Leopold P. O. V. Life is fucking kidding me. Out of all the people in the world, why am I meeting him here? And, to make me even more incredulous, he introduced himself as Serena's uncle? He must be kidding me. I know him as Frederick. He's one of Amanda's clients at the tax office. I met him when I picked Amanda up after she claimed to have met her client to discuss the annual tax report. Frederick was there, looking very familiar to Amanda. At first, I thought the closeness was just professional. I never suspected Frederick. There was nothing that made me suspicious. On another occasion, when I accompanied Amanda to a year-end event held by her office, I met Frederick again. He was not alone. He came with his wife and two teenage children. So, I wasn't the least bit suspicious of their closeness. Until I found a message on Amanda's cell phone, which finally exposed all her lies. Frederick had been secretly having an affair with Amanda for several years. He was the man who ma

Serena POV “Serena Alexander!” The high-pitched, heavy voice was enough to startle me.There was only one person who could make my heart stop suddenly.I turned around and found my father waiting in the office lobby. He wasn't alone; there were bodyguards accompanying him wherever he went. When I was in school, I had to play slippery like an eel with my father's bodyguard, whom he assigned to guard me.“You go ahead. My dad's here,” I whispered to Sarah. I had just returned from having lunch with her.Sarah left me while I took a step toward my father. After my sudden departure from last weekend's event, my father had called me, but I had ignored him.It wasn't until the next day that I picked up the phone. And he got even angrier when I told him that I was already on the road to California.I didn't expect my father to come to me so soon. “Afternoon, dad.” I greeted him and gave him a quick hug, but he responded coldly.“You're coming home with me.”“Dad, I'm working. My break is o

Serena POV The truce with my father only seemed to float in the air briefly, without a solid foundation. It didn't take long for the silence to break, like cracked glass getting worse. My father infiltrated my life again, unexpected or permission. His face revealed disbelief, breaking through time and space and dragging me along in a familiar stream of darkness. This time, like part of a never-ending drama, my father forced my way. I, a spectator without a seat and without a choice, must obey the rhythm he sets. Obstacles were inevitable. I couldn't escape, even though my heart protested. The leather seats of his car swallowed my body, enveloping it in heavy silence. The eyes of the personal bodyguard implied a forgotten, bitter story, a silent witness to the pressure that had returned. “Dad, where are we going?” I asked, bitterness hidden behind doubt. Father looked at me, cold and emotionless. “Dinner. Is this how you dress when you go to the office? You look rumpled, as if yo

Serena POV“Would you like to have lunch together?” asked Leopold, his voice gently permeating the air.I smiled, surprised by Leopold's unusual offer. Usually, his visits to my office were work-related.The surprise left me speechless for a moment, until Leopold gently broke the silence by moving his finger, breaking my reverie like someone who had just woken up from sleep.“I agree,” I finally replied.Not moving immediately, Leopold still stood by my side. I turned to him, seeking an explanation for his unusual presence.“What's going on?” I asked.Leopold showed me his watch. “It's time for lunch.”The backlog of tasks had made me lose track of time. While the office seemed quiet, it was time for a lunch break. Every lunch hour is a frenzied moment in the office when everyone flocks to avoid the queue.I closed my laptop and took my wallet and cell phone from my pouch. Leopold was waiting by the door.“You're in such a hurry,” I teased.“Yeah, I'm hungry,” Leopold replies.The rea

Serena POVUnderstanding the complexity of my feelings led to some trepidation when dealing with Leopold. I didn't want things to get awkward, or even worse. I wasn't sure I could hold myself back. All this time, keeping these feelings hidden was a laborious task.I felt like an open book, with every detail of my feelings laid bare. It revealed the tenderness of love and also brought pain to my heart.How can I express the feelings hidden in my heart?The courage is still hiding behind the shadow of fear and doubt.Not wanting my facial expression to betray me, I tried hard to hide what I really felt inside.Instead, I deliberately kept my distance from Leopold. It wasn't too hard for me to do. Leopold was involved with a big investor from Ireland, keeping him and Mr. Raymond very busy. The busyness in the office had doubled to win the tender.This time, I was truly grateful for the busyness. Leopold's limited presence was a blessing for me. Although my body struggled to feel his pre