Chapter 7 Stakes and Setbacks

• Every move Serena made, every glare and huff, every kiss they shared—it was all enough to make Lennox feel like dropping his guard. This woman… she was a force.
• But before he fully lost control, he shoved her away, breaking the spell.
• Serena immediately wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as if she’d been touched by something filthy. “You jerk! You complete and utter jerk!”
• Watching her fuming, he couldn’t help but smirk. “Is that all you’ve got? Just ‘jerk’ on repeat?”
• “You’re a shameless, filthy sc*mbag!”
• “Careful, or I might just punish you again.”
• At that, she clamped her mouth shut, painfully unable to snap back. Her chest heaved with fury as she glared at Lennox, hating him with everything she had. She swore he was the most shameless man she’d ever met, but she also knew he wasn’t someone to be trifled with. Just the fact that he was staying in the presidential suite at The Mariner’s Resort told her he was out of her league.
• “What do you want?” she finally relented.
• “Your name.”
• Grinding her teeth, she replied reluctantly, “Serena Stone.”
• “How do you spell it?”
• “S-e-r-e-n-a S-t-o-n-e,” she replied curtly. “Now that you know my name, can you move?”
• This time, Lennox stepped aside, allowing her to leave the bathroom.
• Serena practically dashed out, maintaining as much distance as possible between them. A clock on the wall read 9.30 a.m., and she felt a jolt of panic.
• Now, she had to call Chuck and make sure he’d transferred her twins’ custody to her. She’d gone through with last night’s fiasco for that very reason. Chuck had pressured her to “entertain” Victor, and she’d played along, hoping to fool Chuck into thinking she’d done her part, giving him no excuse to back out. It was her way of showing Chuck she could charm Victor easily—and that if he thought she had Victor eating out of her hand, he’d think twice before crossing her.
• She’d done her homework before coming here—Victor was well-connected and definitely no pushover. If he caused any “complications” while his construction team was on the job, Chuck’s business prospects would be shot. But after a good few minutes of digging around, Serena still couldn’t find her purse.
• “What are you looking for?”
• “My bag. Did you see it?”
• Lennox thought for a moment. “No, I didn’t see you with one last night.”
• Serena froze. She must’ve left it in Victor’s room when she tossed him in there. She covered her face with her hands, muttering curses under her breath. How could she have left something so important behind? If Victor woke up and realized he’d been tricked, he’d be on the phone with Chuck in seconds.
• She took a steadying breath. Stay calm, Serena. If you’re lucky, Victor’s still asleep. She’d dosed him with a hefty amount of sleeping meds to ensure he wouldn’t wake up anytime soon.
• Looking up, she asked, “Is this The Mariner’s Resort?”
• “Yes.”
• Without another word, she bolted for the door. Victor’s room was also in this hotel. If she hurried, she might still have time to retrieve her bag and confirm the custody transfer with Chuck.
• “Where are you going?” Lennox grabbed her wrist, his grip firm. “You’re not leaving yet.”
• “Let me go! I have urgent business to take care of!”
• “No,” he replied coolly, tightening his grip. He had waited years to track down the woman who’d “paid” him for a one-night stand, and he wasn’t about to let her slip away now.
• Frustrated and desperate, Serena twisted her wrist in an effort to shake him off. “I really need to go.”
• “What’s so urgent? Maybe I can help.”
• Help? She studied his face, a plan forming in her mind.
• “Can I borrow your phone?” she asked, calculating her next move.
• Without hesitation, Lennox handed her his phone, and she quickly walked to the window, putting some distance between them before calling Chuck. This time, he didn’t follow, showing a surprising amount of courtesy. The call connected, and Serena got straight to the point. “Chuck, did you take care of it?”
• When he confirmed that he’d completed the paperwork, she felt a massive weight lift off her shoulders. Still cautious, she asked him to send her a photo of the stamped agreement, and only after seeing it did she finally relax.
• Hearing her children’s voices in the background, she called for Silas to come to the phone, gently explaining why she hadn’t come home. Her son, clearly worried, wasted no time in asking, “Mommy, where did you go last night? When are you coming home?”