Chapter 16
Alaric sipped his wine, his gaze roaming over her from head to toe.
“What’s wrong?” Cressida asked, but he remained silent. She checked herself, wondering if she'd spilled something on her dress, but found nothing. “What are you looking at?” She asked again.
His eyes met hers, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Nothing,” he said, his voice low. “You just look beautiful in that dress.”
Cressida’s face lit up with a soft smile, her tone grateful. “Thanks.”
Just then, Felix spoke up, his voice breaking the moment. “Today’s been a wild ride!”
Cressida’s eyes widened as she sensed Felix’s approach might lead to trouble. She turned to face him, but Alaric’s grip on her hand stopped her.
“Leaving my side for him again?” He asked, his eyebrow arched authoritatively. He released her hand, his voice softening. “Don’t worry, you can go. I understand.”
Cressida shook her head, her eyes locked on his. “No, I’m staying with you.” She said, her smile faltered, replaced by a determined look.
Felix and his friends approached, their footsteps light as they positioned themselves in front of Alaric. Felix’s grin was mischievous. “Your appearance was intriguing. Too bad you couldn’t steal the show till the end,” he said, his tone laced with sarcasm.
He mimicked Alaric’s past earlier stance, wineglass in hand, and chuckled. “You planned to be in the spotlight, but it only lasted minutes...”
Ryan, standing beside Felix’s right side, burst into mocking laughter and added, “that wasn't even up to an hour.”
Alaric’s jaw clenched, his fist tightening as rage simmered beneath the surface. He longed to lash out—to punch Felix or take action against his friend, but Cressida’s presence stayed his hand. He forced himself to remain calm, letting his anger simmer as he reminded himself to let Cressida take the lead.
Felix’s giggles escalated, his voice dripping with malice. “Why’d it? He wanted to ruin the chance he doubted I had, and it turned out he was the one without a chance. I could see the pain in his eyes when Father was praising me,” he bashed. “He ran out of the hall because he couldn’t bear seeing me on stage—somewhere he’ll never be again.”
Alaric’s lips curled into a snicker, his eyes flashing with anger. “You-” he opened his mouth to retaliate, but bit back his words, snickering again instead.
“Say what's on your mind,” Felix goaded, his eyes glinting with challenge. He aimed to provoke Alaric into a reaction, with his friends as witnesses. “Bro, those days are gone when I was overshadowed by your achievements. Now I’m leading. I’ve topped the chart and achieved more in a short time than you did in years,”
He nodded in self-assurance. “I can understand your pain—watching someone you belittled reach greater heights when you couldn’t, despite being competent,” he paused, his sigh dramatic. “You envy me now, don’t you?”
Alaric’s response was calm, his chuckle low. “I’d rather die than envy you.”
“Then why did you leave the hall?” Felix threw the question, his tone accusatory. Before Alaric could respond, Daniel, Felix’s other friend, chimed in.
“His envy might be directed towards your achievements, not you personally,” Daniel said, his eyes locked on Alaric’s. He shrugged, his voice taking on a slightly mocking tone. “Your success has sparked jealousy in him. He’s probably worried you’ll eventually take control of the company,”
Felix and Ryan snickered, but fell silent, letting Daniel’s words hang in the air.
Daniel nodded, his expression thoughtful. “I can try to understand where he’s coming from, but his pain is something I can only imagine—I’ve never experienced what he’s going through.”
Cressida’s soft exhale was a precursor to her intervention. She stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. “He’s had enough of you. You should-”
“Hey!” Daniel snapped at Cressida, his voice rising.
Alaric and Felix’s eyes widened in unison, but before Felix could intervene, Alaric’s hand shot out, smashing the wineglass into Daniel’s head.
“You don’t talk to her like that!” Alaric growled, his eyes blazing.
A blood-curdling scream tore from Daniel’s forehead as he clutched his injured head.
Felix's warning faltered on his lips, his face frozen in shock.
