Chapter 321

Serena’s POV

The sunlight streaming through my kitchen window caught the gold rim of my teacup as I absently stirred my peppermint tea. After being discharged from the hospital, I’d returned to Quinn Manor to recover, only to face Mom’s lectures about my terrible sleep schedule and eating habits. Mom had insisted on making breakfast herself this morning - "You need proper nutrition, not those sad excuse for protein bars you call food," she’d declared while whisking eggs.

"How’s my precious grandbaby doing?" Mom asked.

My heart swelled with love thinking about my fourteen-month-old daughter, her chubby cheeks and infectious giggles that somehow made even the hardest days worthwhile.

"Growing more stubborn by the day," I laughed. "Just yesterday, according to Margaret, she refused to wear anything but her purple onesie. I swear she’s inherited Ryan’s iron will."

Mom’s laugh was like warm honey. "That child is the perfect blend of you both - your creativity and his tenacity. Heaven help us all when she’s a teenager."

I nodded, but a sudden wave of nausea hit me mid-motion. The scrambled eggs Mom had lovingly prepared suddenly looked absolutely disgusting. I pushed the plate away, swallowing hard against the rising bile in my throat.

"Serena? Are you alright, sweetheart?" Mom’s brow furrowed with concern as she reached across the marble countertop to touch my forehead.

"I’m fine," I managed, though my stomach lurched treacherously. "Just stressed about the company situation."

The plagiarism allegations against Dreamland Studio had come out of nowhere and hit us like a truck. Maya had called three times already this morning, each message more urgent than the last. The press was having a field day, and our biggest clients were getting cold feet.

"Has Ryan called about those awful accusations?" Mom asked gently.

I shook my head. "He’s been in back-to-back meetings since that nightmare lunch with David Anderson yesterday. Simon texted that Ryan’s ready to tear someone’s head off."

Another wave of nausea hit, stronger this time. I bolted from my stool, barely making it to the powder room before losing everything. As I rinsed my mouth afterwards, a startling thought crystallized in my mind. The fatigue, the sensitivity to smells, the nausea...

When the hell was my last period?

Mom was waiting outside the bathroom, concern etched across her elegant features. "This isn’t just stress, is it?"

Our eyes met in silent understanding.

"I... I think I might be pregnant," I whispered, the possibility both terrifying and exhilarating.

Mom’s face transformed instantly. "Oh my God. Are you sure?"

"I need to find out," I said, already grabbing my purse. "There’s a pharmacy around the corner."

Twenty minutes later, I sat on the edge of my bathtub, staring at the plastic stick in my trembling hands. Two pink lines. Unmistakable. Clear as day.

I was pregnant. Again. With Ryan’s baby.

My heart pounded like a drum as a thousand thoughts crashed together in my mind. Another child. A sibling for Vivian.

"Serena?" Mom’s gentle knock pulled me from my thoughts. "Are you okay in there?"

I opened the door, wordlessly holding up the pregnancy test. Mom’s eyes widened before filling with tears of joy, and she pulled me into a tight embrace that smelled of her signature Chanel perfume and home-baked cookies.

"Oh my darling girl," she whispered into my hair. "Another grandbaby! Vivian will be such a wonderful big sister."

My own tears came then, a complicated mixture of happiness and anxiety. "The timing couldn’t be worse, Mom. The company is falling apart, Ryan’s putting out fires on all fronts, and now this..."

She pulled back, framing my face with her soft hands. "Life rarely delivers its gifts in perfect packaging, sweetheart. But this baby?" She placed a gentle hand on my still-flat stomach. "This baby is a blessing, no matter what chaos is happening around us."

I nodded, letting her optimism wash over me. "I need to tell Ryan."

"Of course you do," she agreed. "He’ll want to know right away."

"But first I need to touch base with Maya and Ethan at the office," I said, my protective business instincts kicking in. "This plagiarism scandal could destroy everything we’ve built if we don’t handle it properly."

Mom’s expression shifted to concern again. "Serena, you’re pregnant. The company can take a backseat for one day."

"I’ll just swing by quickly," I promised. "Then I’ll call Ryan."

She sighed, recognizing my stubborn streak. "At least eat something first. Dry toast, maybe? And let me know when you’ve told him. I can hardly wait to see his face when he hears Vivian’s getting a little brother or sister."

I managed a small breakfast under Mom’s watchful eye, my mind racing with how I’d break the news to Ryan.

After assuring Mom I’d be careful and promising to return for lunch, I grabbed my car keys and headed out. Our regular driver was off today, but I welcomed the chance to drive myself and sort through my thoughts.

As I navigated the quiet suburban streets, my phone buzzed on the passenger seat. Ryan’s name flashed on the screen. My heart leapt - had he somehow sensed something was up? I reached for the phone, momentarily taking my eyes off the road.

That split second of distraction was all it took.

A black SUV came flying through the stop sign to my right, going way too fast. Time seemed to slow as I registered the driver’s shadowed face, the vehicle’s trajectory aimed directly at my driver’s side door.

I yanked the steering wheel hard left, but it was way too late.

The impact was deafening - metal crushed against metal with a sickening crunch that seemed to go on forever. My car spun violently, the world blurring into streaks of color and light, and the airbag exploded against my chest and face, stealing every bit of air from my lungs.

The secondary impact came when my car slammed into a concrete barrier. My head snapped forward then back, pain exploding behind my eyes as something warm trickled down my face. Glass shattered around me like a deadly shower.

"No," I gasped, instinctively bringing my hands to my stomach. "No, please, not my baby..."

The world began to fade at the edges, darkness encroaching on my vision like spilled ink. I thought of Vivian at home, her sweet face when I’d kissed her goodbye this morning. I thought of Ryan, of the baby he didn’t even know existed yet.

"Ryan," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Vivian..."

Through the shattered window, a familiar face appeared, twisted with panic and fear.

"Serena! Jesus Christ, Serena, hold on!" Cedric’s voice seemed to come from underwater, distant and distorted.

I tried to respond, but the darkness pulled me under like a violent tide, dragging me away from consciousness despite my desperate fight to stay awake.

My last thought before everything went black was of the tiny life inside me - a life I’d only just discovered, and now might be gone forever.