Chapter 144

Ian's POV

Lucas Harrington stood by the emergency entrance. The sight of him sent a jolt of shock through my system. The tabloids had been full of their intimate farewell just hours ago.

She faltered for just a moment, almost imperceptible unless you knew her as well as I once had.

The space between them crackled with tension. Neither moved, neither spoke, yet the air itself seemed to shift with unspoken words.

"Are you done?" Lucas's voice was low, controlled, carrying easily across the quiet parking lot. The casual possessiveness in his tone made my fists clench.

"Yes." One word from Serena.

"Let's go." Not a request, but a command, and to my disbelief, Serena didn't bristle at it. The Serena I knew would have cut anyone down to size for presuming to order her around. This Serena simply moved toward him.

I watched as Lucas and Serena walked past me, completely ignoring my presence. Their quiet confidence was maddening - neither showed any sign of being affected by external pressures. Serena didn't recoil from Lucas despite his engagement to another woman. And Lucas... he didn't display even a hint of jealousy about Serena's history with me.

It was as if they shared an unspoken trust, their connection immune to the chaos around them. The way they moved together, so in sync, so assured...

They treated me like I was nothing but air.

My fists clenched involuntarily at my sides. How could Serena - proud, dignified Serena Sinclair - willingly step into the role of "the other woman" with Lucas Harrington? The thought of it made rage build in my chest until I could barely breathe.

The irony was suffocating. Serena, who had always carried herself with such superiority, was now ready to become exactly what she'd once despised.

They disappeared around the corner, leaving me alone in the harsh hospital lights.

My phone rang just as Lucas's Bentley disappeared into the night. Nina's ringtone - pierced the cold air. I let it ring twice, three times, composing my thoughts before answering.

"Ian, darling!" Nina's voice dripped honey and concern. "I've been so worried. Why haven't you called?"

I leaned against the cold brick wall of the hospital, my ribs protesting the movement. "I was just about to call you."

"Were you?" The doubt in her voice was carefully measured. "It's past three AM, Ian. I've been waiting up all night." A delicate sniffle. "After everything I did yesterday, crying in front of Daddy, begging him to consider helping Whitmore..."

Last night, Nina called me in tears. Her sobs were uncontrollable as she explained how she'd failed to convince her father to invest in our company. She'd gotten into a huge argument with him, and coupled with her worries about Whitmore Enterprises' crisis, she completely broke down.

I was already on edge, the mess at Whitmore weighing heavily on me. Every day felt like walking through a minefield, and Nina's tears only amplified my frustration. I snapped at her twice, my voice harsher than intended. But instead of getting angry, she just apologized more, blaming herself. Then she mentioned something interesting - Serena could be the key to saving Whitmore Enterprises.

Through her tears, Nina explained that StarRiver was planning collaboration deals with other luxury brands. Given Serena's current popularity and media presence, any partnership with StarRiver would be incredibly profitable. If I could secure this project, it might be enough to pull Whitmore back from the brink.

I know Serena too well - she'd never help Whitmore now. But Nina kept encouraging me, insisting we had nothing to lose at this point. She mentioned that James Chapman had issues with Serena, and knowing his vindictive nature, he might try to cause problems for her. Nina suggested I could use that situation to play the hero, possibly softening Serena's stance toward me.

Nina pointed out that Serena was particularly vulnerable right now, having been apparently abandoned by Lucas Harrington. She believed that if I made the right moves, Serena might set aside our past differences. Nina explicitly told me not to worry about her feelings - saving Whitmore had to come first.

*"Our love is unshakeable," she assured me. "Like a rock."*

Her devotion moved me deeply. In that moment, I felt incredibly fortunate to have someone who loved me so completely, who would put aside her own feelings for my family's sake.

"Did you see Serena?" she pressed when I didn't respond. "How did it go?"

The image of Serena walking away with Lucas flashed through my mind. "Not as planned."

"Oh, darling." Another carefully calculated pause. "You know she's vulnerable right now, especially with all this Lucas and Rachel drama. The timing couldn't be better for us."

"Serena's not as vulnerable as you think."

"But she must be! I mean, Lucas practically flaunted Rachel at JFK. Every gossip site has the pictures." Nina's voice took on that excited edge it always got when discussing her sister's potential misery. "Serena hates public humiliation more than anything. Remember how she reacted when news of our engagement broke?"

I did remember. The ice in Serena's eyes when she'd thrown her ring at me. The way her voice never wavered as she told me exactly what she thought of my family loyalty.

"The StarRiver bidding process starts this week," I said, steering the conversation away from dangerous waters. "We're running out of time."

"Isn't there any way," Nina's voice cracked with desperation, "to force my sister into cooperating with Whitmore?"

"I can't threaten her anymore..." I stopped mid-sentence, a thought suddenly crystallizing in my mind.

*Force Serena to cooperate with Whitmore?*

A shiver ran through me as a malicious idea took shape, darkness flickering behind my eyes. I thought of James Chapman, of the fear in Serena's eyes when he grabbed her.

"Nina." I made my voice soft, indulgent. "You'll be the only Mrs. Whitmore. I promise."

"I know, darling." She practically purred. "I'll always wait for you. No matter what it takes."