We finished the meeting a little after one o’clock.
A thick stack of signed documents lay neatly in front of me.
At least something productive had come out of the morning.
I closed the final file and stood.
"Now that everything is settled, lunch is on me."
Several people brightened immediately.
"We’ll gladly accept," Lilian’s agent, Kendra Johnson, said with a broad smile.
"There’s a new restaurant downstairs," I said. "Let’s go there."
Kendra turned to Lilian at once.
"Aren’t you having lunch with CEO Blackwood? You should invite him too."
Lilian lowered her lashes, smiling shyly.
"I can ask... but I’m not sure he’ll agree."
Kendra laughed.
"Oh please. Since when has he ever refused you?"
A few people chuckled.
Lilian’s smile only deepened.
Something twisted painfully in my chest.
I excused myself under the pretense of sending the signed files to my office, then quietly instructed my assistant to reserve the restaurant’s best private room.
If I had to endure this lunch, at least I would control the setting.
By the time I arrived downstairs, everyone was already seated and chatting comfortably.
My lunch.
My reservation.
My bill.
Yet somehow, I felt like the outsider.
I took my seat and ate quietly, speaking only when necessary.
Then Kendra turned toward me with sudden interest.
"I’ve heard quite a lot about Director Alicia."
Her smile was pleasant.
Her eyes were not.
"You must have been with the company a long time?"
Before I could answer, the product manager spoke proudly.
"Only two years. But don’t let her age fool you. Director Alicia is extremely capable. Every project she has led has been successful."
Kendra nodded politely.
But her expression made it clear she had no interest in my achievements.
"Director Alicia certainly seems capable," she said lightly. "Though I heard she is CEO Blackwood’s adopted sister... and the chairwoman’s favorite granddaughter."
The room fell silent.
Everyone understood the meaning beneath her words.
Not capable.
Privileged.
Placed here.
The product manager’s jaw tightened.
I smiled calmly.
"It’s true my grandmother personally trained me. What exactly are you implying?"
Kendra lifted a hand innocently.
"Nothing at all. Being favored by Chairwoman Blackwood is simply... a rare blessing."
Her tone said otherwise.
I set down my utensils.
"Yes," I said evenly. "She took me in. Otherwise, I may have ended up elsewhere."
Kendra tilted her head.
"Wasn’t it because your father played the perfect son after the chairman passed away? That’s why she accepted you?"
The insult was so direct that several people looked down at their plates.
I met her gaze without blinking.
"So you’re saying Chairwoman Blackwood wasn’t satisfied with her own children’s abilities?"
Her smile froze.
"That’s not what I—"
The private room door opened.
Every head turned.
Alexander entered first.
Lilian walked beside him.
He wore a black tailored suit, composed and distant as ever. She glowed beside him in a fitted cream dress, elegant and luminous.
They looked effortless together.
Like they belonged in the same world.
The product manager leaned closer and whispered under his breath.
"Boss... Mr. Blackwood and Miss Summer truly look perfect together. Looks like the business world may soon welcome a new matriarch."
The words sliced through me.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Still, I rose with a professional smile.
"Mr. Blackwood. Welcome."
Kendra hurried to rearrange the seating.
"Please, Mr. Blackwood. Lilian. Sit here."
Side by side.
Of course.
Everyone stood instinctively.
Alexander gave a slight nod.
"Please. Sit."
Only then did the room settle again.
On the surface, the atmosphere remained elegant and friendly.
Inside me, something was unraveling thread by thread.
Throughout the meal, Kendra and the others tried hard to entertain them.
Compliments.
Laughter.
Carefully timed jokes.
Alexander spoke little, but every casual word from him drew immediate attention.
Lilian smiled brightly and accepted it all with practiced ease.
I barely touched my food.
Between his indifference and her radiance, I felt myself disappearing.
As though I had never belonged at this table.
Then Kendra glanced at Lilian’s plate and laughed.
"Lilian, celebrities really suffer for beauty. You hardly eat anything."
"I know..." Lilian pouted playfully.
Then she picked up a slice of spicy beef with her chopsticks and placed it onto Alexander’s plate.
"Alexander," she said sweetly, "this is delicious. I know you hate spicy food... but can you try it for me?"
The room instantly grew quiet.
Because everyone knew what came next.
Would the untouchable Alexander Blackwood bend for her?
And for some reason...
I stopped breathing while waiting for the answer.