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And I nodded and thumbed the call right despite my better judgment.

“You picked up.” Serena’s shocked tone filtered through the phone.

“What?” I asked flatly.

“I’m in the city. I want to see you.”

“No, I’m busy.”

“Look, Lan,” she prodded gently. “I know you’re still mad about what I said last time. I’ve had some time to really thinkabout it, and I shouldn’t have said what I said. I’m really sorry, okay? I just want to see you and my nephew,” she said.

I paused and took a deep breath.

“Please.”

After a long second, I said, “Fine.”

If only I had known I would soon regret that decision.

CHAPTER 33

KATY

The loud ring of the doorbell had Lan, Luka, and me dart our eyes toward the door.

“That must be her,” Lan mumbled and threaded to the door like it was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Katiew, is the newcomer our friend?” Luka asked innocently.

“Maybe buddy.”

Lan informed earlier that Serena was visiting us today. And I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I knew she was important to Lan, but her relationship with me was as strained as it could get.

Maybe it could be different now.

Lan ushered a calm-looking Serena in. She looked the same as the last time I saw her about a year ago. Dressed in a tight black shirt and a denim skirt and high-knee boots, she was stylish and cool on the outside, but that was a different matter on the inside.

“Hey, Serena.” I mustered a smile. “So good to see you again.”

She stilled when her eyes fell to my belly. Like she was shocked that I was pregnant.

“You’re pregnant?” It was the first thing she said.

“Yeah,” Lan answered her, coming to my side. “Katy and I are going to have twins.”

Her light brown eyes felt like daggers as they eyed my stomach. I lay a protective hand over my belly and sharpened my gaze.

But she quickly let her disdain drop and masked it with a forced smile. She gave me a nod of acknowledgment and eyed Luka, who was peeking out from behind my legs.

“Hi, I’m Serena.” She waved, faking a wide smile at Luka.

My little boy peered up at me, and when I nodded, his eyes darted to hers. “I’m Luka,” he said shyly.

Soon, we all settled in the living room.

She acted like I didn’t even exist while she carried on chatting with Luka and Lan.

Lan noticed and tried his best to be the buffer, but it wasn’t working. And Luka was ignorant to catch the slithering tension in the room.