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Chapter 4

Author: Arlo Drake
"Sorry, Rina. I got so worked up. I thought you were heartbroken and that Scumstin had hit you." After returning to her place and getting the full story, Lauren finally managed to stop crying.

"But he's still horrible. You encountered a creep, and he was hanging around with his mistress? This kind of scumbag should be castrated and thrown into the sea!"

"Candice is his girlfriend," Serena said calmly.

"That's bullshit! She's Justin's girlfriend, so what does that make you?"

Serena's face looked faintly melancholic under the light. "Yeah, what does that make me? Probably just a pet he doesn't care about."

One he could call whenever and dismiss without a second thought. When he was done with her, he didn't even need to formally let her know.

"Forget Scumstin. Just think of it as all those years of real love wasted. There are plenty of men out there. You'll find someone new for sure."

Serena gave a faint smile. Right now, she had no desire to think about a new relationship.

After walking into the bathroom, she removed her rain-drenched clothes and took a quick shower. After that, she sat on the edge of the bed to dry her hair.

She often stayed over at Lauren's, so half of her things were here, which made it easier.

Just then, her phone rang on the bed. It was a message from Zane.

"Ms. Judd, Mr. Farrow has a meeting with a potential partner this afternoon. You need to join him. Please come back ASAP."

Serena picked up the phone, typed a response, and hit send. With that, she turned off her phone and lay down on the bed.

She hadn't slept well the night before, and now, with Justin's words still piercing her heart, she felt mentally and physically exhausted.

As soon as she pulled the thin blanket over her, Lauren came out of the bathroom.

While walking over, she chattered away with her phone in hand, "My dumb boss keeps asking me where I've been. I told him I had something urgent. Does he think the company can't run without me?"

"Laurie, just go to work if you're busy."

"I'm not busy. I'm staying here with you." Lauren crawled into bed beside her. "Rina, I know you seem calm on the outside, but I can tell you're hurting inside. Please don't do anything stupid."

"I'm not going to die over Justin. He doesn't deserve that kind of attention," Serena said.

"Exactly. If you died, he'd be able to enjoy his life with that mistress. You need to live until the day Justin's in the ground, and then we can dance on his grave!"

After a soft chuckle, Serena turned over and slowly closed her eyes.

Lauren lay down on the pillow and then sighed.

"Honestly, even though I don't like Scumstin, part of me always thought you'd end up marrying him. After all, that guy's been surrounded by women for so many years, but he never really cared about any of them.

"You know how your colleagues always say—endless girlfriends, but Ms. Judd always stays. It's been 19 years, Serena. You've known him for 19 years. How could that asshole hurt you like this?"

Lauren's voice faltered as she said the last part.

Turning around, she saw Serena lying with her back to her. Her long hair was spread out on the pillow. It looked like she had fallen asleep.

Lauren sniffled and held back the words she wanted to say.

Serena lay still, but her eyes were wide open. Her fingers clenched tightly beneath the blanket.

The ache in her chest grew stronger with each passing second.

Lauren was right. How could Justin do this to her?

It was well into the afternoon, and Serena still hadn't returned to Farrow Corporation.

Justin glanced down at the expensive watch on his wrist and grew more impatient by the minute. "Where is she?"

Zane hesitated before speaking. "Ms. Judd just messaged me."

"Tell her she has half an hour to get back here."

"She just sent in her resignation letter… She quit," Zane said.

Zane showed Justin the resignation letter from Serena.

As Justin glanced at the screen, his face darkened.

Was she trying to make her discontent known? This was a whole new level of tantrum. However, he wasn't falling for it.

Justin stood up. "Let's go."

"Where to, Mr. Farrow?" Zane asked.

"The meeting, of course."

Zane said anxiously, "But Ms. Judd isn't here."

Justin stopped in his tracks, his expression growing sharp. "You think this deal can't go through without Serena?"

"I didn't mean that. I'll go with you, Mr. Farrow." Zane hurriedly grabbed the materials and followed.

Serena had been the one handling this deal from the start, so without her, it wasn't going to go as smoothly.

But with her detailed prep, Zane could at least manage for the time being.

Suddenly, a soft voice interrupted, "Mr. Farrow."

