"Alright, alright." I could hear the chill in Alex''s voice. "I guess I was just meddling in things that aren''t my business."


    With that, he strode to his car in a few quick steps. The top-tier Maybach''s engine let out a mournful roar, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone from my sight.


    I watched as his car disappeared, the taillights blending into the blurred outlines of the surrounding scenery.


    An attendant walked over and asked with concern, "Miss, are you okay?"


    "I''m fine." I let out a breath, and at that moment, thoughts of Mr. Hastings Senior and the opposition from the outside world flooded my mind. I nodded firmly. "The wind is just strong today."


    ...


    The following day, I received a call from mywyer.


    "Ms. Ashford, regarding the cufflink, the police contacted usst night-they''ve found a witness."


    "Really?" I sat up in bed, excited. "What''s the situation now?"


    But there was only silence on the other end of the line.


    A sense of unease crept over me.


    "The shop caught firest night. The owner is in aa with injuries, and for now, the case has been put on hold." Thewyer''s voice carried a note of regret. "I''m afraid this will be dyed again and again."


    My heart sank. "Have they determined the cause of the fire?"


    "They say it was due to old wiring."


    "Impossible." I was certain. "A store like that caters to the wealthy, and their profits are high. How could they make such a careless mistake?"


    Thewyer let out a long sigh. "But these are just our suspicions. None of it is admissible in court."


    I put my phone down, frustrated, and got dressed to head out.


    At the office, the sight of so many empty desks left me with a heavy feeling. This whole situation had undeniably caused significant damage to Hastings Group. With so many people resigning, the next few days were bound to be exhausting.


    When I sat in my office, Mr. Hastings Senior''s call came through. "Hello, Mr. Hastings Senior," I answered.


    In


    "Serena, are you busy?" There was a rare hint of cheer in his voice. "I''ve been thinking about adding you to the family tree, and I figured the soonenwe handle it, the better. So, I''ve entrusted Mr. Morris to take care of everything. He''ll see you this


    afternoon to handle it."


    A pang of emotion hit me, but I still smiled and nodded. "Alright, Mr. Hastings Senior. I''ll wait for him in my office."


    "Serena....." Mr. Hastings Senior cleared his throat. "Alex doesn''t know about this."


    I immediately understood his meaning and nodded again. "Got it. Tell Mr. Morris


    I''ll meet him at the café downstairs at 1:00 pm."


    ...


    At noon, I finally met thewyer Mr. Hastings Senior had sent.


    "Ms. Ashford, right?" Spencer Morris approached with a briefcase in hand. "Mr. Hastings has entrusted me with something for you today."