Niel stared at the wrecked front end of his car. He had used his third-most-expensive car as today's test subject. Yet Niel didn't feel sad in the slightest. His plan had gone perfectly smoothly.
"I could have killed him, but I couldn't bear to see Serena sad."
Niel turned off the lights in the garage. Inside were ten cars of various types, all belonging to Niel and meticulously maintained by him. Sometimes, he used them when he was spying on someone.
Once he was done, Niel got back into the car he had driven from Serena's house. He had deliberately returned to his own mansion first just to get his car. Using the car he always drove at Serena's house would only make Varron suspicious. So Niel used another method.
Niel's house was far larger than Serena's family home. However, not a single person close to him knew about it—not even Mora. The house had always been Niel's hiding place. That was why he had never mentioned it to anyone.
"She must be worried about that man right now. I can't accept it, but this is also my doing. That man needs to disappear from your life soon, Serena."
Serena sat silently outside Varron's hospital room. Besides her, the quietest person there was Bella. Helena was sad too, but not nearly as much as Bella, which made Serena wonder.
Varron's condition wasn't particularly serious for this kind of accident. The worst damage was to the man's car. The impact had been so strong that Varron could no longer use it.
"Helena, who was the first person to contact you when it happened? Wasn't Varron already unconscious there?" Serena asked after Bella had just gone to say she was going to the restroom.
Helena answered loudly, saying it was Bella. Bella had been the first to contact Helena, and she was also the first person at the hospital when Varron lay there unconscious.
Instead of feeling guilty for leaving Varron on the sidewalk while they were arguing earlier that afternoon, Serena found herself thinking more and more about Bella. Bella had been gloomy ever since. Even when Serena arrived, she had only glanced over without saying a word before returning to her interrupted sorrow.
"Serena, I can't stay with Varron here tonight. My parents just got back from out of town with my younger sibling. I'm going home soon."
"That's okay, Helena."
Without them realizing it, Bella had already returned from the restroom. She approached Helena and Serena, who had been sitting in the waiting chairs all this time. Bella stood there, looking at both friends in turn.
"If you're going home, I don't mind staying here. I'll keep Varron company until he wakes up. The doctor said he might regain consciousness in two hours."
Helena readily agreed to Bella's offer, but Serena grew even quieter. Without waiting for Serena's approval, Bella sat back down in her place, leaning against the chair with the same gloomy expression.
If Varron's relationship with Serena had been made public to the two of them, Serena wouldn't have had to struggle to find an excuse. Now she couldn't stay with Varron because Bella had offered to do so first.
Even if Serena insisted, she was afraid Bella would become suspicious. Serena had never received her father's permission to stay out all night.
"Bella, Serena and I are going home now. Are you really okay staying here?" Helena asked Bella, though Serena wasn't sure when she had gotten up and come to stand in front of her.
"Of course. I'm fine. You and Serena go home. If Varron wakes up, I'll contact you right away."
Helena immediately took Serena by the wrist and led her away, leaving Bella behind. Meanwhile, for some reason, Serena could only remain silent. She was the one who should have been there accompanying Varron, not Bella.