One of the executives said, "This is impressive. Now, I''m even more curious to see Ms. Jansen''s credentials."


    The executives of Larson Group started discussing again with enthusiasm.


    Zach nced at Serena, trying to gauge her reaction. But she remained indifferent, leaning back in her chair and calmly flipping through some documents.


    It was as if the earlier insult hadn''t fazed her at all.


    Why? Didn''t it bother her to be publicly used of being someone''s mistress?


    She had never been this indifferent before, not even when she was with him.


    A pang of guilt and regret tightened in Zach''s chest.


    Meanwhile, Serena could feel the weight of his gaze burning into her, making her scalp tingle. But she couldn''t be bothered to look up.


    Another half an hour passed.


    "Amber Group and Zarena Group will move forward as the finalists."


    No one was surprised by the decision. As the meeting adjourned, the executives began leaving one by one.


    By the time Serena stepped outside, night had already fallen.


    Zach caught up with her, hesitating before making an offer. "It''s not safe for you to be out alone. Let me take you home."


    Just then, a voice cut in. "Ms. Jansen is perfectly safe."


    Both Serena and Zach turned toward the source.


    Celeste stepped out of a sleek ck car, respectfully holding the door open. "I''ll take you home."


    Ever since thest incident, Celeste had made it a habit to be nearby whenever Serena was alone.


    Serena was momentarily surprised, but she didn''t hesitate for long. Without a word, she slid into the car.


    The thought of going home alone unsettled her, but the idea of getting into Zach''s car was even worse. At least Hugh was reliable, even if his mood swings were unpredictable.


    As the car sped away, Zach remained frozen in ce, his fists clenched at his sides.


    So, Hugh had sent another one of his people.


    If he didn''t act soon, he might lose Serena forever.


    ...


    Two dayster, Serena finally managed to patch up part of Amber Group''s financial gap. She then returned to her office at Jansen Group to deal with the mountain of paperwork.


    She hadn''t even finished reviewing two reports before Howard''s assistant, Edgar Lawrence, and Nathan came in for the seventh or eighth time, repeating the same message.


    "Mr. Jansen wants to know if you can set aside some time to have dinner with Mr. Foster to discuss the finalized project. You''ve already turned him down several times. Don''t you think that''s a little rude?"


    If it was just about business, there was no need to make it a dinner.


    Serena had a feeling about what was going on.


    Zach probably wanted to make up with her. Howard had just secured a promising project from him yesterday and was eager to use her as a bargaining chip. So, she had refused repeatedly.


    Then, Nathan changed tactics. "Mr. Jansen said that if you don''t go, the coboration with Foster Group will be cut offpletely. And if that happens, there''s no point in keeping your position here. You might as well wait for Amber Group to go bankrupt."


    It was a tant threat.


    Before she could even respond, her phone rang.


    Howard didn''t bother with pleasantries and said, "I can keep Amber Group afloat, or I can dismantle it to cover Jansen Group''s financial shortfall."