Chapter 283: The P1 Outside

Chapter 283: Chapter 283: The P1 Outside

Friday evening arrived in Aurelia under a blanket of deep dusk, the city’s skyline glowing with millions of cascading LED lights. The chill in the air was sharp, but inside the bustling commercial heart of the capital, the energy was electric.

Near the center of the financial district stood the Meridian Crown—a sprawling, multi-tiered culinary haven featuring marble pillars, warm ambient lighting, and glass enclosures that looked out over the private gardens below. Owned under the expanding portfolio of Golden Investments, it was renowned as the premier dining location for high society, foreign diplomats, and corporate elites.

At nineteen hundred sharp, a gleaming silver sedan pulled up to the valet bay at the entrance of the Crown.

The rear doors swung open, and Liv stepped out onto the polished granite entry, smoothing down the lapels of her cream-colored designer trench coat. Right behind her were her two usual shadows, Natasha and Sky, alongside three former male classmates wearing sharply tailored suits.

"I still can’t believe Alan managed to book the top-tier VIP booth on a Friday night," Natasha whispered, glancing up at the imposing gold-embossed crest of the Meridian Crown in awe. "My dad tried to get a reservation here last month for his firm’s anniversary and was put on a three-week waiting list!"

Liv turned around, a smug, triumphant smile playing across her lips as she adjusted her designer tote bag. "Alan’s family has major connections in the luxury import sector. When his father calls, people listen. Besides, Alan explicitly wanted the best for our reunion."

"Where are Alan and Phoebe?" one of the guys asked, checking his gold watch.

"They’re already inside waiting for us," Liv replied, her tone dripping with self-importance. "Come on. Let’s head up before the rest of the group arrives."

As the group walked through the towering glass doors, the head host at the reception podium offered a polite, practiced bow. "Good evening, welcome to the Meridian Crown. Do you have a reservation?"

"VIP Booth Four," Liv stated puffed up with pride, enunciating every word clearly so the nearby patrons could hear. "Under the name Alan."

The host scanned his digital terminal, and for a brief second, his eyes flickered with a strange, highly attentive glint. "Ah, yes. The high school reunion. The General Manager himself instructed us to give your group our absolute highest standard of care tonight. Please follow me."

Liv’s eyes shone with secondhand arrogance as she glanced back at her friends. "See? I told you Alan’s family carries serious weight."

The host led them past the main dining floor, up a set of wide, carpeted stairs, and into an elevated, semi-private pavilion overlooking the main hall. The booth was magnificent—upholstered in plush navy leather with a solid obsidian table, surrounded by subtle privacy glass.

Sitting at the center of the booth was Alan, wearing a sleek black tuxedo jacket, sipping a glass of vintage wine. Beside him was Phoebe, dressed in a sparkling emerald evening dress.

"Liv! You made it!" Phoebe beamed, waving them over.

"Of course we did!" Liv smiled, sliding into the booth next to them. "The atmosphere here is incredible, Alan. The host even said the General Manager gave special instructions for our table!"

Alan grinned, leaning back in his seat with an easy, practiced wave of his hand. "Well, when you pay premium rates, you expect premium treatment. I told them we wanted the absolute best."

It’s good to be back in Aurelia, Alan thought, swirling his wine with a quiet sense of superiority. No matter how much things change, status always wins in this city.

"Did you invite Aliya and Fancy?" Phoebe asked, leaning in closer to Liv. "I noticed that they weren’t in the group chat."

Liv let out a small, condescending chuckle, swirling her own glass of water. "Oh, don’t worry, I hand-delivered the invitation card to them on campus on Wednesday. You should have seen their faces—they were practically speechless."

"Did she actually accept?" Alan raised an eyebrow, a subtle spark of curiosity flashing through his eyes. Back in high school, Aliya had always been the quiet, unapproachable girl who ignored the social hierarchy, a fact that had quietly intrigued him for years.

"She said she’d be here," Liv scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Probably realized it’s her only chance in this lifetime to see what the inside of a venue like this looks like. She’ll probably show up in her cheap campus clothes looking completely out of place."

"Well, as long as she doesn’t embarrass us," Phoebe said mildly, though a faint smirk touched her lips. Let’s see if time has humbled her a bit.

Just then, two floor waiters dressed in pristine white gloves approached the table, carrying a heavy silver tray laden with complimentary vintage champagne and an array of high-end appetizers.

"Compliments of the executive management," the lead waiter announced with a deep, respectful bow as he arranged the crystal flutes on the obsidian table. "Please enjoy your evening."

The table erupted in quiet gasps and impressed murmurs.

"Woah, Alan... this champagne is worth at least fifty thousand marks a bottle!" one of the former classmates exclaimed. "Your dad must have some serious pull with the management here!"

Alan blinked in mild surprise, not remembering ordering such high-grade champagne, but he quickly recovered his composure, puffing out his chest with a relaxed smile. "Ah, yes. My father does business with a few of the subsidiary directors under Golden Investments. They know how to treat valued guests."

Liv leaned over to Sky, whispering triumphantly, "See? This is real high society. When Aliya walks in here, she’s going to realize just how far behind she really is."

---

A few blocks away, near the grand entrance of the Meridian Gallery, Jake’s heavy Brabus pulled up to the red carpet.

