CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 265

Chapter 265: Chapter 265 Dinner

Serena’s POV

The morning flew by in a whirlwind of designs, fabric swatches, and business decisions. By lunchtime, I felt completely immersed in work again, the creative energy revitalizing me in a way nothing else could.

My phone buzzed with a text from Ryan: "How’s your first day back? Vivian misses you. So do I."

A smile spread across my face as I typed back: "Busy in the best way. Miss you both too. See you tonight."

I attached a selfie of me surrounded by sketches, my hair slightly disheveled from running my hands through it while concentrating—a habit Ryan always teased me about.

His response came quickly: "Beautiful. Even with pencil smudge on your cheek."

I touched my face, finding the graphite mark he’d noticed. The fact that he found even my messy work mode endearing made my heart skip.

Just as I was about to return to work, my office door opened and Julian stepped in, his familiar silhouette backlit by the hallway lights.

"Welcome back," he said softly, his eyes warming at the sight of me. "The studio hasn’t been the same without you."

I smiled, genuinely happy to see my friend and colleague. "Julian. I hear you’ve been keeping my seat warm."

"Merely keeping things running until the true talent returned," he replied with his usual modesty. "How are you feeling? And how’s little Vivian?"

"Both doing well," I assured him. "She’s growing so fast, already trying to hold her head up on her own."

Julian nodded, his expression softening. "Children are remarkable that way. Always surprising us with their resilience."

A brief silence fell between us, laden with unspoken feelings.

"I brought you something," he said finally, setting a small gift bag on my desk. "A welcome back present."

Inside, I found an exquisite silver bracelet with a single charm—a tiny paintbrush. "Julian, it’s beautiful."

"I had it made specially," he explained. "To remind you that no matter what life throws your way, your creativity will always be your greatest weapon."

The thoughtfulness of the gift touched me deeply. "Thank you. This means a lot."

He hesitated, then added, "Ryan called me."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He did?"

Julian nodded. "To thank me for supporting you and Dreamland during your absence. It was... unexpected."

I could imagine Ryan making that call—formal, direct, but sincerely grateful. The fact that he’d reached out to Julian, despite knowing the man’s feelings for me, spoke volumes about how much Ryan had changed.

"He’s full of surprises these days," I said softly.

Julian studied me for a moment, his perceptive eyes taking in my expression. "You love him very much, don’t you?"

The question caught me off guard, but I didn’t hesitate. "I do. Despite everything, I always have."

A sad smile flickered across Julian’s face. "He’s a fortunate man. I hope he knows that." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"I think he’s finally starting to," I replied honestly.

Julian nodded, accepting my answer with grace. "Well, I should let you get back to work. The team’s excited to show you their progress on the winter collection."

As he turned to leave, I called after him, "Julian? Thank you. For everything."

He paused at the doorway, looking back with a gentle smile. "Always, Serena. That’s what friends are for."

I stared at the final design sketches for our new collection, my eyes burning from hours of intense focus. The Dreamland Studio office hummed with creative energy around me—Maya barking directions at the marketing team, Celeste meticulously adjusting gemstone placements at her workstation, Lucy rushing between departments with sample materials.

"I think we’ve finally nailed it," I murmured, tracing the contours of the centerpiece necklace with my fingertip. After weeks of revisions, the "Renaissance" collection was ready for production—a blend of classic elegance and modern boldness that felt distinctly mine.

My phone vibrated against the desk, an unknown number lighting up the screen. Normally, I’d let Lucy screen my calls, but something made me reach for it.

"Serena Blackwood speaking," I answered, pushing away from my desk.

"Having dinner with an old university friend tonight at The Pierre, 8pm. He helped Eleanor find evidence about my accident. Would love for you to join us if you can wrap up your meetings. His name is Cedric Lancaster."

Maya peered over my shoulder. "Smart move. Inviting the big bad wolf to dinner."

"It’s not like that," I protested, though I knew she was partly right. "Ryan deserves to meet someone who helped uncover the truth."

"Plus," Maya added with a wink, "this way there’s zero chance of gossip about the newly reconciled Mrs. Blackwood dining alone with a handsome stranger."

"You’re impossible," I laughed, pushing her off my desk.

My phone buzzed with Ryan’s reply: "In meetings until 7:30. Will try to make it. Send me details about this Cedric."

I showed Maya the message, and she let out a low whistle.

"Oh, he’s definitely going to show up. That’s Ryan-speak for ’I’ll move heaven and earth to be there and size up this man who knows my wife.’"

I shook my head, but couldn’t suppress a smile. "He’s just being... Ryan."

"Exactly," Maya nodded sagely. "Which means he’ll probably have Simon run a full background check on poor Cedric before appetizers arrive."

"Let him run his checks," I said, returning to my sketches. "Cedric has nothing to hide."

"Unlike certain other ’friends’ who’ve waltzed into your life," Maya muttered darkly, clearly thinking of Olivia.

I nodded, feeling a pang at the reminder. "I should get back to work if I’m going to make this dinner. The production team needs these approvals by five."

"Sure, sure," Maya stood, heading for the door. "Just promise me one thing?"

"What’s that?"

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Text me if Ryan goes full caveman possessive. I want all the juicy details."

"Out!" I pointed to the door, laughing despite myself.