CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55 YOU REALLY DO CARE ABOUT SERENA, DON’T YOU?

Ryan’s POV

I watched Serena walk away with Julian’s hand firmly holding hers. Something primal and dark clawed at my insides.

Something primal and dark clawed at my insides. I wanted nothing more than to charge after them and rip Julian’s hand away, but I couldn’t. Not here. Not now.

"Looks like my dear niece-in-law has found herself a new lover," Kane’s oily voice slithered into my consciousness. "As your uncle, let me give you some advice—women need to be coaxed. And if coaxing doesn’t work..." His voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "Make them fear you."

He paused dramatically, savoring the tension crackling through the room. "Once they fear you, they’ll never dare to betray you again."

I watched as Kane shot a meaningful glance at Ivy, who visibly shuddered under his gaze.

"What exactly do you want?" I stepped closer, my patience wearing thin. "How does damaging Blackwood benefit you in any way?"

I grabbed Kane’s collar, nearly lifting him from his wheelchair. The action was impulsive, fueled by rage I couldn’t contain any longer.

First Serena walking away with Julian, now Kane’s public sabotage – it was too much.

Yet Kane showed no fear. If anything, his eyes lit up with excitement at my display of anger.

"My, my, touched a nerve, have I? You really do care about Serena, don’t you?"

I clenched my jaw, refusing to give him the satisfaction of an answer. As the head of Blackwood Group, I couldn’t afford vulnerabilities, especially ones this snake could exploit.

"I thought so," Kane smirked. "This is getting more entertaining by the minute."

"I’m warning you," I growled, my voice dangerously low. "Try anything else, and you’ll regret ever coming back to the city."

I shoved him roughly back into his wheelchair, but his smile never faltered.

"That depends entirely on how cooperative my dear nephew is feeling," he replied smoothly. "When will you let me take over some operations at Blackwood?"

So that was it. Power. It always came down to power with Kane. If I let him get a foothold in the company, he’d start building his own faction, undermining me at every turn.

After a long pause, I made my decision. "Since you’re so eager, take over our operations in Chicago."

Blackwood had several struggling subsidiaries – financial sinkholes that needed extensive restructuring. If Kane was so ambitious, let him prove himself with those.

Surprisingly, Kane didn’t argue. One evening’s work had publicly humiliated me and netted him control of several companies. He clearly considered it a victory.

"Thank you, dear nephew. I’ll send my people for the handover tomorrow. Please have everything ready."

As Kane wheeled himself away, I turned my attention to Ivy, who still cowered on the floor.

"Get out," I said coldly. "And don’t show your face at any more Blackwood events."

Ivy remained slumped on the floor, but I could see the relief washing over her features.

***

The next morning, I stepped into the office,Simon approached, his expression tense.

“Sir... last night’s media coverage—it’s... extensive. Our PR team hasn’t been able to contain it, and Kane’s deliberate manipulation is front and center in every report.”

I didn’t flinch. “Go on.”

“The headlines are focusing on the secret marriage and divorce,” Simon continued, swallowing nervously.

“But the more damaging narrative is the feud between you and Kane. He’s positioned himself as the wronged uncle, and the public is eating it up. Negative stories about you are spreading fast, overwhelming the team’s efforts to manage the fallout.”

I nodded slowly, absorbing the report. “Understood. Keep monitoring Kane closely. And get me a full dossier on Julian Clarke. We’re not going to let this derail anything else.”

Simon hesitated, clearly worried. “Sir... with all due respect, perhaps we should focus on calming the PR storm first—”

“Simon,” I interrupted, already planning my next move, “contact our partners at TechFuture. Move up the announcement of our joint venture by two days.”

Understanding lit his eyes. “A diversion strategy?”

I smirked slightly. “Not just a diversion. A controlled redirection. The market responds to strength, not weakness. By the time the press wakes up tomorrow, Kane’s stunt will be old news.”

In the business world, I’d never encountered a problem I couldn’t solve. This was no exception.

***

Serena’s POV

I stared at the cascade of headlines flooding my phone, each one worse than the last. If this continued, Dreamland Studio would inevitably get caught in the crossfire. I needed to act fast.

WhisperStream had already reached out, his message displaying genuine concern beneath his usual business-like tone.

[Need reinforcements for damage control?]

[Yes. Protect Dreamland’s image at all costs, but stay clear of Blackwood affairs.]

There was a noticeable pause before his next message appeared.

[So it’s true? You were actually married to Blackwood? Never pegged you for such high society connections.]

I rolled my eyes. If not for Ryan and his emotional baggage, my career would have reached its peak years ago. What was I thinking back then? Was my brain completely waterlogged?

[Less gossip, more action. Deliver results, and your compensation won’t disappoint.]

His response came instantly: [Consider it done, boss!]

I set my phone down with a heavy sigh. What a mess.

Julian walked in carrying coffee, his expression sympathetic. "Still upset?"

"I don’t understand what got into Ivy last night. If she hadn’t pulled that stunt, none of this would be happening," I complained, massaging my temples.

Looking back, I’d been too lenient with her. I should have made sure she couldn’t show her face in this city again!

"Why let them get to you?" Julian said, setting the coffee beside me.

"If things become unworkable here, you could always start fresh elsewhere.Los Angeles has excellent opportunities."

He wasn’t wrong. Los Angeles’s design scene was just as vibrant as here.

I shook my head firmly. "I’ve invested too much to just walk away. And what about everyone at the studio? Most of them have built their lives here. I can’t ask them to uproot everything."

That would be completely irresponsible of me.

"Just offering options," Julian smiled gently. "From what I can see, things haven’t reached critical mass yet."

"Let’s hope they don’t," I sighed, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling over me.

"There’s an exclusive luxury jewelry showcase next week," Julian mentioned. "All the prominent designers will be there. Interested?"

I waved dismissively. The studio was already keeping me overwhelmingly busy. I could attend as a spectator, but competing was out of the question.

"Actually, Maya and I already discussed this. You and Celeste will represent Dreamland. We’ve secured spots for you both," I said confidently. "This could be your moment to shine."

Thanks to WhisperStream’s expertise and, surprisingly, Ryan’s resources working in tandem, the negative press began to fade within days. Things seemed to be moving in a positive direction again.

With the luxury showcase approaching rapidly, Celeste and Julian were deeply focused on preparations, working late into each night.

As I left the studio that evening, exhausted from a long day of work, a familiar black car pulled up alongside me.

The window rolled down to reveal Ryan’s face, his expression tense but controlled.

"Get in," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I crossed my arms. "I have my own car, thank you."

"Serena," his voice softened slightly, "please. Come back to the villa. It’s not safe."

"Not safe?" I repeated incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

Ryan’s eyes darkened. "Kane. After what happened at the gala, I don’t trust him. He might target you next."

A chill ran down my spine as I remembered Kane’s predatory smile. But returning to Ryan’s house? After everything? I wasn’t sure I was ready to cross that threshold again.