Chapter 120: A Storm Beneath Polite Smiles
A Storm Beneath Polite Smiles
Voices rose in every direction. People talked without stopping.
A hush slipped through the richly adorned room, soft as rustling reeds under a breeze. Light from glass lamps spilled honeyed glow onto floors so smooth they mirrored the ceiling above. Though this yearly meeting once thrived on quiet rivalries dressed in fine fabric, now - quite suddenly - all eyes turned elsewhere. Today held a different kind of spark, one that pulled thoughts away from old games.
Meanwhile -
Julian D’Aurelius’s internal monologue was pure chaos.
(Why are they all following me?)
(Why do I feel like I’m walking toward execution?)
(If this continues...)
(Valemont’s gossip circles will explode tomorrow.)
Behind him walked four breathtaking women.
Selene Aurevale.
Bianca De Dominicis.
Amara Ravenswood.
Gwen Valquin.
Each of them carried themselves with quiet confidence and natural elegance. Their beauty alone was enough to turn heads anywhere in Valemont’s upper circles.
Selene’s long black hair flowed over her shoulders like silk, her deep blue eyes calm yet possessive as she walked beside Julian.
Bianca followed with effortless grace, her long crimson hair shining under the chandelier light, her red eyes filled with playful amusement as if she were enjoying the spectacle unfolding around them.
Amara’s petite figure moved lightly beside them, her hazel eyes bright and curious, her soft brown hair swaying gently as she walked. Despite her smaller stature, the warmth and charm she radiated drew just as many glances as the others.
And beside them was Gwen Valquin.
Her long blonde hair shimmered like gold under the hall lights, framing her delicate face. Her bright blue eyes held a quiet confidence, and the black stockings beneath her short skirt made her long legs look even more elegant as she walked beside Julian without the slightest hesitation.
Four stunning women.
Walking together.
Following one man.
Several people nearby nearly choked on their drinks.
Across the hall, whispers exploded instantly.
Yet the four women who could hear Julian’s thoughts simply exchanged quiet smiles—completely unfazed.
As if the chaos spreading across the hall didn’t matter to them at all.
----
Across the hall, Gary D’Aurelius was chatting with two elegant women in their forties.
Both of them were graceful and well-maintained, their beauty matured like fine wine. Their laughter carried a hint of nostalgia.
In his youth, Gary had been extremely handsome—sharp-featured, charismatic, and famous throughout Valemont for his reckless charm. Back then, he had been known as one of the most dangerous playboys in the city.
Many young women had admired him.
Including the two now standing beside him.
Although their youthful romances had never turned serious, their relationship had remained friendly over the years.
One of the women suddenly laughed softly and pointed across the hall.
"Gary... your son really takes after you."
"What?"
Gary turned to look.
The moment his eyes landed on Julian, his expression froze.
Then he nearly fainted.
"This little bastard..."
There stood Julian, surrounded by Four of the most famous young women in Valemont’s elite circle.
Selene Aurevale.
Bianca De Dominicis.
Amara Ravenswood.
Gwen Valquin.
Four young ladies from the four most powerful households in the city.
And every single one of them was walking beside his son.
The atmosphere was strange.
Competitive.
Charged.
Gary’s face slowly turned darker.
What the hell is that brat doing?
Didn’t he realize where he was?
This wasn’t some nightclub.
This was the Valemont Chamber of Commerce annual meeting—where every influential business leader and political figure in the region had gathered.
And his son was casually strolling around surrounded by the most important Person daughters in the entire city.
Gary felt the sudden urge to grab a belt.
"Is he trying to get me a few daughters-in-law?" Gary muttered bitterly.
Then he remembered something.
Last time he had tried using a belt.
And somehow the boy hadn’t even felt it.
Thinking about that humiliation made Gary’s blood pressure rise again.
This damn brat...
---------
Not far away stood Henrik De Dominicis, patriarch of the De Dominicis household.
