Serena Hale was never meant to belong in a world of diamonds, monogrammed robes, and dinner parties soaked in judgment. Once a humble bakery girl, she eloped into a whirlwind marriage with billionaire James Hale, trading flour-dusted dreams for gilded heartbreak. Now, Savannah’s back. James’s sophisticated, pregnant ex-fiancée has returned like a ghost wearing pearls, slipping seamlessly into his life, his home, and maybe… his heart. As Savannah moves into their world like she never left, Serena is forced to smile through whispers and cold stares. James’s mother, ice-blooded and brutal, now she’s made her message clear: Serena was the wrong choice. The second choice. And she better not get pregnant again. But it’s already too late. Serena is carrying James’s child again, a fragile, impossible hope tucked beneath her still flat stomach. He says he loves her. He swears he chose her. But he didn’t come home last night. And Serena is no longer sure if James is lying to her… or to himself. As secrets build and the tide turns against her, Serena must decide if love is enough to hold onto a marriage that may have never truly been hers before the truth rips everything apart again. Because this time, it’s not just her heart at stake. She has a baby to think of.
View More(Serena)
I step out from behind the velvet curtain, and there he is.
James Hale. My billionaire husband.
My heart skips the way it always does when I see him waiting like this—cool, confident, owning the entire boutique without even trying. He’s sitting back in the plush private lounge like it was built for him.
His dark eyes lock on me, and the corner of his mouth lifts.
That look.
The one that always makes me feel like I’m the only woman in the world.
I smile, even though I feel... tight inside. Tense.
Because I haven’t told him.
I haven’t said the words: I’m pregnant again.
After the miscarriage a few months ago, we both shut down.
I can’t help touching my hand to my stomach.
Still flat. Still nothing to see.
But I know there is a baby growing inside of me.
I told myself I’d wait until I was further along before I said anything this time.
To wait a little longer before I get his hopes up.
Before I get my hopes up…
“You’re going to ruin lives in this red dress,” James says, standing up with a grin.
He is tall, broad, and built with the kind of strength that makes people step aside without a word.
His unruly dark hair is always perfectly undone, and his straight jawline stays rough with just the right amount of stubble.
I laugh a little. “You said that about the black one.”
“Yeah, but this one…” He backs me into the dressing room and yanks the curtain close, eyes dragging over every inch of me.
“This is the dress. I’ll be the envy of every man in the room.”
I drag the curtain back open.
“Then this dress it is. But we don’t have time for what’s on your mind.”
“Sure we do.” He grins and reaches for me again.
We do have the time. But I am really not in that mood.
Tonight. I will tell him tonight.
“I need hours to get ready, you know that. To look the part…”
“You always look perfect.” He whispers to me.
I want to believe him. I do. But I also know what his world expects.
Flawless hair. Flawless body. Perfect poise.
And I’m just me.
Bakery girl, small-town girl, girl with dough under her fingernails.
Girl with a little junk in her trunk.
Girl who got lucky.
James’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He ignores it.
Then it goes again. Then again. He pulls it out of his pocket and frowns.
He answers it immediately when it starts to ring. “Yeah?”
I hear a female voice.
And then—he does something he’s never done before—he turns away from me.
I blink in disbelief.
James always stays near me when he takes calls. He never has anything to hide.
He usually keeps one arm around me, like he doesn’t care who hears.
Work calls, boardroom drama, deals—he’s always let me listen.
But now, he walks a few steps away, lowers his voice, and I can’t hear a single word.
I stare at his back. Something’s wrong. Why is he hiding something?
He finishes the call and comes back, all charm again.
“Crisis at the office,” James flashes me his smooth, effortless smile and takes my hand. “You meet me later at Hale Tower and I'll book us a room at the venue for later,” he adds with a wink.
It sounds romantic. Maybe even thoughtful.
But it doesn’t feel like that. Not exactly.
It feels like he’s handling something. Handling me. To keep me happy.
Still—I nod. “Okay. Sounds perfect.”
He kisses me and leaves.
***
I glance toward Hale Tower, just ahead, gripping the steering wheel tighter than I should be.
That call James took was eating at me the whole drive.
