"Are you sure he's a quiet man, Serena?"
Varron—Serena's boyfriend—felt uneasy after hearing that Serena was living under the same roof as a strange man while her father was abroad.
He couldn't exactly be called a stranger, but to Varron, the man was still practically a stranger to Serena. They weren't related by blood, and he was far too mature. Who wouldn't worry about his girlfriend if she were living with a mature man?
"Ever since Dad married his mother, we've never had breakfast or even dinner together. He's always in his room. Dad said he's just not used to being around strangers."
"But a truly quiet person wouldn't be that extreme, Serena."
Serena, who had been sipping her favorite drink, suddenly grew annoyed. Varron had been going on and on about Nathaniel ever since he arrived. As if there was nothing else to talk about. Serena had only just gotten to see Varron again after being apart for weeks.
"Are you really going to keep talking about that with me? I told you, everything will be fine," she said, reassuring Varron. Deep down, though, Serena was also extremely worried and uneasy.
"I love you, Serena."
"Of course. I love you very much too. If anything happens to me, I'll contact you right away." Serena took both of Varron's hands and gently caressed them.
Only a few seconds later, they had to let go of each other's hands when Helena and Bella came over to meet them. Serena hurriedly stood to greet them.
The four of them had been friends for quite a long time. Strangely, Serena and Varron had chosen to keep their relationship a secret so their friendship as a group wouldn't fall apart, or so they claimed.
Although it had been difficult, Serena had grown used to it. The proof was that her relationship with Varron was now approaching its second anniversary. Of course, it wasn't a short-lived relationship. They had already spent a great deal of time together in secret.
"Sorry we're a little late," Helena said.
"I just got here too. Don't worry."
Now that everyone had gathered, Serena asked them to move to a larger table. Today's plan was simply to have a meal there. After she finished meeting with Helena and Bella, Serena would spend the rest of her time with Varron.
"Can you tell us about your stepbrother, Serena? Helena and I are really curious."
Serena rolled her eyes. After dealing with Varron, she now had to start all over again with her two female friends—talking about the quiet man Serena disliked.
"The bottom line is, he's tall and has a great body. But I don't think he's handsome. That's his only flaw."
A flaw that could make Serena's heart race just like that. Of course he wasn't handsome—he was gorgeous.
Serena returned home around ten that night. She had spent quite a long time with Varron, since fortunately, he had the day off from work.
With her father away, Serena could come home whenever she wanted without having to deal with Liam's endless questions.
"It feels so nice not having Dad home," she said as she took off her shoes near the cabinet.
After this, Serena would go upstairs, take a shower, and then go to sleep.
However, all her plans fell apart when she started walking up the stairs. Just as she passed through the living room, she saw him there. He slowly stood up, then turned to face Serena with a flat stare.
"Where have you been, Serena Blaise? Is it appropriate for a girl to leave in the morning and come home late at night?"
"That's none of your business."
"Your life is my business now. I have every right to ask you about it."