Chapter 288
“About the Storm Family?” Todd thought, his mind racing.
Todd and Bill exchanged a glance, both wary of the tension in the room. Then, their eyes landed on Ambrose, who immediately shifted his gaze away, a clear sign of unease.
“Don’t even think about lying to get out of this,” Alaric warned, his voice cold and unwavering. “I’ve already arranged everything outside. If I don’t get a satisfactory answer today, no one is leaving here.”
Todd cursed himself inwardly. Why did I have to invite Alaric to this jewelry exhibition? he thought bitterly. He had meant to annoy Alaric, to put him in an uncomfortable position, but now, he was the one caught in the crossfire.
“This is Arizona. If anything happens to you here, I have plenty of ways to clear myself. Understand?” Alaric added, his voice sharp with a threat.
Bill, still trying to play the innocent, was the first to speak. “Mr. Knight, I really don’t understand why you would think Mrs. Knight’s family’s bankruptcy has anything to do with the Vale Family. The Vale Family has no connection with the Storm Family. Stuart and Brennan have never even met. There’s no enmity between us, and the Storm Family’s bankruptcy wouldn’t benefit the Vale Family at all. Why would we do something so pointless and harmful?”
Todd, ever the opportunist, chimed in, his tone casual. “Exactly, Mr. Knight. We regret what happened to Mrs. Knight’s family, and we understand your desire to find out the truth. But you can’t just accuse anyone you come across, right?”
Alaric leaned in, his gaze sharp as a blade. “Framing and murder—if these charges stick, you can imagine the consequences for the Vale Family. Such serious matters should have a consistent story. Why is it that what I hear from Mr. Todd Vale is so different from what Mr. Ambrose Vale says?”
A tense silence fell over the room. Todd’s eyes narrowed with bloodlust as he shot Ambrose a glare. Ambrose’s face flushed with anger, panic creeping into his eyes.
“Alaric, what are you spouting? When did I ever say such things to you? Stop slandering me!” Ambrose’s voice trembled with fury.
“Well, Todd and Bill both said that the Storm Family has no connection with the Vale Family. If you hadn’t said anything, how would I have made the connection?” Alaric retorted smoothly.
Alaric knew exactly what Ambrose was doing—trying to stir the pot and make Todd and him clash while he sat back to watch. Alaric wasn’t about to let him get away with it.
“Alaric, stop lying! I never said that!” Ambrose’s panic was palpable now, his facade of composure cracking. He turned to Todd desperately, “Todd, don’t listen to him. He’s trying to sow discord between us. He’s talking nonsense!”
“You know whether I’m lying,” Alaric said with an almost bored tone. “It’s no secret that you’ve always had your eye on Stellan. To gain her forgiveness, you told her that Brennan’s death had hidden truths and that you had evidence. You said if she left me and came to you, you’d give her the evidence. Am I falsely accusing you? Do you dare say you never said that?”
Ambrose’s face went pale. “Bullshit. That’s crap!” he exploded, completely losing his temper. “Alaric, you despicable person, you’re trying to frame me!”
“Frame you?” Alaric’s voice dripped with disdain. “I don’t have the time or the interest. And as for you, I think you’ve been a spectator long enough.” His eyes then flicked to Todd and Bill. “I don’t have that much patience. If you know something, you’d better speak up.”
The threat hung heavily in the air, and both Todd and Bill could feel the weight of it. They were no fools. Alaric had already made it clear: if the charges stuck, it would be a death sentence. They weren’t going to play into that trap.
Todd was the first to speak, his voice filled with false sincerity. “Mr. Knight, this is really an injustice!” he said, holding his hands up. “The Storm Family’s troubles happened seven or eight years ago, right? At that time, Ambrose was with the Storm Group, but Stuart hadn’t even acknowledged him yet. He wasn’t part of the Vale Family. It was only after the Storm Group collapsed that Ambrose, with nowhere else to go, returned to the Vale Family. Though Ambrose is an illegitimate child, he’s still my dad’s son. My dad took pity on him and kept him in the Vale Family.”
He continued, trying to push the narrative even further. “Our only connection to the Storm Family is through Ambrose. The Storm Family’s issues have nothing to do with the Vale Family. Mr. Knight, please, find the truth.”
Todd, seeing that Alaric hadn’t responded, quickly added, “I swear, if there’s even a single lie in what I just said, I’ll get hit by a car as soon as I step out!”
Alaric didn’t seem convinced by Todd’s oath. His expression was unreadable, but before he could respond, his phone rang.
It was Stellan.
Alaric had already arranged for the staff to accompany Stellan and keep her away from the VIP room. He knew Stellan didn’t want to return there either, especially with Todd and Ambrose still inside. She had already bought the jewelry she wanted and was now worried about Alaric’s safety.
“Wait for me in the car. I’ll be there soon,” Alaric said into the phone, then hung up.
He stood up, the tension in the room palpable as he turned toward Todd and the others. “Stellan is tired. I need to take her home. That’s it for today. Whether the Vale Family is involved in Brennan’s matter, I’ll find out.”
With that, Alaric left the room without another word.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Once Alaric was gone, Ambrose immediately tried to salvage his dignity. “Todd, don’t listen to his nonsense. I never said those things. He’s just trying to sow discord between us…”
Before Ambrose could finish, Todd, unable to contain his rage, punched him squarely in the face.
Ambrose staggered backward, his nose bleeding freely. “When have I ever been humiliated like this?” Todd spat, fury in his eyes. “Bill, take this bastard back!”
Wiping the blood from his face, Todd stormed out of the room, the taste of humiliation lingering in his mouth. Bill grabbed Ambrose roughly and dragged him out, following closely behind Todd.
In the car, Stellan had been anxiously waiting for Alaric’s return. As soon as he entered, she looked him over, her eyes scanning for any signs of injury. Seeing that he was unharmed, she let out a relieved breath.
“I was too careless,” she admitted. “It wasn’t until I left the VIP room that I realized there were four people in there, and three of them are from the Vale Family. You also told the staff not to let me go back, which made me really worried.”
“Don’t worry,” Alaric said, his voice soothing. He then changed the subject, “Did you get all the jewelry?”
“Yes,” Stellan replied, a small smile playing at her lips. “I got some for myself, some for Elisa, and some for Rowena. I saw in Rowena’s profile that her birthday is next month, so I’ll keep it and give it to her as a gift.”
“Alright, as you wish,” Alaric said with a soft smile. “Let’s go pick up Caspian, Harry, and Elisa, and then we’ll head home.”
Today’s visit to the jewelry exhibition had been far from ordinary. It had given Stellan some joy, and more importantly, it had made things even more complicated for the Vale Family. Ambrose, without a doubt, would be having a hard time now.