Chapter 26
Who’s the Boss Here?
At the Cross Group, Olivia walked into Seraphina’s office with a smile, waving her phone. “This Lucius didn’t even last two hours; he gave up so fast. I thought he was tougher. Turns out he’s worthless.”
Seraphina glanced at her phone, seeing the trending news about Lucius. She put it aside with a cold smile, unbothered.
She knew the Brown family background well enough to guess that Lucius’s parents must have pressured him. Given his usual traits, he’d never willingly bow down to her.
Now, Lucius must despise her.
A knock on the door interrupted them. Julia walked in, smiling. “Seraphina, got a minute to chat?”
Seraphina nodded. “Sure, come in.”
Julia’s eyes flicked to Olivia, clearly uncomfortable discussing things before her. But Olivia wasn’t about to take the hint and leave.
“What’s up?”
“I saw your assistant working on a project for the Giant Group. You might not know this since you’re new, but our relationship with Giant Group is average. We rarely get good opportunities to cooperate with them. If you want to establish yourself in the company, you’d be better off collaborating with the Gaia Group. I know they have a project that would be perfect for us.”
Julia placed a file in front of Seraphina, arching an eyebrow as if she were doing her a huge favour.
Seraphina paused, then said, “Alright, I’ll consider it.”
“You better seal the deal. The Gaia Group is an old friend. Landing this project is enough for you to gain a foothold.”
Julia had been openly critical of Seraphina in meetings, so this sudden offer of help was suspicious.
Seraphina looked up at her with a knowing smile. “Next time, please address me Vice President, Ms. Lane.”
Julia’s smile faltered; her voice turning sharp. “Don’t think you can take advantage here just because Mr. Cross favours you. Whether you stay here or not is still up to luck. I’ve given you an opportunity; whether you seize it is up to you.”
After saying that, Julia spun on her heel and slammed the door behind her.
Olivia watched this incident with a surprised look. “Who’s the boss here, you or her?”
Seraphina casually opened the file Julia had left. “She thought that if I didn’t come, this position would be hers.”
Seraphina casually opened the d look. “Who’s the boss here, your ab
“Isn’t she just deluding herself?”
Seraphina arched an eyebrow and let out a mocking laugh, handing the file over to Olivia.
“Didn’t you mention a suitor of yours Vice President at the Gaia Group?”
Olivia was taken aback, then chuckled. “Rest assured, I’ll get to the bottom of this mess.”
After all, I have to support my best friend in her career
Seraphina’s phone rang, and she glanced at the caller ID. It was an old friend she hadn’t heard from in a while, Sarah Quinn, the founder of the internationally renowned brand HERS, whose exclusive shows were nearly impossible to get into.
As soon as Seraphina answered, Sarah’s excited voice came through. “Come out and join us! We’re having a get-together to welcome you back. Let’s meet at Blues. Don’t be late!”
Seraphina laughed. She also missed her friends very much. “Okay, I’ll be there.”
Just after she hung up, Olivia pulled her into a group chat. There were five people in the group, including Sarah Quinn, Hansen Colombo, and Mark Colombo.
Sarah typed, ‘Seraphina’s finally back with us! Congratulations!’
Hansen replied, ‘I’ll celebrate your divorce with a whole night of drinking! Finally, you are free!’Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
Mark typed, ‘Congrats on the divorce!’
Seraphina chuckled wryly. “They seem too happy about my divorce, don’t they?”
Olivia sighed. “You have no idea how relieved everyone is for you. They were so worried when you were unhappy. We’ve been venting about Orion in this group, keeping you out of it to spare your feelings. But now you’ve moved on!”
Seraphina felt a pang of guilt mixed with gratitude. It was her fault, but she was thankful for friends who had stuck by her through it all.
Meanwhile, Lucius felt depressed and dragged Orion out for a drink that evening. As soon as they arrived at the Blues and stepped out of the car, Lucius rubbed his eyes in disbelief. “Sh*t! I can’t escape this woman no matter where I go!”
Orion followed Lucius’s gaze, and his eyes widened as well.