Chapter 5
The silence in the grand salon was a physical weight, pressing down on the chests of the fifty elite guests who dared not draw a breath. The warm golden light from the chandeliers suddenly felt incredibly harsh and exposing, stripping away the glamorous facade of the Christmas Eve reception to reveal the rotting core of a massive betrayal.
Gareth Hale did not break his cold, unwavering stare. The absolute stillness of his broad shoulders was far more terrifying than any outburst of rage. He stood between his exhausted mother and the woman who had attempted to erase her.
"Silas," Gareth said. His deep, controlled voice broke the silence, carrying perfectly across the vast marble floor.
The senior capo immediately stepped forward from the crowd, his face pale, unbuttoning his tailored suit jacket to reveal the dark holster beneath. "Yes, Boss."
"Seal the estate," Gareth commanded, his tone absolute. "Nobody leaves. Lock the gates. Secure every exit."
"Gareth, please, you have to listen to me!" Vivian shrieked, abandoning her polished demeanor completely. She lunged forward, her hands grasping at the air, her emerald satin gown rustling loudly. "She was stealing from you! Esther was losing her mind! She was squandering the family funds! I was protecting the syndicate! I was protecting our future!"
"Are you truly attempting to justify the imprisonment and attempted starvation of my mother by claiming financial prudence?" Gareth asked quietly.
He didn't wait for her to formulate another pathetic excuse. He turned his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the fifty guests—the capos, the politicians, the wealthy relatives—who were frozen near the velvet seating.
"Are all of you waiting for a formal invitation to vacate my salon?" Gareth asked the crowd, his deep voice carrying a cold dismissal. "This reception is concluded. Move to the formal dining hall and wait there until you are cleared by my security detail. Anyone who attempts to leave the property will be considered an accomplice to this treason."
The spell broke. The elite guests scrambled to obey, eager to escape the unpredictable wrath of the mafia boss. Heels clicked frantically and polished shoes slid against the cream marble floor as they hurried out through the grand archways. Within minutes, the vast, luxurious room was entirely empty of civilians, leaving only a few trusted tactical guards, Gareth, Esther, Sophie, Finn, and the trapped fiancée.
Vivian backed away until her spine hit the edge of a heavy silk drape. The bright, luminous light of the room offered her no shadows to hide within. She looked wildly around the cavernous space, desperately seeking an ally among the heavily armed guards, but the hardened men refused to meet her eyes. The accusation of hiding the former matriarch in a wall had severed any political ties she held in that room.
"I did it for you, Gareth!" Vivian cried out, real tears of panic finally spilling over her cheeks, ruining her elegant makeup. "You demand perfection in this house! You couldn't be burdened with a sick, aging woman while you were trying to solidify your power in the north! I took the burden upon myself!"
"Do you believe you have the right to decide who lives and dies in my family?" Gareth asked, his deep voice remaining terrifyingly calm, completely devoid of the hysteria radiating from the woman before him.
"You need me!" Vivian shrieked, grasping at the last shreds of her political power and family influence. "My family controls the western distribution lines! We built this alliance together! If you break this engagement, my father will start a war that will burn this city to the ground!"
"Do you think the threat of a war frightens me more than a monster sleeping in my bed?" Gareth asked softly.
He reached into the inner pocket of his tailored dark suit and withdrew a heavy, encrypted mobile phone. He raised it to his ear.
"Marcus," Gareth said into the receiver. "Bring a detail to the grand salon. We have a prisoner."
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"No! Please, Gareth! You can't put me in a cell!" Vivian screamed, kicking off her expensive heels and scrambling backward. "I am an Arden! My father will kill you!"
"Let him try," Gareth replied quietly, turning his back on her entirely to face his mother.
