Chapter 8 8

Azalea gestured towards the letters in front of Asher. "My lawyer has informed me that you are already aware of this," she said, drawing his attention to the documents.Asher was intently focused on reading the contents of Reza's will, finding it rather amusing. "So," he drawled lazily, a smile creeping onto his lips. "You're telling me that you're willing to hand over the entire Grandure Empire to Reza's daughter once she marries my son?"Azalea gave him a perplexed look.

"Yes, my late husband wanted me to oversee the business until his daughter turned twenty-two, and then marry her off to your son and transfer ownership of the company to Sinclair," she said with confidence.Asher closed his eyes and chuckled softly. "Do you have any idea how much you will lose once you give up everything? You will be left with nothing," he said, attempting to bring out her darker side.Azalea, on the other hand, sat calmly with her hands elegantly clasped. "I would use the word 'lose' if I had ever owned any of this. I simply took care of it as per my husband's request, and now I will pass it down to his daughter and fulfill my duties," she responded with composure.Asher could detect no trace of dishonesty in her tone, which piqued his interest as she was not the woman he had expected her to be. "What are you planning to do once you relinquish everything? Do you think Sinclair will hold you in high regard for returning what was rightfully hers and keeping you by her side as a stepmother?" he asked with a hint of cynicism."That is not your concern. I will handle that matter myself, as it is personal. Please fulfill your promise to your friend and let the families come together. I want to entrust Sinclair to your family's care before I retire from my role as her mother," Azalea stated softly but firmly."So that's what you want. You should have been more clear," Asher commented."What should I have been clearer about?" Azalea inquired."To ensure that the girl doesn't run the company into the ground, isn't that right?" Asher said."Well," Azalea nodded, biting the inside of her cheek and swallowing. "That's part of the agreement you've already signed. I don't see a problem with it because Evergreen Builders will thrive once it merges with Grandure Hotel," she stated matter-of-factly."You have guts to say those things without flinching. You don't seem to be trying to please me in any way as you already know that I won't go back on my words because of the profit this deal is bringing me." Asher was amused by her straightforwardness."I've spent fifteen years of my life in the business world. I know where I hold power and where I don't," Azalea responded with a smile."Alright, I will sign this agreement. The two companies will merge after a marriage alliance is formed between us." Asher picked up the file and signed it."I am glad that this went smoothly," Azalea said softly and gave him a gracious glance."I have booked a room at your hotel, by the way. I am thinking of staying here until my mansion gets renovated. Do you mind escorting me to my room?" Asher leaned back in his seat, crossed his legs, and locked his gaze with her."Yes, I can do that. It is our pleasure to have you as a guest, and you can stay here as long as you want. I will let my staff know, and you will feel at home here," she replied softly and got up. "Ray, could you get me the room card for Mr. Asher's room from the reception?" she asked, and Ray gave Asher a hostile gaze before nodding. "I will bring it right away.""Thank you," she said. As Ray left, she got up and spoke to Asher. "Let me show you around the building. I am sure you will like it.""Why not," he got on his feet and walked towards her slowly, as if not trying to scare her away just now. Azalea did seem like a cautious bird that was very quick to fly away if she sensed any danger.Azalea walked him into the hallway and showed him the other meeting rooms before heading into the elevator to show him the rooftop restaurant. The elevator did a ding, and the doors opened. She entered it into the empty space and waited for Asher, who entered readily but his guards remained outside the door. Azalea looked at him with confusion as it was just the two of them inside. "Aren't they coming?""They are my guards. And I am sure you will not do anything to harm me, so they can stay back here." Asher spoke in a strange tone that made Azalea feel uneasy. The elevator doors closed, and Azalea nervously rubbed her palms together. Her eyes darted to their reflections in the reflective surfaces of the door. They stared at each other through the mirror, Azalea with a shaky gaze and Asher with the intense stare of a predator. A heavy silence hung in the air until Asher finally broke it."We are alone here. You can drop the act now." Asher's voice dripped with a deep, threatening tone, causing Azalea to flinch and turn her head towards him. She met his gaze blankly, trying to mask her fear. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice trembling.Asher's brows twitched in annoyance, reading her plain expression. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," he growled, taking a step closer to her. Azalea felt a surge of cold run down her spine, and she took a step back, only to find the wall of the elevator behind her."What are you doing?" she shuttered, trying to maintain a safe distance from him.Asher slammed his hand into the wall beside her, causing her to jump in fright. "I am talking about Reza's death," he whispered, his voice laced with malice. Azalea's heart began to race, and her eyes widened in fear. She met Asher's gaze, filled with curiosity and something more sinister."What about his death?" Azalea stuttered, feeling lightheaded as his piercing gaze bore into her.As the elevator doors opened fully, a figure loomed over at the door, and Azalea caught her breath. Orion's eyes narrowed in disgust as he watched the two standing in close proximity, mistaking their tense exchange for an intimate moment. He brushed past Azalea and fixed his gaze on Asher.Azalea took the opportunity to push Asher away and quickly left the elevator. She felt relieved to be out of Asher's grasp but felt uneasy knowing he could follow her. As she walked away, she heard Orion's voice, filled with contempt, directed at Asher."Did I ever tell you that you were disgusting?" Orion spat, glaring at Asher. "I think there should be a law to castrate men like you. You bring a bad name to society."Asher gave him a half smirk, clearly not affected by Orion's words. "It's nice to meet you too, son," he said smugly, watching Azalea's retreating figure with a calculating expression.