Chapter 372

"What an amusing coincidence," one of them chuckled mockingly. "One of you grabs the wrong phone, while the other can't even get through to her own husband."

"Talk about bad timing."

Audrey's patience snapped like a twig. "Adrian, you absolute fool! How could you fail me at the most critical moment?" She whirled toward Vivian with desperation. "Call Ethan now!"

"That's enough!" the receptionist barked, shooing them away like bothersome flies. "This is a workplace, not some daytime drama. If my supervisor sees this commotion, I'll be the one facing consequences. Either leave immediately or I'll have you escorted out!"

Before the situation could deteriorate further, the soft ping of an elevator interrupted the confrontation. The doors parted to reveal two uniformed staff members balancing stacks of insulated food containers between them.

"Ms. Whitmore certainly spares no expense," one remarked admiringly. "This spread for Mr. Blackwood could feed an entire board meeting."

His companion whistled low. "That's high society for you. Each dish costs more than my weekly salary, and there's enough here for ten people. Such extravagance."

The first staff member nudged him sharply, noticing the gathering crowd. "Keep your voice down."

They disappeared through a service door, leaving behind a heavy silence. The receptionist's gaze dropped to the modest lunchbox in Vivian's hands, her lips twisting into a smirk.

"Did you catch that?" she sneered. "Our CEO dines on gourmet cuisine delivered personally. You actually thought your homemade leftovers would impress him? Even if his wife showed up with a five-course meal, it wouldn't make a difference."

"Everyone knows Serena holds the key to his heart. Save yourself the embarrassment and leave."

"Are you deliberately obtuse or just painfully uninformed?" Audrey challenged, her voice rising with indignation. "Say that again, I dare you! How dare you compare that social climber to Vivian?" Flames of fury danced in her eyes as she advanced on the receptionist.

The receptionist stumbled backward, her voice shrill with panic. "Security! Immediately! We have two unstable individuals causing a disturbance - they're becoming physically aggressive!"

Two guards came rushing at the summons. The receptionist jabbed an accusatory finger. "Remove these women at once!"

One guard hesitated, recognition flashing across his face. "Wait, I've seen this lady speaking with Ethan before. Shouldn't we check with him first?" he suggested cautiously.

The receptionist planted her hands on her hips. "Ethan interacts with hundreds of people daily! If we bothered him every time some delusional fan showed up, what would be the point of having security? If she were truly important, her name would be on the visitor list!"

The guard wavered, torn between his faint memory of Ethan's respectful demeanor toward Vivian and the receptionist's authoritative stance. From his distant observation post, he couldn't be certain of their actual relationship.

"Ladies, please vacate the premises peacefully," the guard finally said, gesturing toward the exit while carefully avoiding physical contact.

Audrey cocked one hip, jabbing a manicured finger at the receptionist. "Who exactly do you think you are? The CEO's personal gatekeeper? You haven't even verified our identities. What gives you the right to order us around?"