Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

"The truly tragic one here is Aaron," William said softly, yet his voice was brimming with strength.

Serena looked at William, surprised.

"He's going to lose you forever," William reached out, his deep and gentle eyes locking with Serena's. "My lady, are you ready to set sail on a new journey?"

Serena smiled softly, a weight lifted off her shoulders. "Yes."

"Let's go. The car has been ready for a while. With Aaron gone, things will be much simpler for us."

Serena nodded, glancing at William's large hand but choosing not to take it. Instead, she wheeled herself forward. "Where's the car?"

William pulled back his hand with a smile. "In the parking lot downstairs."

Just as they exited the ballroom, they found their path blocked.

It was Victor and a dozen bodyguards standing in their way.

Serena frowned.

She had assumed Victor had left with Aaron.

"Miss Sullivan," Victor said, looking uncomfortable as he turned to William, "Mr. Vance specifically instructed me to take good care of you before he left. Now, please come back with me to Rosewood Gardens."

William was about to speak, but Serena placed a hand on his arm. "Alright, but I'm wearing a wedding dress, which makes it difficult for me to move around. I need to change first. As for Mr. Grayson, please arrange for someone to take him home."

Victor breathed a sigh of relief.

He wasn't worried about Serena causing trouble, but William was another matter.

William understood the underlying message in Serena's words and remained silent, allowing Victor to assign two bodyguards to escort him downstairs.

Serena followed Victor into the dressing room.

Inside were the clothes she had brought that morning.

For a quick escape, she had picked out a simple tracksuit.

Serena changed slowly, occasionally pausing to listen intently for any sounds beyond the door.

But it was eerily quiet outside.

She couldn't help but feel anxious.

What if William hadn't understood her hidden message?

Just then, a series of loud bangs echoed from outside.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly finished dressing.

In the next moment, several tall bodyguards burst into the room.

The leading man spotted Serena and immediately said, "Miss Sullivan, we're Mr. Grayson's people. You need to come with us."

"Why should I trust you?" she asked, skeptical.

Anticipating her question, the lead man handed her a phone.

"Hello."

On the other end, William's calm and soothing voice reassured her. "Serena, the

men before you are my trusted people. You can safely go with them."

Feeling relieved, Serena handed the phone back to the man. "Let's go!"

The bodyguards surrounded Serena as they moved toward the door.

Serena noticed the unconscious guards on the floor.

"They're just knocked out. We need to move quickly before Mr. Vance's main team arrives," one of them explained.

Serena nodded slightly.

She hadn't forgotten that this was Aaron's territory.

They entered the elevator.

Though it only took a few seconds to reach the basement, for Serena, it felt like an eternity.noveldrama

Once out of the elevator, she finally spotted William's figure, and the tension in her heart eased a fraction.

However, in the next instant, as she saw a figure emerge from a Porsche, all color drained from her face.

"Miss Sullivan, in such a hurry-where are you off to?"