Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

Chapter 226

Serena blinked rapidly, waiting for the cloud of tears in her eyes to clear before forcing a smile and turning to William. "I'm fine," she managed.

"You don't have to pretend with me. If you want to cry, just let it out. I promise I won't laugh at you." William, ever the gentleman, pulled out a tissue and offered it to her.

Serena shook her head. She had stopped caring a long time ago.

This wasn't her first day knowing Aaron. To put it nicely, Aaron was self-focused; to put it bluntly, he was selfish. Otherwise, the breakup wouldn't have dragged on this long.

William looked at Serena with a mix of concern and lightheartedness. "Are you sure? My shoulder's available if you need it. Let me tell you, it's the kind of shoulder ninety million girls would love to lean on, you know..."

Serena couldn't help but laugh. "That's the lamest joke I've ever heard."

"I'm just stating facts."

"I don't buy it. There's no way ninety million girls like you." Her eyes brightened, but a smile tugged at her lips.

"Ninety million is just the start. From grandmas in their eighties to preschoolers, they all adore me. So if you want to lean on this once-in-a-lifetime shoulder, you'd better hurry up-opportunities like this don't come twice."

growing. "Thanks, but I'll

she felt a

William's own face warmed with an

"Serena," he said softly.

"Yeah?"

meet

his gentle gaze. She smiled,

loved her. But she knew, with a certainty that hurt, that she'd

the shadow behind it. He could tell-Serena had changed since he'd come back to Alderburg. She'd closed herself off, kept her distance, buried herself in work. Something must have happened while he

an hour later, the car pulled up in front of Serena's

With a teasing smile, he asked, "Need me to come up and

head. "No, but thank

be so formal with me. Oh, by the

her head gently. “You already bought so many pastries from

it go and watched her walk into the building before telling the

just set down her bag when her phone chimed