Chapter 9 A Sudden Confession
Serena Sinclair's POV:
The cocktail burned smoothly down my throat. I sat alone at the polished mahogany bar, watching the amber liquid swirl in my glass. The bartender simply nodded and prepared another drink as I pushed my empty glass forward.
My phone buzzed again. Sarah's name flashed across the screen, but I let it go to voicemail. The truth about Alex and Emma's affair on our anniversary still echoed in my mind, each detail another nail in the coffin of what I'd once thought was love. Four years of marriage, and he couldn't even wait for our anniversary dinner to end before fucking his assistant in the conference room.
I laughed bitterly, earning a concerned glance from the bartender. "Another," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.
The lounge's dim lighting caught the crystal glasses behind the bar, fracturing into a thousand points of light. Like the fragments of my marriage, scattered beyond repair.
My phone vibrated again, this time with a text from Sarah: Alex's in Lenox Hill Hospital. Fight. Pretty bad.
I picked up my phone, hitting the voice message button with perhaps more force than necessary. "Let him suffer," I said clearly, each word dripping with the coldness I finally felt entitled to express. "He deserves every bit of pain."
The bartender raised an eyebrow as I knocked back the rest of my drink. "Maybe you should slow down, miss."
"Maybe you should mind your own business," I replied, but there was no real heat in my words. The cocktails had softened the edges of my anger, leaving behind a dangerous warmth that made the room sway slightly when I stood.
The cool night air hit me like a slap when I stepped out of the bar. I called Sarah, "Sarah, I was drunk. Come to pick me up."
Sarah said, "Okay, where are you."
My heels clicked against the pavement as I walked, each step slightly less steady than I'd like. The street noise faded as I turned down a side alley. In my inebriated state, it took me several moments to register the footsteps behind me.
Phillip's words from my first day at Kingsley echoed in my mind: "A lawyer's greatest asset is staying clear-headed under pressure."
But before I could reply, rough hands grabbed my shoulders.
"Ah!" I was startled and screamed.
Hearing my scream, Sarah shouted, "Serena! What's happening? Where are you!"
"Hey, beautiful," a voice growled near my ear. "Looks like you could use some company."
The smell of cheap beer and cigarettes made my stomach turn. Or maybe that was the cocktails finally catching up with me. Either way, the fog in my head started to clear, replaced by sharp, crystalline fear.
"Let go," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "My friend is expecting me."
The second man laughed, moving to block my path forward. "We'll make sure you get home safe, sweetheart."
Without hesitation, I slammed the sharp heel down onto the first man's foot. He immediately roared in pain. As his grip loosened, I spun around, the momentum letting me drive my other heel into the second man's shin.
I ran desperately. Behind me, I could hear cursing and stumbling footsteps. One of them was definitely limping.
Broadway was just ahead, its lights a beacon of safety. If I could just make it there, where people were still bustling despite the late hour...
A crash behind me made me scream. I rounded the corner at full speed and collided with something solid. Strong arms caught me before I could fall, and I found myself looking up into Phillip's concerned face. He must have been with Sarah at Professor Steven's house when I called.
"Serena?" His voice was steady, calming. The sound of pursuing footsteps stopped abruptly. When I dared to look back, the alley was empty.
"Found her. She's safe," Phillip spoke into his phone, his free arm still steadying me. The familiar scent of his cologne – subtle, comforting – made my knees weak. Or maybe that was the adrenaline crash. Or the alcohol.
Sarah jumped out of Philip's car and hurried over. "Oh my God, Serena! Are you okay?"
I leaned against her. "I'm okay."
The ride back to The Plaza passed in tense silence. Sarah kept shooting me worried glances, while Phillip's eyes remained fixed on the road, his jaw set in a tight line I was learning to recognize as concern.
"Thank you," I said softly as we pulled up to the hotel. "Both of you."
Phillip finally turned to look at me, his expression unreadable in the dim light. "Get some rest."
"This one has the best view of Central Park," the real estate agent gushed, leading us through an apartment that was conveniently close to Kingsley & Associates, making my commute to work easier.
Sarah trailed behind us, methodically photographing every room with her phone.
"The security system is top-of-the-line," the agent continued. "Biometric locks, 24/7 doorman, private elevator access..."
"I'll take it," I said, cutting off the agent's pitch. "One year lease."
The paperwork took less than an hour. By lunch, I had the keys to my new home.
"Lunch?" Sarah suggested as we left the building. "I know this great new place—"
"Actually," I checked my phone, "I'm meeting Andrew at Eleven Madison Park."
Sarah's eyebrows shot up. "Andrew?"
"He said it was important." I waved down a taxi, trying to ignore her knowing look.
"Just be careful," she called after me. "Your heart's been through enough lately."
Eleven Madison Park was busy with the usual lunch crowd. Andrew was already seated at a corner table, but when he looked up, I barely recognized him.
His right eye was swollen, a dark bruise spreading across his cheekbone. A cut at the corner of his mouth looked fresh and painful.
"Oh my god," I breathed, sliding into my seat. "What happened to you?"
He smiled, then winced as the movement pulled at his split lip. "You should see the other guy."
Understanding dawned slowly. "Alex? You did this because of Alex?"
"Because of you," he corrected gently. "What he did... what he said about you at my birthday dinner..." His hands clenched on the table. "I couldn't let it stand."
"Andrew..." I didn't know what to say. He had been Alex's friend for years, and yet here he was, beaten and bruised for my honor.
"I need to tell you something," he said, his voice dropping lower. "Something I should have said years ago."
"I've loved you since the first time I saw you," he said softly, his eyes full of affection. "Always have, always will. I watched you fall for Alex, watched you marry him, watched him destroy everything beautiful about you. And I said nothing, because I thought you were happy. But he betrayed you and caused you so much pain. Since you are already divorced, I can no longer control my feelings."