The laughter came first.
Smiling, Victor leaned back and spoke clearly over the lobby's smooth marble floor.
"Adrian, B corporation is not a prison yard. You don't get to run your mouth here without consequences."
A few employees who had gathered to watch burst out laughing as he spoke in a mocking tone.
With a high chin and disdainful eyes, Vivienne took a step forward.
"I had no idea you were so blatantly shameless after squatting in jail for two years. You act as though you belong here, but you're really just a shadow of what you used to be."
Finally, the secretary, who had been hovering anxiously close to the desk, scowled and said something.
"Excuse me, sir," she said cautiously, addressing Adrian. "If you're really here on business, do you have proof? A formal appointment? Credentials?"
Calm and unreadable, Adrian's eyes slid to her.
"Proof?" Slowly, his hand made its way to his pocket. "I received something… a gift, directly from Chairman Harlow. Nothing counts if that doesn't."
Vivienne sprang forward and caught his wrist as his fingers barely touched the black-gold card's edge.
"Don't you dare embarrass yourself further," she snapped, her nails digging into his skin. "Stop this madness immediately. Ex-con showing off their phony connections are not welcome here."
Her voice rose above the quiet hum of the lobby, commanding and sharp.
She turned on the secretary.
"Throw him out. Right now. He's wasting everyone's time."
The secretary hesitated, her eyes flicking uncertainly between Adrian's steady expression and Vivienne's authority. But when Victor stepped closer, smirking, and added,
"You heard her. Do your job. We don't need people like him cluttering the air in here," the decision was made.
"Understood, Ms. Vivienne." The secretary's voice hardened as she waved to two uniformed guards stationed nearby.
"Escort this man out of the building immediately. Do not allow him back inside."
The guards moved swiftly. One clamped a heavy hand around Adrian's arm, the other gestured toward the glass doors.
"Come on. Out."
Vivienne's lips curled into a victorious smile as she and Victor were ushered past the desk. The secretary straightened her blazer and addressed them with polite deference.
"This way, please. The VIP room is prepared for you."
Smugness radiated from Victor's face as he looked over his shoulder at Adrian.
"See you outside, ex-con."
Adrian didn't resist. His expression was calm, unreadable, almost detached as he let the guards push him toward the exit. He was wise enough not to fight now. Soon enough, the tide would turn.
When the secretary came back from the VIP room, she was organizing her files and getting ready to take the elevator to the top floor so she could personally tell Ms. Carter.
She pressed the button, only to freeze when the elevator doors opened softly.
Evelyn Carter stepped out.
She was composed, a commanding yet elegant aura, and her keen eyes immediately narrowed on the secretary.
"Why is my guest still not here?"
The secretary blinked, startled.
"Ms. Carter—your guest?"
"Yes," Evelyn said, her tone clipped. "The one I specifically arranged to be escorted to the VIP room. Why hasn't he been received yet?"
The secretary swallowed nervously.
"He has, Ms. Carter. I personally escorted the two distinguished guests inside just moments ago."
Evelyn's brows furrowed.
"Two?"
"Yes, ma'am. The guest and his female companion."
Evelyn's frown deepened.
"Companion? Since when did my VIP guest have a female companion?"
The secretary hesitated, then leaned in slightly, speaking with forced confidence.
"Perhaps you haven't seen the recent reports, Ms. Carter. There have been many articles about Mr. Victor, and Ms. Vivienne. Their relationship has been the talk of the news cycle. I thought… naturally…"
"You thought?" Evelyn's words were cold and ruthless, her voice sharp. "Tell me, since when does someone like Victor qualify as my VIP guest? Since when do I confuse noisy rumors with actual business?"
The secretary went pale.
"But, Ms. Carter… there was nobody else downstairs besides— "
"Think again." Evelyn had steely eyes. Her voice fell deliberate and scathing.
"The guest I mentioned is quite tall. Handsome. Sharp features, defined presence. And yes, he was just recently released from prison."
Like thunder, the words slammed into the secretary. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
"Released… from prison?" she whispered, trembling.
Evelyn's eyes did not waver.
"Yes. That man. And where is he?"
The secretary's knees almost buckled as realization crashed down.
The man she had just ordered thrown out. The one security was, at this very moment, forcing through the front doors.
