Chapter 75

Serena's POV I ignore Ryan completely as I finish the final touches on my sketches. With a satisfied exhale, I hit send and dispatch them to Maya. My phone instantly pings with her reply: "How's the conversation going? Candlelight dinner tonight?" I roll my eyes at her persistent matchmaking and type back a curt "Going home to rest" before closing the chat window. Stretching my arms overhead, I finally allow myself to glance at Ryan, who's been sitting patiently on my office sofa for nearly forty minutes. "Finished comforting Sophie? Finally found time for me?" The questions leave my lips dripping with sarcasm. I don't even try to hide the edge in my voice. Ryan stands and approaches my desk, his expression painfully earnest. "Serena, what I have with Sophie isn't what you think. That's all in the past. You're the only one in my heart." He pauses, then adds with what I assume is meant to be reassurance, "I told her the same thing." For a brief moment, I almost soften. Something in his