It was the same man the police had released earlier.Serena's heart clenched. She was just about to scream when a sudden shout cut through the night."Who's there? Stop right there!"She looked up and saw a man in a security uniform rushing over from a distance, pulling out a stun baton as he moved.Serena immediately shouted, "Help me!"But the man behind her had already lunged, grabbing her forcefully and trying to drag her toward a nearby alley."Let go of me!"Startled, Serena instinctively reached for the pepper spray in her bag.Before she could use it, the security guard was already upon them, swinging the stun baton down hard.The man recoiled in pain, stumbling to the ground, but his eyes remained locked on Serena with an eerie intensity.The security guard stepped protectively in front of her. "Still staring?"He charged forward and rained punches and kicks onto the attacker. The man rolled on the ground, shielding his head before staggering to his feet and fleeing
Serena forced herself to stay calm."I'm the assistant to the CEO of Quade Group. If you dare to lay a finger on me, he'll track you down. You still have a chance to stop this before it's too late."The man let out a mocking laugh. "Oh? A CEO's assistant? Does that mean the big boss of Quade Group values you that much? What, are you his mistress? Have you two done it already? If I get my hands on the Quade CEO's woman, imagine how impressive that'll sound!"His vulgar words sent a wave of disgust through Serena.She spoke coldly, "So, you're the one who sent those harassing messages?""That's right. You're too damn tempting, walking in and out of the complex every day like that. I knew you were trying to seduce me!"His lecherous gaze roamed over her as he sneered. "But tell me—how did you realize I was after you?"Serena clenched her jaw. She didn't want to say anything, but to buy time, she spoke."When that homeless man grabbed me earlier, he kept muttering something. At tha
At this moment, Wilson's voice was nothing short of heavenly to Serena.Behind her, the man, his swollen eyes barely open, still came charging after her."You bitch! I'm going to kill you!"He was still unsteady from climbing up when a powerful kick knocked him off his feet.He crashed hard at the basement entrance, the impact echoing through the space.Kayden walked down the stairs at a leisurely pace, his expression unreadable.Serena turned her head. "Is he dead?“"Not something you need to worry about."Wilson turned her face back toward him, scanning her up and down. Seeing that she was unharmed, he finally let you a breath of relief."Did he hurt you?"Serena's wide eyes blinked as she shook her head. "No. I caught him off guard and used my pepper spray."Wilson chuckled softly and ruffled her hair. "Not bad."Serena felt a bit odd. Wasn't this gesture too intimate?Wilson took her hand. "Leave this to Kayden. I'll take you back to your complex first."Serena obedie
Garbage like that had no place here. It belonged where it belonged—in the trash. …After getting an IV and taking his medication at the hospital, Justin's stomach finally felt a little better.Mollie had just breathed a sigh of relief when, out of nowhere, he yanked out the IV and insisted on going home.She couldn't stop him. All she could do was grumble and drive him back to the villa. "The doctor told you a hundred times—your stomach needs rest. No drinking. But you just had to mess yourself up! Justin, ever since Serena left, you've completely lost it!"Justin leaned back against the car seat, his eyes closed. It was unclear if he was even listening.Taking advantage of his half-drunken state, Mollie kept ranting."You were so damn confident before, saying Serena would never leave you—like she couldn't live without you. Well, look at you now. I guess that confidence didn't age well, huh? "I'm not even a fan of Serena, but to be fair, this is all on you. Of all the thing
In his half-conscious state, Justin felt a soft, delicate hand slide across his chest.It moved down past his abdomen as he shot out his hand, grabbing the wrist tightly.His eyes snapped open, and in an instant, he flipped over, pinning the person beneath him.The scent of alcohol still lingered on him."Serena… No, you're not Serena."Candice wrapped her arms around his neck."You're dreaming again, Justin. Just pretend I'm Serena. I love you. I'd do anything for you."She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his.Justin's body tensed for a brief moment.Then, he took control, gripping the back of her head and kissing her forcefully.Candice's heart surged with joy.She eagerly tilted her head back, responding passionately.…The next morning, Justin remained in a deep sleep until mid-morning.When he finally woke, his throat was dry, and he instinctively reached for the water on the nightstand.But his hand pressed against someone.His eyes flew open. Sleep instan
"Then… Then what should we do?" Lara asked.Candice spoke in a low voice. "Act like you don't know anything. Also, get rid of the phone you used to contact Lucas. Just cancel the number and destroy it immediately."Lara nodded repeatedly. "Okay, got it… You be careful too."Then, she hurriedly hung up.Candice gripped the steering wheel, thought for a moment, and then drove back to the hospital. For now, all she could do was wait for news.She was certain that Lucas wouldn't betray her. As long as she didn't expose herself, she would be fine.…Meanwhile, Serena had a peaceful night's sleep at home. She woke up to a message from Wilson the next morning, saying the matter had been taken care of.She immediately called him. "Mr. Quade, I still think we should report this to the police. I'm worried someone was deliberately targeting me this time."Wilson's voice was calm and reassuring as he said, "I already reported it yesterday. That man's name is Lucas Montgomery."He has a p
