Chapter 161

Ryan's POV I took Serena to the best spots in San Francisco, determined to make her forget about that nightmare with Georgina. She deserved a break, something light and beautiful after the chaos. Every time she smiled, something in my chest eased—and tightened all at once. How close I'd come to losing her. How easily the universe could've taken everything again. "Ryan, look!" Serena pointed at the street performers near Fisherman's Wharf, her eyes sparkling with childlike wonder. She hadn't laughed like that since the hospital. Hearing it again—it was like breathing fresh air for the first time. I slipped my arm around her waist, shielding her from the ocean wind. "Want to go check it out?" She nodded, grinning, and I followed her lead. Maybe I was supposed to be showing her around, but it felt like she was the one reminding me what life looked like. We wandered the pier, tasting clam chowder out of bread bowls, watching sea lions argue like grumpy old men. I mostly watched her—the way