CHAPTER 149: A PROMISE WITHOUT WORDS

Alaric met Henry’s eyes, steady and unflinching. Aveline hadn’t said it aloud, but he knew she was serious about them. Every glance, every decision, every time she chose to stay near spoke louder than words.

And Henry? His words, his actions? He wasn’t just testing Alaric. He believed in Aveline. Believed in them.

But after watching his daughter endure what she had, it was only natural for him to be wary. To stand guard before letting anyone in again.

If earning his trust meant revealing how far he had already gone to protect her, so be it. He didn’t intend to back down.

In a low, composed voice, Alaric said, "I would’ve handled it, no matter who she was."

Henry studied him for a beat, silent and thoughtful, then gave a subtle nod. As if confirming something he already suspected.

Without waiting, Alaric pulled out his phone. He dialed Ezra. "Send me the Astor file. Now." He paused. "The entire folder."

He disconnected, then walked over to the sleek flat-screen mounted on the wall.

Henry turned to Aveline. He never let her know how they handled people. He was weighing his options when her voice cut through the silence.

"I’ll stay." She deserved to know what was being done.

Henry could only nod.

A soft chime echoed as Alaric connected his phone to the display. Within seconds, files began to load on the screen. Each one was labeled, timestamped, with tags like Asset Proof, Social Manipulation, and Incident Report.

He didn’t turn to explain. He simply let the first video play.

File 1: Video Surveillance – Seraphina’s Movements

A black-and-white security camera angle of the hallway appeared. The timestamp blinked in the corner.

Seraphina Astor entered the frame, looked around suspiciously, and then clearly showed her entering the restroom.

Then, Alaric pulled up her call logs beside the video, cross-referenced with time. The call to Dahlia Astor was placed from inside the restroom.

Henry frowned, and Aveline moved closer to them. She just doubted Seraphina and Alaric had acted on it, without taking it lightly.

File 2: Activist Group – Payment Records

Another file opened, showing bank transactions linked to a shell company owned by Seraphina. The money trail led to individuals identified as the protesters and activists who surrounded her for PR.

There were attached clips of them rehearsing slogans.

Edward scoffed. He had assumed his daughter-in-law was doing a noble job, but It was a show.

Henry’s mouth hardened.

File 3: Dahlia Astor – Multiple Incidents

Alaric didn’t bother looking at Dahlia’s biodata. Instead, he chose to play the video.

Three short videos played back-to-back.

The first: Dahlia posturing arrogantly in a boutique, belittling a staff member over a supposedly "tainted" dress when she was the one who had dropped her liquid lipstick carelessly.

The second: Caught on a grainy club camera, visibly drunk, she slipped an expensive bag into her coat, then tried to escape from there.

When the owner of the bag noticed it missing, she asked the manager, and the security stopped Dahlia.

Though the owner left with the bag, Dahlia was detained in the club and reported to the police by the club owner.

The third: By the time cops arrived, two men, clearly officials, had arrived as well. One escorted Dahlia away, and another took the manager away. The footage ended abruptly, but the implication was clear.

Aveline was the first to break the silence. "That’s me." The owner of the bag.

She hadn’t thought it was stolen since it was a high-end club. Since there was no one at the table while they were dancing, she had assumed the bag might have been moved to the lost and found section.

The three men glanced at Aveline. They deduced it was probably the first time Dahlia had encountered Aveline.

Edward turned back to Henry, leaned back, and said with a faint, knowing smirk, "Chairman Laurent, don’t forget, Apex doesn’t just collect information. It’s quick and precise." He folded his arms. "And we both know who started Apex."

Henry’s jaw flexed slightly. He knew Alaric had founded Apex, a quiet beast of information and security solutions that now served elite clients.

But trust in business was one thing. Choosing Aveline over his family was another.

He looked at Alaric. Alaric had gathered everything but hadn’t acted on it yet.

Alaric met his gaze without blinking. He could guess what worried Henry, and he spoke: "I don’t move mid-preparation," he said. His voice was cold but assured. "When I act, I don’t leave any room for retreat."

Before Henry could react, there was a knock on the door. Edward’s secretary opened it and announced, "Chairman Lancaster, it’s time for the meeting."

Edward stood up. "We’ll discuss this later."

