Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

When Serena took too long to respond, Aaron's icy eyes narrowed slightly.

He sent another message, but was greeted with a Block Alert.

Aaron furrowed his brow.

She's upset again.

But this wasn't the first time Serena had blocked him.

"Mr. Vance," Matthew appeared silently behind Aaron, "Cynthia has woken up. She's asking for you."

Aaron rubbed his temples, nodding. "Alright."

He figured Serena would eventually unblock him.

He wasn't too worried about it.

Still, he acknowledged that he had been neglecting Serena lately.

Once his current obligations were over, he planned to make it up to her.

...

At the airport.

Serena boarded the plane, slipped on her eye mask, and settled in for a good sleep.

By the time she arrived at Northspire, it was already 1 a.m.

At the exit, she was greeted by her long-unseen mother, Penelope, along with her

second husband, Tyler Brooks, and their daughter, Bella Brooks.

"It's freezing. Why did you book such a late flight?" Bella complained, stamping her feet in frustration.

Serena held little affection for her half-sister and silently got into the car.

In the car, Penelope warmly clasped Serena's hand, her enthusiasm more suited to that of a host greeting a guest than a mother welcoming her daughter. "Serena, I'm so glad you've come to your senses. Aaron might be good, but he can't hold a candle to William Grayson. William is the future CEO of the Grayson Group. Marry him, and you'll never want for anything."noveldrama

Leaning against the car window with her eyes closed, Serena's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "Even though I haven't been home in seven years, I still know that three years ago, William broke his leg and is now disabled."

The car fell silent for a moment.

Penelope awkwardly spoke up, "Serena..."

"I'm willing to come back for this marriage arrangement because I owe Bella. Once I marry William in her stead, I'll finally be free of that debt."

The car lapsed into even deeper silence.

Penelope and the others exchanged uncomfortable glances but said nothing.

Once home, Serena dragged her suitcase up to the second floor.

Penelope tried to stop her, but it was too late.

She could only watch as Serena pushed open the bedroom door and froze in place.

"Serena, since you never came back, we gave your room to Bella," Penelope explained helplessly.

Serena stared at the pink room, her blood running cold.

"Is there a shortage of rooms in this house? Why mine?"

Penelope couldn't find the words to explain.

They knew they had handled it poorly, but the deed was done.

"Who knew you'd be so useless? We thought after all these years, you'd have Aaron wrapped around your finger." Bella's disdainful voice floated up from downstairs. "Seven years of chasing, and you still lost out to someone fresh off the plane. Serena, you're pathetic!"

Serena's gaze darkened.

In the next moment, she stepped into the room, grabbed a notebook from the desk, and hurled it down at Bella.

Bella shrieked, diving into Tyler's arms. "Dad, she's crazy!"

"Just hold your tongue," Penelope said, signaling Tyler to take Bella away. Once the room was quiet, she turned to Serena with an apologetic look. "Serena, I've prepared the guest room for you. You can stay there tonight..."

But Serena didn't wait for Penelope to finish. She pulled her suitcase and walked out of the house.

She booked a room at a luxurious seven-star hotel.

The hotel service was excellent.

They offered pick-up and drop-off services.

An hour later, Serena checked into the hotel, collected her room key, and headed straight for the elevator.