Chapter 409

Vivian's lips curled into an icy smile, her words laced with razor-sharp precision. "How amusing. Ethan claimed you came here to fetch me, yet now you're interrogating my presence. So tell me, which one of you is spinning fairy tales?"

The air grew thick with tension as Adrian and Vivian engaged in a silent battle of wills. Ethan stood trapped between them like a tightrope walker, his collar suddenly too tight against his throat. Normally composed around Adrian, this confrontation left him paralyzed.

Audrey, usually Vivian's most vocal defender, hovered near the doorway, her conflicted gaze shifting between them. Since beginning her relationship with Dominic, Audrey had developed a more measured approach, her once-fiery impulses tempered by love. She knew intervening now would only escalate tensions between Vivian and Adrian, giving Serena—always the opportunist—the perfect opening.

Serena shattered the silence with practiced innocence. "Ms. Hartley, please don't blame Adrian. He wasn't hiding anything. I simply stopped by for lunch and we happened to cross paths." Her hand fluttered toward her purse. "I can show you my schedule—I just finished a commercial shoot."

Vivian remained unmoved, her polite smile never reaching her eyes. "Ms. Whitmore, whatever disagreement exists between my husband and me is private. Even my dearest friend hasn't intervened, so an outsider certainly shouldn't. Boundaries matter, don't you agree?"

Serena's hand froze mid-air, color flooding her cheeks. After an awkward pause, she returned her phone to her bag, murmuring, "I meant no offense."

Vivian strode to Adrian's table, deliberately pulling out a chair. Audrey followed, practically throwing herself into the seat beside her friend. Her silent presence spoke volumes.

Adrian broke the silence first. "I came to pick you up," he said evenly, though his fingers betrayed him with restless tapping. "I didn't expect you with Ethan. Serena was... coincidental." The words rang true, yet carried an undercurrent of something indefinable.

Vivian nodded, her assessing gaze never wavering. After a beat, she asked, "Which show did you decide I wouldn't be doing?"

Adrian's brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "What show?" He turned to Serena. "Serena, what's this about?"

A cold laugh escaped Vivian's lips. She reached for Adrian's water glass, took a deliberate sip, then set it down with a sharp clink. "How fascinating," she drawled. "You made decisions about my career without even knowing the details."

Serena's smile faltered when Adrian, without hesitation, picked up the glass Vivian had just used and drank from it. The act was shocking—Adrian's notorious germaphobia was legendary. In all their years together, he'd never shared utensils, let alone drank after her. Their physical contact had always been carefully controlled—brief handholds, the occasional hug when she was ill.

Unwanted images flooded Serena's mind—Adrian and Vivian tangled together, sharing intimacies far beyond anything she'd experienced. Her nails bit into her palms, the pain anchoring her to the present.

"The show is Spotlight Night," Serena explained, forcing steadiness into her voice. "Blazing Horizon's producers wanted to promote the drama and asked me to appear. With all the online comparisons between our performances, I thought it best to avoid negative publicity for both our sakes."