Serena rushed into her room and threw herself onto the bed. She didn't expect to feel even the slightest regret for joining the business trip with Ren. The tasks Ren assigned her were no joke.
"No wonder the bonus is triple... the workload is just as insane,"
Serena muttered inwardly, closing her eyes.
Knock... knock... knock...
Serena groaned in annoyance as she heard someone knocking on her door. She stayed silent, having no intention of opening it. Her body was exhausted, and her mind needed rest. But the person outside didn't seem to get the hint—the knocking continued.
With a heavy sigh, Serena finally got up and opened the door, her face clearly annoyed.
Ren, the culprit behind the disturbance, was greeted with a sharp, protesting glare from Serena. But he didn't seem fazed.
"Eat first, then rest,"
Ren said flatly, though his eyes showed he understood his presence wasn't welcome.
Serena saw that Ren brought her dinner. Although the irritation hadn't fully left her, she stepped aside to let him in.
Ren entered and calmly arranged the food on the table. Despite being his employee, Serena didn't lift a finger to help. She felt she had done enough for the day.
"Eat,"
Ren instructed once everything was set.
Serena walked over to the table, sat beside Ren, and began eating. Her face remained sour, but she ate heartily. Seeing that, Ren gave a small smile.
"Once we get back, I'll add more tasks for you to learn and complete,"
Ren said suddenly.
Serena paused mid-chew and shot him a look of pure sarcasm. Realizing his mistake, Ren raised his hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay... I won't talk about work outside of work hours,"
he said with a calming smile.
Serena returned to her meal, not in the mood to deal with her overly ambitious boss.
"After college, do you plan to work in your field of study?"
Ren asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Serena paused. The question hit her with a reality she had long avoided.
"I don't know," she finally answered. "I haven't thought that far."
Deep down, she added, "Because I haven't had the time. I've been too busy dealing with my own problems and Mom."
Ren wasn't ready to give up.
"Then... what do you truly enjoy?"
"Huh?" Serena looked confused.
"I mean, what do you like to do?"
Ren clarified patiently.
"Oh... I like reading, writing, and... traveling?"
Serena replied, though she sounded unsure about the last one.
Then her eyes lit up slightly as she remembered something.
"Oh! One more thing I love!"
she exclaimed.
"What is it?"
Ren asked, intrigued by her sudden excitement.
"I really love money!"
she answered enthusiastically.
Ren chuckled, then gave Serena a teasing look.
"You love money, but the moment you get a heavy workload... your face turns sour,"
he teased.
Serena fell silent, letting out a deep sigh.
"Maybe I'm just lazy. That's why I can't be rich like you," she complained. "Seems like my dream is a bit unrealistic."
"Your dream?"
Ren asked.
"To relax without working too hard but still have lots of money."
Ren nodded as if he understood.
"Yeah... that dream of yours might be hard to achieve,"
he said with a smile.
Serena sighed again, even deeper this time.
"Finish your food. You'll need the energy for tomorrow,"
Ren reminded her, noticing her half-empty plate.
Serena gave him a pitiful look.
"Is tomorrow going to be worse than today?"
"Absolutely," Ren replied without hesitation.
Serena let out a loud groan of protest, while Ren simply responded with a smile.
---
Meanwhile, Elena had just finished checking her last patient for the day.
"Thank you, Doctor,"
said the owner of the pet she had treated.
"You're welcome,"
Elena replied with a warm smile.
Her clinic hours had gone longer than usual today. But she didn't complain. With Serena and Darian out of town for work, Elena chose to stay busy at the clinic rather than be alone at home.
After closing the clinic, she walked to the parking lot and got into her car. She took a quiet breath before starting the engine and preparing to head home.
However, as she turned onto the main road, a speeding car suddenly approached from afar. Elena was shocked. She didn't have time to react. Reflexively, she shut her eyes and could only hope...
"If something must happen, I hope it doesn't leave my child or the man who loves me in sorrow."
"Serena... Darian..." Elena whispered faintly.
And then—
CRASH!!!
A deafening sound of impact echoed through the night.
---