Chapter 26: There Is Indeed One Thing I Want

To put it nicely, this industry summit was an exchange of ideas, but in reality, it was a disguised way to attract investments and showcase each company's strength.

So every person who took the stage could not be underestimated.

Vivian Hale listened intently to several presentations and managed to extract a few fragments of inspiration.

Very soon, it was Tiffany Rose's turn to take the stage.

She looked pure and innocent, her straight black hair falling over her shoulders, wearing a little white dress that exuded a strong campus vibe.

Tiffany scanned the room, casting a provocative glance at Vivian before beginning her presentation.

A lengthy passage of seemingly advanced and obscure English text appeared on the massive screen.

"Everyone, the technology I am presenting today is a new project I developed during my time at the Cross Group. This time, I am introducing a brand-new algorithm..."

Vivian listened to a couple of sentences, the smile at the corners of her lips deepening.

As expected.

Tiffany’s so-called new algorithm came entirely from the new files she had planted in her computer!

Vivian’s mind was completely at ease now.

She had previously wondered if Tiffany might actually possess some real capability and perhaps discover the errors and omissions in the program.

Yet after so many simulations, she still hadn't noticed the bugs. With just that level of skill, she actually dared to boast so wildly?

When the presentation ended, it was time for the Q&A session.

Tiffany extended an invitation with great poise: "My explanation has concluded. If there is anything you didn't fully understand, or if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I will answer them one by one."

However, the audience remained wrapped in absolute silence.

The expressions of the industry tycoons were highly accurate and telling; each of them looked as though they wanted to speak but hesitated.

It was unknown how much time passed.

Someone suddenly began to clap.

One clap after another, it quickly infected the rest of the room.

In an instant, thunderous applause erupted within the venue, sweeping toward Tiffany on the stage like a tidal wave.

"Miss Rose from the Cross Group truly is capable. To be able to deduce such an 'advanced' algorithm at such a young age."

"It's simply unheard of, much like one plus one equals three. If Miss Rose hadn't explained it, I wouldn't even have known."

"With Miss Rose at the Cross Group, the company will surely enjoy everlasting prosperity."

Standing on the stage, Tiffany was momentarily overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

She hadn't expected her presentation to receive such an incredibly enthusiastic response.

It seemed this material truly was useful! As long as she utilized it properly, she might actually be able to forge a real patent out of it.

When that time came, she would have a valid reason to force Adrian Cross into a divorce, and she could enter the household as his rightful wife.

Visualizing her future, Tiffany felt an immense rush of satisfaction in her heart.

She looked toward Adrian in the audience with an air of absolute triumph, her entire being radiating a display of showing off.

"Everyone flatters me too much. In truth, the reason I am here today is entirely due to the cultivation of my boss, Adrian Cross. Without him, the person standing here today would not exist."

The applause below instantly grew even more intense, and a few people even began to cheer.

Tiffany was already blinded by the joy, completely drowning in the praise of the crowd.

With this, he would have absolutely no reason not to forgive her previous impulsiveness, which had caused him to be caught red-handed cheating by the reporters.

Meanwhile, Adrian couldn't help but feel a bit proud.

Although there were a few phrases among the crowd's remarks that he didn't quite grasp, the feedback was entirely positive.

This time, it would definitely alleviate the company's crisis.

What comforted him even more was that Tiffany on the stage had been personally trained by him.

However, with this happening, Vivian ought to show some reaction now, right?

Jealousy or envy—at the very least, it would create a sense of crisis in her, making her even more compliant with his demands.

Filled with absolute confidence, Adrian turned his head, wanting to see Vivian's reaction.

But in the next second, the smile froze directly on his face.

Vivian hadn't even cast a single glance at Tiffany on the stage, nor did she care much about him.

She was enthusiastically playing with her phone, her fingers flying across the keyboard, completely oblivious as to whom she was chatting with.

A surge of fury erupted within Adrian's chest.

He spoke with distinct displeasure, "Vivian, who are you chatting with?"

Only then did Vivian leisurely put her phone away, a hint of amusement lingering in her eyes.

