Chapter 345: Quiet Anticipation

Aliana kept her eyes fixed on the doorway, and slowly, a bright, genuine smile spread across her lips.

Right then, a tall, commanding figure stepped into the office, and Aliana immediately broke into a run.

Her smile widened as she threw her arms around the man, who caught her in a warm, solid embrace.

"Gav," she breathed, holding him tightly and burying her nose in his chest as she took a deep inhale.

Gavriel, on the other hand, did the same, burying his face in her neck and taking in her scent as he held her tightly before pressing a kiss beneath her ear.

They held each other as if they hadn’t met in ages, completely forgetting that Nigel was still standing right there... or that the door was wide open, allowing a few passing executives to catch a rare glimpse of their CEO embracing a man so intimately.

But Aliana didn’t care.

Gavriel’s mere presence was so soothing that it melted away all the tension in her shoulders and every lingering thought that had weighed on her throughout the day.

Nigel, feeling like the ultimate third wheel, quickly cleared his throat as he noticed a small crowd beginning to linger outside the open doorway.

It was only then that Aliana pulled back and studied his face, finding a very pleased look settled in his icy blue eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked softly.

"I came to pick you up," Gavriel replied quietly, his hands settling comfortably on her waist.

Surprise flickered in her eyes. "Pick me up?"

Gavriel nodded. "You didn’t call."

"Oh..." Aliana blinked before offering an apologetic look. "I thought I would share everything with you once I got home."

Gavriel’s thumb brushed gently against her cheek before tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "Tell me over dinner."

Aliana offered him a small nod. "I was just about to leave for home."

"We aren’t going straight home just yet," Gavriel replied.

"Then... dinner?" Aliana asked.

The corner of his lips curled upward. "You’ll see." He rested a hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the doorway. "Come."

Aliana shot her husband a sideways glance, wondering what sort of surprise he was hiding behind his composed exterior, but she couldn’t stop the quiet anticipation humming through her veins.

As they stepped out of Van Empire, the reaction was still the same. Whenever the golden couple appeared together in public, people couldn’t help but pause and swoon at the sight of them.

But, as usual, ignoring the attention around them, the couple left the building, unaware of the pair of green eyes that remained locked on the golden-haired woman, happily wrapped in the possessive hand resting against her lower back.

Only after they disappeared from sight did he finally turn and walk away.

....

Meanwhile, back at the Valentine residence, a completely different circus was underway. One was completely engrossed in her meal, while the other’s eyes remained fixed on her as he lazily swirled his wine.

Since Jade had gone back to ignoring his existence, Cillian took matters into his own hands... or rather, his feet. Beneath the table, he slyly extended a leg and ran his shoe up her knee.

The unexpected touch made Jade drop her cutlery onto the plate with a loud clatter. She snapped her head up to glare at him.

Cillian offered a lazy smirk. "What’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"

A bright blush flushed Jade’s face as she quickly pulled her leg back. "It’s fine."

Cillian simply stretched his leg further, his foot sliding all the way up her calf. "Just fine? With the way you were devouring it like a stray, one would think otherwise. Seems like you need a little more... spice."

Jade narrowed her eyes. "I think I’m good. Why don’t you focus on your own meal?"

Cillian chuckled. "Oh, I’m more interested in dessert. I’ll have it... when we are finished with dinner."

Jade’s mouth hung open at his complete lack of shame. Her eyes darted nervously toward Winston, who stood in the far corner with his eyes locked onto the ceiling, doing his absolute best to ignore whatever was brewing between them.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she attempted to redirect the conversation. "Winston, when did you say they would be returning?"

Winston snapped out of his attempt to blend into the wall and replied, "Master didn’t specify a time, Miss. He only requested that I inform you both not to wait up for him and Madam for dinner."

"Right. Bedtime it is," she muttered, instantly scarfing down her dinner like a woman about fleeing a crime scene.

Cillian saw right through what she was doing and chuckled. "Well, well, slow down, tiger. We wouldn’t want you to choke on your food now, would we?"

Jade only glared at him as she gulped down her water and quickly got up to leave. "Thank you for dinner, Winston. I’ll be retiring to my room now."

"Yes, Miss," Winston bowed.

The butler raised his eyes just in time to see Cillian pushing his chair back to follow her like a predator on the hunt.

But just as Jade took a step toward the doorway, her footsteps paused when her phone buzzed in her hand. Her eyes fell on the screen, where a single name flashed... Owen.

.....

Aliana had been seated beside Gavriel in the quiet luxury of his car for over an hour, yet as time passed, her curiosity only deepened as the glittering lights of the bustling city faded further into the distance.

As their car navigated a quiet, lonely road winding up the hill, Aliana could no longer keep the words from spilling out.

"You know, when your partner drives you out to an increasingly isolated area, it is usually a classic setup in a thriller movie suggesting they are up to no good."

A small smile curved Gavriel’s lips as he listened to her. "Are you expecting something bad to happen to you?"

Aliana shrugged teasingly. "Hmm... who knows? After all, I’m sitting next to a big, bad devil, so you tell me."

Gavriel’s smile broadened, his elusive dimple making an appearance as he cast a lingering glance at her before returning his gaze to the dark road ahead.

"I do want to do bad things to you, baby."

Aliana’s head snapped toward him, her eyebrows arching high. "Are all demons as shameless as you?"

Gavriel kept his eyes on the road, replying in a matter-of-fact tone, "There is no shame in stating my intentions towards my wife."

Aliana’s heart did a quick flip. She placed a hand over her chest, as though she could somehow calm her racing pulse, and turned her flushed face towards the window.

Gavriel stole another quick glance at her before making a sharp turn, bringing the car to a smooth halt.

Aliana looked around, her brows drawing together as she realised they were parked in the middle of a dense forest. Towering trees surrounded them, obscuring everything beyond, with not another soul in sight.