The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 130: Chapter 130

Alyssa looked at Keith with a hint of confusion, as if those big, sparkling eyes were saying, "Isn't it obvious enough?"
He turned to look at Serena, noticing how the warm light cast a soft glow on her figure. As if sensing his gaze, she turned and gave them a small smile.
For a moment, Keith thought that if life could go on like this, it might not be so bad. What he didn't know was that Serena had already had the same thought a long time ago.
Serena didn't know why he suddenly looked her way, but she quickly finished tidying up and returned to Alyssa's side.
Keith spoke up. "How about you ride to work with me from tomorrow on? I can drive, so it'll save you some hassle."
But Serena shut that idea down right away. "People might get the wrong idea. We should go separately. The office is really close anyway, so there's no need to trouble yourself."
As she spoke, her expression stayed gentle, but she didn't leave Keith any room to argue.
Back when Tara showed up, plenty of people had already gotten the wrong idea about Serena and Keith. After things were cleared up and since Keith had such a stern demeanor, nobody at the company talked about it anymore.
But that didn't mean everyone actually believed there was nothing between the two of them.
Serena just wanted to do her job and chase her goals at the company. She knew that Keith meant well, but she didn't want their private lives to spill into the workplace.
Seeing how firm she was, Keith understood her concern and could only nod. "Sorry. It's all because Tara stormed into the office out of nowhere. I dragged you into that mess."
To Serena, it had just been a storm she never saw coming.
"It's all in the past now," Serena said calmly. "And no one could've predicted something like that would happen." She hadn't expected her earlier response to make Keith overthink things either.
She looked up at Keith with a helpless expression. "Come on, Keith. Do I really seem like the type to get hung up on every little thing?"
Still, no matter what, going to work together was clearly off the table.
Serena arrived at the office as usual, only to find Graham already waiting nearby.
Back when the rumors had been spreading like wildfire throughout the company, Graham had chosen to believe her. After all, he already knew the truth about her relationship with Keith before any of that even started.
Graham had always been willing to trust Serena. To him, a person's work always said a lot about their true character.
He figured that anyone who could come up with designs that pure and genuine just wasn't the type to get involved in someone else's marriage, like Tara said.
"Did you need something from me?" Serena smiled as she set her bag down at her desk.
Graham didn't waste any time. He nodded. "There's a client meeting today. I'd like to bring you along, if you're free."
Serena was a little surprised that he would take the initiative to bring her along for a business meeting. But thinking about it, it made sense.
The two of them were now the team lead and assistant lead. Naturally, they were the best pair to handle major client meetings.
Serena replied, "Sure."
Just thinking about the client he was about to meet gave Graham a headache. He rubbed his temples before saying, "I've met with this client a few times before.
"Her expectations are incredibly high, and honestly, really complicated. None of my talks with her have gotten anywhere.
"That's why I thought I'd bring you. Maybe there is something wrong with the way I've been approaching it, and that's why we haven't been able to deliver what she is looking for."
Serena nodded and glanced at the time on her computer screen. "I'm free this morning. Let me wrap up the rest of my tasks first. What time is the meeting?"
As she and Graham stood side by side, quietly discussing work, Nicole sat off to the side with one leg crossed over the other, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes.
She had found out how things ended for Tara, and only then did she realize that everything Tara told her had been a lie. There was never actually anything between her and Keith.
Nicole pondered bitterly, 'Why does Serena get everything handed to her? She actually managed to befriend the CEO of Brannon Creative Group, and now the team lead is bringing her along to meet major clients?'
Meanwhile, Serena hadn't noticed the jealous glances behind her. After briefly discussing the situation with Graham, the two of them went their separate ways to handle their respective tasks.
They had arranged to meet at five in the afternoon. By the time Serena and Graham got there, the client had already shown up. She looked pretty young and was sitting quietly in the corner of the restaurant.
They approached the table and greeted her. "Hello, Ms. Johnson. We're from Brannon Creative Group."
Wendy Johnson looked up at Serena and gave a half-hearted nod. "I hope you can actually satisfy me this time. Otherwise, I might have to switch agencies."
The blunt tone made it clear to Serena what Graham had meant earlier.
Still, she didn't take offense. With a calm smile, she replied, "If you have any specific requirements, Ms. Johnson, I'd be happy to hear them now."
Wendy then laid out all her ideas. But a lot of them were pretty idealistic and would probably be tough to pull off in practice.
Serena listened carefully and quickly understood why Graham had said she was a tough one to handle.
Wendy glanced up and said, "Well, that sums up my requests. I expect a detailed response by the end of the week. They say you're Siren, right? I hope you won't disappoint me."
With that, she got up from her seat. "I have something else to attend to, so I won't stay. Let's hope this turns into a pleasant collaboration." Leaving that line behind, she walked straight out of the restaurant.
As soon as Serena turned around, she saw Graham looking completely defeated.
"Ms. Johnson has zero understanding of interior design, man," he sighed. "Half the stuff she asked for is impossible. It's all just fantasy."
Serena lowered her head and glanced at the notes she had just taken. After a moment of thought, she said, "I don't think it's totally impossible. I just don't think anyone has ever tried. Maybe we could do something like this..."
As she spoke, she pulled out a new sheet of drafting paper and began sketching. It was a rough idea based on everything Wendy had just described.
If Graham hadn't known this was Serena's first time meeting Wendy, he might've thought she had been planning this for days.
The draft was well thought out, and in just a few strokes, Serena had solved the very issues he had been stuck on for weeks.
Serena added, "Looking at how you're handling this, I'm guessing Ms. Johnson isn't exactly short on cash. So, even though these adjustments will be expensive, they're not entirely out of reach."
With that, she looked up, only to find Graham staring at her, completely stunned.