THE HEIRS HE NEVER KNEW

EPISODE 23 & 24

OLD MEMORIES

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

WEDNESDAY — 7:40 A.M.

Serena stood in front of the mirror, fixing her earrings.

Maya sat on the edge of the bed.

"Another meeting?"

"Yes."

"Zurich?"

Serena nodded.

Maya watched her carefully.

"You don't have to keep pretending you're unaffected."

Serena looked at her through the mirror.

"I'm not pretending."

Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Serena."

Serena smiled faintly.

"I have work to do."

She picked up her bag.

"The children will be home by four."

"I'll pick them up."

"Thank you."

Serena walked toward the door.

Maya called after her.

"Be careful."

Serena stopped.

Then nodded.

"I will."

WARNER GROUP

ZURICH

Jasper stood at the conference table as Serena entered.

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

Daniel handed Serena a folder.

"The updated projections."

She opened it.

"I've reviewed these."

Jasper looked at her.

"And?"

"The third-quarter estimate is too high."

Daniel frowned.

"Why?"

"Because the projected demand doesn't match the current market data."

Jasper walked toward the table.

"Show me."

Serena turned the folder toward him.

She pointed to the figures.

"If we reduce the estimate here and increase the allocation here, we'll get a more realistic projection."

Jasper studied the numbers.

"You're right."

Daniel looked at the documents.

"That changes the entire forecast."

"Exactly."

Jasper nodded.

"Make the adjustment."

Daniel wrote it down.

The meeting continued.

It was straightforward.

Professional.

Efficient.

But when Serena leaned over the table to point at another figure, Jasper noticed something familiar.

The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was concentrating.

He had seen that countless times before.

A memory surfaced.

FLASHBACK — YEARS EARLIER

Serena sat across from Jasper at a restaurant.

She was reading through a document while eating.

Jasper watched her.

"What?"

She didn't look up.

"You're staring."

"I'm observing."

"That's another word for staring."

He smiled.

"You always do that."

"Do what?"

"Touch your hair when you're thinking."

Serena stopped.

"My hair?"

"Yes."

She laughed.

"You've been paying too much attention to me."

"Maybe."

She looked at him.

"Maybe?"

Jasper smiled.

"Definitely."

She shook her head.

"You are impossible."

"And you still came to dinner with me."

"Unfortunately."

He laughed.

She smiled.

The memory faded.

PRESENT DAY

Serena looked up.

Jasper was already looking at her.

Their eyes met.

Neither spoke.

Daniel cleared his throat.

"Should we continue?"

Serena looked back at the documents.

"Yes."

EPISODE 24

THE WARNER BROTHERS

WARNER RESIDENCE

THURSDAY — 6:00 P.M.

Richard sat in his study when Adrian walked in.

"You're still working?"

Richard looked up.

"Someone has to."

Adrian laughed.

"You've always said that."

Marcus entered behind him.

"Because he's incapable of relaxing."

Richard shook his head.

"You two came here just to annoy me?"

"Of course," Marcus said.

Adrian sat down.

"We need to discuss Jasper."

Richard's expression became serious.

"What about him?"

"He's spending a lot of time on the Geneva project."

"That's his job."

Marcus leaned back.

"That's not what Adrian means."

Richard looked between them.

"Then what does he mean?"

Adrian lowered his voice.

"Serena Vale."

Richard paused.

"What about her?"

"How well do you know her?"

"Professionally."

Marcus smiled.

"That's not what I asked."

Richard looked at him.

"She's running a successful company. Jasper trusts her judgment."

Adrian nodded.

"That's all?"

Richard frowned.

"Why are you both so interested?"

Adrian exchanged a glance with Marcus.

"Because Jasper has changed."

Richard leaned back.

"He's working."

"No," Marcus said. "He's distracted."

Richard was silent.

Neither brother said anything else.

But they both knew there was something about the situation they hadn't figured out yet.

VIVIAN

Later that evening, Vivian sat in her apartment.

A photograph was placed on the table in front of her.

She picked it up.

It was an old photograph of Jasper and Serena.

Vivian stared at Serena's face.

Her expression was cold.

She turned the photograph over.

There was a date written on the back.

Her fingers tightened around it.

Then her phone rang.

She answered.

"Hello?"

A man's voice spoke.

"You're still watching him?"

Vivian looked at the photograph.

"Of course."

"And Serena?"

Vivian's eyes hardened.

"She's gone."

"You're sure?"

Vivian hesitated.

"She disappeared years ago."

"That's not what I asked."

Vivian remained silent.

Then said,

"She's gone."

She ended the call.

Vivian placed the photograph back on the table.

She looked at Jasper's face.

Then at Serena's.

"Some people should stay in the past."

She put the photograph inside a drawer.

Locked it.

And walked away.

GENEVA

Serena arrived home that night.

The children were already asleep.

She quietly checked on them before going to her room.

Maya was waiting.

"How was the meeting?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

Serena smiled.

"Very productive."

Maya nodded.

"You look tired."

"I am."

Serena sat on the bed.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Then she looked at Maya.

"Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if things had been different."

Maya's expression changed.

"But they weren't."

Serena nodded.

"I know."

Maya sat beside her.

"Don't let the past make you forget what you have now."

Serena smiled.

"I won't."

She looked toward the hallway.

The children were asleep.

Her life was here.

That was what mattered.

But somewhere in Zurich, Jasper was still holding pieces of a past he didn't understand.

And somewhere else, Vivian was holding secrets that could destroy everything.

END OF EPISODES 23 & 24