جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 50

Serena's POVI gently touched my lower abdomen, my hand trembling, as Ryan took his call in the corner of my room.Should I tell him? Did he deserve to know?Questions swirled through my mind like leaves caught in a storm. If I told him, would he try to use the baby to control me? Would he suddenly become the attentive husband he never was before? Or worse—would he remain indifferent to this child as he had been to me?"I need to go," Ryan's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts as he approached, already rebuttoning his shirt with quick, efficient movements.His eyes never left mine, searching for something I wasn't sure I wanted him to find. "There's an emergency at the office.""Of course," I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. "It's probably better this way."He paused, frowning slightly. "You were about to tell me something important.""It was nothing," I lied, avoiding his penetrating gaze.To my relief, he didn't press me.Then Ryan paused at the door, his hand on the knob.

Serena's POVIt wasn't long before Mr. Quinn appeared.I noticed Mr. Quinn arriving with a young woman by his side—his apprentice designer from overseas who was looking to establish herself here in the city.The event tonight was partly orchestrated to help expand her network, quite the grand introduction.Maya and I made our way over to greet them. In the design world, Mr. Quinn was practically royalty—someone nobody would dare disrespect."Dreamland Jewelry," he said, nodding appreciatively as we approached. "I've heard about your brand. Quite impressive reputation. I didn't expect the founders to be so young—you two have remarkable potential ahead of you."Maya immediately blushed at his praise, waving her hands dismissively. "Mr. Quinn, this is all Serena's achievement. I just handle the business side of things.""So you're the famous Lazuli," Mr. Quinn's eyes brightened with recognition as he studied me more carefully. "I've seen your designs—they truly possess a special spirit.T

Serena's POVI stared at the invitation in Maya's hand, trying to process what this all meant."Eliza Quinn certainly has some kind of magic touch," Maya said, shaking her head in amazement. "A few sentences at the gala and she's got Ryan wrapped around her finger already."I'd expected something like this, but not quite so quickly. The news had spread faster than wildfire."This is practically a declaration of war, isn't it?" Maya continued. "She seems far more formidable than Ivy Hart ever was."I nodded slowly. I'd had WhisperStream look into Eliza's background, and surprisingly, there wasn't any dirt to dig up. She was genuinely talented - a true prodigy in the design world."Don't worry so much," I told Maya, keeping my voice steady. "We just need to focus on our own products. Even if we end up sharing the market, there's plenty of business to go around."The truth was, this city had always been full of hidden talents and fierce competitors. The fact that Dreamland Studio had mana

Serena's POVI sat staring at the small velvet box Ryan had just offered to toss for me. God, what a mess.Was I really going to throw it away?“Let's keep it,” I said at last, my voice deliberately light. “Jewelry's expensive—even if it's from him. No point wasting perfectly good craftsmanship.”Julian raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but didn't press the matter.“Ready to leave then?” he asked, glancing around. “This showcase is getting rather tedious.”"God, yes," I sighed, slipping the box into my clutch. "Between the ambush on stage and Ryan's dramatics, I've had enough excitement for one night."Julian nodded, offering his arm again as we headed toward the exit. I felt Ryan's eyes burning into my back the entire way out, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of looking back.The silence in the car was deafening. Julian seemed lost in thought, occasionally glancing my way when he thought I wasn't looking.Meanwhile, I couldn't stop thinking about that damn box burning

Serena's POV"Grandmother, we aren't living separately," Ryan stepped in smoothly."Serena simply wanted to pursue her work. Uncle's information isn't accurate—he should be careful about believing rumors.""Though it's understandable," Ryan continued, seizing the opportunity, "since Uncle just returned to the country and isn't up to date on domestic matters. Perhaps focusing on recovery would be better than concerning yourself with company business right now."Ryan's counterattack was brilliant, attempting to neutralize Kane's ambitions regarding the company. But Kane didn't seem rushed. He simply placed a piece of food on Evelyn's plate."Mother, I've been away from home so long that I can't even keep track of simple family news. That's what happens when you have no money, no power—when you're practically useless."At the word "useless," I saw Ryan close his eyes briefly, knowing what was coming.Sure enough, Evelyn bristled immediately. "Kane! The Blackwood assets have always include