Serena POV

The sun rose reluctantly, as if it, too, was ashamed of what had unfolded the previous day. Serena sat on the edge of her bed, eyes fixed on nothing. The world outside was already alive — cars honking, workers rushing, phones buzzing — yet her penthouse was steeped in an unnerving silence.

She hadn’t slept. Every time she closed her eyes, the scene replayed in her head — Isabella’s voice, venomous and sharp; Damien’s pale face, torn between guilt and helplessness; the murmurs of her staff, their wide eyes recording her humiliation like a movie no one could look away from.

Her phone had buzzed all night. Damien had called countless times, messages flooding in until she switched it off. She couldn’t bear to hear his voice — not after knowing everything was a lie. A disguise. A story he’d built around her.

Serena’s chest tightened. She rose slowly, her bare feet brushing the cold marble floor. Her reflection in the mirror startled her — messy hair, tired eyes, the faint streaks of mascara that had bled down her cheeks. For once, the ever-poised CEO of Silverline Technologies looked like the broken woman she’d spent years hiding.

“Pull yourself together,” she whispered. Her voice cracked. “You’re Serena Hale. You don’t fall apart.”

But she had. Completely.

A knock echoed through the room — hesitant, soft. Her assistant, Nora, peeked in. “Ma’am, the board meeting is in thirty minutes. Should I… cancel it?”

Serena didn’t respond immediately. She turned away from the mirror, tightening her robe. “No. We go on as planned.”

“Are you sure?” Nora asked cautiously. “There’s a lot of noise online. The video from yesterday—”

Serena’s glare cut her short. “I said, we go on as planned.”

Nora nodded quickly, retreating.

Serena exhaled. The world would eat her alive if she showed weakness. And she refused to give them that satisfaction — not the media, not Isabella, not Damien.

****

By the time she arrived at the office, the entire building seemed to hold its breath. Conversations stopped when she stepped out of the elevator. Even the hum of the AC felt louder in the silence that followed her.

Her heels clicked sharply across the polished floor, a rhythm of command that masked the chaos inside her. She could feel eyes trailing her, whispers bouncing from cubicle to cubicle.

“Did you see the video?”

“She looked so angry—”

“Was that her driver?”

Her driver.

Serena’s jaw tightened.

When she entered her office, Nora was already waiting with files. “Here are the reports from the app testing team, and the PR department says—”

“Not now,” Serena interrupted. “I want everyone in the boardroom. Ten minutes.”

Nora hesitated, glancing at Serena’s expression — unreadable but dangerous. “Right away, ma’am.”

The moment the door closed, Serena let out a sharp breath. Her eyes fell on her desk — Damien’s coffee mug still sat there, the one he always forgot to take. The sight of it hit harder than she expected. She picked it up, stared at it for a long second, then dropped it into the bin.

Her chest burned.

****

The board meeting was silent at first. Everyone seemed too cautious to speak. Serena sat at the head of the table, her face unreadable, hands folded neatly before her.

One of the directors finally broke the tension. “Miss Holt, there’s… been some online backlash. The video from yesterday has circulated widely. It’s been interpreted as a scandal involving a company employee.”

“Driver,” Serena corrected flatly. “Not an employee.”

“Yes, of course,” he stammered. “But we believe the company’s image could—”

“I’ll handle it.” Her tone cut through the air like a blade.

Another director cleared her throat. “Ma’am, with all due respect, maybe a brief press release could—”

“I said I’ll handle it!” Serena snapped. Her voice echoed, making several heads lower.

For a moment, no one dared speak. Then she rose abruptly from her chair. “Meeting adjourned.”

She left before anyone could respond.

****

Back in her office, Serena’s façade began to crack. Her breathing was shallow, her vision blurring. Every wall felt like it was closing in.

Her phone buzzed again — Damien.

She stared at the screen, the name flashing like a wound that refused to heal.

DAMIEN calling…

Her thumb hovered over the decline button.

Then came the message:

“Please, Serena. Just hear me out once. You deserve the truth.”

Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back furiously. “The truth?” she whispered. “You’ve already given me enough lies.”

She flung the phone aside, pressing her palms to her temples.

****

Hours passed before she finally allowed herself to step out for air. The office rooftop was quiet, away from the whispers, the pitying glances, the cameras. She stood there, staring at the city skyline — the same skyline she once saw as a symbol of power, now just a blur of noise and emptiness.

The wind tugged at her hair. She closed her eyes.

Behind her, a familiar voice broke the silence. “You don’t look like someone who conquered an empire.”

She froze. Her heartbeat quickened.

It was Damien.

She didn’t turn around. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I had to see you.” His voice was low, careful. “You blocked my calls, my messages—”

“For a reason,” she said sharply.

“I know,” he admitted, stepping closer. “But Serena, it wasn’t all a lie. I didn’t come into your life to hurt you.”

She turned then, her expression hard but her eyes trembling. “You came into my life under a disguise, Damien! You played with my trust, my emotions—everything I built to protect myself!”

“It started that way,” he said quietly. “But it didn’t end that way. I fell for you. That wasn’t part of any plan.”

Serena laughed bitterly. “You expect me to believe that?”

He took a step closer. “You don’t have to. Just know that I’m not giving up on you.”

Her silence stretched between them like a wound.

Finally, she said coldly, “Get out before I call security.”

Damien hesitated, searching her eyes for a flicker of softness. There was none.

He nodded slowly. “Alright. But I’ll still be here when you’re ready to hear the truth.”

He turned to leave, and for a brief moment, she felt her chest ache — a sting of something she didn’t want to name.

As the rooftop door shut behind him, Serena’s tears finally spilled over. She sank to her knees, trembling, whispering to herself, “Why does it still hurt…?”

****

Downstairs, an intern peeked at her phone.

A message popped up on the company group chat.

“Someone just saw Damien Reid leaving the CEO’s rooftop.”

Another message followed almost instantly.

“So the rumors are true?”

And just like that, the fire she tried to put out began to burn again.