Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown

William's eyes flashed as he met Aaron's gaze across the dimly lit corridor.

A silent tension simmered between them-unspoken words and hidden motives swirling beneath the surface.

No one could say how long the standoff lasted. Suddenly, a nurse's voice cut through the quiet: "You two at the end—it's late! Head back to your rooms, please!"

At her urging, William finally broke eye contact. He spun his wheelchair around and rolled back toward his hospital room.

Aaron was just about to follow when his phone buzzed. Cynthia Lynwood's name lit up the screen-again.

He answered. On the other end, Cynthia's voice was ragged with fear: "Aaron, please you have to help me! I...I'm being "

"What's happening?" Aaron's brow furrowed in concern. But all he could hear now was Cynthia's frantic, uneven breathing.

He glanced back toward William's room, hesitated for a heartbeat, then turned and hurried away.

***

The next morning, Serena opened her eyes, surprised to find William sitting by her bedside.

What surprised her even more was the calm that greeted her; for the first time in days, she hadn't woken from a nightmare. A lightness replaced the ever-present dread.

"You didn't go home?" she asked, a mixture of gratitude and guilt coloring her voice.

William smiled gently. "How are you feeling? Any better?"

He'd already spoken to the doctor that morning and learned the real reason Serena had collapsed: she'd simply fainted from hunger. The explanation didn't sit right with him-it was just too strange.

He'd sent Finn to look into it.

Finn's search turned up only one clue: a few days ago, Penelope had come by to see Serena. No one knew what they'd talked about, but neighbors recalled that Serena had seemed unusually out of sorts afterward. Whatever Penelope had said, it had shaken her.

Of course, William couldn't just ask Serena directly.

A voice from the hallway interrupted his thoughts: "Excuse me, does a Miss Serena Sullivan live here?"

Serena recognized the voice instantly-it was Gabrielle Chatham.

A moment later, Gabrielle herself swept into the room, her silhouette framed by the doorway.

When she saw Serena, she rushed over and threw her arms around her. "Finally! I've been searching everywhere for you. Why are you back in the hospital?"

Worry etched deep lines across Gabrielle's usually bright face when she saw Serena's pallor.noveldrama

On her way back to Northspire, Gabrielle had stumbled across the news online-Serena's recent TV appearance had gone viral. Eager to see her friend, Gabrielle had tried to get in touch, but Serena had been impossible to reach.

She'd asked around and eventually found Serena's apartment, only to find it empty. In the end, it was a well-meaning neighbor who told her Seren@had been hospitalized. Gabrielle had rushed straight to the hospital.

"You're looking so frail," Gabrielle fussed, concern softening her voice. "If you keep this up, you'll have to come stay at my place. My housekeeper will make sure you're properly taken care of."

Serena couldn't help but soften at Gabrielle's genuine concern, no matter how many times she'd felt abandoned before.

"It's nothing serious," she insisted. "Work's just been crazy lately I overdid it, that's all."

Gabrielle finally relaxed. "Well, that makes sense. Oh! Your show aired last night, didn't it? You were fantastic Social media's been buzzing about you. Want me to read you a few of the best comments? I promise you'll perk right up."

She pulled out her phone and opened Instagram, oblivious to William's presence

in the room.

Serena shot William an apologetic glance.

He didn't mind in the least; if anything, he found Gabrielle's unfiltered warmth refreshing.

Gabrielle scrolled through her feed, ready to recite the glowing praise-only for her expression to suddenly darken.