---- Chapter 21 Michael went through with the wedding to Serena a week later. 7 A small, hurried affair at a city hall office, not the lavish society wedding he'd once dreamed of with me. Elizabeth, through her network of informants (mostly disgruntled former associates of Michael), got all the details. He'd looked distracted, grim. Serena, however, had been radiant, triumphant. But as they stood for photos, Michael's smile didn't reach his eyes. He found himself thinking of Liv. Of their wedding day, sun-drenched and hopeful. Of Liv's easy laughter, her genuine warmth. The stark contrast between that memory and the grasping, needy presence of Serena beside him was a sudden, unwelcome revelation. Regret, sharp and unexpected, pierced through his anger and self-justification. Serena, sensing his distraction, tightened her grip on his arm. She saw the flicker of nostalgia in his eyes, the way his gaze kept drifting towards the door as if expecting someone else. She knew he was thinking of Olivia. ---- A cold resolve formed in her heart. She had him now. She had his name. She had his child. She wouldn't let him go. No matter what. Her new status was all that mattered. She would hold onto it with a desperate, unyielding grip. The conflict in Michael was palpable, but Serena was already fortifying her defenses. She would fight to keep what she believed was hers.