Not long after Evelyn left, Julian rushed into the flower shop. He was clearly out of breath, panic written all over his face. "Serena, are you okay? Did Evelyn do anything to you?"
Serena was picking up the crushed flowers from the floor, not even looking up. "I'm fine."
Julian stared at her calm profile, suddenly at a loss for words. He had seen Evelyn and the others come in from across the street, and he had noticed the handprint on her face.
He could roughly guess what had happened. "I'm sorry," Julian said quietly. "It's my fault for not handling things properly, for letting them find you here."
Serena paused, then looked up at him. "Julian, you really owe me. But I've grown tired of hearing that line."
She tossed the ruined flowers into the trash and stood up straight. "If you r
