Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

Chapter 258

William's eyes flashed as he met Aaron's gaze across the dimly lit corridor.

A silent tension simmered between them-unspoken words and hidden motives swirling beneath the surface.

No one could say how long the standoff lasted. Suddenly, a nurse's voice cut through the quiet: "You two at the end—it's late! Head back to your rooms, please!"

At her urging, William finally broke eye contact. He spun his wheelchair around and rolled back toward his hospital room.

Aaron was just about to follow when his phone buzzed. Cynthia Lynwood's name lit up the screen-again.

He answered. On the other end, Cynthia's voice was ragged with fear: "Aaron, please you have to help me! I...I'm being "

"What's happening?" Aaron's brow furrowed in concern. But all he could hear now was Cynthia's frantic, uneven breathing.

He glanced back toward William's room, hesitated for a heartbeat, then turned and hurried away.

***

next morning, Serena opened her eyes, surprised to find William sitting by her

even more was the calm that greeted her; for the first time in days, she hadn't woken from a nightmare. A lightness replaced

she asked, a mixture

gently. "How are you

reason Serena had collapsed: she'd simply fainted from hunger. The explanation didn't sit right

to

turned up only one clue: a few days ago, Penelope had come by to see Serena. No one knew what they'd talked about, but neighbors recalled that Serena

William couldn't

"Excuse me, does a Miss Serena Sullivan

recognized the voice instantly-it was

herself swept into the room, her silhouette

Serena, she rushed over and threw her arms around her. "Finally! I've

lines across Gabrielle's usually

had stumbled across the news online-Serena's recent TV appearance had gone viral. Eager to see her friend,

it empty. In the end, it was a well-meaning neighbor who told her Seren@had been

up, you'll have to come stay