Upon being called, Grayson quickly intervened in his wife’s favor. He stepped forward and began yelling at his daughter, “How could you treat Catherine like this?! No matter what has happened, she’s still your elder. Hurry up and apologize to her!” Serenity stared coldly back at her father. She used to put herself through hell just to gain his approval, just so he would treat her like he did Aria. In the end, she realized that it was just her wishful thinking. At this point, she had truly given up on him. “Apologize? What should I apologize for? Are you implying that I should let her do whatever she wants with me when she starts abusing me? Do you think I should sit back and let her humiliate me and even my mother? I don’t think I need to say out loud who betrayed Mom all those years ago.” An embarrassed expression appeared on Grayson’s face. Amidst Catherine’s incessant wailing, he retorted, “So what if Catherine slapped you a few times? Why didn’t you mention the things you d

Serenity hesitated for a moment before she replied, “Actually, I’m quite happy working at this place. Besides...” She paused for a moment and then continued speaking with an earnest expression, “Jack, I’d like to continue relying on myself. If I joined your company and people found out I’m your girlfriend, I’m worried that they’ll put me in a token position who gets paid for doing nothing.” “Isn’t that good?” asked Jackson. “At the very least, I’d like to see how far I can make it on my own. I don’t plan to work as a delivery driver all my life. I’ve been reading some research papers in my free time, and I hope it’ll help my future career,” explained Serenity. She already had a rough idea about her career development. Upon hearing her reply, Jackson frowned slightly as he stroked her reddened cheeks. It hurt so much that she gasped silently. “Let’s go back and treat your wounds. Also, didn’t I tell you to call me whenever you need help? Why didn’t you call me?” He wonde

Jackson pursed his lips at the thought of that possibility. He would never let Lucas have his way! In the private room, Lucas pulled out the silver bracelet he wore on his neck. He brushed his fingertips over it. Its surface was smooth and shiny from being polished by his fingers over the years. To him, this bracelet was his entire world. As it turned out, people who keep longing for another despite the passage of time do indeed exist. In fact, the more time passed, the more intense their feelings grew...***“Cut!” yelled the director. Sullen-faced, he snapped at Aria, “What’s the matter with you? Is it that hard to play a character whose mother had just died? It’s not like you just started acting yesterday...” As he scolded her, Aria nodded silently and swallowed the discontent that was boiling up inside. He had never talked to her like this. Her scenes used to be filmed in one take unless she requested a retake. Compared to the past when the director never criticized h

Lucas stared at Aria coldly. Fair? The world had never been fair. If it was, he would have found the girl from back then by now! He poured in so much effort throughout the years!But... he hadn’t found her!It was as if that girl had never existed at all.But... she clearly existed!"You want fairness? Fine. Your mother slapped Serenity, so it's only fair if she slaps you too," Lucas said indifferently.Aria, Catherine and Grayson froze when they heard that.Catherine, in particular, jumped up from her chair and yelled, "Why would I hit my own daughter?! Even if you're rich and powerful, you can't make me do this!""You can't hit your own daughter?" Lucas snorted as if he had heard a joke, "Yet you were so ready to hit your stepdaughter who's not related to you by blood."Catherine's face went red, but she still argued emotionally, "Th-There's a good reason for that... Serenity Lewis is a shameless woman who barged into your relationship with Aria..."Lucas' expression got pro

Jackson said, "Well, since you asked, I guess there's no harm telling you." Even if he did not tell her now, she would find out soon.After all, the matter was no longer a secret among Solaria's high society.Therefore, instead of letting her hear it from others, he would rather tell her about it himself."Lucas is indeed looking for someone – a girl from his early childhood. However, he hasn't been able to find her so far. Those girlfriends of his can be considered that girl's substitute. He can't find the right person, so he found some substitutes to comfort himself," Jackson spoke while observing Serenity's reaction closely.Serenity frowned a little. "They're substitutes for a little girl?""All his ex-girlfriends reminded him of that little girl in some ways.""But they’re not the person he's looking for. Why does he go through one substitute after another when he knows that?" she wondered."Maybe he's obsessed. Or maybe, he's reached a point of desperation. Maybe even he d