This morning felt colder than the previous one, perhaps because of the heavy rain that poured down last night.
Serena sat quietly on her bedroom balcony, gazing into the distance. For some reason, she was feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time.
Loneliness.
Ever since she got married a decade ago, Serena had never once felt lonely. Maybe because she was always busy dedicating her time and energy to her family, the thought of loneliness never even crossed her mind. Even when her husband passed away, she never felt this way.
Knock… knock… knock…
The sound of knocking on her bedroom door pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Come in," she said.
The door opened, and Ratna, a maid in the Shine household, entered the room.
"Madam, breakfast is ready, and Young Master Adrian is waiting for you," Ratna informed her.
"Hmm… I'll be down in five minutes," Serena replied.
Hearing her response, Ratna nodded and left the room.
A few moments later, Serena left her bedroom and headed to the dining room.
"Good morning, Mom," Adrian greeted her as soon as he saw her.
"Morning," she replied as she took her seat
Breakfast felt different today—Adrian could sense it. Although Serena was usually quiet during meals, today there was something different about her.
"Mom, are you okay?" Adrian asked with concern.
Serena looked at him, slightly confused.
"Everything is fine. Why do you ask?" she responded.
"I'm glad to hear that. It's just… you seem a little different today," Adrian said, relieved but still observant.
Serena smiled at his words and continued her breakfast. But soon after, she suddenly remembered something and looked at Adrian.
"Adrian, I forgot to tell you—your grandfather asked you to visit him," she said.
Adrian frowned at her words. He already knew what his grandfather wanted.
"I'm busy, Mom. If I have time, I'll visit him later," he replied.
Serena let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
It wasn't just Adrian who knew what his grandfather wanted—Serena knew too. And, like Adrian, she believed that some things simply couldn't be forced.
********
As a woman who married into a wealthy family, Serena's daily life was monotonous—socializing with high-society wives, visiting salons, attending tea parties, and similar activities.
Fortunately, she had a passion for reading, which helped her pass the time. But Serena also had a secret—she had been secretly writing novels on an online forum.
While she was engrossed in reading a novel on her tablet, her phone suddenly buzzed with a new message.
(S, did you know there's a new café in town? I heard the food is amazing! Let's check it out!)
Serena smiled at the message from her best friend. Even though they were no longer young, spending time with a close friend always made her feel like she was back in her youth.
(When?)
(This afternoon.)
(Okay.)
After replying, Serena glanced at the clock and decided to leave early.
Because there was no traffic, she arrived at the café in just ten minutes.
The moment she stepped inside, she immediately liked the place. The atmosphere was calm and cozy.
Serena looked around for a comfortable spot, and once she found one, she sat down and began browsing the menu.
As she was focused on choosing her order, a voice suddenly made her freeze.
A deep baritone voice—husky yet incredibly captivating.
And there was only one person she knew who had a voice like that.
Slowly, Serena lifted her head and turned toward the entrance, where the voice had come from.
Her eyes trembled as she saw someone she hadn't seen in years.
She never expected to run into him here.
He was still as handsome as ever—only now, he looked more mature and authoritative. But there was one thing that had changed.
He no longer wore a smile.
Perhaps she had been staring too intensely, because suddenly, the man looked straight at her.
His eyes trembled as if he couldn't believe they were meeting again in this place.
And for a moment, they just stood there, staring at each other—neither of them making a move to say hello.
"Ren, why are you just standing there?"
A woman's voice suddenly called out to him.
Hearing her, Serena gave a small, unreadable smile to the man—Ren Shield—before shifting her gaze back to the menu.
Seeing Serena look away, a hint of sadness flashed in Ren's eyes.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
Without hesitation, Ren walked toward the woman who had called him.
**********
Iril, Serena's best friend, was happily enjoying her meal.
"It's good, right?" she asked excitedly.
"Hmm? Yeah, it's good," Serena replied flatly with a small smile.
Iril frowned.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," Serena answered evasively.
Iril rolled her eyes.
"S, we've been friends since childhood. I know when something's bothering you," she said firmly.
Serena stayed silent, unwilling to answer.
Iril, however, was relentless. She stared at Serena intently.
"Who did you see before meeting me?" she interrogated.
"W-what?" Serena stammered, startled by how quickly Iril had figured it out.
"Who?" Iril pressed.
"It's no one, okay!" Serena tried to brush it off. She hoped Iril would drop the subject.
But that wasn't going to happen.
Iril stood up from her seat. Serena immediately grabbed her arm.
"Where are you going?" she asked nervously.
"I'm going to check out all the customers here! I'll find out myself," Iril declared.
Serena stared at her, realizing that Iril was completely serious about this.
Finally, with a sigh, Serena whispered, "It was… Ren."
"Who?" Iril asked, making sure she heard correctly.
Serena swallowed hard.
"It was Ren, Ril. Ren Shield."