CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 326

Chapter 326: Chapter 326 A Body That Remembers

Serena’s POV

I let out a long sigh as I finally escaped the studio, my shoulders feeling like they were carrying the weight of the world while I dragged myself home. The sky had turned pitch black hours ago, Bangkok’s night lights guiding my way through the bustling streets.

Two years ago, I’d made the decision to move out of Cedric Lancaster’s sprawling mansion into a modest apartment closer to Elegant Realm. Independence matters when you’re piecing your life back together from scratch.

The moment I pushed open my front door, tiny footsteps came racing across the hardwood floor.

"Mama!" My two-year-old daughter Rancy squealed, launching herself at me like a tiny missile, her curly hair bouncing with each step.

All my exhaustion evaporated instantly as I scooped her up, breathing in her baby shampoo scent. God, how did I get so lucky with this little angel?

"Why are you still up, little monkey?" I asked, pressing kisses against her chubby cheeks. "It’s way past your bedtime!"

Rancy giggled, wrapping her tiny arms around my neck. "Miss Mama," she mumbled into my shoulder, her limited vocabulary somehow perfectly conveying what I needed to hear.

"I missed you too, sweetheart," I whispered, holding her close.

"Did she give you hell tonight?" I asked the nanny who appeared from the kitchen, looking slightly frazzled.

"Nothing I couldn’t handle, Mrs. Lancaster," she replied with a tired smile. "Just wouldn’t go down until you got home. Kept saying ’wait for Mama’ over and over."

I nodded, swaying gently with Rancy in my arms. "I’ve got her now. Thank you for staying late again."

After the nanny gathered her things and left, I carried Rancy upstairs to her bedroom, decorated in soft pastel colors with twinkling fairy lights creating a dreamy atmosphere.

"Story, Mama?" Rancy asked hopefully as I tucked her into bed.

"Just a quick one tonight, baby," I conceded, grabbing her favorite book from the nightstand.

Halfway through the second page, her eyelids began to droop, and by the fifth, she was sound asleep, one tiny fist clutching her stuffed elephant. I carefully slipped away from the bed, planting one final kiss on her forehead before tiptoeing out.

I nearly had a heart attack when I turned and found Cedric Lancaster lounging against the doorframe, watching us.

"Jesus Christ!" I whispered harshly, pressing a hand to my racing heart. "You scared the hell out of me. How long have you been standing there?"

His lips curled into that familiar half-smile that never quite reached his eyes. "Long enough."

I brushed past him, heading downstairs with Cedric following close behind. Though we’d been living separately since I established Elegant Realm, he still showed up unannounced several times a week, claiming he needed to see Rancy.

"It’s almost midnight," I said, pouring myself a glass of water in the kitchen. "What’s so urgent it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?"

Cedric dropped onto my sofa with the ease of someone who considered himself at home despite not living here. His expensive suit looked slightly rumpled, his usually perfect hair disheveled as though he’d been stress-running his hands through it all day.

"I’ve been thinking about your Europe trip," he said, watching me intently.

I kept my poker face, though my pulse quickened. This was the conversation I’d been dreading since our blowout at the office.

"And?" I prompted, leaning against the kitchen counter, keeping my distance.

"You can crash at my London place when we get there," he said, catching me off guard. "It would be more comfortable for Rancy, and safer for both of you."

I raised an eyebrow. "We? I don’t remember sending you an invitation."

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