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?

jolt of panic. Weighing her options between a good ally and a good friend,

she dialed Ruth again and, upon hearing the call connect,

thing about Zach. I don't buy it!" Ruth snapped on the other end. "Serena, I just want you to have

her with nothing to show for thirteen years, made Ruth punch

paused, visibly taken aback, then

I'm not suffering chose this willingly. I'm the one who asked him to plan my birthday party. I trust that he won't let me down. It's all

calmly in Hugh's defense

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

it was, how did thirteen years with

held her tongue. She didn't want to bring up more painful

would hurt her

Hugh

party. Would that

banquet will be held in the name of the Larson family and many guests

the yacht, I'll make the proper

like the surface of the

minutes, he began outlining

From minimizing Serena's

with guests to

food preferences and the addition