Oblivious to Justin’s icy stares, Serene and Mary swam until they reached the edge of the pool. They looked at the calm ocean before them, their backs to the people in the lanai.
“Sis, are you sure you are happy with Justin?” Mary asked, cocking her head to the side to look at Serene.
“Yes, I am. I have never felt fulfilled in my life before him,” Serene answered with a twinkle in her eyes.
“But Shen, he’s Bryan’s ex. Your messy situation will soon catch up with you,” Mary expressed her concerns.
“Before agreeing to be with him, we have already discussed that, and we both agreed that all that mess is in the past. Our desire to spend a life together and be happy together outweighs our situation.”
The weekend flew by quicker than Serene and Justin wanted. They had so much fun over the weekend and would love to have stayed longer.Carol and Conrad accompanied them to the airport.“Please visit soon,” Carol said to Justin as she was hugging him.“Yes, Mom,” he promised.“Take care of Serene while she’s at Hyacinth Bay,” Conrad said as he also gave Justin a tight hug.“Don’t worry, Dad, I’ll take care of her.”After saying their goodbyes, they both boarded. It was less than an hour flight, but Serene still slipped in a catnap. Justin read an inflight magazine while holding her hand.
Cough!Serene felt shivers run down her spine at the sound. Oh no, is it Justin? Having experienced Justin’s jealousy when she and Rich were running tests, she developed hyper-awareness of the space between her and members of the male species. Justin could be narrow and closed minded when possessed by the green monster.Her head snapped towards the door expecting a tall, long-haired man standing by the door with a brooding expression. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw Al instead of Justin.“You’re here!” her excitement was evident in her voice.“Yes. Justin and I discussed the next phase of the project. How are you guys doing with the codes?” He walked towards the table where they worked and took a quick glance at her mon
Alex and Serene worked with Rich for another round of testing. They continued getting errors but were making progress since the errors were no longer duplicates of the previous run.Serene and Alex focused on resolving the errors they’ve encountered. She did not notice the brooding man outside the conference room looking at them. He tapped on the glass to calltheir attention, but neither took notice.His sharp eyes looked sharper when Alex moved closer to Serene. One hand leaned to the table, and the other held the back of her chair. Serene focused her attention on the screen and from time to time would look at him, then back to the screen.He picked up his phone and picked her name from his contacts. The vibration of her phone startled her. Justin’s name di
He started the car and drove out of the parking without giving her an answer and kept his eyes on the road. His hands gripped the steering wheel, the veins on his arms became more prominent.Serene kept looking at him. He’s obviously ignoring her. She let out a sigh and leaned her head on the window.They were already at Magnolia Crescent when she opened her eyes. Justin had already gotten out of the car and was going in the door. Shaking her head in disbelief, she unbuckled herseatbelt and got out of the car to follow him inside. This is the first time he did not open the car door for her.He immediately locked himself in his study. Serene let out a deep sigh when she did not see him in their bedroom. In the past, she's been able to ea
Time moved quickly for Serene. In a blink of an eye, she’s already handing off her project to the person who will be Rain International’s Account Manager. This meant that she no longer had to work with Arthur and his team because she had prepared all they needed to roll out the software to their employees.Justin did not bring up the topic about her imminent return to Coast City anymore. They simply lived one day at a time, enjoying each other’s company. When his time permits, they would go out on movie dates, a luxury that Justin has not done in a long time. However, what Serene enjoyed the most were their quiet moments — their intimate meals at home, enjoying a TV show together, or their simple chats about anything.Any outsider would judge their lives as boring. They have unconsciously built their own routine around their indivi
The hour and a half drive to the Rain mansion felt like an eternity for Serene. The roads ahead of them stretched to forever. She tried to close her eyes to calm herself, but she felt more anxious as the image of Chairman Rain flashed through her mind.Justin observed how she shifted in her seat and looked outside the window. She looked as if she had done something wrong and expected to receive punishment when she returned home.He blew a sigh and drew her closer to him, kissing the top of her head. “Relax, Babe,” he whispered while he rubbed her back. Serene nuzzled on his neck, inhaling his fresh scent. It somehow calmed her nerves and made her breathing even. Her eyelids felt heavy and in no time she dozed off in his arms.Serene woke up feeling gentle kisses on her mouth. “Hmmmm&hel
Because of their unexpected meeting, Elaina had isolated Serene from them. The two talked about art. From listening to their conversation, Justin gathered the reason Serene sat in her mother’s class was that she looked up to Elaina as an artist. So when she learned from a friend that his mother will teach the following semester, she had arranged her class schedule around Elaina’s class.The two women were so engrossed discussing painting and the global art scene, they hardly noticed Bryan and Chester’s arrival. His brows arched when he saw Elaina animatedly talk to Serene.“Mom’s uncharacteristically chatty today,” Chester expressed his observation.“Uh-huh. Turns out, Serene attended her class when she was in college,” Justin filled him in.
