The moment Alexander spoke, all three women in the room instinctively turned to face him.

"Celeste."

Alexander almost never used such an intimate nickname for Amy.

In fact, to be precise, he never had.

He always addressed her formally—"Ms. Sinclair" or, at best, a stiff "Mrs. Blackwood."

Now, hearing him call her "Celeste," not only did the others freeze—even Amy herself felt an icy shiver crawl up her spine, goosebumps prickling her skin.

Victoria's smile, already brittle, now threatened to shatter completely.

Genevieve, on the other hand, looked genuinely stunned. Hadn't Amy and Alexander divorced? Why was he suddenly addressing her with such tenderness?

Trying to ease the tension, Genevieve replied, "Celeste and I were classmates at Solmaris Conservatory."

"Solmaris?" Alexander's eyes widened in disbelief. "You... attended Solmaris together?"

Genevieve already knew from Samantha that Alexander and his circle had always dismissed Amy, mocking her supposed lack of education—claiming she'd barely finished secondary school.

She arched a brow, challenging him. "Is that so surprising?"

For some reason, Victoria seemed unusually flustered today. She interjected sharply, "I heard Ms. Sinclair only completed basic schooling. How could you two have possibly been classmates at Solmaris? Ms. Harrington, are you certain you're not mistaken?"

Genevieve gave Victoria a bemused look. "I think I'd remember whether or not Celeste and I studied together. Don't you, Ms. Langley? Or are you suggesting I don’t know my own history?"

Victoria faltered, caught off guard and momentarily speechless.

Alexander pressed further, his voice low. "Ms. Harrington, which program did you both study?"

Genevieve's tone remained composed. "You invited me here as a guest of honor. I assumed you'd at least have done some research about me... But it seems you're only interested in my reputation."

At that, Victoria's face darkened.

Genevieve continued, "Celeste and I both attended Solmaris Conservatory."

She cast Victoria a sidelong glance. "We were both inducted into the Hall of Legends there. That's actually how we met."

"The Hall of Legends?" Victoria's expression twisted, her voice rising in disbelief. "That's impossible! There's no way she could be in the Hall of Legends!"

Genevieve remained unruffled. "And why not?"

Victoria's tone turned shrill. "I went to Solmaris myself. I never saw her there—never even heard her name!"

Genevieve smiled faintly. "Tell me, Ms. Langley—how many Hall of Legends members have you actually met in person?"

Victoria's agitation froze mid-breath.

At Solmaris, only half the Hall of Legends members ever revealed their identities. The rest preferred anonymity—whether due to privacy, disdain for attention, or simply eccentricity.

No one questioned it.

Artists, after all, were known for their quirks.

Solmaris was filled with prodigies. Victoria herself had encountered plenty of reclusive geniuses.

Some Hall of Legends members didn’t even use their real names—just aliases or codenames.

So secrecy wasn’t unusual.

Still, Victoria refused to back down. "Ms. Harrington, words alone prove nothing."

Every Hall of Legends member received an engraved badge with their name and photo. If Amy truly had one, why hadn’t she shown it before now?

Genevieve merely tilted her head. "Do you honestly think I'd lie about something like this, Ms. Langley?"

Back at Solmaris, Amy had gone by "Raven" and never revealed her face. Even if she produced the badge now, Victoria and Alexander would likely refuse to believe it was hers.