Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

"Because..... what?" Serena parted her lips, her tongue tingling with anticipation.

"Because we're the same," William replied.

Serena froze. "The same?"

He nodded, tilting his head back. "Yeah. You and I-we're both the kind of kids nobody ever wanted."

He offered her an apologetic smile. "I hope you don't mind me saying that?"

"Not at all." Serena shook her head softly, because William was right. She really was a child nobody wanted.

But...

At least William still had his parents...

Almost as if he could read the doubt flickering in her eyes, William continued with a gentle smile, "After I turned fifteen, they never came back. Not even once."

Serena stiffened, her gaze drifting down to William's legs.

He caught the look. "That's right. Even after the accident, they didn't show up."

His voice was perfectly calm, but Serena could hear the faint bitterness buried beneath the surface.

She looked at him, a complicated feeling welling up inside her-something she couldn't quite name.

"So really, helping you is just like helping myself." William's tone lightened, like the sun breaking through a cloudy sky.

Serena nodded, feeling the knot of doubt inside her finally unravel. She felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Mr. Grayson, are you still here?"

A crisp voice called from the doorway.

Both of them looked up, but saw no one. Two seconds later, Gabrielle strode in, carrying a stack of takeout boxes.

"You must be starving after waiting all night. I brought some food."

Serena glanced at William, puzzled. Hadn't he said Gabrielle stayed all night? But from the way Gabrielle spoke, it sounded like William had been there instead.

William didn't seem to notice the confusion in Serena's eyes. He turned to Gabrielle with a polite smile. "Thank you, Miss Chatham."

He looked the same as always, but Serena could sense a faint distance in his demeanor when he spoke to Gabrielle-a subtle reserve beneath his usual warmth.

Was she just imagining things?

Gabrielle opened the boxes, and the delicious aroma filled the room.

Serena's stomach grumbled loudly.

Her curiosity about William faded away, replaced by a sudden, overwhelming focus on the food.

Gabrielle had brought homemade dishes-classic, comforting fare: creamy scrambled eggs, sautéed greens with mushrooms, sweet-and-sour pork, and a hearty chicken soup. Simple, but everything looked and smelled amazing. Serena's appetite was instantly awakened.

Just then, William's phone rang. Finn was calling, asking him to return to the office for a meeting.

Before he could say anything, Gabrielle spoke up, "If you have work to do, Mr. Grayson, go ahead. I'll look after Serena."

Annoyance flickered in William's eyes, but he quickly masked it with a polite smile. "Alright, I'll head out then."

He nodded to Serena and wheeled himself out of the room.

As soon as he was gone, Gabrielle perched beside Serena. "Come on, spill it! What's going on between you and William?"

Serena, half-starved, took a big bite of eggs. "What could possibly be going on?"

Gabrielle waited until Serena had swallowed before continuing, worried she'd choke. "Nothing at all, and yet he stayed with you all night?"

Serena's hand paused mid-bite. "Wait... last night, it was William who stayed with me?"noveldrama

Then why had he lied?

"Of course," Gabrielle said, her curiosity barely contained. "So, are you going to

tell me what's really happening between you two?"

Serena glanced toward the door.

Maybe... William just didn't want her to get the wrong idea?