"No!"

As the silent scream tore through her lips, Aliana’s eyes snapped wide open, glowing a brilliant, unnatural red. She remained completely oblivious to the transformation, unable to see the alteration for herself.

Her chest rose and fell in uneven, rapid succession.

Sweat drenched her face and neck as she gasped. Her lips parted while she struggled to catch her breath. Just then, a heavy crack of thunder rumbled outside, bleeding into a burst of lightning that illuminated the room through the glass windows.

The flash of light was enough for Aliana to realise she was back in her own bedroom.

Her shaky hands reached out instinctively, fumbling along the bedside table until her fingers found the switch to the lamp. With a click, soft light flooded the space.

She scrambled backwards on the mattress, pressing her back firmly against the headboard.

Leaning over her knees, she buried her face in her palms, her body still trembling from the lingering horror of the dream.

She forced herself to take slow, deep breaths, gradually settling her agitated nerves before lifting her face to inspect her surroundings once more. It was undeniable now that she was safely inside her penthouse in Victorian Heights.

A deep frown settled on her features as she stared out the window at the intense storm raging against the glass. "Wait... why am I here?"

The moment those words left her lips, she abruptly threw the blanket off herself and sprinted towards her walk-in closet, where a full-length mirror stood.

Her eyes immediately locked onto her reflection. She slowly raised her hand to touch her face before moving closer and staring directly into her eyes.

A few seconds later, a deep sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"Oh, thank God. It was just a dream," she murmured, reassuring herself as she lightly patted her chest.

Now that she had settled down slightly and realised that she had not undergone any strange transformation, another thought suddenly surfaced in her mind.

’Where is he?’

By he, she meant Gavriel.

Acting on impulse, she rushed out of her bedroom.

A suffocating dread tightened around her chest at the thought that he might have left her behind, completely alone in the penthouse while a violent storm tore through the city outside.

The graphic memories of the collapsed billboard and the bloodied street loomed heavily in her mind, making her stomach churn with nausea. Yet, she forced the sensation down, driven entirely by the desperate need to find him....to know he hadn’t abandoned her.

’Why would he bring me here?’ she asked herself, her bare feet moving swiftly across the floor. ’Is he downstairs?’

The moment she reached the gallery that opened onto the staircase leading down, her footsteps slowed at the muffled voices drifting up from the floor below.

"Are you being serious right now?" came an exasperated woman’s voice. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Do I look like I’m joking?" followed a confident, mocking male voice laced with shameless arrogance.

Aliana instinctively paused.

"Have you seen yourself in the mirror?" the woman snapped.

"Every day, in fact. And I must add, what a magnificent sight I am."

The corner of Aliana’s eye twitched.

She instantly recognised who the two people were through the gallery overlooking the living room below.

A petite red-haired woman stood with her hands planted firmly on her hips, her eyes wide with utter disbelief as she stared at the tall man standing before her. Meanwhile, he merely looked back at her with infuriating ease, a sly grin tugging at his lips as though he was enjoying every second of her frustration.

It was Jade and Cillian.

And by all means, it looked like yet another battlefield.

"Huh? Are you even listening to yourself? I didn’t know the CEO of Archon Group suffered from severe narcissism."

Cillian raised a brow while keeping the box secured under his arm. "And I didn’t know the Princess of the Ross Real Estate Empire was so judgmental."

"P-please....I would kindly request that both of you calm down," Nigel suddenly cut in, looking as though he had aged ten years just from listening to the two of them. "My blood pressure has done nothing to deserve this."

Both of them shot him a look before replying in perfect unison, "Never!"

The moment the word left their mouths at the exact same time, Jade immediately turned back towards Cillian before narrowing her eyes.

Folding her arms across her chest defensively, she continued, "What exactly is wrong with what I said? I know a narcissist when I see one. I bet you’re one of those weirdos who has a mirror above their bed just so they can stare at themselves twenty-four hours a day."

Cillian slowly took a step closer before leaning down slightly, his lips curling into a smug grin.

"Wouldn’t you like to know about my bedroom?" he asked casually. "Though only a very lucky few have ever seen it. I’ll tell you what, try being nice to me and perhaps I’ll consider it."

Jade’s eyes widened instantly before her face turned crimson.

"You could only dream of that ever happening!" she snapped.

She pointed accusingly at him. "Anyway, what are you even doing here? This is my best friend’s home."

Nigel could only sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose while staring at the two adults arguing like children who had been left unsupervised.

Cillian kept his gaze locked onto the woman before him. "For the tenth time, I will say it. I am not here by choice. I’m only here because of-" He trailed off mid-sentence.

His eyes shifted upward, landing on the upper gallery where Aliana had been standing quietly, taking in the entire drama.

"Aliana," he called out in surprise.

"Aliana? And why do you care so much about her? Listen mister, she’s an engaged woman now, so I would suggest you back off."

Cillian scowled at Jade before choosing to ignore her completely.

"You’re finally awake," he commented, looking back at Aliana.

That was when Jade frowned before following Cillian’s line of sight, and Nigel did the same, only for both of their eyes to widen in surprise.

"Oh my God! You’re finally awake, Ali!" Jade squealed so loudly that both Cillian and Nigel had to cover their ears.

Aliana looked down at the three of them with fond amusement. Moving to step down the stairs, she teased, "Please, continue, you two. Don’t stop on my account."