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 in

made Penelope's gaze

as he watched her, unable to read her stormy expression.

her thoughts and glanced at Tyler with weary impatience.

hesitated, searching for the

him to investigate the origins of the Tri-Glaze Pottery,

But-

for years-there's no need to beat around the

at her before finally speaking. "Well... the Tri-Glaze

pale.

***

the bar, Serena felt like a

stains on her

home," she said, waving and smiling

nodded slightly, watching Serena walk

when he noticed

materialized out of nowhere. William's eyes

seeing a miracle? The ice king

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

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