Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge
Chapter 120: Sincerity Was Rare

Chapter 120: Sincerity Was Rare

At Ivory Heights

The morning sun spilled into the penthouse like golden silk, slipping past sheer curtains and warming the marble floors. It was early, but the world was already knocking, literally.

Alaric woke to nonstop calls followed by endless knocks on the door. He dragged himself up, leaning against the headboard to see Ezra at the door, barely containing himself.

"You’re viral," Ezra blurted before even offering a proper greeting. "Vantex Sentinel has exploded since last night’s event. Not just the tech circles, everyone’s talking about Vantex. Your photos are everywhere, and there is a fan page dedicated to you.. for your looks, by the way." He stifled a laugh.

"People are losing their minds trying to decode your ’past wild behavior.’ Some say you had a secret twin, others think heartbreak made you go rogue."

Alaric blinked away the last traces of sleep. No, it wasn’t the fame that pulled him fully awake. It was the echo of Aveline’s voice in his mind, so sure and undoubtedly accurate.

"NexGuard?" he asked, already guessing the answer.

Ezra’s eyes sparkled as he spun the iPad in his hand. "See for yourself."

Then he began rambling off some names. Major businessmen, global tech giants, and even museums, all lining up to acquire Vantex Sentinel, even if it meant paying triple.

Alaric merely scanned the data without emotion. His face was as unreadable as ever.

Ezra swiped on the screen again. "Here’s the media list. Local to international, they all want a piece of you. Interviews, feature stories, exclusives."

Another swipe. "And now," His voice calmed a bit, "the list of investors before we even opened NexGuard to the market."

Alaric climbed out of bed and took the iPad, silently noting Ezra’s excitement. He scrolled through, catching sight of a few names that made him pause.

Last time, people wanted to invest in NexGuard because he was a Lancaster. This time, they wanted to invest because of his work.

But he knew none would stay with him if he failed. People flocked to where the money was. Sincerity was rare.

He handed the iPad back and walked into the ensuite. "Row 43. Start onboarding."

Ezra blinked at how easily Alaric agreed to get an investor. Then he took a look at row 43 and nearly choked on air when he saw the name.

Aveline Laurent.

Alaric ignored his father’s name, his father’s company name, and chose her.

Anyway, Ezra quickly composed a formal email to her, setting a time for the meeting. Then he arranged an internal and immediate one with NexGuard’s staff.

Alaric had to decide whether to take a leap and spread his empire or not. And time was ticking.

.....

At Bloom and Grace Company

Alaric stopped in front of a building that stood like a sculpture in motion. Its curves were fluid, like waves frozen mid-drift. Layered in soft-toned concrete and laced with vertical slats, it looked more like art than architecture.

Nearly fifty workers moved like clockwork to finish the vision of a woman who often dismantled him with her words.

He stepped inside the building but paused. It was the completed first section of the office.

The office breathed sophistication with every sunbeam that spilled across the ivory floor. A cascading green wall was beside a tranquil indoor pool. Sleek golden lights dangled like champagne bubbles caught mid-toast. The soft, sculptural seating invited conversation.

Every corner whispered intent, to impress, and to inspire.

Then he saw her.

Wearing a face mask, she talked over a call as she passed by, when she caught sight of him. She paused, a smile hid behind her mask as her eyes curled softly.

She ended the call and walked over to him, slipping off her mask. Her smile bloomed with quiet grace, and his eyes refused to look away.

He had just gone to take a look, to see her smile again, the one he had quietly missed in the ten long days before yesterday.

"What a surprise!" she said, her voice lifting with a smile.

He didn’t return the smile. Instead, he took her mask from her hands and placed it back on, as the air was stuffy due to ongoing building work.

She stood still, quietly watching him. He carefully lifted her hair on the right and placed the loop behind her ear, then repeated the process on the left side. Then he struggled slightly to adjust her hair back.

Her eyes gleamed with laughter at his deliberate movements to avoid harming her. She wasn’t a porcelain doll, but he treated her like one.

When he finally met her eyes, she teased, "I’m surprised you made it in here without getting mobbed by your fans. CEO Lancaster, you need a mask more than me."

Alaric couldn’t resist the charm of her mischievousness. He extended his palm. "Sunshine, could you check what will happen in five years?"

Aveline slapped his hand away. "Don’t insult me, I don’t read palms."

