Game Over No Second Chances

Did talking about the birthday party details with Ruth made him nervous?

For some reason, Serena started feeling a little flustered herself. She downed the rest of her cocktail in a daze—the soft sweetness paired with a sharp, spicy aftertaste left her lightheaded.

Her heartbeat quickened, and she thought to herself, "This drink sure packs a punch."

Ruth, now completely convinced by Hugh's arrangements, left only one final message.

"Fine, I'll reluctantly leave Serena's birthday party in your hands. A Larson family event, huh? I'll be watching."

Then, she hung up.

Right after that, she sent Serena a private message. "Was that cocktail made by Hugh himself? Is it good?"

Serena glanced at it, and before she could think, the question slipped out of her mouth, "Did you make this yourself?"

Hugh froze slightly. His palms were soaked in sweat.

He had prepared himself for many possible questions-why the birthday party was so elaborate, why he had come to see her tonight, or whether she found the arrangements too overwhelming.

But this was the one question he hadn't expected.

Because yes, it was his creation.

"No," he said. His heart and mouth were speaking completely different truths.

He silently wiped his sweaty palms against his pants.

The care and attention he'd shown for this birthday party had already been too much. If he admitted that he'd spent hours perfecting that cocktail, it would all feel too deliberate, too exposed.

Serena blinked and came to her senses.

"Of course", she thought. "His hands are worth gold in the business world-how could he be mixing cocktails in his spare time?"

She gave a little laugh. While replying to Ruth with a quick "It's delicious", she turned to smile warmly at Hugh.

"Well, even if you didn't make it, it's still very good. I really like it."

Hugh's eyes twitched, a subtle flicker of surprise passing through them. He quickly turned his head away.

She was the one who had been drinking, but for some reason he felt heat rising in his cheeks.

Serena noticed his sudden avoidance and realized that while she'd complimented the cocktail, she hadn't said a word about the effort he put into the birthday party.

The event was extremely

grand-even if some people at Larson Group were using it to promote her role as the future Mrs. Larson, the arrangements had clearly gone above and beyond.

So, she quickly added, "The birthday party is amazing too! I didn't expect the

Larson family to go all out for me like this. I really love it.

l.ne

"And I don't mind helping entertain the guests with you either. Since we've already begun planning the wedding, and our alliance is progressing smoothly, I don't the title of 'Mrs. Larson' at albin fact..." sŵnovel

She paused, her voice growing softer, more tender.

"To be able to marry you, to live respectfully side by side-it's honestly my good fortune."

Her gentle tone was like a breeze brushing over Hugh's heart-soft and ticklish. But those four words, "respectfully side by side", snapped him back to reality. "Just mutual assistance. Nothing to feel emotional about," he replied quietly.

He stood up from the recliner without meeting her sparkling eyes and walked toward the terrace door.

"You've just had a drink. You'll sleep better. Goodnight."noveldrama

Serena watched his back slowly melt into the shadows of the corridor. She curled her lips into a small smile and placed the glass back on the table.

"Goodnight."

But in the terrace's glass reflection, the man hadn't left at all. He stood there, almost greedy in the way he stared at her back, the hunger in his gaze nearly primal.

The movement stirred the instincts of Snuggle, who abruptly sprang up and glared

at Hugh like a tiny, fluffy guardian.

The cat let out a low growl of warning.

Hugh's cold, sharp gaze met the kitten's and he lifted a finger to his lips.

Snuggle meowed loudly and practically leaped out of its little cat bed, its fur puffed up like a bristled brush.

Startled, Serena turned around and scooped it into her arms. She followed its glare to the terrace door but there was nothing there.