Chapter 6: Confiscated Wealth

{This one over here is a scumbag too. While his wife was in confinement after giving birth, he actually got together with his mother-in-law. When his wife found out, she was so devastated she threw herself into a river. In the end, it just cleared the way for that despicable couple. What a tragedy.}

{That woman over there has "special" relationships with several of the men sitting across from her; she basically used them as stepping stones to climb the ladder. Not only that, she brought her cousins into the company to form her own little faction, bullying newcomers and embezzling funds.}

{That man over there is selling himself for favors, and that woman is keeping a young star as a pet... Tsk tsk, the private lives of these wealthy moguls are more scandalous one after the other.}

Alaric Vane listened as Seren Thorne made her rounds. He realized that among this room full of people, those who had actually betrayed the company or crossed legal boundaries could be counted on one hand. However, those with chaotic private lives accounted for about a third of the group.

Indeed, when the belly is full, the mind turns to lust.

He frowned. Aside from a few severe cases that might tarnish the company's public image or involved actual lives, he didn't bother to memorize the rest. As long as it didn't hinder the company's development, issues like cheating or two-timing were none of his business. After all, he ran a corporation; he hired for competence, not for moral purity. No one who climbed to this level was entirely clean.

Nearly an hour had passed, and Seren had analyzed more than half the room. Having heard enough gossip, Alaric was beginning to lose interest.

But suddenly, Seren sat up straight. {This... hiss... this person...}

Hearing her sudden pause, Alaric’s expression sharpened, thinking a major revelation was coming.

Instead, he heard Seren say: {This guy is actually pretty handsome.}

Alaric: "..."

His face darkened instantly. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, fixed directly on the man.

The man was Felix, the manager of the Design Department. Although he was over thirty, he was stylish and elegant, bearing a striking resemblance to a certain male celebrity.

Feeling the cold weight of the CEO's gaze, Felix shuddered mid-report, his voice trembling.

Once the report finished, Alaric spoke coldly, "Manager Felix."

Felix’s heart hammered. "Yes, Mr. Vane?"

"You can leave now."

Felix: "!!??"

Did the CEO mean he was fired?

Where did he offend this titan? Was it because he didn't brush his teeth this morning and had slight bad breath? But at this distance, the CEO shouldn't be able to smell it, right???

"Mr. Vane, I..."

Alaric stared him down icily. Felix was terrified, but for the sake of his livelihood, he plucked up the courage to ask, "Mr. Vane, may I know what I did wrong for you to decide to dismiss me?"

Alaric said indifferently, "I simply meant you should go back to work."

Hearing this, Felix felt like he had received a divine pardon. Carrying the joy of a saved career, he hurried out of the room.

After Felix left, Alaric instinctively glanced at Seren. Seeing that she didn't care at all about Felix's departure, his expression softened slightly.

The meeting continued. Although each person only had two minutes, the session inevitably ran over, lasting a full two hours.

Alaric made note of those with serious professional violations, while Seren scouted her potential clients. As soon as the meeting adjourned, she prepared to drum up some business. She had no intention of helping the scumbags, but there were a few "good seeds" in the group she planned to develop.

However, before she could talk to anyone, Alaric grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her back to his side.

Upset that her money-making plan was interrupted, Seren glared at him, puffing out her cheeks. "What are you pulling me for? My big clients are all leaving!"

Alaric gave her a sidelong glance, said nothing, and pulled out a pre-prepared bank card, handing it to her.

"There’s five million in here. Consider it a reward for today."

Seren was confused. "Why are you giving me money?"

Alaric paused for a moment then said, "For accompanying me through the meeting. Think of it as a fee for your hard work."

Seren’s eyes lit up instantly.

{Holy crap, he really is the most popular villain in billionaire fiction for a reason—he’s so generous! Actually, this guy isn't half bad. He’s handsome, rich, and unlike other tycoons, he’s not a womanizer.}

It was rare to hear Seren praise him, and the corners of Alaric’s mouth curled up almost imperceptibly.

Yet, a second later, he heard her bring up the old topic: {It’s just a shame he’s a simp who never gets the heroine and ends up being sold in Myanmar...}

"Seren Thorne." Alaric’s face turned cold instantly. "Shut up."

Seren: "?"

"Which eye of yours saw my mouth open?"

{Psycho. As expected, the big villain is temperamental. I need to find a way to get a divorce as soon as possible.}

{But before the divorce, I need to stockpile some cash. In case this jerk refuses to divorce for the sake of family interests, I can just take the money and run. Hehehe.}

With a grim expression, Alaric reached out and snatched the bank card back from her hand.

"Reward confiscated. Your allowance is suspended indefinitely. If you want to buy anything, report to my personal assistant. I’ll pay for it myself."

Thinking of taking the money and running? Not a chance.

Seren: "???"

"Do you have a split personality? You change your mind faster than a flipping book."

Alaric ignored her and walked away.

The five million was gone before she could even get it warm, and even her upcoming allowance had vanished. Seren felt a stabbing pain in her heart. The "dog man" was indeed unreliable; she had to rely on her own hardworking hands to earn money.

Beside her, the personal assistant wiped his sweat and asked cautiously, "Madam, would you like to return to the manor now? I can drive you."

Seren was currently in a deep state of "emo" after a wasted trip and the loss of her allowance. Since she was in a bad mood, she wasn't going to let Alaric have a good time either.

"I’m not going back. I’m going to stay and 'accompany' Mr. Vane a while longer."

Her voice was chilly, but the assistant didn't catch the resentment. He thought she truly wanted to spend more time with Alaric and was deeply moved. The Madam truly loved the CEO; even when he was so foul-mouthed, she remained as devoted as ever, even wanting to stay with him during work. What an incredible woman! Why couldn't he find a girl who loved him like that?

He sighed and whispered, "When will I ever find a sweet romance of my own?"

Seren looked at his face and said, "Your parents have been nagging you to go on blind dates recently, haven't they? Next time they ask, don't refuse. The first girl you meet on this next date is your true destiny. If you miss this one, it’ll be at least five years before you find someone suitable again."

The assistant froze. Why was the Madam suddenly acting like a fortune teller? "Are you... reading my fortune?"

Seren nodded. "Fifty bucks a reading. Pay up."

"Oh, okay." The dazed assistant pulled out fifty dollars and handed it to Seren, then watched her walk away happily with the money.

The assistant was even more bewildered. Fifty dollars could make the Madam that happy? Was the CEO so stingy that he didn't even give her fifty dollars?

Thinking back to how Alaric just confiscated her bank card, the assistant felt he had uncovered the truth. Who would have thought that their CEO, who sat on billions, was actually such a cheapskate that he wouldn't even give his wife fifty bucks to spend.

Tsk.

By that afternoon, rumors of Alaric Vane’s stinginess had spread throughout the entire company.

Alaric knew nothing of this. He was currently nursing a headache over something else.

Seren Thorne had barged into his office for lunch and had been playing an audiobook of a "Boys' Love" novel—the explicit, steamy kind—for the past half hour.