"Miss Sangster, this is the final asset confirmation from the Sangster family. After clearing all outstanding debts, the only thing left under your name is the old house in Brightmoor. It was left to you by the old madam."
A single thin sheet of paper lay in front of the lawyer—all that remained of Sangster Serena's world.
She sat there, frail but upright, bearing the full weight of the storm alone.
"Serena, we've already done more than enough for you."
Perhaps because she hadn't responded for a long time, the Sangster family members seated around the table began to lose patience. From the head of the table, Reginald Sangster finally spoke with calm arrogance.
"That's right. That old house in Brightmoor is worth over a billion now. Serena, we've been generous." Madam Sangster, seated beside him, had clearly noticed the figure waiting outside the main gate and couldn't help the flicker of displeasure in her eyes.
Serena merely tugged up the corner of her lips.
Generous? No—that house was protected by her grandmother's will. They simply couldn't touch it.
She picked up the lawyer's pen, about to sign—then paused.
The Sangster family's hearts tightened in unison.
Only Reginald remained composed, wore a mask of calm.
After a long silence, Serena finally looked up him, her gaze locking with his.
Once, they were close—niece and uncle.
Now, they sat across as enemies.
And yet their expressions mirrored each other in their cold indifference.
"Let him go. Send him back to Brightmoor."
It sounded like a negotiation, though she had no bargaining chips left.
Reginald stared at his niece, waiting for her to show her hand.
Serena turned her gaze toward the gate.
A tall man stood there, holding an umbrella in the rain.
He faced away from the house, giving them privacy, but his presence was her silent support.
Everyone inside knew why he was there.
Armed guards in black lined the walls, real bullets in real guns.
One wrong move and she would be shot on the spot.
By all rights, Reginald should've silenced her the moment he got what he wanted.
But it was that man outside who saved her.
Some of the people in the room still didn't know who exactly "he" was.
But her next sentence dropped like a bomb:
"I give up my engagement with the Luce family."
Gasps echoed.
Chloe Sangster even shot to her feet, stunned.
"Serena, are you serious?!"
Outside, the man shifted on his feet.
He moved to enter but was held back by his butler.
Only Serena stared straight at Reginald, eyes full of resolve.
His face darkened— unreadable.
Compared to Henry Sangster - Serena's father, Reginald truly carried the presence of a family patriarch—one fit to rule outside the Thirteen Provinces.
"A bastard, and you care this much?"
At the word "bastard," Serena's eyes flickered.
Her lips lost color, and her hand clenched at her side.
"Since you know who he is, then you should also know—he's not someone you can just touch."
"Release him, and I'll sign right now."
Everyone else looked puzzled.
Who could this man be, that Serena—stripped of everything— would give up her only source of protection from the Luce family?
Rain slammed against the dark wood windows outside.
When Reginald finally said, "Fine."
Serena let out a quiet breath and signed her name under everyone's watchful eyes.
⸻
It was over.
"Where are you going?"
Gabriel Luce draped a coat over her thin shoulders.
She didn't refuse.
The June rain lashed down, cold and unrelenting, as if trying to break her apart.
She pulled the coat tighter, not looking at him.
Just stood there, gazing down at the whole city of Duskwane beneath her feet.
"The only place left for me to go."
Brightmoor? He recalled hearing from the Sangster family that Madam Eleanor had left her that house.
Feeling his gaze settle on the top of her head, Serena quietly called his name:
"Gabriel,"
He gave a soft hum in response.
"Don't come looking for me again. Don't disturb me. From now on, we're nothing to each other."
She was no longer the little princess of the Sangster family— it was only right to keep her distance from the Luce family's golden son.
Her voice was cold and absolute, so much so that Gabriel—already pale from standing too long in the rain—turned even paler.
He opened his mouth, as if to call her name:
"Serena…"
Serena merely shrugged off the coat, handing it to the butler beside him.
The butler, understanding everything, passed her an umbrella in return.
And just like that, Sangster Serena walked off into the storm.
She disappeared from Duskwane.
Disappeared from the Thirteen Provinces.
Disappeared from his world.