[Music recommendation: Yanni - One Man’s Dream (Audio)]

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Aliana almost missed her step, but Gavriel smoothly covered for her before anyone in the crowd could notice.

A fierce blush rushed to her face as she whispered, "I know exactly what you are trying to do. You better stop."

Even though her gaze lacked any real malice, he felt her fingernails dig lightly into his palm in a silent warning.

A small, devious smile played on his lips. His voice dropped even lower, becoming a gravelly murmur against her skin. "And what exactly am I doing, baby?"

Aliana felt her heart slam violently against her ribs. The magnetic resonance of his voice sent a sudden pool of heat pooling deep in her belly.

Yet, she forced herself to maintain her composure, fighting not to stammer as she replied in a quiet, quivering whisper, "Don’t play innocent. Or have you forgotten that we have hundreds of people watching us?"

Right then, Gavriel guided her into a swift turn, pulling her back flush against his chest in another incredibly graceful move as they continued to navigate the floor. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

She felt his warm breath fanning the shell of her ear. "Let them watch. In fact, I would love nothing more than to show every single daring eye in this room the simple fact that you belong to me alone."

Oh Lord.

Her heart tumbled inside her chest as he spun her once more until she was facing him again. This time, the distance between them vanished entirely.

Gavriel’s hand had conveniently climbed much higher up her bare back, his fingertips digging gently into her skin.

"Gav," she breathed.

The polite, composed facade she had maintained for the public was beginning to crack under his onslaught.

Gavriel’s eyes bored into hers, and from this proximity, Aliana finally saw them clearly. His beautiful blue depths were filled with a pent-up hunger so raw that she felt as though it might burn her alive.

He leaned in even closer as they moved, whispering her name with a sense of absolute, undeniable need. "Aliana."

There it was... the way he uttered her name made her feel as though she would completely unravel without question. She swore that if he were to ask anything of her in this exact moment, her answer would automatically be a simple, unconditional yes.

She wondered how this man had managed to rewire her brain so quickly... so quietly.

It was baffling.

She was the one known as the She-Devil of Astoria, yet this man right here fit every definition of a devil.

He was alluring, magnetic, and so absolutely sinful that she found herself wanting to commit any sin he desired, guided solely by his simple command.

While such thoughts circled through her mind, making her increasingly inclined to bend to his will, he didn’t stop there.

He leaned even closer, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear as he murmured, "I want you."

That was when her steps faltered once again.

But Gavriel was already close enough to use his sheer strength to sweep her up, supporting her weight effortlessly as they spun in one final, dramatic circle. The music reached its roaring crescendo before slowly fading to a halt, and he finally lowered her feet back to the ground.

This time, she didn’t even attempt to pull away.

Instead, she leaned heavily against his chest as he remained close to her ear, his voice dropping into a dark promise. "Tonight."

Aliana’s eyes widened, her face burning a deep crimson, yet she did not utter a single word to refute him.

Instead, in a silent response to his dark promise, she closed the remaining distance between them, wrapping her arms securely around his waist.

Gavriel understood the unspoken permission immediately, pulling her tightly against his chest in a protective embrace.

Incredibly pleased with her surrender, he pressed his lips against the crown of her hair, completely unbothered by the countless stunned eyes staring at them from every corner of the room.

Then, as if breaking the spell of their dreamy dance, Jade, Nigel, and Cillian were the first to begin clapping.

The rest of the guests quickly followed suit, filling the grand ballroom with a resounding round of applause.

The audience had been so utterly spellbound by the electric chemistry between the couple that they hadn’t even realised the music had stopped.

Now, watching them hold each other on the floor, no one could dare claim this arrangement was fake or staged for the media. Because no matter how cynical high society could be, it was impossible to fake the raw, tangible magic that Aliana and Gavriel had just cast over the room.

As enthusiastic cheers and teasing comments were showered upon them, the noise finally pulled Aliana out of her trance.

She lifted her head from his chest to look up at Gavriel, only to see him staring back with a dark anticipation of what the night had to offer, and she could only feel herself burn hotter than a thousand suns beneath that look.

Gently, they pulled back from one another.

With their blood still thrumming with intense excitement, Gavriel rested his hand against the small of her back, guiding her smoothly off the dance floor toward where her parents and their inner circle stood waiting.

While the atmosphere in the room lightened as other couples were invited to join the dance floor, two people who hadn’t exchanged a single word with the couple since their arrival stood near a massive pillar, their teeth gritted in sheer fury.

Jacob’s eyes were pitch-black, as if a violent storm were brewing within him.

No one else in the crowd had noticed Gavriel’s covert movements during the dance, or the way his fingers had been tracing Aliana’s bare skin, but Jacob had.

His sharp, obsessively fixated eyes had caught the way the man was touching her so intimately, drawing breathless reactions from her that Jacob believed should belong solely to him.

But he was not the only one drowning in malice.

Beside him, Diaz wore an equally dark expression, wanting nothing more than to tear Aliana apart for daring to cling to Gavriel in such a brazen manner.

While Diaz still managed to maintain a calm, sophisticated exterior, she glanced to her left and realized the man beside her lacked her level of self-control.

She saw how hard his jaw was clenched and noticed his fists trembling. He looked only seconds away from marching straight over to the couple and doing something absolutely stupid.

Forcing a tight leash on her own dark emotions, Diaz suddenly grabbed his arm just as he took a step forward, pulling him back sharply toward her.

In a low, venomous whisper, she hissed, "What the fuck do you think you are doing?"

Jacob snapped his head toward her, glaring fiercely, but she pressed on without backing down. "Do you honestly think marching up there right now is the smartest move? What do you think they will do to you? Being thrown out of the venue should be the absolute least of your worries if you decide to act recklessly right now and ruin our entire plan."

Taking a sharp, ragged breath, Jacob forced himself to control his temper. "I was only going to ask her for a dance," he muttered.

Diaz raised an eyebrow, giving him an entirely incredulous look. "Oh? And you think a man like Gavriel would just stand aside and allow that to happen?"

When Jacob simply gritted his teeth in silence, she leaned even closer, her eyes glinting dangerously. "Start using your brain, Jacob, before you let your pathetic emotions get the better of you and ruin everything we’ve planned. Gavriel will never allow you anywhere near her, especially not now. Just stick to the plan and stop causing problems unless you want this whole operation to go sideways."

He knew she was right.

No matter how much his blood boiled right now, he needed to remain patient.

Hadn’t he been patient all this time?

He just needed to hold onto that restraint until this evening was over, and then, everything would be his. Everything he had ever dreamed of.

Everything.

Repeating that mantra like a prayer in his mind, he took a deep breath and whispered back, "I’m sorry. I lost control for a second. You are right."

"Good. Now keep that in mind and don’t cause any more issues," Diaz replied coldly, turning her attention back toward the oblivious couple.