The maid intervenes immediately, pushing her away."Serena, you really have no sense of propriety!"Serena leaned back a little as she was pushed, banging her head against the wall and hitting her head on the floor.The maid wears a triumphant expression.The bitch deserved it!In pain, Serena's tears almost burst forth.Seeing the arrogant look on the maid's face, Serena lifts her hand and delivers a resounding slap.*Slap!*The maid's face bears five clear fingerprints, and she covers her cheek in disbelief."Serena, you..."Before she can finish her sentence, Serena delivers another slap.*Slap!*Serena's strength is considerable, and her hand hurts after hitting twice.Her gaze is icy as she rubs her wrist.The maid's cheek instantly swelled and blood spilled from the corner of her mouth."Are you FUCK awake now? Who do you think you are?!"Serena's voice was cold as she looked down and rubbed her wrist weakly.The maid, intimidated by Serena's gaze, steps back, covering her face
Serena's heart skips a beat when she looks up and sees Matthew standing not far away in the corridor, holding a thermos.His brows are furrowed, and a chilling atmosphere surrounds him.She falls silent instantly, feeling inexplicably guilty and reluctant to speak.Emily, noticing Matthew's arrival, hurries to approach him."Matthew, did you hear what she just said? She's only with you for some ulterior motive. She's after your money.""Grandma, there are plenty of wealthy people in Hustleburg. Why wouldn't she go after someone else's money?" Matthew responds, blocking Emily's words, and her face turns purple in frustration."It's cold here. You should go back," Matthew adds, glancing at the swollen-faced maid beside him."Take Grandma back."The maid lowers her head, avoids eye contact, and quickly assists Emily, who leaves with a sense of satisfaction.Serena, feeling a bit unlucky, wonders why her words always seem to coincide with Matthew's appearances."Ma..Matthew" she stammers,
As she walked away, Serena's face still unattractive and miserable, she casually bought a bowl of porridge and sat down in the small shop to eat it.Waiting for her mood to ease a bit, she took out her cell phone and looked at the messages on it.Her eyebrows furrowed as she noticed the contents of the forum, Linda was determined to make a big deal out of this.Public opinion would always be on the side of the underdog, and since Linda had committed suicide, people were more than willing to believe that she was the underdog.Serena rubbed her forehead, she really didn't have any proof about Linda and her stepfather.Now that Linda had come to testify against her, there was really nothing she could do for a while.In that case, let's try it with this so-called stepfather.The corner of Serena's mouth twitched, actually she didn't want to deal with such a man, but this was all forced on her by Linda, and if this matter wasn't resolved as soon as possible, she was afraid that Henry would
On the other side at the hospital, Linda was restrained on the bed by everyone.Having recently regained consciousness, she had used a shard of glass to cut her artery, nearly causing severe bleeding and shock.Emily watched with great distress as doctors were currently bandaging her.Due to Linda's intense struggles, they had to administer a sedative."Linda, I know you've suffered a lot, and I understand your resentment towards Serena. Rest assured, I won't let her off easily," Emily reassured.After all these years of companionship, Emily considered Linda as almost a granddaughter.Tears welled up in Linda's eyes, and she bit her lip tightly, finally calming down emotionally.However, in the hidden corners where no one could see, a glint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.Emily wouldn't doubt her innocence anymore!"Emily, don't you blame me for liking Matthew?" Linda asked.Emily sighed. "I can't help you with that. Keep your feelings for Matthew to yourself. I won't let Serena
These days, Serena hardly rested.After the surgery, Granny entered a critical period, and only when that passed could her safety be ensured.Serena was busy shuttling between the company and the hospital, rarely returning to Pines Ridge. This made a certain man unhappy.Since their last unpleasant encounter, they hadn't spoken for several days.The atmosphere in the villa was tense. Matthew sat on the sofa, his brows occasionally furrowing. "Has Serena returned?"This was the ninth time he had asked today. Since coming back from the company, he had been sitting there, waiting."Sir, Madam's grandma will soon pass the critical period. She's expected to return tonight."Matthew nodded, his face regaining some indifference.At seven in the evening, the servant respectfully spoke, "Sir, should I bring up dinner?""Hmm." He answered faintly, occasionally glancing toward the door.Why hasn't she come back yet?At half-past seven, the door of the villa opened, and a tired Serena walked in,
Matthew's tone carried a hint of frustration.Serena's brain had temporarily shut down. It wasn't until he spoke that she dumbly looked at her hands, which had been placed in the bathtub from the direction of her thighs.Could he possibly think that she was...She hastily withdrew her hands, her face turning beet red.Even someone as composed as Serena had never encountered such an awkward situation."Let me explain..."She finished speaking and suddenly realized she was still half-naked. In a hurry, she submerged herself in the water."You go out first, and I'll be out soon after I finish washing."Matthew pursed his lips and slammed the door, turning away in frustration.Serena rubbed her temples, thinking that her first visit to Pines Ridge had already been embarrassing enough, but now it was even worse.Hurriedly drying herself with a towel, she put on her pajamas and went out.Matthew sat on the bed with a dark expression, clearly in an unpleasant mood.Any man wouldn't feel good
Serena calmly looked at him, reaching out to cup his face." I just want you to understand that it's not that I'm unwilling, but rather, you are. You have a strong sense of responsibility. I am only your nominal wife, and you protect me at every turn, preventing me from harm. If you take away my body, the two-year agreement might become void. You are well aware of this, so since we got married, you have never thought about what could happen between us. Even when you hold me or kiss me, you've never thought about it in that way."Matthew's hand, pressing down on the blanket, stiffened. A complex emotion suddenly surged in his silent eyes.This was the first time a woman had held his face and said such things to him.He pursed his lips, but ultimately remained silent."Matthew, you are a good man. If I had met you earlier, maybe I would have loved you, but my love has already run out."Everyone thought she fell in love with Jack during college, but in reality, it happened even earlier.
Struggling to turn, Serena noticed that the man was still sleeping soundly.Up close, he was undeniably handsome, with flawless skin and long, hanging eyelashes.She hadn't expected to end up sleeping with this man.Serena's head was pounding as if someone were drilling into her temples. If not for the last shred of her sanity, she would have kicked him off the bed!Just then, Matthew also opened his eyes, and upon seeing her, he froze for a moment, apparently not expecting to wake up here.When he recalled everything from last night, his pupils constricted sharply.He thought he would return to his room, but waking up here suggested that he was genuinely exhausted.Pretending to be calm, he got out of bed, smoothing the wrinkles on his suit with a trembling hand.He hadn't even taken off his clothes; he was still in his suit.Behind him, Serena gritted her teeth and finally spoke, "Get out; I need to change."Although Matthew seemed composed, his hands, brushing over the suit, were t