Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

Chapter 293

William tilted his head back ever so slightly, as if invisible hands were strumming the strings of his heart, coaxing out a chaotic, tangled melody.

"So... you're saying you don't love me now?"

Serena let out a bitter laugh. Her striking features, half-hidden behind the rim of her glass, seemed even more beautiful in their sadness. Her eyes shimmered with resignation. "Didn't you once say I'd never make the same mistake twice?"

She paused, her lips tugged into a wry smile. "The truth is, I've already fallen into the same trap twice."

"That's why I've sworn off love for the rest of my life."

William's hands tightened on the armrests. "Are you saying you've fallen for someone other than Aaron?"

Serena took a sip of her wine, the sweet flavor lingering on her tongue, warming her from the inside out.

"If only I had," she murmured. "Maybe then, I could finally let go of the pain from my last relationship."

William sighed in relief.

He watched Serena, her cheeks flushed, somewhere between tipsy and sober. His lips parted, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he held back.

the time to lay

he still wasn't sure how to bring it

over the rim of her glass, her gaze

a beat, though

Serena set her glass down and leaned in, closing the distance between them. A

furrowed her brow, a soft, troubled sound escaping her lips.

leap into his throat. "What is

you think it was wrong of us to pick a fight and beat someone up

voice trembled, her

exhaled in relief, easing back just

wrong. We didn't pick a fight on purpose. At most, you could call

coming home for your birthday, to bring you a cake. But you never wanted anything bad to happen to

and she nearly blinked away

brought her here, knowing her guilt, just

as a spring breeze, brushing away her sorrow "You wanted the most important person in your life there, celebrating your birthday together. That's not something to feel guilty about.

stared at

tears slipped free, tracing silent paths down

home, Penelope collapsed onto the couch, her face ashen and drained of