Page 65 of Devour
“Okay, let’s try it.”
She gently removes the dress from the mannequin and walks me to the dressing room, which is just a few feet away.
I change into it carefully, when I step out, I feel like a model walking the runway. The moment Luca’s eyes land on me, the way they eat me up makes my stomach flutter—I feel giddy, like my insides are tingling.
He’s finally stopped pacing and hovering. Now he’s seated on a velvet lounger, directly facing the center podium, the space where brides showcase their dresses to admirers or critics. And that’s where I’m standing.
I glance at my reflection in the full-length mirror. I look like a Disney princess. No, I feel like one. If only Mai was here to share this moment with me…
Then the thought creeps in again. If Luca said he didn’t hurt any of his workers, then maybe she’s just away. Maybe she’s on a vacation. Or maybe she ran off with someone… But why wouldn’t she tell me? I’ve gone over every scenario in my head since yesterday, and I still haven’t come up with anything that makes sense.
Wherever she is, I just hope she’s okay. I turn toward Luca. “What do you think?” He gives me a long, deliberate once-over before growling the word, “Hot.”
I was feeling like Cinderella a moment ago—but now, I feel like Beauty… and he’s the Beast, holding me captive with his gaze. Despite the full-blast air conditioner, heat blooms under my skin. I feel hot all over.
It looks like he’s about to say something else, but then his phone rings. He glances at the screen, sighs, and then gives me a wink.
“I have to take this,” he mouths before standing and walking off to answer the call. I turn my attention back to Rose. “Should we try another one?”
The dress I’m wearing now is daring—a low-back design with thin, delicate straps and teardrop diamonds scattered across the fabric. It clings to my body in all the right places, and a dramatic veil trails behind me.
Rose is helping pin the veil in my hair when I suddenly notice a familiar silhouette reflected in the mirror. The figure pauses, just as I do then.
“Dr. Eli?” I breathe.
“Ariel.”
Before I realize it, I’m stepping down from the podium and running into his arms. I hug him tightly, maybe because I’m genuinely happy to see him, or maybe because this man once saved my son’s life. I’ll forever be grateful for that. He looks just as surprised as I feel.
“How have you been?” I ask, smiling.
“I’m good. And Noah?”
“He’s fine. He’s responding well to treatment,” His gaze sweeps over me, pausing on the dress.
“You’re… getting married?”
As if only now realizing I’m in a wedding dress, I nod. “Ahh…Yes. I haven’t picked a date yet, just shopping for a dress.” My voice drops a little near the end, guilt creeping in.
If Luca hadn’t come back into my life, maybe I would’ve given him a chance. He’s a good man. He would’ve been an amazing father to Noah. Not that Luca isn’t… but it’s different. I manage a small smile.
“You’re getting married too?” He shakes his head quickly, almost too quickly.
“No… no, I’m just here with my sister. She’s shopping for her dress.”
“Oh. Yes, you—”
A deep, rumbling voice, laced with fury cuts me off.
“What the fuck are you doing standing close to my wife?”
Dr. Eli and I both turn our heads as Luca approaches. I hadn’t realized how close I was standing to him. I’d completely forgotten myself.
Luca is walking slowly but there’s something dangerous in his stride. Power and rage radiate off him like heat waves. I take a step back as Luca stops in front of us.
He’s a full head taller than Eli, and the tension between them thickens instantly. But Eli doesn’t flinch—he stands his ground, returning Luca’s glare with one of his own. I can practically hear my heart beating in my throat.
The air between them crackles. Luca’s eyes burn with lethal fury, his jaw clenched, fists twitching at his sides. I know that look. He wants to kill someone.
