Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 498

Clayton shot Natalia a cool, indifferent glance. "This isn't a game. My grandfather's last wish—I have no choice but to honor it."

With that, he turned to leave.

Natalia hurried after him, her voice tense. "Clayton, are you really just going to accept this? Your grandfather was a talented man, but until his dying breath, people never stopped whispering about him. He married into the White family, and his whole life he couldn’t escape their shadow. Everyone said he only succeeded by riding on their coattails. Are you really going to follow in his footsteps? Let your own name become a joke—lose even that much?"

Her words were shocking, especially at Reginald’s funeral, but the truth in them was undeniable.

Reginald hadn’t just married into the White family; he’d even taken their last name, distancing himself from his own origins. For years, he’d been the target of business world gossip—an easy punchline over drinks and boardroom banter.

But Reginald had never cared what people said. He believed only the envious clung to petty details, and he’d never thought there was any shame in his choices.

Did Clayton feel the same way? Or would he let the past repeat itself?

"Reginald was always selfish," Natalia pressed on, voice tight. "He kept you tied to the White family but never gave you anything of your own. Even marrying Alicia was just another way to keep you bound to them."

Clayton paused mid-stride, casting her a dark, stormy look, but said nothing before walking away.

Frustrated, Natalia stamped her foot and glanced at her watch. Leaving the funeral parlor, she pulled out her phone to make a call directly to her employer—a privilege she’d only recently earned. In the past, she’d had to go through her father or Jade, but ever since she’d taken matters into her own hands against Shaw and Jade, her employer had started reaching out to her directly. Natalia knew that, with her skill and cunning, it was only a matter of time before she’d earn his complete trust.

The news had been everywhere—Alicia, an orphan from a group home, suddenly crowned the sole inheritor of one of Harboridge City’s four great families. If ever there was a real-life Cinderella story, this was it.

“But sir, we still have a way to destroy her—and the White Corporation—if we can win Clayton over,” Natalia insisted. “Reginald was clever; he knew Alicia wasn’t capable, so he left Clayton with nothing and forced him to marry her. That way, Clayton would be tied to Alicia and the White family for life—Reginald’s way of making Clayton their loyal workhorse forever.”

“Clayton’s talented, but he’s too loyal to the White family. A loyal dog can still bite, Natalia,” her employer warned, his voice low.

“I can make Clayton choose our side,” Natalia said quickly. “He’s sensitive, you know. He turned to religion to keep his own demons in check. But if we keep feeding that darkness inside him, he’ll eventually become ours.”