Devoted Love:The Billionaire's Precious Wife

"I love you too." Serena gently caressed his hand, gazing into the mirror at her reflection, trying to appear more understanding and gentle, "I just didn't want to upset Mrs. Cooper and the others, so I thought of a solution. We can live separately; I can move somewhere further away. If Mrs. Cooper still can't accept me, I could even leave Summerfield and start a new life in the neighboring city."

Her eyes met his in the mirror, seemingly sincere and tender, "Don't worry; my love for you won't diminish one bit with distance. Even if I have to live in the shadows, unseen like an alley cat, that's okay. As long as I'm in your heart and you're in mine, that's all that matters."

Hearing her say this only deepened Martin's feelings, his love for her growing.

"You shouldn't have been so harsh with Mrs. Cooper and Ms. Cooper earlier. You're all family," Serena said with a soothing wisdom.

"You're family, too." Martin said, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "There's no need for you to move away. I'll set a date for our engagement party, and I'll invite all our friends and family to show them

you're the one I've chosen to be by my side, the love of my life."

"But..."

"No buts. A day without you is torture enough. You think I could stand you moving to another town?

What if work chains me down and I can't drive over every day? I can't even picture life without you anymore. I'm used to having you right here with me."

Holding her close, he continued, "You're mine, and you should be standing by my side, basking in the spotlight, not hiding in the shadows, nameless. I don't want to hear such thoughts from you ever again."

That was exactly what Serena had been longing to hear!

"But," she protested, feigning guilt, "it's all my fault. If only I were in better health, I could visit your folks more often, take care of them properly."

"Focus on healing up first. Your body's still recovering. I'll talk with my parents." Martin reassured her, then opened the first aid kit and began to tend to a cut on her ear, "Did they hit you here?"

Serena quickly replied to cover it up, "I don't know how it happened."

He knew she was protecting them, "This wasn't here when I left for work. It only showed up after their visit. You think I can't put two and two together?"

"Martin, don't be upset with them. It doesn't hurt, really!" But as she spoke, she winced and hastily added, "Compared to everything the Collins family put me through, they have been saints."

His mind flashed back to the day he had rescued her from the Collins family's basement, battered and barely clinging to life and his heart clenched with renewed tenderness.

At that moment, Dora knocked and said softly, "Sir, there's a police officer at the door for you."

Martin paused mid-application of the antiseptic, and then resumed, "Got it. You may go."

"Martin, what's going on?" Serena's voice was laced with worry, "Why are the police here?"

"Just a small matter. Stay still; I need to finish dressing this wound."

"Have you gotten into trouble?" Serena was unaware of the latest trending news, oblivious to their relationship being outed, to the deaths of Martin's men being pinned on him, and to the rumors that he

had sabotaged the Collins' prize car for her sake.

She was anxious that Martin was facing serious trouble, that her lifeline might be cut down after so many efforts she made to cling to him.

Had she just endured all that pain for nothing?

"Don't fret. It's a minor issue, really. Just a formality the police have to go through because of public voice." Martin's tone was light, "Are you worried about me?"

"You're my boyfriend. Who else would I worry about?" She thought to herself, wondering if she had missed some explosive news that afternoon.

Martin wouldn't have done something that would land him behind bars, would he? Surely not, she mused. The Cooper family was too influential for him to end up suffering for a crime.

"Alright, take a breather. I'll go check it out," Martin patted her head without any idea of what was going through her mind, as he headed downstairs first.

Serena quickly unlocked her phone and opened one of the apps that gave her access to live surveillance across the sprawling estate.

After a frantic search, she spotted a few police officers standing outside the main gate, with a patrol car parked nearby.

Not too far from the patrol car, a gaggle of reporters was gathered, each of them eager for a scoop.

When Martin emerged, camera flashes went off incessantly. Out of respect for the police investigation,the crowd kept their distance, bombarding him with questions.

Martin brushed them off and calmly approached the group at the gate, "What seems to be the problem?"

"Mr. Cooper, you're implicated in two homicides. We need you to come with us for questioning." The officer in front said, before lowering his voice, "I'm sorry to do this, Mr. Cooper, but the situation has

escalated. There's no choice for us. We would appreciate your cooperation."

"Sure," Martin stepped into their vehicle without resistance.

As the car drove away in full view of everyone, Serena's heart sank. It was all over. What on earth happened?

She quickly scrolled through the trending topics on her phone, and there it was: #Martin Detained# at the top of the news feed.

She now understood that apparently, the blame for the sabotage of a prestigious car had been pinned on Martin.

It definitely was not Martin's doing; she knew Martin wasn't capable of such pettiness. He would never stoop to that level! Who would do such a thing to him?

The Cooper family wouldn't just stand by, would they?

Aside from running his own company, Martin was also the favored successor of Giles, whose fortune was far more substantial than that of Ansel.

And with Ansel having only one son, he certainly wouldn't let anything happen to him. The vast empire of the Cooper Group would eventually be handed down to his son.

With that thought, Serena felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Meanwhile, in a private dining room at a restaurant, Cathy handed the iPad menu to Rosemary with both hands, beaming, "I finally get to fulfill my wish of treating you to a meal. What would you like to eat? I'm

open to anything!"

Rosemary smiled faintly, "Any dietary restrictions I should know about?"

"Not at all!" Cathy poured her a cup of tea, chuckling, "Everything here is delicious. I used to come a lot with my classmates, especially for this tea - it's really aromatic. Have a sip, Rosemary, it's just the right temperature."

Rosemary took a sip, finding the taste rich and pleasant, "You've chosen a nice place."

Cathy was thrilled to receive praise from Rose, "There are a few other spots I know of, next time, I'll take you there!"

If only Romeo wouldn't monopolize Rosemary, she could show her so many more great places!

"Rosemary, I really can't thank you enough for what you did last time. If it wasn't for you stepping in, I would have been writing family rules until my hand fell off." Cathy couldn't help but add, "Romeo can be

so strict with punishments. You're so amazing, able to handle him with ease."