The Devil's obsession with the Heiress

The man jolted back, his heart racing as the entire table froze in shock.

"What the hell?" the poor man gasped, scrambling to wipe away the water that had just claimed yet another victim.

Cillian let out a soft sigh before shifting his gaze to the silent, brooding man beside him and remarked, loud enough for the entire table to hear, "Oh dear, it seems drinking water is rather a punishing activity today."

A few quiet chuckles followed. Then, turning to the drenched associate, he offered a charming smile. "You can go ahead and get changed quickly, Mr. Smith. The conference is about to begin."

"Y-Yes, Mr. Pierce," the man stammered before hurrying towards the exit.

Cillian’s eyes shifted back to Gavriel once more before he gave a faint shake of his head and turned his attention to the conference stage.

It was the fourth day of the World Business Conference, the final day for companies to present themselves.

When the name of Archon Group was called, all heads turned towards their table, expecting Cillian to rise and deliver the presentation.

Instead, to everyone’s surprise, it was the elusive chairman, a man with whom they had hardly interacted with stood up.

A spark of excitement and curiosity lit up the eyes of the gathered business figures at the prospect of finally hearing him speak.

A man of such few words naturally drew intrigue.

Beyond that, they were even more curious about the kind of man he truly was. Did he keep track of the company’s daily operations, or was he merely a handsome figurehead who had inherited the company while leaving the real work to Cillian?

As these questions stirred in their minds, one thing remained undeniable. Gavriel’s commanding and intimidating presence held the room in its grip... including Aliana, who had been silently observing him from the moment he entered.

She followed his every move, each one calm, composed, and undeniably regal, leaving her to wonder about his origins. How did he carry himself with such flawless poise, exuding the air of a noble... like a king born to rule?

And yet... to her, he had always shown more of a "dark lord" side with all his teasing.

’Just who is the real you...’

As that thought echoed in her mind, Jacob asked her something mundane once again. It was a habit he had repeated several times since returning to his seat in a fresh black suit, and Aliana was beginning to find it increasingly irritating.

Her focus had remained fixed on the man at the next table since the conference began, even as she kept one ear to the conference proceedings.

And now that Gavriel was about to take the stage in this prestigious business setting, her heart quickened with anticipation.

Just what kind of businessman was he? Would he read from a script, or would he speak from true knowledge?

It was easy for a sharp mind to distinguish between someone merely reciting a presentation and someone who genuinely understood what they were presenting. And for Aliana, it was intriguing to know whether this man possessed any real business acumen.

But Jacob was not helping, and it was beginning to grate on her nerves.

Just as Gavriel took the stage, his icy blue eyes met hers. The moment they did, her hand twitched in her lap, and Jacob noticed.

Something dark coiled around his chest once more at her subtle reaction to Gavriel as they held each other’s gaze.

Unable to take it any longer, he leaned closer to Aliana once again. "Aliana-"

Before he could finish, Aliana snapped, "After this, Jacob. I need to watch this presentation."

The sharpness in her voice, matched by the cold edge in her eyes that made Jacob immediately pull back. Around them, even her associates straightened, fully aware that when she used that tone, it was a she-devil’s warning not to cross her.

Seeing that Jacob finally got the point, she turned her attention back to the stage. There, she caught a ghost of a smile on Gavriel’s lips, one that disappeared all too quickly.

Then, his deep, magnetic voice filled the silent conference room.

"Good morning, everyone. I am Gavriel Valentine, the chairman of Archon Group, and I will be leading this presentation today. While I have not made my presence known to the public until now, the Archon Group has always been a silent pillar in this industry. We do not believe in the noise of competition, but in absolute stability."

As Gavriel spoke, he was so fluent and possessed such terrifying clarity regarding the market that he left everyone impressed by his knowledge. His deep voice carried a weight that made every other CEO in the room look like an amateur.

It was as if he wasn’t just presenting data, but explaining a future he had already seen and Aliana found herself fascinated by this new side of him.

Her eyes never wavered from his face, nor did she fail to follow the magnetic pull of his voice. His strategic insights left her speechless.

At that moment, one thing became crystal clear to her and everyone else in the room... this man was not just a handsome face; he was a force to be reckoned with.

He put Cillian and every other business analyst to shame with his vast intelligence, never once glancing at the prepared speech lying on the podium in front of him.

Once he was done, the room erupted with thunderous applause, and Aliana found herself joining in, though her hands felt cold.

She was a woman who had seen all kinds of businessmen, yet she had never heard a man speak with such effortless authority.

For the first time, she saw him as something beyond a dangerous or mysterious being, and quiet respect stirred within her.

He was the first man whom she could consider as her equal... perhaps even more formidable, apart from her father.

As she watched him step down elegantly from the stage, and her heart skipped a beat at a dangerous thought. Having reviewed so many suitor portfolios in the weeks following the deal with her father, she couldn’t help but wonder.

If Gavriel had been among them, there was no question that perhaps she would...

She caught herself before her thoughts could drift further in a forbidden direction.

A frown settled on her face as she chided herself.

’What were you thinking, Aliana? He is dangerous, and he is from the rival company of the Van Empire! There is no way in hell that something like that could ever happen.’

Yet, even as she told herself that, her heart continued to race.

The wheels of destiny continued to turn, leading her toward the inevitable future that awaited her, or perhaps.... both of them.