Chapter 278 - Portrait (Part I)

When Gavrael entered the room again, his face was no longer filled with rage anymore. However, as Evie looked closely at him, his eyes still remained cold and distant.

After all the things she had heard from that man Claudius, Evie did not feel like wanting to even process all that he had told her first. Nor did she want to think too much about it before doing anything. Right then, she had a strange feeling welling up within her as she looked at him. And before she could process what she was doing, she was already charging towards him. She then slammed herself into his front and hugged him tight, causing the man to immediately freeze where he stood.

The tray of food that he was balancing in his hand fell with a resounding clatter on the floor but neither of them cared for the spilt food, broken dishes, and scattered cutleries. He was too shocked to care about those insignificant things. The look in her eyes when they parted a while ago was still engraved in his mind – that look full of despise, as though she was looking at a horrifying monster. So why? Why was she suddenly hugging him now? What had suddenly changed in the span of just him going to get her some food to eat? Not that he was complaining about it. No, in fact he was elated beyond words! However, her reactions to him were like night and day from before and what he is experiencing now.

While Gavrael was undergoing both relief and confusion, Evie simply revelled in his warm embrace. Her mind told her she must at least try to look for proof that what that man had told her was the actual truth. But her heart is telling her otherwise. Her heart is currently rejoicing while singing out to her that she does not need any more proof than what is already before her. It all made perfect sense to her now. Her heart is telling her that the most important thing was the fact that this man right now, was not actually someone else. He is the very same man she had fallen in love with, and her heart clearly knows it! And that was all she needed and what matters to her the most right now.

"Gav…" Evie called out. For some reason, she did not want to call him Gavrael or Gavriel anymore. "We need to talk." She added as she pulled away.

He snapped out of the daze he was in, and he narrowed his eyes. His expression darkening. Did she hug him for this? Was this just another clever ruse to throw him off so she could try to negotiate terms with him again?

That thought made his blood boil. He remembered her doing this to him before, whenever she wanted to insist on something he did not approve of, she would kiss him or embrace him and the fool in him would always, always end up agreeing. She had always been his weakness before, but things were different now. He would not allow her to do whatever she wanted anymore… he cannot agree with every single thing that she asks of any longer.

Because right now, it was not her hate that he feared the most anymore. The image he saw in his nightmare… that is the one thing that scares him more than anything else. And he swore he would never let that come to pass. He will do everything, anything… even if she would end up hating him forever, he did not mind. As long as she will be here with him, alive and well.

"I don't have the time right now. I just came back to send you your meal. But look what you have done." He responded coldly, looking down at the food scattered all over the floor.

"This is important. There is something you need to know… I –" There was a sound of knocking that came from the doors that interrupted Evie's words.

Gavrael turned his attention towards the door. Evie looked a little frustrated as his attention was distracted. The matter of his current situation was of utmost importance! They need to discuss it as soon as possible. Now, if possible!

"What is it?" he threw his voice to the doors and the man outside the door spoke. He could hear due to his vampire hearing, but Evie could not make out what was being said.

"The man you sent to investigate Princess Evielyn's husband is back, my lord." The man reported and Gavrael's eyes immediately twitched before narrowing into slits.

A wicked and dangerous smile then carved itself on his lips the next moment. He turned to glance back at Evie and ominous clouds seemed to have gathered in his eyes. Evie wondered what news he had received to cause such turmoil to appear in those stunning laser blue eyes of his.

"Tell him to wait in the throne hall, I'll be there shortly." Gavrael said and turned to the doors, about to leave before Evie made a grab for his coat.

"I said we need to talk –" Evie repeated, hoping to get him to stay.

His forefinger landed on her lips, stopping her. His gaze now intense as he fixed his eyes onto hers.

"Just because I want you doesn't mean I am allowing you to order me around, Evie. Your words are no longer my law. Mine is the law now." he hissed out darkly, and Evie felt a chill crawled under her skin. But she did not let his darkness intimidate her and his words to aggravate her this time.

"Don't you want to know about the man I married?" Evie quickly asked him, as he was already turning the doorknob and about to leave the room. She cunningly used this topic as a lure, knowing that he was more than interested in this matter, thus hoping that he would take the bait.

He halted and pitch black anger flared out and seemed to surround him. However, instead of rushing towards her as she had expected, he only looked over his shoulder and flashed her a wicked deadly smile. A smile that should belong to a cruel villain, and that smile made Evie swallow subconsciously.

"The man you married?" he drawled out.. "I don't need you to tell me about him, Evie… because he'd be a corpse very soon anyway."