Calculated Hearts

A polite knock interrupted Alaric's quiet amusement. Dexter pushed open the heavy mahogany door of the private dining room, stepping into the sunlit space with a respectful nod. "Mr. Reuben Sinclair, Mr. Copeland asked me to pass along his greetings to you."

Reuben paused his meal, his sharp eyes darting from his plate to Alaric. "Bring him over," he instructed Dexter with a wave of his hand.

As the assistant retreated to the hallway, Reuben leaned across the pristine white tablecloth. A mischievous glint sparkled in his weathered eyes. "I think the Copeland family has taken a serious liking to you. What do you think?"

Alaric raised a dark eyebrow, lazily stirring his black coffee. "Are you suggesting a marriage of convenience?"

Reuben scoffed loudly, looking genuinely offended by the notion. "Has Vanguard International fallen so far that you need to rely on a marriage of convenience to survive? I didn't hand the company over for that."

Alaric's lips twitched in a faint smirk. He set his silver spoon down with a soft clink.

Refusing to drop the subject, Reuben leaned even closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Alaric, tell me the truth right now. Do you have somebody in mind?"

Alaric met his grandfather's eager, probing gaze and gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Yes."

Reuben's face lit up with sudden excitement. "Really? Who is she? Do I know her family? Can you bring her to meet me today? Wait, don't tell me it's actually that young lady from the Copeland family!"

"Grandpa." Alaric let out a mild sigh, his tone firm but underlined with fondness. "Don't go matchmaking. I told you, I have nothing to do with her. You just admitted Vanguard doesn't need a marriage of convenience, so stop trying to push us together over lunch."

"Then who is she? Bring her over so I can see her!" Reuben pressed, his high spirits unbothered by his grandson's mild reprimand.

Alaric slid a fresh plate of steamed vegetables toward the older man. "I haven't won her over yet. I'll bring her to you once I succeed."

Rather than looking disappointed, Reuben clapped his hands together with a booming laugh. "Oh? The great, untouchable Alaric Sinclair can't handle a woman? That's fantastic! A woman you can't easily win over must be the right one for you. She's got some backbone."

Alaric shot him a deadpan look before returning his attention to his own meal. "Are you sure you're my biological grandfather?"

"Of course I am," Reuben replied proudly, lifting his chin. Then, he narrowed his eyes into a sudden, calculating stare. "By the way... it is a woman, right?"

Alaric paused his fork mid-air. He leveled a flat, unamused stare at Reuben. "Would you prefer I find a man?"

Reuben pursed his lips, looking contemplative. "You spend every waking moment with Damon. People are starting to talk in our circles. Everyone suspects there's something going on between you two behind closed doors. I have to make sure my great-grandson is going to happen before I drop dead."

Alaric shook his head, momentarily speechless at the sheer absurdity of the rumor.

"Speaking of Damon," Reuben continued, glancing around the empty corners of the spacious private room as if expecting the man to pop out from behind a curtain. "Where is he? Why isn't he here mooching a free lunch off me like usual?"

"He's overseas," Alaric answered smoothly, taking a sip of his coffee. "He lost a stupid bet to Gideon last week and had to take over a foreign case. He went abroad to negotiate the terms."

Reuben leaned back in his chair and let out a long, heavy sigh. "I envy old man Chester. That old geezer has a bunch of outstanding children and grandchildren running around his estate. Meanwhile, I'm stuck waiting on you."

Alaric offered no argument. His grandfather had a valid point. The Sinclair family tree was sparse and quiet compared to the sprawling, vibrant branches of the Gallagher family.

Before Reuben could launch into another passionate lecture about family legacy, another polite knock sounded at the door. Both men dropped their relaxed, familial banter. Their features hardened simultaneously, shifting into identical masks of cold, aristocratic indifference as they prepared to face their guests.

Across town, the atmosphere inside the Caldwell residence was suffocating and toxic.

Wallace pushed open the heavy oak doors of his study, his face flushed with deep irritation. He strode over to his massive mahogany desk, followed closely by Rowena and Bridget.

Rowena already knew the disastrous outcome of their impromptu visit to Vanguard International. Anxiety gnawed at her insides, but she kept her delicate features composed. "Wally, what should we do next?" She needed to gauge his mindset before steering him toward her own manipulative agenda.

Wallace sank heavily into his leather executive chair, rubbing his temples. "I cannot afford to lose the connection with Montgomery. Valerie must marry into the Prescott family. The corporate ties are far too important to risk over a petty squabble."

Bridget and Rowena exchanged a quick, electric glance. A thrill shot through both of them. Earlier that week, they would have fought tooth and nail to prevent Valerie from securing such a wealthy marriage out of sheer jealousy. But things changed the moment Alaric Sinclair stepped into the banquet hall. Now, they desperately hoped Valerie would marry Donovan Prescott. Doing so would clear the path, giving Bridget the perfect opportunity to get close to the CEO of Vanguard International without Valerie hovering in the background.

