"Is Mr. Lee satisfied now?" Serena's eyes shimmered with tears, tilting her head to smile wryly at Phoenix.
Never in her life had she been struck by anyone!
Yet Phoenix, the one she had loved for over a decade, the person she had risked her life to save, slapped her without a second thought or question.
Why? Why?
Was it simply because she was the one he did not loved?
"Phoenix, my leg hurts," Amelia's delicate voice pulled Phoenix back to the moment.
He hurried to lift her up, his back turned to Serena. "Serena, do you have any idea how important her legs are to Amelia? If anything happens to her, if she can't dance, what could you possibly offer in compensation?"
Yes, what could she offer?
She were loved and cherished; for a dancer, those legs were priceless.
As for her, Serena of the teetering Nightingale Corporation, she possessed nothing.
But how could Phoenix condemn her so without cause?!
"I am so poor that I have nothing left but my life. Mr. Lee, how do you want me to compensate her?" She smiled wanly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Explanation seemed futile, so she bore the blame.
Phoenix turned his head, his cold gaze sweeping over her. "You'd better check the news on Nightingale Corporation now. If anything happens to Amelia, you'll be the one begging me later!"
Amelia clutched Phoenix's sleeve, her tears fell like rain, weakly pleading, "Phoenix, it's not Serena's fault. I lost my balance myself, it has nothing to do with Serena."
"Amelia, you don't need to defend her!" Phoenix interrupted harshly. "When she left us all those years ago, and later when she disgraced herself, you should have seen her true colors!"
Serena couldn't comprehend the accusations, but before she could inquire, Phoenix had already stormed off.
It mattered not; he wouldn't have explained anyway.
As Serena was about to check Nightingale Corporation's news, Julia called. "Serena, how does it feel to be back? Have you taken your medicine? How's your sleep?"
But Serena had already glimpsed the devastating news about Nightingale Corporation. Her fingers trembled, and she felt like she had plunged into an icy abyss.
Unwilling to engage with Julia, she hastily dismissed her concerns.
"My dear, your depression is severe. You must tell me if you can't sleep, and don't stop taking those pills..."
"I know," Serena hung up and tapped into the main news feed.
Nightingale Corporation's stocks had plummeted, there was an accident at the construction site, and due to poor handling, the media had caught wind. The company's entrance was now surrounded by journalists, workers' families, and onlookers, demanding answers!
"How could this happen... Everything was arranged, how could they mess it up like this?! And our family's ancestral mansion, why is it being auctioned off?!"
Serena's face paled, her chest tightening with every breath.
Reaching into her pocket for her medication, her hands shook violently, spilling the pills onto the floor.
How could this be happening...
Distraught, she frantically gathered two pills and swallowed them, curling into a ball, hugging her knees, until gradually, she calmed.
"You've seen it all?" Phoenix's voice echoed coldly above her.
"I can forsake the company, Phoenix, but I beg of you, spare the Nightingale ancestral mansion," she pleaded, looking up, a stark contrast to the Serena who had confronted Phoenix earlier.
Phoenix grasped her chin firmly. "If you want something from me, you should beg properly."
Serena's lips quivered, tears unexpectedly falling. "Yes, I, Serena, apologize to Mr. Lee, to Miss Amelia!"
Lowering her head, she shed all her pride.
Phoenix's grip tightened, reddening her skin.
"What would the Mr. Nightingale look like without her facade of nobility, dignity, and pride?" Phoenix smirked, suddenly releasing Serena, his casual remark pushing her to the brink:
"Amelia's health isn't good, and I want her to rest before our wedding. So, you will attend to my needs before she recover. You'll move into my apartment later."
She felt a chill, helpless and trapped.
Reduced to less than a mistress, she was a mere Means of sexual gratification.
