Stan stood at the front of Star Entertainment’s group, calm as ever, with the others positioned naturally behind him.

Across from him stood Lily and the rest of the Netflix entourage.

Camera flashes immediately intensified. The media never missed moments like this.

Reporters and livestreamers nearby nearly exploded with excitement as lenses turned toward both groups at once.

But while everyone else focused on the corporate tension, Stan noticed something entirely different.

Lily’s eyes. They were faintly red. Not enough for most people to notice. But enough for him to see. They were not only red but a bit teary...

He also saw the subtle movement of her lips.

A whisper so faint it barely existed beneath the noise surrounding them.

"I’m sorry," she mouthed softly. "Please... let this remain between us."

Stan said nothing. Not a single word.

His expression didn’t change as he calmly walked past her.

The lights continued flashing from every direction, capturing the moment from dozens of angles as speculation exploded almost instantly online.

To the media, it was a symbolic confrontation between Star Entertainment and Netflix.

To Lily, it felt far more personal.

And Stan’s silence only made it worse.

By the time she exited the arena, the emotional weight of the evening had already settled deep inside her.

Outside, the cool Velaris night air greeted the departing attendees as streams of executives, performers, managers, and media staff filtered toward the parking structures and reception halls.

Paparazzi still lined parts of the exit route.

Camera flashes pulsed intermittently through the place.

Several livestreamers continued narrating the departures to rapidly growing online audiences, their excitement fueled by rumors of acquisition battles, backstage maneuvering, and shifting alliances that had already begun spreading through industry channels.

Stan ignored all of it. Vivian did too. Xenia, however, slowed near the entrance of the parking structure before turning toward him.

The smile she gave him was warm, relaxed, and faintly conspiratorial, the smile of someone fully aware that tonight had quietly changed the trajectory of her career.

"Thank you," she said simply. "For tonight."

"Vivian put the deal together," Stan replied. "Thank her."

"I already did," Xenia said easily.

Then her smile deepened slightly. "I’m thanking you for letting me sit at the table."

For a brief moment, neither Stan nor Vivian spoke.

Because they both understood exactly what she meant. It was not about the seat itself.

The access. The exposure. The legitimacy that came from being visibly included beside people operating at that level.

To outsiders, it might have looked casual. Insignificant, even.

But after tonight, photos would circulate. Discussions would start. Speculation would spread across social media and business circles alike.

And for a while, Xenia’s name would remain attached to headlines far bigger than anything she could have reached alone.

Stan gave a small nod. Nothing more. But it was enough.

Xenia accepted it with the same social awareness she had displayed throughout the evening.

Silence settled briefly afterward. Then she turned and walked away.

She didn’t follow Stan. Didn’t try to linger around him longer than necessary. To someone in her position, imposing after everything he had already done would have been a mistake.

Stan and Vivian continued toward the Huracán together. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

After a few steps, Vivian spoke quietly. "My driver’s coming."

Stan glanced at her. "That’s fine."

Just as they reached the Huracán, a sleek black jeep rolled to a stop beside them.

The cold white lights of the parking structure slid across the vehicle’s polished exterior in long silver streaks.

Vivian rested one hand lightly against the door handle but didn’t open it immediately.

For a moment, she simply looked at him.

There was something thoughtful in her gaze. Curious.

"I want to ask," she said quietly. "But I won’t."

Stan met her eyes. The faintest trace of amusement touched his expression.

"Smart," he replied.

"Thank you for giving me a Second chance sir, I won’t dissapoint you... Im happy to be more useful to you and Star Entertainment..." Vivian exhaled softly through her nose, something halfway between restraint and acknowledgment.

Then she opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.

The jeep pulled away slowly.

A few meters ahead, it stopped again to pick up Lily.

Lily climbed in with noticeably slower movements, her eyes slightly heavy with exhaustion. But before the door closed, she turned instinctively toward the direction of Stan’s Huracán.

Her gaze lingered there for a brief second longer than necessary.

Then she lowered herself into the seat, and the jeep finally disappeared into the night.

A few seconds later, the Huracán’s engine came alive with a low, controlled growl.

Stan guided the car smoothly out of the parking structure and into the illuminated arteries of Velaris City, the golden reflections of skyscrapers sliding across the windshield as traffic streamed through the late-night streets.

The city was still awake.

Luxury vehicles flowed through downtown lanes. Digital billboards continued flashing entertainment headlines across nearby towers. Livestream clips from tonight’s convention were already circulating online faster than the media could properly process them.

As Stan approached one of the outer pickup lanes near the convention district, he noticed a familiar figure standing beneath the glow of a streetlamp.

Xenia.

She stood near the curb with her phone in hand, occasionally glancing toward the road as passing taxis ignored the increasingly congested lane.

Originally, she had arrived with the Netflix delegation.

But after the quiet tension between both sides, and with the media chaos outside the arena escalating, the others had naturally left ahead while she lingered behind during her conversation with Stan and Vivian.

By the time everything ended, her original ride had already departed.

The black Huracán slowed beside her.

The passenger window lowered slightly.

"Do you need a ride?" Stan asked calmly.

For a split second, surprise flashed across Xenia’s face.

Then her expression brightened almost instantly.

"Thank you very much, Sir Stan."

She opened the passenger door carefully and slid into the seat, clearly trying not to appear overly excited despite the obvious relief in her eyes.

Behind them, the Media Convention Arena continued emptying into the night as executives pursued after-parties, negotiations, informal dinners, and the countless invisible conversations that truly shaped the entertainment industry long after official events ended.

Inside the arena, the next generation of performers had been evaluated.

Outside it, they had already begun being claimed.

And by any honest professional standard, the evening had been extremely productive.

The Huracán merged back into traffic.

For a while, only the soft hum of the engine filled the interior.

Xenia occasionally glanced out the window at the glowing cityscape before stealing small looks toward Stan himself.

"Sir... are you really okay driving all the way to my place?" she asked after a while. "The Inksea Island campus area is pretty far."

"It’s fine," Stan replied casually. "I stay around there too."