The footsteps behind her were light, but in the empty, deserted alley, they were still unmistakable. No matter whether Serena quickened or slowed her pace, the footsteps remained at a steady distance, neither too close nor too far.

There was no doubt about it—someone was following her.

A chill ran down Serena’s spine. This wasn’t the first time she had been followed in this alley. Sometimes it was a misunderstanding, and sometimes it wasn’t. After several complaints, the community had installed a few more cameras, and the situation had improved.

But over the past month, it had started happening again.

She had been followed twice before, but both times she couldn’t pinpoint the person, so the issue was left unresolved. Tonight marked the third time.

This time, however, the footsteps behind her felt different. Whoever was following her didn’t seem to be trying to hide anymore. Serena tightened her grip on her bag strap, trying not to show any signs of panic. The exit of the alley was just a few steps away, where there was light and the sound of people. The old street, lined with buildings over thirty years old, got busier as the night wore on.

But Serena decided to take a gamble, hoping to catch a glimpse of who this person was so that she’d have something concrete to report to the police later.

She quietly reached into her bag, pulled out a small box cutter, and gripped it tightly in her hand. Just a few steps from the alley’s exit, she suddenly stopped and crouched down.

The footsteps behind her immediately stumbled and then quickened. In the faint light from the alley exit, Serena could barely make out a tall figure moving closer. Holding her breath, she suddenly stood up and raised the box cutter.

“Stop right there! Don’t move!” she shouted threateningly. “Why are you following me? Speak up!”

As she shifted slightly to let more light through.

The tall figure halted, and the light passed over Serena’s shoulder, illuminating his face. The man instinctively raised his hand to block the light, and Serena froze.

It was James!

“You...”

“What the hell are you doing?!”

They spoke at the same time, but James sounded much more displeased. It was already midnight, and instead of being wrapped in Vera’s tender embrace, he was here. Serena lowered the knife, puzzled. “You... Mr. Forrest, what are you doing here?”

James wore a look of impatience. “How long has the streetlight in this alley been out?”

“Over a month, I think. I’ve reported it several times, and they said they’d fix it when they could,” Serena replied as she put the knife back in her bag. “Mr. Forrest, what do you want?”

“Just a casual visit between relatives. Why so cold, sister-in-law?”

James stepped closer, carrying a faint, sweet scent of perfume. Serena wrinkled her nose, recalling that she had smelled the same fragrance on Vera earlier. It was a well-known luxury brand’s perfume, recently popular among young women.

James wouldn’t use it himself, of course. It seemed he wasn’t avoiding spending time with his beauty; he had finished and was now here to toy with her.

Serena turned away, not bothering to look back. “Your sister-in-law is going home now. See you tomorrow, fifth brother.”

She waved dismissively as she walked away.

Unfortunately, fifth brother didn’t get the hint. His long strides easily kept up with her as he followed her all the way into the apartment complex.

“I’ll have Henry move you out tomorrow,” he said.

“No need,” Serena swiped her keycard at the entrance. “If I want to move, I’ll do it myself.”

She lived on the fifth floor of an old building with no elevator. Serena pounded her leg a bit and started climbing the stairs. Normally, climbing in heels wasn’t a big deal, but tonight it felt like a Herculean task.

James grabbed her arm. “Serena, you’re my brother’s wife, my sister-in-law. You have a better place to live but insist on staying in a dump like this. Do you think it proves your innocence? It just shows how fake you are.”

“Huh, not wanting to use your money makes me fake? Mr. Forrest, you’re really unreasonable.”

James seemed pleased with that comment, smirking. “The Forrest family is covering your mother’s medical bills. So what, William’s money is real, but mine isn’t? Since when did Secretary Winter become so picky about money? You weren’t like this when you were serving clients at Silk Garden tonight.”

Serena stiffened and instinctively retorted, “I wasn’t serving clients! It was Manager Carter...” She realized her mistake and quickly added, “Why do you care?!”

She wrenched her arm free and hurried up the stairs in her high heels. The motion-sensor lights flickered on and off as James calmly followed her, all the way to her doorstep.

Serena pulled out her keys, ready to unlock the door. But the motion-sensor light on the fifth floor had stopped working. She fumbled in the dark, struggling to find the keyhole.

James swiftly snatched the keys from her hand. Serena, frustrated, demanded, “Give them back!”

“Are you moving out or not?” he asked.

“No!” she snapped.

“Fine.”

With a quick flick of his wrist, James tossed the keys down the stairwell. The sound of the keys clattering echoed through the hallway, triggering a sensor light. Serena was momentarily stunned and hurried to go after them, but James blocked her path and pulled her into his arms.

“Now you can’t get in. How about moving out tonight?” he suggested.

As he held her close, Serena noticed the strong smell of alcohol on his breath. It seemed he had drunk quite a bit while protecting Vera. No wonder he was acting so out of character, completely different from the composed junior Mr. Forrest of Golden Sincerity Group she had known these past few years.

James’s breath brushed against her neck as he softly said, “Ser, do you really despise everything I give you?”

He called her “Ser,” his tone full of hurt and frustration, much like how he used to be five years ago when they argued. He would always cling to her, refusing to let go, never admitting fault but instead acting pitiful. He knew her soft heart too well, knowing she would forgive him no matter how angry she was.

Even after five years, Serena was still vulnerable to this. Her heart softened, but her mind remained clear. She steadied her trembling hand and said, “Mr. Forrest, you’ve had too much to drink.”

“Ugh...” James groaned, clutching his head. “What did I say?”

Sure enough, she couldn’t trust a drunkard’s words.

Serena sighed. “Wait here. I’ll go get the keys. I have some hangover medicine at home—you can take it before you leave.”

She tried to push him away, but James didn’t budge. Drunk people were slow to react, and Serena had seen it enough times to patiently wait. After a moment, James finally moved. He raised his hand and slid the key into the lock behind her.

Click—the door opened.

Serena was stunned.

As soon as they were inside, James finally released her. Serena guided him to the sofa and then went to the kitchen to boil some water. After years of working, she had a full set of remedies for sobering up. After a moment of hesitation, she chose the herbal tea over the medication, as it had fewer side effects and was gentler on the body.

Once the tea was brewed, she set it aside to cool and began preparing noodles.

Her cooking skills were well-known, honed after her father’s death, especially her ability to turn inexpensive ingredients into delicious meals. No one who had tasted her cooking had anything but praise, including James, who was notoriously picky. She remembered the time she got sick, and James had tried to make porridge the way she did, nearly setting the kitchen on fire.

He had no choice but to order takeout and then lied, claiming he made it himself, shamelessly begging for praise.

When it came to deceiving her, James was a master.

As she cracked an egg into the pot, she wondered what exactly James had thrown earlier when he pretended to toss the keys. It must have been something similar...

She got lost in thought, and the water nearly boiled over, startling her into quickly turning down the heat. Just then, she heard James’s voice from the living room.

“Yes, I know. I’ll take you there the day after tomorrow.” “Behave well, and you’ll get a gift.”

His voice was tender. Serena turned off the stove and the exhaust fan, and in the now-quiet kitchen, she could hear the woman’s voice on the other end of the phone more clearly.

“James, I miss you so much, but I have to wait until sunrise to see you...”

Hearing this, James chuckled softly and said, “Go to sleep early.”

Serena hadn’t heard him laugh like that in a long time—low and indulgent. She stared at the bowl of noodles, fighting back the tears that stung her eyes. Only after regaining her composure did she carry the bowl and the tea out to him.

James ended the call as soon as she appeared.

Without a word, Serena set everything down in front of him and said quietly, “Eat up, then go home.”