Stolen By My Billionaire Brother-In-Law-Chapter 32: Matching Outfits

"Rivana..."

Rivana felt a faint voice calling for her, worried and slowly growing louder until she opened her eyes with a gasp. She looked around her surroundings, her eyes falling on Azrael, whose face was close to hers.

Her heart started racing again, unsure if it was because of Alan in her dreams or the man sitting beside her. There was something in Azrael’s expression, the tension quite visible in his creased brows that was warming her heart.

Azrael slowly helped her sit up and moved closer. He filled up a glass of water and passed it to her. Rivana took a few sips, and Azrael placed the cup back. Raising his hand, he wiped away her tears with his thumb, and that’s when Rivana realized she was crying.

"It was just a bad dream," Azrael murmured, trying to calm her down, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. Rivana wondered if it was just a dream. It felt too real as if she was talking to her son. But why was it his grown-up version? Her baby was merely a year old before she ended up traveling back in the past.

When Rivana didn’t respond, still shaken by the nightmare, Azrael pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her in a warm hug. Rivana’s heart fluttered at his gesture. He slowly caressed her back, his touch so gentle as if she was a precious glass that could break at any moment.

Rivana couldn’t help but melt in his embrace. She focused on hearing his heartbeat, slow and steady like the waves of the ocean, washing away all her thoughts and relaxing her mind that had been running wildly ever since the rebirth. They stayed there for a few precious moments, the silence between them peaceful yet comforting.

"If you sleep with lots of thoughts in your head, you will end up feeling restless," Azrael scolded her, his tone sharp but soothing. Breaking the hug, he pinched her nose lightly and added, "And also get panda eyes."

Rivana scowled, swatting away his hand. He always did it in the past! Calling her panda when she never looked like one.

"But pandas are cute! Hmph!" The chubby Rivana used to retort and tell everyone around that Azrael had called her cute.

A smile tugged her lips recalling those days. Honestly, her childhood had been great until Sussanah and this guy were around, even though her family treated her badly. But things totally changed after he left without even saying goodbye to her.

"Now, go back to sleep," Azrael’s words brought her back to the present. When she looked at him, he teased her, "I don’t want to take a panda on a date tomorrow."

Date? Oh my god! How did she forget it?

"But—"

"Shhh!" Azrael placed a finger on her lips, cutting her off. Rivana felt her heartbeat quicken, his touch sending sparkles from her lips throughout her body. His intense gaze brought a blush to her cheek. No, she was ruined beyond control now!

"You are coming with me, and that’s final," Azrael declared and took back his finger. He helped her lay comfortably on the bed, tucking her in the quilt. "Good night," he murmured.

"Good night," Rivana replied, pulling the blanket up until her mouth to hide the blush on her cheek.

She kept staring at him, wondering if he wasn’t leaving, and Azrael answered her unspoken question, "I will leave once you are asleep."

She nodded and closed her eyes. Slowly, she was pulled into a deep slumber again, this time a peaceful one. The last thing she felt was him settling beside her on the other side of the bed.

---

[Next Day]

The sun’s rays filtered through the curtains, and Rivana slowly woke up. She turned to her right side, snuggling on the pillow, and felt a shadow looming over her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, squinting to focus before they widened in surprise.

Azrael was right beside her, propping his head on his fist as if watching her sleep. Had he stayed here all night? The thought made her heart flutter and also worried her. No one had ever done it, not even her mom when she had a high fever and needed someone to look after her.

She slowly moved away and tried to sit up. Azrael opened his eyes, feeling her move. She sat up on the bed, and he sat beside her, rubbing the corner of his eyes.

"You should have left once I fell asleep," Rivana murmured, her tone tinged with worry.

"I was worried you might have a nightmare again," Azrael replied.

His words made Rivana’s heart flutter. Oh, why? Why was he this kind to her? She was afraid this would all be a dream, and she might wake up soon, without him beside her, feeling lonely and empty.

Azrael looked at the time and murmured, "Let’s get ready."

Rivana stopped him as he tried to get out of bed. "Did you take a day off?" When he nodded, she continued, "Why don’t you sleep for a while? I have some work to finish and will wake you up later."

Azrael smiled, concern evident in her eyes. And the fact that she was letting him sleep in the same bed as her, yes, this could be considered as development. Nodding, he laid back on the bed.

Rivana got down and murmured, "Good night." As he hummed and closed his eyes, she walked to the bathroom. She had no work today but decided to let him get his sleep. Also, the date wouldn’t be nice if he looked tired, right? She thought with a silly smile and went to get ready.

Once she was done, Rivana went downstairs and was greeted by Callum and Ezekiel in the hall.

"Good morning, Rivana," Ezekiel greeted with a beaming smile. "Come, let’s have some tea," he said, patting the seat beside him.

With a smile, Rivana went to sit beside him. George came forward and served her tea. Callum greeted her with a smile before Ezekiel started inquiring more about her. He was just too eager to know how she had been all these years.

"When did you finish your studies, dear? I assume you are around 22 right now?"

"Last year, Mr. Dynar," Rivana replied with a smile. Since Viktor was two years older than her, she studied hard and took the entrance with him. At least, that bastard had indirectly done some good to her. If she hadn’t put in so much effort, she wouldn’t be where she was right now.

"She even has multiple degrees and a PhD, Master," Callum joined in, praising her. Her education profile was quite excellent, and he still wondered how she managed to do it all at such a young age.

Ezekiel warmly smiled at Rivana. "Sussie used to mention you during our calls. She must have been really proud of you."

"I hope so," Rivana replied, sipping her tea. Though Viktor was the key, her major inspiration was to become someone like Susannah in business. She had set her foot and helped her husband reach new heights, and Rivana had dreamt of following her path.

"I am sorry I keep bringing her up and souring your mood," Ezekiel quickly apologized, unsure if Rivana liked to talk about his sister.

Rivana shook her head. Placing down the cup, she replied with a smile, "No. In fact, I love talking about her too." But sadly, there weren’t many around who liked Susannah, so she kept everything within her.

Ezekiel, though surprised, nodded to her with a smile. Azrael hated it and would leave whenever his mother was mentioned, while his daughter really didn’t care much about her aunt, so he had no one to share his anecdotes about her. It was really good to have someone who would like to hear about her. They chatted for almost an hour, from their past to what plans Rivana had for Shadow’s future.

An hour later, Azrael joined them. Rivana’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked at her outfit and then back at him, realizing they were twinning.

Rivana was dressed in a denim dress with an A-line silhouette, featuring white lace collars and long transparent sleeves, which she had matched with white short heels. And Azrael complemented her perfectly in a crisp white button-up shirt paired with fitted denim jeans and clean white sneakers.

"Oh, what a coincidence. You’re wearing matching outfits," Ezekiel beamed with a grin. Considering Azrael, it really didn’t seem like a coincidence at all.

Azrael ignored his uncle and looked at his wife, who was surely flustered. He had seen her walk out of the room and decided to wear something matching. That’s what couples did, right?

"Are you going somewhere?" Callum asked with a pout. No, it was their day off, and he didn’t like moving even an inch today.

When Azrael didn’t reply, the two men turned to Rivana. Clearing her throat, Rivana murmured, "We are going on a date."

"Oh, that’s lovely!" Ezekiel clapped his hands. His nephew wasn’t that dumb after all. "You should hurry then," he said, smiling at the couple.

Rivana nodded, and as they turned around to leave, they were greeted by someone at the door.

"What does he want now?" Callum grumbled at the sight of Viktor. But Ezekiel’s scorn was fixed on Aldona in front of him. He still hated this old fox, one who was indirectly responsible for his sister’s death.