The Devil's obsession with the Heiress

He stood before her like an immovable tower, his dark hair ruffling wildly in the fierce winds, yet he appeared utterly untouched by the chaos raging around him.

His icy blue eyes remained unnervingly calm, as though he were standing within the very eye of the storm itself, while his expression was as unreadable as ever.

Without uttering a single word, he began undoing the buttons of his shirt one by one.

Around them, people were still running for shelter, yet his movements remained unhurried, almost eerily composed.

He shrugged off his shirt, revealing his sculpted physique beneath, and Aliana was sure that, had the women around them not been consumed by panic, they would undoubtedly have dropped to their knees at the sight of him.

Slowly, Gavriel lowered himself to one knee at the edge of the pool and extended a hand toward her.

Without once breaking eye contact, Aliana slipped her hand into his.

The moment her skin touched his, he lifted her out of the water in one fluid, effortless motion, pulling her close before wrapping his shirt snugly around her shoulders to cover her.

Before a single word could escape her lips, Gavriel scooped her effortlessly into his arms. Aliana gasped softly, her arms instinctively coiling around his neck as he turned on his heel and walked away from the chaos.

He headed toward a secluded side entrance tucked far off in the shadows. Because the doorway was positioned away from the main deck, no one was rushing toward it, allowing him to slip inside unnoticed.

With the storm continuing to gather strength outside, the electricity unit situated near the mansion suddenly sparked, triggering a power outage that plunged the entire estate into darkness.

But even in the pitch-black darkness, Gavriel didn’t stop. He continued through the corridor until he reached a large wooden door. Unlocking it, he led them inside before quietly closing it behind them.

Wordlessly, he lowered Aliana until her feet touched the cold floor.

She blinked in the darkness before her eyes gradually adjusted to the dim surroundings.

A stream of silver moonlight poured through a massive floor-to-ceiling window at the far end of the room, casting a cool glow across the space.

The light illuminated a grand mahogany work desk set right before the glass, while the surrounding walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling wooden bookshelves packed with thousands of leather-bound volumes.

From what little she could make out, she could only deduce that they had entered the mansion’s private study.

Thinking that it wasn’t right for them to trespass into someone’s private study, she turned around, saying, "I don’t think we should be here-"

But the words died in her throat the moment she found Gavriel standing right behind her.

The moonlight spilling through the window reflected in his icy blue eyes, making them appear even more glacial. Yet beneath that chilling gaze burned a quiet inferno, one that made her instinctively take a step back as the full extent of his anger finally dawned on her.

The moment she moved, he closed the distance between them, pursuing her until the cool, polished edge of the desk pressed against her back.

With nowhere left to retreat, she finally breathed his name. "Gav..."

He stopped only a couple of inches away, his towering frame caging her in without ever laying a hand on her.

For a long moment, he simply stared at her before finally breaking the silence. "What’s wrong, wife?"

The icy calmness of his voice sent a cold shiver racing down her spine, and almost instinctively, her fingers curled tightly around the edges of the wooden desk.

Aliana swallowed hard. "You... are upset."

Gavriel tilted his head slightly, his eyes slowly raking over her dripping appearance. "I wonder why..." he whispered.

Aliana’s grip tightened on the edge of the wood.

For a split second, she felt like shrinking under his sharp, scrutinising gaze, questioning the choices that had backed her into this corner.

Then she remembered.

She remembered why she had done it. It was because of him!

It was because of that vixen who had been sprawled shamelessly across his lap, and the way he had continued to stare at her so blatantly in front of everyone.

The anger and humiliation she had suffered when those three women mocked her about her husband’s wandering eyes. Emotions she had temporarily forgotten amidst the chaotic storm came roaring back to life intensely.

Meeting his gaze with a fierce glare of her own, she lifted her chin defiantly. "Yes... I wonder why. Tell me, Gavriel, why are you angry?"

Her eyes burned into his, watching as his gaze narrowed sharply at her tone.

She pressed forward, "Is it because I chose to go for a swim to cool off after watching some woman sprawl across my husband’s lap? Or are you upset because I saw her strip in front of you while you enjoyed a good show for the whole crowd to see?"

Gavriel’s eyes widened slightly at the sheer venom dripping from her words.

He watched in stunned silence as she took a defiant step toward him, hissing, "Tell me, husband, which one is it so that we can understand each other better? Isn’t that what’s needed in a marriage? Or should I believe you are the kind of man who thinks he can do whatever he wants while his wife looks the other way like some docile pet?"

Those words snapped Gavriel out of his shock, and a low growl tore from his chest. "That’s enough, Aliana."

"Why?! Why should I stay quiet?!" Her voice trembled with the sheer volume of pain and fury pouring out of her, hitting him with full force.

"Am I just supposed to swallow that humiliation while everyone gossips about how my husband can’t tear his eyes away from another woman?!"

Gavriel stood frozen.

He had no idea his actions had fueled such a bitter misunderstanding between them.

In an instant, his own anger at her swimming stunt evaporated. Instead, a cold rage redirected toward the people who had dared to plant those thoughts in her head.

"Who said that to you?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

Aliana let out a harsh, incredulous scoff. "Does it even matter?! You think I am so shallow that I would just blindly believe rumours about my husband? I saw it with my own eyes, Gavriel! Not just once, but again and again since we met Gwen!"

When he remained silent, her eyes flashed with a raw hurt that suffocated his heart.

"Tell me..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "Tell me I’m wrong. That what I saw was wrong."