Hugh patted his lips slighth, the cold d in his eyes vanishing in an instant. He adjusted his cufflinks, his expression calm as he waited for Serena to continue


    For a moment, it delt as if the chill from earlier had been nothing but berimatation. Since he was wi to listen, she was more than happy to talk.


    "My famdy, the pansens, has been rooted in Javerton Cry for three generations. We have a deep understanding of its cultural heritage and traditions.


    The Larson family has the financial strength to transfer the entire Silvercrest Buy into the city''s most icondmark. If that''s the goal, then from uniform street designs to cultural integration, the Jansen Group will deliver a n that exceeds expectations."


    She was no longer part of the Jansen Group, but she never forgot its struggles in the past. If not for Amber''s handcrafted porcin pieces serving as its foundation, thepany


    n''t have survived in this day.


    The pan Group as part of her mother''s legacy, and she had been keeping a close eye on it all this time. She was determined to secure!


    High listened, watching as a quiet determination lit up her previously dull gaze. Rather than being mother man''s caged bird, she was far more captivating as one that flew free


    Unknowingly, a tant smide tagged at theers of his los


    As Serenaspoke confidently, she looked up and caught a glimpse of Hugh''s almost indulgent smile


    Suddenly,ahary memory surfaced in her mind. When she was achild, someone had looked at her with that same gentle paze


    Her voice faltered


    Hugh seemed to snap back to reality, the smile fading from his lips. "Why did you stop?"


    She hesitated before asking. "Have we met before?"


    Sem frowned slightly, her eyes fixedon Hugh, searching desperately for something familie-pieces of a memory she could piece together, assemble, and reconnect to distant past


    But no matter how hard she tried, the past remained like an old, weathered photograph-covered in dust, faded, and too damaged to reveal its original form.


    Her brow Ferrowed in trustration


    waited for a few seconds before finallyspeaking. "The Silvercrest Day project- Ellepprove it."


    Serena''s head snapped up. She was surprised that he had agreed before she had even finished speaking.


    Perhaps Hugh hadn''t truly Estened to a word she said. Maybe his agreement was merely a matter of their arranged marriage, nothing more.


    When she thought about it, that seemed more likely to be the case. After all, an arranged marriage was nothing more than an exchange of benefits.


    Pshing side the stray thoughts, Sermatook a step forward, regaining herposure.


    "Thank you for agreeing to the project with Jansen Group As an exchange, Mr. Larson, you can ask me for a favor in the future."


    Hugh fell silent. His thin lips persand together almost imperceptibly. She couldn''t emember the past, yet she was quick to draw a ckar boundary between them


    now.


    A knock at the door interrupted the moment. A maid stood outside, with Chandler following behind.


    Both Serena and Hugh turned their goes toward the doorway


    "If you have other matters to attend to, don''t let me keep you. I can handle things here myself," Serena said.


    This was their first real interaction. She had no intention of taking up too much of his time


    To Hugh, her words were a clear dismissal. There was no reason for him to linger "Alright"


    Without hesitation, he tumed and left with Chandier


    Through the sheer curtains, Serena watched the taillights of his car disappear into the distance, just as she was about to bend down and unwrap the porcin packages, something on the bay window caught her eye


    Arow of delicate flowers sat neatly arranged on the flower pot, the green leaves vibrant, and their petals soft and fresh


    They were the same are flowers she used to love.


    "The maids Mr. Larson hired are surprisingly thoughtful," Serea mixed aloud.


    Wendy had pulled out all of her flowers without a second thought. But Hugh''s maids had carefully rented rare seedlings just for her.


    The struggling student she once sponsored didn''t evenper to the maids working for Hugh


    Sepma scaled Sheorally had been blind back then.


    The sight of the flowers no longer pleased her. She turned away and focused on unwrapping her mother''s porcin pieces one by one, arranging them neatly on the clean disy


    Suddenly, she received a call from Howard. His tone was far from friendly buried with urgency. "How far along are you and Hugh? Have you had dinner together? Meet his parents? Or have you already gotten the marriage centilene?"