When the morning arrived, Aliana opened her eyes to the room she was slowly becoming familiar with. She arched her back to stretch before turning onto her side to look out the window. It was a cloudy day, the sun completely hidden behind a dense, grey overcast.

"Looks like it will rain again today," she murmured to herself.

Slowly, she sat up on the edge of the bed, preparing to start her day, only to remember it was the weekend. She did not have to go to the office today.

Just as she placed her feet on the carpet, her gaze drifted to a small vase of roses resting in the corner of her room, and her thoughts instantly flew to Gavriel.

Her eyes widened slightly as she recalled the note she had left for him.

"Right! I wonder if he read it... or simply didn’t see it at all," she mumbled before getting off the bed and padding over to the room door.

She carefully opened it just a little and peeked her head out, her eyes instantly drifting towards the console table beside his room. The moment she noticed that the things she had placed there for him were gone, her eyes widened slightly.

Taking that as some form of confirmation, she quickly shut the door and pressed her back against it. "I wonder if he accepted my apology or... was it Winston who cleared the plate?" she muttered, pressing her lips together.

Thinking about it, she hurried into the bathroom to get ready so she could find out on her own.

Since it was the weekend, she also had a few things she planned to take care of... things like shopping for her upcoming engagement, so she dressed accordingly.

She wore a striking black and white maxi dress patterned with flowing zebra stripes, the fabric hugging her figure beautifully before spilling dramatically to the floor. The halter neckline perfectly framed her slender shoulders, while a daring, thigh-high slit revealed her long, elegant legs with every movement. Cascading ruffles swept along one side of the dress like waves, trailing behind her in graceful, sweeping folds.

She paired the look with sleek black stilettos, their pointed toes and delicate ankle straps complementing the dramatic gown flawlessly.

Arranging her hair into two small braids at each temple before letting the rest of her golden locks fall behind her made her look elegant, yet youthful.

After that, Aliana grabbed her purse and headed downstairs towards the dining room, thinking that she would leave right after breakfast.

While navigating the quiet corridors of the mansion, her mind continued to wander back to Gavriel.

A barrage of anxious what-ifs swirled through her thoughts, but she quickly shrugged them off, reminding herself that there was no point in dwelling on things beyond her control.

Besides, when had she even begun caring this much about him and what he thought?

After all, if he chose not to accept her apology or even see the note, he would most likely maintain his icy distance. Making her think, isn’t that exactly what she had wanted from the start?

She reminded herself that her gesture last night was merely an attempt to remain cordial and establish peace. She simply wasn’t the type of person who liked to live in a hostile, negative environment.

’Whatever,’ she murmured in her head as she reached the entrance to the dining room.

Releasing a quiet sigh while lowering her expectations to absolutely nothing, she finally pushed the heavy door open.

The moment she stepped inside, her light grey eyes immediately locked in one direction and stilled.

Her gaze collided with a pair of icy blue eyes that were staring right back at her over the rim of a porcelain teacup.

As he slowly lowered the cup to its saucer, his gaze swept over her striking, youthful form.

Aliana once again felt her heart picking up its pace for its daily jog because of the gorgeous man sitting in front of her.

No matter how many times she saw him, it was unfair how devastatingly attractive he was.

He was dressed in a white shirt with a couple of buttons left open, his sleeves folded up, paired with tailored black trousers. He looked so relaxed and at ease that it somehow made her heart flutter even more than when she saw him impeccably dressed.

When he caught her staring, he raised a single brow in silent intrigue.

Gulping lightly, she willed herself to walk forward before taking her seat on his right side just as she had the day before.

She could feel his intense gaze silently tracking her slightest movements as she smoothed her dramatic dress and adjusted herself in her chair. Once fully settled, she summoned her courage, lifting her eyes to meet his piercing stare.

"You... received my note," she finally murmured.

Gavriel picked up his cup once again, his voice smooth and steady as he replied, "I did."

"And you came," she stated, unable to keep the faint surprise from slipping into her voice.

"Would you have preferred that I didn’t?" he asked in return while observing her. Her body was no longer as stiff as it had been yesterday, yet there was still a slight tension in her, as though she were unconsciously keeping her guard up.

She lightly shook her head before responding, "It’s not that. It’s just that when I came by your room yesterday, you didn’t... answer the door, so I thought maybe..."

"Maybe?" he pressed, leaning back slightly.

"Maybe you were avoiding me," she admitted in a small voice, lowering her gaze to her plate.

For a moment, silence stretched between them.

Before Gavriel could respond, Winston stepped into the room and greeted her. "Good morning, Madam."

The sudden interruption made her look at the butler and replied with a small nod. "Morning, Winston."

The old butler proceeded to serve her a beautifully prepared breakfast along with her morning coffee before quietly stepping towards the door, leaving the couple to their privacy once more.

Just as Winston was about to reach the door, Gavriel finally spoke. "I wasn’t there when you came."

Aliana reached for her cup, lifting it to her lips as her eyes locked onto his. "Where were you?"

Taking a slow sip, she let the rich, dark roast settle on her tongue. She nodded inwardly in appreciation, noting that Winston truly possessed an exceptional skill for making her coffee exactly the way she liked it.

Gavriel, on the other hand, continued studying her for a few moments before placing his cup back onto the saucer and replying in a completely calm voice, "I had gone to visit a woman."

The moment those words left his lips, Aliana almost choked on her coffee. She hurriedly set the porcelain cup away from herself, barely managing to avoid making a complete mess.

She coughed lightly, somehow managing not to spill anything. Though she was beginning to believe this devil of a man was absolutely hellbent on making her choke every single time he opened his mouth.

Meanwhile, just across the threshold, Winston felt his footsteps completely falter. Though neither of them noticed, a look of sheer horror overtook the old butler’s face.

He could not help but scream inwardly, ’Master, what on earth are you thinking?!’

Composing herself, Aliana snapped her gaze back to Gavriel. Her grey eyes suddenly blazed with an intense fire as she narrowed them at him. "I beg your pardon?"

Aliana’s voice had dropped to such an icy degree that Winston felt a chill run down his spine. Recognising that the dining room was about to turn into a literal crime scene, the butler hurriedly fled the room and firmly closed the heavy door behind him.

He sent a silent prayer to the stars above for his master’s safety before retreating as far away from the battlefield as possible.