Chapter 233

That familiar yet distant call—“Serena”—finally broke the wall she’d built. Silent tears slipped from Serena’s eyes, ones she'd been holding back for ages. The warmth of Matthew’s palm still felt the same, the kind that tempted her to fall back in. They stood side by side, back to back, and even then, she could pick up that faint minty scent of his. But somehow, the man in front of her felt a world away. Staring toward the door, Serena let out a soft, bitter smile, then carefully pulled her hand away. Just one more second around him, and the pain would double, triple, maybe even worse. Matthew's hand stayed frozen in the air, caught mid-motion, as a wave of helplessness and emptiness washed over him. “Sir...” Lucas spoke up, his eyes full of unease. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine,” Matthew replied tonelessly, snapping back to reality as the usual cold mask settled back on his face. He was too proud to let anyone see him weak—that’s why he always looked like he didn’t care, even when he did.