He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 625

Scarlett stopped. Her gaze swept over Yardley with absolute indifference. Her voice was cold and detached, as if addressing a complete stranger.

"Move."

A faint, delicate fragrance drifted across Yardley's face.

For a moment, it felt as if time itself had been paused.

Yardley was so struck by her indescribable beauty that his heart began to hammer violently against his ribs.

His pupils dilated uncontrollably.

His mind entirely blanked.

His fingers locked up, suddenly feeling too stiff to obey him.

He stared at her face, his gaze entirely transfixed.

The woman standing before him was on an entirely different level of breathtaking compared to when he had seen her at City Hall.

And yet, that had only been a few short hours ago...

He finally realized that Scarlett hadn't lacked beauty; she just hadn't bothered to dress up. The moment she did, she effortlessly obliterated every other socialite in Bay City, instantly commanding the spotlight.

"Scarlett, you... it must be hard to walk in that. Let me... help you."

Yardley's voice was hoarse, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously as he instinctively reached out to take her arm.

"Don't trouble yourself, ex-husband. Tonight, I'm her date."

Before Yardley's fingers could even brush her, Julian stepped forward and firmly swatted his hand away. With an air of absolute authority, he positioned himself right by Scarlett's side.

He slightly bent his arm, offering it to her.

Scarlett hadn't worn heels in a long time, and the truth was, she was struggling a bit. She gracefully looped her arm through Julian's, immediately feeling a steady, grounding strength radiating from him.

Yardley frowned deeply. The word "ex-husband" falling from Julian's lips hit him like a physical blow, causing his chest to tighten and his breathing to hitch.

Before he could find his voice, Julian was already escorting Scarlett past him with perfect gentlemanly poise.

Julian had previously dropped subtle hints to several of the industry's most powerful firms that Croft Design Studio was currently flush with cash and looking to co-invest in a few major projects for mutual growth.

With the current global economic downturn, almost every company—much like the Flynn Group—was facing severe liquidity issues.

In times like these, whoever held the capital held the power.

True to his usual low-key nature, Julian hadn't blasted this news from the rooftops. Instead, he had quietly short-listed a few reliable firms to introduce to Scarlett tonight.

Every single one of these companies had previously worked with Scarlett during her freelance days at the studio, and they all held immense respect for her architectural drafts.

Having learned from the disastrous fallout with Craig Schmidt and his peers, Julian's number one priority for choosing partners was simple: they had to genuinely respect and value Scarlett's design philosophy. Only after that did he care about their financial backing or industry standing.

He was determined to elevate her. He believed from the bottom of his heart that her extraordinary talent deserved to be recognized.

The companies Julian had selected weren't massive corporate monoliths, but they were all rising stars in the real estate sector.

The executives from these firms were present tonight. The moment they spotted Julian and Scarlett, they eagerly approached to welcome them.

"Mr. Croft, this must be the brilliant designer you mentioned. Ms. Langley, I'm Walter Wallace from Summit Dynamics. You designed our Stellar Tower. I've always been an immense admirer of your work, though it's a tragedy we never had the chance to meet face-to-face until now."