"Should be," Clara said. "I’ve heard Serenity talk about that boy's mother before. She's been using her son's relationship with Jackie for personal gain."Coco frowned. With the Valor family's status in Solaria, if someone were to exploit their connection with the Valor family for personal gain, they could certainly benefit greatly. However, going too far would surely lead to trouble."Serenity said Morris is a good kid – polite and humble, and never steps out of bounds," Coco said."It’s a pity his parents aren’t great people, especially his mother. Serenity mentioned she has a gambling addiction," Clara added."If Serenity has to go back to handle it herself, the problem must be serious," Summer said.On the way home, Serenity gathered more information about the situation. In short, Marissa Yale had been using her connection with the Valor family to borrow money for gambling. She kept borrowing without paying back. Some people lent her money in hopes that she could facilitate

"And they agreed?" Jackson asked."What else could they do? I made it clear I wouldn’t help Marissa pay the debts, so they had no choice but to accept for now," Serenity replied.Jackson chuckled softly. "I thought you might actually help her pay."After all, $1.2 million was not that big of a deal for them. Jackie and Morris got along well, so he thought Serenity might feel pity for Morris and give in."I'll never help anyone pay their gambling debt. Helping her this time would only encourage her to gamble again. This will teach her a lesson, making it less likely for her to repeat the mistake. Plus, what I said to her creditors will spread, letting everyone know that the Valor family is not her backer. She won't be able to borrow money anymore," Serenity explained.She hoped Marissa would quit gambling before the Yale family was ruined."Do you think she’ll understand your good intentions? She probably resents you right now," Jackson reminded her."It doesn’t matter. I’m more

Turning to her daughter, she said, "Mommy needs to go to the office for a bit. The driver will take you home. Make sure to finish your homework, okay?""Okay," Jacqueline replied. She was used to her Mommy's unpredictable work schedule.After giving the driver some instructions, Serenity headed to the law firm.On the way back to the Valor Residence, Jacqueline suddenly told the driver, "Uncle Paul, can we stop by Morris’ house? I want to give him a music score."It was a piece she had just learned, and she was eager to show Morris."Um..." the driver hesitated because Serenity had instructed him to take Miss Jacqueline straight home."It’ll only take a moment. I’ll just give him the score and chat for a bit," she insisted. She really missed Morris because she hadn’t seen Morris for several days.After some hesitation, the driver agreed.After all, Jacqueline was also his employer! He did not want to get on Jacqueline's bad side. A smile brightened Jacqueline's face.Soon, t

"Jackie..." Morris pleaded, his voice filled with embarrassment and guilt, "I... Can I still learn the piano with you? Even if you don’t want to be friends anymore, I still want to learn the piano with you. I’ll learn lots of pieces – whatever you want to hear, I promise I'll play it for you."His voice trembled with emotion.Jacqueline hesitated, but the things she heard earlier echoed in her mind. She tried to pull her hand free of his grip. "There's no need. I don’t want to hear you play the piano anymore. Morris, I don’t like being used, and I don’t want my family to be used either. I used to love your playing, but not anymore."With that, she got into the car with the driver, leaving him behind.The black vehicle slowly drove away, fading from Morris' view.He stood there, staring blankly at the departing car, his fragile body trembling with overwhelming fear.Does Jackie... hate him now?Would he never play the piano with her, attend classes together, or even see her anymo

"Yes," Jackson said. This would serve as a good lesson for his daughter, albeit a painful one. "You can only speak to the people you trust, not just anyone."Jacqueline listened to her father, and her mind traveled to the look on Morris' face before she had left. Morris had given her a pleading look, pulling her hand. Why had he looked at her like that?Jacqueline loved Morris' music and wanted to be his friend. It would be nice if he hadn’t used her. She felt sad at the thought, and it seemed she would not hear his music again. -The weather got colder at the end of the year. The city was filled with a festive holiday atmosphere with a mere couple of days left before New Year. Winter arrived, and Coco curled into a ball, keeping herself warm. Her husband was constantly afraid she would get cold, so she had to wear more layers and dress warmly to stop him from worrying. Coco thought she would be exhausted during pregnancy, but it seemed Lucas had it harder than her. Lucas ca