Chapter 82

Serena's POV I took a deep, shaky breath, my fingers tightening around the necklace Ryan had given me. I needed to know. I had to hear it from him, to finally understand why that night had gone so wrong. The memory of being trapped, helpless, the cold fear creeping into every part of me… it still made my chest ache. Every time I thought about it, my pulse spiked, my hands trembled. "That night I was kidnapped," I began, watching his face darken at the memory. "I called you for help, but Ivy answered your phone. She told me…" My voice faltered. "She told me you were busy—with her—and couldn't be disturbed." Ryan's expression changed from confusion to shock to cold fury in rapid succession. "What? I was at the office all night. Ivy was nowhere near me or my phone." "Then how did she answer when I called?" My fingers tightened around my glass. "I'd left my personal phone at home that day," he said slowly, realization dawning in his eyes. "I was using my backup phone for urgent calls. Ivy