"Oh no," she whispered, panic flooding her voice. "Oh no, no, no…"
The lobby exploded with frantic motion as the secretary bolted toward the entrance.
"Stop!" she screamed, her voice cracking as she saw Adrian just outside, standing stoically while the guards gestured for him to move along.
The guards turned, startled.
"Ma'am?"
"Stop! Don't touch him!"
In haste, the secretary almost stumbled and fell to her knees right in front of Adrian. Words tumbled out in a desperate rush, her hands shaking violently.
"Pardon me, sir! I—I was blind, I didn't recognize who you were! I made a terrible mistake! Don't hold it against me, please!"
There was a stunned silence in the lobby. The secretary, who was typically calm, sharp, and untouchable, now groveled on the floor before the man they had just derided as a worthless ex-con.
Adrian's face was unreadable as he gazed down at her. He remained silent for a while, letting the weight of the moment build.
Finally, his voice came low and even.
"Big people don't hold grudges against small people."
The secretary choked on a sob of relief as she bowed again. Adrian stepped past her without another word, his calm stride drawing the stares of every single person in the lobby.
The elevator ride was swift, the secretary trailing behind him like a chastised shadow.
On the top floor, the doors opened to reveal Evelyn waiting.
Adrian's steps slowed as his eyes met hers. For the first time since entering the building, he faltered, struck by her presence. She was more than just beautiful, her grace carried weight, her gaze carried authority.
Evelyn's expression softened immediately upon seeing him. She stepped forward, her voice warm but formal.
"Mr. Adrian, I must apologize sincerely. You were mistreated, and for that, I take full responsibility."
Her eyes darted to the secretary, who flinched.
"Leave us."
The secretary bowed low and left the office quickly, leaving Adrian and Evelyn alone.
Adrian studied her, his face calm again.
"It's nothing. I didn't come here to measure respect. I came because you asked for me. So tell me, what is it you want?"
Evelyn's lips curled into a faint smile, her eyes glimmering with intent.
"I want to discuss an opportunity with you, Mr. Adrian. One that only you can accept… or refuse."
Adrian didn't move at first. He stood in Evelyn Carter's office, taking in the quiet power of the space—the glass walls, the sleek furniture, the faint scent of lavender.
This was her domain, yet she welcomed him without hesitation. A sharp contrast to the ridicule in the lobby below.
Evelyn gestured to a chair.
"Please. Sit."
Adrian lowered himself with calm precision, posture relaxed but unyielding.
"I owe you an explanation," Evelyn said. "Downstairs, there was… confusion. I apologize for my people's failure."
Adrian's eyes locked on hers.
"There was no confusion. It was dismissal. Their mistake, not mine."
She met the steel in his words with a faint smile.
"You're right. And I'll fix it."
She pressed the intercom.
"From now on, Mr. Adrian has unrestricted access. No delays, no questioning."
"Y-Yes, Ms. Carter," came the nervous reply.
Evelyn leaned back.
"I trust you'll find no more obstacles here."
"Obstacles don't concern me," Adrian said. "They reveal who's worth remembering."
Silence stretched. Evelyn studied him.
"You're not what I expected."
"People rarely see what's real," Adrian replied.
Her eyes glimmered.
"And you sound like someone who learned that the hard way."
She didn't press when he stayed quiet. Instead, her tone shifted.
"My father trusted you. Why?"
Adrian's jaw tightened. He remembered the black-gold card, Harlow's steady eyes.
"He saw someone who survived fire and still stood. Someone who doesn't break."
Evelyn drew a sharp breath.
"Then perhaps my instincts weren't wrong."
Adrian leaned back.
"Instincts can be wrong. So can trust."
Her smile sharpened.
"That's true. Which is why I'll be direct."
She crossed to the window, the city glowing behind her.
"B corporation is shifting. Rivalries, alliances, names faltering. I need someone who sees clearly and acts without hesitation."
Her gaze met his.
"I think you're that person."
"And if you're wrong?" Adrian asked.
"Then it will be my mistake," she said. "But I don't think I am."
Adrian rose, his gaze level with hers.
"Then say what you want. Directly."
"I want you to stand beside me," Evelyn said. "Not as a shadow. Not as a discarded name. But as an ally."
Adrian studied her. She wasn't offering pity or charity—she was offering acknowledgment.
For the first time in a long while, he felt the edges of his solitude shift.