[Music recomndation: Narrow Skies - Among the Stars]
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Gavriel’s stoic expression finally cracked.
His blue eyes widened ever so slightly as he stared at the woman slowly descending towards him.
Each graceful step was carefully placed. One hand rested lightly against the railing while the other gathered the front of her gown to keep the fabric from tangling beneath her feet.
The crimson dress flowed around her like liquid ruby beneath the golden glow of the chandelier, while her blonde curls cascaded over her shoulders like spun gold. The diamonds adorning her neck and ears shimred with every movent, but they were insignificant compared to the woman wearing them.
The impatience that had been steadily building within him vanished without a trace.
Jade followed behind her, but it was as though Gavriel’s entire world had narrowed to only one in red descending the staircase.
His gaze travelled over her slowly, silently taking in every detail as though he were admiring a priceless masterpiece. Yet despite the appreciation burning within those blue eyes, his expression remained as composed as ever.
Then, just as Aliana reached the final few steps, his feet moved on their own accord. Without a word, he closed the distance between them and extended his hand towards her.
That was when Aliana finally lifted her eyes from her dress. Her gaze first landed on the offered hand before travelling upwards to its owner.
The mont she saw Gavriel, her heart perford a violent sorsault.
Handso was far too mild a word to describe how incredibly attractive he was.
By now, Aliana had seen him in bespoke suits, casual shirts, and silk robes, but Gavriel in a tuxedo topped them all.
She doubted anything else could ever rival this look.
Well, perhaps him being entirely shirtless... that was the only alternative she could think of, though she hadn’t given herself a proper chance to admire that view yet, always too distracted by one chaotic thing or another whenever they were close.
If she didn’t possess an imnse amount of self-control, she would be positively drooling right now at how magnificent he looked.
His hair was styled back so that only a few rogue strands fell perfectly over his forehead, leaving the rest neatly set to showcase his sharp, striking features. The tuxedo looked as though it had been crafted to perfection solely for him.
If she didn’t know any better, she would actually believe her husband-to-be was indeed a devil with an angelic face.
But while she was busy ogling him, she failed to notice that he hadn’t spoken a single word or even blinked since she had reached the bottom of the stairs. As an intense silence stretched between them, one that neither was willing to break, right on cue, Nigel’s phone buzzed again.
As if too afraid to ruin the mont between the couple, Nigel turned to signal the man next to him. Cillian was grinning like an idiot, thoroughly enjoying the rare spectacle.
Feeling eyes on him, Cillian turned to et Nigel’s pleading gaze and finally rolled his eyes.
Fearless as always, he cleared his throat loudly. "Ahem."
The sound was enough to snap Aliana back to reality.
Blinking, she finally tore her gaze away from Gavriel and looked past him towards the n waiting nearby. Their wide smiles made it painfully obvious that they had all been standing there, patiently watching the two of them stare at each other.
Without further hesitation, she placed her hand into Gavriel’s and asked softly, "How do I look?"
In response, and without breaking eye contact for even a fraction of a second, he simply leaned down to press a slow kiss against her knuckles.
Sparks shot straight up her nerves.
Before she could even catch her breath, he straightened just enough to lean close to her ear, his deep voice whispering a single word.
"Delicious."
The single word struck her harder than it should have. Heat blood across her face like a vivid red rose.
anwhile, the devil himself rely pressed her fingers ever so slightly, as though silently conveying all the wicked thoughts he refused to voice aloud in public.
Aliana was certain her knees would have given out right then and there.
Their constant gas of push and pull over the past couple of days had only intensified things tenfold, and she knew for a fact that Gavriel knew exactly what he was doing to her.
His striking blue eyes danced with pure mischief as if he were explicitly waiting for the mont her willpower would finally crumble. Frankly, she could feel it dwindling faster than she was willing to admit.
Despite everything, Aliana sohow managed to maintain her composure.
"Shall we?" she asked, her voice surprisingly steady.
A faint smile touched Gavriel’s lips before he gently guided her towards the entrance.
Outside, a fleet of sleek black luxury cars awaited them beneath the evening sky.
The venue for their engagent celebration had been chosen carefully.
Rather than hosting it at Valentine Residence, the ceremony was being held at the ancestral Vanderbilt mansion, where Aliana’s parents resided.
Given Aliana’s recent accident and the relentless dia frenzy that had followed, everyone had agreed it was the most practical choice. Neither she nor Gavriel had made a public appearance since the accident, nor had they returned to the office, which had only fuelled public curiosity. Reporters had been desperate for even a glimpse of the couple.
Holding the event at the Vanderbilt estate allowed security to remain tightly controlled while ensuring the celebration stayed exclusive to invited guests only.
They could have hosted the ceremony at the Valentine Residence, but Aliana was mindful of Gavriel’s privacy.
With Jade, Nigel, and Cillian already staying there, she didn’t want to further infringe upon his personal space, knowing how deeply he valued the seclusion of his estate.
Allowing a rotating crew of designers and vendors into the mansion over the past few days had already pushed his limits, and she had no desire to invite hundreds of strangers into his ho.
Besides, she preferred it that way for her own sake. Sowhere in her mind, the Valentine Residence was fast becoming her own sanctuary... far more so than Victorian Heights.
She liked the idea of keeping it quiet and protected, a space reserved strictly for her inner circle.
Soon, Gavriel helped her into the waiting vehicle before taking the seat beside her.
At the front, Levi settled behind the wheel and smoothly pulled the car away from the estate.
anwhile, Nigel, Cillian, and Jade climbed into another vehicle following closely behind as the small convoy made its way towards the Vanderbilt mansion, where hundreds of guests awaited the arrival of the evening’s most anticipated couple.
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