The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 102: Chapter 102

If all the other parents showed up and Alyssa was there alone, she'd definitely feel sad about it.
"Alright, I'll do it," Serena agreed.
Seeing Serena give in, Keith smiled, "Since you're helping me out, I should definitely solve your urgent problem too. Just take the apartment and live there without worrying about it."
Serena frowned, wanting to say these were two completely different things, but Keith continued, "I'm pretty particular about cleanliness myself, so I wouldn't rent the place out to strangers anyway. I'd rather just lend it to you.
"Think of it as a temporary stay while you look for something more suitable. Once you find a better place, you can move out."
Serena couldn't come up with any reasonable excuse to refuse, but she still insisted on paying Keith rent.
"Alright," Keith said with a helpless sigh. He'd expected this from the start, knowing Serena's personality. She wouldn't accept it easily, so this reaction was pretty predictable.
"But since we're friends, I'll charge you half the market rate. Don't argue with me on this one," Keith added.
Serena nodded gratefully. "I'm going to use the restroom," she said, setting down her utensils and standing up. As she turned around, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure and froze for a moment. 'Graham?' she thought.
It was just a blurry silhouette, and when Serena looked more carefully, whoever it was had already disappeared. She figured she must have been seeing things.
After parting ways with Alyssa, Serena went home to pack her things. She transferred the rent money Keith had mentioned to his account, then finally went to sleep feeling at peace.
The next morning, Serena arrived at the office to find Graham standing by her desk with a dark expression on his face. She felt confused but quickly walked over to him. "Graham, what's wrong?"
Graham tapped the design drafts on her desk, his gaze sharp. "This is what you turned in to me yesterday. Take a look at it yourself. Does this really meet the standards for our main campaign?"
Serena frowned slightly. She looked down and carefully reviewed the work.
This was the best design she'd created over the past few days, the one that best fit this issue's theme and the version she was most satisfied with. Even if it wasn't spectacular, it definitely shouldn't have any major problems.
"So Graham, what are you thinking?" Serena asked. Right now, solving the problem was what mattered most. She turned to look at him with genuine curiosity, her eyes clear and sincere.
When Graham met her gaze, his expression grew complicated. "I want to see another version by the end of today. If it's not better than this one, you'll be working overtime until it is."
'A finished design in one day? That's impossible,' Serena thought.
The other colleagues exchanged glances, all thinking Graham was acting strange today. After all, he usually appreciated Serena's work the most, and everyone could see how talented she was. Her designs definitely weren't bad enough to completely scrap and start over.
Serena's face had already darkened, but Graham had always been pretty supportive of her since she'd joined the company. She wasn't sure if this counted as him being unreasonable, but she nodded anyway. "I'll do my best."
Luckily, Serena had tried designing several different versions before, each with completely different approaches. Coming up with a new, more creative solution on short notice wouldn't be too difficult.
Graham turned and headed back to his office. A colleague came over and looked at the drafts on Serena's desk with confusion. "These designs look pretty good to me. Why does it seem like Graham was targeting you today?"
Serena was just as confused, but she shook her head. "Maybe it's just not up to Graham's standards. It's fine, I'll just revise it."
Seeing how good-natured Serena was being about it, her colleague gave her a thumbs up before heading back to his own desk. He didn't want to get on Graham's bad side either. 'What's gotten into him today?' he wondered.
Serena didn't have time to think about it too much. She pulled out her old drafts and started sketching again. She barely touched her lunch and managed to finish a new version just before the end of the workday.
The client happened to be visiting the design department, so Serena stood outside Graham's office and knocked on the door. "Graham, the design is ready."
Serena walked into the office, and the client immediately looked interested when he saw her. He waved her over. "This is the draft you're presenting to us, right? Can I take a look at it first?"
Serena glanced at Graham, and after getting his silent approval, she nodded and walked over to hand the client her work.
The client's eyes lit up as soon as he saw the draft. "I heard a few days ago that Brannon Creative Group hired a really talented and creative designer, which is why I wanted to work with you guys. This version is really good."
Graham, however, glanced at the draft and said with a harsh tone, "Is this the level of work you dare to show a client?"
Both the client and Serena felt awkward. The client quickly jumped in to smooth things over. "I'm not exactly an expert, but I think Serena's version is really well done. Graham, you don't need to be so harsh. We can use this as the final draft."
Since the client had made his decision, Graham realized his tone had been too harsh. He returned to his usual calm and professional demeanor. "As long as you're satisfied."
The two men continued chatting while Serena stood to the side, her expression noticeably colder than usual. After the client was escorted out, she couldn't hold back anymore. "Graham, did I do something to upset you?"
Serena couldn't think of any other reason why Graham would suddenly change his attitude toward her and start treating her so coldly.
After staring at her for a moment, Graham took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. This is my fault."
Serena was surprised he'd apologize so quickly, but then Graham spoke again, "I saw you having dinner with Mr. Brannon at a restaurant last night, and his kid was with you guys. So are you two together?"
'I thought I was seeing things when I spotted Graham last night, but he was really there,' Serena thought.
Serena answered honestly, "Mr. Brannon and I knew each other back at Glonia, but I only got into Brannon Creative Group because he appreciates my talent. We're just friends. We're not whatever you're thinking we are."
Graham looked embarrassed and hung his head. This man, who was so decisive and commanding at work, now seemed completely lost. "I'm sorry for misunderstanding you. Maybe it's just my own feelings getting in the way."
Graham looked at Serena intently. "From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were special—someone with real vision and ideas. After seeing your designs, I became even more certain."