No Escape from Love novel Chapter 268

"To be honest, staying would just be awkward now." I forced a smile and avoided Lucas' probing gaze.

The situation with Mr. Hastings Senior and Mom had caused quite a stir at the company. Even though no one spoke about it openly, I could feel the whispers and judgment behind my back. Rather than enduring the discomfort, it was better to just leave.

Lucas seemed to understand. He let out a soft sigh and didn't press further. "Have you thought about where you'll go next?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. I'll just figure it out as I go." Deep down, a quiet voice told me it didn't matter where I went as long as I could get away from all this chaos here.

"If you ever need help, you can always reach out to me," he said sincerely.

I simply thanked him and left it at that.

After we parted ways, I walked home alone. The fall wind howled around me. The swirling fallen leaves in the air mirrored the turmoil inside me. I had no direction, no clear path forward.

The sudden ringing of my phone broke the silence. It was Alex.

"Serena, I heard you resigned." His voice carried a trace of urgency.

"Yeah," I replied flatly.

"Why? Is it because…" He hesitated as if carefully choosing his words. "Because of my father?"

"That's part of it." I didn't care to explain further.

"Serena, you can't leave!" His voice grew tense. "The company needs you right now. If you go, what am I supposed to do?"

His words caught me off guard. The company needed me? Funny how that hadn't crossed his mind when he reassigned me away from the core project team.

"I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up a few things," I said before hanging up.

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