Sometime ago....

While Aliana and Gavriel were visiting one designer boutique after another, naturally, all eyes were instantly drawn towards them.

It was not every day that the nation’s star couple, who had been dominating every major headline, could be seen strolling through the streets so casually, while every media outlet was desperately trying to secure an exclusive interview with them after their explosive press conference, which was held only yesterday.

Naturally, people immediately pulled out their phones to capture the beautiful couple, who were also now a power couple simply because of who they were as individuals.

One was the chairman of the top company in the world and the most desirable bachelor, while the other was the beautiful and unattainable heiress of the second-largest company.

People called her unattainable solely because of Aliana’s track record of never giving even a single suitor the chance to publicly claim a relationship or courtship with her.

She had reserved that right exclusively for the one person who would be the real deal.

When her scandal with Jacob Grant broke out, many people believed it was not such a bad match, especially since those within elite circles already knew how close Jacob was to the current chairman of Van Empire, Alester Vanderbilt.

That opinion only remained relevant to the public until the enigmatic Gavriel Valentine stepped into the picture. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

With him standing beside Aliana, it felt natural to see them together. As if two titans had simply found their rightful place beside one another, while elevating each other with their mere presence.

West Avenue, being the high-end market district, was a place where not just anyone could casually stroll around simply because not everyone could afford the exclusivity it offered.

However, even in such a place, it was rare to see the Vanderbilts and the Archon Group since they were at the pinnacle of society.

That being said, everyone here belonged to the same elite circle. However, they had reputations to maintain and images to uphold. So no matter how much curiosity burned within them, they refused to behave like starved paparazzi.

Even if, in their heads, they were just that.

Among the many people trying to discreetly take pictures and videos of Aliana and Gavriel, someone else also happened to be there.

She had caught sight of the couple who had quickly become the centre of everyone’s attention.

Diana. The succubus.

The same woman Gavriel had visited only yesterday before abruptly leaving.

And who were these succubus?

They were female demons of the underworld, often referred to as the nymphs of the dark realm due to their beauty.

They used their allure to seduce men, either through their dreams or by tempting them in the waking world, luring them in before draining their life force through sexual encounters. Sometimes they took it slowly over time, and other times, they devoured it all at once.

Because of their high sexual drives, they were frequently sought out by higher-level demons, as they were capable of matching the innate, insatiable, dark desires of their kind.

Furthermore, a succubus was unable to drain the life force of a higher-level demon. This made them perfectly compatible partners, allowing them to indulge in each other’s deepest pleasures without any lethal consequences.

Naturally, Gavriel, having lived for centuries, had experienced countless encounters with them.

Even though those demonesses knew that a rendezvous with the devil himself would never evolve into anything meaningful, some still harboured the desperate hope that they might one day become more than just a temporary companion in his bed.

None of them ever dared to dream of becoming his wife, but securing a permanent position as his favoured mistress was not far from their ambitions.

After all, such arrangements were not uncommon in their world. Even while living among humans and hiding their true nature, they still followed certain structures that separated them from the humans.

Diana watched with sharp eyes as the beautiful, blonde woman walked so casually beside her lord across the street. This was the very man she had dreamed of serving as a mistress, and even after an entire year without a shred of contact, she still had not given up hope.

After the news had broken out, she had convinced herself that perhaps her lord had some reason for keeping the woman by his side. After all, she was merely a human.

But seeing him shun her so coldly yesterday, only to now stand beside that human woman in public, allowing her to lead him while clear amusement danced within his eyes...

The very same eyes that had looked so cold, deadly and lifeless the previous night, burned her heart.

Diana couldn’t help the vile, deep-seated jealousy and rage slowly coiling and burning within her at the sight before her.

The man had not even allowed her to touch him last night. Yet right now, what she was witnessing made her eyes pop in disbelief.

Not far away, Aliana had stopped in front of one of the designer gown boutiques, tilting her head slightly as she quietly assessed the red gown displayed behind the glass.

And beside her, Gavriel stood patiently.

Diana watched his eyes move towards the dress before he leaned closer to Aliana. From where she stood, the angle almost made it look as though he had brushed a kiss against her cheek.

Her fingers instantly curled into fists.

"Not this one," he whispered.

Aliana pursed her lips before turning to look at him. "You know just how many times you’ve said that today?"

"I thought you liked honesty," he replied with a straight face.

She lightly shook her head while staring at him before a small smile slowly curved at the corner of her lips.

"You know I am famous for being incredibly particular when it comes to fashion, so much so that people call me a tyrannical customer. If I am difficult, Gavriel, then you must be ultra-hard."

Upon hearing her, Gavriel stared down at her for a moment longer before slowly raising a brow. "Interesting choice of words."

Her brows drew together for a second as she processed his meaning, and then her face instantly flushed as red as a lobster. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times in disbelief before she discreetly shoved his chest.

"Pervert," she muttered, quickly turning to walk away.

Gavriel chuckled lightly, catching up to her in just three long strides. Wrapping his hand securely around her waist, he pulled her back against his side as he teased, "Your words, not mine.