Vivienne's POV Cont
The atmosphere in the private room became tense after Eliza made her comments.
Not only did my colleagues from Vanguard Global Enterprises look uncomfortable but even Isabella's own team seemed uneasy.
One of her assistants quietly pulled at Eliza's sleeve under the table as if trying to stop her from continuing.
Eliza still sat straight with her chin raised and did not look ashamed at all.
I asked her calmly if she was trying to say that Chairman Hawthorne only cared about money and did not value old relationships.
My voice sounded steady but I felt anger building inside my chest. Eliza's expression changed slightly and she quickly said that was not what she meant.
Before the situation could get worse the private room door opened and Alexander walked in with Isabella beside him.
Both of them looked confident and polished. He looked composed and powerful and she looked like a shining celebrity who attracted everyone's attention. When they stood together they looked perfect and people naturally focused on them.
The product manager leaned closer to me and whispered that Alexander and Isabella looked like a perfect match and that we might soon have a new matriarch in the company.
His words felt like a knife cutting into my chest. My face turned pale but I forced a smile and stood up to greet them.
Eliza quickly arranged seats for them together and everyone stood to welcome them. Alexander told everyone to sit down and the meal began again. The atmosphere looked peaceful on the surface but inside me everything felt chaotic and painful.
During the meal Eliza and others kept praising Alexander and Isabella and trying to keep the conversation lively.
Alexander spoke very little but when he did everyone listened carefully. I stayed quiet and felt invisible as their eyes met and they smiled at each other.
At one point Eliza reminded Isabella to watch her portions because celebrities always had to maintain their figure.
Isabella complained playfully and then placed a piece of spicy beef on Alexander's plate asking him to eat it. I knew Alexander had a sensitive stomach and avoided spicy food. I almost warned him but before I could say anything he ate it calmly without hesitation.
My words stayed trapped inside me and I felt foolish for even thinking about speaking up.
The meal continued and after several drinks the atmosphere became more relaxed. Eliza suddenly asked Alexander about me and said she heard I was his sister and that we must be very close.
Alexander looked at me briefly then looked at Isabella and said that he only took care of me out of respect for Grandpa.
His words felt like thunder inside my head. I realized that in front of Isabella he wanted to make it clear that we were not close.
I forced a smile and said I was only his subordinate and that there was nothing special between us. Eliza said she was just curious since we would be working together.
The dinner lasted more than two hours and finally ended. I let everyone leave first and returned to my office to continue working until evening.
At around eight I prepared to go home. The office floor was quiet and empty except for the CEO's office which still had lights on. I hesitated but eventually knocked on his door and asked if he had any plans for the evening.
He said no and told me to leave together with him.
At home dinner was already prepared. I ate a small amount while Alexander went to the library to continue working. I sat in the living room watching television and drinking warm water.
I quietly took a pill from a bottle and swallowed it. Suddenly Alexander appeared behind me and asked if I was sick.
I felt startled but told him I had stomach problems recently. He asked if I had seen a doctor and I said yes. He told me to take better care of myself and his tone sounded concerned. I nodded but inside I felt sad because his concern felt distant and formal.
The next morning my phone rang early. My assistant sounded panicked and told me to check the trending topics immediately. I opened my tablet and saw photos of Alexander and Isabella entering and leaving a restaurant together.
Online accounts were spreading rumors quickly. I stayed calm and told my assistant to contact Isabella's team but not release any response yet.
I asked him to prepare group photos where Alexander and Isabella did not look too close so we could shape the story as a business collaboration.
I dressed quickly and went to the office. My assistant told me that Alexander had already handed the matter over to CCPR. I stayed silent because I did not know what he planned. When I stepped out of the elevator I ran into Olivia. She mocked me and said some people were trying to seduce Alexander even though he had already said he was not close to certain people.
My assistant became angry but I ignored her and continued walking.
Olivia stopped me again and said Alexander told her to leak information that he and Isabella were once lovers. My body felt cold and my mind went blank.
I returned to my office and checked the trending topics again. The public discussion had already changed direction. People online were now talking about Isabella having a rich sponsor and questioning her career motives.
Old photos of Alexander and Isabella from college appeared everywhere. They were called the campus couple and people believed they had reunited romantically.
Netizens also noticed that the brand ambassador suddenly changed from Lena Ashford to Isabella and they started connecting the events together.
I stared at the screen feeling shocked and helpless as everything spiraled out of control.
Alexander's POV
When I entered the private room during lunch I noticed the tension immediately. I sat beside Isabella because I wanted to support her publicly.
I spoke very little during the meal because I preferred to observe the reactions of everyone around me. When asked about Vivienne I gave a simple answer because I wanted to avoid personal misunderstandings in front of Isabella and the team.
Later I handed the trending topic crisis to CCPR because I believed it required professional crisis management and distance from personal emotions.
Isabella's POV
During lunch I noticed the strange atmosphere between Vivienne and Alexander but I tried to focus on maintaining a friendly mood.
I relied on Alexander's presence because returning to the local industry felt stressful.
When the online news appeared the next day I felt pressure because my reputation was important and any rumors could damage my comeback.
I trusted the company to handle the situation but I could feel that Vivienne carried a heavy emotional burden during the crisis.