


    Serenity recognized the ce as they arrived at the said destination. It was the apartment she used to


    live in, the same one her father and stepmother were selling Jackson had the ly. He even opened the


    door and brought her in, which meant¡­ ¡°You bought this apartment?!¡± Serenity asked, surprised


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jackson exined, ¡°After all, this apartment holds your memories with your mother.¡±


    Serenity bit her lip, ¡°You didn¡¯t have to buy this apartment just for me¡­¡±


    The next moment, he pressed a finger to her lips, interrupting her words. ¡°The money I paid for this


    apartment is nothing to me, but it¡¯ll help you keep a memory. If you don¡¯t like it, just leave it like this.¡±


    Serenity could feel the warmth of his finger. She pulled his finger away gently and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She knew he had done all of this for her.


    ¡°Some of your mother¡¯s stuff is in here. Take a look,¡± Jackson urged.


    Serenity jumped in surprise. Her mother¡¯s belongings?! She followed Jackson to one of the rooms. It


    used to be her room. After she had gotten sent to prison, it had been turned into a storage roo?n.

 Chapter 615

    Chapter 615


    Chapter 615


    Walking into the room, Serenity was surprised to find the room not empty. She thought everything


    would be gone, but the misceneous items were the only things removed. The room looked more like


    the room before she had gone to prison.


    If there was any of her mother¡¯s belongings¡­ Serenity had kept her mother¡¯s belongings in a box


    under her bed.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Serenity went to the bed and tried to drag the box out from under the bed.


    ¡°Let me.¡± Jackson crouched down and helped Serenity drag the box out. The dust kicked up in the


    room and dirtied his clothes.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Serenity said. She knew Jackson had always been very particr about cleanliness.


    He would always keep himself clean, except when he lived in the rented ce with her.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be sorry about? Isn¡¯t it a man¡¯s duty to help his woman?¡± Jackson replied.


    ¡®His woman. Serenity¡¯s checks flushed at the way Jackson dered her to be his, but soon after, the


    box in front of her took all her attention.


    There were many memories in this box. Serenity¡¯s old clothes and essories, the paintings her


    mother drew with her, and the little toys her mother had bought for her. Everything was here.


    Unfortunately, she was still too young when her mother had died, and she had lost most of her mother¡¯s


    belongings. Not much of her mother¡¯s belongings were left when she got older.


    Serenity opened the box. Her eyes reddened seeing the familiar things in the box. ¡®All of it. It¡¯s all here!¡®


    When she got out of prison, she had tried to retrieve the box and take them with her, but her father had


    refused. She had even almost lost the photo album she had with her mother. It had almost gotten


    burned when she had tried to recover it.


    Serenity thought her father had thrown everything away. She thought she would never get them back.


    She never thought she would find them again. Tears welled in her eyes and dripped down her face.


    Jackson frowned slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t do this to make you cry,¡± he said and raised his hand to gently wipe


    her tears.


    Jackson had never been able to handle Serenity¡¯s tears. His heart would ache whenever he saw them.


    ¡°I¡¯m just too happy to see these things again,¡± Serenity exined, her eyes still teary, but her lips curled


    into a happy smile.


    Leaning forward, Jackson cupped her chin and kissed the teardrops away. ¡°Then just smile, no tears.


    Serenity, I wish you could


    smile more.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Serenity sniffled and tried her best to stop the tears. She wrapped her hands around his neck.


    ¡°Jack, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you thank me already? Jackson reminded her.


    ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± Serenity said, ¡°I may never have seen these things again if not for you. Thank you for


    helping me find then again.¡±


    ¡°I just want you to be happy,¡± Jackson soothed her. He would do anything for her happiness.


    ¡°I¡¯m really happy,¡± Serenity assured jackson. Taking the initiative, she kissed him on the lips, wanting to


    convey her joy, her gratitude, and her love for him in this kiss.


    Jackson was very cooperative and willingly let Serenity lead him in this kiss. She was his whole world.


    Only she could do this to

 Chapter 616

    Chapter 616


    Chapter 616


    Serenity was the only one who could male Jackson feel this way! Jackson willingly submitted to her.


    Even if she wanted him on his knees, he would be more than happy to oblige.


    ¡°No matter what happens, don¡¯t leave, please.¡± All Jackson wanted was for her to stay. His father had


    loved his mother the same way, but his mother had eventually left him, leaving his father in despair.


    Serenity was unlike his mother. Surely, she would never leave him!


    The kiss ended with Serenity breathless and her cheeks flushed pink. She wanted to take a step back,


    but jackson tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±¡± Serenity looked at him, puzzled.


    ¡°Hey, say you won¡¯t leave me.¡± Jackson gazed down at her, his dark eyes twinkling


    Serenity blinked and broke into a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you. What made you think of that all of a


    sudden?¡±


    ¡°Probably because¡­¡± Jackson hesitated for a moment and eventually confessed, ¡°I suddenly thought


    about my parents earlier. The more you love someone, the more you fear losing them. Losing them will


    put you in despair.¡±


    Serenity was stunned. She had rarely heard about his real emotions. She knew his mother had left his


    father at his father¡¯s lowest. As a result, his father had frozen to death in the middle of the snow. This


    must have been devastating to him!


    Jackson was just a child when all that happened. Serenity¡¯s mind went back to the first time they had


    met. Jackson had worn his father¡¯s old clothes and sat in the snow, his expression empty and cold. A


    sudden pain hit her then. Her heart must have ached a little for him!


    Serenity told Jackson, ¡°Jack, lean forward.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes flickered, but he obliged anyway.


    Serenity wrapped her hands around his head and embraced him. Jackson could hear her heartbeat


    with his cheek pressed to her chest.


    ¡°Jack, I won¡¯t leave you as long as you love me. I won¡¯t let you despair.


    Having experienced the feeling of loss and despair deeply, Serenity knew better than anyone else. ¡°So


    don¡¯t worry anything. We¡¯ll always be together. Always.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s gentle voice made Jackson feel at ease. ¡°Will we stay together forever?¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Unless you stop loving me one day,¡± Serenity stated. ¡°When that timees, I¡¯ll leave,¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    about


    Jackson trembled at that thought, not knowing what the future held for him. Even so, it was unbearable


    hearing her suggesting such a horrible possibility.


    Jackson jerked upright and red at her. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll stop loving you!¡±


    Serenityughed, ¡°This is just hypothetical, Jack.¡±


    ¡°Not even that!¡± Jackson growled. ¡°Serenity, I love you! Until death do us apart!¡±


    Serenity stared at him in disbelief, her nose suddenly feeling a little sore. ¡°Until death do us apart? Did


    he understand the significance of his words? That would be a lifetimemitment.


    Serenity thought about Jackson. He was probably the one who loved her the most in the world. She


    had never imagined having someone who loved her so deeply. Moreover, he was someone she was


    once afraid of

 Chapter 617

    Chapter 617


    Chapter 617


    But that was precisely what was so magical about fate.


    ¡°Jack,¡± Serenity murmured, pouring her heart out to jackson, ¡°I¡­ Ever since I was released from


    prison, I¡¯ve always thought that love and romance were nothing but fanciful luxuries that I might never


    experience from then on, and 1 was sure that I would never love anyone again, but now, I¡¯m really d


    that I met you and fell in love with you. Sometimes I feel like heaven sent you to me as my savior¡±


    Perhaps God had taken pity on her tragic life and sent him to her like a knight in shining armor, pulling


    her out from the muddy swamp of despair and instilling her with newfound hope for a better lite again.


    Jackson¡¯s whole body froze up. Savior? It she found out the truth one day, would she still think of him


    the same way?


    No, he would never let her figure it out. That day would nevere!


    In fact¡­ It was Serenity who had saved him. If he had never met her, he would never have understood


    what it was like to truly love someone, what it was like to desire someone for himself, to possess her


    every day, and to not be satiated even after having been intimate with her. He just kept wanting more


    and more of her!


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    ¡°Serenity, will you marry me?¡±


    Those were the words that escaped his lips as he expressed the endless desire that he had been


    suppressing all this time.


    ¡°Marry me and be my wife!¡±


    Marry him?!


    Serenity froze in shock. She stared nkly at the man in front of her, having absolutely no idea how to


    react


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, frowning slightly as his heart thumped in his chest in response to her


    silence. ¡°You don¡¯t want marry me?¡±


    After a long pause, Serenity finally blurted out, ¡°Are you¡­ Are you proposing to me right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered in a firm voice.


    She blinked again and again. A marriage proposal¡­ Had they already reached a point in their


    rtionship where they should be discussing marrying each other and settling down?! When she


    thought of it, she realized that they had only known each other for less than a year!


    But. She did indeed love him, and he loved her too, so there was no reason why they should not get


    married, right?


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not propusing to you properly this way?¡± His voice broke the silence in the roum. ¡°Or


    do you think that I¡¯m just joking?¡±


    The next thing she knew, he was already down on one knee right in front of her. She was stunned as


    she looked down at him with widened eyes.


    That proud and haughty man was now¡­ kneeling before her!


    ¡°Serenity,¡± Jackson raised his head to look up at her with his dark broody eyes, ¡°I¡¯m serious about this.


    In fact, I¡¯ve never been this serious before in my life. I¡¯m willing to give you everything I have, even my


    life, so please, marry mel


    He spoke with such an earnest demeanor that each word he uttered jolted her heart, She hit her lips


    and took a deep breath, a if trying to muster up as much courage as she could before she asked him,


    ¡°What¡­ What if never get pregnant, ?¡±


    Although she had been taking the traditional medicine prepared by the hospital every day and had


    been regrly snsdergoing medical examinations, which had significantly improved the health of her


    uterus, she had, after all, suffered severe injuries before, so even if she received more surgical


    treatments that might increase her chances of getting pregnant, it still did not mean that she could ever


    be able to conceive a child.


    The truth was, it was very likely that she might never have her own children.

 Chapter 618

    Chapter 618


    Chapter 618


    Children. For a man belonging to a prestigious family like Jackson, the continuation of his bloodline


    most likely meant a lot


    to him.


    ¡°So what?¡± Jackson asked. ¡°I told you when we first started dating that I don¡¯t care even if I never have


    any children. It is you that I love, not any potential children.¡±


    To him, there was only one person in this world that he truly cared about¨CSerenity.


    ¡°But¡­¡± she hesitated.


    Did it really not matter to him at all? How many men on earth could truly ept the fate of being


    childless for the rest of their lives?


    ¡°Serenity!¡± he pleaded. ¡°Having a child means nothing more to me than having a future heir for the


    Valor family. I¡¯m not much of a generous person, but if we really have children together, perhaps I


    would love them, and even if you can¡¯t have children, we can just adopt one either from the orphanage


    or someone from the minor branches of the Valor family. To put it simply, this is not a huge problem to


    me at all. The only thing I care about is whether or not you are willing to marry me!¡±


    As he spoke thest sentence, he fixed his gaze on her with his scorching eyes. She felt helplessly


    captivated by those maic eyes of his, almost as if she would never be able to escape that gaze of


    his no matter how much she struggled. But the truth was that she never desired to escape it anyway!


    Yes, she loved him. She had no intention to break free or escape from him at all.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered him finally, ¡°I¡¯ll marry you¡±


    A smile cropped up on his face as soon as he heard those simple words. He then took her hand and


    kissed it, telling her, ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to let you go from now on¡­¡±


    She felt a warmth spreading from her hand to her heart. To be loved by this man indefinitely¡­ what a


    beautiful thing that would be!


    ¡°Then Just don¡¯t ever let me go, Jack¡±


    She leaned down as she spoke and held his face between her hands before once again kissing him on


    the lips.


    This kiss signified a vow between them. A vow to be by each other¡¯s side for the rest of their lives and


    grow old and gray together!


    ¡°What?! You¡¯re marrying Jackson Valor?!¡±


    Lisa never thought that she would hear such news when she met her best friend again.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± Serenity replied with a sweet smile on her face, then added, ¡°You¡¯re well aware that I don¡¯t


    have many friends, so I¡¯m asking you¡­ would you be my bridesmaid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, of course! But¡­¡±


    Lisa stared at Serenity hesitantly.


    After learning that everything that had happened to A Lewis was very likely to be Jackson Valor¡¯s


    doing, Lisa truly felt that the man was terrifying. In terms of his scheming nature, his power and


    capabilities, as well as his ruthlessness, Serenity was basically no match for him at all. Not even close


    So, was it really a good idea for her to marry Jackson with such power imbnce? What if a problem


    arose between them in their marriage and Jackson got angry at her? How would Serenity protect


    herself then?


    Was it smart to solely rely on his love for her? How deep was his love for her, anyway?


    Terry had once told her that Jackson was actually the weaker one who was beingpletely


    dominated in this rtionship, yet she just could not help but be worried about Serenity.


    2/2


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Serenity asked. ¡°If you¡¯ve got something to say, just say it.¡±


    Lisa hesitated for a long while before finally asking. ¡°Are you sure you love him enough to marry him


    now, Serenity?¡±


    ¡°I never thought we¡¯d get married so soon either,¡± Serenity chuckled, ¡°but it just feels right somehow. I


    love him, and he loves me too. He¡¯s willing to ept everything about me, both the good and the bad.


    That¡¯s why I believe marrying him is the right thing to do.¡±

 Chapter 619

    Chapter 619


    Chapter 619


    ¡°But do you truly know this man? Lisa asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Serenity replied. ¡°I know everything about his family, his career, his daily routine, his


    personality, and all the rest of it. I¡¯ve lived with him in Valor Residence for quite a while now, anyway.


    ¡°But what about his dark side? Lisa blurted cut..


    Serenity stared at her friend with some surprise, making Lisa bhish in embarrassment.


    ¡°What I meant to say,¡± Lisa exined, ¡°is that this guy is Jackson Valor, after all! Haven¡¯t you heard


    of¡­ the rumors about his ruthlessness, and all the terrible things that happened to those who offended


    him?¡±


    Serenity slowly Inwered her gaze, finally understanding what her friend was trying to tell her. It was just


    like what had happened to her in prison. How could she forget what all those people had done to her


    just because she was guilty of offending Jackson Valor?


    Still¡­


    ¡°Lisa,¡± Serenity said, loolong straight into her friend¡¯s eyes, ¡°Sometimes, you just don¡¯t know what¡¯s


    going to happen if you don¡¯t take that first step. I¡¯ve made up my mind to take this step because I truly


    believe that no one else in this world loves me as much as Jackson does.¡±


    Lisa¡¯s heart trembled when she saw that determined look in her best friend¡¯s eyes. They had known


    each other for so many years now, so she knew just how much Serenity longed for her own family.


    It was only natural for human beings to be like that. The more theycked something in their life, the


    more they longed for


    that thing.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Lisa replied ¡°Sometimes, you just have to take that first step. Still, no matter what


    happens in the future, don¡¯t you ever forget that I¡¯m always by your side, okay? We¡¯ll always be best


    friends forever! Remember that!¡±


    ¡°Okay,Serenity replied simply, but that single word contained a bottomless well of emotions


    She would never be here today if it had not been for Lisa! In her heart, Lisa had already be more


    than a good friend. She was now her family! Serenity would do whatever she could to repay Lisa¡¯s


    kindness to her for the rest of her life!


    It had only been a few days, but it felt like a few years had passed for Lucas Gomez.


    He had once again started searching for that girl and even gone to the small town where he had first


    met her all those years ago. He had also been finding out everything he could about Serenity¡¯s past,


    trying his best to fuse her together with the girl


    in his memones.


    But perhaps everything had happened so long ago now that it took incredible efforts for him to piece


    everything together.


    The news of Aria¡¯s arrest for prostitution had been all over the news over the past few days, but he paid


    no mind to it at all. Neither Aria nor any other woman who had been with him in the past mattered to


    him. They were all nothing but substitutes for the one person he truly longed for.


    But substitutes were just substitutes. No matter how many of them he had, they could never fill the


    gaping hole in his heart.


    Except.. When he held her in his arms¡­¡­


    Lucas stared at his own hands, alonst in a daze. It was only when he hugged Serenity that he could


    feel the emptiness inside. of him filling up again. It gave him an urge to keep her in his arms forever


    and never let her go.


    He had never felt this way before in his life!


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    That was why he was sure that it was her! It had to be hier!


    That day, when she had appeared before film in a floral dress, he felt as if he was looking at the little


    girl in his memories. If she was not the one, would she make him feel that way over and over apalu?


    2/2


    No other woman had ever inspired this feeling before.


    At the same time, his heart was filled with regret because he should not have given way to Jackson


    repeatedly and not fought for her.

 Chapter 620

    Chapter 620


    Chapter 620


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    He should have held onto her and never let her go from the start!


    **Why


    y the hell are you drinking alone?¡± Caleb Moss¡¯s voice suddenly rang in Lucas¡¯s car. ¡°You hardly ever


    come here, yet you spend your time drinking alone? How dulj


    Dull?


    Lucas swirled the ss in his hand and swept a nce over the people around him. The only reason


    why he had epted Caleb¡¯s Invitation toe to this party was because he had been feeling too


    depressed these past few days and needed to take a breather.


    But then he discovered that he felt no better at all here, anyway. His brain was fully upied by


    thoughts of Serenity, and he just could not shake them off no matter what he did.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Caleb continued, ¡°I heard you and Jackson had a fallout. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    There was a faint cryptic smile on Lucas¡¯s face as he looked at his old friend and told him, ¡°Looks like


    you¡¯re really up to date with the news.¡±


    So it¡¯s true? Caleb responded in shock. He had assumed that it was nothing more than false rumors


    and never expected there to be an ounce of truth in it ¡°What happened between you and Jackson,


    then?¡±


    After all, these two had known each other since they were kids! In Caleb¡¯snd, the two people in their


    group of friends who were least likely to ever fight and fall out with each other were Jackson and Locas.


    They had always been sensible people with good heads on their shoulders, and they would always


    think rationally through every problem.


    Jackson, especially, was always cold and indifferent to everything ¡ªbut that was of course before he


    had met Serenity Lewis. At the very least, he had discovered during thest banquet that Jackson


    could really care about a woman too.


    As for Lucas, Caleb had always felt that this guy was cold and distant, always inclined to push people


    away. Perhaps the only thing he cared about was finding the owner of that little bracelet.


    In fact, some people in their group of friends had even been betting on how long it would take Lucas to


    finally find the real owner of the bracelet


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Lucas asked.


    Caleb considered it for a while and guessed, ¡°There must be some conflicts of interest between the


    Valor family and the Gomez family, right?


    Lucas made no response to this, not at all in a hurry to confirm or deny his friend¡¯s guess.


    ¡°I mean,¡±


    ¡°Caleb muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not like you and Jackson would ever light over a woman.¡±


    ¡°What if I tell you that¡¯s exactly it?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Caleb was astounded. ¡°You and Jackson¡­?


    If they were really fighting over a wutnar, then the woman in question would be¡­ Serenity?!


    Caleb was getting dizzy with bewilderment. He never thought Serenity looked all that enticing. Besides,


    she was even in prison before! Yet why were both these mijeti 50.¡­.¡­..


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you been looking for the owner of that bracelet?¡± Calebs asked ¡°Why are you fighting with


    Jackson for the same -woman now! Besides, it looks like Jackson has made up his mind to marry


    Serenity, so just stop.¡±


    Before Caleb could finish his sentence, faras spring up on his feet suddenly. The nonchnt


    expression on his face had beenpletely taken over by a panicked Inok


    ¡°What did you say? Marry?!¡±


    ¡°Y¨CYeah.. I¡­ I heard that Jackson bought the Heart of Serenity diamond to turn it into a wedding ring.¡±


    As Caleb was still speaking, Lucas was already rushing for the exit. Caleb could only stare silently as


    Lucas walked away, feeling utterly stumped by what had just happened.

 Chapter 621

    Chapter 621


    Chapter 621


    What had just happened there? That was the first time Caleb had ever seen Lucas so anxious over a


    woman! He had even¡­ rushed out the door just like that!


    Just what kind of woman was Serenity?!


    He had assumed that even though there might be a sh between Jackson and Lucas over a woman,


    it was nothing but a minor sh that would be resolved easily over time. But now. A wave of concern


    surged inside Caleb¡¯s heart. If these two men were to truly fight with each other over a woman¡­ only


    heavens knew what kind of violent chaos Sria would be thrown into!


    But this could not be right! Had Lucas¡¯s mind not been set on the bracelet owner alone?


    Unless¡­ At this point, Caleb dared not continue this train of thought, because if his conjectures were


    true, then the consequences that would surelye were nothing less than nightmarish!


    Lucas drove toward the tiny restaurant at full speed.


    Marry? Was Serenity really going to marry Jackson?!


    Especially now that he had not figured out the truth yet.. No! No way! He would not let her marry


    Jackson now!


    He had been looking for her for so many years. The sound of her voice and the way she looked had


    been etched into his mind, his bones, and his blood, yet everything was going to end this way?!


    Lucas gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his foot firmly stepping on


    the gas pedal, increasing the speed¡­


    Meanwhile, at the tiny restaurant, Serenity was shyly bringing up the subject of her oing


    resignation to ra. After all, if she really was going to get married, there were tons of things she


    needed to prepare before the wedding, and once she became Mrs. Valor, she would not only be


    representing herself but the Valor family as well, so it would not be appropriate for her to work here


    anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, re. I never thought I¡¯d resign so soon myself, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely work here until


    you¡¯ve found a suitable recement for me.¡±


    Truthfully, ra was not surprised at all. From the moment she had found out that Serenity¡¯s boyfriend


    was Jackson Valor, she knew that the days of Serenity working here were numbered. What truly


    surprised her was how soon Serenity was going to marry Jackson.


    ¡°If you have some free time after you get married,¡± ra offered warmly, ¡°you can alwayse and


    hang out here. Yanny loves you, you know. And don¡¯t worry about your recement. I¡¯ll find someone


    else soon enough. If you¡¯ve got things to do, you may take a day off anytime. Your marriage and


    wedding should be your priority, after all


    Who would have thought that the employee she had hired out of sympathy would end up marrying


    Jackson Valor, the wealthiest and most powerful man in Sria?


    ¡°I love Yanny too,¡± Serenity responded, ¡°and I¡¯ll definitelye visit you and Yanny often. You, your


    mother, and Yanny must alle to my wedding, okay?¡±


    She did not have many friends, so she only had a handful of people to invite to her own wedding.


    Hearing this, ra suddenly looked anxious. She hesitated for a while and then said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I


    can go to your wedding. Serenity. There¡¯s certainly going to be a lot of people there, and¡­ you losow


    what¡¯s going on between me and Wilson Birch. I¡¯m worried that I might bump into some people I used


    to low at the wedding.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Serenity quickly understood ra¡¯s reluctance when she heard this. She then asked, ¡°Are you going to


    keep on hiding forever, re?¡±


    ¡°What else can I do?¡± ra smiled weakly. ¡°Yanny is his son, after all, and even though he never


    wanted this child, he still


    Chapter 621


    2/2


    might¡­ I¡¯m just afraid that he might insist on taking Yanny away from me when he finds out about him.


    If he takes it to court, my chances of winning are very slim.¡±

 Chapter 622

    Chapter 622


    Chapter 622


    ra could not afford to take the slightest risk. She simply could not lose Yanny because Yanny had


    be the only reason she kept on living!


    Serenity knew that this was not the kind of matter she could meddle with as an outsider, so she could


    only simply suggest, ¡°If you ever need my help. I¡¯m always here for you, okay?¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± ra smiled. ¡°Actually, you¡¯ve been helping me a lot, you know. Without you, perhaps Yanny


    might never be able


    to¡­¡±


    Just then, a man barged into the restaurant and cut off what ra was going to say.


    Lucas had just rushed in and was almost out of breath as he grabbed Serenity¡¯s wrist, to the shock of


    ra and Serenity herself, and asked her, ¡°Are you really going to marry Jackson?!¡±


    Serenity was stunned. They had not publicly announced this yet, and she had only talked to Lisa and


    ra about it.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered firmly.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I love him,¡± she replied, calmly looking at him, ¡°and he loves me too, so there¡¯s nothing


    surprising about us marrying each other. Please let go of my hand, Mr. Gomez!¡±


    Fortunately, it waste in the evening and almost closing time, so there were very few customers in the


    restaurant, otherwise, Lucas¡¯s sudden appearance might cause amotion again.


    ¡°You love him?¡± Lucas asked, feeling like someone had just stabbed his heart over and over again. The


    pain was so unbearable that it almost choked him. ¡°But back then you told me that you¡¯d be with me


    forever!¡±


    Serenity¡¯s brows furrowed. She stared at him in confusion and argued, ¡°I never said such a thing!¡±


    ¡°You did!¡± he countered. ¡°Back then, you told me you meant nothing to anyone, but I said you were


    wrong, because you¡¯re very important to me. Then you told me that it would be great if you could be


    with me forever!¡±


    He was repeating the words they had said to each other all those years ago. It was the first time he had


    ever said such things to anyone because back then, he did not think that anyone was important to him,


    not even his parents. Yet when he saw her lonely and forlorn, somehow it made him blurt out those


    words without even thinking.


    And then, when she had smiled, her smile was so beautiful that it had been deeply engraved in his


    memories ever since then.


    When she told him that it would be great if she could be with him forever, his first thought was that if he


    could be with her, his days would never be dull or boring again.


    Because he wanted to see her beautiful smile every day.


    Serenity frowned even more deeply now. She meant nothing to anyone¡­ She had certainly felt that


    way when she was a child because when her father had remarried and had Aria, she was quickly sent


    to her grandma¡¯s house. Although her grandma was kind to her, everyone else treated her as if she


    was an inconvenience and a burden. She could easily sense this because all children were very


    sensitive to the way adults regarded them.


    In fact, she had once even thought how great it would be if she could follow her mother to heaven!


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    But she did not remember saying all these things to Lucas before! Perhaps it was all just a coincidence!


    ¡°I told you before, Mr. Gomez. You¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure that I got it right!¡± Lucas insisted, ¡°Serenity, please don¡¯t marry Jackson! I don¡¯t know why


    you wouldn¡¯t admit that you met me before. Is it because of Jackson? Or have you forgotten all about


    it? But I¡¯ve been searching for you all these years, and ever since west separated, not a day go that I


    don¡¯t think of you¡­..¡±


    As he murmured those words, he raised a hand to try to touch her face. He wanted to tell her how


    much he missed her and how much he regretted letting go of her hand so easily back then at the


    hospital.


    But she swiftly turned her face away, leaving his hand touching nothing but the empty air.

 Chapter 623

    Chapter 623


    Chapter 623


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    1/1


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong person, Mr. Gomez Besides, even if you were right, nothing would change


    anyway, because the man I love is Jackson, and he¡¯s the one I want to marry. I don¡¯t have any such


    feelings for you.¡±


    Her words froze all the blood in his body in an instant, making his whole body extremely stiff.


    Serenity took this opportunity to withdraw her hand from his grip, and she told him, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t


    come to me for this matter again because whether or not I am the person you¡¯re looking for, nothing will


    change.¡±


    After speaking, she turned to ra and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now, re.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± re responded.


    As Serenity walked out of the tiny restaurant, Locas still stood there, stiff as a statue, staring nkly at


    his empty hand.


    The absence of another hand in his was almost too much for him to bear!


    Nothing would change whether or not she was the person he was looking for?


    How could that be? How could it end up like this?! Why?!


    Lucas slowly balled up his fist and clenched it.. He clenched it so tightly that his nails dug deep into his


    flesh.


    Meanwhile, ra stood aside, watching him inplete shock. This was the man widely known as the


    pupr Prince of the Entertainment Industry, yet at the moment, the look on his face was so gloomy


    and forlorn that it seemed he was shrouded in a thick fog of loneliness.


    He seemed to have lost the most cherished treasure in his life and was mourning over it!


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯ve always felt that I meant nothing to anyone at all. If I disappear one day, I don¡¯t


    think anyone would care.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­ at least I don¡¯t think you mean nothing to me, because without you, I¡­ I would never


    have gotten out, so you¡¯re really important to ine¡­ Really important¡­ From now on, you can be a very


    important person to me.


    ¡°Aside from Mammy, you¡¯re the first person to ever tell me that I¡¯m really important to you. That¡¯s great!


    If only 1 could be. with you forever!¡±


    ¡°Okay, then! I can be with you forever!¡±


    Who was it? Who had said all those things? Why was everything shrouded in a thick gray fog, making it


    impossible for her to see anything clearly?


    The only things she could make out were those two small figures. But who were they?! She wanted to


    take a closer look at those two children, but the more she tried, the more painful the throbbing


    headache got.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Serenity gasped, then suddenly sat bolt upright in her bed. She found herself surrounded by


    complete darkness.


    Shortly afterward, she heard a voice beside her ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?¡±


    Then, light flooded the whole room.


    Still in a daze, Serenity turned her head to look at the man beside her.. Those twinkling almoral¨C


    shaped eyes were now brimming with concern.


    It was Jack!


    ¡°You look so pale! Did you have a nightmare just now?¡±


    He caressed her face gently, and the familiar warmth soothed her.


    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. At least it was not really a nightmare just now. It was just¡­ She looked


    down as an unfamiliar feeling arose in her heart.

 Chapter 624

    Chapter 624


    Chapter 624


    What was going on? Why was that childish conversation in her dream almost identical to the words


    Lucas had said to her at the restaurant earlier that evening?


    Or perhaps she had had this dream because of what he had said?


    Thinking of this, Serenity could not help herself from frowning again, and the throbbing headache


    returned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she heard Jackson ask her. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°Just a headache.¡±


    He raised his hand and gently pressed his warm fingertips on her torehead and temples, massaging


    her. He used just the right amount of strength, and it really did sonthe her a lot.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Hetter now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she nodded. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little better now.¡±


    ||,


    ¡°Maybe I should take you to the doctor for an examination tomorrow,¡± he suggested, ¡°just to find out


    what¡¯s been causing your headache.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I think I¡¯m only having a headache because I had a weird dream after hearing what Lucas


    said to me this evening.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Jackson stopped massaging her abruptly. ¡°What did Lucas say to you?¡±


    ¡°He came to the restaurant today.¡± Serenity exined. ¡°I think he thought I was the woman he¡¯s been


    looking for, and he said a lot of weird things to me, and then¡­ just now, I had a dream where I saw two


    children talking to each other, and they were saying the same thing Lucas said to me earlier.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s face turned gloomy. He asked her, ¡®What exactly happened in your dreamn?¡±


    Serenity then recounted her dream to him and added, ¡°I think I was influenced by Lucas¡¯s words. That¡¯s


    why I had such a drearm. He said 1 had said those words to him, but I don¡¯t have any memory of it at


    all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only because you lost your memories of that day!¡¯ Jackson silently thought to himself.


    Back then, she had had a high fever and lost her memory of that day,pletely forgetting everything


    that had happened. Jackson knew all this because when he sensed that Serenity might be the woman


    Lucas was searching for, he had hired some people to investigate the matter. It had taken them quite a


    while, but they had finally found out from the hospital records that she had been hospitalized at the


    time, and from the hospital files, they had also found out that she had lost her memory of that day.


    It was only the memories of one single day. The woman beside him probably thought nothing of it. In


    fact, back then, she had. told everyone that she had no idea how she had gone missing that day, but


    seeing that the girl was fine, the adults had simply left in at that and investigated no further.


    But¡­ to someone else, what was lost was not just the memories of one single day, but the long


    arduous search that hadsted twenty years!


    If she had not lost her memories that day, perhaps she might still remember Lucas, and perhaps..


    Lucas might have found her much earlier, and they might have ended up together a long time ago.


    This was exactly why he was immensely grateful that she had lost her memory that day. He had


    already instructed his people to make changes to her files and hospitalization records, so even if Laras


    was to investigate now, all he would find was what Jackson was willing to let him find


    ¡°In that case,¡± he told Serenity in a tender volce, ¡°just stop thinking about him If you¡¯re feeling tired, I¡¯ll


    give you a massage for a little longer.¡±

 Chapter 625

    Chapter 625


    Chapter 625


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied, gently closing her eyes to savor the gentle massaging of his fingers.


    ¡°still¡­¡± she murmured. ¡°It looked like Lucas really cared about that woman, Jack


    In the past, she used to think that Lucas was a yboy, but his persistence in his search for the woman


    in his memories truly surprised her. It sounded like the woman he was looking for was a little girl he had


    met when he was a boy himself. In that case, how long must he have been searching for her? Ten


    years? Twenty years?


    The kind of determination it took for someone to keep looking for a person was really rare to see.


    ¡°He must¡¯ve been looking for her for a long time,¡± Serenitymented. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll find her one


    day?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he threw the question back at her. ¡°Do you want him to find that person?


    ¡°I hope he will,¡± she responded. ¡°That way, he¡¯d never mistake me for that person again.¡±


    With her eyes closed, she did not see Jackson¡¯s eyes, which were hazy with deep thoughts at the


    moment.


    Mistake? No, Lucas had not mistaken her for someone she was not! But¡­ He would let Lucas continue


    making even more mistakes because Serenity could only be his and his alone. He would never let


    anyone else have her!


    ¡°Now that I think about it,¡± Serenity continued, it he never finds that person, he¡¯d probably keep on


    finding a substitute to take her ce. That would be tragic, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Serenity slowly opened her eyes and looked straight into Jackson¡¯s eyes, adding, ¡°But no matter how


    many substitutes he finds, it wouldn¡¯t mean anything at all it it¡¯s not the actual person he¡¯s looking for,


    right?


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Jackson smiled gently, ¡°it would be tragic. In that case, I really hope Lucas will find that


    person saon.¡±


    Over the next few days, Serenity continued to make food deliveries for ra¡¯s restaurant, and ra


    had already hired a new employee to rece her. Because the newbie had now begun his probation


    period for a week, Serenity¡¯s workload had been significantly reduced.


    When Yanny found out that Serenity was going to leave them, he kept holding onto Serenity whenever


    Serenity was at the restaurant, unwilling to let her out of his sight.


    Serenity tousled the boy¡¯s hair and assured him, ¡°But I¡¯ll still being back to visit you, Yanny!


