CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 204

Chapter 204: Chapter 204 Rumors and Rivalries

Serena’s POV

I turned around with a smile, standing to greet him. "Ryan, you’re here! Let me introduce you—this is Lance Draven, the designer Mr. West brought in for the collaboration. We’ve been discussing some fascinating design concepts."

"Lance really knows his stuff," I added, trying to keep things professional and light.

Ryan’s gaze swept over Lance again, his expression remaining deliberately neutral. The temperature in the room practically dropped another five degrees.

"Hello," he said simply, voice clipped.

Lance, clearly sensing Ryan’s intimidating aura, stood up and offered a polite smile. "So you’re Mr. Blackwood? It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Ryan gave him a curt nod before turning to me. "It’s getting late. We should head home for dinner."

I glanced between the two men, trying not to smile at Ryan’s transparent attempt to extract me from the situation. "Lance, I didn’t realize we’d been talking so long. Would you like to join us for dinner?"

Lance shook his head quickly. "No need, I wouldn’t want to intrude. We can stay in touch regarding the collaboration anytime."

"Of course," I nodded, secretly relieved he’d declined. The thought of sitting through dinner with these two was enough to give me anxiety.

Once seated in the car, Ryan immediately brought up the Celestial Gems partnership.

"So you’ve met with Lucian today?"

I nodded, sharing my impressions. "Lucian seems... different. Others might not notice it, but I can tell."

"His hostility toward me has faded considerably."

Ryan visibly relaxed at this information, though his protective instincts remained intact. "Regardless, be careful with this partnership."

"I will, promise."

There was a brief pause before he asked, "That designer—he’s involved in this collaboration too?"

I nodded, watching Ryan’s face carefully. "Lance is quite renowned domestically. He’s won numerous awards but stays remarkably low-profile. Works independently."

Ryan’s brow furrowed slightly. "I was just asking."

I couldn’t help smirking. "Lance is simply a talented professional. Heaven forbid you get jealous over nothing again."

Instead of responding verbally, Ryan suddenly pulled me closer, his arm wrapping firmly around my waist.

"You think I’m that petty?" His voice was dangerously close to my ear, sending unwanted shivers down my spine.

I pushed against his chest twice, but he didn’t budge. Finally giving up, I sighed dramatically.

"Stop it. I was just making an observation."

"Let’s go home for dinner. I’m hungry," I added, trying to find any excuse to avoid getting too affectionate in my office. The last thing I needed was someone walking in on us.

Ryan, however, had other ideas. He leaned in and placed a quick kiss on my cheek.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the office door swung open.

Maya let out an exaggerated "Oh!" and dramatically covered her eyes. "I didn’t see anything! Please, carry on, don’t mind me!" she teased, already backing toward the door.

I cleared my throat, feeling heat rise to my face. "Maya, wait. Did you need something?"

She grinned mischievously. "Should I talk now? Am I interrupting something important?"

"Stop teasing and come in already."

Maya stepped inside, her expression shifting to business mode. "Celestial Gems is hosting an event the day after tomorrow to build buzz for the collaboration."

She handed me an invitation. "The invitation was delivered personally. Will you attend?"

I examined the elegant card. "Looks like Lucian is putting considerable effort into this partnership, which makes sense given their full-scale domestic market entry."

The reporter, clearly emboldened by his approachable demeanor, couldn’t resist diving into gossip territory. "Mr. West, Celestial Gems has collaborated with Dreamland more than any other company since your New York launch. Would you say you and Mrs. Lazuli have developed a special rapport?"

I nearly choked on my champagne at that question. Really? We were going there?

Lucian nodded thoughtfully. "I wouldn’t call it a special rapport exactly, but Dreamland has proven to be a reassuringly reliable partner."

As I navigated through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries with industry contacts, I gradually made my way toward the center of attention. That’s when Lucian spotted me and extended his hand in greeting.

"Serena, you made it."

I stopped and smiled politely. "Mr. West."

Like sharks sensing blood, the reporters and cameramen swiveled in my direction, equipment suddenly trained on me.

"Mrs. Lazuli! Would you mind joining Mr. West for a brief interview?" one particularly persistent reporter called out.

I hesitated, about to politely decline, when Lucian smoothly answered, "Of course she can."

Well, that decided that. According to the event schedule, both company heads were supposed to give a joint interview anyway. Refusing now would only create unnecessary awkwardness.

With as much grace as I could muster, I walked over and positioned myself beside Lucian. It was only then that I noticed our matching attire - we’d both coincidentally chosen outfits in the same color palette. Great. Just what the gossip columns needed.

The interview proceeded without incident, both of us fielding questions with practiced professionalism.

When it finally ended, Lucian turned to me with a surprisingly genuine smile. "You’ve been standing quite a while. Would you like to sit down?"

He gestured toward a nearby seating area with impeccable gentlemanly charm.

I nodded, seeing no reason to decline. Once seated, we actually had a productive discussion about our collaboration plans. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

What I didn’t anticipate was how quickly the evening would become fodder for online speculation. Within hours, videos of our joint interview were trending across social media.