"Get out of here," I said with a chuckle.


    Patricia continued, "Or... he''s been following you."


    To my surprise, I actually agreed with her.


    The next morning, I decided to talk to Alex after hesitating for a long time. I wanted Oliver to help me investigate whether Lucas had been tracking me.


    But he wasn''t at the office.


    "Maybe he''s sick and took the day off," I muttered, shaking my head as I turned to leave. However, for some unknown reason, the elevator remained stuck on the first floor and wouldn''t move.


    I opted for the stairs after being left with no choice. As I descended, I pulled out my phone, preparing to message Alex.


    "Scarlett, we''re aware of your situation. You should really consider our proposal," a voice echoed below, carrying both a warning and a hint of persuasion. "If you agree, our boss won''t treat you unfairly. You don''t want to keep living in that run- down ce with your mother forever, do you?"


    I froze, quickly pressing myself against the wall and crouching down to avoid making any noise.


    Was it the Scarlett I knew?


    "Forget it." Sure enough, I heard Scarlett''s voice reply. It was firm yet calm. "Hastings Group has treated me well. I simply can''t bring myself to do something like this. Stirring up such a scandal would be devastating for them."


    "You''re so concerned about Alex''s well-being, but has he ever once considered your struggles?" the voice continued.


    "Enough!" Scarlett suddenly snapped. "Out of respect for the years our


    I heard the stairwell door shut, but the other person remained. That meant I couldn''t move either.


    "Hello?" The man dialed a number. "Scarlett''s really a tough one. I tried everything


    to persuade her, but not only did she refuse, she even snapped at me."


    I couldn''t hear the voice on the other


    end, but the man downstairs suddenly towered his tone. "I


    understand, boss. It''d be best to find another way, use different tacties, or some other means... But we need to be extra cautious around Serena from the R&D department. She''s Mr. Hastings'' sister, and she''s deeply involved in the project."


    Hearing my own name in their conversation, I momentarily spaced out.


    There were only two projects I was currently involved in the coboration with Excel Group and the one with Schneider Group.


    Was it Excel Group? Or Schneider Group? I had no way of knowing for sure.


    I remained hidden in the stairwell, waiting until the man finished his call and left. Only then did I get up and head downstairs.


    Back in the R&D department, I saw Scarlett sorting through some documents.


    "Scarlett," I greeted her with enthusiasm as I approached. "Hastings Group''s new productunch just wrapped up, and sales


    have been fantastic. The factory is


    already preparing for the second round of production."


    I carefully observed her expression. As soon as she heard my words, her eyes lit


    up with delight. "Really?"


    I nodded. "I''m nning to visit the factory this afternoon. If we catch any issues in


    this batch, it could save our reputation before it''s toote."


    She nodded seriously. "You''re right. Be careful on the road."


    Her expression-whether it was her happiness, agreement, or concern-showed


    no signs of deception.


    I decided to probe further. "By the way, Scarlett, could you lend me the product standards manual? I came looking for you twice earlier, but you weren''t here."