The Devil's obsession with the Heiress

The conference began with a brief introductory speech, followed by an address from the lead organiser. Soon, the first company took the stage, presenting a detailed overview of their various business sectors, performance metrics, and key strengths.

Every point was meticulously designed to entice the audience, positioning them as the ideal partners for the massive projects to be unveiled later in the week.

While her team paid close attention to the presentation, Aliana struggled to remain focused. She kept her gaze fixed on the stage, or at least, she tried to.

Inevitably, her eyes drifted toward the enigmatic Chairman of the Archon Group. It wasn’t merely because he was breathtakingly handsome, but because she couldn’t shake the memory of those icy blue eyes.

She had wanted so desperately to find the man behind those eyes, and now she had finally met someone with those exact eyes.

But now that she wasn’t directly staring at him, her brain, which had seemingly blanked out earlier, began to race with the questions she should have been asking herself from the start.

’Why? Why does he possess those eyes? Is he really the same man I saw that night after my accident?’

If he was, what had he been doing there?

She had spoken to Levi after he returned to duty, and he had mentioned that only Cillian and the guard were present when he arrived five minutes after the crash. She had even checked the CCTV footage Jade showed her; it clearly showed only Cillian leaving in a black Maserati that night.

No one else.

That was why she had formed the theory that the man wasn’t human.

Yet here he was, in flesh and blood, sitting like a king at the very next table.

Not only that, but he turned out to be the Chairman of the Archon Group... a man no one had heard of until now, as Cillian had always been the sole face of the company.

Although it was not uncommon for some to remain silent owners while letting others run the company, why was he here now, of all times?

Why reveal himself at this exact moment, right after her accident scandal?

Surely, once the media caught even a hint of his presence, they would begin digging into everything related to him.

This conference was exclusive and not being aired live, but on the final day, the media would be present, and his identity would inevitably be exposed. So why now?

Aliana’s thoughts circled endlessly around the mysterious man, and before she could stop herself, her gaze drifted towards the table on her right.

And there he was. Seated with a cold, stoic expression, looking every bit as composed as before.

As if sensing her gaze, his eyes shifted towards her. The moment their eyes met, she quickly looked away, like a child who had just been caught stealing.

Releasing a quiet sigh, Aliana mentally scolded herself. ’Get a grip, Aliana. You cannot be gawking at the chairman of a rival company like this, especially when half the room is already watching you.’

’Focus. There’s a presentation going on. A company we’re interested in working with. Yes... this is where you look. Not at him. Stop being weird.’

With that internal lecture, she fixed her gaze on the stage with such intense determination that Nigel began to shift uncomfortably in his seat beside her.

Clearing his throat, he leaned slightly towards her, pulling her attention away. She turned to him, raising a brow. ’What?’

Nigel leaned closer and whispered, "Boss... could you maybe not glare at the presenters? It looks like you’re about to acquire their company out of spite."

Aliana blinked at him, "...I am not glaring."

Nigel gave her a look, "You absolutely are."

Aliana’s lips parted in disbelief, and she inhaled sharply, trying to steady herself. She had not even realised she was glaring while attempting to focus on the presentation.

Unable to come up with a retort, she simply gave Nigel a nod before looking calmly ahead.

For the next couple of hours, she refused to glance at the table next to them or even in Nigel’s direction. She knew that if she did, her traitorous eyes would immediately slide past him and lock onto Gavriel again. And she much preferred keeping her reputation intact over ogling him like a pervert.

As the hours dragged on, the lunch break was finally announced.

People began to disperse towards the dining area, and almost immediately, their group was intercepted by a handful of eager delegates for a round of introductions and polite networking.

After a few well-practised smiles and business pleasantries, they finally managed to escape and settle at a table where lunch was served.

Aliana, however, had absolutely no appetite.

Her mind refused to cooperate, and after taking a couple of forced bites, she found herself absentmindedly pushing the food around her plate as if rearranging it might somehow solve her life.

Jacob, seated beside her, noticed this quiet culinary tragedy and leaned slightly closer. "Aliana, is everything alright?" he asked in a low voice.

She blinked and looked at him, clearly having been miles away just a second ago.

Jacob glanced down at her plate before adding, "You’ve barely touched your food. Is it not to your liking? Should I have something else brought for you?"

Aliana looked down at her plate as well.

"Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. I... I’m actually not that hungry," Aliana replied with a small, forced smile.

"You didn’t even have breakfast. Are you feeling alright?" Jacob asked, his voice thick with concern.

"I’m fine. Maybe just a tad nervous for my presentation tomorrow," Aliana offered, crafting a quick excuse.

Hearing her, Jacob’s eyes widened in surprise. As far as he knew, this "she-devil" never got nervous about anything, let alone public speaking, which she usually mastered by taking the audience by the horns.

"Oh... do you want me to handle it? I can, if you’re feeling pressured," Jacob offered.

"No, don’t worry. I have everything under control," Aliana replied quickly. She folded the napkin on her lap and added, "I think I’ll visit the powder room before the next session starts."

She began to rise from her seat when Jacob suddenly asked, "Should I come with you?"

Aliana’s brows creased slightly at the offer, and he quickly added, "I just... want to make sure you’re alright. That’s why I asked."

"As I said, I’ll manage. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Enjoy your lunch," she replied with a polite smile before rising fully and walking away, leaving Jacob staring at her retreating figure.

No one noticed it, but his grip on his cutlery tightened ever so slightly before his attention was pulled away by the company’s CFO, who began asking him something.

On the other hand, as Aliana made her way towards the powder room, she felt noticeably lighter, away from prying eyes and endless business conversations.

She didn’t actually need the powder room; she had simply used it as an excuse to find a moment of solitude.

Walking through the grand corridor of the hotel, her eyes drifted to the right, where a massive balcony came into view.

Seeing that no one was out there, she stepped across the threshold. Her footsteps sounded light against the checked tiles as she walked toward the edge, finally coming to a stop a few feet away from the railing.