Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

Chapter 264

You have no idea how many nights I've lain in bed, quietly thinking about you.

Sometimes I imagine if only you were here. You're so clever, you'd understand everything they're saying. You could even translate for me.

The more Gabrielle spoke, the more her voice trembled, tears threatening to spill.

Serena's heart, which had been hard as stone since the whole Joy Lewis fiasco, softened bit by bit. She'd stopped believing in love, trust, any kind of closeness— whether it was family, romance, or friendship. But watching Gabrielle break down in front of her now, tears streaming with raw emotion, Serena felt her icy shell start to melt.

After a long moment, Serena finally reached out and hugged Gabrielle. "Hey, don't cry," she said softly.

But that only made Gabrielle sob harder, as if she was letting out years of bottled- up pain.

Serena gave a helpless smile, gently patting Gabrielle's back. She waited until Gabrielle's tears had finally subsided, then teased, "Come on, if you keep crying, your eyes are going to swell up. You won't look nearly as pretty."

Gabrielle sniffled and nodded, blinking away the last of her tears. After a few deep breaths, she managed a shaky smile. "Honestly, these are happy tears."

Serena smiled back, but her thoughts drifted—suddenly, William's face flashed through her mind.

There had been a few times, recently, when she'd almost cried in front of William. Somehow, she'd managed to hold it together every time. She used to get that same urge to cry around Aaron, but eventually, she'd stopped. Aaron never cared about her tears anyway.

why was it

frowned slightly,

answered, listened for a moment, then hung up in a hurry, her face suddenly tense. "Serena, something's happened

care of it. Don't worry about

out!" Gabrielle called over her shoulder as she rushed out the

Serena watched Gabrielle leave

the latest batch of comments on the show's official

standing in the doorway. The sight

"What

radiating from her. “Serena, I'm the

hadn't," she

tightened. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep calm. "I'm not here to fight with

you have any sense at all, Mr. Vance, you'll

her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

her clear eyes burning with fury-and something else Aaron couldn't quite place. The

right for you. It's not

mocking laugh. "So it