Completely missing the way Serena's expression had shifted behind him.
These past years, Serena's rise had been meteoric.
She'd inherited the entire Harding empire. Built on it with her own ruthlessness—that desperate, all-or-nothing edge she'd always had.
Now she stood at the peak.
Happy. Dazzling. Untouchable.
Why would she want to remember that miserable chapter of her life? The one that belonged to me?
But our history wasn't exactly a secret.
The executives noticed the change in her face and scrambled to smooth things over. They brought up Ethan Pruitt—her fiancé—assured her trash like me wasn't worth her anger.
Surrounded by flattery, Serena's expression softened. She stepped past me without another glance.
But at the last moment, she stopped. Turned.
"Alex Simmons. Why?"
The others looked confused.
But I knew exactly what she was asking.
Why did I leave without saying goodbye back then.
Why did I choose a person like that.
Why, after ending up with such an outcome, was I still unwilling to bow my head to her.
I looked at the trace of coldness in Serena's eyes that she couldn't let go of.
With a light laugh, I gave the same answer as seven years ago.
"Because of love."
I love Serena Harding.
From the moment I first came to Harbor City, when she pulled me out of the mud, I had already fallen in love with her.
I remember that day—the evening wind brushing my face, the sky ablaze with sunset.
Serena lifted me onto her motorcycle and told me to hold her waist and not be afraid.
"Remember this—your sister here is the boss of this whole block."
"From now on, stick with me, and you won't have to be afraid of anything."
What boss—Serena was a big liar.
All her belongings added together amounted to one clueless little underling who couldn't read the room, and a beat-up motorcycle that had been patched up more times than I could count.
But we made it work. Day after day, we got by on that motorcycle.
Using the skills I'd learned on the mainland, I opened a flower shop. Serena rode that broken bike to make deliveries.
The day we made it official, we agreed to save up and take over a storefront. When the shop opened, we'd get married.
Serena was so happy she almost didn't know where she was. She hugged me and kissed me again and again, giddy like a little kid.
"This is amazing—me, Serena Harding, I'm finally going to have a home!"
"My future husband, I'll work so hard for us, I swear!"