<h4>Chapter 17: No freaking way</h4>


    "This one is different," Serena said, her brow furrowed as she examined the page. Her fingers traced the edges of the torn section where the title should have been, her mind racing with questions. "What happened to the title? Why was it removed?"


    "I''m not sure," Dr. Marlowe answered, her tone thoughtful but tinged with frustration. She leaned closer, her eyes scanning the page as if hoping to find some hidden clue. "Maybe it was removed by your dad. He probably didn''t want anyone knowing what was contained on the page."


    Serena narrowed her eyes in suspicion, her lips pressing into a thin line. "If he didn''t want anyone knowing what was on this page, then maybe we should leave it like that," she said, her voice firm butced with uncertainty.


    Dr. Marlowe sighed, her expression softening as she met Serena''s gaze. "I understand your point," she said, her voice calm but firm. "But we''re running out of time, Serena. If the key to our victory is on that page, then leaving it untouched would guarantee our defeat. We''re fighting the same battle your father fought. Let''s ensure his efforts don''t go in vain."


    Serena hesitated, her resolve wavering as she considered Dr. Marlowe''s words. Finally, she nodded and turned her attention back to the page, her focus sharpening as she tried to make sense of the cryptic symbols.


    After a while, she shook her head, ready to give up, when something suddenly clicked in her mind. Her eyes narrowed as she focused intently on the page again, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and apprehension.


    "Do you have a pen and a in sheet of paper?" Serena asked, her eyes still fixed on the journal. She missed the look of hope that shed in the eyes of the people around her, their anticipation palpable in the tense silence.


    "I have a pen," Dr. Marlowe said, fishing through her bag to retrieve it. She handed the pen to Serena, her movements quick and efficient.


    "I''ll get the paper," Darrell offered, standing up and walking away. He returned momentster with a sheet of paper and handed it to Serena, his expression a mix of curiosity and hope.


    Silence settled over the dining room as Serena began scribbling on the paper, her movements deliberate and focused. After a while, a smile spread across her face, and she muttered to herself, "It''s mirrored."


    She turned to Dr. Marlowe, her eyes bright with realization. "These are chemicalbinations," she revealed, then flipped the paper over and wrote out everything from the journal in a way that Dr. Marlowe could understand.


    But thest part of the writings had her frowning deeply. "A drop of blood from a sickly goat?" she uttered, lifting her eyes to look at Dr. Marlowe. When she saw the confusion on the woman''s face, she let out a sigh andpleted the writing before handing the paper over. "What exactly is this form for?"


    "Right now, I''m not sure," Dr. Marlowe admitted, examining the form once more before folding the paper and cing it inside her bag. "I''ll have to research it to find out what it''s for."


    "Can I keep the journal?" Serena asked, her voice softer now, almost pleading.


    "Of course, you can," Dr. Marlowe answered, her tone gentle. "I''lle to you whenever I need information from it."


    "All right," Serena said, nodding as she clutched the journal to her chest, feeling a strange sense of connection to her father through its pages.


    "Now that we''re done with that, let''s move on to other issues," Lucian suddenly spoke up, his deep voice cutting through the silence and pulling everyone''s attention toward him.


    "The annual g of the Council of Vitae is in three days, and they n to test one of theirtest inventions at the asion. We don''t know what this invention is yet, but rumors are spreading fast that it''s a weapon that will be used to punish a family that offended the Council. As it stands—" Lucian paused abruptly, his words trailing off as he noticed the bracelet around his wrist tightening and suddenly bing warm.


    His brows furrowed, and he shifted his gaze to Serena, noticing the frown on her face as well.


    The air in the room grew heavier, the tension thickening as the others watched the silent exchange between the two.


    Serena had also stopped listening the moment Lucian paused. She felt a sudden tightness and warmth around her wrist and looked down at it, her heart racing as she remembered what the man who hade to scan the bracelet earlier that morning had said. She hadn''t expected the stupid thing to start acting up so soon.


    She lifted her eyes to look at Lucian, only to find him staring back at her. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his gaze—a flicker of something she couldn''t quite decipher—that made her stomach twist.


    Darrell, Adrian, and Dr. Marlowe quietly shifted their gazes between the couple, not understanding what was going on at first. The silence stretched, heavy and ufortable, until Lucian finally broke it.


    He let out a sigh and pushed himself up from his seat, his movements deliberate and controlled. "We''ll continue this meeting another time," he said, his voice clipped. "Darrell, contact Mitchell and tell her I require her services tonight. She should arrive here in less than thirty minutes." With that, he walked out of the dining room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.


    Serena''s frown deepened as she fixed her eyes on Darrell, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Who is Mitchell?" she demanded, her voice sharp and demanding.


    Darrell opened his mouth to respond but quickly shut it again, seeing the intensity in her eyes. He shifted ufortably in his seat, clearly unsure of how to handle the situation.


    Adrian, recognizing the tension in the room, excused himself and walked away, sessfully avoiding any questions about the current situation.


    Realizing that Serena was growing angrier and not looking away from him, Darrell stood up and fetched his phone from his pocket. "I have to make a call, ma''am," he said, and without waiting for her response, he also walked out of the dining room, leaving her alone with Dr. Marlowe.


    Serena slowly clenched her fists, willing herself to calm down. She didn''t know why she was so angry, but she couldn''t control it. She could already feel whatever the bracelet had infused into her system turning everything upside down in her body.


    It started as a slow, warm pulse deep in her belly—pleasant at first, like the teasing touch of something forbidden. But then, the heat spread, creeping through her veins, turning her skin feverish.


    She brought her legs together as the heat began to gather in the area between her thighs, and a wickedugh erupted from her, causing Dr. Marlowe to look at her with concern.


    Thest time she had felt this needy was years ago, and even then, she could remember it wasn''t as intense as it was now. The sensation was overwhelming, almost unbearable, and it made her feel both vulnerable and furious.


    When herughter died down, she turned her head to look at Dr. Marlowe.


    The woman shook her head, her expression a mix of sympathy and worry. "I don''t know who Mitchell is," she said, answering the unspoken question. "Is it the bracelet?" she added, her tone cautious.


    Serena turned away instead of answering. She couldn''t believe she had an insanely effective aphrodisiac running wild in her system, possibly messing with her emotions, while the person who was supposed to be in the same dilemma had already found himself a quick fix.


    A small part of her wondered why she was feeling so angry about the situation, but therger, angrier part refused to listen to reason.


    "No way. No freaking way," she muttered under her breath, her voice low and fierce. If she had to endure this torture, then he would have to endure it alongside her.


    With that resolve, she stood up from her chair and started walking out of the dining room, her movements quick and determined.


    "Serena," Dr. Marlowe called out, her voice tinged with concern, but Serena didn''t respond, continuing to walk away.


    She paused briefly in the living room, eyeing Darrell and Adrian, who watched her with wary expressions, before continuing up the stairs. Her heart pounded in her chest, her anger and frustration fueling her steps.


    "Where do you think she''s going?" Darrell asked, his voice low as he nced at Adrian.


    "To her room, maybe," Adrian answered, though his tone suggested he wasn''t entirely convinced.


    "Should we follow her?" Darrell asked again, his concern evident.


    "Mind your business," Adrian advised, sitting back down and crossing his arms over his chest.


    Dr. Marlowe ignored both of them and followed Serena up the stairs, giving Darrell an opportunity to follow as well.


    She hoped and prayed that Serena would just go to her room, but to her utmost disappointment and surprise, by the time she reached the first floor, Serena released three hard knocks on Lucian''s door.