Chapter 348

Serena’s POV

I held Rancy close, gently swaying back and forth as her sobs gradually quieted. How could I possibly explain any of this to a child? Some things were just too complicated for her little mind to comprehend.

Her crying had turned to hiccups now, but my own thoughts were spiraling. Ryan’s face kept flashing through my mind with disturbing clarity. Beyond the obvious anger and fear I felt, there was something else—something unexpectedly painful that made my chest tighten.

Before I could process this feeling, I felt a tiny finger brush against my cheek. I hadn’t even realized I was crying until Rancy was wiping away my tears with her small hand.

"Mommy, Rancy sorry," she whispered, her eyes wide with concern. "Rancy was bad. Please don’t cry anymore, okay?" Her bottom lip trembled. "When Mommy cries, I get scared."

God, what was I doing? She was just a child. My child. This wasn’t her burden to carry.

I pulled her closer, walking slowly around the room while trying to find the right words.

"Rancy, sweetheart," I said softly, stroking her hair. "There are some things happening right now that are very grown-up and complicated. I can’t explain everything just yet."

She looked up at me, eyes still glistening with tears.

"When you’re older, you’ll understand more." I kissed her forehead gently. "For now, I need you to trust that Mommy is doing what’s best for you. That’s why we need to change schools, okay? Can you be my brave girl and not make a fuss about it anymore?"

Her little face scrunched up in thought before she finally nodded, though I could see she wasn’t happy about it.

"Okay, Mommy. I’ll be good." She reached up to touch my face again. "Don’t be sad anymore. Rancy won’t be bad again."

I pressed my forehead against hers, savoring this peaceful moment between us. These were the moments that mattered—just my daughter and me, wrapped in our own little bubble of love.

The bubble burst when I heard the commotion downstairs. The housekeeper’s exaggerated gasp followed by hurried footsteps had me instantly on alert.

"Stay here and play with your dolls, sweetheart," I told Rancy, setting her down on the carpet. "Mommy needs to go check something."

I rushed downstairs, my heart hammering against my ribs. When I saw Cedric standing in the foyer with a swollen jaw and split lip, my stomach dropped.

"Cedric, what happened? Were you attacked?" I asked, already knowing the answer. The sick feeling in my gut grew stronger. "Was it him? Was it Ryan Blackwood?"

Cedric just sighed. "Serena, I’m fine. How’s Rancy doing? She was discharged today, right? Is she feeling better?"

His gentle concern for my daughter only made me more insistent. "Rancy’s fine, but you’re clearly not. Tell me what happened. Was it Ryan Blackwood?"

After dismissing the housekeeper with a flick of his wrist, Cedric turned to me with those earnest eyes that had always made me feel safe.

"Serena, I don’t want you getting hurt. Whatever he does to me doesn’t matter." He took my hands in his, his thumbs tracing small circles on my skin. "You need to be careful around Ryan. He’ll try to approach you again, just like before."

Something twisted inside my chest at his words. I pulled my hands away, trying to sort through the confusion in my head.

"Don’t worry," I said firmly. "I won’t have anything to do with him. Maybe I didn’t see his true nature before, but I do now. I won’t be fooled again."

I grabbed cotton swabs from the nearby first aid kit and began carefully cleaning his wounds. As I worked, I could have sworn I saw the faintest smile cross his lips, gone so quickly I might have imagined it.

Later that afternoon, I headed to my design studio, Elegant Realm. Despite trying to focus on work, my mind kept wandering back to everything that had happened. Something about Cedric’s explanation felt...incomplete.

"Serena, you look awful," Sally said bluntly as she handed me a stack of files. "Are you pushing yourself too hard again?"

I shook my head, trying to appear casual. "It’s nothing. Just worried about Rancy, that’s all."

Sally sighed dramatically. "That’s motherhood for you. I can’t imagine what I’d be like with a daughter of my own."

"I thought you were anti-marriage?" I asked, grateful for the distraction.

"I am. Men are completely unreliable creatures," she snorted. "But I could always adopt. Would be nice to have someone to care for."

She switched topics quickly. "Anyway, orders have been picking up lately, and the LUXE collaboration is almost complete. If there aren’t any issues, we should definitely renew the contract. It’s been a smooth partnership."

My mind suddenly flashed to what I knew about LUXE—their close ties to the Blackwood family were common knowledge in London’s business circles. The thought of maintaining any connection to Ryan, even indirectly, made me uneasy.

"Hold on, Sally. I need to think about that a bit more."

She looked at me like I’d grown a second head. "Think about what? It’s a no-brainer!"

I couldn’t explain my real concerns, so I improvised. "Elegant Realm is just breaking into the domestic market. If we tie ourselves exclusively to LUXE too early, it might limit our options with other companies."

It sounded reasonable enough, but Sally still seemed confused. Eventually, she shrugged it off—I was the boss, after all.

"Fine, think it over. But seriously, you should go home and rest. Those dark circles under your eyes are telling their own horror story."

I rubbed my forehead, feeling the fatigue deep in my bones. Sleep had become my enemy lately. Every time I closed my eyes, fragmented images would flash through my mind—some beautiful, others terrifying and dark. And always, always, I could hear Cedric’s warnings about "the devil" echoing in my head like a mantra.

After spending another hour pretending to work while Sally handled everything important, I decided to leave—but not for home. I needed answers more than I needed rest.

The underground bar I chose was dimly lit and far from the upscale places I usually frequented. If I wanted to learn more about Serena and Ryan’s story—my story, possibly—I needed to start digging somewhere Ryan’s influence wouldn’t reach.