Cressida’s eyes were wide with terror, her lips parted in a silent scream. Ryan took a step back, his eyes darting between Alaric and Daniel with fear.
Alaric’s chest heaved, his stare still menacing. “You do not talk to her like that!” H repeated, his voice low and deadly.
The atrium erupted into chaos as people rushed in, their eyes widening in horror at the scene before them. Frozen in shock, they couldn’t move closer or utter a word.
Amabel dashed to Felix’s side, her face etched with terror. “Are you okay?” She asked, frantically checking him for injuries. “Did he hurt you?”
Chairman Dawson arrived, his gaze sweeping the scene. His eyes landed on Daniel, writhing on the floor, before shifting to Alaric. His expression darkened as he took in Alaric’s deadly face. “What’s going on here?” He demanded, but Alaric shifted his gaze, showing no interest.
Dawson’s temper flared. “I said, what just happened here?!” He bellowed, but Alaric remained silent, his face turned away.
Felix broke free from his mother's grasp and swiftly positioned himself before the chairman. He bent his neck, his finger jabbing accusingly at Alaric. “It’s Alaric, sir," he reported, his voice trembling with feigned shock. “We came out for some fresh air, and he and Cressida were here. He told us to leave, but Ryan wanted to stay... and then he smashed Daniel with his wineglass,”
The hotel’s first responders rushed in, expertly loading Daniel onto a gurney, and Ryan followed them out, his face pale.
Chairman Paul’s gaze narrowed, his eyes piercing, as he turned to Cressida. “What happened? You’re a witness—tell us what happened,” he interrogated.
Cressida’s features were still frozen in fear. Her brow furrowed, and her lips parted in a silent gasp.
Alaric stared at her, expecting she’d speak up in his defense, but she remained silent. Instead, she met his gaze with wide eyes, and they stared at each other until Dawson’s voice shattered the moment.
“Talk!” He bellowed, causing Cressida’s body to shake with fear. Still, she couldn't utter a word.
“Leave her out of this!” Alaric yelled, his eyes flashing with defiance. He locked gazes with Dawson, his expression resolute. “Your son’s telling the truth. I am the attacker. I smashed the glass on his head.”
“Why? Why’d you do that?” Amabel questioned, her voice shrill. Alaric shot her a deadly stare, but she pressed on. “You mistook Daniel for Felix, didn’t you? You’re jealous of Felix’s success, which is why you left the hall earlier,”
Her words dripped with venom. “You’re so cruel to your own family that you can’t even withstand his success, and now you want to hurt him? If Daniel wasn’t here, Felix would’ve been your target.”
Alaric nodded calmly. “Exactly, you got it right,” he said, his confirmation sending shockwaves through the crowd. “And it’s not too late. If he’s not careful, he may be the next victim.”
Amabel’s face contorted in rage. “You’re cruel!” She shouted, forcing tears to well up in her eyes. She rushed to Dawson’s side, grabbing his hand. “You need to do something about him. You can’t let him continue acting recklessly like this. You can’t grant him the privilege to maltreat my son. Felix is also your son, isn't he?”
“Stay back, Dawson ordered without looking at Amabel. He stepped forward, his eyes locked on Alaric’s. “Why did you do that?”
“Because he was rude,” Alaric replied, his voice steady. “He crossed his limit, and I taught him a lesson. All I did was put him in his place.”
Dawson’s eyes blazed with anger. He raised his hand and slapped Alaric. “You’re a bastard!”
Alaric’s response was immediate. “I know!” He screamed back, his reddened eyes flashing with fury.
Cressida rushed to his side, her hand outstretched, but Alaric flinched her away.
“Do not touch me!” He warned, his gaze lingering on hers before Easton intervened, wheeling him away.
As they disappeared from view, Cressida’s eyes remained fixed on the spot where Alaric had vanished, tears welling up in her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Alaric… I really am. I hope you can forgive me for this.’