Chapter 7 - The Ghost of the Past and the Secret of the Ring
Morning light washed over the master suite in pale shades of gold and blue.
Sarah woke to the sound of soft, steady breathing.
She turned her head to find Gabriel still beside her, one heavy arm draped protectively across her waist, his face softened by sleep.
For the first time since she had known him, the ruthless Don looked at peace.
A gentle knock tapped on the bedroom door.
Gabriel’s eyes snapped open instantly, full awareness returning in a fraction of a second.
He slipped out of bed, pulled on a dark silk robe, and opened the door a crack.
Marco, his second-in-command, stood in the hallway holding a locked leather briefcase.
“Boss,” Marco whispered.
“The forensic audit on Enzo’s accounts came back. There’s something you need to see.”
Gabriel nodded once and took the briefcase.
He closed the door and brought the case to the mahogany desk by the window.
Sarah sat up, pulling the sheets around her shoulders.
“What is it?” she asked.
Gabriel popped the digital locks on the briefcase and began flipping through thick stacks of financial ledgers, bank routing slips, and encrypted emails.
His face grew progressively darker, his eyebrows drawing together like thunderclouds.
“Enzo wasn't just working for Carmine Moretti,” Gabriel said, his voice dropping into dangerous gravel.
“He was receiving payments from an account registered to a shell company in Zurich.”
“Who owns the shell company?”
Gabriel looked up, his slate eyes cold as an arctic winter.
“The Valenti syndicate.”
Sarah felt the room spin slightly.
“Valenti? But… that was Elena’s family.”
“My late wife’s brothers,” Gabriel confirmed, his jaw clenching so hard a vein bulged in his neck.
“They blamed me for Elena’s death. For three years, they played the role of grieving in-laws, attending family dinners, kissing my son’s cheek. All while funding the hit squads sent to slaughter him.”
He threw the file onto the desk with a crack like a gunshot.
“They don’t just want to take my territory,” Gabriel snarled.
“They want to end my bloodline completely so they can claim the Valenti trust that Elena left for Leo.”
Just then, the adjoining door to the playroom clicked open.
Leo padded into the master bedroom in his dinosaur pajamas, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
He carried his favorite wooden train.
He looked at his father’s tense posture, hesitated, and then slowly walked toward the bed.
Sarah held out her arms.
Leo immediately climbed up, tucking his small body beneath her arm and resting his head against her chest, right above where the bullet had scarred her ribs.
He looked up at Gabriel with quiet, innocent eyes.
“Daddy? Are you mad?”
The fury instantly drained from Gabriel’s face, replaced by a deep, protective sorrow.
He walked over to the bed, sat beside Sarah, and reached out to gently stroke his son’s hair.
“No, Leo,” Gabriel said softly.
“Daddy is not mad at you. Daddy is just making sure nobody ever bothers our family again.”
Leo looked down at the massive diamond ring sparkling on Sarah’s finger.
He reached out his tiny hand and touched the stone.
“Is Sarah staying forever?” Leo asked.
Gabriel looked over Leo’s head, his slate eyes meeting Sarah’s.
There was no hesitation in his voice.
May you like
“Yes, Leo,” Gabriel said, his voice ringing with absolute certainty.
“Sarah is staying forever. She is your mother now. And anyone who tries to change that will have to go through me.”
