Chapter 129

Serena's POV I settled into life as Ryan's pampered houseguest surprisingly quickly. The Blackwood mansion was like a fortress—I felt completely safe here, with no need to look over my shoulder constantly. After binging two episodes of some mindless show on the massive living room couch, I felt the couch dip beside me. Ryan had come downstairs, looking annoyingly handsome in his tailored suit. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked, his eyes taking in my sprawled position and the empty snack bowl beside me. "Immensely," I replied dryly. "Your Netflix subscription is the real MVP here." He laughed, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against my forehead. "I have to head to the office. Try not to burn the place down while I'm gone." "No promises," I shot back, fighting the warmth spreading through my chest at his casual affection. After he left, the huge mansion felt oddly lonely around me. My phone rang—it was Maya. "Lucian came by the studio today," she said excitedly. "Since you weren't t