Chapter 247: Bound To The Island
A frown settled on her face as she tried to recall the dream.
Somehow, she could only remember the sound of the woman wailing. The images were not clear to begin with, as the vision had been shrouded in deep darkness.
But she told him everything she could remember.
"I couldn’t see anything clearly because it was too dark. But I did hear a woman wailing as though she was in unbearable pain..."
She searched Gavriel’s eyes before continuing, "It was just so disturbing to hear her... It sounded like she was completely broken... as if she had lost everything."
She swallowed as a tight lump formed in her throat. "I could feel her emotions... that’s all."
Gavriel remained silent for a long moment before asking, "Do you remember anything else? Did she say anything... or a glimpse of what she looked like?"
Aliana ran her hands over her face before pushing her hair back, then shook her head.
"It’s all a blur." She gave a small shrug before looking at him. "Why? Do you think it meant something?"
He reached up to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear before caressing her cheek with his knuckles.
"You never know..." he murmured. "Are you feeling alright? We can cancel or postpone our trip-"
He trailed off when her eyes widened in horror.
"No! We are not cancelling anything," she replied immediately.
As if suddenly regaining her energy and presence of mind, Aliana scrambled to her feet. She gasped the moment her eyes caught the clock. "It is already nine! Why didn’t you wake me up?" she yelled, already sprinting toward the bathroom.
Gavriel simply blinked as he watched her bounce back in full spirit.
He sat in the quiet room as the echoes of her words lingered, wondering if it truly was just a random dream that had elicited such a visceral reaction from her.
.....
After an hour-long flight and nearly two hours at sea, a luxury yacht cut steadily through the crystal-blue waters towards the exclusive island where Cedric and his soon-to-be wife were set to exchange their vows.
On the deck, beneath large white umbrellas, two beautiful women lounged on sunbeds in cute summer mini dresses, gazing out at the endless sea through their sunglasses with cocktails in hand.
Aliana, dressed in a fitted blush pink tweed mini dress with a square neckline and a crystal-buttoned wrap skirt, inhaled the salty sea breeze and murmured, "I swear, I really needed this."
"Tell me about it," Jade replied after taking a sip from her drink before adding, "Hm... I wonder why it seems so quiet in there."
With that, the two women turned around to peek through the glass doors into the yacht’s air-conditioned lounge.
Inside sat three men enjoying their drinks.
One was Gavriel, of course, looking absolutely drool-worthy in a relaxed white linen shirt and beige trousers. He exuded an effortless composure, occasionally offering brief replies to Cillian, who was similarly dressed for the summer weather.
While the third man was Andrew West, with his short brown hair and hazel eyes. He sat noticeably stiff under Gavriel’s intimidating presence. He had come to the wedding as Jade’s plus one.
Watching the two men looking perfectly relaxed while Andrew appeared as rigid as a board, both women let out a sigh before turning back towards the sea.
"Wow. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Andrew was a statue," Jade murmured.
"I don’t blame him," Aliana replied with a slight look of pity. "Most people are like that around Gavriel."
"Yup! I’ve noticed. Your husband really gives off that cold, alpha-male aura," Jade murmured.
"Hmm." Aliana didn’t dispute it. Gavriel’s mere presence was enough to make people instinctively keep their distance, as though crossing an invisible line around him would be a grave mistake.
Jade glanced back towards the lounge before commenting, "I’m still surprised Cedric knows Cillian well enough to invite him to the wedding."
"Yes, Cedric has done a lot of business with the Archon Group," Aliana replied.
When Jade fell silent, Aliana probed with a touch of curiosity, "So... I didn’t know you were seeing someone seriously enough to bring him as your plus-one."
Jade released a soft sigh before swirling the drink in her glass.
"Well, my parents wanted me to get to know him better because they think he’d make a good match for me. We’ve been talking for a while now, and it was actually Mom’s idea to bring him along."
Aliana side-eyed her friend before asking, "And I am guessing you like him enough to extend the invitation."
Jade let out a soft chuckle. "Well, you know me, Ali. Being tied to one person for long has never been my strong suit. But he is decent. He doesn’t hover over me and is actually interesting to talk to, so I thought, why not."
"I see." Aliana didn’t say anything more. It wasn’t her place to get involved in her friend’s personal life.
Still, she couldn’t help feeling a little surprised.
Considering the way Jade and Cillian bickered like cats and dogs every time they met, she had always thought there was a spark between them.
But perhaps she had been mistaken.
They were adults, after all, and if they didn’t see each other that way, then who was she to meddle?
"By the way, there will be a lot of familiar faces from college at the venue," Jade commented, breaking her train of thought.
"I know." A small smile tugged at Aliana’s lips. "I wonder how everyone’s been doing."
"I know some of them will still be as bitchy as ever," Jade commented.
"Some people never change," Aliana remarked nonchalantly.
"Mhm. By the way, I love your dress! Let’s just hope the groom doesn’t forget about his bride," she added with a sly grin.
Aliana let out an amused scoff. "Why would he?"
Jade blinked at her. "Don’t you know? Cedric used to be head over heels for you!"
Aliana looked genuinely taken aback. "He did? Well... too bad. I’m married."
Jade chuckled. "Let’s just hope your husband doesn’t end up injuring him if his eyes happen to wander."
Aliana turned to look directly at Jade. "Gavriel?" She waved her hand dismissively. "He knows me. Such things won’t bother him."
"Ahem... are you sure about that?" Jade asked, arching a brow.
In return, Aliana simply pursed her lips because, honestly, she had never really seen her husband’s jealous side.
She did remember that, when she had stepped out wearing her mini dress, his eyes had noticeably narrowed at the sight of her exposed long legs. But before he could utter a single word of protest, she had grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the house, reminding him that they were going to be late.
Now that Jade had brought it up, she found herself wondering what Gavriel would actually be like if he got jealous... and, to her own surprise, she was secretly looking forward to seeing that side of him.
A sly smile slowly curled across her lips.
As she lifted her gaze, the private island gradually came into view, rising from the endless stretch of blue like a secluded paradise.
None of them knew that, once they stepped onto that isolated piece of land surrounded by nothing but the sea, there would be nowhere left to run.