Broken Engagement His Uncle's Bride (Serena and Trevor) novel Chapter 9

That day, Serena wore a white button-down shirt tucked into a pair of light blue jeans, the clean lines outlining her slim waist perfectly. In fact, on regular workdays, she usually dressed casually, only switching to more formal outfits when she had court appearances or client meetings.

Led by a server, she stopped outside the Aria Suite on the second floor.

Of course, he's that kind of man—already into tea at his age, she muttered inwardly before gently pushing the private room door open.

"Mr. Sebastian," she greeted, and instantly saw that he was alone inside, dressed in a black shirt with the top two buttons undone, looking noticeably different from the restrained, impeccably proper man she'd seen the day before.

He raised a brow slightly, his voice low. "Sit. Earl Grey?"

Serena nodded half-heartedly. She was more of a coffee kind of girl—didn't care for tea at all.

"You seemed a lot more reserved since I last saw you five years ago, Rena," Sebastian spoke unhurriedly, his rolled-up sleeves revealing his firm forearms.

Serena felt a flicker of embarrassment. Is he teasing me about that bold confession when I was 16?

Her throat tightened as she stared at the teacup in her hands. "No… Mr. Sebastian, I've always been pretty reserved."

Seeing her too nervous to even lift her head, Sebastian lowered his gaze and smiled faintly. "Relax. I'm not going to eat you."

Serena looked up sharply, meeting his deep gaze, her heartbeat suddenly racing in her chest.

"Trevor mentioned the other day that you two were supposed to register your marriage around now," Sebastian said after studying her for a moment. "Has he come back from his business trip?"

Serena's interest instantly waned. "I think so."

Sebastian's fingers paused briefly as he poured the Earl Grey. "Rena, if Trevor ever bullies you, tell me."

Serena's nose stung unexpectedly. It had been a long time since anyone had said something like that to her.

"Alright. Thank you, Mr. Sebastian."

…

After a bit of small talk, Serena deliberately glanced at the time. "Mr. Sebastian, I start work at two. I should head back to the firm."

As she spoke, she stood up, clearly intending to make a quick escape. "Wait." His warm hand caught her wrist, then released it just as quickly. "Add me on WhatsApp—easier for you to complain in the future."

Serena lowered her gaze to the spot he'd touched. It had only been for a second, yet her skin felt unreasonably hot, as if a current had shot through her body and slowed her thoughts.

"Rena?" Sebastian had already held out his phone, the QR code displayed, a hint of confusion flickering in his eyes.

Realizing she'd zoned out, Serena hurriedly said, "Oh—okay, I'll add you, Mr. Sebastian."

Once she finished scanning, Sebastian put his phone away. "I'm only seven years older than you, not seventy."

Does he not like being called ‘Mr.'?

A beat later, Serena's ears began to burn. She felt annoyed with herself. He and I must be fundamentally incompatible—every time I see him, I turn into a nervous mouse in front of a cat.

"All set, Mr. Sebastian. I'll head out now."

It wasn't until Serena got back into her car that she finally let out a breath. She unlocked her phone and glanced at Sebastian's profile picture—a purple starry sky.

And he says he's not old. My dad's almost fifty and doesn't even use something this stiff.

Just as she was about to exit the app, she noticed the "typing…" indicator pop up. She immediately tossed her phone aside.

We just added each other. Is he really going to make small talk too?

A minute later, she cautiously picked up her phone again. There was a red notification—an incoming transfer. Serena tapped back into the chat. 'The sender has transferred you 5,200. Note: Maintenance fee.'

No matter how she looked at it, the amount and the note both felt strange.

'You don't have to, Mr. Sebastian. Repairs don't cost that much.'

The reply came back concise and firm. 'Take it.'

Since he clearly had money to spare, Serena didn't argue any further and accepted it.

…

Sebastian finally had his first proper meal at the Levine Residence since returning.

Bryce took the occasion especially seriously. Aside from his youngest great-granddaughter being absent, everyone from the immediate family had come.

"Come, Sebastian." Nathan raised his glass. "Welcome home, brother."

Sebastian lightly clinked his glass. "You're too kind, Nathan."

No matter how outsiders speculated, the truth was that the two Levine brothers had always gotten along well.

Amber still sat pressed close to Trevor like a little shadow, and Trevor continued to dote on her with familiar tenderness. The two of them acted as if no one else was around, as though the entire household had long grown used to it. But to Sebastian, the sight was particularly grating.

Amber pressed her lips together. He's never shown me any goodwill before.

Trevor frowned. "She told you she was on a business trip?"

"No… Mrs. Levine dragged a suitcase…"

Dragging a suitcase means a business trip, doesn't it? No—wait. She said she was moving out.

Trevor's expression changed instantly. He rushed upstairs and shoved open the door to the guest room she usually used. It was empty, as if no one had ever lived there.

He turned and went straight to her walk-in closet. His temple throbbed sharply—the wardrobe was empty.

Panic hit him out of nowhere, a strong sense that everything had spiraled entirely out of control.

He went to his bedroom, trying to calm himself, only to realize that half of his clothes were missing as well. He instinctively pulled open the drawer where he kept his ties—every single one Serena had given him was gone.

His heartbeat accelerated. At last, he pushed open the master bedroom—the room they'd prepared for their wedding. The oversized wedding photo Serena had once insisted they take was gone too.

Standing out on the balcony, Trevor called her. Every ring felt interminably long. At the very last ring, she finally answered.

"Serena, why are all your clothes gone? And the ones you gave me—did you take those too? And why didn't you come register our marriage with me if you weren't even on a business trip?"

On the other end of the line, Serena sounded as though she'd just heard the funniest joke of the day. "And you, Trevor? Did you go to the city hall?"

Trevor's breathing stalled. "Don't change the subject, Serena. Even if you want to throw a tantrum, there should be a limit. I already said I'd register with you—why are you still making such a big deal out of this?"

"But I already told you, Trevor," Serena replied calmly. "We broke up."

Trevor didn't want to dwell on that, so he pressed on. "Where's our wedding photo?"

Break up? Please. Who breaks up and secretly takes the wedding photos with them?

"What? I didn't take them," she replied, standing in a real estate showroom.

Trevor paused. "Where are they then?"

She let out a light laugh. "They're in your drawer."

A terrible premonition struck him. Trevor rushed back into the master bedroom and yanked open the bedside drawer. Inside, the photos lay shattered into countless pieces. His eyes turned red as he stared at the scene, unable to believe it.

"Serena—you!" Trevor's body trembled with rage.

"Livid? But why are you so upset? You should've expected a breakup from the moment you stood me up for registering our marriage." Serena caught her reflection in the glass of the sales office open lobby and pulled a lukewarm smile. "Trevor, there's no going back for us anymore."