Chapter 165: Nonchalant (P•S Bonus Chapter)

"Then we move first," he said simply. "Tonight. Not tomorrow."

Vivian looked at him.

Something shifted in her expression, not surprise exactly, but the quiet reassessment of someone watching a major shareholder operate in real time and adjusting her understanding of what that actually meant.

Until now, Stan had carried himself with such calm restraint that it was easy to forget the scale of authority he actually possessed. But moments like this revealed it clearly. He did not hesitate. Did not wait for committee approval or lengthy deliberation.

He saw value.

So he moved.

Vivian lowered her eyes back to the tablet in her hands and immediately added another note.

Across the arena, Lily Reeves’s pen moved once again.

The evening had barely begun.

Meanwhile, Stan casually glanced toward Xenia beside him, only to realize she had been staring at him this entire time.

The moment their eyes met, she quickly looked away like a cat caught doing something it absolutely should not have been doing.

A faint trace of panic flashed across her face.

She bit lightly against her lower lip, pretending to focus on the stage while trying very hard to hide how nervous she suddenly felt.

"You okay?" Stan asked.

"Yes. I am."

Her answer came a little too quickly.

Despite her words, Stan could practically feel the tension radiating from her. Sitting this close made small things impossible to miss, the subtle stiffness in her posture, the uneven rhythm of her breathing, the way her fingers tightened briefly around the edge of her seat.

Her heart was beating fast.

What Stan did not know was just how badly she had been staring earlier.

While he had spent the performances calmly analyzing the contestants with complete focus, Xenia’s attention had drifted toward him again and again without her permission.

She kept watching him.

The sharp line of his jaw beneath the arena lighting.

The neatly styled dark hair that somehow looked effortless despite the formal setting.

The composed look in his eyes whenever he focused on the stage.

Even the subtle movement of his Adam’s apple whenever he spoke.

And his lips.

That calm, restrained expression of his only made things worse.

It was absurd. Embarrassing, even. Yet she could not stop herself from noticing every little detail about him. The closer she sat beside him, the more overwhelming his presence became.

Xenia didn’t know why the sudden urge hit her so violently, but it was undeniable. She wanted to kiss him deeply, hungrily, then drag her tongue slowly along the sharp, smooth line of his jaw. She ached to close her lips around his Adam’s apple, sucking gently, teasing it with her tongue, savoring the way it bobbed under her mouth.

It was a strange, specific kink, one she rarely admitted even to herself, yet right now it consumed her. In the middle of this crowded public space, Xenia was barely holding herself back, thighs pressed tight together, heart hammering as she fought the humiliating impulse to drop every pretense and taste him right there.

Was Stan always this attractive?

Of course he had been handsome before. She was not blind.

But this felt... different somehow.

Maybe it was the confidence.

Maybe it was the calm authority he carried now.

Or perhaps it was the dangerous composure of someone completely aware of his own capabilities yet never needing to flaunt them. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Whatever the reason was, it made her pulse race in ways she found increasingly difficult to control.

"It’s good you’re okay," Stan said casually, unaware of the storm in her thoughts. "You can take your time considering Star Entertainment’s proposal. With me here, I can assure you you’ll receive a contract you’ll be satisfied with."

Xenia nodded quickly, praying her expression looked normal.

Stan, for his part, was not entirely oblivious.

He understood why she had been sneaking glances at him and immediately looking away whenever he noticed. The signs were obvious enough.

Still, there was little he could do about it here.

Not in public.

Not with thousands of people surrounding them and cameras roaming across the arena every few minutes.

So he simply turned his attention back toward the stage as though nothing had happened at all, which somehow only made Xenia’s heart beat even faster.

At this point, Xenia could not help asking herself a question she normally never would have entertained.

Was she not beautiful enough?

Why had Stan always been so nonchalant toward her?

Most men became noticeably different around her within minutes. Some tried too hard to impress her. Some grew nervous. Others practically advertised their interest openly the moment they saw an opportunity.

But Stan...

Stan always treated her the same way. Calm. Polite. Attentive when necessary, yet never overly eager.

Even after their last meeting, when she genuinely thought the distance between them had finally shortened, nothing had really changed afterward. Their chats remained frustratingly normal. No late-night flirting. No suggestive messages. No obvious attempts to get closer.

It was almost unbelievable.

For the first time in a very long while, Xenia found herself hoping someone would notice her more.

Not as Xenia the influencer.

Not as Xenia the celebrity beauty constantly surrounded by attention.

Just... her.

And somehow, the one man she actually wanted attention from remained composed no matter what she did.

Her fingers tightened faintly against her seat.

Then reality quietly poured cold water over her thoughts.

Of course.

A man like Stan Harrison, someone who could casually throw terrifying amounts of money at a livestream platform without blinking, would naturally have countless beautiful women around him every day. Models. Actresses. Socialites. Daughters of wealthy families.

Women far more accomplished and refined than her.

Compared to people in Stan’s world, what exactly made her special enough for him to notice?

The thought stung far more than she expected.

It was absurd, honestly. Most women would never think this way, especially not someone in her position. Pride alone would prevent it.

But Xenia understood something very clearly right now.

Feelings did not care about pride.

And the more honest she was with herself, the more undeniable the truth became.

She liked him. Far more than she should. Maybe it was his composure.