Candice stepped up. "Since Serena's not here, I can go with you. I could learn something from the meeting."

Justin's voice softened. "Sure."

Zane froze for a second. Just as he wanted to protest, he saw Justin's expression, so he held back.

By evening, the rain had gotten heavier. Most of Nocturna was submerged under a downpour.

When Justin stepped out of the conference room, his face was even darker than the stormy sky.

Zane trailed behind him, apologizing, "I'm sorry, Mr. Farrow. I take full responsibility. I'll reach out to Daniel and ask him to give us another chance."

Justin tugged at his tie. Frustration boiled in his chest. "How can you mess up something this simple? Why am I even paying you?"

Zane lowered his head, too scared to speak.

What was supposed to be a one-hour international meeting dragged on for three.

Since Zane had taken over at the last minute, he sounded awkward during the presentation. Daniel Perez, their potential partner, began to lose patience.

While introducing the product, Candice pushed him aside and stepped forward to demonstrate the company's newly developed features.

However, she mispronounced several Velrithian technical terms, which led to an embarrassing moment.

Daniel was now questioning the company's competence, and the deal had been postponed.

As soon as the video call ended, Justin's face turned stormy.

Zane lowered his voice. "Mr. Farrow, Ms. Judd has always handled this project. I was in such a rush today, and I really wasn't prepared."

"You become a waste without Serena?" Justin shouted.

Zane didn't respond but glanced over at Candice, who was standing a short distance away.

If she hadn't stepped in, things wouldn't have gotten so messy. At least they might have gotten the contract signed.

"It's all my fault, Mr. Farrow." Candice's voice trembled. "I just wanted to help. I'm sorry."
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  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 5

    Justin turned and saw Candice's red, swollen eyes. At once, the anger in his chest subsided. "It's not your fault. You're new. It's normal not to know everything.""Justin..." Candice threw herself into his arms, sobbing like her heart was breaking.A wave of irritation surged through Justin.If Serena were here, this kind of rookie mistake wouldn't have happened. Even if it did, she'd own it silently, fix the problem, and figure out a solution.Back at the office, Justin skipped dinner and personally called Daniel. After hours of negotiation, Daniel finally agreed to give them another chance.The new meeting was set for a few days later.Once the situation was resolved, Justin felt a touch better. Stepping out of the CEO's office, he noticed Candice still at her desk. "Justin, is everything okay now?""It's all sorted out now," Justin replied."Really? That's amazing! You're incredible!" Candice's eyes sparkled with admiration.Justin's mood lifted. He enjoyed the way Candice

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 6

    Serena hailed a cab and headed straight for Farrow Corporation.On the way, she got a call from Lauren, who asked where she was. Serena casually mentioned where she was going.Lauren immediately insisted on coming over, claiming that as her best friend, she couldn't let her go through this alone. She'd come to help Serena deal with Justin.Serena tried to talk her out of it, but in the end, she couldn't stop her.An hour later, the cab pulled up to the entrance of Farrow Corporation's towering building.The sun blazed off the glass and steel, making her squint as she stepped out.The headquarters of Farrow Corporation wasn't located here before. This was the new building.Five years ago, when it had just been completed, Justin had been in a great mood. He had drunk heavily to celebrate and ended up passing out in the CEO's office.Serena had stayed by his side the whole time.She stood in front of the massive windows to enjoy the night view. Suddenly, she felt someone lean in

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 7

    At that moment, Serena felt a profound sense of emptiness.Lauren was so angry that she was about to charge at Justin. "Did your mouth get glued shut before? Why didn't you say all this crap before?"Justin was equally furious. His eyes darkened, and a sharp energy radiated from him. "Lauren, this is Farrow Corporation. Try making another scene and see what happens!"Lauren used to be afraid of him. But she was about to explode this time, so she didn't back down. She rolled up her sleeves and pushed Zane aside, ready to hit Justin.The latter immediately called security.In moments, a couple of security guards roughly grabbed Lauren and tried to drag her away.Serena quickly stepped forward, protecting Lauren. "Let go of her!"She glared at Justin. "If you dare lay a finger on Laurie, I'll ruin you, Justin! I've been your assistant for years. I know everything about you. You sure you want Farrow Corporation in the news tomorrow for all the wrong reasons?""Are you threatening m

