Chapter 102: Chapter 102: interactive gas
Alexander stepped closer.
Lilian tilted her head slightly, watching his lips, her expression open and expectant.
They were close now.
Closer than before.
Close enough that every subtle shift in expression was magnified under the unforgiving gaze of the caras.
Alexander leaned in, his voice low—inaudible to everyone but her.
Slowly, deliberately, he mouthed the words.
Lilian’s brows knit faintly as she focused, trying to piece it together.
"...You..."
She hesitated.
"...never..."
Her eyes flickered with uncertainty.
"...understood..."
A faint ripple passed through her expression.
"...."
Silence.
For a split second, sothing unreadable crossed Lilian’s face.
Then she pulled back slightly, removing one side of the headphones.
"...You never understood ?" she repeated, her tone unsure.
The host clapped instantly. "Correct!"
Applause filled the room, but it carried a different weight this ti—less playful, more charged.
The comnt section exploded.
"That didn’t feel like a ga..." "Why did that sound so personal??"
"Am I the only one who felt that tension?"
Lilian let out a small laugh, though it ca a fraction too late. "That was harder than I expected."
Alexander didn’t respond imdiately. He simply stepped back, his expression returning to its usual calm, as though nothing had happened.
But the mont lingered.
It clung to the air.
"Alright!" the host quickly interjected, her tone brightening as she sensed the shift. "Now it’s Miss Lilian’s turn to whisper."
Another card was handed over.
Lilian glanced at it, and for a brief mont, her smile faltered—just slightly.
Then she stepped forward.
This ti, it was Alexander who wore the headphones.
The room quieted again.
Lilian leaned in, her voice soft as she mouthed the words carefully, making sure he could see.
Her lips moved slowly.
Gentle. Controlled.
Alexander watched closely, his gaze fixed on her.
"...I..."
A pause.
"...still..."
The caras zood in tighter.
"...trust..."
The comnt section began to spike again.
"...you."
Alexander’s eyes stilled.
For the briefest mont, sothing flickered beneath his composure.
Then it was gone.
He removed the headphones.
"I still trust you," he said calmly.
"Correct!" the host announced, clapping once more.
This ti, the applause ca louder—but so did the noise online.
"OH???"
"What is going on between them?"
"This is NOT just a ga anymore."
Across the stage, Alicia sat in the audience, her posture relaxed, her expression unreadable.
But her gaze was steady.
Observing.
asuring.
Everything was unfolding exactly as expected.
The contrast was clear now—undeniable.
With her, the interaction had been sharp, controlled, almost dangerous.
With Lilian...
It was softer.
More intimate in a quieter, more emotional way.
And that difference—
Was precisely what would keep everyone talking long after the event ended.
The host stepped forward, clearly energized by the atmosphere. "Well, it seems both rounds were a success! I don’t think anyone will forget these interactions anyti soon."
She glanced between the two of them, her smile deepening.
"And sothing tells ... neither will our audience."
The caras lingered.
On Alexander.
On Lilian.
And finally—
On Alicia.
The host broke into applause, prompting the audience to follow. "Thank you, CEO Blackwood and Miss Lilian. Please step off the stage and take a short rest."
Amid the clapping, Alexander and Lilian turned and walked off, one after the other.
As Lilian reached the steps, her heel caught slightly against the edge. It was subtle—almost unnoticeable—but Alexander reacted instantly.
He paused, turning back just enough to steady her, his hand briefly supporting her arm.
For a fleeting mont, they were close again.
The director didn’t miss it.
The cara cut sharply to the scene, zooming in just as the interaction happened, capturing the smallest details—the instinctive gesture, the proximity, the quiet familiarity.
On the livestream, the mont spread like wildfire.
"Did you see that?!"
"That wasn’t rehearsed—no way."
By the ti they stepped down completely, the buzz had already reignited.
Soon after, the press conference drew to a close.
The host gave her final remarks, and the atmosphere gradually shifted from performance to formality.
"All guests, please join us on stage for a group photo."
Chairs scraped softly against the floor as attendees stood. Conversations resud in low murmurs as everyone began making their way toward the stage.
Executives adjusted their suits, guests exchanged polite smiles, and dia personnel repositioned themselves for the final shots.
On stage, staff mbers guided the arrangent, ensuring every guest found their designated place.
People moved carefully, scanning for na markers, subtly adjusting positions to stand closer to those who mattered—or farther from those they preferred to avoid.
The once-structured event dissolved into a quiet shuffle of calculated placent.
And sowhere within that shifting crowd, the distance—and proximity—between certain individuals began to matter more than ever.
Alicia’s POV
Amid the mild chaos on stage, with staff moving back and forth to organize the lineup, I quietly made my way toward the far corner.
It was the kind of position no one fought for.
Just as I was about to reach it, Lilian passed by . In the next second, soone accidentally stepped on the hem of her skirt, nearly pulling her off balance.
"Be careful," Alexander said imdiately, reaching out to steady her.
His reaction was instinctive.
Lilian regained her footing quickly. Her gaze flickered toward
for the briefest mont before she turned back to him. "I’m fine."
Alexander glanced in my direction as well, but only for a second. Then he lowered his head slightly toward Lilian. "Let’s go take the photo."
"Okay."
He walked ahead, and the crowd naturally parted for them, as if it were the most expected thing in the world.
I remained where I was.
In the final arrangent, they stood at the very center of the stage, side by side—the most eye-catching position, bathed in perfect lighting.
And ?
I stayed in the corner.
The lights there were dimr.
Far enough to be included.
Far enough to be forgotten.
For a mont, I felt like nothing more than an outsider looking in on soone else’s story.
Later, when the group photo was posted on Twitter, it caused exactly the reaction I had anticipated.
Fans were ecstatic.
No explanation was needed—the positioning alone told the story they wanted to believe.
As the press conference ca to an end, so guests began to leave while others lingered for follow-up interviews.
I stayed off to the side, watching.
A reporter approached Alexander, microphone in hand.
"CEO Blackwood, are you and Miss Lilian in a relationship?"
It was the question everyone had been waiting for.
For a split second, the air seed to still.
Most people expected him to take advantage of the mont—to confirm it, to give the audience exactly what they wanted.
But Alexander didn’t hesitate.
"This is an ??clat Beauty product launch," he said calmly. "Let’s focus on the product itself. Personal matters aren’t sothing I can discuss. If you have questions regarding finance or business, I’d be happy to answer."
Clean. Controlled.
A perfect deflection.
I lowered my gaze slightly.
Even now...
He still hadn’t given them an answer.
Although he refused to answer the question directly, Alexander handled the interview flawlessly. His composure, his precision—it only made him more captivating, drawing in even more admirers.
I didn’t have any further interviews scheduled. For the rest of the ti, I stayed behind, assisting the staff with the final wrap-up.
At one point, a reporter and a photographer approached , hoping for a quick interview. I declined without hesitation.
They didn’t push.
There was no need.
The press conference had already given them everything they wanted—and more.
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