Chapter 28: The Scandal Radar
Evening had fallen, and the sun had already set, marking the end of the first day of the conference. Aliana was back in her suite, sitting on the plush sofa in the lounge area, flipping through a stack of portfolios with half-hearted interest.
Nigel sat directly opposite her, reviewing another pile with far more focus than Aliana could muster. Her phone sat on the cushion beside her, the speaker active as a deep voice echoed through the room.
"So, have you made any progress on our deal?" Alester asked.
Aliana paused, her hand hovering over the page of a potential suitor. She let out a sigh. "I’m working on it, Dad."
"I see. Did anyone catch your interest?" Alester asked, his voice sounding more hopeful this ti.
"Not yet. I’ll shortlist a few first and see how I feel after I et them," she stated. She spoke as if she were selecting a new business partner rather than a husband.
She heard Alester sigh through the line. "I know you’ve always been practical, Ali, but in situations like this, try to think with your heart. Don’t just look at the qualifications in their portfolios."
Aliana frowned at the phone. "Background checks are important, Dad. Do you rember the last one you sent my way?"
She didn’t need to say the na for him to rember Aden, the man who had been carrying on an affair with his own cousin behind closed doors. Just the thought of it brought a foul taste to her mouth.
"Of course, they are important, and you are right to be cautious. But what I ant was thinking of them romantically. Don’t just look for a partner who would be supportive and helpful to you and our family. Let yourself be swept away. Let your heart sing and be captivated by the re thought of them. You know what I an?"
"Mhm... so I guess you watched yet another rom-com with Mom to be in a mood like this again," Aliana mused.
A small smile played on her lips as she listened to her father’s poetic words. This always happened whenever he had a movie night with her mother, a habit Aliana found incredibly endearing.
"Oh, you’re tough," Alester said with a heavy sigh.
"Yes, I am. I’m your daughter, after all," Aliana teased.
"Ali," Alester said, his tone sounding slightly dejected.
"Fine. Tell
again, but give
the simpler version this ti," Aliana finally relented, unable to ignore how low her father sounded.
"What I’m saying is that after you finally et them, and you’ve set all the practical aspects aside, I want you to focus on how that person makes you feel. Does your heart flutter at the sight of him, or even at the re thought of him? Can you imagine living with him, or better yet, can you imagine life without him? I want you to think with your heart when you are ready to make such a montous decision. Rember, Ali, no one is perfect. Everyone has their flaws. Your mother has them, and so do I, but we work because we love each other. We see each other beyond those flaws."
Aliana had gone unusually quiet as she listened to her father speak.
When she didn’t respond, he called out to her. "Ali? You still there?"
"Yes, Dad. Well, I guess we’ll have to wait and find out. I still have five and a half months to go," Aliana replied. She snapped another portfolio shut and tossed it onto the pile of rejects, which seed to be climbing higher by the minute.
"Alright. Take your ti. Anyway, how was the first day of the conference? I hope everything went... well?" Alester asked cautiously.
He chose his words carefully, mindful of Aliana’s past outbursts of fright that had so deeply worried him and his wife.
Even though she had repeatedly insisted that she was fine, he still wanted to hear it for himself.
Although he was going to receive updates from Jacob as well, he wanted to hear from his daughter first.
"Yes, it’s been good so far," Aliana replied before pausing as she rembered a certain face. "Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Did you ever et or know the identity of the chairman of Archon Group?" Aliana asked.
"Hm... no. Since Cillian Pierce has always been the one in the public eye for everything related to the company, I figured there must be a silent owner behind him, pulling the strings. Why do you ask?" Alester replied thoughtfully.
"Well, he’s here. The chairman of Archon Group finally revealed himself at the conference," Aliana inford him.
"Really? That’s interesting. It’s rare for soone who has remained a silent owner to suddenly decide on a public appearance."
Alester mused for a mont before asking, "What’s his na? I’ll see what I can find out about him."
That was one thing Aliana knew well: what her father would do the mont she brought it up. He always preferred to stay five steps ahead, to know everything and as much as possible about his rivals. Information, to him, was like a nuclear weapon, most powerful when used at the right ti, and it was sothing he was exceptionally skilled at.
"His na is Gavriel Valentine, and he looks... very young," Aliana answered.
"Really? Then there must be a family behind him that he inherited the position from. Exactly how young are we talking about?" Alester questioned.
"I’m not sure. Maybe in his late twenties?" Aliana guessed.
"Hm. Alright, I’ll see what I can find out about him. Until then, don’t stress about anything and take care of yourself, alright?" Alester said.
"I will."
"Oh, and good luck with your presentation tomorrow. I know you’ll do well, as always," Alester added, his voice thick with pride.
Aliana smiled at his words and replied softly, "Thanks, Dad. Take care, and give Mom my love."
"I will."
With that, the call ended.
Aliana’s smile lingered for a mont before she looked up and caught Nigel watching her.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," Nigel said casually, quickly dropping his gaze back to the portfolios.
Aliana knew him too well. Her loyal assistant was more of a friend than an employee, and whenever he had sothing on his mind, he always started by playing coy.
Letting out a sigh, Aliana leaned back and folded her arms. "Spill it, Nigel. I know you have sothing to say."
Nigel cleared his throat, not looking up yet. "Well, boss... as you know, I have a certain radar when it cos to sensing romantic sparks or scandals, right?"
Aliana stared at him before giving a slow nod. That much was true. "Go on."
"So today..." Nigel cleared his throat again and finally t her eyes. "I saw those sparks again."
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