Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown novel Chapter 292

When he finished speaking, William paused for a moment before continuing, “Make sure to get him the best doctor you can find.”

Two bodyguards dragged the man away, hauling him like a sack of potatoes.

The others, witnessing the scene, quickly stepped aside, careful not to provoke William any further.

Instead, a man in a pastel pink suit sauntered over, swaying his hips as he approached William. “So, this is the friend you told me about?”

He gave Serena an appraising look, eyeing her from head to toe before flashing a sly smile. “Not bad. She can’t quite compare to me, of course, but she’s quite attractive.”

William shot the man a sidelong glance, then turned to Serena to make the introduction. “Fern Bright. He’s a friend of mine—the owner of this place.”

Serena nodded politely. “Mr. Bright.”

Fern’s smile was warm and inviting. “No need to be so formal. Anyone William calls a friend is a friend of mine. Just call me Fern.”

Serena hesitated for a moment. For some reason, Aaron’s crowd of so-called friends flashed through her mind.

Aaron had never introduced her at any proper event—not even in front of Frederick.

Because of that, his friends never took her seriously.

Whenever Aaron wasn’t around at a party, they’d seize the chance to mess with her, teasing and humiliating her until she dreaded being in their company.

She’d tried to talk to Aaron about it, but he always brushed it off, saying they were just joking around and didn’t know where the line was.

The more she brought it up, the more impatient Aaron became. He’d turn it around on her: “I don’t see anyone else having a problem with them. Maybe you should look at yourself for once.”

For a while, Serena really did start to wonder if it was her fault.

It wasn’t until she started seeing a therapist that she realized the truth: the problem wasn’t her—it was them.

And, most importantly, it was Aaron’s lack of respect for her that made it all possible.

If Aaron had ever valued her, with the Vance family’s standing in Alderburg, none of those people would have dared treat her that way.