The sound of classical music echoed from inside Serena's car. She was on her way to pick up Adrian for dinner at the Shine family's main residence.
As Serena pulled into the parking area, she saw Adrian already waiting for her.
"Why are you waiting here?" Serena asked as she stopped the car in front of him.
Adrian simply smiled without answering.
"I'll drive, Mom," he said instead, opening Serena's door.
Serena returned his smile, stepped out of the car, and switched seats. Adrian then took the wheel.
It only took them 20 minutes to reach the Shine residence.
After handing over the car to the valet, Serena and Adrian stepped inside.
Upon entering the house, they saw Mr. Shine speaking with some guests—a couple and their daughter.
The moment Adrian saw them, his expression darkened. He immediately realized that his grandfather was once again forcing him into a blind date.
Noticing their arrival, Mr. Shine smiled.
"James, this is my grandson," he introduced Adrian to the guests.
Mr. James observed Adrian—the young man was handsome, tall, and full of promise. He was delighted and greeted him warmly.
Although Adrian was furious with his grandfather, he remained polite to the guests.
"And who is this?" James asked, glancing at Serena.
"His stepmother," Mr. Shine replied flatly, not bothering to introduce her by name.
"Ah..."
Mr. James and his family suddenly felt awkward.
Hearing his grandfather's words, Adrian's expression turned cold. Only Serena remained composed.
The atmosphere grew tense and uncomfortable.
"Even though she's my stepmother, I consider her my real mother," Adrian suddenly declared, his sharp gaze directed at his grandfather.
Mr. Shine's expression changed instantly.
The James family exchanged glances, unsure of how to react.
"I'm here only for dinner. Can we start now?"
Serena finally broke the silence.
Mr. Shine shot her a sharp glare, but Serena met his eyes with unwavering calm, showing not the slightest trace of fear.
Adrian immediately stepped in front of Serena, blocking his grandfather's gaze from reaching her.
The atmosphere became even more tense and hostile.
—------------------
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
Mr. Shine roared at Serena after the James family had left.
"What have I done?" Serena replied, feigning confusion.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE KEPT QUIET! YOU'RE JUST A WOMAN! YOUR DUTY IS TO STAY SILENT AND OBEY WHAT MEN COMMAND!"
"Ah... but Andre, my husband, is no longer here. So, I don't have to do that anymore," Serena answered calmly.
The servants who overheard their conversation began sweating nervously.
Serena had never talked back to Mr. Shine before. But tonight, for some reason, she did.
"YOU...!!"
Mr. Shine pointed a trembling finger at her. "I should never have allowed that marriage!"
Hearing his words, Serena burst into laughter.
Mr. Shine stared in disbelief.
The servants felt the temperature in the room drop—Serena's laughter sent chills down their spines.
Wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Serena then met Mr. Shine's gaze with a defiant look.
"Maybe you're getting senile, but let me remind you—I was forced into that marriage with Andre! You shouldn't forget that," she emphasized the word forced.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
Mr. Shine roared again.
"You call it forced ? Didn't you agree to it because you wanted to be the wife of a businessman?!"
Serena chuckled, but her eyes showed no amusement.
"Wife of a businessman? Without marrying Andre, I would have become the owner of my own company. Have you forgotten why you chose me? Because your company desperately needed funds, and I have no idea what promises you made to my parents to make them agree—agree to invest in your company and give away their only daughter to marry your son, a widower with a teenage child, while I was just a 20-year-old girl.
So, don't get confused about who really benefited from that marriage."
"YOU!!! GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE NOW!!!"
Mr. Shine was now seething with rage.
Serena rose from her seat and slowly walked toward him.
"If not for my family's company, I would have divorced Andre long ago and spared myself from all your nonsense. So don't think for a second that my silence means I fear you!"
After finishing her words, Serena turned and walked away from the Shine residence, with Adrian silently following behind her.
—------------------
The ride home felt incredibly long for Adrian.
Hearing the conversation between Serena and his grandfather, he finally understood what had happened in the past.
Now, Adrian didn't know how to feel about his stepmother.
"Mom..." he called softly.
"Hmm...?"
"Do you regret marrying Dad?"
Serena fell silent at his question.
"Do you want the honest answer or not?" she asked, giving him a small smile.
"Of course, I want the honest answer," Adrian replied without hesitation.
"Hmm… honestly?" Serena thought for a moment before explaining, "The biggest regret I have about marrying your father is that he never let me continue my studies."
Adrian went silent. He had forgotten that Serena was still in college when she married his father.
"And the rest… I accepted everything with an open heart."
"Is that really your only regret?"
Adrian was skeptical—it seemed impossible for that to be her only regret.
"Hmm..."
Serena thought for a while before nodding. "Yep, that's all."
"No boyfriend?"
Serena's eyes widened in shock at Adrian's unexpected question.
Then she laughed softly.
"No boyfriend," she answered honestly.
Adrian assumed that maybe, because Serena was still young when she got married, she never had a boyfriend. But perhaps she had someone she liked?
"Did you ever have someone you liked?"
"N…"
Serena was about to say no, but suddenly, an image of Ren flashed in her mind. She stopped mid-sentence.
"Ahem... no, not really," she quickly corrected herself, pretending as if she hadn't hesitated.
But Adrian had heard her hesitation.
"Don't overthink my relationship with your grandfather!" Serena added. "From the start, we were never going to see eye to eye. So don't waste your time worrying about adult matters."
"Mom… I'm 25 years old," Adrian protested. "I'm only eight years younger than you."
"Still, there's a difference!" Serena countered firmly. "Now focus on driving properly. I really just want to get home and rest."
Adrian sighed deeply and did as she said.
There was still one more question Adrian wanted to ask Serena, but he was too afraid to say it out loud.
"Does she regret raising me too?"