Never Again Beneath the Same Moon

After leaving Serena Hart, I married the daughter of a billionaire. Just now, my wife told me she wanted to transfer every asset in her name to me. I tried to refuse, but she meant it too sincerely for me to keep refusing. She said that without me, she never could have held such a vast family empire together. She wanted me to be able to hold my head up, so she even arranged for the asset transfer to be handled in Ashford, the city where I was born. With no other choice, I walked into the largest law firm in Ashford. I had just started to give the name on my appointment when a familiar mocking voice sounded behind me. "Well, if it isn't Adrian Cole, the guy who used to chase our campus queen Serena Hart around like his life depended on it." Chapter 1 I stopped mid-step and slowly turned around. Several familiar faces came into view. They were my former college classmates. And at the center of them stood the woman they were all crowding around. She wore a tailored suit, elegant and severe, her features cool and composed. There was a chill to her now, the kind that settles on people who have spent years at the top. Five years had passed, but I recognized her instantly. Serena Hart. The lobby went silent for a beat. Then everyone started talking at once. "Wait, is that really Adrian Cole? What's with the outfit?" "That Rolls-Royce key in his hand has to be fake. No way he can afford one." "Imagine pretending to be rich in front of your ex, then finding out the law firm belongs to her. That's brutal." Laughter spread through the lobby. I was used to it. Back in college, they had always gathered around Serena and laughed at me the same way. Almost everyone on campus knew I was in love with Serena Hart, the brilliant beauty from the law school. I brought her breakfast every morning. Waited outside her classes. Stayed in the library with her until after midnight. She never rejected me outright. But she never encouraged me either. Then one day, I showed up to her debate tournament with a fever of 102 degrees because I couldn't bear to miss it. Afterward, she looked at me half-dead in the hallway and said in her usual calm voice: "We can try." That was how we started dating. Serena stayed cold even after we became a couple. But when another guy handed her a love letter, she would take my hand and say, "I'm taken." Once, I told her she'd look beautiful in a short plaid skirt. Without saying a word, she bought a closet full of them and wore a different one for me every day. If another girl handed me water after basketball practice, Serena would throw it away and tell me I was only allowed to drink what she gave me. Back then, I thought that meant she loved me. Then, shortly before graduation, Jason Reed enrolled at our university. He was the boy who had grown up next door to Serena. Her family's precious little brother in everything but blood. They were too close. Whenever the three of us were together, I felt like the outsider. I complained more than once. Serena would only frown. "Adrian, this is exhausting." Even then, I didn't give up. I kept telling myself that if I endured a little longer, things would eventually work out. So I endured until the night before our wedding. My mother was killed instantly by a Porsche driven by a drunk driver. The person behind the wheel was Jason. When I reached the police station, I found him clutching Serena's sleeve, eyes red. "Serena, I didn't mean to... "I only drank because I knew you were about to get married. I couldn't take it." Serena stood beside him and spoke softly. "Don't be afraid. I'm here." In that instant, every drop of blood in my body went cold. That same night, I canceled the wedding. And ended my relationship with Serena. She did not try to stop me. After a long silence, she only said: "Jason is like my brother. I can't abandon him." When the case went to court, Serena personally defended him. The Reed family had influence everywhere, and Serena used her eloquence to twist the case in his favor. A drunk-driving death became a lesser traffic offense. Jason received probation. After sentencing, he threw his arms around Serena. "Thank God you're here." I sat across the room and watched the man who killed my mother cling to the woman I had once planned to marry. My father and I refused to accept it. We appealed. But before we ever got a ruling, my father died after months of illness and relentless legal stress. And because I had challenged the Reed family, I was blacklisted. Then abducted. Drugged against my will. By the time I finally escaped the country, I had been reduced to something barely human. The memory made my stomach turn. I didn't want to stay another second. I turned back to the receptionist, a young woman named Paige. "Cancel my appointment. I'll use another firm." Serena looked me over from head to toe. The bespoke suit. The luxury watch. The car key. Her expression was the same cool disdain I remembered. "You don't have to do this." Her tone was superior, almost