Catherine pulled Serena into another embrace, gently stroking her back. Her voice was as soft as if she were cooing to a baby. "You were asleep for so long, you scared me half to death. In your dream, you kept calling for Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma... You were crying so hard, it broke my heart."
"It's okay, everything's in the past now... From now on, you have a mom and dad in this home, a grandpa, and brothers who will all be with you. We'll always be by your side..."
Serena leaned into Catherine's embrace, taking in the comforting scent.
Her racing heart gradually began to slow down.
In the dream just now...
Everything that had happened was a real part of her past.
But now, she was being held by her own biological mother.
She had yearned for this for years, humbly begged for it, this familial love she had never once felt from the Wynn family.
And now...
She truly, genuinely had it.
This was her real family.
Her true home.
Everything about the Wynn family...
Could no longer leave the slightest mark on her heart.
It would never affect her again.
Because she finally had the happiness she had always dreamed of.
"I'm okay now, Mom." Serena raised a hand to touch the dried tear tracks on her face. "I'm going to wash up."
Catherine lovingly stroked her hair. "Yes, go wash your face and come down for dinner. You must be hungry after sleeping for so long. I'll go get your food ready now."
When Serena came downstairs.
She found the entire family sitting in the living room.
At the sound of her footsteps, they all turned to look at her in unison.
Their concerned gazes were incredibly warm.
None of them asked her what nightmare she'd had, nor did they mention her red, swollen eyes.
They simply used their warm, caring looks to dispel all of Serena's gloom.
Serena's heart was filled with warmth.
She curled her lips into a smile. “Grandpa, Dad, Julian, I'm fine. Don't worry."
Seeing the genuine smile that reached the girl's eyes, the Lancaster men finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Catherine brought the heated meal to the table. "As long as you're okay. Come and eat something."
Serena nodded and pulled out a chair to sit down.
After a few bites.
Her phone suddenly rang.
Serena picked it up. The name "Jaxon" flashed on the screen.
Her expression didn't change as she ate and answered the call. "Speak."
"Boss." Jaxon's voice was low, laced with a grim chill. "We just got word. The Kurobara Shroud and Siphon
have joined forces. In just one
might... they've sent at least half their
people into Elyndor."
"They move fast. They're coming for you."
Unfazed, Serena took a sip of milk, her cool voice betraying little emotion. "They certainly are in a hurry."
"As you instructed, the bait has been
cast. Black Mirage took it, just as expected. Jaxon's tone was tinged with a mix
of ruthlessness and
excitement. "Latest intel says that within a week, Black Mirage himself will be unable to resist and will
personally slip into Elyndor."
Serena's lips curved. "Understood."
She said nothing more and hung up.
It seemed the head of the Kurobara Shroud, Black Mirage, couldn't sit still any
longer.
She knew that a large-scale
incursion of foreign operatives into
Elyndor
would inevitably attract the
attention of the national authorities.
It had the potential to escalate into an international incident.