Chapter 16
In the dead of night, Wesley Hawthorne suddenly woke to the sound of frantic breathing.
He pushed open Serena Whitmore’s bedroom door and found her thrashing in bed, her forehead slick with cold sweat, lips trembling as fragmented words escaped: “No… Julian car blood…”
Wesley frowned and stepped closer, reaching out to wake her–only to freeze when she suddenly cried out clearly, “Wesley… don’t look at me… I look… so pathetic…”
His hand hovered midair, eyes narrowing sharply.
None of his memories matched those words, yet they were too specific–like a vivid snapshot from some haunting moment
Even stranger, Serena’s tone carried the weight of someone who had witnessed him… gathering her lifeless body.
The next morning, Wesley sat in his study, a thick stack of investigation reports spread out before him.
“It’s clear,” his assistant Lucas said, adjusting his glasses, “Miss Whitmore’s behavior over the past six months has been like she’s a completely different person.” He pointed at a surveillance screenshot. “Here’s the strange part–she withdrew all her investments from Julian Blackwell the day before his staged death”
Wesley’s gaze darkened. “Go on”
Lucas flipped to a medical record. “And three months ago, Miss Whitmore had a fever of 104 degrees. The very first thing she did when she woke was send someone to Switzerland to find you,”
Wesley’s fingers drummed faster against the desk.
Every clue pointed to an impossible conclusion.
The Serena he knew now seemed to have glimpses of the future.
He snapped the file shut. “Dig into the background of that anonymous foundation registered under her name ”
At the charity gala, Serena entered in a flowing gown, clutching Wesley’s arm.
She noticed his unusual silence, the way his fingertips absently traced the rim of his wine glass–a telltale sign he was deep in thought. “Something on your mind, Mr. Hawthorne?” she asked softly.
Wesley turned abruptly. Remember that bet we made when we were ten?”
Without missing a beat, Serena smiled. “You lost. You promised to wear a dress to school, and your dad grounded you for three days alter. That silver ring I gave you was the prize.”
Wesley’s eyes flickered with a memory, but he pressed on. “And do you know why I left the country?”
“Because a year ago, I said I didn’t want to see you. But really, it was because…” Serena’s voice faltered. Wesley’s gaze sharpened, cutting through her like a blade.
The air between them thickened.
“Seru,” Wesley set down his glass, voice low, “I’ve never told anyone the real reason I left.” He stepped closer. “Who are you, really?
Outside on the tetrare, the night breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers.
Serena gripped the railing, panic creeping for the first time since her rebirth.
Wesley stood in the shadows, moonlight illuminating only half his face, making him look colder, more distant.
“it told you. She took a deep breath “If I said I died once, would you believe me?”
For the next twenty minutes, Serena laid bare her past–betrayal, pain, and death. When she spoke of the car crash, her voice trembled.
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“The four of them stood across the street… watching me bleed out…”
Wesley’s expression shifted from shock to something unreadable.
When she revealed it was he who had retrieved her body, his knuckles whitened from clenching too hard,
Silence stretched between them.
“So,” Wesley’s voice cut through, icy and sharp, “you chose me out of guilt? Because you saw me recover your body, and decided to make it up to me?”
Serena’s head snapped up. “No! That’s not it! I really
“Enough “Wesley y cut her off. “I need time to think about what this means for us.
He turned toward the door, his posture stiff. “For now… let’s not see each other.”
Serena stood alone on the terrace, nails digging into her palms.
She should have seen this coming.
Wesley, with all his pride, would never accept a relationship born from pity.
Inside, the guests‘ laughter echoed, mingled with Julian Blackwell’s smug voice:
Looks like Mr. Hawthorne and Miss Whitmore are done…”
Serena wiped tears from her eyes and straightened her spine.
As she prepared to leave, her phone buzzed.
[Swiss bank account
t activated.]
[Three mining equities transferred back to your name.]
Then, a text from an unknown number: (We’re square.]
Serena froze.
What did that mean?
The money was settled–did that mean their relationship was next?
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