Fated Love Tribulation

Chapter 10

The result of an indulgent night was clear the next morning…

Serena woke up to a dull ache all over her body. The moment she opened her eyes, a thought flashed through her mind:

Why does everything hurt so much? For a brief second, her mind went completely blank as she stared up at the ceiling, dumbfounded.

"What's with that expression? Don't tell me last night's performance didn't meet your expectations?" A man's face appeared suddenly, far too close for comfort.

"You…" Serena stared at him, feeling a rush of emotions—her head spun, and it was like all the energy drained out of her body at once.

"What? Don't tell me you've already forgotten the face of the guy who shared your bed? That would break my heart." Alexander's eyes glinted with playful mischief as he gazed at her with mock sadness.

He even nuzzled his head against her shoulder, like some sort of pet seeking affection.

"Move. I have to get to work." Ignoring his attempts at intimacy, Serena pushed past her initial shock. Maybe I drank too much last night? That was the only explanation she could come up with. After all, staying the night in a man's bed was something she had never done—except with Ethan.

"Baby," Alexander pouted, batting his eyes at her with a pitiful look that was almost comical, like a stray puppy that had just been kicked to the curb.

Without acknowledging him, Serena stood up and walked straight to the bathroom, not even bothering to ask where she was. She needed to clear her head.

Watching her cool demeanor, Alexander pinched his thigh and rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

He couldn't reconcile the cold, detached woman in front of him with the passionate fireball from the night before.

Did she have some sort of split personality? The thought lingered, growing stronger by the second. His curiosity about her deepened.

After a quick shower, Serena wasn't surprised to find her body covered in faint bruises and kiss marks—a clear reminder of the "battle" that had taken place last night. She shook her head, a faint, sarcastic smile tugging at her lips.

Release… that's all this is…

Falling… it always looks the same.

Stepping out of the bathroom, her bare feet padded softly over the plush carpet as she gathered her scattered clothes and slipped them on. Without hesitation, she pulled a pill from her bag and, ignoring the way

Alexander was watching her, swallowed it.

"What are you taking?" His voice was low, with a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes.

"None of your business," Serena replied, her tone as cool as ever, swallowing the pill without a second thought.

A moment later, the door clicked open and then closed behind her.

The rhythmic sound of her high heels echoed through the hallway, fading into the distance.

Alexander watched her disappear from sight, exhaling deeply before collapsing back onto the soft bed. The more unattainable something was, the more desperately he wanted it.

Serena sped home, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and raced back to the office.

Only once she sat down did she realize her headache had worsened.

Damn it, who said s*x was supposed to relieve headaches? It definitely wasn't working.

Noticing her exhaustion, her secretary quickly brought in a cup of coffee.

"Didn't sleep well again last night?" the secretary asked softly, eyeing the dark circles under Serena's eyes.

"Yeah… drank too much," Serena replied flatly, taking a big gulp of coffee.

"You really need to take better care of yourself. Drinking that much is bad for your skin, you know," the secretary continued, clearly worried.

"Enough, I'm fine. Go on, I'll take a short nap. Wake me if anything urgent comes up," Serena muttered, pressing her fingers to her throbbing temple.

"Oh, and here's the design draft—please send it out later," she added, handing over the papers before leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes.

As soon as her mind relaxed, she slipped into a deep sleep almost instantly.

The secretary sighed as she watched Serena's tired face, then quietly closed the door behind her as she left the room.

When Serena woke up, it was already midday.

The office was unusually quiet, likely because everyone was out for lunch. Groggily, she scanned the room.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a figure standing by the window, dressed in a sharp suit.

Thinking it was a trick of her tired mind, Serena rubbed her eyes, only to realize the figure was real and had turned toward her.

"Well, well. Sleeping Beauty finally wakes up," a mocking voice broke the silence, dripping with sarcasm.

Julien stood there, his tone light but teasing, as if amused to find his employee napping on the job. Was his management really this lenient?

"What are you doing here?" Serena asked, still groggy and disoriented from her nap.

"This is my company. I'm free to be anywhere I want, including here," Julien said with a smirk, stepping closer. Her sleepy expression made him want to kiss her—badly.

But as his gaze dropped to her neck, catching sight of a faint bruise, his expression darkened instantly. "Where were you last night?"

Serena's heart skipped a beat at first, but she quickly regained her composure. "I don't think that's something I need to tell you."

"Tell me," he demanded, gripping her chin with sudden force. His eyes blazed with anger, but as quickly as the fury appeared, it vanished.

He released her and gently brushed his fingers over her skin, replacing his anger with a mischievous smile. "Next time you're feeling lonely, maybe consider me."

"Mr. Renard, it's office hours. Please behave appropriately," Serena said icily, swatting his hand away with a cold stare.

Even if he was her boss, that didn't give him the right to treat her this way.

"Oh? Mad at me now?" Julien asked, clearly amused by her defiance.

His smile widened, though his eyes grew unreadable, masking any emotion.

"If you don't have any business here, please leave," Serena said coldly, her voice firm as she made it clear he wasn't welcome.

"Actually, I do have some business to discuss," Julien replied casually, settling himself into the chair across from her without waiting for an invitation.