CHAPTER 132: CHAPTER 132 HE WAS ABOUT TO LEARN A VERY PAINFUL LESSON

Ryan’s POV

I could feel my heart leap when I spotted Serena at the door. Her timing couldn’t have been more perfect - saving me from this increasingly uncomfortable situation with Sophie.

Sophie stood there speechless after Serena’s takedown, her face draining of all color. She turned to me, her eyes already filling with tears, clearly expecting me to come to her defense.

I merely gave her a brief glance, completely uninterested in her act. Instead, I addressed my wife.

"Serena, what brings you here?" I asked warmly.

"If I hadn’t come, I would’ve missed quite the performance," Serena replied with a sharp edge to her voice. She looked Sophie up and down. "You really should consider a career in acting. What a waste of talent!"

"You—!" Sophie started, clearly struggling to maintain her carefully constructed sweet persona. I could practically see her biting back whatever she really wanted to say.

Serena didn’t let up. "Let me make something perfectly clear to you. Stop chasing after Ryan. Even if he’s the man I divorced, he still wouldn’t be available to you!"

I felt my face drop at her words. Ouch.

"Serena," I said, my tone strained.

She huffed, completely unapologetic. "What? Am I wrong? We’re divorced, aren’t you technically the man I didn’t want anymore?"

I sighed heavily, unable to argue with her technically correct but painful logic. "Alright, enough. Don’t get worked up."

Then I turned to Sophie, my voice cooling significantly. "You should leave now."

Sophie’s face cycled between multiple shades of red and white. The humiliation of being dismissed so abruptly was clearly not something she was accustomed to.

The way Serena stood there, pregnancy making her even more beautiful, confidence radiating from her - it made me want to pull her into my arms right there.

Meanwhile, Sophie looked pathetic in comparison, and I couldn’t believe I’d ever fallen for her act.

"Ryan..." she tried one last time, her voice soft and pleading.

"Leave now," I repeated firmly. "Unless you have actual work to report, don’t come to my office again."

Sophie finally left, though not before shooting a venomous glare at Serena. She slammed the door behind her with enough force to rattle the frame.

Serena looked incredibly satisfied with herself, like a cat that just knocked over an expensive vase and felt zero remorse about it.

I moved to her side immediately, gently guiding her to the sofa. My hand instinctively went to her lower back, supporting her.

"You didn’t need to get upset," I murmured, helping her sit down. "I would have sent her away regardless."

Her skin was warm beneath my palm, and I couldn’t resist letting my touch linger longer than necessary.

"Serena, trust me," I continued, my voice dropping to a more intimate tone. "I have absolutely no intention of having anything to do with Sophie ever again."

I knelt before her, placing my hands on either side of her on the sofa, effectively caging her in. The closeness was intoxicating.

"Is that so?" she challenged, her eyes narrowing. "Then why was she in your office talking about old times and trying to feed you?"

"Business," I replied simply, leaning closer. "Which quickly derailed into her usual tactics."

Serena’s scent was driving me crazy - that unique combination of her perfume and something distinctly her. I couldn’t help but move closer.

"You know," I whispered, my fingers boldly tracing the curve of her cheek, "seeing you storm in here like an avenging angel was incredibly attractive."

Her breath hitched, and I noticed the subtle dilation of her pupils. Despite her sharp words, her body still responded to mine.

"Are you saying I’m jealous? I’m not jealous at all," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her adorable attempt to appear indifferent.

God, she was perfect.

Without warning, I leaned forward and captured her lips with mine. She resisted for just a moment - stubborn as always - before melting against me.

My hand slid up her thigh, underneath her dress, finding that sweet spot between her legs. Even through her underwear, I could feel her warmth.

"Ryan," she gasped against my mouth. "What are you—we’re in your office!"

"Doors lock for a reason, sweetheart," I murmured, my fingers slipping past her underwear to find her already wet. "Look how ready you are for me."

Her head fell back as I stroked her, finding that perfect rhythm that always made her fall apart. I watched her face contort with pleasure, her lip caught between her teeth trying to stay quiet.

"Let go, baby," I encouraged, increasing the pressure. "No one will hear you."

When she came around my fingers, clutching my shoulders and burying her face against my neck to muffle her cries, I felt like the king of the fucking world.

"So," I whispered as she came down from her high, "when do I get my full privileges back? When do I get upgraded from ex-husband to current husband again?"

She flushed beautifully, still breathing hard. "That depends on how you behave."

"And how was my behavior just now?" I asked, bringing my fingers to my mouth and tasting her, watching her eyes widen. "Not good enough?"

She glared at me, but there was no heat behind it. I laughed, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in ages.

My fingers gently caressed her swollen belly. "How is he today? Still practicing his kickboxing routines?"

"No, surprisingly quiet today," she said, her expression softening as she placed her hand over mine. "I think he’s sleeping."

I pressed a soft kiss to her temple, breathing in her familiar scent. "You know, I’ve been thinking... we should finalize the nursery this weekend. I’ve cleared my schedule completely. No calls, no emails, just us."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "You’ve actually cleared your entire weekend?"

"For you and our baby? Always."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay then. This weekend it is."

I didn’t let myself get too comfortable with Serena for long—I still had work to finish. Before she left, though, she brought up something concerning.

"I didn’t expect Lucian to be using me as some kind of substitute," she said, her brow furrowed in disgust.

I frowned, watching her face carefully. The idea of West seeing her as anything other than herself made my blood boil. How dare he?

"Even if people have similar appearances, they’re completely different inside," she continued. "Projecting feelings onto someone else... it’s disrespectful to both the original person and the substitute."

"It’s pathetic that he’d even try that excuse," I replied, barely containing my contempt.

Any man who couldn’t see Serena for the unique, irreplaceable woman she was didn’t deserve a second of her time.

She nodded, "I don’t understand it, but I’m going to keep my distance from him from now on."

"Looking at me but seeing someone else... it makes my skin crawl."

I laughed softly, relieved at her reaction. "Good. That’s exactly right."

I walked her to the door, wishing I could keep her by my side longer. "Go home and rest. Once I’ve handled everything here, I’ll come pick you up from the studio."

She blushed slightly, avoiding my gaze. "That’s not necessary. I’ll see you later."

I watched her leave, not taking my eyes off her until she disappeared from sight. Only then did I let out a deep breath.

I hadn’t told her about the tattoo situation—I didn’t want her getting tangled up in this mess. The Lucian problem was mine to handle.

After Serena left, my assistant brought new information about West.

"We’ve confirmed it, sir. The project issues were indeed Lucian’s doing. He bought off our partners."

My face hardened. "Is he deliberately trying to challenge Blackwood Enterprises?"

After a moment’s contemplation, I gave my assistant several specific instructions.

First priority: stabilize the company and prevent West from exploiting any vulnerabilities.

Second: teach Celestial Gems a lesson they wouldn’t forget. This was my territory, not theirs.

As my assistant left to execute my orders, I allowed myself a cold smile.

West clearly had no idea who he was messing with. If he thought he could target my company—or worse, try to manipulate Serena—he was about to learn a very painful lesson.