Chapter 1359: Chapter 1359

Chapter 1359:

Valentin, lying in the bed, appeared aged beyond his years. His face was lined deeply, making him look far older than his forties. His eyes flickered, his cloudy gaze settling on the ceiling. After a lengthy silence, he reached out a frail hand. “Serena…”

At his call, everyone turned toward Serena and naturally parted to give her space. Yet, Serena’s eyes met Harlee’s.

With a nod from Harlee, Serena approached and stood by Valentin’s bedside.

Lydia, gathering her courage, took Serena’s hand and drew her closer. “Darling, Serena is here. She saved us all. She holds no grudge for what had happened before.”

Valentin lay there, his red-rimmed eyes fixed on Serena. That day outside the emergency room, he had wanted to speak to her, but he hadn’t had the strength to do so. “Serena, I’m sorry…” he murmured.

“This was a debt I owed to Paulina,” Serena responded. In essence, without Paulina’s intervention, Serena would not have returned, so there was no need for apologies.

Valentin lay silently for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the others and sighed deeply. “Rhett, we are old, it’s time we stopped hiding certain things.”

Serena felt a sharp twinge in her heart. Was Valentin not supposed to be saying his farewells? Why was he raising other issues now? Could it involve her?

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Rhett, seated in his wheelchair, also sighed deeply. “I agree.”

Rhett gazed up at Serena with a serious expression. “Serena, do you want to know why we didn’t help you when Samson mistreated you ten years ago?”

Serena’s heart raced. Did she want to uncover the truth? She was uncertain, but…

Harlee pulled up a chair next to Serena and offered a reassuring smile. “Hear them out. Let’s discover the depth of the secret that forced a twenty-year-old to cope alone.”

At her encouragement, the members of the Fletcher family exchanged nervous glances.

Serena, who had been ambivalent before, now felt a surge of curiosity. She faced Rhett with a composed expression and simply said, “Go ahead.”

Rhett tensed in his wheelchair, struggling with where to start. Valentin then began to recount what had happened back then.

“Whether we reveal it or not, the Fletcher family owes you an apology,” Valentin said, his eyes filled with profound regret. “You should not feel burdened. Once you know everything, you won’t need to interact with the Fletcher family anymore.”

Serena remained silent, her expression unchanged.

Valentin continued, “Ten years ago, Rhett and I were aware that Samson was conspiring with the Happer family. Our father was unwell, and his decision-making was impaired. He trusted everything Samson told him. Rhett and I were powerless to oppose it.”

Rhett exhaled and added, “You were just ten when you came to live with the Fletcher family. I intended to adopt you, but when Brinley met you, she demanded to adopt you herself, claiming you would bring luck. We believed she truly cared for you, so we didn’t resist, but we could not foresee…”

Serena listened without interruption, her expression unreadable.

Valentin exchanged a look with Rhett, then clenched his jaw and said, “We didn’t expect that Brinley and Samson would scorn you in the second year. I once thought about bringing you into Rhett’s family, but Brinley’s reaction was explosive, and she became increasingly hostile toward you.” Valentin lowered his head, his face marked by guilt. “Had we been kinder then, you might not have lasted until Miss Sanderson intervened. We felt our only option was to offer you help through Stan and Paulina. Stan was unreliable, so it was usually Paulina who discreetly brought you food.”

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