Fated Love Tribulation

Chapter 6

In the office, Serena sat slumped in her chair, her face pale and drawn.

Her forehead throbbed with a piercing, needle-like pain, causing her hands to grip each other, so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Rena, there's a meeting in half an hour," her secretary said softly.

Noticing the beads of sweat dotting Serena's brow, the secretary frowned with concern. "Are you feeling alright? You look unwell."

"I'm fine. I just need a moment to rest. Call me when it's time," Serena waved her off and slowly closed her eyes. Taking the hint, the secretary quietly slipped out of the room.

The headache grew worse, pounding so violently it felt like her skull was about to c***k open.

As another wave of pain hit, Serena's mind drifted into a foggy abyss, feeling as though she were free-falling into darkness—down, down, down…

"Rena! Rena, wake up!" Her secretary's panicked voice jolted her out of the haze.

A flash of white light cut through the fog in her mind, and suddenly Serena's eyes snapped open.

"Huh? Is it time already? That was fast." She tried to sit up, but a sudden wave of dizziness hit her like a freight train, and her vision blacked out for a moment. Her body swayed before she managed to steady herself.

"Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should see a doctor?" The secretary held onto her, worried as Serena swayed on her feet.

"I'm alright. Just get me some water," Serena said weakly, forcing a small smile.

With a sigh of resignation, her secretary fetched a glass of water and handed it to her.

"Thanks," Serena murmured as she sipped it slowly.

The cool liquid slid down her throat, and as it flowed through her body, she let out a small sigh of relief.

The headache began to ease, and after draining the glass, she set it down and strode purposefully towards the meeting room, the familiar mask of indifference once again settling over her face.

The meeting room was buzzing with chatter. Serena found a quiet corner and sat down, closing her eyes to rest, ignoring the surrounding noise.

All she could hear were speculative whispers about the company's new heir—some were even gossiping about his personal life with remarkable detail.

Then the door creaked open, and the room fell into an abrupt hush.

Serena opened her eyes just in time to meet a pair of playful, blue ones staring straight at her.

He was seated beside the chairperson, and the amused look he gave her made something click in her mind. She understood immediately but chose to close her eyes again, feigning indifference.

As expected, the meeting centered around the impending takeover by the new heir.

Serena wasn't particularly interested—who ran the company didn't really concern her.

She was content to keep her eyes closed, focusing on resting, when suddenly the room erupted into excited murmurs.

Then, out of nowhere, a smooth, low voice cut through the noise like a finely aged whiskey.

"Miss Valente, do you have any thoughts on the matter?"

Serena's eyes flew open, startled, her mind blank for a split second as she stared up at the man standing beside her.

From the moment Julien had entered the meeting room, his eyes had been locked on the slim figure tucked away in the corner.

Despite the crowd of beautiful women in the room—one of whom had been blatantly flirting with him since he arrived—it was Serena who caught his attention.

Her pale complexion stirred something in him, a concern he didn't quite understand. Was she feeling unwell?

Sensing the weight of dozens of eyes on her, Serena's initial panic quickly gave way to calm. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Her voice was cool, collected, which only fueled the gossip around the room.

"Miss Valente, what are your thoughts on the upcoming fashion show?" Julien asked again, his tone softer this time as he studied her closely, no longer intending to push her too hard.

Caught off guard by how easily he let her off the hook, Serena collected her scattered thoughts and launched into a detailed explanation of her design concepts and vision for the show.

When she finished, the room was utterly silent. Julien nodded thoughtfully, seemingly impressed. "Alright, that's it for today. I'll need those designs submitted by Friday. Meeting adjourned."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Serena stood up, but before she could take a step, another dizzy spell hit her, and she stumbled. Suddenly, she found herself falling into a pair of strong arms, the faint smell of tobacco surrounding her.

"Miss Valente, careful," Julien teased, his arm steadying her as he gazed down at her with a hint of mischief.

"Thanks, she whispered, barely meeting his eyes as she regained her balance and quickly walked out of the room. Behind her, she could feel his gaze lingering on her long after she left.

Back in her office, Serena collapsed onto her soft couch and fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up, the sky outside had darkened. Her phone, set to vibrate, buzzed persistently beside her head.

"Hello," she mumbled into the phone after pressing the call button.

"Rena, are you still at work?" a warm voice asked from the other end of the line.

"Oh, EJ. Yeah, I'm leaving now," she replied, her voice weak as the headache returned in full force.

"You don't sound great. How about I meet you downstairs in ten minutes?" Ethan suggested, his tone laced with concern.

"Okay," she sighed before hanging up the phone.

Slowly pushing herself off the couch, Serena couldn't help but curse the relentless headache that had been tormenting her all day.

As she gathered her things, she noticed a thin blanket draped over her.

A faint smile crossed her lips—it must have been her secretary who had come in and covered her while she slept.

After freshening up, Serena made her way out of the office, her steps slow and unsteady.

The hallway was eerily quiet, the click of her high heels echoing off the marble floor.

Rubbing her temples, she walked absentmindedly, completely unaware that someone had been watching her from the shadows.

As she approached, the figure quietly slipped out of sight.