LittleNovelChapter 213 When Serena opened her eyes, the faint scent of flowers greeted her.
She turned her head and saw a vibrant bouquet of lilies on the bedside table. "You're awake?" A gentle yet steady voice cut through the quiet.
Serena slowly shifted her gaze until she saw William in his wheelchair by the window.
Sunlight spilled across his face, softening his features. His eyes were as warm and bright as always, but this morning they seemed shadowed by weariness-a subtle, grayish fatigue beneath the kindness.
Serena blinked. "Weren't you supposed to be in Alderburg?" William's smile was reassuring. "I finished up business there and cright back." She tried to push herself upright, but William gently stopped her.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHis hand was broad and warm-so different from Aaron's, whose touch was always cold and distant.
"The doctor said you need to rest," William said, watching her with concern flickering in his eyes. The doctor had also mentioned that Serena must've been under a lot of stress lately for her to collapse so suddenly. William didn't want to imagine what she'd gone through while he was away in Alderburg.
Serena lowered her head and murmured an acknowledgment, but Bella's words echoed in her mind again. Those words stung like needles, setting her thoughts buzzing and restless.
"It wasn't you." William's voice broke the silence, startling Serena.
She looked up at him, confusion and pain flickering in her eyes.
"I mean it," he said, firm and certain, as if he'd been there himself. "You had nothing to do with your father's death." Serena stared at him, surprised. "How... how did you know what happened before I fainted?" "Gabrielle told me," he explained.
Serena remembered now-just before she lost consciousness, she'd heard Gabrielle calling her name.
"Where's Gabrielle?" she asked, glancing around the hospital room.
"She stayed with you all night. I convinced her to head hand get srest." A wave of gratitude washed over Serena.
She lowered her gaze. "Sorry for causing so much trouble." William reached out and brushed a hand gently through her hair. "Don't be silly." Serena froze, a little stunned by the unexpected tenderness.
William seemed to realize how intimate the gesture was and quickly pulled back, clearing his throat. "I know what happened yesterday," he said gently. "Don't let it weigh on you. I truly don't believe you had anything to do with your father's death." The mention of her father seemed to drain the warmth from Serena's cheeks. She lowered her lashes, her voice thick with sorrow. "But if I had nothing to do with it, why can't I remember anything?" "You were just a child," William said quietly. "Losing your father was too much to bear. It's normal to bury memories that painful." Serena looked up at him, searching his face.
His gaze was steady and kind, like a beam of light in a darkened room.
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"Serena," he said softly, "your father loved you. He trusted you enough to leave his most cherishedpossessions in your care. If you'd truly been the cause of his death, would he have done that?"
The torment in Serena's eyes slowly faded, replaced by a fragile kind of hope, Helwas right. If she'd really been responsible, her father would never have given her those antiques.
Maybe, just as William said, the grief of losing her father had simply been too much-so heavy, it had nearly crushed her. Forgetting was her only way to survive. "Thank you," she whispered.
Suddenly, she felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from her chest.
William wheeled closer to the bed. "Would you like swater?" Serena felt a rush of warmth for him.
But then she remembered "You still haven't told me. Whose watch was that?"
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