The Lies Behind Her Marriage novel Chapter 142

Always Beautiful.

At the Vander estate.

“Guys, Mommy is going on a trip with your dad. I can’t bring you, but I promise I won’t take long. As soon as I return, we can go on a long holiday,” Serena smiled, hoping the “bribe” would convince the twins. After all, they were clingy children.

“But we wanna go,” Sebastian said.

Then Alisa ran to Nathaniel and hugged him tightly. She started to cry.

“Family should stay together,” Sebastian said. “I’ll get Dino now.”

“No,” Nathaniel and Serena said at the same time.

“Dino can’t go,” Nathaniel said. He laughed and urged the kids to hold his hand.

Nathaniel pulled the kids into his embrace, leveled with them, and whispered something into their ears.

“Really, Daddy? Okay, I agree,” Sebastian said eagerly.

Alisa looked at Serena with a gleam in her eyes.

“What did you tell them?” Sterling asked. He had been standing in the living room, listening as Nathaniel and Serena said goodbye.

Serena had the same question. She frowned as she turned to Nathaniel.

“I promised them something I will stop at nothing to give,” Nathaniel calmly answered. “I will never break that promise.”

The twins stared at Sterling and nodded at the same time, their smiles and eyes full of hope.

“What did you promise them?” Serena asked.

“We can’t tell you, Mommy,” Sebastian said. “It might get jinxed.”

Alisa nodded.

Nathaniel coughed into his fist. “We really should go, Mr. Vander. We don’t want to arrive late in Velmon. I promise to take care of Serena.”

He glanced at Serena’s mother and said, “Celine.”

Only Silas was missing. He was working late at the office.

“Dad, I decided not to take Milo with me. I’d rather he drive the kids to their playgroup. Nathan has enough security,” Serena said.

Nathaniel confirmed it. “I’ve asked Norman to provide a military escort to Velmon.”

“That’s comforting.” Sterling nodded. He hesitated, then said to Serena, “Call me as soon as you land. If anything is amiss, we’ll come immediately.”

“Okay, Dad,” Serena said.

When Serena and Nathaniel stepped out of the driveway, Alice arrived. Landon guided her toward Serena.

“Take care, okay?” Alice ran her fingers through her hair and said. “I wish I could come.”

Serena hugged Alice. When she pulled away, she said, “Just focus on your treatment. Xavier took you today, right?”

“I want you here, safe,” Serena said. “And you don’t have to worry about me. I’m sure Nathan has covered the security detail. I’ll be fine.”

Alice shot Nathaniel a warning look. “Nathan, if anything happens to my friend, you’ll never get your second chance!”

Among the group, Celine was the most amused.

Serena ended up scolding her friend.

“Nothing will happen to Serena,” Nathaniel said. “I’d die before that ever happens—”

Serena smacked him on the arm. “Don’t say things like that!”

“What’s wrong with what I said?” Nathaniel hissed.

Nathaniel glanced at him. “Serena took a medical course in college to gain Victor’s approval, but her real interest was information systems and AI solutions.”

“I took online certifications while working for my brother and raising the twins," Serena shared. "I studied web deployment, data structuring, basic cybersecurity, and applied AI. I’ve kept myself current. That’s how we were able to develop the AI Body Scanner.”

“Wow!” Gavin exclaimed. “Clearly, Miss Vander, there’s more to you than meets the eye.”

Serena fell silent for a moment. Eventually, she said, “It was… Victor. If he hadn’t taken me, I would have been very different.”

“I wouldn’t have grown with insecurities and inhibitions,” Serena added. She hated recounting the past.

Nathaniel closed the gap between them and reached for her hand, his thumb brushing lightly against her knuckles. “Victor took a lot from you. But he didn’t take what mattered. You’re still kind. You keep standing, no matter the predicament. You’re resilient, and the mother of my children.”

“You are beautiful, inside and out,” he continued quietly. “You've always been to me."

Of course, Serena appreciated his words. In fact, she blushed a little.

For a moment, the world narrowed.

Their eyes stayed locked, as if time itself had decided to pause out of courtesy.

Serena became acutely aware of how close Nathaniel was: the warmth of his hand, of the way his thumb had stopped moving, as if he were afraid to break the moment.

She leaned in without realizing it, just enough to see the faint tension in his jaw, the restraint in his beautiful blue-gray eyes.

It didn’t help that Nathaniel always looked unfairly handsome.

And then—

“Ahem.”

Gavin cleared his throat pointedly. “Should I… go to the bathroom and give you two some privacy?”

Nathaniel turned to his assistant with an icy glare. "Lock yourself in the bathroom. NOW!"