Chapter 7

Just then, Jackson recalled the scene when he had taken Serenity home. When he had carried her back to her room and put her on the bed, she had suddenly pushed him down and pinned him to the bed.

Jackson had been taken by surprise at that moment, and he was shocked by his own carelessness. If he was dealing with an enemy, his enemy who wanted his life could have killed him in that instance!

Jackson had always been vigilant. When had he ever let his guard down like this?!

Before Jackson could get up, Serenity’s hands had reached out to him, and she touched his face, pushing the thick bangs on his forehead away. Then, she stroked his eyes with her fingertips.

“Your eyes are so beautiful… I like them very much… I love them…” She murmured.

“You like my eyes?” Serenity’s praises were not new to him. After all, there were always women who had said they liked him, particularly his eyes, and so on. His eyes were perhaps the most striking resemblance he had to his mother.

When he was a child, his father would always look into his eyes and murmur, “Such eyes look seemingly full of emotions, but they’re the most ruthless. Jack, I wonder if you’ll grow up to be affectionate or heartless.”

“Yeah, because…” Serenity hiccuped and said, “They’re so pure…”

‘Pure?!’ Jackson sneered to himself. For the first time ever, someone had described his eyes as pure.

“It’s as if… You’re free from the stains of sins… So pure…” Serenity was so drunk that her face was almost touching his.

“Jack, don’t be scared… I-I’ll protect you…”

Serenity lay on his chest and fell asleep in a drunken stupor right after saying that.

Protect him? Serenity was unable to protect herself, yet she wanted to protect him. It was plain ridiculous!

Jackson looked at her and said, “You didn’t do anything. You just fell asleep.”

Serenity was relieved to hear that.

Jackson’s gaze fell upon the redness of her cheek, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Does it hurt?”

Serenity was startled. Then she answered honestly, “I’m fine.” After all, she had suffered more than this in prison.

“What happened yesterday? Why were you hurt and drunk?” Jackson asked, staring at her.

“It’s nothing. I met a drunk and had some conflicts,” Serenity spoke lightly, not wanting to tell him about the terrible things that had happened the previous night.

Serenity had always felt that Jackson was an innocent and pure soul. Although he was homeless and wandered on the streets, he was still like a child on the inside.

“Is that so?” Jackson’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he held back the glint in his eyes as he muttered, “If only I had arrived earlier. That way, you wouldn’t have been hurt.”

Jackson could have resolved this matter sooner. After all, this was just a game to him. It was a game to add some fun to his dull life. Jackson had anticipated what might happen when Serenity entered the private room.

However, he found himself really unhappy after seeing what had actually happened.

“I’m glad you picked me up at the club. Otherwise, I would’ve slept on the road all night,” Serenity said, taking his hand. “Thank you, Jack. It’s good to have you around. Also, I’m fine. It was just a slap on the face. It’s nothing to me.”

Serenity’s smile was always calm and breezy yet blinding to him. Why did he find her smile so bedazzling?

***

“What? Did Aria really trick you into escorting a man?! I’m going to teach her a lesson!”

Lisa Quest had come to visit, and she was surprised to see the red and swollen bruise on Serenity’s cheek. She soon found out what had happened after asking about it.

“What can you possibly do?” Serenity pulled her arm and stopped her. “I was too careless. I thought she was just trying to get some money from me, but I didn’t expect… Anyway, it’s okay. Jack came to pick me up when I came out drunk and disorientated.”

“Jack?”

“He’s the guy I’m living with now. He’s kind of like a younger brother. I let him call me ‘Sis’,” Serenity explained. Speaking of Jack brought a smile to her face unconsciously.

“Younger brother? How old is he?” Lisa asked curiously.

“He’s twenty-seven years old, a few months younger than me.”

Lisa almost choked on her own saliva. She could not believe her best friend was living with a man.

“What are you thinking?! What if he has bad intentions? Have you ever thought about the danger?! You studied law! Don’t you know about the cases that happened because of men and women who shared a room?! This is even more dangerous than sharing a room!”

“I understand your worries, but Lisa, having someone to live with makes me feel less lonely. Besides, Jack is a nice person.”

“How are you lonely? You still have me!” Lisa then suggested, “Why don’t I move out and live with you?”

“No, don’t. If you move out, your parents will most likely hate me even more.”Serenity hurriedly stopped her.

When Serenity had gotten into trouble, no one believed her words. She did not drink, but all the evidence pointed at her drunk driving. Only Lisa believed in her innocence.

During Serenity’s three years in prison, Lisa had worked on the case, even giving up on her studies abroad, which made Lisa’s parents angry. They blamed Serenity for being a burden and damaging Lisa’s promising future and career.

It was true that Lisa could have had a better life if it was not for her. Instead, Lisa was just an associate designer in a local architectural firm.

“Jack is like a brother to me. Well, you know I’ve always wanted a younger brother before. My wish has finally come true,” Serenity said.

Lisa realized she could not dissuade her friend, so she had to settle for the next best option. “I’d like to meet him next time,” Lisa said. She thought she would probably feel at ease after meeting him.

“Sure,” Serenity agreed.

“By the way, this is a copy of your original case file and some information I found over the years,” Lisa said and handed a stack of documents to Serenity. “Now that you’re out, do you plan to appeal the case?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know where the witnesses are. Besides, all the evidence points to me. I couldn’t appeal at all over these three years. In the future…”

“You may find a chance to turn the case around later. The Serenity I know isn’t someone who gives up easily,” Lisa said.

Serenity smiled bitterly. She would have tried hard to clear her name three years ago, but she had changed. Her spirit and vigor had long been dulled by pain after her experience in prison.

Serenity returned home with the stack of documents to find her house empty as Jack was not at home.

Serenity thought that Jack was still working, handing out flyers during the day.

She cooked some corn, made a simple dish, and boiled a bowl of soup, waiting for Jack’s return.