Chapter 295 Fend for Yourself

Chapter 295: Chapter 295 Fend for Yourself

Lainey led Serena into the restaurant with a smile that was a little too warm.

Before they reached their table, Serena caught Lainey by the sleeve and pulled her into a quiet alcove.

"Lainey, level with me. Did you tell Vincent what came out at the hearing?"

Lainey studied her for a moment, then shrugged.

"I gave him the broad version. Enough to keep him from walking in blind."

Serena’s stomach tightened. "And he still wants to see me?"

"What can I say? He’s been hung up on you for years. Two, maybe three." Lainey lowered her voice. "He turns down every woman his mother tries to set him up with."

Some of the tension left Serena’s shoulders.

Vincent’s feelings were real. At least she still had that.

"He’s an attorney," she said. "Didn’t he call Mason and ask what actually happened?"

"Mason’s buried." Lainey waved the question away. Mason worked for her, not Vincent. She had already made sure he kept quiet.

Serena searched her face. "You’re really going to help me and Vincent?"

For a second, Lainey remembered her brother carrying her on his shoulders when they were kids, stepping between her and every fight. He had never failed her.

Her smile faltered.

"We’ll talk about that later." She glanced at her watch. "Come on. They’re waiting."

Upstairs, Alpha Henry and Yale were already seated with Vincent in a private dining room.

Vincent stood as the women approached.

"Serena," he said, pulling out the chair beside him.

She sat between him and Lainey.

Alpha Henry noticed everything and commented on nothing.

With a small gesture, he sent the server away until the first course was ready.

Water and wine were poured, and the table settled into polite conversation.

Then Alpha Henry turned to Serena.

"How did you and Vincent meet?"

Vincent started to answer, but one look from his father stopped him.

Serena understood. These men were not Sebastian’s parents. They would hear every exaggeration.

"At a reception," she said. "Someone had slipped something into Vincent’s drink. I helped him get somewhere safe."

"You didn’t know who he was?" Yale asked.

"Uncle Yale," Vincent said, his voice tightening.

Yale raised one hand. "Just asking. No offense intended."

"None taken." Serena kept her voice even. "I knew he was an attorney. I didn’t learn he was the Crawford heir until about a year later."

Her answer was smooth, but sweat gathered beneath her collar.

Alpha Henry watched her for a beat.

"Have you attended many of those events overseas?"

Serena’s eyes flicked toward Lainey.

Lainey continued eating, though she caught the reaction from the corner of her eye.

[Amateur. Flinch any harder and you’ll give yourself away.]

"A few," Serena said.

Alpha Henry set down his glass. "With your background, you probably know how to read a room. I can see why Vincent took an interest in you, especially after hearing you were in trouble."

"Dad—"

"I’m not criticizing you." Alpha Henry looked at his son. "It’s your money. You earned it, and you’re free to spend it however you choose. If it works out, fine. If it doesn’t, that’s your lesson."

The table went quiet.

"But don’t confuse your choices with the family’s support," Alpha Henry continued. "You’ve spent years pushing back against this family. You want independence? You’re thirty, Vincent. It’s time you had it."

Vincent’s jaw tightened.

Serena understood immediately. If Vincent helped her, the Crawfords would not cover the loss. No family accounts. No business connections. No safety net.

Unbelievable.

She had thought she’d finally found something solid. Now Alpha Henry was stripping Vincent down to his own name and whatever money he had made himself.

"Henry, I think there’s been a misunderstanding," Serena said quickly. "Vincent and I are friends. I’ve had a difficult few weeks, but I’m not asking him for money."

Her voice caught, though her heart sank. Vincent’s personal fortune had to be substantial. Even without family support, he could still give her enough to survive.

Yale offered her a calm look. "No one said you asked. Henry is making the family’s position clear."

He turned to Vincent.

"If you choose to help her, use your personal funds. Nothing from Crawford Group, the family trust, or any account tied to the family."

Vincent nodded once. "Understood. I’ll use my own money."

"Good," Alpha Henry said. "I’ll speak to your mother. The rest is your responsibility."

The dinner continued with practiced courtesy, but the decision had already been made.

Later, in the hotel suite, Yale loosened his tie.

"That was harsh."

"It needed to happen in front of her."

"You wanted Serena to know Vincent was on his own."

"I wanted Vincent to know." Alpha Henry poured himself a drink. "He’s had every advantage and still thinks freedom means choosing only the parts he likes."

He picked up his phone.

"Freeze his family cards. Suspend his access to the discretionary accounts. Leave his personal assets untouched."

Yale frowned. "You’re really doing this?"

Alpha Henry looked toward the dark windows.

"He wants to stand on his own." His expression hardened. "Let him learn what that actually costs."