~Meanwhile~
Rest had been a total stranger to Serena throughout that pitch-black night from hell, completely oblivious of the latest scheme her dear husband had plotted against her. Her eyes were haunted and sunken, weighed down by sheer exhaustion like a pair of concrete blocks. Her voice had cracked like a fragile leaf about to be torn apart by the wind. Desperation seeped into every ragged syllable she had uttered until this moment. The salty tears brimmed on the precipice of her thick lashes, threatening to spill over at any second. "You have to believe me," Serena pleaded, her lower lip quivering. "I'm innocent, I swear on my life I didn't do anything wrong." These words had become a haunting mantra, echoing relentlessly in the hollow corners of her mind ever since she'd been forcibly hauled into this cold, dank holding cell hours ago. A sickening wave of nausea surged over Serena as the crushing weight of those damning accusations bore down on her like a torrential storm. Each word from the officers felt like another massive boulder being piled onto the unbearable burden already threatening to break her. "I didn't kill Diana," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head slowly. "I could never..." Despite the fiery anger that had ignited between them when Serena uncovered Diana's slimy affair with Alex, death—Diana's death—had never even flickered across her thoughts for a second. She couldn't count how many times she had repeated those words in utter disbelief. Doubt gnawed relentlessly at Serena's core as she struggled with the stark, nightmarish reality unfolding around her—a reality steeped in pain and betrayal. Disbelief intertwined with suffocating grief coiled within her like a venomous serpent, squeezing out any last vestige of composure she desperately clung to. Images from last night's chaotic events darted through Serena's mind like haunting fragments from an insidious nightmare refusing to release its stranglehold on her consciousness. "I confronted Diana about her affair," she mumbled, raking trembling fingers through her tangled hair. "We fought, but I swear I never touched a weapon..." She kept muttering to herself as though she had lost her mind. Alex had accused her of stabbing Diana mercilessly with a knife. The mere recollection caused bile to surge up in Serena's throat; it felt as if she was being choked by the horrifying enormity of his accusation. Her thoughts swirled chaotically like leaves caught in a violent tempest as she wrestled with the gross injustice of her predicament. Yes, they had quarrelled heatedly, but to wield a deadly weapon against Diana was beyond Serena's comprehension. It shattered her entire self-image into countless jagged shards. Raw emotion fractured her being like delicate glass teetering on the edge of shattering entirely. Her eyes glistened with desperation, silently begging for even a shred of understanding and mercy from those who held her fate in their hands. "You have to believe me—I didn't hurt anyone. I would never, ever kill her, no matter what happened between us." Yet despite Serena's impassioned pleas and tear-streaked face seeking for compassion, the stone-faced officers remained utterly unmoved by her obvious distress. Their expressions were like those carved out of granite when they had roughly grabbed her by the arms and frog-marched her through dimly lit corridors towards a small, suffocating cell that felt like a coffin about to be sealed shut. A eerie silence descended around Serena as the barred door slammed shut with a loud, menacing clang that reverberated through the deserted hallways. She was ensnared in a full-fledged nightmare, where deception and truth danced incessantly and dizzily. Serena was overcome with memories of Diana as she settled inside her small cell and sat down on the harsh, unyielding floor. Could it really be true that Diana, someone she had once trusted as a dear friend, was no longer among the living? The weight of unanswered questions bore down heavily on her chest like an immovable tombstone intent on suffocating her very existence. How had their once-solid friendship deteriorated into such an unthinkable, tragic catastrophe? Serena's eyelids fluttered shut as she waged a fierce internal battle against the deluge of tears that stood ready to spill over at any moment. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought for control. "Get a grip, Serena," she muttered through gritted teeth. "You can't lose it now..." But despair, like an icy insidious fog, had already begun seeping into her very being, wrapping her in its frosty, unforgiving clutches. She had always strived to be a beacon of virtue and kindness, but now it felt as if the essential threads of her very existence were coming undone and fraying at the edges. Would there ever be a respite from this terrifying waking nightmare that kept her prisoner? Would she wake up to find it had all been an appalling delusion? The faint clatter of metal keys and hushed whispers from somewhere down the corridor served as grim reminders of the harsh reality she was now entangled in. Each muted sound burrowed deeper into her psyche, hollowing out a cavern filled with dread. The confused sequence of events that led to this gloomy moment kept repeating itself like an imaginary chant on repeat in the dark recesses of her worn-out psyche. They all merged into an