Valmont Series - Inheritance Code

Chapter 6.4 - Influence Begins Quietly

Yves didn't elaborate. He didn't need to.

Celia moved with purpose, her steps precise as she closed the distance—wearing the Valmont uniform like it belonged to her lineage, not the Institute.

She stopped before Aria and inclined her head—not low, not dismissive. Just exact.

"Celia Huang."

A greeting. A statement. A reminder of hierarchy and form.

Etiquette in Avalon wasn't ornament—it was infrastructure. Hardcoded into CoreAcademics from the moment a child entered Valmont preschool and calibrated across every stage of advancement. You could outperform your peers in strategy, finance, or neural systems—but fail etiquette, and the system would stall you. Rumor had it Prestige didn't just measure power or influence. It tracked grace.

The twins had been in Avalon just long enough to understand: etiquette wasn't performance. It was currency.

And Celia's delivery was flawless. Reserved, elegant, unimpeachable.

Aria responded with the barest of nods—polite in form, cautious in intent.

"Aria Lancaster."

Celia inclined her head again—fractional, precise. It wasn't warm, but it wasn't dismissive either. It was the kind of greeting designed to register on Veritas without triggering analysis.

Aiden met her gaze, calm but direct.

"I need a project."

Celia didn't blink. Just observed—like she'd already anticipated the request.

"There is one."

No offer. No pitch. Just an opening, quietly granted.

"I'd like to contribute," he said. "If you'll have me."

"You'd be an asset," she replied.

"You'll be meeting the rest of the team tomorrow," Celia continued. "Yves will brief you on the asset structure."

Yves lifted a hand in a modest, theatrical shrug—like the weight of Avalon's finances had accidentally fallen into his lap.

"Apparently, I'm the numbers. And if this model holds, the success of this project should catapult all our ranks to at least Patron."

Yves Marell's specialty wasn't just arithmetic—it was operational orchestration. Budget flows, stakeholder placement, market calibration. He didn't just run numbers; he structured systems. Identified monetizable edges, maximized internal ROI, and ensured the narrative matched the margins. If Celia was building something scalable, Yves was the one translating its vision into a viable, high-yield asset—budgeted, branded, and ready for boardroom scrutiny.

Then, to Aria—with a grin that asked for nothing and gave even less—

"See? I do more than make charming introductions."

Aria didn't reply.

She didn't have to.

The sideways glance she gave him—cool, unbothered, and laced with silent critique—said it all:

Charming was a currency Yves spent like it had no limit.

But Aria Lancaster wasn't buying.

But just before she could deliver her final word—

A set of lighter footsteps cut in across the courtyard.

Allegra.

And beside her, Aurora—cool poise wrapped in porcelain charm—and Allegra, radiant as ever in polished defiance. Together, they shifted the air around them.