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 8

    Lauren's rear-end collision somehow lightened Serena's heavy heart."Are you okay, Rina?" Lauren asked."I'm fine now. I cried it all out," Serena replied. "Besides, you just hit a Bentley. I can't afford to dwell on my feelings.""You should've told me earlier! If I'd known this would help, I'd have smashed Scumstin's Maybach into pieces!"Serena chuckled and hugged Lauren tightly. "You're the best, Laurie.""Even though you're gorgeous and all, I still prefer tall guys with big dicks. Thanks, though," Lauren joked."Okay. When I make it big, I'll get you ten of them.""Two will do. My stamina's not that great."They laughed all the way home to their apartment, and Serena finally left Justin's drama behind.That night, they had a cozy barbecue dinner at home. Lauren took charge of prepping the vegetables while Serena handled the grill.Serena was a great cook. Years of humbling herself in the Farrow residence meant spending plenty of time in the kitchen.Later, following Ju

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 9

    Wilson slid a pre-prepared contract across the desk toward Serena. "Take a good look. Sign it if everything checks out."Serena took the contract. She sat down on the nearby couch and began reading carefully.She was focused on the document. Wilson, on the other hand, was focused on her.Her chestnut brown hair spilled over her shoulders like waves. Her skin was porcelain smooth, and her features were flawless.Even seated casually, her posture was elegant. The graceful curve of her neck led to a delicate collarbone, and below that, a slender waist and subtly defined hips.Wilson's eyes darkened slightly before he turned his gaze elsewhere.The contract was solid, and the pay was even better than what Justin had offered her. Serena picked up the pen and signed without hesitation."Welcome aboard," Wilson said with a lazy smirk.Serena stood up. "Well, I won't keep you any longer, Mr. Quade. I'll be here on time tomorrow."With that, she turned to leave. But just as she reached

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 10

    "Serena?" Arthur Collinsworth pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up, thinking he must have seen it wrong.Just as he was about to confirm, his phone rang.Joseph's voice came through. "Where are you, Arthur? We've been waiting for you for ages!""I'm coming."Arthur hung up and headed straight for the luxurious private room on the second floor. A few people were already there waiting.His brother Joseph, Justin's sister Mollie Farrow, and Justin were all there. Next to Justin was a petite young woman.Arthur casually tossed his suit jacket onto the couch. "Why isn't Serena here?"The mood in the room instantly froze.Justin spoke up coldly, "She quit. She's no longer associated with Farrow Corporation.""Did you two break up?" Arthur asked."We were never together." Justin's face darkened. He then pulled Candice closer. "This is my girlfriend, Candice Ashton."Candice smiled gently. "Nice to meet you all."Arthur barely acknowledged her, continuing, "Serena's been with us for s

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 11

    The moment Wilson said that, everyone's faces were filled with shock.Justin was so furious that he actually laughed. He turned to Serena. "You really impress me. Just a few days, and you're already hooking up with my rival?""What's it to you?" Serena's face flushed with anger as she forcefully yanked his hand away.The force was so strong that she stumbled backward. Fortunately, a hand gently steadied her waist.Wilson's deep, mischievous eyes locked with hers.Serena froze for a second. She quickly straightened up and stood beside him.Wilson seemed pleased by her action. His eyes narrowed, a hint of a smile spreading across his face.Justin found the scene unbearable. Just as he was about to speak, Jacob stepped in his way. "Justin, didn't Serena quit? Why are you still bothering her? I'm sure your girlfriend wouldn't be happy about that."It was only then that Justin remembered Candice. He turned around and saw her pale face. She bit her lip, looking as if she might burst

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 12

    When Serena was seven, Robert held a birthday party with several guests. She wasn't comfortable in crowded spaces, so she wandered off to the garden to watch the fish.She was getting bored when suddenly, a teasing voice interrupted her. "You've been staring for so long. Are you planning to catch one as your food?"Serena turned around to see a fair-skinned boy standing behind her. He looked to be a year or two older than her. He was dressed casually but still wearing a shirt that clearly wasn't cheap.Serena blinked. "No, I was just a little bored."After a pause, she asked, "Are you a guest here today?""Kind of. But honestly, they don't really welcome me, and I don't like them much either." The boy stared off into the distance. His expression was unusually mature and carefree for his age.When he saw Serena's confused face, he suddenly reached over and pinched her cheek.Serena quickly covered her face. "What are you doing?""Let me introduce myself. My name is Wilson Quade.

