Even under the dim light, the way Damien grabbed Aveline’s arm was enough to tell he was displeased.
Alaric took a step without thinking. But soone grabbed his hand. He shot a glare at the owner of the hand.
Leo Silvers stepped back, lifting his hand in surrender. "Ric, hold your horses. Don’t involve his wife in the ss," he warned Alaric as if he were a man of morals.
Whereas, he was the sa one who had given the idea of stealing Alaric’s software and knew that Alaric didn’t start the attack on Ashford Holdings.
Julien Fox and Kian Vale looked at each other. Kian spoke, "What ss are you talking about?" His voice was low.
Leo didn’t hide it from them. "They’re attacking each other. Business level."
Kian hid his smirk behind his glass. Wasn’t he behaving mighty when they were bitching about Alaric?
Why was he targeting Alaric’s startup?
Whereas Julien remarked, "Fuck! No wonder Alaric was suddenly being a gentleman to Damien’s wife," he said sarcastically.
And Alaric watched the three. He hadn’t chosen to be their friend. Life had given them to him. Sa school, sa university.
He decided it was ti he got rid of so people from his life. He walked away, disappearing into the darkness in the hall.
Kian hissed after a sip. "I should have listened to my father." His father had suggested finding out Henry’s daughter and befriending her when her presence in social circles was zero.
He regretted it today after watching her beside Damien, commanding the whole hall just by standing there.
Leo rolled his eyes. Julien challenged him anyway, "Give it a try. You might get lucky, too."
...
anwhile, Alaric, who was walking towards the exit, heard a voice. "Ric..." He paused, hearing the familiar voice.
He turned to find his acquaintance and the businessman from the capital, Alvin Matthews. His majestic clubhouse was Alaric’s inspiration to build Obsidian. And Alvin was a founding mber of Obsidian and had managed to convince his mother to bring his plan to reality.
"Alvin Matthews, what a surprise!" The man wasn’t soone to join sobody’s party.
They shook hands.
Alvin cued Alaric to stand beside him and continued to watch the video. "Why are you leaving when the show hasn’t even started?"
As far as Alaric knew, Alvin didn’t have any business link with Damien. And what show was he talking about?
"I overheard sothing interesting." Alvin tilted his head to face him and added, "A little lady will finally appear in the business history of Velmora."
’Aveline?’
"Gotta go." Alvin’s voice sounded before he blended into the darkness and disappeared behind a shadow.
The lights flickered on in the hall, and then everyone noticed an old lady watching the Crown model. Her expression was taut before she began moving towards the dais.
He identified Damien’s grandmother easily. The woman who still held the Ashford Holdings shares in her na.
The woman who feared her sons would ruin her husband’s hard-earned company to the ground. If not for her, Maxwell would have lted their shares on lavish spending.
Lawrence and his wife went up to her, but she didn’t spare them a glance. Cassandra faked her smile, standing beside Maxwell, but they failed to get her attention.
Her hand raised only when Damien appeared in her view. She held his hand and went to the dais, under his question, "Grandmother, why are you taking the dais?"
Anyway, she stood in front of the podium with Damien to her left. Her eyes looked around, and she extended her right hand when she t Aveline’s eyes.
’Zero...’ Aveline’s countdown completed when she nodded towards Eleanor.
Damien’s brows quivered, but he held back, watching Aveline make her way. He quickly gave his hand to help her up the stage. Her clutch on his hand showed how painful it was for her, but her expression remained composed.
She left his hand and held Eleanor’s hand. "Grandmother..." She greeted her.
The whole Ashford family cursed Aveline for gaining Eleanor’s favor in just a short ti.
Selene murmured under her breath, "Is she her granddaughter? Does she only see Damien?"
Eleanor spoke to the silent crowd, "Let introduce her, Aveline Laurent. She ca to our family as Damien’s wife."
There were loud gasps. They were expecting them to be engaged or dating.
A woman near the front whispered breathlessly, "The Ashford and Laurent union! This is bigger than any corporate rger!"
An elderly businessman adjusted his glasses, exclaiming, "Damien struck a jackpot marrying Laurent’s daughter. Henry’s empire and Ashford’s reach combined?"
Another guest nudged his companion, "Look at them together! She’s got the grace, he’s got the ambition. They’ll rule this city."
Eleanor waited until the buzz ended. "Many of you may have guessed it already, Aveline Laurent is the daughter of Henry Laurent, Chairman of Laurent Industries."
She glanced at Aveline and continued, "The Crown project will be built in the Eastern District, and Aveline has agreed to give her massive, pri land for this project to start."
The exclamation reached its peak. In contrast, Damien’s friends realized why Damien had married Aveline so secretly. Just after two months of marriage, the project ca into light.
"But this is business." Eleanor cut off the buzz. "How could we let her take nothing in return?"
Damien’s back stiffened, hearing where the conversation was heading. He wanted to speak, but there were just too many people in front of him, and the microphone was right there.
Eleanor continued, "There is always profit and loss in a transaction. And I don’t intend for Aveline to face any loss. Not a penny."
Damien imdiately turned off the microphone; warning bells were ringing too loudly in his head. He had gone to et Eleanor in her suite, but she hadn’t told him anything. He wasn’t ready to let her announce it without discussing it with him.
The crowd looked at each other in confusion. What was happening?
Why was Damien stopping his grandmother from saying anything more?
Wasn’t giving it to Aveline like having it in the family?
Why was Damien against it?
Damien ignored the crowd and said, "Grandmother, we will remunerate Aveline."
Eleanor looked at Damien as if he had lost his mind. "100,000 square ters of land we’re talking about, Damien. Last year, it was 800 million. This year, 1 billion. Imagine the price after ten years. She is kind, and that doesn’t an you take advantage of her."
Damien was aware of it. She was a woman who didn’t know the value of it. So it was useless according to him.
Aveline spoke, "Damien, everyone’s watching us." She sounded uncomfortable purposefully.
Eleanor turned on the microphone and continued, "I’ll be writing all my Ashford shares in Aveline’s na."
A hush fell in the hall. Damien and the Ashford family mbers paled in a second.
Eleanor was basically signing the Ashford family na into Aveline Laurent’s hands.
Eleanor signaled a man, her lawyer, who handed her papers. "First, Aveline will have the power of attorney from this mont, and the day she signs the papers for the project, my shares will beco hers."
Cassandra fainted. Maxwell was so shocked he didn’t even notice his wife fall beside him. Lawrence felt like his whole world had collapsed.
And Damien? A vein in his neck throbbed. His hands curled into fists. He gritted his teeth without realizing he was doing it on stage.
Whereas Alaric bit his lips to stop smiling, proud of Aveline. For a woman who once doubted if she was capable of war, she had just conquered an empire.
"Aveline, sign the papers," Eleanor commanded.
Under hundreds of eyes, Aveline took the pen, signed with practiced calm, and smiled just enough.
’The Crown is mine, Damien.’
Eleanor announced, "From today onward, Ashford Holdings will be co-headed by Aveline Laurent."
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