CHAPTER 167: CROWNS & CLOSETS

In the morning, the sun had risen above the horizon, and the people were yet to get out of bed and start their day, when rows of cars screeched to a halt in front of Ivory Towers.

The men in black uniforms and boots, wearing firearms and sunglasses, rushed out of their cars. A group of them surrounded a car, and another group rushed inside the Ivory Towers reception.

Everyone who witnessed it stopped by to watch the scene. The receptionist and guards of the Ivory Towers were alerted. They watched as the armored men scanned the hall, searching for anything that might be a threat.

None of the staff was shocked there. Witnessing it, the man inside the car realized Alaric was prepared for his unannounced arrival.

Lucien Astor. The president of the country, the father of Seraphina.

As if on cue, a group of men in suits arrived at the reception with armor, causing his security to stand guard.

"Why does he have armored security?" Lucien asked his secretary, who was sitting in the shotgun seat.

"Sir, Alaric Lancaster has a business license for top-tier security service. As a Lancaster, who holds 35% of the GDP of our country, and as a De’Conti, he also holds a license to use firearms. He could also hire a Z+ security like his father." His secretary reported.

Lucien gritted his teeth. He had thought to force entry to the penthouse, talk to Alaric, and leave as soon as possible. From the looks of it, Alaric was definitely not making it easy for him.

And not to mention security. Alaric had the same security details there, if not much better.

Grinding his teeth, he got out of the car. His security head outside the car immediately alerted him, "Sir, get in the car. It’s not safe."

Lucien had wanted to visit Velmora alone, but the security insisted on following him. Anyway, he brushed the blacking hand away and entered the building.

His eyes swept over the elevator where security stood and turned to the receptionist. "I would like to meet Alaric Lancaster."

The man swallowed hard. Ezra had notified him last night, but he didn’t know it was going to be Lucien Astor.

"Sir... I’m sorry, we weren’t notified about your arrival. We don’t allow anyone without a resident’s permission. Unless it’s legal action."

Of course, the practiced words. Lucien couldn’t be surprised by that.

Before Lucien could think about heading anywhere else, the media reporters rushed there as if they had been informed about it.

The receptionist continued, "I will give a call to Mr. Lancaster. Would you like to wait?"

Lucien’s security immediately took control of the blinds and stopped the reporters from taking pictures. Lucien’s secretary went out and warned the reporters not to publish anything until Lucien left, as it would reveal his location and might bring harm.

Of course, it wasn’t friendly information but a threat. The media personnel had to agree with him.

Thus Lucien waited.

...

In the Penthouse

Alaric woke up to the beautiful sight. Aveline was sleeping peacefully, looking adorable. He admired his view for a few more moments, watching how her lips had reduced in swelling, the hickeys peeking at her neck, reminding him of the night.

Unlike how she had cuddled him the day before, she had stayed on her side of the bed. Blaming it on the exhaustion he had caused, he gently pressed his lips on her forehead and quietly got off the bed.

After freshening up, he made a few calls and hit the gym despite knowing there was an army waiting downstairs. He showered and was at the breakfast table when Aveline came downstairs, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

He lifted his hand, silencing everyone when he heard the sound of slippers. The three men tried their hardest not to look behind, but failed. They turned around to find a lady in an oversized... a men’s pullover that effortlessly reached her thighs. Her hair was a bit messy, but it added to the natural charm of her delicateness.

Then they stiffened, feeling a murderous gaze from a certain someone. They quickly turned away and lowered their heads. They hadn’t even noticed when Alaric had reached Aveline.

Aveline paused at the last step, but another yawn caught her again. She didn’t know there would be guests downstairs. She pointed upstairs, "Shall I go upstairs?" her voice barely a whisper when Alaric stood in front of her.

"You should have rested more," Alaric said as he draped an overcoat over her shoulders.

"The food smells delicious," she replied.

He took her to the dining hall and pulled a chair for her as he spoke, "Sunshine, they have some designs to turn the adjacent room into your closet. You can design them if you have time."

Aveline blinked away the sleepiness upon hearing it. She had just told him the previous night about moving in with him. And he was already making changes to his penthouse.

