The three had arrived first, and Lauren Shaw hadn't been there long herself.
A server came in to serve the food, but Sisi still hadn't returned.
"What's going on? How is Sisi taking so long in the bathroom?" Lauren Shaw asked, a trace of concern in her voice.
Mia May pulled out her phone to call Sisi, but her phone rang from inside her own bag. Lauren Shaw's uneasiness grew. She stood up and said, "I'll go check the restroom, see if she's alright."
With that, Lauren Shaw walked out.
As she reached the bathroom door, a familiar voice made her stop in her tracks.
"So you're really Lauren Shaw's lackey now. I never thought you'd be crawling back to work there again."
It was Eva Snow, her tone dripping with arrogance and disdain, thick with mockery.
Sisi faced her without fear. "Miss Xue, I can't agree to what you're asking. If you're trying to get something out of me, I'm sorry, but you've got the wrong person."
"Tch. You really think Lauren Shaw doesn't have any reservations about you? How about this: come work at my studio. I'll pay you triple what she pays."
Eva Snow laid out her tempting offer, sure that Sisi would be swayed.
"You could offer me ten times as much, and I still wouldn't betray Sienna Shaw again." Sisi stood firm. She'd only betrayed Lauren Shaw before to scrape together enough for her father's surgery.
But Lauren Shaw hadn't blamed her. Instead, she let her stay at the studio and even gave her a better position. How could Sisi repay that kindness with another betrayal?
Eva Snow’s face twisted. "Your father’s doing well lately, isn’t he?"
Sisi couldn’t quite read her meaning.
"Seems Miss Xue is awfully interested in my staff?" Lauren Shaw had appeared in the doorway. When Sisi saw her, she shrank back, a little flustered.
"Sienna Shaw, I…"
"It's alright, you head back. Mia May and Maya Wells are waiting for you," Lauren Shaw gave her a reassuring smile.
Grateful, Sisi hurried back to the private room.
Eva Snow shot Lauren Shaw a mocking look. "I was just having a friendly chat with your employee—what, don't trust me?"
"If there’s anything you want to know, just ask me directly. No need to bother my staff," Lauren Shaw returned her gaze, a faint smile on her lips, though it didn’t reach her eyes, which remained icy.
"I'm old friends with your staff. I did her a huge favor before, so it’s only right she help me with a thing or two."
Lauren Shaw thought for a moment. It must be the fifty thousand she’d given Sisi.
Eva Snow raised her brows in challenge.
A realization dawned on Lauren Shaw. "Ah, now I remember. I really ought to thank you for that—fifty thousand yuan to save my employee’s father, you have a kind heart, Miss Xue. I’ll thank you on her behalf."
Eva Snow hadn’t expected Lauren Shaw to know everything. Her face darkened.
"But if you know she betrayed you, why keep her at your studio?"
Lauren Shaw looked at her calmly. "Just to spite you."
She had to admit, watching Eva Snow get all worked up while being totally helpless was quite entertaining. The more frustrated Eva Snow got, the happier she felt.
Eva Snow glared at her, teeth gritted in rage. "You’re so childish!"
"That’s still better than you—when you can’t get to me, you go after my staff. Have you no shame?" Lauren Shaw fired back without hesitation.
Eva Snow had no comeback. She stormed off, fuming.
Even though her family had warned her not to mess with Lauren Shaw, she couldn’t just accept defeat. If she couldn’t beat Lauren Shaw outright, she’d find another way—anything to keep Lauren Shaw from having an easy time.
In her mind, Lauren Shaw had stolen everything: Yancy Shaw, and now the prestigious signed designer position at Shengmei Group. All of it should have been hers. How could she just accept watching it all go to Lauren Shaw instead?
Lauren Shaw returned to the private room. The three of them hadn’t touched their chopsticks, waiting for her.
"Sienna Shaw, thank you for earlier—otherwise, who knows what she would've tried to pull on me," Sisi said.
After hearing Sisi’s story, Mia May and Maya Wells jumped in to encourage her.
"There’s no need to be afraid of her, Sisi. You’ve got us in your corner."
"Yeah! If it comes down to it, we’ll just throw hands. No way she can take us all!"
Both of them knew about what happened last time. They'd been a bit upset, but in the end, it hadn’t caused any real harm.
This time, Sisi’s resolve was steady. She knew you shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you—even if it meant offending Eva Snow, she wouldn’t betray Lauren Shaw again.
By the time they finished dinner, it was nearly nine.
Back at home, Lauren Shaw sat wearily on the sofa, gazing at the empty apartment with a small pang of loneliness.
She found herself missing her man.
She took out her phone and called Yancy Shaw.
He picked up almost instantly.
"Sheng-sheng." His voice, deep and slightly husky, instantly swept all the tiredness from her heart.
Lauren Shaw let out a small sound in reply.
It sounded lively on his end. She asked, "Aren’t you back at the hotel yet?"
"Not yet. I have a dinner tonight, but I'll head back soon."
He softly walked her through his schedule for the day.
Holding the phone, he kept talking as he walked, stopping only when the surroundings had quieted.
"Wife, I miss you so much." His voice, deepened even more by the phone, was so pleasant to hear it made her heart flutter.
Lauren Shaw couldn’t help but smile.
"It's only been a few hours. How could you already miss me?"
"You have no idea how much I can’t live without you."
He’d said the same words the previous night, after their passionate moments, holding her as they went to the bathroom—he hadn’t wanted to let her go.
The memory made Lauren Shaw’s cheeks flush.
"Sheng-sheng," he murmured her name.
"What is it?" she waited expectantly for what he would say next.
"Nothing, really. I just wanted to call your name."
Just then, someone called out for him on the other end.
"So you’re hiding in here to make a call—come on, the professor’s looking for you!"
Yancy Shaw replied calmly, "Alright, I'll be there in a bit. I’m on the phone with my wife."
Hearing that, the person was momentarily stunned. "You’re married?"
Yancy Shaw nodded. Seeing the phone in his hand, the other man smiled, "I’ll leave you to it then. I’ll tell the professor."
"If you’re busy, go ahead and take care of things," Lauren Shaw said, ready to hang up.
"I’m not busy," he said quickly, his tone just a little urgent. "I just want to talk to you a bit longer."