CHAPTER 99: CHAPTER 99: HAVING THEM WORK TOGETHER

Serena Jennings arrived at The Wyvern Hotel, Peony Room.

Inside, there were already quite a few people seated, all dressed formally in suits, with Vester Lowell being the only woman present. Vester Lowell was also the only person Serena knew.

This business deal was introduced to Serena by Vester Lowell, and it was said to be a major government project.

Serena didn’t dare to slack off, appearing very formal in her dress, appearance, and demeanor.

Initially, after Serena arrived, Vester Lowell thought everyone was present, but Director Lowell said to wait a bit longer, as he had invited another group.

"Who is it? How come I don’t know?"

Just as Vester Lowell finished speaking, Serena saw the door of the room open.

Caleb Lockwood and Claire Shaw entered Serena’s sight.

Upon seeing Serena, both Caleb Lockwood and Claire Shaw were taken aback.

Neither party was aware that the other was also attending the dinner today.

"What does Director Lowell mean by this!"

Vester Lowell looked displeased, "I wasn’t told that the person I introduced would have a competitor."

Although Director Lowell held the title of director, he didn’t dare offend Vester Lowell, and quickly smiled apologetically: "It couldn’t be helped, it’s what the higher-ups wanted... Miss Jennings and Miss Shaw are both City A’s top emerging designers, and the leadership’s intention is for them to cooperate on this project, leveraging each other’s strengths!"

Serena and Claire Shaw looked at each other simultaneously.

It was obvious Director Lowell’s leadership didn’t know about their relationship, or they would never have asked them to collaborate.

Despite Director Lowell’s assurances, Vester Lowell still looked sullen, appearing to stand up for Serena.

Because Vester Lowell knew Serena was BYC, Claire Shaw’s level couldn’t compare to Serena’s.

Country A planned to hold the Brilliant Star - New Silk Road International Cultural Exchange in November, with 60 countries in attendance.

The cultural department wanted Serena and Claire Shaw to collaborate to create 60 pieces of jewelry as gifts for the foreign dignitaries, each reflecting the cultural character of Country A.

Neither Serena nor Claire Shaw wanted to miss this prime opportunity to showcase their studio’s capabilities, so both agreed to collaborate.

"Alright, alright, cooperation it is... But what’s President Lockwood here for? Have you started learning jewelry design?"

Vester Lowell sarcastically quipped at Caleb Lockwood.

She wasn’t clear on the exact relationship between Serena, Caleb Lockwood, and Claire Shaw, but from her sixth sense, she had a rough idea.

Thus, she didn’t have a good impression of Caleb Lockwood or Claire Shaw.

"President Lockwood is clearly the gallant knight here! As far as I know, wherever Miss Shaw is, President Lockwood is never absent," Director Lowell said with a laugh.

Caleb Lockwood smirked slightly, without saying a word, seemingly in agreement.

Yet his gaze inconspicuously fell on Serena.

Serena didn’t look at him, nor did she look at Claire Shaw.

Serena didn’t look at anyone, focused only on eating, as if she hadn’t heard Director Lowell’s words at all.

Or perhaps she heard them and simply didn’t care.

Caleb Lockwood’s eyebrows furrowed unintentionally.

"If you want them to cooperate, surely there must be primary and secondary roles, right? Where will they normally work? All this back-and-forth won’t waste time?"

Seeing Vester Lowell’s assertive attitude, Serena knew Vester Lowell hadn’t given up, still wanting her to independently handle this government project.

However, Vester Lowell’s concern wasn’t unfounded; cooperation meant collaboration between two studios, requiring frequent meetings and discussions, so the office location was indeed a problem.

"Well..." Director Lowell rubbed his balding head.

Seeing Director Lowell’s troubled expression, both Serena and the others realized that neither Director Lowell nor his bosses had thought things through.

"Why not split the difference and choose The Lockwood Group?"

Caleb Lockwood suggested, his deep magnetic voice sounding more like he was making a firm decision.

Director Lowell didn’t have any better solutions, so he accepted Caleb Lockwood’s suggestion.

Throughout the next month, Serena had to go to The Lockwood Group every day.

The employees at The Lockwood Group weren’t surprised to see Claire Shaw, since she often visited anyway.

No matter whether Claire Shaw was the wife or the mistress, everyone essentially accepted Claire Shaw and Caleb Lockwood as being together.

So initially, when they saw Serena, they were all stunned.

Serena often overheard The Lockwood Group’s staff gossiping behind the scenes, debating whether she or Claire Shaw was the mistress.

In the end, they concluded:

No matter who was Caleb Lockwood’s real wife, Caleb Lockwood would ultimately be with Claire Shaw.

Even if Serena was the wife, she would face being abandoned by her husband, with the mistress taking over in the end.

Whenever she heard this, Serena felt both amused and helpless.

In reality, she was indeed going to divorce Caleb Lockwood, and Claire Shaw was about to get the status she dreamt of.

Originally, Serena thought her collaboration with Claire Shaw would progress poorly.

But Claire Shaw cooperated unexpectedly well, and they both submitted their designs to the higher-ups, who chose Serena’s design, with Claire Shaw helping to refine it, without any sabotage but offering constructive feedback instead.

Naturally, Serena couldn’t fully trust Claire Shaw, but since Claire Shaw wasn’t disruptive, her progress was quicker.

Finally, the design was finalized, and less than a month remained for the manufacturing process.

Serena’s design was a jade stamp, Jade Seal-sized, which could serve as an actual stamp or a decorative piece.

Recently, a rare top-grade jade mine was discovered near the YN border, with icy green hues and great clarity.

Serena suggested using this newly discovered jade as the raw material, to which Claire Shaw agreed, even volunteering to handle the transportation channels.

The project progressed smoothly until the day of pickup.

"What did you say?"

In The Lockwood Group’s building conference room, Serena’s face suddenly changed as she held the phone.

Nearby, Claire Shaw and several others involved in the project were also present.

Serena’s gaze fell on Claire Shaw after hanging up.

However, Claire Shaw blinked her large innocent-looking eyes, staring at Serena in perplexity.

"The driver said the vehicle broke down just after hitting the road and it’ll take a week for repairs."

After Serena spoke, Claire Shaw was visibly shocked.

"How could this happen? What should we do now? I’ll see if I can arrange for another vehicle."

"No need, I’ve inquired, and given the recent rainy days, all vehicles have been dispatched; not a single one is back."

Serena waved her hand, her gaze still fixed on Claire Shaw.

How could the vehicle coincidentally break down on the day of pickup, and so severely?

Serena had reasons to suspect Claire Shaw was behind it, but she had no evidence, and now wasn’t the time to investigate.

She contacted several other transport agencies, but none had a vehicle available to send to YN immediately.

"Since the materials can’t be transported for now, why not... use my design?"

Claire Shaw said as she presented her design work.