Zach wanted to argue with Wendy, but he couldn''te up with a single reason to defend Serena.


    Could it be that she had really fallen for someone else?


    In the car, Serena apologized to Samuel. "It''s my fault for not handling my personal matters properly. Because of that, you were threatened earlier."


    "Since it''s your personal matter, I won''t pry."


    Samuel smiled faintly, slowing the car.


    "Besides, you''re Hugh''s wife. Once he''s back, I''m sure he''ll take care of these small matters. I''m not worried about how you''ll handle things; I''m just relieved you weren''t shaken up earlier."


    If she had been, Hugh definitely wouldn''t have let him off the hook so easily.


    But Samuel kept that thought to himself.


    From the way Hugh and Serena interacted, it was clear they were still in that uncertain, undefined stage of their rtionship. As an outsider, he knew it wasn''t his ce to say anything.


    Serena paused for a moment.


    So, Samuel and Hugh were that close?


    Hugh, with his cold and aloof demeanor, sometimes seemed almost like a machine when it came to work.


    Yet, despite his stoic nature, he had someone like Samuel by his side a friend who was not only trustworthy but also warm and considerate.


    When she was with Zach, she had never seen him truly trust anyone, nor did he seem to have friends like this.


    As Serena was lost in thought, Samuel asked, "You look a bit tired. I can handle the kiln-do you want to head home and get some rest?"


    "No, I''d rather head back to the studio and work on something," she replied.


    "Alright, then let''s head back to the studio."


    Samuel fully respected Serena''s decision.


    When they returned to the studio, the kiln still had a long way to go before it was ready to be opened.


    Serena put on her apron and sleeve guards, then settled back into her seat to continue molding the y.


    Before long, a small bowl began to take shape.


    As Samuel was preparing some y, he saw Serena meticulously carving the piece in her hands. His eyes brightened with excitement.


    A small bowl... did it really need to be this intricate? He wondered if it was a gift for Hugh.


    After a moment of thought, Samuel asked, "Is this for the porcin exhibition?"


    "No, it''s not for the exhibition. It''s just something I wanted to make. What do you think of the design?"


    "It looks great."


    Samuel was almost certain now. Having seen many pottery artists at work, he knew that such meticulous craftsmanship on a small piece could only mean one thing-it was meant as a gift.


    He put his things down and snapped a photo of Serena as she worked.


    In the photo, she was focused on shaping the edges of the y. A light dusting of y covered her face, but the warm glow of the room gently softened her features.


    Without hesitation, Samuel sent the photo to Hugh with a message, "Get ready for your gift."


    The moment Samuel sent the message, Serena casually wiped the sweat from her arm and then asked, "Samuel, do you think this is big enough for a kitten''s water bowl?"


    It turned out the gift wasn''t for Hugh after all! It was a water bowl for a kitten!


    Samuel quickly deleted both the photo and message, but he had missed the fact that the message had already been marked as read.


    "Y-Yeah... it''s definitely big enough," he stammered, silently hoping that Hugh hadn''t seen it.


    On the other end, Hugh had already saved the photo.


    His fingertip gently traced over Serena''s delicate features on the screen. For the


    first time, he found business trips unbearable.


    If possible, he would rather watch Serena craft the gift in person.