Chapter 107: Word Out

The restaurant was located in the center of the financial district. It was a place with dark wood paneling, low lighting, and white tablecloths, heavily favored by the city's corporate elite and high-end developers.

Alex had reserved a private booth in the corner, hoping to give Sarah a quiet evening away from the office, but the dining room was already full of familiar faces from the business sector.

Sarah sat opposite him, wearing a simple, elegant dark blue dress. She looked beautiful, but Alex noticed the way her eyes kept drifting toward the entrance every time the door opened. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap under the table.

"You are still tense," Alex said, his voice quiet but firm. He reached across the table and placed his large hand over hers, his warmth instantly grounding her. "The work is done. We are just having dinner."

Sarah looked at his hand, then up at his dark eyes.

"Half the people in this room read the morning papers, Alex. I have already spotted two board members from the historic preservation society sitting near the bar. They have been whispering since we walked in."

"Let them whisper," Alex said flatly.

"They cannot revoke your architectural license, and they cannot take the Veridian contract away from you. Eat your dinner."

Before Sarah could reply, a tall, middle-aged woman in a tailored cream suit detached herself from a nearby table and began walking toward their booth.

It was Eleanor, a prominent real estate investor who had previously contracted Sarah's firm for several luxury apartment lobbies. She was a woman who valued social standing above all else, and she had a reputation for being incredibly sharp-tongued under a polite exterior.

Sarah's posture instantly stiffened. She pulled her hand back from Alex’s grip and smoothed the napkin on her lap as Eleanor stopped at the edge of their table.

"Sarah, dear, I thought that was you," Eleanor said, her voice dripping with practiced warmth. She didn't look at Alex immediately, keeping her eyes locked onto Sarah’s face. "I saw the news about the Veridian Gardens press conference. A massive achievement for your firm. Truly."

"Thank you, Eleanor," Sarah said, her voice professional and perfectly composed. "It was a collaborative effort, but we are very pleased with the outcome."

Eleanor finally turned her gaze to Alex, her eyes scanning his face, his broad shoulders, and then the expensive watch on his wrist. Her smile grew slightly tighter.

"And this must be the younger Harrington," Eleanor said, her tone carrying a subtle, mocking edge.

"The young man everyone is talking about. It must be quite convenient to have the lead developer’s son so deeply invested in your firm's success, Sarah. I suppose the old saying is true—good design really does require the right connections."

Sarah’s fingers tightened around her water glass. The implication was clear: Eleanor was suggesting that Sarah had used her relationship with a twenty-two-year-old boy to secure her business deals.

"Mr. Harrington is the director of the North End foundation, Mrs. Rony," Sarah said, her voice dropping into a colder, protective register.

"Our professional relationship is based entirely on the merits of my firm's design plans."

"Of course it is," Eleanor chuckled softly, waving a hand dismissively.

"We all know how talented you are, Sarah. But the city is small, and people do love to gossip when the age difference is this... pronounced. One does wonder how your son, Mark, is handling all this public attention. It must be very unusual for him to see his college friend in the corporate section of the newspapers."

The mention of Mark made Sarah’s breath hitch. She opened her mouth to respond, her professional poise almost slipping, but Alex spoke before she could.

"Mrs. Rony," Alex said.

His voice was not loud, but it had a heavy, commanding weight that cut through the background noise of the restaurant. He leaned forward slightly, his tall frame instantly making the space feel smaller. He did not smile. His dark eyes locked onto Eleanor’s face with absolute, unyielding authority.

Eleanor blinked, clearly surprised by the sudden, dominant shift in the young man's demeanor.

"My father is no longer involved in the Veridian project, and my relationship with Sarah Hayes is not a topic open for public debate," Alex told her, his tone striking like iron.

"The investors who matter are currently reviewing our construction timeline, not our guest list. If you have questions about our professional capabilities, you can schedule a meeting at my office tomorrow morning. Otherwise, we are trying to enjoy our dinner."

Eleanor’s face flushed slightly under the dim restaurant lights. She took a half-step back, her polite facade cracking for a fraction of a second before she forced her smile back into place.

"Of course," Eleanor said stiffly, her voice losing its warm edge.

"I wouldn't want to interrupt your evening. Good luck with the foundation, Alex. Sarah, I will see you at the next board meeting."

She turned on her heel and walked back to her table, her posture much more rigid than before.

Sarah let out a slow, quiet breath, her shoulders finally dropping. She looked across the table at Alex, a mixture of relief and intense affection in her blue eyes.

"You did not have to be so blunt with her," Sarah murmured, though there was no real reprimand in her voice.

"Eleanor has a lot of influence in the preservation society."

"She is a gossip who wanted to see if she could make you feel small in public," Alex said. He reached back across the table, his hand finding hers once again and gripping it with possessive force.

"I told you before, Sarah. I am the one who handles the social noise now. Nobody is going to come to our table and insult my woman under the guise of polite business talk."

Sarah looked down at their joined hands. The fear of what people were saying in the corners of the restaurant was still there, but looking at Alex’s calm, resolute face, she knew it didn't matter. He was twenty-two, but he stood between her and the world like an unbreakable wall.

"The steak is getting cold," Sarah said softly, her smile returning.

"Then let's eat," Alex replied, his dark eyes softening as he watched her relax.