Chapter 9
"Gabriel, you cannot believe this is real," Evelyn sobbed, her chest heaving as she tried to backpedal. "We are supposed to unite our syndicates! You cannot throw all of that away because of a misunderstanding! I gave you a son! You love him!"
"I do love him," Gabriel stated, standing immovably in his tailored dark three-piece suit. He kept his broad shoulders squarely between the boys and the monster who had separated them. "Which is why the woman who stole him will never see the light of day again."
"Are you prepared to remove the ring from your finger, Evelyn, or must I cut it from your hand?" Gabriel asked, his deep voice carrying a measured, lethal calm.
Evelyn flinched violently at the threat. She dropped her hands, her fair skin streaked with ruined makeup. She knew the stories of what Gabriel Vale did to traitors within his syndicate.
"You can't do this!" Evelyn choked out, the venom returning as self-preservation took over. "My father is Victor Cross! He commands the entire southern seaboard! He will burn your empire to the ground if you humiliate me like this!"
"Is your father a man who fights battles for foolish, child-trafficking daughters?" Gabriel asked quietly.
"He will kill you!" Evelyn pleaded, reaching out to grasp the edge of a velvet sofa. "I am going to be your wife, Gabriel! We signed the contracts! You cannot back out now without causing a massive war!"
"Do you expect me to harbor a sociopath under my roof to appease a shipping magnate?" Gabriel asked.
He didn't wait for her answer. He reached into his tailored jacket and retrieved a sleek, encrypted smartphone. He dialed a single digit and pressed the phone to his ear. The small artistic tattoo above his collar shifted seamlessly with the movement.
"Vincent," Gabriel said into the receiver, his eyes locked on his former fiancée. "Will you come to the salon and escort Miss Cross to the holding cells beneath the east wing immediately?"
He lowered the phone and looked at the broken socialite one last time.
"Have you finally realized the price of your ambition, Evelyn?" Gabriel asked softly, as the heavy mahogany doors of the salon burst open.
Vincent and another massive security guard in dark suits entered the room. They marched forward without a word, hauling Evelyn roughly to her feet. She shrieked, thrashing wildly against their iron grip, but they were unyielding.
"You will regret this, Gabriel!" she screamed as they dragged her backward toward the doors. "You will all burn for this!"
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"Will you convey my deepest regards to your father when I send him the pieces of his syndicate?" Gabriel asked quietly, watching the doors slam shut.
The profound, ringing silence of the grand salon settled heavily over the remaining figures. The cascading crystal chandeliers continued to cast their warm golden light over the towering Christmas tree. The opulent space, designed for celebration, now felt entirely different—it was a sanctuary of reunion.
