Stolen By My Billionaire Brother-In-Law-Chapter 82: She Will Be Mine

"What is it?" Azrael questioned, his grip tightening around Rivana’s hand. His sharp eyes flickered with suspicion, already piecing together what his grandmother might be after. Now that Rivana had even the Hugons under her name, Aldona would stop at nothing to keep her close by her side.

"Sit down," Aldona commanded, her tone calm but authoritative.

Reluctantly, Rivana took a seat, her expression guarded as she fixed her gaze on Aldona. Smiling at her grandson, Aldona gestured to the table. "We will talk over dinner."

Azrael remained rooted in his spot, a stoic figure radiating resistance. He was entirely uninterested in whatever manipulative bargain she hoped to make tonight. Rivana, however, shifted her focus to Aldona, then to Sebastian, her heart sinking further with disappointment. It wasn’t just betrayal she felt—it was a bitter sense of hurt. Sebastian had always been close to Viktor’s family, just as much as to her. But there were boundaries he couldn’t cross in the name of friendship, and this was one she would never tolerate.

With a deep breath, Rivana looked up at Azrael. "Let’s hear what she has to say," she said softly, her voice steady despite the unease coursing through her.

Azrael’s gaze softened as his eyes met hers, her calm demeanor coaxing a sigh from him. He exhaled heavily, and with a reluctant nod, walked over to the table. Aldona noticed every subtle interaction with a warm smile. Rivana had always had Azrael wrapped around her little finger, even as children—though she had never realized it.

Aldona’s smile grew even wider when Rivana took a seat beside her, and Azrael settled protectively next to his wife. Across from them, Sebastian sat at the medium-sized table, an unnervingly calm smile on his face. Azrael’s glare bore into him like a laser, but Sebastian paid no heed, his focus solely on Aldona and Rivana. If everything unfolded as planned, there was nothing and no one that could stop him from achieving his objective.

The servers entered then, their timing impeccable as they began setting the dishes on the table. Aldona turned to Rivana with a polite yet probing tone. "How are you doing, dear? It must have been hard to manage everything on your own."

"I’m fine," Rivana replied, offering a composed smile. She turned slightly toward Azrael, her expression softening. "Luckily, he’s been around to help me."

Aldona nodded, patting her hand gently, though her sharp eyes darted to her grandson with a fleeting glare. "I had been trying to reach out to you ever since Emmerich’s death, but someone blocked me," she grumbled, her words laced with disapproval.

Even the entire Hugon family had attended the funeral, but they had been stopped at the gates, warned not to let a single Hugon inside. Aldona’s attempts to reach out in the aftermath had been met with similar resistance. Azrael had made certain of it, blocking her from every avenue. But then Sebastian had stepped in, offering his assistance—and Aldona had been delighted that he helped her reconnect with Anna.

"Quit the kind act and get to the point," Azrael said curtly, his voice cutting through the awkward tension like a knife. His sharp gaze bore into Aldona, his frustration palpable.

Aldona scorned, her lips curling in mild irritation, but she soon sighed, an air of resignation settling over her. She understood his animosity toward her. After all, his hatred had only deepened after what she had done that day. Viktor had come to her, tears streaming down his face, begging for her help to win Rivana back. He had sworn on everything he held dear to treat her well this time, and in a moment of weakness, she had been moved by his desperation. But her decision to vent her emotions publicly—at their wedding party of all places—had only driven Rivana further away from Viktor and, in turn, pushed Azrael further into his disdain for her. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"I am ready to pass the succession," Aldona began, her voice steady yet laced with purpose, "but only if you let me see Anna often."

Azrael squinted suspiciously at her, the distrust practically radiating off him. Sensing his hesitation, she clarified, "I will not try to poach her to get her back to Viktor. You don’t need to worry about that."

Turning her attention to Rivana, Aldona’s expression softened into a smile. "I just want to spend time with her," she added, her tone almost wistful.

Rivana blinked in surprise, taken aback by the elder woman’s request. Aldona was willing to hand everything over to Azrael—her least favored grandson—and not Viktor, who had always been her favorite, all for the sake of spending time with her. It didn’t make sense. But Rivana couldn’t ignore the weight behind Aldona’s words; there was something more to it.

Aldona had her reasons, and the main one was deeply personal. Rivana reminded her of someone she had loved dearly, someone whose absence still left a void.

"Why?" Rivana asked, her voice breaking the silence. Her brows furrowed as she confessed, "It doesn’t make sense."