bored. "It looks pathetic." I stared at her for two seconds. Then I almost laughed. The Adrian Cole who had spent years lowering himself for her had been pathetic. I turned away without answering. The people behind me burst into laughter. "He obviously came here for Serena and now he won't admit it." "Didn't he act all proud when he called off the wedding?" "Now she's a partner at the firm and engaged to a rich guy. He probably regrets everything." Their voices finally ignited my temper. They could call the car key fake. I didn't care. But I could not tolerate them thinking I still had feelings for Serena. Not after everything. Not when I had someone else now. If my wife hadn't been trapped in the middle of a major acquisition today, she would have come with me herself. I turned around. My eyes swept over every one of them. "Say one more word and I'll shut your mouths for you." Serena glanced at me and actually smiled. "Adrian, you're twenty-eight, not eighteen. "You followed me to my workplace, but you're too embarrassed to admit it. What's the point?" The anger reached my throat. I stopped pretending to be calm. I looked directly into her eyes. "My wife is about to transfer every asset in her name to me. "I came to this firm for legal advice about that transfer. "As for chasing you, Serena, you're an ex I'm embarrassed I ever had. "Giving yourself this much credit isn't a good look." The lobby erupted. Chapter 2 For several seconds, nobody spoke. Then Serena gave a quiet scoff, as if I'd told the funniest joke she'd heard all year. "Adrian, if you're going to lie, at least make it believable. "Do you even believe such a ridiculous lie yourself?" One of our old classmates, now an employee at her firm, immediately joined in. "Exactly. Rent a luxury car, put on some knockoff designer clothes, and suddenly you're supposed to be a wealthy heir?" Low laughter broke out again. "For a second I thought he'd actually married well." "Probably found some older rich woman with a little money." My hands curled into fists. Before I could answer, a sharp male voice rang out. "Adrian Cole!" Fast footsteps crossed the lobby. A fist smashed into my face. My head snapped to the side. Copper filled my mouth. Jason Reed stood in front of me, eyes red, gripping my collar. "How do you still have the nerve to come after Serena? "We're engaged! "Why can't you leave her alone?" I raised my arm to hit him back. Serena stepped between us. She frowned. "Adrian. Stop." For a moment, I thought I had misheard. I was the one who had been punched. Yet she was shielding the person who struck first and telling me not to cause trouble. Jason's eyes flashed with satisfaction. Then he lunged again, grabbed my collar, and shouted: "Do you have any shame at all? "You chased Serena nonstop in college. "You knew we grew up together and still forced your way between us. "And now, after all these years, you've followed her to her firm?" He hit me several more times. The lobby exploded. "This is terrifying." "How many years has it been and he's still harassing Serena?" "Her fiancé is the real victim here." Several people pulled out their phones. One camera was nearly pressed into my face. "Make sure you get this." "You don't see a homewrecker turn up at the office to harass an engaged woman every day." "Didn't he chase Serena first back in college too?" "Guess being a simp really does leave you with nothing." The voices crashed over me like waves. The moment I tried to fight back, Jason slipped behind Serena. "Serena..." He sounded suddenly fragile. "I'm scared. "Is he trying to take you away from me?" People around us immediately started reassuring him. "Don't worry, Jason. Serena would never choose a guy like that." "Everyone knows she grew up with you. You're the one she loves most." "Some people seriously don't know their place." I almost laughed. Five years ago, when Jason killed my mother, Serena stood exactly like this. Between him and me. Protecting him. As if I were the one who had done something wrong. I should have been used to it by now. Serena looked down at me and spoke with the tone of someone offering charity. "Adrian, apologize now. "Promise you won't lie or cause trouble again. "I'll clean this up for you." I stared at her. The absurdity of it nearly made me dizzy. I hadn't lied. I hadn't harassed her. I hadn't caused the scene. And she still spoke to me as if I were begging for mercy. I laughed, though my eyes were burning. "Serena, you disgust me." Did she honestly think I would never hit a woman? An enemy was an enemy. I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. Chapter 3 A red handprint appeared across Serena's pale cheek. She barely reacted. Jason lost his mind. "Adrian!" He snatched a cup of coffee from a nearby table and hurled it at me. I threw up an arm to shield my face. The scalding liquid drenched my forearm. Pain exploded across my skin. I went white. Jason was shaking with rage. "You can hit me if you want! "But how dare you hit my fiancée? "Who do you think