Chapter 169
Chapter 169:
“Uh, I probably shouldn’t—” Helena began to protest, her words barely formed before Alden was already guiding her toward a dartboard. He didn’t just show her how to aim and throw; he broke it down step by step, walking her through it like a patient tutor with a stubborn student.
The mask left the lower half of his face exposed. Though his true voice was muffled by the modulator, Helena could still see the way his lips moved—precise, deliberate, almost familiar. For one fleeting second, something about his manner, his rhythm—it aligned perfectly with Alden.
“Got it?” The electronic voice jolted Helena back to reality.
Still disoriented, she managed a nod. “Y-yes, I got it p>
“Then let’s begin p>
At Alden’s command, Helena gripped the dart and positioned herself before Rylan. Initial nervousness evaporated the instant she saw Rylan’s ashen face and pleading eyes, replaced by a delicious surge of satisfaction.
She clenched her jaw, focused on the apple, and launched the dart without hesitation.
“Ah!” Rylan instinctively squeezed his eyes shut.
Only when applause and cheers erupted around him did he dare look, just in time to witness a bodyguard removing the apple—now impaled by a dart—from atop his head.
Gasping for breath, Rylan felt as though he’d narrowly escaped death. Everyone had witnessed his moment of cowardice, leaving him thoroughly humiliated.
Burning with shame, he shoved past the bodyguards and fled the scene, unable to face another moment of scrutiny.
Once Alden departed, Helena finally exhaled her pent-up tension. The thrill of the moment faded, replaced by creeping dread. She glanced instinctively toward Covey.
Though his expression remained hidden behind the mask, the subtle curve at the corner of his mouth betrayed his satisfaction.
“Why’d you do that?” Helena ventured, sensing some unspoken history between Covey and Rylan.
Covey didn’t answer. The whisper of a smile vanished as he delivered a stern warning. “Best not to stick your nose where it isn’t invited. And when you file your report, make sure it says I work seamlessly with Rylan from the Wilson family. Got it p>
𝓥𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓬𝓴𝓮𝓭:
News of Rylan’s humiliation had already reached Chadwick through family channels. When Rylan reached home in disgrace, he was immediately confronted by his father’s frigid stare.
“Why did you insist on testing the CEO of Star Wish Investments?” Chadwick snapped. “Now look at you—your little stunt didn’t just backfire. It might’ve cost us the entire partnership. Do you have any idea what we’re facing if they walk away p>
Already in a foul mood, Rylan felt the anger coil tighter inside him. His father’s rebuke was like adding fuel to an already roaring fire. “You really think I did it on a whim? Dad, do you even know that Star Wish Investments has been quietly buying up our company’s scattered shares p>
“And?” Chadwick shot back, utterly unfazed. “Investment firms own bits and pieces of half the market. That’s business. Why are you acting like it’s a conspiracy p>
Rylan inhaled through his nose, steadying himself. Talking to Chadwick was like shouting into the wind—nothing ever stuck. Then a thought hit him, sharp as glass. He stepped forward, voice edged with challenge. “If you’ve got everything under control, then explain this—why are Alden and his wife still here? Didn’t you already book them one-way tickets out of the country? What happened to that brilliant plan p>
Truth was, Chadwick hadn’t managed to make it work. The memory of that conversation with Alden came back with a sting. He’d pushed the plane tickets toward Alden like a final move in a chess game. Alden hadn’t even looked at them before flat-out refusing.
Then, turning the tables, Alden delivered his ultimatum with glacial precision. “Chadwick, I’m giving you one last chance. Come clean to the public about all your transgressions. Do this, and I’ll let you walk away unscathed. If not…” His voice hardened. “Don’t blame me for what follows p>
Chadwick nearly erupted with laughter, incredulous.
His gaze fixed on the hearing aid nestled behind Alden’s ear, contempt dripping from every syllable. “Before making grand pronouncements, take a hard look in the mirror—assess whether you possess the qualifications. You’re nothing but a deaf cripple. What makes you think you can challenge me?” His voice rose with disdain. “You’ve been removed from the Wilson Group. What power do you imagine you still wield p>
Alden’s response was silence—a penetrating stare that stretched for several heartbeats, his eyes so devoid of warmth they provoked an inexplicable chill down Chadwick’s spine.
Finally, Alden tore the plane tickets deliberately in half, each tear a declaration. He departed without another word, leaving behind only the ghost of an enigmatic smile that promised retribution.
After he heard this account, Rylan’s brow furrowed, suspicion etching deeper lines across his face.
“Dad,” he ventured, unease threading through his words, “what if Alden truly possesses leverage we’ve overlooked? Would he display such confidence without something substantial to back it p>
But Chadwick remained sprawled on the sofa, the picture of unconcern, releasing a dismissive scoff. “A deaf man? What cards could someone with such limitations possibly hold? He’s bluffing—spouting bravado merely to preserve his dignity p>
He shifted his attention to Rylan, his tone sharpening with reproof. “And you—heir to the Wilson Group. You cannot afford such fragility. Let Alden make his noise. Endure it as the performance it is.” His lip curled. “He’s a broken man—his ability to create meaningful disturbance is limited at best. Stop conjuring phantoms where none exist p>
“It’s not paranoia speaking. The CEO of Star Wish Investments radiates something genuinely unsettling,” Rylan insisted, desperation edging into his voice. “If you won’t accept my assessment, at least meet him yourself before dismissing the threat so casually p>