Chapter 273 Half the Truth

Chapter 273: Chapter 273 Half the Truth

Back at the hotel, Alpha Henry saw Vincent and Lainey retreat into Vincent’s suite. He had a pretty good idea what they were discussing, but he chose not to interfere.

Once they were alone, Vincent closed the door and turned to his sister.

"How did the hearing go?"

Lainey watched him for a beat, then lowered her voice.

"Serena lost."

"Eira’s lawyer destroyed her. Serena had a signed investment agreement, but Susan proved the money wasn’t a real investment. The court treated it as concealed community property and ordered Serena to pay back the $118 million."

Vincent frowned. "With a contract? How did the judge get around that?"

He didn’t know the agreement had been backdated. Lainey had no intention of telling him.

"She spent some of the money," Lainey said with a carefully measured sigh. "A few luxury purchases, charity events, dinners with potential investors. Eira’s lawyer twisted all of it into evidence of fraud."

"That’s not the same thing."

"Maybe not. But Susan made it sound like Serena had never done a day of legitimate research in her life." Lainey shook her head. "She argued that the payments were personal support disguised as investment funding. Then she implied Serena could face criminal scrutiny if she didn’t return the assets."

Vincent’s mouth tightened.

Lainey leaned forward, her expression softening.

"Serena wasn’t living in a vacuum. Research depends on donors, investors, networking, and appearances. You know how that world works. But Eira and her lawyer went straight for the jugular."

"What about Sebastian?"

"He lost everything too. The court refused to credit him for the money he transferred."

Lainey let the silence settle before adding, "It was ugly. No one walked away clean."

Her words were polished, sympathetic, and carefully incomplete. She left out the hidden accounts, the fabricated contract, and the evidence tracing millions into Serena’s personal spending.

As long as Vincent never heard those details, Serena might still keep his loyalty.

Vincent stared at the dark window.

He had never liked Eira.

To him, she had appeared out of nowhere, disrupted the life Sebastian and Serena had built, and dragged a private family matter into the courtroom.

Now, after today’s ruling, she was walking away with everything.

Cold-blooded, he thought.

Vincent reached for his phone, ready to call Serena and comfort her through the fallout.

Lainey stopped him before he could even unlock it."Whatever happened with Sebastian is over. You don’t have to approve of everything she did. Just check on her. Don’t leave her alone when she’s already down."

"I know." Vincent gave her a tired smile. "I’m only calling to see if she’s okay."

"Good." Lainey picked up her purse. "I’ll let you get some rest."

She left before he could ask anything else.

The moment the suite door clicked shut, Lainey pulled out her phone.

[I left out the ugliest parts of the hearing when I talked to Vincent. Don’t bring them up.]

Serena replied almost immediately.

[Why are you helping me?]

Lainey leaned against the hallway wall.

[I’m not helping you out of the goodness of my heart. I’m protecting Vincent from getting pulled any deeper into your mess.[

A pause.

[Then what do you want?]

Lainey glanced back at the closed door.

[I want Vincent to stay close to you.]

Serena’s reply came slowly.

[Why?]

[Because you still have Sebastian tied to you. If you disappear completely, he may finally let go and Eira will be free to move on.]

Lainey’s mouth tightened.

[But if you stay in Sebastian’s life, he’ll keep fighting with Eira over you, the money, and the marriage. Vincent will protect you. Sebastian will keep chasing you. And Eira will stay trapped in the fallout.]

Serena stared at the screen.

[You want me to use your brother?]

[I want you to give him a reason to stay. Let him believe he’s saving you. In return, he’ll become your shield, and you’ll keep Sebastian from walking away quietly.]

Another pause.

[And how does that help you?]

Lainey’s expression hardened.

[Every day Eira spends dealing with Sebastian is another day she isn’t building a life with Killian.]

Serena took longer to answer.

[You still want Killian?]

[I’ve wanted him since we were kids. I thought we’d end up mated, married, and tied to the same future. Then Eira showed up and took the place I always believed was mine.]

[So Eira is your enemy too?]

[She’s the reason neither of us has what we want.]

Lainey’s fingers moved over the screen.

[I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m asking you to understand the arrangement. You keep Vincent close and stay out of my way. I’ll make sure he doesn’t turn against you completely.]

After a long pause, Serena replied:

[Understood.]

Lainey locked her phone.

A little honesty, carefully trimmed, was enough. Serena didn’t need to know the whole truth. She only needed to believe they were on the same side.

Feelings were unreliable. Leverage lasted.

Serena could wait.

Alpha Henry was the real danger.

How long would he stay in Palo Alto? And what would happen if he met Eira before Lainey had time to control the narrative?

Lainey’s smile disappeared.