Douglas strutted like a victorious rooster, his smile obnoxiously bright. "Silas, don't even waste your energy. Serena only acknowledges me as her favorite uncle now. You're way too late to the party!"
Silas's temple throbbed. Looking at his brother's incredibly punchable face, he had the overwhelming urge to shatter his smug grin.
Deliberately fueling the fire, Douglas immediately leaned closer to Serena.
He peeled a tangerine, painstakingly pulling off all the white pith before offering it to her. "Serena, are you tired? Just ignore him. Have some of this, I had someone bring it over fresh. It's super sweet!"
Silas's temple throbbed even harder. He glared coldly at his brother.
Striding over, he clamped a hand on Douglas's shoulder and yanked him aside. "What are you doing? She just finished a grueling surgery. Why are you giving her cold fruit? Give her an apple. Apples are soothing."
With that, the ruthless billionaire CEO who regularly signed billion-dollar contracts without blinking-grabbed a paring knife and started peeling an apple.
"Oh, please. You're used to holding designer pens, do you even know how to peel an apple?" Douglas scoffed, reaching out to snatch it away. "Look at it, it's completely mangled! This kind of delicate work should be left to me."
Silas barked a sarcastic laugh. "I am peeling this for my niece. Shut up!"
"Oh, so now she's your niece? Who was it that barked at her through the phone earlier?" Failing to grab the apple, Douglas shifted into full mockery mode.
Silas's face turned a violent shade of green.
He chopped the mangled apple into small pieces, stabbed one with a toothpick, and presented it to Serena. "Serena, don't listen to his nonsense. I'm actually very gentle. I never yell. Here, eat the apple. It might not look great, but it's edible. Apples are packed with vitamins, you need to replenish your energy."
Douglas shoved Silas away with one hand while holding the tangerine slice out with the other. "Serena, eat this. I peeled it just for you."
Both pieces of fruit hovered in front of Serena at the exact same time.
The air in the room seemed to freeze.
Serena stared at them.
These two fully grown men were on the verge of throwing punches over who got to feed her a snack.
It was like watching two toddlers fighting over a toy.
Serena felt a mix of exasperation and amusement.
Watching the spectacle, Nicholas let out a low chuckle. "It seems if I want to dote on you in the future, I'll need to pull a ticket and wait in line."
Serena reached out and pinched his waist.
Then, she looked up at her two childish uncles who were currently usy-fueled
I belongs to swnown.
She raised her hands, taking the tangerine with one and the apple with the other.
She popped them both into her mouth at the same time.
Not bad... they were both sweet.
The next day.
Inside the intensive care suite, the medical machines hummed steadily.
The soft morning sunlight spilled through the windows.
Holden Vinton's fingers twitched slightly.
Serena, who had stayed by his bedside without sleeping a wink, noticed it instantly.
She immediately leaned forward, gently taking the old man's hand. "Grandpa?"
Holden's eyelids fluttered before slowly opening.
His vision was still blurry, and his
mind remained clouded, but the very
first game that left his lips
instinctual.
elket
"Serena..."
His voice was incredibly weak and hoarse, but it was brimming with pure affection.
"I'm here," Serena replied softly.
The warmth of her palm seemed to seep straight into his heart, soothing him.
His cloudy eyes slowly came into focus, locking onto her stunning, usually aloof face.
Dark shadows underscored her
eyes and despite her sheer exhaustion, her profound concern for him was impossible to hide.