    Besides, if you miss me in the future, you can always ask Mommy to take you to my ce, or you can


    just call me! You¡¯ve memorized my phone number really well, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°But I want to see you every day, Aunt Serenity!¡±


    After a period of training, the boy had now adapted to his cochlear imnt very well and made great


    progress in his speaking ability. Although he still sounded a bit stiff from time to time, he could speak in


    long sentences now.


    On this point, even other children of the same age who might have started speaking a littlete might


    not speak as well as he did. It was evident that Yanny had a natural talent fornguage skills and was


    indeed a very clever boy.


    ¡°You can see me through video calls, then,¡± Serenity replied with a simile. ¡°If you want to see me in the


    future, just give me a


    video call!¡±


    Just then, Serenity¡¯s phone rang. It was Jackson


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent a driver in pick you up,¡± be informed her. ¡°He¡¯ll be there in fifteen minutes.¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Okay,¡± she answered. He had told her yesterday that she would be choosing the style of their wedding


    rings today, and she had told ra sa Parlier.


    What surprised her was that when she met up with Jackson at the jewelry store, she was faced with a


    very special diamond that totally amazed her.


    2/2


    It was a diamond that had not been iid on a ring yet, but she had seen this diamond before¨Cback


    when she had attended an auction abroad with her ex¨Cboyfriend Zeke


    This diamond was outstanding in every way, almost without the slightest w, and it had a name as


    well¨Cthe Heart of Serenity!

 Chapter 626

    Chapter 626


    Chapter 626


    She remembered how the price of this diamond had gone up to tens of millions of dors. She had


    even joked at the time about who would eventually get to wear such an opulently expensive diamond.


    Never would she have thought that one day, the very same diamond would appear once again right in


    front of her.


    She asked Jackson, ¡°Is this.. the Heart of Serenity?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen it before?¡± Jackson responded, somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Uh¨Chuh,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°I was nning to use this diamond for your wedding ring,¡± he told her. ¡°Later, you may choose the best


    style of ring for you, or you can let the designer design a special style just for you.¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Wedding ring?! Serenity blinked her eyes in disbelief.


    Was this diamond that was worth tens of millions of dors really going to be on her wedding ring?!


    She suddenly felt as if everything was getting too surreal


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, slightly furrowing his brows. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it? If you really don¡¯t, I can find a


    different diamond, or perhaps you¡¯d prefer a different gemstone instead?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she hastily denied. It was not that she disliked it at all, she just ¡°This diamond is way too


    expensive. Are you sure you¡¯re going to use this for my wedding ring?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± he smiled gently, amused by her current expression, which he found adorable. ¡°You can


    turn it into a ne instead if you like, but as for it being too expensive.


    He paused, then took her right hand and leaned down to kiss her ring finger, which was where the


    wedding ring was about to go once they got married.


    ¡°No diamond ring is too expensive for you because you¡¯re the woman that I, Jackson Valor, want to


    marry!¡±


    A distinct warmth quickly spread from the spot where he had kissed her to the rest of her body, and she


    got misty¨Ceyed. This was the man she was going to marry, a man who made her feel as if she was


    tenderly treasured and cherished.


    Agreeing to marry him was perhaps the best decision she had ever made in her life.


    After that, Serenity went on to browse through the different styles of wedding rings. She then spoke


    with the jewelry designer and brought up some ideas of what she liked, and thus concluded their first


    meeting. There would be other meetings in the future, of course, since this kind of design work required


    a lot ofmunication with the client, and whenever a wedding ring was concerned, it was always


    safer to be on the cautious side.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± Jackson asked when they were done.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity nodded,


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go eat now,¡± he said, before taking her to a restaurant that she had once praised the food


    before.


    After ordering, Serenity suddenly realized that all the food Jackson had just ordered were her favorite


    dishes. That was just the kind of man he was he would quietly observe her and take note of her likes


    and preferences, which inadvertently showed his thoughtful and caring side.


    If she was terrified of him before, that fear had all but dissipated now after seeing all the love he had


    shown her.


    ¡°Come with me to thewyer¡¯s office tomorrow, he suddenly told her.


    ¡°What for?¡± Serenity responded, taken aback


    ¡°The evidence gathered for your case is almost ready now,¡± he replied. ¡°We¡¯ll need to see thewyer to


    sort out the materials we need, then we¡¯ll file an appeal with the procurator, so you need toe with


    me to thew firm tomorrow.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s whole body froze. Even her breathing stopped. File an appeal.. Did that mean that she might


    really be exonerated?


    Could her innocence be proven soon? Could all the pain and suffering she had endured all be washed


    away?


    2/2


    In the past, she used to think that she would never be exonerated, that it was something that belonged


    in the realm of fantasy.


    Yet now, he had just told her that all the evidence gathered for her case was almost ready.

 Chapter 627

    Chapter 627


    Chapter 627


    What was once an Insurmountable task was now made possible thanks to him,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you always look forward to overturning your case? Why have you gone quiet all of a sudden?¡±


    asked Jackson. ¡°The evidence¡­can they really overturn my conviction? Can it really reveal the truth?¡±


    murmured Serenity to herself.


    The truth¡­


    There was a near-imperceptible falter in Jackson¡¯s gaze. ¡°Yeah, there won¡¯t be any problem with that.


    Have faith in me!¡± Just like that, tears came pouring out of her eyes. Amid her intermittent so bs, she


    said, ¡°Thank you, Jack!¡±


    The sight of her in tears moved him. He quickly pulled out a nan and dried her tears. ¡°Come now,


    stop crying. I gathered all this evidence to help you overturn your conviction, not to see you cry.¡±


    Seeing her in tears made his heart ache.


    However, hearing him say those words only made her tear up even more. It was as if the pain and


    injustice she had endured over the past few years had finallye pouring out of her heart..


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Serenity wrapped her arms tightly around him and bawled her eyes out.


    Her cries cate without any attempt to suppress her tears at all. Oh, the injustice and pain life had


    inflicted upon her?


    Jackson lonkord down at the person in his arms with a conflicted expression, and he felt a wetness


    seeping through his shirt. No doubt, those were her tears.


    His heart too, throbbed with pain


    He may have proven her innocence, but no matter how powerful or influential he was, he could never


    return the years she had


    last


    Had he known that he would fall so deeply in love with her back then, he would never have allowed her


    to suffer in the first ce. It was a shame he hadn¡¯t known better.


    Jackson never thought that his action all those years ago would create so much guilt in him today.


    What¡¯s more, this feeling stemmed from another person


    Had it been any other person, he would have beenpletely indifferent. Serenity was different. She


    was the only person whose feelings he could not bring himself to ignore.


    Jackson stiffly raised his hand and stroked Serenity¡¯s back as heforted her with his soft voice, ¡°No


    more tears, okay? Stop crying, Serenity.¡±


    He reassured her repeatedly until she finally calmed down.


    After sobbing for G od knows how long, Serenity finally regained herposure. By then, the


    restaurant was already empty.


    The ce was dead silent, as they were the only ones around.


    ¡°Where did everyone go?¡± asked Serenity as she sniffled.


    ¡°I told them to go away,¡± replied Jackson. ¡°I can¡¯t let them stare if you¡¯re crying like this.¡±


    All of a sudden, Serenity felt embarrassed. She had never expected that she could lose control of her


    emotions like that.


    ¡°But there were so many customers..¡± She remembered seeing the restaurant filled with customers.


    ¡°It¡¯s just an hour,¡± said Jackson as he wiped off her tears with his fingers. ¡°Are you done crying?¡±


    Serenity bit her lip and nodded silently.


    He then pulled out a napkin and gently wiped the tear stains off her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered to


    her.


    It was something he had never said to anyone in his life, yet he uttered it so effortlessly to her.

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    Chapter 628


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°This matter has nothing to do with you, but you¡¯re helping me overturn my conviction. I¡¯m crying, but


    it¡¯s not because I¡¯m sad. It¡¯s because this matter has been haunting me for too long that I lost control


    when I realized my dream isn¡¯t all that impossible to achieve,¡± exined Serenity.


    Jackson pursed his lips. Instead of speaking, he merely pulled her into his arms.


    She still didn¡¯t know why he had apologized to her just now.


    He felt guilty because she had been forced to go through so much due to his indifference and conniving


    attitude. All he could do was give her a clean te to start her life anew.


    As for the truth that she sought, he had to make sure she never discovered it!


    Jackson hugged Serenity in his arms tightly


    The next day, Serenity requested a day off from ra in order to meet her attorney together with


    Jackson. Because it was her case, she felt especially nervous


    What surprised her that day was Jackson¡¯s decision to visit the firm that she used to work at before the


    incident.


    Serenity gave him a surprised look. This.. wasn¡¯t a coincidence, was it?


    ¡°I know you used to work here. After the incident, some of your colleaguesughed at you. That¡¯s why I


    chose this firm today. I¡¯d like to restore the dignity that you lost here. Those who looked down on you,


    I¡¯ll make sure they never do that again. After today, they¡¯ll ept that you were a victim, not the


    perpetrator,¡± said Jackson.


    He wanted her to stand taller among her ex¨Ccolleagues.


    Serenity¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. To be honest, after having gone through so much, she had


    graduallye to terms with her past.


    However, she knew that he was doing this for her sake. He didn¡¯t want anyone to take her lightly.


    Serenity followed Jackson into the elevator which brought them up to the flour where she used to work


    The moment she stepped out, Serenity realized how sweaty her palms had be


    She was still nervous! Despite being told that he had found critical evidence in her favor and that they


    had grounds to file an appeal, she was still¡­.


    Perhaps it was because this case was extremely important to her.


    ¡°I need to go to the bathroom to wash my hands,¡± she told Jackson. ¡°Give me a minute.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Jackson


    Serenity entered the bathroom and rinsed her hands under the sink. There, she stood silently to allow


    her restless heart to


    calm down.


    Compared to all those years ago, her hands no longer looked the same. Some of her joints looked odd


    as her tingers had been broken before. At one point, she was extremely close to losing her hands.


    Today, although her hands appeared to have fully healed from House injuries, it was still extremely


    difficult for her to do tasks that required a little more dexterity. In fact, whenever the weather was cold


    and wet, her joints would re up with pain.


    Though, because of the medication she had been talong these days, the pain in her joints had gone


    away significantly to the point she barely felt any pain.

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    Serenity finished washing her hands and was drying them with a paper towel when she noticed a figure


    walk up to her from


    behind.


    The other person was just as surprised as she was. ¡°Serenity? What are you doing here?!¡±


    Serenity never thought she would bump into Liliana here. Instead of the suit she used to wear, she was


    dressed more like at janitor.


    ¡°What? Is there a problem with me being here?¡± snapped Serenity harshly.


    Ever since Liliana had assigned her case to the neers at the firm, the seed of hatred had been


    sowed deep in Serenity¡¯s heart.


    Back then, she used to think Liliana was just pettler than her other colleagues, but her ¡°cruelty¡± turned


    out to be far more than she had anticipated.


    Liliana red angrily at Serenity. It was now her turn to be theughingstock of the firm. From an


    attorney, she had been demoted to a janitor. All this had happened thanks to Serenity.


    Who would have expected Lucas to retate for her sake?


    On the second day, she was ordered by her boss into the office, where she was presented with two


    options. She could either resign from her job or be transferred to some other department. For now, she


    would be working as a janitor. As for where she would be assigned next, things remained uncertain.


    She struggled for half a day before finally choosing the second option. After all, she hadn¡¯t found a new


    firm yet. If she suddenly announced that she had resigned from her job, she would feel humiliated in


    front of her boyfriend and rtives.


    Although she was working as a janitor, apart from herpany, no one else knew about it. The sooner


    she found a suitablew firm, the sooner she could leave this ce.


    Still, she never thought she would bump into Serenity today.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Liliana¡¯s hatred for her grew as they came face¨Cto¨Cface, and she recalled the fact that Serenity was


    some she used tough


    at


    Suddenly, a sh of inspiration went through her mind. Serenity walked past her and was about to


    leave the bathroom when Liliana pulled out her phone and started an audio recording. She hid her


    phone behind her back and quickly caught up with Serenity.


    ¡°Hold on! Care to exin what¡¯s your rtionship with Lucas Gomez? Why did he decide to protect you


    that day? I saw you wearing his jacket. From the looks of it, you two seem to have known each other


    for a long time. You¡¯re close to him, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Liliana in an attempt to dig out an answer that


    she wanted to hear.


    Serenity responded with a cold voice. ¡°Get out of the way.¡±


    How could Liliana just move over so easily? ¡°Answer me first. See for yourself, the state I¡¯m in today.


    I¡¯m suffering, but at least let me know the reason behind it. For him to protect you like that, you two


    must be rather close, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    To her dismay, Serenity wasn¡¯t taking her balt. She walked around Liliana and headed for the door of


    the bathroom.


    This time, Jina started to panic. She yelled out to her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the reason why Lucas broke up?


    It¡¯s because you were the third wheel in their rtionship that Lucas broke up with his partner. Don¡¯t


    you have a boyfriend? How can you face him after what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    Serenity¡¯s footsteps came to an abrupt halt. Sie felt Lilliana had crossed the line, so she turned around


    and warned her, ¡°If you continue running your mouth like that, I¡¯m going to sue you for defamation!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t 17¡å Liliana was delighted by her reaction. ¡°I wonder if Lucas knows


    that you have at boyfriend. I never thought you¡¯d turn out to be a two¨Ctiming whelt guess all those


    years in prison made you lose your sense of shame¡­¡±


    ¡°Smark!¡±


    2/2


    Liliana was rudely interrupted by a hard p across the face. The impact was so hard that her head


    mmed against the wall nearby.

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    Liliana felt her cheek burn up as half her face went numb due to the p. When she turned to face the


    person who had attacked her, she came face¨Cto¨Cface with Serenity¡¯s boyfriend.


    ¡°How how dare you hit me?!¡± stuttered Liliana.


    ¡°Am I not allowed to?¡± Jackson sneered back at her. The spiteful look in his gaze was a rare sight, even


    for Serenity. Yet here it was, on full disy.


    ¡°I¨CI¡¯m helping you out here! You don¡¯t even know that Serenity¡¯s having an affair with Lucas Gomez!


    They¡­¡±


    Liliana endured the pain and tried her best to produce those words. And yet, she hadn¡¯t finished


    speaking when she received another tight p across the face.


    In mere seconds, Liliana¡¯s cheeks were bright red.


    She could even taste the blood in her mouth. No doubt, that man didn¡¯t hold back when he pped her.


    However, that was nothingpared to how frightening his re was. Those were.. the eyes of a killer!


    In fact, something told her that this man was capable of killing her with the snap of his fingers.


    But¡­ he was just Serenity¡¯s boyfriend! It wasn¡¯t like he was some bigshot or anything. What was there


    to be afraid of?! She¡­ she could call the cops! That¡¯s right! That would show them!


    At that moment, the sound of urgent footsteps came down the hall. Shortly after, Liliana heard the voice


    of her boss. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Valor! And you too, Serenity. It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it? quick, let¡¯s


    head inside.¡±


    The man was usually cold and stem, yet his words were surprisingly filled with enthusiasm.


    Jackson stood there unmovingly. He lowered his gaze at Serenity and asked, ¡°She¡¯s the one who


    sshed her tea on your face, Isn¡¯t she? After hearing what she said today, what do you think should


    happen to her?¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    It went without saying that Jackson had run a check on her as well.


    His words caught Liliana by surprise. The way he talked, it felt like he was ying God, capable of


    controlling her fate and all.


    The boss stared dumbfoundedly at the scene. He stole a nce at Liliana¡¯s swollen cheeks and then


    back at Jackson¡¯s ice¨Ccold expression ¡°What on earth happened, Liliana?¡±


    How could Liliana possibly tell him what she had done? After all, she had even mentioned Lucas¡® name


    when she had provoked Serenity.


    And so, she remained rooted on the spot, hesitating to speak.


    Serenity turned to Liliana and gave her a grim reminder. ¡°Liliana, my past isn¡¯t a tool for you to trample


    on me. If you¡¯re gonna do that, be prepared to be stepped on too. Since your nderous usations


    toward me were all caught on tape, I¡¯ll keep it as evidence against you. If you keep provoking me,


    prepare to rot in prison!¡±


    The moment she heard those words, it suddenly felt like she was holding a hot potato. As it turned out,


    Serenity had noticed her secretly recording their conversation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Jack. We¡¯ve got more important things to focus on,¡± said Serenity. She wouldn¡¯t feel at ease


    until she had reviewed the evidence that he had dug up.


    ¡°Sure,¡± responded Jackson.


    The boss and a handful of high¨Clevel executives then quickly led the couple back into the office.


    Liliana stood there in a daze.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t forget to get the voice clips from her phone. We¡¯re gonna need it as evidence!¡± instructed


    Jackson.

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    As Jackson and the rest of the attorneys entered the conference room, the firm receptionist walked up


    to Liliana and demanded. ¡°Give me your phone. I need to collect the recording you made just now.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Liliana clutched her phone stubbornly. She was no fool. How could she hand over such a


    damning piece of evidence so easily?!


    The receptionist looked down at her as if she was staring at a fool. ¡°It¡¯s because the man you pissed off


    just now was Jackson Valor. The fact that I¡¯m asking you to hand over your phone voluntarily is already


    a privilege. As long as you stop insulting Serenity from now on, they won¡¯t do anything to you


    Otherwise.


    ¡°What did you just say? That man was Jackson Valor?!¡±


    The receptionist was cut off mid¨Csentence.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Valor brought Serenity here today to overturn her conviction!¡±


    Liliana¡¯s eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.


    Jackson¡­ how could that man possibly be Serenity¡¯s boyfriend?! It was impossible! The victim who


    Serenity had killed in the crash was his fiance!


    And what was that about overturning her conviction?!


    Were they implying that Serenity wasn¡¯t the perpetrator?!


    At that moment, Liliana¡¯s mind went nk. Her face, which was initially burning up, suddenly turned


    cold as ice.


    Serenity entered the conference room with Jackson. The participants of the meeting were all people


    she used to work with. There was the owner of the firm and the senior attorney she used to work under


    when she had started out in the profession.


    From their gazes, Serenity could make out their curiosity but also a hint of cautiousness.


    She knew this was all because of Jackson¡¯s presence.


    Still, she kept quiet. She wasn¡¯t here toment the good old days, but to review the details of her


    appeal and the descriptions of the new evidence that they had found.


    Among the new pieces of evidence, she recognized a few witnesses who had testified against her.


    Serenity was surprised that Jackson had managed to track down these people from so many years


    ago. They all admitted to giving false testimonies in return for money.


    As for the physical evidence, they discovered that someone working in the police department had


    tampered with the evidence.


    All the fresh evidence pointed to a single person¨Cit was a man named Yuri Volkov.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this Yuri guy?¡± asked Serenity. She hadn¡¯t even heard of his name. Why did he have to go to


    such lengths to make sure she ended up in prison?


    ¡°He¡¯s the former Vice President of the Hall Family Group. Naturally, he shares close ties with Mira Hall.


    On the day of the incident, he was out drinking with Mira. When she drove away by herself, that was


    when she hit your car and got into an ident. Worried that the police would look into the matter, he


    pinned the me on you. After your conviction, he resigned from his post and left the country,¡±


    exined Jackson.


    ¡°But even if he really was drinking with Mira, she¡¯s the one with the DUI. Sure, he¡¯s partly to me, but


    that doesn¡¯t warrant his actions.¡±


    What he had done waspletely unnecessary.


    ¡°You¡¯re correct, but that only applies to other people. We¡¯re talking about Mirahere,¡± Jackson reminded


    her.

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    Serenity was astonished, but she quickly understood what Jackson was trying to say.


    At the time, Mira was the heiress of her family and the acting President of the Hall Group. Although she


    had another sister, it was known to everyone that Jenny intended to work on her career as an actress.


    Mira, on the other hand, was raised to take over the family business,


    What¡¯s more, she used to be Jackson¡¯s fiance.


    More than anything, he feared that he might have to face the wrath of both their families.


    When she thought about this exnation, Serenity quickly realized why Yuri was willing to go through


    so much trouble to frame her


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Looking at the evidence that wasid before her, she knew that once they filed the appeal, the chances


    of overturning her conviction were incredibly high. The only problemn now was the fact that Yuri was


    hiding abroad.


    Even if she seeded, it would be difficult to bring him to justice. After all, it was likely that he had


    picked a ce with no extradition treaties with their country.


    As if capable of reading her mind, Jackson assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if he¡¯s hiding abroad, I¡¯ll


    make sure hees back and confesses to his crime.¡±


    Something told her that since he had said it that way, it would definitely happen.


    After confirming that there weren¡¯t any problems with the uing appeal, Serenity put her signature


    down on the document.


    Now that the formalities were done, the attomey whom Serenity had worked under said to her, ¡°You¡¯ve


    suffered enough all these years. It¡¯ll only be a while before your reputation is restored. When your


    license to practice is reissued, we¡¯ll be more than happy to have you back here.¡±


    Serenity responded with a smile, but she remained silent.


    The attorney was about to say something else when she turned to Jackson and said, ¡°Jack, I¡¯m getting


    tired¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡±


    Leading her by her hand, Jackson left the ce with Serenity. After they had left, thewyers in the


    office exchanged nces awkwardly.


    When they reached the car, he said to her, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, why don¡¯t you catch some sleep in the car?¡±


    ¡°No need ¡°Serenity shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s pa drink.¡±


    ¡°You mean alcohol?¡± asked Jackson with a raised brow.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just a spur¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cmoment thing!¡± she eximed.


    ¡°Okay. Is there a ce you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s to a bar. The one I used to visit back in college¡±


    Jackson smiled at her. ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll go there, then.¡±


    That bar wasn¡¯t usually that busy in the afternoon, but there were still some people drinking inside.


    There was nothing particrly special about the bar apart from the fact that Serenity used to vi


    This


    als ce back in college


    She was surprised that it was still standing after so many years.


    They found a table closer to the back of the ce and ordered some wine.


    Jackson uncorked the wine himself and poured a ss for Serenity. ¡°Strong liquors are bad for you.


    Compared to that, red wine is pretty healthy II enjoyed in moderation.¡±


    Serenity raised her ss at him and took a sip. The sweetness of the grapes paired perfectly with the


    bitterness of the alcohol. Even after she swallowed, a mellow aftertaste continued to linger in her


    throat.


    This was a pretty good wine!

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    Serenity enjoyed the wine sip by sip, allowing it marinate the inside of her mouth.


    Jackson drank along with her, filling her ss whenever it was empty.


    ¡°Jack, don¡¯t you feel life can be a little ridiculous sametimes?¡± murmured Serenity as she swirled the


    wine in her ss.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You see, back when I was first charged with the offense, every bit of evidence tied me to the crime. No


    matter what I said, everything was somehow refuted by cold hard evidence. In the three years I spent


    behind bars, I couldn¡¯t help but ponder the truth behind this case. Who was it that did this to me? Can


    you imagine how much trouble one has to go through to build up such an impressive case¡­¡±


    A self¨Cdeprecating smile appeared on Serenity¡¯s face.¡°1 even analyzed everyone I knew, trying to


    figure out what 1 did to earn such a deep¨Cseated hatred.¡±


    Every word that came out of her mouth struck his heart like a sledgehammer, causing him to wince


    inwardly with pain.


    She raised her jaw at him and said with a smile, ¡°Turns out the perpetrator doesn¡¯t even hate me. Hell,


    he doesn¡¯t even hate Mira. He destroyed my life, all because he was afraid of some remote possibility


    that he might have to exin himself. In fact, it wasn¡¯t even that likely that he¡¯d get punished by the


    law?¡±


    The three years she had spent in prison were a living nightmare. It had inflicted irreversible injuries to


    her body, taken away her career, and undone all the progress she had been making in life. Worst of all,


    she might not even be able to bear a child for the rest of her life!


    All this because a man was afraid of being implicated, so he had decided to use her as a scapegoat.


    It was a straightforward yet absurd exnation. After going on a wild goose chase for nearly four years,


    she had finally gotten


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    her answer.


    At this point, Jarkson¡¯s heart ached even mare. This must¡¯ve been the first time he felt so much regret


    in his life. He regretted that he had turned a blind eye to her predicament andmented the fact that he


    could have revealed the truth sooner.


    The Jackson of four years ago probably would never know that one day, he would fall in love with


    Serenity, and the experience. she had gone through would turn into a source of pain for him.


    Looking back, he wished that the pain she had gone through had been inflicted on himself instead.


    ¡°Serenity, I swear to bring you justice. As for that man, whatever you intend to do with him, I¡¯ll make


    sure it gets done.¡±


    With a gentle voice, he said to her, ¡°So please, stop hurting. Okay?¡±


    ¡°With you around, I dun¡¯t feel pain anymore!¡± replied Serenity before she tilted her head back and


    emptied her ss. Honestly, I should be celebrating right now. After all, I have finally found the answer


    1 have been searching for.¡±


    As she spoke, Serenity picked up the half¨Cempty bottle to pour herself another ss Jackson ced


    his hand on hers, ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much. Even though its alcohol content isn¡¯t that high, you¡¯ll still get


    drunk from drinking too much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do!¡± she said smilingly. ¡°Jack, can¡¯t you let me get drunk just this once?¡±


    Jackson pursed his lips, and after a moment of deliberation, he pulled his hand away and poured her


    another ss of wine.


    ¡°Attaboy.¡±


    She then poured the wine down her throat through her lips. As she gradually became more intoxicated,


    Serenity began exuding a seductive aura.


    Worried that she might have drank too much, Jackson ordered some food to fill her stomach. At the


    very least, it would prevent her from having an upset stomach.


    ¡°Hey, won¡¯t you feed me? Pretty please.¡± Serenity¡¯s gaze was a little hazy at the moment.


    No doubt, she was drunk. Had she been sober, she would have been too embarrassed to make such a


    coquettish request.


    However, Jackson was more than happy to satisfy her request. And so, he began feeding her all sorts


    of things. Whether it was cake or a steak, he would cut them into neat little bite¨Csized chunks before


    feeding them to her. As for the shrimp and crab, he peeled off the shells and fed her the juicy flesh


    inside.

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    Jackson carefully dissected the meal and ced little bites into her mouth.


    If someone he knew were to witness this scene, their jaw would have dropped to the floor. After all,


    how could the high¨Cand- mighty Jackson Valor date over someone like this?!


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    This scene naturally turned into the centerpiece of the bar.


    By this point, it was already evening, and the ce was gradually filling up with people. It went without


    saying that this couple attracted quite a bit of attention.


    Jackson¡¯s physical appearance made him the prime choice for the female patrons to strike up a


    conversation with. What made their hearts throb even more was the sight of him feeding Serenity so


    earnestly.


    To have a mar 1


    like him look at you with so much affection in his eyes was a dream many longed for.


    Because of this, despite Serenity being by his side, many women were eager to try their luck with


    Jackson


    After all, the bar was a ce where miracles happened.


    It wasn¡¯t long before a beautifuldy in a tight skirt walked up to Jackson. She shed him a smile and


    asked, ¡°Can I sit here for a while? I came here alone today.¡±


    As she spoke, she winked at him. It was at that moment that she realized how much more attractive he


    was up close.


    She was happy even if it was just a one¨Cnight stand with Jackson


    ¡°No,¡± replied Jackson with a disdainful expression.


    The woman¡¯s expression stiffened up immediately. She was certain that she was much more attractive


    compared to the drunkdy next to him. Or maybe it¡¯s just that he hadn¡¯t gotten a good look at her?


    And so, she leaned closer to Jackson ¡°Is she your girlfriend? One look and I can tell that she¡¯s a in


    Jane. Spend the night with me, and I¡¯ll show you what¡¯s fun I might even let you do what you want with


    me.¡±


    Her words were practically oozing with sexual innuendos


    This time, Jackson looked up and met her with a hostile re. One thing he hated the most was when


    someone disturbed. his time with Serenity,


    ¡°Fun?¡±


    His voice was so cold and unfriendly that it sent a chill down the woman¡¯s spine. Maybe she had made


    a mistake thinking she could approach this guy.


    In fact, she doubted her own eyes. The way he was looking at her, it seemed almost as if he was


    staring at a corpse.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that fun, why don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Jack? Who¡­ is she?¡±


    Jackson was cut off mid¨Csentence by Serenity, who had finally finished chewing and swallowing her


    food.


    ¡°She¡¯s just some stranger,¡± replied Jackson, who had reverted to using his gentle voice ¡°Now, what


    would you like to eat


    The way he treated Serenity was the pr opposite of how he had spoken to the warnan just now.


    Serenity responded with a grunt. She shook her head and stood up, all while trying to maintain her


    bnce


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you¡­ Jack¡­ Jack is mine! it hitting on him!¡±


    To be honest, even if the woman had indeed tried to hit on him earlier, right now, she just couldn¡¯t wait


    to leave them alone!

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    The woman eximed inwardly at how scary this man had turned out to be. At that moment, she


    decided it was time to retreat. After all, there were plenty of fish in the sea!


    ¡°I think¡­ I think I¡¯ll leave you guys alone¡± she said with a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    ¡±


    The woman was about to walk away when Serenity called out to her. Judging from her expression, she


    looked slightly annoyed.


    Hold on? Like hell she was gonna continue hanging around their table. The woman ignored Serenity


    and continued walking away.


    In the end, it was Jackson¡¯s voice thatmanded her to stop in her tracks.


    ¡°She told you to stop¡±


    Huh? The woman was stunned. Before she could react, two burly men came up and blocked her path.


    Then, they forcefully escorted her back to their table,


    At this point, she regretted her decision to hit on this guy. From the looks of it, this man wasn¡¯t the type


    she could afford to mess around with. Only God knew whaty ahead of her tonight.


    ¡°Umm¡­ let¡¯s not resort to violence. If 1 said anything out of line earlier, 1.. I¡¯m willing to apologize for


    my actions!¡±


    Jackson couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay her any heed. Instead, his attention was entirely on Serenity.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Ser, she¡¯s back,¡± he told her. The way he doted over her, one could imagine how happy it would be to


    be pampered by him. It felt like no matter what happened, he would be willing to shield her from the


    storm.


    The woman was trembling, fearful that Serenity was about to do something nasty to her. She had a


    feeling that if the girl said she wanted her dead, Jackson would dly hand her a life.


    ¡°You¡­.¡± Serenity¡¯s body swayed around in a drunken fashion. ¡°You haven¡¯t said it yet! That you won¡¯t


    hit on my Jack!¡±


    The woman was so wound up that she didn¡¯t know how to react all of a sudden.


    Wait a minute here she was, fearing for her life when this woman just wanted her to say that?!


    ¡°I want you to promise¡­ to never hit on Jack!¡± Serenity continued speaking despite her hups, which


    showed how seriously


    she took this matter.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll never hit on, ul. Jack again!¡±


    Upon hearing that, a satisfied grin appeared on Serenity¡¯s face. She turned around and lifted Jackson¡¯s


    chin. ¡°That¡¯s more like it¡­ because Jack belongs to me¡­¡±


    This time, it wasn¡¯t just the woman, but even the bodyguard were dumbfounded.


    The way Serenity interacted with Mr. Valor, it almost seemed like¡­ she was toying with him? Although


    she waspletely intoxicated, he sat there silently, allowing her to do as she pleased with him. This


    scenario was practically unimaginable.


    The way the dim lighting of the bar interacted with the contours of Jackson¡¯s handsome face as he


    stared silently at Serenity created an indescribable mood.


    At that moment, Serenity felt as if her entire soul and mind had been captured by his eyes. Like a rock


    thrown into a Lake, she drowned herself in his pace.


    Was he tempting her? Or was it her own desire? She had no idea.


    Serenity felt a sudden urge to touch his eyes with her fingers. After all, they were just too pretty!

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    Chapter 636


    Chapter 636


    Did this man really belong to her?


    Serenity failed to realize that she had said her thoughts aloud, because a momentter, she heard him


    say, ¡°Yes, I am yours.


    His voice was as beautiful as the sound of nature


    Her lips instinctively made their way toward his. If he belonged to her, then¡­ she should be able to kiss


    him whenever she


    wanted to!


    ???


    In the bar, the woman was still haunted by a lingering fear following her run¨Cin with Jackson.


    That man just who was he? To have badyguards employed, he was no average Joe While he was


    carrying his drunk girlfriend away, she noticed the wristwatch he was wearing and immediately


    recognized that it was a limited edition from a major luxury brand.


    If she recalled correctly, they had only made three of these across the world, and they cost¡­ tens of


    millions of dors each!


    She must¡¯ve made a mistake, or maybe that man was just wearing a knockaff.


    But what if he was wearing the real thing?! The thought of that possibility made her heart skip a beat.


    If that man named Jack was able to afford such an expensive watch¡­ she couldn¡¯t even imagine how


    wealthy he potentially


    Was.


    Who on earth was that guy?!


    Jackson brought Serenity to their car. At the moment, her cheeks were flushed, and despite being


    heavily intoxicated, her eyes shone like the stars in the night sky.


    As they entered the vehicle, her fingers continued stroking his cheek


    ¡°Jack¡± she muttered. Her breath reeked of alcohol as she spoke. Had it been anyone else, Jackson


    would have reacted with disgust. And yet, he found her scent extremely enjoyable.


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s the matter? Do you want some more to drink? He lovingly brushed her hair away from


    her cheek.


    Serenity shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯ve drunk enough¡­ What I wanna eat now..¡±


    ¡°What would you like to have? I¡¯ll get it for you.


    ¡°Is you¡­¡± A cheeky grin appeared on Serenity¡¯s face.


    Seeing her in that state, a thought shed through Jackson¡¯s mind. The way she was right now,


    Serenity must¡¯ve appeared to most men like a juicy, low¨Changing fruit of temptation.


    ¡°Apart from me, never say what you just said to any other man, okay?¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else only Jack looks¡­ so delish¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her eyes were fully locked onto his lips.


    It feltpletely natural when Serenity leaned in for a kiss. As for Jackson, he felt as if he was about to


    completely lose control of his body.

