Feeling her cheeks hot, Aveline looked away from Alaric, cursing herself.
Why would he kiss her? She didn’t have to fluster over that.
Alaric calmly swapped her dinner plate with his neatly cut steak. He picked up the knife and fork again, "Waiting for to feed?" She wasn’t moving.
Aveline shot him a glare and stood up. Before she could even reach for her chair, his long legs nudged it back without even looking at it.
She sat down again with an annoyed huff. She grabbed her fork, and he asked, "What happened to your hand?" His tone was light, but the question hung heavy.
Already awkward, she didn’t want him rushing her to the hospital or anything. So she said what ca to her mind, "Maybe I was waiting for a gentleman to step in and cut my steak."
She stuffed a bite into her mouth before she realized what she had said. ’Oh my god! I didn’t know I had a loose tongue.’
Alaric set his knife and fork down and leaned back, amusent flickering in his eyes. "Ms. Laurent, did you just flirt with ?" His tone carried a hint of mischief.
Aveline would never agree to it. She tilted her head with faux confusion, "Did I?" She shrugged, "I ant, thank you for the steak."
Trying to cover her act, she naturally reached for the wine flute, and he flicked her hand.
She exclaid, "Aren’t you too casual with ?" Disbelief was written all over her face.
Alaric didn’t answer. He waited for the mont her eyes widened and her lips curled into an O in realization. She was on dication, and she wasn’t allowed to drink.
"I will buy you a drink." He finally said. "After your treatnt."
Aveline: "..."
When did she say she needed a drink? Or expected him to buy her a drink?
That wasn’t even her question.
"Why do you dodge my questions?" She asked.
Alaric t her expectant gaze. She knew he would dodge her question again, yet she asked again. He leaned in slightly and grabbed her chair.
Aveline imdiately clutched the table and declared before he pulled her closer, "I’ll eat." She looked at him, bewildered.
Wasn’t he supposed to be cold, indifferent, and arrogant?
She wasn’t crazy, he was beyond her imagination.
Amused, Alaric let go and watched her quietly take a bite. Dinner resud in a strange peace, with the occasional glare or sideways glance from her.
....
anwhile, at the Urban Pulse club,
A fancy club run by Damien’s friend, Leo Silvers. Damien stepped out of the car and made his way inside. This wasn’t the kind of club he usually chose to drink or hang out in. It was the kind used for... cleaning up.
Leo, dressed in a leather jacket studded with silver brooches, greeted him at the entrance. "There you are. I’ve sent him to your usual room." He checked his watch. "I’ll be back in two hours."
Damien rely humd in response.
He moved through the club unbothered by the crowd dancing, drinking, and having fun to the loud music. Entering the quiet corridor, he made his way to the private room.
A young man in his early twenties stood up and greeted him respectfully. "Director Ashford. It’s an honor. I’m Lucas Taylor, junior accountant." He introduced himself.
Damien smiled faintly and gestured for him to sit. "Taylor, I heard you found sothing... unusual."
Lucas nodded. He diligently reported, "Yes, sir. I noticed paynts going to a vendor who’s been deceased for over two years. It couldn’t be a mistake."
Lucas paused when a waitress entered the room, serving both of them a drink.
Damien gestured for Lucas to take the drink, "Go ahead." Then he grabbed his glass and sipped his whiskey.
Lucas took a grateful gulp and tried to bury his nervousness. He was just a simple and new employee, he hadn’t expected that he would ever get a chance to et Damien.
"Sharp eye, Taylor," Damien said smoothly. "That’s impressive. Not many catch those things." He appreciated Lucas.
It ant the world to Lucas. His happiness spiked, "Thank you, sir."
Damien ca to the main point, "Do you suspect anyone, Taylor?" He didn’t want to take a chance if Lucas had found out the truth.
Lucas hesitated. "I’m not sure. But... if I had to guess, I would say CFO Charlie Harmon. His departnt handled that account. And if there’s more to it, he’s probably not alone." It was purely his analysis.
Damien nodded thoughtfully. "That’s valuable insight, Taylor. I was actually considering a promotion. You deserve it more than anybody."
Lucas’s face lit up with the news, but he failed to notice Damien giving a discreet nod to the waitress.
Damien asked after another round of drinks, "Yeah, I hope you haven’t told this to anybody else. We wouldn’t want the culprit to erase the tracks."
Lucas assured him, "I haven’t told anyone else, sir. I was worried about losing the job."
"Understandable," Damien said smoothly.
Unaware, Lucas kept drinking as the waitress served. He didn’t want to disappoint Damien.
Within the hour, Lucas’s words began to slur. He rubbed his eyes, feeling dizzy. "I should probably head ho."
Damien offered to book him a cab and sent a ssage, "I will book a cab."
A waiter soon arrived. "Let help you, Sir," he said, escorting Lucas to the car. Then he handed the driver a bottle of water.
Lucas managed to give his address before he fell asleep in the car, having no idea, he made the biggest mistake of his life.
When the cab arrived, the driver sprinkled so water on his face and helped him drink more.
Lucas staggered out, stumbled inside the building, but collapsed before the elevator even reached the floor.
—-----
In a private room at Urban Pulse Club,
Leo had returned shortly after Lucas Taylor left. He sat with Damien. "Why did Ric attack you?"
Though there was no direct communication, they had connected the dots, and it was clear Alaric was behind all the chaos at Ashford Holdings.
Damien chugged his drink and recounted how he offered an investnt to NexGuard, only to be refused. In retaliation, he tried to stir rumors, intending to teach Alaric a lesson. But Alaric buried the noise and struck back harder.
Leo nodded thoughtfully. Alaric wasn’t of any use to him anyway. Damien, on the other hand, was more than willing to get his hands dirty. So he picked Damien’s side.
"Why offer when you could steal?" Leo snickered.
"What do you an?" Damien frowned, not quite getting it.
’Ring, ring.’
Leo’s phone started buzzing, interrupting them.
He answered, listened, and when the call ended, he reported flatly, "Lucas Taylor is dead." Overdose of drugs.
Damien showed neither guilt nor interest in Lucas. "Steal what?"
And just like that, the hunt for Alaric Lancaster began.
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