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  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 300

    Joseph rubbed the back of his head and said, "I don't think Serena wants to see you right now, Justin…"Justin's face darkened when he heard this. He was about to snap at Joseph and Lauren when the room door opened.Wilson leaned against the doorframe with one hand in his pocket, nonchalance coloring his handsome face as he eyed the trio bickering in the corridor. "Mind the noise."Justin nearly flew into a rage as he beheld Wilson. "Where's Serena?"A calm, collected voice rang out from the room. "Is something the matter?""Rina!" Lauren ducked under Wilson's outstretched arm and hurried into the room. "Rina, how are you feeling?""I'm fine. I got away with only minor wounds and abrasions, but I am pretty exhausted and ended up sleeping for longer than expected," Serena explained."How are you coping mentally?" Lauren pressed, her eyes wide with worry. Serena was already dealing with enough emotional baggage, to begin with, and the traumatic events of the last two days must hav

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 299

    Without hesitation, Wilson cupped the back of Serena's head and kissed her back deeply. His kisses were careful and lingering at first, then slowly became passionate and demanding.With one hand holding Serena's head in place and the other gripping her slender waist, he practically hauled her upright and eased her into his lap. His body tightened as the soft curves of her body molded against the hard planes of his, and his system went into a frenzy.Weak as it was, his voice of reason compelled him to end the kiss before things went further. But Serena suddenly moaned in the back of her throat, the sound soft yet catalytic. Whatever trace of reason Wilson found vanished into thin air as he pinned her to the bed and deepened the kiss, his teeth grazing her lips hungrily. He pressed her close, willing all and any distance between them to melt away.The bed rattled slightly beneath them, and the air in the spacious hospital room grew too warm too quickly. The tension between Serena a

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 298

    Serena put on a fresh change of clothes. In the car, she dozed off in Wilson's arms. She had gone a whole night without sleep, and the events of the last two days took a toll on her mental and physical strength.Serena slept deeply and woke up in the hospital room. The sharp scent of antiseptic filled her nose.She slowly opened her eyes when she heard a soft noise coming from her bedside and turned to find Wilson sitting there, peeling an apple. He paused and met her gaze."Mr. Quade…" Serena began.However, she was interrupted when Wilson clapped a warm hand over her forehead and caressed her skin. "You're not running a fever. That's good.""Didn't the nurse take my temperature earlier?" Serena asked."You knew about that?"She nodded. She had awoken a few minutes ago and was drifting in and out of sleep when the nurse attended to her. She'd felt the latter take her temperature.Wilson pointed out, "So, were you pretending to be asleep, then? You fooled me. I even heard you s

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 297

    Just as Thomas was about to dunk Serena underwater again, a loud bang cut through the air, followed by Thomas' piercing scream. He clamped a hand over his right shoulder where crimson blood bloomed across his shirt.Serena looked up at the towering cliffside to see Wilson aiming his gun in Thomas' direction. She watched as Wilson shrugged off his jacket and dived into the lake. Behind him, several men took their positions on the cliff.Tears pricked Serena's eyes. She kicked Thomas away and swam toward Wilson with as much force as she could.Thomas snapped to his senses and immediately pushed forward to swim after Serena. However, his wounded shoulder hindered his swimming. "Stop! Come back right now, damn it!"Less than 50 yards separated her and Wilson, yet Serena felt as if they were worlds apart. After what felt like ages, a strong arm finally pulled her into a warm embrace. Wilson held her close and murmured, "I'm here now. You have nothing to be afraid of."Serena breathed i