 Chapter 637

    Chapter 637


    Chapter 637


    He grabbed her hands and said while breathing heavily, ¡°Serenity, t¨Cthat¡¯s enough¡­¡®


    Serenity blinked like a cute little animal, her eyes innocent and confused,


    It¡¯s enough? But she thought it¡¯s not enough, it¡¯s far from enough!


    She wanted him so badly! She wanted him to stay at her side forever. With him by her side, she would


    never be afraid anymore!


    ¡°Jack..¡± she mumbled as her hands unsteadily caressed his cheeks. A few momentster, her drunken


    eyes finally managed to focus on his face. ¡°You¡¯re ¡°burp so handsome.¡±


    His exquisite eyebrows and eyes looked too pretty to be real, like they were a painting


    Was this man really her boyfriend? He¡¯s actually going to marry her?


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen photos of¡­ Mira Hall before. She¡¯s really beautiful. You two¡­ looked good together. The


    articles back then said¡­ you were meant for each other she kept mumbling, ¡°Did you¡­ love her? Why


    didn¡¯t you¡­ investigate the truth¡­ when she died?¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Her words made his body turn stiff.


    Perhaps she had always had that question in her mind, but she kept it suppressed and only asked it


    after she got drunk.


    Jackson looked down slightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re the only person I love.¡±


    He had never loved Mira Hall. He only chose that woman to be his fianc¨¦e because she loved him very


    much and her family background was favorable to the Valor family. She could give birth to a good heir


    for the Valor family.


    Back then, he did not care about the so¨Ccalled love, nor did he think that he would actually fall in love


    with anyone.


    Serenity tilted her head to one side as if she was pondering what he said. ¡°Even If¡­ you didn¡¯t love


    her, she¡¯s still your fianc¨¦e¡­ You¡­ you have to find out the truth¡­ How could you¡­ not investigate


    properly. If you had, I wouldn¡¯t go to jail¡­ I wouldn¡¯t¡­ go through that terrible experience


    ¡±


    Her voice choked up and tears the size of tiny pearls poured out of her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± All he could do now was apologize.


    She buried her face in his chest and wept. He wrapped his arms around her and patted her back


    gently.


    Find out the truth?


    How was he supposed to tell her that he had long known the truth? He low back then that she was


    innocent. A word from him back then could spare her from that terrible fate.


    However, he chose to stand by and watch.


    Like a branding iron, her tears burned marks on his heart, causing him unbearable pain.


    By the time the car pulled up in front of the Valor Residence, Serenity had fallen asleep, exhausted


    from crying.


    Jackson carried Serenity out of the car. He brought her to the bedroom and gently put her down on the


    bed.


    He carefully took off her shoes and socks, then gently undressed her and helped her change into her


    pajamas.


    The old scars on her body stung his eyes.


    Those scars were a constant reminder of the mistalor he

 Chapter 638

    Chapter 638


    Chapter 638


    ¡°Serenity, forgive me. No matter what, you must forgive me, okay?¡±


    i


    He could only beg her like this when she was asleep because he simply did not have the courage to


    say those words to her face.


    After changing her clothes, he covered her up with a thin nket and was about to get up when her


    fingers suddenly grabbed his sleeve. With hazy eyes, she said, ¡°Jack, 1 forgive you.¡±


    He was shaken and stared at her in astonishment. Did she have any idea what she was saying?


    Theers of her lips were slightly raised. She seemed to be smiling. However, her eyes were still red


    because she cried earlier, which was a stark contrast to her smile. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what you want me to


    forgive you for, but I forgive you. I¡¯ll forgive you for anything¡­ because you¡¯re Jack¡­¡±


    After that, she closed her eyes again and went back to sleep.


    Jackson stared at the woman before him in a dave. After a while, he bent down and kissed her


    forehead


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m Jack, your Jack¡­¡± he murmured. Even if she would not forgive him, he would never


    let her go!


    Because she was already someone he could not live without.


    Serenity woke up the next day with a splitting headache.


    ¡°This is what happens when you drink too much!¡® She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.


    ¡°Does your head hurt?¡± A voice resounded in her ears.


    She abruptly opened her eyes and saw that Jackson was in the room.


    ¡°A little bit, but it¡¯s not that bad,¡± replied Serenity. In other words, the pain was bearable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked the servants to prepare hangover soup for you. I¡¯ll have them bring it overter. Meanwhile,


    you should wash up,¡±


    he said.


    Serenity nodded and moved to get out of bed, but Jackson had already stepped forward and picked her


    up.


    ¡°Ah!¡± she eximed. ¡°I¨C1 can walk just fine!¡±


    Your head hurts, so you might fall,¡± he said. He carried her into the bathroom, filled her cup with water


    and squeezed toothpaste onto her toothbrush for her.


    That made Serenity feel like a child.


    ¡°Did I do anything weird while I was drunk yesterday?¡± Her memory of yesterday was fuzzy because


    she drank a little too much. She could only vaguely remember a woman interrupting her while she was


    drinking.


    After that¡­all she could recall was returning home with him in the car..


    She could not recall what she said the entire evening or what happened to that strange woman.


    ¡°Do you hope that you did something weird yesterday?¡± Jackson asked instead of answering her


    question directly.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Fine, forget about it.


    Serenity picked up her toothbrush and toothbrush cup and started brushing her teeth.


    Jackson said, ¡°Last evening, in the bar, you held my chin and forced me to kiss you, then warned other


    women to stay away from me. Do you remember?¡±


    Cough!


    Serenity almost swallowed the toothpaste in her mouth.


    She was that hold?


    ¡°Rinse your mouth first. Don¡¯t swallow the toothpaste,¡± he kindly reminded her.

 Chapter 639

    Chapter 639


    Chapter 639


    She quickly rinsed her mouth, then asked him with a faint blush on her cheeks, ¡®For real?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie?¡± he asked.


    She hesitated and tried to recall what happened in the barst evening. Yes, that strange woman acted


    like she was very interested in him.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Therefore, Serenity got mad. She didn¡¯t like the idea of another woman flirting with him like that. Then,


    she¡­ Well, for the life of her, she couldn¡¯t remember what happened after that, but he probably


    wouldn¡¯t make something like that up.


    She probably did do all that.


    ¡°But it kinda made me happy,¡± said Jackson, ¡°You gave me a rare glimpse of your possessive side


    yesterday. I like how you announced to another woman that I was yours.¡±


    yes were smiling.


    Theers of his lips curled up. Even his beautiful eyes


    His smiling face left Serenity in a daze. It made the situation less awkward.


    After washing up, Serenity drank the hangover soup and felt a little better.


    After breakfast, Jackson told Serenity, ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll ask Connor to give you an overview of the


    designer candidates for your wedding dress. Take a look and see which designer¡¯s style you like.¡±


    Serenity almost chuked when she heard that


    When other people got married, they would choose a wedding dress, but she¡­ would choose the


    designer for the wedding dress?


    When Connor brought over the albums containing the designers works in the afternoon, Serenity


    realized that the designers were all world¨Css designers.


    An ordinary person would find it difficult to acquire even one of their dresses, let alone ask them to


    design a personal wedding dress.


    But she could pick whichever designer she wanted to design her wedding dress?


    The albums contained pictures of wedding dresses and gowns that these designers had designed


    before. Every one of them could be considered a masterpiece.


    ¡°Take your time, Ms. Lewis. There¡¯s no rush. Let me know when you¡¯ve decided. If you want to talk to


    the designers, you can also let me know and I¡¯ll arrange it,¡± Connor said with a calm face, but he was


    definitely not as calm as he looked.


    Mr. Valor had actually decided to get married!


    And the bride was actually Serenity Lewis! Connar knew that Mr. Valor was currently working on


    helping Serenity Lewis appeal her case, so by the time they got married, she naturally wouldn¡¯t be


    someone with a criminal record anymore.


    But¡­ Serenity Lewis was no match for Mr. Valor in any aspect, be it family background, career, or


    financial power! Would Master Zack agree to such a marriage?


    Mr. Valer should be in the hospital talking to Master Zack right now. Connor could not help but feel a


    little worried.


    As Jackson¡¯s private secretary, Connor naturally knew how important Serenity was to Jackson


    This was the first time Connor had seen his boss grow so attached to a woman.


    Connor had a feeling that Mr. Valor would marry Serenity Lewis sooner orter, but he did not expect it


    to be this soon!


    It was almost as if he was afraid that someone else would snatch her away!


    Meanwhile, in the VIP ward, Jackson and Master Zack, who was sitting on the hospital bed, stared at


    each other.


    The old man looked even older than thest time Jackson saw him. His candle was burning out. It felt


    as if he would leave the world at any monent.


    Once, Jackson looked up to and feared this old man. He had to keep absorbing everything he was


    taught to prove to the old man that he was worthy of existing.


    If he had no value, then he could be discarded at any time.


    Even though he was the old man¡¯s only grandson, he also carried a bloodline that the old man


    detested!

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    Chapter 640


    Chapter 640


    When Jackson was little, he had to tread carefully. This old man held Jackson¡¯s fate in his hands.


    When Jackson could finally control his own destiny, he realized that the old man had already grown old.


    Although they were grandparent and grandchild in name, in reality, there was not much kinship


    between them other than the blood that connected them.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to marry Serenity,¡± Jackson¡¯s clear and cold voice broke the silence in the hospital ward. His


    tone made it clear that he was merely informing Master Zack of the decision, not asking for his


    permission.


    ¡°Marry her?¡± Master Zark chockled, ¡°That woman is not worthy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to decide whether she¡¯s worthy or not,¡± Jackson retorted coldly.


    Master Zack snorted. ¡°I heard you¡¯re currently trying to appeal her case?¡±


    Jackson pursed his lips tight. He knew the old man had people who would investigate these things for


    him. Although the old man was staying in the hospital, he knew what¡¯s happening outside.


    ¡°Does that woman know that you¡¯re involved in her case?¡± Master Zack asked nonchntly.


    Jackson¡¯s face hardened, ¡°Like I told you before, she¡¯ll never find out


    ¡°She will if I tell her. I wonder if she¡¯ll still be willing to marry you then. Of course, if she¡¯s a gold digger,


    she¡¯ll still marry you. After all, she¡¯ll gain unimaginable riches if she marries into the prestigious Valor


    family. But do you really want to marry a gold digger like your mother?¡±


    Master Zack was like the devil. He gave Jackson two choices that would both result in certain deaths


    If Serenity refused to marry Jackson after finding out the secret, then the marriage was naturally off.


    But if Serenity was still willing to marry Jackson after knowing the secret, it would only prove that


    Serenity was doing it for the Valor family¡¯s money. Jackson hated his mother who married his father for


    the Valor family¡¯s fortune andter abandoned them when his father was pour.


    Therefore, once Serenity knew the truth, the marriage would not work no matter the oue


    Jackson slowly walked towards the bed with a cold face.


    The secretary who was standing by the old man¡¯s side immediately stepped forward to stop him,


    ¡°Young master, please¡­¡±


    But before he could finish, Jackson felled him to the floor with a kick and stepped on his chest.


    That secretary wailed in pain. He tried to get up, but Jackson¡¯s foot on his chest prevented him from


    doing so.


    Jackson looked down at Master Zack on the hospital bed with dark eyes that were filled with hostility. ¡°If


    you don¡¯t want to see the Valor family ruined, you better shut your mouth.¡±


    The Valor family¡¯s prestige was as important to Master Zack as his life.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Master Zack¡¯s face instantly turned red. He started coughing violently.


    Jackson replied coldly, ¡°Try me.¡±


    When Master Zack finally managed to stop coughing, he said hatefully, ¡°Without the Valor family, you¡¯re


    nothing! Who would respect you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about myself, nor do I care about respect. I have the power to decide the life and death of


    the Valor family. If you really think it¡¯s fine for the Valor family to be destroyed in my hands, go ahead


    and try it,¡± said Jackson.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

 Chapter 641

    Chapter 641


    Chapter 641


    Master Zack remained silent. He raised this child with his own hands, but he now had no way to control


    the child anymore.


    He had grown old while the child had be stranger and stronger.


    ¡°You¡¯re bing more and more like your father.¡± Master Zack looked at his grandson with


    complicated eyes. Years back, his son had also told him that he must marry that woman even if he had


    to give up his status as the young matter of the Valor family.


    As if everything the Valor family owned was worthless to himpared to that woman.


    Jackson pursed his lips.


    Master Zack added, ¡°One day, you¡¯ll regret it, just like your father regretted Iris decision. Unfortunately,


    Jude regretted it toote and lost his life because of that


    ¡°I won¡¯t regret it,¡± Jackson said with absolute certainty. ¡°I will never regret falling in love with Serenity


    and marrying her.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Really? Haha¡­¡± Master Zack suddenlyughed, ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done. It¡¯s a pity that I¡¯ve


    grown old and already have one foot in the grave, so I¡¯ll probably die before 1 get to see you regret


    your decision.¡±


    ¡°Then live longer,¡± Jackson stared at Master Zack and said, ¡°Live a long life and see for yourself how


    much I won¡¯t regret it. You might even get to see the birth of our child. That should be pretty


    interesting.¡±


    Jackson moved his foot away.


    The secretary climbed back up in a hurry while looking at Jackson with fear and wariness in his eyes.


    He then asked Master Zack, ¡°Master Zack, are you alright?¡±


    Master Zack nodded. He asked his grandson, ¡°Do you really want to see me live a long life?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Jackson smiled faintly. The hostility that was in his eyes a moment ago hadpletely faded


    away. He looked noble and elegant, as if his violent actions earlier were just an illusion. ¡°Grandpa, 1


    hope you live a long life sa that you can see that I¡¯m different from my father, and see.. how happy I will


    be!¡±


    After saying that, Jackson left the ward.


    A touch of loneliness crept into Master Zack¡¯s face.


    Live a long life? He inspected his pale, wrinkled hands. He had grown old and his condition was getting


    worse by the day. Event though he received the best treatment and care at the hospital, no one could


    deny Father Time.


    ¡°Do you think I can live a long life?¡± Master Zack asked the secretary.


    The secretary quickly replied, ¡°Of course, Master Zack¡±


    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll see if he¡¯s the same as his father,¡± Master Zack muttered under his breath.


    In the evening, Serenity held the album of wedding dresses Connor brought that afternoon and asked


    Jackson for Itis opinion.


    ¡°These are all fairly famous designers, but if you have another designer in mind, you can tell me and I¡¯ll


    have someone contact them,¡± said Jackson.


    Fairly famous? Serenity was speechless. They were all world¨Cfamous designers!


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with these designers. They¡¯re very good,¡± Serenity quickdy sakl, ¡°Bat. She bit her lip, hesitating

 Chapter 642

    Chapter 642


    Chapter 642


    ¡°But what?¡± He asked with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°There are a lot of scars on my body, so the wedding dress¡® design has to be conservative. If I reveal


    too much, the scars will show,¡± she said, seemingly feeling a little embarrassed.


    His heart twisted in pain upon hearing that. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I wouldn¡¯t want my bride to wear a wedding


    dress that¡¯s too revealing anyway.¡± Jackson smiled and hugged Serenity with both hands, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t


    even mind if the wedding dress covered you up from head to toe. I¡¯m a possessive man, you know, so I


    don¡¯t want other men to see even an inch of your skin if I can. help it.¡±


    This was something that embarrassed her at first, but he easily resolved her embarrassment.


    ¡°Jack, thank you,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. I¡¯m not just saying that tofort you,¡± said Jackson, He brushed his lips gently


    against Serenity¡¯s cheek. To me, even though there are scars on your skin, your body is still so


    beautiful that it makes me want to possess your everything. If I could, I would lock you up on a


    deserted ind so that I would be the only one who could look at you. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to


    worry about anyone else snatching you away.¡±


    Serenityughed. ¡°Who would want to snatch me away?¡±


    He pursed his lips and did not answer. She had no idea how attractive she was. She had a special vibe


    about her that made others feelfortable just from staying by her side. Seeing her serene, peaceful


    smile would make anyone feel content.


    For same people, that was a fatal attraction.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    It was probably the reason why Lucas Gomez was so attracted to her.


    Even though Lucas had repeatedly verified that she was not the person he was looking for, he was still


    attracted to her.


    In the end, Serenity chose a designer who had a conservative, vintage style, which sulted her needs.


    Jackson was fine with that.


    ¡°By the way, will your grandfather agree to our marriage? What if he doesn¡¯t agree?¡± Serenity asked


    with some apprehension.


    ¡°Probably not, but this is our marriage, so his opinion doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°But he¡¯s your grandfather after all. If he doesn¡¯t agree, then you¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me,¡± he interrupted her, ¡°I¡¯m going to marry you regardless of whether the old man


    agrees or not. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll feel happy if he agrees or feel sad if he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Serenity looked at Jackson with sune bewilderment, seemingly stunned by his wards.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it that hard to understand?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he¡­ your grandfather?¡± she asked naively,


    ¡°He is, but there¡¯s no love between us. He has always hated the part of my bloodline that belongs to my


    mother. All he wanted was an heir to the Valor family. If I weren¡¯t strung enough, he would have


    discarded me without hesitation and selected someone else to inherit the Valor fortune, someone that


    he thinks can make the Valor family prosper.¡±


    Jackson said calmly, as if he was merely talking about someone else¡¯s life.


    Serenity had met Master Zack before, but her impression of him was favorable. That time, she almost


    got disfigured! If Jack had note to her rescue in time, she may still be lying in a hospital beil right


    now!


    However, she did not expect the rtionship between Jack andl Master Zack to be this bad.


    When Jack was a child, his mother left him and went missing, then his father passed away. He was all


    alone in the Valor Residence, and his only family in the residence, Master Zack, simply treated him as


    an heir who could be reced anytime.

 Chapter 643

    Chapter 643


    Chapter 643


    1/1


    She could imagine how terrified he must have felt. He was a child who was alone in a mansion. Even


    though he had family, there was no love, and he had to constantly worry about being reced.


    The only way he could live was to keep being strong. He could not even show a little bit of weakness.


    Because showing weakness meant the possibility of being discarded.


    ¡°Was it hard for you when you were young?¡± Serenity asked in a soft voice. Her heart ached for the


    man in front of her.


    In the past, when she heard others talking about him, he sounded like a high and mighty man who had


    limitless wealth and could have anything he wanted. He was simply a born winner.


    But


    now, she realized that there was no such thing as a born winner. He had to go through a lot of


    hardships to obtain what he had now.


    He had to carry a burden at a young age that was far beyond what a child should carry.


    ¡°It was alright,¡± Jackson replied, his slender fingers gently brushing over her almond¨Cshaped eyes that


    were filled with


    concern.


    Currently, he could see himself reflected in her eyes!


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now. At least I don¡¯t have to worry about being reced anymore,¡± said Jackson. He


    controlled his own destiny now.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s all in the past now,¡± said Serenity. She gently pressed down on his hand and rubbed


    her cheek against his palm. ¡°To me, you¡¯re absolutely irreceable.¡±


    Serenity could always find ways to make Jackson want to cherish her even more.


    ¡°Never forget that you said that,¡± he said softly, then bent down and kissed her lips gently.


    Devoted and absolute.


    However, after the kiss ended, Serenity went back to the previous tople, ¡°But is it really alright to ignore


    your grandfather? Should I go see him?¡±


    When she said that, her body trembled slightly. She would be lying if she said she was not afraid of the


    old man. Herst encounter with him was truly frightening.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± said Jackson, ¡°Like I said, I¡¯ll marry you regardless of whether he agrees or not. If


    he doesn¡¯t agree to our marriage when you see him, will that stop you from marrying me?¡±


    Serenity pondered that question very seriously before answering, ¡°No, I¡¯ll marry you as long as you


    want to marry me!¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Don¡¯t worry about the old man¡¯s opinion. I¡¯ll marry you and you¡¯ll marry me, simple as that,¡± he


    said, not wanting her to meet the old man


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Because he was not sure what the old man would tell her.


    There were some things that she was better off not knowing.


    Two dayster, Serenity and Lisa went to a bridal shop to meet the designer Serenity had chosen.


    The designer picked out a few wedding dresses that suited Serenity and asked Serenity to try them on


    to get a feel for them before they discuss how her dress should be designed.

 Chapter 644

    Chapter 644


    Chapter 644


    Serenity took the wedding dresses into the changing roum. Lisa also went in with her to help her


    change


    Meanwhile, in the resting area outside the changing room, Jackson and Terry White sat in silence.


    Terry observed Jackson. Honestly, he was really surprised that Jackson and Serenity would get


    married so soon


    ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been trying to help Ms. Lewis appeal her casetely,¡± Terry broke the silence and


    attempted to start a conversation with Jackson.


    ¡°You¡¯re very well¨Cinformed,¡± jackson looked up and said.


    ¡°It¡¯s mainly because Lisa is concerned about Ms. Lewis case, so I naturally paid more attention to it,¡±


    said Terry, ¡°I heard the appeal submitted by thew firm you appointed imed that the real culprit is


    Yuri Volkov. Is that true?¡±


    Jackson narrowed his eyes and did not say anything. He merely stared at Terry with a cold glint in his


    eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done a bit of investigation into Miss Lewis¡® case myself. There¡¯s certainly the possibility of Yuri


    Volkov putting the me on Miss Lewis in order to escape responsibility, but when Yuri Volkov resigned


    and left the country not long after the trial ended three years ago, was the Hall family not suspicious at


    all?¡± wondered Terry.


    Jackson asked in a cold voice, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I just find the Hall family¡¯s actions suspicious,¡± Terry said with a smile, ¡°It felt like they were in a hurry


    to get Miss Lewis convicted back then. All the news and public opinions felt like they were intentionally


    or unintentionally forcing the case to reach a verdict as soon as possible. The time it took for this case


    to go from indictment to sentencing was far shorter than usual¡±


    Jackson pursed his lips so tightly that they almost formed a straight line.


    Terry continued. ¡°Of course, that could be because it was a special case that was very high profile. But


    now that we can be sure that Ms. Lewis was innocent, I wonder if the Ball family was involved in setting


    up Ms. Lewis.¡±


    Jackson said coldly, ¡°I thank you for the concern you¡¯re showing Serenity, Mr. White. Thew will


    decide what the truth is and how the case ends, while the police will investigate if the Hall family was


    involved. I¡¯ll make sure the people who made Serenity suffer pay for their actions.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± said Terry. If Serenity could appeal her case and the real culprit could be found, Lisa


    would finally be at ease and would not have to worry about Serenity¡¯s case all the time anymore.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When he thought of how concerned Lisa was of Serenity, Terry could not help feeling jealous. Although


    Lisa and Serenity were clearly just ¡°friends¡°, their friendship was simply too¡­


    This was all Lisa¡¯s fault. She read a lot of BLics and novels and would always tell him that love


    was genderless.


    If her eyes did not light up every time she looked at a male idol, Terry would have suspected that there


    was more than friendship between her and Serenity!


    Right then, a staff member pulled open the long curtain covering the changing room. Serenity and Lisa


    walled out.


    Serenity was not the only one who had changed her clothes. Lisa had also changed into her


    bridesmaid¡¯s dress,


    Jackson stared at Serenity, who was in a white wedding dress, in a daze.


    The dress¡® design was fairly conservative. It had a high cor and long sleeves. The sleeves were


    made of see¨Cthroughce, but it was effective in covering up the shallow scars on her arms. The dress¡®


    waistline was high and it had arge skirt that spread out.


    Currently, her hair was let down. She wore acy, crown¨Cshaped tiara on her heal. She looked dreamy


    and bewittful, like a pure and stainless angel. She stood there quietly, looking back at him with a falut


    smile¡­.

 Chapter 645

    Chapter 645


    Chapter 645


    An angel Jackson¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly. Perhaps she really was like an angel to him.


    She pulled him out of the abyss when he had be so munb that he did not know what the meaning


    of existence was


    anymore.


    If it wasn¡¯t for her, he would just be living a meaningless life right now.


    ¡°Jack, what do you think?¡± asked Serenity. After she put on the dress in the changing room, she


    inspected herself in the mirror and thought she did not even look like herself anymore.


    Even though the wedding dress was not a formal wedding dress, it was so beautiful that it made her


    sigh. Perhaps, deep down In every girl¡¯s heart, there was a wedding dressplex.


    She remembered when she saw brides in wedding dresses when she was a child, she thought


    wedding dresses looked so beautiful. She wondered when she would be able to wear a wedding dress


    too. Would her Prince Charming be holding her hand?


    And now¡­ she really had met her Prince Charming!


    Serenity stared at Jackson who had walked over to her. His well-fitted suit outlined his lean body. His


    broad shoulders, narrow waist and long legs made even the simplest clothes look good.


    His angr face and well-defined features were simply exquisite.


    H


    ¡°So beautiful,¡± the two words came out of his se xy thin lips.


    ¡°Yeah, I think the wedding dress is beautiful too,¡± Serenity agreed


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the wedding dress. I¡¯m talking about you,¡± said Jackson.


    Serenity instantly blushed. Was he¡­ ttering her with sweet words? Before this, she thought that men


    would only sound superficial if they said sweet words.


    But when the words came out of his mouth, they made her blush and made her heart thump.


    ¡°You look wless,¡± He bent down, moved his mouth close to her ear, and spoke in a volume that only


    the two of them could hear, ¡°I want your everything. I want to tie you to me and keep you by my side.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He¡­ wanted to sever her wings so that she could not leave him


    Serenity¡¯s heart was in her throat. They were such domineering words, but for some reason, she found


    them sweet.


    Perhaps it was because she was already tied to him and would stay by his side forever ¨C because she


    loved him!


    Meanwhile, Terry was staring at the bridesmaid dress that Lisa was wearing with a frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Doesn¡¯t it look good?¡± Lisa spun around in front of Terry. She thought the dress was


    quite pretty. She nned to tell the designer to make some minor adjustments and make it the


    bridesmaid¡¯s dress.


    ¡°It¡¯s too revealing,¡± said Terry. The thought of her wearing a dress like that to the wedding displeased


    him.

 Chapter 646

    Chapter 646


    Chapter 646


    ¡°Too revealing?¡± Lisa checked the dress she was wearing. It was just a normal strapless pown. The


    skirt was short in the front and long in the back. The short part was above her lunees and the long part


    reached her anldes.


    Because the dress was well made, it entuated her figure. The waistline was tightened just right.


    The ttering effect of the dress was something that all women dreamed of!


    Lisa asked Terry, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the dress makes my boobs look bigger? I feel like the dress is really


    ttering.¡±


    Terry was speechless. Was she really a woman? She was actually discussing her boob size with him,


    Was she even treating him as a man at all?


    Even though they were currently a couple in name, he knew that she did not really see him as her


    boyfriend at all!


    To her, he was just someone who came to her for revenge, right?


    ¡°If you really make this the bridesmaid¡¯s dress, I¡¯ll make sure that you won¡¯t make it to the wedding!¡±


    Terry said with a scoff.


    ¡°You¡± Lisa red at Terry. ¡°Stop being unreasonable! It¡¯s just a normal gown!¡±


    ¡°Try me,¡± said Terry, ¡°No man likes to see his girlfriend wear revealing clothes.¡±


    She was indeed stunning and very pleasing to the eye in that dress, but¡­ he did not want other men to


    see her in it. That sight should be reserved only for himself.


    A lot of people would attend Jackson Valor¡¯s wedding. Someone might show interest in her.


    Lisa was speechless. She believed Terry would actually do that kind of thing. But the problemn was¡­


    when she attended a banquet with him before, lots of women wore gowns that were more revealing


    than this one. He did not remark that their dresses were revealing then!


    Besides, all the gowns nowadays would at least bare the shoulders!


    Terry selected a gown from the row of gowns hanging on the side and said, ¡°Here, try this. This one¡¯s


    more suitable for you.¡±


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Lisa checked out the dress and immediately rolled her eyes. It would cover her uppletely! The only


    thing that was exposed


    were her arms.


    She was about to mock him when she heard a phone ring. It was Serenity¡¯s phone.


    Serenity picked up the call. After hearing the voiceing from the other end of the phone, her


    expression instantly changed. ¡°Yes¡­ Yes¡­ I understand. I¡­ I¡¯ll be right there!¡±


    Her voice was trembling. Even her hand which was holding the phone was trembling


    After hanging up the phone, she told Jackson anxiously, ¡°Jack, my¡­ my grandmother is dying! I have


    to go see her right now!¡±


    Serenity did not even have time to change out of the wedding dress she was wearing. She dashed to


    Jackson¡¯s car. He drove her to the town where her grandmother was.


    Along the way, her hands gripped her phone tightly. There were tears in her eyes.

 Chapter 647

    Chapter 647


    Chapter 647


    Granny was discharged from the hospital not long ago and went home to recuperate. Serenity thought


    Granny was gradually getting better, but¡­ How could this happen?


    The call just now was made by a nurse from a hospital. The nurse called Serenity at Granny¡¯s behest.


    She told Serenity that Granny was in the hospital and was on her deathbed. She would constantly drift


    in and out of unconsciousness. Herst wish was to see Serenity before she died!


    ording to the nurse, Granny had been hospitalized for 3 days, but none of Serenity¡¯s rtives had


    called to inform her!


    If the nurse had not called her today, would she have missed the chance to see her grandmother one


    last time?


    No, this was definitely not thest time she would see Granny. Serenity kept telling herself that.


    However, her hands that were holding the phone kept trembling harder and harder.


    Suddenly, a hand touched her trembling hands, and a voice rang in her ears, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.


    Whatever the situation, we¡¯ll face it together.¡±


    Serenity looked up at Jackson nkly. ¡°Jack, if Granny¡¯s really¡­¡± The word ¡°dying¡± got stuck in her


    throat, She could not say it. ¡°What should I do? I don¡¯t want to lose her!¡±


    Among her rtives, Granny was the only one who was genuinely kind to her! She wanted to be a


    good granddaughter to Granny. She wanted to take Granny around to sight-see everywhere. But these


    hopes were mired in uncertainty now.


    She did not want to lose Granny


    Jackson pursed his lips. Just like her, he once did not want to lose his mother, but he still lost her in the


    end. Later, he did not. want to lose his father, but he lost him too.


    And now, the only one he did not want to lose was Serenity!


    ¡°Serenity, you still have me. No matter what, I¡¯ll be at your side!¡± he said softly.


    He was not G od. Even if he was rich and powerful, there was nothing he could do about the cycle of


    life and death. This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    In the hospital ward, the pale old woman was already on her deathbed. She was hanging on by a


    thread. Serenity knelt by the hospital bed, screaming, ¡°Granny, I¡¯m here, Granny¡­!


    The old woman shakily opened her eyes. Upon seeing Serenity in a wedding dress, her pupils shook.


    ¡°Why¡­ are you in that


    dress?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting married. I¡¯m trying on wedding dresses today. I was going to tell you the good news when I


    come to see you in a few days!¡± Serenity sobbed and said, trying hard not to let the tears well up in her


    eyes.


    Even though she was unwilling to admit it, she understood deep down in her heart that this really could


    be thest time she saw her grandmother.


    ¡°Getting married? With with Jack?¡± Granny asked. She could still remember that the boyfriend Serenity


    brought homest time was named Jack


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Serenity quickly answered.


    Jackson leaned over and told Granny, ¡°Granny, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m going to marry Serenity and make her my


    wife. I¡¯ll keep her safe forever.¡±


    He made a promise to the old woman.


    This old woman was a family member that the person he loved cared about.


    Hearing that, Granny¡¯s dry and wrinkled lips curled into a smile. ¡°Good¡­ Good. I¡¯m relieved to hear


    that¡­ I can now face my daughter in heaven¡­ Serenity, liw¡­. well¡­¡¯

 Chapter 648

    Chapter 648


    Chapter 648


    Granny did not finish herst sentence. Her eyes and mouth were still open, but she was no longer


    breathing.


    Serenity stared at Granny nkly. Tears rolled down her cheeks.


    The doctors and nurses certified Granny¡¯s time of death and told Serenity, ¡°Our condolences, Ms.


    Lewis.¡±


    Condolences. The only family she had who loved her was no longer alive.


    Serenity let out a wail and cried next to her grandmother¡¯s body, which was still warm.


    Granny¡¯s body was still warm, but she was no longer breathing and her heart was no longer beating.


    From now on¡­ Serenity could no longer hear her grandmother¡¯s voice, no longer see her


    grandmother¡¯s smile


    Jackson stood quietly by Serenity¡¯s side as she cried.


    He knew that she needed time to grieve. Granny had always been Serenity¡¯s spiritual pir. She was


    the one who protected Serenity after Serenity lost her mother.


    From now on, Serenity would never see her again.


    He understood the pain of losing a loved one. His father froze to death in front of his eyes. At that


    moment, he felt as if loneliness was the only thing left in the world.


    Even though he returned to the Valor family afterwards, he never felt a sense of belonging there.


    But maybe death was a relief for his father. His father simply loved his mother too much. After losing


    her, living was painful


    for him.


    However, he forgot that he still had a son. He gave all his love to that woman. The only thing he left for


    his son was a suicide. note. In the suicide note, he told Jackson about his real identity and his wish that


    Jackson would return to the Valor family.


    Serenity cried for a long time. She cried for so long that her tears dried up, leaving only dry howls and


    cholding sobs.


    ¡°Serenity, let your grandmother go in peace,¡± Jackson finally spoke.


    Serenity sobbed, her eyes red and swollen. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time to let Granny¡­ go in peace¡­¡± she said. She


    lovingly moved her hand over her grandmother¡¯s face and closed her grandmother¡¯s eyes and mouth.


    ¡°Granny loved me,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said. He gently pulled her into his embrace. ¡°You still have me. I¡¯ll love and protect you


    more than anyone else in the world, so don¡¯t cry, okay?¡±


    Seeing her red and swollen eyes, his heart ached.


    If he could, he would trade anything to prevent her from shedding tears. However, he could not do that.


    ¡°Your tears make me feel as if even breathing hurts,¡± Jackson lowered his head and gently kissed


    Serenity¡¯s red and swollen


    eyes.


    Don¡¯t cry anymore. He would heal her pain


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    No matter how long it would take for her pain to stop, he would be by her side.


    He would protect her and keep her safe forever like he promised.

