Owned By My Ex-Fiancé’s Uncle

09: Unsettled Reconciliation

SERENE’S POV

At exactly 6 p.m., I left the shop and got into my car. I would pause every time my phone rang, and each time I checked, I saw Aiden's name on the caller ID.

As I drove home, I was still debating whether I should visit Aiden or not. I was at the intersection between the route to my place and the road to Alejandro's. When my phone rang again, I sighed and finally decided to take the path leading to Alejandro's. We hadn't had closure yet, and I knew I wouldn't find the answers I sought if I continued to avoid him.

I wanted to see it with my own eyes, so I couldn't avoid him.

I parked in front of Alejandro's and got out of the car. As I entered the venue, the attendants at the entrance greeted me.

"Good evening, ma'am. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, I think it's under the name of Mr. Aiden David," I replied.

"Oh, you must be Ms. Serene Astley, right? This way, ma'am. He's been waiting for you for a while now," she said as she led me to a VIP room. "Please, go inside, ma'am," she politely added, and I stepped into the room.

I was surprised by the area's elaborate decor when I first entered.

"S-Serene," Aiden called my name, sounding extremely surprised, and what I couldn't quite fathom was why he seemed so pale.

"Is there any problem, Aiden?" I asked him.

"Huh? I thought you weren't coming," he said, then glanced at the flowers he was holding. "Flowers for you." He approached me and handed them over.

Once I had the flowers in my hand, he guided me to a seat at the table. That's when the music began to play.

"I know, Serene, you've been doubting my faithfulness lately, and I admit I did it on purpose. Even in our arguments, I never tried to make it up to you. I actually intended to keep it a secret until tonight, and I planned to pick you up at your shop. But because of how you started to perceive my actions, I had to tell you," he said seriously, kneeling in front of me. "When you caught me talking to someone else at the party, he wasn't my boss; she was my surprise organizer. I was just so foolish; you caught me right from the beginning."

I looked at him seriously, still unsure if he was telling the truth this time. As far as I could recall, Kristine had shown me a picture, and I was certain that the man in that picture was Aiden.

"Aiden, even if you've done all this and even if you've cleared my suspicions, I want you to know that my decision to go to Erstonia remains unchanged," I said seriously, and his expression changed once again. "If you're not fooling me, and if you really love me, I hope you can grant me the request to postpone our wedding, even if it's just for a week."

"A week? Seriously, Serene?" he asked irritably. "Haven't I done enough to prove myself to you this time? I know I have shortcomings as your fiancé, but please, Serene, believe me, I've never deceived you, and I could never do that to you, so I hope you won't do this to me."

"Look, Aiden, I didn't say we weren't going to continue with the wedding. I just want to seize this opportunity. Besides, I've already booked flights for my designers, and I don't want to waste the chance for them to learn from the event. This is my chance to make it up to them, so I hope you understand."

"When are you planning to make it up to me, Serene? This is all I'm asking for."

"Aiden, it's just a one-week delay, so I hope you can understand. It's for our future. I've never done anything without including you in my plans," I explained. "I just don't want to miss this opportunity, and it's really an honor to be invited as one of the judges."

"Are there any changes, Serene, if I don't agree with what you want to happen? Does my opinion really matter to you?" His tone indicated that he was upset, but if I let his anger affect me, he would only stop me from achieving what I wanted. "No, it doesn't, right? So, if you really want to go to that competition before our wedding, then go ahead. I can't do anything to stop you because I know your decision is final." With that, he stood up from his kneeling position and walked out of the VIP room.

I was left alone in that VIP room, and to be honest, I didn't know whether I should still believe Aiden or just give myself a reason to be angry with him and do what I wanted.

But the desire to attend Fashion Week weighed heavier on me. So I slowly stood up and left the room.

"Ma'am?" One of the staff members approached me.

"Yes?" I asked, puzzled.

"Well, it's just that the event we arranged earlier hasn't been paid for. Sir has left, and you're the only one who can make the payment."

"What? Are you serious? I thought this surprise was all planned out."

"Oh, no. The truth is, Mr. David just called us earlier to arrange the surprise. That's why it's a bit pricey because his request was too urgent." I was surprised by what she said, and I felt like laughing. I opened my bag and took out my card.

"Okay, here's my card," I said, and I handed it to her. I watched her as she swiped my card.

I almost believed Aiden's sweet words, but in the end, it turned out he was still lying to me. I didn't know where to place my trust in his words.

"Here you go, ma'am. Thank you, and sorry for making you pay for the surprise meant for you. Mr. David was in a hurry when he left, and we couldn't catch up with him."

"No worries, I understand." I said, and then I turned around and left the restaurant.

My mind was still in a whirlwind as I reached my car. To be honest, I was utterly confused. I couldn't seem to find answers to the questions in my mind.

I sighed and started my car, driving straight home to get some rest.

When I got home, all the lights were off, so I knew they were all asleep. I headed to my room to change.

I lay down, but I couldn't get the events out of my mind. Glancing at the clock, I realized it was already ten o'clock. I had been lost in thought for quite a while.

Unable to sleep, I decided to go downstairs and make some milk. Just as I descended the stairs, I heard the front door opening.

"Oh, you're home now?" I asked Alison in surprise. I thought her event was only until eight in the evening. Or maybe a lot has changed in the two years I've been away.

"Obviously," she replied without much enthusiasm, clearly drunk.

"Alison, would you like to join me in Erstonia? It's my treat; don't worry," I offered with a smile, although I could tell she wasn't in the mood.

She raised an eyebrow and looked at me, her response indicating she wasn't pleased with what I said.

"No, thanks. Besides, I have my own money; you don't need to treat me," she responded with a somewhat insulting tone, then walked past me up the stairs.

"Alison, are you still upset with me for siding with my designer?" I asked her, as I couldn't think of any other reason for her to be treating me this way again.

"I've moved on, Serene. Maybe you're the one who hasn't."

"Then why are you acting like this?" I couldn't help but ask her, even though I knew it might lead to another argument between us.

"Well, what do you want me to say, Serene?" She turned to face me again.

"Look, I'm tired right now. You're not the only one busy, okay?" I saw her roll her eyes. "Besides, you never really care about how other people feel, do you?" I raised an eyebrow, knowing there was more to what she was saying.

"What do you mean, Alison?"

"Oh, Serene! Do you have to make an issue out of everything? If you're not happy with your life, don't drag me into it. As I said, I'm tired, and if you want to talk to me, do it tomorrow." With that, she headed upstairs without even looking back at me.