MasukSerenaI didn't know how long I had been in that basement.Hours, probably. Maybe longer.Time had lost all meaning in the cold, dark room.I had tried everything to escape. rubbed my zip-tied wrists against the rough concrete wall until they were raw and bleeding, trying to break the plastic. But I couldn't.I screamed until my voice was hoarse, hoping someone, anyone, would hear me. But there's no one.I searched every inch of the room I could reach for something sharp, something I could use to cut myself free.But there was nothing.Just cold concrete, rusty pipes, and that single flickering light bulb.I was exhausted, freezing, terrified.But I refused to give up."Ethan is looking for me. He's coming. I just have to hold on."That thought was the only thing keeping me from completely falling apart.Then I heard footsteps again.Multiple footsteps this time, coming down the stairs.The door opened and Victoria Wellington walked in, followed by one of the large men who had kidnap
Serena I woke up slowly, consciousness returning in fragments.The first thing I noticed was the cold.I was freezing.My entire body was shivering.The second thing I noticed was the darkness.Not complete darkness. There was a faint light coming from somewhere, but it was dim and flickering.The third thing I noticed was the smell.Damp. Musty. Like old concrete and mildew.And then I noticed the pain.My wrists hurt. Badly.I tried to move my hands and realized they were tied behind my back.Zip ties. Tight. Cutting into my skin.My ankles were tied too.Panic surged through me and I jerked upright.Too fast.My head spun and I felt nauseous.The sedative was still in my system.I blinked several times, trying to clear my vision and make sense of where I was.As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, details started to emerge.I was in a large, empty room.Concrete floor. Concrete walls. High ceiling with exposed pipes and beams.The only light came from a single bare bulb hanging fro
Ethan Ashford Just then, my phone rang. It's David."I've got her location," he said. "Her phone is currently at 1247 Magnolia Drive."I felt my blood run cold.1247 Magnolia Drive.The Wellington estate.The property that Serena now owned after foreclosing on Wellington's debt."She broke in," I said. "She broke into Serena's property.""Looks like it," David confirmed. "Should I call the police?""No," I said immediately. "I'm handling this myself."I hung up and called Daniel back."Victoria is at the old Wellington estate," I said. "Get three of your best security guards and meet me there in thirty minutes.""Understood," he said. "But I'm coming armed, and so are my men.""Fine," I said. "Just be ready to move in thirty minutes."I hung up and started to leave my office.Then my phone buzzed with a text message.Unknown number.I opened it.What I read made my heart stop."If you come for Victoria, you'll never see Serena again."I stared at the message, my mind racing.What did
Ethan Ashford The moment we got home from the board meeting, I knew I needed to act.Serena was upstairs, exhausted and emotionally destroyed.She had changed into comfortable clothes and was lying on our bed, staring at the ceiling with empty eyes.I had brought her tea, tried to get her to eat something, but she just shook her head."I just want to rest," she whispered. "Just for a little while."I kissed her forehead and left her alone.But I couldn't rest.I couldn't sit still.Someone had declared war on my wife, and I am going to end them.I went to my office and started making calls.First, to my legal team."I need everything you can find on Victoria Wellington," I told Richard, my head attorney. "Financial records, phone records, property records, everything. I want to know where she's getting her money, who she's working with, and where she's hiding.""I'll get started immediately," Richard said.Next, I called Daniel, my head of security."Any updates on the investigation?
VictoriaI sat in my hotel suite, staring at my laptop screen, and felt pure, intoxicating satisfaction.It worked.God, the plan had actually worked.I watched the news coverage for the fifth time, rewinding and replaying the moment when Serena's face appeared on those massive screens.The shock in her expression.The horror.The complete and utter devastation.God, it was beautiful.I had destroyed her in front of five hundred people.In front of the entire business world.And it felt incredible."Did you see her face?" I said out loud, laughing. "Did you see how she just stood there, frozen? She looked like her entire world was falling apart."Because it was.Serena Lawrence. No, Serena Ashford now.The woman who destroyed my family, took away our home, our money, our reputation, and stole Ethan from me.She's finally getting what she deserved.I poured myself a glass of champagne and raised it in a mock toast to the news coverage playing on my laptop."To Serena Ashford," I said,
Chapter 66Serena My heart weighed heavy in my chest as I stared at Desmond.God, if someone had told me Desmond could stand in the same place with the Wellington's, let alone letting Catherine into my office, I wouldn't have believed it."Ethan," I said quietly. "Call security.""Serena, please," Desmond said, his eyes going wide with panic. "Please don't. I'll do anything. I'll testify against Victoria. I'll tell the board everything. I'll fix this. Just please, don't fire me. I need this job. Susan needs the insurance.""You should have thought of that before you betrayed me," I said, my voice cold now.Ethan pulled out his phone and made the call."I need security in Desmond Miller's office immediately," he said. "We have a situation that needs to be handled.""Please," Desmond begged, coming around his desk toward me. "Serena, please. I made a mistake. A terrible mistake. But I can fix it. Let me fix it.""Stay back," Ethan said sharply, stepping between Desmond and me.Desmond