Aldona broke into a knowing smile, her eyes twinkling with a mix of amusement and sincerity. "I might like Viktor more, but I love my company even more," she admitted with surprising honesty. "And practically speaking, all the shareholders would agree unanimously if it’s Azrael. So, I am ready to hand everything over to him."

She then turned to Azrael, holding his gaze as she added, "I told you this before, and now, I am standing by my promise."

Rivana tried to make sense of Aldona’s words, her mind drifting back to the day after her fake marriage to Azrael. They had visited Hugon Mansion, and Aldona had spoken of similar conditions back then. However, Rubina’s scandal shattered those plans entirely. Was this the same condition resurfacing now? Judging by Azrael’s lack of surprise, her guess seemed spot on.

"I will make the declaration on my birthday, two weeks from now," Aldona declared, her tone resolute. Her gaze shifted back to Rivana as her smile deepened. "Make sure you don’t miss it."

Rivana forced out a smile, though her mind raced in turmoil. Everything felt like it was moving too fast. All the people she had once wanted to bring down were collapsing on their own. The Hugon family, after Emmerich’s death. Rafaelo. And now even Viktor would fall completely if Azrael took everything away from him. One by one, they were crumbling without her lifting a finger.

"How are things at Faye Enterprises?" Aldona’s sudden question pulled Rivana out of her spiraling thoughts.

"They are going smoothly," Rivana replied, offering a polite smile. "Uncle Mathew is helping me adapt quickly."

"Emmerich’s friend?" Aldona probed, to which Rivana nodded in response.

The conversation flowed from there, with Aldona steering it effortlessly while the men sat in stony silence, exchanging occasional glares. Azrael’s piercing gaze barely left Sebastian, while Sebastian, unfazed, continued to focus on Aldona and Rivana with an air of determination.

Rivana didn’t eat much, and it didn’t take long for Aldona to notice. Even she barely had an appetite, sensing the weight of the couple’s lingering resentment toward her. Still, Aldona wasn’t one to give up so easily. Winning them over would take time, and she was prepared to be patient.

The dinner ended quickly, the tension in the air unresolved, but Aldona was at least glad they had shown up. As they walked toward their car, she turned to Rivana, her voice softened. "Call me once you reach home," Aldona requested.

Rivana nodded with a small, polite smile. "Take care," she said, her tone respectful yet distant.

Azrael opened the car door for her. Rivana paused, her gaze briefly flicking toward Sebastian before she climbed inside. Once Azrael settled beside her, their driver started the car and drove away.

"She seems very upset with you," Aldona remarked, her tone carrying a trace of guilt for having strained their friendship.

Sebastian shook his head and smiled. "It’s fine. She’ll forgive me eventually," Turning slightly, he added, "It’s getting cold. You should leave too, Madam Hugon."

Aldona nodded, adjusting her shawl as she made her way to her car. Once her car drove away, Sebastian sighed. A sly smirk slowly crept onto his lips and he pulled out his phone, quickly dialing a number.

"Did they agree?" Viktor’s voice came through almost immediately, as though he had been staring at the screen and waiting for Sebastian’s call.

"She hasn’t confirmed yet," Sebastian replied, glancing up at the night sky. "But they’ll come. After all, she’s vowed to keep her promise." His tone shifted to a sharper edge as he warned, "Make sure you don’t mess up anything that day. I can only help you this far."

"Don’t worry," Viktor answered, a devious smirk audible in his voice. They had played their cards right, using Aldona as bait to lure Rivana in. As if he would let his grandmother hand over everything to Azrael without a fight.

Ending the call, Viktor turned to his mother, Melisande, who was seated across the room. Her expression matched his—cold, calculating, and filled with malice.

"Let’s wait until the last day," Viktor said, a glint of determination in his eyes. "Then we’ll show her the video. She’d be thrilled to see it."

Melisande’s smile widened, her joy barely contained. "Yes! She’ll love the advance birthday gift," she murmured, her voice dripping with venom. "Ah, I can hardly wait for her 65th birthday." With that, she walked out of the room, leaving Viktor alone with his thoughts.

Viktor’s gaze fell to the photo frame on his desk—a picture of Rivana and him taken after their graduation. She was clinging to his arm, her smile warm and radiant, a moment very fond to him. He reached out, tracing his fingers lightly over her image.

"Two more weeks," he murmured, his voice low. "Both the company and Rivana will be mine."