Chapter 391: Serpent And The Old Fox - II

Rufus held his gaze for a long beat before bursting into a sharp, mocking laugh that echoed against the suite’s walls.

Owen waited patiently for the older man to finish his theatrics.

When Rufus finally settled down, he wiped the amusement from his expression and regarded Owen with a knowing smirk. "Oh, Mr Ross... it seems you’ve mistaken me for a fool who doesn’t do his research."

He leaned back against the sofa, swirling the drink in his hand.

"Your family may consider it a secret worth protecting, but even the thickest walls have ears. Word has reached me that your sister has been staying away from home for weeks. Not only that, but she’s clearly fallen out with her own family. And from what I’ve gathered, the reason your family has failed to reconcile with her is that she’s been hiding behind Aliana and her husband."

Rufus paused, watching Owen’s expression carefully before delivering his next remark. "You may wish to deny it, but I suspect even your father would prefer to see Aliana dead rather than have her interfere in his family’s affairs."

A dangerous chill settled over Owen’s features. "You are remarkably well-informed, Mr. Avery."

"Oh, my knowledge goes much deeper than family squabbles... such as your quiet plan to orchestrate a hostile takeover of Ross Real Estate, removing your bedridden father to seize the empire for yourself."

A subtle flicker of surprise passed through Owen’s eyes. He had shared those plans with no one except Aliana. So how had this old fox uncovered them?

"Where did you acquire such charming intel?" Owen inquired, his tone deceptively calm.

"When you have my level of reach, whispered agreements are easy to overhear... especially when they involve the foreign backers you spent months securing," Rufus revealed with smug satisfaction.

Realisation dawned on Owen.

One of the offshore investors he’d brought over to his side must have let the secret slip, allowing Rufus to catch wind of his plans.

’How troublesome,’ Owen mused silently.

Giving Rufus a slow nod, he shifted his stance. "Very well. What exactly do you need from me, and what are you offering in return?"

Rufus smiled. "I knew we would have common ground once I laid my cards on the table." Believing he had already won, Rufus leaned back against the cushions. "I need you to adjust certain figures in the Atlas Gateway Project. Just enough that it passes the initial inspection, but substantial enough that when brought before the board... they will see just how incompetent their Madam CEO truly is."

"You are asking me to forge official financial statements," Owen stated plainly.

"You are sharp, Mr. Ross," Rufus replied. "The Atlas Gateway Project is far too critical for the company to suffer a setback. Should a failure occur under Aliana’s watch, it would be a blunder too massive for investors to overlook. I will handle the rest."

Owen let out a dry, humourless laugh, staring directly into the old fox’s eyes. "Aliana scrutinises every single entry before it gets approved."

"She does, which is why when an oversight occurs, the entire blame will land squarely on her shoulders," Rufus answered.

"You think she’s a fool who would simply overlook suspicious entries?" Owen asked, his amusement fading.

"She would not if she is not at her best. But... who is to say? Mistakes naturally happen when someone falls ill, do they not?" Rufus countered softly.

Owen’s eyes narrowed into sharp slits. "Are you suggesting you intend to harm her?"

Rufus barked out another short laugh. "Of course not. She is my niece, after all. I am not that heartless. It will merely be a temporary distraction... you do not need to concern yourself with the details. When I give you the signal, that is when you will execute your part."

"And what do I gain in return?" Owen asked coldly.

"Well... do you not want your takeover of Ross Real Estate to proceed smoothly? In exchange for your help, I will ensure everyone remains completely tight-lipped regarding your offshore transactions. The Ross board members will never discover what you did, and with your father out of commission, your path to power becomes much simpler. Furthermore, once Van Empire is in capable hands, I will offer you a permanent seat on our board of directors, replacing your current temporary status. What do you say, Mr. Ross?"

Owen remained silent for a moment before responding, "You seem awfully confident that I’ll accept."

Rufus smiled, "Did I not mention how loose tongues can be these days? You would not want sensitive information slipping out, now would you?"

’So this bastard is threatening me...’ Anger surged through Owen’s veins at the thought of this old vulture using him as a puppet. ’Well, two can play at this game... let us see where this leads.’

"Very well," Owen said, giving a curt nod as he rose from his seat. "Give me some time to consider it."

"Of course, take your time... though I am afraid your deadline is the end of this week, as we require everything in place before the charity gala next week."

Owen did not need to ask why, having already deduced that Rufus intended to capitalise on Aliana’s absence to expose her during the high-profile event.

Offering a cold, polite smile, Owen replied, "I will contact you soon. Enjoy your evening."

Rufus stood up and extended his hand. "I shall be eagerly awaiting your call."

Owen glanced briefly at the offered hand before giving it a brief shake, then turned and walked away.

Rufus’s cold gaze remained fixed on the closed door long after Owen had left.

With a quiet click of his tongue, he sank back into the sofa.

"If only you had died in that construction-site accident I’d so carefully arranged for you, my dear niece..." he murmured. "At least you would have met your end with your dignity intact. But you left me no choice but to take this route. But to be honest, I am truly looking forward to enjoying the spectacle I have set in motion."

He let out a wicked laugh before a knock at the door interrupted him.

"Come in," Rufus replied.

A woman entered the room wearing scant red lingerie and asked, "Mr. Avery... I’m here to provide you with my service."

Rufus wet his lips as he raked his eyes over the young woman’s body and felt the tightness in his pants. He parted his legs and ordered, "Come here, sweetie."

"Yes, sir." The woman walked over until she settled herself between his thighs and began to undo his pants.

Soon the room was filled with scandalous sounds until Rufus reached his peak... though in his mind, his real pleasure came from imagining Aliana’s downfall.