All Chapters of CEO's Regret After I Divorced: Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

Author's POVWhile Serena and Ryan's relationship continued to deteriorate, across town, a different kind of power play was unfolding. Lucian West and Kane Blackwood met in a private dining room at Noir, one of Manhattan's most exclusive restaurants known for its impeccable discretion.Kane lifted his crystal glass of aged whiskey, studying the man across the table with calculated interest. His smile didn't reach his eyes."The famous Lucian West. I've heard so much about you," Kane said, his voice smooth as silk but sharp as a blade. "Your reputation precedes you."Lucian barely acknowledged the compliment with a slight quirk of his lips, clearly not interested in meaningless pleasantries."Let's cut to the chase. I invited you here to discuss a business proposition," Lucian said, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.Kane's eyebrow arched with interest. "Business? Surely you're aware that I'm not exactly in the driver's seat at Blackwood. My dear nephew has made sure I'm just the f

Serena's POVI couldn't believe what I was seeing. Nearly half our design submissions rejected? Something felt seriously wrong. Rubbing my temples, I spread the sketches across my desk, trying to make sense of it all."These were all rejected?" I asked, glancing up at Maya, who stood with her tablet pressed against her chest, looking equally confused."Unfortunately, yes. The liaison at LUXE Jewelry was very specific about the flaws, pointing out issues I couldn't even argue with. I had no choice but to bring them back," Maya sighed, dropping into the chair across from me.I frowned, examining the detailed sketches more closely. My brother Ethan might be demanding, but he respected my work. These rejections didn't make sense."That's strange. Even if London has different aesthetic preferences than New York, these designs were solid. Let's have the team revise them, and I'll personally review everything before we resubmit," I decided, sorting the papers into organized piles.Maya nodded

Serena's POV"Look at this," I said, taking the designs and examining Celeste's work first. I knew her style intimately—her signature and stroke patterns were distinctive and familiar to me.After studying the paper for a moment, I spotted the problem immediately."This signature... it's been stamped on, not signed by hand." I passed the paper to Ethan. "Mr. Quinn, take a look."Ethan's expression darkened as he examined it. His jaw tightened visibly.Lucy leaned in closer, squinting at the paper. "She's right! It's definitely stamped, not handwritten. The technique is good, I'll give them that, but it's definitely not authentic.""Mr. Quinn, I personally handed the original drafts to your assistant," Lucy insisted, her voice firm with conviction. "After receiving them from Maya, I delivered them directly. No one else touched those documents. There's absolutely no way they could have been switched."The tension in the room was palpable. Ethan's brow furrowed deeply as he processed this

Serena's POVThe collaboration between Dreamland Studio and LUXE Jewelry finally reached its first milestone. We'd agreed on the initial drafts and designs, both feeling excited about what we'd created together."We should host an exhibition here in New York," I suggested during our meeting.Ethan immediately nodded, but when we got to discussing who would organize it, we hit our first disagreement."This should be handled by Dreamland Studio," I insisted. "After all, this is New York—I'm the host here.""But you might not have enough energy for this," Ethan countered, his voice laced with concern. "Organizing exhibitions is exhausting. I may not have brought many people, but they're more than capable."He paused briefly before continuing, "If we need more hands, we can always borrow some from your studio. What do you think?"I couldn't help but feel a little defeated. I knew he wasn't trying to steal the spotlight—he was genuinely worried about my health. It was both touching and frus

Serena's POV"Weren't you the one constantly pushing me to go home and rest?" I teased Maya."Of course I was! But you never listened to me," Maya replied, then paused midsentence. Her eyes widened with sudden realization. "Ohhh, I get it now."She dragged out that "oh" with exaggerated inflection, wiggling her eyebrows at me suggestively."Seems like Mr. Blackwood's words carry more weight than mine, am I right?"I laughed softly, feeling heat rise to my ears. No point denying the obvious."I've been thinking about it," I admitted. "After this collaboration with LUXE Jewelry wraps up, I'll focus properly on taking care of myself. For now, I'm heading back to the Blackwood estate to rest."Absentmindedly, I stroked my belly with a gentle touch. "I've been pushing too hard. Time to give myself a break."Maya studied me with curious eyes, making a clicking sound with her tongue."Serena, I swear I can already see this maternal glow radiating from you.""Really?""You probably don't notic