CHAPTER 178: CHAPTER 178: RELUCTANT TO USE

Allen Shaw looked at Serena Sutton.

He felt a bit of a headache.

Her personality was too soft, like a ball of cotton, easily molded by anyone passing by.

Yet she would quietly restore herself to her original state.

Such a personality didn’t quite fit in their circle.

"Serena, do you have any aspirations?"

"I mean, do you have any plans, or do you intend to keep working at the Hawthorne Group?"

Serena glanced sideways.

Allen Shaw was driving.

According to the navigation, it was the road to take her home.

Serena had a small apartment in the district where Hawthorne Tower was located.

He appeared somewhat nonchalant.

With his semi-long hair recently dyed red at the tips and tied up.

The tattooed pattern on his strong arms was a bright red camellia, personally inked by Allen Shaw after he learned tattooing.

Wearing a loose shirt with a black cashmere underlayer, his coat was tossed onto the back seat.

While she appeared proper, wearing an unassuming yet reliable dress and down jacket.

Her life, even her dressing, couldn’t be too daring, or she would be deemed rebellious, as if she had gone astray.

Only Allen Shaw would ask her at this moment if she had any plans.

"I don’t know, for now, I’ll work at Hawthorne Group, and later I might go back to the Sutton Family company."

"What position will the Sutton Family offer you?"

"Depends on what my brother thinks. They might even ask me to marry someone and not allow me to work after that."

The words carried a hint of bitterness.

As if, in eating a pomelo, she accidentally tasted the rind, leaving an undetectable bitterness lingering in the mouth, unable to disperse.

"Do you not want to work?"

"I don’t know either, but living a life like my mother, arranging flowers and practicing yoga, maybe isn’t so bad."

Lies.

While speaking such words, there was no trace of a smile on her face.

Her gaze was lifeless; a life like that was not what Serena Sutton longed for.

Serena calmly said, "Shaw, I’m different from you and President Hawthorne."

"Ever since I was little, I’ve been expected to be obedient, sensible, and compliant. I learn everything quickly; I thought, as long as I worked hard enough, achieved good grades, my parents would love me more."

"It turns out, to them, those achievements were merely bargaining chips for marrying me off to a better match. You once asked me why I didn’t resist."

She chuckled weakly, "That’s because President Hawthorne is already a very good match. In our circle, there are plenty of rich heirs with messy personal lives and less appealing appearances. Compared to them, President Hawthorne is great."

Allen Shaw’s face darkened.

His eyes shadowed.

"I also asked before why you wouldn’t consider me."

"Do you see me as much inferior to Declan?"

Serena smiled helplessly, her mouth forming an extremely strained curve.

"No, you’re great."

"It’s just my problem."

If Declan Hawthorne were the one engaged to her, perhaps Serena could use the Hawthorne Family with no qualms, and everyone would become a stepping stone for her ascent.

But Allen Shaw was different.

Towards someone she harbored feelings for, the ambitions she mustered courage for would dissipate like smoke.

She and Allen Shaw were incompatible.

Like traffic lights, appearing in the same place but never turning on simultaneously.

Otherwise, the rule of the world would be disrupted.

"Shaw, thank you for caring. But you are better than President Hawthorne, truly."

Allen Shaw sighed.

"Forget it, just consider me meddlesome."

He parked, unbuckled his seatbelt, and got out of the car.

"Wait for me a moment."

A moment later, he returned to the car, tossing a plastic bag to Serena.

Inside were two ice packs, disposable towels, and some snacks.

"One last meddlesome act, taking you home."

Serena stared at the items in front of her.

Her fingers pinched the edge of the plastic bag, momentarily at a loss.

Serena leaned against the seat.

What she wanted was power, the right to speak.

Thus inevitably, she would have to use more people.

But not Allen Shaw.

She couldn’t use someone she liked.

-

In the bar, lights flashed.

When Declan Hawthorne arrived, Owen Donovan and the others greeted him.

"What will you drink, Declan?"

"No alcohol, just here to hang out. My wife doesn’t allow me to drink."

Everyone: "Huh?"

Declan Hawthorne extended his hand to show his wedding ring, "I’m married, sorry about that."

Although everyone had seen Declan Hawthorne’s online announcements of his marriage, they still couldn’t believe it without his own admission.

Seeing him openly demonstrate the wedding ring, they were all stunned.

"To whom? Why haven’t we heard anything before?"

"Yeah, Declan, your wife won’t let you drink? She’s quite controlling!"

Declan chuckled, "It’s not that I’m not allowed, I just don’t want to. I have to drive later to pick my wife up from work."

Poppy Hale had to make an impromptu trip to the factory side.

Declan also got a call from Owen Donovan, so he decided to stop by the bar.

Leaving together also conveniently allowed him to pick up Poppy Hale.

Allen Shaw had a few drinks, looked tipsily at Declan Hawthorne.

"Tell me, why does she think I’m not as good as you?"

Declan raised an eyebrow, "Because it’s true."

"Bullshit! You’re just taller and better-looking than me. Who can tolerate your temper?"

"My wife."

Allen Shaw widened his eyes, staring at Declan Hawthorne.

After a moment, he waved his hand and rolled his eyes.

He really couldn’t stand Declan Hawthorne.

Just because he got married, he thinks he’s amazing, always mentioning his wife.

Damn, it’s irritating to listen to.

Already annoyed, now even more so.

Allen Shaw held a bottle, sitting beside Declan Hawthorne, and hiccuped, "Why don’t you take me along to pick up your wife?"

"I want to ask Mrs. Hawthorne, what on earth do women think!"

Declan took a sip of water.

Owen Donovan leaned in, "Shaw, I don’t think that girl isn’t interested in you. Maybe she thinks you’re too good for her, doesn’t want to be with you."

"What is this, a fairy tale? If you see a girl you think is great, wouldn’t you want to be with her?"

Owen nodded, "Of course!"

"Then you’re spouting nonsense!"

Allen Shaw drank a few gulps of alcohol.

Declan glanced at his phone.

He stood up, grabbed his coat, "I need to leave, my wife’s done."

Allen Shaw insisted on tagging along.

Poppy Hale just got in the car when she saw someone on the roadside clutching a tree, vomiting profusely.

Declan opened the car door and handed over a bottle of water.

A moment later, Allen Shaw got into the car, apologizing, "Sorry, had a bit too much to drink."

Poppy Hale, puzzled, whispered, "What happened?"

Declan got in the car, buckled up, and stepped on the gas.

"Heartbroken, Serena rejected him multiple times, he’s shaken."

Poppy nodded in understanding.

Allen Shaw, in the back seat, recounted today’s events.

He asked Poppy, "What do you think she meant by it?"

Poppy wasn’t the kind to meddle in such affairs, "Find a chance to ask her directly. Everyone’s personality is different."

"What were you thinking when you rejected Declan before?"

Poppy glanced at Declan beside her.

He seemed to be focused on driving, yet he was always conscious of her every move.

Poppy chuckled lightly.

"If a woman doesn’t like you at all, she wouldn’t give you multiple chances to be rejected."