Chapter 241: A Seed Of Doubt
Aliana watched her husband like a curious cat, fully expecting a witty retort or another sly trick to have his way with her.
But as the seconds stretched on, the challenge in her eyes slowly began to fade.
The familiar mischief dancing in Gavriel’s gaze gradually disappeared, replaced by seriousness... as if he was genuinely considering her request.
Aliana didn’t know why, but her heart began to pick up its pace to see him like this... as if whatever he had claimed himself to be... was actually... true?
With the slightest speck of doubt taking root, her pulse quickened with emotions she couldn’t quite name.
Just then, Gavriel slowly lifted his hand.
As his fingers reached for her hair, she instinctively flinched.
The tiny movement made him pause, and his hand froze in mid-air.
He blinked, and just like that, the silent moment shattered.
A slight frown settled on his face at her reaction, and Aliana noticed it immediately.
A soft, breathy chuckle escaped her lips. "I’m sorry," she murmured.
"I guess, for a moment, my silly brain actually expected you to pull off some magic trick. Maybe grow a pair of horns?" She finished with a playful wink, hoping to lighten the moment.
When Gavriel remained silent, she continued, "Besides, I already know you are the devil."
Gavriel raised a brow at her, and she leaned in to caress his cheek, her voice dropping to a whisper. "A sly one, at that."
Before his hand could capture her face, she seized the split second to scramble free from his lap.
A soft, breathless laugh slipped from her lips as she caught his hands hovering in midair before he slowly let them fall.
"See?" she teased, taking a few steps backwards. "Told you... sly devil."
Still smiling, she turned and made her way towards the sofa positioned before the large television, settling herself down as though nothing had happened.
Yet somewhere deep inside... a tiny seed of doubt had quietly taken root.
Gavriel watched the smile lingering on her face, but his mind kept replaying the way she had instinctively flinched when he reached out to touch her.
For a brief moment, he had truly considered telling her the truth... showing her who he really was.
But now, that tiny reaction was etched into his mind.
’Would you truly be able to smile like this again once you know what I really am?’ he wondered. ’Or... would you also fear me... just like everyone else?’
The thought alone darkened his expression.
’She’s not ready to know about us...’ Bellarios murmured, sounding disappointed for perhaps the first time, and Gavriel silently agreed.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Gavriel rose from his seat and walked over to sit beside her.
Watching her pick up the television remote, he spoke in a measured voice. "Security will be tightened around your family and friends, especially since the threat is no longer limited to supernatural beings."
Aliana turned to look at him, listening intently as he continued.
"As for the supernatural threat..." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I’ll have someone prepare something they can carry at all times to keep evil at bay."
Aliana pressed her lips together in thought before asking hesitantly, "And what if... what if one of those creatures goes after them?"
"We’ll need to warn them to stay alert and avoid venturing anywhere alone. Those creatures have only been spotted in Aria so far. Let’s hope they stay there," Gavriel replied.
Aliana knew that, no matter how much they tried to control the situation, there would always be uncertainties. After all, even in ordinary life, accidents could happen without warning.
All they could do was remain vigilant.
Still, she gave him a small nod. "Thank you, Gav. For thinking about them." Her expression softened into a gentle smile. "It means... a lot to me."
"You’re my wife." As though those three words alone were enough explanation, Gavriel said nothing more.
Yet the simple words touched Aliana’s heart deeply.
Her eyes silently met his icy blue gaze, which held no doubt that he meant every single word.
Before she realised it, the corners of her lips had curved into a soft smile.
Setting her tiny doubts and their heavy conversation aside for the moment, Aliana’s gaze drifted to his hand, where the gold band caught the light.
The sight reminded her of something.
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you." She looked back at him. "When you were briefly pulled away during the reception yesterday, one of Jade’s and my college friends, Cedric, came over to congratulate me."
At the mention of another man’s name, something almost unnoticeable flickered across Gavriel’s face.
His eyes narrowed just a fraction before returning to their usual calm.
Aliana, completely oblivious to the subtle change, continued. "He used to hang out with us when we were teenagers before he moved away to help with his family’s business. After that, he’d only return to Astoria once in a blue moon."
"What about him?" Gavriel asked quietly.
"Well..." Aliana tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "He told me he’s getting married this week and invited us to the wedding."
Gavriel tilted his head slightly. "You want to go." It was a statement, not a question.
Aliana offered a light shrug of her elegant shoulders. "Well... the wedding is on a tropical island. I thought it might be nice to go. A change of scenery... considering we don’t have any travel plans anyway."
The corner of Gavriel’s lips twitched as he asked, "How do you know that?"
"Hm?" She offered him a curious look.
"How do you know I haven’t already planned somewhere for us to go after our wedding?" Gavriel asked, a hint of amusement colouring his voice.
"Have you?" she asked, unable to hide the anticipation sparkling in her gaze.
The sight of her excitement drew a faint smile from him.
"I suppose you’ll find out." Then, after a brief pause, he added, "We’ll go."
"To the wedding?" Aliana asked.
Gavriel gave a small nod. "Yes."
She beamed at him before turning her attention back to the television.
She flipped through the channels and paused on a news broadcast simply to see what was happening in the business world during her time away from work.
Yet the moment the screen settled, her eyes widened at the breaking headlines, and a sharp gasp escaped her lips.
Aliana felt as though her heart had plummeted into her stomach at the sheer shock of staring at a picture of the one person she never wanted to think about again, let alone see.
There on the flat screen was a portrait of a man with dark green hair and dull yellow eyes, a visage that made her feel sick to her stomach.
Jacob Grant.
Yet even more than his face, it was the bold, flashing headlines beneath it that caught her off guard.