Chapter 230

After a whole day of running around and a mood that was just plain trash, Serena figured she deserved some serious comfort—shopping and eating, of course. She picked Westbridge’s biggest mall and headed straight for a Sichuan hotpot place with the boldest flavors she could find. Lately, life had been a mess, and she hadn't let herself relax in ages. “Hey, waiter!” Serena called out, flipping the menu like a boss. “Give me your spiciest hotpot base and bring every single one of your signature dishes!” Then she glanced at Jake Taylor and raised an eyebrow. “Hmm... let’s skip the booze, yeah?” She really couldn’t afford another emotional drunk episode. If this was gonna be a fresh start, then step one—no alcohol. Jake chuckled and nodded right away. “No drinking, got it...” Honestly, as long as she was smiling, he'd go along with whatever. Once the pot hit the table, Jake’s eyes went wide, and he swallowed nervously. The boiling red peppers looked so lethal it felt like his throat burned