I’m about to pull into my reserved spot when a woman steps right out in front of me!
“Oh God!” I slam the brakes and wrench the wheel to the right.
My little car lurches up the curb and crunches into the base of a lamppost.
The whole thing happens in a blink, just one blur of motion and adrenaline.
I slam the gear into park, turn off the ignition and throw open the door.
There she is. A tall, very pregnant woman, now leaning on my car.
My stomach drops.
She could’ve been seriously hurt.
Her baby could have been hurt. I’d never forgive myself if that happened…
I rush over, heart hammering. “Are you okay?!”
She glares at me like I’ve personally declared war on her.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” she yells. “You could’ve killed me! I think I’m going into labor!”
My chest feels tight with panic.
She doesn’t look injured. But her anger is so loud, so sure, I start to question myself.
Maybe I really did mess up. Maybe my worries did affect my driving.
“You get your license out of a cereal box?” she continues.
I take a breath, trying to calm the rising panic. “You stepped out of nowhere, I swerved to miss you…”
Her eyes flash. “Oh, I see what this is. You’re gonna blame me for insurance. Say the crazy pregnant woman jumped in front of you, right? Is this what you do? Are you an insurance scammer?”
“What?” I stare at her.
“You can’t scare me,” she announces. “My husband works right in there.”
She points at Hale Tower.
“He’s a billionaire. And if you try anything, his lawyers will bury you.”
Billionaire? Okay… Well, my husband owns that place and half the rest of this city.
But I don’t want to inflame her anymore.
“He’s on his way out here. Just you wait and see…” She’s leaning on the hood of my car, like it’s her chaise lounge.
I try to hold onto some sliver of composure but I’m glancing up at her as she checks her nails and smooths her already perfect outfit.
I can’t stop looking at her.
Flawless hair. Flawless body. Perfect poise even eight months pregnant.
Just the type of daughter-in-law Margo Hale wanted instead of me.
And then her whole posture changes. She straightens up. Her face transforms into something bright and polished.
She waves past me. “Ah,” she says. “Here he is now… James! Honey!”
I turn. And time stops because my James is walking toward us.
My husband James.
I see her move into his personal space and her hands touching him without hesitation.
She puts her arms around his neck, collapsing onto him. “James, this useless woman tried to ram into me! She could have hurt our baby!”
Their baby?
I can’t move. I can’t think.
All I can do is stare as she leans on him like she belongs there, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
He steadies her gently, one arm around her waist. But he doesn’t shrug her off.
He should be moving away from her. Why isn’t he moving away from her?
“Savannah… you seem to be okay… Are you? The baby?” His voice is low, gentle.
Savannah?
My chest tightens. Not that Savannah. Not the Savannah.
But it is. I know in my heart it is.
His ex-fiancée. She’s here. She’s back. Calling my husband hers.
My mouth goes dry.
(Haylee)My bladder wakes me before my brain does.I groan, roll over… straight over the edge of the bed and wince. “Ow… what the hell…”For a second, I don’t know where I am.Then I see the faded ceiling stars. Serena’s old room.Right. I’m at the Langley house. Oh… dancing, tequila, sambuca and Wes driving us back here. It’s all like a flashback dream not like it actually happened.My phone screen lights up as I grab it to look at the time. 5:04 a.m. Great.My body thinks it’s time to die and my bladder thinks it’s the Indy 500.I shove up off the floor.I don’t need lights. I’ve been coming here since I was ten. I could walk this floor plan drunk. Which, clearly, I still am.The toilet is across the hall, just next to the upstairs bathroom. I fumble the door open, bump the wall, and stifle a giggle.Afterward, I head straight into the bathroom to wash my hands The overhead light is already on, but my brain assumes it’s one of those ‘nightlight for safety’ things.I pump the soap, r
