CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 197

Chapter 197: Chapter 197 The Public Fall

Ivy’s POV

I’d dressed down on purpose today. Plain clothes, hair loose and messy, lurking in this corner with my champagne. Nothing flashy that would draw attention.

Sophie had managed to score me an invitation to the jewelry season opening. So simple to slip in unnoticed - these security guards are absolute jokes.

From my hidden spot, I watched Serena leaning against Ryan, laughing and touching his arm with that fake innocent smile of hers. My fingers tightened around the champagne glass, nearly cracking it. The bitterness rose in my throat, burning worse than cheap alcohol.

Why should my reputation lie in tatters while she gets everything? The career, the man, the adoration. It’s fucking unfair.

I took another swig of champagne, letting the bubbles burn down my throat. The way he looks at her now... it’s disgusting. Does nobody remember what she did? How she stole everything from me?

My head pounded with a single thought: I’ll make her pay. Today. In front of everyone who matters in the industry.

I don’t care what it costs me anymore. By the time this event ends, I’ll make sure precious little Serena Quinn Blackwood is completely humiliated. On the biggest day of her career.

I smiled into my champagne glass. Let her enjoy these last few moments of happiness. She has no idea what’s coming.

Serena’s POV

About fifteen minutes later, the jewelry season host finally steps onto the stage, ready to kick things off.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this year’s jewelry season. New York’s brands have truly outdone themselves this year," the host announces with rehearsed enthusiasm. "Please welcome our first speaker—"

Applause erupts as Lucian West takes the stage first.

Celestial Gems has always been an overseas powerhouse, and now they’re fully entering the domestic market. The organizers clearly want to stay on their good side, giving him the prime opening slot.

Lucian keeps his speech mercifully brief, expressing his excitement about entering the local market while emphasizing friendly competition. The audience claps appreciatively—no one dares offend Celestial Gems anyway.

I notice Ryan watching Lucian with intense focus, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Their gazes never meet before Lucian steps down from the podium.

Next up is Dreamland Jewelry. We’ve climbed to the top ranks in New York’s jewelry scene, and my heart swells with pride thinking about how far we’ve come.

With Maya still nowhere in sight, I have no choice but to take the stage myself. I walk up confidently, accepting the microphone with my most professional smile.

"Thank you to the organizers for giving Dreamland Jewelry this precious opportunity," I begin, my voice clear and steady. "We look forward to working together with everyone to reach new heights in this industry."

Behind me, the LED screen displays our most celebrated pieces and my design awards from various competitions. Everything’s going smoothly until—

The screen suddenly goes black. When it flickers back to life, entirely new content appears.

[SERENA QUINN: HOMEWRECKER WHO SCHEMED HER WAY INTO BLACKWOOD POWER!!!]

The words blare in bold red letters, each character looking like it’s been dipped in blood. My heart stops.

Gasps and murmurs erupt from the audience. I spin around, unable to believe what I’m seeing.

My body feels frozen in place, the wine seeping cold through my dress as humiliation burns hot on my skin. The contrast makes me dizzy. Ryan finally reaches me, his arm steady around my waist as my knees threaten to buckle.

"Someone remove this lunatic!" Ryan roars, his voice reverberating through the now-silent room.

Security rushes in, dragging the still-screaming Ivy toward the exit.

She laughs maniacally, clearly delighted by the chaos she’s created. "You’ll pay for this, Serena! You’ll get what’s coming to you!"

Her voice echoes through the hall. "I’ll haunt you to my dying breath! You don’t deserve any of this! Go to hell where you belong!"

Her curses fade as they pull her farther away, but the damage is done. I feel hundreds of eyes burning into me, judging, questioning, pitying. My carefully constructed world of respectability crumbles around me in real time.

Ryan lifts me into his arms without hesitation, carrying me away from the spectacle as if I weigh nothing. My mind is racing too fast to protest.

The event organizer hurries over, apologizing profusely, but Ryan silences him with a glacial stare.

"Not a word of this leaves this room," he commands, his voice deadly quiet. "If I see a single headline or social media post about what happened here, I will hold you personally responsible."

His threat hangs in the air, crystal clear to everyone present. The crowd parts like the Red Sea as Ryan carries me out, my face buried against his chest.

I should feel grateful for his protection. Instead, a terrible thought forms in my mind—what if some tiny part of him believes what that screen said? What if everyone here thinks I’m exactly what Ivy called me—a scheming, opportunistic fraud?