Chapter 13 Don't Ask Me

"Why are you calling her a gray bunny? Shouldn't she be a white bunny?" Tad, who hadn't left yet, was a bit puzzled and couldn't help but ask. "You think she looks like a white bunny, huh? With those clunky black glasses and all those freckles? Even in a formal dress, she can't hide that earthy, plain aura. What part of her looks like a white bunny?" Leo shot Tad a glance, then turned his eyes back to Serena downstairs, his lips twitching. How could anyone associate Serena with an innocent white bunny? No wonder Liam didn't want to marry her. I really couldn't blame him. One could overlook a lack of intelligence if compensated by physical attractiveness or a captivating personality. A woman like that—most men wouldn't want to marry her, let alone someone like Liam. "Well, I guess she doesn't quite look the part ... " Tad muttered, reconsidering after hearing Leo's analysis. He looked down at Serena again and had to admit Leo made a good point. But before Tad could finish his thought, Damien's icy glare swept across the room, freezing Tad where he stood, and making him swallow his words. "I'll head to the Mystique Club right away, Mr. Ashford," Tad stammered, rushing out as his life depended on it. "Damien, what exactly are you suspicious of?" Leo asked, still confused about Damien's persistence. Downstairs, the engagement party took an unexpected turn. "Ms. Wren, today is your engagement to Mr. Laine, but he still hasn't shown up. We've just received word that Mr. Laine spent last night in a hotel with your younger sister. Were you aware of this?" A reporter suddenly stepped forward, his voice loud enough to echo through the hall. His question dropped like a bomb, shocking everyone in the room. The information was explosive. Today was supposed to be the engagement of Serena and Liam, but it turned out Liam had spent the previous night with her younger sister at a hotel. Serena was momentarily frozen, genuinely caught off guard by the revelation. She hadn't expected things to play out like this. Of course, she knew Liam didn't want to marry her. She was also well aware of his relationship with Elise. It wasn't surprising that they had gone to a hotel together. What she hadn't expected was for the reporters to catch them and expose the whole thing right here at the engagement party. Suddenly, a thought struck Serena. Could this have something to do with him? The man from last night? Liam didn't want to marry her, and she certainly didn't want to marry him. She had been pretending to be slow-witted, dull, and even deliberately unappealing for one reason: to escape this arranged marriage. She had no desire to marry into a so-called "wealthy" family. She yearned for the freedom to write her own story, to be the master of her fate. So, whether or not this situation was orchestrated by him, it was a golden opportunity for her. Upstairs, Damien continued watching the scene, his eyes never leaving her, waiting to see how she would react. "Mr. Laine spent the entire night at the hotel with your sister and was confronted by the police this morning. That's why he hasn't shown up yet. Ms. Wren, do you have any comment on this?" More reporters rushed forward, surrounding Serena, bombarding her with questions. "We've heard that Mr. Laine had a relationship with Ms. Elise before. Is this an old flame rekindled?" "Ms. Wren, were you aware of Mr. Laine's past involvement with your younger sister?" Question after question flew at Serena. Serena stood there, frozen in place. Was she in shock? Had she been completely blindsided? After a long pause, her eyes finally moved, glancing at the reporters. She suddenly spoke, her voice steady but confused. "Why are you asking me?" The reporters were stunned into silence by her response. She was the central figure in all of this—who else would they ask? The guests, who had been quietly watching the drama unfold, were just as confused. "Isn't Ms. Wren supposed to be slow? Looks like that's exactly right." "Her way of thinking is ... definitely odd." Upstairs, Damien's brow twitched slightly, though his eyes remained fixed on her face. "Don't ask me. I don't know. I don't know anything," Serena suddenly shouted, her voice trembling. Her body began to shake uncontrollably as she backed away from the reporters, her head shaking as if in denial. She stumbled into a table behind her, knocking over several glasses, and sending them crashing to the floor. She stopped moving, but her body continued to tremble violently. Slowly, she sank to the ground, hugging her knees, her hands tightly clutching her head. Evan, who had been watching everything unfold, was momentarily stunned. Instinctively, he wanted to get up and help her. But then he remembered what she had said earlier, and the way she had reacted so convincingly. And he couldn't forget—the man might still be watching, somewhere in the room. Evan took a deep breath. Even though he knew the truth, Serena's performance had still managed to fool him in that moment.