Chapter Sixty-One: The Scandal She Shouldn't Care About
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE: THE SCANDAL SHE SHOULDN'T CARE ABOUT
ANNA SERRANO
"...and they all lived happily ever after. The end."
I glanced over at Hermione, only to find her completely knocked out, mouth slightly open, breathing deep and even, one arm flung dramatically across her pillow. A soft smile tugged at my lips despite everything else weighing on my mind.
I carefully extracted myself from where I'd been sitting on the edge of her bed, moving slowly so I wouldn't disturb her. She shifted slightly, mumbled something incoherent, then settled back into sleep without waking.
I tucked the blanket more securely around her shoulders, set the storybook on her nightstand, and switched off the lamp. The room fell into comfortable darkness, lit only by the faint glow of her nightlight, the one she insisted she didn't need anymore but still kept plugged in.
With one last look at her peaceful face, I slipped out of the room and closed the door behind me with a soft click.
The moment the door shut, I leaned back against it heavily and let out a long, exhausted breath.
Reality came crashing back down on me like a tidal wave.
The news. The photos. The ridiculous, infuriating, impossible dating scandal that was currently trending across every social media platform and entertainment news site in the city.
How the hell had photos of Abel coming to my office gotten leaked in the first place? He must have caused a scene downstairs in the lobby, that was the only explanation. Abel Donovan never did anything subtly when he wanted attention. He probably made sure half the building saw him walking in with those stupid flowers.
But how did someone get photos from the executive floor? That level required keycard access. Security was tight. Only employees and approved visitors could get up there.
I groaned, rubbing my temples where a headache was beginning to pulse.
Abel caused this. He orchestrated this. And now he was going to fix it, whether he wanted to or not.
I pulled out my phone as I walked down the dimly lit hallway toward my room, scrolling through the endless stream of notifications I'd been ignoring all evening. My thumb hovered over Abel's contact information for a moment before I pressed call.
It rang once. Twice. Three times. Four.
Voicemail.
I frowned, staring at my phone like it had personally betrayed me.
That was strange. Abel always picked up my calls, always. Ever since I reemerged as a Serrano, he was weirdly eager about any interaction with me, like he couldn't resist the opportunity to get under my skin.
So why wasn't he answering now?
I was about to try again when I heard a door open somewhere down the hall, followed by the soft sound of footsteps.
I looked up from my phone to see Mother emerging from her room, an elegant silk robe flowing behind her like she was gliding rather than walking. She held a tablet in one hand, reading glasses perched on her nose. When she spotted me, she smiled warmly.
"Anna, darling. I was just about to come find you." She moved closer, her posture relaxed and unbothered despite the late hour. "Is Hermione asleep?"
I sighed, slipping my phone into my pocket. "Yes, Mother. Finally, She fought it for a while, but the story did the trick."
She nodded approvingly. "Good. That child needs her rest." Then she paused, studying my face with that sharp, perceptive gaze that missed nothing. "Is something wrong?"
"No, Mother. I'm fine."
"Are you certain you have everything under control?" Her tone was gentle but probing.
I raised my head to meet her eyes fully, and in that moment I realized there was no point in pretending. Mother Serrano always knew. She had an entire network of people feeding her information, keeping her updated on anything and everything that might affect the family or the business. If it was trending online, she'd already seen it.
"I know you've seen the news, Mother," I said, turning to face her properly. "But it's not how it seems. The press is fabricating the truth, twisting what actually happened."
Mother's face shifted into a slight frown, and for one heart-stopping moment I thought maybe she hadn't seen the news and I'd just exposed myself for no reason.
But then she waved a dismissive hand. "Are you talking about the dating scandal with Abel Donovan?"
I exhaled in relief. "Yes. That one."
She tilted her head, looking almost amused. "Why are you so bothered by it, Anna? Is there something you're not telling me?"
"What?" I blinked at her, confused.
"I'm not bothered by the news at all," she said, her tone maddeningly casual. "If anything, I'm rather impressed. I thought this was part of the plan, the strategy to frustrate him, drain his resources, make him regret everything he's done. This fake dating scandal seems like it would accomplish exactly that. So why are you upset about it?"
She was watching me now with open suspicion, like she was trying to solve a puzzle.
I forced out an awkward laugh. "I just thought you'd be concerned about the company's image. The Serrano reputation. I wasn't worried about the scandal itself, I was worried about your reaction to it."
Mother studied me for a long moment, then smiled and nodded. "Good. As long as that's all it is." She paused, then added, "If the Donovans are causing problems for you, especially Abel, perhaps it's time I paid them a visit myself."
My eyes widened. "Really? You'd meet with them?"
"Don't worry, darling," she said, patting my arm reassuringly. "I'll handle it. Everything. And I'm talking about a private meeting, not some media circus. Just a quiet conversation to remind them who they're dealing with."
I nodded, feeling some of the tension in my shoulders ease slightly.
"By the way," Mother said, adjusting her reading glasses, "have you seen Alexander? His phone has been unreachable all day."
"No, but Sherry went to his penthouse earlier to drop off some documents."
"If you reach him first, tell him to come see me immediately tomorrow morning. I need to discuss something with him." She squeezed my shoulder once. "Goodnight, Anna. Try to get some rest."
"Goodnight, Mother."
She turned and glided back down the hallway to her room, leaving me standing there in the dim corridor feeling more confused than ever.
After a moment, my legs finally remembered how to move, and I made my way back toward my own room.
What in the hell was that?