Chapter 24

Serena was momentarily stunned. She hadn't realized when Hugh had entered the room. He took the poetry book from her hands and returned it to the bookshelf, a flicker of complicated emotion passing through his eyes. She couldn't quite understand what it meant. She felt as if she had somehow trespassed into his personal space with how curious she had been. "Sorry, I shouldn't have touched your book," she said. "It's fine," he replied. He had told her to treat this place as if it were her own room. It wasn't an offense, but it wasn't the right moment to reveal the truth to her. Hugh's fingers unconsciously tightened, and he awkwardly adjusted his sleeve. Seeing that his expression remained neutral, without signs of anger, Serena breathed a sigh of relief. She then leaned in to ask, "The bookmark inside the book is beautiful." He replied casually, "It's something I bought by the side of the road." "Really?" Serena couldn't help but doubt his words. That maple leaf bookmark was s