LOGINSERENALaura’s office felt colder than usual, and I could not tell if that was because of the glass walls or because of the look on her face when she told me to sit down. She did not smile, did not offer me lunch, and did not even pretend that this was a casual check-in, which immediately made my stomach tighten.She leaned back in her chair, folded her arms loosely, and said, “I just got a call from HR.”My heart skipped in a way that made me grip the arm of the chair. “Okay.”“Aiden Knight personally ordered the termination of Ava and two other women from your department,” she continued calmly. “Effective immediately.”I stared at her, blinking slowly. “What.”She raised an eyebrow. “That is not a question, Serena.”“I mean,” I said, my voice coming out rougher than I intended, “I mean what do you mean he fired them.”“They were dismissed for gross misconduct,” Laura said. “Verbal harassment, inappropriate workplace behavior, and reputational risk to the company.”My mouth felt dry
AIDENI was halfway through a revised slide deck when my assistant knocked lightly and stepped into my office without waiting for permission, which already told me this was not a minor interruption. I did not look up right away, because I wanted him to feel the weight of the moment and understand that my time was valuable, even though I already knew who was standing behind him."Congressman John Walters is here to see you," he said carefully. "He says he received an email from you earlier today.""Send him in," I replied calmly, closing the presentation with a click and leaning back in my chair as my assistant stepped aside.John Walters walked in slowly with his eyes narrowed, and his expression was politely guarded in a way that politicians were used to. He was taller than I expected, and much older than me. He was well dressed in a conservative navy suit, and his eyes moved around my office briefly before settling on me with quiet assessment."Aiden Knight," he said, extending his
SERENAGoing into work the next morning felt like walking through a minefield, and I found myself scanning every hallway before I turned a corner, half expecting to run straight into one of the Knights. I kept my head down and hugged my laptop to my chest, and when I sat down, I stared only at my screen and refused to look up. Thankfully I didn’t see Adrian, and I did not see Aiden either, which should have been a relief but instead it made my nerves worse because I kept waiting for it to happen.I was just settling into my chair and opening my first spreadsheet when my desk phone rang."Serena Hale," Ms. Stanton's new assistant said crisply, "Laura wants to see you in her office. Now."My stomach tightened immediately, and for a split second I started imagining all the horrible things that could be the reason for her summoning me right now. "Okay," I said, already standing up. "I'm on my way."Her office door was open when I got there, and Ms. Stanton was standing beside her desk w
SERENAThe nursing home smelled like disinfectant and overcooked vegetables, and every time I walked through those doors it hit me all over again how much I hated that this was where my mother lived now. Lola walked beside me quietly, carrying a small paper bag with fruit and biscuits we had picked up on the way, and she squeezed my hand once as we signed in at the front desk.“I hate this place,” she whispered as we walked in. “I just get the creeps whenever we’re here.”“I was thinking the exact same thing,” I said. “It’s nice, but it feels like a prison.”“Do you ever think about the fact that we’re going to eventually end up here one day?” she asked.“I hope we’re in the same home,” I chuckled. “We can play bingo together and crochet on the porch at sunset.”She pretended to tear up as she touched my shoulder dramatically, and I rolled my eyes at her as we walked away from the front desk and headed for the common room. "Hey, are you good?" Lola asked softly as we walked into the
AIDENI found Mother in the backyard, exactly where I knew she would be, standing on the trimmed grass with a golf club in her hands like the world had not just tilted under all of us. She was dressed in white and she looked so immaculate and controlled, with her hair pulled back neatly and her posture rigid in that familiar way that always made her look taller than she actually was. She took a slow swing, then she watched the ball disappear into the distance, and only then did she turn to look at me like I was an inconvenience she had not planned for.Her mouth tightened immediately, and I could tell she was already irritated, since she hadn’t expected to see me. It was the main reason why I didn’t tell her I was coming before I did, so I could take the time to savor this look of contempt on her face. “Hello, mother,” I said. “You look surprised to see me.”“I’m always surprised to see you, Aiden,” she said. “Sometimes I honestly forget I have a second son.”“Hurtful,” I said, stepp
ADRIANI arrived at the Knight estate with my jaw clenched so tightly that my teeth ached, the gates opening automatically as my car rolled up the long driveway that I had driven down a thousand times before but that felt foreign today in a way I couldn't explain. I parked near the back lawn because I already knew where she would be, and sure enough my mother was out there in crisp white pants and a fitted polo, lining up a golf shot like the world had not just collapsed on itself overnight.She didn't even look at me when I stepped onto the grass, and the sound of the club striking the ball cleanly echoed across the yard as she followed through smoothly, watching it land with obvious satisfaction before she finally turned her head slightly in my direction.“Adrian,” she said in a muted tone. “I’m surprised to see you here.”“Hello mother,” I replied. “I half expected you to be out.”“Oh, I have a meeting to attend in a few hours,” she said. “I’m meeting with Senator Barnes to discuss







