Chapter 19 – The Setup

• The penthouse felt cold when Serena and I finally met in the living room late that night. Serena's lawyers had managed to delay the bank search, but the situation was critical. My school was closed, and the media was starting to gather outside our building again. The news channels were reporting that Hart Enterprises was under investigation for financial fraud.
• I sat on the couch, holding a warm mug of tea that had gone cold. Serena was pacing back and forth, her phone pressed to her ear. 'Find out who leaked those files to the tax department,' she ordered her security chief before hanging up. She sat down next to me, taking my hand. 'Mia, I am so sorry. I thought I had handled Chloe. I did not realize my uncle Richard was backing her from the shadows.'
• 'We will fight this together, Serena,' I said, leaning my head against her shoulder. 'We survived the first scandal. We can survive this one too. I don't care about the school or the money, as long as I have you.'