"Mr. Quade?" Serena returned to the CEO's office, knocked on the door, and walked in.She saw Wilson lying casually on the nearby couch with his impossibly long legs crossed lazily. He had one arm resting behind his head and the other holding a cigarette. His eyes were slightly closed, as if he were asleep.Serena placed the food on a side table, and her gaze inadvertently settled on his face.The man's appearance was almost excessively refined, with sharp contours and deep features. With his eyes closed, he looked like a carefree aristocrat straight out of a comic book.She just couldn't help but stare a little longer, and Wilson suddenly opened his eyes."Uh, Mr. Quade, I brought your lunch…" Feeling guilty, Serena quickly averted her eyes and handed the food to Wilson.Wilson sat up lazily, noticing her slightly flushed ears. "You were gone for so long. I almost thought you'd switched sides and gone back to your blind ex-boss.""I would never go back," Serena immediately defe
Serena's ears burned with heat, and her fingertips nervously clutched Wilson's sleeve. Wilson patted her head gently as a gesture meant to reassure her."Don't worry. I'm going to step out and make a call," he said as he took out his phone and dialed someone. It didn't take long for the person to pick up.Willow Quade's surprised voice came through. "Will? Why are you calling me?""Are you free right now?""I am, but—""Then come here," Wilson interrupted. He explained briefly that Serena had been drugged, gave her the address, and told her to come immediately.Once he finished, he turned and got back into the car. But the moment he opened the door, Wilson froze.Serena had unbuttoned her blouse inside the car, revealing her slender neck. Her fingers absentmindedly tugged at her collar, and one of her bra straps had slipped off her shoulder.Wilson stepped in, shut the door, and grabbed her restless hand firmly. Just then, Serena turned her head, her gaze locked on his deep, ca
Willow's eyes glimmered with curiosity.Wilson glanced at her and said, "You talk too much."Willow secretly stuck out her tongue. Gossip about Wilson was rare, so she couldn't resist probing a little further.Just then, the bathroom door clicked open, and Serena stepped out wrapped in a white bathrobe.Willow's eyes lit up. The woman's chestnut-colored hair was pinned up, revealing her stunning features. Her lips were a soft, rosy hue, and her skin was as flawless as porcelain with a faint pink glow. She was breathtakingly beautiful."Wow, my brother has good taste," Willow thought to herself.Wilson glanced at Serena briefly before looking away. He said, "This is Willow Quade. She's a doctor and knows about these things. Let her check on you.""Hello, Ms. Quade," Serena greeted politely."Just call me Willow. I'm Wilson's cousin," Willow replied with a warm smile as she stepped forward to take Serena's temperature."Don't worry. These things usually pass on their own once
The car sped back to the hotel from earlier. A group of people was already waiting outside the hotel.At the front stood a man with a cleanly shaven buzz cut and a stern face. The tattoos on his neck were faintly visible.When he saw Wilson, he gave a slight nod. "Good evening, Mr. Quade."Wilson responded with a faint acknowledgment before striding into the hotel, his long legs moving with purpose. The group followed in silent unison.Inside, the hotel lobby was empty of other guests, leaving only the visibly anxious hotel manager, John Langford, standing by the entrance."Mr. Quade, we've cleared everyone out as you requested, but—""Understood," Wilson interrupted. "Record the losses under my account. Someone will contact you later."His gaze swept over John. It was a calm, indifferent look that still carried an edge sharp enough to make the man shiver.John quickly nodded. "Rest assured, sir. Not a word of tonight's events will leave this building."Wilson shifted his atte
Serena turned her head with some difficulty, only to see a sleepy face staring back at her. "Rina, you're awake?"Serena went silent for a moment. "Why are you here?""Who else would it be?" Lauren replied matter-of-factly, then suddenly gave a mischievous grin. "Rina, don't tell me you thought it was Wilson?""I didn't…""Then why do you look so flustered? I knew it! You say you don't dare think about Wilson, but you've secretly been drooling over him!" Lauren wrapped her arms around Serena while laughing gleefully."My Rina is finally growing up. She's thinking about men now. Tomorrow, I'll fly to Mailand and get a gender reassignment surgery just for you!""You're getting more and more ridiculous by the day," Serena said while pushing her off and getting out of bed. "Enough already. I need to get to the office.""No need. Wilson called me yesterday to come over and told me you've got the day off today. He said you should rest well."Lauren added with a smirk, "I have to say,
Wilson said, "You're incredibly capable, I know, but this isn't urgent. You treat yourself like some kind of Iron Woman, but I don't want my best team member burning out.""Alright, I'll head over tomorrow.""See you tomorrow."After hanging up, Serena found herself lost in thought. Over the years, she had grown used to working her ass off. Justin never cared about her, and she barely took care of herself. Now, being at Quade Group, where someone actually cared about her well-being, it felt like leaving Farrow Corporation might have been the right decision.It was still early, and Serena was not in a rush to head back. She texted Willow instead."Willow, what kind of food does Mr. Quade like?"The answer she received caught her off guard. "Desserts." Serena decided to stop by a nearby mall, where a cake shop she liked was located. The place had always been one of her favorites, and she often visited.Before working as Justin's assistant, Serena had once dreamed of owning her
Candice stared at Serena for a moment, waiting for a reaction. However, Serena seemed unfazed by her taunts.Instead, Serena simply looked at her and asked, "Are you done?"She turned to the manager. "Can you pack me another one of these cakes?"The manager hesitated, glancing between the two women, but eventually handed over another cake.Candice's smile faded slightly. "Serena, why waste money buying another one? Here, take your cake back."She handed the bag to Serena but let go before Serena could grab it. Then, with a loud splat, the cake hit the floor, breaking apart into a mess.Candice covered her mouth with a dramatic gasp. "Oops! My bad. But it's not a big deal. This cake shop is about to be mine anyway, so I'll have them send over a few more to make it up to you."For the first time, Serena reacted. "You're buying this bakery?""That's right."Candice's smile widened with satisfaction. "I'm not really cut out for office work, so Justin told me to find something I li
