CHAPTER 129: CHAPTER 129 IT IS A TRAP

Serena’s POV

I settled into life as Ryan’s pampered houseguest surprisingly quickly.

The Blackwood mansion was like a fortress—I felt completely safe here, with no need to look over my shoulder constantly.

After binging two episodes of some mindless show on the massive living room couch, I felt the couch dip beside me. Ryan had come downstairs, looking annoyingly handsome in his tailored suit.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked, his eyes taking in my sprawled position and the empty snack bowl beside me.

"Immensely," I replied dryly. "Your Netflix subscription is the real MVP here."

He laughed, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against my forehead. "I have to head to the office. Try not to burn the place down while I’m gone."

"No promises," I shot back, fighting the warmth spreading through my chest at his casual affection.

After he left, the huge mansion felt oddly lonely around me.

My phone rang—it was Maya.

"Lucian came by the studio today," she said excitedly. "Since you weren’t there, he talked to me about his plans. He wants Dreamland Jewelry to host an overseas jewelry exhibition! What do you think?"

"Overseas? A jewelry exhibition?" I sat bolt upright, my heart racing with excitement. This was exactly the kind of opportunity I’d been dreaming of—a chance to break into international markets under the prestigious Celestial Gems banner.

"That was my reaction too," Maya laughed, "but the overseas schedule is really tight. You’re pregnant, Serena—can your body handle it?"

"Of course I can handle it! I’d just be attending as the founder. We’ll bring extra designers and split the workload. How exhausting could it really be?" I was already calculating all the angles, refusing to consider letting this opportunity slip through my fingers.

"Well, there’s still time to think about it. Are you still staying at the Blackwood place?"

I confirmed I was, even as I mentally planned my exit strategy. Derek had already shown himself, and Ryan had people protecting him. Derek wouldn’t dare come after me in broad daylight.

If he did try anything, he’d fall right into Ryan’s trap. Win-win.

"I’ll call you back later," I promised.

"Alright, think it through carefully. This opportunity isn’t once-in-a-lifetime or anything. No need to rush."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Talk later." I hung up and headed straight for Ryan’s study.

I fired up his computer with practiced ease, searching for information about the upcoming overseas fashion events. Next month was the international Fashion Week—a critical time slot. Lucian must have had his eye on that timing when proposing this collaboration.

After hesitating briefly, I quietly gathered my things, planning to sneak back to the studio for a closer look at Lucian’s proposal.

I’d barely made it out the door when the housekeeper caught up with me.

"Mrs. Blackwood, where are you going?" he called after me, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I told you not to call me that," I said with a grimace, shoulders tensing. So much for slipping out unnoticed.

"Then what are you...?"

"Ryan said if I had important business, I could go handle it. He’s assigned people to protect me," I explained confidently, mentally adding, *not that I need his permission anyway*.

The housekeeper sighed with relief. "Very well, but please return early."

I didn’t respond, just climbed into the waiting car. Sure enough, another vehicle pulled out behind us—Ryan’s security detail, no doubt. I rolled my eyes. Subtle.

When I arrived at the studio, Maya nearly jumped out of her skin.

"You’re here already? Didn’t you just say on the phone you needed time to think?" She stared at me like I’d teleported.

I nodded casually. "I did think—and decided to come see what Lucian left. I assume he left a proposal?"

Maya shook her head at me but handed over the folder Lucian had left behind. "The overall plan is incredibly thorough. We’d barely have to lift a finger."

"And that’s exactly what makes me suspicious," I muttered, flipping through the pages. "When have we ever gotten something for nothing?"

The proposal was indeed suspiciously perfect. Every detail meticulously planned, every contingency accounted for.

"It’s too perfect," I said, tapping my fingers nervously against the glossy pages.

Maya nodded vigorously. "When things seem too good to be true..."

I sat down, suddenly less certain about this collaboration than I’d been initially.

"Should I just decline for you? Say your health won’t allow it?" Maya offered, looking genuinely concerned.

After hesitating, I shook my head. "Let’s wait a bit."

"We might have time to wait, but will Lucian be patient? This exhibition plan seems urgent."

"For such an important project, Lucian couldn’t possibly have just come up with it on the spot. He must have been planning this for a while. If we don’t go, there will be dozens of other studios fighting for the opportunity."

"Don’t worry—we might lose out, but Celestial Gems won’t suffer either way."

I sighed, deciding not to rush the decision.

"If you put it that way, we can wait," Maya agreed.

We chatted a while longer about my health and recent living situation before she returned to her work.

---

Ryan’s POV

At my company, I quickly received news—not about Lucian, but about my "houseguest."

"Serena went to her studio? With her things? Why didn’t the housekeeper stop her?" I demanded, already reaching for my jacket.

"Sir, Miss Quinn said she’d be back shortly, but she’s been at the studio this whole time with no sign of leaving."

I sighed almost imperceptibly. This woman was determined to give me gray hairs. "Any news about Lucian?"

"Yes, Lucian went to Dreamland Jewelry this morning to discuss an overseas collaboration."

My assistant provided the details as my expression grew increasingly dark.

"Did Serena agree to it?" I asked sharply, a knot forming in my stomach.

"That’s... unclear, sir."

I couldn’t sit still any longer. My instincts screamed that this was a trap.

"Get the car. We’re going to find Serena."

When I arrived at the studio, Serena was in a meeting. She’d been away from work for too long—there were many matters that needed her attention.

Through the meeting room door, I watched her focused expression, her hands gesturing animatedly as she spoke to her team. The sight of her safe and in her element brought me unexpected relief.

"Mr. Blackwood, perhaps you could wait in her office?" the receptionist suggested nervously. "Ms. Quinn’s meeting is rather important."

I nodded and headed straight to her office. The proposal Lucian had left was sitting on her desk. I picked it up, examining it carefully, my expression darkening with each page.

"What are you doing here?" Serena asked, finding me brooding by her desk after her meeting ended.

She wasn’t surprised I’d tracked her down, just that I’d done it so quickly.

"Was there some emergency at the studio that required your immediate attention?" I asked coolly, masking my concern with detachment.

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that an interrogation?"

"Is this from Lucian?" I waved the proposal before placing it back on her desk.

She nodded without hesitation. "I’m considering it. The collaboration looks perfect, with almost no downside for Dreamland."

We really were thinking alike on this.

"If it’s perfect, what’s there to consider?" I asked, my tone lighter now that I knew she was suspicious too.

"That’s exactly it—it’s too perfect. If what you said about Lucian working with Derek is true, wouldn’t I be walking right into their trap by going overseas?"

"So you do have some sense after all." The compliment carried an unmistakable hint of personal affection that earned me a sharp glare from her.

After discussing it together, Serena finally decided to decline the overseas project. Her excuse was straightforward—she didn’t have the energy, and Dreamland Jewelry needed to take a break from major projects for a while.

"Miss Quinn, are you absolutely certain? Mr. West genuinely values this collaboration."

Serena sighed dramatically into the phone, feigning deep regret. I had to admire her acting skills—the little pout she added was a nice touch.

"I appreciate Lucian’s offer, truly. But the timing simply isn’t right. My energy and health can’t keep up, and if problems arose later, we’d have no way to make amends."

"I hope Lucian can understand," she added, keeping it brief before saying goodbye and hanging up.

As she set down the phone, our eyes met across the desk. For once, we were completely aligned. The tiny smile she tried to hide told me everything I needed to know.