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Quote
I have for the first time found what I can truly love. I have found you.
~Charlotte Bronte, 'Jane Eyre'
"What are you doing in his house, child?"
Gemma's voice rang in my ears at a distant; a slight faint whisper. I didn't want to answer that question. She shouldn't be questioning me. She was the one who left me sauntering in the streets in the very first place.
"What would you expect me to do at his house?" I asked her, "I didn't have any place to go because you left me for your own good... and guess what Adrian offered me a place of stay... and yes mother I'm staying in his house."
She looked at me with suspicious eyes.
"Serena why have you removed your wig? Can't you remember that you sweared that you won't ever remove your disguise?," Gemma pulled me to her side, "Are you out of your mind?"
"I know exactly what I am doing. Don't freak out. Adrian doesn't know who I am."
Gemma still looked suspicious.
How much did he ask you?"
I stared at her.
"He didn't ask me anything. I don't pay him any money."
"If money is not the thing... what does he want from you? Don't tell me that you pay him with your hormones!"
"My hormones are mine. I don't want to depend on those who don't want me." I breathed, "and Adrian wants me."
And I want him.
"I'm your mother Serena, do I not have the right to tell you what is wrong and what is right?"
I was shaking.
"You may be my mother, Gemma. But you made it very clear that you don't need me."
Gemma looked angry, her catlike cold eyes were turning wrathful.
"You've never changed a bit, Serena. I thought you had learnt a lesson. I thought you were a different person. But I was wrong."
She sighed.
"Looks like there's that bossy girl in you and she's not ready to leave you yet. I thought you had learnt a lesson."
That was what Peter had told me.
Now, Gemma was saying the exact thing.
Haven't I changed?
"Do what you want," Gemma said suddenly, "but forget that you had a mother. I can't look after you for the rest of my life. I need to start a life on my own."
Sure, that was what you did anyway.
I wanted to cry so hard.
But I held back my tears.
"I came right here after your father's Wedding," Gemma blurted out looking at the ground, "and he told me all about your new boyfriend."
I felt so angry.
Angry tears were forcing me to cry.
"Yes mother, Adrian is the one I love most in my life," I winced as I heard myself use the L-word for the first time, "I don't want to deny that. He's everything that's left for me in this world."
I wanted to show her that I was not alone. I wanted to show her that someone in this world cared for me. I wanted to show her that I could live without her.
"Fine," Gemma exclaimed, rather harshly, "tell your Adrian to protect you from your exes. I'm sure that he will be on your list very soon."
Just then Adrian approached me from behind.
I was shaking so hard as he circled his arm around my waist and grabbed me closer. I felt reassured.
I have Adrian.
I don't want anyone else.
He's with me.
"Is everything okay my love?" I heard him ask me. I was sweating so hard.
"Yeah, I was just talking with my mother."
Gemma glanced from myself to Adrian. She was sending her radars to scan him.
"Please come in, ma'am," Adrian was saying, "and have dinner with us. It's been a long time since the day you left Serena. I'm sure she has to talk a lot with you."
"No my dear boy," Gemma told him, "I have dining plans with my fiancé, I won't be able to have dinner with you tonight."
So she got engaged? It wasn't a wonder.
"Oh that's fine with us. You could come over some other time. Right Serena?"
"Yes, mother. Goodbye. Have a fun date."
Gemma looked straight at me , her eyes piercing through her icy gaze.
"Adrian, can I have a minute with Serena?"
"Serena is that okay, my love?" Adrian asked me, his blue eyes reassuring me in a soft glimpse.
"Yeah, I will be in a minute, Adrian."
When Adrian left me, I found Gemma staring at me.
"He's a charming boy Serena," she told me, "Don't lose him cause that all you've got."
"I don't want you to remind me. I already know. What do you want to say?"
"It's your father, Serena. He had a grand wedding today. Do you know how much it cost him for everything?"
I shrugged.
"9 million dollars!" She squeaked. "And do you know how he got the money?"
"How could I know? I'm not his manager..."
Gemma laughed.
"He sold your house silly. And in a time that you awfully need money! Ha! He used to tell me that I'm the worst parent! Look who turned out to be the worst after all!"
I didn't believe what I was hearing. All this time, I was confident because I had 9 million dollars with me. I knew if something bad were to happen, I could at least fly to another country to be safe.
But now everything was over. My damned parents had made me a fucking orphan.
Is there anything left for me?
"Adrian..." I called trying my best to hold back the grief, "my mother wants to say goodbye to you."
Adrian appeared out of the doorway. It was as if he had been eavesdropping our conversation. Even in the dim light that surrounded the living room I could see his blazing deep blue eyes gazing at me. There were a faint glint of pity in them; which I won't accept. Ever.
Pity is the last thing I want in my life.
"Goodbye Adrian," Gemma told Adrian as she winced at the sight of Adrian sliding an arm around my shaking body.
"And ta-ta Serena dear, I hope you will stay safe with him."
"Bye, Gemma."
***
"What is this all about?"
Adrian asked me as we shut the door. He was looking at me with confused eyes, with the same pitying expression written on his face. He looked like an open book. It was not hard to see what he was thinking.
"It's about Peter."
"Didn't he get married today? And you didn't attend," he exclaimed.
"He has broken our relationship. I am nothing to him or Gemma."
They had wasted everything I had.
The money I earned by singing till I tasted blood in my throat was wasted.
"Adrian, you don't have to do this to me. I don't have anything to pay you back."
His eyes lighted up.
"I haven't done anything for you, Serena." He sighed as though he was giving into me, "how could you ever think that it was all about money? You know, money is not everything. Sometimes the happiest man on earth would just happen be a beggar."
A smile went across my lips.
"So, darling, make me the happiest man alive," he whispered against my cheek, "that is how you can pay me back."
I embraced him.
"I don't want money, Serena. From the day that I met you, I was ever curious about everything that you did. Every word you spoke meant something to me. And now I realize how incomplete, how empty I was before I met you.
I don't want to leave you for anyone else. Even though the whole world shuts you down, I'd be there for you. You don't need to be afraid of anything, or anyone. You got me, baby. And that's what you should always know."
Yes. I got you.
Adrian.
"Will you always be happy for me?" Adrian's voice sand music in my ears. "You won't cry again, right? Even if the 7 billion people in this world let you down, you will still be happy, right?"
He wiped away the tears in my eyes.
I let my lips craft a smile, genuinely.
"Adrian, from the 7 billion people living in this world, I had found that one special person who will stay with me; no matter what. What could make me happier than that?"
Omg. I just love this story. I don't know how I'm writing this. I absolutely swear that I had no intentions of writing a chapter like this. *gasps*
But it came out!!!🤩
To all those handful of amazing readers...
I don't know where you are, but I'm clearly indebted to all of you. You make me so happy!
You guys are the most fantastic set of readers I've ever met.
So please
PRESS THE STAR ⭐️ BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN.
Why?
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, I SWEAR I WOULD BE KISSING THE BAT THAT'S ALWAYS HANGING IN THE WINDOW DRAPES OF MY STUDY ROOM. (Bats rock!)
P.S. I will be updating in the next 36hrs.