She glanced at him. “I have some personal business. Are you here on work matters, Mr. Lopez?”
“Yeah, I’m here to see Mr. Steele about something.” Chris laughed lightly. “I’ve heard you’ve been handling several cases really well lately. Impressive-young and capable.”
Chris was in competition with Eugene, Serena’s boss, and Eugene’s ex-wife was now Chris’ current wife. Thus, Serena didn’t comment on it, only gave a faint smile. “See you, Mr. Lopez. I’ll head up first.”
…
Serena went up to the 22nd floor and explained her purpose directly. The chief secretary in the executive office used to be Yvonne, and a few of the staff were still veterans from back then. Someone recognized Serena and led her straight to the CEO’s office.
“Rena, what brings you here?” Donald asked.
Serena took a deep breath and closed the door behind her with a smile. “I came to talk to you about something, Dad.”
He frowned. He disliked his daughter coming to the company to see him. “Whatever it is, can’t it wait until we get home?”
She ignored his tone, pulled out the chair in front of his desk, and sat down. “I think it’s better to talk about this here.”
Donald set his pen aside and looked at her gravely. “Alright. What is it?”
“I’ve already broken up with Trevor,” Serena said calmly. “Dad, you should probably withdraw the wedding invitations as soon as possible-so things don’t get awkward later.”
“Serena, you’d better tell me this is a joke. I didn’t give you permission to break up with Trevor!”
“But what to do, Dad?” Serena spread her hands, her tone light and careless. “We already broke up.”
Donald shot to his feet, his hand lifting as if to slap her again. Serena stepped back and dodged it. “Once was more than enough, Dad. You think I’d just stand here and receive a second slap?”
Donald paced back and forth. “Trevor agreed to this too? Our families have a marriage alliance. He doesn’t get to call it off!”
“His consent doesn’t matter. We don’t live in the Middle Ages anymore. Dating is a matter of personal freedom-I don’t think I need to explain what that means to you.”
“Think this through, Serena. If you dare to call off the engagement, your grandmother’s nursing home fees are on you. Five hundred thousand a year. You’d better think carefully.”
Serena was furious. She couldn’t believe the man her father had become-the man who used to give her horsies and push her on the swings. He actually used her grandmother’s nursing home fees to threaten her, of all things.
“She’s your mother!”
Donald remained perfectly calm. “We’re on the verge of bankruptcy. Where am I supposed to find the money to keep her in a high-end care facility? If you’re so dutiful, bring your grandmother home and take care of her yourself every single day.”
Serena laughed in anger. “Fine. I’ll pay. From now on, Grandma is my responsibility. You don’t need to worry about it anymore.”
With all bridges burned, Serena slammed the door and stormed out. The entire secretary’s office was stunned into silence.
“Sandra, who was that just now? She actually flipped out at Mr. Steele!”
Sandra shook her head. “Don’t ask.”
Donald had made it clear that no one was to gossip, and Sandra naturally wasn’t going to explain things to anyone. She quietly sent a message to Yvonne.
…
Yvonne glanced at her phone and let out a cold laugh. “Kyana, looks like your darling sister managed to make your father angry again today.”
“What did she do this time?” Kyana muttered under her breath. “Why is she causing trouble every single day? I was hoping Dad would buy me a new car.”
“Bring that up another day,” Yvonne soothed her. “Your father’s definitely in a bad mood now. Be good. Everything in this house will be yours sooner or later.”
As upset as Kyana was about it, she could only nod and agree.
…
After a night of heavy drinking, Trevor opened his eyes to an unfamiliar room and jolted upright.
Amber, dressed in casual home clothes, walked in unhurriedly with a mug in her hands. “Trevor, you were drunk last night. I had no choice but to bring you back to my apartment. This is a hangover cure I just made-you’ll feel better after drinking it.”
Trevor’s memory was patchy. Before he got drunk, he really had been drinking at Midnight Society.
“Thanks. Where did you sleep last night?”
Her apartment was small, just one bedroom and a living room.
Amber’s cheeks flushed slightly. “The bed’s pretty big. I was worried you’d make a fuss in your sleep, so I slept there too. Don’t worry, Trevor. I won’t tell Serena.”
Trevor’s heart skipped, and he suddenly felt awkward. “Alright. I still have to go to the office later, so I’ll head out first.”
After getting dressed, Trevor picked up his phone and walked to the door. “Amber, this place is too small. I’ll buy you a larger apartment.”