"I'm sending Pearl the photos from when I was in Sanya. Is it over here, Honey? Let's leave."

Fools, they can't even tell the difference between sincere praise and sarcasm.

They actually think those people are praising Tiffany.

Those executives are all incredibly shrewd; they just don't want to offend someone to their face.

Vivian spoke as she prepared to stand up.

But the moment she moved, her right wrist was clamped firmly down by Adrian.

The man’s face was dark, his tone carrying a flavor that brooked no resistance.

"Give me your phone, let me see."

The smile on Vivian’s face stiffened intentionally, and she began to tease him.

"What for? You even want to read the private chats of young girls?"

Adrian, however, refused to let her dodge the issue.

"Give it to me."

Vivian pressed her red lips into a tight line, but she used the opportunity to glance at Tiffany not far away. She intentionally drew closer to Adrian, smiling sweetly.

"Honey, you're still like this—always getting so easily jealous. Fine, fine, I'll let you look."

As she spoke, her entire body practically leaned against Adrian, getting ready to show him her phone. The two of them appeared entirely inseparable for a moment.

Yet the moment she swiped open the screen, she began to count silently in her heart.

"One, two..."

Sure enough, before she could even reach three.

"Adrian!"

A sugary voice suddenly drifted to their ears.

In the next second, a pure white figure flung herself to Adrian’s side, squeezing directly into the space between the two of them.

Clutching the presentation documents in her hands, Tiffany carried a trace of petty triumph in her eyes. Completely intoxicated by the praise from earlier, she looked at the brushed-aside Vivian with the posture of an absolute victor.

She intentionally acted spoiled toward Adrian.

"My performance today was pretty good, right? Mr. Cross, shouldn't you give me a little reward?"

Adrian knit his brows slightly, not having time to reply.

Taking advantage of the perfect timing, Vivian lowered her phone, and the face that had been wearing a smile just moments ago instantly darkened.

"Miss Rose, Adrian is my husband. As his subordinate, you ought to watch your form of address."

The smile on Tiffany’s face instantly solidified.

She froze for a moment before biting her lip, looking at Adrian with an expression of deep grievance and resentment.

"Adrian, look at this..."

Only then did Adrian snap back to reality.

Although he tried his best to restrain it, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

As expected, the woman before him still cared about him.

Even if she tried to be sensible, she couldn't mask the petty movements that came when jealousy boiled over.

As for the phone, she was just about to show it to him anyway; what could she possibly have to hide?

Adrian let out a cough, following Vivian's lead to lecture Tiffany right on cue: "My wife is right. People are already spreading rumors about the two of us; we should be more mindful of our boundaries."

Tiffany’s expression instantly turned rather hideous, her fingers tightening around the documents.

Adrian naturally noticed this small movement, but he enjoyed this feeling of being surrounded and fought over by two women even more.

He softened his tone slightly, shifting the conversation: "But your performance today was indeed excellent, so it's only right to reward you properly. Speak up, what do you want? My wife is generous, and this can be considered as you helping her out. If you have any conditions, propose them to her!"

Heh. Vivian was nearly driven to laughter by his utter shamelessness.

Proposing to the rightful wife to reward his mistress right to her face—this man truly knew how to play.

However, this was also a piece of her plan.

Gazing at the completely oblivious Tiffany, she intentionally rummaged through her bag, revealing several cards and pieces of jewelry. Among them, a card with the words "Star Source" printed on it was exceptionally conspicuous.

"Yes, Miss Rose. This was originally my responsibility, but due to my physical illness, I could only trouble you to work on behalf of the company. Look, whatever request you have, you can propose it. I can give you whatever I have here."

Tiffany’s gaze indeed quietly lingered on that card marked "Star Source" for a fleeting instant.

Only then did she adopt a soft, affected bashfulness. "Speaking of which, there is indeed one thing I want..."

She turned her head to look at Vivian, putting on an embarrassed front.

"I heard that Mrs. Cross has connections with the owner of the Star Source Beauty Salon. I wonder if you could arrange a membership card for me there?"