Chapter 389: Beneath The Surface

Back at Van Empire...

The sky outside had already turned dark by the time Alester decided to call it a day, but a sharp knock at the door interrupted him.

"Come in," he called out.

James stepped inside, followed closely by Nigel.

Alester eyed the black folder in Nigel’s hand and raised an eyebrow. "I see you are determined to keep me trapped at my desk tonight, Nigel."

Nigel scratched his cheek with a sheepish smile. "This is the final document for your review, sir. It is a report submitted by Mr. Ross."

Alester gave a slight nod, prompting Nigel to step forward and place the folder on his desk.

Alester opened the file to examine the contents, but as he read, a slight frown creased his forehead.

Both Nigel and James noticed his reaction, and James asked, "Is there a problem, sir?"

"Not a problem, exactly..." Alester murmured, skimming through more of the pages. "This detailed style of reporting... hmm."

Without elaborating further, he picked up his pen, signed the bottom of the document, and closed the folder.

"It has been a long time since I saw a report written with this level of detail," he remarked thoughtfully. A flicker of recognition crossed his face before he murmured almost to himself, "It reminds me of someone."

Nigel and James exchanged a brief glance but neither offered a comment.

Alester rose from his chair. "Well... if that is all, I will be taking my leave."

"Nothing further from my end, sir," Nigel replied with a respectful bow.

James, however, offered a quick reminder. "Sir, we still need to finalize the details for the charity gala celebrating Van Empire’s hundred and twentieth anniversary next week."

Alester nodded in agreement. "We will go over it first thing tomorrow morning. Everything needs to be flawless. Since Aliana is away right now, I will personally oversee all the preparations."

"Yes, sir," both men answered in unison before Alester made his exit.

....

Meanwhile, at the Valentine Residence...

Jade stepped inside the mansion after an exhausting day.

Work itself had not been the source of her fatigue, but rather her mother’s persistent demands for her to return home. Drained by an endless barrage of emotional manipulation, Jade wanted nothing more than peace and quiet.

As she walked down the quiet hallway toward her room, she could not help but wonder why her mother was so fixated on having her move back to Ross Mansion, especially when her father was not even conscious to support the idea.

"How odd..." she muttered.

The next instant, she walked straight into a wall of muscle and stumbled backwards with a startled yelp.

"Ow!"

She instinctively brought a hand to her nose to check that she hadn’t broken it, only for a pair of strong arms to wrap around her waist and steady her.

"What’s odd?" a husky voice whispered near her ear.

Before she could respond, the familiar man buried his face in the crook of her neck, drawing in a deep breath of her intoxicating vanilla scent.

Heat pooled low in her belly, and a shiver ran down her spine as Cillian brushed his lips against the curve of her neck. Whatever she had been thinking about moments ago promptly evaporated from her mind.

Drawing back just enough to meet her sultry, bright green eyes, Cillian curled a finger beneath her chin and kissed her with an intensity that sent her heart racing.

Forgetting everything else, Jade looped her arms around the neck of the infuriatingly sexy demon and tugged at his hair, earning a low grunt of approval. Cillian responded by deepening the kiss, backing her towards the wall until her back met its cool surface.

And just when she thought she might actually forget how to breathe, he finally pulled away.

A slow, wicked grin spread across his face. "Hi."

Jade, breathing heavily with a flush spreading across her cheeks, managed a soft reply. "Hey..."

Cillian traced her delicate features with his warm, brown eyes and murmured softly. "I have to admit, Red... I missed you when I got home, and you were not here."

Jade’s heart performed a sudden flip at his words. Suddenly, she found herself too shy to meet his gaze, which was absurd considering the far more scandalous things they had already done together.

Licking her lips nervously, she whispered, "Y-You did?"

"Hmm... I am used to finding you here when I arrive, not the other way around," Cillian murmured, almost to himself, his brows knitting slightly in thought before focusing back on her face. "So... what kept you?"

He kept his arms securely around her waist, making no effort to step back.

Jade finally raised her gaze to meet his expectant eyes, letting out a weary sigh. "Do not even ask... My mother has been on a relentless crusade to get me to move back home ever since Dad’s accident."

"But you told her no, right?" Cillian asked, his grip on her waist tightening as though he were afraid she might actually decide to leave.

Jade opened her mouth to answer, but noticing his sudden restlessness, she decided to tease him instead. "Why? What if I said yes?"

Cillian’s expression darkened instantly, his eyes glinting with raw possessiveness as he leaned in close. "Then I would have to work very hard to make you change your mind."

A thrill shot down her spine. "Really? And why would you even bother?"

"Because..." Cillian’s eyes narrowed as he hovered over her, but the answer caught in his throat.

Inwardly, he frowned, questioning why he would go to such lengths to convince her. Jade was free to make her own choices, and it was not as though they were strictly exclusive. But then again, he thought, were they not? He knew with absolute certainty that he would slaughter anyone else who dared to lay a hand on her.

Seeing the storm of confusion swirling in his eyes, Jade decided to push him further, wanting the answer for herself. "Cat got your tongue, demon?"

Cillian’s focus snapped back to her, his hand sliding up to rest gently at the base of her neck. "Did I not tell you I am used to finding you here, Red? Right within my reach... where I can have you unravel beneath me..." He paused, adding with a wicked smirk, "Or over me."

Jade’s mouth dropped open at his shamelessness, and she planted her palms against his chest, trying to shove him back. "You truly have no shame."

"I assumed you knew that by now," Cillian chuckled, stepping back as she huffed and turned toward her bedroom door.

"Whatever. I am going to get some rest," she grumbled.

Before she could take a step, Cillian wrapped his fingers around her wrist, halting her in her tracks. She glanced over her shoulder at him. "What?"