CHAPTER 8: CHAPTER 8: THERE’S NO NEED TO FULFILL YOUR LAST WISH

Julian Lawson also stuck his foot in.

"Do they know it’s me?" Serena Sterling asked one more time.

Serena didn’t speak clearly; she was asking if Vera knew "Yan" was actually her, Serena. But she knew Jasper Ford understood her meaning.

"They don’t know." Jasper Ford immediately replied, "I’m very sure about that."

Serena fell silent.

Cars came and went beside her as she watched the clouds slowly move across the sky. Then, she made a decision.

Serena first called the doctor to confirm she could postpone the appointment until the afternoon.

Then she told Jasper Ford she would come over now.

"Alright, come as soon as you can."

After hanging up the phone, Serena turned her car around. She first went to buy a few things, then drove quickly to Ford Entertainment.

Parking, putting on a hat, sunglasses, and mask, Serena walked into Ford Entertainment.

With a "ding," the elevator doors opened.

Serena walked into the office wearing those small Dior heels.

"Yan, you’re here," Jasper Ford was the first to notice Serena.

Seeing her new outfit, Jasper Ford raised an eyebrow slightly but remained calm and simply helped her sit at the other side of the long table.

Sitting across from them were Julian Lawson and Vera Hansen.

Seeing her come in, Vera immediately stood up.

"Hello Yan, I’m Vera. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of me." Vera forced a weak smile, looking rather pitiful.

She said, "I sincerely want to buy your song. I hope you can sell it to me."

Serena did not answer immediately, instead, she glanced at Julian Lawson.

Julian paid her no mind at all; all his attention was focused on Vera.

Jasper Ford sat next to Serena, and upon hearing Vera speak, he was the first to speak up.

"Miss Vera, Yan does not intend to sell this song, as I’ve already mentioned to you before," Jasper Ford said.

But Vera ignored Jasper Ford and looked at Serena with reddened eyes.

"But Miss Yan, I really like your song," she said, then suddenly furrowed her brows, looking as if she were enduring some pain.

Beside her, Julian Lawson’s brows knitted together, his eyes full of concern.

Yet Vera just "bravely" shook her head and continued to look at Serena.

"Miss Yan, I only have six months left to live, so I hope you can part with it and fulfill my dying wish."

Listening to these words, Serena let out a light laugh.

Another "dying wish."

When Julian Lawson proposed a divorce, he said Vera’s dying wish was to marry him.

Now there’s another dying wish from her.

Serena respects others’ illnesses, respects the sanctity of life, but she, Serena, is the one who has to pay the price.

She also doesn’t wish to respect the third party who intervened in her marriage.

Is she being bullied for not having an illness that would kill her in half a year?

"What if I say I don’t want to?" Serena asked in a hoarse, lowered voice.

Vera choked up.

"Miss Vera, I’m aware of your situation." Serena continued, lowering her voice, "The countdown to the death of a well-known floral designer, Vera Hansen, has already triggered heated discussions online these days. But whether or not I sell the song is my business; I have no obligation to fulfill your ’dying wish.’ Moreover, I don’t understand what you intend to do with this song."

Serena paused for a moment and continued after three seconds: "Is it going to be played on your synchronized streaming channel or... used as your funeral march?"

"You!" Vera was so angry she began to cough violently.

Julian Lawson patted Vera’s back to help her breathe and looked at Serena with displeasure.

This was the first time Julian Lawson looked at Serena since she came in.

"Miss Yan, don’t you think you’re going too far with your words?" Julian Lawson said coldly, frowning.

His brows were tightly knitted, his ink-black eyes filled with sharpness.

His lips pressed into a thin line, the familiar face showing discontent towards her.

Serena looked at Julian Lawson.

He had changed into a new outfit, not the one from yesterday.

It seemed to be one of the sets she had paired for him from the wardrobe in their villa.

It seemed he had gone back to the marital home villa.

He should also know that she had moved out.

Yet he appeared entirely nonchalant about it.

