CEO's Regret After I Divorced-Chapter 384 The Truth Revealed1
Author’s POV
Inside the top-floor office of the Blackwood Group, the lights blazed brightly, yet the atmosphere was so oppressive it was nearly suffocating.
Ryan stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, a freshly compiled investigation file clamped between his fingers. His eyes were cold and dark, as if a storm that had been brewing all night had finally found an outlet. Scattered across his desk were photocopied documents, bank records, medical files, surveillance screenshots, and a voice recorder—each item a sharp blade, all pointing to the same name: Cedric Lancaster.
"The driver’s statement has been verified," Ethan said, standing by the desk, his voice low but unable to hide the tremor of emotion. "The car accident three years ago was definitely staged. The driver who hit Serena’s car received a huge transfer afterward. The account was laundered through three layers of offshore companies, but the source ultimately traces back to an investment firm under Lancaster."
Ryan’s fingers tightened slowly, the paper creaking softly in his palm.
"What about the hospital?"
Zoe pushed another set of documents toward him, her expression unusually grave. "We found the original admission records. When Serena was brought in, she was listed as an unidentified patient. Cedric signed the consent forms for her follow-up treatment under the pretense of being her ’savior.’ She suffered a severe head injury and temporary amnesia. And more importantly—" She paused, lifting her gaze to Ryan. "She was already pregnant at the time. It was still early, so the hospital never made it public."
The moment those words landed, the office went so quiet you could almost hear the air moving.
Even though Ryan had suspected it, hearing the confirmation now sent a jolt through his chest, as if something had slammed violently into his heart, making his breath catch.
Rancy.
It had not been a distant guess. It was a bloody, brutal fact.
His daughter had been taken from him before she was even born—taken by Cedric.
"And this." Maya set the voice recorder down on the desk, her eyes reddened but forcing herself to stay calm. "The technician confessed. The DNA report from before was faked; Cedric bribed someone to swap the samples. Serena’s and the Quinns’ blood was never actually sent for testing."
Ryan stared down at the small recorder, silent for a long time.
Three years.Three whole years.
He had searched coastlines, police stations, hospitals, every corner she might have hidden. He had thought he was fighting fate for someone already gone. Only now did he truly understand: he had lost far more than Serena. He had lost the child she carried, the child he had never even known existed.
Cedric had not saved her.He had stolen her life when she was at her most vulnerable.
Ryan slowly lifted his eyes, his gaze icy, his voice terrifyingly calm. "To the Lancaster estate."
Ethan froze. "You’re going now—"
"Now." Ryan cut him off, each word clear and unyielding. "I’m going to lay the truth out in front of Serena."
The Lancaster mansion was still brilliantly lit, looking no different from countless peaceful nights before, as if the grand house had never hidden lies, never trapped a woman whose life had been stolen.
When the butler opened the door and saw Ryan, Ethan, Zoe, and Maya standing outside, his face paled noticeably.
"Mr. Blackwood, Mr. Quinn, Miss Quinn..." He struggled to maintain politeness, but panic seeped into his voice. "It’s so late—may I ask what—"
"Move." Ryan didn’t bother with pleasantries, stepping straight inside.
In the living room, Serena sat on the sofa, helping Rancy with a puzzle. The little girl wore a soft cream-colored nightdress, clutching the little rabbit Vivian had given her. Hearing footsteps, she looked up first, her big gray-blue eyes curious.
When Cedric descended the stairs, the smile on his face vanished almost instantly at the sight of his guests.
"Ryan." His voice was soft, but edged with deliberately suppressed coldness. "Breaking into my home in the middle of the night—isn’t that rather rude?"
Serena turned and saw Ryan, her brow furrowing instinctively. It had been a long time since she had looked into his eyes this closely, yet every time she saw him, a tight, painful sensation rose in her chest, as if a sealed door inside her was trembling under an invisible force.
"Why are you all here together?" She stood slowly, her gaze shifting from Ryan to Zoe and Maya, a cold unease settling in her chest.
Ryan did not answer at once. He simply set the file on the coffee table, his eyes passing Cedric to rest on her pale, confused face.
"Serena, I didn’t come here to force you to choose, or to argue with you." His voice was low and restrained, yet carried undeniable weight. "I came to give you back the truth that was always yours."
Cedric let out a cold sneer, his tone a warning. "The truth? Ryan, haven’t you told enough lies? The DNA results were laid out before her last time. How long do you plan to keep this up?"
"That DNA was fake." Zoe spoke first, her voice icy. "I saw the surveillance myself. The hospital technician switched the labels. He’s admitted he was following orders."
Cedric’s expression darkened, but he remained composed. "You have no proof."
"No proof?" Ethan slammed a stack of bank statements on the table, fury simmering in his eyes. "What about these transfer records? The money paid to the accident driver three years ago, the hush money for the technician, the fees to clean up your records—it’s all here, Cedric. How do you plan to weasel out of this?"
Serena stared blankly at the documents, her heart turning cold.
"No..." she whispered, as if denying it, yet also trying to convince herself. "Cedric told me he found me by the sea, that he pulled me back from death..."
Ryan finally turned to Cedric, not a trace of warmth left in his eyes.
"He did see you by the sea," Ryan said, each word cutting. "Because he arranged the accident." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
The entire living room fell silent. The air seemed to freeze.
