The Devil's obsession with the Heiress

The next evening, in an opulent bathroom, an oblivious man was enjoying some much-needed private time in a large bathtub surrounded by countless bubbles, with a squeaky yellow rubber duck floating peacefully beside him.

He picked up a crystal champagne glass in one hand, took a delicate sip, and set it back on the marbled rim. His chocolate brown eyes lazily scanned the pages of a trashy tabloid magazine that no living soul would ever suspect a man of his elite corporate stature would even touch.

"Oh my, so she was cheating on her husband all along?" Cillian clicked his tongue in scandalous intrigue, flipping the page. "And the baby bump she was parading around for the press didn’t even belong to him? Dramatic."

He scoffed at the next headline. "Ah... I knew he paid for that award. Honestly, why are people still acting so shocked to discover those shiny trophies are bought and paid for?"

Just as he settled in to digest the next juicy piece of celebrity ruin, his peaceful paradise was shattered by the obnoxious ringing of his phone sitting on the side table.

With a heavy sigh, he muttered to the ceiling, "I wonder who is dying right now and deciding it is my personal problem."

Since it was the weekend, Cillian had actually carved out a rare moment for himself after sprinting across the globe doing heavy lifting for both the corporate sector and Gavriel’s endless dark chaos.

Reluctantly setting his magazine down and reached out with a damp hand for the phone, only for his eyes to catch the caller ID: Red.

A sly smile immediately replaced his annoyed frown. "So... it seems I am finally getting my promised dinner."

He swiped to answer, dialing his charm up to max. "I was beginning to think you had completely forgotten about our little friendly deal."

Jade, on the other hand, offered zero playful banter. The line remained dead silent before she spoke softly, "Cillian..."

Cillian blinked, genuinely taken aback to hear her skip the snappy nicknames and actually use his name. "Yes?"

"Would you believe me if I told you something crazy?" Jade asked.

Cillian let out a chuckle. "I am sure we have already seen our fair share of crazy together. What is this about?" he asked, his interest piqued.

That was when Jade recounted everything that had gone down at the Vanderbilt Estate. The more Cillian heard, the darker his expression turned. His thoughts instinctively shifted to Gavriel and Aliana, wondering if the cat was officially out of the bag based on Jade’s description.

On that thought, he asked, "Any chance you spoke with my sister-in-law afterwards?"

"No, and I am worried," Jade replied. "She has not been picking up her phone. I ended up calling the Valentine Residence, only for the butler to reply that she was resting, so I am giving her space."

"I am sure she is fine and just needs some time alone," Cillian reassured her.

In reality, he highly doubted Aliana was anywhere near fine based on what he was guessing. He had to keep Jade calm so she wouldn’t end up barging into the Valentine Residence, which he could only assume was currently either a war zone or a total gloom fest.

Before Jade could say anything more, another line beeped on Cillian’s phone. Seeing the caller ID, he cut in quickly. "Jade, I am afraid I will have to call you back. I have an urgent call coming through."

"Oh, alright," Jade agreed, and the line disconnected.

Cillian immediately switched to the incoming call. "Everything alright over there, Winston?"

"Master Cillian, I am afraid I must request your presence here immediately." Winston sounded extremely worried on his end, which was highly unusual for the typically calm butler.

"Why? What happened?" Cillian’s frown deepened as he listened to whatever Winston reported.

Finally stepping out of the relaxing bath he had been enjoying just moments before, Cillian reached for a towel and replied, "I will be there soon."

Ending the call, Cillian released a heavy sigh and ran a damp hand through his hair before murmuring to himself, "And here I thought I would have a peaceful full moon night. But considering those two, I guess it was good while it lasted."

.....

Sometime back at the Valentine Residence...

​.

A soft form stirred on the bed, her mind trapped in the depths of another dream.

Aliana found herself standing in front of the same majestic tree, where countless red roses bloomed under a midnight sky brushed with deep violet. Beside it, a crystal-clear lake flowed gently in the quiet darkness.

’Why... am I back here again?’ Aliana wondered, staring up at the sprawling branches.

Then she heard it... the soft melody of someone humming the most beautiful tone she had ever heard.

Curiosity rose within her, and her gaze drifted to the edge of the large trunk, where long, jet-black hair swayed gently in the wind.

’Who... is that?’

Aliana began taking small, cautious steps around the massive tree trunk.

Just as she was about to close the distance, the woman stopped humming, and her serene voice echoed softly. "It took you a while to get here."

Aliana froze mid-step, her heart skipping a beat as she wondered if the woman was speaking directly to her.

She parted her lips to answer, but before a sound could form, the voice spoke once more. "Come here. I want to show you something."

Unsure of what awaited her, Aliana finally stepped around the curve of the ancient trunk. The moment she crossed into view, a sudden, powerful gust of wind roared through the clearing, shaking the canopy and raining thousands of crimson petals down around her.

Aliana tried to see through the narrow gap between the falling petals, but all she could make out at first was a brilliant white light shining from the other side.

Then, through the shifting veil, she caught a glimpse of not one, but two figures beneath the tree.

The woman with the jet-black hair was seated against the tree trunk, holding something that appeared to be embroidery in her hands. And standing before her was a man whose broad back faced Aliana. Long, dark raven hair fell past his shoulders, and a heavy black cape billowed behind him, snapping against the fierce wind.

Before she could see his face, the vision shattered, and Aliana’s eyes snapped open.

A soft, shuddering breath escaped her lips as the dream fractured into memory. Sleep still heavy on her lashes, it took her a few disoriented moments to recognize she was back in their bedroom.

At first, she didn’t move, staring up at the ceiling while processing the strange dream. She ran her hands down her face and exhaled deeply, only to freeze when she felt the unmarred softness of her skin against her palms.

Slowly, she lifted her right hand and stared at her palm. Where a deep cut had been only hours ago, the skin was now completely smooth and whole.

Then, like a floodgate bursting open, the memories of everything she had endured since the dinner at the Vanderbilt Estate came rushing back.

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