Chapter 49 Closing Off Their Entire Future
It was the custom ringtone Chase had set for Brielle.
Chase was already frustrated waiting for Serena to text him back. When he saw who was calling, his headache intensified. He hung up without thinking twice.
Brielle didn't call again. But a minute later, a text came through: Chase, I'm not trying to bother you, I swear. But my stomach hurts—really bad. I'm scared. Can you come back?
Chase shot up from the couch. He didn't even bother replying—just headed straight for the door. But his feet stopped cold at the threshold. He thought of Serena. Tonight was supposed to be about asking for her forgiveness. He couldn't just leave. Not like this.
After a moment's hesitation, he walked to Serena's door and knocked. "Serena, something urgent came up at the company. I have to go, but I'll be back as soon as—"
"Get out!"
Serena cut him off before he could finish. She'd just fallen asleep, and that damn ringtone had woken her up. Her temper flared instantly.
Chase knew this looked bad, but whatever was happening with Brielle, he had to deal with it. After a few seconds of silence, he tried again. "It really is urgent, Serena. Don't be mad, okay? Just go back to sleep. I'll come right back after I handle this."
Serena didn't respond.
Chase couldn't read her silence, and panic crept in. If he left now, would she ever speak to him again? The thought rooted him in place. He opened his mouth to explain further when his phone rang again.
This time it was Pamela. He answered quickly. "Mom—"
Before he could say anything else, Serena's door swung open. She stood there in pajamas and a long coat, reached out, and took his phone right out of his hand.
Chase's face went pale. He started to speak, but Serena pressed a finger to her lips—shh. He clamped his mouth shut. She hit the speaker button.
Pamela's anxious voice filled the hallway. "Chase, why aren't you home yet?..."
"Mom, hold on—I just need to explain things to Serena, then I'll be there." Chase interrupted quickly, terrified she'd mention Brielle's name.
Pamela wasn't oblivious this time. She could tell from his tone that Serena was listening. Mother and son understood each other perfectly. Pamela swallowed whatever she'd been about to say. Chase didn't dare speak either. Neither did Serena. She just stood there, staring at him with that eerie half-smile on her face.
On both ends of the phone call, an unsettling silence stretched out.
Finally, Pamela broke it. "I've just got a stomachache. I can tough it out a bit longer. Talk to Serena and then get back here to take me to the hospital. At my age, I can't let something like this turn into a bigger problem." Without waiting for his response, she hung up.
Chase thought he'd managed to salvage the situation. He put on his most earnest expression, ready to smooth things over with Serena.
But Serena spoke first, her smile sharp. "Didn't you just say it was an emergency at the company? Now it's your mom? Since when is your mom's stomachache company business?"
"...It was the company at first. Now it's my mom. Both things just happened at once."
Serena didn't argue. She nodded. "Sounds pretty serious then. And I'm a shareholder—there's no reason I should stay home sleeping while there's a crisis, right? Let's go together. We'll check on your mom first, make sure she's okay, then head to the office. How's that sound?"
Chase hadn't expected this. A flash of panic crossed his face.
"Or would you rather split up? You take care of your mom, I'll handle the office?"
Chase said nothing. That wouldn't work either. There was no emergency at the office—if Serena showed up, his whole story would unravel. She hated being lied to more than anything. He couldn't let her catch him in another lie. Not now. After a beat, he said, "It's late. You should rest. I can handle my mom and the office. You don't need to make the trip."
Serena watched him struggle to hide his guilt. She smiled again—soft and cold at the same time. "What's wrong? Don't want to bring me along?"
Chase shook his head quickly. "Of course not. I'd love for you to come with me."
Serena gestured toward the door with one hand. "Then let's go. What are you waiting for?" She headed for the exit.
Chase didn't move. He stood there, frowning hard.
Serena looked back at him, feigning confusion. "Why aren't you coming? Isn't this urgent? Two emergencies at once—if we wait any longer, someone might actually die."
Her words left him no room to stall. Reluctantly, he followed her. But his steps were slow. So slow that Serena's patience wore thin.
She stopped a few paces ahead and turned to look at him, her tone light. "You look hot. You're sweating."
Chase instinctively reached up to wipe his forehead. There was no sweat. She'd been messing with him.
Serena smiled again, ice-cold this time. "So you really are scared of me coming with you."
"No, Serena, that's not what I meant. You're misunderstanding—"
Serena's lips curved into something humorless. She kept walking. Chase trailed behind her, moving as slowly as possible. At this point, whatever was happening at home didn't matter. All he wanted was to delay her.
When Serena reached the front gate, she unlocked it and looked back at him. "Come on. Hurry up."
Chase had no choice. He trudged forward and stepped through the gate. The second he was outside, he turned back, ready to make one last attempt to convince her to stay. Before he could get a word out, the iron gate slammed shut between them.
He stood on the outside. She stood on the inside. The lock clicked into place.
Serena stared at him through the bars, her voice cold. "You actually thought I'd go with you? My time is way too valuable to waste on people like you."
Chase's chest tightened. For a moment, it felt like that gate wasn't just separating them physically—it was closing off their entire future. He stepped forward, gripping the bars. "Serena!"