The Devil's obsession with the Heiress

The corner of Jade’s eye twitched as she stared at the infuriating, incredibly handsome man in front of her in sheer disbelief.

"Well, too bad. It takes two to tango, and one of us is out. Now I need to leave. Unhand me, Cillian," she demanded firmly.

Cillian’s jaw clenched so hard that a vein popped along his temple, but he still reluctantly let her go.

The instant his grip loosened, Jade quickly gathered the sheets around herself and scrambled off the bed, nearly stumbling with how weak her legs felt.

Just as she leaned against the wall for support to steady herself, she felt Cillian step up right behind her.

"I’ll show you, Red," he murmured seductively close to her ear, his voice dripping with promise. "I’ll show you just how not over this is."

Jade’s face flushed fiery red as she turned to look at him, taking in the full, uninhibited sight of him standing in all his naked glory. Cillian was completely unbothered, his chocolate brown eyes gleaming with pure wickedness as a slow, dangerous grin spread across his face.

He closed the remaining distance between them, the skin of his knuckles softly trailing down the curve of her spine.

Leaning in, his hot breath brushed the shell of her ear as he whispered, "Prepare yourself, Red. I can be exceptionally persuasive when I put my mind to it. Don’t act surprised when you end up back in this bed... moaning and shattering in my arms all over again."

He bent down to kiss the nape of her neck, sending Jade’s heart hammering so fast she thought she might pass out.

So, she did the only thing she could think of... run.

Spotting a door right around the corner, she scrambled inside and slammed it shut, yelling loudly through the panel, "You’re crazy!"

Standing outside, Cillian heard her, and a dark chuckle escaped his lips. He stepped up to the door and murmured, "You cannot run away from me, Red."

Jade, who was leaning against the wood trying to calm her racing pulse, covered her mouth, flushing brightly as she shot back, "Keep dreaming!"

"Is that a challenge, Red?" Cillian’s voice purred back, and she could practically see the cocky, wicked smirk on his handsome face.

Jade exhaled deeply before calling out, "Whatever. While you’re at it, get me some fresh clothes and my car like you promised!"

Cillian simply shook his head as he heard her daring to order him around in his own house. He couldn’t help the surge of desire that hit him at her sheer nerve.

.....

Back at the Valentine Residence...

Following the bizarre phone call, Nigel pivoted straight to business, briefing Aliana on every pressing corporate matter that had accumulated over the past forty-eight hours.

The sharp shift in topic provided a temporary distraction from Jade, who had finally called back a short while ago to confirm she was currently en route to the mansion.

Gavriel sat quietly at her side, his presence calm and attentive as Nigel laid out the situation.

"Boss, now that our current CFO is stepping down over personal matters, the board has formally requested an emergency session tomorrow," Nigel explained, his usual playful demeanour was nowhere in sight. "Since a few key members recently offloaded their shares to Rufus Avery, they are pushing hard for Rufus to be appointed to the seat."

Aliana’s eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare. "It isn’t their call to make it alone. What happened to the external candidate we interviewed last week?"

Nigel’s expression darkened. "He unexpectedly pulled his application late last night, which has the board scrambling. I have no doubt your uncle put pressure on him. With the Atlas Gateway development operating in full swing, securing a competent CFO to oversee capital allocation is critical. Word on the street is that Rufus intends to transfer a block of his personal shares to his son, Morris Avery, positioning him as the primary candidate instead."

A frost settled over Aliana’s features. "That old snake can keep dreaming. I wouldn’t let his incompetent son manage a lemonade stand, let alone Van Empire’s finances."

"Agreed," Nigel chimed in solemnly. "If Rufus gets anywhere near the company books, heaven only knows how much capital he’ll siphon off into his own pockets."

Aliana leaned back against the sofa, her mind calculating three steps ahead. "We need a powerhouse candidate," she asserted coldly. "Someone whose credentials are so unquestionable that the board can’t push back when I shoot down Morris. Who is the most qualified executive we can slot in as an interim CFO until we finalise a permanent hire?"

