Chapter 147

Serena's POV

"I tried to find you after that night," his voice rised. "But my parents' accident happened, and suddenly everything..." He trailed off. "Everything changed."

I remained silent. The mention of his parents' accident stirred something in my memory - newspaper headlines.

"Then Milo and Stella were brought home," he continued. "And Howard's control became absolute. Every move I made was monitored. Even that night at the hotel..." He paused, his jaw tightening. "He knew. About everything."

A chill ran down my spine despite the car's warmth. The memory of that hospital room, of the doctor's cold voice pronouncing my baby a stillborn, suddenly felt sharper, more painful.

"The stillbirth story," Lucas's voice had dropped to barely above a whisper. "Howard bribed the doctor. He wanted to keep the baby."

The words hit me like a physical blow. My hands began to shake in my lap, and I clasped them together tightly, trying to control the tremors. The pain of that loss - the grief I'd carried for seven years - suddenly took on a new, horrifying dimension.

"I saw you again in Germany," he continued, seemingly unable to stop now that he'd started. "You were with Ian. Walking together in the sunset. I wanted to approach you, but..." He shook his head. "You looked happy. I didn't have the right."

"So this was revenge?" My voice came out steadier than I felt. "For moving on?"

"No!" The vehemence in his voice made me flinch. "I would never... That's not why."

"Then why?" I demanded, turning to face him fully. "Why be so good to me? We were strangers. I abandoned kids. I hurt you. What reason could you have to care?"

A bitter smile crossed his face. "I knew about you long before that night. Back in high school. Drew talked about you constantly - the star student, the beauty everyone admired."

"High school crushes don't last long years," I said flatly.

"They do when fate keeps bringing you back together." His eyes met mine in the dim light. "The hotel. Germany. Your wedding."

"The shooting at my hotel," he continued. "I saw Ian save Nina, leaving you behind. I couldn't... I couldn't let you..." His hands clenched tighter.

"I don't want to hear any more explanations," I interrupted, my voice cutting through the heavy air of the car. "Whether they're true or not doesn't matter anymore. We ended the day Howard announced your engagement."

The redness rimming his eyes made something in my chest ache, but I pushed the feeling aside. This wasn't the time for weakness.

"You're not even willing to listen?" The quiet desperation in his voice almost made me waver.

I pulled out my phone, my fingers moving with deliberate calm as I pulled up a news article. "Call me selfish, but logic tells me this: You and Rachel grew up together." I gestured to the society page photo of them at a gala, both looking perfectly matched in their elegance. "Your engagement makes perfect sense. As for me..." I forced a small, bitter laugh. "I forced myself on you that night and abandoned your child. This could all be revenge."

"That's not-"

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't." I put my phone away, each movement carefully controlled. "The truth is, it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that I've made my decision."

"Maybe my doubts aren't about your capability," I said finally, my voice softening despite my best efforts. "Maybe I just don't love you enough. It's better to end this before we get in too deep."

I watched the words land, saw them sink into him like physical blows. Part of me wanted to take them back, to ease the pain I could see etched across his features. But that would only make things harder in the long run.

"Take the car," I said, reaching for the door handle. "Have Ethan bring it back when convenient."

"Serena." My name on his lips still had the power to make my heart skip, but I couldn't let him see that. "Please don't do this."

I stepped out of the car, my heels clicking against concrete with a finality that echoed through the empty garage.

"You know this isn't the real reason," Lucas called after me, his voice carrying a note of desperation I'd never heard before.

I didn't turn around. "Goodbye, Lucas."

Two hours and fifteen minutes until my alarm. Just enough time to shower, change, and lock away these memories alongside all the others I tried not to think about.

I leaned against the elevator wall, allowing myself one moment of weakness in the privacy of the small space. One moment to acknowledge the pain in my chest, the trembling in my hands, the tears I refused to let fall.

One moment. That's all I could afford.

BANG!

A loud thud snapped me back to reality.