CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 211

Chapter 211: Chapter 211 Stolen Freedom

Serena’s POV

Before I could answer, Maya’s voice suddenly erupted from my phone.

"Who the hell is that talking? Tell him to back the fuck off!"

Maya was already fuming about Ethan, and now someone had interrupted our conversation. When my best friend gets angry, she doesn’t care who she offends.

I seized the opportunity and flipped my phone camera to show Lance.

"Maya, this is designer Lance Draven. He worked on that collaboration project with Celestial Gems I told you about."

Maya just grunted, clearly uninterested in pleasantries right now.

"Are you at some event? Where are you?" she asked impatiently.

I laughed nervously, stealing quick glances at Lance who was still hovering uncomfortably close.

"Yeah, I’m at Lance’s art exhibition actually."

"Is it over yet? Find somewhere private so we can talk properly. I’m not done ranting about that jerk Ethan."

I forced another awkward laugh. "Sure, just give me ten minutes, okay? I need to wrap things up here first."

Maya finally relented and hung up. I tucked my phone away and turned to Lance with what I hoped was a polite smile.

"Mr. Draven, I’m really sorry, but I need to leave now."

Lance’s forehead creased with obvious disappointment. "Serena, we were supposed to have dinner together."

Were we? I don’t remember agreeing to that. My stomach tightened with discomfort.

"I’m sorry, perhaps another time. Maya needs me right now," I said firmly, turning to leave.

The silence behind me—no footsteps following—brought instant relief. I spotted our studio driver leaning against the car, smoking. When he saw me approaching, he quickly put out his cigarette.

"Mrs. Lazuli, are you leaving already? What about the others?"

I checked my watch. "Just take me home first, then come back for them. The exhibition isn’t over yet."

He nodded and opened the door for me. "Of course, please get in."

Once safely inside the car, I immediately called Maya back. She’d calmed down somewhat, though her eyes were still puffy from crying. She was packing her suitcase, clearly planning to return to New York.

"I’m never coming to London again," she grumbled, stuffing clothes haphazardly into her bag.

My anxiety was slowly subsiding just hearing her familiar complaints. I sat back, finally able to breathe normally again.

Maya noticed my distraction. "Serena! Are you even listening to me?"

I startled. "Sorry, I just..." After hesitating for a moment, I told her about Lance’s strange behavior and how uncomfortable he made me feel.

Maya initially dismissed my concerns, but after recalling what she’d just witnessed, her expression changed.

"You know, I’ve heard some artists can be really obsessive. Their minds work differently from normal people," she said thoughtfully. "Do you think this Lance guy might be... I don’t know, a creep? Or have some weird fetish?"

Her analysis sent shivers down my spine. "No way. He seems pretty respectable, not like—"

"Do bad people have it written on their faces?" Maya scoffed. "Like how ’I’m a cheating asshole’ wasn’t tattooed on Ethan’s forehead? Just be careful, okay? Don’t meet with this Lance guy alone anymore."

I nodded, mentally vowing to keep my distance from him.

"I’m coming back to New York tomorrow," Maya announced dramatically. "I can’t stay in this heartbreaking place any longer."

She immediately launched back into her tirade against Ethan. I sighed, settling in to listen to her vent until we reached the studio.

After hanging up, I headed to my office to catch up on some work. I’d barely made a dent in my emails when my phone buzzed again.

Lance’s name flashed across my screen.

"The exhibition was truly magnificent, Mrs. Lazuli. Lance Draven is an absolute genius," another designer gushed.

I forced a tight smile and headed out without further comment.

Once in the car, I instructed the driver to take me home.

"Mrs. Quinn, we need to stop for gas first. It’ll take a few minutes."

I nodded. "That’s fine. I’ll wait here."

"The sun’s quite harsh today. Maybe you should wait in your office or grab a coffee nearby?" he suggested thoughtfully.

There were several nice cafés in the area, with delicious pastries too. My stomach growled at the thought.

"Good idea," I replied.

After the car pulled away, I crossed the street to a quaint coffee shop. I ordered a pastry and coffee, then settled into a window seat.

I gazed absently at passersby, my mind drifting to nowhere in particular. The server brought my order, and I murmured a thanks before taking a sip of coffee and nibbling at the pastry.

The air conditioning created a cocoon of comfort. Between the gentle hum of conversation, the comfortable temperature, and my earlier stress, I felt my eyelids growing heavy.

Just as they were about to close completely, someone slipped into the chair across from me. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Serena? Finished? We should go now."

I blinked hard, forcing my vision to focus on the person opposite me.

As the face became clearer, my heart lurched violently.

Lance Draven was sitting right in front of me.

I tried to stand, to call out, but my body felt like lead. My limbs wouldn’t respond. Something was very, very wrong.