you are?" Employees rushed forward. "Oh my God. Look what he pushed Jason into doing." "He deserved it. He's the one who hit Serena." "If I were her, I would've called the police already." My whole body trembled from the burn. I stared at Jason. "That was assault. "I'm calling the police." For a fraction of a second, his expression changed. Then Serena took hold of my hand. She looked at the burn and frowned. "Enough. "Come to my office. We'll treat your arm." I ripped my hand away. "Don't touch me." Her face hardened. "Adrian, do you really have to make this worse?" I laughed in disbelief. "I'm making this worse? "I'm the one who got punched. "I'm the one who had boiling coffee thrown on me. "Or is this just like five years ago, Serena? "Facts don't matter as long as Jason is involved?" Her breathing caught. After a pause, she lowered her voice. "If you call the police now, the only thing you'll accomplish is humiliating yourself. "Treat the burn first. Don't let it scar." I ignored her and called anyway. The police arrived about twenty minutes later. The officer in charge walked in, saw Serena, and immediately put on a fawning smile. "Ms. Hart. Didn't expect to see you here." He sounded more like a guest than an investigator. His name tape read Kessler. My stomach sank. Paige stepped forward. "I'm sorry, but our security cameras stopped working last month. We haven't had them repaired yet." Employees began speaking over one another. "He hit Serena first." "And he's been harassing her." "He came here looking for trouble." Every voice supported Jason. Not one supported me. Five years had passed. Nothing had changed. Powerful people still had others willing to bend the truth for them. Kessler frowned at me. "Sir, you'll need to come with us." I stared at him. "I'm the injured one. "You're taking me instead of him?" His patience disappeared. "Cooperate, or we'll restrain you." Serena leaned close enough that only I could hear. "Adrian, you've always been arrogant and overbearing. "Maybe it's time you learned a lesson." I looked at her cold face. For a second, I remembered back in college and asking why she wanted to study law. "To stand up for justice," she'd said. "To uphold justice and restore fairness to the world." Back then, I'd thought she was glowing. Now she had trampled the law again and again for Jason. And trampled me along with it. The Serena Hart I once loved felt like a dream from adolescence. A dream I'd finally woken from, leaving nothing behind. I was taken into custody. My phone was confiscated. "Can you contact my wife?" The officer behind the desk didn't look up. "Not right now. Maybe tomorrow." I was pushed into a holding cell. Several men were already inside. The moment I entered, they exchanged looks. One bald man grinned. "So this is the guy who tried to steal someone else's fiancée?" He picked up a bucket of cold water and dumped it across my bunk. "You can sleep there." The others laughed. "Thought you were tough." "Not so tough when the bed's wet, huh?" "Should've thought of that before hitting another man's fiancée." I understood. This wasn't random. Jason had arranged it. No one let me sleep that night. Whenever I closed my eyes, someone kicked the bunk. Trash was thrown at me. Near dawn, someone poured water over my face. I curled on the freezing mattress. The cuts on my face throbbed. My burned arm felt like fire. And my mind grew clearer with every passing hour. Five years ago, they killed my mother. Destroyed my father. And now they still weren't finished. The next morning, I was finally released. I felt hollowed out. A staff member handed back my phone. "Ms. Hart was kind enough not to press charges. "You can leave. "Try not to cause trouble again." I said nothing. I turned the phone on. Hundreds of notifications flooded the screen. Yesterday's scene had gone viral. The video had clearly been edited. Only my slap remained. Along with footage of Jason crying. The comments were vicious. "What's wrong with this guy?" "Apparently he used to be obsessed with her." "Poor Jason." "Why doesn't this homewrecker disappear?" Then I saw that people had dug up my personal information. Someone had even found the address of the old neighborhood where my grandmother lived. My breathing stopped. A video appeared on my feed. My grandmother, almost eighty, stood outside the local market surrounded by reporters. Microphones and cameras were shoved toward her face. "Is your grandson involved with an engaged woman?" "Does he have mental problems?" "Is it true he used to chase other people's girlfriends in college?" She stood there lost and frightened. Still clutching the corn and ribs she had just bought. Before leaving home the previous morning, I'd called her. I told her I would visit after my appointment. And that I wanted her corn-and-rib soup. Chapter 4 I raced back to the old neighborhood. Only one thought filled my mind. Grandma had a weak heart. She couldn't handle this. The moment I reached her floor, I saw red paint sprayed across the