CHAPTER 19: CHAPTER 19: WHAT ARE YOU REALLY AFRAID OF?

"Get in!"

Wyatt Hawthorne raised his chin, "No time like the present, let’s grab a meal!"

I wanted to say it wasn’t necessary.

And find an excuse to politely decline.

But Wyatt’s Ferrari was parked in the bus-only parking spot.

Nearby, passengers on the platform were glancing back frequently.

Tens of meters away, an approaching bus honked its horn urgingly.

I knew well that with Wyatt’s personality, once he decided on something, there was no changing it.

If I persisted in refusing, more attention would be drawn to us from people looking our way.

Serena Sinclair hesitated briefly and then slid into the passenger seat.

Vroom!

The Ferrari smoothly glided away.

The car door closed gently.

"How’s Juju? Making any messes? Not giving you trouble, right?"

"Juju? Oh, you mean 2S? You should’ve said its name was Juju, I wouldn’t have bothered renaming it, had me training it till midnight yesterday!"

"...What on earth is 2S?"

"Anything with four legs running fast is either my car or it. The car comes from a 4S dealership, so it’s 2S."

"..."

The restaurant was a quiet private kitchen.

As soon as the private room door closed, Serena breathed a sigh of relief.

"You..."

"You..."

They spoke simultaneously.

Wyatt laughed, "You go first."

Serena took a sip of tea to suppress the unease in her heart, "Did you just happen to pass by there?"

"Yeah..."

Wyatt laughed, "The goal of expanding the company is so that the boss can take it easy. If I had to work nine to five, The Hawthorne Corporation would be close to bankruptcy."

He was joking.

If The Hawthorne Corporation went bankrupt, the economy would be close to collapse.

The odd feeling Serena had about their chance encounter grew stronger.

Then Wyatt asked, "How did your interview go?"

"How did you know I was having an interview?"

Serena was puzzled.

Wyatt picked up the purple clay teapot and poured her some tea, amused, "What else? You went to Apex for afternoon tea?"

Uh... that’s right.

Suddenly feeling that she was too cautious, Serena admitted frankly, "It’s such a coincidence... I’m just afraid of owing you a favor again."

As expected.

He knew it would be like this.

Internally relieved but showing none of it, Wyatt smiled wryly, "Senior Sinclair, you underestimate me! If I wanted to help you, like I said yesterday, wouldn’t I just arrange for you to join The Hawthorne Group’s project department as a senior architect? Why be so roundabout?"

That’s true.

Feeling relieved, Serena laughed.

She couldn’t help but tease him, "Why not as a director, but a senior architect? Or do you think I can’t be a design director?"

"Because your ambition isn’t here!"

Wyatt smiled easily.

Serena was taken aback, her heart pounding faster.

The year she joined The Lockwood Group, Adrian Lockwood was the assistant director of the project, and her position was just a junior architect.

She joked with Adrian Lockwood, asking if his mother still couldn’t accept her, hence why the disparity in treatment.

Back then, what did Adrian say?

He said: Serena, stop it! Even though you’re an excellent graduate of Aethelgard University, your excellence is still only in grades, how could you manage?

Adrian Lockwood also said: Serena, don’t worry! I’m on your side, keep working hard, and one day you’ll become a senior executive of The Lockwood Group.

But they clearly graduated and worked together.

He didn’t have any completed architectural projects.

Serena would rather Adrian said that Beatrice Sutton just didn’t accept her.

It would have been better than negating her abilities and qualifications.

After all, she never wanted to be a director.

Her ambition was in the drawings.

Perfectly designing a building that meets the client’s requirements and seeing her designs transform from paper into actual buildings rising from the ground was her life’s greatest dream.

Being a senior architect, a director, or even a CEO, she didn’t care.

She’d gladly be an architect her whole life if it allowed her to fulfill this dream.

At this moment, Wyatt unabashedly said her ambition wasn’t there.

He understood her!

Serena lowered her head to hide the touch she felt and focused on the menu.

Her phone rang.

"Hello Serena Sinclair, this is Claire Carson from The Hawthorne Group’s architectural project department..."

Getting straight to the point, the female voice on the other end was light and cheerful, "I saw your resume online and wanted to ask, when are you available to come in for an interview?"

Serena was momentarily surprised.

She was sure she hadn’t submitted her resume to The Hawthorne Group.

There was only one reason.

Wyatt.

But she received an interview call from The Hawthorne Group unexpectedly.

"Director Carson..."

Serena looked at Wyatt, who was selecting dishes across from her, and said, "I didn’t submit a resume to The Hawthorne Group."

Wyatt suddenly looked up.

Serena clearly saw the surprise in his eyes.

Then she heard Claire Carson laugh on the other end, "Well, let me be direct, Senior Sinclair, I’m from the architecture department of Aethelgard University. On the first class of architecture design in 2016, Professor Walsh showcased your work, The Sea of Clouds Library, in the PPT as an excellent graduate piece."

"Senior Sinclair, you were both a goddess and an unforgettable presence for us in the architecture department during school. I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with you after so many years. ... Just not sure if you’d give me this chance."

Although she was the job seeker and the other side was the superior with hiring authority.

Claire’s emotional intelligence was remarkably high, and she presented the proposal as though Serena held the decision-making power.

Part of her felt it was a coincidence, just as Claire mentioned, they were senior and junior alumni, so of course, there was a bias toward her own.

But another part worried if Wyatt had a hand in this.

Serena pondered momentarily, "Can I think it over for a while?"

"Of course."

Claire readily agreed, "Senior Sinclair, can I add you on WeChat?"

"I’ll add you; you’re calling from this number, right?"

"Yes."

She hung up the call.

Added her on WeChat.

While Serena was editing the contact note, Claire had already swiftly sent two messages.

[Hello Senior! I’m Claire Carson.]

[Please update me once you’ve made a decision; I’m awaiting your good news!]

After replying "Okay," Serena looked at Wyatt directly and asked straightforwardly, "Wyatt, did you arrange this?"

"If I said I didn’t, would you believe me?"

Wyatt looked at Serena, his expression candid.

Serena was silent for a moment.

She believed him.

But she couldn’t explain where this trust came from.

And yet, it was so coincidental!

First, he appeared amid yesterday’s downpour.

Then, the chance encounter.

And Claire’s interview call.

It was too coincidental for her to believe it was all a series of coincidences.

Seeing her hesitation, Wyatt pushed aside the menu and leaned back on the sofa, his smile lazy, "Leave professional matters to professionals. The Hawthorne Group is big; hiring an architect is the job of the design and HR departments. I’m not so daft as to meddle in such a small matter."

"Moreover..."

Wyatt folded his arms on the table, his intensely handsome face leaning closer to Serena, "If I really wanted to arrange it, wouldn’t I just directly place you in the design department as a senior architect? Why go to all this trouble just for an uncertain interview outcome?"

It made... a lot of sense.

Serena was somewhat convinced.

Wyatt’s eyes held a smile, "Senior Sinclair, have you thought it over? Will you accept The Hawthorne Group’s olive branch?"

"It’s just an interview..."

In her heart, she felt eager, as if she had already shaken hands with Claire and heard her say, "Welcome to The Hawthorne Group."

But on the surface, Serena still showed a bit of hesitation, "I’m not sure yet."

Then Wyatt changed the topic.

"Serena..."

By the bright floor-to-ceiling window, the young man in a black shirt and suit carried a ruggedly handsome smile, his gaze bold, "What are you really... afraid of?"