Chapter 285

Serena’s POV
Something wasn’t quite right.
The thought nagged at me throughout the afternoon as I tried to focus on the latest design portfolios. Ryan’s unexpected office visit, his odd insistence on keeping me away from my phone when I mentioned calling London—small things that wouldn’t normally raise flags, but together formed a pattern that set my internal alarms ringing.
After our romantic dinner last night, I’d let my suspicions fade. Perhaps I was being paranoid. But this morning, I noticed Ryan checking his phone more frequently than usual, his expression darkening briefly before smoothing into practiced neutrality whenever I entered the room.
Once at my office, I waited until I was alone before dialing Maya’s number.
The video call rang for nearly a minute before connecting. When Maya’s face finally appeared on screen, I immediately noticed the shadows under her eyes, poorly concealed with makeup.
“Maya, what took you so long? Were you avoiding me?” I tried to keep my tone light.
She attempted a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Sorry, I was just in a meeting.”
A meeting at 9 PM London time? Unlikely, but I played along. “How’s everything at the London branch? Is Zara Percy handling things well?”
“Everything’s fine,” Maya replied, her voice slightly too bright. “The branch is running smoothly. You don’t need to worry.”
I trusted Maya implicitly with business matters, so I nodded and shifted to what I really wanted to discuss. “And what about you and Ethan? Has he taken you to meet the extended Quinn family yet?” I leaned closer to my screen, grinning. “Come on, spill everything. No secrets between best friends.”
The change was immediate and alarming. What little color remained in Maya’s face drained away, and her forced smile vanished completely. Her eyes darted away from the camera.
“Maya?” I straightened in my chair, all playfulness gone. “What’s wrong? Did something happen between you and Ethan?”
She shook her head too quickly. “No, nothing happened.”
“Nothing? Then why do you look like you haven’t slept in days?” I pressed, concern mounting. “Are you two fighting?”
“Really, Serena, everything’s fine,” Maya insisted, but her trembling voice betrayed her.
“That’s it. If you won’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll call Ethan directly,” I declared, protective instincts flaring. “If he’s done something to upset you—”
“No, don’t—” Maya started, but I had already ended the call, my fingers immediately dialing Ethan’s number.
The call went straight to voicemail. I tried again. Nothing. Three more attempts yielded the same result. My brother, who prided himself on being perpetually available for business calls, wasn’t answering.
Dread settled in my stomach like a stone. This wasn’t normal. Ethan and Maya were two of the most level-headed people I knew. They wouldn’t be acting this way over a simple lovers’ quarrel.
I left my office, mind racing with possibilities, each worse than the last. As I passed through the main workspace, I noticed several employees huddled near the coffee station, their hushed conversation abruptly ceasing when they spotted me.
“Good morning,” I said, observing their awkward smiles and averted gazes.
“Morning, Mrs. Blackwood,” they chorused, dispersing with suspicious haste.
I continued walking, unease growing stronger. Something was happening—something everyone seemed aware of except me.
Twenty minutes later, I strode into the Blackwood Group headquarters, bypassing Ryan’s assistant with a polite but firm nod. I needed answers, and I needed them now.
Ryan was just exiting the conference room, surrounded by executives. His eyes widened when he saw me, surprise quickly replaced by concern.
“Serena? I didn’t expect you here today.” He dismissed his team with a subtle gesture and guided me toward his office. “Is everything alright?”
Once inside with the door closed, I turned to him, arms crossed. “No, everything is not alright. Maya looks terrible and is clearly hiding something, and Ethan isn’t answering his phone. What’s going on, Ryan?”
Ryan’s expression tightened almost imperceptibly. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious. Maybe they had a disagreement—”
“Stop it,” I interrupted, my voice low but firm. “I know when I’m being managed, Ryan. You’ve been acting strange since yesterday, practically snatching my phone when I mentioned calling London.”
When he didn’t immediately respond, I felt cold certainty wash over me. “I’m going to London. Tonight.”
“What?” Ryan moved to block my path to the door. “Serena, be reasonable. You can’t just fly to London on a whim. What about Vivian? The collection deadline next week?”
“Reasonable?” I echoed incredulously. “My family is clearly in some kind of crisis, everyone’s hiding it from me, and you want me to be reasonable? Either tell me what’s happening, or I’m booking the next flight out.”
Ryan’s shoulders sagged slightly. He gestured toward the seating area. “Please sit down first.”
I perched on the edge of the leather sofa, heart pounding. “Tell me everything. No more protecting me from whatever this is.”
Ryan sat beside me, taking my hands in his. “Quinn Enterprises is facing some… complications. Ethan asked me not to tell you because he didn’t want you worried.”
“What kind of complications?” I demanded, pulling my hands free. “Serious enough that my brother won’t answer his phone and my best friend looks like she hasn’t slept in days?”
Ryan’s silence confirmed my fears.
“Ryan, I’m not some fragile doll that needs to be shielded from reality,” I said, my voice rising despite my efforts to stay calm. “I’m a Quinn and a Blackwood. Whatever this is, I have a right to know.”
“You’re right,” Ryan conceded, his expression grave. “You do deserve to know.”
I steeled myself, gripping the edge of the sofa. “Tell me. How bad is it?”
“It could be significant,” he admitted. “But nothing we can’t handle. The Blackwood resources are at your family’s disposal, and Ethan has a solid plan—”
“What exactly happened?” I cut through his reassurances, needing facts, not comfort.
“The company is under attack,” he finally admitted. “Someone is dragging up old accusations against your father.”
“What accusations?” I demanded, my voice rising despite my efforts to stay calm.
Ryan met my gaze steadily. “People are claiming your father forced out his brother and essentially drove your grandfather to his death to gain control of the company.”
A startled laugh escaped me—more from shock than amusement. “That’s absurd! Who would believe such ridiculous lies about the Quinn family?”
“Unfortunately, the financial press is running with the story,” Ryan said, moving to sit beside me. “Ethan has been working around the clock to contain it. He specifically asked me to shield you from this stress.”
I sank back in the chair, the pieces finally falling into place. “And that’s why Maya looked so devastated. She’s been watching Ethan deal with this nightmare while pretending everything was fine when talking to me.”
The weight of it all settled on my shoulders. My youngest brother was shouldering this massive crisis alone, believing he needed to protect me.
“I can’t believe I thought they were having relationship problems,” I murmured, shame washing over me. “All this time, Ethan has been fighting to protect our family name.”
Ryan took my hand, his thumb tracing soothing circles against my skin. “This isn’t your fault, Serena. I’ve already sent our best crisis management team to London. We’re going to help Quinn Enterprises weather this storm.”
“You should have told me immediately,” I said, the hurt evident in my voice.
“I know,” he acknowledged. “But after everything you’ve been through—the memory loss, the pregnancy, building Dreamland Studio into what it is today—I wanted to protect you. We both did.”
Before I could respond, Ryan’s phone rang. His expression changed when he saw the caller ID.
“It’s Ethan,” he said, immediately answering and putting it on speaker.
My brother’s voice came through, tense and strained in a way I’d never heard before. “Ryan, there’s been a development. My father collapsed during an emergency board meeting. He’s being rushed to the hospital now.”