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 296

    Despair flashed in Mollie's eyes. Suddenly, someone gripped her wrist. She turned to see Serena staring at her evenly and whispering, "Head southwest."With that, Serena nudged her away before darting out of their hiding place and bolting in the opposite direction."Shit!" Thomas swore upon seeing Serena. He leaped down the hill and ran after her.The blood drained from Mollie's face. She clenched her jaw and ran southwest like Serena told her to. As she ran, tears streamed down her face, and she prayed that Serena would get away safely.…"Damn it! Stop running!" Thomas roared as he pursued Serena.Serena was barefoot and practically flying through the woods. She had always been strong, and her stamina was second to none when it came to running. However, biology became her biggest hurdle, and it didn't take long for Thomas to catch up to her.He pulled her back by her hair and flung her to the ground, using inertia to his advantage. She hit the forest floor and felt her head s

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 295

    Mollie said weakly, "Go on without me, Serena. I'll only hold you back."Serena hauled Mollie to her feet and reassured her, "We must have shaken them off after running for so long. I can hear running water somewhere. Maybe we'll find a stream where we can clean your wounds."Mollie could tell Serena did not intend to leave her behind. Tears welled up in her eyes.Seeing this, Serena asked, "Why are you crying?""I just feel bad because… I was so mean to you, yet you're risking your life to save mine. I'm a terrible person!" Mollie sobbed."Don't say that about yourself. Compared to your mother and Justin, you were practically nice," Serena comforted her. Indeed, Mollie hadn't done anything terrible to Serena save for a few acerbic comments here and there.Mollie was speechless as she considered Serena's words. She then said, "You sure know what to say to make people feel better.""Come on." Serena looped her arm through Mollie's and gently but firmly guided her forward. Sure

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 294

    "Don't touch Mollie!" Serena struggled to shield Mollie."Out of my way!" Carl snapped, shoving Serena hard enough that she staggered to the side, lost her footing, and hit her head on the rocks. She blacked out after that.The skinny man's eyes glittered as he said, "How delicate. Hey, Carl, now that you've knocked out this one, can I have her? You already have Ms. Farrow over there—""Get in line!" Carl barked, cutting him off."What the hell? Don't tell me you want dibs on the other one, too!" the skinny man protested."I'm not letting you get a taste of that beauty first! I'm calling dibs on both of them!" Carl snapped.The skinny man was about to say something when Carl silenced him with a deadly glare. A vicious smile curved his lips as he said before leaving, "Fine, have your fun. I'll take my turn after you."Mollie glowered at Carl with wide eyes. "Get away from me! Don't you dare touch me! I'm the young lady of the Farrow family!""What makes you think that'll stop me

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 293

    The woman's helpless sobbing prompted the other women to start crying and begging for mercy, too. However, their captors couldn't care less.Mollie leaned against Serena, her skin hot to the touch, and rasped, "Serena, let's… run.""We can't," Serena whispered."But if we don't run, we'll be sold off into a rural village in the mountains and never come out again," Mollie countered urgently."I know," Serena said quietly, but now was not the time to make their escape. They wouldn't get far if they ran now.The chubby guy hauled up the woman cowering at his feet and growled, "Stop crying and get your ass up! We're leaving now!"The woman, weakened and howling, refused to budge. The chubby guy grew incensed and slapped her hard across the face. In a violent fit, he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head against a tree trunk.Blood trickled down the woman's face as she slumped onto the ground. She looked half-dead.The whip-thin man watching this from the side chuckled. "No n

  • Too Late for Forgiveness   Chapter 292

    Kayden stood before Wilson and reported the latest updates, "Mr. Wilson, we've sealed all the waterways. We're also carrying out a blanket inspection on all moving vehicles on the expressways, but we've yet to find Ms. Judd.""Got it," Wilson replied as he pulled the car up to the side, his cigarette dangling between his lips. The storm in his eyes matched his foul mood.At that moment, his phone rang. He answered it and heard Andrew announce, "We've caught a suspicious vehicle passing through the surveilled area!""I'm on my way." Wilson hung up and sped toward the police precinct.Andrew showed Wilson the latest lead he found. "The van has raised alarms before, and the driver is our suspect. He goes by the nickname 'Whistle', but his real name is Thomas Garcia. I sent my men after the van after we determined the route. If our hunch is correct, Serena should be in that van now.Wilson stared at the footage of Thomas as if the latter were a dead man.Andrew continued, "And have y

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