CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Chapter 142 Have lunch together

Ryan’s POV

I was in the middle of wrapping up a call when the door to my office swung open without warning. The moment I turned and saw Sophie standing there, my jaw clenched involuntarily.

"What are you doing here?" I asked coldly, not bothering to hide my irritation.

She ignored my tone completely, sauntering toward my desk with that practiced walk of hers.

The takeout bag in her hand made a soft thud as she set it down and began unpacking what I recognized as food from our old favorite spot.

"I brought lunch from Angelini’s," she cooed, her voice dripping with manufactured sweetness. "Remember how we used to go there every Friday?"

Her overwhelming perfume hit me like a physical force - that same cloying scent she’d worn since college. Before I could stop myself, I sneezed violently.

"See? You’re not taking care of yourself," she said, reaching across my desk. Her fingers intentionally grazed the back of my hand. "What would happen if you got sick? Who would take care of you?"

I stood immediately, putting distance between us as I moved to the window. The touch of her fingers on my skin felt wrong, invasive. Once, I might have welcomed it. Now it just made my skin crawl.

"What do you want, Sophie?" I asked bluntly, staring out at the city skyline rather than at her. I could see her reflection in the glass, the momentary flash of frustration that crossed her face before she composed herself again.

She approached me from behind, her hand grabbing the edge of my suit jacket with familiar presumption.

"Things have been so crazy lately," she said, her voice taking on that trembling quality I’d once believed was genuine emotion. "I know I’ve made mistakes. I’ve learned my lesson."

I remained silent, waiting for her to get to the real reason for her visit.

"I promise I’ll focus on work from now on, Ryan," she continued, stepping closer, invading my space.

"Actually, I was thinking I should study some of the company’s previous projects to improve my understanding. Could you authorize me to access those files? Just the suburban development from ten years ago?"

So that was her angle. The suburban project - one of my father’s most controversial ventures before I took over the company. Why would she suddenly be interested in that?

"Focus on your own work," I said firmly, turning to face her with narrowed eyes. "That’s all you need to do."

Sophie opened her mouth to press further, but something in my expression must have warned her off.

For a split second, I saw uncertainty flash across her face - the realization that I wasn’t buying whatever she was selling.

"I should get back to the office," she mumbled, gathering her things with jerky movements. "I have a meeting soon anyway."

After she left, I checked my watch and made a quick decision. The office could survive without me for a couple of hours. I grabbed my keys and headed for the elevator.

Her hand moved instinctively to her belly, a gesture that never failed to make my heart race. After a moment’s consideration, she sighed and began gathering her papers.

"Fine," she conceded, standing up. "Let’s go."

I tried to hide my smile as I took her bag, but the simple victory of getting to spend time with her made me feel ridiculously triumphant.

We walked side by side toward the exit, not touching but close enough that I could catch the faint scent of her shampoo - citrus and something uniquely her, nothing like Sophie’s chemical cloud.

"Ooh, Serena!" One of her designers called out playfully as we passed. "Is this a lunch date?"

Before Serena could answer with what would undoubtedly be a firm denial, I smiled at the young woman.

"Just lunch," I said smoothly. "But if anyone wants something, tell Serena what you’d like, and we’ll bring it back for you."

The cheer from her team was immediate and enthusiastic.

A little bribery never hurts—especially if it helps me get into her office.

Wait—why is Serena looking at me like that?