Chapter 8 Sanctuary Or Rival - Serena’s Settlement

The early morning air in the penthouse felt cold and uncomfortable. I stood by the table, holding the paper with shaking hands. The check for ten million dollars stared back at me, written in my mother's neat and deadly handwriting. Everything Serena had said and done the night before now seemed fake, like she was playing a trick on me. I felt angry and betrayed, like my heart was trapped in ice.

I heard the floor creak behind me. "Edward?" Serena said, her voice sleepy and sweet. She was standing in the doorway, wearing a silk robe that was a bit too big, her hair messy and beautiful. "Why are you up so early? It's still dark outside."

I didn't turn around right away. I folded the check slowly, the paper making a loud noise in the quiet room. When I finally looked at her, my expression made Serena take a step back. She had seen me vulnerable before, but now I was angry, like a wild animal protecting itself.

"I was going to surprise you," I said, my voice low and scary. I held up the check. "I was going to give you a card with your name on it. It was a sign that I trusted you, and that this has become more than a contract. Something real was starting between us."

Serena's heart sank into her stomach. The blood drained from her face, leaving her ghost-white. "Ed, I can explain—"

"Explain what, Serena? That you spent the night in my bed while having a ten-million-dollar exit strategy hidden in your purse?" I took a step toward her, my shadow looming over her in the dim light. "You told me you slept all day. You lied to my face. While I was telling you about my firm, while I was opening up about how Eleanor broke me, you were sitting on a fortune provided by the woman who hates you the most. Was the sex part of the negotiation? Did you think you could get a better price if you stayed one more night?"

"Stop it!" Serena shouted, her anger rising. "Don't compare me to her! Yes, I met her. Yes, she offered me the money. And yes, I thought about it for a second. I thought about my family, about my parents not having to worry about money. Ten million dollars is a lot, Edward. It's life-changing. I'm human, I thought about what it could do for the people I care about!"

I felt like I'd been punched. "So it's true. You were tempted by the money."

"I thought I had a price, but I realized I couldn't take the money," Serena said, standing close to me, her eyes filled with tears. "I don't want it, Edward. I was going to show you that she tried to hurt us, but you won't see it. The check isn't signed, it's not cashed. It's worthless!"

"You lied to me about where you were," I shouted, feeling hurt and betrayed. "The money is one thing, but lying is worse. You looked me in the eye and said you were home."

"Because I knew you’d react exactly like this!" she cried. "I wanted one night where it was just us, without your mother’s shadow over the bed! I chose you, Edward! I chose a cold, difficult, arrogant lawyer over a life of ease for my entire family. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

I looked at her, my heart racing. Part of me wanted to trust her, but the check was still in my mind, haunting me. I didn't say anything. I just grabbed my keys and coat.

"Edward, wait!"

"I can't be here," I snapped, my hand on the door. "I need to go before I say something we can't come back from."

I slammed the door, the sound echoing through the penthouse like a gunshot.

My assistant, Evelyn, looked up in surprise as I walked out of the elevator. My suit was wrinkled and my tie was loose - she'd never seen me like that before. I was two hours late.

"Mr. Vance, you have a meeting in ten minutes..." she said.

"Cancel it," I said loudly, walking quickly to my office.

Evelyn looked worried. "Sir, is everything okay? Is Mrs. Vance alright?"

I stopped at my door and turned to her. "Evelyn, cancel all my appointments. Don't let anyone disturb me."

I went into my office, locked the door, and sat at my desk. I stared out the window, but all I could see was Serena's face - the way she looked at me, like she was guilty but also really loyal. I tried to work, but I couldn't focus. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt her touch, and then I saw the check.

By noon, I was getting really frustrated. I grabbed my coat and walked past a stunned Evelyn without a word. I headed for the parking lot; I hit the highway. I needed blood. I needed to confront the source of my problems.

The Vance Estate, Berklene, was quiet and serene as usual. Nothing’s out of place since my mother demands perfection from her staff. Lily Vance was in the garden, sipping Earl Grey and admiring her orchids, when the French doors were nearly kicked off their hinges. I stormed in, the ten-million-dollar check crumpled in my fist.

"Edward! What a pleasant—"

"Save it, Mother," I shouted, throwing the crumpled ball of paper into her tea cup. The hot liquid splashed over her white silk blouse, but she didn't even flinch. She simply set the cup down with a terrifyingly calm smile.

"I see you found my little wedding present," Lily said smoothly.

"You tried to buy her off? After I told you she was my wife? You went behind my back to dismantle my life?"

"I went behind your back to save it, Edward." Lily stood up, her charisma radiating like a cold sun. "And she took it, didn't she? She kept it. She brought it into your home. If she were as 'noble' as you think, she would have burned it in front of me. Instead, she tucked it away. She’s waiting, Edward. Waiting for the right moment to cash out."

Lily smiled, a slow, viper-like expression. "Oh, my dear boy. You really are blind when you're in love."

I felt the world tilt. I backed away, my mind a hurricane of doubt and longing. I turned and ran toward my car, the tires screaming as I tore down the driveway. I had to get back. I had to know if the woman I had finally started to love was my sanctuary—or my most dangerous rival.