Watching You Burn In Regret novel Chapter 18

Pain only becomes real when the knife cuts to the bone. For the first time, he finally understood what Seren must have felt back then.

Meeting Swain's gaze—so conflicted, so tangled—Seren felt an unexpected sense of release wash over her.

She'd been wanting to say those words for so long, but caution always held her back. Today, though, she finally let them spill out, sharp and unrestrained.

If they could hurt her so freely, why should she keep tiptoeing around their feelings?

She was done with Swain's excuses. Without a second look, Seren walked right by him and set off for the Rutledge estate.

Swain remained where he stood, staring after her as she walked away.

Her back was straight, her posture proud and unyielding—she didn't look back, not even once.

A shadow passed over Swain's eyes.

He suddenly recalled the way Seren used to cling to his every step, her eyes bright and full of worship. Back then, everything about her spoke volumes of her admiration.

At the time, he'd thought Seren was just a naïve, excitable kid.

He'd often been irritated by her obsession with painting—how she ignored their mother's advice and stubbornly pursued her "pointless" art.

He'd brushed her off more times than he could count, never bothering to get involved.

But now, she seemed bristling with thorns. She didn't circle around him anymore, barely even bothered to speak. Despite being siblings, it felt as if they were strangers now.

And for the first time, Swain regretted how he'd treated her.

Maybe people only learn to appreciate what they have after it's already gone.

He also recalled that Seren had always been strong-willed—bright and fiercely independent. Even as a child, she was a force of her own, shining too brightly to be overlooked.

Sometimes, he'd even envied her.

He wasn't sure when it started, but at some point, her confidence began to look like arrogance to him—her defiance grated on his nerves, and he found fault with everything she did.

He'd started to echo their mother's words, believing art was a waste of time. After all, if Seren kept this up, what kind of future could she possibly have?

But at the end of the day, he told himself it was for her own good.

Maybe he had been too hard on her. But he meant well—he truly cared, even if he got it all wrong.

Seren wasn't an unreasonable person. If he could just explain himself, maybe she'd understand.

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