The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 184: Chapter 184

Serena was genuinely caught off guard to see them here. The visitors were all former colleagues from the design department who used to be pretty close to her.
As soon as they sat down, someone couldn't help but sigh in admiration, "Serena, your studio is just fantastic. And everyone here is so warm and welcoming."
"Yeah, the moment we mentioned we were your friends, they let us in without a second thought," another chimed in.
Serena couldn't help but smile, and then Graham spoke up, "We came here today with a contract. The client wants to work with Brannon Creative Group, but lately, our team has been swamped.
"So, I recommended your studio to them. If you're interested, you can sign the contract anytime."
Serena figured they must have gotten Keith's approval before making this decision, but it still surprised her that even after she'd left the design department, everyone still remembered her.
Serena took the contract and realized it was a long-term deal.
Although her studio had picked up quite a few projects recently, they were all short-term gigs. A steady partnership like this was exactly what they needed.
"Seriously, thank you," Serena said sincerely, meeting their eyes. "I'm really touched you all still think of me, even though I'm not with you guys anymore."
"Oh, come on, we're all friends. No need to be so formal," one of the female colleagues said with a smile. "Besides, we've heard about the trouble you've run into recently."
"Craig has been spreading rumors about you all over the place, but after working with you for so long, we all know what kind of person you are," another added.
'Craig's really been badmouthing me behind my back?' Serena thought, a bit stunned.
Just one day after she'd turned him down, he was already throwing a fit. Serena exchanged a look with Lana and could see the anger flashing in her eyes.
"Craig is definitely just stirring up trouble. Seri, you really have the worst luck. Stuff like this always seems to find you," one of them sighed.
Serena's eyes stayed calm and clear as she met their concerned looks, giving them a grateful smile. "Thank you all for letting me know and for trusting me."
"Come on, even if you've started your own studio, we're still friends, aren't we?" another colleague said, trying to lighten the mood.
The others laughed along, clearly wanting to change the subject so Serena wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.
Serena understood their good intentions, so she didn't bring up Craig again. Instead, she casually chatted with them about what had been happening at Brannon Creative Group lately.
A while later, Serena walked them to the door and saw them off from the studio.
"Damn, what a scumbag," Lana spat, unable to hide her contempt.
Craig had completely pissed Lana off. They'd been smeared out of nowhere, and now they still had to put up with his shameless lies.
'How did I ever think a guy like that was actually decent?' Lana thought, shaking her head at herself.
"Let's just drop it. I just hope Craig doesn't pull any more stunts to mess with our lives," Serena said.
But deep down, Serena couldn't shake the feeling that Craig was real trouble. He hadn't backed off before, and she was sure he'd definitely try something else against them.
Sure enough, Serena wasn't just being paranoid. Soon, the studio started getting flooded with complaints and negative reviews.
"It's definitely Craig again," Lana blurted out, instantly suspecting him. "I'm calling him right now."
Serena reached out and stopped Lana and said, "Let me handle this. I'll go see him myself."
There had to be a way to put an end to this once and for all. After all, it all started because Craig set his sights on Serena, and that was how this whole mess began.
So Serena decided to take matters into her own hands and deal with it herself.
"I'll go with you," Lana said. "If you're worried I might lose my cool, I'll just wait outside. If anything feels off, just call out for me."
Serena thought it over and figured that would work. She nodded, took Craig off her block list, and shot him a message.
Craig replied in no time, instantly agreeing to meet.
When the time came, Serena and Lana arrived at the restaurant they'd agreed on.
"You go first. I'll be waiting right outside. If that bastard dares lay a finger on you, I'll storm in and teach him a lesson," Lana said through gritted teeth, her knuckles cracking as she clenched her fists.
Seeing her like that, Serena took a deep breath, just hoping this could all be settled peacefully.
Serena turned and pushed open the door to the private room. Inside, Craig was lounging in his seat, looking up at her with an air of utter self-satisfaction.
"I knew you wouldn't turn me down. After thinking it over for days, you finally figured things out, didn't you?" he said with a smug grin.
"You know, only if you're with me can you get what you really want. If you'd just said yes from the start, we wouldn't have wasted all this time," he said, his tone dripping with smugness.
Serena kept her face blank as she walked over and sat down across from him.
"The negative reviews my studio's been getting lately were your doing, right?" Serena asked.
Craig was stunned for a moment.
"Negative reviews? I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," he replied.
Serena frowned, surprised that he wouldn't admit it. But judging by the blank look on Craig's face, he really seemed out of the loop.
'But seriously, how is that possible?' she thought.
She and Lana hadn't crossed anyone but Craig. If it wasn't him, she didn't know who else it could possibly be.
"If it's not you, it must be your girlfriend. Either way, stop targeting our studio. Our patience is wearing thin," Serena said, her voice steady but firm.
At the mention of that idiot Claudia, Craig suddenly put two and two together, a sneer flickering across his mind.
Craig thought it had to be Claudia behind all this. Ever since she found out he was into Serena, she'd been throwing a fit every single time they met.
Craig just didn't get it—why couldn't a few women get along? He'd already shelled out money and handed over resources. Wasn't that more than enough for them?
"I'll handle it. Whatever Claudia did wasn't on my orders. Seri, just give me another shot, okay? I really do have a thing for your pretty face," he said, trying to sound sincere.
Serena's face turned icy, her expression growing colder and colder.
Meanwhile, outside the private room, Lana had her ear pressed right up against the door, trying to catch what was going on inside.
But the soundproofing in this restaurant was just too good. She couldn't catch a single sound.
Just as she was practically glued to the door, a familiar voice came from behind her. "Lana, what are you doing here?"
Keith had just wrapped up a business meeting and stepped out of his private room when he spotted Lana across the hall. Normally, she and Serena were always together, so he was surprised to see Lana alone today.
Lana looked a little sheepish.
"Uh... Well..." she mumbled.
"Seri's in there?" Keith asked, his voice suddenly tense.
Before Lana could even think of an excuse, Keith had already put two and two together, his face turning dark.
"Yeah, Seri went in to talk to Craig alone. She wants him to stop bothering us," Lana admitted.