unsettling, dizzying whirlwind. Here she was, confined like a common criminal and accused of a reprehensible crime she vehemently denied committing. Just when the last flickers of hope started to fade from within Serena's delicate heart, the heavy door to her cell creaked open and Kate made her entrance, looking as distraught as Serena felt. Deep furrows of worry marred Kate's face while she approached with tentative steps, her expression a mask of trepidation. "Serena..." she began softly. "Kate..." Serena managed to choke out through the tears now flowing freely. "You returned so soon. Where's Jenkins? Please tell me you found some evidence to prove my innocence and secure my release from this nightmare?" Her voice trembled with desperation. "And where is my father? Why hasn't anyone from my family come to support me yet?" Kate's face fell and she averted her gaze, suddenly looking like she'd been gutted. "Serena...there's something you need to know," she said quietly. Serena felt her heart lurch in her chest as she lifted her reddened gaze to meet Kate's. Anticipation and fear mingled together into a knot in the pit of her stomach. "What is it?" she asked in a voice quavering with anxiety. "Just tell me, Kate..." The other woman faltered momentarily, clearly wrestling with how to convey the devastating news that had befallen over them both. She didn’t know which news to brake first between the President’s death or Alex’s latest press conference. "It's about your father," Kate finally murmured. "He...he's no longer with us, Serena." The words weighed heavily in the air between them, hinting at a future of devastation and despair. Serena felt like all the oxygen had been sucked from the room as her mind struggled to process Kate's words. "What...?" she croaked out, her brow furrowing deeply. "What do you mean he's no longer with us?" Kate blinked rapidly to clear the moisture glistening in her eyes. "Your dad...he's dead, Serena," she said. "He died in an accident last night. The news was just announced about an hour ago." Disbelief gnawed at Serena's core as the room seemed to spin around her. How could it be that her beloved father - her steadfast rock - was suddenly gone from this world? "No..." she whispered, shaking her head vehemently as her face crumpled. "No, that can't be! He couldn't...he wouldn't leave me. Not like this." Hot tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked. Kate's eyes brimming with tears met hers, confirming what words failed to express fully. Serena felt as though the ground beneath her had splintered into irreparable shards. The walls seemed to inch closer around her fragile form as the brutal reality descended on her shoulders like an unbearable wave. Serena was swept off her feet unexpectedly by a tornado of emotions; darkness began to creep on her consciousness as she teetered on the verge of oblivion amid the deafening quiet that followed. ---Serena gradually clawed back from unconsciousness until the world around her swirled into focus.The stark reality of her predicament hit her like a sledgehammer as she found herself sprawled on a hard mattress and surrounded by a ring of concerned faces.At the forefront stood Kate, her loyal companion alongside several officers whose expressions bore a tumultuous blend of emotions etched across their features."Serena, are you alright?" The question was laced with genuine worry. It was Kate's voice, tender and trembling like a frightened bird caught in a storm.Their bond was more than just between a manager and her artist, and the severity of the moment only served to solidify that connection.Serena battled against the pulsating pain that echoed inside her skull, each throb a cruel reminder of her reality. She summoned whatever strength she had left to sit upright. The movement shot electrifying jolts of agony through her body as if her very nerves were rebelling against her."You
An ominous silence fell over the sleek, black van as it pulled up to the towering courthouse.Serena's chest tightened when her gaze landed on the seething crowd that outnumbered even the ravenous one they'd escaped at the police station.An array of angry faces blended together, bound by their shared animosity and stoking one another's rage like a roaring inferno.Serena swallowed hard. She had faced her share of obsessive fans and paparazzi frenzies, but this...this was different. These were mobs vying for her blood.Her delicate fingers trembled as she clutched the door handle, steeling herself to face the barrage of hateful words that was sure to come."Just keep your head down and let us do our job." a gruff voice beside her muttered.Serena took a deep breath and gave a curt nod, stepping aside to let them lead her out onto the steps.A thunderous bellow burst from the mob, sending a wave of hateful words hurtling towards her as a barrage of venomous allegations and derogatory r
Jenkin watched in awe as the two men effortlessly dispatched his would-be attackers in a flurry of well-aimed bullets.It was over in seconds, and the disturbing silence that followed rang in his ears.The two strangers prowled towards Jenkin's crumpled vehicle with the focused intensity of apex predators.One was a mountain of a man, his sculpted face betraying no trace of emotion. The other cut an intimidating figure, though his frightening demeanor was complemented by a wicked grin.Jenkin scrambled back when the grinning man leveled his gun at the windshield. "Out of the car, Counselor. Nice and slow," he said in a voice smooth as silk.Jenkin's mouth was drier than the Sahara. He fumbled with the door latch and stepped out on trembling legs to face his unlikely saviors.Up close, the intensity in the man’s pale eyes was jarring and predatory."W-Who the hell are you people?" Jenkin managed, fighting to keep his voice steady.Killian's grin widened a fraction, though the mirth nev
