Chapter 267
“Mr. Vale, welcome.” Ambrose led Todd into the hotel he had arranged for him. Denny was already standing outside, waiting.
As soon as Todd’s car came to a stop, Denny hurried over to open the door for him. “Welcome, Mr. Vale,” he said respectfully, but Todd, with his usual arrogance, was quick to object.
“You call Ambrose ‘Mr. Vale’ and you call me ‘Mr. Vale’ too? How am I supposed to know who you’re really serving?” Todd’s voice was harsh, and his eyes were cold as he stared at Denny.
Denny lowered his head, a bit taken aback by the sudden criticism. “Sorry, Mr. Todd. Then I’ll call you Mr. Todd from now on. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, that makes it clearer,” Todd muttered, grabbing Denny by the back of the neck and pulling him closer. “Wouldn’t it have been better to do this from the start? Did I have to remind you?”
Denny felt the pressure of Todd’s grip on his neck, his breath growing shallow. “Sorry… It was my oversight.”
Todd sneered, his grip tightening slightly. “Then make sure you think things through next time. If you upset me again, I’ll throw you into the sea.” He gave Denny a shove, pushing him away with a cruel laugh. “Seeing you so pathetic just annoys me. Only someone like Ambrose would waste their time on you. Birds of a feather.”
Denny clenched his fists in frustration, his jaw tight. But Ambrose caught his eye, silently signaling him to hold back. With a resigned sigh, Denny followed them inside.
In the luxurious hotel suite, Ambrose stood respectfully, his posture rigid. “This is the best presidential suite in all of Arizona. Do you find it satisfactory, Mr. Vale?”
Todd looked around the room, the faintest flicker of approval in his eyes. “Not bad,” he said, as he flopped onto the couch, clearly comfortable with the opulence surrounding him.
Ambrose seized the opportunity to speak up. “Todd, there’s something I need to report to you.” His voice lowered, a hint of caution in his words. “There seems to be an issue with the acquisition of the jewelry company.”
Todd’s eyes narrowed, his expression sharpening. “An issue? Who would dare get in the way of my acquisition?”
“Alaric is also interested in that jewelry company,” Ambrose replied, keeping his tone neutral.
“Alaric?” Todd’s voice took on an edge of disdain. “Before I came here, Stuart reminded me that Arizona is Alaric’s territory and that I should pay him a visit. I didn’t expect him to come to me first. The jewelry company I have my eye on—he wants to compete for it. Does he really think Arizona belongs to him?”
Todd’s spoiled nature was evident in his words. He was used to getting what he wanted, and the idea that anyone, especially someone like Alaric, could stand in his way clearly rubbed him the wrong way.
Ambrose nodded, sensing the growing tension in the air. “Yes, you showed interest first, but he intervened midway. It’s clear he doesn’t want the Vale family to enter the Arizona market. His intentions are malicious.”
Todd let out a low chuckle, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Ambrose, calling you a scheming person isn’t wrong. You just finished collaborating with Alaric and gained fame from his casino project. Now you want to turn on him? People like you belong in the shadows.”
Ambrose didn’t flinch, though the words stung. “I’m not interested in his schemes. I’m simply reporting the facts about the jewelry company.”
Todd dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “Whatever. Now that I’m in Arizona, I’ll acquire the jewelry company—no matter what. I always get what I want. And if I’m unhappy, no one else will be happy either.”
“Of course,” Ambrose said quickly, nodding in agreement.
Bill, who had been standing silently, finally spoke up. “Mr. Vale, since this is Arizona, you should be cautious. You’re new here. Let’s start with diplomacy—invite Alaric to a meal, gauge his intentions. If he doesn’t show us respect, then we’ll take action.”
Todd groaned, clearly reluctant but also intrigued. “Alright,” he said, stretching lazily. “Bill, I’ll leave it to you.”
Bill nodded and left the room without further comment. As soon as he was gone, Todd turned to Ambrose, a grin playing on his lips.
“After such a long flight, I’m tired and need to stretch my muscles,” Todd said, his tone lecherous. “Find me some hot chicks, ones with good stamina. I don’t want them whining in pain after the slightest touch. It’s annoying.”
“Okay,” Ambrose replied, his voice flat, though disgust flickered in his eyes. He was all too familiar with Todd’s behavior, and it never failed to make his skin crawl.
Back at the Knight mansion, Alaric was well aware that Todd had arrived in Arizona that day. He knew it wouldn’t be long before Todd’s people would make their move. As expected, a man entered his office.
“Mr. Knight, a middle-aged man named Bill Brant, one of Todd’s people, is here to see you,” the assistant reported.
Alaric glanced up from his paperwork, his expression hardening. “Not seeing him,” he said firmly.
“Understood,” the assistant replied, and the man quickly left.
Alaric had no interest in dealing with people like Bill or Todd. He had far more important matters to focus on.
Meanwhile, Bill had waited downstairs at the company for nearly half a day without getting to see Alaric. By the time he returned to Todd’s hotel, the scene he walked into was far from professional. Todd was in the middle of a casual encounter with several women in his room.
“Get out of my way!” Todd growled as he pushed one of the women off the bed. As he walked toward the door, he was hurriedly dressing.
Bill raised an eyebrow, unphased by the scene. “How did it go, Bill?” Todd asked, his voice laced with impatience.
“Alaric is extremely arrogant. He made me wait all afternoon and didn’t even show his face,” Bill replied, his tone frustrated. “If it were abroad, I would’ve lost my temper by now.”
Todd’s anger flared. “Is Alaric trying to show me who’s boss? Insolent!” he cursed, pacing the room. “I’m not going to let him get away with this.”
Bill raised an eyebrow. “As I said, start with diplomacy. Go to him again, show our sincerity. If he still doesn’t give us face, then we can confront him directly.”
Todd hesitated. “Do I have to go personally?”
Bill nodded. “Yes, go tomorrow. He’ll have to respect you then.”
“Fine, I’ll give him one more chance,” Todd agreed reluctantly, though it was clear he wasn’t thrilled about it.
Later that afternoon, Stellan was distracted. Her mind kept wandering back to Ambrose’s words, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something she was missing. When Alaric arrived to pick her up, she quickly got into the car, her thoughts still racing.
“Todd came to Arizona today?” she asked as soon as she entered the car, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Alaric was taken aback by her question. “Why are you so interested in Todd?” he asked, his eyebrows knitting together in surprise.
“He’s your competitor. Of course, I need to know,” Stellan replied, her tone matter-of-fact.
Alaric smiled, his expression softening. “How could I not know what you’re thinking?” he said with a knowing look. “Stay calm. I’ll find out everything you need to know.”
Stellan’s shoulders relaxed at his reassurance. She smiled. “Alright. When you get a chance to meet him, take me along. I want to see him too.”
Alaric nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll take care of it.”
The tension in Stellan’s chest eased. Whatever Todd had planned in Arizona, she knew she wasn’t going to face it alone.