Alexander’s gaze swept across the room, sharp and unwavering, his eyes narrowing like a blade catching light. His voice broke the silence, steady and cold enough to chill the air.“Justin, did I not beat enough sense into you last time? What gives you the courage to threaten me again today?”The color drained and then flared back into Justin’s face, a furious shade of crimson. The reminder struck deep. Last time, Alexander had humiliated him—knocked him flat in front of Serena—and the memory still burned like acid in his chest. Now, dragged into the open once more, Justin’s pride crumbled. He clenched his fists at his side but said nothing, swallowing rage along with humiliation.Without waiting for an answer, Alexander pushed open the heavy glass door of the conference room, the hinges groaning faintly as though aware of the tension clinging to the air. Jonathan trailed close behind, his steps deliberate, his eyes darting between Alexander and the gathering storm outside.Jonathan ha
Alexander leaned back in the leather seat of his car, phone pressed to his ear. His voice carried a low, restrained weight. “Colton, I’m certain there’s nothing in those boxes. I haven’t received a single gift from him since I was a child. They’re just old keepsakes—simple things. Nothing that could conceal information.”On the other end, Colton exhaled slowly, his tone laced with disappointment. “I see… Marken really was a genius. If he wanted to bury something, it would stay hidden forever. No one would uncover it.”The words hung heavy between them. Alexander’s gaze dropped, his fingers absently tracing the stitching on the steering wheel.“Maybe,” he murmured, “it’s not that he was too clever, but that we never truly understood him. I’m his brother, and yet only recently did I learn he was capable of loving a woman so deeply.”A wry curve touched his lips. Geniuses were often a little mad—and madmen seldom loved. Yet Marken, flawless in talent and conviction, had defied that rule.
Justin’s expression shifted from stormy rage to something colder, more calculating. His eyes swept over the circle of relatives gathered in the room, their faces pinched with anger and indignation. For a long moment, he let the silence stretch, savoring their hostility toward Alexander.Finally, he sighed, his voice low and heavy. “You all see it, don’t you? Ever since he got entangled with Serena, he’s cared less and less for the family. He disregards us, disregards tradition. Now, while he still holds fewer shares, we must strike. We need to push him out of the Vanderbilt family once and for all.”The words hung in the air like smoke.Diana’s face was stiff, her mouth pressed into a hard line. Alexander’s behavior wasn’t just reckless—it was insulting, a blatant slap to the dignity of his elders. If the rumors were true, if he had indeed raised his hand against Cornelius, then he wasn’t just reckless; he was dangerous. A loose cannon who could tear the Vanderbilt family apart from w
On her way back, Serena made a stop at the pet hospital.Rex had been there for over a week, his body wrapped in the stillness of recovery. The doctors had explained that several of his bones were fractured and would need weeks—maybe months—to mend. The lively shepherd who once bounded around like a streak of lightning now struggled just to stand.The moment Rex spotted Serena, though, his whole demeanor changed. His tail thumped furiously against the tiled floor, his tongue lolled out in excitement, and with an uneven limp, he hobbled toward her on his injured leg.Serena’s heart clenched. She rushed forward and knelt down, her eyes soft. “Rex, are you feeling better?”He let out a muffled whimper—not the sharp cries of pain she’d heard before, but a subdued sound, as though he’d grown used to the hurt. His eyes carried a quiet sorrow, as if in her absence he had wondered whether he’d been left behind for good.Serena stroked his head, her fingertips brushing through the coarse fur b
The two bodyguards had already dragged Edmund down to the first floor. For a moment, they considered shoving him down the marble staircase—quick, efficient, and brutal—but the thought of flashing cameras and hungry reporters outside gave them pause. Any slip would snowball into a scandal that could tarnish E.A. Corporation’s reputation. Instead, they hauled Edmund like a sack of grain to the side of the building and dumped him unceremoniously into a flower bed.Edmund had driven himself to the building that morning, full of his usual swagger, never once imagining that Serena would push him to the point of collapse. Nor could he have foreseen that when he lost consciousness, she wouldn’t call for an ambulance or even bother to check on him. To her, he wasn’t worth the effort—just dead weight for her men to discard outside like refuse.When Edmund finally came to, the world felt gritty and wrong. His designer suit was streaked with dust and soil, and every time a car sped past on the bu
When Serena returned to Le Châteauesque Manor, the phone rang almost immediately. It was Jonathan. His voice carried a touch of hesitation, as though he had been debating whether to call.“Ms. Alvarez,” he began, “Mr. Vanderbilt has been recovering well physically, but… he’s been in a poor mood. He keeps asking about you. Would you like to come see him?”Serena had spent the past few days by Miriam’s side, handling her affairs, and had not once gone to Manston Manor. But Jonathan’s words tugged at her.She didn’t hesitate long. Within the hour, she was at Alexander’s bedside.He looked healthy enough—his posture upright, his complexion steady—but there was a darkness in his eyes, the kind of storm that brewed in silence. He sat with a book in hand, though it was clear he wasn’t reading a single line.Serena settled into the chair beside him, her voice soft. “Do you want some water?”Before he could answer, her phone buzzed. Simon. She excused herself and answered quickly.“Miriam’s cr