His Regret Arrived Three Days Late novel Chapter 54

His knuckles turned white as he gripped the phone, an icy chill spreading through his eyes.

He had forbidden her from seeing Tyler. Not even a day had passed, and not only had she met with him, but she had gone behind his back to meet with Mason. Conrad knew exactly why she was meeting Mason. If she wouldn't obey, he would make sure she never got what she wanted.

Annika, on the other hand, was in high spirits after her meeting. Back at Scent Haven, she felt energized rather than tired. Mason was willing to acquire Sargent Group. The next step was getting Conrad's approval, which she knew would be the hardest part.

After greeting Beth, she went to her room, showered, and sat by the bay window, thinking. She called Harvey to ask if Beryl Group had followed all the legal procedures when acquiring Sargent Group. Harvey told her that, as far as he knew, they hadn't, at least not officially. But with a man as cunning as Conrad, there was no telling what he might have done behind the scenes.

Still, the lack of official paperwork gave her an opening. She decided to play dumb. Her only remaining problem was figuring out how to repay the massive debts and the 180 million in taxes Beryl Group had covered for them.

Perhaps she was too excited, but Annika found she couldn't sleep. She went out onto the terrace for some fresh air and accidentally kicked a small door. Strangely, the door, which was always locked tight, was ajar. It swung open at her touch.

Something felt wrong. She went downstairs to find Beth. "Beth, did we have visitors today?"

Worried about upsetting her, Beth answered quietly, "Miss Serena stopped by to see Mr. Beryl. He wasn't here, so she left after a few minutes."

"Who was with her?" Annika asked.

Annika knelt and opened the lid. A thick stack of photographs and a faded, yellowing notebook met her eyes. A terrible sense of dread washed over her. Fighting to control the tremor in her hands, she picked up the photos. They were all of Conrad and Serena, clearly taken while they were dating. One showed a beaming Conrad presenting Serena with a large bouquet of red roses after a dance performance. Another was a tender, tearful farewell at the airport as he sent her off on an international tour.

Each image was a dagger to Annika’s eyes.

"Don't panic. Don't fall apart. Don't be sad," she told herself. But as her trembling hands opened the notebook to the first page, her entire body began to shake uncontrollably.

[You are the single blossom in a vast, empty sea, the one solace for my lonely soul. In this life, you are all I need.]