Chapter 356: Don’t Lose It…Again
"Alec! Have you lost your mind?" Nina cried in shock at her husband’s ruthless remark.
Owen’s jaw clenched so hard that a muscle twitched along his cheekbone hearing his father speak so casually of Aliana’s death.
"What? I was only pointing out that it would make our lives easier," Alec defended himself, turning his gaze toward his son for support. "Don’t you agree, son?"
Owen’s green eyes remained completely unreadable. "Dad, as much as I would prefer an easy path, you are forgetting that many of our key investors only chose to work with us because of our close ties to the Vanderbilt family."
"That might be true to some extent, but it was our master who gave us everything we possess..."
"That may be true, Dad, but Aliana is the future of the Vanderbilt family. If we become hostile towards her and she happens to get involved in an accident afterwards, what do you think the public will believe? Who do you think they’ll point fingers at?"
Alec’s expression hardened, the color draining slightly from his face as Nina wrung her hands nervously.
"I did nothing to cause that accident," Alec grumbled defensively.
"You didn’t cause the accident, but a public investigation does not care about innocence. Rumours alone can ruin a family’s reputation before the truth ever sees the light of day. You understand the optics of this, don’t you, Dad?"
Nina spoke up, her voice tinged with quiet reprimand. "Besides, she is my dearest friend’s daughter. I watched that girl grow up since she was a child. Do not speak of her like that, Alec."
Alec let out an irritated huff, turning his sharp gaze back onto his son. His brow furrowed as he studied Owen’s composed expression. "I trust you are still executing our plan. Or... have you developed a soft spot for her?"
"I am working on it, Dad. Matters like this take time, and Aliana is no fool. You have to be patient until I start passing the financial data to you," Owen replied, meeting Alec’s sharp gaze without flinching.
Alec stared at his son for a tense beat before a dark, satisfied grin spread across his face. "Good. That is what I expect from my heir. For a second, I feared you had fallen under the spell of that girl."
"Nonsense, Alec," Nina remarked, waving a hand dismissively. "If Owen were so easily charmed, he would have accepted the marriage arrangement I proposed long before Aliana married Gavriel."
Alec chuckled darkly. "That’s true. After all, our son isn’t so easily swayed by a pretty face. Although having Aliana as part of this family would have been ideal, keeping her in check through other means works just as well." He stepped closer to Owen’s bed and gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. "I trust you, my son! I know you will bring me results very soon."
Owen offered them a faint smile.
With a final pat on his broad shoulder, Alec walked out of the room, followed closely by Nina.
As soon as the doors clicked shut and silence settled over the room, the smile instantly vanished from Owen’s face. He let his head fall back against the headboard, his breathing slow as he closed his eyes.
The moment he did, vivid memories of Aliana pressed tightly against his chest came roaring back.
He could still feel her sweet fragrance filling his senses, the warmth of her soft, trembling body beneath his, and the soft whisper of her breath against his lips.
He raised a hand, covering his eyes as he whispered into the quiet room, "Aliana..."
"Thank you, Owen..." Her soft, melodious voice echoed in his memory, replaying the exact moment she had bidden him farewell at the construction site "Thank you for saving me..."
"Don’t mention it, Aliana," Owen replied with a faint smile, attempting to push himself up from his chair.
But Aliana quickly reached out, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder to keep him seated, and his heart skipped a beat under her touch. "No, please stay seated. Your ankle... I am so sorry about what happened to you."
𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
"It is merely a slight sprain," Owen murmured, glancing down at the thick bandaging before locking his green eyes onto hers. "Luckily, no severe damage was done."
Aliana offered him a genuinely grateful smile. "Alright. Please get some rest, and thank you again."
Right then, Cillian had leaned close to her ear, murmuring in a low voice, "He knows, and he is extremely impatient right now."
Owen had caught the subtle widening of Aliana’s grey eyes. "Is something wrong?"
"Ah, yes. I should go... my husband is very worried," Aliana answered softly.
Owen’s smile faltered for the briefest moment, but he quickly concealed his reaction by curling his hand into a fist at his side.
"I wish you a speedy recovery," Aliana added warmly before turning around to leave, with Cillian Pierce walking right by her side.
As he watched them disappear from sight, only one thought echoed through his mind.
’Don’t lose it... again.’
.....
Back at the Valentine Residence, the atmosphere was as dark and brooding as it could get.
Even after spending an entire hour attempting to calm Gavriel down, it still hadn’t completely lifted his dark mood.
She had successfully managed to keep his dangerous powers from leaking out by stripping in front of him and letting him examine her body closely for injuries.
Well, things had taken a rather intimate turn when he insisted on bathing her to wash off all the construction dust, and Aliana had happily melted into his touch.
He was certainly calmer after their passionate encounter, but the moment they settled in the living room to discuss the accident details with Cillian, his sore mood resurfaced.
"Although the authorities have flagged the incident as a freak accident," Cillian paused, bracing himself for the impact before murmuring, "my men think otherwise."
Gavriel’s jaw clenched so hard he felt as though his teeth might shatter. The raw bloodlust within him surged so rapidly that he knew he was seconds away from unleashing his dark powers, going on a rampage at the mere thought of Aliana suffering even a single scratch.
Sensing the sudden shift in the room’s temperature, Cillian tensed, while Aliana turned toward her husband with quiet concern. "Gav."
Gavriel closed his eyes, struggling in vain to suppress the lethal aura radiating off his skin. Just as he felt his restraint snap, a soft, warm frame slid comfortably onto his lap.
Upon opening his eyes, he found her giving him a sweet smile as she cupped his cheek. "Don’t be so angry, Gav. I am alright. You checked every inch yourself, didn’t you?"
Aliana leaned closer, whispering softly against his ear, "Or do you need to check again?"