walls. HOMEWRECKER. SHAMELESS. YOUR WHOLE FAMILY DESERVES TO DIE. Funeral wreaths leaned against the door, shoved there as a threat. Someone had tipped a bag of garbage across the landing. Neighbors stood outside whispering. I pushed through them and ran inside. Corn-and-rib soup was still simmering in the kitchen. The smell was exactly the same as it had been when I was a child. Grandma was lying motionless near the doorway. "Grandma!" I dropped beside her. My hands shook so badly I could barely touch her. Her face was colorless. She wasn't conscious. No one outside came in to help. They only watched, and pointed, and kept talking. I clenched my teeth, lifted her onto my back, and carried her downstairs myself. At the hospital, the emergency-room light burned above the doors. My face was swollen. The burn on my arm had blistered. None of it mattered. A nurse hurried out. "She had a severe cardiac event. "She needs surgery immediately." "Then do it. "Right now." The nurse hesitated. "The only attending surgeon available is currently with a VIP patient. "You may have to wait." I froze. "My grandmother could die and you're telling me to wait? "I'll pay whatever it costs. "Get the surgeon now." "I'm sorry," she said helplessly. "That patient has special status. We can't interrupt." Something snapped. I ran toward the VIP wing. I threw open the door. Jason was sitting on the bed. He blinked when he saw me. Then smiled. "Adrian?" My fists tightened. "Let the doctor go save my grandmother. "She's dying." Jason tilted his head. "But my chest feels strange too. "You upset me yesterday. "The doctor is still examining me." I felt myself unravel. "Jason, this is someone's life. "If you want revenge, take it out on me. "Leave my grandmother alone." My mother was gone. My father was gone. Grandma was the only family I had left. I couldn't lose her too. Jason watched me for a moment. Then smiled. "Fine. "Kneel. "Beg me. "And I'll let the doctor leave." I stood frozen for two seconds. Then I dropped to my knees. When the Reed family forced me out of the country, I avoided contacting Grandma for the first few years because I was terrified they would retaliate against her. I never told her what they did to me. I only wanted her to live peacefully, for a long, long time. I had already lost too much. "Please. "Let the doctor save her." Jason's smile widened. He walked over and looked down at me. "Adrian, you really do look like a dog." His shoe came down on my hand. Pain shot through my fingers. I made a sound but didn't pull away. He pressed harder, as if he wanted to hear the bones give. Then he bent close to my ear. "Your grandmother. "Your parents. "They all deserved it. "That's what happens when people bring someone like you into the world." I looked up. My eyes turned bloodshot. Then a cool female voice came from the doorway. "Jason." His expression changed instantly. He threw his arms around Serena. "Serena, my chest hurts. "But Adrian won't let the doctor examine me. "Does he want me dead so he can get back together with you?" Serena frowned at me. Disappointment filled her eyes. "Adrian, you're the one who insisted on ending things five years ago. "Now you're targeting my fiancé. "What do you actually want?" I didn't have time for them. I should never have expected an animal to behave like a person. There was nothing for me here. I needed another hospital. Another surgeon. Something. "Move." I turned to leave. Serena caught the hem of my jacket. Her voice went low. "Adrian, do you regret leaving me? "Is that why you keep showing up in front of me?" I ripped free. "Are you insane?" I ran back toward the emergency room. The medical team was already coming out. One doctor removed his mask. Something complicated moved across his face. "I'm sorry. "We couldn't save her." The sound disappeared from the world. I stared through the doors. An old woman lay under a white sheet. And I finally understood that I had no blood family left. For one terrible moment, I was back on the day my mother died. The sky collapsed. Even breathing hurt. Chapter 5 I sat alone in the hospital corridor for a long time. My loved ones had died one by one. The people responsible were still alive. Still wealthy. Still untouchable. Why? Why them? Grief broke me open. Rage followed. I couldn't take it anymore. I marched toward the VIP room. I wanted answers. Before I reached the door, I heard a man's voice inside. Charles Reed. Jason's father. "Serena, you've done so much for our family. "If you hadn't stayed by Jason all these years, I don't know what we would've done." Serena answered quietly. "Tina died saving me. "Jason also developed serious mood problems after losing his sister. "Looking after him for the rest of my life is the least I can do." I stopped. So that was it. That was why she protected him no matter what he did. But why did her debt to his sister have to be paid with my family's lives? I was about to kick the door open when Charles spoke again. "What are you planning to do about Adrian? "His