Phoenix drove with a tense demeanor, perhaps aware that this time, he might never regain her fully even if he find her.
Lucas, concerned for Phoenix, suggested he rest in the backseat and guide the way. Phoenix declined. The woman he had lost, he insisted, was one he must find himself. He would never have others do it for him.
"You haven't slept for over twenty-four hours," Lucas reminded him, acknowledging the sleepless nights Phoenix endured handling company affairs when Serena was abroad.
Phoenix's face was taut. "Do you think I could rest knowing she's not back?"
Lucas fell silent, watching Phoenix drive away while he and Julia followed.
Worried about Phoenix's fatigue, Lucas couldn't shake his unease off.
"Miss, Miss.Lee is deeply concerned about Miss Nightingale. There were many misunderstandings back then, not easily explained in a few words," Lucas ventured, glancing through the rearview mirror at Julia's furrowed, somber expression, attempting to justify Phoenix's actions.
He knew that Julia played a significant role in Serena staying with Mr. Lee previously and was also responsible for rescuing her. Perhaps appealing to Julia could pave a path forward.
Julia turned, a mocking smile on her lips. "Misunderstandings? If Phoenix had trusted Serena even a little, would there have been so many misunderstanding between them?"
Phoenix never believed Serena from the start. He thought the accident was her doing, that Amelia was the savior, painting Serena as a spoiled heiress while Amelia was the perpetual victim in the Nightingale household.
Did he consider the consequences of his cold treatment? And what did he do when Serena returned and pleaded him for help?
He resented her silent departure, subjecting her to endless difficulties. If his intentions were pure, he wouldn't have refused to contact her for years, not even sending her a single message
Proud and arrogant, he assumed the girl trailing him since childhood was in the wrong, expecting her to make the first move even when he turned away.
He never realized his girl possessed pride too.
She loved humbly, preferring to step back, giving way to the new love in his life rather than returning to his side with her head lowered.
Misunderstandings? Schemes by others?
Who could truly tell?
They were too young, underestimating the depth of their affection. Thus, the slightest incident shattered their bond.
If they trusted each other, how could outsiders manipulate them?
Lucas fell silent, acknowledging he couldn't argue against Julia's points. Indeed, Phoenix was at fault, regardless of Amelia's manipulations leading to misunderstandings. Phoenix chose disbelief from the onset, acting on assumptions that Serena was in the wrong.
Julia was right; had Phoenix extended a fraction of trust, allowed Serena to explain, their story wouldn't have ended up like this.
Phoenix was to blame, and Lucas had no retort.
His gaze shifted to a car ahead, sighing softly.
Leaving the city, they stopped at a dilapidated house in the countryside. As the sun set, Phoenix stepped out, his elongated shadow cast a lonely figure in Lucas and Julia's eyes.
Lucas moved to follow but was stopped by Julia. "Don't."
She knew Serena was here. Serena hadn't shared this place with her, but Phoenix knew.
In matters of the heart, only they themselves can resolve it. As outsiders, they recognized Phoenix's grave mistakes, but Serena's heart belonged solely to him, leaving them speechless.
Julia knew Serena's psychological scars could only be healed by Phoenix.
The small house, with its red bricks and green tiles, nestled against a hillside beside a stream. Opposite, a small hill hosted a cultivated plot of greenery.
The locked house yielded to a key Phoenix hadn't used in years.
Inside, the untouched, dusty space revealed its concrete walls. A small kitchen, living room, and a single room comprised the first floor.
Traces in the kitchen indicated recent activity, with footprints leading upstairs.
Phoenix investigated, finding nothing unusual. The unused kitchen was dusty, suggesting the visitor merely looked around.
His lips pressed into a thin line, Phoenix ascended to the second floor.
Empty rooms greeted him, leading him to the third floor's rooftop.
Unused spaces like this were for storage, unlit. Phoenix navigated the darkness towards a patch of light. The tall figure bent down and squeezed through the small door, stepping out onto the rooftop.
Under the fading sun, he saw Serena's slender figure, bathed in a golden glow.
Phoenix straightened, silently observing her back.
Food packaging scattered on the ground suggested Serena wasn't foolish; she had bought provisions.
Perched on the railing above open ground, Phoenix hesitated to speak, afraid of startling her into falling.
Deeper fear gripped him, fearing she might jump intentionally.
As the sun slipped below the horizon, leaving faint light to outline their figures, Serena hoisted herself down. "I won't contemplate ending it. If I wanted to die, I wouldn't choose here, risking paralysis and burdening you with lifelong care. It's unappealing."
Moreover, her life wasn't hers alone.
She had vowed to Julia not to die.
Julia had saved her twice; her life belonged to Julia.
Phoenix watched Serena with his lips pursed, noting the bruises on her face and torn clothes revealing purplish contusions.
His eyes darkened, fixing on her intently.
Serena approached calmly, stopping in front of Phoenix, extending her dusty, wounded hand. "Mr. Lee, long time no see."
Phoenix lowered his gaze, a mix of emotions churning within.
Just days ago, their fingers intertwined, and now...
Noticing Phoenix's hesitation, Serena smiled, retracting her hand casually. "Seems Mr. Lee finds my hands too dirty for such formalities. Best not to bother then."
"Serena..." Phoenix's voice was hoarse. The words 'come home with me' stuck in his throat.
En route, he had imagined their reunion—Serena cowering, resistant to his proximity. He never envisioned this encounter.
There was a detached familiarity, as if she didn't care about his presence. No resentment shone in her eyes; she regarded him as a stranger of no consequence.
The most excruciating pain wasn't Serena's hatred, but her indifference towards him.
