Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown novel Chapter 215

"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.