Bridget bit her bottom lip, a bitter wave of regret washing over her. She thought about her past actions, the relentless sabotage she orchestrated against Valerie. If she had known a man like Alaric Sinclair was going to show up, she would have played her cards differently. She would have made sure he noticed her first.

"But dealing with Mr. Sinclair is going to be difficult," Wallace muttered, staring blankly at a stack of unread corporate documents on his desk. He frowned, replaying the cold, ruthless dismissal they received at the company lobby. "He clearly wasn't interested in Bridget. What are we supposed to do now?"

Rowena paced slowly across the plush Persian rug, her designer heels clicking softly against the floorboards. "Perhaps we approached it wrong. You ambushed him at his office today. Could that have made him feel uncomfortable and defensive? What if we invite Mr. Sinclair to our house for a private dinner?"

Bridget's eyes sparkled with sudden excitement. "Mom has a point."

She envisioned the scenario instantly. A cold, sterile corporate office was no place to spark romance. But the Caldwell mansion? They could control the lighting, the soft music, the expensive wine. Valerie managed to pull off her little stunt yesterday solely because of the tense, public atmosphere. If Bridget could get Alaric into a private, romantic setting, she could easily work her charm and make him forget about Valerie.

Wallace scowled, waving a hand to dismiss the fantasy. "You're both forgetting the rumors. Mr. Sinclair and Damon Gallagher, the second son of the Gallagher Group, are always inseparable. Mr. Sinclair doesn't let women near him. All his personal assistants are men. It was once widely said he was gay, and his male companion was Damon. I don't know if it's true, but it would certainly explain his cold attitude today."

If Alaric preferred men, Wallace thought grimly, his blatant disinterest in Bridget's beauty could easily be explained.

"That's impossible, Dad," Bridget snapped, her voice rising in immediate, fierce protest. "If he were gay, why would he have agreed to marry Valerie in front of hundreds of people? He must just be a decent, disciplined man who doesn't throw himself at random women. Those rumors have to be made up by jealous rivals."

She refused to believe it. A man that gorgeous, that powerful, and that dominant could not be gay. It was an unacceptable outcome to her.

Wallace threw his hands up in sheer frustration. "Then what do you propose we do? You saw his terrifying attitude at Vanguard International today. I can't control a man like that."

Wallace wanted Bridget to marry Alaric just as much as she did. He only had two daughters. If they married into the Prescott family and the Sinclair family respectively, Wallace would live like a king. He could do whatever he wanted in Oakhaven. But right now, it was nothing more than wishful thinking. In reality, Alaric couldn't even be bothered to look at them.

Bridget fell silent, crossing her arms defensively. She refused to accept defeat so easily. The timing had just been off today. "Dad, we must find a way to invite him home! I know I can win him over."

Wallace said nothing. Inviting a titan like Alaric Sinclair home was much easier said than done. Given his threatening attitude today, they had likely been blacklisted by Vanguard. How were they supposed to invite him over?

"I think it shouldn't be difficult to invite Mr. Sinclair home, right?" Rowena uttered calmly, breaking the tense silence.

Wallace and Bridget snapped their heads up, looking at Rowena at the exact same time.

"What did you say?" Wallace demanded, sitting up straighter.

"Mom, do you actually have an idea?" Bridget asked, stepping closer to the desk.

Rowena offered a sly, knowing smile, her eyes glittering with cunning malice. "Have you both forgotten about Valerie? There has to be a specific reason why a man of his stature would publicly agree to Valerie's ridiculous marriage request. Do you remember what he said yesterday?" She glanced back and forth between her husband and daughter, waiting for the realization to dawn on them.

"What?" Wallace and Bridget asked simultaneously.

Alaric hadn't spoken many words during the disastrous wedding reception, and the ensuing chaos had distracted them. Wallace only remembered Alaric repeatedly stating that nobody dared stop him from doing what he wanted—a threat Wallace took very seriously.

Bridget, however, remembered Alaric's commanding self-introduction. Just thinking about his deep, resonant voice made her pulse race and her face turn bright red.

Rowena stopped pacing and looked them dead in the eye. "He said he had been waiting for Valerie to grow up since she was ten. He also publicly thanked Donovan for falling in love with someone else and returning Valerie to him."

Wallace blinked in shock. Bridget's jaw dropped open.

Rowena let the heavy words hang in the air for a second before delivering the killing blow to their confusion. "Judging from his very own words, he and Valerie share a deep connection. They have known each other for a long time. If Valerie invites him to this house, he will definitely come."

Bridget felt the blood drain from her face, leaving her reeling. Her mind spun wildly. Known Valerie since she was ten years old? Really? It made no sense.