"What are you looking at?" I felt baffled by Alex''s gaze, suddenly unsure of what to do with myself.


    "My Serena has grown up." He reached out and ruffled my hair. "You''re even helping me share my burdens now."


    He was so close that I could see every flicker of emotion in his eyes.


    The dim lighting inside the car made the moment feel strangely intimate. I was flustered and quickly turned my gaze away. "Don''t talk to me like I''m a child."


    "But aren''t you?" He raised an eyebrow slightly. "I''ll be calling a shareholders'' meeting tomorrow. I want you to attend and present your findings, but I''m not nning to let anyone else know about this just yet."


    I looked at him in confusion.


    "Xena thinks she can y me for a fool. Of course, I have to deliver a fatal blow in return." His tone was as casual as if he were discussing the weather-neither angry nor particrly ruthless.


    But I knew him well. When he said something, he meant it.


    At the meeting the next day, I sat right next to him.


    "Schneider Investment Group and Schneider Group are two separate entities. While both fall under the Schneider Group umbre, Schneider Investment Group primarily operates in real estate, an industry Hastings Group has no current ns to enter."


    I delivered my report calmly, detailing my research and findings over 30 minutes. But when I finished presenting, everyone else in the room was silent.


    I hesitated and wondered if I had exined it well enough.


    Feeling a bit nervous, I nced at Alex, but he wasn''t looking at me at all.


    "Serena, did you discover all this on your own?" It was Mr. Hastings Senior who finally broke the silence.


    I waved a hand dismissively. "I had some guidance, and I did some basic


    research. I simply reported what I found."


    "That''s still impressive." Mr.


    Hastings Senior''s gaze held a warm


    smile. "At the very least, you knew


    how to find the right people and pinpoint the issue at a critical


    moment in the negotiation


    I felt a little embarrassed. In truth, I had only spotted the w in the contract thanks to Scarlett. I didn''t feel like I deserved too much credit.


    "And you..." After praising me, Mr. Hastings Senior suddenly turned serious. "You''re not a kid anymore. How could you miss such an obvious loophole in the contract?"


    Hearing Mr. Hastings Senior reprimand Alex, I couldn''t help but nce at him.


    He was someone who cared deeply about his reputation. Getting scolded like this in front of so many people, especially with me sitting right next to him, had to sting.


    I immediately shrank my neck like an ostrich, hoping to avoid being affected.


    After a long pause, Alex actuallyughed. "You''re right. But isn''t it good that I gave Serena a chance to shine?"


    Mr. Hastings Senior let out a snort. "You got fucky this time with Serena backing you up. You''d better invest in her development. Who knows? Maybe she''ll turn into a powerhouse in her own right someday.


    After the meeting, two official announcements were posted on thepany''s website.


    The first stated that Hastings Group would be signing a contract with Schneider Group in three days, though it didn''t specify whether the deal would be with Lucas or Xena.


    The second announced the uing release of Hastings Group''s new product along with a half-day off for the entire R&D department.


    By now, many of my colleagues in the R&D department knew that I hadn''t been sent here as some sort of exile. They also understood that my rtionship with Alex was far from ordinary. Hence, the moment I stepped into the office, a crowd


    quickly gathered around me.


    "Serena, you have to treat us to a meal! You must''ve yed a big role in this


    whole thing, right?"


    I was a bit confused but smiled anyway. "Isn''t this a team effort?"