We finished the meeting a little after one o'clock. A thick stack of signed documents lay neatly in front of me. At least something productive had come out of the morning.
I closed the final file and stood.
"Now that everything is settled, lunch is on me."
Several people brightened immediately.
"We'll gladly accept," Lilian's agent, Kendra Johnson, said with a broad smile.
"There's a new restaurant downstairs," I said. "Let's go there."
Kendra turned to Lilian at once.
"Aren't you having lunch with CEO Blackwood? You should invite him too."
Lilian lowered her lashes, smiling shyly.
"I can ask... but I'm not sure he'll agree."
Kendra laughed. "Oh please. Since when has he ever refused you?"
A few people chuckled.
Lilian's smile only deepened, while something twisted painfully in my chest.
I excused myself under the pretense of sending the signed files to my office, then quietly instructed my assistant to reserve the restaurant's best private room.
If I had to endure this lunch, at least I would control the setting.
By the time I arrived downstairs, everyone was already seated and chatting comfortably.
My lunch.
My reservation.
My bill.
Yet somehow, I felt like the outsider.
I took my seat and ate quietly, speaking only when necessary. Then Kendra turned toward me with sudden interest.
"I've heard quite a lot about Director Alicia."
Her smile was pleasant, but her eyes were anything but. I could sense the hostility in them.
"You must have been with the company a long time?"
Before I could answer, the product manager spoke proudly. "Only two years. But don't let her age fool you. Director Alicia is extremely capable. Every project she has led has been successful."
Kendra nodded politely, but her expression made it clear she had no interest in my achievements.
"Director Alicia certainly seems capable," she said lightly. "Though I heard she is CEO Blackwood's adopted sister... and the chairwoman's favorite granddaughter."
The room fell silent. Everyone understood the meaning beneath her words.
It wasn't that I was capable. I was simply privileged enough to be placed here. Family connections brought me in, not hard work.
The product manager's jaw tightened. However, I maintained a calm smile.
"It's true. I was extremely fortunate to have my grandmother train me personally. Are you trying to imply something, Miss Johnson?"
Kendra lifted a hand innocently. "Nothing at all. Being favored by Chairwoman Blackwood is simply... a rare blessing."
Her tone said otherwise.
I set down my utensils.
"Yes," I said evenly. "She took me in. Otherwise, I may have ended up elsewhere."
Kendra tilted her head.
"Wasn't it because your father played the perfect son after the chairman passed away? That's why she accepted you?"
The insult was so direct that several people looked down at their plates.
I met her gaze without blinking.
"So you're saying Chairwoman Blackwood wasn't satisfied with her own children's abilities?"
Her smile froze. "That's not what I—"
The private room door opened. Every head turned to the source of the sound. Alexander entered first, with Lilian right beside him.
He wore a black tailored suit, composed and distant as ever. She glowed beside him in a fitted cream dress, elegant and luminous.
They looked effortless together, like they belonged in the same world, a world different from the rest of us.
The product manager leaned closer and whispered under his breath.
"Boss... Mr. Blackwood and Miss Summer truly look perfect together. Looks like the business world may soon welcome a new matriarch."
The words sliced through me. I felt the blood drain from my face. Still, I rose with a professional smile.
"Mr. Blackwood. Welcome."
Kendra hurried to rearrange the seating. "Please, Mr. Blackwood. Lilian. Sit here."
Side by side. Of course.
Everyone stood instinctively.
Alexander gave a slight nod. "Please. Sit."
Only then did the room settle again. On the surface, the atmosphere remained elegant and friendly. Inside me, something was unraveling thread by thread.
Throughout the meal, Kendra and the others tried hard to entertain them. There were loads of compliments and laughter, all fueled by carefully timed jokes.
Alexander spoke little, but every casual word from him drew immediate attention. Lilian, on the other hand, smiled brightly and accepted it all with practiced ease.
Watching them made me feel sick to the stomach. I barely touched my food.
Between his indifference and her radiance, I felt myself disappearing. It was bad enough before they joined, but this was even worse than before. It felt as though I didn't have a place at this table.
Then Kendra glanced at Lilian's plate and laughed.
"Lilian, celebrities really suffer for beauty. You hardly eat anything."
"I know..." Lilian pouted playfully.
Then she picked up a slice of spicy beef with her chopsticks and placed it onto Alexander's plate. He noticed the sliced beef, his eyebrows slightly scrunching. It was a small movement that would barely be noticeable to an untrained eye, unless one knew what to look out for.
I frowned instinctively. "Miss Summer, Mr. Blackwood is unable to—"
"Alexander," she said sweetly, "this is delicious. I know you hate spicy food... but can you try it for me?"