Serena used to bring Justin a small cake from Indigo every week. She even learned how to bake, trying to create something special just for him.As the thought crossed his mind, Justin's eyes instinctively drifted to the small cake on his desk. He froze."Is this from Indigo?" he asked sharply.Candice blinked. "Yeah, I thought you liked it...""I don't like it. Don't buy it again," Justin said, leaning back in his chair, his mood souring for reasons he didn't want to admit.His gaze settled on Candice. "Why are you wearing a hat?""I-It's nothing," Candice muttered, fidgeting and pulling the hat down further.Justin's eyes narrowed. "Take it off."Her hesitation only fueled his suspicion. "I said, take it off. Now." Candice reluctantly walked over, her steps dragging. Justin stood, reached out, and pulled the hat off her head. His expression darkened the moment he saw the sticky smear of frosting in her hair."What happened?"Candice bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes.
Seeing Jessica drink so boldly, the other businessmen also raised their glasses for a toast. Jessica handled each one smoothly, taking the drinks on behalf of Justin.Justin glanced at the lively scene in front of him but felt oddly distracted.It reminded him of how Serena used to do the same whenever she accompanied him to social events. She always worried about his stomach issues and made sure to take all the drinks for him.His gastritis rarely acted up when she was around because of that. Yet, she suffered for it.He had seen Serena drunk before, curled over a toilet as she was vomiting miserably.At first, he used to care, asking if she was alright. But over time, he grew indifferent.She seemed unbreakable. Even after drinking herself sick at night, she'd wake up the next morning looking fresh and energetic. So, eventually, he stopped paying attention.There was one time when a big client had made advances toward her. Serena had rejected him outright, but the man had gott
Serena didn't think much of her cold. She simply grabbed her tumbler and headed to work as usual.By evening, she accompanied Wilson to a six-star hotel for a client meeting.Just as she got into the car, she suddenly sneezed heavily.Wilson turned to look at her. "Are you sick?""Maybe just a little." Serena sniffled. "Mr. Quade, should I sit in the front? I don't want to pass it to you.""No need. I have a strong immune system. A minor cold like yours is nothing to me."The car smoothly pulled onto the road. Midway through the drive, Wilson suddenly instructed Sebastian to stop the car."Wait here for a bit." With that, he stepped out and walked away.A few minutes later, he returned carrying a large bag and handed it to Serena. "Take this."Serena peeked inside, and it was full of cold medicine, antibiotics, and fever reducers."The seasonal transition has been bad. I heard viral colds are going around, so keep these just in case," Wilson said casually.Serena stared at h
When Justin entered the hospital room, he saw Candice sitting by the window, looking pale and lost in thought.The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up with hope. "Justin! Did you come to see me?"Justin got straight to the point. "I heard Wilson came looking for you."Candice's eyes immediately welled up with tears."Yes… He barged in with his men while you weren't around and… He burned my mom's arm with a cigarette! She's in the burn unit right now…"She sniffled. "Justin, I was so scared!"Candice moved forward, wanting to throw herself into his arms, but Justin pushed her away.She froze and called out, "Justin?""Why would Wilson come after you for no reason?""I-It was because of Serena…"Candice's gaze flickered with hesitation."He thinks I bullied Serena, so he came to warn me not to bother her again. You know how my mom is. She has a bit of a temper."When she heard that, she lost her cool and started yelling at him… That's when he burned her arm."Justin's face d
"Serena!"Justin caught up quickly and blocked their path. "Serena, don't you have anything to say to me?"Serena's voice was calm. "No.""Nothing at all?"Lauren rolled her eyes. "Are you just looking for something to talk about? She said no. Are your ears broken now too, along with your brain?"Justin's expression darkened. "Why are you always around?""Yes, and I'll always be here. I'll always have a place by Rina's side. But you? You're already out of the game. Got it?"Serena said calmly, "Laurie, don't waste your breath on him. Let's go home.""Got it.""Serena."Justin called out as he grabbed her wrist before she could leave. "Stop pretending to be so indifferent. Joseph already told me. I know."Serena frowned. "Know what?""You went to the fortune teller's today. You got a protection charm, didn't you?"Justin's eyes brightened as he asked, "Was the charm… for me?"The moment he said that, a loud burst of laughter exploded beside them. Lauren clutched her stomac
Joseph was speechless. "What the hell is going on? Do I have that little value? It's like even stray dogs bark at me when they pass by.""Say that again!" Justin scowled."I wasn't talking about you…" Joseph sighed. "Justin, listen, I actually have good news for you. I went to the fortune teller with my mom today and ran into Serena. I saw her getting a protection charm for you."There was a brief silence on the other end."Are you sure it was for me?""Who else would it be for? She doesn't have any family, barely any close friends, and let's be honest, the only person around her who's been dealing with health problems lately is you."Your stomach issues keep acting up. If it's not for you, then who?""I got it," Justin said. His tone was noticeably lighter.Joseph scoffed internally. "Wow. That mood shift was fast."…A Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up at the fortune teller's shop's entrance. The window rolled down, revealing Jacob's strikingly handsome face from the back seat.
