No Escape from Love

I couldn't let them lead me by the nose. I had to uncover the truth and seek justice

for Mom!

Shoving Lucas aside, I stared straight at Alex and said, enunciating each word

clearly, "Alex, I'm not going with you. Today, I'll get to the bottom of this."

I turned to Vivian. "Vivian, what exactly did you and your family do to my mom?"

Vivian's face turned deathly pale. She opened her mouth as if to say something,

but no words came out.

Alex's eyes flickered as he avoided my gaze. The more he evaded, the more I

was certain that he had known all along!

Anger and betrayal twisted together inside me, threatening to consume me whole.

"Alex," I called out, my voice trembling with disbelief and despair. "You knew,

didn't you? You've always known that the Grayson family was involved, and you

still kept it from me!"

His grip on my hand loosened. His shoulders slumped as he rubbed his temples

wearily. "Serena, I..."

"What? What else do you have to say?"

I pointed at Vivian, my voice hoarse with fury. "What did she just say? 'An old

grudge from the previous generation'? Just a few meaningless words and you

want to sweep everything under the rug? What about all the years my mom

suffered? Does she deserve to be trampled on like this?"

Vivian shrank back, her lips trembling, but she still said nothing.

Alex sighed and stepped toward me, reaching for my hand again. I yanked it away

forcefully. "Serena, listen to me. It's not what you think..."

"Not what I think?" I let out a hollow laugh. "Then what is it? Tell me! Explain it to

me!" I was screaming now, my tears falling uncontrollably.

"At the time... It was Vivian..." Alex's voice was low as he finally explained, "She

saw that my father and my mother... had feelings for each other. In a moment of

recklessness, she did something wrong, which led to my father and your mother

getting married..."

"A moment of recklessness? Did something wrong?" I repeated his words, finding

them utterly ridiculous.

"What exactly did she do that forced my mom into a lifetime of misery? Does that

mean my mom's suffering was just... inevitable?"

I turned to Vivian, a cold sneer

curling on my lips. "Vivian, you've

really outdone yourself! You

destroyed my mom's life, and now,

you think a few simple words are

enough to settle everything? Who do

you think you are?"

Vivian's face was ashen, and tears streamed down her cheeks.noveldrama

"Ms. Ashford, I'm sorry... I really know I was wrong... Back then, I was too young

and too impulsive-"

"Young? Impulsive?" I cut her off sharply.

"Do you think those words can

absolve you of your sins? Do you

have any idea what my mom..." My

voice broke, and I couldn't finish my

sentence.

Alex pulled me into his arms, gently patting my back. "Serena, I know this is

painful for you, but this all happened so many years ago. We..."

"Years ago?" I shoved him away and glared at him.

"Do you think this is some kind of

performance? I'm fighting for the

injustice my mom faced! All these

years, you've kept this from me.

What do you take me for?"

Silence engulfed the office, broken only by the sound of my ragged sobs.

Alex opened his mouth to try to explain, but the words got stuck in his throat,

tangled in helplessness.

I stared at him coldly.

The love I once had for him had completely frozen over, turning into an

unbreakable sheet of ice that chilled me to the bone.