The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 154: Chapter 154

Serena didn't bother arguing with them and returned to her desk.
"I've said it before. Nothing is going on, and that's final. If you insist on thinking otherwise, there's nothing I can do about it." Serena's eyes were clear and steady.
She sneered, "All I can say is that the truth speaks for itself. Instead of focusing on how to improve your designs at work, you spend all day watching me—I think the ones who like me are you two. You pay more attention to me than anyone else."
After saying this, Serena completely ignored Nicole and Winnie, leaving them pale with anger.
A few colleagues stared at the photo, feeling like the figure looked familiar.
Just then, Keith heard the commotion from the design department upstairs and decided to back Serena up.
But by the time he arrived, everything had already quieted down. Serena's personal charm had influenced the other colleagues to some degree—everyone was willing to believe her.
Keith casually walked around, picked up some unimportant files, and headed back upstairs.
Meanwhile, the colleagues who had found the figure in the photo familiar exchanged meaningful glances. "Is it just me, or does the guy in this photo look a bit like Mr. Brannon?"
Serena had already seen the photo earlier and felt relieved at the time. Winnie had been in such a rush that Keith wasn't captured clearly.
Even Serena might not have recognized Keith from that blurry shot alone. Still, now her coworkers had figured it out instantly.
"You've got to be kidding me. Keith would never go for her," Winnie was the first to speak up, rolling her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared. "Dream on. Stop insulting Keith like that."
Hearing Winnie sound so confident, Serena sometimes wondered if the girl would drop dead from shock if she ever found out about her real relationship with Keith.
With that thought, Serena stood up. "The guy in the photo is Mr. Brannon."
Winnie's face went dark instantly. She pointed at Serena. "How can you sit here in the office and daydream like that? There's no way that's Keith!"
Serena said, "Call him and ask if you don't believe me. But it's not as dirty as you all think. Mr. Brannon and I were there for business. We just ended up at the wrong restaurant."
Serena had her story ready. Winnie's expression kept changing, and seeing her look so embarrassed finally made Serena feel better.
Let her keep going "Keith this" and "Keith that" all day.
Sure, Serena wanted to keep their relationship private, but that didn't mean she had to watch some girl who was after her boyfriend act so smug right in front of her.
Settling into her chair, Serena noticed Keith had sent her several messages.
Winnie's father, Daniel Banks, clearly wasn't as strict as he'd sounded on the phone. He wouldn't throw away a partnership with Brannon Creative Group over Winnie's little tantrum.
So the deal was still on. Daniel had just messaged Keith, inviting him to attend a cocktail party. Keith was asking if Serena would be willing to go as his date.
Serena quietly texted back an "Ok" and set her phone aside.
Looking up, she saw Winnie heading to the elevator with another stack of messy files. Without even thinking about it, Serena knew she would bother Keith again.
So she followed expressionless.
"What are you doing here?" When Winnie saw Serena enter the same elevator, her mood soured instantly.
"Whatever Ms. Banks is doing, that's what I'm doing too." Serena kept her usual calm, gentle tone. Ever since Winnie had been put in her place, she didn't dare raise her voice at Serena anymore.
Winnie snorted, "My dad invited Keith to our family's cocktail party with me. Someone like you probably hasn't been to many of those, right?"
Serena wasn't particularly into that scene, but she'd attended plenty for work. She honestly couldn't figure out what there was to brag about.
When Serena and Winnie reached the top floor, Keith was at the entrance, reviewing work details with someone from another department.
Winnie couldn't believe her luck. She wouldn't have to scheme her way into his office this time. She tossed the files in her hand aside and rushed over. "Keith, you must have gotten my dad's invitation by now. You'll need a date, and I'd love to go with you!"
Her voice was sickeningly sweet, making everyone cringe.
Keith calmly pulled his arm free without missing a beat. "Sorry, Ms. Banks. I did get the invitation, but I already have a date."
"What?" Winnie knew Daniel had just sent that invitation. There was no way Keith could have found a date that fast. He had to be lying.
She said, "Keith, I know you're just brushing me off, but you do need a date. I'm perfect for it, and I promise I won't cause any trouble."
Keith looked past her and pulled Serena to his side. "I already have a date lined up. It's Serena. So sorry, Ms. Banks." He nodded at her politely. "Serena and I have some work stuff to discuss, so if there's nothing else, you can head back now."
Without waiting for Winnie to respond, he led Serena straight into his office and shut the door, cutting off all the stares from outside.
Serena shook her head. "I thought after everything that happened, she'd finally give up on you. Guess I was wrong."
Keith didn't care about Winnie; he only cared about how Serena handled it. But she seemed completely unbothered, which was a relief.
He said, "I do have work news for you. Tims Group just gave us their final answer. They're not just doubling production, they're planning to triple their release."
A smile tugged at Keith's lips. "Congratulations, Seri. This is all thanks to you. Without you, forget tripling anything—we probably would've lost the contract entirely."