Chapter 287
Upon entering the VIP room, Todd extended a cigarette to Alaric, but Alaric declined with a simple shake of his head.
“Mr. Knight, you don’t smoke?” Todd asked with a particularly smug tone. “Are you preparing for pregnancy or something?”
Alaric’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Here’s a life lesson for you: if what you say annoys people, just keep your mouth shut. It’ll make you seem more cultured.”
Todd laughed carelessly. “I don’t care. I’m inherently uncultured. Besides, who says a CEO has to be cultured? Charm won’t fill your belly, but strength in business will.” Since acquiring the jewelry company, Todd’s arrogance had only grown. He had no respect for Alaric and didn’t take him seriously at all.
Alaric ignored him and turned to Stellan. “Don’t you fancy a lot of jewelry? The exhibition is almost over. Why don’t you go and make the purchase?”
“Okay,” Stellan replied, recognizing that Alaric was deliberately sending her away. She gave him a smile and followed the staff out of the room.
As soon as Stellan left, the mood in the room shifted. It was now just Alaric, Todd, Ambrose, and Bill.
Todd’s eyes lingered on Stellan as she left the room, but before he could turn his attention back to the group, there was a sharp thunk—the unmistakable sound of a knife plunging into the table in front of him.
Looking down in shock, Todd saw the blade buried in the wood mere inches from his hand. Alaric had thrown it with deadly precision.
“Do you want to dig it out yourself, or should I help you?” Alaric’s voice was ice cold, his gaze sharp as the knife that now pinned the table.
Todd blinked in disbelief. He had assumed Alaric was just posturing, but this was something else. Alaric was actually threatening him.
“Mr. Knight, what do you mean by this?” Todd stammered, his bravado starting to crack.
Alaric’s tone didn’t change. “Mr. Vale, your memory must be poor. I told you last time: if you look at Stellan again, I’ll gouge out your eyes.”
Todd’s earlier ogling of Stellan had clearly not gone unnoticed, and now Alaric was making good on his threat.
Todd, still somewhat disoriented, scoffed. “Alaric, you’re being unreasonable. My eyes, my choice. I’ll look where I want. Besides, you brought Stellan out today, and she’s dressed so beautifully. Isn’t it to let other men look?”
Before Todd could even finish his sentence, Alaric moved in a flash, yanking the knife out of the table and sending it hurtling toward Todd’s eye.
The blade stopped just a hair’s breadth from Todd’s face, the force of the motion so fast and so precise that Todd barely had time to flinch.
“Is that so?” Alaric’s voice was eerily calm as he smiled, the danger in his eyes unmistakable. “So now, since the knife is in my hand, can I stab wherever I want?”
Todd’s heart pounded in his chest, his pulse racing with fear. He was staring down death itself, and Alaric was holding all the power.
Seeing the situation escalating, Bill, Todd’s bodyguard, rushed forward, intent on intervening.
But Alaric was faster.
With one swift motion, Alaric grazed the blade along Todd’s left cheek, a thin line of blood immediately welling up from the shallow cut. Todd recoiled in pain, but before he could react further, Alaric flicked the knife past Bill’s face in a near-miraculous move, narrowly missing him.
Bill, a seasoned fighter, managed to duck and avoid the blade, but the speed and precision of Alaric’s attack were enough to rattle even him.
Alaric had been in the military and knew how to handle himself in combat, but it wasn’t just skill—there was a certain kind of ruthlessness in Alaric’s eyes that made him a terrifying opponent. Bill had the experience, but age had dulled his reflexes, and he could tell this would be a fight he couldn’t win.
Seeing the knife whizz by him, Bill hesitated for a moment before he struck, but Alaric had already anticipated the move. The knife spun in Alaric’s hand as he aimed for Bill’s face again. To avoid it, Bill had to lean back so far that he almost lost his balance.
That was when Alaric acted decisively. He grabbed Bill’s wrist with incredible force, twisting it until there was a sickening crack. Bill stumbled backward, clutching his broken wrist, his body failing him just when he needed it most.
The knife now hovered inches from Todd’s face again, the threat clear.
Todd’s bravado shattered, and he scrambled to protect himself. “Mr. Knight, let’s talk this out. No need for violence.”
But it was too late for negotiations.
“Now you want to talk?” Alaric’s voice was cold and biting. “Isn’t it a bit too late for that?”
Todd could barely contain his panic. “Mr. Knight, please… Please don’t be impulsive!” he cried, his voice desperate.
Bill, who had regained some composure, stood up, still clutching his wrist. He was clearly trying to defuse the situation. “It’s just that he eyed Mrs. Knight a few more times. This matter can be big or small, but if you really blind him, the Vale and Knight families will inevitably clash. Harmony is worth more than violence. Business is about cooperation, not conflict.”
Alaric’s eyes flickered toward Bill, considering his words. Then, with a sharp motion, he pulled the knife away from Todd’s face, letting him breathe a sigh of relief. But the blade was still in Alaric’s hand, and Todd knew the threat was far from over.
“Have you realized how much you’ve been eyeing her?” Alaric asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Todd’s face was pale as he pleaded, “It’s my fault. All my fault. Mr. Knight, please… don’t be so angry.”
Alaric’s expression didn’t soften. “I can spare your eyes, but you need to give me something I want.”
Todd’s eyes widened. The jewelry company? That was the first thing that came to mind.
“Mr. Knight, I just acquired the jewelry company. Isn’t it too much to take it by force?” Todd stammered.
Alaric’s gaze was unflinching. “Not the jewelry company,” he replied smoothly. “If I wanted the jewelry company, I’d take it on my own terms. But today, I want something else.”
Todd was confused, the fear still gripping him. “What is it?”
Alaric sat back on the sofa, his eyes never leaving Todd’s. “Some very useful information.”
Todd’s heart sank. “What does the Vale Family have to do with the Storm Family’s bankruptcy?”
Alaric’s tone grew even colder as he spoke again, his eyes narrowing. “Speak up. If I’m satisfied with your answer, you can keep your eyes.”
The knife in Alaric’s hand gleamed under the light, a constant reminder of how high the stakes were.