Jacob was stunned for a moment by her harsh yet eerily calm words.

Never in his life had he experienced Aliana speaking to him this way before, and at that moment, he could only blame one person for all of it.

Gavriel Valentine.

Clenching his jaw tightly, Jacob slowly rose from his seat before replying, "I’m sorry if I upset you, Aliana. I was only concerned about you..."

"I understand that you’re concerned about me, Jacob," Aliana interrupted calmly, "but this is one matter where I do not need anyone’s concern. I’m a grown woman, and I can handle my personal life myself."

Her expression remained cold and composed as she continued, "I also understand your concerns regarding the company’s well-being. But you need to understand one fact that will never change." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

A brief pause followed, "As the future leader of the Van Empire, I will never jeopardise it for anyone or anything."

As her words left little room for argument, Jacob gave her a polite nod before replying with a carefully guilt-ridden expression, "I understand, Aliana. Please don’t hold this against me. I was only trying to make sure you were making the right choice as a friend and not under anyone’s influence."

He spoke cautiously before suddenly raising his hands lightly. "Why don’t I make you a cup of coffee so we can put all of this behind us?"

"That won’t be necessary. Nigel knows how I like my coffee. I’ll call h-"

"Please, Aliana," Jacob interrupted gently. "I know you like your coffee strong with just a hint of cream, right? Let me do this. Otherwise, I’ll feel terrible for the rest of the day."

Aliana remained silent for a moment.

She was just about to refuse again when Jacob pressed further.

"Please... let me make it right. For old times’ sake? Consider it a truce?"

Already exhausted from all the unnecessary tension this morning, Aliana no longer had the energy to argue further.

"...Alright."

At that, Jacob immediately gave her a bright smile before turning and heading towards the coffee machine in her office to prepare a cup for her.

While Jacob was occupied with the coffee, Aliana walked over to her desk to look through a few documents.

A short while later, Jacob returned holding a cup in his hand.

"There you go." He stepped closer and was just about to hand her the cup when Aliana lifted her hand to receive it.

Knock. Knock.

The sudden sound at the door distracted her attention for only a second.

But that one second was enough.

Jacob skilfully tilted the cup ever so slightly against the saucer, causing the hot coffee to spill directly onto the front of Aliana’s outfit.

Aliana instantly jerked backwards.

"Ah!"

She barely managed to avoid the rest of the steaming coffee from pouring all over her.

"Shit!" Jacob exclaimed as he quickly pulled the cup away.

At the same time, Aliana hissed softly when a sharp sting spread across her fingers and the small patch of skin beneath her suit where the hot liquid had seeped through.

"Oh god, I’m so sorry!" Jacob immediately rushed forward with a look of alarm on his face before hurriedly placing the cup down and grabbing a box of tissues.

He quickly stepped towards her, clearly intending to dab at her clothes himself.

But Aliana immediately stepped back. "It’s fine, Jacob. I’ve got it." Her voice came out tighter this time.

Taking the tissues from his hand, she quickly dabbed at the stained fabric herself while trying to ignore the irritating burning sensation against her skin.

"I’m really sorry for ruining your outfit," Jacob apologised again, sounding genuinely distressed.

Aliana’s annoyance became visibly clearer this time, though she still kept it restrained. "It’s alright. I’ll just change into the spare outfit I keep in my office."

"Alright... I’m really sorry once again. The coffee-"

"Some other time, Jacob," Aliana cut him off hurriedly. "You need to leave for now. I have to change quickly."

Just then, the office door cracked open slightly before Nigel cautiously peeked inside. "Boss?" he called carefully, "the Archon Group delegates are here."

"Fuck!" Aliana cursed under her breath, fuming over her ruined outfit and Jacob, who had done nothing but rile her nerves all morning.

"It’s fine. I’ll receive them while you change," Jacob said gently, acting as though he were the most supportive person in the world and not the primary cause of her current misery.

"Alright," Aliana replied distractedly as she was already heading towards her private office suite while barking orders at the same time. "Nigel, have someone clean up this mess."

And with that, she disappeared inside.

Nigel’s eyes narrowed slightly as they lingered suspiciously on Jacob for a brief moment before looking at the spilled coffee on the table and floor.

But Jacob merely gave him a small, calm smile before turning and walking out of the office as though nothing had happened.

The second he stepped outside, his expression subtly shifted.

He paused directly in front of Aliana’s office door before casually adjusting his suit and deliberately running a hand through his hair, making it appear as if it had been slightly messy, as though something far more intimate had taken place inside moments earlier.

After glancing left and right once, he finally headed off to receive the Archon Group delegates.

Only after he disappeared did the phone hidden nearby finally lower. The person behind it stared silently at the screen, where every single one of Jacob’s actions had been recorded clearly.

A second later, the red button was pressed, and the recording ended. And the mysterious person quickly slipped away before anyone could notice them.

Later that day, Aliana elegantly moved her hand across the paper before signing the contract after thoroughly reviewing every clause.

She then looked up to meet Cillian’s dark brown eyes and smiled lightly while passing him the same pen.

"Here you go, Mister Pierce."

Cillian returned the smile with his usual charming ease before placing his own signature on the contract.

The members of Archon Group then rose from their seats as Cillian spoke, "This marks the completion of the contract signing and an official historic moment for both our companies to work together."

Extending his hand towards Aliana, he added, "Looking forward to working with you, Miss Vanderbilt, and everyone present here from Van Empire."

"Likewise, Mister Pierce," Aliana replied professionally with a smile as she accepted his hand in a formal handshake.

The moment their hands clasped, a round of applause erupted throughout the conference room while the representatives of Archon Group began preparing to leave alongside the Van Empire executives, guiding them out.