Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown novel Chapter 275

Three days later.

A French restaurant.

Gabrielle had just taken her seat when she spotted William being led in by a staff member. Her eyes widened in surprise.

William seemed equally taken aback when he saw Gabrielle, though he quickly composed himself and offered a warm, courteous smile. “Hello, Miss Chatham.”

Gabrielle’s lips twitched with awkwardness. “Um… Mr. Grayson, what brings you here?”

“Serena invited me to dinner, so here I am. And you, Miss Chatham?”

Gabrielle pressed her lips together, uncertain how to answer.

She was only here because Serena had asked her out for a meal as well. The last thing she’d expected was to be dining with William.

How did she get so lucky—or unlucky?

Thankfully, just a few minutes later, Serena appeared in the doorway, and the awkward tension in the private room finally eased.

“Serena, you’re finally here!” Gabrielle jumped up and clung to Serena’s arm, relief washing over her.

She had no desire to face William on her own.

Despite his gentle demeanor, something about William made her nervous. And maybe it was just her imagination, but he didn’t seem especially pleased to see her, either.

She definitely didn’t want to play the third wheel.

Feeling aggrieved, Gabrielle shot Serena a plaintive look.

Serena caught Gabrielle’s gaze and offered an apologetic smile. She hadn’t meant for things to be so awkward.

Gabrielle was right—she really did owe William a dinner, whether or not he’d been the one who had smoothed things over the other day. He’d certainly helped her out plenty in the past.

But inviting William out alone just felt… odd. So she’d asked Gabrielle to join them.

Encouraged by his response, Gabrielle grew even bolder. “Absolutely! You two look like you were made for each other.”

Serena, worried that William might be offended, tugged at Gabrielle’s sleeve, signaling her to stop.

But William didn’t seem the least bit annoyed. Instead, he looked up at Serena with thoughtful seriousness. “I have to agree with Miss Chatham. What about you, Serena?”

Serena’s heart skipped a beat. Flustered, she ducked her head and hastily stabbed a piece of dessert with her fork, shoving it into her mouth.

She ate so quickly she started choking, her face turning bright red.

She wished she could disappear on the spot.

William reached out and handed her a glass of water.

Serena gulped it down, finally catching her breath, though the flush in her cheeks refused to fade.

Both Gabrielle and William couldn’t help but laugh. Gabrielle’s laughter was bright and unrestrained, while William’s was softer—yet his usually composed eyes curved with warmth, a spark of amusement making Serena’s cheeks burn even hotter.