Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

Chapter 295

That night, Penelope and Tyler didn't sleep a wink.

The next morning, an anonymous message landed on their phones.

The instructions were simple: Penelope was to sue Serena, and she had to get her hands on the antique. Everything else was none of her business. If she didn't do exactly as told, the sender threatened to release a damning audio recording to the public.

Panic seized Penelope.

Her affair with Tyler was scandalous enough—a case of marital infidelity, nothing more. But if the world found out she had once considered killing Xander, just to secure a good marriage for her daughter... she'd be crucified by public opinion.

That, she could almost endure. But if the Grayson family ever learned that the engagement wasn't Xander's idea and was something she'd orchestrated behind his back, they'd never forgive her.

She didn't even hesitate. She agreed to press charges against Serena.

Less than forty-eight hours later, the mysterious puppet master arranged for Nestor Leighton to take over her case.

Penelope tried, subtly, to find out who had hired him, but Nestor Leighton never let anything slip.

She'd thought that with Nestor on her side, victory was guaranteed.

But no one could have anticipated that Serena would bring out Giles-the

hadn't taken a case

gaze grow cold

her stormy expression. "If

out of her thoughts and glanced at Tyler with weary impatience. "I told you to look into it. Did you find anything

searching for the right

the recording device appeared, Penelope had ordered him to investigate the origins of the Tri-Glaze Pottery, hoping to track

But-

been married for years-there's no need

her before finally speaking. "Well...

went pale. "What did you

***

Serena

on her

said, waving and

watching Serena

he noticed

standing behind him as if he'd materialized out of nowhere.

seeing a miracle? The ice

cold warning. "Don't say things like that in front of

watching as William turned his wheelchair and slowly made his way toward the