Chapter 482

Dominic, who had been silently watching the exchange, threw a confused glance at Audrey. "Useless? Ordinary worker? Are you seriously describing—"

His sentence about Adrian Blackwood was abruptly cut off as Audrey elbowed him sharply in the side.

"Zip it," she whispered urgently through clenched teeth, her eyes flashing a warning. "Unless you want to make a complete fool of yourself."

Though Dominic didn't understand the underlying tension, he had enough sense to clamp his mouth shut.

The awkward silence stretched until one of their classmates attempted to diffuse the situation. "Come on, let's not stand around the entrance all night," she said with forced cheerfulness. "We should get seated. Once Giselle's and Vivian's partners arrive, we can finally order."

The mention of Vivian's husband was clearly an afterthought. All eyes were on Giselle's supposedly illustrious boyfriend Victor, who had promised to foot the bill for this reunion dinner.

With polite murmurs and nervous laughter, the group began filing into the private dining room. Several male classmates rushed to play gentlemen, pulling out chairs for Vivian, Audrey, and Dominic.

Giselle seethed as she watched the attention shift away from her. Just minutes ago, everyone had been hanging on her every word about her powerful boyfriend. Now they were fawning over Vivian's circle instead.

Slumping back into her seat, Giselle angrily pulled out her phone and fired off a message to Victor. "Sweetheart, where are you?" she typed furiously.

The reply came instantly but was frosty. "I said I'm coming. Stop pestering me. It's irritating."

Heat flooded Giselle's cheeks. She quickly locked her phone screen, terrified someone might have seen the humiliating exchange.

As she tried to compose herself, the elevator pinged again. A classmate who hadn't yet sat down turned toward the sound. The doors slid open to reveal Adrian Blackwood striding toward them with the effortless grace of someone who owned every room he entered.

The man froze mid-step, his jaw dropping. "M-Mr. Blackwood?" he stammered, voice barely above a whisper.

His reaction sent a ripple through the group as heads swiveled toward the doorway. The atmosphere shifted instantly, charged with electricity. A stunned silence fell before erupting into excited murmurs.

"He's even more gorgeous in person!" "Those cheekbones could cut glass!" "Is he a model or something?" "Why is he coming here?"

The private room buzzed with the kind of energy usually reserved for celebrity sightings. Just as Adrian reached for the door handle, his phone rang. He paused in the hallway to take the call, his imposing silhouette visible through the glass.

From her seat, Vivian admired her husband's profile. Even among this crowd of successful professionals, he stood out like a diamond among pebbles.

A warm glow spread through her chest as she realized this extraordinary man was truly hers. Vivian, long accustomed to being the most admired woman in any room, found greater pride in seeing her classmates awestruck by her husband than she'd ever felt from personal compliments.

There was a time she'd felt like mere dust at Adrian's feet, only notable through reflected glory. But now she understood - she belonged beside him at the summit, not beneath it.