Chasing The Vengeful Villainous Heiress-Chapter 49: Steven, a contender for the position of chairman
Oscar came in and aided Grandpa Leo out while he bade them goodbye.
’I might already be experiencing happiness?’ Valerie wondered. ’I don’t think so. If I was, I definitely would’ve noticed it. I...’ she paused her thoughts, remembering that she didn’t even know what happiness felt like.
So how was she to know if she had started experiencing it?
"Hm, you look so deep in thought." Max said, sitting next to her in the spot Grandpa Leo was sitting on. "What did you two talk about?"
Valerie raised her gaze and suddenly started staring at him, intently. She even drew close to him and he wondered if she was trying to initiate a kiss but then she asked,
"Maximus, what does happiness feel like?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
Max was caught completely off guard and he blinked, twice.
"Eh?"
"You lived in happiness all your life so I’m certain you understand it better than anyone." She concluded and asked once more, "What is happiness?"
Max stared at her eager eyes. Her ruby eyes glimmered in anticipation of what was to be his answer and he found it amusing.
This girl... He just liked watching her show different sides of herself and the times he got angry were when she acted like she was an emotionless shell. But even that has its amusing traits.
"Valerie," he called and reached out for her neck. His finger slowly slid into her hair, giving her a certain feeling. "Everyone has a definition of happiness. What makes me happy might not be the same thing that makes you happy."
"What does that mean?"
He was loving this. Oblivious Valerie was a side he could never get tired of.
"I might find happiness in teasing you, whereas you might find happiness in eating. The feeling of satisfaction that comes with what you like doing is happiness." He explained and Valerie took a moment to process his words while he stroked her head.
"Then," she glanced at him, hoping this topic would not annoy him, and asked, "...what does it take to have a happy family?"
Max paused and frowned. Then, he roughly grabbed her hair, pushing her head back, and said,
"I thought I’d only get annoyed if you talk with indifference yet this annoys me as well." He said. ’Why though?’ he wondered within and just decided to say what came to mind. "I told you this marriage was your cage. There’s no time for you to be thinking of a happy family. If it’s something you want with all your heart, aside from your revenge, I will make sure to tear you apart from it. You can’t be happy with me. I won’t let it, so make sure to remember that."
His words sounded like a stab to her heart.
Despite all that was going on with them, she thought... She just thought...
"Of course, how could I forget?" She said, smiling stiffly. "I said something stupid there." She said and held his hand on her hair. "No such thing as a happy family because I am meant to suffer. I’ll try not to forget it from now on."
Max stared at her calm face and clicked his tongue. There, she was acting indifferent again with that fake smile, and it was pissing him off.
"Dammit. You’ve succeeded in ruining my mood." He said, let go of her hair and got up. "And here I thought you’d behave for a while longer. This is what I get for putting my hopes up too much."
With those words, he made his way out of there and Valerie covered the left side of her face with her palm.
"What was she thinking?" She muttered. "I shouldn’t get carried away. A happy family? Get real." She raised her gaze. "Nothing is more important than getting my revenge."
Yet, it hurt. It hurt knowing that even when everything was over, she could never find the happiness she had dreamed about for so long.
Max said happiness was the feeling of satisfaction that came with one’s actions.
’The feeling of satisfaction that came with an action, huh? But that satisfaction only comes with you... Max.’
She got up and started making her way to her room, fixing herself up as well as her dress before making her way to the driveway. There, the car that would take her back to Ross’ mansion was waiting.
As she followed the guards, she suddenly brushed shoulders with a man. He had long silver hair and an amused smile on his lips.
"Excuse me for my manners." He said and she watched him as he bent down to pick his pen that had fallen. "I’m so clumsy. Don’t you think so, sister-in-law?" He said with a grin and Valerie squinted her eyes.
She stared coldly at him. This man knew something. Who was he?
"Steven," Max called from the entrance and the silver-haired man turned to look at Max. "Just keep walking."
Steven stared, retaining his smile but his eyes looked like they could kill. He engaged in an eye-to-eye confrontation with Max but soon gave up and turned to leave. But before he left, he said,
"It was nice meeting you, sister-in-law. I look forward to the day you get introduced to the family."
Valerie watched him leave and if looks could kill, he would’ve definitely been a wasted mess with Valerie and Max’s glare on him.
"I don’t like him." Valerie suddenly muttered and Max, who had walked up to her said,
"That’s good to hear." She turned to him. He didn’t look like he was mad anymore.
His anger seemed to easily subside. Maybe it was because he didn’t always take her offense to heart and just left it in the air once he walked away.
"Who is he?" Valerie asked.
"Steven Stewart, my cousin and a potential candidate for the position of chairman." Max answered as they both made their way out.
"So he’s as capable as you are?" She asked and he nodded. "He doesn’t look like it though."
"I don’t look like it either, right?"
"Right."
"Then that’s how it is. You can’t view a Stewart’s capabilities at face value alone." He said and aided her down the stairs which was quite romantic but he was mindlessly doing it as he spoke. "Steven is a very strong opponent so I have to be careful around him."
"I see." She simply exclaimed. "I’m not very interested but okay."
"Glad to hear. I don’t want you concerning yourself with my issue." He said and opened the door for her. Once she was in, he closed the door and leaned on the opened window. "Now, try not to kill anyone when you get back. The party’s already in full swing."
"I’ll only do as much as I can." She answered and he laughed.
"Of course, you will."
"And Max," she called just before he turned to leave. ’Why did you suddenly decide to get involved in the succession battle?’ was what she wanted to ask but the question she wanted to ask never made its way out of her mouth and she said, "See you soon."
The car started driving away and she rested her back. What she wanted to ask would’ve definitely made him mad and she seemed to have come up with the answer just before the words came out of her mouth.
’It was because of me.’
