All Chapters of I’m Back, Mr. CEO : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Lucas Grant’s office was nothing like Adrian’s.Where Adrian’s was all dark wood and intimidation, Lucas’s was glass and light. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan. Modern art on the walls. A desk that looked more like a design piece than furniture.He’d invited me to lunch two days after Mrs. Harmon’s call. Said he had something important to discuss. I’d almost declined—had too much on my mind with the custody decision looming—but Clara had insisted.“He’s been nothing but supportive,” she’d said. “At least hear him out.”So here I was, sitting across from a man who’d offered me kindness when I had nothing, waiting to hear what he wanted now that I had everything.“Thank you for coming,” Lucas said, pouring water from a crystal pitcher. “I know you’re busy. The orders from Fashion Week must be overwhelming.”“They are. But I’m managing.”“More than managing. You’re dominating. ETHEREAL is the most talked-about brand in fashion right now. Every retailer wants exclusive righ

The next morning, the media storm hit.Not about custody. About something else entirely.I woke to my phone exploding with notifications. Texts from Marcus, Clara, Amélie, Diana. Missed calls from numbers I didn’t recognize. My social media accounts are flooded with tags and mentions.I opened Twitter with a sense of dread.The top trending topic: **#SerenaMooreReturns**Article after article. Blog posts. Think pieces. Everyone suddenly had an opinion about my return to New York.**“Serena Moore: Fashion’s Greatest Comeback Story”** - Vogue**“From Discarded Wife to Fashion Icon: The Serena Moore Journey”** - New York Times**“How Adrian Moore’s Ex-Wife Built a Half-Billion Dollar Empire”** - Forbes**“The Woman Adrian Moore Threw Away Is Now Worth More Than His Entire Net Worth”** - Page SixThat last one wasn’t true—Adrian’s net worth was in the billions—but the sentiment was clear. The media had decided I was the underdog who’d won. The phoenix who’d risen from the ashes. The woman

**VIVIAN POV**I watched Adrian stare at his laptop for the third hour in a row.He thought I didn’t notice. Thought I was too busy with Sophia’s piano lessons or planning the charity luncheon to see him obsessively refreshing pages about Serena.But I noticed everything.Every time he pulled up another article about ETHEREAL. Every time he watched videos of her Fashion Week show. Every time his jaw tightened when someone praised her designs or called her a genius.He was obsessed. Had been since she came back to New York.And that obsession was going to destroy everything I’d spent eight years building.“Adrian,” I said from the doorway of his study. “We need to talk.”He barely looked up. “Not now. I’m working.”“You’re googling your ex-wife. That’s not working. That’s obsessing.”Finally, his eyes met mine. Guilty. Defensive. “I’m monitoring the situation.”“The situation. Is that what we’re calling it now?” I walked into the room, closed the door behind me. “You’ve been ‘monitorin

**ADRIAN POV**The boardroom at Moore Enterprises was silent as I laid out the presentation.“Grant Industries has approached ETHEREAL about a potential collaboration,” I said, pulling up the financial projections on the screen. “A joint venture that would give Serena Moore access to Grant’s manufacturing capabilities and distribution networks. If this deal goes through, ETHEREAL could triple its production capacity within a year.”My board members shifted in their seats. Concerned. As they should be.“Grant Industries is our biggest competitor,” Thomas Park, my CFO, said. “If Lucas Grant partners with ETHEREAL, that strengthens his position against us. Not just in retail, but in luxury markets across the board.”“Exactly.” I pulled up another slide. Market share projections. Revenue impacts. Strategic vulnerabilities. “This isn’t just about fashion. Grant is using ETHEREAL as a way to position himself against Moore Enterprises. He’s leveraging Serena’s success to gain entry into mark

**SERENA POV**The Metropolitan Museum Gala was the event of the season.Fashion, art, and New York’s elite all converging in one space. I’d been invited as a designer….,my pieces would be featured in the upcoming fashion exhibition. An honor I couldn’t refuse, even though I knew Adrian would be there.He was always at these events. Donor. Board member. Part of the establishment that ran New York society.But I refused to hide. Refused to let him control where I could and couldn’t go.“You look incredible,” Clara said as we arrived. I wore one of my own designs….a gown in deep sapphire with architectural shoulders. Dramatic. Powerful. Impossible to ignore.“I feel like I’m walking into battle.”“You are. But you’re wearing armor.”The gala was everything I remembered. Excessive. Opulent. Everyone trying to outdo everyone else in wealth and status.I saw Adrian immediately. Across the room with Vivian on his arm. She wore white—always white—looking angelic and innocent. The perfect con