The Untouchable Aunt: Rise of the Apex Queen

Chapter 5: CALL ME AUNT

The Grand Hall of Crystal Plaza was crammed with people Seraphina hadn’t seen in years and the air carried the smell of costly white lilies along with the faint sound of a string quartet who was playing in the corner. Julian was not far from the middle of the room, holding a glass of scotch while Elena was clinging to his arm, and he was informing a cluster of reporters that the Valerius empire was more powerful than ever, since they were signing a game-changing partnership with the Apex Group.

Seraphina stood watching them from the door way for a moment as she smoothed the skirt of her deep emerald silk gown and a calmness settled over her that she had never known in all seven years of marriage, for she understood that the man who was laughing and boasting was in truth, on the brink of an abyss. She started to make her way through the crowd and it was quick for people to spot her, and as her hair was now short and her style had completely altered, many of the guests were whispering to one another about who this powerful looking woman could be until she was close enough from Julian to read from her face.His laughter stopped abruptly and he placed his drink on the tray of a passerby waiter with a heavy thud, and Elena’s eyes grew larger and she edged closer to Julian like she thought Seraphina was going. to cause a scene.

"Seraphina, what are you doing here and who invited you to an event like this? Because to the best of my knowledge you have no standing in this town and certainly don’t have the cash to attend an auction so high-stakes as this one," Julian said, his voice rising so that all nearby could hear and be reminded of her disgrace once again.​

Elena coughed up a fake giggle and adjusted her diamond necklace, "She could be here to audition for a job as a waitress, Julian, because I can’t think of any other reason an unemployed divorcee would come to a gala hosted by your uncle Gabriel."

“I am here because I have business to take care of, and I don’t have to pretend to be someone else to get into the rooms where they make decisions like you do, Julian,” Seraphina said with bland unease, turning her back on the insults and facing the stage where the auction was moments away from starting. Lydia came over with a sneer on her face, appraising Seraphina from head to toe and added, "You certainly have a lot of gall to show your face here after how you treated our family, and I suggest you get going before security has to remove you, because this is a gathering of the elite and you are just a shadow of a failed marriage."

“I think you’ll find that I am not at all dead, Lydia, and I’d watch my tongue if I were you next time we’re in public, because you never know who might be within earshot – or whose favor you might need before the night is out,” Seraphina retorted, and she could see their confusion and fury begin to blossom when she wasn’t crying or rolling around as a helpless victim.

The hall lights dimmed and a spotlight struck the stage as a voice informed that the host for the night – and the man making the return to the business world following a long break – was ready to speak, and Gabriel Valerius strode out onto the stage like the very true patriarch of the family. Julian puffed out his chest and whispered to Elena that his uncle was most definitely going to announce the merger and give Julian a main board seat, and he was even starting to move toward the front of the room so he could be the first one to congratulate him.

“Thanks for coming out tonight to celebrate the homecoming of mine, and well, as maybe some of you have heard, there's been a lot of speculation as to whether or not the Valerius name will be going forward and who would be heading up our new front,?" Gabriel said into the microphone, his eyes ranging across the room until they rested on Seraphina who was standing near the edge of the VIP section.

​"Before we begin the auction, I have two very important announcements to make that will change the landscape of our industry forever," Gabriel continued, and the room went so quiet that you could hear the hum of the air conditioning.

"The first is that the mysterious CEO Thorne of Apex Group is indeed in this room tonight, and she is the woman who now holds the majority interest in Valerius Enterprises."

​Julian looked around frantically and started to sweat, saying to his father, "Where is she, I need to find her and get her to sign the papers before the banks call in the loans tomorrow morning."

​Gabriel smiled and gestured toward Seraphina, saying, "The second announcement is a more personal one, because I have recently remarried, and I would like to introduce you all to my wife and the CEO of Apex Group, Seraphina Thorne-Valerius."

​The entire room gasped and Julian looked like he had been struck by lightning while Seraphina walked slowly toward the stage, her head held high and a faint smile on her lips as Gabriel stepped down to meet her halfway. He reached out and took her hand, pulling her close and pressing a lingering kiss to her knuckles in front of all the cameras and all the people who had mocked her just moments ago.

​Julian stumbled forward and his voice was shaking as he asked, "Uncle, what kind of joke is this, because that woman is my ex-wife and she is a liar who tried to ruin my reputation, so there is no way she is the CEO of Apex."

​Gabriel looked at his nephew with a coldness that made Julian flinch, and he didn't let go of Seraphina’s hand as he said, "She isn't a liar, Julian, she is the woman who built your company while you were busy playing with mistresses, and she is the woman who now owns your debt and your shares because she was smart enough to buy them while you were too arrogant to notice."

​Elena tried to speak but Gabriel cut her off with a sharp look, and then he turned his attention back to Julian and said, "I noticed you were speaking to my wife with a lot of disrespect earlier, Julian, and since we are family and I value traditional manners, I think you owe her an apology."

​"I won't apologize to her, she’s just Seraphina!" Julian yelled, but his father grabbed his arm and hissed that if he didn't fix this right now, they would lose the house and the business by morning.

​Gabriel leaned in slightly and his voice dropped to a tone that was terrifyingly quiet as he said, "Julian, where are your manners? Greet your Aunt properly and show her the respect her position deserves, or you can leave this building right now and find a new place to live, because you are officially fired from the company."

​Julian’s face went pale and he looked at the floor, his body trembling with rage and shame as he realized that he was trapped, and slowly, he bent his knees and lowered his head in a deep bow of submission.

​"I am sorry... Aunt Seraphina," he muttered through gritted teeth, and the sound of his defeat was the sweetest thing Seraphina had ever heard.

​"That’s much better, Julian," Seraphina said, looking down at him with a look of pure indifference.

"And since you are so good at bowing, you can keep doing it while you clear out your office tomorrow morning, because I don't think we have any more use for you in this empire."

​Gabriel put his arm around her waist and led her toward the front of the room to start the auction, leaving Julian and Elena standing in the middle of the crowd while everyone began to whisper and laugh at their sudden fall from grace, and for the first time in eight years, Seraphina felt like she could finally breathe.