17 . Envy

"How are you?"

Mrs. West asked with concern.

Hearing this, Serena let out a small, sarcastic laugh.

"It's too late for you to act concerned now, Mrs. West," Serena replied coldly. "It's just the two of us here, so drop the act. Just say what you really want to say."

Mrs. West opened her mouth to refute Serena's accusation but hesitated. Remembering something, she decided not to argue.

"You know that your father loves you very much. He hurt your mother by accident ....because of you. So, could you convince your mother to drop the charges?"

Mrs. West tried to persuade Serena.

Upon hearing her words, Serena's gaze turned sharp and icy.

"Poor David, he's been in prison for a week now. He must be suffering so much,"

Mrs. West added, hoping to evoke sympathy. However, Serena's expression remained unchanged, completely unaffected by her words.

"So, convince your mother to drop the charges, okay?"

"Alright," Serena answered. Mrs. West immediately felt relieved, but as soon as she heard Serena's next words, her smile vanished.

"But I will make David pay ten times over for the pain he caused my mom."

"What do you mean? He's your father! Why would you want to hurt him?" Mrs. West protested.

"Father? He's just someone who donated his sperm to Elena," Serena replied coldly.

"You...!!!"

"Why are you angry?" Serena mocked.

"Don't ever hope for David's freedom because I will make sure he regrets ever laying a hand on my mother. He ignored my warning, and now he'll suffer the consequences. I will make him regret ever touching Elena," Serena declared.

Seeing the cold and merciless look in Serena's eyes, Mrs. West felt fear creeping into her heart.

"Y-you..."

Mrs. West stammered, too scared to form a proper sentence.

"Listen carefully, Mrs. West! David better serve his sentence willingly because if he ever gets out, I swear I will make his life—no, your lives—so miserable that you'll all wish for death instead! Mark my words!"

Serena stood up and walked away, leaving Mrs. West pale with fear. Only now did she realize how ruthless Serena could be. It was clear that her threats were not empty words. Mrs. West was truly terrified now.

**********

Ren raised an eyebrow as he entered his office. He could sense the overwhelming anger radiating from Serena.

Even though she was sitting quietly in front of her laptop, working at the desk Ren had provided for her, her expression and aura clearly indicated that she did not want to be disturbed.

Ren signaled Rendy to leave the office, ensuring that only he and Serena remained inside. He then sat on the couch, observing her.

"So… who made you this angry?" Ren asked calmly.

Serena shot him a sharp glare. Ren, however, remained composed and met her gaze without flinching. They stared at each other in silence.

A few minutes passed before Serena finally broke eye contact and returned to her work, choosing to ignore him.

"You can tell me what's on your mind. Who knows? Maybe I can make it happen. After all… I'm someone with quite a bit of influence and connections," Ren said again.

Hearing this, Serena looked at him, her mind processing his words. They made perfect sense.

Suddenly, a sly smile appeared on her lips. She got up and walked toward Ren.

"Mr. Shield, is there anything I can help you with?" Serena asked sweetly, trying to win him over.

Seeing her change in attitude, Ren let out a small chuckle. Once again, Serena found herself mesmerized by his charm. She couldn't help but think that Ren was the most handsome man she had ever seen—even celebrities couldn't compare to him.

"Ahem…"

Ren pretended to clear his throat, snapping Serena out of her daze.

Serena blinked a few times before quickly regaining her composure, putting on a smile as if nothing had happened. Ren, noticing her act, smirked slightly.

And this time, Serena caught sight of his subtle smile.

"A handsome guy with a killer smile—it's truly a lethal combination! Whoever ends up with Mr. Shield is going to be so lucky. They'll never get tired of looking at him," Serena thought to herself.

"Hmm… you don't have to be so formal with me. Just call me Ren," he said casually.

"Huh? Wouldn't it be strange for me to call my boss by his name?" Serena asked, puzzled.

"If you don't need my help, then forget it," Ren said, shrugging.

Serena's eyes widened. She quickly put on a charming smile.

"Oh… what was I saying?!"

She playfully tapped her lips. "So… Ren, what else can I do for you?"

"Hmm… rather than asking me what I want, I'd rather know what you plan to do to the person who made you angry."

Serena fell silent, staring intently at Ren. His faint smile never disappeared.

"I want to make someone suffer. But I don't know how because that person is somewhere I can't reach," Serena admitted honestly.

"That's easy. You don't have to get your hands dirty yourself. It's the same if someone else does it for you. After all, the goal is just to make them regret and suffer, right?" Ren replied nonchalantly.

"That makes sense," Serena nodded in agreement. "So… do you have any contacts who can help me?"

"Just give me the name and location of the person you want to teach a lesson."

Serena quickly wrote down "David" and his location on a piece of paper. Ren read it and immediately pulled out his phone, making a call.

The call was answered almost instantly. Without any unnecessary words, Ren gave his order.

"David West, location *********."

After that, he ended the call and looked at Serena.

Serena, witnessing such a scene for the first time, was completely shocked, her mouth slightly open. It was just like in drama series—Ren exuded the aura of a powerful and intimidating CEO from a romance drama.

"What?" Ren asked, noticing her reaction.

"Just like that? Will the person you called really understand?" Serena asked in disbelief.

"The people who work for me aren't fools. If they don't understand my orders, then what's the point of them working for me?" Ren answered calmly.

Serena wanted to argue, but after thinking it over, she realized that if she had that much money and power, what Ren said actually made perfect sense.

She sighed, looking at Ren with envy.

"What now?" Ren asked, already used to Serena's ever-changing moods.

"It must be nice to have so much money. I'm jealous of you," Serena complained.

Ren smirked.

"No need to be jealous. If you become mine, then everything I have will automatically be yours," Ren murmured under his breath.

"Huh? What did you say? I didn't hear you," Serena asked, confused.

Ren just smiled without repeating himself.