If Serena had heard Quentin's inner thoughts, she probably would have slapped him twice across the face.
She was not afraid of her cousin.
Who did he think he was, trying to flex his influence in front of her?
"Serena, we..." Quentin tried to speak.
Serena cut him off. "Quentin, take Waylon and get out of here. If his father finds out you brought him to bother the Churchills, he'll be furious."
Waylon and Quentin had momentarily forgotten that they couldn't afford to offend the Green family, nor could they afford to cross the Churchills.
Quentin was also terrified of his uncle.
"And your head-go to the hospital and get it checked. What if you have a concussion or something?" Serena pointed at her own forehead, reminding her cousin.
They really were the type to prioritize their egos over their lives.
Showing up to a dinner party after a crash like that.
What a pair of idiots!
"Right, we need to get our brains checked!"
In his panic, Waylon's words tumbled out awkwardly.
He was usually arrogant out in the world, but he still had people he feared.
Like his older cousin. Even though they weren't siblings, she held an absolute, terrifying authority over him.
He simply hadn't noticed she was in the room earlier; if he had, he never would have been so brazen.
As soon as Waylon bolted, Serena called Mrs. Hudson.
"Mrs. Hudson, Waylon and Quentin went out tonight, got into a scuffle on the road, and ended up in a car accident."
"It looked like they both took a hit. Waylon has a massive bump on his head."
"I'm stuck at a dinner and can't leave, so I sent them straight to the hospital."
"When he gets home later, make sure you interrogate him and see if he's actually alright."
Mrs. Hudson thanked her profusely over the phone, secretly cursing both her son and Quentin to hell and back.
Needless to say, she would be dragging Waylon home tonight, and Quentin would be facing a severe lecture.
Serena hung up the phone, perfectly concealing her masterful manipulation.
The rest of the table couldn't help but laugh.
That fool Quentin actually thought bringing Waylon along would give him enough leverage to throw his weight around.
He had no idea Serena was sitting right there.
Besides, Caleb, Hanson, Yanni, and Ewan were all formidable men in their own right.
Even the second-in-command of Cabinda wouldn't dare offend this crowd easily.
Owen certainly knew how to pick his inner circle.
With the nuisances finally gone, Dane and Claire sat closer together.
Owen took the opportunity to formally introduce Claire's secondary role to the group.
"Claire isn't just a fellow shareholder;
she's the core of our operation. The two products Luminate recently launched were entirely formulated by her."
At that, even those who had privately investigated Luminate were caught off guard.
Claire looked far too young. They
had their suspicions, but hearing et
Owen confirm it out loud was still hard to believe.
"Claire is incredible."
The group decided to adopt a casual, friendly tone, acknowledging that she was the youngest one in the room.
Treating her like a close friend felt natural given her partnership with Owen.
But if they factored in Dane, they would practically have to bow to her and treat her with the utmost reverence.
Calling someone so young by such a formal title felt like it would age her instantly.
Ewan already knew Claire was a medical prodigy, so he didn't doubt her credentials for a second.
"Dr. James is genuinely brilliant.
Thanks
regaining feeling in my leg, teatly
to her treatment, I'm
even walk again one day
Worried that the others might doubt Claire's abilities, Ewan threw his support behind
her.
Claire shot him a look. *Gee, thanks.*
Thinking she was genuinely grateful, Ewan offered a shy smile.
She was Yolande's cousin, after all. Helping her now would definitely score him
points with Yolande later.
Claire's expression shifted as she stared at him.
She had no idea what kind of angle this guy was playing.
His previous attitude toward her had been downright frigid, bordering on outright
suspicion of her medical skills.