Chapter 522

Chapter 522

He could still act.

“Josh and Callum, you two take the clients back to the company. I’ll go over and talk to Serenity,” Zachary instructed in a low voice before striding toward her.

The bodyguards wisely refrained from following him.

“Did Mr. York spot someone he knows?”

The clients watched in astonishment as Zachary approached an unfamiliar woman. After all, unless she was family, he typically kept women at least three meters away.

“Yes, they’re acquaintances,” Josh replied with a smile as he guided the clients toward their cars.

Noticing that Josh wasn’t going to elaborate, they understood their boundaries and stopped asking.

“Seren.”

Zachary reached Serenity and adjusted her jacket. “What are you doing here? Did you come just to wait for me because you knew I was meeting clients?”

The rain had stopped by noon, but it was still chilly.

Serenity observed the group of men in suits getting into their luxury cars and driving off. She asked with a smile, “Are those your colleagues?”

“I invited Mrs. Stone and Elisa to have a meal here. I didn’t expect to run into you,” Zachary replied, glancing at the departing cars. “Yes, they are my colleagues. Several clients we met today were prominent executives from other companies, and our firm placed great importance on them, which is why many of my colleagues came to meet them.”

“Where’s Mrs. Stone?”

“Mr. Stone called her, and she left with Elisa. Zachary, I did a DNA test with Mrs. Stone, and the results will be available in a few days.”

Zachary’s dark eyes flickered momentarily, but his expression remained unchanged. He said warmly, “Let’s wait for the results. For now, we’ll act as if…”

“Nothing happened,” Serenity sighed. “I can’t pretend that nothing has occurred. I was worried Elisa might think I’m trying to climb the social ladder, but everything is very complicated now… I just wish my mom were still alive.”

Zachary reached out and gently embraced her shoulders as they walked toward her car.

“Even though your mom isn’t here anymore, if Mrs. Stone is your aunt, reconnecting with her could be wonderful. It would also provide comfort to Mrs. Stone,” he said.

The greatest fear when searching for a loved one is discovering that you may be the last surviving member of the family. That realization can be incredibly painful.

Although his mother-in-law had passed away, she had left behind two sisters. If Audrey could reconnect with her nieces, it would help soothe her heart as she searched for her sister.

“Yeah, I feel better now. Are you going to sit in my car?” Serenity asked.

“What? Does my wife not want to drive her husband to work?” Zachary replied, his tone unexpectedly flirtatious as he helped her into the car. He leaned in and playfully sniffed her cheek.

Serenity laughed. “Sure. Get in, and I’ll take you to work.”

“I’ll drive,” he said, moving around the car to the driver’s seat. As he fastened his seatbelt, he asked, “Who’s watching the store?”

“I closed it for the day. The students had their finals over the past two days, and their winter holidays will likely start next week. Once they’re on break, stores like mine that cater to students will need to close early for the New Year.”

Zachary inquired, “Your online store won’t close that early for New Year’s, right?”

“No, but even if I temporarily stop shipping, I’ll still be incredibly busy. There are too many orders, and I…”

“I don’t have enough stock on hand. I plan to take advantage of the New Year’s holiday to knit more, and I’ll be able to ship everything out after the holiday,” she said. Zachary cautioned, “Don’t overwork yourself, especially these days. Avoid sitting for long periods; it can easily strain your back.” Serenity recalled how uncomfortable her waist felt from sitting too long when Aunt Flo visited. His words warmed her heart, and she responded with a hum. Jim, who had been hiding in the hotel, only ventured out when he noticed Zachary leaving with Serenity.