Chapter 228: Viper In The Ballroom
Beside her, Gavriel’s expression darkened almost subtly, his icy gaze settling on Rufus with newfound interest.
Oblivious, or perhaps simply uncaring, Rufus continued.
"Though with Alester stepping in to take charge of the company, I suppose you do not have to worry about that. After all, we men are far more capable of handling business matters, are we not?"
His gaze drifted towards Mr. Finn, silently inviting agreement.
Instead, the middle-aged man’s brows drew together ever so slightly at the misogynistic remark.
Unbothered, Rufus went on, "Considering you are now married to the esteemed chairman of Archon Group, I am sure Gavriel here can take that burden off your plate while you focus on more... family planning."
The air turned glacier-cold as Gavriel finally broke his silence.
Leaning toward Aliana, his voice carried a quiet, dangerous calm. "Baby, did we accidentally invite strays? Remind me to have a word with Cillian for this oversight."
A sudden flush of embarrassment crept up Rufus’s neck, turning his face deep red.
Beside him, Mr. Finn lowered his gaze, pressing his lips together to suppress the smile threatening to surface, while Aliana found herself doing exactly the same. Gavriel had spoken as though he hadn’t heard Aliana address the man as her uncle, nor Rufus refer to her as his niece.
Gasping at the insult, Rufus blurted out, "I am not some str-"
Gavriel lifted a single hand, stopping the word dead in the man’s throat. "I was talking to my wife," he cut in, his tone dropping several degrees.
He shifted his icy blue gaze back to Aliana.
She cleared her throat in a valiant attempt to maintain a straight face, though the mischievous spark in her eyes gave her away. "He is Uncle Rufus," she clarified softly. "My father’s cousin."
Gavriel gave a small nod before lowering his hand.
Only then did he shift his attention back to the audacious man standing before him.
His piercing blue eyes settled on Rufus with a calmness far more unsettling than open anger.
"Rufus... is it?" he asked, his voice low enough to send an involuntary chill through the air.
The name left his lips bare, stripped of any title, familial respect, or polite deference.
Before the man could open his mouth to confirm, Gavriel spoke right over him.
"I don’t know where you got such an absurd idea, but I assure you I have no interest in getting involved in Van Empire’s business affairs. My wife is more than capable of handling them on her own without my help."
A scowl settled on Rufus’s face, but the look Gavriel gave him sent an involuntary chill down his spine as he continued in a much quieter voice.
"However... should she ever need my help to take care of a nuisance, as her husband, I would be more than happy to step in."
His threat did not miss any of them.
Mr. Finn pressed his lips into a thin line, looking as if he had suddenly found himself caught in the middle of something he had no business witnessing.
Nevertheless, he cleared his throat and spoke. "I agree with Mr. Valentine."
He turned towards Rufus.
"I value my time and money, and I would never invest in anyone if I knew they were not capable of giving me returns. Miss Van..."
He paused before correcting himself with a polite smile. "I mean, Mrs. Valentine here is one of the most promising businesswomen I have ever come across. I signed a deal with her knowing she would be the person leading the project..." Mr. Finn gave a sharp look to Rufus and added, "...not the previous acting CEO of Van Empire."
Finding himself utterly cornered by two men he had assumed would join his old-fashioned boys’ club, Rufus managed only a strained, wooden smile. "I shall take your word on that, Mr. Finn."
"You would be wise to," Mr. Finn countered curtly.
Turning back to the couple, his harsh edge instantly melted into warm courtesy. "Now, if you will excuse me, I really must take my leave."
With a swift exchange of polite nods, Mr. Finn walked away, leaving Rufus standing alone.
The older man watched Mr. Finn disappear into the crowd before slowly turning his hardened gaze back to the newlyweds. It eventually settled on Aliana, a vicious glint flickering in his eyes.
"A man like Mr. Finn, well-known in the industry, spoke very highly of you, my dear niece. I do hope you can deliver what he expects. Otherwise, as you know, this uncle of yours holds the power to speak to the board members on your behalf."
Aliana was no fool.
She caught the venom hidden beneath his seemingly harmless words immediately.
Rufus had never hidden his displeasure at the thought of working under a woman’s leadership. His outdated beliefs had never progressed beyond the notion that women should always remain beneath men.
It was precisely why he had spent years trying to convince both her father and the board that she was nothing more than a little girl who would eventually drain the company.
He had even pushed for Jacob to remain in power after the time came for her to inherit the position of CEO.
But where did he find the audacity to act this way?
For one, he was her father’s cousin... ambitious, ruthless, and driven by a greed that could never be satisfied. Second, he held the third-largest percentage of company shares, which meant the other board members still listened to him.
But Alester never let it happen. He remained steadfast in reminding the board members that it was his company and his family business... meaning only he held the power to decide who sat on the throne of the Van Empire.
For that reason, he had trained Aliana endlessly so she would be capable of dealing with vipers like Rufus, who were constantly searching for an excuse to bite her and spread their venom to the rest of the board just to push his own useless son into power instead.
A cold smirk slowly curled across Aliana’s lips.
"How sweet of you, Uncle Rufus, to think about my well-being and remind me that you have my back. Your concern is truly appreciated."
Her smile widened just enough to appear polite. "But I assure you, this woman is more than capable of managing both her marriage and her business. Being married doesn’t mean my limbs have suddenly been cut off, does it?"
She arched a brow before turning to Gavriel. "Right, darling?"
"Yes," Gavriel gave a nod of agreement, which instantly brightened her expression before she turned back to Rufus with a chilling glint in her eyes.
"See?" she said sweetly. "My husband agrees, so you really have nothing to worry about."
She lifted her wine glass ever so slightly before adding brightly, "Now, do enjoy the festivities... especially since you missed the last two family celebrations."
She flashed him the sweetest smile, one that grated on Rufus’s nerves.
Without another word, he turned to leave.
"Oh, Uncle Rufus?"
He stopped in his tracks before slowly turning back to face her, and what Aliana said next froze his blood.