Chapter 2
Serena's POV
Victor's hand was large and warm.
His fingers closed around mine, and my heart damn near stopped.
Eight years.
Eight goddamn years, and this was the first time someone's touch made me feel safe instead of suffocated.
Julian stood frozen, eyes locked on our hands. Took him five full seconds to process what he was seeing.
"Serena!" He started toward us. "What the hell are you DOING?! Running to Victor to get back at me? The guy's a lunatic! Let go of him. Right now."
"Move."
Victor barely glanced up.
One word. Quiet. But Julian stopped like he'd hit a wall.
"Look, Uncle Victor—" Julian's voice strained. "This is between me and Serena. She's upset, she's not thinking straight. Just—don't get involved, okay?"
Victor finally lifted his gaze.
The way he looked at Julian—like something he'd scraped off his shoe.
"Upset?" A cold laugh. "Vance, what makes you think you're worth gambling a marriage over?"
He stepped closer, half a head taller, looking down. "Starting now, she's mine. You talk to her like that again, and Vance Group's off NASDAQ by morning."
The room went dead silent.
Nobody questioned Victor Kane's threats. On Wall Street, his word was law.
Julian's face went through about five colors. He turned on me, furious.
"Jesus Christ, Serena—you're really doing this? Over EMMA? You'll throw away eight years for this?"
Eight years.
I stepped out from behind Victor and met Julian's eyes like I was looking at a stranger.
"You've got it wrong, Julian." My voice was steady. "I didn't throw away anything. You did. You want Emma so bad? Go be with her."
I turned to the Astor legal team up front.
"Mr. Smith, draw up the termination papers. Pull us out of the Lower Manhattan deal with Vance. Every penny from Vance Medical Tech—gone. And put out a statement. Astor and Vance? Done."
"Serena, NO—you can't—!"
Julian's panic finally showed.
Lower Manhattan was Vance Group's oxygen for the next five years. Without Astor backing, they'd be bankrupt in three months.
He lunged for me. Victor's guys had him on the floor in seconds.
"Get your hands OFF me!" Julian twisted against their grip, voice breaking. "Serena, you'll regret this! Victor doesn't love you—he just wants both our companies!"
I looked down at him.
Last life, he'd looked just like this. Desperate. Cornered. Still thinking he could manipulate me.
"Whether I regret it?" I smiled. "Not your problem anymore."
I looped my arm through Victor's.
"Come on." I didn't look back at Julian. "I'm done here."
Victor didn't speak.
He just shifted, putting himself between me and everyone else, hand settling on my back as he walked me down that aisle.
Behind us—cameras exploding, Manhattan's elite losing their minds, Julian still yelling as security hauled him out.
I didn't turn around once.
The Rolls-Royce door shut, and I fell apart.
Everything I'd been holding back—the fire, the rebirth, that cold mask I'd worn on the altar—it all hit at once.
I pressed my hands to my face. Tears soaked into the wedding dress.
Then arms pulled me close.
Victor didn't say anything. Just held me, one hand cradling my head against his chest. His heartbeat was steady. He smelled like cedar and safety.
"You're safe." His voice was quiet. "I've got you. No one's getting near you."
I pressed closer and cried harder.
God, how stupid was I last life? Throwing this away to chase Julian?
"Victor." I looked up, vision blurry. "If I was just using you back there... would you still want me?"
He stared down at me.
Those gray-blue eyes, impossibly deep. His thumb brushed my tears away. Half-smile, almost bitter.
"Serena, you could ask me to die and I would."
Pause.
"Just don't shut me out again."
Something in his expression cracked me open.
I reached up, arms around his neck, face buried in his shoulder.
"I won't." My voice broke. "This time I'm holding on. I don't care what it takes."
Victor went still.
Then his arms locked around me like he'd never let go.
Outside the cathedral.
Security dumped Julian on the sidewalk. Suit dirty, hair wrecked, looking like he'd been hit by a truck.
His phone kept buzzing.
Emma's name on the screen.
"Julian..." Soft crying through the speaker. "Where are you? I'm scared..."
Julian stared at the closed cathedral doors, phone clenched white-knuckle tight.
He'd thought she was bluffing.
Thought he could smooth it over later, that she'd forgive him like she always did.
He didn't know the Serena who loved him enough to die for him was already dead.