Amber smiled sweetly. “Okay. Thank you, Trevor.”
When Trevor arrived at the office, he felt restless all over. He kept checking his phone over and over, but there wasn’t a single message or missed call. A sudden sense of unease crept up on him.
Is Serena actually serious this time?
Trevor called his secretary. “Get in touch with Beaumont Legal’s Ms. Steele and ask her to come to the office.”
“Understood, Mr. Trevor.”
“And don’t tell her it was me who asked,” he added right before hanging up.
The secretary was puzzled. Since when did Mr. Levine care so much about a lawyer?
“Understood, Mr. Trevor. I’ll contact Ms. Steele right away.”
You wanted a clean break, Steele? Did you really think it would be that easy?
…
After paying in full the day before, Serena was left with only 180 thousand across all her bank accounts-barely enough to cover her grandmother’s care for three and a half months.
Her grandmother used to live with them as well. But she had never been in great health and preferred peace and quiet, while Yvonne practiced her singing every morning without fail. One time, due to a servant’s negligence, her grandmother had been given the wrong medication. After that scare, the old woman insisted on moving into a nursing home herself.
Serena had initially refused, but after seeing the professional standards there, she stopped pushing back. The high-end nursing facility provided one-on-one care, a top-tier medical team, and even retired senior specialists from top hospitals on rotation. In many ways, it was more comfortable than living at home.
Every week, Serena made time to visit her grandmother. In the entire Steele family, the only person who had ever truly been kind to her was this elderly woman. She had never imagined that her grandmother would one day become Donald’s bargaining chip against her.
The man was utterly heartless.
“Grandma, I’ve come to see you!”
Judith Morland’s face lit up the moment she saw her favorite granddaughter. “Rena, you’re here.”
But she frowned after sizing the girl up. “You’ve lost weight again! No more dieting. If you get any thinner, it won’t look good.”
Serena smiled softly. “I won’t. I’ll listen to you, Grandma.”
Judith held her in her arms, half amused and half exasperated. “It’s only been a few days, and you’re already acting spoiled again. Were you too tired from work? Did someone bully you out there?”
Serena shook her head, saving all her gentleness for the person who cherished her most. “No, Grandma. I just missed you.”
Judith chuckled. “I’ve missed you too. How have things been with your father lately? Your sister hasn’t been causing trouble for you again, has she?”
Judith had never liked Yvonne. One reason she had willingly moved into the nursing home was her poor relationship with her daughter-in-law. After all, she had raised a wretched son.
“Her?” Serena scoffed lightly. “She can’t stir up anything big, given her limited intelligence. Grandma…” she hesitated. “I came today to talk to you about something.”
Judith straightened when she saw the seriousness on Serena’s face. “What is it? You look awfully wronged.”
“Grandma, I broke up with Trevor.”
Judith had once been close friends with June Wycliffe, Bryce’s wife. When they were young, the two women had arranged a marriage between their families. Later, Judith had only one son, while the Levines’ daughter married early, and so the engagement was passed down to the next generation.
Before June passed away, she had made Bryce promise that their future granddaughter-in-law must come from the Steele family. Bryce, devoted to his wife, treated her words as sacred. Even after the Steele family declined, he had never considered changing the marriage arrangement.
Judith was visibly shocked. “Did that Levine boy bully you?”
She knew better than anyone how much Serena liked Trevor. Truthfully, she had never felt this was a good match to begin with-simply because her granddaughter loved him far more than he deserved.
Judith would much rather Serena marry someone who loved her more, not someone she had to give everything to herself. Only those who had been married truly understood how important that balance was.
“Yes,” Serena said quietly. “I don’t want him anymore. Grandma, I don’t want to get married at all. Please grant me this small request.”
Judith fell silent, deep in thought. In the end, she let out a long sigh. “So be it. You deserve better.”
Serena buried her face against the old woman’s chest. “You’re the best, Grandma. I love you.”
Just then, a knock came at the door.
“Old Mrs. Steele,” a nurse said respectfully, “there’s a guest outside asking to see you, a Mr. Levine.”
Serena assumed it was Trevor and immediately let her lips fall into a cold line. “Send him away.”
But then, a tall, slender figure entered. “Are you really sending me away, Rena?”
Serena hadn’t expected to run into Sebastian at the nursing home.
More Kickass Romance Reads
Dive into irresistible romance stories packed with possessive heroes, forbidden passion, billionaire obsession, mafia intrigue, and heart-stopping twists. One chapter is never enough—your next addiction starts here.