Chapter 6 Enduring Silently

"Mr. Spencer…" Serena's chest tightened at the mention of Harrison's name. "Yes." Pierce's voice sounded again. "Mr. Spencer would like you to drop by Bluewater Corporation when you have the time. He has some matters to discuss with you." At this invitation, the hope that had been extinguished was reignited again. Harrison suddenly wanted to see her and said he had something to discuss… Did this mean he had changed his mind and decided to marry her? Serena quickly replied, "I'll be there in an hour." Pierce said, "Once you arrive, you can contact me with this number." "Okay," Serena responded. She didn't waste any time after ending the call. Serena tied her hair up with a hairpin and changed into a pale blue, form-fitting dress. The color was elegant and refined, reminiscent of a delicate wash of ink, soft and ethereal. It enhanced her fair complexion and made her look all the more delicate and captivating. The high collar and structured buttons were just enough to conceal the love bites on her collarbone. Once dressed, Serena made her way downstairs. As she reached the corner of the stairs, an unpleasant voice quietly drifted from the living room to her ears. "Serena, that little wretch! I don't know what she's pretending to be." Serena immediately stopped in her tracks. "We raised her all these years. We're only asking her to do us a favor by sleeping with Mr. Hood for a night. What's the problem with that?" Helena's words dripped with disdain and contempt for Serena, her voice cold and biting. Charles shot Helena an annoyed glance and lowered his voice in warning. "Keep it down, or she'll hear you." "So what if she hears? Am I wrong?" Helena appeared completely unconcerned. "For Mr. Hood to take a liking to her is the luck of a lifetime! Does she really think she's worthy of those wealthy young heirs?" Charles remained silent. "Give me a break!" Helena's words remained sharp as ever. Her speech grew increasingly harsh and cutting. "Do you think she's chaste and pure? I just saw the love bites on her neck. Who knows which shady man she was fooling around with last night?" Serena, who had been hiding around the corner and eavesdropping, clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms. Her usually gentle eyes were now filled with intense hatred. She managed to calm herself and push aside all her emotions after a while. Then, she acted as if nothing had happened and walked down the stairs, resuming her descent. "Uncle Charles," Serena greeted Charles softly. Charles gave her a slight nod, his expression cold. He was just as unfriendly toward her. "How do you plan to handle things with Mr. Hood?" He got straight to the point. Serena didn't say much and only gave him a vague response. "I'll take care of it." Charles pursed his lips, his sharp gaze lingering on her for a moment. Then, in a commanding tone, he said to Serena, "I'm giving you two days. I don't care what methods you use, but I expect to see the Letter of Intent for the Eastside development project after two days." Serena responded calmly, "Okay, I understand." Finally, she deliberately reminded him, "I hope you and Aunt Helena will keep your word." Charles looked at her icily and replied, "As long as you can secure the project, what we promised to give you will be yours." Serena didn't say anything else and prepared to leave after getting Charles' promise. "Stop right there!" Helena suddenly called out to her. "You just came back, and where do you think you're going now?" Serena was unbothered and kept her tone as calm as ever. "I need to step out for some matters." Helena warned sternly, "You'd better behave, or you might end up dead somewhere out there." Serena sneered inwardly upon hearing this. She understood the meaning behind Helena's words all too well. The underlying meaning was nothing more than if Serena were to die, it had better be after she turned 25 years old. By then, they would have fully acquired Vincent's inheritance. Serena turned to look at Helena and gave her a faint smile. "Thank you for your concern, Aunt Helena. I'll be sure to live my life well." In fact, she wanted to live a better life than them! … Around 40 minutes later, Serena arrived at Bluewater Corporation. She dialed the first number in her call log. Before long, Pierce's figure appeared in the lobby on the first floor. Serena stood quietly by the access control gate and waited. Pierce passed through the gate and walked slowly toward her. He greeted her politely and gently, "Ms. Linden." Serena turned around at the sound of her name. Pierce introduced himself, "Ms. Linden, hello. My name is Pierce Young." Serena smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. "Mr. Young, it's nice to meet you." Pierce smiled and said, "Ms. Linden, Mr. Spencer is waiting for you in his office. Let me escort you upstairs." She nodded again and maintained her usual politeness. "Thank you for the trouble." People around them began whispering as they observed the two of them. "Hey, who's that woman? Mr. Young came down to greet her in person." "Do you think she's Mr. Young's girlfriend?" "I doubt it. They're too polite with each other. They don't look like they're in a romantic relationship." "Then… do you think she's related to Mr. Spencer?" "But wasn't there a rumor earlier that Mr. Spencer was dating the heiress of the Quinn family?" "Yes! I heard they were childhood sweethearts and were very much in love. However, Ms. Quinn went abroad to pursue her acting career. That's why they broke up." "You know, now that I look at her, this woman does bear some resemblance to Ms. Quinn." "Well, could Mr. Spencer be playing the replacement game?" "Who knows? The world of the wealthy isn't something we working-class people can understand."