He exhaled, already shaking his head in resignation, when she continued, "I prefer reading a gorgeous face." And she squinted slightly, pretending to inspect his future by his face.

Alaric: "..."

Now he wasn’t sure who was courting whom.

"You have a bright future." Then she shrugged. "I don’t give more free readings. Maybe next time."

That earned her a full, rare laugh. She smiled, watching him unravel slowly. It wasn’t just about getting to know him. She was rediscovering herself, mischievous, carefree, and joyful in simple ways.

She had missed herself for more than two years.

"When the renovations aren’t even done, why are you here?" he finally asked.

She pointed toward the plush seating. "I wanted dark beige for a cream wall. They sent camel. It clashes with the decor. Why do men not understand colors?" 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Alaric looked at the wall, the seating, and the whole interior. Beige and camel? Was there a difference?

He turned away, pointing to the next section. "What is there?"

The other section of the office was anything but conventional. Curved staircases with ambient lighting bathing the earth-toned concrete in a quiet golden glow.

It was still under construction, but elegance already bled through.

Aveline walked beside him and pointed upward. "My office will be up there. This section will receive top-tier clients, whereas the previous section will have mid-tier."

She glanced at him. "The top-tier clients would prefer to be treated like monarchs. So, of course, same treatment with better illusion."

He didn’t respond. Just looked at her as he nodded. The sunlight hit his sharp profile, casting soft shadows that made her stare a second too long. He always made it hard to look away.

Suddenly remembering something, she said, "Thank you for your surprise visit. But it’s time you focus on yourself and NexGuard. Go on now..."

When he didn’t budge, she started pushing him toward the exit, her tone playfully firm. "My standards have returned. Don’t worry, nobody would match them easily."

Alaric wasn’t sure if she was assuring him or discouraging him.

He paused by the car and turned to her. "Damien won’t sit quietly. Don’t hesitate to call me when he makes a move. Okay?"

Aveline nodded earnestly. "I will." Honestly, she didn’t want to disturb him unless she couldn’t handle it.

As his car pulled away, a deliveryman walked over. "Miss, are you Aveline Laurent?"

"That’s me."

He handed her a bouquet and left.

Aveline admired the bouquet, her fingers brushing over petals in warm tones of coral, blush, and honey gold. The mix of roses, dahlias, and orchids looked like an untamed sunset. Wrapped in smooth beige paper, it felt quietly luxurious.

Aveline picked up the card tucked at the side. She opened it to find Alaric’s handwriting.

’The flowers insisted. They didn’t want to bloom unless they were with you.’

Aveline giggled, looking at the arrangement, wild, yet somehow deliberate, just like the man who sent it. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Her smile softened only to freeze as a white Cadillac came to a halt in front of her, and the door opened.

And just like that, the warmth of the moment vanished.

.....

At Prestige Associates

Scarlett tapped away on her keyboard, her focus sharp as always. The open file in front of her was a merger case, and her notes were precise, airtight. She never cut corners. She never had to. Her work ethic was her armor.

A knock came. Then another.

She glanced up from her screen just as the glass doors burst open. Two officers in plainclothes entered, flanked by a tall man in a dark suit holding a file thicker than a criminal’s rap sheet.

"Scarlett Fournier?" the lead officer asked, holding up an ID for her. "We have a warrant for your immediate detainment under suspicion of financial misconduct, document forgery, and legal malpractice in the Eversage Holdings merger."

Scarlett blinked, brows furrowing. "What?"

The entire office stood still outside her room. Clara Reeve stepped into her cabin, her smirk hiding behind her voice.

"Scarlett... we... we’ve been notified by the Bar Council. They’re launching an ethics investigation. There’s also an anonymous whistleblower complaint. I’m sorry, but we have to cooperate."

Scarlett stood slowly, confusion turning into simmering disbelief. "That’s impossible. I was a junior counsel, an intern on that file three years ago. I didn’t..."

The suited man dropped a set of documents onto her desk. "Initialed here. Here. And here," he said, tapping the falsified audit papers.

Scarlett barely glanced at them before snapping, "Those aren’t mine."

The second officer pulled out a flash drive. "These emails and approval trails say otherwise."

She stared at the flash drive. It meant nothing. A tech-savvy setup. Digital footprints could be faked.

But nobody was on her side.

"I want to speak to my lawyer," she said sharply.

"You’ll get that right," one of the officers said. "After questioning at Central."

Scarlett’s blood ran cold when they cuffed her and took her out.