Serena's heart softened a little, and she said quietly, "Then it's strange... if it wasn't you hugging Celia, then who could it be?"
"I don't know yet either. But I believe I'll find out soon enough."
Serena let out a silent sigh.
She didn't even know what was wrong with herself.
She was never the kind of person to trust others easily, and yet... she had this innate trust in Xavier.
He only explained a few things, and somehow, most of her anger had just... melted away.
"Alright then, go ahead and investigate." After speaking, she suddenly remembered her conversation with Poppy earlier at the café near the hospital. "Oh right, I spoke with Poppy today. She gave me some information."
"Poppy Castano?!" Xavier asked instinctively, "She didn't do anything to you, right?! Are you okay?!"
Serena couldn't help but laugh. "Shouldn't you be asking me what we talked about? Why is your first question about that?"
"Because nothing matters more to me than your safety! The fact that Poppy was able to openly become Clint's mistress says a lot about how shameless and fearless she is. Someone like that, if provoked, might just lose all sense of morality."
"I'm fine! And honestly, if it came down to a fight, she might not be my match," Serena said confidently. "Don't forget, I was sickly as a child, and my dad had me take a few years of boxing lessons. Though I only learned the basics-probably not enough to fight off a grown man-but handling a woman? Totally doable."
"Still not okay!" Xavier was still shaken. "Next time you're meeting that woman, you better let me know in advance. I'll go with you!"
"Alright, alright, got it. Next time, I'll call you along!"
"That's more like it!" The man's voice finally carried a smile again. "So, what did you two talk about?"
Serena frowned. "She told me some things related to Gaius' suicide. Including details about the sudden closure of the Beckett Machinery Factory, the deaths of both her father and Clint's father, and why Clint is so protective of her."
"Oh? So you managed to get answers to what my people couldn't find last time?!"
"Not all of it-most of it, maybe. But it's still unverified, so I'd like to ask you to send someone to help me check it out."
"Sure. Just tell me what needs confirming and I'll arrange it right away."
So, Serena told Xavier everything Poppy had said.
It was already late, and by the time she finished summarizing everything, it was past midnight.
After listening, Xavier couldn't help but sigh, "If what Poppy said is all true... then Uncle Bram might be..."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
But Serena knew exactly what he wanted to say.
She gave a bitter smile and said, "I still believe in my father. He's not the kind of person Poppy described. And besides, I've got a feeling that Dr. Beckett, the one I ran into at the hospital, is also involved in what happened back then. There might be more to this than we know."
"Yeah! I don't believe Uncle Bram is someone who'd ignore the people's lives for his own personal gain either. I'll have my people investigate thoroughly. Don't worry-I'll tell you as soon as I find anything."
"Alright. Thank you."
"Silly girl! Why are you being so polite with me?"
Xavier tilted his head slightly, instinctively reaching out to ruffle the soft hair on her head.
But halfway through, he remembered-he was standing alone by the window. Serena wasn't there.
So, his hand dropped in disappointment.
After saying their goodbyes and hanging up, he casually tossed his phone onto the window seat and looked out with deep, thoughtful eyes.
...
At the Ryder residence.
Celia was lying on her princess bed, hugging her phone and smiling contentedly at the photo on the screen.
There was a knock at the bedroom door.
"Who is it?" she asked casually.
"Celia, it's Mom!"
Celia called back, "Oh, I'm coming!"
She got up, stepped off the bed, and opened the door for her mother.
The moment the door opened, she was greeted by her mother's anxious face.
"Celia!" Her mother raised her phone and asked anxiously, "What's going on with this news?!"
Celia walked back toward the bed unbothered. "So you've seen it too."
Her mother followed quickly behind. "Child, how can you be so calm?! The news says you were meeting Xavier in private-and hugging him too!"
"Yeah, I saw it." She remained nonchalant.
Her mother sensed something off and grabbed her daughter's arm. "Celia, why are you so calm about this?! Are you hiding something from me?"
Celia's eyes flickered slightly, but she quickly replied, "Of course not! I've been in the entertainment industry for years now. I'm used to all kinds of gossip. The media will say anything for clicks-I'm used to it."
"But this time, you're one of the people in the headline!" her mother said, frowning in worry. "Your public confession not long ago already stirred up a huge scandal. Now the media's posting this? You're right back in the spotlight!"
Celia sat on the bed, completely indifferent. "I've always been in the spotlight. So what if they throw more fuel on the fire?"
Her calmness felt unnatural, and her mother grew more suspicious.
After a pause, she looked at her daughter skeptically. "Celia, be honest with me. Are you hiding something from me?"
Celia put her phone down, starting to lose patience. "Mom, I already told you-no! Why don't you trust your own daughter?"
"It's not that I don't trust you... It's just... you're acting way too off!" Her mother sighed in frustration. "You're still a proper young woman! This is supposed to be the prime of your life, like a flower in full bloom. But now, because of all this relationship drama, you've become the talk of the town. I'm worried about you!"
"What's there to worry about?! I like Xavier. If he likes me too, then we'll be together!"
Her tone was light, filled with hope and anticipation.
Her mother blinked and asked cautiously, "Wait... So the man in the photo-was it really you and Xavier? I thought you said he didn't like you? After your public confession, he never responded-not even once!"
***