Chapter 135 Even the Strongest Stomach Can't Withstand Such Harm
Cordelia sat quietly in the back seat without saying a word. When she noticed Taylor had stopped the car, she looked up toward the window, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.
Taylor had parked the car in front of Moonlight Bistro.
She paused for a moment, then withdrew her gaze and looked at Taylor.
"Why are we at a restaurant?"
Hearing this, Taylor immediately explained.
"After the annual awards ceremony ends, everyone goes to Moonlight Bistro for a group dinner. The meal is paid for by the Hughes Group."
"I thought you knew."
Cordelia had no idea there was a group dinner after the awards ceremony.
She had only prepared for giving a speech on stage, so she didn't know about this.
"Ms. Stone, do you need me to take you back?"
Taylor looked at Cordelia carefully through the rearview mirror.
Cordelia saw that several of her senior colleagues had also entered the restaurant. Thinking about how she still had a few medical topics left unfinished from earlier and wanted to chat with them, she shook her head. "Since we're already here, let's eat before leaving."
Taylor nodded. After Cordelia got out of the car, she went to park it in a parking spot.
While Cordelia was waiting for Taylor, a senior figure in the medical field got out of his car. Seeing Cordelia, he immediately walked toward her with a smile on his face.
"Cordelia, I'm very interested in that point you raised earlier."
"Let's talk about it in detail at the dinner table. I'd like to share it with my students too."
Cordelia nodded politely and modestly, chatting with him as they walked into the restaurant together.
She naturally ended up sitting at a table with a group of doctors.
When Alaric got the news and rushed to the restaurant, he saw Cordelia sitting in a chair, surrounded by several middle-aged men, with a few young men around her age standing behind her.
The admiration and affection in their eyes toward Cordelia was particularly irritating to Alaric.
Alaric's face immediately turned cold.
After seeing the people gathered around Cordelia, Robert said quietly.
"The person on Ms. Stone's left is the second son of the Vanguard Innovations Group CEO. On her right is Dr. Wheeler from Riverside General Hospital. His family has been in medicine since his ancestors—you could say they're a medical dynasty."
Alaric frowned slightly, glanced at Robert, and said coldly.
"How do you know all this so clearly?"
Robert smiled awkwardly and said quietly, "These two just asked our staff about your relationship with Ms. Stone."
"And they were asking about Ms. Stone's family background."
Hearing this, Alaric's expression darkened even more.
He looked coldly in Cordelia's direction, seeing her chatting happily with the two men and even exchanging contact information. His heart felt blocked and uncomfortable.
He walked past Cordelia's table with a stern face.
He heard an elderly doctor next to Cordelia ask her, "I can see Dr. Wheeler seems quite interested in Ms. Stone. I'll break protocol a bit and ask on Dr. Wheeler's behalf about Ms. Stone's relationship status."
"I wonder if Ms. Stone has a boyfriend, or if you're married?"
Hearing this question, a hint of embarrassment flashed across Cordelia's face.
She had never been asked so directly before.
She smiled faintly, and as she looked up, she saw Alaric walking past the table.
His handsome face was slightly stern, and his gaze didn't look her way even once.
Her heart sank, but her smile deepened. "I'm currently single."
As soon as she said this, a blush appeared on Terrence Wheeler's face, and the other doctors teased him.
"Looks like Dr. Wheeler has a good chance."
"Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Stone are both rising stars in Shadowpine's medical community. If you two got together, it would be a match made in heaven."
Cordelia maintained a polite smile on her face, while Terrence blushed like a girl being teased.
After seeing Alaric's car arrive in the parking garage, Janet quickly got out of her car and followed.
She entered the restaurant almost right after Alaric. Seeing him walk to the main table with a cold face and take a seat, she naturally walked over and sat down next to him, trying to get close.
"Alaric."
Just as she started to speak, Robert walked over and said respectfully and politely.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Martin, your seat has been arranged in the media company section."
Hearing this, Janet's expression stiffened slightly.
This was Janet's second time attending the awards ceremony and receiving an award.
Last year, just like this year, she had relied on her subtle relationship with Alaric to successfully sit at the main table.
Although Alaric didn't pay much attention to her then, he hadn't directly dismissed her like he was doing today.
Several guests had already taken their seats at the main table.
Robert's tone was respectful and polite, and Janet really had no excuse to continue staying here.
She bit her lip lightly and slowly stood up from her chair, smiling awkwardly. "Sorry, I didn't notice. I thought it was open seating."
Alaric didn't respond.
The others around him didn't say anything either. After all, what Janet had just said didn't ease the atmosphere at all—it only made people think she had no sense of propriety.
The main table wasn't somewhere just anyone could sit.
Seeing that not a single person was helping her out of this awkward situation, Janet's smile almost faltered, but she quickly regained her composure.
Robert immediately instructed a staff member to escort Janet back to her assigned seat.
After all, if they let her continue standing there, it wouldn't just be embarrassing for her.
Janet left the main table and sat in the most remote corner.
From her position, she couldn't even see Alaric.
Janet bit her lip secretly. Though dissatisfied, she could only take her seat.
The seats near the main table were mostly full.
Besides, she wasn't very familiar with the others, and sitting over there uninvited would only make a fool of herself.
Janet took a deep breath and settled down.
From her position, she could at least see in Cordelia's direction.
Cordelia sat in her seat chatting with several doctors around her. On her left was an elderly female PhD, and on her right was an old professor with thinning hair.
Between the two of them, Cordelia was well taken care of, with people around her casting attentive glances, most filled with admiration.
Janet bit her lip lightly.
That calm composure Cordelia had, and the natural confidence she displayed, was something Janet could never imitate no matter how hard she tried.
A flash of jealousy crossed her eyes as she sat quietly in her corner seat.
The dinner began.
Cordelia barely needed to use her utensils to serve herself—the two doctors beside her would actively serve her food, taking good care of her.
She smiled and thanked them, but felt somewhat uncomfortable, as if someone was staring at her.
She looked up but couldn't find that gaze. Instinctively, she looked toward Alaric.
She saw Alaric holding a wine glass, clinking it with an official beside him.
After the toast, both drained their glasses in one gulp.
Seeing this, Cordelia couldn't help but frown. No matter how strong someone's stomach was, it couldn't withstand this kind of abuse.