 Chapter 649

    Chapter 649


    Chapter 649


    Serenity¡¯s Uncle Francis, Uncle Desmond and Aunt Theresa were notified by the hospital, but they only


    arrived at the hospital two hours after her grandmother¡¯s death.


    Meanwhile, Serenity¡¯s grandfather, Henry Waller, did not evene to the hospital. His excuse was


    that he wasn¡¯t in good health and he was worried that he would get too emotional when he saw


    Granny¡¯s corpse, making his health worse.


    Serenity wondered how Granny would feel if she lovew that.


    The first reaction of Francis, Desmond and Theresa upon seeing Serenity was to tell her that she must


    pay her share of the cost of Granny¡¯s grave and funeral!


    Serenity was so mad. Granny had just passed away, but all they were concerned about was money!


    ¡°Money, huh?¡± Jackson, who had been standing at the side without saying anything, finally spoke.


    Only then did Serenity¡¯s uncles and aunt notice there was someone else in the ward. Because they


    came inside in a hurry and their niece was wearing a very conspicuous wedding gown, they did not


    notice Jackson.


    And as soon as they did, their hearts sank. They recognized him as the man they saw at the Foster


    Residence.


    They had nned to sell Serenity to the Foster family to be the Fosters me ntally-impaired son¡¯s wife,


    but in the middle of the night, this man barged in with a bunch of people and took Serenity away.


    After that, Serenity¡¯s uncles and aunt were detained at the local police station for days!


    ¡°What¡­ are you doing here?¡± Francis stammered.


    Upon seeing Jackson, Theresa told Serenity, ¡°Serenity, since your boyfriend is here, if you don¡¯t have


    enough money, you can ask your boyfriend to lend you some. Surely you¡¯ll chip in for your


    grandmother¡¯s funeral and grave, right?¡±


    Serenity was about to say something, but Jackson pressed her shoulder gently and told Theresa, ¡°Of


    course Serenity will pay her share, but can you afford to keep up?¡±


    Theresa was puzzled. What did he mean by that?


    Francis and Desmond quickly pulled Theresa aside and told her briefly about what happened at the


    Foster Residence that night.


    Because Theresa was not present at the Foster Residence that night, she only knew Jackson from the


    time Serenity brought him home to visit Granny.


    When Theresa learned that Jackson was the man who took Serenity away that night, her expression


    changed. She eyed Jackson suspiciously and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ??


    ¡°I¡¯m Serenity¡¯s boyfriend. You should already low that,¡± Jackson said indifferently,


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were the one who took Serenity away from the Fosters?¡± Theresa


    questioned him indignantly.


    Jackson asked back with slight amusement, ¡°Why should I?¡±


    His eyes contained a chilling viciousness that made Theresa shiver. Fear rose in her heart.


    This man was not that simple. His eyes were cold and arrogant. How did she not notice itst time?


    However, she suddenly remembered something which instantly calmed her down. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you


    are, you can¡¯t intimidate us. We¡¯re not a family that you can mess with. A single word from my daughter


    can drive both you and Serenity out of Sria.¡±


    As if that reminded Francis and Desmond of something, their attitudes also turned arrogant. ¡°That¡¯s


    right, our family is backed by a powerful person now!This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 650

    Chapter 650


    Chapter 650


    Francis said fiercely, ¡°Young man, you were the reason we were in police custody for so long, weren¡¯t


    apologize andpensate us immediately, we¡¯ll make you regret it.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t met anyone who dares to demand an apology from me before,¡± Jackson saidzily.


    you? If you don¡¯t


    Serenity was puzzled. What¡¯s happening? His uncles were scared of Jackson at first, but after her aunt


    said those things, their attitudes changedpletely.


    Was it because Theresa¡¯s daughter, her cousin Lte, had found some kind of backer?


    But Serenity remembered that her cousin Lte and her husband were just ironmongers who had a


    little store in town. They had average ie, about the same as most of the town residents. What kind


    of backer could she have found?


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Fine. You won¡¯t apologize? Even if you get on your knees and beg; us for forgiveness in the future, we


    won¡¯t let you off easy now!¡± Francis remarked fiercely.


    Theresa watched them leisurely as if she was watching a show. ¡°Serenity, listen to my advice. I¡¯m


    telling you this out of the kindness of my heart. Tell your boyfriend to apologize to your uncles and


    compensate them properly. You know how close your cousin Lte is with your two uncles. She


    wouldn¡¯t stand for her uncles getting bullied.¡±


    Only now did Serenity notice that Theresa looked different than she did in the past. Upon closer


    inspection, her clothes seemed well-made, so they were probably not cheap. She was also wearing a


    diamond ring and arge golden bracelet on her hand. She seemed to have¡­ struck it rich


    Theresa continued, ¡°Your cousin Lte is not the same as before. She¡¯s met someone very powerful.


    If you make her mad,


    tsk tsk¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone very powerful?¡± Jackson chuckled mockingly, ¡°I¡¯d like to see who that is!¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are? There are some people in this world who you simply can¡¯t offend!¡± Theresa


    red at Jackson. She would make him regret itter.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes narrowed with hostility. If this woman wasn¡¯t rted to Serenity and if Serenity¡¯s


    grandmother had not just passed away, she would probably be lying on a hospital bed by now!


    Serenity took a step forward and said, ¡°Aunt Theresa, you don¡¯t get to decide who we can offend or


    not. Why didn¡¯t you ask Uncle Francis and Uncle Desmond to apologize to me for selling me to the


    Fosters? I don¡¯t think Jack has anything to apologize for, and I don¡¯t think Uncle Francis and Uncle


    Desmond were treated unfairly. They were locked up because they deserved it!¡±


    ¡°You¨C¡°Theresa¡¯s face instantly turned red. ¡°What are you saying? Your two uncles are your elders!


    They only did it so that you could have peace and stability for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why don¡¯t we tell the townsfolk about this and ask them who they think is in the wrong, then?!¡±


    retorted Serenity. Even if she had to get into a major conflict with her rtives today, she would not let


    them nder Jack


    Serenity¡¯s uncles exchanged nces. Their small town was still a vige not that long ago, so


    everybody knew each other. A few of the townsfolk knew about them marrying Serenity into the Foster


    family, but it was only discussed in secret. Anyone could tell who was in the wrong in this matter.


    If it became public news, they would be too embarrassed to keep staying in that town!


    Theresa was so mad that she raised her hand to p Serenity.


    Because her daughter had met a powerful man, their family had gotten rich overnight, so she had


    naturally be more arrogant too. She had potten used to the people around her ttering and


    groveling down to her.


    The way her niece talked to her made her lose face. She wanted to punish her niece for her insolence.


    However, before her hand could hit Serenity, it was intercepted by another hand.


    d!¡± Theresa let out a cry of pain. She felt like the bones in her wrist were going to break ¡°You¡­ Let


    go¡­ Let go¡­¡±


    The murderous intent in Jackson¡¯s eyes thickened as he red at Theresa.

 Chapter 651

    Chapter 651


    Chapter 651


    ¡°Jack, forget it.¡± Serenity said, ¡°Granny has just passed away. I don¡¯t want to disturb her prace.¡±


    After all, Aunt Theresa was Granny Emily¡¯s daughter! Even though she had a grudge against Aunt


    Theresa, she did not want to disturb Granny. She wanted Granny to rest in peace.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Jackson responded softly, letting go of Aunt Theresa¡¯s hand.


    Aunt Theresa stumbled a few steps backward and finally managed to steady herself. Her face was


    pale, and she red at Serenity with hatred. Her wrist hurt, but she did not dare to charge at Serenity


    again.


    ¡°Damn you! Wait till Ltees and¡­¡±


    Another voice interrupted Aunt Theresa before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong?


    What are you waiting for me toe for?¡±


    Serenity looked up to see her cousin Lte walking in.


    Lte was wearing a dress from Chanel¡¯stest collection and holding a ssic Chanel bag. She


    looked beautiful with the delicate makeup on her face, her loosely curled hair draped over her shoulder


    instead of her usual casual ponytail.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Lte looked different, like apletely changed person. What surprised Serenity even more was the


    man who came in with Lte Lucas Gomez!


    Wearing a ck suit, Lucas seemed a little thinner than before. Although still handsome, he looked


    tired.


    Serenity hadst seen Lucas when he hade to the restaurant. He had asked her if she was going


    to marry Jack. She never expected to see Lucas here again. Lucas hade with Lte, so could it


    be that¡­? Aunt Theresa had said that Lte had made a new friend, someone influential and


    powerful Had she been referring to Lucas?!


    Lucas had his eyes on Serenity the moment he entered the room. He had expected her but was still a


    little surprised to see her. Lucas knew Serenity would be here. Granny Ermily had passed away, so it


    was only natural for Serenity toe. Therefore, had decided to visit when he heard Lte talking


    abouting to the hospital. He had told himself that he was only here for Lte, but another voice in


    his heart said otherwise.


    Lucas hade just to see Serenity again. He needed a proper reason to meet her. Even if¡­ Even if


    Serenity was not the one he was looking for!


    Even so, meeting Serenity in the hospital still surprised him. Lucas did not expect to see Serenity in a


    wedding dress.


    Serenity looked absolutely gorgeous in the white wedding dress. She looked like an angel! Lucas could


    not resist wanting to get closer to her and protect her. He hoped Serenity would have her eyes on him.

 Chapter 652

    Chapter 652


    Chapter 652


    Something briefly flickered across Jackson¡¯s face when he saw Lucas and Lte beside him, and a


    small smile spread across his lips. Jackson put an arm around Serenity¡¯s shoulder and greeted Lucas,


    ¡°Lucas. Didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Lucas shifted his gaze to Jackson. ¡°Jackson. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Aunt Theresa had wanted to air her grievance to her daughter, Lte. However, she froze when she


    saw the two men greeting each other. She asked, feeling dumbfounded, ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    Hearing that, Lucas looked at Jackson thoughtfully. ¡°What? They don¡¯t know who you are?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Jackson replied. ¡°I¡¯m not as high¨Cprofile as you, but I¡¯m curious as to why you¡¯re here


    with¡­¡±


    Jackson nced at Lte, who was standing next to Lucas. ¡°With this woman? They said she knew a


    powerful man. That must be you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Feelingplicated, Lucas shifted his gaze toward Serenity in her wedding dress, and his heart began


    to ache again. It seemed like everything he had known was just a fantasy of his own. It felt just like a


    dream.


    Lucas truly hoped Serenity was the one he was looking for. Unfortunately, he had followed her past


    only to find another truth.


    ¡°Remember the girl I¡¯ve been looking for? It¡¯s Lte,¡± Lucas exined.


    Serenity was surprised to hear that. She naturally understood what Lucas meant. Lucas had once


    mistaken her for the wrong person and even cried in front of her. She knew how much he wanted to


    meet the girl he had been looking for.


    ¡®And Lte¡­ Is she the one he¡¯s been looking for? The little girl from when he was a kid?! Serenity


    thought that the world was too small.


    ¡°Well, congrattions.¡± Jackson smiled, but he looked at Lte with obvious contempt. Sure enough,


    humans could be very greedy. Lte was clearly not the little girl, but she insisted she was


    All Jackson had done was point all evidence to Lte being the girl Lucas had been looking for.


    Lte could have been honest. She could have told Lucas the truth upon their first meeting without


    giving Lucas the wrong idea. Clearly, Lte had taken the opportunity, iming herself as the one


    who had saved Lucas when he was younger, and that was what Jackson wanted.


    Lte felt ufortable with the way Jackson was looking at her. It was as if he knew the truth.


    ¡®No way! This guy doesn¡¯t know anything! What can he tell?!¡® Lte thought and reassured herself.


    Then, she asked Lucas,¡± Lucas, who is he?¡±


    ¡°Meet Jackson Valor,¡± Lucas introduced inly


    Serenity¡¯s rtives were all stunned to hear Jackson¡¯s name. Even though they lived in a small town,


    they had heard of the most powerful man in Sria, Jackson Valor! Lte was the most surprised to


    hear this.

 Chapter 653

    Chapter 653


    Chapter 653


    Lte had followed Lucas to Sriately, and she understood the significance of the name Jackson


    Valor! And Jackson Valor¡­ He was her cousin Serenity¡¯s boyfriend!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Serenity an ex¨Cconvict? How does she find a boyfriend like that?! And it¡¯s not just Jackson, but..¡±


    Lte nced at Lucas beside her. Sheposed herself and barely managed a smile. ¡°So, it¡¯s Mr.


    Valor! Serenity, why didn¡¯t you tell us about him thest time you brought him over? Aren¡¯t you a little


    too shy?¡±


    Aunt Theresa hurriedly added with a smile, ¡°Oh, Serenity. You¡¯re lucky to have Mr. Valor as your


    boyfriend! I¡¯m sure your Granny Emily will rest in peace knowing this. Francis, Desmond, what are you


    waiting for? Hurry up and apologize! What you


    didst time was too ride!¡±


    Aunt Theresa¡¯s attitude had changedpletely, and Uncle Francis and Uncle Desmond looked at


    each other in response. Uncle Francis and Uncle Desmond then tried to tter Serenity instead, no


    longer showing the sheer arrogance they had disyed earlier. They apologized about what they had


    done and imed that it had all been for her sake.


    Serenity did not feel anything from her uncles¡® apology. She just hoped her rtives would not make an


    ugly scene and let Granny have a peaceful funeral!


    The funeral professionals soon came over, and they prepared Granny Emily¡¯s body and ced her into


    a clear casket. Seeing Granny Emily sleeping peacefully in the coffin, tears welled up in Serenity¡¯s eyes


    again.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Granny!¡± Serenity cried out. Unfortunately, her Granny would never be able to answer her again.


    Jackson held Serenity. He knew Serenity was so grief¨Cstricken that she barely had the strength to


    stand.


    The funeral professionals then transported Emily¡¯s body and coffin to the Walker family home.


    ording to their family custom, they would hold the body in their family home and wait three days


    before they could cremate the body


    The funeralpany had arranged everything for the funeral wake and prepared the altar at the


    Walker family home. The neighbors and rtives in the town had learned about Emily¡¯s passing and


    gathered together to pay their final respect to Emily.


    Serenity took a chair and sat beside Emily¡¯s coffin. She silently looked at her grandmother lying inside


    the coffin. Whenever someone came to see Emily, Serenity would stand up and bow to the guest.


    Serenity did not know how long she had been mourning. Jackson came over with a set of clothes and


    shoes in his hand. ¡°You should change out of your wedding dress first. It¡¯s inconvenient for you to be


    wearing this.¡±


    Serenity looked up at Jackson, Jackson had always been thoughtful. He would always silently n


    things out for her.


    Serenity nodded. Then, she took the clothes and went to the bathroom to change.


    Serenity came out after changing, her eyes still swollen and red. Seeing that, Jacksonforted her,


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad. I¡¯m sure your Granny wouldn¡¯t want to see this.¡±


    ¡°Granny She was very nice to me,¡± Serenity said softly. ¡°When I was here, Granny took good care of


    me. Granny would buy me the dress I wanted, even though it was so expensive¡­¡±


    As Serenity was talking, Jackson suddenly interrupted her. ¡°Well, I know how important Granny is to


    you. I promise you, Serenity. I¡¯ll treat you better in the future, better than anyone else in the world.¡±


    As Jackson spoke, he gave Lucas and Lte a sidelong nce. They were walling toward them.


    Lte noticed that Serenity had changed out of her wedding dress. She had seen the luxury dress on


    Serenity in a magazine before. When Lte enquired about the dress, the salesdy had said that it


    was a limited edition. Even if she pre¨Cundered it, the dress might not necessarily be avable.

 Chapter 654

    Chapter 654


    Chapter 654


    Lte felt a little ufortable to see Serently wearing the limited¨Cedition luxury dress she could not


    obtain.


    ¡°I was nning to get a change of clothes for you, but I didn¡¯t expect you to have already changed,¡±


    Lte gasped softly. Then, she took Lucas¡® arm affectionately and said, ¡°Come, Lucas, I¡¯ll introduce


    you to my¡­..¡±


    ¡°No need. We already know each other,¡± Lucas said.


    Lte thought Lucas only knew Jackson, not expecting Lucas to know Serenity as well.


    Lte felt a sh of panic, but she quicklyforted herself. ¡®It¡¯s okay. Serenity doesn¡¯t remember


    what happened back


    then!!


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Lucas hade to Lte instead of Serenity, which meant Serenity had not told Lucas anything.


    Lte just had to y the role of the little girl who had saved Lucas as a child. It was hard to imagine


    what she could get by doing that.


    Serenity shifted her gaze to Lte and frowned at how Lte was holding Lucas¡¯s arm intimately.


    ¡°Lte is married! It seems slightly inappropriate for Lte to be so intimate with Locas, but.


    Serenity pondered about it momentarily, realizing she had not seen Lte¡¯s husband around.


    Lucas withdrew his arm as if he had just realized what was happening. Looking a little embarrassed,


    Lte exined with a smile, ¡°Oh, Serenity. You probably didn¡¯t know, but Jonas and I are now


    divorced.¡±


    Jonas was Lte¡¯s now ex¨Chusband and a cksmith.


    Serenity was stunned. Lte and Jonas were divorced? Their divorce seemed so sudden. However,


    looking at Lte with Lucas at her side, she seemed to have understood something.


    Her cousin had long resented marrying a cksmith. Lte had probably gained an idea since Lucas


    came into her life. After all, Lucas was an excellent choice for a husband. Thedies in Sria would


    love to have him, not to mention Lte, who


    was from a small town


    Besides, Luras had been so obsessed with finding Lte. All the girlfriends he had had before were


    just a recement for


    Lte.


    Serenity thought about it again. Lte¡¯s idea seemed logical, but Lucas¡® attitude toward Lte


    seemed a little distant, which was quite strange. Lte seemed to have high hopes for Lucas, but it


    was really up to him to fulfill her hopes.


    ¡°Hey, Lucas. How did you and Serenity meet? Was it through Mr. Valor?¡± Lte asked curiously.


    ¡°We just happen to know each other, Serenity said. Then, she turned to Jackson, ¡°Jack, I¡¯m a little


    hungry. Let¡¯s go out and have something to eat nearby?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jackson responded softly. He took Serenity¡¯s hand and said to Lucas and Lte, ¡°Excuse us,


    then¡±


    Lucas looked at Serenity and Jackson¡¯s figure in a trance. He knew they were together and were going


    to get married. He knew, but why did he feel a pain in his heart seeing them walking so close together?


    The sight of Serenity in her wedding dress had almost suffocated Lucas earlier. Serenity was


    breathtakingly beautiful in her wedding dress, but she was wearing it for another man

 Chapter 655

    Chapter 655


    Chapter 655


    Knowing that Lucas and Serenity knew each other, jealousy rose in Lte¡¯s eyes. Lucas seemed lost


    in thought, suppressing some strong emotions in him.


    ¡®Could it be that¡­ Does Lucas have a thing for Serenity? No! No! Lte reassured herself that Prince


    Lucas of the entertainment industry was too good a man to fall for an ex¨Cconvict!


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity was already lucky enough to have caught Jackson¡¯s eyes!


    Lucas thought Lte had saved him as a child, making her the most important person to Lucas right


    now! Lte had to seize the opportunity and never let Lucas know the truth! She was sure that she


    would be fine!


    ¡°Serenity is so lucky to have Jackson. I didn¡¯t expect to see Serenity in a wedding dress today. Are they


    getting married¡­¡± Lte¡¯s voice trailed off as she spoke. She realized Lucas was not listening to her


    at all. He was just staring nkly in the direction where Serenity and Jackson had left earlier.


    ¡°W¨CWhat is he looking at?¡± Lte felt the uneasiness in her heart begin to grow.


    Serenity and Jackson went outside and chose a restaurant randomly. They had rushed over after


    getting the news, so Serenity had not eaten lunch. Even so, she did not feel hungry.


    ¡°Sorry for keeping you here. We haven¡¯t even had lunch, Serenity apologized. She looked at the meal


    in front of her but did not start eating


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be sorry for? I¡¯ll always be there for you when something this big happens,¡± Jackson


    soothed. ncing at her untouched meal, he urged, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t feel hungry, eat something. If


    you¡¯ll be at your Granny¡¯s wake for the next three days, you must keep your strength up.¡±


    Jackson was right. Serenity knew she really needed to eat. She had to keep her strength up to watch


    over Granny for the next three days.


    Serenity began eating one bite at a time, but the food tasted like nothing and felt like wax in her mouth.


    ¡°Is it terrible? Why don¡¯t I take you to another ce?¡± Jackson suggested.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It would be the same everywhere,¡± Serenity rejected. As ifpleting a task, she


    hurriedly finished her meal.


    Jackson quietly ate with Serenity. Once they were done, he paid for the meal.


    Jackson did not say anything until they walked out of the restaurant, and he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t like


    seeing your cousin and Lucas together?¡±


    Serenity was momentarily stunned by his sudden question. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to like it when Lte held Lucas arm,¡± Jackson said while studying her reaction.


    It took Serenity a while to realize what Jackson was talking about.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I just thought Lte was still married, so it would have been a little inappropriate for


    her to hold Lucas so intimately, but Lte is already divorced, so it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Your cousin Lte has turned out to be the one Laicas has been looking for. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too


    much of a coincidence?¡± Jackson asked meaningfully.


    ¡°Yeah, quite,¡± Serenity agreed. She thought of something and said, ¡°I think Laicas mentioned & before.


    He said I looked like someone he knew. Come to think of it, Lte and I looked quite alike when we


    were younger, and he probably saw Lte¡¯s shadow in m


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Jackson¡¯s eyshes fluttered. ¡°But at least he will no longer insist that you¡¯re the one he¡¯s


    looking for.¡±

 Chapter 656

    Chapter 656


    Chapter 656


    ¡°yeah I hope there will be no more misunderstandings. I¡¯m d he has found the person he was


    looking for,¡± Serenity eximed emotionally.


    Serenity was d for Lucas, thinking he probably would not cry again like that night. The memory of


    Laicas crying in front of her shed through her mind.


    For some reason, Serenity felt a sudden tightness in her chest, and her head seemed to be aching.


    Serenity stopped in her tracks suddenly, raising her hand to press her temple.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jackson asked, worried.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just¡­ My head hurts,¡± Serenity said.


    Jackson frowned at her slightly pale face. He suggested, ¡°You don¡¯t look too well. Shall we find a hotel


    nearby and take a little rest?¡±


    There were only a few small motels in the small town, and there were no decent hotels around.


    ¡°No need,¡± Serenity refused. Her headache seemed momentary, and the pain had faded as she spoke.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. I want to go back and spend more time with Granny.¡±


    After a short silence, she added, ¡°jack, I¡¯m going to stay here for three days and leave after Granny¡¯s


    funeral. You should go back to Snia first.¡±


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did you forget what I said? I¡¯ll be with you,¡± Jackson reminded.


    ¡°But it¡¯ll take three days. I¡¯m sure you must have a lot of work,¡± Serenity said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine here alone. I¡¯m


    just sitting around, anyway. I¡¯ll be watching Granny-


    Serenity seemed more like an outsider at her grandmother¡¯s wake. She was barely talking to anyone


    except to thank those who came to pay theirst respect.


    On the contrary, Lte was the star of the event, surrounded by the guests and showered with


    ttery.


    Serenity knew these changes were probably all due to Lucas, naturally.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many days you stay here. I¡¯ll be with you.¡± Jackson exined, ¡°I don¡¯t feel


    comfortable leaving you here alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Uncle Francis, Uncle Desmond, and Aunt Theresa are aware of you. They don¡¯t dare to


    treat me like before¡± Serenity was sure of it. Not many would dare offend Jackson, not even her


    rtives, who loved to pick on the weak.


    ¡°That¡¯s one thing, but whether I¡¯mfortable or not is another.¡± Jackson said, ¡°I have to stay by your


    side.¡±


    Besides, it was not just her rtives who would make him worry. There was also another person.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes darkened at the thought.


    Serenity and Jackson then returned to the Walker family home to see the townspeople crowding


    around Lte, ttering her. Some of her rtives and neighbors hoped to use Lte¡¯s connections


    to enter the entertainment industry. It was as expected, and Lte clearly enjoyed the ttery.

 Chapter 657

    Chapter 657


    Chapter 657


    Some guests saw Serenitying in and eximed immediately, ¡°Oh, look who¡¯s here! I used to think


    that Serenity was the most sessful in the Walker family. Who would¡¯ve known? She has now ended


    up being the worst. Lte has turned out to be the most sessful in the family.¡±


    The guest was belittling Serenity to tter Lte, which was what Lte would have loved to hear


    before. Everyone had alwayspared Lte and Serenity to each other. They were close in age


    and looked so much alike when they were young.


    Serenity had been one of the brightest kids at school. She was good at her studies and had gone to a


    prestigious university. Lte, who was less educated, was naturally ashamed by theparison.


    Lte was eager to be better than Serenity, but that was before knowing that Serenity was dating


    Jackson Valor.


    After realizing Jackson¡¯s true identity, the rtive¡¯s nastyment made Lte embarrassed.


    Lte¡¯s rtive did not think it was enough and went on and on. ¡°Serenity might have been the one


    who caused your grandmother¡¯s illness. How can you not be angry with an ex¨Cconvict in the family?


    Luckily, you¡¯re lucky enough to have saved Mr. Gomez as a kid. He¡¯s been looking for you for so many


    years. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a good life after this.¡±


    Lte¡¯s face changed. She gave Serenity a sidelong nce, fearful that her rtive¡¯s words would


    remind her of something. Instead, her gaze met Jackson¡¯s His dark deep eyes stared at her as I


    mocking her.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Lte panicked a little. It was like he knew she was just an Imposter.


    ¡°Enough! Stop it!¡± Lte cut in, stopping the rtive from speaking further. ¡°Serenity has nothing to do


    with Granny¡¯s illness. Granny¡¯s funeral isn¡¯t even over yet. It¡¯s too much for you to say that!¡±


    After berating her rtive, Lte hurried to Serenity and urged, ¡°Serenity, please don¡¯t listen to her.


    They¡¯re just talking nonsense. Don¡¯t let them cause a rift between us.¡±


    The rtive was dumbfounded by Lte¡¯s scolding Did she. Did she identally upset Lte? But


    Lte had always loved to talk about Serenity being an ex¨Cconvict!


    Serenity was not in the mood to care about their cynicism. She did not want to cause any conflict with


    the Walker family. It would hurt Granny¡¯s peace.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep Grannypany,¡± Serenity said tly and excused herself. She then headed to the


    room where Granny¡¯s body was kept.


    Jackson followed behind Serenity. Before entering the room, he nced back at the rtive who had


    deliberately belittled


    Serenity.


    in music from hell.


    The rtive fell achill rise in her spine. It was as if she was almost one step away


    What was going on?! Why did one look from this man scare her so much?


    Serenity stayed by Granny¡¯s casket throughout the night, and Jackson stayed by Serenity¡¯s side. ¡°If


    you¡¯re sleepy, just nap on my shoulder,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I still can hang on,¡± Serenity said, staring at her Granny through the clear casket lid, Granny


    seemed so serene, as if asleep. ¡°You really can¡¯t take things with you when you die. Sometimes,


    people live without knowing what you want at all.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. I know what I¡¯m living for,¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity turned to Jackson, only to see his lips parting to speak. ¡°I must have lived to meet and fall in


    love with you.¡±


    Falling in love with Serenity made Jackson feel like there was more to life than just living. He finally had


    something he wanted -a hopeful future.

 Chapter 658

    Chapter 658


    Chapter 658


    Serenity looked at Jackson in a little daze. After a while, she said, ¡°In that case, I guess I must have


    been through so much just to meet you and fall in love with you. If I hadn¡¯t gone through all these


    challenges, maybe I wouldn¡¯t have met you.¡±


    The prison sentence had turned Serenity¡¯s lifepletely upside down. Otherwise, Serenity might


    have married Zeke and remained awyer. She might not fit in with the Shaw family after marrying


    Zeke. Maybe she would not even marry Zeke because of his parents¡® disapproval.


    Whatever the possibilities, Serenity would not have met Jackson that fateful night and brought him


    home. Serenity and Jackson might eventually cross paths like two parallel lines.


    Jackson¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly. He pulled Serenity into a gentle hug and buried his face in her


    neck, taking a deep breath as if to inhale her scent. ¡°Yeah, you too. It must have been to meet me.¡®


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡±


    Serenity waspletely unaware that Jackson was partly responsible for the pain she had gone


    through. Had Jackson been kinder with some sympathy for her, her fate would have been different. The


    three years in prison might not have even happened.


    Serenity felt Jackson¡¯s arm around her trembling slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? F


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a little cold here,¡± Jackson murmured.


    cold?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a nket,¡± Serenity said, wanting to get up. The door was not closed, and the wind at night


    was a little cold.


    Jackson wrapped his arms around Serenity, refusing to let go. ¡°I don¡¯t need a nket. Just hug me for


    a while.¡± His voice was a whisper, like a child wanting attention.


    Serenity somehow thought jackson seemed like a child seekingfort. She moved her arms and


    hugged him gently. ¡°Is this better, Jack?¡± Her gentle voicebined with her gesture was heavenly


    music to him.


    Jackson snuggled himself against her shoulder. ¡°Yeah. Much better.¡± She was his only source of


    peace. Jackson had always thought of himself as someone unafraid of the cold. He could survive


    spending hours outside wearing thin clothes without feeling much chill in the cold.


    Jackson would visit the ce where his father had died everyte night during his father¡¯s death


    anniversary. He wondered if he would be frozen to death someday, just like his father. Living seemed


    meaningless to him. Death was nothing to him.


    Serenity¡¯s embrace made him feel warm again. Having experienced warmth, he began to fear the cold


    and longed for more warmth. Just like how he longed for her.


    Outside the room, a figure stood by the window, staring nkly at the couple embracing each other.

 Chapter 659

    Chapter 659


    Chapter 659


    Lucas could not resist looking out the window, wondering why he was staring at the couple. He thought


    he should have figured it out by now¨CLte was the one he had been looking for.


    It was Lte who had saved his life. Based on all the information he had found, Lte had not been


    happy these past few years. Lucas was determined to treat Lte as well as he could to repay her for


    saving his life. However, his heart felt empty after finding Lte, almost as if he had lost something¨C


    something very important to him.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Lucas, what are you staring at?¡± Lte¡¯s voice rang out.


    Lacas turned his head and saw Lte walking over. He stepped forward and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m


    heading back now. Call me if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± Lte seemed very reluctant to let him go. ¡°It¡¯ste. Why don¡¯t you spend


    the night here and leave tomorrow? The guest rooms are ready.¡±


    ¡°No, I have something important to do at the office tomorrow. I¡¯d better go back,¡± Lucas said.


    Hearing that, Lte could not say anything else but yes. She then apanied Lucas to where he


    had parked.


    ¡°Hey, Lucas. My ex¨Chusband is backing out of the previous agreement. I have to pay him an extra 15


    million to get him to sign the divarer papers,¡± Lte said. She had told everyone that she was already


    divorced, but technically speaking, she was still married in the eye of the Law.


    ¡°If you really feel that marriage with him is a pain, I¡¯ll help you. Don¡¯t worry about the divorce. The court


    hearing is in at couple of days. He¡¯ll definitely agree to the divorce,¡± Lucas said tly.


    Feeling reassured by Lucas promise, Lte looked at Lucas with admiration. Lucas was amazing. It


    seemed like all the problems were nothing to him. Only a man like him could be her prince!


    Lte had thought that she was going to muddle through the rest of her life. She never imagined


    meeting the Prince Lucas of the entertainment industry one day. He had just magically shown up in her


    life one day.


    Lte had read gossip news about Prince Lucas online. She thought a man like him was simply


    unattainable and far away. She never thought he could be so close at hand one day.


    ¡°I want to divorce him,¡± Lte stated with determination. She knew that only after the divorce could


    she be with Lucas


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll get Jonas to sign,¡± Lucas said. ¡°Also, you said you wanted to study at the university. I¡¯ve


    made the arrangements. After the funeral, someone will pick you up and take you to Sria. You can


    decide whether you want to live in the school dormitory or buy a house outside and live alone.¡±


    This great news filled Lte with joy. Her low education had always been a shame to her. She could


    not wait to improve. acadernically, allowing herself to eventually stand by his side.


    ¡°Lucas, you¡¯re so kind to me!¡± Lte broke into a sweet smile.


    Looking at Lte¡¯s smile, Lucas remained cold and unfeeling. He thought he would be happy to find


    the little girl from back then. He always thought what he wanted the mast was to see her smile.


    Unfortunately, he did not feel the slightest happiness seeing Lte¡¯s sanile. There was nothing but an


    inexplicable feeling of disappointment. Lte¡¯s smile seemed unfamiliar to him, lile aplete


    stranger¡¯s.


    What was wrong with him? Finding her was all he ever wanted!


    ¡°Because you saved me once. It¡¯s only right that I treat you well,¡± Lucas answered.

 Chapter 660

    Chapter 660


    Chapter 660


    Lte bit her lips slightly. ¡°So, if I hadn¡¯t saved you, you wouldn¡¯t have been nice to me?¡±


    She meant for him to disagree. Instead, she saw his indifferent eyes staring at her quietly, almost as if


    looking at a stranger.


    Lte immediately regretted what she had just said, her eyes fluttering with a hint of panic. ¡°I¨CI just


    want you to be nice to


    not because I saved your life, but.. Something else¡­¡± She stammered in defense.


    ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t overthink it,¡± Lucas said inly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go get same rest.¡± As he spoke, he


    opened the car door and was about to get into the car.


    Lte suddenly said, ¡°Take care, Luke!¡±


    Lucas stiffened at Lte¡¯s sudden cry. Hearing her call him Luke reminded him of his old memory.


    The scene of the little girl carrying him down the hill suddenly shed before his eyes.


    The little girl had kept talking to him, afraid he would pass out because of the injury and bleeding.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name? If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll call you Luke. It¡¯s on the corner of your clothes. Is that your


    name?¡±


    ¡°Luke! Don¡¯t fall asleep! If you sleep, you¡¯ll never wake up again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a story. What do you want to hear? I¡¯m a good storyteller! Luke! Answer me!¡±


    ¡°Luke Luke¡­¡±


    The sound of the little girl calling him Luke had been ringing in his ears repeatedly throughout the


    years, waking him up from his dreams. The little girl had saved him. He would not have survived


    without her!


