Chapter 15
Serena asked to see me one year after the engagement.
I almost declined.
Then accepted.
Not at my estate.
A hotel lounge.
Her territory now.
She arrived without a family entourage.
No Grant.
No Adrian.
She sat.
“I owe you an apology.”
I waited.
She knew better now.
“For the hose.”
More.
“For hitting you.”
More.
“For building a room where people were rewarded for laughing.”
There.
“For using Adrian’s anger toward you instead of telling him to speak to you.”
Better.
Then:
“And for wanting your humiliation to prove I belonged.”
That was the deepest one.
I nodded.
“Why now?”
Serena looked around the lounge.
“I host events every week.”
A faint smile.
“Turns out people can respect the woman running the room without watching her destroy someone else.”
Good lesson.
Expensive.
She told me Grant still blamed me.
I did not care.
She asked about Adrian.
I answered carefully.
“He’s well.”
“Does he hate me?”
“Ask him.”
She smiled sadly.
“Still doing that.”
“Yes.”
No speaking for adults.
I had learned.
Then she asked:
“Do you forgive me?”
I thought.
“Partly.”
She looked surprised.
“Which part?”
“The part you’ve actually understood.”
Her eyes filled.
“And the rest?”
“Time will tell me whether you understand it.”
No embrace.
No restored invitation.
No promise of future marriage.
May you like
But when she left, I did not feel angry.
That was enough.
