The Devil's obsession with the Heiress

Aliana, slightly tipsy, was enjoying herself so much that she didn’t notice anyone closing in on her, especially with how crowded the dance floor already was.

As she moved back slightly, she suddenly felt herself pressed against something hard.

Before she could turn around, someone leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Hey, babe, why don’t you come have some fun with me?"

Her blissful expression vanished instantly.

Her light grey eyes snapped open, a scowl forming as irritation flared within her. Just as she was about to turn, a hand wrapped around her waist and gave it a tight squeeze...

And in the next moment, everything became a blur.

Someone violently wrenched the hand from her waist. The sharp, sickening crack of breaking bone echoed through the air, followed immediately by a guttural cry of agony.

But that was not all.

When Aliana whirled around, she saw the bald, bulky man who had dared to touch her being hurled across the floor. He hit the ground with such force that he took down several other men upon impact.

Startled yelps and painful groans filled the air as the crowd scattered, the music in the club cutting to a sudden, jarring silence.

Shocked whispers broke out as people stared at the massive man lying on the ground like a discarded sack of potatoes, clutching a wrist that was clearly shattered.

Slowly, the crowd turned to see who was responsible, and the moment their eyes landed on him, they instinctively took a step back.

Aliana, though trembling with rage, was stunned by the ease with which such a large man had been tossed aside. She slowly turned her gaze toward the figure standing in front of her. He exuded an aura so dark and heavy it sent a fresh wave of trembling down her spine, though this time, it was not from anger.

She saw a tall man dressed in an impeccably tailored, all-black bespoke suit that fit his frame perfectly. Her eyes traveled up his strong, broad back to his raven black hair, and she felt her heart skip a beat in recognition.

Her eyes widened as he finally turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, and she locked eyes with his icy blue gaze.

"You..." she whispered.

Gavriel turned to face her completely.

His expression remained unreadable as he took a step toward her, clicking his tongue softly.

"Why do I always find you in trouble, Miss Vanderbilt?" His low, magnetic voice caressed her ear so enticingly that her body reacted in a way she had never felt before.

Aliana was shocked to see Gavriel here, of all places.

After their conversation at the hotel the day before, he had vanished completely. He hadn’t even appeared at the conference that morning, making her wonder if he had left the country altogether.

And yet, here he was, looking every bit his gorgeous self while carrying an air of authority and something far darker that she didn’t quite know how to feel about.

Before she could respond, Julian, who had been standing there just as shocked, finally stepped forward and placed a hand on her bare shoulder.

"Miss Aliana... are you okay?" he asked hesitantly.

Aliana blinked, momentarily jolting out of her daze, but her eyes remained fixed on Gavriel. She watched as his gaze shifted from her face to her shoulder, zeroing in on the spot where Julian was touching her.

And she immediately took a step back, causing Julian’s hand to drop. "I’m fine," she responded, her voice tight.

She glanced at the man still writhing on the floor, clutching his shattered wrist, and added in a sharper tone, "However, I don’t think he is."

Turning her attention back to Gavriel, she found her composure. "I didn’t expect to see you here, Mr. Valentine."

Gavriel remained silent, his expression a cold mask.

Before the silence could stretch too far, another set of footsteps echoed through the quiet club.

"I would be the person responsible for dragging him here today," Cillian replied, an amused smirk playing on his lips as if he had just witnessed the most entertaining show on earth.

Surprise flickered through Aliana at the sight of Cillian, but she wasn’t the only one caught off guard; Julian recognised him instantly.

"Mr Pierce," Julian responded, sobering up rapidly as the weight of the situation settled in. "I didn’t know you were here as well."

Since Julian had not been present during the first few days of the conference, he had no idea what the chairman of Archon Group looked like, and therefore did not recognise Gavriel.

Cillian shrugged lightly, a faint hint of amusement playing on his lips.

"Well, we all need a break from our hectic lives once in a while, don’t we? So we thought, why not here? I had heard quite a few good things about this place recently, so I decided it was worth a visit."

His words flowed effortlessly, as if he hadn’t just followed the two rather clueless individuals standing before him.

Cillian then offered a bright smile. "Isn’t that why you two are here as well?"

Julian blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before replying, "Uh...yes, I wanted to take Miss Aliana somewhere nice, away from the hotel, for a change."

"Oh..." Cillian’s smile deepened, his tone turning lightly playful, yet edged with something more. "So, was it a date?"

"Um... you could say that," Julian replied hesitantly, casting a wary glance at the CEO of the world’s top company, who seemed far too invested in the situation for someone of his stature. Almost like a well-dressed gossipmonger.

But Cillian did not stop there. "I see. Too bad you were not able to protect your date from such a thing happening," Cillian added.

He looked around at the fallen men who were now scrambling to their feet and hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe this place isn’t as good as I heard, especially if they allow any unruly person inside."

His words were sharp, striking not only Julian’s pride but also catching the attention of the manager, who had just rushed in to survey the situation.

Upon hearing the criticism from a VIP guest like Cillian, the manager immediately bowed. "Mr. Pierce, I am so sorry for the trouble caused here. I will make sure to ban such people from ever entering these premises again."

"The one you should be apologising to is not me, but the lady who just endured such an unpleasant experience," Cillian responded. His earlier playfulness had completely disappeared, replaced by a stern authority that reminded everyone he was not a man to be trifled with.

"R-right. Miss, I apologize for all the inconvenience caused to you. I promise to take immediate action," the manager stammered, offering his apology to Aliana.

A cold bead of sweat formed on his forehead as his mind raced with the consequences the business might face.

It was no secret that the city was currently hosting the world’s most prestigious business conference.

With Cillian being the most prominent face of the top company in the world, the Archon Group, the manager knew that a single negative comment from him could lead to the establishment’s permanent closure.

So he had to repair the situation as quickly as possible.

Aliana, on the other hand, had only wanted one peaceful night away from everything. Her mood was completely soured by being entangled in yet another disaster.

Not in the mood to deal with any more drama, she simply released a heavy sigh. "Just make sure it doesn’t happen to any other woman," she said, her gaze steady on the manager.

"Yes, Miss. I will see to it personally. Please accept my apology once again." The manager bowed low before quickly ushering the bouncers over.

He ordered them to throw out not only the man with the broken wrist but also every other man who had been with him.

After the men were thrown out, the crowd slowly returned to their own business.

Yet, the women found it impossible to look away from the "devil" now gracing the dance floor.

Every eye was fixed on Gavriel with such intensity that Cillian and Julian paled in comparison.

Julian turned to Aliana, guilt clearly etched on his face for failing to be vigilant enough to prevent the mishap. "Miss Aliana, please forgive me for being so unaware. Please, let me make it up to you. I promise I will be more careful-"

"It is fine. Things happen," Aliana interrupted.

Not wanting to remain in the club a moment longer, she added, "I have an early morning tomorrow and still need to prepare for the conference, so I will be taking my leave. I hope you gentlemen enjoy the rest of your evening."

Before Julian could respond, Cillian chimed in. "Ah, that is too bad. I was looking forward to enjoying one more drink with you, Miss Vanderbilt." His gaze shifted quickly to Julian. "But since you cannot accompany me, perhaps Mr. Blackwood would do me the honour?"