Page 93

My heart races to the point where I’m sure I’m feeling sick, but then my rational side emerges.
If he was really going to propose, what stopped him? Changed his mind?
I put the box in his suit pocket again. I feel embarrassed for going through his things. Even though he planned to give the ring to me, he didn’t in the end, so I had no right to open it.
I try to reason calmly.
Of course he wouldn’t have asked me to marry him that day. I was feeling overwhelmed by what had happened, and he probably decided to wait for a better time.
I’m overthinking, as always, and letting my insecurities take the lead.
With my mind filled with the conversation I had earlier with Debra, I leave the room, willing myself to stop acting like an insecure girl.
Tonight, when Ares gets home, I’m going to seduce my Greek ogre, bring him to his knees, and who knows, maybe he’ll propose to me.
Smiling as I walk down the apartment hallway, I wonder if he’ll ever move me in here for good. I haven’t slept at home again. My place has been empty for so many days that the maid who worked for me moved up a floor, and now, she and Ares’ maid take turns taking care of our things here.
As soon as I step into the living room, I hear his voice. It’s not common to find him home at this time, so close to lunch. To appease my jealousy, since we started dating, he rarely stays the night at SIN.He leaves everything in the hands of his managers.
I head over to where I hear what sounds like a speakerphone conversation. I notice it comes from the library.
“Is it confirmed, then?” he asks.
The door is ajar, but I still feel uncomfortable listening to the conversation, so I prepare to head back the way I came. But then I hear a man say:
“Yes. The DNA proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that it’s not her. We don’t know who she is, but the woman the world knows as Serenity Clementine Blanchet, the girl whose guardian I am, is definitely not the Blanchets’ daughter.”
Odin.
Is the man who took over my guardianship telling Ares that I’m not Serenity? Are they crazy? It’s a bad joke.
My legs are shaking to the point where I need to lean on the wall while they continue to talk.
“If it weren’t for Eleanor’s husband having discovered that imperfection on the baby’s feet when looking at the photograph that night, we would never have known the truth,” Ares says.
“Yes,” Odin agrees. “It’s obvious it was a setup. We need to find the true heir and . . .”
I don’t keep listening. I head to the bedroom, and after grabbing my wallet and phone, I go down the fire escape instead of taking the elevator. I know that at this time, the bodyguards aren’t expecting me to leave. I’ve never run away from them before, so I’m counting on the element of surprise.
I take the back exit, and within a few seconds, I find myself on the street.
The cool air in the middle of the day doesn’t calm me down. I feel sick as I try to process everything I heard.
The memories come back in full force. I never remembered my parents, I’ve never felt any bond with them, and the answer is simple: they’re not mine.
I feel my eyes filling with tears, and I walk aimlessly until I find a taxi. I ask the driver to just drive, without specifying a destination, and I close my eyes, laying my head back on the seat.
Now it’s clear why Ares didn’t ask me to marry him. He suspected that I was lying all this time, and according to that conversation with Odin, he just had his confirmation.
Ares
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
I should have wokenher up. I know Serenity is resting in our room, but the news I just received from Odin makes a face-to-face conversation with JeAnne urgent.
She has refused to see me or anyone sent from me since the day she was arrested. However, I'm going to meet her now. I need to get answers from this unfortunate woman.
I'm going crazy. What the hell did they do with the real Serenity? And where is my girlfriend’s family? I need to solve the riddle before I tell her everything.