Chapter 0171
+25 BONUS
After hanging up with her daughter, Valerie felt a tightness in her chest. It was as though she could sense something was wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. At first, she thought it was because Serenity was traveling to Spain, but after seeing her on the video call, perfectly happy and safe, she knew that wasn’t it. As for her little one, she had just spoken to him during breakfast, and everything was fine. So why couldn’t she shake this feeling?
To distract herself, Valerie began unpacking her and Marcus’s clothes, but even that didn’t help. The strange unease lingered.
She was lost in thought when Marcus entered the bedroom and saw her.
“My love, is everything okay?”
“Oh, yes,” Valerie replied, snapping out of her reverie. “I just finished a call with Serenity. She’s with Regina now,
15
“That’s great! How’s my girl?”
she’s fine–she looked happy. She said she’ll call again once they get to Regina’s house. Regina was driving, and Serenity didn’t want to distract her.”
“Relax, my love. I can see you’re worried. Serenity’s a grown woman now. She knows how to take care of herself. We’ve always taught her to be independent and make her own decisions. She’s smart–you need to learn to let her fly from the nest.‘
“I know, it’s just that-”
“I get it. It’s not easy for you. But think about this: when you came here, you were so young, and your father hadn’t taught you the things we’ve taught Serenity. What happened to you back then wasn’t your fault. You were innocent, and there were people who took advantage of that.”
“Marcus…”
“Come on! It’s time to eat. I brought pizza!”
“Marcus Bartz! Didn’t you say you wanted something healthier?”
“Well, it’s not exactly unhealthy. Out of everything I saw, the only thing I could think about was this delicious pizza. Let’s go eat!”
“What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me!”
“Ha, ha, ha. I already do…”
“Well then, love me more!”
“Marcus!”
“Hey… Do you remember the day we saw each other again? When Serenity was two years old?”
“I try not to, but yes, it’s still fresh in my mind.”
1/2
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0171
“I remember it perfectly. That day, I swore I would never let you two be alone again. And look at us now
-our little girl is all grown up.
[Flashback, Hesperia]
Mary had just finished her shift. It was a late one, and by 10:00 p.m., she was finally arriving home. Her roommate, Camille, met her at the door, her face full of worry.
“Mary, the little one’s burning up with fever. I tried calling you, but the call didn’t go through.”
“Camille, I’m so sorry. My phone battery died, and I didn’t have time to charge it. Have you given her anything for the fever?”
“Yes, but it’s not going down! Mary, I think we need to take her to the doctor.”
Mary instinctively grabbed her wallet and opened it. All she had left was 100 dollars, and payday wasn’t until Saturday. It was Wednesday.
“Here, Mary, take this,” Camille said, handing over a bundle of cash. “We have to get Serene to the doctor. I know it’s not much, but it’ll help.
Mary looked at the money–3,000 dollars. It would be enough to pay for a private consultation.
“Camille, this is your savings!”
“Don’t worry
about that. Serene’s health is what matters. Go now! I’ll call for a taxi while you get her ready. Wrap her up in a blanket.”
“But Camille, the other girls will be left alone. I’ll go by myself. There’s a hospital nearby–I’ll take her there. With this money you’re lending me, it should be enough.”
“You’re right. Still, I’ll get a taxi for you.”
“Alright.”
Camille hurried outside to hall a taxi while Mary went to the bedroom. She gently wrapped Serenity in warm blanket, holding her close. The little girl was burning up, her tiny body trembling from the fever. Mary kissed her forehead, whispering softly, “We’ll be at the hospital soon, baby girl. Hold on.
The sound of a car horn outside signaled the arrival of the taxi. Mary rushed out, cradling Serenity in her
arms.
“Thank you, Camille. I’ll let you know how she’s doing as soon as we’re back.”
“Take care,. And don’t worry about the money. Just make sure she gets
better.”
Mary climbed into the taxi, clutching her daughter tightly. As the car pulled away, she couldn’t stop the fear that gripped her heart. Her little girl was everything to her, and tonight, nothing else mattered but getting her the care she needed.
Chapter 0172
