Serenity added a final suitcase to the luggage that contained all her clothes, jewelry and cherished memorabilia. Now her condo was empty and devoid of anything that was part of her.
She'd have to talk to Damien when he arrived about whether or not to rent it out.
Jumpy, she paced the white tiled floor. Today she’d handled the issue of her mother, but she hadn't dared talk to Serena. She glanced at her luggage. She'd told Damien to pick her up at 6 PM, but she was ready hours early. She rummaged for her new pocketbook that held her replacement ID and decided to get it over with—it was time to go see her sister.
She hailed a car to take her to the jail, making it there in twenty minutes, and checked in to the visitor’s area.
A few minutes later a guard motioned for Serenity to follow her. “This way.”
The air smelled moldy. Her sister had been here for months, awaiting trial. She took a seat and waited for her sister to be brought in.
The guard locked the door on the way out and the jolt quickened her pulse. There was no way she'd ever survive here.
Ever.
Serenity shifted in her seat and wondered how much laundry detergent it would take to get out the sweat transferred from the plastic chair.
Finally, the door opened again and her sister was brought in with the guard. Serena's hair was still matted and her skin had lost its glow, but her eyes were sharp. The guard slammed the door and her sister hustled toward her, dropping into a seat across from her. Serena leaned forward. "Serenity, you look scared. Are you okay?"
Scared? How was her sister not scared? Serenity folded her hands on the table between them, imagining calming thoughts. "Serena, I have to tell you something."
"Is that a diamond ring?" Her sister's astute gaze narrowed at her hand.
She should have taken even the smaller ring off. Damien held the larger one for some party he intended to throw tonight with his family. “Yes.” Serenity lifted her chin, held out her hand for her sister to see the ring clearly and said, "I'm marrying Damien Morgan."
Serena's half smile widened and Serenity knew her enough to know that meant devious plotting was going on in her brain. Serena picked up her hand, studied the ring, and said, "The illegitimate heir who helped set up Dad?"
Serenity brought her hand back to the table, nodded and prayed she didn’t get pulled into a scheme. She’d come here to be honest, not told what to do. "All the Morgans talk now. Damien didn't know at the time what his informants would gather—he didn’t try to get just our father in prison."
Serena crossed her arms in a huff. "Is he going to help me get out of here?"
"I hope so." It was something she wanted to talk to him about, but there hadn’t been time. So much hadn't come up.
Serena's smirk stayed on her face. "Morgans don't fight other Morgans publicly. You'll be a Morgan once you say your vows, so I expect you to help."
She’d been trying, even hiring an expensive lawyer—but she couldn’t undo what her sister had done. The crooked FBI agent had set up Alice Morgan, John's wife, and left her to die on a high rise building he’d tied her to. Her sister had willingly helped that rogue agent because she was blinded with revenge against the Morgans for ruining their father.
If Serenity could turn back time, she'd tell her sister to stay home and get professional help for her grief. In the immediate future, she'd have to converse with the Morgans, possibly tonight, and befriend them. She straightened her hair behind her ear. "I am doing everything I can."
Serena nodded and leaned closer. "Okay, just stay sharp. From what I remember, Damien Morgan was stone cold to my friend, Tracy, when they broke up."
Her hand went to her racing heart. Damien had a bad boy streak in him, sometimes brooding, but she’d never seen him cold. "What do you mean?"
Serena shrugged. "Damien didn't care that he left her broke and alone on Christmas. Tracy was devastated."
Serenity tried to remember high school and her sister's squad. She had a vague memory of another blonde, blue-eyed woman who lived in a townhouse, not an estate. "Tracy Carlton?"
Serena nodded. "You remember her."
Not one memory floated into her mind about who Tracy was other than her face near her sister's at one of their mother's parties. "Barely. She was your friend." And they hadn’t had the same kind of friends. The clock showed it was close to five, so she had to head back to her apartment. "Look, I'm going to do everything I can for you, but I wanted to be the one to tell you."
Another guard opened the door and both sisters looked up at her. "Serena Hansom?"
Serena gave a belligerent nod, and the guard let in Mr. Laguirre, Serena’s lawyer. The man brought a chair next to Serenity and the guard left.
Serena never said a word.
Serenity covered for her sister’s rude behavior. "Neither one of us were expecting to see you today, Mr. Laguirre."
Her lawyer took out his briefcase and a folder thick with papers. "I'm here to present my client with a deal I received an hour ago."
Serenity prayed her sister had gotten a break. It's why she’d hired the lawyer. "Can I hear?"
The lawyer nodded, adjusted his glasses, and handed the stack of papers to Serena. "Yes, of course. Serena, I have a deal where the state will drop all charges against you."
Drop all charges? That was wonderful. Her hand covered her lips but she couldn’t stop her relieved smile. “She can leave?”
