No Escape from Love

On the other side of town, Alex ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Vivian's innocent little act was infuriating.

She was the one who had caused all this trouble back then, yet now, she was acting as if nothing had happened.

Robert's divorce, Serena's suffering-she couldn't just wash her hands of it.

Alex pulled out his phone and dialed his assistant's number. "Find out where Serena is and what she's doing right now."

"Mr. Hastings, Ms. Ashford is currently working at Schneider Group," his assistant reported in a flat, professional tone.

Lucas? What was Serena doing at his company?

A surge of anger shot through Alex. He slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, and his car shot forward.

That bastard, Lucas! He always put on a proper, respectable front, but who knew what schemes he was cooking up behind the scenes?

Serena was in a vulnerable state right now. What if he took advantage of her?

The more Alex thought about it, the angrier he got. He didn't even know how many red lights he ran on the way.

By the time Alex reached Schneider Group, he stormed straight into Lucas' office and kicked the door open with one swift motion.

"Serena!" His tone was sharp as his eyes swept across the room before finally landing on me.

I was standing by the desk, holding a stack of documents, staring at him in shock.

Lucas, seated comfortably behind his desk, lazily swiveled his chair around with an infuriating smirk on his face.

"Well, well, Mr. Hastings. What brings you here? You're so invested in our business collaboration that you came to inspect it in person?"

"Cut the crap!" Alex snapped, not in the mood for games. "Why is Serena here?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Oh? Since when does Ms. Ashford have to report to you about where she works?"

"Work?" Alex let out a cold laugh. "Drop the act! What kind of work is she doing at your company?"

Lucas finally answered in an unhurried tone, "She's my assistant."noveldrama

"Assistant?" Alex looked like he couldn't believe his ears.

"Lucas, what the hell are you up to? You know what state Serena is in, and yet

you let her work for you? Are you trying to take advantage of her?"

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Lucas shrugged, feigning innocence. "Mr. Hastings, that's quite an accusation. Serena came to work here of her own free will. I didn't force her. Besides, what's wrong with being an assistant? She's more than capable of handling the job."

Alex turned to me, his gaze filled with disbelief as if I had committed some unforgivable crime. "Serena, tell me, is this really what you want? Was Lucas' assistant?"

The questioning tone in his voice felt like a dull knife that cut into my heart over and over again.

"You were never meant to be just an assistant."

I opened my mouth but didn't know what to say. Was this really what I wanted?

I needed the money. I needed my independence. I needed to prove myself...

But in front of Alex, these reasons suddenly felt flimsy and weak. Especially when

he was convinced I had been coerced into this.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lucas smirking like he was enjoying the show. The thought of being treated like a mere pawn made me even more uncomfortable

After a brief hesitation, I nodded. "Yes, this is my choice."

"You..." Alex was momentarily speechless as if my answer had knocked the wind

out of him.

In the next second, he stepped forward and grabbed my wrist.