Stolen By My Billionaire Brother-In-Law-Chapter 81: Familiar Guest
Rivana coughed on her drink, completely taken aback by his confession. She quickly set the glass down, her eyes locked onto him. For a moment, it felt as though she were staring at someone she didn’t know—a completely different version of Azrael she had never imagined existed.
"Why?" Rivana asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and dread.
Azrael sighed softly, his broad shoulders sinking slightly as his expression darkened. He didn’t respond immediately, instead staring deeply at the amber liquid swirling in his glass. The silence stretched on, and with each passing second, Rivana’s heart pounded louder. It felt as though she were about to glimpse a shadowy fragment of his life, one that he had meticulously kept hidden beneath his polished exterior.
"She fell in love with our enemy’s little brother," Azrael finally began, his voice low and measured. "He was using her to gather information about Dynars and our missions, but she believed it was love." He paused, a flicker of anguish passing through his sharp features. "Ezekiel ordered me to get rid of him."
Rivana froze. She didn’t need to hear anymore—she already understood. She couldn’t dismiss it as merely following his uncle’s commands. The blank, sunken look in Azrael’s eyes spoke volumes, and it tugged painfully at her heart.
Her thoughts drifted to his past, piecing together the fragments of his life she had come to know. He hadn’t wanted this path—it was never his choice to follow Ezekiel into that shadowed world.
Even Sussanah, his mother, had worked tirelessly to keep him away from the blood-stained legacy of the Dynar family, desperate to give him a life untouched by danger. But in the end, Azrael had been dragged back in, groomed for a life of cold, calculated decisions from a young age.
Rivana sighed, her chest tightening as she imagined the weight of the burdens he must have carried. For him to sit there, detached and expressionless, it was as if he had already buried parts of himself long ago. Whatever trials she had faced under the Fayes, the Hugons, and the rest—suddenly, they felt insignificant in comparison.
"It must have been hard for you," Rivana murmured, her voice soft and filled with emotion. She leaned closer, hesitating before placing her hand gently over his, which rested on the table. Meeting his gaze, she gave his hand a light, reassuring squeeze.
Azrael turned to her, his hollow eyes flickering with faint surprise at her words and gesture. He had braced himself for her anger, her fear, or even her disdain. He had expected accusations about how wrong it all was. But instead, here she was, gazing at him, her expression carrying a trace of pity she didn’t even realize. She had no idea of the true depths of hell he had endured—but her presence alone somehow eased the ache he tried so hard to ignore.
In fact, Azrael hated when anyone tried to offer him comfort, finding it hollow and grating. But with her, it was different. For the first time, he wished she would hold him close, pat his back, and simply let him crumble in her arms.
Before any of the two could speak, the chefs walked in, trailed by a line of servers carrying all the dishes. Rivana smiled at them as they carefully set the table, her eyes instinctively gleaming at the sight of the colorful food.
"Please press the bell if you need anything," The chef said, pointing at the ring button on the menu tablet. Placing it beside Azrael, he bowed and left the room. One of the servers opened the wine bottle and served the drink into the glasses, placing it in the center before walking out too.
Rivana’s twinkled at the sight of wine. Taking her glass, she turned to Azrael with a smile. "Remember when we went to that fancy place for a party? You weren’t interested but joined because Aunt forced you. And I accidentally—" she began, shifting the conversation to something lighter. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
"Drank wine and ended up blaming me for it," Azrael finished her sentence. "And it was intentional, not accidental," he corrected, his lips lifting into a smirk.
Rivana sighed inwardly, seeing him finally smile but she masked it with a mock-serious expression. "I really thought it was fruit juice," she argued. Her so-called mother, Amerie had often hovered around Azrael’s mother, Susannah, and one evening, Susannah had taken them out for a party. Rivana’s curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she had gulped down half a bottle of wine at the age of eight, causing a ruckus.
"Mom didn’t allow me to drink even juices after that," Rivana complained, reminiscing the old times. If she recalled correctly, except for water Amerie wouldn’t let her touch anything, even in the house after that incident.
"You can drink whatever you want now," Azrael’s words brought her out of her thoughts. When Rivana looked at him, he added, "There’s no one to stop you.
"You won’t mind if I get drunk and cause a mess?" Rivana asked, smiling mischievously.
"As long as you don’t kill someone or hurt yourself, it’s fine," Azrael replied, pinching her cheek gently. Rivana winced playfully, rubbing the spot before a smile spread across her face.
They continued chatting about their shared memories, with Rivana doing most of the talking while Azrael listened intently, occasionally chiming in with his dry humor and sly remarks. Rivana was so busy that she didn’t realize how time had passed, and they had stayed even after finishing lunch, for almost a few hours. It was how much Azrael loved listening to her, having missed her yapping over the years.
Just then Rivana’s phone buzzed and she stopped midway. "It’s past five already!" she gasped, having not realized the time. Her eyes shifted to Sebastian’s message. "Oh, Sebastian had shared the location."
Azrael scowled at the mention of Sebastian’s name, and Rivana had to press her lips together to hold back a chuckle. His jealousy was endearing, and she had the sudden urge to pinch his cheeks.
"Should we leave now?" she asked, checking the time.
Azrael nodded reluctantly, curious about the special someone Sebastian was bringing to the dinner. He handed his black card to the manager to settle the bill, and once it was paid, they left the restaurant.
Rivana shared the location with their chauffeur as they settled into the back seat. The sun was already dipping lower, painting the sky in tinges of orange. She leaned against Azrael, resting while he handled a call back from Draxton. Before she knew it, she had dozed off, and Azrael gently shifted, lowering his shoulder to let her sleep comfortably on his shoulder.
By the time Rivana woke, the sky was dark. She rubbed her eyes, looking around to find that they had already arrived at their destination.
"You should have woken me up," she grumbled groggily.
"It hasn’t been long," Azrael replied, stretching his shoulder. She had been sleeping so soundly that he hadn’t wanted to disturb her, even though they had been sitting there for more than three hours.
"Oh, when did I turn this silent?" Rivana muttered, checking her phone and finding several missed calls from Leonora, Callum, and Sebastian. She shot a playful glare at Azrael—this was undoubtedly his doing.
"They must be waiting for us. Let’s go," Rivana said, quickly fixing her hair before stepping out of the car. Azrael followed, his expression unreadable. A staff member greeted them at the lounge and guided them to a private room, informing them that Sebastian and the guest had already arrived.
Rivana tried guessing—it could be a former teacher or perhaps an old family acquaintance. But when they entered the room, her smile faltered. Disappointment washed over her face while Azrael’s grip on her hand tightened, a curse slipping through his lips.
It was his grandmother Aldona Hugon.
"Anna, my dear." Aldona showed her warmest smile, happy to see her after so long. She stood up from her seat and so did Sebastian beside her, welcoming the couple.
"Let’s go," Azrael murmured and turned around to leave. He had no interest in dining with her when he clearly knew she was here to play some tricks again, manipulate Rivana, and try to get close to her.
"I am here to talk about your succession," Aldona said, stopping Azrael in his tracks. "I am ready to hand over everything to you." she offered, surprising him even more.
They slowly turned around and faced them. Azrael stared at his grandmother, wondering if he had heard right.
Aldona sighed and repeated, "Hugons will be yours and you can do whatever you want to with it." She paused, taking a glance at Rivana before adding, "But on one condition."