parents' deaths are connected to Jason. "Now that he's back, I doubt he'll let this go. "I'm worried he'll upset Jason again." Silence. Then Serena said: "What does that have to do with Jason? "His mother died in an accident. "His father was already gravely ill. Even if Jason hadn't upset him during that meeting, he probably would've died anyway. "And all of this happened years ago. "If Adrian tries to sue now, we'll deal with it." My mind went blank. My father... Jason was the reason he died? Why had no one told me? Why? My whole body started shaking. There was a roaring in my ears. All these years, I had thought I knew the full extent of what they'd done. Apparently I'd only seen the surface. Inside that room, they discussed my parents' deaths as if they were paperwork. Something in me broke. I kicked the door open. Serena's face changed. She said my name before she could stop herself. "Adrian..." I crossed the room and slapped her. Her head snapped to the side. Then I grabbed Jason off the bed. "Killing my mother wasn't enough? "You went after my father too? "And now my grandmother?" I pulled back my fist. Serena caught my wrist. Again. She frowned. "Adrian, calm down." "Calm down? "You destroyed my family. "My grandmother is dead. "Serena, I'll make every one of you pay for this." Jason clutched his father's sleeve. "Dad, I'm scared. "He's insane." Charles's expression darkened. "Security. "Drag this lunatic out." Several bodyguards entered. I looked straight at Charles. "What now? "Going to do what you did five years ago? "Kidnap me and drug me again?" Chapter 6 Serena stared at me. Something I couldn't read was moving behind her eyes. "What did you just say?" My chest heaved. "I said Charles Reed had me abducted. "He had people inject me with illegal drugs to control me." Panic flashed across Charles's face. Serena only frowned. "Enough, Adrian. "Mr. Reed has always been an honorable man. "The Reed family has never been involved in criminal activity. "Stop making accusations." Pain went through me like a knife. Of course. Even now, she didn't believe me. Why would she? She had never once stood on my side. Tears blurred my vision. "Of course you don't believe me. "In your eyes, Jason is always innocent and the Reeds are always clean. "And I'm always the lunatic who makes scenes and can't control himself." I took a breath. "But it doesn't matter. "One day I'll get justice for myself." Serena stared at me without answering. Charles had gone pale. "Security. What are you standing there for? "Get this lunatic out of here." The guards rushed me. I fought, but there were too many. They pinned my arms. "Don't touch me. "You animals." Serena spoke behind us. "Mr. Reed, his grandmother just died. "He's unstable. "Don't provoke him. Just send him home." Charles nodded at once. "Don't worry. "I wouldn't argue with someone mentally ill. "Stay with Jason for me. I'll see Mr. Cole out." Then he looked at me. Something cold entered his eyes. I was dragged into the underground parking garage. I struggled the whole way. Nobody so much as glanced at me. Only there did Charles stop. "Mr. Cole, why can't you ever learn?" I glared at him. "You'll get what you deserve." He laughed. "Deserve? "In this world, the powerful decide the rules. "You're rotting in the gutter. What exactly are you planning to fight me with?" A few minutes later, several people in medical uniforms approached. The middle-aged man leading them spoke respectfully. "Mr. Reed, the admission paperwork is ready." Charles smiled. "Mr. Cole is emotionally unstable and dangerously violent. "He needs treatment. "Take good care of him." The meaning hit me. He was going to have me committed. "You people are insane. I'm not sick. "Let go of me." I fought as hard as I could. Several men pinned me down. Charles looked down at me. "Adrian, do you really think anyone would believe you now?" He took out his phone and opened a photo album. The pictures from my nightmares. My blood turned cold. Five years ago, after his people abducted me, they held me down and put that filth into my veins, and they photographed all of it. If my willpower hadn't held, if I had let myself become dependent on it, my life would have ended there. Charles watched my reaction with satisfaction. "I still have every one of these. "What do you think happens if I release them?" My body shook. "You animal. Your whole family are animals." He slapped me hard enough that my ears rang. One of the nurses had already taken out a syringe. The clear liquid caught the light. I panicked. "Let me go. "Help. "I'm not mentally ill." No one paid any attention to my pleas. They held me down. The needle came closer. An inch from my skin, tires screamed across concrete. A clear female voice cut through the garage. "Touch him and see what happens." A black luxury car stopped nearby. A woman stepped out in a black coat. Elegant. Controlled. The air around her felt too heavy to breathe. The instant she saw me restrained on the ground, her expression turned lethal.