Dear readers, I want to apologize to all of you.

I published this story in February of 2012 and it's already November of 2014. I don't know how the hell this happened.

This is how things are going to play out, if someone i still reading (lol): there are five intense chapter left.

Before the month ends, the story will be over.

Love,

the slowest author ever.

"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."

Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

Lily & Serena

A signature was all it took. It seems of bad taste, doesn't it? It seems unfitting that years, whole lives, of work and effort put into building an empire can lose their meaning with the signature of a young man. If Bart had been there contemplate such a scene, he would have been terribly disappointed in his son, thought Lily.

When everybody had left, leaving Chuck with the empty promise of having back the company in a few months, Lily approached Serena, a stern expression on her face.

"May I have a word with you, Serena?"

Her daughter nodded and followed her into an adjacent room. Lily closed the door and sighed deeply.

"What the hell have you done?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Oh, I'm sorry to disappoint but this is not that complex to read. Two kids in love fucking around with things way more important than them. We've all been there, Serena. You're not the first."

"I know things."

Lily snorted, shaking her head. "Let's talk about all the things you do not know. You never cared about business Serena. Do you think the Upper East Side is hard? Try to enter the council of administration of an empire."

"I am protecting Chuck, mom."

"Maybe you think you are. They have probably made you believe you are but you're destroying him Serena! Chuck was doing so great with Bass Industries. It was his legacy."

"A legacy that was going to destroy him."

"And losing it won't destroy him? Chuck was born and raised to own this economical empire. This was his destiny, what do you think he's going to do now? People like him and Bart, Serena, do not know how to do anything else. This may destroy them but, without this, they don't stand a chance."

"He'll get it back then he'll be safe."

Lily chuckled loudly, unable to decide if she had made a wonderful job of raising Serena or the worst one.

"Dear god, you truly believe Jack will give him back the company? Where have you been all your life, Serena?"

Serena sighed sadly. "Can we never believe in the good intentions of others?"

Lily stared intently at her daughter. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She should be over the fairytale phase by now. She should be able to handle the truth.

"People that trust in the good intentions of others end up ruined, dead, crazy or all of the stated."

Serena casted her eyes down unable to answer.

"I'll ask you one last time, Serena. Even if it has been signed, we can still do something about it. What do you know that made you push Chuck to make this decision?"

Serena stared at her mother deeply, fighting the urge to tell her the truth.

"We can still salvage Bart's legacy. We can still give Chuck back what's his. What is there to know, Serena?"

Serena swallowed and took a deep breath. "I am sorry but I can't tell. You'll have to trust me on this one."

Lily nodded. "Then let's hope you're not wrong because everyone seems to have to trust you on this one."

Lily left, the noise of her heals tapping on the floor being the only one heard in the gigantic room. Serena stayed there, dumbfounded, watching how the figure of her mother retreated into the dark of the invisible. For the first time, the responsibility of her actions and choices truly sank down on her. Lily was right, she better not have made a mistake on this one.

Blair & Nathaniel

Blair was terribly busy with her English essay when Dorotha knocked on her door.

"Not now Dorotha! I am trying to make sense out of Marlow! God, I hate his guts. Reading Marlow over Shakespeare is like preferring Dior to Channel."

"Mister Nathaniel is here to see you, Blair."

Blair sighed, was Nate still alive? She has totally forgotten about her existence. That boy loved appearing out of the blue.

"Whatever. Let him com in."

Nate entered the room and sat on Blair's bed without asking for her permission.

"What the hell do you want Nathaniel? I have things to do, important ones. I don't have time to play."

"Believe me, if I wanted to play you'd be the last person I'd come to."

The intensity of Blair's glare froze Nate to the spot. He decided then that it was better to not keep joking.

"It's about Chuck."

"What about him?"

"He sold the company to Jack."

"I already know that."

Blair kept on typing her essay, even though it didn't make that much sense anymore.

"And you let him do it?"

Blair sighed and turned around, angrily. "For your information, Charles Bass is over twenty-one years old and therefore hold responsible for his actions. What was I supposed to do?"

"Tell him it was a ridiculous thing to do?"

"He already knows that but it seems he is momentarily crazy over love. You should talk to Serena."

"Blair, he needs help."

"Look Nathaniel, if Chuck sold it was because he wanted to. I don't know why but it if he did, he wanted to. This is Chuck Bass after all."

"Blair, he needs help."

Blair sighed deeply. "I know and I'm on it but this is going to be really hard to solve. He sold the company."

"If someone can solve this, I am sure it's you."

"Do all of you know I have a life apart from saving Chuck Bass' ass? I have college, a boyfriend, an empire of my own, etc."

Nate smiled. "I know but this is Chuck Bass we're talking about, right?"

Serena & Chuck & Monkey

Serena stopped at the frame of the door, smiling at the familiar image in front of her. Chuck was sat on the sofa, hugging Monkey who was busy licking his face. She smiled to herself, finding it hard to believe they had achieved such a level of intimacy.

"How are you?"

Chuck looked up and shrugged, not leaving Monkey's ears.

"How does it feel to be unemployed?"

"Weird, it feels really weird. Moreover, the press of this country won't leave me alone so I can't access my phone to contact with the world."

"And why would you want that?" Said Serena approaching the sofa and finding her own place on it.

"I'm bored."

"It will only be for a few months."

"I know, I know." Serena perceived the slight doubt in Chuck's voice but didn't insist on it.

"Do you regret it?"

"Not really, even though it's surprising. It feels nice to just trust somebody."

Serena smiled at Chuck and nuzzled his neck with her head. "It does, doesn't it?"

Chuck nodded and whispered into her ear: "I love you."

"So do I."

And all seemed to be well in their own little world of love, trust and a bit of pixie dust.

Blair & …

Blair had to take a few deep breaths in order to not jump on the man in front of her. Chuck had been through so much suffering, all for nothing.

"Miss Waldorf, I should have known you'd be the one to find me."

"You wouldn't be found if you didn't want to, would you?"

The man chuckled slightly. "Let's say that recent events have forced me to step out but your effort is still impressive, Miss Waldorf."

"Stop licking my ass and start telling what the hell is going on here."

"Watch your language, Blair. You still own me a bit of respect after all."

"Respect is owned Bart, not bought."

"The truth is not for all men but only for those who seek it."

Ayn Rand