"He''s a friend of Henry''s." Lucas smiled as he patted the dust off his clothes. "Serena, thank you. You protected me again."


    I waved my hand dismissively. "No need to thank me for something so minor. When you run into people like that, you should put them in their ce with words instead of resorting to a fight."


    His gaze was filled with admiration and gratitude. "Mm, I understand."


    "Serena."


    A voice rang out from behind me. I turned around and saw Alex.


    A wave of relief washed over me upon seeing him, like I had found an anchor in the middle of a storm. I quickly walked up to him. "You''re finally here."


    But he didn''t seem pleased. His expression was unreadable as he asked, "What were you two talking about? Looked like you were having a good time."


    "Mr. Hastings." Lucas smiled and stepped forward. "It''s been a while."


    When Lucas extended his hand, Alex hesitated for a moment before finally shaking it, though he didn''t look too enthusiastic. "Mr. Schneider, I thought you wouldn''t have time for events like this with your busy schedule."


    "It''s no surprise that I''m here." Lucas'' smile was warm and effortless. "Even a busy man like you is here, after all."


    A silence settled between them.


    After a brief moment, Lucas nced at Alex and took the initiative to excuse himself. "Mr. Hastings, I''ll go talk to some of the other suppliers."


    With that, he left, leaving just me and Alex.


    The night air was growing cooler, and I couldn''t help but shiver slightly.


    Without a word, Alex took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. "What were you talking about that made you so happy?"


    There was an unmistakable irritation in his tone. I frowned and looked up at him, but his eyes betrayed no emotion.


    Could it be that he had an unpleasant conversation with one of the business partners?


    "Nothing important." I pulled his jacket closer around me. "Mr. Hastings, I actually think Lucas'' proposal is more reasonable. What do you think?"


    His expression darkened even further. "I don''t think so. And right now, I don''t want to talk about business."


    I could clearly feel his growing displeasure, but I still wanted to speak up for Lucas. "But this is important."


    "There are plenty of people who want to work with me. Why should I have to partner with Lucas?" he suddenly snapped. "Why are you always speaking up for him in front of me?"


    I stared at him, stunned. I was unable to understand where this outburst wasing from. "Lucas is a good friend of mine. I''m just trying to help him. Why are you so upset?"


    "For no reason." His voice dropped. It was quieter now but still tense He ran a hand through his hair in


    el.n2


    frustration. "The partnership needs to be considered carefully. I have no obligation to choose Lucas."


    His words set off rm bells in my mind. "But the contract Xena offered is full of excessive concessions. Doesn''t that seem suspicious to you? Lucas—"


    He suddenly grabbed my shoulders before I could finish. "What kind of spell has he put on you?"


    Only then did I notice the turbulent emotions hidden in his eyes, including anger and frustration. It was tooplex for me to fully decipher.


    I was startled and instinctively shrank back.


    He let go of my shoulders and said in a low voice, "Keep your distance from him and don''t bring him up in front of me again. The partnership will be decided in a formal meeting."


    With that, he turned and walked away.


    I stood there as I watched his retreating figure, feeling both wronged and concerned. "This guy''s moods change as fast as a summer storm."