CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 106

Chapter 106: Chapter 106 Police? Go ahead

Ryan’s POV

I gripped my phone, staring at the empty room . Damn it.

She’d actually done it—moved out without even having the decency to tell me face to face.

My knuckles turned white as I pressed the call button, listening to the ring with mounting frustration.

"Did you seriously just move out without telling me?" I kept my voice tight, controlled, though rage bubbled just beneath the surface.

"I left a note," Serena replied, her tone infuriatingly casual. "The Holly situation has died down enough. I need my own space."

"Serena, that’s not—" I stopped myself, taking a deep breath to calm down. Getting angry wouldn’t help. "Fine. But my security team stays with you." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"I don’t need babysitters," she shot back.

"It’s not negotiable," I said firmly, leaving no room for argument. "Not after what happened at your studio."

The silence on the other end told me she was remembering that horrific incident too. Finally, she spoke.

"Fine," she conceded. "But they stay outside. I won’t have them hovering over me in my apartment."

"Agreed." Relief washed through me. At least she wasn’t fighting me on this. "How are you feeling? Is the baby—"

"We’re both fine," she cut me off coldly. "I need to go. I have work to finish."

I was about to press further when another call came through. Sophie’s name flashed on the screen. Fucking perfect timing.

"Ryan, he found me again!" Her voice was shrill with panic.

I immediately straightened, tension flooding back into my body. "Where are you? Where’s my security team?" I demanded, jaw tightening. I’d specifically assigned men to watch her apartment.

"I...I came home to get some things. I don’t know how he got in!" Her sobs pierced through the phone. "Please—"

Then came a sickening thud, followed by dead silence.

"Sophie?" My chest constricted as the line went dead.

Goddammit. I grabbed my keys and headed for the garage. This wasn’t how I planned to spend my evening—I’d intended to talk with Serena, to try to understand why she’d left so abruptly. Now that would have to wait.

Twenty minutes later, I was at Sophie’s door. My security team stood outside looking sheepish, claiming they’d been instructed to stay in the lobby. Idiots. I pushed past them and found the apartment door unlocked.

Sophie was huddled in a corner, trembling, her cheek bright red with what looked like a fresh slap mark. "Ryan...please help me," she whimpered.

A man stood over her, belt in hand, his face twisted with rage. He turned toward me, eyes narrowing.

"Who the fuck are you to interfere?" he snarled, snapping the belt against the floor with a crack that made Sophie flinch. "Her old boyfriend?"

Sophie spat back at him, "Ryan and I were never like that! Don’t you dare suggest—"

"Oh, protecting him, are we?" The man laughed cruelly, raising the belt again. "Let’s see how he likes watching this."

On cue, four of my security team entered the apartment, surrounding Derek. He glared but knew he was outnumbered.

I led Sophie out without another glance at him, my hand firm on her elbow. She was shaking so badly I could feel it through her sleeve.

Only when we reached my car did she seem to breathe again, collapsing into the passenger seat.

"Ryan, thank you," she whispered, wiping at her tears. "I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come."

She looked up at me, eyes red-rimmed and frightened. "I’m terrified he’ll come back. Could I...could I please stay at the Blackwood estate? Just for a little while?"

When I hesitated, she rushed to add, "I promise I won’t cause any trouble. And I won’t let Serena misunderstand. I know you two are together."

I looked at her bruised face, the way her hands wouldn’t stop trembling. Against my better judgment, I nodded.

"I’ll have someone take you there. And don’t come to work for a few days."

Relief washed over her face. "Thank you, Ryan. You’re saving my life."

I nodded stiffly, already planning to call Serena later to explain everything. The last thing I needed was for her to get jealous or for us to fight over Sophie’s presence at the estate.

As I watched Sophie being driven away in one of my cars, something nagged at me—the timing of it all, the convenient distress call right when I was about to reach out to Serena.

But I dismissed the thought almost immediately. I’d seen the terror in Sophie’s eyes, felt her body trembling against mine. No one was that good an actress.

I’d deal with Serena first, then figure out what to do about Sophie’s situation. One fire at a time.