Chapter 214: Blood In The Reflection
A long dining table had been beautifully arranged with flickering candles, elegant floral centrepieces, crystal glasses, and spotless silverware. The guests took their seats around it as a row of servers began presenting a magnificent seven-course meal, bringing out the dishes one by one.
Alester sat at the head of the table with Portia on his right, while Aliana occupied the seat to his left, with Gavriel beside her. Next sat Cillian, followed by Jade. Opposite them were Jade’s parents, Alec and Nina Ross, while the remaining seats were occupied by Aliana’s extended family members.
Dinner commenced with lively chatter across the table, the conversations flowing smoothly as the evening progressed.
But even as the atmosphere remained as lively and warm as it could possibly be, the sense of dread over what was to come later never left Aliana.
Gavriel remained attentive to her throughout the evening.
His subtle touches and those mesmerising icy blue eyes rarely left her, constantly reminding her just how much she loved having his undivided attention.
Yet, at the same time, they only deepened the fear that by the end of the evening... she might lose all of it forever, making her throat tighten painfully.
Gavriel leaned closer, his lips brushing near her ear as he asked in a hushed whisper, "Feeling alright?"
Aliana turned to look at him before giving a small nod. She held his gaze for a long moment, gathering the courage to finally say what had been weighing on her mind.
"Gav?" she called softly. "W-would you like to go for a walk with me after dinner?"
He felt the rising anxiety inside her, wondering what this was about before replying, "Yes."
For a brief moment, Aliana didn’t know whether she should feel relieved or burst into tears.
But before Gavriel could ask what was on her mind, another voice drew the couple’s attention.
"Aliana, are you excited for the big day tomorrow?" Nina Ross asked.
Aliana looked up from her plate and smiled. "I am."
Yet, even though nothing in her expression gave her away, the grip around her cutlery tightened, something no one noticed except Gavriel.
He had become hyper-aware of every little thing Aliana did, and he narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at her reaction.
Nina smiled warmly as she looked towards Aliana. "You know, we’ve all been waiting for this day for such a long time. It feels like only yesterday she was running around the garden with Jade."
Portia laughed softly at the memory. "Time really does pass too quickly."
"It certainly does," Alec Ross agreed before his gaze casually drifted towards Alester. "Though I suppose some things are worth waiting for. The longer the wait... the more satisfying it is to finally see everything come together."
Alester held Alec’s gaze for the briefest moment before a knowing smile crossed his face. "Perhaps. But waiting has always been part of the process, hasn’t it? The important thing is not to rush... what isn’t meant to be rushed."
"Exactly," Nina replied with an approving nod. "After all, some things only reveal their true value when the time is right."
Gavriel, who had been quietly listening while absentmindedly swirling the wine in his glass, looked up ever so slightly. The conversation sounded ordinary enough, yet something about the way the four older adults spoke told him... there was more to it.
Before he could dwell on it further, Portia quickly added, "I still remember when she used to insist she would never get married."
"Oh?" Nina chuckled. "What changed?"
Portia’s eyes drifted toward Gavriel before she laughed softly. "Apparently, she just had not met the right man."
A few amused chuckles travelled around the table.
Cillian leaned back lazily in his chair. "Trust me, we were all shocked."
Jade raised a brow. "You? Shocked? I thought nothing surprised you anymore."
"Watching those two go from glaring at each other to looking like they would rather disappear into their own little world?" Cillian shrugged dramatically. "That deserves its own documentary."
The table erupted into light laughter.
Seeing the atmosphere lighten again, Alester smiled before lifting his silver glass.
"Well," he said warmly, "enough about who has been waiting for what." His eyes briefly flickered toward Alec and Nina before settling on Gavriel and Aliana. "Tonight is about celebrating these two. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a beautiful new Chapter in their lives, and I could not be happier for them."
"To the happy couple," Alester toasted.
Silver glasses rose around the table as the guests repeated the sentiment. "To the happy couple."
Just then, as Aliana lifted her own glass, her eyes met Gavriel’s. She took a small sip of her wine without breaking eye contact.
But as she lowered her gaze to place the glass back on the table, her eyes accidentally caught her reflection in its polished silver surface.
As she did, her heart thundered in her chest at the sight of her own reflection showing her face covered in blood.
Her breath caught in her throat as her hand trembled violently, causing the silver glass to slip and fall. Dark red wine spilled across the spotless tabletop before the liquid splashed onto her white dress.
A startled gasp escaped her lips.
To the guests sitting around the long table, it was merely an awkward accident with a wine glass.
But to Aliana, staring down at the expanding red stain on her lap, it was the dark container all over again. The vivid imagery of splattered blood assaulted her mind, blurring her vision. Her hands shook uncontrollably as her body began to physically relive the horror of that memory.
"Oh god! Ali, your dress!" Portia exclaimed, her chair scraping against the floor as she prepared to help her daughter.
Aliana lifted her head, her wide, panicked eyes meeting her mother’s worried expression before darting toward the rest of the table.
The conversation had died instantly.
The extended family members and the Rosses were staring at her, slight frowns of confusion touching their faces.
The scrutiny was suffocating, and bile rose in her throat.
The memory of the slaughter flashed behind her eyelids, making her realise... she needed to get away from these people immediately, before the madness took hold and she did the same to them.
Just then, she felt Gavriel reach out and clasp her hand. "Ana?" he called out, genuine concern in his eyes even while his face remained stoic.
She instantly swatted his hand away, terrified that she might accidentally harm him, and pushed back from her seat.
"Excuse me, everyone. Please enjoy your dinner," Aliana spoke in a hurried, breathless voice and rushed away from the dining hall, leaving everyone momentarily taken aback by her sudden exit.
Jade, Portia, and Alester exchanged sharp glances, each of them sensing the deeper panic behind her exit. The two women pushed their chairs back, and Portia spoke quickly, her tone laced with maternal dread. "Maybe I should check on her..."
But before either of them could move, the figure who had remained perfectly still after having his hand swatted away finally rose from his seat, commanding the attention of everyone in the room.