CHAPTER 187: CHAPTER 187 FALL FROM GRACE

Sophie’s POV

The sharp crack of my hand against her cheek silenced the room—but only for a moment. She recovered quickly, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking hard. The office erupted into chaos, coworkers rushing to separate us while others took the opportunity to land their own blows when no one was looking.

When it finally ended, I was a complete mess. My carefully styled hair hung in tangled clumps, my designer dress was torn at the side, my cheek throbbed painfully, and blood trickled from my nose. In this humiliating battle, I’d clearly lost on all fronts.

"Enough! Stop this nonsense! Anyone not employed here needs to leave immediately!" someone from management shouted.

I glanced at my ransacked workspace, wiped the blood from my nose with the back of my hand, and headed for the elevator. Perhaps I could use this pathetic state to my advantage—make Ryan feel guilty enough to reconsider.

As I plotted my next move, the elevator doors opened, and I found myself face-to-face with Serena Quinn.

Her cold, calculating eyes took in my disheveled appearance, not even attempting to hide her disgust and contempt.

"What drama are you performing today?" she asked, holding the elevator door open, a mocking curiosity in her voice.

Serena’s POV

"Enjoying yourself, are you?" Sophie spat at me, her disheveled appearance doing nothing to diminish the venom in her voice.

The elevator kept beeping, but I deliberately held the door open. I wasn’t about to miss this moment.

"I just think you’re pathetic," Sophie sneered, shifting her gaze pointedly to my stomach. "Ryan might have abandoned our love, but one day, he’ll do the same to you. Maybe once that baby is born, you’ll be tossed aside too. "

Her voice dripped with contempt, her eyes burning with hatred. The polished facade she’d maintained for so long had completely crumbled.

"Are you finished?" I asked mildly.

Sophie’s expression froze, clearly thrown off by my lack of reaction. She’d expected tears, anger, insecurity—anything but this calm indifference.

"Still using the same tired tactics, Sophie? I expected you might have developed some new material by now."

I finally released the elevator door, letting it slide closed. The last thing Sophie saw was my unbothered smile as the doors shut on her humiliated face.

I didn’t mention the encounter to Ryan when I reached his office. Instead, I focused on more important matters.

"Has Kane’s recent meddling affected your work?" I asked, genuinely concerned about the company’s stability.

Ryan shook his head, pulling me suddenly into his arms. I gasped softly as he wrapped himself around me, my ears burning at the public display.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"I’m just tired, Serena," he murmured against my shoulder, breathing in deeply. "Kane’s just a nuisance, not a real threat. Don’t worry about him."

I felt Ryan relax against me, drawing strength from our closeness. Strange how things had changed between us.

"I’m glad you can handle it," I said, gently pulling back. "The jewelry season is approaching quickly, and I need to return to the studio. I should oversee preparations personally."

Ryan’s head snapped up, his brow immediately furrowing. "Serena, didn’t you promise to rest at home during your pregnancy? Why are you suddenly—"

I pressed my hand against his mouth before he could finish. "That’s why I’m discussing it with you now."

I softened my voice, letting a hint of playfulness creep in. "It’s our biggest season. Maya might be overwhelmed handling everything alone, and I’d hate to miss all the excitement."

Ryan’s frown deepened, clearly reluctant to agree. I knew he worried about my tendency to throw myself completely into work, especially with my pregnancy.

Seeing his hesitation, I gently shook his arm, "I won’t overexert myself, I promise. I’ll just provide guidance from the sidelines, not get directly involved in the preparations."

"Really?" His doubt was evident.

I nodded emphatically. "That’s the plan. You’re welcome to drop by anytime to check on me."

That finally coaxed a small smile from him. "Does Dreamland need Blackwood’s assistance with the jewelry season?"

I waved dismissively. "Not yet, but I’ll tell you if we do."

"Alright," he agreed, finally relenting.

Only after leaving his office did I hear the full story about Sophie’s termination. Remembering our elevator encounter, I couldn’t help feeling a sense of satisfaction. Karma had finally caught up with her.

Back at the studio, I dove into organizing for the upcoming jewelry season. Ethan had reached out about a potential collaboration between our brands for the event. On our call, his enthusiasm was infectious—he’d already arranged most of the details.

"Since you’ve explained everything so thoroughly, I don’t see any reason to hesitate," I told him, genuinely impressed by his preparation. "I’ll sign the electronic contract later today. We’ll proceed according to LUXE’s proposed plan."

"Perfect, Serena. Let’s have our teams handle the coordination. You won’t need to worry about any complications," he assured me.

After discussing business matters, the conversation turned personal.

"How are you feeling these days? I thought Ryan wanted you to step back from work?" Ethan asked, concern evident in his voice.

I laughed softly. "It’s our busiest season. Even if I wanted to completely hand things over, I couldn’t possibly do that now."

Ethan’s warm laughter filled the line. "Fair point. Unfortunately, things are hectic here in London, otherwise I’d fly over to see you."

"No rush," I replied. "Come after the season ends, and I’ll treat you to dinner."

"Deal," he agreed cheerfully.

Before ending the call, he mentioned some industry news. "I’ve heard Celestial Gems is planning to fully enter the domestic market. They’re already securing prime real estate in London’s city center."

My interest piqued immediately. "Fully entering? Are they abandoning their international markets after all these years?"

"I’m not entirely sure what’s happening," Ethan admitted. "If they’re expanding their domestic presence, we’ll inevitably cross paths with them. You’ve collaborated with them twice, haven’t you? What are your impressions?"

His question revealed how much he trusted my judgment. I hesitated, unsure how to respond.

While Lucian had been an excellent business partner professionally, other aspects of our relationship were...complicated. Far more complicated than I cared to explain.

Ethan sensed my reluctance and gracefully backed off. "We can discuss this in detail when we meet. I’ll let you get back to work."