The Devil's obsession with the Heiress

Aliana’s brows shot up in surprise, her mouth parting to speak, but no words came out. In front of her, Nigel choked, spitting his tea right back into his cup. Meanwhile, Gavriel and Winston slowly turned to stare at her phone as if they were in sync.

Ignoring their reactions, Aliana quickly put the phone on speaker and spoke after clearing her throat. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Well, you called my line, lady. Who is this?" the infuriatingly cocky, sleepy voice drawled back.

Aliana’s brows knitted together. "I called to speak to Jade. Is she there?"

"Ah, well, she is asleep. But lady, why would you be calling me if you want to speak to her?" The voice sounded genuinely confused.

Aliana stared at her screen in total utter bewilderment. Had Jade picked up some lunatic at a bar, or had someone stolen her phone?

"I called my friend’s number. Who are you?" Aliana pressed.

"How rude. Since you’re the one calling, shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?"

"This is Aliana. Now tell me who you are and what you are doing with my friend’s phone," Aliana demanded coldly.

The instant the name Aliana registered on the other end, the man’s arrogant tone vanished, replaced by an altered, squeaky voice that sounded like a dying rat. "I’ll... tell Jade to call you back."

Before Aliana could say another word, the line went dead.

Click!

The line went dead before Aliana could even open her mouth.

"Hello? Hey!" Aliana blinked in shock, staring at the darkened screen.

She looked at Nigel, who appeared to have caught on to another scandal, then at Winston, who gulped before quickly averting his gaze to the carpet.

Finally, her eyes landed on Gavriel, who was sitting back, quietly observing her with a faint, knowing look.

"Can someone please explain why I am attracting every lunatic on the phone this morning?" Aliana asked, still thoroughly puzzled as she stared back down at her screen.

She paused in silence before mumbling, "Should I call the police? What if Jade is in trouble?"

Winston’s eyes practically bugged out, and he shot a panicked look toward his master.

Gavriel finally exhaled, placing his cup down. "I assure you, calling the police would be a bit much."

"A bit much?! Gav, did you hear that guy? He sounded like a total weirdo! What if he hurt Jade and took her phone?" Panic began to rise in Aliana’s voice as she ran a hand through her hair. "God, I should have checked my notifications yesterday! She called me last night. What if she got ambushed by some lunatic?"

It took a Herculean effort for Winston to suppress his expression and keep quiet about the identity of the so-called lunatic.

Both he and Gavriel had instantly recognised Cillian’s voice, but neither had the slightest intention of throwing him in front of the tigress. In a bizarre twist of solidarity, they considered their silence a rare act of mercy, compensating for all the chaos Cillian had endured because of them.

Gavriel looked at her calmly. "What if he isn’t?"

Aliana looked at her husband in confusion, only for him to add, "You’ll only embarrass your friend if you jump to conclusions without knowing the entire situation. Give it some time. Wait for her to contact you."

Aliana weighed his advice, then threw her phone onto the cushions with a weary sigh.

Leaning back, she pinched the bridge of her nose in defeat. "I can feel a headache coming on."

"Madam, would you like me to fetch an ice pack?" Winston chimed in without missing a beat.

Gavriel gave a subtle nod. "You should."

Winston scurried out of the room to comply at once. Nigel opened his mouth to offer his two cents, but quickly thought better of it, stuffing a warm puff pastry into his mouth to keep himself quiet.

Just then, Aliana opened her eyes and blinked over at him. "Nigel, you’re here unusually early today. Please don’t tell me there are more fires for me to put out?"

"Well, I was worried when you weren’t picking up, Boss, and..." Nigel scratched his cheek, giving her a sheepish smile. "I actually do have something to report."

.....

Thousands of miles away, a tall man in his early thirties stood motionless beneath a heavy spray of hot water. Steam rolled off his broad, sculpted shoulders as droplets trickled down the sharp angles of his jawline.

He ran both hands back through his damp red hair, turning his head slightly as the persistent chime of his cell phone cut through the hum of the shower.

