Chapter 2 Serena is Back
Chapter 2 Serena Is Back
Vera thought she misheard, but one look at Eleanor’s face told her Eleanor wasn’t joking. Vera gave her a thumbs up. “Well damn, look at you. Growth.“.
Compared to how chill Eleanor was, Chris was clearly not. The party was almost over, and she still hadn’t shown up. Someone nudged him and said, “Man, just own up and say ‘I love you. That’s all girls want to hear.”
But even if Chris wanted to pull that stunt, he literally could not. Eleanor had blocked him everywhere–phone, social, everything. Sure, they had fought before, but she had never gone full block mode.
He thought to himself, ‘Oh, she thinks she can play these mind games with me? Cute Two can play at this game. Let’s see how long she can keep this up.‘
Then Chris‘ phone buzzed, cutting that thought short. It was his uncle, Tyler Langford: [Your engagement party with Eleanor’s next week. How’s prep going? Bring her over for dinner tomorrow.]
Chris frowned, thinking, ‘Eleanor really hit the jackpot, huh. Just because she saved Tyler’s ass once, now she’s got his full support. No way in hell can Tyler find out how I treated her.‘”
After a moment, he dialed up Linda Donovan, Eleanor’s mom. “Mrs. Donovan, I need a
favor-”
At the diner, Eleanor watched Vera inhale her food. “You were in Mistral Bay, not the middle of nowhere. Did they starve you or something?” ou or something?”
“I was there for a site check, not a vacation.” Vera groaned. “The cafeteria food sucked. The airport food? Also sucked. Honestly, nothing beats home cooking.”
Eleanor was about to say something when her phone rang. It was Linda.
“You and Chris fought?” Linda asked. “The engagement party’s next week. Invitations already went out to friends and family. You swore you’d only marry Chris, and now you‘ re pulling this? He told me everything. Look, men mess around sometimes. It’s not that deep.”
Eleanor smirked to herself, thinking, ‘She’s just freaking out I’ll bail on the wedding. God forbid she loses her golden ticket to high society and has to face the neighborhood gossip.‘
She replied, “Really? Funny coming from the woman who raised hell when Mr. Donovan slept with his coworker and got her fired. But when it’s me, suddenly I’m supposed to be the bigger person?”
“You brat! Is that how you talk to your mother-
Eleanor hung up before she could finish. She’d had enough.
1/4
Chapter 2 Serena la Back
Chris still hadn’t heard back from Eleanor, and it was starting to get on his nerves. His new
fling leaned in close again, and he pushed her away without thinking.
‘How did I not notice before?‘ he thought. ‘Her perfume is straight–up nasty. It’s nothing. like Eleanor’s scent–light and herbal, actually nice.‘
“What’s wrong, Mr. Chris?” The girl pouted.
Chris said nothing. He walked out of the VIP room.
“What’s up with him?” someone asked.
Another guy scoffed, “What else? Eleanor totally showed him up in public. Women these days, man–they got to learn when to dial it back. Can’t be embarrassing a dude. like that. No wonder Chris can’t stand her.”
Back at the villa, Chris felt his stomach twist. Whenever Eleanor came to parties with him, she would pick out the food that was easy on his stomach and stop him from touching anything that might upset it.
But this time, she wasn’t there: Out of spite, he’d eaten spicy food and taken a few shots.
“Wendy, bring me that herbal broth. The one that’s good for my stomach,” said Chris.
Wendy answered, “Sorry, sir. Miss Donovan always made that herself. I wouldn’t know. where to start.”
Chris snapped, “It’s just broth. How hard can it be?”
“Well, sir, Miss Donovan said it was made with over a dozen different herbs.
“She had to measure out everything by the ounce, soak it for just the right amount of time, monitor the heat–low, medium, high, depending on the stage. I’m too old to remember all that. I just can’t make it the way she does.”
Chris frowned. “Then call her. Tell her to come over.”
“You might want to call her yourself, sir. I just work here. I don’t boss Miss Donovan around.”
Eleanor and Wendy were pretty tight. But Chris always thought Eleanor’s kindness to Wendy was just another act–trying to win brownie points with him by playing nice. with his housekeeper. Watching Wendy now, he was sure Eleanor had told her to say all this.