Henry and Edward moved first, and Aveline poked Alaric. "Did you sleep last night?"

"Sunshine," he said softly, his gaze unwavering, "I know you’re strong enough to face everything on your own... but you don’t have to anymore. Not when I’m here."

She opened her mouth and closed it. A faint blush crept across her face. Who wouldn’t like a man who stepped forward?

But that was the point. She had gotten another version of her father, the way her father wanted.

If she didn’t face the problem, how was she going to be ready for the challenges thrown at her?

She had gotten a second chance at life, to get rid of Damien. That didn’t mean she would get another chance.

Aveline paused, turning to face him. Then she said quietly but firmly, "I need to know everything, the problem, the solution, the risks. I don’t want to be left in the dark or caught off guard. I’m not asking for protection that feels like a cage. I want the choice... whether I stand on the front lines or take the backseat."

Alaric didn’t speak immediately. He looked at her like she was both the storm and the calm after it.

He wasn’t going to cage her. He gave a slight nod, his voice low but steady. "Then you’ll know everything, Sunshine." He assured her.

"You’ll have the truth, the choice, and the space to decide. I’ll never shield you from the world by shutting you out of it. No matter where you choose to stand... I’ll stand with you."

It was a promise, and she understood the weight it carried.

Satisfied, Aveline nodded and walked beside him. The problems seemed to follow her, yet everyone was worried for her.

Once, it was just her and her family. And now, there was someone else walking beside her, choosing to carry the burden too.

She had grown up trying not to trouble anyone. But after her regression, after finally cutting ties with Damien and beginning to breathe freely again, the chaos had begun again.

"Life is so unpredictable," she murmured, more to herself than to him.

Alaric caught her hand when she walked further. She turned to him, and he mused, "Yet, you always predict." He tilted his head toward the door.

Aveline smiled awkwardly and went in when he opened the door.

....

In the meeting room.

The meeting hall was vast, glass walls framed the skyline, a long conference table ran down the center, surrounded by leather chairs, and a sleek projector cast slides onto the far wall.

The PR department had already taken their seats, tension humming beneath their composure.

When the doors opened, everyone stood, except for Henry Laurent and Edward Lancaster, seated at either end of the table, calm and unreadable.

Aveline took the seat beside her father. Alaric lingered a moment, then walked to the opposite side, while Edward remained at the head of the table.

At the cue of Edward’s secretary, the PR manager, a man in his early forties with sharp eyes and a tight mouth, stood and tapped the screen remote.

"As you can see," he began, flipping through headlines and graphs, "the volume of media attention surrounding Mr. Lancaster and Ms. Laurent has seen a 230% surge. Initial coverage was subtle. However, with recent images and statements, the narrative is now drawing direct connections..."

He pointed to a slide. "...between the fall of Damien Ashford and Mr. Lancaster’s role in that fallout. The public is starting to label it personal retaliation, motivated by Ms. Laurent."

The manager looked at Edward and continued, "We haven’t responded, which has allowed the speculation to spiral. The silence, however strategic, is now being interpreted as confirmation. And that risks painting both the Laurent and Lancaster groups as emotionally reactive rather than stable."

He clicked again, pointing at the slide. "There is one simple way to end this: issue a joint statement that defines the relationship as strictly business." That would create a clean line, no personal involvement, no ulterior motives.

The room fell into an uneasy silence.

Edward turned his head toward Alaric. At the same time, Henry glanced at Aveline, as if silently offering her the chance to speak, or to step back.

The implication was clear. If they denied the relationship now, there would be no more being spotted casually together, no more soft glances at events. Everything would be under surveillance. Every meeting, scrutinized, even living in the same building.

Alaric didn’t speak. He simply looked at Aveline. He wasn’t thinking of the company. Or the board of Lancaster Global Holdings. Or the media. His gaze was steady on her.

Aveline glanced at him, searching for his opinion, but he gave her none. His silence was his answer, a quiet surrender to her voice.

She turned to the manager. "What if," she said clearly, "the statement says we are in a relationship?"

Several heads turned. Henry’s lips curved slightly. Edward’s brows lifted, not in disapproval, but with subtle approval. Alaric smirked.

Were they announcing their relationship before it had even begun?