Three days had passed since the kidnapping incident in a heartbeat, and both of them had been far too busy to find even a single second to rest. It had been so exhausting that Aliana dozed off the moment her body touched the mattress.

She and Gavriel had been sharing a bedroom ever since her return to the mansion.

The main reason he had given her was that her old room required extensive repair work, making it impossible for her to stay there. His other argument was that since Gavriel’s room would eventually become hers anyway, she might as well get comfortable now, which she surprisingly didn’t argue about.

Closer to him, the safer she felt.

Her entire wardrobe and all her necessary items had already been shifted to his suite. Because of this, she hadn’t even needed to step inside her old room to inspect the actual damage. She had tried to open it one day out of sheer curiosity, but the door was firmly locked, so she quickly gave up.

She had a lot on her plate that needed sorting out, even after Gavriel had insisted that she rest.

But how could she when the acting CEO of the company was missing? 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The worst part was telling her parents that Jacob had drugged her, isolated her, and tried to force himself on her while Gavriel was away and fled when Gavriel arrived to rescue her.

There was no way to sugarcoat it.

Nothing could make the news easier to hear, no matter how much her parents had once trusted Jacob.

She didn’t get into the details, and they didn’t ask, mindful of her feelings and unwilling to risk reopening any trauma.

But that didn’t lessen the impact of her words.

They were shocked to their core, and that shock quickly turned into absolute fury.

Alester had immediately ordered every single ounce of his manpower to hunt Jacob down and bring the man directly to him, determined to inflict the most brutal punishment imaginable.

Yet, even without her father’s intervention, Gavriel and Cillian had already been on an unrelenting hunt of their own since they couldn’t determine whether he was alive or not.

Jade and Nigel were equally horrified when they learned the details of Aliana’s ordeal.

Jade, in particular, felt a sickening wave of disgust and rage wash over her. She had briefly dated Jacob in the past, and she now deeply regretted ever sharing a single moment of her life with a man so utterly vile.

Later, it was officially announced that Jacob Grant had been terminated from his position as the acting CEO of Van Empire, effective immediately.

Media outlets exploded the moment they caught wind of the sudden shake-up within the Van Empire. Even though the public remained completely unaware of the horrific kidnapping incident, the abrupt termination of a high-profile CEO was more than enough to cause company stocks to plummet overnight.

However, when it was subsequently announced that Aliana would be taking her rightful place as the new CEO of the Van Empire shortly after her wedding, the market began to stabilize again.

In fact, the stocks skyrocketed when Alester himself stepped back into the fray, assuming the role of interim CEO until Aliana was fully prepared to take over.

Renowned throughout the corporate world as a brilliant business strategist, Alester’s commanding presence instantly reassured investors and board members alike, effectively smoothing over the volatile unrest Jacob had left in his wake.

Apart from that, their wedding was rapidly approaching.

With the help of Nigel, Jade, Cillian, and her parents, Aliana and Gavriel managed to finalise every last detail, ensuring nothing was left unfinished before their trip to wherever Gavriel planned to take her.

Despite sharing the same bedroom every night, the couple hadn’t had a single opportunity to give in to their escalating desire for each other.

Aliana was consistently exhausted, and during the hours she was awake, she was either consumed by work or Gavriel was away managing his own chaotic schedule.

The nights, however, were the most exquisite torture of all.

Locked away in the quiet sanctuary of their bedroom right before sleep, their burning attraction for each other threatened to spill out of control every single time.

Yet, both remained stubbornly committed to their wager, waiting to see who would be the first to crumble.

Gavriel had even stopped demanding his nightly kiss. Being considerate towards Aliana’s recent trauma, he knew just how dangerous a single touch would be, fully aware that he would lose complete control the moment his lips met hers... and Aliana knew it, too.

She was teetering on the edge herself.

But since he was managing to hold back so well, she had decided to deploy a brand-new tactic. It was a strategy that leaned heavily into the art of silent seduction, relying on a very specific weapon... her choice of clothing.

Currently, fifty thousand feet above the ground, a private jet cuts through the night clouds, making steady progress toward its destination.

Inside the cabin, the two passengers sat across from each other in absolute silence.

Even though both had been quiet for the duration of the flight, their minds were in utter turmoil.... mainly because of each other.

Aliana sat directly across from the devil, casually flipping through a magazine resting on her lap.

She wore a sleek black bodycon mini dress paired with a tailored black blazer, creating a flawless blend of elegance and sensuality. Accentuated by black pointed heels, her smooth legs were crossed gracefully.

Her blonde hair cascaded over one shoulder, and she rested her cheek against her knuckles as her other hand lazily turned the pages.

Her eyes remained fixed on the magazine, but her mind was hyper-aware of the piercing blue gaze glued to her. Gavriel was watching her with an intensity that felt hot enough to burn her alive.

They were on their way to a mysterious destination that Gavriel stubbornly refused to reveal, insisting it was a surprise.

So, naturally, Aliana had decided to get back at him in her own way.

She had chosen a short dress that would test the devil’s self-control. She knew she was treading dangerous waters to see if he would finally slip. And so far, judging by the way he was currently drilling holes through her with his stare, she knew it was working.

’How petty of you, Aliana,’ she thought, biting her lip to suppress the sly smile threatening to bloom on her face.

Still, she absolutely loved teasing him!

She relished seeing the way his muscles flexed under the heavy weight of his restraint, the sharp clench of his jaw, and the way his intense gaze continued to set fire to her skin.

It was truly a double-edged sword.

With their wedding drawing closer, neither of them wanted to lose first. Neither wanted to be the one to surrender.

They had no idea what reward awaited the victor, but the taste of sweet triumph was tempting enough on its own.

Call it their stubborn pride, their fiercely competitive natures, or simply the ego of two people who despised losing, but neither was willing to back down.

And so, the game continued.