Stolen By My Billionaire Brother-In-Law-Chapter 83: Court Me Properly

[Dynar Mansion]

Rivana finished taking a shower and sat in front of the mirror. She applied her skincare, her mind occupied with so many thoughts that it felt like it would explode at any moment. On one side, there was Emmerich’s death, her succession, and how she would manage her company along with his. Her thoughts drifted to Aldona and the promise she had made.

Aldona had always been caught between her two grandsons. She couldn’t leave Viktor, who had struggled his entire life as a mistress’s child, but she couldn’t reconnect with Azrael either. She had thought he would be better off under Ezekiel’s guidance, but Azrael had hated her ever since, and things had only worsened over the years. After her marriage to Viktor, Azrael had shown no mercy toward the Hugons, determined to take everything from them at all costs. Was she the reason back then? Rivana wanted to ask him, but she wasn’t sure how. He hadn’t regressed like she had.

She sighed again and pulled out her notebook, the one where she had written down her goals after rebirth. Crossing out Rafaelo’s name, she knew it was time to deal with Rubina next and show the world that she wasn’t blind to the truth. She added another point: find her birth secret. Was she really Amerie’s daughter? Emmerich’s death had thrust her into a pool of new secrets, and she needed to uncover the exact cause behind it, as well as find out more about Roselia.

"Once Azrael takes over, it’ll be easier to get back at Viktor. Make him and his mom pay for everything they did... and how they treated Alan," she murmured, scratching out a few things and jotting down something else.

Her eyes lingered on the scribbles filling the page. The headache returned. Shutting the book, she decided to leave things to unfold on their own. Planning seemed pointless—life always threw surprises back at her.

"Mommy." Alan’s innocent voice echoed faintly in her mind, pulling at her heart. He hadn’t visited her in weeks. It seemed like he only appeared when she was on the brink of death and barely saved.

She opened the last cabinet of her jewelry box, taking out the stopwatch hidden inside. Opening it, smoke swirled within before forming bold letters:

**[1 Year 340 Days]**

Her heart raced as she stared at the countdown. That was all the time she had left to stay with Azrael and her loved ones. The thought of leaving him behind made her chest tighten painfully.

"I wish I could see you again, baby," she murmured, tracing Alan’s name on the paper. He seemed to hold all the answers—the key to the mysteries of her rebirth. What would happen after her time ran out? Would she meet him on the other side? Would they walk together into the afterlife?

A clicking sound interrupted her thoughts. Rivana hastily closed the stopwatch, placed it back in the cabinet, and tucked the notebook away.

"What are you doing?" Azrael’s voice came from the doorway.

Rivana turned and smiled. "Writing my journal," she replied, her voice steady.

Azrael nodded and walked over to the bed, setting his watch on the bedside table before climbing on. Raising an eyebrow, he watched her still sitting by the chair.

She smiled back, getting up and joining him. As soon as she reached the bed, he pulled her close, wrapping her tightly in his arms. Rivana snuggled into his chest, his warmth calming her restless mind.

"Want to read the book?" Azrael asked, nodding toward Rosalie’s book resting beside them.

Rivana looked at it for a moment before shaking her head. If he read to her, she’d fall asleep again. Tonight, she wanted to stay awake and spend time with him.

"So," Rivana began, her voice quieter this time, "will our contract end after two weeks?"

Azrael frowned, caught off guard by her question.

"Our contract marriage," she reminded him, looking into his eyes. "That was the deal, wasn’t it? I’d be your wife until you defeated Viktor, make him pay by taking everything from him."

Azrael leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful as realization dawned. He had conveniently forgotten about their arrangement—a cliché but practical solution they had crafted to ensure Rivana would remain by his side. He hadn’t wanted her to be brainwashed again and end up with that asshole again.

"It was just an excuse to keep you close to me," Azrael admitted honestly.

Rivana blinked, surprised by his confession. Before she could respond, he continued, "I didn’t want to see you going back to him."

"Do you think I would have forgiven him and gone back to him? Even after he cheated on me with my sister?" Rivana asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glared at him.

Azrael sighed, realizing it was a tricky question. He hadn’t meant to imply that she would, but the fear of losing her again had consumed him.

"I just didn’t want to see you with anyone else," he replied, choosing his words carefully. "I didn’t try to take you away all these years because I thought you were happy with him. But when I got that wedding invitation, I just couldn’t hold myself back."

Rivana’s heart fluttered at his words. She looked into his eyes, seeing the sincerity gleaming in them. His honesty was undeniable, and it tugged at something deep within her.

"We dug into Viktor, and after seeing the video, I realized I was wrong about him. He didn’t love you as much as you loved him," Azrael continued, his voice steady but filled with regret. He had shown her the evidence not just to expose Viktor but because he wanted to save her this time. Having already seen Viktor’s true colors from the future, it had been easy to gather proof before the marriage. But he couldn’t tell her that they had traveled back in time, no one would believe him if he said so.

Rivana broke into a small smile and snuggled closer, wrapping her arms around his waist. Sending him that invitation had been the right decision. Maybe the emotions tied to their past had strengthened his resolve to attend the wedding, expose Viktor, and take her away with him.

"Why did you bring it up now?" Azrael asked, his voice breaking her thoughts. His eyes darkened as he looked down at her. "Do you want to divorce and date someone else?"

Rivana smiled, amused by his possessiveness. His arm around her shoulder tightened, and she could feel the jealousy laced in his voice.

She moved upward, cupping his face in her hands, and pecked his lips softly. Looking into his eyes, she replied, "God has sent me the best man on this earth. Why would I go looking for someone else?"

Her words brought a smile to Azrael’s lips. He tried to hide it, but the happiness was too evident to conceal.

"I was stupid once, chasing after a jerk. I won’t do it twice," Rivana added with a pout. Leaning against him, she continued, "If only you hadn’t been taken away by your uncle, maybe things would have been different." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Her thoughts drifted to the past. Azrael had always been good to her, and they had shared a strong bond even before Viktor entered her life. If he had stayed by her side as she grew up, maybe she would have fallen for him instead of Viktor. It was all fate’s fault.

"I should have chased you instead of holding myself back," Azrael said, his voice tinged with guilt and regret. He had the chance but chose to step aside, thinking it was better for her to be with someone she loved. His love, he believed, would only bring her danger and pain.

Rivana looked at him, deciding to lighten the mood. "You can do it now!" she said, her tone playful. When Azrael raised an eyebrow, she continued haughtily, "Court me properly, and who knows? Maybe I’ll fall for you."

Azrael broke into a soft chuckle. "Are you sure?" he asked, leaning closer to murmur in her ear, "Because once you do, I won’t hold myself back like I am now."

Rivana’s heart fluttered at his words, heat creeping to her cheeks. He was giving her time, taking things slowly so she wouldn’t feel rushed or end up having regrets later. But little did he know, it was this very quality of his that had already made her fall for him.

Azrael kissed her forehead, pulling her out of her thoughts. "It’s getting late. You should sleep now," he said, slowly loosening his hold and getting off the bed. He lay down beside her, distracting himself to maintain control.

Rivana lay down as well, and he tucked her under the blanket, leaving a small space between them to keep himself in check.

"Oh, right!" Rivana murmured, making him open his eyes. When he looked at her, she added, "I wanted to get a DNA test done tomorrow with my mother."

Azrael nodded. "I’ll arrange it," he replied.

Rivana smiled softly. "Good night," she murmured.

"Good night," he said, his voice low. They both closed their eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.