Chapter 3

I responded, "There's nothing I can eat."

"Don't be so picky."

William immediately called a waiter.

"Could we have an order of carbonara, please? Charles is allergic to nuts. Seren, did you forget?"

Seren's hand paused for a moment.

"I've had a lot on my mind lately."

She didn't apologize.

Instead, William comforted me gently. "Seren is the type to forget her own birthday, so don't take it personally. We've known each other for ten years, but she also forgets about my allergens sometimes."

Someone at the table laughed. "Oh, please. Ms. Grant sent back all the fruit the supplier had delivered last time because you have a mango allergy."

Another colleague chimed in, "It's not that Ms. Grant has a bad memory. It's that she only remembers the important stuff."

The room suddenly fell silent.

Realizing what he said, the colleague awkwardly took a sip of wine.

Seren finally frowned, but not at them.

"Stop sulking, Charles. Everyone's just joking around."

She said it so casually, as if my humiliation was just an ill-timed overreaction.

I forced a smile.

"Did you invite me tonight because you wanted to discuss work?"

She wiped her hands. "What else?"

"Do your coworkers even know we're dating?"

Seren's expression darkened.

"It was one joke. Do you really have to make a scene out of it?

"There's no need to bring our personal relationship into the workplace. You're a business partner on this project. Don't let your personal feelings affect how people judge your professionalism."

My fingertips went ice-cold. I stood up and picked up my jacket.

William rose with me.

"Don't go. I'll get them to apologize to you."

"No need."

I looked at Seren and said softly, "Ms. Grant is right. Personal relationships shouldn't affect professional work."

Seren's eyebrows twitched.

This time, I didn't wait for her to respond and simply walked out of the dining room alone.

Just as the door was about to close, I heard one of her colleagues ask in a low voice, "Ms. Grant, is he really your boyfriend?"

After a brief silence, Seren answered calmly.

"We're still figuring things out. Don't bring it up in front of William."

…

As it turned out, Seren really did keep her professional and personal lives separate.

Just before the rehearsal for the project presentation the next afternoon, my assistant came rushing over with a revised agenda, looking utterly stunned.

"Mr. Leed, why has the lead presenter been changed?"

I looked down at the schedule.

My name, which had originally been listed as the lead presenter, had been replaced with William Baker.

My team and I had spent six months pouring our blood, sweat, and tears into this residential development proposal. The initial concept had more than 300 technical drawings. Meanwhile, William had only attended two meetings as an observer.

Clutching the schedule, I strode straight into the conference room.

"Seren Grant, care to explain this?"

She was leaning over to adjust the project for William. At the sound of my voice, she glanced up indifferently.

"It's a last-minute adjustment. William will handle the presentation. You'll take the questions.

"He's the marketing director, so his communication skills are better than yours."

I placed the schedule on the table.

"The core concept, floor plans, and models are all mine. William hasn't even verified the dimensions on the drawings. What makes him qualified to lead the presentation?"

William closed his laptop and said gently, "I'm not trying to steal your credit. Seren said you haven't been in a good state lately and was worried you'd lose your temper during the presentation."

"When did I ever lose my temper?"

Seren cut in. "Last night. You questioned our personal relationship in front of the entire team. You've already affected the working atmosphere."

She pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit.

"Charles, I know you're uncomfortable with how close William and I are, but this is a 200 million dollar project. I can't risk it just to make you feel better."

Her voice remained perfectly even, yet every word undermined my professional credibility.

"So you're handing all my work to him?"

"He's only presenting it."

"And whose name goes on it?"