CHAPTER 106: CHAPTER 106: SHE SEEMS... TO BE FALLING FOR HIM!

It takes only a few minutes to get from Hawthorne Corporation to The Serenity Apartments.

In the front seat, Ryan Rhodes and Ian Young focused on the road, not daring to look back.

Yet even so, they sensed the cold atmosphere spreading from the backseat.

Their eyes met.

Both were bewildered.

Ryan: What’s up with Ms. Sinclair? Wasn’t she just happily throwing herself into the Boss’s arms? What’s the situation now?

Ian: Did they have a fight? Or... is there a tiff? I mean, what’s with your Boss? Couldn’t he, as a man, just lower his head a bit?

Ryan: ...

Ian: !!!

Wyatt Hawthorne looked out the window, brooding silently.

His mind was filled with Serena Sinclair’s empathetic self-reflection from earlier.

When he came to, he realized the car had already entered the community.

The Maybach stopped at the entrance of the apartment.

Wyatt turned to Serena Sinclair, "You go back up first. I’ve made plans with someone, so I won’t be back for dinner."

"Okay."

Serena got out of the car.

In the front seat, Ryan wildly signaled to Ian: ??? What’s going on? Are they already living together?

Ian glanced back with a smile: Come on! Didn’t you know? I knew long ago!

Ryan: ...!!!

Even as Serena walked into the lobby, she could feel several pairs of eyes watching her back.

The elevator doors closed, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Alone, Serena didn’t feel like making a proper meal.

She opened the fridge, picked through it, made a yogurt bowl, and took it to the sofa.

Her phone dinged as her smartwatch received a call.

Serena answered and saw Miles Lockwood’s little face on the other end.

Miles was sitting in Adrian Lockwood’s lap, both father and son dressed in matching family loungewear.

"Mom, Dad said he’s taking me to a party on Saturday. Will you come with us?"

Miles asked sweetly.

Serena shook her head and refused, "Mom’s not going. Do you want to go?"

Miles looked up at Adrian Lockwood.

Adrian Lockwood took the smartwatch and said to Serena, "Old Master Rivera’s 90th birthday, Serena, come with us. Let’s wish him well, okay?"

Old Master Rivera was a legend in Aethelgard architecture.

He used to be the president of the Aethelgard Architects’ Association.

As both an elder and a respected industry senior.

In past years, during Old Master Rivera’s birthdays or at New Year’s, Serena would accompany Adrian Lockwood to visit him.

But this year, since the divorce, she didn’t want to—or have a reason to—socialize with Adrian anymore.

"That’s a connection between the Lockwood Family and the Rivera Family, not me."

Serena’s refusal was firm, avoiding Adrian’s face, "Miles, do you want to go? If you don’t, we can go to the amusement park. How about that?"

The image shook.

Miles snatched back the smartwatch, his lively face reappearing, "Okay, then I won’t go either. I’ll go with Mom to the amusement park."

They scheduled a time and chatted a bit about kindergarten.

Learning that the kids had forgotten what happened on sports day and were friends with him again.

Serena felt a slight relief.

At half-past eight, Serena urged Miles to take a bath and go to bed, then hung up the call.

The gossip in the WeChat group had long ended.

Flipping through channels with the remote, she found nothing interesting on TV.

Serena went into the study to draw for a while, then practiced yoga for half an hour, before taking a shower and lying in bed.

Before sleeping, she checked her phone; Wyatt hadn’t sent any WeChat messages.

No goodnight messages from the previous nights.

Nothing at all.

She considered saying something like "Drink less" or "Remember to call for a driver when you drink."

But before she could type it out, a photograph flashed in her mind.

Serena could no longer remember what the girl Wyatt went on a date with looked like.

Only recalling that she wore a beautiful new-traditional outfit.

Any more would have made her look fat.

Any less would have been too skinny.

From shoulders to chest to waist, everything was perfectly proportioned.

The paparazzi’s photography skills and angles were top-notch, the composition impeccable.

As everyone in the group said, a perfect match of a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

Serena knew she had no right to be jealous, but the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became, completely forgetting her initial intention to provide an excuse.

Frustrated, she tossed her phone aside and turned off the light.

Tossing and turning, it seemed the sleepiness couldn’t find its way to her.

In the darkness, Serena didn’t know how long she tossed about.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, the doorbell rang incessantly.

Anger flared up.

She wanted to ignore it but feared it would wake the neighbors.

Serena, practically fuming, opened the door, ready to kick Adrian Lockwood away and ask if he was sick, or very sick.

But when she opened it in a huff, her anger subsided.

Wyatt Hawthorne was leaning against the door, looking puzzled, "Don’t you have the passcode?"

He had a fingerprint, password, and facial recognition for access!

Wyatt said nothing, casting a resentful look at Serena, stabilized himself on her shoulder, and stumbled into the sofa.

The faint smell of alcohol wafted around, causing 2S, which had leaped onto his lap, to jump off with a turn of its head.

Wyatt grew more annoyed, pointing at 2S, looking aggrieved, "Ungrateful cat!!!"

Serena: ...

She felt like he was using her to make a veiled insult.

Was he actually calling her an ungrateful wretch?

Wyatt was drunk.

The evening’s socializing was with his own people.

Even if it hadn’t been his own, no one in this circle dared to force alcohol on him.

After just a few exchanges, his mind was filled with Serena’s shy look one moment and her calm composure the next.

The words she said, that she wouldn’t constrain him, and that he was free.

Replayed at 0.75 speed in his ears.

The more he thought, the angrier he got, so much so that he didn’t need anyone to toast him, he drank himself into a stupor.

"Serena... Serena?"

His consciousness was clear.

But his mind was spinning, and his tongue wasn’t working properly.

The pothos and 2S were spinning round and round, far and near.

After a look around, not seeing Serena, he realized that although she hadn’t locked him out, she wasn’t taking care of him after he came in.

Wyatt grew even more upset.

"Serena!!!"

He shouted angrily.

Just then, he saw Serena walk out of the kitchen carrying some sobering soup.

Wyatt’s brain paused, and his tongue tied up.

"Why did you drink so much?"

Serena chided, supporting Wyatt to sit up while muttering to herself, "Weren’t Ryan and Ian with you? Didn’t they help block the drinks?"

She blew on the soup, not forgetting to check the temperature.

Serena fed Wyatt a few sips.

A sweet and sour hawthorn flavor with a touch of honey sweetness.

Wyatt watched Serena in a daze.

The anger in his heart was washed away by each sip of sobering soup, turning into bubbles of honey-hawthorn flavor.

With another blow, they all dispersed.

He really couldn’t stay mad at her.

"Serena, Serena... be nicer to me, just a little bit nicer, please?"

As if finally drunk, Wyatt leaned his head on Serena’s shoulder.

His body slumped over.

She steadily caught him, all of his weight falling into her embrace.

And all settled heavily against her heart.

Serena felt a pang of sourness in her heart.

"Serena, Serena..."

"Be nicer to me, please?"

The soft, lingering plea.

Serena felt as if her heart was breaking into pieces.

What to do, she seemed to be... really starting to like him a bit!

Just as that thought popped up, Serena decisively pushed it down.

She’s unworthy!

If she went back 10 years ago, before she was with Adrian Lockwood, she couldn’t even reach Wyatt.

Let alone now.

Wyatt was the brightest star in the night sky.

And she, just an autumn leaf, about to fall from the tree.

Getting through the winter to become a green leaf again was a virtue from a past life.

Thinking of flying to the night sky to catch a star?

Dream on!