Chapter 337: Blooms In The Garden

When Jade’s loud protest echoed across the dining room, every head at the table snapped in her direction.

Catching herself, Jade quickly cleared her throat and looked back and forth between Gavriel and Aliana. "I mean... I’m just surprised that you two, who are newly married, are looking for... extra company."

Aliana simply chuckled. "Well, it’s not like Gav and I will be sharing rooms with either of you. Besides, this is a big house, and the guest suites are on the first floor, so we’ll have plenty of privacy if that’s what you’re worried about."

Jade could only offer a weak, hesitant smile in response. She made the mistake of glancing across the table at Cillian and instantly regretted it when she caught the smug Cheshire-cat grin spreading across his lips.

Noticing the silent exchange, Aliana assumed her friend was simply worried about falling into another explosive shouting match with Cillian. She continued, "That being said... I hope you two will at least try to get along and not be at each other’s throats the entire time you’re living under the same roof." She pinned Cillian with a pointed look, but the man merely chuckled, looking all too satisfied with the arrangement.

"Well, I assure you we won’t be at each other’s throats all the time." He locked eyes with Jade and added, "Perhaps I’ll use this time to bond and build a mutually harmonious relationship with Jade... if she’s willing, of course."

All eyes turned to Jade. Clenching her jaw so tight her teeth ached, she forced a tight smile on her face that looked like a painful exertion of sheer willpower.

"That’s all I’m hoping for." Aliana offered Cillian an approving nod.

Meanwhile, Nigel began shoving another forkful of food into his mouth, eagerly bracing himself for more entertainment. Across the table, Gavriel and Winston could only sigh inwardly at Aliana’s innocence, completely unaware of the chaos she had just unleashed upon Jade.

Nigel swallowed his food and piped up, "Ah, right! Since Miss Jade is here, we can just ask her about Mr. Ross!"

Jade’s eyebrows knit together as she glanced at him. "My father? What about him?"

"No, I meant Mr. Owen Ross," Nigel clarified immediately.

At the mention of her brother, Jade grew noticeably stiff. "What about Owen?" She looked back and forth between Nigel and Aliana, waiting for an explanation.

"Right, it almost slipped my mind," Aliana murmured. "We wanted to know if you have any idea where your brother might be right now, and if there is any chance he could be returning by tomorrow?"

"He left for some business, but honestly, I haven’t heard much from him in a while. You know how he is... he prefers to keep to himself, so I really have no idea what his schedule looks like," Jade paused, her brow furrowing deeper. "Why are you both curious about Owen?"

Aliana pressed her lips into a thin line, exchanging a brief glance with Gavriel before breaking the news to Jade about tomorrow’s board meeting and the risk of the temporary CFO selection falling into Rufus Avery’s hands.

"We know your brother would be perfect for the temporary position, but then again, the company’s finances can’t be handed over to someone who is merely good on paper. We need to have..."

"Trust in him?" Jade finished for her.

Aliana gave a grim nod. "Even though he is your brother, after everything we’ve uncovered and the way your father is acting right now, do you think your brother is... involved in all of this?"

Jade went silent for a moment, weighing her thoughts before speaking. "Owen has always been brilliant at everything he sets his mind to. A high achiever, a respectful son, with the kind of rigid discipline you’d expect from a military officer. However, he is also intensely stubborn. While he honours my parents, he never blindly follows their lead unless his own logic aligns with theirs. So I can’t give you a clear answer as to whether he’s involved in this cult. No matter how demanding my father gets, Owen isn’t someone who can be manipulated."

Jade lifted her eyes to meet Aliana’s. "Remember when I told you my mother wanted you and Owen to get married?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Gavriel’s sharp gaze flicked towards his wife before settling back on Jade.

Aliana nodded. "Yes, I remember you telling me that Owen shut the idea down before it could even reach the Vanderbilts."

"That’s right. Owen shot it down simply because he believed you two wouldn’t be compatible, even when every other man out there was vying for your hand. So when it comes to certain things, he is completely unpredictable," Jade explained.

"So... you’re saying we can’t be certain whether he’s involved with your father in all of this?" Aliana asked.

"Exactly. Unpredictable as he is, I can’t guarantee what he will do," Jade replied.

Aliana’s brow furrowed as she looked at Gavriel. "That puts us in a risky position. If Owen walks into that boardroom tomorrow, he’s a total wild card. How should we handle this?"

"Since we have no way of knowing if Owen will even appear at tomorrow’s meeting, I think we should focus on the next best candidate on the list. We need to gather enough leverage to ensure Rufus cannot claim the position," Gavriel replied calmly.

"You mean... expose his dirty laundry in front of the board?" Aliana asked.

"Only enough to ruin his credibility so that the board refuses to back him," Gavriel clarified smoothly.

A subtle, dangerous smile crept onto Aliana’s lips as she said. "That can be done. Let’s sit with it after lunch."

The rest of lunch passed with lighter, casual conversations until everyone scattered to attend to their pressing priorities for tomorrow.

When the sun dipped below the horizon after dinner, Aliana finally stepped out into the rose garden in the estate courtyard. Moonlight spilled over her as her light grey eyes remained fixed on the crimson blooms, as if she were in a trance.

Her mind travelled back to the underground chamber where she had discovered Gavriel bound in chains, encircled by these exact same roses.

Back then, amid the panic, she hadn’t had the time to question their magical nature or why the glowing petals had swirled around Gavriel whenever his wild power threatened to consume him.

There was no question that they were beautiful, and their scent was heavenly, but a deeper, unexplained pull tugged at her soul.

A gentle breeze ruffled the petals, making her fingers twitch at her side with a sudden urge to touch them.

The moment she lifted her hand and her fingertips lightly brushed the delicate petals, they emitted a faint, ethereal glow.

The next instant, a sharp vision struck her.

She saw the same enormous tree of roses she had encountered in her dreams before, while distant voices whispered inside her head.

’You smell so good...’

’Look what I made...’

’Come back to me soon...’

Then suddenly, the same agonising wailing from her previous vision echoed through her mind.

’Please... just do it! I beg you! Please! Bel...’

A gasp escaped Aliana as she stumbled a step backwards in shock.

She stared wide-eyed at the roses, which had already returned to their normal appearance, as though nothing had happened. Her heart pounded against her ribs, her breathing becoming uneven as she clutched her chest.

"What was that?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "Did they just show me...?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat and slowly extended her hand once more, wanting to test whether the roses would trigger another vision.