The plum rain season had arrived, and with it, days upon days of endless rain.
The wind stirred the clouds, and the rain followed suit, falling in sheets.Inside a dance studio, a group of children in ballet leotards were practicing under the careful guidance of their teacher.
"Let your arms fall naturally. Your arms and hands should form an oval shape. Watch the teacher's movements carefully…"
Serena Bell stood at the front, focused and patient as she instructed.
Outside the studio, parents had begun arriving to pick up their children. They gathered in small groups, whispering about the hottest gossip in the city lately:
[The Bell family has found their biological daughter, lost for twenty years.]
"So Miss Bell isn't their biological child? No wonder she doesn't look like them at all.""They adopted her from an orphanage, I heard. But now that their real daughter's back, things must be awkward for her.""Didn't her fiancé, Zachary Zhou, dump her too?""They only adopted her because their real daughter was missing. She was just a temporary emotional replacement."
The glances that fell on Serena were filled with thinly veiled pity.
She was tall, fair-skinned—a classic, elegant beauty.Her eyes were especially stunning: round like lychees, shimmering like autumn water and soft spring hills. Her legs were long and pale, slender and graceful. Even dressed in a simple black-and-white practice outfit, without trying, she still exuded an effortless charm.
Everything she did was graceful and measured.The children adored her, and the parents often praised her professionalism.
When the class ended and she'd sent the last parent and student off, a colleague approached her with concern.
"How's your ankle?"
"Still holding up."
"I kept signaling for you to take a break—why didn't you?"
Serena bent down slightly, rubbing her right ankle, and smiled faintly.
"The parents bring their kids here specifically for me. If I sit through the whole class, complaints would start rolling in pretty fast."
She had once been a professional dancer, but an old injury to her right leg hadn't healed properly.Whenever it rained, the pain flared up badly, ending her stage career and leaving her teaching at a local training center.
"It's raining..." her colleague glanced outside while tidying up. "Is Zach coming to pick you up?"
Still rubbing her ankle, Serena kept her head down. Her expression was unreadable.
"He's been really busy lately. Probably doesn't have time."
Her colleague fell silent.
Busy, indeed...Likely busy spending time with the real daughter of the Bell family.
Zachary Zhou had once pursued Serena relentlessly.He knew rainy days made her leg ache, so he always came to pick her up—rain or shine. Everyone used to envy her for having such a considerate, wealthy fiancé.
But ever since the news broke that the Bell family had found their biological daughter, he had practically vanished.Now he spent his days showing the real heiress around town.
The others at the center often sighed in sympathy. Serena, they said, deserved better.
"Miss Bell," the center manager walked over, eyeing her ankle, "If the pain gets worse, take a few days off. I'll explain everything to the parents. You're limping, and it's still raining out—want me to take you to the hospital?"
"That won't be necessary. I've got other things to do. I'll just grab a cab."
By the time Serena changed and left the center, most of her coworkers and the parents had already gone.
The sky outside was shrouded in mist. A fine drizzle fell steadily from above.The center was a bit of a distance from the city center, and in this weather, finding a cab was a challenge.
She opened her umbrella and decided to walk toward the nearby bus stop to wait out the rain.
The wind was chilly, and the rain seeped through her thin clothes. She shivered involuntarily—she had underdressed today.
Just as she neared the stop, the roar of a car engine rose behind her.
The vehicle sped toward her, tires slicing through puddles and sending water flying. Serena's breath caught—It was barreling straight at her.
She stumbled back two steps, heels catching the curb, and nearly fell into the wet grass of the roadside.
With a screech of brakes, the car stopped just two or three meters away.
She stood frozen, her face pale and breath unsteady.
The driver's door swung open and a man jumped out, rushing over.
"I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?"Then his eyes widened in recognition. "Miss Bell?"
Serena stared at him, momentarily stunned.
He looked familiar... but she couldn't quite place him.
Just then, the rear door of the car opened.
A man stepped out—tailored British suit, imperial-collar shirt, and a four-in-hand tie.His very presence was cold and severe, as if frost and snow ran in his blood. The air around him bristled with unapproachable sharpness.
His eyes were distant and indifferent, completely untouched by anything human or warm.
Holding a sleek black umbrella, his face came into view—defined features, cool expression, detached and aloof.
His strides were long, and with only a few steps, he stood before her.
The umbrella tilted, shielding her completely from the wind and rain.
"Mr. Reid?" Serena Bell's umbrella had somehow slipped from her grasp. Standing under the same umbrella with him, she looked slightly disheveled.
The close proximity—too close, really—made her uncomfortable. She instinctively tried to step back, but the wet pavement made her unstable. Her right foot slipped, and she nearly fell.
She hadn't expected Dominic Reid to reach out—But he did.
His hand caught her forearm, steadying her.
Serena hadn't even had time to react. The heat from his palm shot through her like a jolt, making every nerve in her body tense.
They stood under the same umbrella. Too close.
Close enough that she could catch the faint scent on him—subtle, woody, cool and refined. It wasn't overpowering, but it lingered, calm and reserved, carrying an undeniable weight.
The unfamiliar nearness sent her mind into disarray.
"Thank you," Serena blurted quickly.
"You're welcome," Dominic replied, already withdrawing his hand. "It was my driver's mistake. I apologize if we startled you. Your ankle—should we take you to the hospital?"
"No need. It's an old injury," she said.
The driver, Chris Chen, rushed over, guilt written all over his face.
"I'm really sorry—rain makes the roads slick. I'm just glad I didn't hit you. But please, let us take you to the hospital, just to be safe."
He apologized repeatedly.
"It's fine. Really. There's no need," Serena said, trying to brush it off. But when her eyes met Dominic's again, her scalp tingled with unease.
Dominic Reid had arrived in Greensborough just two weeks ago, for reasons no one quite knew.Even in the capital's elite circles, his presence commanded attention—he was someone even nobles and heirs would scramble to impress. In a place like Greensborough, his influence felt downright suffocating.
She had only seen him once before—at a gala she attended with her fiancé, Zachary Zhou.
He had stood at the top of the room, distant and disinterested.
Those eyes, quiet as still water, gave nothing away. But his presence was like that of a wolf—watchful, dominant.
Just standing near him made people instinctively tense.
"Come on, looks like the rain's getting heavier," Chris urged gently. "You won't get a cab out here, and I heard you're a dancer—if your leg gets worse, it could be serious. We'll feel much better if you let a doctor check it out."
Serena understood what he meant.
People didn't want to offend Dominic Reid. They were afraid that if she didn't get checked now and claimed to be injured later, they'd be accused of negligence or worse.
A quick hospital visit—for everyone's peace of mind.
"Miss Bell, please. Get in," Dominic said quietly.
His tone was flat, emotionless, but left no room for argument.
Serena knew there was no point resisting. She climbed into the car.
Inside, she sat ramrod straight. Her nerves were taut. Dominic Reid's aura was too overwhelming. Thankfully, the hospital was nearby—it took less than ten minutes to get there.
The car ride was dead silent.
They barely knew each other. In fact, they had never exchanged a single word until today. The air was heavy with awkwardness—until Serena's phone vibrated.
She picked it up.
"Hello? Dad?"
"Where are you? Why aren't you here yet?" came a displeased voice.
"I just got off work…"
"I told you to quit that job! Our family doesn't need your tiny paycheck. People will think the Bell family can't even support their own daughter!"
Sitting beside her, Dominic turned to look out the rain-speckled window.His fingers—resting quietly on his knee—Suddenly curled into a tight fist.
(End of Chapter)