The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 107: Chapter 107

It was another timed design challenge. Serena had gotten much better at sketching over the past few weeks, and inspiration seemed to flow endlessly. She spread out her paper and immediately knew what she wanted to create.
Time always flew by when Serena was designing. Before she knew it, the 30 minutes were up.
"Okay, both of you put your pencils down," Graham called out.
Serena heard the call and set down her draft. Only then did she remember to look over at Nicole, who was already staring at her with eyes full of pride and smugness.
"Let's settle this with a vote," Graham said, taking both of their designs away. Neither Serena nor Nicole got to see what the other had drawn, so they could only wait patiently for their colleagues to judge.
After a while, Graham collected all the votes and came back to the table. "I didn't tell anyone whose design was whose. I just let them choose based on what they liked. The results are completely fair and unbiased."
As Graham spoke, she held up Nicole's design for everyone to see.
She really lived up to her reputation as a viral internet blogger. Her painting was incredibly detailed, and even though she only had half an hour, the quality was pretty impressive. She definitely had some real talent.
Serena studied her draft carefully, looking thoughtful.
Nicole was already smiling confidently, acting like she'd already won before the results were even announced. She was clearly satisfied with her work, and honestly, given the 30-minute time limit, most people would only be able to produce something at this level. Nicole had actually performed better than usual.
"Nicole received two votes," Graham announced.
"What?" Nicole couldn't believe it. Then, she heard that Serena's draft had gotten eight votes.
Serena just stood there calmly, her expression unchanged. She didn't seem particularly surprised or excited about the results.
"That's impossible. This has to be rigged!" Nicole screamed.
Graham knew she wouldn't accept the outcome, so he held up Serena's design for everyone to see.
Even with just 30 minutes to work with, Serena's draft was flawless. A lot of details still needed to be refined, but one could tell just by looking at it that it was incredibly lifelike and vivid.
The difference between their work wasn't even close. Nicole's designs were too commercialized and had lost all their creative spark.
"So Nicole, after looking at the designs, do you have any objections?" Graham asked.
Nicole stared at Serena's work and suddenly looked like all the fight had gone out of her. When she didn't respond, Graham smiled, "Since no one has any more concerns, let's welcome Serena to her new position."
Everyone cheered, and Serena smiled back with a small nod.
Keith had expected this outcome from the start. He believed in Serena's abilities, so he didn't say much. While everyone gathered around Serena to celebrate, he quietly left the design department.
Ever since joining Brannon Creative Group, Serena had felt like all her coworkers were genuinely friendly. Getting promoted this quickly was completely different from her experience at Glonia.
Serena knew she had Keith to thank for all of this. Only a good boss would treat every employee fairly. She was grateful that he hadn't just spoken up for her earlier, but had given her the chance to prove herself instead.
With that thought, Serena looked up to find that Keith had already left.
"Oh, by the way, Mr. Brannon asked me to tell you there's a dinner tonight and he wants you to come with him," Graham said.
Serena snapped back to reality and nodded. "Okay, got it."
That evening, Serena easily spotted Keith's car in front of the office building and walked over to it.
The window rolled down, revealing Keith's sharp profile. He turned to look at her, and the soft glow from the streetlights caught in his eyes, making them look especially deep. "Get in, it's cold out there."
Serena opened the car door and slid inside. "So why do you suddenly need me to come to this business dinner?"
Keith looked a bit helpless at her question. "The client we're meeting tonight specifically asked to see you. He must have seen your designs and really liked them, so he wants to talk with you more."
This kind of networking was definitely good for Serena's career, and it would help her build more connections. Keith would never turn down an opportunity like this for her.
"I see." Serena knew he was looking out for her, so she smiled softly, "Thanks, Keith. We've known each other for so long now, you don't need to be so formal."
The car started moving, and Serena turned to look out the window when suddenly a suit jacket landed on her lap.
"I left it in the car a while ago and forgot to take it back. It's been washed, so you can wear it for now," Keith said from the other side of the car.
It was already late summer, and the evenings were definitely getting cooler. Serena had no reason to refuse, so she thanked him quietly and pulled the suit jacket tighter around herself. It was much warmer now.
The restaurant wasn't far from there. When they got out of the car, Serena handed Keith's jacket back to him, and they walked into the restaurant side by side. The client was already waiting for them.
"Mr. Brannon, it's been a while," said Tristan Blake, a middle-aged man who practically had his eyes glued to Serena the moment he saw her behind Keith.
His stare made Serena uncomfortable, but she didn't want to make a scene.
"It's been a while," Keith replied. Seeing what was happening, he casually moved to block Serena from view. He was actually starting to regret bringing her tonight.
"This must be Serena Gray. I've heard so much about you! Tell me, would you be interested in joining our company?" Tristan asked.
Serena had already felt uncomfortable before, but now, his comment was completely inappropriate. "I'm sorry, but my boss is sitting right here. It would be pretty unethical to talk about jumping ship, don't you think?"
Keith's expression had already turned ice-cold, but Tristan was completely oblivious. He walked right over and sat down next to Serena.
"What's the big deal? Mr. Brannon's not a petty guy." Tristan leaned in closer, his sleazy gaze lingering on Serena's face. "Besides, this shows how much I value your skills. I'm serious. If you're willing to come to Blake Group, I can offer you a much better package."
"Tristan, that's enough," Keith said sharply. He grabbed Serena's arm and pulled her behind him, completely blocking Tristan's view.
That was when Tristan finally noticed Keith's eyes had turned deadly cold. He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"I was just saying," Tristan said with a nervous laugh. He never thought Keith would protect her like this. 'Damn, I think I just hit a brick wall,' he thought with regret.
"If I'd known what kind of person you were from the start, we never would have worked together," Keith said, his voice cold as ice.