CH.83

Killian approached the penthouse masters bedroom.

The muffled sounds of faint sniffling could be heard from within, causing a pang of sympathy to twist in his chest.

Poor Serena had been utterly devastated since the aftermath of Knox's actions the previous day.

He took a moment to straighten his rumpled shirt before raising his hand and gently bang his knuckles against the door.

"Sister-in-law? It's me, Killian. Can I come in?" His voice was soft yet insistent as he rapped his knuckles against the door once more.

An agonizing silence stretched out, broken only by the occasional muted sniffle or hitched breath.

Killian's brow furrowed with worry as he leaned in closer, pressing his ear to the door in hopes of detecting any movement from inside the lavish bedrroom.

He sighed deeply when no response came and ran an exasperated hand through his locks.

"Listen, it's been over a day since...well, since the whole incident with my brother happened," Killian continued, keeping his tone gentle yet firm. "You haven't left this room or eaten anything at all. I know you're absolutely gutted right now and feeling completely insecure about your husband potentially leaving you for some other woman, but starving yourself like this isn't the answer."

Still, the only sounds from beyond the door were a few mournful sniffles that made Killian's heart clench with sympathy for his sister-in-law's anguish.

He recalled Seven's failed attempt earlier to coax Serena out of her self-imposed isolation, when she had flat-out refused to open up for anyone except Knox himself.

The poor girl was utterly devastated by the idea of her husband abandoning her, and she was hell-bent on either divorcing that idiot or having him ditch his supposed mistress for good because she sure as hell wasn't going to settle for anything less than his complete faithfulness.

Realizing that appealing to her emotional state wasn't working, Killian decided to try a different tactic. "Hey sis-in-law, it's your favorite brother-in-law out here. I've actually got some really good news that might just cheer you up a bit. But you got to open this door first and let me in." He injected a more upbeat, cheerful tone.

Several more moments of tense silence ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity to Killian as he waited with bated breath.

Just when he was about to give up and override the lock, a muffled voice finally responded from the other side.

"Go away! I don't want to see anyone except Knox right now," came Serena's hoarse reply, tinged with sorrow and fatigue.

Killian rolled his eyes a little at her stubbornness, but he refused to be deterred so easily. "Aw come on, don't be like that!" he cajoled with the slightest whine in his voice. "I promise the news will be worth your while. Hell, it might even put a smile on that gorgeous face of yours again. But I'm coming in either way, so you may as well just open up and make it easier on both of us."

Killian simply shrugged to himself and used the spare key to disengage the lock with a soft click when she still didn't make a move to unlock the door after several beats

He twisted the handle and let himself into the room without waiting for further permission.

The luxurious space was cloaked in gloomy shadows, the heavy brocade curtains drawn tight to block out the bright sunlight streaming in from outside.

Serena was a motionless lump buried under the rumpled bedcovers, her face obscured by the thick duvet and plump pillows surrounding her.

Killian quietly made his way further into the room.

He plopped himself down on the edge of the bed, causing the mattress to dip slightly with his weight.

He regarded the unmoving lump that was Serena for a moment, wishing desperately that he could simply spill everything to her - the truth about who and what they really were, the noble sacrifice Knox had made to save her life, the fact that she was his one true mate.

He longed to explain that Knox hadn't abandoned her for another woman at all, but rather had made the ultimate sacrifice out of pure, unwavering love for her.

Yet Killian knew he couldn't reveal any of those truths, not yet at least, no matter how much it pained him to see Serena suffering from her misguided beliefs.

Instead, he settled for giving her a gentle nudge, both literal and figurative. "There you are, sleeping beauty," he teased, keeping his voice light in an attempt to lift her sombre mood. "Time to rejoin the world of the living, don't you think?"

A few moments passed before Serena finally shifted beneath the covers, emerging slowly until her tousled head peeked out from the fabric cocoon.

Her eyes were puffy and rimmed with red, her makeup streaked from countless tears shed. She looked utterly miserable as she blinked up at Killian with a mixture of confusion and dull resignation.

"What do you want?" she mumbled hoarsely, her voice still rough with the remnants of her crying jag.

Killian studied her for a long moment, taking in her disheveled appearance and the sorrow etched into the delicate lines of her face.

He found himself wishing yet again that he could simply bare his soul to her, to explain everything that had transpired and ease her fears.

But he knew such a revelation could potentially do more harm than good in her current fragile state, so he opted to keep things light for the time being.

Killian flashed her one of his most charming, teasing grins. "Well someone's been a jealous little green-eyed monster lately, huh? If you loved my idiot brother that much, you wouldn't be moping around like the world ended just because he might have a bit on the side."

The words had the intended effect as Serena's eyes flashed with sudden anger, giving her the motivation to push herself upright into a seated position.

The duvet pooled around her waist as she fixed Killian with a heated glare, clearly riled up by his insinuation.

"I do NOT love that cheating asshole!" she shot back vehemently, the faint blush coloring her cheeks belying the conviction behind her words. "I was simply demanding the basic respect and faithfulness that I deserve as his wife!"

Though the vehemence in her tone was palpable, Killian could detect the faintest waver, a slight hitch of uncertainty that made it obvious - at least to him - that she was lying through her teeth about not being in love with Knox.

He knew better than to call her out on it directly, however. Instead, he decided a change of subject was in order before she worked herself up into an even greater snit.

"Well, have you been keeping up with the news lately? About that whole ridiculous sex tape scandal?" Killian said in a conversational tone, keeping his expression neutral.

Serena's eyes slid away from his, her jaw tightening as she seemed to rein in her anger. "Not really," she muttered, sounding suddenly weary again. "I don't care what people think about me right now."

"Well you'll definitely want to hear this then," Killian assured her with a sly grin, not missing a beat.