That’s fine.

Serena steadied herself, her gaze slightly lowered behind her sunglasses, not directly looking into Julian Lawson’s eyes.

"I think forcing a sale is more excessive," she said. "Since you’ve done this, you should be prepared to bear the brunt of others’ excessive words."

Julian Lawson’s frown deepened, looking at her with more displeasure.

"Brother Julian, let me handle this," Vera interjected gently before Julian could speak again.

The warm light of the office softly illuminated Vera’s white Celine suit, making her look pale yet charming.

"Miss Yan, I genuinely love this song," Vera said, casting a glance at Julian Lawson beside her.

"This song resonates with me deeply."

"It encapsulates many feelings about falling in love with the person in my heart – passionate, secretive, with a hint of inferiority."

"The joy of giving in love and receiving in return and..."

Vera’s eyes slightly dimmed as she said, "the deep despair of knowing I don’t have much time left."

"A despair that penetrates the soul."

"Miss Yan, this sense of despair once tormented me so deeply that I was in utter agony."

"But the aspect of the song that moves me the most is the final letting go in its lyrics."

She spoke softly, her voice quivering occasionally yet sounding remarkably philosophical, as if she had endured countless transformations, invoking compassion.

Julian Lawson, sitting beside her, was also moved.

Serena noticed that when Vera spoke of her despair, Julian Lawson’s eyes were clearly filled with pain for her.

It was a look she had never seen in his eyes before.

The seven years of Serena’s life couldn’t compare to the less than a year Vera had been by his side.

Serena looked at them as if she were watching a couple who had endured great suffering together.

It was just unfortunate that she was the original wife.

Unmoved.

How untimely.

"Miss Yan, this song perfectly expresses all my recent experiences. I understand the sentiment with which you wrote it, and I imagine you would also want someone who understands you to buy this song, right?"

Vera continued speaking.

She seemed to think that after saying this, Serena would agree to sell the song to her.

After all, if a song is going to be sold, selling to someone who understands it is indeed the best choice.

Too bad...

Serena suddenly felt like laughing.

Because this song was about her falling in love with the wrong person and enduring love’s betrayal.

It was about her love for Julian Lawson and the joy after their marriage.

The despair upon discovering his infidelity, the pain followed by letting go.

Vera was trying to persuade her with a tale of touching devotion that was founded on the pain conveyed in this song.

How ironic.

With that thought, Serena couldn’t help but laugh.

Julian Lawson squinted slightly.

"Miss Yan, the fact that this song was visible to Vera indicates you originally had the intention to sell," he said in a cold, composed voice, as if he were addressing one of the numerous decisions he’d dealt with, hitting the nail on the head.

"Your unwillingness to sell now suggests either you’re dissatisfied with the buyer or the price."

Julian Lawson looked directly at Serena’s eyes, but all he saw was deep, black sunglasses.

"A famous lyricist and composer might charge millions. Star license revenue might reach tens of millions a year."

"Ten million," Julian Lawson said, "I assume you’d be satisfied with that figure."

But Serena just laughed.

Ten million really flattered her.

With "Yan’s" virtually unknown status, a few hundred thousand would already be a high asking price.

Julian Lawson offered ten million for Vera.

Serena was laughing so hard that tears were nearly coming out.

Vera felt inexplicably puzzled, and a bit of anger flared in her.

"Miss Yan, that’s already quite a high price," she said. "Recently, there’s been talk of a ’Heavenly Sound’ music show which I think you know of. I plan to use this song on that show as my main piece, and I want..."

Vera was still talking when Jasper Ford couldn’t take it any longer.

He slammed the table and stood up, "I said she doesn’t want to sell, Julian Lawson, stop pushing it!"

Julian Lawson remained seated, looking coldly at Jasper Ford, yet even sitting, his presence surpassed Jasper’s.

Serena wiped away tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes, tugging at Jasper’s sleeve.

"I’ll sell," Serena said.

’Heavenly Sound’ is precisely the music show Serena was about to participate in.