[Music recommendation: Know Your Sadness - Dylan John Sparkes]

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Evening had begun to settle in, with streetlights flickering on one by one while the sun slowly dipped beneath the horizon, casting a soft orange hue across the sky.

The roads still glistened from the earlier storm, and people had begun filling the streets once more, enjoying the cool, fresh air after a long day of work. Meanwhile, cafes and restaurants glowed with warm lights, inviting customers inside for food and quiet conversation.

Aliana noticed all of it through the window as the car moved steadily through the city. Yet despite the lively scenery outside, she remained hyper-aware of the person seated beside her in the driver’s seat.

She could feel every movement he made, from the way his large hands shifted the gears to the effortless ease with which he turned the steering wheel.

All the while, his expensive cologne enveloped her, carrying that distinct scent she had begun associating only with him, a mixture of something fresh and minty, tinged with the crispness of cold rain.

Just like that, her eyes unconsciously drifted toward him.

She found herself staring at his sharp side profile while his icy blue eyes remained focused on the road ahead. Even while driving calmly, there was still something overwhelmingly authoritative about the very air surrounding him. Making her wonder... had he always been like this?

Placing her elbow against the side of the door, Aliana rested her face against her knuckles while keeping her eyes fixed on him.

Slowly, her thoughts drifted back to what had happened earlier at her penthouse.

Even now, she could still feel the drumming of her heart against her chest as she recalled how effortlessly Gavriel had said those words...

"I don’t agree because I believe that after marriage, what is mine will be hers as well."

It hadn’t just taken her by surprise. Her parents had also been entirely blindsided, staring at Gavriel as if he had suddenly grown two heads right in front of them.

She remembered how her father, a man who rarely ever lacked a comeback, had been left utterly at a loss for words.

Yet Gavriel had simply pressed on.

"I don’t agree because, in the future, I never want my wife to be treated as anything less than an equal when she enters the premises of the Archon Group. I won’t give those who sit on the board any excuse to question her presence, or any reason to hide confidential information from her as if she were some outsider."

His voice had been entirely calm and at ease as he went on. "My wife will be my equal. Even if you do not want a company merger to happen, it won’t. But I will not strip away the rights that should belong to my wife simply because a prenuptial agreement dictates it. People will inevitably question the legitimacy of this marriage... should it be handled any differently, will they not? In short, my wife is not an outsider, and she never will be. The board members of the Archon Group need to understand that clearly."

As a heavy silence settled over the room, he added.

"She can absolutely continue running the Van Empire and remain its sole successor. I have no interest in taking over your company or holding any shares in it. However, the same rule will not apply to the Archon Group. Every single asset currently under my name..."

Gavriel’s eyes had drifted away from her parents, locking onto her as he finished, "...will belong to her as well. Whether it is my property or my shares."

Sitting in the quiet car, Aliana felt her heart beat with a sudden, overwhelming intensity just thinking about it. And despite it all, she realised she still could not look away from him.

Because every man she had ever encountered throughout her life had always approached her with ulterior motives. Some wanted access to the Van Empire. Others had their eyes on her inheritance, and many simply saw marriage to her as a gateway toward power, status, or personal gain.

But Gavriel... just by saying everything he did some time back, he had become the very first man to ever offer things instead. He was the first to give instead of take, and she could not stop her heart from racing with emotions she could not yet name.

’Why... why would you do that? Why trust me like that? Do you not fear that I would use the information I get from your company to my advantage?’

Her eyes shouted the questions for her, even as her lips felt completely numb, refusing to move.

But in the end, she never received those answers because her father suddenly burst into laughter, a sound so wholehearted and unexpected that it instantly made all of them turn toward Alester in surprise.

It was the first time in her life that Aliana had ever seen her father laugh so openly.

Once Alester finally composed himself, he stood up and walked around the table toward them, prompting Aliana and Gavriel to rise from their seats as well.

He placed a firm, welcoming hand on Gavriel’s shoulder, a genuine smile gracing his features. "I never truly expected this from a man such as yourself, but I am incredibly glad to be surprised."

With an approving nod, he added, "Welcome to the family."

At that, Portia made her way over as well, wrapping both Aliana and Gavriel into a tight, affectionate embrace. Aliana could feel Gavriel instantly stiffen under her mother’s touch, yet he forced himself to stay still and didn’t pull away.

Watching him endure the unfamiliar warmth for her sake, a genuine smile finally bloomed across Aliana’s face.

That was how the conversation regarding the prenup never came up again because, in the end, her father simply told them that it was now up to the two of them to decide what course of action they believed was best.

After that, the conversation naturally shifted toward matters such as hosting a grand engagement party the following week.

Neither Aliana nor Gavriel was looking forward to navigating a horde of high-society elites, but her parents had firmly reminded them that this was the expected norm for their circle.

Ultimately, they had agreed to the event, holding onto Gavriel’s logic that a public celebration would solidify their announcement and completely silence any lingering speculation regarding the scandal that had broken just yesterday.

Coming back to the present, Aliana’s curious gaze remained fixed on her husband-to-be as the city lights reflected softly across his sharp features.

’So... this is really happening, huh?’ she mused quietly to herself.

Gavriel, on the other hand, had felt her gaze on him the very instant she turned toward him. As the silence stretched on, his quiet voice finally broke through it. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"What is it?"

Aliana blinked, caught off guard by the question.

"Nothing," she replied quickly.

"You’ve been looking at me like you want to say something," he pointed out. He shifted his gaze from the road to glance at her briefly before looking ahead.

Aliana pursed her lips slightly, knowing that if she did not ask now, the question would continue lingering inside her mind endlessly.

So, after taking a small breath, she finally asked softly, "Why... why would you do that?"