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Chapter 12
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Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 13
Serena woke up early the next day. She felt energized and prepared a hearty breakfast for her first day at Quade Group.Lauren was still sound asleep as she was leaving, yet her phone was ringing incessantly beside her. Serena glanced at it and noticed the caller ID—Stupid Boss.She thought for a moment and picked it up. "Hello, I'm Laurie's friend. She's feeling unwell today and might need to take the day off."Lauren complained about him so often that Serena assumed her boss was a middle-aged man with a beer belly and a receding hairline. To her surprise, his voice sounded young—even polite."Alright, please let her know she has the day off. Her health is important.""Okay, I'll let her know.""Alright, I'll hang up now."Serena placed the phone back on the nightstand. She looked at Lauren, who was sprawled on the bed like a dead woman, and shook her head. She really had no reason to be ungrateful with such a nice boss.The apartment was very close to the Quade Group. It was
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 14
"Didn't I tell you to scram!" Justin sat in a leather chair inside the office, his entire presence radiating fury. He furrowed his brows when he saw that it was Candice."Why are you here?""Justin… you seemed upset, and I was worried about you.""I'm fine.""You're clearly not fine. You're already this angry—how could you be okay? If you're upset, talk to me. Maybe I can help." Candice moved closer to him, widening her dark eyes. "I want to help lighten your burden.""You can't." This was a work matter, and Candice didn't have the skills to help.If Serena were here, she might actually be of assistance. Yet thinking about Serena only added fuel to Justin's already bad mood.Candice, however, was persistent. "Justin, don't be like this. I'm sure there's something I can do to help. Besides, you haven't even had lunch yet. There's a new vegan restaurant downstairs. Let's go eat together. You shouldn't skip meals with your stomach issues.""I'm not going." He couldn't even think a
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 15
"Mr. Quade?" Serena returned to the CEO's office, knocked on the door, and walked in.She saw Wilson lying casually on the nearby couch with his impossibly long legs crossed lazily. He had one arm resting behind his head and the other holding a cigarette. His eyes were slightly closed, as if he were asleep.Serena placed the food on a side table, and her gaze inadvertently settled on his face.The man's appearance was almost excessively refined, with sharp contours and deep features. With his eyes closed, he looked like a carefree aristocrat straight out of a comic book.She just couldn't help but stare a little longer, and Wilson suddenly opened his eyes."Uh, Mr. Quade, I brought your lunch…" Feeling guilty, Serena quickly averted her eyes and handed the food to Wilson.Wilson sat up lazily, noticing her slightly flushed ears. "You were gone for so long. I almost thought you'd switched sides and gone back to your blind ex-boss.""I would never go back," Serena immediately defe
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 16
Serena's ears burned with heat, and her fingertips nervously clutched Wilson's sleeve. Wilson patted her head gently as a gesture meant to reassure her."Don't worry. I'm going to step out and make a call," he said as he took out his phone and dialed someone. It didn't take long for the person to pick up.Willow Quade's surprised voice came through. "Will? Why are you calling me?""Are you free right now?""I am, but—""Then come here," Wilson interrupted. He explained briefly that Serena had been drugged, gave her the address, and told her to come immediately.Once he finished, he turned and got back into the car. But the moment he opened the door, Wilson froze.Serena had unbuttoned her blouse inside the car, revealing her slender neck. Her fingers absentmindedly tugged at her collar, and one of her bra straps had slipped off her shoulder.Wilson stepped in, shut the door, and grabbed her restless hand firmly. Just then, Serena turned her head, her gaze locked on his deep, ca
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 17
Willow's eyes glimmered with curiosity.Wilson glanced at her and said, "You talk too much."Willow secretly stuck out her tongue. Gossip about Wilson was rare, so she couldn't resist probing a little further.Just then, the bathroom door clicked open, and Serena stepped out wrapped in a white bathrobe.Willow's eyes lit up. The woman's chestnut-colored hair was pinned up, revealing her stunning features. Her lips were a soft, rosy hue, and her skin was as flawless as porcelain with a faint pink glow. She was breathtakingly beautiful."Wow, my brother has good taste," Willow thought to herself.Wilson glanced at Serena briefly before looking away. He said, "This is Willow Quade. She's a doctor and knows about these things. Let her check on you.""Hello, Ms. Quade," Serena greeted politely."Just call me Willow. I'm Wilson's cousin," Willow replied with a warm smile as she stepped forward to take Serena's temperature."Don't worry. These things usually pass on their own once
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 18
The car sped back to the hotel from earlier. A group of people was already waiting outside the hotel.At the front stood a man with a cleanly shaven buzz cut and a stern face. The tattoos on his neck were faintly visible.When he saw Wilson, he gave a slight nod. "Good evening, Mr. Quade."Wilson responded with a faint acknowledgment before striding into the hotel, his long legs moving with purpose. The group followed in silent unison.Inside, the hotel lobby was empty of other guests, leaving only the visibly anxious hotel manager, John Langford, standing by the entrance."Mr. Quade, we've cleared everyone out as you requested, but—""Understood," Wilson interrupted. "Record the losses under my account. Someone will contact you later."His gaze swept over John. It was a calm, indifferent look that still carried an edge sharp enough to make the man shiver.John quickly nodded. "Rest assured, sir. Not a word of tonight's events will leave this building."Wilson shifted his atte
