Even Elodie, with her usual composure, couldn’t help but feel a flash of surprise- and annoyance-at Naylor’s words.

She genuinely didn’t understand why he seemed to hold her in such contempt.

“Mr. Whitaker, have I offended you?” Elodie didn’t dodge the issue. She looked him straight in the eye, her tone direct and calm.

Her gaze was as cold as winter frost, but her voice never lost its steady, even keel.

No sharp retorts. No raised voice.

But Naylor didn’t attribute her calm to a good temperament; in his mind, Elodie was simply too guilty to confront him openly. After all, he’d seen her with his own eyes-her so-called “seductive” behavior.

“No, Ms. Thorne, you and I barely know each other. There’s no question of offense.”

Elodie frowned.

Then where was all this baseless accusation coming from?

Alexander’s expression darkened as well. He’d always thought Naylor was a man of substance-sharp instincts in business, tough but fair, and with the backing of his influential family. Alexander had, until now, respected him.

But this?

Naylor’s disdain for Elodie was hardly subtle.

“And what exactly makes you see Elodie this way, Mr. Whitaker?” Alexander’s polite smile had turned icy. “For a gentleman, your attitude toward a young woman seems a bit… lacking in courtesy, don’t you think?”

Lacking courtesy? That was putting it mildly. It bordered on outright insult.

Naylor, seeing Alexander so openly defending Elodie, couldn’t help but scowl. What on earth did Elodie have besides good looks? How could she have Alexander, of all people, so thoroughly wrapped around her finger?

“Don’t take it personally, Mr. Sterling. Chalk it up to thoughtlessness on my part- I’d hate for this to affect our friendship or business relationship.”

In his mind, Alexander would hardly make a fuss over a junior assistant. They were both businessmen; they knew where their true interests lay.

With that, Naylor clapped Alexander on the shoulder and offered some unsolicited advice. “You’re a talented man, Mr. Sterling, and everyone knows VistaLink Technologies is the place to be. But you should really take a closer look at the people around you make sure they’re competent, and worthy of your trust.”

Elodie, in his mind, was the type to play both sides-flirting with Alexander while keeping an eye on Jarrod. He felt Alexander deserved a warning.

Someone like Sylvie-talented, self-respecting-she was the sort of woman worth admiring.

Elodie didn’t even come close.

Alexander’s frown deepened. The whole thing was absurd.

Naylor, apparently satisfied, turned and left without another word.

Alexander let out a sharp laugh, equal parts irritation and disbelief. “What a load of self-righteous crap!” He’d never been known for his patience. “Who gave him the right to judge you?”

Elodie’s brow furrowed slightly. She was just as baffled. She and Naylor had only met a handful of times, never even had a proper introduction-where did all this contempt come from?

“That’s it,” Alexander declared. “From now on, any proposed partnerships with TerraCore Technologies are off the table.” He let out a cold chuckle.

VistaLink Technologies had been considering a major collaboration with TerraCore, but after this, there was absolutely no need.

Elodie wasn’t about to grovel for anyone’s approval, either. If TerraCore wanted to work with VistaLink, they weren’t the only ones—and they certainly weren’t essential.

Still, she was already here at the product launch. No point letting Naylor’s prejudice distract her.

She focused on her work, digging into the details of TerraCore’s new materials and jotting down critical data.

By the end of the event, Elodie learned that Jarrod and Sylvie had left early; apparently, Jarrod had called the police to deal with an obsessive fan.

Jarrod was determined to see the matter through.

The man hadn’t actually gotten near Sylvie, but for Jarrod, even a hint of distress

to her was unacceptable.

The other executives said Jarrod was absolutely serious this time.

Elodie pretended she hadn’t heard a thing.