Serena’s POV
I’d been staring at Lucian for too long, trying to process his bizarre proposal. My hand instinctively moved to my swollen belly, feeling the gentle movent beneath.
"Mr. West, I’d genuinely love to collaborate, but as you can see..." I gestured to my pregnant stomach. "I’m pretty far along now. Traveling overseas next month would be risky. If sothing triggered early labor, that would be a disaster."
This wasn’t just an excuse—I genuinely prioritized my babies over any business opportunity, no matter how lucrative. So risks simply weren’t worth taking.
Lucian nodded smoothly. "I completely understand your concerns. However, we could modify the arrangent—promote locally in New York first, then handle the overseas component later when you’re ready."
He leaned forward slightly. "Dreamland’s logo would feature prominently in all Celestial Gems promotions. I assure you, you won’t lose out on this deal."
God, it was tempting. Almost too tempting, which is exactly why alarm bells started ringing in my head.
"Mr. West, I have a question, if you don’t mind," I said carefully. "Feel free not to answer if it seems offensive."
Lucian gave a gracious nod. "Of course."
"This is our first collaboration, and truthfully, we barely know each other. Why would you offer such an incredible opportunity to Dreamland specifically?" I tried to sound rely curious rather than suspicious, but the question had been nagging at .
His lips curved into that enigmatic smile again, the one that never quite reached his eyes.
"So that’s what’s bothering you. Do you think I have ulterior motives?"
I waved my hands frantically, forcing an awkward laugh. "No, no! I’m just curious, that’s all."
"From the beginning, you’ve been exceptionally supportive of Dreamland. Our collaborations have gone suspiciously smoothly. Is it really just because we deliver satisfactory results?"
Lucian nodded slowly. "You’re right. I take special care of suitable business partners."
"Besides," he continued, voice softening, "during our collaboration, I’ve genuinely been impressed by your talent, Serena. We’re friends now, aren’t we? Shouldn’t I reserve good opportunities for friends?"
His explanation sounded perfectly reasonable, but sothing felt off. My suspicions only deepened. There was definitely sothing fishy going on.
Suddenly, Lucian’s expression changed. He sighed deeply, lowering his head with an unexpected display of sadness that caught completely off guard.
Before I could ask what was wrong, he sighed again, more heavily this ti.
"The truth is, from the first mont I saw you, you reminded of soone from my past."
He massaged his temple, offering a bitter smile. "Serena, my behavior must seem strange to you. Showering attention on a business partner you barely know—it looks suspicious, doesn’t it?"
"But your every gesture, every movent is so much like—"
My eye twitched involuntarily. Seriously? Was I suddenly trapped in so twisted replacent therapy scenario?
Lucian didn’t finish his sentence, just looked up with such profound sorrow that I started panicking he might actually cry.
"Mr. West, please, calm down a bit."
Thank god he wasn’t actually crying—I would’ve had no idea how to handle that.
"Serena, I apologize. I didn’t an to..."
"These mories are in the past, but I still find myself wanting to look after you, which is why I—"
I managed an awkward "oh," finally understanding a bit more. But even with this explanation, there was no way I was accepting his proposal now.
"Mr. West, after I’ve had my babies, if another opportunity arises, I’d definitely be interested in collaborating."
Lucian sighed. "I suppose that’s the only option. I truly didn’t consider your circumstances properly."
I forced another uncomfortable laugh, having no idea how to respond. Thankfully, he didn’t stay much longer before leaving the studio.
After showing Lucian out, I imdiately filled Maya in on everything. Her reaction mirrored mine exactly.
"You’ve got to be kidding ," she gasped. "Mr. West actually—"
"It’s his private business, so I didn’t want to pry further," I shrugged. "But it explains a lot about his behavior, doesn’t it?"
Maya nodded, then shook her head, clearly processing this revelation.
"Hmm, speaking of which, have you seen Ryan lately? He seems incredibly busy," Maya asked casually.
I confird with a sigh that I hadn’t. He’d been overwheld with work recently.
"No ti like the present! The studio’s quiet today—why not surprise him?" Maya suggested with her usual directness.
The idea seed good, so I decided to go for it. What I didn’t anticipate was my spectacularly bad timing.
When I arrived at Blackwood Enterprises, Ryan’s assistant looked uncomfortable.
"Mr. Blackwood is discussing business matters with Ms. Hart right now. The company’s having so project issues."
I nodded. "That’s fine, I’ll wait here. Don’t let interrupt your work."
The assistant hesitated but got called away by a phone. Since Ryan’s office door wasn’t completely closed, I couldn’t help overhearing their conversation.
At first, Sophie really was discussing business. But after a few sentences, her tone shifted completely.
"Ryan, you look thinner—you’ve been working so hard. Are you eating properly?"
"I rember your stomach has always been sensitive. You can’t keep pushing yourself like this. Let get you sothing from that restaurant you like nearby."
Ryan glanced at her. "That won’t be necessary. I’ve already eaten."
Sophie wasn’t deterred. She imdiately started reminiscing about their past.
"Rember when you worked late, I’d always keep you company in your office? You’d eat properly then, even without an appetite, just because I asked you to."
Her voice had that wistful, almost syrupy tone that made my teeth ache.
"It’s only been a few years," she went on softly, "but everything feels so different now."
I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to march in there and tear her apart.
No—I wanted to see how Ryan would handle this. Did he still feel anything for her? Did he still hold on to their past?
"If there’s nothing else work-related," Ryan said at last, his tone glacial, "you can leave. I need to get back to work."
A flicker of relief went through —he wasn’t giving her any room. But Sophie... Sophie was nothing if not shaless.
"Ryan, I regret everything so much. If I hadn’t experienced those accidents back then, if Kane hadn’t—"She paused dramatically. "Couldn’t we have had a different ending? Don’t I have any place in your heart anymore?"
Sophie actually reached out and grabbed Ryan’s arm. The audacity!
"Ryan, is there really no way back to how things were? Has your heart completely forgotten ?"
Ryan pulled his arm away, but before he could respond, I pushed the door open and walked in.
Sophie saw and imdiately looked guilty, her eyes darting nervously.
"Serena! I didn’t expect to see you here."
"That’s none of your business," I snapped. "I don’t need your permission to see Ryan whenever I want."
"Serena, you might be misunderstanding the situation. I—"
The sight of her acting all innocent made nauseous. And calling "Serena" with that fake sweetness—who was she trying to fool?
"I’m not misunderstanding anything. I’ve been standing outside that door for quite a while. I heard everything you said."
I took two steps closer, letting out a cold laugh.
"Has anyone ever told you how shaless you are? Constantly bringing up the past, rehashing old stories—do you enjoy picking through cold leftovers that much?"
"If you truly cared about Ryan, why did you remarry afterward? You made your choices. Why are you suddenly full of regrets now? Where was this attitude before?"
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