Owned By My Ex-Fiancé’s Uncle

05: Doubts and Desperation

SERENE’S POV

I tried to hail several taxis, but none of them stopped to pick me up. I attempted to contact Kristine again, but her phone was no longer ringing.

I was left standing there, feeling frustrated, when a car pulled up in front of me, and Stefan stepped out of the vehicle.

"I don't know where you're going, but it seems like you're in a hurry, so let's go," he offered, and since I was in a rush, I had no choice but to accept his offer and get in the car.

"Can you take me to Pub Paradise?" I asked him once I had settled into the passenger's seat.

"Sure, that works for me since I'm headed there as well," he replied.

"Are you not going to ask me what I'll be doing there?" His casualness surprised me, so I asked.

"Well, I know it's not my business. I sincerely offered my help to you, not to inquire about your plans. I respect your privacy," he said, causing me to look at him.

The way Stefan was treating me, I couldn't see any reason for Aiden to be angry with him.

Stefan and I didn't exchange any more words until we arrived at Pub Paradise. When he stopped the car, I hurriedly opened the door, but before I could get out, I turned to look at him.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Stefan. It means a lot to me," I said before finally getting out and closing the door. Then I rushed inside Pub Paradise.

As soon as I entered the door, Kristine immediately approached me.

"Where is he?" I nervously asked as I tried to make out the faces of the people inside Pub Paradise.

"I was about to call you, but my phone's battery died, so I couldn't reach you. Aiden left with that woman. I tried to take a picture, but I couldn't because they walked so fast."

"Did you see the woman's face?"

"It was quite dark where they were, and when I tried to follow them, they quickly got into Aiden's car. But I'm sure there's something going on between them. It was obvious from their kiss, and they were holding hands when they left here."

I couldn't speak; it felt like something had just shattered in my chest, and the pain was unbearable.

"They might have gone to his condo. I'll try to go there. Thank you for letting me know, Tin," I said with a defeated shrug.

"But what's your plan now, Serene? Are you still going through with your wedding with Aiden?" She caught me off guard with her question.

"I don't know. I really don't know. As long as I haven't caught him in the act, I'm still holding onto hope that this isn't true," I said, choking back tears.

"Alright, I'm leaving. I might not catch them at the condo anyway." I bid farewell to Kristine and quickly turned away, not waiting for what she might say.

I felt like a ghost as I hailed a taxi, not entirely sure why I was doing this. I love Aiden, and I know he loves me, so I couldn't understand how he could do this to me.

When a taxi stopped in front of me, I got in immediately. I directed the driver to Aiden's condo, and that's when the tears I had been holding back finally fell.

I didn't know what I would do if my suspicions about Aiden were true and if he was indeed the one Kristine saw at the bar.

When the car stopped in front of the condo, I quickly got out and headed to his floor. I rang the doorbell multiple times, but no one answered, so I mustered the courage to enter the passcode at his door. My hands were shaking, and when it made a sound, I prayed that it would be the wrong passcode.

I held my breath as I slowly opened the door. Darkness greeted me, and I immediately turned on the lights and walked inside. There were no signs that Aiden had been home. I sat down on the couch, planning to wait for him.

I knew he would return here.

As I waited for Aiden, fatigue slowly overcame me. I decided to remove my shoes and lie down on the couch. Unbeknownst to me, I fell asleep in that position.

I woke up suddenly, feeling hot, as I sensed passionate kisses trailing along my neck. I quickly sat up and furrowed my brows at Aiden.

"What are you doing?" I asked angrily.

"It's your first time staying here, so what else would I think you want us to do?" he replied sarcastically before moving closer to me. I promptly stood up.

"We've already talked about this, Aiden. I won't do that until we're married!" I shouted.

"What? We're getting married, Serene, and come on, it's already 2023, your principles are outdated!" He said that and took a step toward me, but I quickly stepped back.

"Where have you been?" I couldn't help but ask because I could smell alcohol on him.

"I was at the party, I came back thinking you were still there, but Auntie Julie said she saw you getting into Uncle Stefan's car," he said, his voice carrying a hint of anger. "So, tell me, what did you two do?"

"We didn't do anything! I left because Kristine called me and said she saw you at Pub Paradise, kissing another woman." His eyes narrowed at my words, and he chuckled.

"You believe that friend of yours, even though you know she doesn't like me."

"And then tell me, where have you been, and why did you disappear from the party? Why did your car disappear too?" I continued my interrogation.

"Didn't I tell you that my boss called? We had an emergency meeting, and I came back to the party. When I got back, you were the one who was gone!"

"Isn't it easy to make a phone call, Aiden? I called you several times when you disappeared from the party, but you didn't answer, and then your phone suddenly went out of coverage!"

"Exactly, out of coverage because my phone died!"

"You're just making excuses, Aiden. You didn't use to be like this. Why is it that when I came back, your behavior had changed so much?"

"You've changed a lot too, Serene. Don't blame me for anything. I'm not making excuses." Then he turned his back on me. "If you have nothing else to do here, can you leave? I want to rest," he said with no enthusiasm, and then turned away, walking into his room.

I was left there feeling dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. Why did it seem like I was the one at fault for everything?

I left his unit, tears streaming down my face as I walked out of that building.

I knew that what Aiden said about Kristine not liking him was true, but I also knew that Kristine wouldn't call me if she hadn't seen something real. And I sensed that something was indeed amiss, as I knew his conversation wasn't with his boss.

I just didn't know how I would catch Aiden, as he didn't seem inclined to confess.

I needed solid evidence to catch him.

I was startled when my phone rang again. It was Kristine.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Serene, my friend managed to get a picture. Wait, I'll send it to you."