Chapter 30
+25 BONUS
Chapter 30
“You, of course!” Serena replied without hesitation.
Wilson grinned. “Really? Judging by the way you were zoning out in the car earlier, I thought you were worried I’d beaten Justin too badly.”
“I wasn’t worried about him,” she said, turning her face toward the window. “I was just thinking about something.
Her mind drifted to the past, back to her time with Justin. Once, during a client dinner, a man tried to take advantage of her by pressuring her to drink. When she refused, he lost his temper, poured a drink over her head, and berated her in front of everyone.
Justin had been there. He demanded an apology–but not from the client. Instead, he made her apologize to the man. She swallowed her pride and muttered a soft “I’m sorry” while holding back tears of humiliation.
Later, she brought it up when they were alone, hoping for some sympathy, but Justin had brushed it off. “I was right there. He wouldn’t have actually done anything. Serena, you’re usually so reasonable–this client is important. We couldn’t afford to offend him.”
And now, when she had thrown a cake at Candice, it had somehow become her responsibility to apologize because “Candice is young and didn’t mean any harm.”
With Justin, she was always the one at fault.
“Serena,” Wilson’s voice broke through her thoughts.
She turned back toward him. “What is it?”
“Next time, we should book you an eye exam.”
Serena was momentarily confused. It was not until they were driving out of the parking garage that she realized he was implying she had been blind to ever care about Justin.
By the time Justin left the hospital, his stomach felt better, though his mood had not improved. Candice sat in the passenger seat, holding his prescription and the doctor’s notes.
“Justin, the doctor said you really need to cut back on drinking. It’s terrible for your stomach, and if you keep this up, it will lead to serious issues,” she said, her voice filled with concern.
“There are business meetings,” Justin replied, his tone low “I can’t just stop.
Candice insisted, “You’re at a level now where no one can force you to drink if you don’t want to. Bring someone else who can handle the drinking for you.”
Justin’s eyes flickered for a moment. Someone who could handle it… Serena used to do that. At the thought of her name, his face darkened again.
Candice leaned closer, wrapping her arm around his. “If you get sick, I’ll be so worried about you,” she said softly, her clear eyes filled with concern.
Justin glanced down at her and gave a slow, noncommittal response. “Mm.”
After dropping Candice off at her place, Justin sat in his car holding his phone and flipping it back and forth in his hand, his agitation growing
+25 BONUS
Chapter 30
Zane noticed through the rearview mirror and hesitated before speaking. “Mr. Farrow, are you thinking about calling Ms. Judd?”
“Which eye of yours sees me wanting to call Serena?” Justin snapped, his voice sharp. His fingers rubbed his temple as he pressed his lips into a thin line.
That morning, he had woken up groggy and realized he had drunkenly called Serena multiple times the night before. She had only answered once, and the call lasted just two minutes. However, he could not remember what they had talked about.
After a moment of hesitation, he dialed her number again. The line beeped once, then clicked.
“On another call,” the automated message informed him.
He tried again and again, and each time, it was the same.
Justin’s face twisted into a scowl. “Why is she so busy? Looks like working with Wilson isn’t as easy as it seems!”
Zane cleared his throat, hesitant but trying to be helpful. “Mr. Farrow, there’s a chance that Ms. Judd… may have blocked you.”
Justin froze for a second before his anger erupted. He kicked the back of the driver’s seat. “If I wanted your opinion, I’d have asked for it!”
“Yes, sir,” Zane replied, quickly shutting his mouth.
Justin tossed his phone onto the seat beside him, his temper simmering to a boil. A bitter laugh escaped his lips as frustration consumed him.
