Jackson felt a pang of agony, almost as if someone had just stabbed him in the heart.

"But it’s a pity that this dress got torn," Serenity said in a regretful tone. "I only got to wear it once."

It really was too bad that there was such a huge gaping hole in such an exquisite dress. Even if she wanted it mended, she had no doubt that it would cost a lot of money and require a lot of specialized skills.

"I'll just buy you a new one," replied Jackson. "The most important thing is that you're no