Chapter 86 This Play Has Not Ended
Alaric didn't respond to Evelyn and walked away.
Janet's face shifted from confusion to bewilderment.
Alaric was going after Cordelia? But wasn't he Evelyn's husband? Even if they had divorced, he was still her ex. Was the Stone family so relaxed that they let that slide?
Janet's eyes darted around nervously, her expression growing more uneasy.
She saw Alaric leave the conference room and immediately followed him.
"Alaric!" she called out hurriedly, but Alaric didn't slow down, heading straight towards Cordelia.
Seeing him so focused on reaching Cordelia, Janet panicked and accidentally tripped on the red carpet, colliding with a server carrying a tray of juice.
Chaos ensued.
Cordelia heard the commotion and turned to look in Janet's direction.
She saw Alaric standing nearby, watching Janet.
From her angle, she couldn't see Alaric's expression.
Janet was wearing a white blouse today, now stained and somewhat transparent.
There were still some employees from Luminary Ventures Group and hotel staff around, mostly men, making Janet's situation even more embarrassing.
Cordelia glanced at Alaric, noticing he still had his suit jacket draped over his arm.
"Mr. Hughes, aren't you going to help?"
Alaric frowned at Cordelia's words and glanced at Julian, who was standing with Bruce.
Julian caught Alaric's look and immediately tightened his own jacket.
"No way, I just bought this today."
The surrounding employees of Luminary Ventures Group saw Janet's predicament but didn't step forward to help.
Janet's status as Alaric's ex-girlfriend was already well-known among her colleagues.
Since Alaric didn't help, they dared not either.
After all, Evelyn wasn't someone to mess with.
Janet stood frozen, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Evelyn emerged from the conference room, carrying a blanket she had found somewhere, and tossed it to Janet.
Janet clutched the blanket tightly, noticing a strange smell. She glanced down and realized Evelyn had thrown her a tablecloth.
She bit her lip, feeling humiliated, but no one else helped her. Taking a deep breath, she whispered her thanks.
"Thank you, Ms. Stone."
Evelyn looked down at her and smiled.
"No problem."
"Ms. Martin, your tolerance is quite low. This is just the beginning, don't get worked up."
Janet felt a wave of fear at Evelyn's words.
Evelyn turned her attention to Taylor, who was standing nearby. "Handle the rest."
Taylor nodded, "Yes, Ms. Stone."
Evelyn walked past Janet.
Janet took a deep breath, her expression changing. She locked her gaze on Alaric.
But Alaric had already looked away and was heading towards Cordelia.
The Stone family's car pulled up, and Cordelia was about to get in when Alaric pulled her back.
"Ride with me, I need to talk to you."
Cordelia removed Alaric's hand and gave him a stern look.
"Sorry, we have nothing to talk about."
Everyone at the party strained to hear Cordelia and Alaric's conversation.
After all, the video that had been leaked was too shocking, and they were curious about this side of Alaric.
Cordelia didn't want to engage with Alaric, got into the car, and slammed the door.
"Drive," she ordered firmly.
The driver hesitated, knowing Alaric was someone the Stone family couldn't afford to offend. He glanced at Alaric outside the car, noticing his calm demeanor despite Cordelia's public rejection, and even a hint of affection in his deep eyes, which surprised him.
"Drive," Cordelia repeated, and the driver quickly started the car and left.
Bruce eagerly joined Evelyn as she left. Alaric also got into the Hughes family's car. Julian was left alone, casually walking out.
"Julian," Janet called out to him.
Julian stopped and turned, "What is it?"
Janet looked up at Julian, her hair soaked in wine, making her look miserable. "Can you—"
Before she could finish, Julian cut her off, "No."
Janet froze. To her, Julian's sudden shift was startlingly out of character. He used to be so kind and gentle towards her. He even went to Astoria to persuade her to return home when she went abroad, and had kept in touch over the years, hoping she would come back soon. She could accept breaking up with Alaric three years ago, but she couldn't understand Julian's sudden change.
"Why have you changed?" she bit her lip and asked with difficulty.
Julian looked at her calmly, disappointment and disdain in his eyes. "Because I despise foolish people."
Janet's face turned pale, standing stiffly. With Alaric and Evelyn gone, the remaining staff relaxed.
"Did you see the Hughes Group's announcement?"
"Yeah, I did. I can't believe Cordelia is the one married to Mr. Hughes."
"Cordelia is elegant and has a respectable career. She's the type many men and wealthy families would admire."
"If Evelyn were married to Mr. Hughes, they'd be battling it out in the business world every day."
People chatted and laughed as they walked past Janet, not paying her any mind. Janet's expression changed, and she grabbed one of the passing employees.
"What did you say? Alaric's wife is Cordelia? Not Evelyn?"
Janet's hand was still stained with wine, and the employee immediately shook her off. "What are you doing?"
Janet looked pitiful, biting her lip and lowering her voice. "Sorry."
The employee quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe the arm Janet had touched, looking disgusted.
"Janet, you're just Alaric's ex. Do you think you have a chance against Cordelia?"
"The Stone Group's announcement said Cordelia and Mr. Hughes are divorced."
"Judging by Mr. Hughes' action, he clearly regrets it and doesn't want the divorce."
"You joined the Stone Group, schemed and plotted, but ended up making a fool of yourself. It's embarrassing."
Only the staff in the Stone Group's executive office knew about Bruce and Evelyn's situation, and Janet was the only newcomer among them. The online rumors about Bruce spending an hour in Evelyn's office were obviously her doing.
Janet recalled Evelyn's mocking smile and Cordelia's calm, disdainful attitude, feeling like she was in an ice cellar, chilled to the bone.
Taylor walked past her and handed her a termination notice. Janet stared at the notice, her expression frozen.
"Ms. Stone knew my purpose for joining the Stone Group from the start?"
Taylor's expression remained neutral. "Ms. Stone said a dull life needs some amusement. She enjoyed this show."
But this show was far from over.