Letting out a slow breath, he opened his striking light green eyes and shut off the water.

Securing a dark towel around his muscular waist, he stepped out toward the marble counter.

He lifted the vibrating device, watching the contact name Dad pulse against the screen.

In this corner of the world, night had long settled over the city.

He contemplated the glowing screen with a blank, unreadable gaze before tapping the line open and lifting it to his ear.

"Owen? You finally answered! I was beginning to think you were ignoring my messages," Alec’s voice rattled through the speaker, tight with impatience.

Owen walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, resting one hand against the cool glass as he looked down at the sprawling skyline below. "I wanted to finish up my affairs here before contacting you, Dad," he answered calmly.

"I figured as much," Alec grumbled.

"What can I do for you right now, Dad?" Owen asked, his tone steady and patient.

"Well, since I assume you have already read through the emails I sent regarding your sister’s behaviour after the reveal of our... group... you must know how worried we are about her acting out." Alec let out a frustrated sigh before adding in a calmer tone, "I just want to know when you will be returning. I am worried she might take some drastic steps."

"Don’t worry, Dad. Jade always likes to rebel at first, until I... put some sense into her. I’ll handle her," Owen replied, a faint smile touching his lips.

Alec let out a breath of pure relief over the line. "I knew I could count on you, son. Your mother and I are so proud of your dedication."

He paused, his voice turning grim as he continued, "Since I wasn’t sure when you’d be back, I went ahead and froze all of Jade’s accounts and placed my men on alert to bring her back home. But that father-daughter pair is proving to be a thorn in my side... especially the daughter."

"The daughter?" Owen’s light green eyes narrowed, his interest piqued. "Who are you referring to?"

"Aliana, of course."

The second Alec uttered that name, Owen’s grip tightened subtly around the frame of his phone.

Alec released a frustrated groan over the speaker. "If you had just married her when I arranged it years ago, we wouldn’t be in this mess today. She would be under our roof, easy to manage, and our influence would have multiplied tenfold, backed by Vanderbilt money."

He scoffed in disappointment. "Your mother was so upset to see her dream die after Aliana married that husband of hers. Now, our hands are tied. We can’t afford to provoke either the Van Empire or the Archon Group while trying to bring Jade back."

A dangerous shadow passed across Owen’s eyes as he stared into his reflection against the window pane. "Don’t concern yourself with that, Dad. I will think of something. After all, where there is a will, there is always a way to make someone bend."

The line fell quiet for a moment before Alec spoke up, his curiosity piqued. "What exactly do you have planned, son?"

"I will tell you once the plan is more... concrete," Owen responded smoothly, giving nothing away.

"Fair enough. I trust your judgment," Alec conceded, before adding, "You still haven’t given me a timeframe. When are you flying back?"

"I’ll be back home by tomorrow," Owen answered.

"That’s wonderful news! Alright, I’ll let your mother know right away, she will be thrilled. Safe travels, son," Alec said over the line.

"Take care," Owen said quietly, right before the line went dead.

He lowered the device, staring at the blank screen for a quiet second. Then, tapping open a search engine, his fingers moved across the keypad, typing out a single, familiar name.

Aliana Vanderbilt.

He hit search, and the leading article, boasting millions of views, immediately expanded across his screen.

Owen’s light green eyes fixed on the lead photograph... a breathtaking woman draped in a magnificent white gown, her lips locked in a passionate kiss with her tall, striking groom at the opulent floral altar.

Directly beneath the image, bold letters announced:

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Valentine: The wedding of the century!

A chilling frost settled over Owen’s features. The light in his green eyes dimmed into something unreadable as he traced the outline of her face on the screen.

"So you really found your happiness in that man’s arms, didn’t you?" he whispered to the empty room.

He swiped across the screen to a secondary article featuring a sleek corporate photoshoot, where her name was heralded as the newly appointed CEO of Van Empire.

"Aliana..." A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips as he locked his phone. "Let’s meet again."

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