Seth looked at Serena, "Serena, even if I hid deeply, you still found me out, didn’t you? Today, you played beautifully. All the forces converged, stepping from behind the curtain to the forefront, letting you see the full picture."
Serena did not deny it; all along, these people knew more than she did. She was in the light, they were in the shadows, each with their agenda, wanting to use her and push her forward.
Serena didn’t ; she preferred to have the initiative. Today, after the forbidden land, she had regained control.
"Seth, do you know how to find my mom? Do you know the way home?"
Seth shook his head, "I don’t know."
There was a flash of disappointment in Serena’s bright eyes, "As my mom’s closed-door disciple, didn’t she tell you the way home?"
"Master once said, the way home is only known by you, Serena. Only you can find the way home in this world."
Serena furrowed her brows slightly. She looked at the night outside the window and remained silent for a long time.
She was sure that the way home was still in that forbidden land.
She must first pass through the enchanting illusion of the bewitching technique.
Serena gently closed her eyes. All the paths she committed to memory today swirled in her mind. She felt it was chaotic, but at the same time, felt she was on the brink of a breakthrough.
Unfortunately, she still couldn’t grasp it.
Suddenly, a wave of nausea welled up in her chest. Serena quickly ran into the bathroom, bent over the toilet, and vomited.
Because she hadn’t eaten, she only vomited out bile. The discomfort felt like it hollowed out her entire being. Serena sat on the soft wool carpet, then slowly stretched out her small hand, placing it on her still-flat belly.
Despite the discomfort, there was a maternal softness in her delicate eyes.
Seth came to the door, "Serena, you didn’t really kill your child, did you? You just staged a scene in front of Hayden to make him think you lost the baby, to make him believe you didn’t want the child anymore."
Indeed, she didn’t harm the child. The baby was still safely growing in her womb.
Being a doctor, she took a prenatal pill before falling down the stairs and even used acupuncture to ensure the baby wouldn’t be harmed.
The hospital was staffed by her people, and the attending surgeon told Hayden, as per her instructions, that the baby was gone.
It was all an act, a performance for Hayden.
"Serena, do you love Hayden so much?" Seth asked.
Serena’s small hand gently caressed her belly under the dim light casting a warm glow over her, "As he said, if he knew I was pregnant, he would have considered my health and terminated the pregnancy. I didn’t want him to make such a painful choice."
"This is our child, our first child together. I wish to bring him into this world safely and healthily. If this child is a son, I hope he resembles him more."
"If I stay by his side, Annette and Titus Ashworth will keep this soft spot in their grasp. It’s a deadlock I can’t untangle. I can only cut it off completely. The fleeting beauty curse still afflicts me. I don’t know how much time I have left. I can’t accompany him anymore. I hope he forgets me, moves on, and finds happiness, never looking back."
Even if she didn’t say it, Seth knew her thoughts. He approached, half-kneeling, and gently patted Serena’s head, "But your condition with the fleeting beauty curse will quickly deplete you. You might not carry this baby safely to term."
Serena looked up at Seth, her eyes sparkling like stars in the sky. "That’s why I will do my utmost. Given my current condition, I shouldn’t be able to conceive, but this child came anyway. I can feel that he is healthy, robust, and strong."
Seth tenderly ruffled Serena’s long hair, "Alright then, my purpose here is to protect you. Whatever you wish to do, I’ll support you."
... Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs ɴovelfire.net
Serena stayed in the palace, but a long time had passed since she last took Annette’s blood, and the fleeting beauty curse predictably resurfaced.
Seth ordered all mirrors in the palace to be removed so Serena wouldn’t see herself now.
Women love beauty, and no one can accept aging prematurely.
But Serena felt Seth was overreacting because she could see the skin on her body, once as delicate as porcelain, had become loose and wrinkled with the passage of time.
The only solace was that the baby was doing well. Seth arranged an ultrasound for Serena.
In the morning, Serena woke up early, a bit excited. This was her first ultrasound check-up, and she could finally meet her tiny baby through the images.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and a maid entered, "Miss Serena, you’re awake. Here’s the bird’s nest soup, drink it while it’s hot..."
"Thunk"—the bowl in the maid’s hand fell directly onto the carpet. The maid looked at Serena with terror.
Serena was not receiving visitors anymore. She knew her appearance now was frightening. The maid, who usually tended to her, was handpicked by Seth and was always reliable. It was the first time Serena saw this maid so terrified and careless.
Seth heard the commotion and walked in, glancing at Serena before averting his gaze and sternly instructing, "Leave now!"
"Yes, Palace Master." The maid lowered her head in fear, cleaned up the mess on the carpet, and quickly retreated.
Seth approached the bed.
Serena covered her face with her small hand, knowing her face was now covered in wrinkles, "Seth, have I aged a lot again today? I think I scared someone."
Seth gathered up her long hair with a hair tie; her hair was falling out in clumps, but she insisted on not cutting it short.
"Serena, shall I help you cut your hair short today?"
Serena shook her head, "I don’t want to cut my hair."
"Because..." Serena smiled sweetly as if recalling something, "He loves my long hair the most."
Seth understood. Because Hayden loved her long hair, she always kept it and couldn’t bear to cut it.
"Alright, let’s get ready for the ultrasound."
In the ultrasound room, Serena lay down as the doctor conducted the ultrasound.
Soon the doctor exclaimed, "Miss Serena, you have two babies in there; you’re expecting twins!"