「The next day.」
To avoid being discovered by her roommates, Serena slipped out of Ethan Yardley’s tent early in the morning and ducked into Nina Thorne’s.
But the tent was empty.
She backed out and started searching around.
She soon spotted Nina Thorne down the slope by a small creek, washing up.
Serena walked over and squatted down beside her. "Nina, why are you up so early? How did you sleep last night?"
"Pretty well. Aren’t we here to see the sunrise? The sun’s about to co up. Hurry and wash your face."
Nina handed her a washcloth, then stood up and walked away.
Serena quickly washed her face, rinsed her mouth, and hurried to catch up with Nina.
Just as the two of them reached the summit, they saw Quinn Gardner leading Cynthia yer toward the best spot to watch the sunrise.
Nina suddenly stopped and gestured to Serena. "Let’s go over there."
"Oh!"
Serena had also seen Quinn and Cynthia. She looked away and quickened her pace to catch up with Nina.
"Nina, don’t dwell on it. So n are just trash. They aren’t worth your ti."
’Quinn Gardner’s behavior is fucking worse than an animal’s.’
’They aren’t even divorced yet, and he’s already so intimate with another woman.’
’Forget Nina, just watching them made Serena’s own blood boil.’
"Serena, you don’t have to comfort . I don’t waste my ti on insignificant people. Besides..."
Nina turned to Serena and smiled. "He agreed to the divorce. We’re going to file the papers on Monday."
"Huh?"
Serena froze.
But Nina looked as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She reached out and patted Serena’s shoulder.
"You should congratulate . The day we get the papers finalized, I’ll make a delicious al to celebrate."
Serena was speechless.
Looking at Nina, Serena couldn’t tell if she was genuinely happy or just forcing a smile.
’Looking back, she saw Quinn and Cynthia laughing and chatting in the distance, acting as if Nina didn’t exist.’
’She was better off divorcing a man like that.’
"Serena, look! The sun’s coming up. It’s so beautiful."
Nina had no desire to pay attention to other people. Since she had co out here, she was determined to enjoy herself.
There was no need to let insignificant people ruin her mood.
Seeing the sunrise, Serena quickly took out her phone to record it.
A mont later, Ethan Yardley ca over, draped his jacket over her, and stood beside her. For the first ti, he seed truly relaxed as he enjoyed the mountaintop sunrise with them.
’He had to admit, it was quite beautiful.’
’It was so refreshing and peaceful.’
Turning his head and seeing Quinn Gardner nearby, Ethan walked over and whispered in his ear,
"What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you know to keep your distance from other won?"
Quinn Gardner glanced at Nina in the distance. Seeing that she didn’t seem to care in the slightest, he said with a bitter tone,
"She doesn’t care who I’m with anymore. Besides, I already agreed to her request."
Ethan frowned. "Agreed to what?"
"The divorce. Hasn’t she always wanted to divorce ? I’m giving her what she wants."
Ethan was at a loss for words.
’These two...’
’How did it co to this?’
Knowing this was a decision they had both carefully considered, Ethan didn’t try to talk them out of it.
He just stood there and sighed.
Quinn Gardner clapped him on the shoulder. " being here is just making so people uncomfortable, so I’ll get out of your hair. You guys have fun."
With that, he looked at the woman beside him. "Cynthia, let’s head back."
"Okay."
Cynthia yer hadn’t expected Quinn Gardner to ask her to leave alone with him. It was exactly what she wanted. As they left, she even shot a few smug glances toward Nina in the distance.
Of course, Nina didn’t notice them leaving.
But Serena did.
After watching Quinn Gardner leave in the car with Cynthia yer, she sidled up to Ethan and asked, "Where are they going?"
"They’re heading back."
Looking at Serena, Ethan reminded her,
"I know Nina is having a hard ti. Make sure you stay with her."
"I will."
...
It wasn’t until alti that Nina realized Quinn Gardner and Cynthia yer were gone.
She figured they must have left early. She didn’t dwell on it, instead casting aside her worries to imrse herself in the beauty and tranquility of nature.
The other roommates also noticed two people were missing. They called Cynthia yer, and after confirming she had left, they didn’t think much of it.
Serena had originally wanted to spend so quality ti alone with Ethan in the mountains.
But thinking about how sad Nina must be, she dedicated all the ti she would have spent with Ethan to keeping Nina company instead.
Thanks to her company, Nina had a fairly relaxing weekend.
They got ho at seven on Sunday evening, and Serena walked into the villa with her.
As soon as they stepped inside, the housekeeper handed her a file. "Ma’am, you’re back. Mr. Grant asked to give this to you."
Nina took the folder and pulled out its contents. The two words on the cover, "Divorce Agreent," were exactly what she’d expected.
The agreent was just a bit thick. She took it to the living room, sat down, and began to read it slowly.
Serena sat beside her, reading along.
When they finished reading, they both fell silent.
Nina hadn’t expected Quinn Gardner to voluntarily give up his custody rights, nor that he would offer her fifty million in alimony, as well as several properties.
His only condition was that she move out.
He also explained his reasoning: he was afraid his parents would co to her door to fight for the child, which would cause an irreconcilable conflict between the two families.
He had even already signed his na, Quinn Gardner, on the husband’s signature line.
As long as Nina agreed to move out with their child, she could sign the papers at any ti, call him, and they would go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to finalize the divorce.
At that mont, Nina’s heart was a swirl of complicated emotions.
But she didn’t hesitate for long. She picked up a pen and signed her na on the wife’s signature line.
Watching Nina sign the papers, Serena suddenly felt her heart ache.
She asked in a low voice, "Nina, are you going to move away? Are you going to take Leo abroad again? Will we not see each other for years?"
Putting away the Divorce Agreent, Nina suddenly felt as if she had gotten sand in her eyes.
She pulled Serena into a hug, her voice choked with emotion.
"Serena, don’t be sad. Even if I leave, we can still video chat all the ti. You can co visit when you’re on vacation."
"But I don’t want you to go! What right does Quinn Gardner have to make you move? We can just buy our own place and live there! We don’t have to live in his house."
Serena couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in her eyes.
If the only sister she had left, she would have no one to talk to.
She and Ethan were on great terms now, but it was inevitable that they would argue and have disagreents in the future.
When that happened, she wouldn’t even have anyone to cry to.
"I don’t want to move either. But rather than have them constantly trying to take Leo from , I’d rather find a new place and raise him in peace."
"Serena, you grew up just fine all those years without , right? So don’t cry. I’m just moving to a different place to live, that’s all."
"But you’re going abroad... Julian just left, and now you’re leaving with Leo. I just really don’t want you all to go."
She buried her face in Nina’s embrace, crying as if she were the one being abandoned.
Seeing her like this, Nina felt her own eyes start to well up.
"Alright, Serena. Would you rather I leave and start a new life, or stay here and suffer harassnt from the Grants, living in misery every day?"
Serena pulled away from her embrace and hastily wiped at her tears.
"Of course I want you to be happy every day. In that case... can I sleep with you tonight?"
"Of course."
Nina smiled, cupping Serena’s small, tear-streaked face in her hands as she sighed with a helpless fondness.
’When two people spend a long ti together—whether they’re the sa gender or different, a married couple or just friends—they’re bound to develop feelings for each other.’
’When you truly hold a person in your heart, you can’t bear the thought of them being far away.’
’But sotis, separation is unavoidable.’
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