"I don''t have anything to say either." Lucas spread his hands slightly. "Hasn''t our coboration been going well? What would I have to say?"


    "Serena, you should return to work at thepany tomorrow," Alex said, ignoring Lucas and shifting his gaze to me instead.


    I paused in the middle of peeling my orange and stared at Alex in disbelief.


    "Mr. Hastings, you sure are something, changing your mind every other moment. Even if you agree to let Serena go back, would yourpany''s shareholders allow it? What about Mr. Simpson, the one tangled up with Elena? Would he?" Lucas said with a smirk.


    "Serena, I think Hastings Group is way tooplicated. Come work for us instead. I have absolute authority, and I guarantee you''ll never have to deal with such pointless nonsense."


    "Serena, don''t listen to him. This is all just a misunderstanding, and I''ll clear it up. Come back to Hastings Group!"


    "Whatever Hastings Group is offering you, I''ll double it. Plus, you''ll get an extra month of paid vacation every year. You can take time off whenever you want to be with your mom."


    "Serena, join us. We really need talent like you."


    And just like that, these two hadunched into yet another one of their childish arguments. I rolled my eyes and stood up. "I''m getting the tes. Let''s just eat."


    ...


    I came back to the Hastings residence to pack up Mom''s belongings.


    As I sorted through her things, I realized that her time in the Hastings residence must not have been great. Despite being Mr. Hastings Senior''s wife, she owned shockingly little. Just two suitcases were enough to hold all of her clothes and jewelry.


    "Has your mother really decided to move out and live with you?" Mr. Hastings Senior''s voice carried a hint of hesitation.


    I nodded. "Yes, Mr. Hastings Senior. Thank you for taking care of her all these years, but from now on, my mom and I won''t being back. Take care of yourself."


    Mr. Hastings Senior seemed to want to say something but hesitated. After lingering at the doorway for a moment, he turned and left.


    I was down to thest drawer. When I opened it, I found an old, yellowed notebook inside.


    "Date unknown


    "I finally left the Ashford residence with Serena. From now on, I just want to be with her, to watch her grow up healthy, safe, and happy. I want her to be a cheerful, lively girl.


    "Date unknown


    "I found a job as a maid in the Hastings residence. The boss is kind, and Alex is adorable. He and Serena get along really well. I''m very satisfied with my work.


    "Date unknown


    "They say I got drunk and climbed into my boss bed. But I never had that kind of interest in him. I would never do something like that. Yet when try to remember, I can''t recall how ended up in his room, or how we ended up sleeping together. Maybe I was reckless. But what


    now? What will happen to Serena?


    Will she have to live in shame for the


    rest of her life because of this?"


    As I read that page, my brows furrowed deeply. I struggled to recall what had


    happened all those years ago.


    Everyone had said that Mom


    seduced Mr. Hastings Senior and


    that the scandal forced Mr. Hastings Senior to marry her out of responsibility. It was what caused the rift between him and Alex.


    Mom had spent all these years ming herself, convinced that she was the reason for the


    estrangement between Mr. Hastings Senior and Alex. She had done everything she could to make it up to Alex, so much so that she often ignored my feelings in the process.


    But now, I couldn''t shake the feeling that something about the story didn''t add up.


    Mom was not the kind of woman who would trade her dignity for a future. And ording to her diary, she had no memory of what had happened that night.