Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Three

Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Three
Serena’s Pov

The moment I turned towards the window, my heart almost stopped. Down below, in the middle of the courtyard, a giant red banner hung across the company’s main entrance with words I never expected.

SERENA, I'LL NEVER STOP PROVING MY LOVE FOR YOU.

The bold white letters made it look so clear that anyone from any floor could see it.

I was completely speechless for a few seconds. Through the glass, I could see some of my employees outside, pointing their phones up, taking pictures and recording videos. I could hear faint laughter and whispers from the floors below.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or just shake my head. Things were definitely getting interesting.

But I didn’t complain. I didn’t even say a word. I simply turned away from the window, walked back to the conference table, ready for Peter who was presenting earlier.

“Alright, you can swipe that away and continue.” I urged him.

He looked at me nervously. “Ma’am, are you sure?”

“Yes,” I said calmly, settling back in my chair. “Continue with your presentation.”

He may have also gotten a whiff of what was going on, but obviously, I don't care about what Killian was doing outside. Business was more important.

Peter nodded quickly, his hands still trembling a little as he switched the slides back to the actual marketing plan. Everyone tried to act normal again, though I could see some of the team members stealing glances at me. A few whispered behind their notepads, probably texting someone about what just happened.

I didn’t care. If Killian thought public gestures would shake me, he was wrong. Everything was falling right into place the way I wanted it to.

Once the meeting wrapped up, I gathered my documents again and stepped out of the conference room. Ryan was standing in the hallway, waiting like he always did whenever he sensed something was off.

He immediately matched my pace as I started walking. “Ma’am,” he said carefully, “I just wanted to ask, are you not annoyed about what just happened?”

I looked at him, a small smile tugging at my lips. 

“No,” I said simply.

He blinked, clearly surprised. “No?”

“No,” I repeated. “If he wants to embarrass himself publicly, that’s his problem, not mine. I’ve got work to do.”

Ryan hesitated, scratching the back of his head. 

“You’re handling this a lot better than I expected.”

“That’s because I’m used to people underestimating me,” I said, smiling faintly as I stepped into the elevator. “Now, go do what you need to do, Ryan. I’ll be fine.”

He nodded slowly and stepped back as the elevator doors closed between us.

Back in my office, I placed my files on the desk and sat down, still thinking about the chaos that must be unfolding online. I could already imagine the headlines. 

“Killian Blackwood Confesses His Love to Serena Calloway During Business Presentation.” 

Just like I knew, he never failed to create drama.

And I didn't need to get angry. I focused on my laptop, ready to work.

I went through contracts, checked a few emails, and reviewed progress reports for the new marketing strategy. Everything seemed on track. It was one of those quiet, productive hours until my phone suddenly rang.

It was Bella.

I smiled a little before answering. “Hey, Bella.”

“Serena!” she exclaimed so loudly that I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “Are you seriously not seeing what’s going on online right now?”

I frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Oh my God, don’t tell me you haven’t checked!” she said, sounding both excited and panicked. 

“It’s everywhere!”

“What’s everywhere?” I asked, though I already had a hunch.

“Just go online,” she said quickly. “Go on any social media platform right now. Everyone’s talking about it!”

I sighed, clicking open the browser on my computer while keeping the phone pressed to my ear. Within seconds, I saw it; videos, pictures, and posts flooding the internet. There it was, the clip from the conference room, showing the giant red hearts and Killian’s name flashing across the screen.

People had already started making edits of it. Some clips even had background music; romantic ones, of course.

My jaw dropped slightly as I scrolled through the comments.

One post had over twenty thousand likes already, and under it, people were debating like it was some kind of movie.

“It took him this long to realize he had lost a jewel?”

Another comment read: “Serena should just forgive him. Everyone makes mistakes!”

And then another said, “No way! I’ve seen Serena and Adrien Volkov together on different occasions, and I’m rooting for them. #TeamAdrien".

I couldn’t help but laugh softly. The internet really never missed a chance to pick sides.

“Are you seeing it?” Bella asked impatiently through the phone.

“Oh, I’m seeing it,” I said, my lips curling into a smirk. “It’s… interesting, to say the least.”

“Interesting? Serena, are you kidding me? What the heck is Killian trying to pull?” Bella’s voice rose again. “He’s basically turned your business meeting into some kind of romantic movie scene! Do you realize how big this is?”

I leaned back in my chair, my eyes still on the trending posts. “Relax, Bella,” I said calmly. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t worry?” she repeated, clearly not believing what she heard. “Serena, half the city is talking about this! Reporters are probably going to start calling soon. You should at least say something before it gets out of hand.”

But I was calm. I wasn’t even angry. I let out a quiet laugh and said, “Bella, I told you before that everything is going just the way I planned. This is just the beginning.”

“The beginning?” she repeated. “Serena, what are you planning now?”

I smiled to myself, looking at one of the pictures that someone had taken from outside the building. The banner looked even larger from that angle.

“Let’s just say,” I said slowly, “Killian thinks he’s proving his love, but he doesn’t know that every move he’s making is only making my next step easier.” I said to her softly.

Bella went quiet on the other end. “You scare me sometimes, you know that?”

“Good,” I replied, smiling. “That means I’m doing something right.”

“Fine,” she said after a pause. “But please, promise me you’ll be careful. This could blow up in ways you don’t expect.”

“Don’t worry, Bella. I have everything under control,” I said, my tone confident.

She sighed. “You always say that. Just don’t forget that Adrien might see all of this too.”

I froze slightly at her words. I hadn’t thought about that part.

Adrien.

He wasn’t someone who liked drama, especially not the kind that involved public spectacle. He would have probably seen the posts already; everyone had.

But I quickly brushed off the thought. “If Adrien sees it,” I said, “then he’ll just have to trust me. I know he will.”

Bella hummed uncertainly. “Alright. I’ll call you later then. I just wanted to make sure you saw it.”

“Thanks for letting me know,” I said, smiling faintly. “Talk later.”

I ended the call and leaned back in my chair again, the quiet hum of the air conditioning filling the room.

I stared at my phone for a moment, scrolling through more comments, reading the mix of support, criticism, and wild theories people were throwing around.

It was exactly how I wanted things to be; unpredictable, full of energy, and just the right amount of chaos.

Then my phone buzzed again.

A new message.

It was from an unknown number.

My heart skipped a little as I opened it, already guessing who it might be from.

“You said to prove it, Serena. I’m just getting started.”

I stared at the message for a moment, a small smile forming on my lips.

I didn’t know what he planned next, but one thing was certain, whatever it was, it was going to be big.

And as I looked out my office window again, I noticed something new happening outside. A group of delivery men were unloading large boxes right at the building’s entrance.

Each box had my name written on it.

My phone buzzed again.

“I hope you like surprises.”