"I was just asking where those people came from. Did I say you were going to do something to me?" My gaze was filled with sarcasm as I turned to look at Jolene.


    "You..." Jolene, enraged, took a step forward. "If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have lost my job! And now, you''re ndering me? I''m going to teach you a lesson today!"


    Jolene raised her hand to p me, but I grabbed her wrist. As I flung her hand aside, I threw a sharp p across Jolene''s face.


    "Jolene, are you okay?" Elena''s tears finally fell. She hurriedly stepped forward to help Jolene up. "Serena, how could you hit someone?"


    "You... You dare hit me?" Jolene''s face twisted with anger as she threatened angrily, "I won''t let you get away with this!"


    "I''m looking forward to it," I said as I returned to my seat.


    Jolene took out her phone, dialed a number, and said in a melodramatic tone, "Babe, where are you? Someone is bullying me here."


    The thought of Jolene calling that sleazy Ronald "babe" made me lose my appetite for the meal.


    "Serena, I already know everything," Jolene hung up the phone, her face full of triumph as she walked up to me. "You''re just a child brought in by Alex''s stepmother. You''re nothing more than a burden to the Hastings family. I''m really curious as to how Alex will deal with you if you ruin his coboration with Zegler Corporation."


    A sh of light flickered in Elena''s eyes, but she still stepped forward. "Jolene, Serena... probably didn''t mean to insult you like that. Maybe you could just let her off?"


    "Let her off?" Jolene looked me up and down, still holding her phone. "If you''re willing to get on your knees and apologize, I might consider it."


    "Oh dear." L stepped forward, giving Jolene an appraising nce. "Your boobs might be big, but your brain is tiny. Can''t you tell Elena is just pushing your buttons?"


    "You..." Both women''s expressions shifted instantly.


    "So, you won''t do it, huh?" Jolene pointed a finger at me. "Well, you''ll regret itter. Just wait. If you ruine Alex''s coboration, you''ll be kicked out of thepany for sure. I''d like to see if you can still act so high and mighty then."


    Looking at Jolene''s smug expression, I couldn''t help but snort. "What a clown."


    "What did you say?" Her face turned crimson as she stepped closer. "I''m going to teach you a lesson today!"


    Seeing that Jolene was still trying to make a move on me, I gathered my strength.


    I didn''t n to stop until her face was swollen and doubled in size.


    "Stop!" a voice called out from behind.


    I turned around to find none other than Ronald. Given the time, Alex should be arriving soon as well.


    "Mr. Zegler, long time no see," I greeted, raising an eyebrow slightly.


    "Ms. Ashford," Ronald returned the greeting as he walked over to Jolene''s side, his posture arrogant. "I''m not sure what happened to make you so upset."


    "It''s no big deal," I said with a forced smile. "Jolene sent people to try and kidnap


    me. I was just trying to teach her a little lesson."


    "Oh?" Ronald raised an eyebrow, still


    speaking in his superior tone. He


    it


    stretched out his arm and draped around Jolene''s waist. "Jolene is now my girlfriend. Considering the coboration between Zegler Corporation and Hastings Group, I wonder if you''d be willing to forgive her?"


    So, this was his way of openly using the twopanies'' coboration to threaten


    me.