When morning arrived, Aliana’s eyes gently fluttered open to the unfamiliar ceiling of the room she was still not accustomed to.

As the sunlight softly kissed the cream-coloured room she was in, she slowly twisted and stretched her muscles like a lazy cat before finally pushing herself up to lean against the headboard of the bed.

As her sleepy mind gradually began to wake, the events of last night slowly crept back into her thoughts.

"Right... it’s a big day today..." she whispered to herself before glancing at the clock.

Noticing the time, she murmured as she pushed herself off the bed, "Time to get ready."

While getting ready, countless thoughts continued to swirl through her mind. Things she had not truly had the time to process after all the chaos of the previous day. When the night grew deeper, while planning and discussing matters with Nigel and Gavriel, she did not even realise when she had passed out or how she had ended up in this room.

All she knew was that, for the first time in a very long while, she had woken up feeling completely refreshed... and had enjoyed a dreamless sleep.

A sigh escaped her as she thought about the whirlwind that previous day had been.

From signing the deal with the Archon Group to rushing towards a man who was no less than a devil, yet somehow had become her only salvation.

Most of all, she had made the biggest decision of her life yesterday without informing the people closest to her.

She had tried calling Jade, but her phone kept coming up as switched off, something Aliana could only blame on the terrible network.

On the other hand, she had deliberately avoided speaking to her parents, not because she did not want them to know, but because she simply was not in the right mindset to deal with their endless stream of questions.

Aliana’s parents were also out of town, so she had not gotten the chance to speak with them properly since her return.

But with the scandal exploding across the media, she was certain they were already on their way back from their private island.

Nigel had apparently tried to calm her father down, but she knew that unless she spoke to him directly herself, there was no way he would listen to anyone else.

’Hopefully everyone will get their answers today, and I won’t have to deal with everything individually,’ she thought to herself as she examined her reflection in the mirror of the room’s dressing table.

She was wearing a fitted ivory dress with long sleeves that had a sophisticated wrap-style neckline and shimmering silver embellishments along the edges. The sleek floor-length design flowed beautifully around her, while the thigh-high slit added a touch of grace and allure.

She paired it with delicate diamond and platinum studs, along with a platinum watch adorning her wrist. Her hair was left open, neatly combed with a soft bounce at the ends that swayed gently with her every movement.

Slipping into her ivory heels, she made her way towards the door. But the moment she opened it, her steps abruptly halted as her eyes met those alluring, icy blue ones.

Her heart stumbled violently inside her chest at the sight of the gorgeous devil standing right outside her room. The way his gaze locked onto hers, memories of their wild kiss came crashing back into her mind with ruthless intensity.

Aliana had tried desperately not to think about it... or him. Because every single time her thoughts wandered towards him, her entire body would burn with a strange heat she had never experienced before.

Now that he stood before her in a perfectly tailored navy-blue bespoke suit, looking devastatingly handsome, the scent of his expensive, fresh mint cologne wrapped around her senses once again like temptation itself, making her want to lean into him.

But most of all, it was the intensity in those blue eyes, the way they looked at her, she felt like she was about to be devoured by a beast once again... a beautiful beast who was now her husband-to-be.

When she failed to move or speak, Gavriel slowly tilted his head to the side. His lips moved as he spoke in a seductive, low voice. "Ready?"

"Yes." Once again, that was the only word she could find. Just like the previous night, it escaped her lips without a second thought.

She watched as his lips curved slightly at her dazed expression before he finally stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

At his sudden proximity, she swallowed hard.

’Goddamn... I feel like I’m about to lose the ability to stand again,’ her mind screamed in panic as weakness spread through her knees.

But his next action only made things harder.

His hand slowly reached out before gently taking hold of a strand of her blonde hair and tucking it behind her ear.

His touch lingered there for a moment too long, causing her breathing to turn uneven. Leaning closer to her ear, his warm breath fanned against her skin, making the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

The devil whispered, "You are coming with me... Aliana."

Aliana closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply, taking in his intoxicating scent, and before she knew it, her knees gave out.

Just as she was about to sink onto the floor before him, his other hand shot out swiftly, wrapping possessively around her waist, preventing her embarrassing fall.

The mere touch of his hand on her waist was enough to set her entire body ablaze, painting her cheeks a deep crimson.

But Aliana was not the only one affected by this proximity... Gavriel was too.

When he had leaned closer, he had greedily filled his lungs with her heavenly scent of roses that only seemed to grow more addictive with each passing day.

Unable to resist, he pulled her soft, curvy body flush against his own before drawing his face back slightly to admire her delicate features. But the moment his eyes landed on her, he realised hers were already closed in complete surrender.

His eyes drifted down to her seductive lips, already parted for him. Just as he leaned closer, the hand resting by her ear slowly curled around the back of her neck as he parted his own lips, ready to claim hers...

Only for a series of loud gasps to suddenly shatter the silence of the hallway.

"Oh dear!" someone exclaimed with a start.

The sound snapped both Gavriel and Aliana out of their intimate haze, making them turn toward the source of the interruption.

Not far away stood Nigel, a hand slapped over his mouth in shock.

Winston looked as though he had turned to stone.

Beside them stood a third person who stared in utter disbelief, though a sly smile began to bloom on his face.

"Well, well, well. It seems like a lovely morning for both of you," Cillian commented with a wide grin.

And that was all it took for Aliana’s face to turn beetroot red.

Mortified, she quickly tried to take a step back to put some distance between herself and Gavriel.

Or at least, she tried to.

Because the very next second, Gavriel’s hand, which was still firmly wrapped around her waist, tightened possessively before pulling her right back against him.

His face turned cold as he stared ahead, but the dangerous chill radiating from him made one thing painfully obvious.

The devil was not pleased about being interrupted.

Nigel, Winston, and Cillian could all feel the suffocating pressure leaking from him, causing the atmosphere around them to grow noticeably tense.

Cillian quickly cleared his throat before forcing out an awkward smile.

"Right... the car is waiting, and everything has already been set up. We’ll see you both downstairs. Take your time," he said hurriedly.

And with that, the three of them practically fled from the hallway as though a hellhound had just been unleashed behind them.