    Lucas spun on his heels, his gaze pinned to Lte. ¡°Okay. I will.¡± The coldness in his eyes seemed to


    have faded slightly.


    Lte waited until Lucas¡® car drove away before the expression on her face finally changed. She bit


    on her lower lip, her


    hands clenched into fists.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Either way, she had already reced Serenity. As long as Serenity did not remember, Lte would be


    the little girl who had


    saved Lucas¡® life.


    Lucas had been looking for the little girl for so many years. He must have deep feelings for her. Lte


    could make good use of it and change her life drastically!


    Lte swore to herself. This time, she had to seize the opportunity at all costs!


    Lucas drove and listened to the song ¡°Walk of Life¡® in the car. The little girl had sung this song while


    carrying him on her back. Listening to her singing seemed to ease the pain in his body.


    Lucas thought it would have been good for them to go on like this. He had finally found her, but why


    was he still unhappy?


    It was Lte. Lte had shown him pictures of her as a child. Lte knew about the song ¡°Walk of


    Life¡® and knew his nickname, Luke. She was able to tell him a lot more about what had happened back


    then.


    Lucas had never told anyone about those things. There was no way Lte could have heard it from


    anyone else. It meant Lte was indeed the one he had been looking for.


    However¡­ Pity he felt nothing after meeting Lynelte. Lte seemed like a stranger to him.


    Lucas drove back to his residence in Sria. After getting out of the car, he headed straight to his


    studio. He looked around the room at all the paintings he had made.

 Chapter 661

    Chapter 661


    Chapter 661


    Lucas had drawn all these paintings. It was all the image of her carrying him down the hill or images of


    them relying on each other in the forest.


    All they could rely on was each other at that time,


    For the first time, he realized the little girl was so important to him. He might not have survived without


    her.


    Among these paintings, there was only one exception.


    It was not a painting of a child. Instead, it was an adult woman¡¯s portrait. The woman smiled softly, her


    eyes reminding him of water, gentle and strong. It was a veryfortable image. Her gaze made him


    feel calm and at ease.


    Lucas stood close to the woman¡¯s portrait, his dark eyes staring at the person in the painting, and a


    rare hint of pain shed in his usually indifferent eyes.


    If Serenity had been here, she would have recognized the portrait immediately. It was her!


    ¡°Why is it not you?¡± A cold voice rang in the studio, but there was no response.


    The woman in the portrait continued looking at him with a gentle, soft smile.


    Lucas moved his hand, gently stroking the cheek of the woman in the painting. It was as if he was


    stroking Serenity¡¯s cheek, bur¡­ If Serentry had been here, she would never let him touch her like this.


    Lucas hade to a realization when he had seen Serenity in her wedding dress earlier. She and


    Jackson were truly getting


    married


    Serenity would be another man¡¯s wife. She would only have him in her eyes. Maybeter, she would


    even bear children for


    that man.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    It was impossible between Lucas and Serenity! Never again!


    He felt suffocated at the thought that shed in his mind. After a long silence, Lucas left the studio and


    ordered his servant, Put away all the paintings in the room. Also, lock the room. No one is allowed to


    enter it again. ¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± His servant obeyed and did as told.


    Lucas looked up at the full moon outside. He had already missed his chance with Serenity. All he had


    to do was just cut her off. It should be easy for him to do so,


    Anyway, Serenity was not the one he had been looking for. His feelings for her were wrong. He had


    directed his desire and despair on her by mistake!


    Lucas had only fallen in love with Serenity because she looked like the little girl in his memory. Lucas


    kept telling that to


    himself.


    Emily¡¯s wakested for three days. Many people came to the Walker family home to pay their respects.


    Only some of them were really there for Emily. Most of them wanted to use the opportunity to get close


    to Lte.


    Naturally, Lte enjoyed it.


    As for Serenity and Jackson, Jackson told Uncle Francis that he did not want to be disturbed.


    Therefore, no one dared to announce Jackson¡¯s presence. Most guests simply saw Jackson as


    Serenity¡¯s boyfriendl.

 Chapter 662

    Chapter 662


    Chapter 662


    Serenity Lewis? Who was she? She was just an ex-convict!


    People from a small town had a natural bias toward an ex-convict. They would point their fingers at her


    full of disdain. Many of them thought Serenity should not be at the war. She was a disgrace to the


    family. The Walker family should throw her out instead!


    The Walker family shook in fear heating such remarks, worried it would upset Jackson. If Jackson got


    mad, he could easily wipe out the Walker family.


    Lte had Lucas¡¯ protection, but Lucas had never said that he would protect the Walker family!


    On the day of Emily¡¯s funeral, Serenity dressed herself in ck and joined the funeral procession. Her


    eyes were slightly red. Clearly, she had cried again. Dressed in a ck suit, Jackson stood by


    Serenity¡¯s side and apanied her to the funeral home.


    The Walker family had reserved a hall in the funeral home to amodate the memorial service.


    During the service, Serenity stood and listened quietly. Listening to Uncle Francis¡¯ speech about


    Granny¡¯s life, tears fell from her eyes again.


    Those who loved her always left her behind. First, it was her mother. Then, it was Granny Emily. Who


    would leave her next? Suddenly, an unknown fear rose in her heart.


    Just then, a hand brought a handkerchief to her, gently wiping her tears away.


    Serenity looked at this beautiful hand in a daze. He was so gentle and tender, talding care of her like


    she was his most precious belonging


    Turning her head, Serenity looked at Jackson, who was standing beside her.


    Jackson. He would never leave her. He would be by her side and grow old with her.


    When Uncle Francis¡¯ speech was over, the crowd began to form a line to get ast look at Emily and


    say their final goodbye.


    When it was Serenity¡¯s turn, a man rushed forward and stopped her. He pointed at Serenity and yelled,


    ¡°You have no right to step forward! You should stay in the corner for being an ex-convict! You¡¯re a


    shame to your grandmother! Haven¡¯t you brought enough disgrace to your family? Do you want


    everyone to know that Emily¡¯s granddaughter was in prison?!


    Serenity¡¯s face changed. She recognized the man. He had once pursued her when she had just


    graduated from university. She had just be awyer and was very popr in town. This man had


    come to Granny to propose, but she had rejected him.


    Th


    had held a grudge and spread rumors about herter, saying that she only loved the rich. When she


    was in prison, the man and his family loved talking about her to every townsperson, saying they were


    lucky that he had not married her.


    Serenity had heard people talking about it, but she had never taken it seriously. After all, there were too


    many people attacking her with gossip. However, Serenity never expected him to attack her at


    Granny¡¯s funeral.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡± Serenity warned coldly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let everyone be the judge? You dishonored the Walker family. You¡¯re shameless


    enough to show up here. I think you may have been the cause of your grandmother¡¯s death. She¡¯s


    probably so mad because you were in prison and had her life cut short.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

 Chapter 663

    Chapter 663


    Chapter 663


    Someone suddenly kicked the man to the ground before he could say anything else.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I couldn¡¯t stop in time,¡± Jackson said tly, his left foot still stepping on the man¡¯s chest,


    crushing him.


    The man screamed in pain, his face red. He could not shake away the foot that was on his chest.


    Uncle Francis, Uncle Desmond, and Aunt Theresa saw themotion and rushed over, trying to calm


    him. ¡°Mr. Valor¡­ W- Why do this at a funeral?¡±


    It would be disrespectful to the dead if something were to happen.¡±


    ¡°The man¡¯s just spouting nonsense. Mr. Valor, please don¡¯t take him seriously!¡±


    Jackson looked at the three siblings nonchntly. ¡°I think Granny wouldn¡¯t want to see someone


    ndering her granddaughter in such a manner. She might agree with me. What do you think?¡± His


    smile was cold and unfriendly, sending chills down the spine of the three


    ¡°Of course! Of course!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s just trying to cause trouble because Serenity refused his marriage proposal!¡±


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°People like him aren¡¯t weed here. Serenity is a precious family member. How could he humiliate


    her?! Serenity has always been my mother¡¯s favorite.¡±


    The three siblings spoke up and took Serenity¡¯s side. Uncle Francis even called security to escort the


    man and his family out of


    the hall.


    This turn of events stunned the guests. They thought Serenity, an ex¨Cconvict, would be weak and


    powerless. No one expected her to have such a ruthless boyfriend.


    The man who had tried to provoke Serenity was taken away by the security guards. His face was blue,


    and he was wailing with his hand on his chest. The guests wondered if Jackson had crushed the man¡¯s


    chest, breaking his bones.


    The guests also observed how the Walker family was treating Serenity. They did not seem to be


    treating her like an ex¨Cconvict but a guest of honor. It seemed as though they were afraid of upsetting


    her.


    Lte looked at Jackson and Serenity with cold eyes. She never thought jackson would be so


    protective of her cousin, an ex- convict. Having been to Sria and participated in some high society


    parties with Lucas, she knew very well about how fearful Jackson was.


    Lte could not help but feel jealous seeing a powerful man like Jackson be so protective of Serenity.


    She could not understand. Why was her cousin so lucky? Serenity had saved Lucas when she was a


    kid. Later, she had dated Zeke. Zeke had eventually abandoned her because she had gone to prison,


    but she had ended up with Jackson after she had gotten out of jail!


    Lte felt defeated. It felt as if she could never be better than Serenity!


    ¡°I owndid it a little. Sorry for interrupting your Granny¡¯s funeral,¡± Jackson said to Serenity.


    Serenity shook her head. ¡°Like you said, knowing that someone had just humiliated me, Granny would


    have approved of what you just did.¡±


    Jackson might be a little harsh, but Serenity knew he was just protecting her. Perhaps that was the way


    of the world. Showing weakness would only allow your enemy to get the better of you. Serenity had


    learned this while in prison!

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    Chapter 664


    Chapter 664


    Serenity stepped forward and quietly looked at Granny in the casket. Knowing that this would be the


    last time she would ever see Granny, she gently ced the flowers in her hand in front of Granny¡¯s


    rasket and said her final goodbye. The kind Emily had given Serenity so much love after she had lost


    her mother. Emily had given her a happy childhood.


    Serenity did not join Granny¡¯s cremation. She was afraid that she would not be able to bear to watch


    the cremation.


    ¡°Jack Granny has left me, Serenity murmured. ¡°She loved me. She was very nice to me, but she¡¯s


    gone.¡±


    Jackson looked at Serenity and promised solemnly, I won¡¯t leave you.¡± He would always be there for


    her.


    ¡°Yeah. I know you won¡¯t leave me, and I Serenity echoed, ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you ton.¡± Jackson was


    always there to assure her whenever she was down.


    After the cremation, Granny¡¯s ashes were ced in an um.


    The Walker family buried the urn with Granny¡¯s ashes at the Walker family¡¯s ancestral grave in the


    vige. The Walker family¡¯s ancestors were all burled here from when the town was still a small vige.


    Serenity paid her respects in front of Granny¡¯s tombstone, ording to her hometown¡¯s custom, the


    young would have to bow and kneel as part of the ritual to pay respect to the deceased elder.


    Serenity bowed three times and kneeled before the tombstone. When she was done and stood up, she


    was surprised to see Jackson do the same Jackson paid his respect by bowing three times and


    kneeling before Emily¡¯s tombstone as well.


    Those from the Walker family who knew Jackson¡¯s identity were surprised to see jackson¡¯s actions.


    Jackson was an influential and powerful man. They could not imagine him doing this to anyone other


    than the ancestors of the Valor family. His actions undoubtedly showed how important Serenity was to


    him!


    The colors on Lte¡¯s face changed again. She secretly made up her mind. Sooner orter, she


    would have Lucas treat her the same!


    When the funeral was over, Serenity thank simple thank you.


    Jackson. ¡°Thank you.¡± She had so muc


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    so much to say to him, but all that came out was a


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. She¡¯s your Granny,¡± Jackson said. He had researched Serenity¡¯s profile before. He knew


    what an influence Emily had been in Serenity¡¯s life. He knew how Emily had protected the young


    Serenity,


    The Valor family¡¯s car was waiting in front of the Walker family home, and several ck cars were


    parked in a row.


    When the driver saw Serenity and Jackson approaching, he stepped out of the car and opened the


    door respectfully. A bodyguard emerged from the car with a trench coat in his hand, recing


    Jackson¡¯s ck suit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jackson said to Serenity.


    Serenity nodded. Her grandmother¡¯s funeral was over. There was no point in staying any longer.


    The people around watched as Jackson led Serenity into the limousine. The convoy of cars then drove


    away from the Walker family¡¯s home. It was like watching a scene in a movie.


    Serenity was merely an ex¨Cconvict. How was she being driven around in a limousine?! She seemed a


    much bigger deal than Lte, who had been the talk of the town.


    Just who was Serenity¡¯s boyfriend?

 Chapter 665

    Chapter 665


    Chapter 665


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity sat in the car and looked out the window, watching thendscape moving past her quickly.


    She hummed softly, filling the car with a soothing and gentle tune.


    Jackson arched an eyebrow. He waited until Serenity had finished humming before asking, ¡°What song


    is this?¡±


    ¡°Walk of Life, a ssic.¡± Serenity exined, ¡°Granny loved it. She was the one who taught me to sing


    this song. I used to sing


    it all the time, but I couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of the lyrics when I was younger. The older I got,


    the more I understood the meaning of the lyrics.


    ¡°A nice song indeed,¡± Jackson agreed.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a shame Granny can¡¯t teach me anything anymore,¡± Serenity murmured, a tired look on her


    face.


    Serenity had barely slept for the past few days. She had spent most of her time sitting beside Granny¡¯s


    casket or busy with the funeral, only sleeping three to four hours because she did not have time to


    sleep.


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, just close your eyes and rest. It¡¯s two hours away by car,¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity hummed in response softly, and Jackson helped her adjust the seat to a good angle for a


    comfortable nap. Serenity leaned her head against her seat and upon closing her eyes, she fell asleep


    within a few minutes.


    Jackson stared at Serenity¡¯s sleeping, face for a moment. Then, he took a silver bracelet out of his


    pocket.


    This familiar¨Clooking silver bracelet was identical to the one Lucas carried. It was a pair. One was with


    Lucas, and the other was lying in the box of relics Emily had left for Serenity.


    Emily had handed the box to a close friend for safekeeping before her hospitalization. If Emily passed


    away, Serenity would get the things inside.


    Emily was just an olddy from a small town. The relics in the box were naturally nothing of value, just


    some jewelry from Serenity¡¯ste mother and Emily. Serenity¡¯ste mother had left some of her jewelry


    with Emily. Later, Emily had added some of her own and left it to Serenity.


    The silver bracelet seemed out of ce in the pile of jewelry. Fortunately, Jackson was the first to get


    the bracelet. Serenity would overthink things if she found it. The bracelet might remind her of


    something rted to Lucas, which was thest thing Jackson ever wanted.


    Lte had reced Serenity, and Lucas had finally found the girl¡® he had been looking for. Hopefully,


    this would be the perfect ending to this whole saga.


    Jackson gently touched the cold silver bracelet, hiding the calcting look under hisshes.


    Jackson had always been ruthless and would achieve his goals by any means necessary. There was


    nothing wrong with that. Lately, however, Jackson felt a heavy heart whenever Serenity looked at him


    trustingly. It was almost suffocating


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t me me,¡± Jackson muttered almost silently, holding the silver bracelet tightly in his palm.


    ¡°Were you caught by the bad guys? I¡¯ll get you out of here. The bad guys won¡¯t catch you again.¡± A


    child¡¯s voice rang out. The childish voice sounded like her voice when she was younger. No, it was her


    voice.


    The little girl in a floral dress looked only about eight or nine years old. It was her as a child!

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    Chapter 666


    Chapter 666


    ¡°What if you get caught too?¡± A little boy¡¯s voice spoke out, but she could not see the little boy¡¯s face,


    The little girl immediately retorted, ¡°It won¡¯t happen!¡±


    The little boy just looked at her quietly and did not speak


    A few momentster, the little girl mumbled, ¡°If 1 get caught too¡­ Well, we can keep each other


    company. I¡¯m not afraid!¡±


    The little girl grabbed the boy¡¯s hand, the pair of silver bracelets on her wrists shining


    The little girl and Ettle boy were fleeing down a rough mountain road. The little boy was usually


    pampered and athletic, but it was his first time experiencing such an escape.


    The little girl led the way throughout their escape, holding the boy¡¯s hand tightly. The little boy slipped


    suddenly and tell down the hill, dragging the girl along. The little girl got stuck on a small tree branch


    growing on the side of the hillside and stopped falling.


    The little girl¡¯s left hand was still holding onto the boy¡¯s hand tightly. The boy was hanging in mid¨Cair,


    desperately trying to get his feet on the hill, but it was too steep. He could not get his feet onto the


    ground.


    Fear spread across his face. Afraid that the little girl would leave him behind and let go of him, his terror


    grew stronger.


    The little girl could easily climb back up the hill by letting go, but he would fall to the bottom


    Born into the Gomez family, the little boy had grown up with an elite upbringing. His father had never


    hesitated to tell him about the dark side of human nature. He knew many people would sacrifice the


    lives of others for their own. Besides, he was just a stranger to her. She could let go and leave him


    behind, which would be unsurprising


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    Even so, the little boy was really scared. He was scared that she was going to let him go. He did not


    want to die. He feared dying just Eke this.


    The little girl said with difficulty, ¡°Hey, you¡­¡±


    The little boy looked up at the little girl with fear written across his face. A deep fear traveled through


    his body, resulting in cold chills. ¡®Is she¡­ Will she let go? Is she going to throw me off?!


    A girl¡¯s voice said, ¡°Hang on tight, or you¡¯ll fall¡± Her voice was like heavenly music to the little boy¡¯s


    ears.


    The little girl¡¯s face flushed. Sweat beaded on her skin as she used all her might to grab him. The sight


    of this burned into the little boy¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Q¨CQuirk. Hold tight! Don¡¯t let go. I¨CI¡¯ll get you up..¡± The little girl spoke with difficulty, and she used all


    her strength, paring toward a safe ce on the hillside.


    The little boy looked at the girl in shock Why was she doing this? She might tall by climbing with him.


    Why? Why did she insist on taking him with her? Why did she have to save him? He did not even know


    her name!


    ¡°W¨CWhat¡¯s your name? You can call me Luke. My family calls me Luke. The little boy muttered,


    suddenly wanting to know her name. He finally managed to step on a protruding rock by the hill, but the


    ruck loosened. The next moment, he slid downward


    ¡°Ah!¡± Along with the little boy¡¯s shriek came the little girl¡¯s cry. ¡°Luke!¡±


    ¡°Luke!¡± Serenity¡¯s eyes snapped open and she sprang out of bed, drenched in a cold sweat. Her back


    and her palms were covered in sweat as well

 Chapter 667

    Chapter 667


    Chapter 667


    She touched her forehead and discovered that it was covered in beads of cold sweat. What was


    happening to her now? Was it a nightmare? That hillside she had just dreamt of was the same one in


    the small town where she had grown up.


    Besides.. That scene in the dream¡­ Serenity bit her lips without realizing it. The sun was shining


    brilliantly outside the window. She looked at the time¨Cit was already 11 o¡¯clock. She had really slept for


    a long time.


    She turned to the nightstand and found a note fackson had left for her. His handwriting was long and


    thin but strong and firm. at the same time. She thought it looked very beautiful. As she read it, she


    found out that he had left for work at thepany early in the morning to deal with all the work


    umted over the past few days but that he would be home in time to have dinner with her.


    Seeing his handwriting made Serenity feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and the panic and anxiety she


    had felt in that dream carlier slowly dissipated.


    She picked up some clean clothes and brought them with her into the bathroom before taking a quick


    shower. As the warm water cascaded down her body, she looked down at her left hand and was thrown


    into a daze.


    That hand. It felt like it was the same hand that was gripping that little boy¡¯s hand tightly in her dream.


    Luke¡­ Or was it Luca? It was a simple and ordinary name, but out of all the people she knew, the only


    one whose name was simr enough to this one was.. Lucas Gomez!


    Moreover, that scene in her dream with the little boy and the little girl¡­ she somehow felt like it was


    vaguely rted to thest dream she had had. In that other dream, the girl and the boy were also


    escaping from someone who was trying to harm them, and the girl had led the boy into the hillside


    forest.


    Back then, she had thought that she was only dreaming about it because she had been influenced by


    all the weird things Lucas had said to her, which nted the story in her brain. But then, what about this


    time? And why was that dream so vivid? Although she could not clearly see what the boy looked like,


    everything she experienced in the dream felt as if it was something she had gone through herself


    before.


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    Yet, the truth was that she had absolutely no memory of anything like this ever happening to her.


    If it was true that the dream had only been caused by what Lucas had said to her, why were there so


    many things in the dream that Lucas had never even mentioned to her before? Even if he had


    mentioned it, these were still events that had happened between Lucas and her cousin Lte, so why


    did it feel like she was the girl herself in that dream?


    osted by a thousand puzzling questions that would not leave her mind, she felt a throbbing


    headache consing on again. As the water came rushing down from the showerhead, the pain turned


    more and more excruciating.


    The setting too much to hear¡­ What on earth was happening to her?! Was she just exhausted? Or


    was there another


    pain


    reason for this¡­?


    Meanwhile, elsewhere, Lucas Gomez watched as Lte Blossom approached him. He smiled wryly


    at himself and walked up to her, asking, ¡°Has everything about your grandma been settled yet?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied, ¡°it¡¯s all settled. By the way, my ex¨Chusband called. He¡¯s agreed to get a divorce.


    Thank you!¡±

 Chapter 668

    Chapter 668


    Chapter 668


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Lucas replied in a calm voice. Since it¡¯s a wish of yours, I¡¯d dly help you


    ¡°You¡¯re so nice to me, Lake.¡±


    Lucas¡¯s heart trembled when he heard that nickname. For whatever reason, hearing it from the lips of


    this woman somehow Irritated him.


    ¡°Just call me Lucas next time,¡± he told her. ¡°Lake is just a nickname I had when I was young¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lte responded without raising any questions


    After all, she had only heard the name ¡°Luke¡± from Serenity all those years ago. Back then, when she


    was still a little girl, Serenity had returned home with her dress all tattered and dirty. She had imed


    that she had saved someone, but no adults at home believed her. They all just assumed that she was


    lying to cover up her own naughtiness, and she had even been spanked for it.


    As for Lte, because she still had a child¡¯s curiosity, she had asked Serenity exactly what had


    happened to her. That was when she had found out how Serenity had saved a little boy, and she had


    even heard Serenity call that boy Luke.


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    Had she not done that, she would not have been able to im herself as the girl Lucas had been


    looking for so convincingly. But what was even more crucial was the fact that back then, Serenity had


    had a high fever after she hade home, and the fever was so severe that the doctors in the small


    town had no resources to treat it, so she had to be transferred to the general hospital in Sria. Once


    she was healed, Serenity had then lost all memories of what had happened that day.


    Back then, nobody thought much of her memory loss since it was only the memory of one single day.


    The adults deemed it too insignificant to pay any attention to, and Serenity herself never even knew


    that she had lost a day¡¯s memory. In fact, even Lte only found out about it when she overheard the


    adults mention it when she was young.


    Hence, apart from Serenity and the boy himself, the only other person who knew what had happened


    that day was Lte.


    It was clearly a gift from the heavens¨CGod had given her a golden opportunity!


    ¡®And as for Serenity,¡± Lte thought silently, ¡®let¡¯s hope that she never regains that memory!¡®


    Lisa had asked Serenity out so they could meet up, and when they met, Lisa asked, ¡°Is your grandma¡¯s


    funeral over now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity nodded.


    ¡°Did you meet your father, then?¡±


    Serenity shook her head. Her grandma was her niother¡¯s mom, so naturally, her father would find no


    reason to attend her funeral. Then again, no one could contact her father anyway because ever since


    her father and stepmother had left Sria, it seemed that they had simply vanished from the face of the


    earth, and no one knew where they went.


    Still, Serenity knew that if she really wanted to find out, all she had to do was ask Jack


    Nevertheless, she had absolutely no desire to know anything about them because her father, her


    stepmother, and Aria Lewis were all strangers to her now. She had long disregarded them as her


    family.


    From now on, perhaps the only family she had was jack


    Lisa then had nothing else to say about her friend¡¯s father, so she asked, ¡°Are you going to be in


    mourning now that your grandma has passed away?¡±


    If she was in mourning, she would not be able to marry for a certain period of time.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity replied, ¡°I will be.¡±


    Although she was only rted to her grandma through her mother, which meant that traditionally she


    would be regarded as an ¡°outsider¡± since she had a different surname, she had never regarded her


    grandma as an ¡°outsider¡± at all. Therefore, she was naturally determined to be in mourning after her


    grandmother¡¯s death.


    ¡°How long will you be in mourning? Lisa asked.


    ¡°About a year.¡±

 Chapter 669

    Chapter 669


    ¡°A year?¡± Lisa repeated in a low voice, then asked, ¡°Does that mean that you¡¯re going to postpone your


    wedding with Jackson?


    Serenity nodded, ¡°I haven¡¯t told him about it yet, though. I¡¯ll do it tonight and see what he thinks about


    it.¡±


    Still, she had a hunch that he would agree to it because ever since they had started dating, he had


    always agreed to everything


    she asked.


    Lisa studied her friend¡¯s wearied, worn¨Cdown face and then suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe with me


    to the mall, Serenity? Terry wants me to attend a g with him, and he told me to pick up a dress he


    ordered for me in a boutique at the mall nearby.


    To be frank, Lisa had never had any desire to attend any banquets or gs at all because she hated to


    be the center of people¡¯s attention, but Terry seemed to have gotten addicted to dragging her


    everywhere with him and just would not take no for an


    answer.


    What was even more exasperating was that when she gave him an excuse of being too busy having to


    work overtime, the guy just smiled and told her not to worry about it, that work was more important after


    all, but then she soon received a call from her boss at work, telling her not to work overtime anymore.


    Anybody could tell that it was clearly Terry who was behind all this!


    Soon afterward, Serenity and Lisa arrived at the mall in the neighborhood, and Lisa led her friend to the


    boutique where she was supposed to pick up her dress. Unsurprisingly, the dress Terry had chosen for


    her was not of any ordinary brand, but rather, a first¨Crate luxury brand whose cheapest item could cost


    as much as thousands of dors, and the more expensive ones could go up as high as millions, all of


    which were avable in this boutique


    Lisa mentioned Terry¡¯s name to thedy at the counter, after which thedy¡¯s face instantly bloomed


    into a bright smile and very politely showed Lisa the dress that had been picked out earlier so Lisa


    could try it on and tell them if there was anything about the dress she would like to alter.


    ¡°Could you wait for me here for a little while, Serenity?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Serenity nodded.


    She then browsed casually through the other items in the boutique, and just then, she heard a voice


    coming from behind her at the entrance of the boutique.


    ¡°Are you sure the things here aren¡¯t too expensive for ine, Lucas? I don¡¯t mind the cheaper stuff, you


    know.¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re already here,¡± replied a man¡¯s voice, ¡°let¡¯s just buy the best stuff. You can choose anything


    you like.


    Lte smiled sweetly and said, ¡°You really are so nice to me, Lucas!¡±


    ¡°You saved my life before, so it¡¯s only right that I¡¯m nice to you.¡±


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    Lucas turned his eyes away from Lte as he spoke, but when he caught the sight of a familiar figure


    in the boutique, his whole body instantly tensed up.


    Even just seeing her back was enough to make his eyes sting.


    Then, through the ss disy window of the boutique¡¯s storefront, Lucas¡¯s eyes suddenly met with


    that beautiful pair of almond¨Cshaped eyes.


    He was looking at her! As soon as Serenity made eye contact withcas through the disy window,


    she could clearly sense that Lucas had been staring at her. As she kept her paze on the man, the


    Image of that dream she had hadst night shed in her mind. That boy in her dream. She had never


    gotten the chance to take a good look at that boy¡¯s face, yet what the little girl and little boy had gone


    through in the dream plus the fact that the boy was called Laloe convinced her that the boy was


    definitely Lucas!


    Lte followed Lucas¡¯s gaze and saw Serenity Too, and her expression made a dramatic tum.


    Yet only a fraction of a secondter, Lte quickly forced a smile and approached her cousin.


    ¡°Serenity! Is that you? What a coincidence! I never thought I¡¯d see you here!¡±


    Serenity turned toward Lte and replied, ¡°You¡¯re right. What a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Are you shopping for clothes here as well?¡± asked Lte. ¡°That¡¯s great! Lucas told me he wanted to


    buy me some clothes and handhags here. Why don¡¯t you help me choose which ones to buy?¡±


    As she spoke, Lte very cordially held Serenity¡¯s arm, acting as if they were doting sisters. Any


    onlooker would have thought that the two women were very close with one another.

 Chapter 670

    Chapter 670


    Chapter 670


    ¡°I¡¯m only here with a friend,¡± Serenity replied in a t tone. ¡°If you want someone to help you choose


    what to buy, you¡¯d better ask thatdy over there. She¡¯s the shopping consultant.¡±


    And so, Lte awkwardly went off toward thedy standing nearby for her help.


    Just then, Lucas walked up toward Serenity and told her, ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad about your grandma.


    Everyone dies in the end. Some people just get there before others.¡±


    Serenity raised her eyes to look at him. Was he trying tofort her?


    Lucas¡¯s tall and slender frame was d in a dark silvery gray suit, and his handsome face was set in a


    cold and indifferent expression. The Prince of the Entertainment Industry had always been infamous for


    being a cold and distant man, known for switching from one girlfriend to another, but nobody could


    guess who his next girlfriend would be


    Would it be Lte? Serenity thought suddenly. After all, Lucas had chosen all those other women in


    the past to be her cousin¡¯s substitute, so now that he had finally found the real person he was loulding


    for and now that Lte had gotten a divorce, there was simply no reason why they would not get


    together.


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    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± he asked in an icy tone.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± the answered. There was no reason to talk to him about those thoughts in her head just now,


    and so what even if he did decide to date Lte? It was none of her business anyway.


    And yet¡­ Serenity¡¯s mind was full of nagging questions. What was that dream all about? And did


    Lucas have anything to do with the little boy in her dreams?


    She remembered how, after the little boy had fallen down the hill in her dreams, he had taken the little


    girl¡¯s hand and held it very tightly and was trembling so much with fear that she could even feel it after


    waking up.


    That scared little boy seemed nothing at all like the cool and reserved man standing in front of her now.


    Yet Serenity still pursed her lips and asked, ¡°When you were young, did people use to call you¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lucas asked.


    But just then, Lte picked up a handbag and turned to him excitedly, asking, ¡°What do you think


    about this one, Lucas?¡±


    It was a limited edition handbag Lte had once seen a video of someone showing it off online,


    saying it was the kind of handbag only the richest could afford, and thements below were full of


    people praising the bag and ttering its owner.


    If Lte could really get her hands on it, perhaps she could show it off online too!


    But right at that moment, a simple word escaped Serenity¡¯s lips, ¡°Luke¡±


    Lucas was about to turn to Lte when he heard her voice, but when he heard that name from


    Serenity, his entire body froze. His pupils shrank, and his breathing seemed to stop. The voice that had


    uttered the name Luke had crossed time and space, merging with the exact same voice that had been


    calling that name in his memories.


    He stared at the woman in front of him in shock, asking, ¡°What What did you just say?¡±


    Serenity then repeated her question, ¡°I was asking you if people used to call you Lale when you were


    young.¡±


    The next moment, Lucas darted toward Serenity and grabbed her ar?n.


    ¡°Why did you ask me that question? he demanded. ¡°Why did you call me by that name?!¡±


    He was gripping her arin so tiglidly that it actually hurt her so inuch that she grimaced.


    ¡°I¡­ I was only¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, Lucas?!¡±


    Lte rund toward them hastily. Only then did Lucas¡¯s senses return to him and he noticed


    Serenity¡¯s palised expression


    He slowly released his tight hold around her arrn, yet he still would not let her go.

 Chapter 671

    Chapter 671


    Chapter 671


    ¡°What were you two talking about just now?¡± Lte asked, full of suspicion. ¡°Why did you suddenly¡­¡±


    But the words that came out of Lucas¡¯s mouth next shocked her to the core.


    ¡°How did you know that my nickname is Luke, Serenity?¡±


    In an instant, Lte¡¯s body was covered in goosebumps. She stared at Serenity in disbelief. Did


    she¡­ Did she just call this man Luke just now?!


    Did it mean that Serenity had regained her memory?!


    When she thought of how she would lose everything she had right now the instant Serenity regained


    her memory, Lte telt so dizzy she thought she might lose her bnce.


    ¡°So, is it true?¡± Serenity asked, her hrows furrowed. ¡°Is your nickname really Luke?¡±


    In other words, that boy in her dreams really was Lucas, right? And in that case, did it mean that


    everything she had seen in those dreams had actually happened as well?


    ¡°Tell me exactly how you know about this nickname¡± Lucas once again demanded.


    ¡°It was me!¡± Lte suddenly interjected. ¡°I was the one who told Serenity about it when we were


    young!¡±


    Serenity was slightly taken aback. As for lucas, when he heard Lte¡¯s answer, he turned to her and


    asked, ¡°It was you?¡±


    young, and I must¡¯ve mentioned


    ¡°Yes!¡± Lte insisted, then added, ¡°I told Serenity about how I saved you when we were y your name


    to her. Perhaps the story left an impression on her, and that¡¯s where she got it from.¡±


    She switched herself to Serenity¡¯s ce in her story, of course.


    The light in Lucas¡¯s eyes dimmed, and it was reced by a look of self¨Cmockery. What was he so


    worked up about just now? He had already found the person who had saved his life! Yet how could he


    still lose hisposure and self¨Ccontrol just because he heard Serenity¡¯s voice calling him Luke?!


    ¡°Serenity!¡± Lisa had returned right at that moment. She walked over to them, only to be greeted by the


    shocking sight of Lucas Gomez, the renowned Prince of the Entertainment Industry whom she had


    seen in countless gossip magazines, grabbing her friend¡¯s arm while another woman was standing


    between them.


