Chapter 407

The cheerful facade on Serena's face cracked.

Her delicate eyebrows drew together as she snatched up her napkin and flung it onto the table with an irritated sigh. "Must we discuss that woman during lunch?"

Adrian chose not to push further, his voice shifting to a carefully neutral tone as he smoothly redirected the conversation. "What was it you wanted to discuss earlier? Is it funding for the show? Name your price and I'll have the transfer processed immediately."

His hand disappeared into his tailored suit pocket, searching for his phone.

Serena interrupted sharply, her voice firm yet controlled. "This isn't about money."

A brief hesitation passed before her earlier frustration softened into something more vulnerable. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she confessed, "Vivian is participating in that show too. You know how the media loves comparing us. Could you... ask her to withdraw?"

The private dining room plunged into uncomfortable silence. Adrian sat motionless, his lips pressed into a thin line, deliberately ignoring Serena's request. His fingers absently tapped the edge of his phone as he read Ethan's incoming message, wondering about his assistant's whereabouts.

After typing a brief reply, he turned off the screen and began tracing the phone's edges, his expression unreadable.

Serena, seated across from him, turned her attention toward the decorative lattice partition. Through the intricate carvings, she spotted Ethan approaching with two women. One was unmistakably Vivian, radiating quiet elegance. The other, dressed in bold, statement-making attire, was Vivian's friend.

A spark of calculation ignited in Serena's eyes. Fortune was favoring her today. She'd only intended to "accidentally" bump into Adrian at Blackwood Group headquarters. But when she spotted his car outside Opal Galleria, she couldn't resist following him inside. Now, not only was Adrian here, but Vivian had appeared as well.

With Vivian as her unintended audience, Serena knew her performance needed to be Oscar-worthy. She wasn't just playing for Adrian's sympathy - she wanted Vivian to witness firsthand who Adrian would always choose.

Originally, Serena had planned to use the show as her stage to publicly reclaim her position as the future Mrs. Blackwood, especially in front of Vivian. When Adrian had shockingly announced his marriage to Vivian on air, it had been a devastating blow.

Serena had always viewed Adrian as untouchable, a man above such mundane emotions as love. The idea that she could ever capture his heart had seemed impossible.

When Vivian married Adrian, Serena hadn't been concerned. Without family connections or influence, how could some nobody possibly maintain her position as Mrs. Blackwood? In fact, Vivian's arrival had played perfectly into Serena's hands - creating a modern Cinderella story that would make her own eventual triumph seem inevitable.

But she never anticipated Adrian would actually fall for Vivian - to the point of abandoning his years of devotion to Serena. Tears welled in Serena's eyes as she fixed Adrian with a gaze brimming with longing. Her voice trembled with carefully measured emotion.

"Adrian, do you know true terror?" she whispered. "It's not living in darkness. It's being shown the light, having the colors of the world revealed to you... only to be cast back into the abyss."

Adrian's response was cool, detached. "I never said I'd abandon you, Serena. I promised you wouldn't return to your former life, and I intend to honor that. Your lifestyle will be maintained - even enhanced. I can transfer shares from several Azurevale companies into your name. That way, you'll—"