SWNOVELS Chapter 26
Chapter 26: No Explanation Needed
After finishing their noodles, Penn got up and collected the dishes and utensils before disappearing into the kitchen.
“I’ll do it, I know how to wash dishes,” Serena said as she reached for a bowl. This was her house, but Penn took charge and left her with nothing to do. However, he had already turned on the faucet and his fingers moved quickly as he washed the dishes, placing them neatly on a rack to dry.
Serena couldn’t help but think that this man loved doing housework, despite his demeanor not fitting the bill. He seemed like the type of person who was waited on hand and foot, even needing a secretary to pour him a glass of water. But looking at his hands, long and slender with clearly defined joints, it was evident that he had not been tainted by the mundane. Yet here he was, meticulously performing these trivial tasks in her home.
Lost in thought, Serena was suddenly interrupted by Penn, who turned around and said, “Let’s talk.”
“About what?” Serena asked, confused.
“What do you think?” Penn didn’t beat around the bush, pulling out his phone and showing her a screenshot from Blair’s WhatsApp Moments with a comment from Jenny: “Serena finally gave away her virginity. She says the guy is really good, and it was a great experience.”
Penn read the comment slowly and seductively, his voice deep and sexy, his expression inscrutable. He finished reading and looked up at Serena. “Care to explain?”
Although embarrassed, Serena remained calm. She wondered if he had come back early from his trip just to interrogate her about this.
Whether or not it was her first time was her business alone and had nothing to do with anyone else. She knew what she was doing and was responsible for her own actions.
Seeing that she didn’t answer, Penn let out a sigh and softened his tone. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was your first time. If I had known…”
“It’s not necessary to apologise. We’re both adults, and that night was my own decision. It had nothing to do with you,” Serena interrupted him. That night, she had attended a high school reunion and had heard Kelly’s name mentioned, which had brought back memories of the past. She was in a bad state of mind and feeling somewhat self–destructive. That night, it could have been anyone, not just Penn.
“Nothing to do with me?” Penn repeated.
“Right, it could have been anyone. So you don’t have to worry about it,” Serena reassured him. She meant to comfort him, saying that he didn’t need to apologise or feel guilty, and that she had enjoyed the experience.
However, Penn’s expression didn’t look good. He kept staring at her for a while before laughing self–deprecatingly. “Serena, I’m not that bad,
am 12”
“What?” Serena didn’t understand his cryptic words. She sensed a hint of submissiveness in his calm tone, but she quickly dismissed that feeling. This was Penn, after all, and in terms of wealth and appearance, he was far ahead of most people. Why does he feel submissive?
Penn didn’t say anything more and left, carrying his jacket and placing it on the sofa. He seemed upset. Serena didn’t think much of it, took a shower, chatted with Blair before going to sleep.
The next morning, Charlie called and asked her to pick up Emma at the airport at 9 am. Serena took a taxi and arrived to see Charlie already there, offering her coffee and a sandwich.
“You didn’t have breakfast, did you?” he said.
“Thank you, Mr. Jordan.” Serena took the coffee and began eating the sandwich in small bites. Charlie, on the other hand, quickly finished his breakfast and tossed the empty box into the trash.
He turned to see Serena flipping through the documents on the table, only eating one–third of her sandwich. “Do you really have to work so hard? Do you have any other projects besides Future Better Technology Company?” he asked.
“I’m working on the bidding of PPT. I have all the necessary content listed, but I still need to consider how to present the key points,” Serena replied.
“Relax, this is just for practice, and it’s for Emma to reference. She always does her own version,” Charlie said.
“Okay.” Serena replied, but in her mind, she knew she had to do her best.
“Finish your breakfast quickly. Emma is coming, and we may have a tough battle ahead,” Charlie warned.
“What happened?” Serena asked.
From Penn’s tone last night, he seemed to approve of Emma’s abilities, and Emma had just solved a case for him involving a concept product.
“I’m not sure. Emma called me before boarding her flight. Originally, Mr. Humphery was supposed to return to China on the same flight as her, but he changed his flight at the last minute. Emma was afraid that something might have changed. Also, Future Better Technology Company is starting their bidding process these days. Their legal department has arranged to meet with three law firms today, and we don’t have any advantages,” Charlie explained.
Serena couldn’t help but feel nervous upon hearing this. To be honest, she also wanted to win the Future Better Technology Company project. First, because Emma was leading her, and second, because Future Better Technology Company was a giant in the industry, and the knowledge she could gain from working with them would be a milestone for her future independent practice.
Emma arrived on time, and despite nearly ten hours of travel, she
showed no signs of fatigue. Serena quickly grabbed her luggage, and Charlie led them to the parking lot, updating them on the latest developments of Future Better Technology Company.
“Okay, now let’s go to Future Better Technology Company,” Emma said, eager to get back to the battlefield.
She had originally thought that they had a good chance of winning the merger case, especially after they helped Future Better Technology Company solve the concept product theft case and worked well with Penn abroad. She was even confident enough to book the same flight as Penn. However, Penn unexpectedly returned early, catching her off guard.
When they arrived at Future Better Technology Company, the other law firms had arrived, and the legal department was in a meeting. Emma led Serena and Charlie straight into the conference room, greeted the head of the legal department, and took a seat. Because they had just won the case for Future Better Technology Company, the other law firms looked at them with admiration. They were all
colleagues and knew each other, so the atmosphere was not as tense as Serena had imagined.