    ¡°What are you guys¡­¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°This is Lucas Gomez, said Serenity. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you already know him.¡±


    Lisa nodded slightly, still in a daze. She had been a dedicated fan of so many celebrities, but she had


    never been Lucas Gomez¡¯s die¨Chard fan. Still, how could someone like her not recognize the infamous


    Prince of the Entertainment Industry?!


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    ¡°And this is my cousin,¡± Serenity continued, ¡°Lte Blossom.¡±


    Lisa once again nodded her head politely, but.. judging by the way the woman had one hand on


    Lucas¡¯s arm, she suspected that her friend¡¯s cousin must be in some kind of special rtionship with


    the man,


    What¡­ What ex


    exactly was going on here?!


    The gears in Lisa¡¯s head seemed to be stuck in ce. She simply could not wrap her head around this!


    It was only then that Lucas finally let go of Serenity¡¯s arm. Following that, he muttered to her in a low


    voice, ¡°Don¡¯t ever call me Luke again. You¡¯re not the one allowed to call me by that name,¡®


    After that, he turned and left the boutique right away.


    By that point, Lte no longer cared about the handbag anymore. She just hurtled toward Lucas and


    left with him.


    Lisa then turned to her friend with astonishment written all over her face and asked, ¡°What was that just


    now? Is Lucas Gomez and your cousin¡­ um¡­ dating? Also, why was he holding your arm Just now?


    Is there something going on between you two?¡±


    Serenity heaved a long and heavy sigh, then replied, ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter.¡±


    At that moment, thest thing Lucas had said to her still echoed in her mind,


    She was not the one allowed to call him by that name?

 Chapter 672

    Chapter 672


    Chapter 672


    For some reason, she felt a dull pain in her heart when she heard those words from him.


    After hearing Serenity¡¯s exnation about the connection between Lucas Gomez and Lte Blossom,


    Lisa¡¯s jaw dropped, and she mumbled, ¡°That¡¯s just way too dramatic!¡±


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Who would have thought that the real woman that the Prince of the Entertainment Industry, who had


    been changing from one girlfriend to another for ages now, had been looking for was actually her best


    friend¡¯s cousin?!


    ¡°Then why did he grab your arm in the boutique just now?¡± Lisa asked.


    Serenity considered it and replied, ¡°I asked him a question, but it looked like¡­ I must¡¯ve touched a sore


    nerve or something.¡±


    What truly made her wonder was why her cousin would say that she was the one who had told her


    about Lucas¡¯s nickname, because she had absolutely no memory of Lte telling her about saving a


    boy before, much less mentioning the nickname


    Luke to her.


    But she had no time to ask Lte about it before they left.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Lisa said, her imagination running wild with curiosity, ¡°Lucas once mistook you for the girl


    who saved his life, didn¡¯t he? Say, what if you really were that girl? Who would you choose, then?


    Jackson Valor or Lucas Gomez?¡±


    Lisa¡¯s words once again reminded her of those dreams, but this time, she silently reminded herself that


    dreams were just that -nothing but dreams. They werepletely separate from reality, and the reality


    was that Lte was the one who had


    saved Lucas.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll never have to concern myself with a question like that,¡± Serenity replied, ¡°but in any case,


    no matter what happens, Jack will always be the man I choose.¡±


    Touched by the answer, Lisamented, ¡°Looks like you really love Jackson, huh?¡±


    She had been really concerned about her friend¡¯s chances of finding love ever since she was released


    from prison. After all, this society had never been kind to women, especially women who had been in


    prison before.


    Luckily, though, Serenity had met Jackson, and they were even nning to get married now! When


    Lisa thought about it, she realized that Serenity¡¯s life was no less dramatic than how Lte had met


    Lucas!


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Serenity responded softly


    Even though she used to be terrified of him, she was now absolutely certain that she did, in fact, love


    him!


    Later that night, she told Jackson, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of postponing the wedding for a year. Are you okay with


    that?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re in inourning for your grandma?¡± he asked. He could more or less guess her reason


    even if she never explicitly


    talked to him about it.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she nodded. She then studied his face and asked, ¡°So. Are you okay with it?


    Marriage was a matter between two people, after all, so she hoped that he would agree with her


    decision.


    ¡°What if I say no?¡± he softly asked her. ¡°What will you do, then?¡±


    She was startled. Her clear almond¨Cshaped eyes seemed somewhat at a loss. For a moment, she had


    no idea what to say to him.


    His eyshes drooped slightly, partially covering his dark eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just do as you say, then,¡± he told her. ¡°We¡¯ll get married a year from now, okay?¡±


    He only had to wall one year, and she would finally be Mrs. Valor, and then she would forever be


    bound to him by a marriage certificate, right?


    He was so eager to make herpletely his, yet it seemed that she cares much more about her


    grandina than their marriage. He wanted to truly upy a special ce in her heart, and he wished for


    her to focus her attention on no one else but him.


    And these desires of his only became more and more urgent as time passed.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll only endure it for a year,¡± he dered, ¡°Exactly one year from now, you¡¯re not allowed to


    postpone our wedding anymore no matter what happens.¡±

 Chapter 673

    Chapter 673


    Chapter 673


    Serenity felt as it she was being pressured into marrying Jackson


    ¡°To tell you the truth¡­¡± she began, ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re that different from a married couple right now.¡±


    She thought of how they had been living together for awhile now and how they had even been sleeping


    together every night. The only difference between them and an actual married couple was nothing but


    a marriage certificate¨Camere piece of paper. ¡°There¡¯s a world of difference!¡± he murmured in a husky


    voice. ¡°Right now, everyone regards you as Ms. Lewis, not Mrs. Valer. But I want you to bepletely


    mine, and I want to bepletely yours!¡±


    This only made Serenity feel like Jackson was giving too much weight to that mere piece of paper, so


    she blurted out, ¡°But married couples get divorced all the time, you know!


    In the next instant, Jackson¡¯s expression changed dramatically. His deep dark eyes became even more


    unfathomable now. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that even if we do get married, we¡¯ll get divorced one day,


    anyway?¡±


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    He spoke in a soft voice, yet in that silent room, each word he said seemed to ring very clearly in her


    ears. She could feel his arms tighten around her, and she could even sense that they were trembling


    slightly.


    ¡°I never meant to say that we¡¯re definitely getting a divorce one day,¡± she exined. ¡°I only feel that


    getting married alone doesn¡¯t guarantee that we¡¯d belong to each otherpletely. It¡¯s really up to us,


    not a marriage certificate.¡±


    She bit her red lips gently, then told Jackson, ¡°As long as we love each other, we¡¯ll belong to each


    other. But one day, if we ever stopped loving one another, we won¡¯t belong to each other anymore.¡±


    ¡°Will you ever stop loving me, then?¡± he asked with scorching eyes, yet his voice was gentle and


    cautious.


    She could not help but chuckle.


    ¡°Jack!¡± she cried. ¡°I simply can¡¯t think of a reason to ever stop loving you!¡±


    He had been so kind to her and done so many things for her. He had found her when she was at rock


    bottom, yet he was still willing to love her unreservedly. How could she ever stop loving such a man?


    Without her realizing it, her love for him had already grown deep and profound.


    Unbeknownst to her, though, those words of hers only made him feel gloomier


    No reason to stop loving him? But there was precisely such a reason!


    ¡°Love me,¡± he beseeched her, looking at her with pleading eyes, with eyes that spoke of intense


    longing and attachment.¡± Love me till you simply can¡¯t leave me, okay?¡±


    She was lost in his eyes. It felt like his gaze was a that pulled her in and trapped her whole body,


    leaving herpletely helpless and unable to struggle away, unable and unwilling to escape him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± was the only word that escaped her lips in a soft voice.


    The next thing she knew, he had already swept her off her feet and picked her up in his arms. He then


    carried her toward therge bed beside them before gently cing her down on it. He reached out his


    hand to caress her hair before once again. begging her, ¡°Serenity¡­ Please don¡¯t ever leave me¡­¡±


    Because he could no longer imagine how he would endure it if she ever left him! He just felt that when


    it came to Serenity, he could never be at ease. He would be anxious to have her when he was not with


    her, yet he would be worried sick of losing her when she was with him! He was never his usual self


    when he was with her!


    Serenity reached up both of her hands to hold his face then made the first move to kiss him on his lips


    herself.


    ¡°Never,¡± she promised him. ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you¡­¡±


    All she wanted to do was shower this man with as much love as she could!


    The morning light shone through her eyelids, waking her up and forcing her to open her eyes while still


    in a sleepy daze.


    She was still so sleepy! It felt like she had not gotten much sleep at allst night!


    The first thing she say was that familiar ceiling. Shey there staring nkly at it for a while before


    suddenly remembering what had happenedst night. The thought immediately made her blush.


    Fortunately, the sun was now high in the sky, and Jackson had already gone to work.

 Chapter 674

    Chapter 674


    Chapter 674


    Serenity dragged her sore body into the bathroom and took a quick shower. She was about to go


    downstairs when her phone rang. It was a call from Lte.


    As soon as she picked it up, she heard her cousin¡¯s voice ask, ¡°Are you free today, Serenity? I¡¯ve got


    something to talk to you in person about.¡±


    Serenity considered it for a moment then answered, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s meet up.¡±


    What a coincidence. Serenity was just thinking about asking Lte about Locas¡¯s nickname and


    asking her why she had said she used to talk to Serenity about saving Lucas when they were younger.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Afterward, when the two met up, the first thing Serenity noticed when she saw Lte was how she


    was wearing expensive designer brands from head to toe in thetest style,plete with a pair of


    seven inch high stilettos, and how she was carrying a handbag made of crocodile skin. Her hair was


    luxuriously curled, her face was delicately made up, and she was even wearing a pair of sunsses.


    At a nce, she looked just like all the rich socialites in Sria. Who would have thought that this


    same woman was just an ordinary housewife from a small town nearby not too long ago?


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here, Serenity!¡±


    Lte walked up to her cousin, took off her sunsses, and smiled


    ¡°Come to think of it,¡± she said, ¡°we haven¡¯t gotten together like this a long time ago, haven¡¯t we, Sis?


    I¡¯m moving to Sna soun, so I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get more chances to meet up in the future!¡±


    Serenity stared at Lte. She knew that her cousin had not invited her out today out of sisterly love.


    In fact, they had never been close even when they were young, much less now when they were both


    grown up.


    She even heard that after she was sentenced in prison, Lte had often made fun of her about it in


    the small town.


    ¡°If you have anything to say to me,¡± she told Lte, ¡°just go ahead and say It.¡±


    The smile on Lte¡¯s face stiffened. She quietly took her seat and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt with you,


    then. I asked you out today because I wanted to talk to you about Laras.¡±


    Serenity pricked up her ears. It truly had been a marvelous coincidence.


    ¡°You acted out of line the other day, Serenity. How could you call Lucas by his nickname out of the


    blue? You¡¯re Jackson Valor¡¯s girlfriend now, so you shouldn¡¯t be acting so friendly with Locas anymore.


    It could¡¯ve easily led to a misunderstanding!


    ¡°Have you really told me about saving Lucas before when we were young?¡± Serenity asked, being just


    as frank in voicing her suspicions as Lte had been with her opinions. ¡°Also, did you really mention


    his nickname to me as well?¡±


    Lte froze in shock. She tried ber best to suppress the terror welling up inside of her as she


    defensively replied, ¡°What kind of questions are these? Are you using me of lying to you?¡±


    ¡°All I want to know,¡± Serenity persisted, ¡°Is that if you had truly told me all those things, why don¡¯t I


    remember it at all?¡± ¡°Because we were children!¡± Lte answered. ¡°Children say silly things all the


    time! How many people can actually remember the things they heard when they were young? We


    forget must of it, anyway! Or are you iming that you can remember every conversation we had when


    we wereils?!


    ¡°So,¡± Serenity¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, ¡°it was really you who saved Laras Gonex¡¯s life back then?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Lte snapped angrily, seemingly alfended that she was daulted. ¡°How could you even


    question it?¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell me again exactly how you saved his life?¡±


    Although she was irritated by the question, Lte still recounted the story to Serenity, then added, ¡°It


    happened so many years ago now that I must¡¯ve forgotten some fine details about it, but that was more


    or less how it happened. I¡¯ve told you everything you wanted to know now, and since you¡¯ve already


    got Jackson Valor, I hope you¡¯ll keep a distance from Lucas from now on.¡±


    Serenity eyed her cousin coldly.

 Chapter 675

    Chapter 675


    With her chin raised haughtily, Lte told Serenity, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to be blunt with you now¨CI won¡¯t he


    and say that I¡¯m not at all touched to find out that Lucas had been looking for me all these years, and


    now that I¡¯m divorced, I have every right to pursue my own happiness. I¡¯m aware that you and Lucas


    knew each other before, and I¡¯ve heard that he mistook you for me for a while, but in the end, you¡¯re


    still not me, aren¡¯t you? So I hope that you¡¯ll be more careful with your words and behavior from now


    on. It will be best for everyone that way.¡±


    Lately, Lte would get dressed up by a professional stylist every day, and with this kind of help, she


    managed to look like a celebrity even though her looks had been ordinary at best, and naturally, her


    self¨Cconfidence had soared ever since.


    She now felt that the reason why she looked so in and ordinary in the past was simply because she


    had not dressed herself up very well. As long as she wore nice clothes and put on good makeup, she


    would never look any less attractive than any of Lucas¡¯s previous girlfriends.


    She then red at Serenity and added, ¡°t hope you¡¯ll never get in the way of my happiness, Serenity,


    otherwise, I won¡¯t show you any sympathy even if we¡¯re cousins!¡±


    She absolutely would never let anyone get in her way. She had to seize this opportunity and climb to


    the top!


    Another night, another simr dream¡­ This time, she still could not make out the little boy¡¯s face, hut


    she was holding his hand as tightly as she could, and the two of them were using up all the strength in


    their tiny bodies to climb up.


    If they were to stumble and fall from such a steep slope, they knew that they would be crippled or


    seriously injured even if the fall did not kill them. The boy¡¯s body trembled as if utterly exhausted, but


    the girl kept on encouraging him to keep moving.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never let go of you,¡± the girl assured him. ¡°Just keep going a little longer and we¡¯ll get up there! L. I¡¯ll


    definitely get you up there, so don¡¯t give up just yet!¡±


    ¡°You promise you won¡¯t let go of me?¡± the boy asked timidly.


    ¡°I promise,¡± the girl replied, her voice firm with determination


    The tiny figures almost slipped down the hill several times, but eventually, the girl managed to drag the


    little boy up to a safer ce, where they almost instantly copsed.


    ¡°See?¡± The little girl grinned. ¡°I told you I¡¯d get you up here!¡±


    The boy was so exhausted that he justy on the dirt, muttering, ¡°I. I can¡¯t move anymore¡­


    ¡°But you must move!¡± the girl urged. ¡°We have to go down the hill as quickly as we can or the bad guys


    will catch us!¡±


    They then struggledboriously up to their feer, but as soon as the boy stood up, he yelped in pain and


    fell heavily to the ground again


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    ¡°Luke!¡± The girl rushed up towards him in panic. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Luke¡­¡±


    ¡°Luke¡­¡±


    Serenity let out a low groan even as she was still asleep. Jackson, who was lying beside her, was so


    shocked that his pupils shrank as he stared at her lips and heard her mumble the words that made him


    shudder to the core


    ¡°Luke¡­ What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay¡­?


    Jackson pursed his lips till they appeared as a thin line. His whole body started to shake. The shaking


    got so severe that no matter how hard he tried to restrain it, he still would not stop shaking. The next


    moment, a suffocating fear engulfed his whole being and trapped him inside it, making it hard for him to


    even breathe!


    What exactly¡­ was she dreaming about?! Why would she call out the name Luke?l

 Chapter 676

    Chapter 676


    Chapter 676


    When Serenity suddenly opened her eyes, she realized that she had been dreaming about the little boy


    and little girl again, but this time, she had woken up as soon as the boy fell to the ground!


    She looked up, and her eyes met with Jackson¡¯s familiar pair of eyes, but in that instant, his eyes


    looked dark and gloomy, like a deep bottomless sea


    ¡°Were you dreaming just now?¡± he asked softly, but his voice sounded so distant.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she nodded. She nced at the clock on the wall and discovered that it was already two in the


    morning. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he replied. ¡°I couldn¡¯t go to sleep just now. What were you dreaming about? You look so pale


    Serenity was about to answer him, but she suddenly realized at thest moment that she had no idea


    what to say. Should she tell him about the girl and the boy in her dreams, and that she thought that the


    boy was probably Lucas Gomez?


    Jackson had always hated the fact that Lucas always mistook Serenity for a girl he was looking for, and


    in fact, even she still could not wrap her head around the reason why she would dream about all these


    things¡­ Could it really be because Lte had told her about saving Lucas when they were little?


    Could that really be the reason why she had been having these dreams? But then why was she the


    little girl in the dreams herself?!


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± she gently shook her head. ¡°Just an insignificant dream that meant nothing in particr¡±


    Just an insignificant dream?! Jackson¡¯s eyshes trembled a little as he stated, ¡°Your forehead is


    covered in sweat.¡±


    As he spoke, he reached out his hand to touch her forehead.


    ||


    It was then that Serenity noticed how damp her forehead was and how even her palms and her back


    were soaked in sweat.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    But in the next moment, she noticed Jackson¡¯s hand stop before it touched her forehead and no longer


    moved any closer to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, startled.


    By that point, Jackson¡¯s face seemed to be contorted with pain. He seemed to struggle as he tried to


    curl up his fingers and withdraw his hand away from her. Serenity grabbed it suddenly and discovered


    that it was trembling.


    ¡°Why is your hand shaking?¡± she asked, but then immediately discovered that his hand was not the


    only part of his body that was shaking¨Chis whole body was.


    In a panic, she asked him, ¡°Jack, what¡¯s wrong?! You¡¯re shaking like a leaf!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he replied, taking a breath. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine after a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m calling the driver to take you to the hospital now!¡±


    Still worried sick about Jackson, she quickly picked up her phone to call the driver who was also


    staying in the Valor Residence, but before she could dial the number, he suddenly hugged her from


    behind.


    He wrapped both his arms tightly around her body and burled his face deep in the crook of her neck.


    His warm breath enveloped her neck, each breath so heavy that she could even feel its weight on her


    shankler.


    ¡°Let go of me, Jark. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital, so you..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine,¡± bemured. ¡°I don¡¯t need to go to the hospital. I just need to stay this way for a while¡­


    hugging you like this.. then I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s face was full of doubts, but e still let him have his way and stayed in that position without


    moving, letting him continue to hug her.


    But the squeeze of the arms around her was beginning to get tighter and tighter, and along with the


    violent shaking, his embrace was starting to put her in a lot of pain.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± she gasped.


    His body stiffened, then with a hoarse apologetic voice, he murmured, ¡°I¡¯m surry. Am I hurting you?


    Can you endure it for a while? Please just let me hug you a little longer.¡±


    He thought that perhaps the only way he could gradually calm himself down from the intense panic he


    was feeling just now was to hold her close to him like this for a while, to make sure that she stayed


    here by his side and not leave him.

 Chapter 677

    Chapter 677


    He never thought a single sentence from her would cause him to fall into restless panic.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± asked Serenity. She wasn¡¯t bothered by how tightly he squeezed her. All she


    was concerned with was


    his abnormal behavior.


    Thankfully, his trembling body gradually calmed down. At the very least, he wasn¡¯t shaking as profusely


    as before.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling slightly better.¡± mummured Jackon as he remained clinging to her.


    For him to descend into this state because of her, it turned out she had more influence on him than he


    imagined.


    It was only after a while did his tremblinge to a stop. As he released her from his arms, he nced


    at her and asked, ¡°It must¡¯ve hurt, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it didn¡¯t hurt at all. My tolerance for pain is pretty high,¡± replied Serenity. After all, this pain was


    nothingpared to the hell that she had been through while serving her sentence.


    As if he was reminded of something unpleasant, his gaze darkened. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m fine now, so don¡¯t


    worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Right, what on earth happened just now?¡± asked Serenity anxiously. If she didn¡¯t get to the bottom of


    this, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep that night.


    ¡°It was probably..¡± Jackson paused mid¨Csentence. ¡°I had a terrible nightmare, that¡¯s why I was


    shakding so badly.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s eyes were wide open with disbelief. So, like her, he was having a nightmare as well? Still,


    she was surprised to find out that he was capable of reacting so strongly to nightmares


    ¡°Was it really scary?¡± she asked out of curiosity.


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°I think so?¡°.


    ¡°I forgot about the dream after waking up. The only thing I remember is the deep fear all over my body.¡±


    For Jackson, hearing her call out to ¡°Luke¡± was a terrible nightmare in itself.


    Did she dream of Lucas? Why did he appear in her dream? Did that mean she was still in love with that


    man?


    Even though he had tried his best to stop them from recognizing each other, even with Lte acting


    as her substitute, it was still far from enough to sever the string of fate that tied them together!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. It¡¯s just 2 am., so you should go back to sleep,¡± urged Jackson.


    ¡°Then what about you? Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± asked Serenity with a worried voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point? I won¡¯t be able to fall asleep anyway.¡±


    Jackson was about to get out of bed when he felt her tug his arm. Slightly surprised, Jackson was


    guided back into bed where she rested against his body. Then, she began patting his body as if


    coaxing a child to sleep.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try this? Maybe you¡¯ll be able to fall asleep,¡± she suggested.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Jackson was caught entirely by surprise. ¡°So, you¡¯re treating me like a kid now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen kids fall asleep really fast when you pat them like this. There¡¯s no harm in trying, right? Who


    knows, maybe you¡¯ll. be knocked out before you know it. Why don¡¯t you try shutting your eyes?¡±


    After a brief pause, Jackson followed her instruction and closed his eyelids.

 Chapter 678

    Chapter 678


    Chapter 678


    Serenity continued patting him gently to sleep. She whispered to him softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, now. No


    more nightmares, I¡¯m right here.¡±


    Jackson was taken aback. Was she really going to treat him like a baby?


    1. k. Was she reall


    Despite what he felt, the lingering fear in his heart started to melt away with each pat. Like a luby, her


    gentle voice brought back the drowsiness.


    It seemed that with her next to him, he had nothing to fear¡­.


    When he least expected it, Jackson was knocked out cold.


    Serenity stopped when she heard the steady rhythm of his breathing ¡°Jack?¡± she called out gently.


    No response. He was fast asleep.


    Only then did she let out a sigh of relief. It was only when he had fallen asleep did the knot between his


    brows went away. The peaceful expression on his face reminded her of an angel.


    At this moment, he was the pr opposite of how people perceived him outside.


    Or perhaps, he only appeared like an angel to her.


    As for the dream she had had about the little boy and the little girl, before she could figure out the truth,


    she would keep it a secret to avoid arousing his suspicion.


    At the very least, she had to find out whether this dream came from listening to her cousin¡¯s story, or


    was it because of something else?!


    It didn¡¯t take long for the media to start covering Lte¡¯s supposed rtionship with Lucas,


    Thanks to his influence, no media outlet dared to dig too deep into her background. Even if they found


    something newsworthy, they knew better than to report it.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t stop the masses from specting that she was his new girlfriend.


    There were also many who thought otherwise for a few reasons. Firstly, Lucas had never


    acknowledged her as his romantic partner, choosing to refer to her as only his friend. Secondly, she


    was much less attractivepared to the girlfriends he had had in the past.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    While she looked passable after dressing up, this was primarily thanks to the makeup artist.


    For a while, theories started popping up like mushrooms after the rain.


    This only ced more pressure on Lte. She hoped to be Lucas¡± girlfriend, but since she had


    just gone through a divorce, she couldn¡¯t move too quickly to avoid tarnishing his impression of her.


    And so, she casually mentioned to him over a meal, ¡°By the way, have you seen the newstely? I¡¯m


    surprised so many people are asking if I¡¯m your girlfriend or not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it¡¯s causing you trouble. I¡¯ll rify our rtionship with the journalists again,¡± replied


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t find it troubling at all,¡± said Lte hastily. ¡°I¡¯m single right now, and no one¡¯s pursuing me


    at the moment, so I¡¯m not particrly bothered by it. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    She bit her lip liesitantly. ¡°I saw thements online saying you change partners every year and that


    you¡¯re always finding a substitute. They even said¡­ that I was just another substitute. Could you


    exla what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lucas stared at her face nkly.

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    Chapter 679


    Although his eyes were looking at her, his gaze appeared to be looking through her. Just who was he


    looking to substitute?


    There was a time when he kept imagining what the little girl would look lilor after she had grown up.


    The women that he dated would more or less bear some semnce to that imaginary woman.


    However, Serenity wasn¡¯t the one who had saved him all those years ago. It was actually Lte, the


    lady sitting before him.


    He had seen her photos from when she was around 8 or 9. Sure enough, she looked a lot like the girl


    from his memories.


    However, the grown¨Cup Lte waspletely unlilor what she used to look like. She shared simr


    facial features with Serenity, especially their eyebrows and jaw, but he could still easily tell these two


    people apart.


    What¡¯s more, the aura they gave off waspletely different.


    ¡°Luras?¡±


    The sound of Lte¡¯s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re not a substitute,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then.. were you really looking for a substitute back then? Or is it just gossip by the media?¡± asked


    Lte as she feigned. innocent curiosity.


    Being a seasoned veteran in the showbiz industry, Lucas easily saw through her facade.


    It looked like time changes everything, including one¡¯s personality. Heughed at himself pathetically.


    After spending years thinking and longing for this person, he felt incredibly disappointed when they


    finally met.


    The girl used to be someone with an indomitable sense of justice, someone who held his hand tightly


    when faced with danger. Could she really have turned into someone who was willing to put money over


    her dignity?


    However, from his investigation and based on Lte¡¯s old photographs and personal ounts,


    everything seemed consistent. He had no choice but to ept this reality.


    Perhaps he was being too persistent or maybe he was overly obsessed, but his heart felt like a


    stagnant pool. All of a sudden, he seemed to have lost the purpose of his life.


    ¡°Alright, here are the documents for your college admission. You can go through the registration


    procedures tomorrow,¡± said


    Lucas


    ¡°ch, got it.¡±


    Lte epted the documents, but she was still dissatisfied with his response. She asked again,


    ¡°The thing about you and substitutes, is it true?¡±


    Lucas responded by pursing his lips. He stared firmly at her with his pitch¨Cck eyes.


    A sense of guilt rose up in her heart instantly.


    ¡°You saved my life, and I¡¯m thankful for that. That¡¯s why I¡¯m willing to help you now. However, I still think


    there are some boundaries you need to respect.¡±


    Both his tone and facial expression remained indifferent. The level of alienation in his eyes shocked


    Lte.


    It was at this point that she realized that although she had seeded in Impersonating the person he


    was looking for, Lacas was not an ordinary person.


    His status in the showbiz industry was well¨Ccarned.


    His eyes seemed to be capable of seeing through hier lies. What he had sald earlier was a warning for


    her to troul carefully. He was only willing to talk to her and help her out because she had saved his life


    mure.


    Should the daye when he found out that she had lied to him. Lte didn¡¯t dare to imagine what


    would happen to her.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 680

    Chapter 680


    Chapter 680


    Perhaps when that day arrived, she would meet a terrible demir.


    Lte¡¯s heart trembled at the thought of that possibility. However, now that she had embarked down


    this path, there was no turning back.


    No matter what, she had to cling to Lucas firmly. As long as he didn¡¯t discover the truth, she would


    continue to have someone as strong as him backing her up!


    Jackson brought Serenity to the detention center, where they met Yuri Volkov,


    He appeared to be a slightly overweight man in his 40s. To her, he was aplete stranger.


    A stranger he may be, but he had caused her so much misery!


    If it weren¡¯t for him, she would not have had to spend three years behind bars and endure so much


    agony. She would have still been an attorney with a bright future, pursuing a career that she had fought


    touth and nail for!


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Serenity thought that she would never be able to see this man even when she arrived at the


    courthouse. After all, he had run off to some foreignnd.


    To her surprise, here he was, sitting in the detention center.


    When Yurt caught sight of Jackson and Serenity, his face was immediately stricken with fear. He got up


    and groveled desperately at her feet. ¡°Ms. Lewis, I¡¯m sorry! I was the one who hurt you! I¡¯m willing to


    ept whatever punishment the judge decides to give me, so please forgive me!¡±


    Serenity stared down at the man with a surprised look.


    She wondered if he even felt remotely guilty when he used her as a scapegoat back then. His decision


    had altered her life yet here he was on his knees, begging for her forgiveness.


    Serenity unconsciously took a few steps back, clearly indicating her refusal to ept his apology.


    Jackson wrapped his arm around her waist ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I need to get some fresh air. This ce is making me sick.¡±


    Her facial expression was terrible at the moment.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he replied before apanying her out of the room.


    It wasn¡¯t until they walked over to a tree in an open space that Serenity took a few deep breaths. She


    never expected to react This way when she finally found the perpetrator.


    What¡¯s more, she originally came with the intention of asking Yuri a few questions. However, the


    moment she saw him kneeling before her, she struggled to bring the words to her mouth.


    At that moment, all she could feel was disgust.


    How could someone possibly possess such a despicable personality? To cover himself, he was willing


    to resort to tricks and underhanded tactics that ruined a person¡¯s life. Now that he was finally brought to


    justice, how dare he ask her for forgiveness?!


    Forgiveness?! Preposterous!


    What, did he expect she would forgive him like that? Just because he had gotten on his knees? Just


    because he had apologized?!


    How could that man utter such words so easily?!


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± asked Jackson.


    ¡°Much better.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯ve always wanted to meet him? Why did you storm out so quickly?¡±


    ¡°I just think it¡¯s absurd that he expects forgiveness despite the things he had done. The only person in


    this world who forgive him must be a saint!¡±

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    Chapter 681


    Jackson¡¯s eyes glimmered. ¡°It may be true that he hurt you, but he¡¯s having a hard time too. If it wasn¡¯t


    for his cooperation, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to catch him so soon. He returned from abroad and


    surrendered himself to the authorities after learning that the authorities had resumed their investigation


    on this case,¡±


    Of course, he deliberately left out the extreme measures he had taken to ensure that Yuri surrendered


    himself to the


    authorities.


    ¡°A hard time?¡± sneered Serenity. ¡°So what if he¡¯s having a hard time? Am I supposed to feel bad for


    him now? It¡¯s like asking a murder victim to forgive her murderer. Don¡¯t you find it absurd? It¡¯s a miracle


    that I survived my prison sentence. Had I died in that ce, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand before


    him today!¡±


    Every word she said hurt his heart like a whip. For a moment, he found it hard to breathe.


    ¡°So¡­ you will never forgive him, is that right?¡± murmured Jackson.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I will never forgive a person who hurt me so deeply!¡± replied Serenity, who failed to notice


    Jackson¡¯s odd reaction.


    The overflow of emotions was a result of the pain she had endured over the years. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he


    has the audacity to ask for forgiveness! Doesn¡¯t he feel shame?! If things could be resolved so easily,


    what¡¯s the point of havingws? I¡¯m not gonna forgive him, and I never will! Not after he wrecked my


    entire life!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Jackson wrapped his arms tightly around Serenity. ¡°Not a word more, okay? If you want to


    see him, then so be it. If you want him to be punished, then I¡¯ll make sure he gets that!¡±


    Whatever she wanted, he could do it, as long as Serenity stopped talking!


    If she ever found out the truth, the words she said today would not be directed at Yuri, but at himself!


    Back then, if only he had had an ounce of sympathy for her, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.


    Serenity sobbed in his arms. ¡°Jack, why are humans so cruel? How could you send someone to hell for


    your own sake? Even if it¡¯s true that he volunteered toe back and stand in the trial, it will never be


    enough to give me my life back!¡±


    Unless they could turn back time, even if Yuri was sentenced to life behind bars, to her, it only served to


    soothe the anger in her heart. Other than that, it was all meaningless..


    Jackson felt his clothes get wet again. He knew it was because of her tears.


    For three years, she had been crying.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    And now, all he could do was to help overturn her case and restore her so¨Ccalled innocence.


    As for the rest, he simply could not give it to her. He had to keep it a secret from her!


    ¡°The cruelty of man is beyond your imagination.¡±


    In his heart, Jackson swore to make up for the suffering he had put her through. That was why he


    prayed for her forgiveness.


    He wanted her to forgive him!


    He just¡­ loved her too much!


    In the evening at the detention center, in the same interview room, Yuri nced at Jackson hesitantly.


    In the past, he used to think that Serenity was just a doll that people could manipte easily. Even


    though she used to be Zeke¡¯s girlfriend, she had little power or influence. Worse, the Shaws had


    abandoned her to avoid offending the Halls or the Valors.


    That exined why he had chosen Serenity as his scapegoat.


    However, he never expected that Jackson would stand up for her.


    Aside from the incident involving Mira, these two weren¡¯t supposed to cross paths at all.

 Chapter 682

    Chapter 682


    Chapter 682


    ¡°Mr. Valor, I did as you instructed, so please let me live!¡± pleaded Yuri nervously.


    Jackson¡¯s gaze was dark This man was one of the main culprits behind Serenity¡¯s wrongful conviction.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t say a word about what happened, I¡¯ll let you keep your life.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Yuri let out a sigh of relief.


    If given a choice, he would have stayed abroad and never surrendered himself to the authorities. He


    had only done so under Jackson¡¯s coercion


    Even when it came to someone who was hiding abroad, Jackson had many ways to assert his


    influence.


    ¡°Then, my family ¡°Yuri spoke with a panicky tone,


    ¡°Your family doesn¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done, and I won¡¯ty a finger on them. However-¡± Jackson¡¯s


    abrupt pause brought back Yurl¡¯s fear ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to pay a steep price for Serenity¡¯s wrongful


    conviction all those years ago.¡±


    Yuri was about to protest when Jackson rose from his seat abruptly as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered to


    hear what he had to say. ¡± Mr. Volkov, I¡¯m not the one who spared your life. For that, you¡¯ll have to


    thank Serenity. Had it not been for her, you wouldn¡¯t be here talling to me right now.¡±


    A look of panic shed across Yuri¡¯s eyes. Naturally, he knew what Jackson was implying.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a final reminder. It¡¯s best to leave things unsaid. Otherwise, you¡¯re gonna suffer a fate worse


    than imprisonment. I can vouch for that!¡± After issuing his final warning, Jackson left the interview room.


