The Abandoned Wife Dumped Him First (Victoria and Elias) novel Chapter 278

The doors to the hall were suddenly pushed open.

An elderly man with a full head of silver hair, leaning on a cane, walked steadily toward the stage. He was followed by two young people, a man and a woman.

"Mr. Rhodes!"

Someone in the crowd was the first to recognize the old man, their voice filled with shock.

Only then did everyone else realize who the weathered yet imposing seventy-year-old man was.

He was Grant Rhodes, the world-renowned, top-tier architectural design master—a true giant in the industry.

There was a saying among architects: "It's better to get a single word of advice from Mr. Rhodes than to live another ten years."

To this day, no one had surpassed Mr. Rhodes's achievements in architectural design. Every building he touched was a masterpiece, a world-famous work of art.

Still reeling from the shock of his appearance, most people didn't have time to process what Mr. Rhodes had just said.

But Genevieve did.

Her face paled as she watched Mr. Rhodes approach her. She never imagined Grant would be here. Hadn't he retired from public life long ago? How could this be?

As Grant was about to step onto the stage, Genevieve bit her lip, concealing her unease. Fearing someone might see through her, she quickly moved forward, pretending to offer him a hand.

"Mr. Rhodes, why didn't you tell me you were coming to The Imperial Capital? I would have loved to pick you up," she said in a soft, gentle voice.

Grant's sharp eyes narrowed. The woman's audacity was beyond his imagination. No wonder that girl had been bested by her. But he wasn't about to be so polite.

The Euro-American Architectural Design Awards was famous domestically, but it was a long way from going international. A single negative word from a figure like Grant could end their competition for good.

The director hurried to placate him. "Mr. Rhodes, there must be a misunderstanding! But whatever the case, we have clearly been negligent. I apologize. I will apologize to your treasured student right now!"

With that, the director turned and bowed to Genevieve. "Miss Vale, I am so sorry. This was a failure on our part. I hope both you and Mr. Rhodes can forgive us!"

Grant's eyes widened. He raised his cane as if to strike the director's legs.

The man and woman behind him rushed forward to stop him. "Sir, please, calm down! You mustn't!"

The cane, a solid length of ancient, iron-dense ebony, carried a lethal weight. A single, well-placed strike would have shattered the director’s leg instantly.

Grant bellowed, "I told you to apologize to my student! Who gave you the nerve to apologize to this imposter!"