Chapter 26
Mollie slammed the car door shut, and the Maybach sped off into the night. Meanwhile, Candice stood by the curb, frozen in place
for a long while.
Not far away, Joseph had watched the scene unfold, and a flicker of pity crossed his face. “Mollie’s temper can be a bit much.
Candice looks pretty pitiful–1 should give her a ride home.”
Arthur stepped in front of him, stopping him with a firm hand. He said flatly, “Don’t get involved.”
“What’s the deal? You’re usually all about being a gentleman,” Joseph asked, puzzled.
Arthur’s expression darkened slightly. “Candice doesn’t need your help. She’s no innocent little bunny,”
“And how would you know that?” Joseph challenged.
Arthur smirked. “Because I’m good at reading people. For example, I knew right away you’re an idiot. Nailed it, didn’t I?”
Joseph was rendered speechless, wondering what he did to deserve that.
Mollie dropped Justin off at his villa and made sure the housekeeper, Wendy Moore, was ready to take care of him. When she was
satisfied, she left
Justin collapsed onto his bed, staring at the cold, empty space around him. A hollow loneliness crept into his chest. Fueled by the lingering haze of alcohol, he grabbed his phone and dialed a number.
saw.
In her apartment, Serena had just gotten ready to turn in for the night when her phone started ringing. When she saw “Justin Farrow” flashing across the screen, she reached over and declined the call.
However, the phone rang again almost immediately. She ignored it, but the persistent ringing continued, one call after another, until her patience finally snapped. With a sharp sigh, she picked up.
“What do you want?” she asked, obviously annoyed
“Why weren’t you answering my calls?” Justin’s slurred voice demanded.
Serena instantly recognized the signs. “Are you drunk?”
“You’re drunk! Serena, why the hell weren’t you picking up?”
“Because I didn’t want to,” she replied
“You didn‘
want to? What gives you the right?” Justin groaned, tossing a pillow off the bed in frustration. She never acted this way before, and it was rating him inade
+20 Banus
Serena could tell he was heavily intoxicated, but she remained composed. “Justin, if you’re sick, go see a doctor. If you’re lonely, go find your girlfriend. My life doesn’t revolve around you anymore–do you understand?”
The line went quiet for a moment. Then, Justin’s muffled and faint voice came through. “I want your mushroom soup tomorrow morning.”
Serena pressed her lips together and ended the call without another word. She tossed the phone onto her bed and went to take a shower. When she was ready to sleep, the phone buzzed again.
Grabbing it with a sigh, she barked, “What do you want now?”
This time, there was a pause before a smooth, deep voice replied, “Well, well. Ms. Judd has quite the temper.”
Serena froze, glancing at the caller ID. It was not Justin–it was Wilson.
Flustered, she stammered, “T–That’s not what I meant… Someone kept spamming me earlier, and I thought it was them again.”
“Let me guess,” Wilson said, amusement in his tone. “Your annoying ex–boss?”
Serena’s silence spoke volumes.
“Bingo,” Wilson teased. “Anyway, I just wanted to say–make me some soup tomorrow morning. I’m craving it.”
“Sure! No problem!” Serena replied, eager to escape her earlier embarrassment.
“Good. Get some rest,” Wilson said, his voice warm and unhurried.
When the call ended, Serena found that the irritation Justin had left her with had completely melted away. She lay down, pulled
the blanket over herself, and was about to drift off when a thought struck her.
Grabbing her phone, she pulled up Justin’s contact and swiftly blocked his number.
D
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