Game Over No Second Chances

Serena slept soundly through the night.

As the first rays of morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, tiny specks of dust floated in the air.

Snuggle mewed softly, rubbing against Serena's wrist. The marks Cole had left on her yesterday had faded. Now, only the ticklish brush of the kitten's whiskers remained, nudging her awake.

Half-asleep, Serena sat up, unlocked her phone, and disabled the Do Not Disturb mode.

A flood of unread messages filled the screen.

Howard: "Nina, are you awake? We heard Mr. Larson Senior was hospitalized. We want to visit him today."

Howard: "He's bedridden and seriously ill. As his granddaughter-in-law, shouldn't you be there?"

Howard: "Reply as soon as you wake up! We're waiting near the hospital!"

Howard: "Hurry up, you ungrateful brat!"

Each message was more frantic than the last, hammering into her mind.

Finally, a ripple of emotion stirred in Serena's calm thoughts. She dialed Howard's number.

He answered in a fury. "So you finally remember to reply to me! If you won't fulfill your duty as a granddaughter-in-law, we'll do it for you!"

Serena scoffed over the phone. "Dad, you don't sound like you're worrying about Mr. Larson Senior. You sound like someone desperate to climb the social ladder."

"Don't talk nonsense! I just want to make a good impression on Mr. Larson Senior. That way, your life in their family will be easier..."

Serena let out a cold laugh as she got up. She pulled the curtain open and let the morning light spill in. But her voice remained icy.

"I'm doing just fine at the Larson family. Much better than I ever was with the Jansen family. Grandpa needs rest. The three of you are loud and nosy. You'd only annoy him. I have no interest in dragging a bunch Social climbers into his room. Go home."

With that, she ended the call.

...

At a restaurant across from the hospital, Howard's face darkened as Serena's words rang in his ears. In his fury, he slammed his phone onto the table, drawing the attention of other diners.

Rachel's eyes flickered with disgust, but she quickly masked it with a gentle, understanding look as she reached for his hand.

"Howard, you know how Serena is. She's never respected us. Maybe in her eyes, you're just a troublemaker. Otherwise, why would she call you social climbers?"

She deliberately emphasized the last two words.

Howard grew even angrier,

slamming his palm against the table with a loud bang. "That brat is just like her mother. Ungrateful and arrogant! I'm her father. It's not like I'd ever harm her! But she has her guard up around me like I'm some kind of thief!

"Mr. Larson Senior is always surrounded by his doctors. How often does he actually end up in the hospital? This is the perfect opportunity to get close to him! We can't let it go to waste!"

He wasn't wrong. Rachel had lost a fortune after being scammed and was nownoveldrama

flat broke. She was counting on Howard to secure a Larson family project so she could get her cut.

If they missed their chance to see Calvin, she might not even have enough money left to get by.

Rachel clenched her teeth and made up her mind.

"Howard, you're right. Forget about Serena. We'll just use her name to get in. Serena said Mr. Larson Senior needs rest. That means she won't inform him of us wanting a visit so early. If we pretend she sent@s, he

won't throw us out once we're inside."

Hearing that, Sarah, who had been silent this whole time, eagerly nodded.

"That's right!" she chimed in. "Serena always brags about how much Mr. Larson Senior values her. Let's go see for ourselves if her position in the Larson family is really as secure as she claims."