Serena opened the folder and read quickly, suspicion lacing her tone. "All charges?"
The lawyer clicked open a pen and handed it to Serena. "Yes, but you'll need to sign a sworn statement that you will seek psychiatric counseling for the next year."
"That's it?" Serena scoffed. “Piece of cake.”
Serenity instantly suspected Damien. Why hadn't he told her? He should have—they could have discussed it, together.
Mr. Laguirre nodded and motioned toward Serenity, who held her belly like she’d protect her young. She couldn’t tell her sister or mom about the baby. She didn’t want their opinions, not yet. The lawyer said, "Arrangements have been made for you tomorrow after your release. You'll be dropped off at Calm Serenity where clothes and rejuvenation treatments are arranged so you can appear in good health for your sister’s wedding."
"Damien must have done this." Serenity’s heart grew lighter, though her shoulders tightened. Even her body was confused as to how to feel. There wasn't room to wiggle out of a wedding now, even if she found a reason.
Serena read more pages, saying, "He’s trying to make up for what he did to our father."
Right. She'd never trust Damien, not really. Serenity knew she shouldn't try and needed to find a way to make peace within her soul before she tore herself apart. Perhaps she needed a therapist too.
Mr. Laguirre said, "After the wedding, you're to stay in a condo provided by your sister's family and an officer will come once a month to evaluate your medical history and to check that there is no criminal activity being planned on your part."
Serenity assumed her sister could have her place, though her sister hated all white and called Serenity’s taste clinical and cold. She'd talk to Damien.
Serena held the pen and nodded. "I just want out. Where do I sign?"
"Every page needs your initials and I highlighted all the places to sign," the lawyer told her.
"Sounds great." Her sister started signing off everywhere.
Serenity glanced at the clock again. Time was slipping away and Damien expected her to be at the condo, packed and ready. He had no idea how little she treasured. She stood, bumping the chair back. "I need to go. Damien's meeting me at my place."
Her sister stopped signing and hugged her across the table. "Sis, thanks for finally doing what's best for the family. Working in a spa is one thing, but marrying right is the best thing you can do."
Serena had left her boyfriend, Josh, to chase after Peter a year ago. Josh came from a good family, and had Georgia connections, but he was nothing compared to the Morgans. Both sisters been trained to marry well. Serenity remembered her debutante ball where her mother invited every wealthy family from Atlanta and Savannah that she’d ever met, all the people that later shunned her. Her father's sentence had been her mother's ruin as well. "Mom will be thrilled you're there."
Perhaps her mother might care more that Serena was there than her own wedding, but Serenity brushed off the chip on her shoulder.
Serena smiled so bright it lit up the dim prison space. "Don't tell her. I want to surprise her."
Her wedding tomorrow was both a happy reunion and a start to a life she’d never expected. Serenity kept her silence as she always did. No one ever wanted to hear her opinions anyhow. She stepped toward the door and knocked for the guard. "I won't. And sis, at my spa, before the services begin, you're going to need to take a good hot shower and wash that hair—I think Kiwi has something in stock that will get rid of those tangles."
Serena giggled as she sat down to finish signing the papers. "Got it. I'll look fabulous for you. Thank you again, Serenity."
For marrying Damien. No one had been that excited for holding the family together with her hard work, but now because of her pregnancy, she'd made her family proud. The diamond on her finger might as well be prison handcuffs because every second that passed, the tighter it felt.
She ordered a car and made it back to her apartment. As she trudged up the stairs, she hoped she’d figure out how to be happy because right now she was miserable. From years of working at the spa, she knew it all began in the head, so she needed to do positive thinking about her future.
She unlocked her door and realized it was open already. Alarmed, she peeked her head in and saw Damien on his phone. He must have used her key under the mat. Her shoulders sagged, but she came in, placed her pocketbook on the table near the door and said, "Damien, you're early."
"You weren't home so I let myself in." He sipped a coffee he must’ve bought downstairs at the building’s cafe.
Positivity had to be her new thought process. She repeated the mantra and breezed past him, catching a whiff of the prison smell.
“I’m going to freshen up.” She would change out of her pantsuit and into a white cotton dress for the party. If anyone saw her they'd think bridal. “I'll be ready in five minutes."
"Where were you?" He took another drink as she hung the cotton dress on the bathroom door.
Would he admit what he’d done for her, her family? She poked her head out. "With my sister at the prison. Did you set that deal up for her?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise for you when she came to our wedding."
His dark brown eyes seemed so sincere, melting the coldness in her bones. She smiled at him. "It was. Thank you."
He had no idea she was in such an emotional state. Tomorrow she'd marry him and pray that her doubts about herself went away. None of this was his fault. She needed to learn to trust.