The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 191: Chapter 191

Graham kept refusing, but Keith had already made up his mind. So in the end, Chloe followed Graham back to the design department.
The moment they walked in, the office buzzed with barely contained curiosity. Chat groups lit up with speculation.
Employee A: [Didn't she have everything going for her yesterday? Why's the future Mrs. Brannon suddenly been exiled to our department today?]
Employee B: [Told you guys your guesses were all wrong. Chloe's totally not Keith's type.]
Employee C: [I'm betting they had a fight. Every couple fights, right?]
Everyone had a different theory. One particularly nosy coworker even forwarded the entire thread to Serena.
Employee D: [Hey Serena, I know you're Mr. Brannon's friend and can't really gossip with us, but come on, can you at least tell me if we're right? Did Chloe and Mr. Brannon have a fight?]
Serena had just stepped out of a meeting. When she saw the message, she couldn't help sighing. 'Where do they even come up with this stuff?'
They had imagined scenarios even she hadn't considered.
She sent back a waving emoji to shut down the rumors and then got back to work. By the time she looked up again, it was the end of the workday.
Lana knocked on her office door, leaning casually against the frame. "Alright, workaholic, enough overtime. Go home. I just saw your boyfriend's car parked out front."
Serena had grown used to hearing Keith referred to that way, but it still made her blush a little. She coughed and then gathered her things while Lana smirked at her.
But when they stepped outside, the car window rolled down, and it wasn't Keith inside. It was Chloe, sitting next to the driver.
"Don't bother looking. Keith's not here today," Chloe said as she hopped out of the car.
Lana's expression shifted. She moved closer to Serena and whispered, "So this is the one you told me about? The girl who doesn't know how to behave?"
Serena had already filled Lana in on everything, and now, Lana was watching Chloe with a guarded look.
Keith was smart, successful, and charming. Of course people would try to get close.
'Is Serena being too trusting? What if someone slips in while she's not paying attention? That'd be a hell of a regret to carry,' she wondered.
"The last time I was here, I didn't get a proper tour," Chloe said, chin slightly raised. "Think I could get one today?"
Serena had figured out by now that Chloe's arrogance was just part of her awkward personality. So she nodded. "It's almost the end of the day. I can give you a quick look around."
"Serena," Lana muttered under her breath, exasperated. She couldn't believe Serena was being so nice to a girl actively trying to steal her man.
'Did she not see the way Chloe was looking around? That wasn't curiosity. That was judgment,' she screamed inwardly.
But since Serena had already let her in, Lana had no choice but to play along. She pasted on a smile and said, "Great idea. I'll join you. Hope I won't ruin the tour."
Serena understood what Lana was doing. To keep things calm and to spare Lana from stressing too much, she smiled and turned to Chloe.
She said, "This is Lana Quinn. She's my best friend and co-founder of Studio Delune. Actually, to be honest, the studio's really hers. I just came along for the ride."
"Don't say that," Lana replied quickly. "You're the president of this place. I never would've made it this far without you."
She turned to Chloe. "I've heard about you, Chloe Whitmore, right? First time meeting, but your reputation precedes you."
Chloe wasn't surprised to feel a little hostility from Lana. She wandered through the space, took a few glances around, and then scoffed, "This place came out of Brannon Creative Group, right? For a studio with that kind of backing, it's surprisingly bare. Has Keith never said anything about that?"
Lana instantly bristled. "If you're going to insult our space, then maybe don't bother coming in at all. Nobody needs that kind of negativity," she snapped.
Serena gently pulled her back and sighed. "She's younger than you by a few years. Just give her a little grace."
Lana rolled her eyes and fired back, her tone thick with sarcasm. "Well, unlike some people, we're not trust fund babies. For a startup, we've done pretty well. If you've got such strong opinions, why don't you tell us how you'd improve it?"
Truthfully, neither Serena nor Lana had a background in business. They were both designers, and they'd stumbled their way into building the studio from scratch. But things were going well. Far from the trainwreck Chloe was implying.
"First of all, your company structure is completely off," Chloe said, folding her arms. "Calling it flawed would be generous, because it is a mess." Then she launched into a full critique, explaining exactly what they were doing wrong and how they could fix it.
At first, Lana rolled her eyes at every word. But gradually, she started listening. And to her own surprise... 'Some of this actually makes sense.'
"Looking at how badly things are set up, it's kind of a miracle this place hasn't gone under already," Chloe added, still smug.
Serena and Lana glanced at each other, both a little stunned.
Chloe noticed. "Why are you two looking at me like that?" she asked, suddenly wary. She wrapped her arms around herself. "Don't get any weird ideas. I'll tell Keith if you try anything."
Serena had simply realized something—Chloe actually had a sharp mind. She wasn't just bluffing. She'd clearly learned a lot during her time abroad, and it wasn't just theory.
"I heard Keith assigned you to shadow the design team today," Serena said.
Chloe's eyes widened. 'That humiliating little detail! How the hell did she know about that? Does she have a mole inside Brannon Creative Group?'
"Relax," Serena said, raising her hands slightly. "I found out by accident." She paused, choosing her words carefully. She didn't want to throw anyone under the bus. "Maybe the team's already full, and they just don't need you over there."
Chloe's face twisted. "So you're here to rub that in? That what this is?"
Serena shook her head. "No. What I'm trying to say is... if Brannon Creative Group doesn't really need you, and keeping you in the design department is just wasting your talent, then would you consider... coming to work at Studio Delune?"