    Yuri found himself drenched in cold sweat the moment he heard that.


    He knew that if Jackson felt like torturing him, he had countless methods at his disposal. Even if he


    sought shelter abroad, he¡¯d be hunted down relentlessly.


    The best thing he could do now was toply with his instructions.


    At that point, a gut feeling told Yuri that Jackson wasn¡¯t going to just stop at him. He would also be


    going after the rest who were involved in the plot.


    Yuri Volkov was merely step number one.


    ¡±


    Serenity returned to her hometown to attend her grandmother¡¯s funeral ceremony, where she bumped


    into Lte again.


    For some reason, she seemed to be deliberately avoiding her. Throughout the entire event, they hardly


    spoke to each other.


    However, Serenity didn¡¯t suspect anything in particr. After all, they weren¡¯t at odds with each other.


    Not to mention, she still had doubts about the dreams she had been having.


    However, those dreams had gone away for the past few nights.


    Just as they were about to leave town, Serenity asked Jackson, ¡°There¡¯s a ce I¡¯d like to visit. Is it


    okay if I go there before we leave?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he replied, ¡°Where would you like to go?¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Their car came to a stop in front of a hill, and Jackson remained dead silent. Thanks to his


    investigation, he knew about the


    woods behind this hill too.


    Although it was just a hill, the vegetation was thick and littered with prickly thorns. There were also


    parts of the terrain that were extremely steep. Each year, a variety of fatalities reportedly urred here.


    More importantly, this was where Lucas and Serenity had first met!


    The person whom Lucas had been searching high and low for was the little girl who had saved him


    from this hazardous ce!

 Chapter 683

    Chapter 683


    Chapter 683


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with this ce?¡± asked Jackson, whose voice had grown hoarse all of a sudden.


    ¡°When I was young, I often came here to y!¡± said Serenity. ¡°Although the adults said this ce was


    dangerous and forbade us from ying here, I still snuck up the hillside. At the time, I felt like I was a


    true adventurer!¡±


    Compared to her, Lte wasn¡¯t particrly fond of ying here.


    ¡°You were a kid, after all,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°Back then, I thought I¡¯de across some ground¨Cbreaking secret here, like a treasure chest, a UFO,


    or maybe a time machine. Sounds silly, doesn¡¯t it?¡± she asked.


    Perhaps in an adult¡¯s eyes, the woods beyond the hill were not that big. However, to a child, it was


    practically a whole new world to explore.


    ¡°No, I find it incredibly adorable,¡± said Jackson. ¡°But now that you¡¯ve grown up, you realize that this is


    just another hillside. Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m worried that it¡¯ll be quitete by the time we return to


    Sria.¡±


    Serenity nodded, but she gave this ce one final look before she left.


    The moment she turned back, unbeknownst to her, Jackson clenched his fists tightly, and a strange


    look shed across his


    eyes.


    ***


    When Jenny left the set, she found herself ambushed by a reporter.


    ¡°Ms. Hall, how do you feel about your fiance, Zeke Shaw¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend, Serenity Lewis, who has just


    been acquitted by the court today?¡±


    Jenny stopped in her tracks and stared back at the reporter in disbelief. ¡°What did you just say?!¡±


    The reporter repeated his question hastily. This piece of news had yet to reach the outside world.


    However, that reporter had friends working in the court, which was why he had managed to get hold of


    this information.


    Serenity¡¯s re¨Ctrial was kept a secret from the outside world. In other words, this was actually an inside


    scoop.


    The reporter grew increasingly excited when he thought of this.


    Jenny¡¯s facial expression changed in an instant. Overturned? Did Serenity really manage to overturn


    her conviction?! When Jenny heard Yuri¡¯s name from the reporter, her facial expression soured even


    more. She hadn¡¯t heard of this name for more than three years.


    And yet, the reporter told her that the court had scheduled to convict Yuri for issuing false allegations


    against Serenity.


    ¡°Ms. Hall, the death of your sister, Mira, had nothing to do with Serenity. As it turns out, she¡¯s actually a


    victim too. Will this affect your rtionship with Mr. Volkov? Also, you¡¯ve asserted on multiple asions


    that you¡¯ll never forgive Serenity. Do you n to apologize to her anytime soon?¡±


    The reporter¡¯s questions came in rapid session.


    With a frown, Jenny ignored the reporter and stormed up to her car. The reporter tried to chase after


    her but was swiftly blocked off by her assistant and bodyguards.


    When Jenny returned to her and Zeke¡¯s love nest, the man hadn¡¯te back yet.


    She then gave her father a call to confirm if the matter was true.


    After all, she had scoured the inte to find out about the acquittal, but she hade up empty¨C


    handed.


    An hourter, Quinton gave his daughter a call. ¡°The case really was overturned. Yuri Volkov was


    arrested half a month ago when he returned from abroad.¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 684


    ¡°But even if they¡¯re applying for the conviction to be overturned, it doesn¡¯t happen that fast! ording


    to how it normally


    goes.¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before Jenny could finish speaking, she was interrupted by her father. ¡°Don¡¯t forget who¡¯s on her side


    now!¡±


    Jenny went silent immediately. Right¡­ There was Jackson!


    The normal process was only reserved formo


    ¡°Okay, no matter what, once this news breaks out, we¡¯ll have toe up with our view on the matter.


    You mustn¡¯t offend the Valors because of this matter, do you understand?¡± asked Quinton to his


    daughter.


    Jenny almost snapped her phone in half when she heard that.


    When the charges had initially been read out, she had deliberately insulted Serenity and made a lot of


    noise while using her of murdering her sister.


    And yet, her father seemed to be asking her to issue a public apology to Serenity. How embarrassing


    would that be?!


    ¡°Do you hear me, Jenny?¡± Quinton¡¯s tone was surprisingly serious. ¡°Don¡¯t drag our family down!


    Remember, all I want is for our family tost forever!¡±


    Jenny took a deep breath before she answered, ¡°I understand!¡±


    After hanging up, she smashed her phone to the floor.


    Regardless of the circumstances, she still had to swallow her anger, Sooner orter, she would have to


    appear before the media and bow her head in apology to Serenity.


    Serenity stared at the court verdict in her hand. It felt surreal. Had they¡­ really managed to overturn


    her conviction? The crimes that had weighed down so heavily on her shoulders had finally been taken


    off her back.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that her case would be overturned so quickly?!


    At one point, she thought that she would break down in tears when she received this document. After


    all, this desire to restore her innocence had been constantly on her mind.


    In actuality, when she received her verdict, she felt sapped of all energy. All she wanted right now was


    a good night¡¯s sleep. Like an invisible shackle, the conviction had kept her locked up for far too long.


    Now that these shackles had been lost, she felt almost weightless.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± asked Jackson, who was staring a hole through the verdict.


    ¡°Quite the contrary, I¡¯m very happy!¡± said Serenity before letting out a long sigh. ¡°Maybe this is the


    happiest day I¡¯ve ever had since that incident. I just feel incredibly tired. I need to catch some sleep.


    Maybe after waking up, I¡¯ll be able to find the ¡®


    me¡® from before.¡±


    ¡°Then sleep tight,¡± said Jackson.


    Serenity nodded her head lightly then rested her head on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve been dered innocent,


    and they¡¯re going to restore my right to practice as an attorney. But¡­ after four whole years, I doubt I


    still remember the things I learned before. Do you think I can still be an attorney?¡±


    ¡°If you wish to do so, I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking if I should be awyer again!¡± said Serenity with a hopeful voice. ¡°I¡¯ve worked myself to the


    bone for so many years just to be awyer. Of course, I wish to do so!¡±


    Jackson remained silent. Then, Serenity whispered into his ear, ¡°Thank you, Jack¡­ if it weren¡¯t for you,


    maybe I¡¯d never be able to overturn my conviction. I¡¯m so lucky to have met you¡­¡±


    As her voice grew softer, she slowly shut her eyelids and fell asleep.

 Chapter 685

    Chapter 685


    Chapter 685


    Jackson lowered his head and gazed at her leaning on his shoulder. If she knew the truth, he


    wondered¡­. if she would still think the same about meeting him.


    Probably not.


    When Serenity was sound asleep, he gently picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. After


    cing her softly on the bed, he gently stroked her face and ran his fingers through her hair.


    ¡°Serenity, everything ends here, okay?¡±


    The truth of the case shall end here. As for her past with Lucas, that too ends here.


    No more pursuing these two matters. It was for the best.


    The sudden overturning of Serenity¡¯s conviction caught the inte by storm thanks to the reporters.


    For a while, a heated discussion went on.


    Back then, Serenity was merely a rookie attorney who was falsely used and convicted of a crime


    she didn¡¯tmit. The discussion focused more on her ex¨Cboyfriend, Zeke, and his current girlfriend,


    Jenny.


    The reporter who had broken the news had gone and interviewed Jenny about it, yet she wasn¡¯t even


    aware of the court¡¯s decision. What¡¯s more, she didn¡¯t express any opinions upon learning of the truth.


    That prompted inte users to bombard Jenny¡¯s social media for her opinion on the overturning of


    Serenity¡¯s conviction.


    Some even took clips from the press conference when Jenny dered that she would never forgive


    Serenity or the variety of nastyments she had made about her and shared them around the


    inte.


    Subsequently, Jenny issued a public statement that she had only learned of Serenity¡¯s wrongful


    conviction and rified that she had only made those statements because of the court¡¯s decision. She


    also indicated that she was willing to apologize to Serenity for the words she had said.


    Then, Jenny released a video of her public apology. It was a short video of her saying to the camera,


    ¡°Serenity, I apologize for the statements and remarks I made about you.¡±


    Apart from that, she said nothing more.


    Many thought that her apology was too simple.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    A part of the crowd thought that since Serenity had been innocent all this while, what Jenny had done


    was tantamount to stealing someone¡¯s romantic partner. They even went as far as to attack her for


    being cruel and kicking someone while they were down.


    On the other hand, Jenny¡¯s fans defended her adamantly. If anything, these people should me the


    people who had issued the wrong judgment, false witnesses, and Yuri Volkov, not Jenny.


    In short, the debate on the inte was rather passionate.


    There were some people who asked Zeke online if he would choose Serenity again now that she was


    proven innocent.


    Zeke responded personally to these questions. ¡°These things happened in the past. I just want to


    cherish what I have in the


    present.¡±


    It was only after reading the news that Lisa found out her best friend had been acquitted. Without dy,


    she rang up her friend. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about your acquittal?!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask to meet up tomorrow? I was nning to break it to you then!¡± replied Serenity.


    ¡°Well, you should¡¯ve said it sooner! If it weren¡¯t for the news, I wouldn¡¯t even know about it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that your happiness will be in vain if it doesn¡¯t work out in the end.¡±


    Serenity knew how much Lisa had done for her, so she didn¡¯t want to trouble her anymore with her own


    affairs.

 Chapter 686

    Chapter 686


    Chapter 686


    ¡°What are you saying? I thought we agreed that we¡¯d be friends for life. From now on, there¡¯s no need


    for you to hide things from me. I don¡¯t want to be a friend who gets updates about you from the news


    rather than from you in person,¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°Got it,¡± answered Serenity, who was on the brink of tearing up.


    Lisa had always been like this. Once you were chosen as a friend, she would be loyal to the end.


    The next day, when they met up, Lisa got to know the details of Serenity¡¯s wrongful conviction,


    including how Yuri was the mastermind behind this.


    ¡°I never thought that someone could frame another person just because they didn¡¯t want to be


    implicated,¡± said Lisa with a gasp. ¡°But I¡¯m thankful that you¡¯ve finally proven your Innocence. So, what


    are you going to do next?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡±


    Serenity looked forward to the next chapter in her life, but she still hesitated.


    ¡°Are you going back to being an attorney?¡± asked Lisa.


    Serenity smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯ve been out of the profession for four years now, I don¡¯t know if I can start all


    over again. At this point, I can¡¯t even recall thews that I used to be so familiar with.¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a real pity if you don¡¯t be an attorney. Since there¡¯s no rush for you to find a new job, you


    can take your time and familiarize yourself with thew! I have faith in you!¡± said Lisa confidently.


    Truth be told, she had always admired Serenity¡¯s learning capacity.


    Serenity pondered for a moment and responded, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll familiarize myself with it first. After all, you¡¯ll


    never know unless you¡¯ve tried it.¡±


    Her license to practice as awyer was finally restored, so there was all the more reason to cherish the


    opportunity.


    ¡°Come to the bookstore with meter, I¡¯d like to buy thetestw journals,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Now that her friend was getting her act together, it went without saying that she had to give her full


    support.


    When they arrived at the bookstore, Serenity immediately headed for the section with legal publications


    and started browsing through the books. Speaking of books, it had been a while since she hadst


    come to this store. Before she went to prison, she was a frequent customer here. She woulde here


    once or twice a month, not only forw journals but also for magazines.


    Even though e¨Cbooks had be the norm nowadays, she still preferred the feeling of a physical


    book and jotting down annotations by hand.


    Being able toe here today made Serenity overwhelmed with emotions.


    Looking at the endlessw journals, Lisa felt a little bored. After all, she hadn¡¯t learned this back in


    university.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head over to the magazine section. After you¡¯ve chosen your books, you know where to find me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lisa hastily made her way to the magazine rack and flipped through magazines that wrote about her


    favorite celebrity while Serenity continued picking her books.


    Suddenly, a voice sounded, ¡°Are you¡­ Serenity Lewis?¡±


    Startled, Serenity turned to look at the person who had called out to her. He seemed to be a stranger,


    about 25 or 26 years old, and he was dressed casually.


    After confirming that he was talking to Serenity, he said, ¡°You must be Serenity! I saw your picture on


    the inte when Jenny Hall issued a public apology to you. Why didn¡¯t you respond to her apology? Is


    it that difficult to say something? What¡¯s more, Jenny only said those things because of the court¡¯s


    wrongful decision. In fact, I feel she doesn¡¯t have to apologize to you, but she¡¯s just too kind¡­¡±

 Chapter 687

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    Chapter 687


    The man would not stop talking, and everything he said was in defense of jenny Hall. He appeared to


    be a fan of Jenny Hall


    With a slight frown, Serenity grabbed the two books she picked out and walked over to the cash


    register to pay for them. She would look for Lisa after paying.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    However, the man would not back off. He kept pestering Serenity to announce to the public that she


    had forgiven Jenny. He even took out his phone to film Serenity.


    Serenity¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°You have no right to film me without my consent!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that because you feel guilty! It¡¯s my phone, I can film whatever I want with it! Why


    haven¡¯t you responded to Jenny¡¯s apology yet? Is it because you¡¯re looking to rekindle your rtionship


    with Zeke Shaw? That must be it, right?!¡±


    The man hurled usations at Serenity as if he was deliberately trying to get a reaction out of her.


    Serenity paid for her purchase in a hurry. She wanted to look for Lisa, but more and more people


    started crowding around her.


    Because of what the strange man said, those who did not recognize her at first now knew who she


    was.


    After all, Jenny¡¯s apology was a hot topic on the inte these days.


    ¡°It¡¯s Serenity Lewis!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the woman who won the appeal?¡±


    ¡°Poor thing. She went to jail for three years even though she¡¯s innocent. She even lost her rich


    boyfriend because of it. She must feel so miserable that she wants to die.¡±


    ¡°I thought she must be really beautiful since she¡¯s fighting for the same man as Jenny Hall, but she


    looks kinda in!¡±


    The surrounding onlookers talked about Serenity among themselves. Some even took out their phones


    to film her.


    Seeing more and more people crowding around her, Serenity had second thoughts about looking for


    Lisa. She did not want to drag Lisa into her trouble.


    Therefore, after thinking about it, she headed for the bookstore¡¯s exit instead. She would get out of


    here first and contact Lisater.


    The man who was the first to recognize Serenity became anxious when he saw her leave. He grabbed


    Serenity and said, ¡°Wait! You haven¡¯t answered my question yet! Are you trying to sabotage the


    rtionship between Jenny and Zeke Shaw? Is there something else you¡¯re hiding? If not, why


    wouldn¡¯t you respond to Jenny¡¯s apology?!¡±


    Serenity reflexively tried to sidestep his hand, but he was faster than she anticipated. His hand was


    merely inches away from her arm when it was suddenly caught by another hand.


    It was a nice¨Clooking hand that was slender, fair, and had well¨Cdefined bones.


    Serenity had only seen a few men with hands that looked as good as that. If her memory served her


    right, the hand should belong to¡­ Lucas Gomez!


    Serenity looked up and was met by the sight of Lucas Gomez¡¯s handsome face,


    Lucas twisted the weirdo¡¯s arm and pushed him to the side.


    ¡°Aah!¡± The man squealed in pain.


    Someone in the crowd instantly recognized Lucas. ¡°It¡¯s the Prince! The Prince of the Gomez family!¡±

 Chapter 688

    Chapter 688


    Chapter 688


    There were already a lot of people gathered around Serenity, but because of his shout, even more


    wereing over.


    With a slight frown, Lucas led Serenity to a car that was parked nearby and drove away after they got


    into the car.


    The gathered crowd could only stare as the car drove off. They started to gossip about the rtionship


    between Serenity and


    Lucas.


    In the car, Serenity told Lucas, ¡°Thanks for that. You can just put me down somewhere nearby.¡±


    However, Lucas did not stop the car. Instead, he asked, ¡°What happened back there?¡±


    ¡°A stranger recognized me. After all, my sessful appeal became a hot topic online because of


    Jenny¡¯s apology,¡± Serenity said, ¡°Can you stop the car here and let me out? My friend is still in the


    bookstore. I have to meet up with her!¡±


    Lucas pursed his lips lightly. Eventually, he stopped the car at the side of the road.


    When Serenity tried to get off the car, Lucas grabbed her arm and said, ¡°We¡¯re only 300 meters away


    from the bookstore, so if you get off now, those people earlier might see you and surround you again.


    You should call your friend and ask her to meet you here.¡±


    Serenity hesitated but nodded in the end. She looked down at Lucas¡® hand which was still holding her


    arm.


    Lucas¡® grip tightened slightly, then slowly loosened up. After he let go, Serenity took out her phone from


    her bag and called


    Lisa.


    ¡°Lisa, I ran into a little trouble earlier, so I left the bookstore. I¡¯m now about 300 meters away from the


    bookstore in front of


    the Radiance Tower. Can youe over¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Lucas stared at Serenity, lost in thought.


    Earlier, when he drove past, he immediately recognized her among the crowd. It¡¯s funny how he could


    notice her at a nce. even though she was merely standing there in the crowd.


    Every time he saw her, he would lose control of his eyes, his heart, and the blood that flowed in his


    veins.


    At first, he thought she was the person he was looking for. He thought she would not be able to deny it


    any more once he found proof! But the more he searched for evidence, the more the evidence showed


    that it was someone else.


    The woman he should be treasuring was Lte, not Serenity!


    Even though he told himself that over and over again, when he saw Serenity in trouble, he still


    immediately got out of the car


    and went over to help her.


    The empty feeling in his hand kept getting stronger!


    Lucas slowly retracted his hand and let it hang by his side. ¡°When are you and Jackson getting


    married? I¡¯ll definitely attend the marriage with a generous gift. You¡¯re Lte¡¯s cousin after all.¡±


    Serenity replied, ¡°Probably next year. I want to mourn my grandmother for a year first.¡± After a slight


    pause, she added, ¡°To be honest, you don¡¯t have to treat me differently just because of Lte. Lte


    and I may be cousins, but we¡¯re not that close. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever helped her in any way.¡±


    Lucas¡® lips almost pursed into a straight line. An awkward silence filled the car.


    Lucas¡® eyes eventuallynded on the twow¨Crted books resting on her thighs. ¡°You want to


    practicew again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it, but I don¡¯t know if I can still do it,¡± answered Serenity. However, the desire in her


    eyes betrayed how much she wanted to be awyer again.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Lucas fell into a trance. The person in front of him was obviously not the girl he was looking for, but why


    did she look so much like ¡°her¡°? The look in her eyes right now reminded him so strongly of the look in


    ¡°her¡± eyes back then.


    Back then, ¡°she¡± told him with a serious look in her eyes, ¡°I have the best grades in my ss. My


    grandmother said you can


    only get the job you want if you have good grade¡±

 Chapter 689

    Chapter 689


    Chapter 689


    ¡°What job do you want to do?¡± he asked her at the time. For him, everything came so easily. He never


    had to put in hard work to get anything he wanted.


    Some people were simply born with everything.


    Working was something that he had not even thought about.


    But this girl, who was a year or two younger than him, was already thinking about that kind of thing?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but I want to do something that can bring justice to the world. I want a job that will let


    me protect not only myself, but also the people I love!¡± she said in her childish voice.


    Justice?


    He was born in a prestigious family, so he grew up knowing that there was no such thing as absolute


    justice. The so¨Ccalled justice was sometimes just a lie.


    But her eyes were really serious, so he could not tell her that.


    After years had passed, when he finally found the little girl from back then, he found that Lte


    Blossom was not doing anything that would bring justice to the world. She no longer had that righteous


    look in her eyes.


    Instead, it was Serenity Lewis who had that look in her eyes. He could not help butugh at the irony.


    ¡°Do you want to be awyer again because it¡¯ll let you protect not only yourself, but also the people you


    love?¡± The question came out of his mouth so naturally.


    Serenity looked stunned. Then, a piercing pain assaulted her head. She suddenly heard a childish


    voice in her mind that said, Even if you don¡¯t do any job that can bring justice to the world, I can still


    protect you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one protecting you right now. Can you stand?¡±


    Pain¡­ Her head hurt again. Who did that voice belong to?


    Broken images shed through Serenity¡¯s mind, but she was unable to focus on those images no


    matter how hard she tried.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Serenity, what¡¯s wrong?¡± An anxious voice asked.


    She turned towards the voice and saw the blurry face of a little boy. The boy¡¯s face slowly merged with


    the face of the man in front of her.


    Her head¡­ still hurt¡­


    ¡®Who¡­ Who is he¡­¡®


    She wanted to see his face more clearly¡­


    Serenity raised her shaking hand and reached for Lucas¡® face as she mumbled, ¡°Luke¡°.


    The name instantly jolted Lucas back to his senses.


    The face of the woman in front of him was pale and her eyes looked as if she was in some kind of pain,


    but her hand was touching his cheek and she was calling him by a name that he had warned her not to


    use ever again!


    Lucas abruptly grabbed Serenity¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She let out a cry of shock and pain. Only then did she realize that her hand was touching his face.

 Chapter 690

    Chapter 690


    Chapter 690


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡± she apologized in a hurry as the pain on her wrist and in her head subsided.


    ¡°Why did you touch me? Also, why did you call me by that name? Serenity, do you really have no


    feelings for me at all?¡± He stared at her intensely.


    Her pale face turned red. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡±


    ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± He suddenlyughed. ¡°Then tell me, what kind of misunderstanding would make


    you call me by my nickname again and again and make you touch my face?¡±


    She bit her lower lip and could find no answer. She could only say, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. I won¡¯t do it


    again. I had a headache just now, so I mistook you for someone else.¡±


    ¡°Mistook me for someone else?¡± He hissed, ¡°You called me Luke!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only person in the world called Luke!¡± she retorted.


    She suddenly caught sight of Lisa nearby, so she told Lucas, ¡°My friend is here. I¡¯m getting off. Let me


    go.¡±


    Lucas stared at Serenity with fiery eyes. The tension in the air was almost palpable.


    A momentter, Lucas loosened his grip. Serenity hurriedly opened the door and got out of the car. She


    shouted at her best friend who was looking around for her, ¡°Lisa, over here!¡±


    Lisa looked over and, upon spotting Serenity, jogged over. She saw a luxury car driving away behind


    Serenity and was surprised to see that the driver looked suspiciously like¡­ Lucas Gomez!


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Serenity, was Lucas Gomez in the car behind you just now?¡± Lisa asked with a surprised face.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Serenity did not deny it.


    ¡°But you¡­ Howe you and Lucas Gomez¡­ And why did you suddenly leave the bookstore by


    yourself?¡± Lisa felt like a lot of things happened while she was flipping through magazines!


    Serenity told Lisa about what happened in the bookstore. Lisa cursed out the man who confronted and


    filmed Serenity and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe over to me? I would have kicked that guy!¡±


    ¡°If I did, the crowd would have filmed you too. Do you want to go viral too?¡± asked Serenity.


    ¡°But if you hadn¡¯t run into Lucas Gomez, you would have¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course I would have thought of something else. Enough about that. Let¡¯s go get some snacks,¡±


    Serenity held her best friend¡¯s arm and led her to a dessert shop nearby.


    After they ordered two sets of desserts, Serenity changed the topic, ¡°Let me ask you something. If you


    often dream about something that feels like it happened during your childhood but you have no


    memory of it ever happening, is it possible that you had the dream because you heard someone else


    talk about it and mistake it for your own experience when you were a


    child?¡±


    What?? Lisa was understandably confused. It took a while for her to understand the question.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of something like that. Maybe it actually is your own experience but you forgot about


    it? We see that all the time on TV,¡± said Lisa.


    ¡°You mean, like, amnesia?¡± Serenity was stunned.


    ¡°Yes, partial memory loss. You see it all the time in novels and on TV,¡± said Lisa, ¡°Maybe you can try


    hypnosis to help you remember, but it¡¯s best to consult a professional first!¡±


    Hypnosis? Serenity had a thoughtful look on her face. She wanted to figure out why she was having


    that dream!

 Chapter 691

    Chapter 691


    Chapter 691


    Jackson stared at the photos disyed on his phone screen. They were photos of Lucas Gomez


    pulling Serenity into a car.


    The photos had just been posted online and had already be a sensation.


    Many people were specting about the rtionship between Serenity and Lucas.


    Connor looked timidly at his boss, who was staring gloomily at the phone in his hand. He mustered up


    the courage to say, Err¡­ Mr. Gomez appeared too suddenly. The bodyguards who were protecting


    Miss Lewis in secret didn¡¯t even have time to


    react¡­¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes remained on the phone. He gripped the phone harder with every pa**ing second.


    ¡°Wipe these contents from the inte. I don¡¯t want to see them anymore.¡± A momentter, Jackson


    coldly gave the order.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor,¡± Connor immediately answered. He left the CEO¡¯s office after that.


    In the quiet office, Jackson gently stroked the figure of Serenity on the phone screen. His finger


    eventually stopped at her wrist that was being held by Lucas.


    Lucas led her forward, much like a scene in a painting he once saw.


    He recalled that when he was a child, he identally walked into Lucas¡® art studio and saw Lucas¡®


    paintings. In all the paintings, there was a little girl and a little boy.


    There was a painting of the little girl holding the little boy¡¯s hand as they traveled through a dense


    forest, and there was a painting of the little girl carrying the little boy on her back. Lucas never allowed


    anyone to look at those paintings, as if they were priceless treasures to him.


    The painting Jackson saw years ago depicted the little girl leading the little boy forward, while the photo


    on his phone showed Lucas leading Serenity forward.


    It was as if history was repeating itself.


    Was the thread of fate connecting those two really inseverable? Even though they missed out on each


    other over and over again,pletely unaware of their shared past, fate would still bring them back


    together?


    No! No matter what it took, he would never let that happen!


    Serenity could only long to him and him alone!


    A glint of malice a determination flickered in Jackson¡¯s eyes!


    Serenity was startled when she returned to the Valor Residence and turned on the light in her bedroom.


    Jackson was sitti: n the sofa in her room, looking straight at her with those beautiful eyes of his.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you turn on the light?¡± The curtains were all drawn up, so the room was pitch dark.


    ¡°I was thinking about something,¡± Jackson stood up and slowly approached Serenity with a faint smile.


    He took the twow books from her and asked, ¡°Did you buy these today?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want to refresh my memory and also read about thetest legal provisions and cases,¡±


    answered Serenity. Changes


    were made to the legal provisions almost every year, so even thewyers had to constantly update


    their knowledge.


    ¡°Is that all you did today?¡± Jackson¡¯s voice became increasingly softer.

 Chapter 692

    Chapter 692


    Chapter 692


    ¡°Something happened when I was in the bookstore, and then I ran into Lucas Gomez,¡± Serenity did not


    try to hide it from Jackson.


    After all, she did not want him to find out from someone else. It might cause misunderstanding.


    His eyesnded on her face, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°A guy kept filming me with his phone and wouldn¡¯t stop. A lot of people crowded around us. To help


    me, Lucas brought me to his car and drove me away. He put me down at a quiet spot a few hundred


    meters away from the bookstore, where I met up with Lisa.¡±


    She told him the gist of the story.


    ¡°Jack, I don¡¯t want you to misunderstand. Lucas simply happened to be there today. It was a total


    coincidence,¡± said Serenity.


    If there was anything different about her feelings towards Lucas, it was only because her strange


    dreams confused her.


    His eyshes fluttered gently. He then reached out and pulled her into his embrace, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna


    misunderstand because I know that the man you love the most is me. Right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she answered softly as she leaned against his chest and felt the warmth of his body, ¡°Jack,


    the only man I love is you.¡±


    His hands tightened around her slightly, ¡°Serenity, promise me you wouldn¡¯t fall in love with anyone


    else. I wouldn¡¯t be able to take it.¡±


    ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Serenity said with a smile. She tilted her chin, stood on tiptoes, and kissed him.


    ¡°Is there anyone in the world who loves me more than you do?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not. The person who loves you the most in this world is definitely me!¡± he replied and kissed


    her on the lips.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    He felt like he could never love her enough!


    Maybe his love for her would only end when he died.


    But he would never be like his father.


    His father¡¯s love w unrequited. In the end, he could only use death as a way to free himself from that


    hopeless love!


    Serenity was not his mother, and he was not his father.


    ¡°Tell me who you


    ,¡± she heard him say with a hint of urgency.


    She looked at hin rangely, seemingly a little confused as to why he would suddenly ask her that. How


    could he not know who she loved?


    ¡°Tell me, Serenity¡­¡± his eyes were pleading.


    As if the answe was very important to him.


    ¡°You!¡± she replied.


    ¡°And who am I?¡± he asked.


    The man his mother loved was the heir of the Valor family. Once his father left the Valor family and lost


    that status, his mother¡¯s love for his father also ceased.


    That was why she could leave without any hesitation. She did not even hesitate to abandon her own


    son. What about Serenity? What would be Serenity¡¯s answer?


    ¡°You¡¯re Jack. You¡¯re the Jack who¡¯s always by my side. You¡¯re the Jack who I want to love!¡± That was


    her answer!


    ¡°Just Jack?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just Jack.¡±


    He smiled. It was a beautiful smile. It was a smile that wasfortable and unencumbered, as if a


    huge weight had been lifted off his chest.

 Chapter 693

    Chapter 693


    Chapter 693


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ your Jack. I belong only to you,¡± he murmured and kissed her once again.


    To other people, he was the high and mighty Jackson Valor, but in front of her, he was just Jack who


    craved her love!


    He was so in love with her!


    He loved her so much that he was willing to let down his guardpletely and submit to her.


    All he wanted¡­ was for her to love him back!


    Lte Blossom stared at her phone in disbelief. She could no longer find the content that she was


    looking at a moment ago.


    Someone posted photos of Lucas holding Serenity¡¯s hand on the inte earlier. Those photos stung


    Lte.


    Lte was the one Lucas believed saved him when he was a child! Why would he still help Serenity


    and pull her into his car?


    In the photos, he showed Serenity a lot of concern!


    If Lucas knew that the person he was looking for was actually Serenity¡­ Lte did not even dare to


    think what would happen.


    Suddenly, she heard someone say, ¡°Why is she still staring at her phone? All thetest gossip about


    the Prince has been deleted from the inte. The Prince must have done it to protect that woman!¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Immediately, another person followed up with, ¡°Definitely. A certain someone actually thought she could


    marry into a rich family just because she saved the Prince when he was little. She should have more


    self awareness.¡±


    ¡°She really thought she could be a cultured person because she got into this university, but if it


    wasn¡¯t for the Prince, she couldn¡¯t even touch the entry requirement.¡±


    Lte turned around. The ones who were talking were her coursemates in the university.


    She had asked Lucas to enroll her in the university.


    It was a famous university for the social elites of Sria. The students were all children of rich and


    powerful people.


    Lte felt a bit out of ce there.


    Even though she was wearing designer clothes and carrying expensive limited¨Cedition bags, in the


    eyes of many students there, she was just a country bumpkin.


    She was naturally unhappy about that, so she desperately showed off her rtionship with Lucas to


    her coursemates and had even asked Lucas to pick her up from school a few times.


    Lucas obliged here had been at the university to pick her up a few times now, so most students in the


    university knew that she was Lucas Gomez¡¯s girlfriend by now.


    He was suppose toe pick her up today too. She had intentionally let that slip so that the whole


    ** knew about it.


    She naturally came the target of a lot of jealousy and envy because of that.


    However, not only did Lucas note, there was even news of him and Serenity online. Lte


    naturally became the target


    of ridicule.


    ¡°What? Did we say anything wrong?¡± When Lte¡¯s coursemate saw her looking over, she raised her


    chin arrogantly and said, ¡°Take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror. Do you seriously think you¡¯re


    worthy of being the Prince¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    Lte bit her lip and walked away. Outside the university, she took a cab to Lucas¡® private mansion.


    The servants at the mansion let her in.


    Lte saw Lucas in the living room. He was sitting on the sofa, holding a wine ** that was filled


    with red wine. There was an empty wine bottle in front of him next to another bottle of wine that was


    half empty.


    He leaned back unsteadily on the sofa, his shirt unbuttoned at the top, exposing his seductive chest.

 Chapter 694

    Chapter 694


    Chapter 694


    His hair was usually neatlybed, but it was slightly ruffled at the moment with a few strands of hair


    dropping down to his forehead. His handsome face was usually cold and indifferent, but right now, it


    looked disoriented and lonely.


