They arrived at the main residence of the Shine family. Adrian followed Mr. Shine, who confidently walked toward the late Andre's study—Adrian's father.
Adrian was puzzled. As far as he knew, ever since his father passed away, the study had been locked and untouched.
As soon as the door opened, revealing a room full of memories, Mr. Shine walked toward the large desk in the corner of the room, crouched down, and opened a hidden safe beneath it. He pulled out a thick document and handed it to Adrian.
"Read this,"
Mr. Shine ordered, his tone heavy.
Adrian took the document hesitantly. His heart beat faster with every page he read. Slowly, his expression changed. His brows furrowed, his eyes widened, and his breath caught.
When he finished reading, Adrian fell silent. His eyes were fixed on the last page, disbelief written all over his face.
"Now you understand, don't you?"
Mr. Shine said coldly. "Your stepmother isn't as kind as you think."
Adrian remained quiet, seemingly lost for words. He felt betrayed by someone he had always considered family.
"She pretended to be nice so you wouldn't suspect her,"
Mr. Shine continued, his voice beginning to sound irritated.
"Look carefully at that agreement. Your father's company shares were to be transferred to Serena after their marriage. And now? She's the largest shareholder in our company."
Mr. Shine looked at Adrian, who appeared deeply shaken. His voice softened, though the disappointment still lingered.
"That's why Grandpa wants to choose your future wife very carefully. I want you to reclaim what's rightfully yours—those shares belong to you, not that woman."
Adrian raised his head and looked at his grandfather.
"Grandpa…"
"Yes?"
"You don't need to handle my marriage matters anymore."
"What?!"
"I'll find my own way to get back my father's shares, without having to marry. For now, please don't bother me with matchmaking. I want to focus on my work."
Adrian's tone was firm, leaving no room for compromise. Mr. Shine could only let out a long sigh. He looked at his grandson's serious expression, then turned and left the room without another word.
_________________________
Somehow, Adrian found himself sitting on a park bench. The afternoon breeze blew gently, carrying the scent of damp leaves. But his mind remained tangled. The contents of that document haunted him. He still couldn't accept that the stepmother he had respected might have only been toying with his trust and emotions.
"Adrian?"
A soft, hesitant voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Adrian turned and saw Riri—his stepmother's close friend—standing not far from him.
Riri smiled in relief when she realized she hadn't mistaken him.
"What are you doing here?"
Adrian was silent for a moment before replying quietly, "Just… wanted to be alone."
Riri studied Adrian's face.
It was tense. Tired.
There was something heavy behind his gaze. Without saying much, Riri asked directly,
"Have you eaten?"
Adrian just looked at her, not giving an answer.
Seeing that, Riri gently grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
"Come with me. You need food and someone to talk to."
Adrian followed Riri's lead without a word. But there was a strange warmth that spread from her hand. For the first time that day, a faint smile appeared on Adrian's lips without him realizing it.
___________________________
Elsewhere, Serena looked at Ren with a puzzled expression. They had just finished a short camping trip, and now Ren was packing up his stuff. What puzzled her was that Ren was doing it with only one hand.
"Ren, it'd be faster if you let go of my hand. I can help too."
"No!"
Ren quickly refused. "I can do it myself. You just stay here, by my side."
Serena sighed in resignation and let Ren continue in his childish yet sincere way. It took nearly 45 minutes until everything was finally packed.
Ren looked at his car, then at his hand still holding Serena's. He was trying to figure out how to get into the car without letting go.
"Ren…"
Serena called with a slightly firm tone.
At last, Ren reluctantly released her hand. They got into the car, and as soon as they sat in their seats, Ren grabbed her hand again.
Serena could only shake her head, hiding a smile.
"What do you want for dinner?"
Ren asked while driving.
"Anything's fine, as long as it's delicious."
Ren chuckled, then kissed Serena's hand gently before focusing back on the road. Serena glanced at him, watching his face that looked genuinely happy.
"What?"
Ren asked, noticing her gaze.
"Are you really this happy with me?"
"Of course!"
Ren replied without hesitation. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."
Serena smiled. But in her mind, a troubling question surfaced:
"What if Andre hadn't died? Would Ren still wait for me? Live alone?"
The thought of Ren growing old alone in loneliness made Serena's chest tighten.
"What's wrong?"
Ren asked, noticing Serena's sudden gloom. He pulled over and turned off the engine, then looked at her with concern.
"What is it? Are you sad?"
he asked again, more gently.
Serena simply looked at him, then suddenly hugged him tightly. Ren was surprised, but soon returned the embrace with warmth.
"You can tell me anything, don't bottle it up," he whispered, gently stroking her back.
"Hmmm…" Serena only murmured softly.
After a moment, Serena released the hug. She looked at Ren's face with tenderness and affection.
"I hope you'll be happy, Ren,"
she said suddenly.
Ren nodded. "I will be, if you're happy too."
Serena smiled and cupped his face with both hands.
"Thank you…"
Then she kissed Ren's lips gently. Ren was frozen, surprised by the sweet gesture. Serena laughed softly at his blushing face.
"You should've kissed me longer,"
Ren suddenly protested.
"Oh yeah?" Serena teased.
"Of course."
"Well then, I give you permission to kiss me now."
Without waiting any longer, Ren pulled Serena into his arms and kissed her deeply and lovingly.