CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 320

Chapter 320: Chapter 320 No Deal

Author’s POV

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the opulent dining area of the Dynasty Hotel as David Anderson and his wife Sophie arrived right on the dot at two o’clock. The restaurant, with its crystal chandeliers and white linen tablecloths, seemed to perfectly frame the power play about to unfold.

David kept checking his watch nervously as they sat at the reserved table. Ten minutes passed. Fifteen. Twenty. Sophie kept her game face on, but the slight tapping of her manicured fingernails against her water glass gave away her nerves.

"He’s playing mind games with us," David muttered, adjusting his Italian silk tie.

When Ryan Blackwood finally appeared at the entrance, the entire restaurant seemed to hold its breath. Conversations dimmed. Waiters straightened their posture. He moved like a predator who owned the place, his tailored charcoal suit emphasizing his commanding presence.

Sophie’s breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes locked onto him with laser intensity. Ryan still radiated that cold, untouchable aura that had once drawn her to him like a moth to a deadly flame.

Ryan’s gaze swept the restaurant like a scanner until it landed on their table. The flash of recognition in his steel-blue eyes when he spotted Sophie was immediately replaced by something darker—something lethal. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

"Well, well," he thought, connecting the dots between Sophie’s presence and the plagiarism allegations against Serena. The timing was way too convenient to be coincidence.

David jumped to his feet, extending his hand with forced enthusiasm. "Mr. Blackwood, great to finally meet face-to-face."

Ryan looked at David’s outstretched hand like it was contaminated before coolly taking his seat without shaking it. The deliberate diss made David’s smile crack.

Sophie, ever the professional manipulator, swooped in to defuse the tension. She placed her hand on David’s arm with practiced sweetness, guiding him back to his chair.

"Mr. Blackwood," she purred, her voice honey-sweet, "it’s been ages."

David’s head whipped toward his wife, his brow furrowing. "You two have history?" The question dropped like a bomb.

Ryan completely iced her out, focusing his arctic gaze on David instead. "Let’s cut to the chase. We’re here to discuss business."

Sophie’s smile stayed plastered on, but her hands betrayed her with a slight tremor. After all these years, Ryan could still make her feel like dirt with just a look. She shot David a meaningful glance—a silent signal to take the wheel.

David cleared his throat. "About our potential partnership, Mr. Blackwood. ARt can offer you the deal of a lifetime. The question is—what’s your value proposition?"

Ryan leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a tone that could freeze hell over.

"My wife has been dragged through the mud with false plagiarism accusations, and ARt just happens to have the magic wand to clear her name." His eyes narrowed to deadly slits. "Before we talk business, I want an explanation for that remarkable coincidence."

The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Sophie’s knuckles turned white beneath the table as she clenched her fists.

"He’s still obsessed with that bitch," she seethed internally. "After everything, he’s willing to torch business deals just to protect her."

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