The luxurious black town car was utterly silent, the tension so thick and palpable that it felt like a physical force pressing in on them from all sides. Everyone inside the luxurious vehicle was staring at Jenkins with the same intense, unwavering gaze - as if he were a lamb being sized up for slaughter. Even Sevene, who had his eyes closed in an almost meditative repose mere moments ago, was now fully awake and alert, his sharp features etched with wariness. "Do you fear death?” A deep voice belonging to the masked man echoed.His mere presence was suffocating, overbearing in a way that made the hairs on the back of Jenkins's neck prickle with primal unease. Those piercing amber eyes seemed to bore straight through him, stripping away every pretense and lie until only his deepest fears and insecurities remained exposed. Jenkins could feel that hypnotic stare searing into him, seeing straight through to the darkest corners of his soul, and he had to fight the nearly overwh
The courtroom was gripped by a heavy, expectant silence, every eye riveted on Serena Bolting's devastatingly beautiful form. Despite the tumultuous incidents leading up to this moment, her otherworldly beauty remained utterly undiminished. Her exquisite porcelain features betrayed the roiling mix of emotions she was fighting with every fiber of her being to conceal. Even amid her profound sorrow, her petite figure seemed to exude an aura of elegant defiance as she sat motionless in a random seat with her bearing regal and focused.The doors opened again to announce Jenkins’s arrival. His measured footsteps echoed through the hushed chamber like a solemn symphony as he approached Serena. His eyes were brimming with an empathetic tenderness that bordered on reverence for the fragile young woman. A weary sigh escaped his lips when he reached her side, expressing the staggering depth of suffering they had endured together during this whole ordeal. "Ms. Bolting," he began softly and
A disapproving tsk erupted from the crowd, but Serena just shrugged nonchalantly. "Diana felt no remorse whatsoever when they realized I had discovered their betrayal. Not a shred. In fact, she openly mocked me and hurled vicious, nasty remarks at me, which quickly escalated into an explosive confrontation between us."Her slender fingers unconsciously drifted to the bruise marring her porcelain cheek as she vividly recalled the searing sting of Diana's mom’s acrylic nails raking her flesh a while back. "It was a brief physical altercation, nothing more. Yes, there was shoving and scratching, but Diana was most certainly still alive and relatively unharmed when I left Alex's apartment in a blind fury. I swear this to you on everything I hold sacred." Her voice caught with raw emotion as she pressed on. "The news of her death mere hours later was as devastating to me as it was shocking. I had absolutely no hand whatsoever in harming her, despite her utterly despicable actions."
The heavy wooden door creaked open, sending a hush rippling through the tense courtroom. All eyes turned towards the entrance as Serena's breath caught in her throat. A stooped, gray-haired man shuffled in slowly, his shoulders weighed down by age and sorrow. It was John Hawthorne, her family's loyal driver and trusted confidante for as long as she could remember. Despite his wrinkled brow, thinning hair, and the stoop of his aging frame, those warm brown eyes still held the same gentle kindness that used to greet her after school on the hard days. Serena felt a lump form in her throat as a flood of memories came rushing back. Flashes of birthday parties where John would slip her an extra present, family dinners filled with his boisterous laughter, and long car rides spent listening to his stories about growing up on a farm filtered through her mind. Their gazes met briefly across the courtroom and Serena searched desperately for any sign of the tenderness they once shared.
Serena's perfectly manicured nails dug crescents into her palms as Alex rose from his seat with that casual, effortless elegance that used to make her knees go weak. Now it just seemed to mock the inner turmoil raging inside her like a hurricane. His chiseled features remained an impassive mask, but those wicked eyes glinted with an undercurrent of malice when they met her gaze. Serena sucked in a strained breath, directing her hollow stare at the man she had once loved more than life itself. The man who had promised to cherish her, only to shatter that vow into a million jagged pieces. Alex strode forward with the same confident swagger that had drawn her to him all those years ago, his powerful presence and magnetism damn near palpable. But that alluring charm was forever tainted now by the bitter, acrid taste of his betrayal. With a casual arrogance that made Serena's blood boil, he placed one hand on the Bible and held her gaze with chilling indifference. "I swear to tell