CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 281

Chapter 281: Chapter 281 Back to New York

Serena’s POV

The moment I stepped off the plane onto New York soil, exhaustion melted away as anticipation took its place. After the whirlwind in London, I couldn’t wait to surprise Maya with my early return and see my daughter’s precious face again. I’d missed Vivian terribly during my time away.

As I navigated through the terminal, wheeling my carry-on behind me, I spotted them—not just Maya, but Ryan too, standing side by side near the arrival gate. My steps faltered momentarily, surprise washing over me. I hadn’t told either of them my exact arrival time.

"What’s with that face?" Maya called out, already rushing toward me with arms wide open. "Aren’t you happy to see your best friend and your dashingly handsome husband waiting for you?"

Before I could respond, she enveloped me in a fierce hug that nearly knocked the wind from my lungs. The familiar scent of her signature perfume—something citrusy with hints of jasmine—filled my senses, and I couldn’t help but smile against her shoulder.

"I’m not unhappy," I laughed, pulling back slightly. "Just surprised. How did you know I was landing now? I wanted to surprise you both."

Maya dangled her phone in front of me with a mischievous grin. "I have my sources, darling. Did you really think the Quinn family wouldn’t keep me updated on your movements?"

Of course. I should have known better than to think I could sneak back into the country without my family alerting Maya.

I turned to Ryan, who stood watching our reunion with a soft expression I was still getting used to seeing on his face. "And you? How did you know?"

Ryan’s lips curved into that half-smile that still made my heart skip a beat. "Heart connection, perhaps?" His tone was playful, but something in his eyes made me wonder if he wasn’t entirely joking.

"Oh God, please!" Maya groaned dramatically, making a gagging motion. "Don’t start with the lovey-dovey stuff in front of me. Ethan just flew back to London, and I don’t need the reminder that you two get to go home together while I’m sleeping alone."

I couldn’t resist teasing her. "Back to long-distance again? Such a shame."

"Let’s not dwell on my tragic love life," Maya declared, linking her arm through mine. "More important question—are you coming back to the studio with me to debrief about London, or are you heading home with Mr. Perfect Hair here?"

I hesitated. After days away, I desperately wanted to see Vivian, but I also knew Maya was eager to hear about Ivy and the London expansion firsthand.

Before I could voice my dilemma, Ryan spoke up. "I’ll drive you both to the studio. The debriefing shouldn’t take too long, right?"

Maya’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow, that’s unexpectedly accommodating of you, Mr. Blackwood. In that case, I’m borrowing your wife for exactly ninety minutes, not a second longer."

She threw her arm around my shoulders in a friendly half-hug as we walked toward the exit, Ryan following with my luggage.

At the studio, I recounted everything that had happened in London, from Ivy’s dramatic resignation to Matthews’ spectacular fall from grace. Maya and I dissolved into fits of laughter as I described his face when he realized I was backing Ivy.

"I wish I could’ve seen it!" Maya exclaimed, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "The almighty Matthews, finally getting exactly what he deserved!"

Ryan, seated beside me on the studio’s plush sofa, watched our exchange with evident amusement. Though he wasn’t actively participating in our gossip session, his presence felt natural, comfortable—something that would have seemed impossible just months ago.

"So you really think Ivy can handle running the London division?" Maya asked, her expression turning more serious.

"With your guidance initially, absolutely," I confirmed. "Which reminds me—I need you in London next week. You’ll help Ivy settle into her role properly, and..." I paused dramatically, "you might just run into a certain Quinn heir while you’re there."

Maya’s eyes widened, a brilliant smile breaking across her face. "Are you serious? Serena, I absolutely adore you!" She lunged across the coffee table to hug me again, nearly knocking over our drinks in the process.

I smiled and stepped closer, rising onto my tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his cheek. "I missed you too. Both of you."

His arm slipped around my waist, drawing me and Vivian against his chest in a gentle embrace. For a moment, we simply stood there, the three of us together again.

Vivian broke the silence with a delighted squeal, patting both our faces as if to make sure we were really there. Ryan laughed, a deep, genuine sound that still caught me off guard sometimes—so different from the cold, distant man I’d first married.

"I think someone’s happy to have her family complete again," he said, tickling Vivian’s tummy and eliciting another joyful squeal.

As we moved to the living room, Vivian perched on my lap while Ryan prepared drinks for us, I felt a profound sense of contentment settle over me. The London trip had been a professional triumph, but this—this moment of domestic tranquility with my husband and daughter—felt like the true victory.

Ryan returned with two glasses of wine, handing one to me before settling beside us on the sofa. Vivian immediately reached for him, and he scooped her up effortlessly, those large hands that commanded billion-dollar deals now gently supporting our daughter’s back.

"She’s definitely grown," I observed, watching how comfortably they interacted. "You two seem to have bonded while I was away."

Ryan nodded, a soft smile playing on his lips as Vivian grabbed his finger and held on tight. "We came to an understanding, didn’t we, princess? "

As the evening progressed, with Vivian eventually dozing off against Ryan’s chest, I felt the last of the tension from my travels melting away. Ryan caught me watching them, his expression softening further. "Welcome home, Serena," he murmured.

Home. The word held such different meaning now than it had when I’d first come to live under the Blackwood roof.

"It’s good to be back," I whispered, and meant it with every fiber of my being.