"Who could make such a beautifuldy so sorrowful?"


    I spun around, and as soon as Iid eyes on the source of the voice, I knew life could always get worse.


    It was Henry, gliding toward me with an air of confidence like a peacock unting its feathers. "How can someone so striking be unhappy?"


    As I watched his exaggerated movements, I couldn''t help but feel repulsed. I also wanted to burst intoughter.


    The three siblings of the Schneider family were truly a diverse bunch. Xena excelled in social skills and was clever and capable. Even Lucas, who was often belittled by his siblings, had a knack for scheming. Only Henry seemed tock any sense at all.


    He reached out to touch my cheek, and I instinctively stepped back with a look of disgust in my eyes. "Mr. Schneider, please control yourself."


    Henry''s attempt to touch me failed. As he looked at his empty hand, surprise filled his eyes. "How can you be so ungrateful?" he eximed.


    "What do you mean by ungrateful?" I scoffed back. "Does not wanting to be touched by you mean that I''m ungrateful?"


    "Since you know who I am, consider yourself lucky to have gained my favor," he dered.


    My stomach churned with disgust. Did he see himself as some kind of ruler? He seemedpletely unaware of his own ws and limitations.


    "Well, you certainly have a lot of confidence," I managed to say through a false smile.


    "You''ve noticed it as well, huh? My sister is on the verge of marrying into Hastings Group. If you still n to work for them, you should be cautious." Henry lifted his chin.


    "Are you speaking so confidently about something that isn''t even guaranteed yet, Mr. Schneider?" I furrowed my eyebrows.


    Outwardly appeared collected andposed, but internally, my thoughts were in chaos. Couldn''t the Schneider family have shared some of their intelligence with Henry? Why couldn''t he be more normal?


    met


    "You..." Henry''s frustration had reached its peak, and he was starting to lose his temper. He red at me with furrowed brows. "You''r@just an employee, yet you act like you''re above it all? Well, let me tell you something today whether you want to hear it or not"


    "Mr. Henry!"


    I spun around to see Alex approaching. He was slightly drunk but still walking with


    a steady gait. He was apanied by Lester and Xena.


    As soon as Alex appeared, Henry''s demeanor shifted from arrogant to subdued. "M-Mr. Hastings."


    "Mr. Henry, what are you up to? While Hastings Group may be facing challenges right now, it''s not necessary for my sister to resort to selling herself."


    "What?" Henry''s eyes widened in shock, and he turned to look at me. "She... She''s your sister?"


    "Alex, why have you never mentioned having a sister before?" Lester also looked at Alex with interest.


    Alex approached me with a look of concern in his eyes. I gave him a small shake of my head to signal that I was fine.


    "She and her mother were weed into the Hastings family, so to me, she is my sister," Alex dered, defining our rtionship with each other and his perspective on it.


    A twinge of bitterness stirred in my heart. Alex''s words indirectly acknowledged Mom''s identity in the Hastings family. If she knew about it, she''d be overjoyed.


    I realized that Alex had revealed my identity in order to prevent any misunderstandings from the Schneider family. And it seemed to have worked. Xena''s attitude toward me softened noticeably.


    "Even if Serena Ashford isn''t my sister but just an employee of Hastings Group, I hope you''ll conduct yourself appropriately, Mr. Henry Alex was still processing everything that had happened and didn''t have as many considerations as the Schneider family. "After all, you hold a position of prestige."