CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 312

Chapter 312: Chapter 312 Where Do I Stand?

Serena’s POV

The next morning, I impulsively decided to take Vivian shopping. We needed to get out of the house, just the two of us. Something about the mounting tension with Ryan made me crave this simple escape—just me and my daughter exploring the world without the weight of expectations or disappointments crushing us.

I was buckling her into her stroller outside Bloomingdale’s when I heard a familiar voice.

"Is that little Vivian Blackwood?" Cedric approached, smiling broadly. "She has your eyes."

My heart did this weird little skip. I hadn’t prepared to run into anyone I knew, least of all him.

"Cedric," I said, surprised. "What are you doing around here?"

"My hotel’s just down the block. I was about to grab coffee before some property viewings." He knelt to Vivian’s level. "Hello there, beautiful."

Vivian, normally shy with strangers, gave him a gummy smile and reached for his finger. The ease of their connection hit me right in the chest—a bittersweet what-if that I quickly shoved away.

"She likes you," I observed, genuinely surprised. Vivian usually took forever to warm up to new people. Even some of Ryan’s business associates she’d seen multiple times still got her legendary death glare.

"I have that effect on the ladies," he joked, standing. "Shopping day?"

I nodded. "She’s growing like a weed, needs a whole new wardrobe."

"Mind if I tag along? I could use a break from real estate agents, and afterward, we could hash out some preliminary ideas for our collaboration over coffee."

I hesitated for a split second. A voice in my head—sounding exactly like Ryan’s—warned me this wasn’t appropriate. It was just shopping and a work meeting, but something felt... complicated. Still, having another adult to talk to while navigating department store aisles sounded like heaven. And God knows I needed someone who understood my creative vision to bounce ideas off of.

"Sure, why not?" I finally said, telling that nagging voice to shut up.

Shopping with Cedric was surprisingly amazing. He had an eye for color and made Vivian giggle by trying on tiny hats alongside her. There was no awkwardness between us—just the comfortable rhythm of old friends who shared both history and passion for the same craft. The hours melted away, filled with laughter and easy conversation that made me realize how starved I’d been for this kind of intellectual connection.

Three hours later, loaded down with bags and with a very happy baby, we headed to a café near Central Park.

"So I’ve been thinking about your fine jewelry line," Cedric began after we’d ordered. "What if we combined your signature settings with some of the sustainable sourcing methods I’ve developed in East Africa?"

I leaned forward, my creative brain instantly firing on all cylinders. The artistic part of me lit up like a Christmas tree, sketches and designs already forming in my mind. "That could work brilliantly with the direction I’m taking Dreamland. Tell me more about these sources—"

"Serena."

The deep, ice-cold voice sliced through our conversation like a knife. My entire body tensed before I even fully registered who was speaking. I looked up to find Ryan looming beside our table, his eyes hard as granite as they moved between Cedric and me.

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