[Music recommendation: Andrea Vanzo, Evgeny Grinko – Nostos (Dark Version)]

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There was a darkness in those beguiling blue eyes that made it seem as though he was... angry.

Was it because she had dared to enter his home without invitation? 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

It wasn’t as though their first phone conversation had ended on a pleasant note. Given that, Aliana could only assume that her intrusion had done little to improve his temper.

As silence stretched between them, she grew increasingly nervous, a faint dizziness washing over her, as though she might collapse before she could even begin to explain herself.

But Gavriel spoke first.

"I warned you, didn’t I, Aliana?" His deep, masculine voice reverberated through the air like silk. Her name rolled off his sinful lips so seductively that it made her want to roll her eyes in reluctant delight.

That thought alone made her brows knit in confusion until she heard him continue, "You step into my world, and I will ruin you in ways you never imagined."

Aliana shivered, not only at the warning he had given her far too many times, but also at the way his icy blue eyes pierced her so intensely that it felt as though she might burn and freeze all at once.

Yet here she was....alone, standing in his mansion, dimly lit with only the glow of the burning fireplace casting shadows across one side of his gorgeous face.

Thunder rolled outside, followed by the onslaught of heavy rain pelting against the massive floor-to-ceiling, black-panelled windows.

Ignoring her thrumming heartbeat, she drew in a sharp breath and replied, "You did... but didn’t I say there is nothing I love more than a challenge?"

Even though her lips trembled, her voice came soft, "If you’re going to ruin me, Gavriel, at least make sure.... you’re the only one left standing when the dust settles."

His eyes widened ever so slightly before he rose from his armchair and crossed the carpet with the fluid grace of a panther, stopping just before her.

"You don’t know... what you are dealing with here." His voice dropped into a dark whisper, curling through the air as his tall figure loomed over her.

She watched, almost helplessly, as those icy blue eyes traced her features with slow, deliberate intent. They lingered, slid to her rain-damp hair, then drifted lower, to where her pulse fluttered wildly against her slender neck.

His gaze followed the unsteady rise and fall of her chest, her white dress clinging to her skin and finally returning to her face, where she caught the subtle tightening of his jaw.

Even with that looming sense of danger curling around her, Aliana’s own traitorous gaze slipped away.

It wandered over the hard lines of his exposed chest, the robe hanging loose at his waist, her eyes lingering just a moment too long before she forced herself to look back at him.

She knew she had come to him, and there was no turning back now.

Drawing in a quiet breath, she gathered what little courage she could and stepped closer, "I know what I am doing," she said, her voice softer than she intended. "So you don’t have to remind me."

There was a brief pause, as though she was daring herself to continue.

"Since I’m the one benefiting from this arrangement, I’d like you to state your conditions," she added, lifting her chin just slightly, meeting his gaze without retreat. "And I’ll make sure to fulfil them... so it’s easier for both of us."

Gavriel tilted his head, studying her for a long moment before a mocking smile tugged at his lips. "Conditions? The same ones you would offer to just anyone else?"

As soon as he spoke, the smile vanished, his expression darkening with a flash of genuine displeasure.

Aliana couldn’t fathom why he was bringing this up again.

If she hadn’t known him any better, she might have thought he sounded almost like a jealous lover.

But who was she kidding?

Gavriel did not seem like the kind of man who would feel jealousy, least of all over a woman who was practically forcing her way into his life.

She rationalised it as a matter of exclusivity. ’It’s an elite trait,’ she told herself. ’After all, they all demand exclusive deals and hate feeling like an option among many.’

With that in mind, she met his icy gaze bravely. "You’re wrong. I wouldn’t offer this to just anyone. It’s true that you’re the only one who can help me right now... but if it weren’t you, I wouldn’t be acting so... reckless."

Her voice died in her throat as she realised exactly what she had just admitted.

Swallowing hard, she forced herself to continue, "So... stop thinking that I would offer this to anyone else, and tell me your terms. Whatever it is, as long as it’s within my capacity... I’ll fulfil it."

As they held each other’s gaze, lightning flashed outside, illuminating the living room in brief, stark bursts, while the fire in the fireplace continued to crackle.

The wait felt unbearable to Aliana, so heavy that it seemed her knees might give way at any moment, yet she forced herself to remain standing.

She watched as his devastatingly handsome face tilted slightly before he murmured, "But I’m not sure you’ll be able to fulfil whatever I ask of you, little rose."

A shiver ran through her, goosebumps rising along her skin, but she held her ground. "Try me, Gavriel."

A smile that had disappeared far too quickly returned to his angelic face as he lifted one hand to cradle her chin.

The moment his fingers lifted to touch her chin, a jolt of electricity shot down her spine as he leaned in. His breath ghosted over her lips as he murmured, "You want to play a dangerous game, Aliana.... and make no mistake, this devil loves to play."

He didn’t give her the chance to answer.

His grip on her chin tightened just enough to tilt her face closer, forcing her into his orbit, until there was nowhere left to escape.

And then, in a whisper that felt like a dark promise, he said, "So here’s my offer, Aliana... marry me."

The words didn’t just land, they struck hard... crashing through her like thunder.

Her breath caught sharply, her eyes widening as the shock tore through her, as though the very ground beneath her had been ripped away without warning.

For a suspended moment, she could do nothing but stare at him. Then, at last, a single word broke free from her lips, barely a breath against the silence. "What...?"