Chapter 150

Author’s POV
Ethan Quinn lifted his gaze, scanning the room briefly before freezing in place. The woman before him had a face that bore an uncanny seven-eighths resemblance to his mother!
If Serena didn’t look so young, he might have actually mistaken her identity.
Was this merely coincidence?
The shock in Ethan’s eyes was unmistakable, leaving Serena completely bewildered.
“Mr. Quinn, pleased to meet you,” Serena broke the awkward silence, extending her hand.
Ethan finally snapped back to reality, suppressing the complicated emotions swirling inside him as he briefly shook her hand.
“The reputation of Lazuli precedes you, of course,” he said with a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, his gaze repeatedly returning to study her features.
The more he looked, the more striking the similarity became.
Everyone present was astute in reading social dynamics.
Mr. Brook immediately noticed the strange atmosphere between them and, without prying, excused himself to attend to other guests.
Serena smiled politely, intending to find a place to sit down. Before she could excuse herself, Ethan spoke.
“I noticed we share the same surname,”Quinn isn’t particularly common. Quite the coincidence.”
Serena blinked, surprised by the observation. “Oh? I hadn’t realized. I always thought it was fairly common.”
“Do you have a middle name, Ms. Quinn?” he asked, his tone casual but his eyes intense.
Serena offered a polite smile, her voice light but leaving no room for further inquiry. “I do, but… I’d rather keep that to myself, if you don’t mind.”
Ethan inclined his head slightly, a faint smile touching his lips. “Of course. My apologies if I was being intrusive.”
Relieved that the conversation seemed to be over, Serena let out a small, quiet breath—only for Ethan to speak again.”Ms. Serena, where are you from originally?”
Serena blinked, assuming this was just casual conversation and not giving it much thought.
“I’m from New York.”
“Have you always lived there?”
Ethan’s questions struck Serena as peculiar, leaving her increasingly confused.
At such a formal reception, discussing competition matters would be normal, but personal questions seemed somewhat inappropriate.
Still maintaining her polite smile, Serena answered briefly, “More or less. Except for business trips and vacations, I’ve mainly stayed in New York.”
“I noticed we share the same surname,” Ethan remarked suddenly, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Quinn isn’t particularly common. Quite the coincidence.”
Serena blinked, surprised by the observation. “Oh? I hadn’t realized. I always thought it was fairly common.”
“Do you have a middle name, Ms. Quinn?” he asked, his tone casual but his eyes intense.
Serena offered a polite smile, her voice light but leaving no room for further inquiry. “I do, but… I’d rather keep that to myself, if you don’t mind.”
Ethan inclined his head slightly, a faint smile touching his lips. “Of course. My apologies if I was being intrusive.”
Reaching for a glass of juice from a nearby table, she raised it slightly toward Ethan. “I need to sit down for a bit. If you’ll excuse me.”
This time Ethan didn’t follow. Serena sat down, sipping her juice while surveying the room. She recognized a few familiar faces, but most attendees were strangers to her.
Mr. Brook bustled about, socializing with obvious charm and popularity.
The design competition preliminaries would begin tomorrow, so she needed an early night to be well-rested. Several people approached to greet her, and Serena handled each interaction gracefully.
Occasionally, she sensed a gaze upon her–probing, assessing, almost searching. Serena initially ignored it, but as she prepared to leave, she noticed someone approaching.
Turning her head, she found Ethan Quinn.
“Mr. Quinn, is there something you need?”
“Not particularly. It’s just getting rather noisy in here, so I thought I’d step out for some air.”
Serena laughed dryly, realizing she’d misinterpreted his intentions.
“Please, don’t let me stop you.”
They entered the elevator together, and Ethan spoke again.
“Is this your first visit to San Francisco, Ms. Serena?”
“Yes, it is.”
“There’s an excellent coffee shop nearby. Would you care to try it?”
Serena grimaced slightly, pressing the button for her floor.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Quinn, but in my current condition, coffee isn’t advisable.”
She shifted slightly, making her rounded belly more noticeable. Serena had assumed the CEO was flirting and offered a subtle rejection.
Ethan nodded repeatedly. “That was thoughtless of me. Ms. Serena, being pregnant and serving as a judge must be quite demanding. Please take care of your health.”
Serena glanced at him, surprised to find genuine concern rather than the embarrassment or disdain she’d anticipated.
Something stirred within her – perhaps she had misjudged him.
“Ms. Serena, you bear a striking resemblance to someone I once knew. I find it… comforting. I hope you don’t mind my saying so?”
Just as Ethan finished speaking, the elevator doors opened with a soft “ding,” bringing Serena back to the moment.
“Not at all, but I’m quite tired today. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Quinn.”
She stepped out, waving goodbye.
Ethan nodded as the doors closed, then sighed quietly.
“The resemblance grows stronger the more I look he murmured to himself, his words heard by no one.