Chapter 306

Serena Dawson had only started drinking to cover up how flustered she felt inside, but as the conversation went on, a wave of sadness crept over her. It had been ages since she let herself relax like this. For years, she'd been grinding through life, tense and counting the days. Now that business was done, silence settled between them. Matthew Quinn looked like he had a lot on his mind, but he didn’t say anything, nor did he ask her to leave. The air felt weird—awkward, but also a little charged. “Nothing else to talk about, right?” Serena asked, her eyes slightly unfocused. Matthew replied calmly, “Yeah. I’ll set up a meeting tomorrow to go over the contract details.” Serena nodded hard as acknowledgment, then gripped the couch to push herself up, managing a smile. “Thanks for the time. I should get going.” Watching her stumbling steps, Matthew shut his eyes, telling himself to stay out of it. He repeated in his head that this woman wasn’t his Serena—she was Maria, the one who played