CHAPTER 117: CHAPTER 117 HOW STRANGE

Author’s POV

Ryan held the dark jacket loosely in one hand, his gaze fixed on Maya’s car until its taillights disappeared around the corner. His expression was unreadable, but the faint tension in his grip betrayed what he was holding back.

Standing nearby, Simon glanced at his watch before speaking cautiously.

“Mr. Blackwood, we should head upstairs.”

Ryan closed his eyes for a brief moment, steadying himself. He straightened his cuffs, drew in a slow breath, and finally moved toward the building’s entrance.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.

Lucian stepped out, his stride measured, his tailored suit immaculate. His eyes, cool and sharp, landed on Ryan for the briefest second—calculated, assessing—before moving on as if nothing had happened.

Ryan didn’t notice. His head was slightly lowered, his thoughts still circling back to Serena, a trace of distraction dulling the usual edge in his expression. Even the sound of the elevator doors closing behind him barely registered.

Lucian turned, watching the doors seal shut.

After all these years, Ryan hadn’t changed. That same effortless authority—the kind that made people instinctively keep their distance—still clung to him like armor.

Lucian’s gaze hardened, a faint, humorless smile touching his lips as he motioned to his assistant.

“Find out who he’s here to see,” he said quietly.

The assistant blinked once, then nodded quickly and disappeared down the hall.

---

Serena’s POV

The ride home was quiet. I could feel Maya stealing concerned glances my way, clearly picking up on my mood shift after that encounter with Ryan.

"Are you two still giving each other the cold shoulder?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Mmm," I hummed noncommittally, keeping my expression carefully neutral. I had no desire to discuss Ryan right now.

"So what’s going on between—"

"This partnership with Celestial Gems is crucial, Maya," I cut her off, deliberately shifting to work matters. "We need to keep a close eye on everything. Can’t let competitors throw any wrenches in our plans. If this collaboration goes smoothly, we won’t have to worry about overseas orders anymore."

Maya straightened up, immediately switching to business mode. "Speaking of which, I find something odd about Mr. West. The intel we gathered suggests he’s quite the ruthless businessman, but the few times I’ve interacted with him, he seems... unusually approachable."

"Doesn’t match what’s in his file at all," she continued, frowning. "Could our information be wrong?"

I furrowed my brow, considering her observation. Something about Lucian had been nagging at me too.

"Perhaps Lucian West isn’t as straightforward as he appears," I mused. "The friendliness might just be a facade. Men who’ve climbed to his position in the business world are rarely innocent lambs."

Maya nodded, looking relieved that I shared her concern. "Just be careful around him, okay? Keep your guard up."

"Trust me, I will," I assured her. "Let’s get the design team moving on this project ASAP. The faster we deliver, the better—but quality can’t be compromised."

Several days later, Lucian returned to Dreamland Studios. I’d prepared some preliminary designs and was eager to get his feedback.

He studied the sketches carefully, his expression thoughtful. After a few moments, he set them aside without much comment.

"I trust Dreamland’s standards," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Actually, I came today for something else entirely."

I smiled politely, curious. "Please, go ahead."

"I’d like to propose we make this a co-branded collection," he said, watching my reaction closely. "What do you think?"

My eyes lit up instantly. A co-branded collection with Celestial Gems would dramatically boost Dreamland’s international profile. But remembering Maya’s warning, I tempered my excitement with caution.

"That’s an intriguing proposition," I replied, keeping my voice measured despite my racing thoughts. "But since we’d be adding a whole new dimension to our project, I wonder if I might visit your flagship store first? It would help me better position the co-branded line."

It was a reasonable request that would also give me a chance to verify some things about Celestial Gems’ operations. No matter how prestigious Lucian’s company was, due diligence was non-negotiable.

Lucian nodded without hesitation. "Of course. Would the day after tomorrow work? I’ll make all the necessary arrangements."

Celestial Gems had a branch in the city, and I knew it would take just one word from him to set everything up. His easy agreement was a good sign.

"Perfect," I agreed.

We discussed a few more business matters before I walked him out. As soon as he left, I briefed Maya on his co-branding proposal.

"Holy shit," she whispered, eyes wide with the same excitement I was trying to contain. "That’s huge, Serena."

"I know," I said, unable to keep the smile from my face. "As long as there are no hidden catches, this could be exactly what Dreamland needs."

The only downside was that this collaboration would inevitably push our other projects back in the queue. But the potential benefits far outweighed that minor inconvenience. I had a good feeling about this partnership—provided everything checked out.

When the day came, Lucian personally arrived at Dreamland to pick me up. I was genuinely surprised by the gesture.

"You didn’t have to come yourself," I said as I slid into the passenger seat of his luxury sedan.

"I wanted to," he replied simply, pulling away from the curb.

I’d visited Celestial Gems’ branch store several times before, but always as a customer. Today felt entirely different—I was here as a potential business partner, scrutinizing the operation through new eyes.

The store manager had prepared comprehensive data on their performance over the past year, waiting for our arrival. Lucian and I sat in the second-floor VIP room, reviewing sales figures and market analytics.

I couldn’t hide my amazement as I flipped through the reports. Celestial Gems was even more impressive than I’d imagined. Their market penetration, customer retention rates, and sales growth were phenomenal. My excitement about the co-branding opportunity grew with each page I turned.

After thoroughly examining the data, I broached the subject of terms.

"What conditions would you expect for this co-branding arrangement?" I asked directly.

Lucian gave me a slight smile. "I’ve always believed in mutually beneficial partnerships," he said, his answer elegantly vague yet clearly affirmative.

My smile widened, and I extended my hand across the table. "Then here’s to the success of our co-branded collection, Mr. West."

He took my hand, but didn’t immediately release it after our shake. Instead, his grip lingered just a moment longer than necessary.

"I have no doubt it will be successful," he said, giving my hand a subtle squeeze before finally letting go.

I arched an eyebrow involuntarily, caught off guard by the gesture. Was he... flirting with me?

Why would he do that? I was visibly pregnant , for heaven’s sake.

How strange.