Chapter 66 Bad Temper, Good Taste in Faces
Lucas was speechless.
He finally told Serena, "Whatever you think is right or wrong, right now you're still the third person in someone else's marriage."
Then he went straight for the wound.
"Not one elder in the Horton family acknowledges you or that convenient little 'son' of yours. Alexander still hasn't divorced Elsa for either of you. You really haven't figured out what that means?"
Serena's expression tightened.
"No one can predict what will happen in love. Isn't it a little early for you to make conclusions like that?"
Lucas clicked his tongue.
"You read too many billionaire-romance novels."
Serena looked embarrassed.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Lucas laughed openly.
"Women like you love fantasies. Average looks, no powerful family, no elite degree, no serious career—and ambition big enough to swallow a city."
He began counting on his fingers.
"The billionaire falls in love with the woman from a third-rate college."
"The billionaire falls in love with the nanny."
"The billionaire falls in love with the single mother."
"The billionaire falls in love with the divorced woman carrying a child."
"Give it enough time and you'll still be imagining the billionaire falling in love with you after menopause."
"Maybe even after you start collecting a pension."
Standing in front of Lucas, Serena felt like a joke.
Her nails dug into her palms.
"Alexander and I are different. We had real feelings for each other."
No matter how elegantly she dressed or how confidently she behaved, around Alexander's circle she always felt inferior.
She hated it.
Lucas gave her one last piece of advice.
"You may not like hearing this, but when Alexander was kidnapped and you were hurt saving him, that changed the way he saw you. Plenty of women pursued him. He agreed to date you because he looked at you through that heroic filter."
Serena's eyes shifted.
She forced a smile but couldn't find a reply.
Lucas continued, "Yes, he once thought about marrying you. He even fought for it. But answer one thing honestly—did he ever sleep with you?"
Serena turned her face away.
"Lucas, even if you're Alexander's closest friend, that's too personal."
Back then, she had pursued Alexander until he finally agreed to date her. He had even prepared a ring and planned to propose.
But every time she tried to take their relationship further, he had found an excuse.
He had never touched her.
Lucas shrugged.
"You're both adults. You were the first woman Alexander publicly admitted was his girlfriend. If he truly wanted you that badly, do you really think he could've restrained himself forever?"
Serena lowered her head.
"What happened between Alexander and me is none of your business."
Lucas no longer bothered hiding his contempt.
"Then think about this. If Alexander truly loves you, why hasn't he divorced Elsa and given you the title you want?"
He gave her no time to answer.
"Because in Alexander's world, you and Elsa aren't on the same level. You can't compare."
Serena's pride flared.
"My family may be ordinary, but Elsa's family went bankrupt. Alexander paid their debts. She spent three years married to him doing nothing but staying home. She's a parasite living off him. How exactly am I inferior to her?"
Lucas scratched his ear with his little finger.
"The Winters family went bankrupt. Elsa didn't. She attended elite schools from childhood. Her education is better than yours. Her interests are broader. Her world is wider. The quality of the people and resources around her isn't something you can imagine."
He continued, "When she discovered you existed, she still gave you and Ethan a way to preserve your dignity instead of tearing you apart publicly. You don't have that kind of generosity either."
His eyes traveled over Serena from head to toe.
"And Elsa's beauty is famous in our social circle. Look at yourself. What exactly are you bringing to the table?"
Serena lowered her head in humiliation and bit her lip.
Lucas gave her a final warning.
"You know better than anyone whose child Ethan really is. If you're smart, take the money and leave. Otherwise you'll scheme yourself empty-handed."
He got into his car and drove away.
Serena swayed and caught a tree trunk beside the sidewalk to keep herself upright.
What had Lucas meant?
Did he know Ethan wasn't Alexander's biological son too?
The Horton elders despised her. Now Alexander's closest friends looked down on her as well.
She could no longer depend on Alexander for everything.
She needed a career. Independence. A place in his world earned by her own ability.
She would prove that Serena Whitmore was a hundred times, ten thousand times better than Elsa.
Then she remembered the drawing.
Serena took out the family portrait, photographed it, and posted it to her social feed.
The caption read: A family portrait finished by my husband and our son. So happy.
Several hours later in Taren, Elsa returned to the staff apartment provided by the hospital and immediately called her parents to tell them she had arrived safely.
While replying to Violet's messages, she unexpectedly saw Serena's new post.
Even through a screen, Serena's happiness seemed almost tangible.
Elsa's heart still hurt badly.
But she could control herself now.
That was progress.
Scrolling farther, she saw a message from Alexander.
A bitter smile touched her lips.
She tossed the phone onto the bed and went into the shower.
Time was moving forward.
So was she.
One day, she believed, she would pull Alexander out of her heart by the roots.
The next morning, Julian called Elsa into his office.
He handed her a stack of records.
"We have an unusual case. Read this. You'll see the patient shortly."
Elsa skimmed the file and hesitated.
"Julian, at my current level, I'm not sure I should take a case this difficult."
Julian gave her an encouraging look.
"The treatment framework you've been privately developing for sleep disorders has already shown promising early clinical results. I've discussed it with my brother. When you return home at the end of the year, Reyes Medical Group can open a separate department for you to lead.
We can even give you an equity-based profit share."
His confidence in her gave Elsa more confidence in herself.
"Thank you. I'll work hard."
She needed money.
A great deal of it.
She wanted to buy back the jewelry her mother had sold.
Julian stood.
"Come on. I'll introduce you to the patient."
Elsa stopped him.
"Should we bring Dr. Wilson with us?"
Julian looked perfectly calm.
"The patient is difficult. Bad temper, and he judges people by their faces."
He sighed.
"He complained Dr. Wilson didn't have enough hair or visible abs. Then he rejected him and demanded compensation from the hospital for hurting his eyes."