(James)The boardroom is full.Every major investor who matters is represented here.Key partners in global tech, encrypted defense, AI transport logistics. Quiet power players, each with their own empires, here to check the pulse of mine.To my left and right, my trusted executive team… Theo, Arden, Felix, Leo, Camilla, and Ezra… sit composed.Either side of the table closest to me, the Hales: my father Charles, my Uncle Victor, my cousins Elliott and Brandon.All here to present an image of stability.But I know what this is. It’s a test.They want to see if I’m going to do as I’m told.I stand.“You’ve all seen the media coverage. Heard the whispers. People calling this a destabilization of Hale Industries. A fracture. Some even speculating about my future as CEO of Hale.”A few glances exchange down the table. Some amused. Some cautious.“It’s noise,” I continue, voice calm, direct. “This is a press narrative crafted by people with very personal agendas. People who are personal to
(James)The jet hums around us like a beast waiting to strike.I left Serena’s house and came right to my jet. Leaving is not an option.I’m looking a little worse for wear after my drainpipe climb but it was worth it. I’ll shower in my private airport bedroom suite.I’ll do anything to stay relevant in Serena’s life.Not control it but be a part of it she doesn’t want to lose. But I need to get my shit sorted and I’m only scratching the surface of this at the coming meetings.But it’s a start.Geneva is where we’re headed, for god only knows how long. As long as it takes to get their faith back.As long as it takes to get my father and uncle to see I’m not their puppet.Arden Vale, COO at Hale Enterprises, sits across from me, tablet in hand, eyes sharp.Felix Song, Chief Legal Counsel, is reading a legal brief, eyes narrowed behind his glasses.Leo Duran, Chief of Tech, is running code on three devices simultaneously while Ezra lounges with all the attitude of a Gen Z prophet who a
(Serena)I grab a pillow and smack her in the face. “Absolutely not. Jesus, Haylee.”She flops onto the bed next to me, laughing and not remotely sorry. “I mean, I’d understand. Did you see the man tonight? Sin in a sweater.”“I never noticed,” I lie.“But also an idiot. Still, an idiot with a face sculpted by angels on commission.”“I’m not bonking him.”“He was so angry and needy… that’s sexual crack on stick. I wanted to do him myself.”“Be my guest.”She eyes me knowingly. “So you’re just glowing from the tequila, then? You never saw him after he left… at all?”I groan and yank the blanket up over my face. “Oh my god. Shut. Up.”I push the blanket off again.Her eyes land on something on my dresser.She sits bolt upright. And scrambles off the bed and grabs it. “What’s this?”She pops open the velvet box. Her voice goes all high-pitched and scandalized. “Serena Langley! You told me you left all the jewelry behind.”I close my eyes. “Well, I did,” I lie, badly.“You said it was sym
(Serena)“Serena? What are you doing at the back door?” My mother’s voice makes me jump.“Shit, Mom!” I jump back. “Tequila, you know…” How long has she been behind me?“I thought I was going to vomit. I didn’t want to do it upstairs, so I just ran down,” I lie.She crosses her arms. “I thought I heard voices.”“No… Nope. Just me telling myself how stupid I am drinking all those shots.”“I saw that nice young man dropping you off,” she says, stepping out into the darkness and looking around a few times.“You did!?”God, tell me she didn’t see James. How embarrassing.She would be so disappointed if she thought I was letting him worm his way back in after everything.“Sorry if we woke you. I thought you’d be asleep. Dad was always the light sleeper.” I change the subject.She laughs. “That man doesn’t hear anything these days.” She comes back in the door past me.“I guess the golf club has retired then.” I close the door and lock it.“I dream about using it when he’s snoring,” she adds
(Serena)James gets to his feet, brushing dirt off his jeans. “Because I miss you.”Our voices are just barely above a whisper but no less emphatic.“Really? If you think I’m falling for that old chestnut, you’re dead wrong, and you can get back out that window before I push you out.”“The you who laughed at my terrible pancakes and let me fall asleep with my head in your lap after a 16-hour board meeting.”I don’t say anything.“The you who called me on my bullshit before I started pretending I didn’t have any.”He pauses, then adds, “and because my AI house played ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ three times in a row, and I think it might be gaining sentience. I’m not sure I trust it anymore.”I bite back a laugh. “Are you high?”“Nope. Just desperate. And probably concussed. I hit my head on a drainpipe trying to climb up.”I shake my head, torn between amused and furious and… something else.And that something else is dangerous.Because it feels like hope.Because his voice still gets
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