Filed to story: Second Chance Mafia Bride Drama Novel
With Rubina’s side chosen, their opinions of Serena soured.
“Exactly did you know? I heard she came here tonight in a cab!”
“No way, seriously? Her husband doesn’t even have a car?” “Tsk, tsk…”
They laughed openly, occasionally throwing sneering looks Serena’s way.
As the party wound down and Serena prepared to leave, the group exchanged wicked grins and followed after her.
She checked the time and decided it was about time to head home.
When she’d arrived earlier, the driver from Rosewood Manor had brought her, but halfway there, he’d gotten a call that his elderly mother had fallen and been taken to the hospital. Seeing how worried he was, Serena insisted he go and took a cab the rest of the way herself.
Now, assuming his family emergency wasn’t over yet, she planned to catch another taxi home.
But suddenly, Rubina and her little entourage strode purposefully toward her.
“Serena, how are you getting home? Don’t tell me you’re taking an Uber?”
“No way, right? Are you seriously telling us your hubby doesn’t even have a car?” Their mocking voices floated over, but Serena only lifted her eyelids lazily. “Whether my husband has a car or not is none of your business. Maybe focus on finding a boyfriend of your own instead of obsessing over mine?”
Just then, someone passing by overheard and shot a curious glance at Rubina and her friends, their expression a mix of surprise and amusement.
“You-!” The girl who’d spoken earlier flushed crimson, whether from anger or embarrassment it was impossible to tell. “Who cares about your husband? Like anyone would want your loser of a hubby, the one who never shows his face, doesn’t know how to behave in public, and can’t even afford a car!”
Serena’s lips twitched, her expression turning briefly odd.
-Mr. Salerno, a good-for-nothing who can’t show his face or afford a car?
If only he could hear them now! She shot Rubina a sidelong glance.
None of these girls knew who she’d married, but Rubina certainly did. These rumors didn’t start themselves. There was no way Rubina was innocent in all this-she clearly couldn’t stand to see Serena doing well.
“Just to clear things up,” Serena lifted her chin, pride flickering in her voice, “my husband is better looking than anyone you know and could outshine anyone in a crowd. As for cars-God knows how many he owns, but I’m sure it’s more than what you’ve got sitting in your garage. Of course you’re not interested-you’d never have a shot anyway!”
One of the girls scoffed. “Yeah, right! If his garage is so full, why isn’t he here picking you up? You’re still stuck calling a ride like the rest of us.”
Serena was about to retort, when suddenly-
“Ma’am.”
A deep, respectful voice cut in from behind.
Serena spun around in surprise to find Logan standing there, dressed impeccably as always.
She blinked. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to drive you home, of course,” he replied, gesturing towards the car parked nearby.
Serena glanced over and her eyes widened with delight.
The window was partly rolled down, and she caught a glimpse of someone in the back seat-a familiar silhouette. Nicholas!
Her heart skipped, and her cheeks flushed pink.
Had he heard everything she just said?
“Ma’am, if you’d like to get in,” Logan prompted.
The girls across from her were dumbstruck, staring first at Logan’s crisp suit and then at the gleaming car.
“My husband’s here to pick me up. See you around!” Serena tossed over her shoulder, barely containing her glee as she hurried toward the car.
Logan held the door open for her.
She was just about to get in when she paused and turned back. “Rubina, you’ve met my husband. You know exactly who he is and what he does, so why let them talk like that?”
With that, she slid into the back seat and the door clicked shut behind her.
As the car pulled away, the girls stood frozen, a mix of confusion and disbelief on their faces.
Rubina, meanwhile, looked shell-shocked and bitterly envious.
Did she see that correctly? Was that really Mr. Salerno in the back seat?
Mr. Salerno, personally picking up Serena?
What did Serena ever do to deserve that?
“What was that supposed to mean? Did you lie to us?” one of the girls demanded, her tone suddenly hostile.
After that fiasco with the dress, their trust in Rubina had nosedived.
“I didn’t-” Rubina stammered, desperate. “I never said her husband was poor, just that… it was complicated.”
“Complicated? Do you take us for idiots? You told us he was broke. Does that look broke to you?”
You didn’t need to know much about cars to recognize that wasn’t something you could buy with pocket change.
“I never said he was poor,” Rubina protested, sounding both wronged and helpless. “I just said it wasn’t convenient to talk about his situation…”
Her gaze flickered as she spoke softly, “I can’t share the details, but I can tell you this-he can’t really appear in public, and his reputation isn’t great. A lot of women wouldn’t want to marry him. Serena only agreed because of a family arrangement.”
The others fell silent, letting her words steer their thoughts.
So, was Serena’s husband one of those wealthy men with a questionable reputation-maybe someone disfigured, or with some kind of disability?
That would explain a lot. No wonder nobody got out of the car earlier.
Inside the car.
“Why did you come pick me up?” Serena glanced at the man beside her, a little embarrassed but unable to hide her delight. “I could’ve just grabbed a cab. It’s not that far.”
“It was on my way,” Nicholas replied, his tone casual.
She hesitated, lowering her voice. “When did you get here?”
Nicholas paused, then answered gently, “Right when you stood up for yourself back there.”
Boom.
Serena felt her face flush, heat creeping all the way to her ears. She looked up at him, panicked. “You-you heard all of that?!”
He gave a quiet nod. “Yeah.”
Nicholas’s eyes rested on her, dark and steady. He was thinking of the proud little tilt of her chin a few moments ago it made something in his chest itch, a soft ache he couldn’t quite name. She was just… adorable.
Serena couldn’t meet his gaze. Trying to compose herself, she pretended to be nonchalant. “Well, I didn’t say anything wrong. My husband is handsome, after all…”
Not wanting to drag out this awkward conversation, she quickly opened the box she’d been holding. Inside was a thick stack of documents, which she proudly displayed. “Look-these are today’s spoils!”