CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 323

Chapter 323: Chapter 323 Taken

Ryan’s POV 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The moment I arrived back in the States, all they showed me was a damaged surveillance video from the police.

In the grainy footage, Serena’s car gets violently rear-ended, slamming straight into a concrete wall. My chest tightened as I watched, my eyes burning with unshed tears. Blood roared in my ears as the video cut to black right after the impact—conveniently right when you’d be able to see who approached her car.

"Mr. Blackwood, the investigation is still ongoing," the detective said, his voice carefully neutral.

My body trembled slightly. I couldn’t process this. Serena, missing. The very thought made my stomach drop to my feet. The police station’s fluorescent lights suddenly seemed too bright, the air too thin.

"There must be other leads," I said, my voice rough. "Traffic cameras? Witnesses? Anything?"

"I’m very sorry, sir." The detective’s face showed nothing but professional regret. No real answers, just empty sympathies.

When I stepped outside the station, the Quinns were waiting, their faces tense with hope that I’d have news they didn’t. Maya rushed forward, grabbing my arm with desperate fingers.

"What did they say? Do they know where Serena is?" Her eyes searched mine frantically.

I couldn’t even form words. My face must have told her everything because Maya’s eyes suddenly rolled back, her body going limp as she fainted. Ethan barely caught her before she hit the ground.

"I’m taking her to the hospital," he muttered, lifting his wife. The worry in his eyes mirrored my own.

I took a deep breath, forcing steel into my spine. No matter who had taken Serena, I would find them. No matter where on this goddamn planet they’d hidden her, I would bring my wife home. This wasn’t over. It was just beginning.

---

Author’s POV

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Serena slowly regained consciousness in a private medical facility in Inverness, one owned by the Lancaster family. The location was deliberately chosen - hundreds of miles from London and completely off Ryan’s radar. Information was locked down tight, ensuring no word would reach the Blackwood empire.

The steady beeping of monitors welcomed her back to consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open to see stark white ceiling tiles above her, the sharp scent of antiseptic filling her nostrils through the oxygen mask covering her face. Every inch of her body pulsed with pain.

Cedric Lancaster had been pacing the hallway anxiously. When he glimpsed Serena stirring through the doorway, he hurried to summon the doctor. After a thorough examination, the physician delivered his assessment to Cedric in low, measured tones.

"She’s stable now, but has suffered significant trauma. She’ll need complete rest - no movement if possible," the doctor explained. "However, there’s blood pooling in her brain from the impact. Left untreated, it could cause complications."

He paused before adding, "The good news is we managed to save the pregnancy."

Cedric’s smile tightened almost imperceptibly. During the rescue, he’d seriously considered whether to terminate the pregnancy without Serena’s knowledge. It would have been simple enough to arrange, given her unconscious state. But the medical risks were too great - a miscarriage would likely cause hemorrhaging, potentially fatal in her weakened condition.

After considerable internal debate, he’d chosen to preserve the child’s life.

With a nod of acknowledgment, he entered the hospital room, eager to speak with Serena. As he approached, she looked up at him with clear confusion in her eyes.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Her voice was weak but insistent. "Everything hurts... what happened to me?"

The barrage of questions caught Cedric off guard. "You... don’t remember anything?"

Pain flashed across Serena’s face as she tried to access memories that simply weren’t there. No matter how hard she tried to recall her past, she encountered nothing but frightening emptiness.

Alarmed by her obvious distress, Cedric immediately summoned the doctor back.

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