Director Holland immediately grabbed the megaphone.

"lets take a break! We’ll continue later."

Then he personally went out to greet him.

Aiden walked over to me with an easy smile.

"How’s it going? How was my performance?"

"Pretty good," I replied. "You really did well"

It was obvious Director Holland was pleased with him as well. Everything had gone smoothly with barely any corrections.

Just then, a crew member entered carrying several bags, each filled with cups of freshly made fruit tea—the flavor everyone had been obsessed with lately.

"Here, everyone! CEO Blackwood’s treat! One cup each. If anyone wants more, there are extras outside."

I let out a cold laugh.

How flashy.

Aiden picked up two cups and brought them over, handing one to me.

"Are you going to say hello?" he asked.

"You go ahead."

Even if I didn’t go, Aiden still had to.

After all, he was part of a company-sponsored production, and Alexander was one of the investors. Making a good impression mattered.

Still, in the end, the two of us walked over together.

Director Holland was speaking warmly with Alexander.

Lilian stood beside him with her arm linked through his. The moment she saw me approaching, she gave me a provocative smile and rested her head against his shoulder.

Their intimacy stabbed at my eyes. My steps slowed, and I hesitated for a brief second.

Director Holland spotted Aiden and waved enthusiastically.

"Come here, come here! Let me introduce you to CEO Blackwood. This is Aiden Firestone—an incredibly talented and hardworking actor. I wonder if CEO Blackwood has heard of him?"

Alexander lifted his gaze.

His eyes moved past Aiden... and landed directly on me.

Third person POV

Alicia showed no reaction. She merely stood there in silence.

Alexander’s gaze returned briefly to Aiden before he gave a slight nod.

"I know him."

His tone was calm, but unreadable.

"CEO Blackwood," Aiden greeted politely.

Alexander gave another faint nod, then his gaze shifted past him and settled on Alicia, who still lingered a step behind.

"How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Not long. Just over an hour," Alicia replied, taking a sip of her drink.

Director Holland laughed warmly.

"What a coincidence! CEO Blackwood came to visit Miss Lilian, and Director Alicia came to visit Aiden. Why don’t we all have lunch together? My treat."

"Well then, I’ll thank Director Holland in advance," Alicia said lightly.

"Don’t mention it. We won’t be polite," Lilian added with a smile.

Once everyone was seated, Aiden glanced at Alicia.

"What do you want to eat?"

Alicia flipped through the menu and pointed out a few dishes she wanted.

"Alright."

Watching their easy interaction, Director Holland grinned.

"Wow, Aiden, you really know her well. How did you and Director Alicia meet?"

Aiden cast Alicia a fond glance.

"She was my neighbor when we were kids—always crying."

"Childhood sweethearts, huh? Seems like fate. If anything happens, be sure to let me know," Director Holland teased.

"Director Holland, don’t get the wrong idea. Alicia and I are just friends," Aiden replied with a smile. He knew where to draw the line, especially since she already had a boyfriend.

"I understand, I understand. These days, everyone starts as ’just friends,’" the assistant director chimed in.

Alexander raised an eyebrow, his cool gaze drifting between Aiden and Alicia. His brows furrowed slightly.

He had already warned Alicia before—she and Aiden were not a match.

Had she ignored him completely? Was she really so taken with Aiden?

"Alexander."

"Alexander?"

"Hm?" He snapped back to reality and turned toward Lilian.

Lilian leaned closer, whispering softly into his ear.

"Don’t you think Alicia and Aiden make a good couple? If you two divorce, it wouldn’t be so bad if they ended up together."

Alexander immediately shook his head.

"No. They’re not right for each other."

"How do you know?" Lilian asked curiously.

"I’ve looked into their work styles and personalities."

Across the table, Alicia watched them whispering so intimately. Her chest tightened, and she lowered her gaze to hide the discomfort in her eyes.

The waiter soon arrived with dish after dish, quickly filling the table. Everyone began helping themselves.

Aiden picked up a piece of foie gras and placed it onto Alicia’s plate.

"Try this."

"Thank you."

She took a bite and nodded.

"Not bad."

Seeing that she liked it, Aiden naturally began selecting more of her favorite dishes for her.

Alexander’s expression darkened further as he watched them.

"Alexander, could you help me reach that? I can’t quite get it," Lilian said sweetly, a trace of malice hidden beneath her tone.

This was the second time she had noticed his attention wandering.

"Sure."

He reached for the dish and placed some onto her plate. When he noticed it was nearly empty, he refilled it for her.

Alicia watched his familiar gentleness, the tenderness in those small movements, and bitterness rose quietly in her chest.

A self-mocking smile touched her lips.

Halfway through the meal, she suddenly stood.

"I’m going to the restroom."

She needed to get away from the heartbreaking sight of her husband doting on the woman he truly loved.

The men’s and women’s restrooms were connected, with a shared sink area outside that separated the dry and wet spaces.

Alicia stepped out of the stall, washed her hands, and quickly touched up her makeup in front of the mirror.

Just as she was finishing, Alexander walked in.

Seeing her adjusting her lipstick, he strode over without hesitation and stopped behind her. Both of his hands came down on either side of the sink, effectively trapping her within the narrow space of his embrace.

Startled, Alicia looked up and met his eyes through the mirror.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to talk to you."

She had no desire to hear anything from him right now. Closing her makeup bag, she turned to leave.

"I’m going back—"

Before she could take a single step, Alexander lowered his head and captured her lips. One arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against him and pinning her lightly to the sink.

The kiss was sudden, fierce, and impossible to ignore,his tongue invading her mouth with reckless passion.

Alicia’s mind went blank.

Hadn’t he come here to see Lilian? Then why was he kissing her now as though he couldn’t hold himself back?

Meanwhile, seeing Alicia sitting so close to Aiden earlier had stirred something dark and restless inside Alexander. It had crawled beneath his skin, leaving him unable to calm down.

Perhaps it was because he had warned her that she and Aiden were not suited for each other, yet she had ignored him completely. The feeling of being dismissed only made his frustration worse.

Alicia pressed both hands against his chest and struggled weakly.

"Mm... stop. I need to go back."

Alexander frowned. Instead of letting go, he tightened his hold. One hand slid to the back of her head as he deepened the kiss with reckless intensity.

By the time he finally released her, Alicia was breathing unevenly, her lips flushed and slightly swollen.

She glared at him in irritation before immediately checking her reflection in the mirror.

Her lips were obviously no longer the same as before.

A soft chuckle escaped Alexander.

He stepped forward again, wrapping his arms around her from behind. Resting his chin lightly near her temple, he looked at their reflection together.

His fingertip brushed gently over her lips.

"You look even better like this."

While the two of them were tangled in their private moment, neither noticed the figure standing silently near the doorway—watching everything unfold with a darkened expression.