Gavriel raised a brow before a low, dark chuckle reverberated from his chest, sending tingles through Aliana’s body.

"My eyes?" he repeated, a faint trace of mockery lacing his tone.

"You know, many women have tried all sorts of tactics to gain my attention, but I must admit... I have never encountered one quite like this."

"I know what I saw!" Aliana snapped, her teeth clenched as irritation flared.

"Don’t try to turn this into something else! As if I’m just chasing you like some dumb bimbo," She was aggravated by the way he constantly implied she was doing all of this just to get his attention.

Gavriel found himself thoroughly entertained by her beautiful eyes, practically spitting fire at him, and it felt like a breath of fresh air.

Curious to see just how far she would go, he pressed on, his voice calm yet edged with challenge, "Do you have any proof, then, to back these claims?"

Aliana narrowed her eyes at him. "I know what you are trying to do, and frankly, it isn’t going to work on me. I know..."

She hesitated.

She knew that what she was going to say next might very well be declaring herself insane in front of the chairman of a rival company.

But she needed to get this out.

She needed to see if there was even a shred of confirmation she could get from this man. She was on the edge, and she didn’t know how much longer she could keep up this charade.

So, throwing caution to the wind, she continued, "I know that... you... you have something to do with my situation."

"Your situation?" he echoed softly.

"Yes. I know you’re not normal. I saw you on the day of my accident, and I know you did something to me. You were there," Aliana pressed.

And Gavriel fell silent.

For a moment, he simply stared into her eyes, while she searched his gaze just as intensely, looking for even the smallest crack, any sign that might confirm what she was trying so desperately to prove. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

But the next moment, his lips pulled up ever so slightly before he replied. "You know... I watched the news where people talked about the Van Empire heiress’s declining mental health. I didn’t really believe the reports back then. However, now I am beginning to think otherwise."

"I’m not insane! I know I sound like it, but I know I’m right," Aliana stated, throwing daggers from her eyes.

Gavriel stilled before he leaned in further until his breath brushed against her lips.

Aliana’s pulse spiked at the sudden closeness, her heart pounding against her chest as his voice dropped to a low murmur. "Then I’m sorry to inform you that you’re in for disappointment... Aliana." The way he whispered her name sent shivers down her spine.

The mere act of him uttering her name for the very first time did something to her.

She stared at him, wide-eyed, unable to move or look away as his gaze traced her features. Every trace of amusement had vanished from his face. And when his eyes dropped to her parted lips, she felt the air leave her lungs.

Then, without a word, he stepped back... and then another, watching as she remained rooted in place.

"If you know what’s good for you," he said quietly, "you’ll stay far away from me."

With that, he was gone, leaving Aliana in stunned silence.

After standing there, unmoving for what felt like an eternity, she absentmindedly brought her hand to her cheek, only to find her skin burning with intense heat.

Yet... despite the fire in her veins, her eyes remained fixed on the empty doorway where he had disappeared.

As the wind caressed her form, she quietly recalled his words.

Before she knew it, her dazed eyes turned fierce once again.

"I will get to the bottom of this," she whispered, her voice hardening. "This she-devil has never been known to go easy, Gavriel."

With that, she walked off the balcony with a new mission in mind.

But before she could hunt for the truth, she knew she had other things to take care of. Things like her impending date with one of her suitors.

....

The next day went by as quickly as it had arrived.

Aliana was currently seated at her dressing table, eyes wide as she held a lash curler. She applied steady pressure, curling her thick lashes to perfection, before following it up with a coat of mascara.

Once finished, she leaned back to check her handiwork, just as a chirpy voice echoed through the room.

"Wow! Someone looks stunning. Whose heart are we out to break today?" Jade grinned, watching her friend through a video call.

"Some guy..." Aliana shrugged her shoulders before turning to Nigel. "What was his name again?"

"It is Mr. Julian Blackwood, boss. He is the son of the chairman of Blackwood Industries, whom you met yesterday."

"I see. I remember speaking to the chairman for a bit yesterday," Aliana murmured thoughtfully.

But the moment the word chairman left her lips, her expression darkened into a scowl as the memory of a certain other chairman surfaced.

"Uh-oh... what’s that look?" Jade asked, narrowing her eyes as she studied Aliana’s expression. "Did you find something about the chairman that pissed you off?"

When Aliana simply pursed her lips, Nigel happily chimed in. "Ah, that must be because the boss remembered a certain chairman she had a very interesting conversation with."

Jade raised an eyebrow. "What? Who is this? I thought none of the suitors you met yesterday interested you at all." Her voice rose a pitch, her eyes lighting up at the hint of new gossip.

Before Aliana could open her mouth to respond, Nigel replied again, sounding as if he were discussing his favorite TV drama. "Oh, it’s none of them. It’s the mysterious chairman of the Archon Group."

"What? Tell me everything, Nigel! What does he look like? Is he handsome? How old is he? Is he single?" Jade squeaked, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Miss Jade," Nigel said, placing a hand over his chest as if personally affected, "he must be the most handsome man I have ever seen in my life. So mysterious, so intimidating... even I, as a man, couldn’t help but stare."

"Oh my god, I need to search for him! What’s his name?" Jade was already scrambling for her laptop, ready to pull up his profile the moment Nigel dropped the man’s name.

Nigel leaned in slightly, lowering his voice as though about to reveal a grand secret. "His name is-"

"Nigel. Jade." Aliana’s voice sliced through the moment, making both of them freeze. Then, slowly, almost in sync, they turned to look at her.

Aliana released a frustrated sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "There is nothing you’re going to find about him on the internet. The man is practically non-existent. And secondly, there is nothing happening between us."

She shot a pointed look at Nigel, who suddenly found the ceiling, the walls, and quite possibly the floor far more interesting than meeting her gaze.

"What do you mean he’s non-existent?" Jade asked, now even more intrigued.