Patricia didn''t seem embarrassed at all. She stepped forward, took my hand, and said, "Serena, Mr. Hastings is looking for you."


    She pulled me back into the banquet hall and only let out a deep breath once we were inside.


    "What are you doing?" I frowned at her.


    "You..." Her tone carried a hint of unease. "What were you talking to Mia about? You didn''t tell her I sold her out, did you?"


    I rolled my eyes. "I keep my promises. Even if the truthes out one day, I''d never tell Mia about this."


    Hearing that, she finally let out a sigh of relief. "That''s good."


    But I was still confused. "Wait, are you actually afraid of Mia?"


    "No." She lowered her head slightly, looking a little embarrassed. "It''s just... What you said that day made sense. Even though Mia used me, I don''t want to be a double agent. How would I even survive in the office if other colleagues find out?"


    I studied her for a moment, and an idea formed in my mind. I gave her a serious look after adjusting my expression. "But what Mia is doing is hurting people. Damaging someone''s reputation is a criminal offense."


    "Huh? Is it that serious?" Her face turned pale. "I won''t be discovered-"


    "Of course not," I said while patting her shoulder reassuringly. "As long as I don''t say anything, no one will ever know."


    "Serena, you''re the best." She was practically in tears after being touched by my words.


    "No need to thank me. But you have to keep an eye on Mia for me in return. Don''t let her go around badmouthing me again."


    "Don''t worry." She patted her chest. "I''ve got your back."


    As we continued chatting, I suddenly noticed a woman sitting on a nearby couch, holding a wine ss. She looked a little down, but her gaze kept drifting toward


    me.


    "Who is that?" I frowned as I asked Patricia. "She looks familiar, but I can''t remember her at all."


    "That''s Scarlett Smith." Patricia''s eyes lit up as if she had a juicy story to tell. "She''s someone worth paying attention to. Before Mia came to the R&D department, everyone thought Scarlett would be the next team leader."


    "Oh?" I caught onto the key detail. "Why?"


    Vel


    "Scarlett used to be the top performer in the R&D department. Just when she was about to get promoted, Mia was suddenly brought in, and in the end, Mia became the team leader. After that, she started subtly isting Scarlett.


    "Scarlett is incredibly talented and has an eye for details. Back when she was in charge of the R&D department, no matter how tricky a problem was, she could spot the issue at a nce."


    "So, she''s a hidden expert." I couldn''t help but take a sharp breath.


    On the way home after the banquet, I told Alex everything I had learned that night. "That''s all the information I gathered today. We can be pretty sure now that Mia is the mole."


    Alex nodded. "Not bad. This banquet turned out to be worthwhile, after all." Just then, his phone rang, and it was Mr. Hastings Senior who called. "Alex, how are things at thepany?" Mr. Hastings Senior asked.


    "Almost settled," Alex said casually while adjusting the steering wheel. "I''ll finalize the contract on the first of next month. I need to choose between Xena and Lucas as a


    business partner."


    "Good." Mr. Hastings Senior''s tone was firm. "High-tech products are thepany''s lifeline. You need to handle this carefully."


    Alex nodded, and then Mr. Hastings Senior asked, "What about Serena?"