CEO’s Regret After I Divorced (Serena and Ryan) novel Chapter 365

Chapter 365: Chapter 365 Point of No Return

Claire’s POV

I flopped down at my desk, feeling Vivi’s ice-cold glare boring into me. A chill ran down my spine as I realized I’d completely burned that bridge. Working under her supervision from now on was going to be pure torture.

I lowered my head and pursed my lips. God, I just needed Fashion Week to end quickly so I could take that supervisor position at ART. Once I had that promotion and salary bump, nobody would dare mess with me again.

The thought made everything I was doing seem worth it.

After I’d been sitting there for just a few minutes, Vivi strode over and literally threw a folder onto my desk.

"Due this afternoon," she snapped. "Important client. Do it properly!"

I bit my lip, fighting the urge to snap back. I knew she’d make my life difficult, but the desire to rebel was overwhelming.

"What are you staring at? This is your job!" she barked.

"Get to it. And after this one, there are several more orders waiting for your revisions!"

Vivi let out a cold snort as she returned to her desk, spinning lazily in her chair with obvious satisfaction.

I clutched the files tightly, debating whether to explode. What did I have to lose? I’d already made an enemy of her, so what was one more confrontation?

These were supposed to be her responsibilities, not mine!

Just as I was about to stand up, the HR manager approached my desk.

"Claire, Mrs. Lancaster wants you to gather your things and go to her office to help her refine some sketches."

Not just me, but Vivi and everyone else in the vicinity froze in surprise.

Vivi’s mouth twitched as she asked incredulously, "You must have the wrong person?"

"These are Mrs. Lancaster’s direct instructions," the HR manager replied firmly. "Hurry up, she’s waiting."

I couldn’t help the smug smile that spread across my face as I tossed Vivi’s files back onto her desk.

"Sorry, Vivi," I said with obvious satisfaction, "looks like I can’t help you with your work anymore. Mrs. Lancaster needs me more."

The atmosphere in Elegant Realm changed dramatically with Vivi’s absence. Sitting in Serena’s office now, I couldn’t help feeling nervous.

"What can I help you with, Mrs. Lancaster?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Refinements. I heard you’re excellent at polishing designs," she replied, not looking up from her desk. "The previous batch of sketches are all unusable now, so we need to create a new collection."

She finally glanced up at me. "The deadline is tight and the workload heavy, so we’re going to revive an earlier version. The refinement work will be your responsibility for now. Put your other tasks aside."

She handed me the sketches—they were from a version we’d discussed before. I’d actually liked this concept, but Vivi had killed it immediately.

"Mrs. Lancaster, you also think this version has potential?" I couldn’t help asking.

Serena nodded. "It’s quite good—clever and creative. I heard you were the one who initially proposed it."

I smiled sheepishly. "Yes, that was me. But Vivi thought the concept wasn’t mature enough, so..."

"Drafts are never fully formed," Serena replied with a small smile. "They need collaborative development. Claire, you’re a designer with real talent. For these refinements, follow your instincts."

Her expression turned serious. "Remember, these sketches are extremely important. You need to work efficiently."

"I will, Mrs. Lancaster."

"Almost finished," I replied, my heart skipping nervously.

"Send them to me," she demanded immediately.

I hesitated, hearing exactly what I’d dreaded. "I can’t. If I give them to you now, last time’s incident will be exposed."

Sophie’s cold laugh sent chills down my spine. "Exposed? Why worry? They have no evidence—worst case, you get fired."

She paused for effect. "Then you come directly to ART. Isn’t that better anyway?"

I narrowed my eyes, realizing she had a point.

By the time Serena returned, I had already sent Sophie all the sketches and destroyed the evidence. Everything was carefully arranged.

"Haven’t you eaten yet? Go take a break," Serena said, picking up the sketches from my desk and nodding approvingly.

"Very good. You truly have talent. I’ll give the next modifications to Sally. You can return to your workstation now. These past few days must have been uncomfortable for you."

Serena smiled at me, and suddenly I felt a pang of guilt.

"It’s fine, Mrs. Lancaster."

"Take a break. You’ve worked hard these days."

She gathered the sketches from the desk and left the office to find Sally.

I looked around, grabbed my laptop, and returned everything to my desk. Vivi’s spot remained empty—she still hadn’t appeared in the studio. With her temperament, she’d probably quit already.

I pressed my lips together. If Vivi had resigned earlier, I might not have gone down this path.