The old man had sharp red eyes and streaks of grey-red hair. Even in his sixties, his presence was powerful enough to make younger businessmen nervous.
Right now, however—
His blood pressure was rising rapidly.
His gaze locked onto Bianca.
His granddaughter.
The same granddaughter who usually ignored men completely.
The same granddaughter who rejected countless elite young masters without even bothering to look at them.
Yet now she was standing beside Julian like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Henrik’s eyelids twitched.
"What the hell is going on..."
Standing nearby was another old man.
Wystan Valquin.
The patriarch of the Valquin household.
His silver-blond hair was carefully combed back, and his blue eyes carried the calm cunning of a veteran strategist.
He watched the scene unfold with amusement.
Then he chuckled.
"Well, well."
"Old Henrik," he said with a teasing smile, "your granddaughter is quite bold."
Henrik’s face darkened instantly.
The De Dominicis and Valquin families had never gotten along.
For decades the two households had competed fiercely for the position of Valemont’s second most powerful family.
Their businesses constantly clashed.
Their influence constantly overlapped.
Their pride constantly collided.
And in recent years, the rivalry had grown even more intense.
Because of the younger generation.
Bianca De Dominicis had shown extraordinary business talent.
So had Gwen Valquin.
However—
Bianca’s achievements had slightly surpassed Gwen’s.
Because of that, the De Dominicis household had gradually gained the upper hand.
Naturally, the Valquin family had been irritated for years.
So today—
Wystan finally saw an opportunity to mock his rival.
But before Henrik could respond—
A sudden movement caught everyone’s attention.
Across the hall—
Gwen Valquin stepped forward.
With a gentle smile, she reached out and grabbed Julian’s arm.
Then she pointed toward the grand piano placed in the center of the hall and casually pulled him along.
The entire crowd gasped.
Henrik’s eyes widened.
Wystan’s smile froze.
And then—
Henrik burst into laughter.
"Bold?" he scoffed loudly.
"Compared to your granddaughter, mine is still quite modest."
"I’ve heard rumors that Gwen Valquin is fearless."
"Looks like they were true."
Wystan nearly spat blood.
He had intended to mock Henrik.
Instead his own granddaughter had turned into the center of attention.
His face darkened.
Yet he forced a calm smile.
"Of course," Wystan replied coolly.
"My granddaughter takes after me."
"Daring. Straightforward."
"Back in the day I dared to compete with you for women."
"And now she dares to compete with your granddaughter."
Henrik’s expression twitched.
The surrounding businessmen tried very hard not to laugh.
The two old tigers had begun growling again.
Behind them stood Shan Aurevale.
The patriarch of the Aurevale household.
He had been listening quietly for a while.
Finally—
He couldn’t hold back anymore.
"Gentlemen..."
His voice carried suppressed frustration.
"I understand the two of you don’t get along."
"But Julian is my future son-in-law."
The moment he said that—
Both Henrik and Wystan turned around.
Then they looked at him.
And suddenly—
They both laughed.
A slow, merciless laugh.
Henrik crossed his arms.
"Future son-in-law?"
Wystan shook his head.
"You seem very confident."
Shan’s face darkened.
"What do you mean?"
Henrik pointed toward the hall.
"Look carefully."
Across the room—
Julian stood surrounded by four stunning women.
Bianca.
Selene.
Amara.
And Gwen.
Each one standing close enough to claim territory.
Each one refusing to back down.
Wystan smiled calmly.
"Are you certain," he asked quietly, "that he belongs to your household?"
Shan opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
For a moment—
He had no answer.
The two old rivals exchanged satisfied glances.
Their quarrel had been temporarily forgotten.
Because nothing relieved frustration quite like seeing someone else suffer more than you.
People were strange creatures.
If you found a dead fly in your soup, you would feel miserable.
But if you saw someone fall into a cesspool while you were miserable—
Suddenly your situation wouldn’t feel so bad anymore.
And right now—
Watching Shan Aurevale’s expression was extremely satisfying.