The Devil's obsession with the Heiress

Nigel’s eyes widened at being so neatly placed on the chopping block, and he immediately bowed to the acting CEO of Van Empire. "Please accept my apologies, Mr Grant. I did not mean to crash into you, I was merely caught... off balance."

Aliana let out a tired sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, since it was just an accident, let’s leave it at that. It’s been a long night. Let’s just retire for the evening, shall we?"

Not wanting to deal with anything more, Aliana turned to leave. She had only taken two steps toward her room when Gavriel’s footsteps followed close behind her, since his room lay in the same direction.

Watching Gavriel follow her made something dark flicker across his expression. So he suddenly stepped forward.

"I’ll walk you to your room, Aliana," he offered, causing both Aliana and Gavriel to halt in their tracks.

She looked at Jacob in surprise, and before she could politely refuse, dark tendrils seeped out of Gavriel’s body, slipping past any human’s notice.

Then, right before everyone’s eyes, the tie holding Jacob’s robe came undone, making Aliana’s cheeks turn red.

Gavriel glanced over his shoulder and commented flatly, "Maybe you should get a hold of your falling attire, Mr. Grant, before offering assistance."

At his remark, Jacob quickly looked down at his now dishevelled state before hurriedly pulling his robe together, his cheeks flushing red in embarrassment.

Flustered, Aliana quickly looked away. "It’s quite all right, Jacob. I’m perfectly capable of finding my room, and it isn’t far. Goodnight," she murmured.

With that, her heels clicked against the floor at a hurried pace. She fled the scene as if escaping a crime, never once offering a backward glance.

She didn’t slow down or catch her breath until she finally reached the safety of her own door.

Gavriel paused a couple of rooms away from hers, his icy blue eyes flickering towards her as she turned to look at him one last time.

For a moment, the world stilled before they both wordlessly disappeared into their own spaces.

While the others retired for the night, Jacob and Nigel remained in the hallway.

Jacob kept his eyes fixed on the direction where the two had disappeared, his hands curled into tight fists.

His expression darkened, and his jaw worked with suppressed anger. Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared into his own suite.

He shut the door behind him with a loud bang, startling Nigel.

The assistant had long since shifted his gaze from his favourite pairing back to the green-haired man, who now looked as if he had swallowed a bitter pill.

Nigel’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the closed door for a moment longer.

"This is going to be troublesome," he murmured to himself.

He released a heavy sigh and turned to walk back to his own room, hoping to reach it before he got himself into any more trouble.

That night, sleep remained out of reach for both of them. In the quiet darkness, they were each haunted by thoughts of the other.

Aliana lay in her cosy bed, the glow of the bedside lamp casting soft shadows as she stared at the ceiling. Everything that had happened since that evening replayed in her mind, and her thoughts of Gavriel consumed her entirely.

She remembered the moment she had turned around in the club, only to find that bulky man thrown against the others.

She wondered what kind of inhuman strength it took to toss such a huge person aside as if he weighed nothing. Not only that, but Gavriel had broken the man’s wrist without a second thought.

At the memory, her heart skipped a beat.

’Did he serve in the army or something?’ she wondered.

Even if she didn’t want to admit it, there was something undeniably alluring about a man possessing that kind of power.

Turning onto her side, her eyes drifted toward the window. The blue ocean looked dark and mysterious under the moonlight, reminding her once again of his icy blue eyes.

"His eyes always seemed like they could see straight through to your soul," she mused, remembering the weight of his gaze.

Suddenly, the scene from the car flashed in her mind.

She could almost feel the way he had taken hold of her chin.

Her fingers slipped from beneath the blanket, unconsciously touching the spot where he had lightly caressed her jaw.

The memory alone sent a fresh wave of heat rising to her cheeks.

Snapping out of her daze, she chided herself. "Stop acting like a teenager, Aliana! That man is dangerous. You need to keep your guard up!"

With a frustrated sigh, she pulled the blanket up to cover half of her face.

But as she tried to hide, another memory flickered behind her eyes. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

This one was far more terrifying.

She remembered the hooded figure appearing in the hallway out of nowhere, and the way Gavriel had stopped the moment it appeared.

’Just what the hell was that thing?’ she thought.

Even though she didn’t know how long Nigel had been there, she could have sworn Gavriel had been looking at the figure, not at the end of the corridor.

The thought made her uneasy because if her assumption was correct, then what did that make Gavriel?

Did it make him someone who could see things just like her?

If so, then he must know how to deal with them. Otherwise, how could that man remain so calm and composed in the presence of such terrifying entities?

Not to mention, there was no denying the way the ghosts had simply vanished in the past at the mere sight of him.

Why did that happen?

Could it be... that he holds some kind of supernatural power, or perhaps... a powerful talisman that keeps them at bay?

With a sudden burst of irritation, she kicked the blanket off her body.

Turning the other way, she grabbed another pillow from the side of the bed and hugged it in a crushing grip.

Letting out a low, muffled groan, she whispered, "Somebody help me, please. Before I go completely insane!"

When the clock struck three, everything went quiet in the dimly lit room.

Aliana was finally fast asleep, dressed in her silky, lacy nightgown. Her golden hair was sprawled messily across the pillow behind her, while one milky, smooth thigh rested exposed against the softness of the pillow she was still hugging.

She remained blissfully unaware of the shadow that loomed over her, approaching through the darkness in total silence.