"What did you just say?" Louisa raised her hand to swat at him, but Sean quickly dodged with a nimble sidestep.
Roo held onto the girl in front of him, the haze of enchantnt still lingering in his eyes, his voice a smooth caress.
"Tomorrow, everyone will know you’re my fiancée."
With that, he couldn’t resist but to lean in and kiss her jelly-like lips, whispering, "I’ve been waiting for this day forever."
"See you tomorrow," Rosemary said as she started to head inside.
But Roo pulled her back for another tight embrace. "I’ll be there earlier than any of them."
"There’s no need to co early. Just et at the venue," she replied.
"No way, this is a huge mont in our lives. I want to be there with you, to experience it together."
Roo gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Get so rest tonight, I’ll text you when I get ho."
"Alright."
Just then, the lights at Reflections Villa dimd, and the night sky erupted with dozens of brilliant fireworks, their booming echoes deafening.
"How about that? Setting off the fireworks now was a perfect touch, right? It’ll give them an unforgettable mory." Louisa had been monitoring the entire scene, watching the young couple gaze up at the fireworks. "Can soone capture this mont for ? It’s just too beautiful!"
Because the sky was lit up, the grounds were shadowed, the surveillance feed only showed their elongated silhouettes and the way they looked up at the sky.
The scene was stunning, and David had already whipped out his phone to snap a photo.
Firework after firework exploded in the sky, a relentless cascade of color and light, until the last one had faded and Reflections Villa ca alive with cheerful music. Spotlights illuminated the villa, and they started playing a montage of happy family videos from the past six months.
It was like a movie, fra by fra, scene by scene, a dazzling light show playing out for Rosemary,choreographed to the warmth of a family she never expected to have.
With Roo’s hand in hers, he glanced at her and saw the warm glow in her eyes, his own smile mirroring hers.
The light show, synced to the rhythm of the music, displayed all the joy Rosemary had experienced over the last six months. She realized that, with her family’s company, she smiled more often and more brilliantly than she ever rembered.
As the light show concluded and the music faded, the video ended with her entire family’s cheerful blessings: "Rose, Happy New Year!"
Each family mber’s smiling face appeared in the video.
"Rose, Happy New Year!"
Rosemary smiled, her eyes glistening with a hint of moisture.
"Your outfit for tomorrow is all set, I will show you," Sean chid in, grabbing his sister’s wrist.
Rosemary didn’t forget to turn back to Roo, "Drive ho safe, and take it slow."
On the other side of town, Dora and June had just helped Serena out of the bath. They dressed her in comfortable clothes and wheeled her over to the vanity.
Looking at her reflection, Serena’s eyes traced the swollen redness of her cheeks, a harsh reminder of the recent confrontations. mories of Eunice dousing her with iced tea, Louisa’s stinging slap, and Sean having soone do the sa flooded back to her. Just thinking about it made her ears buzz with pain, and a wave of sadness washed over her.
"Serena, let take care of your skin," Dora offered with a smile, picking up a bottle of toner. "These skincare products were personally picked out by Mr. Cooper himself. I recognize this brand—it’s top of
the line."
"Serena, you are really lucky," June chid in softly as she brushed Serena’s hair. "Mr. Cooper treats you so well."
Serena’s eyes landed on the skincare brand’s logo, her voice empty as she said, "Actually, the best brand is UO. It’s not sold in stores. Only a select few can get their hands on it. I’ve used it before. It was
quite good."
Dora was taken aback, feeling a bit out of the loop. All this ti she thought Martin had bought the best and most expensive, not realizing Serena had experienced even better.
Serena’s gaze drifted to the clock on the wall; it was almost midnight, and Martin still hadn’t returned.
Since Martin had been called away by a family phone call, she had been eating lunch and dinner alone.
The usually bustling New Year was eerily quiet as if the whole world had left her behind.
All day long, not a single ssage or call from Martin.
She knew he cared for her, and it wasn’t like him to leave her hanging. It had to be the pressure from the Cooper family.
Noticing the dimness in Serena’s eyes, Dora suggested with understanding, "Mr. Cooper must be tied up with sothing. But look, it’s almost midnight. Why don’t we stay up with you and ring in the New
Year?"
The ntion of staying up brought back mories for Serena. Back when the Collins family would gather together, laughing and chatting, waiting until after 12 AM to sleep. The two large lights outside
the villa had to stay lit all night, symbolizing the ’New Year’s Fire’—the belief that as long as the fire didn’t go out, the family’s good fortune would continue.
How warm and beautiful those tis were.
This year, Clark had posted a photo on Facebook: fifteen hands reaching for a dish.
All sleeves were a festive red, signaling they were wearing matching family outfits.
In past years, she would have joined Kenneth and Louisa in wearing coordinated clothes for the photo, showcasing their wealth and status with glimpses of luxurious ho decor, famous paintings on the walls, lavish gifts, money, and even the number of servants—all subtly included in the shot.
But this year, she was dependent on the kindness of others, alone and cold, while the Collins family was lavishing Rosemary with a morable New Year in matching outfits.
Even her brothers were part of it.
How could she not be envious? The Collins family seed to favor Rosemary so much more.
"Serena, besides staying up, we can do sothing else with you. Is there anything specific you want to do?" June asked gently.
"There is sothing I can’t do it now," Serena’s voice faded. "I want to pay tribute to my parents, but my mother’s remains are lost, and I’ve never seen my father’s body."
"Actually, your parents have a morial set up in the house. Mr. Cooper had a master set it up for them." Dora revealed softly, hoping to offer so comfort on this lonely New Year.
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