Chapter 71

Serena's POV The entire day, Ryan had been acting strange. Secretive glances, hushed phone calls, and an air of anticipation that made me wonder what he was planning. When he disappeared for a "walk" along the beach at sunset, my curiosity finally got the better of me. I followed his footprints in the sand, admiring how the fading sunlight painted everything in soft gold. Maybe he was arranging a surprise dinner? The thought made me smile. These past few days had been magical between us—almost enough to make me forget our painful history. As I rounded a curve of the shoreline, I froze. There, in the distance, was Ryan. But he wasn't alone. A woman with soaking wet clothes clung to him, her body pressed intimately against his chest. My first instinct was to march over and pull this brazen stranger off my—well, off Ryan. We weren't officially back together yet, but still. I stepped closer, ready to make my presence known, when I heard his voice, soft with disbelief. "Sophie? Is it really