Jacob recalled how, at first, Aliana was very wary of him and took her time to get comfortable enough to work with him properly.

It had taken almost two years for her to warm up to him. Because he showed her nothing but patience and kindness, she finally began to open up a little.

However, the problems she brought to him were always strictly related to work.

He racked his brain, wondering how else he could get closer to her.

It was then that Jade Ross, Aliana’s best friend, entered the office.

The moment he laid eyes on Jade, he realised this might be the best course of action to finally enter Aliana’s inner circle.

He made immense effort toward a woman he had little interest in, and coincidentally, she was looking to date an older man casually.

It was a perfect match for his plans.

He was careful with Jade, even plotting the best way to break up with her once she had served her purpose of getting him closer to Aliana. However, Jade ended up breaking up with him first after only a month and a half, claiming he wasn’t her type.

This turn of events worked even better in Jacob’s favour, allowing him to gain sympathy from Aliana for being dumped by her best friend.

He had gained her sympathy even though Aliana had warned him from the beginning that her friend was only looking for something casual. She had gone as far as to insist that whatever happened between them should not affect their work, as they still had to collaborate daily.

Although he had agreed at the time, a little moping worked wonders. It caused her to soften toward him slightly, though not too much.

She was still Aliana Vanderbilt, after all, with her walls built as high as anyone could imagine.

After years of effort, he had finally moved from being a work mentor to an acquaintance and then in the category of a friend. He felt he was finally ready to make his move, but then that damn accident happened. Throwing her into a coma and stealing a month from him while she lay unconscious.

Jacob had gone to the hospital many times just to watch her lying unconscious.

Somehow, even when she didn’t move, it aroused him to see her so vulnerable and defenceless. He had thought many times of sating his desires while she lay in that hospital bed, but Alester, Portia, Jade or Nigel were always nearby. They guarded her like hawks, ruining his twisted plans and leaving him to deal with his urges only when he was within the privacy of his own four walls.

When she finally woke up, he believed he could pursue his goal of claiming her, perhaps by being the shoulder she cried on amidst all the scrutiny.

Instead, she had dropped this bomb on him! After all the years he had spent pandering to her father, they were considering suitors elsewhere when he was right there in their vicinity!

Something dark coiled in his already black heart as he stared at her beautiful face.

He realised she was waving her hand in front of him to get his attention. His dull yellow eyes shifted from her face to her wrist, where he imagined her skin bound and reddened by the chains he wanted to put on her so very badly.

"Jacob? You there?" Aliana asked, confusion marring her face.

But Aliana was not the only one who noticed that the acting CEO had suddenly gone quiet. Nigel and Carol, who were sitting beside them, had overheard the conversation and were silently observing him.

While Carol remained discreet, Nigel watched the man like a hawk. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, clearly not liking what he saw. His senses were pricking with signals, telling him he was watching a man turn into a villain from one of his favourite dramas.

Just as Aliana was about to place her hand on Jacob’s shoulder to snap him out of his daze, a glass of water on the table suddenly tipped over causing Aliana to shift back immediately to avoid soaking her designer jumpsuit.

This served as a sudden wake-up call for Jacob, whose pants were ruined the moment the water reached him.

"Shit!" Jacob cursed as he stood up, letting the water that had pooled in his lap spill onto the floor.

"Oh my," Aliana murmured, seeing the large dark patch on his light grey suit. "You might want to go and get changed."

Meanwhile, Carol quickly stood up and handed a napkin to her boss.

Snatching it from her hand, Jacob began dabbing frantically at the fabric, attracting the attention of other attendees who watched the acting CEO of the Van Empire in his unfortunate state.

"I will quickly go change and join you shortly," Jacob told Aliana and the other associates before turning to leave.

With his attention still fixed on his ruined pants, he had only taken a few steps toward the exit when he came to an abrupt halt.

A pair of clean, shiny shoes had paused directly in front of him.

As he lifted his head, his dull yellow eyes met a pair of icy blue ones.

Gavriel looked down at him with a cold, penetrating gaze before his eyes drifted to the wet patch on Jacob’s pants and raised a brow in silent question.

Jacob’s face instantly reddened. "Mr. Valentine, you are here. I..." He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "There was a slight accident at the table."

"As I can see," Gavriel responded, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips. "Happens to the best of us."

With that, he moved past him, not giving Jacob the chance to explain further.

As he walked away, his eyes met the light grey ones that were already fixed on him.

He maintained eye contact with her, his smile widening ever so slightly, enough to make Aliana’s heart give a small jolt before she looked away. Even then, Gavriel’s gaze lingered on her until he reached his table, finally taking an empty seat beside Cillian.

"Well, well, well, I didn’t expect you to show up today." Cillian’s amused voice pulled Gavriel’s attention away from his little rose, earning him nothing more than a blank stare.

But Cillian didn’t mind, it was classic Gavriel afterall.

A mischievous smile tugged at his lips as he leaned in slightly and murmured, "What? Did you find your room too boring, or was there something far more interesting outside that managed to lure you out of your den?"

Without waiting for a response, Cillian’s sharp brown eyes shifted past Gavriel towards the exit, where Jacob was retreating.

"Although I must say..." he added, voice dipping lower, "that man is rather twisted. Hell would be more than happy to welcome him into its torture chambers."

Suddenly, Gavriel’s neutral expression darkened at the thought of Jacob. The man’s twisted lust was so palpable that the idea of it being directed towards the little rose at the next table stirred something dangerous within him.

Without realising it, a cold darkness slipped from his form, and the glass in the hand of the associate seated beside him cracked before exploding into shards.