Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Six

Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Six
Serena’s Pov

The moment the hall went quiet again, I took a deep breath and faced the crowd. The bright stage lights were hot on my skin, but I didn’t flinch. The reporters stared back at me, some holding up their recorders, others already typing away on their laptops, waiting for a headline.

I adjusted the microphone slightly and was ready to speak.

“I’m aware of everything that’s been happening lately,” I said. “I know about the gifts, the public displays, and the attention surrounding Killian Blackwood and me.”

At that point, there was a murmur among the reporters. Cameras flashed continuously, and I could almost feel the energy of the room change. Everyone was waiting desperately to hear all that I had to say.

Then I continued calmly, “But let me make something very clear today. Whatever Killian Blackwood is trying to do is his decision. I didn’t ask him to go to such lengths. I don’t support it, and I am not interested in him, and never will I.”

The murmurs grew louder, mixed with the sound of clicking shutters and hurried typing. I could see a few surprised faces in the crowd. Some people were clearly not expecting me to be this direct.

I glanced towards the far end of the hall, straight into one of the cameras, as if I was looking directly at Killian.

“And Killian,” I said, my voice firm, “if you’re watching this, I want you to know something; you don’t impress me. Not with your wealth, your gestures, or your sudden apology tour. You had your chance. You lost it. And now, I want you to stop.”

The entire room went dead silent. Even the cameramen froze for a second before resuming their work.

I didn’t blink. I wanted that message to sink deep into him. I wanted him to feel the sting of rejection; publicly, clearly, and without confusion.

After a moment, I exhaled softly, and adjusted the mic again. 

“That’s all I have to say.”

Then I stepped back from the podium. The host tried to say something, probably asking if I wanted to take questions, but I ignored him. I turned around and walked off the stage confidently.

Immediately, my guards surrounded me, clearing the path. Several reporters rushed forward, calling out my name.

“Miss Serena! One question, please!”

“Do you still have feelings for Killian Blackwood?”

“Are you in a relationship with Adrien Volkov?”

“Did you mean what you said about never taking Killian back?”

Their voices blended together like noise. I didn’t answer any of them. My heels clicked sharply against the polished floor as I walked towards the exit. The guards were firm, ensuring none of them got too close.

When I stepped outside the hall, the sunlight hit me, and I had my first smile for the day. It felt like a heavy weight had lifted off my shoulders. I had said what needed to be said, and I had done it in front of the entire world.

Ryan then caught up with me, holding his phone. 

“Ma’am,” he said breathlessly, “that was… that was bold.”

I looked at him with a slight smirk. 

“Bold is what he deserves.”

He chuckled nervously. “Well, the media is already going crazy about it. Twitter, Instagram, the blogs, everyone is talking.”

“Good,” I said simply, walking towards the car. “Let them talk.”

As we got into the car, Ryan turned to me. “Do you want me to drive you to the office? Or home?”

I leaned back against the seat, thinking for a moment before I spoke.

“Home,” I said. “I need to rest. It’s been a long day.”

“Got it.” He nodded and started the car.

The drive home was quiet. I looked out the window, watching the city blur past. Billboards, tall buildings, people crossing the streets, it all looked peaceful. But my mind was anything but quiet.

I replayed the scene from the conference over and over in my head, every word, every stare. The look on some of those reporters’ faces when I said Killian’s name was priceless. I could already imagine how he would react when he saw it.

A bitter smile formed on my lips. You wanted a show, Killian? Well, I just gave you one.

When we reached the house, Ryan parked neatly in front of the gate and turned to me. 

“You did great today, ma’am. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to be that calm and sharp.”

“Thank you,” I said, giving him a small, tired smile. “You’ve done well too. Go home and rest, alright?”

He hesitated. “Are you sure you don’t need me to stay around? Just in case…”

“I’ll be fine,” I interrupted gently. “You’ve done enough today.”

“Alright then,” he said, smiling. “Have a good rest, ma’am.”

“Thanks, Ryan.”

I stepped out of the car and walked towards the house. As soon as I got inside, I let out a deep sigh. The familiar scent of home filled the air; soft lavender from the diffuser I always kept running.

Adrien wasn’t home yet, and that was fine. I wanted a few moments to myself anyway.

Dropping my purse on the table, I walked upstairs, already unbuttoning my blazer. My body ached slightly from standing too long at the conference, but the satisfaction inside me made it worth it.

In my room, I changed into something comfortable, which was a loose white shirt and shorts, then I sat on the bed. For a moment, I just stared at the ceiling, feeling the peace settle in.

Then curiosity got the better of me. I picked up my phone and opened social media.

As expected, it was everywhere. My name was trending. The clip of me speaking at the conference has already been uploaded by several news outlets and bloggers.

“SERENA CALLOWAY SHUTS DOWN KILLIAN BLACKWOOD PUBLICLY!” one headline read.

“COLD OR COURAGEOUS? SERENA CALLOWAY DRAWS THE LINE FOR HER EX.” Another read.

I scrolled through the comments, amused by how divided people were.

“Finally! She said what needed to be said. Killian should just move on.”

“Poor Killian. You can see he still loves her. That must’ve hurt.”

“She belongs with someone else now. They look perfect together.”

“Nah, I’m team Killian. He’s trying to make amends, and she’s being too harsh.”

I shook my head lightly. People would always have opinions. But the truth was, none of them had lived through what I did. They didn’t know the pain, the manipulation, or how hard it was to build myself back up after everything.

I closed the app and placed my phone beside me, feeling satisfied. The silence in the room felt good; no chaos, no shouting, no pretending. Just calmness.

For a few minutes, I laid down, staring at the soft glow of the bedside lamp. I thought of Adrien, of how supportive he had been through all of this. I couldn’t wait to tell him how everything went.

I smiled faintly and reached for my phone again, just to check the time. But then I noticed a new message notification.

It was from Killian.

My stomach tightened slightly. For a second, I hesitated. Then I opened it.

The message was short. Only one line.

“How could you do this to me? Fuck!”