When Yancy Shaw heard a man's voice on the other end of the call, he frowned and asked, "Sheng Sheng, what's going on?"

Hearing Yancy Shaw's voice snapped Lauren Shaw out of her thoughts.

"It's nothing. I just accidentally bumped into someone," Lauren Shaw replied with a slight nod. She and Mo Fan barely had any connection—she'd only met him once or twice, and her impression of him wasn't particularly good.

Mo Fan raised his eyebrows, standing right in her path, clearly not planning to step aside. He seemed to have something to say to her.

Lauren Shaw said to Yancy Shaw, "I'll call you back in a bit."

She hung up and looked at him. "Mr. Mo, can I help you?"

Mo Fan was about the same age as Shen Nan-feng, but his air of business was overpowering, making him seem cunning and shrewd. The way he looked at her made Lauren Shaw distinctly uncomfortable.

"I apologize for bumping into you just now. As an apology, may I invite you to dinner?"

Dinner?

Lauren Shaw remembered Yancy Shaw's advice: keep away from the Mo family. She never expected Mo Fan to actually ask her out.

She refused, "That won't be necessary. My husband is waiting for me. Excuse me."

Without another glance, Lauren Shaw turned and left. Mo Fan watched her retreating figure with amusement. She certainly was a free-spirited woman. He suddenly remembered that Mo Qinglin seemed quite interested in her too. Good taste, but unfortunately, she's already married.

Back in her car, Lauren Shaw called Yancy Shaw to mention running into Mo Fan. The whole encounter felt odd.

Yancy Shaw was quiet for a moment. "If you run into him again, just ignore him."

"Mm." Lauren Shaw didn't want to deal with anyone from the Mo family, but every time she met them, they acted so familiar, as if they had history. The feeling was unsettling.

As if something occurred to her, Lauren Shaw asked, "Do you think the reason Mo Fan came to Ancheng this time is to reclaim Shen Sylvia Shaw?"

That wasn't out of the question. Previously, Xue Man-zhi had worries about the truth coming out and stopped him. Now that those obstacles were gone—with the Snow family's power much diminished—Xue Man-zhi would surely look to Mo Fan for help to protect her family.

"My baby is so smart—you figured it all out!" Yancy Shaw heaped on the praise, as always.

"What do you think?"

"You're right. The Mo family once chose an alliance with the Snow family for their influence in Ancheng. If they want a share of the market here, they'll need a strong ally. But now the Snow family is barely holding together. Even if they cooperate, they can't make much trouble."

You had to admit, the Mo family's appetite was huge. Dominating all of East China wasn't enough—they still wanted a piece of Ancheng.

Overreaching ambition isn't always a good thing.

Lauren Shaw didn't dwell on it. Whatever they planned had nothing to do with her; as long as she stayed far away, she was content.

She drove to the company.

By now, everyone at the company knew she was the third young mistress of the Shen family, and their attitudes had shifted noticeably.

The planning manager handed her the proposal for the new product launch. After reading it, Lauren Shaw nodded in approval.

"The proposal looks great."

The planning manager beamed. "Thank you, Director Li."

Director Li?

Lauren Shaw looked up in surprise.

"President Shen said Director Xue has been dismissed due to personal issues, so you're now our head of design," explained the manager.

Lauren Shaw twitched her lips. She wasn't even prepared for this, and Bryce Shaw had already arranged it. He really was keeping the talent in the family.

"Is President Shen in?" she asked, deciding she needed to have a talk with Bryce Shaw. Who knew what job he'd toss her next?

"He is. The representative from our partner company just arrived—a lady from Harbor City, I heard."

"From Harbor City?" Lauren Shaw was intrigued.

The manager nodded. "Yes, supposedly the eldest miss of Longxin Real Estate herself."

Longxin Real Estate's eldest miss? Lauren Shaw thought she knew who that was.

After a bit in the office, Lauren Shaw headed back to the studio. Waiting for the elevator, she ran into Qin Jia, who was also waiting.

Qin Jia wore flawless makeup, flanked by her assistant and two sturdy bodyguards. The aura was intimidating, but Lauren Shaw wasn't fazed; she was a bit taller than Qin Jia, and even with the bodyguards, Lauren Shaw exuded calm confidence.

"Miss Li, long time no see." Qin Jia smiled openly, tipping her chin imperiously, her gaze probing Lauren Shaw.

She couldn't figure out what it was about Lauren Shaw that had captured Yancy Shaw. There didn't seem to be anything special.

Lauren Shaw met her gaze without a hint of avoidance. Her tone was cool: "Miss Qin. It's been a while."

Qin Jia smiled. "What a coincidence running into you today."

"Not really. I'm a designer here, so I'm at the company a lot."

Lauren Shaw knew Qin Jia's feelings for Yancy Shaw—she made no secret of coveting her man. There was no way Lauren Shaw could greet her with a friendly face.

Qin Jia hesitated at Lauren Shaw's straightforwardness.

"Do you have some time? I'd like to treat you to coffee."

"Let me treat you. After all, you've come a long way, Miss Qin. It wouldn't be right to let you pick up the bill."

Lauren Shaw smiled politely, but it didn't reach her eyes. If Qin Jia found nothing awkward about the situation, then Lauren Shaw saw no reason to be shy either.

Qin Jia was surprised at how readily Lauren Shaw agreed.

At the café, Lauren Shaw sat across from her. Just as they sat, she got a message from Yancy Shaw. Instinctively, the corners of her lips curled up as she replied on her phone.

Watching her smile, Qin Jia gripped her hand tighter and said, "Miss Li, your relationship with Mr. Shen is something to be envied."

After replying, Lauren Shaw glanced up, her voice light: "I'm sure you'll meet your Mr. Right someday too, Miss Qin."

Qin Jia sighed. "I already did. Too bad he already has someone else."

Lauren Shaw sneered inwardly—so this was her way of declaring her interest in her husband? She'd seen brazen types before, but never one so brazen they walked right up to her and announced it. Unbelievable!

"Well, if someone already has a partner, all the more reason to let go. You can't force fate—if I were you, I'd sincerely wish them happiness."

"But if I don't even try, how will I know whether it's really not meant for me? Men, after all, get bored eventually. These days, even married couples divorce left and right. Who knows what the future holds?" Qin Jia said, her tone full of implication.