Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown novel Chapter 212

Could it really be true?

Bella, finally rescued, collapsed onto the floor like a rag doll. One hand clutched her throat, her wide, terrified eyes locked onto Gabrielle as she strode into the room.

Gabrielle barely spared Bella a glance before hurrying to Serena’s side. “Serena, are you alright?”

Serena’s eyes were still clouded and distant.

After a long moment, her gaze snapped to Bella, and a sudden sharpness flared in her expression.

“How did my father really die?”

Bella shrank back, too scared to provoke Serena any further. Pressing a trembling hand to her chest, she stammered, “I… I don’t know. I swear, I don’t know anything. Please, stop asking me!”

Serena stared at Bella for what felt like an eternity. Her eyes burned; tears stung, but she refused to look away. Only when her vision blurred did she finally turn, slowly making her way toward the door.

Her memories of her father’s death were nothing but hazy fragments.

She’d always told herself it was because she was too young to remember.

No!

Suddenly, Serena snapped out of her daze, every nerve alight with clarity.

There was no way she could have caused her father’s death.

He’d been the person she loved most in the world—she could never have hurt him. Bella had to be lying, trying to twist the truth.

“Serena, are you okay?” Gabrielle called, noticing how unsteady Serena’s steps were, concern etched across her face.

But Serena didn’t hear her. Moving like a ghost, she wandered through the hotel lobby, out the front doors.

Outside, the city buzzed with traffic and streams of people coming and going.

Serena felt lightheaded and unmoored, as if the world itself was slipping away. She couldn’t tell what was real and what was just a trick of her mind.

As her eyelids grew heavy and the world faded to black, the last thing she heard was a frantic voice behind her: “Serena!”

…

Alderburg.