Chapter 0101
Chapter 0101
Serenaâs POV
Calvin saw us laughing. I know he did,
Now, weâre all standing in front of my apartment door, and itâs like a standoff. Calvin and Bill are staring each other down, neither of them willing to look away first.
âHi, Calvin, itâs so nice toâ¦â I start, but then I glance at Bill. Heâs stoneâfaced, giving nothing away. I hesitate, feeling awkward. ââ¦see you,â I finally finish.
Calvin finally shifts his gaze to me, completely ignoring Bill. Calvin forces a smile, though I can see something flickering in his eyes, a shadow of something deeper.
âHey, Serena. I just came from the shop. Iâve been trying to call you, but you didnât answer,â Calvin says. Thereâs a tightness around his mouth that betrays his words. I feel a knot form in my stomach.
âOh shoot!â I exclaim, fumbli
for my phone in my purse. When I pull it out, the screen is black. Dead.
I didnât charge it last night, too caught up in avoiding my notifications. I didnât want to see the feedback from the fashion show on TikTok.
âSorry, Calvin. My phoneâs dead. I must have forgotten to charge it,â I say, my voice sounding more apologetic than I intend.
Calvinâs smile softens, and the tension in his shoulders eases a bit. âIt happens,â he says, his voice gentle. âI just wanted to make sure everything was okay. I know youâve been stressed about the fashion show.â
I let out a sigh, the weight of the last few days pressing down on me. âTell me about it,â I say, shaking my head slightly.
Bill clears his throat, catching our attention.âSerena,â he says, glancing at his watch, âitâs time for your Nurovita supplement. You donât want to miss it. We should go inside.â
e shouldâ,
âOh right! I think say, reaching for the bottle of Nurovita in my purse.
As I do, Calvinâs eyes drift to the stack of books Bill is carrying. His brows furrow. âWhere have you been?â Calvin asks, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
Before I can respond to Calvin, Bill steps in. âWe went for the baby checkâup and then did some book shopping,â he says, his tone straightforward. âWhatâs it to you?â
Calvinâs eyes narrow slightly, but he doesnât immediately respond. The tension between them feels like itâs about to snap, and Iâm caught in the middle, trying to find the right words to diffuse the situation.
âYou shouldâve told me yesterday. I couldâve come with you like before,â Calvin says, his voice softer now. He glances briefly at Bill, then back at me, waiting for my response.
âBefore?â Bill says, raising an eyebrow, his disbelief clear. âI thought you were a busy CEO, Calvin. Or do you have time to play chauffeur now?â
âI could say the same to you,â Calvin retorts, crossing his arms. âBill Richardson missing three important shareholder meetings in a row⦠Itâs not a good look.â
Chapter 0101
+25 BONUS
Iâm taken aback. Bill missing important meetings? Thatâs not like him at all. I remember the countless sleepless nights he spent at the office, poring over contracts and spreadsheets.
When we were still married, he would often come home just long enough to shower and change before heading back to work. His sacrifices helped his company grow into what it is today.
I canât help but blame myself. Is this all my fault?
Bill shrugs. âIâm just taking care of Serena and our son,â he says, putting extra emphasis on âour son.ââ Besides, Iâve got everything taken care of.â
Calvin raises an eyebrow and smirks. Iâve never seen Calvin look this cocky before. Itâs like Iâm seeing another side of him. His expression is almost foreign on his usually composed face.
âYour son?â Calvin snorts. âAre you really sure heâs yours?â
I freeze, stunned by Calvinâs words. Heâs forcing me to make a choice right now, pushing his offer to claim my baby even if the baby isnât his.
Before I can react, Billâs eyes widen. He drops the books heâs holding and lunges at Calvin.
âThatâs it, youâre dead!â he yells, fury contorting his face.
I gasp, my heart racing. My feet feel rooted to the ground as I watch in shock, unable to move or speak.
The scene unfolds in front of me like a slowâmotion nightmare.