CHAPTER 87: CHAPTER 87: ARE YOU AFRAID OF ME TOUCHING YOU?

"Soon it won’t be."

Serena Jennings unfastened her seatbelt, and Caleb Lockwood did the same.

This action made Serena’s already tense body even more rigid.

"What are you afraid of?"

Suddenly, Caleb leaned over and propped himself against the passenger door.

Serena found herself trapped between the seat and Caleb’s arm, holding her breath.

"Are you afraid of me?"

Caleb’s slightly upturned smile had a fatal attraction, and his gaze was like brilliant stars in the night sky.

Serena’s chest tightened even more.

"Are you afraid I’ll touch you?"

Seeing the panic in Serena’s eyes, Caleb chuckled and released her, taking out his phone.

"Mr. Miller, have you arrived?"

Serena faintly heard Mr. Miller’s response on the other end of the phone:

"Yes, I’m right behind Miss Jennings’ car."

"Good."

Caleb hung up the phone and turned to Serena, "I can hardly drive your car back, can I?"

In other words, Caleb unfastened his seatbelt to get out and return to his own car, not with any improper intentions towards Serena.

Serena’s face burned with embarrassment.

Not only did Caleb guess her thoughts, but she also misunderstood him.

Bathed in Caleb’s mocking gaze, she seemed to hear him say:

"You overestimate your charm."

Both Serena and Caleb got out of the car, with Caleb heading to the back and Serena to the front.

As they passed each other, Caleb’s magnetic voice, like a cool summer breeze, brushed past Serena’s ear.

"Good luck with the finals. I’m looking forward to it."

It sounded like encouragement, but Serena wouldn’t interpret it as Caleb encouraging her.

"Of course, I will do my best!"

Turning around, Serena called out to Caleb’s tall figure, "To be able to divorce you."

Caleb’s steps suddenly halted.

Under the streetlight, his shadow stretched long and lonely.

Serena watched his back.

She watched Caleb not turn around as he calmly got into the imperial blue Bentley.

The next day, the official website of the New Star Jewelry Design Competition announced the theme for the finals.

The theme was AI.

"Isn’t this too difficult?" Sharon Sanders complained.

"AI and jewelry design... they seem worlds apart, and we can’t just design a robot, can we?" Nancy Young stroked her chin, troubled.

In reality, this competition had nothing to do with them, but they were as spirited as if they’d had a shot of adrenaline, since Serena was blazing through to the finals. If she won, their studio would soar to success.

Even if she didn’t win, placing in the top three would still mean prize money.

Serena wasn’t a stingy boss, and they’d surely receive performance bonuses then.

Quentin Xavier rarely joined the conversations between Sharon and Nancy; he brewed a cup of coffee and brought it to Serena’s desk.

Serena was engrossed in sketching, completely focused.

The requirements for the finals were slightly different from the initial rounds; the preparation time was a whole month, and only sketches needed to be submitted online. Later, on the day of the finals, they would personally create the final work on-site.

Quentin stood silently beside Serena, like air.

He watched as Serena sketched and modified her drawings until a distinct outline of a robot appeared on paper.

So, it is a robot...

Quentin sneered.

It seemed that Serena was only at that level.

Although, when AI was mentioned, his first thought was also a robot, but he expected Serena to have different ideas.

Initially, Quentin applied to Claire Shaw’s studio because he had seen the Lockwood Group’s recent hits.

At that time, Claire was still the manager of the Lockwood Jewels design department.

In Quentin’s eyes, Claire was very talented.

Moreover, Claire was beautiful, and Quentin thought any healthy man would like a woman as beautiful and talented as Claire.

And Claire considered Serena her rival.

So Quentin thought Serena should have some exceptional qualities.

Not until Serena finished her sketch did she notice Quentin standing by her side.

"Is there something you need?"

Quentin snapped back and was about to hand over the coffee but found it had gone cold.

"No..."

Quentin awkwardly took a sip of his cold coffee and said, "I saw you were so focused on drawing that I didn’t want to interrupt you. Isn’t this final’s theme too abstract? So, are you planning to design a robot? Won’t everyone else think the same? Besides, a robot isn’t really jewelry!"

Quentin thought he sounded natural, and there was no way Serena would suspect anything.

"I’m not designing a robot but rather robot earrings, with a bit of a futuristic feel..."

"Aren’t you worried about clashing designs with others?"

"No," Serena shook her head, her face brimming with confidence. "The robot earrings I’m designing are meant to be paired with headphones, to highlight both futurism and technology."

Hearing Serena’s words, Quentin realized for the first time that Serena was a worthy opponent for Claire Shaw.

"Oh, here you go, for brainpower,"

Quentin gave Serena a piece of chocolate, and as it was lunchtime, he went out to grab some food.

Claire Shaw was worried about the finals.

After the last round, she found her ideas often resembled others—unless she copied Serena.

This AI theme surely led many to think of robot elements; without standing out, winning would be tough.

She’d already secured a spot at the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, so this win wasn’t crucial for her.

However, she couldn’t bear to see Serena win.

Especially in front of Caleb Lockwood.

Claire bit her pen in frustration, seeing Quentin’s messages an hour later.

During the last round, Serena didn’t sketch at the studio, so naturally, Quentin couldn’t get his hands on her designs.

Claire almost believed Quentin had been compromised!

But now...

Claire gazed at her phone, the screen illuminating the glee in her eyes.

Blue Ocean International Convention Hall.

For the general public, a jewelry design competition may seem niche, but insiders took it very seriously.

This final attracted both domestic and international experts, especially since designers would craft their works by hand on-site, testing not just design prowess but craftsmanship as well.

Designs were pre-submitted to the website, and materials were the designers’ responsibility.

Serena brought no assistant, pushing her wheeled luggage towards the convention hall entrance.

"Serena!"

Upon hearing her name, Serena turned to see Claire Shaw.

Claire, like Serena, had no assistant.

But she wasn’t exactly alone.

Caleb Lockwood stood beside her, pushing a suitcase.

"Why are you by yourself?" Claire intentionally glanced around, "You’re a boss now, why not bring an assistant to help?"

Serena could see that Claire was flaunting Caleb’s presence.