Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown novel Chapter 214

William visibly stiffened.

A moment later, he turned around, his eyes soft and warm, like sunlight streaming through a window. “Just give me the watch,” he said gently.

“Why won’t you let me meet the owner of the watch?” Serena pressed.

“That’s not what I meant—”

“Is it because you’re the owner?” she asked.

William’s words caught in his throat. He looked at Serena, the gentle expression on his face giving way to a sudden chill in his eyes.

“Serena, what are you talking about?”

“That watch—it was a keepsake from your parents, wasn’t it? Why didn’t you ever tell me the truth?”

William’s gaze sharpened.

A long pause hung between them.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low. “The watch did belong to my parents. But it wasn’t mine.”

Serena frowned in confusion.

“You probably know about my parents’ story, don’t you?” he said.

Serena nodded.

In Northspire, William’s parents were nothing short of legendary.

Back in their youth, the gap between their backgrounds was insurmountable. The Grayson family had refused to allow William’s mother to marry into their elite clan, and forced William’s father, Garnett Grayson, into an arranged marriage with someone from another powerful family.

When William’s mother found out, she left Northspire without hesitation.

Afterward, Garnett took over the Grayson Group and had two sons with his wife—William’s half-brothers.

She’d always assumed that a child growing up surrounded by such devoted parents would have a charmed life.

She never imagined—

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

William turned to her, the shadows gone from his face, replaced by a gentle warmth at the corners of his eyes and mouth. “It’s all right.”

“But…” Serena hesitated, then pressed on, “You still haven’t told me. Why did you keep it from me?”

William shifted his wheelchair. “Because I wanted to help you.”

Serena’s heart skipped a beat. “Why?”

A broad, dazzling smile lit up William’s face. The eyes that were always so calm and kind suddenly burned with a fierce intensity, like a volcano coming alive. “Because…”

He drew out the word, his voice a low, electric hum that seemed to sink straight into Serena’s heart.