Chapter 54

She didn’t pay it any mind.

Throughout the meal, Alexander was attentive to Elodie-handing her ingredients, passing her various skewers, even using scissors to cut her steak into bite-sized pieces. Whenever she needed a napkin, he’d have one ready before she could even ask.

Everyone at the table noticed his care.

He was practically doting on her.

Even Sylvie raised her eyebrows, shooting Alexander a few extra glances, then eyeing Elodie with mild curiosity.

What was so special about Elodie that Alexander treated her like this?

Most people at the table caught on to the situation.

Jarrod, for his part, remained perfectly impassive, his cool demeanor giving nothing away. It was as if he was completely oblivious.

Maurice took a swig of beer, smirked, and leaned in to murmur to Jarrod and the others, “Elodie’s not as innocent as she looks. She’s clearly using Mr. Sterling to get your attention.”

“She’s pulling out all the stops to show she’s popular with men-classic tactics to win a guy back,” Maurice teased, a crooked grin on his lips.

Sylvie let out a soft, barely-there laugh, clearly amused.

Whether Jarrod heard or not, he gave no sign. He didn’t spare a single glance in Elodie’s direction, ignoring her completely.

Joseph, however, frowned ever so slightly.

Maurice went on, “Honestly, Elodie’s pretty enough, but it’s a shame about her character. If she hadn’t pulled that shady stuff back then, who knows where she’d be now?”

“And she’s so dull, never jokes around a total bore.”

“Your food’s getting cold. Aren’t you going to eat?” Joseph suddenly cut in, handing Maurice two skewers of grilled beef.

The interruption shifted Maurice’s attention back to the barbecue.

Meanwhile, Jarrod looked over at Alexander, who was pouring Elodie a glass of orange juice, and struck up a conversation. “VistaLink Technologies is really making a name for itself lately. I heard you’ve signed several new contracts, Mr. Sterling?”

Alexander gave a modest smile. “We’re doing alright. The drone industry is booming, and I’m just lucky to be riding the wave.”

“Mr. Sterling, you’re too modest. The market’s huge, nowhere near saturated. The U.N2 system you developed five years ago is still a benchmark. I imagine you must be working on even more advanced projects now.” Jarrod’s eyes glinted with a subtle, razor-sharp smile. “When the time comes, I hope you’ll consider partnering with The Silverstein Group first. We could accomplish a lot together.”

A flicker of emotion crossed Elodie’s eyes.

Alexander glanced at her, just briefly.

Jarrod really was an old hand-he’d just recruited Elodie for VistaLink Technologies and already had new projects underway, yet here he was trying to get ahead of the curve.

Too bad Jarrod had no idea that Elodie was actually the real technical backbone of VistaLink Technologies.

Alexander just smiled, sidestepping the topic and steering the conversation toward innovations in drone technology instead.

Sylvie, confident in her own expertise, eagerly joined in, discussing the finer points with Alexander. The conversation quickly turned technical, and Elodie, growing interested, leaned in to whisper a new idea she’d just thought of for the next-gen interface.

Sylvie shot her a sharp look, clearly displeased at the interruption.

This time, Jarrod finally looked at Elodie really looked at her, a thoughtful expression on his face, as if weighing something in his mind.

Maurice and Octavia both noticed Sylvie’s irritation.

Octavia immediately concluded that Elodie was just jealous-trying to show off in front of her sister-in-law, desperate for attention.

So fake.

“Ms. Thorne, what are you telling Mr. Sterling? He and Sylvie are having a real discussion about aerospace tech-you don’t even know this stuff, so why butt in?” Maurice said pointedly.

Elodie glanced at him, utterly unfazed.

Maurice abruptly changed his tone, sounding almost sincere. “Mr. Sterling is the brains behind the U.N2 system, you know. He’s one of the young leaders in the field. All the big companies respect him—and even my old man can’t stop singing his praises.”

His father had spent decades in the military and knew firsthand how formidable Alexander’s U.N2 system was-world-leading, with no weaknesses on the battlefield.

There wasn’t a man at the table who didn’t admire him.