Lauren scratched her head. "It's just a gut feeling. But honestly, I don't know Mr. Quade that well. Rina, why are you suddenly asking me this?"Serena told her about what had happened yesterday, and Lauren's face changed instantly."Another creep? Damn, what kind of luck do you have? Why do you keep running into these messed-up situations?""At least nothing bad happened," Serena said calmly."Still… based on what you just told me, I'd say there's a good chance Mr. Quade likes you."Serena's eyes widened. "Are you sure?""Of course! He even patted your head. That kind of intimate gesture is something only a brother or a boyfriend would do. Unless he's your long-lost sibling, that means he wants to be your man."Lauren's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Hehe, Rina, can you smell that? Spring's coming.""Spring is long over. It's practically winter already," Serena muttered, still unable to believe that Wilson might actually have feelings for her.Lauren jumped up from the couch
"Oh, really?" Wilson narrowed his eyes, then suddenly reached out and pressed the burning cigarette against Lara's arm.She let out a sharp scream. Before she could cry out further, Kayden covered her mouth."I'll give you one more chance," Wilson said coldly. "If you don't talk, next time, this cigarette will be on your daughter's face. Weren't you hoping she'd use that face to marry into wealth?"Candice's face turned deathly pale. She grabbed Lara's hand and immediately dropped to her knees."Mr. Quade, I don't know how I've offended you! I really don't know what you're talking about…"Lara, muffled by Kayden's hand, shook her head frantically. Meanwhile, the air was thick with the acrid scent of burned flesh.Candice sobbed as she tried to explain, "Mr. Quade, all I know is that Lucas ran into my dad last time and said he had a criminal record, which made it hard for him to find a job."He begged my dad for help, and since they were from the same hometown, my dad forged an I
Jessica dared not linger in the office. She turned and staggered out the door.Justin pressed a palm against his forehead. He'd asked Zane to hire a new assistant, but the few candidates that turned up were not a good fit for the company. In the end, Justin found himself retaining Jessica.But he never expected Jessica to make such a catastrophic mistake or for her to blame others for it when he confronted her. It was despicable behavior, to say the least!Lila hooked her fingers around Justin's and asked, "Justin, is the company in trouble or something?""Hmm... It's a small loss, but nothing the company can't handle." Justin reached out to caress Lila's hair. "It's your birthday tomorrow. I've made a reservation at a restaurant to celebrate.""Okay." Lila's eyes sparkled, and she rose on her tiptoes to kiss him.…When Lila left Justin's office, she saw that Jessica had already packed up her stuff. All the blood had drained from Jessica's face, and she looked rattled. Lila e
Joanna gaped at Serena. "Huh?"Serena repeated, "Accept the order.""Oh…" Joanna was a little shocked. "But aren't you angry, Serena? It's like he's challenging you or something!"However, Serena made no reply. She knew Justin wasn't trying to challenge her, but to show that he had already moved on from her. If that were the case, she saw no point in getting hung up on the past.…Justin sat in his leather swivel chair in his office at Farrow Corporation, taking a few drags of his cigarette as a scowl etched on his face. Jessica stood before him, looking nervous. "M-Mr. Farrow, don't be angry… There'll be other opportunities—""Other opportunities?" Justin snorted. "We're talking about a project worth billions! Our tender was a shoo-in, but you messed up the date and rendered the whole proposal invalid!"Are you going to cough up billions in compensation for me? A careless mistake—how could an assistant of your rank make such a careless mistake?"Rage painted his countenance as
Overnight, the tables turned in favor of Serena and her patisserie.The deliveryman who had been in charge of delivering the strawberries to her patisserie formally and publicly apologized to Serena. He clarified that he had a personal vendetta against the fruit shop owner and contaminated the strawberries. He'd also confessed to the police in hopes of getting off with a lighter sentence.Ivana had quieted down as well, explaining she'd only used the E. coli breakout to justify her grudge with Serena. She apologized to Serena and paid compensation for the damage her earlier remarks and behavior had caused.Following the change in narrative, many wealthy folk in Nocturna spoke up in Serena's defense. They openly declared that they would continue commissioning Serena's and her patisserie's services for their upcoming parties.As the scandal died down, so did its messy consequences.The incident should have blown over once and for all, but word suddenly got out that the deliveryman f
