Was someone trying to kidnap me again? rm bells went off in my head. Just as


    I was about to bolt, the person in the front passenger seat stepped out.


    "Ms. Ashford, Mr. Schneider requests your presence."


    The rear window rolled down, revealing Lucas.


    I let out a breath of relief. "Luke? You scared me half to death."


    Lucas wore a pair of ck sunsses that covered half his face. He merely


    nced at me and nodded, signaling me to get in.


    "Luke, what are you doing here?" Seeing an old friend, I couldn''t help but feel a bit happy.


    "I just happened to be passing by," he replied nonchntly.


    I nced at the two security guards in the front seats and immediately understood.


    Lucas was no longer the pitiful child he once was. Now that he had topete for the Schneider family''s inheritance, he needed to build a specific image, and creating an image naturally required some acting.


    Since he wasn''t speaking much, I didn''t disrupt his persona.


    The car pulled up to a restaurant. Once we entered a private dining room, he instantly dropped the act. "Serena, it''s been so long! How have you been? Ugh... I had to keep quiet in front of them. I nearly died holding it in the whole way here."


    I blinked at Lucas yfully. "I know. That''s why I didn''t call you out on it."


    "Serena, you''re the best." He grinned and pulled me into a big hug.


    I quickly pushed him away. "Why are you here?"


    "I came to see you," he said, all serious.


    I scrutinized his face.


    "Fine... I came to see Mr. Hastings and figured I''d check in on you too," he


    admitted with augh. "Serena, you''re really no fun."


    I chuckled. "What do you want from him?"


    "A business deal." Lucas sighed heavily. "Serena, this is my only chance. If lose this opportunity, l won''t be able to reim what''s. rightfully mine. I can live with that, but have to endure being bullied by


    the Schneider siblings for the rest of my life."


    He wasn''t exaggerating. If he became the president of Schneider Group, he wouldn''t go out of his way to eliminate Xena and Henry. But if


    er


    the rates were reversed, they definitely wouldn''t show him the


    same mercy.


    "Serena, you have to help me!" Lucas pleaded. His eyes were filled with so much hope that it was hard to say no.


    "But... how am I supposed to help you?" I sighed. Lately, I had been keeping my distance from Alex while helping him investigate the leak.


    "You just need toe with me when I meet him tomorrow," Lucas said with a smile. "Serena, you know what? You''re like a source of courage for me."


    "Oh, get lost." I waved him off. "Butst time, you and Alex didn''t reach an agreement. Do you have a new bargaining chip this time?"


    Lucas nodded. "Of course. If I didn''t, I wouldn''t have dared toe find you."


    I had agreed to go with Lucas to meet Alex but hadn''t expected to run into thest


    people I wanted to see in the elevator of Hastings Group.


    "What a small world," Henry sneered like a small dog emboldened by its owner. His eyes gleamed with- anticipation as he looked between me and Lucas. "Didn''t think I run into you two here."


    Xena stood with her arms crossed, silent. Clearly, she had no intention of getting involved.