جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 90

Serena's POVI took a deep, shaky breath, my fingers tightening around the necklace Ryan had given me. I needed to know.I had to hear it from him, to finally understand why that night had gone so wrong.The memory of being trapped, helpless, the cold fear creeping into every part of me… it still made my chest ache. Every time I thought about it, my pulse spiked, my hands trembled."That night I was kidnapped," I began, watching his face darken at the memory. "I called you for help, but Ivy answered your phone. She told me…" My voice faltered. "She told me you were busy—with her—and couldn't be disturbed."Ryan's expression changed from confusion to shock to cold fury in rapid succession. "What? I was at the office all night. Ivy was nowhere near me or my phone.""Then how did she answer when I called?" My fingers tightened around my glass."I'd left my personal phone at home that day," he said slowly, realization dawning in his eyes. "I was using my backup phone for urgent calls. Ivy

Ryan's POV"Mr. Blackwood, they're waiting for you inside," Simon whispered, gesturing toward the boardroom.I nodded, straightening my tie. "Let's get this over with."Two hours later, I finally escaped the boardroom, immediately checking my phone. Six missed calls from the butler. My stomach dropped."Simon, reschedule everything. Something's happened."I called the butler back immediately, my fingers tightening around the phone as he explained the situation."Sir, Mrs. Blackwood—I mean, Ms. Quinn came to the estate today. There was... an unfortunate encounter with Ms. Hart.""What happened?" My voice came out sharper than intended."Ms. Hart was wearing some of the clothes Ms. Quinn left behind. There were... words exchanged."I closed my eyes briefly. Of course Sophie would do something like that. "I'm on my way."Twenty minutes later, I stormed through the front door of the estate. The butler approached immediately, looking distressed."Where is Sophie?" I demanded."In the guest

Ryan's POVI heard the doctor's diagnosis and my mind went blank.I couldn't believe Grandmother was actually sick, and seriously ill at that.Just yesterday we'd been plotting to use the "sick grandmother" trick to lure Serena back to the mansion, and now Grandmother had actually collapsed. Talk about coincidences.Especially when the doctor mentioned her emotional distress, it made me suspicious that Grandmother might be faking it. She'd been constantly worrying about her youngest son—my uncle.I questioned the doctor sharply, "Are you certain you're not exaggerating?"The doctor looked taken aback. "Mr. Blackwood, what are you suggesting? Would I dare lie about something this serious?""If you don't believe me, feel free to consult other physicians. If their conclusions differ, I'll never set foot in your home again."To confirm Grandmother wasn't putting on an act, I called two doctors I completely trusted to examine her. The results were the same—Grandmother was genuinely ill.Whi

Sophie's POVI stood there, dumbstruck, as Ryan walked away. My carefully practiced smile crumbled, twisting into something ugly and desperate. My fingers clenched around the gift bag I'd brought—now just a pathetic joke.That bitch Serena. Somehow she'd managed to make Ryan cut ties with me completely.I glared up at the Blackwood mansion with pure hatred before spinning on my heel. As I stormed away, a black car brushed past me.The nightmare continued when I got back to the office next day.Colleagues who used to kiss my ass now wouldn't even look at me—or worse, they'd stare with obvious contempt.I've always been sensitive to other people's moods, and something was definitely wrong.After sitting at my desk for maybe ten minutes, I grabbed my mug and headed to the break room. I hadn't even reached the doorway when I heard them talking about me."Did you hear? Sophie and Ryan were never actually together. She was just clinging to him this whole time.""Ryan has a girlfriend, but it

Ryan's POVI woke up in a stellar mood despite the late night. Cleaning Serena's apartment wasn't exactly how I'd planned to spend my evening, but seeing her smile—even if it was at my expense—made it worth every damn second."Good morning, Mr. Blackwood," Simon greeted me as I walked into my office, looking slightly surprised at my early arrival."Morning," I replied, settling behind my desk. "I need you to handle something immediately."Simon straightened, his expression shifting to professional mode. "Of course, sir.""Ms. Sophie Hart," I said, my tone hardening at just saying her name. "Have her employment terminated by noon today."Simon's eyebrows raised just slightly—the most reaction he'd allow himself. "On what grounds, sir?""I don't care what reason you give. Just make sure she's gone from this company today," I replied, pulling up the quarterly reports on my screen."Consider it done," Simon nodded, making a quick note. "Anything else?"I leaned back in my chair, thoughts o