    He was holding a small silver bracelet.


    His eyes were fixed on the bracelet.


    Lte¡¯s feelings wereplicated when she saw the bracelet.


    After Lte a**umed Serenity¡¯s identity, Lucas did not give her the silver bracelet. Instead, he kept it.


    Sometimes, he would look at the bracelet even though she was right next to him, as if he was looking


    at something through


    the bracelet.


    What was he looking at? Serenity when she was little? The thought drove Lte crazy with jealousy.


    ¡°Lucas,¡± Lte bit her lip and tried to look sad, ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe pick me up from school? Why


    are you drinking alone here? Don¡¯t you know how worried I was about you? I was afraid that something


    might have happened to you.¡±


    Lucas slowly looked up and smiled gently at Lte, but it felt more like a self¨Cdeprecating smile.


    ¡°I forgot. Sorry for making you worry,¡± he replied.


    His words only made Lte feel even more unhappy.


    He always treated her like this, always so excessively polite and distant. He would not even take the


    initiative to hold her hand.


    But today, in the photos Lte saw online, he definitely took the initiative to hold Serenity¡¯s hand and


    pull her into his car.


    ¡°Why are you drinking? Did something happen?¡± Lte pretended to be concerned about him, ¡°I know


    I can¡¯t help you much, but I can at least listen to your problems. You confided in me back when we


    were children too, remember?¡±


    She knew that because Serenity had told her those things when they were little.


    She was bringing it up now so that he would remember what happened back then and treat her better


    because of it.


    ¡°When we were children¡­¡± Lucas mumbled. He put down the wine **, stood up unsteadily, and


    approached Lte.


    He was obviously d


    k


    Standing in front of her, he suddenly murmured in a soft voice, ¡°Why is it you? Why couldn¡¯t it be her?¡±


    Lte was stun


    first, not truly understanding what he meant.


    But when her eyes fe.. on the tiny bracelet, the sudden realization made her blood go cold.


    He meant¡­ why


    he the one who saved him and not Serenity?


    ¡°I¡­¡± She wanted to say something, but her throat felt so dry. His eyes made her feel guilty.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little tired, that¡¯s all. Go, I want to be alone,¡± Lucas said indifferently. He


    then sat back down on the sofa, lowered his head, and gazed fixedly at the small bracelet in his hand.


    It was as if that bracelet meant the world to him!


    Lte felt terribly jealous. She believed that she could definitely take Serenity¡¯s ce in his heart as


    long as she had enough time!


    She would make him transfer everything he felt for Serenity when he was a child onto her!N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 695

    Chapter 695


    Chapter 695


    After nearly four years of not touching any professionalw books, Serenity thought her knowledge


    would be very rusty and she might not be able to memorize the legal provisions.


    But she quickly found that she could remember them very quickly, just like old times. She browsed


    through the various cases and absorbed the experiences of her seniors like a sponge.


    Perhaps the void of thest four years made her brain eager to fill in these nks with knowledge.


    Serenity went through the thickw books with great fervor.


    A new desk had been ced next to Jackson¡¯s desk in the study specifically for Serenity.


    Serenity read the books seriously. Out of habit, she would mark down the parts that she had questions


    about so that she could look them upter.


    Serenity was fully absorbed in the books and did not notice Jackson staring at her from the side.


    He had never seen what she looked like when she was awyer. Even when she became a prisoner,


    he did not spare her a nce.


    The first time he had truly seen her was when she was in a fluorescent sanitary worker uniform.


    He saw her a lot after that, but this was the first time he had seen her fully absorbed in something.


    He could imagine how she must have looked like when she was awyer, sitting at her desk studying a


    case with full


    concentration.


    That¡¯s right, she said she loved being awyer.


    Her total focus right now proved that she was telling the truth.


    At the moment, all she could see were the cases and the legal provisions in front of her¡­


    He could not stop looking at her. She looked even more beautiful than usual. It was not her usual


    serene beauty, but a persistent kind of beauty.


    She was like a blooming wintersweet, standing strong in the winter through the wind and snow.


    So this¡­ W the woman he loved? No matter how much pain she had suffered, it could not take away


    her perseverance and her pa**ion for the job she loved.


    Jackson felt as if his heart was being shaken.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    He wanted hide her away so that no one else could see the way she looked at the moment.


    After Seronity finished perusing the cases, she looked up and found Jackson staring at her. ¡°What¡¯s the


    matter? Why are you looking e like that?¡±


    ¡°You lo so beautiful when you¡¯re reading seriously,¡± he said.


    Serenity blushed hard. Suddenly, her phone rang. She picked it up and heard a gentle female voice


    say, ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Serenity Lewis? I¡¯m calling from the SQC Hospital to confirm your appointment


    with Dr. Fender tomorrow.¡±


    Serenity quickly answered ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Thank you for your time, Ms. Lewis. Goodbye,¡± she said politely.


    After Serenity hung up and put away her phone, Jackson asked, ¡°Where are you going tomorrow?¡±


    She bit her lip and told him, ¡°The hospital. I¡¯m having a bit of trouble sleepingtely, so I thought I would


    go see a doctor.¡±


    ¨C


    In the end, she did not tell him the reason why she was having trouble sleeping the weird dreams for


    fear that he would think too much.


    If it was true that she had amnesia, then those dreams were actually her experiences with Lucas


    Gomez when she was young. Then¡­ it would mean that Lucas actually had the right person before


    this!

 Chapter 696

    Chapter 696


    Chapter 696


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    But then, what about Lte?


    However, if it was confirmed the dreams had nothing to do with amnesia, it would mean that she was


    just having those dreams because she heard Lte talking about her experiences when they were


    children.


    If she told Jackson about the dreams now, she might make him paranoid for no reason.


    She would tell him after she made sure.


    ¡°Should I book a specialist for you?¡± asked Jackson.


    The specialist he mentioned would definitely be top¨Cnotch.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve already made an appointment with a doctor tomorrow. Let the doctor take a look at it


    first,¡± replied


    Serenity.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°It¡¯s just for a headache. I¡¯ll be fine by myself. Tomorrow¡¯s a weekday, so you have to work,¡± Serenity


    quickly said. After all, she was going to the doctor to consult about her dreams, so it would be rather


    inconvenient if he was there.


    The light in his eyes flickered slightly, but his eyelids drooped down, hiding his eyes with his long


    eyshes. ¡°Okay, but be careful. I¡¯ll ask the driver to take you there.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied casually.


    The next day, Serenity arrived at the hospital¡¯s outpatient clinic for her appointment.


    She told the doctor about all her symptoms, including the dreams she had and her asional


    headaches. She also told the doctor that the headaches were often apanied by broken images in


    her mind.


    But she could not see those images clearly.


    After listening to her story, Dr. Fender pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s possible that your


    memory was damaged and it¡¯s starting to partially recover because of certain stimuli.¡±


    Serenity was stunned. She vaguely recalled that the first time she experienced the headaches and


    dreams was after Lucas told her about his childhood experiences.


    However, she thought she was merely having those dreams because she was thinking about his story


    too much.


    Could his story have been a stimulus for her?


    ¡°Has your family ever mentioned that you might have experienced partial memory loss before?¡± asked


    Dr. Fender.


    Serenity shook her head. Her father and her stepmother had never mentioned it before. As for her


    grandmother¡­ she had already passed away, so there was no way for Serenity to ask her even if she


    wanted to.


    ¡°Of course, amnesia is just one of the possibilities. It could very well be something else. If you want to


    know whether those are memories that you¡¯ve lost or merely figments of your imagination, you can try


    hypnosis,¡± said Dr. Fender.


    ¡°Hypnosis?¡± Serenity did not expect the doctor to suggest the same thing Lisa did. ¡°Hypnosis can


    determine whether it¡¯s amnesia or not?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it has to be performed by an experienced psychiatrist. An experienced psychiatrist can make


    an informed judgment based on your reaction,¡± exined Dr. Fender, ¡°If you want to, I can rmend


    a psychiatrist to you. Of course, the decision is entirely up to you.¡±


    Dr. Fender wrote down the name and contact information of the psychiatrist on a sticky note.


    Serenity epted it and thanked him.


    Serenity was lost in thought when she walked out of the clinic.


    Hypnosis¡­ The quickest way to determine whether her dreams were lost memories or just her


    imagination was hypnosis, huh? At first, she was adamant on figuring out why she was having those


    dreams, but now, she felt a little hesitant.

 Chapter 697

    Chapter 697


    Chapter 697


    If the dreams were indeed her memories, then she was indeed the person Lucas had been searching


    for. What should she do then? What would be her next step? Should she tell Lucas about it?


    Would it only cause more trouble eventually?


    But¡­ if she did not find out the truth¡­ there would be a bottomless hole in her heart which would


    cause her constant anxiety,


    While Serenity was lost in thought, her phone rang. She picked up the call and heard a familiar voice. It


    was a call from Jackson. ¡°How did it go? Have you seen the doctor?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have,¡± replied Serenity.


    ¡°What did the doctor say?¡±


    ¡°He said it¡¯s nothing serious. He asked me toe back if the problem lingers,¡± she said somewhat


    guiltily. After all, she had always believed that a couple should be honest to each other, but now, she


    was actually lying to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. There¡¯s a trade show tomorrow that you should go with me. I¡¯ll ask the driver to take you


    to Color Delight to pick a gown and jewelry,¡± said Jackson.


    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Serenity.


    After hanging up, Jackson looked at Connor with cold eyes and asked, ¡°Besides suggesting hypnosis,


    what else did Dr. Fender tell her?¡±


    ¡°He also gave Ms. Lewis the name and contact information of a psychiatrist,¡± Connor handed a slip of


    paper to Jackson. If Serenity were to see this slip of paper, she would definitely be shocked.


    That was because the name and contact information on the paper were exactly the same as what she


    had gotten from Dr.


    Fender earlier.


    ¡°Keep a close eye on this matter. If Serenity really goes to this doctor, I want to know immediately,¡±


    Jackson said coldly.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valor,¡± said Connor.


    Connor could not understand why Mr. Valor would monitor Miss Lewis so closely. She was only seeing


    a doctor.


    What confused him even more was the fact that¡­ the doctor in the note was a psychiatrist.


    Why was Miss Lewis seeing a psychiatrist?


    However, Connor was wise enough not to inquire about these things. That was how he could remain in


    his position for so long.


    Color Delight was a popr boutique in Sria, but only those in high society would be familiar with it.


    Serenity had visited Color Delight before when she dated Zeke Shaw.


    Otherwise, she would not even know what Color Delight was.


    The driver dropped her off at the boutique entrance. The manager had already been notified that she


    wasing and was waiting for her. He cordially greeted her, saying, ¡°Ms. Lewis, how are you? I¡¯m theContent property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    manager, Wace. Nice to meet you.¡±


    He led Serenity to the evening gown area where he kindly and respectfully presented her with several


    rmended choices.


    The other staff also demonstrated an extremely respectful attitude towards Serenity, continuously


    showing her different essory options such as shoes and bags.


    They were giving Serenity the VVIP treatment.


    Serenity vaguely remembered the first time she visited the boutique with Zeke Shaw. The staff only


    briefly entertained her before turning their full attention to the more famous customers in the boutique.

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    Chapter 698


    She was left standing in the boutique in embarrassment.


    She had not visited the boutique again after that.


    And now, all the staff were showing her a respectful attitude. Of course she knew that it was not


    because she was Serenity Lewis, but because the man behind her was Jackson Valor.


    That was the way the world worked. Many people in the society were materialistic.


    She hoped that, one day, she would be respected not because of who the person standing behind her


    was, but because of who


    she was.


    In the end, Serenity chose a purple evening gown. The gown¡¯s design was very simple. Although the


    style was rtively conservative, it gave the gown a sense of elegance and dignity. Thebination of


    crystals andce on the waist and skirt gave the gown a lively feeling so that it did not look too rigid.


    When Serenity chose the gown, a staff member looked like she wanted to say something but she was


    stopped by a look from


    Mr. Wace.


    After Serenity went into the changing room, the staff member said, ¡°Manager, didn¡¯t Miss Blossom say


    she likes that gown and woulde to try it on today?¡±


    ¡°So what? The gown¡¯s not hers. Besides, Mr. Gomez has not publicly recognized Miss Blossom¡¯s


    status yet. On the other hand¡­ ¡°Mr. Wace tutted, ¡°Mr. Valor personally told us to treat Miss Lewis


    well. He also said he would buy anything that she


    fancies.¡±


    The staff member said no more.


    A few momentster, Serenity came out of the changing room wearing the gown. The sight of her


    stunned the staff.


    The gownplimented Serenity¡¯s aura perfectly. The elegance and serenity of the color purple


    blended perfectly with her calm andposed temperament.


    She was wearing no makeup and her hair was just tied up in a simple bun, but just by standing there,


    people could not help looking at her.


    Mr. Wace immediately showered her with praises.


    Serenity naturally knew that he was exaggerating, but¡­ the gown was indeed pretty. It fitted her


    perfectly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll choose this one, then,¡± said Serenity.


    ¡°No problem, Miss Lewis. This way, please. Mr. Valor also asked us to show you some jewelry,¡± said


    Mr. Wace.


    Serenity followed Mr. Wace out of the fitting area. As she walked down the corridor, she suddenly


    stopped in her tracks. That was because she saw two familiar faces walking over.


    Lucas Gomez and Lte Blossom!


    As soon as Lte saw the gown Serenity was wearing, her eyes widened in disbelief. She yelled,


    ¡°Why are you wearing my gown?¡±


    ¡°Your gown?¡± Serenity raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, I already have my eye on it!¡± Lte looked at Serenity with eyes filled with jealousy.


    Lte found the gown very elegant. She had dragged Lucas to the boutique on purpose to wear it in


    front of him, hoping to impress him.


    She did not believe that her beauty was inferior to any actress!


    But, to her surprise, she saw Serenity in that gown instead, and Serenity looked¡­ so beautiful!


    ¡°Serenity, you¡¯re not going to steal my gown, are you?¡± asked Lte.


    Serenity turned to Mr. Wace and asked, ¡°Is this gown hers?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Mr. Wace grimaced.

 Chapter 699

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    Chapter 699


    Before this, he thought Lte was only rumored to be the Prince¡¯s girlfriend, but the Prince had not


    admitted it yet, so he was not afraid of offending Lte.


    But now, the Prince had actuallye to the boutique with her!


    Could Lte actually be the Prince¡¯s girlfriend?


    On one side was the Prince¡¯s woman and on the other was Mr. Valor¡¯s woman. Mr. Wace wished he


    could pass out right now so he would not have to face such a difficult problem.


    Meanwhile, Lucas was staring at Serenity in a daze. She was standing there quietly, waiting for the


    manager¡¯s answer.


    The soft light of the corridor fell on her body, making her look gentle and serene.


    There was an underlying toughness in her almond¨Cshaped eyes. A woman like her may seem gentle,


    but nothing could crush


    her.


    Even three years in prison could not wear away the toughness and rity in her eyes.


    N


    Seeing the way Lucas was looking at Serenity, Lte¡¯s jealousy burned even greater. She bit her


    lower lip and pretended to be hurt. ¡°Lucas, I was going to wear this gown for you. When you were a


    boy, didn¡¯t you tell me that you liked purple, so you would buy me a purple dress one day?¡±


    Lucas pursed his lips slightly. Lte¡¯s words pained his heart once more.


    The person in front of him, who caught all of his attention, was not the person he was looking for. That


    person was Lte!


    Why must it be Lte? Why couldn¡¯t it be Serenity?


    But there was nothing he could do about that!


    ¡°Just pick another one. There¡¯s more than one purple gown here,¡± said Lucas.


    Mr. Wace heaved a sigh of relief when he heard Lucas say that. He felt as if he hade back to


    life.


    Lte was obviously reluctant.


    But then, Serenity said, ¡°If you like the gown so much, I¡¯ll let you have it.¡± She turned to Mr. Wace


    and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back. I¡¯ll pick another one.¡±


    Lte was stunned. She did not expect Serenity to back off.


    That did not make her feel happy at all. Instead, she felt like she could only have what Serenity


    discarded.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    However, she already expressed her strong desire to have the gown earlier, so she could not go back


    on it now.


    ¡°Let her have what?¡± An elegant male voice suddenly said.


    Serenity turned towards the voice and saw Jackson walking over. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°After I was done with my work, I thought I woulde here to see how you¡¯re doing,¡± he replied with


    an appreciative look on his face.


    The serene purple colorplemented Serenity¡¯s calm personality well. She seemed to have be


    even more beautiful.


    The first time he met her, there was a gloom in her eyes, but the gloom had now been reced by


    gentleness and vitality.


    She was his Serenity¡­ and she made him worry more and more that she would unintentionally attract


    the attention of other


    men like Lucas Gomez!

 Chapter 700

    Chapter 700


    Chapter 700


    Jackson nced sideways at Lucas.


    Lucas, seemingly aware of this, shifted his gaze to meet Jackson¡¯s eyes.


    The two men¡¯s eyes met in mid¨Cair. There seemed to be a silent battle going on between them.


    Suddenly, the corner of Jackson¡¯s mouth curled into a smile. He reached out and wrapped his hand


    around Serenity¡¯s


    shoulders, leaned down to move his face close to hers, and softly repeated his previous question,


    ¡°What did you say you would let her have?¡±


    That stung Lucas.


    Jackson¡­ was doing it on purpose!


    Was he deliberately acting intimate with Serenity to tell other people to stop having funny ideas about


    her?


    It left a bitter taste in Lucas¡® mouth.


    He could not believe that he would actually fancy another man¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    He had nevercked for women. He had never bothered to hit on women who already had significant


    others.


    All the women he had been involved with had done so willingly.


    However¡­ Serenity was an exception.


    Was it because she looked too simr to the girl in his heart?


    Serenity felt Jackson¡¯s warmth wrap around herself.


    He was so close that when she raised her eyes, she could clearly see his eyshes. ¡°This gown. My


    cousin already had her eye on it and came here today to try it on. It¡¯s okay, she can have it. I¡¯ll just


    choose another one.¡±


    Serenity was already blushing. Jackson straightened up and said with a smile, ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    Serenity walked up to Lte and told her, ¡°I¡¯ll change out of the gown right away.¡±


    Lte could only grit her teeth silently. She got her gown, but she felt like she lost.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Ever since she was a child, she had always lived in Serenity¡¯s shadow.


    One day, she¡¯ll make Serenity pick up the trash she discarded!


    As she was thinking that, Serenity suddenly said very softly, ¡°But did Lucas really tell ¡®you¡® when he


    was a boy that he would buy you a purple dress one day?¡± She deliberately emphasized the word ¡®you¡®.


    The moment Lte heard that, a shiver ran down her spine, and she could feel the hair all over her


    body stand up.


    A trace of panic shed across her eyes, but she acted tough and said, ¡°Of course.¡± However, her


    voice trembled slightly when she said that.


    Serenity did not say anything else to Lte. She turned to Jackson and asked, ¡°Jack, can youe


    with me to pick another gown?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Jackson answered affectionately and held Serenity¡¯s hand.


    Mr. Wace quickly led the way. He seemed d that he was still alive.


    Lucas looked at Jackson¡¯s and Serenity¡¯s intertwined hands with aplicated expression. Earlier,


    when Serenity casually said she would let Lte have the dress, he felt a pang of pain in his heart, as


    if she was casually giving him away too.


    Giving him away?!


    Why would he feel like that?!


    Their rtionship wasn¡¯t so close that he was hers to give away.

 Chapter 701

    Chapter 701


    Chapter 701


    Serenity seemed like she had changed her mind about the purple dress after hearing that Lucas liked


    purple. ¡®Is she¡­ Is she trying to draw a line with me?¡® Lucas felt ufortable at the thought that


    shed past his mind.


    Each of the fitting rooms here was a separate room. The staff guided Lucas and Lte to one of the


    VIP fitting rooms.


    When Lte appeared in the same dress Serenity had worn earlier, Lucas simply nced at her and


    said, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Lte knew she would not look as good as Serenity in this dress, especially when Serenity had


    already worn it before her. It felt like Lte was imitating Serenity. After what had happened earlier, it


    would be hard for her to get another dress instead.


    ¡°Lucas, do you think I shouldn¡¯t have argued with Serenity about the dress earlier?¡± An aggrieved look


    spread across Lte¡¯s face. ¡°I¨CI just wanted to wear the purple dress to make you happy. I remember


    you said you liked purple when you were little.¡±


    Lte paused slightly and continued, ¡°My marriage wasn¡¯t as good as I wanted. All these years, I¡¯ve


    been thinking about my childhood. I thought about you. I thought maybe you¡¯d eventuallye to me.


    Maybe you¡¯d save me from the painful marriage. Then you showed up!¡±


    Lte got more and more worked up as she spoke. She reached out and grabbed Lucas by the arm.


    Lucas stared down at Lte and gently pulled his arm away. ¡°Lte, I¡¯m nice to you only because


    you saved my life. So, if you need or want anything, I¡¯ll do my best to provide them, but that¡¯s all.¡±


    Lte stiffened, her face turning pale.


    Was he implying that she should not be too greedy? Was he telling her not to think about what was


    never hers?


    Why? Because she had always been staying in a small town? Because she never went to college? Or


    is it because she had been married before?!


    Lte refused to give up. She was unwilling to ept this. How could she? Lte finally had a good


    life after meeting Lucas. If she could not be Mrs. Gomez, how long could thisst? If he married


    someone else, would his future wife be able to tolerate her?


    Lte had to fight for it. Only then could she get what she wanted!


    Jackson picked out a silver dress for Serenityter. Serenity put it on and could not resist admiring


    Jackson¡¯s taste. He had a good eye for this. Serenity lookedpletely different in the silver dress.


    She seemed less reserved and more youthful.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m a few years younger,¡± Serenity said, looking at her own reflection in the mirror.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You speak as if you¡¯re very old. You look very young to me,¡± Jackson said as he stood behind Serenity


    and looked at her in the


    mirror.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re actually younger than me,¡± Serenity said. Jackson was born in November.


    They were the same age, but Serenity was born in July and actually a few months older than Jackson.


    ¡°So? Do you want me to call you Sis?¡± Jackson smiled softly.


    Serenity had not heard Jackson call her Sis for a long time. Hearing this again brought back her


    memories. She had been unaware of Jack¡¯s real identity when she had first met him. Otherwise, she


    would not have let him call her that!


    If Serenity had known Jack was the same fearful Jackson Valor, their story would have been very


    different. She had even regarded Jackson as her younger brother at a point in time, but¡­ A blush


    spread across her face. Blushing, she looked breathtakingly beautiful in the silver gown.


    A few locks of hair were out of ce, and Serenity lowered her head slightly as she brushed her hair


    behind her ears. She never realized her gesture was too tempting for Jackson, making his heart flutter.

 Chapter 702

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    Chapter 702


    The next moment, Jackson wrapped his arms around Serenity from behind. He let out his breath and


    moved his lips closer to her ear. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re so pretty.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s face flushed red. Doing that right here¡­ The staff in the store were still around!


    ¡°Hey¡­ You shouldn¡¯t! People are watching!¡± Serenity warned softly, her face heating up again.


    ¡°So what? We¡¯re dating. Isn¡¯t it natural to hug?¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity looked up and faced the mirror. She had a shy smile on her face, wrapped in his embrace.


    The contrast between Jackson in a ck suit and Serenity in a silver dress formed a sharp difference


    and strong visual impact.


    Suddenly, her eyes met his. The couple looked in the mirror, their gazes locked.


    Serenity stared at Jackson in the mirror. He rested his chin against her shoulder, his hair slicked back,


    revealing his forehead.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    His beautiful eyes exuded endless charm, his sexy lips parting to speak under his chiseled nose. ¡°Sis,


    you¡¯re so beautiful.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s face turned redder. Jackson¡¯s voice was soft, almost like a whisper. Only they could hear


    each other. Even so, was still afraid that the surrounding staff would hear them.


    she


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll restrain myself from wanting you. But Sis, you have to make it up to meter,¡± Jackson


    murmured, brushing his lips against the sensitive skin of her neck.


    Serenity felt like her cheeks were going to burn right off her face. The staff around them were even


    more stunned by the couple¡¯s interaction.


    Who would have thought that Mr. Valor, known for his disinterest in women, would be so intimate with a


    woman? Mr. Valor had a deep longing for Serenity in his eyes. Anyone could see that he was obsessed


    with Ms. Lewis! Somehow, the female staff members were envious of Serenity.


    Next, it was time to choose the jewelry to match the dress. Jackson selected ruby jewelry worth 10


    million dors for Serenity.


    ¡°Too expensive,¡± Serenity stated. Besides, she rarely wore jewelry.


    ¡°You deserve the absolute best, even the most expensive things,¡± Jackson said, smiling. He could not


    resist giving her the best and pampering her with the most expensive things. He wanted to treat her


    well and make up for her past suffering.


    Jackson could use all his power and money to make it up to Serenity, but he would never be able to


    turn back in time and undo the damage he had done.


    ***


    That night, Serenity sat on the bed and looked at the note in her hand. Dr. Fender had given her the


    contact information of a psychiatrist he knew, but she could not decide.


    When Serenity had bumped into her cousin earlier, she had deliberately asked Lte if Lucas had


    really promised to give her a purple dress when she was younger. Lte had tried her best to answer


    calmly, but from her reaction, Serenity could tell that something was wrong.

 Chapter 703

    Chapter 703


    Chapter 703


    Something fishy was going on with Lte¡¯s strange behavior. Maybe it was what she suspected!


    ¡®But¡­ Is it really okay?¡® Serenity thought. If she guessed correctly, everything she knew would be


    different. Her rtionship with Lucas would not be the same as before.


    Serenity only saw Lucas as another acquaintance. Even if things changed, Serenity could think of


    Lucas as nothing more than a childhood friend. At most, they shared amon experience when they


    were children. She would not treat him differently, but what about Lucas? What would he think?


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    What about Jack? How would he react? Over time, Serenity had gradually grown to understand


    Jackson better, and she realized that Jack was extremely insecure in their rtionship. Maybe his


    childhood experience had made him emotionally sensitive.


    Jackson was already very bothered about her rtionship with Lucas. Serenity became even more


    hesitant about seeing the psychiatrist. She was worried about what he would think if her suspicions


    were confirmed.


    Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Jackson came out of the bathroom.


    Jackson wore a bathrobe loosely, revealing only his chest. His long legs were wrapped in the robe, his


    ck hair slightly wet. Instead of his hair being pulled into the usual slicked¨Cback style, his bangs


    covered his forehead, and he seemed rxed.


    Serenity quickly put the note in the side drawer as she stood up and walked to Jackson. ¡°You¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What were you looking at?¡± Jackson asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Serenity said. She took the towel from his hand and changed the subject, ¡°Come closer.


    I¡¯ll dry your hair.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Okay,¡± He responded, smiling gently. Then, he bent forward, his eyes leveled


    with hers.


    Serenity put the towel over Jackson¡¯s head and began towel¨Cdrying his hair. Jackson peeked up at


    Serenity through his bangs, his eyes sparkling.


    It reminded Serenity of the first time she had taken Jackson home. She had done the same thing to his


    wet hair after he had washed his hair. At that time, he had looked at her with cold indifference, but now,


    he looked at her with tenderness.


    Lost in thought, Serenity seemed to be drowning in his gaze.


    ¡°Serenity,¡± Jackson muttered softly.


    Serenity snapped back to her senses, her face gradually turning red. Somehow, she could not resist


    falling for Jackson¡¯s beautiful eyes.


    ¡°I¨CI¡¯m going to bath!¡± Serenity eximed and stuffed the towel into Jackson¡¯s hand. Then, she grabbed


    her clothes and hurried into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.


    Seeing that Serenity was gone, Jackson¡¯s eyes changed slightly. He casually put the towel away and


    walked over to where Serenity had been sitting earlier. Then, he opened the side drawer.


    He found a note in the drawer and picked it up. It was a doctor¡¯s name and contact information.


    What was she¡­ Was she looking at this? Was she going to see the psychiatrist and recover her


    memory through hypnosis?


    Jackson knew about her conversation with the doctor in the hospital the other day. If she were to


    recover her memories rted to Lucas through hypnosis¡­. Jackson¡¯s thoughts came to a screeching


    halt, his eyes darkening at the inexplicable emotions that rose in him.

 Chapter 704

    Chapter 704


    Chapter 704


    Jackson would never let Serenity get her memory back! No matter what! He wanted to be the only one


    in her heart!


    It waste at night. Feeling tired, Serenity became drowsy.


    Jackson carried Serenity to the bathroom. He gently put her in a tub of warm water and bathed her.


    Serenity tilted her head back and fell asleep.


    Jackson gazed at her, madly in love. He loved her deeply. He loved her pretty face and found


    everything about her attractive.


    Serenity was fair¨Cskinned. The old scars on her fair skin were very striking. She had gotten them when


    she was in prison.


    Whenever Jackson saw her scars, he felt guilty and heavy¨Chearted. Maybe it was a feeling he would


    never be able to get rid of. It would burden him as long as he loved her.


    The scars were not the only thing he saw. There were some red marks left on her skin. Jackson loved


    seeing his marks on her. It was like silent proof that she was his!


    After bathing her, Jackson carried Serenity out of the water. He wrapped her in a dry towel, put her in


    her pajamas, and carried her to the bed.


    Serenity was so tired that she slept the whole time. Jackson gazed down at her sleeping face, his


    fingers gently running through her long hair.


    ¡°Just let the lost memories be gone. Isn¡¯t that good? Why do you have to get them back?¡± A cold voice


    rang out, but there was no response, only pure silence in the room.


    ¡°Serenity, please don¡¯t get your memory back, okay? Just stay like this. Always.¡± Jackson¡¯s movements


    were gentle, his murmur almost a gentle whisper.


    Meanwhile, Serenity was still asleep, just like a sleeping princess.


    The trade show was the next day, and Serenity wore the silver dress and ruby jewelry Jackson had


    picked out for her. She looked stunning after the stylist¡¯s makeover. Even Serenity herself was stunned


    by her reflection in the mirror.


    The stylist had decided on a light make¨Cup look for her. Her features and appearance had not changed


    much before and after the makeup, but her overall aura had changed.


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    The peach¨Ccolored makeup added to her yfulness, and it reminded Serenity of her old self in


    university.


    After putting on her high heels, Serenity and Jackson headed to the trade show.


    ¡°What if I embarrass youter? What should I do?¡± Serenity asked worriedly. Jackson was attending a


    big trade show. With his status, he would naturally get a lot of attention.


    Serenity did not want to embarrass him, but she became a little worried when she thought of the


    incident thest time she had apanied him to an event.

 Chapter 705

    Chapter 705


    Chapter 705


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. I don¡¯t think anyone would try to humiliate you again,¡± Jackson said nonchntly. He gazed


    at Serenity with a gentle look on his face, smiling. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m all yours. What¡¯s the big deal about


    this?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°If you really care, how about I let someone else be more embarrassed than you? Then you won¡¯t have


    to worry about it,¡± Jackson said leisurely.


    Serenity did not know how to react. Besides, that was not the point at all.


    Soon, the car arrived at the venue for the trade show. Serenity had done her research before. Surely,


    many famous entrepreneurs from Sria and other cities would attend the trade show.


    Trade shows such as this could promote cooperation and help many entrepreneurs expand their


    networks. The minimum requirement to receive an invitation to the trade show was set rtively high.


    Many small and medium¨Csized business owners could not obtain the invitation. Some people would


    even pay high prices to purchase an invitation online. After all, it was very important to have


    connections in business.


    Many small and medium¨Csized business owners really wanted to get an invitation letter. They wanted


    to participate in the trade show and get acquainted with the usually hard¨Cto¨Capproach big names.


    Serenity was a little puzzled. Jackson did not enjoy attending events like this unless necessary.


    Feeling curious, she asked, ¡°Did youe here today to meet someone?¡± It was all she could think of


    right now.


    ¡°I heard Wendy Hale is going to be here today. She¡¯s been abroad, but now she¡¯s nning to set up a


    law firm in Sria,¡± Jackson exined.


    Serenity realized with a start that Jackson had brought her here to give her a chance to meet Wendy


    Hale.


    Serenity had admired Wendy Hale since her university days. Wendy was a femalewyer and a


    prominent figure in the legal industry. Wendy was based overseas and mostly stayed abroad. Most of


    thewsuits she handled were in foreign countries. Serenity had never met Wendy in person before.


    She never thought that she would meet her in a ce like this.


    ¡°But how did you know I wanted to meet Wendy?¡± Serenity asked curiously. She was a big fan of


    Wendy¡¯s and had read many of Wendy¡¯s cases.


    ¡°Whenever you read yourw books, you¡¯d spend more time reading Wendy¡¯s cases carefully. You¡¯ve


    made a lot of notes too. When you read the news about Wendy¡¯s return to Sria, didn¡¯t you say it¡¯d be


    nice to meet her?¡± Jackson said.


    Serenity did not expect him to notice such details.


    Wendy Hale. The idol Serenity had admired since she was studyingw. She had once hoped to


    be a femalewyer like Wendy. Although she aspired to be a prominent femalewyer in the legal


    industry, she had gotten involved in the identwsuit and had herwyer¡¯s license revoked instead.


    Yearster, she had finally overturned the case and gotten her license back.


    Serenity suddenly caught a glimpse of two familiar figures while lost in thought, and she stiffened.


    Jackson stood beside her and naturally sensed her strange reaction. Jackson followed her gaze and


    saw a couple casually


    chatting with other guests not far away. It was Zeke Shaw and Jenny Hall.


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    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you still bothered by them?¡± Jackson asked in a whisper.


    Serenity¡¯s hands trembled slightly. The sight of Jenny and Zeke would always make her fingers ache


    again.


    A few years ago, Jenny had ordered someone to remove all her fingernails. Zeke had promised to


    protect her all her life, but he had simply watched and done nothing to help her.


    Serenity had kept pleading. She had told him that she had been wrongly used, but it was all in vain.


    What she had gotten in return was more cruelty.


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