Jillian's answer was savage. "I, for one, am relieved that I did not invest in Desiree's studio. She has blood on her hands and has committed so many unspeakable crimes. If I'd been affiliated with her studio, it would have shaved years off my life!"Desiree argued angrily, "Those are rumors, Grandma! Serena was trying to launch a smear campaign against me!""I can judge whether it was a smear campaign or not! Now, you will stop the damage you've done to Serena's patisserie, and that's final!" Jillian snapped."No way!" Desiree refused outright. "I want nothing more than to see that bitch dead! I will never help her clear her name!"Looking thunderous, Jillian stood up and slapped Desiree hard across the face. An angry hand imprint formed on Desiree's snow-white cheek, and she fell into a daze.Gary was apoplectic. "Mom! What are you doing? You just hit your granddaughter!""I have no granddaughter as wicked and vile as her!" Jillian seethed."You've crossed the line! I'll—"Be
Jillian initially believed Desiree would not be as ruthless as Gary, who did not draw the line at hurting family.However, after Desiree's bullying scandal that led to someone's death and the incident today, Jillian came to realize that Desiree and Gary were both scoundrels.…Gary had a villa in Nocturna as well. Following her recent scandal, Desiree had confined herself within the villa. While nursing her bruised ego, she plotted against Serena.The media outlets she'd hired to write vicious articles about Serena were silenced. It wasn't hard to figure out Wilson was behind the gag order. Did he truly care about Serena that much? Desiree frowned. She was trying to devise new ways to torment Serena when she heard the maid say they had a guest."What guest?" No one had bothered coming to see Desiree since her fall from grace. Puzzled, she got up to see a silver-haired old lady approaching her with a steady gait, followed by her entourage.Desiree was surprised. "Grandma?"She
Serena uttered, "Wilson?""Do you need help?" Wilson asked.Serena admitted reluctantly, "Yes."She thought she heard him chuckle on the other end of the line. "Send me the address."She sent him the address of the fruit shop. Within 20 minutes, the rumbling sound of the car engine came from outside the shop.Wilson led his men into the establishment, rolling up the sleeves of his black shirt to reveal his expensive watch. His gaze swept over the people in the room before falling on the deliveryman."Is that the guy?" Wilson asked.Serena nodded. "Yes, but we can't get anything out of him. He insists that it's a personal grudge against the shopowner.""Leave the interrogating to the professionals, Serena," Wilson drawled as he gave Kayden a look. The latter got the hint and immediately dragged the deliveryman to the other side of the room.Serena asked in hushed tones, "You're not going to kill him or anything, are you?""Am I that cruel?" Wilson quipped.Serena eyed him spe
Joanna had only just made the announcement when a few uniformed officers entered the kitchen. After presenting their warrant, they informed Serena they had come to investigate her patisserie.Serena had no grounds to obstruct the officers' work, so she agreed. The officers took a few ingredient samples and looked into the hygiene conditions of the patisserie."The results should be out soon, Ms. Judd. Wait for our notice," one of the officers said."Alright."When Serena had seen the officers out the door, she stopped all business sales in the patisserie. She also took a few ingredient samples to have them tested.Joanna was distressed. "Our ingredients are fine, Serena. What are you worried about?""We can't be too certain," Serena pointed out.Whoever was behind this wouldn't have stirred up this much trouble without laying the groundwork. Serena figured she was better off safe than sorry.She didn't have any connections to ensure a rapid testing of the ingredients, so she we
Jessica waited until Justin left before turning to Lila. "What's your relationship with Mr. Farrow?""I'm indebted to him," Lila said."Look, I don't care how you managed to bewitch Mr. Farrow, but I expect you to do a good job as my assistant. I won't go easy on you just because you're involved with Mr. Farrow, got it?" Jessica warned."Yes. Uh, Ms. Hayes, is there any work you'd like me to do now?" Lila asked."You can start with tidying up my workdesk.""Alright." Lila immediately went over to the desk and got to work.A smile curved Jessica's lips. She might not have been able to boss Serena around, but she doubted Lila was a tough opponent. "When you're done with the workdesk, get me a cup of coffee.""Got it," Lila replied dutifully.Jessica was pleased by Lila's obedience and turned to walk away.While tidying up Jessica's desk, Lila spotted the docket set on one side. It contained a thick tender proposal. She stared at the proposal for a few seconds, then looked away.
After leaving the restaurant, Justin gave Lila a ride back to her place, which she rented. Upon entering the residential area, he remarked, "This neighborhood looks old and run-down. You should move someplace nicer."Lila replied slowly, "I should, but first, I need a new job."When Justin heard this, he was suddenly reminded of something. "Your manager mentioned you were in college, but then you quit halfway and started working at the club because you were in dire straits. Which college did you go to?""I was a student at Nocturna University, the local campus," Lila answered."That's a pretty good university." Justin was a little stunned. This was the first time he'd asked about her private life, and her answer surprised him. After some thought, he offered, "You should go back to college. I'll continue to sponsor you.""Really?" Lila's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Mr. Farrow—""Stop thanking me. You were supposed to have a brilliant life full of experiences, and you shouldn't waste