Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

Chapter 228

Serena blinked in surprise. "Wait-you two know each other?"

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Gabrielle's face. She glanced out the window, struggling to find the right words to tell Serena that she was, at this very moment, in Alderburg.

Ever since Gabrielle found out that Serena had been pining after Aaron for seven years, she'd always wondered just how much Serena had suffered. Sure, the internet made keeping in touch easier, but Northspire and Alderburg were two different cities, and not every piece of gossip traveled that far.

So, Gabrielle took matters into her own hands-she hopped on a train to Alderburg herself, determined to get answers. She tracked down Aaron's best friend, Frederick, and did her best to coax information out of him without raising suspicion.

But after hearing Frederick's side of the story, Gabrielle was so furious she ended up trashing his bar. That was how Frederick found out she was Serena's friend. For the sake of dealing with the damages, they exchanged contacts.

The next day, completely out of the blue, Frederick sent her a screenshot from Aaron's social media. No explanation, no greeting-just the image, dropped like a bomb.

Seriously, what was wrong with him?

reached

suppose you could say we know each other," Gabrielle managed. "Serena, you've really been through a lot while I've been gone. Listen, when I get

Gabrielle's approach to love was every bit as dramatic as Frederick's. But somehow, Serena never found herself annoyed by Gabrielle. Maybe

how to convince Gabrielle that she'd truly moved on. So she simply replied, "Thanks. I've got something to take care of now, so I'll talk to you

"Okay, okay."

and picked up the notice slipped underneath. The brightness in her eyes faded a

she really lost all power to protect her father's antiques now that Aaron was out of the picture? Those heirlooms were more precious than life itself

She drew a deep

keep them safe, so

match him—maybe even surpass him. Even if she had to give up a few antiques, that was still better than losing

laptop and

gazing at the city lights,

unlocked it. New notifications poured in, dozens at a time, but not a single one from the