Serena’s hunch was right–something was going on between Lauren and her boss. She drew close to Lauren and said, “Show me a picture of him.”
“I don’t know why you’re so interested. He’s not exactly handsome,” Lauren grumbled even as she picked up her phone and pulled up a picture of her boss. “His name is Aaron Zimmers. I’d say he’s around 30, and he took over the company from his father.
“In any case, he’s got more money than I do.”
Serena took the phone and assessed the man in the photo. “He looks pretty decent to me. Kind of gentle- mannered, if you ask me.”
“That’s great and all, but he’s got nothing on Wilson,” Lauren pointed out.
Serena teased, “I think he’d be a good match for you, Laurie.”
Lauren hissed when the knife sliced across her fingertip. Blood beaded from the cut and rolled down her finger. Panicking, she quickly hid her hand behind her back and checked Serena’s expression.
“Serena, maybe you should leave the kitchen until I’ve cleaned myself up…” she suggested, knowing Serena tended to overreact at the sight of blood after witnessing her father’s murder as a child.
Serena froze at first but broke into a small smile shortly after. “I’m fine. I’ve gotten over my fear of blood.”
She headed into her bedroom and found the first aid kit by the headboard. She handed the kit to Lauren so she could clean her wound. Thankfully, the cut wasn’t deep and only needed to be fixed up with a bandaid.
After storing the first aid kit away, Lauren turned to find Serena sitting on the couch in the living room with a glass of water in her hands. She looked as if she were in a daze.
“Serena, are you alright?” Lauren asked worriedly.
“I’m fine.” Serena forced out a smile. She could cope with the small amount of blood she had seen, though Lauren’s response stirred up memories from the day her father died.
She had been below the stage when her father was stabbed to death before her. She watched as her father’s assailant stabbed him in the abdomen over and over until crimson bloomed over his white shirt.
She’d had nightmares about that scene for a long time after that. She shuddered and retched every time she thought about the scene.
Beatrice had been the one to hire a psychiatrist for Serena. She received treatment for a while and eventually moved past her trauma as she grew up.
She had more or less recovered from the trauma, though she couldn’t stand gory scenes. She tried watching a gory movie once, but when the scenes came up, she started trembling uncontrollably and retching.
It seemed her childhood trauma would haunt her forever.
Lauren left after dinner, and Serena saw her off downstairs. She then drew her cardigan closer as she returned to her apartment. Now that Lauren had gone home, the space felt a little emptier and colder.
Serena couldn’t help the loneliness that washed over her. She reckoned the feeling had something to do with her recalling her traumatic childhood. She padded over to her drawer and opened it, taking out the family picture she kept inside.
The picture had been taken when she was four. Her parents were still around and healthy, and her smile had been
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Chapter 43
bright and pure. Those were the good old days.
A sense of longing welled up in her, interrupted only by the trill of her ringtone. She saw Wilson’s name flashing on the screen and put the call through. “Mr. Quade?”
“Are you in bed?” Wilson asked lazily, his voice deep and husky.
For some reason, hearing his voice reassured her. She answered, “No.”
“Could you come down for a bit? I’m outside your building. He paused before suggesting mildly, “Then again, I could always go up to your unit if you don’t mind,”
“I’m on my way down,” Serena said immediately. It would be odd if she hung out with him alone in her apartment, which barely had enough room.
She bundled herself in a thicker coat and made her way downstairs.
Wilson’s Bentley was parked under the streetlights, its black exterior matching the night sky. He leaned against his car, dressed in his black trench coat and holding a cigarette between his slender fingers.
C
He looked up when he sensed Serena approaching, and the cigarette smoke that passed through his lips fogged up his handsome, elegantly chiseled face.
Serena drew close to him and asked, “I didn’t think you’d be back so soon, Mr. Quade.”
“Yes, things were handled quicker than I thought, so I came back.” Wilson regarded her with amusement. “I got you a present.”
