Once outside, Serena looked up and saw a bright, round moon hanging in the sky. The moonlight shimmered on the lake in front of the villa, making it sparkle.
The scenery was truly breathtaking.
Unable to resist, Serena walked toward the lake.
She figured-since she'd come all this way, why not take a stroll before leaving?
She had never known there was such a beautiful lake in the northern suburbs of Vernon.
By the lakeside was a patch of reeds-not tall, but each stalk thick and healthy.
She stopped by the reeds and looked into the distance.
Having just put Christan in his place and now enjoying this lovely view, her mood couldn't be better.
She took a deep breath, feeling the gentle breeze from the lake brush her cheeks. Bathed in moonlight, Serena stretched out her arms, feeling like a goddess of the lake, majestic and serene.
But the good mood didn't last long. A jarring voice behind her disrupted the peace.
"Miss Knowles, I thought you left?"
Serena didn't even turn her head. That arrogant voice-she could recognize it even if he turned to ashes.
"Mr. Ryder, aren't you having dinner with Grandpa Bryan?"
"Thanks to you, my grandfather didn't have much appetite. Not long after you left, he went off as well."
"Oh." Serena looked completely uninterested. "Aren't you busy? Since you're so busy, shouldn't you hurry and get back to your urgent matters?"
Christan walked up beside her, standing shoulder to shoulder.
His hands were in his pockets, and the wind tousled his hair, revealing a smooth, clean forehead.
His voice was cooler now, not as aggressive as before. "I don't know why you're cozying up to my grandfather, but I suggest you give up whatever little schemes you're brewing. Our family isn't someone anyone can just climb their way into."
Serena frowned.
This man really couldn't say anything nice. His mouth was as nasty as ever.
Sure, her background couldn't compare to the Ryder family's, but that didn't mean he could look down on her like that.
She'd always hated people who acted all high and mighty, bossing others around like they were better.
"Mr. Ryder, out of respect for Grandpa Bryan, I'll give you some friendly advice-look in the mirror more often. If that doesn't work, look down. The moonlight is so clear tonight, and the lake is like a mirror too. If that still doesn't help, well, you'll just have to do it the hard way."
Christan's brows furrowed, suppressing his anger. "Do it the hard way? What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, piss on the ground and take a good look at your own nasty face!"
Without waiting for a response, she turned and started walking away.
Unfortunately, she was wearing heels, and the path back was uphill. She couldn't walk fast.
After just a few steps, a large hand grabbed her wrist from behind.
She instinctively tried to shake it off, but he held on. Serena glared at him, full of warning. "I'm telling you-don't try anything! Or I'll scream and say you're harassing me!"
"Heh." The man chuckled coldly. "This is private property. Everything for dozens of miles around belongs to us. Go ahead and scream. Let's see if anyone will come help you."
"You-!" Furious, she glared at his smirking face. "Then I'll call the police! The police won't just ignore this!"
The word 'police' made Christan's eyes darken.
Involuntarily, he thought of Serena's face.
She was the first woman who'd ever dared call the police on him. And now, here was the second.
And coincidentally, both had the last name Knowles.
Maybe he really was cursed when it came to that name.
He lowered his head and studied the woman's face in front of him.
It was still a dark, smeared mess. Even in the moonlight, he couldn't make out her features.
If... she had a face like Serena's, maybe... maybe he wouldn't be so repulsed by her?
At that thought, he quickly shook his head in alarm.
What the hell was he thinking?
Serena... that woman was his sister's rival in love, which made her his enemy. How could he keep thinking about her?
Watching him nod and then shake his head like a madman, Serena pursed her lips. "Are you letting go or not?!"
Snapping back to reality, Christan let go as if burned.
Rubbing the spot where he'd grabbed her, she muttered under her breath, "Arrogant jerk. Not just arrogant-totally crazy!"
Then she strode off again.
This time, Christan didn't chase her. He just shouted after her, "Hey! You better remember what I said! If you end up suffering for it, don't come crying to me!"
Serena didn't even look back. Instead, she walked faster.
Cry to you? In your dreams-maybe in your next life!
By the time she got home, it was almost eleven.
She changed her clothes, took off her jewelry, and sank into a bathtub full of hot water, soaking in comfort.
Beep beep! Her phone buzzed beside her ear-it was a news notification.
She picked it up absentmindedly and glanced at the screen-then immediately frowned.
The headline was bold and attention-grabbing:
"Celia Ryder Spotted Late-Night with Mystery Man-Suspected to Be Confessing to Xavier Blaze!"
Below it was a blurry photo.
Probably taken from a distance, the faces of the embracing couple were unrecognizable.
But the man's jacket-she recognized that for sure.
It was a limited edition men's jacket from brand C-only ten made worldwide.
Serena remembered first seeing it in a fashion magazine.
At the time, Xavier had pneumonia, and she'd taken him to Vernon Hospital.
There were some magazines on the VIP room's coffee table. Bored, she picked one up and flipped through it.
The moment she saw that jacket, she'd exclaimed, "This is gorgeous. The cut is sharp, the design minimal, but the details are on point. You can tell the designer has taste."
Xavier had heard her.
A few days later, he sent her a selfie.
He was wearing that exact limited-edition jacket.
There were only ten of those jackets in the world. Three were kept by the brand's owner for personal collection.
In all of Vernon, there was probably no second one like it.
***