Chapter 371

Chapter 371
Serena’s POV
I froze in place, staring at the strange gift in Milo's small hands. What kind of present was this?
"He said he didn't know what to get me, so he gave me this," Milo explained, holding out the gold bar to me. "I don't have any use for it, Mommy, so I'm giving it to you."
I took the heavy gold bar, internally rolling my eyes. Who gives a gold bar to a child as a present? If he'd put a little thought into it, at least a gold locket would have made more sense.
As the weight settled in my palm, another thought crossed my mind. Was it possible Mateo had actually meant this gift for me? Perhaps after losing his temper with me the other day, he was using Milo as an intermediary to deliver a peace offering? After all, toys would be for Milo, but something like this...
I stopped myself from overthinking it. Whether it was meant for me or not didn't matter. As a businesswoman, I certainly couldn't refuse such a valuable gift. If he'd sent jewelry or something personal, I might have rejected it, but this was simply too practical to turn down.
That evening, I had dinner with the Kennedy family before seeing them off. Early the next morning, Milo, Stella and I prepared to leave the Kennedy estate. As usual, Benjamin escorted us to our car.
As we were leaving, I noticed Grandfather Kennedy watching us from the doorway. Perhaps it was my imagination, but his hair seemed completely white now. I was certain he'd been dyeing it regularly. Looking at his silhouette in the distance, I felt a complicated mix of emotions stirring inside me.
"You still feel attached, don't you?" Benjamin asked, catching my eyes in the rearview mirror.
I didn't answer, unsure what to say. Yes, I felt something, but I didn't want to show it.
"Blood ties are like that," he continued. "You think you don't care, but they're already deep in your marrow."
Benjamin rarely spoke so sentimentally. Even he seemed to feel awkward after saying it and fell silent. I simply gazed out the window, lost in my own thoughts.
After boarding the plane and finding our seats, I had just settled Milo and Stella when I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Serena."
In that moment, I truly wanted to jump off the plane. Some connections were simply too bizarre to be coincidence. I turned to see Hattie Langston and, beside her, Mateo. Somehow, they were seated directly behind us. I sighed inwardly—there was truly no escaping him.
Milo and Stella spotted Hattie and Mateo too, their expressions immediately turning stiff and unnatural.
"You're heading back to Manhattan today?" Hattie asked with surprise.
"Yes," I answered briefly, hoping to keep the conversation to a minimum.
"We're going to see Manhattan for a bit," she continued enthusiastically. "Everyone says it's the economic center of the country. We want to experience firsthand just how magnificent and developed it really is."
"It's nothing special," I responded coolly, then asked, "You've never been to Manhattan before?"
"I've had health issues since childhood, so I spent most of my time abroad. When I did come back, I only visited Washington. Don't laugh, but besides Washington, I haven't been anywhere else in the country."
"Health comes first," I replied politely. "Now that you're better, you can go anywhere you want."
"That's what I thought. It's good to travel while I don't have children. After having kids, I probably won't be able to go out much for years, right?"
"I suppose," I answered dismissively, eager to end this conversation.
After a brief exchange, I returned to my seat. Milo and Stella sat in their first-class chairs with pouting lips, clearly unhappy. It seemed that just seeing Mateo with Hattie was enough to sour their mood.
Looking at their expressions, I thought: They're genuinely jealous, aren't they? Trying to convince Milo and Stella that Mateo wasn't their father would be like telling them the sky wasn't blue. Only time could help them forget about Mateo. But how could they forget when he kept appearing everywhere we went? I felt frustrated but didn't know what to say.
Thankfully, everyone remained quiet during the flight. When we disembarked, we exchanged a few pleasantries before going our separate ways. I had just led Milo and Stella out of the terminal when I heard my name.
"Serena!" Atticus was holding an enormous bouquet of roses.