Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown novel Chapter 14

As Serena's eyes welled up with tears, Aaron felt an inexplicable irritation. More than that, there was a sense of panic, as if something precious was slipping away.

"If not for me, then for home? But haven’t you already cut ties with that place?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration.

Serena was momentarily taken aback. "How do you know?"

She had moved to Alderburg to sever all connections with her past, especially with Penelope. It was a decision she had kept to herself. How could Aaron possibly know?

"For seven years, you've been in Alderburg and never once returned. Isn't that enough to figure it out?" Aaron pointed out, his tone matter-of-fact.

The flicker of hope in Serena’s eyes was swiftly extinguished. Of course. She shouldn’t have expected anything different from Aaron. Thankfully, she had distanced herself emotionally, no longer feeling the heart-wrenching pain of the past.

Her gaze drifted down to her wrist, which was still firmly held by Aaron. "Let go," she said quietly, but with unwavering determination.

Aaron's heart clenched. He disliked this prickly version of Serena. He missed the gentle, unguarded Serena of the past.

"I admit not getting the marriage license was a mistake, but don't you think you're overreacting?" he said, trying to reason with her.

Serena looked at him in disbelief. With all her strength, she finally freed herself from his grip and walked away without looking back.

Now it was Aaron's turn to be filled with confusion. Was she really that angry?

He pulled out his phone and dialed Victor's number. "Find out when Serena returned to Northspire."

Victor was equally surprised. "Serena is actually in Northspire?!"

...

"Serena, I had Victor look into it. A week ago, you booked this hotel suite, right when Victor was in Northspire with the business proposal."

Serena burst into laughter, incredulous. "So you think I booked this room just to stalk you?"

It was absurd enough to be laughable.

Aaron insisted, "The evidence is clear. Are you really going to deny it?"

Serena's lips curled into a smirk. "Get out."

Aaron frowned, displeased. Serena was being unreasonable. He had offered numerous ways to mend things. Why couldn't she just meet him halfway? After all, it wasn't like he had left her at the altar.