"Err..." She hesitantly asked, "Is it necessary? I don’t... have many clothes." It was a lie. She had truckloads of clothes and accessories. She had just brought a bit of it to her apartment, some of it was in the Blackwood residence, and most of it was in the Laurent mansion, where her closet was massive.

Alaric leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, and waited for her truth. He knew she didn’t want him to go through the trouble of renovations. For him, he wanted her to be comfortable, not make do with the things.

Aveline pouted and added, "I could use the closet in another room." She tried again.

Alaric resisted pinching her cheeks. "At least I should provide half the closet space of your Laurent mansion." Thus, he was planning to attach the adjacent room and its ensuite to the master bedroom, to create enough space. "Maybe I should also get rid of the entertainment room, too."

Aveline: "..."

She awkwardly smiled, grabbing the tablet from the table. She went through a few drafted designs but didn’t like them. She placed the tablet back and instructed, "Don’t cover the windows and door. Let the external door remain there." It would be helpful if she hired a stylist for any event.

She turned to Alaric and asked, "Do you mind if we combine our wardrobes?" She asked, but didn’t forget to add, "We don’t have to change yours if you like it the way it is."

"No issue," he responded without saying he actually liked the concept of their closets together.

Aveline nodded as she continued, "The current closet could be used for our loungewear, with a dressing table. The new section could be for our daily office outfits, all kinds of accessories, special occasion fits."

By the end of her words, she turned to Alaric, "Do you have a vault? I have one downstairs. Should we get a larger one?" She usually kept her vault in the closet.

Alaric was aware she had expensive jewelry that she often wore. To answer her question, "Is the vault room sufficient?"

Aveline recalled he was also a De’Conti, a royal family member. She excitedly asked, "Do you have..." She swallowed the rest of the words due to others in the room.

Alaric instructed the men, "Redesign and bring it soon."

Once the men left, Alaric continued to indulge her while a man downstairs was burning with fury.

...

At Nine in the Morning,

After waiting for three hours, Lucien finally got the chance to see the man. Clad in a perfectly tailored suit, Alaric appeared young, energetic, and utterly aloof, as if the President of the country waiting for him was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Alaric stepped out of the elevator and pointed toward another direction, where there was a room, the manager’s office to the right.

He walked away while Lucien’s security first scanned the room before letting Lucien step inside.

The office was modest yet elegant, featuring a desk with a high-backed leather chair behind it. Opposite the desk, two plush sofas faced each other with a polished coffee table positioned in the center.

"Three hours? Presidents make everyone wait, not the other way around," Lucien said, his voice dripping with bitterness and barely contained rage as he settled into the sofa across from Alaric.

"Did I invite you?" Alaric asked with infuriating casualness.

Lucien clenched his teeth. Alaric was right, he hadn’t invited him. He had just sent those damning files.

"Who forced me to come?" Lucien’s voice rose, frustration bleeding through his attempt at composure. His hand gripped the armrest of the sofa as he leaned forward.

"Who started it?" Alaric’s response was sharp as a blade, his eyes finally lifting to meet Lucien’s with cold precision.

"You didn’t have to drag me into this youngsters’ mess!" Lucien snapped with the reasoning he was prepared beforehand.

Alaric’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Lucien. Didn’t he hold back when Seraphina was causing a scene, just because Aveline had asked him to stay low?

"I didn’t realize the President’s wife is young." Alaric’s voice was silk over steel.

His wife was involved in one incident. Lucien’s eyes widened, "Over a slap?! Over a simple slap?!" Lucien said in disbelief, his voice cracking with disbelief.

All along, he had thought it was because Alaric learnt about Seraphina’s plan to get rid of Alaric’s inheritance rights, hence Alaric was retaliating.

He couldn’t believe Alaric was willing to destroy his political career because his wife had slapped Aveline.

"This wasn’t just about a slap, President Astor." Alaric’s voice dropped to a deadly whisper, each word precise as a sword. "This is about the moment you Astors thought you could lay a hand on my woman. And I don’t let anyone walk away from that."