Chapter 10. Dinner Invitation

Just as Serena stepped out of the Beckett Corp building, her phone suddenly rang—its ringtone muffled, echoing somewhere deep in her bag. The sound cut through the afternoon noise like a sharp pull on her nerves.

Her heart skipped.

For a split second, her steps faltered.

Could it be Clint?

Maybe he’d changed his mind… maybe he finally wanted her to come back and finalize the divorce after all.

The thought shouldn’t have mattered anymore—but it still crept up on her, uninvited.

She quickly fumbled through her bag, fingers moving too fast, knocking against her wallet and keys as her breathing turned shallow. The harder she searched, the more frantic she became.

By the time her fingers brushed against her phone, the ringing had stopped.

Missed it.

Her chest tightened slightly as she pulled the phone free.

The screen lit up with a single name.

Xavier.

The moment she saw it, her breath hitched as if something unseen had gri