Releasing a quiet sigh, she took comfort in the fact that, at the very least, the ultimate disaster she had braced herself for had been avoided.

The moment he had thrown that absurd condition out there, she had blindly agreed with her eyes squeezed shut, terrified by the sound of her mother turning the doorknob.

But right at that second, she heard a click.

Aliana immediately went completely rigid, mentally preparing herself for horrified gasps, dramatic screaming, and her mother launching into a full interrogation the moment the door flew open.

But when several seconds passed, and absolutely nothing happened, confusion slowly replaced her panic.

Then came her mother’s conflicted voice from outside.

"Hm? Why is the door locked?"

At that, Aliana’s eyes snapped open in confusion, and that was when she realised she was no longer pinned beneath Gavriel.

Propping herself up on one elbow, she blinked in surprise as she noticed the man had somehow already locked the door and was now calmly buttoning up his shirt. He then went to pick up his discarded tie, all while keeping his intense gaze fixed entirely on her.

A fierce blush painted her face instantly as their eyes met, as if every single memory of their scandalous escapade was flashing through her mind like a movie.

But she didn’t get a chance to dwell on it because another knock echoed against the wood. "Aliana? Are you alright?"

Releasing a shaky sigh, she finally pushed herself off the mattress to stand up, doing her absolute best to avoid Gavriel’s watchful, predatory gaze.

"I will be out in a minute, Mom," she called out.

"Oh! Is everything alright?" Portia asked, worry lacing her tone.

"Yes, just give me a minute. I’ll meet you downstairs," Aliana called back before turning her gaze to Gavriel. He was already fully dressed, restored to his usual impeccable self, as though nothing had ever transpired between them.

Except for one detail.

Her eyes drifted to the side of his mouth, where she could clearly see the faint tint of her lipstick smeared right beside a small wound she had inflicted upon him.

Ignoring the burning heat flaring in her cheeks, she turned away, walking over to her nightstand to pull a tissue from the box.

When she stepped back in front of him, she intentionally avoided his gaze.

Extending her hand, she offered, "There is a... lipstick stain on the corner of your mouth."

But instead of taking the tissue from her fingers, he simply leaned down.

He brought his face close enough to set her pulse quickening all over again, commanding in a low baritone, "Do it yourself."

Aliana’s eyes snapped to his.

Before she could protest, her father’s voice echoed through the door. "Alright, dear, we’ll be waiting downstairs."

Knowing she was entirely out of time, she pressed her lips into a thin line. She quickly reached up to dab at his mouth with immense focus, taking extra care to avoid the tender wound at the corner of his lips.

Gulping hard, Aliana quickly took a step back once she was done, only for Gavriel’s hand to suddenly reach out and clasp around hers. She looked up just in time to see him narrow his eyes slightly before reminding her in a low voice.

"I’ll be waiting for my requests to be fulfilled."

With that, he finally moved away.

Yet the corner of her eye twitched uncontrollably at the thought of his ridiculous request for chocolate cake. Along with the looming weight of her impending answer, causing a look of pure disbelief to flashing across her face.

After quickly fixing her appearance and making herself look somewhat presentable again, she finally walked out of the room with Gavriel following closely behind her.

At this point, she knew there was absolutely no point in trying to hide him anymore. They were both consenting adults, and she was literally about to marry this man. It was far better for her parents to meet him now and clear the air rather than delaying the inevitable.

The moment her footsteps echoed into the living room, both of her parents turned toward her in unison.

Portia’s face instantly brightened the second she saw her daughter, and she hurried forward excitedly.

"Oh, Ali! Do you know how long it’s been sin-"

Her words abruptly died in her throat the moment she noticed the tall figure stepping out behind Aliana.

Portia’s eyes and mouth went so wide that Aliana genuinely thought her mother might need an emergency trip to the doctor’s office to get her face retouched, given the sheer amount of shock lines suddenly forming across her features.

Aliana’s eyes then moved from her mother to her father. He also looked deeply shocked, though his reaction was far less dramatic than her mother’s, given that Alester had always been a highly composed man.

Taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat to break the agonising quiet. "Mom, Dad, meet Gavriel. He is the man I have chosen to marry."

A stunned silence filled the space.

Right on cue, a violent crack of thunder echoed and lightning flashed outside, adding a perfectly dramatic touch to a situation that suddenly felt like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

"M-marry... right!" Portia squeaked seconds later, desperately trying to recover from her shock and recast herself as a dignified lady of high society.

She attempted to school her expression into something elegant, but failed miserably. Especially as she continued to stare at Gavriel as though she had just witnessed a live miracle unfold in her daughter’s living room.

"I-I am Portia Vanderbilt, Aliana’s mother. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Gavriel," Portia introduced herself, looking and sounding as if she were functioning entirely on autopilot.

That was when Gavriel finally moved, gliding forward to stand right next to Aliana. "I am Gavriel Valentine," he countered smoothly. "It is wonderful to finally meet you... Mother." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The exact moment he uttered that word, another violent flash of lightning struck outside. In unison, all three pairs of eyes snapped to him in absolute disbelief, staring as if he had just decided to push the absolute limit to see exactly what would trigger a stroke.