Adrian Carter's Silent Dominance

CHAPTER 7

Charles and Vanessa had been somewhat nervous.

The moment Elaine’s words rang through the lobby, however, their tension shattered instantly.

It was as if an invisible weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

They burst into laughter.

Loud and unrestrained.

The kind of laughter that came from certainty—from knowing they had already won.

As if they had just watched a bad joke finally collapse in front of an audience.

“Did you hear that?” Charles said between laughs, one hand clutching his stomach as though the scene before him was simply too entertaining. “Security is coming. This is priceless.”

His shoulders shook as he laughed again, not even bothering to hide his mockery.

Vanessa's lips curled upward slowly as relief washed over her entire body.

She exhaled. Of course, she knew it.

From the very beginning, she had known it.

Adrian was lying.

How could the Rand family possibly have anything to do with him?

The idea itself was ridiculous.

Several security guards approached quickly, their expressions stern and professional, their footsteps heavy against the floor.

The atmosphere shifted immediately.

Curiosity turned into tension.

“Sir,” one of the guards said firmly, stepping directly in front of Adrian, blocking his path, “you and this woman need to leave immediately.”

His voice was flat and practiced, the tone of someone who had done this countless times before.

Another guard glanced at Iris with clear irritation.

“You’ve caused enough trouble already,” he added impatiently. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

Iris sneered softly.

The expression barely curved her lips, yet it carried unmistakable disdain.

She had been sent abroad at a very young age.

Most of her childhood and nearly all of her adult life had been spent outside the country.

Different cities, different schools, different circles.

Of course Elaine had never seen her before.

But that didn’t mean she would tolerate this kind of treatment.

Her eyes flicked toward Elaine —cold, displeased, and carrying a quiet warning.

Elaine, however, completely misread the sneer.

She straightened her posture, lifting her chin as though asserting her authority, and looked at Iris and Adrian with a cold, superior smile.

“So bold,” Elaine said mockingly, her tone dripping with contempt. “Daring to impersonate members of the Rand family.”

She let out a humorless chuckle.

“Do you know what kind of consequences that carries?” she continued, her gaze sharp. “People like you will pay the price for such arrogance.”

Vanessa watched everything from the side.

She looked at Adrian carefully, her gaze lingering on him longer than she intended.

For a brief second, something resembling disappointment flashed across her eyes.

Not regret or sympathy.

Just disappointment, that he had turned out to be exactly what she feared.

Disappointment mixed with contempt.

But beneath it all, there was satisfaction.

Relief.

She had made the right choice.

Divorcing Adrian had been the smartest decision of her life.

If she had stayed married to him, this humiliation would have been hers to endure.

She would have been standing there, being laughed at.

Instead—

Now she was on the right side watching him be exposed. Watching him fail.

Charles laughed again and reached out, openly taking Vanessa's hand.

His grip was confident and possessive.

“Honestly,” Charles said sarcastically, shaking his head slowly, “I feel secondhand embarrassment just watching this.”

He glanced at Adrian and Iris with obvious disgust, his expression twisted as though the sight offended him.

“Vanessa,” he continued loudly, making sure everyone nearby could hear, “you really should keep it a secret that this man was once your husband.”

He leaned closer to her, lowering his voice just enough to sound intimate, though the mockery was unmistakable.

“If people found out,” he scoffed softly, “it would be far too shameful.”

Vanessa smiled faintly and nodded once.

She didn’t disagree.

Charles straightened and waved his hand dismissively, as though brushing away something unpleasant.

“Let’s go back to the banquet hall,” he said casually. “Staying in a place where people like them have stood makes me nauseous.”

He wrinkled his nose dramatically, exaggerating his disgust.

Vanessa agreed immediately.

“Yes,” she said smoothly, linking her arm with his. “There’s no need to waste any more time here.”

With that, the two of them turned around and walked away together, their laughter trailing behind them like an echo of triumph.

Neither of them spared Adrian another glance.

As if he had already ceased to exist.

Adrian and Iris remained calmly in place.

They didn’t move, they didn't didn't argue, they didn’t explain.

They stood there quietly, as though the chaos around them had nothing to do with them at all.

That alone made Elaine  angrier.

Her brows knitted together, irritation boiling over into open hostility.

“What are you standing there for?” she snapped sharply. “Didn’t you hear me?”

She turned toward the security guards, her voice turning icy.

“Teach them a lesson,” Elaine said coldly. “Make sure they remember this place is not somewhere they can mess around in.”

Iris finally moved.

She calmly reached into her pocket and took out her phone.

Her movements were unhurried, unbothered.

She didn’t look at the guards.

Didn’t look at Elaine .

She simply dialed a number.

When the call connected, her voice was calm and steady, almost gentle.

“Grandpa,” Iris said evenly in a low voice. “Adrian and I have been kicked out of Skyline Hotel.”

The words were simple.

But on the other end of the line Victor  froze.

For a full second, his mind went completely blank.

The world seemed to tilt beneath his feet.

“What did you say?” he demanded sharply, his voice rising despite himself.

Iris repeated herself without emotion, as though stating a fact.

“We were accused of impersonating members of the Rand family.”

Victor’s blood ran cold.

His grip tightened painfully around his cane.

Kicked out?

From his hotel?

By his people?

A surge of fear—and rage—flooded his chest all at once.

Fortunately, he and all the members of the Rand family were already nearby Skyline Hotel .

Victor didn’t waste a single second.

“Come with me. Now,” he barked.

Chairs scraped violently against the floor.

The sudden movement startled everyone around him.

Dozens of footsteps thundered as the Rand family followed him at once, expressions dark and tense.

They rushed toward the lobby without hesitation.

Inside Skyline Hotel, Elaine was still berating Adrian and Iris, her voice echoing loudly off the high ceiling.

“Do you think silence will save you?” she snapped. “Get them out—now!”

The security guards were just about to move again—

When a thunderous voice cut through the lobby.

“STOP!”

The words were loud enough to make everyone freeze.

Heads snapped toward the entrance in unison.

Victor stood there.

His expression was terrifyingly dark, fury rolling off him in waves.

Behind him stood the Rand family, their faces grim, eyes sharp, anger unmistakable.

Elaine’s face drained of color instantly.

Her heart dropped straight into her stomach.

“P-Patriarch Victor ?” she stammered.

Her knees nearly gave out beneath her.

She rushed forward instinctively and bowed deeply, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

“I—I’m so sorry, Patriarch,” Elaine said quickly, panic seeping into every word. “There were two people impersonating members of the Rand family. I was about to drive them away at once.”

She gestured urgently toward Adrian and Iris, desperate to prove her loyalty.

But before she could say anything more—

Iris spoke.

She turned toward Victor with a gentle, almost innocent smile.

“Grandpa,” she said sweetly, “so I’m not a member of the Rand family after all?”

The words hit Elaine like a death sentence.

Her eyes widened in horror.

Cold sweat poured down her face instantly.

Her legs gave out completely.

Elaine dropped to her knees on the ground.