Adrian kicked aside the coffee table in front of the sofa and yanked Serena toward the hospital bed in a few long strides.
She landed on the mattress with a bounce. The jolt made her slightly dizzy, but before she could move, a cold, rain-like chill washed over her.
Adrian pressed down on the back of her neck and kissed her fiercely.
The kiss was urgent, aggressive—he seized the moment to ravage her lips, biting and pulling.
Serena's back tensed. She turned her head to resist, but his hand gripped her neck tightly, leaving her no room to escape. As if angered by her defiance, he bit her tongue—hard.
The metallic taste of blood flooded their mouths.
Instead of backing off, it only seemed to excite him more. His breath grew heavier, his body trembling as he released her lips and murmured just above them:
"Serena, I haven't tasted your blood yet."
His voice was hoarse, thick with desire, as if ready to drag her down with him.
Serena saw his eyes—reddened and glinting with barely restrained lust.
He kissed her again, more gently this time, sucking softly on the tip of her tongue.
Pain coursed through her body. She trembled, her breath completely thrown off.
Sensing her physical reaction, Adrian opened his eyes. They were wild now.
face flushed, chest heaving—gone was the cold indifference of the previous day.
Serena Sangster… so you're capable of feeling, too.
…
Feeling? My ass. It hurts!
Outside, the rain still poured. No lights were on in the room, just the heavy grey light filtering through the storm.
Adrian no longer kissed her lips. Instead, he moved lower—
Earlobe, neck, collarbone…
Each kiss landed on one of her most sensitive spots.
Every place his lips touched sent shivers through her body.
The burning sensation in his stomach—one that had lingered since last night—faded significantly. With his other hand, he tugged at her skirt.
Realizing his intent, Serena quickly pushed him away. "Adrian, no. This is a hospital…"
He paused, dark shadows flitting across his eyes. His voice was hoarse, dangerously low.
"So what if it's a hospital? Wasn't last time also in a hospital?"
…
The room was quiet, but his words instantly extinguished whatever remained of their heated emotions.
Adrian seemed to realize what he'd just said. In the dim light, he propped himself up but still kept her caged in his arms.
He glanced at the white coat hanging on the rack and gave a twisted smile.
"What? You want to put the coat back on so we can recreate it frame by frame?"
Serena lowered her gaze.
"I don't think you enjoy this," she said gently, trying not to provoke him.
"Don't enjoy what?" The scent of fresh bamboo lingered between them, calming yet maddening.
"Doing it in a hospital room? Or doing it with a white coat on?" He sneered. "You can put it back on—I'll just tear it off again."
…
Serena took a soft breath, falling silent for a few seconds.
She knew she had to explain herself.
If not, he would torment her like this again and again over the coming year.
When she moved slightly, Adrian thought she was trying to escape and pressed her down again. But to his surprise, she simply wrapped her arms around his waist.
She embraced him.
The fire that had just been doused reignited in an instant.
"Adrian," she murmured, her face buried against his chest.
It was the first time in nearly ten years that she'd called him by his full name.
She used to call him "Anki."
"If you resent me or hate me, I'll accept it," she said softly and calmly. "No matter how you feel, I've cherished this past year as your wife."
She paused, lifting her gaze to meet his.
"I want to make it up to you. Whatever you want—however you want to do it—I'll go along with it, as long as it makes you happy."
There was no smile on Adrian's face. His eyes were dark, unreadable.
"Lie to me again? Turn me into your lab rat once more?" he murmured, cupping her face—like a wolf lurking in the dark.
Serena's tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth. The place he had bitten still ached, tingling.
She closed her eyes, guilt flooding her chest.
With a deep breath—like pulling all the strength from her body—she said:
"No. I won't do that again."
She hesitated, then added,
"I won't treat you like an experiment again."
So she still might lie to him?
To Adrian, her words were nothing but a joke.
"If I don't believe you…" he said slowly,
"What if I want you dead?"
Serena's eyes opened. She tilted her head and looked up at his face.
His eyes were no longer burning with lust or anger—just still and empty.
"What?" she asked, calmly—as if to confirm what she'd heard.
Adrian stared at her, lips twitching into a bitter smile.
He pushed away her arms, stood up, and left the room.
He didn't say another word.
…
After a long moment, Serena sat up, walked to the coat rack, and calmly put on her white coat and mask again, covering the chaos of what had just happened.
Lily was still waiting outside.
Serena simply said, "I'm fine. You can go."
Lily gently squeezed her hand. Dr. Willa's palm was ice cold.
Thinking about the man's expression as he left, Lily didn't dare ask anything.
Once Lily had left, Serena pulled out her phone and sent a message:
[To Elias]: I won't be going to the lab today.
Clouds hung low over the lake, and a lone goose cried in the distance.
Serena held a black umbrella and stood alone by the lake, facing north.
Along the lakeshore of Brightmoor, the rehab center sat between rows of upscale buildings.
On sunny days, the lake shimmered and the surrounding hills glowed—a peaceful scene that seemed to embrace all things.
But in Serena's eyes, the lake always looked gloomy. Like a beast crouched in wait, ready to devour her whole.
She couldn't see it from here, but she knew—just across the lake lay Duskwane, outside the jurisdiction of the Thirteen Provinces.
"Lie to me again? Turn me into your lab rat?"
Adrian's voice echoed in her mind.
Sweat broke out on her forehead. Her grip on the umbrella turned deathly pale, eyes rimmed red.
"What are you looking at?" came a warm voice at her side.
Whatever storm had been swelling in her chest instantly died away. Her eyes returned to calm.
She turned, surprised to find Elias standing so close—she hadn't even noticed him.
He waved his phone. Their chat screen was still open.
"I was going to meet you at the lab. When I saw you were here, I got worried."
"Are you okay?"
Even with a mask, the warmth in his eyes was unmistakable.
"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Elias." She shook her head and took a step to the side, continuing to face the lake.
Elias stood quietly beside her for a moment, then asked,
"What's across the lake?"
"You're always staring that way."
Always?
Serena's brows furrowed slightly in displeasure.
She disliked being monitored.
"It's nothing," she replied blandly. "Just the view."
Elias didn't seem to catch her subtle rejection and kept talking casually.
"Dr. Willa, I've never asked—where's your hometown? Are you from Brightmoor?"
Hometown?
Serena looked into the distance but didn't answer.
She didn't know anymore.
As a child, she thought Brightmoor was home. Later, she believed it was Duskwane.
In the end, she realized—she had no home.
Her home exploded above the lake, inside a burning aircraft.
Her grandfather, father, mother, and brother all turned into fire before her eyes.
She no longer had a home.