Chapter 51
Dinner was surprisingly pleasant. It was a rare moment of ease that helped melt away the exhaustion weighing on Hugh and Serena.
As they were about to leave, Hugh got into the car first.
Serena, meanwhile, stayed behind to touch up her makeup. While doing so, she was contemplating how she should return the favor next time.
With anticipation, she stepped out of the restaurant, only to find Hugh waiting for her in front of the car. Unconsciously, she quickened her pace toward him.
Just then, a Rolls–Royce pulled up across the street. The passenger window rolled down, revealing Wendy’s pale face.
“Zach, look. Isn’t that Serena?” she asked.
Zach turned and saw Serena walking toward another man with a bright smile. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, and his knuckles turned white from the pressure.
Wendy took in his reaction, then let out a dramatic gasp.
“Wait… Isn’t that Mr. Larson? But isn’t he newly married? Why would he bring Serena to a romantic restaurant? Oh, no… Zach, don’t tell me that Serena was too heartbroken and…”
Wendy trailed off, then covered her mouth in shock. Her eyes glistened as she clutched Zach’s sleeve gently.
“Zach, I thought Serena was just mad and wanted to make you jealous by finding someone random to spite you. But if it’s Mr. Larson, does that mean she’s really…”
She left the sentence unfinished and observed Zach.
Zach’s expression turned ice–cold.
A mistress! Did Serena really leave him just to become someone else’s mistress?
Before, when Wendy had hinted at this, he had refused to believe it and had even defended her. But now, it seemed that Serena would rather throw herself at another man as a mistress than accept his proposal.
The thought sent fury surging through him. Without hesitation, he pushed open the car door and strode over.
Just as Serena was about to get into Hugh’s car, Zach stepped in front of her and gripped her wrist.
“Serena, do you even know what you’re doing?”
The sudden confrontation startled her.
Zach? Where had he come from?
She instinctively stepped back and shook off his grip before rubbing her wrist.
“I was just having dinner. Since when is that any of your business? And what exactly do you think you’re doing?”
“Just dinner? Then, why were you smiling at him like you owe him? Why are you treating yourself like some kind of bargaining chip?”
Zach took a step closer. His eyes were filled with disbelief and pain.
“Serena, you were never the kind of person to degrade yourself like this.”
He had watched her grow into a rose in full bloom. How could she lower herself to become another man’s mistress?
Bargaining chip? Degrade? Upon hearing those words, Serena finally pieced everything together.
Did Zach really think that she was deliberately throwing herself at Hugh?
She calmly sidestepped his reach and said, “I know exactly what I’m doing, Zach. Since we have nothing to do with each other anymore, please stay out of my life, alright?” “Stay out of your life? I’m trying to save you. If you need money or business opportunities, you can always come back to me.”
There was no need for her to fall into another man’s arms.
Zach’s pulse pounded in his ears.
Even if Serena had walked away, and even if they were nothing to each other now, 13 years of company wasn’t something he could just erase. He could never stop worrying about Serena. Worry flickered in his eyes as he stepped closer. “Rena, I’m worried about you.”
Serena fell silent. If this had been before, she would have leaned into his arms and stolen the warmth from him while whispering all the grievances she had bottled up these past few days. But now, she only took another step back to widen the distance between them.
Hugh had been watching in silence This was something Serena and Zach needed to settle themselves.
Either way, at the end of the day, he was the one Serena was married to.
“I’ll wait five minutes,” Hugh said suddenly, breaking the tense silence before getting into the car.
