Chapter 229: Choked
"Oh, Uncle Rufus?"
He stopped in his tracks before slowly turning back to face her.
Maintaining that same sweet smile, Aliana continued, "With all the concern you’ve shown me, I wanted to ask, in that same spirit... how is Morris doing? I heard he lost quite a lot of money in his new venture."
Rufus’s jaw visibly tightened, and shock ripped through him.
How did Aliana know about his son’s failed venture?
Morris had squandered his investors’ money, sinking the business to the point of no recovery. Rufus had spent a fortune paying off everyone involved to keep their mouths shut, especially to prevent word from reaching the Van Empire board.
Yet somehow... Aliana had found out.
While he struggled to comprehend how she had uncovered something he had buried so carefully, Aliana continued as though she had merely asked about the weather.
"But mistakes happen, don’t they? So don’t worry. This woman right here would be more than willing to help her dear cousin should he ever need it. I simply wanted you to know."
A dangerous glint flickered across Rufus’s eyes at her threat, and he replied through gritted teeth, "I’ll keep that in mind, Aliana. Enjoy your special day."
"Oh, I will," she replied with a confident smile that never reached her eyes.
With that, Rufus stormed off, looking as though someone had just stepped on his tail.
Gavriel watched the entire exchange with unconcealed amusement before turning his attention back to his wife.
"I’m sensing some bad blood here," he remarked softly.
Aliana let out a quiet chuckle. "Oh... it’s so bad that the blood has turned black, darling."
A faint smirk tugged at Gavriel’s lips.
His fingers slowly curled beneath her chin, gently lifting her face until her eyes met his.
"I have to admit," he murmured, his voice low and rich with amusement, "I like it when you’re being bad."
Seeing desires in his eyes, she leaned closer and fluttered her thick eyelashes enticingly. "Mm... are you going to punish me for it?" Her voice dropped to a sultry whisper.
"Maybe a reward," he replied before capturing her lips in a soft kiss.
But before he could deepen it, someone nearby deliberately cleared their throat.
The couple reluctantly pulled apart, only to find a line of guests patiently waiting to congratulate them. With little choice, they turned their attention back to the well-wishers, leaving their private moment unfinished.
Meanwhile, Jade stepped off the dance floor wearing a thoroughly satisfied smile after having deliberately stepped on Cillian’s toes a couple of times during their dance.
Just as she was about to leave the reception hall, she nearly bumped into Nigel.
"Oh, Miss Jade! Where are you off to?" Nigel asked.
"To the ladies’ room. How about you?" Jade replied.
"Me too... ahem... I mean, I was also on my way to the men’s restroom," Nigel corrected himself awkwardly.
"I see." Jade let out a small chuckle. "Come on then."
With that, the two stepped out of the reception hall together.
As they walked, Jade’s eyes continued to take in the emerald stream flowing through the mansion, and she commented, "The architecture of this place is amazing. I never thought I would get to see an actual waterfall and stream inside a mansion flowing so naturally like this."
Nigel nodded in agreement. "Mr. Valentine definitely has an eye for investing in one-of-a-kind properties. I heard the boss mention his property in Aria was just as amazing. This one must be worth more than a hundred million."
"The guy really does have an eye for aesthetics," Jade chimed in with an impressed smile.
"He certainly does," Nigel agreed before coming to a stop outside the ladies’ room. "Ah, here we are. I suppose the men’s room is just a little farther ahead."
"I will see you around." Jade gave him a nod before disappearing inside, and Nigel quickly made his way to the men’s room a few steps down the hall.
Inside the large ladies’ room, Jade went to one of the stalls to answer nature’s call before stepping out to the sink to wash her hands.
Wiping her hands, Jade lifted her eyes to the mirror, smoothing a few rogue strands of hair back into place.
It was then that her reflection caught the closed door of the corner stall.
Dismissing it as an occupied restroom, she turned her attention back to her makeup just as her clutch began to vibrate against the marble counter. She retrieved the phone, her lips curving into a familiar scowl at the name glowing across the screen.
Demon (Cillian).
"What does he want now?" she muttered, rolling her eyes at the screen.
With a soft sigh, just as her finger hovered to answer the call, she froze.
A sudden, chilling sensation told her someone was standing right behind her.
Before she could even turn around, a sharp gasp escaped her lips as a thin wire suddenly looped around her neck.
Her phone clattered against the tile.
Driven by pure survival, Jade drove her elbow backwards into her attacker’s ribs with all the force she could muster.
The man grunted, his grip slackening slightly, just long enough for Jade to wedge her fingers beneath the wire. The wire bit viciously into her fingers, but it kept her throat from being crushed outright.
Her wide, panic-stricken eyes shot towards the mirror and saw a figure shrouded in a black mask.
Jade desperately struggled against the tightening wire.
Even with her fingers wedged between it and her neck, the crushing pressure continued to choke the air from her lungs, preventing both her breathing and any scream from escaping.
Her vision slowly began to blur.
Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as the strength in her arms gradually faded.
One of her hands slipped from the wire.
Desperately, her trembling hand reached across the countertop, searching blindly for anything she could use to defend herself.
Then...
Her fingers brushed against her clutch.
But before she could grasp it properly, it slipped from her weakening hand and crashed onto the floor, its contents scattering noisily across the bathroom tiles.
As everything around her began to fade...
Only one thought crossed Jade’s mind.
’Is this it...? Is this how I die?’