Serena's pupils were as blue as the deep sea, her face as pale as a demon rising from hell. "My father is not the kind of person you claim him to be! I can tolerate you insulting me, but don't you dare slander my father!"
Poppy held her face, her eyes wide in disbelief. She was too stunned to even continue shouting.
Serena loosened her grip and shoved Poppy roughly backward. "Next time you speak ill of my father, don't blame me for being rude!"
A warm hand wrapped around Serena's shoulder, and she turned her head to look.
Xavier's lazy breath brushed against her ear. "Miss Castano, I hope you heard what Serena just said?"
"Mr. Blaze, why are you...?" Poppy stammered.
"Me?" Xavier smirked, looking at her as if she were an idiot. "What's wrong with me?"
Poppy, still stubborn, pointed at Serena and venomously said, "How can you trust a woman like her?"
"Whether I trust her is my business!" Xavier spoke in a casual tone, then added, "As for who's the rotten woman between you two, I've already made up my mind."
After saying that, he turned to Serena, taking her hand gently, and raised it to his lips, softly blowing on it. "Serena, did your hand hurt when you hit her? Silly girl, if you want to hit someone, just tell me, I'll do it for you!"
"You?" Serena glanced at him. "You're wearing a hospital gown!"
"Who are you looking down on?" Xavier raised an eyebrow, "Why bother doing it ourselves? Have you forgotten how many of my underlings there are? With one word from you, within five minutes, you can have as many people as you need!"
Serena lazily smiled, watching Poppy's disheveled appearance.
Xavier continued to blow on her wrist, "Look, it's already red. Don't do this again. Let me take care of it for you."
Poppy clenched her teeth, her face burning from the slap.
But in front of Xavier, she didn't dare to make a scene. She didn't even have the courage to retaliate against Serena.
In desperation, she raised her eyes, glaring at Serena with a glint of malice. "Don't you want to know about your dad's past?"
Serena's face darkened. "Say one more word, and I might just lose control and smash that delicate face of yours."
"Good!" Poppy smirked, "Serena, don't regret it! If you're not afraid, I'll expose all the filthy things your dad did to the internet! I want the public to see what kind of man the supposedly upright mayor of Vernon really is!"
"My father is not the person you say he is! If you dare spread rumors, there are people who will deal with you!"
"Fine! Let's see!"
With that, Poppy straightened up, clicking her high heels as she walked toward the door.
"Wait!" A tall figure blocked her path. Xavier's face was stern as he looked down at her, his eyes warning her, "Miss Castano, I advise you not to act impulsively."
Poppy couldn't smile anymore, her face stiffening. "Mr. Blaze, you've heard it yourself. Serena doesn't even care if I expose Bram's secrets, so why are you getting involved?"
"She doesn't care, but I do!" Xavier's casual demeanor disappeared, replaced by a cold expression.
His facial features were sharp, and when he became serious, there was an undeniable aura of authority.
When he spoke with a low voice, every word carried a warning, making anyone listening instinctively feel a sense of fear.
His eyes cold, he said, "Listen carefully. Serena's matters are my matters. Anyone who dares to make things difficult for her is making things difficult for me! If you think your life's been too easy and want to stir up some trouble, then ignore my words."
"Mr. Blaze..."
Poppy couldn't help but feel intimidated by his imposing presence, staring at him in shock, unable to blink.
"Now, get out of here, and don't come near Serena again. I don't want her to see you and feel disgusted."
Poppy's heart was filled with resentment, but she didn't dare make a move in front of Xavier.
She could only nod, swallowing her pride and walking away silently.
Once she was far enough, Xavier turned around.
His smile stiffened as he quickly walked up to Serena's side. "Serena!"
Serena had been gripping the doorframe so hard that her fingers had turned white.
He gently pried her fingers from the frame, his expression full of concern. "Don't pay attention to her words. She was just talking nonsense out of frustration."
Serena turned her face away, hiding the tears that were beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. "Do you think... my father might have done something I don't know about?"
"Uncle Bram?!" Xavier looked surprised. "He's always been upright and honest. How could he be the kind of person Poppy is describing? Don't listen to her lies!"
"Yeah! I trust my father!" Serena nodded and turned back to the hospital room.
While packing her things, she didn't say another word.
Five minutes later, looking at the two bags in front of her, she clapped her hands together. "I'm done packing. Let me take you to the exclusive clinic!"
As she reached to grab the two bulky bags, a large hand pressed down on hers. "Serena!" Xavier gently touched his lips, hesitating before asking, "If you're worried, how about I secretly look into it for you?"
"Look into it? Look into what?"
"Look into... Uncle Bram..."
Serena stared at him without answering, her face expressionless, as if she had become a lifeless statue.
"Serena?" Xavier called softly. "If you don't want to investigate, it's fine. Poppy is probably just making things up. I've warned her, so she won't dare stir up trouble online."
Serena's heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of conflict.
If she investigated, she feared her father might indeed be responsible for the death of Clint's father, as Poppy suggested.
If she didn't investigate, she would always have this unresolved question in her heart.
"I'll ask about this myself," she finally spoke in a soft tone. "Thank you earlier. If it weren't for you, Poppy might have really blown this up online."
"Silly girl!" Xavier ruffled her hair with a helpless look. "Don't thank me! I should be the one grateful that you're letting me help."
Serena lifted her face, her eyes vacant like a broken doll. After a long pause, she said, "You call me silly, but I really want to ask you-why are you so silly?"
***