Chapter 5 - Gabriel Chose Me Over the Empire His Family Spent Generations Building
The ledger was copied.
Multiple backups were created.
Then Gabriel did something nobody expected.
He called the federal authorities.
I stared.
“You're really doing this?”
“Yes.”
“What about yourself?”
“My lawyers will handle it.”
“You're not afraid?”
“I've been afraid for twenty years.”
He looked at me.
“I'm tired.”
The investigation began.
People were arrested.
Companies were searched.
Accounts frozen.
The Black Rose network began collapsing.
But Victor escaped.
He disappeared completely.
Then the threats began.
Flowers arrived at the house.
Dead roses.
A note.
YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM YOUR BLOOD.
Gabriel burned the note.
I watched him.
“What if he comes after you?”
“He will.”
“What if he comes after me?”
His expression hardened.
“He won't get close enough.”
He wanted me to believe him.
I did.
Maybe because he had never lied to me.
Or maybe because I had started falling in love with him.
That realization terrified me.
One evening, I asked him.
“Why me?”
He looked confused.
“What?”
“Why did you care?”
He sat beside me.
“Because you were kind to my mother when nobody else was.”
“That can't be enough.”
“It was.”
He paused.
“My mother spent her entire life being treated like a symbol.”
“A symbol of what?”
“The woman behind the empire.”
He looked down.
“You treated her like a person.”
I touched his hand.
“And you?”
“What about me?”
“Why do you care about me?”
He looked into my eyes.
“Because when everyone else sees what I own, you see what I could lose.”
I couldn't breathe.
He leaned closer.
“Emily.”
“Yes?”
“You don't owe me anything.”
I nodded.
“Then don't ask me to stay.”
He smiled sadly.
“I won't.”
I kissed him.
It wasn't planned.
It wasn't perfect.
It was simply honest.
His hand came to my cheek.
He kissed me back.
Then we separated.
“This changes things,” he whispered.
“Yes.”
“You're still free to walk away.”
“I know.”
“I hope you don't.”
I smiled.
“I don't intend to.”
That night, Victor sent another message.
A recording.
My father's voice.
But it was different.
He sounded frightened.
“If anyone finds this, stay away from Gabriel.”
I froze.
Gabriel looked at the screen.
“What?”
The recording continued.
“His family isn't what it seems.”
Then it stopped.
We looked at each other.
“What does that mean?”
Gabriel shook his head.
“I don't know.”
The next day, we learned something terrifying.
May you like
Lucía Reyes had disappeared.
And Victor had taken her.
Related Stories