With a firm motion, Wilson turned Serena around and led her out of the back courtyard.He gave her a knowing look. "Ms. Judd, instead of meditating, were you sneaking around to watch a couple's intimate moment?"Serena felt her face heat up. "This is supposed to be a quiet place! I didn't expect to stumble into that."She eyed him suspiciously. "Mr. Quade, are you here to get your fortunes read too?"He didn't seem like the superstitious type.Wilson smiled. "Of course. I heard this place is good for matchmaking, so I came to see when I'll finally meet my fated one."Serena went silent. She inwardly scoffed, "As if he needed divine intervention." If he wanted, there would be countless women lining up for him."What about you, Ms. Judd? Shouldn't you be resting at home? What brought you here?""Lauren thinks my luck has been terrible lately, so she dragged me here to see if it'll turn around." Serena sighed.A thought crossed her mind. She reached into her bag and pulled out
The fortune teller took Serena's fortune stick, glanced at it, and immediately smiled. "This is a top-tier fortune."Lauren's eyes lit up. "My bestie was asking about romance! Does this mean she's about to meet her destined one?"The fortune teller nodded."The signs suggest that your destined person has already appeared in your life. However, there will be obstacles and misunderstandings between you two, causing you to miss each other."But don't worry. The clouds will clear eventually, and you will reunite and stay together."Lauren frowned while rubbing her chin. "Wait a second… Why does this sound like you and that scumbag Justin?"She couldn't make sense of it. As far as she knew, Wilson and Serena had no significant past connection. So where did this "already appeared in your life" part come from?The thought alone unsettled her. If Serena ever reconciled with Justin, she might actually lose her mind!"Alright, then check mine, sir. I was asking about my boyfriend's caree
"Oh, really?" Wilson narrowed his eyes, then suddenly reached out and pressed the burning cigarette against Lara's arm.She let out a sharp scream. Before she could cry out further, Kayden covered her mouth."I'll give you one more chance," Wilson said coldly. "If you don't talk, next time, this cigarette will be on your daughter's face. Weren't you hoping she'd use that face to marry into wealth?"Candice's face turned deathly pale. She grabbed Lara's hand and immediately dropped to her knees."Mr. Quade, I don't know how I've offended you! I really don't know what you're talking about…"Lara, muffled by Kayden's hand, shook her head frantically. Meanwhile, the air was thick with the acrid scent of burned flesh.Candice sobbed as she tried to explain, "Mr. Quade, all I know is that Lucas ran into my dad last time and said he had a criminal record, which made it hard for him to find a job."He begged my dad for help, and since they were from the same hometown, my dad forged an I
Lauren scratched her head. "It's just a gut feeling. But honestly, I don't know Mr. Quade that well. Rina, why are you suddenly asking me this?"Serena told her about what had happened yesterday, and Lauren's face changed instantly."Another creep? Damn, what kind of luck do you have? Why do you keep running into these messed-up situations?""At least nothing bad happened," Serena said calmly."Still… based on what you just told me, I'd say there's a good chance Mr. Quade likes you."Serena's eyes widened. "Are you sure?""Of course! He even patted your head. That kind of intimate gesture is something only a brother or a boyfriend would do. Unless he's your long-lost sibling, that means he wants to be your man."Lauren's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Hehe, Rina, can you smell that? Spring's coming.""Spring is long over. It's practically winter already," Serena muttered, still unable to believe that Wilson might actually have feelings for her.Lauren jumped up from the couch