[Music recommendation: PIXIE-T - Deserted Island]

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A shot glass hit the glossy marble countertop once again as she downed another tequila in a single gulp.

’What number was she on now?’ Gavriel wondered as he indulged her by downing one himself, letting the colourless liquid burn pleasantly down his throat.

’Third, maybe.’

His gaze remained fixed on her as she sucked on a slice of lemon, her beautiful face scrunching up slightly at the sour taste. A delicate flush had already spread across her cheeks and dusted the tip of her nose, giving her an irresistible glow that made it increasingly difficult for him to look away.

When she opened her alluring grey eyes, she turned toward him with the confidence of a natural seductress, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.

Gavriel watched as her gaze slowly traced his features before she leaned in close. Her hand found the broad plane of his chest, and the mere touch burned him in a way he had never experienced with anyone else before.

"Gav," she drawled, her voice dropping to a low purr.

Amusement danced in his eyes as he responded, "Hm?"

Her fingers slowly travelled upward until they curled around his tie before she gave it a gentle tug, silently demanding that he come closer.

And he did.

Leaning toward her without the slightest resistance, he felt the warmth of her breath brush against his ear before her soft, sultry whisper reached him.

"Dance with me."

His eyes widened slightly at the request. He leaned back just enough to look at her face, finding a clear challenge gleaming in her eyes, as if she were daring him to say no.

When he didn’t reply immediately, she suddenly let go of his tie.

In the next fluid movement, she slid the oversized white fur coat off her shoulders, finally revealing the stunning bronze silk dress she had been hiding beneath it all day.

The moment the barrier of her heavy coat was removed, his eyes finally dipped downward to take in the utterly breathtaking dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Its delicate spaghetti straps revealed her smooth, milky shoulders.

But it was when she turned around that Gavriel felt his jaw clench.

The dress was completely backless, exposing the elegant curve of her spine all the way down to where the zipper ended just above her hips. A long, thin, delicate silver chain hung down her bare back, creating such a riveting sight that Gavriel downed another drink just to soothe his suddenly dry throat.

Aliana, completely unaware of the effect she was having on him, simply reached up to the hairpin that had kept her low bun together until now. With a single tug, she pulled it free, allowing her golden hair to cascade down her shoulders like a waterfall.

For a brief moment, Gavriel was utterly captivated.

Then one thought... and one thought alone, formed in his mind.

’Why the hell did I agree to this?’

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Three hours ago...

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Gavriel was ready to take her back to the chalet, thinking that perhaps they had done enough sightseeing for one day. The powerful presence he had sensed in the marketplace still lingered at the back of his mind. The presence wasn’t evil at all, which is why it refused to leave him no matter how much time passed.

Neither of them spoke as he navigated through the traffic.

Aliana was equally occupied with her own thoughts.

So far, she couldn’t help but feel her mood sour every time she replayed the riddled warning the woman had given her. Her brows pulled together in annoyance, and she clicked her tongue in irritation.

The small sound instantly snapped Gavriel out of his own head.

Turning to look at her, he didn’t have to guess what mood she was currently in. "What’s wrong?" he asked.

Instead of answering him, Aliana narrowed her eyes at the road ahead and realised they were approaching the route that would take them out of the city.

"Wait, where are we going?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Home," Gavriel replied calmly, as though there was absolutely nothing unusual about his answer.

She stared at him in disbelief. "What? I thought we agreed to go to one more place before heading back."

Gavriel shifted gears smoothly, keeping his gaze on the road. "It would be best to stay away from large crowds for the rest of the evening."

"Wait, why?" Aliana countered, her frustration mounting. "Is it because of that thief? Gav, things like that happen all the time in busy markets. And not to mention, it didn’t even happen to me, it happened to another lady-"

"I have concerns about the woman in white you mentioned." he cut her off, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Aliana went quiet for a moment, peering at his rigid side profile. He looked dead serious, and it was obvious that no amount of convincing would make him change his mind.

A wave of defeat immediately washed over her.

Then came the other emotions she had been trying to suppress since yesterday: disappointment, confusion, irritation, fear of the unknown, and panic.

The emotional storm crashed into her so quickly that the rawness of it hit Gavriel with full force. Making him immediately slowed the vehicle down.

A single look at her overwhelmed expression made him tighten his grip on the steering wheel.

Clenching his jaw, he made a smooth turn before bringing the car to a complete stop at the side of the road.

Confusion flickered in her eyes before she turned to face him.

His hand shot out, his gloved fingers gently catching her chin to tilt her face upward.

Leaning in close, he gazed directly into her eyes, his voice dropping low, "Talk to me."

Her light grey eyes wavered slightly.

She could clearly tell that he was trying to read the chaotic storm brewing inside her chest, but she simply wasn’t ready to talk about it. At least, not right now.

All she wanted was to loosen up and have a good time. When they got back home, perhaps she would open up then, she reasoned.

Releasing a shaky breath, she replied, "I just don’t want to think about anything that is happening or anything that has happened over the past couple of days."

He regarded her words in silence as cars continued to speed past on the road around them.

But more than her words, it was her eyes that spoke to him. They seemed to be pleading for an escape, not from anyone else, but from her own thoughts.

The sight made him sigh softly.

"Fine," he conceded. "What was this last place you wanted to visit?"

And that was how they ended up at the city’s most popular high-end club, Mirage.

From the moment they arrived, Aliana had refused to take one of the private tables Gavriel normally preferred. Instead, she insisted on sitting at the bar, reasoning that she wanted to be part of the chaos rather than hidden away from it.

And Gavriel, wanting nothing more than to ease her mind so he complied.

They continued to enjoy their drinks, only speaking occasionally because the club music was blasting loud enough to drown out a person’s own thoughts.

Knowing that a real conversation was virtually impossible in a place like this so they resorted to the only activity that made sense at a bar... drinking.