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.
(Serena)Ronan’s restaurant choice is predictably perfect.A private room, muted lighting, and a wine list that could pay for a semester of culinary school. But I didn’t come here to be impressed romantically.And I didn’t come alone.Haylee is walking in beside me. She gives Ronan a polite nod as he stands to greet me.“You brought backup,” he says, one brow arched.“I brought my best friend,” I say. “You know. In case this turned into some dramatic rooftop confession about fate. This is a business dinner.”Haylee giggles. “She means if you get handsy or poetic, I’m the one calling security.”Ronan smiles. “Well, you ruin all my fun.”“Good,” I say, settling into the booth. “Because I’m still a married woman, regardless of what my brother said happened.”“Wes thinks you deserve someone who sees you. I don’t disagree with him,” Ronan replies smoothly. “But I also know you haven’t expected anything except a business dinner, so let’s talk business.”He means it. I can tell. His flirtat
(James)I land on the 74th floor and the entire Hale Tower shifts into motion.They see me. Everything sharpens. Cleaner lines, quieter voices, faster steps.A cup of black coffee is already waiting in the glass-walled corner office. Triple-filtered.No sugar. No cream. Perfect.“Mr. Hale, good morning,” Arden says as she steps into stride beside me. Impeccably tailored grey suit, hair back, tablet in hand. “COO-level briefings start in twenty. Leo has finalized encryption on the venture doc for the Emirati delegation. And Camilla wants five minutes about the Zurich deal.”“She can have four,” I say, scanning the morning alerts Theo left flagged on my desk.Arden gives the smallest nod. “Also… your father called. Twice.”“Let him wait.”Across from me, my personal office stretches across half the floor. Crystal skyline. Oak-and-black steel fixtures. Minimalist luxury. Power incarnate.This place is built to run countries.“Arden, cancel my one p.m. I’ll be at the mansion this afternoo
(Serena)The smell of proofing dough hits me the moment I step through the back entrance of my bakery.It’s familiar. Safe. Mine.Leo’s already bouncing behind the espresso machine, headphones in, twisting shots and frothing milk like it’s a dance routine. He sees me and immediately tears one bud out.“You’re here!” he chirps. “Thank God. I was about to start free-styling over pastry orders again.”“Please don’t,” Alex says dryly from behind the counter, not looking up from the work iPad. “We lost two regulars last time.”The banter is easy, like stepping into a perfectly choreographed play. But something inside me is slower. Heavier. I know I belong here. This is the world I built from scratch.But I feel like an observer in my own life at the moment.“Hey boss,” Rosa says, coming out from the kitchen, apron streaked with raspberry compote. “Don’t think we didn’t notice the latte art’s gone downhill since you left. Leo tried to do a phoenix and ended up with a shrimp.”“Rude,” Leo mu
(Serena)The restaurant Sabine chose is discreet and impossibly chic.It’s the kind of place where no one raises an eyebrow when two of the most influential women in the world walk in with their security detail just behind them.I’m already seated when they arrive- Vivian in an ivory pantsuit and killer heels, Sabine in her signature navy wrap dress and a diamond tennis bracelet that likely costs more than my bakery equipment.I stand to greet them, bracing myself against the table, careful not to let my weight fall on the wrong foot. Sabine notices instantly. Of course she does.“You’re limping, and you have a sling?” she says gently as we sit. “What happened?”“I slipped,” I reply smoothly. “Top stair, outside Hale Mansion. It wasn’t as dramatic as it sounds.”Vivian’s eyes narrow. “You were fine when we left the other night.”“I was.” I force a smile. “It’s nothing. I’m okay.”They don’t push, but I can feel the awareness hanging in the air. These women have made a life out of read
(Serena)My bedroom is just as I left it.Faded posters on the inside of the closet door, a bookshelf sagging with my old baking competition trophies, and the vintage lamp I begged my parents to keep instead of replacing with something more grown-up.It still flickers when I turn it on.I haven’t slept here since before college. Way before James. But Mom keeps all our rooms the same. Just in case we ever need anything, she says.The sheets are soft, freshly laundered, and I curl under them like a girl trying to forget the world beyond the window.I can still hear Wes and Dad talking downstairs. Mom’s in the kitchen, probably planning dinner.They mean well. They love me unconditionally. But they can also see no wrong in me. And like James Hale, I’m not perfect. I’m a house of cards one deep breath away from collapse.I press the side of my head to the pillow and close my eyes.Then open them again. No peace.I’m still angry. Still bitter. Still banged up from the fall, losing the baby
(James)Savannah moves toward me with a damp cloth in her hand, but I hold up mine before she can touch me.“Don’t,” I say. “I’ll sort it out.”She stops, cloth hovering in the air, eyes wide and wounded. “James…”“I mean it. This isn’t appropriate right now. You shouldn’t be here.”She doesn’t back away. She never does.“I saw them leaving, your face…” Her voice softens. “I just wanted to check on you. As a friend. That’s not a crime.”“No,” I say, turning away. “But it’s not nothing either.”She lingers. I can feel waiting around behind me, and for once, I wish she’d just take the hint. Maybe Serena is right about Savannah. But I’ve lived us from Savannah’s point of view too, and I get why Savannah has trouble letting us go.“I’m not going to apologize for still loving you,” she says gently. “I’ve never hidden that.”I turn round and wince a little. I feel bruised in places I didn’t forgotten could hurt. It’s been years since I had a fist fight. I feel kind of energized. I know Wes
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