At that moment, the man buried his face into the crook of her shoulder. He didn't say anything, just held her tightly.
So tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his body.
Serena didn't speak again.
The quietness between them was surprisingly peaceful, and she didn't have the heart to disturb this moment of happiness and tranquility.
Until-she felt something wet on her shoulder, and her heart skipped a beat.
Her lips moved a few times before she couldn't help but softly ask, "Are you... crying?"
"I am not!" Xavier denied stubbornly.
But his voice clearly carried a choked-up tone.
She didn't call him out on it. Instead, she gently reached up and stroked his hair. "So the fearless Xavier Blaze can cry too?"
"I am not crying!" the man muttered, then pretended to casually wipe the corner of his eye. "This is called tears of joy!"
"Alright, alright-whatever you say."
Under the soft moonlight, Xavier gazed at her intently.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Serena asked curiously.
"Serena, just now when you were being all sweet... it made me imagine what you'd be like as Mrs. Blaze."
Her heart suddenly raced. Embarrassed, she playfully said, "Who said I'm going to be Mrs. Blaze?! And besides, I might not be a docile little kitten-maybe I'm actually a fierce tiger!"
As she said this, she raised her hand and made a pouncing gesture like a tiger going for its prey.
He chuckled dotingly, grabbed her outstretched hand, and held it in his palm. "Whatever you are, I love it. No matter what, you'll always be my most beloved Mrs. Blaze!"
Their eyes locked, and sparks flew silently in the air between them.
His face drew closer, and Serena closed her eyes, ready to melt into his tenderness.
Just then, the quiet air was abruptly broken by a sharp ring from a cellphone.
Xavier frowned and irritably pulled his phone from his pocket.
He glanced at the caller ID. Though reluctant, he still answered. "Hello?" His tone was anything but pleasant. "What is it?"
On the other end, the subordinate asked cautiously, "Mr. Blaze, sorry to call you so late. Hope I'm not disturbing you?"
"What do you think?"
The subordinate shrank back slightly and stammered, "Sorry, Sir..."
"Spit it out!" His tone grew more impatient.
"Well, about what you asked us to look into the other day-about Dr. Beckett from Vernon Hospital-we found something. After a few days of investigation, we uncovered some important information."
"Oh? What kind of information?"
Hearing it was about business, Xavier's expression calmed slightly.
"There appears to be a connection between this Dr. Beckett and Gaius-the man you asked us to look into before."
"Really?" His eyes narrowed, and he instinctively glanced at Serena.
"Yes!" the subordinate confirmed. "We've found solid evidence. But..." he hesitated.
"But what?"
"It seems... Dr. Beckett might also have some... complicated connections with Mayor Knowles-Miss Knowles's father."
"Mayor Knowles...?!"
Hearing that, Serena's head snapped toward him. In her gaze was not just confusion, but also a flicker of panic.
Xavier patted the back of her hand, signaling her not to overthink, then said in a low voice, "This is hard to explain over the phone. Send me the full investigation report."
"Yes, Sir. I'll send it right away!"
The call ended, and within seconds, the report popped up on Xavier's phone.
He frowned and opened it with a serious expression.
The investigation details appeared before him and Serena, bringing past events vividly back to life.
Serena had only read a few lines when she gasped, "Oh my god! Dr. Beckett is actually Gaius' cousin?!"
Xavier wrapped an arm around her shoulder and comforted her. "Don't panic. Let's finish reading the report before jumping to conclusions."
Even just from what little she had seen, Serena was already deeply shaken by the contents. She felt uneasy, even afraid, and was hesitant to continue reading.
She feared that what came next would be something she wasn't ready to face.
Just then, a pair of warm hands gently wrapped around her cold ones.
Sensing what she was feeling, he softly offered, "Serena, how about I read it on my own first? If there's anything you want to know, I'll tell you. Okay?"
She hesitated for a few seconds before shaking her head. "No need. I'll have to face it sooner or later, right? Since I can't avoid it, I might as well face it head-on."
Xavier gave a satisfied smile. "Now that's the brave Serena I know!"
Their eyes returned to the screen.
"The year Gaius died, Dr. Beckett was just an ordinary surgeon at Vernon Hospital. He had excellent medical skills but no background, making it hard for him to get promoted. Even though he had published multiple academic papers in prestigious journals, during the title evaluation process, he was replaced by a relative of the deputy director."
"Strangely enough, shortly after Gaius jumped to his death, Dr. Beckett was rapidly promoted-twice in a row-rising from an ordinary doctor to deputy head of the department."
"From then on, his career smoothed out. Within a few years, he beat the competition for both department head and vice president."
"And finally, just one year ago, he became the director of Vernon Hospital!"
At this point, Serena and Xavier exchanged a knowing glance-they both sensed something fishy about Dr. Beckett's sudden promotions.
"Keep reading," Xavier murmured.
The two of them focused again on the report.
"Further investigation revealed that Bram Knowles-then a high-ranking government official-had secret contact with Dr. Beckett. They reportedly met at a coffee shop and spoke for two full hours. Not long after that meeting, Gaius committed suicide."
Serena's pupils constricted, her heart tightening. "Could my father really have something to do with Gaius' death?!"
***