The gallery was bathed in soft spotlighting, its high arches and classical marble pillars serving as the backdrop for the evening’s premier auction. High-end luxury cars lined the private driveway, dropping off international collectors, corporate executives, and prominent public figures.

A wall of media journalists, photographers, and paparazzi stood lined up behind the gold velvet ropes on both sides of the red carpet. The moment the Brabus came to a stop, camera flashes began erupting continuously like flickering lightning.

Elias stepped out from the front passenger seat, moving with military precision to open the rear door.

It sure is lively here, Jake thought as he stepped out onto the carpet first, looking effortlessly sharp in a tailored charcoal suit. He turned and extended a firm hand back into the cabin, helping Catharine step out. She looked stunning in a flowing burgundy silk dress, her dark hair styled in soft waves that rested against her shoulders.

As the crowd recognized the now established titan of Aurelia’s financial market, the media line went wild. Microphones were thrust forward over the barrier, and blinding flashes reflected off the gallery’s polished stone facade.

Seeing the sea of flashing cameras, Catharine visibly stiffened for a fraction of a second, her breath catching slightly. It was her first time stepping directly into the blinding center of such high-profile media attention.

Noticing her slight hesitation, Jake didn’t pause. He smoothly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close against his side in a firm, protective hold. He leaned down slightly, whispering calmly beside her ear, "Just keep looking straight ahead. I’ve got you."

Catharine felt the grounding warmth of his grip, relaxing into his side as a confident, radiant smile returned to her face. Together, they walked up the red carpet with effortless grace, ignoring the shouting reporters.

"The crowd is bigger than I expected," Catharine observed quietly, linking her arm securely through his as they reached the guarded VIP entrance.

"The Newman asset absorption brought a lot of eyes onto our luxury branch," Jake replied smoothly, glancing at the heavy security detail positioned around the perimeter. "Everyone wants to see if they can get the story behind it."

As they crossed the threshold into the grand foyer, leaving the frantic flashes behind, Alice stepped forward from the reception desk, holding her tablet tightly against her side.

"Mr. Rivers, Miss Catharine," Alice greeted with a formal nod. "Your private box is prepared. The General Manager is currently overseeing the final display checks."

"Good," Jake nodded, scanning the room. "Has my sister arrived at the Crown yet?"

Alice checked a quiet ping on her device. "Miss Aliya and her companion arrived at the Meridian Crown roughly ten minutes ago. The floor manager confirmed they were escorted up to the VIP booth."

Jake’s lips twitched with a dry, subtle smirk.

Let’s see how long Liv’s arrogance lasts, Jake thought, his eyes glinting with calm amusement.

"Keep a passive monitor on the Crown’s reports," Jake instructed Alice mildly. "And let me know if something happens."

"Understood, Mr. Rivers," Alice replied cleanly.

Jake turned to Catharine, offering a warm, easy smile as he gestured toward the grand staircase leading to the VIP bidding suites. "Shall we go get settled in before the bidding starts?"

"Lead the way," Catharine smiled, stepping up beside him as they moved deeper into the gallery, completely unbothered by the quiet storm brewing just down the street.

---

Back at the Meridian Crown, the ambient chatter of the upper-tier VIP pavilion was suddenly shattered by a deep, guttural mechanical roar echoing off the glass towers of the financial district.

Outside, a McLaren P1 glided into the driveway, its deep, volcano-orange paint gleaming like liquid fire under the architectural lights. The dramatic, sweeping carbon-fiber canopy and aggressive hypercar lines cut through the ambient glow of the valet bay, drawing instant, breathless stares from every patron standing near the entrance. Directly behind the hypercar, a sleek black Mercedes S-Class pulled in with practiced precision—Aliya’s bodyguards, Kovacs and Sarah, maintaining a vigilant escort.

The valet supervisor nearly dropped his clipboard, scrambling forward as he motioned frantically to his team. "Clear the front row! Move everything else! Get the General Manager’s team out here now!"

The dihedral door of the P1 swung upward like a mechanical wing. Fancy stepped out onto the granite entry first, smoothing down the waist of her breathtaking designer gown. While her own family back home was quietly buried under mounting financial debt, no one standing outside the Crown tonight could ever guess it. Wrapped in the ultra-luxury garments and exquisite high-carat jewelry Jake had generously purchased for her during their recent Geneva trip, she radiated the undeniable aura of high society.

On the driver’s side, Aliya stepped out, tossing her long dark hair over her shoulder. She wore a floor-length emerald silk backless dress that perfectly mirrored her quiet, unshakeable confidence.

Kovacs and Sarah stepped out of the S-Class, taking up discreet positions near the valet podium as Aliya handed the hypercar’s key fob to the bowing supervisor.

Aliya couldn’t help but let a subtle smirk touch her lips as she looked at the glowing orange machine. On Thursday night, she had called Jake, practically begging him to drive over and pick her up after the reunion. She had fully intended to use her brother’s intimidating presence to deliver the ultimate reality check to her former classmates.

Jake, seeing right through her little scheme, had casually declined over the phone, explaining that he would be tied up at the Meridian Gallery auction with Catharine. But before she could complain, Jake had offered a far better alternative: "Take the P1. Everyone in Veyra knows it’s mine anyway. It’ll serve the exact same purpose."

And he had been entirely right.

"Keep it right out front," Aliya instructed the supervisor smoothly.

"Understood, Miss! Right at the central bay!" the supervisor bowed repeatedly, treating the key like pure glass.

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