CEO's Regret After I Divorced Chapter 86 His apology

Ryan’s POV

I 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 ntioned her emotional distress, it made 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 sothing this serious?"

"If you don’t believe , feel free to consult other physicians. If their conclusions differ, I’ll never set foot in your ho again."

To confirm Grandmother wasn’t putting on an act, I called two doctors I completely trusted to examine her. The results were the sa—Grandmother was genuinely ill.

While I was considering what to do next, Serena suddenly spoke up: "I want to see Grandmother."

"Of course, I’ll take you." I reached out to support her, considering her pregnancy.

But she coldly avoided my hand. "I can walk by myself," she said, striding forward without even glancing my way.

The faint scent of her perfu drifted toward as she moved, making montarily dizzy. Even pregnant, she walked with such grace and poise.

Entering Grandmother’s bedroom, the subtle sll of dicine greeted us. The elderly woman lay in bed with half-closed eyes, her breathing labored.

Grandmother had always been ticulous about her appearance, but now her face looked haggard, her hair noticeably grayer.

I frowned almost imperceptibly. For the elderly, illness could be devastating.

"Grandmother, it’s Serena. I’m here," Serena said, sitting beside the bed and leaning close to Grandmother’s ear, hoping she could hear better.

As she bent forward, the perfect curve of her neck ca into view, causing to swallow hard.

Grandmother turned her cloudy eyes and shakily extended her hand. Serena imdiately understood, offering her own hand and holding Grandmother’s tightly.

"I’m here, Grandmother. If you have anything to tell , I’m listening."

Grandmother took a labored breath and began speaking haltingly. I expected her to ntion my uncle, but instead, she started talking about the argunt between Serena and .

"Serena, Ryan isn’t... good with words... whatever misunderstanding... you have... talk it through... don’t let it... slip away."

"It’s not easy... to find each other. You two... don’t give up so easily."

Grandmother spoke with such sincerity that I could see Serena’s expression soften.

I sighed deeply. Grandmother looked as if she was giving her final wishes.

The scene was difficult to bear—I had so few family mbers left, and Grandmother was one of the most important people in my life. I couldn’t lose her.

"Grandmother, focus on getting better. Serena and I will work things out, don’t worry," I quickly reassured her, inadvertently eting Serena’s gaze. The concern in her eyes struck deeply.

"Good... good..." Grandmother repeated the word several tis before her hand slowly released its grip. She looked as if she had used up all her energy, falling back into a deep sleep.

Serena stood up, and we left the room together. I noticed she had beco more emotional during her pregnancy, and this scene had clearly affected her.

My eyes couldn’t help but linger on her—pregnancy gave her a special kind of allure, making her seem softer and more captivating than before.

I had to take advantage of this rare opportunity to explain things clearly.

"Serena, about Sophie—I need to explain. She claid her ex-husband was harassing her and she was almost in trouble. That’s why I brought her to the mansion, but I’ve sent her away now."

I moved a step closer, catching the fragrance of her hair, which reminded of those nights we slept in each other’s arms.

Serena didn’t react much, just snorted dismissively, clearly not believing .

"You don’t need to explain anything to . She was the love of your life, I understand," she waved her hand. "I ca today just to see Grandmother. Now that I have, I should go."

She quickly headed downstairs, and I hurried after her. Watching her walk away, I suddenly rembered those lonely, endless nights without her. I couldn’t let her leave again.

"Serena, I’m trying to honestly explain. Why won’t you believe ?" In my desperation, I grabbed her hand and placed it over my heart. Her warm palm seared through my shirt directly to my chest, making my entire body tense.

"Can you feel it? This heart only beats for you now." My voice deepened with tension as my eyes locked onto hers.

God, I can’t believe I actually said that. Serena blinked rapidly, clearly finding it too sappy.

We were standing so close that I could see the fine hairs on her face and her slightly parted lips when surprised, making want to kiss her.

She quickly pulled her hand away. "Ryan, are you feeling alright?"

I felt people staring and my ears burned with embarrassnt. I realized this wasn’t the place for this conversation.

But this was my best chance to explain—if I let her walk away now, things would only get worse. I unconsciously licked my lips, suppressing the urge to pull her back into my arms.

"Serena, can we talk? Even if you don’t want to deal with , please listen for the sake of our baby." I lowered my voice, adopting a pleading tone, forcing myself not to touch her again.

Serena raised an eyebrow, seemingly unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Follow ," I said, this ti not reaching for her as I headed straight to the backyard.

After hesitating briefly, she followed. We stopped in a secluded corner of the backyard.

I turned to face her, controlling myself not to stand too close, yet desperately wanting to close the distance between us.

"Serena, I did have feelings for Sophie before, but that’s all in the past. It’s true that after marrying you, I thought about her for a few years, but since I started pursuing you again, I haven’t thought about anyone else."

My gaze unconsciously fell on her lips, rembering their feel, almost losing my self-control.

I paused, worried she wouldn’t believe , and added sothing incredibly sappy: "You and our baby are everything in my life now."

As soon as I said it, my ears burned with embarrassnt and I couldn’t help coughing awkwardly. If outsiders saw like this, they’d be shocked.

But at that mont, I only wanted her to understand my feelings, even if it ant setting aside all my pride.

Serena stared at for two seconds before suddenly laughing. Seeing her laugh lightened the atmosphere considerably, and I felt relieved. When she smiled, it was like magic—I almost forgot to breathe.

Looks like the advice Eliza gave actually worked, though I’d never had the courage to try it before. Sotis you really have to push yourself.

"Serena, do you believe now?" I asked, anxiously waiting for her answer, my heart in my throat.