[Music recommendation: Joep Beving - Ida]

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His words sent her heart spiralling into chaos while her pulse raced frantically against her skin.

And that was it. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Her knees, which had already been struggling to hold her upright, finally gave out beneath her.

But before she could sink completely, Gavriel’s strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her flush against his hard, sculpted body.

A shaky gasp escaped her lips as she instinctively gripped his robe to steady herself. Slowly, she lifted her gaze to his face just as he pulled back enough for her to fully see the terrifying intensity burning within those blue eyes.

It felt as though he was staring straight into her soul.

As his words slowly settled into her mind, disbelief finally spilled from her lips.

"You’re not serious... are you?"

"Do you think I’m joking?" he asked in return, his face utterly serious.

"You asked to move in with me... to share a space with me. But I don’t do that, Aliana. Not with any woman." His gaze darkened dangerously. "What is given to me, I take. And when I do take..."

His fingers curled slightly against her waist before he leaned in until their noses touched, his voice dropping into a dark whisper.

"I take every single thing... including the person’s soul because..."

His piercing blue eyes locked onto hers.

"...this devil never shares."

For the very first time, Aliana felt completely out of her depth, and it was all because of the man she was currently clinging onto as though he were her only lifeline.

Gavriel, on the other hand, observed her silently.

He knew his words had finally shaken her enough to make her reconsider everything she had been taking lightly until now.

When she remained speechless in his arms, he could only assume she needed time to think carefully about what he had just said.

Because even though he had initially proposed marriage to make her back away and stop chasing danger so recklessly... he had still meant every single word.

Even as she fascinated and intrigued him in ways no one else ever had in his entire existence... Gavriel knew one terrifying truth.

If Aliana were reckless enough to agree to his condition, he would take every single piece of her without hesitation.

And something deep within him warned that once he started... there would be no stopping.

The darkness inside him was already stirring violently at the mere thought of it, almost ravenous with anticipation at the idea of finally having her all to himself. To consume her so completely that every breath she took, every thought crossing her mind, and every beat of her heart would belong solely to him.

Until she could no longer see anyone else, no longer want anyone else and no longer think of anyone else... but him.

So, as what he considered his very last act of kindness, Gavriel moved his hands to her delicate shoulders to steady her before gently pulling her away from him.

"I’ll give you one day," he said quietly. "One day only to think about it."

His piercing blue eyes remained fixed on hers as he continued, "Tomorrow, at eight o’clock at night, will be your deadline. If you fail to give me an answer by then... I’ll take your silence as a no."

Every word that left his mouth felt final.

"And when that happens, you will stop everything. You will stop seeking me out, and you will stop trying to offer me whatever reckless deal you think might work on me." His voice lowered dangerously. "And let me make myself crystal clear, Aliana. Once you say no, nothing you say or do afterwards will change my mind."

Her breath caught in her throat as he slowly stepped further away from her.

"I will not help you any further than this, and everything will return to the way it was before." His expression remained unreadable as he delivered the final blow. "You will simply be Aliana Vanderbilt... heiress to the Van Empire, and I will remain the chairman of Archon Group. Nothing more. Nothing else."

A suffocating silence filled the room before he added quietly, "And we’ll forget this ever happened."

Aliana’s fingers slowly loosened around the fabric of his robe as he created more distance between them, but the shock remained evident all over her face as she stood completely still.

Her eyes traced his deadly serious features and the warning written all over his face before he finally turned to leave the living room, slowly walking away from her.

Just as he was about to step out, he paused to add, "You can stay here tonight. Someone will come to assist you."

With that, he was gone.

The moment his footsteps faded into silence, Aliana finally sank onto the floor, her eyes still fixed on the doorway he had just disappeared through.

A wave of dizziness washed over her, and slowly, she lowered her head into her hands and sucked in a sharp breath, as though she still could not believe everything he had just said to her.

Alarm bells blared loudly inside her head, flashing like a giant red warning sign that screamed at her to gather herself and run far away from this house... his house... and away from the true devil he was in every sense of the word.

But a part of her simply refused to move... making her wonder if her brain had completely malfunctioned.

She could still feel the ghost of his touch lingering against her skin. Her nose was still filled with his intoxicating masculine scent, making her feel strangely light-headed.

While her cheeks continued to burn as though she still couldn’t process just how close he had been to her only moments ago. His touch had felt like a spell she just couldn’t break.

He truly was dangerous... so dangerously tempting for her heart that she knew he had meant every word when he said he would ruin her.

The real question was whether she was prepared to let herself be ruined completely by him.

Her trembling hands lifted to grip her damp blonde hair as she whispered helplessly, "What am I gonna do now...?"

The moment the words left her lips, she suddenly felt another presence nearby.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she looked up and saw a figure emerging from the same doorway Gavriel had disappeared through moments ago.

Her hand immediately flew to her chest as she exclaimed in fright, "Oh God!"

It was a man dressed in a crisp black suit, with neatly combed grey hair and a well-trimmed moustache. Golden-rimmed glasses rested over his sharp features, while his black eyes stared at her with an almost monotonous expression.

Judging by his appearance, he looked to be somewhere around seventy years old.

He bowed slightly before introducing himself.

"Good evening, Miss. My apologies for startling you. My name is Winston, and I am Mr. Valentine’s butler."