Nigel gave a quick nod, reaching for the iPad resting on the side table. Unlocking the file, he handed the tablet to Aliana. "I managed to shortlist four executive candidates before heading over. Let me know what you think of them."

Aliana took the device, her fingers scrolling through the profiles.

Beside her, Gavriel leaned over to view the screen, his brow rising in immediate skepticism. "Owen Ross?"

Aliana glanced up at him. "He’s Jade’s brother. Given how close our families are, the Rosses hold a minor stake in Van Empire, which technically gives them board representation. Though they rarely attend unless there’s a major vote."

"And do you truly believe this man is qualified when he already has Ross Real Estate to manage?" Gavriel questioned calmly.

Aliana hesitated, her gaze dropping back to the screen. "He oversees major operations at Ross Real Estate, but so do Alec and Jade. Looking purely at his credentials, he is more than qualified. Ivy League education, multiple master’s degrees in corporate finance... on paper, he eclipses everyone else we interviewed."

"But?" Gavriel prompted, easily picking up on the lingering doubt in her eyes.

Aliana released a quiet sigh. "I just... after everything that happened with Uncle Alec, and God knows what he said to Jade... I have my doubts. Even if her brother has nothing to do with his father’s actions."

On hearing this, Nigel’s brows pulled together in confusion. "Uh... I’m sorry, Boss. I assumed that since he is Miss Jade’s brother, he would be trustworthy enough to consider for the position, provided he agrees and can be present tomorrow."

Aliana and Gavriel exchanged a quiet glance before Aliana sank back onto the sofa. "There is a lot you have missed, Nigel."

A sharp throb pulsed behind her temples as her headache flared up again.

But before she could reach for the ice pack on the table, Gavriel beat her to it.

Moving closer, he carefully rested the cool pack against her temple, wrapping his arm around her waist so she could lean her head comfortably against his shoulder.

Nigel observed the sweet gesture with a soft smile before asking, "Did something happen? Should I scratch his name off the list entirely?"

"Let me take a look," Gavriel interjected calmly.

Aliana glanced up at her husband, her eyes widening slightly. "Really? You want to review Van Empire’s internal files?"

"I don’t mind helping my wife. I told you I have no interest in taking over the Van Empire, but I never said I have no interest in your problems," Gavriel replied softly.

His answer earned him a sweet smile as she murmured, "Thank you, Gav."

She leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, bringing a rare, faint smile to the corner of Gavriel’s lips at her affection. But before he could act on the subtle temptation, Aliana slipped the iPad into his hands, letting him review the shortlisted executives.

After a brief pause, Gavriel looked up at Nigel. "Are the background profiles for Morris and Rufus stored in this drive as well?"

Nigel nodded. "Yes, if you tap back, there is another folder containing their full information."

Gavriel opened the subfolder, scanning the data before returning to the primary candidate list. "Morris is an easy elimination. He simply doesn’t have the executive experience required for a company of this scale. With the emergency meeting scheduled for tomorrow, the board will naturally gravitate toward whoever brings the most experience to the table."

He turned his eyes toward Aliana. "Which leaves either Rufus or Owen as the frontrunner."

Aliana pressed her lips into a thin line. "That is troublesome."

Gavriel pondered the dilemma before proposing, "I can easily lend you one of my senior executives from Archon Group to take the interim seat. However, the hurdle remains... given Archon’s long history as Van Empire’s fiercest competitor, your board will undoubtedly reject the idea, despite our marriage."

Both Nigel and Aliana fell silent, knowing Gavriel was right.

While capability was crucial, a conglomerate as massive as Van Empire would always prioritise trust above all else when filling such a vital executive seat.

Just as they began weighing their counter-strategies, the low rumble of a car engine pulling up the driveway cut through the quiet.

Aliana’s mind instantly went to Jade, knowing she was already on her way. But as the front door clicked open, there weren’t the sounds of just one, but two sets of footsteps approaching, accompanied by low, hushed bickering.

A moment later, the living room door swung open, and Aliana’s eyes went wide.

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