Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

He took a sip of his drink, letting the bitter taste linger on his tongue.

"I have my reasons for what I do, but one thing's for sure-I don't love her," Aaron stated clearly. "As for telling the media that I'm protecting her, it's just to keep those nosy reporters at bay and give her some peace."

Frederick clicked his tongue. "Did you tell Serena all this?"

Aaron fell silent again.

Frederick patted Aaron's shoulder. "There are plenty of fish in the sea. With your qualities, you could easily find someone a hundred times better than Serena."

Aaron brushed Frederick's hand away. "She'll come back."

Frederick was taken aback. "Didn't you say she was marrying William?"

"It didn't go through."

Frederick looked at Aaron, hesitating to speak further. Serena had been deeply hurt this time.

If it were him, seeing his partner treating another woman so well and then not showing up on their wedding day, forgiveness would be out of the question. But Serena, with her gentle nature, had forgiven Aaron time and again.

They all jokingly called her "Wonder Woman" behind her back.

"Aaron, maybe it's time to let go," Frederick suggested, thinking that Serena's departure might be for the best. She had been with Aaron for years and had nothing to show for it. It was truly pitiful.

Aaron shot him a frosty look, and Frederick immediately fell silent.

...

In Northspire.

After being discharged from the hospital, Serena reported to the Heritage Restoration Center. Director Thomas, concerned about the wound on her head, urged her to take a few days off, but she insisted on working.noveldrama

For Aaron, she had almost abandoned her passion for artifact restoration. Over the years, the field had evolved, and she needed to work harder than others to catch up.

Seeing her dedication and tireless efforts, Director Thomas could do nothing but let her be.

After work, Serena received a phone call.

"Is this Serena? There's an issue with a company under your name. We need you to return to Alderburg for assistance."

Serena hung up immediately. She only had one company left in Alderburg-L.S. Entertainment. Under Samuel's management, it was thriving. There was no way anything was amiss. It was undoubtedly a scam call, like many others she had received before.

Unbothered, Serena walked back to her apartment with a light step. Her rented place was close to the restoration center-a one-bedroom apartment that cost over a thousand a month, just about her salary. Thankfully, she had savings; otherwise, she couldn't sustain this job.

However, buying a property in Northspire was a pipe dream. She had considered reclaiming her father's house, but the legal documents clearly stated that all her father's assets were left to Penelope.

Once home, Serena cooked herself a bowl of pasta. As she ate, she browsed the internet for a large house to store her collection of antiques. Houses in the suburbs were spacious and affordable, perfect for her needs. But managing so many antiques would be a massive undertaking. She would need to hire someone trustworthy.

Serena rubbed her temples. So many things to deal with. The only consolation was that William, somehow, convinced Penelope to call off their engagement, sparing her any further trouble.

After browsing several property listings and noting the time, Serena lay down on her bed. Just as she was drifting off, she received another call from Alderburg. Her first instinct was to think it was Aaron, but when she saw Samuel's name on the display, she laughed at herself.

Aaron was probably glad to be rid of her. Now that he'd finally shaken off this burden, there was no way he'd come crawling back.