“Did Eleanor put you up to this? She wants me to believe my life’ll go to shit without her, doesn’t she?” barked Chris.
Wendy felt bad for Eleanor but knew better than to say anything. “No, sir. She hasn’t even stopped by today.”
Chris’s stomach tightened even more. He waved Wendy off. It had been five hours since Eleanor left. Chris slammed his fist on the table and thought, ‘There’s no way s staying mad at me forever. No chance.”
she‘
Chapter 2 Serena is Back
Someone knocked on the door. Chris perked up and went to open it. “I knew you-” The words died in his throat as he took in the woman standing there, travel–worn and weary. “Serena?” he muttered.
Serena looked at him, tears in her eyes. “I heard you’re getting engaged. I had to come back. I know I’m not good enough for you. But… before the engagement, maybe we could make some memories?”
Chris softened. “Sure. What do you have in mind?”
“Just walk around with me?”
Eleanor hadn’t expected to see Chris at the mall, let alone see him holding another woman like that. He was smiling–a kind of smile she’d never seen before. And the woman? Eleanor recognized her right away. Serena. The Donovans‘ adopted daughter.
Serena had been raised by her dad after her parents split. Her dad used to be the Donovans‘ driver. One night, when the Donovans‘ house caught fire, he saved young Eleanor but didn’t make it out himself. Out of guilt, the Donovans took Serena in.
Back then, Eleanor was a spoiled rich kid, and compared to her, Serena was the perfect little angel. Even Linda favored Serena more.
But Eleanor knew better. Serena was anything but innocent. She once saw Serenal strangle her kitten to death with her own eyes. Nobody believed her.
And that fire? Eleanor had her suspicions Serena was behind it. When Serena’s dad shielded her in his arms during the chaos, she could’ve sworn she heard him mutter, God help us. Miss Donovan, please… forgive Serena.”
Now that she thought about it, whenever Eleanor was around, Serena always ended up with mysterious injuries. And when questioned, she’d say with those big eyes, “It’s nothing, I was just being clumsy. Don’t blame Eleanor.”
Eleanor had thought moving on would be easy. But seeing them like that, all cuddled up, it stung–bad.
Vera picked up on it right away and followed Eleanor’s gaze. “Oh damn. That’s Chris, right? And who’s that girl he’s holding?”
Eleanor clenched her fists. Her voice was tight. “That’s the girl my parents took in.”
“Oh right! Wasn’t it on your twentieth birthday when you caught them kissing? She vanished the next day.” Vera paused. “Wait… did Chris hold that against you?”
“Do you know why she disappeared back then? Eleanor let out a dry chuckle.” Because I saved Tyler Langford’s life, and he promised to help me with three things.”
Eleanor had found Tyler up on Mount Elowyn. It was late, no one else around. He was passed out on the ground, lips purple, clearly out of oxygen.
Eleanor called 911, did what she could to stabilize him, and gave him her one and only oxygen canister. She nearly blacked out herself, but the rescue team arrived just in
Chapter 26erena Is Back
time.
Later, Tyler had made her a promise: he owed her three favors. And the first thing she asked was to make Serena leave Chris.
Back then, she truly believed that if Serena disappeared, Chris would come back to her. ‘We grew up together,‘ she had thought. When we were kids, he said he’d marry me someday.‘ But now, she saw how wrong she had been.
Watching them walk hand–in–hand into a diamond store, Vera lost it. “Girl, how are your not throwing something right now?”
Eleanor took a deep breath and steadied her voice. “You can’t force love. Sure, my family and the Langfords had an arrangement, but they never said exactly who was supposed to marry who.”
Vera thought for a moment before saying, “So technically, if you marry Tyler, it’ll still fulfill the arrangement, right? Since he still owes you two more favors, why not make him put a ring on it? Imagine becoming Chris‘ aunt–now that’s a plot twist.”
Eleanor shook her head, remembering Tyler’s icy face. “Stop. Don’t even joke like that.”
Eleanor managed to dodge those two cheating assholes at the mall, but damn if life didn’t have a twisted sense of humor–there they were, right in her own livi
