Staring into Ren's eyes, which reflected his feelings for her, Serena didn't know how to react.
She had to admit—once, she had been drawn to Ren. She might have even liked him. But because she was Andre's wife at the time, she never allowed herself to entertain those feelings.
When Ren suddenly disappeared, a part of Serena felt relieved. Without seeing or interacting with him, she thought her feelings would eventually fade away.
After years had passed, Serena believed she no longer had any feelings for Ren. But when they met again for the first time at the café, she realized the truth—her feelings had never disappeared. She had only buried them deep within her heart.
Serena opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Ren smiled gently.
"I'm sure you already know how deep my feelings for you are, S," he said softly. "But if I ever make you uncomfortable, don't hesitate to tell me. The last thing I want is for my feelings or my actions to burden you."
"I admit… I do have feelings for you, Ren," Serena replied in a quiet voice, afraid of hurting him. "But I don't know if my feelings could ever grow as big as yours."
Ren chuckled.
"Loving you is my choice. You don't have to worry about how big your feelings for me are. The only thing that matters to me is that you're happy when you're with me."
Serena gave a small smile. Though she didn't want to admit it, she felt happy hearing Ren's words.
Ren reached for her hand and held it warmly, as if telling her not to overthink things.
"So… where are we going today?" he asked, changing the subject.
"My favorite café," Serena answered, returning his warm smile.
Without saying another word, they silently agreed not to discuss the topic any further.
___________________
When Adrian returned home, Serena was already resting. Perhaps because she wasn't used to spending so much time outside, half a day out on a date had drained her energy.
Adrian glanced at the clock, feeling puzzled. It was unusual for Serena to sleep this early.
"Did Madam go out today?" he asked Susi, the new cook in Serena's residence.
"Madam went out around lunchtime and came back at 9 PM," Susi answered honestly.
Adrian paused. It wasn't like Serena to stay out that long. But then he remembered that she had come home late the previous night with Riri. Assuming she had spent the day with Riri again, he dismissed his concern.
Speaking of Riri, Adrian recalled how animatedly she talked while endlessly munching on food. The memory made him chuckle.
"Should I ask Mom for her number?" he muttered, hesitating.
Just then, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID "Grandpa", Adrian froze.
This was the first time Mr. Shine had contacted him again since their last confrontation months ago.
"Hello, Grandpa," Adrian greeted as he answered the call.
"Why haven't you visited me?" Mr. Shine's voice was stern.
Adrian took a deep breath, trying to stay patient.
"I've been busy."
"Busy? Don't lie to me! I know that woman has been keeping you from visiting me! She even fired all my people from the house! Does she plan to defy me forever?"
"Mom never tried to stop me from visiting, Grandpa!" Adrian defended Serena. "I really have been busy. You can ask anyone at the company."
"YOU—!" Mr. Shine was furious that Adrian always took Serena's side, even though she wasn't his biological mother.
"Why did you call, Grandpa?" Adrian asked, not wanting to prolong the argument.
"In one week, Kelly Summer will return from overseas. I've already arranged for you to go on a date with her."
"GRANDPA!" Adrian protested.
"What? Are you going to disobey me too? You've been brainwashed by that woman! You're the sole heir of the Shine family—you must follow my orders!"
"Grandpa, times have changed. Your way of thinking is outdated!"
"YOU—! I don't care what you say. When Kelly Summer returns, you will contact her and take her out!"
With that, Mr. Shine hung up. Adrian let out a deep sigh, exhausted from the short but draining conversation.
The Next Morning
As Adrian came downstairs, he saw Serena having breakfast.
"Morning, Mom," he greeted, taking a seat to join her.
"Morning! Why don't you sleep in a little longer? It's the weekend," Serena replied.
"No, Mom. I have a lot of work to do," Adrian said with a small smile.
"Is there a problem at the company?" Serena asked hesitantly.
Although Adrian was managing a company that partly belonged to her family, Serena never interfered and left everything in his hands.
"No problem, Mom. I'm just making some changes, which is taking a lot of time and effort," Adrian reassured her.
Serena simply nodded, even though she didn't fully understand.
"Madam! There was a call from Mr. Shine early this morning," said Dori, one of the household staff.
"What did he say?" Serena asked, still eating.
Dori hesitated, unsure whether to answer. Seeing her reluctance, Serena could already guess what her father-in-law had said.
"It's fine," Serena said lightly.
Dori sighed in relief and excused herself, leaving mother and son alone at the table.
"Don't take Grandpa's words to heart, Mom," Adrian said, trying to comfort her.
Serena smiled.
"Don't worry. I've gotten used to his behavior."
Just then, Serena received a message on her phone. As she read it, she suddenly laughed softly.
Adrian was surprised. He rarely saw his mother laugh so freely. He grew curious—who had sent her that message?
"Aunt Iril? Riri? Or…"
When the last possibility crossed his mind, Adrian immediately dismissed it. He didn't want to believe it.
But his hopes were shattered when he saw that the message was from Ren.
Ren had sent Serena all the photos they had taken yesterday. The pictures turned out great, and his playful caption made Serena laugh.
The irritation Serena had felt that morning from her father-in-law's call was now completely replaced with joy from Ren's message.
"Mom," Adrian called.
Serena looked up from her phone.
"Can I ask you something… personal?" Adrian asked hesitantly.
Serena fell silent, unsure if she should say yes.
"What is it about?" she asked cautiously.
"Your relationship with Ren Shield… and Dad."
Serena froze. She hadn't expected Adrian to finally ask about the complicated past they all shared.