Game Over No Second Chances

Chapter 356

Serena quickly ended the call.

The terrace returned to silence. And the air instantly grew awkward.

Hugh raised an eyebrow slightly. His gaze slowly drifted away from Serena, settling on the distant lake.

His lips parted with calm indifference. "Deadbeat husband?"

"Absolutely not," she replied quickly.

Sitting up from the recliner, Serena grabbed her still-buzzing phone-the relentless stream of Ruth's messages vibrating nonstop-and began explaining in a fluster.

"She just misunderstood. I was going to let her finish ranting before explaining, but then you showed up and..."

"I came at the wrong time?" Hugh interrupted her with a cool, unreadable tone.

Serena choked on her words, her shoulders slumping with defeat.

"Not exactly..."

"So, no explanation?" His eyes flicked toward her phone.

She couldn't tell what he was thinking at all-was he angry or not?

panic. Weighing her options between

unreadable expression, she dialed Ruth again and, upon hearing the call connect, said solemnly, "He's really good to me. I mean

end. "Serena, I just

had ruined Serena's music career and left her with nothing

visibly taken aback, then gave a resigned

suffering chose this willingly. I'm the one who asked him to plan my birthday

calmly in Hugh's defense and was reminded of those

tour, Serena had also said the same thing, "Everything's

it really fine? If it was, how did thirteen years with

She didn't want to bring

would hurt her friend

Hugh

that meet the standard for

of the Larson family and many guests will attend, if she doesn't want to show up in person, I'll handle all

entertainment on the yacht,

the

minutes, he began outlining

From minimizing Serena's

with guests to the

the yacht cabins, down to food preferences and the addition of