Serene waited for a minute before going back into the party. It would be awkward if she were to bump into Chester or Bryan. Although she did not want to eavesdrop, the two were not speaking in whispers. She clearly heard Chester tell Bryan that he wanted to divorce him. Her back stiffened from his declaration as if it was directed to her. She felt for Bryan. She knew Chester mattered to him. Otherwise he would not gamble his relationship with her and his family. Bryan’s family was conservative, although she did not confirm it herself, she deduced they were strongly against his relationship with Chester. She recalled that none of his family attended his wedding. A sigh left her mouth. She and Bryan were in the same predicament. Their past haunted his relationship, similar to how it haunted hers. He must feel suffocated as he tried to escape its clutches, but w
Serene stood in front of a closed door, holding onto her father’s arm. She felt weak on her knees and him lending his strength is all that she needed. Her heart was in her throat and her hand tightened around the bouquet she held.“Ready, love?” Conrad asked his daughter. His loving eyes looked at her. She was just a tiny baby he held before and now he’s walking her down the aisle. Recalling everything she has gone through; he felt a sense of pride rush through him. She’d grown to a strong independent woman, the best mother to the twins. He could not be prouder.They signaled for the door to be opened. Father and daughter walked down the aisle. All eyes are on them. Serene insisted on having an intimate wedding. She wanted their intimate moment shared only with people who mattered to them. Every single one of those in attendance we
Serene and Justin were co-parenting for the past six months, and it had been a bliss so far. Every Friday night, he’d have dinner with Serene and the twins at her place. After dinner, he would take the children with him. They agreed weekends were his, but he preferred to spend Sundays as a family. They would go to parks, museums, or hang out either at his place or hers. He would then drive Serene and the children back to her place at Hyacinth Bay.As for the two of them, they’re building trust at their own pace. Serene’s more open with him, although he wished she’d be more affectionate. He missed holding her and feeling her close to him.It’s Friday night. Justin would come over for dinner before driving back to his place with the twins. Serene finished cooking, but Justin has not arrived yet.
After their lunch, the group transferred to the nearby hotel. She and Justin watched their children play in the pool in silence. Her eyes soften at the sound of their laughter. It still fascinated her to see how much they’ve grown.“So, you guys back together?” Mary asked as she walked towards Serene and handed her a glass of juice.“No,” Serene answered, then sipped the beverage Mary gave.“Hm… I like to remind you, Shen, how difficult things were for you in the past,” she said, throwing a glance at Justin. He remained quiet throughout the exchange.Serene chose to not respond to Mary. She knows how hostile Mary could get, especially after what Justin did to her.Mary held her
The weekend finally came. Vivienne instructed him to go to Lewis Tower. From there, he took the helicopter going to Pines City. He could not help but sneer. He and his team focused on the airport when she used a helicopter to shuttle to and from Hyacinth Bay.Thinking alone that he’d see her and their children, he could not help but feel excited. The weekday felt like a drag for him. He wanted to fast forward the days, so it’ll be the weekend and he’d finally be able to spend time with Serene and the twins.His heart thumped in his chest as soon as his foot touched Pines City ground. His palms felt sweaty and cold. The food park occupied part of the mall’s outdoor space. It’s composed of many stalls featuring various cuisines.Vivienne welcomed him upon arrival. His eyes search the venu
Seeing her packing their things shattered his world. She’s running away again. He just had a taste of how it felt to be a part of the twins’ lives and she’s taking them away.He knew he hurt her before, but he wanted to make up for it if only she’d give her a chance. One chance to make it right and prove to her how much they mattered to him. A single chance is all he wanted.He has not asked her about it yet, but here she is packing her luggage, poised to run away again. They’ve been playing cat and mouse for such a long time, it has become tiresome. How long would it take him to find them again this time?He sat at the edge of Serene’s bed. His elbows dug into his knees while his hands held his head. With his head down, a veil of dark hair fell on either side of his face. His slu
Serene’s incoming call cut off their conversation. “Al,” Serene answered her call while getting up from her seat and walking away from the dining table. “How are the twins? Bryan told me what happened.” “They’re safe now, a little shook but safe.” “That’s good. Are you at Justin’s?” “Um…” “That’s fine, Shen. He’s the children’s father. After all these years, and all that has happened, don’t you think it’s time for the twins to know him?” “I don’t know, Al.” “Hey, it’s just my ten cents, Shen. In the end, it’s your call. By the way, if you have time, come down to Pine City. Susie tho
As their car entered his Villa, Serene felt a tug in her heart. This place contained some of her happiest and her most painful memories. She clutched Pax closer to her chest and looked at the sleeping Felicity in Justin’s arms. She looked so peaceful and at home in his arms.Jane, Justin’s helper, could not hide her surprise at the sight of Serene. Her eyes were as wide as her open jaws. It’s been years since she last saw Serene. And it was when Justin ordered her to send Serene away. It broke her heart to see her pitiful condition then. But she was a mere helper, and her master forbade her to help Serene.“Ma-Madam!” Jane could not help but cry at the sight of her. Her smile almost reached her ears.“Jane, good evening,” Serene said, smiling at Justin’s helper.
Justin picked Serene up from the hotel she stayed in. There was no longer a need to hide from him since she needed to work with him to rescue her children. She sat in the front passenger seat while he drove.Justin looked concentrated on his driving, but he’s biting the inside of his cheeks from anger. The hotel where she and her children stayed was only a couple of blocks away from Hotel Le Grande. She always hid in plain sight, it made him look stupid already.He pushed his anger aside and concentrated on the issue at hand. The kidnappers gave him the location of the meeting. It’s an abandoned warehouse near the pier. They instructed them to leave the money beside a trash can near the entrance.Justin got off the car and did exactly that. After dropping a huge duffle bag beside the trash, he walked awa
Serene’s vibrating phone cut off the staring contest between her and Justin. Her brows furrowed as she looked at the unidentified number flashing on her screen. “Hello?”“Serene Ellis” a raspy man’s voice spoke on the other end of the line. From the background, Serene could hear children crying.“Yes.” she answered, her voice trembling. Her heart tightened and the angry flush on her cheeks drained.“We have your children --”“Please, please, don’t hurt them. Don’t hurt my babies,” she whimpered. She felt her phone snatched from her hand. Justin put the phone on speaker, not making any sound. The entire room listened in silence.“We won&r