"This won’t do... I looked it over, let’s change it back to the original version!"
Claire Shaw stood by Serena Jennings’s workstation, giving orders.
This was Serena’s new workstation.
She had changed jobs, no longer Caleb Lockwood’s secretary, but a mber of the design departnt at The Lockwood Group.
A subordinate of Claire Shaw.
Serena wasn’t sure if this was Claire’s decision or Caleb’s.
She had prepared her resignation letter, but hadn’t submitted it yet.
The last ti she ntioned resigning to Caleb, he had left her speechless.
After all, her working at The Lockwood Group was part of the deal for Caleb letting Lana Xavier off the hook.
Even if she raised the resignation issue again, there was a more than 90% chance Caleb wouldn’t agree.
Moreover, Serena herself was also hesitant about whether to resign.
She didn’t want to work under Claire Shaw.
But she even more didn’t want Claire to think she was afraid of her.
In the end, Serena’s prepared resignation letter still wasn’t submitted.
On the first day of transfer to the design departnt, as Serena expected, it was another overti session.
A design that was revised over eighty tis ended up reverting to the first version; she couldn’t accuse Claire of targeting her.
After all, such situations in the design world were quite common.
Fortunately, Serena had no aversion to overti; as they say, habit becos second nature.
More uncomfortable than the overti itself was seeing Caleb coming in person to the design departnt to pick up Claire after work.
The last ti at The Jade Pavilion, Caleb had made it clear—
He knew that it was her who carried him down eight flights of stairs.
Serena didn’t understand how Caleb knew.
Clearly, the outside world was spreading that it was Claire who carried him down.
Perhaps...
Even though Caleb was unconscious at the ti, he might have had so awareness!
But Serena didn’t want Caleb to know about this at all.
She would rather have Caleb see Claire as his savior.
Considering their current tangled, unresolved divorce situation, the more her feelings were exposed to Caleb, the more awkward and painful it was for her.
Serena buried her head, pretending to work, acting like she didn’t notice Caleb’s gaze.
"Are you looking at Serena?"
Claire linked arms with Caleb and blatantly asked him.
"Yes."
Caleb straightforwardly admitted.
"You said she’s a design graduate, better suited for the design departnt... but can she really handle it?"
"Well..."
Claire tugged on Caleb’s arm, deliberately leaning into his ear to whisper.
Because she knew Serena could see them from the corner of her eye.
"Let’s talk outside!"
Claire led Caleb away, taking him outside the company building.
Outside, the sun was setting, and the streets were bustling.
"I think Serena isn’t quite up to it..."
Claire said with a worried look to Caleb, "I originally thought she’d be more adept at design, but as you can see... others can complete their work in eight hours, but she needs overti... I think... maybe Serena isn’t suited to work at The Lockwood Group? Our company’s intensity is too high, the demands are steep, and soone like Serena... might struggle to keep up... the strain might be a huge blow to her self-esteem..."
She earnestly advised, watching Caleb slightly frown.
"Then let’s let her try for two months first..."
Claire’s lips slightly curled upward.
"If it really doesn’t work, I can transfer her back again."
The smile on her lips instantly dropped, but before Caleb could notice, Claire’s expression returned to normal.
"Caleb, why is it necessary for Serena to work at The Lockwood Group? Wasn’t she doing quite well at FY before?"
Walking arm in arm with Caleb, Claire asked as if making small talk.
Caleb chuckled.
"It’s nothing, just want her to go through so hard tis."
So she could realize the joy of being a full-ti housewife.
He didn’t say the latter half, but Claire had already guessed it.
"Actually Serena might just be adjusting to the new departnt, give it so ti and she might get better."
"Hmm."
Noticing Caleb agree, Claire let out a small sigh of relief.
She certainly couldn’t let Serena return to being Caleb’s secretary.
Since Caleb didn’t intend to fire Serena no matter what, it was more convenient to keep her under her supervision than in other departnts.
In the following week, Serena worked overti every day.
To her confusion, Caleb unexpectedly also worked overti daily.
And whenever Caleb had to work late, Claire would be there with him.
This did make Serena feel sowhat balanced; at least she wasn’t the only one suffering.
That evening, when the office was empty except for Serena and Claire,
Serena continued to work on her designs, and saw Claire co out, carrying a bowl of dicine.
The dicine was for Caleb’s stomach treatnt.
The Lockwood Group provided decent employee benefits, with several simple kitchens installed, and Claire would use the company’s induction cookers to prepare Caleb’s dicine daily.
"You haven’t boiled this long enough; the heat is also off..."
So the dicinal effect wouldn’t show.
Serena wanted to say this for a long ti, but every ti she was about to say it, the words were swallowed back.
She didn’t want to ddle.
But this matter was like a thorn stuck in her throat.
Tonight she finally spoke out, but she regretted it imdiately after.
Claire ca over to her workstation with the bowl of dicine, smiling, which was not what Serena had imagined.
"I’m indeed not as skilled as you in brewing dicine, so from now on, you can handle brewing Caleb’s dicine..."
"I..."
"You can’t refuse! Don’t forget, I’m your manager."
Just like that, Serena’s already heavy workload had another addition—brewing dicine for Caleb.
Standing by the induction cooker, inhaling the scent of herbs, Serena cursed herself internally:
Damn your loose tongue!
Damn your foolishness!
Unlike Claire, she wouldn’t just muddle through the dicine.
According to the doctor’s original instructions, the dicine had to be brewed for at least two hours, or the duration and heat would affect its effectiveness.
Serena suddenly thought that the last ti when Caleb’s stomach hurt so badly, it wasn’t just the spicy food; perhaps the improperly brewed dicine Claire made also contributed.
Claire had just pushed open the little kitchen’s door when she slled the rich scent of the herbs.
It was different from hers.
"Is the dicine ready yet?"
"Almost there."
Watching Serena sweat on her forehead, Claire couldn’t help but laugh and ask, "Were you like this at ho too? Working so hard, did Caleb pay you more?"
Serena turned off the heat, poured the dicine, and gave Claire a gentle smile.
"Making dicine for my husband isn’t hard, nor do I need extra pay; his money is my money anyway."
Seeing Claire’s smile stiffen, Serena felt a sense of satisfaction.
However, Claire didn’t get upset and picked up the bowl of dicine.
"You’ve worked hard, get back to work!"
Serena left the small kitchen and returned to her desk, stunned.
Before she went to make the dicine, there were only two folders on her desk.
But now that she’d returned, there were at least ten additional folders on her desk.
"Serena, these projects are urgent, Manager Claire said you need to complete them all tonight."
A colleague nearby reminded her.
At this mont, Claire was bringing Serena’s brewed dicine to Caleb.
Caleb took a sip of the dicine and stopped mid-action.
"What’s the matter?" Claire asked, her false eyelashes slightly lifting.
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