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 19
Serena turned her head with some difficulty, only to see a sleepy face staring back at her. "Rina, you're awake?"Serena went silent for a moment. "Why are you here?""Who else would it be?" Lauren replied matter-of-factly, then suddenly gave a mischievous grin. "Rina, don't tell me you thought it was Wilson?""I didn't…""Then why do you look so flustered? I knew it! You say you don't dare think about Wilson, but you've secretly been drooling over him!" Lauren wrapped her arms around Serena while laughing gleefully."My Rina is finally growing up. She's thinking about men now. Tomorrow, I'll fly to Mailand and get a gender reassignment surgery just for you!""You're getting more and more ridiculous by the day," Serena said while pushing her off and getting out of bed. "Enough already. I need to get to the office.""No need. Wilson called me yesterday to come over and told me you've got the day off today. He said you should rest well."Lauren added with a smirk, "I have to say,
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 20
Wilson said, "You're incredibly capable, I know, but this isn't urgent. You treat yourself like some kind of Iron Woman, but I don't want my best team member burning out.""Alright, I'll head over tomorrow.""See you tomorrow."After hanging up, Serena found herself lost in thought. Over the years, she had grown used to working her ass off. Justin never cared about her, and she barely took care of herself. Now, being at Quade Group, where someone actually cared about her well-being, it felt like leaving Farrow Corporation might have been the right decision.It was still early, and Serena was not in a rush to head back. She texted Willow instead."Willow, what kind of food does Mr. Quade like?"The answer she received caught her off guard. "Desserts." Serena decided to stop by a nearby mall, where a cake shop she liked was located. The place had always been one of her favorites, and she often visited.Before working as Justin's assistant, Serena had once dreamed of owning her
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Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 398
David's 60th birthday party ended on an absurd, if not chaotic, note. The directors who came barely ate before getting up and leaving. In the end, only Serena and Wilson remained at the table.Wilson peeled shrimp for Serena, who felt uneasy. "No one's eating anymore…""That shouldn't stop us from enjoying our dinner," Wilson replied casually."Forget it," Serena replied. The atmosphere around her felt too heavy for her to stomach food."Alright, let's forget about dinner." Wilson rose and slowly wiped his fingers with a wet napkin. "Mr. Smith, you seem to have some household affairs to straighten out, so I won't be staying. Goodbye."David looked sullen but said nothing.Wilson exchanged a look with Jacob, then wrapped his arm around Serena's shoulders and left the Smith residence. It didn't take long for the sound of a car driving away to come from the outside.The moment all the guests left, Marcus threw a maniacal fit. "Dad, how could you sign that agreement? What do I get n
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 397
Louis snorted. "The facts speak louder than words!""Shut your damn mouth! My dad should never have trusted a bunch of ungrateful old farts like you!" Marcus thundered.The directors' faces darkened at Marcus's scathing remark, but for the sake of their friendship with David, they said nothing.Wilson lightly tapped his fingers against the table. "Mr. Smith, this is the son you're so proud of? He behaves like a rabid dog. You may want to put him on a tighter leash before he gets put down."Marcus turned to him and snapped, "Stay out of our family business!"A deadly look flashed in Wilson's eyes. David smacked the table again and barked, "Pipe down, Marcus! This isn't the place for one of your tantrums!""But Dad—""Scram to the side and stay in line!" David was nervous. The worst that could happen if they pissed off the directors was a heated argument followed by a fallout. But if they crossed Wilson, there was no telling what would happen.David glanced at Wilson. He was secr
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 396
With the truth out in the open, David saw no need to carry on with his pretenses. "So, you refuse to step down as CEO, is that it?"Jacob crossed his legs and lit a cigarette. "That's right.""Don't force my hand, Jacob. You'll be thrown out of Smith Group at the board meeting tomorrow!" David warned."You don't need to wait until tomorrow to throw me out. The executive directors are here today, so we may as well let them vote on the matter now. Once they've made their decision, you won't need the other directors to weigh in anymore," Jacob suggested."I'll hold you to that!" David swept his gaze over the directors at the table, signaling them to talk.For a while, there was only silence at the table. Then, Louis Callaghan said, "I… am in favor of Mr. Jacob remaining as the CEO.""What did you say?" David looked aghast.Marcus panicked as well. "Mr. Callaghan, do you have any idea what you just said?"Louis repeated, "I said—I am in favor of Mr. Jacob remaining as the CEO of Sm
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 395
