Serena returned to the top floor alone.


    The door to Hugh''s apartment was slightly ajar, a faint light spilling out from inside.


    It was only the afternoon. Would a workaholic like Hugh even be home at this hour?


    As she wondered, she nced inside and noticed that the entryway was a mess.


    It looked like it had been ransacked. The thief was bold to break in in broad


    daylight.


    Serena quickly dialed Hugh''s number, but a ringtone sounded from inside the apartment.


    Was he actually home?


    Just as she looked up again, Hugh stepped out, holding her calico cat in his arms.


    The cat was soaking wet. But it obediently let Hugh carry it. When it saw Serena, it let out a soft meow.


    Serena was startled and hurried forward to take the cat, but Hugh dodged her.


    His white shirt was soaked, clinging to his broad frame. He casually pushed his damp hair back, his gaze sharp and chilly.


    "Don''t touch it. If it starts struggling, your entryway will be next."


    The cat meowed pitifully, its wide eyes filled with innocence.


    Serena''s heart softened. "Maybe I should take it back..."


    Hugh raised an eyebrow. He crouched as if to set the cat on the ground. Instantly,


    the cat shook like a dog, sshing water all over the entryway..


    Hugh swiftly grabbed it again and muttered in a low voice, "Little menace." Serena fell silent.


    It usually seemed so well-behaved. Apparently, it could cause quite the chaos. Hugh''s apartment looked like a disaster zone.


    She quickly apologized and pulled up the security footage from her apartment.


    The footage showed that her door lock had been loose. The cat had pawed it open and slipped outside.


    Once out, the cat had wandered around. It got covered in mud from a potted nt in the corner, only to be caught by Hugh as he returned home. He had brought it back to clean it up.


    Guilt washed over Serena.


    "When I was moving the porcin earlier, the ster fixing it identally hit the lock. I forgot to rece it. I''m really sorry it made such a mess. Let me help you clean up."


    But Hugh shook his head and carried the cat toward the living room.


    "No need. I''ve already called someone. Just dry it off first."


    "I''m so sorry about this." Serena followed him inside.


    Hugh wasn''t particrly skilled at handling cats. He simply held it up like a shopping bag while drying it with a blow dryer.


    Thankfully, the calico behaved as long as it wasn''t touching the ground.


    Hugh had enough patience to dry it off quickly. Once set down, the cat became a fluffy ball of energy, running straight into Serena''s feet and rubbing against her affectionately.


    She bent down and gave it a light tap on the head.


    "You little troublemaker. You''re lucky someone found you today. What if you''d taken the elevator downstairs likest time?"


    The cat had no idea what she was saying and just kept kneading the ground with its paws.


    Serena chuckled and started petting it. She wasn''t sure what kind of shampoo Hugh used, but the fur felt incredibly soft.


    Hugh had changed into a fresh dress shirt and was now leaningzily against the doorway. His gaze lingered on Serena as she yed with the cat, a faint smile tugging at his lips.


    A whileter, Serena finally realized she had been there too long. She stood up, ready to take the cat and leave.


    But as soon as she did, the cat jumped from her arms andnded gracefully on the coffee table, promptly licking its paws.


    Serenaughed helplessly and bent down to grab it.


    But instead of catching the cat, she noticed the documents on the coffee table. It was the Larson Group''s funding project.


    Her eyes flickered.


    Hugh caught the change in her expression and ced the documents directly into her hands.


    "They''re for you."


    "For me?" She instinctively pulled back her hand, caught off guard.