"What? Are you all planning to gang up on ?" Isla Lawson looked at the group, sneering, "Serena, to put it bluntly, you’re just a trophy wife relying on n!"
Silas Hawthorne frowned, wanting to say sothing, but Serena had already asked them to leave first.
"I’m not here to attack you." As the conference room door closed, Serena spoke, "I’m just solving the problem you threw out."
But Isla was not convinced. She said agitatedly, "Serena, you said you’d rely on yourself. Look, aren’t you still depending on Jasper Ford and Silas Hawthorne now!"
Serena looked at Isla forlornly.
"I did unite the Ford Family and the Hawthorne Family." Serena said.
"Ha, see, you’ve admitted it yourself!" Isla retorted resentfully, "You broke your word, everything you said at the Aeon opening gala was nonsense!"
Serena didn’t imdiately respond to Isla’s words. Instead, she turned the computer left by Brandon Huxley, opened an interface, and checked sothing before pushing the computer back to Isla.
"What’s this?" Isla glanced at it.
"I’m now a shareholder of the Hawthorne Group, though my share is small," Serena said, "The paperwork just went through, it’ll be announced today."
"What?" Isla couldn’t comprehend it for a mont, "Silas gave it to you?"
"I didn’t get it from him," Serena replied, "I have other ways."
"Then what’s the difference? Aren’t you still relying on them this ti!" Isla shouted angrily.
Serena walked over and sat beside Isla.
"There’s quite a difference."
Serena explained to Isla, "Isla Lawson, you wanted to sabotage Aether, but it didn’t just affect my interests."
"You say the Ford Group and the Hawthorne Group are helping , but no, they’re protecting their own interests."
Serena clarified the underlying logic to Isla.
"Jasper Ford wants to leverage this project to advance in the family competition, and the Ford Family sees great potential in this project, planning to increase their investnt later."
"The Hawthorne Group also holds shares in Aether, which I sold to them, and it cost them quite a bit."
"If Aether collapses, both companies’ investnts will go down the drain. Do you think they’ll allow that?"
Serena looked at Isla’s face twisted with anger.
In the cold light of the conference room, Serena could see the bright resentnt in Isla’s eyes.
"But you just..."
"I just ensured everyone’s interests were aligned," Serena interrupted Isla, "so that everyone acts according to their true intentions."
"Isla Lawson, don’t you understand yet?" Serena gestured to the computer beside her, pointing at its contents.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the fine chain on Serena’s necklace, reflecting a dazzling light.
"No need for a romantic relationship," she said, "You’ve been focusing on this, ignoring everything else."
"Isla, if today I were already out of the ga, completely ousted from Aether, and you did the sa as today, what do you think the outco would be?"
Isla suddenly blanked out.
She hadn’t considered this question.
The conference room fell silent.
"The result would be the sa." Finally, Serena voiced the answer Isla was reluctant to admit.
No need for Serena’s input; everyone would act the sa.
It’s just the level of investnt might differ now, but the outco would be the sa.
Faced with The Lawson Corporation’s attack, the Ford and Hawthorne Groups, already invested in Aether, would unite for their own interests to resolve the issue.
This matter has nothing to do with love or gender relations.
It’s rely corporate maneuvering.
Sunlight stread through the window, brightening the room.
Isla looked at Serena’s face.
She hated that face!
Even though there was not a trace of contempt on that face now, she still hated it!
In her anger, Isla raised her right hand, reaching out to strike.
The next mont, Serena had already grabbed her wrist.
Isla couldn’t break free.
"Let go!" Isla shouted.
But Serena did not release her.
"Serena!" Isla struggled hard.
Suddenly, Serena let go, and caught off guard, Isla fell off the chair to the floor.
Humiliation!
This was sheer humiliation!
She got up quickly, wanting to say sothing, but what she saw was Serena’s back, leaving with her computer.
"Bang."
The conference room door was gently closed.
"Ah!"
Isla grabbed a chair, smashing everything around her.
Outside, Serena heard the commotion inside but didn’t stop. As she passed the reception, she said, "After the noise in the conference room dies down, go check the damages and send the bill to The Lawson Corporation."
"Okay, sure!" The receptionist nodded.
Just now, when Brandon Huxley had co out to announce that the crisis was over, she had breathed a sigh of relief, no longer facing the pressure of potential unemploynt.
Serena smiled and nodded at her, then left.
The receptionist also sighed in relief, realizing Serena hadn’t said a word about anything.
...
After dropping off the computer with Brandon Huxley, Serena headed to Aether’s coffee corner.
She had been thinking about Aether’s issues last night and had woken up early today. Now, she was genuinely tired.
It was quite peaceful here.
Serena looked out the window to her side.
The sunshine was perfect, the gentle breeze causing the leaves outside to sway lightly.
Everything seed so beautiful.
As she was pouring coffee, soone walked up behind her.
Serena turned around and saw Silas Hawthorne.
"I noticed you barely ate breakfast today." He handed a bag to Serena, "Have so porridge."
He had bought it downstairs when he and Jasper ca back.
Serena took it. The porridge was warm.
She opened it and took a sip, a pleasant aroma spreading through her senses.
It was the flavor she liked!
Silas reached out to take the coffee she had poured, and the two sat down at a nearby table.
"Let’s go take our wedding photos in a few days," Silas said, pulling out a tablet from who knows where and handed it to her, "See which studio you like?"
Serena took the tablet and started browsing.
A while later, Jasper Ford and June Hawthorne also ca over, chatting.
June had co earlier to help Eric Grant stabilize the situation.
At this mont, Jasper was passionately complaining about Isla.
Seeing Serena and Silas, the two joined them.
Serena asked for their opinions too, seeing which studio was better.
"I don’t know which is better," Serena said. The last ti she got married, Julian Lawson had soone co over; they had just worn suits and taken a few pictures.
She hadn’t gone on location.
But she didn’t ntion that.
June enthusiastically started recomnding.
"I have a friend who used this studio, the photos turned out great! I highly recomnd it, bro, Serena!"
Serena leaned over to look, and the two of them started whispering together.
Silas and Jasper exchanged a look and smiled knowingly at each other.
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