Serena remembered now. Marcus was born out of David's second marriage.Marcus wheeled the birthday cake toward David. He stopped beside David and grinned. "Happy birthday, Dad! May you have a long and healthy life ahead of you!""Looks like you've pulled yourself together, Marcus," David praised, smiling. He'd never smiled like that when Jacob was around.David paid no mind to Jacob's darkened expression as he pulled Marcus closer and launched into introductions. "Everyone, this is Marcus. He's been majoring in finance abroad and flew home especially for my birthday today!"A few guests at the table recognized Marcus. "Goodness, it's Marcus! I haven't seen him in years! He sure looks different now.""Yes, he looks a lot like a younger Mr. David."Jacob lifted his gaze. "Dad, why didn't you tell me Marcus was coming home today?"David's smile slipped. "You should have known he was coming home, Jacob. You're the older brother, so don't go blaming me for not keeping you up to date
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 394
A loud cough suddenly sounded behind Jacob and the others. David was making his way down the stairs with Natasha's help."Mr. Smith," Wilson greeted.A shadow fell over David's face. "Wilson, I wasn't expecting you to come.""It's your birthday today, Mr. Smith. It's only right that I come over and celebrate with you out of respect, wouldn't you say?" Wilson said congenially. He snaked an arm around Serena's shoulders as he approached David. "Mr. Smith, allow me to introduce my girlfriend, Serena Judd."David made a noise of approval. "She's got a decent face and build, that much I'll say. You got lucky, Wilson.""Oh, my luck with the ladies is nothing compared to yours, Mr. Smith." Wilson grinned.Beside David, Natasha looked a little uneasy. She clutched David's arm and asked, "Would you like to sit, Mr. Smith?""Bring me to the couch so I may catch my breath."Natasha did as she was told and helped David to the couch, whereupon they sat.Jacob and Wilson sauntered to one si
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 393
Serena wished she could sew Wilson's mouth shut. He helped her put on her clothes and said, "We're going to the Smith residence tonight. It's Jacob's father's birthday."Serena considered her plans for the day. The patisserie was doing all right recently, and she had nothing urgent to take care of. As such, she agreed to be Wilson's plus-one.…Serena and Wilson arrived downstairs to find that Elsa had already prepared a meal for them. Under Elsa's curious and meaningful gaze, Serena finished her food and headed out with Wilson.They dropped by an upscale women's boutique. Serena was about to leave after picking out a dress when Wilson grabbed her wrist. "You may as well pick out a few more outfits now that we're here. With that killer figure of yours, you'll look good in anything."It was still early, so Serena decided to stay and shop a little while longer. It would have been foolish of her to decline Wilson's generous offer of new clothes. She tried on a dozen outfits, and Wils
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 392
Waking up late the next day, Serena's eyes slowly blinked open, her thoughts still hazy and unfocused. She stared at the blackout curtains that had been drawn over the window, and the memories from last night flashed through her mind.As the hand on her side gently shifted, a voice rumbled, "Are you up?"Serena hummed in response, her throat a little dry. Last night had been wild; she'd behaved nothing like her usual self. She blushed slightly at the thought.Wilson gently pinched the soft flesh of her waist and kissed her. "Lie in for a bit."With that, he lifted the blanket and got out of bed. The soft glow of the bedside lamp illuminated the room a second later, and he handed Serena a glass of water. "To quench your thirst."Wilson's tone was warm and mild, but the way his alluring eyes fixed on Serena turned his sentence into a double entendre. Diffident, she took the glass from him and had a few gulps of water.Wilson then set the glass down and began putting on his clothes.
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 391
Wilson brought Serena back to his villa.Serena was greeted by the feast on the table when she entered the door and noted her favorite dishes among the food. Wilson explained, "When I came home earlier, I told Elsa to make dinner. We'll be eating here tonight."Serena nodded. She took a seat at the table, only to see Elsa Rosenburg bustling around to tend to her needs. She served Serena soup, brought her a wine glass, and even warmly asked Serena if she could have cold drinks.Wilson narrowed his eyes from across the table. "Elsa, if you'd like to take a look at my girlfriend, you may do so openly without buzzing around her like a bee."An awkward chuckle escaped Elsa. Oh, well, so much for being subtle. But could Wilson blame her? He'd only ever brought men home, and this was the first time he'd brought a woman over—and she was his girlfriend, no less!It was a rare sight for Elsa, indeed. Before this, she thought Wilson and Jacob were dating.Elsa stared at Serena for a moment,
Too Late for Forgiveness Chapter 390
Damian's eyes darkened. He strode over to Wilson. "Mr. Quade."Wilson appraised him from head to toe. "What is your purpose of getting close to Serena?"Damian looked baffled. "I've known Serena for years, and we've always been on good terms. What do you mean by that question, Mr. Quade?""The next time you act dumb and naïve, try to be more convincing. Who are you trying to fool when you can't even keep the scheming look out of your eyes?" Wilson drawled.Damian froze, then flashed Wilson a smile. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Quade. Serena may be your girlfriend, but she has the freedom to be friends with whomever she wants."Wilson took a drag of his cigarette. "You sabotaged the security camera at Serena's place previously, didn't you?"Damian's smile vanished.Contempt gleamed in Wilson's narrowed eyes as he added, "Stay in line if you don't want Serena to find out just how despicable you are. I don't want to see you anywhere near Serena after this."With a
