Chapter 909: Chapter 908
The brothers gazed at the photo he’d sent with a touch of envy. How great it would be if their little sis could send them something like that?
But they couldn’t bear the thought of her toiling away at her fashion designs—it was just too much hard work. And they really didn’t want her splurging on them.
Hunter quipped, [What kind of sweet talk did you use to con our sis?]
Chasel chimed in, [You actually got her to foot the bill?]
Clark teased, [Finally appreciating our little sis, huh?]
David reminisced with a chuckle, [Man, Rose and I even rocked the same kicks back in the day!]
Sean could sense a whiff of sour grapes in their words, and it only lifted his spirits further. He pulled a jacket out of the bag and slipped it on right there, then turned to Steward, "Looks sharp, doesn’t it?"
Steward couldn’t help but smile at Sean’s obvious delight. Clearly, this garment was either picked out or gifted by Ms. Rose.
"Sean, that jacket fits you like it was tailor-made. You look like a whole new man. I mean, it’s a serious upgrade from your usual gear. Ms. Rose’s designs, they just have that edge."
It was true. Sean looked less like a rogue and more like the dashing, grounded man he could be.
"It’s killer, seriously sharp!" Steward praised genuinely, somewhat surprised to see this side of Sean that usually lay hidden.
Sean’s grin broadened, "Of course, you know who designed it, who gave it!" He affectionately patted Rosemary’s head, "Rose, from now on, you’re in charge of my wardrobe every season!"
He planned to follow Romeo’s lead and give her a no-limit credit card—ostensibly to buy clothes, but really so she could indulge in whatever her heart desired.
"Sure thing," Rosemary beamed, her gaze softening.
Elsewhere.
In the dimly lit basement, Serena struggled to pry her eyelids open, noting the darkness outside before her strength failed her, and she shut them again. After a moment, she barely managed to reopen her eyes.
She was exhausted, her body felt drained, and she was left with nothing but a shell.
Dizzy, parched, she longed for water.
Waking up in the afternoon, she realized she was lying in a damp patch—residue from the night before when Sean had ordered someone to douse her with icy water from the fountain. Most of it had dried.
She never imagined she’d lie on the cold ground for so long, nor did she anticipate that this time her family would truly turn their backs on her, indifferent to her fate.
All afternoon, the instinct to survive drove her to crawl to the door, weakly banging and croaking out,
"Water, I need water."
But no one paid her any mind.
She didn’t know how long she called out, her mouth so dry it felt like it might burst into flames, her throat scorching. She didn’t recall when she passed out, and upon waking, there was still no one to
offer a sip of water or even a glance.
Despairing tears trickled down her cheeks, leaving streaks.
Perhaps due to dehydration, the tears were scant, and after a couple of lines, no more would come.
She was so thirsty, longing for a drink.
She didn’t want to die here.
Now she stared at the closed door. Just beyond it, an elevator ride would take her to the ground floor living room, where perhaps her parents, her brother, were sitting right then.
They used to spend time together in the living room, laughing and joking.
Those days were so sweet.
But now, things had changed.
She didn’t even have the strength to rise and knock. The door was just a few steps away, yet it felt as distant as a century.
Bleary-eyed, she gazed up at the luminous moon hanging in the night sky, memories flooding back of holidays past when her family would gather, feasting and chattering away, ensconced in warmth and
laughter.
Those days were blissfully happy.
Her family would look at her with affectionate smiles; she was the cherished little princess of the household.
But everything changed when Rosemary returned!
It was like her world had been turned upside down!
It took her a moment to take in her surroundings again. She was in a cluttered storage room filled with various odds and ends. A stack of brand-new plastic basins was tucked away in a corner.
The top basin still held the remnants of the icy water that had been used to startle her awake.
It was just a bit of water, and it came from a fountain, not the kind you’d want to drink.
But driven by instinct, she crawled toward it, eventually bowing her head to gulp down every last drop.
Fountain water, unlike the tap water at home, was unboiled and mixed with melted snowflakes, giving it a peculiar taste.
But Serena didn’t have a choice. She didn’t want to die; she had to save herself, to drink water to cling to life.
Time passed, and she heard the voices of the servants outside.
"The doctor says she won’t last 24 hours, and now there’s less than two left. Should we remind Mrs.Collins? It wouldn’t be good for her to die here."
So, she was dying?
Serena hadn’t realized her life was ebbing away so fast. A wave of sorrow washed over her.
Was this it for her? Was her life truly over?
She didn’t want to die, yet there she lay on the ground, too weak to even call out for help.
"Mrs. Collins said to let her fend for herself unless Erik shows up. Whether she lives or dies, it’s not our concern."
"But at this rate of starvation, isn’t death inevitable? Especially with that fever of hers. I think Mrs.Collins wants her gone."
"Well, it was her own doing for what she did to Ms. Rose. She brought it upon herself, she can’t blame anyone. And her own father won’t even come to save her."
"Mr. Martin is the only one who’s loyal and caring. But by the time he finds Erik, the one inside might already be dead. It’s been quiet in there for so long. It’s eerie in the dead of night."
Serena couldn’t believe that her mother, who used to adore and pamper her, had ordered her to be left to her own devices.
How steely a heart must one have to do such a thing.
And she had never imagined that in such dire straits, only Martin still cared, intent on rescuing her.
Her eyes welled up again, but no tears came. Her heart felt like it was being wrung out, the pain was unbearable.
In the past, a sneeze or a cough would have sent her parents into a frenzy of worry. The family doctor would have appeared in a heartbeat, always with the best medicine, as her parents couldn’t bear to see her suffer even the slightest discomfort.
But now, as the doctor said she wouldn’t last 24 hours, not just her mother, but no one in the household seemed eager to save her.
They truly didn’t want her anymore.
Eighteen years of companionship, eighteen years of affection, were not enough to soften their hearts.
They truly didn’t care about her anymore.
With these thoughts, Serena’s heartache grew more intense. Her vision blurred, and the voices of the servants outside faded until she could hear nothing but the weakening rhythm of her own breaths and
heartbeat. The world seemed to fall silent as darkness threatened to engulf her.